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                         Contrast                          
               -by Red and Black Alicorn OC-               
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                      Tears and Sweat                      
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Tears and Sweat
"Um, Jacob... Hello?"
A golden ray of sunlight gently burst through the cover of my eyelids, parting the darkness and giving me a view of a large room. At the far end of the room was a door guarded by a small oak archway encrusted with pink butterflies. To the left of the doorway I could see a small bird house coated in blue paint, hovering near a window with three wooden frames crossing over the glass, separating the window into four sections. Beyond the window, through the gaps of beautifully coloured tulips and roses shone the sun, a bright ball of golden magnificence.
The room slowly became more solid, along with two rounded crystal blue orbs that seemed to be peering at me. I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head before reopening my eyes and taking in the form of a light toned yellow pony with pastel pink coloured hair barely reaching her shoulders.
"Jacob? I've brought you some food, but if you're still sleepy I can always, well, you know..."
I saw that she was carrying a wooden tray with a plate ladeled with triangles of buttered toast and a hot steaming mug of hot chocolate. I looked back towards her and replied. "Good morning mum, thanks for the breakfast in bed."
She walked cautiously with the tray balanced on her wing and in a few paces she reached the green sofa that I was laid down in. She gently placed the tray onto my lap and said, "Well it isn't really a breakfast-in-bed if you're not in a bed, and are you sure that you wanted to sleep on the sofa? You could've gone in my bed and I could've slept on the couch."
I chuckled warmly and replied, "Don't worry, as long as I have something to lay on and something warm to lay on me then I'll be satisfied, I've had a wonderful night."
Fluttershy still didn't look satisfied with my answer but she let it slide. "Okay darling, but promise me this," she stepped up to the couch and took a seat, "You'd tell me if something is wrong, right?"
I sat there paralysed. I gulped before grudgingly answering her, "Yeah, mum."
Fluttershy smiled reassuringly, but I knew that she was wearing a façade, that deep down she was hurt, and that this felt like a molten knife twisting through my guts. Fluttershy flapped her wings gently and hovered in the air before landing on the floor with impressive grace. "Well, that's good."
"Yeah," I paused for a second and as Fluttershy opened the front door I asked her, "Mum, can I ask you a question real quick?"
Fluttershy turned her head back to me and smiled sweetly. "Yes honey, you can ask me anything."
I hesitated before saying, "Mum, say that I like someone, how would I know if they like me? You know, just to be certain."
Fluttershy's eyebrow arched and her full interest was taken by my question. "Jacob, I don't know how or why, but if that certain pony likes you then you'll find out when the time is right, don't fret over it," and then she hesitated before asking, "And by the way, if you don't mind me asking, who's this certain mare?"
I tutted jokingly and replied, "You'll find out soon enough."
She gave me a knowing smile and walked through the front door. She wrapped her feathered wing around the door knob and started to pull. I looked up from my tray of food and hastely asked, "Mum?"
Fluttershy pushed the door further open and smiled again, no lack of patience emitted within her bright eyes. "Yes Jacob?"
I opened my mouth and paused before finishing with, "I love you ma."
Fluttershy blushed lightly and replied, "I love you too honey," as she closed the front door.
I trotted alongside Fluttershy as we cut through a green meadow with bright healthy grass, almost half the size of my leg. Oak and birch trees were dotted around the area, it seemed as though the birds were still in their nests tweeting to us, or at least to Fluttershy, and she responded with her own calls and whistling. Now and then a small bird, it's name and species unknown to me, would land on Fluttershy's head and tweet something before darting towards a tree. We walked past the final birch tree before reaching the dirt pathway.
Fluttershy stopped beside me and opened her saddle bag. She glimpsed inside it and said, "Here Jacob," she scavenged a few bits from her bag and held them out to me, "You can get yourself something at Sugarcube corner while helping Pinkie, this should be enough for a cup cake." I took the bits from her hoof and smiled appreciatively.
"Thanks mum, I'd better go now, don't wanna keep a party planner waiting!"
Fluttershy looked up the dirt path and placed her concerned eyes upon me. "Are you sure you know the way to Sugarcube Corner?"
