Today was grocery day.
Rarity did not usually shop in Ponyville – her boutique was really the only upper-crust kind of business located in the quaint little hamlet – but she could not deny the wholesome farm-freshness of the numerous fruit and vegetable stalls, nor the delightful aroma of the flower-shops that were intermingled between them. She always set off just before dusk, white, ribbon-bedecked wicker basket in tow, so she could still fit in a full day’s work, as well as avoid the hustle and bustle of the early to midday crowds. If she admitted it to herself, Rarity really quite enjoyed these grocery outings, and not only because her pantry was edging towards the lean side - if she had to so much as look at one more piece of spinach, she would need to book an extended period at the spa lest she suffer a massive breakout. It had been on sale last week, and she had perhaps overcommitted herself the teensiest bit. She was already anticipating a fruit smoothie that would lack that garish tinge of green, great source of iron or no. No, most of all, Rarity valued her little jaunts due to the fact that they let her unwind and think after hours of planning, sketching and sewing. The summer air was lush with the scents of hay and grass, the sun was just beginning its routine descent, and Rarity was happy, trotting along the primly kept path to Ponyville’s market square.
Rainbow Dash didn’t care the slightest bit about any of these things.
As was usual for a pegasus of her prodigious ability, she didn’t much use the primly kept paths that Rarity so much admired, which also meant that she didn’t much care that, primly kept or not, they were still formed primarily of dirt, and not a speck of it was imported. So when she angled her wings, dropped steeply, and met the ground hooves first with all the gusto of a rampaging bull, the earth she propelled herself into shot up around her like a dusty wave, flecks of it washing over her coat and mane. Rarity was simply collateral damage.
“Aaiiee! My mane! Plfft! Blegh! My coat! Oh, gracious – when I get my hooves on the ruffian that –”
“Relax, Rares, a healthy coating of earth never hurt anypony.”
There was a beat where neither pony spoke nor moved, the last vestiges of airborne dirt taking this opportunity to make themselves comfortable on the occupants of the road, one of whom was turning an impressive shade of red by this point. “Rainbow Dash. I would like to say that I am surprised, because that would mean that this was not a semi-regular occurrence, but I am not. Not in the slightest.”
“You know, Rarity,” Rainbow strolled over easily and stealthily slung a hoof around the fuming fashionista’s neck, “For a prim and proper lady, you sure do have a lot of sass going on.”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” Her voice was stiff, just like her frame beneath Rainbow’s hoof. “Now, if you would please let me go – I simply must return to the boutique and wash up. There’s no way I can go to the market now, looking like this.”
“What? You look fine.”
The formerly white unicorn, now dusted a light brown, looked the complete opposite of amused. That is to say, she was royally peeved, and the longer Rainbow Dash stood there looking nonchalant, the less concerned she grew about showing it. An eye twitch heralded the dangers to come if Rarity did not find herself withers deep in a bubble bath somewhere within the next five minutes. “As much as your assertion assuages my concern, dear, I will still have to insist upon taking my leave. A lady must always put her best face forward, a fact that I am sure you are aware of.”
“Aw, but Rarity, you can’t go now! I needed your help!”
Rainbow hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but she hadn’t exactly given herself much time to work out a strategy, either. She had left the weather building, invigorated by thoughts of her newly hatched plan, and had taken to the sky to celebrate. Maybe somewhere along the line she had gotten distracted with flying – anyone would have, after being cooped up in that stuffy old office all day – and seeing Rarity strolling along beneath her had reminded her of the more pressing matters she was supposed to be attending to. So maybe she had darted down to see her before she had any idea on how to seduce a hug from her. It was clearly the paperwork’s fault. She’d been using her brain all day trying to figure out that stupid schedule – could she really be held responsible if it was tired after that and made her do stupid things? Stupid begot more stupid, clearly, so the obvious answer to all of the world’s problems was to permanently ban all paperwork from ponies’ lives. That, or just give it all to Twilight – she loved that kind of junk anyway, so it was a win-win situation for everyone.
“Rainbow, dear, you were saying you needed my help?”
