The month of love is here and everyone's got their own little plans to celebrate the holiday.
February, the month of love has finally arrived. Some have romantic plans planned out, some are just making it a Singles day, and others are just moving along like it's a regular day. The students of CHS have a ton of plans to make this a great day.
"Hey, hey, hey girls!" Sour Sweet called cheerfully.
"Hey Sour," her friends said in unison.
Sour Sweet, Lemon Zest, Indigo Zap, Sugarcoat, and Sunny Flare; who were most commonly known as the Shadow Five, at least to most of their friends, were hanging out at the Canterlot Mall. They had a wonderful day of shopping for accessories, new clothes, and just stocking up on supplies for the next week. And all around they could see the mall was preparing for yet another holiday to come. If the red, white, and pink decor wasn't obvious enough, it was sure obvious now.
"So with Valentine's Day around the corner, does anyone have any big plans now that February is in full swing?" Sunny Flare asked, sipping some of her coffee.
"I don't really have any. I'm just going to chill around town, see what's what," Sugarcoat admitted, shrugging.
"I'm taking my date someplace special tonight, I hope she loves it," Sour squeaked with joy.
"I haven't asked this person out yet, but I'm hoping maybe I can ask 'em if they wanna go out on a date," Lemon blushed. "What about you Sunny?"
"I met a wonderful boy in town the other day. We hit it off so good, we agreed to go out for a date next week!" Sunny squeed like a fangirl meeting a celebrity. "What about you Indigo? Anyone on your radar? Any cute boys?"
Indigo wasn't paying attention to any of them. Her eyes were distracted by the girl she was eyeing just across, hanging with some of her friends. She wore a white tank top with a cloud and rainbow lightning stream underneath it. Tight pants that showed her curves, a cool blue punk jacket with running boots. The former captain of all of CHS, and guitarist of the Rainbooms; Rainbow Dash.
Her rainbow hair was flowing beautifully, and her face while not exactly looking like royalty, looked so darn cute she could just nuzzle her all day.
"Indigo."
"Dah, oh! Uh... what were we talking about?"
"Are there any cute boys on your radar you've been looking out for?"
Indigo halted. She looked away, not giving them a response. For a second, Sunny thought she did something wrong and corrected herself.
"O-Or girls, that's fine! We're not going to judge you," Sunny raised her hands in protest. And she looked at the others with a glare. "Right girls?"
"Of course dude!"
"Yes."
"Always! Just don't rub it in my face when you find someone hot," Sour agreed.
"So who's the lucky one you have a crush on, dude?" Lemon asked, putting her hands under her chin with interest.
"It's, um... Rainbow Dash," Indigo admitted.
"Really? Rainbow Dash? I mean I like her fine, but... why her? ... Actually no, hold on, when did this happen?" Sour Sweet asked, giving her a 'what the heck did you just say' face.
"Well... Remember when we were having panic attacks at the Friendship Games?"
***
"I think that mullet haired chick is cute!" Lemon panicked.
"I kinda write mean things on the internet because I'm bored!" Sunny confessed.
"I'm obsessed with telling the truth even if it hurts people's feelings," Sugarcoat added, shaking.
"I secretly make cookies and candy for our classmates and friends so I can feel better whenever I snark or sass at them!" Sour admitted.
"I have a massive crush on Rainbow Dash!"
Everyone went silent as they stared at Indigo. She blinked and looked back at them with a harsh blush. "What? I thought we were all confessing, so..."
***
"... You were telling the truth?" Sour asked.
Indigo sighed. "Yes."
"She is. I can hear it," Sugarcoat confirmed. "But the bigger question is why? When did this happen, this seems to be coming from out of nowhere."
"Well. after we became friends, we started hanging out some more. I didn't think it was anything, but I saw myself paying more and more attention to her. I... okay, I'm not gonna drag this out with any mushy stuff, I think she looks cute!"
Sunny Flare giggled. "Sooo... why don't you ask her?"
Indigo stopped again. "Um, uh, I'm sorry, what?"
"Why don't you ask her out?"
"I... how do I even know she swings that way?"
"You won't know. Just ask her!"
"... Okay, I will!" Indigo said, standing up with a boost of confidence. And then the fear triggered in her head, playing a hypothetical scenario of what could go down. Possibly disgust. Rebuttal of her affections and feelings.
"But, w... What if she says no?"
"You won't know, until you try," Sunny Flare scooted her feet across the floor, pushing her friend a few feet closer, "Just give it a shot."
"O-Oh, well, o-okay..." The athlete stops for a second, slowly breathing. "Alright Indy, you got this." Clearing her throat, she spoke as loud as she could. "Hey, Rainbow!"
The former CHS captain turned around and smiled. "Oh hey Indigo!"
Now or never, Indy. "What uh... whatcha doing?"
"Nothin' much, how are you?"
"Oh, nothing much. I just uh... thought I'd see how you were doing. You uh... got any plans for Valentine's Day?"
Rainbow shrugged. "Not really. I'm single, I don't really have any plans for tonight."
"Oh, well, I'm sorry." There was a moment of awkward silence. "Annnnyhoo, uh. I wasn't sure, but maybe, I was wondering if you uh... since you're alone and all... would you... like to do something... tonight?" Indigo hesitated.
Rainbow stopped for a second. She gave a thought, and her head nodded shrugging a bit too. "Sure, yeah, I suppose. So is this like a hangout, or--"
"--Actually, no. I wanted to ask you out... on a date," Indigo blushed hard.
Rainbow blinked. "You... want to ask me out on a date?"
"Um... yessssss????" Indigo hesitated.
Rainbow blushed a bit. "Um... s-sure!"
Like a lightswitch, Indigo lit up and squeed in excitement. "YESSS!!!" She picked up Rainbow and swung her around in excitement. "Oh we're going to have the best time ever, I promise you!" She stopped mid-swing when she realized how giddy she was acting. And she looked up at Rainbow Dash who was shocked to see this come from Indigo Zap of all people.
"Hehe," Indigo set Rainbow back down. "Sorry."
"T-That's okay. So, uhh... where you want to meet up?"
"Hmm, maybe tonight, maybe meet up at the Wondercolt statue?"
"Great! I'll see you then?"
"Uhhh... s-sure, yeah," Rainbow blushed. "See you then Indy..."
Indigo Zap felt proud of herself. Turning around, she confidentially walked back to her table and sat back down with the biggest grin in the world.
"Someone’s in a happy mood."
"Yep!" Indigo grinned, sticking two thumbs up at herself. "This girl's got a date with Rainbow Dash!" Indigo took two sips of her drink before the truth finally set in, making her hack up her drink right onto the table. "Ack, ugh, ack!"
"What's wrong?" Sunny Flare asked.
In fact, the truth hit her like a sledgehammer. "I GOT A DATE WITH RAINBOW DASH!"
And then the waiter came by.
"More ketchup?"
"NO!!"
Sometime later, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity were all gathered at Rarity's home. Rarity was busy helping Rainbow look for an outfit for her date, despite Rainbow insisting she not wear one. Applejack was just sitting idly, staying as just a part of the conversation.
"How'd you even say yes to that? I gotta say Rainbow, I... I didn't think you swung that way."
Rainbow blushed. "I don't know! I mean, I think I do but I don't, but... I don't know! She honestly looked kinda... cute."
"Oh my. Someone's a smitten kitten," Rarity teased.
"Rarity, come on!" Rainbow still blushed. "I just need something to wear tonight, now that I'm going on a date with Indy."
"How about this?"
Rainbow glared at Rarity. "I'm not trying to show off anything, Rarity."
"Au contraire, Rainbow Dash. Some of the ensembles I've created are for all kinds of people. Surely you'd want something for Indigo to look at," Rarity winked with a coy grin.
Rainbow's blush harshened. "Rarity..."
"Oh, alright," Rarity said, a little annoyed. "How about this?"
Ripped straight out of the closet was, shock of all shock, a rainbow dress. And with the ensemble were purple arm warmers, and red boots, and a belt held by a gold cloud and lightning bold symbol to keep it tight against her body.
"Ooh... I like it," Rainbow grinned.
"Rainbow, this was the outfit I had picked out for the Fall Formal!"
"But come on, I think it looks nice!"
"No!" Rarity refused. "We will find another alternative outfit, I would rather you keep this intact in case we decide to have another Fall Formal!"
Rainbow pouted and she collapsed onto Rarity's bed. And she didn't say a word, not even to the cat that was pawwing at her shoulder, demanding pets.
What Rainbow didn't know was that Indigo was having trouble picking an outfit as well.
“How about this one?” Indigo asked.
“Eh, too revealing. I don’t think you’re really much of the ‘showing cleavage’ type,” Sugarcoat said bluntly as ever.
Indigo shrugged but just tossed the dress on the bed. And soon more of them were being thrown.
“I like that one,” Lemon pointed as it landed next to her. And another landed on her right. “That’s a good color.” And another dress came, this time landing on her head. “This one smells funny.”
“How about this one?” Indigo asked, showing a small sundress.
“Eh, I don’t think so, you don’t seem like the sundress type either,” Sunny Flare shook her head.
“Also, it’s Valentine’s Day, and it’s cold outside. Really don’t think wearing a dress during winter would be the best idea,” Sugarcoat added.
Indigo gave a deadpan expression. “Sugarcoat, I love you but—”
“—I’m straight as an arrow, Indigo,” Sugarcoat interrupted.
“Platonically,” Indigo said through her teeth. “I love you, but you know sometimes your bluntness doesn’t always help.”
“You know me. I’m obsessed with telling the truth,” Sugarcoat said. While her voice and tone didn’t change, her face did show some genuine guilt and shame.
“Okay, I think I found the one, lemme go try it on,” Indigo said, grabbing something off a rack and stepping into the closet.
The girls listened to the sound of things being shuffled and rummaged inside the closet, even the door being banged a few times.
“You good Indy?” Lemon asked.
“I’m fine, Lemon. Thank you.”
“You know, I could just have rolled out a screen for you to dress behind, you didn’t need to go in the closet,” Sunny said.
“I still feel exposed! I don’t want any of you girls to see me naked!”
“Is it because of the weird lightning bolt mark on your butt?” Lemon teased.
“Lemon!”
“Just kidding!” The rocker giggled.
Sunny rolled her eyes. “So you’re overly confident when you’re playing sports, you’re motivating when someone is feeling down, and yet you are incredibly scared of getting dressed and undressed in the girls locker room?”
“I don’t like being seen in the nude Sunny! … Actually, who even does!?”
“… Very specific people?” Sunny shrugged.
“If Sour was here, she’d drop a truth bomb, I swear. Actually, where even is Sour anyway?”
“She’s on her date, you know that chick that works at the autobody shop? Always wears the green tinted glasses, plaid t-shirts, denim jeans?”
“Oh yeah, that chick! Doesn’t she own the red pickup?”
“Yeah, that’s her,” Sunny nodded. “She’s on a date with her tonight.”
“Okay, almost got it… Okay, what do you think?” Indigo opened up the closet door, revealing her dress. Sleeveless black dress that sparkled in the light.
“Whoa… Indigo, you are smokin’!” Lemon grinned. “Seriously, that looks great!”
“Very impressive,” Sugarcoat smiled.
“Thanks. You uh… you think Rainbow Dash will like it?” Indigo blushed a bit, rubbing the back of her head.
“I’m sure she’ll love it. Now what are you waiting for, you got a date tonight!” Sunny announced.
By the time the evening had came, Rainbow Dash had already arrived at the spot. She stood outside the Wondercolt statue with her motorbike parked on the sidewalk. She had planned to take Indigo to her planned spot with that sweet baby, thanks to her earning a license to drive.
The dress she picked wasn't as awesome as the other, but it was okay at the most. Dark blue, a strap held together around her waist. She leaned against the side of the statue, away from the now known portal entrance so she wouldn't fall through.
"Oh, Indy. U-Uh, hi," Rainbow Dash introduced. She didn't know what was happening, but she started feeling nervous all over. Where did this come from, she never had this happen! She needed her confidence, and she needed it NOW. But what she didn't expect was Indigo just looked so dang gorgeous. Her hair was still rockin' as always, with her signature goggles still held at the top of her head, but that dress... woooow. She wasn't a dress person, but she thought Indigo looked straight up sexy.
"I think I might have overdressed," Indigo said, blushing.
"Well, I don't know if this helps but... you do look really nice," Rainbow said, trying to be nice.
"O-Oh. uh, thanks," Indigo blushed. "You uh... you look great too!"
"Thanks," Rainbow softly smiled.
"So, uh, where do you want to go?"
"I know a pretty dance club we can go hang out at," Rainbow offered. "Come on."
"Sweet!"
Rainbow got herself up on her bike, and placed her helmet on her head. Indigo was given one as well, which she made sure was held on tight. The engine revved and the bike took off like the wind to the club.
The drive wasn't too long, only spanning ten minutes. And they got to the place they needed to be just fine. They could hear the thumping bass of music bleed through the building. And once inside, their eyes were greeted to sights of teenagers dancing within the club. Neon lights flashing on a dance floor as boys and girls busted some moves. The smell of fresh cooked food whiffed in the air, making their mouths water.
The two of them found a table to sit at, while most of the other guests either ate, drank, or danced on the dance floor. Their waiter came by with their drinks, which left the two of them alone to talk.
"So... here we are," Rainbow said, trying to start a conversation.
"Yeah... here we are," Indigo added, blushing a bit, rubbing the back of her head.
Somehow, even with the thumping bass of the music in the club, there was still awkward silence in between them.
"Soooo... um..." Rainbow stopped. "I... ugh, I'm sorry. I'm not really good at this."
"It's okay, Rainbow. I'm new to this too," Indigo said, patting her hand.
