A Cider for the Heartbroken
The sound of bells echoed across the town of Ponyville. It was a quarter till noon. Ponies were gathered in the town square, chatting among each other. For them it was a day worth celebrating.
Rainbow Dash, the Element of Loyalty, a member of the Wonderbolts and hero to Equestria was getting married to her fellow Wonderbolt Soarin. The ceremony starts at noon over at Castle Friendship. Princess Twilight would be leading the vows.
Ponies from all over Equestria came over to join the celebration, wearing the fanciest clothing they had. It seemed like everypony was here to celebrate the wedding. Well…
Almost everypony.
A local bartender sat inside her bar, lining up beverages and stacking them against the wall. Today wasn’t anything special for Stirred Cider. It was inventory day, and nothing else. Usually she started this at night after the bar closes, but since she expected nopony to come into her bar this afternoon she decided to do the task early.
Cider cared little for Rainbow Dash’s wedding. Not that she disliked the mare, in fact, she respected her in some way. But parties weren’t her thing, especially big parties like weddings. Nor did she like staying in one area and spend hours socializing with ponies.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t socialize. As a bartender, she had spoken to almost everypony in town. They would come to her bar, have fun and drink their troubles away. She would speak to them, yes, but not for very long. She wasn’t one who would waste precious time dragging on conversations.
Cider looked outside of her bar through the window. Ponies passed by the number in tuxedos and dresses. All of them were heading toward Castle Friendship to attend the celebration.
As she placed another bottle on the shelf, she recalled the announcement of the engagement. It drove everypony wild. Most Equestrian newspapers had it on the front page. Even Canterlot Times briefly mentioned it.
It had been two months since then. Rainbow had been centerpiece of attention in town. The townsponies had celebrated early by giving Rainbow Dash gifts in advance. Their gifts range from flowers to new furnishings for her home. One of Rainbow's friends even threw numerous parties for her.
Everypony was happy for her, Cider included. She still did not want to go to that wedding though. It just wasn't worth the time.
Cider looked at her shelf of alcohol and noticed she had finished her work early. She then looked at the clock. It was five minutes till noon, the celebration was about to start. She looked outside again. There was almost nopony on the street, except for a few late stragglers.
Satisfied with her job, she grabbed a small cup and a bottle of ale from the shelf. Cider trotted toward a chair and sat right down. She smiled. Today was going to be a day of relaxation. No customers and no distractions. Just some quality time alone.
She uncorked the bottle, poured herself a drink and leaned back on the chair. But before she could take a sip, the front door suddenly swung open. The sudden noise almost made Cider fall out of her seat. She groaned and looked to see who entered her bar.
Standing at the door was a Pegasus stallion, wearing a tuxedo like all the rest that day. Thin, grayish, with a cowlicked mess of blonde mane.
Cider blinked. Questions began to pop up in her head. What was he doing here? He’s wearing a tuxedo, so I’m guessing he’s here for the wedding? Why isn’t he at the castle?
The stallion pulled up a chair and sat down. “Hey…um, miss bartender. Can I get a drink over here? Please?” he asked.
Cider got up from her seat. “Uh… yes, of course.” She immediately grabbed a notebook and pencil, then trotted toward the stallion. “So…. What can I get for you, sir?”
“Just… just some cider,” the stallion said.
“Coming right up!”
Cider went back to her shelf. She kicked the wall with her back hoof, causing a bottle of Sweet Apple Acre’s Cider to fall on her flank. She grabbed a mug off the counter and headed back toward the stallion. Cider poured the drink and gave the bottle and mug to her customer.
“Thank you,” the stallion said as he gave Cider two bits out of his pocket.
“You’re welcome,” replied Cider. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Zephyr. My name is Zephyr Breeze.”
“Name’s Stirred Cider. Just call me whenever ya need anything. I’ll be right over at that table over there.”
Cider trotted back toward her seat. She glanced back at the stallion and watched as he took small sips of his drink. Thoughts began to scream inside Cider’s head. Why was this stallion here when there’s this huge wedding going on at Castle Friendship?
She wanted to ask some questions, but she knew it would be best if she did not. Judging by his facial expression, it looked like he was upset about something. Some ponies come here when they’re upset. They would drink away until they get drunk enough to forget about their issues, albeit only briefly.