The formerly incensed unicorn was now regarding her with mild concern, her less than regal appearance momentarily forgotten. “Oh, uh, yeah,” replied Rainbow, searching for some sort of excuse that would not result in her flank being used as a pincushion. They were only a few meters down the road from the boutique, and she wouldn’t put it past Rarity to summon a ponyquin or two (or worse, that demonic cat of hers) to aid in an assault if she didn’t tread very carefully. “Ya see, I…uh…” Think, Rainbow, think! Talk about things she likes! Like makeup, or dresses or something. Ugh, but those are boring. Boring’s better than being left battered and bedazzled in the street! Say something already, ya dunce!
“Are you feeling alright, Rainbow Dash?” Rarity was suddenly invading her personal space, peering into her eyes and brushing a hoof against her forehead. “You’re quite warm, and you look stressed.”
“Uh, yeah! – I mean no. I mean, uh, I am feeling a bit under the weather, now that you mention it.” She sniffled a few times for effect, and drooped her wings and ears so she looked as bedraggled as possible.
Rarity clucked her tongue, her eyebrows furrowed. “Oh, you poor dear. You know, I wasn’t going to say anything, but now that you’ve admitted it, you do look quite out of sorts. Your eyes are all twitchy, and your fur is ruffled even more than normal. Put simply – you look awful, darling.”
Well thanks a lot, Rarity. Since when did you pull the Element of Brutal Honesty out of your butt? Rainbow’s hooves tingled and her wing spasmed without her consent. Ok, touché, no more energy drinks for me. “Heh, yeah, well, you know me. Got so much going on with the academy and regular weather work, I haven’t had much time to look after myself, you know?”
“Oh, I know the feeling, of that you can be sure.” Replied Rarity, sighing dramatically. “Why, this one time I had a client who wanted twelve dresses done in less than a week! He just waltzed right into the boutique and started making demands, telling me each dress had to be done in a specific theme. And don’t even get me started on what he wanted me to do with the rubber duck – ”
Rarity apparently noticed Rainbow’s eyes slowly glazing over, but seemed to take it as a sign of her sickness rather than one of supreme disinterest. “Oh look at me, babbling on when you clearly feel as terrible as you look. I only wish there was something I could – ” The unicorn’s eyes lit up, and her muzzle split into a grin that truly terrified Rainbow, and would have made Twilight flashback to the Smarty Pants debacle.
Oh crud, I shoulda thought this through. Please don’t say what I think you’re going to say, please don’t…
“We can go to the spa! Oh, darling this is perfect! Fluttershy had to cancel this week’s appointment because some of her animals were acting up, so of course I took the time to work on an order instead of going by myself. This will be exactly what you need, Rainbow Dash, mark my words!”
And with that, the unicorn latched onto the flustered pegasus and began to haul her down the street with a strength belying what Rainbow had previously believed to be a squishy exterior. She could only stumble along after her eagerly chattering friend, a single thought looping continuously throughout her excessively caffeinated head: Dang, this girl must eat her spinach.
* * *
Rainbow Dash had a problem.
The steam swirled around them, looming down like an almost physical presence. She was curled up on the wooden bench of the sauna, muzzle propped on her crossed forehooves, and doing her utmost to stay awake. Rarity lounged across from her in the small space in a similar condition, although she had her eyes closed out of sheer pleasure rather than any overwhelming desire to nap enfolded within the contours of this fabricated heat haze. The problem arose not because Rainbow felt uncomfortable or bored – quite the opposite. Who knew a room packed full of densely heated air could feel so darn good? Her muscles were relaxed, her frequent caffeine-induced convulsions had been reduced to the occasional shudder, and each of her feathers seemed to flex outwards in some attempt to soak up as much warmth as possible.
It was freakin’ amazing.
“So, Rainbow,” Rarity challenged the twenty minute silence that had thus far stretched between them in this heavenly habitat, “feeling a bit better?”
The only response she received was a muffled grunt, but if anyone prided themselves on being friends with Rainbow (or on being intricately linked to her through powerful artefacts bestowed upon them by the forces of the universe, as the case may be) they learned very quickly that grunts and groans had their own language with her. Rarity deduced that this one levelled in somewhere between “This feels awesome yet I don’t want to admit that the spa is cool so I’ll try and deflect any questions by grunting” and “Sweet Celestia’s holy horn-of-plenty this is fantastic.” They could be oddly specific, sometimes.
