Bookends 2 or Making Dreams Come True

CHAPTER SIX

A New Life

The trip to Ponyville went by quick with the conversation and company.  Despite officially being secretive about their relationship, Applejack and Rarity were very affectionate and touchy.  Twilight was delighted to see two of her very best friends so happy.

At the station in Ponyville, Applejack told Cheerilee that she’d have Big Mac with a wagon to Cheerilee’s boardinghouse within an hour.  Applejack and Rarity promised to help with the move.  Cheerilee told them that the move wouldn’t be that hard, owing to not having a lot of personal items aside from books and a couple dresses for special occasions.

Hearing that, Rarity promised to remedy that, no friend of hers would be lacking nice clothes.  They exchanged friendly hugs and kisses to the cheeks then went their ways.

Big Mac, Apple Jack and Rarity came to help move Cheerilee.  Ms Sunflower was sad to see Cheerilee go (and the one hundred bits a month that went with her), but she was genuinely happy for her when she found out the reason for the move.

The move was exactly like Cheerilee said.  Her things didn’t even half fill the wagon.  After Big Mac had taken all of Cheerilee’s things to Twilight’s room, Cheerilee took Big Mac aside and had some quiet words with him.  The only thing that the others heard was Cheerilee ask;

“Don’t you think you might enjoy that?”

“Eeyup!” was Big Mac’s reply.

As Big Mac left, everypony could tell that he was in a hurry and quite happy.

“What was that about, Sugar Cube?” asked Applejack.

“I was paying Big Mac for helping” said Cheerilee. “It was something that Twi had told me, and I knew that Big Mac would like to know that there was a pony who wanted him to ask her out to the upcoming Barn Dance.  A pony that he had told me in the past that he was kind of sweet on as well.”

Rarity, being the romantic she was, smiled.  She so loved to hear of ponies being happy when it came to affairs of the heart.

“Who’s that, Darling?” asked the white unicorn.

Cheerilee looked at Twilight, who nodded to say it was okay to say.

“Let’s just say, Rainbow Dash might be visiting you for a new dress for the Apple’s Barn Dance!”

Rarity giggled with the news.  She so wanted Rainbow Dash to be happy.  Her friend was happy for the most part, but she believed most stallions were intimidated by her forward and tomcolt personality.  She also knew that a lot of ponies thought her to be a mare-lover.

But Rarity knew that she was all mare underneath, and one that was perhaps missing something in her life.

Twilight had arranged for Big Mac to come out to modify the store room for Spike.  Twilight’s old bed was moved in and a slightly larger bed had been delivered and set up while they were away.  It was amazing what you could accomplish by sending messages through Spike.  And the new arrangements made Cheerilee so very happy!

There were thanks all around and everypony left to let Twilight and Cheerilee settle in.

When it was quiet, Spike said he was tired (he is a baby dragon after all) and he couldn’t wait to sleep in his own new room.

As Spike disappeared up the stairs, Twilight and Cheerilee went into the kitchen and made some tea.  They both were thinking how much and how fast things had changed just a few days ago when last they sat at this table sharing tea.

Twilight looked into Cheerilee’s eyes;

“Welcome home my love!”

Cheerilee took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I’m still in a shock.” Said the teacher, “so much has happened in just about four days.  It’s like all my dreams have come true!”

Twilight reached across the table and took Cheerilee’s hoof.

“I know what you mean,” said Twilight, “that snowy night saw me, a lonely pony who thought that happiness and meaning could come from books.

Then a chance of the weather (and remind me to thank Rainbow Dash), threw two lonely souls together.  Two souls that were made perfect for each other!

I thank Celestia or what ever power that guides ponies for the greatest gift of my life.  All my dreams have come true as well!”

Cheerilee and Twilight gazed into each other’s eyes, just holding hooves.  They were quiet, listening to the silence and the beat of their hearts, as if in perfect synchronization.

They leaned in across the table, exchanged a small kiss and then still close Cheerilee said;

“Twi?”

“Yes Cheeri.”

There was a quiet pause.  Cheerilee looked deeper into Twilight’s eyes.  She moved closer.

“We need to turn in,” said Cheerilee with a smirk seeing the look on Twilight’s face as she was taken off guard, “I’ve school in the morning and you have to work!

Oh, and Twi?”

“Yes my love.”

“Don’t freak out in the morning when I have to go to school!”

The two ponies laughed at that and went together up stairs.

After a quick shower together, they made ready for bed.

When they climbed into the new bed, they both noticed the increased size.  But they chose to lay together just touching and putting a fore leg around the other.  They were tired from a busy weekend, and they knew that they now had all the time in the world for sex.  But it was just as nice to lay next to each other.

“Good night Cheeri!  Again, welcome home.”

“Good night Twi!  And it’s home because you’re with me!“

They shared a respectable kiss.  Then looking in each other’s eyes, Twilight’s horn glowed and the lights went out, the fireplace ignited and the two lovers fell asleep in each other’s forelegs.

Applejack and Rarity decided that the first step in letting everypony know about their relationship was to have Rarity spend the night with Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres.

The Apples were use to visitors.  Applejack told the family that she had invited Rarity to dinner.  Being that Granny Smith always made plenty, there was no concern of somepony going a bit hungry.

Later, all appeared normal as Rarity and Applejack sat in the living room talking with Granny Smith, Big Mac and Apple Bloom.

