Say what you want... I am just a big collab and/or crossover shipper at this point! XD

Nightblade, let's fix that relationship problem of yours!


It's been two years since the Golden Oaks Library was restored by Nightblade Sparkle and his retirement of being a Dimensional Guardian was well underway. Currently, Blade was creating his Armor Tech Prototype in the basement of the Library.

"Alright, the Prototype X-Python is going well," he said to himself aloud.

While he was working, there was a knock from up above and he heard Fluttershy's voice call out, "Um, Nightblade? Are you in here?"

"Yeah, I'll be up there in a sec!" Blade Shouted from the basement.

"Okay! I'll be waiting," Fluttershy replied. Blade covered the Prototype with a white tarp and he got out of the basement.

"What's Up?" he asked.

"I was wondering if we could probably have a talk," Fluttershy told him. "About you and Applejack."

Blade blushed a bit.

"Um... okay..." He said. Fluttershy gave him a smile, then she spoke.

"I understand that your own Applejack back in your Equestria... well, no details needed," she said gently. "But I couldn't help but notice that you seem to have some form of attachment towards my Applejack. Why is that? Does she remind you of her much?"

"Well... Yes of course," Blade answered.

"So why haven't you said anything to Applejack?" Fluttershy inquired.

"I'm afraid of what'll happen if she says no," he muttered.

"Is that any excuse to ask and bottle up your feelings?" Fluttershy asked. "You'll never know unless you tell her. And even if she says no, Applejack's too kind to make a big deal out of it." She chuckled. "Unless it was something to do with Flim and Flam."

Blade chuckled a bit. "Well... Maybe you're right, I guess," he said.

"I know I am," Fluttershy giggled. "Now all you have to decide is when it's a good time to tell her." She gave him a grin. "And perhaps the girls and I could 'unintentionally' be involved."

Blade stared blankly at Fluttershy.

"Really..." he muttered. She giggled again and gave him a wink.

"I'm just messing with you!" she replied. "But in all seriousness, I'll leave that part to you."

"Thanks Fluttershy," he said with a smile.

"Of course! If you need anything, just let me know," she answered, then trotted out of the library. As Fluttershy got to the front door, she was a bit surprised to see the mare they had been talking about standing at the door.

"Oh! Applejack! What brings you here?" she asked.

"Ah was returning that book Ah borrowed," AJ answered. "Did Ah interrupt anything?"

"Oh, no. We were just finished talking," Fluttershy told her. "Well, I'd better head back to the castle. Goodbye!"

Fluttershy left the building as Applejack gave her a nod and trotted inside. When she noticed Nightblade, she smiled.

"Well, howdy Nightblade! How're ya doin'?" Applejack asked.

"Just creating some armor in the Basement and talking to Fluttershy when done," he answered.

"Oh, alright," she replied and pulled off her hat where the book had been balanced on her head the whole way. "Here ya go! As promised, returned just in time."

"Thanks AJ!"

He put the book back on the bookshelf.

"So, how's your armor comin' along?" Applejack inquired. "Ah think Ah saw it once, and Ah'd like to see what it is you're working on."

"Well okay, but it's a Prototype and I have to do a field test today," He told her as he looked at a clipboard he was holding.

"That's alright. Ah'd like to watch if that's alright with ya," she reassured. "For some reason, technology has started to grow on me... to some extent."

"Welcome to Advanced Technology, AJ!" He exclaimed as they went to the basement. "You can tell everyone about this if you want."

"Nah, Ah'll let it be a surprise for them," she remarked with a chuckle. "Can't have everything spoiled for ya."

"Well alright then. I've put the cover on my armor," he stated, as he checked on his Prototype. Upon seeing the armor, Applejack's expression lit up with admirable curiosity. She examined it up and down with a skeptical eye, then smiled.

"Mighty fine work, Nightblade. Ah've never seen its equal even among the Royal Guards," she congratulated. "This is the kind of armor that anypony would be honored to wear."

"Well of course, but this armor is only for Special Troops who can use this," Blade explained.

