A Dream That Wasn't

by Another Army Brony

9: The Date (Finally!)

        Once I had shuffled my bit-pouch (not a coin purse, dammit) out of my saddlebags and into the pockets of my shirt (a feature Rarity had the genius to include in her design), along with the receipt from Sugarcube Corner, I set off to Flora’s to pick up my bouquet of Aurora Blues.  By the time I got across town to pick them up, it was nearing seventeen. I’d better get a move on if I wanted to make a good first impression on my date. The notion of this whole thing was just too rich for me, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at it. Despite my general amusement, I’d already sworn that I’d do right by Joy, and in this case that would entail going the whole nine yards to win her over, regardless of her actual affinity towards me. And even thought it would initially seem like she was quite fond of me (and for all I know about his mare, she really was), I couldn’t shake the lingering doubts I had. Was she really and truly falling for me, or was this just puppy love? Or was it just that she was so glad to have somepony showing an interest in her, that she actually had commonality with, that she threw herself at them?

        Bah. Why can’t I leave the thinking to the smart ponies? One way or the other, if I wooed her as if I was a colt starting from square one, I could be mostly sure of her affections. Mostly. Disregarding all of this thought-based crap, I also sort of missed the thrill of the hunt, so to speak. The feeling you get when you see something you worked hard to bring to fruition bring a smile to that special somepony? Priceless is inadequate. After all, who can put a price on self worth?

        My incoherent musings carried my hooves all the way to the door of Flora’s shop before I realized that I had arrived. Shaking the mental cobwebs from the rafters, I ventured inside, the small bell on the door signaling my arrival. From the far recesses of the store came a faint and muffled ‘one moment please’. A shuffling sound emanated from the back of the shop, punctuated by a few odd bangs and the creaking of wood under strain. I was silently praying that nothing would go catastrophically wrong, cutting my date short before it even began by necessitating another trip to the ER. There arose a terrible squeal of tortured timbers, a sound that was drowned out by a sudden splintering sound and an earth-shaking thud.

        Aw, fuck… I hopped over the counter and sprinted towards the service door leading to the back. I skid around the corner and took off like a shot, my hooves beating a staccato rhythm on the floor. I had a flashback of machine guns firing all around me, a memory so very real that I could smell the cordite. The image faded away as quickly as it appeared, though the smell seemed to linger.  I burst through a bead curtain that marked the entrance to the shipping and receiving area in the back of the store, and stood dumbfounded for a moment. I was prepared to see crushed, dismembered ponies in the wake of some freakish industrial mishap, but what I saw both relieved and confused me.

        First, there was no tragic accident or mangled ponies, and for this I was tremendously thankful. In spite of my relief at the lack of injury, what I saw instead proved nearly incomprehensible to me; in the middle of the room and ringed by a haze of dust, there stood a singularly massive box, about two meters on each side. The haze of dust seemed to have been stirred up when one side of the box was pried away from the rest and sent crashing to the floor.  The wooden planks that made up the sides of the box were easily as thick as my foreleg, and the frame to which they were fastened was thicker still. I took a moment to ponder what exactly required such an insanely over-engineered shipping container.  In a most anticlimactic manner, the dust settled and I was able to gaze inside the box and discern its contents. There in the center of the crate, there was a small barrel-shaped thing suspended in the middle of a matrix-like web of cords and tubes. The tubes sprouted from the cask at irregular intervals like veins from an embryo before snaking their way into one of several smaller urns affixed to the base of the crate.

        I half expected an alien or a face-hugger to explode from the cask… this was entirely too strange to NOT be hazardous to my health. I took a cautious step back, just in case.

        “What are you doing back here?”

        “Who in the… what? Who’s there?”

        “I didn’t say ‘knock knock’, Dave. I asked you why you are in the back of my shop.”

        About this time, I caught sight of Flora as she stepped from behind the immense bulk of the crate.

        “Holy cow, Flora. You scared me…  I didn’t see you there. I just came back here because I heard this ungodly huge ‘Ka-thump’, and I wanted to make sure everypony was okay.”

        “Ah, okay then. While I appreciate the sentiment, Dave, you actually put yourself in harm’s way coming back here like that. I'm not in the habit of checking to make sure there's nopony in my way when I work, since I work alone and all, and I think it would ruin your day if I dropped that wall on you. "
 
        "Ah, yeah… that might have hurt a bit. Sorry, I didn't even think about that, I was just concerned that something had happened and that somepony was injured, so I-"
 
        "Calm down, I'm not mad. Shoot, if it wasn't for your habit of trying to help ponies, we might not have a mailmare right now."
 
        "Heh… yeah, I guess it does prove useful sometimes. So, Aurora Blues?"
 
        "Yeah, I was just working on that. The delivery was running a bit behind, and it was only dropped off about twenty minutes ago. Now, since you know nopony is dying here, would you mind stepping out into the customer area of the shop? Not that I don’t trust you, but this is kinda proprietary, and I also feel a bit weird being alone with a stallion that’s in a relationship… "
 
        What? A mare who's NOT trying to get in my knickers? I… I think I need to lie down…
 
        "Yeah, no problem. I understand entirely, and I'm glad everything is alright. I'll be out there perusing the inventory, so to speak."
 
