Mending Light

by Kiromancer


59 - Schemes

Town Hall was busier than usual. That might be because I so rarely came to Town Hall during the afternoon, but in addition, Major Mare was hosting a major function. I didn't pay much attention as I avoided her political entourage and moved towards the weather office.

Blizzard Breeze was already inside, talking to the morning shift lead, Icicle Gleam. Gleam had filled in for me more than once while I'd been away from town. He sat back, relaxed as he talked with Bree, his ever present flight goggles hanging loosely around his neck.

Bree looked over at the door as I stepped in and waved. "Good, you're here. Now we just have to wait on Rainbow Dash."

"So, we can probably just get started." Icicle chuckled.

I smiled as I sat down at the table. "I suppose if she's not here early, then she'll probably get here too late."

Bree smirked. "We still gotta wait for her, before we can make this all official."

"Official?" My eyebrow raised. Since we'd gotten home from Ostfriesen, my job had been very different than usual. With Spring hired on to take my former shift, I'd begun focusing on the administrative work full time. It was odd, because I was actually doing less work than before. I'd already been doing a great deal of Rainbow Dash's admin work, while still managing the night shift.

Icicle shrugged at me. "I know as much as you, Night. She wouldn't tell me why I'm here, either."

Glancing towards the door, Bree paused, then let a smile creep across her face. "Well, I suppose I can't leave you in suspense too long. I think you both already know. Effective immediately, Night Flurry is being promoted to the position of Winter Coordinator and assigned to the Central Weather Office in Canterlot, reporting to me. Contingent on that, Icicle Gleam will be taking over as the office administrator under Rainbow Dash while continuing his role as head of the morning team."

I frowned. I knew Bree had been working on that, but I'd hoped to have more time before she could do anything like this. "Oh. Well, that's great, um, but I can't."

Icicle lifted an eyebrow. "You can't? Too much of a desk job?"

Bree's smile faded as well. "You've worked so hard to get to this, Night. You can't turn back at this point."

"I'm not turning back." Standing from the table, I walked over to the cabinets and opened up one of the drawers, flipping through the files with a wing. "I'm just... going a different route."

Icicle Gleam took the file as I slid it onto the table, flipping it open and reading through the forms.

Bree stared grimly at me. "I thought this was what you wanted? You'd be in charge of the winter weather schedule for all of Equestria. I know you can do it, Night."

"I could do it, I'm sure. But I wouldn't be happy. It wasn't what I wanted, Bree, it's what you wanted.” I swallowed, not meaning that to sound as harsh as it did. “And, I mean, I appreciate it. You believed in me when I certainly didn't believe in myself, and you helped me realize that if I put my mind to it, I can do whatever I want with my career."

"Like, a position with the Weather Bureau Regulations and Standards?" Icicle passed the folder over to Bree. "So, you want a job that'll let you travel, eh? Certainly sounds like it'd be fun."

With her eyes still locked on me, Bree took the folder from Icicle. "Regulations and Standards?" She broke her gaze to glance through the folder, frowning further as she did.

Inside that folder she'd find my application for the position, a copy at least, along with a copy of the resume I'd sent and a few letters of recommendation. As she scanned the documents, the fierce look in her eyes faded with each page.

At last, she closed the folder and sighed. "I created a monster. All this work, scheming behind my back. You really thought this through, didn't you Night?"

"I told you, I've been making plans, Bree. I didn't mean to keep it secret, more that... I didn't know if I'd get the job. And I didn't know you'd be moving so fast to get me up into Canterlot to fill that position for you. But, um, I just can't accept it. I'm going to pursue the path that I'll be happiest on."

Bree nodded slowly, then stopped and stared at me once again. "Oh. Oh my.~ You're going to propose."

Icicle tilted his head. "Propose. You mean him and Dusky?"

"Who else!" Bree picked up the folder, and suddenly her grin was back. "A job with required travel? He's not planning for his career, he's planning for his life."

I blushed heavily, knowing I couldn't deny it. The regulation position was one which required travel to a set number of cities each year, but the time and frequency of travel, as well as the destinations, could be set by the regulator. It was a position that would let me travel with Dusky every year, no matter where we went, without worrying about vacation time or strict work schedules. It would be a lot of hard work, but it would give me the freedom to be with her wherever she went. It was the only life worth planning for.

“Well, that sounds like a pretty worthy thing to plan.” Icicle chuckled. “And Dusky is a very… blush-worthy pony, after all.”

“I, okay, yes. I get it.” My cheeks were still hot. “I’m not changing my mind though. I love her.”

Bree shook her head, coming over to give me a hug. “I think that’s pretty obvious. I understand, Night. I was really hoping I’d get to work closer with you, but, I get it. Sometimes, we have to make some big choices to be with the ones we love.”

