“So that will be one order of Sunny’s favorite Avocado Grilled-Cheese meal?” Mellow clarified.

Her innocent jab at Sunny made me grin, and I tagged in, “How did you know?”

Mellow winked at the mare in question, “I know a few of her favorite things.”

Sunny rested her elbows on the countertop and leaned forward. “I’m sure you do.” Mellow blushed and did her best to hide her face behind a wing.

“Why must you embarrass me…?” she whimpered.

I shot a hard stare at Sunny, forcing her to defend herself. “It’s not my fault her creative mind jumps to conclusions!”

“I know,” I grinned. “I just wanted to see your reaction.” I saw Mellow peeking through her feathers. When our eyes met, she giggled in kind.

A few scribbles on her notepad later, Mellow closed it and said, “Your meal will be ready in a moment.”

“Excellent,” I smiled. The bartender and I looked at one another while I tried to muster up something else to say. Tragically, Mellow silently trotted to the kitchen doors, leaving me alone with Sunny.

“Aww, you got her all embarrassed,” Sunny giggled.

“I- I guess…” I looked down at the empty glass in front of me, my warped head stretched into an oval.

“What’s got you so flushed?” Sunny pressed. If I didn’t see it before, I certainly noticed the blush on my cheeks when it was addressed. My treacherous heart thumped in my chest, naturally increasing my breathing. A hoof touched my shoulder and Sunny gave me a sincere smile. “I know you are thinking about her,” she said with a single gesture of her head to where Mellow went off to.

“I am,” I muttered. “Do you plan on setting her and I up together?”

“I may,” Sunny sang. Her joy started to deflate. “Do you not want that to happen?”

My left eye looked at the yellow unicorn. “I wouldn’t mind, actually. But… maybe not this very evening.” Ugh! What am I thinking?! Mellow’s soft smile crept into my head as I continued to banter myself internally. The pieces were all aligned, and yet, I didn’t want to make a move. Mellow didn’t seem embarrassed around me once she finally got her to speak to me. But something held me back. Something pinned me down that made me hesitate about the idea.

I needed another drink in order to find what forced my hesitation.

Sunny shook her head, and I worried it was a disapproving notion. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

A breath I didn’t know I was holding in escaped me. “Okay.”

Sunny tilted her head, her smile still holding fast. “Don’t make it sound like I’m going to beat you up if you don’t ask her on a date right away.”

Her silly poke made me laugh, along with disintegrating my discomfort. “I just didn’t want to be a let down after convincing you that I can help Mellow with her challenge of opening up to ponies.”

“You told me yourself, you have a hard time opening up to ponies too. I’m not expecting a miracle tonight. But I wouldn’t mind you two becoming friends.” Sunny spun in her seat, facing me to the fullest. “Speaking of opening up, I think it’s time you talk to me about yourself.”

It was going to happen eventually, and I didn’t think it would be much of a challenge. I looked over the yellow mare, surprised at the circumstance that I found myself in. The evening I was expecting to have would involve me sitting alone, listening to the ambiance of jazz while being accompanied by quiet picture frames and nicknacks. I did want at least somepony to open up to me. And with Sunny sitting before me, I couldn’t help myself from blinking over and over to make sure I was conscious and not asleep.

“Do… you have something in your eye?” Sunny asked.

My silly mannerism came to a stop, though I was conscious of every blink after that. “No, just… thinking.”

She shook her head, “Don’t think, just talk. You’ll never open up if you keep those thoughts inside your head.”

What very insightful advice. “Alright then.” I felt every nerve in my face twitch when I smiled. It was nice to have met a mare who gently cracked at my shell. “So…” Sunny’s chair squeaked as she adjusted herself. She was ready. Just think of it as a presentation, I told myself. Except with a friend. And it’s more casual. At a bar. In a public setting-

“You’re thinking again,” Sunny said, instantly snapping my eyes onto her. “Just. Talk.”

“I’m an advertiser who works on movie-theatre commercials among other means of advertising,” I said a little too quickly, but Sunny did not seem bothered with my behavior. “My line of work involves storyboarding. Do you know what storyboarding is?”

“I do not,” Sunny answered. “Care to explain?”

Before I could resume my just talking, Mellow entered my peripheral. “Your order will be ready in about ten to fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you, Mellow.”

Sunny grabbed the bartop and rotated herself to face Mellow. “Say Mellow, mind getting us two more drinks? Just get two mugs of the usual.”

“Coming right up!” Mellow chirped.

Sunny’s eye twinkled as she winked at me, “Your drink is on me.”

The kindness was unexpected and I flinched. “You don’t have to!”

“It’s fine.” Sunny winked, “I’ve got a military discount.”

My interest in Sunny inflamed. “You’re in the Canterlot Guard?!” I looked at the hidden soldier up and down. “I never would have guessed. N-no offense!”

“You never know who a pony is until you ask,” Sunny shrugged. “Besides, your reaction perfectly replicates how Mellow behaved when she learned about my position.”

“It’s… true actually,” Mellow confessed as she pulled on a leaver, gushing alcohol from its spout. “Then again, it makes sense why Sunny is so sweet. Always willing to help those in need as a guardspony should be.”

My second nature and kind heart made me bow my head at Sunny. “Allow me to thank you for serving our land.”

Sunny Day beamed, “Aww, thank you.” The slightest traces of blush found its way onto her cheeks. “You didn’t have to nod, but the thought is well appreciated.” She swatted a hoof at me, “Get back to talking about yourself. We don’t want to get sidetracked again.”

“Okay then,” I said. Mellow’s ears swiveled at me, ready to listen in on my talk with Sunny. I decided to start at the beginning for Mellow. “So I am into advertising and work with the storyboarding team. The best way to explain storyboarding is to think of a comic strip. Except, instead of one page filled with many panels, imagine a board filled with small individual images on white pieces of paper.” I looked between Sunny and Mellow. “You both following me so far?”

