A very hot swim team
It began with an abnormally over-dramatic sigh. Not any regular, ‘the coffee just spilt on the floor,’ type of sigh, nor was it the classic, ‘my parents are coming over on the next train, and I just received the letter,’ sigh either. No, this sigh was one of proportions levelled with something disastrous. This was something closer to (yet another) two villages fighting over something they couldn’t even remember, or the Royal Castle being filled head-to-toe in a more-than-suspicious slimy, green goo… again. No, this was the sad sorrowful sigh of a sickly stallion; but not just any kind of sick… this was the worst kind of sick: love sick.
The dejected pony was sitting at his kitchen table, his head resting on his legs as he gave his salad a disinterested stare, casually blowing at a leaf of lettuce to briefly glance at the red tomato lodged underneath. It was a sunny day in Hoofington Falls, the beautiful little town that rested at the base of a waterfall that -from a distance- appeared gentle and static, but up close roared and beat down on the rocks along its way. The glistening sprays of water were angled such that they produced a brilliant spectrum throughout the day, almost regardless of the sun’s position.
On most days Lime Garnish would be spending his time working at the local inn; pouring beers for the gentlecolts and mixing cocktails for the elegant mares. But today was his day off and therefore it was a day spent in total lethargy. While most ponies with nothing to do would make use of such pristine weather to spend the day swimming in the perfectly cool lake next to the town or picnicking in the sunny park adjacent to the sparkling waters, Lime Garnish would spend the day idly sighing into a bowl of salad.
True delirium had indeed settled into poor pony’s mind as the salad began staring back, mocking his dilemma, “If only life was as simple as being a bowl of salad,” he huffed to himself, “one could simply be prepared, be admired, then eaten. No grisly middle bits.”
“Now, are you going to keep trying to have conversations with your lunch or are you actually going to come to the beach today?” asked a mare, making herself known through the window left open in the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry, Cinnamon Swirl,” Lime answered sadly, neglecting the question at hoof altogether. Cinnamon Swirl crawled through window and darted over to her friend.
“I didn’t realise beaches were edible,” she chuckled, waiting for a response. Yet, once again, the dejected stallion sang the mighty tune of loneliness and huffed out a sigh so heavy it threatened to completely lift the pieces of lettuce right out of the bowl and onto the table.
“Alright Lime, time to stop being a whiny little foal; what’s wrong?” Cinnamon asked, concern filling her voice. “Please tell me it isn’t about Chiffonade again.” The stallion merely responded by burying his head in his hooves. “I guess that answers that… why don’t you just go visit him?” she asked flatly.
Chiffonade had been one of the sous-chefs at the inn that Lime Garnish worked at. To say that Lime had a crush on him would be an understatement roughly equivalent to calling Celestia middle aged; true, but painting a woefully inaccurate picture of reality. The poor barpony was absolutely obsessed. Sadly, Chiffonade got an opportunity to work at a fine dining restaurant in a larger town called Hollow Shades.
“Because, he wasn’t interested in me anyway…” Lime huffed, finally defeating the mighty lettuce leaf and flipping it over.
“You gave up way too easily Lime, seriously, go see him. It is one trip through the mountain tunnel and you’re there,” Cinnamon replied.
“I don’t know how to do any of this!” the sad stallion huffed angrily. “Ask somepony out, even if he says yes, I don’t know what to do, what to say, who to be!” Lime Garnish was now sitting upright in his seat. Once the fire had left his body he slumped back again, pensive worry written all over his face.
“That’s your worry? Seriously, look if you’re really that concerned about being romantic, you should really take a trip through the mountain path, I heard that it can work wonders for ponies in a dilemma,” Cinnamon said with a wink. Lime gave her a very skeptical look at the vagueness of her statement. The two just remained where they were for a few more moments before Cinnamon walked through the door and went back to the window. “Well I am off to the beach now, if you wanna stay here and mope about go ahead but I am gonna go swimming in the lake…”
Not quite finished with her stricken friend she started walking away from the window to receive no response. She turned around and began walking off, before she went out of earshot she called back through the window. “Hey! I forgot to tell you the Hoofington Falls stallion swimming team was training today,” she was stopped dead in her tracks by a chair crashing down.
