Wysteria felt a little dizzy, swiveling her head around as she looked
around the café. She had come in with Sparkleworks, Mittens, and Dazzle
Surprise, but now she didn't see any of them. Had they left without her
while she was saying hello here to Sweetberry? What were they doing? She
felt a little confused, like her thoughts were floating out of her head as
she tried to pin them down. Oh yes, getting ice cream for Bubblecup. Where
was Bubblecup? She looked down at the ice melting in her nearly empty glass
on the tabletop.
"What's this we're drinking, Sweetberry?"
"That's a Rainbow Mint Julep, honey," drawled Sweetberry easily, her voice a thick, sweet syrup, deep in the back of her mouth. She sounded like she liked to feel the words in her throat when she talked. When Wysteria pestered her to know where her beautiful accent came from, she'd only say, "Why, down South, honey." Sweetberry raised an eyebrow, watching Wysteria puzzle over her glass. "Ah think you mighta had enougha that. We bettah get you somethin' to eat."
Wysteria followed her eyes to where Cotton Candy, who owned the café and ran it single-handedly, was emerging from the kitchen carrying a huge tray of steaming muffins. Her already pink face was flushed from heat and exertion, giving her a luminous candy glow. She absently pushed away an errant strand of pale blue hair curled around her cheek as she set down the tray and began to transfer the muffins to linen-lined basket, smiling and humming as she worked.
"How does a muffin sound?" Sweetberry asked, rising from the table.
"A muffin. Hmmm." Wysteria pondered this. Sweetberry was looking at her funny. "I'd love a muffin."
Before Sweetberry could head for the counter, Cotton Candy was already bustling towards them with a few muffins on a plate, a delicious warm scent of apples and cinnamon wafting from it.
"Hello," she smiled. "You ladies care for a fresh apple muffin?"
"You are a mind-readah, Cotton Candy," sighed Sweetberry, sinking gracefully back into her chair.
"You don't mind if I join you for a little break, do you?" asked Cotton Candy as she pulled out a chair. "I just need to rest my hooves for a couple minutes, and the café's been hopping all day."
"Of course not, honey. You take a load off. Ah don't know how you can look so gorgeous when you've been runnin' around all day like the Smooze was after you." She paused for a bite of muffin, closing her eyes dramatically. "These are to die for."
"Thanks," Cotton Candy grinned, breaking apart a muffin. "Running around agrees with me, I guess."
"Well, not me," chuckled Sweetberry. "Ah can't keep mah hair curled unless Ah just relax in this nihce breeze with a cool drink. Wysteria, honey, try a muffin."
Wysteria giggled and reached a little woozily for a muffin. Cotton Candy's eyes flickered suspiciously towards the glasses.
"What are you two drinking?"
Wysteria giggled again as she tried to get the wrapper off her muffin. Sweetberry smiled mysteriously.
"Just a little Rainbow Juice, with a little cool mint."
"Any special ingredients added to that juice I served you?"
"Ah can't imagine what you mean."
"Sweetberry," Cotton Candy said sternly, lowering her voice, and looking around the cafe. "You know I don't mind if you bring that in for yourself, but I definitely don't approve of your giving it out in the café. I don't think Wysteria's really holding it well."
"Oh, now, Ah only gave her taste," scoffed Sweetberry, nonplussed. "She's jest fine, aren't you, honey?"
Wysteria was feeling mighty fine, but just a little dizzy. She tried to affect a posture more like Sweetberry's. Sweetberry always looked so elegant and relaxed. "Sure I am!"
"You are a bad influence on younger ponies, Sweetberry," scolded Cotton Candy. Sweetberry just smiled serenely. Cotton Candy might have had more to say, but a young stallion, uniformly golden in color except for the red- ribboned lollipops of his Birthbrand and the matching heart on his hoof, sidled up behind her and gave her a nip. She let out a small shriek.
"Butterscotch, you rascal!" she exclaimed, but she was smiling.
"Oops. Hi gals," He tipped his straw hat, grinning devilishly. He looked like delicious grinning toffee. "Hey Cotton Candy, I brought you some more rainbowberries. I left them in the kitchen."
"You better not have gotten into anything in there."
"Well, someone did leave some cookies just lying out on the counter...."
Cotton Candy shook her head in dismay. "Those are for the nursery! Were for the nursery. How many did you leave me?"
He shrugged. "A few."
The pink pony got to her hooves, shaking her head in dismay. "I better go make some more. You are almost more trouble than your rainbowberries are worth."
"I could stop bringing them..." He gave Wysteria a wink, pulling out Cotton Candy's vacated chair, as if they shared some joke. Did he know her? She didn't remember ever talking to the golden stallion. She blushed, hoping it didn't show through her regular purple.
"No, no! Not yet, anyway."
"Not until Ah learn to cultivate them," interjected Sweetberry, who oversaw berry production in Ponyville. "And Ah will figure it out one of these days. Never had a berry give me so much trouble. I've got no ideah how they grow in the wild."
"As soon as you figure it out, Sweetberry, you let me know. Then we can get rid of this rapscallion who eats all my sweets."
Butterscotch tipped his chair back on two legs, folding his arms. "Let me know, too, if I'm going to go out of business."
