Another Year Another Smile

Chapter III: Smoke and Mirrors Behind that Smile

“Are you sure about this?” I ask the young cowgirl with a lot of skepticism. She parked the car in front of an ice cream parlor, unwavering in her claim that Sunset and Twilight came here. The two of them left by the time I got out of the restroom, so I suppose I can only trust what Apple Bloom heard. Or maybe this is just some gut instinct of hers…

“Will ya trust me? I heard them say they needed to come here to taste test something. I ain’t sure what it is though.” Apple Bloom turns off the car, gesturing for me to get out. “In any case, we should probably go in if we want to have any chance of getting clues for their plans.” While I can’t deny that fact, the idea of going inside is a little worrying since the place is so small. Apple Bloom even took off that stupid mustache, so she will probably be easier to recognize.

Getting out of the car, I walk with her to the entrance of the shop. Apple Bloom opens the door, giving me an instant sweet smell of different ice cream flavors. The inside of the shop is relatively empty with only a few patrons other than us and our two targets. Sunset and Twilight are both at the other side of the shop, talking with each other while they eat sundaes. For some reason, the looks on their faces say that they’re probably talking about something serious. Maybe plan details…

“See? I told you that they’d be here,” Apple Bloom confidently reiterates her point, making me roll my eyes a little.

“Yes, but that doesn’t explain why they’re here. I’d like some elaboration after all.” As soon as I start to walk to a table, Apple Bloom grabs my arm to stop me.

“I’m gonna order us some ice cream. It’d look weird if we didn’t have something to eat. What do you want?” she asks me with a raised eyebrow. Shrugging to myself, I look towards the counter.

“Cherry if they have it. Just one scoop. I don’t want to overdo it.” Especially since I just vomited in a public restroom less than twenty minutes ago… Apple Bloom nods, walking over to the counter and leaving me to find us a table. I take a deep breath to stabilize myself. My migraines have been making me dizzy. I don’t feel anything right now, but I never know why I will get knocked off balance until I’m moving anyway. Walking over to a table next to a window, I sit down with an exhale.

Directing my gaze at Sunset and Twilight, I notice that Sunset is gone now. Her sundae is still next to Twilight, but she is mysteriously absent from her seat. I didn’t think she would go to the restroom in the time it took me to find a table. It was less than a minute.

“Excuse me,” a voice speaks up from beside me, making me turn my gaze. Standing right there is the familiar fox, looking down at me with a bright smile. “I hope I’m not bothering you. I just wanted to say I love your hairstyle.” Her finger points to my curly short hair, making me confused. For a disguise, this was supposed to draw attention away from me. Clearly, it hasn’t worked well. “I tried a shorter hairstyle before as well, but it doesn’t work on me. Do you have any advice?” She has…? I don’t remember Sunset having hair this short. Even in pictures of her before I arrived at Canterlot High. At least she doesn’t suspect it is me yet.

“No, actually. I just have naturally curly hair,” I reply in a voice that is higher pitched than my own. To anyone else, I would sound completely different. However, I don’t know if it works on her… If she suspects me for even a second, she could probably tell. She knows me too well. Honestly, I feel really glad that I left that damn party hat in the car.

“Oh, well, you can’t blame me for asking,” Sunset states with a cheerful laugh. Even though I share her delightful giggle, I can’t help but count the seconds she stands here. My mind is running haywire with any way I could give myself away. “I also noticed you came in here with Apple Bloom. Are you a friend of hers?”

The lack of that stupid mustache is what led to us being spotted. I figured it would. It takes every ounce of energy in me to not roll my eyes. I don’t look as young as Apple Bloom, even with this disguise. I guess I could have made myself look younger too. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say…

“Oh yeah, we both met online and connected over the Mystery Cat superheroine series!” I tell her enthusiastically, despite not knowing a single thing about that show. Action heroes are not usually my favorite genre… I’d rather read a book, listen to music, or watch a drama movie instead. My face really wants to contort in cringe over that line I just said, but I manage to hold myself together.

