Chapter 8: The Top Story
Rainbow Dash let out a heavy sigh of boredom as she sat quietly in the middle of the Carousel Boutique. Under normal circumstances, she thought she would be practicing her maneuvers for the Wonderbolts. Maybe she could have gone to the pond or found a nice fluffy cloud to relax on. Even better, she could have stopped by Applejack’s farm to see if they had any of their famous cider.
But No!
Of all things, she had to run into Rarity who was seeking her help.
And what did it get her?
A boring session of her sitting in the boutique wearing a wedding dress.
A WEDDING DRESS!
“Please hold your hoof up, darling,” Rarity requested.
Rainbow Dash groaned a little as she raised her hoof so Rarity could inspect one of the sleeves. In her mind she wondered how she could have fallen for Rarity’s pleas again. It wasn’t the first time and it probably wouldn’t be the last time that Rarity would convince her into doing something. What Rainbow Dash could not fathom was how Rarity did it. Each time, Rainbow would say to herself she would never fall for Rarity’s ‘innocent’ pleas for assistance, and each time she somehow got talked into doing what Rarity requested. Whether it be carrying materials for her, doing some kind of errand, or posing in a wedding dress!
How did she do it?!
“Is this going to take long?” Rainbow Dash groaned.
“What you must understand, Rainbow Dash, is that I am an artist and artists need to take their time on such things,” Rarity gently explained.
“Oh come on,” Rainbow complained, “Just quickly stitch on whatever it is. I’m sure it will look good no matter what you do.”
Rarity gave a small frown at the notion. “Rainbow Dash. This dress is for a very important event. It represents the union of two ponies. It would be a tragedy if I were to simply ‘stitch’ something together.”
Rainbow Dash averted her eyes in irritation.
Rarity noticed Rainbow’s gesture as she pinned on some more trim. “Think of it this way. When you get married, would you not want a beautiful flowing dress at your ceremony?”
“Me?!” Rainbow Dash gagged, “Married?!”
“Of course. I’m sure you must have at least one special someone,” Rarity chuckled.
“Yeah right!” Rainbow did her best to hold her disgust at such a notion. The idea of settling down and making a family with some pony was not something she planned to do. She was at the top of her game now. It would be a waste of her talents to settle down.
Rarity was a little disappointed that Rainbow Dash did not act more feminine. In truth, she considered Rainbow Dash to be one of the most colorful ponies she ever saw. With some – no – a lot of touchups and some training in feminine charm, Rarity thought it was possible for Rainbow Dash to rival even the princesses of Equestria. Unfortunately, Rainbow was more active and had no fashion sense what so ever. It was a pity in Rarity’s mind since she thought Rainbow Dash would make an excellent candidate for a modeling position. “I’m sure there are many ponies out there that are interested in you.”
“Yeah. Like who,” Rainbow groaned in disbelief.
Rarity could easily see that Rainbow Dash was just trying to avoid the entire subject. At first, Rarity thought she would respond by mentioning one of the Wonderbolts. However, Rarity’s mind became more devious as she thought about how much trouble Rainbow Dash was giving her. “Well…How about Zephyr Breeze.”
Rainbow Dash whinnied in surprise and outrage as she heard the name. That was one pony she hoped never to see again. His name alone sent chills up her spine.
“Why, just think of it. You marching down the aisle in a beautiful flowing dress with Zephyr Breeze waiting for you at the end,” Rarity teased.
“I think I’m going to be sick!” Rainbow gagged as the nightmare played out in her mind.
“Ah. The joys of marriage,” Rarity sang.
Realizing that she was falling to one of Rarity’s pranks, Rainbow Dash thought it was time to strike back. “Oh yeah. What about you and Spike?”
“Spike?” Rarity was caught off guard by the sudden change in subjects.
“Aren’t you planning to marry him?” Rainbow Dash asked with a devious smile.
The question reminded Rarity of the conversation she had with Sweetie Belle on the train. Though Rainbow Dash was one of the few ponies who knew how far the relationship between her and Spike had gone, Rarity was still embarrassed about explaining her true feelings. It simply was not lady-like. “Well…It’s something we haven’t considered yet,” Rarity stuttered.
“Really,” Rainbow Dash smiled, “And what kind of wedding outfit would you wear if the two of you got married?”
Upon hearing the question, Rarity’s mind began to wander as she thought about the kind of dress she would wear. At first, she decided to look at a more traditional and simple outfit. However, she thought that such a design would need more flare. Maybe she could – Rarity shook her head to awaken herself from her dream. “That’s….That’s none of your concern, Rainbow Dash!”
Rainbow Dash could only laugh at the face Rarity made. It wasn’t hard to see that Rarity had seriously considered the idea for an instant. It was time for some serious pay back. “And what about after marriage? Would the two of you have little ponies scampering about? Or maybe little dragons?”
