The sky darkened over Maretime Bay, the library closing for the day. Amber and Misty stepped outside together, walking side by side through the streets of Maretime Bay.

Amber filled the air with her chatter about the library. But Misty's mind was on other things. She pointed down a street. "I think we should go this way, um, today."

"Really?" Amber peeked down the road, seeing nothing unusual about it. "If you like." She took the turn pointed out to her. "Not the usual path I take, but nothing wrong with it. And I have good company doing it."

Misty smiled at that, her ears going flat with a nervous laugh. "I'd hoped you thought so. I like spending time with you, too. I'm glad you took my offer. I was, well, a little scared you might not." She stopped and twirled. "Ta da!" She pointed to an eatery with her best smile. "They have fresh fish straight from the docks to your plate, or so their ads say."

Amber's ears perked up, a happy little sound coming from her throat. "Ooh. I've never eaten there. This will be nice." She trotted over, looking back to Misty. She saw some writing beneath the menu posted at the door. "Oh, you need an appointment to eat here outside lunch hour."

Misty smiled confidently. "That I have." She trotted right past Amber. "Let's enjoy our meal, Amber." She opened the doors, walking inside. She held the door for Amber to trot right past.

The restaurant was lit by soft lamps in each corner and in the center of the tables, their lights giving off a soft golden glow. It seemed only half the seats had ponies, leaving plenty of room to sit down and not feel crowded. Amber had barely floated her menu into view when a waiter approached at an energetic walk. "Welcome! How can I help you two delightful mares this evening? May I suggest the bream? Practically melts in your mouth, it's so good."

Amber cleared her throat. "Yes, please. I'll have your bream."

Misty nodded. "Same for me."

The waiter nodded and trotted off.

Misty and Amber sat in silence, staring at each other with shy smiles. Misty coughed into a hoof. "Um." She shrank a bit. "We're both adult ponies. Right? But we're both." She worried her hooves together. "New at this kinda thing. How about we give each other a pass and just pretend we're really good at this dating thing?"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Amber nodded eagerly, her ears flat. "It's like a game, then." Her ears perked up and her smile returned. "I'm good at board games." Her magic went to her side, drawing out a little game to spread on the table. "A travel board game. You try to make words out of the letters you get, see?"

Misty leaned in to study the rules on the back. "Oh. That looks fun." She drew her letters in front of her, studying them with a critical eye. "What do I have to work with here." She floated a few letters out onto the board. "Dog! They're so cute. Woof!"

Amber laughed at the mental image of Misty somehow being a frilly-maned dog. "Very cute. Let me see." She examined the letters before her and played a word of her own, connecting to the G of DOG. "Game."

"Perfect." Misty looked up from the game, meeting Amber's eyes. "Would you ever get a pet?"

"As part of a game?" Amber snickered at her own joke. "But a pet? I never really thought about it. They'd have to be a pet that's good around books, or they'd be lonely most of the day, and that'd be sad."

Misty nodded along. "Yeah. Pets deserve love too. Just like anypony."

"Or anycreature." Amber played another word. "Cute." She grinned. "I'm doing well at this."

Misty snorted softly. "Yeah, you're really good." She tapped her chin, considering when a plate landed in front of her, making her jump.

"Didn't mean to startle you." The waiter placed Amber's before her. "Would you like a drink with that? I suggest a white as a delightful match for any fresh catch."

Amber nodded. "Sounds great. I'll try a white."

"Red, please." Misty rubbed her hooves together with excitement. "It smells amazing."

"It does." Amber and Misty turned their attention to the food in front of them. For a moment, there was nothing but pleased sounds from the good food, joined shortly by fine drinks. Amber nodded at Misty. "You picked a really nice place."

Misty blushed and looked away. "I just wanted it to be memorable." She gestured around. "And it's not crowded, so we could be alone."

Alone. That made Amber stare blankly. With a pop, her book on dating tips appeared next to her and she read furiously a moment. "Oh, yes, of course. As two courting ponies, alone is a good thing to be." She clopped her hooves together with a nod that was a little too firm. "I meant to ask, um. Technically, I am kinda your boss? Are you alright with that?"

Misty blinked slowly at that. "I didn't think of that. Um, yes? You're great to me, and you care and you're so nice. I like being around you." Misty rolled a hoof. "I figured I worked more for the city. You're just a, what, supervisor. You keep me on track, and I try to return the favor."

"You're very much appreciated." Amber's cheeks colored, and she coughed into her hoof. "And this has been lovely. I'd like to do it again sometime. Would you?"

Misty considered before she considered her considering. "I don't mean to keep you waiting. Of course I want to do more with you. They don't have to be all the same thing though. Um, oh! Next time, you pick. We can take turns." She sipped from her glass. "The important part is we're together."

