//------------------------------// // First Date, Last Secret, New Love // Story: Learning To Live Again // by Speedy Quill //------------------------------// I knocked on the door of the boutique. Sassy Saddles answered and smiled. “Prompt as usual I see. Rarity is nearly ready. You’re welcome to wait in the front here.” She stepped aside and I entered the boutique. I began looking over the clothes hanging around the store. She’d really done remarkable work. “Ahem.” I turned around and nearly fell over in surprise. “Wow!” Rarity was wearing a sleek, violet dress. It almost matched her mane color perfectly. I couldn’t help but notice how the dress hugged her body. I thought it odd at first since we didn’t normally wear clothes, but somehow that dress only made me admire her form more. “See something you like?” I shook my head to clear it, realizing I’d been staring a little too long. Rarity giggled as she approached me. “Don’t be embarrassed darling. I can’t help but stare at you myself. I knew you’d look good in a suit.” She adjusted my tie and smiled. “You’re handsome either way, but clothes can really make the stallion.” I smiled back. “I doubt anypony will be looking at me tonight. Not when you look like an angel.” Her cheeks turned red, making me smile even more. She pushed her hoof against my chest. “Stop it! I can’t go out if I look flustered.” I chuckled. “That would be a shame. Especially after I got that reservation.” “Where are we going?” “Don’t you want it to be a surprise?” She thought for a moment and smiled. “No. Tell me!” I laughed. “Very well. Ever heard of a place called La Lune?” Rarity’s jaw dropped and I heard Sassy spitting out her tea. The shoppony rushed over, her eyes bulging. “La Lune?! The most exclusive restaurant in all of Canterlot?!” I nodded. “The same.” “But you have to reserve a table months in advance! Possibly more than a year!” Rarity regained her senses and chimed in. “Surely you didn’t have a reservation all this time!” A smile crept across my face. “Well...I might have made some promises to the owner...” Both mares leaned in, waiting for me to continue. I rolled my eyes. “I get a table as long as they get to host Celestia’s birthday.” Rarity narrowed her eyes. “You bribed the owner?” “Not really. I just suggested that his restaurant was the front runner for birthday locations. He offered the table at that point. That’s what Celestia figured would happen.” “Wait...Celestia suggested this?” “Yeah. I didn’t think it would work honestly, but here we are!” Rarity’s smile returned. “I can’t believe you’d throw your influence around like that. But at the same time...it’s a little sweet that you went to so much effort for me.” Sassy stood back and frowned. “I’m still waiting on my reservation.” I chuckled. “I wish I could help, but I’m pretty sure I’ve already pressed my luck for today.” We said goodbye to Sassy and left the boutique. Rarity stayed right by me as we made our way towards La Lune. She kept glancing at me from the corner of her eye. I only knew this because I was doing the same. After we caught each other a few times, I smiled. “Maybe we should just look at each other?” “Oh no darling! That would be too forward.” “Well there’s something to be said for the direct approach.” “That’s true, but being direct can get you in trouble sometimes.” “Is that a warning?” “Not necessarily. I know you tend to be a bit more forward than most ponies. You could attempt some subtlety when we’re in public though. I’d hate for you to say what’s on your mind within earshot of anypony.” “Oh? And what’s on my mind that shouldn’t be said in public?” “Well the way your eyes keep darting over my body speaks volumes.” I felt my face get hot as I stared straight ahead. Rarity was giggling at my expense. “Just a tip for tonight. I’d hate for you to embarrass yourself is all.” I felt my face cool down as we approached the stairs to the restaurant. I allowed Rarity to ascend first, following right behind. I had to fight myself not to stare at her rear. We reached the roof and the same mare was at the stand. She smiled as she saw me. “Mr. Shadow Hoof! Welcome back. We have your table right over here.” The mare led us to a table on the edge of the roof. It had a stunning view of the castle. I thanked the mare and pulled out Rarity’s seat. “M’lady.” Rarity smiled. “Such a gentleman!” She sat down and I took my own seat. A waiter appeared, placing a basket of bread on the table. “I will be your server this evening. If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.” I looked up at the waiter. He had a big smile on, but I could tell he was tense. “Uh-huh... I’m guessing the owner clued you in?” “Uh...sorry sir?” My brow raised as I continued looking at the pony. He swallowed. “Yes sir. I’m supposed to get whatever you’d like for tonight.” “Well I’m sure we’ll need a few minutes. You can check on your other tables.” “Well...you’re my only table, sir.” Oh boy. I sighed. “Okay. Listen closely.” The waiter leaned in as I lowered my voice. “Let him know I’m already impressed. And that I don’t need a private server tonight. We want to blend in with the rest of the guests.” The pony straightened up and nodded. “I’ll let him know sir. And I’ll return for your order when you’re ready.” “Thank you.” He left the table and I returned my gaze to Rarity. She was staring at me in awe. “You really do command a lot of respect, don’t you?” “I suppose. I don’t really feel like I do anything amazing to deserve it.” “But you’re...” She looked around at the nearby ponies. I knew what she was getting at. I nodded. “Yes I know. But honestly, it’s still all a little surreal to me. It’s a strange thing having ponies do what I ask of them. Especially since I’m not one of them.” “You know, you can’t keep playing that card forever.” “What do you mean?” “The ‘I’m not a pony’ card. You’re honestly more pony than changeling at this point.” “Tell that to my magic. I’m still working on the most basic spells.” “How have your lessons been going?” “About as well as they can. The only problem is that the spells in practicing don’t use much energy. And the buildup isn’t getting any better. I’ll need to learn some complex spells if I plan on dispelling all the excess.” “Do you still get your headaches?” “Closer to migraines at this point.” “I’m sorry. That can’t be good for your other duties.” “I make do. What about you? I’m sure you must deal with a ton managing two boutiques.