"You ordered a cherry muffin and a café mocha, that comes to four bits please."
"Yes, here you are," the elderly mare shuffled around as he placed the currency on the counter next to the register.
The pony behind the counter pressed a few buttons and the machine made noise as it accepted the charge. The transaction was complete.
The elderly pony excited the shop into the early morning, leaving the stallion alone in the shop with one other individual. The cream colored stallion looked at his other guest, seated at the counter. He had seen this purple unicorn many times before, coming in to the donut shop late at night with her books, parchment, and other scholarly items as she buried herself in knowledge. Often he would ask his manager about this odd pony, but he was told to let her be. After all, she would always purchase something as she would be up to her horn in her studies.
As he got closer, he noticed how she had enveloped herself in dark purple hooded sweater, with the hood covering her mane and ears as if she was trying to seal herself off from the world so she could get work done. At her hooves, there were a few open books, quills at the ready should any notes be needed, and an empty mug pushed to the far side of her workspace.
"Freshen your coffee, ma'am?" the stallion asked. His voice echoed through air of the empty shop.
The unicorn mare didn't respond. Her mind was elsewhere.
Clearing his throat, he tried to get her attention.
The purple pony jolted her head up at the noise, making eye contact. She made a startled sound, "Wha?!"
"Coffee? Would you like me to top you off?" the stallion repeated.
Her eyes returned down, looking at the books and parchment in front of her, and then eventually she found the coffee mug. Seeing it was empty, she finally gave an answer, "Oh, sorry, yes please."
Using his magic the unicorn stallion moved the coffee pot over and filled it up. "Burning the midnight oil, I see. Got a big test tomorrow?"
With a stretch and a yawn, the purple pony replied, "No, I just want to get a head start on what we will be covering in my class next week. We started studying some advance types of magic and I wanted to learn more about some of them. Like how so magic dwells within certain objects, like the fabled Lost Masks of Maryans, said to possess the wearer." The pony pointed to an image in one of the open books showing one of the supposed masks, "I just find it so fascinating of how an object can hold powerful magic that can rival Princess Celestia's own abilities. It's almost like something out of Daring Do."
The stallion seemed lost at the mare's words, "Huh, well, glad somepony finds it of interest."
"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to get carried away," the purple pony was visually embarrassed.
With a shrug, the stallion brushed it aside, "Don't worry about it. I'm just kinda happy that you spoke. I've seen you come in this donut shop in the middle of the night with books and paper so many times that I didn't know what to make of you."
"Oh, heh, well, just a normal school filly is all," the pony spoke with a forced smile, "A school filly who is working her flank of to make sure she doesn't fail."
The last statement caught the stallion's attention. After returning the coffee pot to it's original hope, he shifted his interest to his only customer, "Bad grades? If it makes you feel better, I wasn't the best student myself."
Gasping, the mare, looked up at the sever. "Did you get a B+? If I ever get one of those, I would never be able to forgive myself! I mean, a demerit like that on my record, the thought of it is just awful!"
"Huh? No, no, I actually dropped out of college. Really, the only thing I ever was good as was cooking," he stated, "Explains why I'm here working the graveyard shift."
The purple pony seemed visually shocked that anypony would willingly drop out of education.
"But enough about that, why are you so worked up of getting something like a B+? It's still a solid grade."
"I can't. I....just can't have something like that haunting me. That's why I have to study hard and perform well. For my parents, myself, and Princess Celestia."
The stallion's eyes widened as he heard the last name, "Princess Celestia? You're part of her private academy? You really have to have a good head attached to ya if you're learning from her."
"I want to do well. So....I can't do anything less than perfection."
"That's a big hurdle you set up for yourself," the stallion commented, "You sure that's not too much for you?"
The purple pony ignored the question as she took a drink of her coffee and returned to her studies.
A couple minutes of silence passed as the two resumed their activities. The mare dove horn first back into the world of facts and figures, while the stallion started to clean the large counter in preparation of more customers, wanting coffee and donuts. The morning as still young and Celestia's sunrise was still at least an hour and a half away. The stillness was deafening between the two and only broke once or twice when the stallion would softly hum to himself as she cleaned the counter with a rag.
Eventually, his cleaning brought him to the mare again.
He was about to ask if she could move, but he paused for a moment. He then he said something else, "Hey, kid."
Without lifting her head or any other acknowledgement of the stallion, she spoke, "My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I'm not a kid."
"Fine, Twilight. In that case, you can call me Donut Joe, everypony else does. Anyway, are you really worried about not living up to all of those expectations you have set?"
The mare didn't move from her position for a few seconds before speaking, "Can I order something to eat?"
"Sure, what will ya have?"
"Pie," she answered, looking up at Joe, "Apple."
"Apple Pie, the cornerstone of any nutritious breakfast."