        "Give me about ten minutes, and I'll have these ready for you."
 
        "Alright, I'll try not to break anything in the meantime."

        "Break? How can you break flower- you know what, never mind. I don’t want to think about it. Just remember, you break it, you bought it."
 
        I had to chuckle a bit at that one.
 
        "Alright, I'll do my best, Flora."
 
        She shot me a quizzical look, tinged with concern.
 
        "Do your best? Do your best not to break things, or… "
 
        As she trailed off, Flora's eyes grew a bit wider. I simply raised an eyebrow and shrugged as I sauntered away. The look Flora shot in my direction was worth every bit of hell I'd invariably incurred by my actions.  As I browsed through the almost dizzying array of blooms, vases, and assorted other gardening related items, it really struck me that Flora was an incredible botanist. There were a few flowers in the shop that I'd recognized as growing naturally in and around Ponyville, but the ones in the shop were so much bigger, fuller, and richer in color that they almost seemed to be another species entirely.
 
        I had to give it to her; Flora definitely had a green hoof when it came to horticulture. I strolled through the various rows of plants, ranging from fruits and veggies to miniaturized topiary creations and incredible displays of colors and natural beauty in the form of spectacular blooms. I saw a few hybrid fruit plants, and I couldn’t help but wonder if these played a part in Berry's smoothie domination. It would certainly explain a few things, especially if there was a coca plant in there somewhere. My wandering was cut short by the sound of my name being called out from across the store.
 
        "Dave! The Auroras are ready when you are!"
 
        "Moving!"
 
        I made my way back towards the front of the store, and I was stopped short by the sight before me, an occurrence that was becoming annoyingly frequent as of late.  There on the counter was the most incredible bouquet I'd ever seen.  My first thought was that it was very reminiscent of Luna's mane during the night, in the way it seemed to shimmer and sway in an unseen breeze. The bouquet was a significantly lighter shade of blue than aforementioned mane; less navy blue and more glacial blue. Though the bouquet was the same incredibly vivid shade as the first flower I'd bought, there were lighter and darker streaks that seemed to flow through the blooms like ripples on a pond.  

        The effect was hypnotic, though subtle, and it was only mildly surprising that I hadn't noticed the pattern before on the flower.  For once, I was able to snap myself out of a trance without somepony clearing their throat or waving a hoof in front of my face. I turned towards Flora, who was watching with mild amusement.
 
        "Flora, they're… they're beautiful."
 
        "Why, yes I am, aren't I?"
 
        Flora tossed her mane with all the flair of a Canterlot pony, like the ones I'd seen on the covers of magazines in the clinic lobby, striking a pose as she did so. She held this pose for a good three seconds before she burst out laughing. The sound was musical, enchanting; I was powerless to resist joining her.  After a moment, our merriment subsided and we got back to business.
 
        "Anyways, all joking aside Dave, they really are beautiful flowers. Did you know that they are a distant relative of Poison Joke? That's where it gets that magnificent blue hue. Heh, that rhymed."
 
        "Wow… that's… that’s pretty neat. Is it dangerous at all?"
 
        "No, where the Poison Joke manifests its magic in the form of practical jokes, the magic in the Aurora is manifested in the shifting pattern of colors, which is what it was named for."
 
        "That's pretty cool, to be honest. I never would have figured the two were related, and that thing about the magic is just… spellbinding, I think is a good word to describe it. I'm quite impressed by you, Flora."
 
        Flora blushed slightly, a shy smile crawling to her lips.
 
        "Well… thank you for the compliment. Nopony usually seems to care about my silly little plants… well, except for a few."
 
        "Well, I don't know very much about plants or any of that, but I can tell just from the last two minutes we talked that you are really knowledgeable about plants and all things botanical. You really love your job, huh?"
 
        Flora's reply was positively brimming with pride as she drew herself up to her full height and puffed out her chest.
 
        "I really do. Ever since I was small, I've always liked plants, I was fascinated by them. I learned all about them, everything I could. One day, I was studying a strange new vine, one I'd never seen before. I picked a section of it and took it to the library, and a few hours later, I figured out that it was a new species. I was so excited to have contributed to our knowledge that I didn't even notice my Cutie Mark coming in. since then, I've never stopped learning about the plants around us."
 
        Hearing the unabashed pride that filled her voice as she spoke made me smile a bit wider. I couldn’t help but wonder how often somepony actually showed interest in her knowledge, though my guess was that it wasn't very often.
 
        "Flora, I'm pretty impressed… not many ponies can say they discovered a new species of plant, let-"
 
        "Six." she interrupted.
 
        "-alone… six?"
 
        "Six species."
 
        My eyebrows shot upwards in shock.
 
        "Six new species? That's… that’s pretty incredible. I'm guessing you found them near the Everfree?"
 
        If she was nodding any harder, I swear her head would pop off.
 
        "Wow. I'm going to have to come back someday and pick your brain over for interesting facts about the various plants in this area. In the meantime, I believe I owe you a fair chunk of bits for these amazing flowers?"

        Our heads turned as one to the flowers in question, and Flora's response was a good deal quieter than her previous tone, though filled with the same adoration.
 
