Date Night-Part 1, The Everfree Moon.

Luna's moon glowed brightly in her starry night sky, illuminating all of Equestria in its soft white light while Chris and Lyra waited in front of the restaurant they picked out for their date. They both stood outside next to a small bonfire that was set up to help warm customers while they waited to be seated.

The restaurant was called The Everfree Moon, and it was built inside of a large hill located between Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. It was a pretty fancy establishment, a bit on the pricy side, but Chris and Lyra had plenty of time to save up enough bits to really spoil Bon Bon tonight. Chris was especially excited about that. He wanted to buy Bon Bon the best hard cider they could afford and make sure she could eat any fancy dessert her heart desired, but the fancy food and drinks weren't the only reason why they picked this location for their date.

One of the more charming aspects of the restaurant was its crystal moon theme. The interior looked like a typical cave, except it was decorated with beautiful crystals that would glow brightly with a warm, white light, similar to Luna's moon. It made the whole place feel like you were in an enchanted cave on the moon itself. It painted a wonderful and soothing atmosphere, which was only enhanced by the wonderful staff that owned and operated the place.

The establishment was mainly run by bat ponies since it only opened once the moon was out, but even though The Everfree Moon only operated at night, it still got plenty of customers thanks to its wide variety of exotic cuisine. It catered to all kinds of different species that inhabited Equestria, serving everything from meat to hay, which was one of the main reasons why Chris and Lyra decided to give the restaurant a chance in the first place.

It was difficult for Chris to find a decent source of meat in this world, so he was forced to live the life of a vegetarian for the most part. He didn't mind too much, but nights like tonight were golden opportunities for the human to get his meat fix and Lyra didn’t mind in the least. She knew that Chris had a specific diet and was understanding of his occasional carnivorous urges. So every once and awhile, Lyra would make an extra effort to find a restaurant where Chris could get his fix while still having something that she could enjoy as well.

Such places were uncommon around Ponyville, and they would often have to travel a little ways for those special kinds of dates, but this Everfree Moon place was one of the better locations that they both loved to visit when they could. But, there was one dish at The Everfree Moon that caught Lyra’s attention the most, and it was one of the main reasons why she wanted to take Bon Bon there in the first place.

Every time Chris and Lyra went to a new restaurant, Lyra would order the carrot soup for her first meal. It wasn’t her favorite dish, but she knew Bon Bon well enough to know that the soup would be the first thing the earth pony would want to order. Knowing that, Lyra would always test the soups at every establishment they visited, and the soup at The Everfree Moon was the best by far. She knew Bon Bon would absolutely love it, plus Chris could satisfy his meat craving. It was a win-win for everypony.

Lyra was confident that Bon Bon would enjoy herself and Chris was inclined to believe her. He just hoped Bon Bon would show up soon. His nerves were getting the better of him and it was freezing outside.

It was also a slightly snowy night out tonight, so Chris had to wear his long, dark grey pea coat that Rarity had tailored for him last year. He always felt guilty asking Rarity to constantly make outfits for him, but he didn’t have any other options.

Rarity never seemed to mind, though. She would often tell him that she enjoyed making him different outfits, since he was the only one of his kind. It was refreshing for her to make something new and unique every now and then. Still, it bugged him that he had to constantly pester her for new things to wear, and she would never take tips or make him pay the full price.

The coat was definitely of high quality, just like all of Rarity’s works, but it was in need of some minor repairs. The seams on the left shoulder were coming undone slightly. It was still wearable, but there was a noticeable hole on his left shoulder now.

Sadly, the pea coat was the only thing Chris had to protect himself from the cold at the moment and it didn't help his nerves knowing that it wasn't as pristine as it once was.

Lyra didn't have to worry about the cold as much as Chris did since her fur kept her pretty warm around this time of the year. The only thing she had on that protected her from the cold was a thick, rose-red cloak that draped over her body, with a large hood that covered her head. She was wearing a dress under it as well, but that was more for appearance than practicality. Ponies would often dress up for special occasions and tonight was indeed special.

Chris started to tap his booted foot impatiently on the snow-covered ground as he fidgeted with the decent sized black box in his hands that held the gifts they’d gotten for Bon Bon. He drummed his fingertips on the sides nervously as he stared down the cobblestone path their date would be coming up on. He continued to stare until he felt a weight lean itself against his thigh, causing him to turn his head to the right and look down.

