//------------------------------// // Chapter 07 // Story: Just A Couple of Ponies // by Tchernobog //------------------------------// Twilight had to admit it: Rarity had good taste. This was perhaps doing the mare a disservice; being a pony of taste was the core of Rarity’s very livelihood. This clearly extended to more than simply fashion. A Bride Abattue was, at first glance, an average sized building in Ponyville. But it oozed with Prench charm, from the melodic tunes audible from within the doors, to the various flags and designs, and the rustic decor. She hadn’t had much experience with this sort of restaurant, but she’d taken an immediate liking to the place. She did, however, have a bit of a concern. As Twilight looked around the restaurant’s exterior, she took note of the various customers. They were all enjoying themselves, chatting and dining on generous portions. She smiled at that, glad Rainbow and Applejack would be able to eat their fill. But none of the ponies eating were dressed up. At most, she saw a bow tie or a necklace. Maybe a small skirt. Nothing like what she wore. She craned her neck backwards, looking at Rarity’s work. Beautiful as it was, it felt, for lack of a better word, excessive. She felt like she was still wearing her crown and she didn’t really like doing that. “I feel overdressed for this,” she said, and jumped as somepony whistled nearby. “Sugarcube, next to you, I’m underdressed!” Twilight’s face lit up with a smile as she turned towards the voice, only to have it disappear when her jaw fell open. The words Dear Celestia that is hot had barely entered her mind as she took in the sight of Applejack in a suit, when another voice distracted her. “If you feel underdressed, then I feel naked!” Much later, Twilight would pinpoint that moment as the moment her brain shut down completely. She barely registered how Applejack seemed to be staring at Rainbow as well, her slack jawed expression a mirror of her own. Twilight’s eyes were telling her that Rainbow was blushing, rubbing a hoof against her knee as she and Applejack kept staring at the pegasus, but Twilight’s brain had no idea what to do with this information. Thankfully, she was spared the need as the doors swung open. A pair of earth ponies walked past, chatting amicably with each other, completely ignoring the three mares standing to the side. It did, however, snap Twilight out of her daze. She cleared her throat, glancing back and forth between her two obviously flustered marefriends. She felt much the same, but Rarity’s words came flooding back to her. Lead your mares. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. She grinned as her horn shone, ready to grab the door’s handle. But as she opened her eyes to do so, she found Applejack already there, holding the door open with a small smirk. “Ladies first,” Applejack said, waving a hoof towards the restaurant’s interior. Twilight eyed her marefriends. She could have sworn she’d seen Rainbow’s lips twitch upwards, but the pegasus’s expression was back to normal as she stepped into the building. Twilight gave a mental shrug, and followed Rainbow inside. Applejack may have gotten there first this time, but she still had the entire night to show her marefriends what she could do. Hopefully. “I'm here for the party!” Rarity rolled her eyes as Pinkie barged into the boutique. “Tea party, Pinkie. I thought we could all use a little social time to relax after getting those three ready.” “Oh…” Pinkie stopped bouncing, her ears drooping. “So, no party cannon?” Rarity gave a long-suffering sigh. “You may fire it once, and only once. And I expect you to clean up the decorations afterwards.” “Okie dokey! Say, what's the big mirror for?” “That, my friend, is our entertainment! But first, we must wait for Fluttershy.” Rarity made her way to her kitchen and grabbed the pot of tea she’d prepared. After a moment’s thought, she opened her fridge and grabbed some of the cupcakes she’d bought from Sugarcube Corner the previous day. If any situation warranted a bit of binging, surely this would be one of them. As she heard her doorbell ring, she made her way back to the boutique’s main room with a smile on her face, noting how Pinkie had already cannonized it. The pink mare was busy putting on the final touches with the help of Fluttershy, making sure the ‘Go Twilight! Go Applejack! Go Dashie!’ banner was hanging correctly. Rarity nodded to the pegasus as she set down the tea and snacks. “Ah, there you are. How did it go with Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy smiled as she landed next to her friend. “She’s ready. I think,” she said, frowning momentarily. “I mean, I tried to help. Did I do it right?” “I’m sure you did fine, dear. Though I wish you’d let me make her dress.” Rarity pouted, but quickly stopped and turned to face Pinkie. “And you, too. What did you do to Applejack?” Pinkie giggled. “You’ll see! C’mon, let’s go!” “Go?” “Well duh, aren’t we gonna go watch?” “I’m afraid not.” Rarity shook her head. “I pinkie promised Twilight I wouldn’t go anywhere near their date.” “Awww!” “Which is why I’m bringing the date to us!” Rarity said, stepping up to the mirror she’d prepared. “Do make yourselves comfortable.” She waited a few moments as Pinkie piled a mountain of pillows on the floor. When she was sure her friends were ready and watching, she lifted a hoof to the mirror, and spoke loudly. “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall–” “Umm.” “… Yes, what is it, Pinkie?” “It’s not on a wall! It’s on a–" “Yes, a stand, I know. Humor me, please.” Rarity sighed, closing her eyes. “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall–" She paused, glancing at a silent Pinkie. “Which is the most interesting date of them all?” With the stage thus set, she fired a bolt of magic into the mirror. The surface shimmered briefly, distorting Rarity’s image, until it calmed down moments later. The image, however, had changed. “Is that… the restaurant?” Fluttershy gasped, as Rarity turned to smile at them. “It is! We have the best seats in the house.” “Hey, where’s the sound?” Pinkie asked, leaning in to poke the mirror. “Please don’t touch that. The spell is delicate,” Rarity replied, halting Pinkie’s hoof with her magic. “This scrying spell only gives us sight, sadly. In any case, now we wait for the stars to arrive!” Pinkie tilted her head. “But it’s not night yet!” “The stars of the show, darling.” “Who?” Rarity sighed. “Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow Dash, of course.” “But you Pinkie-promised!” Pinkie frowned, stepping so close to Rarity, their noses were touching. Rarity couldn’t help a shiver going down her spine as she stared into Pinkie’s accusing eyes. “I promised not to go near their date. We’re on the other side of town! I have not broken the promise in any way!” Pinkie continued to stare at her for what seemed like an eternity, until she leaned back with a giggle. “Okay!” “… Okay? That’s it?” “Yup! You’re right!” “Oh.” Rarity blinked. She’d expected far more argument from Pinkie, considering how she’d reacted to Applejack’s trickery back in Dodge Junction. Still, she wasn’t one to look a gift pony in the mouth. “Well then. Shall we?” “They won’t be very happy about this…” Fluttershy said as her friends joined her. “Let’s not tell them about this then, yes?” Rarity glanced between the two, smiling as they nodded. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them – Oh! There they are!” “Why do you know these spells, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked. “I have my reasons,” Rarity replied. “Just pass the popcorn, please?” She nodded gratefully, not even deigning to ask Pinkie where the popcorn had come from. Far more interesting things were afoot. “Oh wow, ‘Shy-Shy!” Pinkie gasped. “Dashie looks amazing!” “I agree, darling. Where did you find such a lovely dress?” “It’s, um, actually one of Rainbow’s.” Rarity stared at the image. “Is it now? I would never have guessed. Say, where’s Applejack?” “Maybe she got lost?” suggested Pinkie. “No, the restaurant's not that big. Ah, there she is–" she said, the words dying in her throat. “Oh my…” Fluttershy whispered next to her, eyes wide. “Like it?” Pinkie asked with a wide grin. Rarity nodded slowly. “It… is certainly unconventional. But she wears it well. Is it hot in here?” she asked, fanning herself with one of Fluttershy’s wings as the pegasus fanned herself with the other. Rarity nodded in approval as she watched the mirror. Twilight had just pulled out a chair for Rainbow to sit on. She hadn’t, however, expected Applejack to do the same. And clearly, nor had Rainbow, as the pegasus looked from one chair to the other. “What in Celestia’s name are they doing?” Rarity wondered aloud, as Twilight and Applejack seemed to stare each other down, only to blink as Rainbow chose the third seat for herself. As they all took their place, a waiter approached, carrying a set of menus with him. Pinkie groaned again. “I wish I could hear them!” “Um, he just welcomed them to the restaurant and asked if they needed a few minutes to decide.” Rarity’s eyebrows shot up as she stared at Fluttershy in wonder. “How do you know?” The pegasus shrank from her friend’s gaze. “I can lip read?” “… Do I want to know why?” Rarity asked. Fluttershy shook her head, blushing. “… No.” Rarity frowned, filing the information away for another time. “Very well. But what in Equestria is Rainbow Dash doing?” “She’s hiding!” Pinkie said, pointing. “I can see that, darling. The question is, why?”   