Night at the Poison Apple

Chapters

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Bonus Epilogue

Part One

Author's Note

Hey you guys! Well, this is one of my first attempts at writing Flutterbat! I have a couple other ideas, but at the moment, here's what we've got for you! A lot of this was Poison Cure's idea. The bar, the characters within the bar and the overall stuff in all of it! XD I just enjoyed it so much and we were really excited to put something together for it. :D

They're human, but have wings and can also do magic.

So, we've got FlutterDash (or BatterDash), along with some Twinkie, and some RariJack.

And yes, the name of the bar, which was my idea, comes from Shrek 2, as well as a reference to Snow White. X3

Part One

The Poison Apple. Not a very pretty name, especially not for a bar. Even less for such a laid back, quiet, quaint, cottage country bar. It was nearly unsettling. However, that didn’t stop its rustic, charming and low-lighted atmosphere, all combined with a much darker, dimmer tone within the inside. Not a place of fear and shadows, but more a place of celebrated darkness. A strange artistic expressionism.

Patrons within the bar were people of all kinds, both bright and dark; all were welcome within. Certain types found it to be a place like home. Newcomers were charmed by its laid-back, shadowy but fun atmosphere. Whereas those who frequent this place were always drawn back to its oddly seductive, almost mysterious tone.

The owner of the Poison Apple was no stranger to the place either, despite very little being known about him aside from name and possible hobbies. Alucard was what he went by, but whether or not that was his real name was mystery all on its own. He made it fairly public knowledge, though, that his bar was created to give those who took comfort in the night, in those dark places that others would be afraid to look in, to have a place to call their home away from home, so to speak. As for how he got the funds to open such a place, no one knew, but rumours were a constant.

Still, the bar had done surprisingly well for itself and had a steady following, always having quite the number of customers inside, even if most of them did not drink, but rather made conversations, read, or even ate whatever was cooking on the menu, which always had very strange names for the dishes being served.

But without a doubt, the Poison Apple did its best when a certain bartender worked behind the booth. A certain red eyed, wild pink haired, pale skinned young woman that worked there four nights out of the week. She was friendly enough, almost too friendly, and seemed to have an other worldly charm about her and those crimson eyes of hers. When she was not seen chatting, mixing drinks, or taking orders, she was almost always snacking on a type of fruit, most commonly... apples.

Almost everyone knew her name, but most of them fell back onto the nickname the workers of the bar used for her.

Fangs.

The reason why was simple enough, though. She had a set of large, very strong, and very vampiric looking fangs. She would try to hide this, though, with a large scarf or high collared shirt, but most nights, she simply let them show. She did wear an overcoat to hide her wings from view, though. Not that anyone minded this, though, with her bartender’s uniform, lovely figure, and dark, seductive, yet sweet and shy appearance, it would be hard for anyone to pay much mind to such a detail.

Ever since starting, Fangs had truly become a very curious addition to the Poison Apple. Locals and out-of-towners alike were captivated by this strange beauty. Many of which didn’t know her beyond her name. The rare times she was recognized were quite interesting, though never leading much beyond a surprised reaction. She was not considered “scandalous” or anything like that. And even if it was, she doubted the topic or information would ever so much as leave the bar at all.

But it still always seemed to make her jump whenever someone would shout, “Fluttershy!” upon entering the bar.

This night had been very slow by its normal standards, but it was to be expected, this being the night the game was on. Still, there were a few people seated around, drinking the bar’s somewhat infamous ‘Crimson Tears’ mix drink.

Coming over to the bar was none other than the owner himself. He was a tall young man with pale skin and piercing, ice blue eyes with long, bleached white hair that reached down to his waist. He was dressed much like what someone would expect from the owner of such a place, in very dark, loose fitting clothes and a jacket that could have been mistaken for a straight jacket from a distance.

“So,” Alucard began with a smile, sitting up at the bar as he sat his book down, “How’s our resident black butterfly doing this evening? Not having any overwhelming cravings, are we?”

With a smile, Fluttershy shook her head, “Not particularly, no. Everything’s just fine, actually…”

“That’s good to hear. Can’t have you sinking those fangs of yours into any of our customers, now can I?” Alucard said with a sly smile. After working with him for several months, his sense of humour was very easy to point out. It was dark and teasing, but he always knew when to back down, as if he could read other’s mind. Either way, he had a certain way of talking that made him seem very frightening if someone did not know him.

“They’re safe for another night,” Fluttershy quipped, giggling.

“That’s too bad,” Alucard sighed, shrugging to himself, “I was almost hoping to see a real vampire at work… I guess there’s always tomorrow night, right, Fangs?”

A laugh escaped Fluttershy, “If they’re an apple, maybe.”

With a chuckle of his own, Alucard teased, “Well, there’s the Apple family that lives here in Ponyville if you’re feeling adventurous… or are you into more colorful fruit?”

Eyes going wide, Fluttershy blushed and looked away. Despite being more than used to his teasing of her crush on a certain one of her friends, “...Yes…”

“Well, you know they have those multicolored apples now,” Alucard said very matter-of-factly, waving a hand over at the bowl of apples that Fluttershy kept beside her workstation.

“Zap Apples…” Fluttershy cooed, drooling a bit.

Coyly sliding a hand under the bowl, Alucard lifted them into the air, “They also have black apples, golden apples and the ever popular caramel apple…” reaching in with his free hand, he pulled out one and balanced it on the palm of his hand, “But like I said, I’m willing to bet there’s something non-apple you’re after. So, tell me, would you say rainbows have a distinct flavor, or maybe a mix of everything? A little bit of apple, some grape, pomegranate, banana, lime, and a hint of blueberry, maybe?”

“Oh, yes…” A very nervous, blushing, drooling Fluttershy responded. It was uncertain if she was even talking about apples anymore.

“Oh, but enough about fruit,” Alucard set the bowl down and gripped the apple in his hand, taking a bite, “Tell me, Fangs, have you told your friends you work here yet?”

Wide-eyed again, the pinkette shook her head, “N-No…”

Sighing a bit, Alucard slumped down in the seat after taking another bite, “Still afraid of what they’ll say?”

“Well… I just don’t know how to tell them…” Fluttershy admitted, taking a glass and drying it absently.

“Just saying it would work wonders, child of the night,” Alucard stated flatly, arching his back upward with his shoulders still slumped down giving him an undead like appearance, “And if they’re anything like what you’ve told me, they’ll be all over this place if they did come here.”

Smiling, her fangs showed as she did so, “That’s true. My friends would like it here.”

Straightening back up, Alucard flashed a toothy grin, “And could you think of the buzz we’d get having a Princess show up to our humble little abode? Ah, we might even be able to expand the place into full on club one day… But I digress,” he leaned over the counter, studying his worker’s expression, “So, since you haven’t told them you work here yet, have you at least told them about your little ‘problem’ yet?”

Looking worried, Fluttershy shook her head, “N-No… I haven’t. Not yet… It just… it never came up and I… I didn’t want them to worry about me. You know I have it under control now, which really helps. But I didn’t want them to be scared that I still am… what I am.”

“I really don’t see what the problem is myself,” Alucard stated with a familiar grin, “If you’ve got it under control, why not flaunt it? I’m sure a few heads would roll either way that turned out!”

“... True… I suppose I could tell them when the time is right…” Fluttershy poured a few drinks, placing the glasses onto a rounded tray. She hailed one of the waitresses, who came over to collect it.

With a sigh, Alucard gave a wave of his wrist, “Oh, come now, child. You may have only worked here four months, but I can read you like an old tome.”

“Give it a rest, Alley,” called back one of the waitresses. It was none other than the darker of the twins that worked there, Alia, wearing her black uniform contrasting her snow white hair. “She’ll tell them whenever she feels like it, so leave her be.”

With a slight groan, he looked back at Alia, “It’s Alucard, as in, the Dracula in the mirror.”

“Whatever you say… Adam,” Alia dismissed him once more before turning to Fluttershy. “Well, regardless if you tell them about the vampire bit or not, you should at least bring them in before we all die and come back as zombies. I mean, it’s not like anyone would be able to tell in here anyway. Come on, most people think Brutus is a butcher, but he’s a freaking vegetarian! The nutcase…”

Fluttershy giggled, “At least he does his job, though.”

Alucard chimed in with smile, “And he’s a fine cook at that! Well, he is when he’s actually cooking…”

Alia giggled, “Always out back working on the flowers…” She winked before heading off to serve the drinks.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Alucard asked Fluttershy point blank. “You think you’ll tell them before the end of the week, or should I just send them all invites personally?”

“No, no… I’ll tell them…” Fluttershy said meekly.

“Excellent! I look forward to meeting all of them… and seeing what they order,” Alucard chuckled with a slight grim tone, the same he always did when offering drinks ‘on the house.’ He never meant any harm by it, but the end results usually lead to more work later.

Fluttershy chuckled a bit, then went to work on preparing a few more drinks. She took the tray and headed into the fray, passing the drinks around to the patrons. Looking at what time it was, Fluttershy went back behind the counter. This time she produced a paper bag from behind the counter, then went outside with it.

“Hi, Sam… I wanted to bring your lunch out to you,” she said kindly to the bouncer standing near the door, holding the bag out.

The large, very tall woman in question almost seemed like she was about to jump out of her skin once she heard Fluttershy’s voice. Sam was, for lack of a better term, as timid as a mouse, but built like a street fighter. She was extremely fit, looking like she could have torn off anyone’s head that she wanted and not even try, but in reality, that was about it. She looked dangerous, but was even more passive than Fluttershy herself. Alucard had given her a job as a bouncer of the bar out of kindness and the fact she looked the part. And yet, as ironic as it was, she happened to have been deathly afraid of two things. The dark and vampires.

“D-Don’t sneak up on me like that, Fangy…” Sam clinched her heart in her chest, taking a moment to catch her breath. Apparently, she had had not noticed Fluttershy until the last second. Finally with enough resolve to think, she sighed happily “Oh, t-thanks… I didn’t know it was my, uh… my lunch break yet.”

“It is,” Fluttershy assured her, “It’s ten-thirty.”

Sighing with relief, Sam took the paper bag and smiled, “You’re awesome for a-always doing this for m-me. I thought I’d go crazy before you started working here with Alucard’s constant teasing…”

“Oh, he means well. He’s just a practical joker,” Fluttershy giggled, “But don’t worry, you know you can talk to me.”

“I-I know,” Sam stuttered out a reply, “Still… I’m terrified to try anything we sell at this point.”

Fluttershy smiled, “I did try one once.”

A bit surprised, Sam just had to ask, “W-What did he give you?”

“Souls Tea, I asked him for that.”

“Is… Isn’t that the stuff he claims can make you see g-ghosts and stuff?” Same inquired nervously.

Fluttershy nodded, “Yes. It was delicious, but…. I didn’t see anything. I just had dreams of seeing my dead relatives after that.”

“That’s… still kinda creepy,” Sam replied.

“....It is,” Fluttershy agreed.

The two shared an odd silence before Sam broke it, “Um… thanks again for always bringing me something for lunch. It’s really sweet of you… But I’ll l-let you get back to work.”

“Thank you, Sam, and you’re welcomed. You have a good evening,” Fluttershy patted her shoulder. She went back into the bar, heading to the counter to get back to work on mixing some drinks.

She then went to the kitchen to bring some plates in, making a greeting to the bar’s cook, Brutus.

“Hi, how are you doing?” She asked him.

The monster of a man named Brutus was by far the largest person she had ever seen, even making Big Mac seem smaller in size. But much like Sam, his appearance was misleading. He was the bar’s cook, and one with years of practice, masters in many culinary schools, and even had a hand in a few years of medical training. While he looked huge, almost like he could squash a person underneath him, he was without a doubt, nothing more than a teddy bear.

“Not as good as you look!” Brutus said with wink, “But then again, who does? So, I hear you and Al talking about finally bringing that crush of yours here. Oh, and other friends too, I guess. So, are you finally gonna drop the bomb?”

“... I don’t know… I could try…” Fluttershy murmured nervously. “I suppose it’s better that they hear it from me.”

Rolling his eyes, Brutus quickly checked the oven and set the temperature down to simmer, “No, I mean finally asking that one girl out! What’s her name again? Rainbow… Brash? Smash? Crash? Lass? Rainbow something, right?”

“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy corrected, her cheeks turning pink.

“That’s the name! Rainbow Dash,” Brutus chuckled loudly. “Well, when you do, give me heads up and I’ll cook you two up one of my famous candle lit dinners. Of course, you’ll kinda need ‘em to eat in this joint without any decent lighting!”

Fluttershy blushed all the more, “That’d be lovely…”

She couldn’t help but begin to fantasize, envisioning that sweet idea. The two of them sitting alone at a table, with no one else around. Slowly they’d eat, gaze into each other’s eyes lovingly and speak sweetly. Rainbow would get something on her lips, which Fluttershy would wipe away. More sweet talk, then Rainbow whispers sweet words of “I love you”, which Fluttershy would reciprocate. Then they would lean over the table to each other, closer and closer, ready to share a sweet kiss…

She quickly snapped out of her day(night) dream with Brutus snapping his fingers in front of her face, “Hey, what have me and Al told you about spacing out into dreamland while on the clock?” He teased her with a smirk, “Only if things are slow and you’re sitting down!”

“Good point…” Fluttershy conceded, looking sheepish, “I’ll get back to work.”

“Now don’t go getting all shy now!” Brutus patted her back before blinking, “Hold up… Oh, now I get the name! Fluttershy! Yeah... I like Fangs better. Anyway, don’t get cold feet with this girl. Just walk up to her, say what you wanna say, then kiss her! You follow my three step program and you’ll be fine!”

“Okay, Brutus… Thank you…” Fluttershy took a few plates onto a tray and headed back out into the bar.

As she returned to her post, she did not find it surprising to see Vino, the bar’s DJ every other night and financial advisor, leaning over the bar, eyeing most of the merchandise. He was a good man, if a bit of a wild one, always causing trouble and what not, but he was sharp as a tack when it came to numbers and, oddly enough, music. While she had no idea what he did during the day, most people had cut down the choices to either bank teller or bank robber, due to one defining factor.

“Hey, if it ain’t the resident fruit sucker,” Vino called over to her with a wide grin, his accent was thick and made him sound like a villain from an old gangster movie. “You mind if I get a shot of cinnamon cider on da house?”

Giving a little smile, Fluttershy nodded and fixed him his drink, “Of course, Vino. I take it everything’s going well?”

With a sigh, Vino gave her a half smile. “Eh, I guess so. Al’s gonna break my skull if he doesn’t start managing da receipts betta. Plus, looks like that gal Lila set me up with stood me up…”

“Did she? That’s terrible… Who would do such a cruel thing…?” Fluttershy slid a glass over to him.

“Lila said she and Alia met her at da spa in town,” Vino said flatly with flimsy a smile. “They said she was a real cutie too. One of those upper class gals… Eh, but no skin off my bones. I didn’t get ta know her name this time.”

“That’s still a shame…” Fluttershy said with a sympathetic pout.

Taking the glass, Vino downed the entire thing in a single large gulp. “Ya know, I’m considering on just givin’ up. At least for a while. Now, if I could finda nice girl like you or Sam, I’d be happy. Heck, I’d even let her turn me inta a thrall if she wanted!”

“Well, Vino… The one thing I learned about love is that it happens unexpectedly. It just quietly walks in, closes the door, and stays there. It doesn’t come when we seek it,” Fluttershy smiled.

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Vino said with a chuckle. “But my problem is everyone else tryin’ to help me find love! I mean, all I want is a nice, down ta earth girl that’s smart, charmin’, sweet, and doesn’t try to strap a bomb ta me in my sleep. Is that too much ta ask for?”

“Of course not,” Fluttershy patted his shoulder.

“I know, right?” Vino grinned up at her.

“You can always tell them not to. You should be free to pursue a woman on your own terms when you know you’ve found someone you’re willing to be with,” Fluttershy assured.

With a smug grin, Vino got up from his usual seat and started to head to the back, “Yeah, but if I did that, what would Lila and Alia do in their free time?”

“Don’t you worry, I’ll take care of them,” Fluttershy winked.

Vino simply waved her off as he headed into the back rooms where Alucard took care of the business side of things. But as if by a fluke of some divine kind, none other than Lila rushed over to the bar after hearing this.

“Whaddaya mean by that, Fangs?!” Lila shouted, pouting. She was, for all anyone could guess, the polar opposite of her sister Alia. She even wore a white uniform to contrast her raven black hair. Where one was collective, the other was wild. One mature, one childish. Lila was the latter.

