Dresses and Distractions
Chapter 18: Dresses and Distractions
As the noon bell rang on Monday, Dawn, Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Rubmble made their way to the teahouse for their usual shift. However, Scootaloo noted Apple Bloom's absence, wondering where their friend had gone. Sweetie Belle's tongue tied briefly as she tried to come up with an excuse, while Dawn balked at the idea of lying to his fillyfriend...even if it was for a good cause. Fortunately, it was Rumble who came to the rescue, in a manner of speaking, when he explained that Bloom had gone to see Spike at the library, the excuse extracting a diabolical grin from Scootaloo, even as Dawn and Sweetie gave Rumble grateful looks. The fact that the excuse was technically true made it all the better.
Their afternoon working at the teahouse went as quietly as it usually did, Dawn in particular reveling in the peaceful atmosphere. However, he was a bit anxious about what came after. The normal course of things was to go out to the quarry with Scootaloo for their training. However, with that came risks, as Scootaloo's house was easily visible from the air and she was likely to notice once their friends began work on it. Dawn had seen her casting forlorn glances at the place everytime they had flown in and out of town, so keeping her from seeing what her friends were doing on her behalf was a difficult task.
As it turned out, he needn't have worried, as Scootaloo's other friends had set their own plans in motion.
"Aha! There you are!"
"Huh?" Scootaloo's ears twitched at the sound of Rarity's voice as the four Cutie Mark Crusaders stepped out of the teahouse and into the waning afternoon.
"Gracious, I've been looking for you all afternoon, darling," said Rarity as she trotted up to them.
"What are you talking about?" asked Scootaloo, "You know Sweetie Belle comes here with us every afternoon."
"Oh! I wasn't looking for Sweetie Belle," said Rarity, smiling politely, "I was looking for you, Scootaloo."
"What?" Scootaloo stepped back nervously. "Look, if you're still upset about the time I used your rainbow ribbon-"
"Oh think nothing of it!" said Rarity, cutting the orange filly off quickly, "That little escapade of yours was months ago. No, I'm looking for you for a different reason."
"Why's that?" asked Scootaloo, her voice not loosing any of her wariness. She didn't like the smile on Rarity's face one bit.
"Why to get you fitted for your dress, dear," cooed Rarity, "I've heard all about your date for the Harvest Festival and I see it as my sworn duty to make sure that you look your absolute best."
"Um...tha-that's n-not necessary..." stammered Scootaloo, slowly backing away from Rarity, "I m-mean, thanks for the offer and everything but...I'vegottago!"
Scootaloo's wings snapped open. However, Rarity had already sprung into action, her horn lighting to grip Scootaloo in a field of telekinesis and keep her from escaping. Given her training, Scootaloo might have actually been able to escape before Rarity could have gotten her spell off. However, in her panic, she failed to notice Dawn discretely blending his own magic into the air to deaden it beneath her wings and keep her from managing a takeoff, thus affording Rarity the window of opportunity she needed to act.
"Don't be like that," chided the alabaster mare as she reeled in Scootaloo like a landed fish, "This is your first date and such things are very important. Surely you want to look fabulous for your coltfriend every once in a while."
Conscious of the fact that said coltfriend was currently watching and listening to the exchange, Scootaloo folder her ears flat against her head as her cheeks exploded with bright-red color.
"In all honesty," said Rarity, "You would look lovely with the right dress. I think Dawn would agree. Don't you think so?" She directed the last question to the colt himself, whose own cheeks colored at the thought.
Realizing that there was no way she was getting out of this, Scootaloo let out a despondent sigh. "Fine," she said with a weary groan, "Let's get this over with." However, a flash of insight gifted her with a chance for escape. "What about our practice? I can't afford to slack off on our training."
"There will be time for that later," said Dawn, "Think of this as an opportunity for you to practice your meditation more."
"You know," groused Scootaloo as Rarity pulled her along, "If I didn't like you so much, this would so be grounds for saying I'm in an abusive relationship."
The two of them left while Sweetie and Rumble watched, giggling at the sight. As they went on their way, Sweetie looked over to Rumble. "What should we do now?"
Rumble shrugged, "I don't know. I didn't have anything planned really, since I'm not gonna be training with Storm Front today. Wanna go get ice cream?"
Sweetie's face lit up. "Sure!"
"Wow," said Spike as he and Apple Bloom surveyed the pile of lumber and other materials needed to rebuild the wall of Scootaloo's house, "I'm amazed we managed it. Pinkie Pie really came through for us."
"Yep," agreed Bloom, "Ah'm shocked we got such a good price on all 'o this stuff. Ah didn't think a cutecenera would be such a big deal."
