Streaks of Fire

“Are we there yet?”

Cinnamon Mills glanced at the young pegasus sitting in the cart and smiled. Fireball looked down at the tracks the wheels left in the dry ground behind the pair.  Her blue and silver mane swayed with the cart as it bounced, and the dust from the road dulled her otherwise bright, yellow coat. Her tail jerked quickly from side to side and her wings flexed reflexively. The long road to Ponyville was, after all, not the most exciting of trips. Though this had become an annual tradition for several years, Cinnamon couldn’t help thinking the trip got longer every time. Or maybe I’m just getting older. He grimaced; the thought was not a pleasant one.

Of course, Cinnamon didn’t think he was an old pony. He scrutinized himself carefully: His light brown coat still had a small luster to it, and the mill stone on his flank hadn’t lost any color.

His mane and tail were no longer the fiery reddish brown they once were, but thankfully no gray hairs could be seen yet. Instead, the constant sun turned them into a color closely resembling the dust on the road.

He was still strong enough to pull the mill stones back home, and he was still able to do the chores around the house; mending the fence when needed, plowing the fields every spring, and even bucking the few apple trees. Heck, he’d even climbed up on the roof to fix the shingles that earthquake had knocked down last year. It had taken longer and longer to recover each time he finished one of his chores, though. His knees ached after every shift at the Mill, and he could hardly walk when it got cold out. But that didn’t mean he was old, right?

A large thump from behind caused him to jump.  Startled, he turned back to find his traveling companion sprawled on her back, staring up at the sky. Satisfied there wasn’t any cause for alarm, he turned back to the road, his mind wandering.

“Cinnamon! C’mon over here, son! I have someone I’d like you to meet!”

The tan colored stallion trotted over to where the older pony was waving his hoof, the sound lost above the din of the party. It was

Hearth’s Warming Eve, and as usual, the Mills had hosted an extravagant celebration. It seemed like the whole town had been invited.

There was the Mayor, with his top hat and monocle, talking excitedly with a pair of young brothers, both unicorns wearing blue and white stripes. Old Ben was sitting in a rocker by the fireplace telling the story of the first Hearth’s Warming Eve to a host of eager young fillies and colts. Anywhere and everywhere were groups of ponies laughing and talking happily. The hall was filled with the soft hum of conversation, and the small orchestra was just returning to play more holiday carols.

“There you are! Cinnamon, my boy, I’d like you to meet an old friend, Mrs. Dash!”

Cinnamon turned to look where his father was pointing. Although far older than most ponies present, Mrs. Dash was a strikingly beautiful pegasus.  Her silver and pink streaked mane was tied neatly in a bun, and she carried about her an air of quiet reserve.

Her dress was a stunning peach, contrasting nicely against her pale green coat. The jewelry she wore, though noticeably large and opulent, did little to detract from her appearance. Cinnamon thought they gave her a touch of royalty, an air of sophistication that was far from the drab he was used to. He bowed politely to the older mare, his nose nearly touching the floor.

“Mrs. Dash is our best client, and it is due to her we’ve been able to establish ourselves as the premiere Mill throughout all of Equestria!”

There was a polite smattering of applause from the gathered ponies. Mrs. Dash bowed gracefully, her movements belying her advanced years. As she straightened, she motioned behind her.

“Thank you, Mr. Mills. You do me too great an honor. May I present my granddaughter, Silver Streak? Silver, I’d like you to meet Thaddeus Mills the Third, owner of Applewood Mills. And this is his son, Thaddeus the Fourth.”

Cinnamon turned to look at Silver, and time slowed to a crawl. The pegasus in front of him was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.  Her long, flowing mane was a symphony of blues and whites, like waves cascading in an open ocean. Her silver coat shone brightly in the candlelight, and her blue eyes sparkled like sapphires.

Cinnamon felt a sharp poke in his ribs as he was brought back down to earth. Confused, he looked over to see his father “Ahem” and motion towards the angel of beauty standing before them. Heat rising to his cheeks, Cinnamon bowed and muttered an apology. As he rose, he couldn’t help but notice that Silver was blushing as well, and avoided eye contact whenever Cinnamon glanced her way.

