Bookends Part 2: Or Making Dreams Come True

Cheerilee was waking up, she felt she was in Twilight’s comfy bed and not the ‘pull out’ in her attic apartment at the boardinghouse.

She’d read dreams were mostly based on experiences from the previous day. Apparently, she’d clued in on her own comment about living together.

Cheerilee took her dreams seriously, she found out many of them were of some importance. Not quite premonitions but more than just fantasies.

In her dream, she and Twilight were just a little older, married and still very much in love. And there were two foals! They were hers and Twilight’s, not adopted. She didn’t care to try to understand it. But it made her very happy. They were two beautiful fillies. One with Twilight’s purple eyes and her mane and tail with an almost black coat, and another one with Cheerilee’s pink mane and tail with her pale green eyes and a white coat. The joy they both felt over these foals was beyond words.

Cheerilee stretched as she was unfortunately leaving her magnificent dream.

She placed her foreleg out for Twilight. But Twilight wasn’t there.

Cheerilee sat up quickly. Was Twilight getting her back for running out on her yesterday morning? She didn’t want to think Twilight was that petty. She looked around and confirmed she was alone.

“Twi?” she half called, half cried.

“So you’re awake, sleepy-head,” said Twilight’s voice coming up the stairs.

Twilight was levitating a tray of food. She also had a cup of tea, which she levitated to Cheerilee.

Twilight then stopped and looked at Cheerilee.

“Oh my gosh, your face!” said Twilight.

“What’s wrong with my face?” asked Cheerilee, slightly worried and putting her free hoof to her cheek.

“Don’t you know?” asked the purple Unicorn.

“No,” said the teacher.

Twilight walked over;

“It’s the most beautiful face in all the world.” Said Twilight giving her a kiss.

Then she lowered the tray into Cheerilee’s lap.

“You don’t have to wait on me fore and hind hoof,” said Cheerilee.

“Eat before it gets cold,” Twilight said, just ignoring the comment, “I think we should close the library this weekend and perhaps take some time to be together.”

Then with a sly look in her eye she said;

“At least time together not in the bed. We can have that kind of a relationship too, can’t we?”

Cheerilee only nodded her head, her mouth was full of Twilight’s wonderful cooking.

“What do you think of a little trip to Canterlot?” asked Twilight.

Cheerilee swallowed;

“I don’t think I have the bits for the train.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Said Twilight with a smile. “You’ve a marefriend who works for the Crown. I’ve got it handled.

We can stop by your place and pick up anything you might need for an overnight trip. Come to think of it, I don’t think I even know where you live.”

Twilight sat on the bed by her. Cheerilee looked a little embarrassed.

“Don’t be like that,” said Twilight, “if you live there, then it’s a palace.”

Cheerilee just looked at Twilight. She was thinking that things had moved so fast. Just two days ago, the two were almost just passing acquaintances. Now, after deep lovemaking and even deeper talks, it was as if they’d been in love for all their lives. Cheerilee attributed this to they both had in mind what the perfect pony for them would be. And it turned out that it was like they were thinking of the other all along. Almost as if they were in love with each other all their lives, they just didn’t know it.

“Darling,” said Cheerilee with a smile, “I’d love to go to Canterlot with you.”

Twilight and Cheerilee walked the boardinghouse where Cheerilee lived. Not before dropping Spike off with Pinkie Pie. Pinkie loved to have Spike around. And Spike said he didn’t know if he could take a weekend of watching Twilight and Cheerilee being all lovey-dovey! Plus Pinkie let him eat all the goodies he wanted.

The boardinghouse was at the other end of Ponyville. They went into a part of town where Twilight had never been. There was a large three-story house with attic Cheerilee was leading them to. Over the door was a plaque;

Sunflower’s Boardinghouse For Mares

Cheerilee opened the door and motioned Twilight to follow.

They entered a well-furnished common living room. It appeared homey enough. A couple of mares Twilight didn’t recognize were sitting and talking. They looked at Cheerilee and waved, Cheerilee returned the wave, Twilight nodded.

“Cheerilee,” said a plump older mare with a sunflower cutie mark, Twilight was reminded of an older Cup Cake. She was standing in a doorway which appeared to open into the kitchen.

