The night was almost over, and the streets of Cloudsdale were beginning to quiet down. The street lights turned on as the sun set behind the cloudy surface of the nimbussy town. Two young pegasai, friends separated for nearly four years, were about to cap off their first week back in each other's company. A bond, still labled a friendship. Many ponies who saw the two together, even if they didn't know them, would have assumed they were a couple by now, due to how close to each other they appeared. It was time to head home and Singer was walking Violet home before he made his descent back to Ponyville.
"Tonight was awesome, Singer!" said Violet, smiling at her long time best friend as they arrived at her doorstep. "Thanks for such a great time!"
"I kinda feel like I owed it to you, really..." he said. "After that long four year time frame, I'm glad that we are able to talk normally again and not having to rely on letters to talk to each other anymore."
"I agree, though your pen-pony-ship wasn't painful on the eyes." she complimented, smiling at him all the while. She caught herself before she got too flirtatious.
"Yours wasn't either." he said with a grin. "How about that movie, huh? Do you think it lived up to the hype?"
"I think it did." she nodded. "I really liked the part where Daring Do judo kicked Ahuizotl in the face to save her father from his menacing clutches, while also getting that artifact from his cronies!" Violet began to get excited as she and Singer began to nerd out like they did back in their younger years. It was just like old times.
"Or the part where she's once again dumped in the middle of the forest and does a wonderful adaptation of how it works in the books to escape that angry manticore's cave!" Singer exclaimed. "Or the funny scene that followed when she has the music box and it goes off, alerting all of the tigers sleeping nearby? How did that song go again?"
"I like to Move it Move it?" she giggled.
"Yeah, that's it!" Singer laughed. "That's when she realized that she got the wrong one, and starting punching some faces to get the real one!"
Violet continued to giggle until it turned into a full on laugh, in which a small snort followed. Then her face shot red with embarrassment. "Sorry about that..." she smiled sheepishly.
"Think nothing of it!" laughed Singer, he even made it a point to laugh as well, adding a painfully obviously forced snort to his laugh in attempt to make Violet's cheeks stop blushing.
"Thank you" she said gratefully while giving him a hug. "You always know how to make me feel better!"
"I think you and I are a champion team for sure!" Singer added.
"We definitely belong togeth- uh I mean. You know..." she said awkwardly, catching herself before she went too far with that. Despite how she felt, how she was still feeling, she wasn't totally sure that Singer was sold on the idea of them dating. She wanted to bring it up as little as possible to avoid awkwardness.
"I get it" he smiled at her, before looking to the side. He wasn't sure but he felt that this might be the right time to say something. Something that he'd been wanting to say for the last couple of days. He knew it would change their relationship, but he hoped it would be in a good way. He took a deep breath and started.
"Violet I..." he paused. Crap! It wasn't going to be as easy as he thought it would be. "I..." he face-hoofed himself as he tried to get the words to come out. This was a real problem for him, as he'd almost never had struggled to get his word out before. Usually you couldn't get him to shut up! But now, this was different. This was a big deal, and for some reason he found it hard to come out and say it. Why? Why was it so hard?!?
"Are you okay, Singer?" she asked.
Singer looked at her. He wasn't sure what it was, whether it was the moonlight reflecting on her eyes or what, but when he stared into those big violet colored eyes, he became speechless. It had finally happened. He may not have been a hundred percent sure before he was going to say what he wanted to say but in that moment, he knew. He was smitten. If there was any doubt about it prior to this moment, there wasn't now.
He could no longer see her as just a friend anymore, and he was beginning to doubt that he saw her that way a few days ago, as the more they hung out, the more he was drawn to just be by her side. The question looming in his mind was, why now? Why not a few years ago when he had the chance? In hindsight, he knew that something else was always there, but why is he JUST NOW seeing it?
Violet quizzically stared at him while he was deep in thought, and she was frankly getting a little worried about him. "Singer?" she finally said after his continued hesitation.
Singer shook his head snapping himself out of the little "trance" he was in. "Yes, I'm fine" he replied quickly. "Just got lost in a thought."
"Oh, okay" she beamed. "Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?" she asked.
"Oh... r-r-right" he fidgeted. "I-I'm s-sorry Violet. I think I'm just a little tired, is all."
"Oh, do you need to go to bed?" she asked with a concerned expression.
