Some of the background ponies are doing some last-minute shopping and keep running into each other.
On Hearth's Warming Eve, Canterlot is the place to be. Lots of ponies flood the city, either to look for that perfect gift, or spend time with family. Some of the background ponies are there, and all of them have their own reasons. Vinyl is searching for a special gift for a certain cellist, Lyra is going to try her hoof at cooking while a candy maker is out, Minuette is praying that no pony finds out what she bought for a wine enthusiast, and Symphony is simply pulling her mane trying to find a gift that sends the right message. More of a collection of very short stories than an actual big one, in celebration for the upcoming holiday.
“Whoa, excuse me.” Vinyl Scratch jumped to the side as the door to the tiny shop swung open. She grabbed it with her magic and held it open as an older Unicorn walked out.
“Thank you, sir,” the Unicorn said with a heartfelt smile as she carefully walked by, carrying her small back on her back.
“You’re welcome, ma’am,” Vinyl said, not having the heart to correct the dear old lady. Besides, it wasn’t the first time somepony had thought she was a stallion. Her classic look of sunglasses and wild spikey blue hair wasn’t exactly a traditional Canterlot appearance. She still got weird looks whenever she visited the city, but most ponies accepted it now. After all, she was the marefriend of one of Canterlot’s most renowned musicians.
“And a good marefriend gets her special pony a great Hearth’s Warming present,” Vinyl said with a triumphant smile as she walked into the shop.
Vinyl made it two steps into the shop before she realized she was completely out of her depth.
The shop wasn’t imposing the way so many other shops in Canterlot were. It wasn’t stuffy and didn’t have the feeling of superiority that nearly every other Canterlot shop had, but the merchandise was baffling. Precious gems and stones filled display cases, each one different from the next and all of them unlike anything Vinyl had ever seen. There were things in here that put even the fanciest pony in Canterlot to shame on some days.
“What am I doing?” Vinyl mumbled as she looked around. There were quite a few ponies wandering around the shop, and each one of them had the air of belonging. They were all looking down their noses at the merchandise, pretending to show distain and detached interest in everything, but the gleam in their eyes said otherwise.
Still, if ponies like that were looking around in this store, then it was clearly out of Vinyl’s price range. Sighing, she turned to head for the exit.
“Hey Vinyl!” a voice said. “Welcome to my store.”
Vinyl turned around, surprised that somepony knew her well enough to call her by name. She spied a lavender Unicorn dodging her way through the crowd, her lilac mane swirling behind her as she made her way over to the DJ.
“Um…hey,” Vinyl said, trying hard to remember if she knew this pony. She was fairly certain that they’d never officially met, but she didn’t want to hurt her feelings if they had. She tilted her head to the side to glance at the mare’s cutie mark. The two dolphins did nothing to trigger her memory. Sighing, she took a deep breath.
“Um…listen. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but, uh…who are you? Have we met?”
The Unicorn smiled and let out a quick laugh. “What? No, of course not.”
“Then, uh, how did you—?”
“Are you kidding?” the Unicorn asked with a twinkle in her raspberry eyes. “Who hasn’t heard of the legendary D.J. Pon-three?”
Vinyl blinked in honest surprise. She had never expected to meet a fan of hers in Canterlot. “Well, uh, thanks.”
“So, what brings you here?” the Unicorn asked with a genuine smile, another thing Vinyl rarely saw in the capital city.
“Oh, I was just leaving, actually.”
The Unicorn’s ears dropped. “Oh. Nothing to your liking then?”
“More like nothing in my price range,” Vinyl said with a sheepish grin. “Being a DJ doesn’t exactly pay well. At least, not this well.”
The Unicorn blinked her eyes twice and then laughed. “Is that all? Tch. I can solve that for you easy.”
“But—”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Um, it’s a gift.”
“For?”
“My marefriend, Octavia,”
“Octavia…” the Unicorn said, a strange look crossing her face for a second, but it was gone almost as fast. “Classy then.”
“The classiest,” Vinyl said with a slight blush in her cheeks. “I heard this place was all the rage, so—”
“It is,” the Unicorn said with beaming pride, but then she lowered her voice and leaned in close so only Vinyl could hear. “If you want to be the talk of Canterlot and show other ponies up. Does Octavia strike you as that type of pony?”
Vinyl didn’t even need to think. After everything they had been through together, the answer came instantly. “No.”
The store clerk grinned. “Exactly. I knew she couldn’t be if she was with you.”
Vinyl cocked her head to the side. “So, uh…are you saying I shouldn’t be in your shop?”
“No, not that,” the Unicorn replied, “but I think you’re looking at the wrong stuff. You want your gift to be special, right? Something that is meant for Octavia and Octavia alone, not something for other ponies to gawk at?”
“Yeah!” Vinyl said, a little too loudly as several ponies gave her a rather rude look. “Er, I mean, that sounds perfect.”
“Follow me then.” Without another word, the Unicorn turned and began to make her way to the far end of the store. A few ponies tried to get her attention, but she politely told them that she was helping a customer. One of them pressed the issue, but the Unicorn pressed back firmly and politely, telling the mare she would have to wait her turn.
Finally, the two Unicorns reached the back of the store. The clerk went behind the counter and bent down, her tail swishing happily in the air as she rummaged around for something out of sight. She came back up and levitated a small box onto the counter in front of Vinyl. She popped it open to reveal two small stone earrings, no bigger than a pebble, snuggled in a dark velvet cushion.
“What are they?” Vinyl asked, confused as to why they were in such a special case. They weren’t colorful or exciting in any way. They were just grey pebble earrings. For a moment, she wondered if she was about to be scammed.
“Touch one,” the Unicorn said with a look of excitement. She leaned forward as she stared not at her customer, but at the stones. She was visibly quivering and Vinyl watched her lick her lips.
“What’s going to happen?” Vinyl asked cautiously. She had had a rather…interesting experience with a stone before, and while she doubted this Unicorn was out to do her harm—too many witnesses—she was still a bit leery.
“Touch one and see,” she said, only looking up with her eyes while her head remained close to the stones.
Vinyl took a deep breath and carefully reached out with her hoof. It was hard to touch such a small stone in the plush case with her hoof, but she managed it after a bit of careful prodding.
For a moment, nothing happened. Vinyl gave the Unicorn a concerned look, but then the stone began to change color. It was hard to see at first and Vinyl thought it was just her eyes playing tricks on her. She pulled her glasses off with her magic and sure enough, the stone’s grey color had changed to a slightly different shade. It was no longer the cold stone shade, but a softer grey, like Octavia’s freshly brushed—
“Whoa!” Vinyl whispered as the stone suddenly turned onyx, so black that Vinyl felt like it would suck her in. It was just as dark as Octavia’s mane whenever she woke up in Vinyl’s embrace. Vinyl could almost see the cellist’s two amethyst eyes peeking out from under the black mane with—
The stone again changed color, this time switching to the rich purple that the Unicorn had just been thinking about. Startled, Vinyl pulled her hoof away and the stone faded back to its original shade. Intrigued, the DJ leaned in close and stared at the earrings over the edge of the case like a filly peeking into the cookie jar.
“Pretty neat, huh?” the clerk asked. She reached out and touched the other one. In instantly took on a shade of purple, not quite the same shade of amethyst as Octavia’s eyes, nor the color of the Unicorn herself. In then changed to a soft yellow, like the sun on a warm summer day, before the Unicorn quickly pulled her hoof away. She cleared her throat and smiled. “They’re paired love stones. Rather hard to come by.”
“I’ve never heard of them,” Vinyl said.
“Most ponies don’t know what they are. I bet that, if I showed these to anypony else here, they wouldn’t react the same way. They only work when the pony touching them is thinking about another pony they care about. Otherwise, they just stay this grey color.”
Vinyl looked around the store. Several of these ponies seemed to be here with their significant other. “Look, I know Canterlot can be a bit stuffy, but surely they can at least feel love.”
“Love, yes,” the Unicorn said. “But how many ponies here right now do you think are only thinking about the pony they care about? How many are thinking about how good they would look in my jewels? Or how much social standing they’d gain if their wife was seen wearing something?”
Vinyl looked around again and realized that the store clerk might have a point. She sighed. Either this clerk was telling the truth, or she was pushing a huge scam. The answer to Vinyl’s next question would no doubt reveal the truth.
“How much?”
“How much do you have?” the clerk asked. “Be honest.”
