The weather management offices were abuzz by the time Amethyst trotted through the door. The front desk, much like her desk at town hall, was situated in the middle of the room. Mail boxes with missives and letters coming to and from Cloudsdale and other weather offices around Equestria were mounted on the wall behind the desk.
Sunlight poured in from the pony-sized windows above, where most of the weather ponies flitted in and out of the building on their way to manage the skies and everything in them. Usually, the building was empty save for the secretary and the few earth-bound ponies working for the weather team. Such ponies were responsible for monitoring weather from the Everfree and in other cities, plotting out the forecast, and placing orders to Cloudsdale for shipments of rainclouds and thunderheads. The pegasi, by and large, stopped by the office to clock in, receive their assignments, pick up their lunches, and then clock out.
It was just around noon when Amethyst poked her head through the door, arriving with the pegasi flying in to grab their lunches. Many of them she recognized, and many of them paused to smile and wave at her, but nowhere did she see any flashes of white or the bobbing of a green-and-red mane.
“Excuse me! Pardon me!” Amethyst said above the chatter, ducking as ponies flew by overhead. “Sorry, I’m just trying to—ow!” A sharp, stinging pain radiated out from her nose where a swinging pale blue hoof caught her by surprise.
“Oh, jeez!” The same offending hoof that knocked her shnoz landed a hoofstep away. “Are you okay? I didn’t get you too hard, did I? Please tell me I didn’t just break Mayor Mare’s assistant’s nose.”
Hissing in pain, Amethyst pulled her hooves away from her muzzle and blinked open her eyes. No blood. “Ow, ow, ow.” Once the pain receded, she glared at her attacker. “Watch where you’re swinging those hooves!”
Her attacker, whom she recognized as Cloud Kicker, winced. At least she lived up to half her name. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to! I was talking with Medley and White, and then you came out of nowhere and I—” She sighed and scratched the back of her head. “Was a total ditz and wasn’t looking where I was flying.”
“I’ll say!” Amethyst cupped her nose with one hoof and used the other to point at Cloud Kicker’s legs. “Aim those things at the clouds, not ponies, okay?”
The pegasus chuckled at that, though her wings gave a nervous twitch. “Yeah, will do.” She cleared her throat. “I’m taking it this means I didn’t break your nose and I’m not going to get in trouble?”
Amethyst glared at her. Cloud Kicker was, as far as Blossomforth told her, a good pony. A little reckless with her cloudbusting sometimes, but one of the first pegasi to welcome Blossomforth to the Ponyville weather team. That earned her a few points.
Then again, that was a pretty good kick. Her nose still hurt.
“Did I mention I was sorry? Super sorry?”
Blossomforth. Amethyst squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
The pain had distracted her. She had come here seeking out her friend, to apologize and to thank her for being an amazing friend when Amethyst wasn’t. Hooves to the face were simply a workplace hazard at Ponyville Weather Headquarters, anyways.
“Sorry with cloudberries and sprinkles on top?”
Amethyst blinked again. Right, Cloud Kicker. “Uh, what?”
“Cloudberries and sprinkles,” Cloud Kicker chirped. “It’s what I used to say to my folks whenever I got in trouble. It means I’m really, really sorry and you definitely shouldn’t be mad at me or tell Blossomforth and get her mad at me. I know how tight you two are and I’m not keen on finding out if that mare has a bad side.”
Amethyst giggled. “Well, okay!” She extended her hoof, which Cloud Kicker shook with a relieved exhale. “Even though I’m a little curious to see what Blossom’s bad side looks like, apology accepted! Now that you’ve brought her up, though, have you seen her around? I’m looking for her and figured she’d be around here for lunch.”
“You figured right. I saw her grab her lunch from her locker just a couple minutes ago.” A frown pulled at Cloud Kicker’s lips as she rubbed her chin. “She looked pretty bummed now that I think about it. Did you two get into some kind of fight or something?”
It was Amethyst’s turn to wince as she sucked her lips in between her teeth. A twinge of guilt pulled her ears down. “Not really. Kind of. It’s a long story.”
Cloud Kicker arched a brow. “It’s not couple stuff, is it?”
“What?!” Amethyst blanched, guilt overridden entirely by a hot wave of embarrassment that painted her muzzle red. “I—but—why would—who else—no!” Her and Blossomforth? Blossomforth and her? “No, no, no! We’re just friends, best friends!”
Cloud Kicker raised her hooves in a placating gesture, though Amethyst recognized the mischief twinkling in her eyes. There was a good chance her stammering would come back to bite her in the derriere later. “Okay, cool, that’ll teach me to listen to locker room gossip. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
Dread filled Amethyst’s core. “Locker room gossip?” she mouthed, her eye starting to twitch.
No, focus.
“Yeah. It gets pretty colourful sometimes.” Cloud Kicker snickered. “I’m kind of relieved, though. Makes me feel way less guilty about seeing her flying off for lunch with Thunderlane. Word in the mares’ showers is that he’s got it bad for her, but that’s neither here nor there.” She shrugged and pointed out the nearest window with a wing. “I overheard them talking about going to the duck pond.”
Wrenching her thoughts back to the task at hoof, Amethyst rubbed her face. “Duck pond, got it. Thanks, Cloud Kicker, try not to kick anypony else today!”
“Hey!”
With her head lowered and her eyes tracking other pegasi around her, Amethyst worked her way out of weather management and broke into a gallop as soon as her hooves hit cobblestone. Luckily for her, the duck pond wasn’t too far from the office.
By the time she got there, it took her only a few seconds to spy Blossomforth sitting underneath the shade of a tree, a sandwich in her hooves. Thunderlane sat on her left, his black feathers puffed up and his chest stuck out. As he talked, his wings furled and unfurled and he subtly shifted the way he sat to accentuate the toned muscles of his body.