"Uh, yeah probably so!" he smiled awkwardly, shifting his eyes back and forth, heart beating like a drum being hit at fast pace.
A small look of disappointment adorned her face as she nodded. "Oh... Alright then. I suppose I'll let you go get some sleep. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?"
"Oh, yeah definitely!" he said. "Have a good night." He began to calm down, his eyes shrinking back down, his heart began to slow down as well.
"You too!" she gave him one more smile before she walked inside, and closed her door.
Singer took a deep breath and sighed again, before embarking on his flight back home. He spread his wings and took off back towards Ponyville. And as he flew through the night sky, he vented his frustration among the black night time clouds.
"Daaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhh!" he shouted. "What's wrong with you? Why couldn't you say it?!?" He slapped himself in the face with his hoof, and waved both his front hooves around as he ranted. "She was standing right in front of you, and you had every opportunity! Why didn't you just freaking say it already?!?" He growled and rubbed his face with his front hooves in frustration while flying. "I need some help with this!" he shouted. "I hope Dusk and Twilight are still awake!"
He zoomed downward and than forward again in a zigzagged fashion as he kicked it into high gear towards the Golden Oaks Library, hopefull that his new friends might be able to help him.
...................
Violet leaned up against the front door as she closed it, and sighed. Thoughts began to enter her mind as to why Singer suddenly started to act weird. Love stricken for him herself, this really made her think. She wasn't really sure how to feel about it, but it worried her a bit. Did she come on too strong there? She'd made him feel uncomfortable, she bet to herself. She shook her head in frustration and buried her face into her hooves.
"Are you okay, sweetie?" she heard a familiar voice. It was her father.
"Daddy! You're home!" she jumped up and embraced him, happily.
"Sure am!" he said. "They let me come home a week early this time, so here I am!"
"I'm so glad you're back!" she exclaimed happily.
"Glad to be back!" he said. "Now... back to doing what a dad should be doing. Checking up on my children. What had you all frustrated just now?"
Violet explained what had happened the last week and how close she and Singer were again. And how happy it had made her to be so close with him. And then she explained that she and Singer discussed her feelings for him and how something she'd just said minutes ago might have made him a little awkward, and how bad she felt about it.
"I didn't really see anything wrong with what you said" replied her father. "You even made it a point to apologize, even though there really wasn't any needed there."
"Then why did he act so awkward after I said it?"
"Hmmm...." he pondered. "That is interesting. Perhaps you're reading into this all wrong? What if he's just struggling with his own feelings?"
"I don't think that's very likely dad. I don't think we'll ever be anything more than just friends in his eyes. And I'm fine with that. There are probably other far more pretty mares he has his eye on anyway..."
"Don't be so pessimistic, Vi." scolded her father. "Besides, didn't you say yourself that if friendship is as far as it goes between the two of you, that it would be fine?"
"Yes, I did..." she said, realizing the folly of her worries. "You're right, dad. If that's all that ever happens, I should... I WILL be happy with it. Singer's an amazing stallion, and I am honored to be his friend."
"And I'm sure he's honored to be yours as well, Violet!" he said pulling her into a hug. "I love you, sweetie. And I have a feeling that Singer loves you as well."
"I know he does." Violet smiled. "And I know you do too!"
"What am I, chopped cabbage?" said her ornery little brother, Rain who had just come out of his room.
"I love you too, little brother!" she hugged him as well. "But aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"Bed time's overrated..." Rain remarked.
Violet looked at him crossly, and Rain suddenly remembered what time it was.
"Right! Back to bed!" he said. "See you tomorrow, dad!"
"Night!" he hollered back as Rain went back to his room. "Way to keep him in line, champ" he said, putting her in a headlock and giving her a noogie. "But I think it's time for you to go to bed too."
"Daddy, I'm too old for the noogies!" she laughed as she pushed her dad's front leg off of her.
"You're never too old for them!" he chuckled. "Nor are you too old for bed! Off with you."
"Good night, dad!" she said as she started for her room.
"Good night, Violet. Sweet dreams."
"Thank you dad, you too!" she said as she walked into her room and closed her door for the night.
..........
Singer flew as frantically as possible before reaching the Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville. The lights were still on, so that was a good sign. Normally, he could wait til moring, but this was kind of important to him.
He flew down and charged at the door.
............
"Almost done!" shouted Dusk as he had levitated the last stack of books that needed to be reshelved. As he fitted the last one in it's place, he turned around to see his lovely marefriend standing behind him.
