//------------------------------//
// Part 2 
// Story: Silver Bells 
// by Kegisak 
//------------------------------//


Part 2


        The sun had long since set, and the sky was black as pitch, but the square before them was as bright as day. Enormous statues of thespian figures were wreathed in lights of soft, warm yellow, lampposts lined the walkways and were hung with glittering Hearth's Warming images, and along every gutter were lines of twinkling red and green bulbs. All of it reflected off the thick, fresh now below and lent a plethora of colours to the scene.
        There were three main buildings laid out in a U-shape, though the abundance of open doors and signs spoke of dozens of shops hidden within them. The buildings along the left and right of the square were long and tall, each with a raised porch that could fit easily a dozen ponies shoulder-to-shoulder. The porches were protected from snow by sturdy stone roofs, which were themselves supported by thick pillars that had been painted with dozens of designs. The porches covered smaller statues, eating areas, benches, outdoor art galleries and even a few ambitious buskers. If a pony had the bright idea to set up shop, it seemed, they were welcomed. Not a pony among them was without customers.
        The center of the square was little different. Just as Silver had said, Food carts were parked everywhere around the square, finding shelter where they could in the lee of statues—though braver and more intrepid cart owners were parked in the open where more ponies could smell their treats. In the cold, clean air, Sweetie Belle could catch a whiff of them even from here.
        The vendors were far from the only attraction, however. On a raised dais, just before the center of the square, a small troupe of ponies was putting on a play of their own. They performed for a crowd of ponies from all walks of life, including those who could surely never afford to see a show in one of the real theatres. Right behind them was a great fountain, its statues and spouts acting as scenery for their show.
        Behind even that, at the very end of the square, was the Maretropolitan Theatre. It stood at the top of a flight of long, broad steps, an imposing work of glass and stone. Enormous archways stretched half a dozen stories high and a dozen feet out from the face of the building. The face itself was comprised entirely of windows of irregular shapes and sizes, slotted into one another like a work of abstract art. Golden light poured out from all the windows save for the center. In the center hung a massive poster with the image of three tall, gentle stallions, and one tiny griffon boy.
        Sweetie Belle gaped in amazement at it all. She wasn't sure where to look first! For just a moment she lost her guilt and her worries in the beauty of it all. She leaned in against Silver. The air around them was cold, but her heart, at least, was warm. “Wow,” she said. “You were right. I've never seen anything like this.”
        Silver smiled wider. She joined Sweetie in looking out over the square for a long while. After a moment she leaned in, planting a kiss on Sweetie's cheek. “It's even more special with you here,” she said.
        Sweetie Belle giggled and blushed. In the depths of her heart anxiety reared its head, but she pushed it down. For now, at least, she was enjoying an evening with her marefriend. The gift could come later. She knew what she would be getting Silver, now. All she needed was to slip away from the group for a few minutes and pick it up. She just needed to keep her eye open for a music store.
        Kelson, Sunlight and Starling arrived behind them. Sunlight sighed happily, blowing out a long trail of misty breath. “It gets more beautiful every year,” he said. His smile widened and he peered over to his wife. “Or, perhaps that's just you,” he said.
        Starling laughed. “You old charmer,” she said.
        “Are you complaining?” Sunlight asked, taking her hoof in his.
        “Not in the least,” Starling replied. She leaned in against him, lowering his face for a kiss.
        “Mom, Daddy!” Silver said. “Gross.”
        “Shush, dear,” Starling replied. “If you can kiss your marefriend, I can kiss my husband.”
        “It's only fair,” Sunlight agreed. “It is Hearth's Warming, after all. A time for Romance.”
        Silver rolled her eyes and made a gagging motion. “Not for your parents!” she said. “Besides, I thought Hearth's Warming was a time for family, not romance.”
        Sunlight shrugged and kissed Starling. “You’ll see, Silver,” he replied. “If you give it long enough, romance becomes family.”
        “We’re twelve, Daddy. I think we have a little while before we have to worry about that.” Silver harrumphed and adjusted her glasses.
        “Which is precisely why you should let us worry about it, for now,” Sunlight said simply. “For a few years yet, at least.”
