“Wait! Pinkie wait!” Dash screamed. But it didn’t matter, Pinkie was already out the door and long gone at a speed even Dash could never match. “Wait…” she whispered once more as she lay on her back staring at the door. She wanted so much to be close to Pinkie right now, when she needed her most, but she had just driven her away.
Five minutes earlier
“AAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!.....” she screamed again. These contraction where getting closer together. It was a good thing as much as it was a HORRIBLE thing! It meant this would be over sooner. Dear sweet Celestia she wanted this to be over soon. Dash didn’t remember herself being this dishevelled during the last birth. Of course Pinkie remembered, and it was roughly the same.
They’d both had a natural birth last time and Dash had sworn if she ever had another she would take drugs. All the drugs! Damn it why hadn’t she taken drugs?! There wasn’t any pain in her chest anymore but it could’ve just been far over shadowed by the searing ball of fire between her legs. She could feel her pulse though. She felt it in her teeth. That’s weird right?
It was fast, way too fast for normal. Dash almost wanted to call Elliot back in here to give her another quick check up but still felt horrible about calling her whatever dumb words she’d strung together. She didn’t even remember what she’d said; only that it had been hurtful.
Pinkie still hadn’t let go of her hoof and Dash made a very conscious effort not to crush it every time she had another contraction. That wasn’t going to well but at least Pinkie hadn’t had to cry out alongside Dash since the first time she had. Dash hated causing Pinkie this pain, though she knew Pinkie saw it as taking some of the pain from her. Dash had to wonder if Pinkie actually thought it worked that way. Or if it possibly even did when Pinkie was involved.
Dash had already hurt Pinkie so much in the last year. Even if she didn’t mean to, she’d hurt her. She blamed her too. Dash blamed Pinkie for getting her pregnant. Her and her incessant swinging. Admittedly Dash loved it just as much as Pinkie did but it was still there: the thought that this was her fault.
She remembered what Seafoam had said the other night though: ‘I love you Pinkie. Everypony does. But not as much as she does, I know. Don’t break your promise to her. No pony could live with themselves if they hurt either of you like that. Good night. I’ll see you soon. At your wedding, hopefully.’
All that time, had Pinkie only been sleeping with so many ponies because she was worried if she didn’t they wouldn’t like her? Dash knew her wife had some abandonment issues but for the life of her she couldn’t figure out why. Her family had been caring and the most traumatic thing in terms of abandonment was Elliot going off to in the ‘Doctor’s Without Stables’ program and even then she stayed in touch. Even rushing back when Pinkie needed her for Dash.
Then… then there was when Dash abandoned her. Twice. When Pinkie had first made a move towards starting a relationship, she’d up and run as far away as possible. But Pinkie had followed her. But the second time… Dash had run and Pinkie had run as well. But this time, she’d run into the hooves of another. Dash had abandoned her and she couldn’t blame Pinkie for going to Fluttershy.
She couldn’t really blame Fluttershy either. She’d been hurt just as much at the time as well. Pinkie had always admitted openly, to Dash at least but not any of their other friends, that she liked Fluttershy a lot. But really, she liked all of her friends in that way and if any of them had come to her that night she would’ve done the same. It was just right place, right time. Or wrong place…
Dash and Pinkie had even been with Twilight and Rarity once but mostly let them be with each other. After that though, Pinkie had admitted something else: that she didn’t like that. That she felt something more for those two ponies than she did for any of the other ponies the two had ever been with. There was fun and then there was… whatever that had been and there was a distinct line between them that they could both feel. Pinkie and Dash both agreed never to cross that line again.
And neither had. Pinkie had never actually ‘been’ with Fluttershy. But Dash hadn’t known that at the time. And Pinkie thought that Dash had with somepony, who turned out to be somegryphon, that Dash was keeping secret from her. It had just been guilt. It all came back around to blaming Pinkie Pie for getting her pregnant.