Rainbow Dash held the menu up, keeping it between her and her marefriends. She’d been staring at it for a while, and hadn’t been able to make heads or tails of it. Tomates à la Provençale? Croûtons? What the hay were those? She knew if she’d opened her mouth, she’d be making a fool of herself. And right now, looking stupid in front of her marefriends, and the whole restaurant, was the last thing she wanted to do. Fluttershy’s words had made sure of that. Show them that dinner with them is important to you. “Have you ladies decided?” Rainbow jumped slightly as the waiter’s voice startled her. She glanced around and blew a sigh of relief, thankful that nopony had noticed. Still, she stared at the menu, trying to find at least one thing she recognized. “Yes, I’ll have the plateau courgette et pissenlit please,” she heard Twilight say. Coor get and piss? Rainbow’s muzzle briefly twisted in disgust, before realizing that Twilight had spoken in Prench. She didn’t know why that surprised her. The egghead was always using that science-talk anyway. “And to drink?” “Some orange juice, please.” “Very well, Princess,” the waiter acknowledged. “And for the gentlestal–" The waiter paused, and gave a quiet cough. “Ahem, pardon me. The gentlemare?” “I’ll have one of yer Pomme de terre fromage et foin, if it pleases ya,” Applejack replied. Rainbow’s eyes flicked over the menu as she stared at the farmer. Applejack’s accent made the Prench words sound incredibly sexy. She could be ordering the most disgusting meal on the menu and still make it sound like the best thing ever. Rainbow realized that it was also incredibly distracting. With great effort, she shifted her focus back on the menu. “Certainly, ma’am,” the waiter continued. “And your beverage?” Rainbow resisted the urge to smack her face with a hoof. Right. Not like I can read this thing. “Orange juice sounds real nice right now!” Applejack replied. Looking real good there, Dash, you can’t even order ri– “Of course. And for you, ma’am?” “Wuh?” Rainbow blinked, looking over the top of her menu. “Your order?” “Oh, uh. I’d like some hay fr–" Rainbow paused. Come on. You’re at a fancy restaurant and you’re ordering hay fries? She scolded herself. Good start, Dash. Really taking it seriously. “Ma’am?” Oh Celestia damn it! “Sorry,” she gulped. “I’ll… I’ll have what they’re having.” The waiter blinked. “Which one?” “… Both?” Oh nice job, now you’ll look like a pig! “Very well. And your drink?” “Cid– Errr…” Rainbow could feel the drop of sweat crawl down her back. Is cider a serious choice? C’mon, stupid. Show you’re into them. ‘Cause you’re really into them. Just look at how hot they are. “Cider, ma’am?” “No!” she blurted, earning a raised eyebrow from the waiter. You’re already messing up don’t mess up don’t mess uuuuup. “J-just water, thanks!” “Right away.” The waiter nodded and took his leave. Rainbow flumped back into her seat as she watched the waiter vanish into the crowd, glancing at Applejack as the farmer chuckled. “I’m shocked, Dash.” Oh Celestia what did I do? “Huh?” “Y’aint going for cider?” Rainbow’s ears flattened against her skull. Had she chosen wrong after all? “Maybe later?” She shrugged, hoping that Applejack couldn’t see how strained her smile was. Applejack grinned. “Fair enough, we got all night,” she said, relaxing into her own chair. “I didn’t realize they had apple dishes here. Can’t wait t’see what them earth apples are.” “Earth Apples?” Twilight asked, her eyebrows raised. “Yeah, those ‘pomme de terre’ thingies.” Applejack shrugged. “Still remember some’a the fancy Prench I learned in Manehattan as a filly.” “Applejack, you do know you just ordered potatoes, right?” “… Yer kiddin’.” Twilight shook her head. “You just ordered potatoes with cheese and hay.” Rainbow snorted as Applejack frowned, but quickly schooled her expression to hide it. Serious face, Dash. Serious face. Don’t laugh at them. “That don’t sound too bad, really.” Applejack shrugged. Rainbow resisted the urge to wipe her forehead. Thankfully, neither