Chapter 7
Plots and Schemes
Rarity looked at Twilight. It was confusing and rather off putting to see her friend, who was normally adept at anything magical, openly admit to not knowing anything about something of a magical nature.
“Isn’t a cutie mark?” Rarity asked. “Then what do you suppose it is?”
Twilight looked at Rarity. “Right... with you being busy and all, I neglected to make mention of what H.B. has already told us. It’s a branding, a branding that is apparently fused with, ‘Fae magic.’ Whatever that means.”
“A... branding?” Suddenly, the emotions that had been boiling up from the spat that the two shared were replaced with a pained sympathy. Rarity watched as Twilight pulled book after book from the shelves. “Do you think you’ll find anything here?”
“Doubtful, I may have to do some traveling of my own. However, I can’t exclude any resource I can. Understanding, ‘the mark,’ might prove useful in helping H.B. achieve harmony,” Twilight explained.
“Maybe even rid her of the nasty thing altogether?” Rarity asked hopefully.
“I...” Twilight paused. “I get the feeling that it won’t be that simple. If it were, Princess Celestia would have tried it already. But we can always hope...”
Rarity paused looking a bit regretful. “Is there anything I can do, Twilight? I feel rather terrible about the little argument that H.B. and I had.”
Twilight shook her head. “Right now, the best thing you can do is complete your orders and prepare for tomorrow.”
“T-t-tomorrow? You want me to start teaching her tomorrow?” Rarity asked, concerned.
Twilight nodded curtly. “Yes, after all, the sooner you start, the sooner you can get done.”
“Right! Of course!” She giggled nervously. “I’ll just have to figure out what I am going to do.”
Twilight smiled. “Just get to know her first. Share your interests with her. And who knows? Maybe you two will find something you both have in common. For now, just do what I said and don’t worry about it. I’ll be by tomorrow around... shall we say, one o' clock? You should be done by then, right?”
Rarity thought about it, took a deep breath and then nodded. “Yes, the orders should be filled and sent out by then.” She gave a far off look as she contemplated what she was going to do. There were still mixed feelings in this whole matter and if she was going to be practically forced to teach another pony, well that was really going to kill any plans for tomorrow’s, ‘me time.’ “I guess... I’ll be off then. You have a pleasant day and good luck.”
“You too,” She paused. “Oh, and Rarity?”
“Hmm?” Rarity asked stopping midway out the door.
“Would you mind not telling H.B. about my investigation regarding her mark? She has enough concerns on her mind as it is. If she found out? She would most likely have another little freak out and try to stop me. And if I am going to learn anything, then I am going to need as little interference as possible. And if you could, please try to get along with her?” Twilight said, not even looking at her friend.
“Of course, although I’m not making any promises on the, ‘getting along with her,’ department. But... I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try,” Rarity opened the door in time to find Spike reaching for the handle. “Oh! Spike!”
Spike was carrying a large bag of quills and parchments. He looked a little shocked before he started to blush. “H-hi Rarity. I didn’t expect you to be here today...”
“Twilight didn’t tell you about the meeting we were all having today?” She asked.
“Uuuhm, no I don’t think she did,” Spike replied, setting down the bags near the table and scratching his head.
“Ugh!” Twilight rolled her eyes. “Doesn’t anypony read the notes on my whiteboard!?”
Spike looked at Twilight. “Twi’, no offense, but there were like fifty of them up there and they were all in this really tiny print. I might be used to your writing and all, but that’s a lot of reading.”
Twilight grimaced at her assistant before rolling her eyes again. “You know, that’s exactly what H.B. told me.”
“Maybe she has a point in there somewhere,” he said turning his attentions back to Rarity. “So... how are you doing? I’ve heard that you’ve been rather busy.” He leaned over while holding his hands in front of himself and proceeded to flutter his eyes at the pony of his affections. “Do you need me help with anything? Or do you want to hang out or something?”
Rarity blinked several times as if her mind were a thousand miles away and then she shook her head. “I’m terribly sorry, Spike, but I’m going to be really busy with a new,” She paused looking at Twilight. “...Assignment... that I just received.”
Spike looked worried as Rarity left. Something seemed a bit off. Her mane and tail were a bit more frazzled than from just working on dresses. She was looking up at the sky, chewing on some random thought longer than she should have. As she walked back to her shop, she finally shook her head and threw up a hoof.
Spike closed the door as he watched the signs of his longtime love in distress over something. “Twilight,” he started cautiously, “Did something happen while I was gone? Rarity doesn’t seem like herself right now. And what’s this, ‘assignment,’ she was talking about?”
