//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Whiskey Lullaby // by Smitty91 //------------------------------// Chapter 10 Twilight peeked out the window of the library to see four multi-colored ponies racing across town, headed towards her library. She let go of the curtain and walked over to the library door. She wrenched open the door with her magic and ushered in the others before slamming the door behind her and locking it. Turning, she smiled and walked over to the circle of friends in the center of the room. She sat down, joining them. “Did all of you get here okay?” “Just fine,” Applejack said. “Does Rarity know anything?” Twilight asked. “No,” Fluttershy said, smiling proudly. She suddenly frowned and glanced at the others. “I'm not the only one who's noticed the problem, right?” “No, sugarcube,” Applejack reassured. “We've all noticed it.” “Mm-hmm,” the others agreed. “I didn't notice it until cider season,” Applejack said. “She drank as much as Pinkie Pie.” “And she told me she and Fluttershy were going to be busy that day,” Twilight stated. Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “And I noticed it when I was flying over Horsehoe's last week,” Rainbow Dash said. “Rarity was so drunk that she could barely stand up.” “I'm really worried about her,” Fluttershy stated. “We all are, Fluttershy,” Twilight said. “That's why we're all here, right?” “Right,” the others chorused. “So, when can everypony be here for the intervention?” Twilgiht asked. “How 'bout the same time next week?” Applejack suggested. The others nodded in agreement. “Great,” Twilight cried. “Is everypony sure that they can make it?” “I have to work a few hours,” Pinkie Pie said, “but I don't think the Cakes will mind if I take off for the day. It is for Rarity's sake, after all.” Twilight smiled. “Good girl, Pinkie Pie.” She looked around the room. “Everypony else?” “We'll be here,” Rainbow Dash said, smiling widely. “Excellent,” Twilight said, pumping her hoof in the air. “Remember, we have to be very discreet. Nopony lead Rarity on what's really going on. Make up some kind of excuse.” “Ooh, ooh, ooh,” Pinkie Pie cried, hopping up and down with her hoof in the air. “Yes, Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked. “We could use the excuse that we're throwing a party to cheer her up,” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. “All we need is to have one of us lead Rarity here.” “That's a great idea, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight replied. She turned to Fluttershy. “Fluttershy, will you be okay with leading Rarity here?” Fluttershy nodded. “Of course.” “Great,” Twilight said. “So, we're all clear on the plan then?” The others nodded. “Mm-hmm,” they all said. Twilight smiled. “Excellent!” Fluttershy tentatively knocked on Rarity's door. “Excuse me, Rarity?” She gently pushed open the door to the Boutique and looked inside, from left to right. There was no sign of Rarity anywhere. She eased her way inside, closing the door with her hindhoof before trotting up the stairs to Rarity's bedroo. “Rarity,” she called, looking up and down and left and right for any sign of her best friend. “Rarity!” “Just a moment, darling,” a voice called. Fluttershy followed the source of the voice to the bathroom. Rarity stood in front of the mirror, plucking her eyebrows, the tweezers held in the air with her magic. She had a towel wrapped around her head, an obvious sign that she had just gotten out of the shower. Fluttershy gently eased her way in, the hinges of the door creaking as the door moved. “Are you ready for your party?” “Just about,” Rarity replied, continuing to pluck her eyebrows. The tweezers were lowered to the counter and she turned to walk out of the bathroom. “All ready!” She smiled brightly at Fluttershy and made her way down the hall. She stopped at Sweetie Belle's room. “Sweetie Belle! I'm going out for a while, okay? Please stay out of the kitchen and away from . . . well, everything else!” “Me?!” Sweetie Belle bellowed. “You were the one who caught the ktichen on fire, not me! And if I recall correctly, I dragged your drunk hind end to safety!” “Hey, watch your mouth!” “Sorry.” “I'm going out. Stay indoors. I'm locking the doors. Don't answer for anyone, you hear?” “I know, I know! Get going!” Rarity snorted in irritation before turning with a glare and barking at Fluttershy, “Come on!” They made their way outside of the Boutique (Rarity made sure that the front door was properly locked before leaving) and started towards Twilight's, where the party was being held as Rarity had ben told by Pinkie Pie. “There was really no need for you to throw this party for me, you know?” Rarity said. Fluttershy nodded. “I know. It's just that you seemed so down in the dumps lately that I wanted to do something to make you feel better.” Rarity chuckled and pecked Fluttershy on the cheek. “Darling, you're so thoughtful. Thank you, really. I do appreciate it that you'd throw a party just for me to make me feel better, but I assure you, I'm fine.” “I'm sure you are, but I figured that a party would just be the thing to make everypony feel better. It's not good to spend so much time wallowing in your own misery all the time.” Rarity nodded in agreement. “True, true.” There was little conversation after that. The two of them made verbal observations as they walked. Quills & Sofas had a sale going on and there were plenty of ponies among the square selling food and other items. Even Sugarcube Corner had a “buy three, get one free” sale going on today, though both had to resist the temptation to trot over and partake in said sale, however hard it was. They eventually reached the library and stepped inside, Fluttershy leading the way to take her place among the circle of friends. Upon entering the library and seeing her group of friends sitting together in a circle, she stopped and blinked, her