Applejack nodded, then gave him a smirk. "Well, are ya gonna try it on or do ya need a hoof in perfecting it?"

"I'm gonna test this on the open field, so yes I'm wearing this," he stated.

"Then Ah'd better warn Pinkie's hive so they can clear out any of the young ones that may be in the area," Applejack noted. "Ya want me to give them anything specific?"

He smiled. "Tell them I have a surprise for them."

"Alrighty then!" AJ gave him a supportive smile. "Cya soon!"

"See ya!" He smiled.


Outside on the field, Applejack managed to give a fair warning to all the Changeling children in the area, so by the time Nightblade came outside to test his armor, the field was clear enough for a safe testing. Blade was in his Mobian Form and he looked at his clipboard to checked the armor.

"Okay and... Let the test begin," he said.

"Go for it, sugarcube!" Applejack encouraged. Blade put on his armor and it powered up.

"ARMOR STORM Z ACTIVATED," the Armor spoke.

"Alright, first test: Close Combat," He said, creating holograms of Dark Gaia's minions.

In the distance, several Changelings cheered and Applejack watched with interest.

"Activate Lightning Claws!" He Yelled.

"ACTIVATING."

The gauntlets of the armor turned into claws and Blade dashed to the enemies and slashed into the Deep Nightmares.

"Yeah! Get 'em! Get 'em!" the Changelings cheered.

"Easy there, tough guys!" Applejack joked. "Save it for an actual battle."

"Lightning Barrage!" Blade's claws began to spark and he slashed the Deep Nightmares again, stunning them. Everyone watched in silence this time, as if anticipating what he'd do next. Applejack had a small smirk on her face.

"Well Ah'll be darned if he ain't one of the best Ah've seen," she said to herself. Blade Finally Removed all of the Deep Nightmare Holograms.

"Deactivate Lighting Claws!" he ordered.

"DEACTIVATING..."

The claws retracted back into the gauntlet.

"Okay, second test: Durability and Heat." Blade created a Flame Turret and the turret began to shoot fire at Blade.

"HEAT DETECTED, ACTIVATING SHIELD!" the armor screeched. A white-bluish dome surrounded Blade as the fire connected and he remains unharmed.

"Whoa!" the Changelings remarked in awe.

"That there must be hotter than a ghost chili pepper smoothie," Applejack commented.

Sorry readers, that was the best I could come up with...

The flame turret stopped shooting and disappeared, then Blade's shield disappeared also.

"Alright, the Nano Shield is stable," Blade noted. "Okay, final test: Transformation..."

Blade pressed a button, then the chestplate and armor glowed.

"ACTIVATING GALAXY STORM TRANSFORMATION."

"Galaxy Storm?" a Changeling wondered. "That sounds awesome!"

"But what does that mean? He'll summon a storm or is it just a morphing thing?" another wondered.

"How about we watch and find out?" Applejack suggested with a smile. Blade's armor transformed into a black beast with blue flames flowing at the gauntlets and shoulders.

"RAH!" Blade howled.

"Okay... I did not see that one coming!" the oldest Changeling remarked.

"Wow..." Applejack was speechless. The hologram created two Dark Titans and a Dark Guardian. Blade crossed his arms and rushed at the Dark Guardian.

"Godzilla much?" Applejack teased, watching the fight pan out.

"I know, I know, but it's a work in progress..." Blade explained, then used his claws to attack the Dark Guardian. However, it blocked the attack with it's hammer while the two titans began to smash Blade with their giant clubs.

"Ooo!" the Changelings grimaced.

"Should we... help him?" another asked.

"Ah'm... not sure," Applejack admitted, though her face was lined with worry. As soon as she finished, a burst of energy shot up and destroyed the Dark Titans with ease, leaving the Dark Guardian.

"Never mind," the Changelings declared. Blade stared at the Dark Guardian as it rushed towards him.

"Alright, time for the Grand Finale!" Blade shouted, then raised his right claw and a black orb formed in his palm. Everyone was once again silent as they watched to see what he'd do. The black orb is fully charged up, and then...