“I’ll be out in a sec!” He called out the window, a smirk forming cheekily on her face.
“That’s what I thought,” she whispered to herself under her breath.
…
Lemon Garnish idly glanced down at the recipe he had been given, “Alright, I think I have everything!” he casually spoke to himself, “Orange zest, milk, vanilla essence, berries and a banana,” he listed off the ingredients before placing them in the blender and turning the liquid to a smooth consistency. He placed the liquid in a glass and began to drink his smoothie as he contemplated whether or not he should call on the zebra.
Lemon peered at the glass stained black with night, instead of seeing his own reflection, he only saw Chiffonade looking back with a wink. The sous chef had not stopped invading his mind all night; the friendly charming attitude, the beautiful sleek body and his almost-roguish smile captivated the poor barpony in every way. The two immediately hit it off engaging in conversation and it didn’t take long for the two to spend time together outside of work.
The stallion skulled his smoothie and stood up. Adding more smoothie into the glass he placed the zebra calling potion into his drink. “Alright it’s done, now I just need to wait,” the yellow stallion said to himself as he completed the recipe and took a sip of the concoction. Everything got a little bit darker. Lime Garnish started to stumble ever so slightly as he made his way to the couch in the living room before-
CRASH!
...
Suddenly Lime jerked awake, not knowing what time it was he quickly looked over to the clock on the mantlepiece. “Twelve thirty, I was asleep for a couple of hours. Ugh...” He trailed before glimpsing at an image outside, the dark outline of a pony.
“Why did you disturb me? Mister Lime Garnish!” The stallion heard a brilliant voice boom behind him before coughing noises filled the air. Lime jumped at least a metre in the air, his coat looking like a cat that had fallen victim to a particularly humid day. He spun around to see a zebra in a coughing fit in a brown coat right behind him.
“Pardon-” he coughed, “- me, sorry, that usually goes a lot smoother, you gotta lotta dust here, might need a Hoover,” the zebra apologised through coughs.
“Okay, yeah well I have a question before we get started, what was that mysterious shadow outside? You were clearly inside,” Lime asked the recovering zebra.
“T’was my dad, he dropped me here and slipped away when he heard my err. So come now dear, don’t be meek, what is the answer which you seek?”
The yellow stallion stood there for a moment and thought about what he was doing, ‘Do I really want to do this?’ he questioned. After a long pause he finally asked the zebra, “I am after a dark and mysterious force that appears when you have a problem. Legend says he answers the problems of ponies in need.”
“Ah yes, the mysterious force in the cave-path to Hollow Shades, through darkness it creeps and at light fades. The creature who you wish to find, it will only appear to a strong mind. The pony’s goal must be clear, only for powerful emotion will it appear. It will seek to help you, friendly it may be, to set your mind and your dreams free. To find this being, follow the cavern track, seek his knowledge but don’t look back!” she finished, waving her hooves around she ran off outside. Lime Garnish gave a confused look as he heard her shout out to her dad, but after a quick head shake, he was back on track.
“Wow. That was... actually... surprisingly clear, I was expecting some sort of stupid vague answer,” he mused to himself.
…
The barpony trotted very fearfully through the giant tunnel through the mountains towards Hollow Shades. He looked from left to right constantly checking for any sign of a force beyond his own comprehension. Suddenly a deep voice rumbled through his mind. The poor stallion couldn’t tell where it was coming from. He just heard a low raspy groan fade in and out, bouncing through his mind, not quite sure if it was real. He sat on the floor of the tunnel lit by fire torches, the path smooth and even.
Leaning against the wall he repeated in his mind what the zebra had told him. ‘Clear your mind, direct your goal,’ he thought to himself. He heard a cracking noise, like joints clicking back into place then another low groan.
“Who dares disturb the ancient slumber of the spirit of wisdom?” shouted a deep booming voice bouncing around in the stallion’s mind. Huddled against the side of the tunnel he desperately threw his hooves over his ears in an attempted to block out the voice.
“It is me, sir, Lime Garnish, here in need of advice,” he shouted out loud over the ringing in his ears.
“And what is it you seek the deepest knowledge of, I have catered that to tens of millennia of ponies; generals, royalty, heroes and everything in between, all on valiant missions,” the voice went on.