Cotton Candy continued to shake her head as she trotted off to the kitchen.
"You find rainbowberries in the woods?" asked Wysteria shyly, curiously studying his dirty knees and the riot of curly tinsel exploding around his hair. Most boys detinseled if they had so much. She had seen him before, in stores and parties. What was it Star-Swirl had called him? A social something...
"Yup," he said proudly. "Er, what's your name...?"
"Wysteria."
"Well, Wysteria, I know where all the best patches are. All the secrets of the forest."
"Is that so?" said Sweetberry casually, sipping her Mint Julep. Butterscotch's eyes strayed over Sweetberry.
"Yeah," he nodded knowledgably, searching for signs that his audience was impressed. "Because, it's really important to be in touch with our natural surroundings and stuff, and, um, because stallions should really learn to help out with, like gathering food and stuff. I mean, also, in nature, you can really get in touch with your feelings. Plus, it's really fun, like especially with another pony." He looked hopeful.
In general, Sweetberry seemed mildly amused, but otherwise uninterested in the pronounced effect she had on men. Perhaps it was just because most of the Ponyville stallions were so much younger than she. Certainly she never seemed to approach them with the fierce determination of Sparkleworks, or to feel shy or nervous around them like Wysteria usually did. Though not as much today, for some reason. She felt comparatively quite bold. In fact, she was going to say something to this boy.
"So, I hear you're a social mactivist," Wysteria ventured loudly.
The "mac" looked stunned. His ears reddened. Sweetberry trembled with suppressed laughter as she gently patted Wysteria's arm.
"Ah think you mean activist, honey."
"Really?" Had she said something funny? "I thought Star-Swirl said mactivist? She said that's why you always show up at the forest-garden association and meditation and stuff."
Butterscotch grinned sheepishly, and covered his eyes with his hooves. "I guess she must have meant activist. Because I care about, you know, the forest and stuff."
Sweetberry was smiling widely into her glass, not looking at either of her tablemates.
"Oh," said Wysteria quietly, looking from one to the other. She had a feeling she was going to feel embarrassed about this later, as soon as she figured out what was so funny. "Me, too."
"Oh yeah? I mean, I know I've seen you in the gardens a lot. Maybe, I could, uh, show you some forest secrets or something later. I mean, not tonight, because it's starting to get dark out, but tomorrow, maybe," he said, still red. He looked uncertainly at Sweetberry, who was draining her glass. She threw him a sidelong glance.
"Oh don't mind me, honey. If you weren't so red, I would call you shameless."
Wysteria was processing the invitation. Did he mean a date? With her?
"Oh gosh," she stammered, looking to Sweetberry for guidance.
"Well for goodness sake, honey, go ahead and tell the boy yes if you want to go."
"Okay," blushed Wysteria. "Yes."
"What's this we're drinking, Sweetberry?"
"That's a Rainbow Mint Julep, honey," drawled Sweetberry easily, her voice a thick, sweet syrup, deep in the back of her mouth. She sounded like she liked to feel the words in her throat when she talked. When Wysteria pestered her to know where her beautiful accent came from, she'd only say, "Why, down South, honey." Sweetberry raised an eyebrow, watching Wysteria puzzle over her glass. "Ah think you mighta had enougha that. We bettah get you somethin' to eat."
Wysteria followed her eyes to where Cotton Candy, who owned the café and ran it single-handedly, was emerging from the kitchen carrying a huge tray of steaming muffins. Her already pink face was flushed from heat and exertion, giving her a luminous candy glow. She absently pushed away an errant strand of pale blue hair curled around her cheek as she set down the tray and began to transfer the muffins to linen-lined basket, smiling and humming as she worked.
"How does a muffin sound?" Sweetberry asked, rising from the table.
"A muffin. Hmmm." Wysteria pondered this. Sweetberry was looking at her funny. "I'd love a muffin."
Before Sweetberry could head for the counter, Cotton Candy was already bustling towards them with a few muffins on a plate, a delicious warm scent of apples and cinnamon wafting from it.
"Hello," she smiled. "You ladies care for a fresh apple muffin?"
"You are a mind-readah, Cotton Candy," sighed Sweetberry, sinking gracefully back into her chair.
"You don't mind if I join you for a little break, do you?" asked Cotton Candy as she pulled out a chair. "I just need to rest my hooves for a couple minutes, and the café's been hopping all day."
"Of course not, honey. You take a load off. Ah don't know how you can look so gorgeous when you've been runnin' around all day like the Smooze was after you." She paused for a bite of muffin, closing her eyes dramatically. "These are to die for."
"Thanks," Cotton Candy grinned, breaking apart a muffin. "Running around agrees with me, I guess."
"Well, not me," chuckled Sweetberry. "Ah can't keep mah hair curled unless Ah just relax in this nihce breeze with a cool drink. Wysteria, honey, try a muffin."
Wysteria giggled and reached a little woozily for a muffin. Cotton Candy's eyes flickered suspiciously towards the glasses.
"What are you two drinking?"
Wysteria giggled again as she tried to get the wrapper off her muffin. Sweetberry smiled mysteriously.
