//------------------------------// // Ch. 19 A Really Hot Night "Show time!" // Story: Cold Fire // by Arcanum -Phantasy //------------------------------// I think Ponyland wants to make me bash my head through a wall. First, I almost get molested by a super (thirsty) drunk national hero, then I had to spend three days after that just to get a god damn reservation at some place called The Silver Spoon. Sure, Vermillion helped me get everything worked out, but I still had to sneak off to a nearby bar for a few drinks to steady my nerves. Then there was Autumn. I swear she can tell I'm up to something. Off and on I'd catch her staring at me out the corner of my eye. It was like she was....reading me or something. I don't know how to put it, but she didn't look pissed at least. She was also being a lot more affectionate lately, practically trying to wear me like a coat each night. I'm not complaining or anything, but it was a little weird. Now that I had everything all set up, I was stuck nervously pacing like a high school dingus on the backstage side of the theater's curtain. "Hope she doesn't know too much," I muttered to myself as I paced. "I want to 'wow' her for peet's sake." All kinds of ways tonight could go wrong ran through my head. I could dump something on her. I could get in a fight with someone. I end up boring her. I say something stupid, er, more stupid than normal and we get into a fight. A UFO shows up and we end up getting probed! Hell! The apocalypse happens and we get attacked by demons from the fiery pits of hell! I letted out a frustrated groan and slumped to my haunches. "I don't want to mess this up," I muttered, staring at the ground. A faint hint of movement at my left caught my attention. When I looked up I let out startled yelp and jumped to my feet. About three feet away from me was a dark brown pony, only, it had a pair of bat wings sticking out of its back. It had a short and messy black mane and tail. It's eyes were gray and cat-like with a faint glow around them like a dim set of flash lights. It was smiling at me in a way that showed me its fangs. They weren't as big as Vermillion's or Zeals, but they still put me on edge. "Who the fuck are you?" I stammered, crouching low and getting ready to send an Extrasensory at it. The ....Bat-pony(?) laughed and in a relaxed male voice said, "Chill bro. Just thought I'd get a look at the boss lady's main squeeze." "...Huh?" I blinked, letting my guard down a little. He laughed and stuck a foreleg out towards me as he said, "Name's Gangplank." "Alex," I nodded, shaking his hoof. "And you're Autumn's...?" "Stagehoof," he chuckled. "I'm the stallion keeping this place from collapsing on itself." "Uh, huh," I nodded. Made sense to me. I kind've figured the place had someone keeping it in shape. It also made me want to strangle the guy for making Autumn's job more difficult. I didn't know all of the specifics, but apparently a lot of the theater got recked while she was gone. I guess he knew what I was thinking because he gave me an annoyed frown and put a hoof up like he was trying to cut me off. "If you want to give me grief about all of that, take it up with Flash Bang. He's the one that blew up half the theater. It's thanks to me that the building survived." "Quite the claim, don't you think?" a posh female voice said from the shadows. "Yeah! We helped too you know!" a bubbly female voice said as well. Gangplank sighed as two figures stepped out of the dark behind him. One was a dark gray Unicorn with a straight jet-black mane and tail with silver streaks running through them. She held herself with the same kind of poise nobles from those old period movies had. The difference is that it seemed to come naturally to her. Her dark blue eyes seemed to shoot straight through me. Next to her was a bright yellow Kirin with a fluffy green mane with little flecks of pink in it. She was a bit shorter than Autumn and had this really energetic feel to her. She had a really big smile and teal eyes that practically glowed in the dark. "Uh, hello?" I said, waving a paw at the two of them. The Unicorn gave me small bow and a faint smile as she said, "Greetings. I am Lunar Symphony. It is a pleasure to meet you." "Same," I nodded, not sure how I was supposed to act around her. I blinked and jumped back five feet when the Kirin popped up in front of me like a god damn popup ad. No, seriously, is this a Kirin thing or something? Are they half Weeping Angel or something? "Hi! I'm Spring Waltz," she said with the biggest, brightest, most diabetic-shock-inducing smile I've ever seen. "Alex," I sputtered. "Thought so," Spring Waltz said, her smile turning mischievous. "Autumn's sooooooo lucky! I want to meet a cute Kitsune too!" My fur fluffed up at that and a strange tingle shot from the back of my head to my core. A second later, a clear green barrier formed around me. I blinked in shock at that while everyone else jumped back from me, looking freaked. Well, Spring and Gangplank looked freaked while Lunar looked mildly annoyed. "Must you be so forward Spring?" she sighed, putting a hoof to her face. I blinked again and she suddenly appeared next to Lunar again, only now she looked like a kicked puppy. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "N-No biggie," I chuckled weakly, the barrier slowly fading away. "So...are you two Autumn's friends or..." "While I would consider myself as such," Lunar smiled. "My role is Music Director. I provide the music for the shows when Autumn can't find a band to perform instead." "All by yourself?" I asked, some of my tension bleeding out of me. "It is my special talent after all," she said, smiling proudly as she shifted herself to the side just far enough for me to see her magic tramp-stamp. It looked like a collection of silver music notes circling a black cluster of instruments. "Isn't that like trying to draw ten different pictures at the same time?" I asked. "Perhaps," she chuckled. Spring went "Ooo! Ooo!" as she frantically waived a hoof in the air. Chuckling, I pointed a paw at her. "I'm her Dance Choreographer!" she beamed. "I make sure everycreature in my cousin's plays stay in rhythm." "Cousin?" I asked. "She's Autumn's cousin," Gangplank snorted playfully. I nodded in understanding at him then shifted my attention back to the pair in front of m- and she's right in my face again. "Did Autumn show you her dance?" she asked. "Her what?" I stammered, taking a step back. "Sounds like a no if I've ever heard one," Gangplank shrugged. "Quite cautious of her," Lunar mused, putting a hoof up to her chin in thought. "I'm impressed." Spring let out a happy squee as she...pranced? Yeah, I think that's the word. Anyway, she let out a happy squee as she pranced in place for a few seconds before she stared skipping around us. "Yes! Yes! Yes! She found one! She found one!" "Found what?" I asked, a bit of annoyance and worry starting to settle in my gut. "Nothing to worry about," Lunar smirked. "At the moment anyway. For now, let us worry about your date tonight." "Wait, how do you know abo-" "Vermillion and I spend a lot of time together," she said evenly. "Now, what are your plans for the evening?" *** "Oh geez, oh geez," Autumn fretted, the doe pacing restlessly back and forth through her office. The poor doe had been a nervous wreck since she woke up that morning, her face sporting a bright blush as she tried to get her wild thoughts under control. The morning had started out the same as it always had since Alex moved in. They had a simple breakfast of eggs and bacon with coffee. She knew that he had been up to something for the past few days, but that barely braced her when he said he had their first date set up tonight. She was on cloud nine for a couple hours after that, but that quickly shifted into dread when she realized just how unprepared she was for it. She didn't have a dress, any accessories, or enough time to head off to the salon to get her mane done. Having been single for longer than she was willing to admit, she didn't see the point of having such things in her life, salon not included. As such, she had to call in her mane and makeup artist and her costume designer to help her out. A perfect solution? Absolutely not, but the best option she had at her disposal. A soft knock on her door made her jump before she let out a frazzled "Come in!" The door creaked open to reveal one of the oddest pairs in Autumn's theater. One was a tangerine dragoness, her spines and earfins a rich magenta while her horns were curved like a bull's and a lighter shade of orange. Next to her stood a tall and gangly teal Pegasus stallion. His yellow mane and tail were done up in a messy bun that, combined with his five o'clock shadow gave him a rather sloppy appearance. Both of them let out short yelps as Autumn's magic yanked them into the room and slammed the door shut. "Zephyr! Smolder! Thank you so much for coming!" Autumn stammered, her demeanor frantic as she beheld her guests. "No prob boss," the Dragon, Smolder, chuckled. "Yeah," Zephyr nodded. "We've always got your back. So, what do you need us for today?" "Well, I've got a date tonight and I want to look good for it." "Makes sense," the Pegasus shrugged, then smirked as he added, "So you called in a natural genius to clean you up?" Smolder rolled her eyes and said, "Careful Zeph, your ego's showing again." "Hey, its not my fault the boss lady knows brilliance when she sees it," he boasted, puffing out his chest as he buffed his hoof on it. "That's why everyone thinks she was drunk when she hired you," she chuckled, giving his shoulder a playful punch. "Guys! Focus!" Autumn squeaked, fidgeting in place. "I have three hours to not look like a total dork for my first date and I need