Blooming Romance

by Enigmatic Otaku

Happy Hearts And Hooves Day.

"Here, Sugar Plum, I got you some chocolate-dipped almonds."

"Aw really, Delight, thanks! Well here, I got you something too. Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

"Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"

Ebony Star remained still atop his raised half of the seesaw, watching his two classmates as they exchanged sweets and friendly embraces. Despite being a bit drowsy--as he was a batpony who had recently made the move from Canterlot to Ponyville with his mother, forcing him to adjust to an inverted sleeping schedule in order to attend the local school--it was clear to him that the two foals were simply looking for an excuse to share candy on the schoolyard without their vigilant pre-school teacher Miss Nurture making so much as a fuss. It was the actual holiday, after all.

Still, Ebony didn't think the two even knew the real meaning behind Hearts and Hooves Day, let alone why chocolate was given.

"Ebony."

Not that he cared about the whole 'Love' thing or anything... The candy he'd gotten was nice though.

"Yoo-hoo, you there, Stars?"

Really, it was the cheap store-bought cards everypony would buy in bulk that he had more of an issue with. Being forced by your parents--or in his case, mother--to hastily scribble everyponies' name on them before handing them out felt more like a chore than--

"Ebony!" a filly shouted, yanking the young bat-colt back to the present.

"Hmm, huh, what?" Ebony quickly uttered with a quick shake of his head, his slit emerald eyes refocusing on his surrounding.

Regaining his senses, he ran a dark furred-hoof through his slicked back steel-gray mane with green streaks before turning to the opposite end of the seesaw. There, looking up at him with an annoyed look on her face, sat his friend of a few months, Sweet Tooth.

Sweet Tooth was an earth pony, one who had a bit more weight to her than others, was the same age as Ebony yet slightly taller than him, and had a coat that was a mauve pink while her long and straight mane was mint green with pin stripes of lavender in it that perfectly matched her eyes. Her most defining feature, however, was how, whenever she smiled, the thin metal bar of her retainer could be shown spanning over the front of her upper teeth.

"Eh, sorry," Ebony apologized before giving hearty a yawn. As he did so, his leathery wings slowly flared and his pointy fangs fully revealed themselves in his mouth. "Mmm, must have...must have zoned out or...or something."

In response, Sweet Tooth shot him a knowing brow.

"'Zoned out' huh? You know, I hope you didn't just fall asleep on me, because a teeter-totter needs BOTH ponies to teeter and totter for it to work."

"Yeah, yeah. But hey, to be fair," Ebony shot back, "I'm still getting used to this whole 'day' thing, so cut me a little slack. Don't know how you ponies out here do it so easily."

Sweet Tooth grinned.

"Heh, years of practice. Anyway, would you be so kind as to..." Using her hoof, she gestured back and forth from him to herself.

"Oh," Ebony said, understanding her meaning. He leaned back, shifting his weight on the seesaw, lowering his half while raising Sweet Tooth's.

Almost a minute into their teeter-tottering, Sweet Tooth spoke up, her voice carrying a bored yet curious tone in it.

"So...any other plans for Hearts and Hooves today?"

Kicking his half of the board up, Ebony shrugged.

"Eh, not really. Already gave everypony in the class a card...even if I didn't want to."

Sweet Tooth made an amused scoff at that, rolling her eyes while looking away.

"Ha, yeah... I think there are others here more deserving of my token candy than ponies like, ugh...Begonia," she sneered, shuddering in disgust at the mere mention of the name. Her expression then turning into a smirk, she turned back to Ebony and finished with, "Though, even if I did have some to give, it's a good thing I don't have a mom to make me."

Ebony shirked back a bit, gritting his teeth within his mouth in an effort to contain his grimace. With how happy-go-lucky and confident Sweet Tooth's demeanor normally was, it was pretty easy for Ebony to forget that she didn't have parents like most ponies. Still, despite her not showing any signs of being offended in the slightest by the mention of him having a mother, Ebony made a mental note to avoid bringing up such topics when around her.

"On the plus side," Sweet Tooth then said, "your mom's probably going to make a killing selling roses right about now."

Her bringing it up, on the other hoof, was a different matter entirely.

"Heh, eh...yeah, I guess. Long as she doesn't sell the one's I've been growing, though," Ebony awkwardly replied, averting his eyes while rubbing a hoof at the back of his neck.

