Rarity awoke to a shiver. That by itself wasn’t so odd, but the shiver wasn’t hers. Or rather, wasn’t coming from her.
A moment’s investigation revealed that she was covered up nicely in a combination of warm quilt and an even warmer wing. The source of the shivering was the owner of the wing, who was covered in neither of the things keeping Rarity warm and comfortable.
Rarity groaned under her breath. Not even a week in the relationship and she was already revealing herself to be a blanket hog. She carefully extracted herself from under the wing, dragging the blanket over Fluttershy with her magic as she did so. The shivering stopped, but her marefriend let out a pitiful little whine as Rarity left her embrace. Rarity remedied this with a soft kiss to the forehead, after which Fluttershy snuggled into the blankets with a happy sigh.
The world was only dimly lit with the deep reds of predawn. Nocturnal animals were still scurrying about, making ready to sleep for the day, while the various birds that lived with Fluttershy were making their way out of their cages to find their morning meals: birdseed for some, insects for others.
In short, Rarity was going to need to purchase a nice pair of earmuffs if she expected to get any sleep while staying with Fluttershy, and had all the more motivation to ensure her home was repaired as soon as possible.
Also, a larger blanket would need to be made, to ensure Fluttershy wasn’t left wanting in the future.
Oooo, that could be fun. I’ll need to pick up some materials while I’m in town, we could work on a new quilt together!
She sat down in front of Fluttershy’s modest vanity mirror, finding a single hoofbrush being the sole piece of manecare equipment to work with.
I’m really going to have to gift her some supplies, if for no other reason than to have access to them myself when I visit, she thought wryly, picking up the brush and dragging it through the rat’s nest that was her mane this morning.
She spared a brief thought of a shower, and breakfast, but there was again the problem of accoutrements, or rather a complete lack of them. Fluttershy only used a simple herbal shampoo, and bar soap of all things! And yet she always looked so well-kempt. It was enough to make a grown pony rage at the unfairness of it.
In any case, they’d already showered after their romp in the bedroom. Granted, that had lead to other things, but being in the shower, they’d stepped out clean at least. So, while hardly being happy with her lack of manestyling gel and makeup, at the very least she wasn’t worried she would offend if she left the cottage.
Well, not much, anyway. Thus her early morning departure. She’d be less likely to see anypony awake enough to care about such things.
While her bedroom and bathroom were a total mess, the guest bathroom was well-equipped. One could never be too prepared, after all. There she would find all the supplies she needed to make herself presentable, and the luggage necessary to transport it all to her temporary residence, thus ensuring that her stylistic needs would be well taken care of.
Once her mane was finally shaped into something slightly more presentable, she stood, quietly leaving the bedroom.
As she walked down the stairs, she was confronted by Angel Bunny, who raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.
She put her hooftip to her lips, making a shushing noise. “Don’t wake her. I’ll be back soon.”
He rolled his eyes at her, but made no move to alert his mistress.
Rarity smiled at him, and briefly tussled the fur between his ears as she passed before he slapped at her hoof with a warning look. “Oh come now,” she said with exasperation. “No need to be upset. I’ll pick you up a treat on the way back. How about that?”
He offered no opinion on whether that would be appreciated, merely turning with a soft grunt to hop towards the kitchen.
The walk to Ponyville was reasonably pleasant, despite being at an hour when few decent ponies would be awake, Applejack notwithstanding. In due time she had arrived at her shop, wincing at the charred remains that stuck up from the top of the structure. The ponniquins that had adorned the sides of her window were blackened and skeletal-looking, giving the home an eerie look. The roof had collapsed in on one side, surely destroying her tub in the process. On the bedroom side, while the walls had survived for the most part, one large section had not and she could see a single bedpost with the tattered remains of her canopy waving in the wind like some sort of ghastly flag.
She unlocked the door, stepping inside the main show room. The inside was as she remembered, damp and disheveled. It was difficult to say what had caused most of the mess she saw before her. While the fire had blessedly been stopped by Rainbow Dash, the method used was hardly one that had been kind to her furnishings. And to make matters worse, she’d then had to catch Opalescence. All things considered, it was a miracle things weren’t more damaged.