“Good morning Ms Sunflower,” said Cheerilee, sheepishly.

“Good morning Cheerilee,” she answered, “who’s your friend?”

“This is Twilight Sparkle,” said Cheerilee.

“Oh yes,” said the older mare. “Golly, I should’ve recognized her. Eyes getting old, don’t you know. I should’ve figured you’d hang out with such an important pony.”

Twilight blushed at the recognition.

“We’ve missed you at dinner the last couple of nights,” said Sunflower.

“Oh, I’ve been staying at the library, research, you know how it is.”

Cheerilee gave a sideward glance at Twilight and barely shook her head.

“I understand,” said Sunflower, “life of a teacher.”

“Indeed,” said Cheerilee. “By the way, I probably won’t be here for dinner the next two evenings either. Going to be in Canterlot with Twilight.”

“That sounds nice,” said the older pony. “I hate to bring this up, in front of your friend, but the rent is a week over due. I really need to get the one hundred bits soon.”

Cheerilee was afraid of this. She didn’t want Twilight to know just how bad off she was for money.

Cheerilee was about to say something but Twilight spoke first.

“Cheeri,” said Twilight, “remember, you gave me the rent money to hold for you.”

Cheerilee looked stunned, as Twilight levitated a small bag of bits from her saddlebag to the landpony.

“Thank you Cheerilee!” said Sunflower, walking back into the kitchen.

Cheerilee led Twilight up two flights of stairs to the very top. All along the stairs were posted the rules of the house. There was one rule that appeared that on the top of every posting, no matter the content:

No Coltfriends In The Rooms!

Cheerilee’s room was in the attic and was accessed through a trap door. She started up the little stair, Twilight hesitated.

“Am I allowed to go up? The sign said....”

“Twi, I had a really close look last night and I’m pretty sure there wasn’t any evidence of you being a colt,” then whispering, “it said nothing about marefriends.”

Twilight blushed as she followed Cheerilee up the narrow stair. To tell the truth, the view was magnificent. Twilight just wanted to bury her muzzle between Cheerilee’s flanks and...”

“Watch out for the door,” said Cheerilee. “Don’t let it fall on you.”

Twilight entered the room. As Twilight closed the door behind them she turned in time to get a very large kiss.

“Twi, what you did down there.....”

“Don’t mention it.” Said Twilight, “and I do understand the reason you sidestepped our relationship.”

Cheerilee looked away a bit embarrassed.

“I’ll pay you back every bit, Darling.”

Twilight grabbed and kissed Cheerilee intensely.

“There, debt paid,” said Twilight with a smirk.

Cheerilee just blushed;

“May I ask a personal question?”

“We aren’t in bed, but I guess we can make up for it later,” said Twilight.

Cheerilee looked a little timid or intimidated;

“Tell me the truth Sweetheart, are you rich?”

“As long as I’m with you I am.” Said Twilight with a smile.

“Thank you, but that isn’t an answer,” replied Cheerilee.

“No Honey,” said Twilight, “I’m not rich. My parents live in Canterlot. My father has had a government job for years. My mother retired from the Royal Guard and has her pension. My parents live comfortably and are ‘well off’. But I don’t let them support me. I get a generous stipend from the Crown for my position as Celestia’s protégé and for my job in Ponyville. In the past I’ve had almost nothing other than food and a few odds and ends to pay for. The library is a government facility, living there is part of my position as Chief Librarian so I haven’t any rent or utilities. Most of the money has built up in the bank. My father has helped me invest some of it so I could be provided for in the future.

Until now, other than Spike and myself, I didn’t have anything or anypony to spend it on. When I travel it’s either at government expense, that’s when Princess Celestia sends my friends and me on a ‘mission’. Otherwise, I only have to pay half-fare because of government employee discount.

So it’s nice I now have a reason to use some of the bits which have built up. Especially a reason as beautiful as you, My Love.”

Cheerilee just smiled at the complement.

As Cheerilee busied herself with collecting some items, Twilight started to look around at the apartment.

Except for the rose colored Earth Pony, she wasn’t liking what she saw.

