“Are you okay, darling? You spaced out there for a moment.”
You snap yourself out of your daze and try to remain calm.
“L-Listen, about last night-”
Rarity brings a hoof up to your mouth and stops you.
“Last night, you made me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time; Loved. Truly and unconditionally loved. But as much I love you, I’m going to respect your wishes. I’m going to get better first before anything else happens between us, for you.”
She removes her hoof and waits for you to say something. After much thinking, all you can come up with is two simple words:
“Thank you.”
Rarity begins to inch her way to the edge of the bed. “I’m sure you’ve got a busy day ahead of you. I’m going-”
Reaching out, you grab a hold of Rarity’s hoof. “To stay here with me?” you finish for her.
“But don’t you have patients you need to see?”
“I cleared my schedule last night, in case I… Well…”
“Got drunk and ended up in my bed?” Rarity asked with a tease.
“Yeah. Well, except for the ending up in your bed part. That was unexpected… But nice.”
Rarity makes her way back into the bed and curls up beside you. “Yes… It is quite nice.”
“Except for my splitting headache…” you say as you rub your head.
“Oh, you poor baby. Here, let me kiss it all better,” Rarity cranes her neck towards you and plants a kiss on your forehead “all better?”
“All better,” you mimic before making yourself comfortable “you don’t mind if I get a little more sleep, do you?”
Rarity runs a hoof through your mane and smiles. “Not at all, darling. Not at all.”
You stare into Rarity’s eyes and look for something romantic to say, but find nothing because of a childish song ringing in your ears.
“…and Rarity sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-”
Rarity snaps to attention and glares at the filly standing in the door. “Sweetie Belle! What are you doing home so early?!?” she cries out.
Sweetie Belle shrinks back from the doorway. “I know I said the sleepover was supposed to last all weekend, but it sort of ended early… I’m sorry…”
“No, it’s alright. You just surprised us, is all.”
“You really shouldn’t have yelled like that,” you whisper.
“I was startled! She wasn’t supposed to be home until tomorrow!” Rarity hisses “What are we supposed to do?”
“Don’t worry, I got this.” you say with a reassuring smile.
Getting up from the bed, you walk over to the door way and crouch down to the filly’s level. “Hey there. You must be Sweetie Belle. Your big sister has told me all about you.”
The little filly perks up a bit. “Really?”
“Of course, she told me all about how you help her around the shop and make those beautiful dresses.”
Sweetie Belle kicks at the ground bashfully. “Yeah, I try to help her whenever I can.”
“And you do a wonderful job.” Sweetie Belle can’t help but beam at the praise “So, have you had breakfast yet?”
“No, not yet. Scootaloo’s parents had to take her to the doctor’s and couldn’t leave us alone. So they dropped me and Apple Bloom off.”
“Tell you what, let’s go make breakfast so your sister can get ready for the day,” you say as you guide her down the hall.
“Can I help?”
“Sure. You ever have monkey bread?”
* * * * * * * * * *
“Okay, now just keep stirring the glaze.”
Sweetie Belle was more than eager to help and a fast learner. Surprisingly, she knew all of her cooking measurements and didn’t hesitate when you asked for a cup of brown sugar.
“Who taught you to cook? Rarity?” you ask as you idly cut the doughy biscuits into pieces.
She shakes her head “No, the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried to cook before and we learned the easy stuff, but it didn’t end that well...” she says rather sullenly. “Where did you learn to make this stuff, anyway?”
“Well you see, in the forests beyond Equestria, there’s a clan of monkeys called the Yekmons that can make all sorts of sweets.”
Sweetie Belle stops stirring and looks at you, her jaw hanging slack.
You can’t help but continue to milk it. “During my time as a jungle explorer, I stumbled upon the clan and they took me in as their own. They showed me all sorts of jungle secrets and how to make the best treats. And that’s how I learned this super secret recipe. You should be honored. I’ve only shared it with a choice few.”
Sweetie Belle stares at you in wide-eyed disbelief “Really?”
“Of course not, I learned it in college.”
“That was mean!” she says as she sticks her tongue out at you.
You stick your tongue out back at her “Oh yeah? Well nyeh!”
Sweetie Belle contorts her face together and you can’t help but laugh and join in and start making faces at each other. This goes on for a few minutes until you hear Rarity join in on the laughter. “I take it you two are having fun?” she asked through a chortle.
“Yeah! A whole bunch of fun!”
“That’s great to hear,” she says with a warm smile “When do you think breakfast shall be ready?”
“Twenty minutes, give or take.” you say as you pop the dish into the oven.
“That long?” Sweetie Belle groans.
“Good things come to those who wait, Sweetie Belle. You can’t rush it,” Rarity says as she takes a seat at the table “Oh and darling, would you please make some tea?”
“I said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m proud of you, Rarity.”
She stares at you as you fetch the teapot. “When are you going to tell me why you’re proud?”
