Chapters All Because I Love You
How do you tell somepony you love them? Do you kiss them on the cheek, or hug them close at night? I loved somepony once. Her name was Autumn Glimmer and she was the most beautiful creature in the world. But then again she was a model for the Carousel Boutique-- and Rarity made sure that she was as radiant as the sun every single day. My name is Frosting, and I’m a chef. Pinkie Pie’s assistant no less, and this is the story of how I was in love with Autumn.
The day I first saw her I was walking home from my job at Sugarcube Corner and there, right outside the boutique were Autumn and Rarity sitting on a blanket in the grass. They were just talking, but I didn’t listen I could only look at the beautiful mare that in the sunset looked alive with flame. Dear. Sweet. Luna. She was looking at me; she had stopped talking to Rarity and was looking straight at me.
“Darling? Is there something we can help you with?” she called. Yes, I want you; to come home with me and let me make you dinner. But I couldn’t say that! I barely even knew her!
“Umm, no I’m just enjoying the umm, sunset. My wings clamped to my sides again nervously.
“Well, we were too. Come over here and sit with us.” I had already started trotting over. When I sat down the first thing Rarity said was, “Are you Frosting?”
“Umm… Yes?”
“So you work with Pinkie Pie at Sugarcube corner! She’s a good friend of mine, Pinkie Pie.”
“Well, I was thinking about starting a restaurant in town but I haven’t gotten enough bits to get it off of the ground yet. I only work at Sugarcube Corner part-time.”
“Well frosting, I wish you the best of luck opening your restaurant.”
“Thank you Miss Rarity.”
“No, no just call me Rarity. No use of formality amongst friends.” I smiled.
“So, you’re a baker?” asked Autumn. Oh Celestia, even her voice was beautiful.
“Oh no, I’m a chef. I specialize in all culinary arts, not just baking. Umm, so what do you do?”
“Well, I’m a model of course!” she giggled, “Why else would I be at the boutique?” by now the sun had set completely and the moon was rising in the east. “My name is Autumn Glimmer by the way, and it has been a pleasure meeting you.”
My heart was still buzzing when I got home. She was so beautiful I couldn’t stand it! I wanted her badly, but I didn’t even know if she liked me!
“But another day another bit,” I said as I tossed my days worth into a jar that I kept my restaurant’s funding in. 300 more and I would have enough to buy it. I popped a can of ParaSprite and gulped it down. The soda gave me a jerk awake so I could cook dinner. Delicious, delicious pasta with tomato sauce and spinach balls dashed with a bit of oregano spice. Damn, it was good. Good like Autumn and her perfect Gold-and-orange mane. Good like her and I sitting on a blanket snuggling. Just the thought of us snuggling together made my wings unfurl and start to ache. I had fallen in love.
On my morning flight, I passed the boutique almost five times and every time I saw Autumn and Rarity sipping tea preparing for a day of modeling and design.
At sugarcube Corner Pinkie Pie bounced right in front me and said, “Good morning Frosting! Are you ready to bake some cupcakes?!”
“Yeah.” I said dreamily thinking about what my life would be like if Autumn and I were together.
“Looks like the love bug bit this filly good! So,” she said leaning against the warming oven. “Spill. Who’s the lucky stallion?” Umm, awkward my mentor didn’t even know that I preferred mares to stallions yet. But she had to sometime.
“Well, uh, Pinkie my barn door doesn’t really swing that direction.” Pinkie looked surprised but not appalled that I was sly.
But soon her smile returned, “Well then who’s the lucky mare?”
“Her name is Autumn Glimmer and- wait you aren’t bothered by the fact that I like fillies?”
“I don’t mind because I’m not one to judge a pony by what she believes, Fluttershy is a druid and believes in a god- but she’s still my friend!” she paused “Isn’t Autumn Rarities model?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, best of luck Frosting! Now, let’s make some cupcakes!”
“Pinkie Darling!” called Rarity as she pushed open the door to the bakery with her magic. Pinkie and I walked out of the kitchen, and the oven beeped. “Oh! Can you take care of Rarity and Autumn while I get the pastries out of the oven?” So I stood there awkwardly looking at Autumn who was exploring the bakery with her eyes until they met mine. Then they got all sexy and she smiled. “Nice to see you again Frosting.”