Vinyl gulped. On the one hoof, if she told the clerk how much she really had, the clerk might charge her that much. On the other hoof, she didn’t strike Vinyl as that type of pony. The DJ decided to take a gamble.
“One hundred bits,” she said.
“Fifty bits then,” the Unicorn said as she closed the box. “Use the other half to take her out for a nice date. Consider it part of the present.”
Vinyl’s ears perked up immediately. “Really?” she asked. “I mean, are you sure? You said they’re hard to come by and—”
“And so far no pony else has even remotely interested in them,” the clerk countered with a smile. “Of course, if you’d rather buy one of my fully priced items, the I’m certain you can find—”
“No, no!” Vinyl said quickly. “I’ll take them. Fifty bits it is.” The Unicorn pulled out the required amount and set it on the counter.
“Thanks, Vinyl,” the clerk said as she levitated the money off of the counter. “I’m sure Octavia will love them. Oh, before you go, could I ask you a favor?”
“Sure,” Vinyl said as she carefully picked up the boxed earrings and set them in her saddlebag.
“Um…I, uh, close in two hours for Hearth’s Warming Eve,” the Unicorn said as she scratched the back of her neck. “Could you, um…stop by then? And bring Octavia with you?”
Vinyl blinked in surprise. She was about to say yes, but she stopped herself. “I don’t know. It is Hearth’s Warming Even. I’m sure Octy will want to be spending time with her family.”
“Oh, okay,” the Unicorn said, her ears falling. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.” She perked up again, but Vinyl could still see the disappointment in her eyes. “Well, back to the grind. I know Octavia is going to love those earrings. Thanks for stopping by.”
“But,” Vinyl said quickly before the Unicorn dove back into the crowd of customers, “I’ll ask her. If she says yes, we’ll be here for sure.”
“Really?” The Unicorn’s ears stood straight up and her smile filled her face. “Oh, thank you so much! I promise it won’t take long. Just like, literally, two minutes of her time. I promise.”
“Got it.” With that, the Unicorn returned to the crowd in her store, many of them with huffy looks on their faces now, and Vinyl slowly made her way to the exit. She walked outside and shivered slightly as the cool winter air nipped at her nose. She shook it off and looked back at her saddlebag. She was suddenly glad that she had waited until the last minute to find a gift for Tavi, because she knew that the cellist was going to love the earrings.
The tea was cold now. The warmth had faded into the winter air. All of its appeal was long gone, and yet Symphony couldn’t bring herself to look away from it. She glared at the half-empty glass and felt her face turn into a scowl. Her crystal blue eyes narrowed and wrinkles appeared in the yellow as she stared at her reflection.
Why is this so hard? she thought. She let out a huff of air through her nostrils and the vapor only reminded her that her tea had gone cold. She made a face and smacked her front hoof on the table in frustration.
As she did, something bumped into her backside. Symphony’s hoof slipped and she knocked her tea over. The liquid spilled onto the table and the Earth pony growled. She blinked once and looked for a napkin. Normally, she would have turned around and glared at whomever had made her spill her drink, but she was just too annoyed to care at the moment.
“Pinchy!” a stern voice called out over the clamor of the outdoor café. “Say you’re sorry right now young lady!”
Symphony suddenly felt a small tug on her purple tail. She looked over her shoulder and felt her day get instantly worse. Staring up at her was a little filly. She was a soft pink color with a raspberry mane and tale. She had big lime-green eyes that were staring up at Symphony, practically bleeding apologies, but the thing that really made Symphony’s coat itch was the small tip of a Unicorn horn poking through her mane.
Great. Just great. Probably another little spoiled brat.
“Um, I’m sorry, Miss,” the filly said. She blinked once and Symphony felt her distain for the child lessen. A little. “I was just in a bit of a hurry. We’re trying to find Mom a present.”
“No sweetie, you’re trying to find Mom a present,” came the stern voice. “I already picked something out for her. Did you apologize to this nice lady?”
Symphony looked up, expecting to see some stuck up Canterlot Unicorn, but she was surprised to be looking at another Earth pony like herself. Her coat was darker than the filly’s, almost a purple, and her curly mane and tail were a raspberry pink like the filly, but darker too. Most surprising of all was that the mare didn’t carry herself like a Canterlot pony in the least. She was so lose with each step, and even though she was wearing a scowl, Symphony was willing to bet she was normally a very happy pony.
“Yes, Mommy,” the little filly said, looking up at the newcomer with big round eyes.
Mommy? Wait, then she’s a…?
“Good girl,” the mare said as she ruffled her daughter’s mane playfully. “Now go hurry up and get Mom that present. I’ll wait here.”
What? No!
“Okay!” The filly took off in an instant. She zipped inside the seventeenth store Symphony had visited today and was gone.
“Sorry about that,” the Earth pony said as she sat down at the table with Symphony. “She can be a bit of a hoofful sometimes, especially when we’re in Canterlot.”
“Um…don’t worry about it,” Symphony said quietly. Why was this pony talking to her? She wasn’t in the mood for chatting, and the last thing she needed was to be seen in public with…with a mare like this. There were plenty of same-sex couples in Canterlot, but it was an unspoken rule that ponies kept it private. To talk about it so casually was just—
“Pity about that drink,” the pony said as she looked down at the spilled liquid. “Allow me to get you another one.”
“No!” Symphony said, trying to be polite. “It’s fine, honest. The tea was cold anyway.” She frantically looked around for a napkin. Hopefully, if she busied herself enough, this mare would take the hint and leave her be.
“Tea huh?” the mare continued. She cocked her head to the side and made a face. “Stuff’s okay, but I’ve never really been a fan. More of a wine girl myself. Excuse me!” The mare waved to a nearby waiter. “Fresh cup of tea and a glass of red wine please.” The waiter nodded and went about his task.
“Look, you don’t have to do that,” Symphony said with a bit more force behind her voice. Now she wasn’t just worried about being seen with this mare. She was worried that a certain pony would see her with this mare and get the wrong idea.
Symphony didn’t realize the thought was upsetting her until her bowtie started to itch. She was about to rub it with her hoof when she stopped. Why did she care if that pony saw her sharing a drink with a stranger? It wasn’t like that between them. They were just friends…
“Ugh…” Symphony growled as her head began going around in circles again. She no longer cared about the mare sitting across from her. She just wanted her life to stop being so…difficult. She lowered her head onto the table and stayed there, trying to silence her brain as hundreds of conflicting thoughts raced through her mind.
Symphony heard two quiet taps on the table and the sound of bits changing hooves, but it wasn’t until she heard the waiter walk away that she raised her head to peek out from under her purple mane.
The mare was sitting at the table and taking a long sip from her glass. A very long sip. She drank the wine like it was water, gulp after gulp, until the glass was completely empty. She then smacked her lips together and let out a contented sigh as she set the glass back on the table. She licked her lips and cocked her head to the side.
“Hm…a little too watery if you ask me,” she said after a moment. “But then you Canterlot ponies never understood a good wine. Too much tea drinking if you ask me.” A sly grin spread across the pony’s face as she spoke.
“Hilarious,” Symphony said without lifting her head. “May I help you, or are you quite finished?”
“Yeah, I’m finished. Both with my wine, and my shopping.” The mare locked her gaze on Symphony’s eye and stared at her until the violinist felt uncomfortable. “You want to talk about it?”
“I have no idea what you mean,” Symphony replied, hiding her eye back behind her mane. Why couldn’t this mare just leave her alone? What gave her the right to pry into Symphony’s life?
“Honey, you were bleeding misery from across the city. If my daughter hadn’t crashed into you, I was going to come over and talk to you myself.”
Symphony scoffed. “You really aren’t from Canterlot, are you?”
The mare laughed. “What was your first clue?” She looked herself over and grinned.
“Why are you here?” Symphony asked. “In Canterlot, I mean.”
The mare slouched back a little and flicked her empty glass with her hoof. “Believe me, it wasn’t my choice. I know I don’t fit in here. All these stuffed shirts make my fur itch. But this is where my wife grew up. We’re visiting her family for the holiday.”
“They approve?” Symphony asked before she could stop herself. She instantly slammed her mouth shut, but the words had already escaped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”
“So that’s what’s bothering you,” the mare said, her grin changing from good natured to knowing. Symphony wanted to reach across the table and smack it off of the smug mare’s face, but something told her she’d regret it.
“No, I do not mind if you’re a, uh…”
“’Fillyfooler’ is the name most ponies use.”
Symphony’s ears burned at the sound of the word. To use such language in public was…unheard of in Canterlot. “Um…yes. That.”
