devouring

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`Princess Skyla had been waiting for an hour at Sweet Apple Acres.Her best Ponyville mane stylist, Magnolia May, had spotted a lone grey hair in Skyla's sleek mane and nearly fainted in horror. Magnolia hadthat the princess take an immediate spa day to combat the stress of ruling, and to ward away any more dreadful early grey hairs. It had taken all of Skyla's willpower to take a one day vacation from princess duty and humor her friend with a spa trip together.But an hour had gone by, and Magnolia May washoled up in the bathroom, delicately applying her make-up. Skyla had had nothing to do but wait, and shewaiting. Roaming the house out of boredom, she noticed that a family knickknack was thirty-six degrees off center on the kitchen shelf. She tried to ignore it, but after a few minutes of restraint, she leapt forward to adjust it into perfect position.Then Skyla noticed a stain on the wall. Applesauce. She quickly wet a rag at the kitchen sink, then scrubbed the stain until the wall sparkled.Then Skyla noticed a scuff on the floor. And a crack in the paint. One of the burners on the kitchen stove was rusty.So many imperfections.Really, the old house could really do with a proper sweeping and mopping. And a deep scrubbing. And a new coat of paint. But...that was none of her business. This was Magnolia's house, and Skyla was just a guest.Skyla sat still, trying not to look at all the imperfections. Her skin began to crawl......Surely Magnolia wouldn't mind if Skyla picked up a mop and bucket and did just atidying up? Just abit.Five minutes later, Skyla was carefully slopping a mop across the kitchen floor. She might be a princess, but shecleaning. The new gleam of the wet kitchen floor, and the harsh chemical smell of her bottle of cleanser, brought a comfort that nothing else could. It was a distraction from the anxiety, from the ever-present feelings of bitter, bitter lonelines-"HooA loud, melodious voice suddenly rang out. The kitchen door flew open, and in stepped thepony Skyla had everHer hoofsteps shook the china in the kitchen cabinets, and she dripped rain and fresh mud all over the formerly pristine kitchen floor. Skyla froze, clutching her mop."Well butter my flank and call me a biscuit!" The newcomer flashed a megawatt smile at Skyla, so bright that the princess squinted. "Not everyday I come home and find acleanin' the house! Tell ya what, if you're a bandit tryin' to rob us, you sure ain't doin' it right, miss."Skyla frowned.about this mare was wrong. She wasShe washer laugh ringing in Skyla's ears like church bells. She was covered in dirt and mud, and straw stuck out from her mane, and she smelled of sweat and rain. So many terrible,imperfections.She was the most gorgeous pony that Skyla had ever seen.Skyla took all her head.But at the same time, Skyla couldn't help but notice the hard muscles shifting under her peach pink pelt, or her warm, inviting smile, or her bright green eyes, like sunlight on grass...."I...I'd like t-to-" Skyla tried, stammering. The giant mare peered down at her curiously."-draw you a bath!" Skyla said, a little too loud. "You're uh, covered in m-mud, Miss....?""Keen." The pony answered brightly. "I'm Peachy Keen! And it'ssweet of ya to offer, sugarcube, but a lil mud never hurt anypony. I don't mind bein' a dirty girl for just a little bit longer." And sheSkyla flushed crimson, and for the very first time in her life, her wings snapped open, completely involuntarily, in an awful, honest-to-Celestia wingbo-"Are you a friend of Maggie's, miss?her, it ain't right to have a guest waitin' around while she primps and preens in the bathroom!" Peachy's muzzle scrunched up irritably, and Skyla found it oddly adorable. "The least I can do is feed ya. You cleaned the kitchen somethin' fierce, you did. You like cobbler, hon?" Peachy smiled."Oh, er-no, no thank you, I'm really not very hungry-""Shoot, you ain't gotta beto enjoy dessert!" Peachy laughed, a warm and wonderful sound. "Now here-I've got a fresh one in the oven-"The mare yanked open the kitchen stove, and pulled out a bubbling peach cobbler. With unhurried ease, she cut a piece for Skyla and dumped it onto an old chipped plate. The piece of cobbler was an uneven golden brown, with bits of the crust flaking off in crumbled mess, and the gooey golden peaches in the core spilling out sloppily.Skyla