You remain quiet as you start the kettle, but can’t help grin ear to ear.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Why are you here, anyway?” Sweetie Belle asked through a mouthful of monkey bread.
“Sweetie Belle, don’t take with your mouth full. It’s not lady-like.” Rarity says before taking another bite of her breakfast.
“You see, I was real sick last night. My tummy hurt and I had a headache. And since I couldn’t remember where I put the keys to my house, your big sister let me stay at here for the night.”
Sweetie Belle seems to buy your spin on your drunken night, but is still curious. “But won’t Rarity get sick because you were sleeping in her bed?”
“Uhh… What he had is something I can’t catch, Sweetie Belle,” Rarity says nervously.
“Oh, okay.” she says, sounding convinced “So what are you doing today?”
Rarity looks to you and shrugs. “I really don’t know… We could always get out of the house and go somewhere.”
Upon hearing this, Sweetie Belle’s eyes light up. “Can we go to the park? Please? We haven’t been to the park in forever!”
“Hm... The park actually doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Would you like to tag along, darling?”
“I don’t see why not,” you say with a shrug “I haven’t been to the park since I was a little colt.”
“Great! Keep an eye on Sweetie Belle while I freshen up, will you?”
Rarity makes her way out of the kitchen and down the hall, leaving you with Sweetie Belle.
“So, you’re Rarity’s boyfriend?” Sweetie Belle asks once Rarity’s out of earshot. The questions startles you, but you clear your throat and remain calm.
“W-Well, not exactly. I’m a special friend. She’s been having a lot of problems lately and I’m helping her take care of them.” Sweetie Belle glares at you. “You don’t have to keep treating me like child, you know. I’ve got a boyfriend.”
“Oh, you do?”
She nods quickly. “Uh-huh. And so does Apple Bloom and Scootaloo.”
“Okay then, I’ll stop beating around the bush. I’d like to be your sister’s boyfriend, but we both want her to get better first before anything gets serious. ”
“Oh, okay then. Just don’t hurt her, okay? She really likes you and talks about you all the time.”
“What does she say?” you ask as you take a sip of tea.
“She goes on about how nice and wonderful and how much of a gentlecolt you are,”
You can’t help but smile at the compliments Rarity was giving you behind your back.
“But sometimes she dresses up in front of a mirror and pretends she’s talking to you.”
You almost choke on your tea. “R-Really now... Does she know you’re watching her?”
Sweetie Belle shakes her head. “No. Sometimes she wears really weird clothes like those uniforms at private schools or a nurse’s gown and makes all sorts of weird poses while saying your name.”
A rolling heat begins to travel up your face at the thought of Rarity wearing such things. “Uh, S-Sweetie Belle, I shouldn’t have to tell you that spying is rude... You really should stop.”
She blinks a few times. “Oh. I never thought of it like that...” she says bashfully “you’re probably right.”
Before things could get too awkward, Rarity pokes her head into the kitchen. “Okay, I’m done darling. If you want, you can use my shower while I make a picnic lunch.”
“Can I help?” Sweetie Belle asks as she bounds up to her big sister.
Rarity sighs and shakes her head. “Sweetie Belle, I-”
You shoot Rarity a look and she seems to get the message.
“That would be wonderful, thank you Sweetie Belle.”
You give Rarity a nod in approval before making your way out of the kitchen and to the bathroom.
She’s learning. She may not realize it, but she’s learning.
* * * * * * * * * *
Sweetie Belle couldn’t control her giggling as she swung higher and higher on the swing.
“Push me higher!”
You put your hooves on her back and give her a mighty shove.
“Wait, that’s too high!” Sweetie Belle cries out in panic.
Reaching out, you do your best to gently guide her to a stop. Sweetie Belle hops down from the swing and seems happy to be on solid ground. “Oh wow, that was scary! I mean, it wasn’t as bad as zip-lining, but still...”
“Wait, you were zip-You know what, never mind. I don’t want to know. Why don’t you go play on the jungle gym? I’ll be over here with your sister.”
Sweetie Belle runs off without a word and makes her way to the other side of the playground. You join Rarity’s side underneath the tree where she set up the picnic she and Sweetie Belle had made earlier.
“Care for some fruit juice?” Rarity offers as she pours a glass from her thermos.
“Yes, thank you very much.” You down the drink quickly, your body still dehydrated from last night’s binge.
“Darling, I must say, you have quite the way with children. I don’t think I’ve seen Sweetie Belle have so much fun.”
“What can I say? I like children. They’re just so innocent and worry free... Not like some of the bundles of stress I see everyday... no offense.” you say as you gesture your glass out for a refill.
“None taken. I know what you mean. Sweetie Belle may be having a hard time finding out who she is, but it’s not keeping her up at night.”
You gesture to Sweetie Belle and the Cutie Mark Crusaders “It also helps when you have friends like that.”
“Yes, especially that boyfriend of theirs.”
