Rarity yawned slowly as she felt the sun on her face. Pushing her sleep mask up to the base of her horn, she stretched her legs and looked around. Her bedroom was pristine, just as she’d left it the previous night; It had taken most of the previous day to reorganize her bedroom, and her kitchen, and the inspiration room. Her closets had been packed to capacity with pictures and baubles and whatever else she found she didn’t particularly feel like looking at in the wake of yesterday’s events.

Stifling another yawn with her hoof, Rarity got to her hooves and strode over to her vanity. She looked at her reflection and smiled.

For the first time in a long time, she was single.

For the first time in a long time, she was free.

Rarity almost couldn’t believe it, but by all accounts, it was true; The constant heartache, the arguments, the endless parade of embarrassments and indignities…

It was over.

Rarity giggled. She felt so alive. Suddenly the world was full of possibilities again. Rarity walked to the bathroom as she let her mind explore the idea. No more would she need to schedule her life around another pony; No more would she need to worry about how every action she took made another pony feel; No more would she need to play damage control every time she wanted to go to a benefit or fundraiser or gallery opening. Just the thought of it was so liberating... Rarity hadn’t felt this free in years.

She reached her bathroom and gripped her toothbrush with her magic. No more would she have some pony insisting she forego her morning rituals because she ‘looked just as good without all the gussyin’ up’. It was almost like Applejack didn’t understand a single thing about her; She didn’t ‘gussy herself up’ for others, she did it for herself, because she liked the way she looked when she put some effort into it.

Rarity spat out her toothpaste as she took a deep breath. No, this was a time for celebration, not for getting frustrated about ex-marefriends. She had spent far too long getting pointlessly worked up over stupid things; This was a time to enjoy herself, to enjoy the autonomy that came with being newly single.

Rarity rinsed her mouth and stepped over to the shower, turning the knobs and summoning a towel from the nearby rack. This was a whole new frontier she was stepping into, and she was going to enjoy it without any thoughts of a certain orange farmpony ruining it for her.

As Rarity crossed the threshold of The Top Shelf, she knew one thing for certain; She’d missed this. The yellow light refracting off the crystal bottles, the tasteful string music playfully wafting through the atmosphere, and better yet the elegant, refined ponies lining the bar, sipping real, genuine spirits instead of swill like Buck Daniels. Rarity smiled as she stepped up to the bar and gently hopped into an empty seat.

“What can I get you, beautiful?” the young unicorn stallion behind the bar asked, raising his eyebrows flirtatiously.

Rarity smiled back as she floated her bitpurse up to the counter. “I’m rather in the mood for a Maretini, gin, 3 olives,” She said as she pulled a few bits out and placed them on the counter. “Stirred, please.”

“Coming right up,” the stallion said as he moved away to prepare her drink.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here, Rarity.”

Rarity turned her head to the source of the voice to see her friend Octavia hoisting herself into an empty chair next to her. “Octavia, it’s so good to see you,” she said, reaching over to hug her. “Indeed, it has been entirely too long since I’ve been able to visit an establishment with any class whatsoever.”

Octavia returned her hug with a smile. “Where’s the apple and chain?” Octavia asked with a smirk.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “The ‘chain’ has been severed, as it were.”

“Really? That’s a surprise.” Octavia said with an unsure look. “I’m… sorry to hear that?”

“Oh please, don’t be. It was a long time coming. If there is any surprise involved, it is that it took this long to finally happen,” Rarity mused as the bartender returned with her drink and set it on the bar in front of her, taking the bits and bowing politely. “Thank you,” she said as she took it.

Octavia ordered a drink of her own before turning back to Rarity. “I’ll admit, I did always think it seemed a bit odd that you two were together,” she said, apparently relieved that Rarity was not offended by her faux pas.

“Really? Coming from the one dating the town’s most eccentric DJ?” Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. That actually just came to an end, as well.” Octavia said, shaking her head as the bartender brought her her drink.

Rarity paused as she sipped her drink and felt the gin burn a minty trail down her throat. “That’s quite a coincidence, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so. How about a toast, then?” Octavia asked, raising her glass next to Rarity’s. “To singledom.”

Rarity giggled. “To singledom.” They clinked their glasses together and each took a demure sip. Rarity sighed contentedly as she leaned back into her chair. “Honestly, it’s such a relief. I haven’t felt this… at peace, I guess, in years. You wouldn’t believe what Applejack did two nights ago.”

“I assure you, I have you beat,” Octavia said rolling her eyes.

“Oh? Try me.” Rarity smirked.

“Alright. Last night, I’m at an audition for a quartet that will be playing at a very prestigious gala in Baltimare next month, and I start to play my piece, only to discover that Vinyl replaced the backing track on my cassette with what she called ‘the wubbingest bass beat you’ve ever heard.’ As you can imagine, the judges were not impressed,” Octavia sighed.