There was a small window with no drapes at one end of the room with a couch underneath it. An inadequate steam radiator was against a wall. There was a bookshelf by a small desk covered with papers. A single floor lamp was on the other side of the desk to illuminate the room. The other end of the room stood a wardrobe with a portable fan sitting on top. Except for a small rug, which was to cover the trap door, and a couple diplomas on the walls, there wasn’t any room for anything else. It was a bit cool and stuffy, and Twilight was sure it’d be too warm in the summer.

‘One hundred bits a month for this?’ thought Twilight. ‘My kitchen is bigger.’

“Honey, where do you sleep,” asked Twilight.

“Didn’t you get enough last night? I thought you wanted to catch the early train.” giggled Cheerilee, not really serious. “The couch pulls out to be a bed. It’s comfortable...

Kind of.”

“Honey,” said Twilight, “that talk about us living together? Consider it now had. Even if we weren’t sleeping together, I couldn’t let you live in this over priced cramped space.

Please Darling, I love you and I’ll not be able to sleep at night now knowing you had to live here.”

Cheerilee looked down at the floor, she really didn’t like living here. She was just afraid that Twilight might think her too needy.

She wanted love from Twilight, not pity.

“I don’t want to be anypony’s charity case,” said Cheerilee not looking up.

“How is wanting the pony that I love to be with me, treating you like a charity case,” said Twilight, “we’ll go have fun in Canterlot and then when we get back, we’ll get our friends to help you move into the library.”

“I love you so much, Twilight Sparkle! You said that you don’t deserve me? It’s I that doesn’t deserve you.”

“I don’t think love has anything to do with deserving each other,” said Twilight with a smile, “I just want to live to please you.”

“And I you,” said Cheerilee, “I’ll be glad to move in with you. Just promise me I can help with everything, except maybe the cooking. I don’t want to poison the pony I’ve always dreamed of.

But most importantly, no waiting on me like I’m a princess, deal?”

Twilight kissed Cheerilee deeply.

“Deal,” said Twilight, “now get what you need and we’ll catch that early train.”

About a half-hour later, Twilight and Cheerilee were checking their bags. Cheerilee had told Twilight she didn’t have to get first-class tickets for a ride that was only a couple hours long, but Twilight insisted.

The conductor called out the last warning for boarding, so instead of walking up the platform to the first class coaches, they boarded from the rear so the train could take off. The train lurched forward. Cheerilee was excited about the trip, she’d related the only time she ever got to go to Canterlot was on school fieldtrips.

They made their way forward through the snack car to the coach class cars. All the train staff they passed appeared to recognize Twilight and would greet her. As they were about to enter the last coach class car before their first-class coach, Twilight stopped Cheerilee, she pointed through the window in the door to a couple ahead on one of the forward facing benches.

From the back they could tell it was Applejack and Rarity. They were sitting very, very close. Applejack had a foreleg around Rarity’s shoulders. Then the two turned to each other and kissed a fairly respectable kiss. In profile, it confirmed their identity. After kissing, Rarity leaned her head over onto Applejack’s shoulder and Applejack lay her head lightly against Rarity’s head.

Cheerilee looked at Twilight, both were doing the best not to laugh. Twilight then whispered;

“Follow my lead and laugh when I finish. What ever you do, just keep looking forward and keep on walking.”

They opened the door and Twilight started talking as if they’d been in an animated conversation;

“Then I said, oatmeal? Are you crazy?”

The two ponies walked through the car laughing together. It wasn’t the fake punch line that brought a forced mirth, it was real laughter due to Rarity and Applejack’s reaction. As soon as they heard Twilight’s voice, they sat up straight and separated, so fast Rarity’s horn almost impaled Applejack’s cheek. It did, however, catch AJ’s hat and sent it flying into the next row of benches. Luckily, nopony was sitting there.

Applejack and Rarity just sat there as Twilight and Cheerilee walked past, apparently oblivious to them. They continued through the door into the first-class coach.

“Darling, that was Pinkie’s random line, wasn’t it?” asked Rarity, continuing to look straight ahead.

“I reckon it was,” said Applejack, doing the same.

