//------------------------------// // Chapter One // Story: Hearts of Class III: "You, Me… Forever..?" // by ImAPonyXY //------------------------------// Realisatiom -- A Few Months Earlier -- "You're looking beautiful today," said Leo as he walked with Sweetiebelle down the park path. The bright rays of the sunlight were shining brightly through the leaves of the thick trees and illuminated the paved path of which they travelled along. The sun was warm and comforting, it was nice to feelsuch pleasure after weeks of rainfall, yet the constant passing of the cloud blocked out the sun on occasion. "Th-thank you...." Sweetiebelle blushed amd held her hands. He touched her shoulder and rubbed her fur, "you really soft too, you know that right?" he smiled. She nodded, "I try." "Well you try to perfection," the griffon complimented. Sweetie blushed deeper and hid her face, although she appreciated the compliments she didn't feel comfortable accepting them, after all, they weren't together and she had only recently let go of Spike. She turned to look at the griffon in curiosity, "what's with all the compliments today?" She asked, "like, you've been getting nicer and nicer towards me of lately and I appreciate your support, but I don't understand why?" Leo grinned and wrapped his arm around her, "Because Sweetie, I've fancied you ever since we met a few months ago, and although I didn't do a good first impression, I'm trying to make it up.... because I love you." Sweetiebelle stopped in her tracks and stared at the lovestruck Griffon in shock. She blished deeply and looked down, remembering how Spike admitted his love to her. "You.... love me?" She stuttered Leo gulped. "Yes." There was a pause between the two of them as Sweetiebelle tried to comprehend what she had just heard. Leo loved her, and she loved him.... but she also loved Spike. She always had loved Spike, but he was no longer available, and so she had to go with what her heart said and choose the Griffon over the Dragon. Sweetiebelle looked at Leo cautiously and carefully, but also sweetly and camly. She didn't know how to react or what to say at the moment, she just stared at him as though she had just discovered something astronomical... and you know what, she had. "So.... do you love me back? he asked her nervously, sweat breaking from his palms. Sweetie paused, the white unicorn was stunned. Everytime he said the word love, she would start to think of Spike, but then she would think of him. It was as though she was trapped in a forever love-triangle that she could not escape.... but did not exist. It was near torture, but it felt so, so good. She was loved. She was loved by so many and she loved them too, the only problem was, that she couldn't love them both. As in, she was dealing with the feeling of two testosterone filled teenage boys who hated each other before everything went to shit. She had to choose between Spike and Leo, one of them would mesn love and the other would be boring... and with Spike in a coma it meant thag Leo was her love. It was about time she gave Leo an answer. She took a deep breath, sighed, and nodded. "Yes," she said simply and smiled brightly, "I do love you." Present Day Clouds began to build up to form a light barrier under the sun and block the warm rays from reaching the now cold, paved ground as Sweetiebelle and Leo walked home from Ponyville Urgent Care. The young unicorn was being awefully quiet and slightly awkward. The occasional conversation that they would have ended quickly and a one word answer beinv constantly provived by Sweetiebelle. She wasn't in a talking mood, she felt uncomfortable and nervous. The though of Spike waking up and realising thay she had dumped him for the guy he hated could send the recovering dragon into denial or depression. In any case it surely wouldn't be good for him. "Sweetiebelle," the griffon spoke and snapped her out of her thoughts. "Hmm?" she replied. Leo rolled his eyes, "what do you mean 'hmm?', you didn't answer my question." "What was it again," He sighed heavily, "Why are you being so damn quiet? You haven't been like this for months, not since we got together." He sounded worried, he was clearly concerned for her as it was obvious that she was bugged by something. "Nothing, I'm fine," she simply replied, trying to avoid explaining herself. "Sweetiebelle!" The griffon grabbed her and gripped his wrist tightly, "you are not fine, don't say thst this is nothing because I know you're lying," he scolded but didn't let go of her, "now please, just tell me. Don't be a bitch!" Sweetiebelle winced, but she knew that she would have to tell him the truth, whether it was now, or later. She gulped ajd took a deep breath as she looked him in the eyes, sternly. "Because Leo, I don't love you anymore!" She yanked her wrist out of his firm grip, "You're actling like you did when we first met... you're full of testosterone and you're just a plain jackass!" Leo stood there, stunned, "what...?" "You heard me, you're a jackass!" She yelled angrily. "Woah, woah, woah... where is this coming from?!" "I though I loved you all those months ago, when you told me everyday how beautiful I was and how talented is could be. You made me feel something that Spike never did and I can never explain the feeling, but you've changed... and not for the better. I don't want to date someone like you anymore, especially if you call me a bitch for having my own feelings!" "Is this because of Spike!" "It's about many things and I may not feel comfortable dating you because I'm betraying Spike, but the way you've been acting is laughable... no wait... it's annoying and I feel like I want to break your nose everytime you talk to me like you just did!" "So this is a break up?" "If you're too stupid to figure that out for yourself, then you don't deserve to be with me...!" She pouted and stormed away. A wave of relief washed over Sweetiebelle as she came to the realisation that she was now free of his strict rules and hurtful words.... but now she was alone. However, she couldn't deny that the only reason she dated him was that because she was alone and that Spike was in a coma, she had no one. It was like a new beginning, and after spending so much time with someone else it was hard to imagine a life without anyone else. But she wouldn't be alone forever, surely as soon as Spike woke up, she could go back to him as though nothing had changed. However long that would take was way out of her comprehending, and she may be along for a while to come. On that note, ne mind immediately flooded with Spike and she felt compelled to head to the hospital again, even though she had onlh just left. And not wanteing to fight this feeling of compelling, she decided to go along with it and head to the hospital. "Wait!" Leo called out, but Sweetiebelle did not turn around, "Where are ya going?" "To someone more interesting then you!" she called back without turning to look at him and finally walked out of his view.