Chocolate chips, cocoa powder, butter, and a couple secret ingredients were stirred together. She gently placed the bowl into the microwave for a few seconds. When the light went off with a "ding", she pulled it out (using a proper mouth mitt, of course). She poured the contents into a cooling tray before bringing the whole thing to the fridge. In a few hours, she would get to cut the finished sweet into little squares.
"But be careful with the knife," Mommy had warned her.
"I will, Mommy," she said cheerfully.
"Okay then," Mommy said before trotting out of the kitchen.
Tootsie Flute stood there and sighed. She really hoped that the pony receiving this fudge would like it. It was the least she could do after what that pony had done for her. She could remember it like it was yesterday.
---
Hearts and Hooves Day was a day of spreading and appreciating love. This year, she knew exactly who she wanted to show her love to the most. She had poured her heart into the very words on this special card. It was going to be perfect.
Then, the unthinkable happened. Somepony had beaten her to the chance. Somepony else had given their Hearts and Hooves Day card to her soul mate. The two looked happy, but Tootsie Flute felt like her love had been stepped on and shattered like broken glass.
Dejectedly, she let her head bang against her desk. Her hoof lost grip of her crafted message. There was no more point. Her chance had slipped her by. That special somepony was not meant to be hers.
"Excuse me."
She moved her head around. Who was talking? She had seen her before, but the name escaped her. Her sad mind wasn't quite caught up yet.
"I am under the impression that you dropped this, Flute."
She quickly wiped her eyes with one hoof. When she saw what the other filly was referring to, she sighed before extending her hoof. She wanted nothing more to do with that particular card. But who was she to reject their offer? Slowly, she took back the wretched thing. It was about then that her mind recalled this filly's name.
"Thanks, Archer." She sniffed before setting the card aside on the lower left corner of her desk.
"Oh hey, while I'm here..." Archer dug through her bag for a second before procuring a card of slightly different colors. But it was still a Hearts and Hooves Day card. "I wish you the best Hearts and Hooves Day today."
The best?
"Th-Thank you, Archer," said Tootsie Flute.
"It is my pleasure, Flute," Archer said with one hoof across in front of herself.
The blue filly walked away to the next desk. Meanwhile, Tootsie Flute opened her present. Upon reading the words inside, she gasped.
'To the pony whom receives this, I wish all of my love and kindness.' ~Archer
Slowly, she closed the card. In both hooves, she brought it closer to herself. For a whole minute, she just sat there with the card held against her chest. It was as if the words were writing themselves upon her very being.
She turned around to see the pony from which she had received this message. She briefly saw Archer's smile and beautiful eyes before Tootsie had to pull herself out of the stare. Tootsie was certain that the room was getting quite warm. It had to have been for her face to be glowing that shade of red.
For the rest of that class day, she could hear the loudness of her own breath.
---
The egg timer went off. Tootsie Flute jumped out of her memory and into the present.
"Oh! The fudge is ready," she said in realization. She hurried over to open the fridge.
---
"Urgh!"
The groan behind her caused Tootsie to blink twice. She turned around to see a rather disgruntled classmate.
"What's wrong, Sun Glimmer?" she asked in concern.
"I've told those boys a thousand times," grumbled the classmate, "My name is Sun Glimmer. It doesn't even sound like Sweetie Belle. Why do they keep calling me that?"
Tootsie shrugged because she didn't have an answer for that. From what she understood, Snips and Snails were a whole new kind of special. While they could perform funny magic, they weren't exactly helping their cases in anything else that they did.
When she heard the classroom door open, she turned to look. A glorious aura surrounded who she saw. The savior of her heart trotted lively into the room. The grounded angel looked straight ahead and focused even as her body glowed two tints of blue. It was like seeing the beautiful sky and the cleanest water all in one.
She waved at Tootsie. ... She waved at Tootsie! The shier filly blushed.
What do I do? What do I do? Tootsie Flute's hoof slowly reached up and copied the gesture. H...H...Hi...
"Good morning, my little ponies."
"Mood gorning, Chiss Meerilee," Tootsie managed to mutter automatically.
Her eyes darted back and forth between Archer and the teacher. She wanted to pay attention, but Archer was just so incredibly wonderful. That pony was beaming at something that was in front of her.
Wait, who's that other pony?
"Greeting, fillies and gentlecolts. My name is Flash Sentry."
