Chapter 4
“You again?” She gasped as I smiled genuinely in her direction, “Listen. Thank you for all of the things you’ve done: the flowers, the really good pancakes, and now this. I’m sorry but I can’t love you, no matter how much you plead and beg I can’t love you.”
“Why? I did all of this to present my love to you and you won’t say you love me back.”
“If I told you the truth it would break your heart Frosting. I made up an excuse the other day, because if I weren’t in this mess I would have stayed with you. I’m so sorry but I- I just can’t.” and Autumn stood up to leave, I was near devastation.
“Then why did you meet with me here?! If this ‘thing’ is more important than love why did you come here?!”
“Because it is better to be loved than alone, and if you knew what was going on you would be alone.” And she left me, food uneaten, wine not drunk. Believe me I still loved her, wholly and completely but I was heart-broken and left to sob under the gazebo. Somepony was approaching from behind and asked in a gentile voice, “I-if you don’t mind me asking. What’s wrong?” It was Fluttershy. I sat up and said shakily, “You wouldn’t understand, you don’t have a special somepony.”
“Yes I do.” She said, “Remember Green Hooves?”
“That one stallion from the party, yeah.”
“We’ve been going out for one year straight. Do you mind if I sit here?” she said indicating Autumn’s empty place.
“Sure, nopony is sitting there anymore.”
“Thank you,” she replied sitting down gingerly. “We met through our faith. One evening I was preforming a ritual when he stumbled into my casting space, claiming to be on the hunt for seeds near the Everfree Forest. He asked what I was doing so I explained and he got really excited and said ‘Hay I believe that too!’ and we finished the rite together. He’s been giving me pointers on herbs and things, and I teach him about most everything else, but when we realized we were in love we started dating and now if I ever get the courage I want him to marry me.” Fluttershy ended her story with an adorable “squee.” I nibbled on an apple and asked her, “Miss Fluttershy, do you know what’s wrong with Autumn?”
“Yes, but she hasn’t been by to pick up her- Oh- Fluttershy, you know you aren’t supposed to talk about patients. Sorry I can’t tell you!” and she bolted away.
As I ate the food Autumn never ate and watched the sunset I wondered what the whole deal was about her.
“Bloody napkin, coughing, she needs to pick up something from a healer? None of this makes any sense!” I gulped a swig of wine; it felt good spilling down my throat so I wound up drinking the whole bottle. I stumbled around in the dark and eventually I gave up and went to sleep.
When I woke up Twilight Sparkle was looking at me quizzically.
“It looks like somepony had too much alcohol last night.” She was right because I had a massive hangover.
“Miss Sparkle? What the buck am I doing in the library?”
“You kind of passed out in front of it, and I’m not mean so I put you in the guest bed!” she said brightly. Even through the fog of my hangover, one question was prominent. What is wrong with Autumn so that I couldn’t love her?
“Twilight, I have a question.” Her ears perked up and her eyes twinkled at the prospect of teaching something new, “I have a… friend and she came to visit and asked to borrow a napkin, which she coughed into. Later while washing this napkin I found bloodstain covering it. What does that mean?” Twilight’s look became downcast.
“It means your friend has a rare but treatable disease known as Tuberculosis. If she has been taking her medications, she will definitely be fine. But if she isn’t she will um… die.” She said the last word gently as if it would hurt me. Autumn had to be taking her medication; she seemed so happy all the time. So I thanked Twilight and walked to Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie Pie greeted me at the door as usual.
“Frosting? Are you OK?”
“Yeah I’m OK just, hung-over.”
“Okie-dokie-loki!” she said, “And I talked to Rarity, she said that everything is fine.” Twilight’s words ran through my head and I thought, “Yes, everything is all right.”
Suddenly Green Hooves burst through the door.
“Where is she? Fluttershy said she wanted to tell me something!” and then Fluttershy gingerly opened the door and prodded a very excited Green Hooves and said, “Well, if it’s OK with you and not really too much trouble…” She paused. “ I wanted to know if you wanted to-“ she mumbled the last part.
“What? “
“I asked if you wanted to-“
“Seriously mare, speak up! He’ll want to hear this!” called Pinkie Pie.
“Would you marry me?” she squeaked.
“Yes! For all the apples in Equestria! Yes!” Cat calls and whistles resounded through the bakery as Fluttershy and Green Hooves shared a big old kiss. With any luck that would be Autumn and me, standing in a very beautiful place agreeing to marry each other. This scene gave me confidence in my love and I would have to be brash about what I did next about my relationship.
The next morning before I went to work I counted my savings, 212 more bits until I could own a restaurant. I picked a single rose from my garden and zoomed to The Carousel Boutique and knocked on the door. Sweetie Belle answered.
“Get Autumn up. I have something to tell her, it’s very important.” Sweetie Belle nodded, “Looks important.” And she disappeared into the store. The plan was perfect, and now all I had to do was wait.