Chapter 8: Bidding Wars Part 1

The air held a thick tension as the crowd simmered in anticipation. The moment they had all been waiting for would soon be upon them. All evening they had watched the mix of stallions show off everything they had, teasing the mares into the idea that any one of them could be theirs if they had the bits. With baited breath, they watched as the service crews mopped the stage from the earlier downfall.

Many had already made up their minds on who they were going to try to get their date with and were eyeing possible competition. Some were torn between stallions, after seeing many of the contestants strut their stuff. Others still were fighting mental battles on whether or not to cast a bid in fear of how that stallion might react. There was no hiding the excitement that hung upon the crowd as the time drew nearer.

As the last of the stage hands left the stage, the lights dimmed, causing a roar of cheers to erupt as Carrot Cake made his way back onto stage left. He stood there for a few seconds till the cheering died down enough for him to speak.

“Well, we have reached the most awaited part of the evening, ladies! I’m sure all of you are just dying to get the bidding started,” Carrot said, a surge of screams answering him. “Just remember, all proceeds of this auction will go to getting new playground equipment for the school, and help rebuild our town faster the next time something horrible happens.” At these words, the Elements of Harmony and the Cutie Mark Crusaders felt several sets of eyes fall upon them. “So without further ado, let’s bring the first stallion to the auction block: Braeburn Apple!”

The stage lights dimmed and the spotlights danced across stage before finally casting their brilliant light down on Braeburn Apple, who had taken center stage. He was back in his usual brown Stetson hat and vest, smirking devilishly out at the crowd.

“Calm yourselves, otherwise we will never get to the fun part,” Carrot laughed as the crowd cheered for the country stallion. From the top of his hat to the tip of his tail, Braeburn was a catch for any mare out there and he unfortunately knew it as he smiled out to the crowd and giving them a wink. “Oh, come off it, Braeburn, you had enough time to show off. Now due to Braeburn’s scores from talents to looks, I’m confident in starting his bidding at let’s say… five hundred bits! Do I hear five hundred?!”

“Five hundred!” A mare in the audience cried out, and as she did one of the spotlights fell upon her showing her as the current bidder.

“Five ten!” Another called out, the spotlight moving to her now.

“Five twenty!” The bids kept going up by increments of ten, each time the spotlight finding the new bidder and quickly moving towards the next higher bid. Braeburn watched in delight, as his eyes darted from mare to mare that desired to go on a date with him, making his already large ego swell.

“I simply knew Braeburn was going to catch a high price,” Rarity said, watching the bidding with a certain gleam in her eye.

“He ain’t ever gonna let this go,” Applejack sighed, watching Braeburn’s smirk grow wider and wider with each new bid. “He’s gonna bring this up everytime Ah see him at a reunion.” She shook her head slightly, before turning to Fluttershy who looked like a prairie dog that had just come out of his hole, scanning the area as she watched the bidding. “Are you gonna get in on this, or has it gotten too rich fer yer blo—”

“Sev- seven hundred bits!” Fluttershy stuttered out, but loud enough that she could be heard. All eyes fell upon her as the spotlight found her. Many were surprised to hear the timid pegasus raise her voice, but other were more surprised at her bid, for it was only at six hundred when she called out her bid. When Fluttershy felt the heat of the spotlight on her, along with the eyes of most of the crowd, and the stallion she was after her face went bright red.

“Seven hundred bits…” Carrot said slowly, as he eyed Fluttershy who seemed to be regretting her bid for the attention that was now on her. His eyes moved over to Mayor Mare who had come backstage to collect the bits as stallions were won, her mouth was agape at the amount of bits just placed. “Well that is a hefty bid, to say the least. Do I hear seven te—”

“Seven fifty,” called a slightly raspy voice off in the crowd. Heads turned trying to find the source of the new bidder, as the spotlight left Fluttershy in search as well. However, before the spotlight could go too far, Fluttershy’s voice broke out across the crowd again.

“Seven sixt—”

“Seven seventy,” the voice cut Fluttershy off, outbidding her once again. The spotlight had jerked back slightly to illuminate Fluttershy again, but resumed its search once she had been out-bidden. This did not deter the yellow pegasus as she called out another bid.

“Seven eight—”

“Seven ninety!”

“Eight hun—”

“Eight ten!”

“Eight twen—”

“Eight thirty!” Every time Fluttershy was ready to outbid this mysterious mare, she upped her again, making the poor ponies on the spotlight confused on where to go and the ponies in the crowd starting to get whiplash as they turned from one bidding mare to the other.

