3. Crackling Fire
Though they were not royalty by any means, when Upper Crust and Jet Set hosted a ball, party, or soiree, they competed in terms of extravagance and glamour with the likes of the Grand Galloping Gala. Their annual masquerade ball was by no means an exception. As Rarity presented her invitation, was welcomed inside with a bow by the butler in the gardens, and ushered through the high-arched set of double doors, she felt like a proper princess.
She had hardly made it five steps into the ballroom before a passing server offered her a glass of champagne, one that she accepted in the delicate glow of her magic and nod of thanks. While he hurried off to attend to more guests, she swirled her flute and took her first sip of the night. A giggle threatened to escape her lips as the bubbly drink tingled her tastebuds and tickled its way down her throat.
“Isn’t this just marvellous?” A wistful, content sigh floated past her lips as she weaved her way through the sizeable crowd of ponies to an empty cocktail table. Setting her drink down, she looked from one masked pony to the next. Coat colour, manes, and tails could easily give a pony away, but the sheer number and the flamboyance of their dress kept the shroud of mystery intact. Anypony could be anypony, duke, duchess, businesspony, or humble seamstress.
The clunk of a glass down on the table across from her made her ears flick, and she turned to regard her companion with a smile every bit as bright and dazzling as she felt. After another sip, she set her flute down and didn’t bother to stop the giggle this time. “It’s even more magnificent than I imagined!”
“It is very impressive,” Twilight Sparkle said, a smaller, more contained smile on her face as her eyes wandered the crowd. It had taken a combination of pleading, pouting, promising, and persisting to convince the alicorn to accompany her to the ball, but Rarity knew exactly how to wear her friend down. A Princess, even one of her reputation, needed to keep up a certain social standing, after all. What better event that the ball of balls to do exactly that?
Besides, with what lay in wait for tonight, a friend waiting in the wings could be quite beneficial.
A string quartet started to play across the room, bringing the ball to life with a symphony of strings that made Rarity’s heart soar. The moon had already risen, weaving the skies with an endless infinity of stars and not a cloud in sight to blemish the view. Tonight, she knew, was a night for romance. It sang in the music, twinkled in the skies, and resonated in the atmosphere with a note so clear that it made her shiver.
Soon, very soon. Instead of a wistful sigh, another fit of giggles bubbled up from her chest. “Isn’t it though?”
“I only attended these kinds of events when I was Princess Celestia’s student when I absolutely had to. I have to admit, it’s actually really nice so far.” Twilight lifted her glass and took a slow sip of champagne, and Rarity followed her gaze as it travelled upwards, stretching upwards to the high-vaulted ceiling and the brass chandeliers that hung there. Their warm candlelight spilled over the ballroom and over the guests who talked, laughed, and danced as the ball truly got underway.
The smile that had only started to grow on her face flickered for a moment when her gaze dropped back down. “Um, Rarity?” Feathers ruffling, she shifted her weight and looked to the side. One hoof reached up for her mulberry mask before it lowered to tug on the neckline of her midnight-blue dress. Though it was a rush job, it did a fabulous job of shining like the stars in the night sky—or, given the proper suitor, like the stars that shined in her eyes or seemed to glisten in her mane. “Are you sure it was a good idea for me to come?”
Rarity blinked, tilting her head to the side. “Of course it was, darling. Why wouldn’t it be?”
“Well, I’m not sure this is the right place for staying involved in Equestrian social life.” Another ruffle of Twilight’s feathers shook her wings. She chewed the corner of her lip. “And I don’t really think this mask is doing a good job of hiding who I am.”
Arching a brow, Rarity glanced to the side where Twilight’s gaze darted. There, a few ponies spoke, looking their way every few words. “Ah,” she said, smiling warmly and draining the last of her champagne. “Well, you can hardly blame them, Twilight. I don’t believe Upper Crust and Jet Set have had any of their balls graced by a princess before.”
Twilight ducked her head as a few more ponies looked their way. “Maybe I should have cast a spell to hide my wings or something.”
