//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 - Heading out // Story: The Calling Night // by Derpator //------------------------------// Rarity isolated herself in her bedroom. She had forced herself to shut the door to her workroom, knowing full well she would become tempted if she even took a peek in there. She was staying true to her word, what Pinkie Pie told her. She wouldn’t work anymore for the day, remaining calm. She was more collecting of positive emotions, not under the stress. Even if it was for the day, she could handle it, although some part of her still wanted to work. She knew that Pinkie Pie would only scold her if she did so too. The pink pony really had a point, and she was truly grateful for it. She had taken a luxurious shower. It was so relaxing and cooling, exactly something she needed, refreshing with the simplest drop of water. She had perfectly styled her mane to look as elegant as she could, as well as putting on her lovely makeup. It only took her a couple of hours to be ready for their night out, although she was still a little nervous about the suggestion in its entirety. She had been to the bar before, but never with the girls. From her understanding, a girls night out involved a lot of drinks. She didn’t know if that would be such a good idea. She was in no way interested in sex, rather just having a good time with a friend who was there for her. Without Pinkie Pie, she might as well curl up in bed for hours. But then, Pinkie said she wasn’t a drinker either. Rarity had seen her take a few drinks at some parties, but never obscene. The very idea of a girls night out would give them free access to as much alcohol they wish to consume, provided they could handle it. Rarity didn’t want to get plastered, but she wouldn’t know until they got there. Pinkie Pie could be in for an experience too, what with her introduction. Rarity hummed to herself as she applied a lovely scent to her coat, a body spray to give her a more finesse smell. She took an inhale of the scent herself. She giggled from the result, perfectly happy with her choice. She was ready to head out, which only left Pinkie Pie to come to her. Still with time on her hooves, she sat at her dresser, deciding on the amount of bits to take. She already picked out the perfect bag to carry with her, but she needed to consort an appropriate limit on price. After all, she didn’t find it optimal to get wasted, although Pinkie Pie could potentially pressure her into that. She thought about it briefly. It wouldn’t be too bad if it happened, considering Pinkie would be with her. The point of a girls night out was to have fun after all, and getting drunk with Pinkie Pie would accomplish that. She might even be able to see a different side of Pinkie Pie too. It was a tough call to make. Two piles of bits were in front of her, one of them larger than the other. She rubbed her chin with her hoof, thinking about it. Envisioning her outcomes, she carefully moved a few bits from the larger pile towards the smaller one. “Hmm...” she thought out loud, not entirely sure. There was also Pinkie Pie to add to the equation. Would they split it between them, do rounds, or pay for their own? That also added the possibility of Pinkie Pie taking more or less bits. They would likely drink the same amount, but what if one of them had more bits than the other? Details would have to be sorted out. She couldn’t fully decide on her option. She would only take the bag with her for transportation of bits, but the physical amounts of the currency she would need was inconclusive. She balanced the arguments again, fumbling around with a single bit. She didn’t want to overspend, but she wouldn’t want to just have a single drink either. Prices of various drinks would be taken into consideration too, although she had a good idea of what she’d be having. The chime of the doorbell went off as she played with the small object. She knew it had to be either Pinkie Pie or Sweetie Belle. Although she didn’t know where her little sister had gone too, she’d apologise to her when she next saw her. Although, if it was Sweetie Belle at the door, she wouldn’t be knocking. She knew how to open the magic lock. Rarity hummed to herself as she dipped the large collection of bits into her bag, making her way downstairs. She made sure to check everything was alright before leaving her bedroom. Turning all lights off, she made her way through her luxurious house. Still making a merrily noise, she trotted downstairs into the