//------------------------------// // The Step to the Beginning of the Happiness // Story: Twilight and Blue Sword // by Rakoon1 //------------------------------// Months have passed since the start of Twilight and Blue Sword’s courtship. During all that time, a lot if things has happened. Of course the main event was when Shining found out about their relationship. It was a tough time, but was eventually overcome. It took a while, but eventually Shining completely used to the idea that his little sister was dating his best friend. It didn’t take a long time until all Equestria knows that Princess Twilight was dating the latest Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, including the parents of each other. Twilight received a letter from Night Light and Velvet, her parents, congratulating her by her courtship with Blue and Blue’s both parents organized a dinner in their honor at their restaurant. The love between them was growing and getting stronger at each passing day. Whenever they could, they went together visit Shining and Cadance who, as time passed, was beginning to swell due to the little foal growing inside of her belly. But in those visits, they always gave getaways to the Oasis of the Heart, their refuge. Then one day in Canterlot (some time after the events in Bloom's New Life), Blue walked from one side to the other so impatient in his office. He seemed to be waiting for something or somepony. Then somepony knocked on the door and he said: "Come in." The door opened and Shining entered. "I’m glad you came" Blue said, seeing Shining coming in and closing the door. "I need to talk with you." "It must to be something very important for you have sent me a message to come to you to Canterlot" Shining said. "You couldn’t have said it in the message?" "This is not something that has to be talked in a letter. Besides, I need the help of your person to help me." "Go on, tell me, what do you want from me?" "I need your help." "I got that part, Blue. But could you develop some more?" "Well, the truth is..." Blue began, trying to find words to formulate what he want to say. "I need your help because you have experience in these things... and you are more sensitive than me and... well, I don’t have who else to turn. I mean, I could ask my father for help, but honestly it would be a little strange, so..." "Blue, that’s not developing" Shining said. "That’s rambling. You are moving away from the subject you want to talk with me about." "Oh, right" Blue said. "Well, the truth is that I need your help... to choose a horn ring." "A horn ring?" Shining asked. "Why the hell do you want a..." But then Shining realized what Blue wanted. "Wait, you're planning on asking Twilight..." "Please don’t be angry" Blue hastened to ask. "It was enough when you discovered that she and I were dating." "Who said I'm getting angry?" Shining asked. Blue stared Shining. "And are not you?" the blue unicorn asked. "Blue, if I was getting angry, you would be at this time on the floor due to the punch that I just gave you" Shining replied. "Yes, you're right" Blue agreed. "But I just want you to know that I wouldn’t give this step if I didn’t love your sister." "Yes, I know" Shining said. "If it was not like that, you would never abdicate your single stallion freedom. Besides it would be awesome to have you officially in the family. Of course I'll help you buy a horn ring. We go to the same jewelry where my grandfather bought the engagement horn ring he gave to my grandmother. If this ring is for Twily, then you should choose the best." "Thanks, buddy" Blue thanked. "That's the attitude that I hope my colt of honor had." That statement left Shining perplexed. "Wait, do you want me to be your colt of honor?" "Who else do you expect me to invite?" Blue asked. "You're my best friend. I couldn’t be your colt of honor, but I want to reward you for wanting you to be mine. So, do you accept?" After Shining put his hoof on Blue’s shoulder and replied: "Of course I accept. It will be an honor." And then they both gave each other a hug. When they finished it, Shining said: "Well, enough mawkishness. Let’s go buy the horn ring." So they went to the jewelry that Shining talked about and, with his help, Blue chose the best ring that followed Twilight’s tastes. After two days, Twilight was visiting his brother and sister in Crystal Empire, getting there flying. When she entered the palace, she went to the throne room. "Hi!" she said as she entered there and found Cadance sitting on the throne with Shining beside her. "Twily!" Shining exclaimed. "It’s so good to have you visiting us." "Yes, Twilight, what a big surprise it was when we got your letter" Cadance said that, being in an advanced pregnancy, now remained seated on the throne to avoid great efforts. "Well, I had nothing to do in Ponyville and I thought in coming to the Empire Crystal visit my dear brother and my dear sister-in-law, and wondering how is my nephew." "Or niece" Cadance said, passing a hoof by her belly. "I sincerely hope it’s a colt" Shining said. "Yeah, but I want a filly" Cadance said. "I always wanted a filly as my first foal." That scene made Twilight laugh and then say: "Divergent opinions about the foal’s gender. It's just like our mother and our father. Do you remember what they told us when the mother was pregnant with you, Shining?" "Oh, it was something very funny" Shining said. "What?" Cadance asked, curiously. "Well, when our mother was pregnant with me, her and our father argued about whether I would be a colt or a filly" Shining started. "Yeah, mom wanted a filly, but dad wanted a colt" Twilight continued. "So they made a bet" Shining said. "The one who gave the wrong answered had to change my diapers for a month." That made Cadance drop a laugh and said: "Your mother didn’t have lucky." Shining then turned to Twilight and asked her: "What do you think to do now that you're here?" "I don’t know, maybe go for a walk" Twilight replied. "There's not much to do beyond that." "Well, maybe we have something you to do" Cadance said, as she and Shining smiled. "What?" Twilight asked. Shining and Cadance exchanged a smile and then the latter replied: "Blue is also here." Upon hearing that, a smile drew up in Twilight’s face who asked: "Blue is here?" Shining nodded and Twilight became extremely happy, leaping for joy. "Where?" she asked. "He said he'd be in your special place" Shining replied. "I think you know where this place is, right?" It could only be one: the Oasis of the Heart. Without wanting to waste any more time, Twilight teleported her saddlebags to her room and walked to the exit of the throne room, telling to Shining and Cadance: "Sorry, but I gotta