The mare snorted a little and then spun her glass. “Frankly deary, I couldn’t give two bucks about whether you mind my sexual prefrences.”
“Uh—” Symphony swallowed, suddenly terrified of the direction the conversation was taking. Why couldn’t this psychopath just leave her alone?
“Like I said, I’m not from Canterlot. All your social norms and acceptable behaviors? Screw ‘em.” The pony’s face soured a little and her eyes grew dark, but then a smile returned to her face and she leaned forward in earnest. “But! That’s not what we’re here to talk about.”
Symphony’s fear suddenly vanished in a puff of confusion. “Um…then what did you mean about—?”
“You don’t know what to get her, do you?”
Symphony sat straight up and her ears jumped. “How dare you! You might be a, a...that, but I’m not! I am a sophisticated Canterlot pony! I am an accomplished musician! I have suitors waiting on me night and day to—stop smiling at me like that!”
“You might want to keep it down babe,” the mare said with a smirk. “Ponies are starting to stare.”
To Symphony’s horror, she realized that that mare was right. She quickly sat back down—she hadn’t even realized she had stood up!—and made it a point to glare straight ahead at the mare. She didn’t dare make eye contact with any of the other ponies who were clearly gossiping about her now.
“I am not a fillyfooler!” she hissed under her breath.
“Uh-huh, whatever you say, sweetheart. I never said you were. I just said you don’t know what to get her. You’re the one who jumped at some imagined insult.” The mare continued to grin at Symphony in that obnoxious way, and if it wasn’t for the fact that leaving would no doubt cause a scene, Symphony would have stormed away right that second. “I didn’t even know it was a her. I just took a shot in the dark.”
Symphony growled until her bowtie felt tight around her throat. This mare had tricked her! And she was probably going to keep tricking her until Symphony made her leave.
“Look,” she said darkly. “You clearly have something you want to say to me. Just say it and go away. I’m sick of your games.”
“You don’t know what to get her, do you?”
As much as it killed Symphony, she nodded. “That’s…correct.”
“You want it to be special. Something that she’ll love, but you can’t think of anything. Seeing as she’s in Canterlot, I’m betting she’s pretty loaded, so fancy gifts are out.”
Symphony thought about what Sea Swirl did for a living. There was no denying that she was well off. “If she wanted something, she could easily afford it.”
“Could she afford you?” the mare asked with a suggestive grin. “Relax, I’m just teasing. So you want it to be special, but I’m betting you don’t want it to be too special. Don’t want to give the wrong impression, right?”
“Yes,” Symphony said quickly. Too quickly, judging by the mare’s smile and the twisted knot in her own stomach.
“Well, then it’s easy. All you have to do is—”
“Mommy! I’m back!” Symphony and the mare looked to see the little filly trotting to the table. A small bag hung in her mouth and she had the biggest smile on her face. “Hi lady. Sorry about bumping into you.”
“It’s…fine,” Symphony said. She stared at the present. That child had it so easy. Of course her…other mom would love the gift. It was expected of a parent. It could be the ugliest thing in the world and her mom would adore it. She didn’t have to worry about the possibility of her mom completely rejecting her and her gift.
At least, that was how it was suppose to work. Symphony wasn’t sure.
“Let me see what you got her,” the mare said. She leaned forward and looked into the bag. She let out a quick laugh.
“Will she like it?”
“Of course she will, Pinchy.” The mare rose from the table and ruffled her daughter’s mane. “Now come on. If we hurry, we can still get some lunch before we have to meet up with your Mom.”
“Wait!” Symphony said as the two ponies began to leave. She rose slightly and stretched her hoof out to stop them.
“What’s up?” the mare asked.
“You, uh…said the solution to my problem was easy. What is it?”
The mare looked down at her daughter and her eyes clouded over. Her expression softened and Symphony could tell that she was drifting through her memories. “You just have to do what my little girl did.”
“Um…okay,” Symphony said. She stood and moved to look in the bag, but the mare yanked it away. “But you said—”
“Get her something only you can get her,” the mare said with a soft smile.
Symphony’s eyes narrowed. “I already told you that I’m not—”
“Not that, although that’s always a good follow up gift.” The mare grinned. “Get her something special.”
“Like what?” Symphony asked. She knew she had to get something special. The problem was that she didn’t know what that something special was. Didn’t this mare understand that?
“All you have to do is get her something from you.” With that, the mare turned around and walked away with her daughter.
Symphony stood there and watched her go. She wanted to be furious with the mare. She had sat at the table and mocked her, played mind games with her, and called her names. Symphony had every right to be angry with her, and on any other day she would have been, but the mare had given her a small idea.
As she left a small tip on her table and began walking through the busy streets, the idea began to grow along with a small smile on her face.
Minuette took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Talking to Princess Celestia still got her flustered, even though she had met her many times. She was a close friend of Princess Cadance after all, and thus Princess Celestia knew her well. But it was still odd talking to one of the rulers so casually.
Worse, she had been forced to ask Princess Celestia for a very, very, very private item. And Princess Celestia had been very accomadating, but the smirk on her face had been worse than anything Berry could ever do. She knew exactly what Minuette had planned for Berry’s gift, and that thought made the Unicorn’s entire body burn.
“Shake it off, girl,” Minuette said to herself as she reached the top of the palace steps. She quickly glanced around to make sure she didn’t recognize anypony. She had grown up in Canterlot, but she had moved to Ponyville years ago. Most ponies in the high-end city didn’t know her on sight, but there were still a few of them. And the thought of any of them spotting her while she was carrying Berry’s gift terrified her.
The blue pony saw no one she knew and quickly made her way down the steps. She kept her head down as she reached the bottom of the stairs and didn’t give anypony a chance to ask why she was coming from the castle. She melted into the crowd and relief began to flood her body. Now all she had to do was make it back to their hotel room, stick Berry’s present in a safe place, and then—
“Minuette?”
No…! The Unicorn picked up her pace and didn’t turn around. If she hurried, she could reach the end of the street and turn and—
“Minuette, wait! It’s me!”
Minuette stopped and took a moment to compose herself. There was no getting out of this now. If she was lucky, she might be able to keep the gift quiet, because this was the worst pony in the world to show Berry’s gift to.
“Jeez girl, what’s the hurry?”
“Um…hey, Lyra,” Minuette said as she turned around. The mint green Unicorn was standing behind her now, her familiar smile plastered on her face and her sunglow eyes twinkling with energy. She was carrying a full bag of groceries and looked rather worn out despite her smile.
“Hey yourself,” Lyra Heartstrings said, giving Minuette a playful nudge in the shoulder. “Nice to see a friendly face in Canterlot. So many of these ponies are a bit too high strung for my tastes.”
Minuette rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it. If my parents didn’t still live here, I wouldn’t—”
“Your parents live here too?” Lyra asked, her tail swishing as she began walking down the street alongside Minuette.
Minuette sighed. “Yes, Lyra. I grew up here, just like you and Bon Bon.”
Lyra’s ears pulled back a little in surprise. “How did you know that?”
Again, Minuette rolled her eyes. Bon Bon had the patience of a saint it seemed. “Because we were in the same class when we were fillies.”
Lyra blinked twice and stared at Minuette. “We were?”
“Yes Lyra. On your first day in class, you said that you believed humans were real. And then you and Bon Bon got into a fight with some bullies, and you two were inseparable after that.”
Lyra’s smiled. “Yeah, I remember that.” The Unicorn looked over her shoulder at the bag of groceries. “I actually just came from the store. I’m going to make Bon Bon dinner tonight as her present. She’s always cooking, so I’m going to surprise her.”
Minuette let out a small laugh. If Lyra’s cooking was anything like Bon Bon said, the poor Earth pony was going to be in serious pain tonight. “I’m sure she’ll…appreciate the gesture.”
Lyra smiled, completely missing Minuette’s worried expression and tone. “I hope so. She does so much work, running her sweet shop back in Ponyville and other…things.” Minuette cocked her head to the side at that remark. “I just want her to relax this time, instead of worrying about getting all the orders filled, or making sure dinner doesn’t burn, or stuff like that…”
Minuette couldn’t help but smile. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”
“So,” Lyra said, turning back from her daydreaming and looking Minuette straight in the eye. “What did you get Berry?”
“Oh! Um…uh, just a…little something,” Minuette said. She tried to squeeze past Lyra, but the Unicorn had managed to block Minuette’s path without even meaning too.
