"Spike,"the yellow pegasus detached cautiously,calling out to her protege.The latter turned to face her in the most innocent fashion,wich only furthered the evidence...
"Why is there a box of "Space rolls" cereals in the chariot?I don't remenber putting them here,you know?"
Confusion beamed on his face.It was an act.Thankfully he took responsibility,not in any anticipated way:
"Because they're the best spacial cereal in all the Milky Way!"he proudly recited the slogan,stricking a heroic pause.Some shoppers briefly turned to witness all the fuss,but not invested enough due to the bright and early hour.
"Even you like it,admit it!"
"I only ate those cereals once because the bears took all the honey,don't give me that look!"she didn't flich the least,"Honestly,I don't see what you find in them,their marshmallows taste like rubber sand,anyway..."
She went on,deseperatly trying to resist his most effective weapon:the puppy-dog eyes,alongside a small quivering pout as he held the violet box close to his chest.
"We already have one at home,"she gently reminded,her lattest defenses.
"Yes but,"Spike held out the box,"this one comes along with the spaceship figures!I can't miss the spaceship figures,Fluttershy!"
She sighed,one way to show she relented.The drake latched onto her foreleg in a hug that she happily reciprocated,rolling her eyes for good measure:
"Oh wait,"he frowned at the printed image of the figure,"this isn't the mega X Mars probe,I'm gonna find the right one..."
As Spike looked for the proper box,Fluttershy distracted herself with the perspective of yet another odd dream of her part.Mainly caused by the apparition of the lavender alicorn,now with a name.She couldn't remenber to be honest.Did she just invite her to stay in her dreams?
No,it was something else.The only vivid image she captured was of the princess sneezing when a fireflie landed on her muzzle.It only furthered her comprehension towards her decision...
But enough.She've avoided this for far too long.Since she woke up,this poisonous tought plagued her mind:
What was that citation that just emerged in her head?Wasn't emebarrassing herself in front of a royal enough?Dream or not,it was lame,so lame.What was she thinking?
"Aha!Found it!Hold on,I'll go get it...,"he hopped the first time,"...almost there!"he hopped the second time.A most welcome distractiong from her toughts.
His guardian stepped closer,endeared by the sight.He would deny needing her help,as always,but it was her solemn duty until...the cereal box dropped and fell right into the victorious arms of Spike all on its own.A vague air of magic flotted.
"Here you go,lil' buddy."
Fluttershy's ears perked up.She reconized that voice.In fact,they've had an entire debate just yesterday about a certain constellation.
"Mr.Shimmer?"she tempted.
When the familiar freckled face of the unicorn turned to her,her assumptions were confirmed.Even moreso he seemed releived to see her:
"Oh,I know you,"he beamed,proud of this perspective,"Fluttershy right?"
"Hm hm,"she nodded,"thanks for the magical help,"she gestured at her protege cluntching the box.
"Your welcome...,"he reajusted his round glasses,"so how are you doing?I mean,despite the fact you had to watch me use a legend as a scientific reference...sorry you had to witness that..."
The sudden change of tone suprised her.But instead of delighting in his self-deprecating sarcasm...
"Well,it sure was interesting to say the least,"she kindly offered,he needed it,no matter how much he would deny it,"don't we live in a magical land at the end of the day?"
"I see your point,"he smiled cheekily,his freckles danced around his face,a starry sky influenced by time,"but no, that was a mistake on my part..."
"Everypony reacted differently but nothing you can't learn something from."she advised,if she encouraged him to go down that path she could deviate it as well,"How did the the astronomy observatory react to it?A new anecdote added for your time working here?"
"Yeah...,well,"he pawed pitiously at the ground,a humorless laugh,"I...I got fired is how it went."
Oh,well.
It looked like the changing of road was unnecessary.
"F-fired...that's a bit too harsh,isn't it?I'm sorry to hear that,Sunburst,"she placed a hoof on her chest in sincere gesture,"I hope you'll find better luck in other fields."
"Don't dwell too much on it,Fluttershy,it wasn't any fault of yours...and well,not all is lost,"he smiled in return,"I'm taking responsability this time!"
The coffee aisle borrowed his attention.Caffeine was much needed for job applications,his expression determined and fierce.Fluttershy couldn't help a laugh,so much she didn't notice Spike sneaking discreetly a second box in the charriot.
She sure hoped she didn't dwell on it for too much.But destiny had other plans in mind.
The concept of eternity seemed to hold more meaning the more their walk screteched on.He dragged his hoofs alongside her,urging him every now and then to hurry.She've promised that the wait would be worth it.Even trying to make the conversation to offer a distraction:
"You'll see,when I saw the job descrition it screamed your name!"
"Everypony can raise a platter?"his question tainted in not offence,but confusion.
"Not the way you would do it,Sunburst."Fluttershy encouraged,concrete at the opportunity.
The Sugarcube Corner filled in their vision.The orange unicorn momentarily slowed down.This time not out of exhaustion,he just needed to take it all in,as he justified.She shrugged.He studied the bakery under carefull gaze,his frown dropping into a blank reaction.
There was nothing new,the cinnamon walls dipped in frosting,a poster pinned,annoucing the application for a new waiter.The sweets and sprinkles flowed,ruining the paper.
"So this is the place you told me about?"Sunburst broke the silence,eyes reaching the cherry on top.
"Yes,"she cleared,"You've never seen it?"The tone in wich he've voiced it left room to interpret he've never been there.
"Uh no,I've never.I'm a foreigner..."
"Oh,"she cleared her throat,"well,based on Pinkie's word,Mr. And Ms.Cake are waiting inside for the job interview.So,a little nervous?"
"No,but it looks like you are."he joked,a way to ease the tension.
