Rarity stood alone in the darkened showroom of her boutique, head pressed hard against the closed door. She had shown her friends out only moments ago, but she could still hear all five of their voices talking and, in some cases, yelling in her head. Rarity closed her eyes tight as tears streamed down her cheeks.
I had hoped to wait at least until morning before the rest of my friends showed up. But no, they just had to come right away and drive the knife even deeper, Rarity thought as she pounded her head against the hard wood a few times. Well, at least Pinkie didn’t, she was just happy I was safe. Probably planning a ‘Welcome Back, Rarity’ party right now. As if that will solve my problems.
I wish Fluttershy had been here, at least she understands a bit how I feel. But, I get why Zecora wanted her to help with Kohaku. I wish I could have done something to help, but that venomous look Zecora gave me. Rarity shuddered. I can’t even think about what she might have done to me, had Twilight and Rainbow not stepped in and ushered me out the door so quickly. Moving back from the door, her hoof caught the edge of her cloak, and she nearly fell on her rump. Looking behind her, she chuckled.
“I can’t believe I’m still wearing this thing,” Rarity said through a sniffled chuckle. Trotting into her back office, she turned on the lights before pulling the cloak from her back. Holding it aloft with her magic, she leaned in and examined it a bit closer. “Hmm. You know, I never did look at this properly. It’s very well made, I’ve never even seen stitching like this before. Whoever put this together was a master seamstress or tailor. With a few new touches here and there, it would be quite fetching on that boy. I’ll fix it up as a thank you. Maybe I can also get rid of that horrid smell.” Hanging the cloak on a nearby mannequin, she gave herself a little sniff. “Ugh, speaking of which, a bath is definitely in order before bed.”
Leaving her office, she walked through a back door to the mudroom of her home. Looking about, she smirked as her eyes landed on a large black and purple leather jacket hung up on its usual peg. “Well, looks like my dragon is back from the Crystal Empire,” she said to herself with a chuckle. After taking off her horseshoes, saddle bags, and hat, she walked up the staircase to the second floor.
“Agadoo doo doo, push a mango from the tree, Agadoo doo doo, push a mango, make toffee… Ugh… I’m never going to get that song from my head,” she groaned, rubbing her hooves down her face. “Why did he have to sing it for three hours.”
Pushing past the upstairs door, she moved into her living room and just stood there after turning on the lights. Rarity couldn’t help but giggle at the sight in front of her. Spike was lying face down, unconscious on her sofa. One of his claws rested on the ground, gripping a broom. Looking about the room, she found everything neat and orderly. The mess she had left earlier that day was gone.
“Oh, Spikey,” she whispered and walked over to him. Levitating the broom from his grip, she put it away and then came back to sit down on the floor and just look at him. Her hoof lightly brushed aside his head spikes, one of which had loped down to his nose. He had grown up quite well. As he grew, the young dragon became more pony-like. He was even a quadruped now and stood only half a head taller than herself.
Spike groaned as his eyes opened. “Rarity? Are you here or is this a dream?” Shifting, he felt those tender hooves on his shoulder and just rolled onto his side and gazed at his marefriend with deep concern. A look that was rewarded with a soft kiss to his lips. “Yup, you’re a dream.” Stretching out a bit, Spiked frowned, his eyes focusing on the wet streaks in her coat from her eyes to her cheeks. “You’ve been crying, haven't you? Does that mean… did you find...” The dragon sighed as he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
“I’m sorry, darling, I have been crying, quite a bit lately.” Rarity shyly turned away and sighed deeply while shaking her head. “And no, I didn’t find any sign of her. Alive or…” Getting up, she walked to the hearth’s mantelpiece and looked up at the pictures there. Reaching up, she touched a picture taken at the last Sisterhooves Social.
“When did you get back?” Rarity asked, looking over her shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting you to return till next week.”
“About two hours ago,” Spike said, stretching like a cat and flexing his wings before folding them back to his sides. “When mother sent me that note about what you had done, I left my breakfast of gems just to get back here. My wings are killing me right now.” Collapsing back onto the sofa, he just watched Rarity. “I never expected you to go back in there, especially after our last conversation.”
