“Good heavens!” A clatter behind you makes you jump, and you wheel around to see Rarity’s magic barely catching a tray full of teacups before they smash to pretty little porcelain bits on the ground. “Darling, was that- were you- why were you crying?”
You can’t help but blink at her before reaching up to wipe your cheeks. Yeesh, you hadn’t even noticed the tears streaking down them. You suppose that’s what you get for getting too lost in your thoughts, especially right outside Carousel Boutique. It just happened to be on your route home, and you hadn’t really noticed where you’d sat down to think.
“Wait right here, I’ve got to set these down before I drop them again. They are imported, you know, and vintage as well! I got them at a wonderful price…” She trails off as she hustles into her boutique, the door cutting off her fading voice as she rambles away about the price of teacups in Canterlot these days. It gives you a moment to collect yourself before she returns.
For a moment, you consider leaving while she’s inside. Then, you won’t have to bother her with the details of what’s going on with you. She’d be happier without knowing, wouldn’t she? No, no, she’d probably be sad once she figured out you were faking it, you realize. Rarity is your friend, and she’d most likely be pretty upset if she knew you were hiding your feelings from her.
So, what are you going to tell her? You’re not quite sure where to begin, and while you don’t think Rarity would mind listening to you pour out your heart and soul, she’s probably super busy, and doesn’t have time for the long, boring story. Maybe you can summarize, and this time without crying. Crying doesn’t fix anything, after all, and it only makes other ponies feel guilty, and that’s the last thing you want!
What does that leave you with, then? You guess that trying to explain what’s been going on with your life in a few sentences is the best idea, and you can only hope that you’ll be able to do that without your voice shaking. Hopefully, you’ll manage that without throwing yourself even more of a pity party than you have been.
The door behind you creeks open, and you silently pray to yourself to hold it together. “I’m back, darling! Terribly sorry for the delay, but I’ve been collecting those for a friend. She loves teacups, and while I admire a passion for pristine porcelain, I’m not sure where her sudden obsession for them came from.”
“Now,” Rarity continues, holding out a hoof to you. “This is no place to feel sad and talk about such feelings. To the spa, darling!”
You barely get a consenting word in edgewise before you find yourself dragged off towards the Ponyville Spa. You can barely keep up, but you do your best to avoid tripping and landing face-first. Rarity fusses the whole way about how stress and worry can make you look less fabulous than you really are, but you find yourself tuning out her well-meaning babble. What in Equestria can you going to tell her?
You look up, blearily recognizing that Rarity is talking to those spa ponies, Aloe and Lotus. Nopony is paying any attention to you. Vaguely you realize that this is your last chance to bail, but a large part of you doesn’t want to. Maybe this is what you needed. Maybe it wasn’t a complete accident that you stopped in front of Rarity’s shop, and your subconscious knew that you needed to be with a friend. Even if being in a spa wasn’t what you needed, it still could help, right?
Well, it couldn’t hurt. With a decisive nod, Rarity leads you gently down a hall, and helps you into one of the side rooms. You hope this isn’t too expensive of a treatment, but figure that Rarity would probably hush any attempts you’d make to pay for this. She is the Element of Generosity, after all, and she always seems to live up to her name.
You look around. The room doesn’t quite match the physical pampering you had expected when she’d mentioned the spa. A fish tank burbles to itself quietly in a corner, betta fish diving and weaving between fake plants. The room is lit with mood lighting, which slowly changes colors, cycling through a rainbow of peaceful hues.
A panel lights up one wall, with a series of buttons on it. Curious, you press a few, and the background noise changes, from silence to waves crashing on a beach, to the babbling of a brook, to the gentle rumble of a thunderstorm, to the rustling of aspen leaves and birdsong. You pick one you like after switching through them a few times, before remembering that you aren’t alone and turning around. Rarity is smiling patiently at you.
“Now, darling,” she begins, sitting down on a cushion on the floor and patting one next to her. You sit and get yourself comfy. “Ponyville Spa is rather special. They recognize that sometimes, some ponies need to calm themselves emotionally before they can be at their best. This room is usually reserved for ponies who need a place to be alone, to relax in a safe and soothing environment.” You look around. It is pretty soothing, you have to admit.
“Of course,” Rarity continues after a brief pause, “I can leave if you’d just like to stay in here for a short while. Aloe and Lotus have guaranteed that you won’t be disturbed today. But I thought I’d offer my company. I’ve found that being with a friend can be helpful on its own, even if you wouldn’t like to talk. It’s up to you, of course.” You tell Rarity that you’re happy she’s here, and she looks relieved.
Neither of you say anything for a few minutes as you take the time to clear your head. Then, at your own pace, you summarize what you’ve been going through. It’s hard to speak about it out loud, especially since it doesn’t feel like that big of a deal now that you’re actually telling somepony about it, but Rarity listens with concern and understanding.
Oh dear, are you crying? You feel a tear make its way down your cheek, then another. You’re pretty embarrassed, but all Rarity does is scoot a little closer and offer you a tissue and a shoulder to lean against. You take the tissue and hold it tight as you sniffle. Slowly, reluctantly, you hug her, and she holds you as you weep.
“You know, dear,” says Rarity gently as she rubs your back, “I cry an awful lot. Some ponies think that crying is a sign of weakness, or that it means they’re too pathetic to keep their feelings to themselves, but I think it’s a sign of strength. Nopony should have to hold in their feelings all the time, and it usually feels a lot better afterwards.”
You blow your nose and rest your head against her shoulder. You can feel Rarity smile against you. “You’ve been through a lot, darling. It’s okay to let your feelings out. I’m here, and it will all be better. I know what it’s like to feel like everything is the end of the world, trust me, but it all turns out okay in the end.”
You chuckle weakly. Rarity is pretty well known for her dramatic outbursts, and if she can make it through some of the ridiculously hopeless odds she’s faced, you suppose you can make it through this.
“It still hurts, of course,” the unicorn says, gently pulling you up to face her. “And just because it will be okay later doesn’t mean that everything is suddenly going to be easy now. But I’m here to listen whenever you need it, okay, darling? And we can sit in here for as long as you like, as often as you need! Just let me know, and I’ll come running.”
Her hoof reaches up to catch a tear making its way down your cheek. You take a few deep breaths and close your eyes, enjoying the ambience of the room for a little while longer. Once you’re ready, you pick yourself off the far-too-comfortable cushion and tell Rarity that you’re ready to enjoy the rest of the spa treatment.
She chuckles knowingly and opens the door as you make your way towards the massage tables. As you both wave over the spa ponies, she hums, and you look over to see that she looks almost… proud of you?
“You are strong, darling. Much stronger than you know. I’m completely positive that you can make it through this!”