A Royal Guard? What's he doing here? wondered Tootsie. And why is he walking right up to...? No way... It can't be.
"Why hello there, milady." The stallion took a hold of Tootsie's angel and kissed her hoof. The sky and water giggled in delight.
It... can be. Tootsie's physical eyes turned to the floor. But her heart's eyes saw a storm cloud raining over her field of flowers. It was happening again, all over again. Why did the goddess of love keep denying her desire to be a lover and a beloved?
With her life cause lost, Tootsie stiffly wrote down notes on Ms. Cheerilee's lecture. She gained no understanding of the actual words that she was writing. It didn't matter. She'd just regurgitate this information later on the next test.
---
Why were her hooves still taking her this way? Archer had a special somepony now. Tootsie had no reason to interfere with true love. Part of her tried to stop herself from walking.
However, another part spoke louder. She had already put in so much work. This was a gift made especially for her... good friend Archer. It would be a shame to just throw it all away. She took a deep breath and spoke as loudly as she could muster.
Archer? "Uh... um."
"Oh! How does it go, Flute?"
"Eep!" Come on, Tootsie! Just put it into her hooves and then you can walk away. "Well, I..." Come on! "Uh..." Give it to her! "H-Here!"
She shut her eyes as she extended her hoof with the bag. She chanced a slight peek. The archangel looked a bit hesitant and actually asked permission before taking part of the offering.
"Thank you for sharing, Flute."
Darn it, goddess of love! Tootsie mentally growled. Quit teasing me with her words of uplifting hope! With the gratitude Archer had shown, Tootsie couldn't just up and leave her now. That would be rude.
"I'd be careful if I were you."
Apparently, the goddess of misfortune was against her today as well. Tootsie Flute looked up to see Demon Tiara and Shiver Spine. They looked very smug today.
"What are you blabbing about, Spoon?" asked the blue angel.
The pink demon spoke some words of negative inflictions, but Tootsie couldn't understand the conversation between spirits of the heavenly realms. Well, she couldn't understand anything except her most recent angel.
"Boyfriend?"
The spine replied with something that sounded in the know. Tootsie wasn't entirely sure, but the emotions behind their words resonated rather similarly to that Royal Guard, if not about him. She was surprised when the archangel chuckled.
"He's not my boyfriend."
He isn't? Tootsie sucked in air.
"He is my brother."
Tootsie sighed in relief. Of course, it all made sense now! That Royal Guard wasn't Archer's special somepony. The angels were known to give signs of intimacy more freely than the mortals of Equus. A kiss between angels was as common as two ponies saying "hello". That meant she still had a chance.
This revelation broke the illusion and Tootsie saw Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon for who they really were. Although, now she wasn't sure. The two foul-talkers actually looked regretful.
"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," stated Diamond.
"You... are?" asked Archer skeptically.
"Yeah, I feel so sorry for you," added Silver.
"I don't understand," admitted Tootsie before asking, "What exactly are you sorry about?"
Of course, neither of these fillies would just tell them the answer. Oh no, they had to hide it between the vague and overly dramatic poses and half-statements. Eventually, it led to a whispered session of a Princess Twilight Sparkle affair with Flash Sentry.
Well, that was anti-climactic, thought Tootsie, That's even more ridiculous than the Foal Free Press's assumption that she had bedroom eyes for Rainbow Dash.
The archangel, however, seemed to take it a bit more personally. "What?!"
"Marriage is the only thing saving Prince Shining Armor from his own charges," finished Silver Spoon.
Archer stomped her hoof. Tootsie could have sworn she saw cracks in the grass.
"Cease and desist at once! I cannot believe I allowed myself to listen to that garbage you call speaking!"
...
Oh my Celestia! Even her way of saying "shut up" is beautiful.
"Come along, Flute!" Archer turned around and grabbed Tootsie's hoof. She said something about the crusaders, but Tootsie was too distracted by one simple thing.
She's touching my hoof. She's touching my hoof. I can't believe it. She's actually touching my hoof!
"Uh... okay," squeaked Tootsie, not really comprehending what she had just agreed to. If it was the allowance of her angel to drag her to the horizon, she was perfectly fine with that.
---
"Mommy?" asked Tootsie Flute.
"What is it, Tootsie?" responded Mommy.
"Is it okay if I go out for a while?"
Mommy's garden spade stopped in mid-shoveling. She turned her head and looked. Her eyebrow was raised and her lips were shaped like half of a frown.
