//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Queen Rarity 
// by Damaged 
//------------------------------//

There was no alarm to pull me from my deep sleep. Languidly, my mind stirred over the course of an hour before it lifted above the simplest of reasoning. I did manage to notice that NotABug had put me to bed—which I appreciated. She had also sent me a message from what was apparently 1 a.m. the previous night.



I decided the covers could keep their hold on my person a little longer and kept my eyes closed against the light of day. There was a certain amount of horrible reality to having a clock in your head. Any time I thought of the time it was just there. I lay for nearly ten minutes watching seconds tick by one at a time.

"This is more terrible than when Sweetie Belle borrowed my bolt of chiffon."

Magic had granted me the ability to watch the day disappear one sliver at a time, and it was terrible. Still, the covers managed to keep me from rushing to face the day for nearly five more minutes, then my bladder decided the matter for me.

Groaning, I used one arm to throw back the covers and the other to brace myself to climb out of bed. I had barely a second to realize I was wearing the cute teddy I had gotten for NotABug when my body gave me a further demand to be seen to.

Relief was had while I stared at the pretty wallpaper print of my en-suite bathroom. For a bathroom, soothing blue tones were always in style, and when it was combined with the gleaming porcelain, it made a room where relaxation could be had. And I did.

When the necessary had been completed, I stood up and walked to the basin to wash my hands. A little squirt of moisturizing soap into each palm and—

Like a deer in headlights I was trapped. I had slowly lifted my eyes from my hands, tracing the curves of my body the teddy was designed to show off, and finally reached my face. I'd expected morning face, lacking makeup and attention—what I saw was a pair of eyes that weren't mine, in a face framed with accessories that also weren't mine.

Long lashes framed those strange eyes, which was normal. Rather than azure wrapped around pupils, the woman in the mirror had eyes slit like a cat's, wrapped in opal. But the strangest thing about the not-mine eyes was the sclera: rather than pure white, they were harlequin. I blinked, and those strange eyes blinked with me.

Those strange, enchanting eyes almost distracted me from what else was different. I remembered that when Twilight had become Midnight Sparkle, she (and Sunset) had possessed huge horns of glowing light. This was not one of those. Black, hard, and looking as jagged as a… as a jagged thing.

While I examined the foot-long protrusion from my forehead, however, I heard a scream. It was mine.

"What happened to my hair?!"

Two long strands of my (admittedly rumpled from sleeping) hair had changed color and texture. Cascading through my indigo tresses was a pair of dark cerulean strands almost a finger in width and feeling like actual silk. I trembled in horror. Having a synthetic intelligence take up residence within my own brain wasn't as invasive as this.

I reached a shaking hand up to my hair, and the moment I could see my hand in the mirror, hovering before those strange eyes, I screamed again at the realization that this was me—it was real.

—What's wrong? Is everything okay?— NotABug asked.

"Of course everything's not okay. Look at me!" I said. "Did you do—"

I cut my accusation short because, obviously, NotABug would have warned me if she had been planning this, and she certainly wouldn't have chosen those colors—she had taste after all.

—I didn't do it. I promise you, Rarity, I wouldn't do anything like this without asking you first. I know how much it would mean to you. Do you think I caused it, though?—

Rational thought was completely out the window, but I could practically hear her (with my voice of course) worried that she had done this inadvertently.

Princess Twilight Sparkle had explained much to us when she had crashed into our lives. She had told me I was the embodiment of generosity—that it was a force of nature that could work through me. Considering I was letting NotABug share a very intimate part of myself, I think Twilight was correct.

I drew up every ounce of calm and focused on that generosity.

"I trust you, NotABug. If you say you aren't doing it, then you aren't. But what is?"

The horn on my head suddenly lit with green fire. Magic glowed from the stark black length and caused my whole body to tingle with the force of it. Then it winked out.

—It is me doing it! I didn't mean to!—

"Stop!" I said and waited a second before continuing. "You might be causing it, but you aren't doing this willfully. Let's work out a solution before I lose all sense and faint gracefully somewhere."

