Chapters "Excuse me, excuse me, sorry, the bride's sibs passing by!" Applejack said as she rushed through the crowd with her older brother, accidentally stepping on some hooves as she passed to get to the castle as quickly as possible.
They wanted to arrive in Canterlot 1 day before to be there for their little sister, but several unexpected happenings happened and they only had 1 hour to talk to her before the wedding ceremony started.
"I hope we didn't come too late, Apple Bloom would be so upset with us." Big Mac said breathlessly.
"Nah, I was informed that the ceremony would only start at two." She said, looking around the entrance, which was beautifully decorated with flowers and white ribbons. They'd admire and notice that it was one of the most beautiful wedding decorations their eyes had ever seen, if they weren't so focused on wanting to see Apple Bloom.
The orange pony smiled when she saw one of her best friends talking to one of her apprentices, Yona.
"Rarity, did you see where Apple Bloom is?" She asked.
Rarity turned to one of her best friends and was amazed to see how she was doing, that was certainly not clothes worthy of wearing at a wedding.
"Heavens darling, are you going to dress like that at your own sister's wedding?" She asked astonished, observing Applejack from top to bottom.
"No, the dress is here in the bag, but that doesn't matter now, where's my sister?" She asked.
"In the groom's room." Rarity replied, pointing in the right direction. "But they're obviously separated, they say it's bad luck for the couple to see each other before the wedding."
"Thank you very much!" Applejack thanked her, frantically shaking her hoof. "See you later!"
They ran into one of the castle's towers and when she opened the door, Applejack came across something that made her eyes start to water.
Apple Bloom was admiring herself in the mirror, but when she heard the sound of the door opening, she turned towards it.
Her white dress shone, but not as much as her eyes, she felt that no one was as happy on her special day as she was. Her red mane was braided, adorned with crystals and a white bow.
"Isn't she the most beautiful bride in the world, big brother?" She said, while drying the few tears that welled up in her eyes.
On the other hand, Big Mac burst into tears of emotion when he finally saw Apple Bloom in her wedding dress. The three came together in a short collective hug and she kissed their cheeks.
"So how are ya feeling on your big day?" Applejack asked, as she handed her brother a handkerchief. "Don't forget that if you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to tell us, now we are here for you." Applejack assured her.
"Eeyup!" Big Mac agreed.
"I don't think I need anything thanks. And just I'm a little nervous, but I'm couldn't be more happy!" She replied, with a smile that never left her face.
"I bet the groom is, too. He can consider himself lucky to be about to marry the best lil' sis of all!"
"Actually, I'm the lucky one to be marrying him. It seems like yesterday when our eyes met and we felt something different that we never felt before for each other." Apple Bloom said, looking fondly at one of the photos they took together in a heart-shaped frame over the drawer.
1 year ago...
It was a sunny day in Ponyville, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue with no sign of rain.
Apple Bloom slept soundly, until the sound of the alarm clock started to bother her ears and woke her up, bringing her from dreamland.
She got up, picked up the pillow and repeatedly tapped the clock with it until it stopped beeping.
"Apple Bloom, again?" Scootaloo complained, upon entering the room and seeing the broken alarm clock again.
"Sorry, force of habit!" She babbled, still groggy from sleep and turned to the other side of her body. "Five more minutes and then I'll wake up!"
"What day do you think it's today?" Scootaloo asked ironically.
"Day of school, right?" She replied, lifting her head and then rested it again on the pillow.
"No, today's the school trip for the youngest students and you're the only teacher who will chaperone them!" She explained, which made Apple Bloom's eyes widen and realize that she had confused the dates for the first time in her life in so many years as a teacher.
Scootaloo watched and laughed at his best friend's haste. She couldn't go to school because she was taking care of Sweetie Belle, who woke up on the day before sneezing and with a lot of fever.
The red-haired pony improvised a bun in her hair without her bow , took her purse and was about to leave when she was warned by Sweetie Belle.
"Hey, you forgot your reading glasses!" She screamed, her voice sounding strange because her nostrils were clogged and then sneezed.
"It's fine Belle, I don't need them." Apple Bloom replied.
"Yes you do, you don't want to have any more vision problems, do you?" She said, certain that her best friend had no other choice.
"OK fine!" She snorted, putting on her glasses, and only with them was she allowed to leave the house, after a collective hug between the three.
Last year, Apple Bloom started having trouble reading and had an eye exam, where she was diagnosed with presbyopia, which made her feel older than she already did, despite everyone saying she was still 27.
Arriving at the school, all the students were waiting for her inside. But she was surprised to see Spike there, the last time she asked her older sister for him when they were both shooting the breeze, she was informed that he had made yet another "important royal affairs trip".
It was the first time in several years that she had the chance to notice him and he had changed a lot. A feeling of heat filled her chest and she started to feel lighter than air.
"Oh, he's handsome!" She said to herself mentally, then was astonished and confused by what she had just thought. "Oh my God what am I doing?"
"Always on time, huh?" The dragon said wryly, which made her make a fleeting grimace.
"Don't bother me!" She said bluntly. "After all, what are you doing here? Aren't'cha supposed to be on Canterlot doing some royal bullshit or something?"
Surprised, but at the same time attracted by her audacity, Spike smiled and knelt to match her height. Apple Bloom tried as hard as she could to not demonstrate the effect he had on her.
"Someone's salty today, is that how you talk to the Royal Advisor of Equestria?"
"Ugh I don't give a damn, for me you're still the same stupid dragon as ever!" She said, pressing her hoof to his forehead and shoved his head back.
Upon falling to the ground, the dragon burst out laughing, as did all the little students in the kindergarten part of the School of Friendship.
"Stop laughing!" Apple Bloom snarled. "This is serious!"
"Look who's talking, the most serious pony in the world who pushed me to the ground." He retaliated, making her want to punch him right there, but she stopped herself from being in the workspace.
"Hey, teacher!" He said, pointing back.
"What?" Apple Bloom turned and her eyes widened when she noticed her students all gaping, because she had never shown that kind of behavior... in front of them of course.
"Oh!" She laughed nervously. "So kids, let's start with the roll to see if everyone is here okay?"
"And to answer your question, it's my month off and the princess has allowed me to chaperone the students too. It looks like you're gonna have to put up with me for the entire school trip!" He explained and winked at her.
Apple Bloom brought the clipboard closer to her face, so that no one would notice the growing blush on her cheeks, but she was sure someone had noticed.
"You'll pay for this!" She mumbled between her clenched teeth.
Why did he have to be such a cute idiot?
"So how many wains are we gonna need to go to the museum?" Apple Bloom asked Starlight Glimmer.
"Oh, we'll not need wains, the Museum of Technology and Revolution will generously send a means of transport to take the little ones, one of their many incredible inventions!" She answered.
Apple Bloom was immensely confused, were there other forms of transport than wains and trains?
"What? But what do you mean? What's the name of this thing?"
"Apparently it's ... Bus." Spike said, while reading the museum pamphlet.
Not long after, the bus arrived and everyone was impressed with something that big that could take 20 ponies and 10 dragons could get around.
The students and Spike were very excited, while Apple Bloom would only get on the "bus" if she was 100% sure it was safe. After the driver assured her for the next 10 times, she got on the bus and sat in the front seat.
The driver drove to the museum, which wasn't that far away, but it was a little long way. While the students and Spike were sitting in the backseats and singing road trip songs, Apple Bloom leaned on the window to watch the landscape and became thoughtful.
She could and would deny it to anyone, but she couldn't hide from herself that seeing Spike again aroused feelings she hadn't felt before. She could hear her own heartbeats when he was close and looking him in the eyes caused a feeling that it felt like there was a fire inside every part of her body.
But why only after so many years did it happen? She had known him since she was 8 and despite the teasing and occasional fights, they considered themselves only just good friends.
Apple Bloom had very modern ideas about love, she didn't believe that the first pony she'd fall in love with, would be her only love for all the eternity, after all she has had previous relationships and passions, some shorter, others longer, but non of them worked out.
Somehow she felt so sure that none of her old passions came close to what she started to feel for Spike.
"What? It hasn't been a day since I started feeling this way. It's official Apple Bloom, you went crazy!" She said mentally.
Suddenly, she started to feel something sharp, as if it were the thinnest point of a needle poking lightly over her shoulder.
She casually turned to talk to whoever was trying to get her attention, but when she saw that it was him, she ended up falling on the floor of the vehicle, her face as red as an apple peel.
Spike laughed at her suddenly reaction and reached out to help her up.
"Need some help...?"
"NO!" She screamed, louder than expected. "I mean, no thanks, I got up alone." She explained herself, laughing nervously.
