The smell never ceased to amaze him with it's strength. The stench of burning natural gas in the new forge he had recently acquired, and of the oil that he used to lubricate the complicated smithing machine that his assistant was able to slap together from what he could only guess was scrap iron from the local junkyard, along with the occasional whiff of burning hair that came from pumping too much gas into the forge before igniting it and paying for it with the loss of an eyebrow or two. All these combined to smack Caramel Apple in the face, like a slap from a jilted lover on Hearts and Hooves day, with it's odor as he tried to finish the day's orders. It was far from pleasant, but by now he was used to it. It came with the territory with running a blacksmith's shop.
He took a brief respite from pounding on the shovel he was currently making to take a look at his cutie mark; three blue horseshoes, symbolizing his talent in working with metal. From the time he was a foal to now, he had been working with forge and hammer, crafting tools from iron and steel with the finesse of an artist at his easel, and he had developed quite a reputation as a skilled craftspony, popular and successful in a time when many tools were made in factories with industrial processes for much cheaper than in his little tiny shop. But the citizens of Ponyville did not seem to care. Here they liked to do things the traditional way. Despite the fact that they had unicorns living in town, they did not use magic when cleaning up the town for winter, and nearly everything in town was hoofmade by someone who lived there. It was one of the things he liked about this town. It was small, intimate, and everypony seemed to know each other as though they were old friends. This was especially true with the pink earth pony who apprenticed with the local bakers, who treated every single pony in the town as though they had been friends for life. He chuckled a bit as he remembered the massive party she insisted on throwing for him when he first opened his shops in Ponyville...
"Ouch!" He yelped as he realized to late that had set his hoof down too close to the still hot metal. He turned and glared at the offending object before running his hoof under some cold water in a nearby sink. Well, I think I just might make my burn quota for today after all. He joked to himself as the water worked it's magic on the painful burn. This latest order of his was taking it's toll. It was for one of his least favorite customers; Hyacinth, a cantankerous old stallion who lived outside of town and had a reputation as a complete and utter jerk. He was always rude to people, constantly berated foals who came to close to his prize flower garden, and was very well known amongst the merchants for his brazen disregard for civility. He had ordered a new set of gardening tools from Caramel and thankfully he was almost done; the idea of having to tell him that his order would be coming in late and facing his rage was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.
When his hoof felt better, he started putting the finishing touches on the shovel, including stamping his personal monogram into it. One last dip into the water and some polishing, and it was finally finished. He sighed with relief. Once again, near-perfect workmanship. He smiled at his work before setting it aside next to the other completed tools, just in time for his shop bell to ring. A familiar scent of cologne mixed with cheap whiskey reached his nostrils and he nearly heaved. Yep, it was definitely Old Man Hyacinth himself.
"Hey, are you in here, boy!" A gravely voice sounded. Well, here we go. Caramel thought to himself.
"I'll with you in just a minute." Caramel called, arranging the completed tools and taking a moment to clean up a bit before stepping out into the storefront. There was Hyacinth, his yellowish fur stained with what looked like cheap scotch and his eyes furrowed in an angry glare. His favorite hoofball team must have lost again. It was one of the few times he'd seen the old stallion drink himself nearly to death. "Hello, Sir. How can I help you?" He asked. The question seemed to make Hyacinth angrier. Not good.
"You know perfectly well what I'm here for, boy." He growled, his graying mane seeming to flare up as he furrowed his brow. "Don't play any games with me today." Caramel gulped a bit.
"Oh, of course. Right this way, Mr. Hyacinth...."
"Don't call me 'Mister'. I don't know you and like you even less. You can piss off with the formalities." He snarled.
"Yes, my apologies," Caramel said. "If you'll follow me." He led Hyacinth into the back. Hyacinth huffed a bit as he surveyed the shop, but said nothing. Caramel began by showing him the shovel he had just finished, launching into his usual explanation of the technique and metal used to create the tools he had ordered. Hyacinth listened with what he guessed was barely feigned interest before his sight suddenly settled on something.
"Sir?" He asked. Hyacinth walked over and picked something up. Caramel realized it was an old, broken hoe that he was going to have his assistant fix. He realized too late that it was right next to the genuine article and Hyacinth must have mistaken it for part of the order. Before he could open his mouth, however, Hyacinth snarled and turned at him with a look that could have been deadly if they could indeed kill.
