He led the six mares through a few rows, passing tables and booths. They all stopped in one of the corners, and the maitre’d lay six menus on the checkerboard covered table.

“Your waiter will be with you all very shortly. Enjoy your dinner, everypony.”

He retrograded, allowing the mares to sit in the booth. Once situated, he bowed to them before trotting away, returning to his post.

The six mares chatted amicably with each other for a few minutes. They were deep in conversation when an Earth Pony stallion appeared in front of their booth. He was dressed in a red dress-shirt and black khakis. He wore the same dress shoes the maitre’d had.

“Hello, everypony. Good evening and thank you for choosing Piero's Pasta Parlor and Pizzeria. My name is Table Turner and I’ll be your server this evening.

The six mares smiled politely at their waiter and Pinkie’s attention quickly resumed to the mariachi band, now playing an oompah tune. Her head bobbed to the rhythm.

“May I start you all off with a beverage?”

“Cider please!” AJ and Rainbow said simultaneously.

“A glass of your finest cabernet sauvignon, please.” Rarity quipped.

“A hot chamomile tea, um, if you don’t mind, please.” Fluttershy meekly said.

“Ooh! A chocolate milkshake, please! The frothiest and totally chocolatey-rific one you can make!” Pinkie Pie gleefully inputted.

“Coffee would be perfect, please. With a few cream packets.” Twilight stated.

Table Turner wrote down the beverage order on his notepad and nodded to the six mares. He swiveled on his hoof and trotted away.

“Cabernet sauvignon, Rarity? Really?” Twilight questioned, raising an eyebrow at the choice.

“But of course, darling. A glass of wine on occasion does wonders. Nothing wrong with indulging in the finest things in life.”

“I know. I’ve just never seen you touch alcohol before. Even when Applejack sells her fermented cider, you’re never in the queue to purchase any.”

“True! I’m a more sophisticated mare, Twilight. I don’t mean to sound crude, as I know many ponies enjoy that beverage, but wine is the champion of liquor. I’m an oenophile, darling. There’s nothing more enjoyable than enjoying a lovely bouquet of wine.”

Rainbow and AJ were chuckling with each other over their mutual order of cider.

“What? You know I love that stuff, AJ!”

“Ah know, sugarcube. Ya love cider a lot. Ah nev’r seen a pony with yer devotion ta that stuff.”

Rainbow grinned cheekily at the farmpony and replied.

“I could drink that stuff like water!”

Applejack chuckled at the zealous speedster and the two immersed themselves in a conversation.

Fluttershy was staring silently at Pinkie who was still bobbing her head and enjoying the merriment of the mariachi band.

The waiter returned with their beverages and carefully placed the orders in front of the correct patrons. He bowed to them and regarded the group.

“I noticed the menus have not been touched. I’ll give you all some time to peruse and will return for your selections.

Table Turner left and Twilight grinned sheepishly, turning to her friends.

“How doltish. We were all ravenous but became preoccupied in conversation and hadn’t looked through the menus.”

“Twilight, it’s cool. He said he’d come back. So let’s decide what we want to chow down on!” Rainbow said.
Pinkie happily sipped her milkshake, getting some chocolate froth on her muzzle. The bubbly beverage stuck to her chin and she extended her tongue downwards, hastily cleaning the viscous mixture.

Rarity gently swirled her cup of wine and wafted the scent towards her snout. It was a fruit odor, with a hint of garrigue and empyreumatic smokiness. She took a cautious sip and purred in pleasure.

“I’m fine with pizza. Can’t go wrong with a toasty, crunchy, gooey pizza. Does that work for everypony?” Fluttershy questioned.

“Ah’m game. Sounds delicious! Pizza is always tasty, naw matter thuh toppings. Thayure's naw better food, ‘cept fer apples o’ course.”

Twilight poured sugar and cream into her coffee and used her magic to swirl the spoon around in the cup. She put her hooves underneath the cup and raised it to her muzzle, taking a sip.

“I agree with Fluttershy and Applejack!” Rainbow began. “Everypony loves pizza. There’s a topping for everypony to enjoy.”

Twilight placed her coffee on the saucer and watched Pinkie blow bubbles into her milkshake. She nervously coughed in her hoof.

“Pinkie?”

The vivacious mare looked up and grinned. “Yes, Twilight?”

“Does that work for you? Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rainbow cast their vote for pizza.”

“Ooh! Pizza is one of my favorites. Sometimes I make my own too!”

“Ya makin’ yer own pizza, Pinkie?”

“Yup yup! You ever have a blueberry muffin pizza? Or a chocolate eclair one? Ooh, what if-”

“So Pinkie’s agreeing with you three. That’s majority. I’ve no qualms about that choice.”

Rarity took another sip of her sauvignon and shared her input. “Neither do I, darling.”
Twilight clasped her hooves together in joy, glad they were all in unanimous decision. She flagged the waiter and the Earth Pony approached their booth.

