The smell never ceased to amaze him with it's strength. The stench of burning natural gas in the new forge he had recently acquired, and of the oil that he used to lubricate the complicated smithing machine that his assistant was able to slap together from what he could only guess was scrap iron from the local junkyard, along with the occasional whiff of burning hair that came from pumping too much gas into the forge before igniting it and paying for it with the loss of an eyebrow or two. All these combined to smack Caramel Apple in the face, like a slap from a jilted lover on Hearts and Hooves day, with it's odor as he tried to finish the day's orders. It was far from pleasant, but by now he was used to it. It came with the territory with running a blacksmith's shop.
He took a brief respite from pounding on the shovel he was currently making to take a look at his cutie mark; three blue horseshoes, symbolizing his talent in working with metal. From the time he was a foal to now, he had been working with forge and hammer, crafting tools from iron and steel with the finesse of an artist at his easel, and he had developed quite a reputation as a skilled craftspony, popular and successful in a time when many tools were made in factories with industrial processes for much cheaper than in his little tiny shop. But the citizens of Ponyville did not seem to care. Here they liked to do things the traditional way. Despite the fact that they had unicorns living in town, they did not use magic when cleaning up the town for winter, and nearly everything in town was hoofmade by someone who lived there. It was one of the things he liked about this town. It was small, intimate, and everypony seemed to know each other as though they were old friends. This was especially true with the pink earth pony who apprenticed with the local bakers, who treated every single pony in the town as though they had been friends for life. He chuckled a bit as he remembered the massive party she insisted on throwing for him when he first opened his shops in Ponyville...
"Ouch!" He yelped as he realized to late that had set his hoof down too close to the still hot metal. He turned and glared at the offending object before running his hoof under some cold water in a nearby sink. Well, I think I just might make my burn quota for today after all. He joked to himself as the water worked it's magic on the painful burn. This latest order of his was taking it's toll. It was for one of his least favorite customers; Hyacinth, a cantankerous old stallion who lived outside of town and had a reputation as a complete and utter jerk. He was always rude to people, constantly berated foals who came to close to his prize flower garden, and was very well known amongst the merchants for his brazen disregard for civility. He had ordered a new set of gardening tools from Caramel and thankfully he was almost done; the idea of having to tell him that his order would be coming in late and facing his rage was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.
When his hoof felt better, he started putting the finishing touches on the shovel, including stamping his personal monogram into it. One last dip into the water and some polishing, and it was finally finished. He sighed with relief. Once again, near-perfect workmanship. He smiled at his work before setting it aside next to the other completed tools, just in time for his shop bell to ring. A familiar scent of cologne mixed with cheap whiskey reached his nostrils and he nearly heaved. Yep, it was definitely Old Man Hyacinth himself.
"Hey, are you in here, boy!" A gravely voice sounded. Well, here we go. Caramel thought to himself.
"I'll with you in just a minute." Caramel called, arranging the completed tools and taking a moment to clean up a bit before stepping out into the storefront. There was Hyacinth, his yellowish fur stained with what looked like cheap scotch and his eyes furrowed in an angry glare. His favorite hoofball team must have lost again. It was one of the few times he'd seen the old stallion drink himself nearly to death. "Hello, Sir. How can I help you?" He asked. The question seemed to make Hyacinth angrier. Not good.
"You know perfectly well what I'm here for, boy." He growled, his graying mane seeming to flare up as he furrowed his brow. "Don't play any games with me today." Caramel gulped a bit.
"Oh, of course. Right this way, Mr. Hyacinth...."
"Don't call me 'Mister'. I don't know you and like you even less. You can piss off with the formalities." He snarled.
"Yes, my apologies," Caramel said. "If you'll follow me." He led Hyacinth into the back. Hyacinth huffed a bit as he surveyed the shop, but said nothing. Caramel began by showing him the shovel he had just finished, launching into his usual explanation of the technique and metal used to create the tools he had ordered. Hyacinth listened with what he guessed was barely feigned interest before his sight suddenly settled on something.
"Sir?" He asked. Hyacinth walked over and picked something up. Caramel realized it was an old, broken hoe that he was going to have his assistant fix. He realized too late that it was right next to the genuine article and Hyacinth must have mistaken it for part of the order. Before he could open his mouth, however, Hyacinth snarled and turned at him with a look that could have been deadly if they could indeed kill.
"Is this some sort of joke?" He growled. "What the hell is this, boy?" Caramel gulped a bit, but this shouldn't be an issue.
"Well sir, it seems you..." He began, but Hyacinth refused to let him finish.
"This hoe is a piece of crap! Is this what you call high quality?" He shouted. "I oughta crack you over the head with this boy!"
"But sir, if you let me explain..." Caramel tried to get it, only to be silenced by Hyacinth smashing the hoe and breaking it further. "Sir!" He shouted.
"Don't you sir me, you incompetent buffoon! If this is what you call 'quality' I'm not paying a single wooden bit for any of this. Probably made with substandard materials." He grabbed the other tools and threw them against the wall. "I'm outta here. You've just lost a ton of customers, boy! You'll never do business in this town again, I'll make sure of that! Now why you do go back to your idiot cousin's farm and pick apples with the rest of those dumb rednecks."
"Hey! Don't you talk that way about my family!" Caramel shouted. "If you had given me two second to explain I would have told you that..." He was cut off by another tool hitting him square in the head. "Gah!" He collapsed to the ground. He felt Hyacinth spit on him before he walked out of the shop. Caramel laid there in utter shock for what seemed like an eternity before he finally got up. He felt his head where the tool had hit him. No heavy bleeding, just a bruise and a small cut. It must not have hit him that hard, which was lucky for him when he saw that it was a piece of the bad hoe. It would probably look nasty, but he was alright.
He sighed. Nothing was seeming to go right these days. First his grandfather gets deathly ill and only barely manages to recover. Then, business hits a slump, forcing him to take up extra work at his cousin Applejack's farm. Now it seemed he lost another customer. Sure, this customer was a constant pain in his and everyone else's flanks, but he could feel the loss to his business and his livelihood.
Dejected, he shambled into the shop's little bathroom. The faucet squeaked as he turned the knob for cold water, splashing his face and gingerly washing the cut. Nope, nothing seemed to go right for him. He wondered what it was about him that just seemed to attract trouble. It followed him like a shadow, threatening to ruin his life. It seemed like an eternity sitting in the bathroom brooding over his misfortune when he heard the shop bell ring again.
"Hello? Caramel?" He found himself suddenly rejuvenated when he heard that voice. He knew exactly who this was, and a visit from her never failed to bring him out of any dark mood that had descended on his psyche.
Sure enough, when he reached the storefront there she was. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her purple mane, streaked with lilac and pink, hung in it's signature straight style. Her purple eyes were bright as the morning sun, filled with an energy that never seemed to dull. He caught a whiff of a scent, and realized that she had put on a pleasant smelling floral perfume. An odd thing to wear when one was just out on the town in Ponyville, but she was a noble mare from Canterlot's Upper City, and as he knew tradition and custom died hard in Equestria.
Twilight Sparkle never failed to make his heart skip a beat whenever he saw her. She was the single most beautiful mare he had ever laid his eyes on. And not only that, but she was smart too, something he absolutely loved in a mare. Despite only being in her early twenties, she had already accomplished more than most of her peers of the same age had; she had not only graduated near the top of her class at Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, but she had also rediscovered the long-lost Elements of Harmony, reunited Princess Celestia with her beloved sister, and had recently defeated - with the help of her friends - the mad chaos-monster Discord and stopped him from beginning a second reign of terror over the realm. And despite her noble background, she treated every single pony she met with kindness and respect. Really, there was nothing about her he didn't admire.
