Rarity couldn’t concentrate. Her mind was elsewhere, making her stitchings uneven. With a grumble she magically undid the past few minutes of stitching. “Rarity, you’re getting nowhere.” She muttered to herself. With a sigh, she sat on her haunches, levitated her glasses of her muzzle, set them on her desk and rubbed a temple with a hoof.
“It was just a silly argument.” She muttered to herself. “You weren’t in the wrong Rarity.” She pushed herself away from her desk and got off her stool. She trotted over to a few of the dresses she’d managed to finish. They were gorgeous, sweeping dresses of blues and greens, with sea green gems sewn into the hems. Something felt off however. She shook herself and took a breath.
“Some tea would do wonders!” The mare announced to the air with a smile that wouldn’t convince anypony. She trotted out of her studio, down the stairs and into the kitchen. Trotting over to the stove she removed the kettle, levitated it over to the sink, poured out the old water, and set it in the sink with the faucet on to let it refill. “This is fine. Everything is fine.”
‘But you yelled at your sister.’ Came the thoughts unbidden.
Rarity shook her head. “She used that… foul language.”
‘But you weren’t even mad at her. She wasn’t even using it as an insult.’
“That shouldn’t matter.”
‘Oh please, you just took out your frustrations at Dustin on your sister.’
“I…. I did, didn’t I?”
‘Come to think of it, it’s a wonder that Dustin puts up with you at all. What with you reminding him of his life of slavery to that Suri mare.’
Rarity’s chin wobbled. “S-stop it.”
‘He also gets along with your sister, better than you do on a good day.’
“Now that’s not true! ” Rarity snapped, turning on the spot and noticing the kettle overflowing. “That’s not true.” She repeated as she shut off the water, poured out a bit so the kettle wouldn’t be too full, wiped off some drops off the sides with a towel, and set the kettle on the burner.
‘You really have been a bitch lately. Pestering the poor fox. Asking him to try on something almost daily.’
“Well he’s always on that game system thing.” Rarity snorted as she turned on the burner. “I don’t know what a Shiny Thundurus even is!”
‘Have you tried asking? Maybe you’d both get along better if you actually took the time to understand each other. You know, instead of all but ignoring each other and really only talking if Sweetie Belle’s in the room.’
“But, I’ve got so much work…. And he’s got that mine to run…” Rarity chewed on her lip.
‘And? You can always hire help. You can’t do everything yourself. You’ve also heard about that Flint fellow from Dustin. From what you gather, Flint’s the one who runs the day-to-day operations, right?’
“Right…. Ugh but those….” Rarity’s face screwed up in disgust.
‘Bitches. It’s just a word. It can’t hurt you. It’s also the technical definition.’
“You sound like Twilight.” Rarity sighed with a roll of her eyes.
‘Technically you sound like Twilight. I am just the voice in your head.’
“Out of all my friends, I never expected to be the one who carries on full conversations with herself.” Rarity frowned, wilting a little. An ear twitched as she heard the water boiling. Turning, the mare took the kettle off the burner, levitated a cup and hummed as she looked at her collection of teas. “What tea….”
‘Griffish Breakfast.’
“Oh, thank you me.” Rarity grinned as she levitated out a teabag and dropped it into the cup.
‘You’re welcome.’
As Rarity filled the cup to let the tea steep, she set the kettle on an unused burner. “Now, where were we?” She asked, walking over the the small kitchen table, setting the cup on it, and sitting at one of the chairs.
‘You were contemplating the fact that you regularly talk with the voice in your head, technically yourself, whenever nopony’s looking.’
“Oh…. right…” Rarity wilted. “Am I crazy?”
‘You’re asking yourself that?’
“Yes.” Rarity nodded.
‘Well all geniuses have some kind of mental disorder, or so we’ve read.’
“That’s not helping me feel better.” Rarity sighed and looked down at her steeping tea.
‘I’m not supposed to help you feel better, I’m you. I’m just voicing what you don’t want to admit.’
“We are so far off track from what we was originally bothering me.” Rarity frowned. “You’re doing this on purpose.”
‘I am quite literally your train of thought given voice, so to speak.’
“Can we get back to my issues with Dustin?” Rarity asked.
‘I don’t know, can we?’
“Ugh!” Rarity groaned and dropped her head onto the table with a thunk. “Why must life be so… so complicated?!”
