The two ponies stood outside the theater looking up at the front billboard that displayed the movies currently playing. There were a few action movies some comedy's and a horror film. Lemon swallowed hoping that she wouldn't want to see the latter. The grumpy stallions hopes were dashed when he heard her gasp in awe upon reading the title of the movie out loud.
"The Legend of the Headless Horse the movie! That was one of my favorite stories growing up! Can we see it can we can we?"
"I-uh..." He sighed. Ya sure you get the popcorn I'll get the tickets."
The mare quickly trotted inside a happy smile on her face as he trudged up to the front desk and pulled ten Bits from his saddle bags. The line seemed to move slower than a snail as he inched his way foreward. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Glowy talking with the vendor as he poured butter on the popcorn seemingly overwhelmed by her strangly high enthusiasm.
"I know the feeling. Still there are worse ponies."
He scrunched up his nose at his own internal comment in displeasure. That wasn't fair to her, she had been kind to him and being honest with himself she had made an otherwise boring birthday fun. Well as fun as it could be given his temperament. While he had been initially hesitant he found himself warming up to the idea of having a friend more and more as they hung out togeather.
"Ha me having friends, never thought I'd see the day I'd meet somepony willing to put up with my perpetual grumpiness."
Finnaly his turn to purchase tickets came and he slid his Bits accross the table as he pointed to the poster of the movie he wanted to see. The slips of paper were hoofed over to him and he went into the main room to join Glowy. The pink pony was sitting on a waiting bench chewing on small hoofulls of popcorn from an extra large bag. When she saw him approaching she gave him a wave as greating.
"I got the tickets."
"I got the popcorn!"
"Cool so which theater is it in?"
"That one, come on let's go get our seats before the good ones are taken!"
"Oh joy." He thought to himself.
With dread in each step Lemon followed his new friend into the dark room expecting her to go strait to the front row. Instead he found himself pleasantly surprised when she went to the back and took a seat in the center Isle. Sitting down next to her she turned to him and hoofed the bag of popcorn in his direction. Taking a small hoofull he chewed it quickly before whispering to her.
"I thought you would want to take a front row seat rather than back here."
"Normaly I would but this is our first time going to the movies as well as our first time hanging out. I thought sitting in the back would make it easier for us to talk without bothering anypony." She whispered back.
"Ah. So what do you want to talk about?"
"Hmmm oh how did you get your Cutie Mark?"
"It's not a very interesting story."
"I still want to hear it." It's not like we have a movie to watch yet they're just playing adds right now."
"Well ok I suppose. When I was ten I was one of the last blank flanks in my class and didn't have any friends so I spent a lot of time with my mom and dad. Mom was a baker by profession and dad was a Corporal in the Royal Canterlot Gaurd. Things were usually pretty quiet but mom couldn't afford to hire anypony for her bakery yet since the business was still new so I helped how I could. She taught me pretty well and I even started to enjoy it so I started doing it in my free time too. When my school was having a bake sale to raise money for the animal shelter as part of a Hearthswarming drive I made some Lemon bars."
"How many did you bake?"
"Twenty batches."
"Wow so what happened?"
"Well I went to the bake sale and helped the teachers run the stand and my lemon bars sold out in two hours. When I saw how much everypony loved them I felt proud and decided that I really liked baking because my treats made everypony happy and then my flank lit up and there it was."
"That's a really sweet story."
"Is that a joke?"
"No. Well actually I guess it's kinda a pun but I meant it, it's a nice story."
"It's nothing special I just baked some sweets and got a Cutie Mark."
"Ya but think about it. You like baking because your sweets make ponies happy."
"And?"
"So when you think about it you got a Cutie Mark for liking to make ponies happy not just for baking."
"I guess."
"Why can't you take a compliment or smile more often?"
"Because I'm just another pony and I don't need to."
"Everypony needs to smile and I think your special."
"How so?"
"Not just anypony can bake twenty batches of lemon bars in one day! Let alone make all of them so well they sell out in two hours!"
"I guess. So what's yours?"
"Huh?"
"How did you get your mark?"
