> True Loves
>  by SweetCarol
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Marble!" Sugar Belle exclaimed happily when she saw her longtime close friend, who may or may not be part of the same family as her. But even if they weren't, it wasn't important, as they both liked each other as if they were.

Marble, who was accompanied by her part of the family (her parents, two of her sisters, one of her brothers-in-law, her husband and their little filly, Rocky Pie), smiled sheepishly and removed the bangs from one eye.

"I'm so glad you came!" The unicorn said, welcoming her with a big hug, which she happily accepted.

Meanwhile, Big Mac, who was taking the last apple pies out of the oven, watched the scene through the kitchen window with a happy smile on his lips. He laughed at the thought that things weren't like that at first. Specifically, 20 years ago.

Flashback...

"Yaaaay you are as anxious as I am to spend the Hearth's Warming holiday with probably or not, our family members the Apples, right Marble?" Pinkie Pie said enthusiastically, wrapping her young sister for a few minutes in a hug.

"Uh ... Mhm." Marble nodded softly, although it wasn't absolutely true. There was a total 99% chance of her first crush being there... With his new wife. 

As much as she tried to forget about it, it hurt as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest without surgery and mercilessly trampled.

Pinkie Pie, being observant as she was, soon realized that something was bothering her sister, as if she had a small stone stuck under one of her hooves.

"Hey baby sister, is there something bothering you?" Pinkie asked.

"... Nope." Marble denied it, not wanting to upset Pinkie with her problems.

"Are you sure? I'm your excited, happy, funny, but at the same time very understanding sister, you know you can tell me anything." Pinkie assured her, but had the same answer. "Okay, but when you want to tell someone what's going on, I'll be here."

She smiled shyly and hugged Pinkie, before leaving to wait for the rest of her family outside the house.

Time skip ...

The whole way on the train ride, she was worried about how things would get when they got there.

They were warmly welcomed by those they met when they went to their stone farm and the rest of the family. No sign of Big Mac and Sugar Belle, if things were like that throughout the holiday, she would have no problem.

"Come on in, guys, I'll show you your accommodations!" Applejack said, entering as they followed after her.

"Are you sure this farm has room for everyone?" Limestone asked, when they started up the stairs. "Because from what I saw outside ..."

"If that's the case, no problem, we can all sleep together in one bed, right, family?" Pinkie Pie said.

"Don't worry about it, we built 3 bungalows back there, there's room for everyone!" Applejack assured her.

Arriving at the bedroom, which was the attic modified to be a bedroom, Marble put the small suitcase she took under the bed and sat on the mattress. She hoped she could stay there until it was time to leave.

But she knew that Pinkie Pie would not let her be isolated up there in the room, the pink pony promised her sister that she would help her so that her shyness did not affect her social life.

"As soon as you finish settling in, you can go downstairs to socialize with the rest of the family, okay?" Applejack warned them. "I'll check to see if has enough pies for everyone."

"You heard Cousin Applejack, come on Marble!" Pinkie Pie said, pulling her sister by the hoove.

"No, no, I don't wanna ..." She denied softly, but ended up giving up fighting to stay.

"Oh come on, I know you got on well with the Big Mac and you're sure to get along with Sugar Belle too!" She hummed.

At that moment, Marble felt as if her heart had stopped in her mouth. She tried to stop by steadying her paws on the floor, but her sister continued to push her. 

Arriving at the backyard, which was beautifully decorated with the typical decorations of that holiday, she put the bangs back in front of her eye and turned her gaze to the floor.

Meanwhile, Caramel was talking to Brieburn, when his gaze turned to the most charming mare his eyes have ever seen. In most people's eyes, she seemed to be totally dull, but she had something he didn't know what it was, but it attracted him in every way.

"Who's that beautiful young lady?" He asked.

Brieburn looked in the same direction as he did, to see who the beautiful young lady he was talking about was.

"Are you talking about the pink mare?" He asked.

"No, the light gray." Caramel specified.

"Well, there's a taste for everything, right? Good luck." He said, walking away to talk to another pony, so that Caramel would introduce himself to her.

"Hello, lady!" He greeted Marble, who, at the sound of his voice, raised her head.

"Pinkie, I think he's talking to you." She said, almost in a whisper.

"No Marble, he's talking to you!" Pinkie Pie accented with a high-pitched voice.

"Exactly, my heart stopped and swore it wouldn't beat again until I knew your name." He said, as flirtatious as possible.

"I-I'm Marble Pie." She said, so quietly that he quite didn't understand.

"Sorry, could you repeat that please?"

"Her name is Marble Pie and getting to know you is a total pleasure for her, huh little sister?"

"... Mhm." She agreed.

"So would you like to talk to me more?" He asked.

"She would like to, I am leaving you in good hands for now ok? But I'll always keep an eye on you in case something happens, I love you, bye!"

Pinkie kissed her on the cheek and went over to Apple Bloom to play with her, leaving her sister talking to Caramel. Marble breathed a sigh of relief, talking to that stallion all night, he could make her avoid running into ... She knew who.

But until she had fun with him, he was very nice and treated her with respect, as she liked. Pinkie Pie, who observed everything from a distance, was happy to see her shy sister so talktative with another pony.

For a moment, she forgot everything about Big Mac and Sugar Belle, which made her very happy.

"Hey, I wanted to introduce you to someone, but I think you guys already know each other." He said.

"I don't think I know anyone you know." She answered.

"Then the time has come, because here they come!" Caramel said, pointing back.

Marble turned when she came across something that made her feel like she died in sleep and was in hell.

"Caramel, are you dating someone?" Sugar Belle asked, walking over to them with her husband.

"Maybe someday, if she wants to!" He replied between giggles. "Do you know my boss and his wife?"

Marble soon felt her heart break again into a million pieces when they leaned against each other.

The only thing she wanted to do was to run very far and take refuge in her solitude. What was exactly what she did. She immediately rode as fast as her paws could out of the farm, no matter where she went, she just wanted to be alone.

"Baby sister, come back here!" Pinkie Pie shouted, going after her.

"What happened to her?" Sugar Belle asked confused. "Honey, do you know what happened to her?"

"Nope." Big Mac replied, still looking in the direction that she ran at a gallop.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"My second youngest daughter, have you found my first youngest daughter?" Pa Pie asked, visibly concerned when he saw Pinkie Pie returning without Marble.

"No, I didn't get to reach her!" Pinkie said between wheezing breaths. "Oh it's all my fault, I must have forced her beyond her limits, I'm such a bad big sister ..."

"Calm down Pinkie, now the most important thing is that we find her, we can't leave her out there in the cold for long!" Sugar Belle said.

"Eeyup!" Big Mac agreed, Impressed and delighted by his wife's ability to remain calm in such a situation.

Everyone started looking for her together, determined not to stop searching until they searched every corner of the orchard, then Applejack had the idea that they'd split up to make it easier to find her.

Sugar Belle walked, calling for her, until she stopped when she heard loud crying sobs coming from a corner. She returned and getting closer to a log lying on the ground, forming a small hole there. She smiled, confirming that it was Marble. She was huddled inside the hole, crying and shivering.

"M-Marble Pie?" She asked softly.

Marble turned slowly to her direction, but when she saw who it was, she immediately ignored.

"Go away, you're the last person I want to see now!" She replied between sobs and chattering teeth, trying to cover her body with her own arms to try to keep warm.

"Marble, everyone on the farm is worried and behind you, come with me, it's very cold out here ..."

"I don't care, can you just leave me alone? Please!" She said.

Sugar Belle was saddened by the rejection of a possible new friend, but at the same time confused, because from what she remembered, she had done no harm to Marble.

"What did I do to make you treat me this way? Can you please tell me? I really need to know!" She said, as she straightened the blue scarf even more around her neck.

"... You didn't do anything wrong to me." Marble finally said after several moments of silence. "But at the same time, you did."

That explanation only made Sugar Belle even more confused.

"Explain to me, please." She insisted.

"I don't know. I have no guarantee that you won't be mad at me."

"I won't be mad, I promise." The unicorn assured her.

Sugar Belle was the last pony that Marble had confidence in, but she was so tired of keeping that agonizing feeling to herself that she decided to tell her what it was about.

Time skip ...

Marble told her everything, not resisting crying a few tears while doing it.

Sugar Belle immediately felt bad, she happily never had her heart broken, but the people around her who went through this painful experience, made her see how much it hurt when the person you love doesn't love you back.

"I didn't know you were going through all these bad things. Why didn't you say anything to your relatives?"

"I didn't mean to bother them with my nonsense." She answered sadly.

"Nonsense?" Sugar Belle said, as she slowly pulled her out of the hole. "If there's someone we can trust to tell you about these kinds of things, it's our relatives. I understand, we don't have the power to choose who we fall in love with and I don't know, but it must hurt when that feeling isn't reciprocal."

"And it hurts, a lot." Marble replied, with her head down.

"Yeah, right?" She asked and Marble replied with a nod. "Listen, I know it can hurt now, but one day you'll get over it and get your own special somepony, who will loves you the way you'll love him back. And if you need a pony to vent with, I'll be here whenever you need it. I'm not here to understand what you're going through, because I can't put myself in your shoes, but I'm here to make sure that whenever you want to vent, or a friendly shoulder to cry on, I'll be here!"

Marble Pie smiled when she saw that she no longer felt sad around Sugar Belle and now she saw her as a friend. She was immediately surprised when Marble suddenly embraced her, but happily accepted her hug.

"Thank you for not hating me." She said, confessing that this was one of her biggest fears.

"Hates you? It'll never happen, I promise. You didn't do anything wrong either, I know Big Mac's really cute!" Sugar Belle said sweetly between soft laughs. "I think I owe you an apology."

"But you haven't done anything wrong."

"I know but..."

"Ugh, this is so complicated!"

"I know!" She said between soft laughs. "But even so, your feelings are just as valid as ours. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing more to apologize for." Marble said calmly, smiling shyly when Sugar Belle smiled nicely at her.

"Now shall we go home?"

"Yes, let's go, it's really cold out here!" She agreed.

They returned to the Sweet Apple farm and the ponies that stayed on the farm in case she returned, celebrated her return.

The two new friends stayed talking, while they waited for the rest of the team who left to look for Marble to return and both immediately felt a strong bond of friendship appear between them.

After several hours, they returned to the farm to get some rest, but they wouldn't give up easily looking for her, after Sugar Belle also disappeared.

Everyone was surprised to find the two safe and sound there.

"Baby sister, I promise I'll never force you again beyond your limits again, please forgive me!" Pinkie Pie said as she hugged her, a stream of tears streaming down her eyes.

"It's okay sis."

"Never do that again, my youngest daughter, you make us very worried!" Pa Pie said. "What do you have to say about it?"

"I'm sorry Pa, I won't do it again, I promise." She said quietly.

Big Mac hugged his wife, relieved that she was fine, Marble smiled to see that it didn't affect her as much as before.

"Where were you two at?" He asked.

"I found her, then we came here. Sorry for not telling you to not be worried, she was too cold and we couldn't wait any longer." Sugar Belle replied.

"Ah see, are you feeling better now, Marble?" He asked her with a smile.

"Mhm." Marble agreed.

"Good. But why did she run like that when we saw each other?"

Marble didn't answer, she immediately hid her face and turned away from him.

"Hey Marbs, it's okay." Sugar Belle assured her.

"What happened? Is she okay?"

"Let's talk about it later, ok sugar? We're on a holiday after all!" She answered.

Suddenly, Marble was startled when she was hugged by someone, blushing when she saw it was the pony she was talking to.

They smiled at each other, while Sugar Belle elbowed her provocatively.

End of flashbacks:

"We're very happy to be here too!" She said, smiling as she watched her niece playing with Lil' Mac, hopping happily with each other, she had been there since morning, helping her parents prepare all the things for Apple Belle's birthday party, his younger sister.

Since they were little, those two were very close.

"Hi my favorite goddaugther in this whole world!" Sugar Belle said happily, as she took Rocky in her arms and the little filly smiled at her.

"Take great care of her, she's still fragile." Caramel said. He was an overprotective father.

"Honey, Rocky is 2 years old." Marble said.

"Yeah I know sweetheart, but she's still so tiny." He said, while stroking his daughter's dark blue mane.

"Okay, can she go and play with Apple Belle?" Sugar Belle asked.

"No..."

"She can, isn't she, sweetie?" Marble said.

"Of course she can, I was just going to tell my bedpan, so as not to let her play with sharp objects." Caramel specified.

"There are no sharp objects, rest assured." Sugar Belle assured him, before taking the little pony.

When it came time for the birthday song, blow out the candles and cut the cake, Sugar Belle asked that every moment be documented by a camera, every little moment filmed would be very valuable for her children in the future.

While everyone started singing the "happy birthday song", Lil' Mac stopped singing when he saw that his mother was crying, but he was too innocent to see that she was just touched, because she could be at such an important moment in the life of her youngest daughter.

She was concerned when the doctor said she wouldn't be past Friday, but there she was, celebrating the first birthday of her beloved Apple Belle with the people she loved most, on the saturday.

"Mommy, why are you crying?" He asked worriedly, gently passing his paw over her face to wipe away her tears.

"It's nothing, my love, I'm just really happy." She replied, giving him a strong hug. "I love you so much, my baby."

Despite not understanding what was going on, the little foal smiled and hugged his mother back.

"I love you too mommy."

The moment the birthday girl, her older brother and her parents bent down to blow out the candles, Sugar Belle felt a strong headache and stepped back, starting to feel very dizzy too.

"Honey, are you feeling okay?" Big Mac asked, it was not the first time this had happened.

"Yes, sweetie, I just need to go to the bathroom and I'll be right back, you can cut the cake without me." She said, before leaving.

The moment that happened, Marble immediately ended filming, she didn't want Lil' Mac and Apple Belle to see their mother suffering in the only images they would have of her memory.

As a close friend of hers, Sugar Belle confided to her, something she wouldn't tell her children, until they were old enough to understand that their mother was dying. It all started a few months before Apple Belle turned 1, Sugar Belle started having constant headaches and memory lapses.

After several denials, she allowed her husband to take her for a medical evaluation, where after lot of exams, she received the worst news of her life: She had an inoperable brain tumor and had very little time left to live, specifically, a few months.

It was really hard for all her loved ones to accept that in a few months, Sugar Belle would no longer be among them, but after acceptance, they decided that they'd make her happy even in the last moments of her life.

When she reached out to open the bathroom door, she started to feel dizzy again, that wasn't a good sign. Despite the effort she was making to get to her bedroom, everything went black and she passed out right there on the floor.

"I'm gunna take my mom a piece of cake, she'll be happy when she comes out of the bathroom and sees that I took her cake!" Lil' Mac said, also lefting the party and going to the bathroom, taking cake to his mother to make her feel better.

Big Mac smiled, but then sighed sadly at the thought of how sad his son would be at missing his mother. Arriving in the bathroom corridor, Lil' Mac dropped the piece of cake on the floor when he witnessed his mother lying on the floor as if she were dead.

Tears of despair welled in his eyes when he ran up to his mother and tried to revive her.

"Mommy, mommy wake up mommy, please wake up ..."
> Chapter 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It made sense that the little colt was so desperate, Sugar Belle never let her son witness her fainting spells, which were made less constant by the medicines she went through, but they still happened.

