//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: A New Chapter // by RibaBian //------------------------------// Rarity began the next morning as she would any other morning: with breakfast. She had got a late start and it was nearly noon by the time she awoke, but she would rather have a late start than break her routine entirely. Order was the only stability she had left now. “Perfect!” Rarity grinned as she put the final touches on her fruit-filled crepes, carefully drizzling them with a low-fat strawberry syrup in a perfect S-shape. She was happy that nopony was here to see her drool at the sight of it. She hadn’t realized how famished she was until she saw it spread out in front of her. Picking up her utensils with her magic she prepared to eat, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. “RARITY!” Rarity sighed and glanced at her food wistfully before setting it down and heading to the door. She wasn’t surprised to find Pinkie Pie’s smiling face behind it. “Hey, Rarity! I’m here to take you to your welcome party!” “You don’t say.” Pinkie giggled. “I do say! I just said it, silly!” Rarity rolled her eyes. “C’mon, let’s go!” Rarity hesitated. “I’m not dressed yet. I wouldn’t even know what to wear…” “There’s no need to wear anything, besides, everypony is waiting to meet you!” Pinkie popped up behind her and nudged her out the door with her head. The pink pony skipped ahead of her leading the way to Sugarcube Corner, though Rarity could have found her way on her own. Not that she wanted to. She would rather be home enjoying her crepes, which were probably growing cold. By the time they reached the bakery the place was nearly packed with guests. Of course the place wasn’t very large so packed didn’t mean much, but it was still shocking to see so many ponies eager to meet her. Rarity could barely keep up as Pinkie began introducing her to everypony within a ten-foot radius. “And this is Berry Punch and Cherry Berry and Sweetie Drops and Raindrops and-“ “Actually, Pinkie-darling, I appreciate it, but I think I’ll just take a look around on my own for now.” Rarity interrupted. Pinkie frowned, her ears drooping, and halted her incessant hopping for a moment. “Are you sure?” “Yes. I’m sure.” The look on the other pony’s face made Rarity hesitate, but she was feeling way too overwhelmed for this. “I’ll come find you later though!” She shouted back as she disappeared into the crowd, relieved to finally have a moment of peace. “Rarity!” Rarity groaned, as she turned around expecting to find Pinkie Pie, instead to see another familiar face. “S-Sweetie Belle?” The filly had grown up quite a bit since she had last seen her. Since her parents had moved from Manehattan to Ponyville shortly after Sweetie Belle’s birth, and Rarity’s career had picked up soon after, taking her to Canterlot she barely saw her sister. She felt truly awful about it; honestly it was one of the main reasons she had chosen to move to Ponyville in particular. She wanted to expand their relationship beyond the occasional family reunion in Manehattan for the holidays. “Why didn’t you tell me you were moving to Ponyville?” Sweetie Belle hopped up and down, looking half angry, half excited. “You could have moved in us. It would have been so much fun!” Rarity grimaced at the idea of moving in with her parents. As supportive as they could be, they had never quite understood her. “I’m so sorry, Sweetie Belle. To be honest the decision was a last minute one.” Rarity apologized, not expecting forgiveness. It was rude of her to forget her only sister. “That’s okay. All that matters is that you’re here now and we can hangout all the time. It’ll be so awesome!” Her sister began to guide her further into the crowd as she continued. “You have to meet my friends, Scootaloo couldn’t come, but you can meet her later.” “Hey, Sweetie Belle! Over here!” “Applebloom!” Rarity felt her stomach drop as Sweetie Belle guided her towards her friend. Her friend who was standing next to a familiar pony. “Rarity, this is my friend Applebloom and her sister Applejack. She lets us play at her orchard sometimes, and she even gave us a tree house!” She spoke excitedly. “We’ve got this club called the Cutie Mark Crusaders and we…” Rarity’s attention faded as she noticed Applejack studying her. She felt uncomfortable wondering if the Earth pony would say anything about their little encounter the day before. She nearly jumped out of her skin as said pony spoke. “So, Rarity is it?” “Wh-what was that?” Applejack gave her an odd look. “Tha’s yur name, right? Ah didn’t exactly catch it when we…bumped into each other yesterday.” “You guys know each other?” Applebloom interjected, enthusiastically. “We’ve met.” Applejack replied. The two fillies squealed. “Do you know what this means?” Sweetie Belle asked. Rarity didn’t, but she had a very bad feeling about what it might entail. “This means we can have sisterly get-togethers!” Applebloom answered. “And we can all do the Sister Hooves Social together this year!” Sweetie Belle added. The two began to leap about excitedly, in a disturbingly Pinkie-like manner, and speak in hushed voices of all sorts of plans the older sisters would evidently have no say in. The mares stood in awkward silence for a moment, scrutinizing one another before Applejack spoke. “Ah’m surprised a sweet filly like Sweetie Belle has a pony like you for an older sister.” Rarity knew she probably had that coming for her behavior the day before. Still, it bothered her to hear it, especially from this pony. “I regret to say we haven’t spent much time together up until now. I can only hope that she has been under a good influence.” “Ah can guarantee ya th’ Apple family are nothin’ but a good influence.” Applejack countered, clearly picking up on Rarity’s insinuation. “Forgive me if I show concern for my baby sister.” The Earth pony scoffed. “Whole lotta concern ya showed her up ‘til now.” Applejack muttered under her breath, though Rarity still managed to just