//------------------------------//
// Act 3: Living The Role 
// Story: The Play's The Thing 
// by HMXTaylorLee 
//------------------------------//

"You have to leave!" Star Bright pleaded to Drift Monsoon. "If they find you here with me, who knows what kind of trouble you'll be in!"

Drift quietly closed the window behind him, catching his breath while doing so. "I'm... I'm already in trouble," he gasped. "My commander, Captain Cumulus, he found about - about us. He called me into his office, told me I was going to be arrested, and I had to fight my way out and - and I don't know what to do!" The pegasus slumped down against the wall.

With a gasp, Star hurried towards him, leaning down and offering the frazzled pony a comforting hug, which Drift gratefully accepted. "You're not hurt, are you?" she asked gently.

Drift uttered a weak laugh. "Me? Of course not! It takes a lot more than four well-trained pegasi soldiers attacking at once to get me down."

Star looked at him suspiciously and smirked. "So how many were there?"

"Five," he groaned, stretching his back.

"You're a horrible liar, you know," Star said with a grim smile, softly massaging Drift's aching shoulder.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It would be, if we didn't have to keep us a secret," Star sighed. "How did he find out?"

"I don't know," Drift shrugged. "I didn't say a word, and the only other pony who knew was Harmony, and she would never-"

*the door to Star Bright's room bursts open. Gardenia rushes into the room, accompanied by both Captain Cumulus and Baron Brilliance.*

"...It's preposterous, I tell you! Star would never disgrace our family like - oh dear," Baron Brilliance's staunch denial was interrupted at the sight of his youngest daughter in the hooves of a pegasus.

"Father!" Star Bright cried, but she didn't budge an inch from where she sat.

"I said the same thing about my soldier," Captain Cumulus muttered as eyed the scene with a visible distaste on his face. "Though, I think that 'disgrace' is a strong word. She could do far worse than a proud pegasus soldier."

"A noble unicorn like my daughter? I think-"

"Will you two shut up?" Gardenia shouted, silencing the two bickering ponies. She looked at Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, nose wrinkled in disgust. "How? Did you really think that you could get away with that... with that kind of behavior right under my muzzle? Did you really think I was that ignorant?" she exclaimed. "I knew that nothing good would come of having these kinds of ponies working together."

"These kinds of ponies?" Baron Brilliance's question was met with a raised hoof from Gardenia.

"You both know what I mean," she said. "But now, we can finally rid ourselves of this... this cancer! Mayor Marigold has already arranged a sentencing for you two," she directed at the frightened Star and Drift. "Today, right outside of my flower shop, the scene of the crime."

"Crime?" Drift yelled. "We haven't done anything wrong!"

"At ease, soldier," Captain Cumulus said sternly. "That's for the tribe leaders to decide, isn't it?"

"Indeed it is," Baron Brilliance agreed, much to Star's chagrin.

"Father, you can't be serious! I'm your daughter-"

"No daughter of mine would be seen courting such a neanderthal," Baron Brilliance answered coldly.

"Baron..." Captain Cumulus grumbled.

"Enough!" Gardenia shouted again, impatient and irritated. "We're going to Founder's Greenery, where everypony in town will be able to witness this atrocity... and then see what happens if they care to test it for themselves. Guards!"

The two unicorn bodyguards standing outside the room moved inside through the doorway, but stopped when they saw whose voice had summoned them. They both grumbled back and forth to each other, before one of them leaned towards Baron Brilliance. "Sir?"

"Right, right..." Baron Brilliance mumbled. "They won't listen to a common earth pony."

"Common?" a clearly insulted Gardenia inquired.

"Guards!" the Baron commanded. "Escort these two towards the flower shop at the center of town. And uh..." he started as he grimaced at the sight of his daughter flashing her eyes angrily at him. "Give them some space."

*All of the ponies leave the room and proceed down the stairs.*


"All right, everypony!" Cheerilee announced from the front of now-empty stage. "This begins our intermission before the third and final act. Feel free to purchase some refreshments in the hallway - all homemade from Mr. and Mrs. Cake!" The couple stood up and waved their hooves modestly, the reputation of their baking prowess earning a polite applause. "The proceeds go directly to funding after school activities, such as tonight's play! The play will resume in ten minutes, so hurry on back!" The sound of dozens of chairs scraping across the auditorium floor masked the schoolteacher's gallop as Cheerilee swiftly made her way backstage.

"Everypony, you are doing a wonderful job!" she gushed to her students, many of whom were taking off their costumes temporarily to cool themselves down. Being on a stage in full costume, with both the bright lights beaming down, and the stares of the crowd scorching tended to heat the performers up very quickly.

"Even though you only had a week and a half to prepare, you guys are knocking it out of the park! If this opening night is anything to go by, I can see a future in theater for some of you," she added. "Speaking of which, where is the director? Sweetie Belle?"





Sweetie Belle stood in front of the mirror, the unicorn in the reflection staring back at her. She was shaking with excitement, extremely glad that all of the rehearsal after school with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom had paid off - she had spent much of the time in class overseeing the other performers, pointing out some nuances, and making slight adjustments to the script. So far, the play was going perfectly, with only minor "ums" and "uhs" being uttered as some of the more nervous ponies struggled to remember their lines. Though she and her classmates were equally dreading and looking forward to this evening, fearing that it would be agonizingly slow, it turned out the opposite was true. The night was flying by. For Sweetie Belle, this was nothing new. 

Over the last week and a half, time had been acting most peculiar for Sweetie Belle. It felt like it was moving either like a breezie on a windless summer day, or like Rainbow Dash racing to the line on the first day of cider season. There weren't any other speeds in between, except for one. Too slow, too fast, and just right.

