Tempest was standing in Rarity’s ‘designing’ room, the white Unicorn’s sanctum sanctorum, as she had been for the past three hours. As far as she could tell the mare had done nothing after dragging her inside the room after Tempest mentioned having a ‘date’ with Moony. Tempest let out a long suffering sigh and was about to speak up when she heard the jangle of Rarity’s front door. “Trixie is back, Rarity.” Came a voice from the main room.
“In here, love.” Rarity said with a soft sigh.
Trixie Lulamoon, aka ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ walked into the room with a smile. She walked up to Rarity and kissed the white Unicorn on the cheek. “Troubles, Love?”
Rarity turned to her marefriend of three weeks. If someone told her that she’d end up dating the braggart six months ago, she would have laughed her mane off at the idea. Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without the showmare in it. “Yes, Love,” Rarity sighed, “I can’t seem to pick the right idea for poor Tempest here, she’s going to a hoedown at the Apples, but it’s a date too...”
Trixie got a smile on her face and nodded. “Trixie must leave: she forgot something in the market. Make us all a cup of tea and I will return soon?”
Rarity nodded and kissed her marefriend’s cheek. “Alright, Love,” she then motioned to Tempest to sit on the couch, “we’ll be still here.”
Trixie nodded and raced from the room with a smile on her face.
“We’ll take five, Tempest.” Rarity said with a small smile, “I’m sorry, but the inspiration doesn’t seem to be working...”
“Don’t worry, Rarity, we all have our ‘off’ days,” Tempest said with an ironic laugh, “I’m just glad Shining Armour forgives me for his bruised shins.”
Rarity laughed at that and nodded. “Don’t worry about that, I’m sure he’s used to it by now.” The white unicorn walked into her kitchen to make a pot of tea. Once the tea was made she returned to sit with Tempest.
With a jangle of the bell, Trixie raced into the room with a hat box in her magic. Without a word she pulled out a hat and placed it on Tempest’s head and it had the desired effect. She smiled as she saw Rarity drop the teacup in her magic which Trixie deftly caught and placed back on the table.
“You. Podium. NOW!” Rarity said in a tone that brooked no argument.
====== ====== ======
At five-forty-five on the Friday evening, Tempest was pacing nervously in Rarity’s parlour. “What if he doesn’t come, or what if he didn’t get the message?” She mumbled over and over as she paced.
“Now, darling,” Rarity said with a chuckle, “you’re starting to sound like Twilight.”
Tempest stopped pacing, gave Rarity a small laugh and nodded. “At least I’m not bursting into flame.”
Rarity nodded and was about to speak up when Trixie trotted into the room. “Trixie just spoke with Marshall Moonbeam, he said he’d be here soon but he had to give instructions for the Guard for tonight.” Trixie said with a warm smile.
Tempest felt the tension leave her at this news. “He takes his job seriously.”
Trixie nodded. “He also is nervous about tonight.” She gave Tempest a smile. “He had his hat on backwards.”
Tempest couldn’t help but giggle at this, then turned back to Rarity. “Thank you again Rarity; I don’t know what I’d done without...”
“Hush,” Rarity smiled at her, “now it’s fine.”
Tempest looked down at the outfit Rarity had designed for her, a denim skirt with a soft silken blouse in colours that complimented not only her own colours but the white of her hat. “I don’t know how you do it...”
Rarity gave a soft laugh and was about to speak when the door opened and the clopping of hooves was heard on her floor. “Is that you, Moony?” Rarity called out.
“Yes, Miss Rarity.” Moony’s voice came from the other room. “Is Tempest ready?”
Rarity shooed Tempest into the other room and followed shortly after. She smiled as she saw Tempest blushing as Moony handed her a bouquet of red roses and saw the blush on Moony’s face as he stared open-mouthed at Tempest. Rarity gave a cough and smiled as the pair jumped slightly. “You had best get going dears, the girls and I will be there by seven.”
Both ponies nodded and when Rarity noticed Tempest looking lost she spoke up again as she took the roses off the other mare. “I’ll put these in a vase for you, dear.”
“Thank you Rarity.” Tempest said with obvious relief as she turned to Moony and gave a nod.
Rarity placed the roses in a vase and was soon standing in her doorway, along with Trixie, and sighed a happy sigh as she watched the two walk towards Sweet Apple Acres. She noticed Moony had his wing over Tempest’s back, while Tempest had her tail draped over Moony’s flank.
Trixie gave a happy laugh. “It seems that Tempest has leaped ahead of the competition.”
Rarity laughed and nodded as she noticed the stink eyes that the couple were getting from a lot of the single mares as they walked along. “Yes, almost as many as you got, Love.”
Trixie laughed and nodded. “Trixie thinks she came out very lucky.”
Rarity smiled and kissed her marefriend softly on the lips. “Not as much as I did.” She thought as she led Trixie inside to ready themselves.
====== ====== ======
The evening was in full swing. The music, along with the cider, was flowing and everypony was enjoying them both. Moony couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so happy but surrounded by ponies that made his stay more than pleasant. He saw not only the Apples but most of Ponyville it seemed was there, including Princess ‘don’t use my title or I’ll stick my tiara up your nose’ Cadance and her husband Shining Armour amongst the ponies.