Locker room gossip might have some credence to it after all.
“Blossom!” Amethyst called, nearly breathless, as she neared the pair of pegasi.
Blossomforth’s ear flicked and she looked up. When their eyes met, Amethyst’s ears folded back and she slowed her trot to a standstill. With a demure grin, she sat on her haunches while her friend swallowed her mouthful of sandwich, said a quick word to Thunderlane, and flew over to meet her.
Blades of grass tickled Amethyst’s rump as they swayed in the breeze made by the gentle flapping of pegasus wings. White hooves settled in front of purple. The smile she worked on her face turned sheepish at the lack of emotion on Blossomforth’s face and a spike of fear shook her confidence.
“Um, hey,” Amethyst said, digging into the grass with her hooves.
“Hey,” Blossomforth replied. Concern bled into her voice and she quirked her head to the side to catch Amethyst’s eyes. “Are you okay? Is something the matter?”
Amethyst exhaled, relief sagging her shoulders. Angry Blossomforth was something she had never had to deal with. Worried Blossomforth was much more up her alley of expertise. “I’m fine, Blossom,” Amethyst said, lifting her head to show her her smile. It was small, but it was genuine. “Or getting closer to it, at least.”
Blossomforth blinked slowly, then her tail swished behind her. “That’s good to hear, Amy.” In a flash of white, she lunged forward, giggling and hugging Amethyst. “I was really starting to worry about you.”
Stunned for only a second, Amethyst returned the giggle and the hug in kind. “I know. Thanks for keeping your head straight when I lost mine.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Blossomforth said as they pulled out of the embrace. “But what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at work! You’re not getting in trouble and playing hookie just to talk to me, are you?”
“Mayor Mare actually gave me the afternoon off so I could come and find you.” Amethyst chuckled and tugged at a few bits of grass. Her eyes flitted from her friend to Thunderlane waiting back under the tree, trying to look patient and nonchalant. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I? We could always talk later.”
“You’re not interrupting anything! Thunderlane asked if I wanted to have lunch with him, that’s all.” Blossomforth turned, waved, and smiled at the stormy grey pegasus. In return, he smiled a handsome smile at them. If it went noticed by its intended target, it didn’t show. “He won’t mind. Besides, there’s something I need to say, too.”
Amethyst stopped herself short from rolling her eyes as Thunderlane sucked in a breath and puffed out his chest. Though he was by no means unattractive, all that muscle made him too blocky for her tastes.
“To be honest, I was going to see if Thunder would cover for me so I could sneak back to town hall and see you before you finished work.”
At that, Amethyst’s ears flicked and her eyes snapped back to her friend. “What?” Between the two of them, it was more likely that a new alicorn would be born than either of them skipping out on their jobs.
Blossomforth nodded and ducked her head, her ears folding back to her scalp. “I wanted to find you and tell you that I was sorry.”
“I—what?” Amethyst blinked and shook her head. Wasn’t this supposed to be the other way around? “What do you have to be sorry about?”
“For not being supportive enough.”
A beat of silence passed.
A spurt of laughter sputtered out of Amethyst’s mouth. She couldn’t help it, even as she covered her mouth with her hoof, trying to hold back her giggles and snorts. “You? Not supportive enough?” Though her frame shook with unexpected mirth, she reached out and rubbed Blossomforth’s shoulder. “That’s crazy talk!”
The pegasus mare jerked at the touch, her ducked head almost level with the ground.
“Blossom?” Amethyst asked, laughter ebbing from her voice. Gently, she squeezed her shoulder and rubbed it in small circles until Blossomforth lifted her head. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for.”
“I do, though.” Wings a-flutter, Blossomforth shifted her weight as her tail flicked back and forth. “I wasn’t supportive enough when you first got the idea in your head to set Applejack and Rainbow Dash up. I should’ve been there to encourage you and help build your confidence instead of dragging my hooves through the mud. You deserve more than that from your best friend.”
Amethyst’s lower lip quivered for a second before she threw her forelegs around Blossomforth and hugged her tight. “You silly pony,” she said, noting with some amusement the confusion and flash of terror that lighted Thunderlane’s eyes. “Don’t be sorry. You were there with me for every step and believed in me when I wouldn’t.”
Blossomforth sniffed and squeezed back. “I still feel like I could’ve been a better friend. What if I shot your confidence before you even got started?”
Is that what she thinks? Amethyst wondered. Here she was, nervous and chewing her lip over apologizing to her best friend for acting like a foal. At the same time, that very same friend had been agonizing over something just as foalish. We’re terrible at this.
A smile split her face as she pulled away, nuzzling Blossomforth’s neck as she did so. “You’ve been the best of friends, you silly filly. I came here to say I was sorry to you!”
Blossomforth wrinkled her snout. “What for?”
“For being such a big ball of angst and depression this morning!” Amethyst rolled her shoulders and scuffed the ground. “You were only trying to help, and I brushed you off.”
“That’s nothing to be sorry about, Amy,” Blossomforth said, confusion evident in her tone. “I of all ponies know how much you worry about putting yourself out there and how seriously you take your work.”
“I still shouldn’t have dismissed you like that. You’re my best friend. Tea with Mayor Mare helped me get my head straight.” Amethyst grinned and stood her tallest. Matilda and Cranky’s smiling faces floated in her mind’s eye. That picture, and the knowledge that she helped make that possible, filled her being with warmth, confidence. “She also helped me get back in the saddle.”
“Does this mean . . . ?” Blossomforth let the question hang there, her eyes wide as she leaned forward on the tips of her hooves.
