Nervousness is what Singer felt as he held the letter close to him while he stood in the post office. He didn't have a mail box yet, so he had to send his letter through the Ponyville Postal Service. It had been something he'd been accustomed whenever he thought about the possibility of he and Violet being friends again. He knew that he was ready to take this step, but at the same time he was still clinging on to the fear of it all being rejected, and maybe Violet really did wish to stop being friends...
NO! He slapped himself mentally. He couldn't allow himself to think like that! Dusk was right. If she was truly his friend to begin with, then there was no reason why the two of them couldn't get through this and work everything out! He inhaled and exhaled deeply before reaching for the post office box he was assigned to to insert the letter. He halted when he heard someone holler at him.
"Wait!" said a white pegasus stallion dressed in a brown uniform, wearing a pair of fancy sun glasses, wearing his hair spiked with hair gel, as opposed to Singer's natural brushed sticking up style. "You don't want to send that letter that way!" he said.
"I don't?" Singer inquired with a hint of deadpan. All of that dramatic buildup for nothing...
"No way!" he said as he pulled out a clipboard. "When you choose to send your mail through CPS, your package will be sent at the highest speeds. Beating all of the competition! Especially the standard Equestrian Mail service!"
"CPS?"
"Canterlot Postal Service! What can Brown do for you?"
"Canterlot Postal Service? I thought you said it was the fastest way and that you are better than standard Equestrian Mail Delivery... Wouldn't you also be classified as the Canterlot division of the Equestrian Mail service?"
"No no no no no no..." replied the stallion. "You see, CPS was merely FOUNDED in Canterlot, thus explaining it's name. The main headquarters are located there, but we have stations all over Equestria and even in other kingdoms!"
"That is interesting!" said Singer, amazed.
"And I can deliver your letter to..." he looked at the destination address. "....Cloudsdale in no time at all!"
"Really?" said Singer.
"Psssssssh.... Don't listen to him!" scoffed a Black colored pegasus stallion wearing the same type of attire as CPS pony was, only he was wearing the purple uniform of CPS's greatest rival EqEx. "Equestrian Express has been the leading mail service in all of the prospects that makes delivery services successful!"
"Ha!" scoffed CPS. "Yes, your turtle speeds are about as impressive as your sloth like minds..."
"Wait, what?" asked the flustered EqEx pony.
"It's an EqEx joke, you'll get it tomorrow." quipped CPS, causing EqEx to become enraged.
"You'll never get away with this, CPS! I shall return far better prepared to handle your cheap quips!" shouted EqEx as he flew off angrily.
"We'll see about that. I always win!" shouted CPS, smugly, relishing his defeating of his rival.
Singer just stood in a complete dumbfounded state as he watched what had to have been the corniest smack talk he'd ever witnessed. He decided not to comment on it, however as he had places to go and didn't want to be delayed more than he already was.
"Sorry CPS" Singer said, almost apologetically. "But I'm not in any real hurry for this one to go through. But I'll definitely keep you in mind the next time I send some pony to deliver anything important."
"That's all I can ever ask for!" he smiled brightly as he started backing out of the post office. "Have a nice day, and remember to check out our logistics's section in our pamphlet."
When the delivery ponies had finally vacated the premises, he breathed a sigh of relief and placed the letter in the office box, and was ready for it to get sent off to Violet. Though he was still nervous, he wanted to know if he could save his friendship, something he should have been fighting harder to save a long time ago, and if he and Violet could possibly get back to the way things were between them.
...................
It had taken Thunder Clap a couple of days to return to Cloudsdale after his last encounter with his master. Humiliated, he retreated to a hotel for that duration of time to recuperate and to plan his next moves.He was still slightly bruised, but this particular beating wasn't as bad as it usually was. He was unsure why, but he didn't question it. He just knew that he wanted to get out of that stupid fortress as quickly as equinely possible, and to avoid failing him in the future.