“Well, I’m glad I could bring you along with me, Rainbow Dash. I just wouldn’t have felt right, leaving you feeling so sick after that – er – engrossing run-in on the road.”
There was another grunt, this one a bit less throaty and a bit more subdued than the last, and Rarity cocked her head to the side. “Yes, well, life goes on. It’s hardly your fault that you nearly bowled me over with a tidal wave of unimported, unsanitized dust, dust that ponies have been trodding on for decades, with who knows what on their hooves. Indoor plumbing was not always as much of a fad as it is today, you know. Our ancestors of the sixties were a bit on the wild side – let things fall where they may, if you catch my drift.”
The next noise to escape the pegasus required no decoding at all, as it was a violent snort that precluded a fit of seemingly uncontrollable giggles. “Pfft, Rarity, did you just mention poop?” The snickers escalated into a full blown laugh and Rarity rolled her eyes, although not without a small smile of her own gracing her otherwise reserved features.
“Yes, Rainbow, I obliquely referred to excrement – thank you, though, for obliterating my subtlety with your usual levels of class.”
“You know what, Rarity?” said Rainbow after her hilarity had subsided somewhat, “This ain’t half bad.” She rolled onto her side to face the unicorn, who was looking at her with poorly restrained glee. “I always thought only stuffy ponies would sit in a room stewing in their own juices doing nothing, but it turns out it’s actually pretty fun. You know, if you have the right company and all.”
The glee on Rarity’s face, originated, no doubt, from finally getting Rainbow Dash to admit that the spa didn’t, as she had so eloquently put it on previous occasions, “suck mouldy potatoes” faded somewhat. On the one hoof Rainbow’s description of a sauna irritated Rarity’s sensibilities, but on the other, she was also telling Rarity in her own roundabout way that she enjoyed her company, which the unicorn could sincerely appreciate, given that the feeling was mutual. “You know what, Rainbow, I feel the same way. Er, mostly. I would say we are being exfoliated rather than “stewing” but I suppose the outcome remains the same no matter which way one chooses to express it. And the company, though rather childish, is actually quite charming.”
Rainbow laughed. “Heh, well, you know me – can’t leave the house without stealing somepony’s heart.”
“Gah, you know what I meant.” Replied Rarity, though she too was smiling.
The two sat in companionable silence for a while, basking in the ambience of the steam. Rainbow realized something at this point – she didn’t hang out with Rarity nearly enough. Sure, they always appeared together at group functions, but how many times had they simply talked one on one? Had they ever even hung out like this before? Rainbow knew she didn’t have the best memory in Equestria, (multiple concussions will do that to a pony) but she was sure she would recall if they had, and she was currently coming up empty.
“You know, darling, if we stay in here much longer we run the risk of getting pruny.”
“Huh? Oh, right.” Rainbow shook herself out of her introspective daze and attempted to clamber to her hooves. Apparently steam made your joints and muscles feel like jelly, and not the awesome zap apple kind. Who knew?
After several ineffectual attempts, a white hoof presented itself to Rainbow’s vision, accompanied by a dainty chuckle. “Don’t worry, Rainbow dear. Saunas get easier with experience. In fact, I would go so far as to say that everything the spa has to offer gets even more enjoyable the more one partakes in it.”
Rainbow took the proffered hoof with nary a begrudging grumble, a fact that Rarity seemed to notice, if her raised eyebrow was anything to go by. “Are you alright, Rainbow? You seem…well, less taciturn than I would have expected.”
Rainbow huffed out a steamy breath, averting her eyes. “Yeah, I’m good. Better than good, actually. I was just thinkin’, maybe…” she frowned hard at the floor, as if willing it to speak the words for her. When the slick tile remained silent, she gave a little stomp to assert her dominance (Stupid floor. Who needs you, anyway?) and looked up, catching and holding Rarity’s concerned gaze. “I was just thinking, maybe we could do this again some time? I know we don’t always, uh, see eye to eye, but you’re a pretty cool pony, Rarity. Plus, what you said about the spa getting more fun the more you go – it's almost like a sport, then, right? I’ll get better at it if I practice, until maybe I can go extreme spa-ing, or something.”
