Latté Love's Lifeblood
“Why did I let Tipsy talk me into going to that party?” a purple pony pondered, poking her pink mane. The mare blinked owlishly at herself in the mirror of her bathroom before slowly climbing into the shower, letting the water wash down her face. She began cleaning herself, making sure to clean the groove in her horn as well.
As she stood in her shower, her mind wandered to the day’s schedule. It was Tuesday, and that meant trouble. On Tuesdays, Princess Twilight and her friends caused a problem or scene, made half the town go into Defcon 2, before finally fixing the problem several hours or more later. It happened with such regularity that Maple Blush learned not to try to schedule any clients in Ponyville for that day, as they would invariably cancel due to the chaos.
No, Tuesdays were definitely a Canterlot day. Hardly anything ever happened in Canterlot on a Tuesday! Sure, it was hard to get steady clients in Canterlot, but she was starting to become higher in demand. While her psychic abilities were nowhere near as strong as her ancestors, her blood was pure enough that she could still receive a psychic moment on rare occasions, and had enough power to see into a pony’s heart. Granted, that took a lot of energy, so she learned quickly how to read a pony’s body language to help her.
She blinked, then shook her head vigorously, realising she was starting to space out in the shower. Though it was relaxing, it was also a waste of bits, and she couldn’t afford to just let the hot water run as long as she liked. She finished rinsing out the peppermint shampoo from her mane before shutting off the water. She then set about grooming herself, preparing herself for Canterlot. Today was going to be a great day!
.o.O.o.
Greatness, it seemed, would have to wait until after she had gotten some coffee. After the energizing effects of her peppermint had worn off mid-way through the train-ride to Canterlot, Maple promised to herself that her first stop would be a cafe. Luckily, she knew of a popular one not too far away: Latté Love’s Lifeblood, where “Real love will bring you back to life!” The slogan could use work, certainly, Maple would agree, but she would stand by anything that supported genuine love. After all, that’s what her business was: seeing into the hearts of others. That, and she thought it was cute how the heart at the end of the sign had a few bubbles at the bottom of the heart, with steam coming from the top.
At least, when her psychic powers would let her, that is. They weren’t very strong, granted, but it was usually enough to help her guide her clients in the right direction, or subtly try to bring two ponies together. She might never be as good as Princess Cadance, but then again, she didn’t need to be. So long as she could help even just a little bit, that was good enough for her. That, and the fact that it helped pay for the food on her table.
Regardless, Maple now had a destination in mind, and that was the life-sustainer that was coffee! Just the thought of coffee was enough to perk Maple up as she trot down the street. As she drew closer, she could smell the bitter scent of the dark roast that carried on the wind, tantalizing her with promises of caffeine and energy.
With a smile on her face, she opened the door to the cafe, seeing that all of the tables were indeed taken, and there was a line three ponies deep already. Holding back a sigh, she waited her turn in line patiently, eyes roaming the menu that described succulent teas and coffees and other various energy tonics sure to wake a pony up.
“Hi! What kind of jitter juice are you looking for this morning?” a peppy voice asked.
Maple jumped, choking back a scream as she realised she was now at the front, where a caramel mare was waiting to take her order with a grin. As Maple took some calming breaths, the mare apologized. “I’m sorry, I thought for sure you were alive! I didn’t realise you were still a zombie! Quick, Chai, we need some brain juice, fast!”
“Tell her to get some tea instead of your muddy water!” a cream-coated mare retorted, sticking her tongue out playfully.
Maple spaced out for a moment as her horn pulsed once, a pinprick of pain poking her brain before disappearing. When she blinked, the two were still bickering playfully, though she could tell something was a little… off about Latté Love. At least, she felt she could safely assume this was Latté, considering the other mare was called Chai.
“So, what’ll it be?” said mare asked cheerfully, turning to Maple.
“I… umm…” Maple Blush meeped as she realised she still hadn’t ordered anything, and she was probably holding up the line. She turned around to stammer out an apology, but was shocked to see there was no one there.
Oh, wait, I know you,” Latté said slowly, her eyes growing wider. “You’re that love counselor from Ponyville, aren’t you?”
“Y-yeah, I am,” Maple said, nodding. “Why do you ask?”
Latté’s eye shifted back and forth a couple times before she turned to her co-worker. “Hey, Vanille, is it okay if I take five?”
Vanilla Chai mock-sighed, rolling her eyes as she brushed her milky espresso mane. “Sure, go ahead. Maybe now I can actually sell good drinks instead of your battery acid.”
“Meanie,” Latté said, pouting. “Come on, Mape, we have work to do!”
“We wh-augh!” Maple cried out as she was suddenly being tugged along behind the counter and up the stairs around the corner. “Wh-what’re you-”
“Job!” Latté chirped, pulling along the reluctant unicorn. “You’re for hire, right? Well, I’m hiring you, and we need to get to my room to talk about it so we aren’t overheard!”
