We passed the farmhouse, heading towards the road, and from the porch Granny Smith gave us a wave. I waved back, smiling at the older mare. I noticed a pair of big orange eyes peering out at me from a second story, and gave a wave to the little filly in the window. She was a cutie, with a yellow coat and shockingly red hair tied back with an oversize bow. She waved back uncertainly. I turned and made for the road, feeling a little better about the whole thing. "That was refreshing," I commented to Dusky.
"Refreshing, how?" asked Dusky, peering up at me with curiosity.
"It's been too easy. Pinkie and Fluttershy forgave me out of hand, but Applejack is holding me to my promises. I appreciate that." I sighed. "Honestly, as much as I'm glad that Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy weren't very upset, it was strange just being told not to worry about everything." I looked at Sapphire. "Maybe I'll actually get to do something for Rainbow Dash today, though, and she doesn't just brush things off."
Sapphire snorted, gesturing with her head up towards the sky. "There's your final pony."
I looked up and spotted the rainbow-colored mane and tail of Rainbow Dash up in the sky, angling into a circling pattern around the orchard. I smirked, raising up my hands and waving them over my head to attract her attention. "Speak of the devil. Well, I suppose that makes things much easier."
Rainbow Dash must have spotted me, because her course altered as she bled speed and dove down towards Sapphire, Dusky, and me. She was coming in fast, and landed with a flare of her wings that brought her into a hover a few feet away from me. The maneuver blew back my hair a bit, and I raised up one hand to block anything from getting into my eyes, squinting slightly. When I lowered my hand, my vision was filled with angry blue pegasus mare. "Hey, buddy! What the hay do you think you're doing, wandering around Ponyville?"
"Looking for you, actually," I said, taking a step back from her, but she followed me aggressively.
"Oh?" Rainbow Dash blinked, surprised, and then her eyes narrowed again. "I mean, oh. Of course you are. You must have heard about me. Come to beg for forgiveness?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Not really. I just want—" I started, but Rainbow Dash reached out and poked me in the chest, hard.
"Not really? So, what's your game, then? Here to frighten some more kids? Or insult my friends? Or even threaten them?" She said, sneering.
"If you'll give me a second, I'll explain," I said slowly, making a conscious effort to keep my temper in check. Applejack had told me that Rainbow Dash was upset; I should have been expecting this. Sapphire and Dusky took a few steps closer to Rainbow Dash. Dusky regarded her with an impassive look, but Sapphire's posture had lowered a bit, as if she was ready to jump on the smaller pegasus. Sapphire probably had a few inches on Rainbow Dash, and I was happy to have her there in case things got out of hand.
"Sure, I'll let ya explain," Rainbow Dash said, crossing her forelegs over her chest with a stormy expression on her face. "You got about five seconds."
"I'm doing my best to make things right, so I've been asking all of Twilight's friends what I can do for them. You're the last one I need to talk to," I said, summing it up succinctly for the impatient mare.
Rainbow Dash's angry scowl became a smirk. "What you can do for me? What you can do for me is get bucked, buddy. I'm surprised AJ didn't kick your butt into next week."
I shrugged, trying to keep a cool head. "Whatever you want. You ask, and if I can do it, I will."
"Whatever I want, huh?" Rainbow Dash said, floating down to the ground and peering up at me.
"That's the idea," I said, eyeing her and tensing up.
"Okay, sure. Hold still," Rainbow Dash said, her muscles coiling up.
I knew what was coming, and Dusky and Sapphire obviously did, too, because they moved to stop Rainbow Dash, but I held out a hand and gave a shake of my head. "Sure. Everybody gets one." I held up a single finger, making it clear. "Only one, though."
"One's all I need," Rainbow Dash said. I exhaled hard through my nose and loosened up, preparing for it.
With impressive speed and strength for such a small pony, Rainbow Dash's muscles sprung, launching her into a rising tackle that caught me directly in the gut. The speed and energy of the tackle literally took me off my feet, doubling me over and into Rainbow Dash with a grunt. Beneath me, Rainbow Dash gave a heave of kinetic energy, her hooves wrapping around my midsection and carrying us about five feet into the air before her wings buzzed and we suddenly went from a vertical lift into a horizontal shove. Her wings picked up speed, and we angled down after traversing nearly twelve feet, and she plowed my back into the dirt, landing on top of me. I lay on my back, glad that I'd blown all the air out of my diaphragm; otherwise I'd have been left gasping like a fish out of water from the dual impacts. My back was already throbbing, as were my ribs, but I bit the inside of my cheek, holding in my pain and keeping my face impassive.
I sat up, Rainbow Dash stepped off of me with a smug expression, and I got to my feet. I rose up to my full height once more, ignoring the pain in my spine and guts, and I smirked. "Okay. That's one." Rainbow Dash stared up at me, clearly surprised that I was still standing. I allowed my smirk to widen into a bigger grin, showing her some teeth. "You feeling satisfied, or do you want more? The next one will cost you, though." Dusky and Sapphire were trotting towards us, concern writ large across their faces, but I held up my hand again, and they stopped uncertainly. I didn't need them getting in the way of this. If this was what Rainbow Dash wanted, then she'd get it.
Rainbow Dash slowly smirked, and cracked her neck. "Oh yeah, I want more. You're lucky I got more where that came from, and if I'm being honest, I've been saving it up just for you, buddy."
"I'm happy you cared enough to save up," I said, gritting my teeth through the pain permeating my torso. She wanted more? Fine. She'd hit first, and frankly, she'd been a bitch to me, so I was ready for something more my style. "You don't seem like the type to hold back, though, so be honest: do you just hit like a foal, or are you really just that petite?"
"Jake, you idiot!" Sapphire growled, lunging forward, Dusky right behind her, cursing in Sarosian.
Rainbow Dash's eyes widened with burning anger, and she laughed. "Oh, it's so on!" With a flap of her wings, she was on me like a thunderbolt out of the sky, slamming into me with an uppercut that I blocked across both forearms. Her hoof scraped across my arms, deflecting up and nearly clipping the top of my head, but I shifted my position and threw a savage roundhouse kick that caught the pegasus in the side and sent her sliding through the air. She came at me again with a spear-like dive that turned into a spin kick, and I threw myself to the side, getting the hell out of the way of the attack. She overshot, going over my shoulder, and as she turned I reached up and grabbed a handful of her rainbow mane. Rainbow Dash gasped as I caught her and pulled her out of the sky and into my rising knee, cracking it into her jaw. Her teeth clacked in her mouth, and she grunted, getting her rear hooves beneath her. Both wings shot out, the long bones snapping out and striking me on either side of my head with sharp hits and dazing me, and she took the opportunity to shove my hand out of her mane and get free.