“Well actually… em I came for advice on how to get a stallion to want to be with me,” The poor stallion squeaked in a barely audible whisper. Several seconds past with no response. After a few seconds second the stallion feared the worse.
“... WHAT!” The voice bellowed making Lime jump so high his head hit the cave roof before before he fell back down and landed on his buttocks.
“Meep!” he shrilled as the voice continued.
“YOU DRAGGED ME OUT OF A 2 CENTURY LONG SLUMBER TO ASK ME HOW TO GET THE AFFECTION OF A STALLION‽ The voice continued to bellow making Lime huddle up like a colt getting a talking to by his mother.
“But to me he is more than that, he’s so kind and handsome and caring and loving. I would do anything to be with him. He has taken my heart and I need help getting him to return those feelings. Please, I need this more than anything.” The barpony begged.
All Lime could hear, or even think about was the unintelligible grumbling from the mysterious spirit. But eventually, he received his answer, “Fine… I will help you. You have something. Whether it is courage, stupidity or a bit of both, I can sense something in you that makes me want to help you.”
“Really?” the stallion asked immediately perking up yet still not seeing the owner of the voice.
“Don’t push it,” the spirit growled. “Now I will assume a physical form, please don’t be alarmed if you see an ancient pony whose scale matches that of the Princess of the Sun herself walk through the walls of the cave.”
Lime curled himself tighter and stole a few furtive glances out of his cover. He gasped when he was the ghostly apparition, his scale matching that of the Sun Princess walked through the walls of the cave and halted just before him. The alicorn ghost was male, all the colour in his body long since lost, his new form more transparent. Size was the only way to describe him. He was of a reasonable barrel size and his muzzle was well carved. In true alicorn fashion, his legs were much proportionally much larger than a normal pony would have.
Lime Garnish’s jaw hung wide, he quickly closed it when he realized what a fool he must look. All the while, he never took his eyes off the spirit.
“Woah,” was all the barpony could bring himself to say as he gaped at the alicorn almost hitting his horn on the high ceiling of tunnel.
“Listen closely, there are four main steps to help win the affection of a mate; Integrity, Confidence, Kindness and Empathy. Often known as I.C.K.E.”
“Icky?” The stallion asked raising an eyebrow.
“No! I.C.K.E. spelt with an ‘e’. Never mind the initialization, we must keep moving along. You need to demonstrate these four characteristics in order to truly find love. For it is these things that create the most strongest force we are emotionally capable of: love,” the spirit finished.
Smirking under his breath at how sappy he thought that was, the stallion didn’t hesitate to ask a question that had been plaguing him since the agree to help. “So how are… you going to teach these… characteristics to me?” He asked.
“You do not understand!” the spirit shouted, cutting Lime Garnish off. “These things cannot be taught to you! They must be nurtured. I will teach you how to nurture these four traits. You will then go off, and in four separate instances, you will have them put to the test. If you can demonstrate the four characteristics, then you will be ready. If you can’t... you may never be ready…” he trailed off in sotto voce, echoes passing through the tunnels.
After finishing his speech the two continued to walk, finally reaching the exit to the cave, back towards Hoofington Falls. “So, are you ready to start the road to happiness?” the spirit demanded.
“Y-yes…” Garnish stammered.
The spirit deadpanned, “Close enough.”
…
“Integrity. What is it?” the spirit asked. The ghost and the stallion were now standing outside of the tunnel system, in a forest clearing with a small lake, the scene was simply stunning. Lime Garnish stood with rapt attention, listening intently to every word spoke by the wise ghost.
“Uhhh, the ‘I’ in icky?” he replied clearly not understanding the term.
The ancient spirit on the other hoof decided to introduce his ghostly hooves to his ghostly face, slowly dragging them down his cheeks. When they had reached the bottom, the transparent cheeks snapped back to their original position. “No! Well… yes, but no,” he cried angrily. “It’s honesty, pride and personal morals. It is about being truthful, being honest with yourself and with him. If you want him to like you, you must be willing to accept yourself; the good, the bad and the ugly,” he pointed to the water, “Look into that lake.”
Lime scrambled into action racing over to the lake and staring into the water intently.
“Now, stand still, what do you see?” the ghost asked.
“I see myself,” he replied.
