"Ooh I can't believe it Bon Bon! I've never been so excited before!" Alana spoke while bouncing around the mentioned mare. Bon Bon sighed and placed a hoof on Alana's back to make her sit.
"I know you are but you still have to wait for him to get here! No point going out and having him arrive at an empty house." Alana groaned and flopped around with boredom.
"But I want to see him noooow!" Bon Bon simply shrugged and went to the window.
"I don't see why you're so excited over some random stallion you met in Canterlot."
"Hey, he was a kind gentlecolt at that art gallery! Ahh the art gallery..." Alana leaned back and stared into space as she recalled the meeting.
Seven Months Ago...
Alana gazed around the vast hall with awe filled eyes. Lines after lines of stalls stood on each side of countless paths. Some were run by ponies with beautiful portraits or landscapes that looked as if they were taken with a camera.
Each stall also saw groups of ponies in different sizes from each stall to the next. Some stalls had large crowds that raved with each new piece revealed while others had tiny groups that chatted and laughed together.
It brought a smile to her face until she stumbled upon a stall that held a young blue stallion. Behind his seat hung a few drawings though none could compare to the talent of other ponies that surrounded his.
Alana was about to move on when a familiar stallion caught her eye.
"Mo! I didn't think I'd find you in this part of the gallery! What're you doing here?" Mo turned around with a smile at the sound of her voice. His wild black mane stood straight up and spiked in various directions.
"Oh hey Alana! I was just talking to my new friend here! He's new so come say hi!" Alana approached the other pony and smiled with an outstretched hoof.
"Hi there, my name's Alana! Welcome to the community!" The stallion hesitated but accepted her hoof and shook it.
"M-my name's Austin, it's nice to be here. But I thought you're name was Mohammed." Mo laughed before replying.
"Well it is but I like to be called Mo for short."
"Oh... Ok then." The other two joined him in laughter until Alana noticed a portrait of her's fall onto the table.
Austin's eyes went wide when his gaze fell on it. On the canvas laid a portrait of herself. The brushstrokes blended perfectly together to make a spitting image of her laying form. Her eyes stared off into to the distance. What she was looking at he may never know for sure.
"That is beautiful Alana! You made that yourself?" Alana quickly picked it up and put it back in her saddle bag.
"Uh yeah, I dabble a little in painting. I'm no professional like Mo here." Alana looked down but here focus was brought back when Austin spoke again.
"Are you kidding? It may not be the same style as him but you have a lot of talent all your own! Definitely more than me..." A small smile crept onto her face as she took another look around the stand's back walls.
"Well I like your work too! Especially this one!" Alana pointed at a large landscape drawing of a normal Manehatten living room. Everything the average pony would need could be seen from the angle he used and each object was fully shaded to have a dark effect to it.
"T-thanks, it was one of the first things I ever drew. If you want you can have a copy of it."
"I'd like that, and I'll be sure to send you a copy of mine. Can I get your address?" A few minutes passed as info was exchanged before Alana waved goodbye on her way back to her hotel..."
Present Day...
"...and since that day we've been writing each other almost everyday. Those pegasi are definitely fast considering I usually get about three replies from him in one day." Bon Bon nodded and laid down on the couch.
"I still don't see why you have to be SO excited over this pony. You already have a coltfriend!" She laid her head on the armrest.
Who said anything about us being like that?" Alana gave her a confused look as her brain processed that thought. What would her coltfriend think of Austin? Sure they keep new of each others existence but they had never really talked.
During her loss in thought a knock came from the front door. Bon Bon looked for Alana To answer but sighed when it was apparent she wasn't going to move. She swung the door open to let in the expected company. They shared quiet introductions before Bon Bon led him through the house.
The pony crept up behind Alana and surprised her with a tickle attack.
"I'm here Alana! You didn't forget about me did ya'?" Once her fit of laughter quieted Alana turned towards him for a hug.
"It's been so long Austin, of course I didn't forget! Come sit with me!" Alana led Austin to the couch and sat next to him.
"Good, I was a little worried I'd have to remind you with another tickle attack!" He dangled his hooves in front of her which caused Alana to back up with a giggle.
Bon Bon smirked at the two grown ponies acting like a little colt and filly at a schoolyard. He didn't seem like that bad of a colt after all considering how Alana behaved around him. She could hear Alana asking to ride his back like a... Koala? But huffed when he denied with a scratch of his head and a nervous smile.
However once his back was turned Alana pounced up and wrapped her hooves around his neck and mooed like the strange creatures. Both of them laugh as Austin attempted to walk with both of their weight.
"Come on Mr. Athlete, I know you can lift little me!" Not denying a challenge, Austin stood straight and bounced around with a still laughing Alana holding on behind.
"Alright, I'm tired now..." Alana hopped onto the couch just as he fell down next to her.
"Wow, you two really know how to have fun! If I didn't know better I'd think you'd need a foalsitter to keep you in line! Well, Alana still needs one."
"Hey! I do not!" Bon Bon laughed along with Austin as she was chased by Alana. Her dark coat went slightly red around her cheeks. Eventually Bon Bon collapsed as well, leaving all three in a mass of bodies on the couch.
Alana wanted to stay this way forever but that ended when a sudden knock came to the door...
To Be Continued...
Problem's That Never Seem to Cease
"Hey Alana, I'm home!" Both her and Bon Bon stiffened and stood up just as a large brown stallion with a short black mane trotted into the living room.
"Navid, I thought you had work today!" The mentioned stallion gave Alana a weird look that turned into utter confusion once he noticed Austin still lying on the floor.
