//------------------------------// // Family Matters // Story: Rarity Plays the Waiting Game // by CapNTilfy //------------------------------// Rarity and Sweetie Belle ran downstairs and gave their parents hugs, greeting them back home from the plans they made. "Hey, girls!" said Hondo. "How's the day been?" he asked with a huge smile. The two sisters shrugged. "Kind of uneventful." said Rarity. "Except for the massive pillow fight!" Sweetie Belle said excitedly. Hondo chuckled. "The Princess of Pillows and All Things Fabulous returned, eh?" Rarity blushed and nearly curled up into a ball. Sweetie Belle blinked. "You mean that's not the first time that's happened?" Hondo Flanks grinned. "Far from it!" he said. "That's your sister's favorite way to kill time when she gets really bored." "Father!" Rarity said, her face red from utter embarrassment. Sweetie's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" Hondo nodded. "She and I used to play that all the time." Between the boredom of the day and embarrassment, Rarity had reached her limit. As she tried to change the subject, she blurted out The. Worst. Possible. THING! "I have a crush on a girl for the first time and it's been driving me crazy for months and months!" Rarity shouted, flailing her arms. Silence hung in the air as everyone, even Rarity herself, processed what was just said. Rarity blinked, then realization hit her. Her face became an even darker shade of red than before as tears streamed down her face. "Damn these teenage hormones!" she shouted as she ran upstairs to her room, utterly mortified. Hondo Flanks, Cookie Crumbles and Sweetie Belle all stood still in shock until the slamming of Rarity's bedroom door startled them back to reality. They all looked at each other, concern in their eyes. --------------------------------------------- Rarity lied on her bed, her face in her pillow. She was so distraught that she didn't even know if she was seriously crying or overacting like she tends to. Perhaps a little bit of both. She sighed deeply. Well, that cat's out of the bag... she thought bitterly as she heard knocking on the door, nearly startling her off of her bed. "Go away! Leave the angsty teenager with sexuality issues to wallow in her own pity!" she shouted, before almost immediately changing her mind. "I need a hug!" There was a pause. "Well, which one is it?" her father asked. "Just get in here!" Rarity shouted as she leaped out of her bed, now understanding that she was on the verge of crying for real. Her parents and sister rushed in and gave her a big hug, then she broke. She spent several minutes sobbing into her father's chest, letting out all the frustration and confusion she had felt over the past few months. The family of four stayed locked in place even after Rarity had fully calmed down. "Thank you." Rarity said softly. "I truly needed to release all of that pent-up emotion." "Of course, honey." said Cookie. "But I would like to know why you haven't told us about this before." Rarity sighed heavily. "I've been rather...insecure about it. I haven't told anyone else except Pinkie Pie and Lily Pad, because I was worried that if I didn't tell anyone, I'd blurt it out!" Rarity blinked, then sighed again. "Like I just did." She put her head in her hands and made a sputtering noise. Hondo put an arm around his eldest daughter's shoulder. "You know that we love you no matter who you want to date, right?" he said, giving Rarity a compassionate smile. Rarity smiled, putting her hand on her father's arm. "Of course I do." she said, feeling herself tear up again. "Unless you fall in love with a dog, then we'd have to have a talk." Hondo grinned, then let out a raucous laugh. Everyone else joined in, as he was well known for his contagious laughter. "So..." said Cookie, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Who's the object of your affection this time?" Rarity blushed and hesitated, knowing that there would be several questions to follow. She sighed. "Her name is Lemon Zest." Sweetie Belle blinked. "Why is that name vaguely familiar to me?" Rarity smiled. "She was one the Shadowbolts in the Friendship Games and in the Dance Magic music video. She was the Shadowbolt with headphones and pink skin..." Rarity trailed off as she blushed and sighed. "She's strong, beautiful, graceful..." "Sounds like someone we know." said Cookie, smiling. Rarity's blush deepened, then she continued. "The way she dances...it's simply mesmerizing!" Sweetie Belle poked her older sister. Rarity blinked. "Yes, Sweetie Belle?" "Sorry." Sweetie Belle said. "You looked like you were about to go on one of those seemingly endless tangents of yours." Rarity laughed sheepishly and pulled her younger sister into a hug. "Perhaps I was, Sweetie Belle...Perhaps I was." "So have you told her yet?" asked Sweetie Belle. Rarity shook her head. "As I said, I already told Pinkie Pie, Lily Pad, and now you three." "The rest of the girls don't know?" asked Sweetie Belle. "They will tomorrow." said Rarity. "I sent Lemon Zest a text yesterday to meet me at the mall, and I'm going to tell them shortly beforehand." she sighed. "For better or for worse, I feel that I need closure with this so that I can either be in a happy relationship with her or move on with my life as best I can." Rarity's father put his arm around her shoulder once more and smiled. "And you can bet that the three of us will be there for you in addition to your friends. 'For better or worse.'" he said with a gentle and supportive smile. Sweetie Belle and Cookie Crumbles nodded in agreement. Rarity felt tears well up again. "Thank you." she said, her voice quavering. "I love you three very much, and I don't know what I'd ever do without you." she sniffled and enjoyed the precious moment with her father, mother, and sister as they hugged again. --------------------------------------------- The rest of the day was mercifully quick, albeit uneventful. Giddy with excitement over the coming events, Rarity had to drink chamomile tea to calm herself down so she could get a decent night's sleep. She put on her sleep mask, turned off her bedroom lights, and let sleep slowly claim her.