Luxury

In an event lucky for your frayed nerves, Friday went without a hitch. You spent most of your day helping Bon Bon craft and sell candies. Though, it did take some amount of explaining to reveal your weekend plans to your good friend. As per normal, she reacted with a tactfully gaping jaw and silence. Still, the reassurances she gave you were well worth the rocky start.

Even with only one day in between, when Saturday morning rolled around, your anxiety was already nearing a breaking point. During your morning run, you couldn't help but think that you had already done something wrong, mostly, because you had.

What kind of a pony just randomly kisses another pony? She must think that I'm just after her flank.

As these self-destructive thoughts flow through your mind, you increase pace, trying to drown them out with the furious beating of your hooves against the earth. It never seems to work though, at least in the intended manner. Before long, a burning sensation builds in the muscles of your legs, and soon, they begin to grow tight. You breathe deeply, and still, your efforts can't seem to stop quell the fire that had started in your lungs and has made its way all the way up your throat.

She probably just said yes to get away from the crazy stalker mare.

In a fit of anger, you forcefully huff the air in your lungs out of your nose. In the cool pre-dawn temperature, this causes two small jets of steam to shoot out of your nostrils. This action, however, was probably not the most apt thing to do. Your legs very quickly feel as if you had four left hooves made of lead, and all of a sudden, they just don't seem to move in the way you need them to. Between this and your now spinning head, you stumble and begin to fall headfirst onto the ground. The next bit happens so quickly that your brain can't seem to process it all, and the next thing that you know, your face is buried in the earth.

You're not sure how long you lay there, panting and dazed so badly that the only thought going through your mind is uuuuuughhhh. Once you are able to catch your breath, your thoughts seem to catch up with you as well. Your legs are still quite stiff, and as you try to pull yourself up to a standing position, a warm, stinging sensation pulses through one side of your face. Gently, you raise a hoof to the irritated area, and a sharp hiss escapes your lips as the contact intensifies the stinging that you feel.

You quickly decide that it’s probably in your best interests to make your way home and take a look at your injury. Your journey home is uneventful but slow, due to the aching of your overworked legs.

When you make your way into the small house that you call home, you quickly glance at yourself in the mirror and cringe at the sight. A deep sigh escapes your mouth as you head directly to the shower, flick the water on with a hoof, and step into the cool jet. For a time, you just let the water run over your head and through your mane; brown clumps of varying size fall to the floor and wash away as you run your hoof through your equally brown hair. With a hoof, you pull your mane back, tucking it behind your ear opposite of your injury. The cool spray washing over your face simultaneously soothes and stings as it begins to erode away the dirt that had clung to your fur. Lifting a washcloth in a hoof, you lightly soap it and begin to gently scrub your face clean. The act feels something akin to running a cheese grater over your face would. You grit your teeth and push through it, though. After a few repetitions of scrubbing followed by rinsing the cloth clean, your eyes have long since filled with tears, but you let out a relieved sigh when the washcloth appears clean after what would be the last bout of scrubbing. A light swipe of your hoof confirms that your wound does feel clean. During the remainder of your shower, you wind down, taking deep breaths and slowly washing your coat.

As you climb out of the shower, you glance at the clock on the far wall.

I’m late for the dress fitting!

You very quickly dry yourself off and brush your mane before trotting out of your home as fast as your stiff muscles will move.

***

The day seems to have gone by quickly. Until now, that is. You've spent the last half hour looking between the clock and the mirror. Once more, you look yourself over, praying that nothing is out of place, and indeed, everything is perfect. Rarity's dress is an exceptionally beautiful mix of light turquoise silk and white chiffon. Your lavender headband has been swapped for one that matches the turquoise of the dress, and in front of your right ear is a small rose made from lavender satin; at its center is a magical gemstone called a serpent's eye amethyst. You were told that they could sometimes be used as magical foci, but mostly they are just used for their astounding splendor. A keen observer would notice that beneath this gem's surface waves of blue and purple shift and twist past each other.