“Nonsense! This just makes you the belle of the ball!” Rarity reached out and patted Twilight’s shoulder. “Don’t think about them. Let them watch, I say, while you enjoy the ball! If you really want to, slip outside and cast your little spell, but the night is yours.”
“I guess.” As her eyes wandered the dance floor and the servers weaving through the crowd carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres, her ears slowly perked back up. The smile peeked back through and a small giggle brought it back to its fullest. “This does look like fun. It’s a shame the rest of the girls couldn’t come, though.”
“Next year, darling. For now, I say we enjoy ourselves.” Rarity met the eyes of every pony who looked their way, searching for any flash of amber or for a streak of wildfire poking up from the crowd. A frown almost marred her expression, but she caught it in time and turned to Twilight. “Besides, when has being a princess ever stopped you from having fun at one of these parties, hmm?”
Again, Twilight giggled. “I suppose you’re right.”
“Aren’t I always?” They shared a smile, Twilight’s carefree and Rarity’s a shade more sly. From where they stood at their table, she was offered a clear view of the entryway. A steady stream of ponies trickled in, all wearing their best dresses, suits, and masks. When a streak of wildfire bobbed in through the doors, her eyes widened a hair and her heart skipped a beat.
Clearing her throat, Rarity lifted her empty glass in her magic. “Now, I think I’m going to find myself another drink and something to eat from one of those gentlecolts. Would you care for anything?”
Twilight hummed, lifting her half-full glass in the mulberry aura of her magic. “A little something to eat would be nice.”
“Ask, and you shall receive. Hold our table, and I’ll be back in just a moment.” With Twilight’s nod of approval, Rarity turned and swept off deeper into the ballroom. Even if Spitfire saw the flick of her tail or glance she tossed over her shoulder, she would have to work her way through a tide of ponies to reach her.
And, as she glanced back, she found that not even a minute passed before a brave pair of ponies approached Twilight. Others soon followed, creating a wall of fuzzy bodies between Rarity, her friend, and her Wonderbolt.
Her smile sharpened to something much more devious and she giggled as she waded across the ballroom, trading pleasantries and bows with ponies along the way. “Sorry, darling,” she said to herself as she hovered her empty glass to a serving colt passing by, “but I’m afraid that ‘moment’ might have to last a little longer than planned.”
Many moments had indeed passed by the time Rarity made it to the other side of the ballroom. A new glass of champagne hovered by her side as she lingered by one of the many windows overlooking the estate gardens. Even under the pale light of the waning moon, she could see the trickling of water out of the fountain spout and the well-trimmed hedges around it.
Her focus, however, was on the ballroom floor. Lifting her glass to her lips, she hummed as she surveyed the crowd, searching for any ruffling of goldenrod feathers, the flash of brilliant amber eyes, or the appearance of a mane like wildfire.
When she saw none, she allowed herself a smile and a congratulatory sip. This would be a game Spitfire would not win so easily.
In fact ...
A low, quiet, and heated chuckle rumbled in the back of her throat as the most wickedly delightful thought crossed her mind. Spitfire’s terms and prize were clear. If she found Rarity before midnight, the prize was hers for the taking. What they didn’t decide in Carousel Boutique was what she would win if she eluded her pursuer.
Rarity swirled the champagne in her glass and licked her lips, savouring the light, sweet taste lingering there. Perhaps, if she won, it would only be fair for her to unwrap a prize of her own.
From behind her, somepony cleared their throat. When they spoke, their voice litted and flowed with all the smoothness and sophistication of Canterlot’s finest. “Are you enjoying the ball, my dear?”
Smiling pleasantly, Rarity turned to greet the pony. She stopped short, however, when she met the light blue of his eyes. Though he wore a mask in place of the usual monocle that covered his moustache, the wavy, coiffed blue of his mane and the stark white of his coat gave him away to even those who did not know him. To those that did, the ever-polite smile belying a surprisingly coltish sense of mischief and unwavering kindness made any disguise or costume next to useless.
Rarity relaxed her smile. “Indeed I am. It’s quite the spectacle, is it not? I can see why it’s the talk of Canterlot every year.”