I laughed gently and hugged her confidently before replying, "Mum, you don't have to worry about me, I know Ponyville inside and out," I glazed over her worried eyes again and hugged her again. "Don't worry mum, I'll be alright."
"You little things grow so fast, you know? I'd swear you could barely jump up onto the couch a few weeks ago and now? Well, its probably gonna feel like a few days before you get your own kids!"
I laughed pleasantly, "Yeah, well you can't stop us little parasprites from growing!"
Fluttershy giggled quietly before releasing a tear, "Only a few more days until you become old enough to leave me and join some kind of rock band or join the royal guard or-"
More tears began trickling down her soft cheeks and I felt guilt build up in me. I tightened my hug as I listened to her sniffle. "I swear I was your age just yesterday, nineteen. And you were just five when I met you, a tiny, little, innocent child. And then when I finally decided to start a family, when I adopted you, you were eleven. You were still a little pony then, my little pony."
She stepped back from the hug to look at my eyes. "But look at you now, all grown up, studying music and drama, entering adulthood, finding someone to have a relationship with."
And unexpectedly, the withheld dam broke free and tears burst out of her eyes as Fluttershy sobbed. I stepped forward and held Fluttershy in my hooves and didn't let go. As her hot tears dripped onto my neck and zig-zagged its way down my torso I realised the heavy feeling that she was right. It felt like a few days ago when I first accepted her as a mother and now we're having a conversation about my departure. My own tears started to slip away and fall into her hair, slowly sliding down the strands of pink.
I lowered my head towards Fluttershy's ears and whispered softly, "Don't worry mum, I'm still your little pony."
"Please don't leave m- me, Jacob, I love you honey, I- I-" Fluttershy sniffled loudly, disrupting her line of speech. I felt guilty about Fluttershy's mental breakdown, I was still seventeen years old but she seemed to think that I'd become twenty within the next week. Her grip grew tighter and she slowly pulled her head up to my ear. "You grow too fast honey, why doesn't time realise that?"
"One chocolate lemon cupcake with extra jam and sprinkles coming right up!"
The whole building trembled temporarily as Pinkie Pie took my order and poked her head through the doorway leading to the kitchen area.
"One chocolate lemon cupcake with extra jam and sprinkles Paper!"
And the building shook yet another time, but this a reply answered Pinkie Pie. "Okay Pink, but you don't have to, you know, shout."
I rolled my eyes as Pinkie Pie walked back towards me. "You're in a good mood, I take it?"
Pinkie Pie's smile seemed to grow, impossibly, another inch as she replied, "Well of course I am silly! Whtcha think I'd be, not in a good mood?"
I laughed, "Well Pinks, I don't think I've ever seen you in a bad mood!"
"Exactly," she replied as she took the seat opposite to me and stared through my eyes with her own. "So watcha think we should do? Me and Papers have started on the cake but that's gonna take a while, so Paper will be preoccupied with that. The cider Applejack has promised us are still at her farm, so we're gonna need someone to get them," she was about to continue but she caught my glance, "and no, Applejack cannot bring them here for us, she's busy helping Rainbow Dash with delivering all the banners and stuff." I nodded understandably, giving her the sign to continue.
"We've gotta set the banners up, prepare the food and make this place look perfect, but we're not going to be able to do that with just me and you so I've asked a couple of other ponies to help with the preparations, but if you find anypony on your way to Sweet Apple acres then don't be afraid to ask them."
I nodded again until I realised what she fully said my jaw dropped. "Wha'? You want me to travel all the way to Applejack's farm and then return with a few full barrels of cider- no wait, a few barrels of really heavy cider?"
"Yep."
"That's gonna take me a good hour if I follow the road safely, you know that, right?"
"Yes it will."
"And even longer if I'm gonna take a break."
"Indeed."
"He he, that's quite funny Pinkie."
"You think a hour journey is funny?"
"You're joking."
"Why did you think I asked for a stallion to help me?"
"Figures."
It was midday, and the sun was shining as it had been earlier. Nothing disturbed the calls of the birds apart from the groans of weakened wood and the gentle splashes of liquid.