“Cool,” Lyra said, and she began to turn aside to fall into step next to Minuette, but stopped. “What is it?”
“Oh, you know…” Minuette flipped the back of her ear, hoping to make it stop itching. “Just…a little present.”
“Yeah, I know it’s a present, Minuette,” Lyra said with a roll of her eyes. “What’s the present?”
“Something that Berry will like,” Minuette said. She forced her way past Lyra and began trotting quickly down the street. She dodged through the crowd, hoping to either lose Lyra or that the Unicorn would take the hint.
“Wine then?” Lyra said, keeping up with Minuette with ease. How in Celestia’s name was she able to flow through the crowd like that?
“Um…yeah,” Minuette said. She let out a small sigh of relief and slowed a bit. She didn’t know why she hadn’t just said that in the first place. Everypony knew that Berry enjoyed her wine—a bit too much, in Minuette’s opinion—so of course they’d expect Minuette to get her some for the holiday. It was completely normal.
“That’s kind of weird,” Lyra said.
Or not.
Minuette couldn’t help but stop. She stared at the mint Unicorn in disbelief. “What do you mean it’s weird?” she demanded. “Berry loves wine!”
Lyra waved a hoof and rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah. Everypony knows that.”
“So why is wine from me, her wife, weird? You think I don’t know what she likes? There’s not a pony in this entire world who knows her tastes better!”
Lyra poked Minuette in the chest with her hoof. “Exactly!”
The anger blew out of Minuette in a second. “Uh…exactly what?”
“Well, you said it yourself. You’re her wife. You know her better than anypony. It just seems kind of…dull of you to get her such a generic gift.”
“It’s not generic!” Minuette protested. “In fact, I had to go straight to—” She stuff her hoof in her mouth before she spilled the beans. Lyra was the absolute last pony who could find out what Minuette had just acquired.
“Ooooooh,” Lyra said, her eyes narrowing slightly. “So it’s a special type of wine then? Okay, that sounds a bit better, but I still say—ooaf!”
“Lyra, what are you—agh!”
Lyra tumbled forward and crashed into Minuette as a rather large crowd of ponies made their way down the street and one of them bumped into her. The two ponies tumbled to the ground and Minuette’s vision was suddenly filled with green fur.
“Oh, terribly sorry, ladies,” said a stallion. He held out a hoof and helped Lyra up and then Minuette. “Entirely my fault.”
“Nah, no harm done,” Lyra said with a smile. “Busy time of year. Now, where are my groceries?”
“Allow me,” the stallion said. His horn glowed and he and Lyra began to collect the scattered items. Minuette stood there and watched, nursing the back of her head from where she had hit the street.
“Thanks for the help,” Lyra said as she placed the last of her belongings back into her bag.
“I believe this is the last item,” the stallion said as he levitated a bottle in front of Lyra.
“That’s not—”
Minuette’s blood ran cold. Her cheeks burned. Her legs went stiff. Her mane suddenly felt like it was a complete mess. Even her teeth hurt as she pressed her mouth closed in horror.
Lyra simply looked at the bottle, turned to Minuette with a blank expression, and then turned back to the stallion. She took the bottle with her own magic and nodded her thanks.
“Again, I’m terribly sorry, ladies,” the stallion said. He bowed slightly, and then resumed walking, disappearing into the crowded streets.
“I believe you were going this way,” Lyra said as she began to walk again. The bottle was tucked safely in her saddlebag, with just the tip showing, but for all Minuette cared, it might as well have been in the main hall at Canterlot castle.
The blue Unicorn said nothing. Every step she took after Lyra was torture. Her legs refused to function beyond the bare minimum. Her blood felt like it had ruptured her veins and was flooding her body. She was keenly aware of her pulse in her teeth as her heart pounded against her body. Her lungs felt shallow, and despite the cold air she was constantly sucking in, her chest felt like it was on fire.
Minuette opened her mouth to say something, but her tongue refused to form words. All she could do was walk awkwardly behind Lyra like she was being lead to her execution.
After several lifetimes, Minuette began to relax a little. Lyra hadn’t said anything. She hadn’t shown any sign of knowing what Minuette had bought. Perhaps Lyra didn’t know what the drink was. Maybe Minuette could still avoid embarrassment. Lyra was, after all, a bit of an airhead sometimes. It wasn’t too far fetched to believe that she really didn’t know what she was carrying.
Plus, she had already been rather tipsy the last time she had seen that bottle.
Yeah. Yeah, she doesn’t remember it. Whew. I’m saved.
Walking came easier as Minuette’s body was flooded with relief. All she had to do now was get the bottle back and be on her way. But for that, she needed to compose herself. If she asked for the bottle the way she was now, Lyra would know something was up.
Minuette took several deep breaths and waited until they reached the end of the main street before she spoke. “Lyra, you have my—”
“Oh yeah,” Lyra said, whipping around to face Minuette. “This is yours, isn’t it?” She looked over her shoulder and levitated the bottle out of her bag.
“Yeah, thanks,” Minuette said, grabbing it—not too quickly—with her own magic and stuffing it deep into her saddlebag. “I guess he just thought it was yours.”
“Looked that way,” Lyra replied, still all smiles. “I didn’t want to embarrass the poor guy, so I just took it.”
Minuette silently thanked Celestia for Lyra’s scattered brain. “That was very kind of you. Well, I better get going. Berry and Pinchy should be back at the room soon.”
“Yeah, me too,” Lyra said as she turned to leave. “I need to get started on making dinner, or I’m never going to finish before Bon Bon gets back.”
“See you later,” Minuette said with a wave. She turned and began to walk toward the hotel she and her family were staying at.
“Hey, Minuette!” Lyra called.
“Yes?” Minuette asked as she turned around with a smile, but the smile instantly fell from her face.
Lyra’s lips were pursed out in an exaggerated kiss. Her eyes were closed and she was making a kissing sound as she took a small step toward Minuette. “I might be able to swing by later tonight, if you want. I’m sure Berry wouldn’t mind either.”
Minuette’s face went red. Her ears slammed down on her head and she stared at the ground, allowing her mane to fall over her face. “N-No, that’s…um, that’s…okay…”
Curse you, Lyra! Of course you remember!
“Well, okay,” Lyra teased. “You sure the two of you can handle a whole bottle of alicorn drink? Last time just one glass was enough to—”
“Don’t you have to get going?” Minuette shouted, still unable to look up from the sidewalk.
“Yeah, you’re right.” Minuette heard the Unicorn turn and begin to leave, but then she stopped. “Just remember though. Berry really likes it when you put that extra swing in you hips when you dance on the table!”
Octavia Melody’s ears were tingling in the cold. She was not entirely certain what was causing the sensation. It could have been the feeling of wearing earrings again after so long, or it could have been the chilly air, or perhaps even the strange magic in the earrings. Or maybe it was all of those things at once.
The cellist reached up and touched her right ear with her hoof. Nope, it was the cold, because her ear instantly calmed down when the warmth of her hoof drew near.
“Do you like them? Tell me you like them.”
Octavia looked at the pony who had given her the earrings. Vinly was struggling to contain her excitement as the two of them walked down the nearly deserted street. Hearth’s Warming Eve was upon them, and most ponies were either hurrying home or off to whatever social gathering they planned to make an appearance at.
“Yes, Vinyl. They are lovely,” Octavia said with a soft smile.
“They’re blue now!” Vinyl said. A stupid grin was spread across her face and Octavia could not help but smile. The sheer look of joy in her marefriend’s eyes was enough to banish the cold from her ears.
“Naturally,” she replied and she flicked her head to the side and closed her eyes, allowing Vinyl to stare at the jewelry for a moment. “Where are we heading again?”
“The place where I bought them,” the Unicorn said, still keeping her red eyes glued to Octavia’s face.
“Why?” Octavia asked, slightly perplexed. “They do not have any flaws, and they fit perfectly.”
“Oh, no, we’re not going there to return them or anything,” Vinyl said with a wave of her hoof. “Come on, Tavi, I’m not that dense.”
Octavia tried not to blush at the sound of her pet name. “Then why are we going there?”
It was not that Octavia disliked strolling through the city in the late evening, bundled up with her love and listening to the freshly fallen snow crunch under her hooves. She and Vinyl could wander the streets deep into the night for all she cared, but she had made a promise to her mother and father that they would be back in time for dinner.
And with her mother finally warming up to Vinyl, Octavia did not want to risk an incident.
