The unicorn awoke to the sound of Pinkie’s giggles. As she raised her head, she felt an itchy sensation all over her body. Once her vision came to, she noticed the pink earth pony giggling softly and covered in scorpions. The itchy sensation on her body became more apparent. She looked down and noticed that her body too was coated from chest to hoof in scorpions. At that moment the unicorn completely froze, she shot a glare at her pink friend still giggling.
“Pinkie!” the unicorn scolded in a hushed whisper.
“Haha! I know! We must’ve fallen in their home! Heehee!”
“Pinkie… Stop laughing!”
“I can’t help it! They’re tickly wickly!”
Rarity did her very best not to panic. She took one hoof and did her best to gently shake off some of the scorpions, but to no avail. She noticed one crawling up to Pinkie’s face, sitting on her nose.
“Uh oh…” the pink pony said as she scrunched her face, trying to get the scorpion off, “Ah…ah…ahhhhh.”
“Sweet Celestia, Pinkie, no!” the unicorn cried.
“CHOOOOOOO!” the earth pony sneezed with such force that all the scorpions flew off her and landed on the unicorn.
Rarity screamed and jumped out of the ditch, wildly shaking all the scorpions she could off of her. She ran, rolled, jumped, flipped and tumbled until she didn’t feel any more of the tiny legs tickling her. She panted as the pink mare approached her; the scorpions scattered, making their way back to their home.
“Awww, that looked like fun!”
Rarity threw an evil glare at Pinkie Pie. “That was ANYTHING but fun!”
The unicorn stormed away from her. Pinkie noticed a scorpion still sitting on Rarity’s left back leg, just under her flank.
“Um, Rarity?”
“Not right now Pinkie Pie!”
"B-But, Rarity!”
“I need some time to myself. So if you don’t mind, you stay over there and I’ll stay right here!” the unicorn exclaimed, as she plopped her behind on the ground, frightening the scorpion and causing it to sting her.
“OUCH!” the unicorn gasped. She looked at her flank; right below her cutie mark was a small sting mark that was already turning a bit red. The scorpion fell off the white mare and started running back to the ditch.
Pinkie Pie ran up to her friend. “There’s a scorpion on you.”
“I KNOW THAT! IT JUST STUNG ME!” the unicorn roared. She looked around franticly.
“I need to get to a doctor. Fast!”
“Why?”
“Pinkie! Scorpion stings are deadly!”
“Not all of them, silly filly! Fluttershy taught me that! It’s very rare that anypony ever dies from a scorpion sting!”
“But it’s still possible!” the unicorn observed the mark; it was getting redder and starting to tingle. Rarity swallowed as panic began to overtake her.
“You just gotta stay calm. Smile, and you’ll be alright!”
“Stay calm?! STAY CALM!?” Rarity stamped her forelegs into the ground. Her frustration had hit its peak and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold off on snapping.
“Someone looks like they need a soooooooonnnng!” the pink pony cheered as she patted her friend on the head.
“Ohhhh, when you get a tiny sting,
Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing!
Open up your mouth and siiiiiiiiing,
Then you’ll-”
“SHUT! UP!”
The pink mare stopped and gave a concerned look to her fuming friend. “Rarity, are yo-?”
“I said, shut up! I can’t take it anymore! Everything that’s happened for the past day has been YOUR FAULT! We wouldn’t even be in this mess had you not idiotically jumped off the stupid station wagon!”
Pinkie Pie frowned and rubbed her hooves in the ground. “I-I-I know… and I’m sorry. That’s why I’ve been trying to make you smile and laugh until we-”
“Until we what, Pinkie Pie?! Die of hunger?! Dehydration!?”
“Rarity, I-I’m s-”
“You’re what?! Sorry for knocking me off the cart?! Getting us stranded in the middle of nowhere? Annoying my ears off with all those stupid rhymes and songs!? For almost getting me killed saving YOU from the train?! Making me fall in that ditch?! Sneezing all the scorpions on me?!”
The pink equine’s eyes started to water. She blinked the oncoming tears away, trying not to absorb the hurtful truth of Rarity’s verbal blows. She knew the unicorn had every right to lash out at her, but she couldn’t let it dampen her mood. Deep down Pinkie knew if they just stayed positive, they would get through this, but the conviction in Rarity’s voice burned like acid.
Rarity leaned in until their faces almost touched, digging one of her hooves into the pink equine’s chest. “Oh, no, wait…maybe it’s for getting me stung by the scorpion whose venom is now coursing through my blood stream! What a fabulous way to die! A fashionista poisoned by the negligence of her idiotic, hyperactive, friend. But then again, I’ll be fine because according to you, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS SMILE AND THAT WILL FIX EVERYTHING!!!”
Pinkie Pie lowered her head. She closed her eyes desperately trying to stop the tears but they aggressively pushed against her eyelids. She sniffed as a few spilled out, hitting the ground below.
Rarity scrunched her face up in disgust and turned away. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to spend the last few moments of my life, alone, reflecting on the wonderful time I had before I passed away… All. Thanks. TO YOU!” the unicorn said finally, before storming off.
The pink mare sat there, head down, unmoving save for the furious shaking of her body. Rarity was right, if this was anybody’s fault it was hers. It took all of Pinkie’s strength not to cry. She bit her lower lip so hard until she tasted blood. When the unicorn was finally out of sight, she wept silently to herself, finally allowing the tears to drench the ground beneath her.
***************************
The sun’s heat waves beamed down mercilessly upon the unicorn. Rarity panted as sweat poured down her face onto the hot ground. Her back leg started to swell. The tingle was now replaced by a burning pain every time she took a step. On top of that, her mouth felt bone-dry; her tongue felt like sand-paper. She tried to ration what little saliva she had left until she was able to at least find a town, a house, or some kind of civilization.
“Element of Laugther… hmf… more like, Element of Annoying.”
Rarity groaned as her slow walk came to a halt. Her back leg was throbbing and her head was pounding. She clutched her chest with one hoof as she felt her heart race, and it became hard for her to catch her breath. She knew that if she didn’t keep going, she was going to die out here. But if she kept pressing forward, there was a chance, although small, she would make it. The unicorn forced herself to keep walking, but within several steps, she collapsed to the ground; her body drained of all energy. As Rarity’s vision slowly became nothing but a blur, she uttered what she knew were her last words.
“She… was just… being… Pinkie Pie.”