It was little surprise that soon after they became friends, he found himself falling in love with her.
"Hi, Twilight." He said. He rubbed the rising lump on his head. He tried to hide the injury through a quick adjustment of his brown mane, but it wasn't enough. Twilight's smile quickly disappeared when she caught sight of the nasty looking injury.
"Oh my gosh! Caramel, what happened?" She cried, rushing back behind the counter and moving his mane aside with her magic. He felt the distinct tingle that only it could produce in his hair follicles. It was an oddly pleasant sensation. "Did you hit your head on something? Are you alright? How many of these am I holding up?" She asked, making some little twinkling starbursts appear in the air in front of him.
"Uh, four," He said. She counted them. "Look, it's OK. I'm not dizzy, I don't have nausea or anything, I don't have a concussion." He said. "It's just a bump on the head."
"But there's a cut! I need to clean it!" She said. Before he could protest, she rushed back into his bathroom. He could hear water being run briefly before she emerged with a damp paper towel. "You're out of rubbing alcohol, so clean water will have to do." He help his hooves up.
"No really, I'm fine. You don't have to bother." He said, but it was too late. She was already on him, cleaning the injury. "Ow! Careful, it's still sore." He protested.
"Oooh, I'm sorry." She said, taking it much more gently. "I'm sorry, but there's a lot of blood vessels in your head, and any infection can quickly spread. I don't want you to have to go to the hospital." He would have protested, but he felt it was no use. Besides, it made him feel immensely better, knowing that she cared enough about him to worry about his health.
"Thanks, Twilight." He said.
"How did this happen?" She asked. "Did you fall? Maybe there's something I can do. I know where you can get some slip-proof mats." He shook his head.
"No, it was... well, let's just say my customer wasn't satisfied." Twilight's jaw dropped. Her pupil's shrank as the look of utter gobsmacked shock crossed her face. He could have sworn he saw her purple fur turn a shade lighter at the news.
"What!?" She cried. "Someone hit you!?" She grabbed his head, squishing his cheeks together. He could only imagine how ridiculous he looked. "Who!? Who did this!? Tell me!"
"Twuluht!" He reached over and gave her a light clap on the horn. Since they met, it had become his way of letting her know to calm down. She took the hint after she felt the sting and squeaked in surprise. She looked at him, giggled a bit and let go of his cheeks.
"Hehehe, sorry." She said apologetically. Caramel rubbed his aching head.
"It's fine," He said. "And to answer your question... it was Hyacinth. The guy mistook one of the tools I was working on fixing for one that I had just made, and you know how he is. Refused to listen, got pissed and finally hurled it at me."
"Hyacinth?" Twiight asked. "Isn't he the one who somehow showed up at your family reunion drunk and making jokes about Apple Bloom's... questionable parentage?" She asked, hoping she put it tactfully enough. Not that she needed to, Caramel had no problem saying it straight up. He scowled as he remembered that particular incident.
"Yeah, the same one." He said. He couldn't see it, but could feel Twilight scowling as she finished cleaning his cut. "Thanks, Twilight."
"Anything for a friend," She said. "You should bandage that. No sense in leaving it uncovered." He nodded and fetched a first aid kit he had nearby.
"Thanks again." He said as he applied some clean gauze. She gave an adorable smile, one that never failed to make him blush. Thankfully she didn't notice the pink tinges on his cheeks before she turned to leave.
"I have to finish up some shopping. I hope that cut feels better, and I'm sorry you had to deal with that. You don't deserve it." He blushed some more and muttered something that sounded like a "thank you" as she left. "Goodbye, Caramel!" She called. He just stood there grinning like an idiot before deciding to call it a day early. He'd finish up the rest of his work tomorrow. As he began to clean up and close down, he thought back to the purple mare who had just been into his shop. He couldn't quite remember when it started, but the mare had left him thunderstruck the first time he met her. It was at the Apple Family Reunion when she had first come to Ponyville. He had met more than a few pretty mares in his life, but for some reason Twilight just... stood out. He couldn't make anything of it, until they started befriending each other through his cousin Applejack. It was pretty much then that he realized he had a crush on her, and from there it just grew the more time they spent talking.
He sighed, his cheeks growing red and his smile growing wider. Twilight Sparkle... she had stolen his heart like a thief in the night. Every time he was around her, he felt it in his chest. That tingle that you only felt when you were around someone you truly were in love with. It had been a year or so in the making, but it was worth it just to feel it. But was it possible? A noble mare from Canterlot, and a working schlub from Ponyville who was barely making ends meet? No, it wasn't possible. It just wasn't how it worked. It was fine for them to be friends, but lovers? Husband and wife? He just wasn't her type.
And the thought of that hurt him worse than any conk on the head. But that was just the way it was, and he would have to accept it.
He sighed again and finished cleaning up and turning off his machines before he left for the day, locking up as he left. He decided to take a walk before he went up to his flat above the shop. It probably wouldn't ease his mind, but he could at least try, right?
Besides, he always had his fantasies to help him.
***
"Whew!"
Rainbow Dash wasn't normally one to work the long shifts at the Weather Patrol, but now Rain Drops had come down with the feather flu and with it came extra work. Rainbow Dash, naturally was assigned the task of bucking extra clouds, which even for her was taxing. When she finally clocked out, her waist felt like it was caught in a vice and her legs like they had turned to jelly. Bucking certainly wasn't as easy as Applejack made it out to be.
Luckily, she was able to find a comfortable cloud among the ones that were left, and what luck, it was right above the marketplace. She would be needing a pick-me-up snack when she woke up, and she could smell the fresh produce. An apple from Sweet Apple Acres? Maybe. She was always one to patronize a friend's business. Came with her element.
She fluttered down and dug herself out a little pocket for her afternoon nap. The cloud felt just right after a tough day's work; she could already feel her sore, stiff muscles begin to relax as she settled in. She yawned widely and loudly before hunkering her head down and closing her eyes. And she would have drifted off into dreamland had she not heard something... or rather someone.
"Hey you!" She recognized the voice of her bookish friend coming down the road, and she sounded angry. Suddenly curious, Rainbow peeked over the side of the cloud to see the purple unicorn stomping down the road toward what looked like a flower stand. Actually it was, manned none other than by the town's resident jerk, Hyacinth. Definitely curious now, Rainbow craned her head out further and gently beat her wings to move the cloud closer so she could make out what they were saying.
Hyacinth looked up from a copy of the Ponyville Recorder that he was engrossed in to see her coming up to him. "Huh? Oh, it's you, Canterlot Girl. What do you want? Don't you have some silly research project to do? It's all you ever do." Twilight walked right up and slammed, not placed but slammed, her front hooves on the stand. She looked at him that even from her vantage point on the cloud, Rainbow could tell was a look that could instantly kill a manticore.
"I've got something to say to you, you old coot!" She shouted. Rainbow was definitely curious now. She had never heard Twilight, even at her angriest, sound like this. This just wasn't like her regular angry shout; this added a growl! Twilight wasn't just angry, she was downright furious. Rainbow felt her own blood start to go cold listening to it. Whatever Hyacinth had done this time, he had really cheesed her off. Rainbow floated down as close as she dared.
"Well, if you wanted to talk, gorgeous, you could be a little nicer about it." He said with a perverted grin, which disappeared when Twilight snarled like an angry tiger.
