Canterlot. The capital city of the Kingdom of Equestria. The city was mostly known for its stunning architecture and its unmistakable silhouette on the side of Canterlot Mountain. But on this night all eyes were on Canterlot Castle, the home of Princess Celestia herself. Magical fireworks of every color of the rainbow danced in the sky as the front gates opened themselves to the hundreds of ponies that were lucky enough to be invited to the most anticipated event of the year: The Grand Galloping Gala.
The castle was a glowing beacon. The district surrounding the castle, which was home to the lavish estates of the nobility and the rich, was completely dark save for the street lamps. All the Canterlot Elites were in attendance at the Gala, leaving all the buildings bare. Save for one. Sitting on the corner of Celestia Avenue and Harmony Street was a small diner. Large panel windows that rounded the corner lot pierced the darkness with their inviting yellow glow. Above the entrance, the flickering glow of red letters that read ‘Joe’s Double-O Donuts.’
From inside the diner, Donut Joe, the proprietor, stared out into the darkness from behind his polished wood counter top. He could faintly hear the rumblings of the fireworks over the smooth jazz of the old fashioned jukebox that sat in the corner of the room. He exhaled hard and glanced down at the rubbish bin beneath the counter. Sitting atop the discarded straw wrappers and dirty napkins was a golden ticket, ripped in two.
He glanced back out the window across the diner. All he could see beyond was darkness. Ironically if there were a pony out there, they’d be able to see and watch him just fine. Fishbowl effect they called it. His skin crawled at the thought. He knew his mind would be distracted by the idea all night. His initial instinct was to use his levitation magic to close the blinds. Prevent them from having the advantage. But then he caught himself before his horn could glow. Damn it all he was doing it again. He reminded himself that he needed those blinds open to attract the customers.
But what customers? Anypony crazy enough to be out this late at night would most certainly be at that stupid Gala. Rubbing elbows and pretending to give a damn about somepony else’s meaningless, haughty dribble. No thanks. No, tonight would be a long night of loneliness. And perhaps, Joe thought to himself, that was for the best.
He heavily considered just saying to hell with it and close down the shop early. Go home and finish off the lousy day with a nice slice of apple pie. But Joe couldn’t bring himself to do that. Not while there was a single customer in the shop. Which there was, just a single customer.
A small, purple Baby Dragon leaned against the counter top on his elbows. In front of him on a small white plate were the remains of what had been his sixth donut. Poor kid. His eyes were bloodshot from tears. He had seen this before-- several ponies walking in to wallow in their own self pity with comforting food. The Dragon met his hurt gaze with Joe’s and Joe realized he had been staring. His eyes immediately darted away but it was too late.
“Hey, Pony Joe. Another donut.” The young Dragon’s voice lacked any semblance of life.
Joe wondered what the kid had gone through. No doubt the Gala was somehow involved. Why else would a Baby Dragon be in the middle of Canterlot this late at night? He frowned at the Dragon, more in pity than concern. He wasn’t even bothered by the fact that he got his name wrong. Being an easy target for angry customers came with the job. Life had made him thick skinned. Such trivial things weren’t worth the effort to give the time of day.
“Don’t you think you’ve had enough.” Joe realized that the response was probably more irritable than intended. He just wanted the day to be over already.
“Another Donut!” The Dragon slammed his fist on the counter which rattled his plate. “Extra sprinkles!”
Joe sighed heavily and slowly trotted towards his oven. He adjusted the paper hat which sat atop his messy, unkempt, brown mane. He had stopped trying to tame his split ends months ago. Between the heat of the oven and the paper hat, he convinced himself it was a losing battle. None of the customers seemed to care so why should he? His scruffy mane mostly concealed his horn. It was smaller and plumper than most stallion’s but it got the job done. His horn levitated with an emerald green light which Joe used to open the oven. Once again the room was filled with the smell of freshly baked bread. Joe deeply breathed in his favorite smell. He would never get tired of it. Even on a night like this, that smell was all it took to remind him why it was all worth it. He levitated the scalding sheet of piping hot donuts out of the oven and placed them on the cooling tray. He stared at the batch thinking about how most of them wouldn’t likely be eaten tonight. Such an unfortunate waste. Well Joe was getting hungry.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sharp chirp of a bell. Joe turned around in surprise. That bell which hung above his door rang so many times a day that he couldn’t even hear it anymore. But this time was different. The last thing he expected was another patron. Those damn black windows.