Lyra was peering up at him through her hood with an encouraging smile as she pressed her side against his. "Don't be nervous. You'll do great," she reassured him sweetly, rubbing his lower leg with a hoof for added encouragement.

Chris smiled back slightly, nodding his head in thanks, but soon turned his head away to stare down the path again. Her words and actions helped to calm him a little, but he was still nervous. In fact, he couldn't recall ever being as nervous as he was now. Even his first date with his ex back in his old world wasn't this bad.

Chris scratched his small but well-trimmed beard that he’d grown out for Lyra as he contemplated more about this whole dating-two-ponies thing.

He could never imagine himself ever doing something like this a while ago, and it was both scary and thrilling all at the same time, but he came prepared. Ever since that night when Lyra asked him if they could date Bon Bon, he had started to educate himself about the pony cultural norms and what it meant to be a part of a herd. He read over a dozen books on the subject, and the more he read, the more he started to really like the idea. Twilight even helped him to try and understand things a little better, which was… really awkward… but she was so enthusiastic about teaching him that he had to sit through her many detailed and thorough lectures. She even gave him a pop quiz on the subject once which was an interesting experience.

Eventually, even Fluttershy found out that Chris was trying to learn more about herds and was kind enough to loan him a romance novel about a lonely pegasus mare that fell in love with a unicorn stallion and two earth pony mares. The novel was a surprisingly... erotic for a book in Fluttershy’s possession, but it was a fantastic read, and he found it fascinating how the characters in the story eventually all shared a love for one another. It was like they all completed each other to make one big whole.

The story was very touching, and it gave Chris more confidence in becoming a part of something like that. In fact, he liked the story so much that he thought he should look up the author, Yellow Quiet, to see if she had written any more stories similar to that one. Maybe Fluttershy knew who this Yellow Quiet mare was and where he could find more of her books.

Chris was definitely more comfortable with the idea of starting a herd with Lyra now but it wasn't any less nerve-racking. He still wasn't really sure what to think about Bon Bon. She was definitely a beautiful mare and was an amazing friend to Lyra, but she still didn't want anything to do with him, as far as he could tell. This whole date was riding on him making a good impression. He knew that Lyra and Bon Bon were already very close, so the night was resting on his shoulders to try and persuade the earth pony to accept another date. Somehow...

Still, even if Bon Bon ended up not liking him in a romantic kind of way, he had hopes that this little outing would be a step in the right direction to finally becoming friends with the earth pony. He would consider this night a success if she opened up to him even a little bit, but guessing from how often she rejected Lyra’s offer for a date, that outlook was looking pretty bleak. He knew she was saying no because of him, and it felt like someone was twisting a knife into his heart every time Lyra came home downhearted after being rejected. He had to win over Bon Bon tonight, or at least make amends with her.

Chris took a deep, calming breath, placing the hand that wasn’t holding the black gift box on Lyra's back as he turned to look at her, giving her a slightly worried expression. "Lyra…” he called, trying to hide his nervousness.

Lyra peered up at him through her red hood with a bright smile before answering. “Yes?”

“Do you... do you think I look okay? I mean, is my outfit for tonight acceptable for this kind of thing?" Chris asked, knowing that Lyra wouldn't really be able to give him a useful answer. She wasn't really into the fashion scene that much, but he really needed some positive reinforcement to help calm his nerves.

Lyra hummed softly before standing up on her hind legs, wrapping her forelegs around Chris's midsection for support as she held him tightly. She leaned her head in, pressing her soft lips to his now more fuzzy ones, kissing him deeply.

Chris embraced the sudden kiss, wrapping his free arm around Lyra's back, pulling her body closer to him as he closed his eyes and pushed a little more into her lips.

Lyra rubbed his side with a hoof before slowly breaking off the kiss, giving him a loving gaze as she held him. "You look wonderful. Just be yourself and everything will be fine," she whispered sweetly, giving him a loving squeeze with her forehooves.

She was right, of course. He wouldn't get anywhere trying to be something that he thought Bon Bon would like in a mate. "Thank you, sweetheart. That makes me feel a lot better," he replied, smiling a little more. He started to feel less nervous about this whole dating Bon Bon thing, thanks to Lyra's confidence in him. As long as she was with him, he felt like he could do anything.