        "Indeed. The remaining balance is two hundred forty bits, and the vase is complementary."
 
        Vase? Shifting my gaze downwards, I took notice of the vase I had overlooked earlier, blinded as I was by the beauty of the Auroras. It was a medium sized glass vase, smaller at the bottom and wider at the top. It was etched with a simple motif of vines, a touch I found to be quite fitting. It was beautiful in its own right, though it was overshadowed by the Auroras. Them's the breaks, I suppose.
 
        "Thank you for the beautiful vase, Flora. You spoil me."
 
        "You're welcome, Dave. I've got a few of them in the back, and it complements the flowers nicely without competing with them. Anyways, I know you have a date to get to, so let's get you checked out and on your way."
 
        A few moments later, we finished doing just that, and I was on my way out the door when Flora called out to me.
 
        "Hey, Dave?"

        "What's up, Flora? I forget something?"
 
        "No, not that I know of, anyways. I just wanted to say… thank you for the compliments. It means a lot to me, stupid as it sounds."
 
        "Not stupid at all. I know what it's like to take pride in what you do.  I also know how rare it is to have your talents recognized, and you definitely have talent. I'll see you again soon, and we can talk more then. Sorry, but I've got to go!"
 
        "Well, then what are you still doing here? Go on, I'll catch you later. Bye!"
 
        With that, I took off for Sugarcube Corner, moving at a brisk trot. As soon as I stepped in the door to the bakery, I was greeted by the muffled sounds of dishes clattering and hoofsteps coming from what I assumed was the kitchen. I walked in and made it all the way to the counter without being accosted by Pinkie, which I found to be odd beyond measure. From the back there was a loud gonging-clattering sound, and I figured that somepony had dropped a large pot of some sort. I was familiar with the sound from when I worked at a restaurant, having done the same thing a time or twenty. The hollow 'bong' sound called forth memories of a simpler time, though not necessarily a happier one. My suspicion that Pinkie was the cause of this was soon verified as "oopsie" floated out from the bakery kitchen.
 
        Taking a moment to steel myself against the inevitable pink onslaught, I raised my hoof to the counter. Following a quick prayer to the Princesses, I did the unthinkable: I rang the bell on the counter. Even as my hoof was still retreating from the noise-making apparatus, I was anticipating a pink blur to streak out from the swinging doors, or to feel a frosting-covered hoof on my shoulder. I was a little disappointed when this didn't happen, though I'm not quite sure why. I couldn't really afford to be covered in frosting at the current juncture. From the kitchen, I heard a female voice call out to me.
 
        "One moment, please."
 
        The voice was familiar, but only just, and it lacked the perkiness of the Pink One. I figured it was Mrs. Cake, an analysis that proved to be correct as aforementioned mare walked out of the kitchen, bits of batter and frosting flecked throughout her mane. I knew it was frosting because it was pink and blue, precluding a series of awkward internal monologues. Even though I knew it was likely for the best, I felt a little disappointed that Pinkie wasn't out here to assist me. Mrs. Cake shot me a tired but genuine smile, the activities of the day apparently wearing on her. I smiled back at her, and her smile brightened in comparison.
 
        "Welcome to Sugarcube Corner, I'm Mrs. Cake. What can I do for you, sir?"
 
        "Actually ma'am, I was just here to pick up my order."
 
        "Absolutely, sir. What was your order?"
 
        "I ordered the Date Night Special, ma'am."
 
        Mrs. Cake's smile faltered before being replaced with a strained-looking grin as confusion and shock wrote itself across her face. In but a moment more, her expression had turned sour as she cast a scornful look my way. What the hell?
 
        "I'm sorry, sir; we do not cater to 'that' crowd here. This is a family run bakery and confections shop, nothing more. You'll have to take that request elsewhere."
 
        "But… but, ma'am. I've already ordered and paid for my chocolates…"
 
        Mrs. Cake had been turning to walk away when she stopped in her tracks and slowly turned again to face me.
 
        "Chocolates? Are you sure you're in the right place, young stallion?"
 
        "Yes, ma'am; I am. Pinkie took my order and gave me this receipt."
 
        As soon as the word "Pinkie" left my mouth, Mrs. Cake's eyes narrowed in annoyance as she muttered "Pinkie Pie" under her breath.
 
        "May I see that receipt, please?"
 
        "Yes, ma'am."
 
        I passed the receipt to the Matron of the Shop, who stared at it for a moment before groaning loudly, closing her eyes, and shaking her head. A moment later she ceased, at which time she addressed me.
 
        "I do apologize for the earlier misunderstanding, sir. The treat basket you ordered is not called the 'Date Night Special' as you were led to believe, but instead is called the 'Love is in Bloom' basket. I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, and also for my behavior. I'll grab you your order, and we'll also be giving you a voucher for a free platter or basket of your choosing as an apology. I'll make sure Pinkie knows better than to pull this again."
 
        At this point, I was legitimately concerned for Pinkie. I didn't think she was going to get fired or anything of the sort, but the thought of her being yelled at made me rather uncomfortable.
 