"It's three in the morning, I hardly think this counts as breakfast," Twilight added before taking a drink of her coffee.
Donut Joe trotted to the glass case that held the donuts, cakes, muffins, and all the other baked goods, including the apple pie that Twilight requested.
"A la mode?"
"No need, just the slice by itself."
Joe returned with the slice on a plate, lowering it on top of a few pieces of scratch paper in front of the purple pony, "Sorry it's not all that fresh."
Twilight mumbled something under her breath, possibly a thank you, as she used her magic to levitate the fork to take her first bite of the pie.
"Lemme tell ya something, Twilight Sparkle. I think you're nuts with all of this goals stuff you have set for yourself."
The purple pony was quiet as she took another bite.
"You're freaking out over something that's not a perfect score. That has to be unhealthy for you, at least mentally if not physically."
"How can it be physically unhealthy?" she asked.
Joe pointed to her plate. "You're in a donut shop at three in the morning eating pie and drinking coffee. If that's not messing with your body, I don't know what else could be."
Twilight looked down at her slice of pie. She was lowered the fork with her magic and finished the food in her mouth.
"Look, I'm just voicing my concern," Joe insisted.
With a sigh, Twilight shot back, "Do you really think I'm going to take any advice from some college dropout?"
The statement visually hit Joe. Before he retorted, he held his tongue.
Twilight continued, "I don't mean to be rude, but look at yourself, you're a waiter in a donut shop working nights. I don't believe I should really be taking any advice about life from somepony who serves me pie and coffee. Can you really say that you're happy with your life?"
"Can you?"
The reversed question surprised Twilight. Unable to provide an answer, she levitated the fork and took another bite of her pie.
"We all have our dreams. We all have this ideal map of what our life will be like. I was supposed to be a pastry chef, a patissier. I wanted to be chef who made fine desserts for the royalty here in Canterlot, be known throughout Equestria for my wonderful creations, having ponies traveling far and wide to have the chance to taste something that I created. I wanted this more than anything, to be an unparalleled chef."
Twilight watched on as Joe spoke. It was apparent he was sharing from his heart and it humbled the purple mare. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking that is," she edged on, wanting to know more.
"Life. Life simply happened. It can't be helped I guess, but I guess I'm lucky to have a job where I still get to make something that I enjoy," Joe seemed to give a small smile, but the cream colored stallion forced it. "Can I ask you something in return?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Why are you so scared?"
"Huh?"
"Of failing," he elaborated, "Why are you scared of failing?"
"Oh, uh, well I'm worried about that if I fail, everything I've worked so hard for will be all for nothing and then...."
"And then?" Joe edged on.
"....I don't know."
Joe gave a soft chuckle, "I'll give you a possible spoiler, Twilight. I'm living proof of everything be okay after failure. It's not the end of Equestria."
Twilight looked away from the conversation, "It sure feels like it."
"But it's natural to be scared. Heck, if you weren't scared I'd say there's something wrong with you. Life is pretty darn scary, even for a schoolpony as yourself."
"I just don't want to be a failure, after everything everypony has done for me," Twilight looked down at the half-eaten pie in front of her.
"So what if you fail? Failure is not the end!" the stallion's voice was one of strength and conviction, "As long as you keep your head up high and keep pushing toward your dream, you're on the right track! Never give up on that hope."
The mare looked up slightly from the books, papers, and plate. A small, hopeful by cautious smile was on her lips.
The stallion continued, "There is no fate but what we make. An old friend from school used to say that to me all the time."
"That's so cliché," Twilight commented.
"Didn't say it wasn't. I'm saying it's true."
With a small giggle, she added, "And in that case, I guess all of those old pony tales that are filled with clichés are also true."
"Don't know about that, but sure, if you want to say that." Joe returned to his rag and started to continue the cleaning.
Twilight took a few more bites of her dessert, "Maybe I'm worrying too much about being perfect with my studies. But I need to do well, I just have to."
"Well, just remember that you're still a kid. There's still a lot you don't know, and that's fine. Take your time and think. And don't forget to have fun and just be you."
"I guess it never dawned on me to just relax and have fun," the purple unicorn mused as she finished her piece of pie, "Guess I was too caught up in my studies to see that."
"Don't feel bad, we all have our fair share of problems in our own lives," the stallion paused in his cleaning to continue his thought, "Life is a grand and interesting voyage to someplace. We might have had a plan to end up in one place, but we might end up somewhere we never thought we would."
"The princess herself couldn't have said it better herself," Twilight gave a warm smile
Joe returned the smile, "And with that statement, I hope you do well in the princess' academy. And remember you don't have to do this alone. You got somepony rooting for you, even if it's just somepony who's refilling your coffee."
With a sigh, Twilight nodded, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. Just never thought I'd be talking about this with a donut maker at three in the morning"
"You can find kindred spirits anywhere, kid. Just remember, this too will pass."
END