The conversation continued, scarcely noticed by Cinnamon. He could not stop staring at the young mare opposite him. And she, though infinitely more discreet, would sneak glances back at the strong Earth pony, turning away only when the young stallion caught her looking. They stayed that way for many minutes, each one not risking the first move lest they find their growing passion unrequited from the other.

This bemusing spectacle had not gone unnoticed by the older Thaddeus. His eyes twinkled with excitement as he watched the love-struck ponies. Trying desperately to suppress a grin, he excused himself and made his way to the makeshift stage where the orchestra was set up. After conferring quietly with the group’s leader, the host of the party raised a hoof for silence.

“At this time, I’d like everypony to clear away the tables and make room for some dancing! As is tradition at the Mills’ Hearth’s Warming party, we’ll start off with the late Mrs. Mills’ favorite, the Vienna Waltz. Now, Mrs. Dash, what say you to showing these young foals a thing or two?”

There was a great applause at this suggestion, and the crowd turned to see Mrs. Dash nodding her head graciously, making her way to the center of the dance floor. The candlelight dimmed for a bit, and the music started slowly while Mr. Mills took his place.

Several couples joined in, and the dance floor was soon awash with all types of ponies dancing together.

Standing off to the side looking on at the spectacle, Cinnamon ran a hoof through his short burgundy mane nervously. Beside him, sitting demurely, was the cause of his anxiety. Neither spoke, but instead stole quick, surreptitious glances at each other.

Thaddeus leaned towards his dance partner as he saw the awkward pair.

“It seems to me, Mrs. Dash, that my son and your granddaughter have gotten along quite nicely.”

Curious, Mrs. Dash turned to look at the young couple. They were close to each other, to be sure, but there did not seem to be any conversation going on between them.

“Whatever do you mean, Mr. Mills? They’re not saying anything to each other. In fact, they seem to be doing their best to avoid talking altogether.”

“Take it from me, Mrs. Dash. They’re saying plenty. It’s all in the eyes.”

Looking closer, the old mare did notice a spark seemed to flow between the young stallion and her granddaughter each time one would catch the other looking.

“I do say it certainly appears you are correct. The question is, what should we do about it? Surely we shouldn’t be encouraging this?”

“Why not Mrs. Dash? They’re about the same age. They obviously are attracted to each other. Who knows? It may mean a partnership on a whole new level.” He grinned meaningfully at the old mare.

“Oh Mr. Mills you are incorrigible! While there is merit to the idea, I am unsure how to proceed. My granddaughter would never make the first move, and your son seems absolutely terrified of even speaking to her.”

“Follow my lead, Mrs. Dash. And I should warn you now, my son isn’t quite as good a dancer as his father.” He maneuvered them closer to the side of the dance floor, being careful not to make it too obvious he was heading for the distracted ponies waiting for the dance to finish.

“Thank you ever so much for the lovely dance, Mrs. Dash. It would appear to me, however, that a certain young lady has not had the privilege of dancing, and that is a crime I must remedy immediately. Ms. Silver, would you do me the honor?” Thaddeus bowed, hoof outstretched toward the younger pegasus.

Glancing over at Cinnamon once more, she tentatively nodded and allowed herself to be escorted to the floor by Thaddeus.

Cinnamon watched them go, a slight longing in his heart to be the one escorting her.

“Alas, if only there was a stallion who would go dancing with me? It seems that Mr. Mills has left me all alone, and I did ever so much want to keep dancing. After all, there is nothing quite so stimulating for these old bones as a nice waltz.” Mrs. Dash glanced over at Cinnamon, hoping he would pick up on the not-so-subtle hint she had given him.

After a few moments of watching his father dance with Silver, the light of understanding dawned on Cinnamon's face.

“Oh! Forgive me, Mrs. Dash. Would you like to dance?” he said, holding a hoof out.

“Why, I would love to, Thaddeus.” Smiling, she reached out and let him lead her to the dance floor.

“Actually, ma’am, if it’s not too much trouble, I would prefer to be called Cinnamon,” he said, clumsily leading her into the waltz.

He kept looking down, struggling to remember how the complex dance was done. This brought no end of amusement to Mrs. Dash, who moved as if on a cloud.