Sunny nodded while Mellow flinched, perhaps because she was found out she was chiming in. Mellow looked away from the second mug that filled with liquor and glanced my way to nod. “The images are lined up from left to right and are also read from left to right. Basically, a storyboarder is given a scene or scenario and then they literally draw out how they envision the scene.”

Both mugs were finished filling with their own frothy white fizz at the top, but they were not yet finished and Mellow began adding the final details to them. “Let’s say I am advertising this place. The first panel would have… say, a door. The second has it opening with a mare stepping inside. The third has the camera zoom in on the mare. And the fourth has another pony enter the door frame. It may sound tedious, but that’s part of how storyboarding goes.”

“What about the other parts about storyboarding?” Mellow asked while adding drops of lemon to the beverages.

“That’s where the fun of my job comes in,” I smiled.

The drinks were presented and Sunny gave it a curious sip. “I would never find advertising fun. What makes your job the exception?”

“Whenever you have to present a storyboard concept, you are expected to act out the scene.” I took a nice mouthful of my drink, and the flavor of hops took me by surprise. “Mmm! Good choice of beer, Sunny.”

“You can thank her,” Sunny said, pointing her hoof at Mellow. “She does work here and knows about the better drinks.”

I rose my mug to Mellow, “Then I’ll leave a handsome tip for her knowledge and hard work.”

Mellow batted a wing at me, “Stop ganging up on me, you two.” The three of us varied in our laughter, but it was happy laughter nonetheless. Mellow looked down the bar and frowned. “Can you… maybe hold onto your talk about your job for a little bit? I’d like to listen…”

“I can,” I nodded, but couldn’t help but feel charmed by her squeaky request. Mellow left without another word, returning to work. An “ah!” broke my attention off of Mellow and brought it to Sunny. A mustache of froth caked her lips and her mug was halfway finished. “You sure do like that drink.”

“What can I say? It tastes great!” Sunny proclaimed. Instead of finishing off the drink, she levitated it onto a coaster. After licking her lips, Sunny said, “I’m glad to have met you and became acquainted with me and Mellow. I see a good pony in you.”

The compliment made my sides tingle with joy. “Thank you, Sunny,” I smiled and then I took a few gulps of alcohol. “And I’m glad you sat with me.”

“Well, there is another reason why I chose to sit here, not to say you weren’t a candidate when I sat down.” Sunny pointed to a sink that stuck out from the wall with a small area filled with unclean glass. “See all the dirty glasses and mugs to the side there?”

“Yeah.”

“When Mellow has downtime, she has to clean them. And when she is busy washing her small pallet of dishes, she and I can buy some time and talk to each other.”

I looked down the bar and into the dining room. “Looks like the establishment is starting to slow down a little.” A light-blue pegasus briskly walked toward the sink with a tray filled with glasses. “Keep up the good work,” I said as Mellow approached. She gave no verbal response, though her blush and smile was a good enough thank you to me. Mellow arranged the glass cups before walking down the bar again.

“While we wait for her, maybe you can tell me a little more about yourself,” I said. “I wonder what duty Sunny is committed to at Canterlot Castle.”

A giggle whistled between Sunny’s lips and swiped her drink off the coaster. “I am a proud guard who serves Princess Celestia personally.”

“You- You know the princess? And she knows you?!” My jaw dropped, resting on the rim of my glass.

“Yes, Mr. Slack Jaw.” I instantly closed my mouth upon hearing her comment.

Like a child ready to ask “what happens next” about their favorite story, I asked, “What dangerous tasks are you assigned?” I observed the beautiful mare before me, pondering what risky ventures she had been given. It was hard to believe that Sunny was a guard. And my everything started to worry about her. Guards were called upon when danger was upon the kingdom. I wouldn’t want to see Sunny hurt. Still, I was impressed with her career choice and waited for her response.

“I have my own quarters in the castle,” she started, grabbing my attention to the fullest. “However, the only dangerous things I have to deal with are time frames and paper cuts. So not too many life-risking ventures if you are curious.” It was not the best response I was expecting, and I felt embarrassed for asking Sunny about dangerous missions. “Sorry if your expectations were let down.”

“N-No, I don’t think that is a letdown!” I shook my head.

The ever-so brightly lit Sunny Day continued to smile and even laughed at my response. “You and Mellow are really one in the same. She did the same exact thing when I said I do mostly office work.”

“Mostly” she says, I thought. I wanted to know about the rare duties, but it appeared that Sunny was more interested in expressing her paperwork. “Then explain the just of your job.”

Sunny placed her mug down and began explaining, “I manage various tasks for the unit I am assigned such as their schedules, the team’s budget, evaluate performances, assign missions, and other things that involve coordinating a team.”

I swirled the contents of my drink. “What is your involvement with Princess Celestia like? What do you do for her?”

“It’s similar to my team management, though it’s more princess exclusive: plan events with various leaders, report my findings to her if anything interesting pops up, and cooperate with Raven, who is Princess Celestia’s primary planner.”

Pride for the Royal Guard ignited in my breast, and I was further impressed with Sunny. “I am still wowed by your duty. And I don’t doubt that your job can get hectic from time to time.”

“Oh yeah, it can,” Sunny laughed.

I eyed the rest of my drink, the yellow fluid only filling one-fourth of the cup. “Then let’s make a toast.”

“Oh?” Instead of using her magic, Sunny grabbed the handle with a hoof. “And what shall we be toasting to?”

I rose my glass above my head, “To the safety of Sunny Day and her subordinates!”

“Aww!” In-kind, the yellow mare mimicked my gesture. “And to Mellow Skies and Copper Coin so they can continue finding love and happiness!”

Finding love… My glass clinked against Sunny’s cup and we both drank the remaining contents. However, the comment slipped down my throat along with the alcohol. I didn’t anticipate the amount I was intaking, and a burning sensation ignited in my chest. “Ouch, that hurt a little.”

“I take it you don’t drink often?” Sunny asked.

I somehow couldn’t answer the question. Memories started to resurface. Sad, heartbreaking memories.

“Copper? You okay?”

