Author's Note

And the second, "bad" ending - or is it a new beginning?

Anybody interested in seeing what might happen with Diamond and Brick in the future? Or, for that matter, anything else involving this world?

Ending 2: The Last Dance

“...I’m sorry. I wish I could, but at least right now, I just… I can’t go back to that.” Silver Spoon sighed and shook her head.

Diamond Tiara smiled gently and leaned in to hug Silver.

“I get it. I wish it was different, but I’ll be okay just being friends again. I’ve missed you so much.” The pink mare wiped her eyes discreetly while Silver couldn’t see, leaning back once she’d gotten a hug in return.

“I won’t say it’s impossible to go back to more, but I will say you shouldn’t hold out for it,” Silver told her. “Thanks for understanding.”

“Silver Spoon, there’s nothing to understand. I treated you like property, and you deserve so much better.”

“I never thought I’d hear you say that. Not and mean it.”

“Oh, don’t get me wrong,” Diamond chuckled. “When we go back out, I’m probably going to hit the bar and get tanked. Can we meet up and talk again tomorrow, maybe? We’ve got so much to catch up on.”

“Sure.” Silver smiled and nuzzled her cheek gently. “So… you did pay for a private show. Still want it?”

“Want it?” Diamond laughed. “I’d love it. You’re as gorgeous as ever, and I think you move better than you ever did when we were younger. But I have to say no.”

“I get it. Honestly? I think it’s better too. I’ll figure out how much you should get back for the extra time -”

“You split it with Straight Up,” Diamond waved it off. “I’ve gotten more than my bits worth already, talking to you again.”

Silver shrugged, not bothering to mention that she wasn’t the one who’d benefit from the tip. No need to start a fight when everything was going so well.

“Your call, Di. I should probably get back out on the floor, unless you want to talk more? We do a lot of that back here too, I just don’t know if it’s….”

“Yeah, really not the best context for catching up,” Diamond agreed as she stood up. “I’ll keep an eye out for anypony who gets too grabby out there.”

“Keep an eye on your drink, Di,” Silver chuckled. “Brick keeps an eye out for grabby hooves just fine.”

“Will do.”

Silver gave Diamond another hug, lingering against her and heaving a deep sigh before she left, leaving Diamond alone with the bartender.

“You want something a little stronger, Miss?” Straight Up asked her diplomatically.

“How about a Long Island? And will this cover the tab?” She added, putting down two small emeralds.

“Nicely, Miss Rich. If you’d like, I can bring you your drink at the main bar, unless you’d rather stay back here?”

“Probably better if I stick around other ponies and give you the room back; thanks for bringing the drink out though.”

“Not a problem, Miss.” Straight Up started mixing her drink with a nod towards the door. “And if it’s any consolation, it does sound like you’re a better pony these days. From what Silver’s told us, this conversation would have ended much worse if you weren’t.”

“That’s what scares me,” Diamond admitted as she started out to the main floor. One of the bouncers gave her a polite nod as she stepped out, turning to head further down the hallway as though he was normally supposed to be waiting outside the private rooms. Diamond smiled faintly and returned to the main floor, and the bar waiting there to help her ignore the pain of finally having that last connection cut.

Friends. Just friends.

As she sat down, Straight Up floated her Long Island out to her, offering a welcome distraction. She took a sip, letting the mix of flavors wash over her tongue and trying to identify the different ingredients. There was something extra in it, that she couldn’t quite make out, but it added a nice touch.

“We have an oolong infused vodka that we use for the house signature,” the bartender explained before Diamond could ask. He was a stocky earth pony with a rusty red coat and a brighter mane trimmed into a neat crew cut. It was hard to place his age, but older than most of the staff Diamond had seen here,that much she was sure of. Closer to the middle-aged pony at the door.

“Well, it works out nicely,” Diamond said agreeably. She sat her drink down and turned around on the bar stool. There was something about the bartender that kept drawing her eyes back to him while she tried to spot Silver on the floor. She couldn’t quite place it… his muzzle was a little more rounded, maybe? Probably the result of one too many hooves to the face, judging by the muscles on his forelegs and the way he was scanning the floor for any trouble. Moonlighting as one of the door ponies, she guessed.