Fancy Pants, for his part, chuckled. “Yes, it’s one of my favourite events of the year. Fleur insists that we come separately, though.” The smallest of sighs slipped past his lips, though his smile only softened. He lifted a champagne glass of his own to his lips and looked over Rarity’s head, eyes scanning the crowd. “I feel so naked without attending with her at my side, but once my darling has her heart set on something there’s little I can do to change her mind.”
Taking the opportunity to follow his gaze and search for her would-be chaser once more, Rarity offered a sigh in turn. No sign of Spitfire. Surely she could spare a few moments for conversation. “I can only imagine,” she said, turning back to Fancy Pants. “You two make quite the charming couple. Is there any particular reason she insists on coming separately?”
“My Fleur is many things, romantic among them.” Fancy shook his head, sipping the last from his glass and floating it to a passing server in a single, fluid motion. “We met at a masquerade ball, you know.”
To that, Rarity flicked an ear. “Really?” Though she need not ask it, she did anyways. Places of mystery that breed romance, indeed!
“Not this particular masquerade.” He lifted his hoof, reaching for where his monocle usually sat. One of his forces of habit, Rarity had learned, was to polish his monocle when wandering down memory lane. When his hoof met his mask, he frowned very slightly.
Rarity stifled a giggle. “Then where?”
With a light shake of his head, Fancy’s gaze refocused and his smile returned. “It was in Prance. I was there on business, you see, and was invited to one of the aristocrat’s little soirees. That was where I met Fleur.” A warmer, fond laugh floated out of his mouth. He looked back up to the crowd, no doubt searching for his wife. “It was love at first sight, and I did not rest until I convinced her to let me steal her away back to Canterlot. Ever since, whenever we attend a masquerade ball, she insists on arriving separately so that we can find each other once again.”
Were she anywhere else and surrounded by any other company, Rarity may have giggled in the most unsociable and most fillylike way. Instead, she managed to make herself settle for a dreamy sigh. “That’s so very romantic.”
“I like to think so. She wouldn’t even let me see what she would be wearing.” The corner of his lips twitched, a subtle sign that Rarity knew to watch out for. “But would I be wrong in assuming that I’m not alone in looking for a specific pony tonight?”
All at once, the hairs on the back of Rarity’s neck stood on end. She fluttered her eyes, smiling as innocently as she could. “Why, whatever do you mean?”
She felt his eyes on her as he arched a brow over his mask. “My mistake, Miss Rarity. I suppose I must be mistaken. You mean to say you haven’t been combing across the ballroom floor, looking for somepony?” He jerked his head to the side, gesturing to where she left Twilight. “I believe Princess Twilight is currently over there, getting acquainted with her most adoring subjects.”
The tip of Rarity’s tail twitched. “Oh, good,” she said, pouring relief into her voice as she wiped her brow. “I thought I’d never find her again! We got separated after I went to get us some drinks and hors d'oeuvres.”
Fancy hummed and plucked a tiny plate from another passing server’s tray. He regarded the cheese-stuffed mushroom in his magic for a second before biting into it. “You know, I would be tempted to believe you.” The corner of a grin poked out from behind the handkerchief he produced from his suit jacket pocket. “And I might, if it weren’t for the fact that Princess Twilight stands out quite clearly. The wings and horn make it a tad easy to spot her from across the room.”
Rarity’s smile began to feel the slightest bit strained as she looked to the side and coughed. “Well, I suppose that is true.”
“Not to mention the sizeable crowd of ponies gathered around her.”
Her smile faltered almost entirely. “Yes, there is that.”
“With all that in consideration,” he said, finishing the mushroom. He tucked his handkerchief away after he wiped his muzzle. “It leaves a stallion to wonder who a pretty, young, single mare such as yourself might be looking for on a night like tonight. Fleur may be rubbing off on me more than I realized, but a stallion would be tempted to say you have your own masked romance waiting out there for you.”
“Romance?” Grateful for the mask concealing the warmth she felt licking across her muzzle, she cleared her throat and found herself quite unable to meet Fancy’s gaze. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it that, Fancy Pants. At least, well, not quite yet.”
