The Steaming Cup, Morning
I got out of bed early. Many ponies aren't morning ponies but for some reason I am one of the other kind. My marefriend was probably still asleep, snoring three houses away from here.
As I made my way downstairs, roughly straightening my orange mane, I found myself wondering how she was doing. She was probably really happy and relieved that she finally got her Cutie Mark. Not that it mattered to me; I loved her with or without it. After all, when we first met she didn't have it. Now that I thought of it... in two days we'd have our first dating anniversary... it was about time that I got my plans set into motion. Not today though, it would be one of those busy weekends. One week after Nightmare Night the townsponies had consumed most of their sweets and were looking forward to a nice and relaxing time in the Steaming Cup.
But Celestia, it looked really good on her.
After breakfast I went into the café and prepared some dishes. It would probably not take too long before the first customer. I used my magic to float a cup onto the coffee machine's tray and push the button for an extra strong mug of coffee.
The machine started gurgling as usual, then the whirring and grinding commenced, making it sound like a living thing. As the hot dark brown liquid dripped into the mug I raised my head and sniffed. That didn't smell right.
I put the cloth down I had used for wiping the counter and hurried over. Time to test the coffee.
"Eww!" What the hay was in those beans?
Away with it, yikes! Abomination of tartarus... I tossed the mug's contents into the kitchen sink and rinsed it.
I approached the coffee machine cautiously, eying the metal box with a bad feeling in my gut. When was the last time I had cleaned that thing? Last week, Thursday? That should be okay...
Here we go... I removed the plug - most Ponyville households, including the Steaming Cup and the other café, Sugarcube Corner, had electricity by now - and turned the machine around.
Its back was now facing me. I opened it. It was one of those rare machines that you can still repair on your own without needing to call for a repairpony to open it up for you.
Apparently Spirit Rez has opened his big mouth too soon.
I could feel my ears flopping down; I gagged and hastily closed the damned thing again. A stream of old coffee poured out of the gap at the bottom of the machine and I hurried to float a towel over. The box was a wreck inside; I'd have to send it in. It must have been another of those magical 'slipups' from Lyra. And I had told her to use her hooves if she wasn't sure how to use the machine but no... Why had I hired her again? Right, she needed to cover her rent somehow between gigs. No coffee from the machine today and probably not the next two days either.
Great, just great!
I groaned and tossed the towel into the laundry box in the back room of the café. Seemed like I had to do this the old-fashioned way. As I rummaged in the counter for the coffee grinder I heard the doorbell's happy jingle.
"Coming", I called over my back, then raised my head to look who had entered.
It was a green-greyish coated earth pony. I smiled unevenly at her, unable to completely remove the frown from my forehead.
"Morning, Mara!"
"Morning", she answered rather absent-mindedly while rummaging in her saddlebags.
I went over to her and kissed her. "Are you okay?", I asked, wondering what she was looking for.
Mara raised a freckled hoof. "I'm in kind of a hurry but I need coffee first", she admitted, an apologetic smile on her face.
My ears splayed back again. "About that..." I grimaced. "The machine just went on to greener pastures. This is going to take a moment."
She sighed and flicked a strand of her dark purple mane out of her face. "All right, I guess I have that much time before work", she considered and went over to a table close to the counter.
I went behind the counter and started grinding some coffee beans the old-fashioned way as she resumed rummaging in her bags.
"I got this today", she said and held a paper up with her mouth. The title read, 'Cutie Mark Registration Form'.
I tilted my head while still keeping the grinder in the blue grip of my magic. "A Registration Form for Cutie Marks? I don't think I had to fill out one of those when I was a foal."
Mara rolled her eyes and put the paper down in front of her. "If so it would probably have been your parents anyway. And yeah, they are pretty new. Mayor Mare sent it to me and apparently the Office of Health and Magic thought it would be a good idea to register Cutie Marks... for identifying or statistical purposes, I guess..." Her voice dripped of comtempt when she said the name of the Office.
I opened the small drawer at the bottom of the grinder and poured the powder into a filter. "I see", I said, indicating I had been listening.
Yes, stallions can multitask, at least this one.
Mara exhaled louldy. "It's for the parents to fill out", she blurted out, accompanied by a pleading look in my direction.
"...Oh", I said.
That was kind of awkward. Mara was twenty-four, so yes, it had taken her a while to get that Mark... She did have a job at the Post Office, by the way. We'd had to make some arrangements because at first nopony had thought she'd be fit for the job. The gathered eventually that she was good at bringing order into chaos, making her the best pony for sorting mail. She was getting along very well with her colleagues; in fact, one of them was her best friend. The only pony better at filing things was probably Pinkie Pie.
Mara raised her hooves. "I don't even know where my father lives right now! We haven't talked much after I moved out, just... been sending some letters..." She lowered her head, the straightened up again. "Besides, it's probably just because the foals that get Cutie Marks are under age, right?"
"I suppose", I shrugged, pouring hot water over the coffee powder. "Why, what does it say?"
"That it's used for registration of the Cutie Marks of under-age equine citizens of Equestria."
"Uhhh, doesn't that mean you got the wrong form?", I wondered while pouring hot water over the powder.
"What? No, there's just this one", she insisted.
I went over to the table and sat down next to her, floating the mug of fresh coffee over to her. "So what are you gonna do?", I asked curiously.
She sighed again. "I guess I'll just fill it in as if I were a foal except the date of birth is further back... Oh mare, but here it says 'Signature of Parent or Guardian'! And I have to check which school I'm attending? Ugh!" She threw her hooves into the air once again and pushed the form away.
I decided it was best to leave her with this and carefully said, "Don't you wanna try the coffee?"
Mara shook her head and mumbled, "No, thanks, Rez, I think if I take any caffeine now I'll start going up the walls." She grabbed the form and shoved it back into her bags. "I have to go to work."
"Okay", I said.
She frowned. "Sorry I was so blunt."
I waved it off. Worse things could happen, I thought, then, Coffee for me, yay.
She leaned over to kiss me again, then stroked my yellow muzzle for a moment. "I just... wished my life was less unusual. After appeasing that ghost I'd thought the complications were over but now I have to deal with that crazy form... but I'll figure it out."
"Sure you will." I said that and meant it.
"Thank you", said Mara.
"Uh, you're welcome." I was confused. When exactly had I helped her?
Mare stood up and turned to leave the café. "Bye, Spirit, see you later."
"Bye."
I got a nice view of her rear when she left, reminding me of my plan.
Mares, I sighed inwardly. I loved her but sometimes I didn't really get her.
I shook my head and tried the coffee.
"Pah!", I spat.
It was way too bitter.
Author's Note
So what do you think, does Equestria have a lot of bureaucracy?
Feel free to comment below.