Unabated, scenes from the wedding that made two donkeys the happiest in Equestria frothed forth. Details, like the wonderful performance by Octavia and Vinyl Scratch, the cake, baked to exceed Princess Celestia’s high standards, and the venue itself, decorated to perfection with enough care to fill Matilda’s eyes to the brim with tears came flooding back to her.
Each of those were arranged by Amethyst, so caught up in the fray that she had no time to second guess or doubt herself.
A new feeling welled up in Amethyst, one that made her stand taller, swish her tail happily behind her, and meet Blossomforth’s gaze with enough intensity as to make the pegasus suck in a breath.
Pride. Pride in her talents. While far from perfect, they were enough to bring praise from the Mayor and bring joy to those she helped.
“I think it’s time those two crazy ponies told each other how they feel, don’t you?”
With a squeal, Blossomforth flung herself forward into their third embrace in the last hoofful of minutes. “Yes!” Just as quickly as the the hug started, it ended, and she sat at attention, smiling brightly. “What do we do?”
Amethyst allowed herself a blink. “We?”
Blossomforth’s smile never faltered as she wiggled her ears. “I told you I was going to support you, so I’m sticking with you through the end. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.” Her chest swelled. “Until those two are wrapped up in each other’s hooves, I’m your mare.”
Sucking her lips between her teeth, Amethyst schooled herself. Though her mouth wobbled, threatening to break out into an eager grin, she persevered. “Okay, okay.” She exhaled, raking her thoughts over everything she knew about Rainbow Dash and Applejack—where they liked to spend their free time, what they liked to eat, what interests they had in common. All of this she researched, though now she could only recall bits and pieces. It wasn’t enough. Snorting, she stomped her hoof.
Blossomforth winced. “That doesn’t sound encouraging.”
“This would be so much easier if I still had my files!” Amethyst started to pace in front of Blossomforth, very aware of how her eyes tracked her. Why, oh why didn’t she take the time to make back-ups? Her ears slicked back and she bowed her head. “Why’d I have to get rid of them? They had everything!”
“Amy, what are you talking about?” Blossomforth cocked her head to the side. “You didn’t get rid of them. You gave them to me.”
“Yeah,” Amethyst said. “To get rid of.”
“I said I wouldn’t give up on you.” Blossomforth smiled and giggled. “Do you really think I’d throw them out? They’re fine, just how you left them.”
Wheeling around, Amethyst’s grin would have put most others to shame. “They are?”
“Of course! I was hoping to change your mind, so I just put them in my locker for safekeeping.”
Her eyes lit up. On trembling legs, her pacing took on a frantic edge. Fevered thoughts raced as dozens of ideas popped in her head. None stuck, though, as she reached for another thread as soon as she thought she had settled on one. Restaurant, or picnic? High class, or comfort? Dozens of questions, dozens of answers, but there could only be one to bring two ponies together.
Like Cranky and Matilda’s wedding, it had to be perfect for them.
“First, no restaurants. That was a mistake before,” Amethyst said. That would make over half of her data superfluous, but that was manageable. There was still information she could use—tastes, preferences, and whatever else she could collect from small talk and observation. “Neither of them are big on formal dos.”
“Okay, sure. No restaurants.” Blossomforth nodded and pursed her lips. “Then what do we do? Put them on a train to Canterlot for a concert?”
Amethyst shook her head. “Not enough time. The sooner we get these two together, the sooner they’ll be happy.” She coughed, pink tinging her cheeks. “Also, I don’t exactly have the funds to send both of them off on something that nice. Again.”
“Then what else did you have in mind?”
Humming, Amethyst drifted her gaze skywards. The morning had been beautiful, with hardly a cloud in the sky. The afternoon promised to be just as lovely.
Outside.
There was an idea. A few favours might need to be called in, but both Applejack and Rainbow Dash were very outdoorsy ponies, whether they were flying in the skies or tilling the soil for harvest.
Her humming stopped when she spotted a pair of pegasi pushing clouds to block out the sun. “Blossom, what’s the forecast for this afternoon?”
“Mostly cloudy,” Blossomforth said. “We promised the Agricultural Board a few days of rain to help the farmers get ready for harvest, so we’re getting things in place for a good shower tomorrow.”
A frown creased her lips and she rubbed her chin. The weather presented a wrinkle. “Any chance that could be changed?”
Blossomforth bit her lip and shook her head. “Probably not.”
“What if it was just cleared in one part of town? Like, say . . .” Amethyst waved her hoof, searching for inspiration. It found her and she gasped. “The gazebo in the park!”
“I suppose . . . This is for Rainbow Dash, so she’d overlook it, right?”
Amethyst grinned a wicked little grin. “Oh, she’ll be so busy with Applejack she won’t even remember it happening.” Rubbing her hooves together, she giggled. Or was it more of a cackle? “But first thing’s first, I need my files back. They’re in your locker, right?”
“Uh, yeah. I still have another half-hour of my lunch break, and I think I can get Thunderlane to cover me for this afternoon. Oh, shoot!” Blossomforth grimaced and cast a wary glance over her shoulder, where the aforementioned pegasus had long abandoned his cool and composed facade and now sat, scowling at the duck pond. “I completely forgot about him.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Amethyst said, stifling a giggle. With an easy wave of her hoof, she nudged Blossomforth towards him. “Promise him you’ll go to breakfast tomorrow or something and he’ll be right as rain.”
Blossomforth bit her bottom lip. “Okay . . . I still feel bad, though.”
“Then make it a bunch of breakfasts! Maybe a dinner if you’re feeling really guilty. Oh, and before you go, there’s something else I want you to ask him. It might cost you a couple more dinners, though . . .”
