> Water on the Bridge > by Nugget > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > It's Not Just Rain on the Bridge > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The freezing rain drizzled upon the cobblestones of this bridge. As the thunder rolled within the dark, dismal background, I used my magic to levitate the umbrella above me. While I knew there was going to be a thunderstorm rolling into Canterlot tonight, I couldn’t have predicted how miserable it was going to be just standing out here in the downpour. The cold water had soaked my mane and coat to the skin, making me shiver upon the touch of the whirling wind. To make things worse, my umbrella wasn’t doing much to provide me cover. It couldn’t shield me from the rain being blown sideways due to the chilling wind. Since there wasn’t something out here that I could huddle under, such as an awning or canopy, I was left with no other choice but to stand out here as the water continuously sprayed upon my body. I groaned, closing my eyes and wishing I could just get off this bridge and seek shelter elsewhere. Yet, I told myself over-and-over that I couldn’t do that. This was the place I was going to meet her, my date for tonight. What kind of a gentlecolt would I be if I wasn’t here to greet her for the first time? We had been communicating with each other through love letters over the past few months, building upon our friendship since being paired together through an Equestrian dating service. While I was an editorial writer based in Canterlot, she was an elementary school teacher from Applewood. How we got paired together was through our similar likes and interests. To which, when we began writing to each other, both of us sorta clicked. She and I never seemed to have a dull moment when it came to our conversations through the long, extraneous letters we wrote. Through them, she or I either had something to blabber on about or curious questions to ask the other. It seemed as if we could get the other to write down huge, paragraph filled letters about any topic. I guess we’re both natural chatterboxes! I mean, you name it and we’ve probably covered it in a letter by now. From our jobs to our pets, homes, and daily lives, there was no conversation topic that I know of that hadn’t been touched already. It made things easier for us to get to know each other, and I soon couldn’t find it hard to not like her. I guess, by the way we sort of found it easy to talk with each other, she could be the one. I’ve never been lucky with the ladies before, or even had a significant marefriend for that matter. Twenty-five years of age and not a single mare has tried to date me... yet. Was I cursed? I didn’t know, but certainly knew I was worthy of love. Every pony - and sentient creature - in the world deserves something special to love and cherish them. Surely, I knew it wasn’t going to come to me, so I had to muster up the strength to take a bold and scary step. I went looking for her by signing up for a dating service. I’m sure my grandma would have approved of that move. I miss her so such and it always seems like her death was recent. She would always saying things to me like, “Just wait and she will come” or “Who wouldn’t want to turn down a stallion such as you?” I mean, I wanted to believe in her words, but the truth remains evident. Mares aren’t interested in those they don’t know or can never find, so I knew I needed to get myself out there in the world. I needed to stop hiding behind my desk at work, pretending to be shy and scared while displaying the stereotypical characteristics of an introvert. I need to break free from my mold and not be afraid of trying something different. If it meant finding a date, then I knew I was up for it. However, I assumed it was going to be a while before I found one through the service. I wasn’t that optimistic. To my surprize, after a month passed by, I got paired with some pony I never knew before. I was amazed, shocked to find out that there was somepony out there who was interested in a weird stallion such as I. Oh well! That’s good for me, Right? I guess it really didn't take long for me to find her after all. Oh, and what a lady she was! Milano’s, “Mila” for short, letters painted her as intelligent, optimistic, and sort of fearless. One of things she loved to talk about was her hiking adventures into the mountains around her region and her desire to take me with her. Naturally, I said I’d wish I could go with her as well. It sounded like a wonderful and beautiful time that we could enjoy. To my surprise, Mila happened to be a part-time fashion model for a couple of fashion and glamour magazines. On any given day, she would send me the photos from her latest appointments. She looked absolutely stunning from the gold color in her mane to the chestnut brown in her hooves. Her white coat didn’t hide the fact that she was slim, yet toned in all the right places. I swore she had to have been magically carved by Princess Celestia herself. What other pony was able to craft such a scrupulous body? So, yeah... Mila was the exact definition of perfection in my eyes. About a month prior to now, we planned on finally ending these long-distanced conversations. We knew it was the perfect time to physically meet each other, as it’s been about three months after I first sent a letter to her. We’ve had more than enough information by now to know that we wouldn’t be wasting each other’s time dating, or just hanging out if she preferred that instead. I’m a sensible stallion, willing to take the time to make sure she was comfortable with our relationship. I guess I don’t want to rush through