go. See you later." And having said that, she get out. "Well, she could have been more creative with the words" Shining commented. Cadance looked at her husband with a smile and, when he noticed it, he asked: "What?" "I'm glad you agreed well with Twilight and Blue’s courtship" she replied. "I had to" Shining answered. "I don’t want to lose my little sister and my best friend. In fact, I admit I like to see them together." "Thankfully, my dear" Cadance said. "That’s good." They exchanged a kiss and then Shining said: "And then I think we'll all have a big surprise." "What surprise?" Cadance asked, curiously. "Wait and see" Shining replied. Twilight, as she left the castle, took flight, heading northeast towards the Oasis of the Heart. When she felt the oasis’ sweet and attractive aroma, she landed and continued on hoof. Then the arctic cold was replaced by heat and the snow for fresh grass. The breathtaking view of the Oasis of the Heart appeared in front of her eyes. Despite the times she'd seen that place, its beauty charmed her always. He advanced towards the island in the center of the oasis and found Blue waiting, sitting and leaning against the great tree. She smiled and wasted no time, starting to run, while the stone platforms emerged. But Twilight didn’t bother to use them, merely fly over the lake and throwing herself to Blue’s forelegs, while the two initiated a hug. "I missed you so much" Twilight said. "And I missed you, my darling" replied Blue, as they ended the hug. "But what matters is that we are together now." Twilight nodded and then said: "I didn’t know you were here in the Crystal Empire. Why don’t you warned me you were here. I just found out by my brother." Blue didn’t answer immediately, thinking about the words to say, and then answered: "The truth is I wanted to surprise you. When you wrote to Shining and Cadance saying that you would came visit them, Shining notified me so I could come before you." "Wow!" Twilight exclaimed, somewhat impressed. "Did you elaborate this whole plan, achieving my brother’s help to surprise me and to be alone with me in our special place? I must say I was not expecting that." "You know, Twilight..." Blue said, hesitating what he wants to say. "This was not the surprise that I had prepared for you." "No?" Twilight asked, already feeling her curiosity increasing. "So what is it?" Blue was very nervous about the words. He never felt like that in my life, even when he began his relationship with Twilight. It was a moment that would change his life. "You know, Twilight... Although I only feel for you just a good friendship when we met, when I met you again several months ago, I started looking you as a mare and not as my best friend’s little sister. And I saw fantastic qualities in that mare: brave, fearless, caring, generous... Anyway, I cannot enumerate them all." Those Blue’s words made Twilight begin to blush. She always did that when she heard so many compliments from her coltfriend. Discreetly, Blue used his hoof to try to reach the velvet box that he had behind him, saying: "I began to feel an attraction for you that I quickly trying to suppress. But when we entered in this oasis and we approach so that we ended up giving our first kiss, I realized what I really felt about you: love and affection, a desire to make you the happiest of all mare." The great tree secretly used one of its branches to bring the velvet box to Blue’s hoof that grabbed it, while continuing to say: "So, here and now, I want to realize that desire." And then showed the velvet box to Twilight. Seeing the box, Twilight guessed what would happen and that left her breathless. "Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?" And he opened the box, revealing to Twylight a beautiful horn ring with a beautiful violet diamond, leaving Twilight speechless, putting her hooves in the front of her mouth, opened with amazement. She had expected anything but that. It was something surreal. "So?" Blue asked, immensely excited. "Do you accept?" But Twilight was still recovering from that request. She said nothing. "Please, Twilight, say something!" Blue said, almost unable to control himself. "I can hardly control myself." Twilight then smiled and then replied: "Yes, I will." Blue grinned and then gave a cry of joy. Twilight used her magic to place the ring on her horn, and it was soon hidden by her mane. The two surrendered themselves to long kiss and thereafter they gave a hug to each other. When they ended it, Blue said to Twylight: "I’m glad you accepted. I was having a heart attack when you didn’t answer me." "Well, I didn’t expect such a request" she said. "It still had to be processed. And the ring you gave me is beautiful." "Shining helped me choosing it" Blue said. "And look that was hard to find a ring that could match your beauty. Finally, I chose one with a violet diamond, a rare jewel to another rare jewel." That made Twilight give a laugh and then say: "You and your cliches." "Cliches that always work" he said. Twilight laughed and then they returned to embrace temselves. Shining and cadance were talking together in the throne room when the doors opened and Twilight and Blue entered, chatting happily. "Well, I see you made good use of your time together in that special place of yours" Cadance commented, blinking them the eye. "It was wonderful!" Twilight exclaimed. "It was the best moment of my life. The we came all the way back talking about the plans for the wedding." Upon hearing that, Cadance became surprised. Had she heard her right? She turned to Shining who was giving off a smile and asked: "This was what you were talking about?" "Exactly" Shining nodded. "Wait, you didn’t know?" Twilight asked to Cadance. "No, I didn’t" Cadance replied. "Apparently somepony wanted to leave me out on the plan." "Sorry, Cadance, but I had asked Shining to not tell you anything, just in case" Blue said. "It's okay" Cadance said. "What matters is that it happened at last." "Yes, and Cadance, I wanted to ask you something" Twilight said. "Do you want to be my best mare?" "Me?" Cadance asked, surprised. "And what about your friends?" "I cannot choose between them" Twilight replied. "Besides you were one of the most important ponies in my life. Of course I and Blue plan to marry in early summer, when the baby should have been born." "Well, of course I will" Cadance said. "It would be a honor." "Thankfully" Twilight said, glad that Cadance accepted. "Our parents will become very happy to hear that" Shining said to Twilight. "And when mine know, they will want to give a huge dinner in our honor" Blue said. That made four laughing at. And so the step to the beginning of the happiness was made.