"Oh well when I was nine me and my best friend Azure were hanging out at her house during her birthday party. Her mother had hired some local tallent to make an illusionary dance floor with their magic and a DJ to play some of the music. Me, her and some of our friends were dancing while we were waiting for the cake and we were all just having fun. Her mother even got some glow sticks and I just got lost in the music. Before I knew it the cake was there and I hadn't even noticed that everypony had left I just kept dancing and loved it. When the party was over I begged Taffington to sign me up for dance lessons and he did."
"Who's Taffington?"
"My moms head buttler he pretty much raised me for as long as I can remember. Closest thing I've got to a dad."
Her face soured a bit but she shook herself out of it and continued her story.
"Well anyways I trained and trained and just kept loving it and eventually my teacher asked if I wanted to enter a competion and I said yes. When my turn came I danced my heart out and I ended up getting a blue ribbon for first place. I was so happy I didn't even notice I'd gotten my Cutie Mark until my teacher pointed it out."
"Your story is way better than mine."
"Hey yours was interesting too. Thanks for telling me."
"Your welcome."
"Oh! Shhh the movie is starting!"
The two turned towards the screen, Glowy excitedly and Lemon the opposite. The opening scene was of a pony galloping throught the woods after dark breathing heavily and glancing over his shoulder with a horrified look on his muzzle. The sound of echoed cackling filled the theater as the unknown assailant chased the terrified stallion towards a bridge. He exclaimed in joy as if it was his salvation and was about to start his crossing when he made the most cliche of movie mistakes, he tripped. Now crawling for his life the sound of the cackling got louder as the villian approached the demise of the terrified stallion inevitable. He rolled onto his back and screemed!
The sounds frankly hurt Lemon's ears but more worring to him was the fact that he was shaking in his horseshoes. To his left Glowy was staring in wrapped fascination as the scene came to an end and a tranquil daylit forest fly by took over the screen. Lemon slowly relaxed and thanked Luna that Glowy hadn't noticed his fear from the film. He had never told anypony but he hated scary movies. After seeing his first one he couldn't sleep for three nights in a row. Now he was likely to suffer a similar fate for the next few days.
/l\---)O(---/l\
As the movie went on Glowy started to figure out more of the plot. Though part of why it was so easy was because she had heard the story before, though the movie had some differences. For one the pony she suspected of being the one masqurading as the headless horse seemed to be in love with the same mare as the protagonist so he would have had the motive for a 'Crime of passion'. Currently the protagonist Willow Weaver was talking with the love interest Song Bird.
"Must you go Willow? There is talk of strange happening's on that road after dark. You should stay here tonight.
"You know I would love to dear heart but I have responsibilities to see to at home. My work is close to complete and when it's finnished we'll have all the time in Eques."
"Wow this is cheesy isn't it?" Said the pink mare giggling.
"I think it's kind of sweet actually."
"You're kidding!"
"Hey stallions can have a heart too you know!"
"Awwww little Lemon Tart got hit right in the feels by a bunch of mushy gushy romance!"
"I did not, I just appreciate that despite the terrible lines the actors are doing a good job of making it sound...heartfelt."
"Dawww you're cheesy." Said Glowy loosing a bit of her whisper.
"I am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Shut up back there!"
Both ponies attention was turned forward towards an unhappy mare with a purple coat and blue mane who was sitting next to another mare with a beret atop her head.
"Wait Azure?"
"Glowy?"
"Oh Azzy is this your friend you told me about?"
Pacific smiled like a cheshire cat.
"Azzy?" She asked with a cocky smile.
The mare turned so red you could see it in the dark of the theater.
"Uhhh-I-Uhhh."
"Azzy what's wrong?" The mare had caught on to what was happening and was now smiling deviously.
Glowy was having trouble containing her laughter at this point.
"I swear, one word and your gonna need a pine box!"
"I didn't say anything." Smiled the pink pony.
"Oh ya well is this the stallion you've been talking about so much?"
"You've been talking about me?" Lemon looked at her quizickly.
"No! Well yes but not like she's saying!"
"Well what's she saying?"
"Wow he's thick isn't he?"
"He's not thick he's socialy inexperienced!"
"Hey!-wait no that's true."
"So you two are watching a scary movie, in a dark theater, alone, in the back row, because your friends?"
"Yes actually."
"Bullshit."
"It's true she wanted to see a movie and I'm trying to get the hang of being a friend so we just kinda came here."
