//------------------------------// // A Hopeful Mare // Story: The Small Shop On Elder Street // by SirEcho //------------------------------// Fall colors became winter memories. The sun now reduced to a distant thought, as the snow began to thaw out. For all the ponies became quite snug, with the winterous bug. Though the season changed, Celestia's heart was chained. For the human thought he only tinkered with a silver part. He also tinkered with a golden heart. Tap tap tap A human gently tapped away at his silver canvas. The office he was in, was quite cozy and smelled slightly of smoke, for he had a small hearth ablaze with logs. The cold of winter frosted the window that sat above his table. Outside small bits of snow fell like ice-crusted butterflies that softly danced in the air. A kettle screamed an angry tune before being promptly silenced. "Is your tea ready?" Cliff said with a bit of mirth. "Our tea you mean? As you will be trying this and you will like it." Celestia poured two cups of her premier winter brew, spiced ginger plum. She presented one to Cliff who just give a slight grunt in acknowledgement- -Ahem- -who decided rather, that the cup looked quite appetizing. He eyed the concoction for a moment and gave it small whiff, and was pleasantly surrounded by spiced fruit and festive aromas. He brought it to his mouth and paused for a moment. He took that moment to look at Sunflower who was very invested in seeing his first sip. Her eyes sparkled with hope and a slight smugness, as though she already knew he would like it. He took one sip, two sips, paused for a moment and pondered. A final third sip and placed it down, returning to work seemingly unaffected by it. "It's alright." He responded after a few moments. Though Celestia knew, he loved it but was just too proud to admit. She gave him a gentle rub on the shoulder and a mirthful smile, to let him know she knew. Even if he tried to hide the truth. A gentle rub became a small grip on the large man. After it held there for a minute, Cliff stopped his work and turned towards her. "Can I be at your service Miss Sunflower?" Cliff said with a poorly attempted posh accent. "Stop that, I told you to call me Sunny." That didn't stop a small giggle from escaping her but it was soon replaced with a more nervous look which was made plainly obvious by how her large ears folded to her head. Those ears being something Cliff had to learn, as ponies could be quite expressive with them. He gave her a slight rub on the head, which elicited a more positive response from her as she pushed into his hand. Another strange oddity for him about ponies. They were very touch and feel sort when it came to emotions. Apparently, it was common among friends to rub each others head or ears. According to 'Sunny', his hands were supposedly 'divine' though he had no other unbiased source to refute that claim. After a few moments of his ministrations, Celestia let out a breathy sigh. "I was uh wondering, if." She paused for a few moments. "You would like to go out on a date sometime, like uh today maybe." Cliff sat still as a mountain, his face unwavering in the face of this tidal wave of emotion. On the inside, he felt a slight tug on his heart and all at once it clicked into his head. Past experiences and long lost love ones had made his heart hard as stone when it came to these affairs. Though it felt as if a sun had shined it's rays and began to lift the winter in his soul, but nothing came easy as he pondered out loud. "Hmm, but my shop-" To his surprise, the small unicorn now gripped him harder and was pulling him toward her with a surprising strength. The look she gave, well he might as well kick a hundred puppies. Her eyes glistened, with her heart practically worn on her sleeve for him to see. She wanted him to say yes, for all that she was in that moment was a simple mare who wanted to know more about the large man. "I suppose-" Celestia pulled the big man into a strong hug, one that even challenged his constitution. She then looked up at him with those hopeful eyes and gently caressed his face. "I'll see you in a couple hours." She untangled herself from the man and slowly let go of her caress as she walked out the door. A large man stepped into the view of a vanity mirror and looked himself over. He perched his posture to present a particular luster, that of a gallant man who awaited his maiden. With his hair neatly combed and aided by a bit of product to help hold it together, he looked rather spiffy in the formal attire he wore. The perpetually dirtied shirt and jeans now were replaced with a dashing gray two piece suit with a matching tie that gave a slim look to the bulky man. He had it made awhile ago, for his interview with the Equestrian immigration official, which collected dust until called again to smooth out his rough disposition that he exuded towards the gentler ponies. He gave himself a final once over, before the surprise date could entirely envelope his thoughts. It was a bit out of the blue for him and could only be followed by curiosity, one which wonders what drove the mare to be this forward and now of all times. Then again he never was an expert in understanding the opposite sex, especially one that wasn't even human. Of course at that point it had nearly been two hours and the third check of a clock only confirmed it further. Where was the mare of the hour? Certainly not in a rush, as the date was definitely not a last minute impulsive decision. One that required a bunch of last second arrangements by pulling some strings. It couldn't be fathomed to also not have a nice dress on standby for such an occasion. Even if