Chapter 1: Let's Find You a Date!
Let’s Find You a Date
By soundslikeponies
Twilight moaned in ecstasy. “Oh, Rarity. You were right about this being a good idea,” she said, looking into the eyes of the other mare.
“Yes, well, it feels so good that I—ah!” Rarity’s eyes glazed over and her mouth hung open with a blissful expression. “Oh, yes! That’s the spot!” she cried out. “—That I think we should do it more often.”
Twilight couldn’t help but grin. “It certainly takes the tension out of all the studying I’ve been doing lately.”
“So you wouldn’t mind coming a second time once we’re done?”
“I already can’t wait to come a second time!” Twilight replied, smiling broadly.
They both closed their eyes and let out a relaxed sigh as the masseuses caressed their backs. Twilight and Rarity each lay on a table with a small purple pillow to rest their heads on. Their coats were slick with oil that smelled of almonds, and the practiced hooves of the two sisters, Aloe and Lotus, rubbed the oil into Twilight and Rarity’s skin, relieving their tense muscles.
“So... is that really all you do all day?” Rarity asked.
Twilight’s eyes opened and she lifted her head to glance over at her friend. “Huh?”
“Studying books and such. It’s not healthy you know. A girl has to go out and live a little.”
“Well... I do get out of the library once in a while,” Twilight mumbled. “Just the other week I had tea with Fluttershy!”
“You had tea,” Rarity stated.
“Yep.”
“‘The other week.’”
“Yes. Eight days ago in fact!”
“Dear Celestia, it’s worse than I thought.” Rarity covered her nose with her hoof and cringed.
Twilight flinched and sunk her chin into her pillow. The masseuses towelled off the excess oil from their backs in preparation for their mud bath.
The towel lifted away from Twilight's back and she slid off the table. "Well... what am I supposed to do?"
“Go out, have fun, drink so much you wish you were dead the next morning!” Rarity waved her hooves around her table as she was towelled off. “My stars, Twilight, have you truly never done any of those things?”
“Er, well, I can’t say I’ve done that last one...”
Rarity slid off her table gracefully. She nodded to the masseuse, before turning to walk side by side with Twilight to the mud baths. “Honestly, darling, have you even been on a date since you got here?”
Twilight stopped in her tracks. She blushed and looked at the floor, drawing small circles on the ground with a hoof.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Well no need to be embarrassed, dear. It’s simple to fix really.” One of the sisters wrapped a pink towel around Rarity’s mane to hold it up and out of the mud.
“What do you mean?” Twilight asked. The other twin mirrored her sister’s actions, tucking Twilight’s mane away in an identical pink towel.
Rarity stepped down into the bath, lowering herself into the mud after all four of her hooves were in. “We just need to find you a date!”
Twilight paused with one hoof in the mud. “A date? But Rarity, I’ve never been on a date before!”
“Never?” Rarity asked, taken aback. “Well in that case, we definitely need to find you one! It’s practically scandalous for a mare your age to have never been on one. And somepony with your looks—I mean, really—you’ve never been asked out before?”
“No, never,” Twilight replied, looking down at the bath. She tentatively placed her front hooves into the bath, and fidgeted as she lowered herself into it. The thick liquid restrained her movement, and coated her a shade of brown.
“One small question, Twilight,” Rarity piped up again.
“Hm?”
“Do you fancy mares or stallions?”
Twilight’s face heated up. “Uh, well, I’ve never really thought about it, actually.”
“Well, we can’t go shopping if we don’t know where the market is now can we?” Rarity lifted a muddy hoof out of the bath, and thoughtfully held it just under her chin. “Question is, how do we find that out...”
Twilight watched with bated breath as the gears in Rarity’s head turned. “I really don’t think you need to help me with this. Honestly, I can go find somepony on my own! I’ll get started on it first thing next week!”
“Oh, but I insist, dear. You’ll most certainly benefit from my guidance.”
Twilight gulped.
“Aha!” Rarity exclaimed. “I have just the idea, Twilight! Once we’re done here, we shall go get lunch, and there you will ask somepony out! Surely with a whole crowd you’ll be able to pick from you’ll find someone who strikes your fancy.”
“Well, I’d like to go on a date, but I can’t just ask somepony out!” Twilight protested.
“Back in Canterlot I practically locked myself away in the castle towers, practicing and refining spells. I never had time for dating or friends.” Twilight let out a long sigh. “Who would want a bookworm like me anyways?”
“You truly do yourself no justice, Twilight. I’m sure there are lots of fantastic ponies who would date you.”
Twilight tried to hide by sinking herself lower in the mud. “But what if I ask somepony and they say no?” she asked in a small voice.
“Then you buck up and try again!” Rarity said, passionately raising her mud covered hooves into the air. “Above all else, you have to be persistent in the face of adversity. That is probably the most important thing I can teach you.” Rarity lowered her hooves back into the mud. “So if we don’t manage to catch anyone at lunch, I shall take you out to a bar tonight, my treat. And there, I’m sure ponies will be simply begging to court you.”
A sheepish smile spread on Twilight’s face, her blush dying down a little. “I’ll give it a try.”
“Fantastic!”
