//------------------------------//
// Chapter 13 (SPOILERS FOR ALL OF CRIMSON LIPS) 
// Story: Tales of the Sapphire Carousel: The Chef's Guardian 
// by Undome Tinwe 
//------------------------------//

Shimmer Glass awoke to find her loving girlfriend blowing raspberries on her belly.

"R-Rainbow!" Shimmer gasped out between giggles. "Stop it!" She slapped playfully at Rainbow's shoulder.

Rainbow lifted her head and smirked. "You want me to go a little lower?"

"Not right now," Shimmer replied, sitting up.

"Alright." Rainbow glanced up at the clock. "We still got some time before our shifts. Want me to grab Shard while you get freshened up?"

It was at this point that Shimmer noted that Rainbow's work clothes were already on. "Thanks," she said, nodding.

"See ya in a bit." With a final kiss, Rainbow made her way out of their bedroom.

A wide grin spread across Shimmer's face as she climbed out of bed and made her way over to the bathroom. She sped through her morning routine, eager to see her son and girlfriend and knowing that they'd be back very soon, given their penchants for racing down the halls.

Grabbing the first appropriate pieces of clothing from her closet, Shimmer hastily got dressed, and she was so focused on speed that she didn't notice that she'd opened the wrong drawer to get her socks. It also didn't occur to her that none of the clothes in the drawer were hers until she reached in.

And brushed her hand against a jewelry box hidden under a stack of bras.

Instinctively, she grabbed it and pulled it out, her heart pounding as she realized what size the box was. Shimmer knew she should put it back and pretend like she hadn't seen anything, but it seemed some of Rainbow's impulsiveness had rubbed off on her. Before she could second-guess herself, Shimmer opened up the box.

As expected, there was a beautiful engagement ring inside.

A small part of Shimmer's brain couldn't help but note that the ring was set with a sapphire, which was a fun touch and just another sign that Rainbow had put some thought into this. It was very sweet.

The larger part of her brain was currently shut down as she stared at the engagement ring in shock. Things had been going well with Rainbow, certainly, and now that Rarity had her new boyfriend things had calmed down in the Sapphire, but Shimmer certainly hadn't been expecting this.

Then again, it wasn't like they were moving too fast. Shimmer loved Rainbow, and they'd been together for long enough to know that they worked well together. And the thought of walking down the aisle, or swearing to love and cherish the sweet guardian who had let her truly live her life, to kiss in front of everyone and proclaim their union for all to see...

"Ha! I win!"

Shard's voice broke Shimmer out of her reverie, and she looked up in surprise, her eyes meeting Rainbow's shocked gaze she appeared behind him.

Rainbow was the first to recover, slapping Shard playfully on the back. "Heh, good job, kid. You're a natural."

That moment was all Shimmer needed to regain her own composure. "Were you two running down the halls again?" she put all of her motherly disapproval in her voice, knowing that it wouldn't faze either of them.

Indeed, Shard simply grinned up at her and nodded. "Rainbow challenged me to a race, and I won!" he declared proudly.

Shimmer sighed. "Well, as long as Rainbow was there, I guess it's fine." She reached out to hug her son. "So when did you get so fast, anyway?"

As Shard launched into an excited explanation of his technique, Shimmer and Rainbow shared a glance that spoke volumes, with Shimmer painfully aware that she was still holding the evidence of her snooping in her hand.

"Oh, and we made macaroni art yesterday with Miss Cheerilee!" Shard said at the end of his speech. "You wanna see?"

"Sure!" As Shard raced out of the room, Shimmer handed the jewellery box back to Rainbow. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow," she said. "I opened the wrong drawer by mistake and—"

"Shh." Rainbow silenced her with a kiss. "It's cool. I wanted to surprise you, but it's probably better if I didn't just spring it on you anyway."

"Mama, are you coming?"

At Shard's impatient outburst, Rainbow winked. "We'll talk about it later, alright? I love you."

Shimmer could only gulp and nod before following Shard out of the room. She tried her best to put her new discovery out of her mind and focus on spending time with her son. As Rainbow said, they could deal with that later.





Unfortunately, later never came.

Shimmer and Dash had spent the remainder of their time before work playing with Shard, an odd tension in the air that wasn't hostile, but definitely spoke of how nervous they both were for the coming conversation.

By the time her shift started, Shimmer had swapped positions multiple times and still wasn't sure what she was going to tell Rainbow. Marriage was just such a big commitment, and it was scary to think about.