"I wanted to warn you that we're almost there." He said.
"OK thank you." She replied while straightening her glasses.
"Hey, do you think they like each other?" A little hippogriff named Cathy asked her pony friend in a whisper.
"Totally, look at them, they're perfect for each other." Stellar Aura agreed enthusiastically.
"Are you thinking the same thing as me?"
"For sure."
Arriving at the museum, a tour guide was already there waiting and accompanied them to see the things they had and none of them knew there was so many things to see.
"What is this thing?" Cathy asked curiously, pointing to a red thing with numbered buttons.
"This, little hippogriff, is a phone, it's used to communicate with people who are far from you. Soon everyone in Equestria will have one of these!"
After seeing everything on the first floor, the tour guide warned that there was more to see on the second floor.
"Does anyone here know how to get around from floor to floor?"
"Uhh going up stairs?" Apple Bloom asked, while accompanying the kids so that none of them was lost.
"Exactly, but not here at the Museum of Technology and Revolution, one of our brilliant inventors created a way to move from one floor to the next without getting tired up stairs!"
Everyone, including the responsible chaperones, was curious, but at the same time marveled at what the griffin said.
"Kids, teachers, I present to you, the elevator." He said, right after he pressed a button on the wall next to metal doors and they opened, revealing a place inside. "Who'd like to go first?"
Although amazed, the kids were a little afraid.
"What if while the elevator is going up, we fall into whatever is down there?" Stellar Aura asked, but it was obviously part of her plan with Cathy. "Why don't our chaperones go first and then we go?" She said, as she gently pushed Spike toward the elevator, while Cathy pushed Apple Bloom.
"Yeah, just so we can see that there's nothing to fear."
"Well, since the little ones insist." Spike shrugged and got into the elevator.
"Go on, teacher!" Cathy said, giving her another little push.
"Okay, I'm getting on the elevator." She said, also entering the transport equipment. "Uhh do you guarantee me that this thing will not fall?"
"Are you scared kid?" Spike teased, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Just press button 2 and you will be sent there." The tour guide gave the instructions.
"What? Who the heck are you calling kid? I'm only 3 years younger than you!" Apple Bloom retaliated furiously.
"A-ah, 3 years and a half." Spike hummed as he pushed the button.
"... It's a good plan." Cathy said, after the metal doors closed as they continued to argue inside it.
Inside the elevator, Apple Bloom leaned against one of the walls and she snorted at the end of the discussion, keeping her head down to avoid making eye contact with him. Why the heck was he pestering her so much since they met again?
She felt like she wanted so bad to strangle him, but at the same time she wanted so bad to throw him against the wall and kiss his lips until there was no air left in their lungs and what it'd be like to feel her body being wrapped by those strong arms.
Suddenly, she was taken out of her own steamy thoughts and was startled when a loud noise cut the silence between them and the thing where they were seemed to have stopped.
"What happened?" She asked.
"I don't know." Spike said.
"Oh acid apples I knew I shouldn't have gotten into this stupid thing, how am I gonna get out of here? How am I supposed to know if the kids are safe outside with...?" Suddenly, she stopped talking when one of his hands slapped her face, leaving her in shock for a few seconds 'cause she didn't knew if she liked it or she hated it. "... Did you just slap me?"
"Sorry, I was trying to calm you down." He apologized.
"I was trying to calm you down." She mimicked him. "Why the hell would that calm me down?"
"Don't you worry okay? I'll talk to someone downstairs and in a little while they'll get us out of here!" He said, being as optimistic as possible.
"I hope you're right." Apple Bloom murmured as she sat on the floor.
He pushed a button that looked like a communicator.
"Hello? What's the emergency?" A male voice from the speaker over the button said.
"We're stuck in the elevator and..."
"Oh, this is the first time it has happened, but don't worry, we can fix it in the next ... 2 hours."
Apple Bloom's eyes widened and she looked even more desperate than before.
"I'm stuck with him in a claustrophobic environment ... For 2 hours ???"
And Apple Bloom thought that being late for the first time was a bad thing, that really wasn't her day.
"No, I can't be stuck in here with you for 2 hours, not with me!" She said, hitting the wall where she was leaning as a way to escape and failed miserably.
"Calm down AB, everything will be fine, when you see, those two hours will fly by."
Incredibly, those words he just said soothed her. She gave a tired sigh and took a dictionary out of her purse, which she always carried with her in case any of her students asked the meaning of something.
She opened the small book on any page and began to read the meaning of the words that started with "E", pretending not to notice that he, too, had sat on the floor.
"What's this book about?" Spike asked, approaching her to read.
"Oh no." She said mentally, as she leaned in the opposite direction with every inch he approached her, to prevent her hidden longings from getting out of control.
"It's just a dictionary and nothing much, Spike go 10 steps to there, please go 10 steps to there!" She said, in a reflex, dropping the dictionary and pressing the hooves on his body to stop him from approaching. "Now stop it or I'll ..."
"Uhh, you're touching my chest."
As soon as Apple Bloom saw what she was doing, she rested her hooves on her head and screamed.
"AHHHHHH. Could it get any worse?"
"Don't say ..." Spike tried to warn her, but gave up when he saw that she had already said.
"What? What am I not supposed to say?" She asked as she picked up the book and put it back in her purse.
"It's the rule of the movies: You should never, under any circumstances, say, could it get any worse."
"We're not in a dumb movie or something!" She said, right after all the lights went out and they were in total darkness.
"I don't wanna say I told you, but ..."
"If you ever say "I told you so", you're going to spit out something other than fire for 1 month!" She threatened him furiously.
A deafening silence came between them again, which was not pleasant, as they couldn't see each other. It seemed that they were alone inside of a lonely dark elevator. They both wanted to say something, but waiting for which one would take the first step to speak and start a conversation.
"... Hey." Apple Bloom muttered under her breath, but Spike listened to her, without the vision, their other senses were heightened.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Why are ya teasing me so much? Is it, like, a rematch of all the trouble I got you into when we were younger?" She finally asked, hoping he didn't take her wrong.
Spike thought.
He felt that he wasn't ready to tell Apple Bloom that, the last time he and Twilight were at the School of Friendship because of some problems that only they could solve, he saw her again.
And now after so many years, she looked so pretty and so cute in his eyes, Spike couldn't explain, but there was something about her that made her never leave his thoughts.
But he still wasn't ready if she might rejected his feelings.
It was even funny how everything can change, love comes when you least expect it and for someone you least expect it.
"... No, I'd never do that. I didn't know you were bothered by this, I'm so sorry. I just want to resume that friendship that we had in the years I lived in Ponyville. I mean, if you want to, too."
Apple Bloom felt her heart being touched by each of those words, it wouldn't be so bad at all if they get close again.
"A-are you... Are you being sincere?"
"From all my heart."
In the dark where he couldn't see, she didn't have to hide when a blush spread over her face.
"Then it's fine, we can get close again!" She happily accepted.
Both reacted with smiles, but inside they were celebrating as if they were already dating. They started talking about other subjects and were even happier to discover that they now had more in common than before.
When Apple Bloom opened her mouth to start another conversation, she was slightly startled when another noise cut through the brief silence instead of her and the lights went on.
"The elevator is moving!" Spike announced happily, although he didn't even watch time go by while talking to Apple Bloom.
"The elevator is moving!" She repeated it with the same joy and they hugged each other, celebrating like two kids having just discovered that they were going to an amusement park.
The metal doors opened again and all the students, including the tour guide, gaped when they found the two hugging as if something had happened between them, while Cathy and Stellar Aura smiled widely.
Upon noticing that they were being seen, the mare and the dragon quickly parted, with an embarrassed blush spread all across their faces.
"See? I told it, pay it!" Stellar Aura said, extending her hoof to another of her classmates, a changeling named Sonny.
Sonny snorted and reluctantly gave her 4 bits.
Time skip...
"Well, I guess this is it." Apple Bloom said, when they finally returned to school and the little students went home.
"Yes." Spike agreed, unsure how to start a conversation.
"Amazingly, until I had fun in that elevator. Except for the slap."
"Hey, I already apologized, are you going to blame me for the rest of our lives now?" He joked.
"OK sorry." She said between laughs.
"Hey, you ... You allow me walk you home?" He asked.
"YES, A MILLION TIMES YES!" Apple Bloom screamed, in her mind.
"S-sure, I don't see why not." She replied with a shrug.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle finished the soup that Scootaloo made for her and was surprised, but happy to notice that her nostrils were unclogged.
"I have a good feeling that tomorrow I'll feel a lot better!" She said optimistically.
