> Diamond in the Flames
>  by Melesse Lindenya
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Sick of all these people talking, sick of all this noise./Tired of all these cameras flashing, sick of being poised.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Once again, I must extend my most sincere congratulations on the success of your latest album," Svengallop said as he took a sip from his champagne flute.

Not wanting to be rude, Sweetie did the same after mentally confirming that it hadn't left her sight since she'd grabbed it. "Thanks," she said politely. "I'm glad everyone's enjoying it."

"You know, with your fame, you could use an agent who can negotiate more favourable contracts for you," he continued, leering at her. "And I'm one of the best in the industry, so if you want to try and convince me to take you on..."

Sweetie's skin crawled. So it was already that time of the night, huh. "If you'll excuse me," she said, just brusquely enough to skirt the line of rudeness, "I think somepony is calling me."

As quickly as she could, she made her way across the room, picking up a tasteless hors d'oeuvre in the process. She hated these parties so much. They were soulless— no, soul-sucking— events, where the vultures came to prey, and the prey tried to survive.

"Sweetie Belle!" A voice broke her out of her reverie, and she looked up to see a young mare trotting towards her, gussied up in a gaudy dress that had way too many colours everywhere.

"Hello, Sugar Note," Sweetie said, her false smile relaxing somewhat. Sugar Note was as vapid and shallow as they came, but at least she wasn't malicious, and Sweetie didn't have to watch every single word she said to her, as long as she didn't mind every word said being leaked out from this fount of gossip. "How's it going?"

"Oh, everypony's been wonderful," Sugar Note said, showing just how naïve she was. "I just love these parties. Don't you?"

"They're pretty cool," Sweetie lied.

"I'm sure they're awesome for you, considering how famous you are now," Sugar said without any jealousy. "It looks like Diamond in the Flames is going to be an even bigger hit than Hearts of Ice!"

"I hope so." This, at least, was the truth. As good as Hearts of Ice had been, Sweetie had recorded that album out of spite, after her coltfriend Fire Tone had dumped her. Diamond in the Flames, however, was dedicated to a mare who was actually worthy of her love, and Sweetie had similarly poured her heart into it, creating something she could be proud of.

Even if she had to hide the full context from everypony.

Sweetie shook away those thoughts. It wasn't like she wasn't used to wearing a mask in public anyways. At least now she had something worth hiding. "Sunshine and Rainbows is doing really well too. It's your second album, right?"

Sugar Note nodded, beaming. "Yup! I'm so lucky. My agent's been getting me contracts with the big companies."

It was hard to hold back a wince at that. "That's nice," Sweetie said. "Just make sure you read through those contracts yourself. Wouldn't want any surprises, you know?"

Her heart sank as Sugar laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it's fine. I have lawyers to do that for me."

She was so much like how Sweetie had once been, except that Sweetie had had the good sense to listen to some of Rarity's advice, even if she'd thought her beautiful older sister was just being paranoid. "Well, sometimes things just fall through the cracks." Even as she said the words, she knew it was futile. Sugar Note would learn the hard way that you couldn't trust anyone in the music industry.

Before Sugar could respond, there was a huge commotion at the entrance to the penthouse suite, and both of them turned to see the source of the sudden, whispering silence in the crowd.

"Hellllloooooo, everypony!" Sweetie's blood boiled in her veins as she heard a familiar voice that
she'd once found to be music to her ears, but was now just a grating, whiny cacophony to her. "I'm here now, so the real party can begin!"

"Excuse me," Sweetie said coolly, "I need to go speak with someone."

She barely avoided stomping her way over to the host of the party, seething the whole way as Fire Tone commanded the attention of the partygoers with his feat of drinking from two different bottles of wine at once. "Treble," she said, keeping her tone level. "What is he doing here?"

Treble Wing's smile was so oily it made Sweetie want to take a shower. "Why, I invited him, of course. He's a good friend of mine, after all."

"Right." Stupid of her to forget that. "You do realize that we have history, yeah?"

"Yes," Treble replied. "And I also realize that there's no such thing as bad publicity. You're welcome." He gave her a mocking bow, and Sweetie wondered if she could get away with punching him. Probably not, but she was still very tempted.

"Oh, hey Sweets!" Before Sweetie could possibly maybe do something ill-advised, her past mistake trotted up to her, still holding on to his drinks. "Long time no see, huh? How you doing, girl?"

It was a wonder that she'd ever thought him charming before. "I'm doing well, Fire Tone," Sweetie said politely, refusing to give the voyeurs around them what they wanted.

"Cool, cool." Fire Tone set down his drinks. "It's good to see you again. Real good." He looked her up and down, while Sweetie fumed at the objectification. "Yeah, you're still really hot. Man, we had some good times together, huh?"

"A few." Sweetie grit her teeth. "Which you shared with the whole world." Despite her best efforts, her cheeks still burned with embarrassment as she remembered seeing her own provocative images plastered on the cover of every tabloid in Equestria for several weeks. It had been a horrible experience, made bearable only by the revelation she had made the day she'd first learned of Fire Tone's betrayal.

"Aww, you're still mad about that?" And the fact that Fire Tone seemed genuinely confused only made her shame and anger burn hotter. "C'mon, that was like a year ago, and you got a big boost in sales too, right? You're practically gonna be the queen of this place soon."

Sweetie was so enraged by his audacity that she could hardly form a coherent response, simply glaring at him with such a strong death wish she was surprised he didn't just keel over on the spot.

"Anyways, I was just thinking, we've had enough time to cool off, and we're both bigger than ever. It would definitely be a good time to think about hooking up again." He shot her a cocky grin. "It'd be good for both of our careers to get the press talking about us, and I can rock your world again."

For a moment, Sweetie could only stare at him. "Are you serious?" she finally said, nearly shouting as her voice cracked. "You spread my private pictures everywhere, humiliated me in that interview, and now you just expect me to get over it?"

Fire Tone shrugged. "Hey, the past is a foreign country, right? Why look back when we can look forward?" He reached out and placed a hoof on her flank, leaning in until Sweetie could smell the alcohol on his breath. "And I'm looking forward to plowing that sweet ass tonight, just like I used to."

Sweetie didn't care that everypony was watching. None of them had stepped forward to support her anyways, and she knew what she was about to do would make their night, but right now, she didn't care about any of them.

She flicked her hoof and launched the wine in her glass at Fire Tone, soaking his coat as he gasped in surprise. "Don't you dare touch me," she hissed. "You lost the privilege of doing that when you decided to be an absolute pig and fuck me over in any way you could. I don't ever want to see you again."

A crack echoed through the silent penthouse as Sweetie punctuated her response with a slap. "And besides, you were never that good in the sack, anyways. I'm having way more fun now that I've dumped your ass, with someone who actually cares if I get off or not."

Everypony was still staring, and reality finally crashed down as Sweetie realized what she'd just said. "I think I've had enough here," she said coolly. She turned to glare at Treble. "Thank you for your hospitality." With that, she stormed out, away from this microcosm of the corruption that plagued her world.

As she left, she heard Fire Tone laughing as he continued playing the crowd. "Wow, I'd forgotten how much of a drama queen she could be," he said, his voice patronizing and derisive. "Total firecracker in the streets and in the sheets." Everypony laughed at that, and Sweetie hated them all even more.

She made it all the way back to her apartment before breaking down, tears flowing from her eyes as the shame and humiliation of the night seeped into her soul.

She hated this, so, so much. Music was her passion, her special talent, the thing that made her life worth living, and she hated that in order to live her dream, she had to lower herself into this nightmare of backstabbing and decadence.

None of them cared about her. To them, she was just a useful stepping stone in their careers at best, and a bit of fun entertainment at worst. That was a good show she'd put on there earlier tonight, and when it hit the tabloids, it'd give them something to talk about for a bit, and keep Fire Tone in the spotlight he so desperately craved.

And once tonight's story had burned itself out, they'd find something new to pick over, like piranhas stripping all the flesh from a pony before moving on to their next victim. It sickened her.

Instinctively, Sweetie reached out for the photograph on her nightstand. It was a picture they'd taken almost a year ago, after that fateful interview with Rolling Pones, when Sweetie and Rarity had declared their love for each other the night before. The next day, they'd had dinner while dressed up in the finest clothes that they'd packed, then taken a walk along the beach.

That was where the photograph had been taken, as they'd pressed their cheeks together and smiled against the backdrop of the Celestial Sea. Ever since then, Sweetie carried it around everywhere she went, a safe reminder of that perfect date they'd shared. If someone else saw it, it would just look like an image of sisterly love, but Sweetie knew the truth, and for now, that was enough.

"One more week," she told herself, taking strength from the statement. "One more week before Rarity comes to visit, and you can have another date, and everything will be okay again." She just needed to hold on.

And then, she'd have Rarity again, to have and to hold, to laugh at the stupidity of the crème de la crème, and commiserate about their struggles. Rarity would hold her and tell her she loved her, and Sweetie would feel safe again, and they'd make love under the moonlight. It was going to be so romantic.

She just needed to make it through this week of hell, in order to make it to the castle of heaven.
> I sold my soul to a three-piece.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, this design is absolutely stunning!" Silk Thread gushed, staring at the dress. "I absolutely love the novel use of accents in the front sleeves."

"Why, thank you!" Rarity nearly bit her tongue trying to avoid informing her that the particular technique she was employing had been used on and off throughout history, most recently about twenty years ago, and that every fashion designer with any amount of education knew this.

Of course, Silk Thread wasn't a professional designer, only a noble who thought she knew far more about fashion than she really did. She was also a very rich noble who enjoyed commissioning dresses, so Rarity continued to bite her tongue as she watched her ooh and ah over the design that Rarity had made passable despite her commissioner's best efforts.

"Well, I daresay this more than meets my expectations," the noblemare finally said, after thoroughly displaying a complete lack of good taste. "I'll have the payment wired to your account."

"Thank you," Rarity replied politely. "I shall have the dress packaged and delivered to you tomorrow."

"Wonderful." Silk waited patiently as Rarity helped her take off the dress without damaging it. "By the way, I've reviewed your application for the Vernal Gala, and I think you'd be the best candidate to design the outfits for the performers."

And there was the other reason Rarity had taken on this commission. "Oh, thank you so, so much," Rarity said, layering as much saccharine as she could without coming off as insincere. "I promise, you won't regret it."

"I should hope not." With the last piece removed, Silk Thread stepped off from the fitting area. "Shall I see you on Thursday to further discuss your duties?"

Rarity nodded. "I'll have my ponies contact yours and arrange a time."

"Very well." Silk smiled. "Have a nice day, Rarity." With that, she left the shop, and Rarity collapsed onto one of the chaise lounges she had scattered throughout all her places of business.

She wasn't physically tired. Not more than usual, anyways, considering that sleep was often an afterthought for her. No, her exhaustion came from the soul herself, the spirit losing its willingness even if the flesh was strong, leaving Rarity staring up at the ceiling and wondering if this was all her life would ever be.

When she'd been younger, she'd believed that, with the right combination of luck, skill, and hard work, she'd be able to soar to the top of her field. And once there, she believed she'd have the freedom to create without limitation, her artistic vision inspiring others as the great designers had once inspired her. It would be perfect, and it would make all the networking and compromising worth it, in the end.

A bitter laugh escaped from between Rarity's lips. It was comical, really, just how naïve she'd been, all those years ago. To think that she'd ever be able to create what she wanted instead of having to conform to the vision of whatever noble or CEO had dreamt up.

There was a knock on the door. With a sigh, Rarity stood up and trotted over, opening it to reveal her assistant, Lace Trim.

"Miss Rarity?" Lace Trim held a folder in her hooves. "The latest reports from Accounting just arrived, and your meeting with Bridlebit is in ten minutes," she said, referring to the head of the marketing department for Carousel.

"Thank you, Lace." Rarity took the folder from her. "I shall be along shortly."

Lace Trim gave her a polite nod before making her exit, and Rarity stared at the folder she was holding with her magic. Even after all these years, Carousel Fashions was running on the knife's edge of profitability. It wasn't as bad as when she'd started out, when a single bad season would mean bankruptcy, but Rarity still had to monitor trends very carefully and make sure she tailored her designs to take every advantage she could.

Hence the meeting with marketing in a few minutes. Stars, but Rarity couldn't remember the last time she'd been able to create without the burden of capitalism on her shoulders, drawing on raw inspiration to create her art. Everything had to conform to specifications, and while Rarity understood that and didn't begrudge those working under her for trying to make money, it still galled her that she was trapped under the hooves of ponies who wouldn't know good fashion if it bit them on the flank.

Rarity glanced at her desk, and the framed pictures she had sitting atop it. Whenever she felt like this, she used them to anchor herself, to remind herself that there were still good ponies in the world who appreciated her genius.

There was a picture of her at a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Fancy Pant and Fleur de Lis, the only two ponies in Canterlot she felt she could trust. They weren't perfect, but they had an understanding that while everypony in this city had their own agenda and motives, they would at least deal honestly with one another. That was more than could be expected from anypony else in this accursed industry.

Next to it was a photo that had been taken at a sleepover with the girls, which had taken place after one of their Friendship Councils. Rarity considered herself so, so lucky to have such true friends who would support her, no matter what. Of course, they didn't understand her struggles, didn't understand the nature of her profession, as much as they tried, but Rarity still appreciated that they would die for her, and she for them.

The final picture was the one that Rarity treasured the most, and the most recently taken one as well. In it, Sweetie Belle was gazing up at Rarity with love in her eyes, the Fillydelphia skyline in the background. She'd taken this picture during their first date, when Sweetie hadn't been paying attention to the camera, too busy allowing herself to appreciate Rarity's beauty.

Her dear sister had changed everything in the past year. Now, every time Rarity felt the creeping ennui sapping away at her spirit, she only had to think of the mare who loved her more than any other in Equestria, and whom Rarity loved in return in every way.

It still stung that she had to hide her relationship, but she understood that others wouldn't have understood their bond, and they were both in positions where they couldn't afford to have this come to light. Which was why any pictures of the two of them had to be interpretable as sisterly love and nothing more.

"One more week," Rarity told herself. "One more week, and we can hide in the shadows together once again." They could have a nice familial outing, and at night, when they retired to their room, she could show her darling little sister the full extent of her love.