"Okay, if I remember what Rarity said, one of the things I'm supposed to do on a first date is ask about interests... soooo, um. ... What are you into?"
Indigo decided to just play along with it. "Well, I love sports, I'm very athletic at Crystal Prep Academy. I do have a habit of being incredibly competitive, which is why I also love video games."
"Really? What kind?"
"Well I guess I like a lot of action games, those first person shooter kind of games, love those to death. Military, sci-fi action and adventure, those kinds," she answered. "What about you?"
"I like action games as well, though I do like some horror action games here and there, those are fun."
"Hey, sweet!" Indigo grinned. "What about movies, favorite movies?"
"Well I'm very excited to see the Daring Do movie, I really hope that'll be awesome."
"Wasn't that supposed to be done last year?"
"Yeah, but apparently production has been a bit slow," Rainbow shrugged. "Also my friend Adagio said that Chestnut Magnefico is crazy."
"Define crazy," Indigo raised a brow with suspicion. "Are we talking mentally unstable crazy, money grubbing crazy, or ridiculous celebrity demands crazy?"
"I... I don't know, you'd have to ask her, I didn't get a clear answer," Rainbow shook her head. "Hmm... okay, have you thought of any colleges you want to go to?"
"Well, part of me thought about attending Canterlot University. It's a good place, and it's not far from home. And I know most of my friends have tried applying there, I was hoping maybe if I applied, maybe I could still be with my friends."
"That's cool," Rainbow nodded.
Some more awkward silence filled the air.
"Well, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"No, go ahead," Rainbow nodded.
"Have... have you been doing okay? Since the Games?" Indigo asked.
Rainbow didn't finish her sip. She hadn't thought about that in a long time. The games had happened a few months ago, but Rainbow had long moved past them. But she hadn't caught up with the group on everything that had been going on.
"Actually, I've... I've been great," she said with an honest smile. "Not everyone hates us as much (though there are still a few jerks here and there) but I've been doing great! I'm still not captaining anything, but I'm okay with that."
"That's good. I've just been wondering, that's all. I hadn't heard how things have been going since then," Indigo replied.
Soon their waiter came by with their food, and let them be. It smelled so dang good.
"Oh, and if you don't mind me asking, um. It's okay if you say no, but did you have any other feelings for me?"
Rainbow drooped. "Oh, um... well..."
"It's okay if you say no, I-I understand," Indigo admitted. "I did kinda spring this date out on you from nowhere, so..."
"Indigo, it's fine. Look, I'll admit, I didn't share this with anyone, but I didn't think I was... into girls. But when we talked and hung out during and after the Games, I... I felt like you were the best person I've ever met. You're level-headed, you're just as competitive as me, you're a good sport, you... you're awesome."
Indigo blushed. "I don't think I'm that awesome..."
"Indigo. You are. I'm being serious. And not be mushy but I do think you're cute."
"... Dang it, now I'm feeling all mushy too," Indigo pouted playfully.
As the evening carried on, the two of them continued to chat some more. Some topics bounced around, talking about how they met their friends, some favorite activities that held onto them, even throwing out a few ideas for things they could do together down the line. Eventually they did some dancing later in the club, but for now, it was just enjoying the simplicity of eating dinner with one another. Indigo and Rainbow tried a few things, including feeding each other some of their food. Just a simple evening of smiles, flirting, and laughing . What could be better?
Eventually after their date night was done, Rainbow Dash took Indigo back at her house, and walked her to her front door. The two of them stood for a moment, looking at each other, deep in each other's eyes.
"Say uh, Indy? Can I call you that?"
Indigo nodded.
"You uh... you want do this again?"
And Indigo had the biggest smile for the first time in her life. She gave Rainbow a kiss on her cheek, and looked at her appreciatively.
Sandalwood had never actually seen Pinkie Pie’s house before. It was surprisingly normal for the home of someone like the pink-haired party lover. Just a regular two-story house like any other.
He checked his phone again, sure enough this was the address she’d given him. He shrugged, and then dialed the number she’d given him too.
She picked up within the first ring. “Yeeees?” Pinkie’s voice asked, Sandalwood practically feeling the anticipation.
“Hey Pinkie. Uh, I’m outside right now.”
“I know that, silly! I can see you from my window! Hi!”
Sandalwood looked up and indeed, he could see a familiar face waving energetically to him from the upper floor. He chuckled. “Alright then. Well, guess I’ll come on in then?”
“Okie-dokie! I’ll meet ya at the door!”
He said goodbye, ended the call and then shouldered his backpack as he walked up the front path to the house. Sandalwood had no idea what he should expect, he’d rarely spoken to Pinkie; either before or she’d stopped following Sunset Shimmer. The most interaction they’d had was back during the week of the Friendship Games, when she’d offered him and Flash and others a batch of brownies, as her way of saying “sorry.”
They were really good brownies too.
So, it had been quite a surprise yesterday when she’d been so keen on being partners for Miss Cheerilee’s assignment.
“Alright everyone, I hope you’re all ready for this month’s project!” Cheerilee said with a smile as she held up the book that her English class was currently working on. She was somewhat new to Canterlot High, having recently gotten into teaching, but she was already well liked and good at her job.
“You have two weeks to create a report on one of the books here…” she gestured to a small table where a couple of approved works of literature had been laid out. “And then do a presentation at the end of the month! You will have a partner to help you, but that’s no excuse to slack off, understand?”
The class nodded and made other noises of assent.
“Good. Now, I’ll give you a few minutes to choose a partner – quietly,” Cheerilee added warningly, arching an eyebrow at Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, the latter of which was about to vault out of her desk.
“Hehe, whoops.” Dash chuckled sheepishly.
The class was abuzz with a quiet murmur for the next several minutes as various students partnered up: Rainbow Dash made to get with Applejack, but the farm girl had already partnered with Fluttershy; Octavia took pity on the rainbow-haired girl and offered to be her partner. Lyra and Bon-Bon naturally were together. Flash Sentry wound up with Vinyl Scratch. Sandalwood was looking around, just about to ask Micro Chips if he wanted to work together on a project, when--
“Hi Sandalwood!” squeaked a high-pitched voice from behind. Sandalwood turned around in surprise to see Pinkie Pie there, bouncing on her heels, as she eagerly held her binder close to her stomach. It was a very endearing sight, and the hippie boy couldn’t help but smile.
“Hey Pinkie. Guess you wanna be partners, huh?”
“Youuu bet!” the pink-haired girl squealed loudly – Cheerilee looked at her warningly, and Pinkie blushed in apology. “Oops. You bet!” she repeated in a whisper, giggling slightly.
“Uh, sure. I mean, if you really want to,” Sandalwood shrugged. He’d never worked with her on anything before, and he really had no idea what it’d be like. There’d probably be balloons involved, he was like ninety percent certain of that.
“Yes please! I mean, if you’re okay with it?” Pinkie added, to his surprise. Was it him, or did she sound a little nervous?
“Yeah, sure, it’s fine with me dude – dudette,” the hippie said, trying to reassure her, “I don’t have a problem with it or anything.” Pinkie’s smile widened, and with a squeak she began to suck in a massively deep breath to let out a loud cheer—
“Pinkie Pie,” Cheerilee said in deadpan.
--And the party lover wheezed, almost seeming to deflate as she stopped herself at the last second. Sandalwood shook his head softly. Never question Pinkie Pie, that was the rule.
“Okay then!” Pinkie chirped, at something approaching normal volume. “That’s great! You and me, partners! Can you come over to my place tomorrow and we can get started on it?”
Sandalwood blinked. “Uh, sure, but like shouldn’t we pick out a book first—”
“YAAAAY!!”
“Pinkie Pie!”
Sandalwood chuckled at the memory, as he rang the doorbell and waited for an answer.
It wasn’t long at all, barely a few seconds, before the door opened, but it wasn’t the Pie he was expecting. This girl's skin was dark sandy blue, with eyes the color of a ripe lime. She wore dark blue jeans with a gray shirt and black sleeveless vest. Her hair was short on one side, spiked out like it was gelled in place, while the other side was a bit long and hitting her shoulder. Though the biggest detail that Sandalwood could see was the mechanical piece that was in place for a hand not being there, a hook spinning around with the sound of gears turning and cranking.
Though Sandalwood saw it, he did his best not to focus on it. “Oh, ‘sup?” Sandalwood cheerfully asked, as Limestone Pie stared at him with angry suspicion in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I was just waiting for Pinkie—”
“How do you know her name? How did you find this address?” The elder Pie sister snapped; her eyes narrowed furiously as she zoomed in on the hippie on her doorstep. The hook spun around in a circle, with a whirring sound.
“Whoa,” Sandalwood put his hands up reassuringly, “It’s cool man, I’m just here to help Pinkie with a project!”
Pinkie’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her sister, “Hi Sandalwood!” The bubbly girl squeezed around her scowling older sibling, somehow not spilling the plate of cookies in her hands. “Sorry about the delay, I had to stop off in the kitchen and pick up these babies!” She offered him one with a hopeful smile, “Try one?”
Sandalwood took the offered sweet and had a bite. And he did not regret it, in fact it might have been the most delicious cookie he’d ever had in his life.
“You like?” Pinkie squeaked hopefully.
“Yeah! It’s delicious!”
The pink girl laughed with happiness, “Come on then!” She took him by the arm and eagerly pulled him through the door, somehow managing to avoid crashing into Limestone, whose scowl if anything had grown even more pronounced.
“I’ve got my books and stuff up in my room,” Pinkie chattered cheerfully as she directed Sandalwood to the stairs. “It’s on the second room, third door on the left. We can start on that project and have lots of super-duper fun too!”
”Pinkie Pie,” Limestone said through gritted teeth. ”May I have a word with you?”
“Okie-dokie!” Pinkie chirped, turning around halfway up the stairs, Sandalwood just a few steps above her, looking a bit dubious. “It’s alright Sandalwood, I’ll meet ya in my room in just a minute, Limestone just wants to talk.”
“Right…” The eco-boy said uncertainly. He was both reluctant to walk away, and also very eager to have a reason to get out of Limestone’s line of vision; she was eyeing him with the same intensity of a hawk looking at a field mouse. In short, not the way that anyone ever wanted someone to be looked at.
Limestone turned her gaze to her little sister, and folded her arms. “Pinkie,” the grouchy Pie sister hissed in an undertone, “What are you thinking, inviting a boy into the house, and then into your room?”
“Huh?” Pinkie asked. “What’s wrong with that?”
Limestone clapped a hand to her forehead sharply. She began to massage one of her temples as though trying to fend off a headache. “Pinkie,” she growled, “What do you think happens when a teenage girl invites a teenage boy into her room?”
Pinkie blinked placidly, smiling at her older sister with an expression of the utmost cheerful innocence on her face.
Limestone heaved a sigh. “Right. Forgot who I was talking to. Fine. But tell him that I work in a mine and I know a lot of places to get rid of a body.”
“Okay!” Pinkie sang out as she turned and charged up the stairs and to her room. Limestone huffed, and then turned to see the other younger Pie sister, Marble, peeking around a corner at her.
“What?”
“Mm?”
“Don’t give me that! Pinkie’s at that age. Someone’s got to keep an eye on her!”
“Mmhmm...” Marble mumbled.
“Whatever,” Limestone scoffed. “All I’m saying is there better be no funny business up there…”
Pinkie Pie’s room was a strange case of being everything Sandalwood would have expected it to be, and still being surprising at the same time. On the one hand, the wall was a warm and friendly shade of yellow, with balloons and stars painted on it at various points; the bed was covered with fluffy blankets and lacey pillows. A PoniStation and TV sat on top of the dresser, along with some choice games.
On the other hand, there were a few posters up on the walls, for some stuff that the hippie found rather.. surprising, compared to the rest of the décor. And then there was the terrarium on top of a desk, and inside it sitting on a rock was what looked awfully like a baby—
“Ooh! Somebody's just met Gummy!”
Sandalwood blinked, as Pinkie flounced around him and gently scooped up the little reptile.
“Gummy?” the eco kid asked. “You named an alligator Gummy?”
“Uh-huh!” Pinkie chirped, as she held the tiny crocodilian to her chest in a loving hug. “Isn’t he just the cutest little thing?” A part of Sandalwood wanted to say that Gummy probably wouldn’t be quite as cute when he got bigger, but he thought better. It was Pinkie he was talking to after all. Looking for a different subject, his attention was drawn to one of the posters on the wall.
“I never knew you were a fan of Skull Cruncher.”
“Huh? Oh yeah!” Pinkie nodded, her curls bouncing up and down as she squeaked with excitement. “Fluttershy introduced me to them a year ago! She says that their lyrics are all 'poignant' and stuff, but I just think that they really know how to make a rocking beat!”
“I wouldn’t know. Never really listened to them,” the hippie admitted as he set his backpack down. “Always sounded a little too… skull crunch-y, for me, y’know?”
Pinkie’s smile flickered slightly, too fast for him to notice. “Aww, that’s okay. I know it’s not for everybody.” She gave Gummy a gentle rub on his back as she mused, “But I do like them a lot. Their music kinda helped me out before. Y’know, back when…” the rest of her sentence trailed off, and she kept her eyes focused on the gator in her arms.
Sandalwood realized what she had been about to say.
Back when I was one of Sunset’s gang.
“Uh,” he tried to think of something else, anything, to fill the sudden quiet that had fallen over the room. “So! Uh, those cookies you made were really nice.”
“Hmm?” Pinkie looked up at him, and a hopeful smile appeared on her face again.
“Yeah, of course!” he nodded. “Like those brownies you made back in the Friendship Games.”
“You remember my apology brownies?” Pinkie cooed, her smile growing.
