OC Café

Rose was having a not-so-great day. Why? Her boss had set her to work overtime for the next week.

She walked through the door into the OC Cafe. This time she was greeted by a familiar face, but not the same face she’d seen any of the other times she’d been here. This time, the face belonged to a friend of hers from when she went to college. Calypso, a blue earth pony mare with a blonde mane and tail, green eyes, and a green upside-down triangle for her cutie mark.

Actually, the upside-down triangle was the alchemist symbol for water.

“Welcome to the OC Cafe, how may I help you?” she asked from the counter.

“Well, I’m surprised to see you here.”

“I’m sorry, do I know you?”

“Uh, Callie, it’s me, Rose.”

“Rose? As in ‘Rosanna Dodger’? As in ‘Rosanna ‘Fisticuffs’ Dodger”?”

“Yep, that’s me,” Rose confirmed.

“Well, it’s crazy meeting you here. I haven’t seen you since graduation.”

Nearby sat a familiar brown Earth Pony. “Sorry to break up your little reunion, but I’m still kinda waiting for my coffee,” she said, slightly irritated.

“Oh, right, sorry,” apologized Calypso, before grabbing a cup of coffee that had apparently cooled off. “Oh great, it’s cold. Well, that’s nothing that a microwave can’t fix.”

“Why don’t you just pour another cup?” Rose asked.

“Oh right, silly me. Heh, first day of work here, and it will probably be my last. You know, I swear, I would loose my head if it wasn’t screwed on.”

“Yes, I know, Callie. I know.” Rose then turned her attention to the coffee-colored teen. “So, what’s your deal?”

“Beg your pardon?” asked the young mare.

“What’s your name?”

“Coffee.”

“You’ll get your coffee. I asked what’s your name.”

“Coffee.”

“Again, you’ll get your coffee. What’s your name?”

“Coffee. My name is Coffee Penstroke.”

“Seriously? Your name is literally ‘Coffee’?” Rose resisted the urge to laugh.

“Yes. Now if you would excuse me, I’m going to get back to waiting for my coffee.” Coffee raised her voice a bit for those four last words.

“Here it is. One espresso to go,” said Calypso as she brought Coffee her coffee.

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome. So, Rose, what can I get you?”

“Well, hot chocolate is my usual, so that.”

“Alright, one hot chocolate coming right up.”

“Oh, and Callie?”

“Yes, Rose?”

“Would you happen to know where Doug is?”

“Yeah. The boss is out running some errands. He should be back soon, I think.”

“Alright, thanks.”

Rose looked around the cafe. There were two other ponies, both Rose recognized. The first was Ms. Sunshine herself, Eclipse, and her little doll too.

The other seemed to be kind of similar to Eclipse, but at the same time very different. The pony was a Pegasus mare with green eyes. Her fur was dark gray, with a disheveled black and silvery gray mane and tale, which Rose thought was weird considering the mare seemed to also be younger than her. Her cutie mark was a trail of hoofprints.

“Hey, haven’t I seen you around somewhere?” Rose asked the young mare.

“I wouldn’t know. Now please go away.”

Rose then figured it out. “Of course, I know you! We met once when I was on patrol.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“No worries. Let’s just start again. I’m Rose, and you are?”

“Trying to ignore you. Go away, please.”

“You know I’m a lieutenant of the Royal Guard, right?”

“You know I lived most of my life on the edge of the Everfree Forest, right?”

“You know I’ve knocked an Ursa Major unconscious with a single punch, right? Beat that!”

“Ugh, would you two just stop measuring horns and buck, alright!” shouted Coffee, getting annoyed by the two bickering mares.

“Alright, alright, fine. But you should really watch that mouth of yours,” said Rose, getting in one last jab before sitting down at a table near the Element Bearers portrait. Calypso brought Rose’s hot chocolate over to her and went back to the counter.

The mare came over to Rose’s table. “I’m sorry. I just overreacted. If you couldn’t tell, I don’t have very good social skills.”

“It’s alright, I started it.”

“Then I guess I’ll end it. My name’s Shadow Star.”

“Nice to meet you, Shad.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Just then, the bell jingled, signaling someone had entered the cafe.

“Welcome to the OC Cafe, how may I help you?” Calypso asked a sand-colored Pegasus mare with pinkish-red mane and tail with a red stip through it. The mane was put messily in the style of a bun. Her cutie mark was a single quaver with a staccato marking on a stave, and on her face was a couple of small scars. She was wearing a white clip-on shirt collar and had a guitar on her back.

“Pineapple juice please,” said the mare in a weak, raspy voice.

“Alright, coming right up, Ms…?”

“Staccato Strangeways.”

“Ms. Strangeways, got it,” said Calypso, before she began to prepare the pineapple juice.

Staccato looked around the cafe and took a seat next to Rose and Shadow. “Hi, I’m Staccato.”

“We heard. I’m Lieutenant Rosanna Dodger, though you can just call me Rose. And that social butterfly right over there is Shadow Star.”

“Nice to meet you both. So, either of you like music?”

“Yeah. Mostly rock music. I don’t know of any other kind of music that can be as energetic as me when at the gym.”

“You work out?”

“At least two hours a day, and four on weekends. I used to do three hours a day and six on weekends, but I shortened it once I became the Equestrian Boxing Champion for the third time and was giving the nicknames ‘The Lady of the Ring’ and ‘The Mare with Iron Hooves’,” Rose boasted.

“I’m impressed. I kinda wish I could do things like you,” said Staccato.

“Yeah, I know I’m pretty awesome, but who said you can’t match my status? I mean you got those scars, that’s gotta count for something.”

“Actually, I got these after smashing into a window as a filly.”

Rosanna’s face softened.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. That just reminded me of my parents for some reason.”

“What do you mean?” asked Shadow.

“I’d rather not talk about it.” There was a long silence after that.

It was only interrupted by Calypso bringing Staccato her pineapple juice.“Here you go,” Calypso said as she interrupted

“Thanks. Well, there’s always a silver lining, Rose. Look at who you are now. You’re a champion and a lieutenant. That’s gotta count for something.”

Eclipse got up out of her chair. “We think it’s time to go,” she said walking towards the door.

“You take care of yourself, nutjob!” Rose shouted at the emo pony as she walked out the door.