//------------------------------// // Heartache, Heart Break // Story: The Formula for Love // by MegaTJ //------------------------------// Heartache, Heart Break "Is it finished, Big Brother?" Cotton asked for the sixed time since he woke up. Linen smiled. "Yes, I have finally finished sewing the seams together correctly. It has reached completion. You may now wear it to the Ballroom Blitz. Scootaloo shall surely be, er…how is it relayed in Ponyville?" "Scree!" Sable answered from her perch next to the kitchen door. "Ah, yes, head over hooves for you." Cotton looked away with a blush and mumbled something that wasn't audible to his sibling. He left to go have a look at what he could fix himself for breakfast since Linen was too busy working on the vest to get to the kitchen first. "Hoohoo", Linen laughed, "I am so very pleased to see that somepony's heart has captured Cotton's." He turned to put his textile supplies away and caught sight of the gift Rarity had given him several days before. It was a picture of her in the first dress he had made from start to finish in the Carousel Boutique. The photo always brought a smile to his face and even more so when he thought about the night that would conclude his exciting day. He couldn't wait to confess his feelings to Rarity at the dance. He even picked up books from the library to boost his confidence. He bookmarked a chapter in the copy of What is Love? The Many Feelings Of and a chapter in The Ways to Get Your Heart Out There for the steps. He was terrified that he would mess it up, and had to make sure he did it right. And what better way to reinforce he did it correctly than by doing it by the book? He heard Cotton raiding the pantry, but wasn't in the mood to go supervise. He would just have to clean the mess later. Instead, he left for his porch to read in the sunlight until the day gave him something else to occupy his mind with. The second he opened his door was the second he found that reading would be put on hold. L "Now hold still, Sweetie Belle", Rarity instructed. "This is a very delicate stitch. If you were to move I could quite easily prick you with my needle." The smaller unicorn obliged and stood as still as the statue of Nightmare Moon in the Everfree Forest. Since her sister wasn't going anywhere, Rarity decided to bring up the subject of her missing sewing box. "Sweetie, do you recall my old sewing box I keep in my utility room?" "Yeah, why?" Sweetie replied, hiding all signs of guilt. "I found it missing last night", Rarity explained in a nearly investigative manner. "Would you happen to know who has taken it?" Sweetie Belle knew she had already been found out, and that she wasn't going anywhere, so she didn't bother keeping up her charade. "…I did Rarity." "You do know if you must borrow anything of mine, you need simply to ask, don't you?" "I was going to but Scootaloo needed a dress fast and Applebloom didn't have any more dress supplies and you weren't around for me to ask." It sounded like gossip gold to Rarity. She asked, "Scootaloo? Now why would Scootaloo need a dress?" "She's going to the Ponyville Ballroom Blitz with Linen Fiber's little brother Cotton", Sweetie replied as-a-matter-of-factly. And I had thought that's who you were going with, Rarity thought. "And who is the fortunate colt who will be courting you tonight?" She snipped the final thread she weaved through the gold trimming of Sweetie's purple dress. When she didn't respond Rarity decided to use a little persuasion. "If you don't tell me, I shall let your friends know exactly where it is you go on Friday nights." Sweetie turned her terrified eyes to meet her sister's smug smile. She mumbled a name, but when Rarity widened her smile she figured she couldn't hold it in any longer. "Gale…" "The younger brother of Rain Cloud?" Rarity asked, to which she was answered with a nod. "Oh, how lovely. You must certainly be special to woo such a, er…" "Dimwitted colt?" Sweetie snickered, somewhat mocking her sister's speech pattern. When given a slight scolding glance from her sister, she went on, "He really isn't that smart, you know." "I'm sure he merely lacks common sense", Rarity laughed. Sweetie giggled. "Yeah." She fell into silence and a wistful daze as she thought about the pony of her affections. Teasing only came as a back thought; Rarity had a feeling she shouldn't embarrass her sister any further than what she already had. She would hate to scare Sweetie out of such a fun night. She finished the few more touch ups and, after making sure the dress was safe, let her sister leave to join her friends who were waiting outside. Putting the dress aside, Rarity thought about how Linen made raincoats and vests. "I may be able to detail garments while somepony is wearing them, but I can't seem to understand how to tailor while wearing one myself. Oh, how does that stallion do it?" The subject of tailoring brought her mind to the dress she had just finished the night before. Doubts about how complete it was crept into her mind along with a little paranoia, so she tore off to go check on it. The room was still in disarray as it usually was, leaving her to step over fabrics on her way to the middle of the room. The small island of floor was just enough for her to circle what she was hoping to be her greatest creation yet. The new magical properties she infused in the materials when she was sewing it together made it the most unique dress she had ever