Lyra smiled warmly before leaning in for a second kiss. She held back a giggle as his new whiskers lightly tickled her nose, making her pull her head back and snort lightly as she scrunched up her muzzle. It was a fun sensation, but a little distracting sometimes. “You know, maybe you should shave that beard off,” she mused in a teasing manner, sticking her tongue out slightly.

Chris arched an eyebrow high into the air, giving Lyra a questioning look, feeling a little less secure in himself again. “You were the one that kept begging me to grow one,” he pointed out, matter-of-factly. “Are you trying to say I’m ugly right before our big date?” he quipped, hiding his insecurity, knowing Lyra was just messing with him.

“That's exactly what I am saying. Honestly, I’m not even sure why you listened to me. And I’m shocked nopony has run you out of town yet,” she responded sarcastically, biting her lip trying to hold back her giggles.

Chris smiled and chuckled before softly kissing Lyra on the tip of her nose, which caused Lyra to start giggling as his whiskers tickled her again. “Thanks, honey. You always know how to make a guy feel loved,” he joked, rubbing her back with his hand, but his expression soon turned into a more worried one as he thought about what Bon Bon might actually think of his beard. “But, I mean. I look okay, right? You don’t think Bon Bon will hate the beard, do you?”

Lyra rolled her eyes at him. “Yes, dear, I think Bonny will like the beard. In fact, I know she has a little thing for stallions with a rugged edge to them,” she cooed, swaying her hips slightly.

Chris continued to give her a slightly unsure look, but kept smiling. “I hope you're right…” he said, pausing for a moment.

“Trust me. I know Bonny, she’ll love it,” Lyra added with a wink.

Chris smiled brightly at his marefriend, wanting to believe in her words. “I guess we'll see. But, I’m definitely keeping the beard,” he added in a stern tone, standing his ground on the matter.

Lyra smirked, giving him a half-lidded, sensual gaze. “Oh really? Well I think I can deal with that. I still think it’s ssssexy,” she hissed in a lustful tone. “You look so wild and fierce with that beard,” she added, flicking her tail from under her cape in a very suggestive manner.

Chris started to chuckle again at Lyra’s flirting, giving her his own lustful, but playful, stare. “Well in that case, maybe I should shave it off after all,” he countered, in a very childish tone.

“Humans can never make up their minds, can they?” Lyra sighed, squeezing Chris a little tighter as she closed her eyes and laid her head over his shoulder, enjoying the feeling of embracing him. “Just remember that no matter what you do, I’ll still love you," she whispered lovingly.

“You know, you're adorable when your're sappy,” Chris replied, sighing in content as he nuzzled the side of her head, leaning into her embrace some more. “And you know I'll always love you no matter what you do,” he added in a loving whisper of his own.

They stayed like that for a short while before Lyra let go and dropped back down on all four hooves, looking up at Chris all the while. "Don’t stress about tonight. You’ll do great, and I know Bonny will have fun. Everything will be fine. I promise," she reassured him with a loving smile.

Chris nodded his head in agreement, believing in her words. She had to be right about all this, but they had been standing in front of The Everfree Moon for a while now with no Bon Bon in sight. He hoped she didn't stand them up, but he felt like she would never do something like that. She might not like him, but he couldn't picture her ditching a date she agreed to. He felt like maybe they should have gone to pick her up or something, but Lyra insisted there was no need.

"Oh, I think I see her!" Lyra shouted excitedly, causing Chris to turn around and look down the path again. Sure enough, a small figure of a pony could be seen trotting towards them at a quick and steady pace. It was difficult to see the pony in the moonlight, but they seemed to be wearing a dark blue cape, similar in style to Lyra's. Chris thought he could make out what looked like pink and blue curls poking out from under the pony’s hood. It had to be Bon Bon.

Chris’s stomach started to twist into a knot as his nerves once again began to eat at him. He wanted to fidget with the box in his hand some more, but he knew that that would send the wrong message. He needed to show that he was confident, and mindlessly fidgeting with Bon Bon’s gifts like that wouldn't help convey that.

Chris leaned against Lyra, placing his free hand on the back of her cape, gently stroking her to help keep himself calm as he watched Bon Bon approach.

'I really, really, really hope she likes our gifts...' Chris thought to himself. He knew from his herd studies that if a group was interested in bringing in another mare or stallion, they would give that pony a gift from each member of the herd. Lyra had gotten her something he thought was really nice, but he wasn’t as confident in his gift.

