Canterlot was home to many bars. Some of them were trendy, some of them were pricey, and some of them were little speakeasies that catered to less respectable crowds. Tonight’s venue was a mix of the three, a little locale that was hidden away in a back alley with a stern-faced pony guarding the door.
There was no signage out front that betrayed that it was a bar though word of mouth had a way of spreading in a city such as this. Regardless of its unassuming demeanour, this was apparently the trendiest place in town.
She noticed that a baron of some sorts had been rebuffed by the pony out front and the two of them were engaged in a heated argument. Or well, the baron was heated while the bouncer merely looked displeased at having to deal with him. The conversation was too far away for Rarity to hear but she could imagine that titles and contacts were being dropped, all of which fell on deaf ears.
It lasted for several long moments, until finally, the baron gave up, turning away and storming out of the alleyway in a huff. The bouncer glared at him until he was out of sight before letting out a heavy sigh and giving his head a truly tired shake. It was a situation that Rarity understood, feeling much sympathy for the stallion. After all, she dealt with plenty of clientele like that during her own history working in this city.
The baron zipped by and made sure to spare a glare in her direction, seeming angry at everything aside for himself. Rarity merely rolled her eyes at him and decided not to engage him on his own level.
Rarity felt adequately dressed for the night, wearing a fine cocktail dress that did wonders for her figure. A little make-up also accented her complexion, adding some colour to her cheeks, a fullness to her lips, and making her eyes positively sparkle. At least, that is if Coco Pommel hadn’t been selling her a bridge while doing it.
It was because of this that she felt confident drawing near to this bouncer, knowing that her wiles would carry her most of the way. “He seemed like an absolute ass.”
The bouncer snorted.
“Though I assume that in your line of work you have to deal with a fair number of asses over the course of an evening,” Rarity chided, shaking her head. “Shame that ponies can’t adhere to common decency anymore, isn’t it?”
“Talking from experience?” the bouncer asked.
Rarity smirked. “I am a seamstress and the number of wives of stallions like that who come into my shop borders on the realm of surreal. I’ll have you know that the motto of opposites attract is not at all accurate when describing the caste that these specific ponies come from.”
“Oh, don’t worry…” The bouncer shook his head, scoffing. “I’m well aware.”
Rarity smirked. “I’m Rarity.”
“Brazen Brass,” the bouncer replied, offering a thin smile.
“I was wondering if I could stop by for a couple drinks?” Rarity asked, batting her lashes at him and allowing his gaze to trace along her slender form.
Brass worked his jaw and pondered it for a moment before nodding. “You seem like the type who isn’t going to cause me any trouble.”
He stepped aside, giving access to the door behind him. It seemed so mundane, painted a green that was weathered and chipped, revealing the bare partially rotten wood that lingered underneath. If it wasn’t for the bouncer out front this door would be like any of the others in this back alley. Hell, it would’ve been like any other in this whole part of town.
Rarity nodded. “Thank you very much, darling.”
She stepped ahead and used her magic to turn the knob, finding that it wasn’t even locked.
A part of Rarity wondered if Twilight would already be here, waiting for her. The mare had always been punctual. Just like she’d always had a knack for picking strange and exotic venues to enjoy their dates at. Though she supposed that she would find out once she stepped inside.
Once through the door there was a small hallway littered with jackets and coats before ending in another door. This door was more up to snuff, painted a vibrant red with no wear or tear present. The simple design of a single green gemstone was etched into it, adding to its allure.
As Rarity had no attire to shed, she simply continued ahead. Though even before she pushed through this second door, she could hear the din of excitement taking place inside. There was the heavy murmur of conversations paired with the sound of a small jazz band playing music. It felt like something taken out of a bygone era but Rarity couldn’t help but feel a little excited by the raw atmosphere that it offered.
She pushed through the door and the noise grew louder, no longer buffered in any capacity. The air inside was heavy with the smell of bodies and cigarette smoke. And there were a ton of ponies crammed into such a small space.
