Author's Note

I hope all of you [3] readers enjoy the newest chapter, it features a cute date! I think? Gosh, if only I left my basement, I'd know. Thanks as always to Epsilon-Delta and PixelMoon for a brilliant story foundation! Check out their stuff, it's good!

Part 18: Dinner for 1; Dessert for 2

Twilight and Rarity walked through the everfree slowly, enjoying the night air. Twilight glowed with happiness- she was finally going on a date! With Rarity no less! She had wanted this more than she cared to admit. Rarity seemed rather calm about this, but, to be fair, Twilight had melted before her the previous night. Did that make this weird for Rarity?

“Mm, are you wondering about last night, my Twilight?”

“H-how did you?” Twilight stuttered

“I didn’t,” Rarity teased “but that just confirmed it. Don’t worry about such things, Twilight. Think back before, you still thought I was pretty then, did you not?”

She had. She had thought Rarity’s beautiful eyes and soft hair were pretty, she had thought her lips looked soft, and her flank-

Twilight blushed and shook her head, dismissing the thoughts.

“Oh? Did you not think I was pretty?” asked Rarity in mock surprise.

“I- I did think you were pretty, Rarity, I’ve always thought so…” she mumbled.

Rarity laughed, and nuzzled Twi. “I wasn’t looking for a serious answer dear, but thank you. And you should know that you yourself are quite beautiful.”

Twilight wasn’t sure how to react to that, as always. “Thank you? That’s what you say in response to that, right? I’ve ne-”

Rarity shushed Twilight, and stroked her mane gently. They walked a little closer together for the rest of the way, in near silence, enjoying the silent company of one another.

They were just about in ponyville when Twilight asked “So, where are we going, anyway? Somewhere fancy, like, what the buck does that mean?”

“Well, dear, it means that the food will cost more than you could earn in a month, and will taste better than anything you’ve eaten before.” Rarity said matter-of-factly.

Twilight stopped, and her mouth dropped open “But- is- why-”

Rarity turned back to face her, and smiled. “What is money for, if not to indulge in the finer things?” To that, Twilight had no response, and so Rarity continued “and, since you asked, we’re going to ‘La Botte De Foin’. How is your Prench, by the way?”

“It’s... “ Twilight briefly considered lying in a vain attempt to impress her- and she positively glowed at the thought -new marefriend “Yeah, it’s pretty bucking awful” she said, laughing.

“Ah, mon chere…” Rarity whispered softly, sending tingles down Twilight’s spine “I will have to order for you then, non?”

They arrived shortly after, and Twilight was surprised to see a bouncer at the door. “Table for two, please.” said Rarity

“There is no table, for you at least.” he said with a rough Prench accent, scowling at the two mares. Did he know they were on a date? Was he one of those ponies? It was true that Twilight had never considered the social consequences of being a lesbian, not that she wasn’t already a pariah. But it dampened her mood somewhat to consider that it might be like this any time she and Rarity were on a date, and gave her a new appreciation for Rarity and the others.

Almost sensing Twilight’s mood, Rarity spoke. “Now, now. Call the manager if you must. Tell him it’s the LandLady.” she said, losing no composure.

The bouncer scowled again, but went inside.

“I think Gaston’s quality control may be going down hill if he thinks this is any way to treat his favourite customer.” rarity muttered.

“Do you come here often?” asked Twilight “you said LandLady…?”

Rarity grinned a shark-like grin. “I won this establishment a long while ago in a game of poker against the current manager’s great-grandfather. I’ve been leasing them the place ever since. One of the many benefits of eternal life, you understand.”

Twilight did a double take, and looked at the building more closely. It wasn’t ornate, but looked immaculate “YOU own this place? And you play poker?!”

Rarity burst out laughing. “Ah, I will never cease to be entertained by you, darling. Go on, do tell me why gambling is wrong.”

“Because it’s lame and, um, my parents told me that in las pegasus people can lose thousands of bits in a single night!”

Clearly amused, Rarity said “oh? So how is that any different from what we’re doing now? Spending a few thousand bits to have a good time?”

“How many bits!?” Twilight squeaked, but Rarity didn’t have time to reply, as a sheepish looking bouncer, and a very angry looking chef emerged from the building.

“Very sorry, miss…” said the bouncer, looking at the floor shamefully.

“My apologies too, miss. Today is on the house.” said Gaston apologetically.