“Sure!” Sandalwood laughed. “I think I still have dreams about those brownies, Pinkie!”
“Aww…” Pinkie Pie giggled, and was she blushing slightly? “Thank you, Sandalwood!”
“No problem,” the eco boy smiled, relief settling over him. It was good to see her smiling again. He’d never really thought about it before, he’d barely interacted with her either before or after the Games, but she was quite cute when she smiled…
Wait, what? He blinked a second later, as realization sank in. Back it up there, dude, this is for school and all!
“Right.” He said out loud. “Well, should we uh, get started on that reading and stuff for Cheerilee?”
“Okay…” Pinkie said softly, still smiling as she gave Gummy another gentle hug.
For a while it was quiet in Pinkie’s room, as she and Sandalwood read their copies of the book they’d picked for the report. The eco boy was a bit surprised; he’d wondered if the pink girl would get distracted or bored with work, but Pinkie stuck the course, avidly reading as she rested on her belly, her feet idly kicking in the air as she scanned each page. Complete with a pencil in her mouth in case she wanted to take notes!
It made for a very cute sight, and Sandalwood couldn’t help but chuckle as he realized how much Pinkie Pie had truly changed since the days when he’d first known her.
“Hmm?” Pinkie looked up, curls bouncing. “What?”
“Oh, nothing,” he answered vaguely. “Just doing some thinking.”
“Okay…” she answered. A moment later, her cheeks reddened, as a gurgling sound rumbled up from her lower torso. Sitting back upright, she patted her stomach softly, and let out an embarrassed giggle. “Oopsie. I guess my tummy wants a snack.”
“That’s cool,” Sandalwood shrugged, as she hopped to her feet and flounced to the door.
“You want anything?” Pinkie called back.
“…You got any more brownies?” the hippie asked, sheepishly.
Pinkie snickered, “Okie-dokie!” And in almost no time at all, she was back, with a plate carefully stacked with warm gooey chocolate treats; smelling so fresh and tasty that Sandalwood almost asked if she’d actually been baking them just in case. But again, he stopped himself. It was Pinkie Pie, the saying went. Do not question it.
The two of them took a break from homework, focusing for the moment on enjoying the brownies. The chocolatey treats were (naturally) delicious, and Sandalwood found himself relaxing more and more with every bite. He hadn’t known what to really expect in coming to Pinkie’s house, but honestly it was working out great!
As they ate, they also began talking. About things at school, and other stuff as well.
“Say Pinkie,” Sandalwood mused as he munched on another brownie, “You ever thought about joining the cooking club? I mean, those cookies, and these brownies, they are legit!”
“You really think so?” Pinkie squeaked.
“Yeah! I do! I think I like, have dreams about those apology brownies you baked back at the Friendship Games.” It was only half a joke, really. He really couldn’t think of any other comparable sweet.
Pinkie giggled, and snorted, a faint blush on her cheeks. “Aww…” she cooed.
They continued to talk, the mention of the cooking club leading into other school clubs that Pinkie was interested in joining, now that she and the other Rainbooms’ detentions were over and done with. She was excited about trying out for the drama club, the movie club, the chemistry club, the gardening club…
“Whoa!” Sandalwood chuckled, before she could go on. “How are you going to find time for all of that?”
“Oh, silly!” Pinkie laughed, “It’s easy! I’ll *make* the time!”
She giggled at that, and after a second Sandalwood found himself chuckling too. He had to admit, her enthusiasm was infectious. (And cute, too.)
Eating the brownies soon had both teenagers feeling thirsty. However, that problem was easily resolved, as the door opened and Pinkie’s elder sister Maud was there, carrying a tray with two glasses and a pitcher of lemonade.
“Hello Pinkie,” she said in her monotone voice. “I thought you and your guest might like a drink.”
“Thanks, Maud!” Pinkie chirped, taking her drink and enjoying a happy sip, “You’re the best!”
“Yeah, like thank you,” Sandalwood added, picking up his own drink and enjoying the taste, was it fresh-squeezed?
“Wow… It’s really cool of you.”
“You’re welcome.” It was more a statement of fact than a pleasantry. But that was the way of Maud Pie.
“If you’d like a refill, there’s more in the kitchen,” Maud told Sandalwood. “But Limestone doesn’t trust you in the house, so you should come find me if you want more.”
“Oh. Uh, thanks?” The eco-boy answered, bemused.
Pinkie giggle-snorted. “Silly Limestone.”
“I heard that!” a distant harsh voice shouted from downstairs.
Maud blinked placidly. “Anyway, I need to go feed Boulder.” She reached into her pocket and held up a small round gray stone. “He’s a rock,” she explained. “Pinkie, don’t get distracted from your schoolwork.”
“Yes, Maud!” Pinkie energetically saluted her big sister, beaming. Maud left without another word, Boulder still in hand. Sandalwood wasn’t quite sure what to think – Pinkie Pie was one thing, but her sisters were also something else too! Oh well. At least Maud was nicer than the other one, Limestone. The two of them drank their lemonade, and as Sandalwood drained his glass a question occurred to him.
“Hey, Pinkie?” he asked.
“Yeees?” the pink girl singsonged.
“Can I ask you something?” “You just did, silly!”
Sandalwood chuckled. “No, I meant another thing.”
“Okay!” Pinkie plopped herself down on the edge of her bed, smiling up at him in the most innocently adorable way. Sandalwood paused for a moment, running the question through his mind before he said it out loud.
“What made you pick out *this* book?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“I dunno,” he shrugged. He scratched the back of his head idly as he glanced over to his copy of the book they’d been reading over, “What made you pick Romeo and Juliet for our project? I mean, Shakespeare’s cool and all, but I never thought you’d be into a play that’s like, got a sad ending.”
Pinkie didn’t say anything at first. In fact, Sandalwood was worried when he saw that her smile had faded. “Pinkie Pie?” he asked, carefully.
“It’s alright,” Pinkie answered, giving him a subdued little smile. She slid off the bed, hopped to her feet, and picked up her copy of the play. “I know it’s not a happy play. But it’s got a lesson to it that I like to think about.”
Sandalwood blinked. “Yeah?” he prompted.
“Mmhm.” Pinkie nodded slowly – wistfully, as she looked at the cover of the book and thoughtfully traced a finger along the title. “I know that some people like the story of Romeo and Juliet being in love. Rarity thinks it’s super-duper romantic – and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash just think it’s dumb.” She frowned, “But there’s more to it! I mean, so much of the bad stuff in the play happens because Romeo and Juliet’s parents hate each other and won’t let go of some feud with the other family! And it only stops when it’s way too late!”
She hugged the book to her chest, and Sandalwood felt a rush of worry at just how pensive, how downcast Pinkie Pie looked then. “It’s something that really makes me think a lot. I guess I look at the play, and I kinda wonder about… about what would have happened with me, and the other girls…” Pinkie sniffed. “And Sunset too.”
Sandalwood flinched.
Pinkie gave him a feeble smile. “You remember those apology brownies I made? I’m glad. I remember them… and I was so happy that you took them, and that you liked them!” She sniffed, “I was really scared going into that, all the stuff in the Friendship Games, you know? Everybody was so mad at us, and I, I knew why… but it still hurt. Sunset hurt my friends, so we hurt other people, and then they hurt us… and none of it made anything better!” She sniffled again, hugging herself, and Sandalwood felt his heart break.
“Pinkie Pie,” he said gently.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he walked over to her, carefully put out his arms, offering her a hug. She took it, immediately snuggling up against him, letting out a shaky, squeaky little sound that sounded both miserable and deeply relieved. Every bad thing that Pinkie Pie had ever done with th Rainbooms had been forgotten. Sandalwood didn’t care about that, didn’t even give it a second of consideration. He’d just seen this girl, this sweet and energetic, and oh-so-vulnerable girl, just open her heart to him, and he did not want her to ever be so sad again if he could help it.
“Hey, hey Pinkie,” the eco boy gently patted her on the back, “Don’t cry, okay? It’s alright. Nobody here’s mad at you anymore – least of all me…”
“I know…” Pinkie Pie whimpered softly, her face pressed against his shirt, “I’m sorry for crying… this was supposed to be fun, and now look at me.” She looked up at him, her curly hair drooping as she tried to muster up a smile. “It’s really sweet, that you’ve been so nice. I really appreciate it…” she snuggled back into the hug, although this time she seemed less upset.
Sandalwood gave another gentle pat on the back. “It’s okay,” he repeated, “I’m your partner, right?”
“Right,” Pinkie mumbled.
“Right,” he nodded. A second later, an idea occurred to him, and he said:
“And besides, no way I could just leave you crying and upset like that. Your sister Limestone would, like, literally kill me!”
Pinkie giggled, a bit guiltily. “Aww,” she snorted as she looked up at him – this time, with a real smile, “I know Limestone wouldn’t really kill you. She’d just beat you to a pulp!”
Sandalwood stared at her, eyes wide.
Pinkie laughed. “Gotcha!” she said, and playfully booped him on the nose.
He rolled his eyes, but it was good-natured. It was just nice to see her happy again, and to hear her laugh. “Yeah,” Sandalwood said, slowly disengaging from the hug, before asking, “Now, you sure you’re alright?”
“I’ll be alright,” Pinkie nodded. She gave one more quick hug, “But thanks for asking!” Within seconds, back to her old bouncy self, she skipped back over to the bed and plopped down again on it. To his surprise, she patted a spot next to her, clearly inviting him to sit there.
Sandalwood sat down beside her, and Pinkie Pie beamed at him. “So!” she chirped, holding up her copy of Romeo and Juliet, “You wanna read over a scene or two?”
He found himself smiling, relieved by how quickly she seemed to have bounced back. “Sure!” he said.
Pinkie squealed happily, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. It was really an adorable sound…
Seriously, dude, he scolded himself, take it easy. It’s not like she’s looking for a date right now!
Twenty minutes later, they decided to take a break from live-reading the play. Pinkie Pie went to get a refill of lemonade, as well as another plate of snacks (at her insistence, to Sandalwood’s amusement). When she returned with the drinks and a platter of assorted cookies, the two teenagers fell into a comfortable silence as they took their much-needed refreshment.
“Pinkie?” Sandalwood asked, after polishing off a particularly yummy macaroon.
“Uh-huh?”
“Thanks for inviting me.”
“Aww, no problem!” the pink girl cooed, her face lighting up. “I was super-duper happy to!”
“Oh yeah?” Sandalwood chuckled, as he idly picked up a chocolate chip cookie and started to bite into it.
“Yep!” Pinkie chirped, before she added: “It’s great to have a cutie like you here!”
Sandalwood coughed, nearly choking in surprise at that. When he got it under control, he looked over, and was able to see that Pinkie was blushing – clearly having realized what she just said.
The eco boy blinked, trying to find some words. “Cute?” he said dumbly, “You think I’m cute?”
Pinkie blushed, deeper than her hair color, as she nodded. “Mmhmm,” she squeaked, sounding very much like her sister Marble just then.
It was Sandalwood’s turn to blush. And he also found himself thinking, realizing a few things from earlier on, ever since Pinkie Pie had come over to him that day in Cheerilee’s class. “Pinkie Pie,” he asked carefully, “Did you like, want to be my partner because you, uh… had a crush on me?”
Pinkie nodded very rapidly, blushing even further. She twirled a curl of hair around one finger, and she seemed to be trying very hard not to look at him. But she still did anyway, peeping at him in very brief glances, clearly very nervous and excited.
Sandalwood sat back, stunned. Then, after a moment’s thought, about a lot of things, he found himself smiling at her.
“Wow,” he said. “That’s, that’s really cool of you.”
“You mean it?” Pinkie said, in a soft hopeful voice.
“Sure!” the hippie nodded, reassuringly, “Pinkie, it’s great! I mean, you and the other Rainbooms, you guys did so much stuff at the Friendship Games, I know you’ve changed, it’s something really amazing!”
“Really?” Pinkie squeaked, her eyes practically shining with hope.
“Yeah.” He nodded. “I mean it, Pinkie.”
Sandalwood put out a hand, and gently took hers in it. “I’m flattered that you like me. I dunno if you’d want to, but--”
“But?” Pinkie asked, blushing.
Now it was Sandalwood’s turn to turn pink. “Well… I mean, if you’d like to… maybe we could, like, try to go out sometime? Maybe?”
Pinkie stared at him. And then she sucked in her breath, in one massive gulp of air, and then she let it out in the biggest, happiest, most delighted squee that could be imagined.
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”
In milliseconds, Sandalwood found himself nearly flattened by a pink blur, as Pinkie had leapt at him, and happily was hugging him and nuzzling him in delight.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The two teens were startled as they suddenly heard a series of banging sounds from beneath their feet; it sounded like someone was hitting the ceiling with a broom.
“THAT BETTER NOT BE WHAT I THINK IT IS!!” Limestone Pie’s voice thundered from down below.
A moment after, Pinkie and Sandalwood both laughed.
“Alright,” the eco boy chuckled. “Maybe we should get back to work before she comes up to kill me?”
Pinkie snickered guiltily. “Okie-dokie,” she said softly.
She leaned over, and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. “But I’d like to talk more about a date sometime,” she whispered, making him blush again.
“Okay,” Sandalwood answered, smiling at her. “Maybe like, next week? Dinner and a movie?”
“Ooh! I like movies!” Pinkie beamed.
“Cool. I’ll look forward to it,” he said, giving her a thumbs up.
Pinkie gave him one more quick kiss. And this time, Sandalwood got to return it.
It was a surprisingly warm day in Canterlot for February, and while the weather would undoubtedly turn chilly later in the day, for now people were happy to get out and enjoy the sun while they could. To that end, Applejack decided today was as good a day as any to take Winona to the city park for some outdoor playtime. Her little sister Apple Bloom tagged along as well, wanting to catch up on lost time with her big sis and the family dog.