Rarity was caught between the urge to burst into unlady-like giggle-snorts and melting with friendly affection. She decided on satiating both of her impulses, and leapt on the flustered pegasus with much more abandon than she would usually exhibit, while still retaining her lady-like poise. Her giggles were sans the snorting, but only barely. “I’d love to, darling. Ooh, I’m so glad you’ve finally come around! You’ve got so much going for you, and a little TLC will help your natural beauty shine through all the brighter. And I don’t know how extreme you’re willing to go, but a triple seaweed wrap followed by a thrice concentrated mineral mud mask is something I would only recommend to the most seasoned of spa-goers. And if you master that, there’s always acupuncture or Quake’s full-body massages.”
She’s hugging me! Thought Rainbow as Rarity nuzzled happily into her damp mane, still releasing little hums of delight and running through what Rainbow thought were other spa-y events the two of them could indulge in. She even thought she caught talk of entire group retreat weekends. Ha! And I didn’t even plan it out or anything! Take that, Twilight, you purple-plotted planner! Lists, schmists, disorganized Dash can get things done just as fast as any persnickety princess! Dash’s jubilation was cut short when she realized that she should have been focusing on the logistics of the hug, rather than mentally crowing about her victory over an absent and completely order-obsessed alicorn. Er, right. Time to be factual! How do I feel right now? Dash attempted to sink into science mode, willing her brain to pick up on every miniscule detail of her friend’s hooves wrapped around her neck. It felt…nice. It was warm – well, duh, we’re still in the frickin’ sauna! But still, it’s a different kind of warm…a…snuggly warm? Like an inside warm, instead of an outside one. Ok, so she had that down. Applejack’s hug had been warm, too, but somehow the two types of heat felt different. Gah! Note to self: hugging in a sauna skews test results. Ok, so what else is going on, here? Rainbow had her own hooves around Rarity by this point, and her muzzle rested atop her friend’s shoulder. She didn’t, however, have any desire to smell the unicorn’s mane, even if nestling into it brought a pleasant smile to her lips. Aha! Evidence! Of what, I’m not entirely sure, but still, it's something. I think. Rainbow also noted that her wings were quite calm as well, with no erratic twitching or unwanted ruffling to speak of. Which also meant something. Hmmm…I’m deducing a lot of somethings, at least. Somethings are probably good.
Rainbow was going to continue her mental evaluation, certain that there had to be more clues to be gleaned from this close encounter, when she realized that Rarity’s incessant chatter had cut off, and now the two of them were standing in sweaty silence. Rainbow quickly disengaged, grinning shiftily. “Aheh, sorry, Rares. Guess the old sauna nearly put me to sleep again.”
Rarity was eyeing her in a way that made Rainbow nervous. She didn’t seem upset that the pegasus had apparently zoned out while she had been speaking, nor did she appear concerned like she had before. Her smile was softer, and her expression more candid, and all of it was sending warning bells tolling obnoxiously through Rainbow’s head, like Pinkie Pie had personally broken into her skull. Why is she looking at me like that? Oh no, oh crap, oh no, oh crap! She knows I liked the hug! I mean, obviously I liked it, but she knows I liked it liked it. As in, this should be made an actual thing that happens more than once and in public places.
Rainbow was already backing away steadily when Rarity spoke. “Rainbow Dash – are you – are you –”
She couldn’t take it. She could handle Rarity knowing her secret, but for her to speak it out loud? If she outed her, the words could never be taken back. They’d be out there, and then Rarity would know that she knew that she knew, and soon her weakness would be common knowledge all over Equestria. All any new enemy of the state would have to do was create some sort of industrial hugging device and get it to Dash, and then the whole game would be over. Goodbye harmony, goodbye freedom, Equestria would be overrun by chaotic crystal changeling drones of death and it would be all her fault.
“ – A cuddlebug?”
Rainbow didn’t realize she was cringing with her hooves and wings over her eyes until the words left Rarity’s mouth. After they had, a building pressure seemed to release within her, and she didn’t have to force her wings and ears to droop disconsolately this time, as they did so of their own accord.
“Yeah.”
The admission released itself as a single gust of reluctant air, and once again Rainbow met the stoic gaze of the floor. There was no response for a while, as Rarity apparently took in this new development, and Rainbow tried her very hardest to glare a big enough hole into the tile so she could tunnel her way out of the spa and into the Everfree forest, where she hoped she would never be inclined to hug anything ever again. The implied threat of mauling or dismemberment could do wonders to dissuade a pony.
