Exposition
“I see. So we can’t see Twilight for another two hours?” Rarity asked through the still-closed and locked door of the psychiatric ward. Unlike the rest of the hospital, due to its ‘special’ conditions, it wasn’t accessible to the public until 10 in the morning and it was only just after 8 now. They had also had to leave earlier than the rest of the hospital’s normal visiting hour as well yesterday. The stallion security-nurse nodded as Rarity repeated what he had just told her. “Very well then. We’ll be back in a few hours.” she said as she turned and started off. “Come Eli. Breakfast?”
“That sounds nice.” Elusive replied as he followed suite alongside her. They hadn’t discussed last night. Rarity had gotten out of bed and headed straight for her room to ‘freshen up’. Elusive had put his ear against the door mere moments after it closed and was very glad he didn’t hear crying. He half expe… he completely expected to though. Last night had been wonderful! And terrible… he’d waited five years for Rarity and he feared he'd blown his chance with her for a sad one night fling.
The sounds that he could make out where that of small containers tapping against the table as she let go of them and when she had come out, she looked very well glimmered, so perhaps she HAD just been applying her make-up. The first thing she did though was insist they go see Twilight, that she’d promised to be there first thing. Elusive couldn’t argue with that and didn’t want to. He knew there was something running through her head but he just didn’t know what. She always had a tendency to be some-what unpredictable.
The two walked for a while, still in silence like they had been on the way to the hospital in the first place, but they eventually both agreed, without even saying a word on where they would be dining. Due mostly to the fact that it was the only place that was open this early. Rarity ordered a sandwich and a drink while Elusive only ordered a drink. “You really should eat something. He’ll have a sandwich too.” Rarity said, pushing him aside slightly from the counter, paying for his order as well as her own.
“That wasn’t necessary. I’m not hungry. I ate something while you were in your room back the boutique.” he wasn’t hungry, but it was a lie. He’d had his ear pressed up against her door the entire him she was in her room. But she didn’t know that.
“Nonsense. All I have is health foods and the like. Bacon only has so many calories and the last few days have most likely taken their toll on you. Both of us really. Why I’m sure I’ve lost at least a few kilos alone from… all this.” Rarity trailed off a bit on her last words before regaining her composure. “Of course you can feel free to pay my back. For breakfast, not whatever it is you helped yourself to at my shop.”
Elusive took his seat at one of the inner tables, though there where only three tables in all. He had been planning on getting Rarity’s seat for her but decided against it after what she had just said. This wasn’t a date after all… was it? Rarity sat across from him and took her drink, a juicebox and levitated the stew into it. She grasped it between her hooves and drank from it. She looked so cute, so gorgeous… so Rarity. Who said it wasn’t a date?
“Rarity. I have to ask you. Would you like to see me some time? Now is nice, but I’d like to take you somewhere special.”
“No.” she replied bluntly. “This IS nice but… I just don’t think I’m ready to see anypony again. Not yet.”
“’Yet’?” Elusive asked.
“Don’t do that please. Just, take no for an answer. I… I just don’t want to think about any of this right now.”
“I understand. I won’t pressure you.”
“Hmm… I wish you’d said that sooner…”
“Pardon?”
“Nothing…”
“Rarity. What happened last night was…”
“Please!... I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Look. Last night, between us, it happened. Whether it was for better or worse, it happened.”
“Yes it happened… you raped me. It happened!” Rarity burst out as she slammed her hooves on the table! Elusive was stunned… she, she felt he raped her. Had he? She consented but… even if she consented, did that not make it rape? He had known it was wrong but he still did it.
“Rarity I…”
“WHAT!?!?!?” Elusive turned, as did Rarity, to see Sweetie Belle. She’d screamed it from across the street and was now running over to them. Spike was behind her but not running like she was. She came to a sliding halt, knocking the table slightly and looked at Rarity briefly before turning to Elusive. She didn’t know what to say, she’d never expected anything like this to happen. “Did, you really?...”
“Sweetie Belle, I may have over-exaggerated.” Rarity said as she put a hoof on her sister’s shoulder.
“No, you didn’t.” Elusive added. “I’m… I should go.”
“Please.” Rarity sighed. Both Elusive and Sweetie Belle expected her to say more but she never did. She had said it in agreement. 'Please: leave.' She couldn’t know for sure if it was the same as rape, but it was how she felt: like she had been used. For her body, not for her. She threw her juicebox on the ground and trotted off herself as she finally realised Elusive wasn’t going to. Of course Sweetie Belle followed after her. Rarity hadn’t thought about it but had she; she would’ve expected her sister to do so.