He hated it there, as many of his fellow thieves that served with him did. And he hated Wingo and his smug face. That arrogant jerk was as irritating as can be, and every opportunity Clap had to get away from his smugness, he'd take it. It added insult to injury that he'd returned to the very town where his humiliation had begun. Clap's disdain for Singer, the pony who had stood up to him for being a bully and sent him on a downward spiral into juvenile detention, some jail time until he'd escaped and rounded up his companions and went to join the hidden fortress, to him seemed warranted and the return to Cloudsdale just added coal to the fire that was his anger. In part, he'd taken the job as a thief to get money, but mostly for his chance at revenge against his old foe, as he'd found that looking for something else often brings up things you'd been looking for prior to that.
He sat back in his booth at a local diner, which in a just sort of irony was the very one that Singer had gotten fired from years ago for getting in a fight with a bully on the job. Clap had heard about it, but there was no smile on his face. Only more anger because it only strengthened the fact that he viewed Singer as a do-good-er wannabe and a nuisance. The more Clap thought about this, the more infuriated he got.
He'd waited for Mocha and Taffy who'd taken their sweet little time meeting him there. Those two were about as reliable as a two legged mule, and they had four times the legs and four wings among the two of them, he thought.
As they came bumbling into the diner, they stumbled over each other trying to squeeze into the booth, pushing and shoving trying to get seated first. Both eager to tell Thunder Clap the good news.
"What has you two acting so stupid?!?" he asked bitterly sneering at them from the other side of the booth. "Straighten up before I do it for you!"
"You'll never believe it, but we found him! We found Singer!" Taffy said, beating Mocha to the punch. The latter pouted at the missed opportunity.
"Wait, you did?" asked Thunder Clap with a smirk on his face and with a hush tone to avoid garnering too much attention. The two nodded in confirmation. His mood had changed dramatically almost instantly with this news. Meanwhile, failing to notice that some pony was in the booth behind him, listening to every word.
"Yeah, we think he lives in Ponyville now! It's not too far away from here!" added Mocha. "We saw him walking through town with a boat load of groceries."
"Turns out your lead from Las Pegasus was correct, you fat flubber ball, you!" said Thunder Clap now more upbeat, giving his version of a compliment.
A fearful flinch had turned into an accomplished smile that adorned Mocha's face, but it was immediately shot down as Thunder Clap, in excitement, hit a ketchup bottle splattering ketchup all over Mocha and Taffy's faces in an abrupt change of tides in his mood pattern.
"Wipe the sauce off of your faces, and let's hit the road!" said Clap, as he got up and sped out the door. The other two wiped the ketchup off of their faces and headed out the door.
Mocha was mightily disappointed because he thought they'd be able to get something to eat, he quickly rubbed his belly for comfort as he took off after the others. "Hey! Wait for me!" he called as he went off after the others, who had already began to vanish.
Little did they know, they'd had an audience. A tall orange pegasus stallion had followed slowly out the door upon over hearing the conversation that the trio had had about Singer. His own brother. The brother who Brawn had forsaken, foolishly, was now in trouble. Though he said nothing, for the first time in many years, worry grew inside him for his brother's safety. Brawn, knowing that Singer may never forgive him, but also knowing that Singer was his brother and it was about high time he did his job as his brother. He pondered on the thought of following the three punks and putting a stop to them. Time for thinking was dwindling by the second, and the trio was getting smaller. He wanted to return home to his wife and his foals, as they would be waiting with his favorite dinner that evening. But... something was tugging on him to go elsewhere....
..............
Violet had been very very busy over the course of the year. She'd been so heartbroken after what she'd done, telling Singer that he didn't need her in his life anymore as she reluctantly left him to his life. She knew what she'd done to Singer was wrong. Leaving him like that. But she couldn't help it. It was hard to be around him. Of course she still loved him. Of course she wanted to be with him. Though she realized her big mistake, she thought it was for the best for him that she continued to stay away and not risk making things worse. She only hoped that he and Serenity were happy together, little did she know they had broken up not six months after she'd left Singer in Canterlot that fateful night. She hadn't received a letter from Singer in so long, though for that she credited her negligence to respond to any of the last letters he'd sent her. Over time, she quietly carried her pain. But eventually, she was able to collect herself and do her best to press on. Though she'd stopped dating other stallions, she spent her time helping Rain with his homework, taking care of her dad when he'd come home from work for some rest before having to be sent back out, and doing her best to keep her mom's old shop open, which sadly was on it's way down the drain due to financial problems. But at the end of the day, nothing, not even the worries of losing her mom's old shop could quench her rotten feelings.
