Embers Awoken

by Duelist96

Rating: mature
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Original Character, Fleetfoot, Sex, Human, Spitfire
Length: 7225

Maya learns what it means to love a friend, but when she gains the attention of others in her life, is she able to love them back, as they do her, all the same?

For Maya, being trapped in a world of pastel-colored ponies was jarring at first (to say the least), but in finding fulfilling friendships with Rainbow Dash and the rest of the Elements, she was able to adjust as seamlessly as possible. Since that day, Maya has been able to make a life for herself, continuing her education somewhat with the help of Twilight, along with learning about Equestria’s culture and customs, among other things.

Everything seems to go well as she lives a carefree life with her new friends. Sure, she misses the prospect of dating, but it wasn’t like she expected to easily accept the idea of dating a pony. Twilight had drilled it into her head that interspecies dating wasn’t uncommon, but it was just a hurdle that Maya couldn’t see herself getting over so easily.

Her tune soon changes after receiving some surprising news from a certain close friend. Maya hopes that she is able to take the plunge, because she doesn’t want to lose the closest friend she had since her arrival in Equestria.

Cover Art: xelectrobeats

Published 2015-10-03 03:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-10-03 03:20:01 UTC

Normal Mornings

Embers Awoken
By: Duelist96
Chapter 1: Normal Mornings

A series of loud knocks could be heard originating from Maya’s front door, the human groaning in response as she tried to drown out the infernal noise. It wasn’t that she hated rising early in the morning, but she usually preferred it if she was able to get up at her own leisure rather than being forcefully roused. Turning over, Maya gazed tiringly at the crystal clock that Twilight had gifted her and saw that it read seven in the morning. Rubbing her eyes, she moved to get out of bed, fumbling for her glasses off the nightstand and scratching her head whilst letting out a large yawn.

The knocks persisted at her door, driving Maya to let out a small, irritated growl. She finally stood up, letting out a contented sigh at the feeling of the cool wood against her bare feet. She was only dressed in a large shirt that reached down to her knees, covering her panties, though the collar was too large to stay around her neck and, consequently, it fell off her right shoulder. She moved out of her bedroom, dragging her feet as she tried to wake up a little more peacefully, but yet another set of knocks forced Maya to pick up the pace, putting a damper on that lovely idea.

She reached the door and opened it, cracking her eyes a little to see a lavender blob standing outside with a raised hoof. She was able to make out the pink and violet streaks in the purple mane and tail, as well as a bold pair of violet eyes, barely noticeable in her half-asleep state. Maya didn’t say anything as she stepped to the side, allowing whoever was outside to enter her house before closing the door. She listened to the clop of its hooves and its wings ruffle around as it moseyed around the living room. Maya opted for the couch, unceremoniously flopping onto puffy cushions and letting out a deep sigh as she sunk into the soft cloud of stuffing.

Maya was about to fall back asleep again when she heard her guest speak. “Good morning, Maya. I see that you’re doing well.”

The girl didn’t need to have clear vision to know that the blurry pony was Twilight. “Good to see you this fine morning, Twilight,” Maya mumbled stiffly into the couch. She could hear Twilight trot over, pressing one of her hooves against her arm to rouse her from the couch.

Maya, naturally, tried to ignore Twilight’s attempts to keep her awake when the librarian finally spoke again. “Maya, you need to get up. You’re late for work with Rarity.”

Maya finally coaxed herself fully awake at those words, slowly sitting up on the couch as she rubbed the remnant sleep from her eyes. She gave a few slow blinks before her vision finally cleared up entirely, looking down at Twilight flatly. “What are you talking about? I don’t have work until ten and it’s seven right now.”

Twilight gave the human a quizzical look for a few seconds before shaking her head. The alicorn moved away from Maya, heading for her bedroom to look at the crystal clock, which she easily found resting on a nightstand next to the bed. The clock did indeed read seven in the morning. The mare shook her head, confirming her suspicions as she moved back into the living room, a slightly impressed look on her face at the modifications that had been made to the little home since the last time she was there. It wasn’t much, but it was a decent house that Mayor Mare was able to set Maya up with.

The house was a quaint little place and inside, it boasted everything the human needed to live comfortably: a bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom which was in the main hall. The basement was Maya’s dedicated personal library, something Twilight was more than ecstatic to help out with. The alicorn was kind enough to give old books that she didn’t need to Maya, who was incredibly grateful at the gesture, while also happy to now have something for entertainment. Twilight made her way back to the living room and spied Maya brushing her shoulder-length brown hair.