He recognized the pony that entered. She was a purple Unicorn Mare, just slightly younger than Joe. She was extremely pretty. Easily one of the prettiest mares he had ever met and now even more so with what she was wearing. She was in an expensive looking blue dress decorated with a star motif. The Gala couldn’t possibly be over already. No something else must have happened. He realized that her dress had seen better days. It was tattered and ripped in several places. She didn’t look as emotionally distraught as one would expect. Disappointed maybe, but no worse for wear. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been a waste to go after all.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Joe called out to the filly, “Long time no see!”
Twilight ignored Joe. That was fine. She probably didn’t remember him. It had been several years since they last saw each other and Joe was a different pony back then. Joe smiled as he thought back to those days. He remembered that Twilight used to live in Canterlot until she moved away about two years ago. From what Joe was told, she moved to the New Lunar Republic. That Baby Dragon, Spike, had always been her one and only friend. It pained him to see her still alone after all this time. That girl desperately needed friends. That’s the advice he remembered giving her until… No, he thought. Best not to think about the past.
At Joe’s call, Spike immediately turned around in his stool. The little guy’s eyes lit up with renewed vigor. He hopped of the stool and ran over to her, arms outstretched for a hug.
“How was the Gala? How was your best night ever?”
Joe couldn’t help but chuckle. Judging from that dress it must have been the worst night ever. Twilight didn’t respond. She just hugged Spike tightly and led him out the door. Pity. He had hoped she’d order a donut. Catch up on old times. The bell rang again, ushering in the silence.
Joe was alone once again. He continued to stare out those fishbowl windows. His only company was the sound of jazz. What kind of music were they playing there? Probably nothing more than a somber cellist. He imagined the beautiful cellist on stage, having the perfect overview of the ballroom. She could see all the guests. Eyeballing each one carefully. None of them would be aware that her associates have hidden themselves amongst the crowd. Eagerly waiting for her to hit that one note that would be the signal. A high F sharp, most likely. A pony approaches Twilight Sparkle to distract her while another drops some powder into Celestia’s fruit punch.
Joe blinked himself awake. His heart was racing. Some sweat had poured down his neck and into his favorite white collared shirt. Yes, it was best that he didn’t go.
As Joe stood in the silence of his donut shop, it became apparent that he was unlikely to get anymore customers. He started his routine to close up shop as he always had. Wipe the countertops, clean the dishes, preserve the leftover donuts, always in that order. It was a force of habit. Joe figured it was something he picked up from an old friend.
Just as Joe was wiping his third table, his bell rang out once again. At first it didn’t register. Like whenever you think somepony calls out your name in a crowd. A delusion not worth entertaining. But as the last echoing ting tickled his ear, Joe realized he was not mistaken. He turned around from his routine and saw the pony that now stood in front of the glass door.She stood there demurely. Her legs were just slightly crossed and her eyes pointed towards the ground. She stood as if trying to look invisible amongst a non-existent crowd. Trying not to draw attention to herself. But for a mare this beautiful that would always be impossible. Oh was she beautiful. She was a mare with a deep, dark red coat and a blue-black mane that fell in front of her face, drawing attention to her ice-blue eyes. Her tail was styled in a wave that danced a little when she flicked it. She wore a pearl white dress expertly tailored to show off just the right amount of leg and flank. She looked up from the floor and stared straight at Joe. as soon as those icy eyes met with his, he felt their overpowering chill. A sting up his back that tickled and burned all at the same time. He stared into her eyes intently, wanting his entire body to be encased in her ice. But the eyes didn’t let him. The way she looked at him was tired and distant. Joe forced a smiled and motioned for her to take the seat that had previously belonged to the Baby Dragon.