"I hope so." Scootaloo smiled.
Shortly thereafter, the orange mare started to hear 2 people talking outside the house.
"Hey, are you listening?" She asked in a whisper.
Sweetie Belle was silent and also began to listen.
"It looks like Apple Bloom, but is she with somepony else?"
"I think so, but there's only one way to find out."
The unicorn agreed and the two started to peer out of the second-floor window.
When they saw it, they couldn't believe what they were seeing and held on as long as possible to keep from shouting with excitement.
"Well, I think I better go home." He said.
Apple Bloom tried, but couldn't hide the sadness she felt for him to leave. Spike soon noticed and tried to cheer her up.
"Hey, see you tomorrow ok?"
Apple Bloom forced a small smile, suddenly all the hair on her tail stood up when she felt his lips plant a delicate kiss on her right cheek, she felt like she was about to pass out from the wave of emotions that came over her.
But she soon restrained herself and acted naturally, which wouldn't last for the next 20 seconds. As soon as Apple Bloom was sure he was finally gone, she screamed and jumped, now 100% sure she was in love.
She gave a passionate sigh as she walked through the door. Everything was dark, she turned on the lights in the room and got scared when saw her best friends with smiles on their faces and sending her suggestive looks.
"... W-what?" She asked, while her cheeks flushed again.
"We don't know, you're the one who should tell us, lovebird." Scootaloo said, wrapping a leg around her neck.
"Ahhh, we never imagined that something would happen between you two, but surprisingly you two are soooo cute together, tell us everything!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly.
"There's nothing to say, we're not dating and I don't even know if he feels the same way about me ..."
"So you admit that you love him?" Sweetie Belle asked, interrupting her.
Apple Bloom tried so hard to contain herself, but she couldn't hold a smile of bliss that spread across her lips. That love she felt, filled her soul with happiness.
"Ohhhh you're smiling, so you do love him." Scootaloo hummed.
"Hmmm ok, ok I'm in love with him, there, I told!" She confessed, while her cheeks flushed.
The two mares gave a excited squeak and started to jump around her.
Apple Bloom snorted, but ended up smiling and shaking her head. Her best friends sometimes acted childish, but she loved them anyway.
"And what are you waiting for to tell Spike right away what you feel?"
"It all started today, but I'm so confused about why I'm so sure of what I'm feeling. This ... It never happened before." She confessed, hoping that her friends would give you a solution.
The two looked at each other with open mouths, but in a fraction of a second they smiled and looked at Apple Bloom again.
"Do you know what that means?" Scootaloo asked.
"If I knew, I wouldn't ask."
"After so many relationships that didn't work out ..." Sweetie Belle said, right after, she made a dramatic break.
"You finally found your special somepony!" They exclaimed happily.
"... What? But how? Why only now if we have known each other for so many years?" Apple Bloom asked question after question, while continuing with those doubts.
"Love is one of the greatest mysteries of all time, AB. But who cares? It's not meant to be understood, but to be felt, because it's one of the most beautiful feelings that exist." Sweetie Belle said, which made her smile because she finally understood.
"Ew, that was so sweet that I almost got diabetes." Scootaloo grunted, despite being used to Sweetie Belle's romanticism.
"Well, I feel like now is not the right time to tell him." Apple Bloom said.
"Why not?"
"It's not even a full day since we've approached again, imagine what his reaction would be when we see each other tomorrow and I say 'Hey Spike, it's only been a day, but I love you', he'd run away from me. When the time is right, I'll say, okay? "
"On the one hand I don't agree, I think that if we have the opportunity to tell someone that we love them, we should take advantage of it because tomorrow may be too late. But on the other hand, I respect your decision." Sweetie Belle replied.
"Thanks Belle. But do you guys promise that you won't tell Spike anything when he's here at home?" She asked. "I want him to know for me."
The two looked at each other with a look of consternation, which worried Apple Bloom.
"So, do you two promise to keep it a secret or not?" She insisted on the question.
"We promise that we'll try as hard as we can." Scootaloo replied.
"I hope so." She said, as she walked towards the living room.
Suddenly, Sweetie Belle gasped, which made Apple Bloom return to see if anything had happened to her.
"What's up, Sweetie?" Scootaloo asked.
"Since Apple Bloom is sooo close to the Equestria royal advisor now, she could ask him for a small favor." She explained.
"What are you talking about?" Apple Bloom asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't you remember? Make 'Hearts and Hooves day' a holiday to celebrate all the loves!" She explained.
Apple Bloom searched her memory and remembered the idea she had that holiday, instead of just the lovers celebrating, any pony that felt one or more of the other 3 loves could also celebrate, for example, send a card to a brother and spend the day with him.
Her best friends were also excited about the idea.
"Oh, that could work, she talks to him and he talks to Princess Twilight. Perfect and simple, what would go wrong?" Scootaloo said.
"Girls, we barely got close as friends again and I'm already taking advantage of him? What will he think of me?"
"Aww AB, you know it's something that will be good for everyone. I mean, how many ponies feel left out because they can't participate in 'Hearts and Hooves day' because it's just 'exclusive for lovers'?"
"Plus, it's your idea." Sweetie Belle added.
Apple Bloom became thoughtful, until she finally made a decision.
"... Can you wait for the next 2 weeks?" She asked.
"Hmm, okay." Scootaloo replied.
"But 'Hearts and Hooves day' is 3 weeks from now, tick-tack." Sweetie Belle said, moving her front legs as if they were clock hands.
"You're so hurried." She laughed.
The weeks passed by, with each day that passed, Apple Bloom was increasingly sure that her heart had chosen him to be her love for life. She had never felt this way before, but she liked it a lot.
As 'Hearts and Hooves day' approached, she kept the promise to her friends and told him the idea she had.
He looked as excited as her two best friends together.
"Apple Bloom, you're a genius!" Spike exclaimed as he took her in his arms and turned her around.
"D-do you really think so?" She asked with bright eyes.
"Yes, it's brilliant, I don't know why nobody had this idea before. I'm gonna talk to Twilight, I'm sure she'll like it too."
"Would you do this for me?" She asked, delighted.
"Sure, that's what we do for friends, right?" He replied, causing her smile to fade slowly.
"Yes of course!" She murmured.
"Aww why are you making this sad face?" He said, approaching her.
"Is that ... What if she doesn't like the idea?" She lied.
"It'll be all right, you'll see." Spike comforted her sweetly, which doesn't seem to have helped. "Hm. I think someone here needs a little visit from ... Doctor tickles!"
"No, Spike no, don't you dare ..." She said, words that slowly became adorable guffaws, when he started tickling her belly and her armpits.
"Look at this beautiful smile, this is what I wanted to see." He said, holding her chin.
Apple Bloom smiled and a light shade of pink covered her cheeks, she was so in love.
To the joy of CMC's, Princess Twilight approved the idea of change. Sort of, before she completely approved the idea of changing the holiday, she proposed a festival: The Festival of the 4 loves, as a test to see if it worked and her subjects approved too.
As was their idea, the Equestria's ruler invited them to be the festival planners (which, in fact, was all part of a plan for Spike to finally declare to Apple Bloom that he was in love with her).
"So, are you feeling ready?" Scootaloo asked her.
She took a deep breath and smiled.
"Yes, I'm ready!"
"Of course, we trained so much for this." Sweetie Belle said.
Flashbacks:
Sweetie Belle dressed in a director's beret, got a director's chair and a megaphone.
"Very well AB, it is quite simple, pretend that Scootaloo is Spike!"
"What's up?" Scootaloo said.
"Practice what you'll tell him and we'll judge you. Any question?"
"Do you really need to dress like that ...?"
"Aaaand action!" Sweetie Belle shouted into the megaphone.
Apple Bloom took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"Hey Spike, I really like your... Medal I think? Do you wanna make out?"
"Cut!" Sweetie Belle yelled into the megaphone again.
"No, no, no and no!" Scootaloo said, while splashing water on Apple Bloom with a spray bottle. "You should never be that direct.
"Ok, ok so let's try it again." Apple Bloom said, while drying her wet face with a towel.
End of flashbacks:
"And it turned out that I had a better idea at the last minute." Apple Bloom laughed.
The plan was, at night, when the Festival of 4 loves and the open mic started, Apple Bloom would go up on stage and say that she had written a song especially for her special somepony and would sing and play with the guitar of who inspired her to make that love declaration: Her mother.
"Okay, we can't stay here in the room and talking all day, we have a festival to organize!" Scootaloo said with a smile.
"It's real. Let's go AB." Sweetie Belle said.
"Oh, you two can go ahead and I'll go soon after. I have to check some things for our big night." Apple Bloom explained.
