Chapters Author's Note
Prompt suggested by destinedjagold.
Promotion
Fluttershy's heart pounded as she walked into the building. Her body was ever so slightly quaking, but she looked around at the other patrons, fearing the thoughts those other ponies had about the mare with the body shaking like jello. Her thoughts screamed at her to turn back, that it wasn't worth it, and that the same horrible cycle of ponies laughing at her would begin again.
She looked around, her body tense. The sign hanging from the ceiling bore the words, "Ponyville's Annual Short Story Contest". All around her were ponies, looking at notebooks and small books, reading each of the entries. Some of the reactions of the ponies were those of delight, and bemoaning the fact that the story they read wasn't longer. Other reactions included nose wrinkles of disgust, confused looks, and gagging at the content of the story.
Fluttershy paid more attention to the negative reactions, imagining those reactions to her short story. She backed up, glancing at the table in the corner where her notebook laid, containing her story about the odd friendship between a bear and a fish. Nopony was looking at it, but she was worried about the quality of her story.
"Oh, Fluttershy!"
She turned to see a certain white unicorn trot toward her. "Oh, hi, Rarity. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, just reading a bunch of the marvelous stories that have been entered in the contest! And, well, some that are... not so marvelous." She grimaced and shuddered. Then she turned and smiled at Fluttershy. "Are you reading some of the stories, dear?"
Fluttershy brushed her hoof on the ground. "Well, actually, I... I... I entered a story..."
Rarity gasped, and then her eyes twinkled. "Really? Oh, my, Fluttershy! I had no idea you wrote stories! Do you mind showing me yours?"
Fluttershy pointed to the table in the corner. "It's over there."
Rarity leaned to look at the table which Fluttershy pointed out. "All tucked away in that little corner?"
Fluttershy nodded, and the both of them trotted to the table. As Rarity picked up the notebook and began to read, Fluttershy looked away, making use of her mane to block out the inevitable expressions that her friend would make. While Rarity would attempt to spare her feelings, Fluttershy felt like it wouldn't be up to par with Rarity's refined tastes.
"My, my, Fluttershy," Rarity said. "This is wonderful!"
Fluttershy jumped, and turned to look at her friend, who wore a warm and sincere smile. Rarity levitated the notebook and said, "It's very gentle and poetic. Why, I never thought that a friendship between a fish and a bear could simply be beautiful." She narrowed her eyes. "Just how many talents are you hiding, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth. "Uh..."
Rarity shook her head. "Oh, never mind that--I'm sure if more ponies came over here to read it, they'd love it. Now, I know I saw Twilight around here somewhere..."
"Oh, it's fine, really," Fluttershy said. "I don't think it's that great anyway."
Rarity put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "If you don't think it's that great, why did you enter it in the first place?"
"Well, I guess I thought it'd be nice to share something of mine for once... but, I don't know, what if other ponies don't like it?"
Rarity pursed her lips. "I see. Well, what I know is that if you create a work of art, you'll never know what others think unless you put it out there to be judged. And usually, the criticism that comes isn't so bad. We just need to tell them it's a story worth reading--draw them in."
Fluttershy sat down and twiddled her hooves. "What if I come off as bragging?"
"It's okay to promote your story, darling--or, how about I go and promote it for you?" Rarity beamed at her. "I'm certain that I can convince some ponies to come over here and give your story a look. After all, I wouldn't want any of these poor souls to miss out on such a sweet and simple tale written so beautifully. Of course, it's okay if you don't want me to."
Fluttershy looked at the floor for a moment, and then up at Rarity again. The warm look that the unicorn was giving her calmed her nerves somewhat, so Fluttershy simply answered with a nod.
"Splendid!" Rarity exclaimed. "I'll get ponies to read your story in no time, and I promise they're going to love it."
Fluttershy forced a smile as Rarity trotted to the first pony she saw. She watched her strike up a conversation, catching the pony's attention. Fluttershy tried to read Rarity's body language in order to see just how she was advertising the story, and the other pony pursed his lips and nodded. And then when Rarity pointed the stallion to Fluttershy's table, the yellow pegasus froze.