You shake your head to bring your mind back to focus. Repeating the process that had been occupying your time since you had finished getting ready, you look to the clock. Five to seven. Your heart races through your chest, just minutes separate you from what is going to be a perfect first date.

You trot up to the door, pressing your eye to the peep-hole in hope that you can catch a glimpse of your date before she knocks. When all you see is the stone walkway leading up to your stoop, your throat closes in on itself a little. A great wave of anxiety washes over you as you begin to pace back and forth in front of the door. After ten more minutes with nothing in the peep-hole but the front of your house, doubt begins to creep its way back into your mind.

She wouldn’t want to date a mare that just plays with candy all day, like a foal. I just cover nuts and berries in chocolate, she owns a successful spa.

At that point, logic takes over again.

The spa! I bet she thought I was going to pick her up at the spa! Goddess, I'm so thick sometimes.

As quickly as possible, you leave your home, trotting towards the spa. By the time you reach your destination, it's starting to get dark, but you can't see any lights on inside the building. Even so, you knock furiously. A minute or so passes, with no response, before you knock again. Your hoof trembles between each impact with the door, the stress and adrenaline taking a toll on your body.

With nothing but damning silence for an answer, you sit on your haunches, probably ruining the delicate chiffon where it presses against the stone walkway. It's the last thing going through your mind right now, though. Minutes pass where the only sound you hear is that of your own unsteady breathing.

With your heart bouncing around the pit of your stomach, you slowly walk home. Throughout the entire meandering journey you look to the sky, staring at the blurry constellations above you. Naturally, your eyes lock onto one in particular as an involuntary sigh works its way out of your body. Gemini.

The twins.

Under their light, you're guided home safely. In hindsight, you're thankful that you had rushed off in such a hurry that you had forgotten to lock the door. The haze that has developed in your eyes is enough obscure the entire door handle, so trying to use a key would be an impossibility. After a bit of fumbling, you finally make it inside and glance at the clock as you pass by. Seven forty something. You move to the couch and unceremoniously collapse into its comforting hold, completely oblivious to a low ripping sound as you do so.

Time ceases to exist as you lay there with a familiar burning sensation in the back of your throat. From time to time, a stray thought, or memory, passes through your mind that pushes your rejection to the forefront, sending tears cascading down your face temporarily. After about the fourth or fifth bout of this, a sound that you hadn't expected to hear echoes through your home, a sound that immediately perks your ears and makes your heart leap.

"It's her," you say, jumping off of the couch and rushing towards the soft knocking. You quickly fling the door open. "Oh Goddess, I thought you weren't going to show up!" you blurt out before your mind can process the pink and yellow-orange pony standing in your doorway.

"You were expecting me?" Lily asks with a quizzical look on her face that quickly shifts to one of concern. "Have you been crying?" Her hoof gently runs over your face, wiping away the moisture that resides there. Afterwards, small red speckles adorn her hoof. "Wait, is this blood?" she exclaims, her eyes shrinking down to pin pricks. Before you can explain, she pushes past you, grasping a bit of ripped fabric on the flank of your dress. "And what happened…" Her hoof begins to visibly shake as she continues speaking, in a barely audible tone, "W-were you… raped?"

"What… why would…" you stammer before you piece together why she came to that conclusion.

Crying, bloodied face (I guess I missed some, after all.), mussed mane and tail, lower portion of dress in tatters.

You take a deep breath, pushing the burning in your throat back down into the pit of your stomach. "No, Lily, I wasn't."

"Oh thank Goddess," she says breathily. The pink pony blinks a few times, clearing the latent tears from her eyes. Reaching out, she softly wraps her forehooves around your neck. "Do you want to talk about what's going on?"

"Not really. I'm still not even sure, myself."

"Ok, Sweets,” she says, pulling away, “I came over tonight to plant a few very special seeds in your garden out front."

"I've been meaning to ask, Lily, why do you keep doing that? Surely, taking care of your own garden is enough work." The flower mare seems a little surprised by your question, her golden eyes looking off at a very interesting spot on the wall.

"I know that they make you smile, so it’s worth the extra work.” You could swear you see her blush, but it's probably just a shadow from the dim lighting. “Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to give me a hand planting these seeds, it could help keep your mind off of what's going on."