At least work had been hectic enough to keep her mind occupied until the end of her shift. Savoir Fare's orders filled her thoughts as she rushed about the kitchen preparing lunch for the Sapphire, preventing her from dwelling too much on the coming proposal. And having a little time made her feel slightly more relaxed when her shift ended, though she was still nervous about the conversation she would be having with Rainbow.

And then Aqua Swing had summoned them all to the viewing room.

Shimmer had quickly donned her nicest and most provocative negligee and put on whatever makeup she could in the time she had. Whomever this VIP was, with the way Luna was treating them, Shimmer had to assume that being chosen would be very lucrative for her.

The fact that Aqua had seemed very nervous when informing them all to assemble had set Shimmer and the other girls on edge, and there was a palpable tension as they all made their way towards the viewing room.

At some point, Rainbow Dash joined up with her. "So, uhh, I guess this is later," she said awkwardly. "But also, not a great time to have a big heart-to-heart talk."

"I'm sorry," Shimmer said.

"No, no, it's fine," Rainbow replied. "I get that you have to work, and if this client is enough of a VIP to get Luna to do all of this, then I can definitely wait until you get a big payday tonight. We can talk after. Just focus on being as awesome and sexy as you always are."

"Thanks, Rainbow." They were almost there now. "Do you have any idea who this bigshot client is?"

"Nope." Rainbow shook her head. "But since the boss didn't want Rarity here, I gotta assume it's some bigwig from the Solar District. Still, there's something fishy about this whole thing."

"I'm sure it'll all work out," Shimmer said, despite her own misgivings.

Aqua stood by the door as they made their way inside, still looking like. Shimmer shot her a sympathetic smile as she passed her. "Thanks for arranging this, Aqua. And we'll all be okay, no matter what happens. I trust the Lady."

Her words seemed to make Aqua relax somewhat as she nodded. "It's gonna make for one hell of a story either way."

Once inside, everyone except Rainbow lined up near the back. It wasn't their normal procedure, and no one had really suggested it out loud, but it was impossible for them to assume their normal nonchalant positions right now, not when everyone was obviously on edge.

There was something about this client that the Lady was keeping a secret from them, and the Sapphire didn't take kindly to any secrets that might threaten its employees.

Shimmer's heart was pounding in her chest as some very unpleasant memories flashed through her mind. She'd been forced to stand in a line before with other girls like her, and it had never been a good thing in the past. She had to keep reminding herself that Lady Luna was different, that no matter how things went, she would put their safety above all else.

And even if Lady Luna failed, Rainbow was still in the room.

The calm determination in her eyes eased Shimmer's soul, and when their gazes met, there was such a promise of love and support that Shimmer almost blurted out an answer to the unspoken question between them before Rainbow had a chance to ask it. Yes, everything would work out in the end, just as she'd promised Rainbow.

The door opened, and the Lady stepped inside with the Very Important Client.

Everyone flashed their best Work Smile as they took stock of this mysterious visitor to their domain. She was actually quite pretty, Shimmer had to admit. She also looked very, very nervous, which wasn't entirely unusual for some of the people who came here, but something about this whole situation didn't add up. And it didn't help that she looked familiar somehow, though Shimmer was sure she'd never seen a woman with purple hair that had a pink stripe through it before.

“What the hell is she doing here?!”

And then Rainbow Dash spoke those words with such venom that Shimmer knew there was only one possibility as to the identity of their mysterious VIP.

So, this was Twilight Sparkle.

Shimmer couldn't tear her eyes away from this woman who had shattered the heart of one of their own. She could feel the anger radiating from the others, had an idea of what their expressions might be given that Twilight looked like she wanted to curl up into a ball and die right now.

She looked scared, and Shimmer felt an instinctual need to reach out and comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay, but she held back. That wouldn't help anyone now, and she still had no idea what was going on.

Neither did Rainbow, it seemed. “She’s the client?” Anger, horror, disgust filled her voice as she continued her tirade.  “What the—”

“Rainbow Dash.” Shimmer held back a flinch at Luna’s sharp voice. “It would be wise for you to be silent.”

It was honestly a miracle that Rainbow Dash listened to her. Part of Shimmer had always been scared that her girlfriend would run into this woman she hated so much one day, and do something they'd all regret. Tension filled every part of Shimmer's body as she waited for the other shoe to drop, but Dash really did respect Lady Luna, enough to hold her tongue and content herself with glaring at Twilight.