"Is this some sort of joke?" He growled. "What the hell is this, boy?" Caramel gulped a bit, but this shouldn't be an issue.
"Well sir, it seems you..." He began, but Hyacinth refused to let him finish.
"This hoe is a piece of crap! Is this what you call high quality?" He shouted. "I oughta crack you over the head with this boy!"
"But sir, if you let me explain..." Caramel tried to get it, only to be silenced by Hyacinth smashing the hoe and breaking it further. "Sir!" He shouted.
"Don't you sir me, you incompetent buffoon! If this is what you call 'quality' I'm not paying a single wooden bit for any of this. Probably made with substandard materials." He grabbed the other tools and threw them against the wall. "I'm outta here. You've just lost a ton of customers, boy! You'll never do business in this town again, I'll make sure of that! Now why you do go back to your idiot cousin's farm and pick apples with the rest of those dumb rednecks."
"Hey! Don't you talk that way about my family!" Caramel shouted. "If you had given me two second to explain I would have told you that..." He was cut off by another tool hitting him square in the head. "Gah!" He collapsed to the ground. He felt Hyacinth spit on him before he walked out of the shop. Caramel laid there in utter shock for what seemed like an eternity before he finally got up. He felt his head where the tool had hit him. No heavy bleeding, just a bruise and a small cut. It must not have hit him that hard, which was lucky for him when he saw that it was a piece of the bad hoe. It would probably look nasty, but he was alright.
He sighed. Nothing was seeming to go right these days. First his grandfather gets deathly ill and only barely manages to recover. Then, business hits a slump, forcing him to take up extra work at his cousin Applejack's farm. Now it seemed he lost another customer. Sure, this customer was a constant pain in his and everyone else's flanks, but he could feel the loss to his business and his livelihood.
Dejected, he shambled into the shop's little bathroom. The faucet squeaked as he turned the knob for cold water, splashing his face and gingerly washing the cut. Nope, nothing seemed to go right for him. He wondered what it was about him that just seemed to attract trouble. It followed him like a shadow, threatening to ruin his life. It seemed like an eternity sitting in the bathroom brooding over his misfortune when he heard the shop bell ring again.
"Hello? Caramel?" He found himself suddenly rejuvenated when he heard that voice. He knew exactly who this was, and a visit from her never failed to bring him out of any dark mood that had descended on his psyche.
Sure enough, when he reached the storefront there she was. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her purple mane, streaked with lilac and pink, hung in it's signature straight style. Her purple eyes were bright as the morning sun, filled with an energy that never seemed to dull. He caught a whiff of a scent, and realized that she had put on a pleasant smelling floral perfume. An odd thing to wear when one was just out on the town in Ponyville, but she was a noble mare from Canterlot's Upper City, and as he knew tradition and custom died hard in Equestria.
Twilight Sparkle never failed to make his heart skip a beat whenever he saw her. She was the single most beautiful mare he had ever laid his eyes on. And not only that, but she was smart too, something he absolutely loved in a mare. Despite only being in her early twenties, she had already accomplished more than most of her peers of the same age had; she had not only graduated near the top of her class at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but she had also rediscovered the long-lost Elements of Harmony, reunited Princess Celestia with her beloved sister, and had recently defeated - with the help of her friends - the mad chaos-monster Discord and stopped him from beginning a second reign of terror over the realm. And despite her noble background, she treated every single pony she met with kindness and respect. Really, there was nothing about her he didn't admire.
It was little surprise that soon after they became friends, he found himself falling in love with her.
"Hi, Twilight." He said. He rubbed the rising lump on his head. He tried to hide the injury through a quick adjustment of his brown mane, but it wasn't enough. Twilight's smile quickly disappeared when she caught sight of the nasty looking injury.
"Oh my gosh! Caramel, what happened?" She cried, rushing back behind the counter and moving his mane aside with her magic. He felt the distinct tingle that only it could produce in his hair follicles. It was an oddly pleasant sensation. "Did you hit your head on something? Are you alright? How many of these am I holding up?" She asked, making some little twinkling starbursts appear in the air in front of him.
"Uh, four," He said. She counted them. "Look, it's OK. I'm not dizzy, I don't have nausea or anything, I don't have a concussion." He said. "It's just a bump on the head."