“Well, Mr. Cinnamon, are you enjoying the party?” She turned and observed her granddaughter talking amicably with her co-conspirator for the evening.

“Oh yes, Mrs. Dash. I always enjoy Dad’s parties. Everypony enjoys spending time with Dad, and he gets along well with everyone.”

“And is there anypony in particular you are getting along with tonight, dear?”

Cinnamon blushed, and stumbled a bit. His mind had jumped to Silver, and he glanced up quickly to determine where she was on the dance floor.

Following his gaze, the older mare couldn’t help grinning when she realized who exactly it was he was blushing about.

“Well, it seems to me that my granddaughter hasn’t said a whole lot. She can be awfully shy, you know. Maybe you two should get to know each other better.”

“N-no, that’s quite alright Mrs. Dash. Not to say I don’t want Silver! I mean, get to know her. Better. If that’s okay with you? Getting to know her better, I mean. I don’t…”

“Hush, Mr. Cinnamon. It’s quite alright. I understand what you mean. Believe it or not, I too was in love once.”

“Oh no, Mrs. Dash, I don’t think I’m…well… that is to say….. I don’t know if she even…”

“May I cut in?”

Cinnamon felt a hoof tap him on the shoulder. Startled, he turned and noticed his father was staring at him expectantly.

“Of course, Dad. It was a pleasure, Mrs. Dash.”

“And thank you, Mr. Cinnamon, for that lovely dance.” She smiled as she was swept away by his father. They left the two young ponies standing in the middle of the dance floor, looking everywhere but at each other. Finally, the nervous young stallion broke the silence.

“Hi.”

“Hello Thaddeus,” she said, her voice calm and quiet. His knees shook at the sound. He couldn’t help but think he would never grow tired of hearing her voice, its dulcet tones sending his heart soaring into his throat.

“Actually, if you don’t m-mind, um… I prefer Cinnamon. Thaddeus is more of a family name than anything.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Cinnamon. My name is Silver Streak. You can call me Silver if you’d like.” She smiled radiantly at him.

“Would you...would you… like to dance, Silver?” He stammered, trying his best not to let his voice crack.

Blushing coquettishly, she nodded. “I would love to.”

His knees started to shake as they began to dance. Cinnamon forgot what to do the moment they held each other. All he could do was stare at her. He looked down, trying to force his brain to remember what he was supposed to be doing. Tentatively, he put one hoof forward. Then another. He looked up, smiling. They began to sway in time with the music, Cinnamon desperately trying to avoid a collision with the other dancers.

The world melted away as they danced. The other couples disappeared, and soon the candles on the walls seemed to ebb into nothingness, replaced by the faint shimmering of a thousand stars. There was no longer a floor; instead, the night sky shone around them, encompassing them in its heavenly glow.

Neither one said a word; they held each other under the stars, dancing for what seemed like hours. Back and forth they went, moving about in their own private world. The awkwardness soon melted away, and they moved as one. Lost in each other, they failed to notice the music stopped. It wasn’t until the thunderous applause shook them that they realized they were the only ones left on the dance floor.

“What are you doing?”

Cinnamon opened his eyes with a start. He could hear Fireball giggling behind him. He looked down and noticed he was on his hind legs, his hooves out at odd angles, as if he were dancing with an invisible partner.

A small flush rising to his cheeks, he dropped down to all fours and looked at the pony interrupting his thoughts. She was as blue as the sky, and her magenta eyes glimmered with mirth. Her multicolored mane fluttered in the breeze, and she was resting on a cloud just feet above the traveling pair, chuckling quietly.

“Hi Aunt Rainbow!”

“Hiya Fireball! Your brother’s being weird, huh?” The cyan pegasus responded. She was still looking down on Cinnamon with a bemused expression on her face.

“Yup!” Fireball said, barely able to conceal her amusement at the earth pony’s blushing.

“How are you doin’, Rainbow?” Cinnamon asked sheepishly, still pulling the cart towards the town. It was surprisingly a lot closer than he had remembered before his little daydream.

“Awesome as ever! I wasn’t expecting you guys so soon, though. Something happen at the Mill?” she asked, concerned.

“Nah, nothing like that. Fireball was just getting restless, and I figured we could take a couple weeks and make a long vacation out of it. Hope that isn’t a problem,” Cinnamon said, looking up at the pegasus.