‘I’m as confused by it as you are.’
“Feeling any better Rarity?”
“No.” Rarity moaned from the table.
‘Wait. That wasn’t me… You… Us….’
Rarity slowly lifted her head to see Sweetie Belle calmly sitting in the seat across from her. “Oh…. Hello Sweetie… You’re back.”
“Yep.” Sweetie nodded, she leaned in a bit and took a look at Rarity’s tea. “I think it’s steeped enough.”
“Yes… Thank you.” Rarity levitated the tea bag out and set it on a the plate sitting on the table.
“Having another existential conversation with yourself?” Sweetie asked, leaning back into her seat.
Rarity paled. “Ummm… How…”
“You talk to yourself a lot when you think nopony’s listening.” Sweetie shrugged.
“Oh..” Rarity said, letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. With a breath, she levitated the cup to her lips and daintily took a sip.
“So….” Sweetie began. “I went to the mine.”
Sweetie found herself covered in tea as Rarity choked across from her. The cup was dangerously close to spilling, so Sweetie reached over, tugged it from Rarity’s magic, and set it on the tea covered table.
“Y-you did what?!” Rarity managed to choke out.
“I didn’t go alone. I had Scootaloo and Apple Bloom with me. It’s not like the mine’s that dangerous now.” Sweetie rolled her eyes.
“B-but.. But!” Rarity stammered as her brain tried to recover from this revelation.
“We wanted to help fix Dustin and your relationship.” Sweetie explained calmly.
“What relationship?!” Rarity snapped with a blush.
“Your entirely platonic, yet sexual tension filled relationship that’s constantly balanced on the knife that is both your tempers.” Sweetie explained with a shrug. “I’m honestly surprised you haven’t hate-fucked each other yet.”
Rarity blinked.
‘Oh dear Faust…’
“WHAT?!” Rarity shrieked. “Why would you say that?! Why would you even think that?! Where did you even learn a phrase like that?!”
Sweetie gave a rather half-hearted blink as she stared at Rarity with half-lidded eyes. “Rarity, I ran out of fucks to give like two hours ago when I had my own meltdown. Good thing we know how to turn on the cute or else Dustin wouldn’t be waiting outside right now.”
“That’s not answering any of my questions!” Rarity yelled through heaving breaths.
“You two are so similar you’ll either end up hate-fucking at one point, or killing each other, it’s just a matter of time. To answer your third question. You from when you think I’m asleep and you read you’re weird Fifty Shades-style novels late at night. You need to learn to shut your door at night.” Sweetie blinked blandly, reached over, stole Rarity’s tea and took a sip. “Mmmm, Griffish Breakfast, nice choice. You let it steep too long though.”
“Dustin and I aren’t that-” Rarity tried to respond.
“You both are generous to a fault, you don’t like saying no to ponies unless it’s about something you despise, you both get so caught up in what you’re doing you ignore those around you, and lastly you both are ludicrously stubborn and don’t give an inch. That last one was the result of your fight this morning.” Sweetie Belle listed off as she drank more of Rarity’s tea. “You two just need to sit down and talk out your problems like adults.”
Rarity blinked at her little sister. “How’d… Where’d….. Where did you learn to be so… manipulative?”
Sweetie looked up at her sister and put on the fakest happy smile. She innocently responded in a too chipper tone. “I learned it from you Rarity! You know, like what you do to Spike on a regular basis.” Then her face dropped back down to that blank stare. “You both need to learn that your actions don’t just affect each other. I’m caught in the middle of this and I know for a fact this may lead to trips to a therapist later in life. That is, unless you start working out your differences now. But if you two are okay with emotionally scarring a filly, then that’s fine”
Rarity’s jaw hung open. “Sweetie… I…”
“I’m going to go get Dustin.” Sweetie said while finishing off Rarity’s tea. “You better think about how you’re going to word things.” She hopped off the chair and began heading towards the door. She stopped and turned to look at Rarity. “Oh, and by the way, I’ve been in the kitchen from the moment you came in talking to yourself. You were just too focused on your own problems to notice me.” With the Sweetie walked out of the kitchen.
Rarity stared at where Sweetie had been standing. She felt a single tear roll down her cheek. She heard the door open. “Rarity’s ready for you.” Came the far too happy tone of her sister. “I’m going to head to Sugarcube Corner with the girls. Have fun.” With that Rarity heard the sound of hooves leaving the boutique.