"Wow that's...really disappointing."
"Would you four shut up! Someponies are trying to watch the movie!"
They recoiled slightly at the angry ponies statement.
"How about we talk later at the Hayburger?" Said the mare beside Azure.
"Good Idea." Replyed the pink pony.
/l\---)O(---/l\
A few hours later saw the four ponies at the local Hayburger sitting on opposite sides of the table. Azure was staring at her food with a blush while Pacific giggled at how embarrassed she was. The mare she now knew as Show Stopper was doing everything she could to tease her marefriend from sensualy licking her Ice cream with low lidded eye's on her, to hoofzy with her hind hooves under the table.
"So you two seem to be a good match so far." Smiled Glowy.
"We are indead said a saucy Show Stopper nuzzling Azure lightly. Just as she hoped it got a reaction out of Azure who's face heated up and eye's fluttered slightly before shaking her head and glarring at her.
"You're the Cerberus you know that?"
"Ya...I've been a bad mare." She fluttered her eyelashes.
Glowy burst out laughing like a maniac and even the stoic Lemon choked on his hayfries when he chuckled. When she noticed it was lodged in his throat Pacific slammed him on the back a few times until it popped out and landed on his burger wrapper leaving him gasping for breath.
"Sweet Celestia don't do that when I'm eating! You're gonna kill me and I want to live!"
The pink mare resumed her laughing much to the chargrin of her best friend and the amusement of Show Stopper.
"Ya ya laugh while you can." Said Azure as she folded her hooves.
"So I take it you two are going out again?" Asked the pink mare when she finnished laughing.
"Well...Ya we are. We had a good time at the coffee shop and the movie so if she want's to..." The purple pony cast a glance to her left.
"I'd love to."
"Cool so ya I guess we're a thing now then huh?"
"If you want to be."
"Ya I think I'd like that."
Show Stopper planted a kiss on Azure's cheek. before placing the rest of her wrappers in the Hayburger bag.
"Well Azzy I think we should head back to my place I'm feeling like it's time for bed."
With wide eye's Azure scrambled out of her seat and made for the door holding it open for her new marefriend following after her with a goofy smile on her face. Glowy laughed at the display before frowning slightly as she rested her hooves on the table followed by her head.
"You ok?" Asked the yellow stallion.
"What? Oh ya I guess."
"If I'm correct friends are supposed to ask whats wrong right?"
"Ya kinda."
"Ok then what's wrong? Oh and uh is there anything I can do to help?"
"Well it just kinda occurred to me that with Azure in a real relationship for once she's not gonna be able to spend as much time with me."
"You two have been friends since grade school if I'm remembering right."
"Ya and I mean I'm happy for her it's just it's gonna suck being bored all the time with no pony to hang out with."
Her frown deepened and she found herself thinking about how she wished she had taken some of the Joy in her purse to make her feel better. Sure it was a quick fix but any fix was better than being broken in her opinion. While She dwelled on that Lemon swallowed before speaking again, unaware of the want of drugs in his new friends mind. Had he known how much his next words would mean to her he might have said them sooner rather than wait for a couple minutes to think it over.
"Well you can give me a call when you need somepony to spend time with. I work 6 to 4 on weekdays save wednesday and 5 to 5 on weekends but if you want to stop by when I'm off you can."
With a few small tears in her eye's that had welled up unknown to herself Glowy looked up at her knew friend.
"Really?"
"What are friends for? That's the saying righ-"
He was cut off by a bone crushing hug from the mare next to him as her tears of sadness turned into happy ones.
"Thank you Lemon! Your a good friend!"
"That's uh...good to know." He said awkwardly patting her mane in what he hoped was a comforting manner.
/l\---)O(---/l\
The two spent the rest of the evening togeather walking back to Lemon's home and even watching neightflix on his desktop for a while. Lemon was so wrapped up in Pony Pythons Holly Tea Cup that he didn't notice Glowy had fallen asleep on his shoulder. When he heard a light snore though and noticed she was asleep he prodded her shoulder rousing her to a minor state of semi conciousness. It wasn't much but it was enough to get her over to the bed. This time he tucked her in after all she was his friend now. With her lightly snoring in cute whinnies he made his way over to the couch to sleep with the dawn. He was going to need his rest for work that night.