“And when I give the signal, the two of you start playing. Nothing too fancy or complex, just something to set the mood.” Several hours later found Amethyst at the Ponyville park gazebo. Few places were more picturesque. The Sweet Apple Acres orchards rolled out to the east and the town stretched out to the west, all under a sky beginning to melt from a bright blue to a glowing orange. “Any questions?”
An aquamarine hoof shot into the air. Its owner’s eyes twinkled when Amethyst knocked on her door. When she consulted her girlfriend, cooing and squeals of delight filled the little candy store as both of them offered anything they could to help.
As it turned out, Amethyst and Blossomforth were not the only ponies who thought it was about time Rainbow and Applejack got together. Lyra Heartstrings and Bon Bon were only delighted to be involved.
The third pony in the gazebo, Octavia Melody, took a little more convincing, some begging, a little praise for her performance at the last wedding, and a healthy nudge out the door by her roommate.
“Yes, Lyra?”
“What’s the signal?”
“You’ll know it when you see it,” Amethyst said. She crossed her eyes as her horn sparked to life, shooting out motes of pink light in all directions. “Once they’re here and talking, I’ll shoot up a few sparks. That’s your cue.”
“And what did you have in mind for us to play?” Octavia asked, raising a slender, black eyebrow. She rested her bow against her beloved cello and brushed her charcoal bangs out of her eyes. “I’m all for improvisation, but this sounds fairly important.”
“Something romantic. I want Applejack and Rainbow Dash to get lost in each other’s eyes and the music should lull them into it.” Amethyst raised her own brow in return and a teasing smile played across her lips. “Think you two can manage that?”
While Lyra beamed and nodded, Octavia pursed her lips and offered a flat stare. Not a moment passed before her expression relaxed and she allowed a prideful smile to show. “Please, Amethyst,” she said, adjusting her bow tie. “They’ll be putty in each other’s hooves before we finish the first song!”
Ah, an artist’s pride. The perfect motivation.
“Lyra, tell me, are you familiar with Tempo Rubato’s works?”
Lyra’s beaming smile fell into a confident grin as she readied her lyre and tuned a few strings. “Before or after his grand concert at Princess Luna’s night court?”
“Well, colour me impressed.” Raising to her hind legs, Octavia brought her bow to the cello strings. “Though I should expect as much from a fellow Academy graduate. I think it’s safe to say we’ll perform wonderfully together, Amethyst. It’s a wonder we haven’t before today.”
“Excellent. Music, check!” With an inner cheer, Amethyst ticked off a box on her checklist. A glance skywards told her that Thunderlane did his job and cleared the clouds around the park. The Agricultural Board and Weather Bureau might get their knickers in a twist over it, but it would probably be fine.
Though if they found out Thunderlane was responsible, there was always the possibility he would get in trouble. Probably no more than a stern talking to.
Amethyst frowned. Better ask Blossom to wear that little number she wore to Wildfire’s single mares Hearts and Hooves Day Party to make it up to him. Just in case. She scribbled a note in the margins and ticked off another box.
Her ears flicked and she swallowed against a lump in her throat. It was almost time. Everything was almost ready. Time to get into position. Now if only the butterflies in her stomach would settle down.
“Great,” she said, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and took a steady breath. When she was confident her legs weren’t shaking, she looked up at the musicians. “Thank you both so much for helping out. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Octavia waved a hoof and offered a soft smile. “It’s my pleasure, Amethyst, and the least I can do after you stepped up to organize the wedding the other week.” She sighed. “Besides, Vinyl insists that I get out to see more ponies, and this counts.”
“Yeah!” Lyra grinned and winked, her golden magic lifting her lyre to rest next to her. “Bonnie and I have been wanting to see these two together for ages now. Also, Tavi—”
Octavia groaned. “Not you, too.”
“—we should all go out to dinner together sometime! Oh, actually, Bon Bon would love to cook for all of us! We could eat at our place. Her pasta bake is the best.”
“That sounds like a plan to me. I’d better go make sure everything else is ready, though. I’ll see you after the fact. Lyra,” Amethyst nodded her head and then giggled when she addressed Octavia, “Tavi. See you later! Thanks again!”
With a merry swish of her tail at Octavia’s groan to her nickname, Amethyst trotted away. She stuck her pencil behind her ear as she read over her clipboard for the fourth time in half as many hours. Everything had to be ready.
This time, it was going to be perfect. Or, as close to it as she could get.
Not too far away from the gazebo where Ponyville’s best classical musicians were getting ready, a checkered picnic blanket had been spread out over the grassy hill. Frowning, Amethyst lit up her horn and tugged the corners of the blanket taut, weighing them down with a few rocks she found by the lake.
She nodded and reached out for the picnic basket sitting next to the blanket with her magic. A flash of pink later and the basket, plates, a keg of Sweet Apple Acres cider, and an arrangement of flowers were set up in the middle of the blanket.
Humming in thought, she plucked the pencil from behind her ear and went over the itinerary one last time in the few minutes she had before she too needed to get into position. This time, there would be no allowance for mistakes.
With her clipboard at the ready, she opened the basket and, while she was at it, arranged them for when Applejack and Rainbow Dash arrived. Two garden salads with a raspberry vinaigrette, harvested fresh from Golden Harvest’s fields; Mister and Missus Cakes’ famous cheese scones; cider and homemade apple fritters lovingly gifted by Granny Smith with a denture-filled wicked smile; and, to complete the package, two heart-shaped boxes of chocolates thrust into her hooves by Bon Bon as she left her shop with Lyra in tow. One was addressed, in the finest hoofwriting Amethyst had seen no less, to Rainbow Dash and the other to Applejack.