“I mean,” Fluttershy said pleasantly, giggling, “That we’re going to have to do more stuff together.”

Lila did not buy that for a second. “Oh no you don’t, little Miss Fangs! I know you’re trying to stop us from interfering in Vino’s love life, but guess what? He’s our cousin and we’ll meddle all we want! That is… unless you need help?”

Calm as ever, Fluttershy shook her head, “No, I’m fine. I’m only saying that love is something that happens naturally. Unexpectedly. When you’re not looking for it. If you force it, it never works out. Why do you think that many people who complain about not having a boyfriend or girlfriend usually are unhappy and can’t hold one down? Besides, the woman seems to have stood him up and he wants to take a break.”

“Whaaaaa- seriously?” Lila reeled back a bit, “She stood him up? Darn it! I was so sure she would have liked him… She seemed nice enough. She even had deep blue eyes, like what Vino said he likes! Man, people are so cold these days…”

“It’s all right,” Fluttershy placed down some drinks onto a tray. “He’ll find someone eventually.”

Hanging her head in defeat, Lila gave a disgruntled groan. “Have you met the guy? He’s got no charm at all and is terrible in social situations! The only girls he’s ever been able to talk to is me, you, my sister, and Sam! You’re going after whatever her name is and Sam is, well, Sam! And it’s not like we could do anything with him! He needs help, trust me.”

“He doesn’t need help. There’s someone out there for everyone. He may not be to your standards of what a man is, but that doesn’t mean some other woman out there won’t find him wonderful,” Fluttershy said.

“You’re so old school,” Lila blew a raspberry at her. “I know there’s someone out there from him, but he’ll never find her all alone! He can’t even use a GPS! So, as his cousin, I must- I shall help him! It’s for his own good anyway.”

“Whatever you say,” Fluttershy smiled and placed the tray in her hands before she went to prepare some more drinks.

“This isn’t over, you vamp!” Lila giggled before skipping off.

Shaking her head to herself, Fluttershy placed some more drinks onto a tray, taking this one herself. It was then that she noticed a group of women entering the bar, all distinctly familiar. Her heart froze.

“...No... no…”

It was her friends. Not one, not two, but all five of them, dressed in very obvious club like outfits, albeit a bit darker than their normal taste for the sake of the place, other than Pinkie, whose outfit looked like it could have lit the place up with how bright it was. But without a doubt the worst part was the fact that Rainbow Dash was there, scanning around the bar with a wide grin. All too quickly, she drew her scarf up over her mouth.

“See? I told you this place had a sick vibe to it,” Rainbow proclaimed to the group with a grin. “Kinda creepy, but hey, that’s the point of places like these, right? It’s all... dark and mysterious.”

“Ah gotta say, it’s real interestin’,” Applejack remarked, taking it in.

Rarity looked about the establishment smiling to herself. “That it is. It has a certain… Seduction in darkness feel to it. Oh, just being here makes me feel like a vampire myself!”

“I doubt that,” Twilight said flatly, looking up from her book. “It’s more likely that due to the dim lighting and strong air of mystery to the place, it creates a sense of danger and excitement. The location even plays well into the theme, actually. It’s very ingenious actually… in a dark way.”

“It’s sooooooo cooolie cool! Like something out of a Tim Burton film!” Pinkie beamed brightly, clapping her hands. “I love it! I’ll have to make my next party like this!”

“Coolie cool?” Rainbow repeated with a bit of confusion. “Seriously, Pinks, this is supposed to be a gothic bar place thing, kinda. I don’t know, really. But everyone says its freaking awesome! So, let’s at least try to be cool tonight.”

“Hush now, Dashie! Let the shadows of atmosphere take you in!” Pinkie said, waving her arms for emphasis. This of course led to a heated debate about Pinkie Pie’s behavior and what the atmosphere was in the bar. It slowly drew in all five of the girls into this debate, with Applejack just wanting to end it.

Fluttershy watched this all from a distance, completely in shock. How did this happen? How did any of them even know about this place, and why would they have even want to come here? It was not a party place, it was more of a lounge with light dancing and special drink mixes. And yet, all of them were there, a few paces away from her and the counter. She felt herself step back into-

Alucard. He had somehow made his way from the back to the bar without anyone noticing a thing, slowly mixing a few drinks with a grin on his face, “So… the little black butterfly thought she could play a trick on the resident Trickster Prince? Not bad… but I never miss a new customer or a fun new sale.”

“N-N-No! I swear, it’s not like that! I had no idea they were showing up here tonight… Honest!” Fluttershy protested.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re so bad at this game, Fangs,” Alucard chuckled darkly as he finished mixing several drinks. “Well, I think one good trick deserves another. Now, why don’t you go tell Brutus that your crush is here? He’ll want to start cooking you that candle lit diner.” How in Equestria he knew that was beyond Fluttershy, but she was too stunned to react. As her boss set drinks down on the tray, he actually sat on the counter and slid over to the other side, approaching the group of five women.

Not a one so much as noticed him until he was right in front of them all, smiling with the tray in one hand. The discussion ended very quickly with his presence being so demanding. It took him all of a few seconds to know exactly who was who and just what trick he should play on each.

“Greeting, and welcome fair maidens to the Poison Apple. Where we deal in dark pleasures so much, it’s almost sinful.” Alucard took a bow before them, leaving the tray floating in the air with no aura to hold it.

Unable to bear this, Fluttershy rushed into the kitchen, both to escape, and in some way to let the cook know of Rainbow’s arrival.

“Oooh! Neat-o trick!” Pinkie clapped her hands together, giggling happily.

Rarity of course laughed a bit as well, smiling warmly. “Oh my, I for one was certainly not expecting a host!”

“Not bad, stretch,” Rainbow smirked.

Alucard looked up at the group with a friendly, but somewhat creepy grin. “But of course! I wouldn’t be much of an owner if I didn’t greet new customers… would I?”

“Oh please, Ah bet anyone can figure out how he makes it float,” Applejack said skeptically, but grinned all the same.

“It’s still sooooo cool! Can you do other tricks, Mr. Dracula, sir?” Pinkie asked eagerly.

Standing back upright, Alucard snickered at this request. “Oh yes, I know quite a few tricks… but Dracula was my father’s name. I’m Alucard, the resident Trickster Prince in fact. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” He ended by taking the tray back out of the air.

“Trickster Prince, huh?” Dash cracked her knuckles with wide grin. “Oh, this is gonna be a fun night.”

“While I doubt that’s your real name, thank you for the hospitality,” Twilight smiled, completely closing her book with a smile.

“Of hush, Twilight! Don’t break the mood he’s trying to set,” Rarity chastised playfully before taking a curtsy. “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Alucard, son of Dracula.”

“Oooohh! I get it! It’s Dracula spelled backwards! How neato!” Pinkie exclaimed, “I like that!”

“Anyway,” Applejack intervened, “may we have a table fer five, sir?”

Looking each one over with the eyes of a predator, Alucard balanced the tray in the air once more. “Ah, but of course! However, allow me to indulge in a custom of ours… The first drink is always on the house.”

“Free drinks? Man, this place is awesome!” Rainbow Dash cheered, giving Applejack and Pinkie a playful punch in the arms. “Too bad Flutters couldn’t make it.”

Before another word could be said, Alucard slid up beside Rarity holding a delicate looking, fine cut wine glass filled with bright crimson liquid in his hand. “You look like the type of person who can understand the beauty of the night in its true elegance. Allow me to offer a house favorite to you: Scarlet Surprise.”

“Oh my,” Rarity found her eyes locked on the drink and the beautifully cut glass it was in.

“It’s the rarest of wines, aged to perfection, taken from an old Prance recipe. They say drinking it after the sun goes down can lead to a person having an experience like that of a true creature of the night… Bathed in the otherworldly glory and bliss the darkness offers to its children. Be sure to enjoy every last drop, Rarity,” Alucard chuckled as he handed the glass to her.

He stepped back and took something else off the tray before coming face to face with Applejack. “You, my dear, look like a real drinker. Care to take a house challenge?”

“An’ what would that be?” Applejack asked, eyebrow raised.

With a simple gesture, he pulled out a moderate sized bottle of something with a foreign symbol on it. “This, Applejack, is a special kind of sake known as the Thunder Brew. The original recipe was made in a far away land of many wonders. This sake was once considered to be so strong, it could get even the Gods drunk with but one sip. Ours is made to the exact same standards and has never had a single person take more than a sip from this bottle without becoming too drunk to continue. The house stands at a one thousand bit prize to anyone who can finish it. If you’re woman enough to try, I’ll gladly give it to you.”

Applejack gulped, “Gosh, Ah don’t know…”

“Come on, AJ!” Rainbow patted her back. “If anyone can do it, it’s you! Or me if you back out!”

“Oh, but if she’s too afraid, I can just get her a glass of orange juice instead,” Alucard grinned down at her, holding the bottle up to her face.

Rolling her eyes, Applejack took the bottle, “If y’all are gonna use guilt-trippin’ an’ reverse psychology, at least be clever ‘bout it.”

“Ah, but you did take the bottle,” Alucard teased before pointing the two over to a little table nearby. “You two take a seat and the others will be right with you shortly… Maybe.”

“Thank you kindly, Alucard,” Rarity lead the way over to the table, sipping her drink and suddenly felt a jolt of excitement hit her. “Come along, Applejack. I’ll be your support if you get too drunk tonight.”

“Thank ya, Rare,” Applejack followed her to the indicated table. She paused upon seeing something odd about Rarity’s eyes, but figured it was nothing.

“Oooohh! Got anything for me?” Pinkie asked eagerly.

Alucard chuckled again, patting her head, “Why yes, I do. But it’s not here or like the others. You see, I know a bit about you, Miss Pinkamena Diane Pie.”

“Ooohhhhh! You even know my name?! You’re magical!” Pinkie crooned, her eyes sparkling.

“You see, tonight, we’re cooking something very special and my cook will be in dire need of help,” Alucard began with fake plea in his voice. “He’s a master chef, but lacks one thing. He’s horribly uncreative with sweets. With this night being rather important, if the desert is not perfect, it could ruin someone’s perfect night… Your baking skills are famed across the country, so, if I may impose, would you help us tonight? If you do, I’ll pay you with a very special item I came across, said to turn anything it touches into chocolate. Does that sound like a fair trade?”

Beaming brightly, Pinkie was grabbing his hand and shaking it so hard, it was practically blurred, “Yes yes yes yes yes! YES! You got it, Alucard, sir! I’d be happy to lend my baking services!”

“Oh, you are too kind, Miss Pinkamena,” Alucard faked a joyful sounding agreement before another grin came over his face. He managed to bring Pinkie to a full stop and turned her towards the kitchen. “That way to the kitchen, but do wash up before you go in. Brutus can be very careful about such things… Oh, and be sure to wear the black apron when you go in.”

Saluting him, Pinkie nodded and eagerly bounded to the kitchen.

Before Alucard could even get close to Twilight, she held up a hand to stop him, “I don’t drink, so don’t bother trying to offer me anything.”

“Oh, I’m quite aware of this,” Alucard countered, taking a simple looking cup in his hands. He waved his hand over it a few times, bringing it to a boil before her eyes. Once it was done, he offered it to her, “This is personal favorite of mine. It’s a very strong tea called Mind’s Eye. It helps you think much more clearly and even helps when reading… Speaking of which, we do in fact have a small corner in the back that’s dedicated to just that. All the books are collector’s editions of many occult magics and mythology I’ve gathered over the years… they are all quite rare.”

“R-R-Really?” Twilight stammered, wide-eyed, “I…. That’s amazing! I’d love to be able to check out those kinds of books! Gosh, I never would’ve thought a bar would accommodate such a thing!”

With a sly grin, Alucard gave a mock bow. “As long as you’re here, you may read anything I have on the shelves. And while we are a bar, we are much, much more as I’m sure you’ll see… Do enjoy yourself, Miss Sparkle. I’ll even send Pinkie to check in on you from time to time.”

“Thank you, sir!” Twilight carefully held her drink as she went to the table in question, eager.

“Looks like you’re the odd one out, eh, Rainbow Dash?” Alucard chuckled, crossing his arms with very unsettling smirk on his face.

“What the hay is even going on?” Dash wanted to know. “How do you know our names, what we like or are good at... and all that stuff? You even give us free drinks…. you know we’d go for. What’s the deal? Are you a spy or something?”

Trying to not burst out laughing, Alucard took the now empty tray out of the air. “I suppose telling you I really am the son of Dracula wouldn’t suffice as an answer, would it?”

“No. So what’s going on here? What’ve you got planned?” Dash asked, crossing her arms and looking at him suspiciously.

“The truth? Okay then,” Alucard chuckled. “Our little resident black butterfly didn’t tell me you all were coming for some reason. So, I’m playing a trick on her, you all included. Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen; it’s all in good fun after all.” He flipped the tray over upside down to reveal a final drink on it as if it had been there all along. “So, can I offer you a drink?”

“....What’s the drink and what’s it do?” Rainbow looked at the bottle pointedly.

“It’s called the Dark Seduction,” Alucard stated calmly, “Now, as for what it does… It answers all your questions and maybe a bit more. Trust me, you’ll like it.” He tapped the bottle with one free hand, pointing at the engravings of several wolves on it.

Looking over the bottle curiously, Dash looked at him then, “O-kay? So, where do I sit?”

With a dark grin, Alucard pointed over at the bar and the stools. “Have a seat over there, if you will. I’ve got one last thing for you and it should explain everything.”

Shrugging a bit, Rainbow nodded and sat herself at the bar. She stared at the bottle again, uncapping it and sniffing it. It had a strong smell to it, a little like vodka, or some other type of alcohol. Still, what could be the harm in a sip? Experimentally, the bottle met her lips.

Inside the kitchen area, or at least the back where Fluttershy and Brutus were, was a different story from the bar itself…

“Oh, no no no no no no no! What am I going to do? They’ll know it’s me! But I can’t stop doing my job…. No no no…” Fluttershy fretted nervously.

Brutus just laughed in his usual friendly manner, simmering something over one of the eyes on the large oven. “I keep telling you, just relax! If they see and spot you, just let your wings out and show ‘em. Tell ‘em what’s going on and get your girl! This isn’t some poorly written romance novel about vampires and teenagers, you know?”

“...I know… I’ll try…” Fluttershy murmured sadly, nervously. “I just hope that I can.”

“Well, what’s the honest to goodness worst that could happen?” Brutus asked her with a smile. “They freak out a bit and you have to explain things a bit more in depth, that’s what. You act like one of them is a vampire hunter! And even if they were, everyone knows the best hunters are vamps and weres. So, there you go!”

Nodding, Fluttershy took a few more deep breaths. “I don’t want them to be upset for not telling them…”

Chuckling to himself, Brutus patted her back. “Now you’re just scaring yourself. They’ll understand, I’m sure. I mean, it’s not like you left them out there with Alucard!”

“I-I did… Never mind, I should get back to work…” Fluttershy murmured, taking a few plates on a tray.

“That’s not necessary,” cut in the voice of Alucard, who, again, managed to slip behind the two in silence and startle them. “Everything is taken care of. All you have to is get out there and be you.”

“But…. But my shift isn’t over until three….” Fluttershy protested.

With a chuckle, Alucard walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Like I said, it’s all taken care of. I’ll personally be overseeing the bar tonight while Vino is crunching numbers in the back. Don’t worry, you’ll still receive your full pay.”

Although wanting to protest further, any words she had died in her throat as Alucard guided her out of the kitchen.

“Brutus, you’ll be very busy tonight after all, my friendly fiend,” Alucard said over his shoulder, almost pushing Fluttershy out. “I’ve even gotten you a bit of help! Now get to it! This is about to be a very fun night for not one, but six young ladies!”

“Hiiiiii!” Pinkie popped out of nowhere, grinning widely. “I’m here and I’m ready! Ready to sweeten this place up!”

With a motion too quick for anyone to follow, Alucard partially shoved Fluttershy out of the door from the kitchen and whirled around to place an arm over Pinkie, leading her over to Brutus. “Right this way, Pinkamena… This is our cook, Brutus the Bull.”

“Hello Hello, Bru-Bru!” Pinkie greeted the cook eagerly, “Mm-mm-mm! Something sure smells delicious!”

For a moment, Brutus was silent, but it did not take long for him to figure out what was going on, even less after seeing the black apron Alucard was placing over Pinkie’s shoulder. “Why, yes, it does! It’s an old recipe I dug up for certain occasions!”

Skipping over, Pinkie took a closer smell. “Mmm! Do I smell some steak spice in there?”