“Exactly, you see yourself, all of it, and that is what they must see as well, nothing more nothing less, because when you add more that isn’t yourself…” the ghost alicorn levitated a stone over Lime’s reflection, letting it go, the stone splashed into the water rippled, distorting in ruining the reflection of Lime, “you lose the beauty of who you are; distorted and rippled by lies.” The reflection levelled out showing once again a slightly wavy, but clear reflection of the barpony.
Lime Garnish looked long and deep to his reflection, sighing his head drooped and he sat down on the grass beside the lakeside. He picked up a pebble is his aura and threw it at his reflection. With a splash his reflection returned to a mess, “What’s so great about me, I’m just a stupid barpony. It’s all well and good to talk about the truth, but… what about when the truth sucks?” he asked in a downtrodden tone.
The spirit used his magic to lift up the unicorn’s chin, “Nopony is perfect, but if we cannot see the beauty in ourselves, how do we expect others to see it? Stand tall Mr. Garnish, for next we will learn about confidence.”
With one quick flick of the ghost’s horn, Lime Garnish was covered head to toe in spider webs. “Agh! Getthemoff!Getthemoff!Getthemoff!” as his screams echoed off the mountain he fell to the ground and desperately rolled around on the hard dirt, rocks and grass.
Finally the stallion, breathing heavily and shaking, climbed back to his hooves. He looked around until he reoriented himself and found the ghostly alicon,“What in Equestria was that for‽”
The Alicorn remained calm, he smirked and trotted in front of Lime Garnish, “You see, confidence is funny like that. We fear so many things that mean us no harm, that web you were tangled in is a perfect example. Social situations, talking to that special somepony, it is all relative. While it may be scary, while it may be uncomfortable, if we approach them like how you just approached that web, then how do you think that situation would play out?” the ghost asked raising an eyebrow in the direction of the still seething barpony.
A skeptical look came over Lime Garnish, “But in social situations I know that will happen. Ponies don’t just go popping into existence.”
“Yes, but if you saw that web, would have you been confident in walking into it?”
The stallion raised a hoof to interject, but nothing came out. His eyes popped open, “Okay, I see your point.”
“If you are going to talk to this stallion, you have to walk into that situation with intention, pride, confidence. You are Lime Garnish, you are worthy of that pony’s attention. Sure, it will be scary, uncomfortable, but you cannot show it. Otherwise you might aswell be rolling around on the ground covered in a cobweb,” the spirit explained.
“Confidence, I… I think understand it now.”
“Well, be prepared, for we are only half done. There are still two more to go.”
…
“Where in Equestria are we?” Lime asked as both stallion and spirit walked through the pitch darkness. As much as he tried, Lime couldn’t for the life of him see a hoof five centimeters in front of him. Yet he dared not light his horn, the ghost’s instructions were that no magic was to be performed here. So he walked on, praying that the ground stayed even.
“Silence, we must be quiet.”
“Oof,” the pony had walked into something hard. It had thumped him in the head, just as he was getting used to not seeing anything. The spirit rolled his eyes and illuminated his horn, flooding the large room in light.
“This… this is the Castle of the Two Sisters! What are we doing here! Oh, cheese and crackers we’re far from ho- ow,” the stallion cried out and reached a hoof up to feel where he had knocked his head on the low hanging support beams.
“We are here, because kindness is found in unlikely places,” the great spirit replied as he slowly opened the door an old creaky door with his magic. Inside was a dusty broom closet with not much inside. Except for one thing, an old cat, unhappy at the sight of the door being opened, it hissed and growled at the inhabitants.
“This is silly, it is just an old cat, what are we really doing here?” Lime asked clearly not amused at the sight in front of him.
“Look closer,” the ghost urged.
Lime peered in closer and, using light from the ghost’s illumination spell, managed to see something scuttle behind the cat and quickly noticed little eyes all around the room; mice.
“Mice? Shouldn’t they be running from cat? Why on earth are they hiding behind the him?”
“Think of where we are. This place, it is empty, it is a ruin. There isn’t much food here, the cat was near death when it arrived. Then the mice took pity on it and gave it food. Now, they depend on each other; the mice find food and scavenge, in return the cat protects them, it doesn’t harm them. They have formed what your biologists would call a symbiotic relationship. And sure, they have saved each other countless times, but it all started from one true act of kindness.”
