It was a pleasure to cook.
Even as a young unicorn colt before you found your cutie mark, you knew you were destined to be a chef. Like your father, you loved just about everything regarding food; looking at it, cooking it, thinking up new and crazy combinations of ingredients, and of course, tasting it. The greatest thrill, however, came from the smiles and satisfaction of each pony you served. It was a mutual happiness shared by both chef and customer: The latter enjoyed the meal while you derived pleasure from their enjoyment.
This was why you were elated when your parents delivered the big news to you a year ago: The owner of a cafe in Ponyville had won the CanterLottery and was selling the place so he could enjoy his early retirement. Not only that, but he was selling the restaurant for much cheaper than the estimated value, and your parents were willing to pool together their money and cover a large chunk of the cost. You were all too eager to accept their offer, and soon you found yourself running the cafe as both manager and head chef, turning the second floor of the building into your living quarters to save on cost. It was a small unassuming business, but for you there was surely no greater pleasure in life.
...or so you thought.
It had only been a few days since you took over the place when she came to dine. You had yet to hire anypony to help wait on tables, so you had to act as both waiter and cook. It was exhausting, but at least you got to see the smiling faces of every customer that enjoyed your food. More importantly, it allowed you to see her smiling face: The purple-coated unicorn with the sparkling cutie mark.
You can recall her first visit to your new restaurant with near-perfect memory. She had already sat herself down at one of the tables furthest from the cafe, seated with what you could only assume was a baby dragon across from her. It was quite the sight: The dragon was rambling on about something involving moustaches and a "rarity" of some kind, while the unicorn was not even looking at him. Instead, she was engaged in a book she had brought with her, displaying a small contented smile on her face. It had been at least a full minute before you realized that you were standing in the open staring at them like a goofball, and, for a reason that continues to elude you, another thirty seconds before you worked up the courage to walk up to them and take their order.
"Hi there", you said as you closed the final steps towards the table, "Welcome to my new cafe. What would you like?"
The dragon was first to respond, his head still in the menu: "Um, yeah, hi there. Under new management, right?" You reply with a simple "Mmm-hmm" and a quick head nod. He turned to you with a giddy expression. "So, uh...do you have any diamonds? Or rubies? How 'bout emeralds? Sapphire?"
"Er...no, I...don't..." you say. The dragon's words had left you dumbfounded, which came through in the puzzled look on your face.
"Hay fries, then. And some apple juice." The dragon responded, his tone heavy with disappointment as he slouched back into his chair. Is that seriously part of his diet, you wondered. The many mysteries of dragons....
Using your magic, you levitate a quill and clipboard in front of you to take down his order. "...and for you, miss?" you called out as you turned to the unicorn. Your question seemed to fall on deaf ears, as she didn't move or answer you.
"...um, miss?"
Again, no response.
"...let me handle this." The dragon spoke up before turning to his companion. "Hey, Twilight!" These words were loud and accompanied by a couple snaps of his fingers close to her face.
As if on cue, the purple mare jerked her head up. "What!?" she snapped at her friend, her voice holding a twinge of irritability. She turned her head towards you and, upon seeing you slightly taken aback at her outburst, immediately adopted a look of embarrassment. "Oh! Um, sorry about that...just a daffodil sandwich for me...with a lemonade." You could see her visibly trying to fight back a blush to little avail. You could tell because you were having the same problem as her, with just as much success.
"Uh, yes, right away!" You managed to force out before sheepishly retreating into the cafe to prepare their food. Both of their orders were pretty easy to throw together; they were some of the first things you learned to make in Coltinary School, in fact. Through repeated experimentation, however, you had learned how to put your own personal twist on each dish you prepared, no matter how basic they were. In a couple minutes, you had already put the final touches on their meals. With the tray floating in front of you, you headed back outside to their table, hoping your food can make up for the odd introduction.
"...I'm tellin' ya, he was giving you a funny look!"