“We’re going to meet somepony,” Vinyl said with a smile, but then she tilted her head to the side. “Er, well, you’re going to meet somepony. She asked me to bring you by the shop when it closed.”
“Oh, very well,” Octavia said with a bit of confusion. She had several admirers in Canterlot. Perhaps this meeting was with one of them. Perhaps they wanted a special autograph for Hearth’s Warming Eve.
“Glad to hear it.” Vinyl’s face was beaming. “She seemed really eager to meet you.”
Octavia smiled. Of course Vinyl would promise something without checking with Octavia first. It was part of her charm. “What is her name?”
“Huh?”
Octavia’s amethyst eyes closed half way. “Her name, Vinyl. That thing that every pony has in order to make themselves unique and recognizable to other ponies?”
“That could easily be a cutie mark,” Vinyl protested, now looking away from Octavia and laughing nervously. “Which, by the way, was of two dolphins.”
“Her name, Vinyl.”
“Eh…”
Octavia sighed. Of course Vinyl did not ask for the pony’s name. “Why do I love you again?”
Vinyl trotted ahead and swished her tail in Octavia’s face. “Because I have a cute butt and—whoa, hey there!”
Octavia bit down on Vinyl’s tail and pull, not too gently, until Vinyl was being dragged back through the snow. The cellist then reached out and slapped the D.J.’s flank, then let go of her tail and continued walking as though nothing had happened. When she looked back, Vinyl was down in the snow, looking up at her with excited eyes.
“Are you coming?” Octavia asked.
“Yeah,” Vinyl said. “Just…uh, trying to cool off.”
“Get up this instant or you will catch a cold,” Octavia said as she walked back to the Unicorn. She held her hoof out and helped Vinyl back to her hooves. “I will not have my marefriend getting sick on Hearth’s Warming Eve because she could not control her more sensual side.”
“Hey! You’re the one that spanked me!” Vinyl protested.
“I was simply reminding you of what is mine,” Octavia replied with a small grin, but that was all her face gave away. The sight of Vinyl licking her lips and trying to focus on walking was well worth it.
The two ponies walked in silence for a little longer, occasionally passing another pony in the city, but otherwise they were alone. Octavia used the opportunity to snuggle into Vinyl’s scarf. She closed her eyes as she inhaled the mare’s comforting scent and allowed Vinyl to guide her the rest of the way.
“We’re here,” Vinyl whispered all too soon.
“Great,” Octavia said as she opened her eyes and pulled away from Vinyl. She found that they were standing in front of one of the most popular jewelry stores in Canterlot. “Vinyl…how did you afford…?”
“I know ponies,” Vinyl said with a smirk, which instantly disappeared when Octavia glared at her. “Okay, so the shopkeeper maaaay have given me a bargain. She said, uh…I was suppose to use—”
“She was suppose to use the other bits to take you on a nice date.” Octavia turned to the jewelry store at the sound of the new voice. A Unicorn was coming out the front door. She turned and locked the shop up, then trotted over to the two musicians in the snow. “You better have kept your promise, Vinyl, or I’m charging you full price.”
“I will!” Vinyl said. “It’s just…everything is kind of booked tonight, so…”
The lavender Unicorn smiled. “Fair enough. Miss Melody, thank you so much for coming! I’m sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Think nothing of it, Miss…?” Octavia offered her hoof as she waited for the mare’s name.
“Sea Swirl,” the Unicorn replied with a friendly shake. “Just Sea Swirl.”
“Then you may call me Octavia,” Octavia replied with a soft smile. “Vinyl said you wanted to speak with me about something?”
“Oh yes!” Sea Swirl levitated a rather long case out of her saddlebag. Octavia instantly recognized it as a bow case. So Sea Swirl most likely wanted her to sign it as a present or something. While it was a little…unorthodox to ask for an autograph in this way, she did not mind. Sea Swirl seemed like a nice enough pony.
Sea Swirl popped the case open and sure enough, a bow was resting inside it. The wooden frame looked worn in many places, but the strings gleamed in the moonlight.
“It is lovely,” Octavia said. “Would you like me to sign the case, or the bow itself?”
Sea Swirl blinked several times. “Um…what?”
Now it was Octavia’s turn to blink. “I apologize. I…assumed you wanted me to sign it?”
Sea Swirl looked at Octavia, looked down at the bow, up at Vinyl, and then started laughing. “What? No. No, that’s okay. I just wanted your opinion on it.”
Octavia’s cheeks flushed. How arrogant of her to assume that just because some pony showed her something, that meant that the pony wanted her to sign it. “Oh, I am so sorry. I did not mean to presume.”
“It’s fine,” Sea Swirl replied with a shrug. “Actually, I think she’s kind of a fan of yours. Signing it might not be such a bad idea…” Sea Swirl tilted her head to the side and stared up at the stars for a moment. “But first, the matter at hoof! Does it look right?”
“What’s that suppose to mean?” Vinyl asked. Octavia shoved her for being rude.
“I, uh…kind of borrowed it from my…friend.”
“Right,” Vinyl said with a slow nod and a grin. “Friend. Is she—ow!”
Sea Swirl blushed, but continued. “No, she’s just a friend. I think. I don’t know.” The Unicorn shook her head. “Anyway, like I was saying, I borrowed it without asking her. The strings were frayed and snapped. I’ve seen her looking at it a few times. I offered to buy her a new one, or even have this one fixed, but she wouldn’t hear it. So I, um…”
“You decided to fix it for her for Hearth’s Warming Eve,” Octavia said with a nod. “That way, she cannot get mad at you.”
“Pssh,” Sea Swirl waved her hoof, “Symphony will still get mad at me. She’s really—”
“Symphony?” Octavia asked. That was a name she had not heard in a while. In fact, the last time she had heard that name was when the musician had caused a rather…frightful scene in Canterlot. She had also said some unkind things to Octavia herself.
“Yeah,” Sea Swirl said. “Do you know her?”
“I…have crossed her path before,” Octavia said carefully. She and Symphony had played together once, and while the pony was talented, she was not what Octavia would call nice.
But then, Sea Swirl seemed to like her, and Sea Swirl seemed nice. Perhaps Symphony had changed since they had last spoke.
Sea Swirl shook her head. “We keep getting off track. Like I was saying, I had the strings replaced on her bow. I wanted to make sure the craftspony did it right. I don’t know the first thing about music, so I wouldn’t know. Could you look it over?”
Octavia debated for a moment, but she shoved the doubt aside. Symphony had seemed to be under a lot of stress when they had last met, and it was not fair to judge her entire character on that one encounter. “Of course. Do you mind if I hold it?”
Sea Swirl nodded and Octavia carefully lifted the bow out of the box. The weight felt right, and she could feel the smoothness in the wood from where Symphony rested her hoof. It felt familiar and alien at the same time. She briefly wondered if Fiddlesticks’ bow felt like Symphony’s, but she did not dwell on the thought.
Instead, the cellist held the bow up to the moonlight. She glanced at the strings. There was something special about them. It took her a moment to figure out what, but she realized it.
Of course, she thought with a warm smile. That is why she is worried.
“It is perfect, Sea Swirl,” Octavia said as she lowered the bow back into the case. “And if Symphony does not appreciate all that you did, then she is lesser for it.”
Sea Swirl blushed. “Um, right. Thank you.”
The three ponies stood in the snow for a long moment. Sea Swirl kept looking between the case and the ground, doing her best to avoid Octavia’s warm smile. Vinyl kept looking at both of them in confusion. She knew she had missed something, and Octavia could not help but giggle at her for it.
“Well, I think I’d better get going,” Sea Swirl said after a while as she kicked at the snow. “Symphony is suppose to be at my place in a few minutes, so, uh…”
“Do you have a piece of paper I could write on?” Octavia asked.
“Sure.” Sea Swirl rummaged through her saddlebag for a moment and then pulled out a small piece of paper. “Here you go.”
“Quill?” Octavia asked as she turned and pressed the piece of paper against Vinyl’s side. The Unicorn jumped a little in surprise, but she did not protest.
“Yep,” Sea Swirl said as she levitated a quill over to Octavia. The Earth pony took the quill in her mouth and wrote a quick note on the paper. She then folded it and gave it to Sea Swirl.
“Put that in the case,” Octavia said sternly. “It is for Symphony only.”
“Got it!” Sea Swirl said as she put the note inside the bow case. She then closed it and put it back in her saddlebag. “Well, thanks again, Octavia. Hope you two have a great Hearth’s Warming Eve and day tomorrow.”