"Thank you so much for staying late and helping me clean up!" said Twilight as she nuzzled him.
"Well I am you're number one Pony assistant!" said Dusk. "And I couldn't just leave my marefriend to put all of these books up by herself, now could I?"
"No, I suppose not" she giggled and gave him a kiss. "Any chance I can get you to stay a little longer?"
"I would, but I'm actually a little tired today" said Dusk, as he started toward the door, but turned to face her as he kept talking. "Or I would certainly oblige."
"Oh, well. There is always tomorrow!" she beamed. "I love you, Dusk!"
"I love you too Tw-" he was cut off by the door bursting open, slaming into him, and sending him careening into Twilight, knocking them both back onto the floor. Dusk's hat fell off of his head and landed on the floor. Dusk was now lying on top of her. "S-sorry, Twi" he said as he pulled himself up off of her and helped her onto her hooves, and then reached for his hat, dusted it off and placed it dutifully back onto his head.
"It's okay Dusk, it wasn't your fault" said Twilight, noting they had a late visitor, after which her mood suddenly took a one hundred eighty degree turn toward anger. "SINGER!" she yelled with a slight scowl.
"Hey guys..." he said, looking back at the ajar door. "Sorry about the rude entry there..."
"You had better have a good reason for this, Singer!" said an obviously irritated Twilight.
"Right... sorry! This wasn't how I wanted this conversation to start... Oy..." He said frantically.
"Time is of the essence, Singer..." said Dusk, equally as annoyed, though he showed it far less. Albeit irritated, his friend looked like he needed some help, and upon noting that, Dusk did what he could to hold back his anger for the sake of helping.
"Yes... well... I was hoping that you two could help me with this problem I'm having..."
Twilight calmed down a bit and fixed her mane back to normal. After a second or two of this, she allowed him to proceed.
Singer explained his problem to them as best as he could. Explaining to them how he wanted so badly to tell Violet how much she really means to him and that he truly loved her, but for some reason he froze up and couldn't tell her just minutes before he'd departed from her.
Dusk and Twilight exchanged knowing looks, and Twilight was up first. "Sounds to me like you're still afraid of the whole relationship possibility and what might happen if something goes wrong."
"I don't know... I feel like I'm ready to tell her, and to move on with it... but..." he covered his face with his hooves. "I don't know. Maybe I'm not ready."
"I struggled with denial at first, before I was able to admit my true feelings to Dusk myself, Singer." Twilight admitted. "Even after we began dating, I wasn't sure if I truly loved him or not."
"What happened?" he asked.
"I eventually realized that I did love him." She pulled Dusk closer to her and looked into his eyes. "...and that it was worth saying!"
"It wasn't easy for me to say at first, either" Dusk added. "I even got interrupted several times before I was eventually able to tell her. But after we both realized that we did, we've become a better couple for it. Truly, if there's no love in it than there is no purpose to a relationship."
"I see..." said Singer.
"Don't second guess it, Singer." Twilight added. "If you truly love her, and if she truly loves you. It needs to be said."
"But... HOW?!?" he yelled.
"Try to get alone with her and discuss it with her personally." Dusk advised. "Be honest with her, don't try and sugar coat anything, and be serious."
"I agree" nodded Twilight. "This is a really big deal and should be treated as such, but don't tense up when you talk, it'll just make everything feel uncomfortable."
"Also, be assertive, but not too assertive, when you tell her." said Dusk. "Don't beat around the bush, just tell her."
"But what if she's changed her mind? What if she doesn't love me back?"
"Love is unconditional. Even if she doesn't love you back, you don't have to stop loving her. But at that point, it will be time to try and move on. But based off what you've told me in our last conversation, I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"You really think so?"
"I do."
"I do as well." Twilight chimed in.
"And if everything does work out, just take every thing one day at a time. Show her the respect she deserves, as well."
"Right. Okay, I will! Thanks, you guys!" Singer said. "I'll definitely heed your advice. And um... once again, sorry about the whole entrance I made. I feel like such a jerk, now."
"Let's just never speak of it again. I think we can give you a pass just this once." said Dusk.
"But don't let it happen again" warned Twilight.
"Duly noted!" Singer said. "Oh look at the time, I gotta go!" With that, he kicked a leg up and darted out of the library with great speed.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" said Twilight. "That stallion is goofier than a circus act!"
