Cherry could tell she was being watched by the way her fur was standing at the back of her neck. It was because of this she could not focus on Mrs. Cheerilee's lecture. She turned her head and sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed. Pin Cushion was staring at her with a goofy smile on his face.
"What?" she whispered harshly.
"Nothing," Pin Cushion replied. "I just think you're pretty."
She rolled her eyes. "I told you! I'm not interested, okay?"
He pouted. "Why not, Cherry? Is it because I tease you guys? I only do it for Kicks' approval, and it's never directed at you."
"I just don't like you, okay? Is that so hard to believe?"
"But why? I'm a guy, right?"
She grunted. "Why is every filly expected to like some pony just because he's a…"
"Cherry, Pin Cushion!"
Mrs. Cheerilee's voice made the two sit up straight. The teacher was tapping her hoof and glaring at them.
"Is there something you'd like to share with the class?"
"Uh…" Pin Cushion stammered.
"Yes, actually," Cherry said, which surprised every pony. She turned back to the colt and said, "It's never gonna happen, dude!"
Several of the foals snickered while Pin Cushion sank into his chair.
"Alright, alright, every pony, quiet down," Mrs. Cheerilee commanded softly. "Now, before our little," she coughed, "disruption, I was about to announce our next history project."
The entire class groaned in displeasure.
"Don't worry. This will be a fun project. I'm going to put you in pairs and you and your partner will select a historical figure on whom you will do an oral report. You may use any visual representation to back up your report: a poster, a skit, anything you can think of!"
Gemstone raised her hoof. "Can we choose our partners?"
"No," the teacher said, taking a straw hat out of her desk. "You will be choosing your partner randomly."
The class groaned again. Prism glanced apologetically at Gemstone, as they usually worked together on projects.
"Now," Cheerilee continued, "so there will be no mix-ups, I've put the names of those of you in the back two rows in here, which those of you in the front will select."
"Guess that means neither of us will be together," Blueberry whispered to her sisters.
"Yeah," Raspberry sighed, glancing at Lemon Drop.
"It also means I won't be with Pin Cushion," Cherry smiled in satisfaction.
"Lemon Drop, why don't you go first?" Cheerilee asked, holding out the straw hat to the yellow colt.
Lemon Drop used his magic to lift one of the folded papers out of the hat and opened it up.
"Prism," he read aloud.
"Phew," Prism heaved from the back row. "Glad I didn't get some pony lame."
"Don't get too excited about it!" Raspberry exclaimed, sending a warning glare at the pegasus as she reached her hoof into the hat. She opened up her paper and said, "Kicks?"
"Oh boy," the green pegasus said, burying his hooves in his face.
"There's no way mine could be worse," Blueberry whispered as she read her paper. "Crest?"
She glanced back at the white unicorn with the blue mane. He smiled at her, showing off his sparkling teeth. Blueberry cringed slightly.
Cherry gulped as she drew her paper out of the hat, hoping it wasn't as bad as what her sisters got. When she read the name, her mouth sprung into a smile.
"Hey, I got Gemstone!"
"Oh," Gemstone said, unsure of how to react.
"Hey, at least it's some pony you know," Prism whispered.
"But Cherry can be sort of…excited."
"Yeah, but she's not so bad to work with. She can help you with any reading or writing, anyway. I'm sure you'll do fine."
When class let out that afternoon, many of the pairs caught up with each other to start work.
"Any ideas?" Prism asked Lemon Drop.
"Well, I don't know," he replied. "I don't really have a favorite historical figure, but I do have a lot of stamps on them. You?"
"Well, I don't know if you know who Commander Easy Glider is…"
"The premier Wonderbolts choreographer?"
Her eyes widened. "Yeah. How'd you know?"
"I have her stamp! Limited edition too!"
"Really? I've got her trading card! With a hologram!"
"Cool! Can I see it?"
"Only if you show me your stamp!"
"Deal!"
Some were less pleased about the project than others.
"So I was thinking we could do our report on Green Violet Black," Crest told Blueberry.
The filly scrunched her nose. "Green Violet Black?"
"The father of operative dentistry."
"Fun," Blueberry groaned.
"Come on!" Kicks whined. "Sugar Ray Lemon was one of the best boxers in history!"
"But boxing is so violent!" Raspberry complained. "We gotta do Shakespony! He was the best playwright ever!"
"Blech! And the sappiest! My mom dragged me to one of those plays, and I couldn't understand a word of it!
"It's more entertaining than watching a bunch of guys punching each other!"
Meanwhile, Gemstone was walking alongside Cherry towards town.
"So, um," the unicorn stammered, "my house or yours?"
"It'll probably be crowded there if my sisters bring their partners home," Cherry replied, "so I guess your house."
"Oh. Okay."
"This is gonna be so much fun! We never really hang out, you know?"