all the help I can get!" "Nuff said," Smolder winked. "Zeph, work your magic." "No need to tell me twice," he smirked. "Just let me get my tools and I'll make you look like a million bits!" "Thanks Zephyr," Autumn sighed with a smirk. "I owe you." He "tsk"ed and waved her off as he stepped out of the room. "No prob boss. Just name the kid after me later," he smirked. Autumn sputtered, her face bright red as the Pegasus made his exit. Smolder rolled her eyes as she approached her frazzled boss. With a trained eye, she scanned the Kirin's figure as she ran through her mental list of available costumes. Sure, most of them were made for performances, but the Dragoness was nothing if not adaptable. A feature she was proud to introduce to her costumes. Having a rough idea of what might work, she placed her claws on her boss' shoulders and gave her a firm shake. "Boss, breathe. Keep it up and you'll set off the smoke detectors again." "R-Right," she stammered, smoke already starting to waft off of her mane and horn as she took deep breaths. Slowly, her nerves started to settle, the smoke fading away with her anxieties. When she finally leveled out, she gave Smolder a small smile and nodded in thanks. Crossing her arms, the Dragoness stepped back to give her boss some space. "This guy must be something special to have you this freaked out," she smirked. "Spill. Who's the lucky stag?" "He's, uh, n-not a stag," she giggled sheepishly. "He's a Kitsune. His name's Alex." "The guy Headmare Starlight hired?" she blinked in shock, then gave her a mischievous smirk. "Nice." "Thanks," Autumn mumbled sheepishly, her face turning a bright shade of red as steam leaked out of the tip of her horn. "Did you show him your dance yet?" she asked. "Why does everycreature keep asking me that?!" she whined, pressing her forehooves to her face and falling to her haunches. "So that's a no then?" Smolder smiled, raising a brow. "We agreed to take this slow," she moaned, hooves still pressed to her face. "Fair enough," she shrugged. Letting her hooves fall from her face to the ground, she let out a sigh as her gaze followed them. "I just hope I don't mess this up. This might be my only chance to show him..." "Show him what?" Smolder asked, her playful smile replaced by a concerned frown. "Nothing," she smiled, locking eyes with Smolder. "It's not important. Anyway, do you think you have any costumes that can save me?" "I might have a few things," Smolder snorted, a confidant smile forming on her lips. "I'll grab them while Zeph fixes up your mane." "Thanks," Autumn sighed. "I owe you both big for this." "Anytime boss," Smolder chuckled. *** The cool night air felt nice on my coat as I stood outside the theater. After a couple of hours of etiquette lessons from Lunar, I just couldn't stay still and needed some air. That, and Spring was way too much for me to keep up with right now. Seriously, is being freakishly adorable a Kirin thing or do I have a new fetish now? My nerves weren't helping either. Like I said, this wasn't my first time taking a girl on a date, but its been such a long time that it might as well've been. I let out a frustrated sigh and I leaned my back against the building behind me. "I'd better not screw this up," I muttered, staring up at the night sky. You really need to have more confidence in yourself. "Shut up," I sighed. Seriously dude. Chill. She's clearly nuts about you and you aren't out to hurt her, right? Of course I'm not. Then quit moping. Just lean back and enjoy the moment. Let things play out and have some fun for a fucking change. "Right," I sighed, a small grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. "I can worry about whatever shit happens later when it happens. I've got more important things to do right now." Or does to do, right? "Shut up!" I growled, my face heating up at that. The sound of the front door opening caught my attention and I turned to face it. What I saw made me... wow. Autumn was wearing a really nice looking nightgown. It didn't have any sleeves and the part that covered her barrel looked like it was made of some weird mix of fabric and tree bark. The train was made of a patchwork mix of yellow, green, red, and brown fabrics woven together in a way that made them blend together perfectly. A pair of small silver studs glinted at the edge of her ears along with a thin gold chain starting at the tip of her horn and coiling down to a matching clasp at its base. Her normally curly mane was brushed into a wavy braid that came down to her right shoulder. All of that combined with the shy smile she was giving me took my breath away. My tails fluffed as I struggled to find my voice. After a few seconds of trying to get my fucking brain to reboot, I finally managed to pull it off. "W-Wow," I stammered. "You look great!" "Thanks," she giggled. "No suit?" "Long story," I sighed. "Alright," she