As luck would have it, making a reservation is actually fairly easy, provided you know the time and date at which you intend to arrive. A few hurried trips between Brighter Horizons’, the hospital, and the restaurant later, Sombra had finally figured out a time that worked for both him and Miss Redheart. Given Redheart’s two jobs and Sombra’s newfound occupation with Miss Horizons, it had proven a bit more difficult than anticipated, but they finally had a true date set up. Friday night at six thirty in the evening, at Marilla’s, Sombra would be taking Redheart out for dinner.
“Well, good afternoon, Sombra,” Redheart said cheerfully as she opened the door to her house. Sombra sat on the edge of the futon they had laid out for him, idly flipping through the pages of a magazine. His head jerked up at her voice and he closed the magazine, setting it back down on the little cabinet Snowflake had pulled out of storage for him to keep what worldly objects he may acquire in. The bowtie Rarity had made for him was in the top drawer, along with a comb for his mane, and the bag of bits offered to him to cover the date was tucked in the bottom drawer. A lamp sat atop it, providing any light Sombra might find need for in the night or the early mornings.
“Miss Redheart! Good afternoon,” Sombra replied with a broad smile, “How was your shift at the hospital today?”
“Boring,” Redheart said with a sigh, but a smile still played on her lips, “That’s a good thing though, means nopony got really hurt or sick.”
“That’s good,” the unicorn answered. Redheart looked tired, but not unhappy. She always had this kind of sad, tired smile when she came back from the hospital shifts. She loved her job, that was certain, and that made her all the more beautiful. Even when she was so tired. Sombra might even suggest especially when she was so tired. He watched her walk across the room and hang her nursing cap on its peg on the wall and head towards the stairs. She paused for a moment after taking the first couple and turned back to Sombra, still wearing that same tired smile.
“You ready for this evening?”
Sombra smiled at her and nodded.
Redheart blew a puff of air out of her nose as a single laugh. “Alright then, I’ll go take a shower and start getting ready then. See you in a bit!”
Sombra watched her disappear up the stairs, and waited until he heard the shower come on. Redheart’s after-work showers usually lasted about ten minutes, maybe twelve or thirteen if she was especially tired. He paused for a moment, thinking perhaps it was a little creepy how he’d noticed that, and realized he knew Snowflake’s showers lasted about seven minutes, and his own typically around nine or ten. Perhaps it was just something he picked up on. At any rate, Sombra figured he had about eleven minutes before Redheart was out of the shower, and more time still until she was ready to leave. There was over an hour until they had to leave to get to Marilla’s, as well. Plenty of time to get to Roseluck’s flower stand and back. More than enough time – Roseluck set up shop only about three minutes from Redheart’s house, so he could easily get there, make his purchase, and return to his home before Redheart was back downstairs.
Sombra stood up and withdrew a hoofful of bits from the bag in his bottom drawer and tucked them into his mane the way Brighter had shown him to, and stepped out into the afternoon. Roseluck’s flower cart was in a different spot than normal – in fact, he could see it from Redheart’s doorway – but no farther away than any other day. Setting off at a brisk trot across the square, Sombra waved a hello at a few ponies as they passed. After a meager two weeks the townsponies were already accepting him as one of their own. Roseluck waved goodbye to a customer and noticed Sombra making a beeline for her stand, and she too raised a hoof in greeting.
“Afternoon, mister Sombra,” Roseluck said when he was close enough, “Finally going on that date?”
“Does the whole town know about that?”
“Nah, just most of it,” she shot back with a smile. “What can I do ya for?”
Sombra took a look at the price board, scanning down the list for the red tulips he needed. Two bits each, eighteen bits for a dozen. Perfect, he thought.
“I would like to purchase-”
“A dozen red tulips?” Roseluck’s smile had a hint of smugness behind it, her eyes not quite wide enough for it to look completely genuine.
“How did you know?”
Roseluck giggled. “Selling flowers is my special talent, of course. I have a bit of a knack for it.”