Then, next to the basket of goodies, was a bouquet of bright orange lilies, creamy white roses, and hot pink daisies carefully arranged by the flowers’ namesakes for no charge.
She waved at Thunderlane as he finished clearing the last of the clouds over the park. He saluted, winked, and offered a cheeky smile before he flew off with a flourish of his wings and an aerial somersault. Somepony thought the risk of changing the forecast was worth the reward.
Everypony threw themselves into helping her, into helping Rainbow and Applejack get together. Amethyst could picture Mayor Mare looking out her office window with that calm, knowing smile she had grown accustomed to in the years she’s worked for her. It was a smile that brought peace to her mind, and the older mare’s praise warmed her chest from the doubt and insecurity that so often made her breath catch or her stumbling hooves falter.
Amethyst went over her list once, twice, and three more times. Her ears flicked as Lyra and Octavia played a few notes, warming up for what would likely be their least appreciated performance. Yet they were willing to play all the same.
After one more check, Amethyst found herself pacing around the blanket and chewing her lower lip. Maybe just once more, to be absolutely sure. She stopped herself as she reached out for the picnic basket.
You’re stalling.
The chew marks around her pencil confirmed it. Bringing her hoof to her chest, she inhaled through her nose. Then, when she couldn’t hold it any longer, she let it out slowly through her mouth, feeling some of the tension leave her shoulders with the breath.
Everything was ready.
It was time.
As if on cue, a pair of familiar voices carried over through the park. “It was just over here!” one of them—Blossomforth’s—said louder than necessary. A warning, announcing their arrival.
With a squeak, Amethyst enveloped her clipboard in her magic and dove into a nearby bush, just far away enough from the setup so that she could hear whatever Applejack and Rainbow said without being caught. No sooner did she get a twig out from poking her flank did Blossomforth appear over the crest of the hill, Applejack following a few steps behind.
“Right,” Applejack drawled, her tone flat. “And what’s so important that you gotta drag me away from market at closin’ time?”
“You’ll see. It’s really, really important though. I promise.”
From her vantage point in the bush, Amethyst watched Applejack raise an eyebrow and give a look that would make anypony feel like they were caught stealing from the cookie jar.
Blossomforth ducked her head and smiled sheepishly. “We’re almost there,” she said before bounding on ahead towards the picnic blanket.
Applejack shook her head, but followed at a leisurely pace.
“See! Right here!” Blossomforth skittered to a stop a few steps from the blanket and hopped into the air on flitful wings.
Applejack stopped at the blanket’s edge, her brow furrowed. “What’s all this supposed to be?” She nosed the basket open, and Amethyst could hear her breath catch. Slowly, she pulled out the first of the heart-shaped boxes. A rosy hue graced her cheeks as she cradled the box and pulled out the second. Her mouth worked and it took her a couple tries before she said, “B-Blossomforth, what’re these doing here?”
There was no answer save for a gust of wind as Blossomforth darted away. By the time Applejack managed to tear her eyes off of the picnic, she was safely nestled in Amethyst’s neighbouring bush.
“Blossomforth?” Swiveling her head around, Applejack spun around, her eyes passing over their hiding spot without a second look.
Amethyst grinned and her stomach began to unknot itself as Blossomforth settled in her bush. So far, so good. Not that she was worried about her co-conspirator pulling through. That bit of anxiety was reserved for Cloud Kicker, on whom the rest of the plan relied.
“Okay, what featherbrain cleared the sky here?” a raspy voice demanded from up above. A sigh of relief pushed past Amethyst’s lips before she could clap a hoof over her mouth.
“I dunno, boss,” Cloud Kicker’s voice said, feigning innocence perfectly. “I was just finishing up over by the schoolhouse and saw this huge patch of blue. We’re out of clouds, too. The rest of them aren’t supposed to arrive from Cloudsdale until tomorrow morning for the shower.”
“Great. So much for my nap. The Agricultural Board is going to ride my tail for this!”
“Rainbow Dash!” Applejack called, interrupting the pegasus just as it looked like steam was about to billow out of her ears.
In an instant, the fire behind Rainbow’s eyes died. Amethyst noted with some glee how a curious sparkling took its place, visible even from where she was hidden below. “Applejack?”
“Down here! Fly on down, will ya, I got a bone to pick with you!”
“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it!” Rainbow turned and, flicking her tail, descended and gently touched down with her back to Amethyst. Blue feathers ruffled as she took in the display. “Wow, nice setup. Hey, are those Granny Smith’s apple fritters?”
“Eeyup.” Applejack’s eyes bored into Rainbow Dash, and Amethyst chewed her lip. This was it. Days of stress, planning, and anxiety had all built up to these few moments. She flinched and bit her tongue to stop a yelp when a hoof squeezed her shoulder. A look to her right brought her to bright blue eyes and a reassuring smile.
Amethyst tried to return it, but the butterflies fluttering about in her stomach made it feel strained.
“Whoa, and Golden’s pasta bake? Score!” She could hear the swagger in Rainbow’s voice. “Somepony’s out to impress.”
“My thoughts exactly,” Applejack said, deadpan, though the roses in her cheeks had yet to vanish. “Anything you want to share with the class, sugarcube?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Applejack held out one of the boxes of chocolates—presumably the one meant for Rainbow Dash.
Judging by how Rainbow’s wings unfurled and the ways her feathers fluffed out, it was an accurate presumption.
“I—but—who—”
“I think you know darned well who.” Applejack’s eyes narrowed, though her voice came out soft and guarded, as if she were protecting it.
“I had nothing to do with this!” Rainbow protested, dropping the chocolates on the blanket and backing up a step.