"But there's a cut! I need to clean it!" She said. Before he could protest, she rushed back into his bathroom. He could hear water being run briefly before she emerged with a damp paper towel. "You're out of rubbing alcohol, so clean water will have to do." He help his hooves up.
"No really, I'm fine. You don't have to bother." He said, but it was too late. She was already on him, cleaning the injury. "Ow! Careful, it's still sore." He protested.
"Oooh, I'm sorry." She said, taking it much more gently. "I'm sorry, but there's a lot of blood vessels in your head, and any infection can quickly spread. I don't want you to have to go to the hospital." He would have protested, but he felt it was no use. Besides, it made him feel immensely better, knowing that she cared enough about him to worry about his health.
"Thanks, Twilight." He said.
"How did this happen?" She asked. "Did you fall? Maybe there's something I can do. I know where you can get some slip-proof mats." He shook his head.
"No, it was... well, let's just say my customer wasn't satisfied." Twilight's jaw dropped. Her pupil's shrank as the look of utter gobsmacked shock crossed her face. He could have sworn he saw her purple fur turn a shade lighter at the news.
"What!?" She cried. "Someone hit you!?" She grabbed his head, squishing his cheeks together. He could only imagine how ridiculous he looked. "Who!? Who did this!? Tell me!"
"Twuluht!" He reached over and gave her a light clap on the horn. Since they met, it had become his way of letting her know to calm down. She took the hint after she felt the sting and squeaked in surprise. She looked at him, giggled a bit and let go of his cheeks.
"Hehehe, sorry." She said apologetically. Caramel rubbed his aching head.
"It's fine," He said. "And to answer your question... it was Hyacinth. The guy mistook one of the tools I was working on fixing for one that I had just made, and you know how he is. Refused to listen, got pissed and finally hurled it at me."
"Hyacinth?" Twiight asked. "Isn't he the one who somehow showed up at your family reunion drunk and making jokes about Apple Bloom's... questionable parentage?" She asked, hoping she put it tactfully enough. Not that she needed to, Caramel had no problem saying it straight up. He scowled as he remembered that particular incident.
"Yeah, the same one." He said. He couldn't see it, but could feel Twilight scowling as she finished cleaning his cut. "Thanks, Twilight."
"Anything for a friend," She said. "You should bandage that. No sense in leaving it uncovered." He nodded and fetched a first aid kit he had nearby.
"Thanks again." He said as he applied some clean gauze. She gave an adorable smile, one that never failed to make him blush. Thankfully she didn't notice the pink tinges on his cheeks before she turned to leave.
"I have to finish up some shopping. I hope that cut feels better, and I'm sorry you had to deal with that. You don't deserve it." He blushed some more and muttered something that sounded like a "thank you" as she left. "Goodbye, Caramel!" She called. He just stood there grinning like an idiot before deciding to call it a day early. He'd finish up the rest of his work tomorrow. As he began to clean up and close down, he thought back to the purple mare who had just been into his shop. He couldn't quite remember when it started, but the mare had left him thunderstruck the first time he met her. It was at the Apple Family Reunion when she had first come to Ponyville. He had met more than a few pretty mares in his life, but for some reason Twilight just... stood out. He couldn't make anything of it, until they started befriending each other through his cousin Applejack. It was pretty much then that he realized he had a crush on her, and from there it just grew the more time they spent talking.
He sighed, his cheeks growing red and his smile growing wider. Twilight Sparkle... she had stolen his heart like a thief in the night. Every time he was around her, he felt it in his chest. That tingle that you only felt when you were around someone you truly were in love with. It had been a year or so in the making, but it was worth it just to feel it. But was it possible? A noble mare from Canterlot, and a working schlub from Ponyville who was barely making ends meet? No, it wasn't possible. It just wasn't how it worked. It was fine for them to be friends, but lovers? Husband and wife? He just wasn't her type.
And the thought of that hurt him worse than any conk on the head. But that was just the way it was, and he would have to accept it.
He sighed again and finished cleaning up and turning off his machines before he left for the day, locking up as he left. He decided to take a walk before he went up to his flat above the shop. It probably wouldn't ease his mind, but he could at least try, right?
Besides, he always had his fantasies to help him.
***
"Whew!"