“You as well, Sea Swirl,” Octavia said with a nod.
“Thanks again for the deal!” Vinyl added. “She looks great in them, right?”
“She sure does,” Sea Swirl said with a wink. With that, the Unicorn turned and dashed down the street and out of sight.
“Shall we head back?” Octavia asked as she turned to leave.
“Sure,” Vinyl said as she followed. “So…what was the deal with the bow?”
Octavia smiled to herself. “Sea Swirl had it specially made. I am not sure if Symphony will be able to tell, but it is something that is very important to musicians like her and myself.”
“Oh,” Vinyl said in a quiet voice.
“What is bothering you?” Octavia asked. She stopped and turned to the white Unicorn to see that her ears were lowered.
“Well, um…I kind of want to know what Sea Swirl did. You know, so I can do it too.” Octavia felt tears come to her eyes. She laughed and shook her head. “What? I’m serious.”
“You already did, silly.”
“What was it?” Octavia flicked her tail so that it slapped against Vinyl’s and the Unicorn’s eyes went wide with understanding. “Oooooh. Got it.”
“Come on,” Octavia said as she nuzzled against Vinyl’s scarf again. “Let us head home. I am certain mother has prepared a lovely dinner for us.”
Berry Punch stood in the doorway to the room her daughter was sleeping in. She didn’t move and she didn’t make any noise. She simply stood and watched her angel’s little chest rise and fall with each breath. She had been worried that Pinchy would have trouble sleeping in a new bed on Hearth’s Warming Eve, but she had snuggled under the blankets and passed out almost immediately.
It was all Berry could do to not crawl into the bed with her daughter. Pinchy was growing up much faster than Berry wanted. Soon she’d start drawing attention, and worse, showing interest, and Berry didn’t know how to deal with that. She was terrified that her daughter would turn out to be just like her.
I won’t allow it. I’ll beat them all off of her with a stick! Berry’s eyes narrowed at the thought of a mare or stallion coming home with her daughter. Pinchy wouldn’t turn out the same way she did. She would be a good girl. A proper girl. A girl that fit in with Canterlot. One that Minuette wouldn’t have to be embarrassed to take around her hometown. Pinchy would not turn—
“You’re doing it again.”
Berry jumped as two soft blue hooves slipped gently around her neck. A second later, Minuette’s chin came to rest on Berry’s shoulder, and all her dark thoughts vanished.
“Sorry, Collie” Berry said. She leaned into Minuette’s face and closed her eyes. If Pinchy found a girl as good Minuette, then Berry would be okay. If she found a stallion then…well, Berry would sit that boy down and set him straight before anything else happened.
“What was it this time?”
“Just worrying about my little baby.” Berry opened her eyes and looked at her daughter in the dim room.
“Our little baby,” Minuette corrected with a quick squeeze. A tear came to Berry’s eye. “And she’s not as little as she was.”
“That’s what I’m worried about!” Berry complained. “I’m worried that our little girl will grow up to be me.”
“Is that so bad?”
“You’re joking,” Berry replied flatly.
“If you were half as bad as you think you are, do you think I would have stayed?”
“I don’t…” Berry trailed off. Minuette had done it again. With just a few words, she had managed to banish all of Berry’s worries from her mind. No matter how dark Berry’s thoughts got, Minuette always cut right through them, bringing a warmth that only she could bring.
“You’re a great mother, Berry. Certainly not perfect, but you are great. Pinchy is lucky to have a mother who is so devoted to her. There are fillies that would love to have their parents spend half as much time with them as you do with Pinchy.”
Berry turned and kissed her wife on the cheek. “Thanks, babe. I needed that.”
Minuette smiled, her perfect teeth gleaming in the faith light in the room. “I know. Now come on. I still need to give you your present.”
“Mm…late night present, huh?” Berry licked her lips and grinned. “I like where this is going.” When Minuette simply smiled at her and then walked down the small hallway in the hotel room, the grin vanished from Berry’s lips. “Uh, Collie? You okay?”
Minuette walked into the kitchen and disappeared around the corner. Berry followed, her curiosity rising with each step. Usually Minuette played hard to get, or gave Berry a deadly eye roll whenever she talked like that to her. The fact that she hadn’t even let out an exasperated sigh was…slightly worrisome.
“Collie, it’s not fun if you don’t—” Berry stopped, both in midsentence and mid-step, as she rounded the corner and gazed into the kitchen. A lone a bottle of something, freshly uncorked with a few bubbles still dripping down the side, was sitting in the middle of the table. Two glasses were set out at one end of the table, and Minuette was standing next to one of the chairs. She smiled and pulled it out with her magic.
Berry took a few slow steps forward, not sure what was going on. Minuette didn’t care for her drinking habit, but she would still buy Berry the occasional bottle and even share a glass from time to time. But this was something on a whole different level.
“Trying to be romantic?” Berry teased as she slid into the chair.
Minuette slipped into the chair next to her. “Trying. I don’t know if I’m doing a good job.”
“Well, the trembling is kind of cute.” Minuette went stiff. Berry laughed and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Relax. I said it’s cute. So, this is my present, huh? A nice bottle of wine with my wife? I can’t think of anything better.” Berry lowered her voice and leaned in close, so that the tip of her lips just barely touched Minuette’s ear. “Well, I can think of one—mmph?!”
Minuette turned and pressed her lips against Berry’s. Hard. Very hard. So hard that, for a moment, Berry wondered if she was kissing a Changeling, but then Minuette’s hooves wrapped around the back of her neck and she knew it was her Collie.
“Uh, sorry. Just…trying to get in the mood,” Minuette said as she pulled away from the kiss. She was breathing hard and having trouble keeping her eyes on Berry’s face. They kept drifting back to the bottle and the empty glasses.
“Don’t be sorry,” Berry said, a little surprised at her wife’s assertiveness. “Do it again.”
“Oh, there’s a very good chance of that tonight.”
All the teasing and sexual energy left Berry in an instant. Minuette was acting weird. Very weird. It was still her. Her kiss was still the same and it was something that no Changeling could ever copy, but the rest of her was out of place. Berry had never seen her like this before…
Except for that one time.
“What?” Minuette asked quickly. Her gazed darted between Berry and the opened bottle on the table four times before finally stopping on Berry.
“So, Collie…” Berry looked at the bottle carefully. “What exactly is that drink?” She was pretty familiar with all the fine drinks in Equestria, and she was positive that she didn’t recognize this one.
“Just, um…something special.” Minuette grabbed the bottle with her magic and poured herself a small glass and then held it over Berry’s glass. “Would you like some?”
“How much have you already had?”
“Um…just a small sip. I…okay, look. This was going to be really difficult for me, so I needed a shot before I started.”
Berry grinned. “And a small sip turned you into this? How much is that glass going to do?”
Minuette reached out and grabbed the sides of Berry’s face. She held her there and stared into her eyes. There was a burning in them that Berry knew all too well, but she was used to seeing it in her own eyes, not her wife’s. “Look, do you want that private dance or not? Because if not, I can just down this glass right now and we can move right on to the finale, because I want you!”
Berry blushed. She couldn’t remember the last time she had blushed because of sex. Having Minuette this close to her and this eager was not something she was used to. It was…exhilarating and terrifying. This was a side of Collie that she rarely saw, and the hunger in the Unicorn’s eyes was tearing into her.
“So…this is the drink Cadance gave you at her party, isn’t it?” Minuette simply nodded rapidly. “Is it okay? I mean, what about Pinchy in the morning? If we’re both—”
“Sssh,” Minuette hissed as she put her hoof up to her mouth. “Princess Celestia gave me another drink. She…uh, what did she say…? Right! She said it’ll help in the morning. Not right as rain, but well enough that Pinchy can mind herself for an hour while we sleep it off.”
Berry looked over at the bottle and then at her wife and grinned. “Do we need those glasses?”
Minuette brought the bottle to her lips and took a long sip. Watching her throat throb with each gulp caused Berry to start squirming in her chair. A small amount of the liquid slipped down side of Minuette’s mouth and ran down her long neck. Berry stared at it until she couldn’t help it. She leaned forward and slowly licked the liquid off of her wife’s neck.
Minuette placed her hoof on Berry’s chest ands shoved her back. “Nu-uh,” she said as she pulled the bottle away from her lips. “You are just watching. You can—hic—you can play when I say you can.”
“But Collie…” Berry whined, only half pretending. She vaguely wondered if Minuette had remembered to put a muffling spell on Pinchy’s room, but she pushed the thought aside as Minuette brought the bottle to Berry’s lips. These hotels had sound spells set on them from the beginning anyway.