You watch the three fillies pounce on the colt and roll around in the grass, giggling all the while.
“Wait, you mean...”
Rarity nods and confirms your suspicions. “That little colt moved to Ponyville not too long ago and made friends with those three... But it blossomed into something more. Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo all fell in love with him. It’s cute, actually.”
“Wow... I just hope everything turns out okay for them. I’d rather not see any of them get hurt.”
“They all seem to love each other very much. And really, does that colt look like a heart breaker?”
Looking back to the four kids, you couldn’t help but feel your heart melt. All four of them were spread out on the grass, just looking up at the sky. The colt was doing his best to hold onto all three of them as tightly as he could and each one of them were smiling ear to ear.
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m sure things will work out.”
After a few minutes, you let out a long yawn and get to your hooves. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll head home.”
Rarity looks disappointed for a second, but nods. “I understand, dear. You’re still not feeling well from your hangover, are you?”
You nod meekly. You didn’t say anything, but your stomach was doing flips and that headache turned into a full blown migraine.
“I’ll see you soon, darling.”
Rarity looks at you oddly as you walk up to her and gasps aloud when you surprise her with a short, but tender kiss. She looks at you dreamily, not expecting this kind of forwardness from you. “What...What was that for?”
“That was to give you some incentive. I want to see you bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow for therapy. Understand?”
She nods slowly. “Understood...” Rarity snaps herself out of her daze just as you begin to walk away “I will, darling, I promise!”
Thatta girl you think with a smile as you make your way home.
* * * * * * * * * *
Five more minutes you think idly. A week had passed since the picnic and Rarity had made stunning improvement in her therapy. Today was supposed to be her checkup so you could both see how far she’s come. On cue, you hear a knock on your office door.
“Enter.”
Just as you expected, Rarity walks into your office, grinning from ear to ear.
“So, how are you feeling?” you ask as you pull her file out from her desk.
Rarity laughs as she jumps into the air. “I feel better than I have in years, darling! I’m happy! I’m cured!”
“I’ll be the judge of that ‘cured’ part...” you say as you flip open her file. “When you first came in, I asked you some questions. I’m going to ask you again and we’re going to compare, alright?”
“When I asked you how many times a day you think ‘This needs to be perfect’, you told me around a dozen. And what about now?”
“To be completely honest, once or twice at the most.” Rarity says thoughtfully.
“And when asked how anxious you feel when something isn’t perfect on a scale of one to ten, you told me eight, maybe nine. And now?”
“Well, two or three.” She isn’t as happy and ecstatic as she was a few seconds ago.
“And this has been every day?”
Rarity sighs heavily “I still have more therapy sessions, don’t I?” she asks, dejected.
Getting up from your desk, you move to her side and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Why don’t we take a walk?”
* * * * * * * * * *
You and Rarity walk through the streets of Ponyville, idly chatting about the weather and the current going on’s in Ponyville, but the conversation keeps circling back to the topic at hand.
“Rarity, you’re still having these obsessive thoughts.”
“I know... I just... Can’t help it.” she says sounding quite frustrated “It’s who I am.”
“Oh, I know that. And I doubt any more therapy will help.”
“But... If more therapy won’t help, then what do we do?” Rarity asks worryingly.
“First, we stop here.” you say as you point to Sugar Cube Corner.
“Uhh... Okay? What exactly do we need here?”
“It’s quite simple. You don’t need any more therapy. You’re healthy. You’re happy.” you say as you open the door for her “And for that reason, we need to-”
Before you could get another word out, Rarity steps through the threshold and is immediately assaulted by screaming and noisemakers “SURPRISE!”
Rarity nearly jumps out of her skin and looks around her, shocked. “Wh-What’s going on?!?” she cries
Pinkie Pie bounds up to Rarity, jumping up and down excitedly. “It’s your ‘All Better’ party!”
Rarity blinks a few times, trying to process what was going on. “All better...” she turns to you, smiling. “I’m... all better? But I thought-”
“You thought you needed more therapy because you aren’t 100% better. Or in other words, ‘perfect’. To be honest Rarity, that tiny obsessive part of you will always be a part of your personality. No amount of therapy will change that. I’m sorry, but you’re not perfect.”
She looks at you dumbfounded. “I’m not perfect?”
“And I’m completely fine with this. What about you?”
Rarity looks over everypony in the room and slowly starts to smile. “Yes... Yes, I’m fine with this.”
The party goers clap their hooves together and cheer for her, having finally conquered her anxiety.
“Alright! Let’s p-” you stop Pinkie Pie from going any further.
“Ah, ah, ah! Not just yet. Rarity needs one more thing before this is all legit.” You feel every pony in the room watch as you reach into your coat pocket and produce a piece of paper.
“I’ve always wanted to sing this when I discharged a patient.” You say before clearing your throat.
