//------------------------------// // Love Will Come To You // Story: The Color of Royalty // by Darkryt Orbinautz //------------------------------// Spike stood there in awe, his eyes transfixed on the golden ring on the floor. “You’re … you’re planning to propose.” Spike said, as if repeating the statement would make it seem less surreal. Hayseed scrambled off the bed, scooping the ring up and putting it back in the box. Fraught with worry and paranoia, he looked over his shoulder at the door to make sure neither Rarity nor Sweetie Belle had entered and seen the ring. Hayseed put the box back on the drawer and sighed. “Yes, Spike, I am. I’ve been meaning to … I mean, Rarity is just so … perfect.” Hayseed rubbed the box with his hoof. “I don’t want to let her get away. You know what I mean?” “I understand completely.” Spike said, clicking his fingers and winking. “That said, let me give you a little piece of advice. Take it from someone who’s known Rarity a long time …” Hayseed leaned towards Spike, curious to what he had to say. “It’s too soon.” Spike said. “Way too soon. Rarity wants to be sure of the things she wants before she makes a commitment to them. And normally, that’s not a problem, because she’s pretty good at knowing exactly what she wants. But if you ask her to make a commitment to you before she’s ready … before she’s decided that you’re the one … it will shake her, and your relationship will be on rocky terms. If it doesn’t end completely.” Hayseed reared his head back, taken by surprise by Spike’s brutal honesty and surprising insightfulness for his age. “I … I see, thank you, Spike.” “No problem.” Spike waved and walked towards the door. “It was nice hanging out with you. We should do it again sometime. Oh, and I promise I’ll make sure I won’t mention this to Rarity. Or anyone.” Spike put a finger to his mouth in a shush gesture before closing the door. Hayseed was left alone with the ring box. He tilted the lid back and lifted the box up, admiring the beautiful golden ring inside. As he admired it, Hayseed’s expression grew stern and determined. He slammed the box lid down. “It’s not too soon.” Hayseed said before putting the box down with his hooves still pressing on it. “I will propose to her, and I will get her to marry me.” Hayseed looked up, out the window. “But first, I’m going to get my business back in order.” Hayseed. “I wouldn’t want to upset her and be thrown out and left in the cold.” Hayseed reached over and put on a hat. “I’ll prove to her - to everypony - that I don’t need Rarity to make sure I have a roof over my head. I’m a grown stallion. I’m an excellent business manager. I have the means to ensure that I can afford to take care of myself.” Hayseed adjusted the hat and put a tie on his neck before preparing to march out the door and bring his business back from the brink with his bare hooves. He stepped out the door and remembered it was late, late in the evening, and nopony in Canterlot would have been wanting to do business at this hour. Well, nopony he wanted to associate with, at any rate. “Heh.” Chuckling, Hayseed took off his accessories. He set them on the drawer, right next to the ring box, before crawling into bed and resolving to himself he would do it tomorrow. Rarity became perplexed when she came down to the kitchen the next morning, and Hayseed wasn’t there. Him going to sleep in his own ‘doghouse’ room after tiring himself with Spike seemed plausible, so she wasn’t bothered when she woke in the bed alone … but she found it puzzling how she couldn’t find Hayseed in the house at all. Not even a note telling her where he’d gone. “How prodigiously odd.” Rarity murmured to herself, tapping her chin. Rarity went out to seek out her friends and see if perhaps they know of Hayseed’s whereabouts. After some wandering around, she found Twilight Sparkle in the market trying to buy tomatoes. “Twilight, darling?” Rarity said. “Oh. Hey, Rarity.” Twilight prodded one of the tomatoes, and grimaced when a worm emerged from it and slithered away. The shopkeeper smiled nervously and pushed the infested tomato off the side of his table, trying to pretend it wasn’t there. “I’m terribly sorry to trouble you so early in the morning, but have you seen Hayseed?” Rarity asked. “He wasn’t in the house … I can’t seem to find him anywhere, and he didn’t leave a note.” “No.” Twilight gave the shopkeeper payment for a bag of fresh and she hoped, wormless tomatoes. Worms would be bad for her and the shopkeeper’s business and reputation. “I’m sorry, Rarity, I can’t say I have.” “Drat.” Rarity thought. “Where could he be?” She happened to glance and notice Rainbow Dash flying over, pulling on an enormous cloud, while Fluttershy pushed the cloud from the opposite side. “Oh, yoo-hoo! Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash groaned. “What is it, Rarity? Fluttershy and I were in the middle of moving this runaway cloud back to the factory before it got loose and became a hazard.” The cloud reared up and tried to escape, but Dash and Fluttershy were able to suppress it with their hooves and keep it down. “Have you two seen Hayseed today?” “Hayseed?” Dash grunted out, struggling with the cloud. “Your other half? Nope. Haven’t seen him.” “Drat again. Thanks anyway, darlings” “Sure! No … problem!” Dash grunted as she and Fluttershy heaved the rambunctious cloud away. Applejack appeared on the other side of the market. She went up to the vendor for fresh green beans for her family’s cooking before glancing aside and going bug-eyed at seeing Twilight Sparkle. Twilight noticed her, too, and blushed, looking away from her. Rarity shook her head disapprovingly and humphed before prancing towards Applejack, disregarding their awkwardness to worry about her own pursuits. “Applejack, darling? Have you seen Hayseed today?” “What?” Applejack said. “Y’all think just because Hayseed and I are both farm folk, we know what the other is thinking? You think I know where is he just because he grows crops, same as me?” “Applejack, I never said that!” Rarity said. “ … but now that you mention, yes. At the very least, you might have some inkling as to where he might have gone.” “That all us farm ponies all know and get along with other, and we all know what each is thinking ‘cause we’re connected with a shared conscious like some sort of hive mind!?” Applejack asked. Rarity was not amused. She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Really, now, Applejack, now you’re just being ridiculous. But back to the point, vis a vis Hayseed, if you will.” “Vis a what?” “Where might you be off to if it were you in his horseshoes?” “Where would I be?” Applejack asked. She smirked, brimming smugness. “If I was in his horseshoes, I’d be trying to find somewhere as far away from you as possible.” Applejack chuckled. “Very funny.” Rarity noted dryly with a noticeable lack of laughter in her voice. “I’ll be leaving now go find him, but just so you know, that kind of humor, Applejack, is some rotten thanks to the pony who you came to for relationship device, who so willingly took you and gave you access to her alcohol stores when you were devastated one or another by your crush … even if I was enabling you and shouldn’t have …” Rarity muttered the last part before turning and hopping away, leaving Applejack blushing and flustered. Twilight and Applejack both kept their heads down, each of them avoiding the gaze of the other. Applejack finished paying for her selection of veggies, and the of them went on their ways out of the market, turning and walking the opposite direction from each other. Twilight kept her pace at a brisk walk heading to her house, but Applejack stopped, digging her front hooves into the ground. “This is dumb.” Applejack took her hoof and smacked her head, pasting her forehead with dirt specs. Applejack inspected her hoof and shook it off before shimmying her head to clear it of dirt. She turned around and chased after Twilight. “Twilight!” Applejack said, causing Twilight to freeze up. “Twilight, wait.” Applejack caught up to her, and Twilight, with resignation, turn to meet her face to face. “We need to talk.” Applejack said. “We should have a talk about this. About … everything that’s happened.” “I don’t really think we need a talk, Applejack.” Twilight said. “Yeah, sure I’m still feeling a little awkward … but I think we said everything we needed to say last night, don’t you?” Twilight swung her hoof around. “Last night? What are you talking ‘bout - oh.” Applejack realized. “At the restaurant … with Cherry.” “Well?” Twilight said. “Am I wrong? Does more need to be said? Did you not have a good time with her? Are you not going steady with her? Did she leave you?” “No, no, and no to those last three.” Applejack said.”It’s just ... “ “Applejack … doesn’t she make you happy?” Twilight said. “I saw you there with her last tonight. I could see how happy you were with her, even if you couldn’t see it yourself. You looked brighter that night in that booth than I’ve seen you in days.” “Cherry Jubilee is not the problem here! The problem is us, Twilight!” Applejack snapped before retreating. “ But since you mentioned it … yeah … she does.” Twilight looked to the ground, and took in a deep breath. “Applejack, I want to put this all behind us, for good, so I'd like to apologize and bury this so deep into the ground it will never come back up again. I’m sorry for hurting you. I’m sorry for breaking your heart. I’m sorry for taking it bad and fleeing the scene, running away from all those heavy emotions, twice, when you, more than ever, needed to be there to help you sort your feelings out. I should have been there for you, Applejack. I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me, and that you can be happy with Cherry.” “I do, Twilight.” Applejack pulled down the brim of her heart. “Finding one of your best friends has a crush on you and hearing them confess isn’t an easy thing to hear for anyone.” “And …” Applejack looked away. “I’m … I’m happy with Cherry Jubilee, Twilight Sparkle. I really am. I don’t need you to show that to me, Twilight. She … she makes me feel good inside. About myself. About who I am.” “Okay.” Twilight nodded. Applejack tipped her hat and left. Twilight blinked. “Wait a minute … ‘makes you feel good inside’? Hmm … that sounds a little fishy to me … and if I’ve learned anything these last few years, is that when I think something is fishy, it’s