“Well girls, that´s all the time this week!” Twilight Sparkle said, putting down her notebook.
Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle promptly dropped what they were doing and make a line in front of the Princess.
“All right, let´s check your progress…” Twilight said, levitating a second notebook and a quill. “Sweetie Belle…”
Sweetie nodded and struggled a little, just a tiny bit, to make her horn levitate a pair of tennis balls, juggling them for a few seconds.
“Impressive,” Twilight said, checking her list and making sure to catch the balls before they scatter around, sending them to Spike who failed to catch them and they bounced anyway. “Now Scootaloo…”
Scootaloo took a few loose parts and in a matter of seconds combined them in an improvised handcar.
“Twenty seconds, a new record Scootaloo!” Twilight said, stopping the chronometer and the proud filly pushed the handcar for poor Spike to move it in the rough wooden floor of the library.
“And finally, let´s check Apple Bloom…”
“All righty, Twi!”
Apple Bloom smiled and mixed a red and blue potions but the resulting mix was somehow pink. The ponies looked at each other, thinking that Apple Bloom had mixed up the ingredients somehow but she was still smiling. She walked to a display of weed and we she poured it, it turned into bright flowers.
“Amazing! That´s some wonderful progress, Apple Bloom!” Twilight said, applauding along with the other two fillies and Spike.
Apple Bloom blushed a little and bowed for a reverence.
“That was great, when did you start working on that potion?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Actually it was a happy accident. I mixed those two potions by mistake yesterday and discovered they do that when combined,” Apple Bloom admitted, still blushing a little.
“Well, you know what Rainbow Dash says about accidents…” Scootaloo said, handing her friends their saddlebag. “I meant to do that.”
The three fillies laughed and then Sweetie Belle noticed something that had slipped everypony´s attention.
“Apple Bloom, isn´t that the bow we got the other week?”
“Uh yeah…” Apple Bloom admitted, pulling with a little shame the bow covered in diamonds she was wearing. “I couldn't find any of my other bows so I put this one on...do I look bad with it?”
The two fillies shook their heads and Apple Bloom smiled.
“You look...wonderful…”
They turned over to see who had said that and they found Spike, who had stopped in mid sweep.
“Excuse me?”
“Woah Apple Bloom, I never noticed...I mean, you look really pretty today…”
“umh...thanks?” Apple Bloom said a little embarrassed. She looked over to her friends, asking them what was going on and found Scootaloo to be just as confused at Spike´s big shiny eyes while Sweetie Belle was holding back one of her squee sounds.
“What I´m saying is that that new look is great on you. You should consider wearing it all the time,” Spike said, sounding a bit graver than usual.
“You really think so?” Apple Bloom said, tugging her bow again and with a little blush.
“Yeah, that look...you´re just shiny…”
By this point, Apple Bloom was seriously blushing while Sweetie had to hold into Scootaloo, who wasn´t buying any of this, to not explode in pure glee.
“Well, if you think so, I hadn't paid much attention to this old thing but…”
“It´s...beautiful…” Spike said, almost drooling while Sweetie in the background shake her friend in obvious excitement.
“Spike! I need you to move something heavy!”
“Oh! Coming, Twilight!”
Free of whatever was charming him, Spike rushed to meet Twilight, giving Apple Bloom one last smile.
They all headed back to their homes, Scootaloo glad the whole thing was over and talking about more important subjects to her, like the latest sport news but neither Apple Bloom nor Sweetie Belle were listening to her.
“Hey, Equestria to AB! Did you listened to what I just said?”
“What? Oh sorry Scoots, I was...hey, you two think Spike was being honest with me? THink this bow really looks that good on me?”
Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and was about to make a witty remark when Sweetie Belle pushed her out of the way.
“Are you kidding me? Of course he was serious! Don´t you know what this means?”
“That Spike really likes bows?” Scootaloo asked, escaping from beneath the excited unicorn.
“NO! It means that Spike is totally in love with Apple Bloom!”
“What?” the other two said but their what had different intonation.
“Oh come on, you can´t se it?”
“I thought Spike was all gaga for your sister,” Scootaloo said.
“Well, he obviously realized he has no chance and focused on the one filly that has been standing next to him all this time. Oh this is so romantic! Old times friends who finally discover how they feel!” Sweetie Belle said, dancing and prancing around while Scootaloo made a gesture like she was about to puke.