When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon were in Founder's Greenery, bumping muzzles as they dutifully examined the same flower, it was just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon shared each other's lunch, laughing at the ridiculous myths perpetuated about their respective races, it was just right. When Star Bright and Drift Monsoon discovered that they had more in common than either of them thought, both living under an enormous weight from their families, it was just right. And when Star Bright and Drift Monsoon both grasped each other's hooves for the first time and couldn't seem to let go, it was just right.

And all of it, as Sweetie Belle reminded herself each day, was just a performance. More and more, she found herself quoting lines of the play in everyday conversation. She often woke up in the morning, her dreams of Star Bright and Drift Monsoon feeling so amazingly real, she felt cheated. But the hardest part, undoubtedly, was keeping her feelings towards Scootaloo a secret when everyday of preparation she found herself having more and more difficulty differentiating between what was the play, and what was real.

Perhaps A Tale of Three Fillies wasn't the best way to measure it, but Scootaloo's acting talent surprised Sweetie Belle. Drift seemed just as enamored with Star as Star was with Drift. It all felt so genuine, so undeniably real, that Sweetie Belle was almost happy to accept it. Almost. The play was running for a week, and while Sweetie Belle was glad that she would be able to put an end to that schism, she enjoyed the "relationship" she had with Scootaloo so much that she wished it would go on forever.

"...Sweetie Belle? Is everything alright, dear?"

"What? Huh?" Sweetie Belle stopped focusing on her reflection, and noticed that Miss Cheerilee had appeared behind her in the mirror.

"Are you okay? You seem distracted," the teacher said with a mild frown.

"Oh, oh yes," Sweetie Belle spun around in her chair. "Just a lot of stuff on my mind, that's all."

"I can imagine," her teacher nodded. "For what it's worth, you're doing a great job. The direction is snappy, humorous and heartfelt, and your acting... well, I actually believe that Star Bright and Drift Monsoon are in love!"

In light of her situation, Sweetie Belle simply chuckled. "Heh... thanks."

"I just wanted to let you know, in case you had any-"

"Miss Cheerilee?" Sweetie Belle blurted.

Her teacher didn't seem bothered by the interruption at all. "Yes?"

"Do you think that... that I made the right decision?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously.

"With what?"

"With cutting the kiss."

"What do you think?" Cheerilee asked simply.

"I... I don't know. I mean, Scoots and I are both fillies, and I would really hate the thought of the entire play being forgotten in light of us kissing. It doesn't seem fair to anypony else," Sweetie Belle admitted.

"That seems like a good enough reason to me."

"Diamond Tiara didn't think so..." Sweetie Belle grumbled. "She got really angry when me and Scootaloo said we weren't going to. She said if she knew that the kiss wasn't going to be in, that she would have been Star Bright for sure."

"I recall she mentioned it to me a few times," Cheerilee laughed, likely remembering when a seething Diamond Tiara accused Sweetie Belle of a conspiracy against her. "But, she didn't raise her hoof to be the director. You did."

"So..."

"So take pride in your choices, and stick by them. If you feel that's what's best for the play, then cut the kiss out."

"But what do you think?" Sweetie Belle asked frantically.

"I'm not the director, Sweetie Belle. You are," Cheerilee told her. "Is there anything else?"

Sweetie Belle sighed deeply. "No... thanks, Miss Cheerilee."

"Of course," Cheerilee nodded as she swiftly walked towards the side-door to the auditorium, passing the rest of the cast and crew in the process. "Break a leg, everypony!" she cheered. 

Sweetie Belle spun around in the chair, feeling just as uneasy about the situation as before. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't under a significant amount of stress for the past week and a half. Now, with the final act of the play inbound, signalling the beginning of the end to the fairy-tale world of Star Bright and Drift Monsoon that she wished to call hers, she felt positively overwhelmed. She rested her head on the desk in front of her, breathing deeply and slowly.

"Sweetie Belle! You ready to go?"

That voice. Of course it would be Scootaloo that would come to lift her from this mire.

"Uh," Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, lifting her head to look in the mirror, pressing on the ends of her mane that had come undone. "Yeah, Scoots. I'm ready." She hopped out of the chair, about to make her way towards the stage when she saw the eyes of the entire cast gazing upon her. At the front of the pack was Scootaloo, in full costume as a discharged soldier, wearing a broad smile. Her wings flapped a few times excitedly before settling again at her sides. Completely adorable, and utterly contagious.

With a gleam in her eye and a brand new grin of her own, Sweetie Belle looked at the clock. One minute to go. The crew had already swapped the backdrop to the flower shop, and the lights were already swapped to the orange bulbs to emulate a sunset in Founder's Green. Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves twice and confidently shouted-

"Places, everypony!  







"And so, with Star Bright and Drift Monsoon discovered by the hateful Gardenia, all three tribe leaders; Mayor Marigold, Baron Brilliance, and Captain Cumulus, have prepared an impromptu sentencing for the pair," the narration says. "Outside of Founder's Greenery, they and the entire town have gathered to bear witness to the trial, hoping for the best, but expecting the worst. Hope, as we'll soon find out, is a curious thing."  

"Star Bright and Drift Monsoon," Mayor Marigold shouted from her chair, causing the ears of the two ponies standing before her to fold. "You stand before us today having been found guilty of violating one of the most sacred laws upheld in Founder's Green; partaking in a romantic relationship with a pony of a different race."

Both Star and Drift exchanged glances with one another, shaking their heads sadly.

"This law is not enforced for no good reason," Captain Cumulus resumed. "It is in place to prevent short-term inefficiencies and the long-term consequence of eventual degradation of all of equine kind. Baron Brilliance, if you could explain the specifics?" The pegasus captain gestured to the crowned unicorn to his right.

