“I’m sorry that I have to go. I don’t expect I shall return.”
Rarity spoke gently as she held onto Twilight’s hands as they stood on either side of the open door to the library, the wind and snow caressing Rarity’s back as she whispered her heartfelt farewell.
“But I am a Slayer, and I must do what I must do,” Rarity said, gently rubbing her thumb across Twilight’s fingers. “There are just some missions that we Slayers take where we know we need to get our affairs in order before we can leave, for we know we might not return, and certainly won’t as the pony we were before we left.”
“Rarity, it’s just puckwudgies!” Rainbow screamed from inside the library. “Give it a rest!”
“Well,” Rarity harrumphed, and Twilight was very politely trying not to laugh at her reaction. “It appears some ponies just have no appreciation for the art of melodrama.”
“I appreciated it,” Twilight said with a dorky grin, and Rarity could not have been more endeared to her.
“I suppose that’s what counts,” Rarity smiled and placed her hand on Twilight’s cheek, rubbing Twilight’s face with her thumb while Twilight leaned into her hand and purred, smiling brightly.
Rarity smiled too, because she was proud of herself for so quickly defining what kinds of physical affection were appropriate and appreciated by Twilight, and nothing made Rarity feel closer to somepony than showing her affection through touch.
She even had some ideas for more displays of her affection that she could practice on Twilight once a bit more time had passed and they’d gotten a little closer—Rarity couldn’t wait to scritch behind those big floppy purple ears of hers, after all.
Twilight’s eyes were still closed as she rubbed her cheek against Rarity’s hand, and Rarity took a moment to appreciate her luck. She and Twilight weren’t an item, after all—not yet, at least—but Twilight loved to be touched as much as Rarity loved to touch her, and that was a blessing Rarity refused to take for granted.
“I wish you didn’t have to go,” Twilight hummed.
“So do I, darling,” Rarity sighed, letting her hand fall away from Twilight’s face and it felt like the cold air blowing through you when you first get out of the bath. “But I do have responsibilities. I’m a Slayer still.”
“I wish you weren’t,” Twilight muttered, and Rarity grit her teeth for a fraction of a second. She didn’t know how to respond to that, to what was a rather hurtful comment spoken without malice, but then she thought of the perfect response.
“If I wasn’t,” Rarity grabbed Twilight’s chin with her fingers and tilted her head up, “I would never have met you.”
Twilight blinked, and said nothing; but Rarity waited patiently for the inevitable response with a smile on her face.
“Huh,” Twilight said dorkily.
Exactly as planned.
Rarity giggled at Twilight’s reaction and gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “So don’t knock it too much, okay, my darling?”
“Uh, sure,” Twilight nodded and affected a rather sweet smile, and in appreciation of Twilight at least trying for Rarity’s sake, Rarity pretended not to notice how forced and awkward Twilight’s smile was.
“Rarity!” Rainbow called out and poked her head out the door from behind Twilight, Spike poking his head out behind Twilight’s legs. “Don’t you have a train to catch?”
“Why I never!” Rarity gasped and clutched her heart, before tilting her head back with a hand splayed across her forehead. “Being cast out by my own friends! The scandal! The utter shame of it all!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow pushed past Twilight and started shoving Rarity down the path away from the library. “Imagine the shame of being late to a puckwudgie mission, of all things! C’mon, Rarity! Get a move on already!”
“Honestly, I don’t know why you’re being so impatient,” Rarity huffed. “You’re not even going!”
“Yeah, but-” Rainbow cleared her throat “-I have important stuff to do. Stuff that I can’t get to until you leave.”
“Applejack?” Rarity asked with a devilish grin.
“Leave,” Rainbow stomped her hoof, her face turning blood red, much to Rarity’s delight and amusement.
“As you wish, darling!” Rarity cheered. “Wouldn’t want to keep you from your date, after all!” Rarity gave an amused giggle that almost covered up Rainbow’s very irritated groan.
Rarity headed on her way, but stopped cold when she heard a certain somepony calling her name.
“Rarity, wait!” Twilight yelled, and Rarity turned to see the librarian running after her.
“What’s the matter, Twilight?” Rarity fluttered her eyelashes. “Miss me too much already?”
“That’s definitely it,” Twilight said flatly, giving an amused smile. She bit her thumbnail and her brow furrowed; she looked rather pensive and Rarity was suddenly awash in the desire to caress her face and make her feel better, maybe draw her a hot bath.
Actually, that wouldn’t be such a bad—
Rarity, focus! Honestly!
Rarity cleared her throat, mostly for her own sake, but it also got Twilight’s attention and she stood up straight.
“Uh, I wanted to wish you good luck,” Twilight said.
“Okay,” Rarity said, trying not to sound too disappointed, “well thank you, Twilight, though I assure you, I won’t—”
“And, be careful,” Twilight said suddenly, her hands clenched into a ball in front of her body, “please.”
“Darling,” Rarity brushed her hand through Twilight’s bangs, “it’s only puckwudgies. If I get hurt on a D-Class mission like this, I never deserved to be a Slayer in the first place.”
“That may be,” Twilight didn’t look at all reassured by Rarity’s words, “but after what you told me happened during the cragadile mission, and the timberwolves mission, and that quarray eel mission—”
“I see your point,” Rarity interrupted, tightly clasping Twilight’s hand. She placed her hand on Twilight’s cheek and looked the pretty lady in the eyes. “I promise you, I will return safe and sound. You have my word on that.”
“Okay,” Twilight nodded, “I believe you, but—”
Twilight drifted off, biting her lip and averting her eyes.
“Yes?” Rarity arched her eyebrow.
“I still want to give you something,” Twilight stammered, “for luck.”
“Um, certainly,” Rarity was a little confused, but she wasn’t going to refuse a gift from one of her favorite ponies. “What is it?”
Without a word, and too quickly for Rarity to properly react, Twilight leaned in and blessed Rarity’s cheek with a tiny kiss, and Rarity’s entire face lit up in response.
“Well then,” Rarity said, perhaps a bit too loud, but she couldn’t properly focus with all the blood rushing to her head. “I, uh—” Rarity didn’t know what to say and just laughed nervously, and she could practically hear the wires in her brain frying into mush.
“Come back safe,” Twilight said bashfully, placing her own hand over her cheek where Rarity so commonly found her hand these days.
“I will,” Rarity took the hand from Twilight’s cheek and placed it against her lips, giving the knuckles a gentle kiss. “I promise.”