Every time Dash looked at her, she thought it was her fault. And she hated that so much. She couldn’t stand to see Pinkie because every time she did she’d think it. And she hated hating somepony she loved. By fluke she ran into Gilda, who tried to just briefly say ‘Hey’ before continuing to walk on but Dash stopped her. From there they talked and from there they became friends again.
And with an old friend, she forgot about what Pinkie had done to her. At least, while she wasn’t there. Almost every day for who knows long, a few weeks at least, she’d hang with Gilda and then have to return to the one she both loved and loathed. It was a polar opposites every day. And one day she just couldn’t bare going home and seeing Pinkie.
But it wasn’t that Dash left because she hated Pinkie. She hated herself for laying blame on her. Dash knew Pinkie knew she’d been seeing somepony/gryphon but she didn’t let on and that ate at Dash too. Then that night that she didn’t return… it only made it so much worse.
It wasn’t until the next day she noticed it though. The last words Pinkie had said to her had been ‘Good bye, Dashie!’ and when that had truly hit her hadn’t been until Applebloom had called her ‘Dashie’ as well. Even seeing her wife in bed with Fluttershy that same morning hadn't hit Dash as hard.
But even after all that, after all the shit she’d put Pinkie through, she wouldn’t leave her side now. Dash was still hurting her even now but still, Pinkie wouldn’t let go of her hoof. Dash wondered if there even was a way she could possibly scare off her wife. Her… wife.
Pinkie wasn’t her wife. Not yet. She wanted to be. Dash wanted her to be too. But there was that fear right now that they never would be. “Pinkie…” Dash said solemnly. It was the first thing she’d said that wasn’t a scream or an insult in a good while now. She’d asked it before but she was asking it again. “Am I going to die?”
Pinkie took a moment to answer, but it was the same answer “I don’t know.”
“You know everything! I really can’t believe you don’t know! I even bet you know what I’m about to say!”
“I do… you’re going to say that maybe I do know, but I just don’t want to admit it. That I know you die and I can’t accept that…”
“See what I mean. If anypony else had said that, it would’ve been a confession, but you knew! So why don’t you know?!”
“Because The Writer’s already written both endings! The one where you die and the one where you live! He hasn’t chosen which one to use yet and I don’t know either! Well he hasn’t actually written them yet, but he has a super solid plan for them. Even this conversation here was only thought of about five minutes before he wrote it and almost nothing else in the last few chapters was part of the original conclusion. But the ending, he’s had them planned in detail for months now!”
And just so you know, that won’t be the last time I break the fourth wall this chapter.
Dash didn’t understand most of that. She never did but as long as Pinkie did, that’s what mattered. But it sounded like for once even Pinkie didn’t quite understand. “Do you know what’s going to happen next Pinkie?”
“No...” Pinkie replied with a sniffle as she wiped away some the insta-tears she’d burst into for a few seconds. “But I do know it’s something big. Something very important. So important we had to flash back five minutes to see it… and it’s been four and a half minutes now so…?”
“Pinkie…” she said for the um-teenth time now, but in a much different tone. It wasn’t worried, it seemed caring, kind and loving and made Pinkie cheer up in the slightest just from it’s utterance. “Will you marry me?”
“Well duh! Of course I will, we’re alr…”
“I mean right now! In case I do die. In case we never get a chance to get married like you wanted. Incase…”
“No.” Pinkie said flatly. Dash couldn't even comprehend the simple word at first, and just looked at her confused as if she’d broken the fourth wall again. “I can’t marry you now. I… I… I have to go do something!”
“Wait! Pinkie wait!” Dash screamed. But it didn’t matter, Pinkie was already out the door and long gone at a speed even Dash could never match. “Wait…” she whispered once more as she lay on her back staring at the door. She wanted so much to be close to Pinkie right now, when she needed her most, but she had just driven her away.