"So tell me, and be clear, because I'm a little confused... what in the wide world of Equestria and beyond makes you think you have the right assault someone because you didn't like their product!?" She roared. Hyacinth rolled his eyes.
"Oh please, are you talking about that hick blacksmith? What's his name, Caramel? I threw a little piece of metal at him. He's an incompetent twit, and he pissed me off," He glared at her. "So what?"
"It was the head of a broken shovel! You're lucky you didn't crack his skull! Twilight was shouting at the top of her lungs. Rainbow was dumbstruck at the scene that was unfolding before, and by now she wasn't the only witness. Rarity and Pinkie Pie, who had been out shopping for supplies for their respectable businesses, were now among a crowd of ponies that gathered to watch the unfolding drama. Rainbow finally leaped off the cloud, her landing barely noticed by her friends.
Twilight wasn't done yet. She got right up in the jerk's face as she uttered her next words, words laced with ice water.
"You go back there and you apologize," She said, her voice quaking with rage, her body starting to tremble. "You go back there right now, and you apologize, and you pay what you agreed to pay him or so help me, you'll regret it you.... you..." She called him something that made Rarity faint, Pinkie's jaw drop, Rainbow's eyes go wide, several mares gasp, mothers cover their foals' ears, and the monocles of several visiting wealthy ponies to pop out of their eyes. Hyacinth, not used to anyone doing this to him, was clearly intimidated. Nevertheless, he gulped it down and glared right back.
"And what are you going to do if I don't, bookworm? Turn me into a banana slug?" He asked. He wasn't prepared for the answer.
"No," Twilight said, levitating a pair of pruning shears and holding them up in front of him. "I'm going to take these here, and geld you with them!" Hyacinth was very scared now. He had a deathly fear of pain in any form, despite working with flowers, and he wasn't about to take the chance that this crazy mare was serious.
"Alright fine! Just calm the hell down already!" He squeaked. "I'm going!" With that, he skulked off, emasculated. Twilight wheeled around at him as he left.
"And don't you let me hear about you doing something like that again!" She roared like a dragon who had just discovered some foolish adventurer trying to plunder his hoard. "Do you hear me!? Ever!" With that, she stomped off again, this time in the direction of her beloved library. The angry huffs could be heard trailing off until they finally dissipated.
Ponies stared around in shock. Several began to murmur in wonder over what had happened to make Twilight so angry. A few giggled at the idea of the widely disliked Hyacinth getting his comeuppance. Still others groused over her choice of language. Others didn't say a thing, simply too shocked to even be able to formulate a response. One pony laid down on the ground, whimpering, while her friends just stared at each other.
"Did you see that?" Rarity asked, her pupils reduced to pinpricks in a sea of blue. Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Yeah. Man, I've seen Twilight cheesed off before, but this is a new one." She looked off in the direction the studious unicorn had taken. "Do you guys think we should talk to her about it?" Rarity nodded, but Pinkie Pie, who was too busy hiding behind her mane, vigorously shook her head.
"Uh uh! She scared me!" She yipped, shivering. "I don't want to get gelded... whatever that means" Rarity winced.
"Um, Pinkie darling, she won't do that to you even if she could." She explained. "But I think we should. Something has obviously affected her greatly about this... incident, whatever it was that set her off. What did she say it was?"
"Hyacinth was a donkey's behind to Caramel. You remember him, right?" Rainbow asked. Rarity nodded, remembering the times that she had made suits for him for various family functions. Pinkie was still reluctant, but agreed to go along with them. Their curiosity piqued, they set off at once for Golden Oak Library, hopeful that they could get some answers.
***
A surprise awaited them when they arrived. Spike, who normally would have been assisting Twilight with running the library, was wandering around, mumbling about something. His stream of mumbles was broken when Rarity called out to him. His cheeks flooded pink when he saw her.
"H-h-hi Rarity." He said, his voice betraying his sudden attack of lovesickness. Rarity, flattered, batted her eyelashes at him. Though she denied it, Rainbow was convinced that the alabaster unicorn was flirting with him.
"Good day, Spikey Dear," She said. "Forgive us for prying, but what on Equus are you doing outside? Isn't Twilight expecting help with the library?" Spike gulped, his lovesick expression replaced by one of nervousness.
"Are you kidding me? I'm not going back in there!" He yelped, "She's freakin' lost it! She came home today looking like she was going to kill somepony! I've never seen her so angry, it's not like her! I'm honestly scared of what she'll do!" Rarity felt her heart ache for him.
"She wasn't... harsh with you, was she?" She asked him, not wanting to think of somepony hurting him.
"No, but I didn't think twice about getting out of her way when I saw the look on her face." He replied. "What happened?"
"That's what we're gonna figure out, sport." Rainbow answered. "Mind if we come in?" Spike looked at them with fearful expression, nervous about how Twilight would react to visitors, but he wasn't about to say no to their mutual friends.
"Be my guest, but I'd be careful." He said. Rarity smiled and gave him a light nuzzle. Spike blushed and once again went back into his typical lovey-dovey mode that he was seemingly always in around her.
"Don't worry about us dear, we'll handle this with utmost tact." She said.
"Or a party, if that doesn't work!" Pinkie chirped, her fear dissipating at the thought of planning another one. Rainbow looked at her with a bemused expression.
"Just out of sheer curiosity, is there any problem you think can't be solved by a party?" Pinkie wracked her brain, her tongue sticking out of her mouth in thought.
"Not that I can think of!" Rainbow just shook her head as Rarity knocked on the door.
"What do you want!" She called on the other side, her voice laced with venom. It made their blood briefly run cold.
"Um, Twilight, dear, it's Rarity!" She called back, her voice quavering slightly. "I'm here with Rainbow and Pinkie. Um... would it be alright if we came in?" She asked.
"Fine. The door's unlocked." She said. Cautiously, Rarity opened the front door. Unsurprisingly, they found Twilight sitting in the middle, engrossed in a book; a novel, judging by the title. They gingerly crept in to the library, as though a single brushing up on something would set Twilight off. The studious unicorn didn't make eye contact, just riffed through the pages of her book, occasionally threatening to tear one off by turning it so hard.
"Hello, dear," Rarity said cheerfully. "How are you today? All is well, I hope?" Twilight didn't bother to look up.
"I'm fine." She said crossly. She finally managed to rip one of the pages of her book, causing her to growl in frustration. She got up, knocking a nearby chair over, and tore through her writing desk until she found some tape. All the while, her friends watched her with growing concern. Pinkie was the first to speak up.
"So, what's wrong?" She asked. The others rolled their eyes, now realizing that their plan to try and draw it out of her had failed. "You seem really super bothered by something, and we wanted to know what. Is it the book? We can get you a new one I bet. Oooh! Is your sweet tooth calling? I could go get some cookies and cupcakes for you to snack on! Or maybe you just need a cheer up party!" Rainbow shoved her hoof in her mouth before she could continue.
"Don't say you're fine, Twilight, because you're not," Rainbow said over Pinkie's squeaks. "You're cheesed, and everyone in this room knows it." Twilight rolled her eyes.
"Thank you, Doctor Rainbow." Rarity huffed.
"There's no need for sarcasm. We just want to help, but we can't do that if you don't tell us what's happening." She sighed. "We saw what happened in the marketplace. We know that Hyacinth did something the Caramel. I know you two are friends, but even with us we never saw you act that way when someone wronged us." She walked over closer. "Please, let us help you."