“You’ve got quite the nose on you, there, kid!” Brutus chuckled, making sure to not touch her. “So, I take it you’re Pinkie, right?”

“Uh-huh! Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie winked, saluting him. “I’m here to help you bake!”

“Is that so, private?” Brutus followed along with the salute to play military commander bit, “Then your orders are to being with operation: chocolate eclairs! Moooove out!”

“Sir yes sir!” Pinkie was already digging around the kitchen for a cookbook and some ingredients.

Brutus chuckled to himself as he looked around the kitchen to see that Alucard had already ran off. With a shrug, he said to no one in particular, “Al, you got a messed up sense of humour…”

Part Two

Back in the bar, Fluttershy found herself standing some feet away from where Rainbow Dash was sitting. Much to her relief, or perhaps dismay, she had not yet noticed her and was drinking something, although the pinkette could not tell what from where she was. Almost immediately, she found herself torn between walking right up to Rainbow and telling her everything or making a blind dash for the door.

Either way, her feet refused to move in either direction. That is, until a familiar grip rested on Fluttershy’s shoulder again. She turned to look back to once more see Alucard grinning at her in the same, playful way he always did… right before something bad happened.

“Best not keep her waiting,” he teased before walking over the bar and, again, sliding over the counter and taking a glass out.

Gulping, Fluttershy felt herself practically pushed forward by an unseen force. Before she could reconsider, she soon found herself within sight of Rainbow. It was too late to run away or become unseen from her at this point.

There was an odd silence for a moment, Rainbow Dash obviously looking her over with bit of confusion before her eyes went wide with a mixture of emotions. She nearly bolted out of her seat rushing over to her.

“Fluttershy?! Is that you?” Dash half shouted, but managed to keep it quiet for the sake of the atmosphere. Yet, rather than mad, she sounded simply surprised. “What are you doing here? And what’s with the vampire bartender getup?”

Biting her lip, she quickly retracted to avoid showing her fangs, “Actually, Rainbow… I work here.”

It was like a lightning bolt crashed through Rainbow’s system. She had chills, and not the pleasant kind. Fluttershy, her friend, the girl she had known since she was five years old, was working in a bar; a dark, nightmarish themed bar, and worked wearing that outfit. Why would she not have told them she picked up a second job, or at least her? And why did that bother her? Slowly, a few pieces started to fall into place, but the largest hit her once Alucard’s voice called over to them.

“I see our little black butterfly has finally come out to play,” he chuckled, setting a glass of apple cider down for Fluttershy, one with her name on it no less. “Best have a seat, drink a bit and calm the nerves.”

It was then the final connection was made for Dash, “Oooh… So, that’s how he- and why you haven’t been wanting to hang out with us at… Fluttershy, why didn’t you tell me, er, us you were working a second job?”

Fluttershy blushed, taking a seat next to her, “It’s…. It’s kind of hard to say, Rainbow… I… I don’t know where to start.”

“If you needed some extra cash, I would have spotted you,” Rainbow said very quickly. “Seriously, you didn’t need to get a job at night like this. I mean, I was starting to think you just didn’t want to hang out anymore… So this is kind of a load off my shoulders.”

“Thank you, Rainbow…. That’s really sweet, but I couldn’t have burdened you like that. The thing is, I’m taking this job because…. because I have to. I have… certain side effects…” Fluttershy murmured, looking away.

“Side effects? To what?” Rainbow asked with utmost urgency in her voice.

All the while, Alucard chuckled, mixing a drink for himself. “Now, now, Fangs… What have we talked about? It’s not a side effect, it’s simply a part of who you are now. Nothing wrong with that.”

Dash shot him an odd look before locking eyes with Fluttershy, “Fangs?”

“It’s my nickname…” Fluttershy murmured, “Rainbow… there’s no easy way to say this, but… I’m still part vampire fruit bat… I’m not as… feral as I originally had been, though. I just have the wings, the eyes, fangs, and… taste for apples.”

Rainbow Dash stared at Fluttershy with her mouth agape, looking a mixture between stunned and almost fearful.

“You can see why I hired her,” Alucard chimed in, extending a finger over and closing her mouth. “She fits in here so well, it’s almost a crime, really. And she’s such a good worker.”

Looking down in shame, Fluttershy fidgeted, “I-I’m sorry I didn’t tell you…”

There was still more silence from Rainbow, who was trying to piece everything together. Finally, she slumped back into her seat with wide eyes. “...You’re serious? You’re still a vamp?”

“More or less… I just… I didn’t know how to tell you guys… I didn’t want you to worry, either…” Fluttershy murmured.

“...Show me,” Rainbow said, keeping her gaze on Fluttershy, “Show me your fangs.”

Looking up at her, Fluttershy opened her mouth, slowly. Sure enough, there they were. Two large, vampiric fangs that were the clearest indication of the truth.

Dash found herself without words to say this time. Fluttershy was, in fact, still a type of vampire. It left so many more questions open about how and why all the secrecy. But not a word seemed to form at the moment, her mind working itself in overtime trying to understand everything. After minute of nothing, she finally spoke.

“Oh… dang… Are you really okay?! I mean, the last time, you all- and the- you’re not gonna… flip out?”

“No… No…” Fluttershy shook her head, “Like I said, I’m not feral. It’s just that I still have some….elements of it. I work here because I need to be out at night, and they pay me in apples and fruits.”

“That contract with Sweet Apple Acres was the best idea I ever had,” Alucard added in just for his own amusement.

Rainbow was still taking this all in as best she could, but was having just a bit of trouble speaking still. “So, let me get this straight… you’re still a vamp, but you got it under control now. You work here ‘cause they pay you in fruit. And you didn’t tell us, because...?”

“Like I said, I didn’t want you guys to worry. I also didn’t know how to… I was just scared…” Fluttershy whimpered.

“But why?” Rainbow asked much more caringly. “You know we’d worry either way about you. I sure did since you haven’t wanted to come to any of our night outings or any sleepovers. If it was serious, kinda like now, we’d try to help you, just like last time.”

Fluttershy whimpered, then threw her arms around her. “Oh, Rainbow, I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! You’re right, I shouldn’t have just kept it from you guys! Especially you! Oh, my Dashie, please forgive me….”

Blinking with surprise, Rainbow was becoming even more confused than before with her friend’s outburst. Still, she cautiously embraced Fluttershy with a minor blush. “Uh… sure thing, pal. Just tell us if something like this happens again, okay? Calm down a bit, ‘Shy.”

“I-I’m sorry….” Fluttershy whimpered, sniffling as she looked up at her, “I-I will…. I should’ve been more trusting… Especially with you…”

“Better late than never, right?” Rainbow offered with a shaky smile. She had decided to try and play this off as calmly as she could at this point, but was clearly still shaken up by the reveal of Fluttershy’s vampirism. She certainly looked to be in control... Still there was a lingering concern of ‘for how long’ in the back of her mind. “So… I guess that means he’s a vampire too?”

“...It’s best not to ask,” Fluttershy mumbled, shaking her head.

“Why? Does he break out into song and dance?” Rainbow asked trying to lighten the mood.

Giggling, Fluttershy smiled, appreciating her friend’s attempt to cheer her up, “No. He’s just…. different.”

“And by different, she means I actually see the so called curse as rather interesting,” Alucard chuckled darkly at this. “But enough about me, this is about you two. Fangs, you’ll have a table on the right side reserved for you two at midnight. Until then, show her around, tell your other friends, and have fun.”

Blushing quite a bit, Fluttershy faced Rainbow, managing a smile. “Rainbow I… I… wanted to know if you’d… like to spend the evening with me.”

Blinking a few times, Rainbow simply gave a half smile, “Sure, why not? Way I see it, you owe me for letting you off the hook so easy anyway. So, yeah.”

“Really?” Fluttershy beamed, her wings rising beneath her coat. She giggled, “Sure, I owe you, anyway… I’ll do... anything to make it up to you!”

‘Be flirty… remember their advice… flirt!’

She smiled more, batting her eyelashes and trying to look appealing.

“Great! So, you can start off by telling me how in the heck you got this job,” Dash snickered behind her hand.

“Well… I’ll show you around and tell you the details,” Fluttershy demurely offered her hand to her friend. “Oh, and keep your drink with you, please.”

“What is with everyone and these drinks?” Rainbow chuckled a bit, taking her hand and standing up before gripping her bottle once more. “I mean, yeah, it’s pretty good, but what’s the deal?”

Fluttershy squeezed her hand and led her around. “Aside from traditional alcoholic drinks… Alucard puts together these special kinds of drinks. They’re based on potions from tales of mystic folklore, created to have the same effects. A lot of people who come to this bar actually come specifically for those kinds of drinks.”

“... Really? I thought that was just a gimmick to sell drinks,” Rainbow replied with mild surprise.

“It sounds like it, but no,” Fluttershy smiled.

With a bit of a shrug, Dash followed after her, “This place just gets crazier the longer I’m here.” Almost absentmindedly, she took another sip of her drink.

“Anyway… I was out one night about four months ago, and I came around here, to the outskirts of Ponyville. I had to find a way to get a nighttime job, but I knew that I had to control my... cravings. When I came upon this bar, I was found by Sam, our bouncer. You know, the Griffon outside? She took me in when she saw me and introduced me to Alucard. He quickly figured me out, so he offered me a job. I asked him to pay me in fruit, especially apples. Now I work here as a bartender and waitress,” Fluttershy explained.

“Sam?” Rainbow repeated aloud, yet again the strange sting of something, maybe jealousy, hit her gut. While she knew she had no business asking, the question simple came out, “You and her are friends, huh?”

“Yes, we are,” Fluttershy said, not noticing her strange tone, “She’s a really nice woman, actually. As tough and strong as she is… she’s a lot more timid and nervous than me! But she’s sweet once you get to know her. I go out to dinner sometimes with her and her boyfriend on our nights off.”

“Oh,” Dash’s bitter tone dropped almost completely after hearing that. Still, there was that feeling again. “That’s cool, I guess if you’re into hanging out with a couple. You oughta… make sure you have someone with you next time. You know, just in case they ever get all weird.”

“True…. Being a third wheel isn’t fun. Ooh! I know! You could join us next time!” Fluttershy smiled excitedly, “Oh, you’d like her boyfriend! He’s an adventurous athlete, kind of like you! Real rambunctious, adventurous, fun-loving. But he’s still very nice, such a sweetie.”

Rolling her eyes, Rainbow just agreed. “Sure he is, I don’t doubt it… But yeah, I should come with you next time.”

“Really? Oh, yay!” Fluttershy hugged her again, thrilled. “Thank you, Rainbow… That would mean a lot to me.”

“No problem, Flutters,” Rainbow casually dismissed it, giving her a tight embrace, “You know I’d do anything for you.”

Oh, what Fluttershy would do if her wings were free! There would be nothing holding her back from wrapping them around Rainbow’s form, bringing them closer than ever. She let out a coo and nuzzled into her neck, savouring their closeness.

“Just as I’d do anything for you,” Fluttershy pulled back a bit and gazed lovingly into her eyes. “Always…”

“I know you would,” Rainbow replied with a playful smirk on her face. “But luckily for you, since you’ve got me around, you don’t gotta do anything other than look cute and be you. So, let’s do that for a bit.”

Fluttershy’s smile nearly faltered. Did Rainbow really not see that she was flirting with her? Was she really wasting her time?

“Well, yes… And at midnight… we’ll have dinner together… just you and me, at our own table…” Fluttershy said sweetly, a flirty cadence in her tone.

Nodding a bit, Rainbow kept an arm over Fluttershy’s shoulder even as she pulled away. “That we do, Flutters. Sounds kinda romantic, huh?” She winked, flashing a toothy grin at her.

This made Fluttershy’s smile grow tenfold, her eyes lighting up. Any and all doubts melted away, “Oh, absolutely… Very romantic…”

“I’m almost willing to bet there’ll be candles,” Dash added causally, but the look on her face and tone of her voice gave away her real opinion of this. “But, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

“Yes, there will be candles…” Fluttershy sidled up closer to her, batting her eyelashes. “Mmm… Also, employees have a private room on the upstairs floor. Where they can rest, clean up, and…. bring a guest… if they wanted…”

With a chuckle, Dash gave her a coy look, “Private rooms, free drinks, dark tone? This place is starting to sound like a home away from home. So, are you trying to seduce me or what?” In all honesty, even she wasn’t completely sure where that last sentence came from, but it was far too late to take it back. And to be fair, she was kinda having fun with this now. It was very odd, and the condition of her friend was worrisome, but it was all starting to seem less frightening and more… appealing.

Unable to believe where this was coming from, Fluttershy was wide-eyed for a few moments. She couldn’t believe her own confidence, then Rainbow’s response! It was going way too well. Better than expected.

Nonetheless, Fluttershy smiled and brought her arms around her. “If I say yes… will you pull away from me?”

As if this was a challenge, Rainbow Dash pulled her closer. “Can you give me one good reason I should?”

Beaming, showing her fangs, Fluttershy leaned closer. “No… I won’t bite… unless you want me to…” She purred, her eyelids lowering.

“Well, maybe I’ll let you later,” Rainbow found it hard to believe what she was saying herself, but she was not about to stop. Fluttershy had always been a dear friend to her and she had watched her grow into a stunning version of beauty over the years. Now, in this place, under such strange circumstances, she looked more like a dark seductress than her old friend. If she wanted to flirt, then Dash would do so right back. If it lead somewhere, however… she’d follow all too happily right now.

“Wonderful…” Fluttershy cooed, brushing her lips along her cheek. “I’ll show you around some more…. introduce you to my coworkers…”

With a nearly wolfish grin, Dash let herself go for a moment to eye Fluttershy’s outfit and even let out a low whistle. “At this point, I’m thinking I might wanna see more of something else… but yeah, I’m interested to see just who you work with.”

Fluttershy grinned, taking her hand and leading her around the bar, seeing sight of Vino, who had come out to have a drink for a bit, likely taking a break.

“Oh, this man right here is Vino. He’s our DJ and also the accountant,” Fluttershy said. “Vino, this is my dear friend Rainbow Dash.”

Looking up from his drink, Vino greeted them with a friendly smile. “Well I’ll be, so you’re the gal that’s got our little Fangs’ heart! You got any idea how lucky you are?”

Wide-eyed, Fluttershy blushed and looked away with a sheepish smile. “Um….”

It took Dash a moment or so to understand what was going on, but quickly adjusted to this in style. “I’d say I’m the luckiest woman in the bar tonight. Maybe the continent.”

“Damn straight!” Vino chuckled, finishing another shot of whatever he was drinking. “So don’t go messing things up by pussyfooting around, got it? She deserves betta than that! Be smooth.”

By now, Fluttershy’s entire face was as pink as her hair as she shifted from one foot to the other. While thrilled that everything was on the table, it was still a bit embarrassing. “Um…”

“No worries, dude,” Rainbow Dash smirked as she circled her arm around Fluttershy’s waist. “I know what Flutters wants… I think I know how to deliver.”

With a smug grin, Vino lifted glass and gave it a slight tip, “Then make sure you do!”

Chuckling, Rainbow used her own drink bottle to tip back at him, “It’s gonna be a long night… Who knows what I’ll do to her…”

Fluttershy blushed even harder, squeaking. She couldn’t believe what they were saying! Doing! It was expected of her co-worker, but boy it was getting to her.

“Um…. we should go…” She said, shaking a bit.

“Sure, you two have fun ta-night!” Vino laughed a bit before pouring himself another shot, clearly amused by his own antics.

Fluttershy squeezed Rainbow’s hand and pulled her along a little too quickly. “Come on… I think I see Lila and Alia!”

Rainbow chuckled, being lead on, “Yeah, sure. I’m liking your coworkers so far!”

“I figured you would….” Fluttershy bit her lip a bit.

They came upon the twins, Alia and Lila, who were clearing one of the empty tables after the patrons had left.

“Alia, Lila? This is Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said upon reaching them. “Rainbow, this is Alia, and that’s Lila. They’re waitresses and bus girls here.”

Chuckling, Alia gave a smile. “Ah, so you’re the famous Rainbow Dash. Never thought I’d see someone like you come in here. Welcome.”

Lila had a similar reaction, but considerably more frantic. “Oh. My. Gosh! You’re actually here! Fluttershy has told us soooo much about you!”

‘And I’m beginning to regret ever having done that…’ Fluttershy thought, forcing a smile. “Yes…”

“She really has,” Alia added in, “You must really know how to make an impression on others, Rainbow Dash.”