Sweat appeared above my eyes as it dripped down my forehead and evaporated. A powerful stench lingered in my fur as I heaved the cartload of apple cider. Usually it would take a five minute canter to get there, or a fourteen minute trot, but walking towards Sweet Apple acres and returning back with a heavy cart that weighed more than me took me a good seventy three minute minutes.
I was now a good few yards away from Sugarcube Corner now, and within a minute I'd be able to take a nice long shower and perhaps get some well deserved rest, I certainly wasn't going to be able to help out with any decorations in this reckless state.
I pulled up outside of Sugarcube Corner and saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack walk through the entrance alongside each over. They surprisingly still had a few more things to collect so had little time to talk, but Applejack had the sympathy to turn around and apologise, "Sorry you had t' bring 'em load o' barrels by yourself al' the way from Sweet Apple acres, Mac was gonna do 'em but he had to travel to Appleoosa."
I smiled understandably and let the pair continue on with their work. After I undid the straps to myself I placed my left hoof through the open doorway, but immediately collapsed onto the floor and groaned. A shadow fell on top of me and I looked up to see Paper sympathetically look down at me and asking, "Do you want a hoof?"
I smiled appreciatively and with her help slowly stood up. "You wanna take a shower first, or are you like, hungry or..." She let the sentence end and I smiled approvingly.
"A shower would be great, thanks!" My strength was at a low point but I didn't want to strain her, so when she let me use her to lean on I tried to avoid giving her my whole body weight. As we entered into the building I noticed that Pinkie and a few other friends had been working hard.
Streamers varying from the colours of the rainbow wavered in the draft that came through the entrance. Balloons had their strings tied up to a hook or nail that stuck out of the wall. The plank flooring had a green carpet with a thin border on top of it and all the plain tables that were normally used were gone, replaced with a single rectangular table that took up the whole dining area. A few platters of food were neatly laid out on the table, soon to have other plates alongside them.
Pinkie Pie was inflating a baby blue coloured balloon when she caught sight of us out of the corner of her eye, her pupils increasing in a matter of a second. She opened her mouth and let the rogue balloon dance in the air. "Jacob!" She leaped through the air towards our general direction and skidded to a halt in front of us, merely a few inches shy of impact.
"I'm so glad and happy that you could help us out! I'm sorry that I couldn't get someone else to do it instead but we needed the cider like ASAP and you were the strongest pony who could do the job!"
I faintly smiled in return. "I was close to collapsing, but I've made it so it's alright."
"You should go and get cleaned up and have a nap, you deserve it," she said as she tilted her head sideways towards the stairs.
I nodded appreciatively as Paper informed Pinkie Pie of the progress of the cake.
"That's good, we should be done with everything by the deadline, oh and Scribbles, can ya help Jacob up the stairs, he's lookin' a little rough."
"I'm doing that right now Pinks, I'll lead him up."
"Awesome!" And with that Pinkie Pie planted her snout onto the floor and sniffed a few times before trailing off with her flank up in the air, probably trying to catch the scent of the balloon she was inflating earlier.
Me and Paper looked at each over for a second before laughing together. My laughter ended within two seconds as I wheezed and breathed heavily, managing to catch Paper's attention and remind her of the order from Pinkie Pie. We both walked to the base of the stairwell before ascending. Once we reached the top of the stairs we entered a narrow hallway with multiple doors standing each side of the hallway.
Paper led me towards the first doorway on the right and opened the bathroom door for me. There was a shower cubicle in the corner of the room with a sink basin and toilet positioned on the opposite side of the room. Toiletries and soaps were placed upon a small shelf to the left of the shower. Paper walked me in and sat me down onto the toilet seat and asked if I needed anything else. I replied, "No thanks Paper, you've done enough," before I reminded her, "you've got a cake to decorate, I'm able to carry on by myself."
She grinned shyly before walking towards the open entrance. She paused and opened her mouth a centimetre before reconsidering her dialogue and blushing. "Okay, just call if you need me."
She walked out of the bathroom and closed the door behind her, giving me the privacy to have a long pleasant shower and a good hour of sleep before the party started.