“There’s no way that’s true!”
“Of course it’s true! Are you calling me a liar?”
“Well, no, but-“
“Cause Apples are honest through and through!”
“Duh, but you’ve got to be kidding me! Ponies don’t just do that!”
“Probably not a lot of them, but this one did!”
Though not convinced, the purple filly decided that furthering the argument with her cousin would be far too foolish. “Fine, but if he did that, what’d she do?”
Smiling as she recognized the signs of defeat in the purple filly’s eyes, the light brown filly smiled widely to her cousin. “She had to turn him down, but its okay; he didn’t seem too hurt by it. Plus, she still gave him what he wanted!”
“She did?”
“Of course she did! Celestia’s the kindest, most gentle, and greatest princess!”
The purple filly’s wings ruffled slightly as she began to giggle at the sight of her cousin gushing about their sovereign ruler.
Having become a master of what different giggles meant, the light brown filly frowned. “Come on Glitter, that’s not funny!”
Fighting to speak through her giggles, Glitter had to fake a cough to restore her tone of voice. “I’m sorry Hope, but it’s just too cute that you have a crush on her!”
Leveling her gaze at the filly across from her, Hope could only blush as she blew her mane out of her eyes. After all, it wasn’t her fault that the alicorn princess just happened to be exactly what it was Hope wanted from a very special somepony.
Noticing the blush and suddenly becoming conscience that she may have hurt her cousin’s feelings, Glitter went into damage control immediately, “Hey, it’s okay, a crush isn’t something to be embarrassed about!” Seeing how little her support actually helped to make Hope more comfortable, Glitter turned her gaze to the third filly rounding out their group for some sort of saving grace. “Right Macy?”
Jumping at the sound of her name, the red filly’s attention returned to the two fillies sitting to either side of her. Immediately she could tell that she had missed something of importance during her moment of reflection and if the blush on her sister’s face and the slightly ruffled feathers of the purple filly were any indication, it had been something mild yet blown out of proportion. However, her observations did little to assist her in responding appropriately.
“Huh?”
“Maaaacy,” stressing the filly’s name, Glitter could only feel disappointment that her cousin hadn’t been able to keep her attention on the conversation, no matter how far off track they had gotten from the previous subject of making cupcakes, “Aren’t crushes okay to have?”
Instantly caught up, the red filly turned to face her little sister and smiled sweetly at seeing how the smaller filly was busying herself with keeping her mane out of her eyes. “Hope, she’s right. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with liking somepony.”
Indignant, Hope returned the gaze her sister was giving and her blush increased in intensity. “Yes there is! Whenever anypony brings it up that I…um…’really like’ the Princess, they tell me that it’s ‘cute’ and ‘sweet’!”
Slightly confused, Macy cocked an eyebrow. “But it is-“
“No it isn’t! It’s embarrassing!” Becoming more self-conscience, the smaller filly shrunk into herself as she allowed her mane to hide her face.
Her patience waning, Glitter’s wings ruffled once more. “No it isn’t! Princess Celestia’s a really pretty mare and really nice! Why is that embarrassing?”
Curious to Hope’s response, Macy softened her gaze ever so slightly in attempt to make her more comfortable, no matter if she couldn’t even see her eyes through her mane.
“B-Because it’s so silly…she’d never like me…especially with m-my…” As if on cue the small filly’s breaths became shallow as they quickened in pace and her ears fell back helplessly against her head.
Within a second Macy had embraced her sister lovingly and nuzzled her cheek in attempt to calm her breathing. “That’s silly, Hope. Everypony loves you, even if it’s not in…that kind of way.” Seeing the obvious pain begin to appear across the filly’s features, Macy could only continue the soft-spoken words. “Shh, calm down, it’s okay. I’m here.”
“S-Should I g-go get your mom?” Quivering with guilt and fear, Glitter’s wings locked to her side as she watched the scene unfold.
Shaking her head gently, the red filly ran her hoof through Hope’s mane, smiling in victory as she felt Hope tremble from the feeling and begin to relax. “Everything’s okay, we’re all okay, right Hope?” Cooing softly to her younger sister, Macy couldn’t help but feel her heart pull at the obvious feelings her words inspired in her sister. Not everypony had a sibling and she was extremely happy that she not only had one, but shared such a strong bond with her.
No verbal answer to be given, the small filly only nuzzled into her sister’s chest as she felt her breathing stabilize slowly.
“We all have crushes, every single one of us.” Continuing to calm the now shaking Hope down, Macy turned her gaze to Glitter, who was practically on the edge of her cushion, ready to dash off and grab an adult and spoke as calmly as she could manage, “So, we all know about how great the princess is, but, Glitter, how about you tell us about Sunset Glimmer?”
Immediately the pegasus filly’s wings flared out as her already frazzled appearance became even more so at the sudden mention of the colt’s name. “W-What about him?”