Maya heard Twilight’s return and turned around to face the mare. “I think I’ll take that apology now,” Maya teased as she smiled at her friend.

Twilight shook her head softly and playfully rolled her eyes at the human. “Maya, I’m afraid to say that Rainbow Dash just might’ve got you back for tricking her into wearing a dress.”

Maya looked at the alicorn with a blank stare, not believing nor processing what she was saying. “Wha-? There’s no way Dash would be able to get inside. I always lock everything before I leave to go anywhere.” Maya crossed her arms, hoping this would somehow convince Twilight that her suspicions were wrong.

Twilight purposefully looked around the room for a few moments before spotting a key on an end table next to the couch, levitating it over to Maya and smirking knowingly.

“This wouldn’t happen to be the spare key to your house, would it?” she countered. “The same one that you gave Dash so she could house sit for you whenever you leave for Canterlot for a couple of days?”

Maya’s face went pale as she looked at the key in front of her, taking it out of Twilight’s telekinetic field and dropping it on the couch. Twilight watched with slight concern as the human didn’t say anything for a food few moments, standing very still and breathing heavily.

Twilight went to say something, but Maya startled her as she ran past. “Crap! Rarity’s going to be so pissed that I’m this late!”

Maya threw off her shirt, haphazardly tossing it on Twilight (unintentionally) as she ran into her room. Twilight removed the oversized shirt from her head, neatly folding it and placing it on the couch before chasing after the girl, finding Maya already half-dressed in her work attire. Twilight took a few seconds to admire the slight tan and athletic build Maya sported, courtesy of her workouts with Rainbow Dash, before shaking her head clear and observing the girl’s clothes. She wore a knee length black skirt that had a small slit on each leg up to her mid-thigh, which ensured she would be able to walk comfortably. Twilight watched as Maya donned a lavender blouse, buttoning it halfway before grabbing her stockings and shoes. The stockings were sheer white and supported by a garter belt. Moreover, thanks to the slits in her skirt, if a pony happened to look at the right angle, they would be able to see her lacy, red panties. Maya finally slipped on her black heels, quickly finishing doing up the buttons on her blouse before bounding to her bathroom to conclude her hasty routine.

Twilight continued to watch with amusement as Maya grabbed a scrunchie from a drawer and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. With her hair now presentable, she began to brush her teeth as she peered at her face, trying to decide if she should go out with make-up and the like. Finishing her brushing, she ultimately decided to forego make-up, not really feeling up to prettying herself like Rarity, nor having the time to do so. Maya exited the bathroom, taking several seconds to look in the mirror once more to ensure that everything was in order. Twilight was actually surprised to see such a change in Maya’s appearance in just a few short minutes.

Maya’s different ‘appearances’ were actually one of the first things Twilight took note of when the biped was living with her for a few months. She had noted that when Maya was off enjoying her free time, she would leave her hair in a ponytail, but she would wear a tank-top, athletic shorts, and flip-flops. When she had work, she made herself look professional, depending on who she was with at the time. The look Twilight was seeing now was normal for when Maya went to work with Rarity, but when she worked with Twilight, she wore black slacks, a cyan t-shirt, and tennis shoes that actually helped complement a professional look.

Twilight was pulled from her thoughts when Maya stepped in front of her, a nervous expression adorning her face. “So, how bad do you think Rarity is going to let me have it?”

Twilight giggled as she placed a comforting hoof on Maya’s hand, smiling up to the human as she spoke calmly. “You have nothing to worry about, Maya. You’ve been helping Rarity for almost a year now and she has really appreciated it. I don’t think she’ll be that mad if her friend is only a couple of minutes late.”

Maya gave Twilight a deadpan stare. “More like a couple of hours! And really? This coming from a mare that almost loses it at the thought of being only a few seconds late for a meeting with her friends?”

Twilight waved a hoof dismissively in the air as she turned around and started trotting for the door. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I have never ‘lost it’ when it comes to any of my appointments, especially when it involves my friends.”