“Uh- y-yeah! I’m fine.” My eyes darted around, quickly recalling what Sunny had asked. “To answer your question, I do not drink regularly. Or really at all to be honest. The last time I drank was when I became an adult, I think.”

Sunny’s signature smile whisked away like an autumn leaf. “Is something on your mind?”

There definitely was. But I didn’t want my negative emotions to ruin the evening’s light. I managed to smile. “It’s nothing big.”

She reached out a hoof and rested it on my shoulder. It was very warm. “Well if you need to talk about it, you can tell me.”

Even when Sunny wasn’t smiling, she maintained a very warm visage. Her stare morphed my false smile into a real one, “Thanks, Sunny.” I placed my hoof on hers and gave it a rub. However, the mare continued to look into my eyes. “I-I’m fine,” I laughed lightly.

“Okay,” she replied in a near whisper.

Mellow returned to the scene with more glasses, and Sunny retracted her hoof. “You can resume, Copper,” Mellow said. “I’ve got some time to listen.”

“Just don’t make me your distraction from work,” I warned. When I looked back at Sunny, she had returned to sitting tall and grinning as per usual. “You ready as well?”

“I am,” she nodded.

I was curious about what was going through that yellow head of hers. Did she believe my words? Did I convince her not to worry about me? Probably not. Still, I had a story to tell. And hopefully, I didn’t have to delve into my more upsetting past.

“I think we last left off where I was explaining that I may have to act at my job,” I started.”

“Mmhmm,” Sunny nodded.

Mellow pulled on the sink knobs and water began to gush out of the faucet. “Why do you need to act?”

“Because in order to pitch, say, a humorous add, you might have to make gestures and voice the characters.”

I leaned an arm on the bar top and grinned. I took in a deep breath and spoke in a very deep tone, “Ever heard of the movie trailer voice before?”

Both mares looked at me with awe. “No way!” Sunny cried. “You are that voice?!”

“That’s me,” I winked.

“Oh. My. Stars!” Mellow couldn’t continue washing her dishes. “You’re like… a secret celebrity! I’ve always wondered who does the movie trailer voice.”

“I think it sounds sexy,” Sunny added. She then began mimicking me with her own low tone. “Copper Coin gets all the mares by swooning them with a seductive siren call.”

“Oooohhhh yeeeaaaahhhh, I can,” I sang, playing along. Sunny and Mellow cried joyfully, their reaction not surprising at all. The pair’s smiles infected my mood, and I couldn’t resist feeling ecstatic. One clear of the throat was enough to regain my normal voice, “So yeah, I sometimes use that voice when pitching a commercial.”

It took a moment for the mares to simmer down their giggles. Sunny was the one who spoke first, “So aside from voices, explain why you have to act when you do your storyboarding.”

“Aside from using voices, I sometimes have to make gestures and behave like the characters on the storyboard. And when there are two or more ponies presenting a pitch, it can get crazy.”

A thin martini glass squeaked as a white cloth dried the small specs of water. “Advertising sounds a lot more fun now,” Mellow said.

I shrugged, “There are some negative aspects to what I do, but the pros outway the cons.”

“Well!” Sunny gave my shoulder a playful push. “Tell me how crazy your job can get!” It was subtle, but her smile turned more seductive. “After all, I do like crazy.”

Mellow turned her eyes away from view, and Sunny was not hesitant to point out Mellow’s behavior. “And somepony knows that side of mine.” The pegasus’ red cheeks revealed that she knew somewhat of Sunny’s ‘crazy’ side. My mind rushed to assumptions, distracting me from our talk.

“Back on track, Copper,” Mellow requested, her muzzle still pointed at the wall.

“Uh- Y-yeah… Hehe…” I tapped my hooves together to return to the original topic. Sunny did not let off her pinning stare and grin. I felt transparent, almost naked. But I didn’t feel threatened by Sunny. I just wanted to know what was going through her head. What did she think of me?

“Are you thinking again, Cooper?” Sunny asked.

Yup. She can read me. “Just trying to get back on track.”

The grin suppressed to a more gentle expression. “Remember: just talk.”

There was that insightful advice again. “The craziness at my job can involve one pony explaining the storyboard while two ponies act out the entire scene. Some scenes are innocent, while others might involve the actors to yell at one another, or to the even more extreme, though it’s happened only once, kiss.”

“Were you the one initiating the kiss?” Sunny asked.

I shook my head, “No. I was pitching a Sweet Kisses candy commercial while two of my co-workers did the acting.”

Mellow’s eyes widened. “I think I’ve seen that commercial before! It’s the one with the Cocoa Bean and Pale Crescent, right?”

My heart jumped when Mellow knew about the Sweet Kisses commercial and the ponies featured on it. “That’s the one.” I wanted to be casual and not appear to be boastful because of my association with them, but telling ponies I had worked with celebrities before usually follows with the question, “Can I get an autograph,” or something on those lines. As basic as I could be, I said, “Just a simple fun fact: They used to work within my storyboarding team before they became celebrities.”

“R-really!?” Mellow nearly dropped the glass mug but caught it by the tip of a feather. “That is far from a ‘simple fun fact!’”

Sunny didn’t exclaim as loud as her friend, but she definitely beamed. “Wow! Who would have thought you would have worked with ponies before they were famous!”

My old friends’ faces flashed into my head. Amplified by the alcohol in my blood, I was stricken with grief. Why did I have to bring up that commercial?

My thoughts were interrupted by Sunny’s worried cry, “Copper! What’s wrong?!”

I didn’t recognize it until I felt something tickle my face; I was crying. I blinked once, and my entire vision was completely blurry. Through the blur, a yellow hoof reached me, its warmth rushing through my wrist. Despite my blindness, I wanted to flee. I felt ashamed to have a few tears fall in front of two lovely mares. “I need to go.”

In a fit of embarrassment, I reached into my shirt’s pocket, grabbed a healthy amount of bits, and smacked them onto the counter. I knew I had brought along several five, a few twenty-five, and maybe one fifty bit coin along with me, so I didn’t have to worry about dine and dashing.