“Well, you are certainly… was it ‘left on the money’ I heard Snowflake saying? When you are completely correct about something?”
“’Right’ on the money, but yeah, close enough. That’ll be fifteen bits,” Roseluck said, then turned around and began to collect the tulips Sombra had asked for.
“Fifteen bits? On the sign it says-”
“On the sign it says Redheart needs to have a good time tonight, not that I need three more bits. Gosh, not many ponies would argue with being asked to pay less money than is marked on the sign. You’re kinda weird, you know that?” Roseluck was still smiling at him as she wrapped the flowers in paper and placed them on the counter.
“Thank you,” Sombra gave the mare a lopsided smile, and, taking them out of his mane, set the bits in her extended hoof.
“You can thank me by not disappointing her tonight. Redheart helped me make a full recovery when I broke my leg a couple years ago. I’ve felt kinda like I’ve owed her since. This helps a bit, you know?”
“I think I understand what you mean, feeling like you owe somepony,” or several thousand someponies, “Thank you again, Miss Roseluck. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to get back.”
“Of course, have a great night, Sombra.”
Sombra nodded and turned, trotting quickly back across the square with the flowers tucked gently in the crook of his foreleg. He was relieved to hear the shower still running when he entered the house again. Stashing the tulips in the empty middle drawer and depositing the remaining bits he’d brought back in their bag, Sombra picked his magazine again and began to flip through it once again. He heard the shower shut off, and soft hoofsteps as Redheart travelled across the hall to her bedroom. Still he flipped pages, until he heard her stepping down the stairs.
Sombra looked up to find Redheart looking positively stunning. Which is to say, just about the same as always. Her mane was up in her usual bun, no different from normal, but something about it… shone. Her coat seemed to glow and actually radiate light, but Sombra couldn’t be sure. Around her neck hung a silver pendant with a blue jewel that matched her eyes in the center; a simple, yet beautiful necklace, that complimented its wearer perfectly.
“Wow,” Sombra said.
“What, I’m not overdressed, am I?”
“No, no you aren’t, you’re just… beautiful,” the unicorn breathed.
Redheart blushed and smiled at him, bowing her head slightly and breaking eye contact, almost as though trying to physically dodge the compliment.
“I’m serious, you really are,” Sombra insisted.
“Thank you,” Redheart said, and after a short pause, “Really. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The pair shared a few moments of a silence that straddled the delicate border between awkward and contented. Then Sombra realized they did, in fact, have somewhere to be going soon
“Soooo… how do dates usually… start?” Sombra asked.
“Well, typically, the pony who did the asking-out would go to their date’s house and, in a town as small as Ponyville, walk them over to the location of the date. However, seeing as we’re already living in the same house…” Redheart trailed off and thought about it for a minute. “You know, you having already moved in really throws a wrench in the gears of how relationships usually work. Uh… I guess I could go upstairs to my room, and you could come get me from there.”
“As you wish,” Sombra replied, nodding his agreement. Redheart smiled and blew a puff of air out her nose, and turned around to head upstairs. Turning behind him, he pulled the bowtie out from his drawer and tied it around his neck. He’d practiced securing it dozens of times, and finally could manage it without much effort. That wasn’t to say no effort, and he did fumble with the clasp a couple times before getting it to stick. He took the comb next and ran it through his mane a few times to straighten it – he’d showered earlier, but his mane had this nasty habit of not being cooperative, and tended to frizz up a bit after it dried. Opening the bottom drawer, he withdrew the bag of bits and tucked it into his mane, once again just how Brighter had shown him. Finally, he withdrew the tulips he had purchased earlier. Turning back to the stairs, Sombra inhaled deeply through his nose and blew the breath out through his mouth, and began his walk up the steps.
Having ascended the steps, he turned down the hallway and walked to Redheart’s room, and knocked on the door gently.
“Who is it?” Redheart’s clear voice came through the door, with just a hint of laughter behind it.
