The best laid plans of Mares and Stallions [ATTN:Bellosh101]

[Bellosh]

As unromantic as the suggestion was, Sugar Apple thought Earth Writer had a very insightful point. If the stallion had really been that introverted during his college days, the purple pegasus would never have given him a second thought... and considering they studied in different cities back then, Sugar wouldn’t have even been aware of the other’s existence. Now if she took that line of thought a step further;[colour=#800080] “Yah’ know, we probably wouldn’t have met at all eff it wasn’t fo’ thet Runnin’ of th’ Leaves thin’. Specifically, eff yah’ never tried t’ kick out with hind-legs them apples back near th’ startin’ line.”[/colour] Even if Mr. Writer had been there to help dig Sugar out of the rock slide, the following emotional connection could have never been forged without their earlier encounters during the Running.

When prompted to, Sugar Apple entwined her foreleg with Earth Writer’s own as the streets became less crowded. After she acknowledged the tan unicorn’s mention of the shortcut with a nod of the head, the mare asked; [colour=#800080]“So Earthy, what else do yah’ wanna’ show me ‘round hyar.....?”[/colour]

[Blueblood]

It was true, Earth Writer had to admit. If he hadn't tried to get an apple during the race, there wouldn't have been that first meeting, from which came everything else. "[colour=#8b4513]From such small beginnings do great things grow. Much like a seed, now that I think about it.[/colour]" He ended his musings with a grin, reflecting the light of the lamps. "[colour=#8b4513]I don't what what fruit this is going to bear, but I'll love finding out![/colour]"

As he led Sugar Apple through the less-traveled thoroughfares, he paused at each street sign to check his bearings. "[colour=#8b4513]There's one more thing I want you to see before you go. It really takes a local to know how remarkable it is- ah![/colour]"

The pair had arrived at a quaint and uneven street, roughly paved with cobbles, but cheerily lit, with strains of music coming from a lighted restaurant further down. "[colour=#8b4513]This is the Appia, the oldest street in Canterlot. Most of the others, especially near the aristocratic quarter, have been torn up or renovated or remade, but most of these stones were the same as they were when first laid[/colour]." He pointed a hoof at the restaurant, whose sign had not words, only a picture of three hats. "[colour=#8b4513]I don't know if that's the oldest restaurant, but it's one of the best. Not an everyday sort of thing, and I couldn't have afforded it, save that the paper treated us all to New Year's Dinner there, but it's not snobby in any way, and the food is both good and plentiful. There's even live music most nights, as you can hear.[/colour]"

He stopped for a moment to listen to the strains of a fiddle and guitar, playing out an old folk song of the mountains, possibly older than the city itself.

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple as always enjoyed Earth Writer’s lovely use of words; that journalism experience of his came quite in handy it seemed. Before she knew it, the purple pegasus stood on what apparently was the oldest street in Canterlot. It certainly looked old to Sugar, since it hardly looked as pristine as the Canterlot streets she was familiar with. The tan unicorn then pointed towards a restaurant; one with nothing to identify itself with aside from a sign depicting three hats. Miss Apple figured that establishment was busy too thanks to Hearts and Hooves Day, but whatever they were serving smelled nice from the outside.

And that song... Sugar Apple almost instantly knew the tune playing. [colour=#800080]“Hey, ah know this tune!”[/colour] she cried out to her date as her wings shot out; [colour=#800080]“Mah folks ‘round hyar love playin’ this song all th’ time. Accordin’ t’ them, our ancestor Prairie Tune came up with it back when our folks entered Canterlot fo’ th’ first time. You know all about how we used t’ collect seeds everywhere, right hun?”[/colour] At any rate, Sugar’s appreciation for hearing her family’s old songs being played showed on her face.....

[Blueblood]

(BTW, here's the street from Belgrade I based the scene on. The restaurant's real too, and was very good)

https://photos-1.dropbox.com/t/0/AAA6pYYgO2zsSaDYU8P19j5h907xuVxsADW6o-E95x2ijg/12/201844509/png/32x32/3/_/1/2/Three%20Hats%20Street.png/dZEC0Pp0ZeXFD96OEqGsr3hLQj7BVf6oGQ8MuTvR6Yg?size=1024x768

The pair stayed to listen, as the strains could be heard through the open doors of the restaurant. [colour=#8b4513]*One day, I'm going to take her to dinner here... maybe.* [/colour]Earth Writer[colour=#000000] didn't want to sound too arrogant, even to himself, but it was exactly the sort of place he could picture her enjoying.[/colour]

[colour=#000000]For more reasons than one, as it turned out. He raised an interested eyebrow as Sugar Apple recognized the old song, and recalled the old legend behind it. "[/colour][colour=#8b4513]I've heard something of it, though more about how they spread those seeds all over Equestria. One of my professors, the one that actually got me interested in Geography in the first place, actually, suggested that the Zap Apple trees were descended from an old orchard seeded in ancient times that the forest swallowed and changed magically.[/colour][colour=#000000]" He shrugged. "[/colour][colour=#8b4513]I don't know myself, but it makes for a good story, don't you think?[/colour][colour=#000000]"[/colour]

[colour=#000000]The last chorus floated out the door into the night, and the unicorn nudged his date to follow. "[/colour][colour=#8b4513]I don't want you to have to rush for the last train. These streets can be a little treacherous if you take them too quickly.[/colour][colour=#000000]" [/colour]

[Bellosh]

Your link doesn't work.

