Deathlight

The sun was only just peeking over Ponyville rooftops, and most shops were barely being opened, but Anton and Minuette were already sitting at an outside table in front of the Sugarcube Corner. True, he had had to take the table and chairs out himself, but the shop was open. He'd always suspected that Pinkie never slept, and seeing her bright-eyed smile behind the counter at six in the morning went a long way toward proving it. He'd barely sat down when the aforesaid pink menace bounced out the door with a tray of muffins and coffee which somehow didn't fall of her back, or even spill a single drop.

"I thought you went home yesterday, Minuette!" Pinkie was saying. "It's so nice of you to stay longer! I've always said Toni looks too gloomy by half, it's about time somepony cheered him up!"

Luckily he was used to her antics and had gotten adept at ignoring her undisguised attempts to hook him up. Toni just politely waved and smiled. "Mornin', Pinkie!"

She plonked down beside the table with a thump which somehow sent the mugs and pastries soaring through the air, only to land neatly in front of Toni. This, too, he was used to.

Minuette, having exited the shop a few steps behind Pinkie, flashed him a guilty, ears-down smile. "Don't mind her, you know how Pinkie is."

"I know."

"I was just saying, you're lonely," Pinkie's hoof pointed at the other mare, "and you're lonely," her other foreleg shot up toward Toni as she straightened up to stand on her hind legs. "But together, you're- you can be lonely together!"

Toni glanced from Pinkie to Minuette, then they both burst out laughing. "We're just friends, Pinkie. Thanks for the coffee, though."

Luckily this didn't faze Pinkie. It was almost impossible to bring her down, and she just threw her hooves up in apparent defeat. "Well, okie dokey. Friends is fine, too! Holler if you want anything else, okay?" With that she bounced back to the shop, stopping only for a moment to bump Minuette's rump with her own.

Toni relaxed back in his chair and began to divide the items on the table as Minuette made her way over and sat opposite him.

"Sorry about her," she apologized. "You'd think she ate a bag of sugar and washed it down with a kettle of coffee, but she doesn't really touch the stuff."

"Really?!"

Minuette blinked in surprise at Toni's shocked tone, but then her ears flopped and she grinned a little sheepishly. "Well, okay, the sugar yes, but she doesn't drink coffee anymore. I know you can't tell, but it's really mellowed her out."

His hand with the muffin was about halfway to his mouth, but Toni paused so he could shudder. This was Pinkie without coffee? What would she be like on it? The horrifying thought must have been plain on his face, because even Minuette, unused to human expressions, picked up on it and gave him a wry grin.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad. Her friends had to have an intervention. Twilight-" She suddenly fell silent and her ears splayed out. "Sorry," she said, looking fixedly down into her coffee cup.

"It's fine, I don't mind."

Minuette took a deep breath. "Thanks. Anyway, Twilight said Pinkie was liable to break physics if she kept chugging down coffee the way she was. A normal pony would give themselves a heart attack, but that wouldn't work with *her*."

"I can totally see it happening. Are we sure she isn't breaking physics as it is?"

The mare had bitten into a pastry, so she shook her head while she hurriedly swallowed. "No, I think it's- this is just a theory, okay? I'm not a magical scholar!"

"Noted."

"Anyway, you know how everypony has magic inside them? For us unicorns, it's obvious. Pegasi can fly really fast, and earth ponies are super strong and have a connection to the land."

"Yeah, I know about that."

Minuette leaned a little closer and lowered her voice. "I think Pinkie has really strong magic, and it's coming out through these... 'abilities', I guess you can call them. I guess if she were a unicorn, she'd be one of the really powerful ones."

This was a novel idea and Toni gave it some thought. It also allowed him a few moments to take a sip of coffee, before he gave a nod. "I can see that, yeah. Like- things she can do aren't that weird, not with magic. That's kinda the definition of magic. It breaks physics."

"Exactly! I guess all that energy she eats in the form of sugar is just coming out in these weird little ways. I don't think she's even aware she's doing it!"