“Try not to ruin your dinner!” she heard Dustin call after Sweetie, before the fox slowly entered the boutique. He crept through the house until he saw Rarity sitting at the table, at which point he stiffened a little bit, before sighing and relaxing, forcing himself to walk over and sit in front of Rarity. “So…” he opened with.
Rarity blinked, sniffed, and rubbed her eyes with a hoof. She looked over at Dustin. “Oh… hello Dustin…” She took a breath. “Listen… I’m terribly sorry for how I acted earlier, towards both you and Sweetie. I… I have no excuse for my behavior.”
“No, I shoulda,” Dustin started to say, before sighing. “Look...I have a minor form of a mental disorder. I used to have a medication to help me keep it in check before I wound up here. Basically, I do better with things than people. Give me a list of things to do? I’ll knock them out in an hour. Give me a disorganized work room? I’ll have it organized. Put me in a party? Good fuckin’ luck. It’s not that I can’t be sociable...it’s that when I’m faced with a choice, I choose not to be unless there’s someone I know there.”
“I can’t say I understand…” Rarity nodded with a small frown. “Although, not to push any buttons, but perhaps you could find that same medication if you went to see a doctor at Ponyville Hospital?”
“Yeah, that might help,” Dustin admitted. “I mean, I’ll still not actively seek out a crowd to be the center of attention, but what the medication did was...help me not be so, confrontational when something rubbed me the wrong way. Instead of screaming at people, it helped me calm down and realize ‘Hey. There’s no reason to get upset. Calm yourself, be reasonable.’”
Rarity blinked and her eyes widened. “No wonder you hated all those fashion shows!” She gasped. “You were forced into the very thing you actively avoid! Darling, I’m so sorry! If I’d known that it went that far, I would’ve stopped asking you to try on thing after thing immediately!”
“Actually, Sweetie, sort of, kind of, made a good point,” Dustin said, scratching the back of his head. “There might be things I want from you, so perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to try on a few things. But there would be some conditions.”
“Oh, of course!” Rarity nodded rapidly. “Sweetie… gave me quite a talking to…”
“First,” Dustin held up a finger, “We limit how many things I try on in a week. It’s going to start pretty low, but maybe as I get used to the idea, we can see about raising it. Second, every time I try something on, I get something in exchange. For example, I wouldn’t say no to a good pair of pants.”
“I can agree to those terms.” Rarity nodded with a small smile. “I do want you to note that I’m not asking you to walk in front of a crowd, I’d just like to see certain articles on you to see how they look, and perhaps find some inspiration if the look strikes me enough.”
“So basically, you’re hoping for me to be your live-in muse?” Dustin asked.
“In a sense?” Rarity said with a wince.
“Well, as long as we limit it, that’s fine,” Dustin sighed. “Just...don’t expect me to be ecstatic about the idea to start with. And I have a mine to run, though I might as well avoid it for a few days right now.”
“Oh, did something happen?” Rarity asked with a hint of worry in her voice.
“...Let’s just say that the previous bosses were greedy with the females, and I basically reversed their order while they were all in season,” Dustin replied after thinking about how to word it. “Things are going to be...messy. For a few days.”
“Oh… Oh my.” Rarity blushed a little. “I see.” Her brow furrowed. “Those poor bitches. They must’ve been so… pent up.”
“Half a dozen of them were waiting in my bedroom for me,” Dustin deadpanned. “At least until I reversed the order.”
Rarity giggled. “That must’ve been a shock.”
“Yes, well, hopefully with things sorted out properly now, there’ll be less of that,” Dustin sighed. “I’m trying to make sure none of them do anything incredibly stupid again. I’d rather the mine prosper. The last boss smashed all their crossbows and ordered fast, cheap things made of iron. Steel’s better, and I like the idea of the dogs being able to deal with things from range. It’ll take a few weeks for that to be fixed, I think. And hopefully the females won’t come calling for me again. I think. Who knows?”