Rainbow Dash wasn't normally one to work the long shifts at the Weather Patrol, but now Rain Drops had come down with the feather flu and with it came extra work. Rainbow Dash, naturally was assigned the task of bucking extra clouds, which even for her was taxing. When she finally clocked out, her waist felt like it was caught in a vice and her legs like they had turned to jelly. Bucking certainly wasn't as easy as Applejack made it out to be.
Luckily, she was able to find a comfortable cloud among the ones that were left, and what luck, it was right above the marketplace. She would be needing a pick-me-up snack when she woke up, and she could smell the fresh produce. An apple from Sweet Apple Acres? Maybe. She was always one to patronize a friend's business. Came with her element.
She fluttered down and dug herself out a little pocket for her afternoon nap. The cloud felt just right after a tough day's work; she could already feel her sore, stiff muscles begin to relax as she settled in. She yawned widely and loudly before hunkering her head down and closing her eyes. And she would have drifted off into dreamland had she not heard something... or rather someone.
"Hey you!" She recognized the voice of her bookish friend coming down the road, and she sounded angry. Suddenly curious, Rainbow peeked over the side of the cloud to see the purple unicorn stomping down the road toward what looked like a flower stand. Actually it was, manned none other than by the town's resident jerk, Hyacinth. Definitely curious now, Rainbow craned her head out further and gently beat her wings to move the cloud closer so she could make out what they were saying.
Hyacinth looked up from a copy of the Ponyville Recorder that he was engrossed in to see her coming up to him. "Huh? Oh, it's you, Canterlot Girl. What do you want? Don't you have some silly research project to do? It's all you ever do." Twilight walked right up and slammed, not placed but slammed, her front hooves on the stand. She looked at him that even from her vantage point on the cloud, Rainbow could tell was a look that could instantly kill a manticore.
"I've got something to say to you, you old coot!" She shouted. Rainbow was definitely curious now. She had never heard Twilight, even at her angriest, sound like this. This just wasn't like her regular angry shout; this added a growl! Twilight wasn't just angry, she was downright furious. Rainbow felt her own blood start to go cold listening to it. Whatever Hyacinth had done this time, he had really cheesed her off. Rainbow floated down as close as she dared.
"Well, if you wanted to talk, gorgeous, you could be a little nicer about it." He said with a perverted grin, which disappeared when Twilight snarled like an angry tiger.
"So tell me, and be clear, because I'm a little confused... what in the wide world of Equestria and beyond makes you think you have the right assault someone because you didn't like their product!?" She roared. Hyacinth rolled his eyes.
"Oh please, are you talking about that hick blacksmith? What's his name, Caramel? I threw a little piece of metal at him. He's an incompetent twit, and he pissed me off," He glared at her. "So what?"
"It was the head of a broken shovel! You're lucky you didn't crack his skull! Twilight was shouting at the top of her lungs. Rainbow was dumbstruck at the scene that was unfolding before, and by now she wasn't the only witness. Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who had been out shopping for supplies for their respectable businesses, were now among a crowd of ponies that gathered to watch the unfolding drama. Rainbow finally leaped off the cloud, her landing barely noticed by her friends.
Twilight wasn't done yet. She got right up in the jerk's face as she uttered her next words, words laced with ice water.
"You go back there and you apologize," She said, her voice quaking with rage, her body starting to tremble. "You go back there right now, and you apologize, and you pay what you agreed to pay him or so help me, you'll regret it you.... you..." She called him something that made Rarity faint, Pinkie's jaw drop, Rainbow's eyes go wide, several mares gasp, mothers cover their foals' ears, and the monocles of several visiting wealthy ponies to pop out of their eyes. Hyacinth, not used to anyone doing this to him, was clearly intimidated. Nevertheless, he gulped it down and glared right back.
"And what are you going to do if I don't, bookworm? Turn me into a banana slug?" He asked. He wasn't prepared for the answer.
"No," Twilight said, levitating a pair of pruning shears and holding them up in front of him. "I'm going to take these here, and geld you with them!" Hyacinth was very scared now. He had a deathly fear of pain in any form, despite working with flowers, and he wasn't about to take the chance that this crazy mare was serious.
"Alright fine! Just calm the hell down already!" He squeaked. "I'm going!" With that, he skulked off, emasculated. Twilight wheeled around at him as he left.
