“Ok… roses? No, too cliché.” You rub your hooves together, feeling the gentle burn of friction build up as you stare intently at the flower stall. You are looking for a flower arrangement comparable to the pure radiance of your date, Rarity. Not surprisingly, not a single one has caught your eye, and if it didn’t hold your attention, it wont’ hold hers. You gently peruse the vendor’s selection of flowers absentmindedly, silently hoping that something happens to jump out at you.
The pony running the stall sees your flustered appearance. “Hey, buddy, ya can't be supah picky when it comes ta flowahs. Ya look like yah lookin’ fah flowahs coated in diamonds.”
You look up hopefully. “Oh, do you sell those?”
The vendor face hoofs. “No. Those don’t even exist ya dummeh! If ya date’s that important, just take ah to the hills to the east ah Ponyville. From theah ya can see the stahs like no othah. Real pretty.”
You are hesitant to believe this thickly-accented stallion, but decide to place your faith in him none the less. “Thank you. I’ll be sure to stop by there tonight.”
You begin to depart from the stall, but you hesitate. “Wait, how did you know I was going to be going on a date tonight?"
The vendor laughs huskily. "Buddy, ya look like a nervous wreck! Only a mare can drive ya that crazy!" he laughs again, the sounds echoing off the nearby houses and causing a flock of birds in the distance to panic and take flight.
You laugh nervously as you ease away from the stall, unwilling to turn your back on the vendor until he is at a safe distance. Having a copious amount of free time before your date, you decide to head over to the fields the vendor was talking about and scout the location to make sure it is, in fact, suitable for your date tonight.
As you walk through town, you are suddenly pulled aside by some unknown force. You expect the worst, and tense up in preparation for some horrible beating. Visions of the two stallions go assaulted you previously flash into your mind, only furthering your terror.
"Hey!" the surprisingly upbeat voice causes you to crack your eyes so as to reveal your assailant. You find yourself looking at the familiar face of a purple unicorn.
"Oh! Hello Miss... Sparkle, correct?"
The mare nods. "So I see you're up and around again."
"Oh, yes!" you say, jumping slightly to demonstrate your rehabilitated body. "Right as rain. Just took a little while to heal up, I suppose."
"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better." She changes the subject. "So, what brings you out here this time of day? Rarity seemed pretty enthusiastic to have company at the boutique."
You freeze. Does Rarity want your relationship to be publicized in such a manor? The fledgling romance would surely turn sour if the affair went public without her approval. You decide to play it safe. "Oh! Uh, just getting some... Stuff, for my place!" you smile sheepishly.
"Cool," replies Twilight. "Where do you live?"
You weren't expecting that.
Unbenounced to your marefriend (or the rest of the town), you have been spending your recent nights in assorted back alleys, wrapped in whatever you happen to be wearing for warmth (Celestia help you if it rains). Being a traveling musician, shelter is a luxury that you simply can't afford at this point. All your meager funds go to food and other necessities. You know you MUST keep this a secret, at least for now. If Rarity found out that you had spent the last week in a gutter... She would lose it. You need to think of something, and quick.
"Um... Well-Uh, I live," you point at s random building in a vain hope that Twilight fall for the ruse. "...That one!"
Fortunately, Twilight fails to see through your facade. "Okay then," she replies, slightly put off by your odd behavior, but maintaining a chipper attitude none the less. "I'd better be going then. Have a good one."
You want to dance for joy that your lie is so successful, but instead resign yourself to a contented smile. "Same to you, Ms. Sparkle." you bow slightly before turning on your heels and departing the square.
The sun has been lowered considerably during your foray with Twilight, but you still have enough time to complete your original objective: to check out the fields that the vendor told you about earlier. It couldn't have been more than a half an hour ago, but the conversation with the heavily-accented stallion seems like it happened half a lifetime ago.
Eventually, you find the field the vendor was talking about. Long grass and weeds cover the entirety of the knoll. The now setting sun reflects off the grass, making the field practically glow with perennial life. The Everfree forest lies a good distance to your right. As menacing as it normally is, the sun's rays have permeated the canopy of leaves enclosing the forest, filling the woods with a gentle shine. The sky is devoid of any cloud formations, entailing a beautiful night of star gazing. This spot is simply perfect in every possible way. Rarity will love it, you're sure of that.
Having assured yourself that the location is suitable, you set your course for Rarity's boutique.
As you reach the boutique, you take a brief moment to look yourself over. The prognosis is bleak: Your mane is slightly unruly, your jacket isn’t straight, and to top it all off, you’re beginning to have a mild panic attack. You decide to just let it be, seeing as you really don't have time to fix anything.
You take a few deep breathes, and knock on the door.
After a moment of frenzied shuffling, you see the knob turn. You r heart is ready to explode out of pure anxiety. The door opens to behold Rarity, sporting a subdued, yet luxurious hat. Her eyes are framed by miniscule amounts of blue eye shadow. Her coat is practically lustrous, the shine from its pearl white color nearly blinding you. In your opinion, she couldn’t possibly get any more beautiful. You begin to get lost in her stunning cerulean eyes, only coming to your senses as Rarity waves a hoof in your face.
“Hello? You okay, dearie?”
You snap to attention. “Yes, yes of course.” You offer her a hoof. “Shall we? I’ve planned a nice, relaxing dinner at a gorgeous little café, followed by some star gazing on the hills just outside of Ponyville. Does that sound ok?”
Rarity wiggles up against your side. “As long as I’m with you, everything sounds just perfect.”
You both blush slightly as you escort her out of the boutique, the fading sunlight framing your shadows with deep orange light as you head into town.
A/N---Special thanks to Swiperthefox for suggesting the song that inspired this chapter. If you have a tune that you think I would like, feel free to tell me about it in the comments.