"Mommy wake up, someone please help me, help!" He screamed amid cries, which, despite the commotion of the party still going on, reached Lil' Cheese's ears, who also left the party and followed her friend's screams, also despairing when she saw his mother passed out on the floor.

"Oh my gosh Lil' Mac, what happened with aunt Sugar Belle?" She asked, equally afflicted.

"I don't know, I came to deliver a piece of cake to her and I found her like this!" He answered between loud sobs.

"Stay calm, your mom will be fine, okay?" She assured him. "I, I'm going to get help!"

"Fine!" He replied, while hugging his mother's head and pressing his cheek to her face. "Please wake up mommy!"

Time skip ...

Sugar Belle was rushed to the city hospital, where it didn't take long for the doctor to give news about her to the family, who were waiting in the waiting room.

"So, doctor? How's my wife doing?" Big Mac asked, longing for answers about her.

The pony gave a sad sigh and took off her work hat.

"I'm not going to lie to you. You have to be strong, she doesn't last this night!"

At the last visit to the doctor, he said Sugar Belle wouldn't be past Friday and she was doing very well on Saturday. This gave hope to Big Mac that his wife was healing and the two would spend their entire lives together and die many years after old age still together.

That news hurt more than any injury that was caused during his hard work days on the farm. Although it was the reality that they'd have to face, he couldn't accept that the love of his life had her minutes counted.

"Miss, is my mommy going to die?" Lil' Mac asked, as tears of sadness welled up in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, yes, dear!" The doctor replied. "Would you like to say goodbye to her?"

Before he answered, his father hit the hooves on the floor, scaring everyone in the room.


"No, no, Sugar Belle can't leave us!" Big Mac said, running to the room where she was.

"Oh sour apples, I hope my brother will be fine!" Applejack said, while hugging and comforting her nephew.

"Yes he will, he's in a state of denial, it's completely normal for a person who's about to lose someone they loves!" The doctor replied.

"Do you want to say goodbye to your mom, sugarcube?" She asked him.

Lil' Mac cleared the runny nose and nodded.

"Come on, I'll show you where the room is!" The doctor said, accompanying him.

Once there, her heart rate became weaker by the minute, but the whole time she had a smile on her face.

"My love, I'm not ready, please don't leave me. I don't know what my life will be without you!" Big Mac said between desperate sobs, holding her paw against his face.

"My love, I love you so much!" She whispered, using her last strength to say the last words.

"I love you too!" He replied, struggling to smile.

"My life was amazing, because you followed a lot of it with me, but just because I'm leaving, it doesn't mean that your life will end too. We have 2 beautiful children and they'll need you a lot when I'm not here anymore. So I need you to promise me, that your life will continue, even without me here!"

He knew he'd never feel able to make that promise, but he'd make an effort for his wife, after all, it was a request on her deathbed.

"... I promise, sweetie!" He replied, the most difficult words he has ever had to say.

Sugar Belle smiled gladly and looked at her son, who was looking sadly at her, with his paws resting on the edge of the bed.

"My baby, unfortunately I won't be able to see you and your sister grow up, can you please forgive me for that, dear?" She said, she was so weak that her voice came out almost in a whisper.

"None of this is your fault, of course I forgive you!" He replied in a tearful voice.

"Thank you so much. Never forget that I'll always be with you my love, even when you won't be able to see me, okay? I love you!"

"I love you too, mommy, I'm gonna miss you so much!"

Sugar Belle smiled and slowly held out her paw, holding her son's.


"Honey, do you know if Marble came too? I'd like to see her!" She asked her husband.

"No, Applejack told me that she went to take her parents to her house!"

"I'll not live long until she arrives. Come closer, dear, please!"

Big Mac complied with her request and approached, with the ear close to her lips he'd never again have the joy of kissing.

"Tell her that ... Although I hurt her and I'll never forgive myself for that ... She was the best friend anyone could have. And I also asked her to take care of our two greatest treasures ..."

After that, nothing was heard in the room but a constant "pi". She seemed to be sleeping beautifully, a sleep from which she'd never wake up.

"Sugar Belle?" He called out to her, starting to cry compulsively when she didn't respond, hugging her lifeless body tightly to his, While Lil' Mac never let go of his mother's paw.

It was hard to get them away from the body, several nurses had to hold both while the body was removed to be taken to the morgue. 


Time skip ...

The only thing now that worried Big Mac, was how he would tell his little one-year-old daughter, who was completely happy celebrating her birthday party, that her mother had died.

She was too small to understand that death, especially that of family members, was a very bad thing. But surely Sugar Belle's death would have a big impact on her life when she was older.

"Don't worry big brother, I told Rainbow Dash that I'll have to stay here for a while to help you take care of things!" Applejack said. "Oh, I have to see if Apple Bloom can stay here too!"

"You don't have to do this AJ, you two have your own lives to live!" He replied.

"Hey, nothing's more important than our family and you're my family. We're going to be glued to you all and I don't want an excuse!"

"Alright then, thanks sister, I love you!" He said, pulling her in for another hug.

"I love you too, I'm sorry again!"

In the house, Brieburn was taking care of the little girl who had just woken up and was crying a lot.

"I think she misses you!" Their cousin said it out loud so that his voice would rise above her crying.

As soon as she saw her father, Apple Belle immediately stopped crying and smiled, reaching out to him.

"Papa!" The filly baby said.

"Hi my darling!" He said, taking her in his arms and looking affectionately at her with eyes that were swollen and red from crying. 

The reason the baby unicorn had her mother's eyes, almost made Big Mac cry again and lamenting why the world was so cruel in taking away one of his greatest treasures.


"Where's my mommy?" Apple Belle asked innocently.

Big Mac had to try not to start crying again and explain to her what happened.

"Honey ... Your mommy made a very long trip. She went to heaven!" He replied. "But don't worry, 'cause me, your brother and our whole family will take care of you, ok? You'll never be alone!"

"And when will she be back from there?" She asked, which was too much for him.

"Please take care of her!" He said, holding back the tears as he gave his daughter into her aunt's arms and ran to the bedroom to cry until he couldn't take it anymore.
> Chapter 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where are you going BM?" She asked her nephew when she saw him walking towards the stairs.

"I'm a little tired, I stayed up all night, excuse me aunt AJ!" He replied while wiping his tears and went to his room to rest a little. 

"Okay, good rest!" She said, right after she started lulling her niece and went outside, to watch the sunrise.

Applejack sat in the old rocking chair of the late Granny Smith and hummed a lullaby for Apple Belle to sleep.

Seeing the situation of her nephew and niece, she remembered her childhood without her parents. She always missed a motherly affection and the paternal encouragement that all her friends had and she didn't want her nephew and niece to have to go through the same thing, but life had other plans, cruel and unpredictable.

At least they still had their father. It was so hard for him to be emotionally strong, which he wanted to be the way he was physically strong, but for his children, he'd try everything. When the day finally dawned, one of her best friends arrived with her family and by their sad faces, she deduced that they already knew about her sister-in-law's death. 

"Hi Applejack, we came as soon as we heard!" Pinkie said. "Sorry we didn't stay, we were a little tired with planning the party!"

"No worries, It's OK!" She assured the pink earth pony.


"We're here to offer our sincere condolences!" Cheese Sandwich said, taking one of the crazy party hats off his head and pressing it against his chest.

"Thank you very much guys!" She thanked him, forcing a smile.

"What about Lil' Mac? How's he doing?" Lil 'Cheese asked, immensely concerned.

"We wanted to leave this little one sleeping at home, but she insisted on coming!" Cheese said between chuckles, ruffling her mane.


"It's alright, the poor little colt is desolate. No wonder, he lost his mother so young!"

"Where's he? Can I go and talk to him?"

"Sure sugarcube, he's in his room. He may be sleeping right now, but you can still go there!" She answered.

"Thank you!" She said, soon after she turned and hugged her mother. "I love you so much mommy!"

Pinkie smiled, looking affectionately at her as she stroked her mane.

"I love you too, my little love pie!" She said sweetly. 

After hugging her mother, she jumped up and kissed her father on the cheek.

"Love you too papa!"

"Me too sweet pumpkin!"

"Now I'll see how he's doing!" She said, entering the house.


"These two will end up getting married!" Cheese said, wrapping one of his paws around his wife's shoulders.

"Dad!" Lil 'Cheese complained in an indignant tone, which made the three laugh.

"Sorry sugar!" He said between laughs, knowing that saying that always pissed his daughter off.

"But what about Marble? I remember that the two were best friends, they went together everywhere when she wasn't with my brother!" Applejack asked.

"The poor thing cried all night when she heard about her death, it was only this morning that she managed to sleep!" Pinkie replied.

"SB was really amazing, she managed to make friends with everyone she knew, but none was as strong as the friendship she had with your sister!" Applejack said, smiling at the sweet memories her late sister-in-law brought.

Meanwhile, Lil' Cheese walked to her best friend's room. When she put her ear to the door to listen and see if he was sleeping as his aunt had said, she felt bad to hear him crying compulsively.

She knocked on the door and went inside. He was lying on the bed, his face buried in the pillow, probably drenched in tears of pain and sadness.

"Hey Mac, are you okay?" She asked.

"No, of course I'm not. I'm like this because of you!" He said, leaving Lil' Cheese outraged by that accusation.

"Because of me? But what did I do?" She asked.

"You said my mom would be fine, but now she's DEAD, this is the exact opposite of fine!" He screamed at the top of his lungs to her.

"Mac, look, I'm really sorry for what happened to your mom, but I didn't know anything, I said that because I wanted to calm you down!" She said, keeping calm because he had lost his mother.

"Saying that is very easy, you still have your mother huh?" He retorted.

Lil' Cheese was scared, she no longer recognized her best friend.


"... You know what? If you really think so, maybe we should stop being friends!" She said, leaving his room and started to cry, even if she didn't wanted to. They had never argued before for more than a silly reason, like when one of them cheated at a game, but they soon made up.

Seeing that he accused his friend unjustly, Lil' Mac soon regretted having treated her that way. He ran after her, hoping for them to be reconciled.

"Cheesecake, please wait!" He said, when he saw that she wouldn't stop.

"For what? For you to insult me ​​and accuse me unfairly again? No, I'll pass!" She replied coldly without stopping walking.


Seeing that there was no other way to stop her, he held one of her paws, which made her stop and look at him with a remarkable expression of anger and indignation, but at the same time with tears in her eyes.


"... Please listen, I'm so sorry, okay? I'm sad and angry, but taking it out on you isn't fair. Could you forgive me? You're my best friend in this whole world and I ... I just can't lose you too!"

Seeing that the Bright MacIntosh the Second she knew had returned, she smiled, which made him smile back.

Suddenly, he was surprised when she kissed him on the cheek and hugged him. Despite the pain he felt for his mother, Lil' Mac felt something at least weird that he had never felt before, it was as if 1000 butterflies were flying inside his stomach.

"It's alright, I forgive you!" She said sweetly. 

"Thank you, I'm sorry again!" He whispered back.

"I'm really sorry for your mom. It didn't happen to me, but I know that someday if I lose my mom, I'd be heartbroken too!" She said, rubbing his back gently with one paw.

"I know. I miss her so much already, of her hugs, when she stayed by my side until I fell asleep when I had a nightmare. She sang out of tune, but I would do anything to hear her sing again at least one last time!" He said, started crying again, but was feeling better with Lil' Cheese's confort.

"There, there, cry all the pain out, I'm here!"


A few days later, Sugar Belle's body was released to be buried. It seemed that all the pegasus knew what was going on, because they scheduled to rain on Ponyville that day, which totally combined with the sad mood that was her wake.

Marble Pie approached the white coffin with golden details with a bouquet of daisies and cherry blossoms, Sugar Belle's favorite flowers and placed on it to be buried next to her.

"Thanks for coming!" Big Mac, who was always by the coffin, thanked her.

"I couldn't help but come, after all she was my best friend!" She replied, as tears started to stream down her cheeks.

He opened one arm and she didn't hesitate to accept his hug. Separating themselves from the embrace, the two forced smiles to show that they'd always support each other.

"I'm really sorry for you and the kids too. She asked me and I'll keep the promise, whenever they need anything, you can call me!" She said.

"Thank you, Marble!" He replied.

After a nod, she sat back in her seat next to her husband and daughter, resting her head on Caramel's shoulder, who lovingly stroked her mane.

Soon after, the Mayor of Ponyville took the stage to say a few things, while everyone listened to her quietly.

"And now let's hear some words from her family, who wrote eulogies for her!" She said. "Bright MacIntosh the Second, go on stage!"

"Are you ready for this?" Lil' Cheese asked him, they had their paws interwined all the time.

"No, but I'll go!" He said, taking the paper with the words and went on stage. "My mom was the most beautiful and sweet mare in the whole world. My best friend always says that when a pony dies, they become a star, so that they can look after their family members who are still on the earth. Every day now I look for for the biggest and brightest star in the sky, I feel it could be her. Before she died, she said she'd always be with me, which made me totally sure that even though she's not a star, her spirit is somewhere watching over me. I'll always love you mommy and I'll miss you every day of my life. Thank you!"

He came down from the stage and hugged his best friend as tightly as his arms could. He didn't know why, but being with her made him feel better.

After all the eulogies she received, which were many, her coffin was finally closed to be buried.

But before that happened, Big Mac noticed his little unicorn wanting to reach her mother's body, but she couldn't.

"Wait just a second, please!" He asked the gravediggers. Soon after he took Apple Belle in his arms and lifted her up to the coffin. She stretched out one leg and stroked the forehead of Sugar Belle's body.

"Bye, mommy!" She said.

At that moment, Big Mac saw that his daughter wasn't too small and innocent to understand the things around her, each one had a way of dealing with grief and so did she.

The death of a loved one is something that no one's really prepared for, everyone consoled themselves with the fact that life wasn't over and even with the pain they felt, they knew that someday they'd overcome, despite never forgetting.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

7 years later ...

Even living with the pain, everyone moved on, facing the bad times and enjoying the good times.

At 18, Bright Mac became a big, strong stallion like his father, but with remarkable freckles just above his snout that reminded everyone of his grandfather. But despite that, like his mother, the passion of his life was the art of being a baker, which perfectly matched his cutie mark and he was faithfully dedicated to it.

On the other hand, with the brute strength she inherited from her father and her mother's magic horn, Apple Belle took care of the farm's chores, picking apples from trees, plowing fields, etc., which earned her a cutie mark of one green apple heart-shaped.

Rocky, like her aunt, chose a special talent that wasn't related to stones like the rest of the family: Painting, which gave her the cutie mark of a paint palette and a brush. She and Apple Belle remained inseparable friends, always playing together when she finished the farm's chores.

With the expansion of her sister's business, Marble Pie was called to be her secretary at Sugarcube Corner. Despite not knowing anything but working with things related to stones, Pinkie was super patient with her and in a short time, Marble became the most efficient secretary in Ponyville.

She was writing and organizing correspondence when the phone rang.

"Hello, this is Sugarcube Corner ... A party for next Saturday? We're a little overwhelmed with the events, but I'm going to talk to my sister and brother-in-law and see if they can handle it, okay? You're welcome, have a good night!"