The hoof that came to rest tentatively on her shoulder nearly made her jump out of her skin; she had not heard Rarity approach. “Dear, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I, for one, find it utterly adorable.” She smiled down at the slouching pegasus puddle, who only seemed to dissolve further into melancholy at her words.
“Exactly! I’m awesome, not adorable. It's OK to like hugs, it's probably even cool to like hugs, but I like them too much. I just get all…I dunno, all mushy and stuff if I don’t really try to hold back when ponies hug me. If they go on for too long it only makes it harder, and next thing I know, I’m nuzzling them and thinking – ugh – sappy stuff, like how much I care about them and how glad I am that we’re friends and all that. It's not natural, Rarity.” Her eyes bored into those of her friend’s, as if beseeching her to fully grasp the critical nature of her predicament.
Rarity was having a rather difficult time indulging her; she was biting her tongue to keep from bursting into another fit of giggles, and her hooves were already halfway to wrapping the perturbed pegasus in yet another hug, an act she was quite sure Rainbow would not appreciate, given the current circumstances. Or appreciate too much, which really boiled down to the same thing. With a herculean effort (no doubt aided by her earlier over-consumption of spinach) Rarity managed to maintain a straight face, going so far as to reply consolingly, “Rainbow – it is perfectly natural to enjoy the closeness of another. Why do you think people use hugs as a sign of affection, if not to make others feel welcomed and appreciated? Not everyone desires the same level of closeness, of course – a fact that Pinkie Pie could probably benefit from looking into – but enjoying a tender or friendly embrace is hardly an oddity.”
Rainbow sighed, rubbing her left foreleg with her right and staring at the movement as if hoping it would distract her. “I guess. It's just, I kinda feel weird asking for them, you know? Like ponies expect me not to need them, so if they find out I’m actually really into them, then it messes up how they see me. Like now. You probably want to laugh at me, or coddle me, because I’m not normally a really snuggly pony, you know? And as soon as one pony knows, then everyone will know, and then no one will look at me the right way ever again. I’m tough; I’m the freakin’ Element of Loyalty, and all us girls have kicked flank a zillion times before, but none of that will matter if ponies figure out that I…well, that I like hugs a bit more than normal. I’ll just be some lame old softie that ponies won’t be able to rely on.”
Rarity, though she had originally reacted almost exactly as Rainbow Dash had predicted, was quite taken aback by her friend’s words. It was obvious that Rainbow often put up a front for other ponies – Rarity could recognize it readily, as she frequently constructed a similar façade herself. What wasn’t obvious, until now, was how invested Rainbow was in maintaining that front internally as well as externally. It was like she allowed herself a certain amount of leeway, but as soon as that self-proclaimed quota had been met, she had crossed a line, and couldn’t indulge any further without upsetting some inner balance. Rarity herself had been guilty on occasion of assuming that Rainbow didn’t feel as deeply or think as intensely as some of her other friends, and now she felt rather dreadful about it.
“Rainbow I – I had no idea you felt this way. I can assure you, none of us would think any less of you for admitting to needing comfort now and again. In fact,” and here Rarity very purposefully applied a slight pressure with the hoof still resting upon Rainbow’s shoulder, “I myself could use a bit of affection right now. Would you possibly mind…assisting me?”
Rainbow frowned, a large part of her aware of what Rarity was doing. An even more substantial part, however, could only feel grateful for it. She had never meant to reveal so much to anyone, let alone a friend that she’d hardly had a solitary conversation with. This whole hugging fiasco had begun because she hadn’t wanted to possibly have to deal with the idea of deeper feelings – feelings she still wasn’t entirely sure about – potentially existing between her and one of her friends, but maybe it was a step in the right direction, anyway. Maybe I am actually on to something with this cuddling thing, she thought as she nodded slowly at Rarity, before leaning into the unicorn for the second time that day. This time around she didn’t try to analyze the feeling of their coats brushing against each other, or investigate the exact type of warmth that flowed between them. This time, Rainbow Dash simply relaxed, knowing that a friend was there for her, and tried to convey the feeling that, sappy or not, she was there in return.