"ERROR! ERROR! SYSTEM OVERHEATING! SHUTTING DOWN..."

The armor ejected Blade and he plopped down to the ground.

"Ow..." He groaned. The Dark Guardian hologram disappeared and Blade got up.

"Aww!" all the Changelings exclaimed in disappointment while Applejack rushed over to Blade.

"Ya okay there?" she asked him. "That was a bit of a fall ya took."

"Yeah... I'm okay, but I forgot to put the Cooling System on. I need to do that or else it will-" The Armor blew up and pieces of it armor fell down. "Blow up..." he finished.

Applejack sighed. "Sorry 'bout your armor. Ah can help ya fix it if ya want. Ah got nothin' to do today anyways; it's my day off at the orphanage."

"Nah it's just a prototype. I have three replicas of it and I have to put the Cooling Systems on it," he reassured.

Just then, a small cartoon bird walked by them and started calling out, "Air waid! Wights out! Toltal bwackout!" He then turned to AJ and Blade. "Bweak it up, putty tats! Bweak it up!" He then turned away and repeated his last call. Applejack gave it a glare as if reading an unspoken message behind what he was saying.

"You can guess who that was," she muttered.

"Heh, that's gonna be an handful," Blade said.

"TURN OUT THOSE LIGHTS!" the bird suddenly yelled intimidatingly, causing the Changelings in the area to fly off. Then with a laugh and a flash of light, the bird turned into... well I don't think you need much brainpower to know who it was.

"You lovebirds gonna just sit there or help me with cleanup?" TD asked them as he started to cause chunks of metal to levitate off the ground while in pony form.

"Lovebirds?" Applejack blushed. "Ah don't know what you're implying, but... we- we're not- uh, I mean- uh..."

"We're not, uh. I mean, uh. We're not- Blah, blah, blah! I never lie!" TD joked, putting on a Night at the Museum Abe Lincoln voice. Blade shook off his blush and he helped TD with pickup.

"Alright, but the pieces of the armor will be used for something," he remarked.

"You know, if you have extra scrap, send it down to my place and I'll send it to Red," TD suggested. "He makes all kinds of things with just scrap."

"Why are ya here, William?" Applejack asked him. "Weren't ya supposed to be up at Canterlot?"

"Well... when you have my powers, you can get away with a lot of things, AJ," TD giggled.

She glared at him. "Ya didn't."

"I did. Am I cheeky or what?" the human laughed.

"Cheeky as ever," Blade agreed as he put the broken armor pieces in the sack.

"So, any plans for tonight you two?" TD asked with a sly smirk.

"We ain't a couple, if that's what you're implying," Applejack remarked.

"Aha, not YET you aren't," TD replied.

"Well now that you're thinking of it... I do have plans," Nightblade remarked.

"Ya do?" Applejack looked to him.

"Really? And what's that?" TD inquired with his smirk never fading.

"I'm not gonna tell, but I'll give you a hint: nighttime at the hill," Blade told him.

"Well then, be more specific for the audience at home when I'm gone," TD declared. "I gotta go!"

With a glow of his horn, he disappeared and Applejack snorted.

"Sometimes he's too cheeky for his own good," she stated. "Glad he's gone though. That was becoming a bit personal."

Blade Teleported the sack full of broken armor to the lab

"Well I have no plans tonight and well... how about we hang out for a while?" he suggested.

"Are ya askin' me out, sugarcube?" Applejack questioned with a small smirk.

"W-well... If you want," he stammered.

Applejack grinned. "Anyplace you'd like to meet?"

"I know a place..." he managed as he transformed into his alicorn form.


That night in Ponyville, Blade and Applejack could be seen lying down on the soft grass at the hill of Sweet Apple Acres.

"Watching the stars is beautiful, am I right?" Blade asked.

"Yeah, they are beautiful," Applejack agreed. "Ah remember sometimes as a foal Ah'd sneak out of my bedroom on nights when Ah was troubled and spend hours gazing up at the stars." She sighed happily. "It's quite relaxin' for me."