"Pfft, I doubt she would," dismissed Sweet Tooth. "Weren't they still budding the last time you showed them to me and Cinnabon? I don't think a pony wants their special somepony to show up at their doorstep with a rose that hasn't even bloomed yet." Her then expression lighting up, Sweets smiled. "Hey, speaking of Cinnamon Bun, what about her parents?"

Ebony cocked his head to the side, saying, "What about them?"

"What, did your brain fall asleep too!? They run that candy shop--duh! Oh I bet they're just earning bits up the wazoo selling heart-shaped candies and chocolates! Maybe even some gum drops, or taffies, or maybe those--"

"Sweets," Ebony interrupted.

"Yeah?" she asked.

His expression calmed and collected, Ebony pointed to her mouth and said, "You're drooling there."

"Oh, so I am." After wiping her slobber onto her foreleg, Sweet Tooth began looking around. "Hey, I just realized something... Where is Cinnamon Bun?"

Realizing that himself, and with his half of the board raised again, Ebony began to look around as well.

"Huh, you're right. Where is she? Doesn't take that long to get back from the bathroom."

Ebony scanned the entire playground from his perch, unable to spot his friend amongst the other playing foals. Seconds later, there was a terrible inkling in his gut when he realized that there was somepony else he failed to see.

"Oh no..." he uttered.

Growing concerned, Sweet Tooth looked up to him.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

Ebony gave his surroundings another quick once-over, hopping to spot her the second time around. When that failed to bear any results, he looked forward with a pensive look on his face before speaking.

"Alright, um, shush for a bit. I'mma try something."

With Sweets complying with her silence, Ebony closed his eyes and fully perked his ears. Being a batpony, he was naturally imbued with better, more acute hearing than most. What he had wasn't exactly echo-location, per se, but in that moment, it was to be extremely useful.

Slowly turning his head to and fro as he swiveled his ears, Ebony concentrated on filtering out the happy sounds of the other foals from his mental map. It was difficult, and took him a moment before accomplishing that, but once he did, he managed to pick out one very specific sound that didn't belong in a schoolyard full of playful students.

Sharp, labored breaths followed by sniffling.

"This way!" Ebony exclaimed, hopping off the seesaw to glide to the ground, only to then run into a full gallop.

Sensing the urgency, Sweet Tooth quickly followed behind him as he headed for the other side of schoolhouse. Once they went around it, however, they stopped in their tracks, as they were met with a most unwelcome sight.

"Aww, is the little freak gonna cry? Look at her, she's crying!"

"I...I am not!" Cinnamon Bun protested, backed into the side of the schoolhouse by three other ponies, as well as Begonia, who was clearly the one instigating the whole ordeal.

Cinnamon Bun was the third member of Ebony's little trio, and was the youngest of the three by about a year. Her fur was a shade of brown that greatly resembled caramel, she had rose colored eyes, and her dirty blonde mane and tail were styled into swirls that looked like cinnamon buns, as was her namesake. Lastly, she was a unicorn with a healthy amount of added pudge to her; that, coupled with her slightly crooked horn (something she always tries to hide by swirling one of her mane curls around it) made her a target for bullies like Begonia.

Speaking of Begonia, she--if it wasn't obvious by now--was the class bully. She was a lemon-yellow earth pony with a red mane styled back into a ponytail; she was also happened to be the tallest in the class, as she stood at an apple or two more than the other students. She could easily intimidate a pony with her stature alone, and was prone to do that, just as she was doing with Cinnamon Bun right at that moment.

"Just leave me alone!" Cinnamon shouted to her tormentors. Despite what she said earlier, Cinnamon really was on the verge of crying, as she was biting onto her quivering bottom lip while her bloodshot, watery eyes showed that she was trying desperately to hold back her tears from escaping.

Sneering her toothy smile, Begonia shook her head in jest and took a step forward to Cinnamon Bun.

"Nah, I don't feel like it. Why don't you make us, Little Miss Roundy?"

"Yeah, make us," one of Begonia's little cronies added.

Cinnamon Bun's trembling body was visibly shrinking under their gazes, snot beginning to dribble down her nose.

"I...I..."

"Hey! Leave her alone!" Sweet Tooth shouted before running towards the group with Ebony in tow, forcing herself in the space between her friend and Begonia.

"You alright, Cinnabon?" Ebony then asked in concern, his hoof on her shoulder as he kneeled to his shaken friend.

She didn't answer. Instead, she immediately stood upright and, much to Ebony's surprise, threw herself at him into an embrace, clearly grateful for the rescue. The batpony was stunned at first by the sudden action, but seconds later, after allowing his tense muscles to relax, he returned the gesture in kind.