“What can I say? I just have an effect on people,” Rainbow joked a bit, pulling Fluttershy closer to herself with hand on her waist. “So, what all has she told you about me?”

The twins exchanged big smiles, while Fluttershy grimaced. This was not going to end well.

“She told us about your accomplishments with the Wonderbolts,” Alia said. “How you won the Best Young Flyer’s competition, with a Sonic Rainboom no less, and how you made it through the Wonderbolt Academy. I can tell she’s very proud of you.”

Fluttershy smiled in relief, glad to see that this was not about the crush itself. “Yes, I am. Very much so.”

“She’s also told us about how sexy you look in your training outfit,” Lila added with a giggle. “She’s always going on about how good you look in something or whatever. She even said you look like you should have been modeling just for lingerie~”

Wide-eyed, Fluttershy blushed heavily and looked away, ‘I am never telling them anything again!’

“Oh, really now?” Dash replied with grin, her hand slightly running down Fluttershy’s back. “Anything else she’s said about me?”

Fluttershy stiffened, wide-eyed and suppressing the urge to shiver.

“Now really Lila, let’s not embarrass the poor dear,” Alia chided. “She’s said many great things about you.”

“And that she thinks you look great with long hair!” Lila chimed in.

Fluttershy blushed still, even more so when she felt Rainbow’s hand continue to run up her back.

“I think I’ll keep that in mind,” Dash replied with a smug looking smile, trailing her finger down Fluttershy’s spine.

“Anyway,” Alia spoke up, “I take my break in two minutes. We can go and chat in the back if you want.”

“What!? You’re really gonna just leave me to this by myself?” Lila pouted.

“You’ve worked on your own before, Lila,” Alia pointed out.

“Yeah, but…” Lila started to pout, but gave up. “Okay, fine… I guess I can do this myself for a bit. Just come back before eleven-thirty.”

“Relax, I will,” Alia rolled her eyes. “Come on then, girls.”

“A-All right…” Fluttershy shifted a bit.

Dash, of course, was too busy trying to feel up Fluttershy at this point to mind where she was being lead. “Come on, Shy, it’ll at least kill some time before we get to eat.”

Fluttershy suppressed a moan, managing a nod, “Yes, of course…”

“Hey, remember what Al says about flirting,” Alia smirked, beckoning the two to follow. “Only off the clock and behind closed doors.”

Nodding weakly, Fluttershy leaned up against Dash, her legs having long since given out. “H-Help me…. I can’t walk…”

Doing just that, Rainbow gave her a playful grin as she held her upright, “You sure you don’t need me to carry you to your room instead?”

Fluttershy swallowed, “Yes…” She murmured honestly.

“Considering I doubt you two would leave before midnight, I’m gonna insist you wait until later for that,” Alia cut in, with a friendly smile. “Afterwards, though, you can do whatever you want.”

To this, Rainbow, shot her an odd look, “How do you know about our table?”

Alia just laughed at her, “Al’s got ways of getting the word out fast. You know, they say he used to be an information broker before he opened this place.”

“So he was a spy…” Rainbow said to herself before adjusting her grip on Fluttershy once more. “So, what do ya say? We hang for a bit, come down, eat, then you can show me your room.”

“Sure…. That’d be nice….” Fluttershy gave a nod and a smile, a blush on her cheeks.

“All right then,” Rainbow smirked at the two, “lead on, Alia.”

“Right this way,” Alia snickered, leading the two to back of the bar where the stairs were, muttering to herself, “Fangs and Wolfy.”

“Ooohh… Rarishee….” Applejack giggled, nuzzling the other woman affectionately, “Rarishee… you’re so purty… Soooooooo purty… Like a… like a snowball… or somethin’....”

Surprisingly, Applejack had made it farther than any other challenger in the house bet, actually managing two full shots of the Thunder Brew and still being conscious. But there was a clear difference between being conscious and being beyond the point of drunk. Rarity, however, did not seem to mind so much. In fact, a certain part of her seemed to actually enjoy the attention from her friend.

Whether or not this was do her own slight buzz was unknown though, as she did not feel drunk in the least.

“Darling, you should cut back a bit. You’re starting to slur,” Rarity replied, surprised by her own voice. It sounded, somehow, different. There was a faint accent in her voice that was not normally there. Or was it? It certainly felt natural, so what was it? Either way, she dismissed it and tried to get Applejack to sit up right once more.

“Noooo…. Ah’m fine….” Applejack planted kisses on her cheek, “Ya don’t taste like marshmallows… Them dreams lied ta meh….”

“Wh-What do you mean by that?” Rarity blushed, reeling back from this. Where had this come from exactly?

“Ah dream about ya… so much….” Applejack slurred, sounding wistful, “Ah dream ya taste like somethin’ sweet… Oh, Rarishee...ya haunt me ta the end o’ time… Ah didn’t even know Ah liked women… But ya came inta my life…”

Well, that had not been the answer Rarity had expected, much less even fathomed. Was Applejack actually telling her the truth or was this all part of her drunkenness? Either way, a part of her was still highly flattered. But it felt like something was odd about all of this.

“Darling, you can’t be serious,” she finally replied, a bit on edge to know if there was some truth to these words.

“Ah’m totally serious…” Applejack was now holding her close, kissing her neck, “Rarishee, yer a stunnin’ beauty an’ Ah want you… But Ah’d never admit it… Why would Ah, I don’t even know how Ah feel sometimes… Ah’m so stubborn, it ain’t easy. Mmmm, ya smell so good….real good…”

This was almost too much to take in, leaving Rarity in a daze. Was this a true drunken confession of love? Did Applejack, a close friend and her near complete opposite, actually feel like this about her? This was so out of place, so scandalous, and here she was, in the middle of it no less!

‘And why should that bother you,’ a small voice in back of her head chimed out through her thoughts. ‘Tis a night for such things. Why not indulge yourself in a few pleasures?’

Where had that come from? After a few seconds locked in this heated debate, Rarity finally pulled away from Applejack with a faint gleam in her eyes. “So… you’ve been dreaming about me, have you? That is news to me.” There it was again, that accent, creating a ‘z’ sound over the ‘th.’ As odd as it was, it was almost completely ignored. Rarity was starting to enjoy this attention a lot more then she should have.

“Oh yeah… howdy do….” Applejack reached for her, pouting at the loss of contact. “Ah dream about ya a lot. Nice dreams, purty dreams, scary dreams, funny dreams…”

Rarity seemed to giggle at this, placing a finger on the cowgirl’s chest to keep her at a certain distance as she took another sip of her delightful drink. “Oh my, it sounds like you may have an obsession. Why don’t you tell me about some of these dreams?”

Taking her hand, Applejack kissed along it and rubbed it against her cheek, “Ohh Rarishee… Ah’d bore ya ta death…”

“Darling, you underestimate my will and curiosity on the subject,” Rarity drew out her usual term of endearment to a certain extreme, causing it to sound far more flirtatious than it should have been.

“Oooh, awright…” Applejack purred. “One time, Ah dreamt you were workin’ on tha farm… wearin’ very little... usin’ a hoe like ya were born to….”

With another giggle, Rarity seemed to be playing hard to get while she playfully moved back yet again, but never enough to seem discouraging. “Oh, I see… Did anything happen in this dream of yours?”

“Ah came to ya and pinned ya to tha tree,” Applejack giggled, scooting closer to her. “Ah took ya into mah arms and kissed ya fer all ya were worth…”

“Ooooh, you were forsaking work for me?” Rarity teased, giving her a very seductive looks, her eyes seeming to have much more bright, icy blue tint to them. “I must have been wearing something that must have really torn away your attention. Maybe you should tell what that was so I might be able to... surprise you later with it?”

“Ah’d do anythin’ fer you… Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every…. uh… path or somethin’....” Applejack chuckled.

“You’d be very charming if you weren’t so drunk at this time, but even then, you’re very sweet to say such things, darling,” Rarity giggled, adjusting her posture ever so much to look more provocative. A part of her was absolutely stricken that she was actually flirting with Applejack like this, and surprised she was having so much fun doing so. The other part was too busy trying to think of how to seduce her friend at this point.

“Oh, Rarishee… if Ah were sober, Ah wouldn’t have tha guts ta say these things…” Applejack said somberly. She pulled Rarity into an embrace, proceeding to kiss her neck again, “Ah’d never be able ta give ya all tha love you deserve….”

With a bit of a sigh, Rarity shook her head with a smile, “How could you possibly know that if you never try? You seem to be doing a wonderful job at it now.”

“Only ‘cause Ah’m not holdin’ back….” Applejack sighed, “Ah love you so much…. Ah’d give anythin’ ta be yours… Ah cain’t give ya much… nothin’ that Prince Charmin’ can… All Ah can give you is mah love…”

“If you act like that, of course not,” Rarity replied coyly. “A Prince Charming doesn’t offer money, fair jewels, or worldly things like that. They are, as the name implies, charming. Noble blood means nothing… as it’s the heart that tells how sweet it is. And you, Applejack, can be very charming indeed.”

Applejack blinked, then giggled girlishly, “Awww… ya really think so?”

With a laugh of her own, Rarity gently reached up to run a hand down her friend’s cheek, “Why would I say so otherwise? My darling little apple.”

Blushing immensely, Applejack held her closer, “Oh, Rarishee… Ah feel like a million bits… thank ya….”

“I could make you feel much better if you ever wanted,” Rarity replied, giving her a set of bedroom eyes. There was no way of denying what she meant by this.

“Ooohh….” Applejack trembled, giving her bedroom eyes as well. “Rarishee, Ah’d be happy to…”

“Then how about after we leave here… you come home with me tonight?” Rarity smiled in way that showed a tell-tale sign of what was going on and what would happen.

“Really? Aw, Sugarcube, that’d be mighty lovely…” Applejack kissed her cheek, “Ah’ll love ya all night long…” She took another sip of her drink. Now she hiccuped, giggling, “That’s better. So, tell me Rarity, when do ya feel ready ta go?”

“Hmmm…” Twilight sipped her drink again, then leaned back in her seat, “This is just heaven!” While that might have been an exaggeration, she certainly found this place much more welcoming than she had thought at first. Even the owner, Alucard, seemed to be a very upstanding person. After all, how bad could a person be that collects rare books? Either way, she found both the books and the tea astonishing. “These are such awesome books! I never would’ve found such tomes at home! I hope I can find other copies! Or I might just have to come here again! Yeah! I think I will!”

“Helloooooooo, Twi-Twi!” Pinkie chirped as she came into view. “Having funsies?”

“Oh, hi, Pinkie,” Twilight greeted her friend with a warm smile, taking note of the apron she was wearing and the small plate of toasted egg sandwiches.

“Hope you’re hungry! Burmeister suggested I bring you something to eat!” Pinkie placed the plate down on the table.

Twilight looked over the food oddly, not sure what to make of it. It at least smelt good, but certainly did not look like Pinkie Pie had made it. Still, she took a sandwich with a smile. “Thank you, Pinkie. So, what’s the kitchen like back there?”

“It is so COOL! Brutus is such a talented cook! I tried some of his food he’s making, YUMMERLY! I thought I was going to ascend to Food Heaven!” Pinkie crooned, sparkly-eyed, “So delicious! The kitchen itself is such a nice place to work in! I luffles it! I was officially recruited to help bake a very special dessert!”

“Yes, I know. I was there when Alucard asked you to help with that,” Twilight reminded her, but simply moved on to the next subject. “This place really is something else, though. A pool, lounge, and rooms for rent would make this place a vacation spot in no time… Anyway, what are you cooking back there?”

“A couple’s cake!” Pinkie winked, “It’s a special kind of cake that you can’t eat alone! You have to share it!”

Blinking a few times, Twilight just looked her over, “That… doesn’t really answer my question. What kind of cake is it, exactly? As in, type, favor, and so on?”

“That varies! But in this case… It’ll be a vanilla cake, with rainbow candy bits inside the batter! Two-tier, with yellow and blue frosting! I was going to go for mousse, but I figure a nice basic one will do just fine! On the top will be some candy pieces in the shape of hearts, some candy rainbow sprinkles, and a strawberry on top! Why? Because strawberries are passionate!” Pinkie explained.

For just a moment, Twilight considered looking over to see if there were any books on cooking so she could better follow what was just said, decided against it, “I… see. Can I just assume you’re having fun?”

“Yeppers! This was a much better idea than ever! Oh, did you see Dashie and Flutters? They were getting all cuddly! It’s working!” Pinkie clapped her hands excitedly.

“Wait, Fluttershy is here?” Twilight asked in the utmost confusion.

Pinkie laughed, grinning as she sat down across from her. “Oop! You didn’t know? Well, I did! Brutus was telling me all about it! Flutters has been working here for the past four months! Oh oh oh oh! But get this! She’s still a vampire fruit bat hybrid! But she’s not some wild creature anymore! No wonder though, this is a perfect place for her to work! They pay her in fruits, especially apples! So that’s why she’s here! You know she has a crushie on Dashie, right? Well, it’s finally happening! That’s why I’m helping with dessert! Because they’re going to have a nice little dinner together! They’re playing matchmaker! And earlier, oh gosh, Dashie and Flutters were all cuddly and looking into each other’s eyes! By the time the night’s over, they’re going to be doing it! I could tell!”

Twilight stared at her for quite some time, just trying to understand what was just said from the bombardment of information. She forced herself to drink down another gulp of her tea and, oddly, it seemed to have helped make the dots connect. “So, the reason why Fluttershy has been avoiding hanging out with us was because she had not recovered from being a hybrid and began working here to help with her nocturnal behavior. They agreed due to the style of the bar, and even allowed her to be paid in fruit to help her, thus her employment here would help her control her cravings and allow her to keep her sanity… She told Alucard about us so he knew exactly what to say to all of us to get us to do what we’ve done when we came, and now they are all trying to help Fluttershy with her crush.” Amazed she was able to understand all that, she added, “Please remind me to ask Alucard for the recipe for this tea… It works wonders.”

“Will do, Twi-Twi!” Pinkie giggled, clapping, “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is,” Twilight smiled a bit, but a small amount of concern was evident in her voice. “Still, don’t you think it might be a bit dangerous to sell drinks with effects like this? And furthermore, what other items in this place could be enchanted?”

“You’d have to ask Alucard! Alls I know is that they specialize in strange drinks like that!” Pinkie said with a wide grin, “That’s why a lot of people come to this bar, to try out the effects of them! They’re based off potions of lore!”

That concerned Twilight a bit more, “Potions of lore? That sounds dangerous enough… Speaking of which, has he made you drink anything?”

“Nope! He just gave me this apron!” Pinkie giggled, “And I was recruited to help! So nope! Nothing for me! But that’s okay, I’m totally coming back here again!”

“Just an apron?” Twilight asked with raised brow, “Let me examine it. Considering he called himself the Trickster Prince, I can’t imagine this is a normal apron.”

Pinkie shrugged and came around to Twilight’s side, sitting next to her, “Go ahead!”

Taking another sip of her drink, Twilight reached for the apron. The moment she touched the fabric, there was a minor shock that ran up her finger to her spine. “Ow!”

“Twi-Twi?” Pinkie’s normally sunny disposition melted into worry, “Twilight, are you okay?” She placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Twilight replied, holding her finger, “I guess it was just a static shock.”

“But…. the floor isn’t carpet…” Pinkie frowned.

Twilight nodded in agreement, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Still, I can’t imagine what else that might have been.”

“Do you feel all right?” Pinkie asked, biting her lip.

“I’ll be fine,” Twilight sighed, managing a smile. “Anyway, these books are fascinating! I’m so amazed that I’d be able to find such books in a place like this. And you know what? It’s been such a nice place to read. The lighting on this spot is actually bright enough, but not enough to make the dimness too light. It’s great!”

Smiling back, Pinkie tried to follow along. “That’s really great, Twilight. But, your finger… do you want me get something for it?”

“It’s all right, I’m fine now,” Twilight assured, “I don’t even feel it anymore.”

“Well, okay then,” Pinkie nodded slowly, “At least let me get you some more tea, okay?”

Realizing she’d finished drinking her tea, Twilight nodded and gave her the mug, “Sure, that’d be great. It’s delicious!”

With a smile, Pinkie took her cup. “All right then. You just wait here and I’ll be right back.” With that, she was gone, heading back to get more tea for Twilight.

Blinking, Twilight stared after her, “...What was that about?”

After a few moments, which felt much longer than it actually was, Pinkie returned with the tea. And something else. Her normally curly hair was completely flat, laying down in an orderly fashion, covering over one eye. Stranger still, was a singular white highlight as well and Pinkie did not seem upset about anything.

