//------------------------------// // One and One Make Two [Romace?] // Story: Half-Hour Horses // by HoofAndQuill //------------------------------// (The Prompt: Two or more of the Mane Six move in together.) (This worked better in my head before I wrote it. The pacing is weird and the ending lacks punch. Still though, figure I should post.) On a cold winter's night, two mares looked up at the ceiling of their bedroom. A day previous, of course, it had just been Rarity's bedroom. Pinkie Pie giggled lazily, the comfortable afterglow of their celebrations bringing even her tireless laughter and ebullience down a bit. "This is sooo super awesome, Rarity! Now we can live together and share everything!" Rarity smiled and brushed her hoof over Pinkie's frizzy mane. "Yes, darling, everything that is mine is yours. I wouldn't dare hold anything back from my affianced." Pinkie giggled again and hugged Rarity close. "The Cakes said they didn't mind me setting up a bakery even if it's competition! We're going to have the fanciest cakes and prettiest pastries in Ponyville! It'll be like dancing, except I won't always be stepping on your hooves!" Rarity smiled at her girlfriend's enthusiasm and joie de vivre, and then wasted no time in drawing her into another celebratory kiss. -- "Oh, welcome to Carousel Boutique! Where every garment is chic, unique, and magni-" An explosion rocked the boutique, scaring fashionista and clientele alike. The wealthy looking and quite well-dressed noble visitors from Canterlot turned tail and fled the shop in a hurry, leaving Rarity standing there with her mouth hanging open. She could metaphorically see the bits she could have made just trailing from the nobles' saddlebags as they ran off. A moment later, the door to the kitchen-turned-bakery opened, and a smiling, cheerful Pinkie Pie poked her head into the boutique. "Rarity! We're throwing a surprise-to-everypony party in here, since my party cannon just went off by itself! Come on, free cake and milkshakes for everypony!" Rarity closed her mouth, looked to Pinkie, and couldn't help but smile at the mare's excitement. "... Yes, darling. I'll be along shortly." -- Fillies and colts danced and laughed inside the boutique, after business hours. Rarity and Pinkie Pie laughed together as they oversaw Sweetie Belle's cute-ceañera. Rarity was of course happy to host the party for her sister, as proud as the entire family was of the little filly. Pinkie Pie laughed and spun around as she danced with one of the many ponyquins in the room, the dress on the doll fluttering out beside it. Even so occupied though, she could tell that something was off. "Hey, Rarity! Can we move all these ponyquins? The fillies wanna dance!" "Oh, of course, darling. Though we'll need to put them out again later, precisely as before. Oh, do be careful with that icing, Scootaloo! I know that purple coloring stains fabric, and I simply can't do with ruined dresses!" -- Pinkie Pie happily poured cake batter into the pans, smiling and shaking her tail a bit as she cooked. Even with all the messes lately, the new bakery was doing great! Plenty of customers, not as many as Sugarcube Corner, but these things took time. Besides, baking was fun even if nopony bought the baked good after. Besides, she loved seeing the smiles her treats brought all the ponies that visited. She trotted around the pile of fabrics and half-finished sewing on the counter. The boutique had been Rarity's just a while ago, and living alone meant that her work had filled every place in the building. It was a bit like how bags of flour and other ingredients were all over the Cake's living spaces in Sugarcube corner. Pinkie was just setting the pans into the oven when a piercing shriek completely shattered her happy baking. She dropped the pan to the floor in surprise, spilling batter in all directions, and bolted off toward the customer side of the bakery as quickly as her hooves could carry her. A furious looking pegasus mare held a cupcake out to Pinkie Pie, her hoof shaking as she did so. A tiny glimmer of metal shined in the brown chocolate cupcake. "Look at this! There's a sewing needle in my little colt's cupcake! Thank Celestia I saw it before he bit down on it! I'm never coming back to this place again!" Pinkie drooped as she watched the customers all file out, leaving their cheery, delicious, and possibly a bit too pointy treats behind. She looked down at the chocolate confection on the floor, and miserably kicked it away. -- On a cold winter's night, two mares looked up at the ceiling of their bedroom. Just a week ago, it had been Rarity's bedroom. Pinkie Pie sighed and nuzzled against Rarity, almost afraid to let her go. Rarity pet Pinkie's mane with her hoof. "It has been a difficult week, dear." Pinke Pie nodded against Rarity's neck. "I'm super sorry about scaring Hoity Toity, and for getting flour on all your Hindian silks." Rarity patted Pinkie's mane gently. "And I am sorry for taking over the kitchen with my sewing, and for hanging clothes out to dry in front of the bakery." A silence settled over them for a few moments, and then stretched out unpleasantly. Pinkie Pie spoke strangely quietly, her voice quavering while her face was hidden against Rarity's neck and mane. "Are you gonna kick me out?" "Oh of course not, darling, how could you even think such a thing? True, both of our businesses are suffering at the moment, but I'm certain things will turn around!" "Maybe we're just too different to live together." Pinkie's entire body seemed to droop as she spoke, all the life seeming to drain from her mane and personality at once. Rarity squeezed her close, almost desperately so, and that did seem to manage to restore her just a bit. Rarity paused a moment, and then smiled. "Darling, that may be just what is wrong. Oh, don't give me that look, I didn't mean it like that. What if instead of sharing everything, we only shared some parts?" Pinkie pulled her muzzle away from Rarity's neck enough to look at her with a questioning expression. "Well, for instance, the Boutique showroom and my inspiration room could be mine," Rarity continued, "and the kitchen could be yours. I have enough bits saved that it wouldn't be difficult to add a little dining area to the side of the building, instead of using that half of the showroom." Pinkie Pie folded her ears back nervously. Rarity pet her mane comfortingly, never enjoying seeing the normally bubbly pony so miserable. Pinkie thought for a moment. "So we'd still share the bedroom and bathroom and living room? But what about not holding anything back from your aff-fiancee?" "Affianced, dear. Well... perhaps trying to be together as one isn't the best idea. I love you for you, Pinkie Pie darling, and I believe that being together as two ponies is better than forcing ourselves to share our entire lives." Pinkie's mane poofed up a bit at the compliment, and she hugged Rarity tightly, oblivious to the unicorn's slightly strangled protests. A moment later, she loosened her hug and kissed her fiance again. The next day, construction started on the new bakery, and Pinkie Pie and Rarity strode forward into the future side by side, each with their own path, but both knowing that they'd be walking side by side the whole time.