//------------------------------//
// Dinner and a Story 
// Story: Caramel's Light 
// by Squeak-anon 
//------------------------------//

Caramel took his time walking home. He wanted to get there in time to help with dinner, but he didn’t relish the idea of telling his grandfather what he’d done. The sooner he got there the sooner he’d have to. Of course it would have to happen eventually, but stalling was one of the few things Caramel considered among his talents. 
Eventually though he did come to the edge of his family’s land. He took a deep breath, filled with the smell of Toffee’s cooking.
The most he can do is yell at me. He thought. Plus after dinner he’ll be full. Who isn’t happy when they’re full?
The heat from the kitchen flowed over Caramel as he approached the door. He sat the mostly empty cart by the stairs and headed inside. The walls had been decorated with various apple themed things, apple streamers hung from the ceiling, apple mats had been layed strategically around the house and, of course, fresh apples sat on every windowsill. Toffee had gone all out. 
At the moment, she was in the dining room, placing a smoking bowl of apple cobbler on the overstocked table.
“You’re home early!” She remarked with a happy little jump. “Sold extra hard to be here early for your little Juliet?” 
Caramel’s face colored. He opened his mouth to reply only to have a spoonful of something shoved in. 
“Tell me, more apples?” asked Toffee, looking up at him expectantly. 
“Mhmmphh mphm?” asked Caramel. 
“You’re right!” she spun around and danced back into the kitchen. “Everything’s better with more apples.” 
Caramel swallowed whatever it was she’d forced on him. It tasted of apples-of course, what else would it taste of?...But...there was hint of garlic. He made a mental note to find out which dish that was and accidentally spill it.
He found Grampa Jonagold balanced on a ladder in the sitting room, putting up large apples themed stickers. Very briefly he considered telling him then, and got as far as opening his mouth when his grandfather turned around. 
His face lit up and Caramel quickly closed his mouth. 
“There you are m’boy!” he bellowed, jumping off the ladder with more energy than Caramel had seen in quite a long time. “Just finishing up the preparations for your little date! How were the sales today?” 
“Oh, well they were alr-” 
“What am I saying, of course they were great! With our little ace in the hole how could they not be? I am so proud of you.” He grabbed Caramel in a hug, patting him roughly on the back. 
Caramel winced. “Um...thanks Grampa, that means a lot.” 
It really does....He thought morosely. I wonder how long it will last.
“Now!” Grampa Jonagold released him. “Let’s get you right and proper for your little filly eh?” 
Suddenly Caramel found himself being led by the hoof up the stairs to his grandfather’s room. He’d hardly ever been inside disregarding the one time he’d had to help rebuild the roof after an unfortunate kite accident. It smelled of distilled cider and old hay. 
Caramel tried not to trip as his grandfather came to a stop in front of an old wardrobe.
“Now, I’m about to give you something that has been in our branch of the Apple family 
for generations. Passed from Apple stallion to Apple stallion as a tradition. I think it’s about time it fell to you.” He opened the wardrobe with a flourish. “Congratulations.”
Caramel’s mouth dropped open. 
“Speechless eh?” Grampa Jonagold grinned “Thought you’d be, this beauty has seen me through more than one date, and now it’s yours.” 
“Well....thanks Grampa, b-but it’s...it’s...” 
“Too fancy for you? Don’t worry, I thought the same when I was your age. You get used to it, whip this thing out and BAM! The fillies will be falling all over’ya.” 
“Well...no that’s not exactly what I was thinking....” 
Grampa Jonagold arched an eyebrow. “Pre-date jitters? Perfectly understandable.” He patted Caramel on the back again. There was a cracking sound. “I know exactly how you feel, felt the same way when I met your grandmother.” His eyes got that faraway look. “Put this old thing up after that. Didn’t need it any more.” 
It was quite for a moment. 
Caramel sighed, he couldn’t turn down such a gift. Not with its history. “Well...suppose I’d better change.”
His Grandfather’s face lit up again. “I suppose you’d better!” He turned towards the door. “You’re going to look great!” He walked out into the hall, leaving Caramel alone. 
Caramel let out another sigh. Maybe she won’t laugh too much...It’s not that bad... he took a hold of the hanger and prepared to get dressed. But did it have to be blue? 