cringed, biting her lip. She was used to flawless, artisan meals prepared by the Crystal Empire's finest chefs. This....thiswas a sloppy, gooey mess.imperfect.Skyla forced a wobbly smile for her host. It would be r-rude to spurn somepony's....home-cooked slop. Trembling only minimally, she lifted her fork, and took a microscopic bite.Her wings burst open again.It was though all of heaven and earth and silky, juicy, peachyhad twisted together into a beautiful, magnificentof flavor on her tongue. It was all she could do not tohonestly.All princess dining etiquette flew out the window. Skyla flung her fork away, lifted the plate to her muzzle, and began wolfing the dessert down like a starving stallion."Whoa, hey now, shug!" Peachy stretched out a concerned hoof, "does it! You'll give yourself a bellyache if you eat like that-if you'rehungry, I can just give you the whole thing to take with you-"you." Skyla was breathing hard, and her muzzle was a mess of crumbs and peaches. Her plate was empty. "That was...I didn't even know foodtaste like that good-" She gave a small, goofy smile. "Celestia above. My compliments to the chef, Miss Keen."Peachy blushed, and held up a hoof to hide her red face. "Golly! I always figured my cookin' wasn't up to Auntie Applejack's quality-""It wasSkyla asserted. She moved Peachy's hoof out of her face. "Utterly amazing.are amazing." She said intently, and Peachy's cheeks reddened further while her eyes went wider."Aww, gee, you...y-youtalker-""You wouldn't happen to have aapron, would you?" Skyla said playfully. "Because after tastingI honestlyPeachy Keen blinked innocently. "I dunno if that'd be the best idea right now, what with me all covered in muck...""Well, what was it you said before?" Skyla was feeling brave. "....'I don't mind being a dirty girl'?"earned her a deeper blush, and Peachy giggled happily, if a little nervously. "Landsakes! You're an absoluteMiss...?"Magnolia May suddenly appeared in the kitchen doorway, interrupting Skyla. "Whatever have you been up to, darling? Have you been....She looked with horror at Skyla's mop, then her eyes landed upon the peach cobbler. "Magnolia whirled upon her cousin, yipping like a tiny terrier. "How dare youthe Crystal Princess'with your country bumpkin"Crystal...Princess?" Peachy looked to Skyla, before her eyes went wide in terrified recognition, and she knelt into a clumsy bow, nearly upending the kitchen table.I am so,sorry-I'd haveoffered you that mess if I'd have known you were aI was just tryin' to be hospitable, I didn't mean to offend your delicate sensibilities, honest!" Peachy was nearly in tears, humiliated."No,Skyla squawked. "No, Peachy, please, don't do this, we were having a wonderful time before, please don't treat me like some-"Magnolia stepped in between the pair. "It doesn't matter if youto do it or not-you did it!honestly..." Magnolia scoffed, before grabbing Skyla's arm with surprising strength. "C'mon, your highness. We'll go somewhere more up to your standards.""Wait-" Skyla protested, but Magnolia was dragging her away."Goodbye, your highness." Peachy Keen said quietly, looking down at the floor. "Have a nice time with Magnolia."Skyla allowed herself to be hauled away. She felt a strange emptiness inside, even deeper than the kind that usually ate at her heart. Madly, to fight it off, she thought off all Peachy Keen's imperfections. Her scruffy, mud-splattered coat. Her messy mane. Her silly accent and odd euphemisms. Her enormous hooves with shaggy, unkempt fetlocks. Her enormous, clumsy body.That gorgeous smile.She found herself thinking of the peach cobbler, and how things could look and seem imperfect, but actually be amazing, not in spite of their flaws, butof them. This was true of both peaches and ponies.The thought of Peachy Keen made Skyla's chest feel tight and happy and sad all at once, so she pushed the feelings deep down, forced a smile, and tried to enjoy her afternoon out with Magnolia May.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~so skyla's crush is on peachy keen. Finally revealed haha. I didn't mean to make it this big secret for so long but I had trouble thinking of an entertaining way to reveal it. hope ya'll likeskyla is super mega gay for peachy keen but has angst about peachy not being the 'prince charming' skyla expected. peachy has angst about not measuring up enough for a princesscharacters mentioned: