Paint the Town Pink

by Equestria Buck Yeah

Rating: mature
Tags: Romance, Original Character, Second Person, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Sex, Human, Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 27031

Follow-up story to "Sweat". You and Rarity have been seeing each other for a little while, and life's pretty good. But when Pinkie Pie mentions one day that something is bothering her, Rarity gets an idea that just may help.

After the events of Sweat, Rarity has a noticeable spring in her step, and the two of you have been very happy since. However, during a scheduled visit, Pinkie reveals something upsetting that takes you both by surprise. Thinking it could cheer her up, Rarity invites the party pony to accompany you both for a night out. But things don't always go as expected, do they?

Cover Art credited to IJAB. Go say hi to the guy!

If you like this story, go check out its long overdue sequel, I, Spy: Sweat 3!

Published 2013-06-08 20:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-08-09 03:52:23 UTC

Distractions

You pick up the tote bag and sling it over your shoulder once Rarity purchases the few stalks of celery she wants from the vendor at the market. The radiant white unicorn you call your lover was humming merrily as the two of you did your shopping with her picking out the food you both liked and you doing the lifting.

The sky that Friday had to offer was bright and blue, an occasional cloud drifting slowly in front of the early afternoon sun. Its warm beams caress your skin, sending a soothing wave of happiness down to your core, as did Rarity's presence. As much as you want to lean down and give her a peck on the cheek just because, she did insist on no public displays of affection when you started seeing each other officially, and you wanted to respect her wishes.

Roughly five months ago, you and the beautiful mare were intimate for the first time, and you can't recall the last time you felt so alive yet relaxed all the same. Nothing really seemed to bother you lately. You and Rarity didn't argue about anything in great length; the farthest you ever got was a few minor disagreements and that was it, ones easily forgotten ten minutes later. The fact that you didn't get into any major squabbles since you began living with her several weeks ago was nothing short of amazing to her friends or to you, in a way. It was almost like being in love.

Scratch that. It was being in love. A kind you hadn't felt in quite a while.

As you stand there quietly basking in the sun, you glance to your left and see the decorations adorning the top of Rarity's boutique in the distance. Your thoughts drift back to when she first asked if you'd consider living with her. Was that ever a question you couldn't say no to? While staying at Twilight's gave you a roof over your head – it was the least the apologetic mare could do for you after bringing you here – staying with your angel was an opportunity you weren't going to pass up.

Aside from being able to see her whenever you wanted, living together meant that the two of you could get more done in the same amount of time; you didn't have to worry about walking to her place to help with various tasks nor did she have to head to Twilight's to take you out for a night on the town.

Having more time to yourselves, and thus longer dates when you did go out, also meant for more play time after your evening was finished too. It didn't take long for the sexy mare to show you how unladylike she could be when she wanted. Not that you would ever tell anyone. She did have appearances to keep up, and your private lives were just that: Private. Fortunately, the spa girls never said a word about what happened that first visit or any of the other visits since.

With more opportunities to experiment with each other's bodies, you discovered things in the bedroom – and nearly everywhere else around the boutique – that you weren't even sure she was aware of, based on her initial reactions. You always made it a point to work those sensitive areas too, whether she preferred a slow, delicate approach or just wanted a good old-fashioned hard rutting.

Either way, she was always satisfied. No matter how many times you watched her coo and squirm after your sexual escapades, you couldn't help but beam just a bit. There were even a few times where her legs had turned to Jell-O and she could barely stand up straight. Good times.

Right now, however, her legs were full of pep and vigor. Well, she had been completely full of vigor for a little while now, and just about anypony who knew her at all had noticed. Despite promising not to discuss your bedroom affairs, you suspect that her friends and clientele – those that met with her with any frequency, anyway – were aware enough of your relationship based on how you acted around one another. The little smiles, the flirtatious jokes, the way you would sit a touch too close, it was rather obvious to anyone with a functioning set of eyes. At least you came to believe over time.

But not once did she ever come to you complaining about somepony saying something nasty or asking if you had heard any rumors. Much to your relief, it seemed no one minded that you, essentially an alien, were deeply committed to the fashion designer. Still, you couldn't bring yourself to tell Rarity that it would probably be alright to make your pairing public knowledge. You tried only a couple times early on in the relationship before giving up altogether, your marefriend insisting that it was nopony else's business and that a lady doesn't kiss and tell. Whether she was aware of what you have been suspecting for a while now – that most ponies knew – was anybody's guess.

You hear your name being repeated and feel a gentle nudge on your leg, snapping you out of your daydreaming. That's right. Groceries. Somehow, you still managed to follow Rarity as she went from booth to booth despite not paying much attention.

"Err, sorry hon, what?" you ask, stumbling through your question.

"I said that we're all finished up here, but I needed to talk to Pinkie Pie about something over at Sugarcube Corner. Could you bring those home while I run over there real quick? I shouldn't be long."

"Oh yeah, no problem. See you in a little bit."

With a demure little smile, Rarity turns and trots away. Waving goodbye, you catch a glimpse of that spry, lively canter she's been sporting that no doubt others in town have noticed as you watch her head out. You may see her every day, yet you can't help but watch those luscious hips swaying back and forth as she leaves. A minute or two passes while you stand there admiring...the scenery, why not?...until she disappears into the crowd, a coy grin of your own forming.

Ah yes, you recognize that walk. It was the kind of strut you had around town shortly after you started dating her. There were a few times that you heard Stayin' Alive playing in your head when you caught yourself swinging along the way she was right now, even though you could never understand most of the lyrics to that song anyway. If the shirts you had been wearing at those times had collars, they probably would have been popped.

It takes a chuckle from a lilac pegasus with a spiky white and silver mane – Cloudchaser, if you remember right – to pull you away from your libidinous thoughts. She darts a knowing smirk in Rarity's direction and back at you. Your cheeks start to burn and not thanks to the sun. Apparently, it's not terribly easy hiding your affections when you stick out the way you do.

Taking a step toward the boutique, you freeze almost immediately. Your level of embarrassment grows as quickly as other things apparently did while you ogled your girlfriend. As if things weren't frightfully difficult enough, Cloudchaser snickers as you slowly bring the tote bag from over your shoulder and dangle it in front of your...other little pony...pretending to sort through the fruits and vegetables in a badly disguised effort to make sure you had everything. You can feel that devious pegasus's eyes boring into your back as you hurriedly walk away.

Please, God, Celestia, whoever, make sure that no one else happened to notice.

The cool air from the refrigerator tickles your arm as you reach into it, causing the hairs to stand on end a bit. The last of the food is put away and you close the door. Succumbing to a bit of hunger, you open it right back up and grab a pear. You may have only eaten lunch less than a couple hours ago, but you frequently seem to find yourself snacking on one thing or another. Probably the vegetarian diet. But that had been slowly changing.

Originally, the only time you seem to get anything that was once alive into you was when Rarity was working and got in 'the zone'. She sometimes wanted to be left alone, free of distractions, which allowed you to head out and do whatever. Occasionally, you would walk to the river that ran through town and do a little fishing. Your scaly prey had a relatively undisturbed population, but it wasn't as large as you expected it to be.

The situation as a whole felt a little awkward right from the start. Since ponies were herbivores, no one in Ponyville sold or built fishing poles that you knew of. Rarity did happen to mention that her father had a rod that he picked up somewhere while on vacation a long time ago. She suggested to check with him, but you didn't want to be a bother. The idea of asking him to lend it to you crossed your mind, but you were never a fan of borrowing things lest you forget to return them. Plus, if you wanted to get your hands on something badly enough, you were going to get it yourself just to prove that you could, no matter how silly it may have sounded.

The best you could do in such a predicament was a long stick with a carved pointed end, and you felt as silly as you looked. The first few times you brought your makeshift spear to the river, you were worried that some ponies may see you as a barbarian, what with stabbing living creatures and turning them into a meal.

Still, most knew that Fluttershy fed a few of her critters fish. Circle of life and all that. It wasn't easy on you in the beginning, but upon realizing that nopony was getting on your case about it, you found yourself happily heading to the river more and more often when Rarity gave you the chance, and luckily, the frequency with which you caught your prey remained high. Once you got better at it, that is.

Unfortunately, tapping into your inner caveman when you first went out there was likely the clumsiest, most irritating thing you had ever done, and it took you several throws to even get anywhere near anything. There was a reason you were rarely asked to join in any sporting activities when you were younger; you were never very coordinated with anything athletic. Seems that hadn't changed a bit over the years. Well, save for the fun times with Rarity. Even some of the onlookers who noticed your difficulties offered to just snatch one up for you out of pity.

But no! You had to do this yourself, no matter how infuriated it made you! Considering how small and steady the river was, there were times you thought you were going to burst a vein. Whether it would be from rage or embarrassment remained to be seen. After ten minutes of frustration, a tap on the leg pulled you away. A bottle of wine sat beside you, and the plum-colored mare who must have pulled it from the grocery bag she was carrying gave you a wink before trotting off without saying a word.

Yeah, yeah, you needed to cool off and alcohol was good for that. It was also a fairly standard way to deal with the excruciating boredom that came with fishing. At least, that's what movies and stand-up comedians on Earth always said. How would Berry Punch have known that? Eh, whatever. You didn't open it but decided to hold onto it anyway. Rarity may like some later though you didn't know if it was a brand she preferred. She was the connoisseur, not you.

After taking a few minutes to relax and collect yourself, your patient fourth throw finally snagged one. Your first catch! The joyful scream you let out probably would have woken half the neighborhood if it was night.

It took a couple tries – and a couple more fish – to get the scaling and gutting down right as you never fished back home, which didn't sit well with Rarity. You suspect she was more worried about dirtying up her kitchen more than the fact that you had a dead flounder in front of you and were intent on eating it.

Tossing your first edible catch into the pan was one of the most mouth-watering things you had smelled since arriving in Equestria, once you learned the intricacies of cooking them thanks to a book you borrowed from Twilight. Considering how sick undercooked seafood could make a person – and likely a pony, if they ate them at all – it was imperative that you were able to cook it like a pro.

Initially, it was hard for you to believe that she had such information. Then again, there were civilized meat-eaters like griffons that lived in Equestria, so it made a bit of sense that the bookworm would take it upon herself to stock such reading material just to have it.

Now that you think about it, before the get-together with your lovely lady in the sauna, you dreaded asking her if it was alright for you to do such things that some may consider questionable in pony society. But, once your feelings for each other came to the surface, you found it a lot easier to discuss more delicate matters, and much to your surprise, she was okay with the fishing. That earned her a hearty kiss on the check at the time.

The aroma that ended up permeating throughout the boutique bothered her early on as well. However, as time passed, she learned to deal with it. Rarity understood that, every so often, you wanted something meat-related in your belly. Plus, seeing how satisfied it made you made her happy. She loved seeing you smile, and generally on the nights following a fishy dinner, you were a little more frisky in bed. A win-win for both parties, and she won the lottery that evening!

That first bit of success was nearly as euphoric as some of the more mind-blowing orgasms Rarity would get out of you, and your first taste of flesh in over eight months was even more so. Ever since, you found yourself pulling her aside to make crazy, energetic love to her more and more, an unexpected and welcome surprise to the unicorn. Seemed the way to a man's heart really was through his stomach, despite the fact that she had no hoof in any of it other than some supportive words.

You take the final bite of what's left of your pear and toss it in the trash, trying to figure out what to do next. You walk into the lobby and glance around. The gems in their trunks are stocked up. Rarity had been working on a customer's order late yesterday and, judging by how far along the outfit on the dummy in the middle of the store was, it looked to be near completion, so she probably wouldn't need your assistance with that. You don't believe any fabric rolls were running low; you had just replaced a couple last week. The rest of the place looked pretty clean.

It was unusual seeing the store closed up during the week before it got near dusk. While most places didn't even lock their doors at night, given how peaceful Ponyville was, Rarity didn't want to risk losing any gems or clothes to potential thieves who would likely turn them for a hefty profit. However, she did say this morning that she wanted to close up extra early today. Apparently, your girlfriend has a special evening planned for you and didn't want any interruptions past lunch.

Plus, regardless of whatever the surprise may be, you can't deny that she works hard and deserves a break every so often. Nothing wrong with that.

The clock on the wall said twenty after one. Without anything noticeable to occupy yourself with, you shrug and find a sheet of paper on her work desk. Grabbing a quill, you write out a note and leave it on the kitchen table, saying that you were upstairs taking a nap. May as well get some rest for tonight, even if it's only a short while. You knew how most special evenings played out, so it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra energy.

About thirty-five minutes went by before Rarity enters through the laundry room in the back. She calls out for you upon arriving in the kitchen a moment later but receives no response. On her way to the lobby, she happens upon the note you left for her. A devilish grin forms on her lips as she finishes reading it.

Not wanting to accidentally run into you downstairs and ruin the sneaky little plan she just cooked up, Rarity stealthily peers into the central room. No sign of you. Excellent! Carefully, she makes her way up the stairs to her bedroom, doing her best not to make a sound. Once she gets to her room, she finds you laying there safe and sound in your cushy king-size bed.

Having you stay at her place brought the added bonus of needing to replace her old bed for a larger – and subsequently more comfortable – one to accommodate your height. The custom-made furniture cost a pretty bit, but it was worth it in the end. Amusingly enough, even though you both could stretch out thanks to its sheer size, you usually ended up using barely half of the bed, content with curling up together most nights and mornings. There was no better way to start the day to the young mare than waking up being spooned. Though, it wasn't always an alarm clock that woke her. Ahhh, those were good days.

With a gentle pull from her magic, she slowly removes the sheet and quietly tosses it on the floor. Mischievously, she looks over your naked body, finding you exactly as she expected. Her horn comes to life again and her light blue aura encircles you, lifting you just slightly and delicately turning you onto your back. Fortunately for Rarity's ploy, you're slumbering deeply enough for her to do her thing.

She releases you back onto the cloud-like mattress like a newborn. Satisfied with your positioning, your naughty marefriend walks to the foot of the bed and crawls onto it, slinking her way between your parted legs and laying comfortably on her stomach. She comes to rest a hair's length from your also-sleeping member and glances devilishly up at your face before leaning over to blow softly on your limp flesh.

A deep breath escapes your unconscious lips, and Rarity stifles a giggle. Grabbing onto it with her magic, she raises your pride and drags her tongue slowly up the underside and to the tip. She plants a gentle kiss and slides your flaccid dick between her lips, methodically taking her time so as not to wake you if at all possible.

With each bob of her head, she feels your manhood stiffen bit by bit inside her mouth. The warmth of your shaft elicits a quiet moan from her busy lips as, especially lately, she craves the taste of your cock as well as what came with it, given the right amount of stimulation of course.

Wanting a taste of your seed as you slept, Rarity gets slightly aggressive, but her moist, swirling tongue begins to stir you. A long groan escapes you, and a deep breath fills your lungs.

Rubbing your eyes, you mutter, "I'm up, I'm up."

Rarity takes a moment to give your dick one last, long slurp and slips it from her mouth. The sun peering in through the window makes the fresh coat of saliva shimmer just brightly enough for her to see, allowing her to admire her work. She takes a hold of you with her hoof and strokes it lovingly. Your eyes come together, and she looks positively ravenous.

"Indeed you are, darling," she quips, licking her lips.

"Ha ha. Funny girl."

Releasing you, she climbs overtop your belly and chest, plopping herself onto your body and never taking her eyes off you. Your fingers run through her soft mane while your other hand firmly squeezes her rump. Tugging lightly, you pull on her mane and passionately suck on her neck. She takes in a near-inaudible breath and half-closes her eyes as you attack one of her sweet spots.