"Spike, you're imagining things! I know he's new in town, but that doesn't mean we can't trust him-"
"Your sandwich, madam?"
At your words, both dragon and unicorn nearly leaped out of their seats and then nervously looked about in every general direction but yours. It seemed that the suspicions you had from the conversation you unintentionally eavesdropped on were true: They were talking about you.
"Um, yes! My, er, sandwich! Of course..." The unicorn spoke up, her voice steadily growing weaker while her cheeks steadily grew pinker.
"Uh, yeah, my fries, too, I guess..." The baby dragon responded, mimicking his companion's nervous voice while rubbing the back of his head.
"...alrighty then, enjoy your lunch." You replied, gently setting both of their plates down with your magic. You were all too quick to leave the table once their food and drinks were in their hands and hooves; not only did you have other customers to attend to, but you also wanted to keep things from getting more awkward than they already were. You had had your fair share of awkward customers before, but for some reason these two were making you especially uncomfortable.
The time to give them their bill and get their payment came all too quickly. With a hint of trepidation, you slowly walked back to their table, this time putting a bit more heft into your hooves to make a small noise and let them know you were coming. It must have worked, as they dropped their conversation, one that you tried your hardest to tune out, when you got near.
"...and here is the bill for your meal," you explained as you lowered a piece of paper and a couple mints onto the table. While the unicorn fumbled in her saddlebags placed at the edge of her chair, you lifted their dishes off the table, which had somehow remained spotless during their lunch. Eventually the mare pulled out the bits needed to pay the bill, and you levitated them into the pocket of your chef's jacket for the time being. With their meal paid for, there was only one thing left for you to do, and you did it while staring into the space between them, never making eye contact with either of them:
"Alright, thank you very much for dining here. I hope to see you again soon."
Forcing a smile, you turned away from the table and began your walk back to the kitchen. For the first time, it had been a relief not to see a customer's face after their meal. You were sure the food you made was good, but for some reason you couldn't bear to look either of them in the eye after such a weird first impression, especially not her. She might have been just another customer, but there was something...unique...about her, and it wasn't just her scaly friend-
"Wait!"
The word nearly caused you to jump into the air as much as she did a few minutes ago. Snapping back to reality, you turned around and saw the purple mare standing before you. It took most of your strength to fake a friendly smile. Truthfully, you had no idea what was about to happen, but you were worried to find out.
"..a-heh, sorry if I caught you off-guard there." She began, slightly moving her head back out of embarrassment before returning it to meet your gaze. "Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for giving you such a weird time. I...have a bad habit of focusing too much on whatever's in front of me, and this isn't the first time it's caused a situation like this." Upon finishing, her eyes shifted to her left towards what you assumed was nothing in particular. You guessed that she was recalling an event similar to yours, which made you ponder just how socially adept this unicorn was.
"Oh, don't worry about it," you responded, trying to keep your imagination from thinking up possible scenarios involving her being awkward in front of others. "I get weird customers all the time. It just comes with the job. My first day running the place, I had a guest who gasped and ran off when I told her I was new to town...." You briefly stopped to reminisce about that odd customer.
"Yeah, sorry I couldn't be at that party, either." The unicorn spoke up. Apparently you weren't the first to have a surprise welcoming party. "...anyway, I know how it feels to move to a new place and not know what's going on, so if you need to know anything else about how Ponyville works, just stop by the town library and I'll give you a hand..er, hoof." She reached her forehoof out towards you and gave a small friendly smile. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, and the dragon you met is my friend and assistant Spike."
You raised your forehoof in return and shook hooves with the unicorn. Her hoof had a certain softness to it, even if her shake had a respectable level of firmness to it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle." You replied, giving her your name afterwards.