She looked around the room, righting ponniquins and picking up scattered dress designs. With a little care the majority of the pages could be salvaged, thankfully, but she winced to see a few with hoof-prints on them. Rainbow had been frantic at the time, she had to remember that. It was very important not to punish well-meaning friends for deeds done while chasing your ill-tempered cat.
A few moments work found her showroom in slightly better repair, the salvageable designs hanging from clothespins, her ponniquins back in their accustomed order. All in all, the damage here had been very modest. The outlying rooms were largely untouched, though the sudden gusts of wind had blown the doors open and in one case had cracked the door itself with the pressure. Sweetie’s guest bedroom seemed no worse for wear. But the real prize was the guest bathroom, which was completely untouched.
Now, I just need the luggage! Which is... upstairs, in the bedroom.
She pressed a hoof to her temple, opening her medicine cabinet for the willow bark capsules and swallowing one with a glass of water.
Perhaps they had survived? The fire had been bad, to be sure, but it wasn’t like everything had just been consumed. Her luggage was hardy stuff, after all, she’d paid good bits for them. The salespony had mentioned they were waterproof, which was good, it meant the interiors should be clean and dry. He’d also mentioned fire resistant, which sadly wasn’t the same as fireproof, but likely meant that if they were damaged, it would be superficially.
So long as it wasn’t too bad she could, in theory, remove any scorching of the outside. It would be better than trying to find a new luggage set at such an inconvenient hour.
The willow bark did its work quickly, and as the pain of her stress headache receded her confidence returned. Everything was going to be fine; she just needed to retrieve her luggage, pack up her beauty supplies, and trot back to Fluttershy’s cottage. She looked into the mirror, nodding to her reflection with determination. Then she marched up the stairs to her bedroom.
No, nevermind. Everything is horrid, she thought as she looked at the wreckage which was her room.
She’d seen this all before, of course. But at the time she’d been riding quite the endorphin high, having a large number of things go right all at once. And Fluttershy had been at her side, which had drastically improved her mood.
So, everything was, in fact, horrid. But, it didn’t have to remain so. Things could be replaced, damage could be repaired. There was nothing here that was so precious that she could not bear its loss.
No, that jewel was safe in a warm bed, hopefully sleeping soundly.
A brief search revealed that her luggage, and in fact her whole wardrobe, had escaped unscathed. The closet door would sadly need replacing, but it had held up despite severe burn damage and had not buckled under the pressure of the winds. Despite being covered in ash, Rarity pressed a hoof gently to its surface, deciding that she would use the surviving wood to create a nice sculpture for the bedroom. Such diligence should not go unrewarded.
She packed up her dresses in one of the larger suitcases, intent on moving them out of the room to ensure they wouldn’t be damaged during the coming construction. That done, she went into the one room she dreaded most, her bathroom.
The tub had survived! It was full of plaster and wood, but her beautiful tub was still whole! Granted, the paint on the outside would need to be scraped off and replaced, but the porcelain body was uncracked! She allowed herself a triumphant smile.
Sadly, the same could not be said for her makeup and hair styling products. It looked as if the aerosol canisters had exploded, which had likely been part of the reason the fire had spread so quickly after the lightning strike. Worse still was the loss of her makeup and perfumes, some of which had cost her quite a sum of bits. One bottle in particular made her wince. On the shattered glass she could still make out the gold lettering that spelled out ‘oniv’. Her prized bottle of Ponivre, the perfume that had helped Fluttershy see past her ill-conceived obfuscation, shattered all over her bathroom floor.
She beheld the glass sadly. The perfume could be replaced, of course, but that bottle in particular had good memories associated with it, as it had been a gift from Fluttershy several years prior.
Hmmm... perhaps, with a little creativity...
Gathering the shards, she focused her magic and applied heat to them until they melted. She then shaped the mass into a delicate glass butterfly with scintillating wings.The gold paint was stretched to form the fine textures. She looked it over, adding little details, then relaxed, satisfied. A quick search around the room revealed an undamaged hairclip, upon which she affixed the glass sculpture.