seen. Most of the threads were gold and reflected light much in the way the actual element did. The others were weaved into the gold instead of stitched in so that their silver color would create a sparkle effect when the viewing angle was just right. A spell Twilight taught her crafted a pattern that looked as if it were a moving background beneath the threads. The diamonds that made up her Cutie Mark swirled around in wave-like motions. Rarity examined the parts of the dress that she did have to stitch. Light tugs here and there assured that even though she was tired to the point of hallucinating the night before, she reinforced the strength of the stitching with a needle technique she learned over the years as a fashion designer. The cloud-shaped trimming she used for Rainbow Dash's Grand Galloping Gala dress didn't look like it was going to tear from the collar. She sighed with a small laugh. "I must surely be nervous to doubt my abilities as a dress maker." Another glance at the product of hours of work brought back the memories of Linen teaching her the spells he used to make the threads weave diagonally. She adored the way it looked so much she practically begged him to teach her. Before she could use her feminine charm, he caved and let her in on some of his secrets. The thought of how nice he was always was to her brought a second sigh from the depths of her lungs. "I was never under the impression that when hiring my first employee, I was also bringing into my life a stallion worthy of my heart…" L Linen concentrated all of his concentration on the predicament he was currently faced with. "Surely, you could have come to me in the Carousel Boutique when it was not so last second?" "Sorry, Linen…" Linen smiled at his friend's shy nature. "Honestly, Fluttershy, are you not aware of other's sarcasm. I was not at all exhibiting seriousness", he chuckled. "Now, I suppose you would like a few additions for the dress Rarity has told me you have made?" She nodded meekly. "I wanted to go to Rarity, but she didn't answer when I knocked. I hope it's ok that I come here instead." "Why of course, Fluttershy!" Linen asked in near outrage. "I wouldn't have it if you decided against coming to me!" The meek mare flinched at the sudden increase of volume. "But it's your day off…" "And what a better day than any to come for my assistance?" Linen levitated the kettle from the stove and poured the two a cup of steaming water. He dipped teabags into them and seated himself across from Fluttershy at the kitchen table, where to his right Cotton was busy mercilessly devouring a bowl of cereal. "I assume that given your dressmaking capabilities, you will only need minor work, correct?" Fluttershy blushed and nodded, taking her cup of tea and sipping it politely. She smiled for the first time since Linen opened his door to greet her. "Thank you, Linen." "You're so very welcome!" Linen jumped from his place at the table. "I cannot wait to begin! May we perhaps start now?" "I was hoping we could, I have other things to do for the Ballroom Blitz…" "Magnificent! Not another second to spare let us go!" He galloped to the back room, only to return to the living room with his now bare ponikin and a mountain of supplies to finish Fluttershy's ensemble. The sight of Linen's extreme enthusiasm wrestled Fluttershy's uncertain frown into a very relaxed smile. She just couldn't question his desire to find something to work on. He was like Applejack but with a fashion sense. With a final sip, she finished off her tea and left her seat and Cotton to go join Linen with her dress. He slipped the pearl white dress around the ponikin and examined it close before turning to Fluttershy. "I see nothing that offsets visual quality or durability. What may I add to enhance it?" Fluttershy delved into her saddlebag and brought out two very beautiful broaches. They were identical aster flowers. The receptacle flowers in the center were created using hundreds of tiny yellow sapphires. From what Linen could tell, superheated tanzanite was cut into the form of the long, slender blue petals. "Oh, my lucky stars! They're simply beautiful!" "I know", she agreed, "I was hoping you could permanently attach them to the shoulders. They don't have pins." Linen gently levitated them out in front of him for a closer look. The backs were carefully intertwined with fine wire appendages of the round disk to which they were attached. The disks were in turn, completely flat. "Hmm…I'm not sure as to what these round backings are, but I happen to know an infusing spell which will combine the fiber and the metal into one material." "Oh, how wonderful", Fluttershy cheered in her usual, silent way. "…It isn't a hard spell is it? I don't want you to hurt yourself." "My, Fluttershy, there is no need to worry yourself, honestly!" Linen laughed. "Even if the side effects are detrimental to my health, I would assist you regardless." Another smile from the Pegasus was enough evidence to suspect that she was well pleased with his attitude about helping her. "Now, we wouldn't want the fabric to stretch under the weight and as a result the gems to be angled toward the ground, I must conduct a small analysis in order to prevent that from happening. The fabrics you used for the area to which I will attach the broaches appears to be a hybrid material of polyester and cotton, so given that its elasticity is…" Everything he said after that became another language