I closed my eyes to center myself. Cerulean and indigo weren't a terrible combination, but it was a lot of dark shades. Black for my horn was a little more interesting. I looked at the sharp angles and tilted it this way and that—which didn't help since it was attached to my head.

Plucking up a hand-mirror, I started investigating the horn. It was—without a doubt—huge. I carefully felt around the base of it, where it connected to my head, and then followed its rigid form all the way to the tip. Its sharp tip.


My mind raced. I had to come to terms with this so I could function.

—Are you okay?—

"Not really, darling. My beautiful blues are gone, my perfect hair is…" I said, trailing off as I looked at myself in the mirror.

I turned a little, then twitched my head to let my hair swish. The cerulean was actually a nice tone and would suit the indigo if complemented with a shade between them on the color wheel.

Without a word I marched back to my bedroom and reached for my accessories drawer. My hands flicked through the items within until I found the perfect thing. A deeper shade than the cerulean streaks, the shawl brought out that lighter tone and made it alight. A little smile pulled at my lips.

"Winter colors are in."

I glared at the horn next. I could accept colors—they were my stock-in-trade—but a horn was serious. The one thing that was completely uniform about its design was that it wasn't uniform. There were sharp angles, jagged shapes, and that sharp point.

—A hat?—

"There're only so many hats that would cover it. Something with a wide brim. It projects so far forward I can't put it inside something."

Hats. 

I smiled. I didn't have a hat chest or even a hat cupboard. I strode out of my bedroom—still wearing my new teddy and the shawl—and walked into my hat room.

Everything from casual bonnets to full-face welding masks adorned the room on shelves. I had, in this one room, enough hats to open a boutique that specialized in nothing but headwear. The happiness the room brought me never failed to boost my mood.

I walked around the room, my hand brushing gently over hat after hat. Hardly any would suit to cover my horn— My thoughts choked at the phrase. I turned and looked into one of the ample mirrors.

"There is a certain chic about it. Very 'industrial,' I think the term is. I am sure I could work something to go with it, but for now, one must look her best."

My lips curved into a smile. Snapping out an arm I found the brim of a huge wide-brimmed derby hat. Black with a swirl of white on the underside of the brim, it would certainly hide my horn, albeit make my head look tiny—to say nothing of my face.

—That would even conceal a horn twice that size.—

"It would, darling."

I brought the hat down on my head carefully and turned it so that my horn was black on black. The horn was still slightly visible.

"A veil would cover it better, but I don't want to look like I'm going to a funeral."

The vague sensation of information passing around inside my head stole my attention away from contemplating my hat. I realized NotABug was doing something but figured I would leave her to it.

"Maybe I should reconsider the industrial thing? I would have to see what's in for that first."

Reaching out in the same way I remembered doing in my car, I felt the laptop as a quiet entity. It was tiny to that other sense, and where I should be able to feel lots of scale to it, there was just one thing to poke. So I poked.

—Did you mean to start the laptop up?—

"Of course," I said. "Well, I figured it was the power switch, since nothing else worked."

—It's called Wake-on-LAN, it just means you can turn it on without being at it. Quite thoughtful. Rainbow Dash is awake, she wants to know if I would like to go on a date.—

I raised just one eyebrow at the concept. Walking barefoot into my kitchen, I was still wearing that fabulous hat as I grabbed a small tub of yogurt. Tearing back the top, I smelled the berries within.

"Do you want to go?" I asked.

While NotABug thought on her answer, I used my magic to pluck up a parfait spoon and start eating my breakfast. The taste of the creamy yogurt was well accented by the berries within, and it dominated my thoughts for a few moments.

—How would it work?— NotABug asked me.

With my mouth full, I decided to multitask and reply directly.

—You get to spend the evening in control. I'm sure I can find something to keep myself busy. Failing that, I can always have an early night,— I sent NotABug.

I licked the spoon clean of the last mouthful of yogurt and sighed.