“With your expert advice, I’m sure I’ll find somepony to go on a date with,” Twilight said with a small grin.
“Why of course. Where would you be without my advice?” Rarity said, playing along. The two grinned at each other, bursting in a fit of giggles.
As the laughter quieted down, Twilight looked at the mud around her with disinterest. “When should we go?”
“Anxious are we?” Rarity asked, grinning.
“Maybe a little.”
Rarity stood up. “Come now, that’s not a bad thing. We can go get cleaned up right now if you want to.”
“Really? I mean, I wouldn’t want to cut this short if you’d like to stay for a while longer,” Twilight said, fidgeting with her hooves.
“Nonsense. I dare say I might be as eager about this as you are.”
Rarity left the bath first, leaving muddy hoofprints across the slate gray tiles. She walked with a peppy gait, her hips swaying back and forth as she walked to the showers. With a bit of magic, she undid the towel holding up her hair and let down her stylish indigo mane. Twilight sighed wistfully as she watched her walk away. It would be easy to get a date if I looked like Rarity, she thought, letting out a small huff.
I wonder how different hugging somepony you like is compared to hugging a friend? Twilight mused, leaning over the side of the bath. I haven’t fallen asleep in somepony else’s hooves since I was a little filly. I wonder if it feels as warm and safe as it did back then.
“Are you coming?” Rarity’s voice called, snapping Twilight out of her daydreaming.
Twilight hurried out of the mud bath. “In a moment!” she shouted back, following her friend’s hoofprints. A left turn followed by a right turn and the sound of sprinkling water was right beside her.
Rarity hummed a gentle tune as she stood in the shower with her eyes closed, letting the water run over her. Drips fell from her mane. It was straight, her usual styling undone by the water. All the shades of violet and indigo in her mane cascaded together under the water, and her light gray coat was slick with water. Unintentionally, Twilight found herself tracing her friend’s curves with her eyes.
It’s not fair, Twilight thought, even without having her mane styled she still looks so gorgeous.
“Are you alright, Twilight?” Rarity asked, making her jump.
Twilight blushed. “Y-Yes, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure? You look a bit flustered.” Rarity tilted her head, looking at her. “Here, let me get that for you,” Rarity offered, her horn glowing.
The towel wrapped around Twilight’s head came undone, and her mane spilled out. “T-Thank you,” Twilight stuttered.
She took a spot at the shower next to Rarity’s and turned it on. As the hot water blasted the mud off her back, she tried to picture what kind of pony she would like to go on a date with, but as she tried to picture their face, their personality, their voice, she drew a blank.
Beside her, Rarity had already turned off the shower and walked across the room to a counter. She picked up one of the blow dryers lying there and began to dry her hair. No doubt Twilight would still finish before her though, as Rarity always spent an agonizing amount of time on her mane.
“Do you have any preferences on where we go for lunch?” Rarity shouted over the sound of the blow dryer. “Because if not, I think I know the perfect place for our endeavor.”
Twilight smiled and shrugged. “Lead the way.”
“—And that’s why you never date a rodeo star. I had to wash the sheets practically every night!”
“I see...” Twilight said uncertainly as the two of them walked through Ponyville.
“I asked him to take his boots off before coming to bed, but no, he just didn’t listen.” Rarity sighed dramatically. “It’s the little things that will irritate you the most—Ah! We’re here!”
Twilight glanced around nervously. She could see why Rarity had chosen this small, crowded cafe. It was the lunchtime rush hour, and what seemed like more than half of Ponyville had already walked past them. The sun warmed the streets, and everypony was out making the most of it.
“Now, remember to smile, but not too much. And act confident. No pony wants to go out with a meek pony who will barely utter a word during their date.” Rarity took a sip from the complimentary glass of water the waiter had left at their table. Her large beige hat tilted back slightly and the green peacock feather sticking out of it danced in the warm summer breeze. “Let’s try a bit of a warm up shall we?” Rarity glanced around the cluttered cafe, before her gaze stopped just over Twilight’s shoulder.
Twilight followed her gaze to see the waiter who had brought them their water. “The waiter?” she asked, looking back at Rarity.
“Yes, he’s quite cute don’t you think?”
Twilight turned back around for a second look at the stallion. His coat was light blue, slightly darker than Rainbow Dash’s, and his mane was short, black, and messy in an attractive and boyish way. His muscles were toned, despite his tall and wiry build. His whole body seemed athletic, and made for speed, which was mirrored by his tornado cutie mark.
“Nah,” Twilight said after a moment’s consideration.
“Well you don’t have to ask him out. Just bat your eyelashes at him while he takes our orders and give him a wink.”
“Why would I do that if I don’t want to go out with him?”
“Practice, dear.”
“Oh...” Twilight paused, searching for the right words. “Isn’t that a little... cruel?”
“Not at all. Relationships are a very serious thing, but courting is little more than a playful game. And like any game or sport, it takes a bit of work to get good at it.” Rarity raised her glass to take a sip, but then lowered it with a start. “Oh! Here he comes now. I’ll let you do the talking.”
Twilight looked over her shoulder to see the waiter walking toward their table.
“Good afternoon, are you ready to order?” He asked. He gave them a gracious smile as he took his pencil out of the pocket on his black barista uniform with his mouth. He stood ready with a notepad in his hoof to write down their order.
