Shades of Love
Chapter Four: School Dance
As summer came to Ponyville, Sweetheart and Teddy starting having more and more dates in the great outdoors, enjoying the balmy heat and gentle breezes. On one overly-hot day, the two were enjoying a picnic under a shady tree.
As Sweetheart finished spreading honey over her sandwich, she offered Teddy the jar.
"Honey?" She asked.
"Yeah, babe, what's up?" Teddy replied nonchalantly.
"No." Sweetheart giggled. "I meant: Would you like some honey?"
"Oh. Uh, sure." Teddy nodded, a little embarrassed. "I love honey!"
"Me, too." Smiled Sweetheart. "It's so sweet."
"Not as sweet as you." Grinned Teddy, wrapping his forelegs around her.
"Or you." Sweetheart whispered.
The two kissed each other deeply.
At that moment, Clover came trotting up.
"Hi, guys." She said cheerfully. "Am I... interrupting... anything... Ohhh."
"Hi, Clover." Said Sweetheart, pulling out of the kiss. "What's going on?"
"Yes, Clover." Said a disappointed Teddy. "Do tell."
"You know the big school dance coming up?" Clover started. "Well, they still need a few hooves to help set up the decorations."
"We'd be happy to help." Smiled Sweetheart. "Wouldn't we, Teddy?"
Teddy actually wasn't all that keen on helping, but there was something about the look Sweetheart gave him that convinced him otherwise.
"Yeah." He sighed. "We'd love to."
After finishing off their picnic, Teddy and Sweetheart trotted over to the auditorium of Ponyville Middle School, where the other ponies were already hard at work. Bright Eyes and Lancer were adjusting the drapes, while Melody and Ace were arguing over the position of the lights.
"To the left!" Insisted Melody.
"No, the right!" Ace shot back.
Starlight, easily the most well-organised pony in the school, was overseeing the general operation.
"Oh hey, guys." She said to Teddy and Sweetheart when they entered the auditorium. "Glad you could both lend a hoof."
"What are friends for?" Smiled Sweetheart.
"Yeah, what she said." Shrugged Teddy.
"Okay, we need some wreaths hung around the edges of the walls." Starlight declared.
"We're on it." Said Sweetheart.
Sweetheart climbed up the step ladder in the corner of the room, Teddy keeping it steady down below. As she reached out just a little too far, she found herself losing balance. Unable to steady herself, she fell, but luckily, Teddy was there to catch her.
"Gotcha!" Said a relieved Teddy.
"My hero." Sweetheart swooned, hugging Teddy tightly.
"Ugh, please." Sneered a repulsed Melody.
"So..." Sweetheart mumbled as she got out of Teddy's forelegs. "Will you be going to the dance... with me?"
"'Course I will." Smiled Teddy. "Like you even hadda ask."
"I was just making sure." Smiled Sweetheart bashfully.
A few nights later, on the day of the dance, Teddy came over to Sweetheart's house to pick her up. As the door opened, he was stunned by the vision of beauty standing before him: She was wearing a soft pink dress to compliment her mane, which had been styled into elegant curls.
"Wow." Teddy gasped. "You look great."
"Why thank you, Teddy." Sweetheart fluttered her eyelashes. "You look quite handsome yourself."
Teddy had donned an old tuxedo that had once been worn by his father. His distinctive mohawk mane had been slicked back, and his trademark shades, which usually adorned his brow, had been left at home.
"Shall we?" Teddy put on a fancy accent, and offered a foreleg.
"We shall." Sweetheart accepted.
As they entered the school auditorium, they found that pretty much all of their friends had found dates. Bright Eyes was with Lancer, whom she had been dating for a couple of weeks. Ace, who was unable to ask Melody to be his date, due to her band, The Rockin' Beats, playing at the dance, had settled for Starlight, and was, to his surprise, having a better time then he thought he would have. Bon Bon was with Logan Barrington, and Clover and Patch were paired with two friendly ponies named Dandy and Buddy.
"Well, well." Smirked Patch. "Out in public together. What's the occasion?"
"Ha, ha." Drolled Teddy. "Real funny, ms. comedienne."
"Just joshin' ya." Shrugged Patch. "Nice to see ya here, really. You know Buddy, don'tcha?"
"Yeah, how's it going, Buddy?" Teddy acknowledged Patch's date.
"Not too bad." Buddy smiled. "Patch is one pony who really knows how to have fun!"
"That sounds like Patch, all right." Chuckled Sweetheart.
"Hi, guys." Called Lancer, as he and Bright Eyes wandered over.
"Hey, Lance!" Smiled Teddy.
"Hi, Bright Eyes." Smiled Sweetheart. "Having fun?"
"Oh, yes." Nodded Bright Eyes. "Lancer and I were just discussing the applications of quantum mechanics in string theory."
"Nerd love." Sniggered Teddy. Sweetheart nudged him in the side. "Kidding!" He protested.
"Hey, Ted!" Ace called.
"Ace, my pony!" Teddy shared a high hoof with his closest friend.
To the side, Sweetheart gave Starlight a knowing smile, which Starlight responded to with silent glee. Starlight had long held a crush on Ace, and it looked as if she was finally making some headway in getting him to notice her.
At that moment, The Rockin' Beats started playing a slow, romantic ballad. All the pony couples came together and started dancing,
"Shall we dance?" Sweetheart held out her hoof.
"Okay, but I gotta warn ya: I'm not that good." Teddy admitted.
"Then we'll take it nice and slow." Sweetheart smiled. "Just follow my lead."
"Funny, I thought it was the guy who leads." Teddy smirked.
"Only if he promises not to step on the girl's hoofs." Sweetheart smirked back.
"That may be a promise I can't keep." Teddy said honestly.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Sweetheart declared.
As they linked hoofs, the pair started dancing, slowly and awkwardly at first, but getting better with each step.
"Hey, this isn't so hard after all!" Teddy cheered, before accidentally stepping on Sweetheart's hoof.
"Ow!" Winced Sweetheart.
"Sorry." Cringed Teddy.
As Melody sang the sang of romance, she couldn't help noticing Teddy and Sweetheart dancing together. Grudgingly, she privately admitted to herself that they were a cute couple - Not that she would ever tell anyone that.
As the song ended, the pair embraced each other.
"Love ya, Sweets." Teddy whispered in her ear.
"I love you too, Teddy." Sweetheart whispered back.
Teddy took Sweetheart's hoof and kissed it gently, to the admiration of the watching male ponies and acceptance of the female ponies. In response, Sweetheart once again wrapped her forelegs around Teddy and kissed him deeply.
"This has been the best night of my life." She declared.
"Mine too." Smiled Teddy.
"Hey, all you pony partners, how about an encore?" Melody boomed into the microphone.
As the romantic song started up once more, Teddy smiled at Sweetheart.
"You up for another dance?" He asked.
"Yes, I really, truly am." Chuckled Sweetheart.
Once again, they came together and danced as closely as possible.
The rest of the night passed in a haze of dancing and kissing. As Teddy walked Sweetheart home, the two were feeling both tired and energised at the same time. Once Sweetheart was returned to her home, they shared one last kiss before parting, capping off a perfect night, one they would remember for the rest of their lives.
The End.
(My Little Pony Tales and all associated characters are the property of Sunbow Productions.)