She could only hear her own heartbeat as the pony approached, and time slowed down as the pony picked up the notebook, a skeptical look on his face. He opened it up, and his eyes ran across the page, his face unchanging. Fluttershy could feel beads of sweat forming on her forehead, and she shot a glance at Rarity, who shot an encouraging look back, while standing there in preparation for whatever was to happen.
It seemed like hours before the stallion put the notebook down. Fluttershy looked up at him, bracing herself for the story being panned.
The pony nodded, and said, "It's not half bad."
Fluttershy blinked. Her tension evaporated, and all she was was confused.
He smiled at her, and added, "Good job--I really liked it."
With that, he turned around, and trotted away, though he paused when he was near Rarity and said to her, "Thanks for the recommendation. I needed to read something sweet."
When the stallion left, Rarity returned to the table. "Now, was it that bad?"
Fluttershy shook her head, relief washing over her.
Rarity beamed. "So, are you all right with me recommending your story to other ponies?"
Fluttershy twiddled her hooves. "Well... just one at a time, okay?"
Author's Note
Prompt suggested by FanOfMostEverything.
Choice
Silver Shill backed up, blinking in wary astonishment of what he had just heard. "So... you're going to sell the juice... as a curative tonic?"
The twin unicorns towered over him, bearing confident grins and holding the bottle of apple and beet leaf juice that they had made. The clean shaven one swirled the liquid inside as he said, "Why, Silver, why the disbelief in your voice?"
His mustached twin added, "Do you not have faith in our salesmanship?"
Silver rubbed the back of his head. "Well, no, I don't doubt that you'll sell many bottles, Flim and Flam, it's just... isn't billing the juice as a tonic lying?"
Flim shook his head and clicked his tongue. He pulled Silver close. "No no no, see, when you're an entrepreneur like us, sometimes you just have to stretch the truth."
Flam appeared on Silver's other side. "You have billed the health benefits of this juice that you made, with how it prevents diseases, strengthens the senses, and just how delicious it is--however, what pony is going to buy it when they think they're too healthy for it? A lot of ponies would turn their nose up at it!"
Flim took a cloth out of the pocket of his shirt and wiped the bottle. "So, we figured we'd market it to the ill, and the only way for the ill to buy it if it was the solution to their problem."
Flam twirled his mustache. "And we need you to show them that it works!"
"B-But it won't cure anything!" Silver Shill squeezed himself out from in between Flim and Flam. With a deep breath, he turned to them and said, "Look, I can't help you with this. I'm not so sure I can lie to all those ponies about what's not much more than simple apple juice with something added to it. Maybe I should work for someone else, and maybe you should get some other schmuck to go along with your lies."
As he turned to walk out the tent door, one of them said, "Now, now, Silver, you have said so yourself that everypony else turned you away when you approached them for a job."
The other then said, "But, then, who are we to stop you? Hopefully there's an employer out there just as kind as we are, who's willing to listen to your story of how you need to earn money to help your family pay for your sister's surgery."
Silver froze in his tracks. He did not turn, he just stared outside, wondering why they were bringing up his sister.
Flim and Flam smirked at each other. Flim then said, "Why, I can understand why you're desperate--you clearly love that little sister of yours to bits. Why, if my brother was sick enough to need surgery, I'd be looking for money too."
Flam took his boater off and put it over his chest. "What kind of cruel, heartless employer would overlook the tragic story of how Miss Comedy Gold fell ill with colic, and with money being tight, her sisters and only brother have to scrounge around for every bit they can find?"
Flim shook his head and clicked his tongue. "The same fools who dismissed Shilly for lying when he was asked why he was applying for the job."
Silver's heart sank as he remembered his previous attempts at getting a job. Flim and Flam were the first ones to have believed him when he mentioned his sister Goldie in the hospital. He glanced back at the "tonic", wishing that it was real so he could just take it to Goldie and have her drink it. If only it was that easy.