“I don´t know, Sweetie. Maybe he didn´t mean that…” Apple Bloom began but Sweetie wasn´t listening.
“Now the question, do you like him back?” she asked, basically shoving her face on the earth pony.
“If I like Spike? Of course I like Spike,” Apple Bloom said and Sweetie gleamed with joy.
“She means if you like him like him, as your boyfriend and stuff,” Scootaloo explained.
“What? No! I mean...I don´t know, I have never thought about this before…” Apple Bloom admitted.
“Well, make up your mind fast! He has to know how you really feel!”
“Hang on Sweetie, we don´t even know for sure if he likes her. You only got this idea for one comment he made,” Scootaloo said.
“In that case, we should ask the love expert.”
“Wouldn´t be a little weird to ask your sister about this?”
“Not her!”
Sweetie Belle lead her friends to the town market and to a very special tent that was hidden behind the carrot stand.
“Madame Pinkie?” Scootaloo read the sign with obvious disappointment. “That´s your love expert?”
“Madame Pinkie knows everything about everypony. If there´s any pony who can tell Apple Bloom if eternal love with Spike is in her future, is her,” Sweetie Belle said, totally convinced.
“Your do realize she is just Pinkie wearing a towel over her head, right?”
“First off, it´s pronounced toucan,” Sweetie said, making a horrible impression of her sister´s accent. “And second, Madame Pinkie´s powers are real”
“Next thing you´re gonna tell me she can see ghost ponies. Or maybe she was one all along…” Scootaloo said, making fun of her friend who wasn´t liking it one bit.
“She may as well be, look,” Apple Bloom said and showed the sign that said that Madame Pinkie was out for the moment.
“Too bad. Let's go home.”
“No!” Sweetie said, stopping Scootaloo. “Let´s wait for her!”
“But it´s late, I´m hungry and I wanna go home!”
“Scootaloo is right. We should be getting back home. Besides, I´m not too sure about any of this, Sweetie…”
Apple Bloom got interrupted by the sudden, as in she basically crashed into them, arrival of Pinkie Pie.
“I´m...here...just..in...GASP...time.” They had to wait for a few seconds before Pinkie regained her breath. “Now, what do you need Madame Pinkie for?”
“How did you even know we were here?” Scootaloo asked,
“I sensed it with my Pinkie Sense, I knew one of you three was in distress and I leave everything I was doing to rush in your aid,” Pinkie said, giving them a hug. “I wonder if Mr. and Mrs. Cake are worried.,,,
Cut to Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie´s unattended souffle was threatening to eat the whole bakery.
“Meh, I bet they can handle without me for a few minutes. Now let me get into costume and I, I mena, Madame Pinkie shall read your futureeeee!”
Pinkie had managed to bring a smile to the fillies but while she was thrashing around her tnet, tossing an impossible amount of objects from inside it to get ready, Apple Bloom had to ask Sweetie if she was sure of this.
“I told you, Pinkie Pie is the only one that can help us.”
“I´m not so sure about this…” Apple Bloom insisted.
“I have to agree with her. Pinkie Pie isn't exactly the most romantic of ponies we know. I don't think I´ve seen her talk to a stallion for more than two seconds and outside a party,” Scootaloo said.
“Well, it was during a party but my sister told me she and that Cheese Sandwich were talking an awful lot,” Apple Bloom said.
“You think those two…” Scootaloo asked and Apple Bloom shrugged.
“Oh that´s even more romantic! I heard the story those two met as fillies but never realized it. One childhood encounter leading to romance!” Sweetie said, literally floating with hearts on her eyes. “We need to ask Pinkie about this!”
“Wait! Weren´t we here to help Apple Bloom?” Scootaloo grabbed her before she crashed into the tent.
“Oh yeah, that comes first,” Sweetie admitted, blushing.
“All set, fillies! Come forth and Madame Pinkie shall remove the veils of uncertainty! Uuuuuuuuu! How´s my act? I borrowed a horror novel from Twilight to copy a few lines, hihi.”
Pinkie was obviously the least interested in keeping character but neither Apple Bloom nor Scootaloo cared. Sweetie Belle on the other hoof, carried around with the act.