Rarity didn’t need to look to see amusement twinkle in the corner of his eyes. “Ah, I see. Well, whatever you want to call it, would I be safe to say that I’m on the right track?”
“Perhaps.” Something red and gold flickered in her peripheral vision. When Rarity turned to look, it vanished. A slight frown tugged at her lips while the stallion beside her chuckled. Narrowing her eyes, she fixed him with a glare. “And stallions of your stature should know better than to ask questions they shouldn’t.”
The glare did little to diminish his amusement. On any other pony, she would have called his expression smug. “Really now?”
The music and ponies around them were the only things that kept Rarity’s shoulders from slumping as she sighed. “Oh, fine! If you absolutely must know, I’m looking for Captain Spitfire.”
Fancy’s eyebrow rose well over his mask. “Captain Spitfire? I wasn’t aware that you two were so well acquainted.”
“We’ve known each other for a little while now through my friend, Rainbow Dash. It’s only been recently that we’ve spent time together.” The smile on Fancy’s face was knowing, drawing the blush further across her muzzle. “Quite recently, in fact.”
“Fascinating. It’s always quite amusing in hindsight how these little things work out, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.” Though she wanted to chew on the corner of her lip, Rarity persevered. “Spitfire and I have a little wager going on tonight.”
Somehow, Fancy’s eyebrow rose further.
“I won’t bore you with all of the details,” Rarity said, fixing her smile on her face and waving her hoof as if to push a slurry of unasked questions away. “But the game is to see if she can find me before midnight tonight at the ball. So, really, I’m only trying to figure out where she is, you see.” As she felt his eyes on her, she looked to the side at the shoulder strap of her dress. While nothing extravagant or as fabulous as she would usually wear, the sleek, simple design was elegant in its own way. The purple fabric was soft to the touch, complimented her mane, and, most importantly, was simple to enough to help her blend into the crowd. “So I can avoid getting caught.”
“Aha. I see. Well, in that case,” he said, his faded blue eyes glancing over her shoulder. As they did, there was no denying the smirk that played over his lips. “You may want to make yourself scarce, my dear Rarity. She’s right over there, and heading this way.”
Rarity froze, though she dare not look back. “Has she noticed me?”
Fancy shook his head, a rather coltish mirth colouring his voice. “No, I’d wager not quite yet. It’s only a matter of time, though.”
Taking a chance, she followed Fancy’s gaze and looked over her shoulder. “Oh, dear,” she breathed. Just a few cocktail tables down stood Spitfire. Though her back was turned to them, Rarity felt her mouth begin to dry, torn between admiring the mare and her own craftsmanship. Without thinking, her eyes followed the length of a toned, goldenrod leg as it disappeared behind the fabric of the dress right below the mare’s cutie mark. Her tail of wildfire flicked, licking over her leg as her feathers ruffled.
In the candlelit ballroom, there was no denying it. Spitfire was gorgeous, enough so that Rarity only just acknowledged the chuckle that rumbled past Fancy’s lips. “She looks quite stunning, wouldn’t you say? One of your pieces?”
“Yes,” Rarity said, the only answer both questions needed. She watched for a second longer before she turned to Fancy with an easy, bordering-on-sly smile. “Thank you, Fancy. Would you be a dear and stall her for me?”
Again, he chuckled. Then again, he always got that way after a few glasses of champagne. “I shall, but only because this seems like it could prove entertaining.”
“If Spitfire wasn’t headed this way, I’d be tempted to ask what you mean by that.”
A knowing grin was his only response as she slipped away, disappearing back into the crowd of ponies. Over the music, she heard Fancy greet Spitfire. “Ah, Captain Spitfire. Is that you behind that mask?”
The voice that replied was raspy, somewhat irritated, and freely sent a shiver down Rarity’s spine. “Hey, Fancy Pants. Yeah, it’s me. Say, you haven’t seen Rarity around here anywhere, have you?”
