The late evening, January air around the pegasus vibrated from the deep, thudding bass beats coming from the building in front of her. Soft neon lights illuminated the variously colored hairs of the pegasus' mane and body that stood close to them, giving her a nearly angelic look as she spread her wings to let a slight breeze ruffle her feathers.

'House of Bass.' The pegasus' eyes glazed over the neon banner bolted on the front of the building. This had become a haven for her after a long day of practicing. A haven of tired drunken dances, and black outs in torn leather booths as spilt sticky cider matted her fetlocks, as history had proven. She sighed as she walked up to the door of the club. A wide hoof stopped her. She reached into her mane and pulled out her ID card. The bouncer waved her in.

Square tiles of pulsating light greeted her vision as she crossed the threshold. The room was mostly a dance floor with a circular bar in the middle. Wooden planks, along which sat various ales and wines, encircled a half sphere structured into the back wall of the bar. She walked to the bar and placed her forelegs on the rounded counter, waiting for the bartender.

"What'll you have, fast one?" The bartender's voice, which belonged to a silver green unicorn, broke her momentary bout of inactivity.

"Gin and tonic. Add a lemon." The pegasus ordered what she normally got before moving up to something with more kick. As the bartender magically compiled the drink, she hung her head allowing the music, which had turned to a low methodical bass beat, to flow over her ears.

She lifted her head after she heard  the distinct clink of glass hitting the bar. Carefully wrapping her hoof around the filled container, she lifted and downed the liquid. Setting the glass back down, she rested her face on the cool counter, letting out a small groan.

A pleasant voice broke her rest. "Long day, darling?"

A groan escaped her lips, betraying her lack of interest in talking. Lifting her head, she turned and looked at the source of the voice. A pearly white unicorn with a styled purple mane and large sapphire eyes sat to her right. A light whistle of appreciation escaped as the pegasus blinked twice and rubbed her eyes with her hooves to make sure the gin hadn't already kicked in.  The unicorn knocked her mane back off of her face with the grace of an angel.

The pegasus moved her mouth, trying to form words, but her brain was failing her in forming them. Instead, a smile erupted across the, had been, vacant expression of the pegasus.  "Yeah. I guess you could say that."

"Mmmm. I've been at work, most of the day." The unicorn lifted her glass of red wine with her magic and took a sip, gracefully or at least in the opinion of the observing pegasus.

"So... what's your name?" The pegasus asked, desperate to know more about this beautiful mare.

"Oh, sorry, how rude of me. My name is Rarity." The white unicorn replied, adding a level of her own fanciness to her name. Rarity knocked her mane with a hoof. She had already picked up on the pegasus' appeciation of her looks. "Might I ask, what's yours?"

"The name is Rainbow Dash." She flared her wings somewhat as she bit her lip a bit, not sure where to go. She wasn't normally one for complimenting looks, save her own, but she wanted this mare to know exactly how beautiful she was.

"Rainbow Dash? How... fitting." Rarity's eyes flitted over Dash's multi-colored mane and tail. As she reached the pegasus' tail, she saw the tri-colored lightning bolt and cloud that made up Dash's cutie mark.

Rarity coughed slightly as neither pony said anything. "So, what 's your job?"

"I am the lead fashion designer for the Wonderbolts. Everything from fitting their costumes, tailoring them, and promotional designs." said Rarity as she took another sip from her glass.

That had done it. Rainbow Dash had officially developed a crush on this unicorn she had just met and barely knew. Between the natural beauty of the unicorn and the fact she worked for the Wonderbolts, she knew this would be a wonderful opportunity to not only get to know this beautiful mare better, but also, possibly, get a chance to meet her heroes, the Wonderbolts.

Dash's jaw had dropped at the revalation. "The WONDERBOLTS?! You work for them?"

"Mmmm.... yes." Rarity nodded in agreement, reaffirming the fact.

Dash worked her jaws, trying to speak properly. "I LOVE the Wonderbolts. They're my heroes. Their fast speed and amazing flying skills are what inspired me to train as often as I do."

"Ah... a fan. Yes, they are amazing." Rarity took another sip of wine

"Have you met them? Spitfire? Soarin?" Dash implored an answer from Rarity, enthusiasm visibily pouring from her face.

"Yes, of course, darling. I do measurements and the such. One does not design their clothing without working with them."  Rarity smiled at the enthusiasm the pegasus was showing. She had to admit, the pegasus was sleek, athletic, well-built, and could probably model a few designs she dared not show the Wonderbolts, because she felt they would find them underwhelming.

"That. Is. AWESOME. You are one cool mare, ya know?" Dash complimented.

Rarity took the compliment in stride. "You know what's more cool than I am? The entire team. Fleetfoot has to be the most laid back, yet fiercly talented pony I've ever had the honor of meeting."

"Oh, Fleetfoot is my favorite. Laid back, uncaring, yet challenge her and she'll show you up so hard. Definitely my biggest inspiration on the team." Dash replied, happy she had managed to strike up an efficient conversation with this beautiful mare. The only thing that bothered her was finding out if Rarity was into mares.