“I’ll have a toasted lettuce, tomato, and avocado sandwich,” Rarity replied.
“And what will it be for you miss?” He asked Twilight.
Realizing that was her cue, Twilight fluttered her eyes at him and tried to smile at him in what she hoped was an alluring manner. “Do you think you could bring me a caesar salad with extra sunflower seeds?”
“Is there anything else I can get you?”
“Maybe, but that’s all for now,” Twilight replied, and winked at him.
The waiter shuffled nervously. Twilight barely noticed the faint blush he had.
He cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh... I’ll be right back with those.”
He glanced back and forth between her and Rarity nervously, before glancing down at his notepad and hurrying off.
Twilight turned to Rarity, seeking some kind of approval. Rarity was resting her chin on a hoof and looking at her with a bemused smile.
“Not bad at all,” she finally said, making Twilight beam. “Although you may want to not be quite so seductive and clear with your message.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s a fine line a woman must tread when flirting. You need to seem nice, and your intentions not overly clear, yet you shouldn’t be too subtle or he won’t pick up on it. At the end of it he should remain wondering if you are interested in him, or simply being nice.”
“Um...” Twilight stared at the glass table, looking at the designs etched into it. “I don’t get it.”
“You have to sprinkle compliments that leave him wondering. And also you have to make sure he’s comfortable.” Rarity glanced over Twilight’s shoulder.
Twilight followed her gaze to see the waiter rushing about, nearly knocking over one of the other baristas.
“In case you didn’t notice, you made him a little nervous with how forward you were,” Rarity commented, taking a sip of water.
“Is that... bad?”
“Not exactly, just... sub-optimal.”
“Ah.” Twilight took a sip of her water, the ice cubes clinking together as she lifted it to her muzzle. She stared intently into her glass, pondering. After a few moments, she came to a conclusion.
“I still don’t get it.”
Rarity let out a frustrated sigh. “Here, I’ll show you what I mean. Here he comes with our food.”
The waiter was walking towards their table again, carrying a large tray in his mouth with Rarity’s sandwich and Twilight’s salad. He set the tray down on their table. “Caesar salad,” he said, smiling at Twilight and placing her bowl in front of her, “and an avocado-lettuce-tomato sandwich for you, Miss.”
“That certainly was quick!” Rarity exclaimed. “I hope you weren’t playing favorites.”
He chuckled nervously. “Maybe a little...”
“Well it’s certainly chivalrous of you. There’s so few waiters as quick as you.” Rarity smiled daintily at him, and batted her eyelashes. “So few as cute, too.”
“Well, thank you. You’re quite gorgeous yourself, Miss...”
“Rarity. Just, Rarity.”
“Miss Rarity,” he finished.
The two of them smiled at one another for a moment, before the waiter abruptly remembered that it was still very busy at the cafe. “It was nice meeting you. Enjoy your meal,” he said, before leaving to go serve another table.
Rarity turned to Twilight with a small satisfied smirk. “Good flirting makes them interested in you, while suspecting, but not being certain, of your intent.”
Twilight silently mouthed ‘wow’ with a bit of awe as her eyes followed the waiter, who was walking with a bit more bounce in his step. “I think I get it now.”
“Good, now lets find somepony else to test what you have learned...”
Rarity’s eyes began to search the crowd. Twilight patiently twiddled her hooves while she waited, anxiously trying to follow Rarity’s eyes and wondering who she would pick out next.
“Aha!” Rarity exclaimed, pointing a hoof to her right.
Twilight followed her hoof to see a pale yellow mare with a curly orange mane, selling carrots alongside several other vendors.
“Carrot Top?”
“Don’t spread this around,” Rarity whispered conspiratorially, “but a little birdie told me that she is into other mares.”
“Carrot Top is?” Twilight asked with interest.
“Unless my sources fail me, yes.” Rarity took a small bite out of her sandwich and swallowed before speaking again. “Consider this an experiment. You said you weren’t sure whether you liked mares or stallions, and this should help us find out.”
“Well yes, but...” Twilight glanced over at the smiling vegetable salespony, who was completely unaware she was being talked about. “Is it different?”
“Not overly so. Most of what I’ve taught you still applies. Although, you will most likely receive different responses and signals from a mare than you would a stallion, but it shouldn’t be too hard to pick up on since you are a mare yourself.” Rarity paused and looked expectantly at her. “Well, go on. Just flirt a little. You don’t have to ask her out if you don’t want to.”
“Oh, okay,” Twilight answered shakily. Another mare? The idea of a having a relationship at all had been pushed aside by years of studying. Celestia was a mare. Her friends were all mares. What did it mean if she liked other mares? She gulped, and walked slowly through the busy street towards the salespony on the other side. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she approached the stand.
“Hi, Twilight, right? Can I help you with anything?” Carrot Top’s voice was lively and cheerful. If she wasn’t a gardener she could have easily been a singer.
“Did, um... did you grow these yourself?” Twilight asked, wincing at her stutter.
“That I did! I take the best of what comes out of my garden to the market to sell.”
“Wow, that must be a lot of hard work. I bet you’re really muscular and strong.”