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t remind me. Business is higher than ever. That’s good of course, but it’s tiring. I’ll have to start hiring some more ponies to keep up with my orders.” I stared at her as she talks about the last couple days of work. I found my gaze locked on her eyes. They were sparkling as the sun set. Before long the moon was rising as the staff lit lanterns around the restaurant. The waiter came and took our order. After he left, Rarity took a long breath. “Forgive me. I should let you talk too.” I smiled. “That’s okay. I like hearing about you.” She leaned forward, returning the smile. “Well tell me more about you.” “There’s not much to tell.” “Oh really, Mr. Shadow Hoof?” I rolled my eyes. “Well I have to have an alias while I’m out in public.” She giggled. “Well what about before all of this? What were you like when you were younger?” My smile faded. “You don’t want to hear about that. Nothing happy in those memories.” She put her hoof out and rested it on mine. I looked back into her eyes and she smiled. “Please?” I took a deep breath. “Well...you already know how old I am. I hatched and was mostly raised by the older changelings in the hive. Chrysalis had been in power for...thirty years by that point. The changelings from before her time served her well, but she wanted fully loyal subjects. So...that’s when she decided to begin having children.” “So...the younger changelings? The force that attacked Canterlot?” I nodded. “Most of them are hers. Different fathers across the board, but all the same mother.” “And you were born before that?” I stayed silent. This was the one thing I’d never revealed to anypony, not even Celestia. As my silence grew, so did Rarity’s eyes. “So you’re...” I closed my eyes. “I’m not just one of her children. I was...her firstborn.” “Firstborn... That essentially makes you a prince, doesn’t it?” “I doubt that’s how she sees it. But she did think it was enough to make me her top lieutenant. I’m actually the one that planned most of the invasion.” Her jaw dropped a little. I raised a hoof. “Before you say anything, I’ve told Celestia about my part in that.” “Did you tell her about Chrysalis?” I shook my head. “You’re the first pony I’ve admitted that to.” “But..why wouldn’t you say anything?” “The first son of Chrysalis? Yeah, that shouldn’t make my life too difficult.” “I’m serious Shade.” I glanced at her face. She had this stern expression that made me feel guilty. A sigh escaped me. “It’s more trouble than it’s worth. Besides...she never treated me like a son. I thought maybe being her firstborn would mean something, but she barely treated me better than the other changelings. Sometimes worse.” “Surely she must have felt something for you. You’re her first child. I don’t see how anypony couldn’t love their child.” “That’s the great changeling paradox. We can take love, but giving it? Not a strong point.” A small smile formed on her lips. “You don’t seem to have any trouble with me.” I chuckled. “I guess that’s true. Though I don’t know why you like me at all. I’m just some creature that crash-landed in everypony’s life.” Her smile disappeared. “Don’t talk down about yourself like that. You mean a lot more than you know. And I like you because you’re an honest, charming stallion. Yes, stallion.” The waiter appeared with our food and we began to eat. I kept looking at Rarity throughout the meal. She’d glance up every so often as well. I paused in my eating after a few minutes. I flashed a mischievous grin towards Rarity. “If I’m such a catch, then why did it take you so long to kiss me?” She nearly dropped her fork as her cheeks turned a cute shade of pink. “Well..that’s...it’s not really a lady’s place to make the first move.” “Says who?” “Everypony! Society! It’s just...a thing.” “And yet you still kissed me first.” Her brow furrowed. “Well of course I did. You weren’t doing anything about it.” “A shame. If I’d caught on quicker we’d probably be on our third or fourth date by now. Possibly even a relationship” “Well this might be our first official date, but I’d say we’ve been dating for a bit. We’ve gotten meals together, spent plenty of time around each other, and write back and forth regularly. That sounds like the beginning of a relationship to me.” My brain couldn’t process what I’d just heard. I just sat there staring for a solid minute before I finally found the words. “So...we’re dating?” Rarity smiled. “If that’s alright with you.” “Of course! It’s just...I didn’t realize!” “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” Not wanting to risk sounding more foolish, I began eating again. Rarity smiled and returned to her meal as well. We were silent for several minutes, each enjoying the delicious food. When we both finished we looked at each other again. I smiled. “So...how long have we been dating exactly?” “Hmm...a little bit after our first kiss I’d say.” “Okay. So it’s