‘Hear ye, hear ye, by order of Princess Celestia, all Equestrians are cordially invited to a most wondrous celebration! The one-year anniversary of the ending of The Great Timberwolf War is to be henceforth commemorated with parties in every corner of the land. Every town has been so directed to make preparations for revelry and mirth to occur annually on the date of the armistice. Contact your local mayor’s office for more information.’
...
Scootaloo was concerned for Ash Eater‘s feelings, but the matter at hoof was a little more complicated than just that.
“Why don’t you want to go out?” she asked.
He sullenly looked down, “I just don’t feel like it.”
“I’d let you stay if I could, but you know I’m not allowed to leave you unattended, and with everyone having their own plans with the armistice celebration, there is nopony to be your escort.”
He looked back up and shrugged. There was fear in his eyes more than anything else. She sat down on the couch beside her ward.
“What’s really bothering you?”
He took a deep breath, “Nobody at your reunion will want to see me, and I don’t even blame them. I’ll just make things awkward for everyone. And...”
“And what?”
“And... crowds of ponies... scare me.”
Scootaloo was a little surprised at the admission, but as she reflected a moment, she shouldn’t have been. Since the war had ended, Ash Eater had been at the mercy an an angry mob more than once. Fortunately for him, guards had arrived and prevented things from spiraling out of control.
She placed a hoof on his back, “Hey, I’ll be there the entire time. We’ll be in Java’s, so most ponies will be at the square early, and if you want, we don’t have to go down there at all.”
“Sorry,” he made an uneasy smile, “I’m not trying to mess up the commemoration.”
“You’re not, not for me,” she tried to be reassuring, “I have all the commemoration I need every time you don’t try to murder me in my sleep.”
Ash Eater snorted a laugh. It wasn’t much, but it was genuine. He did seem somewhat more at ease.
“Okay, but can I find a quiet spot in the corner maybe and just stay there by myself?”
“Absolutely, and I’ll be there if you need anything.”
He nodded, seeming satisfied with the arrangements.
...
Ash Eater was glad to have arrived to Java’s early. More than just Scootaloo’s friends had chosen that location to begin their evening festivities. While most were only there briefly, the constant influx kept it uncomfortably crowded the entire time.
Ash Eater tried the coffee, which was not altogether unpleasant. Mostly he just tried to not be noticed and keep his eyes down in his own area. In spite of his fears, he was only picking up joyful revelry from the ponies and few changelings that passed through.
It was at sundown that the real party began. In keeping with the time of day that the armistice has gone into effect, champagne was opened and began flowing quite liberally as the sun slipped beneath the horizon.
Ash Eater took the effervescent drink slowly at first. He was glad it took the edge off of his nerves, but it also made him just a little bit giddy. Even though he still wasn’t overly fond of pony food, they had laid aside in preparation for this event, and a little banquet was available. A lemon scone was the least objectionable option he had discovered amongst the little cakes and other offerings.
The stag was more than a little relieved that nobody seemed to be paying any attention to him. Sure, Scootaloo glanced over fairly frequently, but he could tell it was only to make sure he wasn’t being bothered. It was comforting to know she was looking out for him, which had been a monumental surprise the first time he had felt that way. As resistant as he had been to that ridiculous orange pegasus, he had to admit that she was a stalwart ally.
The others seemed to be trying not to look his way too much, and they were otherwise far too deeply involved in their own celebrations. Stories and songs punctuated with uproarious laughter filled the night.
...
Scootaloo’s heart was lifted by the camaraderie that filled the evening as she spent time reconnecting with so many friends she had made during the war. It was good to see them, even as the sting of those who were lost in the conflict came fresh.
Though she was concerned for Ash Eater, he seemed content to sit quietly in the corner where she had left him. She kept as watchful an eye on him as she was able while still enjoying the revelry with her friends.
Champagne was served, and while the mare did indulge, she was smarter about it than she had been with the ouzo and sipped for the toasts. Still, the cheerfully bubbly drink did seem to make smiles and laughter flow more easily all around.
Even after the main event began downtown, the friends continued together with joy and mirth until Java Chip was ready to close up her shop. Scootaloo made her goodbyes, everypony promising to return the following year. The rest of the group headed downtown to continue the party. The pegasus would have gladly joined them, but she had to get Ash Eater back to their apartment while the crowds were still all contained.
“You ready to go home?” she asked.
