"Day ! Day ! Sunlight ! It’s daytime ! It’s daaaaaay !" King Boo exclaimed ; he was lost high in the clouds – far above any pegasus construction – observing the sun timidly poking some of its rays ; Celestia was seemingly late and not very motivated to raise it.

Luna was speeding through the halls of her castle, worried that her sister was having trouble to manipulate the bright, warm star. She finally reached the place where her sister accomplished her duty ; Celestia was here, like every day since the construction of the royal castle. However, she was not alone ; Luna rubbed her eyes in disbelief ; on the balcony, visibly reinforced by magic, Bowser was nuzzling and kissing her sister as she was trying to concentrate to raise the sun under her giggles ; Bowser finally relented and Celestia succeeded.

"You shouldn’t do this when I am doing my duty", the Princess of Sun falsely reprimanded the Koopa King.

"Didn’t you have enough last night ?" She added in another giggle.

"Maybe not", he replied as he managed to catch her ; they retreated to the bedroom.

Luna judged she had seen enough, or that she was dreaming, or rather having immersed herself into a kind of twisted fantasy. As she was going back to her bedroom to sleep some more before the celebration, she suddenly found herself almost face-to-face with a giant blue tongue, four fangs, two pink dots, a ruby crown and a round white body.

"You’re Princess Luna ? I think Bowser told you about me ! I’m King Boo ! King Boo ! Nice to meet you !"

Luna finally decided she really had plunged herself into the most bizarre fantasy dream she had ever conceived.

Twilight and Starlight woke up as the sun had already started its course hours ago.

"Twilight ? I hope you’re alo…" Spike greeted as he walked inside her bedroom ; his eyes fell on the two entwined mares on the bed.

"Nope you’re not !" He exclaimed before quickly closing the door.

"Wait Spike !" Twilight exclaimed. "Can you… can you cook us some breakfast ? We’ll be there in a few minutes. Thanks !"

When the two lovers came down in the dining room, Spike had already installed everything on the table ; silverware, plates, pancakes, coffee and juice.

"Thanks Spike", they said.

The little dragon removed his apron and ate with them.

"I think we’re late", he pointed out before biting in a pancake.

"Bowser will come to teleport us before lunch, don’t worry. Our dresses are ready, at least mine and Starlight’s, and I think our friends have taken great care of them ; Rarity was so happy to make them after all", Twilight replied.

"You’re not like yourself these days ; I thought you were gonna… I dunno… freak out", her assistant shuddered.

"I must say that after all these crazy adventures… I put things into perspective like Rainbow Dash said", Twilight quoted. "Besides that, finding love pretty much… calms you down".

"I don’t know what you’re talking about", Spike replied, shrugging.

Rainbow Dash suddenly entered the room, her dress carefully put in a bag.

"Hello everypony ! Did you sleep well ?" She asked before landing on a chair.

"We… huh… Yes…" A blushing Starlight spluttered.

Rainbow Dash looked at Starlight and Twilight, both red ; she chuckled.

"Don’t bother me with the details, I don’t wanna know", she laughed.

"What… what about the race with King Boo ? Did you win ?" Twilight asked, changing subject.

The pegasus suddenly frowned.

"I lost", she grumbled.

"What !?" The other three exclaimed in disbelief.

"But you’re the fastest flyer in Equestria !" Starlight countered.

"How can somepo… someone beat you at flying !? I’d understand if you were running, but you flew, right ? Did King Boo teleport to automatically win ?" Twilight interrogated.

"No. I lost in a fair race", Rainbow Dash replied with an intensified frown.

"How fast is that ghost ?" Spike interrogated himself.

"Faster than anypony… no, anything I know", Rainbow Dash answered. "Faster than sound, faster than a lightning bolt, faster than light, I just don’t know ! He’s so fast he lost me right at the start ! It was like he disappeared ; he even left an afterimage !"

"I said it was fair, but when I caught up to him in front of my house, he said he was automatically cheating because he’s a ghost. Y’know, weightless and passing through things... Still, I lost, even though he said I was truly fast. But against someone who beats Death, what chance I had ?"

"What !?" Twilight exclaimed, almost spitting out her coffee.