"Certainly," Baron Brilliance nodded. "It would be the end of all of us!" he shouted, causing several ponies in the audience to shudder. "Imagine a unicorn, given access to boundless magic, but guided by a pegasus' lesser intelligence?"

Captain Cumulus cleared his throat audibly, but the Baron paid no mind.

"Mistaking the moon for a jawbreaker candy, they would summon it towards them, causing the tides to rise and flood all of the Earth!"

Captain Cumulus practically hacked up a lung this time, the crazed banter of Baron Brilliance ceasing.

"While that example greatly misrepresents pegasi intelligence... as well as that of unicorn magic, the theory holds true," the pegasus said. "Imagine a weather team of pegasi, their magnificent flight abilities eroding as their families stray and mingle with earth ponies. As the hulking body mass of an earth pony slowly infects the perfectly fit pegasi frame, we'd be left with a bunch of fat, slovenly, and flightless ponies."

"This might be hard for you to understand, given your, ahem... nature," Mayor Marigold expelled, "but this is supposed to be a sentencing for these two. The hardy earth ponies have nothing to do with it."

"Not surprising," came the voice of Baron Brilliance from across the table. "When have earth ponies ever had anything to do with anything of note?"

Mayor Marigold winced as she quite literally bit her tongue. "Perhaps that overly gauche crown upon your head is like, cutting off oxygen to your head, but I would bear in mind where your food comes from and how it is harvested, Baron."

"I'm fully aware of how it grows," the Baron shouted. "Sunlight! Sunlight that we unicorns bring everyday!"

"The sun would not shine if my pegasi did not keep the skies clear, and the food would not grow if not for the rain that we provide!" Captain Cumulus argued.

The trio of tribes leaders began arguing over one another, each citing an increasingly hyperbolic reason why their race was superior and that the others were barely worth mentioning. The crowd watching the gathering continued to grow, and the door the flower shop opened. Careful not to disturb the tribe leaders, the young Harmony quietly closed the door behind her. With the strange orange flower with a white stem resting in a pot on her back, she sauntered up to her mother, Gardenia.

"What's goin' on, Mama?" Harmony whispered. "Why are Star and Drift standing in front of everypony? Are they in trouble?"

"Oh yes, they are in quite a bit of trouble," Gardenia replied almost cheerfully.

"Why?"

"Harmony, perhaps if you would listen to what me and the tribes leaders say, you would learn something. There's a reason they say that 'with age comes wisdom', you know," she said with an annoyed tone of voice as she glanced down at her daughter. Gardenia did a double take when she saw the flower on her back. "Honey, why on Earth are you carrying that wretched plant around?"

"It's been growin' and bloomin' all week," Harmony explained. "It's gonna fully bloom again real soon, Ah know it."

"If you say so, dear- OH! Shh shh shh!" Gardenia shushed her already silent daughter. "They're getting ready for the sentencing!"

Mayor Marigold cleared her throat and nestled herself into her chair. Her face was trying so hard to conceal a grin, but despite her best attempts, she couldn't disguise it.

"Though we may share discrepancies about each other's races, we leaders of this community all agree on this."

Drift Monsoon whispered inaudible reassurances to Star Bright as the unicorn stifled her sobs.

"What you have committed is a crime against nature. By even endeavoring to explore a relationship between a unicorn and a pegasus is seen as an act of sabotage and of treason. Had we not intervened, your continued immoral romance and eventual offspring would be ineffective and a mutation of everything the proud pony races stand for. By opting to pursue this relationship, you have opted to pursue diluting the pony races and bringing about the crippling of future generations to come. Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, you are both hereby sentenced to-"

"That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?"

The entire crowd looked around to see where the voice had come from, but they didn't need to look very hard. Behind where Drift and Star were standing, a pony ventured forth from the crowd. He was a light beige earth pony with a bright orange mane, and his cutie mark was that of a neatly wrapped scroll. Slung across his back was another scroll, kept in place by a silver chain that wrapped around his shoulders. 

"And who are you supposed to be?" Baron Brilliance asked incredulously. "Can't you see that we're busy here?"

"My name is Magistrate Warren, from the Royal Court of the Two Sisters," the stallion answered almost mechanically, as though he had uttered his name several dozen times beforehoof.

Baron Brilliance turned to face the other two tribal leaders, mouthing the words "royal court of the two sisters" to them, hoping they could enlighten him. He was met with another confused expression from Mayor Marigold, and a shrug from Captain Cumulus.

"Princess Celestia and Princess Luna?" Warren asked bafflingly at the sight of their disorientation. "The two Royal Sisters that govern Equestria, the province that you call home?"

The three leaders all nodded and mumbled in agreement among themselves.

"Celestia is a name that we are familiar with," Mayor Marigold told him. "What exactly is it that she wants this time?"

"If you'll indulge me," Warren began. "Around a week and a half ago, one of Celestia's messengers came to this village with a royal decree - one that was forged after multiple complaints of unfair treatment among the different pony races in this town."

"Yes, and we have followed that decree!" Mayor Marigold insisted. "Both of the selected candidates have been working and learning the earth pony trades right here at Founder's Greenery!"

"Really?" the magistrate raised an eyebrow. "Then what is this going on here?" He waved his outstretched hoof across the whole scene.

"A day off!" Captain Cumulus exclaimed, earning wide eyed stares from his two cohorts.

"Yes! That's right!" Baron Brilliance added. "We're holding a celebration in their honor, to uhh... celebrate the bond between all of the pony races in our fair village!"