Toffee set yet another dish on the table, wiping a bit of sweat from her brow. She’d changed out of her cooking apron, and into a modest dress. Normally she wouldn’t be caught dead in such an outfit, but her Grandfather had insisted. 
It is something to her credit that she managed to hold back the laughter that threatened to come bursting out when Caramel descended the stairs. 
“Well...” she said between suppressed snickers. “You look....‘nice’, Mel.”
Caramel shot her a look. “It was grampa’s idea.”
Caramel stood dressed in an antique blue suit. Its large buttons hung haphazardly underneath a comically large collar that refused to stay down. A pink flower that had seen better days hung cheerily above the pocket, which held a green handkerchief. Darker blue streaks ran down either side, ending in a pair of tails. 
Toffee finally abandoned any pretense of seriousness, and fell into a fit of laughter banging her hoof against the floor. 
“Thanks for the support,” Caramel huffed, walking past her into the kitchen.  
She rolled over and got to her feet. “What are you doing?” she asked, drying her eyes.
Caramel stood there for a moment. “Well...I’m helping. What do you need?” 
“Oh no you’re not!” 
“Huh? Why no-” 
Toffee appeared behind him and began shoving him towards the door. “This is your date, 
you’re not getting all dirty in the kitchen before Twilight shows up. Now get! Go on! Shoo!” 
“B-but I want to help!” 
“You can help by staying clean and in one piece until dinner starts. Good luck!” She turned and headed back into the kitchen. 
Caramel was left in the living room unsure what to do with himself. Twilight wasn’t set to arrive for another half hour. He realized he missed her. It’d only been this morning when they’d shared breakfast, but it felt liked days. He wondered for a moment if she missed him as well. 
He needed something to take his mind off it. Toffee was taking care of the final dinner preparations, his grandfather had taken care of the decorations and he was already dressed, as much as he didn’t like what he was dressed in. 
There’s nothing for me to do.... He thought morosely. Of course he was grateful his family had worked so hard to make this night special. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit unnecessary. He wracked his brains for something, anything he’d forgotten, something that might be necessary for tonight. 
Dinner.....decorations.....dress....What else? What else do ponies have on.... his thought process stalled for a moment. He gulped. Dates.
He looked around the room, perhaps something would come to him. His eyes fell on the old bookshelf in the corner, landing on one book in particular. It was missing most of its spine and the pages were horribly dogeared, but it gave him an idea. 
Gifts. The word surfaced in his brain. They get each other gifts! It’s been long enough hasn’t it? He wondered, he didn’t want to rush things.
Caramel walked over to the shelf and picked up the dusty old book. It wasn’t particularly thick, and its cover had been marred by one to many spilled glasses of juice and many more uses as a coaster, but he could still make out the faded words of the title:
The Secret Tree. 
He hadn’t read it since he was a small colt, but he still remembered the story from his days with his grandmother as she read aloud and he pointed at the pictures. He had a bit of time, and as a small smile appeared on his face he opened the book and began to read.

A filly, who always wore a blue bowtie, lived on a hill by a town by the forest. She did not have many friends, but that suited her just fine. Every day she would walk down into town to visit a little library, which is the best kind of library because it only has room for the best books. There was always a kind pony behind the counter who was the epitome of librarianiness, from his big glasses to his soft voice, would always tell her what a smart little filly she was and say how nice her blue bowtie looked. Then he’d bring a ladder to retrieve the largest book from the tallest shelf at the back of the library. It was a book of fairy stories that the little filly loved. At the start of every day she’d check it out, go to her secret reading spot and spend hours pouring over the fantastic tales inside.Then at the end of every day she’d return it. It was only polite for little fillies to be punctual after all. 
But, early one morning the filly in the blue bowtie came down into town to the little library as she always did. The kind pony behind the counter told her what a smart filly she was and how nice her blue bowtie looked. But then he frowned and told her that somepony had already come in to check out the largest book from the tallest shelf at the back of the library. He, being the epitome of librarianiness, could not turn down a pony who wanted to check out a book, as much as he wanted to keep it for her. 
The filly in the blue bowtie was very upset, not being able to read her favorite book. But her mother had taught her well and she thanked the kind pony behind the counter and left without checking out anything at all. 
