Luna Square at night was every bit as impressive as they imagined it would be when they saw it in the morning. Luna’s statue had been lurking in the shade of a huge old oak tree during the day, as if hiding from the sun. At night, the tree was one dark shape in the city’s skyline among many. Blue, purple, and red glowgems in the ground at her feet made Luna a spectacular, attention-grabbing figure. The reflective silver and magical blue filter gave her a ghostlike appearance.
Little bits of light in the apparent color theme of the square peeked out of the the ground, walls, benches, and other features of the square. It was like stepping into some mythical faerie night court. Where the wrought-iron arches and fencing had seemed like the view of a haunted mansion, tamed by the morning sunlight, those same fixtures took on the appearance of something out of storybook depictions of Tartarus when underlit in red.
In contrast to the sinister and otherworldly visual elements, the square was filled with hushed conversation, laughing, music, and the hoof-falls of many ponies walking on hard stone.
Diamond Tiara led the way, and as she, Apple Bloom, and Cloud Weaver approached Luna’s statue, a voice called out to them.
“Hey, you made it. You brought friends too. Awesome!” Night Rocker’s flashy outfit took on a somewhat neon look in the glowgems of the square and managed to look much less out of place. With him were three other ponies gathered. “Lemme introduce you dudes. This here is Golden Topaz, Lights Out, and Stone Throw. I met Silver Diadem this morning, who’d you bring?”
Diamond Tiara smiled at the others and the conversation hit an awkward silence. Cloud Weaver subtly poked her flank with a wing. “Oh, this is Pear Blossom and Cloud Weaver. We, like, had some wine with dinner.”
Stone throw, an earth pony stallion, stepped forward and gave them all a blatant once over. “Dude, nice score. Got three ladies and they’ve already started the party.”
The other stallion in the group, Lights Out, raised his hoof, and Night Rocker met it with his. Night Rocker tried to get the same reaction from Golden Topaz, the lone mare of the group before their arrival, with no success. She rolled her eyes at him, and he recovered by running his hoof back over his topknot. “We’re waiting on my bro, Horizon Duster. He went to pick some chick up he met to fly her here. We got some time to kill until he gets back.”
Cloud Weaver folded her wing back to her side, then stepped forward. “I heard this place was, like, impossible to get into. You have some kind of plan?”
“Okay, so check it out, they want to make for a great party place every night, right? And they can put the best tunes, lights, and all that jazz like every other place. But none of that matters if you get a bad crowd. They can’t, like, interview ponies on the way in or something like that, and they can’t just make it invite-only. I think I figured out their strategy though.” He paused for dramatic effect, then motioned for them all to lean in so he could whisper. “You gotta keep the bro to ho ratio even. We come just us dudes, we get turned away. Group of all chicks, same deal. They’d have to keep track of how many dudes and chicks they let in with, like, a scoreboard or something. But if we come as a mixed group, close to even spread, that don’t tilt the ratio. So they’ll probably let us in!”
“That actually doesn’t sound crazy.” Apple Bloom glanced around at their group. “We also have a pretty good spread of tribes too. You said your “bro” was flyin’ somepony in? So we have three pegasi, three earth ponies, and two unicorns. If he’s bringing a unicorn it will be a perfect set. If she’s an earth pony, well I guess there aren’t as many of us in Silver Cove, so it should still be fine if there is a lot.
“Yo, guys!” A voice from overhead drew their attention to a pegasus stallion carrying an earth pony mare in his hooves. He deposited her gently to her own hooves, then landed beside her. “This is Honeysuckle. Let's get this party started!”
Once inside the door, Lights Out and Stone Throw darted off ahead of the group, dodging between other ponies. “We gotta catch up to the ladies, see ya at the bar!”
Apple Bloom tried to wave at them, but lowered her hoof when it seemed they had no intention of looking back. She looked back and noticed two more of their group, Honeysuckle and Horizon Duster where nowhere to be seen.