to Fluttershy. He began a long, drawn out explanation that crossed into an algorithm he was going to use to help keep her gems from sagging. She took an awkward seat on his couch to observe the fashion algebraist in his natural habitat. L Rarity sighed in content as the relaxing sunlight fell over her. She had five hours until the Ponyville Ballroom Blitz, so she decided to spend the next two hours relaxing on her hammock behind the Carousel Boutique before having to get ready. The breeze coming in from the north offered her netted bed a gentle push, and began to rock her to sleep. With a final sigh, the unicorn found herself in her reoccurring dream for what she didn't know would be the final time. … The dream continued on with the walk she was taking through a garden maze with Linen. It was well lit by the moon and stars, which they would occasionally look up to gaze at. She let Linen lead the way, and hoped that he wasn't getting them lost in the endless turns they took. She didn't even know if there was a destination in mind. She only knew that so long as she was in the presence of the amazing colt, she didn't care where they ended up. "Your night is going better than you had expected, I presume?" Linen asked when she leaned against him. She nodded happily into his shoulder. "I honestly didn't know what I could have expected, though I am absolutely positive that if I had anticipations, they would have been far exceeded." He led her left to the top of a bridge that overlooked the whole maze. It split off into a third walkway that ran upwards to a lookout tower. He climbed the stairs with her and surprised her by lifting her up the last few steps with his magic. The top platform held a large couch and a glass skylight for them to stargaze together. The faraway burning balls of gas twinkled against the velvet blanket of sky. Rarity seated herself next to the stallion of and currently in her dreams. She relaxed her body and fell into his side. He responded by resting a hoof around her. Rarity giggled and nestled her head farther into his neck. He gave the mare a gentle squeeze. She couldn't contain herself and giggled a second time. They watched the starry sky above them until they could no longer guess how long they had been up there. A shooting star streamed across the sky, prompting the start of the next part of the dream. Linen lifted his head from the top of hers. Rarity curiously looked up to scope out the change in position. She gasped at the same time her heart rate skyrocketed. Through his glasses, Linen held the warmest of looks. "Linen?" She had a feeling she knew what his look meant, but didn't want to give her hopes up. He smiled and silenced her with a hoof to her lips. Even in the dream, she could feel her blush burn fiercely across her face. They stared into the other's eyes until Rarity noticed that Linen was moving toward her. His lips were slightly puckered, causing Rarity to seize up with excited embarrassment. He got closer and even closer, then just before he reached her own puckered lips… "RARITY!" In a split second, the white unicorn took a direct flight from her hammock to the ground of her backyard with a crash landing. She looked up in a daze to see her sister standing over her. Rarity got to her hooves with a large cloud of fury. Sweetie saw it coming and explained herself before Rarity unleashed a torrent of scoldings upon her. "Sorry, sis, but I was just on my way to see if you were getting ready and you were asleep back here. I had to wake you up because there's only one hour left before the dance!" Rarity's heated anger cooled down into a chill that shook her with terror. "A single hour!? That's not nearly enough time for me to look presentable for Linen! I have to brush my mane, polish my hooves…oh, I'm going to be late and Linen will—" "Sis!" Sweetie screamed. "Don't worry, I know somepony that can help us get you ready in time!" If there was ever a time that Rarity had appreciated having Sweetie Belle in her life, it was when the filly brought her Lotus from the Ponyville Spa. Rarity needed to ask no questions, the only thing on her mind was looking her best when she walked into the Ponyville Community Center. L "Tonight shall undoubtedly be the best night of my whole life", Linen said to his reflection one last time before departing his room. Downstairs, Cotton waited for him on the couch already dressed comfortably in his vest. The green bowtie that Linen used to wear as a young colt was firmly tied around his neck. If he had been gray, he would have looked just like his older brother. "Big Brother! You're finally ready!" Cotton jumped from the couch to the floor. "Are we going, now?!" Linen nodded with a chuckle. "Yes, Cotton. It is five to the hour, which is ample time for our short excursion to the community center." With a whoop, a cheer, and a shout, Cotton dashed out of the house and took the lead to their destination. Linen followed behind briskly, and kept the distance between them short. It was already dark, and with Cotton's dark blue fur, Linen was afraid that if they got separated, he would lose his brother. But that didn't happen when the streetlights clicked on. Soon other ponies joined them on the walk as they got closer to the big building holding the Ballroom Blitz. It occurred to Linen that it was a bigger event than he first thought, especially to the mares of Ponyville. A new mare came into view everytime his hoof struck