"Hmm. That's right. I'm usually with Prism and you're with your sisters."
"Not to mention we hung out with Prism a lot before you moved here. This'll give us a chance to really bond as friends! Ooh, this is gonna be great!"
Gemstone yelped as Cherry threw her hooves around her neck. "Um…sure! Great!"
When they entered Carousel Boutique, Rarity was working on a new dress, Jewel sitting in a playpen nearby.
"Hello, Mummy!" Gemstone called as she and Cherry passed by. "Cherry and I are going upstairs to work on our history project!"
"That's nice, dear," Rarity said nonchalantly.
After a few seconds, she dropped her needle and looked at the pair. "Cherry? I thought Prism usually worked with you on projects."
"We picked names out of a hat this time," Gemstone explained.
"Oh. Well, have fun. Let me know if you need any help."
The fillies entered Gemstone's room and set down their saddlebags.
"Well," Gemstone said, "did you have any pony in mind for our project?"
Cherry shook her head. "Nope! You can pick the pony if you want to!"
"Oh. Well, the subject I have in mind isn't a pony, but…"
She ignited her horn and picked something off her bookshelf.
"I thought we could do our report on Tchaicowsky."
"Chai-who-ski?" Cherry asked.
"Tchaicowsky, one of the greatest composers of classical music ever!"
Cherry looked at the object that now lay in Gemstone's hooves. It was a record album with the drawing of a well-dressed cow on the cover.
"He's a cow?"
"Technically, he's a bull," Gemstone said as she laid the record on her gramophone. "He's from Moscow."
"Well," Cherry said with a shrug, "I'm not too big on classical music…"
"Oh, I think you'll like Tchaicowsky. He wrote ballets like Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker…"
"Ooh, I love those stories!"
"And my personal favorite, Swan Lake."
She placed the needle on the record and a slow, haunting melody filled the room.
"Swan Lake?" Cherry said, rattling her brain. "Oh, yeah! I know that ballet!"
"You do?" Gemstone asked in surprise.
"Yeah! In fact, we danced to this in ballet class. It's the main theme, isn't it?"
"Err…yes, it is. Wait. You take ballet?"
"Sure, me and my sisters. Well, when we were five, anyway. Mom wanted to make sure we all knew how to dance in some way."
The unicorn blinked. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"
"You didn't ask."
"But wait. If you took ballet, how is it you know what Swan Lake is, but not Tchaicowsky?"
The earth pony shrugged. "Hey, I was five. I didn't always pay attention." Her ears perked up as the song reached its climax. "Oh! I remember this part!"
Gemstone watched in amazement as Cherry rose onto her hind legs and lifted her front hooves above her head, rising onto the tips of her back hooves in the process. She slowly went down, sticking her back left leg behind her and balancing on her right, her forelegs now spread out in front and behind. She did simple moves like walk on her toe tips and pirouette, but it made the unicorn gawk all the same.
"Wow," she uttered. "Could you teach me some of that?"
Cherry shrugged. "Well, I'm no expert myself, but okay."
She took Gemstone's front hooves and walked her onto the open floor. The unicorn yelped as she nearly tripped, as she wasn't accustomed to walking on her hind legs.
"Can't we do it on all fours?"
"Sorry," Cherry giggled. "This is how ballerinas dance. Don't worry. I'll hold you up until you get the hang of it. First, I'll show you the positions. First position is when you have your heels together."
She demonstrated and looked at Gemstone expectantly.
"Oh," she said, bringing her heels together.
"Now we'll do what is called a plié, which is pretty much just bending the knees."
"Does that mean I have to let go?!"
"No. We'll do it together. On three, we'll both go down. One, two, three!"
They both bended their knees and slowly lowered themselves. Gemstone shut her eyes tight.
"It's over, Gem," Cherry laughed. "You did it."
"I did?" the unicorn asked, opening one eye and seeing that they were up again. "Oh. Yay!"
"Now we'll do a relevé, which is when you go on your tippy toes."
"But…we don't have toes."
"I know, but it's cuter to say it like that! We'll have to raise our forelegs as we do it, so keep your hooves on mine. Ready?"
Gemstone gulped again. "I think so."
"Okay. One, two, three!"
The unicorn shut her eyes again as they slowly raised their front hooves, lifting their back heels in the process. Cherry couldn't help but chuckle at how nervous Gemstone was, and how she was clinging desperately to her hooves, as if she would ever let her go.
"We're on the ground, Gem. You can look again."
Gemstone opened her eyes and glanced down at their hooves. "Hey! That wasn't so hard!"
"Good. Now we'll do the same thing in second position."
"Second position?! You mean there's more?!"
"Of course! You didn't think ballerinas kept their heels together all the time, did you?"
"I don't know, Cherry. I've never been good with physical exercise."