        "Mrs. Cake? I don't mean to interfere or step on anypony's hooves, but if I may… could you take it easy on Pinkie? I understand what she did is wrong and should be corrected, but on the other hoof, she seems like a really nice mare. I'd hate for her to get in too much trouble because of this… "
 
        Mrs. Cake looked at me quite critically for a few moments before she spoke up.
 
        "Sir, I appreciate your concern for Miss Pie, but it is really none of your business how I run my shop. Miss Pie will get the same talking-to she always gets when she pulls something like this and nothing less. Your intentions are good, but misguided; and I am not fond of the notion that I would be unduly harsh to my employee."

        Under this barrage, I shrunk back a bit. Well… that one had backfired. All I wanted was to let Mrs. Cake know that I held no grudge, but that had spiraled out of control.
 
        "I'm sorry, Mrs. Cake. That wasn't my intention, for it to come out like that. I'm sorry for that, and I'll just pipe down now… "
 
        Mrs. Cake's expression softened a little bit at this, and she seemed to take pity on me and relent a bit.
 
        "It's fine, sir. I know you didn't mean any insult by it, but you really should be careful about what you say to ponies. I'll go get your order, and you should be set after that."
 
        "Thank you, ma'am."
 
        Once I had the chocolates in my possession, I cordially excused myself and beat a hasty retreat from the shop. Tucked under one wing, I had a large bouquet of shimmering blue flowers (seriously, how did I not notice the shimmering before?), and tucked under the other wing, I had a rather large box that contained what had to have been at the very least two kilos of chocolate. It was preposterous how much chocolate there was in this box.  Needless to say, I was quite a sight as I walked down the avenues in my charcoal shirt and bowler.

        Just before I reached the door to our home, I stopped and shuffled things around to make a better presentation when I opened the door. I extended my wings slightly and propped the chocolate up on one, and grasped the flowers with the other. Once I had everything situated properly, I very carefully walked up to the door and knocked.

        A blue glow surrounded the handle, turning it slowly. The door opened languidly, revealing a stunning blue mare standing on the other side. Without exaggeration, I was stunned; I could not look away. Joy's mane was brushed flat and held in place somehow, and I could tell that she was wearing some makeup, though I couldn’t tell what exactly.  To top everything off, Joy was wearing a simple white blouse with short sleeves, and let's just say it was very… form fitting.
 
        I'm pretty sure we just stood there and stared at each other for a few moments before one of us snapped out of it. Naturally it was Joy, and she slipped me out of my trance with a question.
 
        "Those are beautiful… are they for me?"
 
        Once again returning to this world, my mind caught up far quicker than I would have thought possible, seamlessly slipping into troll mode.
 
        "Nope, I thought I'd get hungry on the way home, so I got them just in case."
 
        I tell you what; her sarcastic look was significantly more suggestive when she was wearing cosmetics.
 
        "Beautiful, aren't they?"
 
        Joy nodded a bit absently, once again entranced by the lightly swirling colors and patterns in the petals.
 
        "These are the same as the flower I got you on the first day, and I still stand by what I said that day: the flowers may be beautiful, but they pale in comparison to you."
 
        Joy blushed a bit harder, and smiled in a very Fluttershy-like manner. I was not sure how much more of this my heart could take before it just exploded from the cuteness.
 
        "That was really sweet, Dave. Entirely unbelievable, but sweet. What's in the box?"
 
        "Well, you know how I had an entirely true saying about the flowers and the reason I got them?"
 
        "No, but I recall a very sweet exaggeration. Go on… "
 
        "It's the truth, but we can argue later. Well, here's my story for the chocolate: I thought you would like some chocolate, so I bought you some. The end."
 
        Joy stood there for a second, just blinking for a few seconds as her brain finally processed that the story was over. Narrowing her eyes at me, she tried her best to give me a death-glare, with even less success than usual.
 
        "Alright, smarty pants. You got me, I like chocolate. But I'm a mare, so that's pretty much a given."
 
        "Exactly. So, would you like to take these things off of my hooves so we can get dinner? We have reservations to keep and such, being very important ponies and whatnot."
 
        Joy gave me another one of those sarcastic looks that she is so fond of before she wrapped the items in a veil of magic and floated them into the recesses of the house. I turned away from the door, expecting Joy to appear by my side so we could walk to the restaurant together, but instead of hearing the sound of her dainty hoofsteps next to me, I heard her clear her throat behind me. What did I forget now?
 
        I turned around and once more had to pick my jaw up off of the ground. Joy was looking at me with a cocky little smirk and a raised eyebrow, the stem of one of the Aurora Blues clenched in her teeth.  With that look in her eyes, the rose in her teeth, and that blouse, the only thing that popped into my head to describe her was the word "Spicy". I didn't say it made sense, now did I? Alright then, moving on. In a flash of inspiration and understanding that was entirely outside my normal scope of operations, I recalled the way I tucked the rose behind her ear that first day. I advanced towards Joy, stopping so close to her that our chests were nearly touching. All the better to interact with you, my dear…
 
        Sitting on my haunches so I didn't have to attempt to balance while putting the rose in her mane, I held out a hoof to Joy with the intention of her dropping the rose into my waiting hoof. Joy, however, had other plans. She cast a glance at my hoof before fixing me with a level stare, raising one hoof in a partially saucy, partially challenging manner. Her body language practically screamed 'You want this rose, Dave? Come and get it'; I was happy to oblige. Still riding high on the wave of insight that had somehow washed over me, I figured out what seemed like the right answer to her challenge. Leaning closer, I gently bit down on the stem of the rose and tugged softly. As our lips brushed, I felt a certain sensation pass between us, and I swear it was like electricity. I should know, I've played with enough electric fences in my lifetime. Which, now that I mention it, explains a few things, doesn't it?
 