Flam sighed and put his hat back on. "But, he has made his choice. He's going to do better things out there, and we'll just have to get somepony else to help us, like he suggested."
Flim tipped his hat at Silver. "But, at least Goldie would rest well, knowing that her brother took the moral high ground. Good on you, Mr. Shill! I'm sure she'd be proud of you for your high standards!"
"And may you be rewarded with a good employer that pays you well!"
Silver bit his lip, and he kept on glancing back at the Flim Flam Brothers. He wanted to step out of that tent. He wanted to have a job that didn't involve a scam. He wanted to go out and do better things. But deep down, he knew that nopony else would want to hire such a short little loser with an underbite. Especially if they thought he was making the sister in the hospital thing up.
And if he came up short and Goldie didn't get better because of it, he was sure that his mother and other sisters would hate him for it. They already lost a father, they didn't need to lose a sister.
He took a deep breath and turned around. He looked at the "tonic" again. It was rather harmless, and it did have it's nutritional benefits. Sure it wouldn't really cure anything, but surely this lie wouldn't hurt anypony.
He walked back to the Flim Flam Brothers. "On second thought..."
Author's Note
Prompt suggested by scoots2.
Umbrella
On one sunny day in Ponyville, a certain blue pegasus was zipping around the sky, performing tricks and stunts that made it seem like cursive in the sky. She had a little challenge going on--pop all the balloons that her pink friend below her released, using the pin that she held between her teeth. All the while, she had to make her loops and turns look natural in the process without missing a single balloon.
And as she breezed by the challenge, the bouncy pink earth pony cheered her on.
"...and Dashie sticks the landing!" Pinkie Pie cheered as her pegasus friend finished her routine.
Rainbow Dash was now on the ground, and she spit out the pin and wiped the sweat off her brow. She looked up at the sky, jumped into a hover, and pumped her hoof. "Yes! I managed to pop all the balloons in one go! Not bad if I do say so myself."
"Yes-a-rooney!" Pinkie replied. "Oh, boy, where do I start? First you were like whoosh , and then you were like zoom ! And when that one balloon got too high, you did a loop-de-loop to catch it! And then you--"
She was interrupted by the sound of Rainbow's stomach growling. She blinked before a cat smile crept onto her face.
"Sounds like somepony's hungry..." she sang.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "And do you have an answer to that problem?"
Pinkie bounced in place. "Well duh! Sugarcube Corner's always the best place for a tasty treat!" She pulled an umbrella out of her mane, and opened it, letting the wind catch it. She started to drift away, hollering, "Hurry up, Dashie! Don't want that stomach to be empty, right?"
Rainbow stared as Pinkie flew off, before her stomach growling again snapped her out of her trance. She shook her head and took off, catching up to Pinkie. She slowed down once she caught up.
"The umbrella's new," she said.
"Of course!" Pinkie chirped. She frowned. "We popped all of my balloons, remember?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know that. But shouldn't you walk?"
Pinkie waved a hoof in dismissal. "Rainbow Dash, this is faster. And you don't want to be hungry for long, right?"
"You got me there. We shouldn't be too long up here, and hopefully I'll eat before I die of hunger!" Rainbow looked at the umbrella again. "If worse comes to worse, I'll eat that umbrella."
Pinkie giggled. "Silly! Umbrellas are not as tasty as cake!" She looked down, and started to work to close the umbrella. "Speaking of cake, we're here!"
"Aw, sweet!" Rainbow sped down to earth, leaving Pinkie up there to close her umbrella, which she was having trouble with.
She landed on the pavement in front of the bakery. She took a whiff of the sweet scent of cupcakes, muffins, and brownies wafting out the door. With a hum of delight, she rubbed her belly and licked her lips.
She was about to trot in when Pinkie suddenly landed on top of her, making her slam into the pavement, and hitting her chin on a rock. Rainbow was seeing stars, and she could feel the muscles in her barrel aching, radiating to her legs and wings. She groaned before she shook her head and turned it to glare at Pinkie.