“I hear he’s quite the gallant pegasus.” Macy’s smile strengthened as she felt the telltale rumble of Hope’s giggle against her fur, even as weak as it was, she could tell it apart from almost anything.
Now blushing brightly, Glitter managed to force her wings back down before addressing the comment with even a thought. “And w-where would you hear something l-like that?”
“Oh, some purple pegasus filly I know tends to day dream about him.”
“I DO NOT!” Flustered, she could do little to stop her wings from springing back up, only this time to be more from embarrassment rather than sudden excitement.
Ever so gently, a small voice began to speak from her comfy spot in her sister’s fur, “It’s okay, Glitter, a crush is nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Though the statement only gave strength to the fire burning under the pegasus, she easily held her temper down as her blush lit her face up.
Now giggling freely, Hope released the embrace with her sister and quickly pulled Glitter into a hug. Though taken aback at first, the pegasus gladly returned the embrace.
Though the moment was overflowing with the kind of love only the closest of friends can know from a comforting embrace, Hope’s good humor would not be restrained by it. “So, is he dreamy?”
Instantly the fire returned to Glitter’s face as she pulled out of the embrace, one that Hope refused to completely relinquish. “Is Celestia?!”
"Of course she is! I don't see what's so great about Sunset, he's not even a princess!"
"So?! Being a princess doesn't mean anything!"
Sensing the beginning of a slippery slope, Macy decided that since her attention was now on the event at hoof, she would prevent it from going down it at full speed. “Everypony is special.”
Though meager, the comment was more than enough to catch Hope and Glitter’s attentions.
“You mean like, cutie marks?” Glitter allowed herself to calm down as she decided this new conversation would be a lot better than focusing on her.
Before Macy could answer, Hope’s voice sounded from behind the pegasus, having regained some of its lost strength, “Kind of, everypony is special because they are special to somepony else,” though confident in her reciting of the saying, the small filly turned towards her big sister, “Right?”
Smiling sweetly, the red filly came over to her sister and kissed her forehead lightly as she felt pride well up in her. “Right, everypony is special because they are special to somepony else.”
Before either of the fillies could respond, a ringing sound came from the kitchen downstairs, followed quickly by a loud, country-accent laced voice. “Come on everypony! Soup’s on!”
“Cupcakes too!”
“Dang it, Pinkie, not till after dinner! You don't want these foals gettin' all fat around the flanks, do you?”
"Not fat, FLUFFY!"
The rest of the exchange was muffled by the sound of the many ponies around the house rushing to the kitchen.
“Oh sweet! Gramma’s soup is the best!” Not giving even a second’s hesitation, the small pegasus burst out into the air through a window, leaving the two giggling sisters alone.
Sniffing at the air, Hope’s tail whipped excitedly as she detected the scent of cupcakes and muffins. “Mmm, cupcakes!” She rushed to the door and stopped with an audible screech as she realized she was rushing by herself. “Aren’t you coming, Macy? Nana’s cupcakes are the best!”
Keeping her smile intact, the red filly took a deep breath, relishing in the same smell that had her sister drooling. “I’ll be down in a little bit, I wanna wash up first.”
Not wasting a second, the brown filly smiled widely and embraced her sister tightly before charging off into the hallway, giggling happily all the way.
Assured of her solitude, the red filly sighed wistfully, “Everypony’s special because they’re special to somepony else.” A slight blush came to Macy’s cheeks as she came up to the window and sat down to allow the cool breeze the chance to cool her now heating face. “He sure is.”
Not all crushes fit the mold like Glitter and Hope’s. One being a positively perfect example of a morally upstanding citizen and endlessly generous gentlecolt with the other being the eternal sovereign of Equestria and hero to thousands, Macy was absolutely sure her cousin and sister were not alone in their interests in the two ponies. Sunset was popular at school despite his insistence that he preferred smaller crowds and Celestia was, well, a literal goddess. No, despite the proven success of the mold, Macy’s didn’t fit anywhere near it.
He wasn’t morally upstanding, he wasn’t generous, and he wasn’t an eternal goddess, no, he was different in every way.
Another sigh came as her face continued to heat up with her eyes scanning the sights of the window, resting on the emerald green of the orchards many trees, a certain shade of green that stared back at her from the crimson face of the colt that had not only taken her heart and claimed it for his own, but had snared the filly that heart originally belonged to.
There were many who did a double take upon learning of who she had fallen for. Nopony in their right mind would ever think that the rough and serrated colt would ever charm her, yet he had.
He saw right through me, through everything that was there, he saw me for the filly I am.
She had even questioned it herself at first. Her interests were far, far from romance before and solely towards being accepted by those who she feared would reject her. What business did he have just accepting her while judging her as harshly as he had all the others? What made her so very different?