"Relax, I'm here to help. Now, second position is when you spread your back legs apart…"
When Rarity came up to check on the fillies a few hours later, she was met with a surprise. The two were dancing on their hind legs, twirling and waving their forelegs about, and giggling like…well, like fillies.
"So, is this a portabray, too?" Gemstone asked as she flapped her forelegs like a chicken, which made Cherry throw her head back in laughter.
"It's called a port de bras! And no, Gem! That's a chicken dance!"
"Well, you said it was any movement made with the forelegs! It can be a chicken ballet!"
Cherry was now laughing so hard that she fell onto her back. "Stop it, Gem! You're killing me!"
"Now what is going on here?" Rarity asked, slightly amused at the spectacle.
Gemstone turned to her mother and dropped onto her hooves in embarrassment. "Oh, Mother! Cherry was, um, showing me some ballet moves."
"I can see that."
"No, really!"
"A chicken ballet, eh?"
The unicorn filly blushed. "I was just, um…you know."
"Oh, that's perfectly alright, darling. I'd hate to spoil your fun, but dinner's ready and Cherry should be getting home."
"It's dinnertime, already?!" Cherry gasped, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Huh. We were having so much fun, my stomach didn't even notice!"
"Oh, we haven't even done much on our report!" Gemstone exclaimed.
"Well," Cherry said as she got up, "we have our topic, anyway. Tchaicowsky's pretty cool."
The unicorn gasped. "And we could make our own dance for our presentation!"
"Oh, how darling!" Rarity said. "Though didn't you say this was also a history report?"
"That's right," Cherry agreed. "We should meet at the library after school tomorrow and read up more on this Tchaicowsky."
"Oh," Gemstone uttered, circling her hoof in the floor. "Prism usually helps me with the reading part of assignments."
"Aw, I can help you with that!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, I can read too, you know!" Cherry giggled as she strapped on her saddlebag. "Well, see ya tomorrow!"
The fillies waved at each other as Cherry bounced out the door, down the stairs and out of the boutique.
"Boy, was that fun!" she chimed on her way home. "Gem's a lot more fun than I thought! I mean she was always fun, but I didn't know she could be so goofy! Hmm. She's not that bad at dancing either. Ooh, I can't wait until tomorrow!"
The next afternoon, the Golden Oak Library was filled with foals studying for their history project. In one corner, Blueberry was flipping through the pages of a book on dental history, while Crest was going on and on about dental hygiene:
"Did you know that acidic liquids such as lemonade and soft drinks don't actually cause cavities but do cause severe tooth decay?"
"No, I didn't," Blueberry said mechanically.
"Did you know that old ponies also get more cavities than foals, despite popular belief?"
"You don't say."
"And did you know if a cavity is not treated, it can create a hole in the tooth that will keep growing until it creates an infection in the pulp chamber?"
The filly groaned and slammed her head on the open book. "Why, Celestia? Why?"
On the other side of the room, Kicks and Raspberry were each waving a book at each other.
"We're doing Sugar Ray!" the colt insisted.
"We're doing Shakespony!" the filly argued.
"Sugar Ray!"
"Shakespony!"
"Sugar Ray!"
"Shakespony!"
They paused when they noticed Prism and Lemon Drop racing inside the library excitedly.
"Aunt Twilight, Aunt Twilight!" Prism shouted.
The alicorn flew down from the shelves and smiled. "Ah, more eager learners, I see. I can't remember the last time I had so many customers at once."
"We need a book on Commander Easy Glider. It's for our history report."
"Ah, excellent choice." She ignited her horn and pulled a big book off the shelf. "The Most Complete Book on the History of the Wonderbolts will tell you all you need to know."
Both foals gawked at the size of the book.
"We have to read the whole thing?!" Prism exclaimed.
"Like mother, like daughter," Twilight chuckled. "Actually, there's only one chapter specifically on Commander Easy Glider, with diagrams of her choreography."
The pegasus filly sighed. "If only we could fly. Then we could perform some of Easy Glider's moves for our presentation."
"Maybe we don't have to," Lemon Drop suggested. "We could just draw copies of some of the diagrams and put them on a poster."
Prism gasped. "Hey! I've got an idea! With your Wonderbolt stamps, my Wonderbolt posters and trading cards…"
"And all those drawings you make…"
"We could make a collage!"
"Cool! Oh, but we can't damage my stamps with glue or thumbtacks or anything like that. They're collectibles."
"That's okay. I have double-sided tape I use to hang up my posters and drawings. You can tape your stamps to the poster and then remove them without any damage at all!"
"Perfect!"
"This report will be a snap!"
The two bumped their hooves together and cried, "Teamwork!"
They laughed as they exited the library, Lemon Drop levitating the book.