“Hey, Brick, another round for the Whinnyapolis table,” one of the waiters said as he floated a tray onto the bar. “Maybe watered down a little; one of the delegates is getting surly.”

“The one with the ear-flaps?” Brick checked, getting a nod in response. “Thought she might. I’ll take this round over, have a word with her.”

“Try not to scare ‘em off?” The waiter pleaded. “They’re good tippers, and I think Ear-Flaps has a thing for Garter, don’t want to ruin his shot if she sobers up and cools down.”

“I’ll try,” Brick promised diplomatically, already pouring a round of shots and getting ready for his ‘other job.’

“Pony watching?” A lilac unicorn mare with streaks of blue and yellow through her white mane asked as she moved a few stools closer to Diamond.

“One in particular,” Diamond admitted, spotting Silver Spoon at the table with the awkward stallion from earlier. Silver was clearly flirting with him, running her tail up and down his side.

“Oooh, got a crush?” The mare asked, pushing Diamond’s drink closer towards her with the tip of her own tail. “Good luck with that one, I haven’t been able to get more than a tail dance out of her. She’s good though!”

Diamond’s head swivelled to her new visitor like she’d just been grabbed by the muzzle.

“A tail dance?”

“What she’s doing over there for Mister Virgin,” she explained, nodding back towards the table Silver was at, where Silver had progressed to practically molesting the stunned stallion with her tail while his table-mates cheered her on.

“Wow,” Diamond murmured. “Never watched that stuff when I’ve been here before.”

“Oh, sweetie, you’re missing half the fun! Name’s Lilac, by the way. Don’t forget your drink, you pay enough for them here.”

“Diamond,” the earth pony replied absently, picking up her drink and taking a sip. She noticed Brick delivering his tray of drinks and speaking to one of the ponies at the table, a distinctly tipsy mare she remembered seeing while visiting a factory in Whinnyapolis. “So what’s the other half of the fun?” She asked curiously.

“Getting one yourself, of course!” Lilac giggled and played her tail along Diamond’s flank lightly. “Amazing what an earth pony can do with her tail. Though I imagine you already know that!”

Diamond blushed, feeling the heat in her cheeks spreading through the rest of her body as she swallowed her drink.

“I might have an idea or two,” she giggled, flashing a smile at Lilac.

Well, Diamond, you’re back on the market now… could certainly do worse than her!

She took another sip from her drink, turning to more fully face the unicorn as she made up her mind.

“So, were you just commenting, or offering?” She asked as she twined her tail around to brush against Lilac’s.

“Well, I’m not a professional, but I’ve picked up a thing or two,” Lilac grinned.

“Feel like teaching me?”

“I think she feels like backing off,” Brick growled as he stepped up to the two mares. “Miss Tiara, please put down your drink.”

“Uhm, getting too touchy?” Diamond asked, leaning back and doing as she was told. She wrapped her tail under herself, suddenly conscious of her arousal.

“Miss, we’re in a strip club, and you don’t work here. We’ve got some pretty lenient rules on touching. But what we aren’t lenient on is when somepony slips something into a drink that isn’t theirs.”

“You’ve got to be- Diamond,” Lilac scoffed, “you’ve been sitting here the whole time, did you see me put anything in your drink?”

“Then finish it,” Brick cut in before Diamond could say anything. “Do that, and both your tabs are on me tonight.”

“This is ridiculous,” Lilac snorted. “Diamond, do you believe this?”

“Why are you accusing Lilac of doing something like that?” Diamond frowned as she looked at the bouncer, glancing from him to her drink.

“I’ll show you.” Brick nodded back over his shoulder, towards the restroom, and started walking that way.

“Let’s just get out of here,” Lilac said quietly, leaning in close. “I think he’s just on some sort of power trip.”

“Just going to get this over with, then we’ll take advantage of that free bar tab,” Diamond winked, getting up to follow Brick towards the club’s unisex restroom.

Why didn’t she just finish the drink? Diamond thought to herself as she hurried to follow the bouncer. But shouldn’t I be feeling more than just buzzed and turned on if she put something in it?

