Author's Note

I'm back from the ER and writing again. Enjoy!!

Part 1

It was only eight days after Twilight’s coronation, and well, other events that I’d rather not bring up, and I had been to Ponyville’s local bar three times now. Well, make that four. I walked down pathways where it wasn’t crowded, glancing to see if anypony was following me. I flinched as I came to see that castle that stood out like a sore hoof. Veering sharply to the left, my eyes met the neon sign of the bar, its pink letters flickering in the early hours of Luna’s night.

I admit, I had attempted to go into that castle to speak with the Princess, but there was a new addition to the castle’s entrance: two guards adorned in armor standing on each side of the door. Why, I asked myself, would they be put in front of her castle now? Sure, they weren’t there 24/7, but it seemed anytime I would walk over there, there they were. I shook the thought away, knowing a few shots would keep the thoughts at bay.

Entering the bar, the bartender greeted me with a brief nod. No need for introductions, of course. I sat at the barstool, and without a word, the bartender placed my usual right in front of me.

“Thank you dear,” I told him, giving him several bits. After the exchange, I downed the contents in one gulp. Not enough, of course, and he gives me another without any exchange of words. Another down my throat, and the feeling kicks in after a few minutes. The world’s sharp edges melt away, and I can feel warmth all over my body. One discovery I had made upon drinking four shots, was that a certain pony would come to me. I could feel Twilight by my side, smiling at me as if nothing happened. She’d pressed her face into my neck, whispering about how she missed me.

I flinched as another memory, more threatening than the others, played in my tipsy mind...

I jumped in front of the mirror, grinning from ear to ear at the rose red dress adorning my figure, and the rose in my mane. This night, I knew, would be one for the books. Not the kind of books that my dearest read, but rather the romance novels where’d one would kiss their lover, and make love to them in the privacy of their bed. And for me, it sent a foreign shiver throughout my body. Could you believe that after 365 days, we still hadn’t made love? Twilight didn’t usually love with her hooves or her body. No, she spoke of how beautiful I looked, how I liked each book I brought back to her library. Cuddles and kisses were saved for specific moments, and now? I’d pop a certain topic, and hopefully, she would respond favorably.

My heart skipped as I heard a knock on the door. I glanced to Stripe, whose beady little eyes whispered “good luck.” I smiled back at the plush, before opening my room door and trotting over to the boutique door. Taking a small breath, I used my magic to open the door. Twilight Sparkle, in her tux and well-done mane, was practically glowing as she stared at me. Staring at me, her eyes widened a little as she took me in. After enjoying her eyes wandering for a few moments, I stepped forward.

“Shall we?” I asked her. Twilight’s eyes finally came back to meet mine, and I giggled as I walked out of the boutique. Twilight stepped to my side, using her magic to close the door behind me as we walked through Ponyville. Finally breaking her silence, Twilight cracked a small smile.

“You look beautiful, Rarity,” Twilight told me.

I felt my heart warming up, as well as the rest of my body. I felt like my body was on fire, to the point that I barely felt the cold around us. Celestia, I almost wanted to skip dinner altogether.

The restaurant came into view, and the two of us walked inside.

After drinking another shot, I glanced over at my dear illusion: Twilight Sparkle. She smiled at me, that damn smile. No wings to remind me of what was taken away from me. Her ears flickered as she leaned closer, and close-

"Is this seat taken?"

Twilight disappeared in a poof of purple smoke, and a tall black unicorn with white dapples took her place. And I meant tall, as in the mare was at least a head taller than me. Her neck reminded me of a giraffe's; her eyes were an icy blue and she had a long, scraggly, and white mane. She turned to the bartender, saying something just barely out of earshot. He nodded, mixing two drinks together at his counter.

"Hey, are you alright?" The mare asked. "I'd buy you a drink, but it seems like you beat me to it."

"Dear, I'm f-fine," I stammered.

“If you say so,” the unicorn shrugged, turning to thank the bartender as he placed a purple martini with some green leaves around the glass. I growled at the purple shade, breaking into a cough as the unicorn tilted her head at me.