I shook my head and set my feet as she came in again, hovering at eye level in a boxing posture. I blocked two fast punches from her front hooves and took a kick to the ribs that sent pain radiating through my body. The kick left her open in midair as she connected with the attack, and I threw a right hook into her gut, making her exhale a whoosh of air and hit the ground on her side. I clipped her side with a kick, and she rolled away from me. She was back on her hooves, snarling, and her wings snapped, pushing her towards me in a flying punch. I stepped into a haymaker counter-punch aimed for her muzzle. I had reach on her, and she realized it, her eyes going wide at her mistake. I started shifting my aim a bit lower, not actually wanting to destroy her face, but I found my raised fist caught by two hooves from behind.
Dusky held my punch back and grabbed me into an arm-bar, pulling me down to my knees. Sapphire, unfortunately, was a bit slower, and as she dove to tackle Rainbow Dash she missed. Rainbow Dash smashed into me, twisting her punch away from my head and into my chest at the last moment. I grunted, taking the hit, and Sapphire lunged again, blasting into Rainbow Dash's side and bringing her to the ground in a flying tackle. Rainbow Dash went still beneath Sapphire as Sapphire pinned her down with her hooves, pushing her face into the dirt. Dusky cursed and let me go, slipping around my side to check my face and relaxing when he realized that Rainbow Dash hadn't shattered every bone in my skull. His brief moment of relief was rapidly replaced by anger, and he grabbed me by the shirt with one hoof. "H'syn'shym, what were you thinking?!"
Sapphire growled, "He obviously wasn't!" Sapphire glared down at Rainbow Dash. "We should lock you both up for this!"
"A mutual round of hooficuffs isn't against the law, last time I checked," Rainbow Dash grumbled from the ground, grunting as Sapphire shifted her weight.
"You're lucky it isn't, you... you... idiots!" Sapphire said, easing up on Rainbow Dash a bit.
"A mutual affray might not be against the law, but disorderly conduct certainly is," Dusky said, giving me a little shake. "You pull a stunt like that again, and I don't care how close we are or how mutual the fight is, I'll take you to a cell to cool off for a day. Maybe some time alone would do you some good." He looked over his shoulder and called out to Rainbow Dash, "The same goes with you, Rainbow Dash. If Princess Twilight found out you'd gotten into a fight, she'd be so upset with you."
I stayed on my knees, breathing hard, and I reached up with shaking hands to wipe some blood from my forearms where Rainbow's hooves had hit me as I'd blocked. I hurt all over, and my body was coursing with adrenaline. I looked up into Dusky's hard eyes and shrugged. "She asked for it."
"Just because she asked doesn't mean you should oblige, Jake!" Dusky said, frowning at me and letting me go. "You're a fool, and so is she. Perhaps we should have let you finish."
"We were already done," I said, wincing and slowly getting to my feet. My head spun, and I teetered, and Dusky reached out a hoof and steadied me. "Right, Rainbow?"
"Mmngf," Rainbow mumbled, pulling her face out of the dirt to look up at me. She spat off to the side, grunting. "Yeah. We were done."
I reached down and carefully poked at my ribs. One was probably bruised from that first heavy hit, or maybe the kick. It hurt to breathe, and I decided to drop the tough act as I let out a groan and sat back down. "Jesus, woman. I take back what I said about you hitting like a foal."
Sapphire glared at me and slowly got off of Rainbow Dash, before she marched over to me and started checking my injuries. "Jake, do me a favor and don't ever do that again, okay?"
"No promises," I said with a grunt as Sapphire discovered the bruise beneath my shirt. She scowled and pushed a little harder on my aching ribs. "Ow, damnit, stop that," I said, wincing, and earning a frown from Sapphire.
"You're the first in a while that's been able to get up after I hit them with a flying tackle like that," Rainbow Dash said, sitting up unsteadily and working her jaw around with a whine of pain.
"You okay?" I asked, watching her. My knee had split her lower lip when I'd pulled her into that strike.
"Mmf, I'll live. Believe it or not, I've been hit harder. Heck, I've crashed harder," Rainbow Dash said, chuckling slightly before wincing and rubbing at her muzzle. "I think you broke my jaw," she muttered through clenched teeth.
"Well, you probably cracked a rib," I said, lifting up my now-dirty shirt. I had an almost perfect hoof-shaped bruise on my side. That was going to be an ugly one tomorrow.
"Well, you deserved it," She countered, trying to move her mouth as little as possible as she walked slowly towards me. Sapphire turned to face her and practically growled, stepping in between Rainbow Dash and me in an unsubtle maneuver. Rainbow Dash stopped short and raised an eyebrow at Sapphire. "Chill out, filly. We're done."
I put a hand on Sapphire's back in a soothing gesture, and she calmed down a bit, stepping to the side after a long moment. "Don't do anything dumber than you've already done, Rainbow Dash," she said cautiously, her wings spreading out a bit and at the ready.
Rainbow Dash kept her wings in tight at her sides, and she lowered her head a bit. "Yeah, I won't." She turned her focus on me, frowning. "I think you understand me when I say... sometimes you gotta settle stuff with your hooves. Friendship might be Twilight's job, but mine is loyalty, and that means it's my job to stick up for friends that can't stick up for themselves." Her more impassive frown became a glare. "You messed up Spike pretty bad. You know that, right?"
"Yeah. I wish I hadn't, but I did, so I'm going to fix things," I said, finally managing to catch my breath.
"Good. AJ and I are expecting a lot out of you, and if you can't follow through, we're gonna be even more pissed than we are now. Ya feel me?" She asked, glaring at me.
"Sure. I'll do whatever it takes, just like I told Spike," I replied. She and I stared at each other for a few long moments, and then we both smirked.
"You'd better get things settled, Jake. You might have some issues, but I kinda feel like you're my kind of guy," Rainbow Dash said, extending her hoof. "So, promise me that you'll make it right."
"I'll do better than promise. I'll make it happen," I said, reaching out and bumping her hoof with my fist. We both winced, and rubbed our respective aching limbs.
Sapphire stared between Rainbow Dash and I, her mouth slowly dropping open, before she let out a disgusted groan. "Sweet Celestia, you're both so stupid."
Rainbow Dash snorted and turned to look at Sapphire, her eyes roving over the bigger pegasus mare. After taking a long look, she winked at Sapphire and said, "Yep, we sure are. Nice tackle, by the way. Ever think about becoming a Wonderbolt?"
Sapphire froze up, her brain trying to decide how to react. After a moment, she said flatly, "I like being a guard."
Rainbow Dash giggled, and then winced and rubbed her jaw. "Ngh, well, if you ever want a change in career, come on over to the training center. We can always use more pegasus ponies with moxie like you." She turned and trotted a few paces, and paused to look over her shoulder. "Catch you later, Jake." Rainbow Dash leapt into the sky, and was soon heading back towards Ponyville over the orchards.
Just as she was leaving, Applejack ran up in a hurry, breathing hard and glancing around. "What the hay is goin' on? Apple Bloom said Jake and Rainbow Dash were fightin' in the front yard!"
I chuckled, and winced and held my sides. "Oh, no. We were just getting acquainted."