"King Boo told me he was beating Death at racing, and there was no one faster than him in the Land of the Dead. Oh, and that outrunning Death for me would mean I’d be immortal…" Rainbow Dash explained. "He also said that in an obstacle course, without his intangibility, he would’ve lost, because he’s bigger than me. He wants to try someday".

"And what did you say ?" Spike asked.

"Challenge accepted ! I’ll beat him in an obstacle course", Rainbow Dash asserted, full of confidence once again.

"I must write a book about ghosts, death and afterlife !" Twilight morbidly decided with a cheerful voice ; everyone rolled their eyes.

Fluttershy was the next to arrive, then Applejack, then Pinkie Pie and then Rarity ; they all came with their dresses, and Twilight and Starlight went on to get their own.

Bowser appeared slightly later than expected, half an hour before lunch time.

"Is everyone ready ?" He asked. "By the way, we invited Princess Cadance, her husband, her daughter, that insectoid pony ruler of a kingdom and his brother, the dragon princess, the old ones, some yaks and your wizard friend early this morning", he added, looking at Starlight as he named the last one.

"When will they come ?" Twilight asked excitedly.

"I’ll bring them to the castle just after you ; after that, I’ll go to the Mushroom Kingdom, or rather the other lifeless universes where I colonized some planets, to bring some Koopas and Paratroopas to help repair the damage I caused. Less than fifty ; don’t worry, I warned everyone", Bowser answered.

"But you’ll never have the time, darling !" Rarity argued.

"Five minutes", the King of the Koopas shrugged.

"Forget what I just said", the fashion designer replied.

"We’re ready !" Pinkie Pie exclaimed.

Bowser teleported them to the castle ; he then teleported again to reappear with the residents of the Crystal Empire, the Pillars of Old Equestria, Thorax and Pharynx, Princess Ember and Prince Rutherford along some changelings, dragons and yaks. He then teleported again to bring some of his troops to help with the rebuilding. The ponies greeted everyone and Twilight asked Celestia and Luna about the progress of the preparations of the celebration ; everyone was actually still worried about the very short time to plan such an event and they envisaged to move it up to a few days despite everyone being here, but Bowser’s limitless teleportation powers and inexhaustible stamina had speeded up everything by a factor of hundred ; he had helped Luna through the second half of the night. Celestia and Luna reassured Twilight ; everything was ready : the invitations for the closest guests were sent, Luna and Bowser had personally invited the others, which the Koopa had already teleported to Canterlot, the decorations were set, the meals ready and everyone dressed.

"There are not so much inhabitants in Equestria in comparison to the Mushroom Kingdom, that’s why we can plan an event of this importance so quickly", Celestia explained to her guests.

"In our world, it would’ve taken months, like the celebration…" Mario groaned.

"In ours too", Zelda added, "even though Hyrule is smaller than the Mushroom Kingdom".

The residents of the Crystal Empire, the Pillars, Thorax, Ember and Rutherford approached the guests ; sensing their similar powers, Cadance and Peach instantly liked each other, as their respective daughters ; everyone smiled when they saw the two babies perfectly getting along : their love was flooding the castle.

When Bowser reappeared minutes later, dozens of creatures materialized with him. Fluttershy instantly found them cute : they were yellow bipedal turtles that looked like Bowser, except with a big round snout ending in a beak pointing downwards, huge kind eyes, no hair, no horns and no spikes on their bright green shell ; they were also wearing shoes matching the color of their shell ; the ponies noticed red-shelled turtles, with red shoes and white wings, not unlike those of the pegasi, sprouting from their shell. All were the size of Mario.

"Here are some of my troops and subjects, the Koopas and Paratroopas : they’ll help rebuild the destruction I caused ; they’re the most fitted for that task", Bowser explained.

"The most fitted ?" Twilight interrogated.

"Yes. I have thousands and thousands of other troops, but they’re not really useful to repair ; warfare’s their specialty. And some just don’t have arms".

Bowser turned to his troops.

"I’ll teleport you to the gates and you’ll repair them as fast as you can with the magic powder Kamek gave you. Understood ?"

The turtles saluted their commander and he teleported them away.

"So, you’re their king too ?" Starlight interrogated.