“As counselor, I must aver, I’ve thoroughly examined her and she’s not only merely sane, she’s really most sincerely sane!
You give the papers to Rarity, who looks them over quickly. “What are these?”
“Your discharge papers. It’s all there. You’re no longer my patient. Congratu-”
Rarity’s eyes light up when she hears you’re no longer her doctor and races towards you. She throws her forelegs around your neck and draws you in for a deep, passionate kiss. You can’t help but kiss back, enjoying every second of it. When you finally break the kiss, you look into her eyes and smile. “Now THAT was perfect.”
It’s only then that you notice that the entire room has gone quiet and every pony was staring at both you and Rarity.
“W-Well... This is awkward.” you say with a nervous chuckle.
“Well what’s everypony standing around for?” Pinkie Pie screams, breaking the silence. “Let’s party!”
You don’t know how she does it, but Pinkie manages to get the party rolling again, albeit with some ponies wanting all the details.
“Rarity, when were you going to tell us you snagged yourself a stallion?” Rainbow Dash asked with a tease.
“Well... I don’t know. It just sort of happened.”
“So she was your date, Fritz? I should have known.”
“Oh, I’m so happy for you two! I wanted to say something before when I saw you kissing in the park, but I didn’t think it was my place to say anything because you’d tell us when you were ready and then we threw this party and you didn’t tell us, but sure did show us!” Pinkie Pie somehow managed to say with a single breath.
You wander off and let Rarity talk amongst her friends and grab yourself a glass of wine. Just as you’re about to take a sip, you feel a tug on your jacket. Looking down, you find yourself looking down at Spike, Twilight’s dragon assistant at the library, just staring at you.
“Uh, can I help you?” you ask after a few seconds. The dragon sighs heavily and pats your side. “Take good care of Rarity, okay? For me?”
“I will, I promise.” you say, not quite sure what to make of the dragon’s behavior. Spike gives you a satisfied nod and disappears into the crowd of party goers.
Just as Spike leaves, Applejack takes his place.
“Uh, hey Doc? I just wanted to say thanks. Again. Fer, you know, payin’ for my vacation and all.” she says rather bashfully.
“What are you talking about? I just bought a bunch of apples. It just so happened to be just enough for you to go on vacation.” you say with a chuckle.
“Well, whatever the case, ya did me a huge favor. Thanks again.”
“Not a problem, AJ. But if you don’t mind me asking, where are you going?” you ask curiously.
“I took yer advice and booked a place somewhere tropical. Summerset Keys. It’s gunna be fun.”
“Surf, sand, and sun? You better have fun.”
“Heh, I’ll make sure to doc. You have a good one now.”
Just as Applejack begins to walk away, you call out to her “Bring me back a souvenir!”
Once Applejack had left, Rarity walks up to you and joins your side.
“Well?” she asks coyly.
“Well what?” you ask back as you take a sip of wine.
“Aren’t you going to ask me something?”
“Oh yeah. You aren’t mad because I spoofed the coroner’s lines from The Wizard of Oz to deliver the news that you were all better, are you?”
Rarity looks at you quite irate. “No! I don’t care about that! You promised me something. When this all began, remember?”
You shake your head and shrug. “Sorry, nothing’s ringing a bell...”
She stares at you, mouth agape. “B..But...”
You can’t hold it anymore and start snickering like a fool. “Oh Rarity, you are so easy to mess with. Of course I remember.”
“Oh thank Celestia! I started to think you forgot all about that tender moment...”
Putting a hoof around Rarity’s shoulder, you draw her in and hug her tightly. “I’d never forget a promise like that. I said I’d give you a night you’d never forget and I meant I’d give you a night you’d never forget.”
“Do you mind if I ask you what you had in mind?”
“Oh you know, nothing special. Dinner and dance at the Queue du Chevaux in Canterlot.”
Rarity’s jaw almost unhinges. “B-b-b-b-but how did you even get reservations?!? The waiting list is a mile long!”
“The manager is a friend and former patient of mine. I just sent him a letter and asked him for a favor.”
“When do we go?” she asks ecstatically.
“Tomorrow night.”
Rarity squeals with delight and begins planting kisses up and down your face. “Oh thank you thank you thank you! This is so exciting! Queue du Chevaux is one of the most fanciest and prestigious restaurantsin Canter-” Rarity gasps aloud and begins to visibly panic “Oh my gosh, I need to go to the spa and get a full facial and pedicure, I don’t know what to wear or how to do my mane or-”
You grab a hold of Rarity’s shoulders and force her to look you in the eyes. “Calm. down.” you say slowly “You’re beautiful just the way you are. The only thing you need is that red satin dress. You know the one I’m talking about. And if you really want to doll yourself up, you’re more than welcome to, but you don’t have to go overboard, alright? And above all, be yourself.” Once you finish, Rarity lets out a sigh of relief and nods. “Alright. I’ll wear the dress, since you find it so...sexy.” she says with a tease.