As they arrive to a small lobby, Golden Topaz strode purposefully to the stairs leading to the upper floor. She paused at their base and looked back. “Have fun with your mare’s mares, Night Rocker.” She snickered then trotted up and out of view.
With their group down to just four ponies, Night Rocker turned to Diamond Tiara and raised an eyebrow. “So, you dudes wanna dance or you have something else in mind?”
Cloud Weaver chimed in before she could respond. “I need to hit up the little filly’s room and get rid of this wine.”
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened and she nodded. “Oh, that is a good idea. I oughta do the same.”
Diamond Tiara gave him a smile and shrugged.
Night Rocker brushed his hoof through his topknot, then nodded. “Well, thanks for helping us all get in, dudes. See you ‘round then. I’ll be on the on the dance floor. It has been calling me for weeks!”
—
The bathroom was otherwise empty, and all three ladies were gathered at the row of sinks. Diamond Tiara was making a few adjustments to her hair in the mirror.
“I feel kind of bad for leaving Night Rocker all by himself.” Apple Bloom, at the sink adjacent to Diamond Tiara’s, was washing her hooves at the sink. “So now that we’re here, what are we gonna do? I still wanna dance, but it don’t seem right to go straight to it after ditchin’ him.”
Cloud Weaver playfully reared up behind her to wash her own in the same sink. “I know something I wanna do.”
“Hey, what are you doin’? There’s an empty sink right over there.”
“Seeing you up on your back legs made me wanna get close again. We could have our own little dance right here and now.”
Apple Bloom froze up a little, her hooves unmoving under the warm water, while Cloud Weaver’s hooves moved about in the stream below hers. “Somepony might come in any minute and catch us. I ain’t keen on bein’ caught like this in a bathroom.” She glanced over at Diamond Tiara who was watching them intently with a grin.
“So I shouldn’t take my dress back yet?”
“Your dress? I thought you gave it to me.” Apple Bloom raised one eyebrow and stared at Cloud Weaver in the mirror before them. She couldn’t help but remember earlier today being pressed up together just like this and seeing herself in the mirror underneath the pegasus.
“I never said anything of the sort. I told you I wanted to take it off of you again.”
Between the heat of Cloud Weaver’s body against her back, and the heat growing in Apple Bloom’s belly, she whimpered a little. “In your bedroom, not in a bathroom in some night club.”
“So you’re planning on coming back to my place later tonight?”
Diamond Tiara turned the water at her sink off, then began drying her hooves with a paper towel. “We have our own hotel room we can go back to. You’re going to have to convince Apple Bloom that she’ll have more fun at your place than ours.”
Cloud Weaver stuck her tongue out at Diamond Tiara. “And if I do convince her, you’re going to insist on coming along?”
Apple Bloom made a token effort to wriggle free, pressing back against Cloud Weaver’s chest. “She don’t have to insist, ‘cause I do. If you want any chance of me comin’ with you, you’re gonna have to invite her too.” Apple Bloom shifted her tail to brush it against Cloud Weaver’s belly, smirking at her reflection in the mirror when she felt her breath catch.
“I’ll have to think about it. Still new to doing this in front of the main mare.” Cloud Weaver pressed her chest into Apple Bloom’s back until the counter pressed below her ribs. “Something for you to think about in the meantime.” She held Apple Bloom’s chin in one hoof and pressed their muzzles together.
Apple Bloom accepted the intrusion of her tongue without hesitation. Knowing she was under Diamond Tiara’s watchful gaze kept the worrying part of her quiet. For a moment, everything was warmth and the sound of their hearts racing in their chests. When Cloud Weaver pulled away, Apple Bloom chased her muzzle, catching her bottom lip for a brief nibble.
Cloud Weaver dismounted from Apple Bloom’s back, leaving her to catch her breath. She smirked at Diamond Tiara, then exited the bathroom.
Diamond Tiara reached over and turned the faucet off at Apple Bloom’s sink. “That was hot. Was she like that in the changing room?”