The sky was completely cloudless, and a cheerful shade of bright blue as the two sisters and their dog arrived at the park. AJ was humming to herself as she hooked up Winona’s leash, and couldn’t help but laugh when Apple Bloom opened the door to let her out and Winona leapt out and into the open. Poor Apple Bloom was nearly bowled over by the enthusiastic dog!
“Real funny, Applejack,” the redheaded girl pouted, adjusting her bow, which had gone astray in her stumble. “Ah, I’m sorry sugarcube, it was just funny to see old Winona so worked up!” Applejack smiled apologetically, before whistling sharply for Winona to heel; the brown-and-white dog obediently (if a little downcast) walked back over to its owner and sat by AJ’s feet.
“Winona ain’t that old…” Apple Bloom huffed, but she managed a little smile and gave thefamily dog a scratch behind the ears. Winona yipped as if in agreement, and then bounded to her feet, eager to walk. “Alright girl,” the elder Apple sister said, giving the leash a soft flick, “Let’s get along now!”
Winona barked and set off, tail wagging frantically as AJ and her sister walked her around.
Canterlot City was blessed in that it had a gorgeous and well-planned public park. It was on a good-sized piece of land, with a winding pathway running through it. The space was open and friendly, suitable for picnics and the like, though there were a few trees for shade as well. There was even a duck pond, which AJ knew that Fluttershy liked to visit (discreetly, mind you!) that added further charm to the place; Apple Bloom giggled as Winona tried to chase a couple of mallards and nearly dragged Applejack after her!
All in all, though, it was a good time for the two Apple sisters. It felt like an eternity had passed since the two of them had gotten to just spend time together as siblings, and yet, in just walking the family dog together, everything felt good and familiar, like all was right with the world again.
…At least, that was how it felt before the football came soaring through the air to hit Applejack on the head.
“Ow!!” Applejack stumbled, dropped the leash and nearly fell, rubbing at the spot with a hiss of pain. “What in tarnation!?” The startled Winona yipped, and bolted off.
“Are ya okay, Applejack?” Apple Bloom gasped, startled.
“Ohh, ah’ll be fine, you just worry about gettin’ Winona back!”
The younger sister nodded and took off after the border collie. As Apple Bloom worked to catch up with the family dog, AJ groaned once more (her head was throbbing quite nicely, she hoped there wouldn’t be a bruise) as she bent over and picked up the stray football.
“Ugh… who the heck threw this durn thing at me anyway?”
“Ohmygosh, are you okay? I’m so sorry!”
A boyish voice called out, and very soon Applejack could see its owner – a kid, around about Apple Bloom’s age, with slicked-back dark hair and gray skin – running over to her. Clearly abashed, he sheepishly introduced himself. “My name’s Rumble. Sorry about that… my brother and I were playing catch and he told me to go long.”
“Your brother, huh?” Applejack’s head was still very sore, and while she tried to keep her temper from flaring up, it was hard. “Well tell him to watch his aim next time! Ah coulda been-“
What she could have been, though, was never to be found out, for Rumble’s brother came jogging over and the rest of Applejack’s sentence got lost somewhere on the way to her mouth.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to throw the ball that hard! Are you hurt? Do you need any help?”
The brother was an older teenager, tall and athletically built, with striking good looks – dark gray skin, silvery blue hair spiked up like a mohawk, and amber eyes, that were presently full of concern and regret. He was wearing a dark athletic jacket with a thundercloud emblem over a tank top, and plain blue jeans and running shoes.
Applejack found her voice again, and spoke up. “I think ah’ll be fine,” she said, handing the football over to him, “But thanks for asking, partner.”
“Name’s Thunderlane,” Rumble’s brother said, offering her a tentative smile, “And I really am sorry about that. My little bro and I wanted to have some fun out at the park; guess we got kinda carried away.”
Applejack adjusted her hat slightly, to try and cover where she’d been conked by the football, and managed a chuckle. “Ah can relate to that, no sweat. Me and mah sister could get up to a lot of mischief when we were – aw dang it!” she caught herself, “Apple Bloom!” The farm gal whipped around as she realized that she’d left her little sister to go chasing down Winona all by herself, but was relieved to see both her younger sibling and the dog on their way back. Apple Bloom waved to her, and Winona barked cheerfully.
Rumble’s face lit up as he laid eyes on the panting, happy dog. “Aww…” he grinned, “That’s your dog?”
“Yep,” AJ smirked, “Go on over and say hi if you want. Winona’s a real sweetheart, ain’t that right girl?”
Winona yipped cheerfully. Rumble went over to give her a scratch behind the ears, as Apple Bloom introduced herself. Thunderlane smiled, and then looked back to Applejack, while their siblings were distracted.
“You’re sure you’re alright?” he asked softly. “I really hope I didn’t knock you down or anything.”
“Ahh, don’t worry your head,” AJ waved him off. Her head was sore but she found that her frustration was pretty much gone, his apology and clearly contrite attitude had gone a long way towards mending any hard feelings. “Ah’ve taken worse spills on the farm, or wrestlin’ with Rainbow Dash!”
Thunderlane chuckled. “That’s good… last thing I need is to explain to my mom how I managed to put a girl into the hospital or something!”
AJ snorted, and the two of them shared a laugh.
“Thunderlane?” They looked over to see Rumble and Apple Bloom. Winona was laying on her back, letting them give her a belly scratch, her tail wagging frantically. Rumble gave his big brother a hopeful grin as he asked, “Can I play with Winona and Apple Bloom some more, please?”
Thunderlane folded his arms, but he was smiling. “I’m not the only person here you should be asking, bro,” he said. “It’s all right with me, as long as it’s okay with…” he looked to Applejack, embarrassed, “Uh?”
The farm girl smirked. “It’s Applejack, partner. And yeah, it’s fine with me.”
“Whoo!” the younger siblings cheered, and soon were off like a shot, Winona yipping and barking as she raced ahead, Apple Bloom holding onto the leash for dear life. Thunderlane and Applejack couldn’t help but share another laugh, before realizing that they were now alone. For a minute or two they stood in comfortable silence, before Thunderlane tentatively spoke up.
“So… Applejack?”
“Yeah?” She raised an eyebrow.
The dark-skinned boy let out an awkward sigh, trying to find the right words. “I know I said I was sorry about the football and all… but I really meant it. Can I… can I do anything to make it up to you?”
Applejack blinked, feeling a slight warmth in her cheeks, even as she said, “Aw, no sugarcube, you don’t have to.”
“Please?” Thunderlane asked, “I’m not asking to do anything crazy. Just maybe buy you a soda or whatever. Something a bit more tangible than just a ‘I’m sorry.’”
Applejack folded her arms, and shook her head, before letting out an exasperated huff. “You’re serious about this, ain’t ya?” she asked. Now I know how Rarity feels when she calls me stubborn… Thunderlane nodded, his expression earnest, and she decided it would be easier to go along with it.
“Well… all right,” she said. “You know the Sweet Snacks Café by the mall?”
“Of course.”
“Alright then. You buy me a milkshake there and we’ll call it even, got it?”
Thunderlane nodded. “Sure. No problem. What time works for you?”
“Tomorrow afternoon good for ya?" Applejack hitched a thumb over her shoulder, "I got chores when I get back to the farm.”
He nodded again. “I will be there. Thanks.”
Applejack huffed slightly. “I’ll be thankin’ ya only when that shake’s in front a’ me.”
Thunderlane chuckled. And Applejack rolled her eyes, though it was lighthearted.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom and Rumble paused in their playing with Winona to look up and notice their two elder siblings talking. Apple Bloom blinked in surprise as she could see Thunderlane say something that, while it was too far away for her to her, she could still see it make Applejack laugh.
Rumble shook his head as the two of them then watched AJ and Thunderlane take out their cell phones; it was easy to guess that they were exchanging the other’s number.
“Great. I think my brother likes your sister.”
“What?” Apple Bloom asked. “No way, that’s crazy! They’re just exchangin’ numbers is all.”
“Yeah, so he can probably ask her out later!”
Apple Bloom scoffed, as she picked up the ball that she’d brought for Winona to chase. “Whatever. They’re just talking, that’s just what’s going on. This ain’t one a’ them romance stories.”
It was five minutes before two o’clock the next day, and Applejack was waiting across the street from the Sweet Snacks Café. She had her cell phone out and was in the middle of talking with someone.
“For the last time, Rarity, it’s not a date!”
She listened in annoyance to the voice on the other end, the fashionista was talking very excitedly about something. “You just back up those horses there, partner,” AJ huffed, “All I agreed to do was meet him here and let him buy me a milkshake, that’s it.”
Applejack listened to the next set of statements for a minute, and quirked her lips in a halfhearted smile. “Yeah, yeah… look, how about you wait until after I call ya back before you go about makin’ me a dress, okay?”
Rarity answered in the affirmative, now sounding more subdued, and she said a few other things by way of apology. Applejack’s half-smile became bigger. “Ah know, sugarcube. Look, it’s fine, hear? I’ll call you back when I’m done and tell you all about it, okay?”
The farm girl rolled her eyes affectionately as she heard a loud squeal over the other end of the phone. She then noticed Thunderlane approaching from the other side of the street.
“Oh, gotta go. Talk to ya later, Rares.”
Applejack said goodbye, and ended the call, before heading over to meet with Thunderlane by the café.
“Hi, Applejack,” the dark-skinned young man greeted her. “Good to see you.”
“Howdy, Thunderlane!” Applejack tipped her hat, “Good to see ya too. What d’ya say we get on inside and order?”
“Of course.” The two teenagers stepped inside, and while Applejack was not a regular customer of the café, she still knew it well enough from Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash having sung their praises of it. The interior was bright and stylish, a deliberate throwback to a classic malt shop from the 50s; there was a soda counter, black-and-white tiled floor, neon lighting along the walls, booths, and a jukebox in the corner that played tunes for patrons to groove to if they so wanted!
A waitress rolled up to them on rollerskates. “Hello, and welcome to the Sweet Snacks Café! How can I help you?”
“You want to sit at the counter or a booth?” Thunderlane looked to Applejack. She shrugged idly, “Booth, I guess. It’s what I’m used to.”
“Okay, two for a booth. Just having dessert, that’s all.”
“All right! Follow me,” their waitress beamed as she rolled off, handily snatching up two menus as she skated over to a corner booth and set the two of them up there. “My name’s Sugarsocks and I’ll be right back to see if you’re ready to order!”
Applejack and Thunderlane sat down facing each other. They each picked up a dessert menu and scanned it for a minute. AJ hummed thoughtfully as she looked over some of the offered treats; there were plenty of options. Standbys like vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and then there were options like banana, peanut butter, mango, mint…
“Whoa nelly. How do they keep track a’ all these flavors?” she shook her head. Thunderlane chuckled.
“Having trouble deciding?” he asked.
“Nah, ah got a pretty good idea,” Applejack shrugged. “What about you?”
“I’m good, I know what I like.”
A minute later, Sugarsocks rolled back over to their table. “Hello again! Are you guys ready to order?”
“Sure. Ah’ll take a, strawberry milkshake please. No whipped cream though.”
“And I’d like a banana shake,” Thunder requested. “With whipped cream please.”
“Okay, sounds great! I will be back with your order in just a bit!” Sugarsocks beamed, before collecting their menus and skating off once more. Left alone once more, Applejack and Thunderlane settled in to wait. And, after a minute of surprisingly comfortable silence, they began to talk.
“So…” Thunderlane started. “How’d you discover this place?”
“Mah friend Pinkie Pie loves it here,” Applejack snickered. “Heck, she’d work here if she weren’t already workin’ at the bake shop and lovin’ that too! That gal practically lives for sweets; ah could bribe her t’ do my homework with one a’ Granny’s apple pies!” She smirked, and added, self-consciously, “And I have too.”
Thunderlane snorted with amusement. “Nice,” he said. “So, you’re from Canterlot High right?”
Applejack nodded, feeling a slight prickle of apprehension. Did he know anything about the Rainbooms, or… She didn’t let herself finish the rest of that thought and answered, “Yes. Yes ah am. And you?”
“I just transferred to Crystal Prep from Cloudsdale High.” Thunderlane admitted, his mouth twisting a little. “…Wasn’t the best place to be, but it could have been worse I guess.”
“Huh…” Applejack frowned, curious. “So you’re pretty new to Canterlot, aintcha?”
“Yeah. Rumble and Mom and I’ve ‘officially’ been here for about two weeks now. Still getting used to everything and all.” Thunderlane smiled suddenly, “Like all that stuff about last year’s Friendship Games! That sounded pretty crazy.” AJ gave him a flat look, and heaved a sigh. “You have NO idea, partner.”
A moment later, something he’d just said made her blink, and she looked at him with a little concern. “Thunderlane?”
“Yeah?”
“Just a minute ago, you said, you and your brother and yer ma were new in town.” She frowned. “Does that mean…” the rest of her question trailed off, as Thunderlane closed his eyes for a moment and let out a weary sigh.
“Oh.”
“It’s all right,” Thunderlane said quietly. “You didn’t know.”
Applejack looked at him sadly, sympathetically, and after a moment she reached out, and carefully put her hand on top of his. He looked at her in surprise, as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“It’s alright, sugarcube,” she said. “My sister and I… we live with our granny. Ma and Pa, well, I was ten or so when it happened.”
Thunderlane stared at her. “Oh… oh man. Applejack, I’m-“
“You don’t have ta,” she cut him off. “Ah ain’t looking for a ‘sorry’. But I do know what it’s like, and I do get it.” She squeezed his hand one more time. “What happened, happened. But ah do hope that you and yours can find a nice start here in Canterlot.”
