Bookends Part 2: Or Making Dreams Come True

The trip to Ponyville went by quick with the conversation and company. Despite officially being secretive about their relationship, Applejack and Rarity were very affectionate and touchy. Twilight was delighted to see two of her very best friends so happy.

At the station in Ponyville, Applejack told Cheerilee she’d have Big Mac with a wagon to Cheerilee’s boardinghouse within an hour. Applejack and Rarity promised to help with the move. Cheerilee told them the move wouldn’t be hard, owing to not having a lot of personal items aside from books and a couple of old dresses she had hung on to for special occasions.

Hearing this, Rarity promised to remedy that, no friend of hers would be lacking nice clothes. They exchanged friendly hugs and kisses to the cheeks then went their ways.

Big Mac, Applejack and Rarity came to help move Cheerilee. Ms Sunflower was sad to see Cheerilee go (and the one hundred bits a month that went with her, especially because she had to prorate a refund of unused rent money), but she was genuinely happy for her when she found out the reason for the move.

The move was exactly like Cheerilee said. Her things didn’t even half fill the wagon. After Big Mac had taken all of Cheerilee’s things to Twilight’s room, Cheerilee took Big Mac aside and had some quiet words with him. The only thing that the others heard was Cheerilee asking;

“Don’t you think you might enjoy that?”

“Eeyup!” was Big Mac’s reply.

As Big Mac left, everypony could tell he was in a hurry and quite happy.

“What was that about, Sugar Cube?” asked Applejack.

“I was paying Big Mac for helping” said Cheerilee. “It’s something that Twi had told me, and I knew that Big Mac would like to know there’s a pony who wanted him to ask her out to the upcoming Barn Dance. A pony he’d told me in the past he was sweet on as well.”

Rarity, being the romantic she was, smiled. She so loved to hear of ponies being happy when it came to affairs of the heart.

“Who’s that Darling?” asked the white Unicorn.

Cheerilee looked at Twilight, who nodded to say it was okay to say.

“Let’s just say, Rainbow Dash might be visiting you for a new dress for the Apple’s Barn Dance.”

Rarity giggled with the news. She so wanted Rainbow Dash to be happy. Her friend was happy for the most part, but she believed most stallions were intimidated by her forward and tomcolt personality. She also knew a lot of ponies thought her to be a mare-lover.

But through heart to heart talks, Rarity knew Rainbow was all mare underneath. And one who was missing something in her life.

Twilight had arranged for Big Mac to come out to modify the store room for Spike. Twilight’s old bed was moved out and a slightly larger bed had been delivered and set up while they were away. It was amazing what you could accomplish by sending messages through Spike. And the new arrangements made Cheerilee so very happy.

There were thanks all around and everypony left to let Twilight and Cheerilee settle in.

When it was quiet, Spike said he was tired (he is a baby dragon after all) and he couldn’t wait to sleep in his own new room.

As Spike disappeared up the stairs, Twilight and Cheerilee went into the kitchen and made some tea. They both were thinking how much and how fast things had changed just a few days ago when last they sat at this table sharing tea.

Twilight looked into Cheerilee’s eyes;

“Welcome home My Love!”

Cheerilee took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“I’m still in a shock.” Said the teacher, “so much has happened in just four days. It’s like all my dreams have come true!”

Twilight reached across the table and took Cheerilee’s hoof.

“I know what you mean,” said Twilight, “that snowy night saw me, a lonely pony who thought happiness and meaning could come from books. Then a chance of the weather (and remind me to thank Rainbow Dash), threw two lonely souls together. Two souls who were made perfect for each other.

I thank Celestia or whatever power that guides ponies for the greatest gift of my life. All my dreams have come true as well.”

Cheerilee and Twilight gazed into each other’s eyes, just holding hooves. They were quiet, listening to the silence and the beat of their hearts, as if in perfect synchronization.

They leaned in across the table, exchanged a small kiss and then still close Cheerilee said;

“Twi?”

“Yes Cheeri.”

There was a quiet pause. Cheerilee looked deeper into Twilight’s eyes. She moved closer.

“We need to turn in,” said Cheerilee with a smirk seeing the look on Twilight’s face as she was taken off guard, “I have school in the morning and you have to work.

Oh, and Twi?”

“Yes My Love.”

“Don’t freak out in the morning when I have to go to school.”

The two ponies laughed and went together up stairs.

After a quick shower together, they made ready for bed.

When they climbed into the new bed, they both noticed the increased size. But they chose to lay together just touching and putting a foreleg around the other. They were tired from a busy weekend, and they knew they now had all the time in the world for sex. But it was just as nice to lay next to each other.

“Good night Cheeri. Again, welcome home.”

“Good night Twi. And it’s home because you’re with me.”

They shared a respectable kiss. Then looking in each other’s eyes, Twilight’s horn glowed and the lights went out, the fireplace ignited and the two lovers fell asleep in each other’s forelegs.

Applejack and Rarity decided the first step in letting everypony know about their relationship was to have Rarity spend the night at Sweet Apple Acres.

The Apples were used to visitors, so when Applejack told the family she’d invited Rarity to dinner, it was no problem. Being that Granny Smith always made plenty, there was no concern of somepony going a bit hungry.

Later, all appeared normal as Rarity and Applejack sat in the living room talking with Granny Smith, Big Mac and Apple Bloom.