“They saw us, didn’t they?” asked Rarity.

“It’s a good bet, Sugar Cube.” Replied Applejack.

“Do you think they saw us kiss?” asked the white Unicorn.

“I’d say that’s a fair estimation,” replied Applejack.

They turned to each other and gave a nod of silent consent, got up, Rarity levitated Applejack’s hat to AJ’s head and they went forward to face the music.

As the ‘discovered’ couple went forward, they discreetly as possible, looked into the window of the door to each first-class cabin. They finally found Twilight and Cheerilee, who were of course kissing, and a better job than what Applejack and Rarity had been doing.

Rarity slid open the door quickly, without knocking. It startle the two lovers.

“Twilight Louise Sparkle!” said Rarity in her most authoritative voice. “What do you think you were doing?

Spying on us?”

Twilight was stunned for a moment. She wasn’t aware any of her friends knew her dreaded middle name.

“Louise?” Cheerilee just chuckled at having another bit of info to tease her lover with in the future.

Twilight blushed.

“Why whatever do you mean Darling?” said Twilight, recovering and trying her best to mimic Rarity’s proper voice.

All four ponies burst out laughing.

“Sorry to bother y’all Cheerilee,” said Applejack.

“Don’t be,” said the rose colored Earth Pony. “I’ve hoped Twilight’s friends will be my friends.”

“Count on it Darling,” said Rarity with a warm smile.

“I’m glad you feel that way,” said Twilight, “because Cheeri is going to move in with me when we return.”

“Cheeri is eh?” asked Applejack with a smirk. “I think that’s wonderful. If’n y’all need a hoof, let me know, I can have Big Mac bring a wagon.”

“That’ll be great,” said Twilight. “We’re just going for an overnight excursion. We’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”

“We’re goin’ for some supplies for Rarity’s shop.” Said Applejack, “we’ll be comin’ back on the afternoon train tomorrow.”

“So will we.” Said Twilight, “Perhaps we can talk about it then.”

Rarity and Applejack turned to go back to their seats.

“Before you go,” said Twilight, “and if it’s none of my business just say so. But if I may ask, how long have you and Applejack been ‘dating’?”

Applejack and Rarity paused, looked at each other. Applejack nodded, then they turned around closed the door and sat down across from Twilight and Cheerilee.

“I guess that’d be one way to put it, but not quite accurate. We’ve not really let anypony else know. Dating usually has the connotation of going out together, in public. You two are the first to know and that’s by accident.” said Rarity, then turning to Applejack, “we guessed if it continued, we’d have to come clean sometime. We just didn’t know how we were going to explain it to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle.”

“Or Granny Smith for that matter.” Said Applejack, “it started with that slumber party of yours.”

“You’ve been hiding it for over a year now?” asked Twilight.

“Has it been that long?” asked Applejack to Rarity, then she continued, “you see, once we’d settled down and got to sleep, it felt real nice to be in the bed next to each other.”

“You didn’t...

With me sleeping in the bed across from you?” asked Twilight.

Cheerilee giggled at Twilight’s concern for propriety.

“Elysium no! Unless you’re talking about kissing, how uncouth do you think I am?” Said Rarity looking genuinely shocked, then her countenance softened;

“Anyway, when we woke up, for whatever reason, I’d snuggled up to Applejack and was holding her. She realized what I was doing and turned to look at me. I didn’t expect it, but she kissed me. At first I was shocked, I tried to push her away, but the only thing my forelegs would do was pull her closer. When we stopped, we didn’t know what to do. After we left, we avoided each other for about a week.”

“A week that I didn’t hardly get any sleep in,” said Applejack.

“Nor I,” said Rarity.

“After a week, I was layin’ in my bed, starin’ at the ceiling; as I had every night since we kissed. You can only count the five hundred seventy five designs on the ceiling so many times.

I finally decided I couldn’t take it anymore, my brain hurt thinkin’ ’bout Rarity and kissin’ her. I didn’t even want to admit it to myself, but my heart was hurtin' as well. I wanted so much to be with her, to kiss her again and to make love to her. I never ever had thoughts ’bout makin’ love to a girl before. But all I could see in my mind, when I closed my eyes was Rarity’s beautiful body and me kissin’ every inch of it.