Meanwhile, Bon Bon trotted towards the restaurant, thinking to herself about why she was running late. It took her a lot longer to fix her mane than she originally thought it would. She was still used to having Lyra help her with that kind of stuff and she felt terrible for making her friend wait like this.

Lyra had explained to her that this place had a unique and 'awesome' atmosphere to it. It all sounded interesting and she would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't at least a little bit excited to find out what it was like. Although, her excitement wasn’t enough to help keep her distracted from how scary this date was going to be. The realization that she would have to talk and interact with the human frightened her.

Maybe if she just kept to herself, avoided looking at the human, and just kept talking to Lyra, then he would ignore her as well. Perhaps Lyra wouldn’t even notice that she was avoiding him during the date if she kept the unicorn distracted with a good conversation.

Bon Bon sighed to herself. Deep down, she knew that that plan wouldn’t work for long. She’d agreed to this date and it was so important to Lyra. Eventually, she would have to talk to the human; she just hoped it wouldn’t be that often.

Bon Bon's thoughts were interrupted when she could see the restaurant up ahead. Lyra was standing in front of the establishment, next to her human, which made her stomach turn in fear as her trotting slowed down slightly.

She was getting closer to the pair and could see them more clearly, but something about the human made her slow down even more. It looked like there was something new about him. She hadn't really seen him in a while, but it looked like he had a… a beard on his face?

This caused Bon Bon to stop completely for a moment. She was still a little ways away from the restaurant, but was close enough to see that there was clearly fur on the human’s face now. She didn't even know that he could grow a beard like that. It made him seem more... like a pony. In fact, it reminded her of an an old crush she used to have. It was strangely comforting seeing the human with a beard like that, but there was something else on him that caught her attention. He was holding a strange black box in his, spidery, hooves. It must be a gift for her.

Bon Bon wondered what the human thought a good gift for a date would be. Maybe he would give her some kind of weird clothing, or some kind of human custom thing. She remembered back to when Lyra told her that his kind gives bundles of roses when they are trying to court a mate. It could be that, but the box was too small to be a bouquet of flowers and he would never go so far out of his way like that to give her such a gift. Whatever it was, she would find out soon enough.

Bon Bon swallowed the lump in her throat as she started to slowly walk towards the restaurant, keeping her head down, hiding behind her dark blue hood, and avoiding the human’s gaze.

Once Bon Bon got closer, Lyra started to trot up to meet her with the human close behind, which made the feeling of butterflies in the earth pony’s stomach all the more noticeable. She kept her head down, not wanting to risk looking in the human’s direction. She just wanted to see her friend and not deal with the bipedal creature yet.

"Bonny! You made it!" Lyra exclaimed happily, trotting up to embrace her in a warm hug. The human seemed to keep his distance and just watch them as they embraced each other, which was good. She just hoped he wasn't expecting a hug as well.

“I-I'm sorry I was late, L-Lyra," Bon Bon apologized nervously in a slightly shaky voice, squeezing the unicorn a little tighter in her embrace. "M-my mane took me longer to do then I thought it would…”

“It’s okay, Bonny,” Lyra reassured her warmly, breaking off the embrace to look her in the eyes. It looked like the unicorn was about to say something else, but was interrupted.

“We’re both really glad you could make it here safely,” The human’s deep and gentle voice spoke to her from above her hood.

The sound of his voice made her heart start to beat a little faster. The date hadn’t even started yet, and he was already talking to her! Her plan of trying to avoid him was failing already, just like she’d feared it would, but she couldn’t avoid him like she did before. She had to say something to him. “I-I… I-I’m…h-h-happy to be here...” she stammered, trying her best to say something coherent, but was just too nervous.

Lyra could see her friend wasn’t exactly comfortable yet, which she was expecting, but it was a good sign that she was actually acknowledging Chris. Bon Bon would have never done that before and the surprised look on Chris’s face told the unicorn that he was thinking the same thing.

Lyra smiled to herself, thinking that this really was going to work out just like she knew it would, but Bon Bon still had a ways to go before she would open up completely.

Stepping closer to her shy friend, Lyra put a hoof over her withers and pulled her into her side, knowing that her close presence would help to keep her calm. “It’s pretty chilly out here. How about we head inside and get our table? ” Lyra asked Bon Bon in a calming voice.