mouth agape. “What's going on here?!” She glared at Pinkie Pie. “You said this was a party!” “Duh,” Pinkie Pie said, rolling her eyes. “This is a party, silly! It's your “Rarity, we're really worried about you and we'd like you to get some help” party!” Rarity sputtered for a moment or two before yelling, “What?!” She looked around before shaking her head and backing away. “N-no! Y-y-you've got it all wrong! There's nothing wrong with me! I'm just . . . I'm just stressed, that's all!” Twilight, tentatively, approached the shaking mare. “Rarity, you have been drinking an awful lot lately. We're here to help,” she smiled, “no matter what it takes.” “I have not,” Rarity said defensively, glaring and stomping a hoof. “Have so,” Applejack said. “Have not!” “Have so!” “Have not!” “Have so!” “Enough,” Twilight yelled. She pulled Applejack back with her magic before once again getting in front of Rarity. “Let's talk about what this is really about. It's about Spike, isn't it?” Once again, Rarity shook her head. “No!” “Rarity, you're a terrible liar,” Applejack spoke up yet again. “Ever since he passed away, y'all been acting different. You're moody. Sometimes y'all are in such a funk that you can't even get out of bed. It's getting' to where y'all are drinkin' as much as cider as Rainbow Dash.” “Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, chuckling and nodding her head. She glared at Applejack. “Hey!” Applejack ignored her. “Y'all need help, Rares, and we're gonna help ya!” “That's right,” Twilight agreed, nodding. “Though, I wouldn't be lying if I said I understand why you're drinking so much. I've been there, so depressed you can't find the strength or the reason to get out of bed, but you have to fight it. You can't let it control you. You've got to get out and about, even if you don't feel like it.” “N-no,” Rarity continued. “You're . . . you're wrong. . . .” “Are we?” Fluttershy asked, giving the others a concerned look. Twilight glared at her. “Stop it! You did the right thing arranging this whole thing.” Rarity turned her attention to Fluttershy. “You!” She lunged at the cream-colored mare, who squeaked in fear and surprise and cowered on the floor. Rarity would have succeeded in attacking her had Twilight nto caught her in mid-air with her magic and settled her back on the floor. “Stop it, Rarity! You know we're right! We're trying to help you, but we can't do that until you let us! If you let us help you, you can finally move on with your life and be happier for it. I'll be serving as your counselor while you're in rehab.” “Oh, no,” Rarity cried, shaking her head. “No way in Equestria am I going to rehab.” “Too late, silly,” Pinkie Pie said. “We've already gotten you enrolled.” Rarity gritted her teeth. “What?!!” “Rarity, ca–” Twilight began. “You mean to tell me you lot deliberately went behind my back and enrolled me in a program without asking me first?!” Rarity shouted hotly. “Well, what else were we supposed to do?!” Rainbow Dash snapped back. “You won't talk to us! You won't let us help you! It was either enroll you in rehab or watch you drink yourself to death!” Rarity's expression softened and she looked down, circling the floor with her hoof. She sighed before looking up and surveying the colorful mares around her. “How long do I have to think it over?” “We'll give you a day,” Twilight stated. “After that, if you haven't come to a decision, we'll take you to rehab by force, by order of Princess Celestia herself.” Rarity swallowed hard and again looked down at the floor. “May I go?” “On the condition that you won't drink,” Twilight stated. Rarity nodded. “Very well. I, uh, have some cider at my place that you'll probably won't to get rid of.” Twilight looked at the others. “Should we do that now or wait until she's in rehab?” “Ah suggest we do it now,” Applejack said. “Don't wanna run the risk of her drinking again.” The others nodded in agreement. “Fine then,” Twilight said. She addressed Rarity. “We'll follow you home and help you get rid of the cider.” “What if . . .” She swallowed. “What if I don't want to?” “Rarity, you really need to stop and think about the danger you're putting Sweetie Belle in,” Twilight said. “She nearly died because of you. What if you get in a rage while drunk and seriously hurt her?” Rarity's breath caught and she backed away. “N-no. That couldn't happen. She . . . she knows I love her far too much to hurt her.” “Doesn't matter,” Rainbow Dash said. “You won't be able to stop yourself from hurting her if you're drunk.” “Especially if she does something to provoke you,” Twilight added. “We're not trying to get you angry or upset you, Rarity. We're just trying to help you, that's all, like good friends should.” “Mm-hmm,” the others agreed enthusiastically. “All right,” Rarity agreed. “Everypony follow me.” With a sad face, Rarity watched as her precious liquor was poured down the drain of the kitchen sink. Not surprisingly, she had at first attempted to stop them from taking her liquor before Twilight had cast a spell on her that froze her in place, thus allowing them to take the booze without her protesting. Once they'd gotten a hold of said liquor, the spell on her had been disabled. She had been instructed to not move while they worked, pouring perfectly good cider down the drain. Applejack seemed to notice her friend's sad depression. She put a hoof around her and smiled. “Relax, sugarcube. Y'all will feel much better once you get better and finally be free of this obsession.” Rarity sighed. “I guess so.” “That's the last of it,” Twilight said, dumping the empty bottle of cider in the trash. “We'll leave you alone now so that you can do some thinking. Remember, you only have twenty-four hours to come to a decision. I hope you make the right one.” Along with the others, she walked out of the Boutique. The door was shut, leaving Rarity alone in the middle of the kitchen.