Arriving at the cafe, Alan examined the offered assortment of dishes, and avoiding everything related to hay, chose carrot soup as the main course, and french fries with sauce as an appetizer.
Choosing a table by the window, Alan sat down for it, and looking out the window began to wait for the order. But before he had time to plunge into his thoughts, a couple of mares sat down at his table.
Looking at them, Alan was very surprised, because they were Vinyl Scratch and her friend Octavia. And if the first smiled affably, the second kept a calm and somewhat businesslike expression on her face.
With a quick smile at the newly arrived Vinyl, Alan said.
— Hey, good morning Vinyl. Didn't expect to see you here. And…
Moving his gaze to Octavia, he continued.
— Will you introduce me to your beautiful friend?
Hearing his words, Octavia only raised an eyebrow, but retained her sophisticated atmosphere around her. But her friend Vinyl could tell that she was a little nervous.
Octavia has always had problems communicating with other ponies, as she thinks too long what she should say so as not to create a bad impression of herself, but in the end, many ponies misunderstand her, considering her a snob who simply ignores them, and therefore, ponies usually leave this awkward silence before Octavia has time to say anything. And that's why she got along so well with Vinyl, who basically doesn't speak.
One of the reasons why they got hooked on Alan is to help Octavia make a friend with a new pony in Ponyville, who has not yet had time to learn about her supposedly "cold" attitude towards others. Besides, just yesterday Vinyl made sure that Alan could easily understand her, despite the fact that she didn't say a word. He seemed to be easy to get along with, which is the perfect friend quality for both Octavia and herself.
Deciding to finally break the silence of Octavia, Vinyl nudged her friend with her elbow, and smiling encouragingly at her, pointed her muzzle towards the calmly waiting Alan.
Exhaling a little, Octavia, who was still bewildered by Alan's words, didn't have time to form her answer properly, and answered with the restraint of an aristocrat.
— Octavia. Melody.
She gave a slightly cold answer. And that was all she said, and that made her tense up internally, as it looks like she ruined everything again. Even Vinyl did a light facehoof, with an amused smile. But contrary to the expectation of the mares, Alan just smiled and answered.
— Octavia Melody? This is a very beautiful name. As I understand it, Vinyl is a DJ, and if I'm not mistaken, then you also have something to do with music?
As usual, Alan chooses his words carefully, not showing that he already knows her.
Octavia finally showed the first sign that she was surprised. And you could see some relief on her face. Vinyl began to smile even brighter than before. Capturing the attention of her sophisticated friend, Vinyl finally decided to remind them of their second purpose of coming, so that Octavia would not lose the moment, and began a normal dialogue.
Finally gathering her thoughts, Octavia responded with her usual calm composure.
— Yes you are right. I play the Cello. Since childhood, I have loved listening to music, and have attended many music concerts. And as soon as my mother gave me a Cello for my birthday, I immediately fell in love with this instrument.
When it came to her favorite pastime, the mare immediately became more talkative, and her previous tension was greatly eased. Vinyl, on the other hand, was happy for her friend, and again hitting her with her hoof, she reminded her of her goal. Noticing this, Octavia was subtly embarrassed, which caused her to slow down again in answering. But this time the situation was saved by Alan, who said.
— Wow, that's great. As a child, I also loved to listen to music all the time, but my hooves came to play instruments only in an older age. I don't seem to have any favorite instruments, as I like almost everything that I have heard. Although, I can especially highlight Hang. Its sound is one of the most soothing and meditative.
Smiling warmly, remembering his childhood, he returned to the topic.
— By the way, I never asked for what purpose or business you came to me?
Octavia finally relaxed and answered calmly and measuredly.
— Yes, speaking of this, Vinyl wanted to know how you like the guitar she gave you, does it sound good, and does it suit you? And I would also like to know if you can play this?
Vinyl nodded in agreement, and looking at Alana mimicked the gesture of playing the guitar, looking questioningly at Alan.
— Ah, the guitar? Yes, I can play it, but unfortunately, I have not yet had time to try it, because yesterday I fell asleep... quite late... And in the morning I immediately went to training with Rainbow Dash. But today, when I'm done, I will definitely try it.