Still looking down slightly, Bon Bon nodded her head in agreement. “T-That would be lovely,” she said, looking up to Lyra, mustering a small smile.

Lyra started to lead Bon Bon to the front entrance of The Everfree Moon as she looked up to Chris, giving him a bright smile that told him she thought things were off to a good start.

Chris gave Lyra an awkward smile back as he watched the two mares head for the wooden door. He followed a little ways behind them thinking that Bon Bon’s stammerings were probably the first time she had ever made an effort to communicate with him. If he played his cards right, there might be a chance that Bon Bon would actually warm up to him.

He continued to follow the two mares until they stopped in front of the restaurant. Both of them stepped to opposite sides of the entrance as Lyra used her magic to open the door. She looked back at Chris expectantly with a soft smile, while Bon Bon kept her head hidden from him, behind her hood.

Chris knew what they both wanted him to do, and he HATED this part. Unfortunately, all of his studies about dating in pony culture told him that it was rude for the mares to enter a building first. He had to do it, even though every fiber of his being told him that he should be the one holding the door open and letting them enter first.

Swallowing his pride, he reluctantly walked forward, passing the two mares as he entered the door. “Thank you ladies,” he said politely as he turned his head to speak to them, bowing slightly so he didn’t bump his forehead on the door frame.

Lyra snorted, trying to hold back a laugh, not thinking of herself as a lady. “Yeah, I’m not sure about that one, big guy,” she quipped. “There's only one lady here tonight. Right Bonny?” she asked in a joking tone, nudging the earth pony with her elbow a little.

Bon Bon laughed nervously before responding to her friend, even though she didn’t seem to catch what Lyra was implying. “Y-yeah…”

Chris rolled his eyes at Lyra as he entered into the small waiting room of the restaurant, the two mares close behind him. The round room was lit by a large, glowing crystal that hung from the ceiling high above their heads, illuminating the normally dark, cave-like room. The lighting revealed a large set of wooden double doors with a highly detailed profile shot of Princess Luna carved into it. There was also a bat pony hostess on the right side of the door, sitting on a stool behind a tall wooden podium.

The bat pony mare had a dark brown coat with a deep violet mane and light-yellow slitted eyes. She seemed to brighten up when Chris walked up to her. "Oh, hey! You're the Heartstrings party of three, right?" the bat pony asked cheerfully, wagging her tail slightly.

Chris chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "Oh... you, umm... remembered us?" he asked, a little shocked the mare recognized them so quickly. Lyra had taken him to dine at The Everfree Moon a couple of times before, but he didn't think that it was enough for the staff to start remembering them.

"Of course I do! We don't get a whole lot of couples here that are as unique as you two," the bat pony explained with a bright smile. "Your name was... umm," she paused, tapping a hoof to her chin in thought. "Crest, right?!" she shouted excitedly, pointing a triumphant hoof in Chris’s direction.

Chris gave an awkward smile before correcting her. "Umm… well, you're actually really close, but it’s Chris."

The bat mare gave an adorable pout that only a bat pony could manage, disappointed that she got the name wrong. "Well, I almost got it," she shrugged.

Chris wanted to try and guess the bat pony’s name as well, but he couldn't remember ever seeing her before. "Let's see... You're... ummm." He tried to look at her name tag that was around her neck, but the bat pony saw what he was trying to do and covered it with her hoof.

"Nope! You gotta guess," she teased.

Chris scratched his beard in thought. He leaned to the side, trying to see what her cutie mark might be, thinking her butt tattoo might help him guess her name more accurately.

Her cutie mark had a small crescent moon on it with seven smaller stars around it. He had no idea what it could mean, so he took a shot in the dark. "Your name is... Lunar Sprinkles?"

The bate pony snorted, holding back a giggle. "Wow, Lunar Sprinkles? How did you even come up with that one?" She asked, giggling. Even Lyra started to laugh at that and Chris could have sworn he heard Bon Bon giggling as well.

"No, my name is Star Dust, but you guys can call me Dusty. All my friends do," she added with friendly smile.

"Well, it’s nice to meet you, Dusty," Chris replied warmly.

"Likewise, but I'll let my boss, Ember, know you guys are here as well. She'll definitely want to say hi to you and your date there," Dusty said, lightly pointing a hoof in Bon Bon's direction.