"It ain't that big a surprise when ya hear what happened," said Applejack as she and Big Macintosh arrived with a wagon full of all the tools they needed to start work, "Ole Hardy Hooves' little filly was pretty down in the dumps when she found her cutie mark."
"Why?" asked Apple Bloom.
"'Cause her mother had been in the hospital at the time. She passed away before the poor filly could celebrate her cutecenera; was darn lucky her ma lasted long enough to see her new cutie mark." Applejack sighed and shook her head. "Poor girl was a mess, in no shape to celebrate anythin'."
"That's so sad," said Apple Bloom, her ears drooping as she listened to the story.
Applejack nodded in agreement. "But Pinkie Pie went about plannin' a big cutecenera for her anyway. We all thought that silly pony was bein' mighty insensitive. Ah didn't think that the little Sugarsnap was gonna have any fun at all and was likely to ruin the whole thing fer herself. But Pinkie wouldn't take no fer an answer. So we all pitched in as best we could, hopin' we could at least keep the whole thing from bein' a total loss."
"What happened?" asked Spike, enthralled by the story.
Applejack chuckled. "So Hardy Hooves brings Sugarsnap to the corner and we spring the prize on her like usual. Ah thought the filly was gonna head for the hills when Ah saw the look on her face. She weren't in no mood fer a party until Pinkie came along with a present and asked her to open it before anythin' else."
"What was it?" asked Bloom.
Applejack paused to wipe a tear from her eye. "It was a hair clip, a keepsake of Sugarsnap's ma; mighty pretty thing. Turns out the mare'd sold it to help Hardy Hooves get the money needed to start his hardware business. Pinkie managed to track it down and buy it back. Ah have no idea how she managed it or how much she paid. But, one way or another, she made that little filly’s day. Hardy and Sugarsnap were cryin’ and huggin’. And then, Pinkie gave her the note. Turn’s out she’d visited Sugarsnap’s ma at the hospital. We’d all heard she didn’t have much time left, so when Pinkie Pie found out Sugarsnap’d gotten her cutie mark, Pinkie went straight to her ma and helped her write out one last message to Sugarsnap, tellin’ her to be happy and have fun at her party.
“Well, after that, we had a great ole time. When Sugarsnap left, she was still cryin’, but she was ginnin’ too. It really helped her and Hardy to get over their loss and move on with their lives.”
“Wow,” said Spike, wiping away tears of his own, “That’s amazing. I had no idea Pinkie had done something like that.”
“That’s the amazin’ thing about her,” said Applejack, “She may seem like a lot to handle at times, but it’s moments like that where she can really make ya feel like yer life’s worth livin’. There ain’t nopony better at makin’ ya feel happy than Pinkie Pie.”
"Ain't that the truth," agreed Macintosh, discretely wiping away a few tears of his own, "But Ah think we've done enough talkin'. Let's get this here job started."
"Yeah!" shouted Spike and Apple Bloom in agreement.
While Macintosh and Applejack got to work assembling the new wall, Spike and Bloom were set to removing the remaining pieces of the broken wall. The two had to be extra careful removing boards to keep from damaging anything further. Together, they worked at a brisk pace, Bloom's magic helping her to do her job quickly and precisely. She found that she was enjoying the work, the feeling of helping to build something up giving her an immense sense of satisfaction. She was fascinated with examining how everything was held together and reveled in the sensation of taking it apart so that she could put something else together in its place.
About halfway through the afternoon, Storm Front and Flitter arrived, towing a few shade clouds that were strategically placed to hide the yard from view of airborne ponies, a countermeasure Rumble had posed to keep Scootaloo from spotting the work in progress from the air.
Together, the three ponies, and one dragon, worked through the afternoon.
"Are ya sure ya ain't gonna come with us?" asked Blenheim as he waited on the platform. Rivercrest stood with him while Braeburn and Mayweather faced the two of them.
"Ah'm gonna stick around and help fix up that house," said Braeburn, "Then Ah'm gonna see if this Harvest Festival 'o theirs is any fun."
"I'm sure it will be," said Rivercrest, "But I feel as though we have worn out our welcome at least. It might be better if we left." He gave Mayweather an inquisitive look, but the mare averted her eyes.
"I want to help with the house as well," said Mayweather, "And...I'm not sure..."
"Not sure 'bout what?" asked Blenheim.
"I'm not so sure...about the Order anymore. After everything that's happened I...I'm not sure I can go back. It doesn't feel right."