"Well, you can't always pick your friends" chuckled Dusk. "Sometimes they pick you, and that's kind of what happened here."
"Indeed" said Twilight with a yawn. "What a silly stallion."
"That he is, but a good pony all in all."
"He seems to be. It is nice to know that we were able play a part in helping him get back on his hooves, and back on the right path."
"Agreed, but I think I've done all the helping I can muster for one night. Good night, Twilight. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Good night, Dusk." she said as she gave Dusk another kiss before he trotted out the door.
..........
The next morning came a bit later than usual for Singer. He'd spent much of the night tossing and turning in his bed, trying to think of how and when he'd tell Violet how he felt. Once he finally woke up for the day, he spent much of the morning hours trying to prepare a nice evening for her, so that way whenever he told her, it would be a nice setting.
After a while of pondering, he'd come up with a fantastic idea. He would set up a picnic in the Ponyville park and he and Violet would watch the sunset together, and hopefully nopony would bother them. It was a brilliant idea if he did say so himself. He immediately got to work preparing the picnic lunch, or dinner to be more accurate, hoping that his efforts would bring his idea into fruition.
After about an hour and a half of preparing, it was complete. A picnic basket packed with sandwiches, juice boxes, carrots, pickles, and a personal favorite, Cheese fries! The very thought of the meal was sounding pretty good at the moment. He figured he'd make a small portion for himself to eat right on the spot, since his appetite returned to make his stomach rumble. After all of that work to put this together, he felt like he'd earned it. And thus, the clock began to tick as Singer waited impatiently for the time for the picnic to come. Anxiety and anticipation began to weigh heavily on Singer's mind as he thought of how he'd tell Violet.
A good percentage of him was hoping that she'd return his feelings and the two of them could be together, but that same percentage was also nervous and scared of rejection. But then he remembered who he was thinking about. Violet was the nicest, kindest pony he knew. There was nothing that the two hadn't endured. Even after being separated from each other for a good part of nearly four years, they were together again and arguably better than ever. Dusk's advice from the night before began to play in his head, as had already been doing all day prior to this.
.....
Violet had looked pleasantly surprised when Singer asked her to go on a picnic with him to Ponyville. She rarely left the town of Cloudsdale, so the idea of going to Ponyville sounded like a pretty good idea to her. After going to Singer's place, during which Singer gave her a tour of his home, the two loaded their picnic stuff up in a small wagon that Singer had found outside his rural home and proceeded to the green park.
Singer pulled out the table cloth and spread it out across the ground. He tried a bit too hard as the cloth was much larger than he was. He fell over when he tried to get the red checkered table cloth to spread all the way. Violet couldn't help but giggle a little as she extended her hoof to help her blushing friend back to his hooves.
"Thanks, Vi" he said awkwardly, as he began to patch the holes in his ego. At least his ability to make her laugh was still there.
"Not a problem." she said as she placed the picnic basket on the table cloth, and began to distribute the food among the two of the them.
The sandwiches that Singer made for Violet were just the way that she liked them. No crust, and filled with peanut butter and honey. A personal favorite of hers. She ate those fairly quickly, while also doing so in a lady-like manner as her grandma had showed her how to growing up.
Singer looked up at her while she was eating the sandwiches he made for her and smiled. She looked up and noticed this and she smiled back. How was this not right? Singer thought to himself? What was he so worried about? Dusk and Twilight had been right about it all. Singer began to realize that what he wanted to say really needed to be said and as soon as possible.
He took a couple of deep breaths and began to speak. However, the wind began to pick up. Neither of them had been paying attention to the large black wall cloud overhead. They'd subconsciously noticed ponies packing up and leaving but had not thought anything of it. How could he had been so careless.
"Singer!" screamed Violet as a lightning bolt struck from a hundred yards away. This scared her, as Violet did not like storms at all. She began to tremble as she began to put the food back into the basket.
"Ditch the stuff, it's coming in too fast, we need to find shelter!" said Singer as he motioned with his hoof for her to follow. The wind was picking up and the rain began to fall. Their lives mattered more than a bunch of food and stuff that could be replaced. She complied and quickly trotted away with him.