Amber's hoof touched the page she was reading, but she closed it and shoved it back where it came from, along with the travel game. "You're right. I don't think these books are very accurate at this point." She tucked the book of dating tips aside. "I'm just nervous, you know? I don't want to mess this up. You seem like a nice mare, and I don't want to scare you away by messing it all up."

"I'm nervous too, remember? I said we can do that. Messing up." She winked. "We're both new at this, and I want to try and make it work." Misty reached across, resting her hoof closer to Amber than herself. "Amber, if you'd like, I want to be your special pony. I'll be yours, um, if you want?"

"I think I do." Amber's hoof touched Misty's, the contact making them both smile.

With that line shattered, the two having become marefriends, the meal passed with far less tension and more smiles on either side. Afterward, they stepped into the night with the moon lighting their path and each other's faces. Their hooves touched together and coming apart, not daring to go further than that, but promising more.

They waved at one another with a mutual call of good night.

***

Allura tapped at the locked gate. "The ponies don't seem to want anyone lurking about after hours.

Twitch hopped up and down with a few fresh gibbers.

"Yes, I could jump over." Allura rolled her eyes. "But the stones only seem to come out when the park is open, and full of those ponies. We'll have to come back when they're enjoying themselves.

Twitch made a hopeful noise.

"Ugh, yes." Allura slumped. "You can do the teacup ride." Even as Twitch rejoiced, she stalked away from the boardtrot. "I don't see what you get out of these juvenile distractions."

Twitch tried to explain to her, yammering and waving wildly in pantomime of the various forces one felt on any of those ride, the fun race.

"I can get that with a good jump." She purred at the thought. "A challenging leap one lands perfectly? That's a rush, and gets you somewhere you want to be. Those rides race around getting you nowhere. It's hardly the same thing."

Twitch huffed. "Yeah, but it's FUN." Twitch crossed their arms, looking annoyed.

Allura blinked down at the bunny. "For you, perhaps. You enjoy your ride." She put a paw on his head, spreading his ears as she rubbed her small minion/friend. "I will seek my own diversions, when I require them."

Twitch looked away from her, but his irritation faded, and he let himself be ruffled. He grumbled something about Allura needing more relaxation.

"Hm, perhaps." Allura smirked at the bunny, "But I have a pressing matter to attend to. If we can get those shards back together, I could get home. That's more important than any amount of teacup rides." With a lash of her tail, she prowled towards her icy cave. "Now, come. I need a plan to steal those shards from beneath the ponies noses."

***

Comforting's eyes lifted from what she was reading to examine Toots' doing much the same thing. "What are you reading?"

Toots glanced at his book and back to her. "This? Just a little number on what's legal and how on the construction of beachside attractions."

Comforting blinked. "That's awfully specific." A smile spread on her face. "You have a plan in mind? Care to share?"

Toots cleared his throat, looking a little embarrassed. "I wanted to make an ice skating rink, you know? That's a cool attraction."

Comforting nodded. "That sounds like it'd be fun. I haven't gone skating in what feels like forever." In her mind, she could envision the time she went with eager younger creatures. "That was a lot of fun. You want to put it by the beach?"

Toots bobbed his head. "I was thinking that. It should be fun. The unicorns and earth ponies can skate, Pegasi, well." He made a fluttering wing motion. "I'm not sure if they'd get the same kick out of it. Maybe? We'll find out. But yeah. With the boardtrot right there, it's already the place ponies go to for physical game. A rink next to it would fit right in."

Comforting nodded along. "I'm sure the ponies here would love that." She tapped the floor. "Why do you have the book though? Do you think there will be problems?"

"Just covering my bases." He snapped the books hut between his hooves. "I'm making sure there won't be any before I dig my hooves in and try to get to work. I have to talk to Sunny and her friends. They have dibs on the boardtrot, and trying to move in next to them without asking feels rude."

"It would be. You're putting me in a room with someone else without asking first." She giggled. "You don't seem like the kind of stallion who doesn't ask."

He rubbed the back of his head, looking guilty. "I try not. Uh, then after all that, I get to toss it past the city. The city has the bits to make this work. Me? I do not. Before you ask, I don't want you pulling from your infinite bit vault. No cheating!"

Comforting raised her hooves. "Alright, alright! I've been scolded!" She giggled at his expression, her tail flicking with amusement. "I won't spend money if you don't want me to." She pulled out her phone and checked for the number. "It's not infinite though. Large, sure, but not infinite."

Toots rolled a hoof. "Go on and call her."

Comforting gave a nod and dialed the number.

The phone rang only once before a cheery voice answered, "Sunny Starscout speaking."

"Sunny, hey!" Toots turned, one hoof holding his phone up. "I was thinking of a really fun thing for next to the boardtrot."

"Oh, really? What do you have in mind, Toots?" Her voice sounded genuinely excited to hear him out.

Toots smiled. "I'd like a skating rink."

There was silence a moment.

Author's Note

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