Magistrate Warren looked with amusement around him. "It sounded to me like that bond was far from being celebrated," he noted, looking over his shoulder. "Aide Cohen, if you please?" He motioned his head forward. From where the magistrate had come, another pony unfamiliar to the township emerged. This time, it was a unicorn - purplish grey with a pale yellow mane. Upon his flank was a red feathered quill. In a yellow light, an envelope zipped out from the satchel along his side, and the letter within levitated in front of Magistrate Warren.

"I have a letter from that messenger, one that describes a time long gone by. It says that the village of Founder's Green still holds true to all of the misconceptions and stereotypes that helped to drive ponies apart before Equestria was founded."

"That is a bold faced lie! Why, we -" Mayor Marigold was cut off by a loud cough from Magistrate Warren.

"And yet, here you are, sentencing these two ponies to some horrible fate for what you see as an irredeemable crime. For what, loving one another?" he pointed out.

"Do you have any idea how genetics work, Mister Warren?" Baron Brilliance inquired angrily.

"I know how you think it works, Baron," the magistrate answered with an abrupt sharpness. "What were the words that you used - 'ineffective and mutated'? My mother is an earth pony, my father a pegasus. Tell me, do you think that I am ineffective or a mutation?" 

None of the tribe leaders spoke. They instead tried to burn a hole through the magistrate with their outraged glares. After several minutes, Mayor Marigold broke the silence.

"Magistrate Warren... With all due respect, this law that we are upholding is one that we have practiced for many, many years. There has never been a problem before, no? If ponies didn't like the way we ran things, they were free to leave. And if they chose to break the rules we set forth, we simply sent them on their merry way to do what they wish, or gave them time in to think in adequate confinement," her voice dripped with a tangible smugness. "So, is there a higher law that prevents us from doing so, magistrate?"

Magistrate Warren pursed his lips and exhaled deeply. "Not within reason, there isn't, no, but-but how can smothering feelings be considered reasonable?"

"They are free to express their feelings to each other," Captain Cumulus explained. "Just not in Founder's Green. Mayor Marigold, would you kindly finish the sentencing?"

"With pleasure," Mayor Marigold expelled. "Star Bright and Drift Monsoon, I hereby sentence you to-"

"Wait!"

"What is it now, magistrate?" Mayor Marigold asked exasperatedly.

"I - I think that perhaps, for variety's sake, we might hear from the two ponies on trial," Magistrate Warren gestured to Star Bright and Drift Monsoon. "Maybe they can explain what could have possibly prompted them to break such an old and time honored tradition? How does that sound to everypony?"

As the crowd murmured in agreement, Magistrate Warren whispered into his aide's ear. "Cohen, send a letter to the Royal Sisters immediately, informing them of the situation." Aide Cohen nodded, and per his cutie mark, manipulated a red-feathered quill with his magic to furiously scribble on a blank piece of parchment.

"Fine, fine!" the mayor cried above the din. "Let's hear what these traitors have to say for themselves."

"Right then," Magistrate Warren sighed in relief. "Star Bright, perhaps you'd like to start?"





Sweetie Belle looked down at the stage, barely registering that her line had come. It was one of her favorite lines in the entire play, the one where Star Bright confessed her love to Drift Monsoon in front of the entirety of Founder's Green. To be destined by the script of such a wonderful opportunity... Star Bright was a very lucky pony.

"Star Bright, perhaps you would like to start?"

Sweetie Belle looked up in the face of her classmate portraying the magistrate. He looked uneasy, and nodded his head every so slightly as encouragement. Sweetie Belle looked around at the rest of her classmates, all of them staring at her. She craned her neck over her shoulder, and witnessed the entirety of Ponyville gazing at her curiously. Finally, she turned looked to her immediate right, into the worried face of Scootaloo.

If Star Bright can do it... why can't I?

"Oh yes," Sweetie Belle said. "I would love to." With deliberation, she rotated herself so that she was facing Scootaloo. Scootaloo no longer appeared worried, but instead wore a friendly smile.

"Go for it," the pegasus mouthed silently.

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, her mind racing at what seemed to be thousands of miles per hour. She blinked, and she felt everything stop. This was it.

"Scootaloo," she said.

Everything that had stopped suddenly resumed, and Sweetie Belle became acutely aware of all of it. She could hear the voices of the crowd, all wondering aloud about what was going on. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Diamond Tiara cover her face with a hoof in embarrassment, Apple Bloom next to her looking just as confused as the crowd sounded. And immediately in front of her, Scootaloo stood there, mouth agape, but completely silent. Sweetie Belle's eyes looked into Scootaloo's, the unicorn wearing an almost apologetic expression.

"Since the day we met, you always made me feel happy. Always. It was your spirit and fearlessness that did it, I think, made me never want to give up even when I was sad, because you never gave up! I've always been able to count on you through thick and thin. Even if your wings can't yet lift yourself up just yet..."

Scootaloo's mouth closed at long last, and her face grew red. Still she didn't look away from Sweetie Belle, and didn't say a word.

"...It doesn't mean that you can't lift me up. I don't know when it happened, but I just started thinking about you more and more, and I tried so hard to tell myself that everything was the same, and that you were still just my best friend, but... but it wasn't. I finally realized that... that..."

Sweetie Belle blinked, and could feel a tear slide down her face.

"...That I love you."

She finally said it. That pressure that lifted from her chest, however, was quickly replaced by anxiety. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest, and her ragged breathing, but nothing else. The silence threatened to consume her.