“Uh, what would you to like to munch today ladies?” Just then Pinkie pie brought the tray of cupcakes out and put them on the counter. “Didn’t I tell you? I am hosting a party today! It’s for all of my friends and their assistants!”
“No you didn’t.” I mumbled.
The party was pretty fun, Twilight and Spike were there, and so were Applejack and Applebloom, Rainbowdash and Scootaloo, Fluttershy and Green Hooves, and of course, Rarity and Autumn. We danced, and ate, and talked until Autumn prodded me with her hoof and asked if we could go outside- alone.
“Frosting, I wanted to talk to you. After yesterday I couldn’t stop thinking about you and the way the moonlight shined off of your coat and how your wings were poised for flight before you left. My heart skips when I think about you. I think I love you and I didn’t know how to tell you.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“I love you too.” I closed the space between us and kissed Autumn, my beautiful Autumn.
Chapter 2
She pulled away, “No, no this isn’t right! I’m not supposed to fall in love with a mare . I’m supposed to be in love with the stallion of my dreams!”
“Hawhat?” I squeaked.
“Hey Girls! Come back inside! Were starting a game of pin the tail on the pony!” called Scootaloo.
“ I’m sorry if my emotions took over for a bit darling, my standards aren’t that low.” Her tail flicked the end of my muzzle when she turned and trotted off. Why did I want her more now that she kiss-rejected me? It was because I was stubborn.
“It’s cool guys! I’m going home.” I called back.
As I flew back home I couldn’t get her out of my head. Her perfect smile, her shiny coat, the way her speech was lit by a distinct Trottingham accent. I needed sleep, and this stupid fantasy that Autumn and I would ever be together would vanish.
“But then again, reviewing the situation she said, ‘I’m supposed to,” not “I want to.’ So she does like me!” I looped in mid flight and landed on my porch.
That night I had a dream about when Mrs. Cake passed away and Pinkie Pie was hiring. I had been a blank flank at the time and I was desperate, so I begged for her to hire me. Even though I might have been a total disaster she hired me anyway. I baked up a storm that day; and Pinkie Pie was watching me with that huge grin of hers plastered on her face the whole time. By the time closing rolled around she had asked me to become her personal assistant and protégé in Sugarcube Corner. I happily agreed. It wasn’t until that night when I got home and looked at myself in a full-length mirror I saw my cutie mark, a green frosted cupcake. But when I cooked dinner for my parents it sealed the deal, I was a chef and my place was in the kitchen. Next, my dream was intruded by Autumn. An extremely fantasized dream about how this day should have ended.
After we kissed our eyes met, and so again did our lips. Over and over we kissed until my world was immersed in the deep amber of her eyes, and the warmth of our embrace. We were on top and nothing would change that until- beep beep beep.
My hoof hit the alarm clock. 5:00 am, time for my morning flight. This time before I left I prepared pancakes and orange juice and a note for Autumn. It read:
Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
This breakfast was prepared just for you.
With love, your admirer.
It was so corny, but it had to be done. I flew over the boutique and slid silently into an open window. It was Sweetie Belle’s room. She was singing in her sleep. I snuck quietly out of her room and peeked into the adjacent doorway. Bingo, Autumn’s room. I slid the breakfast tray onto her nightstand and stared at the gorgeous mare sleeping in the bed. Damn, she was even prettier while she slept. I leaned over and gently kissed the tip of her horn and whispered, “I love you Autumn Glimmer.” And I exited the building as silently as I came in.
Pinkie pie stood near the door as usual when I came in. She looked at me suspiciously.
“Why were you late?” she asked nonchalantly when we were setting out apple fritters.
“I was uh, visiting a friend.” I said as I dolloped whipped cream onto the fritters.
“Don’t lie to me Frosting. If you lied to me and I found out? Everypony would be in for a world of trouble.” I didn’t want to piss off either my boss, or my friend so I confessed.
“I snuck into The Carousel Boutique really early so I could deliver a present to Autumn because I love her and I want her to love me back!”
“Oh-hoho, a love present. I understand.”
“How could you possibly understand? You’ve never mentioned anypony special.”
“Nope, but I have been in love before.” A grin was manifesting itself on Pinkie’s muzzle.