Maya looked at Twilight skeptically, remembering very well all the stories that she and her friends had told her during the past year. She could easily retort, but found it easier to go along with Twilight. Plus, she did have to give Rarity some credit, since she had always been patient with her, willing to help her figure out how to do things around her boutique. Maya had always focused on her work with either Twilight or Rarity, and each mare had happily shown their gratitude in some way… where Twilight’s gratitude took form of giving her books to fill her basement with, along with teaching Maya a few things about Equestria and pony culture.

Rarity was generous enough to make clothes for when Maya was either working for her or Twilight, and even made some casual clothes for when she went to hang with Rainbow Dash. It did take some persuading to get the seamstress to make a few clothes because they went against Rarity’s impeccable sense of fashion, but Maya’s explanation that they would be more for at-home use where not many ponies could see them helped to assuage her fears.

Maya followed Twilight out the door, the alicorn shutting it behind them before heading out. As the two of them strolled through town, many of the local ponies gave the two of them, especially Maya, friendly greetings as they passed. Of course, she would happily wave back or reply with her own greeting in kind, at the same time, reminiscing a bit about her first visit. Thankfully, she was much more warmly-received than she expected to be. The few townsfolk that weren’t so warm towards her felt that way out of fear and instinct to protect their foals, rather than malevolence. It took a few months, but she was able to show that she wasn’t of any danger to them, nor anypony else.

Many of the ponies were out and about, heading for their places of business, work, or just getting together to hang out to pass the time. Maya saw a few familiar faces as she walked through town with Twilight such as Lyra and Bon Bon, who were sitting on a bench. The former was, humorously, sitting upright like a human while the latter lay her head on the unicorn’s lap. Maya then looked over at a house that looked like two separate buildings fused in the middle to see Octavia walking out, cello case slung on her back, and probably headed for practice while her marefriend, Vinyl, slept in before going to one of the clubs that hired her for the night.

All in all, Maya felt Ponyville was actually a pretty nice place to live.

As the two continued through town, Maya saw a familiar orange earth pony working at the apple stand and decided to approach, easily able to make out the familiar, if iconic stetson and emerald green eyes of her country-mare friend. Applejack waved goodbye to her latest customer before turning her head to see Maya, waving enthusiastically at the human as she pulled out a small bag. Twilight quickly fell into step with the girl as they approached.

“Good morning, Applejack. Sorry I’m late getting my breakfast,” Maya said as she rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.

Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her friend. “It’s quite alright, Maya.” She handed over Maya’s usual breakfast. “I’m guessin’ that Dash got ya back for gettin’ her into a dress, huh?”

Maya nodded her head stiffly as she pulled out an apple fritter. “Yup. I hope Rarity isn’t mad that I’m late.”

Applejack shook her head and waved a hoof dismissively. “I wouldn’t worry ‘bout it, she actually stopped by a little while ago. She’s apparently having a slow day, so she shouldn’t mind your tardiness.”

Maya smiled at Applejack as she leaned down and gave her friend a playful punch. “That’s comforting to hear. I know she wouldn’t be entirely upset, but I just don’t want to seem like I’m abusing her friendship, or something… I don’t know.”

Applejack gave a lighthearted punch in return before smiling back at her. Applejack went to say something but a blur of pink ran in front of her, halting her comment. Maya was startled when the ball of pink appeared between them, a poofy dark pink mane suddenly in her face and an equally poofy tail slapped against her leg. Thankfully, the pink mass pulled back so Maya could discern the baby blue eyes of Pinkie Pie. The mare smiled widely as she hugged the human for a few seconds before finally letting go and slowly falling to the ground. Maya got a crash course from Twilight to never question anything that Pinkie does, unless she wants to have a migraine.

Ignoring Pinkie’s antics, she greeted the mare with her own smile. “Hey there, Pinkie! Good to see you running around town.”

Pinkie bounced in place as she looked at Maya, her voice cheerful as always. “Hey, Maya! Just came by to tell you that everything is going to be super-duper AWESOME along for your ONE YEAR anniversary since you came to Equestria!!! The only thing left to do is make your cake and we can get this party STARTED… in two weeks.”

Maya always found herself feeling happy when she spoke with Pinkie. She, of course, still missed her home on Earth, but Pinkie and all her other friends made it that much easier to live life in Equestria to the fullest. Maya pet the side of Pinkie’s face and in response. “I’m looking forward to it, Pinkie… bet it’ll be just as good as my welcoming and birthday parties.” Pinkie leaned into Maya’s hand, stopping her bouncing and enjoying the human’s touch before Maya finally pulled her hand away. “I would love to stay and chat some more…” Maya said. “…but I should head for Rarity’s. I’ll catch you all later.”