"Just Twilight will do," she said back to you, letting go of your hoof and bringing hers back to the ground. "Well, I've got some stuff to take care of back at the library and I see you have a few things on your *ahem* plate as well, so I'll get out of your mane. You take care of yourself, alright?" With that last line, she walked back to her table, threw her dragon friend on her back, and left in the general direction of the Ponyville library. You stared at her as she walked off into the distance for much longer than you normally did for any other customer.
It wasn't until she walked out of your field of vision that you remembered you had dirty plates to wash, customers to wait on, and a couple meals that needed to get off the stove ASAP. Jerking your head back to the cafe, you returned to your hard work and finished out the rest of the day with no other notable incidents.
***************
Twilight Sparkle....
There was just something to that name that made you repeat it in your head over and over again, occasionally saying it out loud to nopony in particular. It had been quite a few months since the day you first met her, but it was certainly not the only time you ran into the unicorn. It wasn't too long before she came back to your cafe to dine, and before you knew it she was visiting the place enough to become a regular sight. Sometimes she would come with friends, sometimes alone, sometimes with a book, sometimes with a quill and parchment, sometimes bringing nothing but herself. No matter how she showed up, you were always glad that she came to the place where you knew her name. You would often share interesting conversations while waiting on her, ranging from herself and her latest adventures to your personal background and some tips regarding how to use an oven without causing the smoke alarm to go off. In fact, you could almost consider her arrival to be the highlight of your day whenever it happened.
You were also happy for your cafe. Thanks to some particularly positive pieces of press in the papers, business was doing well enough for you to stay profitable. You had eventually hired a second chef to help you with orders as well as a waiter to service customers and take more work off your load. Even with the waiter, you would still occasionally wait on tables, especially whenever Twilight came to dine. There was just something to seeing the customer's pleased face at the end of each meal that you couldn't get enough of, particularly if it belonged to the purple unicorn.
You had yet to share these inner feelings with her, however. For one, you didn't want to unintentionally makes things awkward with her again and damage the friendly relationship you had with her. Why risk ruining a good thing, after all? Secondly, you were still unsure as to how deep these feelings for her went. Would you consider her just a friend? Like a sister? Or was it something more substantial? What if you were in l..l...like-like with her?
Shaking your head, you return your focus from your reflective daydreaming to the present day. For some reason, the cafe was surprisingly empty today. You were certainly open, but hardly any customers were showing up. It may be a blessing in disguise, you thought at first, as you were also the only one running the cafe today. Your sous chef had the day off, and the waiter had to leave town for a family-related crisis. Things were so slow today that you had taken up reading one of your books - The Healing Candy by The Gentlecolt Sneaker - at one of the tables to pass the time.
The hours continued to drag, and still no sight of customers. At this point, your attention was diverting further away from your book and towards possible explanations for why nopony was showing up. Is there some kind of special event in town? Is it a national holiday? Did you accidentally send out some rotten frui...no, wait, you would have definitely seen a subpoena or two if that was the case. No matter what, you had a sneaking suspicion that the rest of the day was going to be like this. With any luck, you could take advantage of the lull in traffic and get some housework done. Deciding that would be a bit more productive, you close your book and take it away from your eyes...
...and see the one unicorn you wanted to see most slowly walking towards your cafe.
At first glance, you nearly jump for joy on the inside. Surely this was like something out of one of those cheesy romantic novels! However, as she gets closer, you begin to notice something...off...with her. Her steps are a bit sluggish, her mane is wet and stuck to her coat, and even from this distance you could see sweat droplets coating a good portion of her body. These are all the telltale signs of a pony that had just been through something physically demanding. Just what on earth has this pony been up to?
She hadn't made it to a table yet before you walked over to her. "Twilight!" You begin, making the concern in your voice clear, "Are you okay? What on earth have you been up to?"
Raising her head to meet yours, she begins to explain: "Um, well I was just-" Unfortunately, she couldn't continue any further. After the word "just", a loud and deep rumble started out of nowhere, and Twilight lowered her head and scrunched her face as if she was in pain. As a chef, you knew exactly what the source of this sound was and had grown to treat it as your ironic worst enemy: An empty stomach. Whatever Twilight had been up to, it was clear that it caused her to skip out on lunch, and perhaps even breakfast.