always worth investigating … even if you don’t always find what you expected to find.” “Hey, Twilight!” Spike waved, coming up to her side. “Do you finish getting the groceries?” “I did.” Twilight said. She handed them to Spike. “Here, Spike. Take these back home. I have to go send out a letter for a meeting …” “Oh, uh, okay.” Spike took the bag, and Twilight marched off. A branch from a nearby tree creaked before snapping and falling, conking poor Spike in the head. Twilight noticed out the corner of her eye and raised an eyebrow while Spike nursed the sore spot. Going back to her library house, Twilight began setting up a table, levitating plates, cups, and silverware on it. “Cherry’s here.” Spike informed her. “Excellent!” Twilight said. “Send her in.” Spike nodded and went to the front door, coming back to the dining area guiding Cherry by the hoof. “Well, howdy, Princess Twilight!” Cherry greeted her. “I gotta tell ya, I was as pleased as a peach in a pumpkin patch when I saw that y’all had seen fit to invite me, up to your house! Imagine, me. A lowly cherry farmer, dining in the house of a Princess!” “Don’t say that, Cherry Jubilee.” Twilight said as she poured tea into a cup. “Nopony is lowly in my eyes. No one too unimportant to see, no one too small to me to hear their concerns. We’re all equal here in Equestria.” “Gosh. that’s mighty kind and noble of ya to say, Your Majesty. I’m flattered anyway.” “Have a seat.” Twilight said, taking her own seat. “Don’t mind if I do.” Cherry said before scooting her chair out and seating herself. “Goodness. Imagine, you, a Princess. I can’t believe a pony that I didn’t know as anything but a cherry picker for hire when on up to be a Princess. Why, I still remember when y’all and your friends came to work at my cherry orchard. You know, if y’all had told me your friend Applejack was acting strange and y’all needed her to come home, I would have understood, and we could have sorted that whole mess a lot sooner!” “I’m sure we would have.” Twilight said before ominously sipping her tea, oddly using her hooves to lift the glass instead of magic. “Well, I … hmm.” Cherry became unnerved by Twilight unwavering, scrutinizing state. Almost as if she was trying to get a scan of Cherry. As if she was judging her. Applejack opened the door to her orchard and closed it behind, sighing happily before humming a little ditty to herself. “Y’all seem to be in a good mood.” Big Macintosh said. “Why wouldn’t I be?” Applejack asked as she passed Macintosh in the hallway. “I had a wonderful time last night. Sure, I had a rocky start with Twilight in the morning, but last night was so magical I can still feel the good vibes we generated last night.” “Ha!” In a rare display of emotion for him, Big Macintosh laughed. He smacked Applejack on the shoulder. “Good for y’all! Ya done it, A.J! You went out, confessed, and bagged her! Ya got Twilight Sparkle before anypony else got their hooves on her!” “Um, no. No, actually.” Applejack said. “The start with Twilight was something completely different and unrelated. I went out last night with Cherry Jubilee.” “Oh.” Big Macintosh nodded, his expression turning from happy and cheerful to thoughtful and considerate, thinking. “Oh. I see. Wait, Cherry Jubilee?” “Yeah? What about her?” “Didn’t y’all work for her at her cherry orchard when ya tried to leave Ponyville because ya couldn’t stand the idea of coming home and letting everypony down without the money to fix that roof that broke?” “Yeah …” Applejack scratched herself behind the ear. “In retrospect, maybe not my finest decision-making moment as an adult mare …” “Won’t it be awkward?” Big Macintosh asked. “You know, dating your former boss you worked for at one point in time?” “Yeah.” Applejack placed a hoof over her face. “It will. Thanks for reminding me.” Applejack lightly smacked the end of her hoof against Big Macintosh’s chest and work collar, making the collar squeak as it slowly spun to the right. “Not.” Applejack left the room in a huff. Big Macintosh shifted his eyes across the room, and after being sure nopony was there to witness, took his hoof and slooooowly adjusted his collar back into its proper position. “Good on you, eh? Go on, buy yourself something nice, huh?” A Canterlot broker said, patting his customer on the shoulder before they left. After they left, a stallion in a fine suit walked up to up. “Hey there, what can I do for ya … huh? Hayseed?” The broker ask. “You old dog!I haven’t seen you these last few days. What have you been up to? I heard you shacked up with a nice pretty lady, huh? A real beaut, and she’s quite the keeper, I’m told.” “Yes, yes. You ignore that for now.” Hayseed nodded, eager to change the subject to what he was here for. “I need you do me a favor, my friend. I need a business loan.” “A business loan? Sure, sure, I can do that for ya.” The broker said. “Eh … may I ask what for?” “For my flower business, of course.” Hayseed growled in a tone which suggested he wasn’t in the mood for stupid questions. “The one that had its stocks crashed recently. You may have heard of it.” “Again I ask you, what for?” The broker said. “Last I heard, you got a sweet deal with that nice lady of yours, could