Twisted

"And I'll have an apple cider," Big Mac was saying, "Shaken. Not stirred."

"I'll be back with your orders in a moment with your orders," the bar tender mare simpered, then swept off from the counter.

"Okay," Tealove said once the mare was out of ear shot, "what's up with the 'shaken not stirred'?"

"It's what the spies say," Big Mac grinned, "Plus it tastes better that way."

Bon-Bon giggled (that's new) as the mare returned, using her horn levitating four drinks.

"Here is your strawberry chocolate drizzled frappe, miss," the bar tender proclaimed, setting down Bon-Bon's drink, "The monsieur's cider. Shaken, not stirred."

"Eeyup," Big Mac accepted in thanks.

"And your green tea!" the mare concluded.

"Thank you!" Tealove piped, breathing in the soothing fumes of herbs from her drink, but the bar mare didn't leave and set down the fourth drink next to Tealove's.

"The colt across the way bought this for you," she briefly explained then trotted off to take another couple's order.

Tealove glanced to the other side of the bar counter to see a stallion of a light brown hue sitting alone, black mane like a fan down the back of his head, wearing a tux with a wilting rose in the pocket. he was stirring around a glass of water and suddenly looked up, dark eyes locking with Tealove's, and she instantly felt her cheeks turn pink (that's only a little awkward..but I can't like him! That's Big Mac's job!).

"Don't drink it," Bon-Bon said flatly.

"Why?" Tealove asked as she tore her eyes away from the stallion's, "that would be rude."

"Hello," she hissed, "we're in enemy territory. You can't trust anypony. What if it's poisoned?"

"Yep," Big Mac nodded curtly, "Don't trust him."

"I think I'd be able to tell if it's poison," Tealove mumbled, "And could you tell if it was?"

"Of course I can!" Bon-Bon exclaimed before she could think.

Tealove smirked, "Then tell me," she slid the drink across the counter, "Tell me if it's poison."

Bon-Bon glared at her, but quickly shook the expression away and sighed, "Alright."

From under Bon-Bon's belt was produced a small paper packet that seemed to be a sugar pack, but when she opened it, the powder inside was almost totally transparent. So with one delicate tap, the packet's contents were sprinkled into Tealove's tall, thin glass and instantly dissolved into the liquid.

"If it bubbles," Bon-Bon stated, "it's poison, toxic, drugged, disease or is concealing a bomb or weapon of some kind."

"Really?" Tealove asked, exasperated, "Why would it be concealing a bomb?"

"Hey, you're a newbie to the Clandestine," Bon-Bon reminded, "You have no idea how many Coverts have died because they were too lazy to check their drinks for bombs."

Tealove gave a nervous gulp.

The ponies watched the drink for a whole minute, but nothing happened. Not one bubble.

"Okay," Tealove sighed after the second minute licked by, "I'm just going to drink it now."

"Fine," Bon-Bon grumbled, sitting back and sucking on the straw to her frappe.

Tealove wished Bon-Bon would just relax, but forced herself to remember the amazing time they had getting ready together and how she'd been so determined to make Tealove's mane perfect, and at the thought, she smiled (at least Bon-Bon cares about me dying as much as she does about my mane). And when Bon-Bon caught Tealove smiling, her expression softened too and she managed to give a small grin. (Hey, we just stared at a drink for two minutes of nothingness. When you think about it, that's pretty hilarious.)

"Excuse me," Tealove called to the bar tender, "Can you tell me what this drink is? Because if it's...it's just that I don't drink."

"No worries, dearie," the mare said, "That's today's trifle special; raspberry freeze cream atop a puree of mint and vanilla fluff, drizzled with a dark chocolate melt and sprinkled with wafer strips . Enjoy!"

(My mouth is watering just hearing that. Only me?)

"Lucky," Bon-Bon muttered as Tealove scooped into her extravagant milkshake-like trifle.

Tealove smirked, "Don't you wish you had a secret somepony? I should probably go talk to him."

"Nope!" Big Mac exclaimed so suddenly it made the two mares jump.

"It's fine, Mac," Bon-Bon assured him, "Just be careful, Tealove. And remember, we're here to get information on Luna's imprisonment, so try asking him if he's heard of anything while you're over there."

"I will...and it's actually convenient for you two that I'm leaving because everypony around here is in pairs and if both of us were hanging onto Big Mac..,"

The mares giggled, but Big Mac remained amused.

"Don't worry," Tealove breathed into the stallion's ear, "I'm just hunting for information."

"Also," Bon-Bon added before they parted, "Your name is Tealove, not Sweet Pea. From now on, your code name is Tealove."

(Well, that will be hard to remember.)

"I got it," Tealove assured her, then, with one deep breath in, she began her graceful trot across the bar to the isolated stallion.

"Hello," she greeted as she swept into the stool next to the surprised stallion, "The drink was delicious. Thank you."

"Anything," he replied with a smug grin (was that even a real sentence?), "You look great tonight."

(I wasn't sure if I was supposed to say 'thank you' again, so I just moved on.)

"So..what's your name?" (Always a good place to start.)

"Call me Flare," the stallion declared, "You?"

"Tealove, and it's a pleasure."