“With who? When?” I asked as Pinkie Pie flipped the sign on the door from closed to open.
“I’ll tell you when you’ve gotten your issues straightened out.” She said with a sneaky grin.
The first customer of the day wandered inside and I was baking like my life depended on it. Every second I dreamed I was making beautiful things for Autumn and she loved them, and she love me. Speak of the Nightmare, Autumn trotted inside with Rarity. They were both outfitted in dazzling dresses encrusted in gemstones. Rarity in amethyst and Autumn in Topaz and Citrine. I flitted lightly over to their table and asked, “Hello ladies. What would you like to-” My heart stopped when Autumn looked directly at me with those gorgeous amber eyes, “to- to eat?” I said regaining my composure.
“We’d like some tea please.” Rarity said kindly. Autumn nodded her agreement. As I walked to the kitchen I couldn’t help but eavesdrop on their conversation.
“-Left me a delicious breakfast and a cute poem.”
“Sounds like somepony has a secret admirer.”
“I wonder who he is?”
“Well we’ll have to find out, and when we get back to the boutique-.” Awesome, she didn’t suspect a thing.
“Here are your teas ladies. Would you like anything else?”
“No thank you.” And after that, they drank their tea, paid and left.
At closing time I asked Pinkie Pie, “How is Autumn Rarity’s model anyway?”
“Well, back when Everypony didn’t know that Photo Finish took Buck she was a very famous fasionista traveling all over Equestria looking for the next top model. One day in Trottingham while sipping coffee in a café she saw Autumn sitting in a corner by herself. She saw the potential and beauty that the young filly possessed and offered her the chance of a lifetime. Autumn gladly accepted the offer and became an overnight sensation until one day before a performance in a drugged rage Photo Finish beat Autumn. But she escaped and moved to Ponyville so she wouldn’t be hurt again.” Pinkie pulled out some magazines from five years ago from the rack, and on the cover was Autumn Glimmer advertising a new spring line. “Out of a job and homeless she knocked on the nearest door; which happened to be the boutique and asked for a place to stay. Rarity recognizing talent let her in and offered her a job. And they’ve been working together ever since.” My mouth gaped open, Autumn was beaten? I had no idea.
“Well good night Frosting! See you tomorrow!” and I flew off into the warm summer evening wondering if I should know my crush a little bit better before I went fantasizing.
That night I dreamed about her again, but this time it was a quiet picnic. Just Autumn, Luna's stars,and me.
Chapter 3
As I prepared breakfast the next morning there was a knock on the door.
“Coming!” I said as I trotted to the door. Right outside was Sweetie Belle.
“Uh, good morning Sweetie Belle is there something I can help you with at five in the morning?”
“Yes, in fact there is.” She said with a stern look on her face, “I open my window at night to let cool air in- not to let crazy ponies with breakfast in.”
“What are you talking about?” I said nervously.
“I’m talking about you sneaking in through my window to deliver pancakes and orange juice to a certain somepony and waking me up!”
“Wha-“
“I heard you come into my room a couple days ago. I’m a light sleeper and I heard you go into Autumn’s room and deliver the breakfast. I know you like her Frosting.”
“Yes, fine I love Autumn. But how the hay do you know where I live?”
“Easy, I’m a crusader I have a crude map of Ponyville and two best friends that pretty much drip information.”
“Umm OK, wow. Just don’t tell anypony that I have a crush on Autumn. Please?”
“Your secret is safe with me, cross my heart and hope to fly- stick a cupcake in my eye.” And she began to walk away.
“Wait! Can you give these to her?” I said holding up some flowers.
“As long as you don’t go sneaking into my room through the window anymore.”
“I promise I won’t.”
“Good.” And this time with the flowers in her mouth she trotted back to The Carousel Boutique. Just then I remembered my breakfast and I dashed inside for some very cold oatmeal.
As usual Pinkie Pie was waiting inside the door for me her smile just as bright and cheery as always.
“Good morning Frosting! Are you ready to get a-shakin’ and a-bakin’?”
“As always captain Pinkie!” I said cheerfully.
Today was relatively uneventful because not many customers came in as usual so I asked Pinkie, “What ever happened to Mr. Cake?”