Nodding her head, Octavia continued.
— And second, since you already know how to play. Vinyl, and me too, wanted to ask you if you are interested in joining our Jam Club for playing instruments. This does not serve any specific purpose, but rather we are just playing for the soul.
Surprised, Alan answered.
— Hey, that's an interesting idea. And how many ponies usually gather for such musical gatherings?
A bit embarrassed, Octavia answered.
— Well, mostly it's just me and Vinyl...
But getting a nod from Vinyl, who made a gesture for her, Octavia added.
— Oh, yes. On rare occasions, Lyra also comes to us. And although she plays her instrument quite well, she loves to chat more than to play music, and considering our... company... it's hard to just chat with us. So she almost stopped coming.
The unicorn DJ smiled cheerfully and nodded in agreement, scratching the back of her head. Alan could not help smiling and answered.
— Hah, well, that sounds great. It has been a long time since I took up musical instruments. So I'm not even sure what else I remember how to do it.
But then, afraid of losing the opportunity to get a new friend, Octavia quickly interrupted him.
— It's not a problem! If you need practice, Vinyl and I will be happy to help you. Right?
When her friend asked, Vinyl nodded with a smile, and then pointed to her headphones, the meaning of which was quickly translated by Octavia.
— And yes, we can also show each other our favorite songs. And maybe even ours personally written.
— Great, then we agreed!
Alan agreed with a smile, getting the contented expressions on the mares' faces. It was at this moment that the waitress finally brought their dishes, and for the next 10 minutes they calmly ate their food, occasionally chatting on various topics. When they finished, Alan got up from the table and said.
— I have to admit, the food is good here. Well, I still have things to do, so I have to leave you. And yes, thanks for keeping me company, I was glad to get to know you better.
The mares rose from the table behind him, and Octavia said.
— Oh no, thank you for not rejecting us, nevertheless we sat down with you ourselves, without asking permission. And I am sure that I will express our general opinion when I say that we also enjoyed your company, and we were also glad to get to know you a little.
Vinyl hugged Octavia with a smile and nodded.
— Then when I'm done with my business and try out the guitar, I'll come to the address that was written on the Vinyl card, and we can discuss your club.
Having finished with this, Alan and the mares left the establishment, and dispersed in different directions. Alan was heading towards the Rarity Boutique, contemplating improvements to his bracelets along the way.
«It would be great to make some improvements before starting to teach complex magic with Starlight and Twilight. All this time, Maud and I have not been able to find a suitable crystal for better conduction of magic. But I'm sure that in this cave in the vicinity of Ponyville, we can definitely find something suitable.»
Suddenly, remembering something, Alan thought.
«By the way, there is a tree of harmony in the Everfree Forest. Wasn't it made of some kind of crystal? Considering how powerful a source of magic it is, I think it would be great for my bracelets. It will be necessary to bring Maud there so that she can see what kind of crystal it is, and if we can find something similar in other places.»
Just as he finished thinking, Alan came to the Carousel Boutique. Going inside, he was surprised, as part of the space against the wall was filled with empty pony mannequins, with spotlights around, clearly prepared for a new batch of clothes. Alan immediately understood what all this was for.
— Wow, it looks like Rarity has already managed to completely prepare everything. This means that a large batch of outfits have already been made. Surprised that she already managed to do it so quickly.
As he finished speaking, Alan suddenly heard Rarity's voice coming from behind the storeroom.
— Sorry, but Carousel Boutique is temporarily closed.
— Rarity, it's me, Alan.
At these words, Alan heard a slight noise from behind the door, and after that, the agitated voice of a mare sounded.
— Ah, Alan? Wait a minute, darling, I'm going to finish now, and I want to show you something special. I want you to see this first. I assure you, that you will love it for sure.
She spoke the last part in a slightly playful voice, which Alan definitely liked. He replied.
— Oh, you know how to intrigue. I'm looking forward to it!
— He-he-he!
Giggling, Rarity continued to do something outside the door while Alan sat down on the sofa, waiting for her. And he didn't have to wait long, because literally a minute later, the Boutique was engulfed in a wave of magic that covered the windows, closed all the doors, and turned off all the lights, except for a couple of spotlights, creating an unusual atmosphere similar to that which can be seen on the catwalks for models.
