“Class is dismissed!”
Ocellus grinned and waved as her students, myself included, stood up and left the classroom. Just as I walked past her desk, Ocellus placed a hoof on my shoulder.
“Tiger Tornado?” Ocellus’ smile tightened. “Could I speak to you for a moment, please?”
“Oh great Celestia, is it about my homework?” I rolled my eyes. “I promise I’ll study next time, I’ve just been…out of it.”
Ocellus narrowed her eyes at me as everyone else left the classroom, and turned to pull a paper off her desk. My homework assignment from two days before, all the questions filled just as expected. Whether they were filled out with the right answers in my opinion was irrelevant.
“I don’t see what-”
Ocellus flipped over the sheet, revealing my somewhat detailed art of Queen Chrysalis on a couch giving bedroom eyes while flicking out her long tongue. Or at least, what I’d hope would be a long tongue. Oh to find out by having her-
“Ahem,” Ocellus huffed. “Is this some kind of insult?”
“Insult?!” I gasped. “Why would you be insulted by the sexiest queen in the history of Equestria?!”
“You’ve been in the same classes as everyone else, you’ve learned how she has treated my people,” Ocellus explained. “She starved us and made us into monsters when the real answers were right in front of us. Her heart is about as cold as the stone she is in right now. If I see more drawings of this on the assignments you give me, we’re going to have to talk with Starlight.”
I growled at her, whirling around and storming out of the classroom. Ever since my teacher Ocellus educated our class on a ‘villain’ named Queen Chrysalis, I couldn’t get the sexy queen out of my mind. Was she really as detestable as everyone said she was, or was she a creature that perhaps felt trapped and desperate to save her kind anyway she knew how?
As I stopped walking and flew above everyone else in the hallways, I could feel the pull of many bits in my brown handbag. With the combination of my part-time job and freelance writing, I had managed just enough to get me a train ride straight to Canterlot, where I would be face-to-face with a statue containing the changeling queen that had captured my heart. And of course, a few extra bits to indulge in something at a café before I go. There was Sugarcube Corner, who knows what experience lies in there, knowing that one of the Elements of Harmony works there.
But just as I left the School of Friendship and saw the colorful building in my sight, I paused and looked at a white building with big purple letters spelling out the name Mythical Unicorn. There were about four outdoor tables with ponies sipping on tea, coffee, and lemonade with various baked goods. How had I never noticed this place before, especially in a town like Ponyville? I flew towards the coffee shop, opening the door and seeing lots of art on the walls. The main centerpiece was a painting of our leader Twilight Sparkle flying over a green hill at sunset. Underneath all the pictures were the names of the illustrations and artists behind them, and I stared at the names. No creature that I ever heard of unfortunately.
“Hey miss, are you ready to order?”
I turned around, staring at a purple unicorn stallion with a floppy pink mane, light green eyes and a black apron on. I walked towards the menu, expecting magical frappuccino combinations that would give Sugarcube Corner a run for their money. And yet I only saw coffees, teas, and lemonades listed.
“D-Do you guys have whipped cream?” I asked.
The unicorn shook his head, and I felt my skin run cold. No whipped cream?! Great Celestia, this is worse than that one time the Ponyville Taco Bell ran out of taco shells. Well, might as well leave and see what Sugarcube Corner has to offer-
I froze up, seeing a yellow stallion with a dark yellow mane and tail. His mane covered his eyes and was in a short ponytail, but it was one specific detail that I noticed with each sashay of his hips. His big and plump butt. Most mares would kill or throw away their life savings for cheeks like that. He flicked his mane and revealed his bright blue eyes.
Staring at me.
Wait-
I yelped, turning around and staring at the purple stallion as his eyes widened.
“What are you looking at?!” I snapped.
“Er, you might want to cover yourself with your tail,” the purple stallion noted. “And um, your wings are out.”
I looked at my wings fully out and erect for everyone in the establishment to see, and felt my eyes watering and my head spinning. Well, fuck this, I wasn’t going to get anything anyway.
I flew over the mysterious stallion, pushing open the doors and about to take off into the sky when I heard a shout.
“WAIT!”
I stopped mid-flight, turning around and seeing the blonde stallion running towards me.
“Er, s-sorry, was that too loud?” the stallion shook his head, smiling broadly. “It’s just, I don’t think I’ve seen a mare react to me like that.”
“I know, there’s no excuse for that kind of behavior,” I flew back down to his level, landing on my four hooves as I avoided eye contact with him. “Fuck, I’m sorry I acted like a whore in there. I really don’t act like that, I swear-”
“And how exactly were you acting like a whore in there?” the stallion frowned.
“Flashing everypony like that, not being in control of my wings?” I pointed out. “Y-You have a good day sir, sorry for all that.”
“Wait,” the stallion lifted a hoof up. “Um, there’s this tea I’ve always wanted to try. But I’m too nervous to get something different than my usual drink. Did you want to taste it and tell me what you think?”
“W-What is it?” I asked, feeling the thoughts retreating for a moment.
“London Fog,” he replied. “The stallion you just met, Majestic Sky, has been recommending it to me for weeks now. I usually stick to the coffee here, so what do you say?”
“Well, I haven’t even gotten your name,” I chuckled.
“Golden Doodle,” the stallion introduced himself. “And you?”
“Tiger Tornado,” I stretched out my hoof, showing the stripes decorating my orange fur. “You can definitely tell why-”
Before I could finish my sentence, Golden Doodle reached out and placed his hoof on mine. I squeaked, feeling my face burning up as he pulled his hoof away.
