To Earn One's Love

by Mattricole

Chapter 4

“So, how ‘bout tomorrow, me and ya go out fer a picnic and movie?” Apple Bloom asked as she continued to stroke her moustache, causing Diamond Tiara to growl.

“You know, I’m fine with giving you a chance, but this--” she yelled as she quickly ripped Apple Bloom’s moustache off, “--has got to go!”

“...Ah super glued that on,” Apple Bloom whimpered with tears in her eyes, rubbing her upper lip gently.

“Whatever, it was ugly anyways,” Diamond Tiara said with a shrug. Throwing the moustache to the ground, and stomping on it for good measure, she quickly walked herself home.

“Ah thought it was brilliant,” Apple Bloom whimpered as she stared at her fallen moustache. Shrugging off the loss, she silently trotted home, ignoring the sudden cold her face was experiencing. That moustache was pretty warm…

---

“Fiendish dragon from the darkest pits of hades, ah shall slay thee!” Apple Bloom roared as she dodged the flames from the evil black dragon. Sword in mouth and shield on her back, she rushed towards the dragon, Celestia-bent on destroying it.

With a leap of faith, she jumped over the dragon, causing it to roar in anger. Blowing it’s flames in her direction, Apple Bloom had no way of dodging.

Not that she needed to, of course.

“Ah summon thee, LEVIATHAN!” she called out as a torrent of water shaped like a snake blasted into the fire, extinguishing it instantly. The dragon gasped in shock as Apple bloom plummeted towards it, slicing it’s head off with her mighty sword.

As she landed, applause from everypony in town rushed into her ears.

“Great job, Apple Bloom!”

“You’re fabulous!”

“No more homework for you!” was just some of the applause she heard. She smiled gently as she looked at the ponies she saved, the unscorched earth, and finally at her flank that started to shimmer. At that moment a cutie mark appeared on her flank, of a sword crossed with a dragons neck.

She truly earned her dragon slaying cutie mark this day, if only her friends could see her now…

They’ll be so jealous!

Apple Bloom, can you hear me? a voice from the darkest void asked, awakening Apple Bloom.

“Wha? Who’s there?!” Apple Bloom demanded as she looked at her surroundings. She was shocked to find that there was nothing in front of her, as if she was in a dark cave or….a void!

“Yes, Apple Bloom, you are once again dreaming,” said somepony as they instantly appeared before her, it was him! The one that warned her of the future!

“Mr Stallion?! What are ya doing here?” Apple Bloom asked with a tilt of her head. “Wait, that was a dream?! Darn, ah thought fer sure that was real…” Apple Bloom pouted as she stared at her flank, once again completely blank.

“Yes, I’m sad to say your dragon slaying cutie mark was not real, but admittedly that was a cool dream.”

“Heh, thanks!” Apple Bloom said with a blush. “But wait? Why are ya here? Ah thought ah saved Equestria by earning Diamond’s love?”

“No, my dear. Equestria is not saved,” the stallion replied with a shake of his head. “Sadly, what you have done was not enough to save Equestria. There is one more thing you must do.”

“One more thing?” Apple Bloom asked as she looked at the ground in thought. What is it that she should do? She already earned Diamond Tiara’s love, wasn’t that enough? “So what am ah supposed to do? Buy her a puppy?”

“No, Apple Bloom. You’re next step in saving Equestra is to take her hoof in marriage!” the stallion proclaimed, causing Apple Bloom’s jaw to drop.

“Marriage?! But we’re too young fer marriage!” Apple Bloom shouted, glaring at the mysterious stallion.

“Yes, you two are awfully young. But you must marry, otherwise Equestria is doo-”

“We have heard enough of your lies!”

“Who’s there?!” Apple Bloom demanded in shock. In that instant a familiar pony appeared before her, glaring at the mysterious stallion. “Princess Luna?!”

“Yes, it is I, Princess Luna,” Luna said, smiling at Apple Bloom. “We who trots across the dreams of, Our ponies, helping them overcome their nightmares.” She then turned towards the stallion, who was looking away from the Princess of the Night.

“Oh, I should have known better than to come to Apple Bloom two days straight,” he grumbled silently, causing Apple Bloom to glare at him.

“What, so was all this a trick?” Apple Bloom asked as she walked up to Princess Luna.

“Yes, I’m afraid Discord has tricked you,” Luna said, glaring at the stallion across the room. “You may remove your disguise now!”

“Okay, okay, sheesh!” Discord yelled as he appeared in place of the stallion. “Really, Luna, you and your sister are such party poopers!” Discord complained as he crossed his arms with a huff.

“It is not kind to trick ponies into relationships they do not wish to be in, Discord,” Luna reprimanded, only eliciting a sigh from Discord.

“Oh, come now! What’s so wrong with what I did? Sure, it was a bit of a prank, but look at them now!” Discord said as he appeared behind Apple Bloom and began pinching her cheek. “They’re sharing lunch, and even eating from the same spoon! Isn’t it adorable?” he asked as he let go of Apple Bloom’s cheek, and stared at Luna with glimmering eyes.

“Ah did it cause ah thought it would save Equestria,” Apple bloom grumbled as she rubbed her sore cheek. “But now that ah know ya tricked me, ah’m just gonna break it off!” Apple Bloom said as she crossed her hooves in defiance.