stay at her place as long as you liked. What do you need the loan for?” “I am planning to propose soon.” Hayseed said. “I need to repair my business before I can do that. I need to get back on my four hooves and show the world I can still pay for and take care of myself. I want to show everypony … I want everypony to know that my love for Rarity doesn’t come from her money, and to do, I need to have a reliable, sustainable source of income. The last thing I want would be to strain our relationship with the question and have her kick me out before my next paycheck comes in. I need to … be able to separate myself from her before I can unify. ” “Oh. True beauty, right there. You got a way with words, Hayseed. I tell you, you missed your true calling, not being a poet.” Hayseed sighed and put a hoof to his head, exasperated with his friend’s needling. “Just … get me the loan, please.” “Sure, sure.” Cherry Jubilee, nervous, shaking, took another sip of her tea, leaving her food on the plate, getting cold. Twilight, from across the table, continued to glower at her. “So, um … this is some lovely tea … we’re having … isn’t it …” Cherry said. Did I really just say that? Cherry thought. Tea ain’t like the weather. Oh, that look in Twilight’s she’s been giving me has got me and my nerves all rattled and frazzled up. “Cherry Jubilee.” Twilight set her teacup down in a silent and subtle, yet at the same still powerful and attention-grabbing gesture. “I’m going to ask you some questions. Now, let me be clear. I support your relationship with Applejack. I think you and Applejack are excellent for each other. But I have to make sure you’re a good match for her. I have to be sure you won’t hurt my friend. Can you understand that, Cherry Jubilee? I have to be sure.” Cherry nodded. “Yes, ma’am, Your Majesty. I can certainly understand that.” Cherry gulped down a lump in her throat. “Carry on.” Twilight put her hooves together. “What are your intentions towards Applejack?” A bead of sweat went down Cherry’s neck, but she kept her composure and answered calmly. Which might be only hurting her chances, as skilled liars and people of ill intent are often marked by their ability to remain totally calm while speaking complete untruths. She hoped Twilight didn’t get the wrong impression. “As honest and true as the cherries I take my name from.” Twilight nodded. “I see. Good answer. Poetic, but one that evades any specifics or key details. Let’s try again, a bit blunter this time. Are you going to hurt Applejack?” “I would never hurt Applejack!” Cherry responded in shock. “The last thing I would want would be to hurt Applejack! She’s good to me! And … and I love her.” Twilight’s brows shifted positioned, intrigued, but not convinced. “The night when you took Applejack out from the bar and to your room and had your little bout of … debauchery … did you put anything in Applejack’s drink?” “No!” “Did you deliberately get her intoxicated so she’d say - or couldn’t say no - to having intercourse with you?” “No!” Cherry answered. “I did no such thing! I brought Applejack to my room, fair and square. We were both just a little buzzed! You know, light enough to not have our minds completely impaired, but hard enough to steel our nerves to do things we might otherwise not. She told me she was only a little tipsy. She was quite insistent on that fact, too, so I trusted her judgment and her ability to make conscious, rational decisions for herself.” “I see.” Twilight said. “So she wasn’t downplaying what happened in order to defend you out of a misguided notion of obligation and friendship, had that been the case, and trying to avoid stirring up a mess …” “What was that? Speak up, sweetie, I can barely hear you.” “Nothing.” Twilight said. “It was nothing. Next question. What do you want from Applejack?” “I don’t want anything from Applejack.” Cherry Jubilee said. “Okay … well … that’s not completely true. I want her to be happy.” Twilight’s judging stare cracked into a smile. “I think that’s good enough.” “I want her to be happy with me.” Cherry said, continuing on not because she was trying to further placate Twilight, but because she now felt comfortable and relaxed enough to the idea of expressing the rest of her true feelings. “I want her to have a happy, healthy, romantically satisfying and sexually grat-” “Okay, okay, I said think that's good enough!" Twilight insisted, covering her eyes. "I don't want hear about my best friend's sex life!" "Aw.” Cherry cooed. You mean to tell me y’all never get around to talking to your Rarity about what she does with Hayseed? Knowing that mare, I bet there's something kinky she could share with you ... “I said enough! Get out! And go make Applejack happy! But get out and stop being perverted and gross while do you do it!” Cherry scooted out from her seat. “I'll admit, answering those questions was kind of difficult for me, you know, on account of you being a Princess who could send me to the dungeon if you didn't like any of them and all.” “I would never do that!” Twilight exclaimed. Twilight glared. “I might. Maybe. If you hurt her.” “I won’t. I promise.” Cherry said before turning and leaving. Spike heard the front close behind Cherry