//------------------------------// // My Coffee With Cadance // Story: Are You Happy? // by Ezio Auditore //------------------------------// MY COFFEE WITH CADANCE "I don't know." Those were the words that Twilight told the Mayor. The Mayor told Twilight to sleep on the matter. The offer made sense when Twilight thought about it, since most princesses ruled a domain. Twilight knew that Ponyville was far from a sprawling empire, but so was the misnamed Crystal “Empire,” and Ponyville would be more intuitive to start from. It was small, the ponies knew and liked her, and it was already her place of residence. So, what about the decision was bugging her? Why was she finding it hard to say “yes?” She would probably always be busy, but was it not, however, a princess’s place to rule? In the meantime, Twilight looked forward to finally relaxing. She plodded along Ponyville’s Main Street and noticed that it was less crowded than usual, since most of the residents were still at the park. She was going to the Pony Espresso, a small, white, one story building whose windows were large enough to show every table. Twilight spotted Cadance at one of the smaller tables, so she entered the Espresso’s nicely kept interior. The floors were brown and shiny, and the wooden furniture was dark and very polished. The place was also fairly quiet, save for a few chatting patrons. Twilight smiled at her former foalsitter, who quickly smiled in return. "Early as ever, I see," remarked Cadance. "You're one to talk," quipped Twilight. Cadance chuckled. "It's great to see you, Twi!" She rose up and hugged the former foal she used to sit for, the same foal who was now full-grown and a full-fledged princess of Equestria. The two then took their seats at Cadance’s table by one of the large windows. "So, how was your day, Princess?" asked Cadance. "It was long," Twilight replied with a sheepish smile. "How was your day, Cadance?" "It was nice; I chatted with some very friendly ponies on the train ride over. But you seem tired. Is everything okay?" "Oh, don’t worry about me! I’ve been busy, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. Really, it’s nothing." "That doesn't sound like nothing." "Well...maybe not, but you didn't come all the way down to hear my problems. Tell me what else is going on." "I just wanted to know how you were handling your royal duties,” Cadance replied. “Have you had any trouble?" "No, not in particular. It's just more work than I thought it would be.” "Well, now that you've been royalty for a while, could I ask you something?" "Of course. What is it?" Cadance leaned in with a look of sincerity. "Are you happy?" Twilight paused. Am I happy? She enjoyed being a princess, she enjoyed the notoriety, and, of course, she enjoyed the attention. That was not to say that she was full of herself, but as a pony who was not well known for most of her life, it was nice to be in the spotlight for once. But, then again… "Well?" "Well...it's hard to answer." "It can’t be that hard. Are you happy or not?” "Well, I guess I—" "What can I get you two, today?" A waiter had interrupted Twilight’s last thought. "I'll have a macchiato. Extra foam," Cadance ordered. "I'll have the same." Twilight continued to pondered her answer, even as the waiter walked away. “Oh! I almost forgot! Your brother says he's sorry he couldn't make it, today. He's busy in Canterlot, this weekend,” said Cadance. “...and most weekends…” she added with a sigh. Twilight was concerned. “He is? Why is that?” “He has a lot of business in the Royal Guard, now, and he has to be there in person for a lot of it. I understand that he has responsibilities, but it does get pretty lonely sometimes…” Twilight was surprised. "I've been going through the same thing, actually. I haven't been spending any time with my friends, and I've barely had time for anything besides business...Is it always like this when you're a princess, Cadance?" "Of course not, Twi. It sounds like you're overbooking yourself.” "I know, but isn't it best that I get as much done as possible? It seems appropriate for royalty, right?" This had essentially been Twilight's line of thinking on the matter. She was given a position of power—of respect—and to not use this power effectively would make her feel like she was squandering it. She wanted to avoid seeming callous or undedicated. "Twilight, it's important to be the best princess you can be, and it’s important to please the citizens of Equestria. But you shouldn't neglect your own happiness.” Twilight felt conflicted. "I know what you mean, but it's hard. I feel obligated to help whenever I can, and in case I haven't mentioned it, Mayor Mare wants to know if I want to be the next mayor of Ponyville. I feel like I should, and I could do more with that position, but I doubt that I would have any time for my friends." "Twilight, if I had to choose between my royal position and your brother, I would happily give up my throne, my title, and all of my wealth for him, and he would do the same. Never prioritize your job over those who love you." As Cadance spoke, the reality of her situation hit Twilight all at once. Her stomach felt like it was in a knot. She neglected her friends because she felt that it was "appropriate” to. She ignored the ponies who meant most to her to do things that could easily have been done by others. She felt awful. "You seem distraught, Twi." "Cadance, I know that this is incredibly rude of me, but I have to go.” "I think I understand," Cadance responded with a smile. "Same time next month?" "You got it," replied Twilight as she stood from her chair. She darted out the door. The sun was now setting over the hills, painting Ponyville orange and making it a bit dimmer. The streets became crowded as ponies from the park, knowing that it was about to get dark, were now returning to town. Twilight knew that a certain group of friends would likely be doing the same for dinner. We're getting dinner at seven, if you'd like to join us. It was almost seven. Twilight trotted down Main Street, carefully checking every restaurant for her friends. She spotted them a few blocks down at the Blue Dragon, a nice restaurant right in the middle of town. Twilight found them sitting on the patio and smiled to herself; she proceeded to join them. Twilight’s night was wonderful. It was dinner with friends—quite simple, really—but it was also the best night that she had in a month. They were naturally happy to see her again, but regardless, she apologized for how she had been acting. They forgave her, and together, they laughed, they ate, they drank, and then, they laughed a little more. Twilight never remembered feeling so content, and she decided that during the next day, she would decline the Mayor's proposal. She had more important matters to attend to, like making up for all of the time that she lost. As Twilight walked home, numerous shops and streetlights illuminated her way. She approached Golden Oaks while preparing Spike an apology; she had treated him pretty badly this past month, too, and she wanted to make up for it. The bucket of ice cream in her saddle bag was heavy, but after what Spike went through, it was well worth the weight. She stepped inside to see a surprisingly clean and tidy home. From a ladder, Spike was organizing books, and Twilight remembered asking him to reorganize the library. "Hi, Spike! I brought your favorite!" " Hey Twilight, All of the books are back where they belong, and I made sure to arrange them by category—alphabetically of course—and dust them. The floor is vacuumed, the carpets are clean, and I made you some tea. Are you happy now?" "You know Spike, in the greater scheme of things... I really am." The End May your joy be as deep as the oceans. Your troubles as light as its' foam. And May you find sweet peace of mind, Wherever you may roam.