"Yeah... me too," he said. For a moment, neither of them said anything and continued to watch the stars. Then Applejack looked back over at Nightblade.

"So why did ya ask me out?" she asked. "Not that Ah'm complainin' or anything; just call me curious."

Blade sighed. "In my Equestria, I asked my Applejack out everynight when we had free time," he explained.

"Oh, Ah see," she nodded. "Ya still miss her sometimes, don't ya?"

"Yes but... she has him now," Blade said. Applejack placed a hoof on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Ah understand," she told him. "It's hard to ignore, but ya can't let the thought bog you down. Ah know somepony in my family who let the thought drag him down... it didn't end well, sugarcube." She passed a smile. "But for what it's worth, Ah can assure you Ah am not the kind to break one's heart in any manner, regardless of the level of the relationship we're in."

He looked at AJ and smiled a bit. "Yeah, sure hope so..."

Applejack smiled back, then looked up just as a shooting star passed by overhead.

"Made a wish yet?" she teased.

"Heh! Wishes are for kids, y'know," Blade chuckled a bit. "But... I only made a tiny bit of a wish."

"Well, Ah hope it comes true," she answered. "Personally, Ah don't think wishes are just for kids. They may not be as encouraged when ya grow older, but that don't make them any less important." She sighed. "Ah've been waitin' for mine to come true for quite a while now."

"Whats your wish?" Blade asked.

Applejack smirked. "Now ya know that it won't come true if Ah tell ya." She giggled a bit, then sighed. "Ah've never believed that last part, so Ah'll tell ya. My wish... is to find somepony to settle down with." She looked back at him. "Ya probably understand. Twilight's got William, Rare and Spike managed to get together, Pinkie's got Chuck; most my friends and even their children have somepony special in their life, but Ah haven't had any such luck."

Blade thought about this for a bit, then he got up on his feet.

"Well I think this will change your life around," he said.

"What do ya mean?" she asked, standing up as well. Blade moved closer to AJ.

"Well I know it might be delightful to say this but..." He blushed.

"What- are you-?" she stammered. Before she could say more, Blade booped AJ on the nose.

"Got ya!" Blade chuckled. Applejack's eyes opened wide, then she smirked.

"Oh no ya didn't," she said.

"The Booping is contagious y'know..." He smiled.

"Well, very few actually get that privilege without having my back legs buck them into a tree," she remarked, then smiled herself. "But Ah might make an exception for ya. In fact, Ah think Ah should return that favor."

Quickly, she booped him as well. Blade blinked, and then he chuckled.

"Okay, okay! We're even," he smirked. Applejack chuckled again, then noticing the time of night she gave him a glance.

"Ya know, the night's still pretty young and Ah've got time before Ah should head to bed. So do ya have anything else in mind?"

"Well I think that we should do... wait what's that?" Blade looked up at the sky to see a bright light coming closer to them.

"It looks like a comet or something," AJ remarked. "Though Ah don't think it's slowin' anytime soon. Should we be worried?"

"No... it's... It's!" The orb of light hit Blade and he staggered. "Ow... It's just a Gaia Orb..." Blade looked closer and his eyes widened. "A GAIA ORB!" he yelled.

"What's a Gaia Orb?" Applejack asked. "It sounds important."

"A Gaia Orb is the most powerful energy source for The Dimensional Guardians. It can double the user's power when activated," he explained.

"But why is there one here now?" she wondered. "Do ya think it has some significance for being here when it is?"

"I think there's a chance that The Gaia orb follows Creation Magic, like me for example..." Blade threw the Gaia Orb and it teleported next to him. "See?"

"Wow..." Applejack remarked. "So... what now?"

"I'll be keeping this and tomorrow we'll have our alone time, okay?" Blade said.

"Alright," she agreed. "See ya then, sugarcube."

She trotted off back towards the farm, leaving him alone on the hillside with the orb. Blade sat down and sighed.

"What should I do now...?" he mumbled.

"You can talk to me, my hopeful student."

Blade recognized the voice as the orb glowed and transformed into a white wolf with glowing eyes of the same color.