Carrot Top’s smile faded. “Are you... making fun of me?”
“W-What? No! I find that a—um... desirable trait in somepony!” Twilight shut her eyes in frustration. “Gah! I’m just trying to compliment you!”
“Oh...”
Twilight caught a cute blush on Carrot Top’s face as she hung her head and looked down at the ground. Twilight walked around the side of the stand and cleared her throat.
“Can we start again?” Twilight asked, receiving a small nod from Carrot Top, who still refused to meet her gaze. Twilight put on a gentle smile. “My name’s Twilight Sparkle. What’s yours?”
“Carrot Top,” she murmured, but Twilight already knew that.
“That’s a pretty name, Carrot Top.”
Carrot Top looked up at Twilight, her blush glowing a little brighter. “Thank you,” she mumbled, a smile shyly tugging at her lips.
“So how long have you been a gardener?”
Carrot Top glanced at the busy street. “Well, I moved from Fillydelphia as a filly, deciding to leave the city behind for the county. My passion always was gardening. I spent a lot of time working on somepony else's farm before I bought the one I have now. I love it here in Ponyville. I don’t think there’s any place I’d rather be.” Carrot Top looked at her. “And what about you?”
“Huh?”
“You’re the Ponyville librarian, right? How did you wind up discovering that your passion is reading?”
“Oh, well, actually, it’s not. My special talent is magic.”
“Oh wow! That’s a really cool talent to have!”
Twilight blushed slightly, waving a hoof dismissively. “No, it’s not very cool. I mostly do a lot of reading.” Twilight glanced over at Rarity, who was still sitting at their table with an empty plate and a slightly bored expression. “I’ve got to get going, but maybe I’ll tell you all about it if we run into each other again.”
“That sounds nice,” Carrot Top replied with a light rosy hue on her cheeks.
“By the way, Carrot Top...”
“Yes?”
“You’re pretty cute,” Twilight said as she turned to walk away, throwing a wink over her shoulder.
Carrot Top turned bright scarlet, but smiled and waved at her as she walked away.
Despite what Rarity said, a bit of guilt gnawed at Twilight as Carrot Top waved. She felt bad for leading her on, but it was what Rarity had told her to do. Besides, Twilight thought, she’s smiling isn’t she?
Twilight walked back to the table and sighed as she sat down in front of her salad. Its lettuce sagged and the tomatoes had gone limp. She hated wasting food though, so she began to eat it anyway.
“Well that looked like it went well,” Rarity piped up. “Especially at the end there, where she had that bright blush as you walked away. What did you say to her?”
“I told her she was cute.”
“And you don’t want to go on a date with her?”
“She was nice, beautiful, and interested in me, but I just... didn’t feel anything click... you know?” Twilight paused while eating her salad. “Something is supposed to click, right?”
“Of course. There’s no sense dating somepony if you two don’t have chemistry.”
“Chemistry?” Twilight asked, perking up slightly.
“If your personalities mesh well.”
“Oh...” Twilight frowned.
“Here’s a quick question that may help us a bit.” Rarity placed a hoof out to either side, as though she were weighing two objects. “Between the barista and the market pony, which could you see yourself with more?”
Twilight put her bowl down to think, licking a couple sunflower seeds from around the edges of her mouth.
Rarity released a frustrated sigh. “I’m mostly wondering that between a mare and a stallion, which do you fancy more?”
“... Mares,” Twilight answered firmly after a moment’s hesitation. The answer came naturally, yet still surprised her. It was an epiphany. She liked mares.
“Excellent! Then we’ve narrowed things down quite a bit. Now listen, when we go the the bar tonight, we’re going to have to—”
Twilight tuned her friend out as she looked at all the ponies around her. The cafe was still crowded, but it had died down a little since they had first come here. It was strange, like she was seeing everypony in a brand new light. She looked at each of the mares in the cafe and couldn’t help but trying to picture herself in a relationship with each them. Each pony she looked at though, mare or stallion, failed to strike any sort of chord.
And then her eyes drifted to the mare sitting across from her.
Could she be with any of her friends in that way? It was difficult to picture. All of them knew her so well, and she knew all of them so well, that such a drastic change would be weird. It would probably be weird even for her other friends, for two of them to suddenly be in a relationship. The possibility of things not working out frightened her, too. She treasured what the six of them had. It was the most unique and amazing group of friends she could ask for, each of them with their differences and similarities rounding out each others faults. The possibility of destroying that terrified her.
“Hello? Twilight? Are you even listening?” Rarity asked, waving a hoof in front of her face.
Twilight snapped out of her thoughts. She looked at Rarity and realized she hadn’t heard a word her friend had said for the past minute.
“I’m sorry. Can you repeat that?” Twilight asked with a guilty cringe.
Rarity shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh. “Never mind all that then. I’ll clue you in when we get to the bar.” Rarity stood up and placed a few bits on the table to cover her food. “I’ll pick you up from the library at about nine. I have in mind the perfect place to take you.”
“Right!” Twilight stood up, leaving a couple bits on the table as well. “It’s a date!”
Rarity gave her a coy smile, and playfully batted her eyelashes at her from under the rim of her hat. It dawned on Twilight what she had said and her face began to heat up.