“Well, after Mrs. Cake passed on he was left to mange the store and take care of two children. The pressure was too great and he left for Manehattan with the twins in search of a new wife leaving the bakery to me.”
“Hm.” I said, “I hope he and the twins are OK.”
“They sure are! Mr. Cake sends me letters every two weeks.” The bell rang over the door to signify the entrance of customers. As per usual it was Rarity and Autumn. But something was off about my sweet, but I couldn’t put my hoof on it. Still she was a beauty to behold.
“The usual chai tea Rarity?” Pinkie Pie asked.
“Yes thank you, and could you please fetch us some napkins?” Happy to oblige I snagged some cloth napkins from behind the counter and brought them to the fashion ponies.
“Thank you dear.” She levitated it to Autumn who took it gratefully. Thirty minuets after they departed closing rolled around again. Washing napkins isn’t my favorite thing to do but somepony has to do it. And as I went to wash the last one my hooves touched something sticky and deep red. Blood. And guess whose table I had cleared last? Autumn’s table, I had cleared Autumn’s table last.
“PIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNKKKKIIIIEEEEEE!!!!!” as soon as I finished yelling her name she appeared at my side.
“What is it Frosting? Did a cupcake give you the evil eye?”
“No.” I said, shakily holding up the napkin, “Pinkie Pie; this is blood. I got this off of Autumn’s table.” Pinkie’s eyes widened as she said, “She was coughing into that. I saw it.” She threw the bloody napkin into the garbage and gave me a huge hug.
“It’s OK, I’ll talk to Rarity about it tomorrow. Take the day off tomorrow while I get things sorted OK? You definitely deserve it.”
“But-“
“Hey, I’m the boss. And the boss says to take a break.” And she pushed me onto the street.
As I ate dinner that evening I wrote a letter to Autumn. It read:
Dear Autumn,
I truly love you and would like to invite you to a picnic tomorrow evening in the village park under the gazebo. I am the one who sent you a lovely breakfast, and beautiful roses and I believe it is time for you and I to get to know each other. I will meet you at 6:30 pm. I can’t wait.
Love,
Your admirer
And that was the absolute best I could write but you have to give me credit my talent isn’t writing after all. Now the problem that surfaces is how I was to get it to her without sneaking back into the boutique.
“I wish Sweetie Belle was here again to deliver this.” And if some magical force had carried out my wish a knock came from my door. I answered and just the pony I wanted to see was at my door.
“Ditzy Doo! Luna, am I glad to see you. I need you to deliver this message to Autumn Glimmer at The Carousel Boutique. Please don’t tell her who it’s from.” Ditzy smiled and put the letter into her mail-carrying satchel and flew off.
“What a sweet mare.” I thought as I went back inside to continue eating.
I began working on the picnic the very next morning after I went shopping.
Apples, oatmeal- rasin cookies, wine, some glasses, plates, a soft blue blanket, and romantic candles were all tossed into a basket I had purchased earlier. Now for the main course, this dish had to be absolutely perfect. All I had to figure out was what to cook. I started digging in my cookbook cupboard until I came across a book that my mother said would come in handy when I was older. “Recipes for Two. (A Lovely Guide to Romantic Meals.)”
“How about…” my eyes scanned the pages in hopes that I would find something to match my Autumn’s beauty in one delicious piece of culinary artwork. My eyes landed on the dish that I knew would make anypony happy especially Autumn, “Pumpkin Cinnamon Surprise” the surprise was carrot-crème filling.
“Delicious!” and I baked away.
That evening in the village park under the gazebo at 6:10 pm I set up the picnic in the most pleasing way possible so we could watch the sunset together. And I waited. At 6:30 on the dot a distinct sound of hoof beats sounded on the dirt road. My heart was racing, our first real date EVER. In the pre-sunset light Autumn Glimmer was radiant. Her mane flowed gracefully in the breeze. Her eyes sparkled and she was trotting toward the picnic. She closed her eyes before she entered and sat down as to not spoil the surprise of whom her admirer finally turned out to be. She slowly opened her eyes and saw me sitting across from her in the setting sun.
Chapter 4
“You again?” She gasped as I smiled genuinely in her direction, “Listen. Thank you for all of the things you’ve done: the flowers, the really good pancakes, and now this. I’m sorry but I can’t love you, no matter how much you plead and beg I can’t love you.”