"L-Lord Solaris!" He bowed to his former mentor.

Solaris chuckled. "You may rise, young Nightblade, and tell me everything."


"Papers, please," TD joked as AJ came to the doors of the library the next morning. He had somehow set up a booth of some kind outside the door and Applejack was giving him a slight glare.

"Really William?" she deadpanned.

"You're no fun, AJ," TD muttered as he let her by. "At least Rarity tries to play along. Emphasis on 'tries'."

"Hey Nightblade? Ya in here?" the earth pony called out, ignoring the human's remark.

"Yeah I'm here! Be there in a sec!" the alicorn called.

"You seem eager to see him, AJ," TD teased. "Am I sensing a pattern?"

"Don't ya have anypony else you could annoy for a good ten or fifteen minutes?" she asked him.

"Well... yeah. Rarity is still expecting a prank call in the next five minutes. Guess I should rehearse," he admitted. "Later!"

With a burst of flames, TD disappeared, just as Blade opened the door to the basement.

"Hey AJ!" he greeted her.

"Howdy Blade!" she greeted back. "How've ya been?"

Eh... same old re-organizing the books," he answered. Applejack nodded. She had been in a library once for volunteer work, and she knew how daunting a task that could be.

"So, anything up today?" she asked. "And did ya manage to get that orb thing taken care of?"

"Well... Um... The Orb... is really my..." he mumbled the last part.

"Come again? Ah didn't catch the last part," she remarked. Blade breathed in and out.

"The orb is really my old mentor," Blade said.

"Mentor? Wow, sounds like you had quite the life before," she commented.

"Yes. He taught me how to use my powers carefully, and at my final test I passed and became a Dimensional Guardian," he continued.

"Golly! That sounds mighty exciting!" she exclaimed. "So, was he just stopping by to say hello?"

"Yeah, and he wants to spar with me one last time before he goes back," Blade explained.

"Ah, that sounds nice. So, should Ah leave ya be then so as not to get in your way?" she inquired.

He smiled. "No not at all, I told him that I want everyone see me sparring my mentor, and he agreed."

"Oh! In that case, Ah guess I could stay and watch for a while," AJ said with a shrug. "By the way, who else did ya want to have watchin' ya?"

"Everyone in Ponyville and Pinkie's hive," he boldly declared.

"Well then, get ready to have a crowd!" Applejack laughed. "Ah'll let 'em know! See ya out there!"

"Okay then..." he replied. AJ rushed outside, heading first for the Castle of Friendship and presumably the hive nearby. As soon as she was gone, Blade heard a voice nearby.

"Aw, the tenderness and obviousness is making me feel so warm inside," the voice stated, and then Discord appeared in a flash of light.

"Oh, Discord. What is it?" Blade asked.

"I just thought I'd come on by and see how this place turned out," the Spirit of Chaos responded innocently. "I haven't seen this place at it's peak glory for almost thirty years or so! But I couldn't help overhearing your chat with AJ in the process."

"Wait... you heard me and AJ talking about the spar between me and my former mentor?" Blade demanded.

"But of course! I was right here beside you, ya know," Discord stated. "And I may be wrong, but it sounds to me like you and AJ are rather- what's the word you use? Close."

"Well... Um... Maybe... We are," he muttered.

"Ah ah ah! There's no maybe in the matter," Discord chided. "You are hooked; I can tell already. So why don't you take a seat for a moment?"

Suddenly, Blade found himself lying on a kind of couch or bed with Discord sitting nearby on a chair with a notebook and a pen.

"Now then, tell me... When did this all start?" he questioned, as if he was a therapy doctor or something of the sort.

"It started when I showed everyone The Orb of Memories two years ago," Blade said.

"Mhm," Discord nodded and wrote something on his notebook. "Fluttershy told me about that. It must've been hard on you. So then, why this AJ? I mean, you haven't known her for very long. Is there something about her that you find... alluring then?"

"Well... I do fond with her, her Southern accents make my heart jump for joy... AJ is honest, kind, caring, and she's beautiful..." He blushed at the last part.