Twilight, Pinkie, and Applejack waved goodbye to Maya as they continued to talk amongst themselves. Waving back as she walked away, it wasn’t much longer before Maya neared the boutique. Inwardly, she was still somewhat impressed at the fact that the building was, in fact, made out of a carousel. Maya spied two of her other friends inside the boutique through the bay window as she made her approach, able to make a light yellow coat with a long, pink mane and tail; along with a cyan coat, complemented with a windswept rainbow-colored mane and tail. Maya opened the door to the building to see Fluttershy’s teal eyes look at her with joy. Rainbow also turned her attention to Maya, her magenta eyes and friendly smirk on her face telling all as she waved at the human.

Maya waved back at Rainbow before looking back at Fluttershy with her own smile. She looked around the living room and, curiously, didn’t see Rarity. “Where’s Rarity at?”

“She’s in the back fixing an old dress for me,” Fluttershy said, her voice a quiet whisper, just loud enough for Maya to hear.

“Oh, gotcha. Thanks, Shy,” Maya said as she looked back at Rainbow, giving a playful smile. “So, Dash, are you here for another dress?” Maya asked whimsically as Dash gave her a slight glare.

“You wish. No, I’m here because I wanted to see if Rarity could help me find a gift for your party,” Rainbow said as she trotted over to the couch and took a seat.

“You both know that I don’t really need a gift, right?” Maya asked, directing her gaze at both of the two mares.

Fluttershy drew little circles on the floor as she hid slightly behind her mane. “We know, but you’ve been here for a year now, and Twilight has been working very hard to find you a way back home, but we want to at least make sure you’re still fine.”

Rainbow just gave a nonchalant shrug as she tried to play it off as nothing, but Maya knew better than that. If anything what Twilight and her friends said was true (and it was by Maya’s own accounts), Rainbow could always be counted on for things that would always bring excitement for her friends and the ponies around her. Sure, it was Pinkie’s passion do such things, but Rainbow enjoyed doing it as well, especially if pranks were involved in some way. Maya still remembered the first prank Rainbow pulled on her to help her adjust to what Ponyville was like, which quickly brought on the memory of Dash’s surprised face when she got the pegasus back the same night.

Since then, the two of them, and sometimes Pinkie, really helped to liven things up a bit. Pranking was actually one of the coolest (and hilarious) things Rainbow did with Maya once they got to know each other. Maya even enjoyed it when Dash would sometimes boast when recounting one of her many past adventures with her friends. The stories gave Maya something to look forward to because she knew it made Dash happy when she listened to them. They even got into having friendly competitions, making sure to adjust for the human so that it was fair, but even with all those losses, she always looked forward to them. Maya was pulled from her fond memories as the pegasus gave her a curious look, causing the human to shake her head and focus on the other pegasus.

Maya moved towards Fluttershy, crouching in front of her and deciding to scratch behind her ear with her well-manicured nails. Height-wise, most ponies only reached up to Maya’s hip since she was five feet and nine inches. The only exceptions were Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Cadence. Celestia stood a good three inches over her, Luna and Cadence were at eye level, and after Twilight ascended, she grew an extra five inches and almost reached the human’s sternum. Fluttershy gave a low hum of content as she gave a cute little smile. “Thank you, but seeing you girls there is a good enough gift for me. You’ve all been awesome friends since my arrival.”

Fluttershy pressed her head further into Maya’s hand while angling her head and neck against her nails, humming softly before she finally pulled her head away. Fluttershy continued to smile at the human as Dash slowly dozed off on the couch. Maya gave a small nod to Fluttershy before retreating into the back room, finding Rarity at her desk, her red-framed glasses perched cutely at the end of her muzzle as she diligently worked on a dress. Maya moved behind Rarity, taking notice of how her white coat stood out against the light hitting her perfectly curled indigo mane and tail. Maya waited a few seconds for a pause in Rarity’s work before clearing her throat to gain the mare’s attention. “Hey, Rarity. I’m finally here and ready to help out with whatever you need.”

Rarity stopped her work, her glowing horn and the light blue aura on the objects around her fading as they were set down gently. She moved her glasses behind her horn, turning to look at Maya with her sapphire eyes. “Good morning, Maya! Glad you could make it.” Rarity pulled Maya into a hug, the human returning it for a few seconds before they parted. “I take it Applejack passed on that I was looking for you?”