Blenheim nodded slowly. "Ah get ya. Ah've got some reservations 'o mah own, that's why Ah'm gonna go work my way in to see the Supreme Pontiff." He sighed before mustering up a soft smile and extending his hoof to Mayweather. "It don't matter if yer still with the Order or not. There's still a place fer ya in Appleloosa. That's a promise from an Apple."
"Thanks," said Mayweather, smiling back, taking his hoof and shaking it.
The whistle, accompanied by the final boarding call indicated that it was time for the two stallions to get onto the train. As it pulled out of the station, the two of them waved from the windows while Braeburn and Mayweather waved back until the train pulled out of sight.
"Well," said the mare, "I guess that's that."
"Ah reckon so," agreed Braeburn, "Ah sure hope Uncle Blen don't get in hot water with them higher-ups in that Order 'o yers."
"I'm sure he'll be fine," said Mayweather. Turning, she and Braeburn left the platform and began to make their way towards Scootaloo's house, where the repair work had already begun.
Scootaloo held her body perfectly still, her legs spaced evenly apart, her wings partially spread. She kept her eyes closed and took slow, even breaths, trying her hardest to keep her mind clear and empty, even as her wind-sense told her the air around her was filled with winding rolls of cloth, scissors, measuring tape, and needles. Rarity was still in an experimental stage, testing different colors to see how they matched up against Scootaloo's coat or her mane.
"Please open your eyes dear," said Rarity, "I know you're trying your hardest to stay still and this probably makes it harder, but it will help me to find the right color combination for you if I can see your eyes as well."
Scootaloo did as she bid, trying her hardest to keep the sight of various objects whirling across her field of vision from disrupting her thoughtless state. It wasn't easy. Every time something small, and probably sharp, zipped past her peripheral vision, her body wanted to flinch away automatically. Only her wind-sense, which was tracking everything around her almost perfectly, kept her reflexes under control. Oh...and Dawn' helped too...in his own way.
Dawn stood up on a separate pedestal, in the same stance as Scootaloo, his eyes facing forward, blinking only occasionally, but unfocused, the colt having had much more practice in the art of staying still than Scootaloo did. However, even though they couldn't even touch each other right now, just having him in the same room was saving Scootaloo from going crazy with a combination of boredom and anxiety.
Once she had started her work with Scootaloo, Rarity had insisted that Dawn submit to the treatment as well. She fully intended to craft outfits for both of them and was now working furiously to come up with outfits for two ponies simultaneously. Dawn had obliged her without protest and done as asked, an example that Scootaloo found herself hard-pressed to follow.
Both of them were snapped out of their meditation by the chime of the bell as the door opened. A few moments later, Rainbow Dash came walking into the workroom. "Geez Rarity, you don't waste any time do ya?"
"Rainbow?" Scootaloo flushed a little at the thought of Rainbow seeing her like this. She sent a pleading look at her idol, who merely flashed Scootaloo a cheeky grin.
"Sorry squirt," said Rainbow, "But, just this once, I've gotta agree with Rarity here. I think you'd look good in a dress."
Scootaloo blushed at Rainbow's statement, even as she paled at the realization that her big sister was throwing her to the timberwolves. "Rainbow..."
"Oh don't be like that," said Rarity with a teasing grin, "After all, Rainbow was just as uncomfortable as you were, especially when she was getting ready for her date."
"Hey! Don't tell them that," protested Rainbow.
Rarity only giggled. "Oh? Perhaps then, I should tell them about the first time I made a dress for you. Do you remember all the...adjustments...you made to it?"
"H-hey...that's a low blow," Rainbow griped weakly.
"The fashion show!" Scootaloo exclaimed, smiling as she forgot her anxiety and discomfort, "That's right. I totally missed out on that. I heard you girls were wearing all kinds of crazy getups."
Even Dawn raised an eyebrow, having only heard the story in vague terms from his mother, who had understandably glossed over some of the more embarrassing details. Rainbow quailed beneath their combined scrutiny.
"C-come on you two," she said, "You don't really need to know about that. It's just a boring story about boring...frou-frou stuff."
"Oh don't be like that, darling," said Rarity, "I have pictures and everything."
Rainbow whirled to gape at Rarity. "You took pictures!?"
"Indeed," agreed Rarity, "I was saving them for the day I would get the chance to embarrass you in front of your own foals, but your little sister will have to suffice."
"Please no!" wailed Rainbow, prostrating herself at Rarity's hooves, "Anything but that!"
Rarity could only titter at her friend's histrionics. And ponies always say I'm the drama queen... "Oh fine. I suppose I could let you off the hook for now."
"Thank you so much," gasped Rainbow, slumping down into a varicolored puddle on the floor.