But something was different about this stallion. He wasn’t doing anything noteworthy at all. All he did was stare at his mug, taking small sips every now and then.
Cider shook her head. She did not want her curiosity to get the better of her. Despite being angry at this stallion who interrupted her private time, he was still a customer. It was her job to serve her customers, not be their psychiatrist and ask them personal questions.
Time passed. Cider looked at her customer. It had been an hour since he arrived, and he has not done anything noteworthy.
She looked outside and took another sip of ale. Rainbow and her husband must have taken their vows by now. The reception should begin in a couple of minutes. She looked back at her sole customer.
He had not finished his cider, nor has he spoken up for the past hour. The drink should had gotten stale by now, as alcoholic drinks tend to taste rather bland if not drunk cold.
Cider was getting frustrated by her customer’s silence. As time passed, she got more curious about him. A huge party is going down at Castle Friendship and here was this stallion all dressed up in a bar drinking apple cider. Who wouldn’t want to know what was going on. Giving into her curiosity, Cider jumped out of her seat and trotted toward her customer.
“Are you going to just sit there all afternoon, or what?” she asked. “Your drink is gonna get bad. Do you want a refill or what?”
Zephyr said nothing.
“Why are you even here? There is a big wedding being held at Castle Friendship and here your all dressed up. Why bother if your not going?”
Again, no response.
“Well, are you going to answer me or what?”
Still, nothing. The stallion ignored her and continued to do nothing. Cider glared at him, agitated by his behavior.
“Suit yourself.”
Giving up, she trotted toward the storage room to get another bottle of ale. It was clear to her now that this stallion did not want to talk. There was no point in trying.
Cider hit herself in the head, frustrated that she let her own curiosity get the better of her. As she entered the storage room, Cider heard the front door open again. She groaned and got out to see who it was. Her eyes widened as she saw her new customer.
Standing at the entrance was Fluttershy. She wore a beautiful dress and her mane was neatly trimmed.
Fluttershy looked around the bar and spotted the stallion sitting at the table. Cider noticed that she seemed a bit angry. Probably it has something to do with this stallion, in Cider’s experience.
“Zephyr Breeze!” said Fluttershy as she trotted toward him. The shift in her tone was something Cider had never seen before. Fluttershy is a shy and quiet mare. She had never seen such ferocity from her before.
“Hey there sis. How was the wedding?” Zephyr asked.
Cider blinked. Her jaw dropped. She had no idea that Fluttershy had a sibling.
“Where have you been? Rainbow’s wedding started over an hour ago!” Fluttershy said. “Mom and Dad have been worried about you! I told them that you promised you would come. When you didn’t show up, we panicked!” Fluttershy glared at her brother, demanding an answer from him. “Well, I’m waiting for an explanation! Why didn’t you come to the wedding, Zephyr?”
Zephyr Breeze ignored his sister, refusing to speak up. He avoided eye contact and started to swirl his drink.
“Please, Zephyr, tell me what’s wrong,” asked Fluttershy. “Why didn’t you go to the wedding? Answer me!”
Again, no response.
Are you just going to ignore your sister? thought Cider. For Celestia’s sake, just answer her you idiot!
His silence begins to frustrate both mares. Cider shook her head while Fluttershy continued to glare at her brother. Finally giving up, Fluttershy turned and headed toward the exit. Before she could leave, a small sound echoed across the room.
“I’m sorry.”
Both mares turned around.
“Zephyr?” Fluttershy called.
She immediately flew back toward her brother and sat right next to him. This time, Zephyr turned toward his sister, but still avoid eye contact.
“I’m sorry I disappointed you again, sis. But I don’t want to go to Rainbow’s wedding,” said Zephyr, quietly. “I…I just can’t go.”
“Why?” asked Fluttershy. “She’s your friend. You’ve known her since we were kids. Sure, she might have gotten annoyed by your constant flirting, but that doesn’t mean she hates you. Remember she came with me to get you from the Everfree Forest and helped you get past your fear of failure.”
“I know that. It’s just that…well.” Zephyr was hesitant to answer. “Look sis, I don’t know how to explain it, but I just can’t go to that wedding.”