“Here you are, Twilight,” Pinkie said with a smile, her voice just slightly deeper than normal. “Alucard just made a batch moments ago, so it’s fresh. I also took the liberty to add a tablespoon of honey to it as well, as Alucard was out of natural sugar.”

Gaping, Twilight blinked, slowly. What had just happened? She couldn’t even come close to pinpointing it if she tried. Something was not right about Pinkie, not at all. Her hair was as flat as it had been when she’d had that internal crisis. Her voice was completely unlike her usual sunny demeanour. Everything about her was… calculated.

“Pinkie? Pinkie, are you feeling all right? Did Alucard give you something to drink after all?” Twilight managed, trying to make sense of this.

Giving her an odd look, Pinkie smiled warmly before giving a slight chuckle. “As I said, Twilight, he did not give me anything in the least. Besides, I’ve been too busy assisting with cooking to drink anything. Baking requires a clear mind after all.”

“You? A clear mind? No offense, Pinkie, but… you’re not usually like that…” Twilight mumbled, “Are you sure? You don’t normally act like this.”

“Certainly,” Pinkie nodded, “I don’t feel any different, so there shouldn’t be anything wrong. Relax, Twilight, I assure you that nothing’s amiss at the moment.”

‘Yes it is. You’re beginning to sound like a Trottingham scholar or something!’ Twilight thought. “Well, okay… if you say so…”

With another friendly smile, Pinkie took a seat beside Twilight, “Brutus informed me that despite my employment here only being temporary, I’m allowed to take a break... Would you mind sharing it with me?”

“No… I wouldn’t mind at all…” Twilight shook her head. “It’d be nice to have a little company.”

“Capital,” Pinkie reached over and looked over the selection of books beside the table.

“You…. um, want to read…?” Twilight blinked at her word usage.

Once more giving her friend a very confused look, Pinkie reared back. “Is there something amiss with that? While I may not be a heavy reader such as yourself, I do enjoy a good book at times.”

“Oh, no! I didn’t mean it like that! I know you like to read sometimes… I just hadn’t thought that you wanted to spend this evening reading,” Twilight said sheepishly.

“Well, it’s not my first choice, mind you, but it is a nice location to do so, as you said. Why waste it?” Pinkie smirked slightly, giving Twilight a chance to notice the minor amount of black eye shadow on her eyes. “That is, unless, you had other ideas of what we could do together for the next twenty or so minutes?”

‘Now eye shadow?! ….Who is this woman and what did she do with Pinkie?’

“Well, we could read… and still talk…” Twilight said, giving a mild shrug.

“Jolly good then,” Pinkie smiled brightly at her before sitting up right. “So, tell me, would you mind answering a few questions for me? Nothing quite as entertaining as what Rainbow Dash might ask, but just a few things I wanted to know.”

Taking one of the books to keep reading, Twilight bit her lip. What was going on here? She just couldn’t figure it out! “Um…. sure. What did you want to ask?”

With a small blush, Pinkie interlocked her fingers and her chin against her thumbs. “It may sound a bit silly, but after you told us about your tutelage under the Princess, I had always wondered, how did this come to pass? How did you become her student?”

“W-What? You wanted to know…. what? How I became her student? Well, I told you before? ….Or I didn’t? Well, uh…” Twilight twiddled her fingers a bit, “I had to take an entrance exam to get into Princess Celestia’s School for Gifted Spellcasters. I had worked hard, but felt that I failed. But then when Rainbow’s Sonic Rainboom erupted, I was overtaken by my magic a lot more than expected. I even turned my parents into potted plants! Princess Celestia came in, having seen all of it. She said I had strong, magical potential within me and wanted to take me on as her student.”

“Yes, this part you’ve told us all before at one point,” Pinkie nodded to this, “But what I was trying to ask was how did the Princess actually begin your training…?”

“There isn’t much to tell, but, how come you want to know?” Twilight asked.

Again, there was blush on Pinkie’s face as she tried to force a reply. “I suppose it’s because… I’ve always been interested in magic, but being born into a normal family, I had no aptitude for the arts. I couldn’t learn it, so I eventually decided to try other things. Still, magic in all its forms seems so… captivating to me. There are times I really do wish I could use it like you and Rarity, but that’s just an old sting of jealousy on my part. I apologize.”

“That’s okay! I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being fascinated by something outside of your own ability,” Twilight assured quickly. “But if you’d like to know how it all came to be, I’d be happy to tell you.”

“If you’d rather not, I’d understand,” Pinkie offered on the off handed chance she wanted to end the conversation. “We can always talk about something else.”

Twilight gave her a smile, “In case you didn’t hear me a second ago, I said that I’d be happy to tell you.”

Pinkie sighed, but did not dare protest, “Very well. If you’re willing to share, I’d be more than happy to listen.”

“Well, anyway, after Princes Celestia took me on as her student, she taught me some magic spells I’d never thought I would learn. They were advanced spells, more for expert spellcasters. She was sure I could master them… even though I still felt like too much of a novice,” Twilight recalled. “I spent a few days trying so hard to perform them! It never worked.”

“I see… What were some of the spells?” Pinkie asked with eager look in her eyes. “Maybe the Spirit Walk spell? Or perhaps the Dispel Illusions?”

“Spirit Walk? You know about that?” Twilight gaped with surprise.

Pinkie recoiled a bit, showing a bit of shyness, “Well, yes… It was always one of the most interesting spells I had ever heard of.”

“Wow! I’m impressed,” Twilight giggled, “Well, it wasn’t the Spirit Walk… that didn’t come until later. It was actually the second one you said, Dispel Illusions.”

“Practically speaking, the Dispel Illusions spell is very useful in a multitude of situations dealing with other spellcasters, considering that the illusion and alteration schools are so popular,” Pinkie said with chuckle. “I’m impressed with you as well. When did the Spirit Walk come into practice?”

“About six months or so since I started studying under her,” Twilight recalled. “I can’t remember exactly. But I remember that it actually took me only two weeks to master it! Most unicorns take at least three months! And that’s if their magical ability can handle it!”

Pinkie giggled at this, adjusting her seat, “That’s quite the feat! I take it after so much time, you’ve gotten used to exerting so much mystic energy. I’m willing to bet you could easily master most spells that you come across.”

“Most of the time, especially if they’re easy,” Twilight nodded.

“What about transmutation spells?” Pinkie asked with a playful smirk. “Like the old tales of turning lead into gold. Can you use those without a transmutation circle?”

“It kind of depends,” Twilight said thoughtfully. “Sometimes you can manipulate a spell to have its effect without the transmutation circle. Most of the time it’s not exactly easy, especially since they often require transmutation circles to work effectively.”

Nodding to this, Pinkie held a thoughtful look for a moment. “I see. I have heard of some that use transmutation spells with the need of a circle, but they were usually practitioners of in the school of alchemy. Do you think there’s a connection?”

“You know, I was wondering that theory myself!” Twilight grinned, “I’m pretty sure there must be. A lot of studies were conducted to proving it in the past few years.”

“I know, right? It seems more than just a simple coincidence as they all seem to be in same school of magic,” Pinkie smiled happily. “And not to mention both seem to rely on understand the components of both to use both effectively.”

Twilight grinned wider, amazed at how she seemed to know all of this, “You’re right! There was a big seminar last year with both schools, it seemed like they were drawing a lot of the same conclusions for the new formulas they were testing!”

Nodding once more at the information, Pinkie chuckled. “I had no idea they attended the same seminars. Still, it would stand reason to believe that there must be some type of connection in their studies.”

“I know! Have you read any of their books? I just got last year’s issue of Alchemy Guides, it’s fascinating!” Twilight exclaimed excitedly.

“Sadly, no,” Pinkie smiled sheepishly. “I haven’t actually read any books on the subject in years. Like I said, I kinda… just tried to focus on what I can do, rather than wishing for what I couldn’t. Although, it would be nice to read up on recent findings…”

“Well then, come down to the library sometime and I’ll lend them to you!” Twilight suggested. “Trust me, they’re amazing reads.”

Pinkie considered it for a moment, “Well, I guess it couldn’t hurt... Very well then, I’ll come over sometime later tomorrow and pick up a few.”

“All right, then!” Twilight grinned, clapping excitedly. “Pinkie, this is great! I’d love to talk to you more on these subjects!”

“I guess I could try, if you wanted,” Pinkie fidgeted in her seat for a moment. “I’m a bit outdated on most of the info, though.”

“That’s okay, you can catch up! I’ll even be happy to answer any questions you might have,” Twilight offered.

Pinkie simply nodded. “If you’re sure you’d be fine with that, then I’ll take you up on that.”

Giving a nod, Twilight smiled and sipped her tea, “Absolutely, Pinkie! To be honest, I never felt like I could talk to you girls about this kind of thing… But it’s nice to know I can, now.”

“Well, you should have asked,” Pinkie replied casually. “After all, you’re always offering for us to come to you if we need to speak of anything, why should it not be the same for you?”

“Oh… thank you, Pinkie… that means a lot to me,” Twilight smiled appreciatively. “I’ll remember that.”

“Of course, Twilight,” Pinkie sat back upright, placing a hand over Twilight’s. “You know I always enjoyed our time together, so I’m glad you see me as someone you can talk to openly like this.”

“Well, I do now….” Twilight blushed a bit, “I always enjoyed your company, Pinkie. You’re such a delight, and you really make me laugh.”

With a giggle, Pinkie tilted her head cutely, “I guess you could say that’s my own, special type of Pinkie Pie magic. I love to see others happy… especially you.”

Blushing quite a bit, Twilight couldn’t help but admire her. ‘She’s so adorable… so sweet… so… smart… I can’t believe she’s calming down a bit… Wow… I think… I think I really...’

“Oh Pinkie…” Twilight cooed, leaning close to her, “you’re such a wonder…”

She couldn’t control herself. Impulse or not, all Twilight knew was that she leaned in and pecked Pinkie gently on the lips. Pulling away, she giggled a bit.

‘Wow… that was fun! I never knew being so impulsive could be… wonderful!’

Pinkie, though, seemed to be taking this very differently. Her entire face was red and her eyes wide. She seemed to be trying to process what had just happened and what she should do. Perhaps feel, but that seemed clearly written on her face. A few seconds pased before she finally spoke.

“Um… where did that come from?”

Now that was weird. If there was anyone who loved affectionate gestures, it was Pinkie. She would’ve been bouncing and giggling like crazy. But why wasn’t she? It didn’t make sense.

Nonetheless, Twilight smiled a bit, “I’m not sure, I just…. felt a sudden urge to kiss you. To be honest, I didn’t even realize I wanted to until now…”

As if the laws of logic were breaking, Pinkie actually blushed even more from hearing that. “I-I just hadn’t thought you’d ever… I mean, with all the time we’ve spent together and all the times I’ve hugged on you and so… you never seemed to like it.”

“...I didn’t? Oh…” Crestfallen, Twilight twiddled her fingers. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I never meant to make it seem like I didn’t. Because I did… I always have.”

“It’s quite all right,” Pinkie said, regaining some of her new found calm. “I know I can be a bit wild with my displays of affections, but I only do so because I care so much for you and the others. I’ve tried to cut back some from what I used to, though. I’m simply an affectionate person, I suppose…”

Twilight smiled, holding her hands, “Pinkie… I don’t ever want you to change. You’re a bright, fun, sunshine-y, sweet, affectionate woman and I love that about you. If I ever seemed annoyed, I do apologize. I would never want you to change who you are. You really know how to just brighten anybody’s day, mine included.”

With all that said, Pinkie smiled warmly at her friend, rubbing her thumbs against Twilight palms. “I’ll try, Twilight… I certainly don’t want to change either. I’m happy with who I am and, if not for how I am, we might not have become friends. Believe me, I’ve been grateful for the sheer privilege to be near you most days.”

“Well, gosh….” Twilight giggled and blushed, “That’s so sweet, Pinkie. I feel the same way…”

Pinkie rested her eyes for a moment, letting herself savor the moment for just a little longer. “It appears we share the same opinion on that as well… I do find it odd, though. Normally, I don’t believe I’m this well with my words, and most of it gets lost in the heat of the moment. I’m… actually very grateful I got a chance to really speak my mind with you.”

“Well… I’m glad you did too, Pinkie,” Twilight smiled more. “It’s nice that we were able to sit and talk like this. It really was.”

“With any luck, this won’t be a one-time thing,” Pinkie chuckled, looking Twilight in the eyes. “It would be a shame if it was…”

“Oh no, this definitely won’t be a one-time thing…” Twilight looked into Pinkie’s expressive, beautiful blue eyes. She felt her heart pound yet again.

“So, I take it we’ll be coming back here in the future?” Pinkie replied with a coy smile.

“I don’t see why not…” Twilight purred, giving her bedroom eyes.

Looking at the wall clock, Pinkie sighed. “Where does the time go? It looks like my break is over… Twilight, would you mind staying until after midnight? I’ll be done then and we can pick this back up where we left off, if you so wish it.”

Without hesitation, Twilight nodded, “I’d be happy to. I was pretty sure I’d be here reading all night, anyway.”

“Then I shall return before the clock strikes twelve,” Pinkie replied with a smile, sliding up from her seat. Before departing, however, she gave Twilight a quick kiss to the top of her head, “And you can hold me to that as a Pinkie Promise.”

“Oooh, okay!” Twilight giggled with glee, feeling a thrill enter her heart. “Sounds wonderful…”

Pinkie giggled as well, waving to her as she walked back to the kitchen, mouthing a wordless “goodbye” with what might have been a kiss.

“Wow….” Twilight murmured, leaning back in the comfy seat and returning to her book, “This is going to be a wonderful evening…”

Part Three

“Have a good rest, Alia…” Fluttershy said as she closed the door behind them. She turned to Rainbow Dash, realizing yet again how close they were, most especially to her room. “Rainbow…”

Looking at her dear friend, who was beginning to be seen as something more so, Rainbow shot her a wolfish grin, “Yeah, Flutters? Something on your mind?”

“I… I…” Fluttershy blushed, managing to meet her eyes. She came closer to her friend, bringing a hand to her neck. This was not good. It was as if Rainbow was a giant apple. She may as well have been, at this point. “I want to… to… to…”

“You want to?...” Rainbow held a hand out and rolled a finger around the air coyly. It was not hard to tell what she wanted to do, but she would rather hear it from her first.

Fluttershy removed her jacket, exposing her yellow bat wings completely. They were flared to attention, as if she were ready to take flight. Much like before, they were big enough to wrap around herself for sleeping, even big enough to wrap around someone else. She looked to Rainbow, her pink-red eyes gleaming, and stepped over. Bringing her arms around her, Fluttershy allowed her bat wings to come around, but not enough to wrap just yet.

“I want to… take you to my room…” She cooed, a bit nervously.

“And I, for one, would love to see your room,” Rainbow replied in a teasing voice, holding Fluttershy by the hips. “But we do have a dinner reservation in about half an hour. You sure it can’t wait just a bit more? Just to give me a bit more time to work you up?”

‘No… I want you so bad… I want to hold you in my wings… Sleep with you upside down… Make love to you all night… Ngh…. Will I be able to hold out?’

Fluttershy trembled a little, “I-I-I want to wait… I just… Okay…”

With a smirk, Rainbow took her hand and started to lead her back down stairs. “Hey, just because you gotta wait doesn’t mean we can’t still be flirty. I’m looking forward to that part.”

“You’ll be getting me worked up….” Fluttershy murmured, having to resist the urge to dig her heels and lead her over to her room.

“Yeah, that’s the idea,” Rainbow stated playfully. “This makes things a bit more fun.”

‘Don’t hold back… do like you were earlier… flirt… get her worked up, too… make her want you...’

“Well… how about you?” Fluttershy sidled up against her, purring, “Aren’t you feeling... anxious?”

With a chuckle, Rainbow made sure she was as close as possible. “Anxious? A little bit… But more than anything, I’m excited. Maybe even a bit frisky, if you know what I’m saying?”

It thrilled Fluttershy to see more and more that Rainbow wanted this just as much as she did. She circled an arm around her torso, even wrapping one wing around her back.

“I’m feeling frisky… I’m having a hard time keeping my hands off you…” Fluttershy purred sensually.

“Then this will be a fun night,” Dash replied with a low, sensual growl. “Now, come on, before we decide we should skip the main course and get straight to dessert.”

Bringing the artillery, Fluttershy licked her lips and slunk her mouth close to her neck, “I bet you’ll taste better than any fruit…” She growled sensually.

Dash trembled a bit to her touch, but managed to pull back, “Easy there, ‘Shy…. You’ll get to taste the rainbow soon enough.”