        Silver seemed to consider this for a moment. She looked at Sweetie Belle and blushed faintly. Sweetie Belle giggled and said, “It does seem fair,” before planting a kiss of her own on Silver.
Silver's blush only deepened, and she fumbled with her glasses for a moment. “W-well,” she said, “F-fine. That doesn't mean I have to be forced to watch my parents make out, though.”
        “Aye, aye,” Kelson cut in. He circled around Sunlight and Starling and patted Silver's back. “I think now'd be a good time fer us to give you two some space, aye? Silver an' I'll give Sweetie the gran' tour of the place, an' you two can have some time to yerselves, aye?”
        “That sounds lovely, Kelson,” Starling said, “thank you.”
        Sunlight pulled out his stopwatch. “We'll meet up again in fifteen minutes, shall we?” he asked. “That will give us plenty of time to have something to eat before the show.”
        Silver nodded energetically. “Okay!” she said. “There's a bunch of cool stuff I wanna show Sweetie!” She barely gave her parents time to say goodbye before she near-dragged Sweetie Belle out into the square.
        “Steady on there, Wee Miss!” Kelson called out as he plodded after them. “Don't pull poor Sweetie's foreleg off, now.”
        “Sorry, Sweetie,” Silver said with a laugh. “I'm just excited.”
        “It's okay,” Sweetie Belle said. “It's no wonder! There must be hundreds of things to do!”
        Silver adjusted her glasses. “Well, I don't know about 'hundreds',” she said.
        Sweetie Belle grinned. “Tens?” she asked.
        “Little bit more,” Silver replied with a smirk. “Dozens, maybe.”
        “Dozens!” Sweetie Belle said, filling her voice with awe—and only a hint of sarcasm. “Dozens of things is still a whole lot!”
        “Well, we'd better get started then,” Silver said. “What do you want to do first? There's art shows, and caricaturists, musicians—I think there might even be a mime—and there's the big play in the center. There's also the statues—they all have a plaque talking about what they are. And there's lots of stores for books and music and art and stuff.”
        Sweetie blinked, and her smile faded from her face. “Um,” she said. “Wow. That really is a lot of stuff.” She laughed and rubbed her neck. “Well... what do you think we should do first?”
        Silver's smirked widened, and she tucked Sweetie close. “I think I have a few ideas,” she said.
        And so, for a time, the evening was good. Silver and Sweetie moved through the square like a dream, fleeting and ethereal. They never stayed at any exhibit for more than a few minutes, flitting from busker to art exhibit to statue for just long enough to see what it was and take it in. There was no time for anything more, but for each place they passed Sweetie Belle imagined spending more time with Silver there. Perhaps another evening they could come back and spend more time there, taking in the sights more fully. Right then, however, and right there, Sweetie was happy. Judging from her warm smile and how far down her nose her glasses slipped, Silver was happy too. The walked foreleg in foreleg, and forgot about time. Fifteen minutes was forever, and tomorrow would never come.
        In the back of her mind, though, Sweetie could not help but keep an eye out. They moved through the square by inches, but there was only so much to cover. With only a few minutes left until they were supposed to meet back with Silver's parents, something caught Sweetie's eye: A record hung in a window. Another look confirmed that it was a music store, but there was no way in from the square. It must have been part of the mini-mall.
        Sweetie slowed her pace. Perhaps there was something she had missed? Some other way in, a door hiding behind a pony. Some way she could get in and out quick, without disrupting their evening together too much. No such luck.
        “Sweetie?” Silver asked. “Is something wrong?” She pushed her glasses up her nose and frowned at Sweetie.
        “N-no,” Sweetie said quickly, waving her hooves. She chewed her lip. “Or... actually, Yeah. I, um...” she shuffled her hooves, wracking her mind. “I-I think I forgot something in the, uh, carriage?” she patted her coat. “Yeah. Kelson?”
        Kelson hummed and rubbed his chin. “Carriage should still be parked around the buildin'. We could run, grab it real quick, be back before you know it. Be back in time to meet up with Silver's parents.”