“Or you could wear that nurse’s outfit or school filly’s uniform you’re so fond of.”
Rarity’s face turns bright red. “H-H-H-HOW DID YOU-I MEAN, I-”
You draw Rarity in and give her a quick kiss. “Oh you. You shouldn’t be embarrassed. Everypony likes to do a little roleplaying now and again.” leaning in, you whisper in her ear “If that’s something you really want to do, let me know. I’m game.”
Rarity’s face turns a deeper shade of red and she starts tripping over her words. “I-I-Well, tha-I mean...”
You can’t help but laugh aloud as she becomes increasingly flustered. “Oh you. No need to get so hot under the collar.”
“Oh, you are so mean! Why do you keep teasing me like that?”
“Because you’re so cute when you’re speechless.” you say as you nuzzle up to Rarity, eliciting a shiver of delight from the mare. “Now go on and enjoy your party.”
“Alright...” she says dreamily before snapping herself back to attention “Thank you. For everything.” Rarity gives you a kiss on the cheek before joining her friends again while you nurse a glass of wine in the back of the room. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Pinkie Pie running up to each of the party goers, refilling glasses or filling plates. It doesn’t take long for her to come bounding up to you, acting her usual bubbly self.
“Hiya! Enjoying the party?”
“That I am. Thanks for organizing it on such short notice.” you say before taking another sip of wine.
“Oh no sweat! It wasn’t that hard and as soon as you told me Rarity was all better this morning, I was so excited to get everything set up!”
“And you did a wonderful job. Thanks again.”
Pinkie Pie beams with pride and wanders off towards the punchbowl, leaving you to watch the party enter full swing, so it isn’t before long that somepony asked about party games. This prompted Pinkie Pie to bust out ‘pin the tail on the pony’.
“What’s with the target and numbers?” somepony had asked when they saw the bull’s eye Pinkie had painted on the picture.
“Well, since we’re all grown up here, I thought we could play a more grown up game! The numbers get bigger the closer you get to the target and that tells you how many shots of hard cider you have to do!”
The other ponies seem excited to play a twist on their favorite childhood game, except for Rarity, who slinks away before they get a chance to break out the shot glasses.
“Quite an odd game, isn’t it?” she muses aloud as she joins your side.
You and Rarity sit back and watch the other ponies stumble around while trying to get the tail in the right spot.
“Pinkie Pie came up with it, of course it’s odd.”
“Well, I couldn’t see myself playing such an absurd game; stumbling around like a drunkard... groping around for the target... laughing...having fun...” she trails off as she watches Twilight stumble and fall backwards and land on her back, only to giggle aloud as the other ponies help her up.
“You want to join in, don’t you?”
Rarity looks almost insulted. “No! No! Of course not! Maybe... Yes.” she says with a defeated sigh “But it seems so un-lady like. What would the other ponies think?”
“They’d think you’re having a good time. Don’t worry what the others think. Just have fun.”
“You know... You’re right. I’m going to go enjoy myself.” she says confidently “Care to join me?”
“No, no, you go have fun. I’m quite fine. A glass of wine is all I’m having tonight.”
“Oh, alright.” she says sounding rather disappointed “But look on the bright side: If I’m the one who gets inebriated this time, I’ll have to sleep in your bed.”
You feel a blush rise in your cheeks at the idea of Rarity sleeping in your bed this time around “I-I look forward to that.”
A sly grin begins to form on Rarity’s face. “Me too,” she leans in and whispers in your ear “especially since sleeping is the last thing we’d do...”
You begin grabbing at your collar in a vain attempt to cool yourself down. “W-well, you see, I... well...Umm...”
Rarity’s the one who starts giggling like a fool this time. “Oh you are right! It is cute when you’re speechless.” she says with a tease.
Oh...She’s good... you think as she makes her way back to the party.
* * * * * * * * * *
Taking a deep breath, you gather your nerves and knock on the door to the Carousel Boutique.
The party ended as most parties do; with full bellies and high spirits. You and Rarity parted ways when it all came to an end and both promised to meet up tomorrow night. The day passed and it was already time to leave for Canterlot. You reach out to knock again, but stop when the door begins to open. You can’t help but gasp aloud when you see her step through the threshold. She was wearing the red satin halter top you and her were so familiar with, bright red lipstick, and a little rouge for added measure.
“I’m ready.”
“Your chariot awaits, my dear.” you say with a bow. Rarity looks puzzled for a moment until she sees the pegasus drawn chariot coming in for a landing.
“Very nice timing.” you say as they touch down.
“Thanks.” the two pegasi say in unison.
“Oh this is simply fabulous!” Rarity says as you help her into the chariot “But are you sure you can afford all of this?
“Well, it’s for you, so it’s worth it.”
“Thank you again, darling... You make me feel so special.” she says as she nuzzles up to you. You give her a kiss on the cheek, making her giggle aloud.
