I stared at my hind legs as I swung them back and forth over the side of the bed. I was sitting in silence, waiting for Raven to come out of the restroom. The night had taken a completely random -- or I guess, not so random? -- turn. Somehow, the two of us had ended up at a "love hotel". I knew there were quite a few in Canterlot, -- the bustling town a city where privacy was incredibly hard to come by -- but I never expected to actually use one.

The room itself was fancy, to say the least. Frilly curtains blocked the outside world from seeing in through the only window against one wall. I could sense a coating of mana on them as well, aiding in the effort to put a stop to any prying eyes. From what I could sense, it was a fairly decent spell.

The posh bed I was on was decorated with numerous extravagant pillows. Nightstands were situated on either side of the head of said bed. They were made of an expensive looking marble that I wasn't familiar with. Even the carpets on the floor were made from a soft material I couldn't quite identify. The restroom was pretty much the only "practical" part of the room. Thinking about it, there was only one real reason someone would bring another pony to a place like this.

I shivered.

What is she... What could she be planning!?

I couldn't fight back the blush that kept returning to my face any time I theorized on her intentions. There was only one reason I could think of that a mare would bring another to a hotel like this, and Raven had already thrown that possibility out of the window.

...

So then why're we...?

I didn't have much time to think about it. The faucet in the shower shut off abruptly before I heard her scurrying around in the restroom. Not long after, the door swung open and the ivory unicorn strutted out. I leapt off the bed, standing to my hooves at her arrival. Her barrel was wrapped in a white towel. Her mane and tail were still moist, but not dripping. She was glistening. I was doing my best not to drool at the mere sight of her. The smile she gave me made my blush all the more fierce. She trotted over to the bed, lifting her glasses off the nightstand and placing them on her face. Somehow, my blush grew even darker.

"I'm finished, if you wanna wash up, too," she took a seat at the head of the bed. She was still smiling, though I'm not sure if it was merely out of politeness or something else entirely.

"F-for what!?" I managed to squeak out, though it came out a lot more aggressive sounding than I'd intended. I was panicking. My heart was pounding in my chest. My hooves were sweating. I was completely freaking out, and I couldn't figure out why. She hadn't even tried anything yet. "Why would I n-need to do something like that?"

"Oh you don't have to if you don't want..." she raised a playful brow, her face becoming a whole lot more seductive as she swept a hoof across the bed. "I don't mind your scent, Starlight. I just thought before we got down to... business you might want t-"

"Down to b-b-business?" I took an instinctive step backwards, my jaw quaking.

"Starlight...?" she crawled forward on the bed, reclining on her belly at the foot of it. I'd taken several more steps back due to her advance. Something was... wrong. Her questions back at the restaurant had put me into a different state of mind. I wasn't myself.

Or maybe... this is who I really am...

"Wh-what!?" I stood my ground, but she had to be able to see me shaking. I didn't know what to do. I felt way too vulnerable at the moment and her intense gaze wasn't helping.

...

"You're just a filly... aren't you, Starlight?" her smile softened. She almost looked like...

Focus, Starlight!

I understood what she meant. I knew for a fact she wasn't trying to offend me or anything like that. In spite of knowing that, I still chose to act like a foal. It was the only defense I could muster at the moment.

"What is that supposed to mean!?" I growled. My faux aggression didn't have the desired effect on her. She simply sighed.

...

"Well... what it means is..." She hopped off of the bed and walked towards me. She tossed the towel away, the action somehow making me even more hot than I already was. "You talk a pretty big game, but..." As she got directly in my face I couldn't help but flinch. My heart was doing somersaults. "If I were to do something like... this..." she dipped her head, her lips drifting dangerously close to mine. As soon as I felt her warm breath brush against my skin I teleported to the other side of the room. "You'll run away." She giggled before turning to face me.

I was breathing heavily, my horn still shining brightly with cyan energy. For some reason, I really wasn't feeling my typical self anymore. Normally, I'd be able to fight back, but right now, her tactics were overwhelming me.