The mice were all huddled into the corner, the cat sat in front of them and glared at the strange beings at the doorway.
“I don’t get it, what does this have to do with talking to Chiffonade?” he asked.
The ghost used his magic to conjure some bread and a bowl of milk, slowly levitating it into the room he placed gently on the floor and shut the door. “Because the closest of bonds are created with an act of kindness. If you want to form a relationship that will last a lifetime, show kindness, and they will show it back,” he concluded.
Lime Garnish looked down and sat on the ground. Sighing, he kicked at the cracked and worn cobblestone. “I don’t know about all this. I’m not good enough to pull this off, Chiffonade deserves somepony better.”
“Lime Garnish, do not be ridiculous. Look, it may seem like you need to be perfect for this pony, that he deserves perfection, but that is not how it works, from what I have seen this Chiffonade character seems like a very lucky pony. Nopony can be perfect, nopony has a right to be perfect, and nopony deserves perfection either. Always remember, you are good enough,” the ghost explained. Lime Garnish got up and attempted to hug the alicorn. Of course being a ghost Lime walked right through him, immediately feeling a cold shiver instead of a warm pony to hug.
“Oh… right…”
“Mr. Garnish. I am a millennia old ghost, I was alive for over two millennia before that. I ruled Equestria until I was deposed by the two sisters. However, even in ghost form, even with a millennia to form compassion and a new outlook, I. Do. Not. Hug.” When he finished delivering his rule the alicorn growled at him for emphasis. Lime Garnish grumbled a bit before the ghost whisked them off to the next location.
“Oh thank Luna we’re home!” Lime Garnish exclaimed as he stumbled into his home “Alright… so empathy, wasn’t it? I’m ready for this one.”
The ghost looked at him and sighed, “Empathy can’t be taught, you will know when you need it. But for now, I have taught you all that is necessary.”
“No wait!” Lime panicked but it was too late, the ghost faded away to return to where he came. “Wait! I’m not ready! Come back!”
“Good luck Mr. Garnish,” the wind sang.
Lime was surrounded by an empty room. Dread filled his heart as he realised what he had to do.
It was time to face Chiffonade.
…
The next day Lime Garnish had to work, and the day after that and the day after that and the day after and the day after and the day after. He had six days until he had another break and they all passed by far too slowly for the barpony’s liking. Each day the time slowly ticked away, his head slumped against the counter for half of it. Finally the day had arrived when he had the chance to go to Hollow Shades.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along?” Cinnamon Swirl asked as they stood at the door of Lime Garnish’s house. His saddle bags packed and accommodation booked, he was ready to finally talk to Chiffonade.
“Sorry Cinnamon Swirl, but this is something that I am pretty sure I have to do alone. But… you’ll be the first person to know what happens,” Lime smiled.
“Alright, I’d better be, you have fun, go get him,” she chuckled waving goodbye.
“See ya’ Cinnamon!” the barpony called walking off and waving back.
“See ya’ Lime!”
“I’ll see ya’ in like, a couple of days!”
“I know.”
“Oh, and can you please water my garden while I am gone?”
“Yeah, I was already gonna!”
“Seeeeee yaaa!”
“By-ye!”
By this time the two were shouting halfway across the town, as Lime Garnish had kept walking despite the conversation. The barpony finally walked out of the town and towards the mountain tunnels towards Hollow Shades. One short trek later and he had made it through the tunnel. Halfway through he felt a cold chill on his coat. He wasn’t scared however, he merely gave a wink and kept walking.
The town of Hollow Shades was… dark. That was a pretty good way to describe it in Lime Garnish’s opinion. Filled with shade underneath a thick tree canopy the torches always remained lit. The houses were beautiful, fading into the forest with the rich wood used, yet also standing as large multi-storey houses. The local businesses were also built up, rather than out. A general store, a tavern that also acted as a restaurant, and a town hall; all of them were in buildings hosting multiple stories. The houses loomed ahead making Lime feel small in comparison. Not many ponies were out and about, but some few were wandering about the town square. A group of fillies was playing around the thick trees and and the one open clearing off to the side of the town. It was quiet, but elegant, just like Chiffonade.