Once the growling finally subsided, Twilight raised her head back up to yours, with her face now relaxed but also with a slight blush on her cheeks now. "Uh, is it okay if I have something to eat first?" She says to you, her voice containing a hint of physical exhaustion to it, "It's kind of a long story, and I really need some food in me."
Normally, the idea of leaving someone who looks like they could keel over at a moment's notice by themselves is something you would object to, but somehow she knew just where to strike to get you to change your mind.
"Of course, Twilight." You reply, "A daffodil sandwich would be the quickest dish to prepare. Would that be okay?"
"Sure...um, can you make it a double?" She says, giving you a coy smile in the process.
"Right away." With those words, you retreat into the cafe and immediately go to work on making her meal. Once inside the kitchen, you move to the cabinets where all the necessary ingredients would be. With your magic, you open the doors and nearly smack yourself in the face with your hoof at the sight and realization:
You had forgotten to restock ingredients this morning.
You're not sure how you could have forgotten something as basic as this, but here you are standing before cabinets that are almost completely devoid of ingredients needed to make any quick-to-prepare foods. You had plenty of food inside your walk-in fridge as well as upstairs in your living quarters, but all of it needed 10 minutes or more to properly cook, and Twilight looked like she needed something to eat right away.
Fortunately for both you and her, you spot the key ingredient needed for the sandwich hiding in the corner: the daffodils. You would be completely out of them once the double-order was made, but it was enough for the moment. Grabbing the daffodils and the rest of the ingredients, you grab a plate and immediately go to work on cutting, plucking, and dressing up the flowers to get them ready. You prepare the dish as quickly as you can while still being careful and attentive to detail. You had taken up a habit of putting extra effort into all of Twilight's meals when she came to dine, but this meal was especially important, perhaps the most important sandwich you have ever had to prepare.
In just a little over a minute, you finish putting the final touches on the sandwich, even going so far as to place one of those fancy silver covers over the plate. It was just a tic of yours you picked up since opening up shop here, and Twilight is a customer, after all. Reminding yourself the urgency of this dish, you head back outside to the table that Twilight had chosen to sit at. Her head is lying on the table's surface and her violet eyes are half-shut; whatever she did today must have really taken the energy out of her, you mused.
"Here you are, Twilight." You call out, setting the plate down in front of her face and lifting the cover off with your magic. Almost immediately, her head perks up and a small line of saliva escapes her lips. Wasting no time, she grabs the sandwich with her forehooves, lifts it up to her face, and tears off a sizable chunk. As she chews on her meal, she lets out a faint sigh of relief from deep within her throat. You smile a little at this sound; you couldn't stand to see somepony starving in front of you, and yet the sights and sounds of them finally getting a nice bite to eat always stirred a contented feeling inside you.
You could watch Twilight eat a hundred sandwiches (and she probably had the appetite for that, too), but you still need some answers. As she swallows the first bite, you speak up before she can grab another. "Wait, Twilight." you begin, making her stop in mid-air with her jaw open. She gives you a look of both annoyance and pleading at the same time. "Sorry to interrupt your meal," you continue, "but what have you been doing today? You look like you just went through one of the royal guard's training regimens."
"Oh, right...I guess I owe you an explanation. I do kinda look funny after all," She replies with another shy half-smile. Setting her sandwich back onto the plate, she begins with her explanation: "You see, I've been up all day working nonstop. I had to tidy up the library and make sure that Spike and I had enough food there and the windows and books were all secure. I was gonna get some lunch when I finished, but I got a visit from my friend Fluttershy right when I got done. She needed help getting her home ready and rounding up all the animals there, so I left right away. It took way longer than I thought it would to get everything sorted out even with her...stare..." she pauses to give a quick shudder, making you curious and nervous about her friend.
