//------------------------------// // Chapter 11: Suspicious Behavior // Story: Rarity has Dyed // by Unwhole Hole //------------------------------// Somewhere else in the town, other things were going on. Specifically, at this particular instance the Cutie Mark Crusaders were walking through the edge of the Apple family orchards, near where their clubhouse was located. Ever since they had gotten their cutie marks, they no longer really had much of a reason to try new things, but they still stayed together for some reason, likely because they had trouble making other friends. “So,” said Applebloom, “did y’all catch the hoofball game last night?” “That depends,” replied Sweetie Belle. “On what?” “On whether or not our society’s invented television yet.” The group paused, wondering if that was actually the case. Or, at least, Applebloom and Sweetie Belle did. Scootaloo did not really understand the question. “That doesn’t matter!” she protested. “You don’t even like sports!” “That’s not true. I like figure skating. And that one sport where they put two ponies in a cage and make them fight until one’s unconscious. Last time I saw some guy get a horn right up the nose!” “Eew.” Applebloom winced. “So…we do have TV, then?” “Oh no. That one was live. I won like sixty bits. I was thinking of buying a hat.” “I kind of prefer bows. They’re lighter, you know?” “I wish I could afford a hat,” sighed Scootaloo. Suddenly, the trio became aware of a presence nearby. All of them turned simultaneously to see a pair of violet eyes staring at them. They all gasped as they realized that Rainbow Dash was peering at them from the undergrowth. “Rainbow Dash!” cried Scootaloo, jumping excitedly as her wings extended and buzzed involuntarily. “What are you doing here?!” Rainbow Dash stood up and laughed awkwardly. “Well, you know. I was just out. Trying to clear my head, you know? And think about some real heavy stuff. And helping Fluttershy…” “Fluttershy?” asked Applebloom. “Right here,” said Fluttershy, meekly. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle cried out as what they had initially taken for a pile of brush suddenly began to writhe and wriggle as hundreds of enormous, twig-like insects suddenly began to move. As they parted, Fluttershy’s body became visible underneath them. Several of them crawled across her face; she did not bother to blink, and they simply walked over her open eyes. “Fluttershy, what- -what are those?” “Walking sticks,” said Fluttershy. “Aren’t they just adorable? Look at their little legs!” “Why are you covered in them?” “Oh. I was helping them with their yearly migration from the west mulberry patch to the east one so they can find new food. They’re just so terribly timid, they can’t make the walk all on their own. Rainbow Dash was helping keep me safe from…things.” “What kind of things?” asked Scootaloo. Fluttershy leaned in close to her and whispered. “BAD things…” “Oh…okay…” “Hey,” said Rainbow Dash, turning her attention toward Sweetie Belle. A strange, hungry look seemed to come over her eyes, one that immediately made both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom seem uncomfortable. “Sweetie Belle, do you like beavers?” Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow. “I don’t feel comfortable answering that question.” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Oh. No. I mean BEAVERS. Here.” Before Sweetie Belle could stop her, she dashed forward and pushed a large rodent into Sweetie Belle’s grasp. The beaver spread its front legs and wrapped Sweetie Belle in a hug. “Aww,” said Sweetie Belle. “Hey Bruno. Well, sure. I guess beavers are okay. But I think I’m really more of a nutria girl.” “Yeah, they’re awfully tasty,” added Applebloom. Fluttershy’s head swiftly tilted toward Applebloom and her eyes narrowed. “What did you just say, Applebloom?” “N- -nothing?” Fluttershy suddenly smiled. “Oh. I’m sorry. I must have misheard.” Sweetie Belle was growing increasingly concerned when she felt Rainbow Dash slowly stroking her hair. “Um, excuse me,” she said. “Can I help you?” “Oh. Maybe. It’s just…you look really look like Rarity. I mean, have you ever considered dying your hair? I have some blue dye, if you want to try. If you come back to my house…” “Um, no. That would be confusing.” “Well, not anymore,” said Rainbow Dash. “Because…well…you know…” Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo looked at each other, confused. “Know what?” asked Applebloom. “You know…because she…died.” Sweetie Belle frowned. “Rarity’s not dead. You know that, right? I know she can be dramatic, but she’s just sick.” “Aww,” said Fluttershy. “I know it’s hard. But it’s okay. If you can’t accept it yet, we’re not going to force you. You can grieve at your own pace.” “I know exactly how it feels,” said Rainbow Dash, landing on the ground. “I really miss her too. And if you want to…um…talk about it…” “I want to talk about it!” cried Scootaloo. “I like talking about things!” “No. Seriously. I was just at her house. I brought her cheese. She always eats cheese when she’s sick. Like, a LOT of cheese.” “Does she CUT the cheese before she eats it?” asked Applebloom, giggling. Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “No. Rarity NEVER cuts the cheese. Our mom and dad can’t even serve chili anymore because there’s literally a risk of Rarity exploding.” Applebloom and Scootaloo stared at Sweetie Belle with strange expressions on their face. Sweetie Belle took a step back. “What?” “Sorry,” said Applebloom. “I forgot you have parents.” “Yeah,” sighed Scootaloo. “It must be nice.” “Darn. Sorry guys, I forgot.” “It’s okay,” sighed Applebloom. She looked up at Rainbow Dash. “But Sweetie Belle’s right. I saw Rarity yesterday. She was with Bic Mac.” Sweetie Belle turned sharply. “What was my sister doing with Big Mac?” “Where they wrestling again?” asked Scootaloo. “I don’t think so,” said Applebloom. “I mean, not that I saw.” Rainbow Dash grave them a grave look and shook her head. “I get it. You’re just kids. This is way too much for you.” “Trust me,” said Sweetie Belle. “Rarity having a cold is too much for ANYPONY.” “Aww,” said Fluttershy. “It’s kind of cute…and really, really sad…” “Yeah,” agreed Rainbow Dash. “So…Sweetie Belle…do you still want to come over to my house?” Fluttershy sighed. “No, Rainbow Dash, she doesn’t. Especially not so you can dye her hair blue and pretend she’s your own personal tiny Rarity.” Rainbow Dash sputtered. “I- -I wasn’t- -that’s not what I was trying to do! That’s just sick!” “You can’t lie to me, Rainbow. And you can’t take Sweetie Belle. For a number of reasons. One of them being she’s a child.” “But she has a cutie mark!” “That doesn’t mean anything!” “Um, yeah, it kind of does,” said Applebloom. “I’m pretty sure we can vote now. I mean, we could, if, you know, we weren’t ruled by a divine monarchy. Praise Celestia. And if our municipal government wasn’t chosen by…their…cutie marks…” A look of realization crossed her face. “Luna in a hole…” she whispered. “We don’t have a real government at all, do we?” “I’ll be your tiny Rarity!” cried Scootaloo, jumping excitedly. “Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me!” Rainbow Dash looked confused, but also interested. “You’re not exactly a unicorn. Or white.” “But I can be! I’ll try really, REALLY hard to grow a horn! I’ll do anything for you, Rainbow Dash! I love you more than ANYTHING!!” Rainbow Dash frowned and put one hoof to her chin. “Hmm…I guess it’s worth a shot.” She shrugged, and then picked up Scootaloo and shoved her into a saddlebag. “Sorry, Flutter Butter, I’ve got some dyeing to do.” She paused. “Hey, isn’t it weird how ‘dyeing’ sounds like ‘dying’? Huh.” She lifted herself into the air. “Don’t get carried away with the walking sticks this year!” “I won’t,” said Fluttershy. She looked down only to realize that she was no longer standing; rather, she was being pulled back into the woods by an army of walking stick insects that were, indeed, carrying her off. “Oh. Sorry, Rainbow Dash. I guess I am. Again.” She lifted her insect covered hoof and waved. “Bye, girls! I’m really sorry about Rarity! I’ll be here any time to talk about your feelings…assuming that these little friends actually take me to where we’re supposed to be going and not, you know, to that weird Nightmare Moon sacrificial altar out in the woods. Like last time.” The walking sticks accelerated, carrying Fluttershy off and toward the Everfree; Rainbow Dash had long since departed, leaving only a rainbow contrail made from some unknown substance that Sweetie Belle assumed to most likely be dandruff. Sweetie Belle looked up at the contrail and moved out of its way so that none of it landed on her. “Is it me?” asked Applelboom. “I mean, they’ve pulled some stuff in their time…but this? Am I even seeing any of this at all? Or is it just me?” “I think it’s something in the water,” sighed Sweetie Belle. “Or maybe paint chips.” “It’s like we’re the only adults in the whole darn town.” “No way,” said Sweetie Belle. “I have way more faith in ponies than that.”