Chris raised an eyebrow at that. He vaguely remembered Ember from the last few times he was here with Lyra and he knew she was the owner of the restaurant. She would occasionally walk by their table to check if their meals were okay, which was something he thought most restaurant owners did. He wasn't sure why Ember needed to know when they arrived. He looked back to Lyra and Bon Bon, thinking his marefriend might know why Ember wanted to say hi to them, but she only shrugged. Chris turned back to Dusty, giving her a puzzled expression. "Really? Why is that?"

"Are you kidding me? You guys are like her most favorite couple that come in here!" Dusty shouted excitedly. "She'll want to come by and say hello. Trust me," Dusty explained, chuckling a little.

Chris wasn’t really sure what to make of that. It felt a little weird being somepony’s ‘favorite couple’, but it must be a good thing that the owner has taken special interest in them. He looked back to Lyra who was now smiling brightly. Apparently, she approved of the news.

Lyra giggled, looking up at the bat pony with a smug smile. "Well, we are pretty awesome, and we’re looking to expand our awesomeness," she said, wrapping a hoof around Bon Bon's back, pulling her into a tight hug, making the earth pony squeak in surprise and slump down into her cloak a little more.

"So I see," Dusty giggled, flapping her leathery wings once to help her hop off the tall stool she was sitting on before landing right in front of the group. “Anyways, now that that's out of the way, hello, and welcome to The Everfree Moon!" she chirped happily. “Your table is ready, and I’ll be happy to take your cloaks and coat. We have a safe place where we can store them until your meal is over,” she added as she walked up to Chris.

"We would greatly appreciate that,” Chris replied, setting Bon Bon’s gift box on the podium for a moment before taking off his coat, revealing his outfit he picked out for the night. He wore a pair of black dress pants with a black leather belt and a light-blue, long-sleeve dress shirt that was tucked into his pants and buttoned all the way up, except for the very last button that held his collar together.

Dusty flew up, holding her forelegs out, offering to take his coat. He carefully draped his winter wear around the bat pony’s left foreleg before picking up Bon Bon's gift box again. “Thank you,” he said, causing Dusty to smile and fly over to Lyra, waiting for her to disrobe her cloak as well.

Chris turned and watched Lyra take off her cloak with her magic, revealing the silky white dress with gold accents and matching saddle she had picked out. The top part of her dress fit around her barrel just so and had no sleeves around her forelegs. She wore a gold belt around her midsection that held her saddle on and gave way to a long white and silky smooth skirt that draped all the way down to the floor, covering her back legs completely.

Her mane was brushed out and flowed freely over the left side of her face and down the back of her neck. Chris had actually helped her brush it. He loved brushing Lyra's mane, even though she was fully capable of doing so herself. It was relaxing for him and a good way to spend some time with her and just enjoy each other’s company. Plus, she really seemed to like it.

There was no doubt, Lyra was absolutely breathtaking in that dress with her mane combed out like it was. He would have to ask her if they could try something a little more intimate with that dress on her sometime...

Chris smiled to himself, thinking about all the things he would love to do with Lyra in that dress before he noticed Bon Bon having trouble with her cloak. He could see Bon Bon was struggling to get the small facet in the front of her hood undone. Her hoof kept slipping over the button that held it together. Chris was about to offer help, but Lyra beat him to it.

“Here, Bonny, let me get that for you,” Lyra offered as she used her magic to lift Bon Bon’s cloak up and over her head, revealing what she had on for the night.

Chris’s eyes started to widen in awe as he gazed at Bon Bon’s enchanting, dark blue dress with pink accents that matched her mane perfectly. The top half of her outfit fit around her barrel much like Lyra’s did, only hers had long, lacy pink sleeves that cascaded down her forelegs, passing her knees slightly. Her midsection was wrapped multiple times with a large pink ribbon that covered most of her abdomen and was tied off in the back by a bow. Her skirt draped down her hips, covering most of her back legs, but stopped an inch away from the ground. It also looked like the edges of her skirt were decorated with the same pink lace that covered her forelegs.

Chris looked up from Bon Bon’s dress to see that she had actually styled her mane as well. It looked like her curls were stretched out longer and were fuller looking in the front. The back of her mane reflected the same treatment, making it look like small waves of blue and pink curls were cascading down the back of her neck. She was also wearing some light blue eyeshadow around her eyes, as well as a light pink shade of lipstick.

