Chapter 1: Late Night Meeting
It was late one night in the start of the hearths warming eve month. Snow swirls outside the windows of the tavern. I can't help but watch them as it's always my favorite thing to see this time of year even though it snows all the time around here, except this time it feels special. Oh who am i you ask? well my name is Cherry Gin and and with the bits i saved up as i grew up, i now own a decently sized tavern in these northern parts of equestria where ponies can come and relax, chat or just have a goodnight sleep. For my appearance, I have blue eyes, gray fur and a cherry red curly mane and a straight tail.
But on this faithful night my whole life changes when she enters the tavern. She isn't the usual customer get. She's unique somepony i have never seen before enter the tavern, she comes up the bar and takes her seat fixing her cloak that is tattered and torn. I gladly smile as i open my mouth "good evening ma'am what can i get for you?"
The mare looks up to me and with a tired smile and tired lilac eyes she tells me her poison for the night "a hot chocolate please....I can't have anything alcoholic...my doctor wouldn't appreciate me drinking under my condition" it takes nothing but a second for me to realize what she meant by that. And I carefully look over the counter and i see her belly is slightly extended.
My eyes widen in surprise as i couldn't tell that she is expecting when she walked in but i regain my composure and nod "coming right up, and congratulations by the way" with a smirk and a giggle "I can't seem to understand why he wouldn't want you having alcohol" I start making her drink.
The mare giggles with me and i see her tired expression turn into a smile "Thank you" she says "and yes it wouldn't be good for me..even though I didn't know if i was ready for this...it just happened suddenly one...after a one night stand."
I gasp and shake my head and scoff "Stallions...they will smell the pheromones and come running but they will run off after they know that they cant take on the responsibility..." I sigh and finish making her cup of hot coco and slide it to her "here you go sugar. if it's not too much what's your name?"
The mare takes her drink into her hooves and lifts it to her lips taking a small sip "Oh it's no trouble at all...my names Emerald Light and I agree with you on stallions..I wish they would take up responsibility." She then tilts her head at me "Whats your name miss?"
Her name certainly matches her features. As she has emerald green fur..lilac eyes and a magenta colored mane. But I put out my hoof "Gin. Cherry Gin nice to meet you" I say with a warm smile.
Emerald takes my hoof and shakes it then yawns "Nice to meet you too, um if its not too much trouble...how much is a room here?" She pulls on her old torn cloak and I know she probably doesn't have any bits to her name. I then chew the inside of my cheek till i come to an answer.
"Tell ya what since it's pretty late out and the temperature is dropping...really quickly if I might add, your first night is on the house as well as the drink. If you need anymore nights to stay here I'm sure I could find some work around here for you. Does that sound okay?"
The corners of emeralds lips curl up into a smile but her eyes wear a different expression "oh..oh. I can't do that i don't wa-" I shush her with a hoof to her lips as i give her a warm smile.
"Don't say you will be a bother cause you won't sugar. so don't worry about it" I then remove my hoof and I crouch under the counter and I pull out the key to a room and I lay it in front of her "here you go. Room number four please do make yourself comfy."
Emerald stares down at the key and hesitates a second before she takes it into her hoof and after she picks up the key. She looks up to me with tears forming in her eyes "t..thank..thank you so much. I will pay you back for the nights you let me stay with any work you have for me I promise" with that I watch her leave her cup on the counter and stand up from her seat and look to the stairs leading to the rooms. With one final glance to me she smiles "goodnight miss gin..." she trots to the stairs and makes her way up them and into her room.
I take a deep breath and sigh with a smile "Goodnight miss light. and I'll hold you to that promise" I then reach out and grab the cup she left and i trot into the kitchen area of the tavern to start the nightly routine of closing up.
After about thirty minutes I do a few last minute checks, making sure no patrons have left any of their belongings under the table and chairs, seeing that none have i walk over to the front door and make sure it's locked up tight "Good..now" I stop myself short with a yawn "it's time for myself to hit the hay...and to see what tomorrow awaits me...oh sweet luna what have I gotten myself into." I turn to the stairs and head towards them once I get to them i slowly climb up them and as I top them I go into the room marked Room Number 1 and I close the door behind me an climb into bed shortly dozing off after. looking forward to tomorrow for what adventure awaits.