Brick held the door open while Diamond stepped in, keeping a hoof out to hold it open.

“Look in the mirror,” he told her. “At your eyes.”

Diamond looked at him, then at the mirror, and saw what he was talking about almost immediately; a shimmering rainbow iridescence mingled with the blue of her irises.

“Stupid!” She hissed at herself, stamping the floor with a hoof. She jumped back as the tile beneath her hoof cracked under the impact, pressing into Brick’s chest.

“Careful, your magic’s on overdrive,” the older pony warned her. “It’s called ‘zap,’ kind of like distilled magic. Just try not to get too wound up, I’ll make sure you’re okay until you come down from it. Stay close, and try not to get distracted by anypony making a pass at you. It also tends to put your sex drive on full blast.”

Brick led the way back onto the floor, looking to see if ‘Lilac’ was still there. Her stool was empty, of course, and the bartender was watching Brick expectantly.

“The bitch ever comes back, I’m throwing her out on her flank personally,” Brick growled as they reached the bar again. “Put her on the ban list, permanently. I’ll put down money she’s been behind the other zappings the last few months.”

“Yessir,” the pegasus at the counter nodded. “Are you feeling okay, Miss?” He asked Diamond gently.

“Just feeling like an idiot,” she muttered.

“Keep an eye on her while I find the boss, okay?” Brick asked. “I need to let her know we’ve found our culprit, and that I’m going to be making sure nopony tries to get out of line with Miss Rich.”

The bartender nodded, and Brick walked off towards a side office. Diamond sighed, tucking her tail under her haunches and taking a seat, blushing brightly.

“Is it normal for me to feel like I’m in heat on this stuff?” She asked.

“Yeah, that’s why it gets used the way it does. Magic boost, makes you randy as Tartarus, and a whole bunch of problems that get worse if you keep using it,” he explained, noticeably breathing through his mouth rather than his nose. “Hell of a party drug, without really stopping your brain from working, so it’s kind of in a weird spot at a lot of clubs. We’re fine with it if everypony knows what they’re taking, but if you don’t? That’s when ponies need someone to make sure they don’t do anything they regret.”.

“Which I could probably use right now,” Diamond muttered. “Honestly, you and Brick are starting to look pretty good, and I don’t usually like stallions. No offense,” she added quickly.

“None taken,” he chuckled. “I don’t go for mares myself. And Brick’s safe, total pro. Never seen him make a move, on a customer or employee.”

“That’s good to hear. Is he going to get in trouble for deciding to foalsit me?”

“Not as much as I’d get in if I didn’t and something happened to you,” Brick answered as he came back over. “Don’t worry about it. It happened on my watch, I’m going to make sure you’re okay.”

“Honestly, I should probably just get back to my hotel. Even with the rain, it’s not that far away. How long does this last?”

“Hard to tell without knowing how big a dose you actually got before I stopped you, but probably an hour, maybe two. If you want to get back to your room, no problem. I’ll walk you there, unless you’d rather take a cab?”

A cab might be a good idea… enclosed space, spend the ride snuggled up against - stop that, Tiara! She scolded herself mentally, blushing brightly beneath pink fur as she shook her head.

“I think walking’s the better idea. Thank you.” Diamond stood up, tail still tucked between her legs as they walked to the coat check.

She was aware that Brick was trying to breathe the same way the bartender had been, the better to avoid taking in more of her scent. At the same time, as she pulled on her coat, she also noticed his eyes stopped darting around the club for a moment, instead taking a good look at the young mare’s body as she stretched her forelegs into the sleeves.

Maybe she did so a little more slowly than was strictly necessary. Maybe.

It wasn’t her fault, after all, it was the fake heat burning under her tail.

Brick led the way out of the club, having pulled on a rain poncho from behind the counter. Looking both ways, checking who was watching the door and making sure that Lilac wasn’t lurking nearby, he stepped out and said something to the door pony. Diamond was more focused on her own thoughts than on what he was saying.

Well, those and Brick’s flank. Well-muscled, but toned, like Applejack’s back home. Not quite as blocky as Big Mac’s, but then, it was hard for most ponies to match up to the massive stallion.