The pair shared a grin and fell silent, partly to enjoy the delicious muffins, and partly because the mare in question was back outside and it would have been rude to keep talking about her. Pinkie paid them no mind as she pranced in and out of the shop to lay out the rest of the tables and chairs. It was still early, but Toni knew how seriously she took her job at the Sugarcube Corner.

Eventually it was Minuette who broke the silence: "So, what's the plan today?"

"I gotta work. Sorry, but I promised AJ I'd help run the stall. It's Friday, so I think she'll close early. Say, about three or so? I guess you'll be gone by then."

Minuette suddenly looked coy and her gaze slid away from Toni's gaze. "I might not be."

Her quiet voice, with the undertone of secret promise sent a fresh wave of butterflies through Toni's stomach. The townsponies all thought he hadn't been with anyone after Twilight, and he had promised to keep the secret. Undoubtedly Pinkie had told Minuette that, or at least hinted at it strongly.

It didn't make it easy to turn down offers like this one. He wasn't made of stone. "What- uh, what did you have in mind? Look, I don't want to keep you, you were supposed to go back yesterday."

"It was supposed to be a vacation. A quick visit to Ponyville, then some relaxation back home. I don't really have any plans. I could relax here, just as well." Minuette's cheeks reddened as she gave him a shy smile. "I like the company. I don't wanna go yet."

"Yeah, but the hotel isn't cheap," Anton pointed out.

She fluttered her eyelashes a little and her grin slipped a fraction. Her eyes went down to Toni's hands clutching the coffee mug. "Um, do you have a guest room or something like that?"

There could be no doubt anymore. They'd both said 'friends', but Toni feared it was growing to be something more, at least in Minuette's mind. He still didn't know how to put her down gently and, what was worse, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Twilight was gone, and she would be away for a long time yet. She hadn't planned on coming back for at least a few more months. Surely she'd understand that he was lonely?

Surely she'd forgive him? She knew what her absences were doing to him.

Besides, even if he offered Minuette a room to sleep in, that didn't mean it had to be anything more than that. They could still change course. He could keep her from making this big mistake.

"I have a spare couch, yes."

"Okay, so - and feel free to say no, okay? What if I stayed a bit longer? I wanted to swim around in the river a bit more anyway. I can do that today, we can watch a movie or two, and I'll take the train on Saturday morning."

"If it doesn't turn into Sunday morning..."

His comment drew a quiet 'eep' from the mare, and her ears went down, but she took a deep breath and looked back up at him. "Maybe. I don't have any plans, and no one is waiting for me back home. I just have to be in for work on Monday."

He could show her one or two of his meagre collection of movies he'd managed to bring from Earth. They could talk some more. Minuette was smart, charming, and well educated. She was a delight to speak to, even when there was no intention to make it into anything more. Anton didn't know too many ponies from out of town, and her description of the Canterlot night life, and her circle of friends, were genuinely interesting.

"Okay, a movie and I let you crash on my couch. I guess that's fine."

Her smile widened and Minuette's eyes gleamed in anticipation. Her tail would have been swishing, Toni suspected, if she weren't sitting on it. "Thanks! I'll return the favor, you know? If you wanna visit Canterlot for a bit, I'll offer you my couch. I don't have a spare room either, but it should work for a day or two, so you can take in the sights!"

"Thanks, I'll- I'll think about it."

Minuette gulped down what was left of her coffee and slid from her stool. "Okay, I'll go swim around, maybe sunbathe a bit. Wanna meet up for lunch?"

"Sure! Come to the market around one, we can grab something right there. You gotta try one of AJ's apple pies!"

Her laughter was musical and Toni could swear Minuette's mane sparkled in the light as she tossed her head. "See? That's why Applejack hired you. You're quite the salespo- um, sales-human!"

"Heh, I guess you're right!"

He watched her walk away, nearly empty mug of coffee in one hand, and the last bite of his muffin in the other. Just before she turned down a different street, Minuette glanced back, flashed him a grin, and flicked her tail in goodbye.