Her father had tried to talk to her about it, but she persisted in resisting it. Her decision had been final. She'd felt that Singer had been so much better off without him. Her father worried about her often, making frequent visits back home. Far more than before. Though he couldn't be around much, he still cared deeply for his children. His busy schedule left little time for socialization or time for finding a potential mate to be a mother for his kids, so Violet was left with the task of being a surrogate mother in addition to being a big sister to her little brother. That was something that he'd been so sick of having to know.
The tall brown black maned pegasus stallion walked into the kitchen where he saw Violet helping Rain with his homework from school. In his wing, was a letter. Recently sent from Ponyville. His heart dropped when he'd read the name on the envelope. He wasn't sure how Violet would react to this, but he knew that it had to be given to her. He wasted little time, making sure that he got it.
He wasn't angry with Singer, despite what he'd been told about everything that had happened among his family and with Serenity in Las Pegasus. He understood what was going on, and what Singer was going through, as well as Violet. He'd gone through a similar scenario with his wife, Violet's mother. Oh how he missed her. He knew of the significant feelings that his daughter had for Singer, and he could relate from a few years before Violet had been born. He and her mother had gone through a similar miscommunication and almost never recovered from it. Until she stepped back out and took him back, and rekindled the fire also known as their love and they stayed together until she passed away years later. He hoped that this recent letter from him would be that step that at least would start an upward spiral for the rekindling of their friendship. They were too good of friends to just give up and wonder what might have been.
Calmly he placed the letter on the table, sliding it in front of her. "Rain, could you go to your room for a few minutes please? I need to talk to your sister." he asked calmly.
"Um... okay..." he looked up at Violet, who was equally as surprised. She nodded and he went off to his room, unsure of what it was about, but he knew that it was something important.
Violet's eyes finally moved down to the letter, once her father had pushed it closer to her. She read the name on the sender section, and pushed it back.
"No..." she said, resisting it. "Daddy, you know how I feel about this..."
"No I don't, because you refuse to talk to me about it." he said with a semi stern voice, with tears of concern in his eyes. "And I don't expect you to. But I can tell that, even now, this still weighs on you. You may have manged to shut it out, but I know you. You still love him."
"No!" she protested loudly. "I can't... I don't... Daddy, why are you doing this to me?"
"Why are you doing this to yourself?" he said putting his hooves on her shoulders. "Violet, why can't you see that Singer still needs you?"
"No he doesn't! I know that for a fact!" tears began to work from her eyes. "He doesn't need me! All I was doing was holding him back from doing what he loved doing!"
"Is that what she said? That pony he's dating?" he said, referring to Serenity. "Because I don't believe that for a second. I've seen you two grow up together over the years. Whether you realize it or not, Singer still cares about you! Or he wouldn't have sent this letter."
Violet grew silent, tears still trickling down her face.
"I know this is hard, Violet. I know how hard it is to love somepony who seems to show no hint at feeling the same way, but you've got to look past your feelings some times and see things for what they are."
"So love has blinded me, then?"
"No... I'm saying that you've felt so strongly about this, that you feel that you need to be with him in an intimate relationship to be with him at all. I know all about the friend zone, sweetie. But it's such an over used term. You can still love him and be what you once were to him. It's never easy, but if you two are meant to be friends, and if you truly love him, you need to accept it. But there is always that small bit of hope that maybe one day you will be together as more. It's not something that can be rushed, if it's even meant to happen at all. But regardless, you both need to be there for each other."
"I can't...."
"Violet. You and Singer need closure, otherwise you'll live with regrets for the rest of your life. Singer obviously misses you. Though it may or may not be in the capacity that you wish, he's still your friend, your best friend. You at least owe him to be that for him once again. You'll never be that sweet happy cheerful adorable filly that I used to know unless you do. I'm telling this to you for your own good, sweetie."