        “Er,” Sweetie Belle said. “Actually, um...” She looked between Kelson and Silver. Silver's expression was growing concerned, but there was also a glint of something in it. Hope? Excitement? Sweetie Belle could work with that. She waved Kelson closer.
        Kelson hummed and bent down, turning his ear for Sweetie to whisper into. Sweetie leaned in close. “It's a present for Silver,” she said. It wasn't completely a lie, after all.
        “Hmm,” Kelson said as he straightened up. A warm smile crossed his lips, although he forced his face into a more serious expression before he turned to Silver. “Well, Wee Miss,” he said, “She makes a compellin' argument. I'm thinkin' we might have to drop you off with yer Mum and Dad right quick, an' I'll take her to the carriage.”
        Silver tried her best not to grin. “You don't have to,” she said.
        Kelson shook his head and shrugged. “Aye, Wee Miss, I'm afraid I do! Jus' the way of things, ye know.” He laughed and gently patted her back. “C'mon, now. We'll be back a'fore you know it, an' I'm sure you'll be able to hold in the excitement for a while, aye?”
        Silver rolled her eyes. “Okay,” she said. “I guess I can suffer through a few minutes of Mom and Daddy being sappy, too.” She adjusted her glasses and turned to Sweetie. “You didn't have to, you know.”
        Sweetie flushed. She hoped that Silver would think it was simply from embarrassment. “W-well,” she said, “it's Hearth's Warming.” Which is why she should have gotten the gift a long time ago. The guilt returned, and Sweetie had to rub her forelegs to fight down the tightness in her chest. “You deserve it.”
        Silver laughed and rubbed her nose. “I've already got you,” she said. “That's more than I deserve.”
        Sweetie laughed weakly. “You never give yourself enough credit,” she said. Silver deserved a lot better than this.
        Silver's parents were not far away, sat close together on a bench beneath a statue of lovers too old and obscure for Sweetie to recognize. Although they were clearly a bit disappointed to have their own romantic moment ended early, they were perfectly understanding, and Sunlight and Kelson exchanged a glance that spoke of fondly remembered romances passed. Or so Sweetie imagined, at least.
        Kelson led Sweetie back through the square and around the corner. “Now,” he said, tapping his chin. “Iffin' I remember right, the carriage'll be around the left buildin' there. There's a big ol' lot where the drivers all wait by an'... well, we'll be in an' out before you have a chance to worry 'bout that.”
        “A-actually, Kelson,” Sweetie Belle squeaked out. “I don't need to go to the carriage...”
        Kelson slowed and turned back to Sweetie. One eyebrow slowly rose. “No?” he asked. “Found it was still on ye after all?”
        Sweetie Belle lowered her head and looked down. Kelson's hard gaze was doing little to help with her guilt. “N-no,” she said. “I, um...” Kelson's expression was growing harder by the minute. She shuffled her hooves. “I need to go into the mall,” she said.
        “Ye didn't get her a gift.” Kelson said simply. His tone wasn't angry. It wasn't upset. It wasn't anything at all, as though he were speaking about a turn in the weather.
        “I tried!” Sweetie cried. “I really looked, really hard! But I just couldn't think of anything to get her. She has so much already, and her parents and you can get her whatever she wants...” She bowed her head, groaning miserably. “I know it's awful...”
        There was rumbling, so low that at first Sweetie thought it was thunder. She looked up, however, to find Kelson laughing. “I get her a chocolate orange every year,” he said. “Gift don't have to be big, or exactly what she wants, to be special, and Silver's a simple filly to please. Granted, helps her allowance is enough she can buy most of what she wants herself durin' the year.” He placed a hoof on Sweetie's back. “I know yer’ feelin’, but I don’t think she’s wantin’ anythin’ special.”
        “I know,” Silver said. She sighed. “But I want to get her something special. She's my marefriend, and I love her, and I want to surprise her.”
        “Granted,” Kelson said with a shrug. “Still, no matter how special she’s still gonna be disappointed if she can’t spend time with you tonight. Iffin' you have to spend a while in the mall to surprise her, is it really worth it?”
        Sweetie Belle perked up. “I don't need to spend a lot of time!” she said. “I already know what I want to get her.”
        Kelson's eyebrow rose. “But ye didn't before?”