giggled, then blushed as she added, "I like you like this anyway." "Thanks," I chuckled, coming up to her left and nuzzling her cheek. "Suits suck anyway. You spend way too much money on them and you only wear them once." "Bet you'd look great in one," she giggled as she leaned into me. "Probably," I shrugged, wrapping some of my tails around her as I lead us down the street. "Too bad you won't ever see me in one." "We'll see about that," she smirked. I chuckled at that and nuzzled the top of her head. *** The Silver Spoon was a pretty good place. When Rarity and I were picking restaurants, I told her I couldn't really afford anything too formal. Luckily, The Silver Spoon was just the right balance of formal and casual. The low lighting and lightly ornate dark wood circular tables did a great job at setting the mood. As we were waited for our food, I told Autumn about my first day at work and why I was covered in green slime when I came home that day. "That's what happened at the castle?" Autumn asked, jaw sitting on the table. "Yep," I frowned. "And let me tell you, monster slime tastes a hell of a lot worse than it smells." She made a fake barfing sound and said, "I'll take your word for it. You smelled horrible!" "Three hours and four bottles of shampoo later?" I asked, giving her a crooked smile. "I got in bed with you, didn't I?" she asked with a matching smile. We burst out laughing at that just as our waiter brought us our drinks. This was going a hell of a lot better than I thought it would. With my luck, I half expected a meteor to come crashing through the ceiling or Satan himself come out of some portal by now. Wait. I'm a Pokémon now. Wouldn't that mean Giratina would be the one coming out of a portal? Eh, whatever. The point is, I was having fun and shit hasn't hit the fan yet. I'm calling it a win. "I met some of your employees today," I chuckled, taking a sip of my wine. "Which ones?" she asked, doing the same. "Gangplank, Lunar Symphony, and Spring Waltz." Her smile wilted when I mentioned her cousin. "Family drama?" I asked, raising a brow. "Sort've," she sighed. "Spring's a great dancer and a really nice Kirin, but she can be a bit much at times." "Yeah," I cringed. "Wasn't gonna say anything, but I think we should set up a bomb shelter at some point. It's only a matter of time before she finds the coffee maker, y'know?" She burst out laughing at that. "Oh trust me," she smiled wiping a happy tear out of her eye. "That's already happened. Apparently, coffee has no effect on her. All of that hyper just comes naturally for her." "I don't know if I should be glad or worried," I mused, earning another cute giggle out of my date. "Oh yeah. When we met she asked me if you showed me your dance or something. Is that code for something around here?" Autumn's eyes widened and her whole body went rigid. "Did she ask you to see hers?" she asked, tone just as stiff. "No?" I said, dread setting in my gut. "She just acted all happy about it and started saying "She found one!" for a few minutes." "Good," she sighed, all of the tension falling off of her. "Something I should know?" I asked, raising a brow. Autumn leveled a serious look my way and said, "When a Kirin finds somecreature they...care about, they do a special dance for them. It's a really big deal for us and we don't just do it for any creature we meet. It's almost sacred for us." "Oh," I blinked, the severity of the situation starting to set in. I gulped then nervously asked, "Do you want to... dance for me?" Her face turned bright red as a look of shock spread across it. "I-I-I mean hypothetically," I sputtered, my own face burning up as my brain caught up with my mouth. "I'm not trying to rush into anything if you're not ready for it or anything like that. Just curious is all, y'know." "R-Right," Autumn nodded, her eyes locked onto the table as she fidgeted in her seat. After a few minutes of awkward silence (and me mentally kicking myself) Autumn took a deep breath and nervously said, "Maybe, if things work out between us down the line and you're okay with it, I-I-I'll dance for you." "Really?" I asked. She nodded, a bit of steam coming off of the tip of her horn. A smile returned to my muzzle and I said, "Looks like I have something big to look forward to." "Y-Yeah," she stammered, a bright smile growing on her face. "I guess you do." *** Dinner was great, but it was nothing compared to what happened next. A wide smile was spread across my muzzle as I guided Autumn through town. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when we got there. Sure, it wasn't going to be anything fancy, but it was just the thing we needed after everything we've been through recently. Autumn let out a happy hum as she nuzzled into my side and said, "That was great. We should really do this again sometime." "Don't go talking like its all over yet," I winked. "I've still got one last thing for you." "And what would that be?" she asked, giving me a sly smile. "You'll see in a few minutes," I chuckled. She giggled and rested her head on my shoulder. Slowly, the streets and houses were replaced by trees and grass. I'd catch Autumn giving our surroundings curious glances out the corner of my eye every few steps. Hadn't she ever come outside the town's borders? Maybe she just hadn't been to this part of the town outskirts yet. I didn't get to think too much about that before we started to close in on a clearing and my surprise for the cutest doe in Ponyville. The second we entered the clearing, a look of wide-eyed wonder popped onto Autumn's face to match my growing smile. Hundreds of fireflies drifted lazily through the open field like little stars while a fluffy white blanket just big enough for the two of us was spread out at the center with a wicker basket set on it. Autumn gave me a giant smile before she threw her forelegs around me in a tight hug. I laughed as I hugged her back, then wrapped my tails around her the second it ended and walked with her towards the picnic. "You really pulled out all the stops for this," she giggled, sitting down by the basket. "Hey, you wanted all of this," I shrugged, spreading out across the blanket. "Dinner, drinks, and a show, right?" "I guess," she said, giving me a shy smile. "Are you having fun too?" You know, there should be a law against being so god damn cute. I felt all of my fur fluff up at that while my face did a damn good impression of a tiki torch. I nodded and used my Extrasensory to float a familiar bottle out of the basket. I watched Autumn's smile turn mischievous as I pulled the cork out of the bottle with my teeth. "It's just like the day we met," she giggled. "Yep," I nodded. "Except you were the only firefly at the time." "You sweet-talker," she smiled, giving me a soft shove in the shoulder. "Did you bring any shots?" "Nope," I smirked, taking a casual swig straight from the bottle. I floated the bottle towards her as I let the drink warm my core. God damn was this shit good. Autumn gave me a sassy smile as she took a swig of her own and set the bottle down between us. The next few minutes were like that, the two of us playing a game of Dragon Tar chicken with fireflies drifting around us. Soon, the bottle ran out and with a really good buzz going on between us, we laid side-by-side staring at the stars. Maybe it was the drink, but I just felt so... I don't know... relaxed? Everything in my life has felt like one big disaster after another. After a while, I just stopped looking forward to shit and did whatever I could just to survive. Now, here I was, totally at peace with the world staring at a sky full of stars with the greatest girl in two worlds. All it cost me was my humanity and my old life. Best fucking trade ever. "Hey Alex, can I ask you something?" Autumn asked, eyes still locked onto the sky. "Shoot," I shrugged. I could see a nervous smile form on her muzzle out the corner of my eye as she said, "Could you....close your eyes?" "Why?" I asked, turning my head to face her. "I...um...want to give you...could you please just do it?" she stammered out, her face gradually turning redder by the second. "Alright?" I said, quirking a brow as I complied. For a few seconds, nothing happened, then, my eyes popped open when I felt a pair of soft lips meet mine. My whole body tensed for a minute, but that slowly melted away as instinct took over. I wrapped my forelegs around her and leaned into the kiss, my whole body curling around her as she hugged me back. My energy surged through me as our kiss ended, my now glowing coat showing me the loving smile on Autumn's face. Neither of us said anything as we curled into each other, whatever power I was using burning away the night's chill. This was something I needed for... I don't even know how long. It felt like a new kind of fire was burning inside of me, something completely different from the one I use for my moves. I want her to have it. Before I could figure out what that meant, a snapped branch brought me back to earth. Irritated, I raised my head towards the sound and froze. Standing about fifteen feet away from us was an Alolan Ninetales. Aside from the scar coming from its eye down to its chest, it looked exactly like the one from the games. That, and the shocked look on its face made me stand up. I had no idea what this Ninetales wanted and you don't get a scar like that from running with scissors. "Can I help you?" I growled, standing between my mate and the other Ninetales. My anger turned into shock when a familiar female voice came out of the Ninetales' mouth. A voice I thought I would never hear again. "Alex? Is that really you?" It took me a few minutes to remember how to work my mouth, but when I did, I could only get one word out of it. "Dahlia?"