Was it legal? No.
Was it exciting? Very much so.
Rarity recognized a few of the ponies present but not all of them. They seemed to be a mix of petty nobles and well-to-do professionals. She looked around and tried to spot her beloved. Thankfully, the venue was small and it didn’t take her very long to do so.
Twilight Velvet was tucked away in a little booth at the very back, looking towards a poster on the wall. She idly circled a grey hoof along the rim of her martini glass which seemed to be half finished at this point.
Rarity approached and Twilight perked up, looking towards her. The mare offered a warm smile, winking at her.
“Funny seeing you here,” Twilight teased.
Rarity smirked. “Sorry I’m late, I wasn’t exactly sure which alleyway you were referring to when you said the one next to the warehouse.” She snorted. “This district of the city seems to be littered with them.”
“But you did find it in the end,” Twilight teased.
Rarity nodded and offered a thin smile. “I just followed the train of dejected assholes that were coming from this direction.”
“The joys of a place being popular, illegal, and exciting all at once.” Twilight smirked. “Ponies are not very fond of being on the outside of something like that. Thankfully, I have a special talent for getting invitations to places like this.”
“Ah, is that what your cutie mark represents?” Rarity asked.
Twilight grinned, leering at her. “Have you been checking out my cutie mark, dear?”
On most ponies that would’ve been enough to garner a blush. Thankfully, Rarity had a little more strength of character than that, managing to resist something of that magnitude. Instead, she merely smiled and glanced off to the side, flagging down a waiter.
“Respectfully checking it out,” she quipped.
Twilight chuckled. “Still can’t believe that you have a thing for older mares.”
“And I didn’t take you for the kind of pony who liked to rob the cradle,” Rarity replied, once more returning her gaze to her companion and offering a sly little smile.
“Why not?” Twilight shrugged. “The idea was exciting and I like to act on exciting little ideas.” She snorted. “And I’ll have you know that our sordid affair is providing me with ample research for my next novel.”
“Sordid affair?” Rarity asked, cocking a brow as she tried to keep the irritation out of her voice. “I’ve slept with both you and your husband before, darling. It hardly feels like an affair if there isn’t an unknowing and potentially heartbroken party involved.”
“Please let me have a little flair in my life,” Twilight teased.
Rarity snorted. “Just as long as you make it clear that you took creative liberties in your novel. The last thing I need is to be known as a homewrecker amongst the general populace.” She noticed a waiter approach. “What do they have here?”
“Gin,” Twilight answered, not providing an ‘and’ or a follow-up.
“Gin,” Rarity repeated. The waiter finally arrived and she looked towards him. “I’d like a dirty martini, please.”
The waiter nodded and drew away, not so much as commenting on her choice.
“Didn’t take you for a girl who liked a lil gin with her olive juice,” Twilight teased.
Rarity shrugged. “Never had one before so I guess we’ll see if I like it. Gin is… an older mares’ beverage after all.”
If that barb wounded Twilight it was impossible to tell over the pleased little smile that she offered.
“I’ll have to remember that one for later,” she teased.
Rarity smirked. “Please do.”
It was strange how at ease a mare like Twilight Velvet could make her feel. She was refined and sharp, like a sparring partner turned into a lover. She was also beautiful and wise, just an excellent mare to be matched with all around.
Well excellent except for the fact that there was a little elephant lingering in the room. A silent beast that was just waiting for the right moment to stampede and ruin everything.
“So, how is my daughter doing?” Twilight asked.
Rarity shrugged. “Stressed, as usual. She’s gotten herself into quite the frenzy trying to improve her school’s lesson plans. Something about trying to cram an extra five percent of studying into the school day.”
“I do hope she is giving her pupils a chance to enjoy life just a little,” Twilight murmured, shaking her head. “Did you know that she used to study during recess?”
“Sounds like something that she would do,” Rarity teased.