"Gallopin' galoshes, you look like you got hit by a truck! Did you and Rainbow really get into a fight?"
"Yes. They got into a fight. Like idiots. Big, stupid, idiots," Sapphire said, glaring at me.
Applejack snickered. "Well, ah'm mighty sorry about that, Jake. I knew Rainbow was sore with ya, but I didn't expect it to go that far." She shook her head. "So, you think you and Rainbow are gonna get along fine, now? I know how that mare is, and if you're anything alike, I'll eat my hat if you ain't friends now."
I shrugged. "Friends is a strong word. I think we understand each other."
"Well, good. Sounds like you both got what you deserve," Applejack said, chuckling to herself.
"They both deserve to be locked up," Dusky said, shaking his head in exasperation and letting out a helpless chuckle.
"Yeah, laugh it up, silly ponies," I said with a groan as I got back onto my feet. Sapphire moved up against my side, helping me keep my balance. My head ached from the double wing slap I'd taken, and I felt like crap. "Well, now that I've gotten the manure thoroughly kicked out of me, now seems like a great time to pay Twilight a visit."
Applejack laughed. "All right, then. I've gotta get back to work. You take it easy, Jake... and try not to get into any more fights." Applejack tipped her hat to us, and trotted back towards the orchards. We said our farewells, and I turned to look at Dusky and Sapphire. They were both still obviously upset with me, frowning and tails lashing in irritation.
I sighed. "Sorry about that. I know that... isn't how things get settled here, but you need to understand that where I'm from, stuff like that happens. We fight, sometimes, but at the end it's easy to figure out where everybody stands."
"You really should leave that piece of your old life behind, Jake. It's barbaric to come to blows over a disagreement, no matter how heated," Dusky said slowly. "We ponies value diplomacy over violence, and words over blows. You could stand to learn from us on that matter."
Sapphire shook her head, her ears pinned back in irritation. "Cloudsdale pegasus ponies still hold to some of our military past. They're famed for being hotheads, and Rainbow Dash is proud of that piece of her. I think it's stupid, but I understand it, even if I disagree... but you can always strive to do better. So, I guess I understand where you're coming from." She looked up at me, frowning. "You aren't going to fight her again if you see her, right?"
I shook my head. "No. Like I said, we understand each other. It's done. She had to defend her friend, and show me that my actions won't go unanswered or unpunished just because Spike couldn't stand up for himself in that moment. I deserved that first hit, and all the rest was just aggression and bravado that needed to be worked out." I smirked at Sapphire, "By the way, thanks for messing up that tackle you tried on Rainbow Dash back there."
Sapphire bristled. "She's fast, okay?" She turned away from me, her tail lashing angrily. "I got her the second time."
"You're just lucky she pulled her punch at the last second," I said, rubbing my chest where her hit had impacted. I was probably going to have Rainbow Dash's hooves imprinted there for a few days.
"You're the one that's lucky we aren't taking you to jail," Sapphire retorted, and started trotting away towards Ponyville. I glanced at Dusky and gave a shrug, and we both followed after Sapphire. She kept her distance for a good way down the road, all the way until we were out of the orchards, before she paused, waiting for us to catch up. Her ears drooped a bit as she looked up at me. "I... didn't ask if you were okay. You didn't get hurt too badly, did you?"
"Nah," I said, even though my bruised torso disagreed with me. "I just need a shower and some aspirin."
"Good," Sapphire said, biting her lip. "I was worried, but if you're sure you're okay...?"
I rolled my eyes, reaching down and patting her on top of her helmet. "I'm fine, Sapphire. Nothing a little rest won't fix." A lot of rest, probably.
Sapphire puffed out her cheeks, "Don't patronize me."
I snickered. "Sorry. You're cute when you're getting all mother hen."
"Am I not allowed to worry?" She said, snorting in irritation.
"No, it's fine. I don't mind, but I'm definitely going to tease you about it," I said, grinning at her.
Sapphire rolled her eyes, but I could see a slight curl at the corner of her lips, and we carried on towards Ponyville in a more comfortable silence. After a long moment, Dusky asked quietly, "What's an... aspirin?"
We arrived at Twilight's kooky tree-house castle late in the afternoon, and I peered up at the bizarre structure from the base of it. It was an entire castle made from glass-like crystal that caught the rays of the sun and shone with a friendly warmth, despite the cold appearance of the material it was made from. Halfway up, it transformed into a violet-walled castle interwoven with branch-like crystals, with shining golden roofs. It was an amalgam of natural formations of crystal and architectural lines and edges, creating an odd juxtaposition of styles. I shook my head. "And I thought Canterlot architecture was weird."
"I think it's whimsical and beautiful," Sapphire said, smiling up at the crystal structure, her eyes bright with interest and ears quivering with excitement. "Friendship Castle is a marvel of magic."
I shrugged. "It's still a silly nonsense tree-house with an equally silly name," I said, watching as Dusky knocked on the front double doors.
"It is rather strange, I'll agree," Dusky said, "but it is marvelous, nonetheless."
After a moment, one of the huge doors opened, and Spike peered out from inside. "Sorry, ponies, but Princess Twilight is—" he stopped mid-sentance, looking up at me and freezing on the spot. I gave him a slow nod, trying my best to look nonthreatening. "Uh... hello," Spike said, swallowing hard and taking a step back. "I guess Twilight is expecting you, if you're here?"
"Yeah, she wanted to meet with me after I finished apologizing to all your friends," I said.
"Oh, uh, well, that's fine." He pushed the door open a bit wider, avoiding looking at me, and he hustled inside. "Come on in. Twilight is in the library."
"No surprise there," I said, chuckling, and the three of us followed Spike into the castle. The interior was warmly decorated, with rugs laid down over the crystal floors and tapestries hanging on the walls. The place still echoed with our muffled footfalls and hoofsteps, but it was much less noisy than I expected. The library was up a flight of stairs and in one of the side wings, and it was an extremely large affair with double-stacked shelves packed with books, tomes, and scrolls. A few reading tables sat at the center of the library, and it was here that Twilight was stationed. The tables had been pulled together, and they were filled with notes, maps, diagrams, and lists. Twilight stood at the head of this mess, two scrolls floating on either side of her and two quills working simultaneously, writing as she mumbled to herself. Spike gestured into the Library. "Well, there she is. I'm... gonna go somewhere else," he said, and quickly made his exit, scampering away into the castle. I almost called out to him, but I reconsidered and focused on Twilight instead, walking into the Library with Sapphire and Dusky behind me.
Twilight glanced up at us as we entered, worked for a moment more, and then her eyes widened and she actually looked up to see us. She smiled sheepishly, setting aside both of the scrolls, and waved a hoof for us to come closer. "Oh, you're here! You're earlier than I expected."
I gave her a polite nod, and Sapphire and Dusky bowed. "Hello, Princess." I hadn't seen her since our encounter at the diner, and that was fresh in my mind. I'd damaged the trust between us, and I remembered to speak a bit more formally to her until we were back on more friendly terms. "If you'd like, we can come back later. You seem busy."
Twilight laughed, her tone slightly manic, "Oh, busy? Yes, that's certainly a word for it. I know a few others. Some of them are even impolite!" One eyelid twitched slightly, and I took a slow step back. She noticed her near-hysteric state and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. After a moment, she relaxed a bit, her wings drooping at her sides. "Sorry. I'm a little bit stressed out."
"No kidding," I said carefully, still eyeing her with uncertainty.
Twilight let out a frustrated groan, and slumped briefly. She took another deep breath, and gestured to Sapphire and Dusky. "You both are dismissed for now. I need to speak to Jake alone. Corporal Spirit, would you please go and fetch Spike, and tell him to come and see me?"
Sapphire gave a quick salute, "Yes, Princess." Dusky bowed again, and they both walked out of the Library.
Twilight composed herself, tucking her wings in and straightening up before looking at me. "So. Jake. You've done as I asked?"
"Yes. I went and visited each of your friends, and told them that I'd do my best to make up for my mistakes," I said.
"And you apologized?" Twilight said, one eyebrow raising slightly.
"To Pinkie Pie? Yes. I apologized to her, because I'd done her wrong in a direct way. Pinkie Pie and I are fine. I have to do some taste testing with her, eventually, which is what she wanted me to do to make up for being mean to her." Twilight's eyes narrowed, waiting for me to continue. "I spoke to Fluttershy, and promised her that I'd be more careful in the future when making dangerous decisions, and she forgave me as well. I still want to go and help her with some work, but there will be time for that on another day." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Applejack didn't get an apology, but she accepted that I owed her some help at another date of her choosing, and told me that what she wanted was to see me make things right with Spike, first." I decided that putting my encounter with Rainbow Dash in the most mild terms would be best. "And I got into a fight with Rainbow Dash, but we reached an mutual understanding of one-another."
Twilight frowned, shaking her head. "So... you really only actually apologized to Pinkie Pie?"
"No, I promised to make things right with all of them, and Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie forgave me out of hand... hoof... whatever. They forgave me, even though I don't really deserve that since I hadn't done anything to prove I would change my behavior," I said, standing firm.
Twilight sighed, turning away from me for a moment and muttering something under her breath. "I really wish you'd have apologized properly to all of them, Jake. You know that's our way, here in Equestria."
"I apologized in my own way, Princess, and that was unequivocally accepted by all of your friends," I stated slowly.
"All of my friends don't know that you're a violent person that's been only recently been rehabilitated. This is supposed to be part of your process, Jake; Accepting friendship and the values that go with it is important to your future stability, and part of that is understanding that words have power and carry weight."
"Words only have power if they're backed up with action, Princess," I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest.
"That's true, but there's a basic social contract that is acknowledged by using those words." Twilight turned around, facing me. "You went most of your life around people that were, frankly, uncivilized. Murderers and criminals made up the majority of your peer group. You never learned basic social expectations, or you learned the twisted expectations of those people, and part of undoing that damage is understanding that you need to be able to both walk the walk and talk the talk when you're among peers. You're in a position where you not only stand for yourself, but since you work for the Princesses, you stand for their values and the values of Equestria as well. By not following those values, you're failing in your duties. Do you understand that?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Princess Twilight, you may think that you've rehabilitated me, and I've taken many steps along that path, but there are things that you and I are going to fundamentally disagree on. I recognize that words carry weight, but I believe that action is more important."
"And how you're acting is like a stubborn child!" Twilight said, stomping one hoof.
"You're the one that's out-and-out rejecting my values without giving them any due consideration!" I said right back, glaring at her. That gave Twilight pause, and I pressed that line. "You're supposed to be the Princess of Friendship, and you must have learned that different people are going to think differently. We don't all need to conform to your ideal, Twilight. I'm asking you as a friend, as well as a subject, to give me the opportunity to express myself in my own way."
Twilight stared at me with careful consideration, before letting out a slow sigh and approaching me. "I understand, Jake. I do. I just worry that the values you hold close... well, they're from a life that you said you wanted to put behind you completely. I worry that clinging to some parts of that old life... could lead you back into that dark place you just barely escaped from. Can you understand why I'm apprehensive about your beliefs? You learned them from really awful people."
"Bad people can teach important lessons," I said simply.
Twilight's eyes widened a bit, and she smiled slightly. "I guess you're not wrong, there. A lot of important lessons my friends and I learned were from the villains we overcame."
"And I'm just one more villain that you've given a second chance," I murmured.
Twilight frowned at that, now standing right before me, and she tapped her hoof. "Get down here." I knelt down, getting eye-to-eye with her, and she put a hoof on my shoulder. "You may have been a villain, but you're my friend, now. That won't ever change, even if we disagree on things. You're allowed to be different, and I'm sorry for pushing you to conform, but I just worry about what's best for you. You had a serious setback with what happened with Rarity, and I know you're hurting, but I don't want you to feel like the world is falling apart just because of one really terrible thing somepony did to you." Twilight's eyes hardened slightly at the mention of Rarity, and she mumbled. "Rarity and I have had a few discussions about her behavior as well."
I sighed. "You two are fighting?"
Twilight hesitated, before nodding. "Yeah. I'm just... really disappointed in her. And I know she's disappointed in herself, but she hurt your progress with her thoughtlessness. That made me really upset, and... well, I feel complicit, because I enchanted that stupid hat."
I recalled the stupid hat, and frowned. "You didn't know why, though, right?"
"No. She said she needed a muffling spell on a certain range of tonality because of some neighbor doing yard work late at night. I should have realized she was lying to me," Twilight said, scowling to herself.
"It's not your fault, Twilight. Rarity just really... really messed up," I said, my mind wandering to my best friend. Former best friend? I realized I hated the complexity of things at the moment. I needed to fix things and get back on track.
"She's had problems with stallions before. Guys trying to get close to her because of her influence or power. It's been hard for her, but she shouldn't have stooped to lying," Twilight said, shaking her head and sighing. "Everypony was really upset with her once they found out. I don't think she's been out of her boutique in a few days, actually, and I... haven't made much of an effort to go see her. I don't think anypony else has, either. I think as far as Applejack and Rainbow Dash are concerned, she's getting what she deserves, and I'm of a similar mind." Twilight shrugged, frowning. "I should probably go and see her."
This whole situation may have been Rarity's fault, but I couldn't help but feel for her. She was probably miserable, and even if it was a sort of karmic justice, I still felt a little twist in my gut when I thought about her being unhappy. "I'll go and check in on her," I said quietly.
Twilight looked up at me, surprised. "Jake, you don't have to do that. I'll go see her."
"No, it's all right. You're really busy right now, and really stressed, but you need to deal with your... festival thing," I said, giving a vague nod towards the tables full of plans. "I need to talk with Rarity, too. I've gotten some time and distance. It's overdue."
Twilight chuckled. "I see my friends mentioned the Festival of Friendship."