Maya nodded her head as she moved to the fabric shelf. “She did, and even though it’s probably not necessary, I still wanna apologize for being late.”

Maya heard Rarity giggle before the mare went back to work on the dress. “At least you’re still willing to apologize. Plus, I can’t really be mad at you after what you did with Rainbow Dash, darling. You should really trick her more often into dresses.” Maya pulled out a forest green fabric as Rarity stopped her work to turn and face her. “As much as she hates to admit it, she really does look beautiful in such attire.”

Maya couldn’t help but smile at the memory. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but it really made Rainbow stand out more as a mare, recalling vividly how had her mane pulled back in a ponytail that day, which probably added to the effect. It was a look that Maya probably wouldn’t mind burning into her brain for future, private use. Maya quickly shook away those thoughts, placing the fabric in front of Rarity before going back to the shelves of fabric.

Maya went to organizing the fabrics, ordering them in a cascade of cool colors on the top and warm on the bottom. It wasn’t really all that much for Maya to do since Rarity had magic to help organize her workspace, but she was still nice enough to leave it a mess so Maya could at least help around the store. Maya listened to Rarity hum a little song to herself, making the human smile as she did the same in her head. The girl was able to get the fabrics organized before Rarity had finished Fluttershy’s dress and decided to move on to the ponyquins. She tidied them up for a while before finally speaking up and bringing back the original topic. “She really does look good in a dress, but it’s sometimes nice to see her in her element, allowing her natural beauty to shine all on its own.”

Rarity gave a slight smirk as she turned towards the woman, placing the finishing touches on the dress. “Sounds like somepony has been listening to me, darling.”

Maya could hear the playfulness in Rarity’s voice and decided to play along. “It’s like you said, Rares. Beauty has many forms that are enhanced in many ways.” Maya turned back to Rarity, taking a seat on a nearby stool. “I believe you were the first person to tell me this when you were making me a dress.”

Rarity nodded her head, looking back at the dress and giving it a critical look before deciding it was perfect. She put the dress in a protective plastic bag before turning back towards Maya. “Indeed, darling, and I’m actually glad that you came out of your little shell to have some fun. You also looked really beautiful in that one dress, so much so that I wish to make you a few more if you ever need them.”

Maya smiled at Rarity as she thought back to that day. “Honestly, I didn’t expect to enjoy being in that dress as much as I did. I was never one for dresses, but that was probably because I spent most of my time studying.”

Rarity got off of her stool and trotted over towards Maya. “It still seems like you study a lot, but at least you come out to have fun with your friends once in a while.” Rarity’s smile disappeared as she shuffled nervously on her hooves. “If I may, though, darling, can I ask you something?”

Maya could see how nervous Rarity was, but after being her friend for a year, she didn’t really see any reason to keep things hidden from the mare. “I guess you can. I don’t see the harm in you asking.”

Rarity gave a small smile before averting her eyes and looking at her curtains, finding something interesting in their creases as she spoke. “During that party, what exactly happened between you and that one stallion? He seemed like a gentlestallion, so why did you dump your drink on him?’

Maya bit her lower lip, swaying slightly as she looked at her friend. It wasn’t something she was particularly embarrassed about, especially after seeing how relationships work in Equestria, but she never really saw a need to mention it at all.

Maya took a deep breath as she looked back at Rarity. “He just couldn’t understand the meaning of ‘no’. I’m not going to say he was bad, but I wasn’t really interested. Males just don’t really do it for me.”

Rarity looked at Maya for a few seconds before nodding her head in understanding. “So I take it you’re more interested in mares, then?” Maya nodded her head, smiling at her friend. “I guess that explains the looks that you’ve been giving certain ladies. Especially those that happen to be Lyra, Bon Bon, Vinyl, and Octavia.” Rarity looked at Maya with a smirk.

Maya felt her face burn in embarrassment at being called out. “Hey, it’s not easy with how open all you ponies are with your relationships. What’s even worse is how similar you all are to humans in terms of anatomy, and I can catch glimpses.”

Rarity giggled at seeing Maya so flushed. “You really are adorable sometimes when you get flustered like that.” Maya gave Rarity a deadpan look, to which the mare just waved a hoof in her direction. “Please, darling, that isn’t something to feel bad about. If you are interested, though, I do know a few ponies that might be more than interested in having a date with you.”