“Interesting. I didn’t know Apple Bloom had many friends your age. Her sister, a few of my friends, and my wife are the only ones I know of.” Sunset shrugs with a curious giggle, letting it slip that she’s married. Although I should end the conversation here, a part of me wants to hear her talk about me. Probably to stroke my ego. Or to see what she would say to a stranger.

“Is that your wife over there?” I ask, referring to Twilight. “I saw you two sitting together when I came in.”

“Oh, no,” Sunset states with a shake of her head. “My wife isn’t here with me today. Tomorrow is her birthday and well… Let’s just say I wanted to check if there was any ice cream she’d like from here. Cherry is a great choice by the way.” Sunset winks at me, an odd look stuck in her eye. Something about this whole interaction feels… off. I don’t think she knows it is me, but maybe she suspects something. “I hope you like the ice cream. Enjoy your time with Apple Bloom. You two should also give the amusement park a try. It’d probably be right up your alley.” Sunset gives a small wave before turning around, heading back towards Twilight. The one thing sticking in my mind is how she knew I ordered cherry… If she did know it was me, she wouldn’t have been so forthcoming with the birthday information.

Now, I just have to figure out what else she’s planning.

“Cherry cone from yours truly.” Practically slamming herself down on the chair opposite me, Apple Bloom enthusiastically hands me my ice cream. She has a scoop of mint chocolate. From the green on her lips, I can see she’s already been licking at her treat.

“You got us caught,” I tell her with a teasing tone. However, Apple Bloom’s eyes go wide, looking at me with disbelief.

“H-huh? No, I haven’t. What do ya mean?”

“Relax, she didn’t know it was me,” I wave my hand as I explain, trying to calm her down. “Sunset came over and talked to me. She complimented my hair and recognized you. Funnily enough, she admitted that she’s planning something for my birthday. She even said we should go to the amusement park.” For some reason, Apple Bloom doesn’t calm down. Her eyes seem to go wider than before, turning her gaze to Sunset and Twilight.

“Already? I thought they were going to the aquarium first,” Apple Bloom talks to herself in a confused manner. What does she mean by ‘already’? How would she know that information? Apple Bloom turns to look at me, her expression seeming nervous upon noticing my scrutinizing stare. “I heard them talk about the amusement park and aquarium before we left the bar. I don’t know why they need to go to those places, but at least we know where they’re going? I just thought they were going to the aquarium first.”

“And you didn’t mention this on the way here because…?” My question seems to make Apple Bloom frozen, her eyes telling me she is thinking a thousand thoughts a minute. Huh. I should have guessed. She didn’t think about it. Understandable. She probably had her mind focused on getting here as quickly as possible. Except when she stopped to help that elderly lady across the road even when it was her right of way. “It’s fine. Things slip my mind all the time too,” I mention with a chuckle, licking my ice cream.

“Y-yeah, sorry. I forgot about it on the way here.” Apple Bloom shrugs before taking a bite of her frozen treat. I have no idea how she can handle something so cold on her teeth. “Also, I was thinking… Do you want to go on a couple rides when we go to the park? It’s been a while since I’ve gone to Equestria World after all.” Apple Bloom smiles at me, clearly wondering if I would be up for the little adventure. However, we might lose sight of Sunset and Twilight if we go on the rides… I wouldn’t be able to just call Sunset and ask where she is going.

“I don’t know if that is the best idea,” I say quietly, nodding my head to the two people we’ve been following for the past two hours.

“Oh… Yeah, I get it,” she replies with a shrug. Apple Bloom’s gaze lowers to her ice cream, disappointed. A part of me feels a tug on my heart. While it’s true that Apple Bloom and I haven’t spent a lot of time together in the past few months, I don’t want to lose sight of Sunset… I…

“Alright,” I whisper, feeling myself regret this already. “We can go on a couple of rides if we find out where they are going next.” Immediately, Apple Bloom’s eyes light up. My heart is telling me that this might be a mistake, but I suppose setting some time aside for Apple Bloom would make her day better. I don’t know when the next time we will be able to hang out will be.

“That’d be really awesome! I already know the rides we should go on! Not to mention we should take pictures and-” before she can finish her sentence, I hold my hand up.