"It seems like a pretty big deal," I said, smiling at her carefully.
"Yeah. It's going to be incredible, if I can get everything going. I've only got a week more of time to plan, and then it's showtime. I'm still trying to coordinate everything between all of my friends and the guests. We've even got a famous Cloudsdale musician coming to do a concert," Twilight looked over towards the tables, her gaze lingering for a moment, before she turned back to me. "I'm sorry, Jake. It's been a rough few days for you, I know, and I wish I had more time to really talk to you, but... I was angry after what happened with Spike, and then after I found out how Rarity had lied to me and you about things... and then the Festival..." Twilight shook her head, her ears drooping a bit. "I don't want to let you down, Jake. You and I worked together a lot while you were getting better, and I feel like I haven't been the best mentor that I could have been."
"I'm sorry, too. I got so overwhelmed by everything that happened... I lost control, and I hurt Spike. I'm just glad that you, Spike, and all of your friends are willing to give me a second chance." I reached out and put a hand on her back, and Twilight stepped into my chest and pulled me into a warm hug, her forelegs and wings wrapping around me. I let out a slow sigh, feeling the tension between us drain away. After a silent moment, Twilight stepped away. "You're a good friend, Twilight."
"You're a good friend, too, Jake. Even if we disagree on some things, I think that you're doing right by yourself, and that's what is really important," Twilight said gently. Twilight turned and took a few steps towards the table, and then noticed Spike, who was hovering at the entrance to the library, watching us with an uncertain smile on his face. Twilight waved a hoof towards him. "Spike, come on in."
Spike hesitantly walked into the room, pausing only long enough to close the door behind himself, and stood close to Twilight's side. He looked anywhere but at me. "Did you need something, Twi?"
"Yeah. Jake's here to talk with you, too, so I want you to talk with him. I'll be right here, and I want you to speak to him honestly. He needs to know what you want from him, because he wants... he wants to make things right."
I smiled at Twilight's choice of words, but carefully arranged my expression into a one of seriousness. I didn't want Spike to think I wasn't considering his words with the gravity he deserved. I stayed down on one knee to avoid adding a height difference to this situation. Spike nodded and took a deep breath. He finally met my eyes, and spoke slowly and carefully. "Jake... you really made me afraid of you, but I've been afraid of other things before and I've overcome those things. I want... I want to overcome my fear, so maybe we can start being friends, but it's kind of... weird?" He hesitated, frowning and fidgeting in place. "I know you only got upset at me because of what Rarity made me do, and I shouldn't have lied to you, but you... well, you were scary." He shivered, and I winced internally, though I kept my face impassive. "So, I decided that the best way that we're going to get past this is to spend time together. I already talked to Princess Luna, and she said that she's willing to release you from your duties in her court for a few days. You'll work here, with me, for two days. I'll be your boss, and we'll do the jobs that I always do for Twilight. Organizing books, taking letters, and helping her out with planning for the Festival of Friendship." He swallowed hard, and took a firm stance. "But, I'll be in charge of you. So you have to do what I say. Does that sound... okay?"
I nodded. It was actually an elegant solution, and I was impressed. "You came up with this idea on your own?"
"Well... yeah. Twilight gave me some ideas, but when I realized that you wanted to work to show me that you were sorry, it was sorta obvious what the best way to do that would be," Spike said, smiling slightly at his own cleverness.
"I think it's a really great idea," I said honestly, nodding to him. "I accept."
Spike grinned cautiously. "Uh, well, great! So... I guess we can get started right away?" He asked, looking between Twilight and I.
Twilight nodded. "Jake has one more thing to do today, so tomorrow he'll be working for you."
I glanced at Twilight with curiosity, and then remembered what I needed to do. "I need to talk to Rarity," I explained to Spike.
"O-oh," Spike said, stiffening up at the mention of the unicorn. "You... you're mad at her, too?"
"Yeah, I am, but... well, it's complicated," I said, trying to speak honestly.
"Jake's upset with Rarity, but he still cares about her, just like you and I do. He's going to do me a favor and check on her, and they're going to talk," Twilight said, reaching up and gently rubbing Spike on the back.
Spike sighed. "Oh. Okay." He frowned, considering something, and then looked at me. "Can... can you tell Rarity something for me, when you go and see her?"
"Sure," I said, raising an eyebrow.
"Would... would you tell her that I'm ready to accept her apology?" Spike looked down at his feet. "I don't want to be angry at her anymore."
My heart went out to the little dragon, and I had to resist the urge to give him a hug. I settled for a smile, instead. "Yeah. I'm sure that'll make her feel better, Spike."
"Thanks, Jake," Spike said, returning the smile with a shy one of his own. God, he was cute. I felt just a little worse for having done him wrong, and vowed to carry out working under him with the utmost seriousness. I stood up, doing my best to ignore how Spike took a step away from me and closer to Twilight as I rose to my full height.
"I guess I'm going to go now, then. Is there a place for me to stay, here?"
"Oh, yes, we have several guest rooms, we'll put you up in one for the next few days. If you want, you can head up to Canterlot tonight and get anything you need, and then come back in the morning," Twilight said, smiling at me.
I took stock of myself, noting my dirty shirt and pants, and sighed. "Do you have a laundry?"
"We do, actually," Twilight said with a smile. "I was meaning to ask, but I got distracted; What happened to your clothes?"
"I told you, I got into a fight with Rainbow Dash," I said, ignoring her surprised look. "I'll use your laundry later, then. I'm going to go see Rarity. I'd rather not put this off while I've got some kind of momentum going."
"Wait, you actually got into a fight with Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked with an exasperated look my way, her tail flicking.
I shrugged. "Yeah, but it helped. We needed to work some stuff out, and she really needed to show me that I couldn't just do stupid stuff and get away with it."
"You've been suffering plenty of consequences!" Twilight said, stomping one hoof in irritation. "Did she start it?"
"It doesn't matter, Twilight," I said, rolling my eyes. I didn't have time for this. It was already starting to get towards evening, and I needed to get things with Rarity sorted. "Don't bother her about it. I deserved at least a bit of what she dished out, and I gave as good as I got, and we're okay."
"You... you got assaulted by one of my friends! How is that okay at all?!" Twilight said, glaring at me.
"Because we didn't really hurt each other, and it made me feel better, and it made Rainbow Dash feel better, and it settled things between us. She did you all a favor, in my opinion. Somebody needed to slap me for failing to control myself with Spike."
Spike frowned. "I'm not sure that's very cool."
Twilight rolled her eyes. "It's not cool. It's dumb!" She pointed an accusing hoof at me. "You're dumb!" she declared, exasperation evident in her puffed out wings and lashing tail.
I smirked at Spike, ignoring Twilight. "It just means you've got friends willing to fight for you when you feel like you can't. That's about as good a friend as you can ask for, where I'm from."
Spike considered my words, and Twilight bristled visibly. "Don't tell him that fighting is good, Jake!"