Maya was able to get the red from her cheeks to disappear as she stood up, grabbing Fluttershy’s dress as they made to leave the back room. “Thanks for the offer, Rarity, but I think I’ll pass for now. I still need to figure out if I’m okay with the whole idea of going out with a pony.”

Rarity nodded her head, her horn glowing as she grabbed the door. “Of course, darling. I understand that interspecies relationships is a little jarring, along with being in a new world, but if you ever want to talk, I’m here for you. You deserve to have a little more happiness every once in awhile.”

Maya smiled down at Rarity, giving a quick hug before scratching her neck. “Thanks, Rares. You really are a great friend, just like the others.”

Rarity smiled up at Maya before opening the door, Maya walking out and waiting for Rarity to follow before closing the door behind them. The first thing that they noticed was Rainbow Dash passed out, her snores easily heard throughout the building. Fluttershy trotted over towards Maya and Rarity, the human presenting the dress to her. Fluttershy took the dress in her mouth and tucked in between her wings to carry.

Once the dress was safely tucked away, Fluttershy turned towards her two friends, a small, radiant smile still present. “Thank you, Rarity.” Fluttershy then turned her attention towards Maya, giving her a quick nuzzle before trotting back to the door.

Maya waved goodbye to the mare before turning her attention to the only other pegasus in the room. Looking at Rarity for any suggestion as to where to go from here, the unicorn shrugged as she headed into her kitchen to get some tea. Seeing that it was a really slow day at the boutique, Maya went to join Rainbow on the couch, plopping down next to her. Dash sprawled out, trying to take as much of the couch as she could, and in the process Maya had to grab a blanket and throw it over Rainbow to keep from looking anywhere too low. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen before, Berry Punch being a prime example of who she saw it from the most. However, she still wanted to ensure some sort of modesty to her friend.

The blanket was enough to stir Rainbow from her sleep, immediately sitting up as she stretched. Rainbow noticed the blanket around her lower section and quickly discarded it to the side as she moved to hover in the air. With Dash off the couch, Maya kicked her legs up, taking off her heels as she laid down. Rainbow looked down at her friend with a scowl, her spot now taken.

Maya saw her face and giggled. “I don’t know why you’re upset. You’re going to be leaving here soon, aren’t you?”

Rainbow looked down at Maya, seeing her green and blue eyes looking at her with curiosity. It took a bit for Rainbow to get used to Maya’s different colored eyes, but she had to admit that it made her look very cool.

Shaking her head, Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t actually have anything to do today. I just came with Flutters to see what she’s up to, and now that she’s done here… I dunno.”

Maya folded her arms behind her head as she looked up at the ceiling. “Well, I’m busy with Rarity today, but are you doing anything tomorrow?”

Rainbow seemed to get a little giddy at the question, but quickly composed herself so Maya wouldn’t see her excitement. “Nah, I have tomorrow off too. Wanna hang out? Maybe get a little workout going?”

Maya rolled the thought around in her head for a few seconds, Rarity coming out of the kitchen with three cups of tea. “Sure. I could use a good workout and it’s been a little while since we’ve gotten together. It seems like we hardly get to do that unless you’re dropping by while I’m working or I just happen to pass by when you are.”

Rainbow nodded her head, a small frown starting to form before taking the offered tea and gulping it down, much to Rarity’s annoyance. “Yeah, it seems like we have a lot less time to hang now since we don’t have the same schedule anymore. I really enjoyed our daily exercise routines; because besides Applejack, you’re the only one willing to go with me.”

Maya took a couple of sips from her tea, placing the cup on a coaster as she sat up. “Looks like we have a plan, then. Early tomorrow, we’ll go on a jog, then we’ll just hang around town. I want to see a few of those new tricks that you’ve come up with for your routine.”

Rainbow did a hoof-pump in excitement as she finished off her tea and placed it down on the table. Rarity gave a silent sigh as she lifted the cup with her magic and placed it on the coaster that was apparently too hard for Dash to set it on herself. “Awesome! I’m totally going to blow you away with my new stunts. So I hope you’re ready!”

Maya nodded her head as she presented Rainbow her fist, to which Dash returned the gesture before flying out the door, the sound of falling items from the upstairs work room echoing around the house. She glanced over at Rarity, whose right eye was slightly twitching at the mess that Rainbow had left in the wake of her exit, but Maya wasn’t all that surprised to be honest. She grabbed her tea, sitting back down and slipping her heels back on.