“Just remember that we have to figure out where they are going next first. Not one ride before that. If they never mention it, I suppose we can assume it is the aquarium like you said, but we should still listen in.” Shrugging to myself, I lick my ice cream before turning my gaze to Sunset. Surprisingly, her eyes are locked with mine from across the shop. Her body is aimed at Twilight, but her eyes give me a warm greeting. It almost feels like she is trying to communicate something to me, but I have no idea what that is.

I can usually decipher her stares of reason, organizing each look into certain emotions or thoughts. Longing. Affection. Anger. Sadness. But this stare? I can’t tell what she is reasoning. Maybe it is because she is deliberately keeping her gaze misleading…

A small wave acknowledges our eye contact, seemingly giggling to herself. Twilight looks in my direction before saying something to Sunset. Both of them stand up from their seats, walking towards the exit.

“We didn’t even finish our ice cream,” Apple Bloom states in a disappointed tone. “You’re holding my cone when we get in the car. I have to focus on the road after all.” Apple Bloom gets up to her feet, stretching her legs. Taking a deep breath, I stand up, already feeling my limbs go numb. My body feels like a receding tide. Despite how much I tell my body to feel something or stabilize myself, it doesn’t respond. Just like a tide, it will only be a few moments until the dizzy feeling leaves and my body will reach equilibrium again.

Shaking my head, I blink a couple of times. Apple Bloom motions for me to follow her, a gesture I take a couple of seconds to understand. Dizziness like that often makes me feel like I have to wake up again. Taking a step, I exhale, nodding to let her know I’m right behind her. It already feels like it has been a long day and we still have hours left. At least I have some help.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I whisper at the sight of the line in front of the Gator Maze. Truly, one of Equestria World’s weirdest yet intriguing attractions. One I remember from years ago. It’s not exactly something I want to participate in again considering my current migraines.

“It’s perfect! You haven’t done this in years. You gotta!” Apple Bloom urges me on, making me shake my head.

“Not this time. Even if the line was shorter, I don’t physically feel up to it.” Not to mention that the only reason I did it years ago was because Sunset was watching me… That kind of incentive isn’t here now. The urge to impress the one you love is the worst drug in the world.

“But Sunset is in line. Don’t you want to be in there with her?” Apple Bloom asks me as if that is an appealing thought. If anything, I would be afraid that I would accidentally hurt Sunset by running into her. From my memory, this maze isn’t easy. There are a lot of things that make it an accident waiting to happen.

“Not exactly. The odds of injuring her are higher than you may think.” The fact that Sunset is in line for this exact attraction almost makes me… jealous. I have no idea why she is here with Twilight and how it could factor into my birthday, but a part of me wishes she had asked me to come here today. In no way is Twilight a bad person or such, but I… I just wish Sunset would have asked me. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to have fun like this with my wife… Combine that with the fact that she’s been so busy planning something for my birthday that she didn’t even have time to listen to my news about securing a deal for the studio…

Sighing to myself, I try to calm down. It’s fine. I’m sure she will spend more time with me after my birthday. I know she has something in the works with those balloon letters. I will have all the time in the world to tell her after tomorrow. She’s just trying to plan something nice for me.

Hopefully, not too nice… Some huge celebration isn’t my style. Not since I lost my magic. Not anymore.

“You’re a buzzkill, you know that?” Apple Bloom states in a half joking manner. “You still want to watch her in the maze, right? Because we could just go to the roller coaster I’ve been wanting to go on. But that would mean being away from your one true love for more than five seconds,” she teases me with pouting lips, portraying me like some puppy that can’t be away from Sunset for a minute.

“So funny,” I reply while rolling my eyes. “We already went through the house of horrors like you wanted. I want to watch the contestants of this maze. You can pick what we do next.” I nudge Apple Bloom to follow me, making her shrug.

“I wonder if Sunset will be as good as you were when you did this maze.” Before we can get to the entrance to the audience area, Apple Bloom stops me. “Hey, do you want a drink? It can get pretty hot sitting around and all. I was figuring…” Apple Bloom’s words trail off. Partly because I stopped listening to her. She’s not actually interested in getting us something to drink. She’s probably interested in the prize counter near the entrance of the park. Her eyes have been glued to it ever since we got here. It makes sense that she would rather try to win a prize instead of watching Sunset participate in a maze.