"The most difficult thing will be working out what to wear. Just remember: it's a first date so a kiss is fine, but nothing further.” A chill ran down my spine. "Maud's dress!"

My own fashion emergency would have to wait. Work for a friend is always more important, and Maud was relying on me for this dress.

"Darling, we've got work to do!"





I didn't even realize I was still just wearing underwear until I had all the patterns made. The dress would be amazing, of course, but most of all Maud should be able to put it on without magic (unlike the one I'd recently made for myself). It was late afternoon and lunch had been too inconvenient to contemplate, so dinner (even with Rainbow Dash) was looking better and better.

"Have you decided on something to wear?" I asked.

I assumed she had said yes. There had been a lot of data flitting through my head while I worked. Though I had been learning to ignore such rushes of information better and better, I was sure NotABug had made up her choice.

—For the date? What would you suggest?—

"Darling," I said. "You have asked the right person. Nobody knows how to make my body look better than me, after all."

I did a little twist of excitement, but froze when I saw myself in the mirror. I had completely forgotten about the horn. Panic set in for a moment, but then I felt a gentle nudge. In the state I was in, NotABug was probably better off in the driver's seat. I relaxed and let her move past me.

—What's your plan?— I asked NotABug.

"Firstly," NotABug said. "I need to get used to talking more. Being in control does me no good if I keep forgetting how a mouth works."

—Is that a problem?—

"It seems to be. But I have the perfect solution. I was researching fashion while you worked, and I found a style that would be perfect. It's not your usual thing, but with the right accessories it should be okay."

My body moved as NotABug walked to the living room and flipped the screen up on the laptop. I mentally (because that was all I was capable of) recoiled.

—I don't have any studded collars, nor any earrings quite like that. And I certainly don't have a safety pin that large.—

The picture faded and a drawing program opened on the laptop. As I watched, NotABug built a picture of me, quite naked, and then started adding clothes to it. Her design wasn't perfectly detailed, but I could see the look she was going for.

It was bold, using my old (it was nearly five years old but timeless) leather coat around an evening gown that was timeless and deep blue. She wanted to dye two more strands into my hair, giving the extra tone needed to set the cerulean off. But the most extravagant idea was painting the horn.

—You're not going to draw attention away from it. This will ensure every eye is on my horn. No one will believe it is anything but artistry and makeup. You're a genius at this.—

"I learned from the best. Will you be able to help me?" NotABug asked.

She needn't have asked.

A shower later, with extra care paid to both horn and hair, and NotABug was ready for outfits. A lift bra (I knew Rainbow Dash's tastes in women) was first, some dark panties that wouldn't have a hope of showing up through the dress were a must, and a pair of black stockings that only gave a hint of my white skin beneath formed a foundation for the outfit.

The strangest thing about the process was that NotABug was doing it while I watched. Not that I was completely passive, but it was NotABug that moved my hands with care and skill. If she wasn't sure on something, she asked me for directions.

It was practically a spa treatment for me.

The temporary dye in my hair was perfect, making the “natural” cerulean look like it was dyed in too. We were left with makeup.

"I want to try doing the makeup. Could you use your magic to paint my horn?" NotABug asked.

Something about the way she spoke surprised me, and it took my brain a few moments to parse what it was: "my horn." Was it really her horn? I know she was speaking simply as being in control, but I started to remember the adorable little black pony-like creature NotABug had been.

I must have been taking too long to get back to her, because NotABug gently pinched a little skin under her wrist—my wrist. Point is, I felt it clearly.

—Sorry, I was thinking.—

"That's okay. I asked if you wanted to do makeup or paint my horn?"

—You know what? I think I'll try your horn.—

It was then I realized the big problem here. NotABug started work on her eye shadow, and I was left looking only at her—my, our—eyes.

—Darling. I need to be able to see your horn. Is there some way you could set up a mirror so I could see it?—

"Wait. I've got a better idea. A much better idea!"

She got up, walked over to the bed, and plucked up the mobile phone. In truth, the new mobile would be the least worn device ever since neither of us actually used the screen of it anymore.