Rarity seemed to regain her composure after a while and Maya finally spoke. “You know, I told you that at some point that would happen if you didn’t put away your stuff properly.”

Rarity turned towards Maya, pointing a threatening hoof at her. “I told you that it’s my creation mess. Going in there allows me to come up with new inspiration for my dresses.”

Maya finished off her tea, setting it down next to Dash’s empty cup as she stood up. “I know, but if you want to avoid having her ruin your ‘creation mess’, then you need to talk to her. Anyway, anything else I can help with?”

Rarity finished off her tea, setting it down with the other two cups as she placed a hoof to her chin in thought. “Well, I don’t have any commissions, and I don’t expect to see anypony else coming into the store for a while. Would you mind continuing to help me clean up those two extra rooms?”

Maya nodded as she headed for the stairs, the mare following closely. As the two headed for one of the extra rooms, she looked inside Sweetie Belle’s room to see if she was around, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found, so Maya turned towards Rarity and asked, “Hey, where’s Sweetie Belle?”

Rarity opened the door to the first extra room that they had started working in, walking in as she answered. “She’s with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo at Sweet Apple Acres. They’re thinking of different ways to get their cutie marks and they’re, apparently, going to be there for a few days.”

Maya acknowledged her with a nod as she looked around at all the work they’d done. They had started a couple of months ago, and were able to finish only this one room, and all that was left were tubs that had extra supplies that could be moved into either Rarity’s work room or back room. Stepping out of her heels, Maya went over to the first two tubs and hefted them up, Rarity following suit. Thanks to Rarity labeling where she wanted each container, the two moved around the house, moving the miscellaneous supplies into their appropriate areas. It didn’t take too long to finish the room, with the result being the place now much more spacious for anything, say, if somepony needed a place to sleep.

The two moved towards the second room and Rarity opened it, causing Maya’s jaw to drop. “How is this room possibly worse than the first?”

Rarity’s cheeks blushed in embarrassment, her hoof lightly scraping against the floor as she gave a nervous laugh. “I may have worked on that first room by myself before you offered your help.”

Maya rubbed her temples, already feeling the oncoming headache from what she was going to have to deal with. “You’re really glad that I’m came by now, aren’t you?”

Rarity smiled as she made a decent area for the two to work in. “Very much so. I don’t think I would have ever gotten back to this again without your help. It really means a lot to me, and I’ll make sure that you’re compensated a little more for your work.”

Maya looked at all the stuff that was around the room, before turning back and leaning into her ear whispering something, a request that made the mare blush profusely.

Rarity took a few seconds to process everything that she heard before turning towards Maya questioningly. “Are you really sure you want that?”

Maya nodded her head. “Of course. I’ve actually been meaning to ask you, but I guess I was a little embarrassed about doing so.”

Rarity raised a brow in confusion as she moved on with the topic. “You understand that what you’re asking for is something you either do on a date, during your alone time, or with somepony, right? I thought you weren’t interested?”

Maya rubbed the back of her head nervously, her cheeks a bright crimson as she avoided Rarity’s eyes. “I didn’t say I wasn’t interested, but just trying to find out my own feelings. Can you just keep this between us?”

Rarity eyed Maya up and down for a few seconds before offering her a comforting smile. “My lips are sealed, darling. What a mare does is her own business, even though I enjoy a good bit of gossip from time to time.”

Maya smiled down at Rarity as she moved towards a pile of old fabrics. “Thanks, Rarity. That really means a lot to me.”

Rarity gave a quick nod before moving to another pile, this one containing a bunch of crumpled up, unfounded designs. Many of the fabrics Maya was sorting through were pretty much useless, most of them having holes and needing to be discarded. Some, however, were nice shades of blue, red, and orange that probably could have been used to great effect for some clothes, but it looked like it would have to wait until Rarity got more, as there simply wasn’t enough to make anything of them. Maya wasn’t really sure how long that would be, but she hoped it would be soon; she actually wanted what she asked as payment made out of those colors.

Rarity was able to sort through the crumpled paper, which was mostly old designs that she had improved on or simply didn’t like. She quickly moved on to the next pile, comprised of old family heirlooms that she had been meaning to give to Sweetie Belle. Levitating over an empty box, Rarity carefully placed the heirlooms inside. A few were from their parents, but a good portion was from Rarity’s foalhood. Drawing her thoughts back to Sweetie, even though the two of them often fought, she loved her younger sister and wanted to give her a few things she could always look at if she ever felt down.