“Who the heck is that?!” Rainbow Dash shouted, as Fluttershy tried to place another bid but was outdone again. “They sound so familiar,” she mumbled, gaining some altitude in hopes of finding out who the mystery mare was.

“They seem pretty dead set on Braeburn. Maybe you should think about this carefully Fluttershy,” Twilight said, getting right next to Fluttershy, who was beginning to look frazzled over unable to get the upper hoof. “You don’t want to make a bid you can’t—”

“One thousand! One thousand bits!” Fluttershy shouted, jumping ahead of her opponent. Many on the audience members gasped at the number, while Braeburn’s eyes seemed to grow the size of saucers at the sheer number of bits Fluttershy thought he was worth. The spotlight fell back on her, as she stood there panting and bits of her mane sticking out like she had just ran a marathon.

“A thousand bits…” Carrot whispered, almost sure that Mayor Mare was about to have a heart attack as she held her hoof to her chest. “A thousand bits,” Carrot repeated as he tugged at his bowtie. “A thousands bits going once, going twice… sol—”

“Two thousand bits!” A thud could be heard off stage as Mayor Mare fainted. All heads snapped around, trying to find the source of the voice. The color immediately drained from Fluttershy’s face immediately as the new bid as everypony was in search of the voice.

“Who in tarnation has that kind of money ta throw around?!” Applejack yelled, looking around like all the others in search of the mare that was after her cousin.

“Spitfire!” Heads shot upwards to the familiar voice of Rainbow Dash, who was pointing into the crowd below her. “It’s Spitfire! The Captain of the Wonderbolts was in the crowd and I didn’t even know it!” The spotlight followed Rainbow’s hoof till it fell upon the fiery mane of the one and only Spitfire. She did not seem the least bit fazed, looking up at Braeburn on stage with her own devilish smirk that made the cowcolt’s cheeks pink slightly.

Ponies started to separate from one another, almost by instinct, allowing the two bidders to have an unbroken line of sight between one another. A still pale Fluttershy was staring with her mouth open at Spitfire, who was busy looking over Braeburn as if inspecting him for the Wonderbolts. Slowly, she turned in Fluttershy’s direction with a smirk still painted across her lips.

“I can do this all day, babe. Money is kinda no object to me,” Spitfire said calmly, gesturing towards a scrawny pegasus mare next to her wearing Wonderbolt Cadet uniform and a pair of bulging saddlebags. One could hear the audible clinking of bits as she shook, struggling to stand at attention while bearing the burden of what seemed to be an incalculable amount of money. Spitfire’s eyes were locked on Fluttershy, however, looking victorious already as if she knew Fluttershy’s answer. Fluttershy merely shook her head no, before hanging her head to hide any further expression with her mane.

“T- two thousand!” Carrot shouted, gaining the attention of the crowd. “Going once! Going twice… Sold!” The crowd began to cheer as Spitfire took to the air, smiling triumphantly and flying towards the stage. “You can give the bits to Mayor Mare… once she’s awake,” Cake said, noticing that Nurse Redheart had placed a cold cloth on the mayor’s forehead.

“No problem. Lackey!” Spitfire shouted.

Instantly, the poor young pegasus flew... well, more stumbled to the stage, huffing and puffing from the weight of the money she carried. “Y-Yes, ma’am?”

“Give the mare her bits. I wanna get to know my new colt-toy a bit better,” Spitfire said, walking across stage and running her tail against the side of Braeburn, causing the so called ‘play colt’ to turn a shade of red resembling his cousin’s coat. Braeburn, unable to do much else, followed her off stage as Carrot shook his head.

“This was supposed to be a family event,” the baker sighed as he turned back to the audience. “That was certainly an interesting start to the bidding. We’ll continue once the bits are counted!” Carrot announced, as he took the bag of bits off stage to count and help revive Mayor Mare.

While the crowd began to talk among themselves, Rainbow Dash landed next to Fluttershy, who was surrounded on all sides by her friends. Fluttershy had not lifted her face yet out from underneath her mane as she watched Spitfire lead Braeburn away.

“Oh, don’t worry darling, it's just a date,” Rarity said calmly, rubbing Fluttershy’s back. “Just one date. I’m sure if he truly likes you he will be coming right back to you.” She looked to Applejack, nodding her head to signal for some kind of comfort, but the honest farmer just shrugged. “Even so… there are still plenty of fish in the sea! A beautiful mare such as you can have any stallion she wants.”

