Finding Inspiration

by bahatumay

Chapter 15

“This is the worst idea ever,” Morning Glory whispered.

“It is tradition to introduce one’s fiancée to his friends. And Happy Trails and Green Hooves are among my oldest friends.”

She tugged at her hood nervously. “You've known them for a year at most,” she protested, keeping her mouth as closed as she could.

“It still stands,” Wind Shear said firmly. “They've been great friends my whole time here.”

“Don't you have any great friends that I haven't stoned in a fit of jealousy?” she wheedled.

Wind Shear thought. “I think the mayor thinks we should be great friends, what with all the revenue I've helped bring in to this town; but she kinda smells like onions and it's a little bit hard to take her seriously.”

Morning Glory expelled a quick burst of air out her nose.

The Happy Hooves Hotel came into view. “Last chance to turn back,” she offered hopefully. “We could go home, we could cuddle on the couch…”

Wind Shear bumped her with his hips. “Don't worry. You’ve got this,” he said comfortingly.

But when he looked back over his shoulder, she hadn't followed. He came back. “I- if you're sure you can't, we can-”

“No, no,” Morning Glory said. “I want to do it. But I want to go first, by myself. I… I think I owe Happy Trails an apology.”

Wind Shear nodded hesitantly. “Ok,” he said, trusting her. “I’ll, uh, wait for you.”

---

Happy Trails bobbed her head to a tune only she heard as she passed through the kitchen. She playfully bumped hips with Green Hooves and swatted her with her tail, prompting a little yip of surprise from the larger mare. She slid onto the stool behind the front desk and got comfortable. It was going to be an excellent day!

The bell over the door jingled, and she smiled her biggest smile to the pony that had just come in. “Welcome to the Happy Hooves Hotel!” She had no suitcases, but still she knew she should ask. “Are you here for lunch or a room?”

“Neither, actually,” the mare responded, staying back by the door and in the shadows. She tugged uncomfortably at her pink hood.

“Ah. Meeting somepony here?” Happy Trails suggested. Their little restaurant had grown into quite the meeting place to chat and grab something to eat. Green Hooves was perfectly ok with that; she loved cooking. And the fact that Happy Trails had had to pick up some more of the cleaning responsibilities probably didn't hurt, either.

“I'm actually… here to apologize.”

Happy Trails paused. That was unexpected.

“To you,” she clarified.

Happy Trails squinted. She had no recollection of this mare but didn't want to offend a potential customer. “Ah, ok. Mm, for what?”

She flipped her hood down, revealing her five snakes, fangs, and slitted eyes. “For turning you into stone, for one.”

Happy Trails’ eyes widened and she flew backwards, knocking her stool over, and pressing herself against the key wall. “G- g- g-!” she stammered, pointing.

“Gorgony?” Morning Glory supplied wryly.

Happy Trails nodded mutely, her eyes as wide as saucers. Hearing this commotion, Green Hooves poked her head out, and her eyes widened as well, and the rag she held in her mouth dropped to the floor. But she bravely stood her ground.

Morning Glory scuffed a hoof. “So, uh, yeah, that was me. I’m sorry I turned you into stone in a fit of misaimed jealousy.”

Happy Trails nodded tightly, her head barely bobbing.

“‘Cause, I thought you were flirting with him, and, uh, I'm… not so good with the love stuff. And, uh… you, uh, play for the other team and I didn’t realize... I didn’t...” She pulled her hood on again, much to the chagrin of her snakes. “Yeah. I’ll just be going now.” She turned to the door and pushed it open, then looked over her shoulder. “Your, uh, breads are good, by the way. With the little snake heads and chocolate chips. I, uh, I approve. They're good.”

“Thanks,” Happy Trails breathed.

With a tight nod, she ran out the door.

Happy Trails watched her go. She took a shaky breath. That had been a thing.

But there was more 'thing' left to come. She came back in, closely followed by Wind Shear. “By the way, I’m marrying Wind Shear and we want you to come to our wedding.”

There was a brief pause. Wind Shear rested his wing on her back, waiting with bated breath for their reactions. And then-

“Eeee!” Green Hooves pranced rapidfire in place in excitement, her eyes wide with stars and a huge smile on her face. How exciting! She loved weddings!

“And we may be staying for lunch, after all.” Morning Glory bumped him with her hips. “He's hungry and can’t cook to save his life.”

Wind Shear gave her a half-playful, half-comforting nudge back, then looked up at Happy Trails. “Table for two, please!” he said cheerfully, as if this whole situation were normal.

“Yeah, I’ll…” Happy Trails slowly pulled herself off the wall. This part she could handle. “Your usual spot?”

“Yes, please!”

Morning Glory sat with her back to the wall, hidden from sight. “Nice choice,” she said, looking around at the booth.

“Yeah,” Wind Shear said, joining her. “Couple years of dodging autographs, and you get good at picking out places you can hide when you’re in public.”

