“Man, this city is huge! They don’t give it justice in Canterlot. It’s just kinda another city to them.” Silverheart commented as the two guards finished their shifts together. Starry Scroll and Silver Heart had spent a majority of the post quietly talking when nopony was around. Casual small talk occupied their morning as the two got to know each other a little more after their shift when talking was a little less completely forbidden. The two were just leaving the barracks and heading out onto the streets of the Crystal Empire to relax after a long shift. Silver Heart couldn’t imagine a royal guard so shy and timid, noticeable as soon as they got talking properly.
“Yeah, a lot of ponies come here think it is a… a village,” Starry replied to Silver’s comment albeit quieter than a mouse. The castle gates left their view and the nearby markets gathered their attention for some late afternoon lunch as the sights and smells started occupying their minds.
“Well, in any case, you have quite a place, the city, it is beautiful. So where do you reckon we should get lunch?” Silver Heart asked.
Starry Scroll thought for a moment. “Well, uh, there is one place I… kinda… like, it’s called Restaurant Bella. We can go there! Uhh, if… if you want.” The last part he barely whispered. Silver had to strain to hear it.
“Sounds like a plan! Lead the way.” Silver replied, slowing down for a moment he allowed the other guard to be next to each other. “So what do you Crystal guards do for fun anyway?” He asked.
“W-well, usually the other guards like to do sports, a lot of them have marefriends and families. I… don’t usually hang out with them…” Starry Scroll trailed off.
“Oh…” a silence of awkward proportions filled the street as the walked along. Starry Scroll’s head dipped as they walked along, a strange sinking feeling hitting him as they went along the road. After another minute or so of silence, the two ponies were outside the Istallion restaurant.
“This is the place?” Silver asked, smiling as they stood outside.
“Y-yeah, they do all sorts of foods.” Starry smiled back.
Both walked into the restaurant they found seats and had a good look at the menu.
“I had a huge breakfast, I don’t want anything-” Silver Heart loudly gasped as he looked at the bottom of the list, “they have gelato? Oh. My. Gosh!” Silver exclaimed.
“Yeah, I’ve never actually tr-” Starry Scroll could barely finish his sentence, letting out a squeak the slightly larger grabbed him by the hoof and dashed over to the counter top. Silver looked down at the variety of flavours available, his eyes sparkling and turning to dinner plates as he looked at the tens of choices lining the countertop freezer.
The server came over to the two stallions deciding on their gelato. The white guard squished his muzzle against the glass, trying to get his eyes as close as possible to the range of flavours. “How can I help you gentlecolts?” She asked giving them a sweet smile.
Starry Scroll gave the mare a little wave, but she hardly noticed as Silver Heart burst out his order as quickly as possible. “Can I have one scoop of Blueberry, Chocolate Truffle, Raspberry, Lemon-lime, OHMYGOSH and mixed berry, please! Oh and a big scoop of coconut cream on the side! Thank you so much!” He exclaimed barely hiding his excitement.
The server, wide-eyed managed to get somehow the onslaught of flavours all written down. Rushing back to the seating, the Canterlot Guard looked like a colt in his excitement for the gelato flavours about to visit his tastebuds.
“You have to try it Starry! Gelato is like ice-cream but a million times better.” Silver Heart explained.
“Alright, I’ll try a bit.” He smiled. “So, do you unno...have a family? Back in Canterlot?” Starry asked.
“No, I don’t actually.” Silver Heart tapped his hooves on the table and sighed. “No, just me, and if it is any consolation, I don’t hang around with the other guards as much either. I mean, we are friends, but nothing close. They are a bit… boisterous unno?” He explained.
“Yeah, I know that feeling. They are so loud and rough, not really into anything aside from who can hit the hardest of fly the fastest.” Starry replied, once again in his timid fashion.
“Finally, somepony I can relate to. Those games are so stupid, unno this may sound crazy coming from a Royal Canterlot Guard, but I have always been more a lover than a fighter.”
“Same…” The two shared smiles, as brief as it began a bowl filled with an onslaught of gelato flavours swamped their vision. Silver's eyes lighting up at the sight. The mare gave them a smile and trotted off. A look only found in a hungry predator came over Silver Heart as he eyed the bowl with thirst. He looked up at his friend who had his head resting on his hooves as he looked out the window.
“Hey!” Silver called out to him getting him to turn back. Starry Scroll went cross-eyed as he saw the spoon in a green aura filled with mixed berry ice-cream. “You showed me the place. You get the first spoonful.”
Starry tried to say ‘oh’, but as soon as he opened his mouth the spoon went in, flavours of juicy berry exploding the moment it touched his lips. The flavour not in any way being synthetic but delicious and fragrant. His eyes widened as he tried it, looking back at the other stallion with a smug expression on his face.
“Good huh.” He replied, sticking another spoon into another flavour. Holding it in his mouth Silver melted in his seat as the taste flooded his mouth. Not a whole lot was said between the two as they finished their frozen treat.
Taking closer to seconds rather than minutes the entire bowl and both stallions were chatting away together.
“So, if you don’t play ‘wrestle to do the death’”. Silver Heart started, being overly sarcastic in his mockery of his fellow guards. “Then what do you do for fun?”
Twirling the spoon in his aura, Starry just stared off into space for a second before returning to earth. Chuckling nervously at his absent stare, he stopped turning the spoon and looked down trying to think about what to say; he had no idea. “Well… uhh, well I… stuff.”