She looked amazing. ‘Stunning’ and ‘beautiful’ were a few other words that came to Chris’s mind as he continued his gawking. He thought Bon Bon was an attractive mare before, but her dress and makeup only served to enhance all those features he really liked about her.

“Th-thank you, Lyra…” Bon Bon said nervously as she watched the unicorn take her cloak and set it in Dusty's hooves.

Dusty flew back with their winter clothing between her forelegs, stopping in front of the wall behind her podium before turning and speaking to the group again. "I’ll put these away for you three and be back in a second to help you to your table. If you’ll please wait here, it’ll just be a moment,” she said, pushing through a hidden door that easily swung open as she pressed her shoulder against it and disappeared into the back.

Bon Bon watched the bat pony leave and turned her head back to Lyra, who was now looking at her with a really bright smile for some reason. The unicorn’s eyes kept darting from her to something much taller that was standing right next to her. Feeling curious about what Lyra kept looking at, she turned her head to see what it was.

Her eyes soon fell upon the human’s waist, which made her slowly look up to find that the tall stallion was staring right at her with wide eyes and mouth slightly agape, making her squeak in surprise. She quickly jerked her head away, looking down at the floor, trying to hide herself, wishing she was still covered with her cloak. “Wh-wh-what’s w-wrong?” she managed to stutter quietly, not sure why the human was staring at her.

“You look... beautiful!” he complimented loudly, causing Bon Bon to blush brightly and squeak a second time. Her heart started to pound faster in her chest.

Bon Bon rubbed her foreleg with her hoof awkwardly, not sure what to say to the compliment. This date was already looking like it was going to be difficult to get through with the human always trying to talk to her like he was actually interested. Although, it did seem like he really meant what he said, but that look he was giving her was a little scary. She didn’t know how to react to his words, but she had to say something for Lyra’s sake and there was no way he could actually think she was beautiful, not when he had Lyra to compare her to. “ I-I’m… n-not… th-that pretty,” she managed to stammer softly, making herself seem as small as possible.

“You are!” the human replied a little louder as if he was offended by what she said, causing Bon Bon to flinch a little. The tall stallion seemed to noticed that his shouting scared her, making him lightly cover his mouth with his hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to shout, but you are very pretty,” he added in a softer tone.

“I… I-I…” Bon Bon tried to respond again, but was a little shaken and nervous about the human still trying to talk to her. She took a deep calming breath before responding to him. “Th-Thank y-you, th-that’s very… s-s-sweet of you to s-say,” she stammered quietly, looking at the floor. She still didn’t believe he would actually think she was beautiful, but she didn’t want to argue.

Suddenly, Bon Bon could feel a hoof being placed on her withers, making her look up to see Lyra smiling warmly at her. “He’s right, Bonny. You do look beautiful tonight,” Lyra said, kissing her sweetly on the lips. Bon Bon returned the kiss, closing her eyes, letting the unicorn’s warm embrace melt all her fears and worries away. However, before she could really start to enjoy the moment, the hidden door behind the podium swung open again, breaking off their kiss.

Dusty flew back into the room from the hidden passageway, landing behind her podium. She picked up three menus, placing them under her wing before trotting up to the double doors that lead to the main dining room. “Okay then. If you three will just follow me, I'll happily show you to your table,” she said as she pushed the wooden doors open with a hoof, revealing The Everfree Moon to the trio.

Bon Bon watched from the side with Lyra as the bat pony opened the door and went inside with the human following close behind, but not before he made some kind of grumbling sound, almost like he didn’t want to walk in the door for some reason. She had to wait for the tall stallion to enter first, then she could walk in with Lyra.

Once the bipedal creature disappeared through the door, Lyra followed after him, leaving Bon Bon in the waiting room all alone.

Taking a deep breath, Bon Bon pushed herself forward, catching up with Lyra. Once they were on the other side, Lyra trotted up next to Chris’s left side. Bon Bon looked away from her dates for a moment to see what this place was really like. Her eyes widened as she took in the stunning sight.

The entire area was illuminated with a multitude of soft white glowing crystals that were scattered all across the outer walls of the surprisingly large, cave-like room. The center of the dining area held a large, rounded stage where a group of pony musicians were playing an enchanting melody that seemed to flow all around them and could be heard clearly over the clanging plates and multiple table conversations being had.