“I have indeed! You just missed her, actually.” At the tone of his voice, Rarity paused by a curtain drape a window down. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as Fancy regarded Spitfire with a wide, toothy smile that morphed into a thoughtful frown as he spoke. “She was wearing a, um, oh, bother. What colour dress was it again? Blue? No, no, something purple, I think. Maybe it was something in-between? My apologies, Captain. Too much champagne already, I fear!”
Spitfire’s tail twitched and Rarity could imagine her growl. Just as she started to turn, Fancy spoke up again. “Oh, but I can tell you about her mane!”
Spitfire’s ear flicked. “Yeah?”
“She was wearing it in a, ah,” Fancy started, his frown deepening. He tapped his hoof to his chin and Rarity had to resist the urge to roll her eyes and laugh. “Well, I’m no expert when it comes to manes. It kind of had a swirl, if you know what I mean. But also held back?”
Before Spitfire had a chance to look away, Rarity took the chance to wade further into the crowd, swishing her tail as she pranced across the floor. Her eyes wandered over to a grandfather clock of grandfather clocks against the far wall and grinned.
“Only an hour left, my dear Captain,” she murmured to herself. “Do keep up.”
Fancy, bless the gentlecolt’s heart, could only keep Spitfire occupied for so long. Only taking the time to smile and nod at those who greeted her, Rarity weaved her way across the ballroom. Even if her Wonderbolt saw her hasty retreat, she would have to work to find her again.
Grinning to herself, she looked over her shoulder. A soft laugh sounded from her chest when she again saw no sign of Spitfire. Before she could take a moment to revel in the victory, as small as it was, she bumped into something warm, soft, and furry. Feathers twitched and brushed against her, making her eyes go wide.
“I do beg your pardon,” she said, turning to face the pony she walked into. She kept a calm, polite smile on her face while her heart leapt into her throat. A more rational side of her wagered it was too soon to have been found so quickly. Another romantic, impatient side of her pleaded for the opposite. “I wasn’t paying any attention to—Twilight?” Before she stopped to think, she exhaled. “Thank goodness. I thought you were Spitfire.”
The pony in front of her blinked, shook out her feathers, and peered at Rarity from behind a mulberry mask. “Rarity?” Twilight tilted her head to the side. Then, eyes narrowing, her tail flicked behind her as she wrinkled her snout. “Rarity!”
A lady never perspired, but the look Twilight leveled her with almost made Rarity start to sweat. “It’s good to see you! Darling, I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“And I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” The tips of Twilight’s primaries twitched and flicked, matching the petulant tone of her voice. “Where have you been?”
Eyes darting left and right, Rarity smiled a smile that perhaps contained too many teeth. She spotted a server walking by, offering a circle of ponies champagne, and reached out with her magic to whisk two glasses away. “Drinks! I found those drinks I went out to look for!”
A glass bobbed in the air by Twilight’s muzzle, waiting for her to take it in her magic. Instead, she furrowed her brow, looking from the flute to Rarity. Her brilliant purple eyes narrowed as she puffed out a breath from her nostrils. “You said you were going to find food over an hour ago.”
Well, even a lady was allowed to sweat once in a blue moon. “Oh, did I?” Rarity asked, her laugh a little too stilted, even to her own ears. “Well, I am sorry! I got so preoccupied that I admit it must have slipped my mind.”
“I slipped your mind?” Twilight’s brow arched high, rising over her mask and disappearing behind her bangs. “Where were you for the last hour? Do you have any idea how long I waited at that table for you while ponies kept on coming up to shake my hoof and ask for royal favours?”
“Oh, that.” Rarity cleared her throat, stepping to the side and taking a long sip from her new glass. It may have been her fourth glass, but tonight of all nights she needed it. “Well, you see,” she started, gaze flickering over to the other side of the room. Was that a flash of red she saw? “Fancy caught me.”
Twilight’s brows flatlined, bringing her voice to a familiar deadpan. “And he talked to you for a whole hour?”
“Oh, well, it wasn’t just him,” Rarity said with an airy wave of her hoof. Though her mask hid the sweat forming on her brow, it certainly made the room feel stuffier than it should.