of them seemed to see just how nervous she was. But the date had just started. She still had all night to mess up. And the more it drug on, the more she felt like she would. “Booooring!” “That’s not quite the way I’d phrase it, but for once I must agree, Pinkie.” Rarity grumbled. “What in Equestria are those three doing?” “Small talk,” Fluttershy said. “Just chatting about the farm and the weather.” Rarity waved a dismissive hoof. “Not that! Just look at them! They can’t even maintain eye contact!” She squinted at the trio. “I must say, I’ve never seen Rainbow Dash so…” “Pretty?” Pinkie offered. “Gorgeous? Stunning?” “No – well, yes, but what I was going for was… passive.” “Passive?” Pinkie repeated, her head at a tilt. “Just look at her!” Rarity waved a hoof at the mirror, not noticing how Fluttershy seemed to shrink into herself. “She’s barely said ten words since the date started. Does that sound like Rainbow Dash to you?” “Nope!” “Exactly! I – Wait. Where is Applejack going?” Fluttershy cringed. “I-I didn’t see. I’m sorry!” “Don’t worry, dear,” Rarity consoled the pegasus, rubbing a hoof on her back. “You can’t be expected to catch everything.” “Oh, oh! I bet she went to the little fillies’ room!” Pinkie chimed in. Rarity blinked. “Already? But they just barely started drinking!” “Actually, me too! Be right back!” Pinkie zoomed off in a flash. “I always imagined earth ponies had stronger bladders than that.” Rarity shook her head, and turned to face Fluttershy. “Do you have any idea why Dash is acting that way?” “… Maybe?” Fluttershy squeaked, trying to hide behind her mane. “I just… I just told her to take her date seriously.” Rarity looked at her friend, then back to the mirror, gazing thoughtfully at Rainbow. “So she takes it seriously by not doing anything? That’s absurd,” she scoffed. “Look at them, they’re not even talking! Oh, Twilight…” A weight flopped next to Rarity, making her jump, and a brief shriek escaped her muzzle. She turned to face a giggling Pinkie.  “I’m back!” “A little warning next time, please?” “Okay!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “Thank you. Now, where were we?” She blinked in confusion. “Where did Twilight go?” “She definitely went to the bathroom…” “Oh, come on!” “No, no, no… Ugh!” Twilight groaned in frustration as she tossed yet another flashcard aside, where it joined the others in a now overflowing bin. All of them had been almost shockingly unhelpful. “‘Proper ways to use cutlery’? Really?” She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. In the back of her mind she could even hear what Rarity would say. Well of course! You have to lead them by example! She shook her head, wondering if she should set that particular card on fire. She couldn’t even begin imagining how table manners would lead the two mares waiting at her table. One flashcard, however, had given her an idea. Glancing at herself one last time in the restroom mirror, she shook away what nervousness she could and stepped back out into the dining area. She quickly caught sight of a passing waiter and held up a hoof. “Excuse me?” “Yes?” The waiter asked, his eyes widening as he recognized who the hoof belonged to. “Your Highness?” Twilight held back the wince. She’d never really gotten used to other ponies calling her that, but she’d managed to learn how to hide it. It did have the occasional perks, though. Flagging down a waiter not assigned to your table without having to wait was but one of them. “Could you bring a bottle of your best wine to my table?” The waiter nodded, giving her a short bow. “Right away.” Twilight made her way back to her table, almost faltering once she caught sight of her marefriends again. Her throat was suddenly dry, unable to find the words for just how lucky she was to have both of them. I really need that drink. Applejack stopped chatting with Rainbow as she noticed Twilight approaching. She smiled at her, snapping the alicorn our of her torpor. “Hey there, Sugar. We thought you’d gotten lost.” “Then I hope you were going to send in the guards,” she quipped, grinning. A grin that faltered quite quickly, as her marefriends stared at her blankly. Twilight chuckled nervously. “You know. To find me?” “Darlin’, that was awful,” Applejack deadpanned. “Yeah, who needs guards when we can put Pinkie on the trail?” Rainbow chimed in, before seemingly hiding behind her glass of water. Twilight stared at the table, wracking her mind for something, anything to help. She knew her jokes were usually pretty bad, but this