“Yeah, but I think she turned up the heat a bit more just now to show off in front of you. I think I need a moment to calm myself down.”
Diamond Tiara pressed close to her side and whispered in her ear. “Oh no, you naughty little filly. There will be no calming down tonight.” She softly bit her ear, tugged a little, then released her and turned towards the exit. “Come along now.”
The upstairs showroom was spacious and dimly lit. Up on stage were a pair of unicorns engaged in some kind of balancing act, with one holding up the other while going through different poses and positions.
There were few ponies in the audience. Several rows of plush pillows anchored to the floor served as comfortable seating and most remained empty. Near the entrance a small blackboard listed the show schedule. The big-ticket attraction had been earlier today before dinner, and the evening-night slots seemed filled with amateurs and unheard-of hopefuls.
Apple Bloom noticed many available seats in the front row, and recognized Golden Topaz off to one side. She took a few steps in that direction. Diamond Tiara halted her with a tug on her tail, then nodded towards a back corner away from the entrance. She whispered her objection, “But we’ll have a better view up front.”
“And everypony behind us would have a better view of us. Little more private back here.”
“Dee, I dunno what you have in mind, but we ain’t gettin’ too frisky. If you wanted privacy, we shoulda went back to the room.” She sat with walls behind her and to her right, several empty rows and the stage to her front, and Diamond Tiara to her left.
“I like where your mind is at. Still thinking about that kind of fun?”
“Kind hard not to right now.” Apple Bloom stared forward. Up on stage, one of the ponies was balancing high up on a freestanding ladder, while the other juggled batons and occasionally tossed them to his partner above him.
“Still thinking about her?” Diamond Tiara didn’t even pay token attention to the stage, instead she put one hoof on Apple Bloom’s flank and caressed her cutie mark.
“Yeah.”
“She is a cutie. I really like her mane.”
“I, uh, like her tail.” The pair on stage took a bow, then exited from view. The lights brightened, and some of the few ponies in the audience got to their hooves and walked out. Without the distraction of a show going on, Apple Bloom lowered her voice even further. “It’s like wearin’ panties out in public. They cover things up, but draw attention because you’re tryin’ extra to cover up. Long tail don’t cover you up perfectly, but everypony knows it ain’t polite to peek and it covers up enough. Short tail don’t cover her up none, and it draws attention ‘cause it’s short on purpose.”
“Is that why you wore that bikini yesterday? To draw attention to your rump?”
“A little bit, I guess. I mostly wanted to look cute for you.”
The lights dimmed, and a familiar pony in black and white horizontal striped shirt, hat, and strikingly painted face stepped onto the stage. Diamond Tiara took that moment to pull on Apple Bloom’s tail. Her groan was drowned out by the groans throughout the sparse audience. “D-Dancing.”
Diamond Tiara tilted her head and raised one eyebrow. “What was that, Little Flower?”
Apple Bloom smirked and kissed Diamond Tiara softly, then whispered. “Need to take me dancing before you get my tail.”
Apple Bloom was starting to regret her decision.
She was surrounded on all sides by gyrated ponies. She was on her hind legs, flailing her forelegs around like everypony else. The steady bass throbbed in her ribcage, while catchy high notes trilled in complicated patterns. Properly dancing to music like this was something Apple Bloom had long ago learned wasn’t important as long as she put on a show of effort. Not that she could concentrate much on keeping with the beat.
Diamond Tiara was behind her. Close behind her. Her hooves rested on her hips like all the ponies around them, and occasionally drifted down to caress her cutie marks. Her chest was pressed to Apple Bloom’s back, and she could feel her breath at her ear between nips.
Each time Diamond Tiara got more affectionate with her, she whimpered and scanned the ponies around them, searching for stares and aghast expressions. She found none.
Instead, she caught glimpses of other ponies behaving similarly. Some gave her annoyed looks for staring at them. She quickly turned away when caught.