        “I... thought about it on the train,” Sweetie admitted. “My sister gave me some advice. But I saw a record store In the mall! I know exactly what record I want to get her, so we can just run in and come back out, and we'll be back with her before she knows it!” She put on her best, sweetest smile. The smile that turned her parents into mush, and even gave Rarity pause. “Please, Kelson?” she asked. “It'll only take a minute.
        Kelson's expression was like stone. “Yer' almost as good at that as Silver,” he commented dryly. His stone was soft, however, and he shrugged. “Still, I suppose if' ye know what yer' after...” He held up a hoof. “Five minutes, aye? We go in, give ye five minutes to find yer' record, an' then we head back out. Whether or not ye got it.”
        “Right!” Sweetie Belle agreed, nodding. Five minutes was more than enough. She knew exactly what she needed, and exactly where to get it. She'd be surprised if it took even that long. “Five minutes, in and out, no argument! You’re the greatest Kelson, thank you so much!” She threw her forelegs around one of his, giggling with relief.
        “Aye, aye,” said Kelson, who was apparently less resistant to flattery and cheer than he was to puppy-dog eyes. He fluffed his wings and turned away to hide a blush. “Best be getting' on now. I won't start yer' five minutes a'fore we get in the shop, but I don't wanna spend twenty minutes in the mall either. Stick close to me; I know the way to that record shop ye saw.”
        The mall was sparsely populated, to Sweetie's surprise. There were still ponies scattered around—teenagers wasting time, adults making last-minute gift purchases, vagrants and panhandlers looking for a seat out of the cold—but for the most part the halls were empty. It was no surprise, Sweetie realized as she looked around. It was clear that even the ponies in charge of the mall had little interest in it. Decorations were sparse, and what little there was was old and worn. It was a stark contrast from the ostentatious decorations in the square outside. Sweetie Belle smiled, and a bit of Silver's influence shone through. Sunlight really was dedicated to keeping this place exactly the same as it had been when he was young, she thought to herself. They likely hadn’t updated anything in decades.
        In spite of the smattering crowd, Sweetie Belle walked close to Kelson. She had no intention of getting lost, unlikely as it was, and his long legs kept her walking fast. She, like Kelson, didn't want to be in the mall any longer than necessary. Fortunately for them both, the record shop was a quick walk from the entrance, clearly visible with no crowd to block the door.
        Sweetie was struck by a blast of hot air as they passed through the door into the record shop. There were probably more ponies in this shop then in the halls outside, weaving between long, waist-high rows of records. Every shelf, every stand and ever rack was filled to the brim with records. Some looked freshly ordered, but many more had the battered sleeves of a record that had been well-loved by a previous owner. Some records even hung from the ceiling like a makeshift mobile.
        “Remember,” Kelson said. “Five minutes.”
        “Don't worry,” Sweetie said, looking around the store. “It'll only take...maybe two.”
        Kelson hummed to himself. “What're you after, anyhow?” he asked. “lt'll go faster if we're two ponies lookin' for it instead of one.”
        “It's a musical,” Sweetie said. She swiveled her head back and forth between the aisles, mouthing the genre of each as they passed. “Musicals, musicals... musicals!” She turned sharply on her heel and trotted down the aisle. “Quadrophenia!”
        “That was an album, when I was a lad,” Kelson commented. “Not that I'm complain' about yer taste, mind. Musical is an odd choice for Silver though, ain't it?”
        “She's been trying to listen to more, lately,” Sweetie replied. She stood up on a rack of records and began sorting through them. While the store owner had been dedicated to acquiring as many records as possible, it seemed that they were less studious about organizing them. Sweetie frowned and flipped faster. “Q,” she murmured. “We've been watching a lot of theatre, plays mostly, when she feels like it. She's liked a lot of them, and I know she's said she wants to see more. I thought, since she really liked this kind of music, it would be a good place to start her on her own.”
        Kelson nodded, sidling up beside Sweetie Belle. “Makes sense,” he said. “An' I'm sure she'll like it, comin' from you.” He furrowed his brows as he flipped through the records. “Assumin' we can find the thing. Lesse... oh, aye, I think they're sortin' them by composer.”