The frown on Twilight’s face spoke volumes. “You said you thought I was Spitfire.” Her brow furrowed, and suddenly Rarity felt as if her mask did little to hide her expression at all. “Why would you think that? Is she here?”
“Spitfire? Er, well, yes!” Holding her composure, Rarity resisted the urge to scratch her neck and swallowed another mouthful of champagne instead. “Haven’t you seen her?”
“No, but something’s going on.” Eyes narrowed, Twilight placed her drink on the nearest cocktail table. She took a step forward, prompting Rarity to take a step back. “First, you insist that I come to this ball, and then you abandon me for an hour. It’s got something to do with Spitfire, doesn’t it?”
There was no denying it. A bead of sweat trailed down Rarity’s forehead. Under Twilight’s analytical stare, how could anypony blame her? “Maybe?”
“What is it?”
Again, Rarity waved her hoof and hoped her laugh wasn’t as manic as she thought. “Oh, nothing you need concern yourself with, darling!”
Twilight’s eyes glanced over Rarity’s shoulder. “Okay, then.” Fluffing her feathers, she lifted her head as a smile spread across her muzzle. “I’ll just go ask Spitfire, then.”
Rarity’s eyes widened and a gasp flew by her lips before she could think to stop it. “No! You can’t!”
“I can,” Twilight said, pointing behind Rarity as her smile warped into a smirk. Clearly, Rainbow Dash was a horrible influence on Equestrian Royalty. “Because I’m pretty sure that’s her over there. Isn’t that the dress you made for her?”
Her posture rigid, Rarity followed Twilight’s outstretched hoof. Though her tail swished at the sight of Spitfire, her ears drooped down. “It is, but you can’t!”
Rarity saw the flicker of Twilight’s smile as she started to walk around her and towards Spitfire. “Why not?”
Her actions, Rarity knew, were in all likelihood a show to make her confess. Despite that, she could not stop herself from latching onto her friend’s foreleg with her magic or skittering around to block Twilight’s path. “Because you’ll spoil everything!”
“Spoil what?” Much like Fancy, amusement twinkled in Twilight’s eyes despite the frown on her face. “Answers, Rarity.”
Rarity let out something between a whine and a sigh. “Okay, but not right here. Not where she can easily spot us.” Glancing left to right, she gestured for Twilight to follow her. The alicorn rolled her eyes, but followed as she was led further down the room.
Once they stopped with Twilight’s back facing Spitfire, Rarity took a second to search the crowd. About halfway down the room was her would-be pursuer. Even from this distance, she could see how the pegasus’ feathers ruffled as she looked from side to side. The tip of her tail flicked as she eyed each pony, no doubt searching for any sign of snow-white coat and mane of royal purple.
And, Rarity noted with some pride, with the way the dress billowed and weaved with every step, Spitfire did indeed look like a one-pony fire sweeping over the ballroom floor.
“Alright,” Twilight said, making Rarity blink. “Now, what’s this whole thing about, Rarity?”
“Ah, yes.” Though she kept watch on Spitfire out of the corner of her eye, Rarity focused for the time being on Twilight. Goodness knew her friend deserved at least that much. “Well, you see, to make a long story short Spitfire and I have a little wager going on tonight.”
Twilight arched her brow. “What kind of wager?”
A lady could also be excused of chewing her lip when in the company of her closest friends, or so Rarity told herself. Twilight’s eyes bored into her, drawing the truth from her whether she wished it or not. “The kind where if she finds me before midnight she gets a, ah, ‘mystery prize.’ She came to my boutique a little over a week ago,” she said, answering her friend’s next question before it could be voiced. “I suppose you could say one thing led to another. We flirted some when she came in for her fitting and again when she came to pick up her dress and, well, here we are.”
“Okay.” Expression twisted into a thoughtful frown, Twilight nodded. She tilted her head to the side, eyes bouncing from over her shoulder to Rarity. “Then why did you insist I come?”
Rarity ducked her head, having the grace to offer a bashful smile. “I hoped by having you here I would have a little help in case Spitfire started to get a little too close to finding me.”