When I tried to retreat from Sunny’s warm hoof, it would not let me leave. “Copper, what’s the matter?”

“It’s nothing…”

“Don’t lie to yourself, or me.” I heard the seriousness in Sunny’s voice.

A much softer voice repeated the question. “What’s the matter, Copper?” Mellow asked.

There was no escape from Sunny’s strong grasp on my wrist, and I fully understood her strength at that moment. I did what I could to clear my vision, though I could not look up at either Sunny or Mellow.

“I’m sorry… I’m just upset…”

Neither mares said anything as I collected my thoughts.

“I miss them…” I confessed. “I miss Choco and Pale…”

Sunny rubbed my wrist, no longer gripping it.

“They were my friends. And my successful advertisement took them away from me…”

Another hoof accompanied Sunny’s. I looked up to see Mellow wearing the same concerned expression as the mare who sat beside me. I couldn’t hold my muzzle up for long, and in no time, pointed back at the countertop. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to get upset in front of you two…”

“It’s okay,” Mellow said. “You know, you aren’t the first stallion I’ve seen cry here, so there is nothing to be ashamed of.” I could have figured that considering the bar setting. Hearing Mellow confirm that made me feel comfortable. To know that there was another stallion who ventilated about something because of the alcohol in their system.

“If you’d like, you can talk to us about what is on your mind,” Sunny said. “I said it earlier, and I will say it again: I am here if you need to talk about your stresses.” Her sunny smile rose. “Just know that there is nothing to be worried about. Okay?”

“You both promise?” I asked the two mares.

“I promise,” Sunny said.

“Mmhmm,” Mellow nodded.

Something possessed my lips to grin much wider than I wanted. Then again, it was nice to ventilate to somepony again. Mellow returned to the sink but kept one eye on me. Sunny refused to remove her hoof from my wrist.

My heart thumped against my chest when I moved my own hoof to hold hers. “Oh!” Before I could retract my arm, the same strength that kept me from leaving held fast. “It’s okay,” Sunny giggled. “I wasn’t a bad ‘oh,’ but a surprised and happy ‘oh.’” I heard Mellow giggle while I was mesmerized by Sunny’s comfort. Not by just the warmth in her hoof, but her everything. Whatever magic possessed the unicorn, I was captured by it. “Now how about you talk about what’s got you upset instead of thinking about it.”

“Good idea,” I said. Part of my heart wanted me to resist. The deep reason for my depression was embarrassing. However, I was in good presence. And I felt safe to speak my heart and mind.

“Just as my current team, there were five of us, including Choco Bean and Pale Crescent. Pale was the pony who gave me a helping hoof when I was looking for a job. He and I go way back; way back into highschool. As for Choco, well… I was… very fond of her.”

“How much?” Sunny pressed.

“I liked her…” I responded quietly. “A lot…” I caught Mellow staring at me, though I didn’t give her my pupil. “Choco worked hard at her job, and she impressed me with her talent. And don’t get me wrong, Pale was just as skilled as Choco. Both of them were good with presentations as well as coming up with great ideas. However, my feelings for Choco was much different.”

“So what happened between you, Choco, and Pale?” Mellow asked.

I wanted to piece together my words, but Sunny noticed what I was doing. “Just tell us everything. Again, let it all out.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “When the Sweet Kisses CEO sent one of his agents to our office and asked if we were willing to be one of several candidates to present their new white-chocolate brand, my boss quickly snatched up the offer. My team went straight to work that same day, vigorously shooting ideas at one another. However, everypony was under a lot of pressure. One after another, our ideas would just not stick. We tried a funny approach, a more simplistic advertising, and even mustered up an intense commercial.

“During our lunch break, I noticed Choco Bean was sitting by herself. Pale Crescent, who was very well aware of my feelings toward Choco, egged me to go talk to her. When I went over to her, she and I talked about our assigned project. And the more we talked about it, the more Choco started to become more upset.” I shook my head, “I couldn’t blame her. Whenever our team was stuck on something, Choco always had an idea that would easily force a comeback. However, the Sweet Kisses project was proving to be more challenging for her.

“I wanted to do something to cheer her up. I wanted to make that milk-chocolate mare smile.” A smile grew onto my face. “And at that moment, and with that same thought, I came up with the idea for our pitch: a romantic commercial! The idea of a literal sweet kiss and Choco was what birthed the idea.”

“Aww!” Mellow giggled. “How cute!”

“Yeah,” I said in a dreamy hum. “But anyways, when I came up with the idea, I looked at Choco and said, ‘You just gave me an idea!’” I then asked Mellow, “You remember how the ad goes, right?”

“I do,” she answered. “It was such a sweet commercial.”

“What I liked about it was the slogan,” Sunny chimed in. “‘Same sweet brand with a new kiss to be enjoyed.’”

“I came up with that,” I said with a puffed chest. “And I am very proud of it.”

Sunny gently pulled on my hoof. “But that same slogan has you bothered. What has you upset other than you missing Choco and Pale?”

Thankfully, I had already exhausted my tear ducts. However, that did not ease my heavy heart. “I’ll get to that in a moment.” I waited for either mare to make an input, but both kept quiet. So I resumed the story, “Everypony liked the idea of a brown mare and white stallion representing the new white chocolate Sweet Kiss. Even Choco was in love with the idea, though she was very flattered how I was inspired by her.” My shoulders dropped along with my smile, “And then I made a mistake…”

Sunny rubbed my arm with her other hoof. She kept silent, her eyes wide with anticipation. Mellow had her arms submerged in soapy water but kept them under while she waited for me to speak. “Because the pitch required two ponies, my team needed two actors and one presenter. Choco was very willing to be the chocolate mare. And then it came to choosing the white chocolate stallion. Since there were only two stallions in our team, it was either me or Pale Crescent.”

Mellow dared to say, “...And Pale was the one who was picked.”