Sweetie Belle waited until Elusive was far behind them before she asked again. He wasn’t too far off though and she’d have to keep an eye out to see if he started to come towards them. He seemed guilty and as much as Sweetie Belle didn’t want to believe it everything told her it was true. “Rarity…”
“Save it! I don’t want to hear anything from you.”
“I don’t care what you wanna hear. What I wanna hear is what the hay happened! Did he... rape you?"
“Sweetie Belle…”
“Did Elusive rape you!?” Sweetie Belle yelled, loud enough that she was sure that not only Elusive, but anypony around would’ve heard it as well. She regretted it but she couldn’t worry about that.
“Yes.” Rarity cried, as she turned her face from Sweetie Belle, not wanting to look her in the eyes. “I mean no. No… I don’t know… I let him…but, it was…”
“Don’t cry Sis. Just tell me what happened.” she said as Rarity simply walked away. Rarity kept walking for quite some time until eventually just dropped her knees mid-stride. Sweetie Belle sat down beside where her sister as Rarity lay herself down beside Sweetie Belle in turn, who curled around her. “What did he do?” Sweetie Belle asked as she nuzzled up against her older sister. Sweetie Belle couldn't help but wondered if her sister felt the same now as when it had happened to herself all those years ago.
~ ~
“So she threw herself at you?” Spike asked. Elusive had explained himself and in a way he was in the right. But he was just as much to blame and Spike felt it in every guilt-filled word that come out of Elusive’s mouth.
“I fucked up… everything.” Elusive said trotting back and forth. They’d been asked to leave the establishment he and Rarity had been eating at and where now just walking aimlessly around. “And for what? I wanted her. I’m weak, and I let lust control me. I still want her! But for so much more… I want her…”
“Listen, Elusive. I get ya, I completely understand how you feel, believe me I do but… yeah, I think you messed up. I don’t know how you could fix it. We both know Rarity. If what you've said is true, and I do believe you, she’ll tell the same story that you told me to her sister and I'm sure Sweetie Belle will calm her down. I’m sure…”
“It was in her bed… in Sweetie Belle’s old bed too. After she told me about…” Elusive paused before saying it. He wasn’t sure if Spike knew about Sweetie Belle’s father. “Her past. Something that happened to them when they were younger.”
“About her father?” Spike asked. He already knew though. “Yeah, I guess that makes it worse in a way. But I don’t really think it changes anything. I don't know what she's thinking but I don’t think it’s about that… it’s about you. It’s obvious she still likes you. She’s just scared and I can’t blame her for it.”
“You really think she does? She’s been so cold to me.”
“Of course she does! You’d have to be blind not to see it.” Spike exclaimed as she threw his arms up. “Could you really not see it?”
“I could… but I thought it was just me being hopeful. Do you really think she’s still in love with me… well maybe not in love but…”
“I don’t think so… I know so. Get it?”
Elusive nodded. This was exactly the opposite of what he thought this dragon would do. In honestly thought the guy hated him. They’d only really spoken with each other with Sweetie Belle and the dragon had always been snide and sarcastic. Then again he was Twilight’s… whatever he is to her and the seed doesn’t fall far from the library-tree. “Should we go look for them?”
“No, I gotta see Twilight. We shouldn't go looking for them but I know what you should do..."
~ ~
“Mornin’.”
“Morning to you too Big Mac.” Twilight replied cheerfully. He was the first one to arrive this morning. Her bindings where a bit twisted but she still had a small bit of ley-way as she lay on her stomach with her legs folded, the normal way ponies normally sat, unlike what many of her friends had been doing of late. She had a book laid out in front of her and she appeared to be near the end of it already. It wasn’t at all unusual for her to finish a book that fast if it was the one Doctor Whooves had given her just last night. In fact it may have even been a little slow considering it was quite small. Of course she could’ve also just been reading a specific piece of Pegadices’ writings.
“Woulda been here sooner but as it turns out this parta the hospital don’t start visiting hours ‘til jus’ now.”
“Oh it’s no problem. How’s your leg doing?”
“A little worse fer wear, probably shouldn’t’ve walked on it so much yesterday but Doc says it should be back in full swing come next Winter Wrap-Up.”