Didn’t she want this thought? Dash had thought Pinkie had meant it. When she’d asked the day after Ace and Ven’s birthday. When she’d asked as Dash was released from the hospital. Was Pinkie scared to get married? That couldn’t be it. So why did it scare her away. The look on her face had been one of abject horror. Dash couldn’t understand. Didn’t have to, because she understood this: she’d finally found something that could drive Pinkie off.
~ ~
She appeared with a loud bang as she flew out of nothing, skimmed the ground with her hooves, got no traction and just tripped and started rolling. Sweetie Belle had come out of the teleportation faster than she ever had before and rolled for a good distance towards who she’d been teleporting to.
Sil only just managed to avoid being hit by the tumbling pony and if Ace hadn’t seconds before said “You might want to move to your left a few steps.” she wouldn’t have expected it at all. Sil watched as her friend rolled past her and stopped just short of hitting a nearby tree. She rushed over to make sure Belle was alright.
Sweetie Belle, for her part, didn’t even notice Sil as her head hurt so badly. There was a reason she had never learnt how to teleport until late. Simply put: she wasn’t good at it! Her eyes clenched shut, she stumbled to her hooves and stood wobbling for a few seconds before falling back against the tree’s roots.
She let out a long drawn out groan as she opened her eyes to see… “R-Rarity?” she questioned as to how she’d gotten here so fast. Then another question came to mind. Why was she huddled up against her like this; almost hugging her. Surely she would’ve noticed her sister doing so.
She looked up and saw the sun was far higher in the sky than it had been moments ago. She’d passed out. Long enough for Rarity to find her... long enough for her father to find her.
Five hours earlier
“Ya call THAT ‘better than expected’?” Applejack asked as she went to offer Magnum a hoof up. She glared at Spike while doing so. He’d just let Sweetie Belle beat on him. While she couldn’t exactly blame him, she didn’t approve of it either.
Magnum was a little worse for wear but he managed to recover from his daughter’s attack. Everything he’d heard from his wife’s old friend, from Rarity and Elusive told him that Sweetie Belle was a kind young mare. This was the last thing he’d expected. Though he wasn’t entirely surprised. He had prepared for a worst case scenario of Rarity doing that to him when he knocked on her door.
He found his hat first and put it back on, the buttons on his shirt had torn off but other than that it was still in one piece. He knew Rarity would most likely be able to fix it back up but felt it not prudent to ask at the moment. “You’re her father? I thought you’d be taller.” Spike said snidely. As he walked up to him.
Magnum had the same reaction his son had. “Ah! A dragon!”
“Ah! A pony! ah…" Spike mocked in turn, exaggerating as he raised his arms to ‘shield’ himself. The same thoughts went through Magnum’s head as did Baritone’s once more. This obviously wasn’t a wild monster if it could speak his language, and nopony else seemed to be scared. Well, nopony other than Baritone… who’d just seen his father beaten senseless by his sister.
“Baritone, Elusive, are you alright?” he said as he disregarded Spike and walked over to his sons. Fluttershy had put a wing over them and pulled them close. She hadn’t thought about it and had done it without noticing out of instinct. Spike didn’t like being brushed off like he did, he just saw Sweetie Belle’s father as a pompas bastard instead of seeing somepony who cared more about the welfare of his children then how much he’d been hurt.
“Je suis bon père, est si Elusive.” (I’m fine father, so is Elusive) Baritone replied in Prench as he pulled away from Fluttershy. Lucy was pressed up against his side as always but much harder and had his front hooves wrapped around one of Baritones legs. “Sweetie Belle si…”
“Je ne peux pas croire qu'elle a fait ça. On m'a dit qu'elle était si bien, doux.” (I can’t believe she did that. I was told she was so, well, sweet.)
“Elle est normalement, je suppose que vous venez de faire ressortir le pire dans son” (She is normally, I guess you just bring out the worst in her.) Spike quipped. Surprising Magnum further, again like his son, that this creature could speak his language. He turned to face the dragon and though the tone of the words he’d said had been docile, the expression he wore told another story entirely.
