The Inane Adventures of Hazelnut Latte

by Porcelain Mug

Chapter 13: The Autumn Equinox Ball

Ditzy Doo and the Doctor walked up the path to the High Born Manor. The grey mare was wearing a lovely burgundy gown with a matching capelet and a fascinator decorated her blonde mane, which was up in a chignon. The fascinator had a little black mesh and a rose. Around her neck was a choker with a cameo. Instead of the profile of a pony, the cameo had a wolf on it. The Doctor was wearing a brown pinstriped jacket with a button-down shirt and a nice necktie. Ditzy looked at her date and asked, "How did you get an invite to Countess High Born's Autumn Equinox Ball?"

"Well, I'm not really sure." the Doctor admitted. "The Countess said in her letter that a strange bowtied stallion said to invite me."

"Really?" Ditzy replied. "That was convenient. It's good that the bowtied pony convinced her to invite you in these past few months."

"Actually, that's the strange thing." the Doctor explained. "The bowtied stallion told her to invite me this year, but when he told her it was thirty years ago. I didn't even live in Ponyville back then and I had never even met the Countess."

Ditzy raised a brow. "That is strange!"

"Thirty years ago is a bit of a blur for me." the Doctor admitted. "I was but a colt, but for some reason I don't remember much of my foalhood."

"Maybe you're an alien from outer space disguised as a pony?" Ditzy suggested jokingly.

The Doctor laughed and said, "Yeah, as if that were true. The next thing you're going to tell me is that time travel is possible!"

Ditzy giggled and nudged the earth pony. "I hope we have fun at the party. Let's see if the couples' dancing lessons from school paid off at all."

"Why Ditzy Doo, nothing would please me more than to dance with you." the Doctor said with a charming smile.

Ditzy Doo blushed and continued up the long walkway. Suddenly, they heard a familiar voice behind them. "Heathens!" Reverend Bookbinder bellowed. "How dare you flaunt your promiscuity in public!"

Ditzy Doo groaned audibly in annoyance. The Doctor turned to look at her and asked, "Is this bloke serious?"

"I'm afraid so." Ditzy sighed. "Reverend Bookbinder, can you please not do this? I'm on a date."

"Of course you would be associating with this impotent madman who makes blasphemous machines!" Bookbinder snarled.

"Madman?" Ditzy gasped.

"I won't deny the madman thing," the Doctor said with a frown, "but my machines are not 'blasphemous' and that impotent comment was completely uncalled-for."

"You're really rude." Ditzy agreed. "If It weren't for my dress, I'd be tempted to hit you because you're going too far this time!"

"Dress a whore in finery and she'll still be a whore." Bookbinder said smugly.

"Why you-" The Doctor took a threatening step forward.

Before any fight could begin, a tough-looking stallion in a tuxedo approached. His cutie mark was a velvet rope between two gold poles. "This guy bothering you two?" he asked.

"He was just leaving." Ditzy said tersely.

"If you'll be leaving, have a nice night, sir." the tough-looking stallion said, stepping between the pair and Bookbinder. The grey-maned stallion glowered at the group before walking away. The security stallion then looked at the couple and smiled. "I hope you two enjoy the ball."

"Oh, we will." Ditzy said, returning the smile.

The security stallion nodded before heading off to check the rest of the guests for troublemakers. The Doctor frowned and said, "What he said, when he called you a whore, that was completely uncalled-for."

Ditzy sighed and said, "I'm used to it. I mean, some meaner ponies think that the fact that I was a single teen mom means that I'll sleep with anypony and everypony. It's not so bad here in Ponyville, but there are a hooffull ponies other than Reverend Bookburner who give me trouble." She smiled at the Doctor and added, "The friends I've gained while I've been here have been completely worth it, though."

"You're worth it, Ditzy Doo." the Doctor said, returning a smile.

When they arrived at the entry to the manor, the two ponies handed in their invitations before heading in. Who knows what that night might have in store?

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rarity and Hazelnut Latte headed up the walkway to High Born Manor. The fashionista was very excited to be going, but the barista was very uneasy. The white unicorn turned to the brown unicorn and asked, "Why are you so nervous?"