“That’s great…” Twilight said with a small twinge of guilt. “Anyway, Whooves told me about this whole right of attorney deal. I’d be more than happy for you to do this for me. Spike wouldn’t want to be in charge of me… at least I hope he wouldn't. And I don’t think Shinnie would be able to. I couldn’t think of anypony better than you for it. Even if I don’t technically have a say in it.”
“That’s awful nice o’ ya Twilight. Ah’m humbled ya would let me. Promise ah won’t do nothing you wouldn’t do.”
“Isn’t that the whole point?” Twilight laughed.
“‘Spose it is.” Big Mac laughed in agreement. “So’s the doc ganna be here anytime soon?”
“Not for a while. He and Horse came by earlier. They’re filling out the paper work to let me out of these straps now. I’m still considered ‘at risk’ but at least I’ll be allowed to walk around this place freely.”
“So we have some time to ourselves ya think, Twilight?” Big Mac asked, as he nuzzled at her neck. She leaned into it for a moment before pulling away.
“Sorry Mac. That’s the thing though. With me… ‘not fit to make my own choices’, if you get that for me, we’re not allowed to perform coitus. I legally can’t give consent and you’re not allowed to make that desiccation for me. they’d call it taking advantage of your position. Of course Whooves knows you but he still told me this just to be safe. I don’t want you getting in trouble.”
“That’s fine by me Twilight. Ah can abstain fer a while. Just one thing though, don’t call it ‘coitus’. It sounds to clinical fer ma taste buds.”
“Would you proffer I call it intercourse?” she asked as Big Mac simply sighed. They spent nearly the next hour just talking about what having her right to, well, rights actually meant. Whooves had discussed it with Twilight already and would most likely, in fact have to, speak with Big Mac about it if he was to have them, but she wanted to tell him what they’d told her. She couldn’t help but feel that they had left out a few details about it all. She was considered ‘mentally unstable’ after all and even if she knew she was alright, they only had her word, that of the mentally unstable pony, to go off of.
That bit of doubt constantly lingered on her mind. But she knew it was just fear, perfectly normal. Of course 96% of insane ponies beleive they're completely sane... so who knows. If the doctor’s truly thought she still posed a risk to herself or others they wouldn’t be letting her loose from these bonds and giving her permission to move freely through the area. Though she still wouldn’t be allowed to leave the facility, even escorted.
The two were reading one of the shorter plays from the book out loud, taking turns playing the characters. Big Mac quickly shut his mouth mid-sentence. “Hello Big Mac…” Rarity said as she covered her mouth to hide her small giggle at the line he’d just read and the ridiculous pegaspearian accent he’d been reading it in. “Twilight. Good morning to you both. Sorry I’m late. Something… came up this morning.”
“I bet it did.” Twilight replied coyly.
“And what exactly if that supposed to mean.?” Rarity replied coldly.
“Twilight!” Sweetie Belle half yelled. “Ix-neigh on the Lusive-ea.”
“Oh come on. When Big Mac stayed with me Dash assumed it had happened. But you know him...” Twilight paused and started her best impression of Big Mac. ‘Ah couldn’t take advantage ‘f a filly in peril’.” though it ended up sounding more like Fluttershy somehow… “Or something that I’m sure he practiced too purposely to make me fall for him. Isn’t that right Macintosh?”
“Eeyup, ya got me. I acted like a gentlecolt and turned you down just so ah could get ya in bed… woulda gotten away with it too had it not been fer those meddling kids…”
“That’s not funny!” burst Rarity. “Don’t make light of yourself Big mac. You, did the right thing that night. She’s lucky to have somepony who’d do that for you.”
“Rarity… did you really not know you were going to end up having intercourse with him?” Twilight said as Big Mac sighed once more at her use of the word ‘intercourse’. “I could see it. I could see you loved him even when I was in denial about love even being real! It can’t just be that… what happened Rarity?”
“How could I be in love with him!? He’s vile, he’s malicious!”
“He’s beautiful… your words last night. ‘That’s beautiful Eli’ is exactly what you said after he told you how love felt to him.”
“He was saying that to you, not me.”
“You know that’s a lie!” Twilight snapped.
“Well why does this even matter to you?!” Rarity snapped right back. “Yes I slept with him. Need I say anything more?”
