Epilogue
Stupid Golden Harvest
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Minuette was not too complicated of a pony. Some things made her happy, and some things did not make her happy. Floss, floss made Minuette happy. She liked floss, unless it was the kind with the waxy film on it that just made a mess when she used it. Cavities did not make Minuette happy. Well, except for the fact that without cavities, she wouldn't have a job. Having a job made her happy, so maybe cavities indirectly made her happy, but when facing them directly, not happy. Okay, so perhaps there were some things that were not completely cut and dry in terms of whether they made Minuette happy or not.
But the one thing that would unambiguously, definitely make Minuette happy right now was if her best friend Golden Harvest were more than a friend. ...Of a friend. More of a friend. It would make her happy if Golden Harvest were more of a friend than she was being.
Because Golden Harvest was being a terrible friend. She knew she was supposed to be here to get her teeth cleaned at two fifteen today, but here she was strolling in twenty nine whole seconds late! Who sets up an appointment with her dentist friend, and then shows up late to it? Not a very good friend, that's who.
And how was Minuette supposed to work on Golden Harvest's teeth when she kept babbling on and on about how great her neighbor was? Sure, Minuette didn't quite have her equipment set up yet, so talking wasn't exactly prohibited, but... but if Golden Harvest practiced not talking now, she could do better at it when there were dentist tools in her mouth. A good friend would have thought of that.
“...and it still stings a little, I guess, but I get where she's coming from, you know?” Golden Harvest said, settling into the reclining chair. “But she really is a class act. I mean, how many ponies out there will really take the time to let you down gently like that? Celestia, I've got so much respect for that mare! Going out there, doing the things she does, and still taking the time to be a dependable friend for anypony who needs it... I think Applejack is—”
“Golden, I need you to please shut your mouth.” Minuette lit her horn, then paused, blinking. “Er, uh, open your mouth, that is. We're ready to begin.”
“Oh. Okay.” Golden Harvest opened her mouth wide, and Minuette got started.
Or she tried to get started, anyway. Golden Harvest knew this appointment was coming this week, yet she still had to go and get that distracting manecut just a few days before. Minuette was just trying to do her job here, but that bold orange stripe with the cute, slightly coltish tuft at the crest kept drawing her attention. A manestyle that striking just wasn't fair.
Minuette knew how to be a good friend. A good friend didn't show up late to an appointment with a distractingly cute manecut. No, a good friend wanted her friends to succeed. That was why she had sent off the paperwork to the board of orthodontia so that she could officially endorse Golden Harvest's carrot juice. That's right, Golden Harvest's juice was going to be dentist-approved, because Minuette was a good friend. She'd been meaning to send off that paperwork for a while, and the fact that she got around to it the same day Golden Harvest had kissed her was a silly coincidence, nothing more.
That kiss. Talk about rude. If Golden Harvest had wanted to kiss her, she could have just asked. Minuette would have said yes. Not that she wanted a kiss from her, mind, but because she was just that good a friend. Kissing a friend to help her figure out if she was a lesbian or not was one of the major duties of a good friend. Minuette was pretty sure that was written down somewhere.
Golden Harvest would definitely have to ask next time. You know, if she wanted to be double-sure she was a lesbian. A pony could never be too sure. But she would need to ask next time, or else Minuette might not let her kiss her.
Okay, she probably still would, because she was a good friend. That was the reason Minuette was staring at Golden Harvest's lips right now and imagining herself kissing them. She was practicing being a good friend. She wasn't into mares. Or maybe she was, Minuette wasn't sure. She was terrible at guessing this sort of thing with other ponies, so why should she be any better at guessing it for herself?
But what Minuette did know was that she wasn't best-friend-sexual. She was definitely not crushing hard on Golden Harvest. She was not falling into the deep pools of light in her green eyes. She was not slowly melting on the inside as she listened to her friend's soft breaths.
“Um, Colgate?” Golden Harvest said. There she went again, talking while Minuette was trying to work on her teeth. She had no sense of dental etiquette. “I thought you said we were starting.”
“We are,” Minuette said, lifting a plaque-scraper in her magic. “And it's Minuette.” Golden Harvest kept doing that. She kept using her nickname, the one Minuette kept telling her not to use. She wished she wouldn't do that. It was very distracting. Something about it made her imagine Golden Harvest moaning, 'Colgate... ohh, Colgate!' It was likely the tone of voice she said it in. She didn't say it any differently from how she said anything else, but Golden Harvest's whole voice was distracting today. Minuette wished she would just stop talking and let her do her job.
She had stopped talking, of course. Minuette examined Golden Harvest's teeth, and they were terrible. Actually, they weren't that bad. Quite immaculate, really, compared to most of Minuette's patients. Golden Harvest actually listened to her when she said to brush twice a day and floss regularly. So few ponies did.
Why did she have to have such wonderful teeth? No cavities, healthy gums, only a tiny amount of plaque. Barely enough plaque to even justify using a scraper at all. Why, Minuette imagined she could do Golden Harvest's teeth-cleaning with only her tongue!
...But that would be weird, so she didn't do that.
She took the scraper and carefully, gently removed the plaque from Golden Harvest's teeth. It didn't take very long, which was good, because Minuette wasn't sure how long she could block out all the distractions, what with her manecut, her beautiful eyes and the surprisingly inviting smell of her breath.
“Done,” Minuette said, handing a cup of water to Golden Harvest so she could rinse out her mouth. She carefully cleaned her tools and put them away.
Her heart raced when Golden Harvest wrapped her in a hug. Because she wasn't expecting it. That was the reason, and not because the warmth of Golden's coat felt so good against hers that she had to fight to keep a sultry nicker from her lips.
“Thanks Minuette,” Golden said, squeezing her shoulders. “You're a great friend.”
Minuette was not falling in love with her best friend. She was not best-friend-sexual. She was not falling for her cute mane and perfect teeth and beautiful eyes and her lovely round face and... and...
“Y-you can call me Colgate if you want. I don't mind.”
Stupid, adorable Golden Harvest.
The End