Maya saw Rarity putting an old locket in the tub, smiling a little to herself at how blissful Rarity looked.

Maya finished sorting through the fabric and moved over to the tremendous amount of art supplies, sighing heavily as she sorted through them. Many of the pencils, pens, and colored pencils has been used up completely or were broken. However, there were still a few that were untouched, so Maya put those to the side for a box.

After a few tiring hours, they decided to call it a day after tackling a pile of old customer letters. Maya turned towards Rarity as she pulled out a pile of parchments and started tossing them into a bag. “How are all these from customers? Some of these seem a little too fancy to just be commissions.”

Rarity threw away some letters, grabbing another set before turning towards Maya. “A good portion of these are also letters from admirers. A lot of my designs are well-known in Canterlot, and a lot of those ponies think that they can simply woo me with a few words, but my attention belongs to another.”

This piqued Maya’s interest as she turned to face the mare fully. “Oooh? Anyone that I might know?”

Rarity gave a slight blush as she rubbed the back of her head nervously with a hoof. “Well, do you promise to keep this just between us?”

Maya nodded as she extended a hand to shake Rarity’s hoof. “You promised to keep what I just told you between us, so it’s only fair.”

Rarity smiled as she shook Maya’s hand, glad that the human would be able to keep her secret until she finally admitted her feelings. “Well, as you know, my last few relationships failed, and it was through these failures that I had a friend who was there for me. I didn’t think anything of it at first, but after spending more time with her, I learned it was more than just pure infatuation.” Maya nodded her head, listening intently to the story. “Anyway, after many sleepless nights and much arguing with myself, I found that I actually want to be with Twilight.”

Maya stared with wide eyes for a few seconds, trying to process what Rarity just told her. Rarity saw Maya’s face and worried that she may have said something wrong. The building silence and look or worry on Rarity’s face snapped Maya out of her coma.

Maya gave a gentle smile as she placed a hand on Rarity’s shoulder. “Huh… well, I certainly hope that it works out between the two of you.”

Rarity gave a small smile in return, patting Maya’s hand before standing up and cleaning off her coat. “Thank you, darling.” Rarity looked around at the dent they had made in the mess. “I think this is a good place to leave it for now. Go ahead and head off for the remained of the day, and I’ll see you the next time.” Maya acknowledged her and started to go for the door to leave the room. She was stopped when Rarity spoke up again. “Also, don’t forget about my offer, if you ever find yourself looking.”

Maya turned and smiled at Rarity as she waved goodbye. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it in mind. See ya, Rarity!”

“Take care, Maya!” Rarity called back as she left the room and headed for her bathroom.

Maya did a few stretches before grabbing her heels and leaving the boutique. She was glad she didn’t finish off the food Applejack gave her as she walked back home, since she didn’t feel up to cooking tonight, nor was she feeling all that hungry either. It wasn’t long before she reached her home and quickly let herself inside, setting her heels next to the frame.

Maya was locking the door as the sound of shuffling grabbed her attention. She turned around to see Rainbow Dash on her couch. “Dash?? What are you doing here?”

The pegasus looked at Maya before laying down on the couch. “I flew around town for a little bit and don’t feel like heading back home. You mind if I crash here, at least for tonight?”

Maya locked the door behind her, pulling the scrunchie out of her hair as she headed for her own bed. “Nah. You know you or the others are welcome to stay if you need to. I would’ve liked a heads-up but… whatever,” she affirmed in an unconcerned manner

“Thanks, Maya!” Rainbow replied happily as she pulled a blanket off the couch and made herself comfortable.

Maya beelined to her room and collapsed on her bed, the exhaustion finally catching up with her, though, Rarity’s words continued to swirl through her head, keeping her awake much to her chagrin. Unable to sleep, Maya removed herself from the bed and headed for the shower, resolving to let the hot water flow over and run down her body as she thought about possibly taking Rarity up on her little offer. Regardless, she would at least like to wait until after her one year anniversary party before deciding to see if she would like to pursue a relationship.

Author's Note

Editors/Proofreaders: Eppie Genetic, Flammenwerfer, Acarcion, Midnight Nexus, Word Worthy

Collab: Rumble