“Well I wouldn’t mind hearing more” came a voice from behind them. It was the voice of a certain brash, pegasus they all knew. “I thought you were getting married ta Flash Dance yesterday.” she said as she walked in the door. “Thanks for inviting me ta that by the way.” she added sarcastically.
“Not good timing Scootaloo.” replied Sweetie Belle. [You totally thought it was Rainbow Dash didn’t you?]
“Obviously. I think I missed something big yesterday didn’t I?”
“It was two days ago actually, and yes. You did. But must I really fill everypony in about everything that the others already know? I mean how much time have we spent on exposition alone?”
“Well it would be nice seems I’m here ta tell you how Dash is doing…” Scootaloo replied.
“You heard from her?!” exclaimed Twilight. She’d mostly forgotten about Dash and Pinkie’s problems to her own. She was sure that Rarity had as well.
“I’ll tell you if you tell me. First off… seriously, why didn’t you invite me?”
“Uh, well you see. It was a small event, very private, very close friends.”
“You invited Vinyl…” Scootaloo sighed knowing full well that Rarity barely even knew the DJ.
“How did you know?”
“Now who’s asking exposition ? And besides, I’m like, your sister’s best friend. Isn’t that close enough?”
“No offence deary, but that would be Applebloom, my sister’s best friend.”
“Fine, second best.”
“Diamond Tiara…” Rarity replied bluntly, getting rather annoyed at this point. As was Scootaloo.
“Third best frie… Silverspoon? Argh! Fine then, fourth best friend. And you know Belle, you could’ve corrected her at any time and not made me humiliate myself…”
“Oh, oh yeah. You’re my fourth best friend… and it’s totally not really Dinky…”
“Oh come on! Dinky Doo? That bubble smoking mailmare?”
“She smokes bubbles?” Rarity stepped in.
“Like you haven’t…” Sweetie Belle said dismissively to what she knew her sister was getting at. “And no she doesn’t. Her mum does though, but it’s medicinal, for her eyes. But I can assure you we’ve never been in an enclosed room with her mum while she was taking her medication. Diffidently, not just a week ago either!”
“Forgot about all this! Tell us about Rainbow Dash already!” Rarity just wanted to get away from stories of her sister getting inflated… “Yes, something bad happened, I dumped Flash Dance and I’m with Eli. Now tell us what the letter said!”
“Fine…” Scootaloo replied. She got a bit of a pleasure out of seeing Rarity’s reaction to what her sister had told her but she really should tell them about Dash after teasing them all so much. “But I didn’t really get a letter so much as I had a dream… it had Pinkie Pie in it and I’ve learnt not to question this type of thing with her involved.” she finished expecting to be called a moron…
Instead just saw them all nod in acknowledgement… they all knew Pinkie after all. “Well tell us already.” Rarity said once more.
“Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie where in this… I don’t know, empty whiteness. Just hugging. Dash was a little annoyed when I showed up but Pinkie calmed her, said she wanted me here to tell you all that Dash is fine and everything’s alright between them. She also said some stuff about a rewrite of chapter twenty and some other things that didn’t quite make sense but that she said I’d understand them when they happened…”
It was good to hear. Even if none of them had really been thinking about it too much, it was still one less thing to worry about. Of course there was a new, if not a lot smaller issue of Scootaloo being annoyed at Rarity for not inviting her to the wedding but most likely Scootaloo didn’t really care. Still Rarity thought she better take an interest in her to avoid any conflict. She’d had more than enough of late. “That’s very good to hear, thank you Scootaloo. Might I ask how you found us though?”
“Well the library’s the closest to my place so I was ganna stop there first. Got there, note on the door said ‘psychio-something emergancy, library closed’.”
“Psychiotopagrapheiniac.” corrected Sweetie Belle.
“What are you a dictionary?”
“No, I just wrote it is all.”
“Alright…” Scootaloo said and turned to Twilight before noticing… “Wait, why where you at the library this morning? You and Spike back together again?” she continued as she turned back to her.
“More exposition?” Rarity sighed. “Perhaps we should just write everypony a letter telling them everything that’s happened so we don’t have to re-explain everything every five minutes…”
“Oh, Pinkie said not to do that either, someponies finding out at the right time is integral to the plots points… not to sure what that means and also, what’s a plot point?... is it like a sex toy or something?”
“I don’t think so… though, they were ‘hugging’ you said?” questioned Twilight, with a slight covered snicker.