She looked down in shame, still teary eyed... and looked back up at him again. "I know... I know... I just... I wish I wasn't so selfish..."
"Baby, you're the least selfish pony that I know." he said wrapping his foreleg around her, and pulling her in for a hug. "I know I'm not much of the dad, that you deserve, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you, and the wonderful young mare that you've become. You're so mature for your age, but yet you still have that beautiful little filly inside you that I will always see you as until the day I die. I love you, Violet!"
"I love you too, dad!" she said embracing him for a good five minutes or so. He wiped her tears with his wing. He then pushed the letter back to her and left the room, to let her be alone with her thoughts and to read the letter. She stared at the envelope for a good few minutes before reluctantly deciding to open it. She took a deep breath as she pulled the letter out, and unfolded it.
Dear Violet,
I know it's been quite a while since I last wrote to you. Even longer since I last talked to you. I don't even know where we stand right now, to be honest. But I just want you to know that I'm sorry... for whatever it was that I did to you. I'm so sorry. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you and all the memories we've had over the years. And I hate that I'm not out in the back yard doing role play from our adventure books with you. And I just can't shake the feelings that I have every time that I think about you.
But I want you to know, that although much has changed for me over the last few years, becoming your friend is still the best thing that has ever happened to me, you amazing pony. And I'd want nothing more than to hug you, and laugh with you, and maybe even kiss you... um... well... maybe. Ha ha...probably not helping...
I've moved away from Las Pegasus and I've began a new life in Ponyville. I would love to meet up again with you, some day and talk. And I honestly would really love to go back to the way we were. I miss you... I miss Rain... my mom... heck at this point I even miss my dad and my brother.
I'd like to reclaim my life, and getting you back as a friend is a huge part of it. I'll always remember sitting in Ms. Nimbus' class together in first grade on that first day. It's because of my friendship with you that I have my cutie mark. I hope you finally have yours, but if not, we'll find it together. That is, if you want me to....
The point I'm trying to make here is simple. I need you Violet. I don't know what Serenity told you, but dismiss it! I miss you, darn it! My only hope is that my arrogance hasn't burned the bridge with you. I really do hope to see you soon. I love you, no sugarcoating it. I love you!
PS, tell Rain I said hello.
Your best friend,
Singer Case.
Violet's eyes watered even more after reading that. She felt a bit of guilt at first, for making him believe that it was his fault. But after everything else he'd said, she was able to breathe a sigh of relief! She'd been so worried that he hadn't missed her at all, and that the letter was inviting her to his and Serenity's wedding or something like that. But that aside, it took a huge chip off her shoulder. She'd been so sad for over a year because she thought she'd lost him. Her dad was right, even if she and Singer never ever got together intimately, she was more than content to be his friend til the day that she died. It was like the letter reignited a spark within her. She couldn't believe it! It wasn't too late! She even giggled a bit, diverting her eyes back to the part where he might even kiss her. She knew it was meant to be a funny, so she went along with the joke as she normally would. It was like he'd never left.
She squealed happily, forgetting that her dad and brother were in the other room.
"I told you so!" she heard her dad holler from Rain's room.
"And I've never been so happy to be proven wrong..." she said as she hugged the letter, corny as it was. But she was happy! That entire year of sadness was all for nothing, and that was okay with her as long as everything worked out.
.........
"I must say, that I'm very proud of you Singer." said Dusk, as he sat at the dinner table with Singer, Twilight, and Spike. They'd invited him over for lunch/dinner as a way to get him back for him inviting them over for dinner the night before. He enjoyed hanging out the with the trio of librarians, and so he loved being in their company. Singer had brought over some nacho soup he'd made, while Spike had made straight up nachos in addition to what Singer brought. Though that looked good to the dragon, he eyed the chocolate cake that Dusk had brought with him, and Twilight, using a warning expression, without having to say a word, issued a warning to Spike not to touch the cake until it was time for dessert. Spike yielded to Twilight's commands because he knew not to cross her.
