//------------------------------// // Back in the Diner // Story: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic -- Off The Record // by The King of Hearts //------------------------------// //// Back in the Diner //// Two hours had passed since the four of them had sat down in the restaurant for dinner, and collectively talked through Equestria in all of its finest details, specifically covering the events of the past few years. Twilight had truly been meticulous as she explained every event that she and her friends had participated in, and had done an amazing job answering all of Chet’s questions. She was essentially an ambassador from Equestria, and needed to make sure that her home was properly represented in this world, even if one person was her entire audience. “And, following their expedition, Alex and Dash here reunited Princess Luna- the Princess of the night, with her long lost granddaughter.” Twilight said, having not made a terrible amount of progress due to her attention to detail, “Equestrian royalty is forever indebted to these two because of those actions.” At this point, Chet had more or less come to terms with everything they were saying. Sure, he had believed Alex after he shot a bolt of lightning out of his arm, but a brain isn’t always capable of simply accepting something it thought was previously impossible. Every ounce of his being was calling ‘bullshit,’ but his nephew had been serious, and sincere enough to truly give him pause on those assumptions. “So, you found the granddaughter of Luna, who is the sister of Celestia, and originally… That nightmare horse?” Chet asked, squinting one eye and looking upward, trying his very best not to roll his eyes, “And because she’s immortal, she’s been around for more than a thousand years, therefor… is able to meet her own granddaughter.” “Right,” Alex nodded, shocked that Chet wasn’t being more of a… Dax about it, “Oh, and this might interest you! That was the first time Colors and I really went at each other—“ “Are you serious?!” She cut in, silencing him and eliciting a fearful expression from her fiancé, “You’re going to tell him about the first time we had sex?” Alex looked awkwardly around the table as Chet gave him two thumbs up, along with a nod of approval. “Well… I was gonna say, that it was the first time we went at each other…” Alex coughed, as she gave him the same disapproving stare, “But when I said that we, ‘went at it,’ all I meant was that we had a fight. Remember the sexy mare room? You called me a liar about not wanting to sleep in it?” “Oh… Well, we had just watched Bolt die! I was a wreck!” Dash defended, vividly remembering the sickness she felt for the weeks following, and the slight dependency that had developed when it came to not sleeping alone, “But, I guess now that it’s out there, yeah. That was our first time.” “Well, I’m very glad we all got to hear that,” Twilight rolled her eyes, “Moving on…” Chet shook his head, taking a sip of the further melted ice in his cup, “I have a question!” “Sure. Ask away.” Twilight said professionally, folding her hands and curling her fingers. “What was Dax all about?” Chet asked, giving then a curious look, “I mean, I got the gist. But what was he all about?” “I already explained that to you!” Alex complained, “Were you not listening?” “You said he was ‘bad you!’” Chet complained, “I need someone smart to tell me.” Alex really couldn’t argue with him. “Well, when we first met him, we assumed he was a bad pony,” Twilight spoke up, “He ruined my house a couple of times, disabled magic in the Wonderbolts stadium…” “The first flash of ‘good’ was when he saved Luna’s baby,” Alex said quietly, looking to Dash as she returned the same expression she had just a moment ago, “Really, after all was said and done, he was just me, with no filter on his actions.” “What kind of filter are you talking about?” Chet asked. “Like, if he were here right now, he would probably be talking about his giant horse penis, the time he saved the world by being stabbed, and that he would love to have a three-way with these two girls here.” Alex said, pointing to Dash and Twilight, “And would probably add my ex to the mix as well.” Both Twilight and Dash gave Alex a sour look. “But… You’re Dax!” Dash said. “If that’s what Dax would say, then that’s what you secretly want!” Twilight accusead. “I-It was just an example!” Alex stammered, trying his best to keep his liar face from appearing, “It wasn’t true!” “But the other stuff you said was true.” Dash pointed out, shaking her head at his flawed logic. Alex pursed his lips and hung his head down. “Dammit.” “Every guy thinks that way,” Chet laughed, having had this conversation many times in his life, “It’s not his fault. He’s just wired that way.” Both girls gave Alex a narrow gaze, before returning to their happy demeanor rather suddenly. “Well, moving on!” Dash said, pushing the anger to the back of her head, saving it for later, “Where were we?” “Fall of the night?” Chet asked. “Right!” Twilight nodded, “Let me see.” “That’s when you met my parents!” Dash spoke up, remembering the trip fondly, “My mom is still always asking to see you!” Alex chewed his nail, fighting the urge to make the joke. However, he lost the battle to Dax. “Maybe get your mom in on the three-way.” And then the smack happened. //// Courtney stood behind the kitchen door, peering through the glass so she could spy on the group at the opposite side of the restaurant. With her in the kitchen was the cook, Justin. A fairly good looking guy that was about six feet tall, shaggy brown hair, and a beard that always seemed to be just a few days old. Courtney had found herself thinking about him in a few too many times for her to simply consider him friend material, but nothing had ever happened between the two of them, aside for some sarcastic insults, and largely nonexistent animosity they would often show toward one another. “Who is that guy again?” The cook asked, sitting in a chair with his legs kicked up, “Maybe you should take their order or something.” “I haven’t taken it for an hour!” She hissed, looking over her shoulder momentarily to glare at him, “No way I’m going out there now… Or maybe I should.” “He’s your ex-boyfriend, right?” He prodded, standing up and looking over her head at the table, “Is that his new girlfriend?” “Yes…” Courtney mumbled, “I broke up with him the night his parents died, and then he vanished for three flippin’ months. But, when he finally came back, he had that chick with him. I would have been back with him within two weeks.” “Rainbow hair… weird.” He said, ignoring her and tilting his head, “I’ll bet she’s kinky.” “Oh, shut