"Gee," Kicks uttered, his eyes not leaving the door. "They look like they're having…fun."
"Yeah," Raspberry said, staring in the same direction as him. "They seem to be getting along…well."
In another corner, Cherry and Gemstone were reading about Tchaicowsky, or rather Cherry was dictating the parts Gemstone had trouble reading.
"Whoa!" Cherry gasped suddenly, picking up the book and reading the last line again.
"What is it?" the unicorn asked.
"Apparently, in Tchaicowsky's time, his ballets were considered flops!"
"Flops?! Those brilliant works of art?! I refuse to believe it!"
"History books don't lie. At least the ones Auntie Twilight keeps."
"But…he was a genius! He was practically writing concertos at our age!"
"Kind of like us, huh?"
Gemstone scrunched her nose. "Huh?"
"I mean we weren't writing con-cheer-toes or anything, but even though we don't know what our talents are, we still gotta have them, right? But no pony, not even us, can see them."
"That's…pretty poetic, Cherry."
Cherry shrugged. "Probably Raspberry's influence."
"I still can't believe that genius had enormous talent but wasn't appreciated for it. Oh well. I guess he was ahead of his time."
"Kind of like us."
"Now what do you mean by that?"
"I don't know. Thought it sounded cool."
Gemstone laughed and shook her head.
A few days later, Rarity was fitting Cherry for her ballerina outfit for the presentation while Gemstone was on the floor, making something with tiny gems.
"So let me get this straight," Cherry said after Rarity had explained to her the story of Swan Lake. "This guy Von Rothbart turns Odette into a swan for…what reason?"
"It depends on the production," Rarity replied. "It was never clear in the first version of the ballet. In some performances, it's because she refuses to marry him."
"Didn't Uncle Discord do something like that?" Gemstone asked.
"Oh, well, um…sort of. That was different, you see. Discord didn't put a spell on Fluttershy…well, except that one time he…well, they love each other! And he's good now! Most of the time."
"And then Von Rothbart tricks the prince," Cherry continued, "into pledging his love to his daughter, whom he made to look like Odette, and Odette's so sad that she drowns herself and the prince dives into the lake with her? That's a terrible ending!"
"Yes, it is. That is why there have been several different versions where Odette and her prince live happily ever after."
"I like that ending better," Cherry said. "I mean why teach kids to die for someone you danced with only one night ago? Why die for them anyway? I mean even if you love them, come on! There are other fish in the sea, or…swans in the lake, right?"
"It's supposed to be romantic, though I agree I like it better when they live happily ever after."
The earth filly tilted her head to get a peek at Gemstone's arts and crafts project. "What are you working on, anyway?"
"You'll see. It's a surprise."
Meanwhile, at the Party Palace, Raspberry and Kicks were still arguing about their project.
"Sugar Ray!"
"Shakespony!"
"Sugar Ray!"
"Shakespony!"
"This is getting ridiculous!" Kicks finally said. "We have one more week for this project! We've gotta pick something!"
"You're right," Raspberry sighed. "And that's gonna be Shakespony!"
"Sugar Ray!"
"Shakespony!"
They paused when the front door opened and in walked Prism and Lemon Drop. Raspberry and Kicks smiled and waved.
"Hey, Prism," Kicks said.
"Hey, Lemon…" Raspberry started to say.
"Aunt Pinkie, you here?" Prism called.
Kicks' and Raspberry's faces fell as their respective sweethearts passed by them without a sideways glance. Pinkie Pie zoomed up to the pair in response to their call.
"Hey, guys!" she piped. "What can I do for ya?"
"We need some glitter," Lemon Drop explained.
"It's for our collage," Prism added.
"Can do!" Pinkie exclaimed. "What kind?"
"What do you think?" the pegasus filly asked, turning to her partner.
"Well, it is a report on a Wonderbolt," the unicorn colt said, scratching his head, "so…blue and gold?"
"Sounds good to me!"
Pinkie zipped away and came back with a giant container of blue and gold glitter. "Use with caution!"
Prism gasped as Pinkie dropped it onto her back. Lemon Drop used his magic to lift it.
"Thanks," Prism smiled.
Raspberry frowned but then batted her eyelashes. "Oh, Lemony, how'd you like to…?"
"Come on," Lemon Drop said as he and his partner raced out the door. "Let's get back to my house and put the finishing touches on the collage!"
"We still gotta figure out what we're gonna say!" Prism reminded him.
"How about we gather up our notes tonight and start work on the speech tomorrow?"
"Sounds like a plan!"
Kicks' and Raspberry's jaws dropped as they watched the pair leave.
"I don't believe it," Kicks uttered.
"He didn't even say hello to me!" Raspberry exclaimed.
The pegasus slumped against the wall and to the floor. "I mean she could have at least acknowledged me!"