Breath hitching, Fluttershy trembled slightly, “Right… So… um… what should we do…? We have time before we eat…”

It was right then that either of them realized that they were now downstairs, back in the bar area.

An idea came to Rainbow with a smile, “Say, you think you can talk your boss into playing some music?”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, only for the sound of slow, but dark music to creep out from the speakers of the bar. She looked around in surprise, finding Vino operating the DJ booth.

“I guess he’s taking another break huh? Convenient,” Rainbow Dash snickered, taking Fluttershy’s hand and leading her over the small dance floor beside the set up.

“You…. want to dance with me?” Fluttershy blushed, looking at her with surprise.

“No, I want to stand in the middle of the floor with music playing and start a career as a stand-up comedian with you as my opening act,” Dash chuckled, pulling Fluttershy close once they came to a stop. “Of course I wanna dance with you!”

A little gasp escaped Fluttershy, but she blushed and brought her arms around her neck, “I’d love to dance with you, Dashie…”

Holding close to each other, they moved slowly to the flow of the music, not quite in time to it. But it didn’t matter, they simply stood, occasionally moving their feet, even swaying.

“I…. can’t dance very well,” Fluttershy admitted with a sheepish smile.

“You think I do?” Dash chuckled, making sure she had Fluttershy’s attention, “Look, it’s easy. Just follow my lead.”

“Okay….” Fluttershy murmured, meeting her gaze.

With a smirk, Rainbow started to whisper, “We’re just gonna move clockwise, ‘kay? Just use your right foot as an anchor. Then just shift your weight from one foot to the other every four-count to the beat or so. Other than that, just follow me.”

Nodding, Fluttershy followed her idea, moving slowly. “All right… I think I can do it…”

“Of course you can,” Rainbow smiled. “You didn’t seem to have any problem dancing at Cadence’s wedding last year.”

“Well, you were dancing with me…” Fluttershy blushed a bit.

Giggling a bit, Rainbow started to turn, “And I’m dancing with you now… So, what’s the problem?”

“I never thought we’d be dancing like this….” Fluttershy said softly, gazing into her eyes.

“And why’s that?” Dash asked with a teasing grin. “It’s not like that was the first time we danced together, and this definitely won’t be the last.”

“Well, we….” Fluttershy blushed quite a bit, “There’s… something stronger between us, now…”

With a smirk, Dash, took a moment to give Fluttershy an unexpected spin, “Something stronger between us now? I don’t know where you’ve been these past seventeen years, but that’s always been there.”

“R-Really? How do you mean?” Fluttershy asked with wide eyes, her cheeks getting pinker.

This night had been very strange indeed for Rainbow Dash. Aside from walking into a bar that she had only heard reviews of, outstanding ones at that, she came in to find that her best friend, Fluttershy, was working here. To add to that confusion, she was still a vampire, or rather, half vampire fruit bat, but nevertheless a vampire with fangs and bat wings. She even had it under control now, letting Dash really get a look at how wild, dangerous, and… seductive she was like this. And now she was flirting with her, teasing her about the past, even about to tell her things she’d never consider doing.

Still, it was too late to turn back now. Might as well have some fun with it.

“Come on, ‘Shy, you can’t tell me you haven’t felt it before now,” Rainbow smiled at her. “I ask you to spend time with me way more than anyone else, bringing you along with whatever I’m doing at the time, and I even get jealous when you spend time with someone else. Heck, I even figure it was kinda obvious when I didn’t say anything about not wanting to have dinner with you… So, I’ll make it simple. Tonight, let’s just call this our first date.”

Although what Rainbow Dash had said was true, it still managed to take Fluttershy by surprise. If anything, Rainbow had all but proven she not only felt the same way, but for quite possibly as long as she herself did. She slowly regained her confidence and her smile grew, to which Fluttershy held her closer to her.

“Yes…. tonight is our first date… I’ve certainly felt this way for a long time… I just never would’ve thought you felt the same way. But I’m glad I know, now,” Fluttershy cooed sweetly, her eyes shimmering.

“Guess it took you becoming a vamp to figure it out, eh?” Rainbow teased with a grin. “But, hey, better late than never, right?”

“Hee, yes… Oh, but why did you never tell me?” Fluttershy asked, tilting her head cutely.

Thinking it over for a second, Rainbow simply shrugged, “I don’t know, maybe I was a little worried about how you felt. I didn’t wanna ask you out and get shot down and make things weird between us…”

“That would never have happened… Even if I didn’t feel the same way, I’d never stop being your friend,” Fluttershy assured.

“No, I knew that,” Rainbow smiled at the gesture. “I meant with the whole, awkward, ‘I know you like me, but I don’t like you’ song and dance bit. I don’t think I could deal with that. I’d rather us either be best friends or more than that. Not some weird in between where it’s strange to talk to one another. I think they call it friend zoning.”

“That’s silly. But…. I know what you mean,” Fluttershy smiled in understanding. “I felt the same…”

They danced for some time in contented silence, letting the music move them. While not saying much of anything, they looked deep into each other’s eyes, neither of their smiles waning.

Breaking the silence for once, Fluttershy cleared her throat, “So, Rainbow… do you like the bar? How was your drink?”

“This place is pretty awesome, actually,” Rainbow grinned at her friend-turned-date. “I didn’t think it would be this cool, but I guess I was wrong. And the drink was pretty good too. Dark whatever or something.”

Puzzled, Fluttershy blinked, “Dark…? Oh, was it Dark Seduction?”

Nodding in agreement, Rainbow smiled, “Yeah, that was the stuff!”

Eyes going wide, Fluttershy bit her lip, “Rainbow… that… that stuff… will turn you into a werewolf.”

Blinking a few times, Rainbow just laughed, “Oh, ha ha, Flutters! Yeah, like there's a drink for that!”

“W-Well, okay, it’s not going to turn you into one completely… But it will give you… wolfish tendencies and make you more… forward toward someone you chose as your mate,” Fluttershy explained.

“Come on, Shy, I know you said these drinks are based off of old potions, but there’s no way they really work!” Rainbow chuckled again, honestly thinking this was just a joke. Not that she minded, though, thinking Fluttershy cute when she gets all flustered.

“No, I’m serious…” Fluttershy was about to pull away. “I wouldn’t lie to you!”

“Then how about this?” Rainbow felt a grin coming on as she pulled her closer, “If I do turn into a wolf, I’ll let you put a collar on me with a name tag that says on the back, 'If found, please return to Fluttershy,’ every day until I marry you. Sound like a deal?”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide as her cheeks pinkened yet again, “I-I-I… yes… all right… that sounds lovely…”

Even Dash was a bit surprised where this was coming from, but it felt natural. Even if she was coming off strong, it didn’t seem to bother Fluttershy in the least. So, why stop now?

“Heck, I’ll even come here every night and walk you home,” Rainbow added with a wink, “Course, I’ll be doing that regardless of how this turns out.”

“...You’d do that for me?” Fluttershy asked softly, a smile on her lips.

Grinning all the more, Rainbow met her gaze with one of her own, “And why wouldn’t I? I can’t just let you walk the streets at night alone now that I know. It wouldn’t really reflect well on me as your girlfriend now…”

“Oh… you’re so sweet… I’d love it if you walked me home at night… Will you walk me home tonight? Bring me to the door? Kiss me goodnight?” Fluttershy cooed, leaning closer to her.

“If we actually leave here tonight, you’ll be getting more than just a kiss,” Rainbow let out a playful growl.

A little gaspy moan escaped Fluttershy at the thought, “Oh Dashie… Maybe I’ll just take you to my room… You can take me home tomorrow…”

Holding Fluttershy as close as possible, Dash laid their heads together from a moment, “To be honest, I was kinda hoping you’d say that, Flutters.”

“I was hoping you would, too,” Fluttershy purred, giving her bedroom eyes. “Since we’ll both have nocturnal tendencies, that should be wonderful…”

“Not yet we don’t,” Rainbow teased, pulling back so they might be able to continue to dance. “But, hey, I guess being a creature of the night is gonna have its perks, huh?”

Fluttershy nodded, “It’ll be even better to share it…” She then lay her head on her shoulder as they danced, closing her eyes in bliss. Time seemed to blur for a bit until the music stopped. No sooner than the two had pulled apart, Alucard stood before them with a grin.

“You two do realize it’s almost midnight, right?”

Wide-eyed, Fluttershy gaped, “I-It is? Oh, goodness… We lost track of the time!”

“Relax, ‘Shy. He said it’s almost midnight,” Rainbow snickered, running her hand through her hair.

“I-I know… It’s just… I didn’t think we’d get so carried away… Um, should we go to the bathroom and freshen up?” Fluttershy squeaked.

Alucard just chuckled, “Fangs, this is a bar, not a five star restaurant. The only people here are those who choose to be. It’s not like your crush is gonna walk in on you. After all, that already happened!”

“...Good point,” Fluttershy murmured, “Come on, Rainbow, let’s go.”

“You got it… Fangs,” Rainbow started to laugh at this. “I gotta say, that’s kind of a cool nickname for ya, Flutters.”

Fluttershy pulled her away by her hand, blushing a bit, “...Thank you, Dashie.”

Feeling this, Rainbow let her hand go in favor of putting her arm over Fluttershy’s shoulders, “Oh, no you don’t, ‘Shy! You’re not getting away from me! I’ve already got your scent.”

“Ooh!” Fluttershy smiled with delight, “Gosh, the effects are kicking in…”

“The what now?” Rainbow blinked, taking a moment to realize what she had just said moments ago, “Oh, that. Yeah… I’m just joking around!”

“No, you’re not. Rainbow, I’m serious. Why do you think a part of why the bar is so popular? People come here for those special drinks. Dark Seduction works wonders,” Fluttershy said.

As Alucard lead the two over to their table, he laughed at them, “Now, now, Fluttershy, let her believe what she wants for now. It just means that you’ll get to have more fun later, right?”

“I’m just being honest…” Fluttershy pouted, but took in the table’s setting.

It had a burgundy table cloth draped over it, with a few candles, bread plates along with utensils and wine glasses. Fluttershy smiled at the arrangement, especially glad to be sharing it with her best friend and crush.

Rainbow took her seat in front of Fluttershy after pulling out a seat for her, looking over the table as well with smile, “Wow, this is a pretty nice set up. You guys sure know how to multitask.”

“Of course we do,” Alucard chuckled a bit. “It’s all part of customer service. Regardless, your meal will be out in just a few moments... This is the time to get anything out of your system, as you’ll be here a bit.”

Fluttershy gave a nod of agreement, turning to Rainbow then, “It’s true, actually. Part of our service is offering what we call a Couple’s Experience. It kind of depends on what the couple is looking for, but we give them an interesting dining experience of their choice.”

“...Just what kind of bar is this place?” Rainbow asked bluntly as Alucard left back to his post, laughing the whole way to himself.

“It’s… bending the rules a little and making it our own style,” Fluttershy smiled, batting her eyelashes.

With a small blush of her own, Rainbow let herself ease back into her chair, resting a hand over Fluttershy’s. “You know… You really should have told me about this place sooner. Then we could have done this months ago.”

Smile fading, Fluttershy looked down in shame, “I realize that, now… I really should have.”

Rainbow gently brushed a hand against Fluttershy’s cheek, getting her to look up. “Don’t be like that. I get why you didn’t now, and it’s okay. So, don’t worry about it… We’ve got tonight to make up for it now.”

“...Okay… I hope so… It means a lot to me,” Fluttershy managed to meet her gaze. “I-I won’t keep secrets like this. I really don’t mean to say I don’t trust any of you…”

“Hey, we all have secrets,” Rainbow smirked. “I just wanna be there for you if things get bad.”

Smiling a bit more, Fluttershy nodded, “You’ve always been there for me…”

“And I want to keep being there for you. So you just gotta keep me up to date with what’s up in your life. Then, I can just swoop down and save you. Like always,” Dash held her head softly, showing her a caring smile. “You don’t gotta go it alone as long as you got me here.”

Wings spreading, Fluttershy blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl from her new girlfriend’s affection. “You’re right… You always were my hero, my sworn protector… I should never have forgotten that…”

Rainbow of course just grinned from this. “Hey, it’s okay. Just know that no matter what, you’ve got me.”

“And you’ve got me…” Fluttershy beamed.

“I know, ‘Shy,” Rainbow said in a sweet tone. Before they could exchange any other words, however, an odd, extremely long haired girl approached their table with two wine glasses on a tray.

“It’s nice to see you two are having fun,” she said in a very familiar voice of none other than Pinkie Pie as she set down their drinks. “Alia and Lila are busy at the moment, so I’ll be waiting on you two for now. Your appetizers will be here in just moments, followed by the main course, then dessert. Now, is there anything I can get either of you before I depart?”

Both Rainbow and Fluttershy stared at her with wide eyes and gaping jaws.

“Um… Pinkie? Are you all right?” Fluttershy asked.

“What the heck happened to you?!” Rainbow nearly shouted.

Considering on how to reply, Pinkie sighed, “Oh, yes… to be honest, I had no idea either until I returned to the kitchen from my break. It appears the apron I’m wearing is made from the same spell that created the Black Collar. It’s quite an old tale, really. In short, the person who touched it changes certain things about the wearer. Twilight touched it as I wore it, and now, this is the result… I’m actually considering on asking Alucard if he has the real Black Collar here and if I may borrow it from time to time.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened, “Oh my …. you’re wearing that apron?! After Twilight…. oh my goodness… That’s why Alucard gave that to you…”

“Wait wait wait wait wait, I’m confused,” Rainbow tried to cut in, “What happened and why is Pinkie all… smart sounding?”

“It’s...well…” Fluttershy wrung her fingers nervously. “You know how in some fantasy stories or tales of yore, they tend to have mystical items or clothing?”

Rainbow nodded, “Yeah… I think so. Why?”

“The Black Collar, or rather, Apron in this case, is in fact… quite the same sort of thing. If you touch the person who’s wearing it, they become… sort of the kind of person you’d want them to be. It seems that Twilight touched her, so now Pinkie is… subdued, intellectual...quiet…” Fluttershy bit her lip.

“That would seem to be the case,” Pinkie giggled a bit. “Oh, but please don’t tell Twilight if you happen to see her. I want it to be a surprise.”

“This place… is so crazy,” Dash finally said breathlessly, but managed to smile regardless.

“Well, okay,” Fluttershy managed a smile, “we won’t say a word.”

With a smile, Pinkie turned back to the kitchen, “Your meal will be here in just a few moments.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, turning back to Rainbow. “Well… that was interesting.”

Rainbow started to laugh at this, “Interesting? More like completely nuts. I was seriously about to trip out!”

“Well, that’s… part of what makes this place stand out…” Fluttershy murmured.

“Yeah, I know,” Rainbow smiled at her date. “I was just worried she might have been having one of her emotional breakdowns or something.”

“Oh, right… That’s true. Well, at least that’s not the case, though…” Fluttershy smiled with relief. “So, um…. how is everything? You know, during the day and all.”

Sighing, Rainbow sat back in her seat, “Honestly? It’s been boring without you. Twilight’s been going on and on about all this stuff I have no idea what, but it is soooo boring. I think it was about anti-matter or something… Pinkie’s been busy at Sugarcube Corner, so we can’t hang out that much at the time. Rarity won’t stop trying to get me to model a dress for her, and the worst? Oh, the worst is AJ will NOT shut up about Rarity. It’s kinda annoying…”

“Oh…” Fluttershy’s wings drooped, “Oh, Rainbow… I’m sorry. I had no idea…”

“I’m not holding you to it,” Rainbow grinned up at her date. “You’ve been pretty busy yourself, after all. And, if nothing else, I got some pretty sweet dirt on AJ!”

“You did?” Fluttershy blinked.

“I sure did!” Rainbow snickered, “You know how sometimes she naps secretly in the barn when she’s not working? Well, get this: She’s been dreaming about Rarity. A lot. Possibly sexually. I couldn’t really tell because she was mumbling about marshmallows.”

“Marshmallows?” Fluttershy began to laugh a bit, “Oh, goodness!”

Laughing with her, Rainbow rolled her eyes, “I know, right?!”

“Well…” Fluttershy peered over her shoulder, looking past Rainbow, “I think we’ll be seeing a lot of the two of them together.”

“Yeah, why’s that?” Rainbow asked her curiously.

Pointing ahead, Fluttershy smiled, “There they are over there.”

The two looked over, catching sight of Applejack and Rarity snuggling up together. Rarity was laughing, all while Applejack whispered something in her ear.