“I wouldn’t expect an Element of Harmony to hang around these parts,” the unicorn noted, leaning forward and sipping from her drink. “My name is Talia.”

“Rarity,” I broke eye contact as the bartender placed my fourth shot in front of me, only to glance at the pleasantly thick posterior of the unicorn next to me. “My, did Celestia build that body?”

“Oh?” A red tint surrounded Talia’s cheeks as her ears flattened. “I suppose I could ask you the same question.”

“As do many ponies,” I giggled. “Stallions smiling at me, paying for my drinks, doing me delivery favors. I’m not dumb, they just want to shove their cocks into me. Too bad I’m a mare’s mare, I suppose.”

“Hmm, I can understand that,” Talia nodded, halfway through her drink. “So, do you come here often?”

“Eh, I’ve been a regular,” I used my shaky magic to down the fourth shot. “Past couple of days.”

“Huh, is everything alright back at home?” Talia asked, causing my head to sober up briefly. I pressed my hooves firmly against the counter, not even trying to hide the blood boiling underneath my fur.

“That’s none of your business,” I huffed. “My, a lady would never pry like that.”

“Well,” Talia straightened up, the tiniest hint of a smile appearing on her otherwise blank expression. “I’m sorry to say that I’m not a lady.”

My heart started beating fast as my hooves no longer gripped the counter, a garden of emotions rising to the surface that I hadn’t felt since...since...

The restaurant almost felt like something out of Canterlot with its rich red walls and chandeliers hanging over several of the tables and booths. It had only been open for a few weeks now, and already the Rogue Room was lively with many ponies occupying the restaurant’s walls, chatting and laughing away as ponies clinked their glasses full of red wine. A short grey earth stallion with white splashes all over his coat approached us, his light blue eyes lit up as he stared at the both of us.

“Twilight Sparkle and Rarity?” the stallion grinned. “What an honor it is to have you both here tonight. My name is Silver Cloud, and I’ll be your waiter for this evening. Come, we have just the booth for you two.”

“Thank you dear,” I followed Silver, my heart dancing as Twilight surely had her eyes on my dashing figure as we followed the waiter to the booth in the back, the view of the night and its twinkling stars beside us as we sat down. Twilight sitting across from me, the tinted red obvious on her cheeks.

“Can I get you two anything to drink?” Silver glanced at us both. “Some red wine to start us off?”

“I would love a glass, and so would my date,” I nodded. Silver smiled, turning around and trotting out of sight.

Twilight stared at the empty table, her hooves fidgeting.

“Why, the colt forgot to give us menus!” I realized. “Well, at least we have each other’s company until he returns I suppose. Unless our Twilight Sparkle had already done her research, planning on what she wanted before we got here?”

Twilight stared at the table, and I tapped my hoof against its surface. Twilight jolted, her eyes wide as an owl as she stared back at me.

“Oh! Um, I didn’t,” Twilight admitted. “Been busy with my books, getting ready for this date. And my books-”

“Twilight, just breathe,” I placed my hoof over her own. “Tonight is the night for the two of us, and you will relax and let go for the evening with your marefriend. We’ll dine on new dishes, and talk about whatever your heart desires. How does that sound?”

Twilight’s shoulders relaxed as a small smile crept her lips, the unicorn taking several deep breaths as her blush faded away.

“That sounds lovely,” Twilight met my eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize dear,” I rubbed my hoof more firmly against her own, not even hiding the smirk from my lips. “Tonight, we can enjoy ourselves in whatever way you prefer~”

The blush returned to my marefriend’s face full-force as her mouth hung open, and I shrugged as Silver brought us our glasses of wine. Placing the menus at our tables, Silver walked away as he tended to another table. With my plans set out very clearly, I pulled my hoof away as I brought the menu close with my magical grip. Only imaging all the ways in which Twilight was squirming across from me, her menu untouched.

I smiled as I looked over the various dishes of sandwiches and pastas. The night was still young, and Twilight Sparkle would be mine that evening. I could feel it within my beating heart and unrestrained smile.