"This - this last week and a half, I - I tried so hard to live these two lives. Pretending to love you, and pretending to be your friend, and it was just too much and I couldn't keep doing it, and I had to - I had to tell you, Scootaloo."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the silence she tried to stave off returned with full force. She didn't blink, couldn't blink, and the theater became a blur behind her veil of tears. She couldn't make out a single face in the crowd. The only thing she could see was Scootaloo standing before her, utterly still, her expression blank. Sweetie Belle's eyes burned fiercely, and she finally closed her eyes. The teardrop that landed seem to echo throughout the theater. When her eyes opened once more, nothing had changed.

Sweetie Belle took one step backwards, her hoof fall bouncing around the room. Step by step, she proceeded towards the edge of the stage, ever more desperate to shield herself from the sea of faces piercing her with their glares. Sweetie Belle turned around, her slow steps evolving into a full on gallop. Just as she was about to exit the stage, she heard a voice.   

"Sweetie Belle."

Scootaloo's voice was the one that shattered the quiet this time. Sweetie Belle stopped moving, and looked back at Scootaloo mournfully from the side of the stage.

"Come here," Scootaloo gestured. "Center stage, right next to me."

Her face burning red, Sweetie Belle slowly ambled her way towards Scootaloo. She kept her gaze down to the floor, not daring to look at her friend. Scootaloo's orange hooves entered her field of vision, and, acutely aware of the spotlight cast upon her and Scootaloo, she stood still. 

"Sweetie Belle," Scootaloo started loudly, proudly, her voice washing over the entirety of the auditorium. Sweetie Belle winced at the storm that sure to come next.

"You mentioned my wings... my wings that can't, and may not ever, lift me up. Believe it or not, that makes even me want to give up sometimes. That's when I think to myself... I don't need wings to lift me up."

Slowly, Sweetie Belle looked up to see her friend. Scootaloo was not angry. She wasn't scared. She was smiling that same friendly smile she always did when Sweetie Belle was feeling down.

"That's what I have you for."

The unicorn's mouth went dry, and her mind went blank. She felt dizzy, everything going in and out of focus. Scootaloo's voice, however, rang crystal clear in her ears. 

"And then you go and say I'm fearless? Not even close! I was terrified that telling you how I felt would scare you away. I'm supposed to be the fearless one, but I was the one that was scared. Scared to lose you... because I love you too, Sweetie Belle."

Within the spotlight, it was so incredibly bright. Sweetie Belle couldn't see anything beyond that light, but she didn't care to. She looked at Scootaloo in disbelief, her dry mouth having moisture enough to utter; "You mean it?"

Scootaloo nodded happily, a glimmer in her eye. "With all of my heart."

Sweetie Belle wasn't sure which one of them started to lean in first. Tentatively, they closed in on one another. She could feel the breath from Scootaloo's nostrils upon her own muzzle, and then slowly, their muzzles touched.

"What about the play? Sensationalism and all that?" Sweetie Belle whispered.

"What kind of romantic play would it be without a kiss?" Scootaloo replied.

Neither of them seemed sure of what exactly to do. They tilted their heads, and inched their way closer to each other. With the gap between them practically closed, they both hesitated, just for a moment, and then, with their eyes closed - they pressed their lips together. Sweetie Belle could only hope that Scootaloo enjoyed their kiss as much as she did. Her lips tingled, and the sensation spread across her entire body in waves. It was everything that she could have ever hoped for, and then some. After what seemed an eternity, their lips parted and their eyes opened once more.

The theater positively exploded. The applause from the audience was an absolute cacophony, and even on the stage, Sweetie Belle saw her classmates cheering and clapping. To her surprise, even Silver Spoon was grinning and clapping her hooves together, though that soon stopped once Diamond Tiara noticed and gave her friend a quick jab to the ribs. It was the happiest Sweetie Belle felt for as long as she could remember, and judging from the beaming coming from Scootaloo, she'd guess the feeling was mutual. As though they could read each other's thoughts, they both lunged forward in a deep embrace as the crowd roared on.

After a minute, or two, or five, Scootaloo whispered into Sweetie Belle's ear.

"Don't forget, we've still got a show to do, remember?"

They slowly pulled apart, and as their front legs hit the stage, Sweetie Belle nodded. With a quick glance and several more nods to her cast mates on the stage, she raised both of her hooves, and clapped them together twice.







"Enough! ENOUGH!"

The roar of the joyous crowd finally quieted at the command of a positively livid Mayor Marigold.

"What exactly does that prove?" she asked to the crowd. "Just because you think something is good for you doesn't mean that it is!"

"We're trying to help you!" Captain Cumulus joined in. "Can't you see that? How else can we preserve the purity of our proud heritage?"

As the crowd cried back in protest, a letter emanated from the Aide Cohen's horn in a spiral ray of yellow light. He unfurled the scroll and read it to himself silently.

"What were you trying to accomplish, magistrate? We're still the ones with authority here and our ruling is the only one that matters!" Baron Brilliance's face contorted as he screamed at Magistrate Warren.

Before he could answer, Magistrate Warren was met with several taps to the shoulder from his aide. The letter floated before his face for a moment, enough so that the magistrate could quickly read through it.

"It is," Magistrate Warren called back to the baron. "For now." He gestured to Aide Cohen, pointing his hoof upward and waving it in a circle. With a nod, the unicorn's horn glowed. A beam of yellow light erupted above the crowd, a yellow pulse spreading through the skies above the village.

With their attention sufficiently gathered, Magistrate Warren held the letter in front of him, shouting to the now silent crowd "Fillies and Gentlecolts, I hold in my hooves the latest decree from Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, the 'true' rulers of this land. It says;"




Citizens of Founder's Green,

It has come to my attention that this town of yours has created several ripples of late regarding relationships between the different races of ponies. Some among you may cite that local law disallows relationships of a romantic nature between different races of ponies. While we are generally glad to allow towns and villages within Equestria to manage themselves as they see fit, this law prompts an immediate intervention.

