Germophobe
It was late in the afternoon when Rarity came home from her visit to Fluttershy. As soon as she came in, she put of her boots and immediately trotted upstairs to the bathroom. The unicorn put on the shower and stood under it right away, not caring about the cold temperature of the water.
As soon as the water was warm, she grabbed a bottle of decontaminating soap with her mouth once she was wet all over and poured it over her entire white coated body. Rarity made sure she waited long enough for the germs to vanish by the soap and stood under the shower again.
It had been going like this for months now, her fear for germs suddenly got far worse than it used to be. She hid it for her friends and family, even though the unicorn kept getting the questions why she was acting so weird lately, but always tried to change the subject. The unicorn also feared going to a therapist, she just wanted nopony to know.
Everytime Rarity came home -no matter where she had been- she washed her entire body with decontaminating soap and mopped the floor, while standing somewhere where the white coated pony was sure not to touch the spots where she had walked before taking a shower.
It was so hard for her to live this way.....
Once Rarity was absolutely sure she was clean all over, she turned of the shower and walked out, while trying to avoid certain 'dirty' spots.
She sighed and dryed herself, each towel for a specific body part.
Rarity didn't even take the effort to style her mane and tail and went straight to mopping the entire floor of the Carousal Boutique with her magic, standing on the clean parts of the floor.
After a long period of extreme mopping she came to the last infected part, the boots that stood next to the door. The boots were used whenever she left the house to take away a bit of stress, even the thought of having more dirtier hooves always made her shiver.
Rarity opened the door with her magic and then lifted the boots up and put them gently next to the door outside.
Once they were outside she closed the door with her horn and mopped the floor for a real long time, until it felt clean enough for her, then flushed the mop water through the toilet and put back everything where it belonged.
Rarity was thankful for being a unicorn, without her horn, she would have to wash herself even more.
She layed on her sofa, hoping that no pony would visit her for the rest of the day.
All visits from the Cutie Mark Crusaders, her friends and customers were really hard for her, she always had to clean absolutely everything that they had touched and also herself. Her work also got harder because of the amount of time cleaning made it hard to come up with good ideas for dresses and to make them. Not much money was coming in as result.
Rarity just lay there thinking on her sofa, trying not to think about nice things instead of her problems, but her problems took over her mind.
Should she tell her friends or family? No why would she? They don't care.....But maybe they can help. No, ofcourse they can't...
The mare was in deep thought when there were a few knocks on the door. She felt like her head could explode by a huge amount of anger and sadness, but being the kind pony she is, the unicorn responded.
She rose up to sit on the sofa and told the pony outside that the door was open with a raised voice.
The pony turned out to be one of her little sister, Sweetie Belle.
"Hi Rarity." she said to the the unicorn with a fake smile that was sitting on the sofa.
"Hi, darling." she added with her fake enthousiastic voice, while she was cursing the most awful things in her head. She didn't blaime Sweetie for it at all, but darnit... "Make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea?"
Sweetie Belle looked at her with a puzzeling expression, like she knew that Rarity was faking it all. It made Rarity a bit nervous.
"Uhmm...Yeah, sure."
When the water was boiling, Rarity thought about how she had to clean everything AGAIN. It made her even more sad.
"So, Sweetie Belle, how are you?" Rarity asked from the kitchen, breaking the awkward silence between her and the little unicorn that was sitting on the sofa.
"Well.." Sweetie began after a few seconds. "Not so great, I had a bad day at school, but don't worry, it's nothing...."
Rarity peeked her head out of the kitchen and gaized towards her little sister on the sofa.
"Oh.." she responded, not really trying to hide her sadness this time. "What happened?"
Sweetie sighed and hung her head down.
"Well, nothing special....I just got bullied for being a blank flank again, along with Scootaloo and Apple Bloom."
"Do you want me to talk to your teacher about it?" Rarity asked.
"No, thanks sis, I just want to be treated like everpony else."
The mare frowned.
"I understand, but just got to ignore those ponies. After a while, just it won't be funny for them anymore. Same goes for your friends." Rarity suggested, then poured the hot water into the cups, still thinking about the future cleaning.
"I know..." Sweetie Belle added. "And how are you, Rarity?" The little filly asked as Rarity walked in, levitating a plate with two cups of tea on it. She acted just normally, the cleaning and avoiding would come later....
She put down the plate on the table in front the sofa and sat down uncomfortably next to Sweetie Belle.
"I am fine, thank you." The mare responded, trying to sound as normal as possible.
Sweetie Belle gave her that puzzled look again, making her big sister nervous once again.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Rarity immediately responded with her fake cheerful voice. "Ofcourse, why wouldn't I be darling?"
The little filly's look got even more puzzled looking, like she was solving a mystery. Rarity saw that and started moving her right hindleg up and down out of nervousness, causing the look of Sweetie Belle to get even worse.
"Okay, what's going on?" She finally asked, frowning at her nervous big sister.
Rarity's eyes widened, sweat dropping from her forehead, but stopped move her leg.
"What...what are you talking about silly?"
"Your fake cheerful and also nervous behavior."
Rarity sighed and looked away.
"It's a....long story."
"I don't care." She cheerfully responded. "You can tell me anything Rarity."
The mare looked at her little sister again.
"It uh... may sound really strange to you."
"Ah, I'm sure it's not that strange. Shoot."
Will she do it? Sweetie Belle would just think she crazy. Oh well, she wouldn't know if she didn't tell anything, it was too late now anyway.
Rarity looked back at the ground, too scared to look the little unicorn in her eyes.
"Since a few months ago my fear for germs got much worse than it first was.
I have no idea what might have caused it actually, anyway....