The other ponies noticed it was getting late and Rarity had said nothing about having to leave.

They also noticed that Big Mac was in a very good mood.

“Rarity, do you want Big Mac to walk you home?” asked Granny, “it’s kind’a late and dark outside.”

“No thank you Granny,” said Rarity with a smile, “that won’t be necessary.”

“So sis,” said Apple Bloom, “do you need me to make up the bed in the guest room for Rarity?”

“That won’t be necessary either Sugar Cube,” said Applejack with an equal smile.

Rarity and Applejack were sitting noticeably close to each other. They looked at each other and nodded and smiled.

There were looks of amusement from the adults and a look of confusion from Apple Bloom as Applejack reached over and held Rarity’s hoof.

“Listen y’all,” said Applejack, “We have a confession. We’ve been secretly seein’ each other for over a year now. Twilight and Cheerilee helped us to realize we’re really in love with each other and we shouldn’t try to hide it.”

As if to give weight to her statement, Applejack and Rarity kissed for the first time in front of family. It wasn’t rushed as they found joy in being able to express their love publicly.

Granny Smith just smiled, showing no concern for her granddaughter loving another mare.

“First, Miss Cheerilee and Twilight Sparkle kissin’! And now Rarity and my big sis are kissin’!” said Apple Bloom, as she watched in shock. “I guess I should go see Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tomorrow and see who wants to start kissin’!”

“I think you should wait on that,” said Granny Smith with a wink.

Then from up stairs there was heard a voice;

“AJ and Rarity are doing what?”

Rainbow Dash came gliding down the stairs. There were shocked looks all around. Rainbow was able to catch the end of the kiss.

“Awesome!” said the blue Pegasus.

After breaking the kiss, AJ looked in shock at Rainbow on the stair.

“And what in tarnation are you doin’ up stairs?” asked Applejack.

“Uh, I was waiting on Big Mac, so... So we could talk about the Barn Dance!” said Rainbow Dash, realizing too late, she was caught.

“Big brother?” asked Apple Bloom, by now beyond confused.

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac.

“Maybe I should go upstairs and see if’n there any ponies hidin’ under Apple Bloom’s bed!” said Granny Smith.

All the ponies started laughing.

Applejack and Rarity felt at ease being in public together, a lot more than they’d thought they could. It appeared most ponies were happy for the two and very little resistance was ever expressed.

To be a little more respectful to the ponies in the home at Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack moved in with Rarity at Carousel Boutique. It was starting to get crowded in the ‘Big House’ because Rainbow Dash was spending a lot of time with Big Mac, over nights included.

No pony had ever seen Rainbow Dash so happy. She’d stopped trying to act cool and was actually seen in public showing affection to Big Mac and even kissing. She’d stopped wearing her mane in the wind blown style and started to have it more practical, gathered almost like Applejack.

The only pony who was confused by this turn of events was Scootaloo. Rainbow had Scootaloo over to Sweet Apple Acres to talk about what was cool and what was real. She finally convinced the little filly having a pony to love was much cooler that being artificial and hiding your feelings.

Rainbow remained Scootaloo’s hero and she even started to tune down her own tomcolt ways. Her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders almost fainted when Scootaloo showed up at school one day with her mane in a ponytail and wearing a dress.

It was a few months later…

The Annual Apple’s Barn Dance was to Ponyville what The Grand Galloping Gala is to Canterlot. Not as stuffy and snooty, but the social event of the year.

It was the first event the three new couples made their public debut.

The big surprise was Fluttershy was there with a stallion. She was very cozy with him and he appeared to be fawning on her as well.

He was a multi colored Pegasus with a cutie mark of eight arrows radiating from a central point. His was named Loki. Twilight recognized the name from an obscure ancient mythology. Loki was a god of chaos and discord.

Fluttershy had made a big impression on Discord, but it appeared Discord had made a big impression on Fluttershy.

Twilight didn’t say anything to anypony about her suspicion, she figured why fix it if it wasn’t broken.

But as Twilight and Cheerilee was dancing near Fluttershy and ‘Loki’ he did smile at her and gave her a knowing wink.

The talk of the dance was Big Mac and his fiancée Rainbow Dash, Ponies who knew Rainbow from her ‘wild and wooly’ days could hardly recognize her, wearing a dress which was perfect on the farm and her mane back in a ponytail, she was just a simple farm mare. Her beau, Big Mac was more outgoing than anypony had seen before. The couple appeared to meet in the middle as far as temperament went. And both were happy with that.

Applejack and Rarity were dressed in matching dresses. They were a little fancier than what Applejack liked and a little plainer than what Rarity was accustom to, but the rural chic was her new style, now that she was with the Apples.

It was fun getting Applejack to put on makeup. Rarity almost fell over when she discovered Applejack had a drawer in her room with all the necessary makeup. Applejack had to admit in the past, she’d put on makeup just to see what she’d look like if she were a pony like Rarity.

Twilight and Cheerilee were happy to just be in nice dresses. Nothing too fancy, they were more concerned with being together.

Twilight didn’t consider herself to be a very good dancer, she did okay at one of Pinkie’s parties. But Cheerilee loved dancing, and she was determined to get Twilight to shed the rest of her reclusive ways. She loved Twilight so much, but she wanted Twilight to loosen up and have fun.

Twilight loved Cheerilee and often told her that there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for her.

Unfortunately…

Twilight would soon be forced to prove it.