—Follow my touch,— NotABug sent to me.

I followed her digital self. We flitted to the mobile phone, and I felt where she poked at. A perfect view of my—her—face appeared to me like a third eye. In truth, it was much the same as the cameras in the car in feel, and that tipped me off as to what it was.

—You're so clever!— I sent to her.

"I know. Now we can both see much better."

Sat down at the makeup desk again, I studied her horn in more detail than a mere mirror and my eyes could give me. I could see edges with slight flaring. The sharper curves had a slight concave shape. A swirling pattern built in my head, and I took up the indigo nail polish brush—the handle wrapped in a magic diamond pattern—and started working.

I changed colors after the first line of detail, swapping to the mid-color NotABug had chosen for the dye in her mane (I give up, if she's in control it is her body, if I'm in control it's mine), and then finally added a last flourish in cerulean.

It went without saying that I used a little more than normal of the nail polish.

—What do you think, darling?— I asked NotABug.

"Rarity, that looks great! I love the swirling patterns and sharpness at the edges."

NotABug picked up the phone with glowing magic, lifted it up to her horn to inspect it a little closer, and then paused.

—You're going to have to do that with your hand,— I said. —Your horn glows when you do magic.—

"Now I feel silly," NotABug said as she caught the phone out of the air with a hand. "Okay, this looks even better up close!"

Seeing the work up close, I had to admit I had done an excellent job. Meanwhile, I also looked over NotABug's makeup work.

—You did a great job yourself, darling. I love what you did with your lashes.—

"Wait. They're your lashes. And your horn. And—" NotABug said.

—Nonsense. When you are in control, it's your body. When I'm in control, it's mine. If we have to deal with this little hiccup of a change together, then we are doing it together.— I sent to NotABug.

The message surprised me a little. I had intended just to add emphasis with some asterisks around the words, but it seemed to translate this to being bold. Nonetheless, I was firm in my decision, and it went double since NotABug was going to help me start my dream business


NotABug sat in silence for a few minutes. I waited for her to finish reflecting on the concept.

"Do you really mean that?"

—Of course I do, darling.—

 Rainbow Dash sent.

"One day I'll get her to write properly."

—Good luck. I've been trying for years,— I sent to NotABug.

NotABug slid her feet into the black heels she had picked out and stood up. We were halfway down the hallway when screeching tires pulled up. Then an engine that would have been better suited to some sort of delivery truck made its presence known outside.

—She's here.—

"This is so exciting!"

We reached the front door just as the bell rang. NotABug managed the lock and pulled the door open.

Rainbow Dash and NotABug were frozen looking at each other.

Dressed to the nines Rainbow Dash was not. She wore a pair of jeans, a shirt, and running shoes. Under one arm she had a bottle of what was probably vodka, and in her free hand she had a bag with a bottle of soda, two tubs of ice-cream, and a movie in it.


 I sent to Rainbow Dash.


Rainbow Dash's phone beeped, though she (smartly) ignored it. She also looked both panicked and awed.

"I-I'm sorry. I thought you meant to come around and watch a movie together. I didn't think you'd want to go out in public," Rainbow Dash said. "If you give me ten minutes I can—"

NotABug reached out one perfectly manicured finger and pressed it on Rainbow Dash's lips. It was cute, adorable, and it shut my boastful friend up entirely.

"Give me one and I'll slip into something more comfortable," NotABug said.

I had the honor of seeing Rainbow Dash blush and nod in speechless acceptance.

—Next time she will know better,— NotABug sent to me.

—Perfect, darling. You already showed her how much she has messed up. Might I suggest something very sexy under a loose top?— I sent NotABug.

—Teasing? I don't want to lead her on. I like Rainbow.—

—Yes, but she gets a night of looking at what she can't have. Trust me, it will encourage her to try much better next time.—


 I sent Rainbow Dash.


"Which one of you is sending me texts?!" Rainbow Dash asked, still in the living room.