"Yes, I was born within them and became their king under Kamek’s tutelage ; many of them aren’t part of my army though : they live peaceful lives in the Mushroom Kingdom or somewhere else. I’m also the leader of other races, like Goombas, Boos, Maskasses, Chomps, Piranha plants, Thwomps and Whomps and countless more. I’ve got enough armies to bring down entire planets and without taking into account weaponry, but against what’s coming, I don’t believe it’ll be sufficient…"

"And when you were evil… with these armies, you didn’t take control of the Mushroom Kingdom !?" Twilight exclaimed.

"We were far less, far less powerful and far less organized at the time", Bowser replied. "Besides, the Mushroom Kingdom has its own army. Toads may seem pretty weak, but they actually have a lot of strength and their caps can exude dangerous spores. There are also other troops to make up for their clumsiness and a national guard… Peach can tell you more about it".

An hour later, after Celestia had summoned an uneasy Discord to speed up things even more, the celebration started : the guests and the princesses gathered at the royal garden filled with ponies. When the inhabitants from other worlds appeared, the residents of Equestria stared at them in disbelief ; a crushing silence fell on the crowd.

"Residents of Equestria ! Today is a day our world will eternally remember ! We, rulers of Equestria, are immensely proud to present you our new friends, residents and royalty of three other worlds ! Let me introduce you Princess Peach Toadstool, ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario, her husband, Arancia, her daughter and Luigi, her step-brother".

The four residents of the Mushroom stepped up, with Arancia in her mother’s arms ; the latter spoke :

"I am enchanted and honored to meet the people of Equestria, the kindest and most beautiful world I have ever seen ; I feel obligated to say the same about its residents, the most peaceful beings in every universe. I am looking forward to forge eternal bonds of trust, love and friendship between our respective worlds, and from now on, as the first foundation of these bonds, with the approbation of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I shall declare the officialization of the free-trade treaty between Equestria and the Mushroom Kingdom ! Every citizen from Equestria is free to go or move to the Mushroom Kingdom, once the pathway will be made safe in both worlds. Reciprocally, citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom can go and move in Equestria. We hope this first step will also encourage cultural exchanges of great magnitude between our civilizations, all the while without losing our differences".

"I’d like to point out again that the paths to reach the portals between our worlds are still dangerous, so it’s best to wait a few weeks before taking them", Mario added.

"Our kingdoms have so much to share, I am really thrilled to work hoof in hand with you !" Peach concluded as Arancia cooed with pleasure from seeing so many ponies.

"I now present you Princess Daisy, ruler of Sarasaland !" Celestia announced.

Daisy step up and looked at the ponies.

"I’m so much pleased to discover your world ! Really, it’s an eye-candy ! As Peach said, you’re the kindest folks I’ve ever known ! Y’all are of course welcome in my kingdom, it’s not far away from the Mushroom Kingdom… well, maybe a little. I don’t know if my subjects will come often, but I’ll personally visit ya every month or more ! I mean, you’re just so sweet and cute ! For the political stuff, I’ll leave that to my counselors and other lazy officials. Hope we’ll be great friends and… that’s all. Peach pretty much told everythin’. Thanks for your attention by the way !"

The crowd stared at the tomboyish princess with puzzled looks before she came back to her place.

"That’s one Applejack-ish princess", Sweetie Belle told Scootaloo.

"I was gonna say Rainbow-ish", her friend replied.

"Look, it’s the folks with wisdom and courage !" Apple Bloom exclaimed excitedly as Zelda and Link were making their entrance.

"Sweetie Belle, are you… blushing ?" Scootaloo asked to Rarity’s sister.

"No-Not at all ! It’s just… the… the heat !" Her friend spluttered, in spite of the weather being perfectly bearable.

"Somepony has a crush it seems", Apple Bloom teased. "Is it Link ? Or Princess Zelda ?"

"Not Princess Zelda ! I’m not-I-I-I don’t… swing that way… I-I-I think. And it’s not… Li-Link either ! It-it’s the heat !" The filly insisted ; she blushed harder when she mentioned the Hylian knight.

"C’mon Sweetie Belle ! You can’t even say his name without getting all sappy…" Scootaloo sighed.

Sweetie Belle mumbled something incomprehensible.

"What did you say ?" Apple Bloom asked.