On the walk home she lamented the loss of her book. It seemed she would simply have to wait until tomorrow to check it out, and continue her reading. Oh how cruel was fate!? She’d just gotten to the bit about the wizards, but there was nothing to be done. So, saddened, but hungry, the filly decided to get something to eat. 
After buying a lunch of roasted hayseeds and a cupcake, she decided to go to her secret reading spot. While she still didn’t have anything to read, a secret reading spot should make just as good of a secret eating spot shouldn’t it?
Carrying her bag of food, the little filly in the blue bowtie went back up the hill, past her house and into the forest. She knew the path by heart. She went past the mossy boulder, being extra careful to be quiet, so as not to wake the sleeping dragon, under the roots of the oldest oak, three times for luck,  jumped over the small creek, being careful not to touch the water for there’s never a small creek without some kind of nefarious beast, then through the hanging leaves of the weeping willow and into the glen.
In that glen, surrounded by flowers, was her secret reading spot. It was an old tree. Though she’d read books about plants she’d never been quite sure its breed, but its trunk was full of holes and nooks just perfect for a filly to crawl into, and its leaves were just dense enough to shade her from the sun while letting in enough light to read by. They were polite that way. 
She sighed, it is hard to be sad in such a place, but without her favorite book the whole thing felt a bit wrong. Like putting lettuce in a peanut butter sandwich.
Still, she was here and she had food, so she found a comfy nook and set about eating. As she chewed, there was an odd sound, like a bird only slightly lower pitched. She ignored it and kept eating, but then it happened again, slightly louder. It sounded like it was coming from directly above her.  She ignored it for a bit longer before her curiosity got the best of her. 
So, bracing her hooves against the bottom of the nook she peeked into another hole in the trunk a little ways up. 
A colt in a clover baseball cap lay with his back turned to her gnawing on the tip of his hoof with worry. In front of him, there was a large book. 
The filly in blue bowtie gasped, it was her book! The one from the library, it must have been him who checked it out! 
She hopped up and tapped him on the back. The colt in the clover baseball cap yelped and almost fell from the tree, his cap wiggling on his head because it was a size too big. 
“Who are you!?” he asked, angry at being disturbed.
“Well, I might ask you the same question!” said the filly in the blue bowtie.	 “Along with what you’re doing with my book!” 
“Your book? I checked this out from the library. It’s nopony’s book.” 
This caught her off-guard.
“Well....that’s right. But I’d meant to check it out, as I do every morning, that counts for something,” she said testily. “And what are you doing here? This is my secret reading spot. I’ve got rights you know.” 
“Well I’d say it’s just as much my reading spot as yours.” said the colt in the clover baseball cap. “And besides I got here first. It’s terribly impolite to interrupt someone when they’re reading.” He frowned.
“Well, what do you think you’ve done!?” she asked. “I’ve been reading that book for a while. I’d just gotten to the story about the wizards.” 
The colt in clover baseball cap blinked. “Well so did I. Just now in fact. Did you read the part about the dragon?” 
The filly nodded. “Yes, it was so exciting! Now you see my predicament. I would very much like to finish it.” 
“Well,” the colt began, looking her over. “We’re in the same place. We could just read it together.” 
She eyed him suspiciously. “I don’t know. I’ve never met you, or seen you around town. For all I know you could be a stranger. My mother told me to avoid those.”
“Well,” The colt put a hoof to his chin. “Mine did too. So if she warned you about strangers, and me about strangers then neither of us can be one. Because then they wouldn’t have had to warn us about them.” 
The filly in the blue bowtie had to admit this made sense. 
“Well that still doesn’t explain why I haven’t seen you before.”
The colt in the clover baseball cap explained that his family had moved here only a week ago. He came from the little town on the other side of the forest. He’d hated it there because it didn’t have a little library. Which meant it was no place that anypony ought to live. His house was in the town by the bakers, and he didn’t have many friends, which suited him just fine. 
He’d seen the tree on the ride and decided it looked like a rather nice place to read. So he’d looked for the perfect book to do so. Finding her book he’d come here to enjoy it.
The filly in the blue bowtie listened to his story, nodding at the appropriate points, and not at all interrupting until it was finished.