"However, I wasn't lying about the future," said Rarity, a wicked glint in her eye, "Someday, when you have foals of your own Rainbow, I will bring out those pictures and I will show them."
Ignoring Rainbow's sputtering response, Rarity turned her attention back to Scootaloo. "Anyway, Rainbow looked most ravishing in her dress. I daresay that Soarin' couldn't take his eyes off of her." Rainbow blushed furiously at Rarity's compliments. "I just want to do the same thing for you, my dear filly. Just think about it, you in the most marvelous gown, your coltfriend simply unable to look away, the two of you together beneath the moonlit sky..."
Scootaloo wasn't alone in blushing this time, as Dawn had joined her, the bright red standing out all the more vividly against his pitch-black coat. Seeing his expression out of the corner of her eye, Scootaloo couldn't help but smirk at the idea of having the normally independent colt wrapped around her hoof for an evening.
"Now then, what to do..." mused Rarity as she looked them over, "I have some ideas as to the color scheme, but the actual design and materials..."
"Why are you thinking so hard about that?" asked Rainbow.
"Well, it's obvious isn't it," said Rarity, looking at her friend, "This isn't some high-society event the two of them are attending. They're going to the Harvest Festival after all. The design should be something simple, something that won't get mussed by them frolicking about. The materials need to be light and flexible, yet durable." Rarity settled onto her haunches and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Obviously, Dawn will be in a darling little suit, so there won't be too much to worry about with him. But Scootaloo's dress shouldn't be anything too loose or ruffled, or it will get caught on something and get torn."
Rarity continued to mull the problem over while Dawn and Scootaloo looked on from their pedestals. Even as she did so, her magic was already at work, sorting tools and materials, storing them away, and generally tidying up the workspace. After a few minutes of silence, Scootaloo finally noticed that Rarity seemed to be finished with any of the work that required her and Dawn to actually be present.
"Can we go now?" she asked, looking around curiously.
"Ah!" Rarity started, realizing that Scootaloo had caught on to the fact that she had finished. "Ah yes, I was just thinking about the materials. I don't suppose you have any input do you?"
Scootaloo shrugged. "I've got nothing," she said simply, "I don't know the first thing about fabric, so I'll have to leave that to you."
"I suppose you're right," admitted Rarity, realizing that her hopes of stalling Scootaloo further were slipping away. Any further efforts to keep the filly in place would probably strain credibility and clue Scootaloo into the fact that Rarity was deliberately keeping her there.
"Great!" said Rainbow, "It's way too nice to be cooped in here all afternoon. Why don't we go flying squirt?"
Scootaloo grinned eagerly. "I'd love to." However, she paused when she realized that Dawn was still there. "But..." she said, her expression falling, "I should still try to get some training in."
Dawn smiled at her. "There's no need for that. I've been monopolizing your time quite a bit. You should spend some time with Rainbow Dash.
"Besides," he added, "This can still be training. Work on applying the skills you've been learning for the Gale King to your flight."
Scootaloo's eyes widened and her grin was positively radiant. "Really?" When Dawn nodded, she turned to Rainbow. "Okay! Let's go!"
Scootaloo wasted no time in bolting for the door, Rainbow following in her wake, laughing. "Wait for me Scoots!" The two of them were gone in a flash, leaving Dawn alone in the boutique with Rarity. The colt moved a bit more slowly as he sedately stepped down from the pedestal.
"Do you think it will be alright?" asked Rarity.
"I suppose," said Dawn with a shrug, "If Rainbow Dash is suggesting flying, then that must mean precautions have already been taken to keep Scootaloo from seeing the work being done on her house from the air."
He directed a worried look at the door. "I hope the others finish their work soon. We did well enough for today, but I don't know how many days we can keep this up for."
"I'm sure it will be fine," said Rarity, reaching out to run her hoof through Dawn's mane. To her surprise, the colt no longer flinched at the contact. It used to be that only Fluttershy could touch him without drawing a start. "Even if she does find out, it won't be the end of the world. We all just want it to be a pleasant surprise for her. That's all."
Dawn smiled and nodded politely at her before taking his own leave. Rarity watched him go, feeling rather pleased overall. "He certainly is growing into a fine young stallion."
Scootaloo delighted at the chance to go flying with Rainbow; so much so that she didn't even spare a single thought for her house during their time spent flying. Rainbow Dash, for her part, was impressed with Scootaloo's development. While Scootaloo's top speeds didn't even come close to approaching Rainbow's, the filly's maneuverability was incredible. Scootaloo was able to execute sharp turns by kicking off the air with her hooves, a trick she'd seen Dawn use the time he had flown that race with Rumble. As such, she could pull off tricks that even Rainbow wouldn't dream of, though her inexperience with the technique sometimes resulted in the filly tumbling out of control.