He only really had eyes for one Pony, the mare beside him under his wing, and that was Tempest. A few times in the past hours he’d caught her casting shy looks at him only to see her blush and turn away when she saw him looking at her. He was about to speak up when he heard his name being called from the stage. He looked up to see Granny Smith standing there.
“Moony, come up here, colt; ya need ta say some words fer the town.” The matriarch said with a smile.
Moony gulped and reluctantly lifted his wing off Tempest as he trotted through the crowd. He noticed the spotlights being extinguished so he wouldn’t be under their extreme light. He slowly walked onto the stage, in front of the band, with his vest on his chest and the star on it. He took off his black hat and placed it on a stool before turning back to the crowd.
“I want to thank everypony for coming, it means a lot to me to be here with you all today.” Moony said and was hushed by a cheer from the crowd. “Now,” he said with a grin, “I am not Princess Twilight, I won’t keep you all for an hour with a speech...”
“Hey, it was only once.” Came the voice of Twilight in the back of the crowd, much to the laughter of all the ponies.
“Now as I was saying,” Moony started up again, “today is sort of both happy and sad for me. I’m happy because I’m here amongst great friends...” The cheer went up again. “But also sad because today would have been my Mom’s fiftieth birthday, she died eight months ago.” There was silence for a long time before Moony spoke up again. “So if ya don’t mind I’d like to say something?” When silence was the only response Moony looked skyward. “Mama, I know you’re in a better place, but I want ya to know I’m doing okay, I’ve got friends, I’m a marshal like ya wanted me to be, and I’m walking out with a fantastic mare...”
The cheers at this made Tempest blush when she realised he was talking about her. She hid her face behind her hat.
“So, to honour my mom, Fuji Moonbeam, I’d like to sing you her favourite song.” Moony finished up and putting the hat back on his head he was handed a banjo by a pony in the band, and after placing the sling around his neck and strumming a few moments he started in on a fast paced song.
“I'll eat when I get hungry, I'll drink when I get dry. If the life I live don't kill me, then I guess I'll never die.”
The crowd of ponies started cheering and dancing as the song continued.
“I'll tune up my banjo; I got my friends in tow. And find a mare to hold me tight, anywhere I go.”
Tempest blushed at this but laughed at it as well.
“Hard Cider, hard cider's what I cry. If you don't give me hard cider, colt, somepony's gonna die. Somepony's gonna die, oh 'Tia, somepony's gonna die.”
“Yeehaw!” Both Applejack and Rainbow Dash both called out at the same time.
“If the creek it was hard cider, and I sat upon the bank. I'd drink the whole thing dry, and the rest could kiss my flank.”
“Got a banjo in my left hand, got a hoofshoe in my right, and I don't give a good goddamn if we play or if we fight.”
“Hard Cider, hard cider's what I yell. If you don't give me hard cider, colt, then I'll see you in hell.”
“Hard Cider, hard cider's what I cry. If you don't give me hard cider, colt, somepony's gonna die. Somepony's gonna die, oh 'Tia, somepony's gonna die.”
“If I spend all my money, my money's mine alone, and I ain't never killed a monster, what that left me to my own.”
“My kin they make hard cider, but I buy my own smoke too, and if I drink and smoke till I can't stand up, what the hell is it to you?”
With these words the entire crowd erupted in a huge cheer.
“Hard Cider, hard cider's what I yell. If you don't give me hard cider, colt, then I'll see you in hell.”
“Hard Cider, hard cider's what I cry. If you don't give me hard cider, colt, somepony's gonna die. Somepony's gonna die, oh 'Tia, somepony's gonna die.”
When the music wound down Tempest saw Moony bow deeply to the crowd of still cheering ponies and then she noticed Granny Smith on the stage too. The matriarch seemed to be hushing the crowd as she walked to Moony. “Now Moony, ya said ya ma was called Fuji?”
Moonbeam nodded. “Yes ma’am, that’s right.”
“Was she a bright yeller mare with blue eyes and pink an’ green mane?” Granny asked.
“Yes Granny Smith, that was her colours...” Moony started to say.
“Did she have a funny looking pair of apples on a full-moon cutie mark?” Granny forged on but only got a nod from Moony. “Ya ma was Fuji Apple afore she married ya pa; you’s kinfolk, Moony.”
Moony stood there stunned while all they Apples cheered for him and flooded towards him, shaking his hoof or hugging him.
It took him nearly an hour to make his way back to Tempest but she was happy when he extended his wing over her back. “So,” she whispered to him, “we’re ‘walking out’?”
Moony blushed and turned to face her. “If you want to?”
Tempest blushed deeply and nodded. She smiled coyly at him as they both leaned forward to kiss. Millimetre by millimetre they moved forward as the world seemed to halt around them. Tempest whimpered with the need to kiss this stallion in front of her and just as she felt his breath upon her a voice screamed out ‘Hiya’ in their ear. This intrusion was met by a squeak from Moony and a yelp from Tempest as the pair jumped back, the moment thoroughly ruined by a certain pink party pony.
“Pinkie!!!” The entire crowd seemed to scream at her.
“Sorry, my bad.” Pinkie said in a contrite tone.
“Hey,” Ditzy yelled from the other side of the crowd, “that’s my line!”