“I-I mean not that kind of date, just a date, as in a time and event, rearranged by two or more parties to be the point in time when—”
“I know, dear. I’m just teasing.” As Rarity walked away, she called over her shoulder, “I’ll see you at nine, darling.”
Twilight flushed as Rarity walked away, giggling.
As she turned to head back to the library, she began to question whether trusting Rarity with her love life had been a good idea to begin with. She suddenly froze mid step.
They were leaving at nine? Oh sweet Celestia, she needed to get some sleep while she could.
Twilight blinked, looking at herself in her bathroom mirror beside a few of Rarity’s cosmetics she had borrowed. She had made sure her hair was nice, but not done anything different with it. She had put on a small amount of perfume, but only a little bit. She had put on some blush, but as she moved her head side to side she wondered if it was too little. Also, was it just her imagination, or did her butt look a little wide?
Rarity walked in to the sight of Twilight’s posterior high in the air, Twilight shaking it at the mirror. Looking away with a small blush, she announced her presence by gently clearing her throat.
Twilight froze and whipped around to look at her, firmly planting her rear back on the ground with a blush. Rarity for her part simply stood there looking at her with a small knowing smile. Twilight was just thankful she didn’t comment.
“Ready to go, dear?” Rarity asked, fluttering her eyes at Twilight. She wore a small amount of blush, in addition to her usual eyeshadow and mascara.
“Do I look good?” Twilight asked.
“Stunning as ever. You don’t want to put on too much, or it covers up all that natural beauty you possess.”
Twilight couldn’t help but blush slightly, despite that being the way her friend always spoke.
“And for the record, your rear looks fine too,” she added with a teasing smile.
Twilight huffed, but smiled back at her. She took a deep breath and gave herself one last glance in the mirror. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Excellent!”
Rarity waited for Twilight to leave the bathroom, before following her outside the library. Dim light from the early night faintly lit the streets of Ponyville as the two of them walked side by side with Rarity leading the way at a leisurely pace.
“Now, as we walk there I’m going to have to go over some things we haven’t covered quite yet.”
“Like what?”
“For example, since we are going to a filly-fooler bar, you may have other ponies come onto you instead. Previously you were the one doing the courting, but you must know how to act when somepony else comes onto you.”
Twilight prepared herself for another lecture, and asked, “It’s not the same?”
“Heavens no. You have to know when to play hard to get, when to be receptive—oh! And you will definitely have to learn how to convincingly fake a laugh. A pony trying to pick you up may try to be funny, and if you’re interested in them, you have to laugh even when you don’t find them funny. It’s a way of letting them know you’re interested.”
Twilight looked down at the cobblestone as they walked, kicking a small pebble. “That sounds stupid.”
“It is. But that’s how it works. The rules of courting were established long ago, and other ponies will expect you to play along.”
“Okay, what else do I need to know?”
“Flirting in a bar is much different than flirting in the street. At a bar it’s expected to flirt and you can be much more forward in how you go about it. Remember how I said you came on to that barista too strongly?”
Twilight recalled the way he had nervously shuffled away after taking their orders. “Yes.”
“Well something like that would be fine at a bar. Everyone’s a bit tipsy and they’re hoping to be flirted with—at least, at a filly-fooler bar like the one we’re going to.”
“This is a lot to remember.” Twilight groaned. “And none of it makes much sense.”
“It can be confusing. It takes time for anyone to get good at it, especially if they are stumbling through it on their own. Luckily you have me, and all my experience, to guide you.”
“How did you learn?” Twilight asked, turning to look at her.
“Romance novels and practice,” Rarity answered simply. “There’s the bar now.”
Twilight looked to where Rarity pointed with her nose. It was a deep navy blue establishment, with chrome metal poles lining the doorway. A neon sign with a white and pink martini next to bright green letters, “The Salt Around the Rim.”
“It’s a terrible double entendre isn’t it?”
“It is?”
“Think about it for a moment, dear. You’ll get it.”
Twilight tried to figure it out, but her gaze was torn from the sign as she approached the door, her ears swivelling to the dull thrum of bass coming from it. Rarity entered first. As she opened the door the music became louder. Twilight followed her inside, swallowing the lump in her throat.
The music was deafening. Her ears throbbed to the beat and the thundering bass sent vibrations throughout her entire body. Bright colored lights flashed on the dance floor to her left, as she stumbled while following Rarity across the floor to the bar itself.
“Two martinis to get us started!” Rarity shouted over the music.
The bartender was a short mare with long pale green hair that looked dyed and a pale yellow coat. She winked, nodded, and began to mix their drinks. Twilight sat at the bar next to Rarity and turned to her.
“How am I supposed to talk to anypony over this music!?” Twilight shouted, struggling to make herself heard.
“You don’t! You’re supposed to ask them to dance and take it from there!”
Twilight could barely hear her friend over the music. “Fake it from there!?”
“That too!” Rarity replied with a laugh, confusing Twilight.
“But I can’t dance!”
“Everypony can dance, Twilight!”
“No, I mean it! I really can’t dance!”
“Just go ask somepony to! You’ll do fine!”