“Oh Madame Pinkie, we came here to ask your help for this poor confused filly in the matters of the heart,” she said, grabbing a truly confused Apple Bloom.
PInkie just looked at them with intensity and then shrugged in complete defeat.
“We want to know if Apple Bloom is gonna fall in love,” Scootaloo bluntly said, casing her two friends to blush a little.
“Oh, silly filly, you don´t need my help for that! Of course you´re gonna meet your special somepony!” Pinkie said, dropping the costume,
“I am?”
“She is?”
“Everypony eventually meets her or his special somepony. It may take years for you to realize that you met the perfect pony long ago and you let him leave town for who knows so long and only leaving a small memory of his visits that you cling to every night before sleeping.”
Aple Bloom and Scootaloo shared a concerned look for the uncharastically sad looking inkie while Sweetie wiped her tears.
“Anyways, sorry but I can't help you with that!”
“It's okay Pinkie,now that I had time to think about it maybe all this was just a big misunderstanding and maybe..Pinkie, what are you doing?” Apple Bloom asked since Pinkie was sniffing on her bow.
“I can sense something bout this bow. Yes, this bow is going to be very important in your future...ups, gotta go, my Pinkie Sense is telling me my souffle is ready!”
And with that Pinkie rushed off leaving a trio of confused fillies behind.
“Do you see what this means?” Sweetie Belle asked.
“Kinda hard to miss. It´s leaking from Sugarcube Corner´s windows,” Scootaloo said, looking at the souffle catastrophe.
“No that! The bow! It was the bow that made Spike finally notice you so this means that you two are really going to be together in the future! I knew Madame Pinkie will know for sure.”
“That's ridiculous! Pinkie…”
“Madame Pinkie!” Sweetie interrupted Scootaloo.
“She didn´t knew anything, she isn´t even a real fortune teller! We should ask somepony who really knows about love.”
“Like who? Mrs. Cheerilee? Zecora?”
“I was thinking more about Princess Cadence,” Scootaloo said and the others didn´t look convinced. “What, she´s the Princess of Love.”
“But she doesn't live in Ponyville!” Sweetie retorted.
“So what? We send her a letter to the Crystal Empire and I bet in around a week we´ll get a response.”
“That´s gonna take forever! We should go talk to SPike right now, don't you agree Apple Bloom?”
Apple Bloom suddenly blushed again at that. “What? No! I can´t go right now….”
“Tomorrow then?”
“No! I need...I need time and besides, I don't wanna bother Spike ot Twilight…”
“She has a point. We'll be back to Twilight´s next weekend anyways, we can wait,” Scootaloo said.
“I guess so,” Sweetie said, admitting defeat.
They started to head to their houses, Apple Bloom walking a little slower since she had more than a few things in mind.
*****
That night, Apple Bloom took off her bow and looked at it for a long time, caressing it and remembering how much Spike had praised it, how he said that she looked so beautiful with it and her face slowly turned red.
Applejack was walking by and noticed her sister staring at the mirror, not really moving.
“Still carrying that fancy thing, sis? I thought you said you couldn't accept it and will give it back. Did you classmate told you it was okay anyways?” Applejack asked but Apple Bloom was totally lost. “Sis?”
“Oh! Yeah, she said it was okay, that I could keep it…”
“Okay then. Good night!”
Apple Bloom looked at herself a few more seconds and then asked, “Sis? How can you tell if a boy likes you?”
Applejack frozen in mid air. “What you just said?”
“I wanna know if a boy says you're beautiful, does he really means that or…”
Applejack shut the door close and rushed to cover Apple Bloom´s mouth,
“Don´t be so loud!”
“Why?” Apple Bloom asked through a muffled mouth.
“Because he might hear you…”
“Who?”
At that a soft knock on the door was heard.
“AJ? Are you in there?” asked the ruff voice of Big Mac from behind it.
“Yeah, I´m here, big bro.”
“Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, everything is fine. Apple Bloom just needed some help with her...mane! That´s it, sister stuff, I can handle it, no need for you to get involved!”
“Okay then,” the voice said and they heard the heavy hooves go downstairs.
“What in the apple fields was all that about?” Apple Bloom asked.
Applejack sighed and said, “Sugarcube, in case you haven´t noticed, your big brother is a tiny bit over protective of us tow.”