"Yeah, come on Twilight, we're your friends. If there's something else going on here you can tell us." She said. Twilight was silent for a moment, the only sound the ticking of the clock. Her body tensed up and began to quiver, and her eyes began to fill with tears as she clenched her teeth. The others backed away, fearing she was going to explode. The explosion never came, however, just Twilight's voice, laced with anger but still clear as day.
"Nopony, and I mean nopony, hurts my stallion..." The next few moments were punctuated only by the sound of Twilight's deep breathing, and the ticking of the wall clock. It seemed like an eternity before the silence was finally broken. Rarity held her hoof to her mouth as she spoke.
"What did you say?" Twilight turned to look at her, her cheeks stained by the sudden tears. The others were equally dumbstruck at what they had just heard.
"Did you just call Caramel 'my stallion'?" Rainbow asked. Pinkie said nothing, just stood there with her mouth hanging open until Rainbow closed it. Twilight looked from Rarity, to Rainbow and then to Pinkie, who despite Rainbow's best efforts allowed her mouth to hang open. As Twilight began to calm down, she noticed the expressions on her friend's faces at long last. Twilight stared back at her, perplexed.
"What?"
"Twilight..." Rarity finally breathed out. "Do you realize what you just said?" Twilight looked at the floor. In her anger, she must have failed to realize what she was saying. She remembered that ponies would sometimes allow their tongues to slip in times of emotional stress and betray their true feelings. It then hit her what she had just said, what she had just admitted to. Her mind began to race, trying to figure out what to say next. Nothing seemed to come to her. But she also remembered that they were her friends, and that like they said before, she could tell them anything. She took a deep breath to calm herself further, and looked them right in the eye.
"You heard that correctly."
A thump signaled that Rainbow's wings had locked up in shock and caused her to fall on her bottom. Rarity's hooves shielded her gaping mouth as her eyes widened in astonishment. Pinkie looked like she was going to explode from happiness, her entire body shaking like a rocket about to take off. It was only a timely thunk to the head by Rainbow that kept her from shooting right through the library roof.
"Is that why you blew up at Hyacinth? Because he... hurt someone you love?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded, taking another deep breath.
"I don't know what came over me, I was just... so angry at him," She explained. "I just couldn't believe he would do something like to Caramel. He's so sweet and kind... he's never done anything to anypony." He sniffled a bit. Rarity put a comforting hoof on her shoulder.
"How long have you felt this way?" She asked.
"I first noticed something not long after I first came to Ponyville," Twilight began. "I met him when I first came here and I was introduced to Applejack, but I didn't really notice anything until a few months later, when we really started getting to know each other. It was like a... tingly feeling in my chest whenever I was around him. I wasn't very well versed in the ways of love, so I never made the connection, not until Winter Wrap Up." She looked up at a picture on the wall of that fateful day, letting her memory take her back.
***
Twilight hummed a merry tune to herself as she examined the work underway for Winter Wrap Up. So far, everything was checking out; the nest making was proceeding on schedule, the clouds were being cleared in record time, and the snow was cleared up in preparation for the planting that was due to take place. She smiled brightly at the fruits of her efforts as All-Team Organizer. This was only her second Wrap Up, and so far it looked like they would be finishing in record time. It was a feeling of immense accomplishment that she felt as she strolled through town, greeting ponies and encouraging them in their labors. Noticing the time, she was about to take an early lunch with her friend Applejack when she heard something as she passed the blacksmith's shop.
Her curiosity was piqued. Normally Caramel would be at the farm, helping with the planting. What was he doing in his shop? Something compelled her to find out. A few short raps on the door was enough to catch his attention.
"Come on in!" His voice sounded from the other side. She smiled and opened the door, being greeted by the familiar countertop and the familiar smell of the furnace and melting metal. He must be very busy, she thought as she trotted past the counter and into the back, where she had been numerous times before. Sure enough, the orange earth pony was hard at work at his forge, surrounded by broken tools. His mane, matted from sweat, clung to his forehead. Behind him, the orange glow of the furnace illuminated his frame, and gave Twilight a look at the muscles underneath his skin that ripped with each swing of his hammer. Though she had seen him working before, it was never like this. The sight made her cheeks grow warm and her breath catch in her throat. Her heart skipped a couple of beats.
How come I never noticed how handsome he was before, she asked herself. Wait, did she really just think that? Her cheeks only grew more warm at the thought of that.
"Um, uh, hello... Caramel." She managed to stammer out. A turn of his head caused her to get a look at his eyes, which despite the warm glow in them that always appeared when he saw her, seemed worn and tired. He must have been working for hours straight in the hot room, judging by the small amount of grime that had begun to cling to his face and fur. He dropped the hammer on a nearby table and beamed at her.
"Howdy, Twi!" He greeted her happily. His eyes only managed to hang half-open. He was clearly exhausted, and from the looks of the broken tools all around, wasn't even half-finished. "What brings you around here?" She managed a shy smile.
"Well, I thought you would be at the farm with the other Apples, but I heard you working on something in here and I got... curious," She chuckled nervously. "I hope I'm not interrupting."
"Aw, it's nothing," He said. "I would be at the farm, but then somehow the rest of the Plant Team's gear needed repairs, badly." He pointed out a hoe. "This one here looks like it hasn't seen the inside of a shop in a decade. So yeah, I'm stuck here fixing broken shovels and what not, and been at it since six this morning. And it's hotter than Tartarus in July when I have the forge fired up." He wiped some sweat and ash from his brow.
Twilight started to feel very bad for him. Looking at all the damaged tools, she judged it would take him most of the day to finish them all, and looking at the clock on the wall to notice it was noon, figured he had been working six hours straight. Even for an earth pony as strong as he was, it was a lot of work, especially with the heat of the forge. Looking at his tired eyes again, she frowned.
"Caramel, what would you say about... taking a break?" She asked. He seemed surprised at the very notion.
"As much as I'd like, I've got so much work to do," He said. "I don't think I could." Twilight shook her head.
"Caramel, you're exhausted. Your eyes are baggy and you look like you just woke up. I... I wouldn't want you to strain yourself. So I really think you should. I... I'm actually going to go get lunch. You're welcome to join me, if you want." Caramel would have continued to object if it weren't for the look that Twilight gave him; her head hung down and her eyes almost pleading. It was a look that plainly was begging while trying not to look like begging. He couldn't say no to her now.
"Well, OK," He said. "I could use the rest. But I'd better get cleaned up first." She smiled and nodded as he trotted upstairs to his flat. A brisk shower later, he came back downstairs, seemingly rejuvenated. Twilight smiled and beckoned for him to follow her. A short walk through town brought them to a local cafe. Caramel felt his spirit lift when he smelled fresh coffee brewing. "Oooh, I can almost taste it." He said. Twilight giggled.
"This cafe has some of the best coffee I've ever tasted. I bet after a day like yours, you could use a pick-me-up." He nodded profusely as they were seated. A kindly waitress handed them menus. "So, anything catch your eye?" She asked. He glanced over the menu.
"Hmm, you've been here before, I'll take your recommendation." She smiled.
"Two large caramel caffè lattes with extra cream, a daffodil and daisy sandwich for myself, and a large three bean chili for my friend here, please." She asked. The waitress bowed and took their orders.
