"What is this?"
"Money."
"But... I shouldn't have money."
"It's a special occasion. Take it."
"Is it really necessary?"
"Of course it is. When was the last time you went out on a date?"
"Oh, I've never done that."
"Exactly. So go out and enjoy your day off a little. Stop being so anxious."
Sitting in the old rusty pickup truck, Sophie handed some paper money over to Morning Star, which was a first for the elite ponygirl. Her sweaty palms and twitching fingers betrayed her uneasiness about this unusual situation.
"There, she is over there across the street. You see her?"
"Yes, but can you tell her that I can't go."
"Come on, Star! Ivory has been waiting for this moment for weeks. You promised her a date. I won't go tell her that you are canceling it while you are sitting with me in the car. That would be rude."
"Maybe she can't see me."
"Don't be ridiculous. Look. She is waving at you right now. Alright, that's enough. Get out of the car and go talk to her."
"Are you coming too?"
"Of course not, silly! It's a date between you and her. I won't go with you. Out! Out! Don't make her wait. It would be weird."
"Hmmm..."
Having no other choice but to obey, Morning Star pushed her squeaky door open and stepped out of the vehicle. For the occasion, and since it was a warm day, she was wearing a pair of jean shorts, a cute green top, and a pair of white sneakers. Looking like a normal woman was not something she was used to.
On the other side of the street, Ivory wore this cute white summer dress with a matching round hat. She held her little purse in front of her belly and twisted her roman sandals on the walkway due to her apparent nervousness. Going on a date with someone so famous had not been something Ivory had ever expected to happen one day.
Morning Star turned to Sophie one more time, begging for mercy.
"Sophie... I think my ankle hurts. Can we go do some physio instead? Physio is very important, right? You keep telling me that."
"Enough, Morning Star. I know you hate physio. Come on! Ivory is nice. Go spend the day with her as you promise. That's the end of it!"
"Mmm..."
The elite pony sighed one more time, understanding that she had no way out, and started walking in the direction of the delicate girl. She crossed the road, making sure not to get hit by a car, and quickly arrived in front of Ivory.
"Hi, Morning Star!"
"...Hi, Ivory."
"I'm so glad you came! I was looking forward to spending time with you. I could hardly sleep last night. I must look so tired."
"You look... normal."
"Normal? Hehe. Well, that's good, I guess."
"Here, this is for you."
"For me? What is it?"
Ivory opened her hands, and Morning Star dumped the money Sophie had given her a minute ago in them, confusing the poor girl.
"Money? What... is this for?"
"Sophie said it was to pay for our date."
From across the street, Sophie had observed how inappropriate her clumsy pony had been right off the bat. So she honked a few times to catch her attention and yelled through the window.
"STAR! You idiot! Don't give her the money! Put it in your pocket right now!"
Fortunately, Sophie's scolding was enough to make her understand that she had done something wrong. She pointed at the pile of ragged money and asked Ivory the strangest questions.
"Can... can I have the money back?"
"Hehe. Yes."
"Okay."
With one hand, she grabbed the whole pile of green papers and pushed it deep inside her short's pocket. She actually put her other hand in her opposite pocket, lifted her shoulders, and looked aside, which caused Ivory to giggle.
"Hehe. So, are you going to compliment me on my dress? I'm wearing it just for you, you know!"
"..."
Ivory twirled cutely on one foot, making her dress float lightly in the wind, but Morning Star was not sure what to say. She thought her white pony outfit suited her better, but she didn't want to say that out loud.
"It's... It's fine."
"Fine? Haha."
"Yes. Sophie said I had to wear my street clothes too. But it feels weird."
"It's good to see you without your pony uniform for once. You look amazing!"
"It's... just shorts..."
"So, where are we going? Any good ideas?"
"Sophie said that we should go to a coffee shop."
"But, you are not Sophie. What do YOU want to do?"
"..."
In need of assistance, Morning Star turned around to look at Sophie again, but the car was gone. She was truly alone with the fragile ponygirl and didn't know what to do anymore.
"I... I don't know. Usually, Sophie decides for me."
"You are incredibly well trained. Haha. Right now, it's just you and me. But it's okay. Coffee seems like a good idea. Come on, give me your hand! I know a good place!"
"O... okay."
Used to just obey, Morning Star placed her hand in Ivory's, who pulled her toward the main street where most small shops were located. It would be an interesting day for sure.
"Where is Cassy? I wouldn't mind if she gave me a hand with my luggage. I'm paying her to help me, after all."
"Oh, she is in Hemlock and Nightshade's bedroom."
Stardust had just arrived at the stable with her pickup truck full of belongings, ready to move in, and had expected Cassy to assist. But she was nowhere to be found until Brittany pointed at the bedroom oddly annexed to the kitchen. The door was closed to allow Cassy some well-needed rest.
"What is she doing in that bedroom? I thought she said she would sleep on the couch."
"Well, she probably didn't know how twisted my two ponies were. They dragged her to their bedroom last night and had intense sex with her. Hemlock and Nightshade definitely have good stamina. It will probably take Cassy half a day to recover."