Lime Garnish, not having any knowledge on where Chiffonade now lived walked up to the town square where some ponies were enjoying the… (dim) day.
“Excuse me, miss,” he called out to a mare sitting on a bench facing away from a statue of a stallion looking at the town hall, “Excuse me, is it possible if you could tell me where Chiffonade lives?”
The mare politely faced him and pointed a hoof further down a smaller street further up the main row of shops and houses. “Just down that street there, he lives in the smallest house right at the end,” she responded warmly.
Lime thanked her and dashed off towards the street she had indicated. His heart raced at a million beats per minute as it finally dawned on him what he was doing. Fear struck him but he trudged on as he remembered the spirit’s wisdom. “Courage, confidence, integrity. Courage, confidence, integrity. Come on Lime,” he drummed to himself as he made his way to the end of the side street. The smallest house in the street became visible, right at the end around a corner.
Lime’s chest swelled at every step he took, his hooves nearly stopped walking as he got within a metre of the door, yet slowly and surely he managed to get to the door. His heart thumped and his chest hurt but still, with confidence running through his mind he slowly raised his hoof, gulped and gently rapped on the door.
“Coming!” he heard Chiffonade shout in that beautiful voice of his. His chest threatened to burst as the voice he had missed so much resided in his ears. Temptation growing to just run, to bolt, no harm done just some stupid colts ding-dong ditch-
“Lime Garnish?” the bar pony had hardly noticed the door opening. Taken by surprised the stallion gave a little yelp before returning somewhat to his senses.
“Chiffonade! I-I-I-I wanted to catch up! It’s uh… been a while,” he said plastering a borderline creepy smile on his face. The moment he finished he turned his face away to hide the blush rapidly forming on his cheeks.
“Oh, okay, uhh sure, you actually caught me at a good time. Come on in,” Chiffonade replied.
Lime’s heart swelled as he stepped up the steps to the house. “Thanks, I… well I actually came to t-tell you something,” the bar pony stuttered as he walked through the door. ‘Confidence Lime, come on, no more stuttering, you can do this,’ he thought to himself.
Lime walked into the house immediately noticing the feminine touch in his house, his heart fluttered. He could not believe he was in the house of the very pony he obsessed over. It filled him with hope. Putting his saddle bags by the door he made his way into the lounge.
He heard the sound of a door shut behind him as Chiffonade shut the door with his rear hoof, “Take a seat, tell me what’s been happening at Hoofington Falls? I never really kept in contact with anyone.”
“Well, I mean, not much has really changed. They replaced you, not nearly as good as you though. He’s nice, but… we all missed you.” Lime rubbed his left hoof with his right the two sitting down in the walk-in lounge.
“I mean, yeah understandable, there aren’t many like me,” Chiffonade boasted, relaxing in his chair as the conversation went on.
The two stallions caught up, but Lime noticed something different about the chef. He seemed different, he couldn’t put a hoof on it, but didn’t give it much notice. Continuing with the conversation a stone dropped in the bar pony’s stomach as he prepared to finally tell Chiffonade why he was really here.
“So Chiff, I uhh… well I actually came here for a reason. It’s, something I’ve… uh, wanted to well say since we worked, but I never really could.” Lime blushed, trying his hardest to not stutter.
“Uh huh?” Chiffonade pushed raising an eyebrow.
“Well… it is k-kinda more of a question… Chiff, would you like to… well, go on a date with me sometime?” he asked, smiling a bit and hoping for the best.
Silence.
Dead silence.
It didn’t last long, Chiffonade made a strange cross of a laugh and a huff, like it was unbelieveable. “You? Like… You?” the chef asked in disbelief.
“Well… yeah.” Lime blushed, not expecting that reply.
Chiffonade laughed, a horrible laugh, a conceited laugh, a not-in-hell laugh, “You’re kidding! I mean, yeah, I like stallions but you? Seriously? Sorry kiddo, but uhh... yeah, I think it is better if you went back to the Falls. This is a bit awkward for you. It was nice catching up though.”
An icy feeling filled Lime’s chest. He could feel tension in his jaw, suddenly he couldn’t stop it, tears began flowing from the pony’s face. He coughed as the tears started to stream down his face, he stood up and looked at Chiffonade defeatedly. He manage to choke out a quick, “Jer- jerk,” and bolted to the door. Picking up his saddle bags and slamming the door he ran from the house, sobs racking his chest.