"And don't you let me hear about you doing something like that again!" She roared like a dragon who had just discovered some foolish adventurer trying to plunder his hoard. "Do you hear me!? Ever!" With that, she stomped off again, this time in the direction of her beloved library. The angry huffs could be heard trailing off until they finally dissipated.
Ponies stared around in shock. Several began to murmur in wonder over what had happened to make Twilight so angry. A few giggled at the idea of the widely disliked Hyacinth getting his comeuppance. Still others groused over her choice of language. Others didn't say a thing, simply too shocked to even be able to formulate a response. One pony laid down on the ground, whimpering, while her friends just stared at each other.
"Did you see that?" Rarity asked, her pupils reduced to pinpricks in a sea of blue. Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Yeah. Man, I've seen Twilight cheesed off before, but this is a new one." She looked off in the direction the studious unicorn had taken. "Do you guys think we should talk to her about it?" Rarity nodded, but Pinkie Pie, who was too busy hiding behind her mane, vigorously shook her head.
"Uh uh! She scared me!" She yipped, shivering. "I don't want to get gelded... whatever that means" Rarity winced.
"Um, Pinkie darling, she won't do that to you even if she could." She explained. "But I think we should. Something has obviously affected her greatly about this... incident, whatever it was that set her off. What did she say it was?"
"Hyacinth was a donkey's behind to Caramel. You remember him, right?" Rainbow asked. Rarity nodded, remembering the times that she had made suits for him for various family functions. Pinkie was still reluctant, but agreed to go along with them. Their curiosity piqued, they set off at once for Golden Oak Library, hopeful that they could get some answers.
***
A surprise awaited them when they arrived. Spike, who normally would have been assisting Twilight with running the library, was wandering around, mumbling about something. His stream of mumbles was broken when Rarity called out to him. His cheeks flooded pink when he saw her.
"H-h-hi Rarity." He said, his voice betraying his sudden attack of lovesickness. Rarity, flattered, batted her eyelashes at him. Though she denied it, Rainbow was convinced that the alabaster unicorn was flirting with him.
"Good day, Spikey Dear," She said. "Forgive us for prying, but what on Equus are you doing outside? Isn't Twilight expecting help with the library?" Spike gulped, his lovesick expression replaced by one of nervousness.
"Are you kidding me? I'm not going back in there!" He yelped, "She's freakin' lost it! She came home today looking like she was going to kill somepony! I've never seen her so angry, it's not like her! I'm honestly scared of what she'll do!" Rarity felt her heart ache for him.
"She wasn't... harsh with you, was she?" She asked him, not wanting to think of somepony hurting him.
"No, but I didn't think twice about getting out of her way when I saw the look on her face." He replied. "What happened?"
"That's what we're gonna figure out, sport." Rainbow answered. "Mind if we come in?" Spike looked at them with fearful expression, nervous about how Twilight would react to visitors, but he wasn't about to say no to their mutual friends.
"Be my guest, but I'd be careful." He said. Rarity smiled and gave him a light nuzzle. Spike blushed and once again went back into his typical lovey-dovey mode that he was seemingly always in around her.
"Don't worry about us dear, we'll handle this with utmost tact." She said.
"Or a party, if that doesn't work!" Pinkie chirped, her fear dissipating at the thought of planning another one. Rainbow looked at her with a bemused expression.
"Just out of sheer curiosity, is there any problem you think can't be solved by a party?" Pinkie wracked her brain, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in thought.
"Not that I can think of!" Rainbow just shook her head as Rarity knocked on the door.
"What do you want!" She called on the other side, her voice laced with venom. It made their blood briefly run cold.
"Um, Twilight, dear, it's Rarity!" She called back, her voice quavering slightly. "I'm here with Rainbow and Pinkie. Um... would it be alright if we came in?" She asked.
"Fine. The door's unlocked." She said. Cautiously, Rarity opened the front door. Unsurprisingly, they found Twilight sitting in the middle, engrossed in a book; a novel, judging by the title. They gingerly crept in to the library, as though a single brushing up on something would set Twilight off. The studious unicorn didn't make eye contact, just riffed through the pages of her book, occasionally threatening to tear one off by turning it so hard.
"Hello, dear," Rarity said cheerfully. "How are you today? All is well, I hope?" Twilight didn't bother to look up.
