They say friendships never form in a day. They're something that build and grow over time. However, there's something special when Holdiay Spirit is in the air.
Christmas is a sacred holiday to many, and to even more, an important time to spend with those you love. Some time to breathe, and enjoy a moment away from the hustle and bustle of the streets outside of Canterlot High.
For two girls, it meant one thing. Tacos.
It was the night of Festivus. What is Festivus you might ask? It's not actually important. For most people, it was some excuse to make jokes, arm wrestle, and drink. But it meant that Aria and Adagio were out at some boy's party.
Sonata was leaping around the little apartment that the sirens managed to acquire when they cam to Equestria. The dazzling was absolutely overjoyed. Today she would get to do something supremely special.
The doorbell rang.
"She's here!" Sonata exclaimed, skipping to the door and opening it wide. Standing on the other side, holding a small bag of groceries as a grey skinned girl with two golden eyes that stared in two opposing directions. "Derpy! I'm so happy you made it!"
Derpy giggled to herself.
"I'm just happy to be able to be here. And I brought ingredients!"
"Awesome! Come in! We can get started. I'm so excited to show you my special holiday tacos."
Derpy stepped inside the apartment, and Sonata closed the door behind her.
"I'm really excited. But wouldn't it make more sense to do something like this on Christmas itself? Especially because Christmas is on a Tuesday!"
"FOR REALZ!" Sonata exclaimed. "I tried to tell the girls that, but they're all like ew gross tacos on Christmas, what are you, five? but It's Christmas Taco Tuesday! They're being total lameos. Plus I've always wanted to hang out with you, so here we are!"
Sonata walked briskly to the open kitchen and began pulling down a flurry of pots and pans. As she dived into the fridge to find a whole mess of ingredients, Derpy walked meekly up to the kitchen counter and set her things down. She has a light blush on her face and a mixed, broken smile.
"Really?" she asked.
"Oh yeah! But Aria and Adagio are usually total lameos. I mean, they don't even want milk out of jugs. They always want this bagged milk, which is cool and all, but then you have to put the bag IN a jug, that you buy and it just makes no sense to me-"
"I mean," Derpy says, cutting Sonata off gently. "That you wanted to hang out?"
Sonata paused, turning to her friend. She had a bag of cheese in her mouth, while holding a slew of vegetables and thawed meat.
"Ov Cowoers!" she mumbled with a full mouth.
"Uh," Derpy said, reaching out and taking the cheese from her mouth. "One more time."
"Of course!" Sonata said, her eyes beaming. "That's what friends are for!"
Derpy chuckled to herself. Her mind stirred, but her lips remained closed.
"So! The tacos!" she said with a wide smile. "What can I do to help?"
"Oh!" Sonata said in a flurry of syllables that would overwhelm the idle listener. "Well, I was planning on doing the meat so then all you really have to do is cut things. But you'll need to be very careful because of the whole eye thing, but is that mean to say? Probably, I'm sorry. I can probably to the chopping and cooking because I do it for the girls anyway, but then you'll just be standing there and that's not fun. I suppose you could do the meat, but then I don't want you to burn yourself, because if you get hurt then it would ruin everything and I really want to make sure we're super besties but-"
"Sonata," Derpy said with a calm, bright voice. "I can cut the vegetables. My eyes aren't that bad"
"Awesome! Then, let's get started!"
"And there they are!"
Honestly, Derpy expected an abomination.
But, she was delightfully surprised at the dish in front of her. Red taco hard shells had a surprisingly delicate ground beef lining the bottom that had the faintest smell of cinnamon, then lined with white shredded queso, bright green lettuce, a healthy amount of mild salsa (from scratch of course. Derpy was proud of that.) and topped with a white dollop of sour cream.
"And to top it off!" Sonata said with a smile, holding a small shaker. A few red pepper flakes gently spread over the top, almost like sprinkles. To be honest... they really did look festive. In a strange, this shouldn't exist, but it does, and I'm okay with it, kind of way.
Derpy looked at the meal with a mild amazement. She couldn't believe they made it. It looked too nice. Like it should be in a restaurant.
"Well, go on! Try it," Sonata exclaimed. "It's going to be it's best warm."
"What?" Derpy said in surprise. "But, uh. You're all about tacos, and stuff. Shouldn't you-"
"That's silly," Sonata said with a giggle. "You're my friend. And this is my gift to you."
Derpy's smile turned... complex once more. She reached out, and took one of the several tacos on the platter. She paused for a moment, almost expecting Sonata to stop her and ask to get a picture for her Instacam. But, no. The treat fit in her hand easily. She brought the food to her mouth and a loud crunch filled the room.
This was absolutely delightful.
The cinnamon and sour cream mixed and tangled with her taste buds with a gentle, caressing heat. The meat seemed to disintegrate on contact with her tongue, overwhelming her senses with umami. And... and...
She felt... loved.
Tears welled in Derpy's eyes. She bit her lip, trying to conceal the feelings that welled against her will.
"Oh god, it's awful isn't it?" Sonata chimed.
"NO!" Derpy exclaimed. "It's perfect!"
Derpy sat down in a chair, and Sonata moved to sit beside her.
"Then," Sonata asked. "Why are you crying?"
"It just," Derpy said with a smile. "It's so different. I have all sorts of family Christmas parties every year, but I've never been invited to a friends... party. I didn't even get a gift in the Canterlot High Secret Santa. I asked the organizer, but they said there wasn't anything they could do. I just think... because of my eyes-"
"I like your eyes," Sonata said, cutting Derpy off. "I think they're special."
Derpy looked to her. And also the far off wall, but that was definitely not the important thing.
"I mean," Sonata said with a smile. "It's sort of like a super power. And, well. It makes it easy to blame something. I don't get invited to things easier."
Derpy blinked, the tear running down her cheek.
"You don't? But you're so popular!"
Sonata chuckled and looked away from her friend.
"Aria and Adagio are popular. When I'm not around... I'm pretty sure they say things. It's... pretty clear that I'm not wanted around. But we're sisters, so that's life."
One of Sonata's hands balled into a small fist. This managed to catch one of Derpy's eyes. She looked down to the taco and held it out to her.
"I'm... not really used to having friends," Derpy said with a smile. "But I'm really happy I have one now."
Sonata looked back to Derpy. A faint smile curling at the edge of her lips. "Me too," she said, taking the taco.
However, Derpy, thinking Sonata had the taco already, let go of it. The taco crashed to the floor.
"Oops," Derpy said, looking down at the taco. "Well, there we go. I just ruined something special."
"No," Sonata said, laughing softly. "You just made it weird."
She reached out her arms and glomped Derpy into a huge, wide hug.
"And weird is the best."
They say friendships never form in a day. They're something that build and grow over time. But if there was one thing that was abundantly clear about today, it was that these two girls had one heck of a strong foundation to start with.