In an instant, Twilight’s brows flattened. Her lips pulled into a thin, narrow line and Rarity felt as if she were about to be scolded by her schoolteacher. “Let me get this straight. You basically dragged me here to use me as a distraction in case Spitfire caught on to you?”
Rarity’s darted from left to right, her smile strained. “Have I told you how much I love you? And how wonderful a friend you truly are?” At Twilight’s grumbled mutterings, she dared to inch closer and rest a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Twilight, please. I am sorry I abandoned you for so long. I didn’t intend to, but I suppose this whole episode with Spitfire has muddled my thoughts.”
A long, defeated sigh fell from Twilight’s lips. She lifted her head, a small, bemused smile playing over her face. “Cadence said this kind of stuff messes with a pony’s head.”
The implications of that statement alone made the fur on the nape of Rarity’s neck stand on end and her breath catch. She failed to meet her friend’s eye as she bounced her mane on her hoof. “I suppose, yes.”
“Okay, Rarity. I’ll help. But first,” Twilight said, poking Rarity’s chest with the tip of her hoof. “You’re going to tell me exactly what this challenge is all about. What do you get if you win?”
Thoughts of Spitfire in her boutique, teasing her with smoldering, hooded eyes, spread wings, and a stretched leg showing off all of the taut, corded muscle underneath her velvety golden coat floated before Rarity. New images joined them, a promise of what may come should she win. Pegasus wings wrapped around her, trembling as they held her close while she took great care and great time in undressing her soon-to-be Wonderbolt bit by bit among them.
Rarity’s tail swished and she bit down on the corner of her lips. “Um. Well.”
“Season tickets to the Wonderbolt shows?” Twilight asked, the innocence in her voice a contrast to the thoughts running through Rarity’s mind so stark that she couldn’t help but flush. “Rainbow Dash can get you those anytime you’d like.”
Another bead of sweat joined the first. Panicked, Rarity fell back on an old, automatic response typically saved for Sweetie Belle. “I’ll tell you when you’re older.”
“What?” Tilting her head to the side, Twilight furrowed her brow deep. It may have taken a second or two, but the realization Rarity dreaded dawned behind her eyes and she gasped. “Wait! No! You and Spitfire?”
Rarity shuffled her hooves. Hearing it said out loud brought a mixture of feelings that swirled in her chest. Embarrassment was chiefly among them, but even moreso was a giddiness that made her want to giggle out loud. Yes! that part of her cheered. Me and my Wonderbolt!
“Are you blushing?” Twilight squinted. “Oh my goodness, you are! I’m right! You and Spitfire are—”
“Darling, please!” Silencing Twilight with a pearly white hoof, Rarity looked over her shoulder. Spitfire was there, wandering among the ponies, but had yet to see them. Breathing a sigh of relief, she lowered her hoof and tried to ignore the satisfied smile on the alicorn’s muzzle. “It’s nothing like that, at least nothing official. Yet.”
“It’s not?” Twilight paused, scrunching her muzzle up. One ear folded down while the other perked up, as if she were weighing the possibilities. “Then what is it? A trial date?”
Rarity’s tail twitched and she glanced to the side. “Of sorts, I suppose. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a date, per se.”
“Then what would you call it?”
By now, Rarity was certain her blush had spread to the tips of her ears. A whine built up in the back of her throat as twiddled with her hooves. “Don’t make me say it.”
Again, Twilight’s brow furrowed and her eyes narrowed. She prodded an accusing hoof at Rarity’s chest, making the unicorn want to shrink back. “You owe me for the last hour of standing around and shaking everypony’s hooves! You’re going to tell me exactly what’s going on.”
“But Twilight—”
“Or,” Twilight said, cutting Rarity off with a rather wicked grin, “I can send up a magic flare. There’s no way Spitfire wouldn’t see it.”
A good and proper whine pealed forth from Rarity’s throat and she covered her face with her hooves. “Fiiiiiiiiine! It’s ...” She licked her lips, her face feeling like it was on fire as she tried to find the right word. “I suppose you could call it ... foreplay.”
A beat of silence passed, and when Rarity peeked out from behind her hooves she found Twilight staring at her, her brow knit and her expression puzzled. “Foreplay?”
