Prologue: Before the Beach
Staring at the crumpled dreamcatcher in her trash, Holly felt her eyes watering. Turning away from the trash can and jumping onto her bed, Holly allowed the tears to slip from her eyes as she buried her face in her hooves. As she heard a slight knock against the door, she jumped and shielded her face with her wing.
"It's not Luna, it's just me," she made out Donnie's voice from the other side. "Can I come in?"
"Y-Yes," Holly let down her wing, sitting back down on her bed.
The door opened and shut with the bulky earth pony entering the room, stopping to sit in front of Holly, who slowly met his eyes with her own.
"I know you don't want to hear this," Donnie said. "But I don't want to see you do this to yourself again, Holly. You should move on, with somepony different from her sister."
"But we had a great time last night!" Holly protested. "I don't know why I'm getting like this, I shouldn't be crying."
Donnie inhaled, and let out a slow exhale as he thought of what to say next. Noticing the tears running down Holly's face, Donnie climbed onto the bed, a few creaks echoing through the room as he wrapped his forelegs around the green pegasus. Burying her face into the stallion's chest, Holly felt her breath escaping in sharp bursts.
"W-What if I told her how I'm feeling?" Holly asked.
"I mean, I suppose that it would confirm how she feels about you," Donnie replied. "But I don't think she'd be...with you in this way if she wanted more than that."
Holly didn't respond, gentle sobs still escaping from her mouth.
"Hey, you still have your vacation days, right?"
"What?" Holly removed her face from Donnie's chest. "I had some from Luna, but I'm Celestia's maid right now."
"Even better," Donnie patted Holly's mane. "She'll be sure to give you plenty of days for a vacation. Silver Shoals?"
Holly wiped her tears away. The memories of a young pegasus jumping in the fields, her hoof colliding with the volleyball as it flew over the net, were playing in her head. Then, the image of various cold beers and wines being sold on the beach. And last, but not least…
The image of a dark bl-no, a bright and colorful mare stepping onto Holly's chair, hovering over the pegasus' body and staring at her with those half-lidded, tell-tale eyes. Those cyan, no, dark brown eyes staring into hers as-
"Um, Holly?"
"Oh! Yes, that sounds great," Holly flinched, managing a small grin as she stepped off the bed. "I'll tell Celestia that we'll leave…?"
"Tomorrow, if that works," Donnie stated. "Could you ask her for me as well? I'll pack our stuff."
"No problem!” Holly walked towards the door, covering her snatch with her tail. For Donnie, it made little difference, he smelled the scent in the air and saw the wet spot she left on the bed. Chuckling and shaking his head, Donnie followed Holly out of her room to get the suitcases.
Holly found herself walking through countless hallways, turning and asking guards as she asked about Celestia’s whereabouts. How in the world was she supposed to know where the Princess was in the afternoon? She was probably indulging in conversation with the royals or the journalists again, and there was all of Canterlot to look for her. Just as she was about to walk out of the castle, she felt a warm sensation tickling her ear as two long wings blocked her vision.
“Guess who~” the voice whispered against her ear. Holly grinned as she looked over her shoulder, muzzle pressing against Celestia’s muzzle.
“You are just the mare I was looking for,” Holly batted her eyelashes. “Me and one of the guards were hoping to use some of our vacation days for Silver Shoals.”
“Is that so?” Celestia’s smile faltered as she tilted her head. “A lover’s trip?”
“Oh no,” Holly snickered, shaking her head. “Donnie’s just a dear friend of mine, we’re hoping to take off a week. If that’s okay with you.”
“Although it's unfortunate to have you leave so soon...” Celestia pondered, her gaze wandered briefly before looking at Holly again. “...I will allow it. You’ll be back next Friday?”
“Well, next Saturday actually,” Holly explained. “We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“Here,” Celestia lit up her horn, dropping a summoned pouch of bits at the pegasus’ hooves. “This should be enough for the train tickets and then some.”
“Oh Celestia...you don’t have to do that,” Holly started blushing and smiling uncontrollably, a familiar yet unwelcome warmth twisting inside her heart. No, this shouldn’t be happening. She needed this vacation now more than ever. Damn her.
“Holly, this is chump change for me,” Celestia giggled. “I feel nothing parting with it. You and your friend have a wonderful time.”
Holly considered it, with her face so close to Celestia’s. No! If she wanted that, she wouldn’t be just fucking you. Get out of here, now.
“T-Thank you, Celestia,” Holly stammered, turning away to take off. Before she could open up her wings, Celestia’s wing rested on her back as she whispered in her ear once more.
“Worry not, my faithful maid, you can thank me when you get back~” Celestia purred, barely nibbling the tip of Holly’s ear. Before Holly could respond, Celestia teleported out of sight.
With her once green-furred cheeks now a pair of tomatoes, Holly turned tail and flew into the hallway leading to her room.
The next morning, Donnie stood outside her room with a pair of sunglasses and a suitcase on each side of him. As Holly opened the door to her room, her bushy mane a frazzled bedhead, Donnie gave the mare a cheeky grin.
“Ready to get going?” Donnie asked.
Holly stared past him, no alicorn around to stop her from escaping from her thoughts and troubles. Taking a deep breath, Holly waited till her heartbeat settled down to answer.
“I was ready yesterday,” Holly smiled, following the stallion as she took her suitcase with her wing, leaving the castle.