“Welcome to Joe’s Double-O Donuts!” He said with rehearsed sincerity. When she sat down, her eyes merely drifted to the side. Joe had seen this type of filly before. they type that were too hot for their own good. Naturally every stallion would want a flicker of that fire. And so she encased the flame in a wall of ice. A defense mechanism to keep the suitors away.
“I take it you’re new in town.” He said to keep the topic lighthearted, “You know I never forget a face. ‘Specially one as pretty as yours.”
She turned her head slightly and once again locked Joe in her icy stare. Her silent smile had not moved an inch since entering the shop. He thought at first she was going to say something. Perhaps chastise him for his remarks or maybe, even, better flirt back. Instead she just sat there and looked. Looked at him with that face that angelically hot and devilishly cold all at the same time.
“So,” Joe continued, “you here for the Gala, I take it? I bet a Unicorn as pretty as you turned all kinds of heads, amiright? I bet you’d even get the Princess’ attention.” He gave a short but strong chuckle. Apparently the mare didn’t find the joke funny. But here eyebrows did flicker slightly, he noticed. A pique of curiosity. A silent signal that meant ‘fine, I’ll bite. Let’s see where you’re going with this.’
“I had to leave.” Oh did her voice make Joe melt. It was a lower register than he expected. an elongated droll that was still rich and full of life, like melted dark chocolate. Her voice captured his ears just as easily as her gaze captured his eyes. “The Canterlot elite are a little too stuck up for my states. I prefer an atmosphere that’s a little… darker.”
Her eyes squinted as she stared at Joe and her mouth curved into something resembling a smile. The icy stare and the fiery voice finally collided as beads of sweat accumulated behind Joe’s ears. Right when he was on the verge of losing himself to her looks, she turned away. She continued to stare blankly at the wall with an emotionless expression. The sudden change of tone and loss of eye contact felt like bandage being ripped off.
“Not to mention,” she continued, “the ballroom was overrun with wild animals.”
She said the words with vacant disinterest. Her eyes studied Joe like those of a theatre critic. Anicipating. Expecting. He knew she was waiting to see how he’d react. To throw him off his game and to see the real him. Classic interrogation tactic. One he wouldn’t fall for so easily.
“Sounds like one heck of a party.” Joe said. He kept his voice jovial. Playing the part of a simple baker who would say anything to sell a donut. Which, he had to remind himself, was exactly what he was. “Still not the kind of place for an ugly mug like mine.”
She stifled a giggle behind her almost grin. He broke the ice, if only for a little. The point was his. And Joe was telling the truth, he supposed, to an extent. His short brown mane was messy and uncontrollable. His muzzle was far too rounded and he had amassed an impressive girth from eating too many donuts over the past year. His cream colored coat and brown mane surely weren’t the most eye catching of palettes and the bright pink donut that adorned his flank clashed horribly with his emerald green eyes. On all accords he was invisible in most crowds. A mere background pony, nothing more. And in most cases that had suited Joe just fine.
“I don’t know,” said the mare whose eyes were now fixated on Joe in a less condescending, more studious way. She measured Joe up and down with her icy stare. He was fully aware of what parts of his body she lingered on, and he made no attempts at trying to hide anything. “I think you’d be rather cute if you cleaned yourself up a bit.
“Well ain’t you a charmer?” Joe smiled appreciatively. He was starting to enjoy the game. It was a game he had always enjoy playing in the past. he turned to the side and trotted over to the tray where the donuts had finished cooling. the ball was in his court. “Here, have a bear claw on the house!”
The free donut. It was always the killing blow. He placed the piping hot donut plate in front of her and while Joe could tell that she wanted to pretend she didn’t want it, he noticed her swallow a gulp of saliva. She looked up at his again. The frozen armor around her had been chipped away significantly. He could now look into her eyes and see her true fragility. Like glass or porcelain teetering on the edge. Except this doll was already cracked. Wounds most likely caused by those who did not handle her with the delicacy that she deserved.