“Um… no offence Twi… but Spike and Belle don’t have anything to do with why you’re in here?”
“Long story short, she half killed my fiancé, slept with me and then jumped out a window…”
“Rarity!…” nagged Twilight. Even if it was true, she was actually quite surprised that Rarity had so nonchalantly said that they’d slept together. They’d been there before and she’d always been quite ashamed of it. Come to think of it… ashamed in the same manor she had been around Applejack a few months back… she didn’t, did she? This isn't the time or the place to find out anyway.
Scootaloo spoke up once more before Twilight could go any further down her path of thought. “Huh… that so? I always
assumed it would’ve been Fluttershy to do something like that…”
“Why on Equestria would you think that?” Rarity snapped, thinking Scootaloo was talking about the sleeping with her part rather than the half-killing part.
“Hey, I’ve been friends with Rainbow Dash and Gilda for a while… I’ve heard some stuff about her childhood and… wow!”
“Heard some stuff such as what, exactly?”
“Yeah, never ganna happen Rare. There’s some things about that pegasus’ past that you really shouldn’t learn…”
“You know,” Sweetie Belle commented with a slight cheeky grin. “I learnt something interesting about another pegasus’ past yesterday…”
“Yeah, and what would tha…”
“Twilight!” yelled Spike as he ran into the room. He’d known she was awake and fine but the last time he had seen her… he was overwhelmed with joy right now. He jumped onto the bed and wrapped his arms around her, bowling her over onto her side, pulling at her restraints slightly, but not painfully. He kept his arms tightly around her neck as he whimp-spered something only she could here “Don’t, ever again… never.”
He stayed there for a while, just hugging her. Sweetie Belle wouldn’t tell for sure, but she knew him, he was likely crying into Twilight’s coat. She walked up to the bed, noticing Big Mac was hugging Twilight from the other side. Sweetie Belle hopped up on top the bed with them as Big Mac just got as close to the edge of it as he could. Sweetie Belle gave Spike a back hug while Big Mac put one leg out over all three’s shoulders from Twilight’s side.
Spike finally pulled away from Twilight turning to see Sweetie Belle, then turning back to Twilight. “Why would you do that? I don’t know what you could’ve been thinking or feeling… but whatever it was, it was nothing! Nothing compared to what I feared! Don’t ever, ever scare me like that again… I don’t know what I’d do if you died…”
Twilight felt for him but sadly the first thing she thought about was she was older than him as it was and would die before him naturally. Not to mention he was a much longer-lifed dragon. But for now that didn’t matter. “I’m sorry Spike. I didn’t mean to make you hurry… I wasn’t thinking, it won’t ever happen again. I promise!” Twilight made a few tugs at her restraints that had been pulled by him knocking her over before adding “And if you let me up I’ll Pinkie Pie promise as well.”
Spike didn’t need that gesture. If Twilight promised him, that was all he needed. He did however then realise that she was bound, if only loosely. He pulled away but stayed sitting on the edge of the bed. Sweetie Belle didn’t let go of him however and Big Mac kept his hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“Ahem” Rarity scoffed. “I’d hate to break up this moment but, where exactly is Eli, Spike?” she’d been expecting him to show up when Spike had. He hadn’t though, obviously.
“He’s not coming. He doesn’t really know Twilight anyway.”
“Oh, I see. I suppose that’s best. He’s not what I hoped for. You’re lucky Twilight, you too Sweetie Belle, to have such wonderful colts. Mac, I’ve heard how you turned Twilight down the night she tried for you, that you thought she was distraught and it wasn’t right to take advantage of her in her state. You are a true gentlestallion.”
“Pfft…” sighed Twilight, “You wouldn’t think he’s such a gentlestallion if you knew what he was thinking about before you get here. “
“And what exactly was that?”
“You notice how I’m all tied up…” Twilight paused for a moment until she saw Rarity seem to notice what she’d implied. “Yeah… exactly.”
“My... you’re, you’re into that?”
“No… well maybe, but that’s not the point. Point is that not every pony’s perfect. You’re right, I’m lucky to have Big Mac and Sweetie Belle’s lucky to have Spike. But Rarity…” Twilight’s tone changed from comforting to confronting! “If you don’t think YOU’RE lucky to have Elusive than you’re dumber than I am!”
“Yeah. And Spike a gentlestallion?” Sweetie Belle added “Please… I broke up with him because he asked for a three-some and he’s constantly making bad sex jokes… ‘if you’re horn’s attached to you brain than that means I was blowing you mind!’”
