Author’s unnecessarily Italic note: Just wanted to throw this out here, I am portraying Ditzy as intelligent and social for this story. So… yeah… Read the story, Tina…

I entered the dark room, only to be blinded by about twenty different coloured lights flashing and blinking in my eyes. I let my eyes adjust, and when they did, I saw that everypony in the room was staring at me. I blinked once, twice, and before I could absently blink a third time, Pinkie Pie grabbed me by the shoulder, standing on her hind legs with a glass of what appeared to be punch in her free hoof before yelling:

“THE GUEST OF HONOUR HAS ARRIVED! NOW LETS REALLY GET THIS PARTY STARTED!!!” A huge crowd of mares and stallions of all colours cheered, pumping their drinks in the air, including the other mares whom I had met earlier that autumn. I even caught a glance of Big Macintosh in the corner, holding up a large mug, grinning my way. Pinkie then pointed to a certain white unicorn in shades that was currently mixing some admittedly gnarly rifts, saying:

“DJ! PUT A RECORD ON! LETS PARTY ‘TILL THE SUN COMES UP, AND THEN SOME!” I was nearly deafened by the shouting of the pink party mare, and the blaring music didn’t help. Then, as the new track began to play, the party-crazed mare turned back to me:

“I’M SO GLAD YOU MADE IT! IT WOULDN’T BE A ‘WELCOME TO PONYVILLE, RED STORM’ PARTY IF YOU WEREN’T HERE FOR US TO GREET, HUH?” I nodded nervously, as I scanned the rest of the room. I quickly spotted my friends, and made my way around the crowd, nodding off the greetings I received. I walked up to the mares, but one was missing… Rarity (who was formally dressed, like me)… Fluttershy… Rainbow Dash… Applejack…and Pinkie Pie, who had somehow materialized on this side of the room…… Where was Twilight Sparkle? I said hello to my friends:

“Hi there, everypony, has anypony seen Twilight?” the group shrugged, except Pinkie Pie who saw something and ran over to it, leaving the area as quickly as she appeared.

“I hadn’t seen her since she got here. She snagged som’ punch and wandered off.” Said the orange mare, shrugging. I scanned the room quickly, and soon spotted her purple coat next to a red one. She stood, chatting with Big Mac, while sipping her punch. Every few minutes they would share a light laugh before continuing to chatter. I couldn’t hope to eavesdrop from here, being halfway across the room and having the music playing, backed with the noise of ponies dancing and talking. ‘Perhaps I ought to leave those two alone… just in case.’

“So… what’s everypony doing?” I said, adjusting my collar.

“Not much. Just hangin’ out,” the cyan blue Pegasus said. “What do you think about the party that Pinkie threw you? Pretty cool, huh?” I simply nodded.

“Pray tell, Red Storm, how do you like your suit?” I looked nice and hard at the suit for the first time tonight. It was a dark-grey colour with a red undershirt and had rubies for the collar clips.

“I love it, really. However, I’m feeling rather unnerved here. Do you know where I can get something to drink, punch perhaps?”

“Please, darling, do you honestly think that there is just punch here? The bar is over there,” the well-dressed unicorn said, pointing to a bar area that I had somehow missed.

“Yeah! I mean, what’s a party without stiff drinks?” Rainbow Dash added. I nodded in thanks, and as I walked away, I could hear the five mares chirping away with each other. I made my way to the bar, trying not to step on anypony’s hooves in the dark, and sat myself down. I was surprised when a young dragon popped out from behind the counter, with a moustache and a bowtie… got to admit, the ‘stache was pretty cool.

“So, what can I get for the stallion of the hour? Something lightweight,” he leaned in, before winking, “or something hard?”

“Just a light cider, Spike. Nice mustache, by the way.”

“Thanks. So, you’re already drinking, huh? I take it parties aren’t your thing.” He said this while filling a glass cup with the cider, and I nodded.

“I don’t like parties. I was excited coming here, but now I know that it isn’t my style.” The purple dragon raised an eyebrow as he glided the glass across the counter into my hoof flawlessly.

“You know, there are formal parties, right? What you might call a ball or gala. We have those too, just not as often.” I simply nodded again, and he walked away to tend to another pony. Suddenly, there is a tap on my back, and I spin around and grab the pony by the neck out of instinct. I don't like being touched or surprised.

It was Ditzy.

“Oh my lord! I am unfathomably sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I?”I set her down, brushing her mane and patting her back as she tried to cough out a response.

“I-*cough*- I’m ok. What has you so jumpy?” I settled back into my barstool, sighing.

“I’m just like that whenever somepony startles me. Again, I’m sorry.” She just nodded, sitting next to me, rubbing her neck. She waved over Spike and ordered an appletini, to my surprise.