"Well," Hazelnut Latte said with an awkward shuffle, "I haven't been to a formal ball since my days back at Lacy Ruffles' School for Fillies. I'm worried that I won't do your dress justice."

"Why darling, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Rarity said reassuringly.

Hazelnut Latte's gown was a gorgeous light blue v-line halter dress. It was made from the finest threads and the blue faded into black around her neckline with a blue opal in the bottom of the V. The train resembled the wings of a blue morpho butterfly. Her mane, which was relaxed into ringlets, was held in an elegant updo and decorated with a blue orchid. To Rarity, she resembled some sort of ancient goddess. Her outfit was completed with a black ribbon with a blue butterfly on it. She was wearing a pair of gold vintage round wire rim glasses, which Rarity had given her- the lenses were Hazelnut Latte's prescription, though.

Rarity's dress was patterned after a luna moth. The sweetheart neck cap sleeve dress was mostly pale green, with an eggplant cincher and eggplant trim at the hem of the skirt. The dress was completed with little luna moth wings, which started at her shoulders and flowed down to her lower back. Her mane was in a half-updo and decorated with white roses. Around her neck was a green choker with a chamomile flower on it. Hazelnut Latte couldn't help but smile. "If you say so." she said.

"Hazelnut Latte, your dress is beautiful and your mane is on point. I meant it when I said that you would be the envy of everypony at the ball." Rarity said with a great deal of sincerity in her voice. "When the time comes, press the opal."

"What does pressing on the opal do?" Hazelnut Latte asked.

Rarity gave a mysterious smirk. "You'll find out when the time comes."

"How will I know when the time is right?" Hazelnut Latte questioned.

"You'll know." Rarity promised. "When all eyes are on you, you'll know."

"It's kind of hard to believe that I'd stand out." Hazelnut Latte said. "Lacy Ruffles' School for Fillies promised to turn fillies into diamonds, but I still left as a hunk of quartz."

"Amethyst is a type of quartz. In my opinion, amethyst is preferable to diamonds." Rarity took a deep, deep breath and continued. "With a little work and a deft hoof, your amethyst can outshine a diamond."

Hazelnut Latte's face erupted into a truly brilliant smile that, true to Rarity's comparison, could outshine any diamond. The white unicorn couldn't help but feel her heart beat a little faster. What was this feeling inside her?

oooooooooooooooooooooo

Discord tried not to scowl at the lack of chaos in his outfit. It was a pale gold Regency-style jacket with a matching waistcoat, white high-necked shirt, and a white cravat. It wasn't a loud, lurid color at all! Fluttershy's outfit, however, he didn't mind. She wore a very regal-looking gold Regency-style ballgown. She wore pearls in her hair, which was in a loose chignon, and she had a gold necklace. Rarity had made their outfits and when Fluttershy had stepped out, revealing herself in all of her splendor, Discord was certain that his heart skipped a beat. He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from telling her how beautiful she was.

Now he was going to a ball with her, this time as her plus-one. It was almost too good to believe. A soft voice broke through the fog of his thoughts, gaining his attention. "Are you alright, Roguish Jape?"

Roguish Jape? Oh, right. That was him, or at least the name he went by in public. "Perfectly fine, my dear." the stallion said airily.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Certainly." Discord replied. "The outfit could be a bit less... orderly, though."

"Rarity worked hard on these outfits, so be nice." Fluttershy said gently.

Rarity had made Fluttershy's outfit months ago, but his outfit had been more last-minute. Fluttershy had made him thank her. The things he would do for that pegasus! For her sake, he'd have to attend a party without crashing it. That was definitely a switch. The last time he had gone to a party without crashing it was Celestia's birthday party over a thousand years ago. He was pretty sure that by now, she had lost count of her actual age. Come to think of it, he wasn't quite sure how old he was. He just knew that he was old. The old adage about how mares never told their age and stallions never acted theirs seemed to apply to draconequui, too. Right now, he wasn't a draconequus. He was a stallion. Unless he got changed back, he would end up spending the rest of his life with Fluttershy. It was a concept that he, being immortal, had never thought about before. He didn't want to think about it.