The filly joined him. "I'm his girlfriend for crying out loud!"
"There's no way she's…"
"There's no way he's…"
"No, she can't be!"
"She's not even his type!"
"Sure, we made no commitment to each other, but I thought we had something special!"
Raspberry raised her eyebrow at him. "What are you talking about?"
Kicks put his hoof in his mouth and glanced at Raspberry.
"Nuh-fuh," he said through his hoof.
She put her hoof on her hip and narrowed her eyes. "Okay, I know why I'm bugged about Prism and Lemon Drop spending so much time together, but why are you?"
He backed away as she leaned forward and scrutinized him. Then she gasped, looked out the front door and then at him.
"No…way."
Kicks shook his head insistently.
"No, way!" Raspberry exclaimed, her lips curling into a smile. "You have a crush on Prism!"
"Nuh-ah…" Kicks took out his hoof. "No, I don't!"
"You do! Oh, boy! I can't believe I didn't see it before! Is that why you always pick on her? 'Cuz you like her?"
"No, no, no! I don't like her! I don't…fantasize her holding my hoof or keep a shrine to her in my room—oomph!" He covered his mouth again. "Why did I tell you that?!"
Raspberry laughed as she stared chanting, "You're in love with Prism, you're in love with Prism, you're in love with Prism!"
"Okay, okay! So I like her! So what?! You tell any pony and I pound you!"
"Chill, dude. Your secret's safe with me. So…how did this happen, anyway?"
He looked away. "You wouldn't understand."
"Kicks, Kicks, Kicks," she said, putting a hoof on his shoulder and leading him into the living room. "If there's any pony you can trust with a romantic dilemma, it's yours truly."
She sat him on the couch, hopped into an easy chair, took out her notepad and pencil and flipped on a pair of glasses.
"Tell Dr. Razz all about it."
Before Kicks knew it, he was pouring out everything involving his admiration for Prism, excluding the kiss they had shared last Hearts and Hooves Day, as they had promised not to let that leak out. Raspberry only nodded as she jotted down notes.
"It's weird, but every time she socks me or puts me down, I like her even more! Am I crazy or something?"
"Crazy in love, is more like it," Raspberry commented.
"Wow," he breathed. "It feels good to get all that out."
"So that's why you're upset about her spending time with Lemon Drop. You're jealous." She sighed as she took off her glasses. "I guess I am too."
"Hey," Kicks said, sitting up. "Maybe we're overreacting. I mean…that guy's crazy about you."
She smiled up at him. "Really?"
"Well, he must be if he lets you drag him around everywhere you go."
She frowned. "Thanks." She tapped her chin with her pencil. "You know? This kind of thing happens in Shakespony all the time."
Kicks groaned. "Again with the lovey-dovey stuff?"
"I mean love triangles, misunderstandings… It's a good thing we aren't suicidal."
He blinked. "Suicidal?"
"Oh, yeah. Romeo and Juliet kill themselves in the end."
"They do?" He smirked. "Cool."
Raspberry's face lit up as an idea occurred to her. "Actually…a lot of violent stuff happens in Shakespony. There are lots of swordfights in Romeo and Juliet."
"Really?" Kicks said, leaning his chin on his hooves. "Tell me more."
"Then we pirouette," Cherry instructed as she and Gemstone ran through their routine, "and come together and bow."
"Hey, I did it!" the unicorn exclaimed. "I mean we did it!"
"See? Not bad for a couple of novices, eh?"
"Not sure what that means, but we're great! And your chora…chora…your dance moves are brilliant!"
"I think we're ready for tomorrow. Have you got your part of the speech memorized, or do we need to go over it again?"
"Oh, no. I think I've got it. Oh! I almost forgot!"
She went to her dresser and levitated two objects out of the top drawer. Cherry gasped when she saw that they were gold chains with swan pendants. One landed in her hoof. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the swan was encrusted with miniature diamonds outlining the body and wings.
"Oh, wow!" Cherry uttered. "Did you make these?"
"Mmm-hmm," Gemstone nodded as she used her magic to put their necklaces on. "Thanks to the jewelry-making kit I got for Hearth's Warming. I thought we could wear these with our leotards! No outfit is complete without a good accessory!"
The earth filly looked up at the unicorn and gave her a hug. "It's beautiful, Gem! I love it!"
"Oh," Gemstone said, wrapping her hooves around her friend. "You're welcome. Glad you like it."
There was a long silence.
"Um…Cherry?"
"Oops!" Cherry blushed, pulling away. "Sorry."
Friday was Presentation Day, and Mrs. Cheerilee was quite impressed with its turnout.
"What made Shakespony such a great writer," Kicks said to the class, "is that he experimented with so many different genres. Some plays were romantic…"
Raspberry stood up with a pink cone-shaped hat on her head and put her foreleg up to her forehead dramatically, saying, "Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?"
