Written by Drizzle Quill
***
“Table for two, please?”
Cup Cake looked up in surprise from where she stood behind the counter of Sugarcube Corner. She was in a particularly busy mood, having to complete an order of cupcakes for Cheerilee’s classroom, and hadn’t expected anyone to enter the shop. But lo and behold, here was a sky blue pegasus with a brilliant spectrum of a mane leaning on the counter, clearly waiting.
“I said,” the pegasus repeated, an air of annoyance touching her voice. “Table for two, please?”
“Oh, oh, of course,” Mrs. Cake stammered, still shocked by the appearance. She trotted out into the main room and pointed at a small table near the window, ornately garnished with brown and pink swirls. “Will that do it for you, dearie?” Why would she want a table for two if she was alone?
She got no answer; her customer had already taken off, leaving a bright trail of rainbow fizzling in the air behind her. Cup smiled warily. “Fillies these days…heh!”
Peering at the pegasus for a few seconds more, she turned and headed back behind the counter. Cheerilee would never forgive her if the cupcakes were late to the end-of-year party!
Suddenly the chimes at the front door rang, loud and clattery, provoking a panicked squeal from the customer that had just entered.
Cup looked up, not wanting to make the same mistake of being shocked out of her wits. “Hello? May I help you?” she asked the new pony that had just entered – a yellow pegasus with a flowing pink mane.
“Um…well…sort of…I think she might already… be here…” the pegasus murmured nervously, not keeping eye contact.
“Huh?” Cup smiled awkwardly. “What’s that, darling?”
“She’s with me,” came a loud voice from the back of the room; the pegasus from earlier flapped her way over. “Come on, ‘Shy. We’ve got a table for two back there.”
Cup Cake recognized these ponies now. They were Pinkie Pie’s friends, two bearers of the Elements of Harmony. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, she recalled inwardly. But why were they alone, without their other four friends?
Dash and Shy whispered as they headed to the table; Fluttershy giggled, her face flushing red. She whispered something back that made Dash roll her eyes and place one arm around her companion.
Oh. Cup Cake understood now. She had been Fluttershy once, awkward around the one she loved. Because the way they were acting – these two were certainly dating. Why hadn’t she realized this before?
As they reached the table, Rainbow leaned over and pecked her companion on the cheek, stroking her mane with one hoof. Fluttershy smiled and pressed up against her, eyes closed, entirely content. They whispered back and forth, just as she and Carrot had done what felt like many years ago.
Cup sighed; a small sigh.
She should have known what this had meant as soon as Rainbow Dash had ordered a table for two.
Perhaps, in some ways, she did know.
The table Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat at now was the same one she and Carrot had sat at on their first official date. Cup Cake laughed as she remembered the exact words she had spoken to the uncertain employee.
“Table for two, please?”