It's hard to believe two weeks have passed since that first, nervous night with Rarity, sitting in the taxi on the way to Manehattan with a thousand thoughts and emotions racing through your head. Two weeks since you shared your first dinner, two weeks since you worked up the courage to put an arm around her on the way home, relieved that she didn't push you away or tell you stop.

Two weeks since she said goodnight and thanked you for a wonderful time, then gave you a warm, caring kiss on the cheek. You watched her walk into the Boutique and close the door, and for the first time since you'd arrived in Equestria, you felt absolutely content. Things had gone better than you could have possibly hoped for, and you thanked every deity -- both pony and human -- you could think of for it.

She asked if you'd like to go on a second date the very next day -- an offer you were more than happy to accept. You even made reservations for the day after, not caring about being tired after work; she was free for that night, and that's all that mattered to you. It ended up being less formal than the first date, a simple dinner at a local restaurant that Rarity had recommended, followed by a quiet, relaxing couple of hours on a small hill overlooking Ponyville. There you laid in the grass and watched the stars on a beautiful, clear night, sharing stories about old lives and fond old memories. Mostly she listened to you talk about where you came from, laughing about the absurd things you'd done as a witless teenager or a dopey, love-struck guy who didn't know what he wanted from life. Through it all she stayed relatively quiet, content to simply lay beside you and delight in the stories of a place that seemed so distant and alien to her, yet somehow felt very familiar to things she'd gone through in her own life.

After that second night, you were hooked -- getting closer to the gorgeous unicorn, getting to know her, was all you could think about. Work seemed to crawl by, the minutes felt like hours when you were away from her, and your every free moment was spent thinking of things to talk with her about or places you could take her. It felt like you were that nervous, enamored eighteen year old all over again, and you knew that you probably looked like a fool for having that familiar glow about you, but you didn't care. All that mattered was finding ways to spend time with Rarity, even if it was just walking with her to pick up some fabrics from a supplier.

A few dates later and you've become a welcome sight in her life, not even needing a reason to drop by anymore, other than "I'd love to see you for a while".

Still, tonight is something you've been looking forward to for a few days: The first time Rarity has offered to make you a home-cooked meal, using nothing more than her own skill. You even stopped by Roseluck's flower stall, ordering a bouquet of a flowers similar to the ones you showed up with on your very first date -- albeit with a few more tulips, Rarity's favorite. Tucked into the bouquet is a small note, written out on a whim: "P.S: Please refrain from eating immediately". Hopefully, it'll bring a smile to her face.

You give yourself a once-over before approaching the Boutique, the orange glow of street lanterns discoloring your clean, white dress shirt and black slacks. It's not as formal as the full-on suit she'd surprised you with on your first date, but in the following days she was insistent upon giving you as close to a full wardrobe as she could manage, even going so far as to refuse payment for the clothing. You promised you'd make it up to her, but she said your company was payment enough.

You shake your head and laugh as you straighten out your shirt. How did you get so damn lucky?

Finding your outfit up to snuff, you approach the big, purple door of the Carousel Boutique and knock sharply, fidgeting with your belt as you wait for the reply. You don't have to wait long.

"Good evening, darling!" she says with a big smile as she opens the door, her eyes lighting up at the sight of you. "My, don't you look handsome?"

"Hi, Rarity," you answer with a warm smile of your own, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting long."

"Waiting? Oh, don't be ridiculous, of course not! I've been so caught up in the day's activities that time has simply flown by. Now that you're here, I do hope it will do us the courtesy of going by more slowly, hmm?"

"I certainly hope so, I've been waiting to see you all day! Oh, here, I got these for you." You hand her the bouquet, watching as she floats the flowers from your hand and smells them with a deep inhale.

"These are simply fabulous, darling. Thank you so much! And what's this?" She floats the note out from the flowers and reads it aloud. " 'P.S: Please refrain from eating immediately'? Oh, my!" Rarity covers her mouth with a foreleg and laughs at the memory, blushing slightly.

"I suppose eating the flowers you'd so graciously bought for me was a bit unexpected, wasn't it?"

"Just a little, yeah," you laugh.

"Don't you worry, I shall not be eating these tonight! Perhaps tomorrow, though."

"You do what you want with 'em, Rarity, they're all yours." She lifts your hand with a hoof and kisses it gently, smiling up at you with what you're sure is the same growing affection you feel any time you're with her.

"Thank you again, darling. These will make a beautiful centerpiece for our dinner, wouldn't you agree?" Her eyes suddenly go wide as she lets out a small gasp. "Our dinner. My sauce! Oh goodness, my sauce! I'd completely forgotten about it! Please, come in and make yourself comfortable, my dear! I've a culinary emergency to attend to!"

She rushes off with a half-laugh of worry and embarrassment as you close the door behind you, eliciting a chuckle at her sudden moment of adorable panic. You kick your shoes off, not wanting to mess up the impeccably clean floor, and walk around the circular layout of the Boutique, past the business area and into the kitchen. The smell of something spicy and sweet meets your nose as you round the corner. Rarity is busily stirring a sauce pan with a large, wooden spoon, fussing to herself about the mystery sauce. You take a seat on one of the bar stools set up behind the counter, watching in amusement as she levitates shakers of herbs and spices. You give a quiet laugh as she flattens her ears in embarrassment, giving a quick look over her shoulder.

"I swear I'm not usually so forgetful! Perhaps it's been too long since I made a meal for someone besides myself."

"Happens to the best of us, don't worry."

"Perhaps, but it still doesn't make me feel any less ridiculous. You see? You're already making me forget about other things in lieu of thinking about spending time with you! Probably worth it, I'd say," she adds with a smile.

"What can I say? I have that effect on, uh...mares."

"I can't very well argue that one." Rarity taps the spoon against the pan a few times and sets it aside, walking over to you and standing on her hind legs to give you a soft kiss. "My apologies for rushing off, darling. This sauce is the lynchpin of my entire dinner! And to think I almost burned it. How silly of me."

You give her a comforting hug and a kiss of your own, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Trust me, I've had my share of culinary disasters. You should have seen the first time I tried to make an omelet...I think it ended up being less of an 'omelet' and more of a 'burnt tire', heh heh."

"A burnt what?" she asks with a curious look.

"Tire. You know, like a wagon wheel, but...I suppose you don't have cars. Right. Nevermind." A few months in Equestria, and the technological divide still slips your mind from time to time.

"Oh, I'm sure your culinary talents aren't that bad! Everyone makes mistakes."