Twilight nodded and looked at the poster beside herself, seemingly intrigued by a jazz band that hadn’t existed for fifty years. Though Rarity had an inkling that she might’ve been trying to avoid eye contact during a difficult conversation.
“Should we let her know?” Twilight then asked.
“About our sordid affair?” Rarity replied. She glanced to the side and watched as the waiter placed a cloudy glass of liquor in front of her. “Probably. I mean, if you’re ready, that is.”
“I mean we should probably let her know,” Twilight murmured, picking up her own glass and taking a dainty sip. “And we especially need to let her know before my next novel drops.”
“Well, I personally think that letting her find out by making it all the way to the author notes would be extremely funny,” Rarity chided as she allowed herself a cheeky little grin.
Twilight perked up and scoffed before giving her head a tired shake. “You’re awful.”
“Just a little bit…” Rarity teased as she picked up her own drink and took a sip from it. Though the taste was enough to make her recoil. “Speaking of awful.”
“Not a fan?” Twilight asked.
Rarity shook her head. “It’s like getting my mouth fucked by a salt packet.”
She didn’t like to use such crass allegories but in this case there really wasn’t a more fitting way of describing something like this. It was… unique in just how wrong it tasted.
“Would you like to trade?” Twilight teased.
Rarity nodded and watched as her companion swapped their glasses. Once the clear one was in front of Rarity, she picked it up and took a sip from it before letting out another disappointed sigh.
“I don’t think that I’m much of a fan of gin,” she grumbled.
Twilight chuckled. “Give it another decade or two.” She then turned her gaze back to Rarity. “How is your business doing?”
“Very well! I actually just landed myself a contract to design the dresses of a minor noble’s wedding party,” Rarity said, smirking. “The advance alone will be enough to finance my lifestyle for the foreseeable future. The final payment should be more than enough to maybe think about expanding operations further.”
“Thinking Manehatten?” Twilight asked.
Rarity nodded.
“I know a few landlords in the area,” Twilight commented. “Sadly, it’s not really a city where you can outright own your property but I’m sure I could convince them to cut you an advantageous rate for a boutique.”
“You don’t have to do such things for me,” Rarity teased.
Twilight shrugged. “It’s no skin off my back. I have more favours banked up than I know what to do with. So, why not help my secret lover out with her business?”
“Secret lover…” Rarity smirked and shook her head. “You’re really having too much fun with this.”
“Fun is a rare commodity at my age and I milk the few avenues that provide me with it,” Twilight teased, winking at her. “And you happen to be one of the most fruitful avenues that I have.”
Rarity smirked. “More fruitful than skydiving?”
“Okay maybe a little less fruitful than that,” Twilight chided, humming as she pondered it. “Yes, definitely less fruitful than that.”
She took a sip from her new drink. To her credit, she didn’t recoil from it, merely puckering her lips together and placing it aside. She then flagged down a waiter, clearly not happy with this development either.
Though while she waited, she once more turned her attention back to Rarity. “I really need you to design a dress for me at some point.”
Rarity looked her over, pursing her lips together as she studied her. Her analytical little brain was already churning, thinking about what patterns and colours would look good with her mane, along with what cut of the fabric and seams would go well with her figure. Though she didn’t allow her mind to linger on the subject for too long, realizing that it would leave a lull in the conversation. There was a time for work and it certainly wasn’t over drinks with a mare such as this.
“Gladly,” she said.
“So, what did you want to do tonight?” Twilight asked.
Rarity hummed, mulling it over. “Enjoy a few drinks, maybe find a place to get dinner, and then go for a walk through a nearby park? How does that sound?”
“You know I heard they opened a new Saddle Arabian place nearby and I bet their food would be absolutely delicious,” Twilight stated.
Rarity smirked. “I’ve never had it before.”
“Neither have I! That’s why I’m recommending it,” Twilight replied. “Try new things and all of that, you know?”
“Well then let’s try something new,” Rarity teased.
The waiter came back over and both of the mares ordered a pair of normal martinis.