"...Anyways, we were just about done when we found out that some of her chickens got loose when we weren't paying attention, so we had to chase them down. Luckily they all took off in the general direction of Ponyville and didn't separate, but it was still quite a chase. I never knew chickens had that much stamina, even after reading all those books about them....well, we finally caught up to them and then Fluttershy gave them another one of those...stares..." again, she pauses to shudder, "and then she told me that she could lead them back to her house by herself, so we went our separate ways...and that's pretty much why I'm here, starving and out of energy."
It was quite the story. "Wow," you manage to say after finally absorbing everything she had to say, "Sounds like you've had a really busy day." There is still one question left in your head, and you had to ask: "...but Twilight, what exactly were you and your friend getting ready for?"
She was in the process of grabbing her sandwich and taking another substantial bite, but your words once again bring her to a halt. She gives you another look, containing the same amounts of annoyance but this time with a hint of concern to them. "You...don't know what's planned for today?" She asks.
"....no," you answer, "is someone having another welcoming party?"
"...uh oh." Her response now has you worried. She puts the sandwich back down, even placing the cover back on the plate. She doesn't even have to say anything to let you know that whatever's planned for today is no laughing matter. "Look," she starts up again, adopting a serious tone and expression, "If I were you, I would go through your cafe right now and start locking all the windows and then move all this furniture inside. It's not going to be long before....oh no..."
She immediately halts her conversation and widens her eyes when she briefly glances up at the sky while talking to you. Taking the hint, you look upwards and mirror her shock perfectly at the sight: Dark clouds had gathered while you were waiting on her, quickly blocking out Celestia's sun and covering the sky like a large blanket. You can only gawk at this rapid change in weather for a few seconds, until a sudden flash of light and a deafening boom causes both of you to leap up in fright.
Your heart racing, you turn your head back to Twilight, and see that despite knowing about this in advance, she looks just as frightened as you are. For a moment, you are paralyzed with fear and uncertainty. It isn't until you feel a fat drop of water hit your back that you realize what you need to be doing this instant.
"Hurry! Get inside!"
***************
You and Twilight were only out in the rain for less than ten seconds, but by the time you reached the cover of the inside of the cafe, you both were drenched in cold water. You were still in shock over the sudden turn of events; the only thing going through your mind concerned what was happening, and there was only way to find out.
"Twilight," you speak up at a louder volume than normal so you can be heard over the deluge outside, "What in Celestia's name is going on?"
You glance at Twilight and catch her shaking her mane out of her eyes. "It's a storm, and a big one at that," she begins while trying to shake off some loose strands of rainwater, "The weather pegasi had to whip up a strong one to counter out the drought we've been having the last few weeks. It's supposed to last..." she pauses to take a deep sigh "...all night."
You pick up on the deflated tone in her voice and for a second are unsure as to why that tone exists, but the answer soon hits you like a horse-drawn freight train. Travelling in this weather would be borderline suicidal, which means that she had no choice but to stay in the cafe for the evening with...you.
BANG!
You nearly hit your head on the ceiling at this new sound from jumping so high. In a panic, you turn your head and discover the source: The wind had blown one of your windows open, the wooden blinds now smacking against the outer walls. The downpour was blowing into the cafe, soaking everything within its reach. You dislike the idea of getting even wetter, but you had to get that window shut before the water could cause any serious damage. You rush towards the window, having to push against the fierce winds blowing plenty of objects around. The combination of the chilling wind and icy water is nearly overwhelming, but with enough concentration, you force the blinds shut with your magic and engage the lock.
Why on earth would they schedule a storm this strong, you think to yourself. Talk about over-correcting. "Listen, Twilight," you say as you turn your focus back to her, "I gotta make sure all the windows down here are secure." You walk back to her, leaving a trail of water behind you. "I need you to go upstairs into my flat and grab some towels out of the bathroom, and lock any windows you see, too. This water has to get cleaned up soon, and I don't know about you, but being warm and dry sounds rather nice at the moment."