“Puis-je demander qui vous êtes, dragon?” (May I ask who you are, dragon?) Magnum asked with slight apprehension.
“Father, this is Spike.” Rarity stepped in. While she could barely speak Prench herself she understood enough to get the idea what they were saying. Even without knowing what was said, the hostility in the words was clear. “Sweetie Belle’s coltfriend I told you about.”
“You didn’t mention his was a dragon…”
“Got a problem with that?” Spike snapped.
“N-no. just… it’s unexpected. That would explain how her letter arrived via fire-wire.”
“Yes well, I’m sorry if I forgot to mention that detail father. I know it sound quite obvious of a thing to mention but I’ve known him, we’ve all known Spike so long, Sweetie Belle included, that it’s never been an issue. Every word I’ve said about him remains true though. He’s a genlestallion through and through. And quite frankly better than anypony I could ask for in a coltfriend.” Rarity said with pride. Though Elsuvie's ego was deflated some-what.
“Actually, I’m not her coltfriend anymore.” only to have that pride torn down.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. I had no idea you two broke up… again.” she said. Magnum picked up on the word ‘again’ but let it slide as he could see much more important things where running through Rarity’s head now.
“No! It’s not that. I thought she told you but… I’m not her coltfriend. I’m her fiancé.” and Rarity’s jaw dropped.
“Congratulations!” called Fluttershy. “I’m so happy for the both of…” her nerves quickly taking back hold of her as she said the words, drowning to a low whisper “you…” which was drowned out by the louder thud of Rarity hitting the ground. Both Elusive and Magnum rushed to her, though she’d started to recover before they’d gotten to her.
“Are you alright?” Magnum asked first. Elusive would’ve about half a second later.
“I, uh… what am I doing on the ground?” she couldn’t believe she’d just fainted, even if only momentarily. She was embarrassed to say the least. There was only so much she could absorb in such a short amount of time after all and at some point her mind just had to say no. “I, I don’t need this… I don’t need any of this.” she muttered as she shook her head as Elusive helped her get back to her hooves.
Herself and Elusive dating once more, her father reappearing after so long, that she had a brother, or brothers rather, she knew nothing about and finally this. It had all piled on so fast. Unfortunately, Spike didn’t need this either. “Thanks a lot Rarity. I thought you’d be happy for us.”
“I am Spike, I am. I’m sorry if I offended you in any way, I ju…”
“Save it.” Spike dismissed. Even if he knew Rarity did support them, he was still offended. Part off him felt annoyed she’d fainted over that news, part of him felt guilty he’d made her faint. “Look, let’s just find Sweetie Belle. I’m worried, you know. Let’s split up gang and search fo…”
“She’s two-hundred and forty-eight meters in that direction.” Lucy said. As he pointed a hoof. That was roughly the direction of the park and about the right distance. Question was though: how did he know?
“Uh…?” Spike mumbled.
“Oh, wow.” Rarity spoke. “You said he was talented but to be so precise. I’d say he’d even give Twilight a run for her money.” while Lucy wasn’t to adept at casting spells, though he was rather advanced for his age at that too, he was far beyond even a prodigy in terms of the sixth-sense and could detect magical flow with ease. Of course this was to be expected seems he was blind, his other senses where far sharper than an average ponies. That’s just simple FACT.
Magnum had told her a lot more last night. He took great pride in his children. All of them. Of course that they’d pawned those two off on Sil and hadn’t even thought about telling them, let alone Rarity, that Lucy was blind… then again, Rarity had neglected to say Spike was a dragon so it was understandable. If something is status-quo to you it doesn’t bare mentioning.
Even with how much he had told her, nearly nothing about himself, all about his children, surely something had been overlooked. He said Lucy was blind, but passively, saying something that went along with it and Rarity had asked why that was. He felt a fool for thinking she would know. After that her next question was if either of them had magibetes, and luckily the answer was no.