"Who is that pony?" Navid pointed at Austin as he stood up.
"My name's Austin, I'm an old friend of Alana's I take it your her coltfriend?" Austin offered his hoof but was left hanging when Navid moved away.
"You never told me he would be coming to visit."
"I-I didn't think it was that big of a deal. He's on his way to Appleloosa for vacation so he decided to visit on his way there." Navid's eyes remained icy cold towards Austin.
"Hey man I didn't mean anything by coming here but it wasn't Alana's fault. I would have come here even if she didn't know."
"But what were you doing before I got here? You seem a little tired if you just got here." Alana stepped between the two stallions.
"We were just playing around! Noth-" Alana immediately regretted her choice of words as Navid's face began to grow warm with anger.
"You did what?!"Navid grabbed her hoof and pulled her behind him.
"Stay away from my Alana! She's mine!"
"Woah man, calm yourself! Nothing happened between us!"
"Oh sure, I bet Bon Bon loved the little peep show she got as well! I never liked the thought of you showing up. Now I know I was right." The angered pony pulled Alana behind him as the pair left the house.
"Navid stop it! Austin hasn't done anything wrong!" Before anymore could be said the two disappeared behind the closing door.
Austin stood there mouth agape. He looked to Bon Bon for an answer he knew wouldn't be there.
"What the hell was his problem? In a span of three minutes he was able to show up, flip out and take Alana away!" Bon Bon sighed and sat on the couch.
"Navid's always had issues with other stallions. Ever since they got together he's been keeping Alana away from nearly the entire male population. I think she realizes that deep down but I don't think she cares."
Austin took a seat next to her and rested his head in his hooves.
"But it isn't right, she's capable of making her own decisions!" Bon Bon rested a hoof on his shoulder.
"Well maybe you have to show her that. I've tried but I think you have the best chance. You know she talks about you all of the time?" Austin lifted his head up.
"She does?"
"Almost everyday.."
"I never knew, what does she say?"
"Nothing but good things I can tell you that. Oh Bon Bon you should have read what Austin said! He's so funny to talk with!" Bon Bon flourished her hooves which brought a smile to Austin's face.
"I guess you're right Bon Bon, but where would they go?"
"Navid lives out by the border of the Everfree Forest. It's a small house on top of a large hill." Austin nodded and thanked Bon Bon before hurrying out the door...
Navid's Home...
"Navid calm down! I've been telling you nothing happened!" Alana sat in a small recliner as Navid paced around the room.
"Then why didn't you tell me was coming? Even if nothing had happened how do I know you weren't planning to do something?!" Alana looked him in the eye with a shocked expression.
"I can't believe you would even think I'd do something like that! Don't you trust me Navid? After all this time you still can't let me have one friend that's a colt?" Navid was about to reply but stopped himself before doing so. Just as he was about to speak again a banging came from the door.
"Alana! Are you there?" She recognized the voice as Austin's and hurried to answer it. The door swung open and she let Austin inside.
"How did you find us? Did that Bon Bon filly tell you?" Navid stepped between the two of them.
"Listen buddy, I'm not appreciating the way you're treating both me and Alana." Austin took a step forward.
"Well I'm not appreciating you getting all touchy feely with my marefriend!" Navid moved closer as well.
The next words spoken surprised even Austin as his moved.
"Maybe we wanted to get touchy fe-" He was interrupted by a hoof to the face and was sent flying into a nearby table.
Several crashes followed as vases flew through the air and smashed on the floor. Alana cried out and began to move towards Austin until he shot up and socked Navid right back. Both continued to exchange blows until the sounds of sobs broke through the ringing in their ears.
They each looked around until their eyes fell on the whimpering form of Alana.
"Please... n-no more fighting..." She buried her head in her hooves when Austin sat down next to her and wrapped his hooves around her.
Navid wanted to comfort her but after what had happened he was in no mood to touch that blasted home wrecker. In an aggravated movement, he left with a slam of the door. When Austin was sure he left he finally spoke.
"I'm so sorry Alana... This isn't what I wanted when I came here." Alana looked at him through tear soaked eyes.
"It's isn't all you're fault Austin, he never listened to a word I said..."
"But if I never showed up this entire thing could have been averted." Another tear formed in the corner of her eye.
"No Austin, t-this is an old problem. I don't know what's happened to him... b-but when we met he was always so nice to everybody and we would always have fun with our friends. Now the only ones I'm able to see are Bon Bon and Lyra. Even then he gets annoyed whenever I go out." Austin didn't know who Lyra was but figured now wasn't the time to ask.
"I think I should go sort this out with him..." Alana prepared to stand until Austin held her down at eye level.
"What are y-"
"I have something to say before you go." A hint of uncertainty sneaked its way into the back of Alana's mind as she listened silently.
"You remember the day we met right? At the art gallery in Canterlot?"
"Yes but what-"
"Shush. Please listen first... Before we met I didn't have any friends in the community. Actually I didn't have many friends period. So when you and Mo' came to my stand, my heart filled with joy like a balloon." Austin held her hoof now.
"After that you know I started sending letters to you almost everyday. I don't know what they meant to you but to me they were like a lifeline. They kept me going, helped me become more social, they even saved my life sometimes."
"W-what are you trying to say?"
"I'm not trying I am saying that everyday I thought about you. I knew you were with Navid but deep down... I didn't care."
"But why?"
"Why?" Austin chuckled to himself and lifted them both up. In a matter of seconds their lips made sudden contact.
"Because I love you..."