“Heh. Teach me your ways.”

Wind Shear blinked. “You’re planning on going out in public more?”

Morning Glory snorted. “Not really. This is a one-time thing, and only because I don’t want to make lunch today.”

Wind Shear picked up a menu, though by now he knew exactly what he wanted here. “Love you too, Morning.”

Morning Glory picked hers up, too. A snake poked its head out from her hood, and she gently pushed it back inside. “What’s good here?”

“Pretty much everything. My favorite was the daisy sandwiches, but since Jenny left, she hasn’t been able to get good ones.”

“Feh,” Morning Glory said, tapping the bottom of her menu on the table. “I’d grow her daisies.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” She exhaled wistfully and looked at the menu.

“That would require you coming into town to make your deliveries,” Wind Shear pointed out cheekily.

“Hay, no! I’d make you do it. You’d make a cute delivery colt.”

“I am a grown stallion!” Wind Shear protested, poking at his stomach.

“And you’d have to wear the outfit,” she continued. “Little cap, vest, bow tie, the whole thing.”

Wind Shear chuckled. “I don’t think that's going to happen. I doubt I could pull that off.”

“Probably not,” Morning Glory agreed. “I can’t sew, anyway. Are the fried pickles here any good?”

“I like them.”

“Never had the patience for it myself.”

“For frying?”

“For pickling.” She chuckled. “Funny, really. I can wait a whole season for flowers to bloom, but an afternoon of pickling just doesn’t appeal to me.” She inhaled.

Right as she did, Happy Trails returned with water glasses, doing her very best to not look shaky. “So!” she said just a bit too brightly, even for her, “have we decided on what to order?”

“Not yet,” Morning Glory said, hiding behind her menu.

“But we’ll start with the fried pickles for an appetizer,” Wind Shear supplied.

“Got it!” And she walked away backwards.

Wind Shear shook his head and looked back at Morning Glory. “You were going to say something.”

“Nah.”

“You were.”

“I… It’s silly, really.”

Wind Shear stared at her, waiting for her to crack.

It didn’t take long. She bit her lower lip, her fangs standing out against the pink of her lip. “Well, what I’d really like… I mean, just hypothetically, here… I’d like to start my own business.”

“Your own business?” Wind Shear prompted.

“I was a florist before…” She gestured at herself, referencing her transformation. “Sometimes, I… miss it.” She scowled at the table. She still wasn’t used to showing weakness, even to him, and it was making her uncomfortable. “And the no daisies thing you just said made me think I could do it. It’s stupid, I know-”

“Could work.”

Morning Glory narrowed an eye. “Really?”

He wiggled his eyebrow. “It’d have to be a mail-order service, though, what with you not going into town. You would have to print a catalog.”

“I will buy a store in this town on this very street just to make you eat those words,” she swore.

“You could figure out what you’re going to eat here, too,” Wind Shear countered.

Morning Glory poked another snake back under her hood and picked up the menu again.

“You don't have to.”

“What?”

He gestured like he was taking off a hood. “Keep that on.”

Morning Glory snorted. “Yeah. That'll be a great idea. I’ll just really freak everypony out permanently.” She rounded on Happy Trails. “Like you. I freak you out just by existing, huh?”

Happy Trails, who was returning with the fried pickles they'd ordered, but her lower lip and dug the tip of her hoof into the carpet. “More like you freak me out because the last time I saw you, you literally turned me to stone, which I only realized was happening to me halfway through the transformation; and I've always been really claustrophobic (and that’s part of the reason I moved to this little town), so not being able to move my hooves, and then my legs, and then my hips, and then my chest stopped moving and I wasn't able to breathe anymore and I was trapped, helpless, stuck, and couldn't move at all—couldn’t even blink—before losing consciousness really did a number on the old noggin.” She tapped the side of her head. “Nightmares for a week, sitting up in a cold sweat screaming myself hoarse and everything. Even dreamed of Princess Luna once, that was odd, never done that before.” She tapped her chin. “They did kinda slow down after that, though, so that was nice.”

Morning Glory looked down abashedly. She had a point. She'd made herself the victim when she had been the one at fault.

After the briefest of hesitations, Happy Trails nudged her gently on the shoulder. “But hey, if Wind Shear likes you, you can't be all that bad.”

Morning Glory smiled shakily. “Comforting,” she mumbled.

“So!” Happy Trails said cheerfully, as if the previous conversation hadn't happened. “Have we decided?”

“Mm… How big are your baked potatoes?”

Happy Trails held her hooves a decent distance apart.

Morning Glory looked at Wind Shear and winked. “Yeah,” she said, a playful smile on her face. “I'd like one of those.”

Wind Shear rolled his eyes.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

A Gorgony is a pony/gorgon hybrid, right?

[Icarus_Con_Queso]

8580432
Yes.

[Bloody_Tofu]

GREAT story! Can’t wait to read more of this cute couple.