One evening, after closing up shop for the day at Sugarcube Corner, the bell atop the door to Sugarcube Corner rang.
This was not unusual; Pinkie Pie and Cheese Sandwich both, ever the socialites, had an open door policy for quite literally anypony who wanted somepony to talk to, and it seemed somepony or other was stopping by every other day for a quick chat (or to place a catering order, or to request help planning an event. The sign on the front door reading ‘Closed’ was really just a suggestion).
Sometimes, it was even a little foal with their parents, having come for a playdate with Lil Cheese, who was finally old enough for said playdates and making the most of it. Speaking of playdates, Lil Cheese had left earlier to spend the evening at Sweet Apple Acres. accompanied by his dad. The confectionary was unusually quiet, which was just fine, nowadays. Pinkie didn’t love it all the time, but she’d learned a little bit couldn’t do any harm.
And then had came the bell. She never knew who to expect when that little tinkly thing rang. Tonight, though, holding a broom in her hoof, sweeping up a day’s worth of strawberry sprinkles and red velvet crumbs and other miscellaneous sweet-related debris, she thought she might. She’d had a feeling earlier. Or rather, to be more specific, a twitchy ear and an achy frog, a sensation she was familiar with. So when she looked up from her task, she really wasn’t all that surprised.
“Darling!” None other than Rarity, her magic laden with a couple of gift bags, came prancing through the door, her voice perhaps more musical than the bell itself.
Pinkie broke into a huge smile. Her Pinkie Sense had been right! Oh, it always was. “Rarity!” She wasted no time in dumping the broom where she stood and trotting over to the mare, waiting for her to set the gift bags down before enveloping her in one of her biggest hugs yet to date. “It’s been so long!” She said into her mane, pulling back after only a few seconds.
“Has it really?” Rarity asked, and began looking around at the little dining area of the shop. “Oh my, you’ve remodeled in here since I’ve last been! I suppose it has been a while!”
Pinkie bobbed her head in a nod. “Yep! I thought it was time for some renovations. We did it… just a little after Lil Cheese was born, actually, since we were taking some time off anyways. So it’s actually been a couple of years! Crazy how time passes!”
Rarity briefly grimaced. “It.. has been a while since I’ve come here, hasn’t it?”
Pinkie nodded again, feeling like a real, live bobblehead. “It happens. You’re busy with sooo much stuff! And we still see each other at the Council of Friendship meetings, so it’s not like I haven’t seen you at all.”
“Still,” Rarity frowned, “It is so terribly rude of me not to stop to visit you one-on-one more often! I shall make an effort to fix this!”
“Aw, Rarity, I understand. Buuut I won’t say no to one of my bestest friends dropping in more often!” Pinkie smiled, and Rarity chuckled at her.
“Why, thank you, Pinkie.”
Sugarcube Corner was getting fairly dim; Pinkie didn’t like to keep the lights on in the front after they were closed, so ponies knew not to expect a freshly baked treat if they did walk in, and when the sun set it quickly grew dark. “How about we go upstairs?” She suggested.
“Oh, I’m afraid I don’t have that much time, I’m so sorry to say. I’ve got to catch a train back out to Manehattan tonight and I need to grab a few things from the boutique before I do so.”
“Aw, well thanks for stopping by anyways!” Pinkie said. She understood that Rarity was a busy mare, perhaps even the busiest. And being an adult, keeping up with your friends and your family and your job and countless other responsibilities, was hard.
“Of course! I wanted to drop off a couple of gifts. I know I’ve sort of missed, well, multiple birthdays over the years, so I thought I’d bring a few things to try and make up for it.”
“Pssh, you don’t have to make up for anything, Rarity. But I appreciate it!” Even as she said it, she felt her heart-rate quicken ever so slightly. Gifts were always exciting. Especially to Pinkie Pie.
“Nonsense, it’s the least I can do!” She said. “And where are the Cheeses?” She said, sparking a small laugh for her small joke.
“Oh, Lil Cheese had a playdate and Cheese accompanied him! It’s just me tonight.”