Rarity’s smile melted away the two’s tension. “It is no problem, Gaston, and I’m sure he won’t make that mistake ever again.”

Presumably choosing to ignore the thinly veiled threat, Gaston lead them inside, and Twilight was amazed by the decor. It was red velvet and chandeliers, mahogany tables and gold leaf. She absorbed all of this while following Gaston and Rarity to a little booth in the back. It was closed off from the rest of the restaurant, and was set with rather genuine-looking silverware, and a rose scented candle.

He motioned for them to sit, and they did so. Rarity took the menu in her magic, and after a brief glance, said: “I will be having a double cherry pie, and my Twilight will be having a salad. Thank you Gaston.” Gaston bowed and began to walk away.

“Wait a minute,” said Twilight, confused “I thought you said we needed to speak Prench here?”

“Hmm? I said no such thing,” Rarity said softly “I just asked how well you could speak it. Gaston’s family hasn’t spoken Prench themselves for a few generations. I named this place myself. What do you think of the place, by the way…” she slipped into a whisper to add “...mon chere?”

The candles around the room sent flickering shadows across Rarity’s beautiful face, and reflected hypnotizingly in her eyes.

“It’s beautiful…” Twilight whispered. “You’re beautiful, Rarity…”

Rarity leaned forwards, as if to kiss Twilight, before whispering seductively in her ear “perhaps after the meal, dear?” Twilight made a whining noise for a second, but nodded, face bright red.

There was a cough from behind Twilight, and she was embarrassed to see that Gaston was still standing there.

“I was going to ask if you two would like something to drink…..?” he said, and Twilight cringed a little. Buck buck buck buck buck he’d seen that whole thing hadn’t he!

Unfazed, Rarity ordered them a glass of something in Prench, and Gaston left again, Twilight watching his exit this time.

“Don’t worry about Gaston, his family has been… turning a blind eye, let’s say, to my particular condition, and to my choice of company.” Rarity said, petting Twilight, who groaned, the most embarrassed she had been in her life.

“You take the others here?” Twilight asked, feeling a Twinge of jealousy, which Rarity must have picked up on, because she merely smirked in reply.

Gaston came back silently with two wine glasses and a bottle, before bowing, and returning to the kitchens. Rarity took the bottle in her magic, and poured a glass of the red liquid for each of them.

“A toast,” Rarity proposed, lifting her glass, and Twilight followed suit “to love, new and old”

“Cheers!” said Twilight happily, and the glasses klinked lightly together.

She took a gulp of the liquid, it was sweet and dry, and burned her throat on the way down. She took another big gulp, and looked over at Rarity, who was sipping at her own drink.

“Pace yourself, dear.” she said “If you were drunk, who knows how I’d take advantage of you…”

After a while of ignoring Rarity’s advice, and drinking at her own thirsty pace, there was a fire in her belly, and she felt hot and flush. This buzz was similar to something she had felt before, but she couldn’t quite put her hoof on what it was. Gaston had arrived a few minutes ago with their food, a large cherry pie, which Rarity was tucking in to, and a salad that Twilight was picking at absentmindedly between mouthfuls of her drink. She had to admit, it was delicious, but it was lacking a certain something. Or was that just her? And why had the room started to wobble? Twilight was about to ask Rarity when she felt a bop on the head.

“Twilight, dear, while I think you’re quite a cute drunk, I think it’s best we headed home now, hmm?”

Twilight giggled, and booped Rarity on the nose “but we’re having lotsa fun!”

Rarity sighed exasperatedly “You’re a lightweight, Miss Sparkle. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

Twilight stood up, and was hit with vertigo. “I wanna take you to bed too, Rarityyyyy…..” she whined, being lead to the door by her escort.

Despite the younger unicorn’s protests, they were on the trail to the everfree in no time at all. Twilight swayed back and forth, giggling, until she fell over.

“Uwahhh, everything’s sideways-y Rarity, wha’s up with that?”

Rarity tried, and failed, to help Twilight up, and decided instead to pick her up in her magic. Twilight groaned at this, and Rarity shushed her softly, and started the walk back to their house.

“Oh, Twilight,” Rarity whispered to herself. “I want you to be mine forever…”
Twilight mumbled something unintelligible to herself, and, looking back, Rarity found that the mare was softly sleeping. Shaking her head, and chucking, Rarity walked the way home, her Twilight in tow.