Rarity held onto the warmth that thought gave her as she opened up the folder and prepared for the upcoming headache of dealing with finances and marketing plans.

The world could try to hold her down, but with Sweetie by her side, she would never break.
> Survival of the richest,/The city's ours until the fall.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Being famous was a miserable experience.

Sure, there were plenty of perks that sometimes made it seem worth it. VIP access to events, most of the luxuries that money could buy, the adoration of the crowd, and so on. But all of that paled in comparison to having one's own life on display all the time, and being unable to go outside without having to worry about being accosted by fans or paparazzi.

Case in point, if Sweetie and Rarity had been a normal pair of sisters in love, then they could have embraced freely and shared a passionate kiss the moment Rarity stepped off the train. But because all eyes were on them, Sweetie had to stand her ground and wave to Rarity, a wide grin on her face.

Their eyes met, and they shared a knowing look of longing as Rarity stepped forward, prim and proper and as beautiful as ever in her traveling dress.

Only when Rarity stepped off completely could Sweetie slowly begin moving towards her. At least she had ridden here in a private car, so they didn't have to worry about being crowded, especially with their security keeping onlookers at a safe distance.

"Rarity!" When they were a scant few meters from one another, Sweetie couldn't take it anymore. She rushed forward with all the exuberance of a younger sister excited to see her older sister after a long absence. "It's so nice to see you again!" she exclaimed, careful to keep language with the realm of the familial. There'd be time enough for more once they had some privacy.

"It's lovely to see you as well, darling." The hug that Rarity returned was carefully calculated to feel a little bit tighter and more intimate than one that would be shared between sisters, but not look suspicious to prying eyes. She really was a master at playing these games, and Sweetie appreciated that so much in times like this.

"I know it's been a long ride from Canterlot to Manehattan," Sweetie said once they had reluctantly released one another. "Do you wanna go back to my apartment and we can order take-out like we used to?"

"That sounds wonderful." They trotted out of the station together, and Sweetie hated that she couldn't entwine her tail with that of her sister's.

Sweetie's private carriage was already waiting for them, and they made casual small talk on the way back, sharing the latest gossip from their relative social circles. It was almost like before their confession a year ago, except for the thin but persistent thread of tension that ran between them, an almost electric energy in the air as every casual touch and brush of coat against coat sent shivers down Sweetie's spine.

Eventually, finally, they made it to Sweetie's apartment. They left their security detail behind as they stepped into the elevator, and Sweetie keyed in the code to take them to her penthouse suite.

The moment the door closed, they dropped all pretenses of chastity and leapt at one another, consuming each other in a passionate kiss that felt like it would set the whole building aflame. Sweetie's world was nothing but Rarity's tongue in her mouth and Rarity's hooves roaming across her body and Rarity's scent in her nose.

"Oh stars," Rarity said, her face flushed as they pulled away for air. "I've missed you so much, Sweetie."

Sweetie smiled, taking a moment to catch her breath. "I've missed you too, Rarity. I think about you all the time, you know. Every single day, I wish you were here with me, so that I can tell you all about my day and we can do all the other things couples do."

"All the other things, hmm?" A playful light danced in Rarity's eyes. Her voice dropped low and sultry, caressing Sweetie's ears. "And what might some of those things be, my love?"

Sweetie blushed. "Well, you know, uhh..." Thankfully, a chime went off, indicating that they had arrived at the top floor.

"Saved by the bell," Rarity commented dryly. "For now, at least."

After fumbling with her keychain for a few seconds, Sweetie managed to unlock the door to her apartment, and the two of them stepped inside.

Despite being a penthouse suite, Sweetie's apartment wasn't particularly lavishly decorated. She preferred a more minimalistic touch, with mostly open space outside of her packed music studio. The design also made it possible to look outside at the city skyline from anywhere in her apartment, through the one completely glass wall of the suite.

"I'm always stunned by the beauty of this city whenever I come to visit," Rarity commented as she walked up to the floor-to-ceiling window. "Canterlot is lovely as well, of course, but it lacks a certain grandiosity. Manehattan is majestic in a way that our quaint capital could never be."

"It's okay, I guess. Honestly, there's something way more beautiful for me to be looking at right now." It was true. Sweetie couldn't keep her eyes off of her sister. The moonlight made her alabaster coat glow with an ethereal beauty, and the light of the skyline served as a metropolitan halo for this socialite beauty. Not for the first time, Sweetie was struck by just how natural Rarity looked in this setting, like she was born to be one of the elite. She certainly deserved it more than those pricks she had to deal with on a daily basis. 

Rarity turned to face her, and Sweetie's heart melted as she beheld her lover's face under the pale moonlight. "You flatterer," she said warmly. "Making an old mare feel pretty again."

Sweetie rolled her eyes. "You're not that old, Rarity."

"Some days, I feel the years very keenly in my bones." Rarity stepped forward to cup Sweetie's chin with a hoof. "Never with you, though. I can feel my youth returning to me when we are together."

"And you make me feel mature for my age," Sweetie replied. "Like maybe I'm actually meant to be here."

"You are." The absolute conviction in Rarity's voice was worth a thousand platitudes from Sweetie's colleagues. "Nopony deserves to be here more than us." She turned Sweetie's head until she was facing out towards the glittering lights of Manehattan. "This city is yours, Sweetie. You've earned it."

Sweetie snorted. "It's mine until it collapses under the weight of its own corruption." She shook her head and turned back to face Rarity. "Someone else can have this city. All I want is you." She pushed Rarity's hoof away from her chin so that she could lean in for another kiss. This one was gentle, tender, a chance to savour one another rather than an animalistic need for togetherness as the previous kiss had been.

The horribleness of the past few weeks faded away as Sweetie lost herself in the kiss. Rarity was here now, and it was all worth it to see her be so proud of Sweetie, to hear her praise and feel her love. For the first time since they'd last said goodbye, Sweetie was happy again.

Rarity pulled away and stared at Sweetie with such desire that it made the younger unicorn's heart sped up. "I know you said you wished to order takeout, but I do believe there's another meal I would rather have first." The heat in her tone made it very clear what she meant.

Sweetie nodded eagerly and allowed Rarity to lead her to the bedroom.

They wasted no time once they were inside. Rarity immediately doffed her dress with a speed that belied years of practice, and then neatly folded it and placed it on a table in the corner. "There," she said, trapping Sweetie's gaze with her own. "Now we can begin."

Sweetie gulped at the sudden intensity from her older sister, the anticipation roiling within her chest shooting up a notch. She could hear the roar of blood in her ears as her heart pounded away, just from Rarity's gentle caress.

"I've imagined this moment so many times in the past weeks," Rarity whispered, biting gently on Sweetie's ear and drawing out a pleasured moan from her. "Everything I wanted to do with you, to do to you, sketched out in my mind as clearly as any dress." She trailed kisses down Sweetie's neck.

"Me too," Sweetie admitted as Rarity pushed her onto the bed. "Every night in bed, I'd touch myself and imagine that it was your hoof instead of mine."

"Oh?" Rarity smirked. "Like this?"

Sweetie gasped as she felt her sister's familiar touch on her nethers. "Y-Yeah," she said. "Just like that."

"Mmm, I imagined doing the same thing to you," Rarity said, her voice becoming a throaty growl. "I want to take care of you, Sweetie Belle. Will you allow me to do so?"

Sweetie nodded mutely, and then moaned again as Rarity's head dipped lower. She was so gentle, so infinitely tender that Sweetie wanted to cry, the tears welling in her eyes as she felt her heart bursting with Rarity's love for her. Her older sister would always take care of her, always see to her needs, and this was the greatest expression of that promise.

Every lick, every nip, every touch was carefully placed, designed to drive Sweetie's pleasure to ever greater heights. Rarity had learned her little sister's body so well, knew exactly when to press forward and when to hold back, keeping Sweetie on the edge of release as the singer sang out her pleas for the ultimate gift from her older sister.

Eventually, her prayers were answered as Rarity dove in one final time, stimulating all of her most sensitive places at the same time with her tongue, her hooves, and her magic. Sweetie screamed out in ecstasy, her pleasure paling in comparison to the love she felt in this moment.

And then, Sweetie returned to reality, and it was still wonderful, because Rarity still loved her. "Okay," she said, panting. "It's my turn. Let me show you how much I love you."

"I would love nothing more, darling." With that, Rarity pulled Sweetie towards her, guided her mouth along her body as Sweetie licked and kissed and nibbled and worshipped her sister's perfect body, inhaling her scent like a drug as she did so.

When she finally reached that delicate flower that Sweetie had fantasized about so many times, Sweetie showed her devotion to her sister by giving it all of her attention and love, drawing on every memory she had to give her sister as much pleasure as she could. Every gasp, moan, and word of encouragement was music to Sweetie's ears, driving her forward with the knowledge that she was making Rarity happy.

And when Rarity's release hit, and Sweetie lapped away at the shower of nectar upon her face, she was rewarded with a contentment she hadn't felt in far too long. In this moment, she was complete, her purpose served dutifully, and Sweetie wanted for nothing more.

As they gasped for breath afterwards, Sweetie cuddled with Rarity in her bed. She was far from sated, but even more than sex, she wanted to feel close to her sister again, and to talk and share her day and just generally engage in sisterly chatter, an attempt at normalcy under the most unusual of circumstances.

"Wow," Sweetie said, eloquently beginning the pillow talk. "We've both been pretty pent up, huh?"

Rarity stretched a foreleg around Sweetie, pulling her closer so she could nuzzle her. "Quite," she replied, already returning to that prim and proper lady that Sweetie admired so much. "I truly needed that," she added, letting out a sigh. "The past week has been... trying, for me, between the clients with terrible tastes and dealing with matters of business that have been very dull."

"Oof." Sweetie pressed a sympathetic kiss against Rarity's forehead. "My week's been pretty crappy too. Fire Tone showed up again, and the two of us had a fight."

"I heard about that," Rarity murmured. "Did you really tell him that you had a lover who satisfied you now?" Her lips quirked up as she asked the question.

"He was being such an ass." The memories returned, and along with it came the anger. Sweetie growled. "He thought he could just walk back into my life and I'd let him fuck me again for the PR and the amazing sex that he thinks he's capable of." Sweetie rolled her eyes. "He never even knew that I faked most of my orgasms."

Rarity giggled. "Typical stallions. They're not all bad, but so many of them have no idea how to treat a mare right."

"He definitely had nothing on you." Sweetie sighed. "I know I screwed up by telling him I was sleeping with somepony else. Now all the tabloids are gonna wanna find out who, and we'll have to be extra careful." She bowed her head in shame. If this got out, it wouldn't just be her career that went down in flames. Sweetie would never forgive herself if Rarity suffered because of their love.

"Don't fret, my love." Rarity stroked her mane in slow, soothing motions. "This too shall pass, and an accusation of such degeneracy won't be believed unless we do something truly outrageous in public. The tabloids can say what they want in the meantime."

"You're right." This wasn't Sweetie's first rodeo, as it were. She understood how this game was played. Still, hearing Rarity say those words reassured her more than her own confidence ever could. "Might be best if I laid low for a bit, though."

"You know, it's been far too long since I've visited Ponyville," Rarity mused, still absently running her hooves through Sweetie's mane. "Perhaps a short holiday might be in order."

"Ooh, that's a good idea. It'll be nice to see everypony again." Ponyville was the one place Sweetie felt like she could be herself, felt like she could let her guard down and not have to worry about taking a knife to the back. Sure, they'd still have to hide their relationship, but being among true friends would be a balm to Sweetie's soul.

"I've already made arrangements so I could be away from Canterlot for two weeks," Rarity said. "If you wish, we could leave tomorrow."

Sweetie shrugged. "I'll miss out on some networking events, but I'm between tours right now and expected to be working on my next album, so I can be anywhere, really." She grinned. "Let's go. I can't wait to leave all this behind."

"I'll miss the luxuries of the big city," Rarity mused, "but really, you might be all the luxury I need."

"Aww, you say the sweetest things." Sweetie could feel more than just her cheeks warming at Rarity's incessant, intimate touch. "So, I know we still haven't eaten, but I'm ready for round two if you are."

The stroking grew more forceful as Rarity nuzzled her. "In truth, I had already eaten on the train. Part of me hoped we would end up here sooner rather than later."

"In that case, how about we make up for lost time?" Sweetie let Rarity pull her into a kiss, and for the next few hours, she was the happiest mare in the world.
> All we do is think about the feelings that we hide.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fame had its advantages.

Rarity was reminded of this fact often enough in her life. Certainly, living a life in the spotlight could be draining at times, but she could also leverage her influence to make things happen that normal ponies could never dream of.

Case in point, the VIP train car that they were currently enjoying, which Rarity and Sweetie Belle had managed to secure at the last minute due to their status. Such a thing would never have been possible even ten years ago. At least, without Twilight's help, anyways.

"Gosh, I haven't been back in so long," Sweetie said, her head resting in Rarity's lap. "Not since Apple Bloom's birthday party back in April."

"With the Friendship Council meeting in Canterlot, it's far too easy to let Ponyville slip my mind when making plans." Stroking Sweetie's mane had become one of Rarity's favourite activities when they were idle, and she continued to do so as she spoke. "I believe it has been nearly half a year since I last graced our lovely hometown with my presence."

Sweetie giggled, then let out a contented sigh at Rarity's touch. "I can't wait. It's going to be so nice having some Sweet Apple Acres cider right from the source, or one of Pinkie's cupcakes, or a massage from Aloe and Lotus." Her eyes clouded over with memory. "You know, I never thought of Ponyville as home until I had to leave it. It was just something that was always there in my life, this place where everything that mattered happened. And then, I had to move to Manehattan for the music stuff, and it still felt like that, but now I missed it."

A bitter laugh escaped from between her lips. "Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't have done what Applejack did and just come back. I could retire already, you know."

"As could I," Rarity said. "And yet, we love our craft too much to abandon the corruption of the cities."

"Sometimes I'm not sure it's worth it," Sweetie turned around so that she could nuzzle Rarity's barrel, a slight ticklish sensation that sent a delightful shiver down her spine. "I love singing, but everything about the music industry is just... blech."