had been the worst reaction she’d ever gotten from anypony. Note to self, check out the ‘Self Deprecating Jokes For Dummies’ immediately. As if her prayers had been heard, two sets of hooves appeared at the edge of her vision. “Pinkie.” “Rarity?” “Am I seeing things, or are there two waiters with two wine bottles?” “Nope!” “Oh, good.” “Nope, you’re not seeing things!” “… That’s what I was afraid of.” Rarity could feel the twitch in her eye and closed them to in an effort to control it. A deep breath usually did wonders for that, but reopening her eyes just made it worse. “Fluttershy?” She could feel the pegasus flinch next to her. “Yes?” “Are Twilight and Applejack offering a toast?” “Um. Yes?” “At the same time, I assume?” “… Yes?” “Right.” “Okay…” “And I’m only imagining the fact that Twilight is glaring at Applejack.” “Y-yes.” “And that Rainbow Dash is on her second glass already.” Rarity turned to Pinkie, not waiting for Fluttershy’s answer. “Pinkie, dear?” “Reporting for duty!” “You may need to hold me back.” “Okay!” Pinkie nodded eagerly, pausing to tilt her head at Rarity as the unicorn slowly stood up. “Uh, why?” “Because, and may Celestia be my witness, I must go smack some sense into those fillies!” Rarity leapt over Fluttershy, who had taken refuge under her own hooves as the unicorn’s voice rose to a shout. She’d made it to the door, and flung it open with her magic, only to find Pinkie on the other side. The earth pony flung her forelegs around Rarity’s withers, stopping her in her tracks. “Pinkie, let me go!” “But you asked me to stop you!” Pinkie grunted, holding the thrashing Rarity in place. “I know what I said, but it’s my duty to correct this!” Pinkie shook her head, briefly filling Rarity’s vision with pink hairs. “Nuh-uh! You can’t!” Rarity stopped fruitlessly trying to move forward. She leaned her head back to glower at Pinkie. “And why not? What in Equestria would stop me?” “You Pinkie promised,” Pinke stated flatly, staring back at her friend. Rarity’s eyes widened as she took in Pinkie’s expression. It wasn’t quite a glare, but it was a definite frown. A frown of disappointment, even. “I… I’m sorry, Pinkie,” she mumbled, taking a deep breath to relax herself. “I lost my head there for a moment.” Pinkie immediately grinned, hugging Rarity. “That’s okay! Now you’ve found it again!” “Indeed I have,” Rarity said with a chuckle, but she couldn’t hold back a sigh. “It’s just so frustrating to watch.” “Don’t worry, they’ll be fine!” Pinkie giggled, nudging her friend back into the boutique. “I hope so, Pinkie. Why don’t you head back? I’ll be along in a minute; I feel I need some tea.” “Okie dokie lokie!” Rarity smiled as Pinkie bounded away, silently thankful for her friends. Had Pinkie not been there, Rarity would have likely found herself on the way to do something she’d regret. Pinkie could be counted on to keep her sane, however. The thought made her pause in mid stride. Well, maybe most of the time. With a quick flick of her magic, she set her teapot on the stovetop’s open flame. She closed her eyes, picturing Rainbow Dash’s dress in her mind. It was quite fetching, and Rainbow wore it well. She’d have to ask the pegasus whether she could get her hooves on it and examine it more closely. She twisted her mental image of it in her mind, observing it at every angle, until a shrill whistle interrupted her. She lifted the teapot and switched off the stove, and waited a few moments before pouring the water into the waiting teacups she’d prepared. She smiled as the scent wafted up to her. Music could well soothe a savage beast, but tea could turn a pony to putty. Or at least it did for her. She trotted back to the boutique’s showroom, a trio of cups floating in the air above her head. “Well, at least the date can’t get much worse,” she said as she flopped back on the mound of pillows, taking care not to spill the tea. “Um, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked timidly. Rarity almost flinched. She knew that tone of voice. She’d long since learned to recognize it. It was the tone Fluttershy used when she had to say something she knew others wouldn’t want to hear. “Me and my big mouth…” Rarity mumbled as she trotted back to the mirror. “What did I miss?” “I think Rainbow is drunk.” Applejack was at a loss for words. She hadn’t truly known what to expect. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie had been too cagey for that, and hadn’t breathed a word of their plans other than the location where Applejack now sat. Despite their secrecy, however, she trusted them. They were her friends and they wouldn’t have planned anything sinister. She’d figured it would be a night of good dining and enjoying the time spent with her marefriends. Right now, the latter looked rather unsure. She stared at Twilight for the tenth time that night. Perhaps more. She looked as beautiful as ever: the picture of a princess in the flesh. Applejack had even recognized the dress’ design and had to give Rarity credit. The unicorn knew Twilight’s tastes and making something simple out of a complex gown made Twilight shine even brighter than usual. Applejack just wished she knew what bee had stung her marefriend. Twilight had been taciturn, even annoyed in some cases. The farmer hadn’t liked the way Twilight had glared at her. They hadn’t lasted long, but it wasn’t the playful kind she was used to. So far, Twilight had remained pretty quiet. On the other hoof, her silence was nothing compared to Rainbow Dash’s. The usually flighty pegasus was like a shadow of herself. Even when she’d attempted to start a conversation, Rainbow hadn’t spoken more than a couple words strung together. It had felt like she’d gotten the life sucked right out of her. That, however, had just changed. “You shoulda seen the look on your faces!” Rainbow giggled, one hoof holding on to her mostly empty glass of wine, the other banging on the table as she laughed at Applejack. “Twilight was all ‘rawr!’ and you’re just sitting there going ‘wut?’ ” She shared a confused glance with Twilight, wondering at the sudden switch in Rainbow’s behavior. Her eyes widened as she noticed the first bottle of wine they’d opened. Both she and the alicorn had barely touched their first glass, but the bottle was practically two thirds empty. That left only one pony at the table who could have consumed it. Probably the one who had the bottle within touching distance. Twilight had clearly come to the same conclusion as her magic surrounded the bottle. “I think you’ve had enough to drink, Rainbow.” The pegasus stuck her tongue out at Twilight and blew a raspberry. “Whatever, Princess! You just don’t wanna see my moves!” “I’ve seen your moves, Dash! I just–" Rainbow cackled, draining her glass. “Not these moves.” She leaned closer to Twilight, waggling her eyebrows. “You never told me where you learned to feathermark… What else did you learn?” Applejack stared wide eyed at the flustered Twilight, who was attempting to lean away from Rainbow’s wings. One of the blue appendages was inching up Twilight’s foreleg, over her neck, and came to a rest under the mare’s chin, gently tickling it. As Applejack held down the desire to nuzzle those wings, her eyes widened even more as Twilight lifted a hoof to push the wing away. “Dash, stop it!” she said, not noticing Rainbow’s stricken look. “Not here!” “But–" “I mean, seriously?” Twilight waved a hoof to the restaurant. Applejack followed its path, noticing a few eyes were already looking their way. “In public?” “Twi…” Applejack cautioned. But instead of calming the mare, it only turned Twilight’s ire on herself. “And you! Stop it!” “Huh?” “Stop messing things up!” “Now wait one apple-pickin’ minute!” Applejack growled, leaning forward. “I ain’t messin’ nothin’!” “Oh yeah?” Twilight smirked. “What about the chairs?” “The ch– That’s just bein’ polite!” She said, rolling her eyes. “I dunno if you heard of em, but it’s called havin’ good manners.” That made Twilight pause, but only for a brief moment. “What about the wine? Whose fault is that?” “Twi, I ordered one first.” Twilight blinked. “… Minor detail! And why–" “Stop!” Applejack jumped at the shout, as had a large part of the restaurant. Everything was eerily quiet as both she and Twilight stared at Dash. She’d rarely seen the pegasus look this downcast. Her ears were flat against her skull, her eyes glued to the table, unable to look either in the eye. “Stop. S’all my fault.” Applejack couldn’t believe her ears. “The hay are you talkin’ about, Dash?” Rainbow buried her face in her hooves, hiding it from the others as the words poured out of her in a rush. “S’my fault we’re here ‘cause I wanted in with you guys and now I’m just messing it up and you’re fighting and you don’t love me or each other or–" As one, Twilight and Applejack moved closer to the pegasus, each wrapping a hoof around her shoulders. Their eyes met, and Applejack saw only concern in Twilight’s expression. No doubt Twilight saw the same in her own. The gesture seemed to have stopped Rainbow’s speech, but