and popped his head into the dining room. “So? How’d it go with Cherry?” Twilight smiled, pushing her chair away from the table and stepping off. “I think it well. Thanks for checking on me, Spike.” “No problem!” Spike made an upturned thumb at Twilight before a book fell out from a shelf and hit him on the head. “Ow!” Twilight raised her eyebrow again. This was the second time today something had hit Spike in the head, despite no previous indication the object was at risk of falling or Spike was in harm’s way. Spike was furthered punished, pummeled and clobbered by a mass attack of books falling off the shelves and hitting him on the back and top of his head, Even though Twilight knew she had stacked those books in a neat orderly way where this many shouldn’t have been able to fall at once, especially not at the same time. And it was no longer only books assaulting him; quills, pens, inkpots, bookmarks, and candles joined in on the offensive push. “I know I rearranged the shelves precisely recently … curious.” Twilight muttered, rubbing her chin and getting suspicious. “Come on, Spike! This calls not just for another rearranging, but a full-on investigation! Even though I would be happy to do another rearranging, hee hee.” Twilight tittered before galloping into the room Spike had come from. “Oooh.” Spike groaned, rubbing his head. He was more upset about the fact Twilight was going to make him rearrange the shelves again instead of the fact his head had been pummeled with a merciless menagerie of falling objects and suddenly the object of target practice amidst Twilight’s possessed possessions and other non-Twilight, library-owned books. At least until another heavy book hit him in the head. “ARRRRRGH!” Spike shook his claws at the heavens and screamed in rage. "Twilight, don't you care that I'm being attacked by inanimate objects from nothing?" "... oh yeah. Well, we'll figure that out." Feeling motivated and inspired after her talk with Twilight, Cherry Jubilee went to Sweet Apple Acres. She went up to the house and knocked on the door. The door was answered by Big Macintosh, and Cherry initially flinched upon seeing his imposing, big red snout emerged through the door. “Uh, hello.” Cherry said. “I’m Cherry Jubilee. I was hoping I could talk to Applejack?” Big Macintosh squinted at her and gave her a look which made Cherry think Big Mac could see through her skin. “Alright. Come on in.” Big Macintosh moved aside. Cherry walked inside, uncertain what it was about Big Mac which made her so uneasy. Perhaps it was her size, or perhaps it was only because she could sense the drive inside of him of a big brother trying and determined to protect his sister. Cherry jumped three feet in the air with her hooves splayed out when Big Macintosh slammed the door. “So, you’re Cherry Jubilee, huh?” Big Macintosh asked. “My little sister Applejack is a special breed.” “Oh yes.” Cherry agreed. “Very special.” Big Macintosh got up in Cherry’s face, Cherry smiling nervously as she was almost eskimo-kissed by the big, red, almost demonic snout. “What makes you think you’re special enough to be the one dating her?” Cherry sighed and rolled her eyes, forgetting her fear and nervousness in favor of impatience and impetuousness. Cherry placed a hoof on her forehead. “This again, really?” She pointed the hoof at Big Macintosh. “Now you listen here, you big ol’ red rascal. Twilight Sparkle done did this to me already. I am sick and I am tired already of the whole lone wolf cowboy interrogation act! Why does everyone feel the need to interrogate me all of a sudden, just because I want to date Applejack?” Big Macintosh took in a breath and prepared to speak. “Big Macintosh!” Applejack scolded, entering the room in a timely manner before Big Macintosh could reply. “Sorry about that, Cherry. He gets protective of me, sometimes.” Applejack said, wrapping a leg around Cherry’s neck. “You know how big brothers get. Come on. Let’s go into the kitchen. I’ll make you something nice.” “I know …” Cherry closed her eyes and nuzzled into Applejack’s neck. “It still hurts, though ..” “Go on.” Applejack said, gently pushing Cherry away. Cherry went into the kitchen, while Applejack glared at Big Macintosh. “Y’all should be ashamed of yourself.” Macintosh sank to his haunches. “Sorry.” “Y’all should be after that display.” Applejack said before walking into kitchen to make Cherry Jubilee the ‘something nice’ she mentioned. She would figure it out when she got in there. Once she was gone, Big Macintosh smiled. “Well done, A.J. Looks like you found yourself a real catch. She seems like a keeper to me.” “And here’s your order, ma’am.” Hayseed handed a bouquet of blue lilies to a mare. The mare held them to her nose and sniffed. “They smell lovely.” “Only the very best.” Hayseed tipped his hat and the mare walked away. “Hey, what kind of bait-and-switch are you trying to pull here, pal?” A gruff-voice burly stallion came up to Hayseed’s counter and slammed a bouquet on the desk. “These are marigolds. I ordered begonias!” “Did you?” Hayseed said. “Hmm. How very curious, very bizarre. Perhaps of my assistants made a mix-up. Here at my business, we value nothing but the best of service. So, if