Rarity laughed. “Oh my gosh, I can just picture that. Applejack was totally the same way. I swear, these ponies just don’t understand that society has rules! You can’t just go about doing whatever you want all the time.”

“Exactly! Vinyl said she was trying to give my audition some ‘oomph’ to make it ‘memorable.’ Of course, now I’ll be remembered as the mare who made a mockery of their audition! It’s like she has no faith in my considerable skill as an artist.”

“Tell me about it,” Rarity commiserated, “Why, just last month Applejack came with me to a fashion forum hosted by none other than Mauvelous, the famous designer, and after the forum’s conclusion, Applejack just walks right up to him and tells him he was ‘wrong’ about stetsons being a hat for barbarians. I was so embarassed I could have died.”

Octavia stifled a laugh with her hoof. “Honestly Rarity, where did we find these ponies, and what in Equestria possessed us to stay with them for so long?”

“It’s this town, I swear. It does things to you. Makes you forget where your priorities lie,” Rarity said as she sipped her drink again.

“Hah hah, I’ll drink to that!” Octavia cheered, clinking her glass against Rarity’s again and downing the small amount left.

Rarity did the same and placed her glass on the bar. “Say,” she said as she got out of her chair, “we’re two young, beautiful, and single ladies; why don’t we celebrate a bit?”

Octavia smiled. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I haven’t done any dancing that didn’t involve squares in eons,” Rarity said with a smirk.

Octavia nodded. “I know just the place.”

The Trap Door, thank Celestia, was not a literal name; Rarity could only imagine the indignity of a building that would require one to descend a ladder to gain entry. Octavia ensured her that this was in fact the most exclusive club in Ponyville, so she put her faith in her old friend and followed her to the front of the extremely long line at the door.

At the end of the line was a pony whom Rarity could only describe as ‘Big Macintosh out of ten’, checking IDs and waving ponies in whenever another pony left. Octavia strode right up to him, drawing irate stares from much of the gathered crowd, and whispered something in his ear. He nodded sharply and motioned for the two of them to enter.

Octavia had said that this had once been a movie theater before the current owner bought the building and turned it into a club; She could see how this was the case; Many of the walls had been removed and floors raised so that they would all be on one plane, but the projection screens that lined the walls had clearly been repurposed, now displaying colorful silhouettes that shook and bobbed with the motion of the many multicolored lights that lit up the dance floor. The concession stand had been converted into a bar where ponies crowded around, yelling fruitlessly over the cacophony of the music at a pair of clearly overworked bartenders for drinks at no doubt exploitative prices.

Octavia gave Rarity a hoof signal to indicate that she would return in a moment, so she found a small pillar by which she could wait as Octavia headed for the bar. Rarity watched as Octavia strode up to the bar, waved a hoof once, and was immediately handed two small glasses of shimmering clear liquid with which she quickly returned.

Rarity giggled as she accepted one of the glasses from Octavia, the pair quickly clinking them together and downing the contents. Rarity inhaled sharply as the liquor pleasantly burned down her throat. Octavia motioned to the dance floor with a smile. Rarity nodded and followed her.

The pair worked their way through the crowd to the edge of the dance floor and locked eyes. Rarity could feel the music pulsing through her body; Octavia approached her in a swift motion, brushing up against her side before turning and flicking her tail across Rarity’s nose. Rarity’s cheeks lit up as the scent of Octavia’s perfume burned into her nose, adding to the thickening fog in her mind; taking it as a cue, Rarity stepped forward only to have Octavia playfully nip at her ears. Rarity gasped as she pulled her head away. Octavia gave her a salacious look, communicating everything she couldn’t with the words that could never be heard in this cacophony.

Rarity panted, the heat in her cheeks rising. That Octavia would delve so quickly into such an act surprised her, but some part of her was absolutely thrilled; This was not the bored dance of a couple bound together by mutual obligation and suppressed resentment… This was real.

Rarity nipped back. Octavia grinned as she did, dodging her head out of the way and ducking under her neck, raising her back to run along Rarity’s chest as she squeezed under her. Rarity sucked in air as she felt electric tingles coursing through her veins. She’d begun to sweat, but she didn’t care; she couldn’t care. She was too busy pushing back as Octavia ground her side into her own, their necks gently mussing each other’s manes.

Rarity’s every muscle quavered. Octavia’s tail flicked across Rarity’s hindquarters, snapping against her cutie mark with an inaudible crack and sending a fresh jolt of energy radiating through her system. Rarity lost her breath again, feeling Octavia’s tail intertwining with her own as it fell back into place. As Octavia pressed her forehead against Rarity’s cheek, she could just barely detect the scent of the other mare’s earthy sweat beginning to overpower the flowery perfume; It was too much.

