//------------------------------// // A Dazzling Sun and Precious Gem // Story: Halcyon Days // by Snow Quill //------------------------------// Rarity was alone in her shop, the hum of the sewing machine her only companion. She followed the pattern almost blindly, muscle memory and skills honed over her years of sewing guiding her hands. With near mechanical efficiency, she turned off the machine and cut the thread, shifting the piece to the side and preparing to sew the next panel. On and on she went, long periods of humming fading to silence and broken with the snip of scissors before resuming again.  Ding. Rarity blinked out of her stupor. She turned her head towards the front, sure that she had turned the sign to ‘closed’. Why, then, did she hear the delicate ding of the bell above the door? Slowly, she stood up and went to a drawer, quietly digging through the fabric until her hand closed around the cold metal of a handgun. She frowned at it for a moment.  Initially, she didn’t want to accept such a gift from her beloved, but she was glad she had it now. Canterlot was a dangerous city after all, and the Lunar District had a habit of quickly culling the weak and unprepared.  She pulled it behind her back and headed towards the front. She popped her head through the doorway. “I’m so sorry but we are clo–” Rarity didn’t anticipate the woman in front of her, and even her unexpected guest seemed surprised. “Celestia?” Rarity's shock quickly gave way to suspicion. “What are you doing here?” Celestia raised her hands in surrender, though it did little to calm the tension. “I come in peace. I only wish to talk, Rarity.” Rarity pursed her lips and quickly stepped behind the front counter to put a solid barrier between them. “Very well. Talk.” Celestia sighed, looking around at the dresses and outfits on display. “You certainly have a gift for design, these are beautiful.” Rarity’s hand closed tighter around the gun. “Cut the crap and talk. Or else I’ll throw you out.” Celestia ran a hand down her side, smoothing her flowy dress shirt. “Right, no more beating around the bush then.” She turned towards Rarity. “You grew up with Fluttershy, right?” Rarity nodded tersely. “Get to the point.” “Then surely you know about her father.” Rarity scoffed, almost unable to believe that this was the angle Celestia was going for. “What kind of a question is that? Of course I know what happened with her father! I’m her best friend. And Luna is your sister, how dare you believe she would–” “I don’t.” Rarity stumbled back at the sharp bluntness in Celestia’s voice. “I love my sister more than anything, Rarity, I truly do. I also know that you and Fluttershy love each other more than you ever could Luna and I. So please.” Her eyes glistened with tears as she continued. “Don’t let a misunderstanding break your friendship.” Silence.  Then, Rarity began to laugh, a sharp, ugly cackle that raised the hairs on Celestia’s arms. She leaned forward and threw her hands onto the counter to brace herself, oblivious to the stiffening of Celestia’s body at sight of the weapon. “A misunderstanding,” she started bitterly, “is Fluttershy assuming Luna was a whore. A misunderstanding is assuming that I didn’t know the kind of business Luna runs. A god damn misunderstanding is the thought that I might find employment under her as well. No,” Rarity chuckled darkly. “That wasn’t a misunderstanding, it was fucking prejudice and if Fluttershy were truly my best friend, she would have understood that. She would have given me a chance to explain and she would have at least tried to understand.” Celestia stepped back as if slapped. “Rarity, surely you can–” “Can what? Forgive her? Ha! I didn’t realize comedy was part of your studies.” “Rarity, please, see reason. Even if you set aside what happened in the past, what the Carousel is, what happens there… It’s not something many people can just accept.” “Oh yes, I’d say you are a shining example of that. You know, I think I finally understand why Luna never told me about you. You are as embarrassed of her as she is of you!” Celestia gasped, her stricken expression making Rarity feel the slightest twinge of guilt. She sighed, “Celestia…” Celestia shuddered before straightening herself. “No, no you are right. I was embarrassed of her and what she decided to do with her inheritance. I was just, Rarity I’m scared. I want her to be safe, but the Lunar District…” She looked pointedly at Rarity’s hand.  