"You get what you needed done?" you ask once you've finished teasing her.

Her tail brushes up against your nether region in response, teasing you right back.

"Almost."

Wiggling as she went, Rarity slides down your stomach and your hips meet. She sits up slightly to bring your cock out from behind and holds it in front of her. She presses it firmly up against her coat and strokes you intimately. Your hands dance up and down her ivory form, delicately caressing her back, her hips, her ass.

She lays your dick against your skin and inches herself up. Her pussy's slick lips slide along your shaft, soaking it with another layer of her fluids as she grinds her hips against you. Biting your lip, you worry that, if she continues this for much longer, you're going to blow your top before you'd like.

Seeing the building pleasure evident on your face, Rarity lifts herself up again and guides your throbbing rod into her hole, slowly and deliberately. She needs to feel your seed but, like you, doesn't want it to end too quickly. When she has your entirety inside, she pauses and leans in, rubbing her hooves through the wispy hair on your chest. You pull her close, holding her head in place, and kiss her deeply.

The feisty mare returns your attack, probing your mouth and twirling her tongue together with yours. Both your breathing and hers begin to get heavy. The only things your minds can focus on at all are the sensations: An aggressive oral battle, the soft tickles of a white coat on bare skin, a strong hand squeezes a rump, your wet heat burning together.

As much as you don't want her to, Rarity breaks the kiss, already short of breath, and rests her hooves on your belly. Not wanting to put off feeling your cock repeatedly plunging into her any longer, and deciding your dick has had enough of a breather, she arches her back and drives her haunches down. You grab hold of her hips and subtly help your lover as she rises and falls on your manhood.

Little by little, Rarity can feel her orgasm building up inside her and hisses through her teeth as she goes. Pounding faster and forcefully now, she is almost bounced off of you thanks to the soft, springy mattress. Much to her delight, the extra tiny bit of air just makes you slam deeper and harder into her, squeaking a cry of ecstasy from her lips with each crash of your hips.

She thoroughly enjoys being on top more than 'pony style', as Equestrians like to call it. It gives her some semblance of control and dominance that she can't get in most other positions. You like it a lot too. Sometimes just watching her enthusiasm and wanton desire face to face was enough to get you to fire your load into her. Plus, it was less work for you.

You and Rarity are too engulfed in each other to notice the rhythmic creaks coming from the bed. Unfortunately, the loud knock at the back door of the boutique manages to distract you both, if only for a second.

Let them knock. You've got things to do. Like pleasuring your girlfriend.

Disregarding the visitor, Rarity resumes her rapid pace. She knows she's about to cum; she needs to. She gasps louder and harder with each thrust inside her, and you can feel her pussy gripping onto you for dear life as she nears climax.

But then, a familiar voice from downstairs grinds your raging passion to a screeching halt.

"Rarity? You home?"

It takes the unicorn a moment to come down off her high. She didn't expect the guest to stick her head in the door, but who it is was usually always welcome. Unfortunately, she has incredibly lousy timing right now.

"Pinkie?" Rarity mutters, her heart still racing. "She's done already?"

"What do you mean?" you gasp, trying to catch your breath as well.

"I had asked her to put together an ice cream cake a few days ago for tonight. Something for later on this evening after we come home from our date." She hollers to the pink pony, "I'm up here, Pinkie! Be down in a few minutes!"

"Okay!"

"I asked her to bring it over when she was done putting the finishing touches on it, but I guess she was already close to being done when I stopped by earlier to check with her," she continued. A disappointed whine escapes her lips as she falls onto your chest, wishing that your erotic session could continue. "Always when you're in the middle of something, isn't it?"

"Or when something's in the middle of you!"

"Oh, that was just terrible," she giggles, playfully poking at you. Reluctantly, she climbs off and hops off the bed, trotting toward the bathroom.

Stretching and groaning mostly in annoyance, you too gradually sit up and drag yourself to the edge of the bed, honestly not wanting to leave the heavenly mattress. You were sleeping before being so rudely woken up by your girlfriend's mouth gobbling your dick. Although, not feeling her body against yours left you feeling a bit empty. Just cuddling together for that brief moment, or any other moments for that matter, was comforting and reassuring. Simply put, it was nice.

You hear Rarity turn the sink on in the other room, and a moment later, she comes out levitating two warm, wet washcloths next to a pair of small, dry towels. Yeah, may as well clean up a bit before greeting the party girl. It takes you an extra minute or two longer than Rarity to finish wiping yourself off; she left you especially wet today.

Once the two of you are done, Rarity snatches them with her magic, intent on bringing them down to the laundry. That had been the only real downside to you living with her; the linens had to be washed about three times as much as they used to be when she lived alone, and the amount of paper towels and spray cleaner you used on various counter tops, spots on the rug, the tiles on the kitchen floor and the like was nothing short of staggering.

As she holds the cloths off to the side, she takes a brush from her vanity and fixes her curvy purple mane. While she unnecessarily pretties herself up – not that she ever needs to in your eyes – you snatch up the clothes you left draped over one of the unused ponyquinns and get dressed.

You manage to get yourself straightened up before Rarity is done grooming herself. Not much a surprise to you there. She did always take her time to make sure she looked absolutely perfect. Feeling satisfied with her mane, she replaces her mane brush and joins you on the way downstairs. Just before leaving the room, you lean in and steal a quick kiss on her cheek. Giggling, she turns to see you still bent down and meets your lips with her own.

Highs and Lows

Rarity bounds down the stairs a few paces ahead of you while you drag your feet lazily on your way to the kitchen. You could so kill Pinkie Pie right now. Just a few more minutes and everything would have been fine. Ah well. What's done is done. Your girlfriend did mention that her pink friend had a cake for you, and Pinkie does always make amazing pastries and desserts. Perhaps the situation could still be salvageable. Just have to get her out of the house quickly and you could get back to fooling around with your lady.

"Oh, it's just lovely, Pinkie! Thank you so much!" you hear Rarity gush from kitchen.

"No problem! It turned out really nice too, but I had to make sure it was extra perfect for you guys!" Pinkie exclaims, as bubbly and cheerful as always.

You arrive a moment later and spot your girl with the party planner standing over by the table admiring the contents of a thin, powder blue box that's propped open in front of them. A round, white ice cream cake with pink icing swirls along the edges greets you. Off-center is a pair of edible flowery designs made from more icing, their light blue hue similar to Rarity's cutie mark. It looks simple but delicious nonetheless.

"Double fudge with crunchies in the middle, just like you wanted! I had a hard time not taking a nibble myself! Heehee!" Pinkie adds with a giant lick of her lips.

"We can hold onto a slice or two if you want, dear. It would be criminal for you not to be able to sample a piece of this culinary delight you whipped up."

"Really? Ohh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Staring at the tempting confection, you really don't want to wait. It looked and sounded too scrumptious! With not an ounce of shame, you lean over and pluck off a small bit of sugary goodness from the edge of the cake and scarf it down, licking your fingers and receiving a jab on your leg for your trouble.

"Manners!" Rarity gasps, scolding you with a disappointed glare. "Besides, that's for later." Feigning guilt, you shrug and sadly watch the delicious dessert be sealed away and float into the freezer via Rarity's magic. "What am I going to do with you?"

"I don't know, what are you going to do with me?" you joke, grinning ridiculously.

"Sweetie, not in our front of our guest," she mumbles your way, her cheeks flushing as she tries to hide a slightly embarrassed simper.

Your pink friend giggles at your flirtatious exchange. "So, what special things do you have planned for tonight? Besides, well...you know." She fires a wink your way.

Rarity shifts her eyes around uncomfortably and brings them to a halt once they finally fall upon the party mare. "Uh, what do you mean, Pinkie? It's just a normal Friday night, and I wanted us to have some cake later, that's all."

"Well, you did say at Sugarcube Corner that this cake wasn't for any special occasion or anything, but that generally means it is for a special occasion. Not only that, you were looking around all nervous and stuff like you didn't want anypony to know you were buying it, and you were all fidgety when you were talking about the cake not being for a special occasion, which I already said usually means it is. You weren't fidgeting very much, but it was just enough for me to see, and I just knew you probably had something special planned with your special somepony...err, special somebody!" she miraculously spits out in a single breath.

How that mare was able to talk endlessly for who knows how long at a time never ceases to amaze you, even after all this time in Equestria. If nothing else, that girl could read people and ponies like a book. You figure that's what happens when you know everyone in town.

"So, what's going on?" Pinkie asks again.

Accepting defeat at the hooves of the social butterfly, Rarity slouches and purses her lips, a little annoyed that she failed to hide your personal affairs from her observant friend.

"Alright, if you must know, there's an extravagant restaurant on the east side of town – Chez Le Grande. It's the Ponyville branch of the same place in Canterlot that that griffon Gustave owns. You remember him from that one dessert competition, yes?"

Ah, so the cat's out of the bag. Rarity wants to take you to an exclusive dining establishment. That's sweet of her.

"Sure I do, on both counts. That's a ritzy place you're going to!"

"Well, it's not that we're simply going out to dinner," your girlfriend continues, turning to look brightly at you. "Here's the surprise. I was able to pull some strings and sat down with Gustave a couple weeks ago, and I received word that a few days ago, they were able to bring in the special order I requested for you."

"Special order? Whatever it is, in a place like that, special orders probably cost more than a fortune."

"Don't you dare bring up money, because that's not the point," she shoots back, waving her hoof dismissively. "You know how well we're doing financially. Anyway, I know how much you like having fish from time to time, and...well, from what you've told me, where you originate from, just about everything on Applejack's farm could find its way to a dinner plate, which is perfectly natural for a omnivorous species like yours."

Why would she need to mention something like that? ...Wait, you don't think she...?

"I assumed that a griffon – one who happens to own a few fancy places to eat – would likely have the means to order something..." she taps her chin, searching for the right word, "alternative that ponies wouldn't normally touch but he probably would enjoy himself. When I originally stopped by his place, we eventually came to an agreement that he would include in this week's order, there'd be a...oh, how did he put it?...a nice, thick cut of steak just for you! He said it wouldn't be difficult for him to get it, just that – oop!"

Fast as lightning, you scoop Rarity off the floor and squeeze her tight, not even allowing her to finish her sentence. You heard all you needed to hear, and almost immediately, you can smell and taste the long-missed piece of juicy, succulent, tender red meat. You haven't had anything like it since you came to Equestria, and in that very moment, one thing becomes perfectly and undeniably clear to you: Rarity is the best girlfriend in the world. She squirms and giggles as you climb up her neck, planting one passionate kiss after another.

"Oh! If I knew you'd react like this, I'd have done this a long time ago! Ooo!" she squeals, laughing as your lips repeatedly tickle her coat.

With one last long kiss on her cheek, you pull back and gaze into her sparkling blue eyes. A look of excited awe finds your face, and your heart feels like it's about to burst out of your chest. "I love you so much right now."

"And what about all those other times, hmm?" Rarity asks with a fake pout, poking you on your chest.

"And all those other times! I just can't believe you'd go through all that trouble! I know how ponies feel about the whole meat thing."

"Just because we don't dine on it ourselves doesn't mean we're not aware that other species do. It's not as big a deal to us as you may think. I will say that Pinkie is right, though. I wanted to do something extra special for you just because, and I had a feeling you'd really enjoy this!"

"Do you have any idea how amazing you are?"

She can practically see the glimmer in your eyes as you fantasize about the delicious meal you'll be having later that evening. "I don't know, darling, but if you continue on like that, you may just make a girl blush!" she giggles.

You pull Rarity in close for a big, warm bear hug, feeling her forelegs wrap around your neck and her head snuggling into your shoulder. Pinkie quietly watches your affectionate display beside you, a nearly impossible smile spanning across her face. But, as you caress your girlfriend's back and chuckle into each others' ears, little by little, Pinkie's joyful expression fades. Her ears slump just slightly and her eyes dip to the floor. Her wide grin slowly comes undone, and although seeing two of her friends in such grand spirits would normally leave her bouncing off the walls, she's abnormally silent, so much so that Rarity takes notice. She opens her eyes and spies her friend looking rather glum in spite of the merry mood in the room.

"Pinkie, are you alright, dear?"

Now a bit concerned as well, you loosen your grip and turn to see what's going on. You have to admit you've never seen Pinkie in such a funk before.

"Sure!" she lies, perking right back up. "I love seeing my friends so happy together!"

You and Rarity exchange odd glances, and you set her down on her hooves. She steps over to the upset pink mare while you sit down Indian-style.

"You don't really look it," you comment. "What's up?"

"Nothing! I'm fine, really!"

"Sweetie, I can read ponies fairly well myself, and you're not exactly being subtle about this," Rarity says, resting a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "What's wrong? You can tell us."

The poor pink pony plops onto her rump and looks away, desperate to convince her friends that nothing is the matter. But ultimately, she knows that they're going to insist she tell them – especially Rarity. Sighing, she comes clean. "It's just...I've seen you both around town, and you look so happy. Heck, everypony's seen you around town looking happy."

"Wait a moment," Rarity interrupts, "everypony knows about us seeing each other? You and the girls are the only ones we ever said anything to other than...the spa twins."

"Sure they do. You're not really hiding it too well. Anypony with functioning eyes can see how much you like each other," Pinkie says, her own eyes bulging out of her head. Jeez, some of the bizarre things that pony can do will always unsettle you a bit.

"Nobody cares?" you ask.

"Why would they?"

"I'm not exactly Equestrian. I know ponies and, like, dragons and griffons and such have gotten together in the past, if what I've been told is true. We just didn't want to risk people getting on our case and calling us freaks or something because we're from two different worlds altogether."

Pinkie's mouth falls open in saddened shock. She seems almost hurt by the suggestion that ponies she knows a lot better than you would treat its fellow citizens so poorly. "Why in Equestria would they call you freaks?"

"Well, you know ponies don't talk back where I'm from, I've told you. People didn't...date them. If they tried to, others would call them weird, crazy, stuff like that. We just weren't sure if the same thing would happen here, so we've kept as quiet as we could about it. We figured you girls wouldn't have any issues with it since you know Rarity personally, but we didn't know about the rest of the town." You lean over to your marefriend and say in a hushed tone, "Though, to tell you the truth, I think they've known for a while. I just didn't want to say anything to worry you."

"Is this true, Pinkie?" Rarity asks, still rather surprised by the revelation.

She nods in response. "Everypony likes seeing you happy together. They don't care that he's from someplace else."

You and Rarity glance at each other. With a shrug, you smile confidently at her, relieved that you don't have to worry about hiding your real feelings behind walls anymore. She returns the smile, beaming brightly as well. It must be as big a load off her mind as it is for you. With that concern finally out of the way for good, you each turn your attention to the original matter at hand – seeing what was upsetting Pinkie.

"That's good to hear," the unicorn says, gently patting Pinkie on the back in an effort to keep her relaxed. "But, what was bothering you? You said you've seen us around town and we looked happy, yes?"

"Uh huh."

"Then what's wrong?"

It takes a moment for her to work up the courage to get to the heart of the issue, and you're as curious as you are patient. Sighing, Pinkie finally caves in. "I just...I just wish I knew what that kind of love was like."

You blink in disbelief. Rarity sends an equally baffled look your way.

"What are you talking about?" you ask. "You know everyone in town! You've really never been in a relationship with any of them?"

She shakes her head. "Not like the kind you're in."

"What, you mean you...?" Rarity begins to ask, but stops herself short, trying to be polite.

"How do you think I'm able to stay friends with so many ponies so well?" Pinkie responds with a friendly jab at your girlfriend's shoulder.

"I can't really say I've ever given it much thought," the white mare mutters while she subtly lowers her hoof back to the floor and peers away. This was quickly becoming more than the poor dear bargained for.