Shimmer was grateful for having one less thing to worry about as she listened to the Lady's introduction.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming. This is Twilight Sparkle.” The room grew colder as that name was spoken out loud. “She will be the client of one of you today. Specific details will be discussed once someone has been chosen, but I expect this session should only last a few hours."

There was a pause as Luna waited for Twilight's nod before continuing.

“Very well. Now, if you will, please step forward.”

Shimmer didn't step forwards, and she knew that none of the others would either. They were all far too angry, and even Shimmer had to admit that she was annoyed on Rarity's behalf.

Still, there was another reason why none of them stepped up. Not when Twilight had offered double their usual rate, then triple, then five times, then nine times their usual rate, with increasing desperation.

Rarity had loved her.

Rarity had loved her, and so nobody would sleep with Twilight Sparkle. Because while sex meant little to them, it had been everything to Twilight, and to ply their trade with her would be the ultimate betrayal.

"Please."

Shimmer's heart broke at that word, and she almost stepped forward. Whatever Twilight Sparkle might have done, she was in pain now, and Shimmer so wanted to comfort her.

But offering the kind of comfort she sought would only hurt them all.

Rainbow Dash spoke.

“My Lady,” she said. “Permission to speak out of turn.”

Shimmer braced herself as Lady Luna gave her permission, and it went exactly as she expected. And yet, despite her strong language, Shimmer had to agree with some of the sentiment. Something wasn't adding up here, and Lady Luna had to have known what would happen.

They were all missing something.

And when Lady Luna gave her reply, when she asked them if they would give Twilight Sparkle a second chance, Shimmer understood.

This wasn't about Rarity.

This was about helping a woman be better, giving her the same second chance that they'd all been given.

Shimmer recalled the day when she'd first arrived at the Sapphire, desperate to do anything she could to give Shard a future. Luna had seen that desperation, and had offered her what she needed: a rewarding career, a home, a family, and a future.

The Lady had a knack for knowing what someone needed and giving them the opportunity to grow into that. And Twilight had been trying to understand their work, before.

Shimmer knew why Luna had called them here.

“I’m happy to do it." Shimmer Glass stepped forward, her smile returning. “And I’m happy to charge my usual rate, so please put that away.”

"Shimmer!" 

Now was not the time to lose her nerve. Shimmer quickly shot a glare at Rainbow, hoping she would play along for now. There'd be a discussion afterwards, but right now, her priority was Twilight.

“Shimmer Glass,” the Lady said, and Shimmer could hear the relief in her voice. “Thank you.”

“No.” Shimmer's own heart was pounding right now as she kept her eyes on Twilight. She hoped to god that Lady Luna was right about this. “Thanks to Miss Sparkle for coming. VIP room?”

Fortunately for Shimmer, Twilight seemed to be too preoccupied with her own fretting to notice the looks the others were giving them as Shimmer and Luna settled the details. It was a mixture of shock and betrayal, and Shimmer shook her head in disappointment as she frowned at them.

Trust me, she mouthed as she left, her eyes fixed on Rainbow. Rainbow simply stared back, a thousand emotions dancing in her eyes, but she nodded, and Shimmer was grateful for that.

Fortunately, they made it to the VIP room without any more complications, and Twilight looked slightly less nervous when Shimmer led her in. She did her best to put her client at ease, her mind racing to see where this would go. Part of her job was figuring out what a client wanted or needed and providing that to them, and she still wasn't quite sure what Twilight was looking to get out of this session.

The notebook clutched to her chest definitely promised something out of the ordinary. Did Twilight mean to try to take notes while Shimmer plied her trade? That would certainly make for an interesting experience.

Finally, Shimmer got Twilight to sit on the bed beside her, still looking so, so scared. The fear tugged at Shimmer's heart, and without even thinking about it she reached out to brush her fingertips against her cheek in some attempt to provide comfort as she spoke. “We haven’t formally met, have we?” She reached out her hand. “I’m Shimmer Glass.”

“Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” As Twilight took her hand, Shimmer could feel them trembling, and she did her best to keep her smile light and joyful.

"Hello, Twilight." This was the first time she'd opened up a session with a handshake, but it felt oddly right at the moment. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Twilight snorted at that. "I'm pretty sure I'm the last person everyone here wants to see," she said, looking up at Shimmer with reddened eyes.

