Chapter 12, a drowned gift

It was the day before hearts and hooves day, and Blaze was almost out of time, tomorrow was Sunday, and that was hearts and hooves day. He'd spent the last day locked in his room, his mind going over and over his options. He had to get Sweet cream back; he couldn't let everything end like this. He had been Sweet creams friend since they were foals and they'd done everything together. Sweet cream was there when Nova had taken his first steps, when he'd taken to the air for the first time. She was there on his first day of school, his first day of boarding school, every single one of his birthdays, essentially everything he'd ever done; Sweet cream had been there with him.

Blaze had been working up the courage to ask Sweet cream to hearts and hooves day for years, always bottling out at the last second. When he'd first asked Sweet cream to be his heart and hooves back when he was nine, she'd turned a deep red and with a squeak ran off, leaving him standing in the school yard surrounded by sniggering foals. The next four years where exactly the same, each time she'd run off without ever answering. Blaze had always wondered why she never answered, but he always found the courage to try again year after year. Last year Sweet cream had actually hung around long enough to accept the card and chocolates he'd bought her, before turning an even brighter red then usual and galloping off.

This year he'd sworn to himself that if he failed this year, he should try to move on. But when Cream had opened the door and looked at him with her deep blue eyes full of innocence, he knew there wouldn't ever be another girl for him. But after the events of last Thursday, he doubted that Sweet Cream was in the same mood. He looked down from his high vantage point on a soft white cloud and watched the world turn, timing his moment. Later this day he knew Sweet cream would make a short trip to the edges of Everfree to collect herbs and plants for her mother's animals, and that was his best chance of getting some time to talk to her.

Time seemed to crawl by on a snail's pace, flowing like thick honey. Slowly the sun rose up in the east and rose its way up into the azure blue sky, its white light shone down on him and causing the white cloud beneath him to glow. Blaze looked to the north and saw the tiny silhouette of Canterlot on the far horizon, its towers reaching up into the sky. He knew that right now Celestia and Luna were probably using some sought of magic to watch him.

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"You're sure about this?" Luna had asked that night nova had attacked her, there concern in her voice, as well as a pleading edge.

"I'm not going to go to Canterlot with you, i'm not meant to be a prince" he said with a smile "i'm Blaze, just Blaze. I'm a pegausi with no idea which fork to use for starters or how to talk right to nobles. As far as i'm concerned i belong here in ponyville, not in a far away city like Canterlot" he shook his head slowly "besides, i don't know what dad would do without me, he'd miss me"

"far be it from me to take a son from his father" Luna said "if you ever want to take your place with us at court, just come find us" and with that and a final kiss on his forehead, Luna and Celestia had took to the air, leaving him in the back yard by himself. Blaze had looked back at the house to see his father standing at the back door, his mother by his side.

"He's growing up so fast" Nova had whispered to Rarity, she smiled and laid a hoof on his shoulder.

"You've got to let him grow Nova; he's young and inexperienced with the world. You've got to let him learn and find his own place; he can't be with us forever"

"I know, i just wish his place wasn't with my sisters"

"Maybe it always was, just look at him Nova. Our son is big, strong, and loyal; he's everything a prince should be"

Nova didn't know what to say, so he just watched his son standing amongst the cherry pink rain. 'If only you could see him Blossom, if only you could see my son. He's going to be such a strong stallion, everything we ever dreamed' Nova tried not to think about Blossom too much, ever since his marriage to Rarity he'd tried to put the past behind him. But looking at his son now, he could see parts of Blossom within him. 'He's got her wings, and he carries himself with the same dignity. He's got the same sought of pride in his step, and when he's happy he gets the same pink tinge in his wings' Nova never wanted to let his son go, but looking at him now, he knew that Blaze he released himself from his home. It was only a matter of time before he took his first steps into a wider world.

"He's just like his father"

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There she was a small yellow dot on a great canvas of green. Blaze watched her make his way into town, cut across the square, and take one of the roads out of town towards Everfree. For a few minutes he waited, until she was just at the edge of the forest by the lake, and then he took off and dived, his landing taking him to the opposite side of the lake. He landed with a gentle whoosh of air and stepped lightly across the reeds to the edge of the lake, looking across to see Sweet cream, who stared back at him. This was it, a test, if Sweet cream left now, then it really was over. For long minutes they stared at each other, and then Blaze slowly opened his wings and jumped across the lake, his wings carrying across easily to land beside her. Sweet cream watched him with wide eyes.