Cider avoided looking at the siblings, but still paid attention to them talk. Listening to them made her wonder what’s this stallion’s problem. If he’s known Rainbow for years, why is he refusing to go to her wedding? She cursed as she realized her curiosity was starting to get the better of her.
“Is it because you had a crush on Rainbow Dash, wasn’t it?”
Cider’s ears perked up. She looked at the siblings again and saw Zephyr biting his lips. Judging by his expression, it looked like Fluttershy was spot on.
So, that’s the issue. This stallion refuses to go to the wedding because the bride is a longtime crush of his, thought Cider. I’m can’t image what it felt like when he first heard of the wedding. Coming here must have been very difficult for him.
“Zephyr, you know that Rainbow never had any feelings for you,” said Fluttershy. “She only saw you as a childhood friend, that’s all.” She leaned toward her brother and patted him on the back. “Don’t you think that it’s time for you to move on from this crush of yours.”
“I tried sis, but a part of me never wanted to let her go,” explained Zephyr. “I admired Rainbow. She is the most headstrong pony I’ve ever met. She’s fast, gorgeous and I couldn’t get enough of her.” His mood seemed to lighted up for a bit, but it quickly faded.
“Then the news of Rainbow’s engagement began to spread. I remember reading the news about it,” he continued. His mood was starting to get worse. “I didn’t want to believe it at first, but then I received your invitation to her wedding.”
Cider listened to Zephyr talk. Hearing him reminded her of other heartbroken ponies who came into her bar. They would drink and whine about their lonely hearts until they get drunk enough to forget their pain. That, or get into bar fights.
“It’s hard sis. Trying to let go of a crush you’ve had for so long,” said Zephyr. “When you two left Cloudsdale, I hoped that I would see Rainbow again. I wanted her to give me at least one chance. But it never came.”
He sighed. “I guess I should have realized that my flirting made our relationship worse. Not to mention I was a good for nothing, freeloading stallion.”
Zephyr started to rub his face with his hooves, showing signs of frustrations. “When I got the invitation from you, I was hesitant to come here. I kept telling myself that I shouldn’t go, but here I am.”
“So, you never wanted to come here in the first place?” asked Fluttershy. “If that’s true, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell Mom or Dad?”
“I didn’t want to disappoint you again, sis,” replied Zephyr. “I’ve caused so much trouble in the past. I thought that if I didn’t go, you would be upset with me again. It’s funny. When I left your cottage this morning, I did arrive at the castle to attend. I couldn’t bring myself to go inside though. Instead, I just spent the last hour here in this bar.”
Zephyr languished on his seat. Fluttershy’s did her best to sympathize with her brother and tried to comfort him. Her demeanor from before was gone.
“You’re lonely, aren’t you?” Fluttershy asked Zephyr. He nodded his head.
Fluttershy sighed. “I know this is hard for you Zephyr, but you need to move on. Celebrate and be happy for Rainbow. I’m sure you will find a special somepony someday.”
She smiled and stood up from her seat. “Come on, let’s go to the wedding. Mom and Dad are waiting for you. And I’m sure the Rainbow would like to see you too.”
Zephyr remained unresponsive for a couple of seconds. He then finished his drink and pushed his mug away.
“I’m sorry, sis, but I don’t think I can go to that wedding. It’s best if I just go home.” He reached into a pocket on his tuxedo and gave an envelope to his sister. “Here, give this to her. It’s the only gift I could think of getting her.”
Fluttershy frowned and tried to reason with her brother. “No, Zephyr, you can’t—.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. I just need some time by myself that’s all. I promise that I won’t get into any trouble.” Zephyr smiled at his sister and turned to see the bartender mare. “Sorry for dragging you into personal matters, Miss Cider. I’ll just leave a few extra bits here as a tip. Thank you for the drink.”
“Huh?”
Fluttershy turned and saw that there was another mare standing at the back corner of the bar. Her eyes widened as she realised that pony must’ve heard everything. She squeaked as Stirred Cider casually waves her hoof at her.
The two ponies were so focused on each other that neither of them noticed that the bar door slammed shut. Fluttershy turned around and saw that her brother had left the bar.
“Oh no, Zephyr!” Fluttershy said out loud. She immediately flew toward the front door as fast as she could. “Wait, come back!” Just when she was about to exit the bar, Fluttershy hears a voice behind her.