“Worse. I chose Pale to be the acting stallion.” A heavy sigh hissed out of my nostrils, “I said to my team that Pale would be the best choice because of his color pallet. But that was only an excuse to prevent myself from kissing Choco…

“Pale pulled me aside and asked, ‘What the hay was wrong with you? You know you want to kiss her! Now is your chance! And who knows what will happen after you two do your act.’ Again, I told him my excuse: ‘Your natural color will help our idea launch! Besides, even if she and I kiss, it wouldn’t be anything special.’”

I bit down on my tongue. “However, the truth is... I was hesitant. I really did want to… to kiss Choco. Heck, I did want our possible relationship to evolve into something great!” The bite became more intense. “But I was an idiot for being afraid!”

My vision started to blur again. “I am scared of being heartbroken. I knew how much I liked Choco. And yet, the past clung to me that day.”

“What do you mean?” Sunny asked.

“I kept thinking about my terrible string of relationships I had in high school. To put it shortly, and to stay on topic, my first girlfriend cheated on me the first week we dated, the next-”

The topic quickly changed despite me not wanting it to. “That’s horrible!” Mellow exclaimed. “Who would do that to you?”

“A pony who didn’t think I was good enough…” I answered. “And part of me still thinks that.”

“That’s not true,” Sunny said. “I’m certain whoever did cheat on you didn’t know what was good in front of her.”

“It still doesn’t help that she still cheated on me…” I gripped at my shirt with my free hoof. “The next girlfriend, who insisted on being honest and wanted to talk about any issues face to face, broke up with me via note.” Sunny continued to rub my arm, the friction keeping me somewhat comfortable. Mellow directed her furrowed brows at the glasses she cleaned. “The third mare was interested in dating me and wanted to wait until she was sixteen because of her family customs.” An even more aggressive sigh left me, “And guess what she went and did! Went back to her ex-boyfriend on Hearts and Hooves Day of all days! After all the waiting I did for her, she just turncoats on me!”

“Shh…” Sunny whispered and her amount of strokes increased. “Calm down. No need to get too loud.”

I nodded and took a few deep breaths. “I just don’t like how the past kept me from kissing Choco. In fact, it held me down from asking her on a date.” No longer angry, cold sadness seeped into my blood. “And now it is too late…” Even Mellow let go of her anger, and I noticed her frown. “When I presented the commercial to the CEO, Choco and Pale did an excellent job with acting. The CEO was so impressed that he wanted to use Choco and Pale as the actors.”

The cluster of uncleaned glasses Mellow was tending to was nearly complete, and so was my story. “When the commercial aired, it wowed movie-goers. Ponies loved Choco and Pale. As for the actual Sweet Kisses candy, it sold like hotcakes. As a reward, the CEO gave each member of my team a gift card that allowed us to buy any amount of Sweet Kisses candy. For free.”

“Wow!” Mellow smiled as she slowly dried a mug. “I guess if you ever have a sweet tooth, you’re already covered.”

“I have to buy from a Sweet Kisses store,” I corrected. “I cannot just walk into any store and buy a single pack of Sweet Kisses.”

“Makes sense,” Sunny nodded.

Talk about my reward was a nice change of pace. But I knew I was dancing around the thornbush. I chose to leap right into it. Better brace for the worst than to avoid it. “So not long after the commercial airing and several stomach aches later-”

“‘Stomach aches?’” Sunny asked.

“Let’s just say some of my team members got a little too excited with their Sweet Kisses gift card,” I grinned. “I was smart enough to avoid such a fate.”

Sunny leaned forward, her powerful eyes aimed for my head. “Don’t lie. I know you were one of those ponies who gorged yourself with chocolate.”

Even Mellow played along and rose a suspicious brow at me. “Okay, okay! I only had like… two stomach aches!” I rolled my eyes, “There, I told the truth. Want to take me to my room and punish me?”

It was subtle, but when Sunny tilted her head to the left, the light from the bartop lit up her face. “I wouldn’t say punish,” Sunny purred. “But I wouldn’t mind taking you to your room.”

“I-I… Umm…”

The band onstage was literally playing in Sunny’s favor. The music was slow and the saxophone player aimed her instrument my way. I was not happy to see Mellow giggle at my stammering. Even after the brief moments of assistance I gave Mellow when Sunny was teasing her, Mellow gave me no protection.

“What are you thinking about?” Sunny hummed.

When she stroked my arm, it somehow felt softer.

“Th-things…” I answered.

“What kind of things?”

Finished with her dishes, Mellow walked up to us and took our mugs. “Sunny,” she started, “if you make him think about ‘things,’ he won’t be able to finish his story.”

“You’re right,” Sunny sighed. “I’m sorry.”

The band finished their song, the percussionist concluding with a rimshot. The restaurant was caught in a short moment of silence and I heard my heart pounding in my ears. Too bad Sunny’s flustering question and suggestive arm stroking got me worked up, distracting me from my story. At least she was a good distraction.

“H-hey, Copper?” Mellow spoke.

I looked at the much cooler pegasus in comparison to Sunny’s bright-yellow fur. “What happened next?” she asked, segueing right back to the topic.

Mellow’s ears fell down, “I’m not trying to force you to continue. I just… I think… maybe the sooner you let it all out, the better things will be. Sunny once told me that.”

Sunny nodded but didn’t perform anything beyond that, thankfully.

I smiled, happy that both Mellow and Sunny had their individual philosophies at the ready in case somepony needed them. “To keep it brief, Choco and Pale were quickly offered acting roles shortly after the commercial airing. My office threw a farewell party when the two chose to take up the offer.”

“So I- I chose that day to tell Choco how I felt. If she was going away, I might as well tell her.”

Sunny leaned in with interest and Mellow’s eyes widened.

“It was a mistake…”

Sunny broke the silence, “What? Why?”

Mellow scanned me as if to look for the answer I held in my head. I had no tears left, but I had more than enough energy to furrow my brows. “When I pulled her aside and told her how she inspired me and I liked her… Choco, she-”

Was it worth saying aloud?

“Let it out,” Mellow said in a near whisper.