Rarity kept quiet and just nodded slowly.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“I think I’m a little too wound up for that just yet, Spikey.” Rarity shook her head slowly as she ran her hoof across the picture of her and Sweetie Belle; the two covered from head to hoof in grape juice and eggs, laughing without a care in the world. She smiled briefly before lowering her head. “I think I’m just punishing myself for what I did and said, pushing her away like that.”
Looking over her shoulder, she gave Spike a small smile. “And I’ve pushed so many others away since then. My parents, my friends… even you.” A few tears streaked down her cheeks again as she sniffled loudly. “I hope you’ll understand someday and forgive me.”
“It’s okay, really. I understand, you just had to go looking for her.” Spike rubbed the side of his head a little. “And I do forgive you. How could I do anything less. I mean, you forgave me for that little incident with Ember a few years ago. And don’t worry, I have no intention of throwing half my library at you. Even though you did hurl half your dress shop at me at that time.” A soft grin crossed his lips as he looked Rarity in the eyes.
A soft chuckle escaped Rarity’s lips as she glanced over her shoulder. “Well, thank you, darling. I do appreciate the sentiment.”
Moving from the mantlepiece, she walked the length of the room till she stopped at the small desk under a window where she kept her mail. She took notice that Spike had organized everything. As her hoof fanned out a few of the open envelopes, quickly pushing aside the RSVP’s to her wedding and two postcards from her parents, her eyes settled on the ones with large red stamps on them. Two eviction notices, just wonderful. This is all I need.
“Yeah, I noticed those too. The latest ones are from Canterlot and Manehattan,” Spike said as Rarity looked at the envelopes. Getting up, he walked over and sat next to Rarity, wrapping his tail around her waist. “You know I could…”
“No, Spike, I’d swore I would succeed or fail on my own.” Closing her eyes, Rarity pushed the bills aside and leaned up against him. “If this is the price I have to pay for chasing after a ghost, so be it. Even if we are engaged, I can’t have you bailing me out of my problems.” Reaching out with her magic, she gripped her favorite photo from her desktop’s secret drawer. Leaning up more into Spike, she looked at it as tears dripped down.
“Hey, what’s the point of being the adopted son of a princess if I can’t help my own princess,” Spike said with a smirk, touching his nose to Rarity’s.
“Well, this is one instance where your princess has to stand on her own four hooves.” With a lick to his nose, Rarity rested her head under his.
“And Sweetie Belle?”
Nodding softly, Rarity closed her eyes. “I just have to accept the reality of things. As painful as it is. There’s just a few things I wanted to tell her. Secrets that I’ve kept from her for thirteen years now.” Rarity looked at the faded photograph that nobody but herself, her parents, and Spike knew about.
“You mean about...” Spike started, but a hoof to his lips silenced him.
“Yes, Spike. That’s one thing I just couldn’t ever bring myself to tell her. No matter how often I’ve tried. I still stand by my decision, that in some ways she’s better off not knowing. But most of all, I wanted her to know just how much I love her. And what she really means to me.”
“How could she not know. You were always there for her, whenever she needed you.” Spike held Rarity close. “This wasn’t your fault, none of it.”
Rarity looked up at Spike and sighed, pushing her head into his neck. “I was always so generous with everypony else, why couldn’t I just be generous with her. It was just a stupid quill and one shirt. So what if she ruined my spring design, it wasn’t my best work anyway. She did me a favor by ruining it.”
Pulling on his black shirt, she dabbed her eyes and blew her nose. Meeping, she leaned back. “Oh my, I’m so sorry, Spike, I wasn’t thinking.”
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s my work shirt anyway,” he said, gripped the neck of his shirt and pulled hard, ripping it down the center, and bunched it up into a small ball. With a toss over his shoulder, he landed it in the trash can. “I have half a dozen of them back home, I buy them in bulk. Much cheaper that way.”