The duo turned in their invitations before heading into the ball. They were, of course, fashionably late. As they stepped into the grandiose ballroom, Fluttershy gasped softly. It was far fancier than the Gala had been. There were many wealthy-looking ponies there, all in very expensive-looking garments. Fluttershy spotted Rarity and Hazelnut Latte off in the distance, but the two seemed to be deep in conversation. Discord leaned in to whisper into Fluttershy's ear. "When do you think those two are finally going to get together?" he asked.

"I don't know." Fluttershy replied. "I don't think Rarity even realizes that she loves Hazel. Hazel is kind of oblivious and has sworn off romance for a while."

Discord rolled his eyes and muttered, "Romance! Who finds their special somepony at a ball in real life?"

"I don't know." Fluttershy replied, looking away and blushing. "It could happen."

Discord chuckled and said, "If it happens, be sure to let me know."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The Doctor and Ditzy Doo made small talk while they waited for the Countess High Born to make her entrance. There wasn't really much to do until then. Neither of them really wanted champagne at the moment. "-And that's why one should always shield their knees when around arrows." the Doctor finished.

"Wow, that sounded like it hurt." Ditzy said. "Does it affect your range of movement?"

"Not at all." the Doctor replied. "I'm a fast healer."

"Maybe you are an alien!" the grey mare giggled. "What's next? Are you going to tell me that you secretly have an alien tentacle that comes out of your back?"

"Nope." the scientist replied. "I'd most likely have two hearts if I was an alien, not a tentacle."

"You do only have one heart, don't you?" Ditzy said in a faux-accusational tone.

The Doctor let out a dramatic sigh and said, "Alas, I have but one heart. You'll have to look elsewhere at this ball to find a handsome alien."

"Shame." Ditzy sighed. "I would love to find a handsome alien with two hearts and no tentacles."

"You'll have to settle for me, I suppose." the Doctor said with a smirk

"Unless I were to find said alien and he were to steal me away." Ditzy said, returning that smirk. "Then you'd have to beat him up, possibly in some sort of arena, surrounded by Amareicans."

"Beat him in an arena surrounded by Amareicans?" the Doctor scoffed. "Who do I look like to you, John Cena?"

Ditzy cocked her head and asked, "Who's John Cena?"

"I..." the Doctor paused. "I actually have no idea who that is or where I heard that name."

"Just one of your weird moments, right?" Ditzy questioned. "Like the time you mentioned having something called 'trainers' and had no idea what you meant by that, either."

"Not to mention the bizarre dreams." the Doctor said. "Anyway, let's not focus on those right now. Let's focus on the ball."

It was then that Countess High Born's butler, Jeeves, arrived. He was in a Regency-style black jacket with a blood-red button-down jacket and white cravat. In his typically haughty, eloquent voice, he announced, "Presenting our host, the Countess, High Born."

The Countess gracefully made her way down the lavish stairway. Her mane was up in a crown braid and she was wearing a beautifully embroided gown with a matching bolero jacket. Once she was at the bottom of the stairs, High Born spoke up. "I'd like to welcome you all to the annual Autumn Equinox Ball." She said. "I'm glad to see that most of the many ponies invited have arrived. Champagne and hors d'oeuvres have been provided. I hope that the remaining guests will arrive and it will be a shame if they don't, but it is good to see all of you. I hope that you all have a good time."

The Countess then dismissed herself before heading over to mingle with some of her more well-to-do guests. Ditzy snatched a canapé from a tray from a passing server and popped it into her mouth. She enjoyed the tastiness of the cream cheese and scallions on stale bread. She didn't say it out loud, but her thought was om nom nom. The Doctor had somehow managed to get his hooves on a banana daiquiri. The mail mare finished her snack before looking at the scientist. "The snackage seems good." she commented.

"Indeed." the Doctor replied. "I've heard that last year, one of the items was," He gave a full-body shudder. "pear sorbet!"

"You don't like pears, huh?" Ditzy said, raising an eyebrow.