Twilight opened her mouth to protest, but instead let out a defeated sigh and dropped her head on the counter. Her throat was already sore from shouting.
It had been years since she had danced. The last time she had, she was just a little filly, playing a bit part in a school pageant. She had managed to trip no less than four times, and her part was less than a minute long.
Swallowing her fears and her pride, Twilight stood up and scanned the dance floor. She spotted a good-looking mare with a sleek blue coat and short, straight dark blue hair. She was standing to the side of the dance floor and watching other ponies dance with a small smile on her face, holding a nearly empty drink.
Twilight began to make her way to her. The other pony spotted her walking over and threw her a flirtatious smile.
“Hey,” Twilight said once she got in range. It was nice to be away from the other side of the bar, where the music was loudest.
“Hey, yourself,” she replied with a small giggle.
“Would you like to dance with me?”
“How formal!” she shouted, bursting into a fit of giggles. If Twilight had to guess, she would say that was not her first drink of the night. “Sure, you’re pretty cute.”
Twilight blushed, taken back by the compliment. Rarity had been right about things working differently at the club. Sticking a hoof out for the blue pony to take, Twilight led her out to the dance floor, hoping the dim lighting hid her blush.
She watched as the blue pony began dancing first. She seemed to flow with the music, sticking out amongst the other ponies on the dance floor. It was an intimidating performance to try and match.
Twilight gulped as she began to move. First a little bit, then more as she began to get into the flow of things. She closed her eyes and danced, a big smile on her face as she shook her hips and waved her hooves.
She opened her eyes to see several ponies around her had stopped dancing and were watching her. Twilight slowly stopped dancing, as she began to realize she had made a fool out of herself. Her dance partner had slipped away, probably not wanting to be seen with her.
Head hung low with a nervous smile and a scarlet blush, one so bright it was probably visible even in the dim lighting, Twilight slunk away from the dance floor in shame. She hung her head low all the way back to the bar, where Rarity was looking at her with a cringe as well, though a little bit more sympathetic in nature.
“I’m sorry,” Rarity said as Twilight took a seat back next to her. She reached a hoof over and patted Twilight on the back. “I shouldn’t have made assumptions. Not everypony is a natural dancer. Maybe I’ll teach you how before the next time we go out to someplace like this.”
Twilight let out a sigh and lifted the martini that had been waiting for her to her lips. It was a strange taste, but not wholly unpleasant. It made her nose tickle and her tongue feel a bit funny. She lifted it to her lips again and finished the rest of it in two big gulps, before setting it back down on the counter. She turned to Rarity with a determined look.
“What’s plan B?”
“Well—”
The bartender interrupted Rarity by placing another two martinis in front of them. “Compliments of the two mares at the end of the bar,” she said, pointing to the end of the counter where a pair of mares waved at them with a smile.
Rarity waved back with a small smile on her face before turning to Twilight and asking, “Which one do you want?”
“Huh?”
“I’m giving you the lion’s share, darling. Now, which one of them do you want? I’ll take the other.”
“That’s...” Twilight let out a sigh, and took a sip of her drink. She set it down and looked at Rarity. “You don’t have to do this.”
“Nonsense. I owe it to you after making you walk out on that dance floor. Besides, that’s how these things work. It’s double or nothing—and they were nice enough to buy us drinks.”
Twilight glanced at the two mares down the bar, one dark purple, with a deep scarlet mane, and the other one light pink. The pink pony caught her looking and gave her a wink. A hair clip with a daisy on it sat on the left side of her mane, pulling her hair over her ear. Her mane was the same color as her coat, but it shimmered with different shades of silvery pink, all woven together. She had a round face and bright blue eyes that twinkled with the drinks she’d had.
Twilight turned back to Rarity and asked, “Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure. I can simply play along long enough for you two to hook up.”
“I’ll take the pink one then.”
“Shoot. I wanted to ask her how she does her mane,” Rarity said pouting slightly. “Well, maybe I’ll get a chance to anyway. Now let’s go over and thank them, shall we?”
Twilight nodded, following as Rarity led the way to the other end of the bar. The purple mare’s eyes zoned in on Rarity while the light pink mare’s eyes were fixed on Twilight. It seemed they had already decided who they wanted too.
“We figured we should come over and thank you girls for the drinks,” Rarity said, smiling warmly at the purple mare. “I’m Rarity and this is my friend Twilight.” She pointed to herself and Twilight respectively.
The purple mare introduced her and her friend as well. “My name’s Chalice and my friend’s name is May Flower.”
“You can call me May, though,” May Flower added, taking a small sip from her drink.
“May, may we take a seat?” Rarity asked with a small smile. The pair laughed and moved to make room. Rarity took the seat between them and Twilight sat at the end of the counter next to May Flower.
May Flower turned away from the other two and focused her attention on Twilight. She reached down a hoof and began to stroke Twilight’s leg, earning a blush from her. “So, Twilight, what’s your special talent?”
“My special talent is magic. What’s yours?”
“I’m a model.”
“Really?” Twilight asked with surprise. She looked down at May Flower’s cutie mark, spotting a vanity mirror with gold trim. “You’re actually a model?”
“For about a year now, yeah.” May Flower took another sip of her drink as Chalice slammed her hoof on the bar counter, grabbing their attention.