Thunderlane said nothing for a few seconds. Then he smiled at her, a soft and warm smile that made Applejack feel relieved. “Thanks, Applejack. I really appreciate that.”
She gave his hand a little pat, and then (reluctantly) withdrew back to her side. They sat for a few minutes, quietly but comfortably, until Sugarsocks came up to their booth with their order.
“Here are your shakes! One strawberry shake, no cream, and one regular banana shake? Everything look okay to you?”
“Looks good to me, sugarcube,” Applejack smiled as she accepted her tall, frosted glass of sweet delicious dairy treat.
“I think we’ll be fine,” Thunderlane added politely.
“Great! If you need anything, I will be there!” She skated off, and AJ and Thunderlane settled in to begin on their desserts. Applejack took a sip of her milkshake, then closed her eyes with a hum of contentment. The flavor was rich and sweet, the taste of the strawberries coming through quite nicely!
“Good, huh?” Thunderlane asked.
“You said it, sugarcube,” she smiled, “Thanks, Thunderane.”
“No problem.” He chuckled softly, and the two of them enjoyed more of their shakes, once again in a surprisingly comfortable silence.
As time went on though, after they’d finished their treats, the two teenagers did return to conversation, about a number of topics. Applejack listened to Thunderlane talk about growing up with Rumble, about how his little brother could sometimes drive him crazy but still be the best sibling he could have hoped for too.
“Ah know that feel,” Applejack agreed with him, “Apple Bloom’s given me a fair share a’ headaches over the years, lemme tell ya!”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like the time she an’ her friends decided they were gonna be a rock band fer the talent show.” AJ rolled her eyes fondly, now being able to laugh at the old memory, “Apple Bloom ‘borrowed’ mah guitar and amp for practice – an’ blew out all the windows on the ground floor! Dang near gave Granny a heart attack and my ears were ringin’ for weeks!”
Thunderlane tried to keep a straight face, but failed, and he cracked up laughing. Applejack gave him a mock-offended look at first, then let out a laugh of her own as well. She was simply having fun too.
The conversation moved on to other topics. Thunderlane asked her about growing up on a farm, and she told him about her childhood: about getting up early to do chores, about how beautiful the sunrise was at the very start of the day, about how her pa Bright Mac had taught her to care for the trees in the orchard, how her ma Buttercup had taught her to play guitar… Applejack was not the sentimental type in the least, but she found herself opening up quite easily.
Thunderlane might not have understood everything about life on the farm, but he listened to her. She could tell, and she appreciated it. And in turn, she listened to him. Thunderlane talked some about his own childhood, growing up in Fillydelphia before moving to Cloudsdale when he was eight, and then Rumble had come along and he’d found himself in the role of big brother. He’d always been a fan of sports and had been on the basketball team at Cloudsdale High; he hoped to make it onto the Crystal Prep team as well. Thunderlane, to her surprise, also loved to cook, and AJ had to admit, the soup recipe he described to her sounded quite good!
The time flew by, and before either of them knew it an hour had passed. Thunderlane chuckled sheepishly as he waved Sugarsocks over to ask for the bill, “Guess we got a little carried away huh?”
“Aww, don’t worry none,” Applejack waved it off. “Ah had fun today, Thunder.” She paused, “…Uh, can ah call you that?”
The boy from Cloudsdale smiled. (And was that a faint blush on his face?) “Sure. Only if you don’t mind me calling you AJ?”
Applejack laughed. “Oh heck, you ain’t the first, so go on ahead!”
The two of them left the restaurant in good spirits. And Applejack, on a whim, decided to walk with Thunderlane to his car.
“I do mean it though,” she said to him as they made their way through the parking lot of the Canterlot mall. “I did have a great time today.”
“I’m glad,” he smiled, that warm gentle smile he’d had before, and Applejack beamed back at him. She’d had her concerns before, but now she really couldn’t complain. The afternoon had more than made up for the football to the head from yesterday. They walked in silence for a moment, before Thunderlane spoke up again. “Applejack?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you…” this time, she could tell that he was blushing slightly, as he got the words. “Well, do you want to do something like this again, sometime?”
Applejack blinked, as the gears in her head turned, processing the question all the way through. “Oh,” she said stupidly. “Oh, do you mean like… a date?”
“It doesn’t have to be,” he answered, sheepishly putting his hands into his pockets before taking them back out again. “I mean, I just – I had a great time today. And if you’d just prefer that we leave it at today, I get that. But if you’d like to hang out again… I’d be okay with that.”
They had come up by his car now, and he was trying not to lean against it or rest against it, as though the vehicle somehow were a lifeline against the awkward subject the young man had just brought up. Applejack looked at him for a minute. And she thought about what to say. She thought about yesterday, and how he’d been so concerned, and offered honestly, with no apparent ulterior motive, to make it up to her for accidentally conking her with the ball. She also thought over the past hour or more that she’d spent, just hanging out with him, and how he’d listened to her and vice-versa.
Applejack gradually smiled. “Y’know what?” she offered. “I think we could give it a try.”
“Really?” Thunderlane blinked in surprise, but he managed to smile as the realization sank in. “Cool… That’s really cool, Applejack.”
“Heh,” she smiled at him, tipping her hat lightly, “Think nothin’ of it. Whattya say we try this again next week? An’ this time, I’ll buy the snacks, got it?”
He laughed softly. “Fair enough.”
Thunderlane opened the car and moved to get inside. “You’re really nice, Applejack. I’ll see you next week, got it?”
You’re really nice, Applejack.
Those words caused a sudden, sick rush of guilt to stab her in the chest, and she felt her good mood wilt away entirely, now replaced by a deep worry.
Dang it… he doesn’t know. He doesn’t know! Ah can’t keep that from him! If we’re gonna date he’s gotta know the truth!
“Thunderlane?”
Something in her tone made him start in surprise. He paused in starting up the engine, and looked at her, concern plain on his face. “Yes?” Thunderlane asked. “What is it?”
Applejack frowned, wringing her hands for a moment. “Ah… look… if you and I, if you wanna date me, there’s something you should know about me. Somethin’ ah gotta tell you before anyone else does.”
Now looking very worried, Thunderlane carefully got up out of the car, and shut the door, standing before her, giving her his full attention. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
Applejack thought about where to even start. She sighed, and resolved to just tell it to him straight.
“I… I haven’t always been nice. Me an’ my friends… we weren’t good people, before. We were bullies, Thunderlane. Apple Bloom was… she was sick, really sick, and ah was in an awful place, and it made me mad, spitting mad, and Sunset Shimmer was there… and she got us to do horrible things for her.”
Thunderlane stared at her, his face blank. She kept talking, the words coming out faster, in an awful breathless rush.
“And it just got worse from there, and I didn’t think there was a way out, b-but Sunset got arrested, and me and mah friends… we could been expelled, but we weren’t. S-someone important forgave us, told us to start over fresh… and we did. Tried our hardest to… and it’s been a whole lot better, I feel so much better than how ah used to be…”
Her voice trailed off for a moment, and she forced herself to speak up again.
“But I wanted you to know. Wouldn’t a’ been right for me to start a relationship with someone, who didn’t know that ah’ve done bad things. Wouldn’t want ya ta – ta think I was lyin’ to ya, or stringing you along…” Applejack sighed, heavily. She didn’t want to look him in the face. “Well, there ya have it. Ah’m real sorry. Ah just got carried away, and I forgot… If you don’t wanna meet up with me, I get that.”
An instant later, she was surprised as Thunderlane put a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him to see him smiling sadly at her.
“Okay…” he said softly. “I… didn’t expect any of that… but it’s okay.”
“What?” Applejack asked blankly.
“If you were the person you said you used to be, you wouldn’t have told me any of that!” Thunderlane said, in a firm but sympathetic tone. “You were completely honest with me. Even if you thought I wouldn’t want anything to do with you!” He smiled at her, and she found herself blushing, “I’m touched, Applejack. I really mean that. Thank you for telling me.”
“Aww…” she muttered, and to her embarrassment, she realized she was getting misty-eyed. “Dang it, Thunder, ya got me all worked up.”
He chuckled, and they ended up sharing a gentle hug, the young man patting her on the back. “It’s alright, it’s alright,” Thunderlane assured her. “We can still give this a try if you want.”
Applejack snorted with a ripple of laughter, “I do!”
“Okay then!” he laughed. “We will! Now, how about I drive you someplace closer to home? Would you like that?”
Applejack smiled at him. “Ah would, thank ya very much.”
She gave him one last hug, and then… on a sudden burst of daring, she leaned in and gave him a quick, chaste kiss on the cheek. He blushed, and so was AJ as she pulled back. “Too much?” she asked apologetically.
“No, it’s fine.” Thunderlane smiled at her. “I just didn’t expect a kiss until after the first, official date.”
Applejack managed a laugh. “Well then,” she said, “Guess that just means you’ll have to surprise me later to make it even!” He chuckled goodnaturedly, and Applejack went around the car to the passenger’s side. The two of them got into the car, and Thunderlane started it up, AJ settling back in her seat to try and fully relax after her panic from before. She reached over and gave Thunderlane’s hand a squeeze, which he returned.
Heck of a day, Applejack thought to herself. But ah think it turned out all right in the end…
She realized something else, and then heaved a sigh.
“Problem?” Thunderlane asked.
“No…” Applejack sighed. “Ah just remembered that I’m gonna have to tell Rarity about all a’ this, that’s all!”
The goth girl everyone knew as Fluttershy brought only two things with her while she was walking. A knapsack she had slung over her shoulder, and the phone in her jacket. She walked through the cold outside with only one specified place in mind; Rarity's home. This time, maybe this time she would have someone to hang out with.
She knocked on the door of the house, and stood idly, waiting for someone to answer. And someone did; in the form of the freshmen middle-schooler known as Sweetie Belle.
"Oh, hey Fluttershy."
"Hey Sweetie Belle. Is Rarity home?"
"Yeah, she's upstairs," she said, letting her inside.
"Thanks."
Walking inside, the goth girl walked up the stairs to where Rarity's room was. In the bedroom, she could see Rarity was fixing up the back of her hair. While she was still keeping her hair to it's punk style that she grew to love, she did let a bit of it grow out the back and wrapped it up into a ponytail, held together by a spiked bracelet.
"Rarity?"
She turned around and her eyes sparkled to see her friend.
"Fluttershy, darling, so nice to see you! What brings you around?"
"Pinkie Pie's busy helping with a birthday party, Rainbow Dash is going on another date with Indigo Zap from Crystal Prep, and Applejack's off to visit her brother in college," Fluttershy deadpanned. "I have nothing else to do, so I thought I would see how you were doing."
"Oh. I'm so sorry," Rarity frowned.
"Eh, it's okay. Kinda. It's just one of those days," Fluttershy shrugged.
She sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Rarity was continuing to adjust her hair. She wore the same spiked heeled boots, tight jeans, a blue tank top underneath a black sleeveless vest, and two spiked bracelets on her wrists. The nasty witch that she once was, was completely gone. Out with the old hag, and in with the casual punk.
"So..." Fluttershy said, hoping to start a conversation. "Valentine's Day is in a few days. You, uh... you have a special someone?"
"I'm afraid not, no," Rarity said, frowning at the thought. "Do you?"
"Not really. Though to be honest, I'm okay with it. I make it a me day," Fluttershy said. She looked back at Rarity, thinking for a moment. "You... do you want to hang out? I mean if neither one of us is dating--"
"--Wait. Darling do you mean like, us going on a..."
Fluttershy didn't let her finish the rest of that sentence and shook her head. "That's not what I meant. I mean just you and I hang out, as friends."
Rarity blinked. "Oh! My apologies darling, I misunderstood. But uh, sure, yes! Yes of course! Anything you would like to do?"
"Actually, there is."
"Roller derby!?"
Some skaters sped right on past Rarity, blowing her mohawk in the wind.
"What? I thought it could be fun," Fluttershy said, finding themselves some seats. She patted the chair next to her, and Rarity took her seat.
"Well, it's just... I don't know, I didn't think you liked roller derbies of all things," Rarity asked.
"You girls never asked," Fluttershy deadpanned. "Though I didn't show it, I was honestly jealous of you and Pinkie Pie getting to skate. I would have loved to try that." Her hand reached into the bucket of popcorn she purchased. "Popcorn?"
"Hmm... sure," Rarity said, sticking a hand in to grab a few pieces.
Another whoosh went by as the skaters sped on past them.
"And Griffonstone takes the lead again! Scorin' Hoops taking the second place and Shining Harmer in the third! With only 20 laps to go, Griffonstone is taking a huge lead!"
"Oh I don't know about you, but I think that Shining Harmer girl might take it. She may be in the back, but you don't ever wanna mess with her out in the rink."
"If our egos extended to commentary as much as skating, we'd be getting our own butts kicked in this sorry mess!"
And the racers went by past them again, with the crowd roaring.
"So are there any particular favorites?" Rarity asked, drinking from a straw.
"The Griffonstone girl, that's my favorite," Fluttershy pointed. A racer in a light brown tank top and black shorts, and a helmet painted with a bird-like head design. "Her name's Gilda. She's a friend of mine."
Rarity blinked. "I didn't know you had friends outside of us."
"Before I met any of you, she was honestly my only friend. I met her out here, and she helped me practice roller skating. We've been friends ever since."
The mohawked girl smiled. "That's rather nice, darling."
"Mmmhmm," Fluttershy nodded, eating another piece of popcorn.
As the loud rock and roll echoed through the speakers over the crowds of screaming fans, Rarity drew her eyes over to the skaters down in the course.
"Wait a minute. Fluttershy, doesn't that skater look familiar? The pink one?"