As the evening approached, Rainbow Dash flew back to the library, an exhausted Scootaloo on her back, while Dawn followed along in their wake, an amused smile on his face. He had watched the whole thing from a distance, but had decided against joining in. After spending so much time with just the two of them, it felt good to see somepony else get to spend some personal time with Scootaloo.
Dawn and Rainbow stayed to share dinner with Scootaloo, Melon, Spike, and Twilight. After the meal, Dawn and Rainbow headed out to their respective homes while Melon tucked a contented Scootaloo into bed.
Second day saw the workers making progress on repairing the house. Already, Applejack and Big Macintosh were nearly finished with assembling the new wall. Once it was lifted into place, they would install the windows and doors. Spike and Apple Bloom had more or less finished clearing away the remaining portions of the damaged wall, a task that went even faster when Mayweather and Braeburn joined them. What awaited them after that, was the more delicate work with the ceiling beam and the floor.
"The floor won't be too hard," said Spike, eyeing the damaged boards, "We can fix it up after the wall's in place. But we should get that ceiling beam out and the new one in before we try to put the wall up."
Bloom nodded. She was already marking out places to put the supports to hold up the rest of the ceiling when they removed the beam. Using her magic, she spread her awareness throughout the house, feeling for the areas that would be under the most stress when the length of wood was taken out. "Ah think we're gonna need Big Mac's help fer this. Ah don't fancy our luck tryin' to get that thing down on our own."
"Yeah, but It's gonna be tricky," said Spike, "Big Macintosh is a must for strength, but you're probably gonna have to be the one who detaches the beam. You'll be able to remove the bolts and nails without damaging anything else."
"It's gonna be a team effort," said Applejack, coming up to stand with them, "Ah think we may wanna bring Twi into this. She's got enough hornpower to move that thing without us havin' to rig up a pulley or somethin'."
"Sounds like a plan," said Spike, getting a piece of paper and a quill, "I'll send her a letter and let'er know." He laughed sharply before quailing underneath the looks his friends were giving him.
"Sugarcube, some puns ain't meant to be used," said Apple Bloom darkly.
"Right, getting on it," said Spike, running away a short distance before pausing to write the letter.
Apple Bloom let out a sigh before realizing that her older sister was giving her a sly look. "What's that look fer sis?"
"So yer callin' him sugarcube now?" asked Applejack.
Bloom's cheeks burned and she immediately tried to make herself look busy while Applejack looked on, chuckling. She wished Red River could be there, but her stallion was currently running the market stall, selling some of their latest harvest while everypony else was working on the house.
Any further thoughts were swept aside by the burst of violet energy that heralded the arrival of Twilight Sparkle as she teleported in. "Alright, I'm here," said the lavender unicorn, "Tell me what you need help with."
As the day ended, the ceiling beam was successfully removed and replaced without causing any further damage. Apple Bloom had been a critical part of the process, directing where to set up the supports and also removing the nails and bolts that held the beam in place. When Twilight levitated the new one up into position, Bloom was also the one to make sure it was fully attached to the ceiling. Applejack and Big Macintosh finished work on the new wall, meaning that it was ready to be lifted up and attached to the house. Their work was nearly done, but so was the day. The group went their separate ways, promising to finish the job tomorrow.
To everypony's surprise, their plan to keep Scootaloo from finding out was working like a charm. After working at the teahouse, Dawn took Scootaloo back to the quarry and had her continue to practice the exercise to control her strength. Scootaloo's progress was slow, having succeeded in stopping the rocks without launching them into the air, but also having difficulty maintaining a constant stream to keep them in place. In many ways, the precision required by this exercise seemed more draining to her than a half-dozen repetitions of any of her forms. But still, she practiced diligently, determined to make sure that what happened with Quicksilver would not happen again.
"Alright! Go Twilight!" Applejack waved her hooves, signaling her friend into action.
Twilight nodded and grit her teeth, her aura wrapping around the finished wall and levitating it up to rest against the side of the house, holding it in place.
"Let's get to it!" shouted Apple Bloom, taking up her hammer and nails. Nearby, Braeburn, Mayweather, Applejack, and Big Macintosh did the same. They moved quickly, pounding the nails in and anchoring the wall to the rest of the house.
All the while, Twilight kept her horn level as her levitation spell held the mass in place. The wall was no ursa minor, but this was an exercise in stamina, rather than raw strength. Fortunately, Twilight felt more than up to the challenge, her sessions practicing combat magic with Arkenstone having borne some helpful fruit, namely the techniques she was acquiring to streamline her magic usage, which not only allowed her to cast more quickly, but use her magical energy more efficiently, meaning that she could do a simple task like this for much longer than she used to be able to.