"Oh, no, don't get me wrong, I consider myself to be pretty decent in the kitchen. Just sayin', no one's impervious to, say...forgetting about a sauce on the stove." You give her a playful wink and she laughs softly in response.

"I suppose not, hm-hmm."

"So, what's in the pan? Whatever it is, it smells pretty good."

"Ah ah, that would be telling!" She points a hoof to the circular table just off to your right, the usual four chairs stripped down to just two. A pair of white, lit candles are gently burning away in their holders, with an empty vase sitting between them. "You shall see when we sit down for dinner, darling. I may not be a world-renowned chef, but I think I can create a fine meal none-the-less."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine, don't worry about it! We could eat microwave burritos and I wouldn't care." She gives you a puzzled look in response. Oh, right. No microwaves. Sigh.

"Microw--nevermind. Point is, as long as we get to spend time together, the food doesn't matter! Not that I'm saying it'll be bad, it's just that, um...you get what I'm saying, right? God, I'm such a dork."

"Don't fret, darling," she says with a reassuring laugh, "I understand perfectly. You may be a 'dork', as you put it, but you're a dork I enjoy spending my time with."

"Haha, thanks. Same here, Rarity. I think about seeing you all day...doesn't matter if I'm at work or sitting around Twi's place. I don't regret a single moment we've spent together these last couple of weeks." You run a hand through her long, curly mane and offer her a heartfelt smile.

"Nor do I, my dear. I'm happy to say that our time together has been enjoyable even beyond my expectations. And to think, it's all because you quite literally popped into existence in front of me one day! Who would have guessed?" She briefly closes her eyes and smiles as you play your fingers through her hair. "And you're lucky that feels good, or you'd be in for quite the verbal reprisal for messing up my mane."

"I'll consider myself lucky," you chuckle. You place your thumb and forefinger under her chin, tilting her head slightly up to look into those big, azure eyes you've come to know so well. "I'm glad we found each other, Rarity. You're an amazing woman."

"A sentiment I share completely and earnestly, darling. You've been absolutely wonderful to me, and I couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now." She places a hoof on your cheek and kisses you gently, pulling away with a smile.

"Now, we've several hours to enjoy the company of one another, but for now there is a lovely dinner awaiting us." Rarity walks back to her pans and motions over her shoulder to the flowers resting on the counter.

"Do be a dear and place those in that vase, won't you? They'll look lovely next to the candles."

You do so, gently placing them in the water-filled blue vase. It suddenly strikes you that the vase was here before you even brought the flowers over...

"You knew I was bringing flowers, didn't you?" you ask her.

"Perhaps..." She flicks her tail playfully as she replies.

"Am I that predictable?"

"Hm-hmm, sometimes 'predictable' isn't such a bad thing, darling. I figured you might bring some, since we're not eating out anywhere. Change of scenery and all that. It was just a guess. Otherwise, the vase looks quite lovely on its own."

You shake your head and laugh. Of course you're predictable.

"We've been dating two weeks and you already know me too well, Rarity."

"What can I say? I've always been quite good at reading ponies. I suppose that extends to people as well, hmm? Speaking of which..." a soda bottle floats toward you, which you grasp from the air, "...I thought you might enjoy a drink!"

You turn the bottle over in your hand, reading the label: Sparkle~Cola Cherry Fusion. It's ice cold. Come to think of it, a drink would be good right about now.

"Cherry Fusion, huh? Must be a new one." You pop the cap off and take a long pull, letting out a breath of satisfaction at the taste of it. "Not bad! Thanks, baby."

The word slips out of your mouth before you have a chance to process it, a hold-over from past relationships. You hadn't meant to use it so soon...

"What was that, darling?" she asks as she looks over her shoulder. Maybe she thought she misheard it. No point in trying to hide it, you suppose.

"I said, uh...thanks. For the drink. Baby. Heh..."

"'Baby'? Hmmm..." Rarity taps a hoof on her chin, probably more for show than anything. Still, you hope you haven't overstepped your boundaries so soon.

"I rather like the sound of that," she finally says with a sincere smile. "I suppose if I can liberally throw around 'darling', your own usage of a term of endearment would only be fair. Besides, I think it's simply adorable! To think, I've my own pet name now." She giggles and turns back to her meal, leaving you feeling more than a little relieved that she was okay with it. Sometimes you still have to remind yourself that she's not nearly as formal in person as she is when speaking with business acquaintances and high-class socialites. Still refined, of course, and wonderfully so, but snobby? Definitely not.

"I was out at the market earlier today -- you know the one, on Mane -- and a beverage vendor was exclaiming his new product. I thought I'd pick up a few for you, I know how you love them. Goodness knows you drain my ice box of them whenever you're over!"

"I suppose I do, yeah," you laugh, taking another drink. It reminds you of a cherry Coke, but with a more subtle, natural cherry flavor. It's pretty damn good. "Remind me that I owe you for a pack of soda some time."

"Oh, think nothing of it, my dear! 'tis but a small gesture. I swear, I've never met someone with so voracious a thirst as you!"

"Must be the weather," you joke.

"Yes, the weather. I'm so sure that's it." With a final flip of some sort of vegetable, Rarity removes the pan from the stove top and sets it aside on a rack, floating a pair of dinner plates over as she does so. "I believe my piece de resistance is finally ready! Please, take a seat, darling. I'll have our dinner ready in just a moment."

"Come on, you can tell me what you made. It smells delicious. You know you want to..." You take a seat at the dinner table, pleased to find that it's actually quite comfortable despite being about a size too small.

"Oh, very well, I suppose there's no harm in it. Rarity floats two plates over to the table, setting them down in front of you and herself. "Voila! Rarity's specialty is served!"

Sitting before you are two large, stuffed pastry shells, covered in a red sauce.

"Oh, I know this...this is, umm...cannelloni, right?"

"That's right! I must admit, I'm surprised you knew that."

"Grew up in an Italian family. What's in it?"

"It's actually a recipe I picked up quite a while ago, but I've never made before now. It's cannelloni shells stuffed with roasted eggplant, then filled with ricotta cheese, diced olives and shallots."

You let out a low whistle at her previously-unknown cooking skill. And you thought you were pretty decent...

"Oh, and my sauce, of course! Nothing too complicated, just a simple tomato-basil sauce with garlic and diced bell peppers. Fortunately it didn't burn."

"A gorgeous, refined lady AND a world-class chef?" you say as you put a dramatic hand over your chest. "You are a woman after my own heart."

Rarity blushes and giggles at your compliment, waving a dismissive hoof.

"Oh come now, it's just a simple pasta dish, hm-hmm."