Once again, Rarity found her mind wandering to what Rainbow Dash suggested. The idea of her bearing children was even less considered than the idea of her marrying Spike. It was possible, especially since Spike was in fact the offspring of a pony named Grey Shire and a dragon named Runt. That would make Spike technically part pony, right? This meant that they could – Once again Rarity had to shake herself awake from the dream. “Rainbow Dash! That is none of your concern!”
Rainbow Dash laughed as she saw how flustered Rarity was becoming. In her mind, she thought it was the perfect way to get Rarity back for even suggesting that she and Zephyr Breeze could get…’married’. A few years ago, the idea of Spike having a crush on Rarity was a simple joke in Ponyville. However, now that the two of them were together, Rainbow Dash could not help but wonder what other pranks she could use to tease her friend. Already her mind was coming up with some ideas. “Speaking of Spike, where is he?” Rainbow asked in a sly tone, “I would have thought he would be the one helping you instead.”
Rarity quickly composed herself. “Spike is doing other errands right now. I think he said he was going to repay all of us for helping him find his family.”
“Really? That’s a shame. If he had come to me first, I would have had him stand in my place. It would have given the two of you some ‘alone’ time,” Rainbow replied with a conniving smile.
“Just…Just what are you implying?!” Rarity stuttered.
Rainbow Dash’s smile grew as she averted her gaze. “Oh nothing. Just the two of you spending some quality time together.”
“I…” Rarity could feel her cheeks blush at the notion, “I’ll have you know that Spike and I maintain a professional romantic relationship.”
“Uh-huh,” Rainbow Dash said in a disbelieving tone, “Like you did in the cabin?”
Rarity’s face grew even redder. She had forgotten that Rainbow Dash also knew about the Mark on her neck. “That…That was under extraordinary circumstances. We both needed to huddle together to keep from freezing! Spike…Spike had a cold! I couldn’t let him sit shivering in a dank cabin!”
“Uh-huh,” Rainbow Dash said again in a disbelieving manner.
Rarity admitted to herself that other factors had played a part in what happened in the cabin. She did have feelings for Spike at the time, but those feelings showed after Spike had risked his life to save her. But she never thought at the time it would lead to Spike nibbling her neck in their sleep and giving her the Mark. However, she did not regret her choices that night. What she and Spike shared was – “This…This conversation ends right now!”
Rainbow Dash chuckled at Rarity’s embarrassment.
Before Rarity could scold Rainbow Dash even further, she heard a frantic knocking at the door. Both she and Rainbow Dash turned to see a distinctive silhouette in the door’s window. It was accompanied by a voice Rarity recognized almost immediately.
“Rarity! I need to talk with you! Please open up!” Sassy Saddles cried.
“Sassy?” Rarity said in surprise as she walked to the door, “But you’re supposed to be in Canterlot.”
“Please Rarity! It’s very important!” Sassy cried again.
“What are you doing here?” Rarity asked as she opened the door. She then cringed as she saw Sassy Saddle’s appearance. The unicorn appeared frazzled and exhausted as if she had been running from something. “What happened to you?”
Sassy wasted no time entering the boutique. Once she was inside, she quickly used her magic to close the door and lock it. She then turned to Rarity. “My apologies Rarity! But this couldn’t wait!”
Rarity was taken aback by Sassy’s actions. She could see something was very wrong and wanted answers. “But…You’re supposed to be tending the Canterlot Boutique. Why have you come to Ponyville?”
“There are no customers at the Canterlot Boutique!” Sassy cried.
“What?” Rarity was caught by surprise by the news. “But…”
“Uh…Excuse me. But what’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked in confusion. From the way Sassy Saddles looked, Rainbow began to wonder if a monster had attacked Canterlot.
“I found out why everyone was avoiding the Canterlot Boutique!” Sassy replied. She then used her magic to reach into a saddlebag she had and pulled out a magazine for Rarity to see. “It’s because of this!”
“Filly Fashion?” Rarity questioned as she read the title. She then gave a small laugh. “I really don’t think one negative review from a barely publicized magazine would make ponies avoid my boutique.”
“Read the articles!” Sassy replied.
Rarity let out a sigh and used her magic to take hold of the magazine and page through the articles. After turning a few pages, she spotted the article in question. Her eyes went wide with surprise the next moment. “WHAT?! HOW DID…THIS CAN’T…WHEN DID THEY…?”
“What’s it say?” Rainbow Dash asked as she noticed Rarity’s shocked expression. When she received no answer, Rainbow strolled over to Rarity’s side and peered down at the article. “The hidden affair of Rarity and Spike?”
“Ponies have been buying this magazine ever since it hit the stands. Every pony in Canterlot suspects you having an affair with a baby dragon!”
