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It was another fine evening in my Equestria dreamscape, and as usual Petina and Carousel were at the Bucking Mare tavern doing their weekly performance. Along with myself the regular crowd of was gathered to whoop it up and enjoy the evening.

    Although the Best Young Fliers Competition was only a few days away, Rainbow Dash had come down and was in the crowd hooting and hollering with rest of the audience. Taps the old stallion who owns the Bucking Mare and his two assistants were working their hoofs off filling tankards and goblets for Black and Tan the barmaid to deliver. In the kitchen Shiny Cauldron was frantically preparing meals for customers. In fact on these performance nights were consistently drawing in enough ponies that he’d actually had to hired two part-time assistants for these evenings.

    Over the last few months the group of musicians who performed at the Bucking Mare had learned how to adapt their music to help give the Petina and Carousel some fine tunes to dance to. Tonight they were in top form.

    As usual I had a stool where I could lean back against the wall and enjoy the show while partaking a few mugs of Taps finest. This evening the mares were really working the crowd and the rafters were rocking from the stomping of hoofs and cheers from the audience. The band was beginning another piece when another source of movement caught my eye.

    Rainbow Dash was cheering along with the rest of the crowd. However tonight she was doing more than just stomping her hoofs on a table. She’d jumped on to the table in front of her and was doing her own little dance. At first nopony noticed this but eventually Dash started get her own cheers and applause. Petina saw this and yelled to the prismatic mane mare.

    “Hey there Dash! You’re looking good tonight! Having fun are we?”

    “Oh yeah! I am so awesome!” Replied light cerulean blue mare.

    Petina reared up and twirled in sync with RD then the white unicorn shot Dash a smoldering stare and waved a front hoof. “Well then, how about you come up here and show everypony what kind of moves you got!” She yelled.

    Dash launched herself into the air. Performing a quick mid-air somersault the pegasus mare landed on the stage between Carousel and Petina. For a second Carousel was caught off guard by Dash’s arrival but then she smiled at RD and continued dancing.

    Fortunately my stunned look did not appear out of place amongst the ponies gathered, and besides nopony was looking at me since the three mares suddenly had crowd’s undivided attention as the Element of Loyalty joined the two mares in their dance routine.

    Petina and Carousel started modifying their act to allow for the addition of a third mare. As the music progressed the act drifted further and further away from the normal routine. As Dash’s confidence and familiarity with the music grew the three mares became more flamboyant and passionate with their performance. In response the audience began cheering and yelling encouragement to the dancing trio. A steady stream of bits started to appear on the stage.

    The music had almost reached climax when it happened. The three mares were reared up on their hind legs. Carousel and Petina were standing to either side of RD and had their front legs wrapped around Dash as the three mares swayed in time to the music. Carousel was nuzzling RD in the neck and was beginning to lick the blue mare’s throat. With eyes closed Dash turned her head and suddenly kissed Petina. No little peck on the lips either but a long, passionate, hungry kiss. The white unicorn mare returned the kiss equal enthusiasm.

    If one had been standing outside the Bucking Mare it would’ve been easy to believe that a bomb had gone off inside the establishment. Windows rattled and floor shook under the thunderous sound of cheers and stomping hoofs. The three mares on the stage suddenly looked out at the crowd as the music ended and let out their own cheer then they bowed and called it a night.

    As crowd continued cheering and hollering Dash launched her self into the air and made a quick circuit of the room waving and hoof bumping with the crowd. Spying me still sitting stunned in back of the room RD flew over did a tiny loop and promptly landed in my lap with an ear-to-ear grin on her face.

    “Well Brick how was that? Was that awesome or what? Hello Brick, Brick, yoo hoo, Brick are you home inside that lump of a brain?”

    For several seconds I just stared at her, then my brain finally started connecting relays and signals began flowing again.

    “That was amazing.” I said in a somewhat small voice. “But aren’t you afraid that you just gave away some of your secret weapon for the competition?”

    “I seriously doubt that.” Said Petina strolling up to my table. “The competition is only three days away, and even if word got to Cloudsdale none of the other competitors would have time to adapt their routines now so close to the competition. Besides I suddenly realized I wanted to be certain Dash could perform in front of larger audience. This may not be a stadium but it is the best venue I could think of.”

    She then looked at Dash and smiled. “Keep doing what you did tonight Dash and I guarantee the competition will never know what hit them!”

    “Guys look at all the bits we got tonight!” Squealed Carousel as she came trotting over to our table. Her change purse was stuffed. “And somepony gave me this!” Slung around her neck was in a wicker-style sling was a bottle of premium applejack.

    Quickly I did a look around the dimly lit room at the crowd. Many had gone back to chatting and drinking with their friends, but there were a fair numbers of stallions and mares looking at our little group. Some had smiles or smirks on their faces as they watched us talk. Others were watching us intently seeing if any more moments would play out for their voyeuristic enjoyment. However several in the crowd did not appear too happy with what they were seeing. Especially amongst the stallions gathered in tavern. Fortunately none of them were my fellow coworkers but I was certain that by tomorrow almost everypony in Ponyville would’ve heard of tonight’s little event.

    As was usual on performance nights Petina, Carousel and I hung around the tavern for an hour or so after the performance before we headed home. Tonight as we were stepping out Petina turned and called out to RD.

    “Hey Dash! Want help us with this bottle? How about a nightcap?”

    Dash yelled back. “Oh yeah! I’m interested!”

    So are our merry little troupe headed out for our cottage. It was a beautiful night and Dash and I flew along with Petina and Carousel telling jokes and singing silly songs.

    Once we got home, Carousel decided we needed popcorn and got to work making some in the fireplace. Petina went and retrieved some tumblers from the kitchen and I lit several oil lamps in the main room. I also retrieved some bottles of hard cider from the icebox. The applejack lived up to its title of being premium, and soon we all sitting together on floor in front of the fire eating popcorn, drinking, laughing and having a grand time. That is the last thing I remember of that evening.

To be continued.

FYI. This is not song that was playing at the Bucking Mare but it is to listen to while looking pictures of exotic dancing ponies. Link