Watching this, Rainbow looked back at Fluttershy with a bit of a smirk, “So… I guess I do owe you ten bits after all.”

“You can pay me later,” Fluttershy giggled. “Well, Dashie… I’m still sorry I’m not around. But I’m up in the afternoon, and I only work here four days a week. We can get together on my days off or before I head to work. You can even come by and hang out, I’ll be around during my breaks.”

“I don’t see why I can’t,” Rainbow started to say with a grin. Before she could say more, though, Pinkie returned with several plates with silver lids over them, setting them down on the table.

“Dessert will be ready for you when you two are,” Pinkie chimed in with pleasant smile, “Bon appetit.”

“Thank you, Pinkie,” Fluttershy smiled at the little appetizer assortments, “it looks wonderful.”

“But of course,” Pinkie gave a bow before leaving the two to dine in peace.

Rainbow could only grin, wondering just what they had cooked up, “Man, I am really liking this place.”

“Brutus is a great cook, you’re going to love it,” Fluttershy said brightly, “Let’s dig in, shall we?”

They proceeded to do so, sampling the hot bread with some butter first. Fluttershy smiled brightly upon seeing that Rainbow seemed to enjoy the food so far.

“It’s good, isn’t it?”

Rainbow nodded in agreement, “Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.” Still, there was a nagging feeling in the back of her head that told her she didn’t want bread. Or sweets. Or anything like that. No, something with a bit more… meat on it.

Although Fluttershy primarily wanted fruits and apples, it didn’t stop her from enjoying anything else. But it did help that Brutus always made sure to throw in some kind of fruit in her meals, cooked apples being one of them.

“That’s good,” Fluttershy finished her bread. “Um, if you do have any...urges, please tell me.”

“Urges? Like what?” Rainbow asked with curiously. “I’m not the vampire fruit bat at the table, ‘Shy. Nah, I’m good. I just kinda hope they cooked us something like steak or something.”

“No, you’re the werewolf,” Fluttershy smiled. “Um, but I mean, I know you like meat… but, at this stage, you’re going to want a lot of it. Just let me know. We do have sustenance drinks in case it gets to be too much.”

Laughing a bit, Rainbow stopped a moment to touch Fluttershy’s cheek, “As long as I got you to keep me on a leash, I’ll be just fine.”

Fluttershy blushed and nodded, “Good, because I’m holding you to that.”

Rainbow made sure to look her right in the eyes as she spoke, “And I’m holding you to that, too. Someone’s gotta make sure I don’t go howling at the moon, right?”

“Absolutely. I’ll take good care of you, sweetheart,” Fluttershy promised, smiling more.

“Sweetheart?” Rainbow repeated with a smirk, “Flutter-Baby, you can call me whatever you want tonight, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re mine after dinner.”

Fluttershy shuddered as her wings flared, “Of course… I’ve always been yours…”

“Good to hear,” Rainbow smiled, pulling back so they could continue to eat, but never let her eyes off of Fluttershy.

Smiling more, Fluttershy munched on a breadstick, keeping her eyes on Rainbow as well. She reached over the table, taking the other woman’s hand and entwining their fingers.

“Rainbow?” She said softly.

“Yeah, Flutters?” Rainbow Dash replied sweetly.

A soft blush coating her cheeks, Fluttershy leaned a little closer toward her, her smile growing. “I… may not need to say this, but…. I want to… I… I love you, Rainbow Dash…”

Grinning widely, Dash took her hand and kissed it, much like a gentleman would. “Are you kidding? I’m gonna love hearing that now! But it wouldn’t be fair for you to just pour your heart out like that without me saying it too…” She took a moment to clear her throat before smiling, but rather than saying anything, Rainbow leanedd across the table to gently kiss her friend’s lips. She held it for just a few seconds before pulling back, “I love you, too…”

Eyes wide and cheeks bright pink, Fluttershy stared at her in a lovesick, wide-eyed daze. She then giggled, smiling at her with love, “Oh, Dashie…”

“Can I take it you liked that?” Rainbow playfully smirked at her.

“If that’s what a little kiss like that feels… I can’t wait until we make out…” Fluttershy beamed, her wings all but stiff now.

Rainbow of course was just thrilled to hear this, but before she could reply, something was set down in the middle of the table. It appeared that Pinkie had come back with the main part of their meal. Her timing was still, nevertheless, impeccable in cutting off a moment even with her new found collectiveness.

“The main course,” Pinkie chimed as she tapped the lid over the plate. “Do enjoy.”

Despite the small pout that formed on her lips, Fluttershy nodded and managed a pleasant smile, “Thank you, Pinkie.”

With a small bow, Pinkie let the two to enjoy their food.

“Well, I’m curious to know what they made,” Rainbow admitted with a goofy grin. “Let’s find out.”

Divided up on the plate were several dishes containing such things like mashed potatoes, diced vegetables, rice stir fry, mixed fruit, boiled carrots, dipping sauces, and, the thing Dash’s attention when straight to, a quarter pound, grilled, well done steak.

Fluttershy smiled brightly, reaching for a fork, “Well, Dashie, there’s your meat.”

Rainbow drooled a bit looking down at the food, taking a few moments to realize someone had spoken, “I’m, uh, I’m sorry. I totally just zoned out.”

“It’s okay. Why don’t you have some?” Fluttershy said.

“No, no it’s okay,” Rainbow held up her hand defensively, “This is our dinner, so why don’t we eat together?”

“Okay,” Fluttershy smiled, nodding as she took a knife, “Shall we cut the meat?”

Taking up a fork, Rainbow stabbed the steak, “Lets!”

They cut up the meat, proceeding to eat their dinner. All the while they exchanged shy, sweet glances, along with flirtier ones. Fluttershy happily and slowly ate, while she amusedly watched Rainbow devoured almost any bite she took.

XXXXX

“Well, so then after Discord told her off…. he just turned her into a frog! Right there on the bar, no less…” Fluttershy giggled, shaking her head.

Dinner had gone over wonderfully and now, the two lovers sat at the table, chatting and sharing stories about what the other missed while waiting for their dessert. At this point, their food was all but gone save for the steak bone which was stripped clean of any meat that Rainbow gnawed on from time to time for no apparent reason.

Still, she looked quite happy with things, even chuckling at the story, “I’m not surprised! Discord always was one for puns!”

“Yes, and it just worked out… especially since she was going to change back in a couple of hours. Discord sure doesn’t take well to others harassing me,” Fluttershy smiled.

“I can’t blame him though,” Rainbow replied, taking the bone out of her mouth. “She sounded like a real bitch, and worse still, she was messing with you. It’s a good thing I wasn’t here at the time or this place would have been turned inside out!”

Fluttershy smiled, taking her hand and nuzzling it, “Oh, I don’t doubt it.”

With a chuckle, Dash pulled Fluttershy closer, kissing her cheek. “You better not! Nobody messes with you as long as I’m here!”

“Never,” Fluttershy giggled, giving her a kiss too. “I always feel safe with you.”

“And that’s why I like being around you. I like making you feel safe,” Rainbow smiled, giving her a quick hug before sitting back again.

Beaming, Fluttershy blushed more, “I don’t know what I’d do without you…”

Yet again, before Dash could give a real answer, Pinkie had returned to their table and gathered up the plates while setting down the last course of the meal. “Here’s your dessert. I hope you two enjoy it, I put quite a lot of work into it.”

Fluttershy smiled, “Of course, Pinkie. You make the most delicious desserts I’ve ever had in my life. I’m already so excited about what you have in store.”

Smiling from the compliment, Pinkie removed the lid of the plate and stepped back, “Then please, do enjoy.”

It was a two-tier couple’s cake, with vanilla cake and chocolate mousse cake. On top was a strawberry, along with candied sprinkles, and various heart-shaped candies and fruits.

“Wow…. that looks... lovely!” Fluttershy beamed, practically drooling.

“Holy crap, Pinks! You really outdid yourself,” Rainbow laughed with excitement. The two looked up to thank their friend, but she had already left. Still, that was not about to ruin the mood currently set. “You want the first slice, Flutters?”

“Sure…” Fluttershy nodded, taking a small plate and holding it out.

It didn’t take long for Dash to get her a slice off, considering that it was already cut, but it was still fairly large. Once it was on her plate, she began to try to get a slice for herself. “Man, I can’t wait to try this!”

Taking a fork, Fluttershy broke off a piece and sampled it. She smiled widely upon finishing her bite, “Oh, gosh, it’s delicious!”

“Yeah?” Rainbow asked with a grin, finally getting herself a slice. Taking her fork as well, she dug in and sampled the cake. That was all she needed before going for a second bite. Then a third. “Wow! This stuff is freaking awesome!”

“Pinkie truly outdid herself,” Fluttershy agreed, taking another bite, “it’s amazing.

“You can say that again!” Dash snickered, letting herself enjoy the cake.

Beaming, Fluttershy bit more into her slice. She then smiled and held out her fork toward her new girlfriend, “Here, Dashie.”

Looking over, Rainbow giggled, “So that’s your game, huh? Fine,” Without another word, she took the bite, playfully pulling back on the fork for a moment.

“I had to…” Fluttershy giggled, winking at her.

“No, you didn’t,” Rainbow teased, “but I’m glad you did.”

“Me too,” Fluttershy poked her nose. “Oh… It’s been such a wonderful evening, Rainbow… I’m glad you girls all came… and I’m glad I had the help in managing to… approach you.”

“Yeah, it has been a great evening,” Rainbow agreed with a wide grin. “And I’m glad you did too. It’s kinda nice to finally have all our cards on the table now.”

“I know… Our first date was… well, not what I expected it. But I love how it turned out,” Fluttershy smiled lovingly at her, her crimson-pink eyes gleaming, “And I love you so much…”

Rainbow met her gaze, her expression softening to one just simply of love. “You know I love you too, ‘Shy. And yeah… I wasn’t expecting this night to lead to a date with my best friend, but it was a nice twist. This really was an awesome night.”

“So awesome…” Fluttershy cooed, reaching over to hold her hands. “You know the feeling… where it seems like you fall more in love? Or like you’re falling in love all over again?”

“I’ve been falling for you for a long time… So, yeah, I know the feeling pretty well,” Dash smiled at Fluttershy warmly, letting their fingers entwine.

Beaming, Fluttershy leaned over a bit, her smile growing as she displayed her fangs, “Me too… I think I’m even more in love with you than ever.”

Rainbow let herself just relax, the calming touch of her lover’s hand eased away any doubts in the moment. Her scent simply filled the room. “That’s good to know. It means I bet neither of us will be sleeping alone ever again.”

Finishing her slice of cake, Fluttershy wiped her mouth with one hand, holding Rainbow’s with the other, “No… no. I don’t want to sleep alone anymore, Dashie. I want to spend every night in your arms… with you in my wings, too…”

Dash did the same, finishing her slice of cake and rubbing Fluttershy’s palms, “I’m down for that… as long as you remember I can’t sleep upside down all night without all the blood running to my head. Other than that, I don’t care where we sleep. Your place, mine, here…”

A little pout came to Fluttershy’s mouth. She’d wanted so much to hold her beloved while sleeping upside down. But she pushed that thought aside, “Fair enough. I don’t always sleep upside-down, anyway. But I’d be happy to sleep in any of those places with you…”

“Hey, I didn’t say we couldn’t try the whole sleeping upside down thing,” Dash flashed her a wolfish grin, “Just that you know I like to curl up in my sleep a lot. But I’m cool with giving it a shot after tonight… After tonight though, you’re never flying straight again for the rest of your life.”

“Yes! Yes!” Fluttershy beamed, leaning over the table a bit, “Anything we do, I’ll take it with the love I hold!”

A bit surprised, Rainbow just chuckled a bit, “Getting a bit excited now, are we? Let’s at least try to finish dessert before we break your bed.”

Fluttershy squirmed, pouting. She loved the cake and had loved every second of their date. But she was way too excited and getting a little aroused, to where she didn’t want anything but to just partake. “I’m not hungry… hurry… I need you… I can’t sit still!”

Now, this was interesting to Rainbow Dash. Any other day, she’d want to cater to whatever would make Fluttershy more comfortable, but tonight, she felt like she needed to really tease her. Trying to consider just what the best course of action would be, she went with what would be the most fun to her.

“All right, FlutterFangs,” Dash giggled a bit, taking one final bite of her cake slice. “Think you can have Brutus put this in the fridge or something? My sweet tooth is done for the night… But there is one thing I wouldn’t mind having before we go upstairs.”

“I can put this in my own personal mini fridge upstairs!” Fluttershy managed, clutching the table. “W-What is it that you want?” She squirmed a bit in her seat.

“Nothing major,” Dash coyly stated with a smirk, “Just a nice, red, juicy apple.”

Letting out a gasp, Fluttershy squirmed again, shaking, “R-Rainbow, please…”

At this moment, Pinkie came back, with a smile, and placed the rest of their cake into a container so they could store it.

“I take it you two enjoyed yourselves?” Pinkie chuckled once she was done, letting Rainbow Dash hold the container.

Dash grinned widely, “A blast.”

Managing to compose herself, Fluttershy nodded, “Yes, very much. Your cake was amazing, Pinkie. Thank you for taking the time to help make our first date so special…” She squirmed a bit, but tried to keep still.

“Think nothing of it,” Pinkie said with a smile. “You two would have done the same if the roles were reversed, I’m sure. Now, if you would excuse me, I have someone to meet.”

“Hold up, Pinks,” Dash said quickly. “You mind if I get an apple real quick?”

Pondering this for a moment, Pinkie point over at the bar itself, “Alucard said there’s a bowl of apples by the cash register and you’re free to help yourself if the need arises.” With a bow, she let the two be, heading to the reading area.

“Oh, I see…” Rainbow snickered.

“Rainbow…” Fluttershy whimpered, squirming still, “If you get an apple, I’m going to end up throwing you down onto the counter!”

“Hmmm, let me think about that,” Rainbow took a classic ‘thinker’ position for all of five seconds before bolting out of her chair towards the bar’s counter. “Yeah, I’m getting an apple!”

Letting out a bat-like whine, Fluttershy got up and followed after her. She went quickly, reaching her lover’s side at the counter, watching with hungry eyes as Rainbow picked up an apple.

“Dashie…” She whined.

Rainbow Dash bounced the apple in her palm a few times, “Yeah, Flutter Baby?”

It was so unfair. The two things she wanted the most and both of them were teasing her. Fluttershy squirmed and squeezed her thighs together, grabbing the counter with one hand. She could barely hold it any longer. All of the romance, the arousal, the anticipation, the curiosity, the heat was all rising within her. Much like a volcano just seconds away from erupting. One bite from the apple would have her crazy. One kiss from Rainbow would have her wild.

“Put… the apple...down…” She said shakily.

“Why’s that?” Rainbow asked her in the most teasing voice she could manage, breathing on the apple and shining it on her shirt before offering it to Fluttershy. “Oh, you want it instead? That’s fine by me.”

Shaking still, Fluttershy knew exactly why Rainbow was doing this and what would result in it. “I… I… I can’t!” But she reached for it anyway.

But before she could take it, Dash tossed the apple up in the air and caught it with her free hand, “You can’t? Well, okay… I guess I’ll just have to eat this apple all by myself then!”

“No! Share!” Fluttershy reached for it again.

“Share?” Rainbow repeated, giggling wildly, “You sure about that, my little fruit vampire?”

Following the apple, Fluttershy pawed at her shirt, practically groping her, “Stop teasing me…! I-I’m going to-!”

“Hey, there they are!” Came a loud, rowdy, drunken voice that could only belong to Applejack, “There ya are… all six o’ ya!”

Blinking a few times, Rainbow was almost floored with laughter seeing her friendly rival looking so wasted, she’d need help to just walk, which was true. On her side was none other than Rarity, helping her hold up the drunken cowgirl with a smile.

“Oh, hello, darlings,” Rarity greeted the two with a grin of her own, showing what could have only been fangs. “Alucard came to our table an hour or so ago and explained everything… and Fluttershy, dear, you look ravishing tonight.”

Fluttershy had no words. Only then did she realize that Rarity was in fact now a vampire. The fangs, the voice, even her eyes were now a soft crimson. While distracted from her arousal, it still didn’t do her any favours. “Ngh…”

Rainbow, on the other hand, did have a few words, “Woah, Rares! You got… fangs! What the heck happened to you? AJ, have you- of course you haven’t. You’re too drunk to know or care about what I’m talking about right now, aren’t you?”

“Sugar… Ah’ll… Ah’ll say what, Ah’ll say what…. uh...what was Ah sayin’?” Applejack slurred, wide-eyed. “Whoaaa…. spinnin’ dots.”

