An Eri Birthday


                                            >”I’m telling you, Eri. Get out more. Go meet somepony.”

                                            >You did meet somepony.

                                            “I met you...”

                                            >You blonde maned friend sighs.

                                            >”That’s not what I meant. Your wasting away staying inside. You’re beautiful. Somepony would be crazy to pass you up. There are a lot of ponies who would do anything for a chance to be with you.”

                                            “Well... t-there is one pony who caught my eye.”

                                            >Connie Amore looks excited.

                                            >”Really?! Spill it. Is it someone from your poetry club? Or is it- oh...”

                                            >Yeah.

                                            >’Oh’ is right.

                                            >You close your eyes as Connie puts a hoof on your cheek.

                                            >You already knew what she was going to say.

                                            >”Sweetie, we’ve already done this song and dance before. I’m seeing somepony else. If things were different...” she trails off.

                                            >’If you had acted on your feelings sooner,’ you finished for her in your head.

                                            >Connie has been in a relationship for about a year and a half now.

                                            >The day she came and told you was the day you were going to ask your best friend of several years on a date.

                                            >To say it stung was an understatement.

                                            >:.. Just go meet somepony.”

                                            >She moves her hoof under your muzzle and raises your head up.

                                            >You open your eyes to find her looking back into yours.

                                            >You could see the whole world in those eyes.

                                            >’There are a lot of ponies who would do anything for a chance to be with you’ she said.

                                            >But she really had no idea how true that was for her.

                                            >You have it bad.

                                            >She makes you want to do better for yourself.

                                            >To be better for her.

                                            >”Please? For me. I just want to see you happy.”

                                            >But you can’t have her.

                                            >You give a small smile.

                                            “Ok. For you.”

                                            >You blink before looking embarrassed.

                                            “But I don’t really know where to go. And not tonight.”

                                            >”That’s fine as long as you go out. I know a place for you tomorrow but the catch is I kinda can’t be there.”

                                            “Oh.”

                                            >”Nonono Nothing like that. It’s just I’m gonna be out of town tomorrow. I have to perform in Canterlot. That’s actually why I came over.”

                                            >Connie reaches into her saddlebags and pulled out a little black box, presenting it to you.

                                            >You take it in your hooves and look at her surprised.

                                            “Wha... what is this?”

                                            >Connie smiles.

                                            >”For you. Just open it.”

                                            >You nod and do so letting out a gasp.

                                            >Lying in the box was a silver necklace with a pendant in the shape of your cutie mark.

                                            >On the inside of the box were the words ‘Happy Birthday, Miss Eri!’ in a stylized font.

                                            >You glanced over at the calendar next to the front door and it turns out tomorrow was your birthday.

                                            >Connie remembered when you would have forgotten.

                                            >”Yeah, I thought you’d like it.”

                                            >You get up and hug the mare, knocking the both of you over.

                                            “Thank you, Connie,” you say into her shoulder.

                                            >The two of you talk for the rest of the evening before she heads back home for the night.

                                            >As she leaves you sit on the steps in front of your home and watch her walk away.

                                            >You put a hoof to the necklace you wearing and sighed.

                                            >Connie was really good to you despite all your crap.

                                            >Despite your jealousy towards the stallion she was seeing, you were happy... in a way.

                                            >She deserves better than you.

                                            >It just so happens that he was better than you.

                                            >He makes her happier than you could.

                                            >And you only want her happy.

                                            >That doesn’t make you want her any less.

                                            >You sigh, getting to your hooves and start trotting into the night.

                                            >You don’t really know where you’re going but you’ll just let your hooves take you anywhere and your mind wander.

                                            >The air is cool and there is barely any wind.

                                            >There are a few ponies out, most of them making their way home.

                                            >Ponyville didn’t have many night spots so it made sense.

                                            >After a long while you found yourself at the place Connie was telling you about earlier.

                                            >It was the bar that she met her special somepony.

                                            >It looked pretty small from the outside.

                                            >The Soggy Horseshoe.

                                            >The name sounded generic enough so it couldn’t be too bad.

                                            >You were gonna wait until tomorrow and work up your courage but with how this place was tucked away at the fringes of Ponyville you weren’t really that nervous.

                                            >You can hear music coming from inside but not many voices.

                                            >Connie wants you to go out somewhere anyways so you might as well.

                                            >You took a breath and open the door.

                                            >Your nose was immediately assaulted by the smell of salt and apples.

                                            >The music you hear was from somepony singing on the stage on opposite side of the room.

                                            >Karaoke.

                                            >Neat.

                                            >There couldn’t be more than five or six ponies in this place besides the bartender.

                                            >You did a double take when your eyes ran over who was sitting at the bar.

                                            >That human.

                                            >You’ve heard of him before.

                                            >You’ve even seen him a few times around Ponyville with the princess.

                                            >You have never gotten the chance to talk to him.

                                            >And you wouldn’t be getting one now.

                                            >You just didn’t have the courage.

                                            >He hung around with the Elements of Harmony and a PRINCESS.

                                            >You were just... you.

                                            >Besides the meeting ponies part of your promise to Connie could wait until tomorrow.

                                            >You made your way past him and sat at a booth near the back not really sure what to do with yourself.

                                            >You couldn’t drink or enjoy a salt lick because you left your bits at home.

                                            >You didn’t really feel like going home now that you were here so you decide to rest you head on the table and enjoy the music by yourself.

                                            >You could see the clock on the wall from the way your head was lying.

                                            >It was midnight.

                                            >You sigh.

                                            >Happy Birthday to you.

                                            >Suddenly a figure obscures your view.

                                            >You raise your head up just in time to see the human sitting in the booth with you.

                                            >He sets two mugs of frothy cider down on the table and slides one across to you.

                                            >”I figured you could use a drink and some company.”

                                            >You sit and stare, too stunned to even reply.

                                            >”...Or I guess I can can go dick around somewhere else. Sorry about bothering you miss.”

                                            >The human starts to get up.

                                            “Wait!” you blurt causing him to sit back down.

                                            >You surprised yourself with that but you weren’t going to lose this chance now that you had it.

                                            “I-I’m sorry. I was just surprised.”

                                            >”About what?”

                                            “You actually want to t-talk to me.”

                                            >He scoffs and takes a drink.

                                            >”Nonsense. A mare as cute as you probably has plenty of guys beating down your door.”

                                            >The human holds his paw... talon thing out in front of you.

                                            >”I almost forgot to introduce myself. I’m Anonymous, human extraordinaire.”

                                            >You look at it for a moment before letting your hoof out to meet it.

                                            >His appendages wrapped around it and he gave it a firm shake.

                                            >You look back to his face with a blush on your own.

                                            >Turns out you’d meet somepony today after all.

                                            “M-my name is Miss Eri.”