been some time. As long as we have our stories straight.” “Do you have any other plans for us?” “Actually...not really. Though if you’re up for it, I’d love to show you around the castle. I can show you where I do most of my work! And there’s a beautiful view of the gardens from my room that I think you’d appreciate!” Rarity’s cheeks turned red. What had I said? “Did I...say something wrong?” “No! At least...I know what you meant, but it came off entirely different.” “What part?” “The view from your room.” “....I don’t get it.” “Well..usually when a stallion invites a mare to his room...” My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “Oh! Oh my! I wasn’t- I mean I’d never- Not that I’d never! I just meant-“ I let my head fall to the table and groaned. “Celestia kill me now.” Rarity began to laugh. I peeked up at her. She wiped away a tear as she reached for my hoof. “We’ve really got to work on your conversation skills.” I began to chuckle. It quickly turned into a laugh, leaving both of us on the verge of tears. The waiter returned and I asked for the check. I was shocked when he said that it was on the house. I could have left it at that, but I really didn’t want to abuse my power at all. I told the waiter to bring the check and paid for the meal. Rarity watched in shock as I passed over a small bag of bits. We left the restaurant, seen off by the owner himself, and walked towards the castle. Rarity had her body pressed against mine, sending a tingling sensation through my entire being. I took her around to the gardens, not wanting to use the main entrance. The last thing I needed was to accidentally run into anypony. Specifically two alicorns. We walked through the gardens for a while, enjoying the silence. As we went to head back to the castle, I discovered we were near a familiar area. A smile grew on my face. “Follow me.” I ran a hoof along the hedge wall until I found the concealment spell. My hoof disappeared through the false hedge and I led Rarity to the other side. Rarity looked around at the clearing we’d entered. “What is this place?” “Celestia had it set up for privacy. You know, whenever she needs to get away from the castle and staff. Or if a conversation needs to be kept secret.” “It’s absolutely lovely!” We sat under the gazebo, getting comfortable on the pillows. I looked over at the beautiful mare next to me. “I never would have guessed that this is where I’d wind up in life.” “And where’s that?” “Living free of Chrysalis and the hive. And sitting here with the most beautiful creature in Equestria.” She leaned over and kissed me. As she began to break away, I leaned forward and continued the kiss. I felt her jump a little, surprised at the move. Frankly I was surprised too, but I decided to go with it. As we sank into the kiss more, I began to lose my balance. As my body tipped forward, I broke the kiss with enough time to cry out. “Horsefeathers!” I fell forward and knocked Rarity back. She cried out in shock as we toppled down. Of course we were already sitting so it wasn’t a far fall. Rarity landed on her back and I- “Sorry!” I was blushing harder than I ever had before. I had landed on top of Rarity. She began to giggle at my embarrassment. “If I didn’t know how clumsy you were, I’d have said you did that on purpose.” My face wasn’t cooling off at all. Why weren’t my legs working?! I needed to get up! “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-“ “It’s alright Shade. Honestly, I don’t mind the view.” That caught my attention. “View?” Her smile softened. It was enough to make all my insides melt like butter. “I’ve got you, a handsome stallion, and the starry sky above. What more could a girl ask for?” I swallowed, feeling my body stiffen. “I...I uh...I’ve never....” She put her hoof against my lips “It’s okay Shade... Neither have I.” I was shocked. “Really?” “Well I am a lady after all. I don’t just go around with every boy that I see. I’ve been waiting.” “For what?” She pulled me down, our chests pressing together. “For you dummy.” She kissed me again. This felt different than before. This wasn’t just electrifying, it was...explosive! I began to press my lips against her and felt my hooves beginning to wander. Rarity giggled and pushed me away. “This might work better without the clothes.” ——————————— I laid there, looking up at the stars. Luna had outdone herself tonight. I looked over at Rarity. She had fallen asleep. I suppose this would make for good bed tonight. I found myself unable to fall asleep. So much had happened today. All I could do was look at the night sky. I began to smile as I realized the truth. I loved her. She had every part of me. I was all hers for the rest of my life. As I came to that realization, I felt a migraine take hold. I winced at the pain, feeling like my head was on fire. What was more strange was that my skin felt like it was bubbling. I tried to concentrate, willing any spell to come to mind. A burst of light shot from my head and flew into the sky. With it, the migraine and the crawling skin dissipated. After a few seconds, the light erupted. Causing a shower of magic to rain down on the gardens. “Celebrating, are we?” I turned to find Rarity awake. I shook my head. “No. Just dealing with some buildup. Everything’s fine.” She snuggled closer to me and I laid back. That discharge had taken it out of me. I finally felt my eyes grow heavy as I pressed myself against Rarity. I kissed her head and whispered. “I love you.” I saw a small smile form on her face. “About time you big dummy. I love you too.” I couldn’t stop smiling as sleep overtook me. I prayed that I would dream of this day, wanting to relive it for the rest of my life.