"Simple? I'm pretty sure if I tried to make something like that it'd end up catching on fire." You pick up your fork and cut into the large, stuffed pasta shell, adding, "My mother would be ecstatic if she knew about you, baby. Well, once she got over the 'pony' part, that is."

"I'll take that as a compliment! I've always fancied myself a bit of a connoisseur of fine dining, even if it is only rarely." Rarity levitates a bottle of wine over to you, filling up your glass with a dark red liquid. "This is a nice Chianti I purchased a few months ago, I thought we might enjoy it with dinner."

You swirl the wine around in the glass, by no means a wine aficionado, but able to tell a good wine from a bad one. This is definitely a good one. Rarity fills her own glass and sets the bottle back down, squeezing the cork back in.

"I propose a toast," you say as you lift your glass. "I'll make it nice and simple: To us." You smile and clink your glass against Rarity's.

"To us, darling. May we share many more wonderful dinners together."

You're surprised by the wine as you take a sip; it's a bit dry, but it bursts with flavor. It's way better than any wine you've ever had. Maybe Equestrian wineries are onto something.

The stuffed cannelloni is equally amazing, you soon find out. You've never been one for vegetarian dishes, but the taste of the roasted eggplant with the cheese mixture and sauce is incredible.

"Oh, man," you say with a half-full mouth. "Are you kidding me? This is delicious."

"Why thank you! Perhaps I should cook meals like this more often, hmm?"

"I wouldn't complain," you laugh. "Maybe we can, like, alternate or something. I've never really cooked vegetarian dishes, but I can probably modify the ones I do know easily enough. I cooked at home all the time, way back when. Even made something for Twilight once or twice."

"Did you now?" she asks between bites, daintily cutting off exactly-sized bites with a levitating fork. "I wasn't aware Twilight was much for cooking."

"She's not. In fact, the two times that I did, she ended up passing out face-first in a stack of books!" You chuckle as you remember having to pick her up and help put her into bed, even while she mumbled about her studies.

"That sounds like her, alright," Rarity giggles. "That girl's work ethic is quite strong...or would it be study ethic...?"

"I'm pretty sure they're one in the same, in her case."

"I'd say that's quite likely, without a doubt." Rarity takes another bite and swirls the wine around in her glass, taking a small sip before setting it back down. You glance up at her and notice her expression; she's obviously got something on her mind. Doesn't matter if it's a human or a pony, that look is universal.

"Something up?" you ask cautiously.

"Hmm? Oh. I'm sorry, I was just thinking. Would you...mind if I asked you a question, darling? About us?"

"Of course not. You know you can ask me anything, Rarity. Something bothering you?"

She shakes her head.

"Not exactly, no. It's not so much a concern as it is curiosity. Forgive me if this sounds like a silly question, but...we've been seeing each other, romantically, for two weeks now. I want you to be honest with me -- have you enjoyed it?"

"Have I enjoyed it?" you ask rhetorically. "I would like to think so! I mean, seeing you has been the highlight of my new life here. I look forward to it every single day. I like to think I've expressed that fairly well, but if you have any concerns with it..."

"Oh, no, no, there's no concern! Not with you, at any rate It's just that...well, I realize that I can come across as rather high-maintenance at times. Perhaps even aloof. It's something I try to marginalize, but you must understand -- for the majority of my life I've been brought up to be a proper lady. When I was a young filly my parents sent me to the finest boarding school they could afford. They 'wanted me to have everything they never could', as they put it. I'm afraid that with my refinement and culture came a tendency to...how do I put this...exaggerate things."

"You mean be dramatic," you add.

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Make no mistake, I am quite happy with being a proper lady. I believe that a bit of class goes a long way towards helping one in life -- I think the success of the Boutique is evidence of that. All I'm really trying to say, my dear, is that I sometimes worry that it can be rather...off-putting."

You set your glass down and work the issue over in your head, trying to figure out the best way to give your answer.

"Well...I can't speak for everyone else, but in the time that I've known you, I've absolutely fallen for who you are. I like that you're a classy, sophisticated lady. I like that you care about your looks, and your business. I don't think it's off-putting in the least, Rarity. Not one bit. Heck," you laugh, "I've seen you in the midst of a dramatic moment, and I think it's adorable."

"Adorable? I don't think I've ever heard it described as such," she says with a quiet laugh.

"I just call it like I see it. And that refined accent of yours? Sexy as hell. I just melt every time I hear it."

"Oh, stop," she giggles as she glances away. "You'd be surprised how many ponies think it's a foreign accent. Would you believe I've actually had somepony ask me if I was from Whinnyshire? My way of speaking is practiced and refined...it's not something that is inherited, like a regional accent, it's something that's learned. I must admit, when I was but a foal I thought it sounded ridiculous, but it's really become second nature."

"I, for one, am glad you have it. You know who you remind me of?"

"Who's that?"

"Back where I came from, there was this gorgeous, classy movie star, back in the fifties. Her name was Audrey Hepburn. You're so much like her; the accent, the looks, the sultry demeanor, all of it. Trust me, it's a high compliment. She's considered to be one of the most beautiful women ever."

"She sounds like she was a lovely woman," Rarity says, smiling warmly.

"She even used 'darling' all the time. Sound familiar?"

"Perhaps...darling," she says breathily.

"I thought so. You see? I think it's amazing who you are, I wouldn't change one single detail about you. So to answer your question: Yes, I have enjoyed every single second I've been with you, Rarity. I think...I think you're really the best thing that's ever happened to me. I mean that."

"I'm very glad to hear that, my dear. I feel silly for bringing such a thing up in the first place..."

"Hey," you stick your hand out, resting it on the table, "back on our first date, when I was feeling insecure and worried about how I stood out like a sore thumb, not wanting to make you embarrassed to be with me, you helped me out. Comforted me. I suppose I'm just returning the favor."

"I suppose you are. I do feel better, it was simply something I wanted to ask you, darling. Now that that's behind us, I don't have to feel self-conscious about it any more. So, thank you."

Rarity reaches across the table and rests her hoof in your hand, which you grasp gently, giving her a heart-felt smile.

"Any time, Rarity. I meant every word I said. I, um...I've never really felt this kind of connection with someone before, even with past relationships. There was always something there, yeah, but this feels...genuine, I guess is the word. Like I've found the one girl who really accepts me for who I am, flaws and all. A soul mate." You shake your head, continuing with a laugh, "God, that was such a cliched thing to say."