Twilight put her book down and sighed. She knew that Rarity had long held the little dragon’s heart, how much he was smitten with her. However, just hiding the truth from him would cause more harm later. “H.B. and Rarity had a little... conflict. It wasn’t pretty. But it has been resolved.”
Spike frowned and then crossed his arms. “Was it as bad as when the two of you butted heads?”
Twilight bit her lower lip wondering how much of what happened she should tell him. “Almost, but not quite as bad.”
Spike stared at her, frowning and expecting a more detailed response as he tapped his foot on the ground. “How, bad?”
“There was a bit of an argument between the two of them, they started...” Twilight paused and rubbed her temples. “Whining at the other and getting in each others faces. However, before it could escalate any further, I intervened with a creative solution.”
Spike smacked his face. “Don’t tell me that you’re going to have them together for this month, with Rarity as her teacher...”
“I decided that Rarity would be-” Twilight jumped in surprise and did a double take. “Wait, how did you-”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Cause that sounds exactly like something you would do Twilight.”
“And it worked in stopping them from fighting.”
“But how is that going to solve any problems!?” Spike tapped his foot down before throwing his arms out.
“By having them work together this month, Rarity will learn to stop listening to the gossip mill for her information about H.B. and in turn, H.B. is sure to learn something about generosity,” Twilight replied.
“‘Is sure to?’” Spike asked worriedly. “Twi’, this is H.B. we’re talking about here. I know that we don’t know a great deal about her, but from what we’ve seen so far? She’s pretty stubborn, especially when she thinks she knows what you’re trying to do or when she thinks that she’s right! Then she doesn’t really care about her appearance as much as Rarity, she’s almost as shut in as you are sometimes, tends to say rather... hurtful things when she’s pushed hard enough and on top of it?” Spike frowned and sighed. “She’s made it clear that she doesn’t like dresses. Putting the two of them together? You sure that’s a good idea?”
“It’ll turn out for the best, Spike, you’ll see. I’ll bet it will even bring them both a little closer.”
“Or drive them apart,” Spike replied. “I mean, they are two very different ponies.”
“Spike, if Rarity can learn to get along with Applejack, then I’m sure that she’s more than capable getting along with H.B.,” Twilight replied trying to sooth Spike’s concerns.
“I guess you’re right, Twi’.” Spike rubbed his head. “Still, you know how I feel about Rarity. And the both of them didn’t get off to a good start when H.B. arrived. I mean everypony seems to remember the marshmallow comment, but...” he paused.
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “But what Spike?” She asked turning and looking at the little dragon.
“But everypony seems to be glossing over the fact that after the Nine branded her, H.B. nearly flew into a wild rage and practically attacked Rarity!” Spike cried out.
Twilight blinked and looked a bit horrified. “She did?! Nopony told me about that.”
“Applejack was able to tie her down in time, and H.B. told me that she regretted doing it later. But... I’m sure that Rarity doesn’t know that.” Smoke curled out of Spike’s nose as he remembered the events of that night. After Heartbreak had passed out and the shock had worn off the group, Rarity was practically in tears.
“That... that might explain a bit more about her behavior towards H.B.” Twilight frowned, that might put a crimp in her plans, but not one that couldn’t be ironed out. “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me that...” Twilight sighed. Her plans were already set into action, there could be a bit of tweaking but Rarity was already expecting H.B. tomorrow. “Be that as it may, Princess Celestia has put the six of us in charge of this situation, Spike. And as headteacher I have made up my mind about these things. I’m pretty sure the two of them can resolve their issues,” Twilight said reassuringly while walking to Spike. “You’ll see, everything will turn out for the best.”
Spike humphed. “If she so much as hurts one beautiful hair in Rarity’s mane...”
“You have nothing to worry about Spike. After all, you yourself said that she was regretting that situation.” She picked up a scroll and quill. “Now, I need you to take a letter to the Princess. There are some things that I need to hammer out with her before we can get the next stage of what we are going to do with H.B. underway.”
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Alright, I admit it. I don’t think I can say no to a cute face.
Fuck, this is going to be a serious problem isn’t it? Those little rug rats kept asking, ‘Just one more story, H.B.? Please! Could ya read this one? What about this one? Oh! This is a good story!’
Even Marrs was getting his way a few times by shooting me a few cute eyes. ‘I’m really sorry for those mean things I said! It’s a really short Danger Mare story, H.B.!’