it, Justin.” She said, backing up quickly, pushing him away from the window, “Just let me wallow in peace. I deserve it for ditching him.” “That’s a very mature way to look at it.” Justin laughed, walking back to his chair, and dropping himself in to it. “I wouldn’t say mature,” She answered, watching with contempt as Dash laid her head on Alex’s shoulder, “I’m still wishing she’d get hit by a bus.” “So you could hook up with him again?” He asked, opening his newspaper, “Jesus. Remind me to never date you.” A moment of silence followed, before Courtney spoke up. “I should go out there and talk to her.” Courtney said, nodding to herself slowly, “Maybe see if I have a chance to get back together with him.” “That is the last thing you should do.” Justin warned, “I can’t believe you’re so hung up on him! You just want what you can’t have.” “I felt like an idiot two weeks after breaking up with him. I thought I had gotten over it, but every time I see him, I just lose my mind! It drives me nuts…” She responded, not taking her eyes off of them, “I just need to go out there, and chat him up!” “Don’t do it!” Justin said, looking over his newspaper. She tapped her foot on the floor rapidly as she considered her possible plans of confrontation. And, without another word, she opened the door, and headed toward the table. Justin winced as she headed out of the kitchen. He knew this was going to be ugly. And he knew that she should probably have someone stop her before she makes an ass of herself… But, there was no one around to stop her. So, he’d just have to watch from the window. //// “And then he just beat the crap out the guy!” Dash laughed, “That was another time Dax showed us that he wasn’t such a bad guy.” Courtney confidently walked to the table, her chest pointed forward, and her smile confident. “So what can I get you guys?” She interrupted, as the four people sitting at the table looked to her awkwardly. “Uh…” They all said in an extremely well done synchronization. “Well, while you’re all thinking, I figured I’d catch up with you, Alex!” She said with a sickly smile, as she pulled a chair from the table behind her, and sat down with them, “What’s new?” Alex looked nervously around the table as his friends gave him an equally puzzled look back to him. Alex coughed, not wanting to be rude, whilst also wanting to be incredibly rude. It only took him a moment to find the perfect middle ground. “Oh!” She said, his awkward expression fading, as it was replaced with genuine excitement, “We got engaged!” Everyone at the table saw the noticeable eye-twitch come from the girl. “Well…” She said slowly, an uncomfortably large smile growing on her face, “I’m… so… happy for you!” Not one person in the restaurant believed her. “Well, thanks for stopping by!” She said, suddenly standing up, her large smile still plastered on her face, “We’re closed!” “But… It’s only nine—“ “Yup!” She said quickly, nodding, “Holiday hours and all!” “Well, thanks a lot sweetheart.” Chet said, coughing awkwardly, while eyeing his companions with a small smirk, as a small surge of pride welled up within him for Alex, “We’ll take off.” They all stood up, and started heading for the entrance, with the exception of Dash, who leaned against the pillar next to the table with a small smile on her face. Alex looked over his shoulder and gulped loudly. Whatever Dash was doing, it could end terribly. “You might think I’m a bitch for it,” Dash began, as the girl stared directly in to her eyes, “But I really do owe you for breaking up with him… Without him I’d be living a completely different life.” Courtney said nothing, unsure if she should be seething, or smiling at Dash’s comment. Looking past her shoulder, Dash spied a fit man staring through the window leading to the kitchen. “Why not go for him?” Dash whispered, “I could be wrong, but he’s staring at your rump.” Courtney shot a glare back to the kitchen, as Justin quickly ducked behind cover. “I don’t want there to be any bad blood between us,” Dash said softly, “Because I’m going to be around here a lot, and I really think it would spiral out of control really fast.” When Courtney looked back to Dash, she revealed a much sadder expression than the one she had just a moment ago, “Please go.” Dash didn’t say anything. She simply walked over, and joined her friends, and left the restaurant. Courtney stood in silence for a few moments, before she heard the kitchen door swing open, and had Justin join her. “I thought things would be worse.” He laughed, before seeing the tear running down her cheek, “You okay?” “Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but I always imagined that I’d end up with him,” She said quietly, as Justin raised his eyebrows at the sudden confiding she was doing in him, “I romanticized some kind of improbable future in my head. It just hurts to look at the truth is all.” “Well… why don’t we close this place down and go get wasted at Bob’s?” Justin asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders in a friendly gesture, “Maybe we can find you some other guy to fall in love with. Make you forget all about him in the arms of some drunk guy at the bar.” “You mean you’re not asking me out right now?” She asked, wiping her tear from her cheek and clearing her throat. Justin opened his mouth to give a sarcastic remark, before he stopped himself, and thought for a second. “Jesus,” She muttered, walking over to the door and flipping the ‘open sign’ around, to show ‘closed.’ “Go clean your shit while I make sure we’re even on the cash. We can be out of here in ten minutes.” “Good thing your dad owns this place,” Justin said, walking back in to the kitchen, “Its great being able to close down whenever you want.” “Just don’t tell him it was to go to a bar together,” She called, making sure she was heard across the restaurant, “He’ll kick your ass for that one.” “And what if he finds out the cook is dating his daughter?” He called back, figuring he already knew the response he would be given. “Who said we’re going to end up dating?” She asked, stifling enough laughter to make him feel bad about himself, “I’m just using you to get over Alex!” “Oh, well that’s—“ “But, you know, if something deeper were to happen between us… well, maybe you should have another job lined up. Just in case.” She said suddenly, yet softly. Justin only smiled and nodded, despite the fact that she couldn’t see him. She’d been hung up on Alex so long that he figured she was a lost cause. But, whatever she said to his new girlfriend must have been pretty huge if she was insisting on going out with him tonight. He’d have to give her a high-five next time he saw her. ////