Her eyes were impossibly light blue-- almost white. They glistened more than most eyes. The type of eyes that were used to crying. Her eyes were still fixated on Joe, but they were different. They were no longer distant, but studious and inquinsical. Her lips curled into a smile. Her eyelids dimpled demurely. Joe had seen the smile before. It was a false smile. Trying to make it as cute as possible. She hadn’t even touched her donut. Most mares after a rough night would have devoured five of them by now. No, this filly didn’t come in here for comfort food. This mare longed for companionship. And who was Joe to deny her?
“Feel free to stay as long as you like.” Joe took out a damp rag and wiped down a section of the counter. The counter was already plenty clean, but the filly needed to feel comfortable. Welcomed. “I’ll keep the place open for ya. I’d enjoy the company tonight”
She held her head with her hoof as she slightly turned her body to the side. Yet still her eyes remained fixated on her prize. “Is that what you tell all the pretty mares that come in around closing?” Joe could see the chess game playing out in her head, and he was determined to stay two moves ahead. He continued to scrub the counter, not letting an inkling of hurt or damn flicker on his face, curious as to how far she’d go.
She continued, “I’ve dealt with ponies like you before. The kind that like to hover over me in casinos. And I can tell you, they’re not looking at my cards. So it’ll take more than a cute green and a twinkling eye to curry favor with me.”
She looked pleased with herself. A flash of confidence emboldened her smile. She won and she knew it. She knew her opponents’ next move and anticipated the satisfaction of seeing this stallion hurt and heartbroken.
Only he wasn’t. Joe stared out the fishbowl black window, seeing nothing. His expression was vacant and listless. In his mind, no longer was he behind the counter of the donut shop. The sound of smooth jazz was replaced with the neverending razzle dazzle of bits and slots. Instead of the smell of freshly baked donuts, the air was filled with a thick cloud of cigar smoke.
Joe sat straight across from the dealer, his eyes down low as he deals the cards. To Joe’s right, that mare he found was staying in the hotel room next door. A knife is hidden under her skirt, awaiting the orders of the elderly griffon across the hall. Joe peers at his cards. The 2 of Clubs. It’s the card that was agreed upon by his contact before the game. The plan is a go. The mare calls for another card and busts. Just the excuse she needs to reach down to her ‘purse’ to grab more bits. Joe can see the tip of the sheath beneath her lifting skirt in the corner of his eye. The time to act is now. But before he can make his move, Joe’s foreleg is squeezed hard by another hoof. He looks up into the eyes of the dealer. His eyes are filled with concern as he speaks with a disturbingly female voice.
“Are you alright?”
Joe blinked himself back to reality. Back in the donut shop with the jazz and the mysteriously mare across the counter. Her face was pale and confused. Joe mentally kicked himself allowing it to happen again. Joe glanced over at the jazz belting jukebox in the corner and concentrated on the smooth music. Those days are over, he told himself.
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He assured the mare, trying not to let his voice sound empty, “Just thinking about the past is all.
The mare leaned on the counter. “The past, huh? Nothing too sordid, I hope?”
Joe turned his back on the counter and focused his attention on cleaning a sufficiently clean baking sheet. “Don’t get your hopes up, kid. Whatcha see is whatcha get. I’m just a baker. Spending my time here making donuts day in and day out.”
“Oh it can’t be all that bad.” She spoke in a familiar tone, “There must be some excitement in your life. You know, I’d wager that you’re actually a lot more interesting of a pony than you let on.”
He turned back to look at her. She was smiling again, and this time it was more genuine. There was something infectiously charming about it, and he couldn’t help but smile back. He could tell that she was becoming sincerely invested in the conversation. The ice of her eyes were melting away to reveal more of that inner warmth. She had even started eating her donut at one point and was nearly through with it.