Meanwhile, Chee Chee carried a box of confetti to the upstairs of the house, where her aunt was.

"Who called?" She asked.

"A dragon wanting an organization for a birthday party!" She answered.

"But my parents are a little overwhelmed and Pumpkin went to spend some days with her brother and sister-in-law at the Crystal Empire!" Chee Chee said.

"Yes, but I'll see with them, we cannot disappoint a 6 year old girl!"

Chee Chee thought, until she shrieked when an idea came to her mind.

"They never let me organize a party alone before, this is my big chance!" She said happily.

"Chee Chee, are you sure this is a good idea?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Auntie, I'm already 20, how will you guys know if I can handle my responsibilities if you don't give me any?"

"Hmm. Yeah you're right, you're no longer a filly. So you can talk to them when they arrive!"

"Yayy, I will!" She said, leaping down the stairs to get another box, when she saw Bright Mac and a big smile broke across her lips.

He was returning from the bakery that opened in Ponyville last year with a loan that Big Mac gave him, but he assured his father that he would pay every last penny, which wouldn't be long because business was going so well.

Upon noticing Chee Chee, he too was filled with joy and went to her. They did not play together as often as when they were children due to their new responsibilities, but they always spent their free time together when they could.

"What's up? How was your job today?" He asked, totally interested in how her day went.

"Well, I don't have anything 100% confirmed yet, but I think I will organize a party on my own!" She announced excitedly.

"Really? Did your parents finally allow it?" He smiled.

"Not 100% like I said, but they already have so much to do and Pumpkin is out, but Cheesecake Pie is here!"

"I hope you can do it, you really want this. What are you doing now?"

"Carrying these leftover boxes up there, this job is totally no fun!"

"Do you want some help with that?" He offered. 

"I don't know, this is my job and you worked all day, you must be dying to get home and sleep!"

"No, I have some time left!" He said and turned, starting to search the cart. Until he took out a cupcake with pink icing and a small strawberry on top. "It's your favorite!"

"Awww you don't have to!" She said, while her cheeks flushed.

"It's nothing, it's one of the things left in the store today so I kept this one for you!" He replied, his cheeks also flushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Now how many boxes are left?"

"About 3, it's over there!"

He took it one by one to the top floor, just when Chee Chee finished eating her cupcake.

"You know you're the best friend in this world, right?" She said, when he was ready to return home after loading the boxes, just as the store was closing.

"No, you are. I'll never forget how much you helped and supported me when my mom died!" He said, looking affectionately at her.

Chee Chee smiled, approached and kissed him on the cheek, which unconsciously made him feel like he was floating.

"That's what best friends do, they take care of each other!" She said.

"I know, I learned from the best. Well, see you tomorrow!" He said, connecting the wagon rope back to his body and walked back to the farm.

She smiled as her gaze reached him, until he disappeared over the horizon and her smile slowly faded. She always missed Bright Mac when they weren't together, not knowing why, but she figured it was because they loved each other as ... Siblings? Perhaps?

"Ooooohhhhh I can almost see little pink hearts floating over your head!" Marble teased her. After a few years of training, she began to reveal the layers of her personality that were overshadowed by her shyness.

"What? Oh auntie stop, he's my best friend and nothing more!" She said, outraged.

"I've heard this talk before!" Marble laughed.

In fact, Chee Chee had no problem with that, what worried her was that she was really falling in love with her sixth, or who knows how many degrees cousin.

Despite the teasing, they were joking around and she didn't know how the Pies and Apples would react if the two were serious, so she'd do her best to make sure nothing happened between them.

Except getting away from him, that was practically impossible.

Marble returned home and after dinner, her favorite time of day came. The day at Sugarcube Corner was really busy and she didn't want to do anything but sleep for the next few hours.

"Mommy, can I sleep with you and Daddy in your room?" Rocky asked when her mom put her to sleep.

"My love, it's very important that you get used to sleeping alone to be able to create independence, okay?" She replied, before giving her daughter a tender kiss on the forehead.

"Ok, good night!"

"Good night, sweetie!" She said, turning off the light and left, slowly closing the bedroom door so as not to make a noise.

Arriving in the bedroom, she felt herself in heaven when her head rested on the soft pillow. Suddenly, her eyes widened when her husband slid his hoove down her leg.

It only meant one thing.

"Oh no, for Celestia's sake not today, we can do it tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, for two days really excited, but not today!" She said mentally starting to despair.

"Honey, I'm so tired, let's do it tomorrow. I promise that tomorrow I won't hesitate!" She said, as he hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm going to put an end to your tiredness. I'm going to the bathroom and I'll be right back!"

As soon as she heard the sound of the door closing, Marble rushed to Rocky's room as quickly as possible, took her daughter in her arms and carried her to her room. Caramel came out of the bathroom and was confused when he saw his daughter in their bed.

"She had a horrible nightmare baby, as she's in childhood, now and then we have to let her sleep with us to show support!" She said.

"OK, if you think so!" He said, failing to hide disappointment and lay on the bed, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead before sleep.

"Phew, I'm glad it worked, I'm exhausted!" She said mentally, before turning off the lamp next to the bed.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was observing herself in front of the big mirror in her room, which was next to a distorted one.

She quickly straightened any pink hair that might be out of place. She did a sensual pose and vibrated when she saw that she was ready.

"Tootsie Wootsie!" She called for her husband.

"I'm coming my love!" Cheese shouted from the bathroom.

She ran closer to him, but not seeing the small chair halfway, accidentally hit one of her hooves on it, which hurt more than she thought. Before the cry of pain escaped, she held her lips and composed herself.

"What happened? I heard a noise, are you okay?" 

"Yes, yes nothing happened, don't worry!" She said, but inside she was: 

"There's no pain Pinkie, there's no pain, the pain's only in your mind!"

After relieving some of the pain by rubbing her hoof, she locked the bedroom door.

"Hey cheesy sweetie pie, the girls are sleeping!" She hummed. 

"How nice, sugar!" He said.

Upon noticing him coming from the bathroom, Pinkie leaned against the wall and did the pose, but he didn't notice her.

"Darling? Where are you?" He asked when he didn't see her lying on the bed.

Pinkie rolled her eyes and approached him, poking his shoulder.

"Oh, there you are!" He smiled, but soon found it strange when she started looking at him with a suggestive smile. "What is it? Is there anything strange about my pajamas?"

"No, I love your pajamas!" She said in a quite despondently tone of voice.

"What happened? Are you okay?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

She came closer, making their lips come dangerously close.

"I've been better!" She whispered.

"What happened Pinkie?"

"The girls slept, I locked the door and it's just the two of us here, you look handsome, I look beautiful!" She gave tips, starting to strip him of his robe.

Cheese's eyes widened when he finally understood what his wife wanted. The night was one of the only times when they could spend time together alone, so why not?

"Got it, I got it!" He said, wrapping his front legs around her body and pulling her closer to him. "No one knows how much I love you!"

"Oh, but I love you more!" She said back, before attacking his face with kisses.

Meanwhile, their 5-year-old daughter Buttercup, name they named her because her skin was oranged-brown and her curly mane was brown, colors that made everyone remember the candy, but she had Pinkie's blue eyes, woke up from a nightmare.

At the same time, Chee Chee got up to have a glass of water. She found it strange to see her little sister awake with Boneless 7 in her arms and still very sleepy.

"Butty, what's wrong? Are you gotta go to the bathroom?" She asked.

"No, I just had a nightmare!" She replied, scratching one of eyes.

"Awww this is dreadful, do you want to sleep with me in my room?" She offered.

"No thank you big sis, I wanna go to sleep with mommy and daddy!" Buttercup politely declined.

"Okay, good night then!" Chee Chee said, giving her a tender kiss on the forehead and went back to her bedroom.

Buttercup walked down the hall to the parents' bedroom door and turned the handle to open the door and enter.

"Wait, wait, what was that noise?" Cheese said, reluctantly breaking away from her.

"Nothing, just ignore it!" Pinkie said, kissing his lips again.

Seeing that she couldn't open the door, Buttercup began to beat it as hard as her little paw could.

"I think it's Butty!"

"Mommy, Daddy, the door is locked!" She screamed, which stopped them.

"I think it's over, right?" He said.

"Yeah, today it won't happen!" She agreed.

"Why did you lock the door?" She screamed again, as she turned the handle incessantly to try to open it.

They both looked at each other and laughed. Pinkie got up from the bed, walked to the door and opened it, from where a very angry Buttercup entered.

"Why did you two lock the door?" She asked, wanting to look serious, but she looked too cute to be taken seriously.

"Sorry baby, sometimes your dad and I lock the door so we can ..." Pinkie tried to explain, while Cheese buttoned up his pajamas again.

"Do you allow me?" She asked.

"Sure, sunshine!"

"What happened to my little princess? Did you had a nightmare?" Cheese asked, noticing the sad expression on her face.

"Yes, it was awful. After Apple Belle said that before her mom died, her dad and her aunts lost their parents, I got scared and dreamed that you two left me too!" She explained, almost crying again.

Pinkie Pie was soon moved and took her little filly in her arms.

"Awww my love, this isn't gonna happen okay? We'll always be with you, always!"

Buttercup smiled and stroked her mother's cheek with one of her paws. She put Buttercup to bed and she ran to her father, also giving him a show of affection.

"Now, at the first Olympics in my own room, number 23 athlete, Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie said, moving away for a distance and ran, climbing on the bed doing a somersault.

"You're awesome, mom!" She said between laughs.

"Everyone tickling mommy!" Cheese screamed and everyone tickled each other and laugh louder.

"Hey cutie pies, Chee Chee must still be sleeping!" Pinkie warned them.

"Eh, not really!"

They looked towards the door and there she was. She was quick to run and jump on the bed with them.

"I'm too excited to sleep after you two allowed me to organize a party on my own for the first time!"

"We know angel eyes, but we have to sleep because tomorrow we still have work to do, will you sleep here with us too?" Cheese asked.

"Yeah, we can accommodate ourselves, let's do it like tetris!" Pinkie said, moving in bed and looking like the video game block, which made her husband and daughters burst out laughing. It was music for her ears to hear the ponies she loved most having fun.

The next day, after a good night's sleep that she almost didn't had, Marble went into the bathroom and took a shower to prepare for another day's work.

She didn't just work as a secretary, some days she helped her twin sister with some small unresolved things and that day, it'd be for a wedding.

While washing the mane full of shampoo, Marble couldn't help but be confused when the water in the shower stopped pouring. She tried to turn the tap on, but it didn't work.

"Hey Caramel, I think the shower has stopped working!" She told her husband when she came out of the bathroom and saw him walking down the hall.

"Oh, it's a test I'm doing!" He replied.

"What do you mean?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I created a system that cuts the bath water after 5 minutes, because it's a sustainable way to save water in the world!" He explained.

"Honey, I think it's very beautiful that you care about our planet like that, but don't you think you should've warned me before?"

"Oh. You're right Marbs, I forgot, sorry!"

"Did you forget? A mare of this size with a huge mane needs enough water to wash me!" She protested.

"Marble It's 5 minutes. Isn't that enough time?"

Before Marble could retort that question, the door bell rang and she went to answer the door.

"What a longer shower!" Caramel muttered under his breath.

When the door opened, she saw that it was her sister, with the bride's dress in her arms.

"Marble, the bride's at the wedding site, but the dress zipper broke because she's, how can I say? A bit overweight!" Pinkie explained.

"There's no way for me to sew this now, sew it there at the wedding with her, that I'm already going!" She said, handing a small box to her sister.

"But ... What happened to your mane?" She asked, finally noticing. "This is your husband's thing, right?"

"You got it right, the bath here at home only lasts 5 minutes now, I can't even get the shampoo out!"

"But did you explain to him that there's no way a mare your size can bathe like that? Or you wash your mane or wash your body!"

"Hi Aunt Pinkie!" Rocky greeted her smiling.

"Hi my little painter, let me cover your ears that we're gossiping about your father!" She said, while putting headphones on her niece. "And then?"

"So if I talk to him about it, he thinks it's super normal!" Marble said, ending with a snort.

"How complicated huh? Can I say? Sometimes I understand that you want to divorce Caramel!" She said.

"You want what?" He asked, making them both startle at first with his presence.

"Why didn't you tell me he was after me?" Pinkie whispered, but Marble was too shocked to respond. "Don't be upset Caramel, this is silly, talk out what we're doing here and everyone who has been married or is married has already thought about getting divorced, haven't you?"

"I already thought, but I never talked about it, which is completely different!" He replied, leaving Marble surprised, but at the same time bewildered.

"... Have you thought about divorcing me?" She asked quietly.

"Apparently, you too!" Caramel replied coldly, before leaving without saying anything more.

It was at that moment, when Marble realized that her marriage was being like coffee, when it cools or ages, it loses its flavor. And it was desperate.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry to eat, little Hercules?" Bright Mac asked his younger sister when he saw her devouring her pancake plate too quickly.

"The cider season is coming, we have to work twice as hard." She replied with her mouth full, which was almost intelligible, but they understood.

"Honey, you know that talking with your mouth full is rude." Big Mac said.

"Sorry daddy." She said, before swallowing the food she was chewing and gave a little burp.

"And as for the cider season, now that you're back to school, you can leave it to Dad and me for now." Her brother assured her.

"What? But you have the bakery to look after and Dad's too old to look after the farm." She protested.

"Hey, your old man is not that old, don't worry my little caramel apple, we'll take care of it. I'm so proud that you like taking care of the family business so much, but you're still 8 years old, you also need to study and play like other foals your age."

"And I already put someone in the bakery administration, so I have plenty of time to help here on the farm now." Bright Mac said, giving Apple Belle her bagpack packed with everything she needed for the first day of school. "I made your favorite things for lunch."

"Thanks big bro. So it's okay." She said with a smile.

"And if you want, you can help here on the farm on weekends when you don't have class."

"I liked the idea, okay dad!"

Suddenly, they started to hear knocking on the door. Bright Mac answered and smiled when she saw that they were her friends/cousins.

"Good morning, girls!" He greeted them with a smile.  

"Good morning Bright Mac." Rocky greeted him cheerfully back.

"Is Apple Belle ready to go?" Andesite, whom everyone called Andi, asked.

"Yes, little sister, your little friends are waiting for you to go to school!" He screamed.

Apple Belle went there and when she saw her best friends, she felt that getting away from the farm chores wouldn't be that bad.

"Hi girls!"

They joined in a group hug and walked together to school. The young purple stallion watched them for a while, before returning to the kitchen.

"Let me do the dishes, dad." Bright Mac offered, starting to collect the dishes to put in the sink.

"Okay, thank you son." Big Mac thanked him with a smile and went to the living room.

He sat on the couch and took a deep breath. Despite missing Sugar Belle every single day, his life was good. She would be really proud to see what their son and daughter have become. Shortly thereafter, he picked up the family photo album from one of the bookshelf shelves, opened on the page of his wedding photos and looked at it affectionately.

After washing the dishes and saving the leftover breakfast things, Bright Mac went looking for his father to start the chores on the farm, smiling when he found him looking at the great family photo album and joined to look and remember.