“We’re all set to order, Table Turner.”

“Most excellent. What would you mares like this evening?”

Fluttershy put the tea bag in her cup and added some hot water. She let it simmer in the liquid and looked at Rarity.

“We’ll share a large veggie pizza please. All the toppings.”

Table Turner wrote down their order and took the menus. He bowed and walked to enter the selection.

Rarity felt somepony gazing at her so she turned her head to find Fluttershy staring.

“Yes, darling? You seem transfixed, my dear. Is everything alright?”

Fluttershy raised and lowered the teabag, turning the hot water into tea. She repeated the action ten times before replying to the unicorn.

“Would you, um, mind if I had a teeny sip of your wine?”

Rarity tilted her head at the shy pegasus. “Really? You want to try this, darling?”

“Well, um, I’ve noticed how excited you’ve been to drink it, and was curious about the taste.”

Fluttershy added a lemon slice to her tea, squeezing the fruit till every drop of juice entered her beverage.

Rainbow and Applejack were exchanging looks between Rarity and Fluttershy. The speedster addressed her fellow pegasus.

“Are you sure, Fluttershy? You? Drinking alcohol?”

Pinkie looked up from her milkshake and surveyed the scene.

Rarity quipped. “I must agree with Rainbow Dash. You’re not going to like this, darling.”

Fluttershy gave a small pout and made her irises pulsate, giving pleading puppy-dog eyes to the white unicorn.

Rarity shrugged and levitated the glass of wine towards the pegasus, who gratefully took it in her hoof.

Fluttershy gave it a curious sniff and quailed at the fragrance. Applejack and Rainbow Dash held a hoof under their chins, propping their heads up and stared at Fluttershy intently. Twilight took a sip from her coffee and looked silently at the yellow pegasus.

Slowly, Fluttershy parted her lips and the liquid entered her mouth. Immediately upon doing so, the frail pegasus’s face contorted into anguish. Her eyes became pinpricks and her lips quivered. Her brow furrowed and she seemed to be on the precipice of crying.

Rainbow and Applejack slapped the table from the scene. Rarity gave a small chuckle levitating the glass away and Pinkie silently snickered in her hoof. Twilight’s muzzle gave a curt smirk from the spectacle.

Fluttershy swallowed the small sip of wine and recoiled, extending her tongue from her mouth and wiping at it with a frantic hoof.

This caused her five best friends to giggle louder and with more fervor.

“I tried to warn you, darling.”

“Oh, man! Priceless! I haven’t laughed like that since I pranked Thunderlane last month.”

“One o’ the funniest things ah’ve ev’r seen! Heh heh heh.”

“Aww, poor Fluttershy. I’m sorry for laughing, but that was just totally hysterical! I’ll bake you some cookies to make up for it, kay?”

“So, Fluttershy, what do you think? Are you a connoisseur of wines now, just like Rarity?”

Fluttershy knew her friends were only playfully jesting. She sipped her teacup and sighed.

“No thanks, girls. I’ll stick to my tea.”

Table Turner arrived with the pizza and placed it in the center of the table. The mares eyed the food ravenously. He then placed a plate in front of each pony and dropped off extra napkins.

The six best friends dove in, enjoying the delectable taste of the vegetable pizza. It was topped aplenty with spinach, sliced carrots, sliced cucumbers, and beets. They happily ate, drank, and conversed with each other, enjoying the company and atmosphere. Table Turner returned multiple times to top off their cups, bring extra napkins, and other waiterly duties.

They passed on dessert and Twilight paid the bill. The bits were collected from the other five ponies, except Rainbow Dash. Her best friends wanted to treat her before she left for the academy on Monday. Twilight tipped the waiter handsomely and the six exited the restaurant.

The six mares walked back to Twilight’s library. They shared a collective group hug and Rainbow thanked them for the nice time.

The lavender unicorn quipped, “No problem, Rainbow. We’re all going to miss you, but will be cheering you on. Do your best!”

Rainbow affirmed that she would. She flared her wings. “I’ll be sure to write, okay? I Pinkie Promise!”

Rainbow did the motions to accentuate the verbal vow. Then she flapped her wings to hover off the ground.

“I’m gonna hit the hay, girls. “I’ll miss you and cherish you all. Thanks again for this evening!”

The other mares waved goodbye to the prismatic-maned pegasus who reciprocated the gesture. Then she took off, soaring high in altitude.

On ground, the other five mares bid adieu to each other and gave a final collective hug as a farewell. They went their separate ways, eager to turn in and sleep.

Rainbow Dash flew back to her cloudhouse. The pegasus was tired from tonight’s ventures. After an uneventful flight, she landed on the cirrus foundation of her Cloudominium. She staggered and nearly tumbled over her hooves, but remained erect.