it? Right? Besides, I sort of needed to control my own desires as well. Sure, I want her, but I shouldn’t want her just because I’m a lonely equine. My standards come first above all else. Thus, I knew I had to hide away my budding feelings of romance this entire time. I had to protect my heart, making sure Mila was worth investing more time into. Luckily, as I stated before, she turned out to be something I wouldn’t mind having more of in my life. The mare seemed to agree with idea of spending time together, to point where she was so eager to finally meet a stallion who was as “spirited” and “charismatic” as her. About a week prior to our meet up, she said in a letter that she has found her “Small jewel in the haystack of stallions.” She seemed excited to meet me! Am I worth that much to her? Well, according to Mila, it seemed like I was going to be the one stallion who could pull off a successful relationship with her, unlike the previous equines she dated. Isn’t it sad to hear that I’m the only one who really seems to care about Milo besides her small family? I think so. Also, it makes me wonder what kind of a stallion it takes to reject a diamond such as her. Did they ever see her value in the first place? By the way she talked about her former coltfriends, it didn’t seem to be so. I guess I had to, no! I need to change that. I need to show her what a real coltfriend is and what an actual relationship is like. Sure, it may be my first, but it doesn’t mean I don’t know what to strive for and how it all works out. We are a team, two equines who equally love and work with each other. It’s through our relationship that we can endure the struggles of life together. In return, our bond grows stronger from our experiences together. So here I stand with determination to change her perceptions, waiting for my sweet and graceful angel to appear from the storm around me. At any moment, I would be meeting her for the first time in this rain. I’ll finally get the chance to hug Milo close to my chest while I express my enduring emotions for her. Like a scene that’s straight out of a movie or romance novel. My fantasy of meeting her played out in my head almost a thousand times by now. After hugging her close to my heart in the pouring rain, I would stare directly into her mud brown eyes and softly utter the words, “I think I’m falling for you.” Milo would then swoon over my arm, fluttering in her eyes while holding a hoof up to her forehead. “I think I’m doing the same,” she’d giggled, followed up by our first, passionate kiss. Nothing could ruin this upcoming moment, not even the rain that continued to drizzle down upon the concrete bridge. ….at least I thought so at first. As the time passed by, I still continued to stand there in the freezing rain. Nobody was around me. Not a single pedestrian was within my sight, leaving me all alone on the bridge. I looked left and glared right, gazing upon the brightly lit street lamps that made the entire scene glow in a golden aura. I witnessed how the streets shined below my hooves like I was on some yellow brick road that lead me to paradise. However, paradise was nowhere to be found, leaving me alone in the dark and dreary. At first, I assumed Mila was running late for some unknown reason. She’s a busy mare. I’m sure she’ll come walking up the bridge at any moment now and be ready to explain how she got out late from some photo shoot or how she didn’t expect the rain to come through Canterlot tonight. I know, I know. They’re the typical lame excuses any pony would give, but I wouldn’t care. I would be glad to finally see her... ...if she would arrive by now. Thirty minutes had passed by, unbeknown to me. I hadn’t been tracking the time at that moment since the sound of the rain thumping against my umbrella sort of preoccupied my mind, along with staying warm by trying to conserve body heat as best I could. Then the cool breeze rushed over my coat, snapping me out of my daze. I checked my watch and saw that the time was eight thirty. I’ve stood out here for longer than I had expected. I originally assumed ten minutes had passed, not thirty! She’ll be here? Right? Another thirty minutes had passed before I began to think about the possibility of some sort of mistake between the information we had exchanged. However, upon checking the last letter she sent me, I immediately knew this wasn’t the case. We agreed to meet here tonight, underneath the lights, at eight o’clock. The time was now nine o'clock. ...sigh. She’s late. Did something happen to her? I wondered, shaking my head. My nerves seemed to wash over my cold, wet body, making me tremble upon the thought of something happening to her. Did she forget? was my next logical question. She couldn’t have! Mila and I planned this meeting about a month ago, and we constantly talked about it ever since! We, or maybe I, was ready for this! Was she ready for this? Was she ready to meet me?   