“Oh my goodness,” Doodle laughed as he shook his head. “That just from a hoof shake? I didn’t realize that I had such an effect on mares.”
I buried my face in my bushy mane, not being able to put two thoughts together as Golden Doodle joined my side and led me back inside the Mythical Unicorn. I flinched as I felt his muzzle close to my ear.
“It might be helpful to uncover your face before you order,” Doodle pointed out. “Or don’t, but I doubt Majestic will hear you.”
I shook my mane out of my face and looked at Majestic Sky, his expression a lot softer from earlier. I felt my shoulders relax as I spoke up.
“London Fog, please,” I told him.
“And the Unicorn Latte for me,” Doodle told him as he took several bits out of his handbag.
“Oh, you don’t have to-”
“I inist,” Doodle nodded. “I should pay for my taste-tester, shouldn’t I?”
“That’s a…fair point,” I agreed, letting the two stallions converse about how their day was going as Golden Doodle paid for both drinks, all the while making sure my wings were tucked to my sides and that my tail was covering my butt.
“Hey, at least I’m not jumping from job to job like my Mom did in her youth,” I caught Majestic explaining. “Her Taco Bell stories are pretty good though.”
“Oh yeah, I should ask her about those sometime,” Doodle chuckled.
“Your Mom worked at Taco Bell?” I asked, walking closer to the two stallions.
“Sure did,” Majestic nodded. “A lot of her stories are just various ponies doing the nasty in the bathrooms, could you believe Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash of all ponies messed around in there?”
“Those two?” I gawked.
“I don’t believe it either, but she insists that’s what happened,” Majestic shrugged. “You can tell how that worked out though.”
“Hmm,” I nodded. I couldn’t recall ever seeing a mare with Rainbow Dash outside of her group of friends, and could see myself being like her…solitary, free, and without anypony to worry about beyond a surface level.
And yet here was this stallion, Golden Doodle, gesturing for me to come sit with him at the coffee bar. Sure it wasn’t at this place, but there were plenty of dates with various students at the School of Friendship that started out decently enough and ended with me desperately wanting nothing to do with them.
Then I noticed the stallion’s fat cheeks nearly spilling off the seat, and I gasped, feeling my hooves moving on their own as I climbed onto the stool and managed to bring my eyes to his level.
“You’re um, a lot prettier than most stallions I’ve met,” I admitted.
“And you,” Golden Doodle flipped his mane back a little, revealing those blue eyes of his. “Are more beautiful than most mares I’ve met.”
I felt my normally screaming brain begin to give way for a fuzzy yet calm feeling as my muscles turned into jelly. But no, my brain couldn’t shut off completely. What if this stallion was talking out of his ass? What if he completely changed his attitude after the first date? What if he was trying to add me to a herd or whatever straight bullshit ponies are into nowadays? I couldn’t just completely drop my defenses, not when this pony like many others probably planned on using me and throwing me away.
An image of a face flashed in my mind, and I resisted the urge to scream and bolt away. But the stallion in front of me, never faltered with his smile as he kept looking into my eyes.
“So, tell me about yourself,” Doodle then gestured his head to the London Fog as Majestic pushed it towards me. “And don’t worry about rushing, I don’t have anywhere to be right now. So start from the beginning.”
Of course, I knew just how to respond.
“Well, in the beginning of June, I was born…” I waited, and saw his muzzle scrunch up as he tried to contain his laugh. “I’m kidding, although I will say that the mare that gave birth to me is Lemon Heart. She’s an earth pony like you!”
“And your Dad?” Golden Doodle asked.
“He’s…a Wonderbolt,” I gulped, glancing at the floor.
“Mmhmm,” Doodle nodded. “Is he in your life?”
“N-No,” I shook my head. “That’s a...story for another day. Right now though, I’ve been a student at the School of Friendship for two years and…wow! This London Fog is really good!”
“I thought you would...er, glad you liked it,” Doodle grinned before I could question him. “So, School of Friendship?”
“Yeah! I’ve been writing essays and doing various favors for my fellow classmates to…” wait, do I tell him about Queen Chrysalis? Wait, Queen Chrysalis! I was planning on taking a train to see her…but my muscles still felt like jelly. The stress over many years had fizzled into the background, allowing me to feel a way that I couldn’t fight back against if I tried. What was this witchcraft? Would any amount of poems be able to describe what I’m feeling?
“So, what were you doing favors for?” Doodle asked, blinking back at me with a gentleness that took my breath away and made my thinking fuzzy. I was no longer a mare that knew her words, but a filly with her spirit untouched by the world. Feeling my legs wiggling around my chair, I spoke.
“It doesn’t matter now,” I told him right before I grabbed my London Fog and drank the rest of it. “Did you want to go for a walk?”
“Of course,” Doodle finished his latte and smiled. “White Tail Woods?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been there,” I noted. “It’s not anything like the Everfree Forest, is it?”
“Oh Celestia no!” Doodle’s eyes widened. “Could you imagine? Taking all of my first dates to the woods? No, I would only take the disastrous ones there.”
I giggled, getting up and following Golden Doodle outside where the cold air greeted us. But the difference was, I had this stallion to actually lean against and bathe in warmth. Another pony who wanted to know me inside and out, one that made my heartbeat race.
I leaned against him, wrapping my wing around him as everyone else faded into the background.