An awkward, pregnant pause fills the room before you finally ask what your girlfriend would never admit to wanting to know. "So, like, who have you been with?"

Your name fires out of Rarity's mouth like a bullet. "That's none of our business!"

"Oh, it's okay!" Pinkie exclaims, hopping to her hooves, strangely animated over sharing her sexual exploits. "I don't mind talking about that, and plenty of the ponies I've been with told me they don't mind either. Let's see, Vinyl Scratch and I sometimes get together after her shows down at the club where she performs. I see Berry Punch fairly often down at the local watering hole, and if we have enough to drink, I sometimes wake up back at her place. Cloud Kicker stops by my window from time to time–"

"Good God, what have I done?" you mumble loud enough for the mares to hear, though Pinkie is too preoccupied in listing her conquests to pay any mind.

Only your angel has a response, one of mild annoyance.

"Well, you did ask her, darling."

"–and then there was Cloudchaser last Friday night, but then I got together with Flitter the next day but then later that night, me, Cloudchaser and Flitter hooked up. Boy, was that ever a wild night! And then, there's Blossomforth–"

You stare blankly as Pinkie spills out what almost sounds to be an unending list of what you note are mares. You're not even completely sure she's stopped to breathe over the last few minutes.

"How do I turn her off?"

"You could always just ask her to stop."

"–and Apple Fritter, that girl's a real farmer's daughter, if you know what I mean, and then, um–"

You launch a hand at the chatterbox, begging for a break. "Pinkie! Pinkie, alright! We get it, and you're into girls apparently."

"I'm into stallions too, silly!"

Rarity instantly shares yet another deadpan glance with you. She knows, as well as you, what's on the very near horizon. Before either of you can object, Pinkie continues right where she left off.

"I've gotten together with Thunderlane – that's a stallion's stallion if I've ever seen one – and there's Noteworthy, but I haven't seen him since he started trying out for the Canterlot Symphony Orchestra. Caramel was always really enthusiastic, but then he met somepony and has been seeing them seriously ever since. Pokey Pierce is always trying to come up with some silly new pun that involves him and poking, heehee! There was this one stallion I haven't seen in a long time. I forget his name, but he would always end up covering me in jelly and licking it off my–"

"Pinkie, please, darling, that's more than enough!" Rarity snaps, quickly silencing the seemingly endless rant. You both could feel a headache coming on, and in a near-unison motion you rub your foreheads, pushing the low throbs back into the recesses of your skulls.

Smiling sweetly, it appears that the party animal – with incredibly strong emphasis on party, apparently – may have finally gotten out of the doldrums. Maybe reminding herself of all the fun she's experienced in her young life was enough to show her that she obviously has the love of many, many ponies in town. One would think that would be enough for a single mare over an entire lifetime.

"There are others, stallions and mares, but I made a Pinkie Promise to each of the rest that I wouldn't talk about them in any of those types of stories," the confectionist admits, emphasizing her point by dragging her hoof across her mouth, zipping her lips.

"Well, that's...good, I suppose?" your lover chimes in, unsure what to think at this point. She didn't see any reason to dig so deep about any of Pinkie's, err, extra special friends. But there wasn't much point in worrying about that now; the damage was done.

"I still don't get something though," you speak up. "You never felt anything for any of those ponies?"

"Those relationships were just for fun, nothing serious. Not like what you two have. But I'll bet you can't deny that your relationship is pretty fun too!" Somehow Pinkie's cheeks turn a shade pinker and she wiggles her eyebrows at you both.

"Okay, she's kinda got us there," you grumble at Rarity through your teeth.

Still not wanting to go into detail about your intimacies, the lovely unicorn glares back at you hard, speaking only through her eyes that she wanted you to drop it. You throw your hands up apologetically and go back to digging for information. It just didn't sit right with you that the most outgoing creature you've ever known has never been involved in a romantic relationship. Pinkie was a diamond in the rough, a true sweetheart always wanting to make people...ponies, whatever...happy, no matter what it took. Surely, someone out there wanted to do the same for her, yes?

"Alright, let me put it this way: Is there anyone you do like?"

Rubbing the back of her head, she says, "Uh huh! It's, uh...it's Joe, heh."

"Donut Joe?"

"Mhm! He's really handsome, I love his voice, and he makes some of the best desserts in town! What's not to love?"

You raise an eyebrow. Surely there's something more to this picture. "But?"

"But," she sighs, her brief jovial mood almost instantly flipping around again, "he's seeing somepony, and I'm not the kind of mare to try stealing somepony else's coltfriend. But, either way, I'm...kind of jealous of you, Rarity, I'll be honest."

"But why would you be jealous of me?" she asks. "You've been living with the Cakes for a while now, and they're married. Why not them?"

"They were married before I moved in years ago. They just don't do the kinds of things you guys do. I mean, he was all over you just a few minutes ago – and not in the nasty way either – over some exotic food you're buying for him tonight! It was so sweet! It's obvious that you're crazy about each other! What you have is so much more than anything I could ever get out of just a bunch of one-night stands."

It cut both you and your girlfriend to the quick. Neither of you had any idea whatsoever that Pinkie was hurting so much inside. She hid it rather well behind all the smiles and laughs, though you figure not all of the smiles were disingenuous. She was the Element of Laughter. Based on what you've been told about the artifacts, it would probably somehow know if she was faking it this whole time.

For a moment, you wonder if her promiscuity actually made a bit of sense. Back home on Earth, it almost seemed that the girls you heard about, mainly through your friends, who were involved with a lot of guys tended to be the most lonely behind closed doors, but it's not as if you're a shrink. Still, you couldn't figure out how the most popular mare in town could feel so empty, but you also never recall hearing about Pinkie going out and doing something by herself. She always had to be hanging out with someone, even if it was to do something as mundane as going to the market.

Rarity wraps a hoof around Pinkie's neck and nuzzles her gently, drying up any tears that were starting to form in her friend's eyes. "Sweetie, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Rarity, I'll be fine! Don't you worry about it!" Try as she might to hide it, you can hear the shaking, the uneasiness in Pinkie's voice. Your girlfriend probably did too. "Well, I better go. I'm sure you two have some planning to do and I don't want to hold you up. The Cakes are probably wondering where I went to as well! Have fun tonight!"

You halfheartedly wave goodbye as Pinkie trots off to the back door of the boutique, feeling her pain as if it were your own. Hearing her woes leaves you feeling hollow, and even though you'd like to help Pinkie, you've never had to give relationship advice before. You turn to Rarity, hoping that she has an idea of what to do. But, her mind is elsewhere at the moment. She's biting her lip and darting her eyes around, her train of thought going a mile a minute.

As the troubled mare disappears from view of the kitchen, just about the head out the door, Rarity cries out, "Pinkie, wait!"

The hoofsteps come to a sudden stop. A second later, they echo softly through the doorway, approaching once again. "What's up?" Pinkie asks as she stretches her head in.

"Could you hold off on leaving for a little while? My beau and I have to discuss something. Inside."

What's this now? She's probably still peeved about your prying, isn't she? Though you didn't hear any anger in her statement. What's she up to?

"Uh, sure, I guess so."

"Thanks, dearie. Make yourself at home if you like. We shouldn't be long." Nodding toward the lobby, Rarity takes the lead and marches outside. She looked to be rather concerned, but you only saw her face for a moment. Stretching your back as you get up, you decide it was best to do as she asked and follow her.

She turns to the stairs and sits down on the second one with you doing the same right behind her. Glancing quickly at the doorway, Rarity sees you're alone and sighs sadly. It's obvious enough to you now that Pinkie's troubles are bothering her immensely.

"Okay, so what's going on?" you ask, wrapping a hopefully reassuring arm around your love.

"I didn't want her to leave right away. I need to do something for her. Pinkie's not supposed to feel awful like this. It's just wrong!" she pouts, leaning up against you.

"Alright. Any ideas?"

Rarity's lips curled, and she turns her attention to the floor, concentrating hard. A few ideas come and go, but nothing settles in for more than a few seconds before she decides against them. You wish you could help, but you don't want to accidentally suggest something that may make things worse. She taps her chin and lifts an eyebrow. A moment later, Rarity's face lights up and a tiny smile cracks.

"Got something?" you ask, caressing her shoulder.

"I believe I do, yes. I know that tonight was supposed to be just for us, but we've gone on plenty of dates before. Would you be interested in bringing Pinkie along? She could use a friend right now more than anything else, I think, and there's no reason it still wouldn't be a fun night."

"It won't be quite as romantic as you were probably hoping though, you realize."

"Oh, I know, darling," she says, waving dismissively, "but I'm not worried. I almost wish I could speak to somepony I think Pinkie may fancy and see if they'd like come with us at the last second and turn this into a double date. Unfortunately, I have no idea who I could talk to or if they'd be somepony that Pinkie would be interested in at all. Or if they'd be interested in her for that matter."

You shrug. "I doubt she'd mind either way. Plus, I don't really know her as well as you do or the rest of your friends for that matter. Maybe it'd help me get to know her a little better if nothing else. But, you really expect Pinkie, the same bouncy, hyperactive, nutball Pinkie, to...remain calm in a place like what you described?"

"I can talk to her if need be, but after what happened at the Grand Galloping Gala a couple years ago, I suspect she'll know how and when to behave."

"The Grand what?"

"I can tell you about it later. It would make for a good story when we're all together," she says, brushing your question off for the time being.

"Would bringing her along result in any drastic changes to what you had planned?"

"Mmmm, no. So, come on! What do you think? Want to give it a shot?"

You muddle over the idea for a moment. It doesn't seem to have a downside really, and you all could share some interesting stories if nothing else. No doubt Pinkie has more than a few up her sleeve. So neither you nor Rarity wouldn't be able to be as sweet with each other. You'll live. Your lover's subtle nudging, obviously being used to coax you as you sit there, was certainly helping her case. Maybe not your decision-making, but that's probably not the intention anyway.

"Eh, sure, why not? Let's go see if she's interested."

"Ohh, thank you!" Rarity beams. She leans in and gives you a quick peck on the cheek. "I just know tonight will be wonderful!"

Just as the unicorn gets up to head back down the stairs, you give her flank a gentle, teasing poke. "Of course it will! You'll be there."

She flicks her tail right into your nose, giggling at your silly but genuine words. You stand and join her on the way back inside.

Dinner and a Movie...Err, Play

"Hey guys," Pinkie says when you enter the kitchen, "get what you needed taken care of?"

"We're about to find out."

You and Rarity sit at the table, looking pleasant and calm. No sense in getting overexcited right away if she decides to say no to your offer. Expect the best, prepare for the worst.

"Pinkie, dear, how would you like to come out with us tonight on our date?"

She blinks. "Oh you guys, stop kidding around! Tonight's your night. I'd just be in the way," she chuckles nervously.

"Nonsense! It's not like this is going to be the first date we've ever gone on! Come with us, it'll be fun! If nothing else, maybe we can help take your mind off of Joe for a little while. Who knows, you may bump into somepony else that catches your eye," Rarity says with a wink.

"Yeah, it's all good," you add. "Seriously, what bad could come of it?"

Almost instantly, you regret saying those words. Phrases like that always seemed to be cursed or something in the movies or on TV. Hopefully it'll be different here. Equestria did seem to be a little more, well, positive as far as the way of life went than on Earth.

"Well...alright, why not?" the party pony acquiesces with a bounce. "I'll chip in though. I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage."

"Think nothing of it, dearie! You'll be our guest, so we've got you covered." Rarity thoughtfully puts a hoof to her chin as she goes over what she has planned for the day. "Now, Chez Le Grande is an upper-class restaurant, so you'll need to wear formal attire. Your gala dress should do, if you want to run home and get it. We're also going to see a play in a little while that a Canterlot theater group is putting on at the park in the east end of town not far from the restaurant, that's in about an hour."

You groan audibly at the mention of the play. Not once in your entire adult life – or any other part of it, for that matter – have you had a single bit of interest in theater of any kind. Unless you're talking about a good action flick.

Before you could even finish voicing your complaint, you feel the weight of a pair of annoyed eyes drilling into you. "Hon, you know that dinner is for you, but there's nothing that says we can't do something that I enjoy too. Not that I'm not going to like eating at that exquisite place of course, but you know what I mean. I've been wanting to see 'Shakespony in the Park' for a while now, and I'm not going to miss out on it the only time it comes to town for who knows how long."

"Don't you need tickets to get in?" Pinkie asks.

"You pay for admission at the gate, and there should be plenty of room. There aren't as many refined, cultured ponies here as there are in Canterlot, so seating shouldn't be a problem," she adds with a twirl of her neck, slinging her mane and fluffing it dramatically. "It wouldn't hurt to dress the part as well, and since we'll be putting on our Sunday best for Chez Le Grande, we'll already look spectacular, so it all works out! I should bring a couple of parasols though. The last thing we need is to start sweating under that midday sun and ruin our attire."

"Not to mention smell blechhh!" the silly pink mare blurts out, hanging her tongue out for unneeded emphasis. "Did you have anything planned after dinner?"

"As a matter of fact, I had Twilight write to Princess Luna last week and asked if she could do me favor tonight. Thanks to her, it's going to be nice and clear for the beautiful show she's going to put on for us. I was thinking we could head to that stargazing hill where we saw that shower of shooting stars some time ago and just take it all in."

"That actually sounds kind of nice," you comment. "I guess personally knowing royalty can have its perks."

"It most certainly does, but we can't stay out terribly late tonight, if that's alright. I was hoping to get to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour tonight because I'm a little behind on an important client's order and was hoping to work on it most of the day tomorrow despite it being a Saturday. We do have that cake to nibble on before we call it a night too," the unicorn mentions, nodding at the freezer.

"'Somewhat reasonable' meaning before one in the morning?" you coyly smirk, implying what you expect to happen after the date was over. Something tells you that you'll have enough in you to make sure she gets a good night's sleep anyway, but it wasn't very often where you didn't take the opportunity to flirt with and tease the unicorn.

"Heh, yes dear," she retorts with a subtle glare. You've poked fun at her enough times for her to spot the jokes and what they meant. That still didn't excuse any talk of intimacy, implied or explicit, according to Rarity.

"Hm, that all does sound like a lot of fun. Alright, I'll run back home and get my dress! Want me to bring anything else? A few extra bits for my entrance fee or something?"

Rarity shakes her head. "That's alright, Pinkie. Like I said, we've got you covered. I'll bring a blanket for the grass tonight too. Wouldn't want to stain our garments, and they likely have a doorpony at the restaurant who will hold onto our bags for us when we arrive." Your girlfriend turns to you and continues, "I'm sure you know that you'll have to wear that nice suit I made for you just for occasions such as this one."

"Mhm."

"Also Pinkie, you understand the places we'll be visiting are rather high class. The ponies there, err, may not quite appreciate your...wild side as much as the rest of us," she mutters sheepishly.

"I get what you're saying. I'll be as cool as a cucumber, as quiet as a mouse, as silenced as a lamb, as–"

"Wait, what?" you quickly ask.

"Huh?"

"...Never mind."

You shake your head, knowing that it's foolish to question what she does and says anymore. Really, really foolish.

"Uhh, yes. Thank you, Pinkie Pie," Rarity cuts in. "You had best head back to Sugarcube Corner and get ready."

Pinkie waves goodbye as she starts heading toward the back door. "Okie dokie lokie! See you in about twenty minutes or so!"

Once the door closes, you feel a gentle, magical tug on your collar, marching you back upstairs. "Come sweetie, we need to get ready."