“Yes, darling.” Finding the strength of character to sit up, Rarity cleared her throat and ignored the blush no doubt spreading down her neck. “Foreplay.”
“As in—oh.” Twilight squeaked, forcing it into a small cough partway through. From under her mask, Rarity could see the faintest bit of pink bloom out over her muzzle, staining it a deep shade of mulberry red. “Well. Huh. So, you and Spitfire are going to, um.” She waved her hoof, an innocent gesture in almost any other circumstance. “After the ball?”
“Well, erm, yes. Yes, that is the case.” The thought sent an odd but appreciated thrill racing through Rarity’s chest that made the tips of her hooves tingle. Her laugh was something soft that eased the smile over her face. “I did ask you not to make me say it.”
An awkward chuckle came in way of Twilight’s reply. Her feathers ruffled and twitched as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I think this is the part where I’m supposed to say that I’m happy for you?”
“The thought is appreciated, but I don’t think this situation usually warrants that kind of sentiment. It’s a bit of fun between fully-grown and consenting adults. Spitfire happened to catch my eye, and I caught hers. Well,” Rarity said, tittering behind her hoof as her eyes wandered over the ballroom. When they found Spitfire, her smile only grew. “At least for now.”
“How did this—nevermind.” With a shake of her head, Twilight massaged a spot at the base of her horn. “I’ll ask later when this is all over.”
Just as Rarity opened her mouth, she cut herself off with a sudden gasp. A flicker of wildfire caught her eye, and when she lifted head she found her gaze locked with Spitfire’s. Even from this distance, she could see the glow from her beautiful amber eyes, warm and alluring and drawing her in. A smirk flickered over her face and, with a little extra sway to her hips, she started to stride across the ballroom.
“Twilight, she’s seen me! She’s headed this way!” Rarity’s tail flicked and swished in time’s with Spitfire’s unfurling wings that spread and fluffed. Swallowing, the unicorn grabbed her friend by the shoulders and fixed her with the most pitiful, pleading pout she could conjure. “Please, darling? Just stall her for a few minutes so I can slip away.”
Twilight breathed another, longer sigh. “Yes, yes, okay. But you owe me one for this!”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” The pout vanished from Rarity’s face in an instant, replaced by a dazzling smile as she turned Twilight around. “Now, go get her!” Lighting her horn, she nudged her friend forward while turning tail to disappear into the crowd.
Just under an hour to go, but Spitfire was now hot on her trail. With any luck, there would be a few more ponies Rarity could plead favours from. Otherwise, she might just be caught.
As she slipped past a server and trailed behind a group of ponies wandering towards the dance floor, Rarity did her best not to giggle at the little thrill that thought gave her.
No matter the case, would she really lose?
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This is cute. Seems kind of a bummer they didn't spend time at the ball together though. Also, poor Twilight, lol.
After all this I wouldn't be surprised if Twilight decided to aid Spitfire in trapping her.
Finally sitting at home with some spare time. That means it's time for overdue comment replies!
8194034 Thank you for catching that. I spoke to the artist and the issue has since been fixed.
8201194 Just don't think about it, Twily. Everything will be fiiiiiiiiine
8201364 Well, she only has just under an hour to go. Spitfire's good, but maybe perhaps Rarity's better.
Or maybe, just maybe, Rarity is underestimating Spitfire a smidgen
8202006 I'm sure there will be other balls in their future. That is, if Spitfire can get her hooves on Rarity, first.
8202282 *gasp!* Treachery in the ranks!
I have only now realized that you can direct embed images! D: *shocked by brilliance*
Win or lose. Sex is gonna happen
This is going great! I particularly loved your portrayal of Fancy Pants
I was a little surprised at running into this little stumble. I suggest striking without and adding out to with; it flows better without the redundancy.
Am I allowed to call it redundancy if one use is negating the other? Double with-itive, maybe? :D
Twiley, Twiley, asking questions you don't know you don't want the answer to. Tsk, tsk!
Goddamn, goddamn! XD Just about died.