“Sure. That sounds fine.” Reaching into my bag, I give her a twenty dollar bill, making her raise her eyebrow. “Use that for your ‘drink’ too,” I tell her with a smirk, knowing exactly what she would spend the money on. That counter should keep her entertained long enough for Sunset to complete the maze. Apple Bloom still looks surprised, but grateful nonetheless.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Don’t forget that you agreed I get to pick the next attraction.” Apple Bloom’s assertion makes it out like I wouldn’t hold up my end of the deal, but I like to think that I’m a woman of my word. Even if it isn’t a ride I like, I will let her pick whatever she wants.

When Apple Bloom turns away from me, rushing away, I can’t help but notice that Sunset has already disappeared from sight. I guess the line moved pretty quickly. Twilight, on the other hand, is walking away from the maze… If Sunset knows I am spying on her, this could be a ploy to get me to watch her instead of figuring out why they’re really here of all places.

But that’s all if she knows I’m here… She didn’t seem to know back at the ice cream shop. It still raises the question of who I should follow… Spy on Twilight or watch Sunset compete in a maze I went through years ago. An attraction I participated in all to impress her back then… As much as I want to figure out what is happening for my birthday, seeing Sunset do this for the first time is only going to happen once.

Walking into the entrance of the audience area, I take a deep breath, trying to ignore everyone else. Especially the smell of some people… Finding a seat is easy enough, thankfully. There are already some participants in the maze. None of them get close to winning… Almost everyone who enters the maze gets touched by one of the alligator mascots within a minute. However, I can notice one major change about the maze. The layout is different. Smaller corridors. Now, there’s a center area that has a big red button. It is probably the new win condition… That seems a lot easier than when I did it. I had to keep running until the end of the time limit. I guess this new layout is both easier and harder depending on who runs the maze.

On one hand, someone who is fast can end the game a lot sooner than someone else, feeling less winded after the ordeal. The other side is also true. Someone who may be slower or worse at avoiding the mascots may have to stay in the game longer than I did to actually get to the button, thus adding to the consequences of getting caught in a dead end. It is an interesting change all together. If this was in place back when I played the game, I would not have won.

At least, I would not have won in that way…

Looking to the left entrance of the maze, the door opens to a woman in the typical alligator themed shirt, cargo shorts and rain boots. The fiery hair is an instant giveaway to who it is entering the dragon’s den. Or should it be the alligator’s nest? Seeing Sunset walk in makes my heart beat a little faster. I remember how hard it was to run in those boots, but I hope she makes it pretty far into the maze. Sunset’s eyes look up at the audience, scanning each side of the arena. Her eyes finally meet mine, a small smirk coming to her lips. Once again, her stare is deliberately misleading. Her emotion unknown and her goal a mystery, I can’t tear my eyes away. The way she looks at me for a second too long makes me feel weird. She wouldn’t look at a stranger like that, would she? Before I can have a chance to confirm my suspicions, she starts running to the left. The mud makes her slip to the floor, but she quickly gets back up. Clearly, there’s nothing here that would contribute to my birthday surprise, so she just decided to do this for fun. Twilight is probably going to get whatever they need from here.

I’m not angry though… Seeing her dedication to run this maze is amazing. And for a moment, I can pretend she’s doing it for me. Even if she doesn’t know it’s me behind this magic disguise…

Twilight and Sunset walk in front of us, slowly checking out each exhibit. We make sure to keep our distance while staying within eyesight. That has been a little difficult due to some of Apple Bloom’s shenanigans. She specifically got excited about a shark tank. The dimly lit atmosphere of an aquarium makes it easy for Apple Bloom and I to blend in. The one good thing I can say about this place is that the sound of water surrounding us on all sides is oddly peaceful. Even if there is some annoying perfume or loud person, I can just focus on the sound of the water. Waves of distant memories in a way. Some good. Some bad. Every drop reminds me of times in my life with no rhyme or reason. No pattern to the memories.