Sombra cleared his throat. “Good evening, miss. I was hoping you would do me the honor of accompanying me to dinner on this fine evening.”
The laughter was no longer hinted at, and rich, genuine laughs accompanied the opening of Redheart’s door.
“I already said yes three days ago, sil- wow, that bowtie suits you really well,” Redheart interrupted herself, “And are those red tulips? They're my favorite! How did you know?” The unicorn opened his mouth to answer, but Redheart continued before he could start. “Brighter told you, didn’t she? Either way, thank you very much,” she said as she removed the paper from the flowers and placed them in an empty vase on a table near her door.
“You’re very welcome. Shall we?” Sombra extended a hoof and Redheart took it, and the two walked down the hall together. Unfortunately, the stairs were only wide enough for one pony to walk down at a time – or two, if one pony wasn’t as large as Sombra – and the pair had to disconnect for a few moments. Sombra followed his date down the stairs, but took a few long strides to get in front of her and opened the door into the evening.
---
“Good evening sir, ma’am,” the unicorn mare greeted them as they walked into the restaurant, “and welcome to Marilla’s. Do you have a reservation this evening?”
“Uh, yes, we do.”
“Name, sir?” The smile on her face and the tone of her voice contradicted the exasperation in her eyes.
“Oh, right, sorry. Under Sombra?”
The mare smiled and looked down at a list behind the podium, then seemingly found what she was looking for.
“Ah, here you are. Right this way please.”
The mare led them through the restaurant, eventually stopping at a table against a wall, smiling at them and nodding her head to indicate for them to sit. Sombra stepped around her and drew out a chair, gesturing for Redheart to seat herself before him. Redheart smiled and thanked him, and took her seat. Sombra pressed the chair in for her gently, then stepped around to his own side of the table and sat down. The server levitated two menus onto their table, poured water into both of their glasses, nodded again, and silently moved away.
“So, Miss Redheart,” Sombra started slowly as the waitress walked away, “You seem to have a pretty good idea about who I am and where I’m from, given the great hurrah that’s been given for the last two weeks,” a touch of disdain entered his voice, but he shook it out after a short pause.
“And you’d like to hear a bit about me?” Redheart chuckled and Sombra nodded, a soft smile on the big unicorn’s face. “Alright, let’s see… well, I was born in Manehattan, as the younger sister to my adopted old brother.”
“Snowflake is adopted?” Sombra interrupted, then quickly closed his mouth again when he realized he’d cut her off. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine, really. Honestly more ponies are surprised when I just say he’s my brother than when I tell them he’s adopted. Anyways, My parents had some difficulties with pregnancy, which is why they adopted Snowflake, but a few years later a new medical treatment was introduced to the public, and they had me. The four of us lived in a nice house on the outskirts of the city, near my grandparents, but only for a short time after I was born. We moved to Trottingham just before I turned three, because my father got a better job there, and I lived there for about ten years, enough to get through high school. My dad got another job out here, though, and we moved out to Ponyville the summer before I went to college. I went back to Manehattan for medical school, though. When I finished my degree, I came back to Ponyville to be with my family. Unfortunately, Mom died only a couple years later, and Dad moved back to Manehattan. So now it’s just Snowflake and me. And you, too, I guess,” she added with a smile, and took a sip of her water.
“I’m sorry about your mother,” Sombra said after she finished, “My father died when I was fairly young, too. I know how it feels.”
“Thanks,” Redheart replied, breaking eye contact with her date and picking up her fork to scrutinize it, “It’s… it’s alright, really. I wouldn’t say I’ve gotten over it, but what’s happened has happened, and I can’t really change that.”
“I am acutely aware of that, too,” Sombra said sadly, but gave Redheart a reassuring smile when she looked back at him. Redheart returned his smile weakly, and the two shared a moment of content silence.
“That’s where I got my cutie mark, actually. Trottingham, that is,” the white earth pony said suddenly, “It’s not as grand or exciting a story as yours, though.”