"What kind of pony likes pears?" The Doctor groused.

"I know plenty of ponies who like pears." Ditzy said with a frown.

"I think I should avoid them, then." The Doctor said, also frowning.

"You're being ridiculous again." The grey-coated mare rolled her eyes.

"Ridiculous is my middle name." the Doctor said with a broad grin.

"I thought your middle name was David." Ditzy said. "Doctor Time Turner David Whooves."

"It's a bit of a joke, Ditzy Doo." the scientist said. "Please don't use my full name."

"Okay, Doctor." Ditzy said, rolling her eyes.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Discord was pretty much stuffing his face with hors d'oeuvres. It was slightly embarrassing and somewhat concerning to Fluttershy. "Roguish Jape," Fluttershy said, raising her voice slightly so she could be heard, "you shouldn't be eating so fast. It'll give you a tummy ache."

Discord slowed his eating down before wiping his face. "Fine." he said with a sigh.

"Thank you." Fluttershy smiled at him.

Discord felt a little awkward when his lovely friend smiled at him so brilliantly. What the hay was he supposed to say to her now? He cleared his throat and said, "Ah, you're welcome."

He snatched a flute of champagne from a passing tray and offered it to Fluttershy. "Champagne?"

"No thank you." Fluttershy replied. "Maybe later."

"Oh." Discord said. "Well, more for me, then."

"Don't drink too much." Fluttershy said. "Last time you got drunk, you tried to give my chickens a makeover."

"I assure you, it won't happen again." Discord huffed.

"Let's just try to enjoy ourselves, okay?" Fluttershy said. She then looked Discord in the eyes and added, "I wouldn't have been able to put up with this crowd without you."

"Er, right." Discord said awkwardly, looking anywhere but Fluttershy's eyes. "Have fun. No crashing the party. Got it."

Fluttershy would rather have not told him just what she did when she was drunk during the absinthe incident. Nothing adult-oriented had happened, but she would rather Discord not know why he had her lip balm on when he woke up. She vaguely remembered it and she was still embarrassed about it. Discord hadn't brought it up, so she had no reason to talk about it. She wouldn't do it again. She especially wouldn't do it tonight, no matter how handsome her best friend appeared in his outfit. No matter how much she wanted to.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rarity and Hazelnut Latte were each enjoying some champagne and the barista couldn't help but comment. "I am one hundred percent certain that my mother's side of the family made this stuff. It couldn't be anypony else. This can only have been made in Prance and I know that this is one of the wines that the Bubbles family crafts."

"Well, my compliments to the skill of your family." Rarity replied. "It's crisp and delicious, with the perfect balance of flavors."

"The food here is pretty good, too." Hazelnut Latte said. "Whoever made these hors d'oeuvres is a master of their craft."

"I didn't realize that I liked stuffed mushrooms." Rarity admitted.

"Why not?" Hazelnut Latte asked.

"Well, I've never actually tried stuffed mushrooms before." Rarity confessed.

"This isn't really the first ball that I've been to." Hazelnut Latte said. "We had them a few times a year at Lacy Ruffles'. Generally speaking, they were Spring and Autumn Equinox. It was really the only time when we had boys over. They were usually from Wintermane Academy. It was a colts-only school. We were heavily chaperoned."

"What were the balls like?" Rarity asked.

"Very fancy." Hazelnut Latte replied. "We were expected to be on our best behavior. Most of us were. I never wore a ball gown this nice, though."

"Well, you deserve it." Rarity said with a smile. "You deserve to be the most beautiful mare in this ball."

Hazelnut Latte gave her friend a brilliant smile and said, "Whatever did I do to deserve you as a friend?"

Rarity blushed a little and replied, "You were you."

Hazelnut Latte noticed the blush and asked, "Are you okay, Rarity? You look a littel flushed. Do you need to stop drinking champagne?"

"No." Rarity replied. "I was just... thinking of something."

"Oh, okay." Hazelnut Latte said. "Hey, speaking of blushing, what if you find a nice stallion while you're here? I could be your wingmare!"

"That would be nice, though you don't really need to do it." Rarity said, smiling awkwardly at her friend.

