Coffee, Donuts, and Moon Princesses
Coffee, Donuts, and Moon Princesses
by : TheTeaTurtle
“Hot chocolate with a marshmallow, please.” sighed a baby dragon as he stared out the panel windows from his seat at the counter of a familiar coffee and donut scented haunt. Off in the distance, he could see the marvelous, glowing structure of Canterlot Castle with the shapes of countless ponies going in and out of the gates.
Some of them are his friends no doubt. The very friends he had hoped to spend the night with.
“Rough night, Spike?” inquired Pony Joe from behind the counter, pouring the delicious smelling, steaming hot cocoa into a blue, white sprinkled mug. Spike’s own personal mug he had claimed years ago.
“Yeah, you could say that.” Spike said, sighing again as he held his head up with his hands, staring down into the polished countertop “Turns out the Grand Galloping Gala isn’t as grand as I thought it would be.”
“Whew, I hear that buddy.” Said the stallion sympathetically, sliding the mug over to the baby dragon, along with a pink frosted, sprinkled donut on a small plate “On the house.”
Spike gave a small smile “Thanks, Joe.”
“Anytime, little bud.”
The rich, velvety texture and the sweetness of the hot chocolate was exactly like he remembered, and it soothed his aching soul just a tad from the first sip alone. The donut was soft, practically melting in his mouth, the frosting and the sprinkles blending together to form a symphony of sugar that tickled the endorphins right out of him.
“Gosh Joe, I don’t know how you do it.” Spike marveled, not wasting a second to take another bite of the wonderful dessert. The unicorn chuckled.
“Well, I didn’t get my special talent making salads, let me tell ya that.” Joe looked around his shop. Every chair was empty except for the one right in front of him. A quiet night was bad for business, but good for the soul, as his dad liked to say. “So uh, that Gala huh? Somethin happen?”
“More like something didn’t happen.” Spike grumbled, poking at the marshmallow island in the sea of chocolate “Twilight would have come too but she was too busy to do anything with me, like everypony else.” The words stung his chest and made a knot form in the back of his throat.
“Aw, don’t be like that Spike. Twilight’ll come around, she always does.” Pony Joe said with a small smile as memories of a Unicorn filly spending late night study sessions right here in his coffee shop came flowing back, her baby dragon assistant always within reach.
“Yeah, well, I’m not so sure.” The baby dragon crossed his arms, looking back toward the celebration a couple blocks down the street “She’s spending time with Princess Celestia, just like she’s wanted ever since she got her ticket.”
Pony Joe frowned at the little dragon. This is the first time in quite a while he had seen Spike so upset. The last time was around five years ago, whenever Twilight was having a particularly long night at Celestia’s School of Gifted Unicorns. The poor fellow thought that his adopted sister had abandoned him and was crying his eyes out in the very stool he was sitting in, with a donut and Joe’s soothing words as his only comfort.
The look on the kids face when his sis came in after midnight was something Joe would never forget, the memory bringing another smile to his face. Along with a great idea.
The stallion turned to his wall of donuts, sprinkles and frosting galore meeting his green eyes from behind a glass display. Every donut that could ever be called a donut was there, baked exactly like his father taught him. From Canterlot Cream donuts, to Manehatten eclairs, his collection was vast and catered to every taste.
But there was one donut so rarely ordered that he sometimes forgot to keep stock of the ingredients. Luckily, tonight he had exactly what he needed and a customer who would be more than willing to wait for it.
“Hold tight there, Spike. Got something that might interest ya.”
The dragon looked back at the stallion with an inquisitive brow but said nothing as the hum of unicorn magic filled the quiet shop, the noises outside being tuned out as Spike began to watch a master at work.
Dough was tossed and rolled, eventually formed into the unmistakable shape of Joe’s trademark treat. Spike had watched the stallion make donuts numerous times, but each time was just as memorable as the last. Not even his sour mood could ruin the joy of watching the creation of something so sweet.
Around five minutes of waiting and it was complete. Spike could hardly believe his eyes.
“Woah.” Was all the baby dragon could say as Joe levitated a ruby encrusted, red frosted donut before him.
“Been hiding these puppies away for a while!” Joe said, closing the jewel drawer with a hoof “I don’t get a lotta dragon customers, if you can imagine, but I still keep these babies on hoof in case my favorite dragon comes stomping around.” He said with a wink.