“It’s a story I’d like to hear,” Sombra implored, “If you don’t mind, that is.”
“Oh, no, of course. Let’s see… I was seven, at the time. Playing on a hill with a friend. I had been reading a book about basic medical practice, just basic first-aid kind of stuff, for fun. I had always been kind of attracted to the idea, and my parents supported it well enough. Anyways, she fell and hurt her leg, and I helped keep her from making it worse with some makeshift splints,” she finished her little story, then quickly added, “It was nothing, really. Nothing special like what you did for your friend.”
“Oh, Miss Redheart, don’t put it down like that,” the bulky unicorn told her, “It doesn’t matter how grandiose it was, it’s how you got your cutie mark. And that’s special, beautiful, and unique to you, so don’t ever devalue it like that, alright?”
“Heh, yeah, I suppose you’re right. Oh, we should probably figure out what we want to order,” Redheart glanced down and picked up her menu. “Hmm… oh it’s been so long since I’ve been here… oh, the pesto gnocchi was fantastic. I think I’ll get that. Do you have any idea what you want?”
“To be completely honest, I have no idea,” Sombra answered, looking at the various items. He barely recognized any of the words – but once again, he was thankful that ponies even spoke the same language still, so a little difficulty with the occasional menu was a small inconvenience at worst. “Do you have any recommendations?”
“Let’s see…” Redheart made a few soft clicking noises with her tongue as she looked back down at the menu, “The fettuccini alfredo is quite good, as is the eggplant parmesan. The pesto gnocchi is my favorite, but not everypony likes pesto. Not everypony likes eggplant either, so the fettuccine alfredo is probably the safest choice.”
“Alright, I’ll have that, then. Thank you.”
“Of course. Now, where’d that waitress go… Oh well, she’ll get back around eventually. So how has your life been the last few days? Enjoying your first few days working for Miss Horizons?”
Sombra smiled and let out a small laugh. “She’s a great boss. She’s mostly had me cleaning up since I’m ‘so good at it.’ It’s fine though, it’s a good use of my time and, well, she’s not wrong.”
Redheart shared his laughter. “She still mad at you for the desk thing?”
“A little bit, yeah. It’s not that bad though. I do rather enjoy it, and the children are warming up to me. Oh, hello,” Sombra changed subjects as abruptly as the waitress reappeared.
“Good evening again sir, ma’am,” the waitress said. “Have you two decided on what you’d like to order tonight?”
“Um, yes, actually, I believe we have. Miss Redheart?”
“I would like the pesto gnocchi please,” Redheart said to the server.
“Alright,” she replied, jotting down the order on a notepad with her magic, “And for you sir?”
“I will have the fettuccine alfredo, if that is ok,” Sombra said.
“Certainly, sir. Is that all for you tonight? Any drinks, or appetizers?”
“No, thank you,” Redheart told the waitress.
“Alright, we’ll have those out for you in just a couple minutes then,” she said with a smile, and turned to walk away again.
“So…” Redheart began slowly, “You said the children were warming up to you?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Sombra said, grinning, “I’ve only been hit in the face with a hoofball twice so far, and Tag-a-long isn’t terrified of me anymore. Oh, you weren’t there on Friday – Book Worm got adopted by a family from Manehattan.”
“Oh that’s wonderful!”
“Yeah, it’s great. He’s out of Tag-a-long’s mane now, and he’ll get a great education out there. I’m really happy for him,” Sombra said, taking a sudden interest in his fork, “I just… Tag-a-long needs to get out of there. I feel so bad for her.”
“Yeah… but honestly there’s nothing we can do about it, is there?”
“Well, there is one thing we could do.”
“Sombra, this is our first date. I think it’s a little early to be talking about adoption.”
“What? No, I meant put flyers up or something. Though…”
“Sombra? No. Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
Redheart blushed furiously, and suddenly became very preoccupied with her own hooves.