the words still seemed to weigh on her. She slowly looked lifted her head and looked at her marefriends in turn. “D’you even really like me?” “What kinda quest–" “–ion is that?” Applejack blinked again, her eyes once again meeting Twilight’s. With a nod, she deferred to the alicorn. Twilight smiled gratefully, and leaned in to nuzzle Rainbow. “Rainbow, why are you even asking that? Of course we love you!” Rainbow stared at her, doubt written all over her face. “… Really?” “We wouldn’t have wanted you in our relationship if we didn’t, silly.” Twilight chuckled, leaning in to peck Rainbow on the cheek. “Darn tootin’,” Applejack drawled, drawing a giggle from the pegasus. “What gave you th’idea we didn’t?” Rainbow looked away, once again staring at the table. “Flutters said I should take it seriously,” she answered slowly, hesitating to find the right words. Applejack glanced at the wine bottle and wondered how much of it was doing the talking. Twilight frowned. “What, the date?” she asked, but Rainbow shook her head. “Kinda. She said I should… slow down… for you guys?” “Dash, hon, we like you because you’re fast,” Applejack said, earning a snort from a now-blushing Twilight. Applejack’s eyes widened in realization. “N-not like that, you perv!” Twilight and Rainbow burst into giggles. The pegasus leaned closer to Applejack, running a feather across the farmer’s cutie mark. “Oh yeah?” “I-I mean, that’s part of ya!” Applejack stammered, resulting in even more giggles. “Oh fer Pete’s sake…” “She means you don’t need to slow down for us, Rainbow. We can keep up,” Twilight said, nuzzling Rainbow’s cheek before disentangling herself from the cuddlepile. Twilight’s eyes met Applejack’s as they both returned to their seats. “And Applejack, I’m sorry. I was just trying to… take the lead, I guess,” she finished lamely, her ears pointing down. “Don’t ya worry ‘bout it, Twi.” Applejack chuckled. “I can guess what happened there.” Twilight shook her head. “That’s not all of it. I know what’s wrong now.” “What, the fact y’all both took bad advice and acted silly?” Applejack chided, grinning. “No! Well, yes.” Twilight groaned. “Although I would point out you were acting just as silly,” she shot back, although this time she looked more amused than annoyed. “It's something else.” Applejack’s attention was now fully on Twilight. She knew that expression. And by the look on Rainbow’s face, so did she. Twilight stared right back at them. “This just isn’t fun.” Applejack couldn’t help but grin. “An’ I’m guessin’ you got somethin’ in mind?” Twilight winked at them both. “Maaaaybe.” “I know what I wanna do.” Rainbow smirked, raising her front hooves onto the table. She leaned on them as she smiled saucily at Applejack. “I wanna tear that suit off you, A.J. With my teeth.” As Twilight burst out laughing, Applejack wasn’t sure what worried her more: the fact that both Granny and Pinkie had been right on the money or the fact that Dash seemed ready to pounce her right then and there. Thankfully, she was saved by Twilight getting her laughter under control, raising a hoof to signal a waiter. Almost instantly, one appeared. “Your Highness?” “Uh,” Twilight said, momentarily caught off guard. “I’d like one more bottle of wine, please.” The waited nodded. “Of course. Is there anything else?” “Yes, and we’ll take our food to go, please.” The waiter’s eyes flew open in shock. “We do not offer that service here!” he blurted, only to shrink under Twilight’s gaze. “B-but I believe we can make an exception, Your Majesty. I-if you’ll excuse me,” he stammered, bowing as he made his exit. “Saddle up, girls,” Twilight said as she turned back to her marefriends, grinning triumphantly. “We’re going roller skating.” “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, but did she say ‘skating’?” Fluttershy nodded, still barely trusting her own eyes. “She did, yes.” “In that dress?” Rarity asked. “In the dress I made?” “Looks like it!” Pinkie broke in, giggling as she watched the flustered waiters bring the hastily packaged food. “I see. Well, there is only one thing left to do.” Rarity stood up, lifting a hoof to stop Pinkie from pouncing her once again. “I’m not going after them, Pinkie. I’m doing something far more sensible.” She took a few steps to the side, out of the way of her friends, and daintily collapsed onto the fainting couch that she had summoned. Fluttershy stared at Pinkie, who shrugged back in return. “Hey!” Pinkie cried out as her attention turned back to the mirror. “Who turned it off?”