"They have chili here? My ship has come in." He quipped. They both shared a chuckle. It wasn't long before their lattes arrived. Caramel savored the taste, and the coffee made him feel like a living pony again. They passed the rest of the time talking, and talking, about seemingly everything; their work, the latest antics of Twilight's friends, interspersed with hilarious anecdotes about Caramel's numerous relatives, and everything in between. For as long as she had known Caramel, she had never talked with him like this before. She just felt so... comfortable, like she was talking to one of her closest friends despite not knowing him as well as her other ones. And the whole time, she felt something she hadn't experienced with him before. Her cheeks warmed and her heart tingled, and she didn't want it to stop. Ever.
After lunch, she walked him back to his work, him feeling much better after getting away from his forge for a while.
"Thanks, Twi. I appreciated it. I feel normal again." She giggled.
"I'm glad to help, though please do remember to have more water on hand? I wouldn't want you to fall ill." She looked at him again with that pleading look. He smiled warmly.
"Will do." He said. Without thinking, Twilight touched her hoof to his, which surprised him.
"And thank you for accompanying me. I really enjoyed it. We should have lunch more often."
"Yeah, we should." He heard his clock chime. "I'd better get back to work." She nodded and smiled.
"Take care." She said. He nodded and walked back inside after they said their goodbyes. Twilight then remembered what she had done with her hoof, and her face grew bright red. What was going on? Was she... she raced back home, startling Spike as she made a beeline for the nearest bookshelf. She searched until she found a book on inter-pony relations and started reading. It only took a few minutes to find what she was looking for. She looked up from her book, her face as red as a tomato, her eyes wide her pupils shrunk to pinpricks.
"I'm... I'm falling in love..."
By the time she finished, Rarity had tears in her eyes, Pinkie Pie was openly bawling, and even Rainbow sniffled a bit, though she would never admit to it. Rarity was again the first to speak.
"Twilight, that was sweet. Oooh, you're in love! This so exciting!" She wrapped her friend in a big, celebratory hug. Pinkie Pie stopped crying and started bouncing around the room raving about her "Twilight Has a Boyfriend" party that she was so excited to throw. Rainbow just fluttered over and bopped her playfully on the shoulder. "And darling, if you need any help with this, you know you can turn to us."
"I know girls, but I already have something planned." She replied.
"You do!" Pinkie and Rarity exclaimed, their smiles threatening to split their faces in two. Twilight trotted up to her loft, and returned with what looked like another novel. She handed it to Rainbow Dash.
"Neptune's Lance by Clyde Curly," She read. Rarity looked over her shoulder.
"Clyde Curly? I've heard that name before. Isn't he the adventure novelist who's last book got turned into a terrible film?" She asked.
"The one and only," Twilight acknowledged. "Caramel mentioned he was a fan of Curly's work, so since his birthday is tomorrow, I decided to get him the latest in his Deep Six series." She blushed. "Look inside the front cover." Rainbow Dash opened it, revealing a message.
Caramel,
The day we first met and became friends, was one of the fondest memories I have of coming here to Ponyville. As I spent more time with you, I felt something growing, which only strengthened to more I was around you. Every single moment of that time was pure joy, and I never wanted it to end. I still don't want it to end.
We've been friends for the past two years of our lives. Let's be lovers for the rest of them.
I Love You,
Twilight Sparkle
"Awww!" Pinkie and Rarity cooed.
"Wow, Twilight, that was... really sappy." Rainbow said, smirking, causing Rarity to scold her. Twilight just smiled.
"Pay no attention to this ruffian, I think it's very sweet," She said. "I know he'll love it, and I'm sure he'll be willing to give you a chance. Any stallion would." Rainbow nodded in agreement.
"Heck, you're one of the coolest ponies I know, even for an egghead," Rarity rolled her eyes. "I bet he'd jump at the chance." Pinkie Pie just giggled, still going on about the party she was planning. Twilight smiled warmly.
"I hope so girls, I hope so." They all shared a warm group hug before the others left, wishing her happiness. Twilight sighed with content as the door opened again, this time revealing the rattled baby dragon.
"Is it safe?" He meekly asked. Twilight nodded and beckoned him back in, apologizing for spooking him. As Spike went to attend to his chores, she allowed herself to be lost in her thoughts, thinking of the happy times she hoped to share with her beloved, as a song she remembered her mother singing to her father.
Chapter 2: Revelations
The sun was finally starting to set, which meant that the work became much easier for Applejack and her family as they worked to harvest a crop of Galas that they had been gifted with. Which, as it turned out, was a double mercy, since the well was starting to run low. Hopefully, a scheduled rain shower would come to fill it soon, was the orange farm mare's thoughts as she dragged what seemed like the thousandth bushel to the barn. After huffing and puffing, she wiped the sweat and accumulated dust from her head and sat down on a nearby haystack to rest and catch her breath before the bringing the last few in. Thankfully, it was almost over, just in time for...
"Applejack!" A cheery voice sounded over the way. Ignoring her stiff muscles, she forced herself up and down the path toward the front gate of the family’s property to be greeted by two familiar faces.
“Howdy Pinkie, Rarity,” She said. “What brings y’all out ‘ere?” She asked. It was then that she noticed Pinkie was sporting her classic “I just learned something fun” grin, one that was familiar to them by this point. Either she was planning a huge party, or she had just gotten some fantastic news. Applejack chuckled “Say Pinkie, you look like you won the lottery and got an invitation to the Griffon King’s birthday party at the same time. There something I should know?” Pinkie started to giggle uncontrollably and bounce at what seemed like the speed of light. Rarity giggled and rolled her eyes at the pink party mare’s antics.
“Actually, we did just learn something fantastic.” She said, with an excited giggle of her own. Applejack forgot all about her tired stiffness and desire for a nap that would make Rainbow green with envy, and started to form a grin of her own.
“Well landsakes y’all! What is it?” She asked eagerly. Rarity took a look at Pinkie.
“Do you want to tell her the happy news?” She asked. “I’m sure she’s anxious to hear about how she may be gaining a new family member.” Applejack was very intrigued now. What were they talking about? Was one of her relatives having a baby? Surely they would have told her first, and she wasn’t that hard to get a hold of.
“Nope, you go ahead. You’re the one who’s a big fan of those romance novels with the buff stallions…” She suddenly had a hoof shoved in her mouth. “OK, zif if fegging annoying.” She mumbled. Rarity just blushed and giggled.
“Ignore that. Anyway… well, we both learned something from Twilight that you would be very interesting. I just hope that you’re not offended or upset…” She trailed off.
“Now why in Equestria would I be offended at happy news, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, incredulous. “Shoot, go ahead and tell me. No happy news can upset me.”
“Alright.” Rarity took a deep breath. “It seems that our dear friend Twilight Sparkle has… has a crush on your cousin, Caramel.” Applejack’s mouth drooped open, and she just stared at them. Both Pinkie and Rarity were suddenly taken aback. They all knew that Applejack was protective of her family, but could she be upset that Twilight had taken an interest in Caramel? Both of them braced themselves for what was to come.
They half expected Applejack to say something in shock, maybe get upset or angry. Perhaps lash out at Twilight for getting too close to a family member. She just sat there with her mouth open for what seemed like an eternity.
“Um, Applejack dear?” Rarity asked timidly. “Are you alright? We haven’t upset you, have we?”
“Yeah, I mean it’s not like she’s stalking him and sending him weird messages and stuff saying that she wants to do creepy things to him, and saying she’ll turn any other girl who talks to him into some kind of genetic mutant friggin’ frankenstein because they messed with her man before going right back to saying the creepy stuff.” Pinkie interjected, earning her a “what are you talking about you’re weird” expression from Rarity. Finally, the silence was broken when Applejack suddenly closed her mouth… then
“What the hay!? I gotta… this is huge… this is bigger than cider season! Why didn’t ya’ll tell me sooner!? I’m always the last know! BIG MAC, CALL THE WHOLE FAMILY!!! WE GOT OURSELVES A DOOZY TO REPORT!!!” She started to frantically race back and forth screaming for her relatives while the other two flabbergasted mares started to panic.