“Well,” she said considering. “If you really want to read it that much...and you promise you’re not a stranger, then I suppose there would be no harm in reading it together. 
So they did.
They finished the story about the wizards much faster than she thought they would. The sound she’d heard earlier was the colt biting his hoof during the suspenseful bits.
Since they had a lot of time until sundown they decided to read the next story too, for it was a very large book. And by the time the day was over they’d read The Mare and the Man in the Moore, The Colt Who Loved the Moon and they even managed to finish The Brave Knight of Midnight. But alas, the sun must set on even the best of days, and the two had to say goodbye. The colt in the clover baseball cap let her take the book back to the library, and promised he would not check it out again if they could do the same tomorrow. 
She agreed, and they walked back. She showed him all her tricks to avoid the creatures of the forest that he’d never noticed, and they went their separate ways. 
The next day, the Filly in the blue bowtie walked down into town to visit the little library, the kind pony behind the counter told her what a smart little filly she was and said how nice her blue bowtie looked. Then fetched the ladder to retrieve the largest book from the tallest shelf at the back of the library. 
The colt in the clover baseball cap met her at the entrance to the forest with a smile on his face, and together they went in. Past the mossy boulder, being extra careful to be quiet, so they would  not wake the sleeping dragon, under the roots of the oldest oak, six times for luck,  helped each other over the small creek, being careful not to touch the water for there’s never a small creek without some kind of nefarious beast, then through the hanging leaves of the weeping willow and into the glen. Where they sat and they read every day, just the filly in the blue bowtie, the colt in the clover ball cap and the book of fairy stories. 
And that suited them just fine.



Caramel closed the book, his smile growing a bit wider, he knew exactly what to get Twilight now. He raced off to the storeroom to find some supplies. 

He found everything he needed in the pantry hidden beneath the winter tree covers and several apples far past their prime. There were several cans of paint and paint brushes available. He’d been surprised at the amount of colors available. But then he thought back to all the little accidents around the house, every scratch needed to be painted over didn’t it?
Well at least some good came out of them. He mused, closing the pantry door.
He examined himself, he’d managed not to get any paint on his suit, though in his opinion it might have made it look better, and turned to admire his work. They didn’t have any paper, or canvas, as far as Grampa Jonagold was concerned if it didn’t sell apples there wasn’t much of a reason for it to be on an apple farm.Though there was plenty of spare wood sitting around for much the same reason as the paint. The trouble had been finding a piece of the right size that wasn’t scratched, pitted, scorched or otherwise damaged. Eventually he found a small block that seemed perfect for the task.
So, spending as much time as he dared before Twilight arrived, he painted her gift. This was only the second time he’d tried his hoof at painting and the result now sat drying on his nightstand.
He couldn’t help but smile.
She’ll love it.
Feeling a great bit better about the looming dinner, Caramel checked the clock hanging on the wall. He’d finished with very little time to spare. Twilight would be arriving in less than ten minutes.
He shook the stiffness from his limbs, he’d been standing in the same place for far too long. Racing over to the mirror he checked his hair, done in it’s usual way. He silently thanked Celestia that his grandfather didn’t know anything about hair styling. The suit was bad enough as it was. Still, it had been a nice gesture.
Caramel exhaled slowly, looking his reflection in the eye.
“You’re gonna be fine,” he said to himself. “You’re gonna be fine....” He stared into his 
own eyes for a bit. “Won’t you?”
His reflection offered no answer as the doorbell rang.
Caramel’s heart leapt into his throat.
Here we go....

He stepped out of his room, trotting down the steps two at a time. He had to get there before Toffee or, Celestia forbid, his grandfather did.
Surveying the living room as he hopped past the final stair, he saw Toffee coming down the hall. He put on a bit of extra speed and made it to the door first, but not by much.
He tried to stop his heart from beating so fast as he readied himself. He wanted badly to rip open the door, but that wouldn’t be gentlemanly.
What would her books say about this? He wondered for a moment, taking a breath. Just open the door. Everything will be fine. Taking another breath, he slowly opened the door, and gasped.
She looked lovely.