“Take a drink,” Minuette said. Before Berry could protest, the Unicorn forced the bottle into her mouth and titled it back.
The liquid flowed into Berry’s mouth. It moved like silk down her throat, but the texture on her tongue was like a sweet honey. It rushed through her body and her head suddenly felt light. She wrapped her lips around the edge of the bottle without thinking and tried to suck more of the delicious liquid from it.
“That’s a good girl,” Minuette said as she pulled the bottle away, much to Berry’s annoyance.
“Wow…” Berry whispered as she struggled to stay in her seat. So this was what Alicorns drank to get drunk? It was…whoa. It was unlike anything she had ever tried. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she had experienced all of the sensations before, but it usually took more than a single gulp to get her this way. She reached out for the table twice before she was able to find it. She tapped it and tried to say that she wanted another sip, but her words failed her.
“Oh no,” Minuette said with a lazy smile. “You’ve—ah…you’ve had enough. For now. Just, just, just…” Minuette leaned back and stared at the ceiling of their room for a moment and then jumped forward. “Enjoy the show!”
The Unicorn jumped out of her seat and onto the table. For a moment, she stood on all fours, but then she took a deep breath and stood up on her hind legs. She staggered for a moment and laughed when she nearly fell off of the table, but she managed to keep her balance.
“Wee, this is fun!” she said as she slowly turned around. “You should try it, Berry.”
“If you say—”
“Hey!” Minuette spun around and glared at Berry. “I said you could play when I say so! You stay right there and watch your wife be…be…um, what was it?”
“Me?” Berry offered with a small laugh. Her head was swimming already, but she didn’t mind. She and Minuette rarely had a chance to get drunk together.
“That’s it!” Minuette said as she pointed down at Berry. “Hot! Watch your wife be hot!”
“Yes ma…ma’am!” Berry attempted to make a salute, but her hoof slipped and poked her in the face. She giggled.
“Lyra said you like this.” Berry watched as her wife started swaying her hips back and forth and the Earth pony’s mouth fell open. She began to squirm again as the Unicorn’s white and blue tail began to whip around with the motion of the hips.
“Hot…” Berry whispered, licking her lips as her wife continued to dance on the table.
“Lyra was right,” Minuette giggled. “She offered to bring Bon Bon by for a drink. You…want to…?”
All Berry could do was shake her head as she continued to gaze at her wife.
“Good,” Minuette said. She stopped dancing and leaned in close. She pressed her forehead against Berry’s and grinned. “Because this is a private session.”
Bon Bon tried her best not to crack up laughing. Poor Lyra was standing in the middle of a smoke-fill kitchen. She looked like she was wearing a mask because blackness covered everything on her face save for her eyes. And despite the tears swelling in those eyes, Lyra looked adorable.
“What in Celestia’s name happened?” Bon Bon asked, trying hard not to laugh. She knew that Lyra would think she was laughing at her, even if Bon Bon said otherwise.
“I ruined your present, that’s what,” Lyra said as her face fell. Bon Bon looked over her shoulder at her parents, who were both sitting in the living room. She gave them a quick smile to let them know that their house wasn’t in danger of burning down and returned her gaze to her wife.
“Well, if my present was to make—”
“I’m so sorry, Sweetie Drops!” Lyra cried and Bon Bon instantly realized just how upset Lyra was. “I wanted to make you dinner. You make all these amazing meals for me all the time, and I just wanted to…to…” She trailed off and hung her head as the tears fell.
“Honey, it’s okay,” Bon Bon said, crossing the kitchen in a heartbeat and wrapping her wife in a hug.
“No it’s not!” Lyra said as she buried her face into Bon Bon’s curly blue and pink mane. “I know I’m not good at this sort of thing, but I wanted to show you that…that I…”
“Shush you,” Bon Bon whispered as she stroked Lyra’s mane. “You’re perfect the way you are.”
“But your present!” Lyra protested.
“My present is right here,” Bon Bon said. She pulled Lyra’s face away from her mane and made the Unicorn look her in the eye. “You look adorable right now, and you’re reminding me why I fell in love with you.”
Lyra sniffled and wiped her eyes, casuing the soot to smear across her face and ruin her makeshift mask. “I…I am?”
Bon Bon tapped Lyra’s nose. “Look, Lyra. I know I can be…um…”
“A stick in the mud?” Lyra offered helpfully.
Bon Bon growled. “Yes, although I wouldn’t have put it quite that way.”
“Heh heh,” Lyra laughed as the hint of a smile appeared on her face. “Sorry.”
“I know that other ponies think I’m a downer. I know some of them wonder why you tolerate me when I’m constantly stepping on your imagination.”
Lyra’s eyes shot up and a look of horror crossed her face. “I don’t feel like that!”
“But, you constantly remind me that life is still fun,” Bon Bon said with a teary smile. “You still look at the world with wonder and you make me see it in ways I would never be able to. And you make me laugh. Like right now.”
“Hey!” Lyra said, her cheerfulness returning. “What’s funny about this?”
Bon Bon shook her head. “Lyra, can you even imagine what you look like right now? You are covered in smoke, standing in the middle of my parents’ kitchen, with dishes piled as high as mountains. You look like a little four-year-old filly.”
“I do not!” Lyra pouted.
Bon Bon couldn’t help it any longer. She started laughing. Lyra playfully shoved her, but there was no harm in her actions.
“Well well,” Bon Bon’s mom said as she walked into the kitchen. “Miss Heartstrings, you seem to have destroyed my kitchen.”
Lyra blushed and hid behind Bon Bon a little. “Um…sorry about that, Mrs. Bon Bon’s Mom.”
“There’s a special dinner in the fridge for you two.”
“There is?” Lyra and Bon Bon said at the same time. They looked at each other and then back at Bon Bon’s mom. As if on cue, both of their stomachs growled. Bon Bon was good at making candy and she was a decent cook, but her mother was on a whole other level. A homemade dinner from her was something to be treasured.
“You may have it after you two clean up this mess.”
“But Mom…” Bon Bon whined. She was teasing, of course. She would have helped Lyra regardless.
“Not a single word, young lady,” her mom said with fake scorn. “You promised to take this mare, flaws and all. Which means you will share in her punishment. And then, you can share in her reward.”
“But, Mrs. Bon Bon’s Mom, I said I’d make dinner,” Lyra said. “Why did you make something to eat?”
Bon Bon’s mom smiled and Bon Bon recognized it as the same smile she always gave Lyra. “Lyra, sweetie, Bon Bon talks about you all the time. We know you can’t cook to save your life.”
Sea Swirl rushed through the deserted streets of Canterlot. The sun had long since set and the Pegasi had managed to dump a decent amount of snow before being allowed to retire for the holiday. As such, it was taking her a bit longer to reach her Canterlot home. Her hooves were starting to get numb from the cold, but she didn’t care.
“I hope she didn’t leave,” she said as she rounded the corner that would put her on her street. She nearly slipped and she felt the bow slipping out of her saddlebag. She recovered her balance and grabbed the bow with her magic, forcing it back into the bag before she continued.
Sea Swirl spied her house in the middle of the street. For a moment, her heart sunk because it was unlit, unlike every other home on the block, but as the Unicorn drew closer, she saw a faint light in her front window. Even though she knew she had left it on when she had left, she chose to believe that it was a sign that Symphony had stopped by and was still there.
Sea Swirl trotted through the snow, doing her best not to break into a full sprint. She hadn’t spent a Hearth’s Warming Eve with another pony in years. She was always left out of the invitations and she had no special pony to spend time with. She was excited at the thought of having somepony to talk to for the holiday, but she knew that Symphony didn’t see her as anything more than a friend. And sometimes, she wondered if the musician even saw her as that. So she didn’t want to blow it by seeming too eager when she reached her house.
Sea Swirl reached her front door and took several deep breaths. “Don’t get too excited. She might not even be here.” She knocked three times and then pushed the door open. “Symphony, I’m home. Are…are you here?”
The silence ate at Sea Swirl. She held her breath and counted each unbearable second.
Two seconds.
What if Symphony hadn’t come over?
Three seconds.
What if she had come over, and then left?
Five seconds.
What if she left because she thought Sea Swirl had stood her up?
Six seconds.
“Yes,” came a soft voice from inside the home.
Sea Swirl nearly squealed with delight, but she managed to stifle the sound. “Glad you could make it,” she called as she entered the house. She lit the lanterns in the main room and light flooded the home.