"I guess it's better than just sitting on the couch and moping, right?"

"Not to mention that I would really appreciate the extra hooves. These seeds can be a little trouble sometimes."

"How can seeds cause problems?" you ask, quirking an eyebrow. Lily's golden eyes turn back to you, and she smiles.

"Well, they're a magical plant like the zap apples that the Apple family harvests. They have to be planted in a very specific manner or they won't grow at all. I'll show you what we have to do in a bit, for now, you should probably take that dress off. I don't think we want to ruin it rolling around in the dirt."

You nod and begin to make your way into the bathroom, stopping just outside the doorway. "Lily, it took me like half an hour to get this thing zipped up. Do you mind?"

"Oh, sure." You barely hear her say as you move fully into the chaste bathroom just off your house's main hallway. To give her a better angle at the zipper, you prop your forehooves up on the counter and wait patiently for her to catch up. The soft sound of the flower sister's hooffalls ends when you, watching from the mirror, see her enter the room.

"I don't see a zipper anywhere, Sweets."

You laugh lightly, speaking, "that's why it took me so long to get it on. It's under that little fold just to the left of center." She leans in, pressing a hoof into your back and brushing the fabric aside.

"Oh, gosh. Why is it so small?"

"I guess that makes it easy to hide."

You can feel her hoof running over the zipper, desperately trying to get purchase, to no avail. After a moment, it seems as if she gives up and her hoof resumes holding the small fabric flap aside. She leans in, taking the zipper in her mouth and slowly pulling it down. As she does so, a tuft of her mane runs along your spine; the feeling causes you to gasp and arch your back, trying to get away from the tickling sensation. Regardless, the flower sister continues downward, forcing you to try and stifle the small giggles that her mane draws out. It’s a small zipper, and she finishes just before you begin to laugh like a madmare.

With the tension on your body relieved, you cross your forelegs in front of your body and push the dress downward. A short sigh escapes your lips when the fabric gets bundled up around your flank; it takes some amount of effort, shimmying against the soft fabric, to get it farther down your body. Once that hurdle is overcome, it's just a matter of stepping out of the dress and hanging it on your shower rod before you are done.

"Ready," you say, whirling around to face the door, where Lily still stands, looking conflicted. You can't recall a time when you've seen her anything but happy, though. "Lily, are you ok?" Reaching out, you gently place a forehoof against her shoulder, and that seems to break her concentration.

"Sorry, yeah. I think I'm just getting a little tired."

"You don't have to plant whatever it is that you've brought tonight. We can do it some other time if you're too tired."

"Well, that's part of what I was saying earlier. The seeds have to be planted on the first day of the last new moon in spring, and that's just a part of how they have to be planted. Otherwise, they won't grow at all." She grabs your hoof and excitedly pulls you towards the door, still speaking, “come on, I’ll show you.”

Outside, she brings you to a freshly tilled furrow and kneels. You do the same, resting your knees against the cool, moist earth. The pink pony turns to a set of saddle bags that rest by the edge of the garden. From them, Lily retrieves a bundle of white cloth and a cooler, that you would assume was meant to hold a single sandwich; as she flips the container open, a dim white light pulses from within.

“These are moonflower seeds. They’re a perennial flower that are said to only come to seed once every thousand years.”

“A thousand years?”

“Mhmm.”

“There are a ton of seeds in here. I can’t let you waste them on me. They must be worth a fortune. ”

“To be honest, they aren’t worth as much as you would think, since they only bloom at night. Most of the ponies that would pay for their rarity wouldn’t ever even see them, so they just get overlooked. It’s too bad, too. They’re really pretty.”

“Are you sure?”

“I can’t sell them, and I can’t think of anypony better to give them to. Now, we should get started, they’re starting to melt.”

“Melt?”

“Mhmm, yet another of their quirks. They have to be frozen in ice before they are planted.” Using a hoof, she unwraps the bundle of white fabric, revealing a small pile of spade shaped leaves. “You have to rest each seed on a sunflower leaf, as well.” Lily grasps a sunflower leaf in her mouth, placing it in the earthen trench. Next, she sets one of the glowing white ice cubes on top of the leaf, and then she uses both forehooves to push a mound of dirt into the furrow, gently patting it down afterwards.