If Rarity had felt bad for basically exiling her father after she heard the origin of Elusive's name, she couldn’t fathom how she felt after hearing Baritone’s name-sake. She understood though. Why her mother had stayed with him. She knew that he was a great stallion. And Rarity had to agree. She’d forgiven her father now. At least for what he’d done to her. What he’d done to Sweetie Belle though, that was for Sweetie Belle to choose, not her.
Spike started in the direction of the park, without giving any of the others any heads up. Rarity only saw him leaving as he was already quite a distance away from them. She started to follow but only took a few steps before having second thoughts. Part of the reason her sister had ran in the first place was because of the last hour they’d spent arguing. Perhaps Spike was better suited to soothe her than she.
“Father. Are, are you sure you still want to see her? It’s… quite clear she doesn’t want to see you.” Rarity said as she stepped up to him, then walked past him towards Baritone and Lucy. “However, I think she’d like to meet, or re-meet under better circumstances her brothers.”
Magnum turned to his children and asked “Vous l'avez rencontré. Vomment était-elle? Quand elle était ... elle-même. Avant qu'elle savait que j'étais là. J'ai entendu dire qu'elle était belle. J'ai entendu beaucoup de bonnes choses à son sujet. J'espère qu'ils sont vrais, et je veux que vous les croire. si je ne peux pas vous laisser, je préfère ça.” (You've met her. How was she? When she was... herself. Before she knew I was here. I’ve heard she was nice. I've heard many good things about her. I hope they're true, and I want you to seem them. If I can't to let you, I’d prefer that.)
Baritone sighed. He knew his father was right and he didn’t like to see him like this. “Elle déteste ton père. Tout simplement.” (She hates you father. Simply put.) his choice of words didn’t help either. “But, not because of you. She misses mother. As do I. She knew her for only as long as I did, but she could’ve known her longer. That’s what she hates.” he finished. He’d spoken truly, even if half of it wasn’t what he wanted to say. “Come with us.”
“She was nice papa.” Lucy chimed in. “I want you to meet that nice her. You spoke about her so much. I can see why.”
“I would like you to meet her to father," Rarity added "but don’t force it. Sweetie Belle’s… she’s… I’m not sure how she’s feeling. But I can assure you it will pass. She’s very reasonable. She will want to see you. You have my word on that.” Rarity said with a smile. The first smile she’d given her father since he’d returned.
“I’ll take him back to the boutique if you…” Elusive started but was interrupted by Magnum.
“No, that’s alright. I know the way.”
“Yes, and Elusive, Sweetie Belle trusts you. Maybe more than me.” Rarity said before adding under her breath “And isn’t that just a little ironic.” before resuming her regular tone. “Come with us. I suspect she’d rather see you over me at this moment.”
Elusive nodded. They stood there for a moment longer before Magnum turned and started off. “It goes without saying but, tell her I’m sorry.” he sounded defeated. He doubted he’d be forgiven. He was beyond surprised still that Rarity had seemed to forgive him. As he walked away, he gave a glance over his shoulder, they had started off in the direction Lucy had pointed.
Oddly, it was Lucy leading the way, walking with confidence ahead of Baritone. Though it was a rather slow pace as nopony had the heart to overtake him as he lead. By the time they got to the part, Spike had already been there since they’d started walking, and was now sitting next to Sweetie Belle under a tree. Silverspoon, Ace and Ven not to far away.
“Rarity,” Silverspoon called as she saw them approach. “she’s alright. Just unconscious.” and before Rarity would question that she added. “She passed out after… teleporting?, I guess.” as Rarity walked past her at a brisk pace towards Spike and her sister. He didn’t say anything to her as she walked up and slowly took a seat on the other side of Sweetie Belle.
“After I found out…” Spike said to Rarity, not looking at her, looking at Sweetie Belle’s sleeping face instead. “We never talked about your father after I found out. Not the bad stuff at least. Until this morning I assumed she still wanted to see him.” there was a long moment before he added “I knew he was coming…”
“What? How?” Rarity asked. Elusive and her brother seemed a little surprised as well.
