Fullmetal Hearts and Hooves
"Damn… 20,000 bits just to get my automail fixed? I don't even want to know how much that would be in Amestrian cenz." Clad in his usual black outfit and red coat, Edward Elric sighed in frustration as he stepped out of the Ponyville train station with his suitcase in toll. He had spent a week in Canterlot to see somepony Princess Celestia knew who would be willing to check on his automail limbs. "Oh well... At least the Princess paid for the maintenance..." Speaking of 'paid,' it has been nearly a year since the boy was brought into Equestria after defeating Father during the Promised Day and trading his own body and soul to bring his younger brother back in flesh and blood– and he still owed a fellow State Alchemist 520 cenz and a certain Xingese prince owed him alot more for one hotel room service bill. Unfortunately, being stranded in another world made it impossible to make happen. Looking around, the young State Alchemist noticed that the air in town was abit different than last week when he departed for Canterlot...
Everypony he saw was acting somewhat odd. He just couldn't put his finger on it. What was going on? Ed decided to let the question slide for the time being. He was about to take a step forward until a familiar voice rang out.
"Well Ah'll be... Ed! Welcome back, sugar cube!"
Turning around, Edward was facing Applejack and her big brother Big Macintosh or Big Mac for short. "Oh... Hey, Applejack. Hey, Big Mac." He smiled at the sight of familiar faces.
"And here Ah was thinking ye ain't coming back. Big Mac and Ah were just passing through here, until we saw you." Applejack said with laughter. "How was yer trip to Canterlot? Ah bet it feels mighty nice being able to move that arm again."
Ed rolled his eyes from the farmmare's complement. "It cost 20,000 bits to fix. However, Princess Celestia paid it in full for me because I didn't have enough and I still carry around pocket change from my home dimension."
Applejack smiled in approval. "Well ain't that kind of the Princess to do that."
"Eeyup." Big Mac said in his usual calm tone of voice.
"Heh... Next time my limbs gets checked again, I may not be so lucky..." Ed mumbled to himself as he scratched the back of his head.
Applejack blinked for a moment. "What was that again, sugar cube?" She asked wanting to hear Ed again and coherently.
"Oh! Uh, nothing, Applejack!" Waving his hands and laughing nervously, the State Alchemist prodigy thinks of a subject to change to. "Anyway, is it just me or is everypony acting..." He paused thinking of an acceptable work. "... Different?"
"It's Hearts and Hooves Day, Edward." Big Mac answered. It was a rare occasion for the red farmcolt to talk.
Edward looked at the Apple siblings with confusion plastered on his face. "Hearts and Hooves...?" That was a weird name to call by.
Applejack nodded. "That's right, ye weren't here in Equestria for that long. Well... It's that time of year when a pony gets together with their special somepony." She explained further. "Ye should've seen my brother and Miss Cheerilie together. Applebloom and her friends made a love potion to make the two fall for eachother."
"Ee...Yup..." Big Mac embarrassingly said with a feign cough as the memories of the event entered his mind.
This made the boy chuckle abit trying to picture the events of that time, until another question came to mind. "So how's everypony else doing now?"
"Oh... Uh... Yesterday, the others and Ah went to see if Twilight wants to help out Pinkie Pie with her Hearts and Hooves Day bake sale." Applejack answered and continued. "But no answer... Ah went there earlier today to see if she was available. Spike answered and said that she was out."
"I see..." Edward puts his hand on his chin and nodded after listening to the farmmare's explanation. "Perhaps I should go and check if she's available now..."
A smile was forming on Applejack's face. "Now that's a good idea there, sugar cube. Ah dunno if the others checked on Twi after me, but Ah say go on ahead anyway."
The three say their farewells and went separate ways. Edward was now thinking what to bring Twilight, considering what today was. "Hmm... Would a bouquet of roses be good for Twilight...?" He asked himself. "I think I need something else to along with it."
After buying a bouquet of roses with a little amount of bits left on him, Edward arrived at Twilight Sparkle's home. With a knock on the door, another familiar figure opened it.
"Ed? Hey, welcome back." Spike greeted the boy with a smile.
"Thanks, Spike." Edward nodded his head. "By the way, is Twilight around? I brought her something."
Spike paused for a moment as a face of worry was worn. "Um... Yeah. About that." He motioned Ed to step inside with him and closed the door. "She's been feeling down for the past few days, Ed."
Edward gave the purple, baby dragon a confused look. "What do you mean? What happened to her?"