Fortunately, there was no need to push her limits, as the other completed their work quickly and Twilight released the spell with a gasping breath. She'd broken a sweat, but didn't feel terribly drained.
"We did it!" exclaimed Spike excitedly.
"It ain't finished yet," said Apple Bloom, "There's still plenty of work that needs doin'."
That much was true. As it stood now, the wall looked mismatched with the rest of the house, the color of the wood contrasting with the normal white of Ponyville housing. It wouldn't look right until the outer coat of plaster was applied. On top of that, the doors and windows needed to be installed, the damaged shingles on the roof needed replacing before new thatch was laid down, and the floor inside still needed fixing.
"Still," said Twilight, "We've got the big parts of the job out of the way. The rest shouldn't be too hard."
"Alright then," said Applejack, "Braeburn, Mayweather, ya two get those windows set in. Big Mac, ya do the door. Bloom and Spike, get to work on the floor. Twi, ya'll help me get the new shingles on. We'll save the plaster fer last. If we work hard, we can finish it before the end 'o the day."
Everypony went to work on their assigned tasks. Braeburn, Mayweather, and Macintosh all managed to get their jobs done quickly before they went inside to help Spike and Apple Bloom with the floor. They removed the damaged boards and laid down new ones before sanding, staining, polishing, and varnishing them to match the rest of the floor. Outside, Twilight levitated the new shingles up to Applejack, who set them in place. Once they were done, Twilight sent up a bale of straw that Applejack laid down to cover the shingles.
Their respective tasks completed, everypony came outside to help with laying down the layer of plaster to cover the wood. Between everypony working on the project, the work went quickly and efficiently. As the sun started to set over the horizon, the group looked up to see their job completed.
"Wow," said Spike, "That went way faster than I thought it would."
"Ah think we have Bloom to thank fer that," said Big Macintosh, giving his youngest sister a proud smile, "This whole thing woulda been a lot harder if she hadn't been makin' sure we weren't breakin' anythin' while we were tryin' to fix it."
"Aw shucks, it weren't nothin'," demurred Apple Bloom, scuffing the ground as she looked down shyly.
"I agree with Mac," said Spike, "You really did a good job Apple Bloom. Everypony else did most of the heavy lifting. But thanks to you, things really went a lot more smoothly than they could've." Bloom averted her gaze away, blushing as she listened to Spike's praise.
"Well," said Twilight with a tired yawn, "I've got to get home and tell Melon Cream the good news. We'll let the plaster set overnight and tomorrow, we'll show Scootaloo. Come on Spike."
Spike turned to follow Twilight, but paused when he heard Apple Bloom speak from behind him. "Wait Spike!" Spike paused and looked over his shoulder to see Bloom, still blushing, staring after him. "Ah need to ask ya somethin'."
"Uh...okay," said Spike, giving Twilight an apologetic look. The lavender unicorn acknowledged it with a wry smile before going on ahead.
Meanwhile, Applejack exchanged looks with the others before decided to head back to the farm, leaving Spike and Apple Bloom alone in Scootaloo's yard.
"What's up?" asked Spike, now blushing slightly himself.
"Ah wanted to thank ya Spike," said Apple Bloom, "Ah couldn't get this done without ya. Ah had no idea what Ah was doin' 'til ya started helpin' me."
"Aw shucks," said Spike, grinning sheepishly as he ran a hand over his spines, "It's not that big a deal. Applejack or Twilight would've known exactly what to do if you'd gone to them. It's not like I did something special."
"But ya did," said Bloom, "Ya were the first one to help me and the one to help get this thing together. So what if Twilight or AJ coulda helped. It was still you."
"I guess..." said Spike, shifting on his feet uncomfortably.
"So that's why Ah wanted to ask ya somethin'." Bloom looked away and took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself down. Turning back to Spike she smiled brightly at him. "Spike, would ya come to the Harvest Festival with me?"
"Sure, no problem..." Spike froze as comprehension about what he'd just been asked sank in. "Wait! What?"
"Ah want ya to go to the Harvest Festival with me," said Apple Bloom firmly, finding a certain amusement at having wrongfooted Spike. It helped her keep her own anxiety under control.
"W-w-with y-y-you...? Y-you mean...like a d-date?" It was all the young dragon could do to keep stringing words together into coherent sentences.
"Y-yeah," said Bloom, tripping over her own words, "Would ya?"