Love is a beautiful thing, in any form it takes. Whether it be between a foal and its family, or two young ponies sharing their first flicker of romance, love is one of the few wondrous gifts that our lives allow. As such, it is considered inequine  to even consider stifling this miracle that makes life worth living.

Henceforth, on this day June 12, 00AE01, a relationship or union between two ponies, whatever their races may be, is deemed a basic, natural, and irrevocable right to all denizens of Equestria. Any attempt to infringe upon said right will be considered grounds for reprisal.

Signed,

-Princess Celestia
-Princess Luna





For the second time that day, the village of Founder's Green was alive with the cheers of it's citizens. Star Bright and Drift Monsoon shared in a loving embrace, while the tribe leaders looked at them with complete and utter disdain. Young Harmony could hardly contain herself, and just before she prepared to jump around in a frenzy she set the flower on her back to the ground. It was then that she noticed -

"It bloomed! It bloomed! Look at it, Mama! It bloomed!"

Gardenia sat still, growing exponentially more irritated with each cheer that she heard. Not bothering to look at her daughter or the flower, she simply waved her hoof disinterestedly and offered a flat "that's nice."

"No, Mama! You didn't even look at it! Look, look!"

Gardenia's temper was cut in half several times, and the excited cries from her daughter about that ugly flower, however well-meaning they were, was too much.

"I don't care about that stupid thing! It's wrong, it's all wrong! Everything -"

She looked hatefully at Star and Drift's celebratory embrace. "-Especially you two!"

In a blur, Gardenia had seized the pot from her daughter's grasp, reeled back, and with all of her might, fired it towards the couple like a cannonball. The crowd uttered a collective gasp and fell silent. The flower pot was only inches from Drift Monsoon's face when it was suddenly halted in mid-air, enveloped by a light green glow. 

Drift opened his eyes and saw the pot floating before him. He heard a humming to his left, and saw the horn upon Star's head glowing a pale emerald green. He reached out, taking hold of the flower as the aura abandoned it.

"You're welcome," Star whispered to Drift, receiving a swift kiss upon her cheek in return. The smile quickly vanished as Drift glared at Gardenia. 

"What was that all about?" He raised the flower pot behind his head, threatening to throw it back at cantankerous earth pony.

"Stop!" came the voice of Magistrate Warren from behind Drift. "Don't give them any actual reason to arrest you." Drift felt the plant leave his hooves as it was taken by the magistrate. The stallion examined the flower curiously, unsure of what to make of it.

"What a peculiar flower," he started. "I have never seen one such as this before. It's got the petals of a tiger lily, the floret of a sunflower, and the thorny stem of a rose. What a curious mix of different flowers... and the colors... it's familiar, but at the same time, it's quite unique."

Magistrate Warren shifted his gaze from the flower in his hooves to the bouncy Harmony next to the embarrassed Gardenia. 

"Tell me, young..?"

"Harmony!"

"Miss Harmony. What kind of flower is this?"

"Ah'm not sure. Ah found it a while ago, and it just bloomed now..."

Harmony turned to Star and Drift.

"...Right when they kissed," she finished.

The magistrate looked at the flower, to the couple, and then back to the young filly with a smile on his face.

"Then, we shall name this flower after it's discoverer. You, miss Harmony."

"Really?" Harmony looked joyfully at her mother, who seemed merely irritated.

"And this night, this night that allows for all ponies, whether they bear horn, or wings, or nothing but a heart that is capable of loving and being loved, to share in this emotion without fear, shame, or guilt... This night shall be known across all of Equestria as...


The entire cast of Ponyville Elementary's very first production of Harmony's Flowers turned to face the audience in the theater, and bellowed as loudly as they could simultaneously - 


"The Night of Harmony's Flowers!"






The lights illuminated the stage, and the entire cast and crew lined up. With a countdown led by the narrator Pipsqueak, they all bowed their heads together as the audience whooped and clapped their hooves enthusiastically. The ponies began filtering off of the stage into the crowd, talking excitedly to their friends and family. All of them, except for Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, who stood facing one another at center stage once again, dimly aware of the events around them as time passed seemingly in slow motion. 

Cheerilee clambered onto the stage alongside Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but they didn't seem to notice until she shouted above sound of the crowd.

"In addition to co-starring as Star Bright, Sweetie Belle also took the reigns as the director of tonight's play! Another round of applause, everypony!"

Scootaloo offered Sweetie Belle her hoof, which the unicorn gladly accepted. As they turned to look into the crowd with joyful grins on their faces, Sweetie Belle leaned in to Scootaloo's ear and whispered.

"So... if you felt that way about me..."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you suggest we didn't kiss? Was it really for the play?"
"Actually... I thought I might be really bad at it, or that I'd get so nervous that I'd throw up all over you!"
"Heh," Sweetie Belle chuckled. "Don't worry. You were awesome."

"SWEETIE BELLE!"

Rarity's high-pitched squeal broke the trance the two fillies were in, and Sweetie Belle suddenly found herself gasping for air from a sincere hug that more closely resembled a choke hold.

"Oh, Sweetie Belle! That was magnificent - I should have known when you said 'colt' that-"

"Rarity?" the filly squeaked.

"Oh? Oh, sorry!" Rarity exclaimed as she released her younger sister. "I am just so immensely excited and proud of you! That speech and that kiss was adorable - you two are just a darling couple, even if Scootaloo's mane isn't quite-"

"Her mane is perfect," Sweetie Belle insisted defiantly, causing Scootaloo to pat her mane down while blushing profusely.