Bon Bon looked above the stage to see a very large and even brighter crystal chandelier that took up most of the ceiling. There were over a dozen lines of little cords that connected the chandelier to the outer edges of the ceiling. Each strand of cord had a bunch of strategically placed crystal lamps that would illuminate the table it was placed over, adding a little extra light for the restaurant patrons to enjoy their meals with.

She followed one of the strands of cord with her eyes, leading her to what looked like a bar area built into the cave’s wall. Maybe later that night she could go up and ask the bartender there what it was like to run a place like this.

It was all very dazzling and beautiful and Bon Bon was definitely impressed. She thought that maybe one day she might come back here if she ever got the chance, but her thoughts were interrupted when she noticed her dates were now standing a little ways away, looking back at her to see why she stopped.

Lyra grinned at her with a knowing smile. “Told ya this place is awesome,” she said in a cocky ‘I-told-you-so’ tone. Even the human was smiling at her, which made her blush again for some reason.

“I-it is pretty,” Bon Bon admitted in a bashful tone, catching up to her dates. She trotted up to the human’s right side, opposite of Lyra, making sure to stay away from his, hand, as much as possible. Just the thought of his spidery limb accidentally grazing her coat made her shudder slightly. She would much rather be by Lyra’s side, but she had to be hospitable and play her part as the second mare interested in the herd. Plus, both of his hands were still busy holding that black box, so she didn’t have to worry as much.

They continued their short journey to their table, which seemed like it was going to be somewhere in the back. Bon Bon took this time to look around and see some of the couples that were dining in the restaurant.

Once she did, she quickly noticed there were only a couple of ponies here, but there were plenty of bat ponies and even some griffins, with even a few zebras here and there. Lyra told her that this place was a popular spot for all kinds of different species, so this didn’t really shock her. What really surprised her was how almost everypony in the establishment was looking in their direction with shocked or curious expression. In fact, they seemed to be staring right at the human she was walking next to.

Bon Bon instantly felt embarrassed and uneasy. She knew why they were staring, and she was ashamed to admit that, if she were in their hooves, she would be gawking as well, but could the human see all of this?

The earth pony looked up slightly as she walked, and saw that the human was indeed witnessing all the stares that were being directed at him. He seemed to have a sad and uneasy expression on his face as his eyes slowly scanned across the room. It was kind of hard to tell from her position, but it seemed like the human knew why they were staring and it saddened him.

Bon Bon felt a little strange seeing this. She almost felt bad about it, and she wasn’t exactly sure why. She knew that the human was a unique creature, and the stares were to be expected, but the sad expression on his face made her feel pity towards the human.

She looked down to see if Lyra was also seeing all of this, but she seemed oblivious as ever. It looked like she was practically skipping as she trotted alongside her human coltfriend. Did she not see all the hard stares everypony was giving them? It was really difficult to miss; she had to have seen what was going on. Or maybe she just didn’t care?

Bon Bon’s thoughts were interrupted when she noticed that they had reached their destination. Dusty stopped in front of a wide, half-circle entry way that was carved into the side of the cave wall. The entrance was covered with a wall of glowing crystal beads that streamed down, providing privacy to who ever entered through them. Lyra and her human must have really gone all-out to afford a private room for them, which she was grateful for. Now she wouldn’t have to see everypony in the restaurant staring at them throughout the entire meal. This date was going to be hard enough without all the curious and judgmental eyes peering at her.

Dusty trotted up to the wall of crystal beads and parted a group of them with her hoof, revealing a small rounded room, with their table in the center. “Fillies, and gentlecolt,” Dusty announced, winking in Chris’s direction, “your table awaits.”

Author's Notes:

Oh look... This story finally updated... yay.

Sorry this took so long to get out, but I was having a lot of trouble with this chapter. Not so much this part but the second part was killing me. You might see why once I post it.

Also I know I wanted to post all the chapters parts up at once, but I really want to make sure that the next part is working, and my editors are still combing through part 2 for you guys. So enjoy the first part for now, and the second should be out shortly.

Special thanks to ButtonSweetiePuff, Laven_Eclipse and EvergreenPony for helping me edit this.

Also... I'm so freaking excited for you guys to read the next part. A lot of fun stuff happens!

P.S. If you guys find mistakes or anything like that, feel free to let me know so I can update this.