Snow fell slowly in front of the bench Maud sat upon, the roof keeping the frost from touching her at first. The beginnings of winter were happening right before her, and as winds picked up, flakes began landing on her. She sniffled, holding onto a dampened tissue. It might be hard to imagine Maud Pie crying at all, but there she was with a reddened nose, waiting for the train to come and pick her up. Her visit had come to a sudden halt, and while she waited, her mind raced with all of the experiences she had shared with the mare she originally came for.
The crumpled tissue was tossed to the trash can next to her, and if only for a second, Maud stopped crying long enough to think clearly. She stared out at the mountains, and the snow, and all of the land stretching far and wide beyond the railroad, and she thought hard about what had just happened. She thought about what could’ve happened instead, and then what can still happen, but she just couldn’t bring herself to go back to the Carousel Boutique. “I embarrassed myself… I should just go,” Maud told herself.
Meanwhile, downstairs in the boutique, Rarity looked at herself in the mirror. She was trying to figure out why Maud would run off the way she did, and whether or not she should have chased after her. “I could check the station…”
That’s when the door knocked. Rarity answered, hoping it was Maud, but it ended up being Pinkie. She stumbled in, and asked with a gleeful smile, “Is Maud here? I got her note!”
Rarity sighed at the mere mentioning of Maud’s name, and returned to the mirror. “No, I’m afraid not,” she said rather shaken.
“Oh… Well, she stopped by, right?”
“Yes, Pinkie Pie, she did.”
“Did she tell you?”
Rarity looked back at her friend. “Tell me what?”
Pinkie’s smile dissipated, and some sweat formed on her forehead. “Err…”
“You know…” Rarity looked to her upstairs bedroom, and then said, “She was acting a bit strange, especially when I tried to confirm my suspicions… Pinkie? What was Maud going to tell me?”
Backing up into a wall, only for Rarity to come that much closer to her, Pinkie spoke in a hushed tone. “I suppose… I didn’t necessarily Pinkie promise her that I wouldn’t tell you…”
At this point, Rarity had to know the truth. “Does Maud…”
Pinkie finished Rarity’s question for her. “Totally have a crush on you?! Yep!” Rarity’s surprised face made Pinkie think she got it wrong. “I mean-”
“I knew it!” Rarity didn’t seem mad, but she didn’t seem happy, either. Just that she was right. “Which means… Pinkie?”
Rarity watched her friend come forth a bit. “Yes, Rarity?”
“Do you think… I should go see her?”
Pinkie rubbed her chin in deep thought, and answered with a question of her own. “Do you think you like her that way as well?”
“Well, darling, I certainly think she’s my friend and all… I suppose I’d have no choice but to go find out.”
She looked back at Pinkie, who had a confident look about her. “Then there’s your answer!”
Rarity nodded to herself. Soon, she’d be on her way to the train station where Maud would be. She just hoped it wasn’t too late.
Back at Maud’s bench, the mare had stressed herself enough, and now just sat there on her side, elevating herself up with her front hooves. She was focused on the slowly moving snow in front of her, and too preoccupied with waiting for the train to hear anypony approaching. Rarity came up from behind her, observing a tissue that had missed its target. She picked it up with her magic, and said to the distracted pony, “Pinkie said you’d be here.”
Maud gasped, something she was beginning to get used to doing these days, and stared at Rarity, and at the tissue she had. It was placed gently in the can, and then Rarity came over to sit with her friend. “Rarity, I… I’m sorry,” Maud apologized sincerely.
“It’s alright,” Rarity responded. “I’ll just come out and say it, then… I know how you feel towards me.” Maud observed Rarity with different, attentive eyes, and to Maud’s realization, she didn’t seem upset about it. If anything, she appeared to be completely content. “Pinkie told me, you see.”
Maud inhaled deeply. “She did?”
“Well, she never Pinkie promised to keep it secret or anything.” Maud looked away, but her gaze was redirected to Rarity’s eyes with one of the unicorn's hooves touching her chin. “Maud, I want you to know… I’m willing to be with you, especially considering how I haven’t had much luck with anypony else.”
Maud asked with eagerness, “You would?”
With a smile, Rarity told Maud, “You may be into rocks, and I might be into diamonds, but those two are usually found together. Side by side… and, you know, I’d be willing to count this as our third date.”
Maud just got closer, and asked, “How do you figure that?”
“It’s simple,” Rarity said, her muzzle touching Maud’s, and their hooves holding onto one another for warmth. “There’s the first time you visited Ponyville, and then the time we visited Manehatten…”
“Uh huh…”
“And then… there’s now…”
Rarity laid her lips on Maud’s, concluding what she meant. Rarity had kissed only a few ponies in her life, but somehow, Maud was the best. They stayed like that, sitting there with one of Maud’s hooves resting against the diamond of the bow Rarity wore around her neck. Although Maud hadn’t had much practice at all, she seemed to know what she was doing; she being the one that deepened the kiss by sliding her tongue passed Rarity’s lips.
This went on for several minutes. After the kiss had finally ended, they held each other in one another’s hooves for a bit longer, both wearing a smile. Rarity offered for Maud to spend the night, and her new special somepony naturally accepted. Needless to say, their relationship was just beginning. The following morning, Maud would awaken next to Rarity in a bed she had never slept in before last night, Rarity being held firmly by Maud.