“Not at all! Maybe I’ll let you see some of my new tricks! What d’ya say Fireball? You wanna see some new tricks from Equestria’s Best Young Flyer?”

“Awesome! Can we go now?” Cinnamon felt both pairs of eyes looking at him, waiting for a decision. It had been a long trip, he decided, and Fireball wasn’t really needed to help unload their cart when they got to their destination.

“Sure,” he said, watching them both smile with glee. “But nothing crazy, Rainbow. And Fireball, you’re just learning to fly with your wings. Don’t try anything dangerous yet. Agreed?” They both nodded and took off, Rainbow carrying the young pegasus on her back.

Cinnamon watched them go, knowing they wouldn’t listen to him. Once they were out of sight, he walked on towards the town he hoped to call home.

“And then she did this thing where she went in for a dive and totally twisted and pulled out of it last second! We almost hit the ground! It was awesome!”

Cinnamon smiled at the young filly bouncing on the bed. She’d been going on nonstop since Rainbow Dash had dropped her off nearly an hour ago.

I wonder if Rainbow gave her any sweets.

The knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. Rising to answer, he was cut off as a bright ball of yellow jumped down in front of him, shouting “I’ll get it!”

Fireball yanked open the door excitedly, revealing a somewhat surprised pink unicorn. Her violet mane hung loosely down her back, and she wore a bright yellow flower tucked behind her ear.

“Hello there little one! Is your brother around?” She looked up as Cinnamon approached.

“Hello, Ms. Star. Thank you again for letting us stay here. Normally, we would be lodging at the Ponyville Hotel, but it seems to be undergoing some renovations.”

“No problem at all, Mr. Mills! There is plenty of space while my daughter visits her father in the capital.”

“I appreciate the hospitality, Ms. Star. The room is quite lovely.”

The cozy room was lovingly furnished. The small armoire which now held most of their belongings was painted a bright white color, offsetting the dark cherry wood of the interior nicely. Framed pictures decorated the top of it.

Their saddlebags leaned up against the wall behind the heavy oak door, and the lone bed in the room stood against the window. The brown and white bedding matched the curtains almost perfectly. The evening sun coming through the windows gave the room a surreal quality to it, like a scene from a storybook.

“Thank you, Mr. Mills! I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. I heard a lot of noise and was worried the roof might be starting to cave in.”

“It’s just Cinnamon, if you please. I’m afraid that was just little Fireball, Ms. Star. She seems to be a little too excited from the trip. I’ll try to get her on her best behavior.”

“I completely understand. I’ve spent enough time with young fillies of my own. And please, call me Amethyst. If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I will, Amethyst. Thank you.”

The door closed with a light click. As the latch engaged, Cinnamon looked down at Fireball, a mischievous grin on his face.

“First day in Ponyville, and you’re already causing trouble? Do you know who else likes trouble?” he asked the young pegasus as she desperately tried to hide a smile rising on her lips.

“The Tickle Monster!” She shrieked and giggled, running away from the lumbering earth pony.

“The Tickle Monster! And he’s coming for you!”

She laughed as he chased her, a scream escaping her lips every time he got close. When she stopped, trapped on the bed, he picked her up and started tickling her. Her sides heaved, and she gasped each time she fought for air. When the laughter no longer had any strength behind it, he released her. The Tickle Monster’s desire for mischief had been sated, it seemed.

She lay there panting, her eyes closed and a huge smile on her face. A slow gurgling sound rose from her stomach, echoing in the near silent room.

“It would seem somepony’s hungry,” Cinnamon said, eyeing Fireball as she pressed a hoof to her belly. She nodded, still out of breath.

“Well then, we should get something to eat. Let’s go get some hayburgers. And if you’re good, maybe I’ll take you to Sugarcube Corner for a cupcake. What do you say?”

The young filly squealed with delight and bounced eagerly towards the door, the exhaustion of the last few minutes wiped easily away at the prospect of fast food and sugary treats.

Cinnamon grabbed the saddlebags from behind the door as they left. He double checked everything to make sure all was tidy, then led the way downstairs and out into Ponyville, the eager young pegasus trotting along beside him.