The other ponies noticed that it was getting late and Rarity had said nothing about having to leave.

They also noticed that Big Mac was in a very good mood.

“Rarity, do you want me to walk you home?” asked Big Mac, “it’s kind of late and dark outside.”

No thanks Big Mac,” said Rarity with a smile, “that won’t be necessary.”

“So sis,” said Apple Bloom, “do ya need me to make up the bed in the guest room for Rarity?”

“That won’t be necessary either Sugar Cube,” said Applejack with an equal smile.

Rarity and Applejack were sitting noticeably close to each other.  They looked at each other and nodded and smiled.

There were looks of amusement from the adults and a look of confusion from Apple Bloom as Applejack reached over and held Rarity’s hoof.

“Listen y’all,” said Applejack, “Rarity and I have a confession.  We’ve been secretly seeing each other for over a year now.  Twilight and Cheerilee helped us to realize that we’re really in love with each other and we shouldn’t try to hide it.”

As if to give weight to her statement, Applejack and Rarity kissed for the first time in front of family.

Granny Smith just smiled, showing no concern for her granddaughter loving another mare.

“First, Miss Cheerilee and Twilight Sparkle kissing!  And now Rarity and my big sis are kissing!” said Apple Bloom, “I guess I should go see Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo tomorrow and see who wants to start kissing!”

“I think you should wait on that,” said Granny Smith with a wink.

Then from up stairs there was heard a voice;

“A.J. and Rarity are doing what?”

Rainbow Dash came gliding down the stairs.  There were shocked looks all around.  Rainbow was able to catch the end of the kiss.

“Awesome!” said the blue pegasus.

“And what in tarnation are ya doing up stairs?” asked Applejack.

“Uh, I was waiting on Big Mac, so...... so we could talk about the Barn Dance!” said Rainbow Dash, realizing, too late, and she was caught.

“Big brother?” asked Apple Bloom, by now quite confused.

“Eeyup!” said Big Mac.

“Maybe I should go upstairs and see if there any ponies hiding under Apple Bloom’s bed!” said Granny Smith.

All the ponies started laughing.

Applejack and Rarity felt a lot more at ease being in public together, a lot more than they had thought they could.  It appeared that most ponies were happy for the two and very little resistance was ever expressed.  To be a little more respectful to the ponies in the home at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack moved in with Rarity at Carousel Boutique.  It was starting to get crowded in the ‘big house’ because of Rainbow Dash spending a lot of time with Big Mac, over nights included.

No pony had ever seen Rainbow Dash so happy.  She had stopped trying to act cool and was actually seen in public showing affection to Big Mac and even kissing!  She had stopped wearing her mane in the wind blown style she had and started to have it more practical, gathered almost like Applejack!

The only pony that was confused by this turn of events was Scootaloo.  Rainbow had actually had Scootaloo over to Sweet Apple Acres to talk about what was cool and what was real.  She finally convinced the little filly that having a pony to love was much more cool that being artificial and hiding your feelings.

Rainbow remained Scootaloo’s hero and she even started to tune down her own tomcolt ways.  Her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders almost fainted when Scootaloo showed up at school one day with her mane in a ponytail and wearing a dress made by Rarity!

The Annual Apple’s Barn Dance was to Ponyville what The Grand Galloping Gala is to Canterlot.  Not as stuffy and snooty, but the social event of the year.

It was the first event that the three new couples made their public debut.

A big surprise was Fluttershy was there with a stallion.  She was very cozy with him and he appeared to be fawning on her as well.

He was a multi colored pegasus named Loki.  Twilight recognized the name from an obscure ancient mythology.  Loki was a god of chaos and discord.

Fluttershy had made a big impression on Discord, but it appeared that Discord had made a big impression on Fluttershy.

Twilight didn’t say anything to anypony about her suspicion, she figured why fix it if it wasn’t broken.

But as Twilight and Cheerilee was dancing near Fluttershy and ‘Loki’ he did smile at her and gave her a knowing wink.

The talk of the dance was Big Mac and his fiancée Rainbow Dash,  Ponies who knew Rainbow from her ‘wild and wooly’ days could hardly recognize her, wearing a dress that was perfect on the farm and her mane back in a ponytail, she was just a simple farm mare.  Her beau, Big Mac was more outgoing than anypony had seen before.  The couple appeared to meet in the middle as far as temperament went.  And both were happy with that.

Applejack and Rarity were dressed in matching dresses.  They were a little fancier than what Applejack liked and a little plainer than what Rarity was accustom to but the rural chic was her new style, now that she was with the Apples.

It was fun getting Applejack to put on makeup.  Rarity almost fell over when she discovered that Applejack did have a drawer in her room with all the necessary makeup.   Applejack had to admit that in the past, she’d put on makeup just to see what she’d look like if she were a pony like Rarity.

Twilight and Cheerilee were happy to just be in nice dresses.  Nothing too fancy, they were more concerned with being together.

Twilight didn’t consider herself to be a very good dancer, she did okay at one of Pinkie’s parties.  But Cheerilee loved dancing, and she was determined to get Twilight to shed her reclusive ways.  She loved Twilight so much, but she wanted to Twilight to loosen up and have fun!

Twilight loved Cheerilee and often told her that there was nothing that she wouldn’t do for her.

Unfortunately, Twilight would be forced to prove it.