I laughed, and reached out and poked the tip of her muzzle, eliciting an annoyed snort from the peeved princess. "This barely counted as a fight, Twilight. Just let it go. I said I'm fine, and Rainbow is fine, too. I'll see you later, okay?" I said, giving her a small bow and turning on my heel to march out of the library.
"Jake!" Twilight protested, but ultimately let out a frustrated groan and mumbled something to herself as I left. Outside the doors, Sapphire and Dusky were standing nearby, trying very hard not to look like two ponies that had been attempting to eavesdrop on a conversation in the other room.
"Come on, guys. One last stop. I'm going to stay here for the next two days, so you guys might need to report in to Canterlot or whatever." I explained, heading back down the pathways through the castle to the main doors.
"You're staying here?" Sapphire asked, smiling.
"Yeah. Twilight already cleared it, so I guess I'll be under her direct supervision for a few days," I replied. "It's part of how I'm going to fix things with Spike. I'll be working as his assistant for two days, so he'll be in charge of me."
Sapphire giggled. "That's sort of adorable. Big 'ol Jake, getting ordered around by a baby dragon."
I snorted. "Yeah, yeah. That starts tomorrow. Tonight, however, I'm going to go and talk to Rarity."
Sapphire and Dusky shared a surprised look. Dusky spoke up first. "You'll be meeting with Miss Rarity?"
"More like checking in on her. I guess all her friends are pretty upset with her after her lies caused this whole situation. I... just want to clear the air between us. Maybe figure some things out." I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe this is a dumb idea."
"You don't owe her anything, Jake," Sapphire said, frowning.
"Sapphire isn't wrong... but you shouldn't allow a bad situation in a relationship to stand, especially when you are ready to forgive," Dusky said carefully, glancing at Sapphire.
I considered Dusky's words and shrugged. I didn't have any answers right now, and I wouldn't until I'd talked with Rarity. The sun was just beginning to settle onto the horizon as we walked across Ponyville. The town was much more quiet as dusk approached, with less ponies on the roads, and the walk to Carousel Boutique was uneventful and swift. Before I knew it, I found myself standing at the front door of the boutique, my hand raised up and ready to knock. I hesitated for a moment, taking in a calming breath, just like Twilight had taught me. I didn't feel much better, but I could feel my pounding heart ease up a bit. Sapphire reached a hoof out and gently touched my knee. "We'll wait outside."
"Thanks," I said, nodding to her and Dusky. "I really appreciate you both being here for me. You're good ponies... I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Get into more stupid fights, undoubtedly," Dusky said with a chuckle.
Sapphire giggled, and reached up with one hoof and pulled off her helmet, shaking out her short mane and sighing. "We'll take a break while we wait."
I smirked and turned back to the door, and gave it a firm knock. The sound echoed through the boutique, and there was no response. After a few moments, I knocked again, more insistently. A light turned on after a minute, and I could hear muffled hoofsteps approach the door. The door creaked open, and I had to crane my neck to look down at a white unicorn filly with a purple and pink mane done up in bouncy curls. "Um, the boutique is closed for the day. I'm sorry. Can I take a message?" She made a show of not looking up at me directly, and was obviously a bit anxious.
I squinted down at the little filly, and smiled, crouching down to get onto her level. "Hey. You must be Rarity's little sister." I did my damnedest to remember her name, but in the moment I was having trouble. Maybe it would come to me.
She finally looked at me, her bright green eyes wide. "You're Jake, aren't you?"
"I am. I'm here to talk with Rarity. Would you let her know I'm here, please?" I asked, keeping my tone even and gentle.
The little unicorn sighed. "She doesn't want you to see her. She's been in an awful state since everything happened." She looked up at me, frowning as she considered me for a moment, and then she stomped her little hoof. "But I think you should come in and talk to her!"
I rocked back on my heels a little bit, surprised by her forcefulness. "Really?"
"Yeah. She's being dumb and sad, and she's wallowing, and it's not actually helping her at all. The only thing she'll do at all is... well, I'll let her talk to you about that. But you need to help her snap out of it!" She said firmly.
I chuckled. Strong mares apparently ran in Rarity's family. "I can't promise I'll make her feel a lot better, but I think I might help a bit. What's your name, by the way? I know Rarity told me, but I can't remember."
She blinked, surprised, and blushed. "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Sweetie Belle!" She gave me a prim little bow that gave me heart palpitations. "I'm happy to finally meet you. Rarity's been talking a lot about you, and that's why I think you're probably the only pony... person... that can help!" She declared, her voice rising to a squeak at the end.
I put out my hand in a fist. "It's good to finally get to meet you. I'll do what I can for Rarity, okay?"
"Okay," Sweetie Belle said with a serious nod, her hoof stretching out and bumping my fist gently. "She's upstairs," she explained, stepping to the side to allow me entrance into the boutique. She noticed Dusky and Sapphire standing a few paces away and her eyes grew wide. "Do they want to come in, too?"
"No, they're fine, I think," I said, glancing at my two friends. They both smiled and Sapphire gave me a shooing gesture and a wink.
"Oh, okay... well, maybe I'll keep them company!" Sweetie Belle leaned closer, pointed at Sapphire, and whispered. "I really like her mane."
I nodded to Sweetie Belle, and she scampered by me to introduce herself to the guards, while I walked inside the boutique. The interior was mostly dark, with the showroom lights all off, and there were materials and things thrown all over the floor of the large room. It was a mess, which startled me a bit. I'd seen Rarity's workrooms before, but she typically kept her "organized chaos" confined to a single space. That convention had obviously been thrown out the window, judging by the state of things. I walked up the stairs and stopped just at the threshold of Rarity's bedroom, reaching up and knocking gently on the closed door. I heard some movement from inside, and then silence. I knocked again, and called out, "Rarity. It's me."
It was quiet for a long moment, and then Rarity's voice floated through the door. "Wha—? Jake?"
"I'm here to talk to you, Rarity," I said, taking a deep breath as I did so.
"Jake... please, I..." I could hear hooves pattering across the floor inside, and when she spoke again, it was much closer to the door. "I don't suppose I could ask you to come back later? I don't mean to be rude, but I'm in a... rather sorry state."
I frowned. "No. This needs to happen, Rarity, and I'm not letting you..." I remembered the word Sweetie Belle had used, "wallow alone in the boutique any more." I leaned against the wall next to the door. "You've got five minutes, okay?"
"Five minutes?!" Rarity gasped, sounding panicked. "I—well, I suppose I'm lucky to be given any time at all, aren't I?"
"Four minutes and fifty seconds, Rarity," I said, allowing a little teasing tone to enter my voice.
"Jake!" Rarity whined, but I could hear her scampering about frantically, murmuring to herself as she did... whatever she was doing. The five minutes passed rather rapidly, and I knocked on the door. "Just one more moment?" she asked plaintively.
