6. Dinner for Two

Feeding Thistle was by far the hardest task for Trixie. Her sporadic and very limited unicorn powers weren't the problem in this case, more her firmly closed mouth. "Come on, I may not be the best cook, but I do know how to take a spoon of foal food and feed one." A mess of purple spikes covered the filly's eyes when she shook her head again. Trixie gave up in frustration. "Thistle, mommy has been busy lately. You need to eat, otherwise there's trouble for both of us."

The front door opened. Starlight was back from Fillydelphia with several bags of food on her back. "Don't worry yourself Trixie; I'll take care of her. You've got plans for tonight after all." Thistle's mood improved rather drastically when her mother entered the room. In the first few weeks of her stay, it had caused a tinge of resentment in Trixie. Now it no longer bothered her.

"I don't make a very good aunt, do I? Then again, Thistle has the perfect mother. It's a very high standard to live up to; I don't think I could even get close." Starlight smiled in such a way that suggested Trixie was being too kind. She herself was having doubts if it would even come to that. "Anyway, you're right. I'd better get ready, wouldn't want to keep Fleethoof waiting." Thoughts like that were probably a good sign that she was putting serious thought into her life for once.

She made her way up the stairs to her room. It was dark in the hallway for once, her fault really. Thistle had taken up her whole attention for the day, especially when running the stall at the same time. A small flare of her magic relit the candles that never melted away. Her home of a few months now. She had reached the point where it was difficult to imagine living anywhere else. Vanhoover had accepted her in as one of them.

Ever since the mountain climbing accident that had left her stranded in a cold valley for a full day alone, it had become hard to ignore the extra attention that Fleethoof gave her. Not in the uncomfortable way of course. Even before then, he had spent a lot of time in helping her to integrate with the town. Now it was pretty clear that he was spending time with her for more, personal reasons. At least that was what she assumed.

The room she slept in had gone from a dusty, unused spare bedroom to something that really felt like somepony appreciated it. Her hat and cape sat proudly on the dresser beside her mane brush. They served as both a reminder of what she was, and what she could do better this time around. Of course, she hadn't expected that it would lead to a potential special somepony. It was actually really funny. Trixie, with a special somepony in a town where everypony was super friendly.

Below, she could hear Starlight tending to Thistle. Bonds like that were so unfamiliar to her before coming to stay in Vanhoover. "Who knows, I could end up going to her for advice a few years down the road." Brushing her mane to the rising moon out the window added to the mysterious charm of the town. It was so unified, and nothing really big ever happened there. The ideal place for settling down, her sort of place after years of travelling.

*

It was a clear night, each of the constellations shined brightly over the north. Over the Crystal Mountains, ribbons of colour danced. Candlelit homes bordered her way to the open-air restaurant. For a moment, it all felt too picturesque. Everything was so surreal and perfect. Did ponies like her deserve such ideal settings? After all that had happened, it still felt too good. Sure, Twilight would be used to such settings, being one of Canterlot's prized ponies. But Trixie?

Her destination was set towards the summit of a hill east of the town. There, the restaurant overlooked the town and the deep blue sea as it caught the bright moonlight. Ponies from Tall Tale, and even Cloudsdale were regular visitors there. Better still, it was one of the more relaxed establishments. There was no silly expectation for formal attire, just a level of reasonable neatness. These days she always kept herself very clean and proper.

"Excuse me Miss, might I take you to dinner?" Fleethoof's approach wasn't exactly silent, but Trixie pretended that it was anyway. It was rather adorable to watch him take her hoof lightly. The small black bowtie that he wore looked a bit out of place against his stormy coat, but otherwise he too had taken time to present himself really well. "I hear the chef has a lovely rose roast for tonight's special. Does that suit your tastes?"

It earned a giggle. Trixie couldn't control herself at that moment. His flair for being so likeable made the perfect contrast to her old personality. She began walking with him up towards the warmly lit entrance of the restaurant. "Well, you know me just as much as anypony. My tastes vary, but how can I turn down such a polite offer?" Her tail brushed against his briefly. To her, it wasn't even a gesture. But it still earned a friendly nudge from her companion.

The establishment had been designed to resemble a cluster of trees, a bit more temperate than what was commonly found in Vanhoover. It added to the sense of being in a different part of Equestria, without detaching from the north itself. Starlight had compared it to her visit to the Hollow Shades. That was one of the few places Trixie hadn't seen for herself, but she could definitely feel the mystical atmosphere upon entering the building.

To the east side, a pegasi band played soft, relaxing music that flowed all the way through to the western balcony. One of the waiters approached the pair as Trixie took a few moments to admire the sheer effort that had gone into crafting the room. "Madam, I will be your waiter this evening. Please, your table is this way." She glanced at Fleethoof who merely shrugged and followed the waiter with her. Their table was set on a platform that extended from the balcony, a good distance from the others. He had to have made the reservation far in advance.

From there, the whole landscape was visible. A breathtaking site, and far more enjoyable now that she wasn't in an area where the ground had a habit of falling away. Even when glancing through the menu, her eyes kept returning to the sight. Night had just as much charm as the day, if not more so. Then her eyes returned to the pony sitting across from her. The pony who had stopped on a rainy day to rescue a pony from falling into the pit of her own despair. The very same who had risked his life to ensure her safety in dire circumstances.

"I simply wanted you to have a really nice night, there's no need to stare at me as if I'm some sort of Canterlot royalty." She held his hoof across the table. Fleethoof was far from royalty in every good meaning of the phrase. Humility was just one of many words that came to mind. Until then, she hadn't ever really contemplated what her life would be like when she wasn't the only one living it. Having somepony else there to be with her would change virtually everything.

"You've given me far more than a nice night Fleet. You've given me the opportunity to turn my life around completely." She glanced at some of the other ponies on the balcony. All were preoccupied with their own conversations to notice them. "I realize we haven't known each other that long, and I'm willing to take things at a comfortable pace because of that. But it's about time that I start doing things to help you too. Like this for example."

She leaned right across the table to bring her lips to his. Unexpected as it was, he only flinched momentarily before settling into the kiss.