The stallion ran down the street sobbing, tears falling along the road as he made his way back to the cave entrance.
He sat by the entrance for a long time sobbing before he finally managed to get up and make the long trek home. By this time it was late afternoon and all Lime Garnish wanted to do was sleep. An hour’s walk was a small price to pay for a warm bed. The whole time he was plagued with thoughts about what had happened, ‘It was me, I could never have been good enough for him. I never should have gone, it was stupid. I knew he wouldn’t like me.’
That familiar feeling brushed over him. He picked up the pace, tears returning to his eyes as he realised he most likely had the ghost to answer to.
“What plagues your thoughts Liiiiimmmeeeee Gaaaaarnish?” the wind whispered.
“It didn’t work out, it was stupid for me to do so,” he idly said continuing to walk faster to avoid the nosey spirit.
A wind flooded the tunnel, stopping Lime in his tracks. Sighing angrily, he turned around to encounter the spectre again. The spirit leaned down and placed his muzzle close to the bar pony’s ear. “Lime, it wasn’t your fault, I see all. He was never worth pursuing, but through cause of your own. He will be a bitter stallion, nopony being good enough for him. He lost you, not the other way around,” The spirit whispered in Lime’s ear.
“I’m just not good enough for anypony,” Lime whispered back bitterly.
Suddenly the ghost formed a regal stature and increased the strength of the wind. “DON’T! YOU! DARE! EVER BELIEVE THAT, LIME GARNISH!” he boomed, “You must have faith in yourself. You may be surprised at how other ponies perceive you. Live life, but never give up. For that is when ponies end up alone. I wish you all the best, Lime Garnish.” Suddenly the spirit started fading away like before, except this time the wind changed direction, towards Hoofington Falls.
…
Every day for the next week Cinnamon Swirl would head over to Lime Garnish’s house to try to cheer him up. Not a whole lot worked and every day she became more desperate; the dejected stallion just wouldn’t get better. He got up, barely ate, worked at half-capacity and went to bed. By the end of the week the pony had turned into a stick. With his pale and clammy skin, Cinnamon could draw closer comparisons to a spectre than a stallion. The start of the second week wasn’t looking much better in terms of Lime’s health, Monday drew it’s ugly head and the bar pony rose with it. A day off, another day in bed.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
…
knock...knock?
Lime stuffed the pillow in his face and groaned as he got up to answer the door to his only friend. Dressed in his bed doona the stallion swung the door open. However, there was no sad looking Cinnamon, there was no warm food he wouldn’t eat, but she would force on him anyway. Just a funny looking black and white pinto stallion dressed in a scarf and looking like he had just lost his tongue. He had a single saddle bag stuffed with something big to his side.
“Sorry, do… do I know you?” Lime asked tilting his pale head. The other stallion gulped and took opened his mouth.
“Well… no, but I know you. You’re Lime Garnish. Well, hi, my name is Black Board. A-a mare called Cinnamon Swirl told me about…. well, she told me about what happened and I just wanted to come see how you were doing… a-and I-I guess if there wuss-was anything I could d-do?” the pinto replied.
“Oh.. okay, I mean, sorry to waste your time but I’m fine and I think I can manage-”
“She said you’d say that while she was dragging me here, and to not take no for an answer, ‘cause if I walk away, she’s hiding in the bushes and…” the strange stallion interrupted shutting his eyes tightly and wincing.
“Uhhh okay? Come on… in,” Lime replied, opening the door to let him through.
The pinto hesitated, then smiled as he stepped in, “Thank you… s-sor-oy about inter-interrupting you the-there. The two sat at the kitchen table, Lime somehow managing to sit down with the doona cover and himself in the same chair.
“So… Black Board, what do you do here in Hoofington Falls?” Lime asked flicking the stove on and filling the kettle, placing it on the lit stove with his magic.
“Well, you see I-I’m a school teacher, I have been for a while at the primary school. I go into the restaurant every so often for dinner. I-I’ve met you a few times, ac-actually.” Both Black Board and Lime blushed at that statement.