“I guess it’s not as difficult as I made it out to be, but trust me, that’s a lot more complicated than the process of planting most flowers.” Lily stands and moves over to a small watering can tucked away in the corner of the garden. “Go ahead and start planting some of the others, if you want. Just make sure to put them a couple hooves apart. I’ll be right back.” The flower pony picks up the little red can in her mouth, disappearing around the corner of your house in a few moments.

Following the correct method, you plant about five of the glowing seeds before the orange-maned pony returns with water. You shuffle through the garden, on your knees, as you continue placing seeds upon leaves; Lily follows you, packing dirt into the holes and then giving each of the seeds a little splash of water. Your portion of the process seems to take longer than hers. Thus, she quickly catches up, and soon her body is right next to yours. The warmth coming from her coat is in stark contrast to the cool earth below you and the frigid temperature of the glowing ice cubes.

The two of you go like that, silently sharing each other’s warmth, for somewhere around a half hour. Your thoughts seem to squarely rest on the here and now instead of the less than favorable circumstances of the night. Sometime during this period, you notice that Lily doesn’t seem to be avoiding brushing against you like a pony normally would. Though, she does look pretty tired, so her coordination isn’t as good as it could be, probably. As you bend down to place a seed in its hole, Lily’s hoof brushes against your ear, making it flick wildly at the tickling sensation.

You glare at the pink pony just in time to see her take one of the seed cubes into her mouth and viciously chomp down on it. The wild crunching continues for a few moments, and during one such bite, you could swear you saw a flash of light emanate for the pink puny's mouth. Lily’s eyes slide closed, a satisfied moan coming from her throat; she parts her lips, slowly exhaling a cloud of cold, ephemeral vapor. After a moment, her eyelids flutter open again. Your eyes meet, and when you raise an eyebrow at her, a flush of red overcomes the pink pony’s cheeks.

“They’re really good to eat, too,” Lily says, popping another of the cubes into her mouth. She goes through the same motions, including the moan, as last time with an addition of a wide smile at the end. Lifting a cube in the flat of her hoof, the flower sister speaks, “You should try at least one, Sweets.”

With a small sigh, you take the seed from her and put it in your mouth. The sensation of cold grows exponentially every moment your mouth is closed around it. Taking a cue from Lily, you begin to quickly crush the brittle ice between your teeth. As shards break away from the main portion, they melt into a warm liquid, giving a respite from the frigid onslaught. In a moment, you feel your teeth crush a much softer, round object, and a cascade of tingling washes over your mouth, bringing a flavor not unlike wintergreen mint with it. Taking a slow breath in, the cool minty flavor disappears as it’s pulled into your lungs, replaced by warmth that courses through your body with every beat of your heart. Your eyes, that you hadn’t realised had closed, slide open, once again meeting with Lily’s. It’s not until now that you notice that the golden hue of her eyes has a sheen of dull silver over them.

“That was good, but you came over to plant them, not eat them.”

“Fine,” she says, animatedly throwing a forehoof up into the air. The action seems to somehow make her lose her balance because she falls into you, shoulder to shoulder. After a moment of surprise, she rests her head across your withers. “You finish planting, I’m too tired.” Her words are accompanied by her face nestling into the fur on your back. As she does this, the warmth coursing through your body intensifies, and you crack a small smile when you see how cute she looks, possibly snoozing, on your shoulder.

Wait… What?

Shaking your head to rid yourself of the out of place thought, you go back to work; soon, the next two seeds are planted, covered, and watered. After placing a sunflower leaf in the last furrow, you take a seed cube between your lips. Just like the others, it immediately begins to feel colder the longer you hold it. As you lean down, to place seed in its new home, a loud snore escapes from Lily’s mouth. You turn to look at the sleeping mare, letting out a quiet giggle when you see her. The pink pony’s lips are just barely parted with her little tongue resting in the corner, left there by gravity and a lack of motor function.