"Shining Harmer? Wait a minute..." she looked closer and gasped. Now she looked familiar. Pink skin, and there was some tufts of pink and soft yellow hair hanging out of the back of the helmet. "Is that--?"
"ARE YOU BLIND, REF!? THAT WAS A FOUL!!"
Fluttershy was tense. And even more so to see it was from Rarity of all people. She looked sheepishly at Fluttershy, tittering a bit. "I, may get riled up if people don't play by the rules..."
Fluttershy looked back at the crowds in fear. "Now I've seen everything..."
The race eventually ended, with the winner being Griffonstone, and Shining Harmer taking second place. Everyone was getting themselves ready to leave, but the two girls wanted to pay a little visit to 'Harmer' first. Luckily they caught her just as she was about to walk into the locker room.
"Cadence?" Fluttershy asked.
The adult spun around and looked at the two students. "Oh, Fluttershy, Rarity, so nice to see you two."
Rarity sputtered. "I... I thought you were a teacher!"
Cadence nodded. "Well, right now I'm mainly doing substitute work. And what can I say, roller derby is a great stress release after dealing with some classes."
Fluttershy gave a sly grin. "Does, uh, does Shining know?"
Cadence chuckled. "Nope. Not yet. I'm hoping one day if we ever get back together I can take him out here on a date."
Rarity giggled. "I bet he would be quite surprised."
After leaving the course, the two of them wandered around Canterlot for a bit more fun. They stopped at the Canterlot Mall, played a few games in the local arcade (and Fluttershy soon learned of Rarity's hidden talent for racking up high scores in first person shooters), and even went for a bit of fun shopping. Some new accessories, snacks for later, and other little bits of fun stuff. And in all that time, Rarity completely forgot about how sad she was about not having a date.
And so the two of them were walking through the city streets, looking around for more places to stop at.
"Well, darling I want to say thank you hanging out with me. This is rather nice," Rarity cooed.
Fluttershy smiled. "No problem. I'm glad you're happy."
Rarity sighed. "Though I do wish I had a special someone this holiday. I thought I would have been attractive enough to at least get the attention of one boy..."
"Don't put yourself down, you're a very attractive woman," Fluttershy said, sternly.
Rarity blushed. "You really think so?"
"Yes, I do. Any boy would be lucky to have you."
Rarity sighed again. "I guess so. But what boy wants to be near me when I have... this?" She pointed up to her mohawk. "Don't get me wrong darling, I love it, I don't want to change it but... I suppose I feel like that's the only thing boys are ever going to see when they talk to me."
"Rarity, you need to not worry so much about the hair. You still look good even with the punk hair. I bet anyone would be surprised how generous you are underneath that mohawk. If you're going to be with someone, you should be with someone who likes you for you, not for your looks."
"Like what Adagio and Trixie have?"
"Exactly. I mean looks are good, but they're not everything," Fluttershy said.
"Oh." Rarity said, not sure what else to really say. "Well... hmm. Fluttershy is there anyone you've had your eye on?"
Fluttershy shook her head.
"But darling, don't you want to have a special someone?"
"Well, yeah. But not now. Just because I'm not interested in someone now doesn't mean I never will. Besides, I'm too focused on trying to do okay in school to even worry about finding a nice guy to date."
Rarity smiled at that. "Well I guess I can see where you're coming from. And I do agree, I mean, who says you have to be dating someone?"
Fluttershy tilted her head. "Fanfiction shippers?"
Rarity raised a brow.
"I spend a lot of time alone," Fluttershy sunk in her shoulders. "Even before I met any of you girls. But the point is, you don't always need to have a special someone to be happy. Sometimes all you really need is just a good friend."
Rarity softly spoke. "When did you become so wise?"
The goth girl just shrugged. "I learned a thing or to at my therapist."
"I see. But still, I... I do love all of you, but I just wish I... You know what I mean," Rarity said, dejectedly.
Fluttershy moved in front of her, stopping them both from walking. She gripped her shoulders and looked at her with 'The Stare', a move that she perfected on almost every animal she tamed.
"Rarity. Listen to me. You'll find your perfect one. It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow. But you'll find someone. Okay?"
Rarity slowly nodded. Fluttershy smiled back, before helping adjust the soft ponytail hanging out of the back of her head.
"Good. Now come on, I'm hungry."
"But you just had popcorn!"
"It's junk food, Rarity. I need an actual meal," Fluttershy pouted. "... Unless you um, had something, in which case, we could just go back home."
Rarity waited to respond, but her stomach growled audibly at her. She hadn't had much to eat either, aside from some nibbles at the popcorn. "Perhaps it would do us good to get something to eat."
And they were in luck. Around the corner was a mini diner, a perfect stop. Fluttershy looked back at Rarity with a soft smile. "I know this place. It's not exactly high class, but they make really good food."
Rarity smiled back at her friend. "Fluttershy, that is perfectly fine with me."
The two of them walked inside, and first glance, it just seemed like any regular diner. Plenty of tables and chairs, some booths with comfy cushioning, it looked relatively clean for the most part. In the corner, there was some music playing out of a jukebox, mostly contained the hits. A bar for people to sit at and just simply eat there. Heck, this was nearly identical to the diner that Pinkie Pie liked to go to (and talked about wanting to apply for a job there)
And surprisingly, there were some familiar people here. In a circular table was Sunny Flare, Sugarcoat, and Lemon Zest all together.
"Oh. Sunny Flare, darling, so good to see you," Rarity grinned.
"Hey Rarity," Sunny said dully.
The fashionista frowned. "Darling, what's wrong?"
"My special someone dumped me... and so close to Valentine's Day," Sunny frowned.
"What? Why?"
"I don't know!" Sunny's face planted right into the surprisingly squeaky clean table, while getting a soft pat from Lemon Zest.
"What about you Lemon Zest?" Fluttershy inquired.
Lemon shook her head. "I uh... I was ready to ask this person I had a crush on but... I found out they're already dating someone. I just went here cause I have nothing else to do," she frowned.
"What about you Sugarcoat?" Rarity asked.
"Actually I didn't plan on doing anything today. I didn't really ask anyone out so I just thought about chilling here, maybe enjoy some karaoke. Maybe play some of the arcade games in the corner over there," Sugarcoat looked at the few arcade cabinets. "And then I saw Sunny and Lemon come in, and well, here we are now."
The two Rainbooms turned their heads, seeing two other girls they recognized at the establishment; Amethyst Star and Vinyl Scratch of all people. The two of them were just sitting and chilling at their table, enjoying the sweetness of fresh, warm, chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk.
"Geez, the sound is coming out horridly," Vinyl cringed, hearing the sound from the speakers cutting in and out.
Amethyst tilted her head looking at the speaker that wasn't functioning properly. A light bulb popped over her head and she flashed a grin. "Oh, I got it." The keytar player raised her hand up and snapped her fingers, suddenly the music starting coming out of the speaker much more clearly.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." And casually, Amethyst just dipped her chocolate chip cookie into some milk and took a bite.
Vinyl saw the goth and punk girls come to their table and she greeted them with a smile. "Evening Rarity, Fluttershy. How are you two doing?"
"We're doing alright darling. Might we join you?"
Vinyl looked at Amethyst who gave a soft nod. Vinyl looked back and she nodded back to her.
"Either of you two want a cookie?"
"The offer is appreciated, but I think I'd order some food first," Rarity said, graciously.
"Kay. But cookies are still there, so," Amethyst shrugged, dipping it in her milk again. "So what brings you two around?"
"Slow day, nothin' to do. We went to a roller derby," Fluttershy said casually. "Apparently Miss Cadence is a derby racer. Who knew?"
Vinyl and Amethyst looked at each other and shrugged.
"Pardon my asking, but have you two found anyone... special for Valentine's Day?" Rarity asked hesitantly.
Amethyst shrugged, still chill. "Not really. I mean, sure, there's some cute guys, but I guess I'm not really demanding to go and spend Valentine's Day with anyone."
"Me too. I mean, the thought sounds nice, but... I don't know. I haven't really had any feelings for anyone at CHS," Vinyl added.
"So, it looks like we're all single," Rarity stated.
"Yep."
"Yes."
"Mmmhmm."
Rarity and Fluttershy looked back over at the table with the three CPA students. They frowned, seeing Sunny Flare so sad and upset, and poor Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest unsure of how to make her feel better. Three single people all alone. And across from a table of more single people.
The fashionista repeated that idea in her head, until she had an idea. "You know, darlings, I know all of us are single and don't have anyone special for Valentine's Day. Anyone perhaps want to hang out as friends?"
Amethyst and Vinyl looked at each other, and then back to Fluttershy and Rarity, thinking about the offer. Sure they were still trying to work on being a bit more acquainted (they were friendly for the most part now). And they were trying to be nice to them. Maybe they could take them up on their offer, not like they have anything else to do.
The two musicians nodded with grins. Rarity felt a sense of joy in her heart, happy that she and Fluttershy were going to have more friends to hang out with on Valentine's Day.
"Hey, girls?" Rarity asked.
The three Shadowbolts looked over at their table. Sunny Flare's cheeks were red, her eyes were bloodshot, and her makeup was officially runny. But that one look at Rarity's warm expression was enough to make her smile for the first time that evening. Rarity tilted her head, nudging them to come and join them. Sunny sniffled and wiped some of the leaky makeup off her face before joining their table.
Sugarcoat and Lemon soon joined as well, now sitting with the rest of the singles. Rarity helped wipe off the stains on Sunny's face.
"You'll find your perfect date, Sunny. It may not be today, and it may not be tomorrow. But you'll find him," Rarity said.
The drama student sniffled again, only she was happy. "Thank you, Rarity."
"And you two will find yours," Fluttershy said, looking at Sugarcoat and Lemon Zest.
The two CPA girls smiled back.
"And you know something else? So what if we don't have a special someone on this day. We'll all find someone eventually. Somewhere out there, there is that perfect compatible human being for us. Why rush things? Let's just enjoy the way things are now," Amethyst said, taking another bite of her milk dunked cookie.
"I agree with that statement," Sugarcoat said, a small but sincere smile added.
"Then how about a little toast?" Rarity suggested, raising her cup. Everyone raised theirs as well, all joining together; well, still waiting for Amy to finish her cookie bit real quick. "To the single people out there, and to all our friends and family. To the love of our family... and friendship."
Straps were clicked, pants and jackets were on and tightened, and fingerless gloves with a little padding were added. And at last, Flash Sentry stepped out of his bedroom, ready to go.
"Alright, I'm ready to go," Flash declared. "Thanks again Dad."
"No problem kiddo," Steadfast nodded. "Now remember, it'll hurt a lot, so..."
"I know," Flash said.
A knock came to the door. Walking over, he opened it up, showing Aria Blaze, all dressed up in military gear, and a pair of sunglasses.
"Hey Flash. Ya ready?"
"Bet I am," Flash winked.
"Alright, well you two have fun now, alright?" Steadfast said.
"We will, Dad!"
Starry shyly waved, "Have fun... try not to get shot..."
"Are you sure? Because, oh, geez I'm bad at this... I've been told that it's okay to say no to activities, and if you don't want to do this, it's fine," Aria said, cringing a little bit at how poorly worded she said it.
"Aria, it's fine. I'm actually excited to do this, I think it'll be fun," Flash said.
"Great!" Another pause of silence passed in between them. "Alright so before we go out there, I want to give you a little bit of advice, if that's okay," Aria said.
"Fine by me, sure," Flash said, keeping his eye on the road.
"Okay, great! So first thing's first, when you get hit by a paintball, it is going to hurt; a lot."
"I am expecting it," Flash nodded. "Continue."
Flash parked the car, and turned off the engine. The two of them stepped out of the car, while Aria continued to talk.
"Rule number two; we work together as a team. When I served in the war (in secret mind you, cause women were not allowed to fight in the front lines of World War II) I made sure to work with my comrades as a team. We were stronger united as one, just like all friends in confrontational situations are."
"Of course," Flash acknowledged.
As Aria continued to ramble on with rules of fighting and surviving, the two of them signed up for the course they wanted (Aria wanted them to get some practice first), given instructions on the usage of weapons and walked into the training field. Their suits were on, tightened, and they got the armor and padding they needed. And not only that, but they also bumped into some friends from CHS who were a part of the team they all signed on for; Mystery Mint, Thunderbass, a few others included. And as soon as they were dressed, the team walked together into the training field.
"... Rule number forty-six, always and I mean ALWAYS, conserve your ammo. It's fun to get tons of unlimited ammo in video games, but I'm just going to tell you right now, we're not going to find small boxes containing shells or rounds lying about. I wasted a lot of good ammo, and that bit me in the butt."
Flash smiled under the mask. "Understood."
"Great!" Aria grinned. "So really, just stand on guard, listen for every little sound you hear. It could be anythi--" she heard some rocks fall off a rock just a few feet from where they were standing. Aria whipped around with a battle ready face, her face turning bleak at a very out of nowhere memory kicked into her brain. And suddenly, she screamed as loud as she could.
"CONTAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCT!"
Jolting around, she started to held her grip on the trigger of the gun, firing it multiple times towards the sound that had been created. Paintballs bounced off the rocks and were slamming into the metal plating that formed the walls. And she didn't let go of the trigger, she just kept her finger on it!
Seeing that she was out of paintballs, she quickly opened up the cap and poured in more paintballs into the collection tank, and resumed firing like crazy. Unsure, but still following her logic, Flash too joined in and started firing at the area Aria was shooting. Paintballs were shooting out like crazy, bouncing and slamming into everything within the area.
Mystery Mint charged in and shot like crazy as well, with Thunderbass and Curly Winds joining in the sudden gunfire.