"Nope. I'm opening the door," I said, and I did so, pushing it open slowly. The inside of Rarity's room was a disaster, with fabric and patterns and things strewn all over the place among sewing supplies and even her sewing machine. The bed was unmade, and there were a few dirty dishes and a dozen empty tubs of ice cream on the night stand. In the middle of it all stood Rarity. She was a mess; her mane was unkempt, her coat was unbrushed, and her eyes were red and puffy. She was wearing a puffy white and pink bath robe that was equally ruffled. She'd cleared a bit of space around herself on the floor, and she'd thrown a sheet over a bunch of unidentifiable items.
Rarity smiled nervously, one trembling hoof reaching up to wipe quickly at her face. "Hello, Jake," she said softly.
"Hey," was all I could manage for a moment as I took in the scene. I kept myself composed, however, and I kept talking. "I've been going around town today, meeting most of your friends."
"O-oh? How are they?" Rarity asked, her eyes widening a bit while her ears drooped.
"Well, Spike says hello," I started with, deciding a little positive news would be good. "He said that he's ready to accept your apology."
"Oh, Spike..." Rarity said, smiling gently. "He really is a sweetheart."
"Yeah. He and I are gonna get things figured out after the mess I made of our budding friendship. I'll be working with him in Ponyville for two days as his assistant," I said, chuckling to myself.
Rarity giggled and sat down on the floor, settling in to talk. "That sounds like it will be a nice time. You'll get to resolve some issues and perhaps bond with one-another?"
"I hope so," I said, stepping a little bit farther into the room. Rarity blushed, regarding the mess around her room, and used her telekinesis to clear a spot for me on the floor. I walked to the space and sat down across from her with a sigh, and looked across at her. "Been having a rough few days?"
Rarity bit her lip, looking down at her hooves. "I should be asking you that question, darling. I brought this on myself, you are the wronged party."
I shrugged. "Just because you did something wrong doesn't mean you aren't allowed to feel bad. Your friends are mad at you right now, and you've been shut away in your boutique. It's pretty obvious you're in rough shape."
Rarity laughed wryly. "Yes, beside the devastation of my room and the shape of my mane and coat, I'm sure there are a few clues that I'm having some bad days."
I smirked and gave a shrug. "They say I'm perceptive..."
Rarity's next laugh was a more genuine thing, "Indeed, you have a knack for spotting the fine details." She sighed, and her demeanor returned to a more relaxed state. "How have you been, Jake?"
I looked down at my hands. "Busy. A few ponies have made certain that I haven't had much time to... wallow in self-pity or get too depressed. I spent my entire day meeting your friends, and I got into a fight with Rainbow Dash. Twilight and I worked out a few issues. I think I can almost chalk up the day in the 'win' column."
"Almost?" Rarity asked, leaning forward a bit.
"Almost, because I haven't gotten a chance to speak with you. The jury is still out on the day until then," I said, looking up at her.
Rarity nodded, and swallowed hard. "I've been thinking a lot about my actions, and about what you said in the diner several days ago. The truth is that it has been quite difficult for me to determine what I can do to fix things. You're a man of simple pleasures, Jake, which is part of why I so enjoy your company." She smiled at me. "A good cup of coffee, a hot shower, a friendly conversation... you find joy in little things, and all the imaginings in my head have been grand gestures that feel like they would be hollow in light of that insight." She shifted in place, nervously running a hoof through her mane. "So, I've done something practical that I hope you can appreciate, as an... opening gesture of my attempt to make things right."
I raised an eyebrow, watching as she stood up and walked to the sheet covering the unknown items, and with a small flourish she pulled the sheet away. Beneath lay a group of carefully folded garments. I blinked and stood up, approaching the clothes on the floor. There were a half-dozen shirts of different styles and a matching pants to go with them, along with two nice looking jackets. Among them, in the middle of the group, were a shirt, jacket, and a pair of heavy duty cargo pants that were immediately familiar. "Are these my old clothes? I thought they'd been ruined."
Rarity shot me a sly grin. "I asked Princess Celestia about them, and she agreed to let me take them. It wasn't easy to fix them, you'd done quite the number on the seams and fabric... Celestia told me that you'd been recovering from an addiction."
I nodded slowly, kneeling down and picking up the tan cargo pants. They'd been carefully mended with patches that were nearly seamless, tiny stitches that must have been a pain to do blending in neatly with the rough fabric. The seams that I'd torn during my moments of torturous withdrawal were like new, the stitching carefully copied from the rest of the garment. The grey t-shirt was in a similar state, along with my heavy tan jacket. It was a military-make, sporting multiple pockets and spots for weapon harnesses and other useful utilities. As I picked up the jacket, the item beneath it made me freeze in surprise. My bullet-proof vest was there as well! I set the jacket aside and lifted up the vest. It was a heavy military-grade vest, with extra pads and harness points, and sported the MultiCam camouflage pattern that was popular in the countries I'd often worked in. It was designed after the popular Interceptor body armor, a mainstay of many modern military forces, and sported a neck protector and shoulder pauldrons. Rarity had done her level best to clean it up, but it hadn't really been damaged very much besides the wear and tear. The plates were missing, but I knew that they were likely in the Canterlot Royal Guard armory. I ran a finger along a few spots on the front of the vest where I'd, once upon a time, patched damage it had incurred in the line of duty. Rarity had removed my shoddy excuse for stitching, and had redone the patches in a much more clean way.
Rarity watched me with rapt focus, noticing the way I held the vest carefully, the way my hands checked the newly stitched spots. I smiled at her, and she smiled back. "I'll admit, when I saw that ugly thing, I didn't think much of it, but the way you're treating it makes me think that it means quite a lot to you."
"This vest saved my life... many times. It's like a good luck charm. I honestly never thought I'd see it again," I said, only sparing her a brief glance before I sat back and set it down on the floor between us.
"I can see how! The fabric was almost impossible to work with, it was so strong. I'd imagine that it's very protective," Rarity said, frowning slightly at the vest as if it had personally insulted her.
I chuckled. "The fabric is only part of it. You noticed those inner pockets, right? Big, empty, thin pockets?"
"But of course. I was ever-so curious about them," Rarity said, leaning forward.
"They held plates of... well, basically metal, sort of. They would block attacks from high powered weapons," I explained, trying my best to explain in terms Rarity would understand.
"Oh! Like a crossbow?" she asked, scooting closer and running a hoof along the many patches on the vest. Her ears drooped slightly as she took note of the number of points of damage, and she looked up at me. "So... all of these spots were moments where you nearly died, but were just barely saved by this piece of clothing?" I nodded gravely, and she looked back down at the vest. "I take back what I said. This vest isn't ugly... it's wonderful."
I agreed with the sentiment, and I slowly set the vest down. Rarity still sat very close to me, looking at me with a hopeful expression, and she turned and pointed. "There's your suit jacket, by the way. Properly tailored to your measurements, and I did some improvements." I smiled, reaching over and picking up my jacket, and I stood up and started to put it on, but Rarity held up a hoof. "Darling, please! You should get into some cleaner clothes before you start putting on that jacket!" She gestured to my disheveled appearance and frowned. "I didn't want to say anything earlier, as it would be rather hypocritical of me, but your clothes are positively ghastly. Did you get run over by a rampaging yak?"