"Blaze" she said softly "i...i don't want to talk to you right now" her cheeks where beginning to flush a bright red.

"Sweet cream, please listen, i swear i never meant it, i had nothing to do with it" Blaze pleaded, feeling any confidence he'd ever had drain away.

"I trusted you Blaze, i thought...i thought you meant what you'd said" she sniffed and Blaze realised she was crying already. "When you left everypony started sniggering and pointing at me, I've never felt so embarrassed" she turned away and began to pick at some of the plants growing by the edge of the lake.

"Cream, please, i love you, i swear i would never do anything like that" Sweet cream was silent "I've been asking you to be my heart and hooves for years, why would i do this now?"

"i don't know...just...just...leave me alone" Cream turned, not having collected anything that she'd needed, leaving Blaze alone by the lake, watching her leave. He sighed and hung his head in defeat 'it's over, no, it can't be over' Blaze felt tears begin to roll down his cheeks for the second time 'no, please don't cry' but his body wasn't listening, and the tears continued to flow. He sat on his rump and buried his head in hooves, sobbing quietly. 'No, oh goddess no, please, it can't have ended like this' he raised his head and watched Sweet cream walked further and further away. He turned his head and looked across the lake and stared at the sun reflected on the surface, its light blinding him.

Then, there was a bright flash of green from the bottom of the lake. He stood up, sniffing, and stepped out into the shallows, staring down into the deeper centre. There it was again, the flash of green. 'no way' "SWEET CREAM!" he shouted, she turned her head "JUST WAIT A SECOND" he called, and then he leapt into the lake, the ice cold water filling his mouth and taking his breath away. He folded his wings against his back and swum deeper and deeper, getting closer into the bottom of the lake. His lungs were starting to hurt, a dull burning in his chest. The lake was at least twenty meters deep, and as he reached the bottom the light was getting dim. 'It's impossible, there's no way it could be here' but then there was another flash and he saw it lying in the in the soft mud of the lake, a small silver necklace with a pair of emerald green wings. He reached out and grabbed it; his chest was really starting to hurt. He gasped out for air and instead swallowed water.

He pushed against the bottom of the lake and shot up towards the surface, gasping down air as he surfaced. "BLAZE!" he heard Sweet cream shout, and as he clawed his way back towards the edge of the lake she splashed out into the shallows and grabbed at him, pulling him onto the side. "WHAT THE HELL WHERE YOU DOING?" she shouted at him, Blaze rolled onto his stomach and began coughing up water.

"Swe-" he coughed "sweet cream" he gasped. He held out his hoof and presented to her the muddy necklace, its emerald glow hidden under a layer of brown. "Please b-" he coughed again; shuddering violently as water came up from his throat "please be my heart and hooves" he managed before he retched again.

"Oh Blaze, you idiot!" Swee cream said. She sat down beside him and cradled his head in her hooves, gently rocking back and forth, making gentle soothing noises.

"Will you go out with me?" Blaze said, he felt a pounding start in his head.

"I never knew you cared this much" Sweet cream whispered, she stroked a lock of his flaming hair, which was soaking wet. "Of course I'll go out with you" she kissed him on the forehead. Blaze gave her a smile, his eyes where slightly unfocussed.

"Thanks" he said, his pupils were starting to dilate for some reason. "Erm...can i kiss you?" Sweet cream nodded, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. Blaze propped himself up on one hoof and leaned in to her. Sweet cream leaned in and their lips met, they gently pressed against each other. She tasted sweet, like...like cream, he decided, her mouth opened and his tongue slowly came forward and met hers. They held their embrace and then slowly separated; Blaze could feel his heart thumping in his chest and knew Sweet cream felt the same way.

"I love you" he whispered, Sweet cream placed her forehead against his, her eyes closed. Blaze closed his eyes and listened to her breath, his own heart matching hers. And then Sweet cream said the one thing he'd always wanted to hear.

"I love you too"

the end