“Did you know my grandfather ran a speakeasy during prohibition?” Twilight asked.
Rarity smirked. “Is that so?”
Twilight nodded. “Used to import Gryphon whiskey from over the border. According to him they would just leave a crate of it out in the open on their side of the forest. He’d simply walk across, drop a sack of bits on the ground, and then head home with it on his back.”
“What a bizarre period of our history,” Rarity said, shaking her head as she looked around the establishment. “And now we’re trying to recreate it.”
Twilight shrugged. “Sometimes ponies do weird things. Go figure, right?”
“Weird things like dating their best friend’s mother?” Rarity asked as she offered yet another coy little smile.
Twilight smirked right on back, winking at her. “Exactly.”
Rarity drew in a breath, feeling the cool night air enter her lungs. This wasn’t a park that she’d ever been to before, being right in the middle of a neighbourhood that she normally wouldn’t have ventured into on her own. It showed the signs of its poverty, being littered with trash and marked with minor graffiti, imperfections that wouldn’t be allowed to linger for long in the city’s more prestigious neighbourhoods.
Though maybe that was for the best. The rough edges certainly gave this area some much needed character.
“Where are we?” Rarity asked.
Twilight made her way over to the river, standing upon the edge of a bank that overlooked it. “Somewhere I’ve never been before.” She offered a thin smile. “Isn’t it thrilling to tread new ground, dear?”
Rarity snickered, feeling the gin in her system. “It really is.” She sighed and shook her head. “Why do you like to explore?”
Twilight pondered it for a moment before shrugging. “There is a whole world of experiences out there and a whole world of stories to tell. I’d been ignorant not to try and enjoy as many of them as I possibly could before I die.”
Rarity nodded.
“Like take this graffiti for example,” Twilight chided.
Rarity glanced towards it. “What about it?”
It was a simple heart done in red with an arrow pierced right through it. There were three different sets of initials around it.
“That’s the story of a polycule in love, dear. And it’s the kind of love that they wanted the world to know about,” Twilight said, shaking her head. “Probably a working-class group who is most likely young. That’s a story and one that I find interesting.”
Rarity offered a thin smile. “Wonder if it lasted?”
“I hope it did,” Twilight replied.
Rarity looked at the wall for a few more moments before drawing her attention back towards the river. It flowed so dark this late at night with not even the moon above having the strength to illuminate it.
“Makes me wish that I was young and dumb and had a can of spray paint to spare,” Rarity teased.
Twilight smirked. “If you make declarations like that around me then you are asking for some serious trouble, little filly.”
“Is that so?” Rarity asked.
Twilight nodded and let out an amused note of laughter. “I suppose I’ll have to source a can of spray paint for our next sordid date together.”
“You know these dates don’t need to be sordid,” Rarity quipped, smirking at her. “We can go public and just have regular dates. You know, like normal ponies do?”
“We could,” Twilight replied, sighing. “Though I do hate to be normal.”
Rarity snorted. “We should.”
“We should,” Twilight agreed, looking towards her. “But can we enjoy one more sordid evening together before we worry about such things?”
“I suppose that’s agreeable,” Rarity replied.
She watched as Twilight inched over, her companion smiling as she approached. There wasn’t much distance between them now, and in a few moments, there was even less. Soon, they were side by side with their hooves interlaced over top of one another.
“I’ll tell Twilight once I get back home,” Rarity said.
Twilight nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll make sure to send a letter explaining everything from me and Night Light’s point of view as well. Hopefully with our abilities combined we can manage to painlessly break the news to her.”
Rarity nodded.
And then neither of them spoke as they instead leaned in and shared a kiss, their lips coming together under a moonlit sky.
“Rarity!” Twilight Sparkle yelped, looking like she was on the brink of tears. “Are you fucking my mom?”
Rarity sighed, rubbing at her forehead. “Yes… yes I am.”
How the fuck did a letter travel faster than a pony?
Author's Note
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