"Yeah, me too..." she replies, adding a small giggle at the end. You aren't entirely sure, but you possibly detect a bit of nervousness to her laugh. "Right, I'll get them right away." She continues before turning towards the stairs in the back and heading off. You don't take your eyes off her until she rounds the corner of the staircase. It's only until she leaves your field of vision that you remember you have windows to shut before they blow open and drown out the floor.
Moving quickly, you head to each window and put the locks in place with your magic. There were quite a few inside your cafe, even within the kitchen. Eventually you reach the last window and lock it, breathing a small sigh of relief. At least you don't have to worry about rain getting all your food and equipment wet. Still waiting on the unicorn to come down with the towels, you decide to stare into the storm for a little bit. It is certainly a doozy of a storm: The rain is coming down in sheets, there are near-constant flashes of lightning and booms of thunder, and you can hear the wind howling outside. You feel dismayed somewhat when you scan the outdoor section of your cafe. All those tables, signs, plants, and chairs are at the mercy of the elements, and all you can do is watch them get battered, especially that silver centerpiece at Twilight's tab-
THE SANDWICH!
Against all odds, the plate containing Twilight's meal was still on the table, the silver cover protecting it from the winds and rain. Your heart sinks at the sight; Twilight had been deprived of a good meal all day, and just when it was within her reach, the fates seemed to conspire against her, denying her of one of life's most basic necessities. Your disposition as both a chef and a friend only made you feel more empathetic towards her series of unfortunate events. You couldn't, nay, wouldn't allow a customer of yours to suffer like this, especially her of all ponies.
Inching towards the door, you look outside the decorative window and eye a straight line to the table. You raise a hoof towards the doorknob, but you stop and hover it just before it reaches its target. You idiot! your mind shouts to you. It's just a sandwich! You can make her something else! It's not worth it! Your common sense has several good points. This is possibly one of the dumbest choices you could ever make....
...and yet, you can't stop yourself.
Forcing the door open, you lower your head and run towards the table. In an instant you are soaked in cold water, and the deafening winds chill you to the bone, but you press forward. Once you get close enough to the table, you begin to channel the magic from your horn to the plate. The extreme conditions make it difficult for you to concentrate, but slowly you make the plate rise off the table's surface-
BOOM!
For the next few seconds, all you can hear is a dull ring. A lightning bolt had struck a lamppost near the table, missing you only by a few yards but still close enough to make you more scared than you had ever been before. There was no doubt in your mind; you had to get that sandwich and get your plot back inside the cafe now. Doubling your magical efforts, you lift the plate, cover and all, and position it just in front of your chest. Turning around, you can barely make out the doorway in the rain, but you run towards it as quickly and carefully as you can.
Despite being even colder and wetter than before, you feel an incredible sense of relief once you cross the doorway back into the safety of your restaurant. Setting the plate down to the side, you lower your head and take some much-needed deep breaths. You had just risked life and limb all so a customer you secretly admired from a distance could have a sandwich that may not even be good anymore. It was an incredibly stupid move, but at least no one could accuse you of not being passionate about serving customers. Speaking of which, you figure it would probably be a good idea to get this sandwich to Twilight in case it was still edible; as hungry as she made herself to be, there was no way one bite would have been enough to fill her up. Taking one last breath, you lift both the plate and your head up...
...and see the one unicorn you wanted to see most right in front of you, only this time she doesn't look happy to see you. She is giving you an incredibly furious glare, one that pierces you to your very core. You had never seen the unicorn this mad, and her gaze is making you feel like you had been caught breaking your mother's favorite vase as a foal.