“Oh Ah can testify ta that fact.” Fluttershy gave a sudden start as she, and the rest of her friends, looked up to see Braeburn standing near to them, with Spitfire by his side. Upon seeing the pair, Fluttershy ducked behind her mane, again unable to look at them directly.

“Con- congratulations,” she whispered, almost whimpering as she spoke. Braeburn’s face turned a shade red darker as he looked at the disheveled mare in front of him, unsure as what to do. Spitfire on the other hoof walked right up to Fluttershy and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Sorry hun, but when I saw this stallion walk across stage with a flank like this I couldn't help myself,” Spitfire said, flicking the tip of Braeburn’s nose with her tail. Braeburn’s reaction was visible as he visibly shook at the touch. “Too bad we can’t share him,” she laughed, turning away from Fluttershy and back to Braeburn.

“W-we could if y-you were into…” Fluttershy trailed off, her face positively red from the words she just uttered. Spitfire whipped right back around, as Braeburn’s and the other girls mouths hung open. Spitfire raised an eyebrow and approached Fluttershy again, a cool look in her eyes.

“Are you suggesting that we…”Spitfire’s face lit up as Fluttershy gave a barely visible nod. “Do you have a place nearby?” Spitfire asked, walking past Fluttershy and brushing up against her like a cat. Nodding once again, Fluttershy’s face turned so red that one could have sworn an egg could be cooked on it.

All the while everypony else watched in silent shock as Spitfire brushed up against Fluttershy, before trailing back around and flicking her nose like she had done with Braeburn. Giving one last lustful gaze at Fluttershy, Spitfire turned back to Braeburn with a grin that would bring the proudest of stallions to their knees. “You think you can handle two mares, cowcolt?” This snapped Braeburn out of his stupor, as he looked at the two yellow pegasi in front of him, in need of his special attention.

“Oh, Ah reckon Ah can,” Braeburn said, smiling, “But Ah don’t want to leave just yet.”

Spitfire rounded on Braeburn, her mouth slightly open with a eyebrow raised. “You have one of the hottest celebrities in Equestria and about the cutest mare I’ve seen this side of Prance all but demanding to do the kinds of things that Penthorse Forum could only dream of... and you want to wait?”

With a gulp, Braeburn straightened his posture, regaining his cocky demeanor.“It pains me ta make you two fillies wait a single second longer, but Ah got ta see how ma cousin Mac does.” Braeburn laughed, trying hard to keep the growing heat in his face under control. “Ah wouldn't forgive maself if Ah was not here ta see Ah earned more bits than him,” Spitfire stared at the stallion for a few extra seconds, before shrugging and sitting down.

“Fine, I guess it can’t be helped,” she sighed as she looked back towards the stage. “I am a bit curious myself to see how many bits Soarin manages to earn. Besides…” her tail shot up from the ground and wrapped itself around Fluttershy’s neck and pulling her close. “I can use this time to learn more about this interesting mare.” Fluttershy let out a small ‘eep’ as Spitfire looked her over with a sly grin.

As all these events transpired, the rest of Fluttershy’s friends watched in a mix of shock and amazement. “Did you know Spitfire was bi?” Twilight whispered to Dash.

“No… I mean yes… well… I’ve heard a lot of rumors, but I didn’t know for sure,” Rainbow stuttered out, watching Spitfire enjoying the befuddled Fluttershy. Before anyone could say another word, the booming voice of Mister Cake erupted over the crowd.

“Alright then mares, there are ten more stallions in the back ready to be fought over, but before we can get to them, please welcome to the stage Spike the Dragon!” The spotlight turned back on and shone brightly on the purple dragon as he walked across stage clad in an elegant black bowtie, waving one clawed hand as he walked.

“Now you might have gotten some high scores yourself Spike, but I’m sure the mares that want to take you home don’t have the bits they had did for Braeburn so let’s start off with let's say… ten bits!”

“Ten bits?!” Spike shouted at Mister Cake, who was trying to hide the smile on his face. “You started Braeburn off at five hundred and I’m ten?!” Spike stomped his foot in protest, causing a few mares to coo over how cute he was. “I am so worth more than ten bi—”

“Eleven bits!” a filly shouted from the audience, cutting Spike off.

“Twelve!”

“Thirteen!”

“Fourteen!”

“Fourteen point one!”

“You can’t do that!”

“Yes I can!”

“No you can’t!”

While the spotlight searched the crowd for the two yelling fillies, Spike shot a smirk at Mister Cake. “See?! I told you!”