that were the case, she wouldn't be panicking over such a date, being such a seasoned diplomat. Well the impropriety of such misinformation is simply too much! It couldn't possibly be anything but pure doublethink! In other news, Cliff stood outside his now locked shop, waiting for the significant other who still hadn't arrived, even after the two hour mark. The golden disc in the sky was on its path toward its peak, with no snow clouds in sight, it beat down with all its strength, bringing a welcomed warmth to temper the winter chill. The modicum of traffic that flowed passed his wayward shop and down the snow littered street paid him no mind for the most part as those that came through here were accustomed to his presence. Regardless he remained ever vigilant, not just for his date but for an awareness of his surroundings. As being out at this time made him somewhat uneasy, due to some experiences that never truly left him; for he was constantly sizing, judging and calculating whenever he was out and about. Always ready to act at a moment's notice- "Cliff!" The man turned his head and it stayed there, with a sight that overpowered even his discipline. It was the illustrious white unicorn mare of the hour. One who wore a long beige overcoat with a fuzzy interior and a white pair of modest heels. Her mane was done up in very pleasing curls with the slightest accents of makeup on her face to help enhance her natural features. She was slightly winded and the confident demeanor from earlier now replaced with a timid disposition. Regardless, she looked as cute as a button to Cliff and he had to restrain himself from just squeezing the poor mare. "I hope I didn't leave you waiting too long." Sunflower stated meekly, guilt evident on her face. "Well if it was just a hare later I might of left, my kind are deathly weak to the cold being fur-less n' all." Sunflower was struck by the statement, her guilt verging onto full on grief. Oh the poor creature! How could she not have known that- Until she noticed a small smirk, that escaped his otherwise straight face, for a few moments. Before the man could react, the mare shoved him into the large snowbank with uncanny strength. The white mare now stood over the large man with an imposing figure and a pointed finger. "You idiot!" She yelled loudly, causing those in the vicinity to look or hurry along. "Do you realize how stressed I am right now?! And you have the gall to play games with me?!" Her eyes began to water with a sadness taking over her features and spoke in a softer tone. "Worst of all, you made me think I hurt someone I cared for." She turned away from him, the anger now melting off the rest of her body, as she let off the small sounds of restrained tears. Cliff, now stricken with guilt, immediately rose up and gave the mare a large hug from behind and held her tightly to convey his regret. "Sunny, I'm sorry, I promise to make it up to ya. I didn't think that-" He stopped when he heard a giggle and looked down at the small mare and saw the smile on her face. "Well since you promised to make it up to me I'll let it slide, I'll come to collect the debt later." She gave him a little peck on the cheek. "You're cute when you care though." He stood there in shock. Did she just- "Are you going to stand there and gawk all day?" Said the mare who already managed to slip out of his grasp. -hoodwink him with crocodile tears? Cliff dusted himself off of snow with a bit of magical help from his date. Who then took the opportunity to envelope his arm with her body and pull him towards the Market Boulevard. Sunny being the confident mare she was again, let out a happy hum. Her tail swished back and forth, brushing across his backside ever so occasionally, as she was overfilled with joy to finally be spending a more intimate time with her favorite human. The couple wandered down the seasonally decorated market boulevard. Festive lights dotted green groves which entwined themselves across the many street lamps. Residents of Canterlot casually cajoled in the marketplace, fully taking advantage of the customary cinnamon cookies, while sipping cooling cocoa cups and admiring the curious ceremonial crafts that littered the sea of seasonal stalls among the wide array of winter wares. Celestia gleefully hopped from vendor to vendor, examining the various bits and bobbles that caught her eye all the while sampling winter cakes. In spite of her years of seeing this very same market for many years, having Cliff with her brought forth a childlike innocence that couldn't resist sharing the enjoyment of the seasonal spectacles. Cliff approached one stall which was displaying various holiday hats for sale. He spied a pair of antlers; but before he could ponder the item, a golden hue of magic levitated it onto his head followed by a few small feminine giggles. He turned toward his humorous offender. "Well does it suit me?" She gave him a mirthful look. "Don't let the nobility catch you, they may get jealous due to the awe inspiring look of your crown." His date responded then giving a few small giggles. In no time at all, the day swept by and the sun began its final course. The nightlife of Canterlot blossomed forth bringing with it raucous revelry that subdued the earlier peaceful pleasantries. So the two did what any rational one would on a night worth enjoying. Get absolutely wasted. They hopped from bar to bar, trying every curious cocktail and brazen brew. Celestia even sang some karaoke which started off decent, but her gradual inebriation eventually led to an even wackier and more wayward performance each time. With each progression leading to sassier sways