“Well she is,” Rainbow Dash said casually.
“Rainbow Dash! This is no time for one of your jokes!” Rarity screeched. As she did, the magazine she had held up with her magic fell to the floor. She then strolled away in thought. “But how did they know about me and Spike?”
“So it’s true? You are having an affair with that baby dragon?” Sassy demanded
“SPIKE ISN’T A BABY!” Rarity cried out angrily.
“According to this, it says he is,” Rainbow Dash said after she picked up the magazine and started reading it again.
“But…But…How did they find out? Only my closest friends knew about our relationship?” Rarity demanded.
“The magazine mentioned a close associate told them at a ball you attended,” Sassy responded.
“A ball?” Rarity thought back to the event she attended. “But the only ones who came with me were Spike and…” Rarity paused for a moment as she remembered the ponies who wrote the article. They had been talking to…”SWEETIE BELLE!” Rarity cried in outrage.
The name seemed to echo all around the Carousel Boutique.
Both Rainbow Dash and Sassy Saddles cringed as they watched Rarity pace around the room in anger.
“Oh! My own sister! Telling everyone my secrets!” Rarity growled, “This is like when she stole my diary! No! Worse! How could she do this to me…AGAIN?!”
Rainbow Dash looked back down at the article and glanced through it. “It’s not just her. It says a number of ponies said you were fighting over Spike on a train to Canterlot,” Rainbow added.
“What?!” Rarity cried out. She then used her magic to rip the magazine from Rainbow Dash’s grip. Quickly she red through the article again while mumbling the words. “But this…I mean we…This isn’t what happened…” Rarity thought back to the events on the train when she spoke to Sweetie Belle about her relationship to Spike. “Well…Not exactly anyway,” she squeaked.
“It doesn’t matter. This is what all the ponies in Canterlot are reading,” Sassy Saddles responded, “They think you’re having an ‘unnatural’ affair with a baby dragon.”
“Spike isn’t a baby!” Rarity shouted.
“Are you sure? Sassy asked.
Rarity was about to defend her beloved Spike again when doubt began to seep through her mind. She knew that dragons became adults after their first molt…At least that’s how she interpreted it since dragons were literally kicked out of the nest. But how old was a dragon after his first molt? How did that translate into pony years? Rarity had always suspected there was an age difference between ponies and dragons. If that was the case, could Spike still be a child? He certainly was smaller than other dragons she met. What if the article was right and Spike was a child? “I…I don’t…That is…” Rarity tried to speak but could not find the words.
Rainbow Dash could clearly see the distress in Rarity’s face. “Okay! So one magazine published a bad article about Rarity. We can just wait it out like we did with the Friendship Journal. I’m sure the ponies will find something new to read shortly.”
Sassy turned angrily to Rainbow Dash. “You don’t understand! With peace settling over Equestria, there are no breaking news articles!”
“Huh? But there has to be something?” Rainbow exclaimed.
“Rarity is a top fashion designer looked highly upon by everyone in Canterlot! Every pony is going to judge her every action! Right now, she IS the top story!”
Rarity began to pace around as fear began to settle over her. She still remembered on how she had been ‘boycotted’ last time because ponies had misinterpreted the Friendship Journal. It had nearly ruined her business. The only reason she had been able to recover was because the journals had been pulled from the stores and Princess Celestia had worn some dresses Rarity had made as a type of advertisement. “There must be something we can do to stop this?”
Sassy looked at Rarity hesitantly. “You could end the whole affair. Then you can tell the reporters it was only a misunderstanding.”
“Wait! Are you saying you want Rarity to dump Spike?!” Rainbow demanded.
Rarity’s brow furrowed in anger at such a notion. “Spike is special to me! I will not simply toss him away!”
Sassy looked at Rarity with sympathetic eyes. “Rarity. This could end your business in Canterlot. And if you’re not careful, it could ruin your entire career. I’ve seen this happen before. Such rumors can spread in the fashion world and end the career of a potential star.”
Rarity knew Sassy spoke the truth. However, she was not ready to give up just yet. “I’m sorry Sassy, but I can’t do that.”
“I agree!” Rainbow Dash replied to Sassy, “You’re acting as if there’s going to an army of reporters hounding her every move!” To emphasize her point, Rainbow Dash walked over to the front door and opened it. “See there’s no one-“
A series of flashes blinded Rainbow Dash the next moment. It was followed by dozens of voices speaking all at once. As Rainbow Dash slowly regained her sight she began to see a small crowd of reporters gathered at Rarity’s door.
“Can we have a moment of your time?!”
“Is there any truth to the article in Filly Fashion?!”
“Are you really having an affair with a baby dragon?!”