"Well, I can do it if you want." the barista said. "There is no shortage of eligible bachelors here."

"If you find somepony, let me know." the fashionista said, still smiling awkwardly.

"Got it." Hazelnut Latte said, smiling back. "I'll be back in a bit."

With that said, the barista left. Rarity was left wondering whether she wanted to meet a stallion here or not. She had gone with a friend and would rather focus on that friend. In a non-romantic capacity, of course! She was absolutely not attracted to other mares, especially Hazelnut Latte with her sapphire eyes and gorgeous curls and winsome smile. Rarity absolutely did not, in any way, shape, or form, have it bad for her good friend.

Meanwhile, Hazelnut Latte was browsing the crowd for good-looking, well-mannered stallions. It wasn't long before she spotted a rather good-looking white stallion with gorgeous blonde hair. Being a lesbian, Hazelnut Latte did not find him attractive, but she understood aesthetics and what kind of stallion a straight mare might find attractive. He was definitely the type of stallion that a straight mare might find attractive and he seemed to be polite. She waited until he finished his conversation with the Countess before approaching him. "Good evening." the barista said with a smile.

"Good evening to you as well." The stallion returned her smile.

"I'm Hazelnut Latte." Hazelnut Latte introduced herself. "What might your name be?"

"I am Prince Blueblood." the stallion said with a charming smile.

"It's nice to meet you." the barista said. "If I'm not being too forward, might you be looking for a mare tonight?"

Blueblood seemed to ponder it over for a moment before replying, "You are attractive, but something tells me that I'm not your type."

"Sorry." Hazelnut Latte said. "I'm incredibly, incredibly gay. I'm just acting as wingmare for a friend. She's gorgeous, friendly, and incredibly generous without being foolish."

"What's her name?" Blueblood asked.

"Her name is Rarity." Hazelnut Latte replied. She then indicated Rarity's location. "She's over there."

Suddenly, Blueblood seemed incredibly awkward. "Oh." he said. "We've met before. I've said some rather rude things that made her cross with me."

"You could apologize." Hazelnut Latte suggested. "You might not be able to get a date with her, but this could be your chance to make things right."

"Indeed." Blueblood said with a smile. "I will go to apologize to her. Thank you for your suggestion, Hazelnut Latte."

"You're welcome." Hazelnut Latte replied.

Blueblood then proceeded to head over to Rarity's location. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before approaching the violet-maned mare. "Hello, Rarity."

Rarity looked at the stallion. Her voice was calm but sharp when she said, "Hello, Prince Blueblood."

"It's a nice ball, isn't it?" He asked.

"It is indeed." Rarity said.

Blueblood hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'd like to apologize for when we last met. I behaved atrociously towards you and your friends. I'd like to ask for your forgiveness, but I wouldn't blame you for not forgiving me."

Rarity smiled at the stallion and said, "Thank you for apologizing. I'm not sure if I should forgive you right now, but if you've truly turned over a new leaf, I'll consider it."

Blueblood nodded his head and said, "It would mean a lot to me."

The two white-coated ponies then proceeded to engage in small talk. Over the next few hours, the small talk evolved into an actual conversation, which led to deeper conversation. For the moment, Rarity forgot about Hazelnut Latte. "I've decided to forgive you." the fashionista announced.

Blueblood's smile widened. "Wonderful!"

It was then that Jeeves spoke up once more. "Presenting Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

The ponies turned to see the lavender-coated alicorn descending the staircase. She was wearing a navy blue v-neck gown with starbursts on it. It covered her cutie mark. Rarity's smile broadened. "Oh, Twilight's here!"

Twilight arrived at the foot of the staircase. She looked out at the guests and said, "Hello, everypony. It's good to be here. I'm honored to have been invited to Countess High Born's Autumn Equinox Ball. I hope that I've made it in time for everypony to dance."

Countess High Born, who had made her way to Twilight's side, said, "Of course, dear. There's plenty of time to dance." She turned to the band and said, "Some dance music, please."

The band then began to play the music. Blueblood offered a hoof to Rarity and said, "If it would please you, may I have this dance?"

