Guide Dogs

by Yosh-E-O

Chapter 9 -- Coming Together Over Coffee

“Eee!” screamed Twilight as she firmly took the advice of the coffee shop owner and drank her cup as fast as possible.

Spike sighed and folded his arms.
“I’m starting to think this town is doing things to your head, Twilight,” he said. “You have been, well, not making some of the best choices since we got here.”

The Princess of Friendship took a moment to try and recover from the burn she got from the coffee.
“You need to respect other cultures, Spike,” she gasped. “When in Canterlot, you know?”

“So far you’ve been swindled by a raccoon,” groaned Spike. “Spent a fortune on ‘antiques’ that can’t even be related to anything, and just downed a cup of coffee that clearly still had steam coming off of it.”

“We did see some amazing fossils at the museum,” she struggled to say. “There’s also that ‘Dream Suite’ that allows you to visit other dimensions without the limitations of the mirror gate to Canterlot High.”

Spike thought for a moment.
“Now if we could just go off to the island,” he stated. “That’s the one place I’ve wanted to see and you keep getting distracted.”

DING-A-RING

“Good afternoon, Isabelle!” called the barista. “Coffee for you or our new mayor?”

Yosh was about to respond with a resounding, “Yes!”, when he felt the Shih Tzu put an arm in front of him.
“We’ll take something from the ‘soft pot’,” she stated.

“Fine by me,” the barista grumped. “Coffee loses its flavor every second that its not drank. You and the new mayor want cold and tasteless coffee you can have it. Plus it keeps my supply from going to waste and you still pay the same.”

Yosh and Isabelle approached the counter where the yellow dog placed a few bells down to receive two cups of non-steaming coffee.

“How is it?” asked Spike as he watched his dragon-duck friend sip right into the coffee as soon as he got it.

“Perfect!” quacked Yosh. “Just the right temperature.”

“Hmm,” thought Spike while approaching the counter. “I’ll have some coffee from the ‘soft pot, too.”

“Three bells,” grumped the barista.

Spike grinned while gesturing to Twilight.
“Put it on her tab,” he said.

The barista got the coffee and handed it to the purple dragon.
“Cold as ice,” he quipped.

The emerald-eyed dragon took a gentle sip and noticed the temperature to be not cold at all. It was just like what he got over at Donut Joe’s.

“It’s usually pretty quiet in here at lunch,” remarked Isabelle as she postured herself alongside Yosh. “Let’s take the table that is in front of us and talk about our day and what everyone thinks of Canine Crossroads.”

***

The group spent a good hour talking about Canine Crossroads, Mayor Yosh and Isabelle’s ideas, and how to improve the town through allying with Equestria.

“…There is only one thing I must make quite clear,” chirped Isabelle as she snuggled herself against Yosh. “We can’t lose our mayor. Not again. He’s our best one and we need him for town morale as we enact everything to build our friendship with Equestria.”

The duck-dragon gulped.
“Stay…,” he trailed with a gulp. “Like… Never leave?”

“Oh, no,” assured the cheerful Shih tzu. “You’ll be able to go on vacations and we’ll work together to make diplomatic trips to Equestria.”

“Wait,” baffled Spike. “So you intended to bring Yosh here to be your permanent mayor?”

“Why, yes!” the administrative assistant spoke genuinely. “Our town has long suffered from lack of strong leadership and we’ve never been able to keep a true leader worth following for more than a week, or so.”

“Why Yosh?” wondered the purple dragon. “Why not some pony else?”

Isabelle took her clipboard and flipped through a few pages.
“Princess Celestia and Princess Luna believed he’d be best suited to lead our town as part of his ‘new friendship studies’,” she stated while placing the clipboard back down and pulling the duck-dragon close. “Plus he’s really cute!”

Yosh’s cheeks flushed red as Twilight and Spike attempted to grasp what was going on.

“Mayor,” Isabelle whispered. “I think you need the potty.”

Yosh’s eyes widened as his beak fell open.

“What did you just say?” demanded Spike.

Isabelle stood up and naturally lead Yosh towards the coffee shop restroom.
“Mr. Mayor needs a moment to freshen up,” she said with a smile. “We’ll be right back.”

***

While Yosh was ushered to the restroom Twilight and Spike discussed their current situation.

“We’ve got to get out of here,” Spike insisted in a low firm tone.

“But…,” thought Twilight. “If the princesses feel he has a friendship mission here he should follow through with it.”

“I think this is all made up and one big trap,” growled Twilight’s number one assistant. “She’s clearly brainwashed him, or something. No pony is that nice.”

“Hmm,” thought the purple Alicorn. “I may be starting to understand. However I need a letter sent to the princess.”

Spike pulled out a quill and parchment and awaited his friend’s every word.

Twilight dictated the letter and had it immediately sent by Spike through his fire breath.

***

Yosh and Isabelle were returning from the restroom when Spike suddenly got his side effect of being a courier system for Twilight and Princess Celestia.

BUURRRRPPP!

“Oh!” gasped the Shih Tzu. “Was it the coffee?”

Twilight quickly took the letter and read it.
“I see…,” trailed the Princess of Friendship.

“I wish I did,” joked Yosh as he failed to notice how he was safely helped to his chair by Isabelle.

“I know you’re trying to make light of the situation,” sighed Spike. “However I still feel awful for what going blind has done to you.”

“That’s just it, Spike!” cheered Twilight. “That’s why Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, Dawnbreak Horizon, and Doodle Noodle felt he should come here!”

There was a short pause.

“Come again, twi?” Spike blinked with a very confused expression on his face.

“Yosh,” started Twilight. “You’ve felt like you haven’t had a purpose since going blind and not being able to help dawnbreak Horizon like you once did, right?”

Yosh nodded.
“Yeah…,” he sighed.

“Isabelle,” stated the Alicorn. “You want someone loyal you can directly work with to fix the town who is like a partner, right?”

Isabelle wagged her tail.
“Oh, yes,” she replied. “Mr. Mayor is a pleasure to work with and I’m happy to work for him.”

Twilight faced Spike.
“Your friend has finally found his place!” she beamed. “Yosh is going to be doing all he has wanted to do since feeling trapped up in his room in Canterlot!”

Yosh felt a smile cross his beak.
“Really?” he asked. “So this is really a genuine mission that the princesses and Dawnbreak feel I’ll do well at?”

“Says so in the letter I have here,” replied Twilight while magically levitating the document towards Yosh. “However she put those special Braille dots on it so you could read it for yourself.”

Yosh felt the various shapes on the letter and smiled as he got through the entire document.
“Well, then,” he quacked merrily. “I guess it’s time to get to work!”

Author's Note:

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:
Those stories you may have read between Starlight's Dream Therapy, Follow The Twinkles, and Therapy With Doodle Noodle have all been a part of my efforts to put my genuine experience through going through therapy together along with coming to better terms with my impending blindness.

This chapter here, as others illustrated, is written towards my insecurity of never finding gainful employment again. I used to work as an 'Isabelle' like figure in an in an IT Department. Unfortunately my vision got too bad and and I was bullied out. Nothing makes me happier than knowing I can 'contribute' to some degree towards a greater goal. I've done this through Coping With Limitations Through Pony but it was a non-profit effort done to help people see how the arts, in particular MLP, have helped to provide a positive community to those of us with special needs.

This story is a way to further share my experiences and personal growth through the gift of creativity in spite of having absolutely no physical sight left at all. As it closes out in the next two chapters I will add some additional notes. Should you have any questions about the content I encourage you to ask. The only way for all of us to make a bright future for all is to ask genuine questions to aid in our growth as caring and empowering people. :)