"Aha, I see," Discord noted. "So then why haven't you said anything to her?"

"It's not yet the right moment to confess," Blade answered.

"And what makes you think that?" Discord inquired, closing his notebook. "Have you ever considered the possibility that maybe she's been having a thing for you too? I mean, she let you in on her wish that other night. She never told anyone about this outside her circle of friends, myself included." He then added, "And in case you're wondering, I only know that part thanks to the author."

We good, Dizzy!

"Don't call me that," the chaos spirit huffed.

Whatever, man...

"Really?" Blade asked.

"Of course! If AJ is willing to share some of her darker secrets with you, that must mean she trusts you. And besides, I've seen how she looks at you. Thought you were the only one among the two of you doing the 'observing'?"

Discord, no. I'm trying to stay PG.

"Well, what would you like me to say then?"

How about not go there period? BTW, can you even hear me Nightblade?

"Yes I can, thank you very much. But I don't want to break the 4th Wall, and I already know that Soul is screaming about it right now..." Blade remarked.


*Meanwhile*

Soulblade was screaming and running in circles.

"WHO BROKE THE FOURTH WALL?!" he yelled.


*Back to Nightblade*

"Yeah, pretty difficult for him," he muttered.

Apologies then... though with me he'll just have to get used to it.

"Anyways, back to what we were discussing earlier," Discord stated. "Yes, AJ, it would seem, has eyes for you as well. Not sure why, though, but that may just be me."

"Okay. Thanks Discord, but I have to go now. The Spar will start in five minutes," Blade replied, looking at the clock.

"Go slay 'em, tiger," Discord sounded off, and then he was gone. Five minutes later, Blade arrived on the field.

"Okay, looks like everyone is here," he noted with a smile.

"Yeah! Yahoo!" Pinkie cheered loudly, even though nothing had happened yet. However, she was thankfully not alone, as the others started cheering as well.

"Ladies and gentlemen, fillies and gentlecolts, all creatures great and small!" TD announced as if on a loud speaker. "Welcome to the fight of the week you've all never heard of until recently!"

"It's not a fight TD. It's only a Spar with an old Mentor," Blade said bluntly.

"Same thing in my book," TD laughed and looked around. "Now where's the challenger? If the challenger does not reveal himself in five minutes, he will be disqualified."

"William, stop messing with their heads!" Twilight's voice called in the crowd. TD made a mock gasp of anger.

"I demand to know who said that!" he called out, clearly joking. Then all saw The Orb and a bright light surrounded it and transformed into Blade's Mentor.

"Greetings! I am Solaris The White Flame and God of Mobius," Solaris greeted everyone.

"A god?" a lot of voices murmured.

"Oh dear," TD muttered, then added, "Are you one of the good ones? No offense, but I've ran into too many of the shady types."

"Yes. My student Nightblade told you of my Battle when I was succumbed by the powers of Dark Gaia's energy. But thanks to Sonic The Hedgehog and my student, they manged to free me from the Darkness in my heart," he explained.

"In short, he was bad once and now he's good again," Blade finished.

"Aha... Well, as long as you don't try to attack this world, be my guest to stay," TD nodded. "You know the rules, so I expect a good spar. Ready, set... let's get ready to RUMBLE!"

TD's last words echoed for miles as he teleported into the audience. Blade and Solaris both dashed towards each other, meeting halfway with their own attacks. They blocked each others attack, then Blade summoned his most favorite weapon: a pair of short scythes.

"Ah... The Star Seeker Scythes. Very impressive, my old student," Solaris commented, then summoned his Golden Shield and Sword. Blade jumped and threw one scythe at his former mentor, but Solaris raised his shield to block the attack. Blade grabbed his scythe and he dealt a flurry of attacks to his mentor, but Solaris dodged the attack.

"I see you've trained well and hard," Solaris complimented. He raised his sword and both warriors' weapons clashed.