The two broke apart naturally, and when they did, they were both smiling. Rainbow decided to cut the stuttering and hesitation that had coloured the past few minutes of interaction and quickly replied with an earnest, “Thanks, Rares. Really. I needed that.”
Rarity waved an airy hoof, though her smile spoke differently. “No problem at all, darling. To be completely honest, so did I. Now, we really need to get out of this sauna, or prunes will look like airbrushed Canterlot models next to us.”
Rarity insisted on footing the bill for their extended stay in the sauna, and Rainbow knew better than to impose on the fashionista’s domain. They had almost returned to Rarity’s boutique, reaching the point in the path where they had nearly collided – Rarity’s discarded shopping basket greeting them with what Rainbow would swear was a reproachful frown embedded in its interwoven ribbons – when Rainbow remembered the exact origins of her plan. Deciding that she had already spilled her guts to Rarity on the whole hugging thing, she figured it couldn’t hurt to divulge just a little bit more.
“Hey, Rares…would it be weird if I asked you something kind of personal?”
Rarity paused mid-trot, peering over her shoulder at Rainbow through the encroaching gloom. “Not at all, dear. I daresay we crossed the ‘personal’ line a while back with your revelation, so it only seems fair that you ask me something in return.”
Rainbow scuffed a hoof against the dust of apparently questionable origins. Even though she could barely see Rarity’s face ahead of her, she kept her eyes averted. Old habits died hard, and Rainbow was by no means a master of the more emotional aspects of interaction, recent extended hugging sessions or no. “How – how d’you know if you like somepony? Like, I know what it feels like to notice a hot piece of flank or whatever, but what about actually, you know, caring for somepony? As more than a friend?” She began chewing her lip as soon as the words were out, as if to hold back any more embarrassing questions. This is stupid, why did I ask her? She’s gonna laugh, or get all weird on me. But…she was cool about the hugging thing, wasn’t she?
“Well, it's really hard to say,” began Rarity tentatively, clearly uncertain as to how to approach this new, open side Rainbow apparently saw fit to reveal to her. “Everyone deals with attraction differently, but most ponies agree that there is a definite desire to spend time with the pony in question, to be particularly close to them. Thoughts about…well, being intimate with them would not be amiss, either. There are different levels of attraction, and different types, so it's hard to say for certain. Did…did you have someone particular in mind, dear?”
Rainbow may have been fairly oblivious a lot of the time, but even she could tell that Rarity was trying her hardest not to let her curiosity get the best of her. Go big or go home, I guess. She screwed up her courage and blurted, “I think I might like Applej - apples.”
Rarity paused on the cusp of breaking into what promised to be a very large grin, and frowned. The mid-expression hitch made it look like she had to sneeze quite violently – a look any self-respecting lady tried to avoid at all costs. Fleur de Lis had been caught like that once and ended up on the cover of the Equestrian Inquirer over a year ago, and Rarity still found it difficult to greet her with a straight face. “Ahem, excuse me if I misheard you, Rainbow, but it sounded like you think you like apples.”
“Uh, yeah,” replied Rainbow, backpedalling. I can’t do it, I just can’t. What if it turns out I don’t really like AJ that way, and then I tell Rarity I do? Or what if I do really like AJ? She should at least be the first to know! Gah, stupid. “Like, they’re so delicious and round, y’know? And, uh, juicy. And apple-y.”
Rainbow’s shifty grin held firm against Rarity’s withering deadpan glare, but only just.
“So, uh, yeah. Thanks for all the help, Rares. Really, it's been a slice, but I gotta go…wax…Tank’s shell! Yeah! Poor guy isn’t that aerodynamic, so I gotta do all I can to help him out, ya dig? Heh.” Rainbow was already in the air, mouth moving as fast as her wings wanted to. “Alright. Make good choices, floss behind the ears and all that. Gotta boogey!”
And with that Pinkie-esque parting, she was gone, a fabulous bullet of colour even against the sullen backdrop of fallen dusk. Rarity stood immobile for several seconds, the dirt that had been kicked into the air by Rainbow’s over-exuberant takeoff settling along her back and mane like debris after an explosion. She blinked.
Without so much as a huff of disdain or a snort of incredulity, she picked up her basket in a sparkling blue glow and headed towards the boutique. If Rainbow Dash was finally willing to explore her infatuation with Applejack, then she had some planning to do.