barely hear it above the noise of the party. Rarity flushed with embarrassment and anger; it made her blood boil that this mare that barely knew her would dare to speak to her in such a manner. She wanted to retort, but she knew it was true. She stuttered for a moment, caught between rage and shame and unsure which to act on. Luckily she didn’t have to act on either. “Doesn’t that sound great?” Sweetie Belle asked, as the two fillies turned back towards their older siblings. “Wha’s that, sugarcube?” “What was that, darling?” The girls looked at each other and giggled. “We were just planning our first ever sisterly get-together for tomorrow.” Sweetie Belle squealed, though the sly look on her face was worrisome. “We can meet up at th’ farm t’morrow afternoon. Dun worry, we’ll plan all the activities!” Applebloom followed, looking equally devilish. Applejack gave her sister a sideways grin. “Tha’s what ah’m worried about.” She teased. “Aren’t you excited?” Sweetie Belle asked, smiling expectantly at Rarity. Rarity laughed nervously. “I- well…” To be honest, she had no idea how she could make it through the day without starting an argument with Applejack, and if they had a falling out she had no confidence her sister would take her side. She loathed to even think it, but Applejack had probably been a better older sister to her than she had been up until now. “I think I need some punch.” “Um…okay.” Rarity quickly headed in the direction she was sure she had seen a snack table earlier and was relieved to find it was where she thought it was. She sucked in a few breaths and used her magic to pour herself a glass of punch, finding that she really was quite thirsty. “You must be Rarity.” Rarity stifled a groan and set down her punch. Resigned to the fact that she would be getting no peace anytime soon, she turned to face the pony that had addressed her: a unicorn with a lavender coat and pink stripe in her dark mane. “Pinkie was looking for you earlier, but she got distracted by cake and games. It’s just like her to get preoccupied at her own event.” The other unicorn laughed fondly. Rarity forced a smile. “It’s fine. This is a lovely…affair.” “Yeah, Pinkie Pie throws the best parties.” The purple pony suddenly seemed to remember something and looked sheepish for a moment. “Oh, I’m Twilight Sparkle. I just came up and started talking to you without introducing my self.” “T-Twilight Sparkle?” “Um…” “As in apprentice to the Princess, Twilight Sparkle?” Rarity gaped. Twilight flushed. “Well, yes, I’m something of a novice, at least compared to her, but…well, yes, that’s me! It’s no big deal though. There’s no reason to make a fuss over a pony like me.” “If I had known my best connection to the Princess Celestia was in Ponyville I would have come here sooner.” If Rarity regretted anything in leaving her career behind, above all it was that she had never had the opportunity to design an ensemble for the beautiful Celestia. “Actually I used to be from Canterlot, too, up until a year or two ago-” Rarity perked up. “Finally, a pony who can understand me!” “-but I never really fit in there. To be honest, as much as I miss my family and the princess I really prefer living here; it’s much simpler.” Twilight finished. Rarity deflated. She had really hoped to find somepony who enjoyed the glamour of the city as much as she, but clearly she wouldn’t find that in Twilight. Still, this was the first friendly pony she met that was normal. Maybe Twilight could become someone she could confide in. “Well, I fit in there. I’m just doubtful that I can ever find my place here.” She sighed, melodramatically. “Don’t worry, you’ll find your place. There are tons of friendly ponies here to help you fit in.” Twilight reassured her. “I never would have fit in here if it weren’t for the great friends I made.” Somehow that didn’t make Rarity feel much better. This conversation was the closest thing she’d had to a connection with any of these ponies, and it certainly didn’t constitute an instant friendship. “Rarity!” Sweetie Belle approached through the now dwindling crowd. “What’s taking so long?” Rarity was surprised that she had gotten so caught up talking to Twilight she had forgotten all about her punch and why she had stepped away in the first place. “I just met this charming mare Twilight, and got sidetracked. She knows the Princess, you know!” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “Yeah, everyone knows.” Twilight sighed. “Well, I should be going then. Wouldn’t want to take up more of your time!” Rarity waved the other unicorn off as she departed, keeping in mind to seek her out later. She wished she had asked where she lived, but it couldn’t be too hard to find one pony in a small town like this. Rarity focused back on her sister. “Where are your little friend and her…delightful sister?” “Applejack brought Applebloom home a little after you went to get punch.” Sweetie Belle shrugged. “No idea why they had to leave so soon, we were all having such a good time, too.” A good time? Sweetie Belle can do a lot of things well, but reading the mood certainly isn't one of them. It's probably better off this way though... “Honestly, I was planning on heading home soon, as well.” “Aw! But we barely got to spend anytime together at all!” She pouted. Rarity felt her stomach quiver at the sight of the sad filly’s face. “Why…why don’t you stay over tonight? That is…if our mother and father don’t mind.” The next second found a pair of forelegs wrapped tightly around Rarity’s neck. “Yesyesyesyes! This is going to be so much fun!” Sweetie Belle squealed. “And then tomorrow we get to hang out with Applebloom and Applejack! It’s going to be the best time ever!” The warm, fuzzy feeling in Rarity’s stomach was abruptly replaced with a sick one at the mention of tomorrow’s get-together. She had nearly forgotten the plans that her sister and her friend had made. Maybe she had just wished that she had been imagining them. “Right…the best time ever. Splendid.”