Generations-Chapter 9
Generations-Chapter 9The bell over the door jingled and Twilight trotted out from the back room. "How can I help you?"
It was Barnacle, with a huge grin on his face and something hiding behind his back. "This place needs some color," he pronounced as he pulled out the flowers.
"Oh, that's so sweet!" Twilight gushed. "You brought me a... potted plant," she added with a funny look on her face.
"Yes of course," Barnacle said very stately. "It's much more sensible for a man to bring a woman flowers in a pot than cut. A. They last longer. B. Anyone can go to a flower shop and ask for a dozen roses. A potted plant shows much more thought and consideration. And C," he sidled up close to her, "The lady can rest assured they were not picked out of her own garden." He tickled her as he said the last.
She just smiled at him. This was the third time this week he'd found an excuse to come to the bookshop. That on top of the nightly visits with her in the library. "Good thing for you carnations really are my favorite. Come help me plant them outside."
"Ah, yes. I knew all that thought and consideration would pay off one day," he teased as he followed her out the door.
Twilight kneeled down and began digging the hole. "You know, it's a wonder I get anything done with you."
"So I'm a distraction, am I?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, distracting me from my hoards of customers." She glanced in the window at the empty store.
Barnacle looked concerned. "So things are not going any better?"
"I actually think they're going worse," she sighed and stopped her work. "I've been thinking about closing down soon." She looked him straight in the eyes. "It just sounds so terrible to say that!" She turned back to her work vigorously.
Barnacle tried to change the subject. "So speaking of getting things done around me, how is the Rosetta coming?"
"It's almost done. I'm in the final stages of editing it, and then I've got to look for a publisher. The problem will be finding one that will publish the work of a woman. The other problem will be affording it."
Barnacle nodded. "Well, I am the prince, and I like to think I have some power and sway over this town�" Twilight looked up at him. "I'll pull some strings for you," he winked.
She stood up and kissed him slowly and sweetly. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Well," he said, a little in a daze, "Let's get these flowers in the ground."
Sweetsong and Wysteria stayed on the island for almost a month. They played in the ocean and hiked on the trails. They relaxed on the white sand beaches, and kicked their heels up at the carnival and fair. After much pestering by Bowtie, Waterfire even took them up in his hot air balloon.
They also met many of the island ponies. Coconut Cream was Bowtie's younger sister. Round-n-Round owned the amusement park, and Fizzy Pop owned an icecream shop in town, as well as a beach concession stand, run by Kiwi Tart whenever she was out of school for the day. Wysteria and Sweetsong got to know some of the regular beach bums, the biggest of whom was Island Rainbow. She could be found at almost any time of the day at the beach! What did that pony do for a living anyway?
Throughout it all, Sweetsong had the time of her life, but she couldn't help but feel out of place. Wysteria and Bowtie had formed a close bond; they made a cute couple. She had always thought Wysteria was incredibly beautiful, and Bowtie was certainly handsome. Sweetsong was not jealous of her friend; she knew she deserved this happiness as much as anyone, if not more.
Bowtie was kind and faithful, and extremely attentive to her. She talked about him constantly when they weren't together, and it was obvious he had the same feelings for her. Sweetsong often spent the day with the two of them, but she always wound up feeling like the third wheel. Though both Bowtie and Wysteria did their best to include her, it was impossible to hide their feelings.
There were a few days here and there where Wysteria and Sweetsong spent a girl's day together, but for whatever reason, they couldn't have conversations like they used to. Wysteria would only be half-there, and Sweetsong knew where the other half was.
She didn't feel comfortable around Waterfire either. He was just the same as always: so distant, and always staring. So careful and prideful in how he carried himself, how he walked, and ate, and spoke, though the last was rare. She could practically feel him looking down his nose at her. She felt low, and dirty, and uneducated around him. But that irritated her even more, because she knew that was probably how he wanted her to feel. So she didn't give him the pleasure of the satisfaction. She was always polite to him. More than civil, she was often downright sweet to him. That was her revenge: kill him with kindness. Maybe one of these days, he'd choke on it!