“Miss Rich?” Brick’s voice drew her out of her head long enough to realize he’d said something that she’d missed. “I was wondering what hotel you were staying at?”

“Oh! I’m sorry, the Pelham-Savoy.”

“Not just a name, I guess! Well, it’s not too far, so let’s get going.”

The two earth ponies started down the sidewalk, side by side, Brick taking whichever side was closer to the buildings beside them.

“You can smoke, if you’d like,” he said after a few minutes, “it doesn’t bother me.”

“Not if I’m going to keep up with you!” Diamond laughed.

Brick slowed his pace a little, still keeping an eye out.

“So, how’d things go with Sil? Obviously didn’t go that badly, since there wasn’t any shouting, screaming, or one of you running out of the club in tears.”

“Better than I expected, but not as well as I’d hoped,” Diamond shrugged. “I won’t be haunting the club every night any more though! Or making you guys worry about how I’ll behave.”

“Appreciate it. I didn’t think you’d go off, but exes are always touch and go. Picked up a few scars from a couple of them over the years.”

“Care to show me?” Diamond blurted out before she could think better of it. She slapped her wet hoof up against her mouth, ducking her head bashfully. “Sorry, that was out of line.”

“I thought you were only into mares?” Brick chuckled.

“So did I, while I was dating Silvy,” Diamond admitted. “Turns out I have a pretty specific type. Unfortunately, that type has always either been my therapist, married, or had serious boundary issues.”

“A little possessive and over-controlling?”

Diamond winced, shaking her head.

“No, my life isn’t that ironic. Just the usual ‘want to do things in bed I don’t’ crap. Since I wasn’t really that invested, I wasn’t about to force myself.”

“Fuck ‘em,” Brick snorted. “Half my job is throwing assholes like that onto the street.”

“Yeah, well… sometimes I think they had a point,” Diamond admitted. “How many mares draw the line at getting mounted, especially when they’re not in heat?”

“I knew one back when I was starting out,” Brick shrugged. “Your line, your business.”

“I know,” Diamond sighed, self-consciously pressing her thighs together. “The idea of having a stallion in me like that usually just makes me… eugh!” She shuddered, shaking off the rain in the process. “But with that zap stuff, I’m almost willing to give it a shot… which I probably shouldn’t be telling you.”

“Well, the good news is, you’re telling a stallion who can’t take advantage of the information,” Brick chuckled as they turned onto the block leading to the hotel.

“Only into stallions?” She guessed. Brick laughed and shook his head.

“No, I just don’t have the equipment to cross that line even if I wanted to.”

Diamond stopped for a moment, the gears in her head turning as she processed the flip admission and everything else she’d noticed during the evening.

“You mean you’re a-”

“Trans, not a mare,” Brick cut her off, turning to face her. “Been living as a stallion for the last… twenty, thirty years.”

“Huh.” Diamond flicked her tail unconsciously beneath her coat. “Well, you’re a handsome one, at least as far as I’m concerned. I… do have some extra energy to work off from that drink, if you’d like to help me with that?” She trotted up alongside him again, the two of them moving under the awning of the Pelham-Savoy. The bellhop at the door gave Brick an appraising look as the two earth ponies stepped inside, but apparently decided that any violations of the dress code weren’t worth bringing up with a pony half-again his size.

“Tell you what,” Brick smiled as they rode the elevator up to Diamond’s room. “If you’re still interested after these are back to normal?” He pointed at Diamond’s eyes, still covered with a faint rainbow sheen. “Then stick your head out the door and ask me again. If not, conversation never happened, no hard feelings.”

They stepped off the elevator, and Diamond led the way to her room, taking off her coat and hat in front of it after she opened the door with her room key.

“I’ll see you in a few hours then.” She smiled, taking Brick’s poncho. “When you have to come get this from the shower rack before you leave,” she added innocently, stealing a quick nuzzle against the rust-colored stallion’s neck before disappearing into her room.

Tonight could have gone better… but I think it’s time to move on, she decided.

Until then, she’d just have to find some way to entertain herself… and keep her erstwhile bodyguard on the other side of the door from losing interest.