"…and some had action."
The filly knocked off her hat and pulled out a wooden sword. "Have at thee, Romeo!"
"And some had a little bit of both," Kicks smirked as he took out a wooden sword of his own. "En garde, Paris! Juliet is mine!"
"No way, she is mine!"
They started swinging their swords at each other, until Kicks "stabbed" Raspberry. She gasped as she dropped her sword to cling to the one under her foreleg.
"Oh, I am slain!" she wailed. "If thou be merciful, open the tomb! Lay me with Juliet!"
Then she collapsed to the floor. The class clapped their hooves and Raspberry stood up so she and Kicks could take a bow.
"Excellent work, you two!" Cheerilee said as the pair took their seats. "Great teamwork!"
"Since when are you into Shakespony?" Prism whispered to Kicks.
"Eh," he shrugged. "It's okay. You know, when ponies are killing each other."
She smirked. "Uh-huh."
"Our last presenters will be Gemstone and Cherry Pie," Cheerilee announced. "Girls, are you ready?"
Cherry and Gemstone were dressed in white leotards and tutus, their matching necklaces hanging around their necks. Cherry turned back to her friend, who was shaking in her hooves. She gave her a reassuring smile and rose from her desk. Gemstone did the same and joined her up front.
"Um," the unicorn gulped. "Our report is on Tchaicowsky, the famous bovine composer. He was born in Moscow in…"
When their dance was over, the class clapped even harder than they did for the previous team. Gemstone gasped as she fell onto her front hooves. Cherry patted her on the back.
"Hey, we did it," she whispered.
"Yeah," the unicorn breathed, giving her friend a smile. "Thanks for all your help."
The school bell rang and the foals gathered their belongings.
"Alright, excellent work today, class!" Cheerilee called over the hubbub. "I'm thrilled with how well you all collaborated with each other! Have a fun weekend!"
"Glad that's over," Blueberry mumbled to Raspberry. "If I had to hear one more tooth story from Crest… Ugh! Let's just say I know more about dental hygiene than I'll ever need to know."
"Yeah, Kicks and I didn't really get along at first either," Raspberry said.
"How'd you convince him to do a report on Shakespony, anyway?" Prism asked.
"Turns out, we share a common interest."
She spotted Kicks and winked at him. He winked back before heading home.
"I didn't think Lemon Drop and I would work so well together," Prism speculated. "He's even cooler than I thought."
"Yeah," Raspberry cringed. "About that…"
"Hey, Razz!" Lemon Drop called as he caught up to them. "Hey, sorry we haven't spent much time together the past couple weeks. I've been really busy with this history project."
"Oh, uh…have you? I didn't even notice."
"Yeah, well, how about we do something later? I have to go home now, but…"
"Sugar Cube Corner at four?"
"It's a date!"
Raspberry sighed dreamily as the colt darted off. "What do you know? I was worried over nothing."
"Huh?" Prism asked.
"Never mind."
Cherry and Gemstone were the last to exit the schoolhouse, as they were getting out of their leotards, but still kept their necklaces on.
"Did you see how awesome we were?" Cherry chimed. "We didn't even stumble once!"
"I'm still buzzing about this!" Gemstone squealed. "Though…I'm a little sad it's over."
"We did have a lot of fun together, didn't we?"
"Yeah," the unicorn sighed.
Cherry's face lit up. "Hey, you wanna…?"
"Gem, hey!" a colt's voice called.
The two fillies looked ahead as Dunkin ran up to them.
"Gem, that was some amazing dancing back there! You were great! Oh, you too, Cherry."
Gemstone blushed, which made Cherry frown.
"So, you ready to go?" Dunkin asked.
"Go?" Cherry repeated.
"Oh, yes," Gemstone said, taking the colt's hoof. "Dunkin and I have plans to go to the movies."
She didn't know why, but seeing Gemstone's hoof in Dunkin's made Cherry's chest feel like it was being stabbed with something sharp.
"H-huh?" she uttered. "But…I thought your dad said you were too young to have a…c-c-c…"
"He did," Gemstone replied, "but Dunkin's not my coltfriend. We're just going to the movies." She winked. "Know what I mean?"
Cherry glanced between them. "Um…"
"You're welcome to join us, if you'd like. We're seeing a cartoon about talking beavers. I know you like that sort of stuff."
"N-no. I'd just be a third wheel. You guys go…have fun."
"Oh. Well, okay. See you later, Cherry."
As she watched the young couple go, Cherry suddenly felt stick to her stomach.
"There you are!" Blueberry exclaimed, slapping her sister on the back. "Great job on the dance! Made me want to take ballet again!"
"And such a wonderful selection!" Raspberry piped. "Tchaicowsky writes the most beautiful music!"
