The Lady's Instrument
By FireRain
''Oh, much better,'' Rarity said with a sigh of much-needed relief as she magically levitated Pinkie's acoustic guitar back into her hooves.
From her friend's shredding session on her guitar, Pinkie's usually puffed-up and curly mane was found in a blast-back position, pushed out in a style that can only be described as blasted. She gently blew a short breath of wind over the now-smoking strings of her guitar, cooling them down from the friction that had been bestowed upon them.
She blinked and stared in bewilderment at the instrument. Her thoughts were frazzled and as jumbled as her new hairdo. What had she just witnessed from her friend, Rarity? Even by Pinkie's standards, what had just happened left her in a state of perplexity.
Placing the guitar aside, Pinkie brought her hoof to her mouth, giving a quick forceful blow. Her mane inflated and then gave a small 'pop' and returned to its former glory, completely restoring her trademark puffiness. Placing her hoof back on the ground, she looked towards Rarity, now a short distance away from her.
''Rarity!'' She called after her, beginning her trot towards her. ''Wait!'' She said, coming to a stop beside her and causing Rarity to stop still in her tracks, an expectant look on her face.
''Oh, Pinkie, dear. Something the matter?'' She asked innocently, as if the previous moment never transpired.
''I-No, I mean yes, I mean - No!'' She struggled with her words, her bewilderment and warped brain getting the better of her. ''No, Rarity, nothings wrong, but...'' She began, seemingly deep in thought for her next choice of words.
''But?'' Rarity ushered, lightly twirling her pearl hoof in the air, beckoning her to continue.
''But!'' Pinkie said, her eyes brightening as the correct words began to flow to her and she sported a smile. ''But, what was that?''
''What was what, darling?'' The unicorn replied, confused and giving her friend a raised brow. Pinkie only groaned.
''Oh, come on!'' She said, throwing her hooves up. ''That!'' She directed them towards the acoustic guitar laying on the ground in front of Sugarcube Corner. ''That's what!''
Rarity blinked and glanced between her friend and the instrument. ''Huh?'' She began, apparently blind to what Pinkie was getting at. ''Oh, you mean the guitar? What about it?'' She asked, oblivious.
Pinkie Pie gripped the purple curly-maned unicorn by her shoulders and pressed her muzzle to hers, gazing deep into her royal blue eyes. ''Rarity, come on, I saw you play it! What in Equestria was that?!'' She asked, soul-searching the unicorn.
Rarity gave her friend a push to her pink breast, removing her from her personal space with a small scowl of disapproval. ''Pinkie, dear, please,'' She said, brushing herself off with a hoof. ''You'll ruin my complexion.''
''Forget about your complexion! Since when do you play the guitar?!'' Pinkie asked eagerly, her nerves about ready to explode. Not only that, but she looked as if her eyes were about to bulge from her sockets with how much tension she was carrying within her frame.
Rarity blushed and turned to look away. ''I, well, I...'' She coughed into her hoof, regaining her composure. ''A lady never tells, Pinkie,'' She said, hoping to evade Pinkie's attempts at inside knowledge on the mystery of her friend's secret talent.
''But it's so not like you! Rarity, I'm full of surprises and all, but that was crazy, even by my standards! It just doesn't seem like something I can picture you doing!'' Pinkie said, her face a contortion of shock and amazement.
''Well, I-'' Rarity began, trying to think of a reason. Eventually, she said, ''Even a lady can have a secret, Pinkie.''
''I suppose,'' Pinkie said, calming her nerves and bringing a smile to her lips. She then added, ''But when did you learn to play the guitar like that?''
Rarity gave Pinkie Pie a firm stare, her face unreadable. For a moment, she simply said nothing, as if trying to debate on avoiding the question or melting into it like butter on warm toast. Pinkie Pie was her friend, and she, like everypony else in town, knew that whenever she wanted to find something out due to curiosity, she'll find an answer, regardless of how long it takes her. In the end, she gave a sigh upon mentally noting that they were close enough to share their deepest secrets and thoughts, Rarity beckoned the pink mare to come closer to ear's length.
Glancing around them to check for any prying ears but finding nopony in the vicinity, Rarity leaned down to Pinkie and spoke softly. ''Do you Pinkie Promise to not tell anypony about this?''
''Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!'' Pinkie said, performing her signature gestures with each word before allowing her friend to continue.
''Alright then,'' Rarity spoke, clearing her throat. ''Well, there was a time in my life before I wanted to be a seamstress. I wanted to be a rockstar and travel around,'' She began her explanation, only to be cut off by an outburst from the energetic pink mare in front of her.
''Oh, how exciting! I can't wait to tell the others- I...oh, sorry,'' Pinkie squealed out in excitement, only for her perky attitude to fade upon noticing the glare from the unicorn, causing her to back down sheepishly, a nervous grin on her face. ''C-Continue.''
''As I was saying: I took guitar lessons for a few years in Canterlot from a stallion named Rocky Rhythm. Of course, only my parents know about this seeing as they paid for it and I guess I missed my true calling. As much as I may have wanted it, it seems my true cutie mark belonged to fashion and design.'' Rarity explained, sadly glancing at her cutie mark, her ears drooped over the back of her head.
Pinkie Pie saw the pearl white unicorn in a new light. Each and every word that was spoken to her didn't seem like the Rarity she knew. Rarity was a lady, but a rockstar was the polar opposite of the pony she was in the presence of. She couldn't decide whether to smile or frown at the unicorn and, for once, she felt a loss for words.
''So, you see, Pinkie, dear, as much as I wanted it, it turns out the true calling of my mark was for being a seamstress and designer. Guitars are only my second love, although I wish they came first,'' Rarity said sadly. ''Mind you, I enjoy the life I live and it's not very ladylike to complain about such things. Anyway, I should be heading back towards my boutique. There's a new line waiting for me.'' And with that, Rarity took her leave.
Rarity's Room, Carousel Boutique
On the edge of her bed in her bedroom, Rarity sat with an instrument in her hooves, a black nylon strap secured around her neck and shoulder. A flying-V guitar with purple flames on a jet black body, a freshly placed set of strings wound through its machine heads.
She stared down at the instrument with a smile and glanced out of the window, facing off to the schoolhouse in the distance. She turned her attention to a clock nailed to the wall to her right, giving a content sigh.
''Sweetie won't be back for another hour and a half,'' She said to nopony in particular. Glancing back down to the instrument and giving the strings an experimental strum, Rarity sat up from her bed's duvet and stood on her hind legs, straightening her back in a ready position. ''I suppose there's enough time to see if my skills are still up to par.''
With that, Rarity began to strum the strings on her guitar, much like she had done earlier in front of Pinkie Pie. However, she seemed to be more involved in her jam as she pumped out notes like there was no tomorrow.
In the playground of the Ponyville schoolhouse, a yellow earth pony with a pink ribbon tied into her red mane gazed out in wonder and amazement at the silhouette of a unicorn rocking away behind the bedroom window of Carousel Boutique.
''Hey, Sweetie Belle?'' Apple Bloom called to her friend, whom was standing off a short ways away behind her, currently engaged in a conversation with her friend, Scootaloo. ''Isn't that your sister over there?''
Sweetie Belle approached, squinting her eyes as she gazed off to where her friend was pointing. She looked off to where she knew her sister's bedroom was located and her mouth hung agape once she saw the rock 'n rolling silhouette of a unicorn who could only be Rarity.
''R-Rarity?'' She squeaked in disbelief. ''I've got to be dreaming.''