"I think it was beautiful," Rarity says in response. "I must say, I feel the same way, darling. You've been a welcome beacon in my life ever since you quite literally appeared before me. I realize our relationship is unconventional, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I would very much like to see you more often...if you think you can make time, that is. I understand work keeps us both busy."

"I think I could do that," you say with a smile. "I...I hope this isn't too forward, Rarity, but..." you let out a deep exhale as you rub your thumb over the soft coat of her foreleg, "...I think I love you. I've been wanting to say it for a while now, but I didn't want to rush things, you know? I guess it feels like the right time to say it. So yeah," you look into her deep, blue eyes, feeling the nervous butterflies gradually leaving, "I love you, Rarity."

For a moment she doesn't say anything, simply looking back at you, but she soon hops down from her chair and walks over to your side. You scoot your chair back enough to let her climb up with you, and she straddles your lap with a leg on either side of you. She runs a hoof over your cheek, running it back over your ear and behind your head.

"I love you, too." She finally says into your ear, just above a whisper. She places her forehead against yours and smiles warmly, then leans in and presses her soft lips against your own in a long, lingering kiss. You place an arm around her back and gently pull her against you, slowly slipping your tongue between her lips, grasping her more firmly as she returns the favor. You feel her forelegs drape over your shoulders and tug you toward her, her actions becoming quicker and more passionate. With a final, long kiss she pulls back from you, her breathing heavy and her voice dripping with affection. "I love you, too, darling. I love you so much."

You play a hand through her hair, placing a kiss on her horn.

"I'm so happy to hear that, you have no idea."

"I think I have some idea. If I'm honest, I've had the same feeling for quite some time now. To finally be able to say it...goodness, it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my chest. Thank you for being honest with me, my love."

"I feel so relieved right now," you laugh, kissing her again as she responds with her own. "I think I'd like to see you as much as I can. Definitely."

"I look forward to it, darling." She gently kisses both of your cheeks. "For now, I suppose we should finish our meal. It would be a shame to let it get cold, wouldn't you agree?"

"As good as you can make it? I'd say it'd be a real shame."

"I'm glad we agree," she laughs quietly. "You're quite the good kisser, if I may be so bold. Here's hoping we share such experiences for many months and years to come."

You wrap both of your arms around her and hug her tightly, kissing her cheek in return.

"I'm not going anywhere, baby. You can count on that."

==========

No one should have to get up at five in the morning. No one. Human or pony, man or woman. Especially when five A.M. comes after only six hours of sleep. Why hasn't anyone invented disposable alarm clocks? At least you'd feel better if you could smash the ever-loving crap out of the damnable ringing menace.

"It's too early to be this early!" Rarity complains in a half-asleep stupor, shoving a pillow over her and Fluttershy's heads. You grumble something incoherent to yourself and blindly grope for the alarm, finding it after what feels like an eternity. You slam your hand down on the button and finally shut it up. Sure enough, it's five o'clock. The sun hasn't even come up yet. Extra sleep is not on the agenda today -- it's going to take a good hour to get back home (though you can at least sleep on the way back), and then you'll have another hour to eat, get ready for work, and head out.

Fluttershy stretches and yawns, giving you a tired smile as she looks around the room.

"Good morning," she says a little too cheerfully for your current state of mind.

"Mornin'," you reply with your face buried in a pillow. She went to bed at least two hours before you and Rarity did. At least someone got their eight hours...

"Rarity? It's time to get up. We, um, need to get ready." Fluttershy gently nudges the grumpy unicorn, getting a groan of annoyance in return. "I know you must be tired, but we'll miss the taxi if we don't make it on time."

"Yes, yes, I'm awake, Fluttershy," Rarity throws her forelegs up as she speaks, letting them fall limply against her chest. "Oh, goodness...for the second morning in a row I find myself regretting drinking so much alcohol. I do believe that's quite enough for a while."

You lean over and give Rarity a kiss, slowly raising yourself to a sitting position.

"I can pack your bags, honey. You can sleep for a little while more if you like."

"I appreciate the offer, darling, but I really should just wake up and stay awake. Else I'm going to look a complete mess by the time we leave." She groggily looks around, squinting against the light of a lantern you flick on. "Where's...where's my comb? My hair is just not ready and...my comb..."

"Your comb can wait, baby. You should probably wake up first."

"But my curls, they're all frazzled from last night...you just had to pull on them, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but you liked it. I know you did."

"I would respond with something witty, but I'm afraid I'm much too tired to care at the moment." She lifts a foreleg in the air, waving it in your direction. "Help me up, darling." You grasp it and pull her up, watching in amusement as she scratches her side and fusses with her mane.

"Would anyone mind if I take a quick shower?"

You glance over at the clock -- you still have to drop off the key, and be out front for the taxi in half an hour.

"Well...yeah, I suppose it couldn't hurt. Just don't take too long, hon."

"Ten minutes at most, I promise." Rarity hops down from the bed and trots down around the corner to the small bathroom, levitating a comb from her bag as she does. Ten minutes. Hopefully.

==========

Of course it wasn't ten minutes. It's never ten minutes. You had to almost drag her from the mirror after just under half an hour, already wrapped up in your winter gear and feeling more than a little impatient. Fortunately, Rarity was able to get dressed far faster than she was able to comb her hair (though not to her exacting standards), and you just barely made it out the door as the taxi pulled up, a different pair of earth ponies pulling it along, both of them wearing thick jackets. You wave to them as they look in your direction; at least they won't leave without you.

"Good, they see us. Let's go drop this key off."

"I'll go tell them we'll be just a moment," Fluttershy says, flapping into the cold air and flying off in their direction.

It's much colder out than it was last night, and it even looks like more snow has fallen while you slept. You rub your gloved hands together, exhaling at the freezing bite of the air on your face. Your breath comes out as a cloud of vapor -- you could almost see it turn to ice. Just a little cold...

"Goodness, but it's chilly out!" Wrapped up in her thick, fuzzy ensemble, Rarity's mercifully resistant to most of it. "Let's not waste any time, darling! I'm sure Ruby and Cabernet's cabin will be much warmer inside!"

You can hardly argue. You quickly trudge through the ankle-deep snow, suddenly very envious of Fluttershy's immunity to cold.

"If only...I could...fly!" Make that two of you who are currently envious.

You glance at the other cabins as you pass by them, noticing that they appear empty. Or maybe the occupants are simply sane and aren't waking up at the ass-crack of dawn. At least the scenery is nice -- the fresh snow is glinting with the slowly rising sun, now just barely peeking over the horizon. You have to admit, it's been a fun place to visit. Freezing, but fun.