“Why? I did all of this to present my love to you and you won’t say you love me back.”
“If I told you the truth it would break your heart Frosting. I made up an excuse the other day, because if I weren’t in this mess I would have stayed with you. I’m so sorry but I- I just can’t.” and Autumn stood up to leave, I was near devastation.
“Then why did you meet with me here?! If this ‘thing’ is more important than love why did you come here?!”
“Because it is better to be loved than alone, and if you knew what was going on you would be alone.” And she left me, food uneaten, wine not drunk. Believe me I still loved her, wholly and completely but I was heart-broken and left to sob under the gazebo. Somepony was approaching from behind and asked in a gentile voice, “I-if you don’t mind me asking. What’s wrong?” It was Fluttershy. I sat up and said shakily, “You wouldn’t understand, you don’t have a special somepony.”
“Yes I do.” She said, “Remember Green Hooves?”
“That one stallion from the party, yeah.”
“We’ve been going out for one year straight. Do you mind if I sit here?” she said indicating Autumn’s empty place.
“Sure, nopony is sitting there anymore.”
“Thank you,” she replied sitting down gingerly. “We met through our faith. One evening I was preforming a ritual when he stumbled into my casting space, claiming to be on the hunt for seeds near the Everfree Forest. He asked what I was doing so I explained and he got really excited and said ‘Hay I believe that too!’ and we finished the rite together. He’s been giving me pointers on herbs and things, and I teach him about most everything else, but when we realized we were in love we started dating and now if I ever get the courage I want him to marry me.” Fluttershy ended her story with an adorable “squee.” I nibbled on an apple and asked her, “Miss Fluttershy, do you know what’s wrong with Autumn?”
“Yes, but she hasn’t been by to pick up her- Oh- Fluttershy, you know you aren’t supposed to talk about patients. Sorry I can’t tell you!” and she bolted away.
As I ate the food Autumn never ate and watched the sunset I wondered what the whole deal was about her.
“Bloody napkin, coughing, she needs to pick up something from a healer? None of this makes any sense!” I gulped a swig of wine; it felt good spilling down my throat so I wound up drinking the whole bottle. I stumbled around in the dark and eventually I gave up and went to sleep.
When I woke up Twilight Sparkle was looking at me quizzically.
“It looks like somepony had too much alcohol last night.” She was right because I had a massive hangover.
“Miss Sparkle? What the buck am I doing in the library?”
“You kind of passed out in front of it, and I’m not mean so I put you in the guest bed!” she said brightly. Even through the fog of my hangover, one question was prominent. What is wrong with Autumn so that I couldn’t love her?
“Twilight, I have a question.” Her ears perked up and her eyes twinkled at the prospect of teaching something new, “I have a… friend and she came to visit and asked to borrow a napkin, which she coughed into. Later while washing this napkin I found bloodstain covering it. What does that mean?” Twilight’s look became downcast.
“It means your friend has a rare but treatable disease known as Tuberculosis. If she has been taking her medications, she will definitely be fine. But if she isn’t she will um… die.” She said the last word gently as if it would hurt me. Autumn had to be taking her medication; she seemed so happy all the time. So I thanked Twilight and walked to Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie Pie greeted me at the door as usual.
“Frosting? Are you OK?”
“Yeah I’m OK just, hung-over.”
“Okie-dokie-loki!” she said, “And I talked to Rarity, she said that everything is fine.” Twilight’s words ran through my head and I thought, “Yes, everything is all right.”
Suddenly Green Hooves burst through the door.
“Where is she? Fluttershy said she wanted to tell me something!” and then Fluttershy gingerly opened the door and prodded a very excited Green Hooves and said, “Well, if it’s OK with you and not really too much trouble…” She paused. “ I wanted to know if you wanted to-“ she mumbled the last part.
“What? “
“I asked if you wanted to-“
“Seriously mare, speak up! He’ll want to hear this!” called Pinkie Pie.
“Would you marry me?” she squeaked.
“Yes! For all the apples in Equestria! Yes!” Cat calls and whistles resounded through the bakery as Fluttershy and Green Hooves shared a big old kiss. With any luck that would be Autumn and me, standing in a very beautiful place agreeing to marry each other. This scene gave me confidence in my love and I would have to be brash about what I did next about my relationship.