“You certainly know how to cheer up an old schmuck.” Joe said with a slight chuckle. He bent down and grabbed the last donut in the display case and placed it in front of the mare. “Here, have another freebie. Jelly filled.”
Now it was the mare’s turn to laugh. It was a laugh of surrender. The kind one makes when they realize how ridiculous of a situation they are in an are forced to accept the fact that they can’t do anything about it. Or they don’t want to.
“You really know a way to a filly’s heart. Are donuts the best you can do?”
“It usually does the trick, yes.”
“Well, I might as well humour you then.”
“I admire your persistance, Miss…”
“Velvet. Red Velvet.” Red Velvet picked up her fresh donut and took a bite, not taking her eyes away from Joe. A little glob of red jelly stuck to the side of her mouth. “I admire your determination, Mister…”
“Joe. Donut Joe.” He picked up a donut of his own-- chocolate frosting with sprinkles-- and held it out towards Miss Velvet. The two of them touched their treats together and simultaneously took a bite. It was a fantastic donut, its chocolate flavor complemented by the sweet victory Joe had achieved in the game against Red Velvet.
However, the bliss was short lived. The bell hanging over the shop door rang again. Joe’s senses spiked at the surprise. It was well past midnight. Normally the shop would be closed. He once against cursed the pitch black fishbowls that were his windows. His foreleg twitched with the reflex to grab the nearest anything. a knife ideally, or even a baking sheet. But he was able to fight the impulsive urge and focused on the pon who entered the shop.
Red Velvet had also jumped at the surprise and wheeled around on her stool.
The stallion who entered was a Pegasus, his coat blanche white with a cobalt mane, magically altered by the golden plated armor he wore around his torso and hooves. Joe’s breathing intensified. He could feel the blood rushing to his vital muscles. He stared emotionlessly at the Royal Guard whose expression was as stoic as any other.
“Sorry,” Joe said in a gruff, steady tone, “But I was just closing up. Come back tomorrow and I’ll have a fresh batch of donuts hot and ready to eat.”
“I didn’t come here for donuts.” the guard said, “I’m here for Con Mane.”
The sound of that name seared the inside of Joe’s ears. He clenched his jaw until it hurt as he squinted his eyes and furrowed his brow. Joe and the guard glared at each other with a stern intensity. The tension that boiled between the stallions was so thick and fiery that Velvet instinctively got out of her seat and backed away out of their lines of sight.
“Never heard of him.” Joe replied kindling ire. The stallion was unfazed. He continued to stare straight at Joe with stoic determination.
“In that case I’ll have a glazed donut. Hold the glaze.”
“Hold the glaze?”
“Hold the glaze.”
In the corner of his eye, Joe could see Velvet standing near the jukebox, overcome with confusion and nervousness. the music itself had become inaudible, drowned out by the pounding anger within Joe’s mind.
“Well,” Joe said, “ sorry to tell you but I’m fresh out. I don’t do that sort of thing no more.”
The Guard’s expression didn’t change. He continued to stand tall with that condescending sense of superiority that only served to fuel Joe’s frustration.
“I think you might want to reconsider.” Said the guard, “This is a special order from Princess Celestia herself.”
Joe snorted hard. He was longer making any attempts to hide his rage.“I should have known.” He trotted out from behind the counter and continued to stare down the guard as he approached him with heavy steps until they were muzzle to muzzle. Although Joe was not as tall as the Pegasus, his sheer girth matched the soldier pound for imposing pound. “I was under the impression that she didn’t like my baking no more.”
“She happens to think that you’re the best and the only one who can do it.”
“I’m flattered.” Joe shrugged off the guard’s insulting tone. “But she wants me that badly, she should get her cake lovin’ plot down here and ask me personally! As of right now I don’t give a damn about her opinions, and I certainly don’t give a damn about some self-important proxy, so I highly suggest that you GET OUT OF MY STORE!!”
