//------------------------------//
// Maud: Crystal Nights 
// Story: Chosen Love 
// by Just A Random Pegasus 
//------------------------------//

"Twenty five bits for a rock?! A small one, too!" A mare remarked, holding a rock out for Maud to see.

Maud nodded her head. "I suppose. But, I'm only volunteering here, so I can't decide prices. And it's not just a rock. It's a geode."

The mare flipped her mane. "It's the same thing!" She put it back on the shelf. "I suppose the crystals are even more expensive. All I wanted was a souvenir from the Crystal Empire to remind me about my trip." She walked over to another shelf and looked at a crystal. "I was right! Why is everything so expensive here?!"

"Because this is the Crystal Empire." Crystal Geode said, who had just appeared. "Everything is more expensive here compared to other locations across Equestria. Now, I suggest you to leave if you dislike this shop so much. If you think you're important enough to rant about our prices, I suggest you go and get yourself a fancy room to sit your high-horse flank down."

The mare looked away, offended. "Why, I ever! My parents paid for my room. I'm not as rich as you think!" She turned and walked away. "And you just lost a customer." She said, slamming the door.

Geode sighed and rubbed his temples. "Why do so many tourists not understand that everything is more expensive here? You have no idea how many shops have to go through this." He flipped a bit of his mane. 

"Well, you didn't have to insult her." Maud stated as Geode rubbed the back of his neck. 

"Yeah... I know... I just have gotten irritated with ponies acting this way."

Maud nodded and looked to the clock on the wall. "Oh, it's closing time." 

Geode walked behind the counter and put a few papers in the drawers. "We're going to Crystal Nights, right?"

"Yep."

Tango had walked out of the back room, and his eyes were now wide. "Wait... Geode, you're going to Crystal Nights? As in... the night club?"

Geode nodded. "Yeah. Maud's friends invited me along."

Tango started to laugh. "You? At a night club?!" He remarked as he started laughing even harder. Geode rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I know, I know. Might as well try it, right?"

Tango regained his posture. "I guess so. But... watch out for some of the mares. Some are crazy about getting new stallions."

"Really?"

Tango nodded. "Yeah. I've been to Crystal Nights before. I then realized that night clubs aren't exactly my thing." He nudged Geode. "But, if you insist, go knock yourself out."

Geode gave a short chuckle. "Well, alright. So, we'll be off."

He waved as he and Maud stepped outside the shop. The sun was already starting to set, considering it was roughly two months until the shortest day of the year. The two walked the crystal pathways, watching many crystal ponies happily walking the streets.

Geode looked around. "Well, we have to take a left here, keep going straight, and then we're there." He said as they turned, looking at the buildings adorning the street. 

After walking down the path, Maud spotted a large, rather colorful building with a sign near the top which had Crystal Nights engraved in it. The two stopped outside of the building, feeling bass seeping out from the inside, and neon colors shining through the windows. 

Geode took a breath. "Well, are you ready to find the four? They said they'll meet us in there."

Maud nodded. "Yeah."

The two walked inside, loud music reaching their ears as soon as they opened the door. They hesitated a little bit before advancing. Curiously, the two looked around the room. There was a bar, dance floor, and tables and chairs for ponies to sit and talk. 

Maud lifted her head up and saw the four ponies they were looking for. They were all sitting at a table, talking. She started walking over.

"They're over here. Come on."

Geode strained his ears. "Sorry, I can't hear you. The music's loud here." 

They soon reached the table, and Crystalline showed Maud her wide grin.

"Maud! Geode! There you are!" She remarked as Maud and Geode took a seat at the table. 

"So... what are we all going to do?" Geode loudly said over the music. 

Crystalline jumped up from her seat. "Well, we were waiting for you guys to show up! So... let's hit the dance floor!" She replied enthusiastically as she bounced onto the dance floor and started to groove. 

Abalone's eyes were wandering the room. They spotted a target and she smiled flirtatiously, getting up out of her seat. "If you'll excuse me, I have a stallion to woo," she said as she elegantly walked away. Thunder and Flash chuckled before making their way to the dance floor. 

Geode looked down to Maud. "Well... I guess we better follow them!"

Maud nodded as the two walked to the floor, where many ponies were doing some rather strange dance moves. There were a few non-crystal ponies dancing, but mostly, it was just crystal ponies looking for a fun way to spend a Friday night. Maud very slightly bobbed to the music. She looked to her side and saw Geode a little hesitant to move. 

"What's wrong?" Maud asked as Geode looked over to her. 

"I don't know how to dance." He replied. Crystalline overheard and jumped over.

"Well, Maud's hitting some great moves, so why don't you let her show you?"

Maud's ear flicked, though her heart raced. "I'm not really dancing."

Crystalline rolled her eyes, now glancing around. "Whatever. She has potential. And... oh my gosh! Who in Cadence's name is Abalone dancing with this time?!" She remarked as she ran away, leaving Maud and Geode to themselves. Thunder and Flash were dancing a ways away, and were talking with some other ponies. 

Maud looked at Geode. "Well... basically, just lose your body to the rhythm. Don't think about it. That's how you dance." 

Geode moved a hoof and started to bob his head a bit. "Well... it seems a bit weird."

Maud raised an eyebrow. "Did your parents never let you dance or something?"

Geode thought. "Well, maybe they did before Sombra took over, but I have completely forgotten if they did." 