"Better just run, it's too dangerous to fly" she said as she ran past him. He followed suit as they headed for a nearby shed. It was a
As they frantically entered out of the rain and wind from outside, Singer let her go in first, shutting the door behind him when he got in as well. Violet began to shake violently as she had a fear of thunderstorms, that and a combination of the chill that it brought with it.
Singer, using his quick thinking, grabbed a blanket that was sitting on one of the shelves in the shed. He got rid of any of the dust that was on it and placed it around Violet.
"Is that better?" he asked.
She nodded nervously.
"I'm so sorry, Violet. I had no idea that it was supposed to storm today."
"Neither did I" she said. "It's alright Singer. It wasn't your fault."
"I'm just glad that you're not hurt. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you."
Violet still shivered a little as she had a timid lowering of her voice as she spoke up. "S-Singer?"
"Yeah?" he responded.
"Could you... uh... maybe come under the blanket too?" she asked awkwardly. "I mean... I'd feel a little better if you were beside me."
Giving it little to no thought, Singer nodded and joined her under the blanket, as they waited out the storm.
Violet, moved closer to him and snuggled up with him.
Singer put his foreleg around her and cuddled back.
"I have a confession to make, Violet." he said in all seriousness, hoping that she'd hear what he was going to say to her.
"Hmmm?" she said, sounding half asleep. She appeared that way too, as her eyes were closed.
"I... am in love with you." he said as he screwed his eyes shut, waiting for a response. At this point, he still wasn't sure what to expect, but despite his optimism, he was still nervous as he awaited her response.
This quickly made Violet more alert, and an expression of shock came to her features. "W-What did you say?" she asked in disbelief.
Singer opened his eyes and made eye contact with her. "I said that I am in love with you." Singer said again, but instead of more timidly, he said it more boldly.
"Y-You are?!?" she gasped.
"Yes. This? This right here? It feels right. You being by my side... it always has. I've always known it, deep down, but now it's more clear to me than anything else."
Violet was taken aback. She didn't know what to say. All this time, she wasn't sure if he returned her feelings. But her heart fluttered inside when she heard him utter those words.
"I understand if you don't feel the same way-" he said getting cut off by her.
"I'm in love with you too, Singer!" she blurted with a smile on her face. She then blushed again, just realizing that she yelled that out loud. "Oh... I'm sorry..."
"Don't be." he said as he stood up and helped her to her hooves. He then gave her a heart warming hug. The two had shared many hugs before, but this... this one meant something more than any of the other ones did. "So, I guess what I mean to say is... Violet, would you do me the honor of becoming my marefriend?"
Violet hugged him tightly and she squealed with excitement. Singer suddenly found it hard to breathe, but he was strangely okay with that.
"I'll take that as a yes, then?" he wheezed.
She let him go and faced him yet again with a smile. "Yes!" she said.
"But on one condition..." Singer said.
"I'm listening..." Violet said in a serious tone.
"I want us to be completely real with each other. No running away for four years, or keeping our feelings to ourselves anymore. And furthermore, you're still my best friend. You'll always be. I don't think we'll have much of a problem with this, but I'd like to continue our traditions, changing very little about what we do, other than the obvious hoof holding and um..."
"I agree..." she smiled and then a smirk came to her lips. "And were you about to ask if you could kiss me?"
His face lightly turned red. "Well, I... was kinda working my way up to that, but..."
"You may, you goofball!" she said as she inched closer to him. "You most certainly may..."
He inched closer as well until they came face to face with each other. Singer's lips touched Violet's and for the first time, they shared their first kiss. While the latter was terrified of storms, the continuing thunder didn't dampen the moment. In fact, when she felt the warmth of Singer's body with her own, this storm was as nothing more than a little bug that goes unnoticed on the wall of a sleeping child. As they stopped kissing, they took a second to catch their breaths, and Singer looked into her eyes once more.
"When I'm with you Violet, I always feel like I'm home. Where I belong. My home is with you." he said, still catching his breath.
Her eyes began to water. "Aaaaaw, Singer..." she began to cry a little. "That's the sweetest thing that anypony has ever said to me!"
Singer chuckled a bit, before Violet pulled him back in for kiss number two. And as they continued to wait out the storm, the two lovers began to talk some more like they normally would when they were friends. As the storm began to wind down, their laughter and conversation could be heard vaguely from the outside of the shed, but they didn't care. This was the start of something new with them, and it was going to be great! Singer couldn't wait to see what this new adventure had in store for the both of them.