“Oh, hehe, we get so many customers, it can be hard to remember everypony,” he replied covering up the fact he could not for the life of him remember who this pinto was.
“Wait,” he suddenly remembered. “I remember you! You always come in with that other stallion, ah the orange one. Yes I serve you drinks every now and again. I always assumed you two were… well actually dating, you seemed very close whenever I took notice.”
“Y-Yeah, that’s… well umm, that was my ex. We… we broke up a week ago. He was… yeah.” Black Board sighed, it was partially blocked out by the whistle of the steam pot. Once again using his magic, Lime turned off the stove and brewed two teas, placing them on the table in front of himself and his guest.
“Oh… I am, well sorry to hear that, I guess we have both had it a bit rough with love lately…” Lime looked down, the gears ever so slowly turning in his head. “Do you wanna talk about it? It helps,” he mumbled looking into his tea.
“I mean, well okay. I.. I was the one to break up with him. He was, well definitely not the pony I said yes to. He, just got so angry all the time… and, well there is something else,” The smaller stallion rubbed his hooves nervously as his ears flattened and he lowered his head a little.
Lime raised an eyebrow. “Yeah? What was it?” he asked taking a sip of tea.
Black Board closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Before looking downcast to the side. “So, we were down at the restaurant like most Saturdays, just having a good time together, but… well he got angry at me, I can’t remember what it was but he just got so angry at me. It was hardly something to get mad about I remember that. He told me he was going to the toilet so I went outside and sat down against the wall. I didn’t know what to do, well, I started crying outside the bar at eleven on a Saturday night. It wasn’t a good look. But somepony came along and placed their cardy on me.” He paused, Lime Garnish’s eyes raised a bit at hearing that, the gears turning faster in his tired mind.
“That pony sat down next to me, he said ‘hi’ and he just let me calm down. He must have been tired and ready to go home, because he had just finished his shift at the bar. He told me a funny story and stuck with me until I stopped crying and told him I was going home. Well, I offered that cardigan back to him but he told me to keep it. It smelt beautiful, just like him when he sat next to me. He was beautiful as well. Whenever my coltfriend and I went to the bar I would admire him working, imagining talking to him, getting to know him. Then I finally decided to break up with that terrible stallion.”
Black Board reached into his saddlebag and pulled out the cardigan he was referring to. He put it on the table. “But, I did come here specifically to bring back a cardigan.” His eyes started glistening, using a hoof to wipe away the tears he began to breathe in and out heavily. “Thanks for giving me the strength to break up with him, you’ll meet somepony amazing one day,” he managed to croak out before he stood up and made for the door.
“Black Board, wait!” Lime called out, his own eyes starting to glisten with tears. “Why would I want to meet somepony amazing? I already know one that I’d want nothing more than to take out on a date. Black Board would you like to go out sometime? Just for some dinner?” Lime asked, beginning to cry himself. Black Board felt weak, the tears flowing faster down his cheeks. Lime walked up to the stallion standing halfway between him and the door. They hugged tightly as smiles spread over both pony’s faces as more tears flowed. Lime squeezed the stallion a bit more before letting go and leading him to the door.
“Well Black Board. How does this Thursday sound? It is nice and quiet then, we can have a dinner on the lake. My house Thursday at five?” Lime asked.
“Sounds like a date, I’ll see you then.” Black Board smiled. Just as he began turning around he quickly looked back at Lime Garnish, “Thanks Lime, for giving me a chance.”
“Hey, thank you! I’d still be in bed feeling sorry for myself if you hadn’t come by. I’ll see ya’ on Thursday Black Board.”
“‘till then” Black Board gave a little wave. Lime looked on watching his date walk off into the distance. Smiling, the bar pony closed the door. ‘I have a feeling Thursday is going to be the start of something special.’
Standing at the window Cinnamon Swirl gave Lime the cockiest look the stallion had ever seen. “Shuddup Cinnamon!” Lime yelled before she could make a comment.
“I haven’t even said anything!” she cried.
“I knew what you were going to say,” the two shared a chuckle.
“You know me too well Lime…. So, I guess that means our traditional ogling over the Hoofington Falls swimming team is gonna come to an end?” she asked.
“Pfft, we have to till Thursday, come on! Let’s get down there before they start breast-stroke!”