"I've learned so much from when I was a Dimensional Guardian," Blade answered with a smile. Solaris and Blade started to clash their weapons against each other over and over, until Solaris got the advantage and he kicked his former student in the chest. Blade was launched back from the attack and hit at a tree, but quickly recovered.

"I barely got a scratch," he remarked and dashed back towards his mentor.

"Don't get overconfident my student," Solaris warned, then he dashed towards his Former Student.

"And this is the part where I win!" Blade exclaimed and he raised his scythes and moved in for a final attack.

"I think not, my student..." Solaris fully charged his powers and transferred it to the sword in his hands.

"Gaia Dash!"

"Celestial Slash!"

Their weapons clashed one last time and for a while stayed that way, until their weapons flew up to the sky and and crash landed to the ground.

"You fought well, young Nightblade" Solaris panted.

"You too Teacher," Blade also panted and they shook hands, making it a draw. There was a thunderous round of applause that followed, which because the majority of the audience was on the ground sounded like a stampede of some kind. At least the airborne spectators managed not to make it sound like such.

"Way to go, Nightblade!" several of the girls cheered.

"Yeehaw! What a fight!" Applejack hollered.

"Well, I'd say overall this was a total success!" TD remarked. "Well done!"

"Thanks everyone!" Blade called out while smiling. Solaris smiled at his student and he ruffled his fur.

"Alright everyone, show's over! Let's give them room to breathe," TD started ordering, as several clones of himself were already working at the cleanup duty. Applejack trotted over to Nightblade and gave him a big hug.

"Way to go, sugarcube," she said to him. "That was a well-fought battle."

Blade chuckled. "Again, it's not a battle; it's a Spar," he corrected.

"Well either way, it was well-fought. Ya did good," Applejack remarked.

"Get a room already, ya lovebirds!" TD called over to them, earning a smack from Twilight. "What?! It's obvious!"

"Well my student, this will be my final visit to you," Solaris suddenly announced.

"What do you mean?" Blade asked. Solaris coughed and he fell down to one knee.

"I'm dying my student... My flame is slowly fading away," Solaris explained.

"W-what!" Blade was shocked of his former mentor's words.

"You're... dying?" Applejack was also a bit shocked. TD, while still not one to particularly enjoy the company of a god, couldn't help but feel a bit saddened himself at the sight.

"Pinkie," Twilight warned the Changeling monarch, who was still trying to round up her hive, "If there's any larvae or nymphs around, you may want to get them out of here. This may be something they don't want to see."

Pinkie nodded in understanding, then went back to tending to her kind.

"Some of us are Immortal, but when our powers or our life force is gone, we die also," Solaris said.

"Isn't there something ya'll can do?" Applejack wondered.

"No. We can't cheat death; we can't break The Rules of Life," Solaris explained.

"That's not entirely-" TD began, but was cut off by Twilight yet again.

"So this will be my last time to see you?" Blade asked, to which Solaris nodded. "I DON'T WANT YOU TO LEAVE!" He Hugged his mentor and teared up a bit. Applejack also teared up herself and removed her hat in the process. True to her nature, she didn't cry aloud, but all who knew her knew that she was crying on the inside.

"It's okay... Whenever I'm gone, I'm always here..." Solaris said comfortingly, as he placed his hand on Blade's chest.

"Solaris," TD spoke, "I never have said this to anyone who claimed to be a god before... but I hope that you may find peace in death."

Solaris smiled. "Thank you William," he Said and looked at AJ. "Please take care of him for me."

Solaris looked at Blade one last time, and then he faded away.

"NO!" Blade wailed in sorrow. Applejack sighed as she gave him a small hug with one hoof, letting him lean on her for support. Twilight bowed her head in sorrow while TD looked on. He didn't seem sorrowful, but neither did he enjoy it. His expression explained all too well that he had suffered loss before, and he knew what Blade was going through. Blade placed his head on AJ's shoulder and cried softly.