"Just a little Rainbow Juice, with a little cool mint."
"Any special ingredients added to that juice I served you?"
"Ah can't imagine what you mean."
"Sweetberry," Cotton Candy said sternly, lowering her voice, and looking around the cafe. "You know I don't mind if you bring that in for yourself, but I definitely don't approve of your giving it out in the café. I don't think Wysteria's really holding it well."
"Oh, now, Ah only gave her taste," scoffed Sweetberry, nonplussed. "She's jest fine, aren't you, honey?"
Wysteria was feeling mighty fine, but just a little dizzy. She tried to affect a posture more like Sweetberry's. Sweetberry always looked so elegant and relaxed. "Sure I am!"
"You are a bad influence on younger ponies, Sweetberry," scolded Cotton Candy. Sweetberry just smiled serenely. Cotton Candy might have had more to say, but a young stallion, uniformly golden in color except for the red- ribboned lollipops of his Birthbrand and the matching heart on his hoof, sidled up behind her and gave her a nip. She let out a small shriek.
"Butterscotch, you rascal!" she exclaimed, but she was smiling.
"Oops. Hi gals," He tipped his straw hat, grinning devilishly. He looked like delicious grinning toffee. "Hey Cotton Candy, I brought you some more rainbowberries. I left them in the kitchen."
"You better not have gotten into anything in there."
"Well, someone did leave some cookies just lying out on the counter...."
Cotton Candy shook her head in dismay. "Those are for the nursery! Were for the nursery. How many did you leave me?"
He shrugged. "A few."
The pink pony got to her hooves, shaking her head in dismay. "I better go make some more. You are almost more trouble than your rainbowberries are worth."
"I could stop bringing them..." He gave Wysteria a wink, pulling out Cotton Candy's vacated chair, as if they shared some joke. Did he know her? She didn't remember ever talking to the golden stallion. She blushed, hoping it didn't show through her regular purple.
"No, no! Not yet, anyway."
"Not until Ah learn to cultivate them," interjected Sweetberry, who oversaw berry production in Ponyville. "And Ah will figure it out one of these days. Never had a berry give me so much trouble. I've got no ideah how they grow in the wild."
"As soon as you figure it out, Sweetberry, you let me know. Then we can get rid of this rapscallion who eats all my sweets."
Butterscotch tipped his chair back on two legs, folding his arms. "Let me know, too, if I'm going to go out of business."
Cotton Candy continued to shake her head as she trotted off to the kitchen.
"You find rainbowberries in the woods?" asked Wysteria shyly, curiously studying his dirty knees and the riot of curly tinsel exploding around his hair. Most boys detinseled if they had so much. She had seen him before, in stores and parties. What was it Star-Swirl had called him? A social something...
"Yup," he said proudly. "Er, what's your name...?"
"Wysteria."
"Well, Wysteria, I know where all the best patches are. All the secrets of the forest."
"Is that so?" said Sweetberry casually, sipping her Mint Julep. Butterscotch's eyes strayed over Sweetberry.
"Yeah," he nodded knowledgably, searching for signs that his audience was impressed. "Because, it's really important to be in touch with our natural surroundings and stuff, and, um, because stallions should really learn to help out with, like gathering food and stuff. I mean, also, in nature, you can really get in touch with your feelings. Plus, it's really fun, like especially with another pony." He looked hopeful.
In general, Sweetberry seemed mildly amused, but otherwise uninterested in the pronounced effect she had on men. Perhaps it was just because most of the Ponyville stallions were so much younger than she. Certainly she never seemed to approach them with the fierce determination of Sparkleworks, or to feel shy or nervous around them like Wysteria usually did. Though not as much today, for some reason. She felt comparatively quite bold. In fact, she was going to say something to this boy.
"So, I hear you're a social mactivist," Wysteria ventured loudly.
The "mac" looked stunned. His ears reddened. Sweetberry trembled with suppressed laughter as she gently patted Wysteria's arm.
"Ah think you mean activist, honey."
"Really?" Had she said something funny? "I thought Star-Swirl said mactivist? She said that's why you always show up at the forest-garden association and meditation and stuff."
Butterscotch grinned sheepishly, and covered his eyes with his hooves. "I guess she must have meant activist. Because I care about, you know, the forest and stuff."
Sweetberry was smiling widely into her glass, not looking at either of her tablemates.
"Oh," said Wysteria quietly, looking from one to the other. She had a feeling she was going to feel embarrassed about this later, as soon as she figured out what was so funny. "Me, too."
"Oh yeah? I mean, I know I've seen you in the gardens a lot. Maybe, I could, uh, show you some forest secrets or something later. I mean, not tonight, because it's starting to get dark out, but tomorrow, maybe," he said, still red. He looked uncertainly at Sweetberry, who was draining her glass. She threw him a sidelong glance.
"Oh don't mind me, honey. If you weren't so red, I would call you shameless."
Wysteria was processing the invitation. Did he mean a date? With her?
"Oh gosh," she stammered, looking to Sweetberry for guidance.
"Well for goodness sake, honey, go ahead and tell the boy yes if you want to go."
"Okay," blushed Wysteria. "Yes."