Silver tilted his head in confusion, instead of clarifying Starry just looked between the table and his new friend. “Well then, in that case, I like to do ‘stuff’ aswell.” Silver smiled. “Buuuuuuut I also like to cook, I am a total foodie, I also love to read. Uhhh, and astronomy. I love to watch the stars and the galaxies that Celestia and Luna can’t control. You see, in Canterlot, it’s probably really similar here, the lights of the city block out everything. The night sky is clear all the time. Well, one time when I was a colt, my parents took me on a little camping trip, my dad took me away from the campfire, he took me to a small clearing. We laid down on the grass and just… watched. We watched the stars, the beautiful, amazing stars, and the galaxies, the light. It was blinding, it was incredible. I’ve never forgotten it. Sometimes when I feel confused or lonely, I go to the canterlot mountain, far above the city, and I just look at the stars.”
“Wow, that sounds… amazing. I-i’ve never, seen… the stars. Well, unno.” Starry chuckled again nervously. Silver looked at him for a moment, silently assessing the pony across from him.
“You’re nervous aren’t you? We aren’t on a date.” Silver grinned and giggled at his joke, making Starry blush a bit. “But seriously, relax, I am starting to like you, Starry. I don’t get on with most of those rough and tough guards. It's nice to meet, and work with somepony with character, someone above beating other ponies heads in.” Silver smiled, earning a smile back from his friend.
“I write.” Starry blurted out louder than he had said anything so far. Silver looked at him in mild astonishment, smiling he knew he was finally making him comfortable.
“Yeah? That’s awesome! What stuff do you write” Silver asked.
“Well, it’s… a-a little odd, I mean, it isn’t something a lot of stallions do, but uhh, I mean I like it and… I write… romance.” He looked down instantly looking like he regretted the confession. He is weirded out, he totally isn’t going to be my friend now... Starry thought to himself as he refused to look up.
Had he looked up he would have seen a large smile on Silver’s face. “I love to read it, don’t be so ashamed! I’d totally have to read yours someday.” He grinned.
“Really!” Starry exclaimed, putting a hoof over his mouth at the outburst.
“Totally! Have you read any of Jodi Picolt?” Silver Heart asked.
“I… yeah!”
“Nicoltus Sparks?”
“I have read Message in a Bottle twice!”
“What about Whinnying Heights?”
“By Emily Brony? I love that book.”
Both looked at each other for a couple of seconds in shock. Suddenly, like the pop of a bubble all the pressure released, both stallions bursting into laughter.
“I honestly can’t believe you like romance! I seriously could have titled myself the only Stallion that read romance.” Silver Heart chuckled smiling at Starry.
“Me too.” He smiled to himself, returning to his normal volume.
Stepping out the booth Silver turned back to Starry. “I totally wanna see more sights around here, would you like to come? I have nopony else to hang out with. You are a tonne better than those boneheads at the barracks.”
“Uhh yeah sure, I...I have some good places we could unno go to if you wanted to. They are… nice.” Starry stammered.
“Sure! I’d love to visit the places that are ‘nice’.” Silver giggled grabbing Starry’s hoof. “Come on! Let's go!” He smiled hurrying out the place. Being tugged along Starry quickly delved into his pocket and barely managed to throw the cost of the ice cream onto the table as he was yanked out the door.
The two stallions dashed from this place and that, trying things, tasting things, watching things, smelling things. They daylight dwindled at the horizon, slowly fading into the brilliant red of the evening. The two ponies were walking down a street on their way back to the castle, Silver carrying shopping bags, Starry laughing at a shirt saying ‘I Love the Crystal Empire’.
Arriving back at the barracks both stood outside the Crystal dorms laughing at their day. “Seeya tomorrow for morning shift Starry!” Silver Heart exclaimed as he began to walk away from the dorm to his residence in the castle. He thought back to the gelato they had eaten. Did I pay them? We ate it, talked a bit, then I ran out! I didn’t pay… wait, I think I saw Starry throw something on the table, it must have been bits. Damn… I’ll have to pay him back.
Turning around, Silver went back to the dorm door, as he was going to knock, he overheard laughing. Rather than knocking, he decided to press his ear against it.
“...wearing?” He overheard a much gruffer voice bark.
His eyes widened as he heard Starry on the other side. “It was just a joke. It was stupid.”
“You’re a joke Scroll, seriously? As a… ‘joke’ you decided to go prancing around the Crystal Empire with that stupid thing on? How do you even work here still?” Another voice came through the door.
“Why don’t you just date that Canterlot guard, you’re halfway there. You probably couldn’t bang those Canterlot kinds, though, they all have sticks shoved up their ass.”
“Sorry…” He heard Starry, barely audibly. Silver had just about had enough. Throwing the door open he strutted in and walked over to a terrified Starry Scroll making his very meagre stand in the corner of the room.
“Starry! There you are, forgive me for intruding gentlecolts, I was just about to head up to my dorm to unlodge the stick in my ass.” Silver hissed through teeth. “I just wanted to give you a couple of bits for helping me kick the flank off those stupid thugs threatening us today.” Throwing a couple of bits into Starry’s hoof, he gave him a small wink.
“Whatever, don’t forget to leave a sock over the door handle you two.” A guard laughed to the others before walking off, taking the others with him. “I don’t know how he is still on the guard.” The guard could be heard faintly as they walked away.
Helping his fallen friend off the ground Silver glared the direction of the other guards. “Jeez, those guards are friendly.”
“Thanks, Silver, th… It happens when I give them bait. I should have taken off the shirt.”
Silver looked at his friend in shock. Glaring at him he started to speak, “Starry, listen to me, no matter how harsh they treat you. Don’t ever give up who you are, or what you like just to please some brainless muscles on legs. You be you. Now, I gotta go now get some sleep, but I hope you get where I am coming from, keep those bits, they’re for the gelato. I’ll see you tomorrow Starry.” With a wink, Silver left the dorm, and unbeknownst to him, a blushing stallion.
"Seeya... Silver Heart." He whispered back.