        “Huh?” Sweetie asked, looking over at his records. Then she looked back at her own, flipping through them and muttering under her breath. “Oh! You're right! So that means... Mmm... check T! I'll check W.”
        “Aye,” Kelson agree. “Think there's a few on the end of the shelf, there.”
        Sweetie went to where Kelson gestured and propped herself up against the stack. It was frighteningly thin. Sweetie Belle chewed on her lip as she began to flip through them. “Huckleburro Finn... Firebrand of Fillyance... Toot Sweet... Count of Mounte Cristo... The Music Stallion, The Coltfriend, Trotway Serenade...” She groaned and looked to Kelson. “Anything?” she asked.
        Kelson made a low rumbling noise. “No,” he said. “Not a hair of it, neither a Townshire or a The.” He made a disgusted face. “Ain't even got Tommy. What kind of self-respectin' music store ain't got Tommy?”
        Sweetie Belle's heart sank. “Maybe it's just misfiled?” she asked. “We can sort through...”
        “We ain't got nearly time for that,” Kelson said. “Their selection might be... wantin', but stow me if they ain't got plenty of what they do got.” He gestured vaguely and rubbed his neck. “Y'only got a couple minutes left,” he said. “Maybe you can ask somepony, but...”
        “Great idea!” Sweetie said. She shoved herself away from the rack and bolted past Kelson before he had a chance to object. Before stepping away from the counter she had no idea just how tense she had been. It felt as though somepony had tied a knot between her shoulders, a knot so much and mangled that it pressed against her stomach and throat. In spite of the heat of the store, it felt terribly cold.
        She dodged and weaved her way through a crowd of shoppers, making her way for the counter. Thankfully the mare sitting behind the desk had no customers and was, in fact, looking terribly bored. Her expression changed to one of shock as Sweetie thudded to a stop against the desk.
        Excuse me miss?” Sweetie Belle said, fighting not to shout.
        The clerk blinked. “Er, yes?” she asked. “How can I help you, little filly?”
        “I'm looking for a record,” Sweetie said. She draped her hooves over the counter. “For my marefriend. Do you have Quadrophenia?”
        The mare blinked again. “Your marefriend has interesting taste,” she said. “But, no... I'm afraid we don't.”
        “Tommy?” Sweetie Belle asked.
        The mare pulled a binder out from under the desk and looked through it. “Mmm... sold our last copy a couple of days ago,” she said.
        Sweetie Belle groaned and grabbed her head. “Chicoltgo?” she asked.
        “Nope,” the mare answered.
        “How do you not have Chicoltgo!?” Sweetie Belle cried.
        The mare simply shrugged. “Waiting on a shipment,” she said. “Musicals aren't really big sellers, so we don't restock as often as the other sections. I'm sorry. I'm sure we can find something your marefriend would like anyways.”
        “I'm afraid not,” Kelson said as he came up behind Sweetie. “Our time's up. We've gotta head back, find Silver an' her parents.”
        “What?” Sweetie Belle asked, spinning around to face Kelson. Her heart sank in her chest. “But—”
        “Sorry,” Kelson said. “We agreed on five minutes. Five minutes is up.”
        “But I didn't find anything!” Sweetie Belle said.
        “That don't change what we agreed on, Sweetie,” Kelson replied. He sighed and rolled his shoulders. “I ain't sayin' I like it either, but we still gotta get back to them.”
        “It'll only take a few minutes!” Sweetie Belle insisted. She jumped down from the counter and grabbed Kelson's foreleg, as though she could somehow hold him still. “I promise, I'll find something right away.”
        Kelson shook his head. His expression hardened. “No,” he said. “We said five minutes, you got five minutes. No more. We can't afford to spend any more time in here.”
        “But Silver—” Sweetie started, but Kelson cut her off with a wave of his hoof.
        “Would much, much rather have you with her then spend the entire evenin' apart with you tryin' to find a gift. Trust me, Sweetie, iffin' she doesn't get to be with you tonight, she'll definitely be upset, no matter what. An' we've already lost plenty of night.” He peered around the store for a clock. “We're gonna have to go into the show soon. No chance for a snack before.”
