//------------------------------// // A Friendship Rekindled // Story: Growth of the CMC: For Better or Worse // by PrinceUniversa //------------------------------// A Friendship Rekindled Two weeks have passed since all of the guardians managed to have a conversation between the fillies about their feelings for one another. Hearts and Hooves Day was one day and then they would bring each other as per Cheerilee’s advice. There was still the debate as to what the fuchsia mare had in mind for the three fillies but they all knew to trust the mare hopefully. Each of them was ready to head to the gazebo where they were supposed to meet after their conversations. Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Twilight had asked to join in this picnic with the six of them hoping to see what Cheerilee had in mind in store for all of them. The other bearers did not oblige as they went to the same gazebo where a certain incident involving Cheerilee and Big Mac was held here before much to the Crusaders’ embarrassing moments. Time felt like it slowed down as they neared the gazebo. The three fillies were getting nervous with each step to the gazebo. They were wondering on what was going on there with their teacher. As they passed over the last hill, the gazebo was within their line of sight. To their surprise, there was not a single detail that stood out. It was just a normal looking gazebo to their eyes. Their nervousness slowly began to fade away seeing that whatever Cheerilee had in mind was not so crazy. Under the gazebo, they saw the fuchsia mare waving to the nine. A blanket was already set up and the picnic, made by Applejack and Big Mac, was ready to go. A smiling Cheerilee was who they met as they reached the gazebo, “Hello everypony! I’m so glad that you all could come on this day! Is the food ready to go Applejack?” Applejack grabbed the picnic basket on her back with her mouth and set it down, “Eeyup, the foods ready as Ah’ll ever be!” She opened the picnic basket and the aroma of the food within enveloped everyponies’s nose. Pinkie couldn’t help but let her mouth salivate a bit from the delicious smell, “Oh! That smells so delicious Applejack!” Cheerilee looked inside the food basket to see all sorts of the usual Apple confectionary such as apple pie, apple tarts, apple fritters, basically everything involving apples, “My my Applejack, that’s a lot of apple treats… not that I’m complaining mind you…” Something within the fuchsia mare’s thoughts nagged at her and she couldn’t help but bring it up for odd reasons, “I was actually hoping to invite Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to the picnic but I could never get them…” A frown slowly formed upon the elder siblings. They knew who she was talking about and when they heard it from the teacher herself, it did not please them one bit, “Was it ‘cause o’ you know who?” Cheerilee nodded sadly, “The very same one… unlike the father, Filthy Rich, who is rather happy to see Diamond go to the picnic, she’s still reluctant especially after that little stunt she performed…” All three of the guardians let out a sigh, “Yeah, well who gives a care about her? I’m not allowing her to talk down to Scoots like that! If I ever see that…” The cyan mare waved an angry hoof around, “Spoiled Rich or whatever her name is… If I see talking down the squirt again, I’d beat her down until she’s in the hospital! No one talks to Scoots like that!” Rainbow felt the orange pegasus hugging her. A smile caressed upon Scootaloo’s face, “Thanks Rainbow, you’re the best big sister I could have.” The cyan mare chuckled as her let a wing drape over the filly, “Hey, don’t start calling me your big sis yet Scoots! We’ve still got a long way to go before we officially become that you know? But… you’re welcome squirt.” Rarity let a long and dramatic really escape her seeing Rainbow acting all sisterly. The two pegasi stared at the fashionista for a long while before joining each other in laughter. Eventually, everypony joined in their shared laughter. Rarity was the first to lower down her laughter as she gave her part about the mother of Diamond, “Well, while I agree with Rainbow Dash on not talking down on my sister, I’d rather give her a verbal beatdown instead of an up-close and personal one. It’s much quicker and less of a hassle if I do say so…” Applejack was the next to lower down their laughter to normalcy alongside her younger sister, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, “Well, Ah reckon Ah agree with the both o’ ya with a little touch o’ mah own. Ah’d verbally beat her down and pummel her if she pushes one o’ mah angry buttons but only if she does push it an’ it takes a lot t’ make me mad…” Twilight lowered her laughter as did everypony else, “Well, I think that we held back on the picnic food for a bit too long. Let’s eat and play around shall we?” Everypony nodded and went into eating the food made by Applejack. Despite the three fillies’ concern about this event, they were able to forget their troubles and begun to eat away at the food. Throughout the whole picnic, the adults and three fillies were enjoying the event eating and playing around freely with Pinkie Pie tossing the Frisbee as a distraction as she said. Both Twilight and Fluttershy left to hopefully get Diamond and Silver here to celebrate the fun. When it was just the three guardians and Cheerilee