A set of blue eyes looked out across the marketplace from her table at a luxurious diner. Her mouth turned down into a scowl as her narrowing eyes spy a sight she did not want to see. For there, on the other side of the market, was a brown coated stallion chatting with Applejack. Her eyes had spied him tipping his stetson to Applejack as he kept a warm smile on his face. She couldn't hear what they were saying but she could see Applejack's eyes go wide and jaw drop before blushing and looking down, rubbing her hoof over the back of her neck mumbling. An elaborate saucer began to rattle against the table as the white hoof that was holding it began to shake.
A stallion in a tux could see his patron shaking with anger. Flawless Shine knew her well, she sat at this very table every morning drinking either a tea or a coffee depending on her mood and watching the busy market before opening her own boutique for the day. And though He had seen many emotions cross her features over the years, he had NEVER seen her so angry before. He wanted to walk away from this but his duty called for him to take care of his patrons. The stallion stepped up clearing his throat to grab her attention.
"Excuse me, Lady Rarity, would you like another cup of tea madam"
Jumping at the sudden voice that broke into her little world of anger. She looked up at him and gave him a big smile.
"O-Oh, No, no thank you Mr Shine, the tea was excellent like always darling But I do have some..."
Rarity's voice faltered as her smile strained before continuing
"...business to take care of before I can open the boutique you see."
And with that she took her leave. Flawless Shine watched Rarity leave the diner and saunter her way across the market before shifting his eyes down at the table. There a rather luxurious ruby sat next to her forgotten half cup of tea. He glanced back up just in time to see her magnificent tail disappear within the crowd. He didn't know why but he suddenly felt a shudder run down his spine.
Applejack was still blushing and looking down at her stall when an unmistakable, lyrical voice filtered through all the noise of the market
“Ohhh App-lle-Jaaaack, its good to see you this morning, darling”
Applejack quickly looked up with a smile beaming on her face. The stallion’s eyes grew wide as his draw dropped at the sight of this gorgeous unicorn before his eyes with the most lyrical and beautiful voice he has ever heard. His head became lost in the clouds as the country girl and sophisticated city woman briefly embrace and exchanged pleasantries He kept a silly grin plastered on his face, lost in a mesmerizing spell as he admired these two beautiful ladies before him prattle on as their conversation flew through one ear and out the other. The spell however, was broken when Applejack had bent down to grab some more supplies for her cart and Rarity shot him a glance that could kill. He swore he even saw daggers in her eyes. Once Applejack stood back up, Rarity was all smiles and sweet as she turned towards him while still speaking to Applejack.
“Oh Applejack, darling, just when are you going to introduce me to your colt friend here?”
Her words were laced with enough sweetness to kill. Applejack blushed and looked down again before her own words tumbled out
“Err.. Well, ya see he ain't exactly my colt friend Rares, but this here is Silver Bolt. He says he’s a miner out in Salt Lick City and was jus’ passin through.”
Rarity glanced over Silver, looking up and down, taking him all in while keeping her head turned and nose held high.
Hmph an unlucky day for you, darling. Nopony messes with MY Applejack... How long has it been since last time? A month? Couldn’t be any longer than that, I still haven’t managed to clean all the stains.
“Well, Silver” Rarity began while holding her hoof up daintily “I am Lady Rarity. Owner of the Carousel Boutique where every garment is chic, unique and magnifique”
Silver accepted the hoof shake all while keeping a smile on his face, maybe she wasn’t as bad as he originally thought?
“Why Ah thank ya Lady Rarity, tis a pleasure to meet ya, but ya see Ah only have a few more hours left B’fore my train arrives so Ah think Ah’ll take my leave”
And with a tilt of his stetson, he turned and began walking off. Rarity’s eyes shot open and mouth dropped as she quickly glanced between the retreating Silver and Applejack whispering harsley
“No, no! he’s getting away we can’t let him go”
She then turned and took a step, reaching and meekly calling out to Silver
“Mr Bolt, wait”
Silver stopped and turned back to the white Unicorn, her eyes were big and shimmery, lips pouted, hair falling over her face.
“Mr Bolt, please, before you go, share a bottle of cider with me? Just one last bottle?”
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Her eyes. It must have been her eyes. No, not her eyes, maybe her voice? Yeah had to be that lyrical voice of hers. Regardless, Silver really didn’t want to be sitting here in this building. What did she call it again? A bonnet? No, that’s not right A Bafouer? Maybe, that sounds closer. Regardless though, this building spoke of everything he wasn’t. High class and fancy dancing clothes He could see a price tag. He leaned in and took a closer look.