She caught sight of Night Rocker. He was dancing behind some willowy thin pegasus mare he must have met here inside. On another scan through the crowd, she spotted Lights Out making rather indecent-looking motions with his rump against Stone Throw’s belly. She even saw Golden Topaz towering over the mime. That last pairing drew a giggle from her.
By the time the song ended, and she could go back to all four hooves and rest, she wasn’t sure if she was disappointed it was over or if she should complain. “You’re bein’ too naughty, Dee.”
Diamond Tiara smirked and led her to the sidelines to find a table to rest at. After half a dozen songs, her mane was limp with sweat. “You know I’m just teasing.”
Apple Bloom stopped and stared at her midway through the action of sitting down. “Y’know, you’re right. I do know you’re just teasin’.” She smiled and leaned over the table to claim a quick kiss. “It ain’t so bad, neither.”
They found an empty table, and sat down to catch their breath. An attentive unicorn waitress and a teleport spell later had them enjoying a pair of frosty mugs of apple cider—locally pressed—and taking in the spectacle of ponies swaying and gyrating to the music.
“Did you see those two, Dee?”
“The two who ran off to the bar right as we got inside? Yeah, wonder if they’re sti—oh, hey look. Security is escorting them out right over there.” Diamond Tiara pointed off to one side. Lights Out and Stone Throw were walking with heads low between two burly-looking unicorns wearing intimidating-looking, dark uniforms.
“Coulda been us hauled off with the way you were grabbin’ at me.” Apple Bloom closed her eyes and took a long swallow of her cider.
“Oh, please. I was much more restrained and discreet than they were. We were in no danger.”
“Maybe you were, but I was gettin’ kinda itchy and might have tried to scratch it.”
“Why do you think I lead us here for a break?” Diamond Tiara scanned through the ponies, seeming to search for something. Her gaze stopped and she seemed to focus off to one side of the room.
“For a rest? Y’know, I ain’t even really tired.” Apple Bloom looked in that direction. She noticed the DJ’s booth, and recognized Cloud Weaver beside it, chatting with the pegasus inside the booth. “Guess you are keepin’ a tight grip on the reins, ain’t’cha? Wonder what she’s doin’ over there.”
As if to answer her question, the music shifted tone jarringly when the next song started. Apple Bloom’s eyes went wide as she recognized the opening chords to something she grew up listening to, one of the more popular songs by Wailing Lemmons, “I’ve Always Been Crazy.”
Diamond Tiara smirked at Apple Bloom then lifted her still nearly-full cider mug. “I think someone is calling you to the dance floor. Have fun.”
Apple Bloom nearly dropped her mug to the table and dashed off into the dance floor, dodging and weaving between confused-looking ponies until she found Cloud Weaver near the center, waiting for her. She had one hoof out, and Apple Bloom recognized her invitation, and formed herself into a close dance frame with her. She stared into Cloud Weaver’s eyes, following her lead as they two-stepped in place.
“You got my attention, and it looks like you know what you’re doin’. What’cha got?”
“I’ve got you, so let's show these ponies a thing or two.” Cloud Weaver’s lead was strong, and Apple Bloom felt herself following her steps easily and twirling with just a slight signal from her shoulder.
Ponies around them moved back to give them space, commenting amongst themselves as an impromptu circle opened up around them. With more room, they grew bolder. Apple Bloom was grinning and found Cloud Weaver’s was just as wide. They shook their hips and stamped to the beat, drawing a few cheers.
All too soon, the song dwindled to a close, replaced by an applause. Cloud Weaver didn’t release her from their close position and linked hooves. They caught their breath for a moment, then the next song started. Another shift in tone, though Apple Bloom did not recognize this one immediately.
“Little bit of your world, little bit of mine.” Cloud Weaver spoke over the opening guitar chords, then nodded sharply.
Apple Bloom furrowed her brow, listened and stamped her hooves to the beat. She tried to absorb the lyrics of the thickly-accented female singer, but following Cloud Weaver’s lead took most of her attention. She caught the more distinct chorus of, “whenever, wherever” several times during the song.