“Well- it’s just- what I meant was-”
“Ma’am, your pesto gnocchi,” the waitress had appeared practically out of nowhere, two plates of food encapsulated in a light green aura behind her. Oh thank Celestia, Redheart thought, and nodded her acceptance of the meal, her cheeks still warm from embarrassment. The waitress set the plate down in front of her, and turned to do the same for Sombra. “And the fettuccine alfredo for you, sir?”
“Yes, thank you,” Sombra said, taking a good look at the noodles as they were set in front of him. A healthy serving of homemade fettuccine noodles were drenched in a creamy white cheese sauce, accompanied by a couple pieces of buttered bread. Well, I have to say, I have no idea what this is, but it looks delicious.
“Is there anything else you two need?”
“Ah, no, thank you very much,” Redheart responded to the waitress.
“Very well, enjoy your meal then,” she nodded to Sombra and Redheart individually as she spoke, and once again seemed to practically vanish.
“This looks amazing,” Sombra said to his date after they were alone again. “Miss Horizons said this is your favorite restaurant, and I can already see why. The atmosphere is wonderful, and if the food tastes half as good as it looks, I think this might just become my favorite restaurant, too.”
“It really is,” Redheart said back to him, then took a deep whiff of the puffy green potato pasta in front of her. “Oh, this smells so nice. Well, let’s eat then.”
Sombra nodded and took a stab at his dinner, rolling the fork over in his hoof to twirl up the noodles into a more edible bundle. He smiled and hummed in enjoyment as he put it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing.
“Wow, this is amazing,” Sombra said, “Best food I’ve had in a thousand years!”
Redheart’s glare told him all he needed to know – his joke had been well received. The mare turned back to her own plate and shook her head with a laugh, digging into her gnocchi.
“Now, miss Redheart, I do have a question for you,” Sombra said after a few moments of eating in silence. “Would you marry me?”
Redheart stopped chewing for a second and closed her eyes, trying to decide whether or not she’d her Sombra right. Slowly, deliberately, the chewing resumed, followed by what felt to her like an incredibly loud swallow.
“I’m sorry. What?”
“Would you marry me?”
Redheart dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, acutely aware of the attention Sombra’s question had garnered. Most of the restaurant had gone quiet, and several ponies were looking on at the couple.
“Sombra,” Redheart began, “Just because I said ‘not yet’ about adoption… I know you’ve been… out of the loop for some time now,” choosing her words carefully, slowly, not wanting to cause a scene, “but I don’t think you understand the weight that question holds. I do like you, quite a lot to be honest, but marriage would be quite a ways off.”
“Well of course it would be,” Sombra replied. “I was merely asking if you would marry me, not if you will right this moment.”
Redheart gave him an annoyed glare, her expression a clear sign that he had hardly explained his reasoning well enough.
“I… see… so that tradition died off a while ago, did it?”
“What tradition?”
“In the Empire, near the beginning of my reign at least, it was considered proper conduct to ask your partner if they would marry you in early stages of courtship,” the unicorn said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “It was meant to prevent relationships ending after a long time, and in most cases the two ponies parted relatively amicably if one disagreed. It was also not uncommon to ask if your partner desired foals early in the relationship. It was not a marriage proposal, merely an attempt to determine if courtship was worthwhile. A preventative measure for heartbreak, if you will.”
“That…” Redheart trailed off, mind trying to catch up with a tradition so foreign, “actually makes sense, thinking about it. It’s just… very different now, marriage is almost never discussed until two ponies have been dating for quite some time.”
“Well that’s silly,” Sombra butted in. “What are you to do if you wish to take your relationship further, but your partner is not comfortable with that, and might not ever be? You can certainly compromise and continue on as you are, and a wondrous sign of devotion that would be, but your partner would have the guilt of knowing you were not fully satisfied with the relationship, and it would slowly break down, and both ponies would eventually be heartbroken. It just doesn’t make sense!”
Redheart had to stifle a laugh, both at how animated Sombra had gotten during his little outburst and in relief that the other patrons of the restaurant seemed to have lost interest in what was apparently not a marriage proposal.