"It's okay, we'll meet you outside."
The three came together in a group hug and the two mares left, leaving Apple alone in the room. The yellow mare jumped up excitedly and went to her suitcase. From the bottom, she took out a red heart-shaped card.
Inside it, in the most beautiful cursive letter that she managed to write, she wrote the lyrics to the song. She made it as a precaution if she couldn't wait until night.
"I'm too in love to wait." She murmured to herself, pressing the card against her chest.
Meanwhile, Spike and Twilight were talking in his room. He was trying to write a poem for Apple Bloom, but despite having so much time to think and how much the love he felt for her inspired him, he couldn't find the right words.
"If we really feel the same way about each other, she must have done something for me, I can't have done anything for her, you know?"
"No, I don't know." Twilight replied between giggles. "But I think you're worrying for no reason, we don't need to do something totally extravagant to demonstrate to someone that we love them."
"Yes, you're right Twi."
"When you're gonna learn? I'm always right." She joked which made him laugh.
"So do you have any idea what I can do?"
"Write a beautiful sentence, sometimes small things have great meanings."
Spike thought, until he finally had an idea of what to write. He wrote on paper and showed it to Twilight.
Meanwhile, Apple Bloom came to him, even after learning that he was talking to the princess there. Not curiosity-conscious, she propped one of her ears on the door to listen.
"Awww, this is so beautiful, 'I love you more than yesterday and less than tomorrow'. I'm sure that the two of you will never be apart again tonight."
"Who are they talking about?" Apple Bloom asked mentally, excited that it could be her.
"I hope so, I love her so much."
After a brief silence, Twilight decided to touch on a sensitive subject.
"Sooooo Gabby huh?"
At that moment, Apple Bloom felt as if her heart had broken into millions of pieces. Tears of sadness started pouring out of her eyes like a waterfall. She ran as fast as her legs could, without caring that she had dropped the card on the floor.
"...Yeah, she didn't take it very well that Apple Bloom is the one I love. I mean, I'm really sorry for her, but I'm not gonna sacrifice my happiness for anyone and I can't imagine being happy without her ever again."
"This is how it should be." She said, smiling at him proudly.
Meanwhile, the girls checked the color theme of the ornaments and chose 4 colors, 1 representing each kind of love. But they soon dropped everything they were doing when they saw Apple Bloom crying and going back to their bedroom, she never looked so hurt before.
"AB, what happened?" Sweetie Belle asked in a concerned tone.
"I-I shouldn't have harbored all these damn illusions!" She screamed between loud sobs and ran away from them, leaving them confused.
"What happened to her?" An unknown pony asked them.
"We don't know yet, she was so happy when we came here. But we'll find out."
After with all the care and love in the world also making a card for the only woman that made his heart aflutter, to give her at night, Spike went out to check some details of the festival. When he got outside, the dragon couldn't help but notice the heart-shaped card on his staircase.
He looked around to see if anyone nearby had dropped, but apparently, there was no one. Still confused, he picked up the card from the floor and opened it. It was by far the most beautiful song lyric he had ever seen in his life, he could feel that each of those words had been dedicated to him.
He suspected it was from Gabby, but even if his heart belonged to AB, he felt it would be rude if he threw a 'Hearts and Hooves day' card in the trash as if it meant nothing, after all one of his friends gave it to him.
Meanwhile, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle went to their bedroom and were sad, but at the same time confused when they heard the still loud sobs of Apple Bloom.
"Hey Apple Bloom, are you okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, after knocking on the door.
"Go away!" She screamed, her voice muffled by having her face sunk into the pillow.
"There's no way, we're not leaving until we know what happened to you!" Scootaloo retorted with stubbornness.
"I don't wanna talk about it at the moment okay? I just... I just want to be alone."
"Aren't you gonna talk to us?" Sweetie Belle asked.
"Not at the moment, later. But for now, please just leave me alone."
When Sweetie Belle was about to enter the bedroom, Scootaloo stopped her.
"... Sweetie, I think we better give her some space, later we'll come back to talk to her."
Sweetie Belle gave a sad sigh and reluctantly agreed.
Apple Bloom wiped away the tears that continued to roll down her cheeks and gave a sad sigh. She'd never love someone as she loved him, there was no way she wouldn't be sad about that situation.
The yellow mare didn't feel like doing anything but lying in bed which seemed to ease the hurt in her heart, being alone in the room with her own thoughts, she started to think about herself, Spike, Gabby and everything that had happened recently in her life.
After some hours of reflection, she came to the conclusion that she should learn to live with pain that the great love of her life, didn't love her. She didn't ask to love him, just like he shouldn't have asked to love Gabby, and if she made him happy, everything was fine.
In the late afternoon, despite being worried about Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo finishing up in time for the festival to begin. They were very proud of themselves, everything was so beautiful and colorful to express the celebration for every kind of love.
"Now shall we see her again?" Sweetie Belle asked her, without disguising the anxiety she was feeling for having spent the last 5 hours without knowing anything about Apple Bloom.
"Is obvious." Scootaloo replied and the two ran to talk to her and get ready.
Without hesitation, Sweetie Belle entered the room and they were both impressed, but at the same time confused with they saw.
Apple Bloom was wearing a simple but beautiful dress, the mane tied in a ponytail and decorated with small yellow flowers. She looked completely different from the completely devastated Apple Bloom they saw hours earlier.
"W-w-what happened? You were so ..."
"Sad?" She said, interrupting one of her best friends. "Yes, I still am, but if I'm not the one he loves, fine. I love him too much to stop him from finding someone who does. "
"You mean he doesn't ..."
"Yeah." She said in a sad tone. "But it's okay. I'll never forget him, it's practically impossible to happen, but I'll do everything to try to at least overcome what I feel."
"What's this guitar for?" Scootaloo asked curiously.
"Duh, to play the song? I didn't write it to keep it in the drawer." She said between soft laughs.
"But are you gonna be okay?" Sweetie Belle asked in a slightly dismayed tone.
She sighed and smiled.
"Yes, someday I will. Now I understand Marble perfectly. Now I wanna go to the festival and celebrate with my two special someponies of ever. "
"Awwww." The two said, as they wrapped her in a loving collective hug and kissed her cheeks lovingly.
After Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo also got ready, the three left together. Arriving outside, Apple Bloom was surprised. It looked completely different from the place she had arrived earlier, the little colored lamps were certainly not her ideas, but she liked it a lot.
All ponies, dragons, griffins, hippogriffs and so on, were exchanging cards between siblings, parents and friends, but there were also couples in love. Most of the cards were made by themselves, but each had a different and special touch.
"Hey Luster Dawn." Apple Bloom greeted one of Twilight's students with a smile.
In the early afternoon before going to Canterlot, they gave her 3 cards to celebrate the love of friendship between them.
"Hi girls." She said, right after rummaging through her bag and took out 3 cards for them. "Happy festival of the 4 loves!"
"Thank you, they're so beautiful!" Sweetie Belle said, admiring that each had their own colors and gitter.
"Yes, thank you."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome, the party is beautiful, you guys did such a good work..."
"Hey Lusty!" The voice of one of her friends called to her.
"I better go see what she wants, bye."
"Bye." They said bye in unison and were extremely excited that there was already someone who was in favor of the changing of the holiday.
After picking up cotton candy to eat, Apple Bloom noticed that Gallus was at the open mic, doing a dance performance and the next one would be her.
Meanwhile, Spike was constantly looking for her, rejoicing when he finally found her in the middle of the open mic audience. It was only a few minutes before he finally declared himself to the pony he loved.
Apple Bloom's heart overflowed with happiness when she saw him walking up to her. But the thought that he loved somepony else, soon pulled her out of her paradise.
"Heeeey ... AB!" He greeted her with a light punch to the shoulder.
"Hey Spike, happy 4 loves day."
"Happy 4 loves day." He said, hiding the card he made for her behind his back. "Anyway, I was looking for you, because I really wanted to tell you something."
Apple Bloom raised an eyebrow confused. He should've been with Gabby right now. As soon as she opened her mouth to reply, the presenter, who was her sister, took over the microphone.
"Thank you Gallus that was amazing, right, guys? But there are still a lot more people to perform, now she'll go on stage to sing and play a song that she wrote herself, Apple Bloom!"
Everyone applauded and shouted enthusiastically.
"You'll rock, sis!" Applejack shouted when she joined the audience.
"Excuse me, can we speak after the presentation?" She asked as she walked up to the stage.
"But..."
"It'll be quick, I promise." Apple Bloom assured him, who reluctantly respected her decision.
She took the stage and positioned the microphone.
