"What's wrong, Sugarcube? Ya'll been actin' funny all day. Got something' on yer mind?"
The mare stopped you in the middle of the dirt road. Her orange coat practically glowed in the sunlight. The moment lasted an eternity, and within that eternity, you began to take in everything about her. You noticed that, from so much hard labor on her family's orchard, her body seemed more toned than the other ponies you knew. Even her friend Rainbow Dash, whom trained day and night to join the national flight demonstration team known as the "Wonderbolts", had less strength than this mare. For Dash trained because she wanted to, whilst this mare worked because she had to.
Her blonde hair blows beneath her trademark stetson, like golden wheat. How does she get her hair like that? You never hear of her taking particularly good care of herself, unlike her friend Rarity. Yet, every time you see this mare, she's lookingg as beautiful as ever. Maybe even more. It's that strangest thing that some mares put on makeup, yet this mare puts on none and trumps them all. She smiles at you, reassuringly, her freckles making this simple action cuter than it should be.
Her emerald-green eyes stared into yours, the color of spring leaves mesmerizing you into silence. You knew exactly what la beyond those eyes. Something more powerful than the sun, yet just as hard to look at. Pure honesty, in its most gracious tone, lay deeply embedded into the fiber of this mare's being. It was an awe inspiring thing to behold. You knew of only one lie this mare had ever told, and even then, she only did it to make a friend happy. But sometimes the truth hurts, and that's why you were afraid.
You knew you had feelings for her. Not at first, of course. When you met this mare, the only thought to cross your mind was a simple, "She's kind of pretty." Eventually, as you two kept seeing each other around town, that simple thought turned into something more. Soon, the passing "hello" turned into hanging out with each other as though you were best friends. You even asked for a job on the farm, which she gladly gave you. And as you worked, it became harder and harder to ignore. You couldn't help but watch her do her work, slamming her rear hooves against the bark of trees. The power in those legs could surely take out a dragon. But it was not only her physique and strength that interested you and ensnared you.
No, her mind also kept you firm in her hold. Her personality, her voice, everything was perfect. She was a go-getter, the type of pony that would pursue something for the sake of finishing it. She was competitive, constantly creating little competitions for you and her to do. You knew you had no hope of winning, but a few times you did. She let you win, and you know it. And she did it to make you happy. That thought sounded beautiful to you. She wanted you to be happy. Even the simple question that she asked just now had an objective. She wanted you to get this off of your mind so that things could go back to normal, so that you two could go back to having fun.
But you knew that, if you answered her question truthfully, things couldn't go back to normal. They'd never be able to go back to normal. Because there'd always be that little light in the back of her mind, always wondering. Always suspicious. She wouldn't be able to forget, and neither could you. You'd always have a light in the back of your mind, but it would not be the same. Your light would not ask, "Is he watching me?" or "Is he thinking about me?". No, your light would torment you with one simple, two-word question.
What if?
What if she says she hates you? What if you two become distant because of it? What if she doesn't want to be your friend anymore? You couldn't stand the thought of that. She was one of your only friends in town. What would you do with out her? But what it wasn't the negative about the question that tortured you, that made you want to pull your mane out of your scalp. It was the positive.
What if she feels the same way? What if she's been feeling the same way? You didn't want those feelings to come and go as you worried over the negatives. You had to act fast. But what if it's too soon? What if she's just now getting these feelings? And if you ask, you might mess things up? It's now or never. You've already taken too long answering as it is, buddy, now act!
"I..." You mumble. The words are like food on your tongue, you need to get them out, but you want to swallow them so badly. Why did she have to choose now, of all times, to ask you what was wrong? When you two were alone, no less! Well, you'd rather be alone then with any pony else. Her stetson bobs as she waits expectantly for an answer.
"...No, nothing's wrong. I'm fine, honest."
She smiles. What does that mean? Does she know? You hope she doesn't, and yet you hope she does. Because if she does, that means she's just waiting for you to tell her, and that, even if she rejects you, she doesn't care. It wouldn't effect her at all. But there's still the possibility that she doesn't know. You don't want to risk it in this situation.
"Well alright, Sugarcube. If anything's wrong you can always take to me, okay? Ah promise."
"Will do. Thanks, AJ."
"Yer welcome."
The mare turns and begins walking again, with you not far behind. Your disappointment in yourself is at an all-time high, but what she said comforts you. You can go to her, because she is your friend. And she would never abandon you, just like you wouldn't abandon her. As the two of you head down the road back to town, a simple thought invades your mind without your control. A tiny fragment of a sentence, so filled with hope and love. You smile.
Next time.
---<3---
End