Before Alan had time to recover, the door behind which Rarity was, opened, and one of the spotlights directed the light in that direction.
Immediately after this, the charming Rarity was released, in a new dark outfit, created in the image of modern designs from the world of Alan, and with light makeup on her face.
She wore a navy blue sheer blouse that covered part of her chest all the way to the back, which merged into an unusual form-fitting dress that had a slit supported by dark red laces, a bit like a qipao dress, revealing her seductive hips and hind legs, which were pulled transparent stockings with black heart patterns.
Her front legs were in short and dark socks, and the hooves were shod in a kind of round dark shoes without heels, and with straps covering the hoof up the leg.
She walked slowly towards Alan, who was sitting in shock and with his mouth open. With each step, she moved her hips alluringly, while looking seductively straight into his eyes, making it clear that this whole show, at the moment, is only for his eyes.
Swallowing, Alan continued to observe how the mare slowly came closer and closer to him, until her sultry gaze stopped a few centimeters in front of him, and he could feel the sweetish scent of her perfume, adding piquancy to this atmosphere.
After a couple of seconds of her gaze, Rarity smiled playfully at him, and slowly began to turn around, showing every part of her body, up to her thighs showing through the cut of her dress, and to complete her turn, she gently touched her tail to Alan's face before starting to move away from him, without forgetting to wiggle her sweet hips and ass.
When she stepped back a couple of meters, she turned semi-sideways, and got into the pose of a high-class lady, evenly joining her front hooves, looking seductively at Alan. When she stopped, she only asked one question.
— Do you like what you see?
Looking at her, Alan nodded, bewitched, and answered absolutely honestly.
— I enjoyed every bit of it.
Satisfied with the answer, the mare smiled happily, and finally returned the room to normal lighting, and herself to her usual behavior.
— He-he-he! I'm glad you liked it, I tried very hard to make the whole line perfect while the inspiration was still there. Honestly, from our acquaintance, inspiration flows from me in a continuous stream!
Alan smiled tenderly and answered.
— I'm glad I was able to inspire such a charming designer like you, Rarity. Although, I must say that now I will be a little jealous, since I will not be the only one who sees you in such a charming way.
A little surprised, Rarity smiled shyly and answered.
— Oh, Alan, you shouldn't worry. After all, this is only the first line from the new collection. And the next one will be even better! And besides...
Approaching a little closer to Alan, Rarity playfully looked at him, and said in a bewitching voice.
— This outfit I put on only, and only for you, and no one else will see me in it.
Looking at the adorable mare in front of his eyes, Alan decided to succumb to her playful mood and also responded playfully.
— Oh, then, can I count on your personal fashion show, for me personally, where I can see all your most daring and exciting outfits?
As soon as Rarity heard it, her fantasy immediately began to build this intimate moment, while not forgetting to add as much romance as possible, which then, perhaps, will grow into something more.
Just thinking about it, she was already rejoicing from the growing excitement, and at the same time, embarrassed inside, because of such bold thoughts.
Having finally gathered herself, the beautiful unicorn mare smiled predatory at the stallion in front of her, and answered.
— I think it is quite possible. But, as a true lady, I cannot just agree to it. So you have to earn it, and when you do, who knows, maybe the fashion show won't be the only thing you get... He-hee…
Sensing the excitement, Alan brought his face dangerously close to hers, and answered tenderly.
— Then I have to tell you that when it comes to something that I really like, then I can be very… VERY purposeful…
Having finished the last phrase in a low and sultry voice, Alan literally touched his muzzle to her, and they both looked into each other's eyes, fascinated, feeling their breath, and their heartbeat gradually accelerated from such an intimate moment.
Rarity was literally drunk when she looked into his deep ruby-colored eyes, and didn't even think to distance herself from him. Now, they both realized that they liked each other, and that they were extremely close to take a step from ordinary friends, to something more.
Realizing this, Alan decided to postpone this a little, since his new relationship with Maud and Pinky has not yet been revealed to the rest of the ponies, and starting something like this with Rarity without discussing it with either her or the Pai sisters would not be very nice, and therefore, he touched her beautiful face with his hoof, which made a small shiver run through her body, and moving his face away, he said.