"What are you going to be doing out on a school night?" she asked.
"Um..." Uh-oh! I didn't think this far enough. Wait, I've got it! "Well, there was a guest in today's class and I wanted to go over and talk to him. He's staying over at Archer's house."
"Hmm." Mommy seemed to be mulling it over. Finally, she let out a sigh. "Alright, you can go. Be back home as soon as the sun sets, okay?"
"Okay, Mommy!" chirped Tootsie as she scampered off.
Mommy resumed the planting of her red roses even as the sound of wings fluttered nearby.
"You really think that's all she's going out for?" wondered the pegasus.
Tootsie's mommy shook her head even though her tools didn't skip a beat. "Of course not, Mom. I'm not blind." She turned around to look at the spot her daughter just vacated. "In any case, I think it's fair to let her roam a bit. The curfew should be sufficient for her."
"Okay, just making sure," said the other pony in a bright manner before flying away for the night.
---
*Zwip!* *Zwip!* *Zwip!*
One after the other, safety arrows whizzed through the air. They stuck onto just the right spots along the target on the fence. The archangel's teeth shone brightly with each pull of the string. Her blue mane was just so pure that the sweat drops couldn't hold their place on her head. As she completed her event, even the Crystal Empire's squadron applauded in approval.
At least, that's what Tootsie could see from her spot behind the slightly leaning tree.
Oh, Archer, I believe in your dream too! Tootsie thought with a blushing smile. You'll be Ponyville's greatest ice archer in history. Just keep doing your best.
Archer made her way over to retrieve her arrows while Flash Sentry readjusted his seating area.
I... should probably say something to him so that I'm not lying to Mommy.
With a few quick steps, she zipped up behind the archangel's brother.
"Hi, Mr. Flash Sentry!" Tootsie quickly exclaimed before zipping back behind her tree cover.
"Huh?" Flash looked behind him, but there was no pony there. Archer noticed him looking around as she was coming back to her firing distance.
"What troubles your mind, Brother?" she asked.
"I am quite certain that I heard my name being called," he answered.
"Perhaps it was Mother," Archer said in a guess.
"I find that doubtful." Sentry shook his head. "The voice sounded far too young to be Mother."
"Did I hear correctly a certain gentlecolt insinuating that I'm old?"
The dangerous tone made Sentry's mane stand on end. Fearfully, he turned around to see Mother standing right behind him. She was smiling with her mouth. But her eyes shone with fury.
"N-N-No! 'Twas not so!" stammered Sentry. "In fact, your form is still the most beautiful maiden I have laid my eyes upon."
Like a candle being blown out, the furious shining ceased to be. In its place, happy yet closed eyes glimmered with joy.
"Oh, Flash Sentry, but you do say the most flattering of praises."
He was relieved as Mother gave him a kiss on the forehead. But an ice cold breeze carried one last whisper from her lips to his ears.
"I will find an appropriate punishment for you later."
"Indeed," muttered Sentry with a gulp.
Mother trotted back to the house. Sentry stood stiffly stock-still. Archer shivered a bit before trotting over herself.
"Would you care for a hug for sisterly support?" she asked, although she was already wrapping her hooves around him.
"I would appreciate that. Thank you," he said with a nod.
Meanwhile, Tootsie could have gotten a splinter on her hiding back. But she didn't care about that.
The angel of insight is a scary one, she thought while quivering, It's probably close enough to sunset. I should get home!
With the pace that only a child could reach, Tootsie Flute raced back to her house.
---
Tootsie slowly opened the door and closed it behind her. Mommy was just finishing a cup of tea.
"Welcome home, Tootsie," Mommy greeted, "Did you enjoy your talk with the guest?"
"Oh, yeah, it was great," Tootsie said with a nod. "But he was kind of busy and couldn't talk for long."
"Sometimes life is that busy," Mommy said before taking a long sip. She got up and walked over to the sink.
Tootsie Flute let out a yawn. "I think I'm going to bed."
"Alright," Mommy said, "Good night, sweetheart."
"Good night, Mommy," Tootsie echoed. Her hoof steps clicked along the floor on the way to her bedroom.
"Next time, why don't you try asking Archer to go on a date?"
The question jolted her awake. She stopped trotting and slowly turned to where Mommy was busy rinsing her mug.
Is... Mommy an angel of insight too?
---