“Yep,” he seemed surprisingly cheerful.
Scootaloo surmised it was the champagne, which though she only had taken but two glasses over several hours, also seemed to have put her into good spirits. The pair walked side by side back toward Carousel Boutique. Stars were burning brightly overhead on the clear night.
Scootaloo stumbled as she gazed upward, catching herself just about the time she gently impacted into the stag that walked alongside. They both recovered and shared a giggle. Moments later, he leaned over, bumping her in return. This back and forth continued to grow in force as they made it back home, giggling at their own silliness all the while.
After they made it inside, Scootaloo made one last push hard enough to send Ash Eater into the couch. He laughed before springing back up and leaping at her. She reared back, meeting him and grappling on their hind legs. This proved to be highly unstable, and the pair toppled over a chair, laughing as they crashed to the floor.
By this point, each was wrestling with much more intent to pin the other. Scootaloo had nearly managed to get Ash Eater into a good hold when he twisted, knocking her on her back and coming up on top. It took her a moment to realize that he had used the coffee table for leverage. She reached for it, but he pushed it away, working to get her pinned properly.
He had one of her forelegs trapped. She tried to turn the other way, but he anticipated and shifted his weight, chortling as her move failed. Both of them continued writhing, exerting their bodies against each other. For Scootaloo’s part, it was a useless endeavor. He had her beat this time. There was nothing left to do.
“Yield!” she squeaked.
“Hah!” he beamed, releasing her forelegs.
The combination of his glib expression and the jocularity of the evening worked to send both of them into another fit of laughter. As it subsided, Scootaloo looked up at the changeling stag that was still on top of her, though he was no longer pinning her to the floor. He stared back at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions. He was happy, probably more so than the mare had ever seen him. There was also some uncertainty as the moment stretched on.
They held each other there, each locked in the gaze of the other and panting from the effort of their struggle. His expression changed somewhat, becoming difficult to read. The stag moved closer. It took the mare a precious moment to realize what he was doing. His lips drew close to hers, hungry, ready, prepared to change everything.
In that next half-moment, time seemed to stretch into eternity as thoughts raced through Scootaloo’s mind and her heart pounded violently in her chest. He was going to kiss her. Ash Eater was going to kiss her. Her instinct was to offer no resistance. Perhaps it was a combination of the levity of the evening and the way their relationship had grown over the past few months. Perhaps it was the champagne, albeit such a small amount. What would happen? Could their friendship become something else? Would they be lovers? Did she want that?
As he closed the distance, just before he made contact, Scootaloo turned her head to one side, throwing both forelegs into Ash Eater’s chest and pushing him away.
“No!” she shouted, scrambling backward out from under him.
He landed against a chair, banging his head and looking somewhere between confused and hurt. Scootaloo was afraid, and she knew it was evident in her own expression. It was a sentiment that he quickly adopted as his eyes went wide. She thought she should say something to put him at ease, but no words came.
Ash Eater scrambled to his hooves and bolted to his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Scootaloo’s emotional state was a tangled mess. She did not regret pushing him away, but she hoped to not have damaged things between them with the manner in which she reacted. How did things get so complicated when they had been going so well?
...
Ash Eater didn’t sleep. He had spent the night pondering his actions and chiding himself over them. Everything had just become so confusing. He certainly hadn’t given any thought to so much as the possibility of romance where ponies were concerned, let alone Scootaloo specifically.
But in that moment, things were just so strange. They’d been laughing and playful, and that look in her eyes, had he misread it? His ability to sense emotions had never been right since his horn had been broken, but that was hardly an excuse for such a gross error of judgment.
Of course, now that it had come to the forefront of his mind, he had little choice but to let the thoughts run their course. Would a pony and changeling even be biologically compatible? Rumors aside, he had never heard of any such mated pairs, not to say that they didn’t exist.
A deep searching focused his thoughts to answer one question at a time. Did he want a romantic relationship with Scootaloo? No. Why had he tried to kiss her? Perhaps it was a combination of the levity and some level of gratitude for the things she had done for him.
Without her, Ash Eater was well aware that he would still be stewing in his hatred. While he had felt great sorrow since letting that go, it was a better place to be. Through that sadness, he somehow felt more complete than he had before.