“He is? Usually Big Mac is really calm and collected.”
“Well, you didn't had to stop him from chasing that poor Trenderhoof fella down the train station. Got halfway to Dodge City before I catched up with him,” Applejack said, looking a bit blushed at the memory. “Back when we were kids, Big Mac will shove away any colt he felt was trying to woo me. He was sort of my personal bodyguard, pushing everypony aside.”
“I don´t want him pushing my classmates around!”
“Don´t worry, he won´t hit a colt. I hope…” Applejack didn't sound too sure and Apple Bloom was worried. “Calm down sis, he won´t do a thing aside from maybe escort you to school and look all intimidating. That´s just the way he is but he will eventually calm down. It took me a few years to get him in line but now there´s two of us,” she said, ruffling her sister.
“So you had to grow up with Big Mac following you around all day?”
“Wasn´t so bad. For one, it taught me to be more independent. I had to learn to stand up against him and learned to stand up against others too.”
“But what if you do find your special somepony?”
“Then that day, when I know he´s the right one, then I´ll stand against Big Mac again for the final time,” Applejack said, giving her sister a comforting nuzzle.
“I still don´t want him to push around Spike…”
“Spike? What does that little fella has to do...oh, I get it now! Oh that´s so cute!” Applejack said, hugging her sister. “Spike is the one, isn´t he?”
“Wait, no! I mean, he never said he likes me but...AJ!”
“Oh that´s adorable!” Applejack said, completely ignoring her sister´s protests of being squished in a hug. “You two are gonna look so cute together! And it´s good for Spike that he finally accepted that Rarity is not going to say yes. He will do a lot better wit a filly that will grow up along with him,” Applejack said, poking her sister´s nose.
“Knock it off, Applejack!”
“Can't help it! Uh when Granny Smith found out, she´s gonna be so happy! You know, when she found out that Big Mac was rring all the boys away she gave him quite a speech so all the more reason for him to accept Spike.”
“He doesn't need to accept Spike because there´s nothing going on! Applejack, put me down!”
*****
The next week, Apple Bloom used her entire patience to go through with it. Along with Applejack talking about it all day in the house, she had to listen to Sweetie Belle talking all day about it on school. She dragged Apple Bloom all over town, making her made love questionnaires from magazines, read a lot of cheesy romance novels, watch a ton of cheesy romance movies; but the worst thing was convincing their mutual friend Twist to bring them along for a date with her boyfriend Truffle Shuffle.
Apple Bloom was embarrassed to even ask but Twist went along, being so happy for her. Apple Bloom apologized to Truffle but the chubby unicorn turned out to be an even bigger romantic that Sweetie Belle and Apple Blom was forced to hear dozens of poems and love serenates.
The only reasonable one was Scootaloo who simply sent a letter to the Crystal Empire and told Apple Bloom to forget about the whole thing. Apple Bloom wanted to follow her advice but she was so nervous and confused that couldn´t be in the same room as Spike, purposely avoiding him the entire week.
But finally the weekend came and Apple Bloom got ready to see if Spike was really interested on ehr or not…
******
Apple Bloom arrived last to the library, finding her friend waiting in cushions.
“What are you wearing?” Scootaloo asked, emphasizing every word when she saw Apple Bloom came in while Sweetie simply made a squee sound.
Apple Bloom sighed and took a look at the flashy jacket that matched her diamond covered bow before saying, “Applejack insisted on this. She even did my mane and put me on some makeup. She´s been acting a bit scary the whole week, not like herself.”
“You look so dreamy! There´s no way he´s going to not ask you to be his special somepony!” Sweetie said, almost fainting while Scootaloo slapped her own face.
“Okay girls, now that you are all here, let´s start the lesson...why are you wearing that?” Twilight asked.
Apple Bloom didn´t know what to answer but then Spike showed up from behind Twilight.
“Woah, Apple Bloom you look..radiant!”
“You really think so?” she asked, smiling.
“You do, that while ensemble is just...wonderful…” eh said, lickign his face with his long tongue in a pretty creepy manner.
“Am I missing something?” Twilight asked but she got her hoof stomped on by Sweetie Belle. “AUH!”
“Listen Spike, I was wondering…”
“Yes?” he said with dreamy eyes.