He never questioned it, not once. I wasn’t guilty, it wasn’t my fault and he knew it before I did. He’s the one who told me...the one who made me love myself.
It almost drove her mad as she continued to get to know him. He saw the world through the darkest glasses she could possibly imagine. Everypony had a fault, a dark secret, skeletons in their closets, agendas, and plots against those who had trusted them. Nopony glowed in his dark worldview, yet she had been like a beacon to him more blinding than the sun itself. For the longest time she couldn’t understand it; why was she the one that evaded his cruel honesty, what made her so special?
Everypony’s special to somepony else.
Macy’s smile widened as the wind blew against the raging fire that was her cheeks. Those words, those amazing words. He was their architect. Beautiful words, words that had won her heart quicker than she could think; won her forever and more.
She wasn’t even bothered by who he was. His scathing opinion, his scalding thoughts, his dark truths, and even his mothers were far more than enough for most ponies to tolerate. Few things he didn’t have a take on and fewer still he held favorably. If there was ever an idea, no matter the significance, it would be sanitized in his mind and never be overlooked for what it was. He spoke so assuredly about everypony’s guilt towards being jerks and bullies, always being right when he spoke his accusations. The most heartbreaking part of getting to know the colt had been learning that his mothers bullied her aunt back when they were in school and that few in her family felt positively about them.
The one true thing that could inspire anger in the filly was if a pony were to call any of his qualities into question.
His opinion was his to have; a right everypony is born with. The way he judged something was business and his alone.
Further were his thoughts. Ponies took downright offense when he voiced his thoughts. They could never understand that he didn’t feel comfortable thinking about something unless he was absolutely sure it was pure in a way he could trust.
Though his accusations towards ponies were always right, she absolutely hated when ponies would look directly over how he was providing them knowledge of a fault that they themselves had missed. Faults that, despite her nature, she had to admit were sometimes glaring.
Though they were rancid to her at first, Macy had grown to really see behind their facade. His mothers could never pass for the nicest of ponies, but they could easily pass for the most caring. That had been what had really struck her. Only one of his mothers was really affectionate and even then it was only to a point, but that single quality was completely erased when she learned that they had secured it so that their son would live the most comfortable life possible and that he would never have to worry about when the next time they would have food to eat would be.
Though she had heard how many had remarked that whatever heart he had was black and lifeless, Macy knew far better and that his heart rivaled the greatest she knew.
His name isn’t Glass Heart for nothing.
A smirk came over her at the thought. Even right there, cold air blowing across her positively flaming cheeks with her stomach rumbling distantly, she could feel his fur against her face. Her absolute favorite thing in the world, beyond even her grandmother’s cupcakes, her sister’s infectious giggles, and the tranquil silence that dominated the orchard as her grandfather and mother did their many chores, she treasured the feel of him against her, her legs wrapped around him in vain attempt to hug him even tighter.
That had been her one demand. He had asked her what, if anything, it was she needed for their love to be as great as it was deep and infinite and she had responded that when she requested a hug, he could not deny her. It was the only thing she ever got adamant about. Those hugs were her very lifeblood. Strong, safe, soothing, and billowing over with a feeling that matched only the ubiquitous affection she had for him with the passion with which he loved her. She was his, in every way and when the time would come; she would be his in the only ways left that she was not yet his. However, those hugs were hers.
And it takes two to do a good hug.
She could feel her cheek burning through as she watched all signs of the sunlight die away to give way to Luna’s night.
The faint sound of whicker hitting the floor drew her attention, though she dared not take her eyes from the scenery.
“I grabbed a thermos of soup, two bottles of apple juice, two cupcakes, a muffin, and a few apple fritters. Should be fine, right?”
His voice came over her like a rainstorm to a desert and she drank it just as thirstily.
“Fritters? Who made those?” Responding, she turned to see his gaze meeting hers, his eyes well aware of what they were seeing was a filly desperately in love.
“Macintosh and Applesauce made a whole batch. He made sure to put a few aside for us.”
Surprised, Macy approached him and sniffed the picnic basket and took in the aroma of the treats. “Mom made those? Is pappy trying to burn the farm down or something?”
He made a face, taking her comment with a single chuckle. “I wouldn’t say burn, but he did give me another bottle of apple juice in case they’re poisonous.”
She nuzzled into him as he spoke and hugged him tight. He was special alright.
He sure is.
Author's Note
I wrote this little thing as a present for a friend of mine's birthday. I'm actually really proud that this came out as well as it did. I had to change a few things to the characters to make them work so people who don't know them could actually read a story about them and not feel a little intimidated by the vast history the characters have.
To those of you who read the original version of this, know that I've significantly changed this story to be less squicky.
The names of the OCs are Hope Apple, Sweet "Macy" Apple, Glitter Glaze, Glass Heart, Sunset Glimmer, and Applesauce.