You know what? I won’t give up on her! I’ll just give her a little bit more time. It’s eleven o'clock. The rain had stopped, yet I’m still here. I can feel the water dripping from my coat. The cold had subsided, or rather I was so use to it that it didn’t bother me anymore. My mind was too preoccupied over the matter of Mila not showing up at the time and place we had set. Three hours had passed, and the thought of her coming to see me dwindled with each passing second. The situation changed from when she’s going to show up to if she’s going to show up. If she does, then it’s a miracle to me. Afterwards, I can pass it off as her being late while trying my best to not hold it against her. We aren’t perfect, and we can make these sort of mistakes from time-to-time. I’m willing to forgive her and have it be water under the bridge. Besides, it’s our first date, and I’ve been waiting for her longer than these few small hours. How long should a pony wait for their perfect somepony? I wondered, raising a hoof to my forehead. How long could a stallion such as I wait for the perfect mare to come up to me and become a part of my life forever? Is this a test? Is she trying to see if I’m actually serious about dating her? I didn’t know the answers to my questions, but I was determined to remain on this bridge and wait for Mila. I can wait a little while longer for a goddess. It’s now midnight. All my effort and determination was tarnished. The agony grew within my stomach and twisted into uncomfortable knots. It squeezed the tears out from within my eyes before they dropped upon the concrete railing. It felt horrible, being abandoned like this was something I never expected from her. I swore to myself that Milo would never do this. Yet, I was now doubting her. Did she just lie to me about meeting up here? I thought to myself. Was there something that went wrong and caused her to not make it? Was I the one to blame? I had so many questions to ask, yet nobody was around to answer them. I sighed. I guess I should have expected this to happen. Maybe asking her to meet up with me was a mistake on my part. Maybe she just wanted to keep our friendship strictly to the letters we sent to each other. Maybe she was too embarrassed to come face-to-face with me in the first place. Was there a sign I missed within those letters? I didn’t seem to think so. All we ever wrote about were subjects that had brought us closer together. In fact, in one of the last letters she sent to me, Mila couldn’t stop talking about how she seemed to have found the one. She had gotten it right with me. This mare was finally happy to have a stallion who cared about her more than anything else in this world. It’s true. I do care about her a lot. I cared so much for her that I stood out here in the rain for four hours! I waited, and waited, and waited some more for her, yet she never showed up! Why? Why would she do this to me? Why would anyone want to stir up the hopes of another before crashing and stomping them into the ground? How cruel would you have to be to do such a thing? With more tears running down my face, I took a front hoof and stomped it into the ground with a grunt. I huffed, watching a trail of smoke leave my nostrils. Frustrated and upset, I walked up to the concrete railing and mounted my front hooves on the large blocks. Burying my head within my hooves, I let out a long groan. I allowed the misery of my lonely life set itself back into mind. I don’t deserve any pony in my life. It didn’t matter to me anymore. Whatever reason she had to leave me here alone was something I didn’t care about anymore. Instead, she indirectly helped me to see that I'm not worth it to anypony out there in Equestria. I could try again, and again, and again with love and I know I’ll still end up like how I am right now. I could search to the ends of the earth and still find myself without a partner. That’s the kind of luck I was born with. Once somepony has gone as long as I have without finding love, they soon come to terms with how their luck with the mares was pure and utter horse dung. In fact, I think luck wasn’t the proper term to use in this situation. Cursed sounded like a better word to describe my ordeal. I’m cursed to the fullest extent and forced to reckon with the unbearable fact I’ll forever be… Alone. I’ll be alone, cold, and with nopony around to care about my wellbeing. Shivering, I glared up towards the sky and saw the dark clouds. They blocked out the stars. I couldn’t enjoy anything at that moment, not even the natural wonders of the universe. With a sigh, I looked out at the river in front and saw this city of gold reflected against the murky water. Canterlot was beautiful at this time of the night. With the candlelights and fires illuminating the skyline, this metropolitan makes itself seem like a grand and glorious place to live. I’ve heard somewhere that if you have never stepped into this city before, then your first visit here was like traveling to heaven. You’ve never seen such a place with grace and charm until you have visited the capital city of Canterlot. Yet, not even the city’s attractive appearance could completely jar my mind away from the reality of being left alone on this bridge. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I could see her in my mind, walking up to me and expressing her sorrows. She would almost be crying like I am, begging me to forgive her for being late. Mila caused me to stand here the entire evening like a loyal dog waiting for his treat. Well no more! I’m done! Wiping away the last tear from my face, I swung myself around and began to walk towards the end of the bridge. With my head hung low, I still thought about her. Was I wrong about her? Should I have planned this to happen in the first place? A part of me said, “Yes.” I should have expected this. A thought bubbled into my head. What was that saying again? What can go wrong might or might not always come true. I think it was that old colt’s - Murphy’s - law. Well, I guess he can be right as much as he can be wrong. However, in this case, what can go wrong had gone wrong in the most heart wrenching way possible. She struck my heart and broke it. It pounded within my chest, thumping from the irritation of being shattered into small bits and pieces. To feel my heart working was unbearable, like I took powerful