"He’s cute, okay !?" Rarity’s sister admitted angrily. "I FIND HIM CUTE !"

While the guests were too far away to hear her, except for Anita, Bowser and King Boo who had an excellent hearing, the nearby crowd stared at her with a general confused stare. Sweetie Belle immediately turned red with embarrassment and covered herself with her hooves.

"You-you didn’t have to scream it", Scootaloo whispered, embarrassed.

Her friend simply stayed hidden behind her hooves while Zelda finished her speech, explaining that all the ponies were welcome to Hyrule, and Hylians to Equestria, but that her world had tighter security measures than the Mushroom Kingdom because of devastating past actions from many foes.

When Anita spoke after being announced, Luna came beside her and Link touched her with his hand to give her courage ; the crowd was still shocked by the sadness she irradiated.

"I-I’m… I wasn’t an important person back in my late universe, and I don’t intend to change that in Equestria that I chose as my new home. I-I… sincerely hope to not disturb anyone by moving here and if that’s the case, then I sincerely apologize. I fell in love with your world at first sight, and, while it’s very different from Galania, it… it really feels like home", she spluttered before letting two tears fall from her eyes.

"I was an actress back there and, while I don’t know if I can be one here, three ponies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders, promised to help me find a way to discover my destiny, here in Equestria. I… I would like to thank them again for their kindness and generosity".

The crowd once again turned to the fillies, this time with proud looks and smiles.

"I’d also like to express my sincerest thanks to Princess Luna, who helped me to fight my sorrow. I think, from the bottom of my heart, that your world filled with friendship, love and beauty, and the kindness that emanates from each one of you will heal the wounds caused by that tragedy".

Most of the ponies were shedding tears from hearing the demise of Anita’s world ; even the Cutie Mark Crusaders which already knew the story.

Finally, when Bowser and King Boo stepped up, the residents of Equestria almost fled the scene ; however, Celestia’s words slightly calmed them down ; they looked at the two monsters with terrified eyes.

"I… huh… I’m not really good at this kind of stuff despite being a king too, so I’ll start by apologizing to all of you, to all of Equestria. There are no words to express my regrets from attacking your world. Years ago, I was on the… bad side of the fence and with what I’ve done, I can’t do anything to prove that I changed, that I’m not evil anymore. I just wanted you to know that it’s perfectly fine if you never forgive me. I have no right to even beg your pardon from the despicable act I committed, but on the other side, I feel obligated to do it", Bowser said before kneeling in front of the crowd.

Celestia came near him and he stood up.

"I caused destruction and fear and I’ll pay for it. If your house was damaged even in the slightest, my troops will come to repair it and I’ll personally repay you with anything you want. If it was destroyed, my soldiers will build you a new one with any specifications you might ask for. I was thinking of something to repay the land as a whole, but Princess Celestia refused. If you consider it necessary however, I’d comply without hesitation".

"Don’t worry about this", Celestia reassured ; she then addressed the crowd :

"I shall take this occasion to officially announce our relationship. During my… ponynaping, Bowser and I fell in love. I cannot hide it from you my subjects, as it is the point where privacy overlaps politics, and I don’t want this new to be leaked somewhere without my consent. This relationship will surely lead to marriage in the years or even months to come".

While the crowd did not faint, it was on the verge to ; a deafening silence fell on the assembly.

As they were still petrified in silence, an uncontrollable shivering broke the immobility of the ponies : the air had become suddenly far colder in spite of the absence of clouds and a perfect weather designed by the pegasi ; King Boo’s high-pitched voice resonated in the garden.

"Hello, living part of Equestria ! I’m reallyyyyyyy glad to meet you ! I love your cute little world, and its dead counterpart is just as cute ! I hope you’ll welcome my Boo buddies, they’ll come soon ! Soon ! Very soon ! Don’t worry, they won’t prank you… most of the time !"

"Just kidding ! If we Boos can help you to communicate with the dead, we’d be glad to do so ! Just ask us, don’t be afraid ! If you have troublesome ghosts or other creatures you want to get rid of, we can also help you ! I hope we’ll be friends for eternity, here and in the Land of the Dead, when all of you will become souls !"

His speech was received by a dead silence, but almost everyone heard Apple Bloom shouting :

"He’s my favorite ghost ever !"

