OC Café

Bright Spark whistled to himself as he happily trotted in town. He had a light brown coat with a fiery orange mane and tail, his cutie mark a small spark surrounded by small licks of flames. On that day of May 25th, 2016, it was bright, sunny, and warm; with dandelions in every grassy field as part of Spring's bright and colourful signature.

Everything was the way they usually were, with the shops all the same and in their usual places... except for one difference. He stopped as he noticed a building that he recalled to be old, dusty, and with a 'for sale' sign indicating that it was waiting for a new business to run and a new purpose to serve. Now the sign was gone, and the building was refurbished and almost looked like it was just created yesterday. Six tan, wooden letters now hung above the lower windows in between it's first and second floor, which all together said 'OC Café', and below it a temporary banner that said 'Grand Opening!'.

Never passing an opportunity to explore something new, Bright Spark turned for it's saloon doors to check out the new place.

Calm jazz music played all around him, the smell of coffee warmed up his nostrils, the furniture were colourful yet in darker shades, and the walls were made of oak. There was a painting of six mares sitting round a circular table in fellowship and harmony, and the windows were wide and large enough to have a full view of the street and the ponies walking by. It all gave a warm, comforting feeling with uplifting colours; not bright like a foal's birthday party, but instead subtle yet soothing to the eyes.

"Welcome!" said a pony with a bluish, greyish coat with a light brown mane behind the coal-black counter, with coffee cups stacked upon it, a coffee dispenser beside it, and other sorts of dispensers placed right behind him. Below the shiny black surface of the counter was a wooden wall that held it up, and on the right corner were shelves full of small cold drinks such as iced tea and coffee, chocolate and regular milk, and had simple snacks like muffins and bagels as well. He had a clearly male and slightly country voice, yet he had a mare's muzzle... a familiar one, too.

"Are you Littlepip?"

The pony behind the counter laughed. "I wish! Nah, she's my idle, so much so that I keep using her as my avatar (with Kkat's permission, of course) instead of making my own OC. What's your name?"

"Bright Star."

"Doug; nice to meetcha! Welcome to the OC Café, a place for all OCs to mingle, chill, and enjoy some small beverages. So, anything here you would like?"

"Um... I would like some fruit juice, please."

"Would orange juice do?"

"Sure!"

"Alrighty then, comin' right up!"

Doug took his time as he carefully prepared Bright Star's order, despite how simple it was, humming along with the easy-listening jazz music. Bright Star noticed with slight shock that Doug didn't have a pipbuck as his cutie mark, but instead an hour glass.

"If you use Littlepip as your avatar, then what's with the different cutie mark if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, this?" Doug asked as he looked down to his own flank. "I don't need my own OC, sure, but that doesn't mean I like to have my own cutie mark; it adds a little more trade mark instead of a full copy-paste, ya know."

"I see."

"So, why's your cutie mark a spark? What's your special talent?" Doug handed Bright Star his drink.

"Well, how I got it is a long story... let's just say I'm really good with helping ponies and reigniting their sparks, if you get what I mean."

"Oh, sure, I definitely do. It's great to help ponies, isn't it?"

"It sure is."

Suddenly, the bell rang as a dark coated mare with a red mane with purple strands walked in. Her dark green eyes bore of no emotion, her cutiemark an eclipsed blood red moon with the rest of the moon being a purple color with a black outline. She wore a simple cloak and a smartypants doll on her back, magically balanced with a dark green aura.

"Ah, hello! Welcome to the OC Café, what can I get you?"

"Water." she replied duly.

Shrugging, Doug quickly scooped up a simple bottle of water. Silently, the dark coated pony took the bottle with her magic, then gave him a bit in exchange. Then she and her bottle walked to a simple table near the big window and slumped her doll on the table right in front of her, then simply watched the view in silence; listening to the soothing jazz as she began to drift into her own thoughts.

"Um... what's your name?" Doug asked.

"Why is that any of your concerned?"