"Uhhhh is this thing on?"
The microphone made a high-pitched sound, which made everyone cover their ears.
"Oops, sorry guys." The yellow mare said between nervous laughs. "Well, this song is a song that I wrote especially for somepony, somepony whose heart belongs to somepony else."
Everyone in the audience had the same sorry reaction, except Spike. He was so sure that Apple Bloom matched his feelings for her.
"But it's okay. I know that wherever he is, he'll know that this song is for him and just for him."
She started playing the guitar notes, creating beautiful melodies from it.
You're like this so close to me
And still so far away
I know I shoudn't
But I cannot help but be glad that you got in my way
Spike never was so surprised, it was the same song on the card he found on the stairs. But how did his heart not belong to her??? He wanted more than anything to remedy that misunderstanding, but he stayed there, discovering one more thing he loved about her: He loved watching her sing.
When I'm with you, it feels so right
I wish you could stay forever by my side
But I don't care that you're not mine
As this stanza has no rhyme
My heart always skips a beat every time you're close
It's the warning that something new and strong started to rose
Before Apple Bloom sang the next part of the song, she was confused to see that someone else was singing.
When we first met, I didn't realize
What I can only see now, nevermind
Spike sang, approaching, until he took the stage, without taking his eyes off her and she without taking her eyes off him. She wanted to stop and ask for an explanation, but continued to singing and just loved how their two voices seemed so harmonious together.
You stole my heart, but keep it with you it's fine
'Cause you make my world so bright
Eternal love it will never ends
I wish we were more than just good friends
Anyone can see, it's the bare truth
Just as the fact that I'm madly in love with you
Everyone applauded even louder, while besides being happy, she had a thousand questions that needed answers.
"B-b-but how? Why? What ...?"
"I feel the same." He murmured sweetly, handing her the card.
Apple Bloom read and felt the scars of her broken heart heal instantly, she had never read such a beautiful sentence in her life.
"But I thought you loved another ..."
"What made you think that?" He laughed softly and extending one hand, gently stroked her cheek. "Since the day I met you again, my life changed in the most amazing way, I just can't stop thinking about you. I still don't know what made you think that, but the bare truth is that I love you more than anything Apple Bloom and I'm not sure of anything in life. Except that I'm yours, forever. "
While hearing those beautiful and sweet words, Apple Bloom cried again, but with emotion and pure happiness. That misunderstanding no longer mattered, all she wanted now was to live their love without wasting even a second more.
She carefully put her mother's guitar aside and jumped into his arms, which wrapped her in a strong hug.
"I love you, too, more than anything in this world."
Everyone in the audience applauded as if it were a spectacle.
"That's what I call a plot twist. Oh, isn't that too sweet for ya, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle asked wryly, as Scootaloo burst into tears.
"Shut up, I don't care, this is so beautiful!" She said while ugly sobbed.
Sweetie Belle smiled as she contemplated the scene, handing her friend a tissue and stroking her back.
"Kiss, kiss, kiss ..." Everyone started to repeat, making Apple Bloom's face flush 50 shades of red.
"Well, I think we should give the audience what they want, right?" Spike joked, making a boop on her snout and winked at her.
"Come here, you stupid dragon." Apple Bloom said, quickly wrapping her front legs around his shoulders and tugging at him, making their lips seal in the first of thousand kisses.
"Can someone explain to me what's going on? What did I miss?" Applejack said.
"Isn't it already obvious, honey? We just witnessed their love blossom." Rainbow Dash said, while leaning on her girlfriend.
Applejack just smiled at her words and also contemplated the love scene with the crowd of creatures.
"Hey, now enough of all this sentimentality thing." Scootaloo said, breaking into the stage and taking the microphone.
"Heh, says the pony that was wepting not even a minute ago." Spike retorted.
"For your information, Mr. The Dragon, I was testing a new eye drop, okay? It's not just that you're my best friend's boyfriend now that you can come all sassy with me." She replied playfully, making everyone laugh. "Now let's rock this place a little!"
DJ Pon-3 put on the song she asked for, a lively song that made everyone want to put on the maximum volume and dance until they got tired. A large circle of people opened up in the middle of the checkered floor, which began to light and flash, turning into a dance floor.
"Hit it Sweetie Belle, u-huh, you know it ..." Everyone sang, when Sweetie Belle was the first to take a chance and show what she could do on the dance floor.
Right after her, came Tender Taps, who danced his tap dance in time to the music. Spike came after him, dancing the robot dance, until he did the rope dance step, linking Apple Bloom with an invisible rope.
She denied it at first because she was not very good with dancing, but soon gave in and the two danced together. She laughed, no matter if she wasn't the best dancer in the world, dancing with Spike was fun.
Excited a little more than he should, the dragon took her in his arms and threw her into the air. Before Apple Bloom fell, he flapped his wings and caught her, flying high as he spun her in his arms.
She opened her eyes and when she saw that she was flying, she opened her arms and laughed, feeling the wind on her mane. Spike looked at her passionately, she looked so beautiful experiencing the feeling of flying.
Until he stopped when he saw they were tall enough to see the full moon above the few clouds. It was so huge, he felt that if he reached out, he could touch it. but soon his gaze returned to her.
A smile broke out on his face when he saw that Apple Bloom just wanted and was able to pay attention to what was in front of her. Despite the large and beautiful moon, she could only see how much more beautiful her true love was in the silver moonlight.
Without taking her loving eyes away from his affectionate gaze, she wrapped her front paws even more around his shoulders. As she brought her face closer, she started to feel his arms slowly wrapping even more around her body. Oh, it felt like she imagined it would be.
Spike tried to dare and leaned over to kiss her, but she strangely backed away.
He raised an eyebrow, until he remembered that he forgot a small detail.
"Dragon breath right?" He asked.
She nodded. When she noticed that he was a little sad, she immediately wanted to cheer him up.
"Aww sweetie, It's okay, I know that isn't your fault. I can hold my breath, look." She took a breath and kept her mouth shut so the air wouldn't come out.
"I don't know, I don't want you to..."
Before Spike continued, she leaned over and kissed him lovingly. He really loved that mare more than anything.
"Thank you for your brilliant idea." Princess Twilight thanked the three mares at the end of the festival, which, as expected, had been a success and soon, the exclusive holiday for lovers would be changed so that no one was left out.
"No, thanks to you for allowing us to demonstrate that 'Hearts and Hooves day' can be better." Apple Bloom replied, while the three bowed to her.
"Hey, there's no need for that." Twilight said between laughs. "You three are more than my subjects, you're my friends. And now we're basically sisters-in-law, AB."
The three stood up and smiled.
"I have an incredible sister-in-law and I'll do everything to be an incredible sister-in-law as well." She answered with a smile.
"Oh, you already are." Twilight said, making her smile widen even more. "Well, you can go back to your room if you want, you must be tired after the day you had."
"Sure, but I'm actually feeling very energetic!" Apple Bloom said, while her best friends yawned in sleep.
She was feeling the happiest mare, not only from Equestria, but from the whole world, there was nothing she could ask for in life. She had a wonderful family that was always growing, incredible friends, a teacher job she loved and a real love to call her own.
"Oof, it was quite a night." Sweetie Belle said, as she settled on her bed to get comfortable.
Scootaloo thought a lot about everything that happened and despite the possibility of being judged, she decided to tell her best friends what she was keeping secret from everyone for a little long time ago.
"For sure." She murmured. "With everything that happened today, I decided that I'll try to tell Luster."
"What are you gonna tell Luster?" Sweetie asked.
"... How I feel about her." She answered, while her cheeks flushed.
At that moment, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were astonished as never before in their life.
"You WHAT???"
"Wait, let me get this straight: Do you like Luster Dawn?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah, I really like her a lot since she moved to Ponyville." She replied, while her cheeks flushed.
"And you didn't trust your best friends to tell us all this time?" Sweetie Belle said, not hiding how furious she was.
"Sorry, I wanted to tell you, but I didn't know how the two of you would react. I mean, she's 18, I'm 28, I'm a teacher in the School of Friendship and she's a student ..."
"Why would we judge you?" Sweetie Belle said.
"No?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No you silly, love is like that, it has no age, it has no restrictions on gender, color or species, it arrives by surprise and when you see it, you're so in love that you can no longer imagine your life without your loved one." Apple Bloom said, while pressing the card that her boyfriend handed her against her chest, very close to the heart.
"Yeah, you're right, I was so silly. Umm, do you guys think she would like me back?"
"Of course, you're awesome Scoot, when we get back to Ponyville, you'll come up to her and say 'Luster Dawn, I love you!'."