"Well, Lady Luna wants you here, and I'm glad you came as well," Shimmer said. "She said you were trying to be better, and the Sapphire has always been a place for second chances."

"I'm sorry," Twilight said softly. "I... I don't know what you've already heard, but I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Shimmer gently patted Twilight on the back. "What's important is that you're trying now. So, what do you want to do?"

That question at least brought Twilight out of her self-loathing for a moment. "Oh, right!" She opened up her notebook and tapped against it with her quill. "I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."

Shimmer's head tilted in confusion. "Questions?"

"About your profession." Twilight's formal businesslike demeanour faltered for a moment. "I— I want to understand."

Shimmer recalled what Rarity had told her about Twilight, and smiled. "I'd be happy to help." Then, something else occurred to her, and she frowned. "Before we go any further, I should probably tell you that Rarity has a boyfriend now."

Twilight nodded gravely. "I know, and I'm not doing this for her. Honestly, I was hoping that Rarity wouldn't ever find out about this, but Lady Luna insisted that she be informed eventually. I want to do this for myself, to become better."

The smile returned. "I'm very happy to hear that," Shimmer said. She clasped her hands together and grinned. "So, what do you want to ask, Miss Sparkle?"

She'd been right to trust the Lady. And maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be the end of Rarity and Twilight's story, and if Shimmer could help them find some peace, then that was all she wanted. Excitement bubbled in her heart as she prepared for the strangest session she'd ever had to begin in earnest.





Three hours later, Shimmer was more exhausted than she'd ever remembered being after a session with a client.

Twilight's questions were beyond thorough, and had tested every single ounce of Shimmer's knowledge of her profession, beyond making her think quickly and creatively with some of her more open-ended questions.

The idea of using magic in their line of work might be something to bring up with the Lady, come to think of it. Shimmer had no talent herself but some of the other girls had some ability with it, and it might be interesting to explore that. She made a mental note to discuss it with her later.

Still, despite appearances, Twilight's list wasn't actually endless, and she eventually reached the end of her notebook.

"Okay, I think that's the last question," she said. "Thank you for your time, Shimmer."

"It was my pleasure," Shimmer replied, and she actually meant it for a change. She'd never felt quite so seen before, and it was rather flattering to have someone take so much interest in what you did. "Will we be seeing you again?"

"I don't know," Twilight admitted. "It depends on what Lady Luna decides. But... I'd like to learn more, if I can. I think I'm starting to understand, but I know that I still have a lot further to go."

"Well, I hope things work out for the best, then." Shimmer climbed out of the bed, and Twilight followed, still clutching that notebook like it was the most valuable thing in the world.

Shimmer opened up the door and was immediately confronted with two familiar faces which she really should have been expecting.

Rainbow Dash's expression was guarded and suspicious, but at least the open hostilities had faded. "So, are you two done?" she asked shortly.

Shimmer nodded. "We are. Twilight and I had a delightful chat." She smiled at Twilight, who blushed but smiled back at her.

"Very good," Lady Luna said, her expression unreadable. "Thank you, Shimmer Glass."

"As I said to Twilight, it was my pleasure."

"I am glad." The Lady turned her attention to Twilight. "And did you get what you came here for?"

"I have some preliminary notes," Twilight said, and Shimmer tried not to gawk at what she considered to be "preliminary."

"May I see?" Luna extended her hand out, and Twilight gave her the notebook.

There were a few moments of awkward silence as everyone waited for her to finish skimming it. It was at that point that Shimmer finally turned her own attention to Rainbow Dash. There was still some hurt in her eyes, and the lingering traces of anger, but more than that, Shimmer could see the concern for her, and it warmed her heart.

She gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile and saw a bit of the tension leave her shoulders, though she was still on her guard.

"This is quite the impressive set of notes," Luna said. "Would you permit me to hold onto this for a day? You can pick it up tomorrow."

"Oh, uhh, sure," Twilight stammered out. "So, I should come back here tomorrow?"

"Yes," Luna replied. "I'll let Aqua know to receive you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a few moments with Shimmer and Rainbow Dash. There's a table with refreshments outside, which I'm sure you're already aware of."

"Third door to the left." Considering Shimmer had told Twilight the location of the table two hours ago, it was a testament to how much attention she was paying that she still remembered, and it was hard not to be impressed. "I'll, uhh, see you later, then." With that, she scurried off, leaving the residents of the Sapphire alone together.

Lady Luna handed the notebook over to Rainbow Dash. "Skim this," she commanded.