If it weren’t for Fluttershy practically pulling them away and reminding them that they had to be home in time for supper? I’m sure that we’d be still be reading. What’s worse than all that?
Secretly, a tiny speck of me enjoyed it. I think.
Fuck, I don’t want to enjoy these things. I can’t enjoy these kind of things! I will not allow myself to admit to liking it! “Why? It’s a good thing, isn’t it? You should just stop your whining and learn to appreciate what you have here. Can’t you do that?” Yes...no...maybe, I don’t know! Doesn’t giving in to enjoyment of anything here mean that I am giving yet another piece of myself up? That I am accepting their punishment?
I bap all the voices that are stirring up in my head. Shut up. All of you. Shut up the part that says I should be enjoying it. Shut up the part that says that I shouldn’t. Just shut the fuck up and let me rest. I’m tired and I feel weird about reading to little foals. I might get used to it after a while, but I’m tired right now.
A question traces itself in around the folds and dark corners of my mind. “Will you ever accept it? Will you ever admit to enjoying something like this? Just once?” I shake my head. No, not right now. See that wonderful soft thing in front of us? You want me to admit to enjoying something? I enjoy that. I enjoy sleeping on that. So, voice from the inner recesses of my mind, please kindly fuck off and let me enjoy that. Falling to the bed, I sigh, exhausted. Who the fuck knew that reading would be such a work out?!
My brain continues to plague me with annoying questions. “What about after you regain your harmony? What then?” Ugh! I told you to shut up! I’m not sure what to make of this question. How to address it. The only thing I have to reply is with a, ‘maybe?’ and a, ‘I don’t know.’ After all, I haven’t thought that far ahead into the future. Who knows if I will have even made it that far.
Nudging the blankets, I push myself under them and curl up for a little bit of a nap. “Just a little bit of a sleep, that’s all I need. A little time to relax before dinner. Gaia knows that tomorrow is going to be stress filled enough.” That’s when I hear the sound of hooves coming up the stairs. “Fuck. It’s Twilight.” I cringe at myself. “No, stop it. There’s no reason to get all angsty here. No reason to think she’s going to scold you or anything. She’s most likely just going to tell you what the fuck the meeting was about. If you’re lucky, she’ll have forgotten your stupid little spat with Rarity.” I snirk. “Or maybe she’ll present you with the runner up prize for engaging in the most pointless argument ever!”
There is a knock outside the door. “H.B.? Are you sleeping?”
“No... there’s a bug in my eye and I am trying to suffocate it,” I reply.
I can almost hear Twilight double taking here. “Wha-huh?” I shoot! I fail. Lame joke is lame.
“Nothing Twilight, I’m just trying to amuse myself and nap a little bit. I swear, I have no idea how you read so much. Other than, ya know, practice.” I turn over to face her. “So, what’s up?”
She turns, walks into the room and turns on the light. “I was going to tell you what our meeting was about. I can come back if you-”
“No, it’s alright, I just needed a little lay down.”
“Alright.” She walks over to the side of the bed. “You mind sitting up? What we’re going to be talking about is going to be rather important, and I want your full attention.” Sighing, I push myself up and look directly at Twilight. She nods and smiles at me. “Right, as you know for the past month I have been keeping you pretty busy with odd jobs so that you can build up a little capital of your own.”
I roll my eyes. Twilight Sparkle everyone: Master at stating the obvious.
“And here I thought you were just doing it to keep me busy and my mind occupied.” She shoots me a look. “Right... uhm, shutting up now.”
“As I was saying, I wanted you to build up a little capital this month because the girls and I are working on getting you a place of your own. Your own home,” Twilight explains.
“M-m-my own home?”
Twilight looks at me while smiling, her face filled with some sense of accomplishment. I think. “Yup! Whether that home be a small house, an apartment or some other accommodations.” She puts a hoof on my shoulder. “We want to make sure that you have your own space to live in, somewhere where you don’t feel pressured to be something that you are not.” I sniff hard. “Are you ok, H.B.?”
“Yes, I’m fine,” I cough out. A rather unpleasant feeling runs through my being. It makes me feel all choked up and teary eyed. Good fucking Gaia, I am so sick of this happening. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. Twilight is offering to help you find a house of your own. That shouldn’t upset you. But it does. At least this time you know the reasons behind why it is upsetting you. I bite down on my lip, the pain holds back any tears.
Twilight sighs. “What’s wrong?”
“I told you that-”
“H.B.,” She rubs my shoulder and looks at me. Fuck, there’s that ‘look of understanding,’ on her face. She’s not going to stop till I fess up on what’s upsetting me here.