"Hey, let's celebrate by getting something to eat!"
"Okay, but not too much! I still have that date with Lemony later."
"I'm not hungry," Cherry mumbled.
Her sisters turned to her in shock, crying, "Not hungry?!"
Blueberry put her hoof to Cherry's forehead. "You okay, sis?"
The red filly sighed. "No."
"What's wrong?" Raspberry asked in concern.
"I feel kinda sick, like…I swallowed something bad."
"Was it the eggs we had this morning?" Blueberry asked. "I had a feeling those were undercooked!"
"I don't know. I just feel…icky."
"Let's get you home," Raspberry said, laying a hoof on Cherry's shoulder. "Maybe Mom and Dad can figure out what's wrong with you."
A short time later, all the Pies were in Cherry's room, the red filly sitting on her bed with her parents on either side.
"Hmm," Pinkie said as she felt her daughter's forehead. "No fever."
Cheese took her hoof. "Her pulse is slower than usual."
"Maybe she's just worn out from all the dancing. She was bound to collapse at some point."
"But Cherry?!" Raspberry exclaimed.
"Maybe you just need to lie down, honey," Cheese said, laying Cherry onto her back. "A little nap will help you."
"I guess," Cherry muttered as her mother pulled the covers over her.
Her parents kissed her on the forehead.
"Sleep well, sweetie," Cheese whispered.
"Feel better," said Pinkie.
Cherry's parents and sisters quietly stepped out of the room, turned out the light and closed the door. Cherry held out the swan pendant around her neck and stared at it. She didn't know why, but the sight of it made her feel worse. She closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at it and tried to get some sleep.
The next thing Cherry knew, she was in a grand ballroom. She glanced around, wondering how she had gotten there, and then caught a glimpse of her attire. She was wearing her white leotard, only now it was sparkling, and there were feathers draped over her shoulders.
Suddenly, she heard music, very familiar music. She looked up and saw that she wasn't alone in the ballroom. Dancing a few feet away from her was Gemstone and…herself! At least, a filly that looked like her, only she was dressed in black. Lightning flashed from outside and for a split second, the other Cherry became Dunkin.
Cherry gasped and cried, "Gem, stop! That's not me!"
She tried to run towards her, but her hooves were paralyzed.
"What?"
An evil laugh filled the room, which did not seem to faze the two dancers.
"She can't hear you, Cherry," said a sinister voice sounding like Pin Cushion's.
The unicorn colt appeared at her side, smiling wickedly. He was in a dark leotard covered in brown feathers, which also made up his headdress.
"What have you done to her?!" Cherry demanded. "Gem, snap out of it! She's not me! Gem!"
"Give it up, Cherry," Pin Cushion said, putting his hoof around her. "Can't you see she's happy with her new partner?"
"Only because she thinks she's me! If she knew who it really was, she wouldn't…"
"Wanna bet?"
His horn glowed and the dark Cherry transformed into Dunkin. Gemstone gasped in alarm.
"You're not Cherry!"
"Ha!" Cherry said triumphantly.
Gemstone's lips then curled into a smile. "You're even better."
Cherry's face fell as the couple continued their dance. "What?"
"You see?" Pin Cushion smirked. "Fillies are meant to dance with colts. It's how it goes. You should've just agreed to be my partner. Then you could've spared yourself the heartbreak."
"No!" Cherry cried as she shook him off. "This…this isn't how it should end! Gem! It's supposed to end happily! Gem! Gem!"
But the unicorn filly didn't hear her. She just kept dancing with the earth colt, both of them smiling brightly. Cherry could feel herself sinking into the floor, the room disappearing around her.
"Gem, listen to me!" she shouted. "Stop dancing with him! Gem! Gem!"
Cherry gasped as she sat up in bed. She looked at her surroundings, finding that it was dark and her sisters were asleep in their beds. She sighed in relief that it had all been a dream.
And yet…it hadn't been.
Cherry crawled out of bed and headed towards her parents' room. They were snoozing soundly, embracing each other under the covers. Cherry leaped onto the foot of the bed, accidentally stepping on her mother's hoof.
"Gah!" Pinkie cried, sitting up. "Cheese!"
"Wha?" Cheese exclaimed, his eyes snapping open. "What happened?"
"It's finally happened! The potatoes are taking over!"
"Mom, Dad, it's me!" Cherry exclaimed.
Pinkie fell quiet and switched on the bedside lamp. "Cherry? What are you doing up?"
The filly hung her head. "I had a nightmare."
"Aw," Cheese said, sticking out his lip.
"You had a nightmare?" Pinkie questioned. "And Princess Luna didn't do anything about it?" She scowled. "I'm gonna give that alicorn a strong talking to next time I see her!"
"Worry about that later, Pinkie." He turned to his daughter. "Come here, sweetie. Tell us all about it."