— You know, Rarity. You are one of the most beautiful girls I have ever met. And I do not want to deceive you, so for everything to go right, I would like to invite you to dinner, where I could reveal to you another secret of mine, which you may not like very much, but at least I will know that I was honest with you.
Rarity was once again consumed with fantasy when Alan revealed another secret of his. And even when she heard that she might not like this secret, she became even more agitated, because his desire to tell her something potentially dark or bad about himself before going further with her was a very romantic act in her opinion.
Unable to resist, she brought her muzzle closer to him again, and gave him a short, shallow kiss, before pulling back and answering.
— I agree ... This dinner will be a great opportunity for us to get to know each other even better. And if my opinion about you after that does not change, then whatever your secret is, I am sure that I will not mind it.
Alan was caught off guard by the mare's actions as well as her words. He was not sure that everything would be like this, because he certainly didn't observe such a polygamous relationship in Equestria. So he was worried that her opinion would change. But still, her words engendered in him the hope that everything could come to a much more interesting ending than he had thought.
Alan nodded his head and answered.
— Then we will do so. I am ready to dine with you at any time convenient for you.
Nodding happily, the mare said.
— Oh, how about the end of the week? I am sure that I will be able to complete all the lines and collections of new clothes, which whispered my inspiration to me, and I will be free by then.
— So in two days? Great, I'm looking forward to it!
After that, Rarity began to show him the rest of the outfits she sewn, amazing Alan with her skills, because it is really a talent to create clothes similar to the modern fashion of his world, based on just one sketch that he left her.
Suddenly, he remembered something, and turning to Rarity, said.
— Look, I recently promised Starlight that I would sketch out a fashion design for her, similar to my style, which she really liked. Can you make clothes on it, personally for her?
— Of course, darling! I will be happy to create a new masterpiece for a friend, especially with your design.
— Thank you Rarity, you're just something.
— And don't forget about it! He-he-he.
As before, Alan took a sheet and pencils and sketched for Starlight something similar in style to his own, and passed it on to Rarity. Her eyes sparkled again when she saw the new creation.
— Yes! I can already see it! Now it will be even easier for me to create new designs after I saw a similar style in the version for mares. Ooh, Alan, you are simply a gem among all stallions!
With these words, the mare flew up to Alan again, and hugged him tightly. Responding to the hug, Alan with a warm smile decided to return the phrase to her.
— And don't forget about it, my lady.
After that, they talked a little more on various topics, and Alan was about to leave, when suddenly, the cutie mark on his side began to emit light, attracting the attention of both ponies.
Staring at his side in surprise, Alan did not understand what was happening. Rarity also looked at it with her mouth open. Trying to understand what was the matter, Alan asked.
— Um... This has not happened before... What's the matter?...
Finally shaking her head, Rarity came to her senses, and answered with a joyful smile.
— Oh my stars, Alan! This is very similar to the call of the map, and although usually the cutie mark should blink, but I'm sure this is also related to this. The map must be finally working. Oh, Twilight must be so happy. Come on, let's go to her castle, I also want to know why the map is calling you!
Having said that, she began to push the startled Alan towards the exit of the boutique. Collecting his thoughts, Alan finally asked.
— But Rarity, what about your shop? You wanted to prepare everything for sale.
With a snort as if it were a trifle, she replied.
— Pff-kkh-tss! Darling, if this is another friendship problem, then my boutique can wait! Hurry, let's go to Twilight, she must already be waiting for us!
With that, they closed the boutique and headed to Twilight Castle. Alan did not know what was happening, but he understood that the big story, of which he began to feel a part of himself, could soon begin.
Realizing this, he felt a certain excitement, and with a bold smile on his face, he thought.
«Come on Equestria, whatever you give me, I'm ready!»
* * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note:
A small explanation of why there were no chapters for so long.
All this time, I was seriously ill, and literally could not sit down at the computer to write a chapter. But now, I am fully recovered, so now expect to publish almost daily chapters within a week or so. (That's just not only on this fanfic, but also on my second, so there will be about three chapters here, and the same number on the second.)
I hope that you are still interested in my story!)
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