Twilight finally made the final announcement :

"As the Princess of Friendship, I am deeply honored and amazed to have made such wonderful new friends, proving once again that the Magic of Friendship knows no limits of space, time, cultures and species. As for conclusion, I’d like to add that our guests are open to all questions ; everypony is free to rejoin us in the castle where we’ll have lunch. A celebration will also be held tonight ; we’re counting on your presence to make this ceremony unforgettable !"

"Lastly, starting from now, this day will be regarded as the Day of Universal Friendship. A similar ceremony will be held next year and so forth. Have a nice Day of Universal Friendship everypony !" Celestia concluded as the crowd cheered.

The evening ceremony had already started an hour ago ; everyone was talking or dancing, often picking hors-d’oeuvres from the tables. All the ponies had accepted the guests and most of them were discussing with Peach, Zelda, Daisy, Anita, Link, Mario, Luigi and even Bowser.

Apple Bloom was absently chewing a slice of roasted apple, more or less inadvertently hidden behind the table cloth when King Boo materialized next to the table, startling her.

"Hey, you ! You seem down ! Down ! Everyone’s happy and all, but you’re like a lost soul ; and I know a lot about lost souls ! Is something upsetting you ?" The Boo interrogated with a quieter voice than usual.

"Ah… Ah don’t know. I was so excited ‘bout all this party, and I was so happy all day, but now… I’m all gloomy…" Apple Bloom replied sadly.

"Are you missing your parents again ?" The ghost asked bluntly.

"No, because you helped my sis’ and I so much with ‘em, and now I’m so happy when I think of ‘em. I… just don’t know what’s happenin’. Scoots and Sweetie are talkin’ with Bowser and I’m here alone… Nopony notices me, and that’s good actually…"

"Tell me, tell me ! You’re thinking of someone, don’t you ? Hey, I’m not Peach, but I can sense souls and their emotions ! So I can sense your soul’s indecision and… hey, what’s that ? It’s… It’s loooove ! Since I frequent Peach and other beings full of love, I can’t mistake it ! You’re in love, that’s so cuuuuuute !"

"What !? No ! That’s impossible ! I was thinkin’ of nopony ! I’m just sad, that’s all !"

"Maybe, maybe. I’m not an expert, I don’t feel love myself, but as I said, I know every fluctuation in the souls, and that’s clearly love ; I see your soul pulsating with it, that color doesn’t lie ! Doesn’t lie ! Talk to Peach or your other princess what’s-her-name, one of them will help you for sure ! For sure ! You trusted me when I said you would talk to your parents, you can trust me here too !"

After half a minute of pondering, Apple Bloom took her decision ; she thanked King Boo and headed towards Peach who was slowly drinking a flute of champagne ; she had just finished talking to Mistmane.

"Excuse me Princess Peach, I wanna talk to ya ‘bout somethin’. King Boo said I should talk to ya, because ya know lots of things ‘bout love".

Peach crouched to be at the filly’s level.

"Mayhaps you want to talk about this in a more quiet place ?" The princess replied.

Apple Bloom nodded and they left the room to go in the garden ; surprisingly, there was no one outside ; the two girls sit on a bench half-hidden behind a bush.

"What is the matter, my young friend ?" Peach interrogated.

"I’m so gloomy since an hour… Everythin’ was fine today, I swear, but Ah don’t know, I felt down all of sudden. I talked to King Boo and he said he sensed love in my soul ! But I don’t love anypony !"

"King Boo is right. His ability to see and sense souls is much more potent than mine or Princess Zelda’s ; sometimes, rarely of course, I really envy him. But he is not quite as good as me to determine who you love".

"Ya know who it is !? Please tell me !"

"I want you to know that I am responsible for this first, and I deeply regret it. I apologize to you, Apple Bloom. Without my presence, your feelings would have stayed low".

"But… look at what you’ve done ! Everypony’s happier than ever thanks to ya ! Twilight, Starlight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Spike, Princess Celestia, Bowser ! My sis’ even told me she had a crush on Countess Coloratura and Pinkie Pie on Gilda !"