“That a fact?” With her lead lowered, Applejack advanced for every inch Rainbow retreated and soon they began circling the picnic basket. “Then why’d you have Blossomforth lead me here and just happen to show up after she disappears faster than a rabbit in a fox den?”
Beside Amethyst, Blossomforth giggled.
“I-I didn’t have her do anything!” Rainbow sputtered.
Now that they had circled halfway around the basket, Amethyst could see her cerise eyes wide with terror and a streak of red painted over her muzzle. Between the two of them, it was a wonder how they were so oblivious to the other’s feelings.
Applejack scoffed. “Last I checked, she worked for you! What’d you do? Give her a couple days off for some big, romantic thing?”
“Romantic-schmantic! You were the one who called me down here!” Standing tall, Rainbow met Applejack’s gaze and stood her ground as the farmer closed the distance until their chests were nearly pressed together. Just a little further . . . “Somepony cleared the clouds out here and I came to check it out, that’s all. You set this up, didn’t you?”
“Did not!”
“Then where’d Golden Harvest’s pasta bake come from? I know how tight you two are!”
“I haven’t talked to Golden since her birthday party!”
“Well, I didn’t set this up!”
“Neither did I!”
They both stood over the picnic basket, muzzle to muzzle. Their eyes narrowed, and both held matching hues of red in their cheeks. Amethyst sucked her lip between her teeth and let out a low whine from the back of her throat. Just a little closer. All one of them had to do was tilt their head to the side and close that last, little bit of distance.
Rainbow tilted her head to the side.
Amethyst held her breath.
“You didn’t set this up?” Rainbow asked. Gone was the ire from her voice. In its place was something she might even call disappointment laced under the confusion.
Amethyst groaned. Next to her, she heard Blossomforth do the same.
“No!” Applejack shook her head. Defiance melted to confusion matching Rainbow’s. She scratched her neck and looked to the side. “You, uh, you didn’t either?”
“Nope.”
A beat of silence passed. Amethyst felt like she was sitting on pins and needles. Please work. Please, please, please.
“So . . .” Applejack’s hoof trailed over her box of chocolates. “Who did?”
Rainbow furled and unfurled her wings, her tail flicking back and forth behind her. “Dunno,” she said. After another beat, she added, “Somepony put a lot of work into this.”
“Eeyup,” Applejack replied. “They even got Granny’s fritters.”
“Yeah . . .” Rainbow fidgeted, shifting her weight from hoof to hoof as her wings twitched and fluffed, caught between fight and flight. “Looks really good.”
“Would almost be a shame to let it all go to waste.”
Another nod, another twitch of Rainbow’s wings. “Yeah, it would.”
Come on. Somepony go for it.
“Well, I don’t suppose you’d want to . . . ?” Applejack gestured to the feast, not looking entirely at Rainbow. “Looks like some cider’s here, too. I know you got plenty to do with this cloud stuff for tomorrow.”
“No!” Whipping her head around, Rainbow’s wings unfurled, as if ready to flare wide and high for the pony in front of her. “I mean, not no! Yes!”
Her hoof met her face as Applejack chuckled, a chuckle that Amethyst and Blossomforth quietly joined in on. “Alright, might as well. I could sit down for a spell with some good company.”
“Whatever.” Rainbow huffed as she sat down next to Applejack, close enough that Amethyst could see how her feathers brushed against the other mare’s sides. “Just give me some cider and one of those fritters.”
Inside, Amethyst cheered. Things were coming together exactly as planned. Now, for the finishing touch. When both mares were distracted by the cider and each other, she charged her horn and launched a volley of pink and purple sparks into the air.
A few seconds later, the first soft notes of a slow, serene melody reached her ears. Both mares on the blanket noticed. Their gazes turned to the gazebo, where Lyra and Octavia sat across from each other, eyes closed as they lost themselves to the music.
They’re not the only ones. Amethyst grinned as Rainbow and Applejack shuffled a little closer. There was no way either of them could pretend to ignore the warmth from the other now as they went about eating their food and drinking their cider.
Feathers of blue stretched out and delicately fell over toned, orange-coated flanks as the song came to an end. Their owner jumped at the contact. In response, the wing curled and its grip tightened, pressing Applejack’s side firmly against Rainbow’s. Somewhere in the neighbouring bush, Blossomforth shook with so much energy to rustle branches and leaves.
The musicians started the next song, and Applejack turned to face Rainbow, showing her tomato-red face. “D-Dash,” she said, in a voice so shaky that Amethyst had never heard before. “What are you doin’?”
With her ears folded against her scalp, Amethyst watched the ball in Rainbow’s throat bobbing as she leaned in to nose Applejack’s cheek. “If it’s all the same to you,” she said in a murmur that nearly went unheard, “I think there might be something I want to share with the class after all.”
Applejack rolled her shoulder. “O-oh yeah?”
“Mmhmm.” Rainbow nodded, ducking her head. Her tail swished to the side, hues of the rainbow falling over glossy blonde. “Thing is, I’m not that great at talking. I’m more of a show-and-tell kind of mare.”
Amethyst’s mouth ran dry, anticipation winding up in her chest. This is it.
Not giving Applejack a chance to respond, Rainbow darted forward, pressing their lips together. It barely lasted a few seconds before she pulled away, leaving both red faced and wide eyed.
“Yes!” Blossomforth cheered, erupting from her bush with her forelegs spread wide.
In a moment of panic, Amethyst jumped from her hiding spot and tackled her friend back into her bush. Twigs scratched her as they landed on the ground, unicorn pinning pegasus, purple hoof covering Blossomforth’s mouth.