Earth Writer mentioned to Sugar Apple a peculiar theory about the origin of Zap Apples; one that sounded plausible to a certain extent, but not one that could be meaningfully proved either. [colour=#800080]“Don’t forget hun,” [/colour]reminded the purple pegasus; [colour=#800080]“Even apple trees were wild plants before we ponies started cultivatin’ them. Maybe Zap Apples happen eff apple trees are allowed t’ stay wild enough.”[/colour] Sugar shrugged, for idle speculation about apples was not quite on her mind at the moment.

Observing that the sky had grown more purplish with the sun’s magically guided journey towards the edge of the horizon, Sugar Apple realized she probably would have to start making her way back now if she wanted to make it to the train back to Ponyville. Yet just a short ways after following Earth Writer, a practical idea formed in her mind; [colour=#800080]“Wait a sec Earthy... eff the streets kin be clogged up this time of night, wouldn’t it be faster eff ah uhhhh, simply flew back t’ th’ train station?”[/colour] Sugar bashfully smiled, knowing her date wouldn’t be able to conjure up wings to see her off. Still though, she was quite fine with taking the streets back if that was what Mr. Writer preferred.....

[Blueblood]

Oops. Hm, how about now: http://rackenhammer.deviantart.com/art/A-cobbled-street-in-Belgrade-393745256

Earth Writer didn't care enough of his idle theory to give it another thought. After all, it wasn't all that important, not near so important as the fact that he was with Sugar Apple, or that she would shortly have to depart. "Well, yes," he agreed hesitantly, "I hadn't thought of that, but... if you did fly away, I shouldn't be able to see you off." He blushed in the streetlight glow. It was such a small point, he knew, but he would like to at least give her a good send-off at the station. That was a thing you did, when your date came to visit you by train, right?

"It's not so far." He hastened to assure her. "Just a few minutes's walk, really." Indeed, a low shriek of a whistle could just be heard over the rooftops, though getting there was a roundabout affair, which involved at least one cut through an alley, though not a long or dirty one.

And then, turning a corner, the couple were just in the blazing lights near the platform. "There you are, see? And it's only 6:50, too, plenty of time to catch the train." He stepped back with a flourish, as if he had just conjured the entire station from his hat.

[RarityDash]

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[Bellosh]

As per Sugar Apple’s intuition, Earth Writer wanted to do things the traditional way and bring the mare to the train station without plowing through the crowds. The good news for them was that Canterlot was quite compact for a great city; even by taking the long way back, the pair would be able to reach the train station in due time. Just like Earth said, the trip only took a few minutes, and there was plenty of time to spare too for a proper farewell.

“Thanks fo’ evrythin’, hun!” Sugar graciously thanked the tan stallion, turning towards him and wrapping her forelegs tightly around the unicorn; “This was a wonderful evening. Ah think this is th’ best Hearts and Hooves Day ah’ve evah had!” Granted, this was the only time Sugar Apple actually found time to make arrangements with a special somepony on this day, but she reckoned this date excelled as one on this special day should.....

[Blueblood]

Earth Writer enthusiastically returned Sugar Apple's hug, unaware that theirs was only one of several farewells happening on the station. He had no desire to take his attention off her, even for a moment, especially now. "Mmm, it's certainly been my best ever Hearts and Hooves day, for sure."

Like the pegasus mare, this was the first time he'd had anything like a special somepony to spend this day, or for that matter, any other day, with. *Oh yes, I could definitely get used to this.*

He pulled back, to get a look into her eyes, before leaning in to give her a kiss goodbye. It the most deliberate kiss of the evening, not sudden or pushing, but unmistakably sincere. He pulled away as the first whistle of the train pierced their ears. "Thank you," Earth Writer said to her, "For a most wonderful day."

[Bellosh]

Sugar Apple’s wings slightly perked up as Earth Writer provided a response hug. As with the stallion, Sugar felt too that she could get very used to this affection. Earth may not have exactly been the purple pegasus’s first ever coltfriend, but he was the first in a long while who felt like a kindred spirit.

If Miss Apple’s wings didn’t shoot up in the air a second ago, they surely did now when Earth Writer went in for the kiss. Musing on how the tan unicorn’s killer instinct never led him astray in the field of kissing, Sugar more than happily closed her eyes as she pressed her own lips against the gentlecolt’s. This second wasn’t as exhilarating as the earlier one back in the park, but it still was a sweet way to end the evening.

After Sugar Apple pulled back, her companion uttered a final expression of thanks for the date today. “Yah’ didn’t too badly either hun,” she quipped back, all the while trotting towards the train; “Don’t forgit t’ write often, Earth Writer! Ya’ haven’t seen th’ last of me by a looooong shot!!!” Blowing a kiss to her coltfriend (yeah, she thought it safe to call him that now), the purple pegasus then provided a final wave goodbye before at least, she answered the call to board the train.

~We’ll have t’ arrange thet second date REAL quick~

*Exit Sugar Apple*

[Blueblood]

"That's what I'm counting on!" Earth Writer called out after his marefriend as he waved goodbye. Already, the sorrow of parting was mingled with the anticipation of the next meeting, and vague but exciting plans were buzzing around his head. All in all, though, his dominant feeling was happiness, and he whistled a happy tune as he walked home, half-oblivious to his surroundings.

*When and where will we meet again?* The stallion thought to himself as he let himself into his flat. *Anywhere will do, and anytime as long as it's soon.* There might have been the makings of a poem in there, but he drifted off into a happy dream before he thought to write it out.

(Thread Concluded)