Yeah, why did Ah even look, of course it’ll be worth more than Ah see in a whole month
Why was he here again? Oh right, she was gorgeous and that voice. Wow his heart flutters at the sound of that voice. He could hear it now, she was humming a show tune while she was in the kitchen preparing this cider. Her country friend had offered her special brew. Has a secret ingredient but they didn’t say what it was. Why would such a sophisticated and high class beauty want to share a cider with him? He was just a lowly miner, not someone to rub elbows with and network out to. She was so far out of his league they weren’t even playing the same game. This was a mistake, definitely a mistake.
Damn, should’a gone with the country gal, she’s more mah type
He could hear her lyrical voice drifting from the kitchen before being followed by unicorn, wine glasses filled with the most delicious looking cider he had ever seen.
“Oh darling, hope you are ready. This is a special brew that Applejack and I both worked together on. She grows the apples and brews it while I add my own creative flare to the design and taste. It truly is a work of art if I say so myself.”
She let out a small, dainty giggle, holding one hoof over her mouth as she uses her magic to place the cider filled wine glasses down on the table. Regardless on how she looked at him earlier, that cider just looked too good to let go to waste. Silver held his glass up high when she did as Rarity spoke with a smile
“A toast. To friendship, magnificent cider and booming businesses”
Silver smiled back, nodding as they both drank from their glass. It was, without a doubt, the best apple cider he had ever tasted. The day wore on, as they chatted about businesses. Rarity about difficult customers and then convincing him to talk about the type of silver and gold he would mine. A clock chimed through Silver’s drunken stupor, reminding him of his train.
“Oh, mah train, Ah gotta catch mah train”
He had slurred out as he began to stand but as he did so he stumbled over the chair and fell, everything going black. Rarity swirled her cider around while keeping a harden, cold gaze down on the now asleep stallion. A smirk playing across her lips.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clak-clak-clak-clak-clak
There was only darkness. But Silver was aware of something.
Clak-clak-clak-clak-clak
That. What was that. A sound? Too groggy to tell what it was.
Clak-clak-clak-clak-clak
Yes, a sound. Definitely a sound. It was coming closer. More awake now. But what was the source? It was unlike anything he had heard before. His head was pounding from pain.
Clak-clak-clak-clak-clak
Whatever the sound was, it was sending shivers and chills up and down his body. Silver then realized he was hanging. His front hooves were above his head. His back hooves hung below him, the tips just barely touching the floor. A stone floor. Not the carpet her store had. What did she call it again? A bouquet? Yeah that was it right? A bouquet.
Clak-clak-clak-clak-clak
The sound was right behind him. Silver dared to open his eyes. He was hanging in the middle of a room. A stone room. Magical orbs of light were strategically placed, casting shadows in all the right places. This picture was surreal. It looked more like a haunted castle that he had seen in stories, not a real life place he was currently in. A shadow of a pony could be seen. Clearly behind him but the shadow could be seen on the far wall in front of him. He recognized the mane. Rarity had a very unique mane. The head of her shadow began to rise. Higher and higher it went in the longest neck Silver had ever seen. He gulped as he began to sweat, eyes grew wide as he began to take shorter, quicker breaths.
What in the hay is goin on!
He felt, cold, hardened arms begin to wrap around him. He could see black insect like arms crossing in front of him on either side. He held back a scream as he stiffened. The head of the shadow moved as Rarity’s actual head appeared around in front of his face, a sinister smile spread across her face. The head definitely belonged to Rarity but it was attached to a long, black centipede like body. The low light flicking off her chiten giving it a gleam.
“Oh look who’s awake”
She purred, as her body continued to wrap around Silver. His body was shaking and he was nearly hyperventilating, too scared to speak or even scream.
“Oh darling, sorry it had to come to this but you see, nopony messes with MY Applejack, you see, she belongs to me and me alone.”
At this point she uncurled and dropped down, scuttling around, the sound he had heard before making itself apparent, before rising back up again, wrapping around his front, coming face to face with Silver.
“You see, Applejack is running low on her special cider. When I feed on a pony's blood, I secret a special kind of water that her and I discovered makes a devastatingly potent poison but a rather magnificently delectable cider once distilled. You see, YOU decided to hit on my darling, darling Jacqueline so YOU were chosen to refill her stock. Farewell darling, perhaps you will have better luck in the next life”
Silver Shut his eyes and grit his teeth as he saw mandibles sliding out of Rarity’s mouth.
The End.