You knock on the wine-red door of the main building, hoping the owners are awake at this hour.

"Come in!"

Ruby and Cabernet are already up, busy tending to some sort of ledger or financial book. Cab is counting a decently-sized stack of bits on a table in the corner. He gives you a wave as you and Rarity walk in, followed shortly after by Fluttershy.

"Mornin', kids. Off so soon, are ya?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Rarity answers, levitating the key from your hand and placing it on the counter. "I'm afraid we must be off, we've a busy day ahead of us."

"We really enjoyed your hospitality. And your cabin." You nod to the two ponies behind the counter. "You folks have been very kind. Great place you've got up here."

Ruby smiles and takes the key from the counter, placing it on a small shelf.

"Well thank you, dearie! We'd love to have you back, you've been simply ideal guests! It was so...fascinating...to hear about your world last night at dinner. I'm sure you probably get tired of telling the same stories to everypony, but I, for one, enjoyed hearing them."

"Nah, I don't mind telling 'em. It was in good company. And the food was amazing. Your son's got some serious culinary talent." You notice Rarity quickly trotting off around the corner, but go back to your conversation for fear of coming across as rude. "Uh, hey, if you're ever in Ponyville, drop by the Carousel Boutique. We'd love to repay the favor. Rarity's quite the cook."

"We don't often head out that way, but it's not unheard of. Next time we're out there, we'll definitely come by, thank you! Isn't that right, Cab?" Cabernet doesn't move, busily muttering to himself with a pencil in his mouth. "Cab? CAB!"

"Huh? Wha? What was that, honey?" He drops the pencil, letting it clatter against the table.

"Don't be rude, Cab! I was telling our guests here that we'd gladly stop by and see them the next time we're in Ponyville." Ruby puts a hoof to her face and sighs. "I'm sorry, dearie, my husband can be a little...preoccupied at times."

"No harm done," you laugh.

Cab lifts himself from the chair with a flap of his wings, trotting over to the counter. No matter how many times you see him, it still strikes you just how built he is for a pegasus. He could give Pipe a run for his money.

"Sorry about that, youngin'. These ears of mine ain't what they used to be."

"Your ears aren't the only thing that ain't what they used to be..." Ruby mutters under her breath. You feel your cheeks flush, not sure how you should be reacting to such a comment. You want to laugh, but it's probably best not to react.

"Hey! My body is working just fine, woman! You keep that up and our tall friend here is gonna revoke that invitation." He leans up against the counter and nudges you with an elbow. "Never get married, son. It'll only end in tears. Or servitude. Or both. Ha HA!"

Ruby rolls her eyes and pushes him back down with a hoof.

"Anywho, as I was sayin', you folks come by any time you like. Our busiest months tend to be in late winter and early autumn, so if you plan on coming up during that time you might want to book a cabin ahead of time."

You glance up at the clock on the wall, hoping the taxi won't get impatient and leave without you. Where did Rarity take off to?

"Oh, silly me, I completely forgot to ask! How did you enjoy the cabin? Was everything comfortable?"

Fluttershy steps up to the counter, a small wreath of pine branches clutched in her mouth. A small, red bow adorns the top of it. A souvenir, you'd guess.

"It was very nice, thank you. Your beds are really comfortable, Miss Ruby. I enjoyed my time here very much. Oh, and your wine is wonderful!"

"Well thank you, miss! Those beds are very expensive, made by hoof in New Olneigh!"

"Yeah, very expensive," Cab adds, "and just waiting to be stolen. I told you, dear, you're too trusting. One of these days, somepony's gonna waltz right on out with your fancy-flank beds!"

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud, Cab! We've had those things for the better part of a year now, and nopony's up and taken 'em just yet!"

Fluttershy nudges the souvenir gently.

"Um, how much is this wreath? I think it would look very nice at home...as long as it lasts, that is."

"Don't you worry about it lasting, dearie! That wreath is made from the branches of the Everfern tree -- they're magical, you see. They'll stay green for years to come! Isn't that something?"

"Oh, my, I didn't know such a thing existed!"

"They're somewhat rare, even around these parts, but if you know where to look it's not too hard to find 'em. Cab and I make little wreaths and such like that one all the time, they're great sellers. Speaking of which, that little beauty will be ten bits, if you don't mind."

Ten bits seems like an awfully low price for something that's supposedly so rare, but you can't very well argue about it.

Fluttershy lifts the flap of her saddlebag with a wing, pulling out a small coin pouch, which she fishes through and pulls out ten-bit piece from. Flexible wings. Still weird.

"Ha! Well I'll be!" Cab says with a wide grin. "I told ya I wasn't the only pegasus who could do that, hon!" Cab takes the coin from Fluttershy, tucking it into a drawer under the counter. "See, those non-pegasi don't understand some things about us, little lady. She still wonders how I can work on the ice wine harvest without a jacket or anything like that. I keep tellin' her, 'honey, pegasi ain't bothered by the cold', but she just thinks I'm tryin' to show her up, heh heh."

Rarity finally returns, and it's exactly as you'd figured -- she's floating a trio of bottles in the air, her azure-blue magic field glinting off the dark green glass. You brace yourself for the inevitable cost. Cab glances over at her with a chuckle, pointing at the bottles levitating beside her.

"Looks like your little lady found a few things that caught her fancy, huh?"

"Oh, it's just a few things," Rarity states dismissively, "a couple of bottles that seemed like good purchases. I must say, your wine is fairly priced for such quality."

You try to read the labels as they gently bob up and down -- there's a 994 Cabernet, an 01 Blanc, and some other wine you can't read, thinner than the others.

"Would you be a dear and ring these up for me, Madame Ruby? I'm afraid we really must be on our way, or the gentlestallions out front may just leave without us."

"Of course, dearie! Let's see here...an oh-one Blanc, very nice...a nine-ninety-four Cabernet, excellent choice..."

"What?" The pegasus asks, looking up from a book.

"Not you, Cab, the wine."

"Oh. Right."

"Aaaand...oh, that's one of our ice wine bottles! You'll be the first to buy a bottle of this season's harvest."

Rarity smiles politely and levitates the bottles to the counter, where Ruby marks them all with a wax stamp.

"The one we tried last night was simply fabulous, I just had to take some home."

"Alrighty, that'll come out to forty-six bits." The wine-red earth pony sweeps the appropriate coins across the counter once Rarity sets them down, dumping them into a register. "Well we appreciate your business, Miss Rarity. It's been nice to see you again, promise us you'll come by some time?"