Rarity snorted, her guilt quickly swept aside. “Oh please, Canterlot is dangerous. Besides, from what Fluttershy told me you are a magical prodigy. I probably wouldn’t be able to get one shot off before you disarmed me.” The lightness she had intended fell flat, weighed down by the dangerous power each woman held in their hands. Rarity sucked in a breath through her teeth and stood back, leaving the handgun on the counter. “Well, what now then? You said you came to talk and you did, yet you don’t appear to be leaving.” Celestia sighed. “Only because we aren’t done talking.” “Oh we aren’t are we? Pray tell what else you might have to say that would change my mind on the whole ordeal. I’m ever so curious.” “I don’t know.” The stark honesty of the statement brought a more genuine laugh from Rarity. She rubbed her temple. “So… What? You hope to stand here and make me feel guilty enough to forgive Fluttershy? Or you, for that matter?” “If you are feeling guilty already, it’s only because you know it is wrong to hold a grudge.” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Pardon?” “You and Fluttershy have been friends for so long, Rarity, and from what she’s told me, you’ve never had a fight like this before. You are meant to be together.” Rarity crossed her arms, “Why are you here and not her?” “Don’t try to change the subject.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not. I’m asking a question. Why are you the one preaching to me about guilt and forgiveness when she’s the one who attacked Luna? Why aren’t they having a conversation and why aren’t they here?” Celestia sighed in exasperation. “Luna does plan to talk to Fluttershy, I think they may be talking now, even. Now, back to the subject at hand.” Rarity rolled her eyes, “Ah yes, my guilt.” “Your friendship.” “Oh stars above… Why are you so invested anyways? Are you hoping to fix your own relationship problems with Luna by fixing Fluttershy and I’s?” Celestia’s silence spoke volumes and Rarity shook her head, disgusted. “You are pathetic, Celestia. Fluttershy was rude and while I have hopes that Luna can talk some sense into her, I will not be able to forgive her until she comes to me herself. Her anger may have been directed at Luna, but she essentially called me a monster beside her. Now tell me, is that something a ‘best friend’ is supposed to do?” “You and I both know that Fluttershy normally wouldn’t ever lash out like that. She had a bombshell dropped on her and wasn’t thinking clearly. It was unfair of Luna to just drop the truth of the Carousel like that.” “Oh no, no no no. What was unfair was you trying to lie and present the Carousel as anything but a brothel.”  Celestia’s face scrunched at the word. “It’s not just…that, though. The theater is rather beautiful from what I’ve heard.” Rarity smirked at Celestia’s lame argument. “Oh, Tia.” Her wince at the condescending nickname gave Rarity strength. “You are a rather naive and foolish woman, aren’t you?” “Excuse me?” “You heard me. You think you can come in here to my shop and tell me how I’m supposed to feel or what I’m supposed to do? I’m afraid you won’t find me as gullible or easy to manipulate as Fluttershy. Tell me, did you have a similar conversation with her?” Rarity stepped from behind the counter and towards Celestia. “Did you scold her like a disappointed mother? Tell her that she should give Luna and myself a chance?”  Celestia stepped back as Rarity continued to advance. “Or did you, perhaps, simply hug her and tell her it wasn’t her fault? That she ‘wasn’t thinking clearly’ and that you would talk to me and make it all better? That I was the one being unreasonable?” “That’s not, I didn’t–” “Of course you did! I see your game oh so clearly now. Well I am done playing. Now,” Rarity reached past Celestia and opened the door, “get out. We are done talking.” “Rarity–” “OUT!” Celestia hesitated for a moment before bowing her head and stepping out the door. She turned, about to say something, but Rarity closed the door on her. She made a show of locking it and pulling down the blinds, plunging the shop into darkness.   For a while, the only thing Rarity could hear was the pounding of her heart, barely breathing as her hands tightly gripped the string of the blinds.  Finally, she exhaled and dropped her hands. She stared at the door for a moment longer before suddenly turning away and walking to the counter. Numbly, she grabbed the gun before returning to her sewing room. It would be a long night and lonely night, with only the hum of a sewing machine to keep her company.