“Ya know, I kind of expected there to be an exhibit where I could pet some of these fish,” Apple Bloom tells me, subsequently breaking me from my thoughts. Instead, I can’t help but think about how crazy of a statement that is. Petting fish… Why would she expect that?

“You do know these are water-based creatures, right? It isn’t exactly easy to pet them. Why would there be a place like that?” I give her a skeptical look as we walk beside a large glass wall encasing different kinds of fish.

“You’ve never pet a stingray before? Aw, man! You’ve missed out! Some aquariums have some shallow pools of water where people can pet them and some small kinds of sharks. I mean, this place is lame for not having one, but you really should cross that off your bucket list!” Apple Bloom excitedly tells me, acting as if it is an experience I shouldn’t miss. It personally does not sound like something I would be interested in. Unless Sunset was with me.

“I’d rather cross off a few books I’ve been meaning to read. I prefer to read when I’m alone, but I will consider it if I go to another aquarium.” Actually, reading with the sound of water around me feels like a pretty good idea. I should find some time to go read at the beach.

“What website do you use to read?” Apple Bloom asks me with a tilt of her head. However, her question only serves to make me more confused.

“Website? I read from books.”

“Yeah, books. There are books online too. They’re pretty efficient too since there’s no need for a physical bookshelf, no worry of tearing a page or stuff like that. Heck, even if you get tired of a certain book, you can just find another one instead of having to find another physical book. Gosh. I don’t think I’ve ever said ‘book’ so many times.” Apple Bloom wags her tongue a little, trying to emphasize how much that word has been used in the past minute. “I mean, it’s not a bad thing to use physical copies, but I find it easier to use websites. Some can even read to you if you get tired of using your eyes.”

“I’ll stick to physical for now. You know my proficiency on the internet.” That is to say that I have barely any skill at using the internet. I can search things up easily enough, but aside from that or looking up music videos, I don’t use it that much. “But I will ask you for a website recommendation if I ever feel curious. It certainly sounds interesting.”

“Probably not as interesting as watching Sunset in that maze, huh?” Apple Bloom teases me, nudging me with her elbow. “I mean, seeing her win probably made you happy.”

“Says the one who was so invested in that prize counter that she missed the whole time Sunset was in that maze,” I jab back, chuckling a little to myself. “For someone who spent all that money to win a small pink bear, you really like to tease me for small things. It was weird though…” Apple Bloom’s expression perks up upon hearing my last sentence.

“What was weird about it? Did she fall a lot?”

“Nothing like that,” I instantly respond, looking directly at Sunset. Even though her back is turned to me, I can see that she is giggling at something Twilight said. “Sunset looked at me a lot during her performance… Not at the other audience members. Just me in particular. And when she won, her gaze looked especially proud. It almost felt like she was staring straight through my disguise…”

“I-I’m sure it wasn’t that!” Apple Bloom interjects with a slight stutter, sounding like she accidentally breathed incorrectly. “She probably just focused on the person she recognized. I mean, you talked with her at the ice cream shop, so she probably looked at you since she remembered you.” Apple Bloom has a nervous smile on her lips, but I can’t understand why. She quickly grabs my arm and stops me, pulling me over to one of the walls. “Actually, could we take a picture?”

“Now? We just took one-” before I can finish my statement, Apple Bloom nods at the exhibit right behind us. It’s a relatively small tank that has a few seahorses.

“Please? I think it’d be a cool selfie.” Apple Bloom pulls out her phone. After a few seconds, I reluctantly nod, smiling for her. She’s been taking a lot of photos today, but I guess it helps her have fun… As long as we don’t lose sight of Sunset and Twilight. I still need to figure out why they came here of all places.

Taking the picture, Apple Bloom quickly types some text over it, making me raise my eyebrow. “Are they cousins?” is written on the screen with an arrow pointing at me and the seahorses. Apple Bloom giggles to herself, showing me the picture. It takes me a minute before I finally understand the reason why she typed that.

“I hate you,” I whisper while rolling my eyes. Apple Bloom only laughs more at my insult, following me in the direction of Sunset and Twilight. Her humor is stupid, but at least she has a picture to enjoy now.