Rarity giggled a bit. Watching Spike show off, she let out a soft sigh and nuzzled up against him. “I think I’m finally relaxing a little.”
After a few moments of soft, tender holding, Spike lifted his marefriend’s chin with a claw. “Now, what happened to you in that forest, Rarity?”
“Well, apart from almost losing my life and becoming a timberwolf’s lunch, I met a very unusual young boy.” Rarity chuckled, nuzzling warmly against her fiance while she recounted her day to him. “You know, he kinda reminded me of her. He has a very playful attitude, particularly with the myriad of small animals that gathered around him. Then there’s his singing voice. The best way I can describe it is it’s like that of a songbird. An annoying songbird who sings the same song for hours, but a songbird nonetheless.
“It’s kind of funny, when I talked to him after we got away from those timberwolves. He got this rather odd look when I mentioned Sweetie Belle’s name.”
“Do you think that maybe he saw her in the forest?”
Blinking a few times, Rarity sat up and looked at Spike. “Come to think of it, I never asked him. I was just so… self-absorbed.”
“Well, you did say he’s still at Zecora’s, right? Maybe you could go and ask him tomorrow?”
“Well, I was planning on going to check up on him. I guess I could ask.” Rarity’s face lit up for a brief moment. “Maybe… just maybe.”
“Rarity, don’t get your hopes up too much,” Spike said, shaking his head.
“Please, don’t tell me you're going to doubt me?” she asked with a soft pout.
“No, my love, I would never doubt you. I just don’t want you to be disappointed.” He caressed her mane with a claw, pulling her closer.
“Well, you know how you can prevent that tonight. I’m done with ignoring my loved ones,” Rarity calmly stated. “Tonight I make amends with you, then tomorrow with my friends. Although I doubt it’ll be as easy.”
“Would you like me to carry you?” Spike asked, leaning in closer.
“Of course, first to our spacious bathtub. I think I’ll let you pamper me with a long, leisurely bath. I simply must wash that forest from my coat. I can’t promise anything else, I hope you understand.” Leaning up, Rarity met Spike’s lips with her own. With a soft tender caress to her cheek and the sparkle in his eye, she got her answer. He would be content with pampering her. On breaking the kiss, she lovingly slipped herself up onto his back with his help. Holding up the photo, she kissed it affectionately and tossed it back onto her desk as Spike carried her up to the master bathroom and her spacious tub. “Rest well, wherever you are, my little Sweetie Belle.”
As she turned out the lights, moonlight streamed in from the window, illuminating, with a soft silver glow, the photograph Rarity always kept hidden. Lying in a hospital bed was a teenage Rarity. Despite the fact that she looked as if she had been through the depths of Tartarus, she had a large smile. A smile that was mirrored by her mother, who was kneeling next to the bed beside the young mare. In Rarity’s forelegs, bundled in a knitted blanket, was a sleeping newborn foal with pink hair.
***
Fluttershy lay on her side on Zecora’s sofa, Angel sleeping soundly on a cushion next to her. With a few soft breaths, she heard the sound of a glass being set down next to her. Looking at the end table, she saw it was filled with a dark amber liquid.
“With the night having been dragged out so long, I felt that you and I needed a drink that is quite strong,” Zecora said and sat down.
“Thank you, Zecora.” Nodding softly, Fluttershy took a sip of the beverage and meeped. The liquid warmed her cheeks and brought a flush to them. “Oh my, what is this?” she said once the feeling came back to her lips.
“Appleloosa Apple Whiskey, I keep a bottle or two around. It helps to ease the stress when I have to deal with a day that turns upside down.” Zecora took another long sip of her drink and leaned back in her large wicker chair. “And what we have tonight we cannot simply dwell, you and I have to talk about what we have learned about little Sweetie Belle.”
“I agree,” Fluttershy said, pushing the remaining whiskey away from her. Her feathers shifted uneasily back and forth as the timid pegasus got her wings comfortable. “I think it’s obvious what we must do. We have to tell Rarity.”