At that moment, I wondered if all mares were capable of reading minds. “Choco turned me down… My biggest fear was a reality… At least she was kind about it. She didn’t want to hurt me too much.”

Mellow didn’t appear to be her mellow self and scowled at the ground. “What was her excuse?” Mellow growled.

The gesture somehow perked my mood. “No need to get offended on my behalf,” I said with a grin.

Sunny tapped my arm she held. “She’s doing it because she cares.” Sunny then let go of her grin and said to Mellow, “But you don’t have to get so angry, Mellow. I do agree with Copper; you shouldn’t be angry with Choco until you hear Copper explain her ‘excuse.’ We don’t want to judge before we hear everything, now do we?”

Mellow didn’t allow her ears to flick back up, but she did suppress some of her frustration. “Sorry… I just-” Mellow darted her muzzle at me. “You look like a steller steed to me! Why would she turn you down?”

My attention was forced onto the wall of pictures, flattered by the simple compliment. However, every image of every pony was braver than I was as they looked back at the mares accompanying me. The ponies’ expressions all spoke the same message:

“Be fearless.”

“First off,” I began, turning my head toward Mellow, “thank you for the kind words. It was very nice to hear them.”

In my peripheral, Sunny wiggled her brows at the pegasus. And Mellow went into a fit of stuttering, “Well, I- maybe think that- I mean, you are-” Mellow’s cheeks puffed and flared with blush. “Can you not, Sunny?”

“What?” Sunny asked as if she was doing nothing wrong. “You two are having a nice little moment. Just doing a little gesture to give you some motivation.”

“I’m doing just fine talking to Copper all on my own, thank you!” Mellow said with a flick of her tail.

“That’s good. Then I assume you don’t need help with opening up to him, then.” Sunny used her free hoof and pointed it at Mellow, “Continue.”

It was surprising to see Sunny’s actions, despite how much they flustered Mellow, persuaded the pegasus to wish to speak to me more openly and independently. Sunny and her methods were much better than I had come to assume.

“I do think you are a nice stallion,” Mellow confessed with a tiny, red-faced smile.

Her happiness motivated me to use my low, advertiser voice. “If only Mellow Skies knew that Copper Coin thought she was very cute.” Mellow and Sunny burst into giggles, Mellow much more. “Will Copper ever find the courage to let out the truth? Or will Mellow never understand the two sides of Copper Coin? Find out next time on Sunny’s Side Up.”

I rarely used my deep voice as comedy relief because I worried that I would fail to hit the punch line. I blamed the alcohol in my system to be the motivator for such behavior.

“Oh Copper!” Mellow laughed. “I-I- I need to check up on your order!”

With speed in her step, Mellow barged her way through the kitchen door before roaring with more laughter. Customers and employees alike looked my way, curious about what I had done.

With one clear of my throat, I asked Sunny with my normal voice, “Did I break Mellow?”

Still infected with laughter, it took Sunny a few moments to recuperate her wits. “Oh my stars, that was hilarious!”

“Heh, thanks,” I laughed moderately.

“No, really, it was!” Sunny reaffirmed herself by tickling my arm with a single brush of her hoof. My limb flinched in protest, though I didn’t reclaim it. I was still okay with Sunny holding it.

Mellow stumbled back into the bar, her mouth still wide with a grin. “Your meal is almost ready,” she said with a few giggles escaping her.

My stomach gurgled a bit in response. “Great,” I nodded. “Now that you are in a better mood, let me tell you why Choco rejected me.”

Sunny and Mellow relaxed and gave me their fullest attention. Mellow didn’t get angry at the proposition, or at least, didn’t show her frustration against Choco. With the drinks I had earlier still capable of shifting my mood, it was impossible to avoid being sad. “Choco didn’t want to commit to a long-distance relationship. She was very flattered by my feelings but was also upset that I used the day she was leaving to tell her the truth. And Choco was right about that. It wasn’t fair to do that to her. As poetic as it may be, telling somepony you love them just before they leave, perhaps for the last time you see them, is more tragic than it needs to be.”

“But you told her the truth at least,” Mellow said in a calm response. “I think that’s at least good.”

Sunny furrowed her brow in deep thought. While she pondered about her response, I said to Mellow, “I still think there could have been a better approach to what I had done. At least she and I ended the moment on a good note.”

“And what note was that?” Sunny asked. The pianist on stage ran their hooves across the keyboard, the notes slowly growing higher and higher as I remembered our moment.

“We kissed,” I answered just as the musician hit the last note. My heart thumped against my ribs. The nostalgic feeling reminded me of my silent moment with Choco in the dimly lit hallway.

“Good,” Mellow bluntly huffed. “You deserved it.”

“Not to be argumentative,” I said in response, “But I don’t think I deserved Choco’s affection. It was kindly offered. That’s what love is.” Sunny nodded in positive agreement.

Mellow’s ears folded back, “Oh… okay… sorry…”

“Why are you sorry?” I asked.

“For being wrong. I agree with your sentiment about what love is. I’m just getting too defensive.”

While I was stunned and unsure about how to assess Mellow’s behavior, Sunny tapped my arm. “Mellow isn’t the argumentative type and doesn’t like to be wrong.”

“No, I don’t…” Mellow agreed in quiet response. “Me being wrong reminds me of back home…” Mellow’s eyes started to shimmer. “Whenever I would get into an argument with my so-called old friend, who was also my roommate, I would always be proven wrong no matter how big or small an issue was.” Mellow’s voice was caught in her throat, almost unable to continue with just the memory of her friend. But she mustered up as much strength as she could and resumed, “She would yell and scream at me, calling me names like ‘bucking moron’ among other choice words.”

It was my turn to get angry for somepony else. “That’s not right! Why would they do that to you?” I noticed Sunny furrow her brow, glad to see her and I agree with similar emotions.

“It has something to do with her past.” Mellow shook her head, “Which is not something I wish to go into further detail. All you need to know is that she chased me away from home. I needed to escape.”