“So, girls,” she began, putting her hooves around Rarity and May Flower. “What would you say to us four heading back to my room and having some fun?”
Twilight blanked, looking over to Rarity to she had a similarly bewildered expression. “By fun you mean...”
“Probably exactly what you think we mean,” Chalice finished with a grin.
Twilight shared a look with Rarity. If the color could have drained out of her friend’s face, Twilight was fairly certain it would have. Twilight felt the hoof May Flower had on her thigh slide a little higher into her uncomfort zone. Twilight looked down at the hoof, then up at her with a scarlet blush.
May Flower winked at her.
“Rarity?” Twilight called out to the other mare with a bit of fear in her voice.
Rarity snapped out of her shock induced stupor and shrugged the hoof resting around her shoulder off. “Now listen,” she began, “I don’t know what kind of girls you took us for, but we are not looking for any one night stand, and we are most certainly not looking for one with a group.” Rarity stood up and gave them a courteous bow. “Now I’m sorry if there has been some miscommunication, but we must get going.”
With that, Rarity turned to leave. Twilight stood up to follow her, May Flower’s hoof falling from her leg as she did so. Twilight looked back at May Flower and Chalice, seeing them look slightly disappointed as they left.
Twilight followed Rarity out of the bar. The brisk night air immediately seeped through her coat and began to chill her.
Rarity turned to her, slightly shivering. “Well that was unexpected,” she commented, glancing around the empty streets.
“Four ponies...” Twilight said through chattering teeth. “How does that even work?”
“I’m not quite sure, Twilight. It isn’t something I plan to find out either. That sort of polyamorous relationship is not my cup of tea.”
“Mine neither.”
The two of them quietly stood outside the bar shivering, and not quite sure what to do. The pale green bar sign gave off a dim, but comforting light. Twilight half expected Rarity to have another plan. She always seemed to have another plan. But Rarity was silent.
Twilight huddled close to her friend. Their sides were pressed up against each other, and their body heat helped dispel some of the coolness of the lonely night.
Rarity wistfully sighed. “I could certainly go for another drink right now. But we left them on the counter next to those two.”
“Well, they were the ones who bought them,” Twilight pointed out.
Rarity giggled. “True. I suppose it’s best that we left them there.” Rarity’s smile faded as she stood in the lamplight, shivering. “I’m sorry about all this mess, Twilight. I just wanted to try and get you a date, but I’m afraid all I’ve done is probably embarrassed you.”
Twilight placed a hoof around her. “Not at all, Rarity. It was embarrassing at times true, and I don’t think I’ll be going near a dance floor again soon, but I had a lot of fun today.”
“You did?” Rarity asked hopefully.
“Absolutely.”
Rarity gave her a beaming smile, but her lips quivered as though she was on the verge of crying. “Thank you, Twilight,” Rarity said, closing her eyes and resting her head against Twilight’s neck.
Twilight gave her friend a squeeze, resting her chin atop her head and closing her eyes. The evening was made better by Rarity being there. And the chilly night air was warm when she was by her side.
Rarity raised her head with a sniffle, looking into Twilight’s eyes with a gentle smile. Twilight found herself thinking about how beautiful she looked again, even with tears in the corner of her eyes.
“Would you like to go back to my place so that I can teach you how to dance?” Rarity asked tentatively.
“Sure,” Twilight replied, smiling.
Rarity smiled, and turned to lead the way to her carousel.
As Twilight went to follow her, she whispered under her breath, “It’s a date.”
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FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
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Huge credit to Kurbz, for grammatic correction; Norsepony, for story guidance; Golden Vision, for a final review; and all three, for pre-reading in general!
I hope to make a somewhat longer romance story for Twilight and Rarity, since there doesn't appear to be a prominent one at the moment, and it's an area where I have some experience. I plan to have this fic light-hearted and full of comedy, contrast to Flying High, Falling Hard, where the relationship is full of drama and angst.
As for fans of that other fic, it is currently undergoing revisions, and the next two chapters are already finished. Be patient, and I'll try to make the home stretch as comfortable as possible for both of us.
first few sentences had me thinking something else
Haha, okay you got me with that first section. Tracked.
Very nice.... now I await to see how you incorporate Spike...
Will he be understanding, or will he get jealous? only time, and you can tell us 
pure brilliance!
i haven't enjoyed a fic like this for a very long time!
This is reading like a more light hearted version of the Twility bits of Romance Reports. Thumbs up, looking forward to more!
TWILIGHT SPARKLE: Master of the bedroom eyes
I like where this is going
HAHAHA, this story shall be a great pain to me if it's TwixRarity....because there is only SpikexRarity or death by retro lancer.
"Just bash your eyelashes at him while he takes our orders and give him a wink.”
you cannot imagine the mental image this gave me.
557616
media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3f5dtQSJQ1qlerqho1_500.jpg
Also, this made me laugh pretty hard and seems like a fun story. FAV'D
I like this very much so
Who would've thought Pony-fics would have gotten me to like shipping. This one is obviously no exception.
I must say, this leaves ample enough room to work on a sequel if the thought ever crossed your mind. I would be more than eager to read it also.
With that being said, loved the fimfic.