—Do you want some privacy, dear?— I asked NotABug.

—You could get to sleep?— she asked me.

—No, but I can be quiet and let you both be yourselves.—

The honest truth was I had something to do: I was curious. Already reaching out toward the laptop, I started to gently poke around within it. NotABug had left road signs, it seemed. Everywhere I poked there was a little piece of information telling me what that part of the computer did, and how I could interact with it.



Power controls. Start. Stop. Restart. Reboot.





Keyboard input.





Mouse input.





Screen output.



It wasn't a fast process. The system was distinctly different from either of the mobile phones I had interacted with, but after figuring out the mouse I managed to open a text window.

Numbers are letters. Numbers are images. Numbers are other numbers. I regretted not studying more math in school, but it would hardly have prepared me for this anyway.

I wasn't unaware of what NotABug and Rainbow Dash were doing. So long as NotABug had her eyes open I could see with them, but how much I focused on it, the only things I remembered were the important bits.

NotABug's memories helped me with typing. I used a computer at work, but NotABug had been in a computer since her birth and could read and write the raw numbers with ease. The difference was NotABug had learned the numbers and what they meant, while I could only remember that NotABug had learned them.

While NotABug and Rainbow Dash watched their movie (something about fast cars and robberies, typical Rainbow Dash), I learned—using NotABug's memory only as a guide.

Once again I was reminded that it was going to be forever impossible for me to get carried away doing something and lose track of time. The seconds of my internal phone ticked over one by one. I was an hour, seven minutes, and five seconds into my task before I could type well enough to suit my own ends. And again, I realized how terrible knowing the exact time—all the time—was.

Closing the window I had been practicing in, I brought up a web browser and started searching for more of this industrial style. I had heard vaguely of it and understood it meant a lot more subdued colors—which suited my darker color scheme.

Dark stylings, wild hair, and in some cases a strange mix of old and new. Suit and tie with a bullet-proof vest was one of the latter such. I didn't like it exactly, but it gave me ideas. I remembered another similar style and began looking at punk fashion.

Punk was somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. Not just the music—though I certainly had a soft spot for some of the early punk bands—but the scene. Punk was a style all its own and it didn't care what you thought of it.

The more outrageous the better. Spiked hair was perfect, but more was better. I had plenty of hair, and the horn would be the icing on the cake.

I began saving pictures, taking notes, and working at both a lot faster than I could have at the keyboard of the laptop.

Without noticing what had happened during the two hours I had spent working on fashion plans to hide my horn, NotABug had successfully navigated a few drinks from Rainbow Dash, dinner, and a little cuddling on the couch. When I slowly brought the outside world back into my awareness, I could feel myself against Rainbow Dash's warm side with her arm around my shoulders.

"Cars don't work like that," NotABug said. "I'm repeating myself a lot."

"It's cool. It's not about how accurate it is, but how cool it looks. It's like a pretend game to just make people happy," Rainbow Dash said, explaining the entire concept of movies as succinctly as possible.

At last, I managed to get over my discomfort by using the words I had told NotABug earlier: while she is in charge, it's her body. She was the one snuggled up with Rainbow Dash, not me.

—How did things go?— I asked NotABug.

—Good once she stopped apologizing. She's fun to be with, but how does she know so much about cars without looking it up?— NotABug asked me.

—For Rainbow Dash cars are the closest she can get to playing sport since, because of her magic, she can't compete in sport. Sports are all about competing with others to be the best, but she can't because nobody can keep up with her.—

—Oh. Can't you give magic to others so they can run fast too?—

—It doesn't work that way. What did she say about your horn?—

The final action scene was playing out on the screen, and I felt NotABug snuggle a little more against Rainbow Dash. In a detached way I had to admit that we fit well together. On the screen, the anti-hero (he was more "rugged" than "good looking") raced against the actual hero (he was the hunkiest, of course).

—She hasn't mentioned it. Should I say something?—

"So what's with the horn? Your idea, or is Rarity really breaking loose from her old look?" Rainbow Dash asked.