Looking at her in this light, Lily is definitely cute. The kind of pony that you smile at from across the room, just hoping that she sees you and does the same. She’s the kind of pony that you can see yourself being with but never are, but she’s not the type of pony that sends shivers and tingles through your whole body just by being around her. She's not the pony you've fallen so hopelessly in love with, the pony who had so thoroughly broken your heart earlier, but you aren't going to focus on that cold, broken feeling. The warmth that Lily's put into you is much more attractive an emotion to dwell on. Just the thought of it makes your smile widen around the ice cube.

The ice cube! THE COLD ICE CUBE!

You quickly try to pull your mouth open, away from the frozen object that you’ve been holding for some time now, but all you’re rewarded with is a healthy portion of stinging pain. You involuntarily yelp, and close your lips down on the object once again.

Lily stirs, awoken by your pained cry. Reaching out, you take the nearby watering can in your hooves and point the spout at your mouth. Tipping the can downward results in only a few droplets of water dripping out. As a last resort, you try and bite off the portion of the ice that is within your mouth with no luck. It’s much too solid, since your front teeth are made to rip apart vegetables, not crush solid food.

Perhaps seeing all this, Lily does something that surprises you beyond reason. She leans in, taking the portion of the ice that protrudes from your mouth in hers. You immediately pull your head away, and a light pop can be heard when the tip of the cube breaks away from her lips. You think you can see her blush lightly below her coat.

“Sweets, your lips are blue! Spit it out!”

“Iss shtuck!”

“We need something warm to melt it, and fast.” Nodding, you climb to your hooves and turn to head inside.

“Faster,” she says, firmly wrapping a hoof around your shoulder. In one motion, she whirls you around and plants her lips against yours, taking the glowing cube into her mouth once again. You struggle and try to pull away from her, but her hoof wraps around the back of your neck, holding you still. The warmth left in your body seems to intensify around your pairing; when her tongue begins to brush over your lips, your legs give out from the sensational overload.

You would have crashed to the ground if not for Lily’s hooves, holding you tightly in place, and as you sit idly in her hooves the unsolicited feelings of ecstasy rid your mind of any need to resist. After a few moments, her warm tongue frees your bottom lip from the cube’s frozen grasp. They way she’s kissing you sends a tingle down your spine, causing your tail to flick in excitement.

No, not kissing. She’s just trying to help me get unstuck.

Another moment passes before the cube breaks completely free during which, her soft tongue runns circles around the cube in your mouth and your top lip. She immediately sucks the cube into her mouth, still holding you tightly against her face. Lily pushes the cube back into your mouth, pressing it against your tongue. It slides around, melting as it does, and it takes some effort , by your tongues, to keep it from escaping.

This is kissing.

WHY AM I KISSING HER?!

Just as your thought finishes, a satisfied groan works its way up from the depths of your body. Lily’s tongue works diligently against yours as her breath wafts past your face. With each breath of your lungs, the strong minty scent serves to cloud your mind and further replace your blood with pleasurable lightning.

Mmm... That's why.

With your combined efforts, the ice has all but melted in no time, and Lily parts from your lips, leaving the freed seed resting on your tongue. Without thinking you bite down on it, sending another wave of tingling wintergreen coursing through your mouth. You crack your eyes open, revealing the pink pony’s face hovering less than an inch away from yours, her hazy golden eyes half-lidded. Letting out your breath, the same ephemeral mist escapes your lips as when Lily first ate one of the seeds. The cloud flows over her face and in her nose.

The pink hooves, that have held you tightly, slowly relax, letting you get your footing once again. Once, you’re completely free of her grasp, your legs completely give out again, sending you crashing to earth. The cool dirt feels amazing against your body.

“I think we need to get you inside, Sweets.” Lily reaches down, lifts you from the ground, and throws your forehoof over her withers. If you thought the ground felt good, it’s nothing compared to the wildfire that roars through your body with each beat of your heart. You softly nuzzle Lily’s neck as she leads you inside.

“Thank you,” you say as she closes the door with a quick kick of her hindhoof.