Two watery dots pooled at Mellow’s eyelids before a few tears escaped from Mellow. “And all my so-called friend did when I left was call me ‘a coward,’” Mellow squeaked. “What a bitch…”

My heart pounded in my ears. Not because of a nervous flutter, but out of frustration. “I’m so sorry that happened to you, Mellow,” I said in a low hum. I offered my hoof not claimed by Sunny to the sobbing mare, knowing very well she needed a lifeline to rely on.

Through her red stare she gave me, Mellow smiled through her internal pain. “You’re sweet, Copper.”

Sunny “awwed” at my gesture. I flushed and anticipated Sunny to give me a select few words of embarrassment. But the unicorn kept quiet, allowing Mellow and I to float independently. Mellow took my hoof and gently squeezed it. She closed her eyes, intaking slow, shaky, yet stable breaths of air.

I reflected on Mellow’s raw moment of emotion. As glad as I was to be the pony to be there for her and that Sunny allowed me to initiate my actions, part of me felt ashamed at showing my feelings from earlier. While Mellow had a real reason to be upset, a true push that forced her away from home, I was stuck on feeling sorry for myself for past relationships with other mares.

Well, there was one pony who wasn’t a mare that did more harm than any of my past crushes. But was Pale somepony I wanted to talk about?

The ever-so observant Sunny Day spoke to me, “What’s on your mind, Copper?”

Mellow opened her eyes to see my furrowed brows. I didn’t want to go into detail about my feelings against myself, but chose to mention my own ‘so-called friend.’ “Remember when I said I was once friends with Pale Crescent?”

“Oh, yeah!” Mellow beamed, her previous sadness quickly snuffed out. Too bad I was about to draw it out again. Sunny only blinked, her expression very neutral and ears angled at me. I told myself to thank her later for being so attentive when listening and watching. “You said that you two were really close, right?”

“Yes, we were…” I grumbled. On purpose, I looked to Sunny’s arm still tangled with my own. Sunny didn’t stroke it or give it a light squeeze, though I needed to remember it was there to keep me calm.

Mellow, on the other hoof, took back her arm. “What happened between you two?” she asked with both ears felled.

“My story about him isn’t as detailed as Choco’s, but is perhaps more tragic.” The more I delved deeper into speaking the truth, I was beginning to despise the feeling alcohol created. It forced me to be honest which I somewhat didn’t mind, but the way it made me feel about myself was unnerving, like some parasite skittering under my fur.

A rub on my arm broke my attention away from my thoughts. “What happened?” Sunny asked.

Before I answered, I told myself to avoid drinking. Self-deprecation was something I didn’t want to do when I had alcohol inside me. It only made me feel worse about myself, much more in fact.

But I was not going to hold back the truth I had against Pale.

“When Pale skipped away to become a star was the last time he and I ever talked,” I finally answered. I could feel the anger in the folds on my forehead. “He said he would write back or give me a sign that he wouldn’t forget his best friend!” I snorted with disgust, “Pale is probably too soaked with praise and attention right now to remember me!”

“This may be a guess,” Sunny said with a cautious tone, “but is this why you are here all alone? Because the past continues to sting and prod at you?”

My tail curled at my flank. “Am I that transparent?”

Sunny’s head bobbed, her intentions were clearly not meant for harm. But when it comes to fishing out the truth and being accurate at predicting, it can make somepony feel naked and vulnerable.

“It was a guess,” Sunny answered. A lie no doubt, though I let her be. “The bar is a perfect setting to be upset about something.” She looked at Mellow, “Why else would I be here?”

Mellow stumbled a few steps back. “I-Is something wrong with me?” she asked with a large amount of worry.

I was about to tell Mellow that Sunny was more than checking up on her shy pegasus friend, but I remained silent, not allowing myself to speak for Sunny.

“Oh no!” Sunny laughed, waving her free hoof dismissively. “I worded that incorrectly! Nothing is wrong with my Marshmellow!”

The pet name didn’t dismiss Mellow’s concern. “That doesn’t ignore the fact that I am the reason you are here.”

Sunny Day’s grin fell onto the countertop, revealing a frown of disappointment behind her facade. “Have I done enough for you?”

A sigh escaped Mellow, “Not this again, Sunny!”

The muscles in Sunny’s jaw flexed, her mouth locking away the truth. With my own will, I stroked Sunny’s arm. Her eyes shot up at me, then fell down onto our entangled arms. “Why don’t I feel like I’ve done enough for you?” Sunny asked Mellow.

“Because… I’m here and not where I want to be, I think…” Mellow spoke slowly. “As much as I want to move forward, not everything is instant. It takes time.” She tilted her light-blue head at me. “It took some time for another nice pony to enter the picture. All thanks to you.”

Sunny’s mouth twitched upward, but it didn’t amount to a complete smile. “I know,” Sunny said. “Copper and I talked about this earlier. But it just proved that I didn’t do just about everything. I want to be sure you’re okay, Mellow, and have everything you need in order to stay afloat.”

“Aww, Sunny!” Mellow squeaked. I hummed happily as well to Sunny’s words. The pegasus fluttered her wings and began levitating until I saw most of her legs. Carefully, Mellow leaned forward and gave Sunny a small kiss on the horn.

The yellow horn crackled and sparked. “Right where I like it,” Sunny said as she squirmed in her seat with a flustered grin.

As the cute moment was unfolding before me, I was slightly, and only very slightly, a little jealous. Sunny caught my stare, willing her normal attitude forward, “You look flushed.”

“I-I- well-” I sucked in my lips to prevent myself from sounding more like a dunce.

“Oh leave Copper alone, Sunny!” Mellow defended as she landed on the ground with a bounce. “No need to tease him too much.”

“I can’t help myself sometimes,” Sunny smiled.

Help. Such a strong word sometimes. I pondered the word in my mind over and over. Sunny’s quest to aid Mellow was strong. And because I was offered into Sunny’s and Mellow’s two pony crew, I was compelled myself to help Mellow, too.

Was there anything I could try?