"I understand that feeling all too well," Rarity replied. "Only you can decide if the reward is worth the price, but I can truly say that you have touched so many hearts with your music."

"Yeah, heard that one before." Sweetie scoffed. "Everypony says it, but what does it even mean?"

"Well, for me, it means that when I listened to your latest album, for those few minutes, I didn't feel quite so alone anymore," Rarity said. "Your music gave me comfort in my darkest moments, and reminded me that I was loved."

"Okay, in that case, I'm literally singing about how much I love you." Sweetie chuckled. "Then again, I guess you're the only pony whose opinion I care about."

"That's not entirely true." As justified as Sweetie's cynicism might be, Rarity still wanted her to be able to see the lights in her life. "We're about to arrive at an entire town of ponies whose opinions I value quite highly, and I believe you do as well."

"Yeah, you're right." Sweetie groaned, getting up and leaning against Rarity. "I've been spending too much time in my own head, I think, and having to hide all these feelings I have is making me go a little crazy."

"That's quite alright, my love." Rarity pressed a kiss against Sweetie's cheek. "I'm here now, to make sure you don't have to be alone." And she was going to find a way to make sure that Sweetie didn't have to be alone ever again. She deserved it. They both deserved it, after all they'd been through.

The train slowed as it approached Ponyville, and Rarity smiled with grim determination.
> But for now let's get away.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So we don't need to beat up Fire Tone for you?"

Sweetie shook her head, smiling. "Thanks for the offer, Scootaloo, but it's fine. I'm over him, really, so he's just another asshole I've had to deal with."

"Man, I have no idea how you handle all that bullshit," Scootaloo said, taking another swig from her mug of cider. "I definitely would have punched somepony out by now."

"I mean, I did slap Fire Tone," Sweetie replied.

"Nah, a slap is way different from a punch." The lecturing tone in Scootaloo's voice almost made Sweetie laugh. "Completely different in intention and aesthetic." She lifted her head up and gave a haughty sniff, and Sweetie couldn't hold it in anymore.

She let out a giggle, the constant bubbly feeling of happiness she'd felt since returning to Ponyville rising up again as she took a sip of her cider and savoured its taste. "I think being at the School of Friendship is turning you into a philosopher."

Scootaloo stuck her tongue out at her.  "Blech, kill me first before I stop being one of the cool teachers."

Her exaggerated expression of disgust elicited another giggle from Sweetie. "I'm sure your marefriend will make sure you stay the same Scootaloo we all know and love and occasionally have to pull out of a tree."

"Darn tootin'." Apple Bloom trotted out of the kitchen with a jug of cider. She refilled Sweetie and Scootaloo's mugs before wrapping a foreleg around Scootaloo and pulling her in for a nuzzle.

"Quit it, Bloom," Scootaloo whined, her cheeks turning the cutest shade of red.

"It's okay, Scootaloo," Sweetie said, grinning. "I'm your closest friend. You don't have to hide this side of you from me. I think the two of you are so cute." Even now, over a year after the two of them had hooked up, Sweetie felt a warm, fuzzy feeling in her heart whenever she saw the two of them together.

"Speaking of cute couples..." The shit-eating grin on Scootaloo's face quickly wiped away any of Sweetie's own smugness. "What's this about some cute mare you're into?"

Sweetie rolled her eyes, trying to hide the flash of panic in her chest. "You shouldn't believe everything you read."

"Bullshit," Scootaloo said, her grin never faltering. "You've been way happier than I've seen you in a while, and you've got that dreamy look you had when you started going out with that dick Fire Tone. I got you on lock now, sister."

"Aww, lay off her, Scoots," Apple Bloom said. "She'll tell us when she's ready. Ain't that right, Sweetie?"

Sweetie nodded. "Thanks, Apple Bloom." She sighed. "It's just, it's complicated, you know?"

Scootaloo snorted. "Everything's been complicated since you moved to Manehattan. You should just come back here. It's simple here." A teasing grin formed on her lips. "You just do whatever and then every so often you have to run for your lives when some new horror crashes into town."

"Okay, that part I don't miss about Ponyville at all." With that landmine out of the way, Sweetie could relax again and continue enjoying her cider.

"It's good exercise," Scootaloo teased. "You could use it."

Sweetie glared at her. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Scootaloo laughed, and Sweetie followed suit a few seconds later. The humour and good cheer in the room were infectious, and soon they were all laughing and sharing stories and playfully ribbing one another as the cider continued to flow.

By the time Sweetie left Sweet Apple Acres, she felt years younger and ready to take on the world again. The night air was cool and crisp this time of year, and Sweetie took a moment to breathe it all in as she made her way to Carousel Boutique. It smelled so much nicer out here than in the busy city, free of the odours of industry and grift.

There was a spring in her step by the time Sweetie reached her destination. She knocked on the door, and waited patiently until it opened to reveal Rarity wearing a thick robe. "Hello, Sweetie," she said, letting her inside. "Did you have fun with your friends?"

It was funny how being home made her feel like her younger self again. "Yup!" Sweetie said cheerfully, just as she had when she was a filly. Of course, she was an adult now, and so was Rarity, and they both knew this very well, but it was so easy to fall back on old patterns in familiar places. "Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are probably gonna get engaged any day now." And of course, old or new, neither of them could resist the lure of gossip.

"Oh?" Rarity tittered with delight. "Tell me everything."

Rarity made tea for them as Sweetie relayed her suspicions, and then the two of them giggled over their teacups as they discussed ideas for wedding and bridesmaid dresses. "So, do you think you'll get to be the Best Mare for either of them?" Rarity asked.

Sweetie shrugged. "I'm guessing Apple Bloom'll ask Applejack to be hers, and Scootaloo is definitely going to ask Rainbow Dash. But when the time comes I'll definitely offer to be the wedding singer for them. I haven't done a small gig in so many years." These days, she performed to crowds of thousands of screaming fans. It'd be nice to do something more intimate for once, especially if it was for friends who were as close as family.

"I can't imagine they'd refuse that offer." A fond smile formed on Rarity's muzzle. "It shall be good for your soul as well, I think. Doing something nice for somepony you truly care about is so much more fulfilling."

"Yeah. Celestia, it's been ages since I've done a charity concert. I'll need to talk to my agent and see if we can figure something out there." It sucked that she needed to go through all these hoops just to do something good, but that was just another way that she was trapped in her current role.

Sweetie shook her head. This was her holiday, a chance to get away from all of that, to focus on the present and on Rarity. She closed her eyes and, for a moment, pretended that there was no such thing as networking or obsessed fans or predatory agents, that she was living the dream she'd always wanted, with fame, fortune, and a beautiful mare by her side.

When she opened her eyes, she saw that beautiful mare staring at her with a concerned expression. "All you quite alright, dear?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Sweetie said, smiling again. "Everything's perfect, now that I'm with you."

"I'm glad to hear that," Rarity replied. "You deserve nothing but the best, in everything."

Another giggle. Sweetie had been doing that a lot lately. She liked it. "Well, I already have the best marefriend, so that's a good start."

"I am quite the catch," Rarity said, pointing to herself and lifting her chin up.

Sweetie nodded. "You are. I still can't believe how lucky I got, getting you as my marefriend. The smartest, kindest, most beautiful pony in the world, the literal embodiment of Generosity, and you chose me."

Rarity pressed a hoof against her chest. "Oh, Sweetie." She practically leapt forward, dodging around the table between them to wrap Sweetie up in a crushing embrace. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Rarity." They kissed, and Sweetie felt herself growing excited as Rarity's tongue dominated hers.

"It's getting quite late," Rarity said, her voice low and husky. "Shall we retire to the bedroom?"

Sweetie nodded mutely before diving back into the kiss.

Somehow, they made it back to Rarity's room without ever having to separate, their lips locked together in passion as Rarity kicked open the door and they stumbled into bed, their hooves roaming all over each other's bodies.

After over a week back in Ponyville, making love every single night— and most days, too— Rarity and Sweetie had developed an even greater understanding of each other's bodies. Sweetie knew that Rarity loved being kissed right above her collarbone, and Rarity nibbled lovingly on Sweetie's ear in return, both of them shivering at the pleasure that built up between them.

And yet, despite this familiarity, their lovemaking didn't feel routine. Rarity's gasps and moans and words of encouragement were always just a little different each time, the way she nibbled and suckled and kissed every inch of Sweetie's body varied enough to keep things exciting.

Sweetie knew she would never tire of this, of the way Rarity so tenderly and lovingly took care of her needs, ensuring that she was being pleasured with every movement between them. And in turn, Sweetie would always be eager to worship Rarity's body with her own, rubbing their coats together as she pressed her lips against every inch of Rarity, letting her know just how hot she thought her big sister was.

Soon enough, they were pushing their most intimate parts together, rocking back and forth in a steady rhythm as Rarity clutched Sweetie Belle, holding her close and whispering to her that everything would be okay, that she would be there for her.

In turn, Sweetie promised to love Rarity, always and forever, and when they reached their release, they cried out in their devotion to one another, their bodies, hearts, and minds as one.

"I'm never going to get tired of that," Sweetie said as they lay in bed afterwards, still catching her breath. "I really did think I knew what being in love was like before, but man, this is on a whole other level. It makes the sex so much better, too."

"Truly, it is the most powerful aphrodisiac," Rarity agreed.

"I wish this didn't have to end," Sweetie said wistfully, the post-orgasmic euphoria already beginning to dampen as she realized her days with Rarity in this idyllic peace were numbered. "I wish we could be like this forever."

"We can't have this forever, but perhaps we no longer have to be apart for so long, either," Rarity mused. "Our professions require plenty of travel, but there's no reason why our permanent residences cannot be the same."

Sweetie perked up at that. "Are you saying we should move in together?" she asked, making sure she wasn't misunderstanding.

"I am indeed," Rarity replied. "It's not as if we have not lived under the same roof before, and we travel so much that where we choose to make our permanent home doesn't matter all too much as long as it is in one of the centres of culture."

Sweetie grinned. "You know, we could also just go back and forth between my place and yours, if we don't want to choose just one."

"It would be a good chance to pick up some connections in Manehattan," Rarity said, smiling back. "Are we agreed, then?"

Sweetie nodded. "Yup!" She hugged Rarity tightly. "Oh, this is going to be amazing! I can't believe I get to be with you all the time now!

"Well, not all of the time," Rarity said, dousing Sweetie's enthusiasm somewhat. "Unfortunately, I still have my responsibilities, and those require me to travel around the nation and beyond quite regularly."

Sweetie shrugged. "I gotta do that too. We'll make it work."

"I have no doubts that we shall," Rarity said warmly. "Though, we'll need a cover story as well."

"Right." Sweetie groaned. "I wish we could just announce that we're dating, but that would be a really bad idea."

"We'll figure something out," Rarity promised. "We are both artistes, no?"

"We're also both really good at PR, so yeah, I'm not too worried." Hope blossomed in Sweetie's heart as the magnitude of what they were proposing sank in. She wouldn't have to worry about Rarity not being there for her when she needed her. They'd be together whenever Sweetie wanted her to be, and everything was going to be okay forever.

She never had to leave Rarity's side ever again.
> I'm a wanderess,/I'm a one night stand./Don't belong to no city,/don't belong to no man.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rarity sighed deeply as she opened up the newspaper and read the top story of the day.

"Oh, Sweetie," she muttered to herself as she nursed a cup of tea. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Apparently, the answer was going to a nightclub and dancing extremely provocatively on top of the bar. A fair number of pictures had been taken, of course, and now Rarity had quite a bit more material for her fantasies on lonely nights away from her marefriend.

That was the problem, really. Every time they were apart, Sweetie found some way to cause a scandal, which inevitably became the talk of the town for the next few days wherever Rarity went. At least this time she wasn't being arrested for vandalism— it had been very unpleasant escorting her own sister out from prison.

It had only been six months, and already Rarity felt like she was at the breaking point. The first time, Sweetie had punched Svengallop after he'd been harassing her while Rarity was in Yakyakistan negotiating a contract to open up a boutique there. Rarity couldn't really fault her for that, and had comforted the crying mare afterwards as they'd planned out damage control.

Then, Sweetie had crashed Fire Tone's birthday party while in Fillydelphia and told his newest marefriend all about her former beau's sexual shortcomings while the crowd watched. Rarity had caught a train the next day and the two of them had hidden out in a hotel while the media attention died down, Sweetie apologizing profusely the whole time for her impulsive actions. Rarity had forgiven her, having had her own fair share of petty revenges over the years.

After that, it had become almost routine, and Rarity dreaded opening the newspaper every morning whenever Sweetie wasn't there to read the news with her. It was always only a matter of time before she made a spectacle of herself one way or another.

And the worst part was, this behaviour was actually doing wonders to keep anypony from suspecting the true nature of their relationship. After some workshopping, Rarity and Sweetie had realized that any cover story was likely to be too easily pulled apart by the media, and so they had decided to allow them to do exactly that.

The official byline was that Sweetie and Rarity were moving in together because they both wanted to see more of each other's cities, and trusted each other to show them the sights. It was such a transparent lie that everypony had immediately begun speculating on the true purpose of the cohabitation, from working on a secret collaborative project, to Element business that was vital to national security.

And as the theories had grown wilder, ponies had grown dismissive of any speculation about their relationship, allowing them to effectively fly under the radar. It also provided a good bit of entertainment, reading through the tabloids on a lazy night in and laughing at the latest wild conjecture.

With Sweetie's antics, however, it had become relatively well accepted that Rarity was acting as some sort of handler for her sister, keeping her out of trouble as much as possible. Hence why these sensational headlines only appeared when they were separated. It was such a perfectly logical explanation that sometimes Rarity found herself believing it— at this point, it seemed she was the only one who could keep Sweetie under control.

For the life of her, she could not figure out why her sister was acting this way. Sweetie didn't seem unhappy when she was with Rarity— quite the opposite, really. That idyllic happiness in Ponyville had extended to Canterlot and Manehattan, and living together had only brought them closer together.

Any attempts to confront Sweetie had also only led to apologies and promises that it wouldn't happen again, followed by the two of them getting distracted by lovemaking.