Maud nodded. "Well, don't think about it. It's natural."   

The two then started slightly dancing as Abalone walked over, a funny grin on her face. "Hey, Geode, why aren't you buying drinks for a pretty mare?"

Geode looked at her, perplexed. "Excuse me?"

Abalone flicked her tail. "You know, stallion buys mare a drink, the two spend the night together, and the next day they go back to their boring lives." 

Geode uncomfortably looked away. "Well... the only mares I'm going to be spending the night with are you, Maud, and Crystalline, so..."

"Get Maud a drink, dummy! Crystalline already has a few stallions around her, and I'm spoken for this evening."

Geode looked down to Maud. "Do you..."

"Sure." Maud replied as the two made their way over to the bar. 

While there, they saw Crystalline with about five drinks in front of her. 

"Where did you get that much?" Maud asked as Crystalline looked over to her, all giggly. 

"Oh, a lot of stallions offered to buy this stuff for me! It's great!" Crystalline replied as she continued on her mission to drink everything in front of her.

Geode and Maud looked at each other before Geode faced the bartender. "Eh... two fruity drinks, please." He placed a few bits on the table. 

The stallion nodded. "Coming right up!" He replied as he placed two glasses in front of Geode and Maud. Maud looked down at the light liquid, curious to what awaited her taste buds. 

Crystalline loudly giggled. "Geode, you're too awkward while doing this!" She then slammed some money on the counter and said, "Hey, dude, another one!"

A drink was slid in front of her as she looked to Geode. "And that's how you do it. I suppose you have no experience in places like this."

Geode shook his head. "No. Not at all." He then levitated the drink and took a sip of it, his face perking up from the taste. 

"Is it good?" Maud asked as Geode slightly nodded.

"Not the best thing I've ever had, but pretty good." 

Maud took a sip, her face remaining unchanged like normal. She slowly nodded. "Yeah. I agree."

Crystalline yawned. "Gosh, you two are bor-ring! I'm going to hit the dance floor. See ya!" She replied as she bounded off the chair and trotted over to the dance floor.

Maud and Geode watched her leave as they finished up their drinks. They placed the empty glasses on the bar and looked into each other's eyes for a brief second.  

"So... what now?" Geode asked as Maud shrugged.

"I'm not sure." 

They watched the dancers for a few more minutes before a crystal mare approached the counter. Maud had to admit, the mare looked like she had attracted more than a few stallions throughout her lifetime.

She looked at Geode and blinked. "Oh! Hey there, cutie, what about you and me have a fun dance together?"

And... there went all of Maud's positive thoughts about this mare. In fact, she gets uglier the more I look at her...  

Geode bit his lip, his ears falling back. "Well..."

"Oh, enough small talk, come on!" The mare pulled him out of his seat and onto the dance floor. Rage was starting to bubble inside of Maud. She secretly wished that she could harbor Limestone's 'back away' glare, but if she knew if she tried to look angry, she would still seem for the most part unchanged. 

A mare working the bar folded her hooves next to Maud. "It's a hard knock life, isn't it?" She said as Maud turned around to her. 

"Excuse me?" She asked as the mare chugged down a drink. 

"Y'know, your stallion was taken away by that despicable mare. I've seen this happen more than a million times working this here club."

"I-"

The mare puffed out her chest. "Don't stand for it! Go! Show who's boss!"

Maud's ears slightly folded back. "But... I don't want to give him the wrong impression about me."

The mare snorted. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't want him to know how I feel about him. Not yet." 

Why am I telling a stranger all of this? Wow, I must have had more of a reaction to that drink than I thought... 

"Oh, don't be afraid about that! Just defend what's yours!" She looked around the club as her eyes widened. "Oh, never mind, you don't have to do that." 

Maud looked into the crowd, perplexed. "What? Why?" Her question was answered as she saw Geode walking away from the mare, his expression tainted with a bit of anger and embarrassment. He took a seat on the stool next to Maud and put his head in his hooves.

"What happened?" Maud asked as Geode took his face out of his hooves, which was flushed red.

"That mare asked me to come over to her place. To... spend the night. In her room. In her bed."

Maud's eyes widened. "Oh."

Geode nodded. "Yeah." He slammed a few bits on the counter. "Another drink, please. Don't be shy when filling it." 





Everypony walked out of the club together, feeling the cool, evening air. It was fairly stuffy inside the building, so the outside was a nice contrast. 

Thunder slapped his head with a fore-hoof. "Crystalline, why did you get so many drinks?"

Crystalline looked back to him, sticking her tongue out. "Because a lot of stallions asked, duh! You should have asked a few mares if you could buy something for them!"

Thunder snorted. "I'm sorry, but there's nopony there who I found attractive."

Flash nodded. "I agree." 

Abalone looked back to them. "Well... we all had fun, right?" Everypony nodded, though Maud and Geode more hesitant about it than the others.

"Yeah! I can't wait till next Friday!" Crystalline remarked as she jumped.

"You say that every time we leave this place, Crystal," Abalone responded as Crystalline huffed.

"Well, it's true!" She replied as she came to a halt, starting to walk down the pathway to her house. "Well... bye, everypony! See most of you at work!" 

"Bye!" Everypony fare-welled before heading to their respectful homes. The wind was now kicking in, which felt really nice on their coats. 





When Maud and Geode got to the mansion, Geode immediately flopped onto the couch.

"Ugh... night clubs aren't really my thing, Maud..."