Cheers!
Kyor
Edit: Noticed the 'Incomplete' sign. Made my day.
pretty darn awesome
plz do more soon
Twirarity? Yus pleaz
I was kind of hoping Twilight would "accept" Chalice's offer, because there is all kinds of drama that can be found with that option.
But rarity, i want to know how for ponies would work....
great story! you've just been tracked!
*see cover
Aww, that's cute. Let's take a looksy.
*See title
That sounds like fun. I can guess where this is going.
*Read first sentence of description
This is gonna be good.
*Read second sentence
Oh.
*See it's by soundslikeponies
FUCK YES, I'M READING THIS
i love the trolling at the beginning dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Vinyl_Scratch_lolface.png
“No, I mean it! I really can’t dance!”
I suffer with you, Twilight. I suffer with you.
It felt very right, that thing; Rarity is so positive and wants to be so encouraging, so she makes that common mistake: when you tell someone to do X and they tell you they can't do X they are usually right!
“The Salt Around the Rim.”
I'm not sure if i should hit you or give you a hearty pat on the back.
You had me at
"Twilight moaned in ecstasy."
>first couple of sentences
>dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Twilight_Sparkle_lolface.png I see what you did there.
as a man who cannot dance, i feel both twi's and sieurins pain
last time i tried to dance i stoped the room 
Pssst! Hey guys,I think Twilight has a crush on Rarity.
they dont have bars in ponyville
but nice story
A Rarilight by soundslikeponies
. Story is off to a good start. Looking forward to more.
All aboard the shipping transatlantic!
Awesome. I like how Rarity has some clue about romance without being constantly right about it (eg. "you have to laugh even if it's not funny"), and how you kept it ambiguous whether Rarity has actually picked up on how Twilight is feeling towards her. Fav'd.
>First few sentences
>Know immediately that they're being massaged
The sexual innuendo is a nice and familiar taste of overused.
it's.....it's....beautiful
(sees only Rarity and Twilight character tags. sees a romance tag. sees an image of Twilight hugging Rarity.static.fimfiction.net/images/story_images/23373.png?1335654445 )
It's an RarityxTwilight fic, is it?
559205 Are you high? No way man! Not in a million years!
Very entertaining fic. I'll be following this one with interest.
Fun fact: I went nearly a year thinking colt-cuddler and filly-fooler were ponyspeak for pedophiles.
559205 disgusting lies and slander
560381
560483
You guys are right, I have no idea what I was talking about, I must have been driven insane by the Pony-Madness, Twilight is totally going to take the knowledge she gets from Rarity, and court her true hearts desire, The Great and Powerful Trixie.
560510 That's a funny way to spell Pinkie Pie.
Don't know this all seems a little... Fast for me.
Had a good dose of comedy and I was actually expecting a bar fight to break out during the part with Chalice, so you get my attention. Let's see how this develops =)
560483
images.mylot.com/userImages/images/postphotos/2429467.jpg
560521
Honestly I have only ever read one TwiPie that I didn't think was bad, I found it on EQD a long time ago, and for the life of me I can't find it again, but more importantly, we ALL know that Twixie is the some of the best shipping around, because the only-thing better than The Great and Powerful Trixie is the great and powerful relationship, she will have with Twilight.
560593 I'm just being silly anyway. I don't really favor one pairing above any other.
Twixie has The Ballad of Twilight Sparkle in it's favor, so there's that.
560607
If you limit what you read just because you don't like the idea of a certain paring then I think you have missed the entire point of the show, so I do agree with you on that, and The Ballad of Twilight Sparkle is my favorite hands-down, also I remembered that fic I mentioned, Causality.
560650 I remember Causality! I think that might actually have been the first Pony shipfic I ever read.
Another shipfic by soundslikeponies? I'm on board!
Oooh, and it's one of the less common ship, too! Not enough good Raritwi out there.
560670
Are you serious?! That was the first fic I ever read! Then it was Ponies make War, which was a huge change of direction.
560701 Yeah, it was the fic that really sold me on the fact that yeah, shipfics can be just as good as any other type of fic.
And Ponies Make War is totally second best grimdark fic.
looking forward to see what happens with this next! Please update soon!
This is off to a great start! Both in characterizations, details of the settings and situations and overall presentation.
Particular points of enjoyment? The end scene, when Twilight flirted with Carrot Top, and Rarity catching Twilight with her rear in the mirror. One was wonderfully endearing and heartwarming, one was an extremely adorable scene, and the last was a hilarious comedic moment that was utterly original.
Bravo good sir, take my thumb and star!
Excellent characterizations, sir. You manage mature issues with making the ponies unpony-like. I really hope for a continuation.
560751
Second best? What could be better than Ponies make War?
560812 Fallout Equestria. It's easily the best fanfic I've ever read, in any fandom. Better than most actual books I've read, too.
560850
I really should get around to reading that.
560483
An understandable mistake... okay not really, just remember, it's like calling someone boy or girl when they're in their twenties or older, not youth identification, just familiarity and informalness. Also, while this fanbase on the whole stays away from the pedo scene, I dimly recall ponies who like little ponies inappropiately being called "foal-fiddlers", just a small tidbit for you.