I hope she won’t mind if I regift it to her, not that she’d recognize it as it is.
She regarded the mess that was her vanity, sighing just a little. They were all just things, after all. No need to be upset.
Besides, it will give me good reason to make a shopping trip to Canterlot. Oooo, perhaps I could go with Luna and test the ‘royal discount’ theory. I bet her mere presence will swing the haggling in my favor!
She carried the newly crafted glass bauble in her magic, depositing it safely within the suitcase containing her dresses.
Better to keep it safe until I go home, she thought, taking the suitcases with her. She packed up her supplies in the remaining suitcases, storing them all in the closet downstairs for the moment. She had other errands today, and she’d spent enough time wallowing for one morning.
“What do you mean ‘three weeks’?” Rarity demanded hotly of the eponymously-named ‘Hard Hat’, who was wearing his namesake on both his flanks and his head. He was a stout stallion, if Rarity was being generous, and she always was. Broad of chest and round of barrel, his mane was a tousled brown mess under his headgear. His accent was hard to place at first. She’d heard it many a time, but could not recall where.
“Just what I said, lady. We’re busy right now. Do you got any idea how many homes got damaged just a few days ago?” Hard Hat licked the tip of his hoof, turning the newspaper he was reading, and lifted his coffee with his magic to his waiting lips.
Manehatten, that’s it. Specifically from the Bronx. That nice street vendor who was selling chips and water near the park. Goodness, that park was lovely.
She regarded the stallion with a frown. If only he was as helpful as that nice vendor. “Oh yes, you look positively swamped right now.” Rarity replied with a huff.
“Hey, everypony deserves a break, lady. Don’t even get me started.”
Rarity sighed heavily. “You’re right, of course. It’s just that my home has a few rather inconvenient holes in it and is rather more composed of ash than I would like. I was very much hoping something could be done about that. Is there any way I could expedite your company starting on the repairs?”
Hard Hat looked at her over his newspaper, in a manner that Rarity would think of as ‘taking her measure’. “Lady, I don’t know what you expect. My boys are all booked solid, and I can’t fix your place by myself.”
“Well... if your immediate subordinates all all under contract, do you have anypony that you hire for very large jobs that might be available? Surely you have subcontractors.” Rarity asked hopefully, fluttering her eyes.
“I already brought ‘em on. Heck, I hired a few boys from Appleloosa just yesterday. Hard workers. Tough to keep in line, though. Without ‘em we’d be a good six weeks until we can take on new jobs.” Hard Hat lifted the paper back up to his line-of-sight. “Sorry, lady. We’ll be happy to take the job on, but it’s gonna be a while.”
“But that will simply be too long!” Rarity pressed, pushing his paper down a little to regain eye-contact. “At the very least I need my workspace made usable again, my home is exposed to the elements!”
“That’s not exactly a simple job, lady—”
“Sir, I understand that—”
“Fact is, I don’t even got time to go look your place over. I got three jobs supposed to start today, and three more already being worked on.” Hard Hat shook his paper irritably, dislodging her hoof. “Now get outta here! This coffee break might be the only one I get today!”
“Is this about money?” she asked, growing a little desperate. “Because I can assure you, it’s no object.”
“Lady, my other jobs are paying money just as good as yours. And I wouldn’t be much of a businesspony if I took on your job ahead of theirs.”
“And I wouldn’t be very successful if I accepted ‘no’ as an answer without trying, Hard Hat. Trust me when I say my offer could be quite a bit more substantial than your other clients, for my need is time sensitive. I need a useable workspace as soon as possible, which requires at the very least that my home be made weatherproof once more. Further repairs can wait so long as that much is done.”
“I already told you, all my boys are committed—” Hard Hat began before Rarity cut him off abruptly.
“So hire new ones! Surely there are some labor ponies within a train ride's distance?”
“Well, sure, but I don’t want to bring on too many. We got plenty of work lined up for now, but who knows a few months down the line?”
Rarity let out a strangled-sounding laugh. “Sir, you know very well how much this town needs construction ponies like yourself. If it’s not a monster, it’s freak weather, and that’s discounting the odd destruction of town hall by our friendly but clumsy mail-pony! I can almost guarantee somepony or something will destroy half of the town soon enough. Will you please just come assess the damage? I’m not asking for more than that for now.”