"I told the others who came here earlier that she's out and about… But that's not the truth. It's because today is Hearts and Hooves Day." Spike sighed sadly. "She never really had a special somepony at all."
"Really?" Edward was abit shaken hearing Spike's explanation. "It was because of her time spent reading books, huh?"
The dragon nodded his head. "That's right. She talked to you about her fillyhood one time, right? Twilight may be Princess Celestia's faithful student, but that doesn't mean she has to have a special somepony wanting to be with her." He looked down concerned about the lavender unicorn's well-being. "She gets depressed like this every Hearts and Hooves Day, Ed."
Edward stood there in silence, absorbing every bit of information Spike just told him. "In that case, I want to see if I can get her back up and walking again." He said with determination in his voice.
Spike was bewildered by Edward's words. Was he serious? "Are you really going to do that?" He asked trying to figure out the human's motives.
"Of course, Spike." The young State Alchemist answered as he pumped his fist. "After all, Twilight is also my friend. Not only that, why did you think I bought this bouquet of flowers for?"
Edward looked around the library for any sign of Twilight as he put his red coat on a nearby hanger. Spike mentioned that she was in upstairs in her room, but before the boy can go there, "Spike, do you have a quill and a piece of paper I can borrow? There's something I like to write down."
"Sure thing." Spike nodded bringing the requested items to Edward and watched him writing something down.
Ed handed the quill back to the dragon and folded the paper before placing it on the bouquet. He was not used to writing with a quill as he was with a pen back in Amestris, but at least it still did its job. "Okay... I'm ready now." The alchemist prodigy walked up to the lavender-coated unicorn's room with Spike watching him scale the stairs.
Upon reaching the room, the boy's fingers of his gloved carbon-fiber prosthetic hand made contact with the wall beside the doorway in a form of a knock. "Hello... Twil-" Edward was cut short by a series of sobs. "Twilight..." He peaked from the side and saw the unicorn mare on the bed with her head resting on her forelegs. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her, as he approached the mare. After getting close, Edward put the bouquet aside and gently caressed Twilight's mane. "Twi..."
Twilight's sobs stopped for a moment before she brought her head up. Her tear-filled purple eyes gazed up to Edward's amber eyes. "Ed..." The mare's eyes welled up again as she propped up and, to the boy's surprise, brought him close into an embrace and her sobs were more audible.
Edward froze when Twilight hugged him. He could do nothing else but return the hug. "It's okay, Twilight. I'm here." He said, trying to comfort her. He could even feel her tears soaking his black jacket and matching, sleeveless shirt. The bouquet of roses may have to wait for now.
"Ed... Somehow, I knew you would come here..." Twilight spoke, despite her muffled voice. She then looked up at him and then the unthinkable happened. With her muzzle close to his mouth, the mare's lips eventually pressed against the boy's own.
Edward was about ready to break away from her, but soon found himself returning the kiss. It felt like minutes have passed by the time they both stopped, leaving the boy in shock. "Twilight... You... Kissed me?" He asked putting his fingers over his mouth where the kiss was planted.
Seeing the reaction on his face, Twilight removed herself from him and looked down in shame. "I'm... I'm so sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to do that..." She closed her eyes and tears began forming again. She backed away and was about to jump off her bed, until the boy stopped her by wrapping his mismatched arms around her.
"How long have you kept those feelings?" Edward asked as he buried his face into Twilight's mane.
The mare shook with teary eyes. "For over two months now." She answered. "You've been staying with me and Spike since you first came to Equestria. Everypony was starting to think that you and I are together." She paused for moment before continuing. "I've been thinking about you since then."
Those words shook Ed down his spine. He couldn't do anything but let what he just heard sink in. "Twilight..." He finally spoke. "To be honest… I've been thinking about you too lately, but I wasn't sure if I felt the same way you felt for me..."
The lavender-coated mare quietly listened to the boy as he continued.
"During my time at Canterlot, Cadence was there visiting. I talked to her about whether or not if I really had feelings for you." Ed released Twilight from his embrace and picked up the bouquet of roses to show it to her. "She helped me find my answer."
Twilight used her magic to levitate the bouquet in front of her. Upon further examination, she discovered a note. She put down the bouquet and started reading the note.
Twilight,
Equivalent Exchange!
I'll be your special somepony,
if you'll be my special somepony.
Edward
"Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Twilight." Edward finally said with a welcoming smile as he looked down at Twilight.