I squinted at the yak line, and then chuckled. "Well, remember how I mentioned that I got into a fight with Rainbow Dash?"
Rarity blinked, and then gasped, standing up. "Darling, I thought you were being metaphorical! You really came to blows?!"
"It's not a big deal, I promise. We worked things out, and we're both... well, we're on better terms," I said, making a placating gesture at her.
Rarity stepped closer, inspecting me for injuries, but couldn't spot any obvious ones. Her ears pinned back. "I ought to give that pegasus an earful! Honestly, she should know better."
"It was a mutual confrontation, I assure you," I said, chuckling and ignoring how it made my ribs ache. "Twilight's probably already going to read her the riot act, anyway, so you don't have to go after her on my account."
Rarity sighed angrily, her tail flicking in irritation, and she sat back down next to me. "Very well, but only because you seem to be fine."
"Thanks, Rarity," I said, relaxing a bit. "So... new clothes."
"And some restored old clothes, plus a follow-through on a promise to fix your jacket." She smiled at me.
I nodded. "Good. That's... very kind of you, honestly. I'm happy that you've been putting this whole situation to some good use... and I appreciate that you followed through on finishing my jacket." I smiled, "I thought you were going to keep using it as an excuse to see me."
Rarity smiled wryly. "Well, the thought did cross my mind, but in light of my actions," she paused, her smile faltering as she swallowed hard, before speaking again, "I didn't want to leave things unfinished between us... in case..." Her train of thought trailed away, and she looked down at her hooves.
"In case...?" I prompted.
"In case you didn't want anything to do with me anymore," she finished, her voice dropping to a quiet tone of worry.
"Oh," I said, looking down at my lap. This was it, then. A decision to be made. Rarity had even given me the opportunity for a clean getaway. Nothing to hold me back, nothing to worry about; Just a long road of recovering our friendship, or a quick end and a clean slate. I thought back to those miserable days, to the pain that still made my stomach churn when I remembered her lies. Were some new clothes and a promise kept enough to make me stay?
My thoughts drifted, and I was brought back to the moment by a shuddering breath. I looked at Rarity, and noticed she was trembling, biting her lip as she held back tears. I turned away from her, frowning, and I stood up. I could hear her gasp next to me as I moved away from her. "J-Jake?"
"I need a minute. I can't think with you upset next to me," I said, walking through the room and to the door.
"I'm sorry," Rarity breathed, and I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. As I stood out in the hallway, I closed my eyes and leaned against the opposite wall, digging my nails into my palms as I tried to sort myself out. All I knew was that Rarity being on the verge of emotional devastation was tearing me apart, and that made everything so much more difficult. Why couldn't she just be a bitch, like all the other women I'd had in my life? She wasn't, though. She was more than that, so much more, even for her flaws. Why did she have to be the one to betray my confidence? So many others had gotten near to me for the drugs or the money, sleeping with me to try and get a grab at my wallet, offering me their bodies to get a hit or a taste of some drug... I'd almost stopped believing that I could feel affection or...
"Fuck," I said quietly, realizing Rarity's position more keenly than I could have comprehended in that moment. She'd been afraid like I'd been. She'd been hurt like I'd been hurt. Maybe the circumstances were wildly different, but she had even told me... she'd had stallions come to her seeking to win her affections. They weren't interested in her money, but her power and prestige. Her position. It was almost the same, and the difference was that she'd protected herself with gentle lies. Well, gentle in comparison to the things I'd done to those that had tried to deceive me. I'd let them get close, and then left them high and dry, crying for a pill or a bag of something that they needed. I'd been cruel where Rarity had been cautious and calculated, but at the end of the day we'd both made mistakes that had damaged others... I'd been the victim, this time, though. I was the one that had been left wanting. I felt a strike of cold realization at what I'd subjected those people to, those desperate souls. The thought of the pain was suddenly numbing, leaving me shaking in a sudden fit of remorse.
It wasn't right, what she'd done, but who was I to claim to have done better? I'd done much, much worse. She'd been almost kind in her treatment of me, and I believed her when she said that it was a situation that had spiraled out of her control. A lie of omission that became bigger and bigger, until she'd been drug down by the weight of it all. She hadn't sought to damage me, but I'd been damaged anyway, but it had been an accident. I'd done far worse on purpose.
I swallowed. Was... was that the basis for a healthy relationship, though? That I'd done so much worse, that I should forgive anything and everything that was slightly less morally awful than what I'd subjected others to? I shook my head. It wasn't. I knew it, deep down. What, then? What was the solution? Was walking away better? I could start again, with somepony else. Did I want to give up her friendship after one mistake, as large as it had been? Was there no room in my heart for a second chance for somepony else, even after all the second chances I'd been given after coming to Equestria? After all that I'd been shown of forgiveness in the past day, alone? Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie... they had all offered me a second chance, even after I'd hurt their friend emotionally. Even Spike, who had been the direct victim of my lashing out, had given me a way to make things right.
I took a shaking breath, turning towards the door, and I walked back into Rarity's bedroom. Rarity had moved to her bed, and was lying across it on her chest, her head buried between her forelegs, and she looked up at me with a look of deep remorse, her lower lip trembling as she held back tears. I walked through the room and reached down and picked her up with a slight grunt, eliciting a gasp from the unicorn mare, and I held her close to my chest. It was tough, but I managed, because I wanted to feel her close. She buried her muzzle in my shoulder and let out a shaking sob. "I'm s-sorry, I'm sorry" she gasped between tears.
"I know. I believe you," I said, feeling a shiver. "I'm choosing to trust your words. Do you understand? I'm choosing to trust your words. Just promise me you won't do anything like this again."
Rarity nodded against me. "O-of course! I promise! But, Jake, you don't have to—" she started, but I cut her off.
"No. I do. I do, because I've been shown that second chances are things that everybody deserves. God knows I don't, but ponies keep giving them to me. I want... I want to be like that, Rarity. I want to be generous in ways that I've never been, before. Generous with my trust... with my friendship. I want to be better than I was, and I've decided that this is something you ponies have shown me that is good. You're not perfect, but I'd be a fool not to pick up your best traits." I sunk down to sit on the bed, Rarity cradled on my lap as she clung to me.
Rarity laughed, hiccuping, and leaned away from me, her cheeks wet with tears. "Darling, if you want to be generous, you've come to the right mare," she said, taking a shivering breath as she leaned her forehead against mine, being mindful of her horn as she did so. The closeness gave me pause, but I decided in that moment that I didn't mind.
"Oh? Why is that?" I asked, smiling at her.
"Because, dear Jake, my Element is generosity," she said simply, smiling back at me. "There. The secret I so dreaded would change everything is out, from my own lips."
"I don't feel any different," I said, but that was a lie.
I felt better.