        Following my gentle tug, Joy released the rose to my sole custody as she began smiling triumphantly. You know, if this was Joy's idea of a victory, I do not mind losing to this mare so much anymore. I was about to tuck the Blue into Joy's mane when I realized something… these roses were long-stemmed, and if I just stuck it into her mane, the stem would reach down to Joy's shoulder. I bit all but the last twenty centimeters off of the stem, and I had to giggle out loud at this… the rose stem tasted very similar to Joy, or at least what I thought she should taste like. I based this assumption off of the flavor of her magic when she was teaching me not to stick my tongue out at her. I couldn't stop myself from commenting on this to her.
 
        "Heh. Hey, Joy. This rose tastes just like you."
 
        "Oh, really? And how do you know what I taste like?"
 
        "Well, you have magically molested my tongue a few times, and during these episodes, I've noticed a distinct flavor."
 
        "And that is where you would be wrong. A unicorn's magic does not necessarily have a 'flavor' that corresponds to the 'flavor' of the unicorn itself. Therefore, you have no basis for your claim; you do not know what I taste like. Not yet, at least."
 
        She punctuated her sentence with a wink, and under other circumstances this more likely than not would have reduced me to a babbling idiot (well… MORE of a babbling idiot). But this was not an ordinary day; for today, I was brilliant.
 
        "Actually Joy… YOU are the one who is wrong in this case. Remember those kisses we've shared? Bam, right there. I'm on a roll today."
 
        Joy sat there, speechless for a moment, as she tried to contemplate how exactly she had been out-foxed by the likes of me. After a moment, she simply accepted it, and gave the universal expression for 'not bad'. I leaned in a bit closer as I used my wing to gently brush a stray lock of mane away from Joy's face. Having practiced a bit in my spare time, I had finally gained fine control and dexterity in the first few primary flight feathers on each wing, allowing me to use them in place of the fingers I no longer possessed for certain things. Things like brushing a pearl colored strand of mane away from the face of a gorgeous mare. As I brushed the wayward lock away, I ever-so-lightly caressed the side of Joy's face, something which made me grin for a couple reasons.
 
        The fact that I had gained such fine motor skills and the ability to precisely control these most distal of appendages in only a few days was first and foremost the reason for my grin. The reaction I got from Joy, however, was precisely the one I'd hoped for: as my feathers gently caressed the side of her face, she shivered from the contact and a blush began to spread on her cheeks. Yeah, I've still got the touch. I slid the rose behind her right ear, framing it within her alabaster mane. I drew back to admire my work, and was interrupted by a sudden kiss, not that I minded in the least.
 
        I tasted minty freshness… I broke the kiss unintentionally, drawing a pout from Joy as I sat there and just smiled for a second.
 
        "Hey, did I say you could stop?"
 
        "Heh. You taste minty."
 
        I swear, if not for her makeup and her fancy hair, I think Joy would have facehoofed right then. Instead, she just chuckled at me and my oddity.  Standing up as one, we turned around and set out into the setting sun on our way towards the first stop of the evening: The Fleur de Lis.

        We passed the time on the walk to Fleur’s engaged in idle chit chat, as we swapped stories from our day-to-day lives and filled in details we might have overlooked during the previous telling of it. We discovered that we shared the opinion that fall was the best time of the year, we are both borderline fanatical for carrot cake (the baked good, not the pony), and we both have a tendency to express our affection in a physical manner, be it nuzzling, kissing, or just physical proximity to one another.
 
        As we walked near the market square, I couldn't help but notice a marked increase in the number of ponies who were out and about compared to this time on any other day. I figured there must be something going on, and my hypothesis seemed to be supported by a few ponies carrying picnic baskets and the like, heading in the direction of the setting sun. I'd have to ask about this at the restaurant. Another thing I noticed about the ponies walking around town is that, despite the fact that nearly everypony around was dressed up to some degree, the majority of the ponies around seemed to stare at us at some point or another.
 
        Okay, I can see why they would stare at Joy. Hell, I was having[a difficult time not staring at her. In my defense though, she looked very good in her outfit… very good… just sayin'. Once we broke off the main thoroughfare though, the number of ponies out and about dropped off to nearly zero. How very strange. I didn't have time to ponder this for very long though, for we had arrived at Fleur's. As I had been running around the past few days, I had the good sense to drop into Fleur's and make a reservation for two on Friday. Ordinarily, this would have required a significant down-payment of bits to ensure the reservation, one that was pretty far outside of my budget. I supposed the purpose of this was to keep out the riff-raff and ensure that only those ponies of means would be present during the busiest part of the day. Unfortunately, I was not exactly what you might call “a pony of means” at the time. I was turning to leave when I spotted a familiar alabaster unicorn accompanying a similarly familiar lavender unicorn in the direction of the eatery I was currently being kicked out of.
 