"Ehhh I won't say exactly like that, or she'll run away from me." She said and the three laughed together.
Apple Bloom lay on her left side and watched the moon through the window, smiling as she remembered the magical moment that was their were together and forgetting the world around them.
They were only a few feet apart, but she missed him as if he were miles far away from Equestria. She didn't even want to imagine what it would be like when she returned to Ponyville.
She slowly closed her eyes to embark for dreamland. When suddenly, she was startled to think that the room had caught fire, when a green fire spread in front of her out of nowhere.
She breathed a sigh of relief and was excited that it was a letter from Spike.
"If the universe knew the size of my love for you, it would be ashamed to be so small. I'd like to see this gorgeous little face that makes my heart race and the most beautiful gaze that ignites my heart one last time this night.
Your Spikey Wikey ❤"
Apple Bloom felt like screaming, but she controlled herself when she saw that her friends would suspect her reaction. She thought and thought. She just couldn't wait for her friends to sleep, she really wanted be with him. Until an idea finally came to mind.
She kept the letter under her big pillow, pushed the sheets away from her legs and stood up.
"Hey, where are you going?" Scootaloo asked.
"... Ugh I shouldn't have eaten so much candy and smoothies at the festival, I have to go before an accident happens." She said, pretending that she really had a bellyache and needed to go to the bathroom.
"But there's a bathroom over there." Sweetie Belle said, pointing to the bathroom door on their bedroom.
"Come on Apple Bloom, think." She said mentally.
"It's just that my stomach is not doing so well, I can infest the whole room with a stench and I don't want my best friends to go through it...
"Oh no!" Scootaloo exclaimed as she used her hoof to cover her nostrils. "Hurry, hurry before the worst happens!"
"Go, go now." Sweetie said, imitating her actions.
"Yes, I will and it'll probably take a while so don't worry about me, see you guys in a little while." She said frantically, as she ran to the door and left the room.
As soon as they saw that Apple Bloom left, they burst out laughing.
"Poor little Apple Bloom, still thinks she can fool us." Scootaloo said between laughs.
"Umm Scoots, do you think they will...?"
"Yeah, they will." She nodded casually.
"So we better sleep, since she won't be back." Sweetie said between a yawn.
Apple Bloom knew that there was a group of guards who kept watch at night, she would have to play the clandestine ninja if she wanted to see Spike again. She walked sneakily and whenever she saw a guard, she hid behind a wall or behind a thicket.
"Mission accomplished, Agent AB." She murmured to herself, before knocking on the door.
She was startled when the door opened and almost hit her in the face, but the shock soon passed when he wrapped her in a hug and covered her with kisses.
"Honey, I missed you so so so much."
"Me too baby, I'm so good at sneaking around that I'm even thinking about joining the CIA." She joked.
"You know you didn't have to do this, do you? What are they gonna do if we want to see each other?" Spike asked between laughs.
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes and smiled.
"... It doesn't matter, I just wanna be like this, by your side." She said, rubbing her snout gently against his nose.
"Well, let's come in?" He asked.
"No, let's make out here outside where everyone can see us."
"Ok, ok, I get it."
Apple Bloom was happy to be with him at that moment, but he couldn't help thinking about what it would be like the next month, Spike went back to traveling the world to solve friendship problems, to travel away from her.
The thought made her cry with sadness.
"I'm gonna miss you so much. I mean, what are we gonna do when ...?"
"Hey, hey." He said to get her attention, looking her lovingly in the eyes and wiping the tears from her cheeks. "We'll find a way. For now, I wanna enjoy this time we have and fill you with love."
Apple Bloom smiled and her eyes took on an inexplicable glow. Suddenly, Spike was startled when she suddenly approached and wrapped him in a strong embrace, but soon he took her in his arms and hugged her even tighter.
"I love you so much." She murmured.
"I love you so much too."
He took her to the bed and sat with his back against the headboard, while she sat comfortably on his lap, not daring to look up to look him in the eye. Realizing her insecurity, Spike gently held her chin and lifted, making their eyes meet. Apple Bloom smiled awkwardly and a blush spread over her cheeks.
"Has anyone ever told you how lovely you are?"
"Never like that." She murmured. "Wait!" Apple Bloom shouted when he leaned over to kiss her. She took a breath and just after that, she nodded.
Their lips brushed softly against each other, she really liked the sensation of kiss him that way, but knew it could get better. In a few moments, she noticed that he opened his mouth from time to time to lightly bite her lower lip.
Without hesitating, the young mare stuck her tongue on his mouth, wrapping her legs even more around his neck and pulling him even closer. With the sudden attitude of his beloved, Spike's eyes widened and he let out a muffled groan in her mouth, due to her lips still locked on his.
Although surprised, he soon liked it as much as his special somepony when her tongue eagerly explored every corner of his mouth. Apple Bloom knew that she would soon be carried away when his long tongue began to intertwine and fight against hers.
Suddenly, waves of shivering went up her spine, when she started to feel his hands leave her back and slide slowly down her legs, stopping to quickly stroke her flank. Until they stopped where he wanted, giving light squeezes to her cute little butt cheeks.
Before the burning desire she felt for him took over her actions, Apple Bloom broke away, breathing hard and feeling that she had managed to break away from him for very little.
Spike soon thought his girlfriend had walked away because he had gone too far with the displays of affection.
"Apple Bloom, I ... I'm sorry, sweetie, I shouldn't ..."
"No baby, that's not it." She said immediately, for him to stop feeling guilty. "It's just that, if I take too long, my friends may suspect the excuse I gave them."
She approached him again and gave him a tender kiss on the forehead.
"See you tomorrow morning, I love you."
Spike clenched his fists tightly. The thought of staying away from her started to cause him immense distress. Before the mare got off the bed, she turned when she felt a tug on her tail, but not so hard as to hurt her.
"No. Stay, please." He said, looking at her with pleading eyes.
The moment her eyes met his, she knew she wasn't going anywhere.
"... Spike, if our lips touch again, even for a second, I won't be able to stop ... But I can't deny that now is all I want." She murmured quietly.
"I know, so far I still don't know how I managed to control my dragon instincts when I'm with you, but I want you, more than anyone can imagine." He whispered, leaning his forehead against hers.
"Well ..." She murmured, as she put one of her hooves on his chest, feeling his heart beating as hard as hers. "We can lose control... Together."
He smiled and brought his hands up to her face, caressing her cheeks.
"Is this the first time you've done this?" He asked, out of curiosity.
"Ehh no." Apple Bloom confessed. "Do you have a problem with that?" She asked, there was no hint of indignation in her voice, it was more of a concern if Spike were like obsolete stallions who refused to get involved with a mare who was no longer a virgin.
"No, of course not." Spike replied, running his fingers over the silky strands of her mane.
"And this is yours?" She decided to ask, but she was sure that an attractive dragon like him was no longer a virgin.
"As a matter of fact, it is." He replied, looking away and scratching the back of his neck.
"But why?" She asked in surprise.
"It's simple, I was waiting for my special somepony, aka you, my Apple Bloom."
At that moment, Apple Bloom's eyes lit up with what he had just said. The love of her life, had waited for her. She felt like her heart was about to burst with love. Without waiting, she leapt into his arms and attacked him with kisses all over his face.
"Did I ever say that I love you?"
"Hm, sometimes." He joked.
"It's true, but I never said that I love you so so so so much, my love."
Spike joked, but he felt like he was about to cry whenever she said she loved him.
"And I love you, as I've never loved anyone before." He declared, before pulling her closer and they kissed lovingly again, while he slowly laid her on her back on the mattress.
And that was forever one of the moments that they'd never forget, even if they wanted to. The moment when their bodies came together and loved each other completely, surrendering only in body, as they had already surrendered in soul.
Apple Bloom loved how in part he controlled his dragon instincts and was never too rough until she asked for it.
She had never made love with a dragon before and she had to confess that at first things was a little strange, but it didn't take long for her to feel totally fulfilled. After all, he wasn't just any dragon, he was her soulmate.
The next day, as Scootaloo predicted, Apple Bloom did not return to the bedroom and it was already obvious who she was with.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She asked Sweetie Belle.
"Totally."
"Let's prepare the cake!"
"Let's be the bridesmaids!... Oh. Let's make the cake!"
They asked for permission to use the castle's kitchen, which was happily granted to them.
"What if she hid so that we wouldn't give her the cake?" Sweetie Belle asked, as she watched the cake dough rise in the oven.
"She'll waste her time, because we'll look for her and we'll not leave any stone unturned." Scootaloo said with a laugh, while mixing the cake's icing.
Meanwhile, feeling that she had slept enough for one night, Apple Bloom's eyes opened.