“Alright, fine,” Mister Cake said. “Since it seems that our handsome dragon has gained quite the following, we will resume the bidding at fifty bits!”

“Fifty bits!” The spotlight operator finally found his mark, illuminating Sweetie Belle. Her cheeks were flushed, both by the sudden attention, and the cute drake she was determined to win a date with.

“Fifty five bits!” another filly called, as the spotlight soon found her as well. Unlike Sweetie Belle, Diamond Tiara wasn’t looking up at Spike, but at Sweetie herself.

“Sixty bits!” Sweetie shouted.

“How much does Sweetie Belle have?” Twilight asked, facing a smiling Rarity.

“Ever since she heard that Spiky-Wikey was going to be part of the auction she has been doing chore around the shop for any amount of bits.” Rarity grinned in that creepy way older siblings get when they see the younger doing something precious. “Why, I eventually had to give her bits just to stay in her room and not try to help. She has the best intentions in mind, but sometimes she gets, well shall we say, over excited,” Rarity said, a visible chill coming over her as she remembered Sweetie’s attempts at “helping.” She still wasn’t quite sure how one could set fire to a bucket of gemstones…

As the group laughed among themselves, the auction kept going on strong as Sweetie kept other bidders at bay, her eyes still locked on to Spike, who had beads of sweat running down his face. With the spotlight on her he could see the smile forming, as if she had already planned their date, and, knowing her, probably even their wedding.

“Uh… a hundred and twen—”

“A hundred and fifty!” Sweetie bellowed above the crowd once again.

“One hundred and fifty bits! Going once… going twice… sol—”

“One hundred and sixty!” The spotlight at once left Sweetie and flew across the crowd, once again landing on Diamond Tiara. Her namesake jewellry was sparkling in the the light of the spotlight as she looked up at Spike, her glare at the dragon that of a predator that had just found easy prey.

Sweetie Belle gasped as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo looked at each other in panic. Soon, all three of them were pulling out bits, frantically adding to see what they had between them. There hopes were in vain, however, as between them they only had a hundred and fifty five bits, a apple, and a few feathers. No other bids had been called as the light shined brightly on Diamond Tiara and her father, who was already putting the bits together.

“One hundred and sixty bits!” Carrot shouted, while Sweetie scanned the area, trying to find a few more bits to try to secure her date with Spike, but there was not a bit in sight. “Going once… going tw—”

“Two hundred bits for the young gentledrake,” said a cultured, poised voice. The spotlight quickly left Diamond Tera, much to the fillies distaste, and zoomed to near the back. As soon as the light found its target, a large toothy smile broke out across Spike’s face. His tail started to wag in joy—a habit acquired from his little jaunts through a certain mirror, one he was desperately trying to break—as Rarity threw her head back, clearing a few strands of her elegant purple mane away from her eyes, so she could wink at him.

“Daddy!” came a sudden screech from the audience, causing many ponies to shudder at the high pitched noise. Diamond Tiara glared up at her father, Filthy Rich. The stallion, like many others, was shaking his head, clearing away the effects of his daughter’s near hypersonic cry. “I want him, Daddy! I need more money!” She demanded, stomping her hooves into the ground.

“I am sorry, my little sapphire, but I told you I would only help you with one bid, and you made that bid,” Filthy Rich replied, shaking his head, trying to pop his ears from his daughter’s screams.

“But, Daddy!” Diamond whined, causing others around them to flinch again at her voice. “I want him! You are going to get him for me right—” Before Diamond Tiara could finish, Filthy Rich had leaned over and had picked her up by the scruff of her neck. Diamond let out a shriek as Filthy Rich started to carry his daughter away. “Daddy! What are you doing?! This is unfair! Daddy!” Diamond Tiara’s shrieks could be heard throughout the crowd till they slowly started to fade away in the distance.

Ponies just watched, all unsure of what to think or say to what had just transpired. Some shook their heads at the sight of such a spoiled child, some wanted to cheer at her father’s actions, while most were just glad the keening, wailing filly was gone. Spike cleared his throat, gaining the attention of Mister Cake. “I think there is a bid out there,” he said smiling at the white mare with the spotlight still shining brightly on her. Mister Cake raised an eyebrow for a moment, before his eyes went wide with recollection.

“Oh right! Two hundred bits! Do I hear two hundred and ten?” Mister Cake shouted out to the crowd, but no pony seemed ready to bid anymore or could not go higher. “Two hundred going once! Going twice! Sold! Come and claim your prize!” Cake shouted, and at once the crowd started to applaud for the little dragon who was jumping up and down in excitement.