"You two look so happy in this picture." He said, when they were looking at the photos.

"And we were. That was the happiest day in your mother's life, after the days when you and your sister were born, of course." Big Mac said.

"... Hey dad." He called, but he was still a little apprehensive if what he would say might upset him.

"Yes, son?" Big Mac said, while turning the album page.

"I've been thinking, it's been 7 years since mom died and I know we're going to miss her forever. But I remember very well that you promised that your life would go on even without her."

"What do you mean? I'm moving on ..."

"This year's already your seventh 'Day of the 4 Loves' alone, I know mom would like you to meet an interesting, nice pony lady to love and who would gives you love too. You don't have to forget my mom, but you don't have to spend the rest of your days alone either."

Big MacIntosh became thoughtful. He had thought about it before, but he never thought one of his children had that reaction.

"You're right, son. But what about you and your sister? Do you both agree with that?"

"We'll agree with any decision that makes you happy, Dad." The young stallion replied, leaning over and leaning on his father's body.

"So it's all right, on the next
'Day of the 4 Loves', I'll try to find my second special somepony."

Bright Mac smiled happily.

"Now we better get cracking, the cider season's coming!"

They got up and went together to the barn and choose the apples.

Meanwhile, Marble and Pinkie arrived at the wedding in time and managed to fix the bride's dress.

"Look what a beautiful start, the couple in love, at the beginning of the walk." Marble said with a smile, as she contemplated the bride and groom exchanging the wedding rings.

She remembered her wedding day, she was so happy and in love with the pony she married. Why did things had to change that much?

"Yes, when I see weddings I also remember mine, although mine was a bit more cheerful." Pinkie said.

"I think I have entered a comfort zone, it's not only because he's my daughter's father that I'll have him forever, I have to invest in my marriage."

"That's it, you can't invest in your wedding without desire. So, this weekend you travel with him to a beautiful place, like Canterlot. To see if the passion between you two resurfaces ok? I'll take care of Rocky for you."

"Are you seriously going to do this for me Pinkie?" Marble said, controlling herself not to scream for joy and interrupt the wedding.

"Of course, you're my sister, I do anything for you. Oh and after work I'll take you to a store where I buy my little toys."

Marble's smile widened even more and she hugged her sister tightly.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Marbs!" Pinkie whispered back, stroking her back.

Time skip ...

"I think that's what I needed, do you know what a beige wedding looks like, with no color at all?" She asked, when she and her twin sister left the store with bags on their backs.

"Hmm, I really don't know, but for a colorless wedding I recommend this dildo here." Pinkie said, taking a rainbow-colored dildo out of one of the bags, which made Marble burst out laughing.

Meanwhile, Bright Mac finishedthe farm chores and he couldn't get Chee Chee out of his mind. He started looking for Marble all over Ponyville, he had friends, but Marble was his most trusted confidant, the first pony with which he felt safe in telling all his insecurities, fears and secrets.

Finally, after hours of searching, he found her, still in Pinkie's company.

"Marble, I'm glad I found you!" He said between paintings when he ran up to her. "Oh, hi Mrs. Pie."

"Brighty wity, we've already talked about it, you can call me what everyone else calls me: Pinkie Pie!" Pinkie warned him again.

"Okay, I'll try to remember that." He said, giving a nervous laugh.

"But were you looking for me dear?" Marble asked, since he said her name when he arrived.

"Yes, I really need to talk to you, it's... It's one of those conversations." He explained, making their secret gesture.

"Oh, I get it."

"So I think I'll let the two of you talk to each other alone, see you later Marbs?" Pinkie said.

"Of course sister and thank you again, see you."

"See you, for both." Pinkie said, before heading home.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" She said, in a sweet and understanding voice.

"Well ... Recently I ... There are times that ..." Bright Mac said, seeming to be unable to find the right words, while his cheeks turned a strong shade of red.

"Hey, you know you can trust me, say what ails you." She assured him.

He took a deep breath and decided that those words would come out anyway.

"Well, there's a girl ..."

"Ohhh I already suspected." She said between soft laughs. "So are you in love?"

"Yes, she's so amazing, sweet, funny and somewhat hot-headed, but even that I like about her." He described his object of affection in one of the most passionate ways Marble had ever heard.

She knew he was talking about her niece, but decided not to ask who was so as not to make him uncomfortable.

"And what are you waiting for to tell her that you love her?"

"Well, I'm so scared, I feel that if I'm rejected by her, I'll end up dying of heartbreak." He replied.

"That's horrible, dear, don't think so, you're such a great guy, you're loving, loyal and attentive. Any mare would be very lucky to have your love."

"Thank you, but I feel that if my heart isn't hers, it won't be anyone else's. I feel deep down that she's my special somepony."

"Well, are you okay with keeping that feeling so great for yourself?"

"... No."

"So if she happens to reject you, at least you'll have your conscience clean for declaring your love. I know everything will be all right."

Bright Mac smiled at her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you Marble, thank you so much for listening and for the advices!" He thanked her and immediately ran back home, as he had a plan in mind.

Marble smiled genuinely. At first, she just took care of him and Apple Belle for her best friend's request to her, but over time, she felt she started to get attached to them and love them as if they were her own children.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coming home that day, Marble talked with her husband and he happily agreed with the idea that they'd spend some time together, somewhere on the coast, which was one of Marble's favorite places in the world.

She was very confident that everything would work out.

"Mommy is going to want to know everything you're going to do this weekend when I get back, okay?" Marble said, as she put the mane brush in her daughter's small suitcase.

"We're going to have a lot of fun, right, Aunt Pinkie?"

"You got it right, the only rule in my house is that everyone have fun 'til they pass out... In a good way!" Pinkie announced happily, making Rocky vibrate with enthusiasm.

"Surprise!" Caramel exclaimed, entering the living room with a gift box.

"Hi honey, I was just waiting for you for us to travel!" Marble said with a smile. "But what about this box?"

"Rocky's gift arrived earlier, I had to get it!" He explained.

"A gift for me?" Rocky asked, her eyes bright with joy.

"Because you got good grades, it's more than deserved sweetie. Come and see!"

Marble smiled and looked affectionately at the scene, until her smile slowly faded when she saw that her husband had given their daughter a pet pig.

The earth pony again became stressed by the fact that her husband also didn't communicate about the pet pig, but there was nothing she could do, since Rocky had already become attached to it.


"... I can't believe what I'm seeing!" She said. "Pinkie, you're going to take Rocky and the pig so I can be happy with my husband on the beach, right?" She asked, a little apprehensive if her sister had changed her mind.

"What a pig is for someone who has a giant crocodile, right?" Pinkie joked. "Rocky dear, let's go!" She called for her niece, while picking up her luggage for her weekend.

"Yay, is Buttercup there?" She asked, with her pig on her back.

"Yes, you two will be roommates!"

"That'll be really cool, but auntie, I've been thinking, can I call my friends to have a sleepover there with us?" Rocky asked with pleading eyes. 

"Rocky, don't abuse your aunt's hospitality too much, sweetheart!" Marble said, while stroking her head.

"No, it's okay, she can!" Pinkie assured her, which immediately made Rocky regain her enthusiasm and joy. "Buttercup has a little trouble making friends, around other people who aren't her family, she's as shy as you were. Who knows it helps?"

"So I guess it's alright!" Marble smiled and shrugged. 

Meanwhile, Bright Mac started putting his plan into action. That day, as soon as he woke up, he went straight to the kitchen and started preparing all of Chee Chee's favorite foods.

He stirred a small pot of stew with a small wooden spoon and took some for his younger sister to taste.

"Is it good? Be honest, everything has to be perfect. She just deserves the best!"

"... A little salt is missing!" Apple Belle replied, just after she turned around, took the jar of salt from the table and handed it to her brother.

"Thank you little sister!" He thanked her, while mixing a small amount of salt in the pot.

"Is nothing!" She replied with a smile, thinking about the goodies her brother would give her in exchange for helping him.

"It looks like things are in full swing here!" Big Mac said as he entered the kitchen and saw his son looking like a galloping master chef.

"Yeah, I'm so confident. But what about you?" Bright Mac asked, pointing the spoon at him. "Did you meet someone special?"

"Take it easy Romeo, I'm a little rusty!" He clarified.

"Well, If you're having difficulty, you can try the blind date!" Apple Belle suggested, which left him confused.

"Excuse me?"

"Blind date is when a pony that has a hard time finding the special somepony, communicates virtually with anonymous ponies chosen randomly by the post office itself and after a few days of conversation, they have a date to see if their relationship works out, if not, you can try again!" The eldest son explained.

"Hey, I was going to say that!" Apple Belle complained, punching him lightly in the leg.

"My bad!" He said between soft laughs.

Big Mac thought it was a great idea, "Blind date" was perfect for shy ponies like him. His eyes shone with hope, until he remembered that he didn't know how to use the computer.

"It's good for those who know how to use computers!" He murmured with his head down.

"It's okay dad, I'll teach you!" The little filly offered, which made him smile. "I mean, right after helping my brother!"

"Alright honey, I'm in no hurry!" Big Mac assured his daughter.

Time skip...

Bright Mac went to Sugarcube Corner to pick up Chee Chee, but before entering, he communicated with his younger sister to see if everything was in order there.


"Lovebird 1 for Green Apple, is everything ready? Change!"

Apple Belle straightened the last balloon ornament and picked up the walk-talk.

"Positive Lovebird 1, cleared to bring Lovebird 2 here!" She answered.

"Well, you can go home and get your cookies!" He said, before turning off the communication device.

Meanwhile, Chee Chee was sweeping the messy floor of confetti, while his co-worker and best friend dragoness Fiamma took care of the cashier.

"Hey Bright Mac!" Fiamma said, when she saw him entering the store.

Upon hearing his name, the young mare immediately raised her head and smiled.

"Hi Fi, Chee Chee, I really wanted to talk to you!" He said, trying to act naturally, but he couldn't hide a little of his nervousness.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" She asked, continuing to sweep the confetti.

"Well, it'll be better if you see it. Will you come with me?" He asked, extending his hoof towards her.

"Look, I'd love to go, but I don't think I can, I'm working now ..."

"You can go if you take your 15-minute break!" Fiamma said, interrupting her.

"Are you sure you won't be overwhelmed working alone here in the store?" Chee Chee asked.

"Relax, I'll be fine, go ahead, I know how curious you are!" The young dragoness assured her.

"Okay then, let's go Mac!" She said.

"Wait, you'll have to put this here first!" He said, taking a blindfold out of the bag.

"Uhhhh, I'm not very confident about that!" Chee Chee said, remembering that bad best seller that she read once.

"Trust me, when did I get you in trouble?" He asked and received a wry look from her. "Just put the blindfold on ok?"

"OK!" She said between soft laughs and put the blindfold in front of her eyes.

It took a while to guide her "blind" to the right place, but he did it.

"I just call to say I love you" She hummed a blind singer's song, which made him laugh.

"We arrived!" He exclaimed.

"Finally!" She said relieved.

He untied the tie and the blindfold fell from her eyes.

Chee Chee was speechless at what she saw.

She thought all the heart shaped balloons and the picnic with all her favorite foods were beautiful, but what really enchanted her was that he did everything in the place that brought the sweetest memories of their childhood.

"The intertwined apple and pear trees where we played when we were little!" She murmured sweetly.

"Yeah, remember when we played chasing each other around them and we did it until we were dizzy?" He said.

"How could I forget?" She replied, walking over to the tree.

"These trees are so important to my family. My grandparents planted them when they got married, my parents got married under it and mark we the names on it as a symbol of eternal love!"

She smiled and was touched to see the initials of love on the trees' trunks, which was "BM + SB", "AJ + RD" and "AB + S".

"I could admire them forever!" She said, while smoothly running her hull in the initials.

"I also wanted to share with the trees the best moments of my life, like now!" He said, which left her confused.

"What does that mean?" Chee Chee asked raising an eyebrow.

Bright Mac didn't answer, just looked at her lovingly in her green eyes, brought one of his paws up to her face and stroked her cheek.

Despite knowing what was going on and wanting to get out of that situation as quickly as possible, for some reason, Chee Chee remained standing, totally lost in his charming and mesmerizing eyes.

"I kept this feeling stuck in my heart for too long, but even if it costs our friendship, I can't hide it anymore. You just makes me so happy and enchants me with this unique way of being. Deep down I've always known since the day we met, but now I'm completely sure that the great love of my life is you and it has always been you. I love you and I'll love you all my life!"

The young mare's heart pounded strong against her chest, stronger than she wanted. She was so confused, her head and heart were completely divided and she didn't know which one she should be guided by.

After the words that touched her soul like nothing before, Chee Chee realized that their faces started to come closer and closer, she had no idea if it was she who was leaning towards him, or he was leaning towards her.

Finally their lips touched and kissed lovingly, forgetting the whole world around them. Her eyes widened when she realized what she was doing and quickly pushed him away from herself with the hooves.

"Why did you do that?" She feigned outrage, drying her lips.

"Please don't treat me like that my love ..." He pleaded with sad eyes.

"No, stop it I'm not your love, Bright Mac I love you, but ... Not like that!" She lied, as a way of driving him away. "We're cousins, this shouldn't happen!"

"We don't know if our families are really related, besides that, it shouldn't be a problem if we love each other!" He retorted, almost bursting into tears.

"I-I don't love you romantically, okay? Good relationships are based on sincerity and I'm being 100% sincere!" She said decidedly.

"Your mouth tells me one thing, but your eyes tell me another. If that's so, how did you kiss me back when I kissed you?"

Lying like that hurt her, but there was no other way, she was completely against incest and, ironically, she was practicing for responding to his feelings.

"... It was just an impulse, I'm sorry. You're my best friend in this world and I love you, but if my friendship is not enough for you... We shouldn't be anything else!" She said in a trembling voice, before running with tears in her eyes and leaving Bright Mac with his heart broken into a million pieces.
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chee Chee was sad, but at the same time, very confused. If she was doing what was right, then why did her heart hurt so much?

In the store...

"At this moment the lovebirds must be making a thousand declarations of love for each other!" Fiamma said, while selling 3 donuts to a griffin who was a friend of Bright Mac.

"Finally, huh? He's been falling for her since we were kids!" He commented, recalling the time when they were pre-teens and his friend sighed through the corners for Chee Chee.

Suddenly, they turned towards the door when they heard it open. Fiamma smiled when she saw that it was her friend, but the smile disappeared as soon as the dragoness noticed her sad face and her eyes were swollen from crying.

"Chee Chee, what happened?" She asked worriedly.

She didn't answer, just cried again and went up the stairs, going to the top floor where her mother used to live when she was young.

Despite becoming a secretary, Pinkie's old bed was still there and she lay on it, feeling like doing nothing but crying.

Meanwhile, Rocky went with Buttercup to the farm to invite Apple Belle to their slumber party that day. Just as her aunt helped her mother with her shyness problems, Rocky wanted to help Butty. 

"Why don't you say it? It'll be at your house after all!" She whispered in her younger cousin's ear.

It took Buttercup a while to build up the courage to speak.

"... Uhhhh Apple Belle ..."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand Butty, can you say just a little louder?" Apple Belle asked.