Cherry sniffed as she crawled into her parents' hooves and began telling them all about her dream. When she was finished, Pinkie and Cheese looked at each other and nodded as they made a silent agreement.
"Cherry," Cheese began slowly, "when exactly did you start feeling sick in your stomach?"
"Well," Cherry said in thought, "I think it was right after Gemstone and Dunkin left for the movies."
He looked at Pinkie again, who appeared to be thinking the same thing.
"You and Gemstone have been spending an awful lot of time together lately, haven't you?" Pinkie asked.
"Uh-huh," Cherry said, lying back on the pillows. "The past two weeks have been fun. I taught her ballet, I helped her with reading, she made us necklaces…" She twirled the swan pendant in her hoof. "She made these for our project, just for the two of us. It…it made me feel…"
"Special?" Cheese finished for her.
She sighed. "Yeah."
Her parents glanced at each other again and decided to question her further.
"Honey," Pinkie said carefully, "do you think that maybe, you felt sick because…Gemstone was hanging out with Dunkin?"
"I guess," Cherry mumbled. "Yeah. I don't know why. I mean she's hung out with him before, but now…I don't know. Seeing them together just made me feel…icky."
Cheese sighed and held his hoof out to Pinkie. "I told you she liked fillies. You owe me five bits."
The filly sat up. "Huh?"
"Not yet, Cheesy!" Pinkie giggled. "I bet that she liked all genders! We have yet to establish that!"
"What are you guys talking about?"
Her parents let out a collective sigh.
"We'll give it to you straight, sweetie," said Cheese. "You were upset when Gemstone went off with Dunkin…"
"…because you have a crush on Gemstone," Pinkie finished.
"What?" Cherry said in surprise. "I do not have a…"
She paused and pondered on it for a moment. She had enjoyed their time together, and she had always considered Gemstone prettier than most fillies. She had always supported fillies liking other fillies, but she had never considered the possibility that she might be…
"Huh," she uttered. "I…I guess I…do have a crush on Gemstone."
The minute she said it, it felt like a great weight had been lifted off of her, so it must have been the truth.
Then she suddenly burst into tears and buried her face into her mother's shoulder.
"There, there," Pinkie said, patting her back. "It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"It's not that," the filly sobbed. "Gem…doesn't…"
"Shhh. I know. And I mean really know. I had crushes on all of my best friends, except AJ, which is probably a good thing, considering there's a seventy-percent possibility that we're related. Anyway, it was the same story with all of them: not interested in mares, didn't think of me that way. But you know what? That doesn't matter, because I've got your dad."
Cherry looked up with teary eyes. "Are you saying I have to marry a," she gulped, "colt?"
"No, no, sweetie. You can marry whoever you want! I'm just not really picky when it comes to gender."
The filly looked at her father. "And you, Daddy? Do you like colts too?"
"Why does every pony assume that about me?" Cheese Sandwich grumbled, crossing his hooves.
"Anyway," Pinkie said, "just because it won't work out with Gem, doesn't mean you'll never find some pony. You're still young, and there are plenty of swans in the lake. Besides, most foals don't even realize their romantic preferences until they're older. It might be a while before you find some filly who will like you back."
"It won't be Gem though," Cherry murmured.
"You never know. She could like colts and fillies. Though I wouldn't get your hopes too high. Don't go holding onto this one crush to the point where you won't be able to sleep or eat and then the pain becomes too unbearable that you'll no longer wish to live…"
"What your mother is trying to say is," Cheese quickly interrupted, "that for now, you should just enjoy having Gemstone as a friend. Think you can do that?"
Cherry sniffed, but then smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah. I can do that."
"Good. Now, do you want to stay here, or…?"
"I…don't really wanna be alone right now."
Her parents smiled. Pinkie turned off the light and the three of them snuggled under the covers together. Before Cherry fell asleep, she took one last look at the jeweled swan and grinned.
When Cherry entered the Cutie Mark Crusader clubhouse the next day, Gemstone raced up to her in concern.
"Cherry, are you alright? Your sisters told me you weren't feeling well! What happened?"
"I'm okay, Gem," Cherry said, giving a soft smile. "I was just…tired from the dancing yesterday."
The unicorn sighed in relief. "Oh, good. I was worried. Hey! You're still wearing your swan necklace! So am I!"
The two held up their pendants and giggled.
"Well, they are fabulous!" Cherry chimed.
"I know, aren't they?" Gemstone squealed.
"Hey, girly-girls!" Prism called from the podium. "We have a meeting, remember?"
"Oh, sorry! Come on, Cherry!"
Cherry watched the pretty unicorn and then glanced back down at the swan pendant. Like in Swan Lake, there were many ways her story could turn out. She didn't know what its ending would be, but she would make sure it was a happy one.