“The letter I sent to him, and the one he sent to you. He brought them both with him and about a week ago I felt them getting closer. I figured out he was coming here. I thought she’d… then this morning, literally this morning… she said she didn’t want to. I was hoping I could find him before he did. But Lucy and Baritone… I never would’ve guessed.”
“Does she like them?” Rarity said solemnly. “She spent some time with them… they’re the only reason I even let our father near Sweetie Belle in truth. I didn’t know she missed mother, but I knew she wouldn’t want to never know her brothers. I’m not sure if that made it better or worse though.”
“She likes them. I mean, about the same as any of the kids Silverspoon takes care of. I don’t even think she hates your father. She’s just mad at him. And not even for what you think he did. She doesn’t care about how he raped her. She just… missed her mother. For the eight years that she could’ve had with her. Even longer if she hadn’t… I don’t want to blame Lucy, but even longer if not for him. If she had stayed instead of going with him, she may still even be alive.”
Rarity took in what he’d said. Most startling was how casually he’s mentioned her fathers… ‘indiscretions’ that night long ago. She turned to see the others. Not to surprisingly Fluttershy and Applejack where no longer there. This wasn’t there concern and Rarity silently thanked them for leaving well enough alone. Ace and Ven where bugging Baritone, and Elusive was talking with Elusive.
“Spike… I’d like you to meet him.”
“Your father?”
“Your step-father.”
“Um… about that… we’re not getting married for two years… long story. Kinda romantic but more misleading than other wise.”
“Oh, regardless. You’re the only one out of us that hasn’t. I’m sure he’d love to meet you. There’s a long, kinda… well ‘romantic’ isn’t the right word for it... 'heart-felt' story behind Elusive and Baritone's names too. I’ve spoken well of you to him. You’re as much a part of Sweetie Belle’s life as Elusive is of mine.” Rarity said. Admitting to herself that Elusive was indeed part of her life again. Even if she didn’t notice it.
“Thank you.” Elusive said as he walked over, Lucy sitting on his back. “She’s too polite to say it… but she’s asking you to leave Spike.” he said with a slight grin. Spike gave him a quizzical look then quickly agreed. He knew where that conversation was going and he could understand why Rarity wanted to be alone with Sweetie Belle.
“If you want me to leave, I will.” Spike said, surprisingly calmly. Rarity only nodded in response. She didn’t want to say it out loud. Because implying it and saying it are two COMPLETELY different things after all. Spike stood up a few moments later and took a few steps away. “Do you really think I should go? I mean, I don’t think I should. Meet your father that is. And leave? Both?”
“Trust me Spike, he’ll love to meet you. I can take care of her. And once she calms down, I’m sure she’ll want to see him too.”
“Yeah? But what if she doesn’t.” Spike replied. He’d thought Sweetie Belle wanted to meet her father again. He’d been wrong and let this happen.
“Then she doesn’t have to.” it wasn’t much but it put Spike’s mind at rest. At least to some degree. He turned once more and walked off. Elusive joined him, Lucy still on his back. They walked over to Sil and Baritone and said a few words that Rarity couldn’t make out to them before the group left. Rarity wasn’t sure if Sil was going with them or simply leaving the park. But it didn’t matter. Not right now at least.
She stayed there with Sweetie Belle for… who knows long. Hours at least. She became worried by about noon that Sweetie Belle still hadn’t woken up. She could feel her breathing against her arm. It felt nice at first but after so long all it was now was a hot spot she kept breathing on. Not unlike what Elusive used to complain about and she used to claim was romantic.
It was 2, maybe 3 in the evening before Sweetie Belle finally started to stir. “R-Rarity? Wh-what...? How long was I out this time?” she asked as she came to. She’d done this a few time while learning how to teleport. Teleporting was the last thing she remembered doing. If only she hadn’t tried to think of what she’d been doing before that. Sweetie Belle sighed as she remembered and leant in against her sister’s side.