So was it just a poor choice created by the special set of circumstances? Yes. How would he explain any of that to her? This question made a lump form in the stag’s throat. He was uncertain whether he had already destroyed any chance of things continuing. It was likely that she would find other accommodations for him, and he really couldn’t blame her.
He could always lie, make up some excuse or another. As convenient as it seemed, it didn’t sit well with Ash Eater. No, he would try to explain as best he could what he was feeling and let her send him away if that’s what she wanted. Even if he had just ruined things, he rather let them die honestly than have a fake relationship. Besides, she had earned that level of honesty from him.
Ash Eater rose from his bed and stretched. His heart pounding faster than it should, he opened the door to the living room. There she was, sitting on the couch, waiting for him. He slowly padded into the room.
“Hey,” she said simply.
Her tone was either somber or serious, or maybe a mix of the two. He nodded a greeting at her.
“We need to talk about last night.”
Ash Eater felt his legs tremble. He nodded, sitting down beside her. He took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry.”
Relief filled Scootaloo’s magenta eyes as those two simple words hung in the air. She had seemed ready to speak, but closed her mouth and nodded at him to continue.
“I shouldn’t have... I messed up...” he tried to find the right words. “I guess I was just confused after all of the celebration last night... and you’ve done so much for me...”
His ramblings seemed to lack any cohesion as he fumbled to put his thoughts in order. He tried to begin again.
“Scootaloo, you have helped me more than I can say. You have been a far better friend to me than I deserved. I realize I crossed a boundary that I shouldn’t have, and I am sorry I did it. I meant you no disrespect. It will not happen again. I hope that we can put it behind us and...” he hesitated, trying to swallow around the lump in his throat. “Please, don’t send me away.”
Silence fell over the tiny apartment. Scootaloo considered his words while Ash Eater waited. A bead of sweat formed on his forehead. Scootaloo took a deep breath.
“Okay.”
Ash Eater was caught between surprise and relief, “Okay... Okay? You don’t have anything to add? Just, okay? No scolding or condemnation for my actions?”
She shook her head, “No, you pretty well covered it. If you’d like a scolding, I have one prepared.”
“No... well... I mean, if you think it necessary.”
“You already covered everything I was going to talk about, so I guess we’re good. But I will probably leave this kissing business out of my official reports to Princess Twilight Sparkle. Knowing her, she would take such a development as a sign of success beyond her wildest dreams and encourage us to give it a try.”
Ash Eater felt himself laugh nervously at the thought.
“Still,” Scootaloo continued, “Since you went there, now we will forever have the ‘what if we had’ thought bothering us.”
His sweat went cold. As agreeable and gracious as Scootaloo seemed, there was something else about to happen, he could feel it.
“Worst case, we’ll end up with a weird case of regret about it, of not having given it a chance. We’ll wonder about what could have been until we go crazy,” she took a deep breath, casting her eyes down solemnly. “There’s only one thing we can do.”
The pause in her speech felt far too long and Ash Eater filled it with his own question, “What?”
She was going to send him away, he just knew it.
“You’ll have to kiss me.”
“Wha... what?” he must have heard her wrong.
She must have been joking. Scootaloo’s expression was completely sincere.
“We can’t have a regret like that hanging over us and destroying our friendship.”
“What!” he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“We have to do it.”
“But I don’t want to kiss you!” he blurted out.
“Don’t make it harder than it has to be, just go with it,” she puckered her lips at him.
Ash Eater put a hoof against her mouth, bewildered at the alarming turn of events. Then it occurred to him that this seemed totally out of character for Scootaloo. She had never been flirty, at least not that he had seen. As if on queue, she burst into laughter, gently slapping his hoof away.
“By Celestia, you made that way too easy!”
Ash Eater’s mouth fell agape as his response got caught and never fully formed. Scootaloo recovered from her jocularity.
“Look, I’m with you that we just forget about it. I have lost a friend over this stuff before, and it’s just not worth getting too worked up about, so long as you behave yourself.”
“Yes, absolutely, I will not try anything like that again, wholeheartedly I agree. At least, not unless you ask me to,” he added slyly.
“Hah! In your nightmares, cupcake.”
Ash Eater playfully slapped Scootaloo’s shoulder. He was so relieved that he hadn’t lost her in that exchange that he found himself holding back tears that were welling up. It was so strange to the stag. They had been in each other’s company for nearly a year, and at the beginning, really most of that time, he would never have believed that this brightly colored pegasus could mean so much to him.