Hoofsteps.
More hoofsteps.
At last... a shift in the air announced the opening of the hotel suite's entrance. Fetlocks clamored, followed by giggling, giggling voices. Rainbow Dash woke up, blinking fitfully. She sat up from lying on the fluffy bathroom rug. Rubbing her eyelids, she craned an ear to the three ponies returning late at night.
"...and that's when I said, 'Tuner?! I hardly even know her!'"
"Heee heee heee! Oh Lyraaaaaaaaaa..."
"I love it how—HIC—you say that."
"Say what?"
"My name. It's like you're a big fat balloon losing air."
"Lyraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
"Hahahahahaha—HIC! Goddess dayum! Watch the table."
"I didn't leave it there, did you?"
"Maybe the maid left it directly in our path on purpose. HIC! An classic case of Hit-and-Redecorate."
"Heehee! Caramel! Come on, girrrrrrl! You're holding up the party train!"
"So... much... sweat..." A stallion's high-pitched voice squeaked. "I am I awake? I feel filthy enough to be awake."
"Girl, relax! You're just—HIC—covered in the smegma of celebration!'
"Guh. Must find a shower. I must I must I must..."
"Did you bring any flowery shampoos with you? HIC! Or just flowers?"
"Yeah, Caramel! Fill the tub with flower petals and just dive in! Then you'll be at home!"
"How many drinks did I have?"
"Are you floating in your own piss?"
"Uhm... no."
"Then not enough! HIC! Bon Bon! Steer us to the liquor cabinet!"
"Oh noooooooooo Lyraaaaaaaaaaa... we mustn'ttttttttttt..."
"But I commanded theeeeeee!"
"If we wake up puking on the hotel room floor, Vinyl's never ever ever ever ever gonna forgive us!"
"Come onnnnnnn! It'd be giving her life—HIC—some flavor! Puke flavor! Like the kind that stayed in my mouth the last time I attended the Democolt National Convention! HA!"
"You never told me you were into poly-tits!"
"Eh, just kidding. I'm registered non-party-poop."
"Heeheehee!"
"Keep giggling, B-Squared. HIC! Your face will... mmmmmmm... freeze face... phweeeeeeeee..."
"Heeeeeeee hee hee hee hee! Isn't Las Vegas wonderful?!"
"What in the buck is 'Las Vegas?'"
"Sorry. I meant 'Las Pegasus.'"
"Dammit, girl, stop dimension hopping while you're drunk! You're gonna crash into an eldritch horror one of these days—HIC—and how in Tartarus am I gonna find the wagon keys to carry you back home?"
"Hahahahaha... phew... you sure this isn't Hollywhinny? The hotel's swaying mighty fast."
"Nah, that's just your seismic brain."
"Guhhhhhhhhhhh..."
"You okay, Caramel?"
"Bathroooooooooooooooom..."
"Over there. HIC! Don't be square."
"Heeheee... I'm a rhombusssssss!" A series of soft hoofprints thud-thud-thudded over, and suddenly a frazzle-haired stallion plowed through the door, collapsing to the floor.
Rainbow gritted her teeth. With quick reflexes, she caught the stallion. His soft body instantly draped against hers.
"Hmmmmmmmmm..." Caramel cooed. His eyes closed as he nuzzled Rainbow's shoulder and instantly fell unconscious. "Nice c-catch..." A drunken yawn. "...Big Mac."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
From outside: "Couch! Couch!" Lyra rasped. "At precisely eight fifteen in the morning, Little Unicorn landed on Hirosofa!" Thwump! "Yaaaaaay... now surrender, brain."
"Oh goddess, Lyra. How do you do it?"
"HIC! Do what?"
"Remain so ugly and so adorable all at once."
"Cheese and crackers, Bon-Squared. HIC! If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hitting on me."
"Hard to do without boxing gloves."
"Boxing gloves... heh..." A massive, yawning noise. "We have hooves, ya fluffy-headed melon fudge."
"Yeah? So? What if I was hitting on you?"
"Mmmmmmmm... That's silly. You're silly. Silly Bon Bon."
"Lyraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
"Heeheehee... hmmmmmm... Las Pegasus doesn't... smell so awful... at least not this pillow."
"It's a nice city so long as you're here."
Silence.
"Lyra?"
More silence.
Bon Bon sighed. "Oh Lyra..."
Curious, Rainbow Dash shuffled the weight of Caramel in her embrace and craned her neck. She stared out the door, catching sight of Bon Bon kneeling by a couch where a thoroughly tuckered-out unicorn was lying down in a mint-green heap.
Bon Bon smiled. She reached out, carressing the sleeping musician's bangs. "What a hopeless jerk." Bon Bon gulped, her eyelashes fluttering. "One of these days... I hope you let me save you... mmmm... s-save me..."
She sighed, smiled, and sighed again. Her muzzle drifted closer—just a feather's sneeze away from Lyra's lips. She hesitated, giggled, and leaned back with a bittersweet breath.
"Lyraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." A giggle, a yawn, and another giggle. Bon Bon then turned around three times and—PLOP!—curled up on the plush carpet besides Lyra's couch, slumbering away.
Rainbow Dash exhaled.
"Mmmmmmm..." Caramel fidgeted in her grasp. "I want... the blue ballgown..."
"Hmmmf... good choice." Rainbow Dash shouldered the weight of the stallion and carried him over to the bath. She grabbed a folded washcloth along the way with her wingtips. "Come on, princess. Let's rinse the goth off you. You'll thank me in the morning."
"Heeeeeeeeeeeee... 'goth off.'"
"Easy for you to say." And Rainbow kicked the shower water on with her hoof.