you will permit me ...” Hayseed closed his eyes and pulled out a bouquet of begonias from under the counter, able to find them by memory. “Allow me to present you with the correct bouquet, and to offer you a full-money back refund.” Hayseed handed the pegasus the flowers and a smattering of bits. “Good, good.” The stallion happily took the bouquet and the money. “Well, at least you have some good customer service.” “Nothing but the best.” Hayseed emphasized, saluting as the stallion walked out. “Whew,” Having a brief moment of respite, his customers all gone, Hayseed took in a deep breath and wiped the sweat of his brow. He would never admit, but managing his business and dealing with unsatisfied customers could be tiring. And he needed to make a note to investigate to see how the customer had ended up with marigolds - one of his employees could end up with a write-up, or worse, being fired. Hayseed turned away from the counter. He pulled his ring box out of his pocket and opened it. He stared at the ring, taking its golden shine and the sparkle of its embedded diamond. He thought of his lovely Rarity. Hayseed closed the box and pocketed it. “It’ll all be worth it.” Twilight Sparkle flipped through the pages of another book. “No.” She snapped it up and tossed it away with her magic. She flipped through another. “No. No, no, no.” She repeated this process, opening books and tossing them away as it became clear none of them had any information which would have been helpful to her. “I’m sorry, Spike.” Twilight winced as a bird’s nest came crashing down on Spike’s head. “I can’t find anything in the library’s books about anything like this happening! Not in any of the magical history books or in any of the historical magic books!” “Do you try the archives?” Spike asked, dancing around to avoid falling clothespins. “Maybe it’s something that happens every one hundred because of a curse or a spirit that has to be kept at bay or something random like that?” Twilight shook her head. “No. It can’t be anything like that. I checked the archives, and there was no mention of anything like this. I would think at least one of the previous librarians would have mentioned it if they encountered something like this.” “Are you sure?” Spike asked ducking under a table as a marble statue manifested and tried to slam down on him. "They seem to have been pretty forgetful about a few things ..." “Pretty sure.” Twilight noticed something and glared at the corner of the room. “Wait … just one minute.” A book was crawling around on its own, using its pages as many, many legs. It stumbled awkwardly until crossing paths with a similar walking book, at which it pointed it snapped itself open and shut several times as if it were a pair of jaws. “There’s only one person in Equestria, who could be so diabolical, so evil as to bring my books to life and make them into jaw-biting monsters … only so … chaotic.” Twilight squinted, pulling up her lips. “Discord.” Spike slammed his fist against his palm. Twilight sighed. “Don’t worry, Spike. I’ll talk to him. I’ll get Fluttershy, and hopefully we can sort this out and get Discord to knock it off.” “No, no.” Spike waved his hand. “You don’t need to do that, Twilight. I don’t need to rely on others to do things for me. I’m a child anymore. I’ll go talk to him myself.” Spike marched out the door. Twilight cupped her chin in concern. “Are you sure? Discord, well, he’s Discord. He can get pretty mean if he’s upset or thinks you offended him.” “Don’t worry, Twi.” Spike glared out the door as he marched out. “I’m pretty sure I already know what’s offended him …” Spike exited the library. He slammed the door shut behind him and marched a good distance away from the library to make sure any collateral damage from any chaos-based happenings Discord cooked up stayed far away from Twilight’s house. Spike stomped forth, planting his feet firmly in the ground, and raised up a fist as he shouted the name. “DISSSCOOORD!” Thunder crashed and echoed. Clouds of cotton candy formed out an invisible mist, surrounding and encircling Spike. Discord appeared, resting a bed of the cotton candy clouds, resting his chin on his talon, staring at Spike with a self-sure smile, as if Spike were a dumb animal Discord was looking at through a cage at the zoo, and Discord was congratulating himself on his vast, assumed superior intelligence. Discord’s antler buzzed and shook. Discord popped the antler off his head, connecting by a curly wire, and put the antler up to his ear as if were a phone. “You rrrrang?” Discord asked, the antler-phone continue to ring before Discord got annoyed with it and placed the antler on his head, hanging up on the line. “Are you the responsible for all the stuff that’s been just appearing and falling on me today?” Spike demanded, pointing a finger. Spike knew the answer was yes, of course, but he wanted to give Discord a chance to come clean. “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” Discord said. “Why?” Spike asked. “Excuse me?” Discord asked, rolling and lying on his back on his cloud couch. “Perhaps you didn’t quite catch on, but I never admitted to anything.” Spike sighed and slapped his head. “Okay.” Spike