Perhaps Sweetie was secretly chafing under the lack of independence that came with being in a relationship? If so, then Rarity could see why she was acting out like this, taking every opportunity to exert her identity as an independent mare. But if that had been so, why not talk to Rarity about it? Rarity would gladly give Sweetie space if she needed it, and in fact, it was usually Sweetie who constantly hovered around Rarity.

The sound of the train screeching to a halt brought Rarity out of her reveries. There'd be time enough to pick away at these concerns later.

Gathering her things, Rarity stepped out of the train to see Sweetie's smiling, angelic face waiting for her. "Rarity!" her sister exclaimed, rushing forward to hug her chastely. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, dear," Rarity said truthfully, because she had missed her, despite her exasperation. "I see you've managed to land yourself squarely in the spotlight again."

Sweetie's smile turned sheepish. "Sorry about that. I had a little bit too much to drink, you know?"

"I suppose that's understandable." It always was. Rarity always forgave Sweetie, because that was what she needed. Not another judgemental presence in her life. "Well, at least you had fun while I was gone."

Sweetie pouted. "It wasn't the same without you."

"I would hope not," Rarity said, flashing a smile. "I pride myself on being unique, after all. Shall we return home?"

At Sweetie's nod, they made their way back to Rarity's Canterlot home, a small house in the Upper District that cost far more than a mansion would have back in Ponyville. Still, it was cozy and perfect for two, and Rarity was perfectly content with it despite being able to afford a larger place.

"I'll get you some tea," Sweetie said as Rarity unpacked. By the time Rarity was finished, Sweetie trotted out with a teapot and a pair of teacups, and they seated themselves on the couch, Sweetie snuggling up against Rarity as she always did.

The tea was delightful, Rarity's favourite brand of jasmine, and they enjoyed it in silence for a few minutes as they focused on the feel of their coats brushing against each other and listened to their hearts beat as one. It was perfectly tranquil, and Rarity felt a sense of contentment welling up from within her very soul.

"So, how was Vanhoover?" Sweetie eventually asked, putting her empty teacup down.

"As rainy as it always is," Rarity replied, refilling her cup. "I do not understand why Prim Hemline chose to retire there, but at least the North Luna ocean was lovely, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Carousel location went swimmingly."

"That's nice." Sweetie was staring dreamily at Rarity, and it made Rarity feel like a princess. "And the supply chain issues got fixed?"

"I pulled some strings," Rarity replied. "It cost me a few favours, but a successful opening is more than worth the price."

Sweetie nodded. "Gotta love everypony's short attention spans."

"It's a double-edged sword, to be sure," Rarity said. "For example, your latest antics are unlikely to spend more than a week on the tabloid shelves before something new and shiny draws the public's focus away."

The admonishment made Sweetie pout. "I said I was sorry," she muttered.

"You did," Rarity agreed. "And yet, somehow I doubt that it won't happen again the moment we are apart." It was time to put her hoof down, at least a little. "I could excuse the first couple indiscretions, but you must admit this has become quite the worrying pattern. Please, Sweetie, talk to me. I love you, and I want what's best for you."

"I—" Sweetie deflated, her defensiveness fading as she slouched. "I guess I just get restless when you're not around. It wasn't a problem before, when it was just me, but it's like, now that you're here, it's so much harder to put up with all the bullshit when I know there's somepony who actually loves me back home. Don't you feel like that too?"

"Unfortunately, I can't say I do." In fact, it had been the opposite for Rarity. Having Sweetie near to her only emboldened her spirit, giving her the strength to take on the day knowing that she had somepony worth going home to. "However, I can understand where you come from."

"I know it's not a good excuse," Sweetie said, and the shame in her voice lanced at Rarity's heart. "I'll try to do better."

"That's all I ask." She should push harder, try to set steps and make a plan to ensure that there wouldn't be another incident, but Sweetie looked so dejected that Rarity couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, she leaned over and placed a kiss against her sister's cheek. "I love you, Sweetie." She placed a hoof against Sweetie's chest. "And I'll be in here with you, always."

Sweetie giggled. "Wow, you're really sappy today, huh?"

Rarity gasped in mock outrage. "I'll have you know that I am a romantic!"

"Mhm." Sweetie's hoof trailed circles around Rarity's barrel. "Well, I'm feeling pretty romantic too, right now." Her lips found Rarity's and drew them into a passionate kiss. "Wanna try out some of the techniques I picked up at that bar? There's this thing with a weather vane that's really hot and—"

Rarity cut her off with another kiss. "Surprise me, darling."
> And I swear I hate you when you leave.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

She'd tried so hard.

Really, she had. But it was so hard to be a good girl when Rarity wasn't around. She made behaving worth it, gave her something to anchor herself on when the going got tough.

Waking up in an empty bed, reaching for the soft, warm body of her beloved and finding nothing almost drove Sweetie to tears every morning. She just wanted Rarity back, wanted her sister to hold her and whisper in her ears that everything would be okay.

Eventually, that insidious voice in her head would whisper in her ears, her inner demons telling her that if she caused enough of a splash, maybe Rarity would come back to her sooner, just like she had after the incident with Fire Tone's birthday. She knew it was wrong, knew that Rarity had her own life to live and couldn't just be taking care of Sweetie, but she needed Rarity, and it was so hard to fight that urge to try to bring her back every second of every day.

And given her position, all it took was one slip-up, and she'd be in the news again, and she'd feel terrible about it again.

Even remembering the pain and shame of her previous failings, Sweetie could hear that voice in her head again, telling her that nothing was worth it without Rarity, so why even bother trying to behave? She'd played the good little filly for so many years, and all it had gotten her was a broken heart. It wasn't until she'd given in to her darker side and entered a taboo relationship that she'd found happiness.

That was why, despite knowing it would end badly, she'd accepted the invitation from Bass Drop to a private party in the Cistern, a nightclub built in the ruins of the old, giant cistern that had supplied water to Manehattan long ago.

The acoustics of the domed building made every note echo over and over again, each pulse threatening to resonate with the others and overwhelm the senses. The phenomenon made it particularly hard to think, which Sweetie was finding that she preferred. Thinking hurt, and she didn't really want to be alone with her thoughts.

Which was why, when she was offered the pill, she took it on instinct. It took another second before her brain registered what she'd done, and she asked Bass Drop what it was she was holding.

"The good stuff!" he shouted back, grinning.

Sweetie hesitated, staring at the pill. It wasn't like she'd never partaken before, but coke and molly just weren't for her, she'd learned after the first time. It'd been years since she'd done anything more than weed or alcohol, mostly because she didn't trust anyone to give her anything harder.

But Rarity wasn't here now.

And Sweetie didn't want to feel bad about that fact anymore.
> And now I'm covered in the colors/Pulled apart at the seams.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sometimes, the greatest gift you could give someone was to be there for them.

That was why Rarity wasn't particularly bothered that she hadn't gotten Sweetie anything as she made her way back to their apartment. Normally she tried to bring back a trinket of some sort to show that Sweetie had been in her thoughts, and Sweetie did the same. As a result, each of them had amassed a small collection of keepsakes kept zealously guarded in a pair of lockboxes in their homes.

This time, though, Rarity was coming home early, her business having been cut short by a storm blowing into Baltimare and putting a damper on economic activities. Sweetie would undoubtedly be overjoyed to have her back before her scheduled return, and Rarity was also looking forward to being with her beloved again.

As an added bonus, she hadn't seen her sister in any headlines as well. Hopefully, that meant that Sweetie had truly taken her message to heart, and had found some way to entertain herself that wouldn't cause another scandal.

Anticipation welled up inside her as she stepped into the elevator, keying in the code to take her to the top. She was practically dancing on her hooves at the thought of surprising her sister and sweeping her into a passionate embrace, making her swoon and then carrying her to bed so they could make love long into the night.

The elevator dinged, and Rarity nearly dropped the keys as she opened the door to the suite, ready to make her grand entrance. "Hello, darling!" she called out, trotting inside. "I've come to save you from your loneliness!" It wasn't the smoothest of lines, admittedly, but Rarity doubted that Sweetie would mind. 

Silence.

"Sweetie Belle?" Rarity made a quick circuit around the apartment. "Are you here?"

Her sister was nowhere to be seen. Rarity shrugged. Ah well, she could always wait here for her to return, and then surprise her. Yes, that would do nicely as well, and give Rarity some time to change into something more... comfortable.

Humming a cheerful tune, Rarity went about putting her things away, before making her way to their bedroom to fetch her lingerie. Something lacy, perhaps, on the more revealing side.

Her eyes caught sight of an envelope on the nightstand. Curious, Rarity picked it up, finding an invitation inside.

Her blood ran cold.

"Oh, Sweetie, no," Rarity whispered to herself, knowing that her pleas were in vain. Of course Sweetie would be at the Cistern, a venue that would present ample opportunity for her little sister to make a spectacle of herself.

Rarity had been to her fair share of parties there in her youth. Nowadays, the drugs peddled there were a little too unpredictable for her tastes, and she was terrified of how Sweetie might act in the presence of them.

The letter fell to the ground as Rarity took off, bracing herself for the worst.





Sometimes, it was useful to be a highly recognizable celebrity.

The bouncer let Rarity into the Cistern immediately, giving her a polite nod of acknowledgement as he allowed her to skip the line of eager clubbers waiting for their turn to get in. Which Rarity was thankful for, since it would have taken time to talk her way inside otherwise. She rushed in and was immediately bombarded by waves of sound as the familiar acoustics of the venue triggered ancient memories.

With practiced ease, she navigated her way through the kaleidoscope of colours and ponies dancing about, her eyes scanning for Sweetie Belle.

It took several minutes, during which she had to manoeuvre her way around a number of incredibly inebriated ponies and turn down multiple glasses of alcoholic beverages that she desperately wished she could partake in. Eventually, though, she saw a familiar curly mane in the sea of ponies, glowing blue under the lighting of the club.

"Sweetie Belle!" she shouted, even though she knew she wouldn't be heard. She waded closer, pushing away ponies until she was finally muzzle-to-muzzle with her sister. "We are leaving now!" she declared.

"Rarity!" Sweetie's eyes were glassy as she stared up at Rarity with wonder. "I love you so much!" At the very least, whatever she was on made her pliable enough that she simply began following her out of the mass of ponies. "Wow, those pills were amazing. We should get some to bring back!"

"We shall not," Rarity said primly, nearly shoving several more ponies to the ground in her haste to get Sweetie away from all of this. "Please tell me you at least know what it is you took."

A puzzled expression formed on Sweetie's face. "I don't remember, but they're great!" she said, her vacuous smile returning.

Rarity finally pushed her way out of the crowd, and she and Sweetie made their way towards the exit. By some miracle, Sweetie didn't do anything regrettable as they stepped through the door and out into the open air, right next to the crowd of ponies waiting their turn to enter.

That was when her luck ran out.

"I love you so much, Rarity!" Sweetie proclaimed her love loud and clear as she swayed side-to-side, clearly putting effort into staying upright. "You're the best marefriend in the world, and I really, really wanna make out with you right now."

And then she lunged forwards, pressing her lips against Rarity's.

Panic flashed through Rarity's mind, paralyzing her as her body responded to the kiss by leaning into it. A moment later, she realized her mistake, and roughly shoved Sweetie away. "Sweetie Belle!" she admonished, keenly aware of all the cameras flashing around them. "What has gotten into you?"

"I just wanna show you just how much I love you." Still oblivious, Sweetie collapsed against Rarity, her eyes still filled with so much love as she stared up distantly at her. "I'm only happy when I'm around you, you know?"

That very worrying confession aside, Rarity had more important matters to deal with, like damage control. "She's very confused right now," Rarity told the crowd, who had abandoned the line to watch this spectacle unfold. "Something in the pills she took just wasn't right." Admitting that she had taken random drugs wasn't the best move, but right now, it was very much the lesser of two evils. "If you'll excuse me, I need to take her home."

She shared a knowing look with the bouncer, who was experienced enough to know what to do. He whispered to one of the other employees there, and a moment later Rarity and Sweetie found themselves escorted towards a private carriage with a driver that they knew would be discreet.

"Can we have sex when we get back?" Sweetie asked, pawing at Rarity with her hooves.

Discretion had its limits, though, and Rarity didn't want to push her luck. "Sweetie, please try to sleep. This isn't like you."

"Are you saying you don't love me anymore?" Tears formed in her eyes as Sweetie's smile faded. "Did I do something wrong?"

"You are still my dearest sister," Rarity promised. "We can talk more about your behaviour when we return home. For now, please rest."

Fortunately, Sweetie seemed content to nuzzle against Rarity in a way that could be interpreted as being purely familial intimacy, and there were no more incidents on their way back. Rarity thanked the driver and led Sweetie back up to the penthouse.

As soon as they entered, Sweetie began kissing Rarity's neck. "I've missed you so much," she said, her voice dropping low and husky. "I need you inside of me right now, Rarity, and I need to taste you too."

"I am not taking advantage of you while you're in this state," Rarity said, bringing her to the bedroom. "We can cuddle on the bed until you tire and can sleep off this high if you wish."

"Aww." Despite her complaints, Sweetie climbed into bed with Rarity, and Rarity allowed herself a few light kisses and some soft stroking of Sweetie's mane as she tried to ignore the way that Sweetie's hooves and mouth were roaming all over her body. She could feel the heat building up between her legs at the treatment, and made a note to take a cold shower the moment Sweetie fell asleep.

Considering Sweetie's fervor, however, that likely wouldn't be for quite a while.

A pained gasp escaped from between Rarity's lips as she felt Sweetie bite her ear. "You like that, right?" Sweetie said, grinning proudly.

Rarity sighed. It was going to be a long night.
> I'm such a fool to pay this price./It's coming down, down, I'm coming down.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweetie woke to find her head swimming in agony.

She groaned and stretched, then winced as all her joints ached as well. Going back to sleep on this soft bed was starting to look like a better idea with every painful passing second.

"I see you're awake." Rarity's beautiful voice filtered into her mind, a soothing balm to the tortures being inflicted on her. "Here, drink this." Sweetie felt a cup against her lips and opened her mouth, letting the cool water flow in. She didn't realize how thirsty she was, and how much her mouth had felt like it'd been stuffed with cotton, until the whole cup had been downed.