Pinkie grinned sheepishly and held up her umbrella, which had its ribs broken and bent, and its fabric was torn. "My umbrella broke."
Author's Note
Prompt suggested by Darkoes1.
Attitude
Flora Peace always wondered what was up with her friend Tomato Sandwich.
From the moment they met, he had been either apathetic or prickly, which clearly made it so that no one stuck around him for long. She only stuck with him because he was generous enough to tutor her in math, and he was at least polite to her. And when he smiled, she had to admit to herself that it was kind of cute. Still, she wasn't sure that she could consider him a friend quite yet.
It was quite a surprise that during one lunch that a blue unicorn by the name of Bluejinx sat with them, revealing that he was Tomato's friend. She had assumed that Tomato had been friendless, but Bluejinx proved her wrong. He also seemed really happy that Tomato had made a new friend, though Flora still didn't feel ready to call him that.
One day, she was studying in the library when said unicorn came by and sat in the sat across from her.
"Yello!" he said. "Mind if I sit with you?"
Flora looked up from her book and shrugged. "Sure."
Bluejinx set down the stack of books he had been levitating, and took the one from the top. As he opened it, he asked, "So, whatcha studying for?"
"Psychology."
"Cool. I'm reading up on the history of reporting. I'm in journalism."
Flora smiled and cocked her head. "Should I be worried about you interviewing me in the future?"
Bluejinx waved a hoof. "Nah. I'll only do that to strangers." He looked around, noting how empty the library was. "Looks like it's just you and me. Hmph, I was actually expecting to run into Tomato in here. Oh, well."
Flora turned the page of her book, where she read something about motivations for a pony's behavior. That coupled with the mention of Tomato prompted her to ask, "Speaking of Tomato... how'd you meet?"
Bluejinx turned to her and blinked. "Oh? Well, we met when we were little colts on the first day of school. I was a shy colt, trying not to be seen, when all of a sudden he's in my face, shouting, 'Hi, I'm Tommy, do you what to be my friend?' He's been my buddy ever since."
"I see. He sounded friendly."
"Oh, he was. He used to be this little mischievous runt that was popular with all the other kids and was bouncing and running around all the time. Heck, he was considered the most fun colt on the playground." He leaned back and smiled, looking away as he reminisced about their colthoods.
"Sounds like my brother," Flora mumbled. She pursed her lips. "What happened to him? He seems a little... cold."
Bluejinx frowned, and his eyes darted left and right as he tried to come to an answer. It went on for a few moments before he leaned forward, rubbed the back of his head, and sighed. "Well, Flora... there's a good chunk that is not my right to talk about, and should be heard from Tomato himself. Even then, I'm sure he'll still be reticent about it."
"Well, anything you can tell me about what is contributing to his attitude?"
Bluejinx leaned in his hoof. "Most of his friendships were superficial. As long as he was that fun, goofy kid that didn't care about anything that wasn't fun, the others stuck around. They never really cared about who he was as a pony, about some of the things he truly cared for, and Tomato has told me that he kept his grades hidden from them because he feared he'd be labeled as a nerd."
Flora blinked. "So... peer pressure?"
Bluejinx nodded. "There was one thing that he never sided with those friends about, but it's one of those things..."
"Gotcha."
"Anyway, basically, when he came to school one day, distraught and depressed about something that happened, they just told him to get over it, and then he started a fight, and next thing I knew, all our friends became our enemies. He hasn't made a new friend since that day. Sure, he's been praised from time to time, but those were fleeting moments. He either wants sincere companionship or none at all."
Flora looked at her hooves on the table. Even though she didn't have the complete story, she got a basic idea of the why and how of Tomato's attitude. From the sound of things, he seemed to be a little lonely. She worried about just what those things that Bluejinx wasn't allowed to talk about were, and how bad they must have been to turn what sounded like a happy colt into a grumpy stallion. Were they as bad as Bananas' accident?
She looked up at Bluejinx. "So... why did you stick with him?"