and peculiar pitches. In spite of it, everyone still sang along all the same. The booze even loosened up Cliff enough to sing some modern pop songs, which was a spectacle in of itself. As the rough looking and imposing man sang about being a young rebellious teenage mare with a dream. Ah but even the nightlife had its limits as the late night turned into a very early morning. For this the bars closed, which left all the drunk patrons to wander the streets and find their own way. Cliff and Celestia stumbled along with the bright moon overhead, their cheeks rosy with the alcohol swimming through their bodies and drunken smiles plastered on their faces. Cliff thought the night to be over and was about to ask where he could drop her off at but the mare as always surprised him. She suddenly dragged him with a burst of energy towards a small grove of trees. In the small grove was a path and a sign next to it which stated 'Eau d'amour, Canterlot Climate Enchanted Park'. They continued to drunkenly stumble along until reaching the end of the short dirt path, one which led to a field of short grass. At the center was a beautiful sight. A still pond laid at the center with the large moon reflected onto its surface. It cast a dim light to fill the small area, that coupled with the dim bulbs of fireflies that lazily bobbed in the air. All that mixed to form mild summer concoction in no small part thanks to the enchantments. Celestia took off her heels and stepped barefoot on the grass and let out a sigh of relief then taking a moment to admire the pond. Cliff followed suit, notably enjoying the coolness of the grass on his tired feet. After they settled for a few moments, Celestia spoke softly. "I had a lot of fun." She cleared her throat quietly. "More than I have had in awhile." "Me too, I haven't been that unwound in awhile." The gruff man responded. "Though you did enjoy that karaoke a lot." Celestia gave him a soft shove. "Hey don't judge me for that, I get a little caught up in the moment." "Only a little?" He began to chuckle only to be shoved a bit harder this time and fall to the ground. "Hey! I wasn't the one wholeheartedly singing marely pop songs!" The two paused for a moment and then began to laugh heartily at the absurdity. The comedy of it being amplified by the buzz that remained from their drinking. Cliff laid back comfortably, to look up at the sky, where the stars crowded the sky like a cosmic metropolis; but the moment was short lived as he heard a small splash. He sat up quickly only to give a small smile as he saw Sunny dancing around and giggling in the water which only reached up barely past her ankles. Though he wondered what she was dancing to since her movements seemed to be following something. That was when he heard it. Soft voices sung gentle notes that loftily floated about, an almost spiritual feeling seemed to permeate the very air. The magic of harmony. It began to fill his very being and he felt himself lifted forward, as if being helped by unseen hands. Celestia now beckoned him and he obliged. He joined her in the shallow pond, dancing in circles around each other to the soft melody. That was until, he grabbed her hand and the gentle melody turned into a proud orchestra. Every succint sound only served to make the night brighter, alive and surreal. The two now joined together in an impromptu couple's dance, their movements erratic yet in harmony, riding the flow of feelings that seeped through their very pores. Slowly, it petered out until the soft melody returned and the two stood there in the pond, gently swaying in unison. Their feelings no longer a mystery, as the harmony had told a story, one of star crossed lovers from different worlds brought together by fate. Celestia's head rested gently on his chest. The mare looked up at the man whose gaze was cast away, lost in thought about this surreal moment. Celestia reached up and turned his face gently towards her, her hand acting as lightning rod to bring the wayward man back to reality. The man didn't even have time to give a questioning look before a pair of soft lips enveloped his own. The harmonious orchestra resurged forth in response and played the climax of its piece, as primal electricity sparked between the connected lovers. Eons passed and empires rose then fell in the span of time the embrace lasted in the minds of the two, before they finally released each other. Now returned to a gentle sway of a dance, neither dared look each other in the face. The bashfulness from such an intimate moment colored their faces spectacularly, with Celestia taking comfort in the man's chest to shelter herself from her feelings as the man attempted to gaze off stoically into the distance for the very same. She clenched her hands against his shirt, the reality of what she had just done hitting with its uncaring force. She knew it was time, time to come clean. She looked up at him, leaving the cozy refuge of his chest. He felt the movement and the distress in her clenched hands causing him to look down at the small white mare. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times before she mustered forth enough courage. "Cliff, I have to tell you something." She took a deep breath. "I'm actually-" "-I know." Celestia stood there in shock for a few moments before continuing. "That I'm the-" "-Princess, yes." She sputtered for a few moments as a runaway train of thoughts blew through her mind and all she could wonder was. "How?" Cliff took his own deep breath and explained. "There was some curious things 'bout you but nothing on its own for me to be suspect." He paused for a moment. "That was until, Luna visited."