“You’re welcome.”
You and Rarity remain silent for the entire ride to Canterlot, simply enjoying each other’s presence and the spectacular view. Your chauffeurs sense the atmosphere and remain quiet until you’re finally at the Queue du Chevaux. You can’t help but stare up at it and it’s towering size. It was a restaurant, hotel, and ballroom all rolled into one and towered above most of the other buildings in Canterlot, with the exception of the castle.
“You two enjoy yourself now.”
“Oh, we will! And thank you!” Rarity says as she bounds up to the two large double doors “I can’t believe we get to eat at the Queue du Chevaux!”
Reaching out, you open the door for her. “You better believe it.”
Walking through the doors, you and Rarity are immediately hit by the sound of music that seems to resonate through the entire building and give it an air of peace and high spirits.
Rarity does the best to contain herself as you and her make your way to the head waiter. “Hello, we have a reservation.” you say to the unicorn behind the podium. His blue coat and yellow mane looked like they had seen a lot of work this morning to get them looking just right. “I’m sorry sir, but you’re not on the list.
Both yours and Rarity’s jaw drop at the news. “What are you talking about? I haven’t even told you my name yet!”
“Well, I can tell just by looking at you that you’re not-”
“ELLE CUISINE! JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!?”
The pony visibly cringes upon hearing his name and looks to the blue earth pony with the curly orange mane barreling towards him. “B-B-But sir, I-”
“Don’t you ‘But sir, I-’ me, mister! This is the third time I’ve caught you turning down guests because you didn’t think they looked like ‘Queue du Chevaux material’. This is your final chance to get your act together or you’re FIRED!”
Elle Cuisine starts to stumble across his words. “I-I-I-I’m dreadfully s-s-sorry! Y-You said you had reservations?”
“I still do, right Affero?” you ask tentatively.
The pony reaches out and grabs your hoof and shakes it vigorously. “Of course, anything for the pony that helped me get over my depression.” he says gratefully “Elle, show these two to their table.”
Elle clears his throat, but can’t stop his voice from cracking “R-right this way...” he says as he leads you into the main hall. You can’t help but be awestruck by the sheer beauty of the place; crystal chandeliers, elegant glass sculptures, high end dining tables and cutlery, everything you’d expect of such an extravagant restaurant.
“Your table.” he says rather curtly.
“Uhh, thank you... May we get two menus, please?” Rarity asks as she takes her seat.
The waiter reaches into his apron and produces two menus, which he promptly slams down on the table, making both you and Rarity jump back. Before you can even get a chance to look it over, Elle Cuisine huffs off, mumbling something under his breath.
“What’s his problem?” Rarity asks as she opens her menu.
“Forget him. He’s probably mad that a beautiful mare like you isn’t on the market anymore.”
Rarity stifles a giggle. “Oh stop. Flattery will get nowhere.”
Leaning in, you give Rarity a short kiss before smiling. “What about that? Where does that get me?”
“Oh… Right about here.”
Rarity presses her lips to yours and eases her tongue inside your mouth, sending a jolt of pleasure through your entire body. The kiss seemed more carnal and exciting knowing that you were surrounded by other ponies who were watching you. You and Rarity try to fully enjoy the kiss, but both stop when you hear a pony clear their throat to get your attention. Looking up, you see Elle Cuisine standing over you.
“Have you decided on your order yet?” he asks.
“Uh, no. Not yet. But could we get something to drink?”
Rarity looks over the wine list briefly before tapping on a specific brand with her hoof “How about a bottle of chardonnay? I’ve always wanted to try that.”
“Sure. Can we get that, please?” you ask before opening up the menu for the first time.
Elle Cuisine sighs heavily and disappears once more without so much as a word.
Looking through the menu, you can’t help but be impressed by the variety of food and drink from all over Equestria.
“See anything you like?” Rarity asks as she peruses the menu.
“Well there’s this unicorn in a red satin dress I’d like t-oh you mean on the menu.” you say jokingly “The barley and feta stuffed artichokes look good. I think I’ll go with that.”
“Well then, I guess I’ll go with the watercress salad with frissee and avocado. It sounds quite delicious.”
Just as you and Rarity finish deciding on what to eat, Elle cuisine returns with wine. “Now you decided yet?” he asks as he pulls the cork off of the wine bottle.
Rarity levitates the wine bottle into the air while placing the orders. “Yes, he’ll have an order of the barley and feta stuffed artichokes and I’d like a watercress salad with frissee and avocado.” she says as she pours you a glass. Cuisine finishes writing down your orders and looks to you with a forced smile. “Your food shall be ready in a moment.”
“See, it’s getting better already.” you say as you raise your glass “To us.”
“To us.” Rarity says before bringing the glass to your lips.
You stop after the first sip, only to gag violently. “Dear Celestia, that’s bitter!” you say as you rub the taste off of your tongue.