main room. “Coming...” she softly sang, placing her bag on a counter. She approached her front door, unlocking it and opening it with her magic, much slower than when Pinkie Pie visited earlier. Stood outside was the exact same Pinkie Pie, looking almost identical to a few hours ago. Almost, if not for the dazzling eyes and the sparkling coat of hers. The aroma she wore, a hint of strawberry. Rarity blushed just from the sight of the mare alone. She knew Pinkie Pie wasn’t into fashion as much as she was, or even one who cantered around her image a lot, but the sight caught her. She looked... beautiful, and she wasn’t expecting her to stand out so much. She knew Pinkie Pie would have showered and prepared, but the way she looked was remarkable, perhaps even a little daunting. Pinkie Pie didn’t expect anything less from Rarity either. She knew how much she liked to prepare, but it was still nice to see her in a much better state than earlier. “Hey Rarity,” Pinkie gracefully began. “Are you ready?” Rarity was stunned for a small moment, still taking in Pinkie Pie’s changes to her features. “Almost,” she replied, standing to the side to let Pinkie Pie pass. “Come on in.” Pinkie Pie happily took the invitation, and entered the Boutique. She followed Rarity over towards the counter where the bag was located. Rarity sighed, before taking a seat. Pinkie Pie followed suit afterwards, sitting opposite her. Rarity opened up her bag, rummaging through, the sounds of the bits grinding over each other divulging from the opened top. “Ooh,” Pinkie exclaimed. “That’s a nice bag,” she complimented. “Why thank you,” Rarity replied, still digging through the item. “But why do you need it?” Rarity stopped in her actions, lifting her head to meet Pinkie Pie’s. She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? I need this to pay for my drinks.” Pinkie Pie gasped then shook her head. “Nuh-uh. You’re not paying for any drinks tonight.” “Pinkie, how am I supposed to drink if I don’t take any bits?” Rarity asked sternly. “Because...” the pink pony replied, lifting a hoof to dig into her mane. It shuffled around a bit, like the mane was bottomless, before a small purse emerged from within its deep depths, “I’m paying.” Rarity didn’t question how Pinkie Pie kept a purse lodged in her mane, but rather the implications of her sentiment. “What?” Pinkie Pie placed the purse on the counter, before opening it, revealing not only bits within its pocket, but paper notes too. “I’m paying for the whole night.” Rarity’s eyes widened at what she had heard, and even more when she took a peek inside the small purse. “This is... do you have any idea of how much this is?” she whispered, almost afraid that somepony might hear mentions of large amounts of money. “Well duh, of course,” Pinkie Pie stated, rolling her eyes. “I wouldn’t go out without knowing how much I’m taking with me.” “But Pinkie,” Rarity tried to reason, even turning her head briefly to see if any potential intruders saw the large sum of currency. It was admittedly a bit silly. “This is a lot.” Pinkie Pie beamed a smile. “I know. That means we’ll have so much fun!” Rarity instantly took ‘fun’ as an indication for ‘getting plastered’. She honestly didn’t know how to feel about that. On the one side it actually sounded like fun, but then there’d be consequences she’d have to face, primarily the hangover. It wasn’t the only issue either. “Wait a minute. Did you just say you’re paying for everything?” “Mhmm,” Pinkie Pie affirmed, nodding her head. Rarity’s eyes widened again. “I can’t let you do that Pinkie! I mean, I appreciate the generous offer, but you shouldn’t have to pay for me. I should be paying for my own drinks.” “It’s no trouble,” Pinkie dismissed. “It is trouble Pinkie! You shouldn’t have to do this. We don’t know how much we might be spending, and if you end up spending it all, that’s quite a loss.” “...I know, but—“ “Also!” Rarity added, “What about me? Do you know how guilty I’ll feel if I let a friend pay for everything?” Pinkie Pie felt deflated, looking down with a frown. “Can’t I just do this?” she pleaded, looking up again. “I’m doing this for you. You deserve the bestest best time ever from all your hard work.” Rarity didn’t know what to say. Pinkie Pie only wanted the best for her, and was even willing to spend pretentiously quite a bundle of cash just for it. She should have felt flattered, or maybe even honoured, but it was still a bit of an issue. She nervously rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. “I