“Shh!” Amethyst hissed, eyes darting to the gaps between the branches. She exhaled. Neither Applejack or Rainbow seemed to notice that little outburst.
“Sorry,” Blossomforth whispered, her face bright red.
Meanwhile, Applejack blinked owlishly. “Well,” she said. “I think I can only give that a passing grade, sugar.” Her eyes lidded and she reached up to cup Rainbow’s cheek, the touch enough to make the speedster’s ears red. “Here, let a pro show you how it’s done.”
One second, they were separated by a mere few inches. The next, blue wings wrapped around the pair, bringing them closer together as orange hooves ran down rainbow mane.
Amethyst looked away, giving them their privacy after weeks of tiptoeing around each other.
And just like that, it was done. Her legs felt like jelly, and it was only because Blossomforth laid trapped underneath her that she didn’t collapse entirely. Relief swept through her system, bringing blissful quiet to the nagging thoughts and doubts that plagued her mind. Then, a warming sensation crept up her spine, making her every fibre tingle with an energy that demanded to be burned.
She beamed. She held her cheer in her throat, having enough sense to clamber out of the bush as quickly as she dared. Leading Blossomforth by the hoof, they retreated down the hillside until the music was a faint whisper on the wind.
As soon as they were far enough away, she spun around and wrapped her very best friend up in a bone crushing hug. A squeal tore its way past her lips and her tail whipped from side to side. “We did it!” Nuzzling into locks of red and green, she squealed again. “We did it, we did it, we did it!”
The urge to dance a jig was too much, and with a skip in her step she led the pair in a little dance number around the edge of the park.
Blossomforth squeezed back, her wings flapping in a desperate attempt to keep them upright as they hopped and pranced about. “I know! I know! Wait.” Ducking her head, she slipped out of Amethyst’s forehooves. “We did it?”
Amethyst stumbled back a step, her hooves criss-crossed and searching for balance with the sudden lack of her impromptu dance partner. Gravity had other things in mind and she slipped to her flanks. “Um.” She blinked owlishly. “Yes?”
“No.” Grinning coyly, Blossomforth reached out and prodded Amethyst’s chest. “You did it, Amy.”
Cross-eyed and staring at her chest, Amethyst wrinkled her snout. She shoved the white hoof away. “Don’t be silly! I couldn’t have done this without you sticking with me, leading Applejack here, and pretty much being the best friend ever.”
Giggling, Blossomforth shook her head. “Nope!” Her hoof flicked upwards, booping the tip of Amethyst’s nose. “This one was all you. All I did was follow orders.”
“I would have given up if it wasn’t for you and Mayor Mare! That’s not counting everything Golden Harvest, Octavia, Lyra, Bon Bon, Roseluck, and everypony else did to make this happen!”
“True.” Mirth shone in those sparkling blue eyes and she wiggled her ears. “They wouldn’t have done that without you organizing everything. Sorry, Amy, you’re going to have to take credit for this one. Right now, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are finally showing each other how they feel, and that’s all because you took the time to set all of this up. Who knows how much longer they would be apart if you didn’t take the initiative?”
Any kind of retort or denial Amethyst had died on her lips. The last of the music faded, no longer necessary. The atmosphere was set, the ponies had arrived, and their performance was met with overwhelming success. Her eyes flicked over the hill, where she last saw Rainbow wrap her feathery blue wings around Applejack’s strong shoulders.
Matilda and Cranky’s loving smiles flashed before her eyes, their hooves gently holding one another. Rainbow and Applejack, entwined and full of fire and passion, ignorant to everything beyond those blue wings that enveloped them both soon followed.
“Well . . .” A goofy grin spread over Amethyst’s face. “I guess I had something to do with it, too. A small part.”
“Much more than that, I’d think!” a bright, chipper, and unnervingly familiar voice chirped from above them.
A shadow passed overhead, followed momentarily by the muffled sound of hooves touching down on grass. Resplendent purple wings fluttered as their owner landed. Her mane bounced and bobbed as she folded her soft, fluffy wings to her side, framing the bright smile on her face and her twinkling purple eyes.
Amethyst’s heart skipped a beat and the breath caught. Her throat didn’t seem to work and her mind screeched to a halt, the euphoria caught in a ball in her chest. Princess. Bow, the functioning part of her mind told her.
She was quick to respond.
In an instant, her head came within inches of the ground in a deep bow. “P-Princess!” she squeaked.
A soft hoof touched her shoulder, nearly making her flinch. The touch was reassuring, though, and brought her gaze trailing up to meet Twilight’s sparkling eyes. “Amethyst, I’ve already told you. It’s just Twilight. Formalities aren’t necessary, especially between friends,” she chided gently. With an uncomfortable twitch of her wings, she took a step back. “And please, don’t bow. Friends don’t bow to friends.”
“R-right.” Heat burned Amethyst’s cheeks as she stood up. She felt no less awkward, though, now that she was eye-level with Twilight. “I just—what brings you here, Prin—Twilight?”
Behind her, Blossomforth did a poor job of hiding her giggles behind a hoof.
Twilight’s eyes seem to glow brighter. “You, actually. I was wondering how your plan was coming along, so I thought I’d fly by to see what I could see.” A tinge of pink darkened the fur around her cheeks and she ducked her head ever so slightly. “And, well, what I saw . . .”
Amethyst sucked in a breath through her teeth. How much did she see? What were those two doing on that hilltop?
More importantly, did she want to know?
“It doesn’t matter,” Twilight said, clearing her throat. “All that matters is that they’ve finally gotten over their reservations. They’re happy.” She inclined her head, the warmth of her smile soothing Amethyst’s frayed nerves. “And I have you to thank for that. I would be lying if the rest of us girls were starting to groan whenever they chickened out of telling each other!”