"What?Noooo,I just want all of this to work out!"she opened the sugar-coated door,the ringbell anoucing their entrance,"Plus I'm taking all the nervousness that could be in you...so to help."
That was lame.
Even worse,when the owner cut her severe frown trough them,she ought to think it was directed at her own self.The fierce interoguation only seemed to take place as the mare,shrouded in looks ressembling a cupcake straight from an oven,needed to know who she was dealing with:
"Your ID."
Both parties looked around and at each other as if the designed object would manifest any moment.It was until the yellow pegasus caught the escaping stare of the unicorn that she confirmed the quiet evidence with a frown.The employee at the counter,Pinkie,counted the seconds until Ms.Cake would notice a lack of response:
"I need your ID Mr.Shimmer."
The latter was caught right in the bag.Pinkie noticed,in the middle of wrapping a shortcake,as she notices everything.Offering to borrow her help,she leaned on the counter,dissimulating with a hoof unshared conspiracies :
"Go,go,go!"she whispered,loudly,"I'll offer the distraction for you.There's no time to lose!"
"But...,"Fluttershy tried to oppose.
The employee only presented a sly wink.This time not the least discreet,throwing her hoofs high in the air.Her agitation cut trough the mild tranquility.
"Ms.Cake!"the mare gave a tired look,she knew what was coming,"I'm not so sure but I think Gummy fell in the dough,and now we have to go looking for him."
"What?Again?"Their voices drowned,becoming nothing more then background noises.Collecting their little arguing,the unicorn made a most shocking confession:
"Pegasusfeathers,I left it at my lodge,"Sunburst slapped his hoof on his forehead,"I left my card in my lodge,Fluttershy..."
"I know,I know,"she sighed,"I guess I'll have to accompany you,now.At least we'll find it more rapidly."He turned to her in a disconcerted look.She couldn't picture what it meant.
"I've never done it with one more pony but okay...?"
Done what?
And without warning,or maybe a too quick one,he put a hoof on her shoulder.Liting up his horn in a turquoise aura,he smiled in front of her cautious look:
"I'm going to teleports us."And with only the time to curve her lips in a round 'o',they vanished in front of the few patrons midly choking on their desserts at the earth-ripping sound.The sensation of teleporting couldn't be described properly as the spell didn't last for enough time to consider its surroundings.But the aftermath sure did:
"I wasn't aware you could teleport,"Fluttershy backpedaled,her head was spinning,trying to gather the view of the cozy lodge in front of her blurred eyes,"it's not something most unicorns do."
"Right,sorry for all that,"he responded,noticing her obvious uneasiness,"but I'll be right away,you just wait here."
He then disappeared into a room,leaving the pegasus to adjust to the living room she was in.She'd already seen it,when she've told Sunburst about the job annoucement.Inspired by Maud's slippery words,informing her on the lack of waiters in her sister's workplace.It was more of a to-go thing,she wasn't fully convinced he would considerate it.
Her eyes then locked onto heavy volumes on shelfs,seemingly about unknown magic.The inscriptions,written in other-wordly languages,gave away an alien feeling.The rest however, left her chuckling at their bizarre,so bizarre titles:
"Artifacts that can break any curse"
"Goblin creatures of the forest"
"Sea monsters and where to find them"
"Types of muchrooms for potions"
"The ways of dream-walking"
Wait...did it say "dream-walking"?
Fluttershy reached the book,carefull and meticulous at operating her movements.Still the chances were that it was just a fantasy story vaguely scribbled.A dash of hope encouraged her not to go ahead of herself.
The first thing she've noticed was the dust inside,just heavy-filled with dust.She coughed on the process,seemingly an old legend,before adapting her eyes.She stared at the first page,and knew it didn't take itself as a mere legend at all:
"We can go now!"Sunburst annouced as he returned with,thanfully,his ID card in his magical grasp.
He looked at Fluttershy,staring back at him with wide eyes.Cluntching the book tighe,she was caught meddling with his stuff:
"Oh,you want to take it?"
"Actually yes,"she smiled to ease any type of opposition,"when will be the return date if you may?"
"The return date is....,"he delayed for dramatic effect,"whenever you finish,seriously I could never thank you enough for your help."
"It was my pleasure,"she bowed with her head,content to have the book in her possession,"I never tought of dream-walking as a possibility?"She stared at the too real volume in her hoof.
"Not very much for everypony,it's a complexe spell,but it's still just a spell,"he elaborated.
She nodded in return,having caught in her interest another book that she couldn't quite comply to check due to its personnal content.Right next to the volume about "dream-walking" was disposed an old and half-torn dream journal.
The Sugarcube Corner was full this evening,the patrons come to eat there expressed an ounce of sympathy towards the new waiter having applied.Magic abilities signified he could levitate many orders at once,to the delight of the owners.
Now to figure out how to keep pace.
"Hey,over here."A cyan hoof shook in the air,having awaited long enough to order.
"Wait,something reminded me,"her guest of the day,Fluttershy,informed her,"I haven't told you who's new working here..."she trailed off with a smile,the answer having manifested in front of them.
The athlete arched an eyebrow in confusion.After a heavy training session with the Buckball team,anything that didn't remotlessly ressemble a chocolate chip milkshake couldn't hope to take apart her focus.
"Sorry miss,"blurted out the waiter,in pure habit,"what...what can I get you?"
When Rainbow's eyes set on a familiar orange unicorn,she couldn't supress a suprised chortle.The uniform he paraded in consisted of a bright fushia apron.No more expensive suits,talk about space.A small badge confirmed the evidence,"Sunburst", noting he was who's new working here...
His eyes squinted in plain deposition:
"Don't ask."