“Hey, Scoots! Hope you weren’t waiting too long for me?”

She waited five seconds. Hearing no answer, she called out again. “Scoots?”

Still no response.

Rainbow grabbed the brass doorknob and opened the door to her home. She ambled inside and softly shut the door behind her. A wing traversed to the wall, and flicked a light switch. The exercise room illuminated with the gleaming glow.

“Hey, Scootaloo? Where are you, kid?”

Her question went unanswered and Dash became concerned. She knew Scootaloo couldn’t fly yet. There’s no way she could’ve left the home. Unless she…

No. Don’t think stupidly, Dash. That wouldn’t have happened.

She cantered out of the exercise room and into the kitchen. She clicked on the light in the room, craning her head to spot the energetic filly. The orange pegasus wasn’t in the kitchen, but Rainbow did see the remnants of a plate in her sink.

Hold on. What time is it?

The speedster glanced at the wall of her kitchen and her eyes traveled upwards, landing on the small yellow clock that bedecked that particular wall.

The analogue clock showed a time of 10:30 PM. Rainbow facehooved.

Dear Celestia, I got myself worried over nothing. Of course she’s here. But she’s…”

Rainbow exited the kitchen and peeked into her bedroom. The irradiated form of a small pony was visible, thanks to the light from her kitchen. The speedster watched the mass turn in the direction of the glare. The pony in her bed raised an orange hoof and shielded her eyes.

“Rainbow Dash?”

The weatherpony breathed a sigh of relief and replied. “Of course, Scoots. Who else?’

You idiot. Thinking she fell from your cloudhouse. What’s with the morose thought? Must’ve drank too much cider at the restaurant.

Scootaloo groaned and turned back over. She addressed Rainbow while adjusting the Wonderbolts blanket, covering it to her chin.

“Can you turn that light off? I’m trying to sleep.”

The cyan pegasus snortled at the question. She planned to turn the light off. Her own eyelids began to get droopy.

“Of course, Scoots. One second, kay? I need to turn off the light in my exercise room first.”

Scootaloo grunted and the older mare walked to her gym and clicked the light switch downwards. She hastily spun on her hooves, and nearly fell over again. The cider was making her delirious.

Rainbow shook the cobwebs by jiggling her head. She blinked to regain her bearings. Once she managed, she walked out of her gymnasium and back to her kitchen.

“Hey Scootaloo?”

The filly grunted, now pulling the covers over her head.

“Mind putting the lamp on by the desk, please? Once I turn the kitchen light, it’ll be pitch-black and dim in here. I sorta drank too much and don’t want to fall by stumbling around in the dark.”

The crusader tossed the blanket off of her head and sat up. She rubbed her eyes with two hooves and stared in delirium around the room. Her concentration returned shortly and she pressed the button on the lamp. It shone a gentle hue of yellow and cast a small brightness that enveloped a portion of the bedchamber.

“Thanks, Squirt.”

Rainbow used a hoof and plunged the kitchen into darkness. Guided by the luminescence, she trot towards her bedroom. Rainbow got into the bed and addressed the nearby filly.

“Hey, babe?’

Scootaloo snuggled near her marefriend and replied to her lover. “Yeah, babe?”

“I love you so much. You’re a wonderful filly and I’ll always be here. My loyalty is cemented. Regardless of what befalls you in life, I’ll never leave your side.”

The sentiment made the filly smile with a jocund expression. The orange pegasus shimmied herself closer to the mare.

Rainbow wrapped a protective wing around her, causing the high-spirited filly to widen her grin.

“I feel the same, Rainbow Dash. I’m in disbelief that I’ve managed to turn my hero into my pet and my marefriend. This is really so great and I feel honored!”

Rainbow laughed and nuzzled her fillyfriend, but then she shook her head.

“I should be the honored one, Scoots. You’re a wonderful filly and make me so happy. The love you feel for me is shared back towards you tenfold. I’ve complete veneration for you!”

The speedster placed a hoof on Scootaloo’s shoulder and pulled the filly down so they could snuggle in bed together. When the purple-maned pony made contact with the bed, Rainbow draped a protective wing around her lover.

“I hope you had fun, Dashie. You’ll have to tell me about it tomorrow. I’m so tired that I can barely keep my eyes open.”

On cue, Scootaloo’s eyes began to close. Rainbow took the hint and felt a yawn escape her muzzle.

“I will, Squirt. Let’s get some sleep.”

Scootaloo yawned and Rainbow used a wing to envelop them with her Wonderbolt’s blanket. Her cyan wing was draped around the filly possessively and the young pony squealed at the propinquity.

The two ponies closed their eyes and awaited slumber to overtake them. Both fell asleep within minutes, nearly at the same time, and slipped into a much needed rest.

Author's Note

Fourth of four consecutive daily chapters! Glad for the progress. Next chapter will be uploaded in ten days or so.