Around them, ponies made an effort to mimic them, though Cloud’s flamboyant use of her wings kept their dance space wide and mostly clear. Apple Bloom found herself ducking under those wings, turning to face Cloud Weaver, linking back hoof to shoulder, sometimes hip to hip, and even rearing up on her hind legs, almost chest to chest with her.
The song came to a close, ending on some kind of wind instrument, leaving Apple Bloom and Cloud Weaver again catching their breath pressed close together. A few ponies around them applauded, but most had lost interest and were engrossed in their own dance efforts. The next song was a return to the more familiar peppy and artificial-sounding material that had dominated the playlist of the night.
“Aw shucks. Already over? I was really enjoyin’ that last song too.”
“I could only get, like, two songs out of the DJ. That was Gazelle, from South of Equestria’s border.”
“I guess we’ll have to make do with what’s playin’ then.” Apple Bloom gazed at Cloud Weaver with partially lidded eyes and a lazy smile. “Even if this swaying and flailing about ain’t half as fun as a proper dance.”
“Think I better turn down this dance. Need to conserve my stamina for tonight, after all.” Instead of “dancing” to the next song, Cloud Weaver led Apple Bloom to the edge of the dancefloor.
“You sound pretty confident that you’ll need it. I admit I am impressed with your dancin’ and I did like your choice of songs.”
“Confident, and looking forward to impressing you some more tonight. I’ll leave a light on for you and your girlfriend. You know where the place is.” Cloud Weaver pressed her muzzle to Apple Bloom’s, and the two enjoyed an unhurried kiss.
Apple Bloom savoring the lingering warmth after the kiss for several moments, then opened her eyes and caught sight of Cloud Weaver just as she was disappearing into the mill of ponies on her way to the exit. Apple Bloom remained in place a moment, shivered, then found her way back to Diamond Tiara’s table.
“Welcome back. You two looked great out there. I should have thought to make a request of the DJ for our own set.” Diamond Tiara offered Apple Bloom a fresh mug of cider. “You look flushed. She seemed well-behaved up on the floor, did she get to you after or something?”
Apple Bloom gratefully accepted the mug and took a long pull at the icy juice. “Just a kiss. She’s on her way home already.”
“Just a kiss, huh? First time she kissed you she had you in a panic. Now you’re pretty casual about it.”
“Guess you’re right. It don’t feel wrong anymore.” She sipped at her cider thoughtfully, while gazing over her mug into Diamond Tiara’s watchful gaze. “Guess I feel more safe n’ secure that you approve of it and like it. She invited us to her place before she left. You sure you wanna see her have her way with me? I think I’m okay with tryin’ it out.”
Diamond Tiara got to her hooves and even pranced in place a little bit. “I’m not just sure, I’m excited. Lets ditch this place.”
“I wanna know somethin’ before we go.” Apple Bloom set her mug down. “Are we gonna forget all this happened when we get home? Put it behind us when we go back to our regular lives?”
“Not a chance. Not after we’ve figured out what works for us on teasing. We’ve also got a new item to add to our meal rotation.”
“Callin’ her a piece of food now, huh?” She got out of her seat and stood beside Diamond Tiara.
“I meant crab. I wouldn’t mind inviting Cloud Weaver to come visit us some time back in Ponyville, though. Show her around, introduce her to everypony.” She grinned and playfully swatted Apple Bloom with her tail. “Putting her up on the dinner table wouldn’t be a bad idea now that you mention it.”
They made their way through the crowd to the exit. “You think the rest of the night is going to go that well, huh? She’ll warm up to you too?”
“I’m pretty motivated. What can I say, she’s nice to look at.” They stepped out into the night air together, and Diamond Tiara stole a quick kiss before they started the short trek. “In fact, I was thinking we could even get your mane and tail cut short like hers.”
“I’ll have to think about that.”