I guess with the movie over and both NotABug and Rainbow Dash relaxed, it was the best time to ask such questions.

"It was my idea, actually. Rarity wants to make a big splash tomorrow at her work, and I thought what better way than with a little magic?" NotABug asked.

"And your eyes too?"

"Naturally. I want Rarity's boss to be completely freaked out. It's going to be great!"

Rainbow Dash stopped a laugh from going past the first bark. She gave a more insistent squeeze to NotABug's shoulder.

"Well. Movie's over, and so is the ice-cream. Guess that's that."

NotABug turned her head toward Rainbow Dash. I could only see those big cerise eyes of Rainbow's widen a little and come closer. I think she was as startled as I was when NotABug kissed her.

The kiss didn't last long—barely enough to get a taste—before NotABug pulled back. She licked her lips, and I felt her mouth pulling into a smile. It wasn't how I would have kissed her, but that was the point.

—That's fun,— NotABug sent to me.

—I'm glad you think so. But it's time for things to end. We need sleep, and I am sure Rainbow Dash has a lot of interesting thoughts to get through.—

—Like what?—

—I would assume that she is busily trying to separate the two of us in her mind. Loyal to a fault, but thinking in such ways isn't Rainbow Dash's strong suit. She will manage it, but it will take her a little while to realize it wasn't me kissing her.—

"Wow. That was…" Rainbow Dash said.

"Say awesome."

NotABug smiled a little wider at Rainbow Dash. When Rainbow Dash leaned closer again, however, NotABug lifted a finger and pressed it to Rainbow's mouth. I was so proud of her.

"First date is one kiss. Second date you can have another, but only if you take me somewhere. I'll pay, but pick somewhere nice and dress up for it," NotABug said.

If Rainbow Dash had taken out a notepad and started taking down ideas I wouldn't have been shocked—as it was I could practically see her thoughts playing out behind her eyes.

"Say, 'Goodnight NotABug,'" NotABug said.

It was as if NotABug wasn't giving Rainbow Dash a chance to think up a reason to stay—I approved.

"G-Goodnight, NotABug."

Reaching up, NotABug booped Rainbow Dash on the nose. I watched my friend's eyes cross trying to track the digit before she blinked in confusion at the tap.

"N-Next weekend?" Rainbow Dash asked.

NotABug just nodded to her, stood up, and led the way to the front door.

Beating her retreat, Rainbow Dash had the silliest, happiest grin on her face that I had seen for a while. If nothing else came of tonight, I was glad that my friend was excited for something. The door closed.

"That was awesome!" NotABug said.

—And another date next week? Don't let her talk you out of going somewhere. And it was nice to offer to pay.—

A gentle nudge from NotABug told me all I needed to know. I pushed forward while she drew back and our changeover happened without so much as a muscle twitch. Like a cat waking up, I stretched my back and arms out, even threw in a yawn for good measure.

"I think I might have an early night, darling. It will be a big day tomorrow. As well as the things I need to get for Maud's dress, I need to start things moving on our business. After telling Miss Suri Polomare where she can put her job," I said.

—I think I might join you. It's a lot more tiring being in control so long while doing something important. There's so many bits than I need to control!—

Walking around and cleaning up, I took both empty tubs of ice-cream, two Chinese takeout meal boxes, and an empty bottle of juice to the kitchen. Repeating the trip to get the half-full vodka bottle and Rainbow Dash's car keys (which reassured me that she wasn't driving home), I put the booze in the cupboard, her keys on the bench, and started washing up what few pieces of cutlery that had been used.

In my head I felt NotABug not exactly go away, but slow down. The last thing I sensed was a sort of relaxing into the background. She was asleep.

I caught sight of myself in the kitchen window and let out a sigh at the jutting horn and dyed hair. But what caught my eyes most was, well, my eyes. They looked sharp and stunning within the frame of makeup NotABug had applied.

It was at that exact moment that I realized I still needed to clean all the makeup off.

"The things I do for fashion," I said with a smile.