Another question pricked at her mind, one that furrowed her brow. “Hang on, you knew what I was planning? How? When?”
“Ah, that.” Twilight’s eyes shifted to Amethyst’s left. Following them, she found Blossomforth looking to the side, her expression akin to that of a foal caught sneaking in after curfew. “Maybe it’s best if Blossomforth explains.”
Blossomforth whined, her ears pinned back.
“Blossom?”
“I may have told her everything,” she said, her hoof digging into the ground. “After I left town hall, I didn’t know what to do. You needed my help, but I didn’t know how to help you.” Taking a breath, she locked eyes with Amethyst. She licked her lips, her shoulders hunched up as if waiting for a verbal lashing. “I-I flew around for a bit, and then I saw Prince—Twilight walking back to her castle.”
“She caught up to me, asking for my help,” Twilight added, stepping to Amethyst’s side. The ascension to alicorn added a few inches to her height, something that had gone unnoticed until now. “Spike made us tea and she explained what you two were doing for Rainbow Dash and Applejack.”
Blossomforth nodded, guilt etched over her features. “You can yell at me now.”
“Blossomforth was only trying to help you, that’s all.”
Amethyst stared, processing everything. “I’m not going to yell,” she said slowly. “You told her everything?”
Again, Blossomforth nodded. “I showed her your files, too.”
“Which, I should say, were impeccable!” Twilight gave a happy swish of her tail and her grin became toothy. “Your attention to detail, the personal touches and considerations for the ponies in question, everything!” She beamed. “I had no idea you were so talented!”
“I’m not! I mean, that was just . . .” Amethyst scuffed the ground, the tips of her ears burning. “Stuff,” she finished lamely.
“It was excellent ‘stuff,’” Twilight said. “I could learn a thing or two from it all! And, after what I’ve seen here, I might have to up that to a thing or three.”
“See?” Having found the courage to slink forwards, Blossomforth nudged Amethyst’s side. “Told you you were amazing.”
“I—” Amethyst choked. It was all too much. Her vision blurred and she wiped a foreleg over her eyes, though her smile came unbidden. “I don’t know what to say.” She sniffed as Blossomforth lightly let a wing over her withers and as Twilight rested a hoof on her shoulder. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to say anything right now, Amethyst,” Twilight said, glancing at the hilltop. “I was actually hoping some food might help loosen your lips. There’s something I’d like to talk to you about over dinner, if you’re still interested.”
Dinner? She gasped. Their earlier conversation in town hall came flooding back. Right, dinner with a princess. No big deal.
“I think that’s a great idea.” Blossomforth smiled, winked, and took to the air. “We’ll chat more tomorrow morning at breakfast, okay?”
Not waiting for a reply, she flew off, leaving Amethyst alone with Twilight, who waited patiently and with a calm smile. “Well? My treat!”
“I, um, what did you want to talk about? You mentioned catching up on everything since kindergarten this morning.”
“Yes! But that can wait for another time. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about a job opportunity.”
Amethyst blinked. “Huh?”
Twilight giggled in response. “A job! After Blossomforth came to me today, I’ve been doing some thinking. Your organizational talents really impress me, Amethyst. If Mayor Mare didn’t sing your praises so often, I would wonder if she knew how lucky she is to have you at her side!”
“I—what—” Amethyst babbled, jaw dropped and eyes wide. Nope, this was all too much for one day.
“Not that I would ever want to take you away from her!” Twilight added quickly. “She might skin me alive, princess or not, for stealing you. No, what I had in mind was of a more . . .” Scrunching her muzzle, she waved a hoof through the air. “Casual nature.”
“Casual?” Amethyst parroted, her voice high pitched and cracking.
“Exactly. We would meet over lunch, say, a few times a week to talk about what’s coming up.” Twilight held up her hoof, the warmth of her expression hardening for a moment. “To be clear, you wouldn’t be replacing Spike. He’ll always be my number one assistant, but now that I’m a princess, well,” the hoof dropped and her wings wriggled at her sides, “there are some things I would like another pair of eyes to look at. Your eyes, to be specific.”
“My eyes?”
“I could really use a pony as organized and as passionate about what they do as you are, Amethyst. I’m actually in the middle of organizing an Equestrian-wide summit to take place in Canterlot in a few weeks, and I would really appreciate your help.” A dry chuckle floated past her lips. “I might actually find some sleep before the summit if you say yes.”
“I, um . . .” Amethyst swayed where she stood. When did her legs start to feel like jelly? Probably around the same time her head felt as light as air. It all sounded too good to be true. “This is really happening?”
A chime of giggles followed. “I promise this isn’t a dream. My offer from before still stands—I want to get to know you better and make up for those years I ignored you. If you’d like, we can start there and talk about the job at dinner. What do you say, Amethyst?”
“Amy,” Amethyst said through her dry lips. “My friends call me Amy.”
Twilight smiled, bright and beautiful. “Okay, Amy. Is that a yes?”
“Yes,” Amethyst said. “I think I’d really like that. And you’re sure this won’t impact my work with the Mayor?”
“We’ll work something out,” Twilight said as she started to lead them out of the park. “If you prove to be too good at the job, then I might be tempted to steal you away all for myself, though!”
Amethyst giggled at that and fell in line, their hooves clip-clopping on the cobblestone streets. As they walked, she dimly felt an ache building in her cheeks. Only then did she realize how much she had been smiling, shining as bright as any gem or jewel, even the ones adorning either side of her flanks.
All in all, after a few nasty hiccups and road bumps, she couldn’t be happier with how things worked out.
If this wasn’t perfect, she didn’t know what was.