kicks to my chest. It reminded me that I’m alive and can feel the emotion of despair tearing through my cold body. It tore up my mind as sadness overwhelmed my aching body. I teared up once more, like my soul was wanting to bleed out. Water fell from my eyes instead as I neared the end of the bridge. With my head hung low, I turned a corner and began to walk along the riverwalk towards my home. Even though there was little chance of being seen by anypony, I didn’t want to risk taking the main road. I could see some of the lights from the white, towering apartments. Perhaps I’m wasn’t alone after all, thus I kept my head away from those lights in shame. Nobody likes to see somepony crying over matters which are unknown to them. Therefore, I wanted to get out of there and leave the bridge behind me, yet I just stopped. I didn’t know why I wanted to stop, but I just… stopped. Picking my head up, I saw something in the distance that caught my attention. Standing underneath a streetlamp, my eyes gazed upon a mysterious figure which was cloaked in black. It was dressed head to toe in a large overcoat which hid any-and-all recognizable features, such as a cutie mark. The only things I could make out was that it looked like another pony, but the equine’s stance was taller and a lot wider than normal. A horn slightly larger than a typical unicorn’s protruded from it’s head. The pony stood next to a bed of lavender. A hint of the flower’s scent drifted within the cool wind, calming my body down from the emotional turmoil. As my muscles relaxed from the smell, I curiously took a step closer towards the figure. Despite the equine's appearance, it didn’t actually come off as a mysterious threat. It just stood there innocently, not doing anything else besides admiring the flowers and whispering a few words to itself. Besides, if I was dangerous, I wouldn’t have cared. I’ve taken enough emotional damage for tonight. Then a thought ran across my head. That thought was the reason as to why I really didn’t think of this being some random pony, a crook, or whatever else. As crazy as it was, it might have been the case. Could it be her? I asked myself, feeling my heart beat with anticipation once more. This could be my chance to finally meet her and maybe say something along the line of how sorry I was to not meet her here instead of on the bridge. I’ll take the blame for the mistake if it meant getting to see Mila for but a moment. I took a few steps towards the figure before I asked, “Mila?” It shook its head, “No.” “Really?” The figure nodded it’s head. Just like that, all my hopes were lit on fire and burned into the ground. I sighed as my eyes slowly closed. I tipped my head toward the pavement. I wasn’t in the mood to stand strong and seem like I was ok. I wasn’t. My heart was wrecked, making me feel every painful beat from the despair of my hopes getting torn to shreds. I wanted to cry on the spot. The black figure walked up to me and used a fore hoof to tilt my head back up. With the streets around us being muddy and tarnished, I found it interesting that this pony was wearing sparkling glass slippers on her hooves. As soon as I saw the top of their hood, the pony spoke to me with the most beautiful Equestrian accent I had ever heard. Judging by their voice, I could tell she was a mare. “I’m sorry,” she spoke with a soft sympathetic tone, “I’m afraid I'm not the pony of which you seek, however I am one that has seen that look of despair upon your face many times in my life.” Her hoof was like fire to my chin, and I recoiled from it in shame. I didn’t want to show her all the pain I’d inflicted upon myself tonight. She already knew I was in complete despair, so why should I embarrass myself further in the company of a mare who wasn’t my Mila? Did the lady already know I went through Tartarus and back tonight? I sighed, “Thanks,” was all I could mutter out. The mare placed a front hoof around my neck and pulled me into a warm embrace. “Whatever she did to you isn’t worth the trouble of standing out here in the rain,” she said, making me wonder how she was well aware of the situation. How does she know that? I asked myself, returning her hug with my cheek rubbing up against the cloth covering her face. Has she been watching me this whole time? Why is she now just speaking to me? You know what? Screw it! I don’t care anymore. At least it looks like she is trying to give me some company and comfort. After breaking the hug with a huff, I let out another sigh and looked up at the cloaked mare. Although any normal pony would want to know who would be willing to offer comfort in the dead of night, it was the last thing on my mind. Somehow, I felt as if it would ruin the moment. Under that hood was a mare who just wanted to be nice and offer some love and care to me.  If she wanted to reveal herself, then she probably would have done it already. With a false smile to mask my sadness, I replied, “I think you’re right, ma’am. I think I do need to move on from h-her...” My stutter made the figure lean back a bit with a forehoof raised into the air. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, wondering if everything was actually alright. It wasn’t. I couldn’t get over Mila in an instant. My heart won’t let that happen. I couldn’t just let go of the all the effort and time I put into writing those letters a while back. Who could? It would be absurd to drop my hope and compassion for her on the spot, leaving them behind to be blown away by the sweeping wind. I care, or rather cared, too much about getting the chance to finally meet her. Now that I know it’s never going to happen, I was left to stand there in my own sorrow. “I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m just not up to it.” I raised a hoof up and rubbed the top of my forehead. The mare was confused. “Up to what?” “Getting over her… You know? Like the one you were so sure of being the one, only to turn out that everything you thought she would be a is a lie!” I yelled, my sudden inner frustration letting itself lose. “Ah! I see now,” she acknowledged. “So you were stood up?” I took another deep breath and watched a trail of white mist leave my mouth as I exhaled. “I guess you can say that.” “Now I understand.” She motioned her head to the riverbank, asking me join her at the rails overlooking the river. With me by her side, the two of us gazed upon the serenity of the water's stillness. I could feel her huddling close to my side. “Forgive me if I sound preachy here, but…” Her hood brushed against the side of my cheek as she faced me. “We’ll spend our lives looking for the right ponies, and some out there think the day  will come where they find their loved one. However, from my experience, that isn’t the case.” I was overcome by her kindness. It seemed surreal. With her hood caressing my cheek, I started to wonder who was really under the cloak. Then it just clicked. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for me to realize who I was actually talking to. Taking into consideration the idea of concealing her identity, I decided not to arouse suspicion with my discovery. At this moment, we were just two ponies having a conversation undernight the lights of Canterlot. “How so?” I asked, letting her continue to rub against my neck. “Well, my friend…” She eased up on her rubs and finally took her hood off. Revealing her face to me, my guess about the identity of the mysterious mare was correct. With her cyan eyes staring directly at me, she smiled, “It’s simple, really. Instead of waiting, I wish ponies knew that they must chase after who they want. If it’s worth it to them in the end, then I believe they need to go after them and not stand there and wait. Otherwise, they will sit on the sidelines and remain forever alone.” I nodded my head. “I agree, ma’am. Thank you for your kind words and generosity.” “I should be thanking you, dear sir,” she replied, leaving me stunned. “Why?” I wondered what the heck cause her to say such words. “...cause.” She took a fore hoof and rubbed her knee cap nervously, “I didn’t really expect to have some company tonight, and there you were waiting for somepony on the bridge. I wondered why you remained there for such a long time.” “Cause I was just waiting for-” “Her?” The mare looked back at me with her eyes shining from the city lights reflecting off it. As they twinkled, she rapidly blinked a few times. Did she just flutter them at me? “Yeah.” “Well…” She giggled, “I think she’s missed out on a wonderful stallion such as yourself. Any mare would be lucky to have a such a gentlecolt as you.” “Why… I-I. Erm…” I didn’t know what else to say! As I fumbled over my words, my mind seemed to race a little bit. I tried so hard to come up with something nice to say in return, but I just drew a blank. Speechless, I was left to stand beside her. My face was beet red. A moment later, my mind finally caught up to me. “Well thank you for those kind words, my-” Cut off by her hoof gently touching my lips, I was silenced. Having no idea about what she’s up to, I watched her lean her head into my side. With her lips a mere few inches from my left cheek, the mare planted a firm kiss on it. If I wasn’t blushing before, I was blushing now… hard. She just kissed me. What the heck do I say after that? My mind raced. With my eyes wide open,  all I could get out were the words, “Uh-Umm… T-t..tha-Thank you?” The beautiful mare giggled once more. “You’re so cute when you blush like that. You’re welcome, sweetheart.” A moment passed by before I managed to calm myself down from after being kissed by one of the most gorgeous ladies in all of Equestria. It sent comforting sparks throughout my entire body, like a wave of care flushed through my senses and left me to feel slightly better. It worked, and suddenly it felt like some of the pain from earlier was gone. This random act of kindness from her helped me to move a little bit forward. Meanwhile, the mare threw the hood back over her face. Hidden underneath the overcoat once more, I could still tell she was smiling from the action. With the warmth of her body still resting up against me, the mare couldn’t help but hug me one last time. Including the kiss, it was the sweetest hug I’ve ever gotten from anypony. It was the type of hug that made me feel as if everything was going to be alright. As soon as the hug was broken, I heard an ache in her voice. She sighed, “I hope you have a wonderful night, my dear. Also, You’re a handsome and caring stallion from where I stand. You shouldn’t have a problem with courting a beautiful mare one day.” I smiled back, “Thank you... Princess Luna.” A large pair of wings sprouted from the cloak, helping to lift the mare into sky. As she disappeared into the night, I was left to gaze upon the waterfront as my hooves almost dangled over the edge of the railing. As I watched the water pass underneath the bridge, I reminded myself once more of her words and took it to mind. While I still felt cold and wet on the outside, my insides seemed to welcome the warmth of closure and peace. The wonderful mare was right, there were plenty of more opportunities out there as long as I keep chasing after them. For now, I just needed to go home and get dried off. I’ll try again another day, even if it hurts me.