"Sorry," the dashing red stallion said, his deep voice like music to Tealove's ears, and as she watched his blonde mane fly, she stuttered for words, for an 'it's alright,' but the sentence wouldn't come out. And that's when it happened. She felt a jerk deep in her gut, making her nauseous for only a second, then she was once again swept into the whirlwind of moments that made no sense, but sent tingles up her spine because of the firm hoof still wrapped around her-
"Excuse me!"
Suddenly, Tealove was thrust from her thoughts and plopped back beside the half-set table in her store, Tealove's Tea Room. She quickly shook herself then turned to face a customer that she hadn't noticed had come in.
"Sorry, not trying to be a bother," the business stallion said as he pushed his glassed farther up the bridge of his muzzle, "but I've come to pick up the order I put in two days ago for a relaxing luncheon in the fields after the ponies finish Summer Wrap-Up. Is it ready?"
(Oh shoot. The luncheon!)
"Um..it will be done by noon!" Tealove stumbled to reply and only after she put on her biggest smile was the stallion satisfied.
"Then I will see you then. Cheerio!"
Once Tealove was in her shop alone, she pretty much toppled to the ground. She only had three hours to make a luncheon for all of Ponyville plus had to move it to the fields! (And not to mention make it look pretty! That's the whole point!)
Tealove knew she needed to get working and knew she shouldn't have let herself sleep in that morning and knew she should have at least offered a hoof during the Summer Wrap-Up duties, but she hadn't. Didn't. And now she out there alone. (Not a hoof at my side. Aren't I so pitiful?)
As Tealove stirred one of five pastry batters in her large, fancy kitchen, she found her busy hooves slowing to a stop, her mind wandering to the night before. To the red stallion she'd ran into. What had happened back there? She'd never felt anything like it, not only the heart swelling sensation, but also how she had seemed to be sucked right out of the real world and into her own world. Or another world. That had never happened before....(focus, girl!)
Twelve dozen tea cakes later (and not to mention the alfalfa sprout sandwich bites, cucumber creams, sweet teas, miniature cupcakes and about a million other things!), Tealove was bulldozing out the door with a full cart of Tea Room cuisines behind her. She dashed down the streets (please don't let the deviled quail eggs get swooshed!), skid around lamp posts, galloped across the bridge, then there she was. And there everypony else was!
"You're late," the business stallion who had placed the order grunted as Tealove stood, frozen and horrified that she had been tardy at the field's edge, "but no worries, dear!" he assured her, "Everypony has been busy playing games and such. I didn't even notice you were late until I checked my pocket watch!"
Tealove forced herself to breath then nodded at the stallion, "I'm..sorry. It will be ready in just a moment, then-"
"But of course I'll have to demand a full refund for your being past time."
"What?!" Tealove cried, but quickly tired to remain calm and not break down, "Um..how about we discuss this later? There are some ponies..staring at us."
"Oh, of course!" the stallion exclaimed with a snort, "Do your thing and I will distract them!"
(Okay Mister let's-help-but-make-her-life-miserable.)
Within minutes, the luncheon was ready and the field looked like a meadow of treats and flowers. Tealove leaned against her cart, exhausted, but proud of her fast work. (Just the right sprinkles on the cupcake, if I do say so myself.)
Tealove smiled as the luncheon's guests began seating themselves, everypony grateful to have a break from their Summer Wrap-Up work, and as she gazed across the sea of manes, she spotted him. Blonde. Red. Apple cutie mark. And then it happened all over again.
Tealove was sucked from the present, but instead of flying off to moments that made no sense, she found herself gazing down at a dark castle kept together by sappy green goo. And it was a castle she knew all too well-the palace of Queen Chrysalis.
That's where her mom had died-where she'd been murdered. Where Queen Chrysalis had given Tealove the most unforgettable birthday present of her life. The place where Tealove had been foalnapped, where her parents had burst in to save her, where her mom had sacrificed herself in exchange for her daughter's freedom. The castle of her nightmares.
Tealove struggled to shake herself from the scene, but the image wouldn't budge, and soon she found herself blurring into the very throne room that she'd been imprisoned in seven years ago. (No! Stop it! Get me out!) In that throne room was none other than the Queen of the Changelings, gazing into a glass sphere filed with green wisps that formed ponies form other places in Equestria-Tealove had seen her use this before. That was how Chrysalis knew her parents were coming to save her, how she knew to send her minions to stop Princess Celestia and Luna from coming in time to defeat her, to save their subjects.
"Oh, the little Coverts," Queen Chrysalis smirk with a throaty laugh, "Thinking they can stop us! And what's this, Celestia? Training your pets to do your bidding? How humorous. Well, think again, Princess, for I will rise and you shall-!"
"Tealove!"
Slightly shaking and with one trickle of cold sweat running down her face, Tealove was jerked out of her thoughts to find herself facing a mare with blue and pink curls and a cutie mark of small candies. Tealove had never seen her before (mostly because I practically never left my Tea Room, but you know) and fumbled to reply to the slightly concerned looking pony (who also somehow knew my name....).
"Uh..I, uh..yah?"
The mare gazed at her form top to bottom then said, "I have a letter for you," and from her saddle bag produced a cylinder container big enough to hold three scrolls and was sealed with the Royal symbol of the meshed Celestial Sun and Lunar Moon. Written across the container were the words 'Addressed to Miss Tealove Van Clovers, Ponyville. Received from Canterlot, Princesses Luna and Celestia. Important. Speed Mail. Reply at once'.
Tealove took the parcel with her hoof, "Um..t-thank you, Miss.."
"Just Bon-Bon," the mare corrected then took a second helping of mini bunt cakes from Tealove's cart and whispered, "Open it when you're alone. When you're sure you're alone," and then she left, trotted off, all smiles and cakes, as if nothing at all had happened.
Tealove stared until Bon-Bon disappeared into the crowd.
(What was that all about? And why the hay do the Two Sisters care about contacting me? I'm surprised they even know my name, but....more like, what was...what I saw? With Queen Chrysalis? And why?)