"There, there...it's alright," he said, patting her back.

Glad to see that Ebony was consoling Cinnamon Bun, Sweet Tooth swiftly turned back to Begonia. She was glaring daggers up at the bigger pony, standing as tall and as stoic as she could while she did so.

"What do you think you're doing to my friend, Buttmunch!?" Sweet Tooth spat.

The corner of Begonia's mouth curled into a smirk, her eyes glancing left and right to her cohorts before saying, "Well look who came to save Little Ms. Uggo Horn, guys. It's Bald-wings and Brace-face: The Unwanted Orphan Wonder! Tell me, how's that whole 'no parents' thing doing for you?"

Matching Begonia's smirk, Sweet Tooth craned her neck forward and narrowed her eyes.

"It's doing just fine for me, Begonia, thank you very much. A warm bed, three square meals a day, dental, what's not to love? But I guess some of that would go over your big fat head, huh? Mom still sleeping off her hangovers instead of helping you with your homework?"

All of the foals in Begonia's gang, save for Begonia herself, who's left eye was twitching as she reeled her head back, balked at Sweet Tooth. They'd never seen somepony stand up to Begonia, let alone talk to her in such a way. After giving each other a worried, knowing look, they slowly took a few steps back, knowing what was coming.

"Why you--"

"Children? What are you all doing here?" their teacher Miss Nurture asked as she suddenly turned up from around the corner of the schoolhouse, causing Begonia to freeze in place. "You know I don't want you playing where I can't see you. Please, children, come back to the playground with the others."

After maintaining her staring match with Sweet Tooth for a few seconds, Begonia relaxed her expression with a huff and turned to the teacher.

"Yes, Miss Nurture. Sorry, we must have forgot. C'mon, fellas, we're leaving."

"Mhmm."

"Oh yeah."

"Sorry, Miss Nurture."

As Begonia and her gang passed their teacher to rejoin the other students at the playground, Miss Nurture looked to Ebony and the two fillies.

"Well, aren't you three going to get a move on as well?" she asked.

Sweet Tooth nodded steadfastly.

"Mhmm, we just gotta--" Quickly moving to Cinnamon Bun's side, Sweet Tooth spoke to her in a hushed tone. "C'mon Cinnabon, we have to tell Miss Nurture what Begonia just did."

Her eyes shut tightly, Cinnamon shook her head still atop Ebony's shoulder.

"N-No! We do that and she's gonna tell my parents! They're already stressing themselves out over their big candy orders for Hearts and Hooves today, I don't want them worrying that I'm being bullied on top of that!"

"But," Ebony said through grit teeth, only to be cut off by Cinnamon Bun.

"Just...please!"

Giving a relenting sigh, Sweet Tooth turned to Miss Nurture, who was watching the three with a raised brow.

"Heh, eh...we gotta help Cinny to the playground is all."

If their teacher could raise her brow even higher, she would have.

"Why would you need to help her there?" she asked.

Shrugging, Sweet Tooth replied with, "Because she fell down and scraped her knee."

Miss Nurture's eyes widened in concern.

"Oh no, really? Here Cinnamon Bun, let me get a look at--"

Right as Miss Nurture stepped forward, Sweet Tooth intercepted her, waving her hooves in front of her.

"Oh no no no! She's fine! Just peachy!"

"But you just said that she fell down?" their teacher questioned.

Sweet Tooth put a hoof to her chin.

"Did I? ...ok, well I guess I did--but there's hardly any blood."

"B-Blood!?"

"Yeah, blood. You know: red stuff that oozes when you get bad ouchies. Eh, she'll be fine though. Throw some dirt on it; builds character is what I say." Managing to turn her teacher around, Sweet Tooth put a hoof on her shoulder and guided her forward. "But you know what, Miss? You're a very busy mare, looking after all these kids like us, especially on Hearts and Hooves where you could be snuggling it up with your special somepony right about now, so we're gonna do you a solid. We'll--as in, Ebony and myself--will take Cinnabon to the others. Don't worry, it'll just take a minute or two."

"Oh, um...ok. Thank you, I guess?"

"That's a good girl, no thanks necessary," Sweet Tooth said as she patted Miss Nurture's side. "You run along now, you've got children to supervise."

"Right, yes...I-I do." As Miss Nurture walked back to the playground, she had this sneaking suspicion at the back of her mind that a small foal managed to pull the wool over her eyes.

Still, it was just a little suspicion, so she dismissed it.

