//------------------------------// // The First Of Many // Story: A Beautiful Swallow // by Skijarama //------------------------------// Soon enough, school came to a close for the year. Swallow’s next letter showed up only a couple days later. Sadly, she had been unsuccessful in convincing her parents to come back to ponyville for any period of time. I was very disappointed, but there wasn’t much I could do about it. Naturally she started expressing some curiosity of Starless, so I sent a letter to fill her in.         Now at this point, I honestly had no idea what to do. I went for a lot of walks and interacted very little with others. My parents were still giving me some space after the incident that day in the plaza with Swallow. I can’t blame them, given how much it was still bothering me. They told me multiple times that if I ever felt like talking I could go to them. Not like I ever did, of course. On one of my earlier mentioned walks, however, I found myself starting to slip, emotionally. I was thinking more and more about what Mint had said about Star. I was actually starting to consider what he proposed. It caused a great deal of confusion in me because I loved Swallow. I didn’t want to turn around and betray that or turn my back on it, but at the same time the more I clung to it the worse the pain got. This walk of mine had a surprise waiting for me in it, though… <^><^><^><^>         I was in the market after a while of meandering around. It was a pleasant, sunny day. I could see a number of ponies at their stands and calling out for others to come buy their goods. One stand was selling apples, though that came as no surprise. I was about to pass out of the market when my stomach growled. With a grunt I looked around at the various stalls for a snack. I had a few bits I could spend.         Eventually, I settled on the apple stand and made my approach. I recognized the orange mare with the blonde mane and tail behind the counter and I know you’ll recognize her name. Applejack looked down at me and smiled as I approached. “Howdy! What can Ah get ya?” She asked in a happy voice.         “Just one apple will do.” I said, passing a couple of coins forward.         “Ya got it! One apple comin’ right up.” Applejack nodded and passed an apple in my direction. I nodded my thanks and looked down at the red fruit. It was nice and shiny. Turning I started to walk away from her. “Say, you alright?” She suddenly asked, causing me to stop.         “Yeah, why?” I replied, glancing over my shoulder at her.         “Ya just seem a little... lost, ah guess.” She said, looking at me with a searching gaze.         “Lost? What do you mean?” I tilted my head slightly in surprise.         “Ah have seen that look in ponies eyes before. Somethin’s botherin’ ya.”         “Well, as good of an observation as that is, I’m afraid it isn’t any of your business. No offense.” I said, looking down at the apple again.         “Is yer name Stingin’ Nettle, by any chance?” Applejack suddenly asked, earning a surprised glance from me.         “How do you know that?”         “Well, it’s ah small town, and, well, everypony usually knows everypony else at least by name. Besides, when ya’ll know Pinkie as a close friend, ya get to know a lot of the other ponies in town rather quickly.” Applejack explained, nodding at me.         “Uh… sure, I guess.” I muttered before taking a bite out of the apple.         “So, what’s botherin’ ya, if ya don’t mind me askin’?”         “A few things… It’s not something I like talking about.” I mumbled after swallowing my bite of apple.         “I won’t pry, but lemme just say it won’t do ya any good to just bottle it all up. It is good to talk things out.” Applejack replied, giving a comforting smile. She was right, I realized. I hadn’t talked a whole lot about the Swallow incident, and I hadn’t even once brought up the matter of Star.         “You make a good point. Well, it’s kind of complicated,” I said, deciding on simply relaying some of the story. I didn’t want to talk about the Swallow incident too much, but the situation with Star in my mind was a lot less painful to think about. “To put it simply, I feel confused. Theres this one pony over in Canterlot who, well, I really care about, if you catch my drift. To put it plain and simple, she doesn’t feel the same. Now, another pony’s shown up in my life and I can’t help but feel like my emotions are shifting. I don’t like where I’m at because it feels like… like if I go for this other pony, the new one, then I’ll be turning my back on the one from before.”         “Ah hear ya. Not an easy place to be, it sounds like.” Applejack said softly, lowering her eyes a bit.         “It isn’t.”         “Well, ah hate ta say it, but Ahm not really the pony ta go to for romantic advice.” Applejack said, looking away slightly.         “It’s fine.” I said before taking another bite out of the apple. We stood in silence for several moments.         “Ah think Ah know somepony who can help more than me, though. Ya ever spoken to Rarity?” Applejack asked, looking forward at me again.         “No, I haven’t. Why?”         “She’s well informed on all this romance stuff. Ah’d recommend talkin’ to her. She might be able to give more helpful advice. If ya have ever seen the carousel boutique, she works there. Runs the place, actually.”         “I’ll think about it. Thanks.” I said before turning and walking away. <^><^><^><^>         The Carousel Boutique was definitely not my favorite shop. Granted it was clean, well maintained and very fancy. That last point is exactly why I wasn’t a very big fan of the shop. I prefer simple and practical. That and I am not very much into fashion, but oh well. I was there, so I figured I might as well do what I was there to do. I entered in through the front door of the establishment, a bell jingling as I went.         “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique!” A pearly white Unicorn with a purple and heavily styled mane and tail announced in a very friendly, albeit practiced way. She was at present fussing over some piece of formal clothes on a mannequin in the middle of the room. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”         “Alright.” I said, looking around with a faked look of being interested in the establishment. After almost a minute, the pearly unicorn, who I assumed to be Rarity, finished fussing over the outfit and came over to me with a friendly smile.         “My, aren’t you a bit young to be looking for the sort of attire I provide?” She asked, looking me over curiously.         “Actually, miss, that’s not why I’m here. You’re Rarity, right?” I replied, noting how she raised an eyebrow.         “Yes I am. So, what do you need then, mister…”         “Just call me Nettle. I know this seems a bit out of the blue, but somepony directed me to you for advice on a… social matter.” I said hesitantly, suddenly feeling a little self conscious.         “What sort?” She inquired as I gathered my mind. I hesitated before telling her what I told Applejack. She listened respectfully as I went over it, actually bothering to give names this time around. My reasoning for that was simple; if she was going to give me advice she might as well know the names of who I was dealing with. When I finished relaying my situation, Rarity nodded slowly.         “Well, you know my situation. Any advice?” I asked, looking at her skeptically.         “Well… it seems like you're infatuated with the young filly.”         “Huh?”         “To put it bluntly, in love.” Rarity said with an odd gleam coming over her eye all of a sudden.         “I’d agree with you on that, at least when referring to Swallow. But with Star… I dunno. I mean, a friend of hers seems to be sharing your opinion but…” I fell silent as my emotions got confused again.         “What do you think of her?” Rarity asked, looking at me critically. At first, I thought she was talking about Swallow, so I started on my answer.         “Swallow captured my heart, basically. She made things rather cheerful for a while. I have never met a pony as kind and gentle as her. I’ll just up and say it; yes, I love her. But... “ I fell silent as the memories from the town plaza on that snowy day came back to my mind.         “But what?”         “The feeling isn’t returned.” I muttered, lowering my head sadly.         “How do you know?” Rarity asked softly, taking a step forward.         “I confessed to her one day and… she turned me down.” I said, closing my eyes tightly.         “That must have been rough. I’m sorry to hear that.”         “And now Star’s in my life and according to her friends has become rather… ‘infatuated’ with me. I just don’t know what to do, honestly. I don’t want to turn my back on my feelings for Swallow but at the same time I really don’t think her mind is ever going to change.” My voice slowly grew quieter as I spoke before I looked away from Rarity.         “You’re dwelling. That isn’t good, especially for somepony as young as you. A good way to start letting go of a lost first love is to pursue a new one. In this case, I would just recommend asking Star out.” Rarity recommended, causing my eyes to snap wide open and look at her in surprise.         “Woah, what? I don’t- I mean, why are you suggesting that? I mean, she’s just- I don’t know if… She’s my friend and… UGH!” I let out an irritated groan and let my face collide with the floor.         “Huh, that was a cute shade of red. I’ll have to consider that for a dress sometime…” Rarity muttered, earning my curiosity.         “Red? I’m green.” I said as I stood back up to normal height.         “Your cheeks. You’re blushing furiously.” Rarity said, trying to hold back a few snickers. I looked to my left at a mirror and lo’ and behold, my cheeks looked like someone used an airbrush with red paint on them.         “Very funny. Are you going to embarrass me or try to help?” I droned out, glaring at her.         “Yes, yes, my apologies. Ahem. Well, I can see your flustered, so I guess you should think things over a bit. But as long as you’re here, can you do me a favor?” Rarity asked as she trotted over to a nearby desk. She opened up a drawer with some magic, pulling out a quill and a sheet of parchment.         “I suppose. What is it?” I asked, stepping forward as she scribbled rapidly on the parchment.         “Just deliver this to Pinkie Pie.” Rarity said, smiling broadly at me as she passed it forward after putting it in an envelope, also retrieved from the drawer.         “Alright, I can manage that. Thanks for… the advice, I guess. Bye” I said before picking up the note in my mouth and then taking off out the front door at a brisk trot. <^><^><^><^>         Pinkie was fairly easy to find this time. Of course, when you're sitting in the middle of the town playing the trumpet for no discernible reason, you become kind of easy to spot. She wasn’t bad at playing it, I’ll give her that. She had a small crowd gathered who were happily smiling at the enthusiastic music. I made my way up to her as she finished her latest piece and held out the note. Pinkie turned to look at me and smiled at me.         “Hi! What’cha got for me, there?” She asked as she plucked the note from my hoof and looked it over. Her smile slowly widened, which made me somewhat uneasy.         “So, I guess I’ll be going now.” I said as she looked back up to me.         “Do you know what this says?” She asked in an interesting tone of voice.         “Nope. I don’t believe it’s any of my business… is it?”         “Nah, just drop by Rarity’s place tomorrow at…” She looked at the note again. “Three in the afternoon.”         “Huh? Why?” I asked, tilting my head in confusion.         “Oh, ya know. Reasons.” Pinkie said, winking at me before turning and bouncing away. I stared after her for a moment before turning and heading home. Why did I suddenly have a bad feeling about all of this? <^><^><^><^>         It was the next day and I was back at the Boutique. I had just stepped into the shop and now had my head tilted in confusion at the sight before me. Pinkie and Rarity were in front of me with a couple of mannequins between them, One of which was built for a filly and the other for a colt. On one of the mannequins was a dress, colored in dark purple. On the other mannequin was a basic suit. I’d classify both of them as being semi-formal.         “Uh… What is all this?” I asked, looking between the two ponies who were looking at me expectantly.         “Duh! It’s a suit and dress!” Pinkie said, bouncing in place a few times.         “Yes, I see that. Why?” I asked, looking at the outfits with a building sense of concern.         “Well, Nettle, as it so happens there is a dance event going on at the Town hall this weekend. I figured I’d give you a nudge in the right direction with Starless.” Rarity said, smiling pleasantly. Pinkie suddenly bounced at me.         “I bought you two tickets!” She announced loudly, holding the tickets out at me from her hoof. At this point, I couldn’t even think. I believe my brain was taking a minute to reboot.         “But… but… why do all this for me?” I asked, barely able to form a coherent sentence. If this cost any money whatsoever…         “I see that look on your face. Don’t worry. I made these on a whim. No charge.”         Oh, thank Celestia.         “However, I hope you make use of these. Remember, the dance is this weekend. I won’t do the talking, though. You’ll need to ask Starless out yourself.” Rarity said, smiling wider, no doubt at my flabbergasted expression.         “How did you even get our measurements?” I asked, looking between the two of them. Pinkie suddenly waved at me. “Oh.” This suddenly got a lot more creepy.         “Uh… well… thank you…” I said hesitantly, looking over the dress and suit. I couldn’t help but picture myself in the suit, maybe fixing up my mane a tad. Given that I don’t care that much about appearances, The mental image didn’t really phase me.         