Bluejinx smiled. "He had a big enough heart to be my friend during a time when I was grieving. I thought I'd at least try to return the favor when he went through his own grief. And from what I can tell, that heart of his hasn't been whipped out of him, just hiding."
She scrutinized him, pouting as she did so. Bluejinx seemed perfectly happy without a hint of hesitation or fear, even with a surly friend, and the fact that he stuck with that surly friend for years was amazing. Either he was really patient, or more willing to call Tomato out on his bad days. Or perhaps both.
And from the several tutor sessions she had with Tomato so far, there was hardly any doubt that there was definitely a heart there.
"Is having a second friend improving things for him?"
Bluejinx tilted his head, blinking as he stared and looking like he was about to scratch his head. It took a few moments before his eyes widened, and then he perked up as it clicked. He grinned at her proudly.
"If anything, I can tell that he likes you."
Author's Note
Prompt suggested by pinkiesdriftingheart.
Love
Cheese loved visiting Ponyville in his downtime.
He was taking a stroll through the park with Pinkie, taking in a whiff of the spring air. He looked around as bees buzzed and hopped from flower to flower to gather sweet nectar. The sun was warm on his back, and the voice of the mare beside him rang in its lovely, high melody. Never had he ever seen a more beautiful spring day, and he was lucky to spend it with the most adorable mare.
He glanced at Pinkie, who trotted with a spring in her step, her curls bouncing as she did so. She seemed to glow under the sunlight, and his nose caught the scent of strawberry and cotton candy coming from her. She turned to him, her eyes blue as the sky, and her smile giving him warmth.
Yep, he was lucky to not only spend the day with her, but to actually know her.
He loved her bubbly enthusiasm about life. He loved her desire to make others smile. He loved her sweet singing voice. He loved to hear about her adventures with her friends, or about playing with her sisters as a filly. Heck, he loved just about everything about her.
That was when he noticed several other ponies passing by, giving them looks that said, ‘aww’, and beaming at them. Almost instantly, he realized why they were doing that.
“…and then Fluttershy swooped in to save Rainbow Dash after she nicked her wing, and we were all staring in shock because wow, Fluttershy actually sped to Rainbow Dash’s rescue!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Dashie was really annoyed about her wing, though…”
Pinkie had her eyes closed, and Cheese was making gestures to the passersby, silently telling them that no, they were not in a relationship, don’t even assume that. The mares just giggled and the stallions just shook their heads, knowing denial when they saw it.
Pinkie still chattered. “And then the big meanie was like, ‘mwahaha, the magic of friendship cannot defeat me!’ And we were like, ‘just watch us, buddy!’”
Cheese grinned at her and nodded, though he missed the lead up to that. Some more ponies passed by, and he waved them off. He could feel his face growing warm, and he kept on walking forward as he shooed ponies away as silently as he could.
“Aaaand we got another window!” Pinkie chirped. She had stopped in her tracks, and watched as Cheese still ambled forward. Her face was a big frown as she noticed what was in front of him. “Cheesy, wait! There’s a bridge over—“
SPLASH!
Pinkie winced as Cheese fell in the river. “…there.”
She galloped to the riverbank, and there were just bubbles on the surface. She watched as Cheese rose from the stream, spitting out water. He turned to her and rubbed the back of his head, holding a sheepish grin.
Pinkie blinked, and then she giggled. “Silly! You should have told me you wanted to go swimming!”
Cheese rolled his eyes. “I just wasn’t looking where I was going.” He stretched a hoof out toward her. “Mind giving me a hoof?”
As Pinkie took his hoof, Cheese smirked at her, and then pulled her into the river. Pinkie yelped as she fell in with a splash, and Cheese laughed as she rose from the water, a sour look crossing her face. It seemed a little bizarre coming from her, but he was a little too proud of his mischief.
“Cheesy!” she scolded.
Cheese looked away, a smug smile on his face. “I changed my mind at the last second.”
Pinkie smirked at him. “Naughty, naughty Cheese! I’m going to have to punish you now…”
Cheese blinked. What kind of punishment did she have in mind?