“Maybe after the lesson you think that, you and me, the two of us, together, can go and do something, just walk around town, maybe visit Sugarcube Corner.”
“I will love to…”
“You will?” Apple Bloom asked with a sincere beman on her face and Spike nodded. “Oh I never expected you to say yes but okay, let´s go out together!”
Twilight was still confused and looked at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the latter shrugging while the former mae daww noises.
“You want me to take care of your jacket or you bow?” Spike asked, still a bit in trance.
“Oh sure,” Apple Bloom said, handing him the bow. “Here Spike, this is for you, you can have it.”
“Really? Like a present?”
“Sure. I want you to have it,” Apple Bloom said with a faint blush. She turned around and gave her friends a big, beaming smile and with her mane down and that smile, even Scootaloo had to admit that Apple Bloom looked radiant.
“I´m honestly surprised Spike, I never thought you really mean it but now that you said it, well…”
Sorry, did you say something?” Spike asked, his mouth filled with the bow.
“Spike, don´pt eat her bow! That´s rude!” Twilight chastised him.
“I´m sorry it´s just that it´s really delicious, it´s...beautiful. It looks so radiant and tastes so sweet!”
“The bow…” Apple Bloom began but couldn't finish.
“Seriously? It was the bow all this time?” Sweetie finished for her, clearly mad at the whole situation.
“Okay, what is going? Can somepony explain to me?” Twilight asked, demanding some sort of order.
Since neither Sweetie nor Scootaloo said a thing, she turned to Apple Bloom for answers and found the filly in the verge of tears.
“Apple Bloom?”
She didn't answered Spike, she just rant away. She ran faster than ever, quickly crossing half the town and going back to the clubhouse, hiding inside it. She tossed the jacket away and sobbed for a few minutes before she felt the sound of wings slowly flapping to slow down a pony.
“Go away Scootaloo, I don´t wanna talk right now,” she said with her back to the door.
“I hope I can change your mind,” a soft, melodic voice said behind her. “I think you need to talk to somepony right now.”
Apple Bloom turned around to find the comforting visage of Princess Cadence walking inside, needing to crouch to not hit the door.
“Princess Cadence, what are you doing here?”
“I received your friend Scootaloo´s letter. Sorry it took me so long to come here.”
“I´m sorry you came all the way here, Princess, but there´s nothing you can do now…”
Cadence leaned forward and gently wiped the tears from Apple Bloom´s eyes.
“Can you tell me what just happened?”
Apple Bloom told the entire story and the Princess listened, sitting right next to her. She listened patiently, never losing sight of Apple Bloom until she finished talking.
“And now...now I don´t know what to do!”
“Well, the first question is, did you really wanted Spike to mean it?”
“I...think so. I never really thought about it, I was just followed Sweetie around, this is all her fault!”
“Sweetie Belle´s heart was in the right place, Apple Bloom. Even if her approach was a bit…”
“Dumb?”
“I was going to say misguided,” Cadence said, never losing her humble tone of voice. “But now that you finally know what Spike really meant, are you still mad at him?”
“A little. Not really. I´m more mad at myself.”
“Because you made a false assumption or because you wanted that assumption to be true?”
“Maybe a bit of both?” Apple Boom admitted, sharing ehr confusion with the Princess. “Princess, how did you knew that Shining Armor was your special somepony? The first time you met there was a flash of light like when you get a Cutie Mark?”
“Oh hoho, no honey, quite the contrary! First time I saw Shining Armor he was a complete mess, tripping over his own hooves.”
“But then you get to know him better in dates and stuff and you realized he was the one, right?”
“Oh hardly, our first date together he invited me to a roleplaying tournament and we all had to dress like science fiction characters.”
“That sounds a bit dumb, actually.”
“It was a little ridiculous but I knew that Shining Armor was the one and I never regretted once taking a chance with him.”
“But how could you knew?”
“Apple Bloom, there´s no one way of love. I have seen the most unlikely pair of ponies finding happiness on each other and the best of matches falling apart and never reunite again. I have seen many love stories, some happy, some sad but they all had to start somewhere, with one first step. You´re halfway through that step, Apple Bloom, and you may not realize it yet but accepting those feelings for the first time is the bravest you can do.”
