Hearts and Hooves Day by Leonardo Oliver Osborn

Hearts and Hooves Day

Rose

Day 2:

Meet Braeburn

You wake up. You had a wonderful dream, but forgot what it was, like what happens every time. Not much has changed in your new home yet, but you know there will be some new decorations. You go ahead and plant the seeds you brought in your saddlebag. The sooner, the better. The weather is still as sunny, and still warm. There are no pegasi to move the clouds to control the weather.

Your stomach growls, saying that it’s hungry. It is time for breakfast.

You look in your saddlebag for some food you brought, but it was all stale. You thought it was a good idea at the time to bring food while it was ripe, but now it’s too late. You may be a gardener; but you work with flowers, not fruit. You decided to skip breakfast instead, and went out to enjoy some fresh air and maybe a quick walk through town.

        Just like yesterday, the Ponies are out there dancing or eating salt- you will soon own a shop, those flowers will grow big enough to sell and you will earn enough bits to shop. You see Cheese, talking with the sheriff, and the two of them tapped their hats before they left, finished with their conversation. He walks up dramatically with his usual serious look, and then notices you.

        “Oh, hey Rose. You planning anything today?” he asks. You tell him you’re not doing much, and that you were on your just walking. “Hmm. Sounds nice. Mind if I come? I was planning on exploring the place myself.” Cheese asks, and you figure; why not? You tell him he can come, then your stomach growls suddenly. “Did you skip breakfast?” Cheese asks, he seems to have heard it too. You tell him that the food you brought went stale, and that you are a bit low on bits to buy some more. “Oh, I see. Well, I had, but it was just a really… really… dry biscuit. How about we get some lunch first at The Salt-Licks. It’s on me.” he offers. You tell him that is rather a bit too generous. “Come on, it doesn't cost much there anyway. Besides, a friend is always kind to a friend, and your my friend- right?” Cheese assists, his voice sounding cheery suddenly. Your stomach growls again, and you decided not to argue and accept her offer.

        “Okay, My Little Pony; it’s off to The Salt Licks.” he says in his deep voice once again.

***

It didn’t take too long for the bartender to arrive.

        “What would your order be?” he asks.

        “What do you think? I’ll go with some salt. Extra salty!” Cheese orders. You wanted to order a daffodil-sandwich with a water, but settled with the same thing Cheese is having. After the bartender slid the rocks of salt, you look around, and see several Ponies waiting or licking salt at a table. You couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous when you saw a stallion and mare both dancing to the music from the piano, gazing at one another’s eyes. You wish someday that mare could be you.

        “So, are you planning on opening a shop around here?” Cheese asks after taking a big lick. You tell him that you plan to open a small flower stand, and that you once owned a whole flower store in Manehatten.

        “So what happened to that?” Cheese asks. You tell him that somepony else opened another flower shop, and ran your’s down. Your competitor sold better flowers and had every kind of flowers a Pony could dream of. “So you moved here to start over?” Cheese asks. You tell him ‘yes’. “Well I’m sure you’ll do better than you did in your last place. And I’ll be your first costamore!” Cheese replies with a smile, his voice suddenly sounding cheery again. You smile back, and tell him that you’ll give him the first flower, free. Cheese chuckles. “You won’t have to, but that’s nice of you.” he says. You joke with him that you change your mind, that instead he’ll have to pay double! You both laugh, but you quiet down the moment you saw, not someone, but somepony.

In the distance you see a bright tan coated earthpony stallion, with bright green eyes, and has a long, flaming golden mane, with a cowpony hat to cover a bit of it and an apple for his cutiemark. You sigh, he is the most handsome colt in all of Equestria…

        “Rose… Rose…~ Hello...!? Rose, you there?” you suddenly start to hear Cheese’s voice, and realize that he is waving his hoof in front of your small muzzle. “Earth to Rose! Earth to Roset! Luna, I think we have a problem.” Cheese Sandwich continues, and you snap out of your fantasy. “Oh, there you are! You weren't home for a moment there.” Cheese explains with a chuckle. “What made you drift away like that? Is it something I said?” he asks, once again in his cheery voice. You point over to the earthpony you gazed at, and ask if Cheese knew his name. “Oh, that’s Braeburn Apple.” Cheese Sandwich answers. “I’ve meet him.” he added. You repeated his name, ‘Braeburn’, soothed by the very sound of it, and continued to gaze at him while he walked by. “Oh, I see what’s happening now. I saw this one comin’. You’re in love with that colt, aren't you?” Cheese asks. You shake your head and land back in reality, and object, feeling embarrassed. “Yes you are.” Cheese Sandwich replies. You try to argue, but sigh, and gazed back at Braeburn before he left your sight.

        You address Cheese Sandwich, and his ear perks up with a hum. You hesitate, and stammered, trying to ask a question about Braeburn. “Don’t worry, he’s single.” Cheese answers, even know you struggled to ask, but it was exactly what you were thinking about. “And he’s inta’ mares, alright. And is still lookin’ fer’ one.” The bartender added. You ask if you're the kind of mare he’ll like. “Well, he is more int’a the more none-prissy kinda’ mares, you know.” The bartender explains. “He’s your typical Apple, alright. Always hard workin’. He don’t want no fancy stuff, and he definitely won’t go fer’ a mare who’s fussy bout’ that stuff.” he adds. You look at the reflection on your mug, your mane a bit curly, yet not perfectly clean.

        “Yes, your mane is fine.” Cheese tells you.

“Ya’ know, there’s been talk that he’s been wantin’ a mare. Ah’m sure he’ll want ya’.” says another stallion who you assume knows Braeburn as well. You thought about just ‘Going for it’ and just waltz up to him and talk to him right away, but didn’t want to be straightforward, you wanted to move a bit slowly. You figure that you don’t want to meet Braeburn yet, that you want to just sleep on this and figure something out.

You say that you had enough salt, even know you haven’t taken a single lick of it. You figure you’ll figure something out, and that you will think it through. You get up to leave.

        “Wait!” Cheese calls. “Aren't you going you finish your salt?” he asks. You tell him you’ll need a walk, and allowed him to finish your salt for you.

***

You spend the rest of your day leaning on a tree, watching some lucky-pair walking side-by-side. Hearts and Hooves Day is coming, you realize. You take a mental note to get yourself a calendar. Then you start to ponder on some other things. You think about how you always did wanted a stallion to be with, somepony to share the rest of your life with, somepony to be there for you always. You thought about the ponies you envy, all those happy couples out there. Eventually, the sun falls down, and it starts to get dark.

You at first wondered where Cheese was the whole time, but thought maybe he started to have a conversation with some other pony and became busy for the rest of the day, considering how he seems to have some business here. You decide to walk back home to rest, the sun starting to feel extra hot.

You trot home, and lay in your bed to rest. You find it difficult to sleep, your thoughts swirling about Braeburn. You had seen some attractive colts here and there, and Cheese himself doesn't look that bad himself, but Braeburn was the most handsome of them all, no doubt. You couldn’t lay a hoof on how or why, you just had this sudden spark that made you fall in love right on first sight. You curl up, wishing it was Braeburn that has you in his arms. And before you knew it, you are already asleep.