She jumped forward, and then started to tickle him, chanting, “Tickle time! Tickle time! Tickle time!” in a singsong voice. Cheese had no time to escape, and he was wrapped up in the tickle embrace, and had no choice but to laugh and squirm, splashing water all around. Tickles just felt so weird, and he could not control his own laughter.
But his own front legs shot forward, and he tickled her in return. She squealed, and began her own splashing as she fought back with her tickling.
The two of them tickled each other and splashed and squirmed and laughed for the next few hours, much to the amusement of passersby who no doubt could see the blossoming love between them.
So much had happened in so little time.
It seemed just like yesterday that Twilight Sparkle was just a unicorn gifted with above average magical abilities and the personal student of Princess Celestia. It seemed just like yesterday that she had been sent to Ponyville, begrudgingly checking on preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, and trying to avoid making friends. It seemed just like yesterday that there hadn't been a Princess Luna around for a thousand years.
And now, looking at the lavender alicorn in the mirror, with sleek wings having been added to her back that still felt weird thinking about them, she was amazed that a trip to Ponyville had changed her life. Putting a hoof on the mirror, she was simply amazed that destiny had bound her and her friends together.
She pursed her lips, now wondering what would have happened had she not chosen a path of magic.
Her pursed lips turned into a grimace. But what if she never really had a choice in the matter? She recalled that the Tree of Harmony had the shape of her cutie mark--did that mean that from the moment she got her cutie mark, she was meant to bear the Element of Magic? Or was it from the moment she was born--or perhaps conceived? Was she meant to save Equestria multiple times? Wouldn't she like to give that burden to somepony else for once.
What if she had never had an interest in magic and yet she still had that destiny?
She shook her head. No, she chose to pursue studying magic, even when it seemed like she wasn't very powerful as a filly. Celestia saw her potential and trained her from there. She was deemed worthy to bear the Element of Magic. And even if she didn't ask to be a princess or to have a castle of her own, she did know that she earned it.
Did that mean her friends had always been destined to be her fellow bearers, or could other ponies have filled those roles just as well? Sure, Rainbow Dash's Rainboom did connect them together--but what if it didn't happen? Twilight couldn't think of anyone whose honesty could match Applejack's. Or anypony with loyalty that matched Rainbow's. Who could be as kind as Fluttershy or as generous as Rarity? And Twilight couldn't possibly imagine anypony in Pinkie Pie's place.
Scratching her chin, she wondered if any thoughts on destiny like this had made Starlight Glimmer believe that cutie marks were evil. Then again, that didn't quite explain the whole "equality" thing that was going on in that town.
"Hey, Twilight!" Spike said, coming into the room. "Are you ready for the big Ponyville Picnic today?"
She shook her head and jumped. "Oh! It's today?" She picked up the hairbrush on her dress and furiously brushed her mane. She set down the brush, levitated Spike onto her back, and galloped through the halls. "Ack! How could I have forgotten?!"
Spike had to stifle his laughter at Twilight's mane, which looked like somepony rubbed a balloon on it.
Author's Note
Prompt suggested by Earth Pony Bard Lyric.
It was October 23rd. That was the day of the year that Tomato Sandwich reserved himself to have a chocolate cupcake--frosted with a mountain of yellowish-orange frosting, with googly eyes placed on it.
To most other ponies, it would be a silly habit for a pony determined to be a hard-nosed killjoy, especially the googly eyes. His own mother ridiculed the practice, as did his neighbor and babysitter, wondering why he'd bake a single cupcake when that time would be better used for studying. His father would grumble about how the kitchen was a mess, and Tomato was sure that if anypony else knew, they'd find it silly as well.
He didn't have time to bake it this year, though; he was still getting the hang of college life. He instead purchased a cupcake from the food court, unfortunately settling for yellow frosting, and there were no googly eyes to be had that year. While the changes made no difference in his consumption of the dessert, he couldn't help the sinking feeling in his chest, as if he had betrayed his humble ritual.