still don’t know Pinkie. I really really appreciate the offer, but I feel I might be more comfortable paying for my own.” Pinkie Pie presented a faint smile for a brief moment, before she entered her own mind to think. “What about this?” she asked, leaning forward a bit. “Why don’t I pay for tonight, and we’ll sort out the money tomorrow?” She finished off with one of her trademark smiles. Rarity tapped her chin again, considering it. It was certainly a plausible solution. Pinkie Pie would get the joy of paying her part, and she wouldn’t have to have the debt on her conscience, as well as not requiring lugging around a giant bag. “Ok,” she agreed firmly. “Let’s do that.” “Great!” Pinkie Pie shouted, almost ready to rocket off outside, but first putting the purse back in her mane. “Shall we go?” “In a moment, I need to sort out Sweetie Belle.” Rarity looked around, finding a source of writing material. “She isn’t home, and I don’t know where she went off too. Because of this, she isn’t aware of our plans tonight. I need to let her know.” Rarity found a piece of paper, as well as a quill nearby. “Aha,” she proclaimed, before activating her magic to raise them onto the counter. “Alright...” Sweetie Belle, I have gone out with Pinkie Pie tonight, and I am not sure of what time I will be back. There are leftovers from yesterday in the fridge if you are hungry, so help yourself. I will be drinking tonight, so be aware that I may be a little intoxicated when, or if, I stroll in late. Please leave a magic lock on the door, as I will not be taking my key with me. I expect you to be responsible in my absence. Please do not interfere with my work either. That means no cleaning up of whatever mess is in there. I also want to have a chat with you regarding the state of your bedroom. Either clean it up while I am out, or I will be talking with you tomorrow. Take care! Rarity x Rarity sighed as she dropped the quill to the side, placing the piece of paper in a spot she was positive Sweetie Belle would see. “That’s done...” “Does that mean...?” “It does.” Rarity then noticed that her bag was still on the counter. “Ugh... it feels like a drag if I have to take it upstairs...” Pinkie Pie giggled. “Then don’t! It’s not going to run away.” Rarity narrowed her gaze at the open bag. “It won’t... but I know what might...” In little time, she was back to picking up the quill with her magic. P.S I know exactly how many bits are in my bag. I will know if you steal any of them. The same goes for the ones in my bedroom. “Done!” Rarity chimed, finally satisfied with her parting words for her little sister. “Ok, let’s go.” Pinkie Pie effectively bounced her way towards the front door, holding it open with her hoof. She motioned for Rarity to go through, keeping it open for her. “Why thank you Pinkie,” Rarity said, making her way outside. It was the first time she had stepped into the town for a good week or so. Ponyville wasn’t dark, but it wasn’t bright either. The dusk had come, the sunset in the far horizon. It was certainly beautiful, but she wasn’t much of a gazer. She sighed when she spotted it though, a nice change from her crummy, messy workroom with trash littered all over it. There were a few ponies on the streets; a couple of fillies walked into their house, closely followed by their parents, likely retiring for the day. The night-time activities would soon begin, and that would mean the bar. She knew where it was, on account of being there before. She loathed the very idea of what would likely happen with the two of them there. Pinkie Pie probably didn’t know, so she’d need a filling in. Pinkie Pie closed the front door behind her, trotting up beside Rarity. “So, where are we going?” she asked with anticipation. Rarity smirked, before pointing down the street. “This way.” With a last look at her beautiful Boutique, she used her magic to put the magic lock on the door, knowing that Sweetie Belle would figure it out. They always used magic locks, preferring them over physical keys. Part of it was the hassle to carry them; the other was that they looked disgusting. Rarity re-joined to the side of Pinkie Pie, heading down the almost deserted street, the sunset in the far distance. The night was long ahead of them, and Rarity didn’t know what shenanigans might be in store for them both. The amount of money Pinkie had was a little frightening, whilst also tempting. So much potential for drinking, and it might just be what she needs. She would only have to wait to find out.