//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Equus Club // by Sharp Spark //------------------------------// “Really. I hardly think that’s necessary.” Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at Rarity, looking down from her perch on top of the big horse-head statue that dominated the library’s interior. It had only taken a matter of moments to scramble up the ugly thing, and most of that was just making sure it wouldn’t fall over on her halfway up. “Isn’t this what horses are for? Riding?” Rainbow Dash grinned at Applejack. “Hey, throw me your hat. Yee haw!” Applejack’s hand clutched the brim tightly. “Not in your lifetime.” “Boring. What’m I supposed to wave when I yell ‘Giddy up!’?” Rainbow stood up on top of the statue and flung her arms out into the air. In one smooth motion she leapt off, landing in a crouch in the middle of the room. She stood up and took a deep bow, and Pinkie applauded. The rest of the girls just ignored her. “Aw, come on, that was pretty sweet,” Rainbow said. “You’re gonna make Horsey sad.” “The proper name is Equus,” Rarity said. “Huh?” Rainbow frowned. “That’s a stupid name.” “It’s Latin for horse,” Applejack said. “You don’t know the name of your own school mascot?” Rarity cut her eyes over to Applejack, an eyebrow raised. “You know Latin?” Applejack shrugged. “I know horses.” “Sounds like some kind of creepy pagan god,” Rainbow said. Pinkie looked up at the stylized head, resembling nothing so much as an oversized totem. “Looks kinda like it too. But I think it’s pretty cool!” Rainbow rapidly paced in a circle around the statue. She grabbed at a part of the mane that gave her a good handhold, sizing up if she could climb from the opposite side. “Would you knock it off?” Applejack groaned. “I swear, you’re twitchier than a cat on a porch fulla rocking chairs.” Rainbow Dash snorted, turning back to her. “You are too much. Do you always talk like that?” “Like what?” Applejack said. “Like an old-timey prospector from a cartoon. I mean jeez.” “Rainbow!” Rarity said sharply. She looked to Applejack and waved a hand dismissively. “Applejack, dear, don’t let her bother you. After all, we can’t all be socialites.” Applejack’s eyebrow twitched. She put her pencil down, and turned to look directly at Rarity. “Is that right?” Rarity smiled. “Yes. In fact, I find your accent to be… charmingly rustic!” she said, lightly. “Do you.” Applejack felt her teeth clench. “Funny. Of course, I'm just simple country-folk not used to all those big words, but sure seems to me like that's just another way to say you think it makes me sound like a hick, too.” Rarity frowned. “Well—” “Some of us have pride in where we came from. I’ll have you know that I’ve spent time in Manhattan. I’ve been to plenty’a high society dinners where they’d throw your sorry behind out for being too uncultured. I’m more of a sophisticate than you’ll ever be, darling.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but sport a huge grin. “The rooten-est tooten-est so-phis-ti-cate weeest of the Pecos!” Applejack’s head whipped back around to Rainbow, her blood boiling. Fluttershy reached out tentatively to touch her arm, but Applejack jerked it away. Her expression flashed from barely-concealed anger to a sudden calm smirk as a thought crossed her mind. “At least I ain’t playing for the other team.” Rainbow Dash froze, color draining from her face. “What did you just say?” “I think you know damn well what I said.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Why bother hiding it? There ain’t a person in this school, boy, girl, or teacher, who hasn’t heard the rumors. I’m surprised they let you in the girls locker room still. Everyone knows that the Rainbow Dash ain't so much for the gentlemen. That, matter'a fact, you prefer—” “Shut up!” Rainbow yelled. “Or what?” Applejack said. “You’ll kiss me?” Rainbow Dash let out a strangled scream and darted forward. Rarity jumped up to stand in between the two but found herself nearly bowled over in the process. She grabbed Rainbow by the waist and found herself being dragged forward. “Pinkie! Help!” Pinkie bounced over and helped hold Rainbow back, the both of them able to stop her only because the athlete was too angry to actually use her strength, instead settling for flailing fist and foot both out at an implacable Applejack. “I’m not gay! I’m not, I’m not, I’m not! You take that back right now or—” “What’s wrong with being gay?” Fluttershy said. Her voice was quiet, but Rainbow’s words cut off sharply as she froze, ceasing her struggle against Pinkie and Rarity. For once, no one seemed to want to look at Fluttershy. “What’s wrong with being gay?” Fluttershy repeated. The silence stretched out. “You can—” Rarity stopped, coughing lightly. “Fluttershy, darling, there are certain societal mores, and—” “It’s wrong,” Rainbow said flatly. “And… and… gross.” “You think I’m gross?” Fluttershy asked. The ensuing silence managed to outdo the previous awkwardness by several orders of magnitude. Fluttershy exhaled softly, and she reached up to brush her hair back and away from her face. Her eyes met those of Rainbow Dash. “I know that I’m not very smart or strong. And I get scared easily. And sometimes it’s hard for me to say what I really want to. But… that’s one thing that my dad has always told me: ‘Fluttershy, no matter what, you should never be embarrassed because of who you love.’” “But… you’re…” Rainbow Dash’s mouth gaped open. Abruptly, Fluttershy seemed to realize the spotlight she had seized and her face began to turn red again. She shivered, holding her arms tightly against herself. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I just— I didn't mean to..." Applejack felt a flush of embarrassment. She kicked at the ground. “No. You're right. I s’pose I was out of line there. I didn’t realize that you—” She let out a hiss, taking off her stetson and holding it to her chest. “What am I saying? It’s not like if you weren’t here it’d’ve been any more right.” “Eep,” Fluttershy squeaked. “You don't… I mean… You don't hate me?” “Why the hell would I hate you? No, I owe you an apology.” Applejack jerked down in a slight bow. “You and Rainbow both.” “But…” Rainbow held her head in both hands. “Gah! How can you, you of all people just say that and...” “How did you find out you were gay?” Pinkie asked. “Do you only like girls?” Fluttershy disappeared behind her hair again. Her voice was inaudible. “Pleeeease?” Pinkie said. Fluttershy suddenly found the other girl grabbing her hands and looking up with big puppy-dog eyes. She screwed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath. “I-I-I don’t know,” she said. “I sort of… when I see this girl who’s really really pretty I feel a little excited and a lot nervous all at the same time—” “Nervouscited!” Pinkie exclaimed. “Yes!” “And I’ve never really felt that way about any guy before. But with her, it’s… for some reason I wish that I could spend more time with her, or hold her hand, or… k-k-kiss her…” A small smile crept across Rarity’s face. “You seem to be talking about someone in particular, dear.” Fluttershy’s hands flew up to cover her mouth. The others shared a glance. “Now sugarcube, you don’t have to say anything that you don’t want—” “Who is it, who is it, who is it?” Pinkie chirped. “Do tell,” Rarity said. “You did say you shouldn’t be embarrassed, after all.” Even Rainbow Dash leaned forward in anticipation, before catching herself and turning her head sharply as she frowned. But she didn’t budge, and her ears pricked up. Fluttershy kept her eyes downcast. “It’s… it’s sort of silly.” “Don’t say that,” Rarity said. “Affairs of the heart are not to be taken lightly.” Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Sunset Shimmer,” she said, only audible in the expectant silence of the library. “No way,” Rainbow blurted out. “She’s dating Flash Sentry, you know,” Rarity said. Fluttershy held both hands up. “Oh, yes. I know. Like I said, it’s silly. She’s so pretty though. And one time I happened to see her alone, when she thought no one else was there, and she looked so… lost, and sad. I… I wish I could take care of her.” Applejack raised an eyebrow. “You sure we’re talking about the same Sunset Shimmer? Red and yellow hair, leather jacket, meaner than a rattlesnake?” “She’s misunderstood!” Fluttershy said. “I don’t think she really has any friends.” Applejack smirked, momentarily surprised by the shy girl’s insistence. “With her attitude, that’s not a big surprise,” Pinkie said. She paused as the others gave her a look. “What? I can’t think she’s a meanie too?” Rarity patted Fluttershy on a shoulder. “I support you at least. You never know what turns the future may hold. And you’d make an absolutely adorable couple!” Fluttershy managed a small smile. “R-really?” “Absolutely.” “Way to get her hopes up,” Rainbow Dash griped. Her hands clenched and unclenched as she stared at a wall. “It could happen!” Pinkie said. “You don’t know!” “I… suppose,” Applejack said. “Life doesn’t work that way,” Rainbow Dash said. “Life’s not fair.” Her hands suddenly stopped moving as her eyes cut over to Rarity, flashing from pain to a dull anger. “At least for most of us. After all, we can’t all be like the Princess over here. ‘Oh Daddy, I think I want a fashion boutique. And on a silver platter, of course!’” Rarity’s eyes blazed, immediately marching over to Rainbow to meet her head-on. “I’ve earned everything I’ve been given. If not initially, then at the least in the effort I’ve invested to keep my business – my passion – running. Clearly that’s not something I could expect you to understand.” An eager grin appeared on Rainbow’s face. “Oh, I see. I get you. You’re given anything and everything and then work your ass off trying to make up for all the charity that you never wanted to begin with. Can’t help but try to make up for rich-girl guilt with fake generosity.” Rarity took a step back, her eyes wide. “It’s not fake,” she said, voice suddenly faltering. “Bullseye,” Rainbow said, a snarl having replaced her normal smirk. “Leave her alone,” Applejack said. She sneered at Rainbow. “Like you’ve got it sooo tough