        Sweetie Belle hadn't thought it was possible for her heart to sink further, but it did with every word. Her shoulders went slack and she groaned. “Nnnng,” she said. She wracked her mind for something she could say to win Kelson over, but there was nothing. In the end, she knew that he was right. She needed to get back to Silver. “Okay,” she said. “I'm sorry.”
        Kelson expression softened once more, and he sighed. “It's alright,” he said, patting Sweetie's shoulder. “You were just tryin' to do right. Let's get back to Silver, aye?”
        The walk back through the mall was taken in silence. Sweetie Belle had to force herself to keep pace with Kelson. The knot between her shoulders had only grown, making her feel sick and stiffening her gait. Even as they were struck numb by the cold outside, all Sweetie Belle could think of was how disappointed Silver would be. It was fortunate for her that the walk was so short, otherwise she might have driven herself mad thinking about the look of hurt that would be on Silver's face. As it was, Silver's actual expression was more than enough for her.
        Silver and her parents were waiting in the lee of the fountain, shielded against a cold wind that had cropped up while Kelson and Sweetie Belle had been inside. Each of them carried a steaming soft pretzel, save for Silver, who carried two.
        Sweetie Belle's heart clutched in her chest as she and Kelson approached the trio. Silver was staring straight ahead, glasses pushed straight up against her face, with one ear hanging low—an expression that Sweetie Belle had long since meant worry or nerves. When Silver finally spotted Sweetie Belle a brief expression of regret flashed across her face. It passed quickly, however, and she flashed a bright smile at Sweetie Belle. She waved and called out, “Hi Sweetie!”
        Sweetie smiled back weakly. “Hi, Silvy,” she said.
        “Did you find what your forgot in the carriage?” Silver asked. Her mouth twitched into an excited smile, but she managed to remain composed.
        “Um,” Sweetie Belle said, rubbing her shoulders. “Y-yeah!” She spotted Kelson's disapproving gaze out of the corner of her eye, but did her best to ignore it. After all, it was only a drop in the flood of guilt by now. “But, um...” She gave her best smile. “It's not important right now.”
        Silver's smile faded. “It isn't?” she asked. “You... could have gotten it from the carriage later, couldn't you?”
        Sweetie Belle winced. “U-uh,” she said, “I, um...” She could barely think over Silver's disappointed expression. “I just want to make sure it was there, and, wouldn't get stolen or something.”
        “The driver is a good stallion,” Silver said. “He wouldn't let anypony take anything from the carriage.”
        “I'm sorry,” Sweetie Belle said, lowering her head.
        Silver shook her head quickly. “Oh no!” she said. “It's alright. You were just making sure, you don’t have to be sorry about that.”
        “It's just as well,” Sunlight cut in. “It's not long until the show begins; we should start heading inside anyways.” He winked. “No time for a whole lot of unwrapping and excitement, hmm? Whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait until we're all out to dinner together.”
        Silver sighed and rolled her eyes, but her smile returned. “I guess,” she said. “I just wish you'd been able to stay out here with us, Sweetie... oh! I got you a pretzel.” She held out one of her pretzels, which had been drizzled in dark chocolate and bits of crushed peppermint. “They're really good... and I thought you might be hungry before the show.”
        Sweetie Belle smiled, and this time it was genuine. “Aww,” she said softly. “Thanks, Silvy... I guess I am a bit hungry.” She bit into the pretzel, still warm and soft. The chocolate was gooey and sweet, and the faintly cold sting of the peppermint made her tongue buzz. “Mmm,” she said. “Thanks, Silvy.”
        Silver giggled. “You're welcome,” she said. “Next time we come back here, we'll have to try out more carts. There's lots of good stuff.”
        “That will have to wait for then, dears,” Starling said, putting a hoof on Silver's back. “We need to head inside now.”
        “I'd try to finish that pretzel first, though,” Sunlight added, folding the wrapper of his own. “I know the fellow who owns this place. Ancient mummy of a stallion. I'd never hear the end of it if we brought in something so messy.” He smirked. “Fellow himself likes to save crumbs in his beard, mind.”