"Alright, surprised I managed to pull the wool over her eyes, but I still say we should have told her," Sweet Tooth said as she sat in front of Cinnamon Bun.

Unhooking from Ebony, then giving and receiving an embarrassed smile for the support he gave, Cinnamon Bun looked down and shook her head.

"N-No... Begonia's a butt, but I'd rather wait until after my parents' orders die down before doing anything about her. With how some ponies like to surprise their someponies with late gifts, it might be until the end of the week."

Sweet Tooth crossed her forelegs over her chest.

"Hmm...then I guess Ebony and I 'll just have to keep a better eye on you 'til then. What'd she do to you, anyway?"

Her gaze still directed groundward, Cinnamon Bun's hoof reached up and began to absentmindedly fiddle with one her of hair curls.

"Just...the usual. Calling me round...saying that I was ugly because of my horn... Then she..."

"Then she, what?" Ebony asked, placing his hoof on her shoulder.

Cinnamon Bun sighed. "She noticed that nopony gave me any cards or candy, or anything really... So when she cornered me, she...she said that nopony like-likes me, and that I was never going to have a special somepony..."

"Pfft, what!? That's ridiculous!" Sweet Tooth said with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "We like you, Cinnabon! And we even gave you a card each earlier!"

Smiling meekly, Cinnamon began drawing circles in the grass with her hoof.

"I...I know...and thank you. It's just... You two are my friends, so I don't think that really counts."

Sweet Tooth lightly punched her in the shoulder.

"Hey, you're letting Begonia get to you. Who cares what that butt thinks? Besides, aren't we a little young to be thinking about special someponies? None of us even have our cutie marks yet."

"I...I guess... But still..."

"Uh-uh, no 'but still'," Sweet Tooth said with a shake of her head. "You're a special snowflake with plenty of time to grow into a beautiful swan...or however all that nice-sounding stuff goes! Now c'mon, Cinnabon, let's just go back and enjoy the rest of our recess."

"A-Alright," Cinnamon Bun answered with a sniff.

As the two fillies began to walk away, Ebony stayed put, watching them. Cinnamon Bun seemed fine for now, but he could tell that that was just a facade; what Begonia said seemed to have really gotten to her. Sweet Tooth wasn't much of a pep talker, and admittedly, neither was he, so what was there for him to do to cheer up his friend?

It wasn't like it was within his power to have somepony suddenly like-like her.

...

Wait, actually, maybe there was something he could do! Cinnamon Bun thinks that nopony would ever like her in that way, but who's to say that she won't catch some colt or young stallion's eye in the unforeseeable future? Until then, she just needed a little confidence boost is all, and Ebony thought of just the thing to give her that!

---

"Oh hey, honey, welcome home."

"Hey mom. Busy day?" Ebony asked, the bell above the door to his home and mother's flower shop chimed as he entered.

"Mhmm, the busiest," she replied with a nod, wiping her forehead of sweat. "Luckily, things seemed to have slowed down long enough for me to catch my breath for a sec."

Unhooking his book bag from himself, Ebony walked through the floral-scented showroom, passing his mother and the counter she was behind until he reached a door at the back. Opening it wide, then stepping through it, Ebony entered the house proper. After hurriedly tossing his bag by the side of the stairs, he began to climb them, only to then halt when he heard his mother call his name from the other room.

"Ebony... You know what I told you: you're never going to get used to day time if the first thing you do right after coming home from school is going straight to bed."

Ebony turned over his shoulder, then yelled towards the open doorway, "Not going to sleep just yet, mom! Just going up to my room to, uh, work on some stuff!"

"Work on some stuff, hmm?" his mother answered. "You did get that list filled with the names of every student in your class yesterday, right."

Rolling his eyes, Ebony thumped his forehead against the stair's wooden rail.

"Yes..." he groaned.

"And you wrote them on those flower-themed Hearts and Hooves cards I got you?"

"Yes..."

"And you taped sugar chews onto each and every one?"

"Yes..."

"And you gave them to everyone of your little friends today?"

"Yes..." he exasperated through his grit teeth.

Thanks to his mother, whether Ebony liked it or not, Begonia got a card as well. That was fine though; he just happened to have forgotten to include a sugar chew with hers.

"Alright honey, was just checking. It's always good to make new friends whenever you can. You go work on your stuff now," his mother said.

"Finally," he muttered, now allowed to continue up into his room unhindered. Once he reached his door, however, he looked back down the stairs. "Hey mom, kind of a weird question, buuut...think you can let me have a rose? The one's I've been growing myself aren't anywhere near blooming."