Everytime I get back home I go under the shower, decontaminate my whole body, mop the entire boutique while trying to avoid the spots I had been before I took a shower. The reason I wear those awful looking boots is just because it makes me feel less dirty when going somewhere.
Also, everytime anypony has entered the boutique, I clean everything that has been touched afterwards and also take a shower. The reason why I was nervous is because I was afraid to tell it when somepony asks why I am acting so weird lately and well, because it's just hard to have somepony over if I have to clean the entire afterwards."
A tear slowly rolled down her white coated cheek and hit the sofa underneath her.
The mare sighed deeply and gaized back at the now flabbergasted little filly. More tears slowly started to appear in the mare's blue eyes and again, rolled slowly down her cheek.
Sweetie Belle shook her head and came back to reality, seeing her big sister sobbing next to her.
"Is...is it okay if I hug you?"
Rarity simply nodded and was immediately embraced by the caring little filly.
That was it. Rarity now bursted out in tears, she didn't even think about how 'dirty' Sweetie Belle was.
"It's okay, sis. I'm going to help you get out of this." Sweetie Belle whispered, slowly moving her hoof around Rarity's back to comfort her.
The tears kept coming and made the little filly tear up aswell.
The two sobbing ponies kept holding each for what seemed like hours until Rarity stopped crying, she let go of Sweetie Belle and rubbed in her eyes, so did her little sister.
"Thank you so much dear." Rarity finally responded, a sign of relief in her big blue eyes.
"It's...okay." The white filly added. "But why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I was scared that you might think I'm well...crazy"
"No, ofcourse not sis. But, did you tell anypony else? Are you seeing somepony for it?"
"No, I haven't told anypony except you."
"Hmm...I think it's time for telling your friends then and also to go see a therapist or something as soon as possible."
Rarity sighed deepily.
"I suppose I should."
"Well, let's go and tell them then. Oh! Maybe Twilight can do something about it with her powerful magic." Sweetie Belle said cheerfully.
Rarity gave a little smile on her face.
"Oh yes, good idea Sweetie Belle. Ok, lets go." She said, a bit cheered up and then walked over the front door. The mare didn't really think about the future cleaning, the thought of Twilight maybe being able to help her was comforting.
Rarity put on her boots that were standing outside and walked with Sweetie Belle through town to tell her friends to meet her at the cafe near the boutique in half a hour. On the way they quitely talked more about Rarity's problems. The talking did seem to relief her a bit.
______________________
Everpony had gathered at a single table at the empty cafe, her friends real curious about what Rarity had to say. They all ordered a drink, Rarity insisted to pay everything, being the element of Generosity and all.
Once all the drinks were on the table, Dash started talking.
"So what did you wanted to tell us, Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked, sounding and looking real curious.
"I...I" The white coated unicorn began, nervously, looking at the table. " I have something to admit."
"What is it?" Twilight asked " You can tell us."
"Yeah." Applejack quickly added.
"Okay.....
So, it all began a few months back, my anxiety for germs suddenly got alot worse, I have no idea what might have caused it, to be honest."
The ponies and the baby dragon just listened, not asking questions yet.
"Every single time I come home, I...I just wash my entire body with decontaminating soap. If I don't then, well....I start panicking. Anyway, after that I mop the entire boutique until I am absolutely certain that everything is clean. While I'm mopping....I just try to avoid where I've been before the shower.
Also, when somepony has been in the boutique, no matter who, I clean absolutely everything that has been touched and also take a shower.
The boots I've been wearing lately is just for reducing the stress of going outside, I...feel more clean then.
There, I said it....."
Her friends looked flabbergasted by the confession by Rarity, just like Sweetie Belle earlier. It took a while until somepony finally talked.
"That.....explains alot." Twilight said.
"Wow......" Dash softly responded.
"Oh, Rarity." Fluttershy began, with her caring voice. "I'm so, so sorry, it must be awful to live this way. We can all help if you want, right girls?"
Agreeing words and sounds came from the other four ponies in response.
Rarity's gaize went from the table to her friends. She never felt luckier to have such good friends as now.
"Thank you all so much, girls, really." The white coated unicorn said, a smile appearing afterwards.
"Is it alright if we group hug, Rare?" Pinkie asked kindly.
The unicorn chuckled and stood up from the chair.
"Yes." She simply responded.
A tight group hug followed with her best friends and her little sister followed.
"You're the best friends a pony could ever ask for." Rarity whispered, not letting go just yet.
By now it was dark, Luna's moon hung over the little town of Ponyville.
After a while of tight hugging in the quiet, empty cafe, they returned to their seats and Rarity knew they were about to ask their questions, but she had a question herself.
"So...I was thinking, Twilight." The white unicorn began.
"What is it?"
"Is there maybe some way to...well, overcome this problem with
your powerful magic?" Rarity asked, looking almost like she was just begging Twilight to cure her from a terrible disease.
"Hmmm....Well, there may be a spell somewhere in the library. How about you come over to the library after this, look for a spell and also eat dinner with us? You're also welcome, Sweetie Belle, heck, anypony can come."
The look on Rarity's face turned into happy-mode again.
"Certainly, I'll simply just have to get over delaying my cleaning rituals. Would you like to come too Sweetie?"
"Uhm...No, mom and dad expect me at dinner, so I actually have to leave now. But thanks for the offer Twilight. Oh... wait, they don't want to to be alone in the dark."
"Oh, well..." Fluttershy said. "I can take you home, I suppose."
"Yeah, sure Fluttershy. Thanks."
They walked off into the darkness of the evening into the direction of the filly's home, leaving the five ponies and the baby dragon behind.
And so, Rarity's friends started to ask their questions, not a suprise to Rarity, but she now knew that talking about it does actually help.
_________________________