You step out from your short shower and grab a towel. Usually, you take one in the morning to get your day started, but you were feeling a little lazy today. Quickly drying off, you toss the towel into a small hamper sitting in the corner. After a comb of your hair and a spritz of cologne, you step into the hallway toward a fresh change of clothes. In the bedroom closet waits the sleek black tuxedo Rarity generously made for you a few months ago when you went on your first official romantic date.

Walking the few paces down the hall, the chatter downstairs grabs your attention for a second before going into the bedroom. While it would normally take Rarity most of an hour to prepare for a night out, she was on a timetable and proved she could be set to go in only a few minutes if need be. You'll have to make sure to tease her about that at an inevitable future date.

Opening the closet door, you gaze down the unnecessarily long row of things Rarity decided to create for you soon after you first came to Equestria. Judging by its size, it's easily two or three times as much clothing as you had back home. You couldn't blame the fashion designer for going a little overboard though. She was putting together an ensemble for an entirely different species, so of course she was going to love working on them.

At the far left end was a set of tie hooks, seven ties hanging from them. A few jackets and pants away from that was the suit Rarity was referring to earlier. You take it from its rack and look over the ties, deciding on a glossy navy blue one. Satisfied with your choice, you grab your specially-made, black designer shoes and head over to the full-body mirror in the corner of the room to suit up, shutting the closet door behind you.

Downstairs, Pinkie and Rarity were chatting about their mornings in the lobby as they waited patiently for you to finish getting ready. Hearing your footsteps on the last few stairs takes their attention away from each other, and you step into view, confident and poised, a proud smirk on your cheeks.

"Hubba, hubba!" Pinkie fawns, fanning herself.

"Hubba, hubba indeed!"

You grab onto the jacket's long collar and give it a dramatic, movie-style tug. "You know what the main difference is between the stallions in town and me?"

"They have four legs and you only have two?" the pink pony asks.

"Err, no. Well, I guess that's true, but–"

"You don't have a tail?"

"That's not what I'm getting at."

"They enjoy the taste of hay and flowers and grass and apples and...well, I guess you like apples too, but–"

"Pinkie!"

"What is it then?"

Resisting the urge to facepalm, you fold your arms proudly and hold your head high, oozing machismo as best you can in spite of the nutty mare's ridiculous questions.

"I make this look good."

"Twelve bits, please," the cashier at the park requests, happily giving you three tickets for your purchase. "Thank you! Enjoy the show!"

Once among the festivities and merchandise stands, the three of you take in a few sights, foregoing grabbing a snack so as not to spoil dinner, and make your way to the grandstand area. You do stop to get a soda to fight the heat though. Once there, drink in hand, you select some seats toward the back and near the aisle to compensate for your height.

Before you sit down, Rarity hovers the blanket she brought in her saddlebag and spreads it on the grass, meticulously making sure there wasn't a fold or crease anywhere to be found. Never mind the fact that you were all about to crease it anyway as soon as your butts hit the ground, but whatever. You know Rarity can be like that sometimes.

Okay, a lot. Still, it's nothing you haven't gotten used to.

You sit on the left side of your group with Pinkie on the right and your girl in the middle. The audience is bigger than you expected, based on what Rarity said. You assumed the place would barely be half full; instead, you'd estimate about eighty percent of the seating area was taken up. Even though, like your girlfriend said, there aren't as many upper crust ponies in Ponyville, things like the play do give them something to do from time to time. It makes sense. There were a few times you went on a date with a girl on Earth not only because you liked them but also because there wasn't much going on at home at the time and you just needed to get out for a little while.

There's a sound of plastic being jabbed into the grass and you take a gander beside you to find Rarity magically setting up the parasols she brought with her. You have to admit not feeling the sun beating down on your exposed neck is nice. Plus, you won't be in anyone's way from where you're sitting so you probably won't hear anyone complaining.

It isn't very long before the curtains begin to rise and the crowd begins to applaud. Amidst the loud clapping of hooves you can hear Rarity squealing with giddiness. She didn't mention too often that she enjoyed this kind of thing, but seeing her so happy makes you smile and toss away any notion of poking a bit of fun at her overly girlish display.

Pinkie is a little harder to read. She doesn't look like she was about ready to start bouncing off the walls with joy like Rarity, but she also doesn't appear to be dreading what was coming like you are.

As the play gets underway – 'Colthello', according to the program you received when you arrived at the park – you can't help but feel bored after maybe fifteen minutes. It doesn't help that you're not as familiar with Old Equestrian as the rest of the crowd seems to be and can't understand half of what they're saying. Flashbacks of high school and college teachers going on and on about the subtleties of prose and various metaphors and iambic penta-something or other flicker through your head as you try desperately to maintain your attention.

By the time intermission rolls around, your fingers had been unconsciously plucking at the grass for about an hour. Anything to keep the blood flowing, no matter how slowly, and falling asleep was absolutely out of the question. Rarity would kill you and you know it. Fortunately, she seemed too distracted by the show to notice how uninterested you were.

Barely anything on stage really registers with you. Some stuff about one pony being jealous of another or something and plotting against him. You think. Doubtless you've seen that sort of plot in plenty of movies in the past. It was a common enough trope.

Strangely enough, Pinkie seems to have gotten a bit engrossed by the play. Honestly, you expected her to have her face in the dirt, snoring like a chainsaw. Seeing her sitting still in a single place for so long was different to say the least. Was she just being courteous for Rarity's sake? Did she actually enjoy this kind of thing and simply never said anything about it? You make a mental note to ask her at some point.

The last of the cool soda from the refreshments stand takes care of your thirst for the time being. Rarity and Pinkie had already returned to their seats, but you needed an extra few minutes to stretch your back. Sitting the way you did for so long threw it out a bit.

The second half of the play was already a few minutes old when you return. Pinkie and Rarity greet you with a warm pair of silent smiles, not wanting to cause a distraction among the audience, and return their attention to the stage. You're relieved that they don't seem upset at your tardiness.

Sadly, the rest of the production was proving to be just as dull as the first part to you. It wasn't long before the sugar rush was wearing off and your eyes were getting heavy with boredom. If only you could lean over and ask Pinkie how she manages to be hyper twenty-four hours a day without annoying the other patrons.

Your mind wanders aimlessly, trying horribly to find something to occupy it. Suddenly, as your thoughts drift, some music starts playing in your head. Nirvana, in particular. They were always one of your favorite bands, and it's a decent enough distraction from the tedium on the other end of the amphitheater.

Even with it being several months since you've heard any Earth music, you can still remember the songs as if it was yesterday. Just barely, your head starts to bob and you hum 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' so quietly under your breath that you're confident your dates don't hear you. At least it doesn't look like they can; they're not shooting you any angry looks yet.

Turns out mentally running through most of a discography is a decent way to get through excruciating circumstances you'd rather not be in. Before you realize it, the cast is bowing on-stage to thundering, ground-stomping applause. Snapping out of your musical fantasy, you join in the ovation as inconspicuously as you can.

Once the curtains are finally closed, you and the others stand up, allowing Rarity to pack up the blanket and parasols. As she fills her saddlebag, you look to the west and see that the sun is getting rather low in the sky. Jeez, how long were you there? Must have easily been a few hours.

"Oh, that was such a marvelous show!" Rarity pipes up as your party heads out. "It's absolutely criminal that I never got a chance to see it sooner!"

"Yeah, that was pretty fun," Pinkie interjects. "I've never really been to a fancy-schmancy play like that before, unless you count the Hearth's Warming Day one. But we were the stars of that show, so maybe that one shouldn't count!"

"Really? You liked it?" you ask.

"Sure! I always have a good time when I'm out with my friends. Why wouldn't I?"

Thinking it over for a second, you can't help but shrug. If there one thing you were certain about Pinkie Pie, it was that she knew how to make the best out of any situation.

"I am sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as we did, hon," Rarity says dejectedly.

"Huh? What makes you think I didn't?"

Smirking, she says, "Aside from the fact that before we even left the house you expressed quite a bit of displeasure with attending this, I did happen to notice you poking and pulling at the grass earlier looking rather disinterested."

Caught red-handed, you glance away shamefully. "Oh. Sorry."

Instead of the vicious tongue-lashing you expect to receive, you're instead surprised by the nuzzling of your lady's head against your arm. "It's alright. I do wish you would have given it more of a chance. But I'm just glad you were here with us, even if things didn't completely go as planned."

You turn and gaze into Rarity's tender blue eyes, and in an instant, your guilt begins to melt away. Throwing out any concern about appearances, you lean over and kiss her white cheek softly, holding it long in place.

"I know you've said no PDAs in the past, but I needed to do that," you share upon breaking the kiss, grinning happily.

"I think I can let that one slide," she giggles.

"Awww, you guys are so cute together!" Before you can fire back a witty retort, Pinkie pops up between you and wraps a leg around your neck as well as your date's, pulling you both up against her cheeks and squeezing affectionately. If she was any stronger, she probably would have pulled your spine out of commission, yanking you down at such a funny angle the way she just did. Crazy earth pony strength. "Heehee! Sorry, I just wanted to be part of the moment! What's next on the agenda tonight? Dinner, right?"

"Indeed. Chez Le Grande is about fifteen minutes from here," Rarity confirms, pointing east. She pulls a pocket watch from her saddlebag and pops it open. "We have reservations at seven o'clock and it's about 6:20 right now, so we've got plenty of time. Come, let's see if we can get in a little early."

A trio of long shadows approached the red carpet laid out in front of Chez Le Grande's tall glass doors, yours being at least a foot longer than the others. You scan up and down the upper-crust restaurant, impressed at its craftsmanship. The windows were immaculately clean and had an elaborate, shimmering golden design etched into each pane of glass. The stones that formed the walls didn't appear to have a single jagged edge on any of them and looked to be polished smooth. The sign overhead screamed decadence and class with its large, flowing cursive letters. Still, the soft lights illuminating it from above felt inviting despite the restaurant's exclusiveness.

Along the window's edge was a series of beautifully bright flowerbeds, expertly arranged with lilies, roses, chrysanthemums and other similarly colored flora, all designed to compliment the royal red awning hanging over the doorway. A twisting and turning gold design accentuated the rounded crimson fabric's lower border.

While admiring the structure, a cool, gentle breeze passes by. A fragrant, soothing combination of scents wafts through the air and you take a deep, relaxing breath. If the atmosphere inside was anything like it was outside, this was going to be an amazing dining experience, the likes of which you've never had before.

Finally, there's a break in the line and you and your party are able to get inside. A quick glance further inside shows most of the tables being used. A low murmur of conversation permeates the room, accompanied by swaying sounds of a small chorus of brass, stringed instruments and percussions in the back. A dazzling crystal-laden chandelier hanging over the center of a dance floor – complete with a handful of couples enjoying each other's company – casts a warm glow over a majority of the main hall with only some of the outermost tables requiring their own source of light. Fortunately for them, a row of sconces along the nearby walls made up for this.

One thing was certain as you look over the decorum – the place must have cost a fortune to design, build and eat in.

"Welcome to Chez Le Grande. Do you have a reservation?" the unicorn hostess pleasantly asks.

"Yes, at seven, under Rarity. It was originally for two but some plans changed and we have a third with us now. I hope that's alright."

"I'm sure we can make some arrangements." The young mare looks over the guestbook, scanning through the entries carefully. "It looks like we'll be able to seat your party in about ten minutes."

"Perfect!"

"Would you like us to take your bags for you?"

"That would be much appreciated, thank you," Rarity replies as she floats her saddlebags over.

Reaching under the podium, the hostess pulls out a pair of small tickets, each with the same number, pinning one to the bag and levitating the other to your marefriend. Seeing as how you were the only one with pockets, you snatch it out of the air and put it away.

As the three of you step to the side and wait for your table to free up, Rarity whispers to her pink friend, "Now, Pinkie, we touched on it before, but bouncing around and acting, well, as random as you do sometimes won't sit well with many ponies here."

Pinkie giggles, barely able to contain herself, but quietly enough not to make a scene. "I was quiet during the play, wasn't I?"

"Hm. I suppose you were, yes. I'm sorry, dear," Rarity says with a smile.

"S'okay!"

It was a few minutes longer than the original ten that you and your party were waiting, but the sights and sounds had you distracted enough. Being that it was your first time in such a high-class place, you couldn't help but want to gush but you know this wasn't the time or place for such things. Maybe after you get home later.

The table the staff sits you at is near the dance floor, giving you a decent enough view of the band. You wish they had a small chair for you – or at least something with a back – so you didn't have to sit on strictly a pillow, regardless of how comfortable it may be. It wasn't bothering your date or her friend, but they're used to sitting in such a way. You don't touch the menu given to you, as you already know what's going to be on your plate. The anticipation is mouth-watering and a stupidly excited grin creeps across your face.

Your idle conversation was interrupted by the waiter assigned to your table. "Good evening, folks, my name is Gourmand and I will be serving you. Can I get you something to drink to start with?"

"I was thinking a bottle of one of your finest red wines tonight," Rarity speaks up from behind her own menu. "It's a special night tonight, so let's live it up a bit, shall we?"

"Ooo, that sounds good!"

"Ah, exquisite choice, madame! And you, sir?"

You shrug happily at the unicorn and swing a hand at the table. This night may end up being more fun than you originally thought it'd be. "Sure, I'll have some too!"

"Fantastic! I'll fetch your bottle and take your order when I return."

Once the server is out of earshot, Pinkie opens the menu for the first time and flips her way to the wine list. Her eyes once more almost bulge out of her head. "Rarity, the cheapest wine–"

"Ah ah ah, I'll hear nothing of it. I told you back at the Boutique that price is not a concern tonight."

Pinkie's concern slowly fades as she goes through the appetizers and entrées. Everything looks delicious but she eventually settles on some linguini – mostly because she thought the word sounded funny – with portobello mushrooms and spinach. Rarity, meanwhile, decides on eggplant parmesan and a side salad with vinaigrette dressing. The waiter returns a few minutes later and pours you each a glass of their finest red wine. As per Rarity's request, he leaves the bottle.

"Now, Monsieur Le Grande informed the wait staff and the chefs that a special order was to be prepared tonight for a unique guest. I'm assuming that would be you, yes?" Gourmand asks after taking the mares' orders.

You nod with a big grin on your face. Your treasure was quickly coming within reach!

"Excellent! I do hope you enjoy it! It's not often that we ponies have such particular requests. Now, how would you like it prepared, sir?"

"Medium, please. Gotta have it a little pink in the middle." Hearing your order makes Pinkie curl her lips in amusement, and she struggled valiantly to hold in a giggle fit. "It comes with a side, yes?"

"Indeed it does."

"Mashed potatoes please. Gravy if you've got it," you request, remembering the item on the menu.

The waiter finishes taking down everyone's orders, looking over the pink pony curiously as she barely fights off her laughter the entire time. "Err, very good. I'll go put in your order."

"Thanks." Once Gourmand was out of earshot, you eye the party mare oddly as well. "What's gotten into you?"

"So you like it pink in the middle, huh?" Pinkie says, giggling uncontrollably.

"Well, yeah, if you cook it too long, you... Oh." You roll your eyes. "Should've known."

Rarity shakes her head at the dirty pun too, but after a moment, her friend's chuckles were starting to draw some unwanted attention. "Pinkie, shhh. Don't want to cause a scene or anything," she hisses.

"Hahaha, sorry, sorry! It's out of my system now." Unfortunately, her puffing cheeks and muffled snorts tell a different story. Still, watching her struggle against herself manages to get a laugh from you and your girlfriend. Eager to taste the sweet nectar, you take hold of your glass, holding it out over the table. Following your example, your dates do the same, clinking the crystal goblets together and downing their contents in a single gulp.

Hm! Not bad at all.