Joe’s urge to buck the stallion in the face was interrupted by a sudden, high pitched squeal from the jukebox. Joe looked over to the poor filly who was up against the far wall, stricken with fear. Joe concentrated his mind on his pounding heart and quickened breath that he was taught to years ago. With a few deep breaths He calmed the storm in his mind. He turned back to the guard, His face still contorted his anger. The guard didn’t seemed to be taking aback at all. Still with an air of calm, he turned around and trotted back towards the door.
“We’ll be expecting you at the normal delivery spot. I look forward to seeing you there.”
With another ring of the bell, the guard disappeared into the blackened streets of Canterlot. The thick boiling atmosphere was almost immediately mellowed down by the dulcet tones of a saxophone. Joe turned to Red Velvet. She awkwardly and cautiously walked back towards Joe. He breathed himself back into a state of solace.
“What was all that about?” Velvet asked once she had found her voice.
Joe turned and looked back out the fishbowl windows. “Just an old life coming back to haunt me.” His voice was sour and shallow. He imagined the soldier still standing outside. Gleefully watching Joe writhe with hatred, knowing Joe couldn’t look back. He could feel his blood begin to pump once again and so he swiftly turned away from the window back towards the counter. “But I’ve walked away from all that.”
Velvet approached Joe and wrapped a hoof around his shoulder. At first his muscles tensed at the sudden, unwelcome touch, but he soon relaxed. Her touch was delicate and soft. Despite her lithe frame, her body was surprisingly warm. It was a comforting warmth that new just how to console him.
“It sounds like Princess Celestia wants you to bake something for her, right? You can’t turn her down.”
Joe turned, ripping himself from her embrace, an looked into her eyes with a furrowed brow. He once again found himself trapped in their icy blue. The chill crawled through his body and sedated his temper. He could see her cold, damages pupils once again shimmer with the familiar glaze of tears. He was tempted to allow himself to be completely taken by those eyes and allow her gaze to break through his defenses. But then he shut his eyes tight and turned away from her.
“Watch me!”
Joe took his place back behind the counter. His mind once again raced with fury. He distanced himself from everything around him. He scrubbed down the already wiped countertop yet again with vigorous anger. All of the pain and betrayal and lies and grief came flooding back to him. His vision reddened and revealed a stain on the counter. He tried to wipe it away but it merely smeared. He wiped it again only for it to grow bigger and darker. He wiped and wiped faster and faster at the black stain but with every wipe it only grow bigger and darker, taunting him, mocking him. Snarling with rage he scrubbed the spot with increasing intensity until a deep red hoof grabbed his hoof and held it in place. He looked up to see Velvet standing next to him again.
He saw himself reflected in the gloss of her eyes. He could see it reflected on Velvet as well. A pain and torment that emanated from the body like a dark aura. For the first time that night she looked at him with a genuine connection. She no longer looked like a stranger, but like an old friend he hadn’t seen in years.
Velvet leaned in and brushed her cheek against his. Their faces slided against each other until their lips met and melted into a kiss. Joe allowed the moment to happen. His burning rage and her icy demeanor melted together to form a comfortable flow of intimacy.
“Joe,” she whispered into his ear as she hugged him lightly, “If you do this, I’ll make sure to come and drop by here more often.”
The two ponies separated but still stood very close to one another. Joe was till mere inches away from the deep red face of the daring mare. Her once ice cold eyes had grown warm and she smiled gently. Joe couldn’t help but to smile back. They stared at each other until they were both satisfied.
“I guess I’d better lock up.” Joe finally broke the beautiful silence.
Red Velvet lifted her head proudly, quickly whipped around and started to head towards the exit. As she meandered towards the door, she lifted her tail high into the air as a sign of victory and confidence.
“We’ll have to continue our conversation later, then.” She said playfully, “Oh well.” She slowly turned her head and gave Joe one final mysterious stare. “Just when things were getting interesting again.”
“Tomorrow morning, then.” Joe said as he casually wiped the sweat off the back of his neck. “Good night, Miss Velvet.”
“Good night, Donut Joe.”
And with that, the mysterious mare walked out of Joe’s Double-O Donuts, leaving Joe behind to lock up.