“Ah got ta say Rarity, Ah don’t know if that was the sweetest thing ya ever done or the cruelest,” Applejack said, as Rarity began to put her bits together to pay for the little dragon. “Ah mean, we all know that little guy has a massive crush on ya, but yer little sister has one on him. How you gonna make it up to her?” Rarity just gave a slight laugh, holding a hoof in front of her face to muffle it.

“Oh darling, do not fret over it, I have a plan,” Rarity said as she made her way to the stage, however, she did not make it all the way as she stopped next to her little sister, who trying to hide her own tears. It was impossible to make out what she was saying, but Sweetie’s face morphed from extreme sadness to beaming with joy within seconds. Rarity sauntered up on stage with Sweetie bouncing behind her and gave the bag of bits to Mister Cake as Spike stood there, tail wagging and grinning up at Rarity.

“So what do you want to do on our date?” Spike asked excitedly, holding out his claw to take her hoof, acting out some part in a cheesy romance. Rarity just giggled as she leaned forward and gave Spike a light peck on the head.

“Oh Spikey-Wikey, you are just too cute!” She said, making the dragon's normal purple scapes turn red. “But I’m afraid I will not be the one you are taking on a date, for tomorrow is Sweetie’s birthday and…” Spike’s smile instantly fell, as his face seem to grow pale in realization of what was happening.

“You mean—”

“You’re my birthday gift from Rarity!” Sweetie shouted, as she bounded onto stage and tacked Spike into a bone-crushing hug. The dragon gave a yelp of terror as the young filly placed a kiss on his cheek, to which most of the audience just aww’ed over the display of young love, or at least one-sided young love.

“Nopony said you couldn't use this auction to get somepony the perfect gift,” Carrot joked, as the two mares left the stage, with a sulking Spike following right behind them. “Up next we have Equestria’s number one bachelor for the last two years, and PlayMare’s favorite subject: Soarin Nimbus!” The cheering from the crowd sounded like that of a charging army as Soarin waltzed onto the stage, now wearing his Class A uniform.

“Now Soarin, you have received more than perfect scores this entire auction, and I’m quite sure there are a few mares out there that are ready to pay any price to get a date with you,” Mister Cake said, making the Wonderbolt blush some. “So, how about we start the bidding at a thousand bits!”

“A thousand bits?!” Applejack shouted in surprise, as she dropped the sack of bits she had with her. “Ah knew he as gonna go fer a lot but right off the bat, but still…”

“A thousand bits! Do I hear a eleven hundred?” Carrot shouted, the spotlight falling on Applejack, making her turn red as Soarin smiled brightly and winked in her direction.

“Ah didn’t… Ah mean Ah would but… Ah….” Rainbow Dash burst into laughter as Applejack stumbled over her own words, as the spotlight and the stallion the block locked onto her.

“A thousand hundred!” A mare yelled out, and the spotlight soon started to search for her instead.

“Twelve hundred!” another called out, and soon after the spotlight was scanning the crowd as the bids got higher and higher. It seemed almost every pegasus in the crowd was going after Soarin, the fuel of some of their fantasies. Soarin stood there looking as proud as he could be, but his eyes kept looking to a certain mare.

The bids were now in the two thousands and many mares didn’t show any time at stopping soon. It seemed that many of the mares in the crowd had come for the chance of winning a date with such a celebrity, and would stop at nothing to obtain a date with him.

“Why aren’t you bidding, Applejack?” Twilight finally questioned, observing the farmer as she looked to each bid and back up as Soarin kept glancing in her direction. “You must want to win a date with him right?”

“Don’t try to deny it. We have all seen the way you look at one another,” Rarity added in, sitting next to a disgruntled Spike who had Sweetie Belle hugging him tightly. “Just throw caution to the wind and go for him. You can’t put a price on love,” Rarity sighed, her eyes fluttering at such a romantic gesture.

“Easy fer you ta say!” Applejack snapped, bringing Rarity back from her day dreaming, gaining the attention of several ponies around them at the sudden outburst, even causing Sweetie to let go of Spike for a second.

“Sure, Ah want ta bid on him, but Ah got ta think about the farm! Ah just can’t spend bits willy nilly, there’s other things Ah need ta worry about,” Applejack sighed, looking up at Soarin as the numbers just kept getting higher. If she was being honest with herself, she did want that date with Soarin like no other. He had made his intentions clear with that song. What would he think if she didn’t bid? But how could she justify such a spending of bits?