"I've never met a pony that lazied around as much as Fleetfoot. She makes Soarin look like a hard worker." Rarity commented.

"Yeah, Soarin has been sorta renowned for being kinda lazy, but Fleetfoot took his laziness and added in a dose of lazyitis." Dash had shifted ever so closer to Rarity. A warmth had grown within Dash, something she hadn't felt in a while. The warmth of finding out somepony might be a new friend, or more. Now she had to ask Rarity how she felt about mares. Still, though, how she would was proving difficult to figure out.

"Lazyitis? What's that?" Rarity inquired.

"Something the doctor told me I had. As he described it, a desire to be as lazy as ponily possible. Which, to be fair, isn't wrong." Dash answered.

Rarity nodded, a slight mmm of acknolodgement escaped from her. Pondering what to talk about next, she resorted to upcoming events. "So, Rainbow Dash, what are you doing for Hearts and Hooves Day? Got somepony, anypony, special to you?"

Somewhat caught offguard by the sudden, but welcome, change of topic, Dash figured this would be the best time to ask Rarity, but she knew she had to play her cards carefully. "Who? Me? No, nopony. If I have a secret admirer, I sure don't have a clue about it. What about you? You got a special mare or stallion?"

"The last pony to show interest in me was some hayseed janitor that worked the Cloudisseum. Nothing really wrong with the fellow, but the thought of dating a janitor sorta ruined him for me. The last pony I showed interest in was some mare who worked in the fashion department of the Wonderbolts Entertainment Industry. I asked her if she wanted to go out for dinner, but she shot me down pretty quickly with a short 'I am not a fillyfooler'. Now, darling, I am not one to lose my composure, but it was only through sheer lady will that I did not break into tears right there." Rarity answered politely.

Dash was mentally celebrating that Rarity was open to dating mares. Now, came the hard part. A slight blush formed on the sky blue cheeks. "I... I haven't had an interest in a while, I guess. Sorta gave up on it. Too much hassle. My last crush, they were interested in me, was back at an adult flight camp, a couple years ago. Poor guy. Told him I wasn't into stallions that much."

Rarity gasped slightly. "You don't like stallions?"

Dash shook her head dismissively. "It's not that I don't like them, I just find mares to be.... more... attractive."

"Attractive? Like?" Rarity dug a little deeper, looking for a better reason.

"Like? Attractive look wise and personality wise." Dash answered. Her impatience getting the better of her, she decided to bet all and rolled her dice. "For example, I think you are... beautiful. Definitely attractive." Dash blushed a deep dark crimson at what had just escaped her lips.

Rarity gasped and her jaw dropped. The comment had caught her off-guard, despite having just found out that the pegasus had a preference for mares.  "W-Why thank you. You're not half bad looking yourself, Rainbow Dash."

Dash's cheeks blushed ever deeper, something she thought not possible. She had discovered that Rarity like mares, and she was pleased. She had also discovered that Rarity liked how she looked. Taking these into account, Dash decided to bet again and break the ice. Slight intoxication helped by giving her a slight boost of courage. "W-would you be interested in.... a dance? With me?"

Now it was Rarity's turn to blush crimson. "A... dance?" she inquired, more to herself than to the pegasus. The unicorn took a moment to collect her thoughts and feelings, or at least, to the best of her abilities in her intoxicated state. Wine had a particularly strong influence over her, and despite that, she would take a glass of red wine over anything else. Now, the mare in front of her, she had just met, she admitted. She barely knew her, but that was not a real issue to her. Her intoxicated mind egged her on, telling her this could be a chance to maybe have somepony for Hearts and Hooves Day. This idea pleased drunken Rarity, for it was most unladylike to not have a special somepony for that special day.

Dash had grown crestfallen in the silence that had developed between her and Rarity. She mentally chided herself for being too forward. Sometimes she hated how impatient she could be.

Rarity saw the look on Dash's facial features, sympathy growing inside her. She raised a hoof, and placed it on one of Dash's cheeks. "Yes, I think I would very much like to share a dance wih the most uniquely maned pony I have ever had the pleasure of meeting." Rarity tactfully embellished her compliment to raise the pegasus' spirits.

Whatever amount of sadness that had accumulated on Dash's face disappeared in an instant as another smile erupted across her face. She mentally cheered at her success of securing a dance with Rarity. Pure, unadultered happiness radiated from her body as she stood up, and offered a hoof to Rarity. Rarity took the hoof and stood up. She moved in closer to the pegasus as they walked off to the dance floor, enjoying the happiness radiating off her dance partner.

A mid-tempo, jazzy, bass cello heavy beat filled the building. It set a mood complementary of how Rarity was feeling. The pair rested their necks against each other as they moved in beat with the song. The tempo of the song had picked up a bit, and Rarity, the more experienced dancer of the pair, led the change in style of dancing to better reflect the tempo.