"I..." Spike took a shuddering breath, trying his hardest to keep his nerves under control. "I'd love to," he said finally.
"That's great!" exclaimed Bloom, rushing up to the dragon and enfolding him in a crushing hug, "Thank ya Spike!"
"No...problem..." gasped Spike, trying his best to breathe as Blooms forelegs tightened their vice-like grip.
"Ah'll see ya then," said Bloom, pulling back and letting Spike go, "Goodnight Spike."
Getting his breath back, Spike looked back at Bloom and smiled. "Goodnight Apple Bloom."
Bloom inched forward and hesitated, her eyes darting about, betraying her uncertainty over her next action. In a flash, she leaned in and pressed her lips against Spike's own. She pulled away almost as quickly, the kiss being nothing more than a light peck. Even so, her lips were tingling. The next instant, she was gone, a puff of dust being the only thing marking her hasty departure. Behind her, a dumbfounded Spike stood, his eyes wide and unseeing as his brain worked to process what had just happened. Slowly, the little dragon raised a clawed hand to his lips, his mind replaying the phantom memory of the feeling of Bloom's soft lips against his own. After a long moment, Spike's face broke out into a jubilant smile.
"I have news," said Terra Heart, striding into the room, "A pony has come forward with information about the demon's whereabouts."
"Is that so?" said Morning Star, turning away from the window, the fading light of the sun drawing a glint from his off-white horn, "That's good to know. I was making little headway with my Canterlot sources in trying to find the circumstances of Willow's death. What did this pony have to say?"
"He hasn't given us the information yet," replied Terra, a low rumble of anger finding its way into his voice, "He refuses to speak to anypony but you. He is making his way through the path now."
"I see," said Morning Star, "Interesting..."
"Leave it to me," said Terra, "I will go extract the information from him myself. There is no need to trouble yourself with such trash."
"That will not be necessary," said Morning Star firmly, "Go ahead and expedite the process. Bring the stallion to me as soon as you reasonably can."
"But Holy Father!" protested Terra, "He possesses vital information and is using it as leverage to gain the privilege to come into your presence! This is a vile betrayal! It should not be rewarded."
"I wonder about that," mused Morning Star, "After all, were I in that stallion's position, I imagine that I would have a very real fear of just that reaction. Unless this pony is a blithering idiot, I cannot imagine that he would withhold such vital information solely for personal gain. Rather, I suspect he has some conviction to seek an audience with me and is willing to risk bringing the wrath of the Order down on his head to do so."
He fixed Terra with a calm gaze. "So go ahead and bring this stallion to me as quickly as you can. Make sure all the precautions are followed, but don't bother too much with the particulars." He smiled coldly. "I will judge for myself whether or not this stallion seeks me for the appropriate reasons. But fret not, if your original assessment of the situation proves to be correct, then you will still be free to deal with him as he deserves."
Terra nodded grimly and left the room. As the door closed behind him, the smile slowly fell from Morning Star's face. "Oh dear...If only that colt could have stayed hidden a little longer..."
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Kind of expected Bloom to get her mark there... but I guess she'll get it when she will show Scoots all her work. It will be more emotional, I think.
well...the tension is building. Also, PINKIE
Okay... I am completely confused here. Morning Star has an off white horn. So did Wight Shade if I remember correctly. So, Morning Star=Wight Shade.
...but why would he want him to stay hidden?
iv been noticing sweetie has a thing for wings so i figure she'll be the next ship how ever im a little curious about whats going to happen with the order and with trixie
...no im not going to let this go i need to know
as alweys good job but i figured bloom would get her mark to what gives or is that what you ment when you said the next chapter would involve two down as in another crusader would have their cutie mark
also i still beleve you chose to release at these ungodlly times to test us
4211509 He probably wanted Dawn to stay hidden until he (Morning Star that is) was in a position to be able to get his revenge on Celestia for cutting off his horn and banishing him for attempting a very dangerous experiment that could have destroyed the world just for the sake of doing it. Also I'm fairly certain that Wright Shade =/= Morning Star (though if it turns out your right that would quite a
) as MS was at one point rather close to the Princess (on the same closeness level as Twilight possibly) who would probably remember his face even after she had him banish and erased from Equestria. The reason why they both have white horns is because WS was born with it (or so he claims) and MS had his original horn removed when he was banished for what he did above and that is the way it grew back.
The Spikebloom ship has set sail
Also, Morning Star... I wonder if he has a connection with Dawn...
4211684 I'm gonna go with nothing directly, seeing as he has yet to call Dawn by his name, instead using demon. I would think that, if he knew his name, he''s have told the cult so finding him would be easier. Can't wait to find out the implications of that little line though!