"I'm fine." She said crossly. She finally managed to rip one of the pages of her book, causing her to growl in frustration. She got up, knocking a nearby chair over, and tore through her writing desk until she found some tape. All the while, her friends watched her with growing concern. Pinkie was the first to speak up.
"So, what's wrong?" She asked. The others rolled their eyes, now realizing that their plan to try and draw it out of her had failed. "You seem really super bothered by something, and we wanted to know what. Is it the book? We can get you a new one I bet. Oooh! Is your sweet tooth calling? I could go get some cookies and cupcakes for you to snack on! Or maybe you just need a cheer up party!" Rainbow shoved her hoof in her mouth before she could continue.
"Don't say you're fine, Twilight, because you're not," Rainbow said over Pinkie's squeaks. "You're cheesed, and everyone in this room knows it." Twilight rolled her eyes.
"Thank you, Doctor Rainbow." Rarity huffed.
"There's no need for sarcasm. We just want to help, but we can't do that if you don't tell us what's happening." She sighed. "We saw what happened in the marketplace. We know that Hyacinth did something the Caramel. I know you two are friends, but even with us we never saw you act that way when someone wronged us." She walked over closer. "Please, let us help you."
"Yeah, come on Twilight, we're your friends. If there's something else going on here you can tell us." She said. Twilight was silent for a moment, the only sound the ticking of the clock. Her body tensed up and began to quiver, and her eyes began to fill with tears as she clenched her teeth. The others backed away, fearing she was going to explode. The explosion never came, however, just Twilight's voice, laced with anger but still clear as day.
"Nopony, and I mean nopony, hurts my stallion..." The next few moments were punctuated only by the sound of Twilight's deep breathing, and the ticking of the wall clock. It seemed like an eternity before the silence was finally broken. Rarity held her hoof to her mouth as she spoke.
"What did you say?" Twilight turned to look at her, her cheeks stained by the sudden tears. The others were equally dumbstruck at what they had just heard.
"Did you just call Caramel 'my stallion'?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie said nothing, just stood there with her mouth hanging open until Rainbow closed it. Twilight looked from Rarity, to Rainbow and then to Pinkie, who despite Rainbow's best efforts allowed her mouth to hang open. As Twilight began to calm down, she noticed the expressions on her friend's faces at long last. Twilight stared back at her, perplexed.
"What?"
"Twilight..." Rarity finally breathed out. "Do you realize what you just said?" Twilight looked at the floor. In her anger, she must have failed to realize what she was saying. She remembered that ponies would sometimes allow their tongues to slip in times of emotional stress and betray their true feelings. It then hit her what she had just said, what she had just admitted to. Her mind began to race, trying to figure out what to say next. Nothing seemed to come to her. But she also remembered that they were her friends, and that like they said before, she could tell them anything. She took a deep breath to calm herself further, and looked them right in the eye.
"You heard that correctly."
A thump signaled that Rainbow's wings had locked up in shock and caused her to fall on her bottom. Rarity's hooves shielded her gaping mouth as her eyes widened in astonishment. Pinkie looked like she was going to explode from happiness, her entire body shaking like a rocket about to take off. It was only a timely thunk to the head by Rainbow that kept her from shooting right through the library roof.
"Is that why you blew up at Hyacinth? Because he... hurt someone you love?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded, taking another deep breath.
"I don't know what came over me, I was just... so angry at him," She explained. "I just couldn't believe he would do something like to Caramel. He's so sweet and kind... he's never done anything to anypony." He sniffled a bit. Rarity put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
"How long have you felt this way?" She asked.
"I first noticed something not long after I first came to Ponyville," Twilight began. "I met him when I first came here and I was introduced to Applejack, but I didn't really notice anything until a few months later, when we really started getting to know each other. It was like a... tingly feeling in my chest whenever I was around him. I wasn't very well versed in the ways of love, so I never made the connection, not until Winter Wrap Up." She looked up at a picture on the wall of that fateful day, letting her memory take her back.
