And so, I took time away from the situation, away from everything. With my crew assisting me where they could, I was able to rest easily since I knew that they could handle things while I was away. Away where? That was indeed the question. But if I was absent--at least for a little while, I could no longer be linked to anymore possible conflicts that would arise in the immediate future. That way, my integrity and Cozy’s reputation could both be kept intact. It was more or less a tactical retreat to avoid further unnecessary damage.
Oh, and of course, I was bringing Cozy along with me. It was going to be a family-oriented vacation so that we could all spend some time together away from the craziness of the world.
Though, when I approached Cheerilee about it, she was more concerned than excited.
“...Pale! There you are!” she cried out and greeted me with a hug as soon as she opened her front door. “You startled me when you disappeared from the party. I heard about everything that happened. Are you okay? How is therapy treating you?”
“Just fine,” I said as we broke off the hug, “I have to attend once a week after my vacation is over. I just wanted to let you know what I intend to do.”
Cheerilee waved her hoof. “Wait, wait! If I clear my schedule...and get Limestone and Treehugger to handle the earth pony lessons...do you mind if I go with you and Cozy? It might be a better experience if we’re all together. Plus...we can take time to discuss our future, maybe?”
A novel idea. Cheerilee was very supportive of me and what I wanted to do. But of course, she knew that I couldn’t accomplish these sorts of things on my own. So if she was with me, then maybe things would get much better.
“...Absolutely. I’d love to have you along. To be honest, I’m feeling kind of...weak mentally. So to have you there with me as we help Cozy with her problems would be stellar.”
She giggled. “Hehe! Oh, and speaking of which. Where exactly is this ‘there’ you’re referring to? Do you even know where you want to take your vacation?”
Admittedly, no. All that I knew was that I just needed to take one. The exact destination wasn’t exactly important. But maybe...ah. That was a good idea.
“Well, why don’t you pick?” I offered, “I’ve honestly been around Equestria so many times that I don’t exactly have a ‘dream’ vacation location. But if you picked, it’ll be nice because you get to have your dream getaway while I just...get away, so to speak.”
Her eyes lit up. “Ooh! I’ve been waiting forever for somepony to ask me what I want to do for a change. Wait right there, and let me go get my bucket list!” She chirped, and raced back inside.
Wait a minute, bucket list? Just what did she intend to accomplish before she died? And why did she already make one? Whatever the case, I hoped that we could accomplish those things together if she was willing.
Moments later, Cheerilee returned with a sunhat on her head and a pair of shades. “There we go. I’ve always wanted to go to Sire’s Hollow. I’ve heard that it’s super relaxing there because of the new spas, the food, oh, and their Winter Festival is going to be held there soon.” She handed me a brochure that contained the information.
Sire’s Hollow...oh, yeah, I remember. The place where Sunburst was born and Stellar Flare had become the mayor. According to what I saw in the pamphlet, the Winter Festival--held before Hearth’s Warming--looking to be a nice, excitable affair with snowball fights, snowpony contests, lots of warm treats to eat, and songs to sing. It sounded like the perfect place to take Cozy as well. Oh the fun we could have there all together…
I read it over, and nodded. “Well now, that sounds pretty nice. When do you think you’d be ready to go?”
“Tomorrow, of course,” she replied as she looked herself over in the nearby standing mirror in her hallway, “It’s almost like our first honeymoon of sorts, if you catch my drift,” she shot me a teasing glance from within the mirror.
I blushed, and cleared my throat. “Right well--ahem. That’s good to know. I’ll go do some more research and let Cozy know we’ve decided on where we’re going, alright?”
“Got it. Oh, would you be a dear and shut the door for me? I have to get ready.”
“Oh, no problem,” I waved as I closed her front door. “See you then, Cheery!”
And so, I went back to Cozy’s house. Once there, I explained the situation which involved where Cheerilee and I had decided to take the vacation. Oh, and the fact that Cheerilee was going to attend as well, of course.
“What? Mom--er, Cheerilee’s coming too?!” she asked with a gasp as she flapped her wings. “Ah! This is perfect! Flurry and I were talking about where her family went on vacation. She said they went to Sire’s Hollow once and had a super fun time!”
What an adorable thought. I chuckled in response. “Heh. Did they now? That sounds good. At least we have a reputable source regarding how good it is. This will be a perfect getaway for all of us. No fighting, no conflicts, no scary monsters, and no worries.” I sighed, and looked down at the floor. “We’ve all been through a lot in the past...year or so?”
“Hey, don’t start worrying about the past,” Cozy suggested as she put a hoof to my cheek, “Let’s focus on the future and the path we make for ourselves. Together.”
I held back some tears, and smiled at her as I looked into those soft ruby eyes of hers. “...Oh you...certainly. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
It was time to take a break.