“...Wow, you are drunk,” Rainbow sighed, shaking her head.

Rarity just giggled, “The funny thing is, she flips from being too drunk to speak to being perfectly fine the next at random. It’s actually very amusing.”

Fluttershy blinked, now having fallen up against Rainbow’s form, unable to stand on her own, “I see…”

“Woops,” Rainbow chuckled, making sure to get a good grip on Fluttershy, “I think I’ve teased Fluttershy a bit too much tonight… Mind making this quick?”

Rarity nodded with a smile, “Not at all. I was merely going to let you know I was going to take Applejack home… Oh, and don’t worry, the fangs are temporary. They last until the morning’s light. These drinks are quite wondrous.”

“Hope y’all have fun…” Applejack giggled, her words heavily slurred, “Ah’m smellin’ love in the air… Hey… it’s mah song… This is the night… it’s a purtiful night…”

Despite there was no music playing at the time, Rarity took Applejack’s arm and guided her towards the exit, “Why yes, it is… and once we’re home, I’ll even sing it to you.”

“Awright, sounds mighty…. purty…” Applejack slurred, licking her cheek.

Watching the two go, Rainbow smiled mischievously down at Fluttershy, “Now, where were we?”

Wings flared, body stiffening, Fluttershy let out a soft gasp, “Upstairs… my room. Now!”

“Whoa, demanding now, are we?” Rainbow snickered, finally taking one large bite out of the apple she had been holding onto this entire time. After few moments of chewing, she swallowed and grinned, “Let’s go.”

Not wasting another second, Fluttershy grabbed hold of her wrist and led the way upstairs, pulling ahead of Rainbow, even.

“Slow down a bit, ‘Shy!” Rainbow chuckled a bit going up the stairs, “I need my footing on these things!”

“No…” Fluttershy managed in a breathless tone. “No more detours.”

It was in this moment Rainbow realized that her last act had finally pushed Fluttershy over the edge, and she felt a shiver of both fear and excitement run down her spine. ‘Well, I’m dead… Totally worth it though.’

Moments later, they finally came into Fluttershy’s private room. However, once she had them inside, there was no moment to admire the look of it. Once the door locked, everything just snapped.

Fluttershy all but ripped Rainbow’s shirt in half, pinned her to the wall, and kissed her fiercely. No, not kissed. Made out with her fiercely. No holding back whatsoever. Their bodies sandwiched, their lips left no space between them, and the fiery passion grew.

It was a little difficult to get her breathing under control from Fluttershy’s near attack, but Rainbow Dash was slowly getting it back. She had not expected to be the one pinned in this situation, but she was in no position to complain about it, not that she would even if she could. If it was going to happen like this, it would at least be on her own terms.

But overall, this was heavenly.

Fluttershy moaned between kisses, even occasionally cooing, as she lost herself within the passion. Her hands wildly wandered along Rainbow’s body, caressing and groping every which way she could. Their tongues met for the first time, exploring the warmth and flavours of each other’s mouths. Her wings flared, flapping a couple of times as the excitement rose.

It took quite a lot of will and physical strength for Rainbow Dash to simply get her arms free from her vampiric lover’s grasp, but she managed, wrapping her arms around Fluttershy’s neck. Tangling her fingers into her hair, she all but intensified the kisses to the point of taking her breath away.

It was clearly too much as Fluttershy parted simply to breathe again, shaking from overwhelming excitement and arousal. But Dash did not give her a second to recover, bringing her right back into a fever pitched kiss. The real surprise came the moment she forgot where they were and felt Rainbow push off the wall, nearly tackling her down to her bed. In the smallest time frame she should fathom, she went from having her lover pinned to a wall to being the one pinned down to a bed.

Pulling away at last, Rainbow smiled down at Fluttershy with a lustful, wild look in her eyes, gleaming like moonlight now. “You know… I liked that shirt, Flutters. I think you owe me a new one.” Without even waiting for a response, she clawed off the upper half of Fluttershy’s bartender outfit, gripping several tattered remains in her mouth. “That’s better.”

Eyes wide, seeing how this happened way too fast to comprehend, Fluttershy blinked. She was now on a bed, Rainbow pinning her, half naked, while Rainbow had the tattered remains of her clothes. Whether the passion or Rainbow’s werewolf tendencies, she was trapped and now under her mercy.

“Oh Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy cried in passion, spreading her legs and grabbing her shoulders, “Take me, you creature of the night!”

Rainbow Dash wolfishly grinned down at her, leaning in to whisper in her lover’s ear, “Like I was gonna give you a choice… You’re mine now, Flutters…”

XXX

“...So you can see, Alucard had this night planned out for weeks. He had analyzed our personalities to a ‘T’ and had almost the entire evening set by the hour, knowing just where to put everyone. He was even the one who paid Thunderlane to tell Rainbow Dash about this place to get her to come here when Fluttershy wasn’t ready,” Pinkie explained what she had learned from chatting with Brutus to Twilight, sipping on a cup of normal coffee, just to be safe of any other unwanted side effects of the drinks from the bar.

“Wow! Really?” Twilight gaped with surprise, “That’s… wow!”

“Indeed,” Pinkie nodded in agreement. “Even this was planned with you and I talking about all of this now… I don’t know who Alucard really is, but he’s obviously no stranger to tactical planning.”

“Oh, wow… He really sounds like Discord. A little too much,” Twilight shuddered. “I can only imagine what it would be like if those two were in the same room.”

With a smile, Pinkie placed a hand on Twilight’s shoulder, “Luckily, Discord only comes here on Wednesday and Thursday from what I understand. And Alucard does have few redeeming aspects, like letting me borrow his version the Black Collar. A replica, yes, but still just as effective.”

Nodding, Twilight smiled a bit, “Okay, then. Wow, I’m just amazed at how all of this turned out. Especially since Alucard seemed to have planned it all along…”

“I’m more interested that according to their accountant, Vino, Alucard has no known information relating to him other than this bar,” Pinkie pulled back, taking off the apron and started to fold it up. No sooner than she did, her hair started to regain its poofy, lively bounce as her face lit up with a happy grin, “But that’s okay! He’s super nice for letting me borrow the thingy whenever I want to! It means I just need to pop over here for serious reading.”

“O-Oh! Hi, Pinkie… welcome back, I guess…” Twilight murmured.

Giggling, Pinkie brought her arms around Twilight to tightly hug her, “I never went anywhere, silly filly! What? Did you think there was two mes?”

Blushing, Twilight shook her head and returned it, “No, you just… changed because of the apron, that’s all. It almost felt like two Pinkies.”

“Oh, that’s just silly!” Pinkie replied, cuddling her friend, “Like I told you, Ally said it just makes me act a little more like how you’d liked me too! I was being serious about the magic stuff and alchemy do-dads; I really did read about stuff like that as a kid!”

“...Really?” Twilight brightened, “So… all of that was… real?”

“Of course it was real!” Pinkie giggled again, pulling back with a bright grin. “You of all people should know how hard it is to scramble someone’s memories with magic! That’s like… what? A semi-master level spell thingy? You can’t enchant items to do that! You gotta cast that!”

“....Good point,” Twilight murmured, giving her a smile. “I guess… It really taught me something tonight.”

Bouncing up and down in her seat, Pinkie started to guess, “Oh, oh! Was it that your favorite color is actually pink? Or that you never did get the recipe for that tea from Ally? Or that you shouldn’t ever judge a book by its cover? Or maybe even that when you think you know someone, they can still really surprise you because you have to ask questions and understand that people grow up over time and slowly mature naturally in their own way and the bonds you make can strengthen when getting to know them better?”

Gaping at her, Twilight had no idea how to respond. At the same time, she grinned and gave her a kiss on the cheek, “...All of the above.”

Now, Pinkie was blushing like a school girl with a crush, squirming in her seat with a bubbly outburst of laughter, “Do I get a prize for getting it right?”

“Well… do you want one?” Twilight smiled coyly.

“Um… Yes, yes I do!” Pinkie nodded with a happy grin before cuddling back into Twilight’s embrace.

Twilight grinned, then leaned in closer, “We’ll have to have a… private party.”

And not once, but twice tonight, Pinkie’s entire face lit up into the most brilliant shade of red possible, “Really?!”

“Really,” Twilight kissed her lightly on the lips, giggling.

“Twi-Twi… I am so happy right now, I don’t even know how to express it,” Pinkie said in very squeaky voice as she partially buried her face into Twilight’s chest.

Blushing at the fact that Pinkie’s face was smooshed into her breasts, Twilight giggled and embraced her tighter, “Me too, Pinkie… Me too… I’m so happy…”

Lifting her head up, Pinkie held the most wondrous grin, “O-kay! I’m ready to go now before I explode from the happiness overflowing from me!”

“Sure, Pinkie, we can go. We’ll definitely have to come back here-”

Twilight was cut off as she heard a loud, wolfish howl. It sounded to be coming from upstairs, considering the sound’s source. It was so loud, everyone in the bar stopped talking and looked up toward the ceiling.

“Oooooh,” Pinkie giggled wildly, “I know what that was!”

“...What was it?” Twilight asked, blinking in surprise.

“It was obviously Flutters and Dashie in the middle of hot, kinky pegasi- no, wait,” Pinkie held her hand up, correcting herself, “In the middle of hot, kinky, vampire on werewolf sexy time! Yeah, that’s what that was!”

“...Wow…” Twilight blushed immensely, “I didn’t think they’d…. Well, at least they finally got together, though.”

Grabbing Twilight’s arm, Pinkie nuzzled against it for a moment before getting up from her seat and pulling her friend up, “Come on, Twi-Twi! Let’s go before Ally decides he wants to play another trick on us!”

“Oh! Yeah, you’re right…” Twilight realized, getting up, “Let’s go!”

XXXXX

Due to Fluttershy’s nocturnal nature, the blinds over the windows were expertly hiding the sunlight from shining in. Despite that, it was clear now that it was morning. Well into the morning, no less. Perhaps even past it.

It was also clear enough to indicate how much of a mess the room was. Clothing, most of it ripped, was strewn about all over the bed and floor. Feathers from the pillows were everywhere. Furniture was knocked over, a couple of things were broken, a few frames had fallen off the walls, and the bed looked like it had seen better days.

Laying in said bed, both completely naked under the sheets, were Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. As a true testament to whoever made the bed, it was surprising enough not torn in half from the two lovers’ wild night, but it was clearly bent. Still, it did not seem to hamper their sleep in the least.

Fluttershy lay cuddled up to her lover’s shoulder with the most blissful smile she’d ever slept with on her face, while Dash lay spread out over the bed with half of a torn pillow in her mouth and chewing on it absentmindedly in her sleep. Whatever had happened last night was certainly the wildest encounter the bar had ever had, this was most likely true. Either way, both lovers seemed to have enjoyed their night.

That was until Rainbow started to shake her head in her sleep until waking up enough to scratch the back of her head, behind her ears mostly. As much as she wanted to just go back to sleep, the nagging feeling she should get up plagued her mind like an alarm clock. With an annoyed growl, she nearly barked at her own subconscious.

Eyes darting open, Rainbow realized she did just bark, aloud.

Something was not right.

This wasn’t her room. Nor was it even Fluttershy’s room. It wasn’t any room she recognized at all! Had something happened? Did someone kidnap them in their sleep and were now holding them hostage? What had happened? Why was she here? Where was she? Looking all over, it was almost hard to pinpoint, but she had a feeling she did know this place.

On top of that, she could smell so many things. Really smell. One smell in particular was very strongly hitting her nostrils. But never could she smell this strongly before. It was weird. Even her vision felt shaper, like she was seeing better details. Sounds struck her ears. Very clearly, as if people were right in the room with her.

A soft little touch was applied to her shoulder. Jerking her head, she came across the sight of Fluttershy cuddling up against her.

A very naked Fluttershy.

As her mind slowly started to process the situation and wake up. Rainbow slowly started to recall the previous night. She and her friends went to a bar called the Poison Apple and there she met a man named Alucard… That’s right! Alucard was Fluttershy’s boss and she worked there at night now because of her vampiric nature still being there. And all night, the two talked, flirted, and danced; they even had dinner together! There were also details such as a vampire Rarity, a really, really drunk Applejack, and even a smart sounding Pinkie Pie, but most of that was unimportant to her. The thing that stuck with her was the drink…

Dark Seduction. Fluttershy said it was a werewolf drink and it would-

Oh. Now it was starting to make sense. But how? How did a drink do this, and was it permanent or temporary? The rest of her memories of that night slowly started to come back as well now and with them a bright blush.

Scanning over the room once more, the memories were playing in Rainbow’s mind like a movie, matching the large scale destruction of the room. The torn clothes and furniture, the claw marks on the wall, the bed itself… and her own very strange change.

Idly, Dash lifted up her hand to see if she had fur. With a sigh of relief (or was it really disappointment?), she looked normal, but her fingernails did look sharper, thicker. In her mind’s eye, she could see what it must have looked like last night. There had been fur and claws.

‘Wow… I really did- and me and ‘Shy...’ Rainbow thought to herself, looking over at Fluttershy’s sleeping form.

A soft, happy sigh sounded from the woman in question. She snuggled closer, giggling a bit, softly mumbling. “Rainbow…” Her sleepy voice whispered.

The only thing Rainbow Dash could do was smile at the sight of her. Letting her eyes trail over her naked body, she took note of the small claw marks on her body and did not even to check if she had any. And yet, there was no pain. In fact most of them looked like they were healing even now.

Laying her head back against the half of the pillow still behind her head, Rainbow rested her eyes for a moment, “I guess… I’m wearing a collar until I save up enough for a ring, huh, Flutters?”

“Mmm…” Fluttershy murmured in her sleep, smiling more. Whatever she was dreaming of, it seemed to be lovely.

Looking her lover over, Rainbow chuckled a bit, “You awake, Fluttershy? If not, don’t say anything.”

Fluttershy didn’t respond, at least not in a way that indicated she was awake. Instead, she snuggled more against her, nuzzling her bare shoulder.

Rolling her eyes playfully, Dash took her free hand and tickled under Fluttershy’s nose, “You sure you’re not up yet, sexy?”

Giggling in her sleep, Fluttershy squirmed a little.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Does that tickle?” Rainbow teased, drifting her hand down to tickle her lover’s stomach.

Brow furrowing, Fluttershy squirmed and laughed a bit in her sleep, squeezing her fingers against Rainbow’s skin.

“All it takes is a single word for me to stop,” Rainbow snickered, getting her other hand free to tickle Fluttershy’s sides. “If I don’t get an answer, I’m moving to your feet next.”

“Mmmph…” Fluttershy squirmed away a little.

Now, Rainbow Dash was giggling, grabbing her sides to pull her back, still ticking her, “Ah ha! So you are wake!”

“R-Rainbow… stop tickling me…” Fluttershy pouted, opening her eyes.

Rolling Fluttershy over to meet her gaze, Dash grinned down at her, “What are you gonna do about it?”

“Show you much… better things you could do with your hands,” Fluttershy cooed, kissing her lips. “Good morning…”

“‘Morning, Flutterbat,” Rainbow teased as she held her close for a second kiss, “Did you sleep well?”

Beaming, Fluttershy nuzzled noses with her, “Oh, yes. Better than I have in years. I love sleeping and waking in your arms…”

Matching her affection, if not more so, Rainbow playfully nipped her lover’s ear, “Glad you liked it, ‘cause it’s something you’re gonna have to get used to…”

“Dashie...” Fluttershy cooed and giggled, wringing her fingers in her hair, “I could definitely get used to it. I hope you will too, my love…”

“Oh, sure, and my current reaction is any indication that I’ll have any trouble with this,” Rainbow snickered, managing to get on top of Fluttershy once more and pin her hands to the bed.

Beaming, Fluttershy kissed her again, her crimson-pink eyes glimmering, “Darling… you were dangerous, unhinged, a wild animal…. I loved it… do it again…”

With a toothy grin, Rainbow gave her lover a kiss as well as her own eyes shimmered like moonlight. “Like I was gonna give you a choice… It’s like noon, you don’t work until it’s dark and I’m off today. I hope you got someone to feed those animals back at your place, ‘cause you’re not about to leave this bed any time soon.”

Giving a smile that displayed her fangs, Fluttershy let out a hiss. A mating hiss. “Take me…”

“If you insist…” Without a moment’s hesitation, Rainbow Dash pounced like a wild animal. This would certainly take some time to get used to, but that did not mean it wasn’t going to be fun.

Bonus Epilogue

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