said. “Let’s try this a different. If, hypothetically speaking, it was you conjuring up all this stuff and making it fall on my head … why were you? What were your reasons be?” “Well … I suppose in that case, if we’re just speaking hypothetically …” Discord said and stood up. “Why?” Discord got into Spike’s face, pressing his nose to Spike’s. “I’ll tell you why. It’s because I’m jealous, Spike, jealous of your ignorant puppy love for Celestia. We used to date, and I still have feelings for you. The relationship between the two of you will never last - if not because one of you has personality flaws or something else the other just can’t stand, then because you’ll you’ll die and she’ll long outlive you, and the sooner Celestia realizes this relationship is doomed and begins dating another immortal like herself, by coming crawling back to me after realizing I was the one that was right for her along, the better!” Spike blinked, taking in all of what Discord said. Discord, his expression going stunned as he realized he may have tipped his hand and said more than he wanted to say, pulled away from Spike. “Uh, hypothetically, of course.” “So, wait, wait a minute … let me make sure I have this straight.” Spike said. “You, an immortal shapeshifter being from the dawn of time who can manipulate reality to your whim …” “Oh please.” Discord said. “What do you take me for, a, crippled infirm geezer? I’m not THAT old.” “Are competing for the love of and trying to woo the affection of a similarly at least partially immortal, also very powerful, thousand-year old solar princess …” “Yes …” “By attacking a whelp of a dragon with an assault of books and other things falling on his head?” Spike asked. Discord raised up a finger, having an idea to speak. He looked away and rubbed the back of his head. “Well … I guess when you put that way, it does sound … rather silly. But I’m Discord!” A poof covered Discord’s face, putting glasses and a fake nose with a mustache and propeller beanie on Discord’s head while he balanced on a unicycle. “Silly is what I do!” Spike took in a deep breath. “Dude … look. Harassing me and trying to humiliate me and embarrass me … it isn’t going to earn you Celestia’s love back. What do you think is going to happen if you ‘win’? If you ‘beat me’? Which is more likely, that she’s just gonna fall down on her knees and come crawling to you, begging you to take her back?” Spike performed a falsetto. “‘Oh, Discord, I was so very wrong about you! I’m sorry. Forgive me, please take me as your girlfriend and wife, here, let me kiss your feet!’ … or that she’s gonna be mad you were petty enough to try and beat up a teenager trying to impress her? ‘Discord! You should be ashamed of yourself, beating up poor Spike like that!’ Beating rivals isn’t gonna make her love you again.” “I guess you have a point …” Discord groaned out under his breath, reluctant to admit so. Discord turned away from Spike and sighed. “I know that, Spike.” Discord said. “I guess … deep down, I’ve always known. I thought … I managed to convince myself that if I could just take out any competition for her feelings, any rivals for her affection, a.k.a, you … that somehow everything would be perfect between us again and repaired, and she would take me back as her boyfriend.” Discord let out a deep breath. “But that can’t ever happen, can it? No. It won’t happen. Not as long as she still has all of you to think about. You and Twilight and every other pony and civilized being living in Equestria. As long she cares about you, she’ll never take me back, because she’ll always think about what I did to the ponies during my time … during my reign.” Discord sighed again. “Oh, joy! Oh, sorrow! Oh, long did I weep in these dark hours - you get the point.” Discord floated off the ground. “I’ll leave you alone, Spike.” Discord said. “Oh, and by the way, you might want to tell everypony that thing you know about.” Discord snapped his fingers and disappeared in a flash. Spike facepalmed both palms to his forehead in alarm. “Of course! I completely forget! How could I have forgotten about that? Oh well, never mind, that doesn’t matter. I need to go tell the girls!” Spike ran back into the library. “Twilight!” “How did it go?” Twilight asked. “Were you able to sort everything out with Discord?” “Yeah, it went fine, Look, that’s not important now. Get all of the girls here - except Rarity. I have something I need to tell all of you.” “Okay …” A little bit of worry tugged at Twilight, but she went and did as Spike asked. Sometime later after sending some letters out, all of the girls - Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Applejack, and even Cherry Jubilee, both of them holding hooves with the other and seemingly unable to let go - arrived at the library and gathered in the foyer. “We’re all here now.” Twilight said. “What is you wanted to tell us, Spike?” Spike inhaled sharply, preparing and relaxing himself. “Okay, so he asked me not to tell you guys, but I think given the seriousness, you girls deserve to know what could happen with your best friend Rarity!” “What?” Twilight asked. “What could happen, Spike?” “Hayseed’s planning to propose to Rarity.” They were shocked and surprised