the ground. A crowd had begun to gather by the time they reached the community center. Unfortunately, the mayor had only instructed only one door to remain open at one time, leaving the town of Ponyville to funnel in the building through only one set of double doors. Linen grabbed Cotton by the collar of his vest to keep him close and prevent an accidental trampling. Through some unexplained miracle, they managed to squeeze into the room after only a few seconds, where immediate relief in the form of a spacious room. Linen hurried Cotton across the floor to the less dense area of the room. The brothers gazed around in awe. "I commend the decorators. This is quite possibly the most ornate event I have ever attended." From across the vast room, Cotton saw Scootaloo. He practically forgot he even had a brother and left Linen in a full charging sprint to the orange Pegasus. Linen smiled after him and left as well. The flower shaped light orange spotlights oscillated around the room, igniting the theme of a tropical vacation. Linen couldn't help but smile with pride as ponies watched him walk by. The vest reacted differently with the colored lights, and was fading in and out of the tropical colors. At one point it even glowed. He continued on, hoping he would find Rarity in all of her elegance unknowing that what he would find would deliver a critical strike to his very soul. At the opposite end of the community center, Rarity searched for Linen. She had arrived a few minutes before the dance started, and every ticking second after she walked in added five more beats to her bpm. By now the ponies on stage had finished setting up and were starting their first song. For the first time, Rarity wasn't interested in what the Shooting Stars had to offer for music. Instead, she was more focused on finding Linen before some other mare did. Enough time had gone by to suggest that if she hadn't seen him by now, something must be keeping him from her. She turned around once more to find herself face-to-face with a brown stallion. Rarity recognized him as the pony who purchased the raincoat Linen finished the week before. He was related to Filthy Rich if memory served her correct, which was very high on the social chain and on par with standards of Canterlot. It was just the bait her other half needed to enact her malicious plan. "Hey, there", he greeted smoothly with a flirtatious smile. At that moment, from somewhere deep within Rarity's subconscious, her alter ego snuck in and took over. She didn't see it coming and was helpless to prevent herself from falling for the colt's sloppy advance. "Hello", she replied coolly. "Looks like you lack a date", he pointed out. On the inside, she smiled devilishly, but portrayed it as a cute grin. "That would be correct. I was to meet a colt here, but never mind him now." The brown Earth Pony chuckled, "Traded the zero in for the hero?" She nodded and winked. "I absolutely have, and believe me when I say that a dance with you would be more desirable than with an embarrassing math nerd of a unicorn." The insult hit the funny bone of the stallion, who chuckled briefly before stopping to offer the pony behind his catch a few words. "Hey! You gotta problem, four eyes? Why don't you take those glasses and stare at a textbook?" Rarity turned to see Linen frozen in place behind her. His face was the true definition of the word "hurt". Behind his glasses, Rarity could see the deepest emotional injury she had ever seen anypony endure. She didn't see tears, but was sure that they were on their way. His mouth hung downwards with a loose frown and twitched with sadness. For the longest time they exchanged stares. Then, with a sniff, he turned and trotted away as fast as he could without drawing any more attention to himself. "Wow, who was that crybaby", the brown pony asked harshly. His remark flipped a switch inside Rarity's head. The good side of her fought back with a whole army against the evil intentions. It was an instant victory, and the only thing she felt after the short triumph was a tidal wave of guilt. That guilt ignited into pure anger as she turned her gaze back onto the Earth Pony. "That 'crybaby', as you have so ignorantly and rudely put it, is the smartest, politest, and most handsome unicorn I have ever met in my whole life! Now if you will excuse me, I must go offer my biggest of apologies to him." He huffed. "Hmph. And I had thought you were high quali—" Rarity interrupted his disrespectful comment with firm hoof across the face. She then turned on the spot and ran in the direction Linen had. Nothing else mattered to her after her hooves got to moving. Not the dress she practically destroyed in her attempt to chase Linen down, not her social status, not the many ponies she shoved through to get to the doors, nothing. It took only moments to burst through the building's emergency exit next to the entrance to find that the stallion she had driven off was nowhere to be found. She looked around frantically until she found evidence that he did run as far away from her as she could. Rarity levitated up a finely crafted vest that looked like it was ripped from the pony who wore it. She turned it around in the air, and then noticed something else. On the ground under it was a pair of green rimmed glasses. The frame was bent out of shape and the lenses were smashed into thousands of shards of glass. She held them up in horror. "By Celestia, what have I done?"