The guns echoed into the air, making birds run away from the trees they were sitting in, to escape the noise. And people outside of the playing arena players stopped to watch the people in the training arena shoot at nothing like a couple of lunatics.
Aria still screamed like a madwoman, but it finally hit the point where her gun had run out of paintball rounds, and so did Flash's. Aria's screaming slowly died, and she panted. She may not have shot anything in particular, but she and Flash did a heck of a job painting the barrier walls. Mystery and the others looked at her with disturbed faces, and Flash's head tilted as he looked at Aria with confusion. Aria admittedly blushed under the protective mask.
"Are you okay?" Thunderbass asked, honestly wondering if maybe she needed a therapist.
"... I didn't say I always followed my advice."
After getting a little bit of practice in (after Flash had to calm Aria down and confirm that there wasn't anyone there to shoot her) they were ready to start playing. And luckily for them, the rest of the team that signed up was already here. Canterlot Wondercolts were here to play; Thunderbass, Curly Winds, Cloudy Kicks, and Mystery Mint.
A few other teams had assembled as well. Some teenagers from CPA had arrived, and some Everfree Timberwolves as well. Once they were released to go compete, everyone went into the fields to begin the tournament. In no time at all, Flash and Aria were dashing across the field, dodging the storm of paintballs as they ran for cover. They jumped right into a shed, and Flash slammed the door behind him, panting heavily.
Aria sighed with a scary grin on her face. "I love the sounds of war in the morning..." she blew non-existent smoke away from the barrel of her gun while Flash just looked at her, admittedly scared.
"... How much war have you been in before you settled into a regular life?" Flash asked.
Aria shrugged. "I participated in a few here and there, mostly tried to avoid them," Aria admitted. "I did sneak in some wins during World War II though; do NOT tell your parents that."
"But I thought women weren't allowed to fight on the front-lines in World War II," Flash said.
"And you're right. But with a little disguises, some gear, and some extensive planning and sneaking, we were able to help participate in battle," Aria nodded.
"HEY! LET US IN! WE'RE GETTING SLAUGHTERED OUT HERE!"
"Oh, sorry!"
Flash opened the door, and running inside were Thunderbass and Mystery Mint.
"Okay, no way we're getting through, Crystal Prep's completely cut us off," Thunderbass said, almost out of breath.
"What about taking refuge behind the small mountain ridge?" Aria asked.
"Can't, the Everfree Timberwolves have taken that spot, they own the mountains and the woods apparently," Mystery grimaced.
"Joy..." Aria rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, they've never done this before."
"Um... no."
"Of course not. Remind me again, why couldn't Valhallen join us, I thought he was into this," Aria asked.
Mystery was about to reply but not til after she jumped in fright as several paintballs struck against the other side of the wall she was leaning against.
"Jeez, guys," she said, calming down.
"Well I'm not staying in here. Come on, let's go kick some butt! On three!"
Everyone flipped their masks down.
"On three, one, two, three, GO!"
Aria kicked the door open and charged out into the field, shooting at the incoming enemies. With a triple shot, Aria hit shoulder, chest, and other shoulder, and watched as her target fell. Turning around, she focused on another guy running at her, and shot at him like a madman.
"Alright, alright, you got me, cool it!"
"One shot doesn't do!"
Around the corner, Aria failed to see a CPA member running at her ready to shoot. It wasn't until Flash Sentry ran out and fired two shots at his armor, taking him out and saving Aria's life.
"Aria, look out!"
Aria turned just in time, taking out another Crystal Prepper with a single shot. Looking back at Flash, she grinned under the helmet, giving a soft salute over to him.
"Come on, let's go kick some butt!"
As time went on, the group was continuing to push forward and stand strong in every match they could. For the most part, they seemed to win a few, although they had a few hiccups here and there and did lose quite a few matches. But they were still standing. And Flash had to admit it, this was actually a lot of fun. Not only did he get some workouts in there, but he was just having plain fun, playing paintball. To him, it felt like being in a video game, although in his girlfriend's case, it was more like war.
And the experience only was only made better with Aria by his side, fighting alongside him. Now if he was ever in a situation like this (not that he planned any career choices that would involve it) he would gladly have Aria by his side.
Though now they were going to get ready for the final tournament. One that neither of them had tried before; in which all teams would be placed on the biggest arena and would have to fight each other; and it wasn't two-against-two, it was one against three, for all three teams. Needless to say, Team CHS was a bit worried. But Aria? No way.
Once their guns were completely reloaded, and the team was all gathered up, they were ready to fight. But Aria had a few words to say...
"Alright boys and girls, listen up.We make one final stand. We will defend our nation!" Aria declared, still keeping up the drill seargent act. "Let's make our mamas proud! ... Correction, let's make all of your mamas proud, I don't have one, so, um... yeah. Let's, let's just do this," Aria said, turning around.
"You know none of this is real, right?" Mystery asked. "Because, you're kind of worrying me with how serious you're taking this--"
"--I take war very seriously, soldier!" Aria screamed, getting up in Mystery's face.
"Um, you're a little close, uhh--"
"--I was also up close and personal with Adolf Hitler. ... Let that sink into your brain."
Mystery gulped.
"Now you listen to me close, sweetheart. War has consequences, and I take it very seriously. We're going to win, and we'll kick their butts! I've spent ten years in special forces, you think I went out there thinking it was going to be a light breeze? You're in this now, rock punk!"
Mystery was practically quivering, until Aria finally quieted her voice and whispered.
"I'm only yelling just to mess with the other guys. I know it's a game, I just take it way too seriously. Now just relax and have fun, okay?"
"Y-Yes."
"Good. Alright boys, let's get into positions!"
All of them stood together, into positions. Plenty of cover for them to hide behind, and a few vantage points for them to win, at least, they thought.
The Timberwolves were closing in, marching together for their final stand. And with her gun cocked, Aria let out the cry.
"For the Alliance! For Canterlot! For the Wondercolts!!!!" Aria yelled like a gorilla.
The Wondercolt team popped out of their corners and began to fire at the incoming Timberwolves.
Curly Winds, Tennis Match, and Thunderbass moved on top of their covers, and started to fire from their cover. But the Timberwolves slowly marched, holding their stance and fought back. A few of them dropped, but they still kept going. The inside of the battle was sounding something straight out of a war movie, people yelling, guns ablazing, running, it had everything excluding explosions of heavy artillery.
Mystery Mint charged out in the open, until Timberwolf eyes focused on her and shot at her with all they had. Curly Winds was next to go, taking a shot to the shoulder and stomach, dropping to the ground. Aria didn't even notice; she was too busy shooting to pay attention. One, two, three, they went down! Paintballs hailing like rain launched out of the turret in rapid fire.
Three more moved themselves closer to her position, and on one knee, she gripped the gun with one arm and pulled the trigger on the first boy, then hitting the second boy, and then finishing the last girl that approached this close. All of them eventually wandered off to exit the arena (the defeated ones at least) but Aria saw more just up ahead. The Timberwolves, or what was left of them, were approaching; they outnumbered her.
The siren looked all around her, no one was left. Mystery, Curly, Flash, they were all dead (figuratively speaking). Only two options were left; either fight off whatever she can, or surrender. But then she remembered something that Adagio had said long ago...
We make the end memorable.
Aria still found herself surrounded, the end was drawing near. But just as another guy was about to shoot her--bam! A paintball hit his armor, and he threw up his arms in frustration, defeated. Aria looked behind for a brief second, seeing Flash Sentry, stiffly approach with his gun still pumped and ready.
"Flash!"
"I'm not finished yet," Flash said, getting back up. "We can do this!"
The rest of the team was still moving forward, and they continued to fire on sight. But the two of them could still see the probability of them winning was less than likely, as they slowly started to surround them.
"Well Flash... let's make the end memorable!" Aria declared.
The two of them fired as many as they could, a few more adversaries falling, bodies piling up. But it wasn't enough; Flash was soon hit, and he had fallen as a victory to the enemy. Aria wasn't about to let him die in vain, and she fired the last bit of ammo she got.
She was slowly getting surrounded. A player shot her in the back, and multiple shots hit her chest, shoulders, behind, almost everywhere until she slowly dropped, time slowing down as her weapon fell out of her hand, slamming onto the ground, and her body finally collapsing to the ground.
"Til all... are... one..." Aria said with dramatics, acting as if she was slowly dying before laying limp and making weird gargling sounds.
The Timberwolves tilted their heads.
"You know, I think you can leave now."
"Give me a minute, I wanna let this settle in for dramatic effect..." Aria said, raising a finger.
"... You are weird."
Everyone left the arena and began putting away the weapons and armor (if anyone had borrowed any) while Aria and Flash were taking a moment to just sit and relax for a moment while they caught their breaths. Their faces were red, hot, and sweaty from wearing the helmets, but they were still smiling at each other.
"Hey uh, Aria?"
Aria looked back at her embarrassed boyfriend. "Sorry I got my butt kicked out there."
"Hey, it's fine," Aria smiled, patting his shoulder. "You didn't do so bad for your first time being out on a paintball course."
"Well you had more experience, you've been in war before."
"Eeyup," Aria said proudly, blowing the non-existent steam out of the turret of her gun. "Proud to have been a fighter." She looked back at Flash softly. "But you still did good. And that last stand-off when it was just us? I got my butt kicked early, and you were still standing, I think that's pretty cool."
Flash smiled. "If I wasn't so sweaty, I'd give you a kiss."
Aria still leaned over and gave him a kiss on the lips. "It's fine. Now what do you say you and I go get cleaned up and we get some ice cream?"
Flash smiled. "I'd like that."
Aria and Flash got up from the bench, but both were still a bit stiff from the wounds they received.
"Oof, ow..." Aria grunted.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just now feeling the paintball marks on my legs. ... And my butt, they hit me hard back there. I think I might need some ointment when we get back," Aria said, still walking funny.
After getting cleaned up and patched up, Aria and Flash were sitting on a bench in the Canterlot Mall, licking away at the ice cream cones they had purchased. Sure they didn't end up winning any trophy, but Aria had to admit. This was a win.
"How's the ice cream?" Aria asked.
"Delicious. Though you didn't have to buy it for me, I would have been happy to pay," Flash replied.
"Flash. You said yes to doing something fun that I like to do. The least I could do was pay for your food," Aria smiled.
Flash smiled back at her, and gave her a peck on her cheek. "You really are the best."
The Dazzling blushed. "Flash..."
"Come on..." Flash scooted closer to her and held her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers.
"... Dang it, why can't I say no," Aria whined before resting her head on her boyfriend's shoulder.
Flash chuckled a bit, smiling back at her. And Aria did not flinch when Flash stroked her cheek. Actually, the way Aria leaned slightly into his palm was kind of adorable.
"Though I have to ask, how come you bought a second cone?"
Aria shrugged. "I thought I'd do something nice for Starry. If I still wanna win her over, I'm going to be like that super rich uncle who spoils everyone."
Flash chuckled. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it, but I think you two are okay."
"Yeah, but I dunno. Your family seems to like me okay from what you described, but I still wanna show I'm serious and actually a good girlfriend. ... I am good to you, aren't I?"
"Babe, of course you are," Flash smiled. "What are you so worried about?"
"I dunno. I guess I never thought I had to worry about something like this before."
"Aria, listen to me. The last time I talked to my mom and dad, they were still okay with you and like you. You have nothing to worry about. Okay?"
Aria softly smiled and laid her head back on his shoulder again. And so the couple just sat peacefully, enjoying the sweet cold flavor of ice cream, and relaxing from a day of battle.
"... What if they start asking about having kids?"
"Come on boy, you can do it! Come on, come on buddy!"
Trixie whistled at her puppy, trying to get him to climb up the small step that separated from the patio and to the living room. She had been training him for a few months now, ever since Adagio had given him to her as a birthday gift. Needless to say, Trixie was not disappointed. Her new dog was one of the best gifts she had ever been given, and she would not have given him away for anything.
But the poor little guy was still struggling to climb up the step.
"Come on Fluffernutter, you got it!"
The little dog barked cutely, trying to call for his owner.
"Buddy, come on, you can do it," Trixie called. "You can do it, come on..."
The fluffy puppy struggled some more, using both back legs to try and pull himself up. He almost got it, almost there... And then he drooped back down.
"Aww. Don't worry buddy, we'll practice some more, I'll get you up."
And finally, after one more push, he finally made up the step.
"Yes! You did it, oh I'm so proud of you!" Trixie squeed, picking up her puppy with an excited grin. She gave him a hug, to wit, he started licking her face. "Hehehe, oh Fluffernutter," she giggled.
The doorbell ringed, calling for her ears attention.
"Oh, coming!"
She walked to the door, checking through the peephole who it was. And smiling with joy, she opened it up, revealing Adagio Dazzle on the other side; standing in a beautiful little black dress. Sleeveless to show off her bare shoulders and little side slits that showed off just enough of her smooth legs.
The door opened, and Trixie just looked in awe. "Adagio, h-h-hi..."
Adagio gave a sly grin. "Like what you see?"
"Heh, I... um."
Adagio just responded by booping her nose and kissing her cheek.
"But still, y-you look great," Trixie blushed.
"Why thank you," Adagio smiled, cutely. She then turned her eyes to the adorable puppy wagging it's tail in Trixie's arms. "Hello puppy," Adagio greeted, petting Fluffernutter's head.
The puppy softly barked, happily panting as it looked at her.
"You've been nice for my girlfriend now?" She asked, petting his ears.
"He's behaving himself. Well, most of the time," Trixie giggled. "Oh shoot! You uh... mind waiting for a second, I still need to get dressed, I'm so sorry, I'm never this forgetful, but--"
Adagio put a finger over her lips. "--Sweetie, it's okay. Just go get dressed, I will keep an eye on this handsome little fella."