“Applejack darling, calm down!” Rarity cried.
“Yeah, you’re acting like The Trotting Dead has been cancelled and there’s a tornado coming all at the same time!” Pinkie shouted. “And there’s a witch in that tornado too!” She started to chase after her friend trying to tackle her to stop her while Rarity manned the fence to try to and convince any relatives it wasn’t an emergency. “Applejack, HOLD STILL!” She finally managed to get a hold of her, clamping her forelegs around her midsection only for the farm pony to break free and turn around, laughing her characteristic uproarious belly laugh. Rarity cocked her head, her mouth hanging open in confusion.
“Okay, there’s two things I’m wondering. One; Pinkie Pie, how can you watch that awful show? And two; what is going on here, Applejack? How is any of this funny?” She asked. Then the realization hit her, and to say she wasn’t amused would be putting it lightly, as the sudden angry scowl that crossed against her face told. “You were having fun at our expense, weren’t you?” Applejack stopped laughing, mostly because her sides were starting to hurt, and wiped a tear from her eye before answering.
“And ya’ll fell for it. Hook, line and sinker. Hoo-whee!” She said with another laugh.
“Aww, does this mean we’re not playing chase anymore?” Pinkie asked, pouting. The two other mares rolled their eyes.
“But does this mean that you…” Rarity asked. “You know, with Caramel.” Applejack was always amazed at how she sought to show tact even when it wasn’t really warranted.
“Oh, that? I knew that.” She said. To say that her friends were surprised was an understatement. Both of their expressions suddenly dropped, their mouths threatening to start scraping the ground and their pupils shrinking so much that it seemed that light would be stopped from ever reaching the back of their eyes.
“B-b-but we just learned today! How can you know?” Rarity asked, her voice shrunken to a whisper in her shock. Applejack just gave a hearty laugh and beckoned them to walk with her to the barn.
“I actually figured it out a while ago. I was wondering when she was going to admit it to someone. It was written on her face so much she might as well have tattooed on her forehead in neon ink.” She led them into the barn and tossed them free apples.
“It’s actually a long story. It all started, say, about six weeks ago. Twilight came to visit to show something off.” She looked out the window at her siblings working the trees while she reminisced.
***
Applejack put the last finishing touches on the brand new cider dispenser rig she had built for that year’s cider season, polishing the spigot until it shined and checking to make sure the tap was ready to receive a barrel of the Apple’s famous cider. She was just about to head back to the barn for some paint when she spotted a familiar purple mare coming up the road to the front gate. Smiling, she trotted over to greet Twilight.
“Howdy, Twilight!” She greeted happily as her friend raced over, obviously excited about something. “Well shoot, you look more excited than Granny Smith on Bingo Night. What’s up?” Twilight giggled and shook her head, giving Applejack a look at what she was so happy about; her mane had been tied back so that it hung back behind her head, like she had sprouted a second tail. Applejack was intrigued.
“Do you like? Rarity did it for me. She calls it a ‘ponytail’.” A fitting name, Applejack thought. “She says it’s all the rage in Canterlot and she wanted to try it out, and she roped me into trying too.” Applejack beamed.
“Looks great on ya, sugarcube.” She said. Then she remembered something. “Say, that reminds me, Caramel was looking for ya, said he had something to show ya. Why don’t ya show him your new look?” To her surprise… Twilight’s cheeks suddenly turned pink.
“C-Caramel was asking about me?” She took her ponytail in her hooves and started to stroke it, her face getting redder. “Do you think he’ll like it? I mean, I’m sure he will, he’s such a sweetheart like that, but do you think it might be too much? Oh I hope he doesn’t…” She was stopped when Applejack put her hoof on her shoulder.
“Sugarcube, it’s fine, you look great, and you’re right, he will love it.” Twilight sighed with content and smiled.
“Yeah, you’re right. I really shouldn’t worry. Do you know where he’ll be?” Applejack nodded.
“He’s in his shop. Said what he wanted to show you something he had over there.” Twilight thanked her before galloping off, leaving a cloud of red dust in her wake. Applejack could have sworn she heard an excited chortle coming from her friend’s mouth.
It took a few minutes for it to fully register, but she felt a smile begin to creep over her face when she realized what she had just witnessed. The blush, the tugging at her mane, all of them were classic signs… ones she had learn to understand the meaning of very well.
It started with a light chortle. Then, it rose to a chuckle, and soon she found herself laughing with unbridled joy as she walked back to the barn, her heart soaring at what she had just come to realize.
Twilight Sparkle was in love with her cousin.
***
“Awwwwwww!” Applejack winced when a sudden loud chortle echoed in her ears. She turned to see her friends beaming, Rarity sporting a lovey-dovey face that she had seen countless times.
“As if I needed any further confirmation.” She said dreamily. Applejack chuckled.
“But yeah, it was about as obvious as a worm in an apple. I’d have to be blind not to have noticed it.” She beamed.
“You seem quite pleased.” Rarity said.
“How could I not be? My best friend and my cousin, possibly gettin’ together, gettin’ hitched and becoming a part of my family? What’s not to be excited about?” She started, of all things, wagging her tail like Winona at suppertime. “Wait, does anyone else know?”
“Not that I know of.” Rarity. “Except for Rainbow Dash.”
“Let’s hope she doesn’t decide it’s ‘awesome’ and start blabbin’ it all over town.” Applejack said. “I don’t want poor Mel to be embarrassed.
“I’ll make sure she doesn’t, darling.” Rarity said. “In the meantime, perhaps a celebratory drink?”
“Ooh ooh ooh! How about some sarsaparilla! Or ginger ale! Or that weird tasting stuff that makes your mouth tingle! Or maybe some of your famous cider!” Rarity shoved her hoof into her mouth to make her stop.
“How about some fresh squeezed apple juice? It’s nice and cold.” Applejack suggested. Everyone else was in agreement as they trotted inside, laughing happily at the good news.
***
“Hey, watch it!” A pegasus stallion shouted as Rainbow blazed past him.
“Sorry!” She called back, not even bothering to look back as she blasted through the skies over the market and out of town before reaching the edge of the forest, soon spotting the familiar, fantasy-novel looking cottage that was the residence of her timid pegasus friend, Fluttershy. She skidded to a halt in front of the door and rapped three times.
“Oh, coming!” Fluttershy’s timid voice sounded from inside. She soon emerged, her straightened mane betraying the fact that she had just gotten out of the bathtub.
“Oops, hehe. Didn’t mean to interrupt your bath.” Rainbow said, embarrassed at catching her at a bad time.
“Oh no, it’s OK. Why don’t you come inside?” She said. “I’ll be right back with some tea.” Rainbow did so, being greeted by Angel Bunny, who looked rather irritated.
“What’s with him?” She asked.
“Oh, he’s a bit sore that I asked him to help clean the chicken coop. I don’t really blame him, it is rather stinky in there. And falling into a nest of rotten eggs probably didn’t help. I didn’t think eggs could rot that fast.” Fluttershy said. Rainbow’s nose instinctively wrinkled at the thought of it before taking a seat on the sofa and waiting for Fluttershy to finish freshening up and get them tea. The wait wasn’t long before Fluttershy soon returned with her mane dried and two steaming cups of peppermint tea. Rainbow took a sip and savored the taste. Fluttershy always made hers from fresh mint leaves, and it somehow managed to turn her into a regular mint tea drinker despite herself.