“Well that just sounds awful. Their previous boss just sounds like a bully. Hmmmm.” Rarity tapped her chin. “Though they were a shock to see. Some of the bitches struck rather imposing figures. Do you think some of them would mind modeling for me? I could pay them in gems. Not that they exactly need them…”
“I could order them to, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that,” Dustin mused. “I could ask who wants to, but they might all volunteer their services, to try and get in my good books. Which again, I wouldn’t want to pull them away from anything that the mine needs doing right now. I can try, but don’t be surprised if you have a small troop of dogs show up one day.” Dustin thought about it and amended his statement. “A small troop of pregnant dogs.”
“Oh my... “ Rarity blinked. “Well, if that does end up happening the only one I can blame is myself. I just hope that they all know how to be patient and know not to touch things while I’m working.”
“They seem to have a good sense of what not to do,” Dustin commented as he thought back to what they’d uncovered and how nobody had mined it. “I’m sure if you explain it to them, they’ll understand.”
“I am sure they do. Those three that took me…. Didn’t seem to be the smartest….” Rarity said with a wince.
“They were young,” Dustin pointed out. “They hadn’t learned patience. There are plenty of...well, not educated, but smart enough dogs down there. And with me leading them, they’ll only get smarter. I plan to make sure they all know how to write and read at the very least.”
“Well how noble of you.” Rarity smiled. “Making sure your people are all properly educated.”
“Plus the minerals down there are only going to help, when they start trading,” Dustin continued. “I remembered what you said about some things being rare. They’re sitting on an aluminum ore vein.”
“Oh really?!” Rarity’s eyes widened. “Do you have any idea how big it is and would they be willing to trade for some aluminum?
“No, but I did mention that aluminum was valuable to ponies, so they’ll start excavating it and smelting it for trade,” Dustin commented. “Probably for things they can’t easily get down there. Like exotic foods and spices and the like.”
“Ooooooo! I’ll have to take a look at what they have once they have something set up.” Rarity grinned and clapped her hooves. “They are setting up some sort of trading post, yes?”
“They’ll need to close off all the tunnels dogs have dug up in the quarry and construct a proper entrance, but I did suggest a nice trading post to them, yes,” Dustin agreed. “Complete with a few stands where the talented stone carvers and gem cutters can sell things directly to the ponies, as well as a main depot where the mine itself will do trade with whoever comes by.”
“Oh that just sounds marvelous!” Rarity nodded happily. “ I do hope that it gets set up soon.”
“Mhm,” the fox hummed as he sighed and looked away. “I’m...sorry for shouting at you,” he said, not able to look her in the eyes. “I just...didn’t like being reminded of what Suri did.”
Rarity’s smile softened. “And I’m sorry for pushing so much. I didn’t think of how you felt about the whole try on clothes thing. It was very selfish of me. I know I can get caught up in my work, but that’s no excuse to virtually shove the thing you hate in your face on a daily basis.”
“I kinda just wanted the chance to relax and calm down after that, yeah,” Dustin admitted as he rubbed the back of his head. “Which I’m going to get precious few chances to do now that the whole ‘you’re the boss of the mine’ thing has happened. Honestly, I was just hoping for a place I could play my game in peace.”
“Well, I for one will give you more than a few days of peace. Just make sure you keep getting along with Sweetie Belle and things will be fine. No need to try things on. Though I will have to get your measurements and your thoughts on the pants you want. I’ll even make them for free.” Rarity’s full smile returned.
“No no, it wouldn’t be fair to ask you to make things for me and not occasionally try things on,” Dustin shook his head. “Just...don’t expect me to wear them for long. I’m still not a fan of being dressed up like a doll. As long as you give me a choice...I think I’ll manage.”
“Oh darling, I never intended for you to dress you up completely. Why would you hide any of that marvelous coat?” Rarity giggled “I’ve been thinking more accessories. Scarves, shawls, perhaps an open shirt or vest. Though, on the previous note. I’ll make you some pants or other articles and we’ll trade for something from the mine. I know at least one tiny portion of that must be yours, yes? As the leader you must get some benefits.”
“Well I think I might’ve just undone what previous bosses considered to be the biggest benefit this afternoon,” Dustin joked with Rarity.
“The bitches?” Rarity raised an amused brow. “Honestly, even the largest of dogs would be worn out by all of those bitches. Unless it was more a symbolic, greed thing.”
“You know, I didn’t have time to ask the previous boss what he was thinking,” Dustin mused. “I was more busy making sure the dogs wouldn’t have to cower in their own mine anymore. Tell you what, next Warchief that shows up, I’ll engage in polite conversation to figure out if they think they can actually run a mine with all their greedy policies.”