"Thanks, Dusk. It wasn't easy to do, but writing it was so easy. I feel so much better now that I got what I needed to say out of my system. I only hope that she'll respond."
"I think she will." said Twilight. "Like Dusk said to you the other day, if she's truly your friend, she'll respond. Though, Spike mentioned that there may be more to it than that?"
"Beg your pardon?" Singer asked surprised. "Uh... what do you mean?"
"Spike was just telling me that he thinks you might like Violet." Twilight returned. "As in, like like her."
"Oh, he did, eh?" said Singer, narrowing his eyes at the dragon, who had just remembered said exchange and was now feeling a bit awkward.
"Spike, we've already talked about this..." said Dusk.
"I know... but I still think he does." said Spike, standing firm on his belief.
"I do not have a crush on Violet!" said Singer, crossing his forelegs, and looking away from the others.
"I don't know, the evidence is looking pretty clear to me, as well." said Twilight noting that Singer's face had began to turn red.
"I'm not... I don't... can we just drop this, please? I'm not going to push my luck with that. At this point, I'd consider myself lucky to just be her friend again."
"Implying that you do like her as more than a friend, then?" asked Dusk.
"Dusk... I thought you were on my side!" said Singer.
"I am on your side." Dusk insisted.
"It's called teasing, Singer." Twilight giggled. "Trust me, Dusk and I got our fair share of it when we were just friends."
"Still having a hard time imagining you two as just friends..." said Singer.
"After all this time, it's seemed like a distant memory to us as well. Yet, sometimes I look back on the pony I was and it feels like only yesterday I was waiting to get the nerve to talk to Twilight in hopes of becoming friends with her." Dusk said in response.
"Followed her around for twelve years!" added Spike.
"Wow, that's kinda sad, dude." said Singer.
"I think it's kind of sweet." said Twilight giving Dusk a kiss on the lips.
"Bleh!" said Spike sticking one of his claws in his mouth.
Singer tried to think about he and Violet in a relationship like Dusk and Twilight's. The more he thought about it, the more he was liking it... but also the more it scared him as well. He wasn't even sure if he even liked Violet that way, nor was he going to force the issue on that. But that thought seemed to be embedded into his brain, because now he couldn't get rid of it, and he felt his heart rate increase a bit at the thought. He picked up his glass of water and began to drink it fast.
"Is everything alright, Singer?" asked Dusk.
"Um... yeah... fine..." he said, pouring another glass and drinking it just as fast. "All is well in the world of Singer!"
"Would you mind stepping outside with me for a minute?" he asked, motioning him to follow him.
"Uh, yeah... Sure." said Singer as he followed Dusk outside.
"What's wrong?" asked Dusk with concern.
"I... well... you see.... the thought of me and Violet together makes me kind of nervous." he staggered. "I don't know. If I'm able to reunite in friendship with Violet, won't a relationship possibly mess things up?"
"Not exactly." Dusk said. "A relationship is like a friendship. Only more intimate. If you're in one, be honest with your partner, and always treat each other with utmost respect. I would think that you would already know this, having mentioned being in a relationship before."
"Yeah, and we both know how well that went..." he said bitterly.
"Duly noted" he said. "But my point is, that if you do decide that you want to be more than friends with Violet, and if she agrees, then things don't have to be all that different between the two of you, at least from a certain vantage point anyway. It all depends on you two and how you both go about doing things."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
"Thank you, Dusk" said Singer. "This definitely does make me feel better about the thought of it. You know, you're a good friend as well."
"Thank you, Singer. I appreciate that. I extend that to you, as well." They briefly smiled at each other before Singer's stomach began to rumble.
"Think we should be getting back in there?"
"Probably so..." said Dusk, leading him back inside. "I'm eager to try that nacho soup that you brought."
"You'll love it! It's one of my mom's recipes! Just don't drink the juice too fast because it's real spicy!"
"Thanks for the warning" said Dusk as he closed the door.
............