Rarity had found herself saying that she ‘needed to hear that’ from her friends before… now however. “I didn’t need to hear that…” Rarity sighed. Though they were right.
“Neither did I…” added Twilight, though more humorously than Rarity.
“Look, it doesn’t even matter.” Spike chimed in “He’s heading back to Cantalot now anyway.”
“He’s what!?” yelled Rarity. She’d mostly been able to hold back the full extent of anything loud she’d said in places such as this but this… THIS was beyond what she’d thought would happen. She hadn’t thought he’d be leaving. In retrospect, she knew he would have to leave at some point, he’d been here three days now and he did work after all. She lowered her voice once more. “So you mean?... When!?”
“He’s getting the train back at midday. I just came from there; it’s why I took so long to get here.”
“But I… midday? That’s only an hour… it’s at least an hour walk there!? I… Eli!” Rarity yelled as she bolted out of the room.
“Looks like you better hoof it!” Spike called out as she ran away. He’d wanted to use the term for a while now since he’d heard it and thought ‘Don’t you mean leg it?’ but it turned out it’s actually quite a common phrase, he’d just never heard it used before.
“Why the hay didn’t you stop it him?” asked Sweetie Belle “Rarity wanted to give up on him but I told her not to. You could at least have gotten him to say goodbye.”
“Because it was my idea. Rarity’s predictable, I knew she’d go running off after him if she heard he was leaving… and a train pulling away from the station as she waves goodbye? She’s such a romantic it can’t fail!” Spike said with a smug grin “Elusive’s practically back in with her already…”
Sweetie Belle wanted to berate him about this but she had to admit, he was right. She herself had even used a bit of reverse psychology on her sister, saying that she should just forget him and got the reaction she’d expected: Rarity defending him. When Sweetie Belle pressed further Rarity even come up with the argument that she had used HIM. She needed cheering up and had used HIS body to do so. There was a reason she still called him ‘Eli’ after all, right?
“She does realise she could just teleport there right?” asked Twilight to nopony in particular.
“I was just thinking the same thing." added Sweetie Belle flatly..
“Seriously?” questioned Scootaloo through a small laugh “You asked Belle for a three-some?” she partly did it to draw away from the sombreness of the moment but also, she wanted to know. Spike shock his head to say no… before looking at Scootaloo and nodding in conformation. “Dude… hi-hoof!” Scootaloo exclaimed putting her hoof out to him up on the edge of the bed.
“I don’t need to hear this…” Twilight sighed, though finding it somewhat amusing how Sweetie Belle had swatted away Scootaloo’s hoof.
“No offence Scootaloo, but I really don’t want YOU talking about Spike in that way.” Sweetie Belle said as she pushed her hoof away from Spike.
“What’s the supposed to mean?” responded Scootaloo. She wasn’t offended, more curious. “I’m just saying he has more balls than Pinkie Pie even.”
“Relax, both of you.” Spike said as she stepped in between them. “I told Sweetie Belle about us yesterday. You should take it as a complement; I think she’s jealous…" Spike then turned to Sweetie Belle before she could argue what he’d just said. “You’ve got nothing to be jealous of.” with an affectionate smile… before ruining it by adding “Besides she’s a filly-fooler anyway right?”
“Yeah…” replied Sweetie Belle.
“Hey!” called out Scootaloo
“Well you are aren’t you?” ssked Sweetie Belle.
“Um… yes? But what do you mean ‘us’ Spike?”
“Ok, now I’m offended… you, where my first remember? I was yours wasn’t I?”
“Oh that, I thought you meant like lately. Ya, you were. No big though.” Scootaloo said trying to act cool. She wasn’t usually open about this stuff but she wouldn’t lie, this was her best frie… fourth best friend, after all. There was no point anyway, seems they already knew really. Public-private information.
“Mind if I tell her what you said last night?” asked Spike.
'Yes! Yes she did mind!…' Sweetie Belle yelled in her mind. “I do, but now that you’ve brought it up she’s going to ask even if I say no isn’t she? Me and Spike where in bed and I said, as a joke. That he was your first… no wonder she’s gay.”
“Haha! That’s mean Belle! You got just as much balls as Spike does!”
“I REALLY shouldn’t be hearing this…” Twilight sighed once more.