Twilight was wearing a modest red dress with yellow sleeves, there was a matching sash tied around her neck, it all beautifully complemented her natural purple color. She didn’t appear to be wearing any makeup, but her face looked lovely nonetheless as she smiled, lighting up as she saw him. She was blushing slightly.
Caramel caught himself staring.
“O-oh Twilight! Welcome!” he said a bit louder than he’d intended. “You look...beautiful.”
She turned her head bashfully. “Thank you...a friend of mine heard about dinner. She absolutely insisted.” Twilight looked him over. “You look very handsome yourself.”
This caught Caramel off guard, he’d almost forgotten the horrid blue suit he’d been wearing for most of the night.
“Oh, me!? No, no, you’re being too generous. This is my Grandfather’s old suit....it’s nothing special.”
“Oh, it’s your grandfathers!” she said examining it a bit more closely. “That explains the stripes,” she said running a hoof along the side. “Very early pre-modern ponyvillian. It’s really well taken care of if it’s that old. It must mean a lot to him.”
Caramel felt a flash of guilt for thinking so badly of it all night.
“Yeah... I suppose it does.”
He looked at her for a moment and realized her hoof was still pressed against his chest. She’d leaned in a bit close to look at the details of the fabric.
Twilight seemed to realize this at about the same time and looked up to find his eyes looking into hers.
“Um...ah....” Caramel fumbled for something to say. “You have lovely eyes.” He’d never seen them this close, from a normal distance they were pretty, but here from so near, they were astonishing.
“Thank...you...” she softly.“Yours too.”
“Ahem.” Toffee cleared her throat.
Caramel almost fell into Twilight before regaining his balance. “Ah! Yes...Um...how silly of me! Would you like to come inside?” he said, stepping back into the house, blushing furiously.
“Oh, oh yes! Thank you.” Twilight stepped inside, her face matching her dress.
“Sure, wouldn’t be much of a dinner if we spent the whole night on the doorstep.” Caramel laughed nervously at his own joke. “Let’s sit down.”
He led Twilight into the dining room with Toffee bringing up the rear. As they walked he tried to find his grandfather, who was nowhere to be seen. Twilight sat across from him at the table. There were four place settings, two on the right for Toffee and Twilight, and two on the left for Caramel and his Grampa Jonagold, wherever he was.
Toffee noticed his absence and nodded to Caramel.
“I’ll be one sec, hun.” she excused herself to look for their missing grandfather, leaving Caramel and Twilight alone.
“So much food!” she said, looking over the table, bowls of food practically spilling off the sides. “You didn’t have to do all this!”
“Oh, that’s Toffee” said Caramel, grinning despite his nervousness. “Give her any excuse to cook and she’s all over it. Though, she might have gotten a bit carried away this time.” he looked around, then pointed a hoof to a vaguely red dish sitting on the left corner and mouthed, “Don’t eat that one.”
Twilight laughed that laugh he loved so much, he couldn’t help but join in.
“What’s so funny?” asked Toffee returning with Grampa Jonagold tow.
“Um...Nothing! Nothing at all! Isn’t that right Twilight?” he asked.
“Oh no, nothing that I can see.”
Toffee looked at them for a moment. “If you say so. I found this one out cold upstairs,” she said cocking her head towards her Grandfather.
“I need my sleep!” he protested. “Gotta have my wits about me. Stay sharp and all that.” 
He looked around the room until his eyes fell on Twilight. “Ah! There she is! Nice to finally meet you!” He walked over and took her hoof, shaking it enthusiastically. “Twilight right? Toffee didn’t tell me you were a unicorn. Could come in plum useful whe-”
Toffee shooed him into his seat before he could finish. Caramel had no idea what he was going to say, but had the feeling he wouldn’t have liked it.
His grandfather sat down with a huff. “What’ch do that for?”
“The food, it’s getting cold.” Toffee said reproachfully. “I didn’t cook all of this so you could talk over it all day.”
“Fine,” Grampa Jonagold grumbled.
“Um... It’s nice to meet you too Mr.Jonagold,” said Twilight, her hoof still moving a litttle.
“Oooooh, Mister Jonagold,” he puffed out his chest a bit. “I like this one.”
“I bet you do,” said Toffee. “Now come on eveypony, dig in!”
Caramel leaned over looking at the food, and hoped the night would go well. 


To Be Continued.