“You’re going to break up with her?!” Discord gasped as he lurched away from Apple Bloom. “That’s so cruel! I didn’t think you were that kind of pony, Apple Bloom!” he said with a sniffle.

“What do ya mean?” Apple Bloom asked as she raised her eyebrow in confusion. Princess Luna simply sighed before her, looking at her sadly, almost as if she was pitying her.

“Well, can you imagine how hurt Diamond Tiara is going to be?” Discord asked, causing Apple Bloom to gasp. “I mean, she’s clearly fallen in love with you! And then for you to break up with her the very next day?” Discord said sadly as a flower appeared in his hand, “I don’t think her poor heart could take it!” only to instantly wilt and die.

“Ah...ah can’t do it,” Apple Bloom said with trembling lips. “Ah can’t do that to Diamond Tiara, who knows how she would take it!”

“Discord,” Luna called out.

“Yes?” he asked innocently, as if he hadn’t done anything wrong.

“When we get back to Canterlot, we are going to have a long chat!” Luna growled, causing him to flinch. “And as for you, Apple Bloom, we do not know of anyway to help you, but know this, you should not love somepony out of obligation. Tell Diamond Tiara the truth, and deal with the consequences, good or bad.” And with that both Luna and Discord left, allowing Apple Bloom to finally wake up.

“Ugh, what am ah gonna do?” Apple Bloom asked herself, sighing as she looked out her window. It was the weekend now, and she didn’t have school that day. She looked at her alarm clock and found it was six in the morning. That meant in three hours she would meet Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle at the club house, and they would go out crusading for most of the day. Then at 4:00 a.m. she would meet up with Diamond Tiara for a picnic and movies and go home.

“Maybe Scoots or Sweetie will have an idea of what ah should do?” Apple Bloom said sadly as she got out of bed. Though in the end she already knew what she would do, after all there was no way she could hurt Diamond Tiara.

---

“Wow, that’s some story,” Scootaloo said, rubbing her neck in embarrassment. “Guess that explains why you ditched us to eat with Diamond Tiara!” she said jokingly, but only causing Apple Bloom to flinch.

“Y--yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” Apple Bloom said with a small smile, looking away from her two friends.

“So...the whole thing between you and Diamond Tiara was some kind of misunderstanding?” Sweetie Belle said sadly, earning a look from her two friends. “That sucks, I thought you two looked so cute together!” Sweetie said with a shrug, causing Scootaloo to groan in embarrassment.

“Yeah, that’s not a disturbing though,” Scootaloo mumbled, earning a glare from Sweetie Belle. “Anyways, I would just tell Diamond the truth, no sense in being together just because you don’t want to cause her mild pain.”

“Scoots, ah just can’t--”

“That’s ridiculous, Scootaloo!” Sweetie Belle interrupted as she pointed at Scootaloo viciously (well, it would be vicious if it wasn’t Sweetie Belle). “Apple Bloom, you should give your romance with Diamond Tiara a shot! She shared her lunch with you! You broke through her icy heart and saw how kind she could be!” Sweetie Belle pointed out with a smile.

“Well, that is true,” Apple Bloom said as she scratched her chin in thought. Diamond Tiara did seem really nice after lunch.

“See? And if she acts like that after only a few hours, imagine how she’ll be after a few days! She could be the one, you might as well give it a shot!” Sweetie Belle said with a shrug.

Hmm, ah never thought of it like that, doesn’t hurt ta give it a shot, ah guess.

“Oh, come on!” Scootaloo shouted with disgust. “She’s been picking on us for months! You should just kick her to the curb and be done with it!” Scootaloo said with a smile. Ah, how she would love to kick Diamond Tiara just once! “And besides, what if she tries to, ugh, kiss you?” Scootaloo said, shivering in fear.

“Hmm, ah don’t know?” Apple Bloom replied with a shrug. “Ah don’t see Diamond Tiara as the one to initiate a kiss, she’s too much of a lady fer that. So she’d probably want me ta kiss-”

“Apple Bloom, are you seriously considering it?!” Scootaloo shouted in disgust. “Ugh, what if she gives you cooties or something?!” At the mere mention of the word, Scootaloo shivered once again. For her it truly was a terrifying thought.

“Ugh, Scootaloo, yer a mare,” Apple Bloom stated, causing Scootaloo to tilt her head in confusion.

“Uh, okay? What’s your point?” Scootaloo asked causing Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle to groan in embarrassment.

“Alright, ah made mah decision,” Apple Bloom said, catching the attention of her fellow crusaders. “Ah’m gonna take Diamond Tiara out fer our date, and if it goes well, we’ll go on from there!” Apple Bloom decided with a nod of her head, earning a groan from Scootaloo and a cheer from Sweetie Belle.

“You two are going to have such a romantic evening!” Sweetie Belle gushed, her horn fizzing in excitement.

“Looks like our trio’s down to two,” Scootaloo said sadly. She did not have a good feeling about this. There was no way Scootaloo was going to let Apple Bloom ruin her life, not without a fight at least.

Comments

[Nightshade Dawn]

Um wat?

[Immortal Copycat]

Love the random Lion King reference at the end of this chapter.

[Skulljack17]

Aww, RIP stache. You will no longer grace a lip and make for funny kisses.