"...Why did you do that?" She finally says to you in a voice that is much calmer than you expected but still able to bring her anger across. You try to explain, but at first you can't even speak. The sheer terror you had felt just a moment ago from barely avoiding a lightning strike is nothing compared to the panic you feel now.
Slowly and filled with trepidation, you start to explain yourself: "Uh, I, um....the sandwich, I couldn't-"
"I don't care about the sandwich!" Twilight snaps at you, making you jump back a couple inches and feel smaller than ever. "Did you see that lightning strike!? You could have died out there, and for what, some sandwich!? Do you really not care for how much others care about you!?"
"I...I..." you felt like you were about to break down and start bawling your eyes out.
"Why do you keep doing this to me!?"
"I...uh...huh?"
You were no longer on the verge of a breakdown, but her last question has left you bewildered beyond belief. Your confusion only deepens when you take a good look at Twilight's face. Her glare had weakened as she spoke to you, slowly being replaced with a look of...desperation, perhaps? And is that glimmer in her eyes just rainwater she had yet to dry off, or could it possibly be...? What is going on in this unicorn's head?
"Twilight, I....don't follow," You slowly respond. "I never meant to hurt you. It's just...you were so hungry when you came in, and I hated to see you like that, so I-"
"Please, just stop!" Twilight cuts you off again, her tone no longer angry but now filled with another equally strong emotion. "Stop making it so hard for me to...to..."
Her words trailing off, Twilight lowers her head to the ground and remains silent for what feels like an eternity. Finally, she speaks up again, but with her head still lowered and her voice much slower and delicate: "I...got this book to help me. It said I had to become familiar with you first, so I visited as often as I could. I've been wanting to say something to you for a while, but I...couldn't get up the courage to do what the book said next..."
This revelation was still leaving you dumbfounded. You had never thought of Twilight as the kind of pony who has trouble getting her feelings across, especially after all the conversations you had with her before seemed to flow so naturally.
She let her voice trial off again, so you decide to fill in the silence: "...what did the book tell you to do?"
It takes a little bit for her to say anything, but she eventually finds her words again: "It said...once we were comfortable around each other, that I should...ask you...out on a...on a..." she doesn't say the next word, but deep down you know what it is.
"..and after that?" You say to her in an attempt to keep her from getting stuck.
"...well, if it went well enough, then I would tell you that I...I..ugh, why is this so hard!?" She continues, turning her head back up to yours and sounding more frustrated with each word spoken. "I just want to say these simple words to you, but I can't! No matter how hard I try, they get stuck inside me, but I just...I just..." You were now certain of what that glimmer in her eyes was a while ago as you spy a lone tear gliding down her cheek. Your state of confusion has changed into one of disbelief. Was she really trying to say what you thought? Did she feel the same way that you did-
Your train of thought stops cold when you feel a pair of warm lips pushing against yours.
Before you could have reacted, Twilight had lunged her head forward and was now planting a firm kiss on you. Your eyes widen as shock as you try to make sense of what was happening, but your brain is already overloaded with information and shock. All you can make out is that her kiss feels warm and soft and, for lack of a better word, heavenly.
As quickly as it began, Twilight breaks the kiss and moves her head back. She stares at you with her eyes and mouth open as wide as yours. You could swear she is trying to mouth some words, but nothing intelligible comes out, and you had an inkling that she didn't know what she was trying to say either. In any case, you couldn't care less. There is only thing on your mind now, and you have to have it.
Before Twilight can put together any coherent words, you close the distance to her and lock lips with her again, tilting your head slightly to avoid bumping your horns together. You close your eyes upon contact, completely lost in the moment. You no longer cared that you are soaked to the bone or that you had cheated death mere moments ago. Your world only exists as far as this unicorn, and at the moment you wouldn't have it any other way.
You begin to feel Twilight returning the kiss, pressing her lips into yours. You also feel her forehooves hug the base of your neck, pulling you deeper into the kiss. Lifting your hooves up, you swing them around her neck to return the favor. This turns out to not be one of your wiser choices, as both of you now have no frontal balance except for each other.
