Two mares met on a dusty trail.
The Aushaylian Outback was known worldwide for being a dangerous place – any number of creatures out there would be happy to have a pony for lunch. But under the hazards and perils, there was beauty.
And beauty is inspiring.
That was the explanation given by the shaken Pegasus the brother and sister encountered anyway. Her sweater—why she wore one to the middle of the Outback was anypony’s guess—was in tatters and her nerves weren’t far behind.
Holiday slipped off her vest and let the other mare borrow it, while Snap checked the nearby brush for any further threats.
Lofty was the mare’s name, and lofty were her goals. A seamstress by both trade and hobby, she sought inspiration in nature. She’d grown tired of life among the clouds – they were monochromatic and wholly boring, while the Outback was rugged, it was full of living, breathing life, even if most of it was dangerous. And it was beautiful.
And beauty was inspiring. Lofty said so in a matter-of-fact tone.
Holiday just nodded along. She had a hard time focusing on what Lofty was saying, but had no trouble focusing on her.
When Lofty noticed, Holiday quickly saved blushing face with a quick cough and a not-so-quick rundown on life in the Outback – both peaceful and threatening.
And then it was Lofty’s turn, her brain somewhere on cloud nine as Holiday rambled on about this dangerous creature or another. And somehow, the Earth pony lecturer was there with her.
Holiday soon took notice, her mouth opened to ask a question when Snap reappeared through the brush caused them both to jump. They took a moment to catch their breath, looked at one another, and laughed.
Snap scratched his head, glancing between the two.
Two mares met at the docks.
Aushaylia is a dangerous but beautiful country that lies across the western sea from Equestria. Some arrived in the country by sea, and some by air. While this made vacations more feasible and accessible, it made commuting from the two lands on a regular basis rough.
And it made saying goodbye all the harder.
The airship gave another impatient whistle at the mooring dock, ready to leave this dangerous country and get back to the safer airspaces of Celestia’s kingdom.
Lofty would’ve been glad to be rid of the country that had tried to stifle her artistic inspiration once and for all. Clouds were monochromatic and mundane, but they were also safe.
But she had met Snap and Holiday. She had opened her passions up to the mare standing next to her brother, and she had learned much in return. And her artistic inspiration lived to see another day. That was important too.
She reached into her saddlebags and produced a sky blue scarf with fringed ends. It was no vest , but Lofty thought it complimented Holiday’s coat. Face red as Hayer’s Rock, Holiday muttered her thanks, gently wrapped the accessory around her neck, and suddenly took great interest in the ground.
Only when Snap started waving Lofty off did she snap to attention and frantically wave both forehooves, as if she were trying to fly like a Pegasus herself. That got a laugh from the departing mare, and it was the last vision Holiday saw of Lofty before her flight grew too distant.
It certainly felt too distant.
Snap nudged his sister with a smile. With a casual wave of his hoof, he let it slip about a new partner he was to be working with. As much an animal lover as he was, and cute to boot.
And she just so happened to be stationed in Equestria.
Holiday squealed and hugged her brother like a boa constrictor.
Two mares met in a graveyard.
Equestria was a quiet place. There weren’t the dangers of the Outback, even though there was the occasional monster attack, usually dispatched by the princess in some distant corner of the land.
And there was a special quiet to a graveyard. A feeling of calm like a warm, hoof-knit blanket. A sense of peace like being in loving forelegs.
A hoof on her shoulder made her jump. Lofty slashed her an apologetic smile and nodded towards the church. With a nod and a soft smile, Holiday followed her inside. It had been Lofty’s idea – fresh air always calmed one’s nerves, and it was certainly more peaceful outside than in.
Though why Lofty would be nervous today was beyond Holiday’s guess.
The room grew a few degrees warmer as Holiday made her way up the aisle to stand beside the altar. She stifled a giggle as her brother tucked at his tuxedo’s collar. Snap was never one for formal wear – if it had been up to him, this wedding would’ve been in the Outback.
Holiday smiled back at Lofty, who took a seat in the second row. She belonged to neither the groom’s family nor the bride’s, but Holiday had welcomed her side of the aisle.
It hadn’t gone unnoticed by Lofty.
Then the chapel doors opened and all went quiet. In walked the bride.
Her name was Mane Allgood. She was a skinny but determined Pegasus, whose passion in life was the wilds and all the creatures within. It hadn’t taken long for Holiday to see in her what Snap saw in her.
In all honesty, she reminded Holiday of Lofty, in a way.
As the bride joined the groom at the altar, Holiday’s focus shifted to her brother and her future sister-in-law.
And Lofty’s wing slipped into the pocket of her gown, her feathers brushing against a golden band as they had over the past few weeks now.
Two mares met in a hospital.
A lifetime in the Outback made Holiday weary of civilization. It was too loud, too clustered, and in the case of the waiting room, too clean.
Earth ponies liked the land in all senses. The touch of dirt, the greenery and brilliant colors, the scents of fresh loam, the rustles of blades of grass, and the taste of the Earth’s bounties.
But everything here was too smooth, too bland, too sterile, and too quiet for Holiday’s tastes.
A hoof reached over and gripped hers. She looked to Lofty beside her and the two shared a smile. She let Lofty get back to her knitting – the tenth baby sweater she’d knitted in a week. Throwing herself into her work meant she was stressed, Holiday had learned, though there was no comfort for this stress.
She’d always brush it off, say she didn’t know the right color scheme. Now she was trying blue and gold.
As evident by Snap pacing the floor before the two mares, eyes bloodshot and face haggard. Bags, like heavy luggage, hung under his eyes and seemed to weigh him down as he paced. He wanted to move, but this was no countryside nor any Outback.
Waiting rooms were meant for waiting.
When the nurse came out, he all but ran through the doors like a bullet from a rifle. Holiday and Lofty glanced at one another, then back at the door.
He’d been waiting to be with his wife, and his chance had come. Theirs would have to wait. They were in the right room for it anyway.
So Lofty resumed knitting and Holiday resumed waiting, tapping her hoof lightly on the arm of her chair or feeling the coarse fibers of her favorite sky blue scarf.
And then the nurse came for them, and in a far more composed matter, they hurried after the nurse through the doors.
They’d agreed, before all of this. Mane and Snap’s work was dangerous at times, and if not the work then the jobsite would be. It was no place for a little filly to grow up, dangers aside – for there would never be one place to call home in their travels.
Lofty and Holiday had promised to care for her when they could. Living right outside of one of Equestria’s small towns, they’d keep an eye on her in Ponyville while her parents were away.
And so Holiday and Lofty stepped through the hospital room’s door to meet Mane and Snap, the former coddling a little bundle of orange and purple.
And two mares met their niece.
Author's Note
Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 07/19/22
Well, managed to shake a little bit of the rust off.
I've been told dialogue is one of my strengths, so doing a story without dialogue was a bit of a hurdle. I think Lofty and Holiday make a cute couple - and it was nice to do a story with them. 
The song I listened to while writing this was "Stars in the Sky" by Kid Cudi. Great song - it's been helping me formulate a large project for a while now.
-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast
P.S.: At least one of the two Pride Month stories is coming soon. Stay tuned for an announcement.