“Okay, but was this really necessary?” Maple asked, finding her hooves again. “I-”
“Yup yup! Totally! Don’t want eavesdroppers, nosirre! They litter the halls with leaves, and then we have to sweep them up, and no one likes to do that! So!” she finished with a swirl, Maple finding herself in the middle of Latté Love’s room, with Latté closing the door.
“A… needle pulling thread?” Maple guessed with a shrug.
Latté giggled. “Nope, though that’s a good one! I um…” She glanced down, digging a hoof into the carpet. “I… I have a secret, and… a-and I need you to promise not to tell anypony, okay?”
Maple blinked, taking a minute to notice the mare’s posture: the nervous energy, the eyes that met hers for only a second before glancing away in shame, and the muzzle that kept starting to open, before closing again. Whatever she wanted to say, Maple knew-
“I promise,” she said with a smile. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
Latté’s throat bobbed, before she said, “A-alright. T-try not to scream too loudly, okay?” she asked weakly, the corners of her mouth twitching before she was engulfed in flame.
Maple’s eyes widened as her limbs locked in place. Her mind raced, wondering how the nice coffee mare had suddenly combusted, when the fire died down, revealing a brown-maned… mossed… Er, brown-somethinged head, with chocolate eyes, crooked horn, brown-ribbed torso, and black limbs with holes in them. In short, a Changeling.
Maple’s muzzle opened, but no noise issued from it. The changeling kept her eyes screwed shut, locked limbs trembling every couple seconds, but after the silence became deafening, she slowly peaked open an eye.
“A-are you going to be okay?” Latté asked, her voice more silken than as a pony. “Oh no! I broke you, didn’t I? Ohhhhh colt, Vanille is going to kill me when she finds out I broke somepony! We don’t have insurance, and after we pay the bills she’ll shun me, or ostracize me, or shun me in the place she’s ostracized me to, and I don’t want to be an ostrich!” she wailed, falling down as she covered her face with her forelegs.
“I-I’m fine,” Maple said, blinking slowly. She blinked again, then shook her head, trying to clear her head. “So, you’re… you’re a changeling?”
“Really? You’re not just saying you’re not broken so that… umm,” Latté tapered off, scuffing the carpet. “A-anyway, I- yeah. I’m a changeling. Surprise,” she sang softly, though the fake smile and quivering eyes showed just what she thought of it.
“Well... “ Maple replied, looking around. “... Dumb question, but what do you need my help with? Can’t you, uh… feel love, or whatever? I mean, you need to eat it or something to live, don’t you? What do you need with me?”
Latté stared at the floor, her frame drooping. “I just, I wanna tell Vanille about what I am, but… how? She’ll be freaked out! I don’t want to freak out my best friend, but I, I just-”
Latté sniffed as she brought one holey limb to wipe at her moistening muzzle. “What if she hates me, or calls me names? What if she calls the guards on me?”
Maple thought for a moment before asking in a soft tone, “Do you really think she would?”
“W-well no,” the changeling sniffed, using a tissue to clean her face.
“Then there you go,” Maple said with a small smile. “She’s your friend, isn’t she? Why don’t you try telling her the same way you told me?”
“Be… cause that’s too obvious?” Latté answered, tilting her head.
Maple blinked. “Too obvi-huh?”
“Well, yeah, y’know,” Latté continued, pushing the tips of her holed hooves together and apart. “Pony relationships aren’t supposed to be straight-forward.”
Maple could only gape as she mono-toned, “What.”
“Yeah! See, look at my bookshelf. I’ve got tons of research material!” Latté said, puffing her chest out.
The unicorn turned to see shelves filled with nothing other than-
“Saddle-rippers? You’ve been judging relationships and interactions based on those?” she asked. “How have you even- no, nevermind, I don’t want to know. Just… in general, Latté, it’s best to just be straightforward, alright? You sit her down, explain that you’re scared to share this secret, but you hope you can still be friends. If she’s the friend you think she is, she’ll at least be willing to hear you out.”
Latté blinked, then tilted her head. “Really? Just… tell her. That’s what you’re saying?”
“Well… yeah,” Maple replied. “I mean, it worked for me, didn’t it?”
Both mares froze as the door opened, revealing Chai’s head. “Latté, I’m gonna need you to wrap up… whatever this is. We’ve got another rush.”
Latté and Maple blinked as Chai continued to look at them with disinterest before the tea mare closed the door again, her soft hoofsteps receding down the hall and down the stairs to the store.
While Latté gaped at the closed door, Maple shifted nervously before asking gently, “So, um, since it seems like she knows already, does that mean you don’t need my help anymore? Because if not, I- I think I could really use a cup of coffee right about now…”