Rainbow Dash’s jaw dropped open in surprise as she saw all the ponies gathered around. The next moment, she felt her instincts kick in as memories about the ‘Fame and Misfortune’ incident flooded her mind. With all her might, she slammed the door closed and braced herself against it so no one could enter. “Okay! Maybe there is something to worry about!”
Rarity was left stunned by the number of ponies at her door. “What are they all doing here?”
“This is what happened at the Canterlot Boutique after you left,” Sassy explained.
“What?!” Rarity turned and looked at Sassy Saddles.
“Like I said. You ARE the top story now,” Sassy replied.
Rarity’s pupils shrunk in feared realization at how bad things had become. Just because she was in love with Spike? “This can’t be happing,” Rarity whimpered.
“Oh! It’s happening!” Rainbow Dash said as she continued to brace the door. A series of knocks could be heard coming from it.
“Rarity! If you want to recover from this, you’ll need to let go of Spike and tell everyone it was a simple misunderstanding!” Sassy pleaded.
Rarity felt her anger fester again at such a notion. She knew that Sassy was trying to protect her as a friend. Yet, Rarity could not let go of Spike. The little dragon had done so much for her in the past and earned a special place in her heart. She could not just simply throw him away. But how was she supposed to handle all the reporters at her door. Even worse, what if ponies started ‘boycotting’ her again. She needed help. “I need to find Twilight.”
“Twilight?” Sassy asked.
“Yes. Perhaps she can do something to stop this,” Rarity replied.
Sassy took a look back at the front door as she felt some doubt on Rarity’s decision. However, Rarity had shown her how resourceful she was in past situations. Sassy was also not ready to abandon her friend. “All right. But how do we get to her? Those reporters are going to be all over us.”
“We can escape out the back,” Rarity replied.
“Go on ahead,” Rainbow Dash said from the door. “I’ll distract them here while you sneak out.”
Rarity looked back at her friend in surprise. “But Rainbow Dash-“
Rainbow Dash gave a small chuckle, “Don’t worry. It’s not the first time I’ve been swarmed by fans.”
“Rainbow Dash is right. If she can distract them, we can sneak out the back and get away,” Sassy agreed.
Rarity looked at Sassy for a moment before turning back to Rainbow. She hated to admit that her friends were right. However, the idea of running away did not sit well with her. “Are you sure you can handle them?” Rarity asked out of concern.
“Heh! I’ll just tell them one of my great stories. Maybe that will get their attention,” Rainbow laughed.
Rarity hesitantly gave in to Rainbow’s plan. A part of her admired how loyal a friend she was. “Thank you Rainbow Dash,” she then turned to Sassy Saddles, “Let’s hurry out the back door.”
Sassy nodded in agreement and followed Rarity to the back of the boutique.
As the two ponies disappeared out of the room, Rainbow Dash let out a sigh. “Well…Here goes nothing,” she said to herself as she braced for the onslaught of publicity. She then opened the door and was once again blinded by the cameras flashing in her face.
“Can we get a statement from you?” one reported demanded.
“Is there any truth to what Filly Fashion has said in their article?”
“Is Rarity dating a baby dragon?”
It took a moment for Rainbow Dash to recover her eye sight again before she was able to face the reporters. She then held herself proudly and with confidence. “I see you’ve all come to see the Great Rainbow Dash! Well, let me tell you about one of my stories!” she announced.
The reporters stopped their questions for a moment and looked at each other in confusion.
Rainbow gave her best smile and held her head high. “Just last week, I-“
“Is that a wedding dress?!”
“Huh?!” Rainbow Dash was caught off guard by the question she just heard.
“Are you getting married, Rainbow Dash?” another shouted excitedly.
“Who’s the lucky stallion?” a third reporter demanded.
Rainbow Dash looked at the reporters in surprise before looking down at her appearance. It took her a moment to realize she was still wearing the wedding dress Rarity had asked her to try on. Immediately a wave of embarrassment washed over Rainbow Dash at being seen in such an outfit. What made it even worse was that the reporters had already taken hundreds of photos of her in the dress. “Wait! This is not what you think!” Rainbow Dash cried in defiance, “This is actually a wedding dress for Rarity!”
A uniform gasp raced through the crowd of reporters after hearing what Rainbow Dash said. As soon as they recovered, they renewed their assault on the young Pegasus.
“Is Rarity and Spike getting married?”
“When is the wedding?”
“Has this been approved by Princess Twilight?”
Rainbow bit her bottom lip as she felt her confidence deflate. What she had said did not come out the way she wanted. Needless to say, it now had made matters worse. Immediately, panic began to race through her mind. “Sorry! But this interview is over!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she slammed the door as hard as she could and braced herself against it.
How had things come to this?
“Sorry, Rarity. You’re on your own.”
To Be Continued…