“Oh dear lord, I could use this as salad dressing! Whatever they gave us, it is not chardonnay.”
Just as you manage to get the taste out of your mouth, Cuisine returns carrying your orders.
Well, at least the food will be better you think as Cuisine sets your plates down.
This thought is quickly dashed when you see your food for the first time. You’ve had artichokes before and they were usually a deep green, but these were almost grey and rubbery. Rarity’s food didn’t look any better; the salad was brown in some places and the odor coming off from it couldn’t be healthy.
“Enjoy.” Cuisine says before running off.
“Well... Maybe it tastes better than it looks.” you say hopefully. You lean in and take a small bite from your dinner and immediately retch. “It’s rotten!” you cry.
“I-It’s not that bad...” Rarity says as she tries to swallow a mouthful of her salad.
Holding a hoof into the air, you try to get Elle Cuisine’s attention. You stop when you feel Rarity grab your hoof and push it down. “No, please. Don’t cause a scene. It’s fine.”
“It is not fine!” you hiss “The wine is crap, the food is crap, and I’m not about to let them ruin your perfect night!”
“I am having a perfect night! I’m here with you and I’m enjoying myself. Admittedly, I’m not flattered by the quality of the food, but it’s not why we came here.” she says as she gets up from the table “We came to have the time of our lives. Let’s dance the night away.”
“You’re right. Let’s not let a little bad food spoil our night.”
Joining Rarity’s side, you and her make your way to the dance hall. You can’t help but stare at the odd performance before you. In the back, the orchestra you heard on the way in was playing the same exact song, which the ponies dance to in a methodical and almost calculated way. Each one had their own partner and stayed at least a foot away from at any given time. They side stepped to the left, right and the moved backwards once to the rhythm and reversed it every odd interval.
“How is this dancing?” you ask as you and Rarity make your way onto the dance floor. “There’s no contact or communication, just movement.”
“Well, it’s not the most romantic thing in the world, but we might as well give it a shot.” Rarity says as she takes lead. Sighing, you do your best to mimic her motions and spend the majority of your time looking at her hooves instead of her.
“Having fun?” you ask after getting the steps down. You stop dead when you finally see the pained look on Rarity’s face. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Oh my... I... I need to use the lady’s room.” she says before running off. You let out a deflated sigh as you wander over to the refreshment table. You pour yourself a glass of punch and immediately down it, hoping that somepony had spiked it before you got to it.
“Why so glum, pal?”
Looking to your side, you finally notice the unicorn in the tuxedo standing next to you. “You wouldn’t understand...” you say as you look into the empty glass of punch.
The unicorn chuckles under his breath as he adjusts his glasses. “I’ve been around the block a few times. Try me.”
You don’t know why, but you begin to open up to the unicorn. “I promised my date a night she’ll never forget and it’s turning into that for sure, but not in the good way. The wine burned my tongue, the food was bad, the dancing was almost mechanical and had no love, and now she’s in the bathroom probably getting sick.” You let out another heavy sigh as you hang her head “I just wish I could give her what she deserves.”
“Sounds like you’ve been royally screwed,” the unicorn says as he furrows his brow “These upper-class have ruined almost everything about this place. Not only have they messed up the food, but they wouldn’t know a good time if it came up and bit them!”
“I mean, honestly. Look at that. No emotion. No love. If just one person got out there and showed them how to swing...”
Your ears perk up “Swing? What’s that?”
The unicorn looks at you, almost hurt. “Oh man, you don’t know what you’re missing. Jangles, get over here!”
In almost an instant, a blue earth pony runs up to the unicorn. “Yeah Benny?”
“Let’s show this colt how to swing.”
The earth pony’s eyes light up. “Oh yes, yes, yes!”
In unison, they both rear up and stand on their hind legs and lock their forelegs together. “You see, the key to swing is support; both physical and emotional. You need your partner to be there for you and trust that you’re going to be there so you don’t fall.”
All at once, they both start to tap their hooves on the ground and move from side to side. “And most importantly, you gotta keep up with the music.” With that, they start to pick up speed. In one quick and fluid motion, the unicorn let’s go of one foreleg and spins the earth pony in a circle before spinning himself around and grabbing her foreleg again.
They continue dancing like this for a few minutes and you can’t help but clap when they finally finish. “That was amazing! I’ve never seen dancing like that before!”
“It’s sort of sad that swing isn’t more popular. If I could just-” the unicorn stops talking and turns to you, a sly grin forming on his face. “You want to give your mare a night she’ll never forget, right?”
You nod “Of course.”
“And I want out of here. It’s time for Benny Goodcolt to split this popsicle stand. But I want to give these hoity-toities something to remember me by... And you’re going to help me.”
“Wait, what? How can I help?”
“Simple. I play the music, you swing. Dig?”
“But I don’t know how!”
The unicorn puts a hoof on your shoulder and smile. “Swinging is as natural as breathing. Once you start, you’ll never stop. Now get ready.”