"Oh, um... I just thought... alright..." Doug backed away back to his counter sheepishly, which made the dark coated mare sigh.

"Fine. It's Eclipse. Yours?"

"Doug, nice to meetcha."

"Ahhh, is that a doll?" asked Bright Spark.

"No, it's Celestia's horse shoe."

Bright Spark's intrigued expression fell into a hurt one, but then snapped into another positive expression as he slouched down at a one of the cushioned U-shaped seats near the painting on the right side, only for a face of realisation to dawn upon him.

"Um, Doug, did I pay for the drink?" Doug gave an embarrassed grin with a blush in reply. "Two or one bit?"

"One."

"Here you go."

"Thanks... first day on the job 'n' all."

"No problem, you're doing great so far!"

"R-really? Nah, I've seen better cafés..."

"Well, like you said, you only just started."

"I guess... thanks."

"Anytime."

The door jingled.

"So; 'OC Café', hah?" Asked a white coated and maned mare with red eyes and a shield for her cutie mark walked in.

"Eeyup! Welcome, what would you like?"

"Oh, just some hot chocolate."

"Hot chocolate it is!"

Once again, Doug took to time to prepare yet another beverage for yet another pony.

"Here you go! That would be two bits."

"Thanks," the white mare took her hot-chocolate in trade of her bits, then took a quick moment to scan the room. "Are they the six element bearers?" she asked the moment she noticed the painting.

"Why, yes, yes they are. It's surprising how unappreciated and unnoticed they are."

"Well, they prefer more modesty. At least, that's what Princess Celestia says."

"You work for the crown?"

"Yes, yes I do." she proudly puffed up chest and her wings fluffed. "Lieutenant Roseana Dodger, at your service."

"Wow, not just a royal guard... but a Lieutenant? That's amazing, Roseana."

"Please, just call me 'Rose'."

"As you wish." Doug saluted with a grin, which earned a small chuckle from Rose. Suddenly, she raised an eyebrow.

"Who's that?"

Rose pointed a hoof at a framed picture of a human with glasses and a black headpiece over his short black hair.

"Oh, that's Adam Smith. He once dreamed of running a café and loved writing about ponies, but one day he..." Doug sighed, "He took his own life from depression two years ago at age nineteen... so, I thought 'why not' and lived his dream for him." Doug gestured around him with his hooves to indicate what he meant, which earned a nod from the Lieutenant and a sniffle from the friendly pony.

To prove what he said, the framed picture was engraved in fake gold,

In Honor of Adam Smith, the brony who wanted to run a café

"Why...? Why did he kill himself?" asked Bright Spark.

"Too much hate, too many harmful words, and too much lack of friendship and care in his life," Doug replied, "So that's why I made this café, to bring in the warmth and friendship he needed and deserved into it."

Eclipse rolled her eyes.

"What?" Doug called her out with an offended look.

"It's silly. I mean, what does a café have to do with 'friendship' if none of us even know each other." Eclipse explained herself.

"Well, that's how friendship always start. In a matter of time we'll make the best of friends!"

Eclipse narrowed her eyes, then leaned her head towards her doll. "This is silly. Isn't it, Nightbeam?"

"Ahhh, you talk to your doll?" asked Bright Spark.

"Shut up."

The room went deathly silent for a time. Doug decided to start cleaning the counter, Bright Spark leaned back to the same cushioned seat and began to halfly drifted into sleep, and Rose simply sat at a table near the wall to quietly enjoy her hot chocolate. Soon, Eclipse simply left her water half empty and calmly trotted to the door. The only reason anypony noticed she left was because of the jingling.

"I like her, she's cute." Doug said with a smile.

"What? But she's so emo!" Rose exclaimed.

"Well, that's what makes her even cuter. But it's the doll that sold me." Doug replied with a grin and a whole-hearted laugh.

"She needs a hug." Bright Spark concluded, which earned two 'yeah's in perfect unison by the Lieutenant and the Café tender.

And then the door jingled again.