A small smile of bliss opened on her lips, thinking about what happened last night. She turned her face away and her eyes sparkled when she saw that they had awakened as they slept, together snuggled and warmed like never before, with their legs and arms entwined.
"Honey? Honey, wake up." She called out to him, but it seemed that he still had a long time to wake up after all the effort he had made.
She didn't care a bit about staying that way until he woke up.
"I love you." Apple Bloom murmured sweetly after planting a kiss on his cheek and snuggled into his chest.
Suddenly, she was startled and grunted when there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" She said it out loud.
She was soon confused when her friends entered the room so casually.
"Good morning!" Sweetie Belle hummed.
"Hey, don't talk too loudly, he still looks tired. Although he sleeps like rock." She said, while gently stroking his head.
"Well, the way your mane is in disarray, the night was good, right?" Scootaloo said, which made her laugh nervously and blush with embarrassment.
"Changing the subject, we made you a cake." Sweetie Belle said, as she placed the cake.
Apple Bloom read what was written and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
When the girls started living together, they made a pact that every time one of them had their first time with their respective romantic partners, if 2 of the girls found one of them, they would deliver a cake written "congrats on the sex" on top.
At that time, Apple Bloom was the first to be caught.
"I never thought you two would even do that." She said between laughs.
"Surprise!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
"I think it's better to leave the lovebirds alone now." Sweetie Belle said.
"Okay, enjoy the cake." Scootaloo said, before they left the room.
As soon as they left, Apple Bloom chuckled and shook her head.
"I love my besties." She murmured.
End of flashbacks...
"Thankfully, that misunderstanding was resolved, just imagine what it would be like if it weren't?" Applejack said, as she watched herself in front of the mirror after putting on the dress.
"I don't even like to think about it, the most important thing is that today we're together and more in love than ever, he accepted my proposal and we're about to live the most important day of our lives." She said calmly.
Big Mac was about to say something, when the three heard a knock at the door.
"Oh, hide yourself lil' sis!" Applejack said, standing in front of Apple Bloom.
"Relax, it can't be Spike, he spent the last few days at the Crystal Empire so we couldn't see each other." The bride assured her. "You may come in."
The door opened, revealing to be Babs.
"Hi cousins, I came here to say that it is time AB. If you want more time to .."
"No, I don't need to, I'm 1000% ready." She said, without a doubt. "You're still gonna take me to the aisle, right, big brother?"
"Eeyup." Big Mac agreed, starting to cry again.
Despite being very happy at that moment, Apple Bloom did not stop thinking about one thing: Her parents, her grandparents and her sister-in-law, who had died a few years ago, wouldn't be present to share all that joy with her, which left her sad.
Applejack soon realized this and took a small red box out of the purse that had taken her dress. Apple Bloom didn't know what it was, butshe knew it was for her, as it had her name on the cover.
"What is it?" She asked curiously as she wiped away the tears that unintentionally rolled down her cheeks.
"A very special gift. When each of the three of us were born, Mom made accessories for us to wear on our wedding day. She made that tie for the Big Mac, earrings for me and for you, little sister, she made this." Applejack opened the box, which was green inside, but the young mare could only pay attention to the beautiful hair clip. It had a apple shaped and shiny with golden details.
Big Mac wasted no time and put the hair clip in her hair.
"Little sister, I am sure that wherever our parents, grandparents and my dear and deceased wife are, they're really happy and proud that you're following the path of love. As we are."
Apple Bloom cried again, but with emotion and opened a smile. The three got together and shared a final hug.
"Ok, now let's go because I can't let my fiance wait any longer. I miss him so much."
"So, let's go." Applejack smiled.
At the aisle, Twilight Velvet used her magical aura to straighten the sash with the golden coat of arms of her adopted son's wedding white attire.
After the case of the crown of supreme sibling, she and her husband became much more present and loving to Spike than ever, always emphasizing that he was part of the family and was their son too.
"My baby, you're so grown up." She said sweetly, looking at him with pride.
"I can't describe how happy I am, Mom, I'm about to marry the love of my life." He said, refraining from shouting at all four winds how happy he was.
"And I congratulate you my dear, I'm sure that you and your special somepony will be very happy in this marriage." She said, wrapping him in a strong embrace.
Babs ran as fast as possible back to the yard behind the castle, with so many family members of the Apple family attending the wedding, inside the castle there wasn't enough space for everyone.
"Attention, guys, the bride is coming!" She exclaimed happily, which made everyone celebrate and Flurry Heart took her place in the aisle as the best mare.
Applejack arrived first, being one of the bridemaids along with Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, Lil' Cheese and Luster Dawn.
"I don't know if I'm still ready to let you go." Big Mac confessed, when the time finally came. "But if this is what you really want, I'm happy for you."
"Big Mac, I may be forming my own family today, but never forget that: No matter how much I grow and how much things change, I'll always be your little sister."
His lips trembled and he tried not to cry anymore, but failed miserably.
"Let's go." He murmured, extending his hoof.
Apple Bloom put her hoof over his and they started walking slowly down the path of white flower petals. Both the bride and groom felt their hearts overflowing with happiness when they saw each other again after 3 long and distressing days in which they were separated.
She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in her wedding dress.
"Are you nervous, uncle?" Flurry Heart whispered, leaning towards him.
"Nervous? Nah. I'm terrified." Spike whispered back. "But at the same time, I'm happy. It's kinda weird, but I like it."
As Cadance said once, Shining Armor cried at every wedding, it was no different at that one. But that time, he had a company to cry with.
"It seemed like yesterday that he was so small and still wore diapers, my baby grew up so fast." Night Light said between loud sobs and the waterfall of tears that streamed from his eyes.
"I know how it is dad, I know how it is." He said, also crying compulsively while they were both hugging each other and patting each other on the back.
It was only a few months since Pinkie Pie and Cheese had her little Buttercup, but that hasn't stopped her from planning the best wedding party possible for one of her dearest cousins.
She bought a kangaroo for baby ponies and started getting her little filly used to the party atmosphere.
Wanting to be close to him as soon as possible, Apple Bloom started walking so fast that Big Mac could barely keep up with her. Twilight laughed softly as the brothers-in-law hugged each other. They looked at each other affectionately, trying to resist the urge to hug.
Instead, Spike just gently took her by the hoof and gave it a tender kiss.
"Dear ponies, dragons, changelings, griffins and etc., we are gathered here today to celebrate the union between Spike, my faithful Royal Adviser, little brother and best friend." She said, making him smile. "And Apple Bloom, one of the best sisters-in-law that anyone could have. Now if you want speak your wedding vows, this is the time. "
"Oh, I do wanna speak." She said, approaching a little more and looking him lovingly in the eye. "Spike, since the day we met I was absolutely sure that ... This would never happen. We were not enemies and we fought all the time, but we had our conflicts, do you remember?"
"How would I forget?" He said between low chuckles.
"But anyway, here we are, right? From my old relationships, I felt that little by little I started to discredit that there is this thing of true love as everyone keeps saying. But I was wrong, I found you again, being so loving, sweet, caring and staying by my side even in the most difficult moments. I love you so much, thank you for loving me as you love me. "
When she noticed that her love was crying, she also couldn't help herself and also started to cry.
"There, now we can continue." She said, while wiping away the tears.
"Well, I think it's my turn now." He murmured with a tearful voice.
"I can't believe it, Spike, did you write your votes?" She said, watching him take a sheet of paper out of his suit.
"Yeah, I knew I was gonna be too nervous and forget what I had memorized." He explained, while opening the paper. "Apple Bloom, love of my life, once I was asked if I believed in true love, I said 'yes', because at that moment I was thinking about you, how much I loved you and that I wanted to be with you forever. I cannot promise you that life by my side will be perfect, because I have several flaws, while you're the most amazing and special pony I've ever met in my life, I know you deserve someone better. But one thing I am sure of: My love, is and will always be all yours. "
Unable to hold on any longer, Apple Bloom jumped into his arms and finally felt complete again.
"Don't be more stupid than you already are, I don't need someone better. All I want and everything I need is you, only you."
Without waiting for the final sentence, they both kissed lovingly, but no one cared and everyone celebrated.
"Ok, ok, that's enough lovebirds, the wedding is not done yet." Twilight warned, but couldn't hide a smile on her face when seeing the starry love they had. "Bring the rings!"
"I think it's our turn girls, let's go!" Rocky told her cousins. She was 4 and of all of them, she knew more words.
Apple Belle and Andi went to one side and Rocky and Honey B to the other. The bride and groom only needed to die of cuteness to see how adorable they were. The little twins handed the wedding rings to the little fillies next to them, who in turn gave them to whom it belonged.