“I’m sorry,” Sombra continued. “I didn’t mean to cause you any embarrassment.”
“It’s fine, really,” Redheart assured him. “I was just confused. And, uh, for the record, I think I would.”
“That’s wonderful. Thank you very much, Miss Redheart.”
“You’re very welcome, Mister Sombra.”
---
The remainder of the date was pleasantly uneventful, spent largely making small-talk in between mouthfuls of pasta. Redheart had offered a piece of her gnocchi to Sombra, and, while he did rather enjoy the pillowy texture of it, the pesto flavor wasn’t the best. That said, the face he’d made at it had given Redheart rather a laugh, so Sombra called it a win either way. The best part of the entire date, though, was simply spending so much time with Redheart outside of work or a life-threatening hospitalization. She had tried to pay for her meal at the end of the night, but Sombra had adamantly refused, insisting it was his idea so he should pay for it. Reluctantly, Redheart had agreed – on the condition she pay for the next date. The next date, Sombra thought, concentrating hard to keep the bounce out of his step on the way back to her house, a giddy smile on his face.
“What are you smiling at?” Redheart asked him as they trotted together across Ponyville. “That big grin has been stuck on your face for almost an hour now.”
“Oh, you know. You. Me. Us. ‘Next time,’” Sombra said to her, still smiling.
“You’re surprised you’re getting a second date? I like you Sombra, a lot. I would have been surprised if you managed to screw up so badly I didn’t want a second date.”
“That actually means a lot to me, thank you, Redheart,” Sombra’s smile shrunk just a little, his tone dropping to a lower, more stable note.
“Oh come on, don’t get all sappy on me now,” Redheart jabbed him in the side and laughed. Sombra stumbled a little under the unexpected blow but managed to right himself before planting his face firmly into the ground.
“Careful there,” she teased the stallion, “Wouldn’t want to mess up that pretty face of yours.”
Sombra’s only response was a soft blush and his smile widening again. Trotting forward in content silence and the pleasantness of each other’s company, Redheart leaned against him gently. She stood back up when they reached the front door of her house and took a few steps away from Sombra and turned to face him.
“So… at this point… normally you’d wish me a good night and go our separate ways until next time, but seeing as we both live here…” Redheart got quiet, and rocked her head back and forth for a moment in thought. “Close your eyes.”
“Close my eyes?”
“Close your eyes.”
Sombra did as he was told. A few moments later, something warm pressed itself against his cheek, held there for about a second, and then left again. He opened his eyes in time to see Redheart pulling away from him, her eyes flicking open a moment later, her beautiful light blue eyes standing out in the fading evening light. Unconsciously, a hoof lifted to his cheek, touching the spot her lips had been a moment before.
“That’s… thanks, really. I haven’t had a chance to just relax and loosen up with somepony like that in quite some time,” Redheart said quietly, rubbing one foreleg against the other sheepishly, “I had a really great time tonight, Sombra. Thank you.”
Redheart quieted and waited for Sombra’s response. His typical, polite “You’re very welcome,” or maybe a “Don’t mention it.” When it never came, she looked back up, only to find Sombra standing there with his hoof on his cheek, a dumbfounded expression on his face. “Oh? Why the shocked face? Expecting something a bit more than that? Maybe next time,” Redheart’s shy actions disappeared as abruptly as they had arrived, eyes narrowing into a devious expression, and a sly smile spreading on her face.
“No, not at all. Honestly that was more than I was expecting,” Sombra shook his head as if he were trying to dispel a daydream, and replied with a grin.
“Another Crystal Empire tradition?”
“No, just a pleasant surprise is all.”
Redheart exhaled sharply out of her nose in that little puff of laughter she was so prone to, and turned to the door, pausing when she put her hoof against it. What on earth…
… the touch! You’ve got the powaaah! When all hell’s breakin’ loose, you’ll be ridin’ the eye of the stoooorm!