“Let him go, Miss Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy stopped mid-air and looked at Stirred Cider, who gave her a stern look.
“Let him go.”
“But I can’t!” cried Fluttershy. “He has to attend this wedding!”
“No, that’s why you should let him go,” responded Cider. “There is no need to make him to go to a wedding that he doesn’t want to attend. You saw how upset he was. Forcing him to go will only make him feel worse.”
Fluttershy did not respond. She stared at Stirred Cider, unsure of what to do. Although she was worried about her brother, this mare raised a good point.
“I’m not a therapist, but I think it’s best that your brother to go home,” explained Cider. “I’ve had mares and stallions come into this bar with similar problems like him. They’re depressed and will drink away until they get drunk enough to forget everything. Some of those ponies continue to do that every night. Only a few would ever get to change.”
Cider uncorked the bottle of ale and poured herself a drink.
“I think your brother will be fine. He just needs some time to himself. Besides, don’t you have a wedding to return to?”
Fluttershy gasped.
“Oh, my gosh, the wedding! I need to go back!” Fluttershy opened the front door and readied herself to fly to Castle Friendship. Before she left, she turned back toward Stirred Cider one last time.
“Um, excuse me, but can I have your name please?
“The name’s Stirred Cider.”
“Oh, ok. So, um, Miss Cider. Why aren’t you at the wedding?”
“Because I want some time alone to relax. Tending a bar every day can get tiresome. Besides, I don’t like attending weddings.”
“I guess that’s a reasonable excuse. Thank you for... tending... to my brother, Miss Cider.”
“The pleasure is all mine, Miss Fluttershy.” Cider watched as Fluttershy flew away. She took a sip from her glass and leaned back on her chair. She closed her eyes and smiled.
“Finally, some time by myself.”
Fluttershy flew arrived at the entrance to Castle Friendship. She opened the door and found ponies dancing in the main hallway. It did not take her long to find Rainbow Dash sitting with her husband, Soarin. She wore a custom dress Rarity had made for her while Soarin wore a custom Wonderbolt officer suit.
Rainbow immediately spots Fluttershy. She kisses her husband before flying over to her childhood friend. The two ponies then hugged each other.
“Hey, Fluttershy. Where have you been?” asked Rainbow. “The party is getting good right now. Pinkie and Vinyl finally started playing some good music unlike that dull violin stuff.”
“I was looking for my brother, Rainbow,” replied Fluttershy. “I’m afraid he can’t come to the ceremony. But he did want me to give you this.” Fluttershy extended her hoof and gave the envelope to her friend. Rainbow looked at it for a while and then ripped it open with her mouth. Inside the envelope contained a card. She opened it and read the contents inside.
To Rainbow Dash,
Congratulations on finding your special stallion.
May you two find happiness and your love be everlasting.
Sincerely,
Zephyr Breeze
Rainbow stared at the contents inside the card. She gave the card to Fluttershy and let her read it as well. The two mares looked at each other for a while before Rainbow said something.
“You think Zephyr is going to be alright?” asked Rainbow.
“I’m sure he’s going to be fine,” replied Fluttershy. The two mares soon hear Twilight and Soarin across the room. Both of them were trying to get Rainbow’s attention.
“Hey, Rainbow. I think they want to start the slow dancing,” said Fluttershy. “Your husband is waiting for you right now.”
“Aw come on. Not more of this mushy stuff,” Rainbow groaned. “I bet they are going to play that stupid slow music too.” Fluttershy giggled while Rainbow hovered slowly toward her husband. Before she could move, Fluttershy grabbed Rainbow and hugged her tight.
“Congratulations, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said to her friend.
Rainbow smiled at her friend. “Yeah, thanks Flutters.”
Fluttershy watched as her best friend flew to her husband. She then turned around and looked outside the window.
“You’ll find your true love someday, Zephyr,” she thought. “I’m sure you will.”
Fluttershy soon joins the rest of her friends. Classical music started to play as ponies clear the dance floor. The bride and groom flew to the center position. Rainbow seemed agitated at the music while her groom chuckled. The two embraced the spotlight. Everypony in the room watched as the newly wedded couple danced along the tune.