They invented that method so that there was no fight among the little ones.
Twilight used her magical aura and placed one of the rings on Spike's ring finger and the ring with a golden string, around Apple Bloom's neck.
"Now with the power granted to me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You can kiss ..."
Before she was finished, Apple Bloom grabbed him by the sash, pulled him close and kissed him.
"The groom? All right, then." She said between laughs, while all the guests celebrated again.
At the party, after so many congratulations, hugs and kisses on the cheeks, Spike could no longer understand the meaning of the phrase "Welcome to the Apple family".
But he was genuinely happy, to have been accepted so quickly by his wife's relatives, since he was the first non-pony member to enter the family and had to confess that he was a little insecure about it.
After greeting all the Apples, which took some time, Apple Bloom smiled and was immensely pleased when Gabby flew up to her and gave her a hug. After some time, she managed to resume her friendship with her griffin friend, but she understood perfectly why she had walked away.
But fortunately, Gabby realized that it wasn't worth it to be fighting with two of her close friends over sour grapes, mainly because neither of them had any intention of hurting her.
"I'm sure you two will be very happy and your marriage will last forever!" She exclaimed happily.
"Thanks." Apple Bloom genuinely thanked her with a smile.
"We're really happy that we didn't lose an incredible friend like you." Spike said, which made her smile widely.
"Aw you guys, I also wouldn't want to lose you two over this." She said, shortly after the three joined in a collective hug.
Meanwhile, it was time for Flurry Heart's pyrotechnics show, a wedding gift she had planned for her uncle and her new aunt. She had trained hard so that nothing could go wrong in the marriage and despite having failed in previous attempts, she felt that now that it was for real, she would make it.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She focused as much as she could on her magic and pointed the horn at the dark blue sky. A sphere of white light came out of her horn and up to the sky, where it seemed to transform into an explosion of colors and lights that made the shape of a heart.
"This is incredible, Flurry!" Spike exclaimed without taking his dazzled eyes from the sky. "Thanks."
"It's one of the most beautiful things my eyes have ever seen, thanks." Apple Bloom thanked her as well, and she smiled happily at both of them.
Meanwhile, Cadence and Shining Armor breathed a sigh of relief that nothing had gone wrong. Although Flurry had learned to control her own magic, some disastrous unforeseen events happened from time to time.
Shortly after that, Lil' Cheese went to the music area and turned on the mic.
"Alright guys, it's time to shake up those bodies that ya mamas gave you!" She warned excitedly, before putting on an animated song.
"Can I have the kind permission to dance with the bride?" Night Light asked, acting like a gentleman and extending his hoof to his adopted daughter-in-law.
"It'd be delightful, good sir." Apple Bloom replied and the two laughed as they headed for the dance floor.
"Well, may I have this dance, mom?" Spike asked Twilight Velvet.
"It would be a pleasure, honey." She replied and the two joined the others on the dance floor.
Meanwhile, Lil' Mac continued to encourage himself to ask Lil' Cheese to dance.
"Okay, take a deep breath, there's no secret, you just go up to her and ask if she wants to dance with you."
"Heya buddy!" The young yellow filly exclaimed happily when she saw her best friend.
It was there that he realized that there was no reason to be nervous, she was his best friend ... So why did he still feel so nervous anyway? Oh, it was because he realized that what he felt for her wasn't just friendship.
"What's up? You look nice." He dared to say.
"Oh, thanks!" She smiled.
"Soooo do you wanna dance?" He asked casually.
She took the headphones around her neck and went to him.
"I'd love to!"
The young foal smiled and was happier than ever for her to having accepted it.
Time skip ...
"Okay kids, I think it's time for you to go." Twilight told them, when the party was finally over.
"Go to where?" Spike asked, making her cast an ironic look at him. "I'm just kidding!" He laughed.
"Alright!" She said with a nod.
When they walked to the carriage, Apple Bloom remembered that she was so distracted by the wedding and everything that happened recently, that she forgot one small BIG detail.
"Oh gosh!" She exclaimed.
"What happened, sweetheart?" Spike asked her worriedly.
"Where are we gonna live when we get back???"
He just smiled, because Twilight had already talked to him about that subject.
"Why are you laughing? This is serious!"
"What a question, sister-in-law, right here in the castle." Twilight replied, leaving Apple Bloom astonished, she'd never in life imagine that she'd live in a castle.
"Did you mean here? Here in the castle? Here in Canterlot?" She asked, still trying to understand.
"Yes, I'd love for you to always be around and keep me company on my days off, if you want, of course." She offered.
Apple Bloom smiled and gave her a hug.
"I'd love to. Where are the girls? I wanted to say goodbye ..."
"Wait AB, we're here!" Applejack shouted, they all came to her, panting from running.
"You guys arrived just in time." She laughed.
"Just shut up and give us a hug." Scootaloo said, opening her arms and feeling her eyes sting with the threat of tears.
She jumped and her bridemaids and siblings they gave her a strong collective hug, knowing that they wouldn't see her for 1 week.
"What are you doing standing there smiling, brother-in-law? Come here!" Applejack exclaimed.
Spike opened his smile even more and joined in the hug.
"Things may change from now on, but the love I feel for all of you will not change anything. I love you guys so much."
"We love you too." They replied back in unison.
"Now go, the night only started for you two if you understand me." Luster Dawn said, giving them a wink.
"Lusty!" Scootaloo exclaimed in awe at what she said.
"I know you thought the same thing, sweetie." She answered.
"But you said that." Luster Dawn retorted, making them laugh.
Apple Bloom looked affectionately at each of them, before getting into the carriage with her new husband.
"Oh, I was just forgetting." She said as she took the bouquet of flowers.
She put her torso out the window and threw the bouquet, which, despite many mares craving to catch it to be the next ones to get married, fell directly on Luster Dawn's hooves.
She smiled and exchanged affectionate looks with Scootaloo, before they kissed lovingly.
The carriage finally left, to some place that Apple Bloom did not know where, as her husband said it was a surprise.
"I hope we're not going to the dragon kingdom." She said.
"Oh how did you guess so fast where we're going?" Spike joked.
"Stop being a liar." She said between laughs, knowing from his tone that it really wasn't.
A week ago, she thought she couldn't ask for anything more in life. But there was one thing she started to want to have when the two started plans to get married.
"Um, love." Apple Bloom called him.
"Yes, my lovely apple blossom?"
"I've been thinking about something, but I think you might think it's too early to think about it." She comforted.
"Do you want something?" Spike asked, raising an eyebrow.
She nodded.
"So say, all your wishes are my commands. And it'll be like this forever." He said, bringing a hand to his wife's cheek and she leaned over, letting him caress her face.
"Okay, I thought I had everything and I'm happy, but..." The yellow mare paused, placed one of the hooves on one of his hands and looked him in the eye. "What I want now more than anything in this world, is to form a family with you."
"... Wait, let me get this right. Do you want to have children? With me?"
"Yeah, I mean, who else would it be with?" She said between giggles.
Spike couldn't believe it. That day, he had been forever united with the love of his life and he couldn't be happier about it. But knowing that she wanted them to be parents made him feel an unparalleled joy.
"My love, it'd be a dream come true to form a family with you, of course I want to!"
Apple Bloom squeaked with excitement and gave him a hug. Feeling his body comfortable like a soft bed after a day of planning and partying, Apple Bloom failed to not yawned and started to feel her eyes getting heavy.
"So how many babies are we going to adopt?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around her.
"If it's okay with you, I want two babies. But one has to be a pony like me and the other a little dragon like you." She replied, blinking to see if the sleep was over, but she soon gave in that it was inevitable that she would fall asleep.
Apple Bloom's eyes slowly closed to blink and when she least noticed, she fell asleep.
"We'll spend several sleepless nights, but it'll be worth it to take care of little ones of our own." Spike said, getting confused at not receiving an answer from his wife.
He looked to the side and smiled when he saw that she was sleeping peacefully in her body. Suddenly, he was startled when she suddenly stood up.
"I'm awake, I'm awake!" She repeated, while shaking her head.
"What there was?"
"I can't sleep, it's our wedding night." She replied, rubbing her hooves over her sleepy eyes.
"Hon, it's okay, you planned everything yourself and it's normal to be tired. We have the whole week to do it." He replied, while slowly laying her head on his lap.
Apple Bloom gave a small smile and closed her tired eyes.
"I love you so much." She murmured, before falling asleep again.
"I love you t..."
Before Spike finished speaking, he was interrupted by her soft snores, which made him laugh.
"I love you too, my sleepy angel."