“A few hours Sweetie. I was starting to worry.” Rarity replied, snuggling up against her sister. Sweetie Belle was calm now, they could talk about their father reasonably, without screaming at the top of their lungs. There was no Spike, Baritone and Lucy, Elusive or anypony else now; just them. “Sweetie Belle…”
“I know…” she interrupted. “I don’t hate him like you do Rarity. I just don’t… I don’t know.”
“Sweetie, I don’t hate him.” Rarity sighed. She knew how Sweetie Belle felt. She didn’t hate him but… she didn’t know what she felt about him either. He was inherently a good pony, he’d just done some terrible things. By any standards he was a monster. But by any standards, he was still their father.
“So we have two brothers? I can’t believe it. He left us and started a new family…”
“That’s not right either.”
“No it’s not right… in both meanings. I know that’s not how he wanted it but it’s still what happened. Mom left us, because of him. I don’t blame him for leaving, I blame Mom for leaving! Don’t you?”
“No.” Rarity said as her sister pulled away from her and stood up. Woozily at first but she balanced herself and then turned to face Rarity, still laying against the tree. She scowled at Rarity’s answer. “Sweetie Belle, they did what they thought was best.”
“They dumped me on you. I get why he left, but I don’t get why Mom followed him.”
“Would you follow Spike?” Rarity countered as she stood up as well. She felt a little smug in her assessment and response but it got pretty much the exact reaction she expected from it.
“That’s not the same Rarity.”
“Isn’t it? He’s your fiancé, no?”
“He told you that?” Sweetie Belle sighed, sounding disappointed. Rarity couldn’t quite figure out why though.
“Yes, he did.”
“Did he tell you the whole marriage is a joke. ‘marry me… in two years. If we’re even still together then.’ It’s not the same at all.” she answered Rarity’s unasked question. Sweetie Belle saw it as a joke. And while what Sweetie Belle had heard from Spike wasn’t to different, Rarity completely saw it as a serious matter.
“But would you follow him? Even if it meant leaving me? If he had to leave Ponyville for Cantalot, or Zebfrica or who knows where for who know what reason, would you go with him?”
“I don’t know.”
“I think you do know.” Rarity finished. “Believe me, I felt exactly how you felt now when he arrived at my door two nights ago. I felt like crying, and yelling, and beating the living snot out of him. And I did most of those. Had Eli not arrived for our date, I would’ve most likely taken a swing at him too.”
“If he hadn’t shown up you’d be crying about him instead. Don’t make it sound like him showing up was some miracle!”
“That’s not what I meant.” she replied calmly. “And you know it.”
“Rarity… do I have to talk to him?”
“No.” she answered. It wasn’t what Sweetie Belle expected to hear. “If you don’t think you’re up to it, or if you don’t think he deserves it, or for any other reason, if you don’t want to: you don’t have to.”
Before that, Sweetie Belle had already started spinning arguments in her head for why she shouldn’t have to. She expected to lose and ultimately end up speaking with her father. Everything told her she didn’t want to be anywhere near him. “I just want to go home. Where's... where’s Spike?”
“I assume he’s with our father and the others. Do you want me to go get him?”
“Where are they?”
“At the boutique, I think. I don’t know for sure. I’m not entirely sure Spike is there, but I’m fairly certain.”
Sweetie belle just stared at Rarity, directly in the eye before turning towards the park entrance. “Have you forgiven him Rarity?”
Rarity took her time to answer. She had to think. So many things he’d done, but he’d always tried to do his best given the circumstances. He never asked for this. But… “No.” Rarity answered once more. “I haven’t forgiven him for all that he’s done. But; I’ve forgiven him for what he did to me. What he did to you and Mother… I can’t forgive him for that. Only you and she can. And I believe she forgave him for what he did to her. But what he did to you Sweetie Belle… it was far worse than either of us, and I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.” Rarity took a step forward and stood next to her sister. But she was only there for a moment before Sweetie Belle started walking, and Rarity kept pace.