Rarity spun around to face her partner, taking her hooves in her own and pulling her close, their sweat slicked fur becoming irreparably disheveled in a series of more than glancing blows. Octavia giggled with half-lidded eyes as they swayed, clearly enthusiastic about Rarity taking the lead. Rarity felt her nip at her ears again, and this time made no effort to dodge her, instead lifting her off the ground and spinning around until the effects of the alcohol finally cost her her balance, sending the two mares toppling to the floor.

Rarity lay exhausted, panting and wiping the sweat from her brow as Octavia leaned over to her ear.

“It looks like we have some admirers,” Octavia shouted so as to be heard over the music.

“I noticed,” Rarity shouted back.

“NOW KISS,” came a roar of one particularly burly stallion watching them, forcing them both to roll their eyes.

“You know,” Rarity said, a wry smile coming to her lips, “I have a bottle of exquisite vintage Chardonneigh I’ve been dying for an excuse to open, but I haven’t had anypony to share it with who would appreciate it. Want to get out of here?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Octavia replied as she got to her hooves, holding a hoof out to Rarity.

Rarity took it and stood slowly. Octavia’s eyes smouldered with a fire that caught her off-guard and sent her heartbeat into the stratosphere. She nervously nodded and the two mares trotted toward the door amidst the disappointed calls of the crowd.

“This is fascinating. Is that cinnamon I taste?” Octavia asked as she lowered her glass.

“I swear Octavia, this is why I love you,” Rarity giggled. “Yes, Colton-Charlemane is known for its subtle yet distinctive flavorings, often notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and honey.”

“It’s wonderful,” Octavia said as she sipped more of the wine. “Positively exquisite.”

The two mares sat together on Rarity’s loveseat, the third bottle of wine sitting at the center of the coffee table, its fallen compatriots having rolled onto the floor while Rarity uncorked this one. Rarity sighed as she took another sip; She was definitely well past inebriated by now, but… She just felt so liberated, she didn’t want this feeling to end. After such a long period of compromise, to spend time with a mare who actually understood her, really and truly, was like walking out of a dark, damp tunnel into the warm embrace of the sun. So much so, in fact, that she didn’t even notice when Octavia’s foreleg snaked its way behind her shoulders and pulled her over so that her forehead nestled snugly into the other mare’s neck.

“You know,” Octavia said as she ran a hoof along Rarity’s chest, “you are incredible. It’s a shame we don’t hang out more.”

“Why don’t we?” Rarity asked, angling her eyes up in a futile attempt to see the other mare’s face. “Honestly, my friends don’t get me like you do,” she said, turning her body so that the fur of her chest rubbed against Octavia’s. “It’s so… perfect, just to be able to enjoy the finer things in life with another mare who actually understands them.”

Octavia shifted and pushed against Rarity, forcing her to flop onto her back. Octavia crawled over her and laid her body on top of the other mare, staring into her eyes. Rarity with shivered with unbidden delight as she saw the fire behind the other mare’s gaze. “I think you just read my mind,” she said as she pressed her lips down upon Rarity’s.

Rarity closed her eyes and pushed back, losing herself in the moment and the gentle pressure of the kiss. Her heart raced in a way it hadn’t in months; It was exciting, and passionate, and enticing. She felt Octavia’s tongue dart out and flick across her lips, gently seeking entry. Rarity pulled back and took several quick breaths. “Wait, wait.”

Octavia lost no steam, placing a series of gentle kisses along the length of Rarity’s neck, each one more dangerous than the last. “What’s wrong, dear?”

Rarity winced as she tilted her head, her mind pulling her in too many directions at once to count. “What are we doing? This is–” Rarity inhaled sharply as Octavia kissed the underside of her jaw, “Isn’t this moving a little fast?”

Octavia drew back to look Rarity in the eyes again. “What do you mean? We’re just two sophisticated mares enjoying each other’s company. Does it have to be more complicated than that?”

Rarity thought as quickly as her inebriated mental state would allow. This was what she’d been missing, hadn’t it? The spontaneity, the simplicity, the passion – sweet Celestia, the passion. She blinked as she realized how clear the situation had suddenly become. “No. No, it doesn’t.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Rarity smiled. There was no problem. No complications. Just herself and another mare whom she wanted, and she could have; No one to worry about hurting, no one to judge her for her actions, no one to tell her what she did was or wasn’t right.

No stupid, orange, stetson-wearing, apple-shaped problems in sight.

“There isn’t one,” Rarity said as she reveled in the fact that she actually meant it.

Rarity was elated to actually mean it.