        Needless to say, I shamelessly exploited my new acquaintances and their clout to get my name on the list, but once they engaged the mare in charge of booking the reservations (whose name was Fleur, and who also happened to be the owner of the restaurant… go figure) in a short conversation, this proved unnecessary. Turns out that, once again, my 'daring rescue' was the key to opening doors I didn't even know existed. As the conversation continued, it also came up that Joy and I had repaired the play yard at the school, further cementing my status as some sort of folk-hero type pony. Fleur was even kind enough to inform me that I was going to be put on some sort of list so I'd never have to pay a reservation fee in the future.
 
        To be honest, at times I felt a bit sleazy that everypony was bending over backwards to be kind to me for what I did, and I was not really comfortable with just accepting it like it was normal. Next thing you knew I'd be taking this all for granted and what have you, and that was unacceptable. While I sometimes felt sleazy for special treatment, this was not one of those times… special circumstances and all that.
 
        Stop looking at me like that… if I had the bits to make my reservation like anypony else, I would have. And besides that, I was doing this so I could take Joy out to dinner at her favorite restaurant on our first date… what's the harm in that?
 
        Well, one way or the other the reservation had been made, and the same mare that had made the reservation for me the other day was there again, much to my relief.
 
        What happened next was so full of win I wish I could take even partial credit for it, but sadly this was not the case. As I walked into the swanky diner with the elegant Joy at my side, I could see heads turn and eyes lock on the both of us, though if my guess was correct (and I suspect it was, from the sound of several stallions being knocked upside the head all around us), most of those eyes were not on me, save for a passing glance. As I walked up to Fleur with Joy at my side, we made eye contact. A slight nod was the only indication that she recognized me, at least at first. This is where the win came in, as she addressed me.
 
        “Good evening, Mister Dave; Miss Joy. I have your table waiting, please follow me.”
 
        About a half dozen pony heads turned at this, jaws agape. It would seem that it wasn’t every day that Fleur would address ponies by name and personally escort them to their table.  As Fleur led the way to the table, Joy sidled up next to me and whispered into my ear.
 
        “Dave… how do you know Fleur? More importantly, how does she know you? She doesn’t usually associate with the customers unless they are some fancy Canterlot type or if she can hear their coin pouches jingling as they walk down the street…“
 
        “Well, Joy… you forget that I am amazing, and can do things that nopony else is capable of.”
 
        “Like biting your tongue in half?”
 
        “Yeah, like biting- … that’s not very nice. It was an accident… and besides, I’m pretty sure I was better off biting it in half than I would be if you had gotten a hold of it.”
 
        “Hmmm. Yeah, that’s fairly accurate. How well do you think you could function if your entire face was numb for about twenty four hours? I can do that, you know. Just put a little more power in my anesthetic spell, and bam… rubber face.”
 
        “See? This is why I did that… to avoid such a fate. Also, since when do you say ‘Bam’?”
 
        “What? I’ve… crud. You’re corrupting me, Dave. That’s the only explanation. Next thing you know, I’ll be saying things like ‘indubitably’ and ‘roger’.”
 
        My response was slightly belated as we arrived at our table and were seated.  We ordered lemonade to drink and a salad appetizer. As soon as Fleur departed, I picked up the conversation right where we left off.
 
        “Joy, you do realize… you already do.”
 
        “No I do- ohmyLuna, it’s worse than I thought. Well, I’m doomed. Might as well enjoy the time I have left.”
 
        She finished her proclamation of imminent doom with a smile and a shrug, and we shared a chuckle at that. I was vaguely aware of a few perturbed glances in our direction, but I honestly couldn’t care less. Those ponies could be as stuck up as they wanted to be, I was on a date with Joy and nothing could kill my mood. Not even a pang of guilt at the fact that I was so happy so soon after leaving my home could bring me down.
 
        As we waited for the food to arrive, we snacked on our salad and bread sticks, both of which were excessively delicious. Once, the waiter (who was noticeably not Fleur) came back and named off what he was serving us, I haven’t the foggiest what it was he actually said other than it sounded really fancy and really expensive. In the back of my head, I couldn’t help but think they probably just had Flora grow some super-lettuce and sell it to them at a miniscule fraction of what they were charging the customers for it. I’d have to ask about that… it seemed way too plausible to not be at least partially true.  Joy and I had started out being seated across from each other at a round table,  but a few moments into the meal Joy got up from her seat and took the one adjacent to me to better facilitate conversation. Turns out, I’m really loud when I talk, unless I whisper.
 
        Eating in the most dignified and reserved manner I could, I managed to draw fewer than five stares from disgruntled customers. That was pretty much a record for me, especially considering the way I usually inhaled my food. Between bites, Joy and I leaned together conspiratorially as we pony-watched. For the most part, we just sort of commented on the strange fashion choices of most of the ponies. Who needs a hat with a meter-long feather coming out of the top? That guy, apparently. To our unending amusement, we dubbed their conversations over with our own versions. More than once, the conversations were ended prematurely as we lapsed into a giggling fit. 
 
