Azure Edge

by Leaf Blade


237. Who Has the Time

“RAAAARITYYYYY!!” Pinkie screeched at the top of her lungs, and the enthusiasm and love that Rarity could hear in Pinkie’s voice would have been just oh so endearing if she wasn’t sitting on the same train bench as Rarity, a mere two inches from the unicorn’s ears.

“Yes? Sweetheart?” Rarity asked tepidly, trying to keep a gentle tone despite her newfound aural trauma.

“Nothin’,” Pinkie squeaked with a little shrug. “I’m just excited to hang out with you! We have had Raripie time in what feels like a million years!”

“I suppose that’s true,” Rarity laughed and put her arm around Pinkie. “You are a dear friend though, and I am always delighted by your company, if not necessarily your volume.”

“Hehe, sorry,” Pinkie giggled bashfully, “guess I got a little excited—hey do you remember when we went to Ponyville!? The first time!?”

“I do,” Rarity chirped. “Why do you ask?”

“Well that’s kinda where this whole adventure of ours started, huh?” Pinkie said, bouncing in place.

“I suppose,” Rarity pondered. “Though wouldn’t it be more correct to say it started when we all met Twilight? That’s when I got sucked in anyway.”

“I guess I’m thinking like,” Pinkie paused to hum and stroke her chin, “if I were writing a book about our adventures, I’d start it right about at the Ponyville thing. That’s where we met Fluttershy, remember?”

“It sure was,” Rarity rubbed her temples. That felt like so long ago already; she was a completely different person when she met Fluttershy the first time. “I guess that would be an adequate place to start a novel. Are you planning on making one, Pinkie Pie?”

“Pffft, no,” Pinkie scoffed. “Who has that kinda time?”

“Who indeed,” Rarity said dourly. “It certainly does seem like it’d take quite a bit of one’s life.”

“Yeah,” Pinkie giggled, “imagine like staying up way into the evening-into-the-morning hours trying to meet deadlines!”

“Or, heaven forbid,” Rarity couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity, “trying to write chapters the very same day they need to be published?”

“Ew that’s awful!” Pinkie exploded into laughter, and Rarity couldn’t help but join her. The novelist’s life seemed quite fraught with stress, which Rarity had in abundance already.

“Perish the thought,” Rarity said.

It was nostalgic though, thinking about those times. Everything seemed so much simpler then, just going on missions and returning to the library. Though Rarity couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t utterly miserable in those days when she wasn’t in the library. And misery or no, she wouldn’t trade the knowledge of the truth she had learned for anything.

Despite the hardships, things had turned out quite alright, all things considered. Rarity would simply have to pray that the party’s luck would hold a while longer.

“Hey, you remember Bubbles?” Pinkie asked out of the blue.

“I do,” Rarity nodded. She remembered what a pain in the neck the curious little pegasus had been, but she also remembered the sage advice that she had bestowed upon Rarity when she needed it most. “You’re still pen pals with her, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Pinkie said a mite dourly, “it’s been a while though since I’ve had time for pen palling. While we’re in the Empire, I’ll need to make time for it.”

“Hmmm, that’s a good idea,” Rarity nodded, drifting into thoughts. Bubbles certainly was an interesting woman. Rarity remembered that she had quite the ethereal glow around her eyes—oh.

Rarity snorted and curled into a ball, laughing into her fist at just how absurd a life she’d ended up living.

“You okay, Rarity?” Pinkie asked, putting her soft hand on Rarity’s thigh.

“I am,” Rarity rolled her eyes.

Just how many dragons had Rarity met in her lifetime that were hiding in plain sight? All this time, the people of Equestria thought that any dragon that came into the country would burn down entire villages and leave a trail of corpses in their wake, but the truth was they were already living amongst ponies, likely by the dozens at least, causing no problems whatsoever.

There was no reason to share Rarity’s suspicions though. While Rarity was about ninety-eight percent certain that she was right about Bubbles’ lineage, it wouldn’t do to divulge her secrets to others, or to spread rumors if Rarity turned out to be wrong.

“So Rarity,” Pinkie said fondly, capturing Rarity’s attention now that she had decided to place her previous thought train on hold, “when we get to the Empire, what do you wanna do? I mean, after we do all the important diplomacy stuff?”

“Rest,” Rarity groaned dramatically. “I could use a little time off, quite frankly.”

“I can get into that,” Pinkie nodded understandingly, patting Rarity’s leg. “We should rest together!”

“Pinkie Pie, dear,” Rarity sighed softly, running her fingers through Pinkie’s curly mane as the adorable pink pony cooed and snorted at Rarity’s touch, “I would like nothing more.”