“Great, as always.” She said. Fluttershy smiled.
“So, what brings you here?” She asked. “I figured you’d be taking a nap after work.”
“I was, but then I got woken up by a very angry Twilight yelling at Hyacinth.” Rainbow said.
"Oh dear, what did he do to her? He didn’t say anything about her and her brother again, did he?” She asked, suddenly cross when she remembered the last time he had gotten loaded down with cheap whiskey and started running his mouth.
“No, it wasn’t what he did to her, it was what he did to Caramel.” Fluttershy cocked her head.
“Applejack’s cousin? What happened?” She asked.
“First things first, there’s something I have to tell you.” Rainbow said. Fluttershy leaned in, suddenly curious. “It kinda ties back into Twilight going off on Hyacinth. You see… she… kinda has the hots for him.” Fluttershy’s eyes went wider.
“She does?” She asked. Rainbow nodded. Fluttershy got a look of realization. “So that’s why she’s been acting so oddly lately.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?” Rainbow asked.
“It was a couple days ago, when I asked her to help out with some yard work around the cottage. We had that rogue storm come through and make such a mess of things.” She gazed into her tea as she started to reminisce.
***
“Okay, everyone! One, two, three!” Fluttershy, assisted by some of her beaver friends, shoved the last log into place in the rebuilt beaver dam. The entire thing had been washed away by that week’s rogue thunderstorm’s heavy rains, but with a little bit of elbow grease they had finally gotten it back together.
The beavers, excited to have their home back, started to do a little happy dance around the riverbank, while Fluttershy giggled at their antics. Nothing made her happier than when her animal friends were happy.
“Good work, everyone! We did it!” She cheered. “I think you all earned a nice lunch, what do you say?” The beavers cheered happily at the suggestion. Fluttershy smiled. “I’ll be right back.” A quick flap of her wings carried her back to the cottage. She stopped to take a sniff at some newly bloomed roses when she heard something in the direction of the backyard pens. It sounded like… Twilight was singing.
“Oooh.” Fluttershy said. “I keep forgetting how lovely her singing voice is.” She trotted over behind the cottage to see her friend dancing around with a rake while cleaning up storm debris, singing without a care in the world.
Fluttershy listened with a smile on her face as Twilight twirled and moved as she sang. She started to bob her head along with the tune, until Twilight finally caught on to the fact that she was watching her… which involved said unicorn tripping over a root and crashing into the ground in front of her.
“Oh dear, are you alright, Twilight?” She asked. Twilight smiled sheepishly, and Fluttershy could swear that she heard a dog-like noise as she did so.
“Oh, ehehehe, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She said apologetically. Fluttershy helped her up. “Wait… how long were you standing there?”
“Long enough to hear you singing.” Fluttershy said. “Has anypony told you that you have a lovely singing voice?” Twilight’s face suddenly turned red as a beet.
“So… you saw that?” She asked. Fluttershy nodded.
“Oh yes.” She replied. “I thought it was lovely. Though I’m curious as to why you would choose a love song?”
“Um… uh, I… uh…. I mean….. Oh look, a blue jay!” She said, pointing at a nearby tree.
“Oh, really? Is it Sally May?” She asked, looking in the direction she pointed, only to see that the tree was completely empty except for a pair of orioles that appeared to be in an argument over one of the orange slices she left out for them earlier that day. “Oh, please stop you two, it’s a big orange slice and you can share!” She called out to them, before remembering what she had been doing before and turned back to her friend. Twilight, however, was long gone, only a bit of dust marking the spot where she had been.
Fluttershy was now thoroughly confused. Why was Twilight suddenly running off? Why was she so embarrassed? And more importantly, why was she singing a love song? Fluttershy pondered for a moment, and then a thought began to form in her mind.
The love song, the blushing, her sudden seeming ability to walk on air with happiness.
Could it be?
***
“I admit I had my suspicions, but I never did quite put it together. Well, not until you told me anyway.” Fluttershy said. By now, she was wearing an enormous grin on her face. “Is it true?” Rainbow nodded, her face split by an equally large smile.
“Yeah, heard it straight from the egghead’s mouth.” She said. Both ponies then found themselves in a squeeing and giggling fit over the news.
“Oooh, but does Caramel know? We both know about his… history.” Fluttershy said. “Especially with you-know-who. How do you think he’ll handle it? Oh, I hope nothing goes wrong there.”
“Yeah, but that was years ago. He’s better now, just ask Applejack.” Rainbow explained. “That chick is in the past, and so is…. That.” Fluttershy nodded. Rainbow was right, and this was happy news indeed. She couldn’t think of anyone better for Twilight than Caramel. He was one of the kindest ponies anyone could meet, and pretty handsome to boot. The thought of Twilight and them happy together filled her own heart with joy.
She just hoped that everything would go smoothly.
***
“Ugh, you’d think she’d remember to check for these.” Spike said as he held up a humongous dust bunny that he pulled out from under Twilight’s bed. “There must be month worth of this crud under here.” He grumbled as he began to scrape the dust bunnies out from under the bed and deposit them in a nearby trash can.
“Spike?” Twilight called from downstairs. Spike picked the rest of the dust up and brought the trash downstairs for disposal, where he found Twilight sitting in front of a fire, sipping some of her favorite herbal tea.
“What’s up?” He asked. “You don’t usually make the chamomile and peppermint blend unless you’re thinking about something.” Twilight giggled.
“You know me too well.” She said. “It’s about what happened earlier today.”
“Don’t worry, you already apologized like a hundred times for freaking me out. It’s fine.” He said. “Though you could have told me about the mutant dust bunnies that showed up under your bed.” He groused. She laughed.
“Actually, I was talking about with the girls, about how I… you know.” She said.
“Actually, I don’t.” He said. “The only thing I remember is you about ripping the door off the hinges and then storming in looking like you were about ready to fry somebody. What do you mean?” He asked.
“I never told you what happened today?” She asked.
“No, and I didn’t find out because I lost my favorite glass that I use to listen in on you.” He said, putting a claw to her lips before she could scold him. She sighed a bit, and then showed him the book she had shown the others. Spike’s eyes went wide when he read the note. “So… you’re finally gonna do it?” He asked. She nodded.
“Yes… it’s time I told him the truth. I just hope I’m doing the right thing.” Spike smiled slyly.
“I seem to remember something like this happening a while ago. I think it was… four months or so after Winter-Wrap Up? Summer was just starting I think.” He said. “A certain purple unicorn was wondering about how she felt about a certain golden earth pony?”
“You still remember that?” Twilight asked. Spike nodded.
“Like the last ripe sapphire I ate, which by the way was delicious.” He said with a smirk. Twilight giggled as he launched into his reminiscing.
***
“There, that should do it.” Spike said to himself, as he plucked the last rose he could find in the little garden outside Golden Oaks Library and placed it in a vase with water. “I hope Rarity likes this bouquet. I sure worked for it. Stupid thorns.” He looked at his right claw, which was by now covered in prick marks from the offending sharp protuberances. Seriously, pins in his back didn’t hurt, but thorns in his hand did? It didn’t make any sense. Oh well, it wasn’t important. Besides, any little pain suffered for her was well worth it.