The Night's Still Young

You set your third glass back onto the table and lick your lips. The wine's not having much of an effect just yet. The glasses themselves are a little small for you, but that's not going to stop you from enjoying the drinks.

As you and the girls make some small talk while you wait for your food, Pinkie can't help but become more and more distracted by the music not thirty feet away. Perhaps it was the alcohol. Maybe it was her usual short attention span. Who knows.

"Hey, do either of you have a little bit of money on you? I'll pay you back," Pinkie interrupts.

You pause for a moment before rummaging through the inner pocket of your jacket. You pull out a small wallet with some jingling bits inside and dump a few into your hand, passing them over to her, six in total. "Uh, yeah, I have a few bits here. Why? What's up?"

Before she can answer, Pinkie swipes them up and trots around the outside of the dance floor and up to the band. Rarity starts putting two and two together and curls her lips in horror.

"Oh Celestia, no," she mumbles. As the events unfold, she throws the rest of the drink down her throat and immediately refills the glass, taking another gulp.

You raise a puzzled eyebrow. "What is it?"

Slouching, your date explains, "A few years ago, my friends and I attended a royal ball called the Grand Galloping Gala. We met up afterwards and talked about how all our plans went. They didn't quite turn out as we hoped. Any of them. It's rather funny when you think about it." Rarity glances at her friend, failing to hide a wince. "Anyway, Pinkie decided she was going to have some fun by having the band liven things up a bit."

"Ohhh. I think I see what you're going with this," you reply with a grimace of your own. Mimicking the unicorn, you finish your own glass and refill it.

Only a minute later, the band's symphonic melody came to a conclusion. You both know what was just around the corner if Rarity's suspicions were correct. Shooting a nervous look past the dancers, you see Pinkie drop the money into a tip jar on the piano and talk to the stallion at the keys.

A pink blur carrying a huge grin appears beside the table as soon as the band kicked up an energetic, upbeat tune and just as fast, her wine glass was emptied. "Rarity, can I borrow your man for a couple songs? Pleeeeeeease?"

What was she going to say? Your lady brought Pinkie along to help cheer her up. "Err, of course! Knock yourself out!"

With a squee from Pinkie, you're forcibly removed from your seat, almost at the cost of your shoulder socket. But nearly receiving a serious injury wasn't the only reason you were suddenly a little nervous. There were a couple times where Rarity would take you out dancing. The most you ever did up to that point was at your senior prom for about one song before ditching the dance floor and going back to hanging out with your friends. Though she was instrumental in helping you learn a few moves, they were mostly for slower songs, never anything fast paced.

Pinkie comes to a screeching halt near the middle of the dance floor and is forced to catch you so you don't fall on your face. A quick look around the establishment tells you that you've caught a few eyes, but you're not sure if it's because you're you or the fact that the band is suddenly cranking out something energetic.

It takes a moment for you to get into the groove of the music, but seeing Pinkie twirling and spinning around with her hoof in your hand similarly to how Rarity would also helps. It's surprising to see the pink ball of bounciness not hopping and, well, bouncing like she typically does. As you swing Pinkie around and pull her back into your body, wrapping her in your arm, you briefly worry that Rarity was going to start getting jealous. But you couldn't really help it at the moment; you're having more fun than you originally expected.

Fortunately, the classy unicorn is fine with how you were dancing with her friend. If anything, she's rather impressed that you could move the way you were, and if Pinkie was enjoying herself, then she wasn't about to break things up. She's also relieved that Pinkie was letting the band do their own thing instead of grabbing a mic and acting ridiculous. As she sits on her pillow, swaying her shoulders and thoroughly enjoying the musical selection, she scans over the restaurant, gauging ponies' reactions, and for the most part, they were having a good time too. A welcome surprise indeed.

However, one thing in particular catches her eye. On the far side of the restaurant, close to where you came in, sits the bar, and behind it stands a rather handsome stallion. Lazy dirty blonde mane with a few red highlights, off-white coat, hazel eyes that happen to be spying her dancing pink friend between the occasional customers. He doesn't look familiar to the dressmaker, but she didn't visit the fancier end of Ponyville as much as she wanted to. Perhaps he's new in town, who knows? Smirking, she changes seats to give Pinkie a better view of the goods once she's finished shaking it.

As Pinkie's third and final song request nears its end, Gourmand brings your orders out and sets them on the table. You spot it out of the corner of your eye and point out the food to your dance partner, pulling her off the floor and back to your seats in an instant. She doesn't seem to notice or particularly care that Rarity switched places.

You find yourself staring in awe at the incredible-smelling, delectable-looking dish once you return to the table. You glance up at the girls, who are already a couple bites into their meals. They're as anxious to see if you enjoy your steak as you are to taste it.

"Ah, Miss Rarity, zere you are!" a distinctly accented voice calls out before you can get started. Ugh, come on! "And Pinkie Pie! Eet's been a long time! How are you, my dear?"

"Heya Gustave! What's up?"

"Ah, not much. I was wondering who asked the band to play that little number. Was zat you?" he asks with a friendly nudge.

"Hehe, guilty! I heard the music earlier and just had to get up and dance a bit!"

"Hah, splendid!" Gustave turns to you, not at all surprised by your appearance. Being the only one of your kind in the world, you figured he would be taken aback a bit. He was probably just being hospitable, but that's not unwelcome of course. "And you must be Rarity's special friend! So nice to finally make your acquaintance," he says, offering a claw.

"How're you doing?"

You shake hands and claws across the table. Seeing a griffon at all, let alone one that was talking to you, would have given you pause several months ago. However, after living in Ponyville for so long, a half-eagle, half-lion in a black tuxedo jacket and red tie is no big deal. Though you do find it odd that a beak is capable of growing a mustache.

"Very well, zank you! I heard your party had arrived earlier and I thought I'd stop by and see how everyone was doing tonight. I'm especially curious how your meal is."

"Don't know just yet. Pinkie decided to have me dance with her before and I haven't gotten a chance to try it. Guess we can find out together, right?" you ask with a small grin, cutting into the steak as you chatted. Your dates and host look on as you sink your teeth into the juicy piece of meat without another second's hesitation. You take a few slow bites, savoring the long-missed taste, and a long, content smile crawls across your cheeks. "Now that's good," you mutter blissfully. Glancing at Rarity, you blow her an appreciative kiss, making her blush.

"Ah, fantastic! I'm glad you like it!"

"Mhm! Question, Gustave." you get out between bites. "This is a pony town. As far as I know, they don't eat stuff like this. How would they know how to make it so well?"

"I showed zem how to prepare it personally. I may know your friends from a dessert competition, but I am well versed in ze culinary arts," he proudly boasts.

"It shows too," Rarity speaks up. "My dinner is just spectacular! How's yours, Pinkie?"

"Mhm!" she mumbles through a mouth bursting with food. If you didn't know better, you'd swear a pink chipmunk sat down next to you at some point thanks to those enormous cheeks of hers.

"Zank you all, it really means a lot! Can I get you anyzing else tonight?"

"If you have another bottle of wine, that'd be great," you mention. "We've already gone through this one. Oh, Gourmand's our waiter, in case you need to speak to him about it."

"But of course, I'll take care of zat right away! You all have a wonderful evening!" A quick snap of his claw and a sharp whistle gets the attention of most of the wait staff as the griffon walks away. "Gourmand, anozer bottle of wine for our esteemed guests, s'il vous plait!"

"He seems nice," you comment to your dates once Gustave is out of earshot.

"Quite the refined griffon indeed," Rarity confirms as she glances at her random friend. "I have to say I am curious about something, Pinkie. Where'd you learn to dance like that?"

"The stallion who owns the dance studio just outside Town Square taught me. His name's Corey. Do you know him?"

The unicorn taps her chin, thinking deeply for a moment. "Hm, I don't think so."

"Makes sense that you do though. You know everyone in town. Did you ever ask him if he'd like to go on a date or something with you?" you ask, taking another sip of wine.

"Don't have to. He's not into mares."

"Fair enough."

"But, I see somepony who seems to be interested in you," Rarity interrupts, pouring the last of the bottle into her glass.

"Huh?"

Your girlfriend downs a bit of her drink and turns her attention toward the band, looking from the corner of her eye toward the bar again. "Mhm. He's still watching you."

"Who?"

"The bartender, dearie. I noticed him watching you rather intently while you were dancing and it doesn't look like his eyes have gone anywhere else since then." Before she can respond, Gourmand returns with your second bottle of wine in tow. Wordlessly, he replaces the empty one and nods at your party. "Thank you, garçon. Now, as I was saying, you should go talk to him. He has to be somepony you know, yes?"

Pinkie looks across the room and finds the bartender's eyes meeting hers. She sends him a warm smile and a wave before he's pulled away again due to customers. "I don't know him!" she gasps. "You know what this means, right?!"

"Pinkie, shh, not here," Rarity reemphasizes. "But, um, why not hold off on a welcome party for now and just go over there? I must say he is rather dashing and, being a bartender in a place like this, he must see plenty of important ponies coming and going. I'll bet he has some juicy stories to tell that, well, maybe you could eventually share with me if you two do end up seeing each other," she giggles.

"Heh, yeah, I could do that. He is kinda cute," the pink ball of energy says, finishing her liquid courage and pouring another, only to throw that one down her throat too.

"A word of advice, Pinks," you add, finishing another bite, "I would hold off on acting too wild or silly or anything just yet. And yeah, no parties for him just yet like she said. Don't want to scare him off if he is new in town and you do end up liking the guy."

"That does make sense, yeah. Okay, I suppose I can give that a shot. Wish me luck!"

You and Rarity continue eating as you watch the party girl trot over to the bar, her head held high. "What do you think?" you ask.

"I guess we'll see. Stranger things have happened."

"True, true." You set your fork down and take her by the hoof, squeezing affectionately. "Thanks again for this, hon. You went so out of your way here."

Your lady gazes at you longingly, the same way when she first let you know how she felt about you those months ago. "You're quite welcome, sweetie."

Time seems to stand still as you share the moment. A single drop of sweat trickles down the side of your neck, bringing you back to Equestria. With your free hand, you loosen your tie a bit and pull the collar away from your neck. Certainly was getting warm in there all of a sudden, and a fancy restaurant isn't exactly the place to get so...bothered.

"You okay?" Rarity giggles.

"Uh...heh, must be the wine," you mumble sheepishly, ironically taking another swig and letting the fashionista go. She could probably hear your heart racing right now if they were capable. Desperate for a distraction from your own awkwardness, you throw a glance at the bar, where Pinkie and her new friend were laughing and having a good time. "Well, those two seem to be hitting it off. Good for her."

"Oh my stars, you should have seen the look on that mare's face! I don't think I've ever seen somepony as embarrassed as she was, but she was asking for it! Insinuating that she was having an affair with a stallion in his position was just ridiculous!"

"Bet you wish you could have seen it yourself, eh?"

"You have no idea, darling."

The wild and increasingly loud conversations over the last several minutes – and especially the second half-empty bottle of wine across the table – are indicative to the other ponies nearby of how your dinner has gone since Pinkie Pie left to get to know the stallion serving drinks. It also doesn't help that your eyes are starting to swim around a little.

With your plates clean, save for Pinkie's, you were likely going to be heading out soon. The party planner would probably want to bring the rest of her dinner home, so Gourmand had been asked not only for the check but a doggie bag as well. As good as the desserts looked on their menus earlier, there is a cake waiting for you back at the Boutique. Plus that would have just cost more money.

Rarity's gossip is cut off by the bouncy return of your pink guest. "You guys, you guys! Oh my goddess!"

"Hey Pinkie. I'm guessing that things went okay?"

"Uh huh! His name's Last Call." She plops herself onto her cushy red pillow and continues, "He's only been here a few weeks and hasn't really gotten out too much since he's been working a lot trying to get things started here in Ponyville. He lives on the outskirts of town, so I haven't gotten a chance to see him around. Otherwise, I would have probably done like you said and thrown him a welcome party. Ooo! Maybe I can still throw him one!"

"Pinkie, remember what we said." you interrupt. "Slow down a bit. Did he at least ask you out?"

"He did! He already bought me a couple drinks too, so we're half way there, heehee! His weekends are usually pretty busy here, but he's free this Thursday!"

"That's wonderful!" Rarity says, clapping her hooves. "Any idea what you'll be doing?"

"Probably going to go see a movie, and then we were thinking about going back to Sugarcube Corner and sharing some goodies with him. Something simple."

"After one date? I thought you agreed that you were going to take it slow!" you chastise.

"I am, silly! I just hope he likes this new flavor of cake I put together recently."

"Cake?" It takes an extra moment for everything to sink in despite how obvious Pinkie was making it. Being a little tipsy usually has that effect. "Oh! With the eggs and flour and...stuff."

"Uh, yeah. Sheesh, what'd you think I was talking about?" she giggles, taking her goblet in hoof and finishing what wine was left.

Rarity shares an awkward glance with you. No doubt the same thing was going through her mind. Based on what she told you earlier in the day, Pinkie did seem to have a tendency to be, well, forward with others.

"Err, right." You spot Gourmand at the table next to you and wave him over. "Check, please."

You and your dates arrive at the stargazing hill at the south of end of town just in time to watch the last rays of the sun disappear behind the horizon. The moon had already been raised and was just barely starts its climb across the sky. The first few stars of the evening had also come out, twinkling white and blue as they waited patiently for their brethren to join them. While you admire the moon's gentle glow, Rarity clumsily pulls out the blanket she brought with her, laying it sloppily on the ground. Despite it not being laid out as neatly as she usually likes, she shrugs it off and begins to remove her dress.

"Jeez, Rarity, can't even wait till we get home?" you joke, probably a little too loudly.

"Oh shush. I don't want to accidentally roll over and get any grass stains on this. You should probably do the same, Pinkie Pie. I'd hate to see something like that happen to any of my creations," the fashionista insists, removing her friend's gown before she can make a decision and sloppily folding them into her saddlebags.

You want to say something about it but figure if Rarity wasn't concerned that you shouldn't be either. Though with the way she's wobbling – or maybe it's just your vision, you can't really be sure – she may not even be aware of how messily she put the clothes away. Following her example, you remove your jacket and tie, and your girlfriend takes them with her magic, placing them with her garments. Lastly, the top two buttons are undone and the shirt itself untucked.

Finally loose and comfortable, you lay down on the blanket, arms and legs spread, and take in a relaxing deep breath. The cool night air fills your lungs, bringing you one step closer to taking a nap. If you didn't know you had a cake waiting at home, you probably could have fallen asleep right there. It didn't help that the booze was trying to hurry that along too.

As Rarity's now-full bag hits the ground, her small, warm body curls up against your left side. Her foreleg finds its way across your chest and a hind leg wraps itself around your own. She sighs contently when you arm pulls her in snugly up against you and your hand delicately caresses up and down her soft figure.

"Um, guys," Pinkie speaks up, "I...don't suppose it'd be okay if I curled up with you too, would it?"

You both shrug. "Doesn't bother me if it's okay with her," you say, nodding at your sweetheart.

"Fine with me."

With a happy bounce, Pinkie flips over in mid-air and plops herself onto the blanket perpendicular to you, resting her head against your stomach. Your free hand lays down comfortably on her belly and you can't help but scratch it, making the pink mare giggle and shiver lightly. You make a conscious effort, though, not to move too far down. Wouldn't want to anger Rarity, especially after a night like tonight.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," you comment with a wry grin.

"Never really felt anything all scritchy scratchy like this before. Feels gooooood!"

Fingers, one. Hooves, zero.

"Mmmm, you have no idea," Rarity mumbles.

Correction. Two, zero.