Later on, Singer had been in the park with Star Chaser, Gentle and Rainbow Dash. The former two, observing as Dash was trying to get Singer back into shape. Now that his wings were back in proper working order, it was time to put them back to work so that way he would get the feel back in them that he had prior to his accident. He also needed to get back into shape, as even before his injury he'd slacked off on working out and was beginning to retain a tiny bit of weight. Time to cut that off, he'd told himself on his way to the park before they'd begun training. It wasn't something he was looking forward to, but he knew that he needed to do it. Besides once he got enough of it in, he'd be in better shape and it wouldn't bother him as badly.
There he was doing push ups in the park in the middle of the afternoon. Sweat trickling down his face, legs already beginning to feel jiggly. Rainbow Dash had been keeping track as to how many that he'd been doing.
"Twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven" she counted. "....twenty eight, twenty nine..." she paused as Singer locked his wings after the twenty ninth wing up. Already he was getting tired, and these wing ups were making him feel weaker every time he did one. "Come on, Singer! You have to make it to thirty or you'll have to start over!"
"What?!?" he asked exasperatingly. "No!" he moaned.
"Yes!" said Dash. "When I first started, my minimum was forty! You're having a difficulty with doing thirty! Don't be a whimp!"
"Yeah, well you didn't just come off of an injury to your wings either." he countered.
"I've had my fair share of injuries too, you know. Now stop being a ninny and get that last one finished!" she drilled. "Do you hear me, Case?"
"Sir, yes sir...ma'am boss Bob!" said Singer in the most strenuous voice he'd ever made, as he loosened his wings yet again to try and complete the last wing up. As he pushed up and collapsed to the ground after his wings let him go down, Dash face hoofed. "I'm sorry Dash." He was now breathing heavily and covered in sweat. Gentle and Star came to his aid. The former spraying some water from a water bottle into his mouth, and the latter offering him a damp towel to cool off with. He thanked them graciously, and they nodded in response.
"It's alright Sing..." replied Dash. "I'll give it to you this time since you showed that you really wanted it. But tomorrow, don't forget to do warm ups and do a bit of practicing on this before the actual training session, or this type of thing will be unpardonable in the future."
"Being a bit rough on him, aren't you Dash?" asked Star Chaser.
"Nope!" she replied. "This is how I was trained and, come to think of it how you were trained as well, in gym class. All strong flyers must exercise or their muscles will turn to flab, like Singer's here."
"Hey!" protested Singer.
"Just kidding, Sing." Dash smirked before putting her coach face back on. "Now that that's over, I want you to make a couple of laps around Ponyville in the air. I've got markers set up in the clouds as guides so you don't get lost." she said pointing to the clouds with numbered flags sticking up to help Singer memorize the path. "Just follow that path at the highest speed you can manage, and you're done for the day."
Singer breathed hard as he stood back up, and flapped his wings. He couldn't get them to flap as fast as he wanted, due to them being subject to thirty wing ups after being in a cast for over a week.
"I don't know why I need a path, flying around Ponyville should be a breeze..."
"True, but I want you to hit your marks precisely!" said Rainbow Dash. "That way you won't be able to cut corners."
"Alright, alright!" he said about to take off. But as he did, a small storm cloud appeared behind him and clapped when it collided with another cloud, causing a thunder clap with lightning. This was something that Singer was very wary of, so when he heard it he ducked down rapidly out of fear of being struck by lightning again.
"What's the matter, Singer?" teased Rainbow. "Scared of a little thunder?"
"No!" glared Singer as he hovered above his friends.
"Singer, look out!" shouted Gentle, noticing a black furred pegasus lunging from the storm cloud rapidly in Singer's direction.
Singer was unable act in time and was trounced upon by Thunder Clap, who slammed him into the ground, and held his head down to it with his hoof.
"Remember me?" asked Thunder Clap in a menacing and scary voice.
Singer could recognize that voice anywhere... Though it had been years, Singer's memory of this particular foe of his couldn't be clouded. Singer's old school bully and nemesis, Thunder Clap had returned. As two other familiar pegasai, Mocha and Taffy emerged and descended from the clouds they'd been hiding in, smirking, sniggering and making punching gestures with their hooves, Singer knew that trouble had found him yet again.