“I have the strangest feeling that that would lead to a momentarily confused warchief, followed by you getting hit in the face.” Rarity blinked.
“Pfft, Geralt’s been training me in how to be as fast as an actual Renamon,” Dustin waved it off. “Apparently they’re the ninjas of the show they show up in.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Rarity shrugged. “But please, if you learn how to disappear and reappear at will, don’t use it in the boutique. I’d rather not damage anything by you suddenly showing up.”
“Noted,” Dustin said before groaning. “Gah. Now I just feel bad about having yelled at you in the first place. Darn mood swings.”
“Oh darling, it’s fine.” Rarity reached out and patted his paw with a hoof. “I wasn’t any better. Worse actually, since I took out my frustration out on Sweetie instead of you.” Rarity frowned. “And she let me have it back in spades.”
“Let’s just admit we were both wrong, it’ll save us a lot of time,” Dustin suggested. “And maybe Sweetie made some valid points.”
“I can agree to both points.” Rarity nodded. “Perhaps we should simply, start over?”
“Sure thing,” Dustin said, extending a paw. “Hi, I’m Dustin, a Pokemon fan in a Digimon body.”
“And I am Rarity, fashionista. A pleasure.” She reached out and shook his paw with a hoof. “There now, fresh start.” She smiled. “We should just sit down and talk more, perhaps then we could avoid any confrontations.”
“What is that phrase,” Dustin muttered, before he smiled and put a paw to his chest. “‘Life is a play, and the world is it’s stage. The actors have their entrances, and their exits, and one man in his life may play many parts,’” he quoted. “From someone who believed the world was based around drama,” he explained. “The best we can do is mitigate it.”
Rarity looked at him for a moment, the smallest of blushes on her cheeks. “Dustin that was beautiful…” She shook herself lightly then smiled. “Have you ever considered going into theater?”
“Eh, I tried once when I was younger,” the fox replied, shrugging. “My school was doing some plays from the works of William Shakespeare. I tried to be one of the actors, but I got relegated to the role of making the pamphlets for the audience. Though that did give me an option at the end of the school year.” At her befuddled expression, he explained. “To test how well we’d memorized the works, the teachers let us use any line our characters had used in the play to see how well we could hold a conversation from many parts. Since I’d technically worked for all three plays, I could use any line. Higher degree of flexibility. Though I didn’t mind when I got to pull out the line a character used before they killed themselves...mainly because I also pulled out a prop sword and ‘stabbed’ myself. Their reactions were priceless to hear, all of them scrambling to deal with it and carry on the conversation.”
Rarity burst into a fit of giggles. “Well they had no idea what they were missing.”
“Mostly I have a talent for making funny voices and acting with big, sweeping motions,” Dustin said. “I have a tic where if I’m explaining things to someone, I’ll use my hands to sketch out how it looks to me, because I’m picturing it in my imagination. Highly useful in acting, because I can do big, sweeping moments more naturally. Also…”
Here his voice changed. Rarity didn’t want to say it sounded like a stereotypical Thestral’s voice, she knew better, but...he clearly had read too many vampony novels. “I also have a good Count Dracula voice on demand, for some reason,” he said. “For some reason my body refuses to forget how to make it.”
“Hmmmmph!” Rarity grunted as her face scrunched up. She tried with all her might but- “BWA HA HA HA HA HA!” The laughter exploded out of her in a very unladylike manner.
Then his voice changed again...it sounded like he’d been sucking helium. “I also have a good little Drifloon voice,” he chirped. “Fear me! I am a spooooky ghost!”
“D-darling! Darling p-please! I-I can’t breathe!” She managed to get out through laughter.
“So, I dunno,” Dustin said in his normal tone of voice. “Maybe that could be used in drama. But frankly I got enough drama already in my life.”
“Well, if there’s ever a talent show, or a theater audition for something, make sure to try out. It might turn out to be fun.” Rarity said, taking slow and steady breaths to try and calm down.
“I’ll consider it,” the fox agreed. “So...think I should go get Sweetie Belle and tell her everything’s calmed down?”
“Why don’t we both do it?” Rarity asked, getting up from her chair. “It’ll be easier on both of us and I think it’ll be better for Sweetie.”
“A fair idea,” Dustin agreed, getting up and pushing his chair in. “Fortunately, I know where the Corner is.”