Rarity smiled and said, "If you insist."

The two then began to dance. Rarity was genuinely enjoying herself. That was, until she saw Hazelnut Latte off in the distance dancing with Carrot Top. What was she doing at the ball? Rarity watched over Blueblood's shoulder as the two dance. She could feel a clenching in her gut that she refused to identify. The prince looked at Rarity and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Rarity forced a smile. "I just haven't danced in a while."

"Well, you're doing perfectly." Blueblood replied.

"Thank you." Rarity said with a smile.

The white-coated mare continued to watch her friend dance. That clenching feeling in her gut only got worse. What was this feeling inside her? It certainly couldn't be jealousy. She had nothing to be jealous for. She absolutely, positively wasn't into mares. She had no reason to be jealous that Hazelnut Latte was dancing with Carrot Top and not her. It wasn't jealousy at all. It definitely wasn't jealousy. With that thought in mind, Rarity tried to return her attention to Blueblood. That was easier said than done.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Discord rolled his eyes as he watched Twilight's grand entrance. "Of course she would be here." He muttered.

"It's not so bad." Fluttershy said reassuringly. "You don't have to dance with her or anything."

"Who might I dance with, then?" Discord asked.

He saw how awkward Fluttershy was and made up his mind. The transformed draconequus smiled and said, "Would you like to dance with me, Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy nodded shyly and said, "If it's not too much trouble."

Discord then led Fluttershy out to the dance area. As they danced, Fluttershy couldn't help but overhear whispers of how well they matched and that they must be together because no stallion looks at his daughter like that. Why did so many ponies mistake her for his daughter? They looked nothing alike. The aqua-eyed pegasus looked up at Discord to see what they meant by the way he was looking at her. He had the most tender smile on his face, looking at her as if she was something fantastic. Fluttershy broke her gaze from his, blushing deeply. Why did he have to be so handsome? It wasn't fair. Still, the thought as she looked back up at him and smile, she would keep dancing with him. She would enjoy this beautiful night with him. She would wear this beautiful gown to match his amazing look and she would absolutely not fall for him. She absolutely hadn't fallen for him when he was a draconequus, even though she thought he was perfect the way was in his natural form. After all, nopony could possibly fall for a socially awkward pegasus who could barely fly.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Ditzy laughed as the Doctor danced with her. It was a laugh of joy at the silly looks he would give her. They hadn't been dating for that long, but by now she was sure that she loved him. She wasn't sure if she was ready to tell him and she wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it. Still, she had plenty of time. She was only twenty-five and he was only forty. Her parents had a greater age difference. Her mother was twenty and her father was forty-eight when they married. The Doctor smiled at his date and asked, "Thinking about something, Ditzy Doo?"

"Yep." Ditzy replied.

"What might you be thinking about?" the Doctor questioned.

Ditzy smiled at the earth pony stallion and said, "Good things, of course."

"Ah." the Doctor said. "It's always good to think about good things."

"Yep." Ditzy said with a grin. "I was thinking about you."

"What were you thinking about me?" the scientist asked.

The mail mare smiled and said, "It's a secret."

The Doctor chuckled and said, "You are certainly full of secrets, my darling Ditzy Doo."

Ditzy blushed slightly when the stallion called her 'darling'. She then responded, "Everypony is entitled to their own secrets."

"Well, if you want to tell me eventually, I can wait." the Doctor said.

"I will tell you soon, when we're both ready." Ditzy promised.