"Yeah... well..." Scootaloo sputtered, desperate to change the subject. "I was totally right about the kiss stealing the show though - it was the first thing that somepony brought up!" 

Rarity opened her mouth to defend herself, but somepony else did it for her.

"It was a pretty awesome kiss, Squirt."

Scootaloo deftly mussed her mane again at the sight of Rainbow Dash gliding towards the stage. "Rainbow Dash! You came!"

"Of course I did," Rainbow Dash replied with gusto. "I wouldn't miss a chance to see my number one fan in the spotlight!" Scootaloo practically fainted at her idol's acknowledgment.

"Sharing the spotlight, you mean," Rarity corrected her with a polite cough.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"I'm still kinda surprised you came to see it, though," Sweetie Belle giggled. "Scootaloo says you can't stand romantic stuff." 

Rainbow Dash rubbed behind her neck, laughing nervously, and avoiding eye contact with the three other ponies. "Yeah... well, you know... I uh... I heard there was going to be a fight scene,"

"How'd I do? Did you like it?" Scootaloo anxiously fished for praise for her performance.

"You were amazing! You were all like psh, whoosh, bam! And then bouncing off of that one guard's head, spinning around and fwooosh!" Each one of Rainbow Dash's play-by-play's was illustrated with a series of playful jabs towards the young filly, and Scootaloo laughed giddily as she stood herself up and dodged each one. After a particularly energetic bend and twist, Scootaloo lost her balance and began waving her forelegs back and forth to keep herself upright. Her purple tail caught under her back left hoof, and she started to fall backwards.

"Woah-woah-woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-oh!"

A pair of white forelegs wrapped themselves underneath the base of Scootaloo's flailing appendages. She felt Sweetie Belle's soft, warm body pressing against hers, pushing the pegasus upright. Scootaloo landed on all fours, and with a crimson glow on her face, she uttered a simple "Thanks."

"That's what you've got me for," Sweetie Belle replied.

"Sorry about that, kid, I got a little carried away," Rainbow Dash told her sheepishly. "But... you two are pretty cute together."

Now both Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were stark red, while Rarity and Rainbow Dash shared a laugh together.

"So," Sweetie Belle started, clearly unsure of how to continue. "It doesn't bother you that Scootaloo and I are... uh... together?"

"Why in Equestria would it?" Rarity cocked her head.

"Yeah!" Rainbow Dash agreed enthusiastically. "If you're both happy, what's the problem?"

Scootaloo massaged her foreleg, not quite looking at either of the adult mares when she answered. "Some of the other ponies were kinda... they didn't really seem all that supportive."

"And who cares what they think?" Rainbow Dash asked incredulously. "Everypony was cheering you guys on, except for the one that played Gardenia, and if you ask me, she was just jealous!"

Sweetie Belle was positively delighted when she heard Cheerilee calling her name. 

Wasting no time, she frantically pointed her hooves at her teacher waving at her from the row of seats next to the open door.

"Miss Cheerilee waving needs to talk gotta go bye," Sweetie Belle babbled as she hopped down from the stage, away from what certain to be a mortifying conversation. She heard Scootaloo utter a similar sentiment, and the frantic scrabble of hooves on the carpet shuffling beside her.

"Have fun, you two!" Rarity called out to them.

"Don't do anything I woul-OW! Hey!" Rainbow Dash's supportive message, on the other hoof, was cut short.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both took the short time it took to get from the stage to their teacher to catch their breath and cool their heated faces, but it was made difficult thanks to their frenetic giggling at the thought of Diamond Tiara being jealous of them for a change, and for as ridiculous a reason as theirs seemed. They didn't even need to say anything to each other, because they both knew. With one last guffaw to get it out of their system, the young couple stood before Cheerilee and another mare.

"Girls! I hope I wasn't interrupting anything, but I just had to congratulate you two again," Cheerilee expressed giddily.

"You didn't interrupt anything, Miss Cheerilee," Sweetie Belle told her with a quick swipe across her forehead to wipe the sweat from it. "And thanks. A lot. I think it turned out pretty good."

"Sweetie Belle sure did a great job directing, didn't she, Miss Cheerilee?" Scootaloo pressed her teacher for more niceties.

"She certainly did," Cheerilee nodded, and stepped aside to reveal the mare standing behind her. "That's why I wanted you to meet Mrs. Loving, the author of the original Harmony's Flowers."

Mrs. Loving stepped forward, her pale pink forehoof extending towards a most tongue-tied Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle, is it?" she asked with a cheerful voice as Sweetie Belle absentmindedly shook her hoof. "Cheerilee has told me very much about you."

"R-really?" the unicorn's voice cracked.

"Oh yes," the playwright laughed. "She said that your original play was quite charming. I should like to see it sometime."

"Oh no, no, no," Sweetie Belle shook her head rapidly. "I don't mean to be rude, I mean, it's still really a work in progress." 

Mrs. Loving just laughed again. She seemed like a very cheerful pony, and she didn't really look as old as Sweetie Belle had imagined.

"Perhaps you should look for an editor?" The mare suggested, gesturing towards Cheerilee. "She helped me to iron out the kinks of Harmony's Flowers way back when I wrote it."

"Really?" Scootaloo's eyes widened.

"I might have helped a little bit," Cheerilee bashfully admitted. "I just loved the idea when she told me about it."

"She loved it so much that she put together the "Scholastic Edition" before the original had shown up on Bridleway!" Mrs. Loving revealed with another hearty laugh. "I didn't think it would work as a play for younger ponies, but..."

Sweetie Belle felt her face growing hot again.

"I wanted to thank you, Sweetie Belle," Mrs. Loving's tone changed to a soft, professional tone. "For adapting the play so well, and for sharing the message with all of Ponyville."