It isn't long before the first shooting stars make their appearance across the midnight blue sky. Rarity insisted you make a wish on the first one, but to be honest, there's nothing you really want; everything's just fine the way it is. Still, you figure it's best to just make her happy and so you tell her that you did. She couldn't say what hers was, otherwise it wouldn't come true according to what she said. No big deal in the end. You never took much solace in fairy tale like things.

While living in a world with talking ponies who can fly and use magic and one in particular that laughs in the face of physics. Details.

You're not really sure how long you were laying there as time passes. Maybe it was a minute, maybe it was a couple hours. Whenever you turned your head even a little, you couldn't keep your vision from going nuts. Yeah, no doubt the wine was kicking in hard right now. It's a good thing you were eating while you were throwing all that alcohol down your gullet, otherwise you might be wearing it right now.

Rarity, for the most part, laid relatively still, holding on to you tightly and just enjoying being in your company. Pinkie, on the other hand, was all over the place: Laying across your legs, your stomach, curled up above your head, against your right side the way your angel was against your left. Honestly, what did you expect?

With a long stretch, the unicorn looks behind her toward the clock tower in the distance. Despite it being dark, it was still visible thanks to the mayor making sure it always had a light while the sun was down. It was just after nine. Still not terribly late, but there was an ice cream cake sitting in the freezer and she did want to get to bed early tonight.

A kiss on your cheek from your girlfriend gets your inebriated attention. "Probably about time we start heading home. We still have that cake waiting for us," she reminds you.

Before you can even think, the party animal bounds onto her hooves despite laying right next to you a second ago. "Oooh oooh! CanIcomecanIcomecanIcome?! I heard you mention cake!"

"Well, I did say you could have some earlier today. So if you want to join us, you're more than welcome, dear."

Grinning from ear to ear, Pinkie bounces circles around you both. "Yay! I can't wait to taste it! It looked so yummerrific earlier that–whoa!" she hollers, falling onto her face and laughing at her clumsiness. "Ho boy, I think I had too much to drink tonight."

"You gonna be okay?" you ask, sitting up yourself.

Even with her eyes rolling, her head swinging and her legs wobbling, she manages to stand back up. "Heh, yeah, I think so. I'll just walk instead. Reeeeeeal slow."

"Alright then." You stumble to your feet and find that you're having just as hard a time staying balanced as Pinkie. "Okay, you might be onto something there. But, yeah, let's...let's head on home, girls."

Candy Coating...

You set your jacket on the back of the chair beside you and drape your tie atop it. Both you and Pinkie Pie down your glasses of the cheap wine given to you by Berry Punch a couple months ago. This bottle sure had more kick than what you had earlier that evening, that's for sure. Across the kitchen, Rarity stumbles slightly as she pulls out the utensils and plates, placing them on the table for you to distribute.

Waiting on the counter is the thawing ice cream cake. Taking it in her magic, the unicorn brings it over to the table and sets it in the middle. She levitates the carving knife and takes careful but inaccurate aim over the dessert, drunkenly wobbling the blade around. Holding back a chuckle, you push it toward the center of the cake and refill everyone's glass once the knife is in position.

With the struggle against her blood-alcohol level over for the moment, your girlfriend finally manages to cut a slice of sugary goodness for Pinkie Pie, you, and lastly herself. The gooey double fudge dribbles onto the plate followed by a handful of crunchies. It's been a while since you've had any sweets that looked half this good and you dig into your piece, tearing off a chunk that barely fit on your fork.

Oh wow! You knew that Pinkie was good in the kitchen but this was something else!

It's probably a good idea not to wolf it down too fast though. Should take your time and enjoy it. Plus, you're not entirely sure what would happen mixing a good amount of wine with a sudden intake of ice cream cake. However, Pinkie has different plans and wraps her tongue around her own piece, swallowing it whole.

Looks like you're about to receive an answer to your question.

The crazy pink pony notices you staring curiously at her and flashes you a big, toothy grin. A few seconds later, it morphs into a pained grimace as her head turns ice blue. She collapses onto the floor, taking her chair with her and gripping at her skull. "Gah! Brain freeeeeeze!"

Happily satisfied, you take another bite.

"All better!" she blurts out, standing back up at the table in an instant.

"You're not human, you know that?"

"Of course not, silly! I'm a pony!" she giggles.

"I think he means that you, um...have a certain, inexplicable charm, dear," Rarity adds, sipping some of her drink.

Before you can react, Pinkie squeezes your head in a bear hug. "Awwww! Thanks!"

Despite being caught a little off-guard, you reciprocate the gesture, rubbing her back appreciatively. As wacky and unpredictable as Pinkie is, you have to admit that she was gifted at making others feel good and not just based on what she told you earlier.

The party pony lets you go and squeezes her white friend in a hug of her own, nuzzling their cheeks together. "I can't thank you enough for bringing me along tonight, Rarity!"

"I'm glad you had a good time, Pinkie."

"Mhm! If I hadn't come tonight, I wouldn't have met Last Call! Ooo, I can't wait for this Thursday!"

"I do hope that turns out well for you, dear. You deserve a handsome gentlecolt by your side," Rarity says, bopping Pinkie on the nose.

"Oh I love you guys so much! You so didn't have to do this for me!"

Maybe it was the wine talking. Maybe it was just Pinkie being Pinkie. The long kiss she was suddenly planting on Rarity's cheek had no way of answering.

You expect the dressmaker to gently yet firmly push her friend away. It was a few months after you started dating that you built up the courage to ask her about this kind of a situation out of curiosity; you still weren't completely sure of societal norms at the time but Rarity told you her preferences, which was namely you. Instead, you find your sweetheart giggling.

"Pinkie, I'm...I'm not into mares, dear," she says in a whispered tone. The awkwardness left her barely able to float her next bite of cake up in the air.

"You'd be amazed how many girls I mentioned earlier said that to me before uh...well, y'know," Pinkie slurs.

"Oh baby, oh baby," you joke.

"You shoosh," Rarity teases back, sticking her tongue out at you.

You grin wryly at the inebriated mare and finish your glass. "Don't stick that out unless you intend to use it."

Feigning shock, she lays a hoof against her chest and gasps at Pinkie, "Can you believe what he just said? Just awful!"

As the two laughed at the unicorn's drunken antics, you quietly set your utensil down and stagger up to them, putting an arm between their bodies and pulling Rarity from her seat. You squeeze her against your chest, holding her up with a well-placed hand under her tail and subtly tickling her nethers, making her hiss in a quick breath.

"Y'know, I...I never got a chance to sh-show my appreciation for what you did f-for me tonight," you sputter before planting the first of a series of greedy kisses on Rarity's surprised but eager lips. "S-still can't believe you came up with the idea."

You lay your mare on the tile floor as gently as your hazy state allows. The young unicorn sucks on your lip as you break the kiss. An hand finds its way up and around her head, gripping tightly on her mane and pulling it back, exposing her long neck to your passionate wrath. Normally, she'd insist you let go, but given how drunk you both are tonight, that likely wasn't going to happen.

Her breaths became heavier and faster with each aggressive bite and suckle down her neck. Your other hand wrapped one of her hind legs around your waist, caressing and squeezing her flank. For a moment, you worry that you're being way too forceful, but she isn't complaining. Hopefully she won't have to worry about wearing a turtle neck in the morning.

You let go off her hair and slide your hand down her chest and belly and back up to her face. As your fingers move past her lips, she takes two of them into her mouth, licking and sucking eagerly on them. You can feel yourself start to harden as she goes on the attack.

With your own mouth and tongue approaching her stomach, you happen to just barely hear a second whispered breath from the corner of your ear. Glancing up, your breath as heavy as Rarity's by now, you see Pinkie Pie sitting up in her chair, leaning back with her hind legs spread and a hoof between them, rubbing herself enthusiastically. She meets your eyes, smiling and biting her lip.

The sudden break in the action makes the fashionista look up as well. She follows your look up to her pink friend, scanning over her form, but her eyes constantly find themselves falling between Pinkie's legs.

It takes only a fraction of a second for you to believe that your impromptu love making session was over before it began, but instead of being embarrassed or angry, Rarity can't stop staring at the party animal with intrigue. Again, it was probably thanks to the alcohol that your girl wasn't hollering at you for doing such wanton things to her out of nowhere in front of a guest, regardless if it was one of her closest personal friends. Fortunately, you're not dumb – nor coherent – enough to bring that up.

"Heh, don't stop on my account, guys. Looks hot! Bet I could make her feel even hotter though," she mumbles between panting breaths.

You and Rarity look at each other uncertainly then back at Pinkie. "This doesn't bother you?"

"And what do you mean you can make me feel...hotter than he does? He knows all my little spots," Rarity adds, flashing you a coy gaze before returning her attention to Pinkie.

"I'm okay with it if you are, and you seem to be. And what I mean is who knows a mare's body better than a mare?"

"But I already said I'm not into mares, sweetie."

Despite this to be true, you see a subtle curiosity on Rarity's face that you know she'll never admit to. It wasn't much but you've been together for long enough for you to spot little things like the tiny raise of an eyebrow or the small cocking of her head.

With a weaselly smile on your cheeks, you nudge the unicorn. "Almost sounds like a challenge to me."

"Psh!" she hisses, poking you back, never taking her eyes off of her friend .

"What? I'm serious. She says she can make you feel real good," you say with a shrug. "Besides, you can't seem to stop staring."

She shoots you an unamused look, but it doesn't stop you from continuing. A better opportunity isn't going to present itself any time soon to mention such a situation again, even if it had been brought up before. Besides, if things get argumentative later, you can just blame being a bit hammered. It's really not untrue.

"Look at it this way. You and Pinkie Pie are already pretty close, right? And she's already said she's cool with us doing this right in front of her. Sooooo, why not give it a try? It's not like I'm going to be jealous or anything. Now, if she was a guy, well..."

She turns back to Pinkie, ogling a little too long for her to be doing anything other than considering the offer. After a moment, you look up as well. The pink pony has a glazed but still sultry grin on her face. You won't admit it in front of Rarity but Pinkie's drunken come-hither look is kind of sexy. Your manhood agrees with you.

"But...w-what about Last Call and your date Thursday?"

"That's not for several days, but if we do start seeing each other regularly, I'm going to be loyal to him. Sheesh, Rares, give me some credit," she giggles.

The dressmaker turns back to you, unsure and nervous. Both you and Pinkie do have good points in spite of her objections. It's not like she has a problem with such a thing; plenty of mares around town see other mares, especially with the gender disparity in Ponyville. Plus, she does love seeing you happy, you have all had a lot of fun tonight, and she does know Pinkie Pie better than just about any pony...

Sighing quietly in defeat, Rarity smirks in acquiescence. "Oh, alright. Just this once, okay?"

"Really?!" Pinkie bounces. "Ohh, you're gonna have so much fun, you'll see! I promise, though, if you want me to stop, I will."

"Thank you, dear."

You lean in and give your girl a soft peck on the cheek. "You're awesome, you know that?"

"Hm, I don't recall turning into Rainbow Dash at any time."

"Meh, what does she know? Now, curious, what happens if you end up enjoying this more than you expect and, like, you want another friend to join us or something at some point in the future?" you joke lightheartedly.

"We can talk about that when I'm...when I'm...we can talk about that later," Rarity slurs. She taps you on the chest, nudging you away. "Now, go sit down so Pinkie can have room to...do whatever it is she's going to do."

Obeying, you return to your seat and the pink mare takes your place, laying on her stomach between your lady's hind legs. You stretch out your back and get comfortable with a full view of provocative scene in front of you, eager to see what the boastful pony has up her sleeve.

"If it's okay, I'd like to just jump right into it without any foreplay," Pinkie speaks up. "Plus, I do want you to see how good I know I can make you feel and I just think that if I take too long with getting to the dirty deed, you may want me to stop before we're done."

"That's fine, dear." Rarity glances over at you, playfully sneering. "I'll get you for this some day."

"I look forward to it!"

"Ooo, I'm so excited! This'll be the first time I'll be with any of my closest friends!" Pinkie beams.

The unicorn picks her head up and stares, utterly baffled. "Really? But...well, I know you and Rainbow Dash hang out a lot. You haven't...?"

"Uh uh. We play a lot of pranks and things, sure, but I've never been with her. I asked her once if she wanted to, but she said she was into stallions but couldn't blame me if I was attracted to her since she's so awesome! Not that she isn't super cool and awesome and stuff, but you know what I mean."

"Err, yes. What about the others?"

"Well, Applejack's really traditional, so she probably wouldn't be interested in mares. I think Fluttershy's too timid to be involved with anypony she couldn't fully trust, but I know you two go out a lot when you're not hanging out with your boyfriend here. I doubt she'd ever admit it, but I wouldn't be surprised if deep down she'd like to be with you," Pinkie says happily.

Her white cheeks turn pink at the thought. "She is a real sweetheart, but I wouldn't want to get involved in a relationship with another pony without discussing it with my man first, even if it was with another mare, which I've already stated I'm not interested in. This here is...purely experimental." She clears her throat. "A-and what about Twilight?"

"She'd probably be really enthusiastic, but she'd likely be more interested in taking notes on her experiences rather than simply enjoying them," Pinkie chuckles.

Rarity giggles at the silly jab as well before hazily thinking over the crazy pony's usually accurate opinions. "Hm. That...all makes a lot of sense," she eventually mutters. "So, I'll be your first, huh?"

Pinkie nods with joy. Despite being still surprised by the revelation, a small smile makes its way onto the Rarity's face. Being the first to do something always felt good, regardless of what it may be. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, the fashionista leans back and closes her eyes, readying herself as best she can.

"Ready?"

"Go ahead, dear."

Without even leaning in, Pinkie snakes her tongue from out of her mouth and guides it to the bottom of her friend's slit. She pokes and wiggles the tip against the ivory lips, narrowly brushing the slick appendage against Rarity's back door ever so lightly. It's not anything she hasn't felt from you before, but her twitches and hushed gasps are enough to tell you that your girlfriend is liking this.

Slowly, the eccentric mare drags her tongue up Rarity's entrance and finds her waiting clit. With careful precision, she swirls and rolls it around your mare's button, gradually retracting her tongue back into her mouth. As it continues to spin and twirl, Pinkie brings her head closer to the unicorn's body before consuming her pleasure center between her lips.

Pinkie's tongue was still dancing along and across Rarity's nub when she decides to begin sucking on it hungrily. The unicorn bites her lips, unused to being taken care of so thoroughly. Twitching with each aggressive tug on her sex, her legs slowly start to close around Pinkie's head, but she forces them back to the floor with her earth pony strength.

You stare at the erotic scene on the floor in front of you with a tiny smile. Back home on Earth, you were never involved with two girls at once nor did you ever witness any. Even your...err, preferred movies were with a guy and girl. Watching it now, face to face, you – as well as your dick – understand what the appeal is completely.

Adjusting yourself in the chair, you bump into the bottle of wine sitting on the table. Smirking, you take it in your hand and drunkenly address it, "Ah, booze. Bringer of courage, destroyer of inhibitions. Truly, you are a god among men." You glance back down at the girls, adding, "...And ponies too, apparently," before taking another swig.

Rarity's breathes are rapid and heavy after only a moment or two of Pinkie's attention. Looking past her heaving chest, the pink mare knew her friend was ready for what makes her so good at pleasing other girls. She loosens her oral grip, allowing Rarity a second of peace before plunging her tongue steadily into the unicorn's heated, wet hole.

She gasps in surprise, and her bright blue eyes burst open. You and Rarity had been intimate numerous times, but your cock isn't as...alive as Pinkie's tongue. She can feel the rubbery organ thrusting in and out of her pussy the way you do so often but there's much more to it. The amazing tongue driving itself further in with each jab moves and squirms about inside her, sometimes turning around onto itself and filling her almost to the brim.