"A rose? Whatever for?" she asked.

"I, uh... I just need one, ok?"

His mother was silent for a spell before answering.

"Well, I can't let you have any red ones, seeing as they've all been sold already, but you can have a white one. We've got plenty of those. White isn't much of a passionate color, so they always end up on the bargain section for this time of the year anyway. Would that do just fine, sweetie?"

Ebony didn't really care. In his eyes, a rose was a rose, regardless of its color. It was the thought that really mattered.

"Sure mom, no problem at all."

---

With a parcel wrapped in cloth held by his mouth, Ebony crept through the darkened corners of the lamp-lit Ponyville streets. He had waited until long after the sun had gone down before sneaking out of his home, ensuring that visibility would be greatly reduced to anypony else save for a nocturnal pony like himself. A few ponies, some on their own, and some obviously couples enjoying a moonlit stroll on Heats and Hooves night had passed by, but thankfully didn't see him slinking past.

He had to be stealthy for his mission, as it would be easy to later identify one of the few batponies in town, especially one as young as him. Thankfully, his little excursion went without so much as a hitch, as he had made it to his destination unnoticed: Cinnamon Bun's house.

Said house was also the local candy shop, and seeing that it was still Hearts and Hooves day, Ebony pick up the sweet and mouthwatering aroma of candy brewing, even from outside.

After standing a few feet from the door, reinforcing his resolve the entire time, Ebony finally steeled himself and stepped forward. He set the wrapped bundle carefully onto the welcome mat, then began to unfurl it, revealing a wax sealed envelope addressed to Cinnamon Bun sitting next to a white rose within a small glass vase filled with water.

Licking his lips nervously, Ebony turned to the door, then reached his hooves towards it. Immediately after giving it three solid knocks, Ebony turned tail and bolted for the darkened alley across the street. Staying low in case the glow of his green eyes gave away his position, he then watched as the door opened, a voice already being heard on other side as it did.

"I swear Lyra, if that's somepony here to complain because you smushed their chocolates during boxing, I'm gonna--" Mrs. Bon Bon, one of Cinnamon Bun's mothers, had stepped out, her expression puzzled when she noticed no one by the door.

"Hello?" she then called, sticking her head out the doorway as she scanned both ends of the street. Right as she shrugged to herself, and was about to close the door, her eyes wandered lower enough to spot what was left on the doorstep.

Disregarding the rose in confusion, Mrs. Bon Bon curiously craned her neck down to read the name on the envelope. She must have put the two items together, because with seconds, her face lit up as she practically jogged excitedly in place, yelling,

"Oh my gosh! Bunny, Bunny! Come quick! You're not gonna believe this!"

"Yes," Ebony cheered silently to himself, pumping his hoof in a celebratory fashion.

Knowing that the two items were guaranteed to get to their target now, Ebony decided not to stick around any longer. He backtracked deeper into the alley before flaring his wings, then, with one silent flap of them, he took off into the air, heading for home.

---

"Jeez, Stars, what happened to you?" Sweet Tooth asked the next morning, walking beside Ebony down the street.

The filly was a bit concerned for her friend. After stopping by Ebony's place first to walk with him to school (as was the norm since her route had her go by his house before Cinnamon Bun's), she had noticed that the bat pony was tired, even more so than usual.

"I..." Ebony paused, then yawned out, "I just woke up a bit earlier than I'm used to."

"Heh, sounds like you should have gotten some more sleep."

"Yeah, should have," Ebony said, shifting his book bag on his shoulder.

"So," Sweet Tooth then uttered, "think Cinnabon's feeling any better?"

"Eh," Ebony said with an unsure shrug. He faced forward, ensuring she couldn't get a look at the smirk that was trying to manifest itself. "It's been a whole day, so...maybe? I mean, a lot could have happened between now and then, right?"

"I guess," she said as the two then came to a stop in front of Cinnabon's house.

Stepping onto the welcome mat, Sweet Tooth raised her hoof and knocked at the door. Seconds later, the door opened a crack, then opened fully when the pony on the other side saw who it was.

"Oh hi Sweet Tooth, Ebony," greeted Cinnamon Bun's mother.

"Hi Miss Bon-Bon," Sweet Tooth and Ebony both said in unison.

"Not here for a little free sampling I hope. Here for-- Ugh, hold on a second." The other mare looked over her shoulder before yelling, "Lyra, what did I say about packaging those chocolates!? Remember: smushed!"

