//------------------------------// // Sweet Emotions // Story: Uptown Girl // by Ron Jeremy Pony //------------------------------// Uptown Girl Tie in with Room for Rent Chapter 2 Sweet Emotions The sounds of birds chirping slowly woke me. After the dream I had I half expected to wake up in my bed back at the Carousel Boutique. Instead I was greeted with the room at the Bed and Breakfast I was staying at. I sniffed the air and smelled a combination of scents fluttering about. I removed the blanket from me and rolled onto my hooves and then jumped to the floor. I looked at the vanity in the room and studied it. From what Rick had said last night every inch of the house had been restored and maintained with what had been available back when it was merely a home. The vanity was certainly on par with that notion. It was beautiful, quaint, and simple in design. I could tell that the entire thing didn’t have the precisions that came with mass production. Instead this piece had been hoof, or hand rather, made. I looked at the mirror and floated a brush from my travel bag to me. I took a moment and began my ritual of brushing my hair the required one hundred – seventy eight times, and then move on to my tail for the same procedure. I stopped mid brush and thought of my dream. Lying in my bed, a warm body behind me, hands wrapped around my barrel, and a comfortably warm breath breathing against my mane. Mother had always told me about how Grandmama Silver Belle claimed to have the gift of visions. Things she swore she had seen in dreams that would become a reality later on. It was possible, I suppose, but then again I had never had such a vision, and I knew that my mother never had one either. It seemed to me that if it truly was something that Grandmama possessed then it was something she didn’t pass down to the rest of us. It was a shame really. It would have been nice to be able to see what my future might hold. I had always thought that my future would be with a nice stallion. A gentlecolt, who like myself, appreciates the little luxuries in life. Still, that dream, that wonderful little dream wasn’t so bad. The idea of a human isn’t as terrible as I had once thought it could be. After all, Rainbow Dash had found love, short lived that it was, and that’s really saying something. I sighed, looked at my mane, judged and rejudged it a few times before I began a few simple touches of makeup. I was finished and walked down the stairs a mere five minutes before Rick had said that breakfast would start. I notice Star Shine who looks as though he’s about to fall asleep at any point. He yawns and covers his mouth with his hoof. “I’m still not used to being up this late,” he said. “The Lunar Guard typically are done with their rounds by six am correct?” I asked. He nodded and then looked at Rick. “We normally are, but Rick is a day walker. I like to spend a little more time with him than just in the early evening and at night,” he said. I smiled at him and sniffed the air. The smell of the breakfast was amazing. “Oh, I must say that smells heavenly,” I said. “Rick is an amazing cook. You should really contact your friends. I’m sure that they would enjoy breakfast, and Rick was serious about inviting them,” he said. I nod and before I can ask a headset is passed to me. “It’s set up to dial via voice command. Star has a little trouble with the push button phones,” Rick says as he heads back into the kitchen. “Hello?” I ask. “Please state phone number, area code first, or state the name of the individual if it is local call,” I know Dash’s coltfriend’s first name, but I don’t remember his last name. Then I remembered that Twilight has one of those cellphones. “Dial 555-649-2568,” I said. For a moment there was the sound of it ringing. I waited as the phone continued to ring and finally I heard a very tired voice on the other end. “Hello?” “Twilight, how is Dash doing this morning?” I asked. “She’s a little better than when we first got here, but she’s still not acting like her old self,” Twilight said. “Do you think she could stand to eat a breakfast?” I asked. “She needs to even if she doesn’t want to,” Twilight replied. “The owner of the bed and breakfast I’m staying at has offered to make all of you breakfast, and I think that you’re right that she needs to eat,” I said. “We’ll be over as soon as we can,” Twilight said before she hung up. A few moments passed by and my most gracious host brought seven plates, set them around the table, and then he went back and brought two trays he was balancing on his arms. I watched as he managed to place them in the middle of the table. It was surprising to see the wide array of breakfast items he had prepared. Biscuits, country gravy, apple turnovers, French toast, scrambled eggs, and something that I hadn’t expected to see here. My eyes widened as I looked at it sitting there, staring back at me, and I felt an immense deal of gratitude toward my host. “This is most kind, thank you,” I said. “It’s fine, besides it’s simply one of the perks of being a guest here. My dad always said to treat friends like family, and it’s something I’ve tried to follow,” Rick said. I watched Star Shine nuzzle against him and the two of them shared a kiss. It was quite sweet to see love blossoming like this. Star leaned against Rick and his eyes slowly began to drift toward closing. “Star, you’re beat, go ahead and go to bed,” Rick said. “I’m fine, I just want to spend a little while in here with you. Besides, there will be plenty of time to sleep later,” he said with a yawn. Rick shook his head and the sound of the door opening attracted our attention. We turned to see Applejack holding the door open for Twilight, Rainbow, and Pinkie Pie. The four of them looked around for a moment before they noticed the kitchen and dining room area. They walked in toward us and each of them took a seat. Poor Rainbow looked terrible. Her eyes so red and puffy, and her mane was in a complete shamble. “I’m truly sorry for your loss. Rick has told me a good deal about Bryant, and he sounded like he was a good man,” Star Shine said. She lifted her head and looked at him. I expected to hear her say something, but instead she merely nodded. “Sugarcube, you know that we’re all here for you. Anything that we can do for you we will,” Applejack said. “I know. I… I just don’t know what to do. I’ve never felt anything like this before. It just hurts. It hurts to get up, it hurts to think, it hurts to laugh, but none of it is like when I hurt my wing practicing for the Wonderbolts. This… This doesn’t dull at all,” she said. “It won’t,” Rick said. She turned toward him and for the first time she took in his appearance. To her credit Rainbow Dash didn’t stare as long as I did, but she didn’t awkwardly turn away either. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Losing someone that you love, it’s a pain that doesn’t ever go away. It dulls after time, but it never goes away. It’s part of being human, and I would assume that it would be similar to some of the experiences on Equus as well,” Rick said. “It’s fairly uncommon for anyone to die of disease in Equestria. The badlands, the Shetland Isles, and a few other places still have that kind of death throughout them, but Equestria is fairly different. The medical spells that have been produced have kept most of the diseases from popping up,” Star Shine said. “That’s why I wanted to get him to Equestria. I thought… I… I thought that maybe Princess Celestia could do something for him,” Rainbow said as her eyes filled with tears. I got up off of my seat and trotted to her. I wrapped my forelegs around her and pulled her into a hug. She hugged back tightly crying deeply as she did. We stayed there. Rainbow in her chair, and me standing on my hind legs holding her. I began stroking her mane, something my mother had done for me when I was a filly, and slowly her crying slowed down. I understood that she was hurting, but I didn’t want to know what it felt like. I had already learned what it felt like to be cast off. There had been a few stallions. All of them stallions I had considered courting, but it usually came down to the fact that it was never for a good reason. I knew the pain of rejection, and the pain of being lied to by a potential suitor, but I had never felt the pain of being so in love only to have that love snatched out from underneath me. “Darling, you must know that we’re here for you. We’re always going to be here for you,” I said. She nodded and slowly she broke away from the hug and looked at her plate. I focused on some of the food prepared and gently levitated some of it over to her plate. I started simply with some of the food I knew she enjoyed. She looked at me for a moment. “Dashie, you’ve gotta eat,” Pinkie said. I watched as Rainbow looked toward Pinkie and then back at the plate. She picked up a piece of hay bacon that I had floated onto her plate and took a bite off of it. She chewed it for a moment and seemed to swallow before she nibbled again slightly. “I’m sure you’ve heard several people tell you this already, but thank you,” Rick said. I looked up at him and noticed that he was looking directly toward Rainbow Dash. “Thank me for what?” she asked. “Thank you for making Bryant happy again. He went through more pain than any one person deserves. I don’t know how much or what he told you, but I know a good deal of it. It’s a rare thing to find love, and even rarer to find a connection that runs so deep. I don’t know what everyone or everypony else believes, but I honestly think that when someone’s gone they aren’t completely gone until they’re not loved or remembered anymore. There’s always going to be a piece of him with you,” Rick said. Within seconds I watched Rainbow get up from her place, move quicker than I imagined she could, and wrap her forelegs around Rick’s neck. She had him in a tight hug and I smiled that he returned it. “Then there’s a part of him that’s going to live as long as I do,” she said. I watched as Star smiled, and then he gently nudged Rainbow Dash. She looked down at him as he gave her a nod. “Not that I mind you hugging my soon to be life mate, I would like to get a kiss and hug before I go to bed,” he said. She smiled, sheepishly, and let go of Rick. We all watched as the two of them kissed deeply, and then Rick gave Star a little pinch on his cutie mark. The lunar Pegasus gave a surprised Squeak and then narrowed his eyes at Rick. “You are always so frisky at the wrong time of day,” he yawned. “Get some sleep star, and maybe after while the two of us can talk about where and how I want to the wedding to take place,” Rick said. I noticed the surprised look on the girl’s faces. “They’re getting married?” Twilight asked as Rick walked Star Shine to their shared bedroom. “Of course they are darling. It seems only natural that they do. I mean the two of them are so happy and in love with each other. I think that Star Shine would like to have Princess Luna oversee the ceremony, and I believe that she would, but I do worry about the rest of the Lunar Guard,” I said. “What about ‘em?” Applejack asked. “Well, I don’t know everything, but apparently they are very traditional. They still have the herd mentality, and they only encourage marriage between Lunar Pegasi. From what Star Shine has said the fact that he is homosexual is more than enough to make them demand that he step down from his position as a captain,” I replied. “That’s terrible!” Twilight said. “Dashie?” Pinkie asked. I turned to see Rainbow Dash looking up. Her eyes narrow and hard. “Who the buck do they think they are?! Huh?! Who the buck do they think they are telling them that can’t love each other?! There ain’t a bucking thing wrong with loving a human, and those… Those buckers need to get that through their bucking heads!” she exclaimed. “I quite agree, and I was actually going to call a friend I had made in Prance or France rather. Simone would be more than happy to help anyway she could, and I do so want to make their wedding clothes for them,” I said. “I’ll call Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. I’m sure that we can arrange for Luna to oversee the wedding, but I don’t know what they can do about the Lunar Guard. It’s not like they can make them change their minds about something,” she said. “I can plan the Reception Party! Oh… I wonder if I can get Louis to come,” Pinkie said. “Count me in Rarity. Ah’ll make a call to Big Mac and see about gettin’ some help making the food for the weddin’. Ah’m certain that Granny Smith can get ahold all of the family if we need to,” Applejack said. “Just tell me what you’d like for me to do. I’ll be glad to ,” Rainbow Dash said. “For now Rainbow we need to find the date out, and also I don’t want you to feel that this is something you simply have to do,” I said. “I know, but they both seem really nice, and besides… If things would have been different it could be me in that situation. I’d like to think that all of you would have done everything possible to help me,” she said. “Darling, if things would have been different I would have demanded to be a bridemare,” I said hugging her.