"Thanks." Sweetie finally opened her eyes. It was dark in their bedroom, which was good because it took several seconds for her to even be able to look at the sliver of light coming from the door without wincing.

"So, how much of the previous night do you remember?" Rarity asked after a few minutes, when Sweetie felt something resembling being alive again.

"Uhh..." A blur of colors and sensation crashed into Sweetie's brain as she tried to recall the memories of the night before. Rarity was still out of town, so Sweetie— "Wait, you're back?" Sweetie grinned. "This is the best surprise ever!" Even the pounding headache couldn't stop her joy at seeing Rarity before her scheduled return.

"That was the intention, yes." Rarity didn't seem very happy with this development. "Unfortunately, I came home to find that you had gone to the Cistern."

"Oh, right." That was why Sweetie could only remember colours and sounds. "If I'd known you were coming back, I wouldn't have gone," she reassured her sister.

"I would rather you had not gone at all," Rarity said. "You are well aware of the reputation of that venue."

The final piece of the puzzle locked into place. "Oh," she said again, quietly.

"Oh indeed." Rarity sounded very, very tired. "As you can imagine, there were plenty of cameras to document your indiscretions, as usual." Her horn glowed, and a newspaper floated out towards the bed.

It took a few tries before Sweetie managed to grab it with her own horn, but eventually she had it in front of her, the giant headlines readable even despite her current state. POP STAR SMOOCHES SISTER. "I guess the shorter the headline the bigger they can make it," Sweetie observed distantly, the rest of her mind busy processing the implications of what she was reading.

"It might have been easier to write off if you hadn't also named me as your marefriend and professed your romantic love to me," Rarity said. "This will be quite the mess to untangle."

"I'm sorry." Even to Sweetie's ears, the apology felt hollow.

"I would imagine you are." The worst part was, Rarity didn't even sound angry with Sweetie, just defeated. "Just as you were every other time you caused a scandal. And yet, here we are, faced with our biggest headline yet."

"We'll just say that the drugs made me really delirious," Sweetie said. "I had no idea what I was saying, and I was really horny, and I just fixated on someone randomly. The tabloids will have a field day, but if we lay low for a bit it'll just be something we can laugh off at events if ponies bring it up."

"And what about our friends and family?" Rarity asked. "I have a Friendship Council to attend next week, and the pieces will be much easier to put together for them than for the media."

"We'll figure something out," Sweetie promised. "We always do."

"Perhaps, but one day we shan't be able to." Rarity sighed. "I can't do this anymore, Sweetie. I love you with all my heart, but I can't keep wondering what sort of trouble you'll find yourself in next time we part. It's all too much."

"W-What are you saying?" Sweetie didn't like Rarity's tone. It was the tone of somepony who had already made a decision.

"I'm sorry, Sweetie," Rarity said. "I love you so very much, my dear. But I can't keep going on like this, I think it would be best if we gave ourselves some distance until things calm down. It will help with the rumours as well."

"No!" Sweetie tried to leap out of bed, but only succeeded in falling flat on her face, her legs still dangling off the edge. She took a few moments to right herself, fighting through the aches and pains in order to stand up straight and look Rarity in the eye. "I love you, Rarity, so, so much. I'll do anything for you. I'll behave from now on, I promise! Please don't leave me." Tears were streaming from her eyes now. "I need you, Rarity," Sweetie whispered through her sobs.

"I—" Rarity faltered, and Sweetie lunged forward, hugging her as tightly as possible.

"One more chance," Sweetie said. "I'll follow you on your trips, okay? And I'll talk to my agent and get our schedules lined up so we can always be together. You can keep an eye on me and take care of me like you always do."

She saw love win over fear in Rarity's eyes, as her big sister finally wrapped her forelegs around her and returned the hug. "One last chance," she said firmly.

"I promise," Sweetie said, her heart calming down now that she knew she wasn't going to lose Rarity. "I know I've been a real handful lately, and I want to make up for it." She grinned. "How about I make us breakfast, and then I eat you out until we both forget about all of this for a little while?"

"You're in no shape to cook," Rarity said. "I appreciate the offer, however. As for the other thing, let's see how the morning goes, hmm? There's still a number of paparazzi surrounding the building like sharks."

"Right." Sweetie had gotten into this mess, and she was going to get them out of it, for the last time. She made the commitment in her soul to stick with Rarity, so that she wouldn't be tempted to stray anymore.

And then, she'd show Rarity just how much she loved her big sister.
> That's the beauty of a secret/You know you're supposed to keep it/But I don't have to fucking tell you anything, anything.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sweetie had been true to her word.

Things had gotten better and worse after the incident at the Cistern. As she'd promised, Sweetie had indeed arranged her schedule so that her concerts coincided with Rarity's business trips, which meant that they no longer needed to be parted from one another.

Since then, Sweetie had been a complete angel, trying to make up for her earlier perfidies. She's done her best to make sure that Rarity's every need was met, fetching her meals for her, carrying her things, and even bathing her every single night, though the latter tended to end with them becoming distracted and then having to bathe again.

Not that Rarity minded, certainly.

Coming home every day to Sweetie smiling and offering to help her hang up her clothes did wonders for Rarity's soul, soothing away the restlessness that had plagued her for far too long. Having her beloved sister by her side at all times to express her devotion had been lovely for Rarity's self-confidence as well. Not that Rarity needed help with that, but it was always nice to be appreciated.

The problem, of course, was that Sweetie's attentions had also added fuel to the speculations about the nature of their relationship. The two of them had decided to approach the story with a refusal to comment and to feign offense at the thought that they might have been together, but that did little to stop the rampant gossip.

Which was how Rarity had ended up dancing around the subject now with Hoity Toity at Fancy Pants' garden party.

"You know, Rarity, none of us are getting any younger," he said as they both sipped lightly from their champagne flutes. "You don't strike me as the type who wants to be a bachelorette your whole life."

"I simply have not found the right pony yet," Rarity replied, biting back a retort at how uncouth Hoity was being. "And my work keeps me quite busy." That part was true, at least. If a relationship hadn't essentially fallen into her lap, Rarity would likely never have ended up in one. It was so hard to find time to date and to run a successful fashion empire at once.

"Your sister too, I would imagine." Well, it seemed that subtlety had gone out the window after the fifth glass of wine. "She does seem like quite the hooffull."

"She can be," Rarity replied very carefully. "It's been somewhat of a bother trying to rein her in, but family is family. So long as I can keep Sweetie away from any more harmful substances, I can hopefully ground her in reality long enough to help her achieve all the things I believe she is capable of."

Hoity took the hint. "Well, I wish you best of luck. Sweetie Belle is lucky to have a sister who cares for her so much."

It was clear he still held his suspicions, but there was only so much Rarity could do. "Thank you," she said politely. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm quite famished. Take care of yourself, Hoity." With that excuse, she made her leave, heading over towards the buffet table where a pair of friendly faces were waiting for her.

"Ah, Rarity, so good to see you," Fancy Pants said, giving her a polite wave. "I hope you've been enjoying yourself as best you can?"

"As best I can, yes," Rarity replied, floating over one of the hors d'oeuvres and nibbling delicately on it.

"The rumours about you and your sisters are simply terrible." Fleur shot her a sympathetic smile as she trotted over to stand beside her husband. "To think that you would take advantage of poor Sweetie in such a way." She shook her head. "I am very sorry that you are going through this right now, mon amie."

Rarity shrugged. "It is what it is. The public eye will find something else to fixate on eventually, as it always does." Though, it hurt knowing that she couldn't share the secret of her love with even close friends like these two, for fear of their judgement.

"Pardon me for interjecting myself into your personal life, but I couldn't help but notice that having Sweetie continually following you has been prolonging this particular scandal," Fancy said. "Perhaps it might be best if you found somepony else to care for her while she moves past this trying time?"

The advice was given with the best of intentions, Rarity knew, but she still tensed at the suggestion that she should be parted from her beloved. "I don't know that I can trust anypony else not to take advantage of her, unfortunately," she replied coolly.

"Understandable." Fancy glanced around the garden. "We're all sharks looking out for blood, are we not? Though, if you wish, I could see if there might be any eligible bachelors or bachelorettes of Sweetie's age that might be a good match. Having her date somepony publicly could do wonders for shutting down these rumours."

"I don't think that would be best for her," Rarity said shortly, skirting the edge of politeness.

The couple seemed to take the hint, as Fleur cut in smoothly. "I have no doubt that you will find a way to weather this storm, and the two of you will grow stronger for it." She downed the rest of her champagne and set it down on the table. "Now, I see that the polo game is about to begin. Shall we watch?"

Rarity took the olive branch gratefully, and the three of them did not discuss Sweetie for the rest of the night. That didn't stop the others from trying to probe her for juicy gossip, but Rarity had played this game enough times to be able to dance around their attempts.

By the time she bid farewell to her gracious hosts and began making her way back home, Rarity was feeling quite good about her progress. She would probably look like an overbearing, controlling sister at the end of this, but that was far better than the alternative. As long as nothing else jeopardized the situation, she was sure that it would all pass in time.

Though, that didn't mean it wasn't unpleasant walking past a newsstand and seeing a tabloid article openly speculating as to what sordid activities she and Sweetie had gotten up to in the Palace bathrooms during the Grand Galloping Gala. Of course, they hadn't been stupid enough to do anything exciting beyond a few shared glances, but she supposed it made for a good narrative nonetheless. It would have been good fun to steal a kiss in the alcoves, she had to admit.

Rarity shook her head, clearing her head of such foolish thoughts. She'd made peace with the fact that they'd have to hide their love for the rest of their lives, and as much as she detested it, she had accepted that reality.

And of course, it was much easier to live with the deception when she knew who she had waiting at home for her. Rarity waved to the security guards near the entrance to their house before making her way to the porch. She opened the door, and for the first time since the Cistern, Sweetie wasn't there to greet her. "I'm home!" she called out as she removed her dress and hung it up.

"I'm in the bedroom!" Sweetie called back. Rarity shrugged and made her way upstairs. So Sweetie had moved on from being present whenever she came home, which was fine, even if Rarity would miss the warm welcome.

The bedroom door was ajar, and Rarity pushed it open. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed upon the sight that awaited her.

"Hey Rarity, did you miss me?" Sweetie lifted up one leg as she winked at Rarity, showing off her stocking-clad legs that perfectly framed the lace panties covering her nethers. A little bow was tied around her dock, lifting it up out of the way so that Rarity could see the straps of the garter belts she was wearing. "Because I definitely missed you." Her horn glowed and she pulled her panties to the side so that Rarity could see how wet her slit was.

"Oh my." Rarity trotted up to her beloved, running a hoof down her stockings and marvelling at the feel of the silk beneath her hoof. "What an exquisite ensemble. I don't recall seeing this in our wardrobe before."

Sweetie grinned. "I snuck out in disguise this morning and bought it."

Rarity wanted to admonish her for taking such a risk, but her mind was far too enraptured by the salacious sights before her eyes. "I suppose as long as nopony recognized you, it should be fine." Her hoof trailed upwards to play with the straps of the garter belt, snapping one of them against Sweetie's flanks. "And I can hardly complain about the results."

"You wanna unwrap your present?" Sweetie wiggled her rump suggestively, her voice filled with restrained lust.

"I would love nothing more, darling." Rarity bent down to press a light kiss against Sweetie's nethers, taking a deep breath as she let Sweetie's scent fill her soul. She let the worries of the world flow away from her as she found that peace in her heart that was always present when she could be alone with Sweetie.

Nothing mattered now except for the little song that Sweetie sang with her moans and gasps as Rarity teased her with tongue, hoof, and magic, driving her lust up to a fever pitch as she slowly undressed her beloved. Her own loins were burning with desire as well, but that could wait.

"Please, Rarity," Sweetie begged, gasping for breath as Rarity swirled her tongue around her folds. "I need you, right now."

Rarity could never deny Sweetie, and so she dove in, making Sweetie scream in pleasure as she found all of her most sensitive points and played her sister like an instrument. The rising crescendo peaked with a crashing orgasm as Sweetie cried out, her legs shaking as Rarity drank her fill of her lover's nectar, a satisfaction seeping into her heart that eclipsed that of any physical relief.

Of course, Sweetie would also never leave her marefriend in such a state as well, so that physical relief came quickly after she'd recovered her wits. The moment her sister's tongue touched her folds, Rarity was lost, allowing herself to fall into an ocean of sensation as she grabbed Sweetie's head and pushed it deeper.

Sweetie dutifully continued to pleasure her, and it felt oh so very right. In that moment, Rarity knew this was where they were meant to be, joined as one and sharing in an ecstasy that transcended the physical realm.

With a cry of love, Rarity came, clamping her legs against Sweetie's head and holding them together, never to be parted again.

Some time later, the two of them lay in bed, holding onto one another, refusing to let go for even a moment. "This is perfect," Sweetie said, nuzzling Rarity's neck. "You're all I need to be happy, Rarity."

"Mhm." Rarity smiled. "It's quite peaceful here in the eye of the storm, as it were, and I'm quite glad that your flirtation with scandal seems to have come to an end."

"Now that I'm with you all the time, I don't feel like I'm going crazy anymore," Sweetie replied.

"I'm glad to hear that." Rarity buried her muzzle in Sweetie's mane, letting the soft hairs tickle her nose. "So, how goes the songwriting? It's been some time since you last spoke of your creative pursuits."

Sweetie shrugged. "It's going I guess. Can't force art sometimes, you know?"

Rarity snorted. "Inspiration is a practiced skill, as you very well know."

"Don't worry about it. I've got it under control." Admittedly, it was hard to worry when Sweetie was pressing kisses against her jaw.

Rarity sighed. "Very well." She shivered as she felt a cold breeze blow past them, making her coat hairs stand on end. "Did we leave a window open?"

Sweetie paused in her ministrations to look around. "Oh!" Her horn glowed, and Rarity followed her sister's gaze to see the offending window being shut. "Huh, when did that get open?"