“Yeah, ya know, I’m not a filly-foolery though. I’m bi.” Scootaloo said, she wasn’t offended and didn’t really care. Just wanted to clarify.
Spike was keeping quiet now, not sure is Sweetie Belle had been annoyed at him for bringing up what she’d said yesterday, diffidently not wanting to get mixed up in this potential tactical rain-nuke waiting to explode. Sweetie Belle on the other hoof thought it was all in good fun. And it was, she knew Scootaloo well enough, even if they had been away for quite a while. The whole Dinky Doo being a better friend was a joke and she was pretty sure Scootaloo knew it too. Telling her that though was a backup just in case this did go south …
“Really? Cause all I’ve seen is you dancing with ABS and flying ‘round with Gilda. Haven’t seen a colt anywhere near you.”
“Want me to prove it?” Scootaloo asked, in a ‘I’ll take any challenge you got’ way that she still had. She’s now practically what Rainbow Dash used to be in that way. Sweetie Belle nodded and Scootaloo added, “Alright. You, me and Spike! Sound fun?”
“That’s it, I’m killing myself again…” Twilight said as she pulled a pillow from behind her and covered her face with it. Big Mac quickly grabbed it in his teeth and pulled it away from her, looking at her in terror. She replied to that with a simple grinning-look that said ‘Do you really think I was serious?’. He noticed it was just a joke and smiled back at her.
This was exactly why Spike had stayed out of this. He was about to say something to try defuse what he thought Sweetie Belle would be thinking, considering how defensive she’d been about him and Scootaloo just moments ago. She spoke first however. “Alright.”
Spike was speechless… as was Scootaloo. She’d intended it as a joke and Sweetie Belle was seriously considering it? Spike barely managed to stutter out “R-really?”
“No.” Sweetie Belle replied flatly before bursting out laughing. Scootaloo followed shortly after, then Spike too. He loved this mare and loved even more that she could finally take a joke about this type of thing. Whatever insecurities she had when they started going out where all but gone now. She diffidently trusted him. And that made Spike happier than anything he’d felt before.
~ ~
She’d ran non-stop for nearly an hour now and had arrived in time. But only just; Rarity had maybe ten minutes to talk with him… then again she had to find him first. He wasn’t on the platform which meant it was on the train already. She started from the middle of the train and looked in each carriage heading up towards the rear caboose. Of course he ended up being in the front end. She’d lost even more of her precious little time before she finally found him.
“Eli!” she exclaimed as she finally saw him in the second last cart she was going to check. She rushed into the cariage and stood by his side as he faced out the window towards Cantalot.
“I thought you would come Rarity…” Elusive sighed, not even looking at her, just leaning in his seat continuing to stare out the window as he had been for a while now. “I hoped you wouldn’t though. I’m sorry. I’m just sorry Rarity.”
Rarity took a seat beside him. She wasn’t sure what to do. “I can’t forgive you.” it was cheesy but she added “Because you have nothing to be forgiven for. You didn’t take advantage of me.”
“Rarity… I haven’t hidden that I still love you and maybe you do too but what I did…”
“You didn’t do anything…”
“Yes I did!”
“No you didn’t!” Rarity said as she pulled him to finally face her. Looking into his eyes Rarity continued, not knowing what to say but just letting it flow, unlike everything else that seemed to drag on today. “What you DID do; is wait. Longer than I could ask of anypony. Can I ask you? You said you haven’t seen another mare in the years we’ve been apart. Even though you knew I hated you.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“And when we first… we’d been seeing one another for near two years. Nopony had ever stayed with me that long without asking.”
“I did ask… maybe you don’t remember but I asked a lot. A LOT!”
“Yes, but you didn’t demand… can I tell you, you where… my first.”
“Don’t lie Rarity. It doesn’t help you now.”
“I’m not. I’ve always left my suitors when they showed what they were truly after: a young, attractive trophy. Most ended up cheating, others dumped me saying I was a prude. I was, but… It always seemed like… like I should save myself, and not end up… like my sister.”
“But Blueblood?” Elusive asked. He’d thought Rarity was lying but what she had told him, or what he remembered of it at least, ran true. “You told me you were with him. That he left you because he came out of the closet.”