The next morning before I went to work I counted my savings, 212 more bits until I could own a restaurant. I picked a single rose from my garden and zoomed to The Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. Sweetie Belle answered.
“Get Autumn up. I have something to tell her, it’s very important.” Sweetie Belle nodded, “Looks important.” And she disappeared into the store. The plan was perfect, and now all I had to do was wait.
Chapter 5
Sweetie Belle, who only mouthed, “Good luck”, shoved Autumn to the door and ran back into the boutique. Autumn opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted, “Before you say anything I just wanted to ask this one thing of you.”With the princesses as my witnesses, I hope this works. I prayed silently.
“Can we be together for just one night? If you have a condition I don’t care, I just want to spend time with you. Even if it is our first and only date I just want to be happy, and I want to make you happy.” I picked up the rose I had plucked earlier and gestured for her to take it. She caught it in an iridescent orange aura and smiled.
“If it’s only for one night, yes I’ll go. If it’s any longer I’m afraid that-“ she paused, “something bad might happen.” Personally I didn’t care what happened tonight; all I cared about was that I had Autumn Glimmer for one romantic evening- condition or not.
“Ok, come on over at the same time you met me the other night!” I said brightly. I gave her directions to my house and left to once again prepare dinner for my very special somepony.
Tonight’s menu consisted of lasagna, a sweet spring salad, and Very Cherry Pie for desert. I didn’t know how things would turn out, but I hoped that finally all of my hard work was worth it. I set the table with the “special occasion” silverware I had gotten as a gift from my father when I graduated high school, and the cleanest white plates I had; making sure every detail was just perfect. I lit the candles and waited. And waited. And waited.
It had been an hour before there was a knock at the door. I rushed forward, took three deep breaths, and then opened the door. Autumn stood there in the dying light of evening. My heart stopped as I looked into her eyes, they weren’t as focused as before but they were still a deep amber that reflected every red and orange celestially possible.
“Good evening Frosting, I’m terribly sorry for being late but I had some… personal issues to attend to.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Come on in!” Autumn wandered into my house and I escorted her into the dining room. The candles were halfway burned. She sat on a chair and levitated a fork and gingerly took a bite of the sweet spring salad. Her eyes widened as the lemony zest hit her tongue.
“So, how is it?” I asked, eagerly awaiting her approval. She just smiled and nodded, that was all I needed to tuck in myself. We ate in silence until Autumn asked, “Frosting, why do you live on the ground in Ponyville and not up in the sky in Cloudsdale with all the other pegasi?” I almost tipped my seat with surprise. Nopony had ever asked why I lived on the ground.
“Well, when I was a filly my father was a Pegasus and my mom was an earth pony; and truthfully it’s a racial thing that goes back a long time ago. It was almost a “Romeo and Muliette” between them, but eventually my dad decided that he would move onto the ground so he could be with my mom. I just grew up on the ground and I don’t plan to leave anytime soon.” Autumn had been genuinely interested with my story and asked if I could bring out the next course. I obliged. When I came back she was out of her seat levitating her napkin near her mouth. She quickly sat down again. We ate our lasagna in relative quiet with the occasional compliment and general conversation. Once again when I returned from getting the next course out of the kitchen Autumn was out of her seat, but this time she was coughing hoarsely into the napkin.
“Are you OK?” I asked.
“Yes- I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.” She gave me the “I don’t wanna talk about it” look. So we didn’t.
After dessert we talked and joked about everything and nothing. It was good to hear her laugh, like someone ringing a sleigh bell. And shortly we had to bid goodnight. She politely thanked me for the meal and turned to leave, when I stopped her. I gently kissed her under Luna’s watchful moon. The irony taste of blood lingered in my mouth after our muzzles parted.
“Good night Frosting.”
“Good night Autumn Glimmer, I love you.” She looked at me and smiled sadly and then collapsed into a coughing heap.
In the hospital I was by her bed even after Rarity had left. Her eyes had glassed over, blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. I couldn’t have saved her nor could have the doctors. Autumn Glimmer was dead.
I loved somepony once, her name was Autumn Glimmer. She is gone, and I am all alone.