Rarity nodded to me. “I can get these things home, if you’d like.”         “If my parents saw these there would be a literal interrogation. Is is possible for you to hold onto this until it’s time?” I asked, figuring that would be easier.         “Much as I would love to, I’m afraid I can’t. I have a large order coming in and I need the space for it.”         “I see… okay, then. Um, can we get these folded and put away nicely in a box or a bag or something? I can make the excuse that I bought the box or bag and then hide the stuff.” I asked, earning a nod from Rarity.         “Yes, give me just a moment.”         “Here you are!” Pinkie suddenly chirped, setting a very small suit-case in front of me. Seriously, it might as well have been a briefcase for pity’s sake.         “Where did you get that?” Rarity asked in surprise, looking it over curiously.         “Places.” Pinkie said before hopping into the back room. I looked after her for a moment before looking back to Rarity. With a shrug, we set about getting the clothes into the case. Once that was done, I made my way home, thanking Rarity and Pinkie heavily for this, even if only to be polite. I knew that I needed to do this. <^><^><^><^>         My parents didn’t ask any questions about the case, amazingly enough. I took it up to my room and hid it under my bed. Whatever the case may be, I sat there for a long while just thinking to myself. Mint's words re-entered my mind and this time, I found myself believing them. She might be one of them.         A long shot, I figured. But I was starting to feel myself willing to at least try. I looked out my window and took a deep breath. I hoped this would go well. All I really needed to do now was actually ask Star to the dance, which I was basically required to do now. No sneaking away at this point. Rarity would give me tartarus in the form of an angry hoof if I did.         I went about the rest of that day like normal. It was a Monday next, so I still had time. Of course, one says they still have time and often forget that time is a finite resource. It can go pretty quickly if you aren’t paying attention, too. My days kept going like normal until Friday. I overheard my parents discussing what their weekend plans were, jarring my memory. Deciding it was now or never, I left my house under the guise of going for a walk and went towards the town square. Sugarcube corner, to be exact. I needed some directions. <^><^><^><^>         As I stepped into Sugarcube Corner, I saw Pinkie and the Cakes dishing out sweets to some customers at the front counter. After a few minutes, the ponies at the counter left. I waved to Pinkie, who in turn smiled at me. “Hey, uh, I need some directions, Pinkie.” I said as I approached.         “To where?” She asked, looking at me in a somewhat… weird way. Not sure how else to describe it.         “Star’s house.” I said in a somewhat hushed tone, looking over my shoulder.         “Ah! Right. She’s in a somewhat smaller house down the road from here. Can’t miss it. It has a crack in it’s front window.” Pinkie said, making weird gestures with her hooves as she did.         “Thanks. I need to get there ASAP.” I said before turning and cantering out the door. I was barely twenty paces or so out of the establishment when I suddenly heard an obnoxiously loud, high-pitched whine.         “GO GET EM, TIGER!” Pinkies voice suddenly shouted from an unseen speaker. Sure that I was blushing again, I lowered my head and broke into a gallop for Stars house. I could still hear Pinkie shouting things for a few moments, all of which I drowned out by galloping harder.         And just as Pinkie Pie said, their was Star’s house with the identifiable crack in the window. I came to a stop and took a minute to catch my breath. I looked up at the door after a minute or two and found myself losing my nerve almost instantly. Fears and doubts began to fall into my mind. I hesitated for several moments before taking a couple deep breaths. Okay, don’t think about it, just knock and do it. I must have said that to myself inwardly at least six or seven times. Finally, I stepped up to the door and knocked. Several seconds passed in silence, each of which felt like a minute. With each one that passed, I could have sworn that my heart was going to beat a hole in my chest. The thumping against my ribcage was getting louder each time it came around. Thump, thump, thump, thump. Finally, startling me almost out of my skin, the door clicked and slowly creaked open.