Spike gathered up the vase and scampered out in front where Twilight was planting some fresh impatiens. Spike was about to wave to her when he spotted another pony coming up the way toward the library.
“Oh, hey Caramel!” He called, recognizing the familiar earth pony.
“Howdy, Spike!” He called back. “How’s it going?” He asked, smirking when he spotted the roses. “Got a little something for your lady love?” He asked. Spike blushed.
“Hehe, yeah.” Spike replied. “They look alright? I’ve never put one together from scratch before.”
“They’re perfect, little mate.” Caramel said. “Is Twilight around? I’ve got some fresh apples from the farm for her.”
“Oh yeah, she’s just replanting.” He said. He then whistled for his friend to come over.
"Yes?” Twilight asked, trotting over from her work, a wide-brimmed gardner’s hat perched on her head. Spike pointed Caramel out.
“Mel decided to drop by.” He said. The earth pony stallion flashed a pearly smile at her.
And then Spike noticed something really strange.
Twilight’s cheeks suddenly grew as pink as the streak in her mane. Her eyes began to sparkle, and her mouth melted into the dopiest grin he had ever seen on a pony’s face.
“Oh, aye-uh hehehehe… hi Caramel. Uh, what brings you around here?” She asked, trying and failing to hide the silly look on her face. Caramel apparently didn’t notice, but Spike sure did. And it was taking every ounce of his strength not to start laughing.
“Well, AJ just got a big crop of these here Mcintoshes in, and she asked me if I could bring some by. They’re great for caramel apples. Hey, kinda like me.” He joked. Twilight started laughing uproariously, rolling around on the ground in a way that Princess Luna would probably call “most undignified”. Spike’s sides were hurting trying to hold the laughter in. Caramel just smirked at the goofy display in front of him.
“Gee, I didn’t think it was that funny.” He said.
“That was hilarious!” Twilight said. “Aaahhh, I needed a good laugh. Gardening is harder than it looks.”
“I hear ya there.” Caramel replied. “Well, I’d stick around and chat, but I have to get back to the shop. Hyacinth broke some of his gardening tools again and if I’m late he’ll throw a fit and a half. But before I go, AJ also told me she was putting things together for Granny Smith’s birthday party. Picture about twenty oldsters knitting for hours and you got it. She was wondering if some of her friends wouldn’t mind signing a card for her. You guys are practically family, she says.” He pulled out a pad and fountain pen. “Mind if I put you down? She’s bringing the card around later.”
“Oh, sure!” Twilight cheered. “I’d love to be added to your lips.” Both Spike and Caramel gave her funny looks.
“Uh, what?” Spike asked. Twilight suddenly turned beet red and covered her mouth with her hooves.
“Uh, I just remembered, I left the stove on the tea. I have to go! Bye, and sure, you can add me!” She galloped off, leaving the two males absolutely confounded.
“So, I’ll take that as a yes?” Caramel asked Spike. Spike nodded.
“Yeah, sure.” He replied. “Uh, nice talking to you?”
“Likewise, buddy.” Caramel replied. “I’d better get going. Take care.”
“You too.” Spike said. When the yellow earth pony was out of sight, he made a beeline straight for the library. Fortunately for him, Twilight had left the door open and he didn’t have to worry about reaching the handle.
“Twilight!” He called out. “Are you in here?”
“Uh, I’m busy!” The lavender unicorn answered back. Spike scanned the library floor until he spotted a large lump hiding under the covers in Twilight’s loft. He smirked.
“You know I can see you, right?” He said. Twilight’s head partially poked out from her “hiding” spot. Her face could have been mistaken from some kind of oversized strawberry at this point, if it weren’t for the purple mane and eyes that stared back at him. Spike rolled a ladder over and climbed up.
“So, uh, what happened back there?” He asked. Twilight shook her head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” She said. Spike raised an eyebrow. Twilight knew there was no use lying about it. She sighed.
“Oh, Spike. I’m so embarrassed. I can’t believe I did that!” She whined.
“The little word slip or the giggling like a schoolfilly when he came up?” He asked.
“Both! Ugh! What’s happening to me!?” She cried. Spike was taken aback. He had seen her embarrassed before, but this was a new one for her. All this over a silly little word slip? Unless….
“Uh, Twilight… do you… like Caramel?” He asked. Twilight vigorously shook her head.
“No!” She insisted. “I mean, yes, he’s my friend, but not what you’re implying!” Spike wasn’t convinced.
“So, why did you blush and start talking funny when he came up? And why did you laugh so much at his joke? I mean, it wasn’t really that funny.” Twilight growled.
“It was too funny!” She groused. Spike was taken aback, surprised at the sudden increase in her volume, causing her to ram her hoof into her mouth.
“You didn’t answer my question though.” Spike said. “I admit I’m not all that experienced in this, but it sure sounds like you have a crush on him. You acted just like I do when I’m around Rarity, minus that whole floating in the air thing. I still can’t figure that one out.”
“That’s impossible.” Twilight insisted.
“And why is that?” He asked, leaning in close. “Again, think about me and Rarity. You see how I am with her. Why wouldn’t that be possible with you?”
“Because these feelings… it’s too soon.” She said. “It’s not possible for someone to fall in love at first sight. Relationships take a long time to develop.” She started to pace back and forth on her mattress, gesticulating wildly as she did so. “I read just about every book that’s ever been written on the subject of relationships, and all of them say love at first sight is a myth belonging to romance movies and cheesy novels, the kind that Rarity likes!” Spike was wondering if she would start flying by how fast she was waving her legs. He finally managed to catch them and stop them from flying off her body.
“But it has to start somewhere, right?” He said. He thought for a moment. What could he say to her to help her feel better about this? Suddenly, it came to him. "Hey, remember a while ago when we were looking up how buildings are made?" He asked. Twilight looked at him curiously.
“I think so.” She said. “But what does that have to do with any of this?” Spike smiled.
“Glad you asked." He said. “A building can’t stay standing if it doesn’t have a foundation, and if you want that, you have to mix the cement first.” He took her hoof and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I guess relationships are the same way. You have to build on something, but you need all the materials first before you can even think about building.” He smiled at her. Twilight was silent in thought for a few moments. She wanted to object, but the more she thought about it… the more it made sense. Yes, it did make sense. She returned his smile.
“Wow, Spike. That was really wise.” She said. “You sure you’re really a baby dragon?” She quipped.
“Hey, I try.” He said. “But seriously, I think it’s fantastic. You’re a great mare and you’d make Caramel really happy. And I’m willing to bet every gem and bit I have on that… which isn’t much to be honest, but whatever.” Twilight giggled.
“Thanks, Spike.” She said, nuzzling him.
“That’s what I’m here for sister.” He replied, giving her a big hug.
***
“I should probably thank you again for that.” Twilight said, giving him a nuzzle on the cheek. “If it wasn’t for your advice, I might not have found the courage to start pursuing him.”
“Though the book thing kinda sounds like a marriage proposal.” He said. “Don’t you need a ring for that? Or do mares give stallions something else. Eh, I guess it doesn't make a difference.” Twilight rolled her eyes.
“I just want it to be perfect.” She said. He smiled.
“I bet he’d like anything you did.” He said. “And not just because he’s easy to please, but because you’re just that awesome.” He flashed her a thumbs up sign. Twilight blushed.
“Oh, you flatterer! I’m surprised Rarity hasn’t started flirting with you, Cassanova.” Both shared a hearty chuckle.
“Maybe, someday.” He said. “Who knows how the winds of fortune will blow.”