“Oh,” Rarity said, and then thought for a moment. “Well, I suppose that’s alright. We’ll let them go through their gifts on their own. But just so you know,” She said, lifting each bag in turn as she spoke about the gifts inside, which had been exactly what Pinkie expected her to do because she loved to show off her handiwork, “I made Lil Cheese a few blankets… oh, if you make sure to keep track of the green one, I’d love to embroider his cutie mark on it once he gets it. Or maybe I’ll just make a new one- yes, yes, a new one.
“And this one is for Cheese Sandwich- great heavens, Pinkie, I realized I truly do not know that stallion well at all, we must fix that someday! But I made a matching bowtie set for him and that rubber chicken of his. A tad gimmicky perhaps, but I hope he likes it. And for you…” Rarity paused. “For you, well, I’m not sure… oh, you can just open it. Here.” And she foisted the last bag upon Pinkie; deceptively small, and heavier than it looked.
Pinkie shook it and it made a sort of rattly sound. She could already tell what it was from the smell, but that was okay, she could pretend to be surprised. She delicately took the tissue paper out of the gift bag and lifted another bag out of it.
Coffee beans.
“I know you’ve grown to appreciate plain coffee more,” Rarity said, in that tone of voice that indicated she was trying to justify the gift to Pinkie as much as herself, “And, well, it’s from a very nice shop in Canterlot that I love to go to, and the blend, as you can see on the bag, is called Birthday Cupcake. It simply called out to me.”
Pinkie smiled at the gift. It really was nice, and it did sound yummy. And… “Oh, I know I’ll love this, Rarity. I’ll have a cup tomorrow.”
“I’m glad! And, well…” Rarity scuffed a hoof against the floor. “I guess it also reminded me of back when we were in Canterlot for those few months. I’m not trying to get sentimental on you or dig up old feelings. But they were… simpler times. We were simpler ponies.” Rarity’s eyes glimmered as she reminisced. “Dreaming of opening a bakery and coffee shop of our own out in the city…” She chuckled. “I can’t believe we ever thought that would work out.”
“I can,” Pinkie replied. “I had the whole menu planned out and everything! I think we could’ve made it work. Who knows? We might’ve been the most famous bakery and cafe in Equestria by now!” She trotted to the front counter and set the coffee beans down. “Well, if we hadn’t broken up, that is.”
Rarity laughed. “Yes, that certainly threw a wrench in our plans, didn’t it?”
Pinkie giggled back. “Just a little. And right before we made the move on renting out a place, too! Imagine how different life would be.”
Rarity exhaled. “Quite different, indeed… but no reason to dwell. We both made the right choice that day.” And then her expression changed, an almost wistful look that Pinkie had grown quite accustomed to over the years. "Pinkie, I must say, you were a wonderful mare back then, but I’ve been so proud of the mare you’ve become. Cheese is a lucky stallion. And Lil Cheese is lucky to have such a wonderful mom, too.”
“Thank you, Rarity.” Pinkie said, softly, for once. “That means a lot to me. You’re still just as amazing and beautiful as ever, yourself!”
“Oh, pshaw. I’m already greying, Pinkie, don’t flatter me.” She said, but she was smiling. She loved to be flattered. She always had.
“I mean it!” She said, and she did. Even with a few more grey hairs, and an extra wrinkle or two, Rarity was stunning.
The conversation came to a close soon after, and Rarity left, the doorbell tinkling again behind her, the gift bags all sat on the front counter waiting for their recipients whenever they came back. She’d done what she came to do.
Pinkie picked up the coffee beans and went into the kitchen. They went on a specific shelf, one that only ever held coffee beans, one that remained empty far more often than not.
Her and Rarity had had that same conversation several times over the years, always initiated by Rarity, always brought on by ‘Well, I bought you these coffee beans, it may be silly I know, but it just reminded me of when we used to…’
It was charming. The way Rarity loved to reminisce, the way she just sparkled as she talked about their past, the way she always said not to dwell on it while doing that very thing herself. The way the conversation was always a little different, but boiled back down to the same thing.
The way Rarity held onto it, and had held onto it for over a decade.
But Pinkie loved her friend. She wouldn’t push Rarity away over this silly little thing. Rarity was just a romantic at heart, and she would never do anything but reminisce, so it was okay if…
She sighed and smiled as she looked up at the coffee. Truth be told, she still didn’t enjoy the drink. Not even a little. But she’d brew herself a cup of this new blend first thing in the morning, like she always did when Rarity brought her some.
It was the least she could do.