“He didn’t do anything that bad to me Rarity. It didn’t mean anything. And even if he hadn’t, I wasted my first proper time anyway. All he really did to me… was leave. He never wanted to do what he did you us, but he did want to leave. That’s what he did to me Rarity. That’s what he did to US! He made me an orphan, being taken care of by my sister who barely even liked me.”
“Sweetie, I always loved you.”
“That doesn’t mean you liked me. I loved Opalessence. I hated that cat too.” that managed to strike more of a corde with Rarity than anything else so far had. Because it was true. She could clearly remember a time when taking care of Sweetie Belle was a burden that she only bore because she had to. She remembered that time so clearly, because it was so long of a time: years.
“You’re right Sweetie. You’re right. But I never once didn’t love you. You were a burden at time, but one I was happy to bare. And I feel horrible just saying that I had to tolerate you instead of unconditionally loving you. And I apologise. And maybe, you should give your father a chance to do that too.” Rarity paused before adding “But, maybe not. I don’t want to try and persuade you against what you’ve already…”
“I know Rarity, I just… I really don’t know. I just don’t think I can see him again without wanting to attack him or yell at him or just…”
“Cry? I know how you feel, believe me.”
“I know you know… but you knew them both for so much longer. And, did he hurt you the same he hurt me?”
“Do you mean?...” Rarity thought about how her sister meant that. How Rarity and Sweetie Belle saw how she had been hurt where two different things. “No. He didn’t hurt me too badly. And I didn’t miss mother to much either. But Sweetie Belle, that wasn’t what I meant. I meant, I know how you feel because it was how I felt a few months ago. When Eli returned into my life.”
“That’s different… he never did anything. And I’m sorry I let you think he did, I just…”
“It’s exactly the same. He’s somepony I love and all I had to do was give him a chance.”
“You’re not wrong Rarity. You’re just… not right.” Sweetie Belle said as she slowed her pace. They had left the park and weren’t heading for either the boutique or the library. They where walking in a direction roughly half way between the two, and opposite Sil’s home. “Maybe there’s no real reason not to see him. But there’s no real reason TO see him either. I mean, what would I even say to him? ‘I missed you so much’? or ‘I still love you’? Can you even say that?”
“No. I can’t.” Rarity admitted for the third time now.
“Then why? Why should I talk to him? Why the hay are you so insistent on it?”
“Because I don’t want to face him alone again. Before Eli came, you should’ve seen me. You wouldn’t have recognised me. I was shaking, I could barely speak, I was a wreck. And I still am. I didn’t miss him, I don’t love him and I certainly didn’t want to see him. But he’s still my... he’s still our father Sweetie Belle. Surely that means something.”
“Not to me. Maybe it does to you. But it doesn’t to me. But… you do. You matter.” Sweetie Belle stopped suddenly, making Rarity almost bump into her. She turned around and looked her sister dead in the eyes. “Do you want me to speak with him?”
“Not if you don’t wan…”
“Cut the crap and give me a straight answer! Do you want me to meet him or not?!” they were at the point where they were almost perfectly half way between her home and Rarity’s home. From here she’d go one way or the other and what Rarity answered now was what would make the choice for her.
“Yes, I do. I think it’ll do you good. To get closure.”
“Nothing needs closing. I’ll go. But I can’t promise I won’t just yell at him, or hit him again or something worse.”
“It’s nothing he can’t handle. And sadly it’s nothing he wouldn’t deserve. And it’s nothing he hasn’t been dealt before.” Rarity replied. Sweetie Belle started slowly in the direction the boutique. Very slowly. Rarity took up stride beside her and went just a bit faster then Sweetie Belle but not as fast as her normal walking pace either.
Sweetie Belle sped up slowly as well. But it was still a snail’s pace at any rate.“Yeah, I noticed. What happened to him?”
“I could tell you, or you could ask him yourself.”
“Thanks… I guess, for giving me something to speak with him about at least.”