"He's not old enough to start attracting girls yet though," she giggled, setting her dog back on the floor.
"Oh, one day he will be. But he's still such a cute wittle fluffy puppy," Adagio cooed, petting the dog's ears.
Carefully, Adagio took the dog from Trixie's arms and sat herself down on the couch while Trixie ran upstairs to get herself dressed. She didn't mind the wait; after all, she was happy to wait for her lady. Plus, she had a dog to keep her occupied; this would definitely hold her over for a while.
"Maybe when Trixie goes to college, we can look after you together. I'm sure by then you'll be one handsome little dog," she giggled, playing with the puppy's ears. "And oooh, your fur is so clean!" She squeaked. "Trixie does a better job making sure you're clean than Aria did with the last pet we had. Why she thought she could keep a Doberman, is beyond me."
The puppy playfully squirmed in her arms until she set it down in her lap, which rolled itself over on it's side, looking at her with a happy face.
"Aww, does someone want their tummy wubbed?" Adagio gushed, looking at the puppy. The puppy just gave an adorable little bark and she complied, rubbing the dog's belly. "You're so cute. I knew I made the right choice picking you as a birthday gift."
Trixie came downstairs, now completely dressed up and ready. Her hair was woven beautifully, her eyes sparkled under the light, and she had on a beautiful dark blue dress.
"Oooh, Dagi likey..." Adagio purred.
Trixie squeaked with a happy grin. "Thanks."
"Now my lady. What do you say we get going. We have a picture to attend."
The evening was rolling in, and the sky began to grow darker.
Not too far off was the drive-in, and there already a handful of people there, ready to enjoy the picture. Oddly most of the people here were adults, with a few elderly couples here and there. If there were any teenagers or families here, it was hard to see. Maybe they were here and the couple just didn't see them, but it didn't matter. They had found a spot with a nice view of the movie, not too far front, but not all the way in the back either.
"So what movie are we watching?" Adagio asked as Trixie parked the car.
"The Creature from the Depths from 1953," Trixie read. "I thought we could have fun watching an old monster movie. Unless you rather watch something else...?"
"It's perfectly fine with me, Trixie. In fact... is there a special reason why you picked that movie?"
Trixie blinked. "Well, I may have looked these up and may have found it cause... you're in this one."
"Why yes I am!" Adagio said, acting playfully surprised. "I thought you would have picked it because you wanted to see the monster kill some people."
And now the magician was blushing. "Um, uh..."
Adagio giggled, booping her nose. "I'm only teasing you sweetie. I'm very excited to see this with you. It's been so long since I've seen any of my old work."
"How come?"
"I don't know. Traveling around the world, trying to find work to support me and my family... also I have no idea if the movie was any good because around that time, I was getting fired by Marebara Studios." She grimaced at the memory before looking at Trixie. "The 50s were... not great. But enough about that. Come on, let's watch a monster movie!"
"Do you want me to get you a snack or anything?"
"Well... could you get Dagi a vanilla milkshake pwease?" Adagio asked, playfully pawwing at Trixie's arm.
"Oh, okay, give me a second," Trixie chuckled, walking over to the snack bar.
Adagio just sat up, trying to push herself into her seat to get comfy. And not too long was Trixie who got back into the car with her requested milkshake.
"Oh thank you! How much do I owe you?"
"Um, you don't owe me anything, it's okay," Trixie assured.
"I insist."
"Well, um... okay. It's only 2.59."
Adagio reached into her purse, pulling out the change, slipping it into Trixie's purse. And with a sip, she adjusting the radio knobs, with the sound from the projector started coming through. And in time!
"Ooh, it's starting!" Trixie squeaked, pushing the seat back. Adagio pushed hers back as well, and looked over to see a smiling Trixie, patting the space next to her to come closer. Smiling, she scooted herself closer and laid against Trixie's warm body, snuggling up against her.
The magician squeed, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend. "You're beautiful, you know that?"
"Hehe. I know," Adagio winked back, looking up at her.
Trixie kissed her forehead, interlocking her fingers with Adagio's. Now that they were comfy, they were ready for the movie to begin. The film company's logo was the first to flash, all in black and white with a little bit of the old film grain showing.
"Ah, it's the nicest weather the earth has ever had," Trixie joked.
"Notice how big Japan is?"
Ten minutes later, the movie was starting to pick up. By now, they had already introduced to the central main characters, and the mystery monster had already been given hints to keep their attention. Admittedly, they were surprised by how much the movie had held up, even after close to 70 years later.
Though Adagio did admittedly cringe at some of the deliveries of her own lines. "... Admittedly, I don't know why I signed on to play this part, I thought it was going to launch my career in Hollywood, and yet look at me now."
"... An immortal siren living in the best city on the planet with the best friends ever?" Trixie asked, smirking at her.
Adagio rolled her eyes playfully. "Okay, yes, that's a better life."
"Hey, I still think you're good," Trixie nuzzled.
"I think you might be biased, but I'm happy regardless," Adagio smiled.
By now, thirty minutes had passed. They had finally gotten a good look at the monster, which looked really impressive. Even in 1953!
Now they were on a boat, which then cut to showing Adagio swimming in the waters in a bikini.
"Oh I remember this scene. I definitely made some heads turn when I showed up on set," Adagio giggled.
Trixie blushed and tittered. "Heh. You have no shame, don't you?"
"What can I say? If you've got it, flaunt it," Adagio winked at her.
And now they were watching the human protagonists head off on the run. And they watched as Adagio's character nearly slipped, turning down a hallway.
"Oh by the way, this is not an effect. That actually happened. The crew forgot to clean up a small spot, so I actually almost fell on my face when I was supposed to run there," Adagio said, giggling.
"Ow. I can't imagine how that would have felt."
"Oh, it was painful. But it was nothing compared to the poor monster actor banging his head against the frame of the door right about... there!"
And for a brief moment, the two shared a laugh as the poor actor in the monster outfit unintentionally slammed his head into a doorframe.
"Oops. Tall one, wasn't he?"
"Oh, yes indeed."
As the movie went on, the story and little bits of action got more interesting. The creature had shown how strong it was to the humans who tried to fend it off. Guns did nothing, flames did nothing, it was a relatively strong creature. And by now, they were nearing the final act. By now, the protagonists now understood what it was they were dealing with, and had found a solution. But now it was time to finish it off; for good.
"You know, I have to admit, it still holds up," Trixie smiled. "I had never seen this movie before."
"Oh then you're going to love this final act. Things really get interesting now..."
The final act was here. The final showdown between the monster and the main hero. And surprisingly, it was legit tense. Even for being a guy in a rubber suit, the crew did a fair amount of work to show some emotion from the creature's face as it faced off against the protagonist. He led the creature throughout the set for the final act, ready to finish the job. The music, the lighting, the action, it was all perfectly done! Though things quickly turned worse when the monster took our main girl.
Adagio cringed at how over the top her screaming and wailing for help was in that scene. "Admittedly not one of my most dignified performances... but hey, at creature had more dignity capturing me than the Slime Demon From Space."
"Wait, what?"
"Don't ask. Long story short; no budget, no plot, no sense."
Tilting her head side to side, Trixie said, "Well, Adagio, I dunno, your acting isn't bad. Honestly, I'd run away screaming too if that monster was coming after me. It's just natural fear."
"Coming from the woman who didn't scream when she saw a giant sea monster come a few inches close to her face?"
"You know what I mean," Trixie pouted.
Just one final blow, until finally, after all the struggles, after everything the characters had gone through... the monster was finally defeated. As Adagio's character and the main man held each other in relaxing embrace, a giant piece of text saying The End was slapped over the final shot of the monster who slowly sunk to the bottom of the sea, finally perished...
And when it was done, the rest of the film strips began to whip around in the canister near the main projector, finally ending the picture.
"Alright. That was a good movie," Trixie concluded.
"I agree. Thank you for taking me out, this was nice. Though I think my favorite part of this experience was snuggling up with you."
"Oh you," Trixie blushed.
"But now that we've seen the film..." Adagio pulled herself up. "How about I take you out somewhere where we can stretch our legs and have some fun?"
Men and women were dancing together under the light reflected off a disco ball within the confines of the ballroom. Suits and dresses on everyone, all gussied up. Partners holding each other as they danced on the dance floor, while some just sat at some tables to sit and chill, enjoying some drinks.
And in the middle of the dance floor was none other than Adagio and Trixie. Adagio had her hands held at Trixie's sides, while Trixie had her arms wrapped around the back of Adagio's head. The two of them smiled at each other, while moving to the beat of the music. Trixie softly leaned her head close to Adagio, nuzzling her affectionately. Adagio's smile grew bigger as she leaned in closer to her, nuzzling her back.
But then I fooled around and fell in love I fooled around and fell in love I fooled around and fell in love I fooled around and fell in love
"Oh, Trixie... you are so beautiful..." Adagio whispered.
"Dagi..." Trixie blushed.
"You know you are," Adagio stroked her cheek. She hugged her again and gave her a kiss on her lips, holding her in her warm embrace.
Trixie smiled. "How did I land a girl like you?"
"Honesty, luck, and good timing," Adagio winked, kissing her cheek.
Trixie just giggled and held her some more, enjoying the sensation of holding her lover in a sweet embrace. And like a snap of fingers, the music started to change to something a bit more upbeat and bouncy. And the rhythm... oh Adagio was getting into the rhythm if the head bobbing was any indication.
"Oooh. I love this song!" Adagio squeed.
"Didn't Amethyst play this at the Battle of the Bands?"
"Yes, but that was a modern version. This is the original one, and I love it!" Adagio squeaked.
"Then let's dance!"
You know your love (your love keeps lifting me) Keep on lifting (love keeps lifting me) Higher (lifting me) Higher and higher (higher)
And so Adagio and Trixie, swing danced into the night...
Canterlot's spa was a wonderful place to relax and detox. Many of the most wealthy people in Canterlot City visited this place to feel young again. Massages, exquisite beauty treatments, it had everything. The lobby was a little packed, but they still squeezed in to talk to the people at the front desk. And the woman behind the front desk was one of the most valued employees; Aloe.
"Oooh, Miss Dazzle, so nice to see you again!" Aloe greeted. "Do you want your usual?"
"Actually, Aloe, I'd like to request something different. For both me and my guest," she said, glancing at her girlfriend.
"And hello there! My name's Aloe, and you are?"
"Um, Trixie."
"She is my partner," Adagio introduced.
"Aww, how romantic! Do you want to look at our romantic options?"
"Yes, please."
The staff gave them a menu of options to pick from, allowing them to take a look.
"So, my cutie of a girl," Adagio nuzzled, "Which of these interest you?"
"Oh, I don't know... w-what do you usually get?"
"Back massages, a few manicures, facial treatments, aromatherapy, those kind. Of course, I don't know how you feel about other people touching you, so..."
Trixie looked through their brochure, looking at their selections. Surely there was something nice the two of them could do together. Steam room? No, tried that, hard for her to breathe. Facial treatments? ... Maybe next time. Manicures? Eh, the idea of someone doing it instead of her made her uncomfortable. But wait! Hot tubs were on the menu! Nice, relaxing, steaming hot baths that made her skin relax all over...
"Maybe we could do that?"
Adagio looked to where she pointed and smiled. "Ooh, I like that one. We'd like that one, please."
Aloe looked over and nodded. "It's your lucky day, madam. Please, follow Lotus and she'll show you the changing room."
The two girls followed the other staff member into the locker room, showing them the spaces to put away their things. After stripping down, the two of them grabbed their towels and robes, and followed Lotus over to the hot tub area. It was mostly lit from scented candles, with a few soft lights on the sides. A few plants hanging from the ceiling as well.
And luckily the hot tub was already bubbling and ready to go. Adagio was the first to step in, putting her robe down and slowly slipping into the hot tub.
"Oooh... ahhh, that feels nice," Adagio sighed. "Come on in, the water's fine."
"Oh, can you um... c-can you look away for a second?" Trixie blushed.
"Of course." Adagio turned her head, waiting for Trixie to disrobe and slowly climb in. "So have you actually been in a hot tub before?"
"Once. There was a time when in middle school, we were allowed to sit in a hot tub at the hotel. Well, at least with the teachers around," Trixie said, slowly sinking her foot into the tub. And soon the rest of her was slowly sinking into the hot tub, sighing with pleasure as the hot water bubbling all around her. "Ahhh... Oh that feels nice..."
"I feel rejuvenated already..." Adagio said, sinking deeper into the hot tub. She looked to her side, looking at that adorable face and her eyes widened. Trixie took off her glasses. Okay, sure she took them off a few times, but she barely saw her without them. But she was looking at this adorable magician without them for what felt like the first time.
"Oh my, Trixie..."
Trixie blushed.
"What?"
"... Do you mind if I be blunt?"
"S-Sure."
"You look beautiful."
The magician blushed. "Dagi..."
"Come on..." Adagio nuzzled her cheek, leaning against her. "You know you are."
Trixie, as per usual, couldn't stop smiling. She leaned closer to Adagio, cuddling next to her as the hot bubbling water made her completely forget about her troubles. It felt so nice against her skin, and even more so that she was cuddling with her girlfriend.
Adagio pulled her head off her shoulder and she turned her body around to face her. She stroked her bare shoulders, softly massaging her. All the while she just looked deep into the eyes of that adorable face.
"I do not care what anyone says. I love you for who you are. Because you are the sweetest, kindest young woman I have ever met," Adagio cooed, stroking her cheek. The way Trixie leaned into her hand was just as adorable as that smile.
"Oh you," Trixie blushed, laying against her shoulder. Adagio smiled, kissing her forehead, and stroking her cheek. A nice relaxing hot bath, snuggling up with her girlfriend after a day of fun?