Stone Mane finished driving the final nail into the wooden crate in my Equestria dreamscape. Having received the finished doll of him from Dancing Lily he'd assembled his package for Applebloom.

The filly's recent package to him had inspired him to do the same. It hadn't been cheap but he had a local photographer take his picture and had it framed. Now it was wrapped in multiple layers of cotton batting with straw all around and was ready for its journey to Ponyville. It along with the doll and a letter were sealed in the same crate Applebloom had sent her doll to him.

The colt looked at the clock on his nightstand and sighed. It was too late to get it to the post office today, but he could do it tomorrow. He was both eager to be finally sending this package on its way and terrified at the same time. A comment Lily Dancer had made a couple of weeks ago still played in his mind now and then.

You're serious. Applebloom means a lot to you doesn't she? Do you love her?


The earth pony looked down at the crate. Did he love her? What exactly was love, and how did one know when they were actually in it? Was this something else? He'd never had feeling like what he had for this filly. This was all unfamiliar territory for the colt.

He'd discussed his feelings for Applebloom with only a few ponies. Princess Luna , Dancing Lily, and his two best friends Kicker and Blue Spark. However, with the exception of Princess Luna he hadn't discussed this with any pony much older than him. He paused. He knew two ponies that might know but he was nervous to ask them. Still they seemed like the best candidates.

Stone Mane came down the stair to find his Aunt Marigold and Uncle Rivet sitting on the sofa in the living room. Uncle Rivet had gotten home from a day at the shipyard and was telling his wife about his day at the yard. Rivet had recently been promoted to Watch Forepony and he was very happy to regale ponies about what was the latest ship being assembled on slipways.

The two ponies noticed the colt entering the room and slowly approaching them. Rivet grinned at him. "Evening Stone. How's your day been?"

"Um, uh, it's been alright." The colt's words sort of trailed off.

Marigold noticed the colt's unusual mood. "Is everything alright dear?"

Stone Mane suddenly found it very difficult to look at his aunt and uncle. He lowered his gaze and stared at the rug he was standing on. Suddenly he felt both confused, embarrassed, tongue tied; after a few seconds he spoke up.

"Aunt Marigold. Uncle Rivet. Can I ask you a question? It's, it's kind of important."

Rivet took a sip of his iced tea and then scooted over making some space between him and his wife. He then tapped at it with a front hoof. "Sure. Have a seat. What's on your mind?"

Marigold scooched over to make more room. The colt slowly walked over took his place between them on the flower printed sofa. His aunt started gently running a front hoof through the colt's granite gray mane. "Are you alright dear? Is something bothering you?"

The colt still found it hard to look at them so his focus remained affixed on the rug.

"What I wanted to ask you both was, um, uh, well, when was the first time you both fell in love with somepony, and when did you realize it?" The colt's face suddenly felt very flushed.

He felt the mare gently rest a front hoof on his shoulder. "Oh! Well now! I haven't thought about that for quite awhile. Let's see now. Hmm." The yellow-orange made various non-verbal noise for a couple seconds. "I think it was when I around 15. Yes, yes 15. I'd just started my sophomore year in high school at the time. It wasn't your uncle here but another stallion in school. He was on the track team."

Rivet chuckled. "That wouldn't have been Lightning Bolt would it?"

Marigold hemmed and hawed. "Well, yes, bbbbuuuutttt, at the time I didn't realize what jerk he really was!" She looked at her husband. "And you dear?"

The stallion took another sip of his iced tea and stared at the wall on the other side of the room. His eyes got a wistful look to them. "Yeah. I remember. It was Brilliant Mane in my freshman year. Yep that was first time I felt the tug of the old heartstrings. Must've been about 14 at the time."

Marigold snorted. "Well it's obvious I wasn't the only one who made a poor choice out the gate. I still don't known what you saw in her?"

"What I saw was her haunches." Said the stallion and then abruptly regretted the comment as his wife glared at him and then looked at the colt seated between them. Sheepishly he rubbed his mane with a hoof.

"But, um, yeah. She and I weren't a good fit. Nor were the next 4 or 5 mares I fell for." The stallion looked over at his wife and smiled. But eventually found the right one with you didn't I?"

"Yes, yes you did come to your senses in the end." The mare said some haughtily. Then she grinned at her husband.

Rivet drank some more of his iced tea and then looked down at the colt. "Does have to do with that filly you met through Princess Luna in your dreams doesn't it? That filly from Ponyville? Applebloom?"

The colt nodded slowly and looked up at his uncle. "Yeah. Uncle Rivet it does. I. I. I think I am really in love with her, but I've never been in love before. So I don't know what it's suppose to feel like, and from what I'm hearing from both of you is your first time wasn't the real thing either. So, am I not really in love? Am I but maybe she's not the right one? Am I too young too be in love? I'm only 12. You were both older. I. I just don't know."

The colt hung his head.

Marigold gently hugged the colt. "Stone Mane. I think you're truly in love with Applebloom, and from what you've said I think she feels the same way. And remember love doesn't really have an age requirement. Are you going to be together forever? I don't know, but you'll never know if you don't try."

"That's what Princess Luna said." Grumbled the colt. "But what if it isn't? What if it's all in my head? I wish I could see her more often, but Princess Luna very busy at the moment. Running a kingdom and all that."

"Well dear. Have you asked her? Told her exactly how you feel about her?" His aunt hugged him gently.

"Uh, um. I told her when I saw her during my trip to Hoofington that she very special to me. Does that count?"

Rivet finished his iced tea. "It's a start. But I think you to be a bit more clear. Just so there's no doubt between you two. Let her know in no uncertain terms how you feel about her."

The colt shivered. "And what if she says no. What do I do then? Did you ever tell somepony you loved them just to have them say they didn't feel that way about you?"

The middle age stallion sighed. "Yes. Yes I have."

The colt swallowed. "Did, did it hurt when they told you that?"

"Yeah it did." The stallion looked over at his nephew. "And that's why when they yes it means so much, and why you should treasure it when they do. Do you understand?"

Stone Mane nodded his head. "Yeah. Yeah I do." He looked up at his aunt and uncle. "Thank you for talking to me about this."

"No problem squirt!" The stallion gently tapped in the shoulder with a hoof.

"Glad to help dear." The mare hugged him again.

The colt climbed down from the sofa and went back upstairs. With a pry bar he opened the crate he'd just nailed shut. Reaching inside he removed the letter in it and threw it in the trash. Pulling a fresh sheet of paper from his desk he sat down and started writing a new letter.

To be continued.