“And I’m telling you I ain’t got time!” Hard Hat barked back. “Now get the heck outta here!”
Rarity regarded the stallion silently as he grumpily read his paper and sipped his coffee. While it was possible to finish the Starlight order at Fluttershy’s cottage, since the pieces were precut for the most part, it would hardly make for a very comfortable workplace. Cozy was a word for the cottage, but not spacious, and certainly not optimized for work. Even after the Starlight order, she’d need to begin on the the summer line, and Luna’s new wardrobe.
She considered her options for a moment. If these construction ponies could not even begin for three weeks, she was going to need a workspace.
Her immediate options were friends and family. Sadly, her parents had every room filled with touristy souvenirs, and Father had co-opted her old bedroom as a study the moment she’d moved out.
Hmmm, Rainbow is never at home, I wonder... Wait, idiot. She lives in a cloud. Even assuming I could get up there I doubt the moisture would do the fabric any good.
Applejack was likewise out, as her only available space was filled with livestock normally. While she was good enough to coat the floor with hay during parties it would still be problematic to work in.
Pinkie did have a large room, but while she was out of it quite a bit, Rarity didn’t want to put her out entirely to fill it with a lot of fabric and ponniquins. The bother of it was that Pinkie would do it in a heartbeat, even if it meant storing all of her belongings away.
“Sir, I realize you are very busy, I didn’t mean to be rude. Surely we can come to some arrangement?” she asked, keeping her voice calm and steady.
“I don’t care about how rude or polite you are, lady. Fact is, either way, I can’t do nothing. Soon as I finish my coffee I gotta head out to the next job site.” Hard Hat lowered his paper once more. “I get that you need your house fixed up, and I’m sorry I can’t help.”
He looked sincere, and that was very disheartening. “I... I understand. Forgive me, a friend referred me to you. I suppose Spike would have no idea how busy you are after all that mess.”
There was a brief moment of silence, after which the paper was folded and set aside. “Spike sent you?”
“Erm... yes? Why, does that change anything?” Rarity asked, hopefully.
“No. Not a thing.” Hard Hat replied with a sigh. “But now I feel rotten that I can’t help you out. The kid is good people. He hooked me up with a fat contract in Canterlot a while back.”
“Ah. Well, I’ll give him your regrets. I’m sure he’ll understand.” Rarity stood up from her chair, intent on leaving. “I do hope your jobs go quickly and without incident.”
“Wait.”
She turned her head away from the door, having only just opened it. “Yes?”
“Okay... look, it’s gonna cost. I’ll offer my boys double time to work on your repairs. I can’t make ‘em stay, but that should be enough to convince a few of em. I’ll swing by later to see how bad it is, we might be able to board up the worst of it to get you airtight. You said it’s just the top story?”
“Well, yes.” Rarity replied in surprise. “Heavy damage to the roof, fire, you see—”
He nodded impatiently. “Okay, that much we can probably swing pretty quick. Get some tarps put up, see how bad the walls and roof are. Gonna need a deposit, though.”
“Oh! Ah, yes. I... that is, Princess Luna told me we could invoice the castle—”
His eyebrow rose at that. “Crown’s paying?” After a moment, he relaxed. “Well, you do know Spike. But I can’t pay my boys with invoices, and they’re gonna want bits up front for this. Some of ‘em got families and even double time is gonna be just enough to coax ‘em away.” He jotted down a number on a piece of paper, turning it around for her to see. “Just a rough estimate, I’ll get ya a finalized one later.”
The number made her quail. She was fairly certain she was being far overcharged, but couldn’t see any good alternatives that would allow her to continue her livelihood any time soon. “I’m afraid I don’t have that much at hoof,” she replied.
“Talk to her, then. You get the bits, I’ll make it happen. I owe the kid one.”
After her meeting with Hard Hat, she felt slightly more confident. Everything could be made right, so long as she kept her wits about her. She needed to get in touch with Luna, but that could wait a little while at least. First, she wanted to check in on Pinkie and see if everything was going well with her.