Taking another long sip of her whiskey, Zecora ran her hoof along the edge of the glass. “On this I agree.” Closing her eyes, the zebra sighed. “But there is something you do not see. Kohaku was with her all day, so why did he not tell Miss Rarity?”
“I… I don’t know.” Fluttershy blinked and slumped back into her chair. Turning her head, she looked at the stairwell to the second floor.
“Well, my dear, the answer is just so. Kohaku simply does not want Rarity to know.” Shaking her head, Zecora finished her drink. Setting the glass aside, she abandoned her rhyming. “I have known him for some time, and I can say this. His telling us was a mere mistake. Brought on by the exhaustion of his breakdown and my potion.”
“So what do we do, we honestly can’t keep this from her, can we?” Reaching down, she caressed the Angel’s back.
“No, we cannot,” Zecora said and looked at Fluttershy, her face starting to look brighter. “But we must.”
“Why?”
“I have known Kohaku for two years now. I have learned much about him and his people. Both from him and legends told by my own kind.” Zecora leaned back and looked at a small figurine on a top shelf. “They are very seclusive and careful to whom they give their trust, and are bound by the promises they make.”
“Do you think Sweetie Belle made him promise not to tell?”
“I do,” Zecora said. “Or he made the conscious decision to keep her a secret. Either way, with him telling us, he has given us his trust. If we break that trust and told, Kohaku could become very vengeful to both of us. Or worse.”
“What’s worse?” Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel her voice quiver.
“He could become very suicidal. And I refuse to see him that way.” Zecora poured herself another glass and downed it quickly. “That is why we cannot tell. Though his telling us was a mistake, we are now bound to keep that secret or risk his vengeance, or his very life.”
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Fluttershy murmured as she looked back to the stairs, her eyes tearing up. With her heart beating fast in her chest, she pulled her hooves together and held them up against her ample floof.
“There is one thing. We can encourage him, indirectly, to do the right thing. And hopefully we’ll have Sweetie Belle returned to us.”
“Do you know where he lives?”
“No, I have asked many times, but he never revealed it to me. But all the animals of the forest know his home location.”
“Really?” Fluttershy muttered as a smile crossed her face and a sparkle lit up in her eyes. “Hmm.”
“Indeed.” Zecora yawned and put down her glass. Getting up, she walked toward her first floor bedroom. “Well, I’m going to bed, sleep well, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Hmm, I... I’m going to go check on him,” Fluttershy said as she continued to look up at the stairs. Moving from the chair, she stumbled a little to the side and shook her head a bit before trotting up the stairs.
Zecora nodded as she watched Fluttershy go back upstairs. “Alright, feel free to use the spare room up there if you like.”
I know that I can trust her. I know she understands my reasoning. However, that look she had in her eyes. I can’t shake this feeling she’s going to do something. I just hope that it isn’t anything rash.
***
Fluttershy groaned a little, silently cursing the lightest amount of alcohol she had. Moving through the darkened corridor, she felt herself stumble as she walked. Moving into the room Kohaku was in, she looked around. The moonlight filtering in from the open window bathed the room in a brilliant silver, brighter than anything she had seen from Luna’s moon before. Stepping in closer, she had to rub her eyes as she looked at how the light shimmered around the boy, caressing him in the same way a parent would.
I’ve never seen moonlight do that before, Fluttershy thought, watching carefully. I’m either hallucinating, or that whisky hit me harder than I thought.
Quietly closing the door behind her, the mare moved in and sat down next to Kohaku, her wing lightly brushing aside his hair. She lay down on her belly and just watched him.
He looks so sweet and innocent. I know I don’t know anything about him or his people, but I do know animals and what’s in their hearts. I can understand him keeping secrets and being bound to well-natured promises. But that bit about him becoming vengeful or suicidal? Fluttershy wiped a tear from her cheek. I can’t believe it. No! I won’t believe it. Not of any creature who has kindness in their hearts. Most of all, not from a child like him, she thought as she rested her head down on her crossed front legs and sighed deeply. I know Zecora said we have to do something indirectly. But maybe, with the help of the animals, I can do something more.