        We kept up in this manner through the entire meal, all four courses of it. By the time we were halfway through the main course, the ponies around us either learned to tune us out or finished their meals and left. This was of no consequence to us; we were lost in each other. Our conversation became less and less lively as the evening wore into night, the food in our bellies sedating us slightly.
 
        By the time dessert had come and gone, the both of us were pleasantly stuffed and contented. In fact, I was so contented I barely flinched when the bill came. For two ponies having a four course meal at a swanky restaurant, the price was actually a bit less than I expected it to be, but not by much. Once Joy kindly pointed out that I had nearly forgotten to tip and the mistake had been rectified, the total was just over what I was expecting, but still within the allotted food budget. We squared the debt and collected our after-dinner mints before striding out into the night, waving a fond farewell to Fleur and her lovely eatery. Joy and I strolled flank to flank in the direction of the market, intending to grab a smoothie and go stargazing on a nearby hill.
 
        The closer we got to the market center, the louder a strange noise reverberated around us. We had noticed it shortly after leaving Fleur's, but thought nothing of it until it began to grow louder. Shooting Joy a befuddled look, I advanced in the direction of the sound to try and discern its origin. Passing through the market center, we rounded a few more corners and beheld a wondrous sight. Sometime during the course of the day, there had been a serious project underway in front of the Town Hall. Tables and chairs were set up in long rows leading up towards a stage of sorts that had been erected directly in front of the Town Hall. Though the area was obviously being set up to accommodate the volume of ponies that would be at the ceremony tomorrow, it was currently in use for a far different and far more incredible purpose.
 
        A certain grey earth pony was in the center of the stage, standing upright, and holding a large string instrument. From this instrument, there arose a sound that nearly brought a tear to my eye, and there was no doubt remaining: Octavia was in Ponyville.
 
        I'm not sure how I missed the news of this being spread, but apparently the news was indeed spread, otherwise it begged the question of where in the hell all of these other ponies came from. Joy didn't seem at all surprised by this, and that led me to believe that she knew this was going on and just didn't mention it because she figured I knew. Well, I wasn't about to dispel that notion just now. I had no idea when the concert had started, but it couldn't have been more than an hour and a half since we had passed through the square, heading to dinner. We should still be able to catch a good hour or so of the music before the concert ended. Joy and I took our seats near the back of the seating area, farther from the stage. I didn’t mind at all, and I had the feeling Joy didn’t either, since the music was every bit as entrancing from where we sat as it was up front.
 
        Joy sat next to me and gently leaned against my shoulder, taking my foreleg in hers and hanging onto it as if for her very life. As the music swelled and ebbed in a glorious melody, I could swear I felt the music within me, moving me from the very core of my being and spreading outwards. In its wake, strange new feelings were rising, absurd thoughts taking hold. But the thoughts were my own, as absurd as they were; I had thought them all before and simply disregarded them. I turned to look at Joy, and she did the same; our eyes met, and time stood still. Yes, these thoughts were absurd… but they were also the culmination of everything I've ever felt or wanted.
 
        I was thinking that I wanted nothing more than to spend the entire remainder of my life with this mare and no other. I wanted to see her face light up in the afterglow of birth, wanted to see her eyes shine as she held her firstborn. I wanted to share all of the trials and tribulations, as well as the rewards, of a long life together with her by my side. I had these thoughts in the back of my mind for a few days now, and I suppose they had been there even longer than that. I had first become aware of them a few days ago, though; and I had continuously disregarded them as too hasty, impulsive. And yet… as I sat next to this beautiful mare in the soft glow of late twilight, our bellies full of food and enchanting music wafting through the air… everything felt right.
 
        There was no other way to describe it, it was just… right. These thoughts and feelings I had been denying, decrying as impossible, as impulses… they coalesced into a single notion of such power that I was unable to resist, to deny. It was simply the notion of living the rest of my days, however few or many that may be, with Joy by my side. This was everything I had ever wanted, had ever needed.
 
        These thoughts passed through my mind in an instant, and I was overwhelmed. I leaned in to give Joy a kiss, a gesture that she happily returned. Lost in the passion of the kiss, she didn't notice the single tear that slipped down my cheek. An eternity later the kiss was broken, and we watched the remainder of the performance in a semi-trance, with her head resting on my shoulder and my head resting on hers. Eventually the performance reached its crescendo and conclusion, and ponies stood and issued a thunderous applause for several moments before it finally died down and ponies began dispersing. Within a matter of minutes, the entire area was deserted, save for Joy and myself. We remained seated, enjoying the splendid night and the pure comfort of each other's proximity.
 
        Upon the stage, the quartet had begun disassembling their set, save for a single ash-grey mare. I nuzzled Joy's minty mane, and glanced up at the stage to a sight that was almost… shocking. Octavia was watching us, a small smile upon her lips. With a single wave of her hoof, she waved us closer. Joy had missed the gesture, seeing as how her face was currently buried in my chest, and I nudged her to get her attention. She gazed up at me with an expression so sweet, so innocent, that I could do nothing but kiss her. Within my chest, my heart had been cut out and replaced with a candied apple, courtesy of the diabeetus. As the kiss broke, I whispered to her that we were being summoned.
 