Icicle grinned as Bree let go. “And you know, if you’re still looking for something to propose with, I can help.”

“You can help me propose?” I raised an eyebrow at him, unsure what he had in mind.

“Well, not exactly to propose. But, my sister is a jeweler in Canterlot. She does custom work sometimes, and if you come with my recommendation, I’m sure she can help you find something perfect for Dusky.”

I’d done a little surreptitious shopping around Ponyville, but the town was a little light on storefronts specializing in marriage proposals. “Something perfect… yeah. I may have to pay her a visit.”

---

The storefront was in one of the upper quarters of Canterlot, a fancier district than I was really comfortable with. The majority of ponies were all wearing suit coats or fancy dresses, the kinds that were sold at Carousel Boutique. The shop itself was on the smaller side compared to those nearby. It still would have been bigger than anything in Ponyville. An elegant sign hanging above the door read 'Pegasean Legacy Jewelers' with a columned design painted upon it, resembling Cloudsdale architecture.

I pushed open the door, my presence announced to the shop by a tiny bell jingling overhead. A few other ponies were inside, glancing over the cases of gems and settings. I began to browse, taking in the rows of jewelry cases. There were lots of different colored stones, varied in size and shape, along with all sorts of loops and housings of various metals. The overall combinations of gems and jewelry were a bit overwhelming.

"Hello there! Welcome to my shop, can I help you find something?" A sea blue mare stepped up behind the counter with a smile on her face. A pair of glasses sat upon her nose, with a notepad tucked beneath a wing.

"You're... Crystal, right? I was recommended here by a coworker, Icicle Gleam?"

She giggled, but her smile widened. "My brother does like to recommend my shop to others. What are you looking for?"

"Well... I'm looking to... p-propose." I shrank down a little, looking at the case as I felt my face heating up. "I wanted to find something... special. Something as special as she is."

Crystal's grin grew wider, and after a moment she took a few steps back from the display case. "Certainly! If you just follow me, I can show you some pieces that may fit. I can already see that if she feels the same about you as you do about her, you'll both be very happy."

My blush grew, but I smiled back. "Yeah... thank you."

She led me to another case along the side wall, which was filled with several smaller pieces. She pushed her glasses up as she took position behind it. "So, tell me about her. Pegasus? Unicorn? Earth pony? What kind of tastes does she have?"

"Pegasus..." I paused to consider her tastes. In the time I'd been with her, she'd barely ever worn jewelry. A flower barrette set in her hair once while we'd been in Myrtail, a few simple outfits that all seemed to accentuate rather than overshadow her. "She's... simple, but elegant. It should be something that highlights how amazing she is, rather than being something that tries to outshine her."

She giggled once again. "Sounds like she has really good taste. So, you'd probably be looking at a necklace? Those are very popular with pegasi and earth ponies." She directed me towards a small grouping of necklaces, each attached to a long chain.

I admired each of them, trying to imagine how Dusky would react. There wasn't anything that I saw which she wouldn't make look good, but that didn't mean they were something she'd enjoy.

My indecision must have shown, as Crystal made a quiet, thoughtful noise. "I do custom work as well, of course. If nothing catches your eye."

"Custom work?"

She nodded. "I cut all the gems in this store myself, and can get the settings made to almost any specifications."

An idea immediately popped into mind. "Ms. Crystal, I think I need to order a custom piece, if, um, that's alright with you."

Crystal laughed, pulling the notepad out from her wing. "It's perfectly alright. Now, tell me what you have in mind."

---

I soared up above Canterlot with high spirits and a claim receipt. Crystal said she’d have the jewelry ready within a week, and then I’d be all ready. I only needed a time and a place, where I could ensure everything was perfect.

I paused in flight to look out across the land beneath Canterlot. The air at this altitude was refreshingly cool, the still blue sky was dappled with clouds. The world was beautiful in ways I'd never thought possible before. I wanted to see more, but above that, I wanted to see it with Dusky.

Still, there were the old thoughts in my mind, the frightened voice that said she was too good for me. Dark whispers that the world was too much, too big and too overwhelming to face. Better to just keep my head down and let it pass me by. It wasn’t a foreign voice, but my own. Old thoughts that crept in time and again. The difference now was, as convincing as the voice could be, I knew the lies it was telling.

I took a deep breath and continued on. It'd been a lot of work to reach this point, and there was still a lot of work left to do. I still didn’t want to rush into things, but for all we’d been through, there could be nopony else I could trust the way I trusted her. Nopony I loved the way I loved her, and somehow, she felt the same.

At the perfect place, and the perfect time, I would ask her to share her life with me. I only hoped I could create a memory which Dusky would hold in her heart as tightly as I held onto her.