“Fine,” I take a deep breath to explain myself. “It’s stupid. It’s really just pathetically stupid.” She looks like she’s about to say something. “I knew this was coming sooner or later, or something like this. I mean I -know- I can’t stay with you forever, Twilight. But... I feel like...” Stupid feelings. Girls can’t go through -this- much emotion can they!? Things can’t be this hard for the, ‘fairer sex,’ can it? No, it has to be me. I’m making it harder than it has to be. Sniffing hard I try to go on explaining. “For a good part of my life, I always felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. Even growing up. Then after I was practically forced from my parents house, I bounced from place to place for a while. I never really had a home and any time I thought I did, it was time for me to leave again. There was even one time when I was actually evicted from a place...”
“And now you’re really happy that you might actually get a home?” Twilight asks me.
I slump. “No... It’s more like, well... I’ve been living with you for a while Twilight, and I know you’re well meaning in your intentions, but I can’t help but feel like I am getting... evicted again.” I shake my head and then pound my hoof on the bed. “And I know that’s not the case! You... girls are just trying to make things easier for me and help me on my way.”
Twilight blinks. “You mean... Like with your exes...” She asks.
“I guess...” I sniff hard and Twilight makes a face. She plucks a tissue from a tissue box and puts it up to my nose. I snirk a bit and blow.
“I promise you that it will never be like that, H.B. Ever,” she says, pulling me in for a hug. Fuck. More touchy feely. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. It does make things feel a little better. “They did what they did without any need and they did it with an unnecessary harshness.”
I blink and look at Twilight with a bit of confusion. “When the fet did you become so understanding, Twi’?”
“When I realized that you needed it?” She replies.
“Well, uhm... stop it... I’m starting to think that you’re a changeling or something,” I kinda push her away half-heartedly.
“But I-” Twilight starts.
“Things are getting too... mushy Twilight. I have a bad habit of wrecking those kind of moments.” I cough and rub my nose. “But I get what the meeting was about. You all want to get me a house. That’s... expensive. Are you sure we can do that?”
She smirks and pats me on the shoulder. “I have a few ideas on how we can do it. There are some programs offered for down and out ponies like yourself. Government help and the like. After all, none of Equestria’s citizens should ever be left homeless!” I roll my eyes and sigh. “Uhm, does that bother you too?”
“It’s just my stubbornness, Twilight.”
“You want to feel like you earned it and that it wasn’t just given to you?” She asks me.
I stare blankly at a wall and blink a few times. “Yeah.”
Twilight chuckles and smiles. “Well, if you’re so apt to do something to, ‘make up,’ for any debts you feel you have, a suggestion?”
Crap, Twilight is making suggestions. This can be either be something horrible, something that I don’t want to do, or one of those rare instances where it is something that I want to do and it isn’t going to be rending a bit of myself away. “Shoot...”
She looks confused. “Huh?”
“I mean, sure, explain, what is your suggestion?” I ask floundering about.
“Try to get along with Rarity tomorrow.” Fuck. Yup, it’s both horrible and something I don’t want to do.
I pause trying to think about what I should say. “I... I’ll try... but I’m not making any promises. Today’s little spat didn’t do anything to help it. I swear. I arrive, we have a brief conflict, I don’t see her a few months and we’re back to breathing down each others necks. What gives!?”
Twilight frowns. “Don’t you remember the other thing that almost happened?”
Fuck, I feel clueless. I sort through those jumbled memories. Then it hits me. Or more like I hit her. “Fetlocks. I headbutted her after she wrapped me up... How the fet could I forget something like that?”
“That and according to Spike you almost assaulted her,” Twilight reminds me.
Suddenly that sickeningly harsh feeling returns. “Oh... yeah... Fet. Great.”
“Hey, don’t be like that. You recognize what you did wrong and feel bad about it. That means you have a chance to apologize! I’m sure that you won’t repeat the same mistake in the future.”
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I’ll just make whole new mistakes.” She gives me a stern gaze. “Alright! I’ll apologize tomorrow and...” I grimace, “try to get along with her.” The prospect of what potential horrors tomorrow could bring? Fuck, who knows what'll happen then!
Twilight smiles and turns back to the room door. “That’s all I ask. Now, I’ll leave you back to your napping and give you a call when dinner is ready.” She turns the light back off as she leaves the room.
I lay back down and curl the blanket around me again. I frown as I turn over. “I don’t care what happens tomorrow, I am so not wearing a dress at the end of all this.”