"Ah'm so sorry, sugarcube," she whispered. TD muttered something that sounded like a final sendoff or blessing for the dead, even making a cross symbol as he did so, but what he was speaking was unknown even to his wife. Twilight, on that note, was silently crying herself, for no matter who it was it was never easy for her to experience such a thing. After a while, Blade got up and he went back to the library without saying a word. Applejack watched him go with a sympathetic expression, never letting her gaze leave him until he was fully out of sight.


That night, Blade placed the Golden Sword and Shield on the wall and put a plaque at the bottom as a kind of reminder of the one who had taught him in the past.

"Rest in peace, Teacher..." he murmured. Just then, there was a light knock at the door.

"Nightblade?" a familiar voice whispered. "Are ya still up?"

"Yeah I'm awake," he answered. The door opened slowly and Applejack popped in. She gave him a small smile.

"Ah couldn't sleep, so Ah decided to check up on ya and see if you're doin' alright," she explained.

"I'm alright... just putting my mentor's weapons on the wall," he said.

Applejack nodded. "Well, it certainly adds to the decor of the place."

She gave a small sigh, thinking back on what Solaris had told her before he had passed away. Did he know somehow how she felt towards him, or was he simply asking a favor? And TD? He had known from the very start, but did he really want her to go through with it? Was that really how she truly felt?

"AJ, I have to Ask you this," Blade spoke, cutting her train of thought. "Have you ever found the Perfect Pony in your life?" He asked, "If that's the case... you should confess your feelings and make it quick and everyone will be happy..." He paused and chuckled a bit. "Heh... My mentor told me this when I was his pupil."

"Oh..." Applejack looked to him with a small sigh. "Ah had a crush once, back when Ah was younger. A stallion whom Ah thought might be the one. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be. When Ah confessed to him... he turned me down." She glanced up at Nightblade. "He didn't do it unkindly though. He hadn't even been aware that Ah was fawning over him. Turned out... he had a wife already, so he was simply being faithful." She glanced at one of the nearby windows for a bit. "Ah'll never forget what he told me that night. 'Keep looking,' he said. 'You'll find the perfect somepony someday. I promise.' Ah haven't seen him since."

"Well... I know there's only one thing left to make it go away," Blade said.

"And what's that?" Applejack asked.

"I know this will be different but... oh what the heck!" He suddenly leaned in and kissed Applejack. Applejack's eyes widened for a moment, as if unsure of what had just happened, then slowly they closed in bliss and she started returning the kiss.


Meanwhile in a castle in Everfree...

"Yes!" Discord shouted with triumph as he peered into a crystal ball and overlooked the scene. "Score one for the Discord!"

"Um, honey? What are doing?" Fluttershy asked him, coming up from behind.

"Um...


Back to the present scene...

Five minutes passed and Blade broke the kiss to take a breather.

"That was... Wow," he said.

"Why... did ya do that?" Applejack asked breathlessly, but not unkindly. "Because Ah... did not... expect it."

"Because I love you," Blade said. The earth pony was taken aback and looked to him with surprise.

"Ya... ya do?" she asked, sounding a bit emotional. Blade nodded. For a moment, Applejack was silent, then she suddenly threw her hooves around him in a full embrace.

"Ah thought you'd never say that," she replied, tearing up with joy. "And, Ah've been meaning to say... Ah love ya, too."

Blade smiled at these words and he hugged her back. They stayed like that for quite awhile, taking in every bit of this moment as long as possible, never wanting it to end for either of them. It was only the chiming of a nearby clock that made them end the hug as Applejack looked to the time.

"Oh shoot!" she remarked. "Is it that late? Ah need to be up early tomorrow to help with the deliveries!"

"Okay then..." Blade smiled at her. Applejack smiled back, then trotted to the door and started to open it. It was open only halfway before she stopped and gave him a final glance.

"G'night, Nightblade," she said, then she trotted out the door entirely and was gone.

"Night..." Blade went to his room fell asleep on his bed with only one thing left in his mind that night.

Thank you... Applejack for Restoring the Fragment of my heart.

Thank you...


Well, I thought it was appropriate to have those two together to make up for his broken heart in a different Equestria. Besides, I thought they were alright. What about you?

Thanks for reading! Cya next time!