Okay, it's official that Wight Shade = Morning Star, and I think that I know just why he's now the Supreme Pontiff of the Order. The reason is very simple, they are means to get the desired results. Here are a few quote's from the previous story that make me believe that:
Also, I have the right to believe that he wants to use both the Order and Dawn, especially the animosity of one to another, to complete his research, the experiment that Celestia herself stopped:
I think that during his exile, Morning Star somehow discovered a way to 'look into the blueprints of the world', and that both the Order and Dawn are somewhat keys to it. Either one of them or both, of that I'm not entirely sure.
Seeing how much Appe Bloom grew for the last couple of chapters, it's easy to say what happens in the next one from such trailer.
Wonder how Sweetie will deal with the situation like that, and how Dawn will be able to help her - because other Crusaders got the dreams thanks to him, one way or another.
Oh dear. Blenheim's getting 'expedited'.
Why do I get the sense that an obituary is in the offing?
4211882 Don't worry to be expedited means that he will go through the bureaucracy faster, this was what Twilight was worried about when the drought was still on that if she petitioned Celestia that she would have her request expedited because she is her student (which you probably knew what it meant anyways and if not well now you know what it means (and that is half the battle
). I don't think that they are going to kill Blenheim (probably not but they are zealous fanatics here hoping they don't have an Inquisition like body) though he may be brain washed to become a proselytizer when he meets Morning Star which is still bad 
.
4212253
Nopony expects the Solar Inquisition!
Yeah, my original thought was that Blenheim's next mention is gonna be a "Pony is missing" article/obit.
But yes, I agree, brainwashing is a possibility.
Disappearance + brainwashing + reappearance under a different name, maybe? = a trifecta of truly tragic twisty turns of events. 
4212279 It's not just a far off possibility either as in an earlier chapter Mayweather all but said that they were brain washed as: .
That sounds a lot like brain washing / mind control too me which is bad news for Blenheim.
*Oprah Whinnyfrey voice* "You get a ship. You get a ship! Everypony gets a ship!!"
4211509
Probably because it could spoil his plans before he is ready, probably it will have something to do with whatever they are doing in Appleloosa.
Thatch is far more than a simple layer of hay. It's woven, and its construction is very time consuming.
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Poor Belheim, I have a bad feeling about that poor old coot, and I'm happy that things on the shipping front are finally moving forward.
That's a rather round about way of asking a dragon / pony to be your special somepony. But I can't wait to see their first date. And Scoots as well.
The part about Pinkie's contribution to the filly's life made me tear up abit.
Ouch! Et tu Brute!
And Dawn channeling a bit of Aether with that little bit of torture
Blenheim goes to meet the Supreme Pontiff. Prior Blenheim returns with a huge staff and his fur completely bleached white, preaching the words from the Book of the Ori....I mean, the Order
Dawn...you really need to start searching for the Ark of Truth--STAT!
4211558
Definitely this. I seriously doubt he really gives a shit about Dawn or any other "demon pony with Nightmare Eyes" out there. His position as "Supreme Pontiff" has only one purpose: killing Celestia. Using those in the Order to further his goals is just a front. Worrying about Dawn is actually just getting in the way of his real goals.
Rumble
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6854141
I never got why people thought he'd be out for revenge. I mean from everything told about him human / pony ways of thinking were alien to him, and he sees the world via Orange Blue Morality. People and things purely exist to tickle his whimsy and he has the mind set of "everything for the sake of scientific progress". So like Discord merged with Science! Twilight.
I could never see such a person being controlled by emotions, especially since everything, including emotions are just means to an end. Not the end itself.
found another lurker she was still cryin’, but she was ginnin’ too. [ grinning ]
6854141
I so called this. During the second to last fic, we see both his actions when it happened and his actions in the 'present'. Sorry didn't mean to brag. Just saw this earlier convo of ours and it tickled my funny bone on how spot on I was.
The order will have some trouble if they kill off an Apple, their family has hooves everywhere.
6854141
If Celestia dies the cult would turn on him.
And that how Equestria descended into a tyrannical, magicless, society led by by a giant centaur.
9003903
He wouldn't worry about that. After all the only one of any real power is Terra Heart and he's a pushover compared to Morning Star's power. All the Order is, is a means to an end.
I fear he won't
Yeah gonna be difficult to keep them all under control now, which in turn will make it hard to stay undetected
They're pairing off quite quickly! Sweetie is going to get jealous!
Pinkie is so kind! I started tearing up at the end of Applejack’s story
I'm a little surprised that dash hasn't expressed any interest in the Gale King.