“Thirty five hundred! Do I hear thirty six?” Carrot Cake’s voice brought Applejack out of her thoughts as she looked up at the stage. Soarin was so handsome and official in his uniform, that it was hard to believe that he was such a goof outside of it. Could she bid? The last two months had been great in sales, and with cider season around the corner, there would be a surplus in bits. It’s not like they were in debt or anything or have any loans from the bank, she would just not be able to go out for some time to repay the farm.

“Thirty five hundred! Going once, going twice—”

“Thirty six hundred!” Applejack shouted, causing Soarin to turn towards her, smiling widely at hearing her voice as the spotlight shined down on her.

“Thirty seven!” Another voice cried out, and once again the war for the Wonderbolt resumed as bids were called out.

Soarin could not hide the smile on his face as he watched the bidding take place in front of him. He knew he was going to get a high price due to his celebrity status, but it seemed like these mares were out for blood, not that he minded much. he had always been treated like the second fiddle in the Wonderbolts, being more of that eye candy than an actual member. Sure, in many ways he was still eye candy, but at least now he was enjoying it.

“Forty!”

“Forty one!”

“Forty two!” Applejack was just about at the limit of what she could spend. If she had done the math right, she was going to have to give up on eating out for a few months and dip into her savings quite a bit, but as long as she stayed right inside her limit, the farm would stay in the green.

“Forty three!”

“Forty fou—”

“Fifty! Fifty thousand bits!” Applejack, and most of the crowd, looked in the direction of the bid. One did not have to look far, for the bidder had already taken to the air as to challenge any other mare for the stallion on the block. But she seemed unopposed as no voice shouted out to outbid her.

“Fifty thousand…” Carrot’s voice shuttered as he looked at the mare floating there. “Fifty thousand from Cloud Kicker. Do I hear fifty one?” Applejack lowered her hat over her eyes, unable to look up on stage. She wasn’t used to losing, especially at anything that mattered to her so much. It was almost unbearable to even look at either Soarin or Cloud Kicker after taking such a loss.

“Going once… going twice… sold for fifty thousand bits!” Carrot Cake shouted, sure that Mayor Mare’s heart had just stopped at the sheer amount of bits the town, or her re-election campaign had brought in. Either or, with just the third stallion being auctioned off it seemed that Ponyville’s debts were well on their way to being paid off.

Cloud Kicker landed on stage, her chest puffed out with her hips swaying as she approached Soarin. All the stallion could do was force a smile when she passed him, giving him a flick on the nose with her tail while she handed her check over to Carrot for her prize.

In the crowd, Applejack looked up at the scene with sad eyes. Soarin locked gazes with her and mouthed Sorry, babe as Cloud Kicker strutted back to face him.

“Well now,” Kicker mewed, walking back over to Soarin, rubbing herself against him like a cat, getting as close as possible to the Wonderbolt in front of the entire crowd. “When shall we go on our little date?” She traced her tongue slowly against her lips, giving him a wink as she did so.

Soarin cast another look down at the despondent Applejack. He rubbed his chin, then his eyes lit up and he looked back to Kicker. “How about right now?” Soarin suggested, as he took a step back and outstretched his hoof to her. Cloud Kicker could only stare at her prize, as he gave her that photo perfect smile and that devilish wink that haunted mares’ hottest dreams.

The pegasus could only let out a small squeak of excitement as she took Soarin’s hoof and the two took to the air, Soarin guiding her over the crowd. Others who had sought the stallion's company could only watch in pure jealousy as they watched Cloud Kicker live out their wildest fantasies.

All eyes were fixated on the pair as Soarin led her over to a small concession stand just on the outskirts of the crowd that had sought to see a profit over the large gathering of ponies. Soarin placed a few bits on the counter and pointed to the first item he saw on the menu, before he looked over at Cloud Kicker.

“So, what’s your name, beautiful?”

Cloud Kicker’s face instantly turned red out of pure excitement as her wings fluttered uncontrollably under Soarin’s gaze. “I’m Cloud Kicker.”

The pony manning the stand came back with their drinks. “Well hello, Cloud Kicker, I’m Soarin.”

“Heh, I know th—”

“So, where are you from?”

Cloud Kicker blinked. “Oh, uh, well, I’m originally from Cloudsdale, but now I l—”

“I’m from Cloudsdale, too,” Soarin cut her off, as the pony manning the stand came back with their chosen drinks. Soaring shoved a glass into Cloud Kicker’s hoof, then took a sip from his own. “What do you do for a living?”