"... There will be a slumber party later at my house and I want to know if you wanna go!" She said, a little louder, but too fast.

"Uh, are you inviting me to a slumber party?"

"That's the one!" She replied, with the muscles tense with nervousness.

"It can be fun, I'd love to, let's go to my room so I can pack my purse!" The little magenta-colored pony said, going up the stairs.

"See? It wasn't that bad, you did it!" Rocky celebrated, hugging her cousin.

Suddenly, the 3 little fillies were startled by the loud noise of the door slamming against the wall.

"Big brother, how did it go?" Apple Belle said, but her brother showed no reaction, then she made another question. "Are you two dating now?"

As soon as he heard that, Bright Mac burst into tears again, pulling her into a hug.

"... Apparently not, right?" She asked, patting him on the back.

"If you don't mind me knowing, what happened to him?" Rocky asked.

"The girl he likes doesn't like him back!" She replied, she was one of the few people who knew who she was, but at her brother's request, she didn't let everyone know.

"No Apple Belle, I know that she loves me too, I know that, I feel that. But she's stubborn as much as I love her!" He said between sobs.

"And why did she reject him?" Buttercup asked, without suspecting they were talking about her older sister.

"... It's a complicated subject!" Apple Belle replied.

"If it weren't for that damn blurred scroll, we would be together now!" He said, leaving Apple Belle and Buttercup confused.

"So, I know this is not the best time to ask this, but are you still coming with us?" Rocky asked.

"I'd really love to, but I don't think I can. I'll have to stay here looking after my brother!" She answered.

"No little sister!" Bright Mac said, breaking away from her and wiping the runny nose. "If you want to go play with your little friends, go ahead, I wanna be alone for a while!"

The little unicorn gave him a concerned look.

"It's okay, I just want to be alone!" He assured her.

"Okay, I'll go. When Dad arrives, can you tell him that I went to spend the night at Butty's house?"

"Yes!" He answered quietly, going up the stairs to go to his room.

After Apple Belle packed up her things, the three little foals went over to Maud's house to invite the last guests.

Maud answered the door and they smiled adorably at her.

"Oh, my nieces!" Maud said, as always in a monotonous way, but she had a smile on her face.

"Hi Aunt Maud!" Rocky greeted her.

After a brief silence, she gave Buttercup a slight push, who understood that it was her turn to speak.

"Oh, it's me now!" She said. "Can Andi and Honey B (Buttercup gave Branchina that nickname when she asked to be called just B, as she didn't care, everyone started calling her Honey B) come and spend the night with us?" Buttercup asked, pointing to the girls.

"Hmm, I don't see why not!" Maud replied. "Come in and talk to them!"

Andi happily agreed with the idea, since she had seen slumber parties on films and always wanted to participate in one, that day it was her chance.

On the other hand, B seemed too busy with yet another of her inventions. She was totally fascinated by engineering and admired someponies who invented for themselves, machines and technologies that didn't need any magic to work.

"Oh come on sis, it won't be the same without you!" Andi insisted, while she was tightening the machine's nuts.

She came out under her invention and lifted her glasses, putting them in her hair.

"If you didn't understand, I'm kinda busy and ..."

"You've been working on it for days, it won't hurt if you take a short break!" Apple Belle said.

"I don't really believe in that theory, I can't help doing today what I can do tomorrow!" She answered.

"Ugh, it's so hard to believe that we're twins when we're so different!" Andi grunted.

"Do something, you are her sister, the only one who can win her is you!" Apple Belle whispered to her.

Andi thought, until he had an idea.

"Hey Honey B!"

"What?" She asked, as she rummaged through a screwdriver in the toolbox.

"Do you remember when you called me to help you with one of your machines over there?" She asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'll help you!"

"Really?" The little light blue filly asked beaming, her eyes shining with joy. "But don't you hate getting greasy?"

"Yeah I do hate it, but what do we not do for our friends? With the condition that you participate in the slumber party with us!"

Honey B was thoughtful, until she finally accepted, making them all celebrate and jump euphorically around her. She didn't like revelry very much, but despite that, she liked her friends very much.

Meanwhile, after a very fun day at the beach, Marble returned to the hotel with her husband and they had dinner. But she had to put on a sweatshirt, because the sea breeze made their hotel room extremely cold at night without sunlight.

"Don't overdo it baby!" Caramel said, before eating another bite of apple pie.

"I don't know how you can handle it, it's too cold!" She said, as she closed herself even more in her sweatshirt.

"If you think it's so cold, we'll be under the duvet when we're done with dinner!" He suggested and she happily agreed.

After brushing her teeth, Marble lay on the bed to wait for her husband, but began to regret not doing it before dinner.

"The sequence was totally wrong, after that amount of food I ate, of wine, with a swollen belly and freezing to death, how do I get out of this sweatshirt to have sex?" She mentally said to herself, hoping that at the last moment, the solution would emerge as in the movies.

Even trying as hard as she could, the gray mare began to feel tired and her eyelids became heavy.

"I'm not gonna sleep, I'm not gonna sleep ..." She repeated to herself, struggling with sleep.

After brushing his teeth, Caramel ran anxiously into the bedroom to be with his wife, but again he was disappointed when he found her sleeping. And it wasn't the first time that it had happened.

He had to admit, they had lost themselves spiritually and couldn't find each other.


Meanwhile, the girls put on their pajamas and started the party, all very excited, except Honey B.

"And now what are we going to do? Flirt with a poster of some teen singer, prank calls or get dressed even though we won't be leaving the room all night?" She asked, not seeing the slightest sense in all those activities.

"You really need a treatment on your mane!" Andi said, having the dream of being a model, she was always well groomed and elegant, the opposite of her twin.

"No, my mane's fine!" She said, as she slid the hooves through the strands of hair.

They turned their heads towards the door, when Buttercup came in as sad as Apple Belle was, after her older sister came home crying.

"What happened?" Rocky asked her cousin.

"She didn't tell me, when I asked her, she started to cry again!" She replied, sitting on her bed.

"How curious that Apple Belle's brother and his sister are so suddenly depressed at the same time!" Honey B said, turning the page of the book he was reading.

Apple Belle started to feel uncomfortable being the only one who knew what it was all about.

She couldn't see two of the ponies she loved so sad, she felt she had to do something.

"I know what happened!" She said, about to break her promise to her older brother, but he'd certainly forgive her if the plan she was up to worked out.

"Do you know? And why didn't you say it before?" Andi said, sitting across from her. "What it is?"

"Well, it's because it's a secret. If I tell you, do you promise not to tell anyone?" She asked.

"We promise!" They said at the same time, making the sign of the oath.

"Well..."

Before she started talking, they were startled by the sudden noise of the door opening.

"Giiiiiirls, I brought a snack!" Pinkie Pie hummed, with a tray of cupcakes in her hooves. "What are you doing?"

"Counting secret ..." Buttercup said, before being interrupted when Apple Belle covered her mouth with her paw.

"We're playing tuth or dare!" She lied.

"Hm, alright!" Pinkie said, placing the cupcake tray on a chair. "Have fun!"

When they were sure she was gone, they came back with the subject.

"What? Our siblings fall in love?" Buttercup shouted and everyone immediately told her to be silent. "Our siblings fall in love?" She repeated the question, now in a low whisper.

"Yes!" She answered.

"But what are they waiting for to be together?" Rocky asked.

"Do you remember when Aunt Pinkie found out that our two families may be related because we have a common ancestor?"

"Yes, but what's the matter with that?" B asked.

"Chee Chee thinks it's wrong for her to have a relationship with someone who may be from her family!" Apple Belle replied sadly, as there were ponies suffering from the discovery that made Pinkie and Applejack happy.

"But this has never been confirmed, we may not be related!" Honey B added.

"Exactly and that's what I wanna find out!" She said, with an air of determination.

"What do you mean?" Rocky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm going after the truth, no matter where it is. In fact, I'm gonna visit Goldie Delicious' old hut!" She said. ""They say that in her hut there is the whole history of the Apple family and ..."

"But don't you remember? The family tree records that might mention someone in the Pie family are blurred, it's impossible to know!" Buttercup said, which discouraged her. "But Grandma Quartz and Grandpa Igneous may have something on the rock farm!"

"Good thinking Butty!" Apple Belle celebrated, giving her a hug. "Will you guys come with me?"

"I don't know Belle, it may not work!" Rocky said.

"Aww we're just going to visit the rock farm, it's no big deal!"

"Yeah, but can we at least warn our parents not to be worried?" Honey B said.

"No. Otherwise, they'll ask what it's about and we'll have to reveal the secret. We can leave a note!"

The girls enthusiastically accepted, it was just a trip to the Pie family farm, but for their imaginative minds, it meant a great adventure.

"But Butty, you're going to have to stay!" Apple Belle said.

"What? Why do I just have to stay while you all go?" She protested, crossing her front legs.

"You're only 5!"

"I'm not that much younger than you are. Okay, so if I can't go along, I'll tell our parents and the plan will go down the drain!"

Their eyes widened in awe, they didn't know that Buttercup could do that kind of thing. 

"... Okay, you can go, but always stay close to us!"

"Yayy!" She applauded.

"Very well, everyone putting our hooves together!" She said, placing one of the hooves in front of them.

They gathered their hooves and threw them up. Suddenly, Honey B was confused when she was hit by a pillow.

"Oops!" Andi laughed.

"Oh yes?" She said, taking another pillow and tossing it.

"Pillow war!" Buttercup shouted and everyone started to attack, laughing non stop.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next day, as much as Marble insisted that she and Caramel had one more day of the weekend to try to make up for lost time, Caramel didn't change his mind and packed up while his wife slept.

Inside the train on the way home, he remained silent, his face turned to the window.

"Great, now he'll be quiet for 3 whole days!" Marble said mentally. "I have 2 options: I try to make it up, or I let it go just like Elsa!"

"Honey, I've been thinking, what do you think about us two enjoying that Rocky is still with my sister and let's go to your favorite restaurant?" She asked with a smile.

Caramel looked at her still for a few moments, then looked out the window again.

"Really, if you're not going to say anything, I think we better stay at home because it's cheaper. I'm just being objective!"

"Now I have to talk when you want to!" He murmured coldly.

"No, now do I have to wait for you to feel the willing to talk to me? Everything is just in your time now, huh?" She retaliated angrily.

At that moment the conversation ended, but Marble was saddened to think that the fun moments they both spent on the beach meant nothing to him.

They had been lost forever. There was no more love, there was only the memory of what was once good.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, when she decided once and for all that she was going to ask him for divorce.

Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie and Cheese were really concerned about their eldest daughter.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to us about this?" Pinkie Pie asked, when she brought her breakfast to her bed because she didn't feel at all willing to get out of bed.

"No, sorry mom!" She answered. "But you and dad don't have to stay here, I'll be fine!"

Pinkie Pie smiled and placed a tender kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"I love you, honey!" She said sweetly. 

"Yeah, love you too!" Chee Chee replied, forcing a smile so that her mother's comfort was not in vain.

As soon as he heard the sound of the door closing, Chee Chee took a toast from the tray and went to the window, leaning on it and sighed sadly. She was missing Bright Mac so much. She kept wondering what happened as she hadn't asked to want him that way.

Lost in her own thoughts, the young mare was slow to hear the song of a bird.

She looked down and smiled when she saw that it was Bright Mac's little pet bird, with something around its neck. She took the thing from the bird's neck and was curious to see that it was a rolled paper. She unrolled the paper and read what was written.

"No one needs to know"

She felt it was his. The note asked her to find him again on the apple and pear trees intertwined if they still had any chance for their love. Chee Chee knew it was wrong, but something told her to follow her heart. 

She rode as fast as her legs could, which her parents found strange.

"Hey, where are you going, miss hurry?" Cheese asked, because a few minutes earlier his daughter was determined not to get out of bed for anything.

"Fiamma said that she needs my help to ..." She thought of an excuse, until she saw Pipi flying back home. "Feed the birds, yeah, bye I love you!" She lied, before continuing with the rush.

"... Fine?" He said, while his wife and he looked at each other with confused looks.

Meanwhile, Bright Mac was waiting for her under the trees. He had his gaze fixed on the path that led to the entrance to his family's farm.

"Please Chee Chee, reconsider!" He murmured under his breath, hoping she would come, otherwise he would be unhappy for the rest of his life.

It had been 20 minutes since he had sent his most trusted messenger to inform her.

But he didn't know that his little bird had stopped halfway to drink water in a small stream, so the sad conclusion came that he'd never feel the immense joy of being hers.

The young purple stallion wiped away a few tears that streamed down his cheeks and got up to walk for the rest of his unhappy life.

But as soon as he took a first step to walk back to the barn, he heard the sound of autumn leaves on the ground being stepped on and someone panting, as if they had pulled 3 apple carts alone.

He slowly turned to see who it was, his sad eyes regained their brightness when he saw his beloved. Bright Mac briefly scratched his eyes to check if he was dreaming. Fortunately no.

As soon as she got her breath back, Chee Chee ran towards him, until they were face to face and looking into each other's eyes. The tears of sadness in his eyes became tears of joy, while a big smile formed on his mouth.

"You ca..."

Before he finished speaking, Chee Chee interrupted him, wrapping him in a tight hug. Although surprised at first, Bright Mac hugged her back, both of them feeling their hearts pounding against their breasts.

She had never been so happy to do something that could cause a huge controversy. But she was absolutely sure that what she felt for him wasn't just a youthful crush as she first thought, but a great true love that would last a lifetime, 'cause it was inevitable.

"Are you really willing to have a relationship with me, without anyone knowing?" She asked, her eyes filled with tears.

Bright Mac smiled and gently stroked her cheek.

"As long as I'm with you, I'm willing to do anything, because I love you, more than anything in this world!" He said, making her smile and her cheeks flush.

Chee Chee leaned over and kissed him.

"I love you too!" She murmured against his lips.

She couldn't help but laugh at his cute reaction, seeming not to believe what she had just said.

"Uhhhh ... Are you all right?" She asked.

"If I'm alright? I just couldn't be happier, this is the happiest day of my life!" He replied, taking her by the hoof and kissing it. 

"The happiest day of your life so far!" She replied, before they leaned and kissed each other lovingly again. 

Time skip...

The girls left school and were about to put their plan into practice.

"Now let's go get Butty!" Apple Belle said.

"Are you sure that we should take her with us?" Honey B asked.

"Yes, did you forget that she'll tell on us if we don't take her with us?" Rocky reminded her cousin.

"Oh yeah, so let's go!"

They went to kindergarten dressed in coats, hats and sunglasses, waiting for her to leave.

Buttercup came out in the same guise.

"Did you leave the note to your parents?" Apple Belle whispered to her.

"Positive, everyone ready to go?" She asked.

"Yes!" They confirmed in unison.

"So what are we waiting for?" She said enthusiastically and got rid of the disguises.

They went to the station and waited for the right train.

"I can't believe we're doing this!" Andi said between nervous laughs.

They bought the tickets with some jewelry that Andi was saving to make necklaces for her, but the girls promised her that they'd help her get more jewelry after the quest was over.

Although they were a little nervous, because it was the first time they were riding the train without their parents, they were excited and hopeful that they'd get the answers they were looking for.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

2 hours passed.