Once again Sweetie found herself at Sugarcube Corner with her head on the table.
“Think they’ll actually make up?” Apple Bloom asked from Sweetie’s left.
“Don’know.” Sweetie said flatly, her voice muffled by table.
“Well, oddth are about fifty-fifty.” Scootaloo said from her right.
“Fifty-fifty what?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Fifty that they’ll make up and fifty that they’ll fight again.” Scootaloo shrugged.
“Not helping.” Sweetie groaned. “I somehow managed to dredge up a few more fucks and that’s the only reason I’m feeling shitty right now.”
The door to Sugarcube Corner jingled.
“Hey…” Apple Bloom began, the barest hint of a giggle in her voice. “Scoots, what were those odds again?”
“Huh? I jutht thaid fifty….. Fifty….” Scootaloo’s voice died.
A silence descended on Sugarcube Corner.
“Girls? What’s going on? Everything went quiet? Are you fucking pranking me?” Sweetie grumbled.
“Now darling, what kind of language is that?”
Sweetie Belle slowly looked up to see Dustin and Rarity standing next to each other. “So….. You made up? Or are you here to tell me that Dustin’s moving out?”
“Golly, she looks glum,” Dustin mused, before smirking evilly.
The next thing that came out of his mouth was a high-pitched voice that only sounded a little like him. “I wonder what will happen if I talk like this?”
Sweetie snapped back into a sitting position, forcing herself back into the booth with her hooves. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the fox. “What- What the fuck was that?!”
“Just a little voice I learned how to make,” Dustin said, talking normally...before switching back. “I am the mighty Renamon! Fear me!”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were having a hard time containing their giggles. Sweetie blinked. “No! Don’ wanna! Do not want!” A small smile cracked at the edges of her lips however.
“Give in to my awesome power! It is inevitable!” Dustin teased her. “All will know me and despair!” Okay, that did not sound right with that voice.
The girls were done. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom lost it, doubling over the table in laughter. A giggle squeaked out and Sweetie leapt off the table. She raced towards the fox and hugged his leg. “This doesn’t mean you win! Take this hug and choke on it… you… You….” She couldn’t get the words out as she broke down into sniffles and buried her face in his fur.
Dustin reached down, picked Sweetie Belle up, and hugged her to his chest. “I’m sorry we made you worry,” he said in his normal tone of voice. “I’m sorry we fought. We sat down and talked it out. Turns out that maybe I can get the pills I used to have to take to get my temper under control if I see the hospital. Then this won’t happen again. I just forgot to do it because...well, Suri,” he finished. “Do you forgive us?”
“Yes.” Came Sweetie’s muffled voice from Dustin’s chest floof. “Yes I forgive you.”
Dustin pulled her back and smiled down at her, before kissing her forehead, just under her horn. “I’m glad,” he said. “Thank you. Now, I believe you have a sister to talk to?”
Sweetie sniffed and nodded, rubbing her eyes with a hoof. She gestured to be set down and Dustin did just that. She turned towards Rarity. “I’m sorry for being so harsh earlier…” She said slowly refusing to meet Rarity’s eyes. “I didn’t mean it.”
Rarity smiled and gently lifted Sweetie’s chin with a hoof until their eyes met. “No, I’m sure you did. While the words hurt, they weren’t any less true. I’m sorry for not listening to you, and I’m sorry for not treating you better like an older sister should. Can you ever forgive me?”
Sweetie rushed forward and through her forelegs around Rarity’s neck. “Of course I forgive you!” Sweetie cried. “You're the only sister I have.”
“Aww, it’s a kodak moment,” Dustin cooed. “Wish I had a camera.”
“Awww shut up!” Sweetie snapped, as she let Rarity go and took a couple steps back. She shot a glare at the fox. “You’re ruining it!”
“Sweetie, be nice to Dustin.” Rarity giggled softly.
“Sure, I’ll be nicer to dad, mom.” She said with the faintest hint of a smirk.
Both Rarity and Dustin froze.
Sweetie’s smirk fully formed. “Truth hurts, doesn't it?”
Dustin seemed to have locked up. He wasn’t even blinking, and they couldn’t tell if he was breathing.
Then a stray breeze came in and knocked him on his side.
Apple Bloom spoke up from the table. “I think ya broke him.”