***
Twilight hummed a merry tune to herself as she examined the work underway for Winter Wrap Up. So far, everything was checking out; the nest making was proceeding on schedule, the clouds were being cleared in record time, and the snow was cleared up in preparation for the planting that was due to take place. She smiled brightly at the fruits of her efforts as All-Team Organizer. This was only her second Wrap Up, and so far it looked like they would be finishing in record time. It was a feeling of immense accomplishment that she felt as she strolled through town, greeting ponies and encouraging them in their labors. Noticing the time, she was about to take an early lunch with her friend Applejack when she heard something as she passed the blacksmith's shop.
Her curiosity was piqued. Normally Caramel would be at the farm, helping with the planting. What was he doing in his shop? Something compelled her to find out. A few short raps on the door was enough to catch his attention.
"Come on in!" His voice sounded from the other side. She smiled and opened the door, being greeted by the familiar countertop and the familiar smell of the furnace and melting metal. He must be very busy, she thought as she trotted past the counter and into the back, where she had been numerous times before. Sure enough, the orange earth pony was hard at work at his forge, surrounded by broken tools. His mane, matted from sweat, clung to his forehead. Behind him, the orange glow of the furnace illuminated his frame, and gave Twilight a look at the muscles underneath his skin that ripped with each swing of his hammer. Though she had seen him working before, it was never like this. The sight made her cheeks grow warm and her breath catch in her throat. Her heart skipped a couple of beats.
How come I never noticed how handsome he was before, she asked herself. Wait, did she really just think that? Her cheeks only grew more warm at the thought of that.
"Um, uh, hello... Caramel." She managed to stammer out. A turn of his head caused her to get a look at his eyes, which despite the warm glow in them that always appeared when he saw her, seemed worn and tired. He must have been working for hours straight in the hot room, judging by the small amount of grime that had begun to cling to his face and fur. He dropped the hammer on a nearby table and beamed at her.
"Howdy, Twi!" He greeted her happily. His eyes only managed to hang half-open. He was clearly exhausted, and from the looks of the broken tools all around, wasn't even half-finished. "What brings you around here?" She managed a shy smile.
"Well, I thought you would be at the farm with the other Apples, but I heard you working on something in here and I got... curious," She chuckled nervously. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Aw, it's nothing," He said. "I would be at the farm, but then somehow the rest of the Plant Team's gear needed repairs, badly." He pointed out a hoe. "This one here looks like it hasn't seen the inside of a shop in a decade. So yeah, I'm stuck here fixing broken shovels and what not, and been at it since six this morning. And it's hotter than Tartarus in July when I have the forge fired up." He wiped some sweat and ash from his brow.
Twilight started to feel very bad for him. Looking at all the damaged tools, she judged it would take him most of the day to finish them all, and looking at the clock on the wall to notice it was noon, figured he had been working six hours straight. Even for an earth pony as strong as he was, it was a lot of work, especially with the heat of the forge. Looking at his tired eyes again, she frowned.
"Caramel, what would you say about... taking a break?" She asked. He seemed surprised at the very notion.
"As much as I'd like, I've got so much work to do," He said. "I don't think I could." Twilight shook her head.
"Caramel, you're exhausted. Your eyes are baggy and you look like you just woke up. I... I wouldn't want you to strain yourself. So I really think you should. I... I'm actually going to go get lunch. You're welcome to join me, if you want." Caramel would have continued to object if it weren't for the look that Twilight gave him; her head hung down and her eyes almost pleading. It was a look that plainly was begging while trying not to look like begging. He couldn't say no to her now.
"Well, OK," He said. "I could use the rest. But I'd better get cleaned up first." She smiled and nodded as he trotted upstairs to his flat. A brisk shower later, he came back downstairs, seemingly rejuvenated. Twilight smiled and beckoned for him to follow her. A short walk through town brought them to a local cafe. Caramel felt his spirit lift when he smelled fresh coffee brewing. "Oooh, I can almost taste it." He said. Twilight giggled.
"This cafe has some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. I bet after a day like yours, you could use a pick-me-up." He nodded profusely as they were seated. A kindly waitress handed them menus. "So, anything catch your eye?" She asked. He glanced over the menu.
"Hmm, you've been here before, I'll take your recommendation." She smiled.
"Two large caramel caffè lattes with extra cream, a daffodil and daisy sandwich for myself, and a large three bean chili for my friend here, please." She asked. The waitress bowed and took their orders.