The first one who found their daughter's delay in arriving to leave her backpack at home strange, was Big Mac. But he calmed down, imagining that Apple Belle had gone somewhere with her friends, so he decided to wait a few more hours before going to look for her.

Meanwhile, Marble arrived and the first thing she did was go get Rocky.

She was very sad because her little filly would have to grow up in the middle of divorced parents and that could be a little difficult adjustment for her to get used to. But she couldn't close her eyes to what was happening, whatever Rocky's reaction, she would support her by giving all the love and affection in the world.

"Where are you going?" Caramel asked harshly when he saw her walking towards the door.

"Oh, now do you care what I do or don't do?" Marble thought about saying, but despite being very angry at him, she didn't want to argue.

"I'm gonna get my daughter." She replied quietly.

"Oh, now she's just your daughter? Did you happen to made her with your hoof?" He retaliated furiously.

Marble took a deep breath and ignored him, willing not to argue and waste time.

She went to Sugarcube Corner and luckily Pinkie Pie was still there, but she was about to leave to organize another party.

"Marbs, why did you come back so early? Not that I'm not happy to see you here, but ..."

"Okay, it doesn't matter now, let's talk about it later." Marble said, interrupting her. "Where's Rocky?" She asked, looking around to see if she could see her daughter at the store.

"The girls haven't arrived from school yet, which is very strange." Cheese replied, filling a pink balloon.

"Wait, if they haven't arrived from school yet, where are they?" Marble asked, starting to get worried.

"Look, probably nothing happened, Ponyville is very safe since I moved here, but to be sure, let's go to the farm and Maud's house to see if they're there." Pinkie said, determined not to go because family always came first.

"I'm going with you!" Cheese said.

"Honey, I think you better go, because it won't be good for our business if we cancel our appointment on the last minute." Pinkie said, as she ran her hoof through his slightly gray curls.

"But how am I supposed to know where our daughter and nieces are?" He asked in dismay.

"I'll call you, I promise." She assured him, standing up and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too." He replied back.

Meanwhile, the girls arrived at the right station.

Apple Belle looked around and was confused to see no farm around, understandable since she had never been to the rock farm before.

"Where's the farm?" She asked.

"We have to walk a few kilometers to get there." Rocky explained.

"It's in that direction, let's go!" Buttercup said pointing in the right direction and they walked over there.

After a few minutes walking, Apple Belle smiled when she saw the farm and ran as fast as her legs could, so much so that it was almost impossible for her cousins ​​to be able to keep up with her.

Igneous, who after so many years still had enough strength to work on the farm, despite his impaired vision due to old age, smiled when he saw his little granddaughters arriving.

"Honey, our granddaughters came to visit us!" He announced with joy.

Cloudy, who was preparing dinner, left the house to receive them too. They liked their granddaughters very much, as they missed the time when their four daughters were small and cute like that.

Apple Belle wasn't really their granddaughter, but they also loved her as if she were, although they doesn't like her father very much for breaking Marble's heart in the past.

"My dearest granddaughters!" He exclaimed happily, while they all attacked them with hugs. "Where is the parents of yours?"

"Uhhh ... We came alone." Apple Belle said, a little afraid of their reaction.

"What?" Cloudy Quartz said in total astonishment that those five little fillies traveled alone by train. "Does at least the parents of yours know that you are all here?"

"Yeah, I left a note!" Buttercup said proudly.

"Alright, but what do we owe your most welcome visit?" Igneous asked curiously.

"We came to solve an old family mystery." Andi said.

"Forgive me, we don't quite understand what you just said." Cloudy said.

"Well grandpa, we want to find out if our families are really related or not." Honey B said. "We thought about going to Gold Delicious' old house, but we remember that Butty and Apple Belle's parents went there when they were young and found nothing. Butty figured we could find something here on the farm."

Igneous thought, scratching his chin.

"We have some old belongings in our basement, we don't promise that you will find what you are looking for, but if you want, you can go look for it." He said, causing the joy of the 5 little fillies.

Meanwhile, Chee Chee carved their initials around a heart on one of the trees' trunks. As they were living in a clandestine romance, the initials were not close to the others, it was in a high place, where only they knew where it was, because they used some leaves to hide.

"I think it's time to go home!" She said while leaning on him.

"Already? I know we've spent time together, but just thinking about getting away from you, I already start to miss you so much." He said, pouting.

"Me too, my love, but my little sister must have come home from school, I have to take her with me to the store." She explained.

"If that's so, then it's fine, she's too small to be alone." He replied. "See you tomorrow sweetheart!"

"See you always." She said.

They shared one last true love kiss before they finally went home. 

She came home and smiled at the thought that Buttercup would be happy when she saw that she was happy again.

"Hey Butty!" She called for her younger sister, but there was no answer.

Chee Chee looked for her around the house and found it strange that her backpack wasn't behind the door, where she always left it.

"Buttercup? Are you there?" She asked, while knocking on her bedroom door.

She opened the door and looked around the room. The young mare soon noticed sheet of paper on her younger sister's untouchable bed.

"Mommy and Daddy, Rocky, Apple Belle, Andi, Honey B and I will be back with a surprise."

She was immediately desesperated to see that Buttercup and the girls hadn't come home from school and were now somewhere that she didn't know where. Without thinking twice, she ran to Sugarcube Corner to warn her parents. Just thinking that the younger sister and her little cousins ​​might be in trouble at that time, caused her anguish.
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the Sweet Apple farm, Big Mac started to become more and more distressed when his eldest son had returned from wherever he went and his little daughter wasn't yet home. He loved his two kids unconditionally, but for his little filly he had a special affection for her being so much like their deceased mother.

He told his son, who also became dismayned by the delay of his younger sister.

"What do you think that happened?" Bright Mac asked, as he spun around the living room, so many times that in a short time he might make a hole in the floor.

"I don't know, son, but we won't know if we stay here at home." Big Mac said, as he got up from the couch, determined to go look for Apple Belle.

But before he reached the door, incessant knocking began to be heard.

He answered the door and was confused to see her little friends' mothers.

"Good afternoon, Big Mac." Marble greeted him with a nod.

"Good afternoon, I was really gunna talk to you both." He said, relieved with the thought that he would soon hear news from his daughter.

"Talk about what?" Pinkie Pie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just that Apple Belle hasn't arrived yet and maybe she ..."

"What?" Marble said, louder than she expected to say. "If Apple Belle didn't arrive, where are the rest of the girls too?"

"What? Are they all missing?" He asked in total amazement too.

"It seems so, oh goodness where did those little fillies go?" Pinkie Pie said, also getting distressed.

Chee Chee passed on the Sugarcube Corner and when she was told that her mother and her aunt went to the farm, she immediately went there, showing the note, only caused more despair among them.

"And now? What do we do?" Marble asked, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"The way's to look for them, we look for them here in Ponyville and I know who can look elsewhere!" Big Mac said, as he picked up a parchment, a quill and started writing to his younger sister.

"Oh, what happened to my little sister?" Chee Chee said starting to cry with so much concern.

Bright Mac immediately went to his beloved and consoled her, avoiding calling her by any affectionate nickname he gave her, so as not to cause their family members to be suspicious.

"It's okay, be optimistic, think that soon we'll find them." He murmured, stroking her back.

"Okay... When we find them... They'll get a scolding that they will never forget!" She said between loud sobs.

Meanwhile, at the School of Friendship, the students have already gone home. After correcting some homework, the teachers also went home.

The 3 BTFF's (Best Teachers Friends Forever) always walked out of school together, without losing that habit even after Apple Bloom had moved out of Ponyville when she married and started a new family.

She laughed at the thought that if someone had told to her 8-year-old self that 19 years in the future Twilight's assistant and she would fall in love and get married, she'd have a fit of laughing as if had heard the funniest joke in the world and would say they were crazy.

"How are the kids?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"Holly Dash is fine, I don't think I've ever seen a baby Pegasus as cute and sweet as he is." She said, fondly remembering her adopted son. "But the egg hasn't hatched yet, this suspense of finding out if it's a boy or a girl is killing me."

"Aw, but I'm sure this baby dragon will be born soon." Scootaloo assured her. "Oh I think your ride has arrived." She pointed to a carriage, which was sent by Princess Twilight to pick up Apple Bloom as soon as she left school.

"Well, here I go, see you guys next week."

She shared a loving collective hug with her best friends and greeted the pegasus who always took her back to the castle.

"Hey Bolt Fitz!"

"Apple Bloom." He greeted her back with a nod.

When the little carriage rose in the air, Apple Bloom spread his arms. It felt so good to feel the wind hitting her face and waving her red hair.

"Well, did you manage to make your mark?" Bolt Fitz asked, to break the silence between them.

Apple Bloom shook his head and smiled. In the first year that she moved to the castle, everyone in Canterlot only knew her as "The Royal Advisor's wife" which caused her great annoyance.

She did a lot of amazing things, like turning Hearts and Hooves day into a commemorative date for everyone to celebrate, after all, romantic love wasn't the only one that existed.

Before she answered, she was startled when a dragon flame appeared in front of her and a scroll appeared from the smoke.

"What is it?" She murmured as she opened the paper.

"Dear sister,
Sorry for not being able to communicate this to you personally, but it's very urgent. Apple Belle, Buttercup, Rocky, Andi and Honey B are missing and all of us here in Ponyville are very concerned, could you please look for them in Canterlot? And if you find the girls, take care of them and don't let them out of your sight until we get them.
                                                                                         Thank you in advance, Big Macintosh"

Upon finishing reading the letter, the yellow mare was completely desperate that her little nieces were missing.

Because they were an interspecies couple, even after they got married it took Spike and her a long time to get to adopt Holly Dash and the orphaned dragon egg, so they developed a parental affection for all of those little fillies.

"Bolt Fitz, speed up!" She ordered, she'd be more polite if she weren't desperate.

"What happened?" He asked, but increased the speed of his wings.

"There's no time to explain, I need to talk to Princess Twilight!" She said.

Meanwhile, in the throne room, Twilight and Spike were reviewing some projects and deciding whether they would be approved or not. Suddenly, they were startled by the noise of the gate opening.

Noticing that it was his wife and how distressed she looked, Spike immediately dropped the papers and flew to her.

"Oh my gosh honey, what happened? Are you okay?" He asked, as he searched her body to see if he'd found any bruises.

"Our nieces, missing, help ..." She said between wheezing breaths.

"What? What are you talking about?"

Without saying anything, Apple Bloom handed the parchment to him, who was soon equally distressed after read it.

"What? Where are they at?" He asked.

"I don't know, I think nobody knows, I'm so worried!" She said, as tears started to stream from her eyes.

"Hey, calm down, we'll find them." He murmured sweetly, wiping her tears away, taking care that his claws didn't scratch her face.


Apple Bloom leaned against his body and let his arms wrap embrace her in a hug.


"I'm sorry that I'm worried too much, it's just that after my parents died because of the Timber wolves, I became overprotective with each of the people I love." She whispered between low sobs.

"Hey, love." Spike said, running his claws through her mane gently. "You don't need to apologize for anything, I'm immensely worried about them too, we're family after all!"

"Heh, only you to be able to calm me down at a time like this." She said, lifting her head to look him in the eye and forcing a smile.

"You know the last thing I want is to see the love of my life sad." He replied, before bending down and gave her a short, but sweet kiss on the lips.

Twilight watched them from a distance, they were so sweet to each other, it almost made her want to meet her other half too. Almost. They communicated to princess and she quickly ordered a group of guards to search in every corner of Canterlot to see if the 5 little girls were there.

"Well, I think I better go look with them." Apple Bloom said.

"Wait, I'm going with you." Spike said, holding her by the tail so she wouldn't follow.

"Don't you have more important things to do?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing in my life is more important than you, my beautiful apple tree flower." Spike said.

Her eyes lit up and she fell to the floor, feeling that if her heart was filled with a little more love, it would explode.

"Uhh are you okay?"

"Gosh, I love you so much." She whispered. 

"You'd better go with her, to make sure she doesn't fall around." Twilight said between laughs. "Don't worry Spike, I can handle it myself here."

"If you say so." He said, while helping his wife to stand up again and went out with her.

"Oh my, where did these little girls go?" The ruler of Equestria murmured to herself as she returned with her duties.
> Chapter 13
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mini spoiler: Big Mac will have to go through hell to win back Marble lol.

Meanwhile, at the Pie family's rock farm, things were no better. They looked and searched every corner of the basement, but no clue as to whether the Apples and Pies were even related was found.

There could've been something, but not so recently, a mysterious fire broke out on the farm and any evidence could have turned to ashes.

All the girls were very sad, especially Apple Belle and Buttercup, thinking that their older siblings would never have a blameless romance.

"Aw don't be sad, granddaughters of ours, at least you tried." Igneous said in a sweet voice.

"Yeah, I failed with our families." Apple Belle murmured sadly.

"Hey don't say that." Rocky comforted her. "It's not our fault that we haven't found anything. But something is gonna happen, I feel it."

"Like the answer falling from the sky? I very much doubt that will happen." Honey B said.

"Shhh quiet, I'm trying to cheer her up!" Rocky whispered loudly.

"Alright girls, thanks for allowing us to search." She thanked them.

They smiled at her and she forced a smile back.

"I think we better go back to Ponyville, the sun has already started to set." Buttercup warned.

"Couldn't you be missing something?" Cloudy Quartz said.

Understanding the message, the girls gave them another loving hug and left for the train station to go home.

Time skip ...

News of the 5 missing little fillies spread quickly across Ponyville and all the townspeople pledged to help look for them.

With the arrival of the night, everyone started to get more and more distressed.

In the meantime, they finally arrived in Ponyville again, causing tremendous astonishment for all passengers for the next train, who gathered around them asking a thousand questions, such as if they were okay and how they were.

They definitely didn't expect all that commotion when they returned home.

At Sugarcube Corner, their parents rested, a silence fell between them, which was soon cut by a soft cry. They missed their little ones more than anything. 

Even Maud and Mudbriar, who rarely had shown any reaction, showed great sadness for their daughters and nieces. Whenever Marble cried, she rejected her husband's comfort, even with her daughter's disappearance, she still wanted to pursue the divorce.

Suddenly, everyone was startled by the sudden noise of the door opening. Whoever it was, they was in a hurry.

"Fiamma? What happened?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"The girls ... Were found." She replied between gasping breaths, due to how fast she flew to communicate to their parents as quickly as possible.

"Where are they Fi? Where are they?" Chee Chee said, holding her by the shoulders.

"At the train station ..."

The dragoness barely spoke and everyone immediately ran as fast as they could to the train station, where they found the girls and hugged them, while crying with happiness and pure relief that nothing they thought had happened to them, happened.

The girls innocently wondered why they were so concerned if they left a note saying that they had gone out.

"Aww my little baby, we were so worried about y'all." Big Mac said, hugging his daughter close to him as tears welled up in his eyes.

"I warned you that they'd worry about a poorly written note." Honey B said, as her mother rubbed her cheek against hers.

"Okay, now that the scare is over ... What were you all thinking about going to Grandpa and Grandma's farm without telling anyone? Did you go crazy? We thought you were lost, or even worse!" Chee Chee shouted.