“That looks so…delicious!” Spike said, drooling onto the counter as he leaned closer to the delectable treat, his reptilian tongue lolling out of his mouth at the tantalizing scent coming from the gem sprinkled donut.
“All yours, little buddy.”
The second Joe released his magical hold on the treat, Spike immediately took it in his claws and munched on it with gusto, seemingly forgetting his previous bad mood, if only for a moment. A delicious, mouth watering moment. Halfway into his third consecutive bite of the donut, the doorbell chimed as somepony entered the shop.
“Hey, welcome to Donut Jo-”
Spike stopped his bite at the choking sound Pony Joe made in the middle of his greeting, causing him to turn around.
He too choked on his words, and nearly choked on ruby shrapnel when his eyes beheld a sight that caused his little heart to stop. Rather than seeing Twilight and friends coming in for an apology, something he had been hoping for, he instead beheld the visage of a mare of royal renown. The very princess of the moon herself.
Princess Luna.
Or, as he had known her as before: Nightmare Moon. The mare who threatened to shroud the land in eternal night before being stopped by Twilight and friends.
But she looked considerably different than before.
The first thing he noticed about her was her new tail and hair. Rather than the short, light blue mane she had donned post defeat, her mane had changed into a style much like Celestia’s. It was as if the night sky had been contained in an ever flowing, transparent wave of darkness that was speckled with stars. As well, her coat had darkened considerably from the pale blue it had once been.
The second thing that stood out was her expression. It was one of sheer determination and purpose as her light blue eyes met with Spike’s.
His heart nearly stopped. Was she back for revenge? Why would she come after him? He scooted back as far as he could, which was unfortunately just into the countertop behind him.
The dragon failed to get a single word out before the Princess herself spoke up. Her voice was booming like a hurricane, and it felt as if the foundations of the humble donut shop was in danger of collapsing from the sheer power behind it.
“GREETINGS, SUBJECTS! WE ARE HERE FOR A COMFORTING BEVERAGE AND PLEASANT COMPANY!” The princess of night shouted, her silver slippered hooves stomping onto the tiled floor as she approached the counter with extreme prejudice “WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A REASONABLE REQUEST TO FULFILL, IS IT NOT?”
Pony Joe’s pale amber coat went even paler as the princess approached, his legs wobbling from the fear and strength of her shouts. Before panic could completely take hold, however, he remembered his station and his duty to his customers, making him stand a little straighter as he released a small breath. Even if this customer was once a power mad mare bent on destroying Equestria.
A quick glance to a silently panicking, petrified purple baby dragon did not help his confidence.
“G-Greetings, Princess Luna. W-W-What can I get ya?” He got out as he bowed, his tongue threatening to strangle him at any second.
Princess Luna looked over the numerous donuts on display, her brow raised as if she were studying an alien pony’s tentacle laden face, her one-thousand-year gap in knowledge catching up to her. “WHAT ARE THESE CONFECTIONARIES? WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THEM!”
“W-Well um, these are um…” Joe fought desperately to continue that sentence but found that he had suddenly lost all memory of his childhood, his special talent, and anything else related to his literal life’s work.
Then someone cleared their throat.
“They’re called donuts.” Both ponies looked down at the now suddenly calm baby dragon “And they’re super delicious! See, watch!”
As if to demonstrate this, Spike wrapped his forked tongue around the remainder of his ruby donut and pulled it into his mouth, crunching happily as he looked up at the intrigued mare.
“Uh…” Joe stumbled, confused at Spike’s regained composure but quickly found his own footing “Yeah! We got chocolate donuts, maple donuts, any kind of flavor your heart desires, Princess.”
Luna looked at the rainbow of frosted pastries in the glass display before her and narrowed her eyes “These do indeed look delectable. Pray tell, what is that one there?”
Thankful for the lowering of the volume, Joe followed her hoof “Oh, that’s a bear claw, Princess!”
“You made a pastry out of a bear’s claw? Curious…” She rubbed her chin “Though I can’t see how that could be delectable at all.”
Spike giggled, covering his mouth “Nah, that’s just the shape of it! It’s really tasty, trust me. Joe here makes the best donuts in all of Equestria!”
“Ah shucks.” Joe chuckled, blushing slightly “I dunno about the best, but…”
Luna looked between the two, looking unsure “Hmm…we believe we will take a cup of coffee for now. The night is still young, after all.”
“Comin right up!” Joe said, his anxiety not completely gone but tamed. One question danced rapidly around in his mind and he was about to ask it, but Spike beat him to the punch.