Author's Note
i hope you all enjoy this first chapter, im excited for this story, and dont worry...clop chapters will come
Chapter 2: The Morning After
The Next morning comes like a thief in the night, sunlight shines through the curtains of my room and the rays stop at my eyes. I snort as I put a hoof up to my eyes trying to block out the light but to no avail, I open my eyes and look around my room and I look to the clock beside my bed and see it's a quarter till nine. Two hours till I have to open the tavern, I raise my forearms above my head as I sit up and stretch as I let out a yawn, “Mmmm… well I suppose I should shower, then head down and make breakfast for my lovely patrons.” I swing my hind legs off to the side of the bed then lean forward till I fall onto all four legs and I give myself a shake, then trot the bathroom.
Each room has its own private bathroom, so of course I walk up to the door to mine and push it open and is greeted with the same cozy wooden pattern the tavern has. I sigh and trot over to the shower and turn on the water and wait for it to reach the perfect temperature while I wait I think to myself “Hmm...I wonder how Emerald slept last night..hopefully she’s okay this morning, she seemed pretty upset last night and why was her cloak torn...she couldn't of walked that far...could she of?” I get so lost in my own thoughts I wasn’t paying attention to my hoof under the flow of water and I yelp as the water burns my hoof, I frantically turn it down then sigh as I climb into the shower and start to wash myself.
Thirty minutes later, I emerge from my shower and I walk out of my room drying my mane off and I start making my way downstairs but I stop before I reach the stairs as I smell….pancakes? And they smell heavenly but...wait, who’s cooking?. I make my way down the stairs and into the main floor of the tavern and then follow the smell into the kitchen and who I didn’t expect to see at the stove was the same mare I was thinking of, Emerald and she’s cooking I see this as the perfect opportunity to tease my new patron and I walk up to her “Good morning good looking what's cooking?” I say as I lean against the counter beside the stove.
Emerald jumps and looks at me with a confused face and her cheeks a rosy red “H..huh oh good morning miss gin and I’m just making breakfast for you and me as a thank you for letting me stay last night” I blink a I stare at her and I go to say something but she puts a hoof to my lips in the same fashion I did her last night “ah ah don’t say “this isn’t necessary” because it is, you taking me in last night means a lot to me..so please accept this thank you gift.” I stare at her for a few more seconds then sigh.
“Alright Emerald I’ll accept it, but im still going to say this isn’t necessary” I smirk and turn towards the door leading to the tavern floor and I hear her groan at me for saying it “Well I’ll be at one of the tables when you are done but we gotta hurry I still have to make breakfast for the other guests as well” I see her nod and resume flipping the pancakes and I walk out of the kitchen to one of the tables and I take my seat and patiently wait on her.
I soon see her emerge from the kitchen and I see her approach me with two plates of sticky syruped layered pancakes on her back. My mouth practically waters as I see her approaching the table and my stomach growls as i'm getting hungrier by the second, Emerald sees my facial expressions and she giggles “Calm down Gin, I assure you my cooking isn't that great” she reaches a hoof onto her back and picks up a plate and sets it down in front of me.
I look up to her and with gusto I say “My nose begs to differ Emerald now lets see what my taste buds say” and with that I pickup my fork and don't even notice her take her seat as I take a piece from the pancake and place it into my mouth and start to chew, as soon as I do my eyes widened and I let a moan of appreciation at how good it tastes. “Oh sweet celestia emerald this is tastes so wonderful...like...like I just recieved pleasure to my taste buds” I can’t help but smile at her as I see one of the many few genuine smiles to ever cross her face as well as a blush appear and it makes my heart skip a beat.
She says with modesty “oh come on gin, i'm not that great of a cook” she looks away for a second and when she does I reach my hoof out and turn her head to face back towards me and I see a glimmer in her eye, but before I can say anything that is meaningful, the clock starts to toll signifying it’s nearing time for the tavern to open. I let out a sigh and stand up from my seat and look back to her.
“Well miss emerald it seems it’s time for us to get our flanks in gear and please don’t stress yourself for the health of the little one” I say with the utmost professionalism as I look to her. She rises from her seat and smiles as she fake salutes.
“Yes ma’am miss gin, just tell me what to do and i’ll get it done” she lowers her hoof and lets out a small grunt as she receives a kick from her foal, I can’t help but to think that was the foal saluting so I find it so adorable but I held my stern employer look, as I turn to the kitchen and walk towards it with emerald trailing behind me as we start to get the day started.
