Water, Honey, and Tea Leaves
Water, Honey, and Tea Leaves
by Surry
A hot cup of tea.
It was something so simple; soothing, warming, and even pain-dulling. In fact, it was for these particular reasons that Fluttershy was even attempting to venture into the heart of Ponyville on one, especially arid, winter's day.
The snow was packed loosely, and the sun was but a bright silhouette hiding behind a heavy blanket of clouds, high in the sky. The pegasus preferred to walk in the cold, ditching the typical convenience of flight in favor of her own comfort and warmth, as she decided it would be best to keep her wings close to her body anyway in this kind of weather. It was also a rather decent occasion to try out the new winter apparel given to her by Rarity the past Hearth's Warming Eve. While quaint by most pony's standards, she had specifically asked that any clothing she received be able to serve its proper function, as opposed to being just aesthetically pleasing. However, as always, Rarity had managed to do both. Walking through the snowy streets was quite easy to say the least, as she barely felt anything but the soft, lush fabric of her green booties around her hooves. Around her neck, swaying in the slow breeze of the day, was the matching green scarf her unicorn friend had made for her as well.
And yet, she still desired that hot drink.
"Oh dear," she muttered, stopping abruptly in the center of town. She began to rummage around through a satchel hanging close by her side. "I forgot the honey again. How could I possibly do that a second time? Oh, I just can't have my tea without any honey. It has to have that most of all."
She continued on, back toward her cottage, as she knew there was one last possible establishment she could try. It was a rather short walk, but she eventually came upon her destination, still buried in just as much snow as the rest of Ponyville. There were a few colts and fillies snowball fighting just down the street, and it struck her as a little odd that so many of the adults had chosen to stay inside, considering it was the late morning already. She smirked at the thought, chalking it up to pegasi just being more naturally able to withstand harsher environments. The cold wasn't so much a hindrance with all of her extra apparel.
She entered the building, inadvertently ringing the small bell hanging over the door's frame, and the familiar scent of freshly baked goods and sweets filled her sensitive nose and lungs. Careful to shut the door behind her, a cursory glance around the main room showed that no one was around, so she began to walk up to the counter.
"Wow," she said with a warm smile. "It smells absolutely wonderful in here."
It was unusually quiet for this place, especially considering how busy it typically was during the winter. Most ponies loved to get their fix of sweets, confectioneries, or even indulge with a tall cup of hot cocoa every once in awhile. But today, Sugarcube Corner was overcome by a somewhat dreary silence, and it was beginning to unsettle her with each passing second. She came to the counter and nonchalantly peered over it, but there was still nothing that caught her attention.
"H-hello?" she called out uneasily. "Mr. and Mrs. Cake? Pinkie Pie?"
There came nothing... for a few seconds, anyway.
Just then, a loud bang, emanating from the kitchen, split the silence that had been previously hanging in the air like an old, dusty cobweb. She sighed softly to herself in relief, waiting patiently for whoever was going to come and serve her. The pitter-patter of light hoofsteps told her that somepony was on their way to help, so she decided to take a brief moment and straighten her green scarf into a slightly more presentable fashion, not that she feared any ridicule from anyone in this establishment.
From around the corner peeked a familiar face, and Fluttershy immediately perked up in response, giving the same smile she had worn earlier. She instantly recognized that light blue coat and two-toned, pink mane anywhere. Although, the new arrival seemed much the worse for wear, quite tired from possibly working a long day so far.
"Oh my," blurted Mrs. Cake, looking a little dazed. "Fluttershy, dear... How long have you been standing there?"
The pegasus merely shrugged a shoulder. "Oh, not too long," she admitted, watching the shop owner swiftly approach the counter. "I was just on my way home and realized I didn't have any honey for my tea. So, I decided I'd stop by and see if you'd happen to have any here. I would very much like some... if you have any."
"Honey?" asked Mrs. Cake; she looked off to the side, searching her mind for an answer. "Maybe...
...
But I'll have to go and check. Would you be alright if I went to the back and looked for some?"