under the gazebo, they decided it was best to ask starting with Rarity, “So, friend… what’s the plan you had in mind Cheerilee? We bought the Crusaders here and they’re having fun with Pinkie here, I’m trying to understand what you have planned here…” “Ah have t’ agree with Rares here… Ah’m trying t’ understand here as well an’ ya know that Ah have no lickity-split o’ an idea ‘bout romance…” Her words managed to elicit a chuckle from the three mares under the gazebo. The apple farmer couldn’t help but chuckle as well now that she understood what she just said to the fuchsia mare. After a good laughter from the four, Rainbow was about to ask about the teacher’s plan when she got interrupted by a familiar voice, “Sorry we’re late…” The cyan mare turned to see both Fluttershy and Twilight with both Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon following behind them. Seeing the bullies bought back an unpleasant memory with the bullies Rainbow had to deal with. Due to that memory, she had an unseen vitriol with the bullies that verbally spoke lowly of the crusaders but mostly Scoots. It got almost out of control especially after that little stint where they said she couldn’t fly. That made the cyan mare really angry over that but she had to keep control and not let the past control her. Hearing the former bullies’ reformation did ease her anger upon them but it was when after Diamond talked back to her mother, she let a genuine smile form for them. She looked at her friend from the past who was smiling, “No worries Fluttershy, at least you bought them here. Let me guess though, there was some set condition though huh?” Twilight nodded to Rainbow’s question but her look betrayed the answer, “Actually there was only one set condition from the father himself…” All four of the mares looked at her bewildered. The purple mare had expected their looks to be one of confusion and shared their bewilderment, “I know right? The big condition he gave us in question? As he put it, Keep it between you and me, I don’t want my wife to know about this…” Rainbow snickered at first hearing the condition. Before long, she was on the floor laughing while shaking her backlegs wildly as she was clutching her chest. The other three mares shared the cyan mare’s reaction. They let a small laugh escape unlike Rainbow who erupted into uncontrollable laughter from the irony. While Rainbow was still laughing, Applejack thought best to ask about the condition set by Filthy Rich, “So… Mister Rich decided t’ let his daughter out without his wife’s consent eh?” Diamond let a smile form hearing the question from the apple, “Yes he did, I guess he’s the only one so far to enjoy the new me I guess?” Rainbow’s laughter lowered itself down as she wiped a tear from straining herself from the laughter. She looked at the rich fillies that were looking a bit nervous around the three guardians. Considering what they did with the Crusaders, she could maybe understand. Yet even with that knowledge, she couldn’t help but smile and walk to them, “What are you talking about kid, I like the new you! It’s just that your father is at least smart about all of this comparing to your…” She raised her hoof to her mouth and cleared her throat, “Mother in mind…” Diamond looked away in shame from the mention of her mother, “Please don’t about my mother like that. I know that she’s not the best, but she’s still my mother…” Rainbow let out a sigh, “Of course, I won’t talk mean about her again for your sake but you know that I can’t take her seriously now especially after… er…” “After the way she disrespectfully talked down mah sis an’ her friends in front o’ the whole school like they were a plight upon the foundation…” Applejack stepped up from the picnic blanket and was next to Rainbow, “Ah’m sorry, but Ah can’t give her the same treatment like Ah’m givin’ ya right now…” Rarity stood as well bringing both trudging past both Rainbow Dash and Applejack. She was next to the two fillies as she put a hoof on Diamond’s shoulder, “I have to reluctantly agree with the both of them here. I’m willing to give you the benefit of the doubt darling, but I can’t say the same about your mother especially with what Applejack said.” “I know… it’s just, please be nice to her, at least for me?” Diamond was looking at them with the same eyes the Crusaders would utilize when wanting something. All three stared at her for awhile before looking away from the cute looks. Cheerilee could only chuckle seeing their reaction, “Guess you’ve been learning how to do those cute looks the Crusaders would do a lot huh Diamond?” The rich filly chuckled from the revelation, “I guess they’re kind of rubbing it off on me now…” Silver Spoon joined her side as they followed the two elder siblings to the picnic table where Pinkie and the three fillies were returning back. The crusaders noticed both Diamond and Silver and despite remembering that they told them about them being fit as a herd, they waved to them, “Hey Diamond, good t’ see ya here!” Diamond let a smile form seeing them being happy like they used to be, “Hey Apple Bloom, surprised to see you thee being happy despite what I remembered seeing you three the last time…” She looked away from them a bit, a sense of guilt forming within her heart. All three noticed the rich filly having that look of guilt they were all too familiar with. They stepped forth and