"So!" I tried to be firm, but my heart just wasn't in it. "I'm nervous! AND!?"

"Have you ever kissed anyone before, Starlight?" she was stalking towards me again, a grin on her lips. I was on the back hoof, my withers colliding with the wall almost instantly.

"What!? Of c-course I have!" I was forced to look away from her. "If you could've seen what I did with some of my toys, you wouldn't be..." She stopped moving forward, her smile becoming overbearing. "I'M SERIOUS, RAVEN!"

"Whatever you say, Starlight," she shrugged, but her smile remained just as smug. It sent me over the edge.

"SO WHAT!" I snapped at her. My blush was back, but for completely different reasons than before. "SO WHAT IF I HAVEN'T! YOU'RE RIGHT! I'VE NEVER KISSED ANYONE! I'M NOT..." the flame that was my rage dwindled down into a flickering candle. "I've never... I'm..." My head fell. It was beyond embarrassing.

"Starlight..." It was obvious she wanted to do something, but she stayed where she was, respecting my personal space. It made me happy, but...

...

I can't just sit here and stay quiet.

That would be really pathetic.

"How did you figure it out?" I didn't lift my head. I couldn't.

She walked back over to the bed, taking a seat on it at its foot.

"Have you ever heard the saying; 'it takes one to know one'?"

My head shot up. There was a pleasant smile on her face. I was instantly suspicious, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"...You can't actually be serious." I walked over to the bed as well. "You're so..."

...

"Old?" she tilted her head, holding back a laugh. "I'm only about ten years older than you are, Starlight," she let the giggle out.

"Well, I was going to say beautiful, but..." I took a seat next to her. "How is that even possible, Rave? You've... you've got it all." My utter disbelief made her laugh once again. A happy smile came to her lips when she finally finished.

"It's just... never happened, I guess?" she sighed, though it was one of contentment. "Working for the princess will do that, I suppose. Like I said, I have way too much on my plate for something so..."

"Trivial?" I smirked.

"If you want to put it like that," she shrugged. "I just haven't had the time. Ever. Making sure Equestria is safe and sound for its citizens is a lot more important to me than my love life."

...

I got a wicked idea.

"Is that why you brought me here?" I placed a hoof on her thigh, rubbing it gently. She looked at me, a little surprised by my sudden change in pace, but not offended at all. "Did you want to... exchange cards?"

"Glad to see you're already back to your old self," she gently patted my hoof with her own. "And before I forget, thank you. I'm flattered you'd even consider coming on to someone like me."

"Someone like you?" I removed my hoof, chuckling a bit. "No. Just you. You might be a little older than me, but you really do have it all, Rave."

Mostly... your life not in complete shambles like...

...

But not just that.

I looked her up and down. Sun and Rarity came to mind immediately, but Raven was clearly no slouch herself, especially when one considered her age.

"Do you really think so?" she looked down at herself, clearly not believing me. "I don't really see it."

"Trust me," I prodded her in the side with a hoof, drawing a squeak from her as she jumped in surprise. "I know a hot mare when I see one."

"If you say so..." she smiled warmly at me. "If you say it, then I'll believe you."

"You're a hot mare, Raven Inkwell," I laughed, lying down onto my back. "Now, if you didn't bring me here to 'have fun' with me, what are we here for?"

"You haven't figured that out yet?" She laid back right next to me. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised you haven't caught on."

"Forgive me for being a little distracted. You were kind of waving this..." I pressed a hoof into her flank. I was surprised to find she didn't move an inch at my taunting this time. "around in my face the whole night."

"Is that what I was doing?" She turned my way.

Even now.

She really is beautiful.

"I don't think that's what I was doing," she took off her glasses with her telekinesis.

"I'm... pretty sure..." Staring into her breathtaking hazel eyes. Lying next to her in bed. I don't know what was wrong, but I felt... strange.

So... hot. Why am I so....?