"They have chili here? My ship has come in." He quipped. They both shared a chuckle. It wasn't long before their lattes arrived. Caramel savored the taste, and the coffee made him feel like a living pony again. They passed the rest of the time talking, and talking, about seemingly everything; their work, the latest antics of Twilight's friends, interspersed with hilarious anecdotes about Caramel's numerous relatives, and everything in between. For as long as she had known Caramel, she had never talked with him like this before. She just felt so... comfortable, like she was talking to one of her closest friends despite not knowing him as well as her other ones. And the whole time, she felt something she hadn't experienced with him before. Her cheeks warmed and her heart tingled, and she didn't want it to stop. Ever.
After lunch, she walked him back to his work, him feeling much better after getting away from his forge for a while.
"Thanks, Twi. I appreciated it. I feel normal again." She giggled.
"I'm glad to help, though please do remember to have more water on hand? I wouldn't want you to fall ill." She looked at him again with that pleading look. He smiled warmly.
"Will do." He said. Without thinking, Twilight touched her hoof to his, which surprised him.
"And thank you for accompanying me. I really enjoyed it. We should have lunch more often."
"Yeah, we should." He heard his clock chime. "I'd better get back to work." She nodded and smiled.
"Take care." She said. He nodded and walked back inside after they said their goodbyes. Twilight then remembered what she had done with her hoof, and her face grew bright red. What was going on? Was she... she raced back home, startling Spike as she made a beeline for the nearest bookshelf. She searched until she found a book on inter-pony relations and started reading. It only took a few minutes to find what she was looking for. She looked up from her book, her face as red as a tomato, her eyes wide her pupils shrunk to pinpricks.
"I'm... I'm falling in love..."
By the time she finished, Rarity had tears in her eyes, Pinkie Pie was openly bawling, and even Rainbow sniffled a bit, though she would never admit to it. Rarity was again the first to speak.
"Twilight, that was sweet. Oooh, you're in love! This so exciting!" She wrapped her friend in a big, celebratory hug. Pinkie Pie stopped crying and started bouncing around the room raving about her "Twilight Has a Boyfriend" party that she was so excited to throw. Rainbow just fluttered over and bopped her playfully on the shoulder. "And darling, if you need any help with this, you know you can turn to us."
"I know girls, but I already have something planned." She replied.
"You do!" Pinkie and Rarity exclaimed, their smiles threatening to split their faces in two. Twilight trotted up to her loft, and returned with what looked like another novel. She handed it to Rainbow Dash.
"Neptune's Lance by Clyde Curly," She read. Rarity looked over her shoulder.
"Clyde Curly? I've heard that name before. Isn't he the adventure novelist who's last book got turned into a terrible film?" She asked.
"The one and only," Twilight acknowledged. "Caramel mentioned he was a fan of Curly's work, so since his birthday is tomorrow, I decided to get him the latest in his Deep Six series." She blushed. "Look inside the front cover." Rainbow Dash opened it, revealing a message.
Caramel,
The day we first met and became friends, was one of the fondest memories I have of coming here to Ponyville. As I spent more time with you, I felt something growing, which only strengthened to more I was around you. Every single moment of that time was pure joy, and I never wanted it to end. I still don't want it to end.
We've been friends for the past two years of our lives. Let's be lovers for the rest of them.
I Love You,
Twilight Sparkle
"Awww!" Pinkie and Rarity cooed.
"Wow, Twilight, that was... really sappy." Rainbow said, smirking, causing Rarity to scold her. Twilight just smiled.
"Pay no attention to this ruffian, I think it's very sweet," She said. "I know he'll love it, and I'm sure he'll be willing to give you a chance. Any stallion would." Rainbow nodded in agreement.
"Heck, you're one of the coolest ponies I know, even for an egghead," Rarity rolled her eyes. "I bet he'd jump at the chance." Pinkie Pie just giggled, still going on about the party she was planning. Twilight smiled warmly.
"I hope so girls, I hope so." They all shared a warm group hug before the others left, wishing her happiness. Twilight sighed with content as the door opened again, this time revealing the rattled baby dragon.
"Is it safe?" He meekly asked. Twilight nodded and beckoned him back in, apologizing for spooking him. As Spike went to attend to his chores, she allowed herself to be lost in her thoughts, thinking of the happy times she hoped to share with her beloved, as a song she remembered her mother singing to her father.