So I decided I’d go to see Rarity and fig’r what we were goin’a do ’bout this. I wanted to see if'n there was anythin’ to what we shared.

I couldn’t avoid her for life and the feelin’ wasn’t goin’ away.” Said Applejack, “so I got out of bed and headed to the door, not even thinkin’ o’ grabbin’ my hat. I headed to Carousel Boutique. By the time I got there, I realized it was well after midnight. I was ’bout to turn around and go home when I noticed the lights were on, all the lights. So I decided to go up and knock on the door.”

Rarity reached her hoof out and placed it on Applejack’s leg, as if to let her finish.

“I’d been wandering around the shop night after night, as if I was looking for something missing.

Something was missing, but I wasn’t quite ready to admit what it was. Whenever I tried to think of what was out of place, all I could think of was Applejack holding and kissing me.

It was so crazy, I never thought of any pony like I was thinking about Applejack. I’d wonder what it’d be like for Applejack to sweep me off my hooves, take me up to my bed and make love to me.

I too have never thought of making love to any mare ever. But something told me inside I wasn’t wanting to make love to a mare, I was wanting to make love to Applejack.

Then came a knock at the door. I almost didn’t answer, no telling what kind of pony would be out at that time of night. Against my better judgement, I opened the door.

My heart skipped a beat; there stood Applejack, without her hat, looking lost and forlorn. It was all I could do not to tackle her right there and kiss her body like I was wanting to do.

She asked if she was bothering me, I invited her in. I closed the door behind her and locked it. When I turned to face her, we both launched ourselves at each other.

After that, let’s just say that it was the second time in just over a week that we’d woke up in bed with each other.”

“And this time,” said Applejack with a smirk, “it was a good thing that you weren’t in the bed across from us.”

Applejack took Rarity’s hoof as they sat there for a moment, just looking into each other’s eyes.

“So let me ask you two a question you asked me Rarity,” said Twilight, “do you love each other?”

Rarity and Applejack just continued to look at each other. They were wide-eyed and silent. Rarity then turned to Twilight.

“You know, I don’t ever think we’ve ever talked about it. But I guess to have gone through all the subterfuge and clandestine meetings and weekends away to Canterlot or wherever. I guess there really has to be something more there than just lust,” said Rarity.

Then turning to Applejack with a small tear in her eye;

“I’m so sorry I haven’t said it sooner Darling, but I do love you.”

“I’ve known all along, Sugar Cube. You’ve not had to tell me. But I didn’t wan’a force it from you either. But I do love you too, my beautiful, beautiful pony,” said Applejack.

None of the other three ponies had ever heard Applejack talk like that.

Applejack and Rarity kissed for the first time (knowingly) in front of their friends.

“It probably doesn’t really matter, but Twilight and I’ve talked and I think she’s still on the fence. You’d think such an organized mare could make a commitment.” Cheerilee said and then asked delicately, “so please don’t take this wrong but do you consider yourselves to be mare-lovers?”

“I can now say I love a mare,” said Rarity, “I’m not sure if that makes me a mare-lover.”

“Or me,” said Applejack, “are you?”

“I’ve always known I was,” said Cheerilee, “I only ask because I was forced to hide it all my life. I was made to feel that a mare loving a mare was sick and demented. You know how you tend to believe what your parents tell you.

But Twi has freed me to be the real me. So I now have no problem with admitting it openly.”

The other three ponies looked at Twilight questioningly.

“I know I love a mare-lover, and have been making love to a mare-lover,” said Twilight blushing, “so until I discover different, I’m okay to say that I’m a mare-lover.”

“See Sweetheart,” said Cheerilee, “that wasn’t that hard now was it?”

They all laughed, exchanged hugs then Rarity and Applejack departed back to their seats, not before agreeing to meet on the train platform after they’d collected their bags.

“I love you my shy little mare-lover,” said Cheerilee as she continued kissing like before they were interrupted.

Twilight didn’t say anything, she was taught not to talk with her mouth full. Right now it was full of Cheerilee’s tongue.