"Trust me, Starlight." She was on top of me in a second, her body pinning me down onto the bed. Her forelegs were on either side of my neck, her waist flush with mine. She lowered her head, her mouth right next to my head. Once again, I felt her hot breath on me. I couldn't focus at all this time, her scent making my mind go blank.

Oh... c-crap.

There was no way I was going to be able to do anything to get away from her. I was completely at her mercy and the look on her face made it abundantly clear she was aware of that.

"If I really wanted to seduce you," she whispered before nibbling on my ear gently. An amorous moan managed to escape my mouth unbidden. I slapped my hooves over my mouth as quickly as I could, a look of utter embarrassment coming to my face. She just laughed, jumping off of both me and the bed. "You'd be throwing yourself at my hooves, Glimmer."

"Rave, what're you-" I shot up, looking at her like she'd just taken away one of my brand new toys. "You cant just-" Her smile was larger than I'd ever seen on a creature. I was barely convinced it was real. It brought to mind images of a particular cat I'd read about in a fairytale when I was a foal.

OH CRAP!

"You... you got me?" I could hardly believe it.

She got me!

"Indeed, I did," she took a bow, flourishing a foreleg before draping it across her belly. She laughed like a pleased filly. "I'm a pretty fast learner, don't you think?"

I underestimated her.

Again.

I had to turn away from her, had to cool down. My heart was still racing and looking at her beautiful form wasn't helping me in my struggle to slow it down.

If she'd have kissed me right then, I'd have...

I wasn't sure if I would have been able to stop her... or myself.

She was scary. She was VERY scary.

...

"Starlight?"

"It makes sense that Celestia hired you." I took several deep breaths. Calming down was proving to be extremely difficult.

"Meaninnnng?"

"Meaning you're a lot more capable than I gave you credit for," I admitted reluctantly.

"Aaaand?" she continued to press.

"And what, Rave?" I flopped forward onto my belly, groaning as I buried my face in one of the pillows. "What else do you want from me?"

"Well..." I heard her slowly approaching the bed once again. "Giving you a nice little backrub sounds good to me."

"Rave," I huffed desperately. She was not helping AT ALL. "You already beat me. No more teasing, okay?"

"That's what I wanted to hear," she slapped me hard on the rump with a hoof. I couldn't hold in the squeal, the intense heat that had almost completely subsided spread throughout my body once again.

"RAVE!?" I glared at her, baring my teeth. "If you're not gonna do anything about... THIS..." I pointed a hoof at myself. "You need to stop!" I planted my face back into the pillow, doing my best to focus again and calm down. I was beyond frustrated, but I had to do my best not to smile at her aggressiveness.

"Sorry, Starlight," she giggled sitting beside me on the bed. "I can see why you do stuff like this so much... It's a LOT of fun."

Not right now, it's not.

...

Not for ME, at least.

...

Not unless...

"Hey, Rave? Do you wanna... y'know... follow through?" I turned to look at her, my eyes pleading with her. Her face softened, a look of what I could only say was pity overtaking her.

"Starlight..." she laid down next to me. "You're so very pretty." She lifted a hoof, placing it on my head. "I know that's not really what you want, is it?"

"It... It is!" I felt so very... small.

She leaned towards me and kissed me on the forehead.

"You're just confused, Starlight," she looked me in the eyes. She stayed close.

"C-confused?" I stared back, now absolutely bewildered. There was no longer any heat inside of me. There were no more feelings driving me towards her. Something had changed. Something had shifted and once again, I didn't know what.

What is she talking about?

"I'm sorry, Starlight," she offered me a pathetic smile. "I shouldn't have taken things so far."

"It's okay, Rave!" I shook my head slightly, still not quite understanding what was going on. "Really! You didn't do anything wr...."

That's when I felt the first tear slide down my cheek. Then, the second came.

Am I...

I couldn't believe it. I didn't even feel sad.

She scooted even closer, wrapping a foreleg around me.

And that's when the dam broke.

I sobbed.

I told her everything.

Author's Note

Merry Christmas, all!

Hope you have a good one!

Also, if you haven't seen it yet, I posted a longer video on my YouTube.