Fluttershy eagerly nodded. "Oh! Go right ahead. I can wait, honest."
"Okay, I'll be back in a jiffy!" the shopkeep called out in a sing-songy kind of way, making a move back toward the kitchen. When she was finally out of sight, the pegasus noticed her eyes beginning to wander around the room. She found herself staring at the counter, then to the floor, nothing much to see. Then, up at the wall, at some vinyl stickers depicting lollipops and candies, things of that sort. As the sound of Mrs. Cake's rummaging filled the room, her gaze at last came to a rest on a spot in the next room over, and she couldn't look away this time, not for the life of her.
A memory, one that she had kept repressed for quite some time, finally began to boil to the surface. She winced at a familiar table, remembering Celestia sitting there, surrounded by a plethora of filled dining plates; a banquet. Then, she saw the phoenix, Philomena, perched in her cage and very sickly.
It caused her to smile to widen just a smidgen, realizing just how much of a risk she had taken in practically kidnapping the bird and taking her back to her own home. Not only was it an usual change in herself, but she was genuinely proud to have stepped out of her shell to help a being in need, tossing aside the consequences in that one moment.
"Hmm..." she murmured quietly.
Mrs. Cake suddenly took her attention, now standing curiously at the counter. "Um... Fluttershy, dear?"
"Oh!" the pegasus quickly turned to her. "I'm so sorry. I guess... I got a little distracted there."
"It's quite alright, Fluttershy," she said with a soft shrug of her shoulders. A half-filled jar of honey now sat upon the counter; its lid was screwed on tight. "I apologize. It was all I had in the kitchen. I'm sure you know how hard honey is to come by in the winter time."
"Oh no," Fluttershy's smile began to fade. "I didn't mean to take everything you had, honest. Just... please keep it for yourself."
"Nonsense," Mrs. Cake said with a simple grin. "You asked for honey, and I gave it to you. Please take it, Fluttershy."
The pegasus twiddled a hoof on the floor, nervous and apprehensive, before quickly turning to open and rummage through her satchel. It wasn't long before she had three bits on the counter top. A modest sum, but it was all she had to offer.
"Please take this then," she implored. "It's all I've got, I'm afraid."
Mrs. Cake gave a light chuckle, and pushed the money back to her. "Keep it, Fluttershy. It's just a little bit of honey. Besides, we barely use it around here anyway."
Her gaze remained unflappable to the pegasus, and she eventually relinquished. Fluttershy quietly returned the money to her bag and took the honey as well, though perhaps a little reluctantly.
"T-thank you so much, Mrs. Cake," she spoke quite timidly, finally buckling her bag shut.
"The pleasure's all mine, sweetie. Was there anything else I could help ya with?" the mare asked as warmly as she could.
Fluttershy began making her way toward the door, but was still pondering something. She stopped for a moment at the question and took in the dead silence once more. It was bothersome, to say the least.
"Yes, actually," she admitted. "Where is everypony? Would you happen to know? I've seen almost no one else in town today, except for some children snowball fighting. Did I miss something?"
"Hmm..." the mare ran a hoof under her chin. "Pinkie's Pie's throwing a party somewhere across town, and my husband went with her. That would be my best bet. Otherwise, I'd say it's just a little too cold out... except for maybe a brave pegasus like you, that is."
Fluttershy let out a small giggle, then once again headed for the door. "Oh, I'm only brave sometimes," she noted with another smile. "I was just really anxious for some tea, and thank you again. You're a true life-saver, Mrs. Cake."
"Don't mention it, dear," said the shopkeep, waving to the pegasus as she pushed open the door and walked out. There came the familiar ringing of the store bell. "Happy to help!"
With a slight wave herself, Fluttershy made her way outside, holding her bag close and re-positioning her green scarf. She immediately noticed that the children had long since gone elsewhere, possibly inside or to that party Pinkie Pie was throwing. Nevertheless, she had plans for the day, and was determined to adhere to them. Without another distracting thought, she began to plod off down the street, wholly intent on making that hot drink.