Symphony was sitting on a couch, her back turned to Sea Swirl. Her purple mane was cascading down the back of the couch and Sea Swirl stared at it for a few seconds before she cleared her head.
“I had nowhere else to be,” Symphony said quietly.
“Sorry I’m kind of late,” Sea Swirl said as she put her saddlebag down by the door. “The store was crazy busy and—”
“And what?” Symphony asked, but Sea Swirl ignored her. She had started to pull Symphony’s gift out of her saddlebag when she had come to a horrible realization:
She had completely forgotten to wrap the gift!
“Stupid, stupid, stupid!” Sea Swirl mumbled as she smacked her hoof against her forehead.
“Is something the matter?” Symphony asked. Sea Swirl looked up at her just in time to see her beginning to turn around. The Unicorn instantly shoved the unwrapped box back in her saddlebag and kicked it out of sight.
“Er, well, it’s…” Sea Swirl scratched the back of her neck and grimaced. “It’s…about your present.”
“Forget it,” Symphony said.
“What?” Sea Swirl asked, shocked at the tone in the Earth pony’s voice.
“I said to forget it,” the musician said darkly. “Give it to somepony else.”
“But it’s for you,” Sea Swirl said, her ears falling slightly.
“Well I don’t want it!” Symphony shouted. She turned back around on the couch and lowered her head.
Sea Swirl stood in the entrance to her home and stared at the pony’s back. She was still figuring Symphony out. The pony was Canterlot through and through, and thus kept her emotions well guarded. Sea Swirl suspected that Symphony was starting to lower her guard around her, but only slightly.
Still, Sea Swirl liked to believe that she knew Symphony well enough to know when something was bothering her. Carefully, she walked over to the back of the couch. She considered putting her hoof on Symphony’s shoulder, but decided that the mare would probably take offense to that.
“Um..Symphony? Is…something bothering you?” she asked.
“This whole stupid holiday is bothering me,” the mare said in a strained voice.
Sea Swirl blinked. Symphony carried a lot of baggage. The Unicorn had realized that in the first few days of knowing her. It was why Sea Swirl tried so hard to be her friend, but something told the Unicorn that this wasn’t about some bad memory involving the holiday. Symphony’s voice usually closed down when she was talking about something like that. Right now, it sounded like she was barely keeping it together.
“Um…why is that?” Sea Swirl asked. She carefully walked around the couch. Symphony made sure to turn away from her so that her face remained hidden.
“I just don’t like this whole gift-giving idea,” she whispered as Sea Swirl sat down on the couch next to her. The Unicorn was careful to keep a decent amount of space between them. She could tell that Symphony was on the verge of getting up and storming out, and she didn’t want to do something that would give her cause.
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I completely forgot to wrap yours,” Sea Swirl said. She forced a weak laugh, trying to lighten the mood.
“I told you I don’t want it!” Symphony rounded on Sea Swirl so quickly that the Unicorn jumped a little. Symphony’s eyes pierced her and she could see the anger burning in crystal blue spheres. For a terrible moment, Sea Swirl was afraid she had pushed the mare over the edge and that Symphony was about to stand up and storm out, leaving Sea Swirl all alone on yet another Hearth’s Warming Eve.
But as Sea Swirl looked into the raging eyes, she saw that the anger wasn’t directed at her. It was suffocating under sadness so thick that she had to fight the urge to reach out and wrap Symphony in a tight embrace.
“You…you…you can just go out and, and…and buy me whatever you want!” Symphony said as she fought back tears. “You think it’s not big deal. What’s a gift to a pony who can afford everything, right?”
“You stop right there!” Sea Swirl shouted. Symphony was stunned by the forcefulness behind Sea Swirl’s voice, and she was too. She hadn’t meant to yell like that, but she couldn’t back down now. “You think I just went out and bought you something willy-nilly? You think I didn’t put any thought into what to get you? After all the time we’ve spent together, do you really believe I think so little of you? ‘Oh, this is expensive, so I’m sure she’ll love it.’“
Symphony tried to hold Sea Swirl’s glare, but she couldn’t. She hung her head. “No,” she whispered in a voice so soft that Sea Swirl wondered if she had actually heard it.
“Do you think that little of me?” Sea Swirl asked quietly, trying to hide the hurt in her voice.
“No!” Symphony said a little louder. She even managed to look up for a moment, but then she looked down again. “It’s just…I didn’t get you anything.”
“Is that why you’re upset?” Sea Swirl asked. “Symphony, I don’t need anything. I’m—”
“If you are about to feed me some cliché about my being here being the only gift you want, I will get up and leave right this second,” Symphony warned.
“Uh…right,” Sea Swirl said as she snapped her mouth shut.
“I…I tried, Sea Swirl,” Symphony continued. “I really did. I spent all day trying to think of what to get you. I even shared a drink with some stranger who gave me advice.”
“Oh,” Sea Swirl said. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly had a small knot in her stomach.
“And then I came up with something. It…I was excited. It wouldn’t cost anything, but it was still going to be special. And…and then…” Symphony trailed off and looked down at the floor.
“What happened?” Sea Swirl asked.
Symphony reached down and brought up her violin case. Without a word, she popped it open. Her violin was resting inside, and as far as Sea Swirl could see, the instrument looked fine.
“It’s gone,” Symphony whispered as she closed her case. She didn’t put it back on the floor, but allowed it to rest on her lap.
“Um…not a music pony, Symphony,” Sea Swirl offered. “So, uh, you’re going to have to explain. I saw a violin.”
“My bow is missing!” Symphony said. “How am I suppose to play for you if I don’t have my bow? And…I can’t afford to go out and buy a new one.”
Sea Swirl smiled. She shook her head and stood up without a word. She walked over to where she had kicked her saddlebag and pulled out the bow case. She was going to levitate it, but she wanted it to be more personal, so she carried it back over in her mouth. She sat down next to Symphony again, closer this time, and set the case on top of her violin.
“Open it.”
“Sea Swirl, I won’t accept a gift if I don’t have something for you.”
“Just open it, Symphony,” Sea Swirl said. “Please.”
Symphony slowly opened the case and Sea Swirl smiled when she heard the pony’s breath catch. “It…it was you?”
“Yeah,” Sea Swirl said, blushing a little. “Sorry about that. I borrowed it. Figured I’d get it fixed up as your gift.”
“What’s this?” Symphony pulled out the small note that Octavia had given Sea Swirl.
“Oh, that’s just a little something from, uh…Octavia.”
Symphony blinked once, then opened the note. She read it out loud. “’Symphony. Do not give up. Do not stop playing. There is a place for you here.’”
“You okay?” Sea Swirl asked once the mare finished reading the note.
“Yes,” Symphony said as she folded the note back up and set it inside the bow case. She then set the bow case down on the couch and opened her violin case back up. She pulled the instrument out and then stood up on her hind legs. Sea Swirl watched in awe as the Earth pony picked up her refurbished bow and then walked to the middle of the living room with ease, as if walking on her hind legs was nothing special. Then, without a word, she placed the violin under her chin, closed her eyes, and began to play.
Symphony struck a few notes—or were they chords? Sea Swirl could never remember—before she stopped. She opened her eyes and tilted her head slightly as she pulled the bow across the strings. She did it a few more times before she stopped.
“It sounds…different,” she said as she looked at Sea Swirl.
“Uh, that might be because we had to restring it a little.”
Symphony pulled the bow off of her violin, set the instrument down so that it leaned against her back leg, and held the bow up to the light. She turned it slowly so that the light played across the strings. “What did you use to restring it?”
Sea Swirl blushed a little. “Well, uh…the owner said I should, um…” She trailed off, too embarrassed to say anything.
“Did he tell you to use hair from your own tail?”
“Um…yes,” Sea Swirl said. “I thought it sounded kind of sweet, so…”
Symphony stared at her for several seconds, blinking only once. “You did it because you thought it was sweet? Nothing else?”
“No,” Sea Swirl said, confused. “Why? Did I do something wrong?”
Symphony blushed and Sea Swirl’s jaw almost hit the floor at the sight of the expression. “No, it is fine. Thank you, Sea Swirl.”
“So…is everything okay now?”
Symphony looked at the bow in the light for a few more seconds and then she nodded. Without another word, she picked up her violin and started playing again.
Sea Swirl sat on her couch in complete rapture, watching the mare sway gently back and forth to the sound of the most beautiful music she had ever heard.
