" . . . this is for you."
Sassaflash gasped and tenderly took the yellow lily blossom in her hooves. "It's beautiful . . . "
"I found it growing in the meadow outside of town," Caramel explained, "and it reminded me of you."
"And it matches my eyes . . . " She looked up and playfully bumped his shoulder. "Look at you, making me act all girly and whatnot! You're too sweet . . . "
"I can stop it, if you'd like." Caramel grinned. "Try to be more athletic, like you. But you know I've never been real good at that sort of thing, just look at when I tried to plow the field at Winter Wrap-Up . . . "
"No," Sassaflash interrupted. "Stay just the way you are. You're already the perfect stallion . . . " With that, she leaned forward and they nuzzled their noses.
Caramel glanced at the clock tower behind them. "Well, I've got to get to work." He stood and kissed Sassaflash on the cheek. "See you later, sweetie! Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"
He raced across town as fast as his hooves could carry him. Hard luck that he'd had to meet Sassaflash clear on the other side of Ponyville from where he needed to be now, but oh well. It couldn't have been helped, and he wasn't running too late. After about ten seconds of the most intense galloping in his life, he stopped in front of the spa.
"Sorry I'm late," he panted. "I got held up at work."
"Aw, shucks, Caramel, you didn't have to run all the way here! You know I'm not real hard-nosed about time."
"Even so . . . " Finally catching his breath, he stood straight up. Then he trotted closer and reached behind his back for the gift. "This is for you."
Carrot Top gasped with delight. She gingerly took the lily from him and brought to her face to smell it. "It's beautiful . . . "
"I found it growing in the meadow outside of town, and it reminded me of you." He smiled sweetly.
"And it's my favorite color, too!" She delicately stroked the yellow petals, then looked up at him. "Aw, Caramel, you sure know how to make a mare melt."
He shrugged. "Just trying to be a gentlecolt on Hearts and Hooves Day."
"You're more than a gentlecolt." Carrot Top stepped towards him. "You're the perfect stallion." With that, they leaned together and nuzzled their noses.
Suddenly, a scream rang out from the middle of town.
"What was that?"
Caramel pulled away and looked in the direction of the scream. His eyes widened. "Oh no . . . "
"What's wrong?"
"Uh, wait here, dear. There's something I've got to take care of real quick!" Without another word, he once again set off at full gallop.
Sassaflash stood frozen next to the fountain, her mouth agape. Caramel stopped in front of her and gasped for breath. "Sassaflash, I . . . "
"Caramel! What . . . I thought you said . . . who was that mare?!"
"Calm down," he continued. "She's nothing. Well, I mean, she's not nothing, she's my cousin! And I just wanted to say hi to her and ask how she's doing . . . "
"But you said you had to get to work!" Sassaflash protested. "Why aren't you at work?"
"I ran into her on the way, and --- "
"But you left me under the tree in such a big hurry! You didn't look like you were in much of a hurry with her!"
"Well, it's just, I haven't seen her in so long . . . "
"Caramel, I'm sorry but I had to come over! That scream sounded like somepony was hurt, and if somepony's hurt, darnit, I'm not gonna just sit there and --- " Carrot Top stopped in her tracks. "Who's that?"
Caramel swallowed. "Carrot Top, this is . . . "
"So nice to meet you!" Sassaflash interrupted. "I suppose you're Caramel's cousin?"
"Cousin?" Carrot Top cocked her head. " 'Course not! I'm his girlfriend! Who are you?"
"I'm Sassaflash . . . " She turned her head to shoot an icy glare over her shoulder. " . . . and I'm Caramel's girlfriend, too."
Caramel laughed nervously as Carrot Top's eyes widened. "Now, girls, I can explain --- "
"There you are, darling! Right on time!" A pink mare with a yellow mane trotted up to Caramel and nuzzled her face against his neck. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day!"
Caramel bit his tongue to avoid swearing in public. "Lily," he sputtered, "there's something I have to tell you. I'm not the stallion you fell in love with . . . I'm his twin brother . . . "
"Enough with the lies, ya dirty three-timer!" Caramel winced as Carrot Top threw her lily at his face and stormed off. He winced again as Sassaflash followed suit.
Lily looked quizzically at the broken flowers on the ground. "Who were those mares? And what were they talking about, about lies and a dirty . . . "
"I almost forgot!" Caramel quickly pulled a flower out from behind his back. "This is for you! I found it growing in the meadow outside town, and it made me think of you!"
Lily looked at the flower. Then she looked at the two on the ground.
"Get it? I thought of you 'cause it's a lily! For Lily!"
"Have you been cheating on me?"
"What? No! What in Equestria would give you --- ow!" He rubbed his cheek in pain from Lily snatching the lily and slapping him across the face with it. With that, she threw it on the ground with the others and walked away with a flick of her tail.
Caramel sat on the ground and sighed. The way the lilies' stems were snapped and bent in half, they almost resembled horseshoes.
"Lucky horseshoes," he spat while glancing at his cutie mark. "And yet I got anything but lucky today."
Author's Note
You don't think this story is true? Then how do you explain this?
Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, everypony! And remember, Fidelity is Magic! 