Twilight could not believe what she just read. She was given a gift –a Hearts and Hooves Day gift on top of that- from the one she had harbored feelings for. As she looked up at Edward. Tears were forming in her eyes again, but this time, they were tears of joy. "Yes... Edward, I'll be your special somepony!" Twilight said as she jumped on the golden-haired boy and held him in a hug, pulling him into a kiss which caused him to fall onto her bed with him on top of her. Unlike earlier, Ed was now accepting her affection by returning the kiss.
"A bake sale at Sugar Cube Corner?" Twilight asked.
"Yeah, that's right. Apparently, the others were hoping you would come and see if you would like to help out Pinkie Pie with the sale. Applejack mentioned it to me earlier." Edward answered as he looked down at his new special somepony. He and Twilight had just stepped out of the library and were on their way to the bakery for the sale. Spike left the library minutes before the two left. He must have heard about the sale...
Twilight beamed a smile and nodded her head. "I would love to go. It's even better when I'm with my special somepony, and that special somepony isn't a pony at all…" She looked up with half-open eyes and affectionately nuzzled the alchemist prodigy's left side which, in turn made him smile.
The two approached the door to the Sugar Cube Corner. Edward opened the door for Twilight to enter first. "This is making me wonder what Pinkie ha—" Before the young alchemist can finish his question, the sound of confetti popping in the air filled the room which surprised the couple and made Edward jump and fall flat on the floor.
"Edward-and-Twilight-are-Together-Party! WOO-HOO!" Yelled Pinkie Pie, who was wearing a party hat. However, the pink mare was not the only one celebrating. Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy, and Spike, were also cheering for the new couple.
The lavender unicorn helped Edward sit up and continued hearing their friends' cheers together. Their cheeks turned light-pink as they received the positive and warm reception.
"Heh... Um thanks, everypony." Edward nervously said as he scratched the back of his head.
"Word about us being together spread pretty quickly, huh?" Twilight chuckled as she watch Edward return to his feet. "And I think I know who was behind it..." She turned her eyes to the baby dragon who was walking to one of the tables whistling as if nothing happened.
Edward and Twilight returned to the library later that night while Spike went to Rarity's boutique. From that moment on, the two were covered under the warmth of the comforter they were sharing together as they gazed at the stars together from the open window of Twilight's room.
"I really enjoyed the party Pinkie had set up for us, Ed." Twilight finally spoke as she leaned her head on the human's chest. "I loved every minute of it."
Edward had his left arm around the purple unicorn mare lovingly. "I did too, especially when enjoying it together with you, Twi." He then nuzzled his face into her mane receiving some giggles from Twilight. Moments later, the mare began shifting away from Ed's arm only to be sitting in front of him. Soon, she leaned on her back while using the human as if he was a recliner before she looked up adorably at him.
"Feeling more comfortable now?" Edward playfully asked wrapping his mismatched arms around the mare.
"Indeed I am." Twilight responded by nuzzling his chin and received a peck on the forehead by him.
Edward looked back up at the sky and smiled. "The sky looks very lovely tonight huh?" He leaned his back against Twilight's bed in comfort while keeping the mare in his arms.
"Ed..." Twilight quietly called to get the human's attention. "I'm so glad we found each other. There is nopony I rather be with except you." She said as she dreamily looked into the boy's amber eyes.
Edward placed his hand on the mare's cheek. "I've always felt alone here in Equestria. It's been roughly a year since I was separated from everyone I knew back in my world... Back in Amestris. Even with the combination of Equestria's magic and my alchemy, there was no way for me to return home." He slowly made a warm smile. "But thanks to you and your friends, you've helped me get back on my feet and given me purpose and reason to keep living in a world that is not my own to begin with." He paused for a moment to gaze back into Twilight's violet eyes. Soon, he leaned his head closer and connected his lips with hers.
Twilight wrapped her forelegs around Edward's neck and moaned in pleasure as she enjoyed the kiss.
When the two broke away from the kiss. They were gazing at eachother's eyes again. "I love you, Twilight Sparkle." Edward spoke with a light-pink hue on his cheeks.
"I love you too, Edward." Twilight replied with a smile and nuzzled his cheek before enjoying the night sky again under the warmth of her special somepony.
Author's Note: A tad late for Valentine's Day... Yeah, I know... I had this piece of work for a while and I just want to throw it out here. I'm quite a fan to MLP and FMA after all. Happy [Late] Valentine's Day/Hearts and Hooves Day!