"It's no matter." Rarity pulled Sweetie back into a tight hug. After a few more moments, she released her sister reluctantly. "Unfortunately, I do have some designs I need to work on. Duty calls, as it always does. Will you be engaging in your daily practice as well?" Sweetie had taken to doing her vocal practices in Rarity's workshop, which Rarity always welcomed.

"Oh, I guess. We need to shower first, though." Sweetie grinned. "Wanna do that together?" Her voice dropped low once again as she gave Rarity a half-lidded smoulder.

"Unfortunately, I do have to make some progress on this dress, so I must decline." At Sweetie's pout, Rarity leaned over to press a kiss against her lips. "Do not fret, darling. We'll have plenty of time this weekend to enjoy ourselves. How about we start hanging up the Nightmare Night decorations? It's a tad early, but given our schedules, it's hard to know when we'll next have a chance to do so."

"As long as I get to be with you, I'm happy." Sweetie hopped off the bed, giving Rarity a wink before sauntering off towards the bathroom.

Rarity stretched and let out a sigh of contentment. Yes, things were turbulent outside, and they still had to tread carefully to hide their relationship, but Rarity had never been happier, and Sweetie seemed to feel the same way.

And she knew that together, they'd be able to weather this storm and come out even stronger than before.
> I was as pure as a river/But now I think I'm possessed/You put a fever inside me/And I've been cold since you left.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The weekend did not find Rarity and Sweetie hanging up decorations and discussing plans for the upcoming festivities.

Instead, the next day, Sweetie had woken up to the doorbell being rung over and over again, a cacophony echoing in her brain as she rolled out of bed. Next to her, Rarity was doing the same, pulling her sleeping mask off as she glared up at the ceiling. "Who in Equestria is making such a racket at this hour? And why has our security not escorted them off the premises yet?"

"Maybe it's one of our friends." Sweetie yawned. "I swear, if Scootaloo's the one outside, I'm going to punch her."

"Rainbow as well," Rarity added, stifling her own yawn. "Though I suppose Rainbow Dash would be flying in through the window instead." The doorbell continued to ring. "One moment!" she called out. Her horn glowed and magic washed over her, pulling her mane into a loose approximation of its usual curls. "Do I look presentable?"

Sweetie eyed her sister critically. "As long as you're not being called up for a photo op, it'll be fine." Rarity always looked beautiful to her, but they both understood that natural beauty wasn't always enough for the press. Not for them, at least.

After Rarity cast the spell on Sweetie as well, the two of them made their way downstairs, pulling the door open to reveal Lace Trim, Rarity assistant, looking incredibly frazzled. Behind her, Sweetie could see their guards holding back a swarm of ponies with cameras.

"Miss Rarity!" Lace Trim exclaimed. "Have you seen the news?" she spared a glance at Sweetie, her expression turning into a glare before the mask of professionalism asserted itself again.

"I have not," Rarity replied. "Whatever is the matter?"

Lace handed over what looked like a tabloid. "Fresh off the presses," she said. "Apparently, they literally stopped the presses to print this instead this morning. We're trying to do damage control now but we need your help, Miss Rarity."

"Come in, then." Rarity closed the door behind Lace as she held up the tabloid so that both she and Sweetie could see it.

Sweetie's blood turned to ice.

Distantly, she was aware that Rarity had dropped the papers to the ground, both their eyes fixated on the photos on the front page.

"So, that explains the open window yesterday," Rarity said faintly. "We should pursue legal action against the photographer, but that will hardly put the cat back in the bag."

Sweetie wanted to say something, anything, but all she could do was stare helplessly at the picture of her and Rarity kissing passionately in bed while their hooves roamed over each other's bodies. It would be impossible to lie their way out of this one.

As always, Rarity took charge of the situation, taking a deep breath as she stood up straight and projected an aura of command about her. "There's no need for Carousel to make a public statement about the private life of a pony," she said, and there was no denying her authority. "That will be the answer we give to anypony who asks. Make sure to also imply that we will be looking into pursuing legal action against any reporter who dares to use this violation of our privacy to slander the company."

Lace Trim nodded. "They also want to know if you'll be making some kind of personal statement as well, whether independently or as the founder and owner of Carousel."

"Tell them I'll think on it." Rarity glanced towards the clock on the wall. "Have a private carriage sent to pick me up in an hour. I have some business to take care of here, and I can hardly appear in the office in such a state." She gestured to her imperfectly-coiffed mane.

"Yes, ma'am. Are there any other messages you want me to send?"

As Rarity and Lace spoke, Sweetie let their voices fade into the background. This was it. The moment they'd both dreaded, but knew in their hearts had probably been inevitable. Sweetie and Rarity loved each other so much that their love was bound to be noticed eventually, and now that it had, once the rush of fear and the desire to vomit had passed, and her heart's rhythm had returned to normal, she felt... light.

So what if this ruined her reputation in the music industry? Sweetie didn't care for the respect of Dime Tune, who owned the largest record company in Equestria but still tried to trick new artists into signing over all the rights to their work. Or the regard of Brass File, the agent who was known for his roaming hooves around young ingenues. Even the other singers who were supposed to be Sweetie's allies were either sharks waiting for her to falter or idiots who wouldn't last the year.

If anything, this was freeing. Having to hide the one good thing in her life hurt so much, and now that it was out in the open, that particular pain was gone.

"I'll make the arrangements, Miss Rarity." As Lace Trim pocketed her notes, Sweetie found that she was smiling.

"Thank you," Rarity said. "And I am sorry for the trouble this has caused."

"It's my job to deal with these kinds of things, ma'am," Lace Trim said coolly. "Though I'll be glad when this is all over." With one final glare towards Sweetie, she made her way back out, towards the growing swarm of reporters.

Rarity's horn glowed, and a fainting couch floated over so that she could collapse onto it. "I am going to need several tubs of ice cream after today," she said, closing her eyes and placing a hoof over her forehead dramatically.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. It's been a while since I've binged a tub of ice cream." Idly, Sweetie wondered how much they still had in the freezer. It was probably time to restock.

Rarity opened one eye to stare at Sweetie. "How are you faring, darling?" she asked, concerned. "Do you need to contact your agent as well?"

Sweetie shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I should do that. He'll probably be coming over soon, though, once he finds out about all of this." There was a tub of vanilla and half a tub of chocolate still. Or maybe it was strawberry rather than vanilla. Did they still have any cookies and cream left?

The frown on Rarity's muzzle deepend, and she reached over to cup Sweetie's face with a hoof. "Are you alright, Sweetie?" she asked. "Are you feeling cold?" Her hoof trailed down to Sweetie's neck. "Your pulse seems normal, at least, but perhaps the shock hasn't properly set in yet?"

Batting the hoof away gently, Sweetie smiled. "No, I get what's going on. And the more I think about it, the more I think that this is the best thing that could've happened to us."

Rarity's eyes narrowed. "How do you mean?" she asked, suspicion creeping into her tone.

"I'm so tired of having to sneak around and pretend like we aren't a couple, Rarity." Sweetie trotted up to the fainting couch and plopped herself on it, nudging Rarity into moving a little in order to make space for her. "And I'm so tired of trying to be the good little filly that tries to be respectable in a world where nopony cares."

"I know it's difficult," Rarity said as she absently wrapped a foreleg around her. "But there are ponies that care."

Sweetie let out a snort. "You know what the others are all like. They've all done such horrible things and gotten away with it. This whole thing, and everything else I've done this year, has made me realize how much I can just do whatever I want. We've both got enough fame and influence that we can ride out any scandal."

"What about our friends?" Rarity asked.

"The ones in Ponyville? They don't know what it's like." Sweetie started peppering kisses along Rarity's neck, nibbling her way up to her chin. "They don't get that it's not worth it. I wasn't happy until I finally did something 'bad' and hooked up with you, and now I've never been happier." Sweetie grinned against Rarity's fur. "And I bet at the end of this, we'll both be able to use all this press coverage to become even more famous and powerful."

With a rough shove, Rarity pushed Sweetie Belle off of the couch. "What has gotten into you, young lady?" she admonished, waggling a hoof imperiously at her. "What happened to the sweet little sister I fell in love with?"

"She's finally realized that she can do whatever she wants, and that there's no point in holding back." Sweetie's grin widened. "C'mon, let's go give the paparazzi out there a show." She reached out towards Rarity with a hoof.

Immediately, Rarity slapped it away. She climbed off the couch and stood before Sweetie, looking every bit the imperious businessmare that she was. "Sweetie, I understand that this is quite a stressful situation we find ourselves in, but you simply must calm down. We shall endure, as we have before, and I promise you that we shall not need to give up who we are to do so."

"But what if I want to give up who I was?" Was she whining? Actually, Sweetie found she didn't care if she was. She had the right to whine after all she'd been through. "What if I could be so much happier if I didn't play nice with other ponies? I already embarrassed Fire Tone once — maybe next time he tries something I'll completely destroy him." Sweetie laughed, and she couldn't tell if it was sweet or bitter. "I've already gotten away with so much this year, nopony will even notice if I go a little bit further."

"It is not a question of what other ponies think." Ugh, was Rarity always this self-righteous? "It's about being true to ourselves, so that we can sleep soundly at night."

"I sleep really well when I'm in bed with you." Maybe she should try another approach. Sweetie made sure to sway her flanks as she trotted over towards Rarity. She lidded her eyes and let her voice drop low and sultry. "Come on, Rarity, we could be so much more if we wanted to. With our connections and influence, nopony would ever want to mess with us, and we could have whatever we want, whenever we want."

"I won't become a monster just because I can." Rarity turned away from Sweetie's attempts to kiss her. "And I won't share my bed with one as well."

Sweetie recoiled as if physically struck. Honestly, she would've preferred if Rarity had done that. "I thought you were always going to take care of me?" she asked, the emotional maelstrom within her spiralling out of control as tears began forming in her eyes. "You promised me you'd stand by me."

"I..." Rarity faltered. "I want to protect you from the evils of this world, Sweetie. But I don't know how to save you from yourself, and I cannot simply stand by idly as you let the darkness destroy the light that shines so brightly in your spirit."

"Fine! I'll find somepony who will, then!" Sweetie stomped off towards the door, refusing to let Rarity see her tears. "After all, I can have anypony I want!"

"Sweetie, please..." Rarity's pleas tugged at Sweetie's heart, but she refused to budge.

"I'm going to show you that I'm right, Rarity," Sweetie promised. "And then you'll regret rejecting me." When she opened the front door, the crowd of reporters were still there. Sweetie smiled grimly at them.

Time to show Rarity that she was serious.

"Hello, everypony," she said pleasantly, letting them all see her tear-stained face. "I know you have a lot of questions, but let me just start by saying that Rarity and I aren't a couple. Apparently, I'm not good enough to be her marefriend."

With that, she walked right past them, ignoring the camera flashes and the cacophony of questions being shouted at her.

"We'll make them all pay, Rarity," Sweetie promised to herself as she flagged down one of their staff to get her a carriage. "And then you'll see that I'm right, and we can be happy together without having to hide anymore."
> Well, my heart is gold and my hands are cold.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, this is really, really bad."

Rarity winced at Twilight's bluntness. "For what little it may be worth, I do apologize for deceiving you."

Twilight sighed as she took her seat on the Council table. After taking over from Celestia and Luna, Twilight had entered another growth spurt, and Rarity noted that it was time for her to have yet another, larger chair made for herself.

Now was probably not the best time to bring that up, however.

"As much as I'm hurt about the lying, I feel like that's the least of our concerns here," Twilight glared at Rarity, disgust clear in her eyes. "How could you, Rarity? She's your little sister!"

"Right, yes." Rarity let out an awkward cough. "I suppose that is rather frowned upon in polite society." It was odd, if she had to be honest with herself. Rarity had spent so long keeping this secret that somewhere along the way she had forgotten why her relationship with Sweetie had been doomed to remain in the shadows.

It seemed that now she was about to have a very rude reminder of what she had forgotten.

Twilight snorted. "Yes, and for very good reasons. I can't believe you'd take advantage of Sweetie like that." Stars, but she had only become more skilled in sounding every inch the disappointed ruler as time had passed.

Still, Rarity remembered when Princess Twilight Sparkle had been nothing more than an extraordinary, introverted bookworm who only wanted to hole herself up in her library for the rest of her life. She stood up straight and looked Twilight in the eyes, putting every ounce of her own conviction in her voice. "I love Sweetie Belle with all my heart," she declared, every word enunciated clearly and deliberately. "And I would die first before I forced her to do anything she didn't wish to. In fact, it was she who propositioned me first."

"And you're the one who said yes, despite knowing better," Twilight retorted. "Sweetie might legally be an adult, but she's still young, and you're still the one with the power in the relationship."

"I'll thank you not to make assumptions about my relationship," Rarity said coolly. "Sweetie and I respect one another, and I only want what is best for her."

"Like sleeping with a mare who's more than a decade and a half older than her?" Immediately, Twilight put a hoof over her muzzle. "Sorry, that wasn't productive of me."

"It's fine," Rarity said through clenched teeth. "I understand that passions are running quite high at the moment. But, if I may repeat myself, I truly care for Sweetie Belle. Moreso than any of her past flames, and moreso than anypony else in her life. I would never take advantage of her."

There was a pause, and then Twilight's expressions softened to one of... pity? "You really believe that, huh?" she said softly, shaking her head.

"With every fibre of my being." It had been true before their romance, and Rarity's conviction in this fact had only grown since then.

"I..." Twilight trailed off, and her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I need you to promise something." She spoke slowly, an implied threat in every word. Rarity had never seen Twilight this intense before, and truth be told, it scared her. "I need you to promise me that you never tried to groom Sweetie into this relationship, that you never even hinted at the possibility of romance with her until after she made the first move."

Rarity didn't even think that Twilight was aware of the fact that her wings had flared out, and there was such energy roiling off her that Rarity wanted to scream and run, to hide until this living storm of a mare dissipated.

But she loved Sweetie, and she knew Twilight, so Rarity stood her ground and looked the alicorn right in the eyes as she spoke. "I swear that I did not breathe a word of it, nor did I imply with my actions that we should be a couple. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She made the motions to go with it, knowing full well the price of deception.