"I can't wait." the Doctor murmured.

ooooooooooooooooooooooo

Rarity watched as Hazelnut Latte finished dancing with Carrot Top. She saw that all eyes were on her friend, including Blueblood. Rarity grew angry when she heard some of the well-to-do ponies whispering about how strange it was for the Countess to have invited a mere barista, a pony in the food service industry. They whispered about how she was undeserving of this invitation. Some ponies, however, were looking at her with curiosity. Hazelnut Latte looked at Rarity, who smiled back at her and mouthed, 'opal'. The barista paused for a moment before pressing the opal. Suddenly, the train to her dress dramatically unfurled into a set of elegant wings, resembling those of a blue morpho butterfly. Many ponies gasped as this happened and the whispers soon turned to those of awe and envy. Rarity smiled as her promise came true. Hazelnut Latte was indeed the most beautiful mare at the ball. The barista's eyes met the fashionista's and the brown-maned mare smiled in the most brilliant way that Rarity had ever seen. The violet-maned mare felt her heartbeat pick up a little. She realized that she was right. It wasn't the dress that made Hazelnut Latte beautiful. It was Hazelnut Latte who made the dress beautiful. Blueblood turned to Rarity and asked, "Am I to assume that Hazelnut Latte's dress is your work?"

"Yes." Rarity said, trying not to sound breathless. "I made her dress."

"Excellent work, then." Blueblood grinned at Rarity.

"I'd say it's one of my best works." Rarity said, smiling as she looked at Hazelnut Latte.

"The rumors of your skill don't do you justice, then." Blueblood said.

"I'm flattered." Rarity said, blushing slightly.

"You're a mare of talent, Rarity." Blueblood said with a smile. "Would you like to continue dancing?"

"Yes, please." Rarity replied.

The two then continued to dance. The ball continued for several more hours as the guests socialized, danced, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. When the ball was done, the Countess moved to the foot of the stairway and spoke. "I'd like to thank everypony for attending my Autumn Equinox Ball. I hope you've all had a good time and I hope that you all get home safely. I hope to see many of you at my next ball. Have a good night and I hope you get home safe."

Everypony then left the ball. When Rarity and Blueblood were outside the mansion, the prince once again smiled at the mare whom he had danced with. He took Rarity's hoof in his and kissed her hoof. He looked at her with a charismatic smile and said, "Until we meet again, Rarity."

After the stallion left, Rarity heard familiar hoofsteps approaching. She turned to see Hazelnut Latte, who had returned the wings to their relaxed position. She smiled at the fashionista and said, "Thanks for the dress, Rarity. I had a good time."

"Well, you deserve it." Rarity replied.

"Do you mind if I walk you home?" Hazelnut Latte asked.

"Sure." Rarity replied.

The two mares then proceeded to head into town, chatting animatedly until they reached Rarity's home. "Well, we're here." the fashionista announced.

"Yep." Hazelnut Latte said.

The barista then gave the fashionista a chaste peck on the cheek. Rarity's eyes bulged as she gasped, "What?"

Hazelnut Latte grinned awkwardly and said, "Sorry. I spent a few years in Prance. Sometimes I do that with friends and family and I forget that it's not okay."

"Well, I understand." Rarity said, blushing furiously.

"Alright, then." Hazelnut Latte beamed at her friend. "Good night, Rarity."

Hazelnut Latte then trotted away. As soon as she was out of sight, Rarity brought her hoof to he cheek "She kissed me." Rarity whispered.

Rarity turned and headed into her home before collapsing into a chair. What was this feeling in her heart?

Author's Note:

A scene from the next chapter.

Twilight took a deep, deep breath as she fought the urge to scream. The alicorn inhaled, then exhaled loudly before grinding out, "Where have you been?"

Starlight Glimmer rolled her eyes and said, "You know where I was. I was in Zebrica."

"What took you so long to get back?" Twilight asked.

"Get off my back. I came back early." Starlight Glimmer said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Well, you're back now. You know what's wrong. Fix it!" Twilight snapped.

"All right, all right!" Starlight said defensively. "I'll fix it. Just give me a minute."

"How was your trip to Zebrica?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"It was really nice." Starlight said.

The unicorn then used her magic to remove a large jar from her saddle bag, which contained a brain suspended in goo. "By the way, Pinkie," Starlight added, "I found this."

Pinkie Pie squealed in delight. "You found my brain!"

Comments

[Xenophylia]

Okay, i don't know if Hazel play with the ignorance of rarity, but as a French i could tell you that except with our lover, no, we don't kiss people on the lips, even more when it's family!

[Porcelain Mug]

9810376
Noted. I tried to fix it a bit. I hope it's satisfactory.