Pegasi above were placing gray clouds in the sky, reflecting his mood. As he left the food court and walked through campus to the dorms, the very first drop of rain hit his muzzle. He cursed himself for forgetting his umbrella, and had to shield his cupcake by leaning over the hoof that held it, carrying the risk of the frosting staining his suit jacket.
Walking with three legs didn't make for speedy time, and before he knew it, the beige pavement was dotted with brown, and was rapidly gaining more spots. He was certain that he'd need a change of clothes when he reached his dorm, given the increasing frequency of the raindrops. Even worse, he was sure to drop his cupcake before then, as he couldn't rely on his hoof as much as he could his tail to hold things. Sadly, the tail brought the risk of getting the cupcake soggy, and putting his tail between his legs to protect it would have been awkward to say the least.
He took a rest stop on a bench, using one side of his jacket to protect his cupcake. He couldn't stay here for long before the clouds dumped a shower on him, but he was not looking forward to his long, awkward walk to his room.
However, he felt a presence next to him, and he was shielded by an umbrella. He turned to the culprit, who was none other than the mare that he tutored in math, Flora Peace. He did not know what to make of her presence, other than her apparently doing him a favor.
"Do you really want to sit out here in the rain by yourself?" Flora asked.
Tomato glanced down at his cupcake, wondering if she wanted it. "No, I was on my way to my dorm."
"Ah, I see. You want to walk there together?"
Tomato thought for a moment. While he'd like to lessen the risk of ruining his cupcake, he didn't want to continue on a tedious, three-legged walk there, even with an umbrella and a fri--acquaintance by his side. Right at the moment, he just wanted to rest his tired legs and his aching neck.
"I'll just have my rest stop for a little bit longer," he answered.
Flora shrugged. "Okey-dokey. I'll keep you company and enjoy the rain." She took a deep whiff and sighed happily. "I love the smell of rain."
Tomato wanted to mention that today was a day that he wanted to be alone; at the same time, he didn't want the umbrella to go away, nor the warmth that she was bringing to the bench. Staring at her strawberry blonde mane, he couldn't help but think of it as made of rays of sunshine, grouped with eyes that made him think of a clear azure sky and a flower cutie mark against a spring green coat that made him think of the month of May. A mare that could very well be the incarnation of spring sitting by him on a rainy autumn day was a nice change of pace from his usual October 23rd ritual.
Flora turned to him, looking at the cupcake as if she noticed it for the first time. "So, what's the cupcake for?"
And just like that, the warmth left. Tomato let out an annoyed nicker, wishing that she hadn't asked that question. He felt like shrinking when he thought of explaining his personal ritual, expecting her to laugh at him for his reasons behind it. Heck, explaining the entire story behind it would most likely sound contradictory to her, like it did to his parents.
So, he lied, "I... was hungry. Craving something sweet."
"Oh, I see." Flora said, stretching a hind leg to feel the rain. "I had no idea you had a sweet tooth."
"Learn something new every day," Tomato mumbled.
"Hmm..." Flora nodded. She tilted the umbrella a little, providing a bigger window for her to look at the sky. "I wonder if we'll see a rainbow today..."
Tomato scooted back and pulled his cupcake closer to avoid new raindrops. "Careful, I don't want my cupcake wet!"
Flora straightened her umbrella, giving Tomato a funny look. "Why don't you just eat it already?"
"Because I didn't put the candle on it!" When he realized what he had said, he covered his mouth and looked away from her.
Flora blinked. "Candle? Is it your birthday?"
Tomato stared at the cupcake, letting only the patter of the rain break the silence. There it was, the shame for having this dumb ritual of his. He was sure that if Flora knew what it was about, she'd question why he'd be doing it over somepony that he had been fighting bitterly with for years. Most sane ponies would avoid every reminder of them; but his brother's birthday couldn't be avoided. While most would try to ignore the birthday of an estranged family member, Tomato was trying to fill the hole in his heart with a little birthday celebration for him, which he was sure he would find himself too angry to actually do in said brother's presence.