She spent each evening thus with Waterfire, for she was still his house-guest. She couldn't escape that; he'd insisted on it. And when the four of them would go out together, Bowtie and Wysteria invariably paired off, leaving him and her as a pair as well.
For that reason, she often wandered out onto the beach after dinner to watch the sunset in solitude. It was comforting, no matter how uncomfortable the dinner had been. It was soothing, no matter how much she missed her best friend as she used to be. And it beckoned her home.
Unfortunately, this evening, along with the past several days, it was pouring down rain. She had told Wysteria a few days ago that she wanted to leave, but the weather had stopped them. Tomorrow was supposed to be clear however, and they could rent a boat and sail back to Jewel City.
In the meantime, there was a pleasant fire burning and Sweetsong had settled down with the diary to catch up on Twilight.
"May I ask what you're reading?" Waterfire's smooth voice broke the silence.
"It's a diary," she dismissed it.
"Your own?"
"No. It's a young mare that lived about two hundred years ago."
"Really?" Sweetsong was surprised at his interest. "May I?" She nodded, and he kneeled next to her and flipped though a few pages. The fire reflected off his hair, which seemed to dance with brilliance.
He was an incredibly handsome pony. Not like Bowtie, who had a classic look, Apollo features. Waterfire's beauty was deeper, and more striking. This was not the first time Sweetsong had thought that about him. Different times in the sun and out on the beach she had noticed his brilliant color, but this was the first she'd seen him in firelight, and this was the closest she'd ever been to him. She was dazzled.
"This is fascinating." Waterfire looked straight into her eyes and Sweetsong was startled. It was as if he'd looked straight into her soul and read her every thought. "Where did you find this?"
"It was in a time-capsule," she stammered. He nodded with interest, and she proceeded to tell him about all her discoveries, the history book, Twilight's life, and the reason behind their adventure. In turn, Waterfire told her about his life-long fascination with history, and about his ancestors from this very island. They spent the evening in deep conversation.
Wysteria spent the evening in torment. The weather was going to break tomorrow and Sweetsong was going to want to leave. She wasn't ready to leave yet; she loved this island. But she knew she couldn't just abandon her friend to go home alone. She already felt guilty for all the time she'd been spending with Bowtie and not with Sweetsong.
Wysteria paced back and forth in her room. She'd never promised Sweetsong she would leave; she could decide to stay of her own free will. She rolled her eyes; that wouldn't work, not if she wanted to keep her friendship. She came with Sweetsong; she should leave with Sweetsong.
But on the other hand, Sweetsong hadn't exactly asked her for her opinion either. She just announced she wanted to leave and expected her to be ok with it. Maybe she should go to her and ask to stay another two weeks. Or at least a week...
There was a soft knock at the door, and Bowtie came in.
"Can I talk to you?" Wysteria nodded and sat down. Bowtie started to speak, but then walked across the room. He drew breath again, but looked down and shuffled his feet. He walked straight over to her and leaned to kiss her, but then stood up. He walked to the middle of the room and sighed.
"The bottom line is, Wysteria, that I don't want you to leave tomorrow!"
"Well I have to go with Sweetsong, and that's the end of it." It occurred to her as she said this that it was just the opposite of her own musings.
"No you don't; you're not attached at the hip."
"I'm not going to just abandon her, or force her to stay when she doesn't want to." Why was she arguing so adamantly in Sweetsong's defense?
Bowtie tapped his hoof for a minute, then sighed. "What if we got married?"
Wysteria was taken by surprise. "Bowtie, are you sure that..."
He interrupted, "You're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I'm sure of it. And I'm also sure you feel the same way about me. I know we've only known each other for a month, but we could date for years and have the same outcome, so why prolong it? Wysteria�" He got down on one knee, "Will you marry me?"
Her mouth dropped open. He'd certainly covered everything, and there was no way she could argue with it. "Yes," she said, rather dazed. He let out a laugh, and then hugged her. "Looks like I have to stay now," she chuckled.
He kissed her for a long time and held her in his arms. He looked at her and brushed a hair out of her face, "We'll tell Sweetsong in the morning." She smiled and nuzzled him.