Her back arches and her body stiffens. She grits her teeth, hissing mind-boggling arousal through them while she stares at nothing on the ceiling. Pinkie smiles and hums her approval, enjoying how moist Rarity was becoming. Without realizing it at first, your hand makes it way between your legs as you watch Rarity rapidly approaching climax, gripping at yourself through your loose black pants.

Snaking up and around one last time, Pinkie stops her tongue at a particular spot inside the fashionista and firmly pokes and wiggles against it. A sudden wave of ecstasy fires through Rarity's body, making her arch her back even more and squeeze her hooves against the floor like she was trying to break through it. Gasping hard for air, she starts to cum.

"Ah! Ahhh! Oh yes! Oh yeeeees! Ohhh.....nnnnnngh!"

She twitches and convulses until every scream of pleasure passes through her, making her body fall limp against the cool tiles. With Rarity coming down, Pinkie gradually pulls her serpentine tongue back into her mouth and crawls up alongside her spent, panting friend.

Pinkie sits up on an elbow and delicately caresses up and down the young mare's body. "Well," she says, "what'd ya think?"

After a exhausted minute, Rarity replies, "Wh-where did you learn to do that?"

"I've learned a thing or two just by experimenting. That one does the trick with the girls."

Once she's finally relaxed, the unicorn starts to giggle. "Oh wow," she mumbles. Happy to see that her friend did enjoy herself, Pinkie snuggles up and laughs with her.

"Alright," you speak up, their eyes meeting yours, "you remember earlier when you said you were jealous? Yeah, now it's my turn."

"Looks like you're not the only one who enjoyed yourself," Pinkie says playfully to the designer, noticing where your hand still is. "But, what do you have to be jealous of me for? You two can fool around whenever you want!"

Your eyes shift with embarrassment. "...I've never gotten her off that fast."

"Hon, you've gotten me off just as hard before, plenty of times. You're fine, you know that."

You smirk smugly at the compliment and scan the pair over, still thinking about the sexy scene you just watched. Your actions attest to this, and Rarity spies you still rubbing yourself. She licks her lips. Maybe it was the sudden rush of hormones – as well as the alcohol – raging through her, but she didn't want to leave you hanging. Unfortunately, she was still a little tuckered out, but there was another option.

She turns to Pinkie, grinning slyly. "You know, I wouldn't mind if he took it out, but uh...well, I need a few minutes. But in the meantime, if you want..." Rarity whispers just loudly enough for you to hear her.

Your stroking come to a sudden stop. Did she say what you think she did?

"Come again?"

"Only if you work at it, dear!" she jokes with a wiggle of her chest.

"I get it!" Pinkie Pie blurts, laughing. "But, seriously...uhhh...really?"

"Yeah, not that that would bother me or anything, but...well, I guess I didn't expect you to suggest something like that."

"It took some convincing on your part to get me to try this earlier, but I was...pleasantly surprised. Plus, we brought Pinkie Pie with us tonight to help make her feel better and..." she shrugs, "well, like you said before, why not? I'm not sure if I'm thinking straight though, but I don't care."

"What makes you say that?" you ask.

"You do know how much we all had to drink tonight, right?" You wobbly nod. "Besides, I trust you enough to know you're staying with me regardless of what happens. Not only that, but you seemed to enjoy watching us," she says, eyeing your dick with a wiggle of her eyebrows. "Maybe I'll like watching you."

You struggle to find words to say as you glance back and forth between your girlfriend and the equally surprised party pony. Is this some kind of a test or something? Rarity didn't seem like the sharing type when it came to relationships. But, you all did have quite a lot of wine tonight like she said. Heck, just look at her! Her eyes are half-open and she looks kind of out of it. Plus, she did say she's worn out and is probably still a little loopy from how hard she just...

Wait, why are you questioning this?

Seeing how uncomfortable you were getting makes your mare laugh. "Consider this me getting you back for earlier, okay? I know you remember how uneasy you were making me."

Her words don't help get rid of your agitation and she sees this. Rolling her eyes, she waves you over. Hesitantly, you leave you chair and crawl on your knees up to her. Her magic takes your collar and slowly pulls you down on top of her into a deep, long kiss. It's a bit jarring at first but you quickly and happily accept it.

Upon breaking the kiss, Rarity nods toward Pinkie with a warm smile on her cheeks. You and her friend share another unsure look and turn your attention back to the ivory mare underneath you. With another insistent nod, you glance back at Pinkie and happily shrug.

"Ummm...do you want to?"

"Sure! Sounds fun!" the wacky pony beams.

You lean in and give your girl a soft, thankful kiss on the cheek as she moves to get up off the floor. "I'm going to go sit down, give you two some room."

Once you and Rarity stand up as straight as you can, Pinkie hops to her hooves and wraps her forelegs around the dressmaker's neck, planting a kiss on her blushing cheek too.

"He was right. You are awesome!"

"I keep telling her that. She doesn't want to believe me!"

"Ooo, this is going to be so much fun!" Pinkie squeals as you unbutton your shirt. Her eyes suddenly light up. "Wait! I have an idea! One that I haven't had a chance to do in a while!"

The crazy mare zips over to the fridge and yanks it open, diving in head first. The clacking of glass jars and the sliding around of food is the only noise in the otherwise quiet room. After a moment of rummaging through the appliance, Pinkie pops her head out of the freezer, looking slightly disappointed.

"Shoot! You don't have any here. That's okay though! I know I have some back at Sugarcube Corner. Be right back!"

A pink blur is all you're able to see darting out of the fridge and racing toward the back door, the hurricane-like winds left in her wake slamming the icebox shut and almost pulling you and Rarity off your feet. Unfortunately, being beyond tipsy at this point in the night, Pinkie ends up slamming into the wall and flattening her face instead.

Shaking her head and somehow returning herself to normal, she laughs at her clumsiness. "Yeah, I think I may have had a little too much tonight. Okay, now I'll be right back."

The fashionista stifles a chuckle after Pinkie leaves a little more slowly. Hopefully the wall isn't too banged up. No doubt Pinkie is fine; she's proven to be a little harder to break. Once she's had her fill of the giggles, she turns her attention to you.

"Let's get you out of those clothes," Rarity purrs as her horn glows, taking command of your belt, button and zipper and undoing them one by one. Your pants drop to the floor and you slide them over by the table with your shirt joining them a second later.

She instantly finds herself gazing at your erection and looks it over hungrily, feeling just a little jealous of what Pinkie what going to be receiving when she returns. You sit down on the floor and motion your lady over with a solitary finger. She hoists her hooves onto your shoulders and, in return, you scoop her up and sit her in your lap, her hind legs around your waist and your arms around her. She can feel your dick subtly rubbing up against her holes and takes in a sharp breath or two.

"You're sure about this?" you ask.

"Yes, and not another word."

You gaze softly into her big blue eyes. "Why're you so good to me?"

"Because you're so good to me."

Taking hold of her head in your hand, your fingers sifting through her purple mane, you pull her in close and your tongues meet in the middle. Her forelegs wrap around your neck and hold on while you firmly squeeze her ass, eliciting a soft moan into your mouth.

You carefully roll onto your back, bringing Rarity with you without separating your lips. You let her head go and caress up and down her back. As you feel each others' bodies, you become consumed in aggressive passion. You and your lover's breaths become heavier as time passes, and if not for the back door opening and closing, announcing Pinkie's return, you may have resumed your wanton love making from earlier in the day. Not that either of you would have minded, but you were supposed to be fooling around with Pinkie next.

"I'm baa-aaack!" you hear from the next room.

Rarity breaks the kiss and rests her head on your shoulder. You each look up at the pink pony and notice the saddlebags she brought with her. Wonder what they've got in them?

"Welcome back, dear."

The bouncy mare gasps when she trots into the kitchen. "Are you two getting started without me?"

"Heh, sorry Pinks."

"Aw, I'm just messing with you," she says, dropping the bags on the floor. She opens it and pulls out a can of whipped cream, a bottle of chocolate syrup and a half-empty box of fresh strawberries. Her eyes glow and she licks her lips enthusiastically. "Here we go!"

Rarity crawls off your chest, allowing you to sit back up. You look over the sugary goods and then at your girlfriend, exchanging smirks.

"Well, I think I know where this is going."

...and Cream Filling

You glance over the goodies Pinkie brought back from the bakery, trying to decide what to grab first. You and Rarity – nor any of your old girlfriends back home – ever really felt the need to introduce any 'extras' into your foreplay, so you're a little unsure where to start. Not that Pinkie's gifts were unwelcome, of course.

You stand up, wobbling still, and meander over to the cupboard, pulling out two small bowls and grab a couple pieces of paper towel from the roll on the counter. You set the bowls on the floor beside the condiments and lay the sheets beside the small plastic box the fruit came in. Once the bowls were full enough, you snatch up a strawberry and dip it in the chocolate. After a moment, you decide to treat Pinkie to the first berry. In all honesty, you're still a little enthralled at how apparently dexterous her tongue is and want to see more.

As the pink party pony lays back, Rarity sits up on an elbow and watches on intently. Her free hoof slowly makes its way between her hind legs as she looks your naked body over, daydreaming about what's to come shortly. You flash a quick wink her way and she playfully bites at you in return.

While you tease your girlfriend, you drag the berry up to Pinkie's lips, and she's more than happy to receive the sweet gift. She rolls her tongue around the red treat and slurps the chocolate off in a single go, but she doesn't stop there. With the flavor of syrup still lingering, she pokes and licks at the rounded tip, enjoying every last bit she can. Eventually, she grabs hold and slowly pulls the berry into her mouth, allowing you to guide it in for her. The pink mare smiles as she bites down and feels the sugary juices slide down her throat.

"More?" she pleads.

Grinning, you dip the next berry in the whip cream and feed it to her as before. This time, however, she gulps down the berry and swats the top away. Before you can react, she wraps her tongue around your finger and takes it into her mouth, sucking hungrily as a bit of remaining cream tickles. Your clench your teeth and your dick throbs in approval.

After torturing you for a bit, Pinkie lets go, much to your relief and, at the same time, disappointment. She smiles deviously as you reach for another berry and coat it in chocolate again. As much as you want to continue fooling around with Pinkie, you don't want to neglect your girlfriend.

You reach the few feet to the right and slide Rarity up beside her pink friend, making sure to keep her sitting in the same position with her hoof between her legs as best you can. She takes a breather and lets you bring the chocolate-covered fruit up to her lips. Scooping a dribble of syrup up with her tongue before it can fall, the fashionista brings the strawberry into her mouth and chews on it slowly, delicately. She looks at you sensually while she eats it and gives her lips a lick when she finishes.

"You girls are going to drive me crazy," you mutter.

"I think it's a little late for that," Pinkie chuckles.

Glancing downward, you nod sheepishly. "Eh, good point."

"Sure looks like one!"

The earth pony receives a playful backhand on her thigh for her silly joke. You shake your head and eye the can of whip cream. Grabbing it, you cover Pinkie's teats in the thick foam, making her twitch at the cool sensation, and set it back down. She giggles in anticipation as you lay on the floor and get comfortable.

It was odd at first, when you and Rarity started seeing each other, that you found her pony equivalent to breasts so near one of your other favorite parts since, well, you hadn't thought about such a thing before that fateful day at the spa. But, it was something you got over quick enough. They were just as fun to play with as a human girl's. Besides, you didn't have to move up and down her entire body if you didn't want to please her orally this way.

Now it was Pinkie's turn.

You grab her tightly by the hips and sloppily drag your tongue across her teats, smearing the cream all over her and leaving bits on your nose and chin. She sets her legs overtop your shoulders and squeals and giggles as you lick. With most of the whipped cream either slurped up or rubbed into her fur after only a few swings of your tongue, you decide that she deserves more direct attention.

Pinkie's nipples are easy enough to find; the cream was chilly and she is rather excited. You take one into your mouth and greedily suck on it, occasionally flicking your tongue around it, while an index and middle finger rub the other between them. Needing to taste its opposite, you switch places, this time slipping those two fingers inside her. As you poke gently into her hole and drag your tongue to her clit, her breathing intensifies.

"Mmm! Th-those fingers! Bet you really like them, huh, Rarity?" Pinkie squeaks out.

"I'd say 'you have no idea', darling, but I think you do now."

You don't hear the quick talk; you're far too focused on how wet your fingers were quickly becoming and on how sweet Pinkie tastes, probably thanks to years of ingesting more sugar on a daily basis than the rest of the town combined. Plus, it's probably the first time she's experienced anything like the digits probing her nethers. There just can't be any way a hoof would fit without it being rather painful, even for someone as...social...as Pinkie Pie was.

After a short while of orally pleasing the pink mare – as well as surviving a few bouts of her earth pony legs squeezing your head – she taps you on the head, quivering.

"I really gotta see how you taste, like, right now," she mutters, short of breath.

With a smirk, you stagger back to your feet, the effects of all the alcohol over the course of the night starting to heavily take its toll on you. Pinkie sits up as well and grabs the whipped cream, glancing over your dick eagerly before spraying it with a layer of thick, white foam. Several drops land on the floor, making Rarity wince a tad. You may have cleaned up after yourselves plenty of times, sure, but it was probably going to take a little more effort to get any stains left by the syrup or whipped cream off the floor if they happened to spill. Which some now had.

Tossing the cannister back to its companions, the pink mare drags her tongue up and down your erection, occasionally consuming it completely. The mix of a warm tongue slathering cool cream tickles your skin, but it still feels incredible nonetheless. Your eyes roll back and you smile deliriously as Pinkie sends her flexible tongue spiraling up and down the length of your shaft.

Not wanting to put a damper on the wild evening, Rarity forgets the mess dripping onto the floor and focuses on the object of her friend's desire. Though she gave you and Pinkie the okay to fool around, she was still getting jealous, pouting slightly as she watched you enjoy yourself. Finally deciding that she's waited enough, she rises to her hooves and leans in, nudging her pink friend a little out of the way.

Having done such a thing before, Pinkie quickly catches on to what your girlfriend wants, allowing her to slide her lips along one side of your cock while the party girl tends to the other. The remnants of the sugary cream – and probably the fact that she's now giving you some attention – makes Rarity moan happily. The two mares share a few lustful looks as they slurp and lick your member. Pinkie eventually disappears below, giving your lady a chance to devour you whole. A second later, the pink pony's tongue is felt flicking aggressively on your balls, making you clench up and bite your lip.

When she feels she's given your underside enough love, Pinkie Pie flops back onto the floor with her legs spread wide. The sudden thud is enough to get Rarity to stop and spin her head around at her crazy companion.

The pink ball of energy calls you by name, pointing at your manhood and then at her waiting slit. "Enough with the teasin', let's get to the pleasin'!" she giggles.

Now, such enthusiasm was a regular thing for you to see; Rarity was usually, well, raring to go when you weren't busy. Plus, being playful and teasing always made everything feel that much better. So, you correctly figure that Pinkie was going to blow a gasket when you grin evilly and take your lover by the shoulder instead, pleasantly surprising even her, and delicately lay her back down on the tile floor as you get on your knees.

"Hey, no fair! I'm the one asking for it!" Pinkie whines.

"Well, me and Rarity were, um, a little busy when you stopped by earlier this afternoon and we never got a chance to finish, soooo...yeah!"

"Ooo, you're being a Mr. Meanypants!"

"But I'm not wearing any pants," you reply as you guide your cock inside Rarity. Once you bottom out in her warm tunnel, you grab her by the hips and lift her rump up to yours.

"That makes it even worse!" Pinkie jokes while you aggressively thrust in and out of your girlfriend.