"I shall certainly endeavor to do so, Ruby. Thank you again for your hospitality, I think we've all enjoyed our time here."

You nod and smile, feeling yourself become more impatient. Polite banter is nice and all, but it's still a long way until you're home.

"Until next time, Miss Ruby. Mister Cabernet." Rarity bows her head slightly, grabbing the bottles off the counter with a burst of magic and tucking them into either side of her saddlebags.

"You kids take care now, ya hear?" Cabernet calls out to you as you walk out. "And remember: Never argue with the lady, she'll always win! Haha!"

You open the door for the mares at your side, closing it behind you as you step outside. One of the taxi stallions is impatiently tapping a hoof; probably best not to take any more time. You grab your backpack and make sure Rarity's saddlebags are secure, tucking a scarf between two of the bottles to keep them from clinking together.

"My apologies for keeping you waiting, good sirs," Rarity stays as she approaches the taxi. "It's been quite the frantic morning, I'm afraid."

"Don't worry about it," the one on the right answers. "Climb on in and we can take off. Ponyville, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," you answer, stepping in behind Rarity and Fluttershy. You're suddenly struck by the fact that the taxi isn't enclosed...and the weather is just above freezing at the moment. This could be a problem.

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"Depending on road conditions? 'Bout an hour. Took us longer than that to get up here, but it's downhill most of the way to town, so it'll be smoother sailing." He glances over his shoulder, making sure you're all seated and secured. "You all set back there?"

"We're ready, thank you," Fluttershy answers.

"Alright then, here we go. I know it's early, so if you wanna catch a nap on the way, we'll wake you when we're there."

The taxi wagon jerks to a start, moving slowly at first as the stallions controlling it build up momentum, but soon starts rolling along at a brisk pace. Unfortunately, so does the resulting wind. Even with your warm (and fabulous) jacket and matching winter gear, the cold is making your teeth chatter.

"Hey...b-b-baby?" you ask, hoping for some warmth.

"Yes, darling?" Rarity doesn't seem nearly as cold. It's not too surprising -- between her thick jacket and her natural coat, she probably doesn't feel it. As much, anyway.

"I'm f-freezing my ass off here, heheh..."

"Oh, you poor thing! You look as if you're going to turn into an icicle at any moment! That simply will not do." Rarity opens up a saddlebag sitting on the floor of the taxi, rummaging through it and pulling out an extra jacket of hers. It's bright pink and blue, but you really couldn't care less right now.

She drapes it over your chest and arms, wrapping her forelegs around you and tucking her head into your shoulder. Fluttershy takes notice of your not-so-quiet chattering and unwraps the scarf from around her neck, placing it behind your head and tying it around you.

"You can use this," she says with a warm smile. "I don't mind at all."

"Y-You sure? I mean, it's your only bit of weather p-p-protection..."

"Oh, it's okay, I don't notice the cold at all. Promise."

Rarity places a gloved hoof on your cheek.

"How's that, my dear? Any warmer?"

"That helps, yeah," you answer once you manage to get a hold of your shaking. "Thanks, hon. And thank you too, Fluttershy. I must look ridiculous," you laugh.

"You just look very, um...colorful," Fluttershy giggles.

"I'd say pink is quite fetching on you!" Rarity adds, poking your side. "Perhaps you should just try to get some sleep, hmm? We'll be home before you know it."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Or try to, anyway."

You feel Fluttershy put her forelegs around you as well, and she gently kisses your neck. "I know I already said it, but thank you for a wonderful experience. The trip, I mean. But the kiss was good, too." She kisses your neck again, throwing in a small lick at the end of it, before gently biting between your neck and shoulder. You gasp in surprise, your mind suddenly taken off the cold.

"I guess you were right after all, Rarity," she laughs. "Sorry, hm-hmm."

"I told you, darling. He's sensitive there."

You have to let out a deep breath to calm yourself down.

"Come on, ladies, that's not fair! Oh man, gonna get me all worked up here, sheesh."

"Just having a bit of fun, my love. Look at it this way: You're certainly feeling warmer now, aren't you?"

You really couldn't argue that one.

"I thought so. As I was saying before, try to get some sleep. I think Fluttershy and myself are going to do the same."

"Alright, fine. But I still say that wasn't fair." You give her a quick kiss before settling back and closing your eyes.

"Perhaps. I'll make it up to you later, darling. You'll not be lacking for warmth then, of that I can assure you."

You lay your head against Fluttershy's -- aware of the fact that Rarity's horn is at the perfect angle to poke you if you tried to use her head instead -- and enjoy the feeling of her long, soft hair against your cheek. Despite the cold, despite the bumpy road, and despite part of your mind still kicking in protest at not getting a finish from Fluttershy's tease, you manage to drift off, wrapped in a rainbow of colors and the comforting warmth of the beautiful mares at your side.

==========

Correction: No one should have to get up at five in the morning, sleep for an hour, and then get up again. Especially when it means that you have eight hours of work ahead of you before you can get back in bed. The fact that you haven't managed to escape the snow by returning home isn't helping things -- there's already a thin layer of it on the ground, and with the work load picking up this week, you're really not looking forward to it.

"Oh, come now, darling! There's no use in complaining about it. After all, the weather team isn't going to delay their plans just so you can avoid being a little cold." Rarity is busily strapping on her saddlebags as she speaks, the taxi drivers pulling off down the road and out of view.

"Yeah, I know. I can still gripe about it!" You sling your backpack around one shoulder and brush the wayward snow from it. Just under an hour to get home, possibly take a hot shower, grab something to eat, get ready for work, and head out. It's gonna be down to the wire, most likely.

"The pegasi are just doing their jobs," Fluttershy chimes in. "After all, if they didn't start the winter's snowfall, all of the animals around Ponyville wouldn't know whether they should hibernate or store food. Not to mention the holidays! Hearth's Warming Eve is only a month away. You, um, didn't get to experience that last year, did you?"

You think back to last year, late in the month of Frostfall, and the sudden spike in workload your crew had to take on. It was for a good cause -- a school being built in Stalliongrad -- but it kept you away for over a week, including Hearth's Warming Eve, the pony equivalent of Christmas. You don't intend to miss it this year.

"Sadly, no," you reply. "It was complicated...but hey, I'm here this year, and as far as I know we're not going anywhere for work. That means I'll get to spend it with you girls. Hopefully."

Rarity puts a hoof against your thigh and smiles up at you.

"I certainly do hope so, my love. With the holiday coming up so soon, I'm going to be dreadfully busy until the celebration is over. I'd say it's the busiest such event outside of the Gala! It should net us a tidy profit, but I'm certainly going to be earning it, to say nothing of the custom fitting and accessorizing."