Mellow squinted an eye at Sunny, “Now you better have that smile when I come back I’ve got Copper’s order to get. And understand that I am glad you have done Every. Single. Thing that you have done.”

Sunny let out a dramatic sigh, “I’ll try to not care as much.”

The bartender sighed as well, her eyes rolling in her head. “Oh Sunny…”

The instant Mellow turned around, Sunny did what Mellow didn’t want to have happen. Sunny frowned in my direction but did nothing to look at me. “I know what you’re doing.”

“Thinking? Well, it’s what I do with you present,” I said. “And I’m pondering what I can do to aid in this endeavor for our Marshmellow friend.”

“Hehe, I see you’re using my silly name for her,” Sunny giggled.

“Have I deserved the right of passage?” I asked.

“Only if you have something in mind to help Mellow.”

Sunny’s statement felt like a light-hooved jab. I only stepped into the picture not even an hour since Sunny came in and sat beside me.

“I’m trying,” I said in a low tone. I only so slightly furrowed my brow at Sunny. “If worldly problems could be solved in a day, Equestria would have much fewer problems, I’m sure.”

“But why can’t I shake this… feeling!” Sunny complained. Her arm started to squeeze mine like a serpent ready to crush its prey. “I just want the worries to go away! Everything good I have done for Mellow has been redacted by this blinding, nagging negativity!”

“I’m blind as well, Sunny!” I argued back. “I know I am loved and cared for pony back at my job! But I just… didn’t know who to go to.” I gandered to the pictures again, their eyes all on Sunny and me. “I was afraid of looking for help; I didn’t want to be looked at oddly because I was feeling alone.”

The tension on my arm became slightly tighter in a typical Sunny Day fashion: warm and close. “I want to stop feeling alone,” I confessed as I looked back at the unicorn. “I know I am not alone, yet, as you said, this blinding negativity clouds my eyes.” In-kind, I got a better hold of Sunny’s arm.

I was feeling less and less alone with every pulse I felt from her. I just hoped that I was doing good for Sunny as she did for me. “For a while now, I felt alone because of Choco and Pale; Pale much more. I miss them. And I haven’t seen or heard anything from Pale.

“It doesn’t make me feel valued when two ponies who were a close part of my life leave after something better comes along! And my Sweet Kisses pitch was their thief!” Their faces appeared in front of my eyelids when I closed them. “The only reason why I am not angry with Choco in comparison to Pale is that she regularly writes back to the offices and even visits from time to time; sometimes even help with an advertisement, but that’s rare.”
I then snorted with disgust, “As for Pale, he hasn’t managed a single minute to send me a, ‘Hey, how’s it been?’ letter. It’s hard to want to write to him when you weren’t given a return address or P.O. box to submit to.

“Don’t get me wrong, I am happy for their success. It’s the same old not feeling feeling.”

Sunny was thankfully watching me without her stare wavering for a moment. I licked my lips, trying my best not to squint from my heartache. “Thanks for listening to my recent and previous rants,” I said through a choked voice. “And… thanks for just being here. Sometimes it’s the best thing you could do for a pony. Even if we just met.”

The corner of Sunny’s mouth twitched a bit. “Funny how you think that you’re the only pony struggling with internal problems, and then you look not too far and there will be somepony with similar issues.”

“I find it relieving,” I said. “Because you can be real and truthful without worry.”

My stool started moving toward Sunny Day by the will of her magic. When my seat was close enough that it touched her stool, Sunny almost leaped from her chair at me. I caught her as she gracefully fell into my arms. The sudden and fast motion caught me off guard and my heart throbbed in my chest. I became more flustered when Sunny made sure to place her ear on my chest, agitating my pulse to beat even faster.

The jazz music onstage flared with excitement, the saxophone player expressing heavy, romantic notes.

“It is relieving,” Sunny hummed. “Sorry, Copper. I just felt that you needed a hug.”

I managed to get a grip on the situation and pulled Sunny close. “Did you need a hug, too?”

“Yes,” Sunny answered in a cute hum. Her head crawled up my neck, sending a flurry of ticklish vibes through my chest. She looked up at me, her lips very, very close. “You know, maybe you and I can… come to my place and have some fun. We can help each other to feel better and wash away this nasty negativity. After all, you did say that being there for somepony is all the best they could do.”

Somehow, I was convinced the performers were watching what was happening between Sunny and I as they resumed their intense and heated music. My breathing stunted, each gasp for air more inconsistent than the last.

“A-are you sure, S-Sunny?” I stammered. “I mean, this is very sudden, but also very generous of you!”

Sunny’s cheeks started to redden. “I am very sure.” She pawed at my chest playfully, “We can also brainstorm ideas that could help Mellow out.”

“Are we going to discuss it while we are having fun?” I joked with a chuckle.

“After,” Sunny responded with a poke at my arm.

The sound of something being placed on the countertop snapped my attention away from Sunny. A very curious Mellow Skies grinned at me and the pony in my arms. “I know I told Sunny to hold onto her smile until I returned, but what did I come back to?”

“A generous offer,” I said to the meal Mellow had returned with. The scrumptious sandwich looked just as it did on display. The scent of garlic was moderate alongside the smell of Sunny’s cinnamon-scented mane.

It was easy to look at the grilled cheese and want to dig in. It was the opposite when it came to Sunny’s very generous offer.

“So what do ya say, Copper?” Sunny asked. “Want to have some us time?”

I was hesitant to respond. Mellow was quick to nudge me toward a “yes” answer, “You won’t regret having some fun with Sunny.”

Both mares giggled while I did what I did best: think.

“I… need to eat first…”

I didn’t want to hesitate the mare’s offer. A night with a lovely unicorn who was willing to listen to me and was one I could relate to? Who wouldn’t jump high for such a thing?

I would.

Sometimes the past is too hard to pry yourself off of. Because the past wants to protect you from future pains, pains that dig deeper when you believe it won’t hurt you a second time. Or a third. Or a tenth.

Author's Note

The chapter title isn't spelled wrong :3