//------------------------------//
// Sleet and Rain 
// Story: Wheel in the Sky 
// by LightningBass94 
//------------------------------//

    The rain outside created a gentle pitter-patter against the window as I stared out it. As I looked, I didn't really see. I was too busy thinking about what I'd seen. It hadn't hit me until I left, but something was off about Rarity. She had kept her mane over her face, nearly covering one eye completely, and those eyes! Those tired eyes were not those of the friend I had seen off all those years ago. They were the eyes of a broken mare. Just what had happened to make those bright, sapphire eyes turn a dull grey?

"More coffee, Sir?" The waitress spoke up, breaking me free from the prison my thoughts had placed me in. A pitcher of black coffee was held in a green aura near her head. I nodded and slid my cup closer to her. As she filled the cup, she slid into the booth across from my own. "Is there something wrong, Mister? Ya' seem sad." She seemed genuinely concerned, so I supposed I should respond.

I sighed and took a sip of my bitter, black coffee before responding with a question, "What would you do if you had a friend...and you hadn't seen them for a long time?"

The waitress seemed confused. Her name tag read "Bonnie Brass." "Well, I suppose I'd go see 'em. Is that why you're here?" I nodded, ignoring that her accent made it apparently hard to pronounce her R's.

"And what if that friend didn't seem like she was the same person? Like, they pretended to be, but they were a really bad actor?" I asked. Why was I even talking to this mare? She was just going to point out the obvious.

"I'd ask her 'bout it," There it was. The obvious.

"Easier said than done," I protested with a scoff. "How am I supposed to ask her that without hurting her feelings somehow?"

Bonnie just shrugged with a little smile. "She's your friend, Mister. I don't  know the gal. I'm sho' you'll figure it out." She stood up and picked up the coffee pot. She topped off my drink with a warm smile. "Gotta' get back to work. Put a smile on once in a while, will ya'?" Without waiting for an answer, she left. I just rolled my eyes and stared back into the gloom. It was getting late. I finished up my coffee and left the bill and a large tip on the table. Putting my coat and hat on as I walked, I pushed open the door and walked out of the building.





By the time I made it to Rarity's apartment building, I was soaked and freezing. The rain had turned to sleet and it had come down hard upon all with the misfortune to be caught within its wintry grasp. Even the thick, ring-spun cotton canvas material of my coat was soaked through to the silk lining. As I stepped through the door, graciously held open by a posh door-stallion, I took off my fedora and wrung it out. "Good day, Sir," The stallion greeted. I merely grumbled in response and stomped toward the elevator.

Once inside the small space, I pressed the button labeled "6" and allowed myself to calm down. It wasn't all bad. I was going to see Rarity, after all. Dinner would be fun, and it would be like old times. I decided to drop that foreboding feeling from before, ignore how much I hated this weather or this city and, most of all, ignore how angry I secretly was at Rarity for her apparent and complete lack of interest in me or anypony else from her Ponyville days. Hay, she didn't even write her own sister! Sweetie Belle moved to Canterlot a year ago to pursue her singing career, and we kept in touch.

DING!

Here I was, floor six. Right across from the elevators was Rarity's apartment, "6D." I inhaled deeply and let it out in a slow, deliberately audible breath, steeled myself, and knocked on the door. "Here we go," I thought.

Slowly, the nob turned and the door opened. Nopony was there. "Come on in!" I heard Rarity call from the kitchen, I presumed. She had opened the door with magic. "I'm still cooking, so please close the door behind you!" I walked into the large apartment. The initial walkway was unfurnished, but as I walked into the main living space, I realized that this was far different than any place Rarity had ever lived in before. The decor was very modern, colors mostly consisting of blacks and whites with splashes of red in seemingly random places, including the throw pillows. The couch seemed untouched and uncomfortable and was placed across from a large television set hanging from the wall that I assumed was also largely unused, though free from any dust. Between them sat a long, low coffee table with black metal legs and a glass top. Opal was nowhere to be seen, though there was a very nice looking black and white portrait of her hanging on one of the walls. The cat most likely died of old age. She was getting fairly old, even before Rarity left. What did seem strange to me was that Rarity hadn't acquired a new pet. She typically kept one as a sort of confidant in times of extreme duress. Maybe Opal had lived longer than I expected? On either side of the couch was an end table, matching the style of the coffee table in every way. Atop them both rested a twin set of black, metal lamps, both twisting up in a vase-like shape toward flat-white shades. Across from him, on the other side of the room, was another small hallway which, no doubt, held the bedroom and a restroom. It was carpeted in spotless white just as the living room was. There were pictures hung on the walls, but I couldn't see what they were of from my vantage point.

To my right was a large, arching doorway. A gentle light shone through it, and I inferred that this was where I would find Rarity. I walked though and found a much more welcoming sight. To my right was the dining room. It looked much more conventional. It had a wooden floor and a grand, wooden dining table, all finished with a dark, mahogany coating and polished to shine. An antique chandelier hung from the center of the low ceiling, adorning the room in a soft, orange glow. Along one of the walls was a glass-front cabinet filled with fine china. Farther to the left, there was a sudden change from wooden floors to black and white tile which, along with a small bar, marked the beginning of the kitchen.

That was where I found Rarity. She had a knife in her azure magical grip and she stood at the island, dicing vegetables. I took my hat and coat off, draped them across the back of a bar stool, and sat down at the bar, facing into the kitchen. Rarity didn't even look up at me. Her kitchen seemed to more properly match the rest of the house. All the cabinets were modern and white. The sink, dishwasher, and oven were chrome, and the counters, including the bar, were made with solid black marble. Above the bar was another cabinet and several wine glasses hung from its bottom. "So," I started, attempting to spark a conversation. "What are we having tonight?"

It took her a second to answer, but when she did, she still didn't look up at me. Her mane was in an almost Fluttershy-esque style, half of it covering her face. Sadly, that half was toward me, so I couldn't see past her violet mane at all. "Stir-fry with snow-peas and shiitake mushrooms, spring rolls on the side." She answered simply.

In an attempt to cheer her up, I smiled and commented, "Well that sounds really good. It smells delicious so far too!" I looked at the amount she'd made so far, and there was quite a bit there. "You don't need to make that much for me, Rarity," I protested, slightly concerned. "I don't think we'll be able to eat so much, just the two of us."

The knife faltered in her aura slightly and she turned her head toward me just slightly. I could see her exposed eye now, and there was fear in it. She spoke in a quiet, even tone. "I have another guest coming, Spike."