Tomato shook his head. "No... I just miss somepony. Surely you know what that's like."
Flora stared at him for a second, before casting her eyes down, gripping her umbrella tighter and pressing her cheek on the rod. "You got that right. It feels so weird to be out here on my own... my shoulders to cry on, my sources of advice, the friends and family I've known for years... they're all back home, too far for me to reach for immediate comfort." She sighed. "I'm not used to being so alone. Sometimes I wonder if I should have stuck with the college closest to home so I didn't feel so lonely."
Tomato nodded. "It's easy to feel lonely in this city."
Flora looked up at him. "Yeah, I guessed as much. But... well..." She straightened up. "Having some friends around here does help ease the homesickness a little. You and I could be homesick buddies, keeping each other company when we're lonely. After all... Bluejinx has told me that you could use another friend."
Tomato wasn't sure if he could be called 'homesick'--unless he could call his big brother 'home'. And in his mind, it didn't seem like much of a stretch, aside from that 'home' being a bit hostile to him these days. It was unfortunate that it was too late to apologize for his own offenses.
He looked at Flora, and was immediately drawn to her eyes. He couldn't quite place it, but he swore he could see a light in them, like a sun in a summer sky, which was bringing back the warmth that he had felt earlier. She was just so inviting, so soft, and so sweet, especially with gentle smile being her eyes' companion. Merely looking at her was making him feel lighter than air. Regardless of what exactly he was feeling and whether he could pinpoint it or not, he certainly wouldn't mind her being another 'home' of his.
He looked at his cupcake once again, unwrapped the cup from it, and tore it in two. With a glance away and a little pout to try to remain casual, he wordlessly hoofed over one half of the cupcake, much to her surprise.
"Oh, for me?" Flora asked.
Tomato nodded, and pointed with his muzzle to tell her to just take it. Looking at both her hooves gripping the umbrella rod, he drew his tail out from the rain and wrapped it around the rod. "I'll hold the umbrella."
Releasing her grip on the rod, Flora took the cupcake, and took a bite. She hummed happily, blissfully unaware of the frosting that was on her nose and lips. It was the only time that Tomato found something with a resemblance to a clown funny, though he kept his laughter inside, even after she noticed and wiped it off.
When her half cupcake was half-eaten, Flora looked up, noting that the rain had thinned into a drizzle, and that the sky was half-cloud, half-sky. With a deep whiff of the wet air, her eyes were drawn to one particular colorful arch of light in the sky. With the arch being especially bright, Flora couldn't help but smile at it, and said, "Found the rainbow."
Tomato looked at the rainbow as well, perplexed at the contrast of the bright colors to the dark sky. The color among the gray stuck out, as if it was calling out to him to give him some hope once again, even when he himself had dashed it time and again, simply by being difficult.
He nearly crossed his front legs, only stopped by his half of the cupcake. "Oh, so you have. Haven't seen one of these in a long time."
Flora giggled. "One of my favorite activities as a filly was looking for one. It's nice to see one after it rains, you know?"
Tomato held up the cupcake, placing it directly under the rainbow in his line of vision. "Huh... it sure is."
He glanced at Flora, who was beaming at him, and he wondered where they made ponies like her. For once, he was glad not to be alone on what was usually a sad day for him, especially since it rained this time. He turned back to stare at his half of the cupcake and sighed, a tiny, wistful smile creeping up on his face.
Happy Birthday, Cheese.
After his silent declaration, he finally took a bite of the cupcake.
Author's Note
Self-inflicted prompt!
If any of you are Miraculous Ladybug Fans, I apologize if you haven't seen the Origin Episodes--but this musical piece from a certain scene has me all giddy cuz it's so darn beautiful that I feel like crying!
Granted, this is a fan arrangement because the actual thing isn't out, but it's pretty good.
I was tempted to write a short based on it with my OCs Tomato Sandwich and Flora Peace. This takes place early in their friendship, before Brother Bothers .