“Uh...” Cloud Kicker’s eyes wandered from him to the glass he had unceremoniously shoved in her hoof. “I-I’m on the weather team right now, but I hope to—”

“I’m a Wonderbolt.” Soarin tipped his head back and drained his entire drink.

“Uh, yeah, I know—”

“Well, thank you for such a lovely time!” Soarin slammed his glass back onto the wooden bar and nodded to the pony working there before turning back to the utterly confused Kicker. “It was great to get to know you, and I thank you for offering so many bits to help the town.” With that, he leaned in, gave the mare a chaste peck on the cheek, then turned around and walked away.

“Wha… but we didn’t even…”

Leaving the flustered mare, Soarin marched right up to Applejack, who had been watching the scene with a mix of curiosity and jealousy. Before she could utter a single word, Soarin roughly grabbed her and twirled her around until she was dipped low, his arms supporting her.

“Hello, beautiful,” he whispered.

“Uh, what—” Whatever AJ had wanted to say melted into a passionate moan as Soarin locked lips with her. She quickly recovered herself and threw her arms around the stallion, pressing their bodies together, her beloved hat falling off her blonde head without her even noticing.

“But... I... you... we...” Cloud Kicker shooker head and stormed over to the lip-locked couple. “That’s not fair! I paid a good three-month’s wages for a date, and I—”

“Got exactly that, CK,” Rainbow Dash said, stepping in between the mare and the still lock-lipped couple. “The rules just said he had to go on a date with you. It says nothing about how long or what you do on it.” She craned her head to look at Mister Cake on stage. “Right?”

“Uh...” Mister Cake tugged at his tie. He looked to the Mayor for guidance, but she was still MIA from reality. “Well, I think that—”

“Phwee,” Soarin gasped, finally pulling back from his lover’s lips. “Don’t... don’t worry about it. Lackey!”

Once again, the cadet raced over to her superior, saddlebags still bouncing with each step, earning a quiet “oof” from the scrawny mare. “Yes, sir?”

“Give the mare her money back.”

Lackey gasped. “All... all of it?”

“Every last bit.”

The cadet squee’d. She struggled with her burden one final time, wiggling her narrow waist from the confines of the saddlebags. With a grunt, she hefted them in the air, and all but threw them at the still stunned Cloud Kicker. Kicker groaned as the heavy bags slammed into her chest, knocking the wind out of her lungs.

Applejack, along with every other pony who was watching, gasped. “Soarin, you... you just gave away fifty thousand bits!”

“Eh, I’ll make it back on our next tour,” he said nonchalantly. He bent down and scooped up her Stetson, placing it with care back on her head. “Besides, it’s just money. What good is that against the most beautiful mare in the world?” With that, he gave her a firm nuzzle, threw a wing around her, and guided her back to her previous spot in the crowd, reveling in the furious blush spreading on her face. The crowd cheered again, Applejack’s friends cooed, and Cloud Kicker grumbled, awkwardly walking away from the whole event with her bulging saddlebags in tow.

“Well,” Mister Cake said once the crowd had calmed down, “that was... uh, t-that was definitely a... thing that happened there, so let’s move on! Let’s start the bidding for one of the more surprising stallions of the evening, Bulk Biceps! Lets start the bidding at three hundred bits!”

The gathering of mares soon turned their attention back to the auction as the large pegasus walked out, and bids started to be called. But to the pair, this was nothing more than a minor inconvenience as their lips finally pulled apart.

“Mhmm… apple,” Soarin chuckled, as he licked his lips causing the orange mare to give a sheepish smile, while giggling like a filly. The small collection around them just watched, as Soarin took another step closer, his body mere inches away from her’s, while he kept his eyes locked solely on her.

“Ya know, you just cheated a mare out of a fifty thousand bit date,” Applejack’s voice was barely above a whisper as she gazed up at the Wonderbolt, his half smirk causing the freckles on her face to seemingly disappear under the intensity of her blush.

“Perhaps,” Soarin said, looking back over his shoulder at where Cloud Chaser stood, her mouth still agape, frozen in time like a statue. “But in the end, it didn’t matter who won a date with me,” Soarin leaned over, rubbing his muzzle slightly against Applejack’s neck. “No mare could make me feel the way that you do.”

Applejack just stood, there looking into his eyes as he pulled away and smiled at her. It was not that devilish smirk that he was so well known for, but a genuine smile, one reserved just for her, and her alone.

Before either could utter another word to one another, the crowd broke out into a cheer that snapped them back to reality. Looking up, they could see a familiar fuchsia pony walking across stage towards Bulk Biceps.