"Let me tell you something ; sometimes I doubt it is for the better for everyone to express their true love… But I am immediately reminded that love never destroys. Of course you can and will argue with your lover, sometimes Mario just makes me crazy, but all these little fights serve a purpose ; even if we are soulmates, we are still different souls, so we cannot agree on everything. Some say we are flawed, but I do not think it is the case : we sometimes must evacuate tensions ; can a sea truly be called a sea without any waves ? Oh ! I am so sorry, I digressed so much ! I will tell you for who your feelings are for, of course !"

"Ah don’t mind Princess Peach. I’ve just learned a few things !"

"I sense your feelings divided equally between two ponies ; it is a very rare situation. One of them, someone close to you but not a friend, is not here, but I sense a faint echo coming from the East. As for the other one, I sense your love resonating with hers here ; she just realized, unconsciously, what she was feeling about you : your souls are responding to each other. She is coming here ; do not worry, everything will be fine", Peach reassured before standing up.

Before she went back into the castle, she winked at Apple Bloom.

"Do not be afraid, the situation is not as complex as it seems. You can count on me to help you. For the moment however, I will not let anyone disturb you", she added before going to talk with Bowser and Sweetie Belle.

Apple Bloom did not turn around when Scootaloo sat beside her.

"What’s the matter Apple Bloom ? You dodged everypony and stayed alone since Princess Luna raised the moon. Sweetie Belle and I wanted to talk to you, but you seemed so… I don’t know… out. And you disappeared until I saw you with Princess Peach. What did you talk about ?"

"Say Scootaloo… Do-do you have a very special somepony ? I mean, do you love somepony ?"

Scootaloo was taken aback by the question, and she stayed confused and silent for some seconds.

"No-No. I… don’t think so. Why ? Is it what you talked about with Princess Peach ?"

"More or less". “Sweet Celestia, why in Equestria I realize she’s so cute just now ?”

"Apple Bloom, you-you’re in love !?"

"I-I dunno. King Boo sensed it and Princess Peach confirmed it. I-I’m not sure of what to do with that actually". “I’m afraid to tell you. I shouldn’t be, you feel the same for me, even if you don’t know it yet”.

"And who do you love ? Please tell me ! I won’t repeat it to anypony, I promise !"

"I-I… can’t say it ‘cause…" “It’s way harder than expected !”

"Because ?"

"‘cause it’s privacy !" “Even my sis’ would’ve told a better lie…”

"Not buying it."

“Find something Apple Bloom ! Peach told you… you also loved… Oh no…” "I… huh… I…" “You’re in a pinch Apple Bloom. Relax. Told her something or she’ll see you’re panicking about everything ! Ponyfeathers, why me !?” "I love huh…"

"Yes ? Lemme guess ! Tender Taps ? Pip Squeak ? Don’t tell me it’s Snips or Snails !"

"No ! It’s just… It’s-it’s not a-a colt. Or a stallion. Or anyone male".

"Oh. I-I-I didn’t know you… you-you huh… swung that way…" Scootaloo spluttered blushingly.

"I didn’t either…" “I must say something before she asks me if it’s her ! She’s gonna guess for sure ! But telling her that I love… Ugh ! What will she… no, what will everypony think !? They’re gonna think I’m sick and twisted and… WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ME !? ME WITH HER ! AND ME WITH SCOOTALOO ! JUST WHY !?”

"Apple Bloom !? Hey, Apple Bloom ! You’re crying !"

Apple Bloom had not realized it ; big salty tears were running down her muzzle before leaving her face and crashing on the ground.

Without thinking, Scootaloo embraced her.

"What’s wrong !? Please tell me ! I-I can’t stand to see you cry ! I-I-I didn’t wanna… I…"

Apple Bloom cut her off :

"I-I… just… can’t. That ain’t… ain’t your fault. And… you-you just can’t understand ! It’s- it’s just so… just so wrong and so… just so… so sick !"

"I promised I won’t tell anypony. Apple Bloom, I’ve never… I’ve never broken a promise ! Tell me… you-you’ll feel better".

"You won’t… You’ll think… you’ll think of me as… as… as the… worst pony to… to ever exist if I tell you ! Peach told me it-it-it would be alright, but… it AIN’T alright !"

Scootaloo plunged her eyes into her friend’s.

"Apple Bloom. We’re best friends. I’d never think of you like you said I would. Never".