Apple Bloom needed a moment to understand Princess Cadence´s advice and then she returned the smile, embracing the Princess in one big hug.
*****
They returned to Golden Oaks LIbrary and found Pinkie Pie had arrived with a trial of cupcakes.
“Apple Bloom!” Sweetie said, rushing over to hug her friend and she apologized for all of this.
“It's okay Sweetie, I made a mistake too. I´m not angry at you, promise,” Apple Bloom said and moved Sweetie to talk to Spike.
“Listen Apple Bloom, sorry I acted like that. I don't know what got into me when I saw that bow but…”
“Spike, it´s alright. I made a wrong assumption but I'm okay now. Are we still friends?”
“Of course we´re friends! And if you still want to do something later, with the girls or maybe just the two of us, well…”
“I wouldn't mind, just the two of us, I mean,” Apple Bloom said and smiled at the now blushing Spike.
Twilight made her own daww noise while Cadence walked next to Pinkie.
“Good to see you again Pinkie Pie but, can I ask what are you doing here?”
“Oh my Pinkie Sense told me somepony was crying so I brought my special cheer up cupcakes!” Pinekis adi, offering one.
“Princess, is Apple Bloom going to be okay?” Scootaloo asked Cadence.
“She´s gonna be fine. It might take a while, just like the mail,” she answered giving her a wink and Scootaloo smiled.
“All right, who's the birthday girl?” a voice said, suddenly crashing through the door.
“Cheese Sandwich? What are you doing here?” Twilight asked.
“I got this letter saying a special somepony needed a special private party so that means...birthday party!!”
“Wait, how did you get that letter in the first place? I thought you were travelling across Equestria.”
“That doesn't mean I don´t have a mailbox! I check it on every town I visit in case somepony left an emergency message!”
“Oh that´s a lot more organized than I expected from you…”
“Excuseeee me Princess but being a super duper party pony like me requires a lot of planning and scheduling, I let you know!”
“Hihi, didn't mean to insult you. Now about those schedules…” Twilight began but got interrupted by Sweetie pulling her tail with magic. “Hey!”
“Twilight, stop it!”
“What? What am I doing?”
“You're...flirting with him!”
“What? I´m not flirting with him!”
“Yes you are! And it´s wrong! For starters, you already have that guard Flash Sentry!”
“What? No! Who told you about that?”
“My sister told me everything.”
“bUt that´s…”
“Twilight, just move over here,” Cadence said, pushing Twilight aside so Cheese could see Pinkie was in the room, standing completely still.
“Oh hi Pinkie Pie!”
Pinkie kept still for a while, just staring at Cheese.
“You came back…” she finally said.
“I was planning to...someday..sorry it took me so long…”
Twilight was still confused, looking back between Cheese and Pinkie while the other ponies were smiling at them.
“You still have boneless?” Cheese asked with an awkward smile.
“Always!” Pinkie said, back to her cheerful self and taking the rubber chicken from inside her mane.
Cheese also smiled again and took Boneless two from inside his mane.
“How is it going, boneless one?” he made the chicken ask.
“Pretty good! How is the travelling?” asked the other rubber chicken.
“It´s fine but I get tired of sitting on this guy´s back!”
“Tell me about it! I spend all day hiding inside this girl´s mane!”
“Hey wanna go outside and spread the chicken wings a little?”
“Do I?”
Pinkie and Cheese made the rubber chicken hold wings and they left the library together, bouncing away.
“I wasn't expecting that…” Scootaloo admitted.
“Wait, you send the letter?”
“Well, yeah I thought about how sad Pinkie looked the other day and…”
“Awww!” Sweetie said, giving her friend a big hug, something Scootaloo wasn't too happy about it.
“Cadence, I have so many questions right now…”
“I´m ure you do, Twilight. Let´s talk them over a cup of tea and maybe we can get a word about that Flash Sentry guy while we're at it.”
“Okay. Wait, no! There's nothing to talk about it. Cadence!”
Without nopony noticing it, Apple Bloom and Spike also left the library. Spike taking a second to find something to replace the filly´s bow and his owl friend coming to his aid, tossing him the bowtie that Rarity made for him long ago during a starry night. Spike smiled and put the bow on Apple Bow who smiled too and they both left the building, heading for the town.