The cottage door swung open with a gentle thrust, letting a small burst of cold, wintry air into her living room. She pushed it shut, removed her scarf, placed it on a nearby piece of furniture, then carefully took off her little, green booties. Angel was somewhere off in the next room, sleeping on something he wasn't supposed to be, but she decided to let him lie for now. There were more important things that concerned her.
She took her satchel into the kitchen and plopped it down on the counter, removing the jar of honey and a bag of ground up tea leaves. It was a special blend, made as a custom order only for her and no one else. Her ritualistic habit dictated that she stock up on the stuff at about the same time, once every month. Having tea was always a happy occasion, however, as it meant she would also be going to the spa with Rarity right afterward, and today was no different.
"I might be a few minutes late today," she muttered, placing some of her mix into a pre-made teabag. "Or... I could just leave a little earlier than usual. Either way, I'm sure Rarity will understand."
She took a kettle that was set off to the side and filled it with some water from the sink. Next, her stove top was adjusted to a low setting before igniting, allowing her a low, blue flame upon which to set the pot. Everything was going simply enough, and it made her happy. It was purely happenstance that she glanced out the window, but for the second time that day, something grabbed hold of her attention and would not let go.
Perhaps it was just an open field to some ponies, out in front of her home. However, to her, when it was not under a veil of snow, it reminded her of the day she gave her first concert for her friends. It was the place she sang for all of them, quite loudly in fact, and another instance where she thought she had finally broken away from her usual self to satisfy her own inner desires, to be whom she was meant to be. Maybe taking Philomena into her home wasn't entirely selfish, but nevertheless, she felt brave because of it, and proud all the same. Singing her heart out proved just as rewarding, and invigorating to match. She carried around a new sense of dignity wherever she went after that day, but always remained humble. That was something about her that would never change.
The wind outside grew heavier, much more blustery than it had been in the last few hours. The clock in her living room provided the only stimuli for her, giving a constant tick and occasional chime in her mind's background. Locked away in an effervescent daydream, she began to smile and reminisce about that day even more, watching the snow whip around to and fro.
Minutes passed, slowly but pleasantly, and suddenly the whistling started, snapping her out of another light daze. While it began quietly enough, the kettle's incessant wailing had become too much, even for her wandering mind. She removed it quickly, not disturbing her little, napping bunny in the slightest, and placed her prepared teabag into her waiting mug. With a small tilt, she poured until her vessel was filled about three quarters the way to the top, just to leave enough room for the addition of some honey. Though the lid was still on tight, a practiced touch and grip of her mouth eventually caused its hold to desist and give way. Two scoops was all she needed, and though perhaps it was a bit much for one mug, she planned wholeheartedly on using the rest of her honey sparingly for the next month or so.
At long last, with everything set aside, including the hot kettle, she swirled around the mix in her cup and was finally allowed her long awaited sip. Using both hooves, she held the cup steadily as she took the first few gulps, letting its sweetness fill her mouth and its warmth cascade down the back of her throat. She smiled warmly as well, as she felt her cheeks and forehead heat up nigh instantly, a welcome byproduct of the drink after a cold morning strolling through Ponyville. It wasn't long before she had the urge to go back to the living room and sit, lightly yet audibly flicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth to show her approval.
"Wow," she said quietly, and she meant it. "It's a bit stronger than I expected, but still wonderful like always. They make my blend perfectly every time."
Coming to the edge of her sofa, she found a seat next to her sleeping bunny, stolen away in a peaceful slumber, undoubtedly dreaming of chasing giant carrots over wide and expansive fields. She supposed that's what was going through his mind, seeing that his legs were twitching every so often, coinciding with a anticipatory flick of his nose every now and then. His actual goal was a little more ignoble than she would have guessed, but she turned her attention back to her tea, cradling the mug in her hooves while she sat and peered out yet another window.
From her angle, she had a clear view of her front step and the winding path leading to her front door. Yet again, she noticed her mind beginning to wander, this time leading her back to two separate and drastically different memories. Her first was in the case of meeting Princess Luna on Nightmare Night, and while it wasn't necessarily her proudest moment, she was glad to have at least learned something because of it.