"Sister, what's all this for?" Buttercup asked, moving away from her a little.

"Oh, it's just because we LOVE YOU!"

"Daddy?" She said, turning to her father, who always calmed her older sister when she got angry.

"No daddy, you guys deserve a scolding after you worry us so much." He said, leaving her scared by how serious she was.

"You better explain yourself, why did you do that?" Bright Mac asked.

Apple Belle looked at her friends and they all decided that if they lied it would be worse and they should tell the truth, even if Bright Mac and Chee Chee were angry.

"We wanted to find out if our families were really related, so if my brother and Sister from Buttercup wanted to be together one day, that wouldn't be a problem."

Chee Chee and Bright Mac looked at each other and went ahead with the plan to hide from everyone that they were in love with each other.

"But we only love each other as friends, it has always been like this and it always will be." Chee Chee said calmly. 

"Yes, you didn't have to do that." Bright Mac added. 

"Awww, they had a good intention." Pinkie Pie said. "We can be a little milder with them."

"So your punishment for 2 weeks will technically only be 1 week." Mudbriar said.

"Wait, are we gonna be grounded?" Andi said, a little shocked. 

"Yes, because we love you." Maud said, giving her head a pat.

"Agreed. Now I have to send a letter to your aunt and uncle because they're also very concerned about y'all, Fiamma can you help me?"

"Yes, Mr. Mac." She nodded.

"I'm so glad you guys are okay." Marble said, as she gently stroked Rocky's blue mane.

"Yes, we were very concerned." Caramel said, lifting his daughter's chin with the hoof.

"I'm glad the worst is over. Because I want the divorce." She told him, before leaving with their daughter, making it clear that if they had to fight in court for Rocky's guard, she'd do anything to stay with the little filly.

Without seeing right by the tears of sadness welling up in his eyes, Marble ended up bumping into someone.

"I'm so sorry." She wiped the pearls of sadness and looked up to see who was.

It was Big Mac, who looked as shocked as she was to see that he was the one she had run into. 

They both looked at each other for a moment, until Marble, who had lost the thread, remembered what he was doing.

"Are you alright...?"

"Yes, don't worry, let's go, honey." She said, heading to her house.
Rocky looked back sadly before following. She loved both her parents, but left with her mother, as she was more attached to her.

The punishment started. 2 days passed and the girls had to stay at home, just leaving to go to school, always accompanied by their parents. 

But at least Apple Belle spent time with her father, teaching him how to use a computer, which was a little difficult and she had to be very patient, but it was worth it.

On the third day, each of them received a letter.

"What's that? Correspondence from your little friends?" Big Mac asked as he noticed the letter with his daughter.

"No, it looks like it's from ..."

"Princess Twilight!" The girls exclaimed at the same time and quickly opened the parchment to see what it was about.

"Dear little fillies,

I heard about what happened through two of your family members and I'm truly happy that nothing bad has happened to you five. But to resolve unresolved issues, I'd like you to come to the Castle to find me, a carriage is waiting for you in the city center,
Sincerely, Princess Twilight "

"O-oh, the Princess wants to see us." Buttercup said.

Because it was a letter from the princess, the parents made an exception to the punishment and allowed them to go. They were all very nervous, wondering what the princess wanted to talk with them.

"What if she condemns us to the gallows?" Buttercup said, shaking with fear when he saw that they were getting closer and closer to the castle.

"No, just because we went to our grandparents' farm? It doesn't make sense, we didn't commit any serious crimes like murder." Honey B assured her.

But then, they soon became discouraged again when they realized that they would obviously receive more scolding from their aunt and uncle. Arriving at the castle gates, they meet the two face to face, who didn't look like, they were really mad.

"We're all ears." Apple Bloom murmured seriously.

"... Please don't be mad at them, it was my idea to go looking for the truth, the only one to blame for this, it's me. I'm awfully sorry for worrying you both." Apple Belle said, with her head down. 

Moved by their best friend having taken the blame for all of them, the girls decided to face everything with her.


"I'm also really sorry." Buttercup disse.

"All of us are." Rocky disse.

"Look, we're not mad, at least not that mad, but we're relieved that you all are fine. We were so worried, because we love you. Do you understand?" Spike said, looking sweeter and more understanding than angry. "Come on, where are those beautiful smiles?"

They smiled cheerfully and the two involved all the little fillies in a strong hug.

"We love you too." Rocky said.

"Not as much as we are." Apple Bloom said between small laughs.

"Hey, do you happen to know what Princess Twilight wants with us?" Honey B asked.

"Yes, but she had a last-minute problem to solve, but in a little while she'll be back." Spike replied.

"While she doesn't come back, we wanted to show you something." Apple Bloom said, with a serene smile on her lips.

"Okay, what is it?" Buttercup asked curiously.

"It's in our room." She replied, pointing to one of the castle's towers.

"Uncle Spike takes us flying there." Apple Belle asked, getting excited.

The others also got excited and asked him to carry them on his back as he always did when he was with them.

"Hmm no, consider this as part of your punishment."

"Awww." They lamented together.

"Aw cheer up, it's just for a week, let's go."

"This was supposed to be a surprise for the whole family, but since you're here, you can see." Apple Bloom said, when they went up the stairs and reached the door. The little ones couldn't be more curious.

She opened the door and they soon wondered what it could be, when they saw diapers, a bathtub and baby toys scattered on the floor.

Andi was the first to notice the white crib in one of the corners of the room.

"Is there a baby in there?" She asked.

"Why don't you go over there and see?" Spike said.

They used a small ladder next to the crib and were delighted to see a baby pegasus in a cyan blue coat and a darker blue mane.

He wasn't alone, he was sleeping peacefully with a smile, hugging a blue egg with purple spots. The egg couldn't be more warmed.

"Aww look, they're dreaming together." Apple Bloom said, leaning on her husband and looking fondly at their two adopted children.

"They're so cute. But why didn't you two had a baby of your own?" Apple Belle asked.

"Oh, we already tried." Apple Bloom said, immediately sorry for what he had just said.

Spike stared at her and started gesturing for her to change the subject if they didn't want to talk to the girls about birds and bees.

"Do you mean you couldn't talk to the stork to bring your baby?" Buttercup asked.

"Oh yeah, I ended up losing the storks' phone number." Apple Bloom said, unable to hide a little nervousness.

"Yes, honey, I didn't even remember that." Spike laughed.

Not long after, Andi started to hear a rather strange noise, as if it were something breaking.

"Hey, did you hear that?" She asked, watching to see if she heard the noise again.

Everyone was silent to see if they heard it too, but nothing was heard.

"I don't hear anything." Honey B said. "Little sister, you have to stop eating pure sugar."

"That doesn't matter, okay?" She retorted. "I'm sure I heard something." She murmured to herself.

Shortly thereafter, everyone was startled by a louder noise, which was coming from the cradle. When they saw it, they were surprised by a big crack in the middle of the egg.

Apple Bloom's eyes shone with joy.

"Spike, our baby is being born!" She exclaimed happily.

"It's our baby." He said, as he wrapped her in his arms.

"That's what I said." She said, turning her head and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.

Everyone watched in complete silence, until a small dragon with blue scales and lilac spines emerged from the egg.

"Awww is a girl, what a cutest thing." Apple Belle said when she saw her cousin for the first time.

Apple Bloom was the only one who was completely speechless. The baby dragon scratched her eyes with her small claws and yawned. Opening her little purple eyes to the world for the first time and seeing her mother's face in front of her, she held out her arms, laughing with joy.

Apple Bloom picked her up gently and held her in her arms. Tears of emotion welled up in her eyes, she loved that baby dragon so much. The yellow mare quickly came to the conclusion that it didn't matter who that little one had come from, she was their daughter, their and nobody else's.
> Chapter 14
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite being immensely happy for the real birth of her second daughter, Apple Bloom soon feared for a fact: After a few years of insisting and asking for Spike and her to be allowed to be foster parents to an orphaned baby dragon, the request was reluctantly granted.

The reason was clear: No one in the dragon realm's authority, even Ember, believed that a pony could be a suitable mother for a dragon, after all, not everyone was like Spike, who easily adapted to life in Equestria.

They were allowed to pass an assessment, if Apple Bloom proved to be a good mother for the baby, she could stay with them, otherwise she'd be taken back to the dragon realm.

But she had already become so attached to that little one, that they'd only take her away over her corpse.

"She's so beautiful. Just like her mother." Spike said, looking sweetly at his wife.

The yellow mare smiled looking back at him lovingly and kissed him tenderly on the lips. Looking back at her, Apple Bloom thought of a name. There was no better name for her.

"Lumina." She murmured.

"What?" Rocky asked.

"Her name is Lumina." She said again.

"It's perfect." He murmured sweetly 

"It's a beautiful name, Aunt AB." Apple Belle said, while having fun turning the mobile from the crib.

"Thank you honey."

"We can't wait for them to be my size so we can all play together." Buttercup said, immediately getting excited when she saw that she'd have two more friends/cousins ​​to play with.

"I can already see us running around the farm." Apple Belle said between soft laughs.

"And we can't wait to see it all happen." Spike said, as he gently took Holly Dash in his arms. 

Suddenly, everyone turned to the door when they heard a knock, soon it opened, revealing to be one of the royal guards.

"I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something here, but- aww what a beautiful baby."

"Thank you." Apple Bloom thanked him with joy.

"Anyway, the princess arrived from the store and she's looking for the five of you."

"Well, wish us luck." Andi murmured. 

"Good luck." Spike winked.

"Pray that she has mercy for y'all." Apple Bloom joked, but the girls could have taken it seriously.

The Equestria's ruler had called them there to give them a little biology class, specifically on genetics.

They laughed, quietly so as not to wake their babies who were sleeping peacefully in her arms. For so long that they dreamed of starting a family, seeing those two little angels there, they felt that waiting had been worth it.

Meanwhile in Ponyville, without her daughter there to keep her company, Marble hugged her pet pig, as a way of trying to lessen the feeling of loneliness that filled her chest and sometimes made her short of breath.

Yeah, it didn't work out, probably because she couldn't vent with the pig and he couldn't console or give her advice. Her marriage was going very badly and she knew it but she didn't know that she'd suffer so much from that divorce.

She missed Sugar Belle every day of her life, but at times like that, Marble missed her even more. Missing her company, sweetness, kindness, comfort and advices.

Whenever Marble felt sad, Sugar Belle seemed to feel it, because she gave her a big hug even without her saying anything, because her best friend knew she needed it. They always supported each other in the most difficult times.

A smile formed on her lips and tears of emotion welled up in her eyes with all those sweet memories.


Caramel was the one who made her believe in love again when Big Mac broke her heart, she was sure that after they were married, they'd be together forever. A sweet illusion, which now left an extremely bitter taste in her mouth.

Rocky was also suffering from the separation of her parents, but she learned too soon that it'd be better that way if they were both unhappy and didn't love each other anymore.

The gray pony looked up when she heard a noise coming from the direction of the door. She forced a smile that didn't last, when she saw that it was all of her sisters. Her heart warmed when she saw that Limestone had left her home in Manehattan just to see her.

"Guess who came just to cheer you up?" Pinkie Pie hummed happily, entering the room with a somersault.

"Or at least try." Limestone said.

"Hey, you're not helping." Maud warned her older sister.

"The Colttles?" Marble joked, which made them laugh.

"Look, Pinkie Pie's mood is already transforming you, I said, I'm the best." Pinkie bragged.

"Yeah, but not much. Almost nothing to be honest."

"Don't be that way Marble, you were unhappy in that wedding and you wanted to get a divorce."

"We're here for you, sis." Maud said.

"Yeah, we're not gonna leave you alone in a situation like this." Limestone added, winking at her.

Marble gave a genuine smile, she loved her sisters so much. She opened her arms and they immediately jumped in her direction, falling in bed together.

"I love you all so much."

"We love you too." Maud said, in the usual monotonous way, but they could feel it was true.

Meanwhile, the girls were surprised when the guard accompanied them to a room and it looked a lot like their classroom.

"Would you like to sit down so we can start?" The princess said, as she held up a chalk with her magical aura.

Although confused, they sat at the 5 little desks.

"Welcome to our first and only biology class on heredity!" She announced happily.

"Excuse me, did you say 'biology class'?" Honey B asked.

"Exactly." She replied, before making 2 ponies' drawings on the board in front of her.

The five little fillies just looked at each other and shrugged, deciding to no longer question and accept her class.

"Well, suppose that these two pony drawings, are someone's ancestors, or even of yours, as great-great-great grandparents. They got married and had a foal ..."

"But what...?"

"Calm down, we'll be right there." She said, interrupting Buttercup.

During the lesson, she taught them that the more generations of ponies are born, the blood ties are lost more and more due to new ponies forming the family tree. They understood everything she taught, even Buttercup, who despite the complex subject, managed to understand.

"And what does that mean?" Buttercup asked.

"It means that because they're almost unrelated by blood ties, ponies from several generations below who already had a common ancestor, they have no problem getting married. Besides the love they feel, which is the biggest reason."

"Ohhhh." They all said in unison. But they were soon discouraged in a fraction of a second.

"What's the matter, little ones?" Twilight asked, noticing their sad little faces.

"It's just that we did all this searching and we worried our families for nothing. Because they said they were nothing but friends." Andi commented.

Despite what they said, their younger sisters found that story really strange, as they looked so sad. There was some piece in that puzzle that didn't fit.

"But either way, we appreciate that you explained it to us, even after everything that happened." Apple Belle said, approaching and giving her a hug.


"It's okay, you didn't want to see your older siblings unhappy, you had the best intentions." She said sweetly. "Would you like to stay a little longer?"

Andi soon got excited, spending the afternoon in Canterlot, she could admire the windows with beautiful dresses and imagine herself on a catwalk, it wasn't even close to what was her biggest dream, but it served for now.

"Definitely y-"

"No thanks, I think we better get back, we are still grounded." Honey B said.

"Branchina!"

"Andesite! We cannot abuse our parents' trust." She said firmly. 

"Since you want it that way, I'll ask the driver to take you back to Ponyville."

Andi had to reluctantly agree with her friends. They said bye to their aunt, uncle and newborn cousins ​​and went back to Ponyville. When they got home, everyone, especially Chee Chee and Bright Mac were immensely curious about what Princess Twilight had talked to them about.

When Apple Belle and Buttercup explained to the family about heredity and that it was okay if fourth or fifth cousins ​​started a romantic relationship, because although they were still related, they were very distant relatives.


The two young ponies were overwhelmed with happiness when they discovered that they could show the world how much they loved each other.

Buttercup found it strange when her sister wrapped her in a tight hug and soon after, she went upstairs, leaving both her younger sister and their parents confused.

"Honey, you know your mom and I are in favor of spontaneity, but can you explain to us what's going on?"

"It's nothing, Dad, you'll soon understand, I promise." She assured them, carrying a purple purse with her. Soon she ran up to them and gave them a big hug. "I love you all so much."

Although still confused, they hugged her back and let her go wherever she went.

At the Sweet Apple farm, things were no different. Big Mac and Apple Belle were also puzzled by Bright Mac's sudden happiness on learning about what their younger sister had learned from the princess.

But she already had her suspicions.