“My, I would have never guessed you drink.”

“You have to, being a single mom.” My brow furrowed. She giggled.

“That was a joke. But really, I just like to have something… different every once in a while.” I shrugged as I took a long swig from my glass, before looking at it sideways. It was light. It was like drinking apple juice. I shrugged again as I finished my glass and Ditzy received hers, all in relative silence, if you could ignore the blaring music.

The music was likely the worst part of the whole event… in a way. I like the music, but it was far too loud. And the lights could give somepony into a seizure, not to mention the lack of real lighting. Although I found myself bobbing my head to the music, I was otherwise annoyed by it.

Ditzy downed her drink and ran over to the dance floor, and I simply sat there, flagging Spike down for another round.
“Perhaps you can give me something stronger…”

“Sure. We have so much here, I almost wonder if Pinkie killed somepony for all of it.” Right as he said that, Pinkie Pie jumped out of a cabinet behind him and pinned him to the counter, hissing in his ear:

“Tell NOPONY.” He just nodded nervously before she jumped off of him, mantling the counter and running off somewhere. I was almost shocked at her feral behavior, but I assumed I was no better earlier that week in the hospital. Spike straightened his tie and moustache before pouring me a glass of what looked to be scotch. I took the glass and sipped it as the current song ended.

Suddenly, Vinyl Scratch put on a new record, this one a slow dance. She lowered the bass, and changed the lighting so that the room turned a velvety-pink colour. It was a piece with what appeared to be almost all strings, which was rather calming. I saw that a good dozen ponies had cleared the dance floor, making room for the couples to dance.

“This one is dedicated to the pony of the hour, Red Storm! All you colts out there, grab a filly, and have some fun! I’m talking to you, big guy.” As she finished, a spotlight shined on me, dousing me in pink. I slowly got up, and made my way to the center of the room, all eyes on me. The room was quiet except for the heavenly music wafting through the air. I looked around me, looking for somepony to share the dance with. I saw Ditzy, and she smiled my way. I thought about asking her, but then I saw those aqua blue eyes behind her.

I absentmindedly made my way over to the eyes, enchanted by them. But that wasn’t the only thing guiding me across the room. The pink mane, the buttermilk coat, and the overall beauty of the mare; Fluttershy. I trotted over to her, some ponies stepping out of my way, others following my gaze. The mare was not looking at me, but instead was looking at the bottom of a plastic cup, sitting at a small round table. I stopped in front of her, bathing us both in the light. She looked up at me, and her eyes went wide. I dropped to my knees and said:

“May you give me the pleasure of this dance, Fluttershy?”

"Yes," She breathed silently.

“I beg your pardon?” I asked, straining my ears.

“Yes, I would love to, Red Storm.” I took her hoof in my own, and I led her back to the dance floor. We took our positions and began to dance a ball dance.

“I didn’t know you knew this dance,” I whispered in her ear.

“I do. Thank you,” She whispered back.

“For what?”

“For choosing me.” I looked into her eyes, and she smiled. I leaned in, almost touching her ear, and I responded.

“…How could I not?” She blushed, and I held her closer. I hadn’t even noticed that some couples had joined us in the dance, including Big Mac and Twilight. Even if I did, I wouldn’t care. I was dancing with the pony who I loved, and I was lost in the moment. Neither god nor devil could spoil this for me, and I thought I was the happiest pony in the world. However, in my love-struck trance, I let my guard fall. Because of this, I failed to notice a black unicorn mare in the corner of the room.

A mare with eyes split like those of a cat’s, and eyes as red as blood.

I also failed to see this mare charging a spell, one that could kill everypony in the room. I failed to see her halt herself, and step out the door.

I failed to see the mare whom I had spent my entire foalhood with.

I failed to see my older sister, Scarlet Rain.

I stumbled out with Fluttershy at about three in the morning, and we were ecstatic, never mind the time. We chatted all the way home, about how much fun we had, about the dance, and about how embarrassing it was towards the end. At some point, we even sang karaoke together. We also were very drunk right about now.

‘Looks like I’m going to need some more Wake-Up-Juice tomorrow, but I think it was totally worth it… after all, I got to share a night of bliss with the mare who I hold such strong feelings for.’

We stumbled inside, laughing together for no reason. We went upstairs, and fell into bed, giggling like little foals. But when the mare began to try to snuggle with me, I pushed her off, regaining some sobriety.

“No… don’t try it. I don’t want to do anything foolish that we may regret later. Let’s just…*yawn* get some sleep…” The mare yawned soon after me, muttered something about fruitcake, and passed out soon after that. I covered her up, before wrapping myself up. As the sun began to rise, I began to fall into my dreamscape.