In no time, you feel your balance slip out, and you both end up falling to the floor as one, never breaking the kiss. Upon impact, your mouth opens just a crack. Before you can close it, you feel something warm and wet push through the opening and begin exploring the inside of your mouth. You panic for a moment before you deduce that you were now having a very pleasant taste of Twilight's tongue, a taste far more pleasurable than your favorite meals combined. Reaching your tongue out, you begin to play around with the unicorn's tongue, and soon you were in a full-fledged pseudo-wrestling match with her mouth. The match goes on for some time, pausing only for taking quick breaths, with equal opportunity for both of you to become acquainted with the insides of each other's mouths. You could occasionally taste bits of her sandwich while spelunking, but otherwise her taste is one you cannot get enough of.
As you explore and wrestle with the unicorn's tongue, you feel her body shifting around. Before you knew it, you were feeling her chest pressed up against yours, all four of her hooves wrapped tightly around you. Despite being out in cold rain, she is surprisingly warm and soft, more so than any blanket you've slept under. You worry at first about how cold and unpleasant you must feel in comparison, but she doesn't seem to mind if her squeezing and pressing is any indication. You decide to return the favor once more, moving your forehooves down her neck and onto her back, gently massaging and pulling her further towards you. She lets out a contented sigh similar to the one she gave after taking that one bite, tickling the inside of your mouth and further enhancing your state of bliss.
Once again needing air, you break the kiss and open your eyes for the first time since you started. Mere inches away from you, you can make out every last detail of Twilight's face. Her eyes are shut and her mane is tussled with individual hairs scattered every which way. You turn your gaze downward, stopping on her lovely lavender neck. Unable to resist, you move your muzzle down and begin delivering light kisses all over her neck. Pleasantly surprised by your gesture, Twilight lets out another moan, making her throat vibrate and the sensation all the more pleasurable. As you kiss, you can taste a slight hint of elderberry in your mouth. The taste is simply divine, so much so that you briefly imagine concocting another signature dish with that taste, one that is surely destined to be a success. Of course, it could never taste as good as the real thing, and hers was a meal you had all to yourself.
You begin contemplating whether or not guiding your kisses down to her ribcage would be a good idea, but your thoughts come to a halt when you hear the sound you loathe most once again emanating from Twilight's stomach. As the rumbling continued, you break away from her neck and lift your head slowly up to hers. She had stopped pressing into you and looked back at you with an embarrassed smile on her face and a deep blush across her cheeks. "...I...um, guess that one bite wasn't enough." She eventually says, letting out a nervous giggle. "I hate to ask, but do you think we can put this hold for a little bit? I mean, you did go through the trouble of saving my dinner and all..."
You cannot help but chuckle a little at this scene. "Perhaps that would be for the better," you agree, "I need to get this water cleaned up, after all." At your words, the unicorn releases you from her grip, and you both stand up off the floor. You raise the plate containing Twilight’s meal in front of her and lift off the cover. Miraculously, the daffodil sandwich is still in great condition, with not a single drop of water making it underneath the cover. Giving you a smile, Twilight grabs the plate with her own magic and sits down at a nearby table, happily munching away at the sandwich and savoring every last bite. The happiness you derive from seeing a satisfied customer is once again hitting you in full force; you had done what you loved doing most with great results, and for you there is no greater feeling.
...wait, that's not true. As you dry yourself off with one of the towels Twilight brought down, you realize that you had just found a new passion, one that possibly exceeds your love for cooking, and it goes by the name of Twilight Sparkle.
It was a pleasure to love.
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Note: You now have a thing for flower sandwiches, thunderstorms, awkward first impressions, growling stomachs, and what else...oh right, Twilight Sparkle. Yep, that about covers it.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the rights to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic or its characters, and I make no money from this story. All rights reserved by Hasbro.