"I'm trying my best, Bonnie, but there's just so many orders and so little time!" Cinnamon's other mother replied frantically.

Snorting, Bon-Bon's expression relaxed as she turned back to the two foals.

"Heh, eh, sorry. Like I was saying: here for Bunny?"

Right as Sweet Tooth opened her mouth, Cinnamon Bun herself bounded into the living room with book bag in tow.

"Bye mom, mom!" she exclaimed rather happily, giving both her mothers a peck on the cheek before making her way out the door.

Smiling warmly, Bon-Bon rubbed a hoof on her freshly kissed cheek.

"Well somepony's been excited since last night. Bye Bunny, have fun at school!"

"Uh-huh, I will!"

And at that, once her mother closed the door, Cinnamon Bun skipped down the street with a noticeably happy stride in her step. Ebony and Sweets looked to one another for confirmation, unsure if that was the same depressed filly from the day before.

Realizing that she was leaving them behind, the two hurried to catch up with her.

"W-Wait up!" Sweet Tooth shouted, prompting Cinnamon Bun to stop and turn back to the two. Once the two caught up, they took a moment to catch their breaths. "Ok...so...you're in a surprisingly great mood. Something happened that we should know about?"

Trying to suppress the giddiness from showing on her face, Cinnamon looked around the street, making sure nopony was within earshot before gesturing for them to get closer.

"Can you two keep a secret?" she asked in a hushed tone.

Ebony and Sweets looked to one another before nodding to her.

"Ok, so, last night, there was a knock at the door, but when mom answered it, there was nopony but these there." Using her magic, Cinnamon opened her book bag, then carefully pulled out an opened envelope and the head of a white rose from it. "The letter was just left on the doorstep with my name on it, and the rose here was in a little glass vase right next to it."

After taking a deep sniff from the rose, she placed it stylishly in her mane before sliding the letter out of its envelope, then floating it over to Sweets. Accepting it, the earth pony filly held a curious expression as she began to unfold it. Moving to her side, Ebony pretended to be surprised as he read the letter, the very same letter he had written and delivered himself.

Hi, you don't know me, but I've been watching you from afar for a while now.

I think you're great, Cinnamon Bun. You're smart, funny, and so cute.

I wish I was brave enough to tell you this earlier during school, but I'm afraid that I'm just too shy.

Maybe one day I'd have the courage to do that, but for now I think this letter will let you know how I feel.

Don't let butts like Begonia tell you you're not good enough.

~Your Sekret Admirer.

"So, what do you guys think?" Cinnamon Bun asked in wide-eyed excitement. She could barely keep herself contained, as she was making little bunny hops in place while awaiting her friends' reply.

Tilting both her head and the letter, Sweet Tooth was the first to speak up.

"I think he misspelled 'Secret'... I'm like, ninety percent sure it doesn't have a K in it."

"Eh...maybe it's just a typo?" Ebony suggested, smiling a nervous, toothy smile.

Sweets shook her head.

"Nope! Typos are for typing; this pony's just bad at spelling. Penmanship could use some work too."

Ebony almost blew his cover when he raised his hoof and opened his mouth to defend himself. Thankfully, however, Cinnamon Bun spoke up before he could.

"Who cares if he's bad at spelling--somepony out there actually likes me! Me! The filly with the ugly horn! I can barely believe it myself, and I'm yelling it! C'mon guys, I feel great! I feel like I can take on anything--even Begonia! I'll...I'll race you to school!"

"H-Hey, don't just ru--aaand she's running off again..." Sighing in defeat, Sweet Tooth passed the letter to Ebony. "Here, tuck it away while I see if I can get her to slow down. Cinnabon, wait up!"

Holding the letter atop the flat of his hoof, Ebony's mouth curled into a tired smile as he watched his two friends run further down the street. So what if he misspelled a word? The letter still succeeded in serving its purpose. Cinnamon Bun had her confidence boost, and that was all that really mattered in the end.

As long as it made his friend happy, he didn't really mind being her sekret admirer.

Author's Note:

Here's my patreon.

Come on guys, I'd really like to go to my first ever convention. Babscon.

Comments

[Midknight Defender]

I keep trying to give this its first like but the counter doesn't want to appear. Grah!!

[Carrier of Heartbreak]

7625594
Doesn't show up until the 10th

[Orkus]

7625594 Well, that was easy.

[The Blessed One]

Well, I'm emotionally tied to these foals now... Tracking, and have a Like while I'm at it.