“So, Princess, what brings you to a donut shop during the Grand Galloping Gala? Shouldn’t you be at the castle?”
Luna gazed out the nearby window toward the distant festivities, observing the coming and going ponies for a moment before speaking. “We…never were one for social gatherings. Our dear sister was always better at handling those.” She looked over the shop with a small smile. “This shop looked much quieter.”
She then looked down at Spike, tilting her head “You are…Spike we believe? Sister mentioned you when talking about Twilight Sparkle.”
The dragon lowered his eyes back to his half-finished drink, swishing it around. The marshmallow island rolled and rocked from the impact of the choco waves that crashed against its shores, much like his emotions were belting against his young mind as he tried to collect his thoughts.
“Yeah, I’m…her number one assistant.” He declared without the usual pride backing that up. It came out as if he were ashamed of it. Or ashamed of something else.
“Yep, he’s been stuck to her side as long as I can remember.” Pony Joe stated as he served the moon princess her coffee, a smile on his face as he looked at the dejected dragon “Like brother and sister.”
Luna nodded before taking a sip of her aromatic coffee, the bitterness of the dark brew stinging her throat as her thoughts turned to her own sister. She casted a curious look to the small dragon “We noticed the look of terror in your eyes when we arrived, yet you recovered quite quickly.”
“Oh, that.” Spike chuckled, thankful for the subject change “I was really scared, not gonna lie. But when you came up to Joe and screamed about wanting donuts, it kinda let me know you weren’t here to snatch up my soul and send it to the moon.”
Joe chuckled along with the little dragon but stopped himself when he saw that the princess herself was not partaking in the joke, choosing instead to look back outside. He cleared his throat “So uh, speakin of yellin. Why did you yell at me, Princess?”
Perking up, Luna turned to face the two and took a deep breath. They both braced themselves “WE WERE MERELY USING THE ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE TO SHOW OUR RESPECT! DOES THIS NOT SHOW OUR RESPECT ANYMORE?!”
“Uhh.” The duo said in unison, looking at each other, unsure of who was going to draw first blood on her pride.
The princess sighed, “We thought not.” She turned her gaze to her cup of coffee, getting lost in that pitch black portal of bitterness “So much has changed since we…I was last here. The city, the ponies, my sister. It’s been…hard to adjust.”
Spike rubbed the back of his neck, caressing his spines idly. Feeling like an outsider in a place that feels like it should be home. Being the odd one out no matter where you go. A story all too familiar to him, yet in different contexts and much bigger in scale. Once more, he looked toward the castle in the distance.
Somewhere in that stone structure, that palace of white and gold, his friends were having their best night ever. One by one, they were achieving what they had dreamed of doing months ago. Applejack was making a killing selling her products, Rarity was with the prince of her dreams, Pinkie Pie was being…Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash was meeting her heroes, Fluttershy was bonding with the many wonderful creatures that populated the castle gardens, and Twilight was spending some quality time with the teacher she loved so much.
Meanwhile all he had wanted, all he had dreamed of since getting his ticket, was spending time with his six best friends. Much simpler in comparison to their goals, but somehow much harder to accomplish.
His brow furrowed, his green eyes turning back to Donut Joe “Hey, Pony Joe. Another donut.”
“Alright Spike, what’ll ya have?” Joe asked, surprised at the sudden demand. Spike responded by chugging the rest of his hot chocolate, the burn nothing in comparison to the fire that usually left his gullet.
“Strawberry frosting, extra sprinkles.” He punctuated this demand with a snap.
“Coming right up.”
Spike turned to the navel gazing Princess Luna, who seemed to be treating her mug of coffee like a window, gazing at the past mistakes she had made within the caffeinated darkness “Hey, Luna! Do you like strawberries?”
“We have had them before, yes.” She responded, not looking up. Spike snagged the donut of Pony Joe’s magical grasp as soon as it appeared. He gently split the donut in half, the interior flaking tenderly but holding together nicely.
“Then try this donut! It’s one of my favorites!” He offered with a smile. Luna looked over to him, eyebrow raised as she studied the sprinkle covered treat. Hesitantly, she took hold of the dessert with her Alicorn magic, much like how a curious foal picked a flower they had never seen before.