"I'll still be here to help," Fluttershy offers. "Um, if you don't mind, that is. I know it can get a little busy..."

Rarity steps over and kisses her on the cheek, running a hoof through her hair.

"You've been an enormous help thus far, darling. Of course you're welcome to help out. After all, that's exactly what you've been doing this last month, isn't it? Helping around the store?"

"I guess I have," she replies bashfully. "When I'm not helping at the cottage, anyway. It's a good thing winter is slow for me, or I'd fear for Angel's nerves!"

"Speaking of which, how has he been holding up? I imagine it can be quite stressful for the little dear, what with this temper and such."

"He, um...he has his days. He's a big boy now, and I think it's good that he learns to do these things for himself, but still...he does have a bit of a temper at times. Oh, but his heart is in the right place, of course! I make sure to see him at some point every day."

"Well, ill-tempered bunnies aside," you add, "we should get back to the Boutique. I've still got quite a bit to do, and not much time to do it."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so much time..." Fluttershy looks up at you apologetically. The sudden urge to pick her up and squeeze her like a plushie suddenly returns. She's too adorable for her own good!

"Don't worry about it," you say, placing a hand on her back with a reassuring smile. "I'd suggest grabbing breakfast somewhere, but with our day being what it is, we should probably just get back."

"Okay," she smiles back.

"Right, then. After you, ladies."

Rarity and Fluttershy fall in beside each other, immediately starting to talk about something you can't even relate to, a memory from several years ago that soon has them laughing with one another. You follow a few steps behind, watching the multitude of pegasi zipping by overhead as they build up the cloud cover. You've seen them doing something similar before -- heavier snow is coming, and soon. Work is gonna be a nightmare, unless they just end up cancelling it early.

It takes just under fifteen minutes to make the walk back to the corner of Mane and Withers, where Elegant Expectations sits currently shrouded in darkness, only a small desk lamp near the back providing any sort of illumination. You hate having to walk by it every day to and from work; even if you wanted to, you couldn't avoid it. It's a constant reminder of the stress and complications brought upon you and Rarity on a nearly daily basis..

Cashmere manages to catch a glimpse of you as you walk by, and she waves a hoof with a wry smile from behind the counter. You've met some pretty infuriating people in your time -- human and pony --, but the creamy-yellow unicorn with shockingly red hair may just take the proverbial cake. Why can't she just...leave? You give a half-hearted wave back, cringing inwardly as she blows a kiss in your direction.

"Was that who I think it was?" Rarity asks, not bothering to turn and face her friend-turned-rival.

"Yep, the one and only."

"Wonderful. Perhaps she'll do us the favor of making herself scarce for this week."

If only it were that easy.

"Somehow I doubt it, honey."

"Sadly, I'm afraid you're right," she says with a deep sigh. "Be that as it may, we'll take her challenges as they come. We've weathered her childish games before, and shall do so again."

The tall, rounded shape of the Boutique is finally in view as you make you way down the curved street. You wish you could have spent a while longer up at the cabin, but it's still good to be home.

"Oh, finally!" Rarity exclaims joyfully. "I was beginning to think we'd somehow managed to cross the entirety of Ponyville twice! Poor Opal, she must be dreadfully upset with me. I left her enough food and water to last the day, but you know how she can get."

Only too well. You'd still say that shipping her half way across the world is the best solution.

"How much time do you have, my dear?"

"Uhh...according to my watch, about forty-five minutes."

"I see. If you'd like to take a shower, I can prepare a quick breakfast for us. Perhaps you'd like to help me out, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, um...I don't really cook very often..." she answers nervously.

"Think nothing of it, darling! I know you've the talent, somewhere deep inside that adorable head of yours. I do remember our first dinner together, after all. There's nothing to fear."

"Okay, I guess I could, you know...give it a try."

"Fabulous! Now, if we have breakfast ready within, say, twenty minutes, then it leaves enough time to make last-minute adjustments to..." Rarity trails off, cocking her head awkwardly as she stops and stares at the Boutique.

"Darling, are you...are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

From this distance it's hard to make out, but something is definitely odd. Adorning the front and visible sides of the Boutique is some sort of poster, tacked up again and again. There must be dozens of them...

"What the hell...? Fluttershy, can you make out what it says?" You start walking toward the now-covered facade of your home, Rarity quickly joining you.

You hear Fluttershy gasp, her superior pegasus eyesight obviously catching something you've missed.

"Oh, no..." she says quietly.

"What? What do they say?"

"You, um...you should probably see them for yourselves...oh, my..."

You take off in a jog to the front door, arriving just ahead of Rarity and the now-hovering Fluttershy. The posters are much easier to read now...but you suddenly wish they weren't.

You rip one of them off from the front door, holding it in your hand. There, in black and white, is a picture. Not just any picture, but a picture of you and Rarity, her forelegs wrapped around your bare torso as your head is buried in her neck in the throes of passion. Rarity's jacket is hanging from her elbows and drapes over your legs, barely concealing the fact that you're currently -- or were currently -- very intimate with her.

A picture of your most private moment. Taken from a window.

Last night.

As if the invasion of privacy wasn't enough, each poster has a word scrawled across it in messy, angry writing. The one in your hand has the word "WHORE" written out over Rarity's head.

"What the fuck..." You stare at the picture in disbelief, not entirely sure that you're really seeing what your eyes claim to be seeing. The posters scream at you in an unknown voice: 'Slut, tramp, liar!!!' Many of them have the writing over your own head: 'Prick!', one of them reads. 'Fucking asshole!'

Rarity pulls a picture from the door with a burst of magic, floating it in front of her, before gasping loudly and dropping it at her hooves.

"This...this is us!" she says disbelievingly, a hoof hovering just in front of her mouth. "Oh Goddesses...someone took this of us last night! Who could do such a thing?!"

Fluttershy kicks the offending picture away, her eyes already starting to glisten with oncoming tears.

"This is awful..."

Rarity looks up at you with desperate eyes, eager to find an answer that you probably can't provide.

"I-I can't recall a single pony who knew we were even there! Besides the other guests, and the owners...but why would they..."

You bend down and embrace Rarity as tight as you can, letting her cry her eyes out on your shoulder.

"Shhh, it's okay, baby..." you try to comfort her. "It's okay..."

"But...but it's not okay!" she sobs as she pulls back from your shoulder, her blue eyeshadow starting to smudge and run down her cheeks. "Someone went out of their way to catch us in such an intimate act! Is there no such thing as privacy these days?!"