"B-But…"

"Tell me".

Apple Bloom surrendered ; she was literally shaking from sadness and shame in her friend’s hooves.

"Scoots… I’m in love with… I’m in love…"

She paused, looked into her friend’s reassuring violet eyes ; Scootaloo appeared in a blur because of her tears.

"I love… I-I-I love… I… love… Babs Seed ! I-I-I love my cousin ! My cousin !"

"Apple…"

"And I love her the-the wrong way ! I… I should love her as-as family ! But I’m so… so twisted I love her as a special somepony ! What’s wrong with me Scoots !?"

Scootaloo took time to answer ; not that she was thinking that her friend indeed had a problem, but she was struggling to find the right words.

"Nothing’s wrong with you Apple Bloom. I mean, I’m not an expert, but… you’re just in love. You’re not a monster for that, and you’ll never be. Babs Seed’s your cousin, sure, but your family’s so vast and…" She paused for some seconds.

"To be honest, I don’t think you can change anything. No matter who you love, I’ll always be your friend, just like Sweetie Belle and everypony else. Nopony’ll look down on you for that".

Apple Bloom noticed the bittersweet tone Scootaloo was using ; it seemed to accentuate on the word “friend”.

"Scoots… you’re just so… you’re just so… !"

Applejack’s sister tearfully hugged her friend.

"I know I’m awesome", Scootaloo joked.

"I-I must… tell you somethin’ else… I-I not only love Babs Seed". “Go Apple Bloom !” "I… huh… Oh, ponyfeathers ! I love ya too Scoots !" “No turning back now”.

Scootaloo froze, her friends still in her arms.

"I’m in love… with you two ! I’m-I’m so sorry ! Please, please forgive me Scootaloo ! Please, say we’ll still be friends ! Say we…"

Apple Bloom broke in tears, wetting Scootaloo’s fur ; the orange pegasus snapped back to reality when she sensed her small wings getting wet ; Applejack’s sister was crying so much she was drenching her whole back with salty trails of sadness. Scootaloo did not know what she was going to say, or even if she had to say something ; she was lost as Apple Bloom, conflicting feelings arising in her. She loved Apple Bloom as a friend until minutes ago : something has stung her heart while she was talking with Sweetie Belle and Bowser ; instinctively, she had come here, in the garden, next to Apple Bloom, like she was gently but firmly drawn by an overwhelming force. She could not dislike what was blossoming in her, but it was scaring her nonetheless. “Even if I love Apple Bloom, I’m not in love with Babs ! Although she’s pretty cute… Sweet Celestia… What can I do !?”

"A-Apple Bloom… I’m… I huh… I… really… really wanna give us a chance but… I’m afraid… What if it… works with you but not Babs ? What if…"

Apple Bloom kissed her mid-sentence ; she did not want to hear the rest of the hypothesis. She just wanted to be with Scootaloo and Babs Seed, no matter what. She loved those two fillies, and she was not going to give up ; she had no choice anyways. She sensed a powerful wave of courage emanating from the castle, filling her with determination.

"I-I just don’t care ! It’ll work because… because it has to ! Be-because we love each other, whether we like it or not ! It’s just that way… and that’s all. Scoots, Ah know Ah can be happy with ya and Babs as my special someponies. And, even if what I say is dumb and selfish, Ah know for sure you’ll be happy too".

Scootaloo stayed silent, still stunned by Apple Bloom’s kiss. “I-I liked it ! If somepony’d told me I’d love Apple Bloom‘s kiss minutes ago, I would’ve called them… something not nice”.

"Apple Bloom you… you sure about that ?"

"I love ya Scoots, I couldn’t be so…"

It was her friend’s turn to interrupt her with a kiss.

"Hey, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom ! I was… WHAT !?" Sweetie Belle screamed when she saw her two friends kissing behind the bush.

The two fillies quickly separated from each other, almost falling off the bench.

"Sweetie Belle ya… huh… ya were searchin’ for us ?" Apple Bloom spluttered.

Rarity’s sister stared at them without seeing them, like she was disconnected from reality. Scootaloo offered her a shy smile.

"Sweetie Belle ? Hey, Sweetie Belle ?"

Author's Note

Last ship. Probably :D