"What?" Rainbow asked, staring at the object like it was a snake about to lash out and bite her.

"Your job is risk assessment," Luna said. "I pay you to ensure that every client that walks through these doors will not be a threat to anyone in here. These are the notes Twilight Sparkle took during her session with Shimmer Glass. I need to know if you think she'll be a threat to the well-being of the people working at the Sapphire."

When she phrased it like that, Rainbow didn't really have a choice. Grumbling under her breath, she took the notebook and began skimming through it. As she read, Shimmer noticed her anger fading away.

Rainbow reached the end and closed the notebook. "Well, I still don't like her, but I guess she isn't completely terrible, and it looks like she cares about the girls here a whole lot more than some of the other regulars we let in." She shrugged, returning the notebook to Luna. "Is that everything you wanted, boss?"

"Yes," Luna replied, satisfied. "Thank you both for performing your duties admirably. I will need your help later tonight when I explain to Rarity what has transpired, but for now, I need to see Twilight Sparkle off, and then I believe I will take this lull in the action to finish some of that damnable paperwork that never seems to end. Have a pleasant rest of your day."

With that, she strode off, and then there were two.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Shimmer spoke up. "Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for—"

"Will you marry me?" Somehow, when she wasn't looking, Rainbow had managed to pull out the jewellery box, and now she was opening it as she spoke, showing off the sapphire ring inside.

"Huh?" Shimmer stared at the ring, shocked. "I thought you'd be mad at me for taking Twilight on as a client."

"I was, yeah," Rainbow admitted. "But you told me to trust you, and I started thinking about what the boss said about second chances. That's when I realized just how awesome you were. I still wanna give Twilight a piece of my mind, and I probably will if we ever run into each other without anyone else around, but I read through that notebook and you were both right.

A smile spread out across her face as she spoke. "You've always been so kind and understanding, and I really appreciate that, and I think it's really cool how you're so nice to everyone, even if they don't deserve it. You gave me a second chance when you really didn't need to, and I can't really be mad at you doing that for someone else, right?"

Rainbow sank down on one knee, and Shimmer pressed a hand against her mouth to hide her gasp. "This whole day just made me realize even harder how much I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, and I really hope you feel the same way."

Shimmer grinned. "Of course I will, Rainbow. No one's ever made me feel like I belonged like you have, and I want to feel like this every single day."

"Phew," Rainbow stood up and drew Shimmer into her arms. "Not gonna lie, I was kinda worried that you'd be mad at me for earlier too."

"You want to protect us," Shimmer replied, leaning in to press a kiss against Rainbow's lips. "I'm never going to be mad at you for that. And you trusted me, in the end, which is all I ever wanted for you." She gently pressed her forehead against Rainbow's. "You're the best person I've ever met, and I'm so, so lucky to have you in my life."

Rainbow winked. "Right back at ya, Shimmer." They pulled apart, though their gazes remained locked on each other. "So, we gonna go tell Shard now?"

"He'll be so happy to hear it." That had been the most important thing for Shimmer. She could never share her life with someone who couldn't get along with her son. "We should get going as soon as we can, too. I have no idea when Rarity's going to be back, and that's going to be an... interesting talk."

Rainbow chuckled. "I can't wait to see her freak out. It's gonna be great."

"I really hope this helps her move on," Shimmer murmured.

"Either that or she's gonna break up with that guy she's dating and things are gonna get real exciting around here again," Rainbow replied cheekily. "So when are we gonna let everyone know that we're getting married?"

Shimmer shrugged. "I'm not even sure if we have to. They're going to find out somehow and next week there's gonna be a surprise party for us."

"That's the Sapphire for ya." Rainbow slung an arm around Shimmer as they made their way towards the play area. "Wanna just tell the boss and see what happens?"

That got a laugh from Shimmer. "Sure, that sounds like fun." So many emotions were coursing through her right now, all summarized in her next words to Rainbow. "I love you. And I'm so glad I applied for a job at the Sapphire."

"Love ya too," Rainbow said, pulling her into another kiss. "So, after we tell Rarity about the notebook, if she decides she needs some stress relief, are you still okay with me helping her blow off some steam, if you know what I mean?" She waggled her eyebrows in such a way that Shimmer couldn't possibly not know what she meant.

In response, Shimmer simply giggled, wondering how on Earth she'd ended up here, and thanking the heavens that she was. "Sure thing. As long as I get to watch."