put their hooves on her shoulder much to her surprise, “Hey, don’t start having that look right now Diamond! We managed to get along fine now so don’t start beating yourself!” “Wait, you already got over what I told you?” Diamond was surprised about this more so than them lending a hoof to help. In a split second, she saw the three blushing a bit as they warily looked at each other. That was enough of an answer to know that they haven’t settled their growing friendship yet. A quiet, small, and nervous chuckle escaped from all three of them, “Um… actually since today was Hearts and Hooves Day, we thought that… we’d like to settle this um… love thing now just between us…” Many were drinking some apple cider when the revelation came out. By the time the words made themselves clear, three of the seven mares widened their eyes and spat out their cider from the shock of the sentence. The three specifically were the crusaders’ guardians, “C-come again sugarcube? Ah thought that Ah heard ya saying that ya wanted t’ talk out them feelings…” All three were still blushing slightly from this coming out suddenly. Yet despite their feelings, they were confident about this and wanted to return their friendship back to its former strength, “Yeah sis, Ah’m serious about this, we want t’ settle our feelings now… Ah don’t want us t’ keep this up when we just had fun fer the first time since…” To their surprise, all seven mares and the two fillies were smiling. Cheerilee stood up first watching the three of them with a noticeable sense of glee, “Well, if you wish to talk about this now…” She winked at the three of them causing them to look away in embarrassment. Unbeknownst to them, that was a signal everypony expected and they all stood up as well, “We’ll give you three some alone time to talk this out.” All of them left the crusaders alone and followed Cheerilee someplace where they can watch them without ruining their conversation. The fuchsia mare felt a poke from her back. She turned to see Rarity smiling at her, “I think I’m beginning to see what your plan was dear friend, you wanted them to get along well enough for them to be confident to talk it out… Am I getting wrong or am I just about on it?” A smile formed on the teacher, “You are just about right Rarity…” They managed to reach the location where they can see the gazebo well enough. Everypony saw the three fillies looking at each other in silence. The distance was near enough for them to hear and see the conversation and with Twilight’s assistance, they can hear it better. Everypony was holding their breaths for the momentous event for the Crusaders’ entire life. Back at the gazebo, the three stood still looking at each other waiting for the other to speak first. A silence fell upon them as they glanced at each other continuously. One of the Crusaders decided to speak to break the silence, “So… we’re all here… Ah… um… Ah shoot… Ah can’t take this anymore!” Both looked at the younger apple surprised by the sudden outburst. She let out a few deep breaths trying to calm her nerves, “Ah can’t take this anymore gals… Ah don’t want our friendship t’ split apart just cause o’ some romantic feelings fer one another…” Her two friends looked at each other first sharing Apple Bloom’s sentiments about the feelings of romance. They turned to their friend with a smile as they walked up to her and put their hoof on her shoulder. A sigh of defeat escaped Scootaloo, “We all don’t want to let this friendship of ours break Apple Bloom, all three of us can agree to that…” Sweetie joined after the orange pegasus, “But let’s face it, when Diamond Tiara bought us being possibly being a herd… I can’t help but think that… maybe she’s right about us.” Although their faces still holds some shades of red was still pronounce, their blushes were beginning to fade away as they were beginning to accept this fact. Apple Bloom was still in denial but it was slowly beginning to dawn upon her, “But… Ah don’t want t’ think this now… it’s so early…” Sweetie let a chuckle escape, “Where do you think the term baby steps comes from Apple Bloom? Maybe we won’t do this now but… we can take it slowly right?” Scootaloo nodded as she put her hoof off her friends shoulder, “And we can’t keep ignoring this forever Apple Bloom. If I… er… I mean, we, learned anything from Princess Luna; it’s that we have to face these fears head-on sooner or later.” The younger apple member let out a choked sob from her friends’ support. She wiped a tear that begun to develop in her right eye as she looked at them with a mile, “So… we take it slowly then Crusaders?” “Yeah, take it nice and slowly Apple Bloom…” A small chortle escaped from Sweetie, “You know, it’s kind of funny, this ended rather quickly for the three of us right?” “Yeah, probably a little too quickly if I say so myself…” All three joined each other in their laughter and embraced each other. They were happy to be back together as fire-forged friends. Soon for them though, they’ll take on a different title if they so no problem to the road ahead, marefriends. Unbeknownst to them, from faraway, cheers were being sounded as the seven mares and the fillies hugged each other. The guardians of the three fillies were letting a few happy tears go seeing their own grow up so fast. From here on out for all of them, they knew that this was just the beginning of their journey into adulthood.