yourself.” “Nah,” Rainbow said. “My folks suck, but at least they’re never there. Always on some business trip somewhere or another. I prefer them gone, that way they’re not getting in my way. They only care if I do something bad enough to really piss them off.” Applejack’s mocking sneer had dropped away, her eyes shining with something close to pity. “You don’t miss them?” “Are you kidding? Parents are the worst.” “I like my dad,” Fluttershy said softly. “That’s a load,” Rainbow said. “Everyone hates their parents. If you don’t you’re either stupid or lying. I’d rather just be an orphan.” Applejack clenched her teeth and then spoke, raising her voice. “You don’t even—” “You don’t even realize. You’re all so lucky. You’re all so fucking lucky and you don’t even realize it.” Everyone turned to Pinkie. Her smile – the smile she always wore, under any circumstance – was gone, making her expression shockingly solemn. Her normally bouncy hair seemed to be drooping, but she stared straight ahead, eyes dry but lifeless. Applejack opened her mouth again, only for Pinkie to immediately cut her off. “Yes, even you. I watch you, you know. I see you in the cafeteria, embarrassed when the lunchlady gives you an extra apple and a special smile. She loves you, and it doesn’t even bother her that you won’t say a word to her in response. She just likes seeing you happy.” “Oh come on,” Rainbow shot off. “Stop acting all dramatic. You can’t expect us to believe that you of all people have it hard. Everyone likes you! Any parent would kill to have a kid like you.” Pinkie’s eyes were dull as they stared at Rainbow Dash. She took a deep breath and when she began speaking again, her voice was a low monotone. “When I was eight, my mother took me and my sisters to the park. She told me that we were going to play a game, and that the goal of the game was to try to push a boulder from one side of the playground to the other. I wasn’t particularly big or strong, but I wanted nothing more than to make Mom happy. It took me about an hour to drag the rock the twenty feet or so, and I ended up filthy, scraping up my hands all up in the process. When I went to find my Mom, she was gone.” The other girls fidgeted as an uncomfortable silence fell. Hesitating, Rarity spoke up. “Pinkie, I’m sure she—” “I’m not stupid, you know. She took my sisters with her when she went. I was the one she left. I was the one she didn’t want.” Pinkie took a deep breath and continued. “I don’t know how I found my way back home, but when I did, Father made it clear that her leaving was my fault. Things were… not good.” “Pinkie…” Fluttershy whispered. “They took me away from him about a year later. I’ve been in foster care ever since. I’m on my fifth family now. And the Cakes are nice. So nice! But I know how this goes. At first everyone loves the happy, energetic little girl and it’s wonderful. Then they get to know me better. ‘Do you have to sing all the time, Pinkie?’ ‘Just be quiet and sit still, Pinkie.‘ ‘You screwed up again. Can’t you do anything right, Pinkie?’ The Cakes only took me because they thought they wouldn’t be able to have kids, and now Mrs. Cake is pregnant. Only a few more months and I’m sure they’ll get rid of me too, just like everyone else.” Pinkie laughed bitterly. “You all think I’m just the happiest girl in school, but that’s a lie too. No one really likes me. As someone telling a joke or throwing a party or saying happy birthday, sure, but I’m just the weirdo that everyone laughs at. No one is really my friend.” Fluttershy had retreated entirely behind her pink hair, while Rarity stared aghast, and Rainbow Dash’s cheeks had grown alarmingly red. It was Applejack who actually took action. The leather in her boots creaked slightly in the silence as she walked over to Pinkie. She took a deep breath, and without another word, used one arm to pull the other girl in a hug. Pinkie went rigid, her only movements the deep shuddering breaths she took. Applejack closed her eyes, her face turning the slightest pink but her voice unperturbed, as if the other girls weren’t even there. “I see you too. The happiest girl in school? I don’t know about all that. But you’re sure as sugar the hardest working gal around. I see how much time ‘n effort you put into making everyone else happy. But you’re right. Bein’ a friend goes both ways. I… I figure I could give it a go.” Fluttershy’s eyes were wide as she looked at the two. Her mouth firmed into a serious line. “Me too,” she said, regaining some of her prior certainty. “I’m your friend too, Pinkie. No matter what.” Rainbow Dash let out a dramatic sigh. “You’re such an idiot, Pinkie.” “Hey now—” Applejack started. “A stupid dumb idiot. We’re all your friends, of course.” Rarity watched Rainbow Dash, brow slightly furrowed. She shook her head, and turned to meet Pinkie’s eyes. “Of course, darling.” Pinkie sniffed. Suddenly, her eyes were wet, the floodgates about to burst. “R-really?” “Really, sugarcube.” Pinkie screwed her eyes shut, but the smile that returned to her face was the brightest any of them had ever seen.