That seemed to satisfy Twilight, as her wings returned to her sides and she slouched back into the chair, letting out a defeated sigh. Once again, she was just Twilight. "Fine," she said, and Rarity would have laughed at how tired and exasperated she sounded, had the situation not been so dire. "There's no law against what you're doing, and if you weren't grooming her then there's really nothing I can do about this, so I guess it has to be fine."

"I suppose I shall take that," Rarity replied.

Twilight let out a hysterical laugh. "Honestly, even if what you were doing was illegal, I couldn't just throw you in the dungeons. You've done too much for Equestria and you'd probably be able to talk yourself out of there in a week."

Rarity shifted uncomfortably on her hooves. That was a little too similar to what Sweetie had said a few days ago. "Our positions do grant us some advantages, it's true."

"It also comes with responsibilities." Having calmed herself down, Twilight conjured up a quill and scroll. "And right now, we need to figure out what to do going forward. The girls will be here soon, and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo are already in Manehattan trying to contact Sweetie Belle."

"With luck, they shall be able to talk her down from doing anything more rash than what she's already done." News travelled fast, and in the days since Sweetie had fled Canterlot for her apartment, she had already made several statements to the press declaring her intention to write a new album that would "show everypony how it was really done," whatever that meant.

More worrisome were the reports that Sweetie had aired some dirty laundry in exactly all of the wrong places. As a result, if the tabloids were to be believed, Arpeggio had broken up with Perfect Pitch over the latter's infidelity, Starsong had been assaulted by a crazed fan after it was revealed that she used magic to alter her voice while singing, and Song Strut had quit the music industry entirely over some mysterious incident that had occurred after a meeting with Sweetie Belle.

As for Rarity, she'd laid low, dodging the press and dealing with matters internally at Carousel. Her employees had managed to hide their disgust with varying levels of professionalism, but Rarity still had enough of a presence to keep anypony from speaking out directly against her.

And now, she'd finally managed to get a meeting with her old friend after Twilight had returned from a visit to Baltimare to discuss how to handle their friends, as well as any inquiries that might be made at the Palace about the conduct of one of the members of the Council of Friendship.

"And then what?" Twilight asked. "Since you haven't broken any laws, there's no reason for the Crown to make any kind of statement regarding this incident, but ponies are still going to talk about it if you and Sweetie keep being a couple. Assuming you still are. It kind of looks like Sweetie was saying you weren't anymore?"

"I'm not entirely sure." It hurt to think about, but Sweetie had essentially broken up with her when she'd stormed out of her house. "I dearly wish to be with her once again, but I would never dream of forcing myself on her, and at the moment, it seems she's finished with us."

"So you'd just let her go?" Twilight asked.

"I thought I could make her happy, but if I cannot stop her from walking this path into darkness, then perhaps I was wrong." Rarity sighed. "I did try, you know. I gave Sweetie everything I thought she needed, watched over her and gave her a refuge from her life."

"That didn't stop her from acting out before," Twilight pointed out. "I've seen the newspaper articles, but I didn't think it was my place to comment on them."

"That was only because we were apart," Rarity argued. "Once I stopped leaving Sweetie alone, she was in a much better place. She was miserable without me, which is why I fear for her well-being at this moment."

Twilight raised an eyebrow at that. "Wait, you're telling me that Sweetie is only happy when she's with you? That didn't raise any red flags?"

"I... oh." There was an awkward pause as Rarity processed this revelation. "Oh dear."

Twilight let out a most unregal snort. "I guess that's one of the problems when you can't talk about your relationship with anyone."

"I suppose so." Glancing around, Rarity found an appropriate couch for her to lower herself onto. "I've really made a mess of things, haven't I?" she said quietly, idly noting the softness of the satin cushion beneath her.

To her credit, there was more pity than judgement in Twilight's eyes. "In your defence, Sweetie also hasn't been handling things very well."

"She's my responsibility, still," Rarity replied.

"Because she's your marefriend, or because she's your little sister?" The question hung pointedly in the air between them as Twilight stared at Rarity expectantly.

Eventually, the tense silence was broken not by Rarity's answer, but by a flash of magical fire that appeared before Twilight and resolved itself into a scroll. Rarity recognized the seal as one from the School of Friendship, and waited as Twilight unrolled the document.

"It's from Scootaloo and Apple Bloom," Twilight said as she read through it. "They finally got to Sweetie and..." she trailed, her eyes widening in shock.

Rarity's heart dropped into her stomach. "What is it, Twilight?"

Twilight looked up gravely at her. "You need to get over to Manehattan now, Rarity. Sweetie's in trouble."
> I'm bigger than my body/I'm colder than this home/I'm meaner than my demons/I'm bigger than these bones
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The bridge is crossed, so stand and watch it burn..."

Sweetie sang softly to herself as she watched Brass Ring tackle Echo Flare to the ground, intent on strangling him with her own bare hooves. Echo had banned his ex from all his events for exactly this reason, but he'd also made some very rude comments about Sweetie's relationship with her sister.

And so, Sweetie had used her plus-one for this party to spice things up a bit and teach him a lesson.

"We've passed the point of no return..."

A wide grin spread out across Sweetie's muzzle as she watched all the bystanders step away to give the loving couple ample space to express their passion, instead of trying to intervene. How predictable. They saw a spectacle brewing and they all wanted to see the show.

And now Sweetie was no different from the rest of them.

"You bastard!" Brass screamed as she tried her level best to wring Echo's scrawny neck. "How could you cheat on me with her!"

"I..." Echo struggled to get his words out, but eventually managed to push her off for a moment. "I had to get my rocks off somehow, you frigid bitch!"

"I'll cut those damn rocks right off!" With an animalistic roar, Brass was on him again.

To her left, Sweetie saw Sugar Note sidling up to her. "So, I heard you're the one who brought Brass here," she said conspiratorially, as if Sweetie hadn't literally walked in with the mare by her side.

Still, Sweetie allowed herself a mysterious smirk. "Echo talked shit about my sister, so now he's eating shit."

Vapid and stupid as she was, Sugar still got the message behind Sweetie's words. "Well, I guess he deserved it, then," she said, sparing her a fearful glance.

"He did," Sweetie confirmed. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll have another drink." With that, she made her leave, knowing that Sugar Note would spread the word, and Sweetie's reputation would grow.

She'd made a promise the day she'd left Rarity's house in Canterlot with a broken heart and a soul filled with anger. By making anyone who crossed her pay, she'd make sure that nopony dared speak a word about her relationship with Rarity, and then they could be happy together again, just like they were before, but without having to hide their true selves anymore.

"I'm doing this for us," she muttered to herself, idly swirling the wine in her glass around. This was one of those fancy events, or it had been until the brawl, at least, and so the wine was quite a good vintage. Rarity would have appreciated it.

Rarity. Even now, Sweetie couldn't stop thinking about her, couldn't stop trying to please her, even when her sister didn't know what was best for them. That was okay. Eventually, Rarity would see the error of her ways, and come to ask Sweetie for forgiveness. Sweetie would graciously grant it to her, and then Rarity could take over this endeavour and continue to keep Sweete safe and protected.

At some point, the cops had been called, and things had gotten a bit complicated, so Sweetie stepped out and headed back towards her apartment. After all, she'd done nothing wrong. She'd just brought an old friend to a party who had reacted badly to seeing her ex there.

"Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair..."

Well, okay, that was a bit dramatic, Sweetie thought to herself as she continued her song in the carriage home. Still, her apartment did feel very empty without Rarity there, and she really hoped that her plan would pay off sooner rather than later. Rarity had to come to her senses soon, right?

"Down we plunge to the prison of my mind..."

And if Rarity wasn't here, then Sweetie would have to provide the dramatics herself.

The carriage arrived, and Sweetie thanked the driver before stepping off into the cool Manehattan night once again.

"Down that path into darkness deep below!"

Okay, technically she was going up, but Sweetie could take some artistic license if she wanted. Who was going to tell her no, anyways?

"Hey, Sweetie!" A familiar voice pulled her out of her reveries, and she glanced towards the entrance to see her two oldest friends waving at her.

"Apple Bloom? Scootaloo?" Without thinking, Sweetie rushed forward towards them, ecstatic to see her Crusaders once again after spending so many months apart. "I'm so glad to see you two! I didn't know you were coming, though."

"Well, it was kinda short notice," Apple Bloom said, shifting awkwardly on her hooves. "We came as soon as we could."

Scootaloo snorted. "Yeah, I had to arrange for a substitute and stuff first. Turns out I can't drop everything to rush over here just because my best friend is fucking her sister."

Her words stopped Sweetie in her tracks. "Oh," she said awkwardly. "Right, you're here about that, huh?" She should have known that they weren't here just to surprise her for some fun nights out.

"No shit." Scootaloo rolled her eyes. "Also, we aren't we on your guest list? The guards wouldn't let us in."

"They're not supposed to let anyone in unless I tell them to first," Sweetie said. "Well, except for Rarity, because, uhh..." She trailed off, feeling a flash of embarrassment, followed immediately by anger at the world for making her embarrassed to talk about her love.

"Right, we gotta talk about that, and all the other shit you've been pulling," Scootaloo said with all her usual tact.

"Aren't teachers supposed to be nurturing and understanding and stuff?" Sweetie asked.

"With our students, yeah," Scootaloo replied. "But you're not one of my students, you're my friend, and right now you're being an idiot too."

"Lay off her, Scoots," Apple Bloom placed a hoof on Scootaloo's shoulder. "Can't you see she's going through a lot at the moment?"

"Actually, I feel great." Forcing a smile, Sweetie trotted over towards them. "I finally get to do all the things I've always wanted to do, and I'm sure Rarity will come back to me soon. She always does."

Scootaloo took a step back. "Sweetie, do you have any idea how messed up all of this is?"

"Why? Because I finally found someone who actually loves me?" Sweetie sighed. "Look, I know you two might not understand, but can you at least try to be happy for me?"

"I... this is a lot, Sweetie," Apple Bloom said. "We wanna be happy for you, we really do, but it don't look like the most healthy thing from the outside, y'know? Especially since we've been reading the papers, and boy howdy, those headlines after you broke up with her sure are somethin'."

Sweetie waved a dismissive hoof. "Oh, don't worry about that. I'm just making sure that nopony ever messes with us ever again." She smirked. "I found something even better than punching somepony's lights out."

"What the hay, Sweetie?" Scootaloo said as she glared at her. "What happened to you?"

It was getting a little tiring having this conversation over and over again. "I finally figured out that I can make ponies do whatever I want, so I'm taking advantage of that."

"Sweetie, yer starting to sound a bit like Diamond Tiara before she realized what her cutie mark actually meant." Apple Bloom looked really worried, which was also annoying. Why couldn't they all see that Sweetie was fine?

"Yeah, and Diamond Tiara basically ran our school for a long time," Sweetie replied. "She knew how things really worked."

Scootaloo and Apple Bloom shared a helpless glance. "We're supposed to be the good guys," Scootaloo said. "Maybe you should come back with us to Ponyville for a little bit until things calm down."

This time, it was Sweetie's turn to step back as Scootaloo reached out a hoof towards her. "Thanks, but I'm where I'm supposed to be. Besides, I have to be here for the grand finale." She grinned. "Rarity will have to come over after that!"

"Grand finale?" Another worried glance between Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. "What exactly are ya planning?"

Oh, this was so much fun. "You'll see," Sweetie said sweetly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta get ready."

"Sweetie, you're scaring us," Scootaloo said.

For a moment, Sweetie almost relented. There was genuine fear in Scootaloo's eyes, and seeing the brave pegasus so scared sent a shock of revulsion through Sweetie's body. This was wrong, everything about this was wrong.

But if everything was wrong, then what did it matter? Sure, Sweetie shouldn't have been forced into this position, but she was trapped, now. Trapped by the revelation of her relationship to the world. And if she was just doing what she had to do, then why not enjoy it along the way?

Sweetie's grin widened. "You should be scared of me." And with that, she stepped into the apartment building, leaving her two oldest friends behind staring at her in shock.
> And if you wanna go to heaven you should fuck me tonight.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Twilight had lent Rarity the Royal Chariot, which she had been modifying with magic for the past few decades. As a result, Rarity had been able to make it to Manehattan within an hour, touching down a block away from their apartment building.

The little calm before the storm gave Rarity an opportunity to reflect on her conversation with Twilight. Unfortunately, that reflection didn't provide any new insights. Rarity didn't know how to help Sweetie, but she knew she had to find a way, somehow. It was something to figure out when they weren't currently in a crisis.

The moment they arrived, Rarity rushed over towards their home, waltzing straight past the guards and taking the elevator straight up to the top.

The scent hit her nose the moment the door opened, and she wrinkled it in disgust.

"Well, this is a rather familiar scene, I must say," Rarity said as she stepped inside and saw Sweetie sitting on a couch, holding up a bottle of liquor.

Sweetie perked up when she saw Rarity, an unhinged grin spreading out across her muzzle. "Rarity!" she exclaimed, dropping the bottle to the floor and letting its contents spill out. "You're here! Oh, this is perfect!"

"Really. How so?" Rarity asked, noticing that this time the stench was much stronger, and that the floors were glistening the sheen of a liquid coating, along with numerous remains of broken bottles.

"You can be a witness, of course!" Sweetie tapped a hoof to her chin. "Wait, I should probably explain from the beginning. See, I've been making sure that nopony ever tries to screw with us again, and I think it's been working, but you know how it is in show business. If you don't do something really big, ponies are just going to forget and move on to the next shiny thing."

The dread that had been building up in Rarity's heart rose further. "And what exactly is it that you have planned for your pièce de résistance?"

"I'm going to invite Fire Tone over," Sweetie explained. "And then we're going to have a fight, and it'll be all his fault. He's going to lose his temper and start smashing things, and then oops, at some point the fire catches on all this alcohol he spilled, and we get to have a new beginning and he'll look like someone who attacks defenseless mares and sets their homes on fire."

"And you think that everyone will believe you?" Rarity didn't know why she was entertaining Sweetie's insane plan, but she had to admit she was darkly curious as to how far her sister had thought this out.

"Everypony loves me, and the point isn't that they'll all believe my story. The point is that enough of them will, and the rest will know what happens if they ever betray me like he did." Sweetie grinned deviously. "And now that you're here, you can back me up so that our case will be even stronger!"