Fluttershy lands gently next to you and nuzzles her cheek against Rarity's, ignoring the marks left by her running makeup.

"I'm so sorry, Rarity. Some ponies can be terrible."

"I mean, this trip was just...spur of the moment! I hadn't told a single soul about it!"

"Me either," you add. "That means someone followed us...someone hated us enough to follow us, and then spent the entire day and night just...waiting!"You run your fingers through her long hair and kiss her forehead, trying to stave off your own tears. You feel violated, but more than that, you feel like a failure for letting this happen to the woman you love. Maybe you missed someone at dinner, or someone else knew about it, or...

"It's as if they want the entirety of Ponyville to see! This...this is our lives they're interfering with!" She stomps a hoof on the ground, raising her voice to a desperate, sobbing yell. "What gives them the right to do such a thing?! What could possibly make it okay to take something so wonderful and twist it into such a barbaric, disgusting display of hatred?! I...I just...we can't...why would..."

Rarity breaks down and cries into your shoulder again, harder than you've heard in a long time.You do your best to comfort and reassure her, but it feels hopeless; this isn't just an attack against her business, this is an attack against her personal life. Against your personal life. Something that should be off-limits to anyone with even a modicum of decency.

You look down at the picture resting on the ground, taking it in your hand with another feeling of astonishment at the absurdity and perversion of it all. Someone, somewhere, went out of their way to catch you in the midst of making love, and used it to gain their petty revenge.

You crumple the poster in your hand and angrily toss it away. The more you think about it, the more incensed you feel yourself becoming; they want to fuck with your life, do they? They want to ruin the relationship you've worked so hard at building and maintaining?!

"This is not going to go unanswered," you say between gritted teeth. A list of possible suspects races through your mind, but you can't be one-hundred percent sure. "God damnit! Of all the bullshit someone could pull..."

Rarity places her hooves on your shoulders and looks into your eyes, blinking away tears.

"Who...who could have done this?"

"I don't know," you say with a deep exhale. "But I'm going to find out. Someone's gonna fucking pay for this."

"Darling, please...I'm just as upset about this as you are, but you must think of your prior--"

"My priorities are to you!" you interrupt. "Someone did this, and that means I've failed you! Some protector I am...no, whoever it was is going to regret this."

"Stop it! You're scaring me! Just listen to yourself!" Rarity narrows her eyes as she speaks, leaning in closer to you. "You've not failed anyone, do you understand me? And you especially haven't failed me! How could we have possibly known something like this would happen? And suppose we do find out who this is...what are you going to do, storm off in their direction and demand blood?!"

"I never said I would--"

"Ah ah! I am by no means happy with this situation. Not one bit. I feel violated and disgusted and a thousand other things I can't begin to describe! But I am not going to let you make some rash decision! Do you understand me?"

You want to protest, to remain angry until you can find the pony responsible, but you feel the anger leaving you just as quickly as it arose.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby." You finally break down and let the tears flow, holding Rarity against you for comfort. "I just...to think that someone could do this to you...it's sickening. And when I think of someone holding such an intense hatred against you, I just feel...so angry. God, I'm sorry."

"It's alright, darling," Rarity answers, running a hoof through your hair. "Nopony's perfect, after all."

Fluttershy wraps her wings around you and Rarity and gently rocks back and forth, quietly humming a soothing song. You pull back after a long moment and wipe your eyes, feeling very thankful for the pegasus mare's affection.

"I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I'm not usually like this..."

"It's okay," she whispers, kissing your cheek.

"I suppose Rarity is right. I have to think of my priorities. And that's to you and her, first and foremost. Everything else is secondary." You sniff back your remaining tears and place a hand on the side of her head, touching her soft hair with your fingertips. "I'm not thinking clearly...what should I do? I really don't know what to do right now..."

"Well, um...I think you should carry on like any other day, honestly. Whoever did this vile act is just trying to disrupt your lives. So I'd say, the best thing to do would be to simply...push past it. Don't skip work or anything like that, just try to maintain normalcy."

You'd completely forgotten about work. You glance at your wrist watch, reading just after seven; less than half an hour. It's gonna be a long day.

"And if I'm honest, all you'll be accomplishing by staying home and brooding over it will be further making yourself upset. That's not good for you or Rarity."

"Or for you," you say with a half-laugh, sniffing hard. "You're one of us, after all. I, um...while I'm thinking of it, I just want to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?" she asks with a look of concern.

"For being so...distant, I guess is the word. You've been with us for a good while now, and I really feel like I've been overlooking you."

"Oh, no, it's okay, I understand. Rarity is your true love, and--"

"No, it's not okay. I love Rarity with my entire heart and soul," you put an arm around Rarity, who kisses your hand, "but that doesn't mean that it's right to pass you over like I have been. You're wonderful and charming and all of those things, and I promise to spend more time with you when I can. Promise. Okay?"

"Okay," she smiles warmly.

"Good. But, uh, I guess for the time being, we should get this filth off the walls."

"I'd say that's a marvelous idea," Rarity says. "Though I'm not sure that leaves us much time for breakfast, darling."

"I can stand to be a few minutes late, I think. I doubt Pipe will complain much when he finds out why."

"If you say so, my love. I just don't want you getting in trouble."

"Don't worry, baby. He's an understanding guy."

You look up at the multitude of posters covering the lower portion of the Boutique, and immediately tear one off.

"That's one down. Let's get this over with."

Rarity places a hoof against her eyelid, pulling it back with a look of disgust.

"Goodness, my eyeshadow. What a mess."

"You're still sexy, hon, don't worry," you joke. A bit of laughter feels good right now, even if every picture you rip down brings nothing but disgust.

"Always a flatterer," she laughs quietly. Her horn flares with blue magic, and three posters are torn from the wall at once. "This shouldn't take too long, I believe. Once we're nearly done, I suppose I could head inside and start breakfast with Fluttershy's assistance. If that's alright with you, darling."

"Be my guest," you reply, grabbing two more and disposing of them. You stomp on them with the heel of your boot and swear quietly. "Feels like it's gonna be a long eight hours. For all of us, no doubt."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. Fluttershy and I are expecting an increase in business starting today, which is cause for enough worry, to say nothing of our...stalker." She spits out the last word, crumpling three more posters into a ball and dumping them at her hooves.

"Once I get home, though...there's gonna be some answers. Whoever did this, they're god damned well gonna answer to us."

You stare at the vulgar writing and sneer, ripping it from the wall.

"God damned well."