        "Hey, beautiful… Octavia wants us to come closer to the stage."
 
        "Nice try, Dave. I'm not falling for one of these again…  "
 
        "Actually Joy… I'm serious. She just waved us closer. I think we should go, as much as I want to stay here like this forever."
 
        "R-really? She wants us to come up there? Why didn't you say so! Let's move, we don't want to keep her waiting!"
 
        I almost fell over as the mare I was leaning on suddenly wasn't there anymore, muttering 'I did say so… ' under my breath as I caught up to Joy. As we approached the stage, Octavia descended the stairs to the right of the stage and came out to meet us. As the two of us came within six paces of the esteemed musician, I halted and took a deep bow before addressing Octavia.
 
        "Miss Octavia, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Dave, and the lovely mare accompanying me is my Marefriend, Joy."
 
        At the mention of her name, Joy did what I assume must be an approximation of a curtsey, which Octavia returned. Our introductions concluded, we waited with bated breath for Octavia to make the next move, a wait that was not long at all.
 
        "Pleased to meet you both. I couldn't help but notice you back there after everypony left, and I just thought you two were a most darling couple. How long have you been together, five years? Ten?"
 
        I spoke up to answer the question.
 
        "Actually, Miss Octavia, this is our first date. To be completely honest, we met less than two weeks ago."
 
        "Well, I'm certainly quite impressed. To think that two ponies could find such love in such a short time is simply… wonderful. You two have something truly special, I think. The way you two seem to… fit together is a rarity indeed. Do you have somewhere you need to be in the next half hour or so?"
 
        Joy answered this time, cutting off my response.
 
        "Not at all, Miss Octavia. May I ask why you inquire?"
 
        "Good, good. Actually, I have a piece that I'd like to play for you, one of my personal favorites. It doesn't fit into the rest of the performance, so I don't get to play it as often as I'd like, but if you have the time, I can think of no better audience for it."
 
        Whoa. This… this was… wow. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that the date would go this well… not the dinner, not the concert, and certainly not a personal performance by a famous Canterlot musician. In every way, this date was beyond imagining. I found my head doing a very rapid north-south motion, one that Joy's was mimicking. Octavia motioned to one of the stage-hooves who was moving some of the gear, and in but a moment a beautiful string instrument of unusual size was gently floated to Octavia, wrapped in a shimmering lime-green field of magic. Octavia pulled herself upright against the instrument, and Joy and I found ourselves a pair of seats with astonishing quickness.
 
        The piece began softly, and it was one that I recognized, though not by name. To me, it conjured the mental image of walking flank-to-flank down a winding trail in the full glory of autumn, crimson and golden leaves swirling about in a gentle breeze. An adventure unfolding, full of promise and alive with the hopes and dreams of two ponies in love. All too soon, the music ended, leaving me both enraptured and disappointed. Before I had a chance to complain or applaud, Octavia began her next piece, one that was entirely foreign to me, but nonetheless brought beautiful, lamenting visions to my mind. I closed my eyes and held Joy close, swept away by the music.
 
        I knew then that there could be no other way, no other possible future. If it was the last thing I did, I would make Joy my bride. Either that, or die trying. A bit overly dramatic, perhaps… but in matters of the heart, there is no such thing as overly dramatic. The music drew to a close, and once more I was left feeling almost empty. Octavia dropped down to all fours and addressed us warmly.
 
        "I must say, it felt quite lovely to play that piece for a truly deserving audience. I fear that I must be going now, though I hope you enjoyed the performance."
 
        I was the one to speak up this time; Joy seemed to have something in her eye…
 
        "Miss Octavia, it was truly an honor to have you play for us. I believe I speak for the both of us when I say that we will treasure this memory always. Again, I want to thank you for your time."
 
        "It was no problem at all, and I quite enjoyed it as well. Music is a gift, one that is to be shared. After all, what good is a gift that is never given?"
 
        Joy and I both nodded at this, and Octavia took one last bow before setting off with the cello on her back. I looked at my watch, and noted that it was nearing twenty-two hundred. As if to confirm the hour, Joy yawned vigorously, causing me to do the same. With but a glance, we agreed that it was time to call the date a night and head home. We walked back in silence, still floating on the joyous emotions from earlier, both from the dinner and the concert, but more so from the private concert that came afterward. Truly, this was a date to remember. We arrived at our home sometime before midnight, and the both of us simply collapsed into bed under the exhaustion of the day's events. By any measure, today's date was a stunning success. Not even bothering to shower or even wipe the makeup from her face, Joy climbed into bed next to me, favoring me with one last, tender, kiss before we both drifted off into the comforting folds of sleep.
 
        That night, I dreamed. There were no nightmares, no thinly veiled threats from my subconscious, and no Elder Gods trying to steal me away from my Joy. There was simply peace, and a growing feeling of permanence. Just as I was drifting off into sleep, Joy rolled over onto her other side so that she was facing away from me, scooting backwards to press her back to my chest. I draped a foreleg over her in a protective embrace, and she took my hoof in hers and held it to her chest, near her heart. It was just like this that we drifted off to sleep, and there had never been a more perfect moment in my life than that one.