Rarity was already a little out of energy thanks to her pink friend bringing her to climax before, but she wasn't going to turn down feeling you inside her. It wasn't long at all before she was short of breath once more. It also didn't take much time for Pinkie to decide to jump in by grabbing the bottle of chocolate syrup and pouring some on Rarity's belly, tossing it unceremoniously off to the side. The resulting crash onto the floor made the bottle spray out a few gobs of chocolate, another mess to clean up.

"P-Pinkie!" she shrieks, suddenly torn between ecstasy and horror. "You're...ohh yes!...you're going to st-stain my coat!"

"Don't you worry, Rarity! I've gotten it out of my own plenty of times. But, for now..."

Without another word, the nutty mare attacks Rarity's sticky body, paying particular attention to her nipples. Your hot flesh inside her and the hungry lips feasting on her breasts almost make her forget to breathe. Up until now, even with how tonight had been going, she never had more than one pony – or person in your case – having their way with her at once, but she was loving every minute of it.

As Pinkie cleans your girlfriend's breasts in her own unique way, she can practically smell the wetness that's covering the penetrating cock only a few inches away from her. Once Pinkie is clearly aware of the erotic musk, she pauses her suckling to stare hungrily as you drive yourself inside Rarity's pussy. Eventually, she scoots up and tries to garner a taste of the juice saturating your dick while you please your panting girlfriend, though with limited results.

Finally frustrated with simply watching you, Pinkie gets to her hooves and bends over in front of you. Leaning down and flicking her poofy tail out of the way, she grabs her hips and exposes her glistening hole at you. "Come on now, don't you want some of Pinkie Pie's pink pie?" she asks with a wiggle of her rump.

"And I thought my jokes were bad," you quip.

However, she did succeed in grabbing your attention. You're not even really aware at first that you've stopped driving your cock into Rarity's sex. Make no mistake, you're enjoying yourself thoroughly with your lover on the floor right here. But, she did say you could take care of Pinkie earlier.

With a quick decision, you lean in and give the unicorn a long, amorous kiss – and get some of the syrup stuck on your stomach for your trouble – before setting her back down and switching partners. The quiet, disappointed whine she lets out almost makes you reconsider. Again though, the teasing is just a bonus!

Moving on your knees over to the pink mare, you grab hold of her tail with one hand and your dick with the other, sliding the tip up and down her lips. She squeals with anticipation, anxious to experience what her ivory friend has for several months now. You glance up and see her soft blue eyes lit up, looking back at you with excitement.

Grinning slyly at her, you plunge into her depths, tightly gripping onto her ass as you do. You knew she was going to be worked up but just how hot her pussy was astounding. Once you bottom out, you pause for a moment to savor the incredible warmth caressing you.

"Mmmm, yeah, you like that?" Pinkie teases.

"Uh huh..."

You begin to pump your hips back and forth, slowly and deliberately. It's been a long while since you felt another girl's pussy squeezing your dick and you were going to enjoy it. As you slide yourself in and out of the party girl, she's fast to spout her approval.

"Ohhh yeah! That's it, that's it! Mmmm mmmmmm mmmph! Oh Celestia, yeah, right there! Yeah! Yeah! Nnnngh!"

So, she's a talker. Not surprising.

A set of white hips suddenly bumps into Pinkie's, their owner showing off her own slit for you with her wavy, purple tail held to the side.

"Come on, sweetie, I need something in me."

How can you say 'no'? You let go of Pinkie's tail and switch hands. Honoring Rarity's request, you rub her slick entrance with a pair of fingers a few times and slip them inside her. Knowing how much she enjoys it, you then stroke her back door with your thumb. She hisses hard through her teeth as you prepare her and groans loudly when you finally sink your digit into her ass as deep as it'll go, her head and chest collapsing onto the floor.

You resume driving yourself into Pinkie's pussy while sinking those fingers into Rarity's holes. It takes a moment, but you manage to find a rhythm, moving your hips and wrist in unison. Both mares hum and moan in delight as you go. As her desire begins to spiral, Rarity grabs Pinkie and forces her tongue down her friend's throat. Though surprised at first, the bouncy mare happily reciprocates.

With being tended to as much as she had been, Rarity was already set to burst again when you started feeling her from the inside a few moments ago. Her heart was starting to race. Your fingers were becoming increasingly wet as the seconds passed. She breaks her heated kiss with Pinkie and gasps hard for breath, a thin trail of saliva falling from her lips. You stop your hips for a moment and give your girlfriend your full attention, slamming your fingers with reckless abandon. She grunts and pants louder and louder until she starts to cum again, making you hold your digits inside her as far as they'll go. Groaning in exhaustion, Rarity finally finishes and slides limply onto the floor.

"Oh yeah, that looked soooo good!" Pinkie raves, garnering a tired smile in response.

"Want one too?" you speak up, adding a single thrust.

"Mmhmm! I was hoping to try something, if that's okay."

"What'd you have in mind?"

"I only tried it one time with a stallion before, and it really really hurt cuz stallions are kind of, well, big. A lot bigger than you. No offense."

Shrugging, you reply, "No, I know. It's just the way it is."

"Yeah. I mean, I've done it here and there with mares and their toys and stuff, but it just can't be the same as the real thing."

"Are you talking about I think you're talking about?"

"I don't know. What do you think it is?" she asks, smiling at you sheepishly.

Raising a curious eyebrow and smiling coyly, you pull your meat from Pinkie's wet hole and lightly slap its head against her asshole. She nods enthusiastically, jumping a bit with each little poke and brush of your dick.

It wasn't unheard of for Rarity to want you to do such a thing from time to time, so you had no problem with the idea in the least. Now, her friend was asking for it. Yeah, this night just keeps getting better and better.

Fortunately, with your cock being as lubricated as it was thanks to Pinkie's warm tunnel, you've already greased her up a bit, what with caressing her puckering exit for the last couple minutes. You lift her tail out of the way and gently guide your tip in. It's not as difficult to penetrate Pinkie's anus as it was your girlfriend's when she let you the first time. But, she did say she's enjoyed such a thing several times before.

Little by little, you push your way inside her, taking your time so as not to hurt her. Every inch you plunge deeper makes Pinkie moan softly, the feeling of hot flesh instead of rubber or latex a welcome change to the mare.

You release Pinkie's tail and grab tightly onto her cheeks, spreading them wide and forcing the last traces of your manhood into her. After bottoming out, you gradually pull your hips back, sliding your dick out almost completely, and bury your dick in the pink pony's ass once again. She was beginning to sweat heavily, making it that much easier on you to slam yourself inside her. With each new crash of your hips together, Pinkie starts getting vocal again, growling through her teeth.

"Ngh! Goddess! Yeah! Mmm! Mmmph! Right! There! Yeah! Harder! Harder! Oh! Yeah!"

With Pinkie's raunchy cheerleading and how incredible her ass felt gripping your cock, it's long before you feel your shaft start to throb. You squeeze the mare's hips even harder.

"Mmm! Pinks, I'm gonna cum!"

"Ohh, don't pull out! Mmmmph!"

"Ah God, yeah! ....Nnnnngh!"

You hold your dick deep inside her when the time comes, your hot, sticky load filling her cavity. Pinkie spasms uncontrollably as you finish, panting at the top of her lungs. She had never felt such an amazing sensation, electric waves of euphoria lighting up every nerve in her body. Once she stops shaking, the worn-out mare slumps onto the floor, staring back at her white friend in a haze while a warm trail of cum drips from her hole and onto the floor. Similarly, you fall back off your knees and onto your ass, completely spent.

"Ohhhh wow..." she mumbles, causing you to laugh.

After a moment, a roll of paper towels, sparkling and glowing a faint blue, floats over to you. Taking it weakly in your hand, you make eye contact with your unicorn lover. She giggles happily, though still beat from the evening's workout, and you chuckle right back.

Pinkie laid to your left, spread eagle on her back and staring contently into space. Rarity sat to your right, her energy slowly catching up with her. A large wad of paper towels, covered in various sticky fluids, was stuffed into the garbage can next to the counter. The bowls were set in the sink and the sweet treats placed back in Pinkie's saddlebag. You're probably going to have to mop where the syrup spilled, but what you hear from your girlfriend tells you that that will have to wait.

"Whew, what a mess we made. Ugh, and just look at me, covered in chocolate. This is going to be a nightmare to get out of my coat," she whines.

"Nah! I told you, Rarity," Pinkie chimes in, "I've gotten chocolate on my fur plenty of times. I'll help you get it out no problem!"

"I hope so. Oh yes, I almost forgot, dear. Um...not a word of what happened here tonight leaves this room, okay? I'd appreciate it if this was kept just between us."

"I understand. Won't say a word. Pinkie Promise!" she states, poking herself in the eye for good measure.

"Thanks. I'm sure I don't have to tell you, hon?" Rarity asks, looking at you.

"Naw, I know."

Smiling, she adds, "I...have to admit, that was...a lot of fun. I'm surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did. Maybe because we're all a little drunk or something, I don't know. But still..."

"Would you be interested in doing this again some time?" Pinkie asks eagerly.

"What about Last Call?"

"If it doesn't work out with him," she clarifies.

You and Rarity exchange a glance. You weren't about to answer such a question. A 'yes' could sound too enthusiastic, thus running the risk of angering your girlfriend, and a 'no' would most certainly hurt Pinkie's feelings, given how close she and Rarity are, plus she may get the impression you were just using her or something even though you know you weren't. No, this was for Rarity to answer.

"I don't know, Pinkie. We'll think about it, alright?"

"Sounds good!"

Sighing to yourself in relief, you take a quick look around to see what else you could clean up in the meantime. Unfortunately, that peace of mind was shattered in an instant when the most sobering sound in the world came from the laundry room.

The door slammed closed and a squeaky voice rang out, "Rarity, you home? Do you know if...I..."

Sweetie Belle sat there frozen, staring in bewilderment at the scene in front of her. Horror was written all over all three of your faces and you pray she just turns around and leaves. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be happening. Her curious green eyes meet yours and you can feel your face turning red. That is, until your pants crash into your head and you bundle them up in your lap.

"Errr, what's going on?"

"Well uh...y'see...Rarity, help."

"We were, umm...bakiiiiing a pie!"

The filly seems unconvinced. "A pie?"

"A cream pie!" Pinkie giggles.

"What?!" Rarity shrieked.

Oh God, she didn't...

"Huh? Oh! Uh, yeah! I stopped by to show them this new recipe and...ummm...."

"There was, err...an accident, dear."

"Yeah! I kinda maybe sorta put something together wrong and it, err...blew up! Yep! Got chocolate and stuff all over the place, haha!"

"That's exactly it. We were just finishing cleaning up and we decided to...to take a break!"

The little mare looks over the kitchen, spying the paper-filled garbage can. Good, their ridiculous story seems to finally be working. Now, why wasn't she leaving?!

"Oh. Okay." She stares at you again. "Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

Ugh, she had to ask that. Come on, come on, think!

"Uh...why aren't you?"

...You're an idiot.

"Uh, we don't normally wear clothes. You do. Soooo, why aren't you?"

"When the pie burst, he got stains all over his clothes. We just haven't gotten a chance to put them in the laundry yet!" Pinkie explains.

"Oh. That makes sense."

"Why are you here at this hour anyway, Sweetie? It's rather late."

"I think I left one of my school books here the other day in the guest room. I was hoping to pick it up after school, but the place was locked up, so I spent the day with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo at Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and Apple Bloom were walking us home cuz it was starting to get late. I asked if we could check to see if you were home yet on the way back, and...you know," the filly nervously explains.

"Err, listen kiddo, would it be possible for you to stop by tomorrow? Now's just kind of...not a good time," you plead.

"If it's my history book, I sort of need it. We were assigned to do a history report for Monday."

"Look, um...if you head on home now, or like, head to one of your friend's places and maybe convince them to spend the night or help them work on theirs or something, I'll do your homework for you this weekend, okay?" you offer the young pony. Anything to get her to go, please!

She lights up at the idea for a second only to glare curiously at you. "Really? Even my history report?"

"Uh huh!"

"But, what do you know about Equestrian history? You're not from around here."

Clever girl.

"I'll have Rarity help me!" You can suddenly feel an angry set of eyes drilling into the back of your head. You know she has some work orders to take of tomorrow! "I'll even make sure to leave you some time to copy everything down so you don't hand in anything with someone else's handwriting...hoofwriting...you know what I mean."

"Seriously? Okay, sure!"

Sweetie Belle runs past you and up to her big sister, and she magically lifts the saddlebag from her back. She goes to give Rarity a hug but is politely declined. "Oh, I'd rather you didn't get any syrup on your beautiful coat, Sweetie."

"Heh, good idea. Thanks again, Rarity!"

The little Crusader receives a nuzzle on her cheek and runs past you and Pinkie, wishing you all a good night. The door opens and slams closed, leaving you, Rarity and Pinkie to sigh loudly in relief.

"Thank you for adding on to the pile of things I have to do this weekend," an annoyed Rarity growls at you.

"Sorry, hon. I didn't know what else to do."

"It's alright," she sighs, pulling out her sister's papers and going over her notes. "I mean, it's an elementary school assignment. How hard could it...possibly...be?"

As her irritation grew, she stops, calmly puts the papers back and sets the pack on one of the dining room chairs.

"Well, I suppose we may have to make a stop at the library tomorrow too."

"I'll go take care of that if it needs to be done," you mutter shamefully.

"I know you will."

"Relax, guys! Everything will be fine!" Pinkie says, hopping to her hooves. "You know what would help right now? A nice, hot shower. It'll help you both start getting cleaned up a bit, too! Come on, I'll race you upstairs! ThreetwooneGO!" In a puff of smoke, the pink pony zips out of the room. "I win!"

You shrug at your lover and smile. "Probably not a bad idea. I am glad you had fun tonight though, hon."

"Me too," she says, returning a grin.

You extend a hand toward the hallway that led to the staircase, offering to escort her to the shower. "After you, my dear."

"Oh, such a gentleman!"

The sound of Sweetie Belle's approaching hoofsteps make her fellow Crusaders, as well as Applejack, aware of her return. She happily trots up to the group and they continue their trek to Sweetie's house, talking and playing, until Applejack notices something odd.

"Hey, Sweetie Belle, didn't ya have a saddlebag when ya went in?"

"Uh huh. Rarity's friend said they'd take care of my homework for me this weekend, so I left it with them. He suggested maybe I spend the night with somepony tonight or tomorrow and help them with theirs if they wanted."

"I don't think my parents would have a problem with that, but it's probably too late for me tonight. Tomorrow should be okay," Scootaloo says.

"Could we tomorrow night, sis?"

"Shoot, Ah don't see why not. But, don't think that Ah'm gonna be doin' any of your homework for ya."

"Alright!"

"Cool!" Sweetie Belle cheers. "Still, I just wish I knew exactly why they were acting so weird tonight."

"What do you mean?" the little pegasus asks.

"Pinkie was there and it looked like they were cleaning up a mess or something."

"Sugarcube, when Pinkie Pie's involved, there's probably going to be some kind of mess that needs cleanin'," Applejack interrupts. "That is a bit peculiar that she'd be stoppin' by so late."

"That's not just it, though. It felt like they were trying to get me out of the house as fast as possible."

"Why in tarnation would they do that?"

Without hesitation, the unicorn blurts, "I think they wanted to get back to having sex."

Applejack stops dead in her tracks, her jaw suddenly on the floor. "What?!"

"Is that all?"

"Sheesh, adults are weird."

Author's Note

Hope you enjoy the very tiniest of rewrites at the end there. :trollestia: Switching cake to pie is much more comedic.