A Gem Richly Won

by Rose Quill


Goodbyes Can Hurt

“Ah, here we are!” Rarity sang as we walked into the apartment. It was completely barren at the moment, but it had a plush gray carpet and a stunning view of Manehatten from its windows. I looked around at the bare walls, slate gray in color and felt a tiny stab of sadness despite the smile on my face.

Rarity was moving away. Not forever, I’m sure, but Manehatten was over two hours away. Not a terribly long distance by any means, but still far enough that I couldn’t just hop over like I could when we all lived in Canterlot. It was going to be tough, and I knew that, but this was a big chance for her, and I would never take that from her.

“Oh, and you simply must see the patio, Fluttershy dear,” she said, practically skipping across the room to open a door that led outside.

I followed, looking out at the city as she slid her arm around my waist. I felt the breeze ruffle my hair and for a moment I thought I knew what an eagle must feel like in their eyries, so high up and protected from everything.

“Oh, I simply have so much to do,” my fashionista continued, gliding back inside and glancing around, holding up a pair of fingers as though framing a picture. “I have to set up the bedroom and the workspace. Oh! Do you think we should arrange for some food to be delivered?”

I twisted a lock of my hair around my fingers, not out of nervousness as much as habit. After everything we’d been through, I had trouble feeling nervous around my friends anymore. Especially Rarity.

“What were you thinking?” I asked, feeling my tummy growl a little. “Maybe something light since we’ll be bringing boxes up later?”

“True," she said, scrolling along her phone’s screen, giving a few errant locks of her royal purple hair a toss over her shoulder. “Perhaps some Neighponese take out? There’s a place just down the way from here.”

“That sounds delightful,” I said as I slung my purse over my shoulder. “Oh, I hope they have zaru soba.”

“Is that the one with the flat noodles?” Rarity asked.

“No, it’s made with buckwheat noodles,” I replied, feeling a bit of excitement at the prospect. “They’re served drained on bamboo strainers with a sauce or broth on the side. You pick them up and dip them before eating. I find it tastier than udon dishes because the noodles don’t get soggy sitting in the broth too long. Or maybe some real ramen!”

Rarity just shook her head as we entered the elevator. I looked at her.

“What is it?”

She smiled and leaned over to kiss me.

“You’re simply adorable, Care Bear.”

I flushed at the nickname, though it did set off butterflies in my belly.


I set my purse and keys on the table next to the door, flicking on a light overhead as I walked into my room. Mom and Dad were out tonight to celebrate his retirement and Zephyr - thankfully - was out somewhere.

I sat on the edge of my bed and untied my sneakers before setting them on my shoe rack. I sighed and picked up the framed picture of Rarity and I from my nightstand and fell back onto my bed.

I smiled as I looked at the picture. It had been taken at a carnival shortly after we had returned. We were both grinning madly at the camera which had been held by Twilight at the time. I had a bottle of water and Rarity was holding a paper plate containing a funnel cake that we had split.

I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket, dialing Rarity. She picked up after a few rings.

“Hey,” I said softly, staring at her glass encased face. “Just wanted to let you know I made it home ok. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Care,” she whispered and I could hear a hint of something in her voice that I easily recognized. Loneliness. She was alone in a small apartment in a city hours away from her friends and for the first time, on her own. No parents, no Sweetie Belle for company, she didn't even have Opal there.

“Are you available for lunch tomorrow?” She asked before her voice faltered. “No, tomorrow’s Wednesday, you have the inspection at the shelter, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” I said sadly. “Maybe Thursday?”

“Sadly, I have orientation that day,” she said sadly.

I felt my heart drop a bit. “Friday?”

“Possibly, it depends on the schedule they hand out Thursday.” Rarity sighed. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy darling, I truly am.”

“It’s ok, Rarity,” I lied, trying to sound cheery. “It was just bad timing. I’m sure we can get together this weekend and you can tell me all about your class schedule and I can let you know about mine when it starts.”

“Alright, then,” she said. “So, what classes are you taking, again? I remember you saying that you hadn’t quite decided the last time we spoke on it.”

We chatted idly for a while, dancing around the issue of distance between us. I held the phone long after we had ended the call, the final words spoken echoing in my ears.

“Goodbye, darling. I love you.”

Goodbye

I managed not to cry. We had spoken those words hundreds of times even before we started to date. But still, my mind managed to dredge up all sorts of horrid scenarios because, despite my increasing self-confidence, there were still those voices from my past, taunting me with that chant.

Will Always Cry

A soft tapping at my door preceded my mother sticking her head in. She looked at me through her glasses and came to sit by me on the bed.

“Is everything alright, dear?” She asked patting me on my outstretched hand.

I nodded. “It’s just going to be tough adjusting to college,” I said. “Rarity’s in Manehattan and Dash going to be in the same area. I’m so used to seeing everyone every day, or to just ask them if they want to grab lunch. Now we’re going to have to schedule everything in advance.”

Mom smiled and adjusted a lock of my pink hair. “I know that’s going to be tough, honey, but that’s how life is sometimes,” she smiled. “I remember one time when your father and I were dating we didn’t see each other for a whole month, we were so busy.”

“How did you stand that?” I asked.

Her eyes went a little distant. “We wrote daily, and called when we could,” she laughed. His handwriting was so wretched sometimes I could barely read it, but I was so timid he could sometimes barely hear me on the phone if you can believe that.”

She leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “If it’s supposed to be,” she said. “Then just trust yourself and Rarity. Sometimes if you force something, you might break it.”

We heard the door bang open downstairs. “I’m home!” Zephyr called out.

“Case in point,” Mom said, sighing. She patted my hand again. “Sleep tight, Fluttershy.”

“Good night, Mom,” I said in reply.

Trust. I trusted Rarity implicitly. And she trusted me. I just had to stop myself from worrying too much.

That was the easy part, right?