“I lied. I was dating royalty! And I was the only one of my friends who hadn’t at the time so I eventually just told them that we had. Truth is, he dumped me when I refused to ‘put out’ as he so elegantly put it. I was scorn and told me friends he was fey. Naturally, rumours spread and, too, that he dumped me added credence to the story.” Rarity smirked some-what before adding “He never denied it, letting it be commonly a accepted myth... the fiend even had the nerve to thank me for starting the rumour. Saying he’d never gotten so many mares until then." Rarity stopped for am moment before adding "Do I sound bitter?”
“Not nearly bitter enough.”
She chuckled. “Thank you Eli. The point is. You were the first pony to really love me. The only one as far as I know. I, I slept with Flash Dance thinking he did. You always had loved me, I know that. I knew that. And you where faithful too. Honestly, I feared that you weren’t. And when I discovered those pictures of her… I feared the worst. That you’d been fine with waiting because you had somepony else. I can’t help but think that none of this, everything, wouldn’t have happened had I let you say even a single word. You were going to propose to me… why you’d spent so much time with her. It makes sense, we’d been together for years. Had I only thought things through more.”
“It wasn’t your fault. There were other reasons I didn’t say anything. I didn’t understand why she asked me not to say anything, I still don’t.” Elusive sighed. He looked away from her for a moment before turning back.
“Mayhap, it was because of our father. Though I don’t see how that would work. Surely she would want me to know that it hadn’t happened that way. I don’t know either... I'm sure she had her reasons. I just can't imagine what they where.”
“She told me. I’ve known what happened to Sweetie Belle for a while. I’d been seeing you for a few months short of a year. She asked if we’d slept together yet. I told her no, but she pushed saying that she knew we had. I told her that we really hadn’t and that I was worried that you don’t love me the way I did you. Eventually she told me what had happened to her and that maybe you were scared. She and I became closer after that. I also… also stopped asking as much. I suppose that may have been a false sign to you.”
“She thinks fondly of you. Even when she lied… I always assumed Stockholm Syndrome or the like. But… what she said this morning. She said to me to just forget about you… where it so easy…”
“Do you love me?”
“I don’t know. As much as I’ve tried to deny it. As long as I’ve tried to deny it. There is still something between us but… I don’t know. I can’t get passed our past. Even knowing the truth doesn’t help. I can’t unsee you as the monster that molested my sister. I see my father in you.”
“Rarity…”
“ALL ABOARD!” yelled a conductor outside of the train.
“I should be off.” Rarity said quickly leaving her seat and heading towards the exit.
“Rarity wait! Come with me to Cantalot. Meet my sister. We can start over. And perhaps, go on a date. A real one. Not like this morning’s.”
“No… I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I’ve got work… no I don’t, I should be on my honey moon. I… I don’t have an excuse… I just don’t want to.” Rarity finished as she hopped of the train. She turned to face him as she stayed within it.
“Please, just tell me. Is there anything left between us? This morning, I was joking, but when you said ‘yet’ did you mean it?”
Rarity looked away from Elusive. “What my sister said… I think she was right.”
All hope Elusive had left was gone. As if to emphasise that point, a whistle from the conductor blew, the train would start moving away in seconds. She saw him as a monster: her father. His proposal was even tainted. The most romantic thing he had ever planned only reminded her of what she thought he’d been doing with his sister, and her engagement to Flash Dance. He was the one who broke her faith in love for so many years that she had, like him, never seen anypony else. The difference was that he did it out of love; she did so out of malice. Even her first lover, now tainted by her second who she’d worried over and dove into bed with thinking she’d made a mistake waiting so long with the first time. Everything they had together was corrupted in some way.
With a shunt of the train and a slight wobble from the sudden movement, he slowly started to move away from her as the train started forward. He felt a tear run down his face as Rarity turned back to face him. He was shocked… she kissed him. Maybe he was wrong. Not everything they had had been corrupted. Maybe there was one thing left between them.
The train was still moving slowly but still moving and their kiss eventually ended as they drew apart. He felt it. They both felt it. Though she was sad he was leaving, a smile came to Rarity’s face as she looked on at him; edging ever so slowly away. She knew that this wasn’t the end, but a new beginning. There was still one pure thing between them, uncorrupted. “What my sister said, she was right…”
“There’s a reason I still call you ‘Eli’.”
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Good job, my friend! One thing however. I noticed a small amount of grammatical errors. Do you, perhaps, have an editor or proofreader?
A friend, Fallen Cerium.
love this story great work
So I'm not the only one that makes fluttershy's voice Hinata's