“Congratulations to Cheerilee for winning Bulk Biceps for the grand total of three thousand bits,” Cake announced as Cheerilee placed a bag of bits near him. “So what, if I may ask, drove you to bid on this fine stallion?”

“What can I say?” Cheerilee giggled behind her hoof, as her pink puffy tail wrapped halfway around the bodybuilder’s thick neck. “I’ve always had a thing for a stallion with a big, huge, throbbing...” she cleared her throat, “vocabulary.” Bulk’s white fur could not hide the reddening of his face as he was guided off stage by the school teacher. As a whoops and wolf whistles arouse from the crowd, Carrot Cake just shook his head, already knowing what fate had in store for Bulk.

“And this is the mare that is teaching our foals,” he mumbled to nopony in particular as he shook his head. “Not to worry, there are more single stallions backstage just waiting to go on a date with you of you lovely mares! One of which is a Prince! Come on out, Prince Blueblood!” As his name was called, Blueblood took long elegant strides onto stage, as to entice the mares with his looks once more.

His appearance was greeted by a chorus of cheers. While many had seen, or heard of the prince’s arrogance and rude behavior, there was no denying he would be a catch for any mare who wanted to see the lives of the upper crust; or to have some alone time with the handsome prince. These cheers only added to the flamboyant behavior of Blueblood as he took his place on stage to be sold.

“We will start the bidding at five hundred bits,” Blueblood whipped his head around to glare at Carrot, the flare of his nostrils, clear of bandages, showed his displeasure in such a low bidding point according to the prince. This did not last long, as the bids started to be called out in rapid succession.

Blueblood’s price quickly surpassed a thousand bits, and showed no signs of stopping. Some mares seemed to try to play the waiting game, but as time went on mares were left in the dust as the price went higher with each passing call to raise the bid. All the while, it was clear to anypony that was watching Blueblood instead of the bids that the prince was soaking it up; enjoying every second he was up on stage while mares threw away their hard earned bits to win a date with him.

“Nine thousand bits!” Carrot’s voice boomed, calling out the last bid he had heard radiating from the crowd. “Do I hear ten thousand bits?!”

“Like, ten thousand bits over here, man,” Fluttershy’s ears perked up at the voice of the new bidder, pulling her out of the haze Spitfire had caused. For the voice belonged to no other than one closest friends, and fellow lover of nature, Tree Hugger.

The spotlight had little trouble finding the light green mare in the sea of ponies. Her orange bandana seemed to glow when the light shone upon her, causing a few ponies to gasp in surprise from her appearance. None so more as Blueblood himself, as he not only gasped upon seeing her, but took a step back and raised a hoof to his chest.

Carrot pressed his lips together as eyed the mare. By all appearances she didn’t seem like the kind of pony that would have ten thousand bits to spend on personal hygiene, let alone a date with royalty. However, Carrot had learned a long time ago that looks could be very deceiving, especially in a place like Ponyville where the impossible happened daily.

“Ten thousand bits! Do I hear eleven thousand? Going once, going twice… sold to the mare in the orange bandana!” Carrot declared, causing Blueblood to give a start as Tree Hugger gave a hoof pump to her victory, as she made her way towards the stage to pay for her date.

“Wait, how in all of Equestria was Tree Hugger able to afford him?!” Rarity gasped at the sheer amount of bits the nature driven pony was able to put up.

“From what she told me, her brownie sales have been going very well,” Fluttershy meek voice drew the attention of those around her, causing her to shrink under the combined stares, her face brushing up against Spitfire’s waiting tail as she did. Once more her face turned bright red as she soon succumbed to the Wonderbolt’s power as Braeburn had.

Blueblood just remained motionless on stage, his mouth open, eyes wide, and a look of pure shock frozen upon his face. Not even as Tree Hugger passed him to pay for the prince did he move an inch.

“Looks like we get to chill, Blue,” Tree Hugger laughed, giving Blueblood a slap on the back, but in his current state Blueblood didn’t seem to be the least bit fazed by the sudden action. Tree Hugger cocked her head slightly at him, before smiling again. “This is exactly why I bid on you. Like, your aura is all out of sync with the world, man. One date with me and you will be seeing the beauty in everything.” Tree Hugger wrapped her foreleg around Blueblood in an attempt to get the stallion moving. But the prince did not budge, rooted to the ground in his state of shock. “Uh… like, can I get some help here?”

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the wait! We hope to have Part 2 up same time next week! Please leave a comment and thanks from Jake and I!