"I was such a scaredy-pony..." she muttered; her
She took another deep sip from her cup and sniffled once, letting her memory progress to a little further down the road in her life, when she had her encounter with Iron Will. Her hoof twiddled on the wooden floor and one of her ears drooped to the side. She began to frown at the thoughts of what she had done that day, despite it all being in the past, but then also remembered her brief moment of triumph. While her words had hurt her friendships, they had also managed to save them on more than one occasion, and were her saving grace in the case with Iron Will.
Her smile returned, and she took another drink.
"I stood up for myself that time," she noted softly. "But... in my own way, and no one else's. That's how it should be, anyway."
While pondering over it, her gaze fell suddenly to the inside of her mug, and her own reflection caused her smile widen even further. She tilted her head back, taking the last of the drink with her and finally finishing it, feeling an unseen river of warmth rejuvenate and revitalize her internally. Her ears perked up once again, and the follicles of her coat stood on end. At once, she became aware of the ticking of the clock for a second time, as it let out a series of low chimes. She waited to listen for something in particular, apprehensive about what it had to say.
After the timepiece had reliably declared it to be one o'clock, she began to get anxious and stood up, silent yet fleet-footed. Angel hadn't so much as flinched from his nap.
"Uh-oh," she peered over her shoulder to the bunny, then back to her cup again. "I gotta' go; I only have fifteen minutes."
Continuing back to the kitchen, she noticed the kettle still sitting quietly over the unlit stove top. The base underneath still glowed a low, dull red, and she knew it might last for another hour or so, if she was lucky. She placed her mug in the sink and turned on the faucet, giving its inside a good rinsing with a pinch of soap and foam.
"I can always have the rest of it later," she added, placing her cup on a drying rack.
While she did have a few minutes to herself, it was time to leave again. Even she knew herself it was a bit unusual for anypony to have such a strict schedule on a cold day like this, but she enjoyed her little ritual every tuesday, busy or no. She went to the front room and redressed herself quite swiftly, but this time, she was careful to leave a small candle lit by the front door of her home. Possibly the only thing she disliked about winter was the fact that it always grew dark outside much earlier than it did any other time of the year, and she was always prepared for it. There was simply no way she was going to leave her little bunny in the darkness for such a time, though admittedly, he could have most likely taken care of himself just fine.
With a slight turn of the handle, fully clothed for a pony's standards, Fluttershy at last went back outside, letting in another small burst of frigid air into her home. She was quick about it, shutting the door just as promptly as she heard the familiar crumpling of packed snow beneath her booties. As she made her way back to town, her gaze began to meander again, to one final spot along the road.
It was a tree, plain and ordinary like most of the others, but this particular one was where she had saved Seabreeze on the day when the breezies had needed her most. Her reluctance had reached a peak that day, and so too did her confidence. It was the one moment in her life where she finally realized that kindness doesn't always come in the way she anticipates it to do so. She had to be stern with them, or else...
The sound of crumpling snow filled her ear again, and she stole away from the sight. Happy, content, and quite satisfied with the changes in herself over the last few years, she turned away, sighing quietly to herself. She snuggled her neck into her scarf and continued plodding along, but feeling strangely better, as if she did not think that could ever be possible having such a wonderful life as she does.
The path encompassed her thoughts, and she was finally able to take in the fullness of its sights and sounds. It grew pleasantly still and calm, save for a few birds chirping high up in some yonder tree. Each branch, save for those of the tallest evergreens, was barren and icy, yet beautiful and appealing all the same. It made her think of Rarity for some reason, and she reminded herself just then to ask her friend to come back after they were finished for the rest of her tea.
She took a final, deep breath of the cold air, filling all of her lungs at once with its refreshingly pleasing chill, and Ponyville came into view again. Her smile remained, immovable and cutting through the gelid atmosphere with its warmth, as she whispered ever so quietly to herself.
"I...
...
have changed."
She felt it in her heart, deeply so, that the rest of the day was going to be a pleasant one.
fin.