"Sweetie, I am not going to help you frame somepony for arson, even one as vile as Fire Tone," Rarity said firmly, and Sweetie's face fell.

"Oh, I thought you came here because you finally realized I was right." Sweetie's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Scootaloo and Apple Bloom told you to come, huh? And here I thought it was because you loved me."

"I do love you, dear. Truly." Careful not to step on any broken glass, Rarity trotted towards her beloved. "But I wasn't certain where we stood, and I was hoping that your old friends would be able to remind you of where you came from."

"They reminded me that everypony used to think I was a dumb, naïve idiot, and they were probably right. Poor old Sweetie Belle, with her heart in the right place but an empty head. At least she's pretty and good at singing." Sweetie's voice rose as she said the words in a mocking tone, her head swaying back and forth. "Well, now I'll show them all what I can do."

"We've already seen what you can do, my love, and we love you for it," Rarity said, taking another cautious step forwards. "We've seen how kind you can be, and how you can be a light in the darkness that gives the rest of us hope. That achievement is far more impressive than the ability to tear down an institution built on lies."

Sweetie scoffed. "Yeah, and what's that gotten me in return, besides being humiliated in the press over and over again?"

"Well, there's me." As much as Sweetie's reliance on her was problematic, perhaps it would be useful in making her stand down in this moment. Rarity had managed to make her way over to Sweetie, and now reached out a hoof towards her. "I love the light within your soul, Sweetie, and I would hate to see it snuffed out."

"It's okay," Sweetie said, taking Rarity's hoof with her own. "You'll love the new me too. I promise."

"I told you before," Rarity said. "I won't be with a monster."

The grip grew uncomfortably tight. "I mean, I've already got this whole place set up to frame someone for arson," Sweetie said in an unnervingly casual tone. "If you want to break my heart, I can just tweak my plans a little and figure out something else for Fire Tone."

Rarity froze. "And here I believed you still loved me," she murmured, shocked to her very core at what had become of her sister.

"I do love you," Sweetie replied. "Can't you see that's why I'm doing all of this? I just want us to be able to be together without anypony saying anything about it. I'd do anything for you."

"Even blackmail me into a relationship?" The question hung in the air between them, creating a tense silence. Rarity took a step back, her hoof parting from Sweetie's. "Very well, if you've truly fallen so far, then so be it." She took another step, turning away from Sweetie. "Do what you will." Her heart hammered away at her chest as she stopped breathing, every cell in her body concentrating on looking as casual as possible as she walked away from her true love.

Halfway to the exit, she heard Sweetie call out. "Wait!" The anguish in her sister's voice nearly broke Rarity, but she held strong, not looking back. "Please, Rarity, I can't be happy without you."

Rarity finally released the breath she'd been holding, grateful that her gambit had worked. She turned around slowly and smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I think that may be the problem, darling. I cannot be the only light in your life, just as you cannot be the only one in mine. If all that stands between us and the precipice is each other, then one of us is bound to falter and drag the other down into the depths as well, no?"

Sweetie sighed. "I... I just want to be happy again, Rarity," she whispered, tears streaming from her eyes. "It hurts to think when you aren't around."

Rarity sucked in a harsh breath at that. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie." She made her way back towards her sister, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "I never realized how dire your situation was. Can you ever forgive me?"

Sweetie let out a laugh that turned into a choked sob. "I just tried to coerce you into dating me," she said, a bitter smile on her muzzle. "I don't think you're the one who needs to apologize."

"Well, I'm supposed to be the one who takes care of you," Rarity said, pulling Sweetie into a hug. "Though, I've also recently been informed that this is not an attitude that is becoming of a healthy relationship as well."

"I think we're supposed to take care of each other," Sweetie murmured into Rarity's coat, and ah, how nice it felt to hold her beloved sister against her chest once again! "And I tried to do that for you too, but you don't really need taking care of, huh?"

"Admittedly, coming home to a warm bath is quite the treat, but no," Rarity admitted. "I survived quite well on my own, and while I would be very much... diminished, without you, I could continue to live. And I hope you would be able to do so in my absence as well."

"That sounds... healthy," Sweetie said carefully. "But the thought of you not being there still hurts so much. I thought I could fill that void with power, but it doesn't really work like that."

"That it does not, and I am glad you can see that now," Rarity said, relieved.

Sweetie snorted. "For the record, I still don't really feel bad about what I did, and what I was going to do. Everypony in the business deserves whatever's coming to them." She paused, idly stroking Rarity's fur. "But, I guess if it won't make me happy, and it won't bring you back to me, then there's no point in me doing it, right?"

"Let somepony else take on the burden of delivering justice," Rarity said. "And find your own path to happiness."

"You'll be there with me while I look for that, right?" Sweetie looked up at her with wide eyes, and Rarity's heart melted.

"I shall be there with you every step of the way," Rarity promised. She looked around the room, where broken bottles and pungent liquids were strewn about. "Shall we toast to this newfound revelation, or did you empty the liquor cabinet entirely?"

Sweetie pressed a hoof against her chin, sticking her tongue out in thought. "Uhh, I think there might still be some wine in there." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry for, uhh, destroying our collection."

"Those can be replaced." Rarity smirked. "Fortunately, I keep the most valuable vintages in Canterlot."

"I'll probably have to leave a big tip for whoever has to clean this up too," Sweetie said as she snuggled up to Rarity. "But that can wait until tomorrow."

Rarity nodded. "Indeed. Though, we should write to our friends to let them know that the crisis has passed, for now."

More snuggling, and then Sweetie let out a groan. "Ugh, we're still gonna have to convince them that we're both actually happy in this relationship. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are gonna be watching us like a hawk for the next little while to make sure you aren't taking advantage of me or something."

"The other Elements will likely be doing the same," Rarity added. "In truth, I think it will be better for us to have friends to lean on in times of need, and to ask advice on matters of the heart."

"Mhm." Sweetie started nuzzling her way up to Rarity's chin. "Things really are going to be different this time, huh?"

Rarity leaned down, capturing Sweetie's roaming lips with a kiss. "It will be even better."

This time, when Sweetie smiled, the whole room lit up. "I can't wait. I love you, Rarity."

Rarity returned the smile. "I love you too, Sweetie Belle."
> Epilogue: For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide/Because you're mine, I walk the line
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Does this dress make me look fat?"

Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Apple Bloom, for the last time, you look beautiful, and there's not an ounce of fat in you body anyways." She poked her friend in the foreleg playfully. "You're like, all muscle."

"Are ya sure?" Apple Bloom stared at herself in the mirror some more, wiggling her flanks back and forth.

"Positive," Sweetie replied. She glanced at the clock. "Also, we're going to be late for our dinner with Scootaloo if we don't leave soon."

Apple Bloom sighed. "Alright, I can finish this up later." She began taking off wedding dress, handing it over to the employee at the shop with a quick thanks and a promise to return the next day.

They made their way over towards the restaurant, idly chatting about wedding preparations as they walked through the streets of Ponyville. The small town had grown into a modest city since they were foals, but it still felt like home in a way that Manehattan and Canterlot never had.

Scootaloo was already waiting for them at a table on the porch. She waved when she saw them approach and smiled. "Hey, you two, how did the dress shopping go?"

Sweetie rolled her eyes. "Can you please tell your fiancée that she's not going to put on weight before the wedding so that she can finally make a decision?"

"Hey!" Apple Bloom playfully slapped Sweetie on the shoulder. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

"I definitely didn't," Sweetie replied, taking a seat. "I'm pretty sure I said that I was going to ask Scootaloo to talk some sense into you."

Scootaloo raised up her hooves defensively. "Hey, don't look at me! I've been trying to tell her that she hasn't gained a pound since we started dating."

"Yeah, yeah." Apple Bloom walked around to give Scootaloo a quick peck on the cheek before sitting down next to her. "Still, if I'm gonna spend that much money on a dress, I'm gonna make darn sure that it fits me when I walk down that aisle."

"You can get it altered if you're really worried," Sweetie said. "Anyways, I'm sure by tomorrow you'll have gone through literally every dress in that store, so you'll have to make a decision."

"Still can't believe I'm not allowed to see it until the wedding day," Scotaloo grumbled.

"It's tradition," Apple Bloom said simply, and that was that. "Anyways, I'm starved. What's on the menu?"

The three of them took a little time to decide their orders and relay them to the waiter. Afterwards, the loving couple turned their attention to Sweetie. "So, I heard your album playing at the grocery store the other day," Scotaloo said.

Sweetie shrugged. "Yeah. Looks like Greener Pastures is still doing okay even without much promotion. It's not going to be anywhere near the last few albums without the backing of a big studio, but I don't really care."

"It's not like you need the money anyways." Scootaloo quipped.

"I do miss the big numbers a little," Sweetie admitted. "But it definitely wasn't worth going through all that crap for it. I'll take my little indie release and getting to hear it once in a while when I'm shopping."

"As long as you're happy, we're happy for you," Apple Bloom said warmly.

"I am happy," Sweetie assured them. "Moving back to Ponyville was definitely the right choice, and Rarity's going to be back tonight, so I'm looking forward to that too."

To their credit, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo no longer made obvious faces of distaste whenever Rarity's name was brought up. It had taken some time to get to that point, but Sweetie was glad that they'd somewhat accepted her relationship.

That being said, her friends still worried for her. "Is she treating you good?" Scootaloo asked with her usual lack of tact. It was the same question every time they met, and Sweetie found it a little annoying, but she knew Scootaloo's heart was in the right place, so she chose to be glad that she had such caring friends instead.

"She is," Sweetie promised. "She's finally getting comfortable with leaving on business trips without constantly sending me letters to make sure I'm okay. Guess it's finally sinking in that you two will keep me out of trouble."

"You mean I can keep you two out of trouble." Apple Bloom snorted. "I swear, sometimes it's like you two never grew up."

"Hey, at least we're not doing anything that could get Sweetie into the newspapers," Scootaloo protested.

"Not unless you count the obituary section." Apple Bloom wrapped a foreleg around Scootaloo to soften the verbal blow. "Which ain't exactly better. I swear, next time one of you gets stuck in a tree, I'm gonna let you two figure out how to get back down. Maybe you'll learn your lesson then."

"Hey, that was only one time, and it would've worked if the wind didn't mess up my spell!" Sweetie grinned, the banter swirling around her like a warm breeze. This really was where she was meant to be, and it'd taken way too long for her to see it.

Dinner passed by in a blur of camaraderie and wedding plans, and before long, Sweetie found herself saying goodbye and heading back to Carousel Boutique.

She arrived to find the warm glow of the lights shining out the windows and grinned. With a spring in her step, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. "I'm home!" she announced, looking around to see the store area empty.

A moment later, she heard the sound of hoofsteps on the stairs, and Rarity appeared wearing a sheer nightgown. "Hello, my love," she purred sensually. "My train arrived earlier than expected, so I thought I would surprise you upon your return."

Sweetie swallowed the lump in her throat. "Well, uhh, you definitely did that."

Rarity let out a throaty giggle. "Shall we make our way to the bedroom, then?"

With a mute nod, Sweetie trotted up to her marefriend and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, their hooves already roaming over one another's bodies as they stumbled their way up to the bedroom.

It was always intense, the first time they made love after one of Rarity's absences. Attempting to make up for lost time, they would devour each other with an almost vicious ferocity, exchanging dominance back and forth as they used their hooves, tongues, and magic to drive each other to the peak over and over again.

It was a union of two equals, a joining of two as one as they shared in every motion a promise to stand by one another in all things. And when Sweetie cried out in the throes of release, she knew she could trust Rarity with her very soul. And when she heard Rarity's moans of pleasure in return, Sweetie knew that Rarity trusted her enough to share herself with her in every way.

Some time later, when they had both been sated for the time being, Sweetie and Rarity lay in bed together, still holding each other close. "So, how was Canterlot?" Sweetie asked, idly stroking Rarity's barrel. Her sister's coat was alway so soft and warm and silky smooth to the touch, and Sweetie could spend hours just basking in the wonderful texture of it. In fact, she had done exactly that on multiple occasions.

"Beautiful as always," Rarity replied, nuzzling her mane in return. "Though not as beautiful as you, of course."

Sweetie let out a soft giggle. "Aww, love you too, Rarity. And what about the Friendship Council?"

"Oh, the usual political matters," Rarity said. "Which reminds me, Twilight received a proposal from Wood Wind asking to help fund a music program for youths in Manehattan, and we'd appreciate your perspective on it."

"Hmm..." Sweetie tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I mean, Wood Wind is absolutely doing this to make Syncopation Records look good, but he's not the type to just embezzle the money, so it should be fine as long as you check up on the progress once in a while."

Rarity nodded. "I see. I'll be sure to relay your thoughts back to Twilight."

"Are the others still giving you a hard time over me?" Sweetie asked, noting that Rarity hadn't mentioned them.

"They worry about you," Rarity replied, "and I do love them for it. I'm sure they will come around in time. I may be able to arrange a double date with Rainbow Dash and Applejack if you are up for it."

Sweetie rolled her eyes. "It's been six months already, but sure. It'll be nice to hang out with them, and hopefully they can see that we're really in love. At least Twilight's on our side."

"She is a dear, yes," Rarity murmured into her mane. "It is good to have someone I can speak with freely."

"Yeah, I'm so glad I have Apple Bloom and Scootaloo for that," Sweetie said.

"Speaking of which, how goes the search for a suitable wedding dress?" Rarity asked.

"Apple Bloom will probably decide on a dress before the wedding." Sweetie paused. "Probably. At least Scootaloo's going for a tux, and also doesn't care at all about fashion, so she's already done clothes shopping. Which reminds me that we'll need something to wear too."

"I have some designs in mind," Rarity said. "Remind me to show you the sketches tomorrow."

"Sure." Sweetie let out a yawn. "Oh wow, you really wore me out."

Smugness radiated from Rarity as she smiled back. "This old mare still knows a few tricks, darling. Sleep well, my love."

"I love you, Rarity." Sweetie closed her eyes, letting herself drift off to sleep in the embrace of her lover. "Good night." There would be time enough for love tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, and Sweetie couldn't wait to continue the rest of her life with Rarity by her side.