Bright Mac ran to the place where, despite the barriers they now knew were invisible, they both promised to live their inevitable love despite everything.

When they met at the same time, they did not hesitate to run towards each other and embraced as tightly as ever.

"My love, did you find out? Did you find out too?" He asked with total enthusiasm, as he passed one of his hooves through the pink curls of her mane.

"Yes, I never imagined I could be so happy!" She exclaimed, just after she attacked his face with kisses.

"And all of this was thanks to our little ones." Bright Mac said between laughs.

"Yes, we owe them so much. Now I have no doubt what I am about to do."

The young purple stallion smiled, closed his eyes and leaned over, expecting a kiss from her. But his eyes opened again when he felt her hoof pressed against his lips.

"No. Yet." She murmured.

He was confused, especially when Chee Chee knelt in front of him. She rummaged through the purse and he was surprised, but at the same time completely astonished when she took out a green ring, with a small pink flower as a jewel.

"Bright Mac the Second, will you marry me?"

Tears of emotion welled up in his eyes, ever since he was a little foal, he dreamed of the day when he united with his first and only love in sacred marriage.

"... I don't even know what to say." He said, after recovering from the wave of emotions that washed over him.

"How about 'yes'?"

"... Yes, yes, a million times yes, I love you so much my dear!" He exclaimed happily, wrapping her in another hug.

"Nothing and no one can separate us, my love." She murmured sweetly, leaning her forehead against his.

"Not even death." He added.

Without waiting any longer, they both kissed lovingly, happy for the beginning of their life together.
> Chapter 15
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

They couldn't be happier, the 'Day Of the 4 Loves' was coming and they could celebrate as betrotheds and without fear of hiding from the rest of the world how much they loved each other and wanted to be together forever.

Chee Chee had never asked to feel what she started feeling for her best friend, it came so suddenly in her life that she thought she was confusing her feelings. But time made her see that what she felt was true love, it was something she never knew she needed.

"What if we lived on the farm?" Bright Mac asked, as they walked together to the farm to tell the good news to his family. "Would you agree to get up very early before the sun comes up and do the chores? Get dirty with mud, feed the chickens, carry heavy boxes..."

"I'd accept to live anywhere, as long as I'm close to you, love." She replied, giving him a tender kiss on the cheek. "But we're not really gonna live on the farm, are we?"

He laughed at the desperation in her tone.

"I'd never agree if you didn't want to." He assured her.

Still curious as to where Bright Mac was going, Apple Belle started to believe the hypothesis of having been deceived, when from the barn window, she watched him close to Chee Chee and the two seemed very loving to each other.

"Look who's back!" Big Mac exclaimed happily when he saw them.

"Big Mac." She greeted him with a nod and a smile that never made her lips so happy that she was. "I know I may be going too fast, but we can't wait when it comes to love, right?"

"You're absolutely right, my dear." He smiled.

"So, Bright Mac and I would really like to have your blessing for our wedding." She said, while they leaned on each other.

Big Mac was immensely surprised that they spoke of marriage so quickly, but immediately smiled, remembering that like his parents, they didn't need a little time to know each other to be 100% sure they wanted to get married, they had known each other since they were little foals.

"Well, if that makes him happy, I give you my..."

"Hold on a minute, marry?" Apple Belle's voice shouted, interrupted him.

They looked back and she ran up to them, a clear expression of indignation on her cute filly's face.

They both approached her and kissed her cheeks at the same time.

"Little sister, thank you, if it weren't for you ..."

"You lied to me, you both did." She mumbled and walked away before Bright Mac could thank her with another kiss on the cheek.

The little filly was so furious that she didn't even know how to start talking. Until it started.

"Why did you lie? My best friends and I risked our necks for you two, you made us feel bad about ourselves for doing this search and worrying you all for nothing, we're grounded for a whole week! Is this what we get for wanting to make you two happy?"

The couple soon felt bad for the stupid thing they did, she was very angry, but at the same time she was crying with sadness.

"AB, we're really sorry for all this. But try to understand that ..."

"No, I don't have to understand nothing, we're siblings, Bright Mac, we always tell each other everything, we always got each other's back. And now you stab me in my back."

Those words reached his heart, that began to cry and regret the price he had to pay to hide a secret.

"Lil' sis..." He tried to get closer, but she backed away coldly.

"No, don't you touch me. Are you two getting married? Cool, I don't care, I'll don't go to this ridiculous wedding and I don't wanna talk to you, ever again!" She screamed in rage, then returned to the barn.

"Sweet caramel apple." Big Mac said, before following her.

"Oh sour apples, what did I do?" The purple stallion lamented between tears and sobs, he was always so close and had never fought with his little sister.

"Calm down my love, I'm sure you two will make it up." Chee Chee comforted him with a hug. "I know how it is, Butty and I have our little fights, but we always ..."

"It's not like that sweetheart, when our mother died, I promised myself that I'd always be very close to my sister, that I'd protect her and never let anything hurt her, but ..." He didn't finish speaking and collapsed in tears again.

"Everything will be fine honey, I definitely don't like to see you sad." She said as she looked him in the eye and smoothly ran one of her hooves on his ginger bangs. "Try to talk to her."

"But how do we go to your house and ask your parents' blessing?"

"We're still going, I wait for you here, now you're gonna make it up to your sister."

Meanwhile, in Apple Belle's room, which was Apple Bloom's old room before she moved out, little filly buried her head in the pillow and gave a muffled cry.

"He really thinks I should be jumping for joy for them, after all they've done to us. 'Oh Bebelle, I'm gonna lie to you and let y'all feel bad, but I'm not going to do anything about it.' I'm not a senseless pony to forget anything that happens overnight, he was the idiot for messing things up ... "

"How's she doing?" He asked his father, meeting him with his ear against the door to hear what his daughter was doing.

"She's moody, just like your great grandmother was. Look Bright Mac, I think it'll be better if we give Apple Belle a space, you have to understand that it wasn't fair what you did with her either."

"Yeah and you don't know how sorry I am." He said with his head down.

"So when she's calmer, you'll talk to her, okay?"

"Ok." Bright Mac murmured.

Meanwhile, encouraged by her beloved sisters, Marble agreed to participate in the 'Blind date', but they said there was no pressure, she could be friends with anypony she met.

She realized that it had been so long since she felt what it was like to be in love. Fighting and persisting to save the marriage with her ex-husband made her not see it.

"Oh hey Marble." The cross-eyed Pegasus greeted her with a smile when she arrived at the post office. "What brings you here? Any delivery?"

"Hey Derpy. Not really, I wanted to sign up for the blind date."

"Oh, then, okay. Do you want to know how things work?" She asked as she took a box.

"Yes please."

"On the blind date, we created a profile for you on the BD website, so right here you choose an anonymous profile and you chat with the pony until you decide to have a personal meeting with him or her."

Marble nodded, understanding how things were going. After Derpy created the profile for her on the website, she opened the box she had taken, that there were several colored papers together.

"Choose a profile. Remember that the colors don't match the coat colors of the ponies."

Marble looked at the mixed papers for a moment, she closed her eyes and turned away, as she dipped her hoof into the box and took one.

"Good luck with your anonymous pony, remembering that you remain anonymous to him or her too."

"Hey, does this 'Blind date' thing really work?"

"Of course, it was thanks to the 'Blind date' that I met my special somepony too, it was kind of hard to find a pony that loved me with all the flaws."

"It wasn't, you're great." Marble said with a smile.

"Well thank you, bye."

"Bye." Marble said goodbye to her and returned home.

Arriving home, she went straight to her laptop and took a look at the site before looking for her anonymous profile.

In the corner of the screen, there were several pictures of ponies together at weddings, as proof that the system really worked.

Marble found the profile and got a little nervous, she wondered who it could be and if they already knew each other. But she would never know if she didn't take a chance, Pinkie Pie always said.

Meanwhile, at the farm, Big Mac sat on the sofa in the living room and opened a book to distract himself, but he was still worried about Apple Belle, who was still upset and locked in the bedroom.

Suddenly, he heard a noise, as if it were a whistle. He soon remembered that when his daughter taught him to use the computer, she informed him that the noise was a notification that he had received a message on the BD website.

The middle-aged red stallion trotted as fast as he could to the computer, he was excited that someone had finally chosen him.

"Mommy, can you help me cut the sandwich?" Rocky shouted from the kitchen.

Marble stood up, imagining that he wouldn't get an answer that fast.

"I'm on my way, honey." She shouted back to her daughter when she got up.

Suddenly, she looked back when the laptop made the notification noise.

"Wait a minute my love, don't try to cut the sandwich yourself, ok?" Marble shouted at her.

"Okay, don't be too long."

She sat back on the couch and saw the message. It was "hello, good afternoon". Whoever it was, it was a very polite pony.

Her heart was filled with happiness, she didn't understand why, but she felt she would soon find out.
> Chapter 16
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Arriving at the Pies' house, Bright Mac was confident, he had no doubt that he'd receive the approval of Chee Chee's parents, both of them had known him practically since he was born and knew that he was a good guy that would do anything for her.

But deep down, he felt a little insecure about it, they could think that nopony was good enough for the love of his life.

Her family received the news and were extremely shocked at first, but he did not blame them, he would have the same reaction if one of his daughters left the house and would return engaged.

"It's very important for us to know that we have the blessing and the approve of both of you." Bright Mac said politely.

"Ok, let me get this straight, you two are really going to get married? So young?" Pinkie Pie questioned the fiànces in love, but she couldn't hide a small smile when she saw that they made each other very happy.

"Well, we're just engaged at the moment, we need some months to organize everything." Chee Chee clarified with a shrug.

"Yeah, but if I could, I wouldn't wait another second and marry her right now. You guys raised an wonderful daughter, Cheesecake is the most amazing pony I've ever met in my life and I couldn't be more lucky to have her as my wife." He said, looking at her affectionately.

Chee Chee's eyes sparkled inexplicably, her heart overflowing with happiness.

"I love you so much!" She exclaimed happily as she hugged him.

After the shock, Cheese was surprised that they ended up hooked up after years of provocations and denials, but at the same time he was happy. He didn't imagine a better suitor for his daughter.

"They're just like us, we met when we were at Butty's age and ended up falling in love with each other."

"That's right, this is wonderful." Pinkie Pie agreed with a smile.

"But I have to tell you that deep down I always knew that you were the love of my life since that time." He said, looking at his wife with a loving look.

Pinkie smiled widely and gave him a tender kiss on the lips. 

"Ewww so gross." Buttercup grunted, not long after, she was surprised when her father picked her up.

"Aw what's the matter my princess? Do you want some kisses too?" Cheese said, before cover her cheeks with kisses.

"Stop it daddy, that tickles!" She said between adorable laughs.

"And you little one, do you agree with all this?" Bright Mac asked Buttercup, who was completely stunned when the two arrived and said they were going to get married.

"Are you kidding? I have an older brother now!" The little filly said happily, jumping at him and gave him a hug.

They both breathed a sigh of relief that she, too, wasn't angry about it.

The night soon came, the cold wind of the night rustled the leaves of the apple trees of the orchard, there was nothing to be heard outside the barn than the cricketing of the crickets. 

Big Mac was very happy that in such a short time he got along so well with the anonymous pony on the other side of his computer screen, so was Marble.

They complied with the rule of remaining anonymous, giving information about themselves, but not too revealing that they could cause suspicion of who they were, but even so, they saw that they had a lot in common.

Both felt that they could talk to each other for days or even weeks, without realizing the passing hours. Even so, he was still worried about Apple Belle, she looked very sad after fighting with her brother.

After a few hours, she finally allowed only their father to enter the room to talk to her.

Big Mac tried to convince his daughter to talk to her older brother, but respected her decision to wait until the next day to do so.

"Good night honey." He said, before giving her a tender kiss on the forehead and then left the room.

"Good night, daddy." She mumbled back.

The little filly sighed sadly, she really needed a mother's advice.

She was always grateful for the advice that her best friend's mother gave her when she was going through a complicated situation, but she couldn't help but imagine what her own mother's advice would be like.

Her father and brother always said how wonderful and loving Sugar Belle was, Apple Belle was sometimes saddened by not having many memories of her, since she was just a baby foal when her mother was gone.

Apple Belle turned her head in the direction of the small drawer beside her bed and used the green magical aura of her horn to bring herself a frame with a photo.

Bright Mac said that photo was taken the day Sugar Belle left the hospital after her birth. The unicorn was holding her in her arms while her father and brother were close to them, not even bothering to give a perfect smile for the camera, they four looked so happy together.

She had the perfect family. Why did her mother had to leave them?

A tear of sadness dripped onto the glass of the frame as the little filly stared at her mother.

"I wish you were here." She babbled between sobs and lay down again, the frame resting on her chest as she stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come.

Without even realizing it, Apple Belle fell asleep.

In her dream, she was happy and smiling, running through a beautiful field of emerald green grass, which was planted with the most beautiful flowers. The sun shone in the sky and warmed her coat, but not too much. It was a perfect summer day.

A beautiful butterfly was flying overhead. She held out her hoof and the butterfly landed on it.

"Apple Belle."

Suddenly, she was surprised to hear someone calling her name. It was a voice that she didn't remember hearing before, but at the same time it was strangely familiar. Apple Belle turned toward the voice and felt her heart almost jump out of her mouth at what she saw.

"... Mommy?" She whispered, her voice breaking with emotion.

The mare smiled and nodded, opening her arms towards her.

The little filly grinned from ear to ear and didn't hesitate to run towards her mother, hugging her as tightly as her small front legs could.

"Mom, I miss you so much." She murmured in a tearful voice, feeling how good it was to have her mane gently caressed by her mom.

"I miss you too, my little apple. Look at you, you look so beautiful, so grown up ..." Sugar Belle said lovingly as she stroked her daughter's cheeks and didn't care if her hooves were wet with tears her.

"But ... Why did you have to leave? Why did you leave me, my brother and Dad? We all miss you so much."

"My love, I know you were too small to understand at the time when everything happened, but someone's life is like a storybook, some are longer, others are shorter, but all have a beginning, a middle and an end. My life may not have had so many chapters as I wanted, but it was a beautiful story."

Apple Belle smiled with her small pink eyes filled with tears and rested her head on her mother's chest again.

"Yes, indeed it was." She murmured under her breath.

"I heard that you had a fight with your brother." Sugar Belle said after a while, which immediately made the filly look up. "It is true?"

"Yes, but it was all his fault for lying to me and left me in the worst, I just can't stand lies." She said firmly.

"I see. But your brother apologized and is very sorry and guilty for lying to you, he was afraid to part with his special somepony."

"Should I forget and pretend that it never happened? It's kinda difficult."

"No, sweetie, I didn't ask you to forget what he did to you, but at least give him a chance to talk to you and explain himself."

Apple Belle thought. Although she was still hurt, deep down she didn't want to be at odds with Bright Mac, she loved him.

"Okay, tomorrow as soon as I wake up I will talk to him. Thank you mommy, I love you." She said, hugging her mother again.

"You're welcome my love, always remember that I'm always with you, even when you cannot see me."

Suddenly, her body staggered forward and when she saw it, her mother was gone. But Apple Belle smiled, feeling in her heart that they would someday see each other again and never part ways.