A second after she bit into the donut, her eyes widened. An explosion of sugar overtook her royal taste buds, immediately assaulting her palate with precision deliciousness. The crunch of the sprinkles meshed perfectly with the softness of the dough, the delicate exterior melting in her mouth with barely any chewing needed. The frosting’s strawberry flavor was not as overpowering as she expected, yet it still brought a wonderful tang that accompanied its sweetness, enriching the whole experience.
Pony Joe, meanwhile, was on the edge of his metaphorical seat. The princess of the moon, Luna, was tasting one of his prized creations right in his shop. While he had always daydreamed of Celestia being the one to taste his donuts and bring him worldwide fame from their magnificent flavor, he was just as giddy seeing Luna’s starstruck expression as she chewed fervently.
“So?” Spike prodded, smiling widely.
The moon princess simply looked at him, her eyes writing a novel's worth of praise where her mouth failed to express. Joe silently high hoofed himself, reigning in his joy with a toothy smile.
“It’s…delightful!” Luna shouted before immediately devouring the rest of the treat, her smile never leaving as she chewed and swallowed. Suddenly her hoof slammed into the counter, making Pony Joe jump “Another!”
“You got it!”
“Whew, I’m stuffed!”
Spike patted his full stomach with a satisfied smile as he stepped out into the lamp lit streets of Canterlot.
“Oh indeed!” Chimed in a much happier sounding Princess Luna “Those were the best sweets we have ever had!”
Pony Joe smiled as he shut the door behind him, locking it afterward “You keep saying it and I might start believing it, Princess.”
“Oh, but you should! They were absolutely magnificent!” The moon princess smiled wider. Sprinkles fell from her icing covered muzzle, making Joe stifle a laugh.
Spike wasn’t as restrained, however, as he let out a loud guffaw “Luna, you’re a riot! We should totally hang out some more!”
The moon princess blinked as her chest tightened. It’s as if the dragon had casually lobbed a brick at her face “H-Hang out?”
“Sure! I mean, I can’t be in Canterlot all the time, but I can always bug Twilight to let me come visit every couple of weeks! You know, if you can get away from your royal princess stuff.”
“And I can always stay open as late as I did tonight if you need a place to retreat to, Princess.” Joe added on “Whether it be for a donut, a cuppa coffee or conversation, Joe’ll always have your back!”
Luna turned away. A flood of many different thoughts and feelings threatened to pull her under the suffocating waves of anxiety. She licked her muzzle absentmindedly and her mind froze. Strawberry frosting graced her tongue once more and she felt a smile slowly growing on her face, tears building up in her eyes.
“We…would like that. Very much.”
Without another word, Luna took to the sky. Her body glazed in the radiance of the stars as she went.
“Woohoo! That was the best party ever!”
“We know Pinkie, we were there, yeesh.” Rainbow Dash sneered but could hardly contain her own post Gala excitement. The whole carriage was quickly abuzz with excitement of a night well spent.
A night that truly was the best night ever.
Spike laid back and looked up at the stars as the carriage moved down the mountain. He gripped the reigns of the stallions half-heartedly as he listened to the conversations inside.
“I tell ya, I ain’t never seen bits roll in faster! Granny and Big Mac are gonna be pleased as punch when I come back with all of this!” Applejack patted the pony sized bag of bits next to her “And how about that Fancy Pants fella offerin’ to sell my apples in Canterlot for me? Still can’t believe it!”
“Oh, he was quite charming indeed Applejack, but nothing compared to the illustrious and amazing Prince Blueblood.” Rarity sighed dreamily.
“Ooh did he offer to marry you tonight, Rarity?” Fluttershy prodded with a curious tilt of the head.
“Well…no but we’re off to a great start! He desperately wants to see me again, I could tell from his goodbyes!”
Spike grimaced but didn’t say anything, tuning out the rest of the conversation.
“Spike? Are you okay?”
He jumped slightly at the acknowledgement, turning to see Twilight looking at him from the window that rested just behind him “Oh uh, yeah. Glad you all had a great time.”
“But did you have a great time, Spike? I didn’t see you there at all after we split up at the main gate.” Twilight rubbed the base of the carriage window with a sad look “I’m sorry I didn’t try to find you; I was just so-”
“Nah, it’s fine Twilight, really.” He smiled back at her “I was a teensy tiny bit upset at first, but I went to Donut Joes and, well…”
The purple dragon looked to the moon in the sky, seeing it shining just a bit brighter than it had been earlier in the evening. He took in the crisp and cool night air and sighed, his expression content.
“My night was also pretty great.”