reactions all around. “WHAAAAT?” Pinkie Pie said. “Oh, goodness! I haven’t even started on a wedding cake! I’ll need to get that done when I get to Sugarcube Corner A.S.AP!” “Oh- oh my.” Fluttershy mumbled. “That - that’s an awfully big step for both of them.” “No way.” Dash crossed her arms. “A flirty girl like Rarity would never commit.” “That’s ridiculous.” Twilight said, disapproving.. “They haven’t been dating for nearly that long. To get engaged now would be premature. Spike, do you know when Hayseed is planning on proposing? Did he say? Did he tell you?” “I … I … uh …” Spike stammered on realizing Hayseed hadn’t said when exactly, and he didn’t know the answer. “No.” Cherry Jubilee frowned. She parted her hoof from Applejack, to Applejack’s surprise and dismay, and looked away before running out the door. “Cherry?” Applejack asked. “I’m sorry, girls, do ya mind?” Twilight shook her head. “No. Go right ahead.” “Yes. It seems like she needs somepony to talk to…” Fluttershy answered. With their blessing, Applejack hopped to her hooves and ran out after her, opening the door to see Cherry stopped a few scant feet in front of the library. “Cherry!” “Cherry!” Applejack shouted, chasing her down and catching up to Cherry before she could get much further from the shade of the library tree. “What’s wrong, Cherry Jubilee? You ran out of there faster than a rat running from a rattlesnake.” “What Spike told us just now … about … Hayseed planning to propose.” Cherry Jubilee. “It got me thinking, Applejack. Marriage!I didn’t think that far ahead! I was happy just to get you in the same bed as me and share a lunch together! I hadn’t even thought about marriage! Oh, and what about kids?” Cherry placed hoof to her head. “Do we want kids? Are we going to have kids? How would we have kids? We’re two mares!” “Hey. Hey, hey.” Applejack grabbed Cherry, pulling Cherry’s hoof away before gently cupper her hoof around Cherry’s cheek, pulling Cherry towards her. “Look at me. Look at me. We’re still young.” “Young? We’re both adults!” “Young enough.” Applejack said. “Our relationship is still in bloom. We don’t have to think about all of that right now. Not yet. Okay?” Cherry glanced to the ground before looking up, smiling and nodding at Applejack. “Okay.” Applejack brushed her hoof along Cherry’s hair. Both of them smiling, Applejack pulled Cherry into a kiss. Nightfall. After dark. The girls and Spike huddled together outside Carousel Boutique, eavesdropping from the bushes and looking through the windows to see what was going on, and what was going to happen. Rarity hummed to herself, hanging up a towel and putting some dishes away. She raised an eyebrow when she heard the front door latch open. “Hello?” Rarity walked into the main room. “Oh! Hayseed. There you are. Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you all day.” “Yeah, I’m sorry about that.” Hayseed said. “I was back in Canterlot, getting my business back together. It’s nowhere near where it was before the crash, but it’s sustainable, and I think I can build it back up again.” “But whatever for?” Rarity asked. “You could have stayed here with me. I would be happy to provide for the both of us.” “Who said I was leaving?” Hayseed asked. “Don’t be so quick to make assumptions, Rarity. Besides, it was just a precaution … in case something went wrong tonight.” “Something going wrong …? Why would something go wrong, Hayseed?” “He’s gonna do it.” Rainbow Dash said, watching from outside. “He’s totally going to do it! The brass on him!” “Ssh! You’re going to get us discovered!” Twilight admonished her. The leaves on the bushes rustled, and Rarity whipped her around to look out the window, proving Twilight’s point, but Rarity didn’t seem to notice them. “... Carry on. Proceed. You were saying, Hayseed?” “Rarity.” Hayseed put a hoof to his chest. “The time I’ve spent with you have been one of the highlights of some of the best days of my life. Sure, it got a little rocky and cliff-edged for awhile there after the whole business between me, you, and Spike, but we made our way through it. We held onto the boat, and for that, we were rewarded with being able to repair our relationship. I don’t want to go through anything like that again. I want to spend the rest of my time here, with you, in this house, while managing my business on the side. Sure, it’s important to me, but you, Rarity, are my first priority.” Hayseed reached behind him. “I thought I told you there would be no more secrets between us … well, I’m afraid I may have lied about that. I have one more. One I been keepin’ til now ...” Hayseed walked forward. He got on his knees and pulled out the box, opening it up to reveal the shining ring inside. “Rarity Belle, will you marry me?” “There’s no way she’ll say yes.” Rainbow Dash said, skeptical. Rarity let out a gleeful, ear-piercing happy shriek which could have broken glass… and ceramic… and plaster. “AAAAAAAAAAIE! YES!” Rarity took the ring box from Hayseed’s hoof and admired it while she did a twirl out of joy. “Oh, I can’t believe this is happening! Finally, after all these years! After all the failed suitors and unrequited pining! Yes, Hayseed Turnip Truck, I, Rarity Belle, will marry you!”