"The... message?" Sweetie Belle queried weakly, still somewhat in shock after receiving a compliment from such an esteemed writer.

"You remember," Cheerilee stated. "The message of the play? The moral of the story?"

"Oh yeah! It's that..."

"It doesn't matter who you share in love with," Scootaloo interjected. "If you love them, and they love you back, nopony else can tell you otherwise. It doesn't matter if they are a unicorn, a pegasus, an earth pony, or even if they are-"

"-the same gender?" Sweetie Belle suggested with a knowing grin.

"Right," Scootaloo nodded, returning the wry smile. "All that matters is that you love each other."

"I couldn't have put it better myself," Mrs. Loving said definitively, causing both of the fillies to simply paw at the ground embarrassed.

"Well, Sweetie Belle," Cheerilee said. "I hope you have it in you to turn out another six performances like that for the rest of the week."

"Oh yes! Definitely! And the kiss is officially back in!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed confidently, as Scootaloo followed it up with a quick peck on the cheek for emphasis.

"Excellent," Cheerilee concluded. "Well, I imagine you two have a lot to talk about. I'll see you both tomorrow night. Once again, congratulations on a job well done, both of you."

"Thanks," Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle replied together. As they began to trot out the door, Sweetie Belle turned around and informed her teacher, just to ensure her that she was ready, "I'll stick to the script next time too!"

To her surprise, Mrs. Loving beckoned her with her hoof. 

"I'll be right there, Scoots," Sweetie Belle told her quickly.

Scootaloo nodded understandingly. "Don't take too long!"

Sweetie Belle cleared her throat, this time prepared to address the author with more than just dumbfounded stare and weak hoofshake.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Speaking of script, I have to admit," Mrs. Loving started, her face breaking into a sly grin. "Changing Drift to be a weak flier certainly added some depth to his - her - character."

"Oh yeah," Sweetie Belle said, returning the smile. "I thought it might."

"Sweetie Belle!" called the distressed voice of her new fillyfriend, Scootaloo. Their friend Apple Bloom had grappled Scootaloo just like Rarity had done to Sweetie Belle only a few minutes ago in the hallway outside of the theater. 

"When were y'all going to tell me y'all were an item?"

"We didn't know - it literally just happened!" the squirming Scootaloo grunted as she tried in vain to escape from Apple Bloom's earth pony strengthened grip.

"Ah woulda thrown ya a party or somethin'," Apple Bloom explained. "Or if Ah knew that y'all liked each other, Ah woulda helped move things along faster!"

"Bad idea," Scootaloo coughed. "Remember your brother and Miss Cheerilee? Can you please let me go? Sweetie Belle?"

"Well, this better not change nothin'. Promise me y'all won't do any crusadin' without me, and Ah will let ya go!" 

Forgetting to offer a courteous farewell to the bemused Mrs. Loving, Sweetie Belle dashed out of the theater towards her friends. With a gleeful giggle, she tackled Apple Bloom and Scootaloo in a mock attempt to "free" her new fillyfriend. They rolled around on the floor, giggling madly as they came to a halt, splayed out on their backs and breathing heavily, to the amusement of several onlookers.

"Don't worry, Apple Bloom," Sweetie Belle panted. "This doesn't change a thing."

"Right," Scootaloo agreed. "After all, us 'blank flanks' need to stick together, right?"

Apple Bloom stood up, straightening her bow and brushing away a piece of paper that had stuck to her ribs. She held her hooves out to Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. They reached up, holding on tightly as Apple Bloom grunted and lifted both of her friends up off the floor.

"That's right," she stated while her friends stood upright. "That's absolutely right."

The trio turned around and made their way to the double doors leading outside, their stomachs all rumbling after a hard day of rehearsing and acting. Just before they opened the doors to the warm evening air, Apple Bloom stopped and made one more demand.

"Ah'm happy y'all are together an everythin',  but Ah don't want none of that kissin' or 'couple' stuff around me, okay?"

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle both exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Um... we'll try!"



   

"Sweetie Belle had always had feelings for Scootaloo. And all of them were positive. But when she discovered that her friendship was blossoming into something more, she struggled endlessly with how to tell Scootaloo how she felt. When she asked her sister Rarity for advice on what to do, this is what she was told..."

*The curtain rises, showcasing a painted backdrop of a beautiful flower, orange and purple, white and pink, towering above the stage. The lights come on, revealing Rarity and Sweetie Belle standing alongside each other on a beautifully polished wooden stage.*

"How do you tell somepony that you 'like' them?" Sweetie Belle asked nervously, as Scootaloo walked in from the far right side of the stage, stopping next to Sweetie Belle, and embracing her friend with a gentle hug. As Scootaloo's foreleg pulled away from Sweetie Belle's neck and settled on the stage, they both turned their attention to Rarity.

Rarity cleared her throat, and laughed slightly. "Now that... that is the thing, is it not? That all depends on you and the pony you're telling."

*The unicorn mare slowly walks backwards, fading into the darkness, and the spotlight focuses on the two fillies. They turn to stare into the crowd, both wearing the faintest of smiles. *

"Both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo had acted as the best of friends for the longest time, both hiding their true feelings for one another. It was a performance for the ages, one that they would both look to and laugh at together as they shared in their happiness. Because their friendship together was a well-practiced performance, it only made sense that it would take another performance to reveal the truth between them. So, that 'thing', that method by which Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo could speak honestly of their feelings for one another? For these two fillies..."

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo gripped each other's hooves, exchanging one last enchanted look with one another before facing out into the indistinguishable sea of faces. With perfect synchronization, they took a deep breath and cried together;


"The Play's The Thing"