Before you can get another word out, the unicorn runs off towards the orchestra and starts saying something.
“Darling, I think it’s time we leave...” you hear Rarity say from behind you.
Okay... Now or never
“Not just yet. One more dance. Please?” you ask nervously.
Rarity sighs heavily and starts to get into formation. “Fine, one more-”
“No, not like that.” you say as you draw closer.
She looks at you, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Like this. Reaching out, you grab a hold of Rarity’s fore legs as you saw Goodcolt do and rear up so you both are standing on your hind legs. Just as you do, the music stops, making everyone turn to the orchestra.
“I think it’s time for something a little different,” Benny says as he levitates a clarinet into the air “and a one and a two and a...”
The orchestra picks up again, playing a slightly more cheery and tune.
“What are you doing?” Rarity asks as you begin to take lead.
“One, two, one, t- I’m dancing. And so are you. So just enjoy yourself.”
“B-but everyone is staring!” Rarity says as you begin to rock yourself and her back and forth.
“Let them.”
Getting a little more confident, you pick up the speed and Rarity manages to follow suit.
Goodcolt was right, this feel so natural...
“Darling, I’m just at a loss for words... This feels so strange, but romantic...” she says as you manage to dip her back slightly “Where did you learn to dance like this?”
“Oh you know, a passing sage taught me one night.”
Rarity laughs aloud as you spin her around once more. “Well, wherever you learned it, I’m glad you did! This is the most fun I’ve ever had!”
“Just what do you think you think you’re doing?!?” a crass voice cried out.
Looking to your side, you can’t help but smile for the first time when seeing Elle. “What does it look like?!?”
“This is wrong!”
“If this is wrong, I don’t want to be right!” Rarity cackles as she really starts to get into things.
“Come on, let’s rock this joint!” you yell to the growing crowd of ponies.
All at once, the music stops.“You heard the pony!” Benny Goodcolt yells to the orchestra “and a one and a two and a three!”
The music starts again, but the beat is different. It somehow makes it’s way through your very bones and makes you want to dance the night away.
Surprisingly, the urge you felt is now being felt by all the other ponies who had been dancing before. Elle Cuisine can only watch in horror as couple after couple stands up and starts swinging. They all start out shakily and unsure of themselves but it doesn’t take long for them to find their groove. Even Rarity is getting more daring, doing more spins and even dropping down for a split, only to have you help her back up.
“Kiss me!” Rarity cries.
Acting on impulse, you lean forward and kiss her deeply, savoring the pleasure of it all. You couldn’t help but notice that you were still dancing as your lips were locked, somehow heightening the experience as a whole.
The music speeds up for a final time and comes down to a might crescendo as you break the kiss, leaving you and Rarity out of breath. You both slump down and rest on your haunches as you try to catch your breath.
Rarity turns to you, panting for air “Oh dear Celestia... That was... That was just...”
“WUNDERBAR!”
You try to enjoy the afterglow of the whole experience, but can’t help but feel irritated when Elle Cuisine comes walking up to you with a scowl on his face.
“I never want to see you two here ever again! That was the most undignified show of-”
“Oh shut up!” Rarity yells, startling everyone “This dance was the best part of my night! First you refuse to let us in, after that you served us vinegar instead of wine, then you gave us rotten food and now you try to tell us how and how we can’t dance! I can’t see how the manager could let something like this slide!”
As if on cue, Affero appears from the crowd, staring daggers at Elle. “You did what?” he asks, his voice dripping with anger.
Elle Cuisine begins to back up, only to trip on an outstretched hoof belonging to Benny Goodcolt.
“You’ve been trying to run this restaurant under my nose and you’ve been treating my friends like garbage?” Affero takes a deep breath and seems to calm down slightly, making Elle calm down for a moment.
“YOU’RE FIRED!” Affero screams at the top of his lungs, making Elle jump back and scramble for the door. As soon as Elle is out of sight, Affero turns to you, looking hurt.
“I am SO sorry for that! Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?”
You shake your head as you put a hoof around Rarity’s shoulder and draw her close to you. “Naw, not that I can think of. We enjoyed ourselves, didn’t we love?”
“Yes we did, darling. Now if you’ll excuse us, I think it’s time we leave.”
And with that, you and Rarity leave the Queue du Chevaux in high spirits.
* * * * * * * * * *
“You’re him.”
You tear your eyes from the ground below to Rarity, who was looking at you with a content smile.
“Him who?” you ask as you take a seat next to her.
“No, just ‘him’. The one. That special individual I’ve been waiting my life to meet. The one who I can love with all my heart.”
Using your hoof, you guide Rarity’s face closer to yours. “If I’m him then you’re her.”
“I love you Rarity.”
“I love you too.”
You press your lips against hers and kiss under the starlit skies, far above Ponyville. You could only find a single word to describe this single moment in time.
Perfect.