She briefly stopped by Sugarcube Corner, only to be told by Mrs. Cake that Pinkie hadn’t come home last night. That meant that she was likely staying with Twilight at the library, which in turn meant that, if Rarity wanted to see her, she should go there. Which was exactly what she did.
She found the front door open. Actually, she found a burnt hole where a lock had previously been, so it was difficult to say whether the door was supposed to be locked or not. There was nopony in the reading room, that much she knew, but there was evidence of ponies having recently been there. She listened carefully for sounds of movement. Twilight and Pinkie could be sleeping, after all. Likewise they could be doing things Rarity would rather not interrupt. Silence persisted, however.
“Pinkie? Twilight? It’s Rarity, darlings. Something seems to be wrong with your lock. It’s...” Her eyes picked up a bit of metal slag gleaming on the doorstep. “It seems to have melted? Is everything all right?”
Nopony answered, lending credence to the theory of her friends still being asleep. She crept up the stairs, wanting to at least ensure that they were in fact sleeping before she left. While she couldn’t imagine much of anything or anypony that could pose a threat to Twilight or Pinkie, much less both at once, it would settle her mind and allow her to go shopping without worrying about them. She could always come back later.
Upon entering Twilight’s bedroom and reaching the top of the stairs leading to her friend’s loft, she was treated to a sight the likes of which she’d never expected: Her friends were sleeping, as she’d supposed. But they were nestled together up against the side of a much larger pony that she didn’t immediately recognize: a pony who was eyeing her curiously as she approached. The first feature that caught her eyes was the lustrous pink mane that seemed to glow like the first rays of dawn. The next was the huge white wing casually covering her friends like a blanket—
A brief flick of her eyes to the long horn confirmed what her brain had been screaming at her for the last few seconds. Emergency signals were sent to the legs and she immediately dove to the ground in deference.
While she groveled, her mind raced to identify the princess on the bed, coming up blank. Some relative of the sisters at the very least. Had Celestia banished any other siblings and not mentioned them? For all she knew this pony could be an elder sibling, even one of Celestia’s parents! Age just didn’t seem to matter to them, they all looked like they were in the prime of their lives, it really wasn’t fair.
“Rarity, please rise, but try to be quiet, these two need their rest.”
Rarity’s ears shot straight up in surprise. That voice was Princess Celestia! She raised her head hesitantly, and was treated to the beatific smile of her sovereign and goddess. Yet she seemed smaller than usual. From the length of her legs sprawled on the bed she would still look down upon Rarity, but would not tower over her as the princess should.
“I’m happy to see you awake and well. We were all concerned for you.” The princess said in quiet undertones just louder than a whisper. “You are well, aren’t you?”
Rarity didn’t answer at first, choosing instead to blink several times. “I think I am,” she said at last, her own voice barely loud enough to be heard. “But... first, you are Princess Celestia, only shorter, with a pink mane, snuggling two of my best friends?”
“I am, and I am.” Celestia replied, giggling just a little.
Rarity nodded, walking to Twilight’s guest bed and sitting down. “This I simply must hear.”
“There’s really nothing to tell,” Celestia hedged, looking uncomfortable.
“Yes, yes, nothing at all.” Rarity replied with a knowing smile. “Except that while Pinkie is a very snuggly pony... Twilight tends to not be, unless she is very very comfortable with them. And who would she be more comfortable with than her crush who apparently finally decided to reciprocate?”
Celestia’s eyes narrowed, her lips pursed into a pout. “Did Luna blab?”
“I can neither confirm nor deny that your sister blabbed everything, yes. She also asked if I’d be willing to intercede to help you two address your lingering feelings. I see that won’t be necessary.”
Pinkie’s face scrunched up, and she let out a little whine.
“Oh, don’t you start.” Rarity hissed at Pinkie. “ I made no promises and the princess guessed regardless. Plus, I don’t think Luna would mind, since this is a bit like saying ‘I told you so.’ by proxy.”
Pinkie’s expression smoothed back into a little grin.
Celestia watched the exchange, bemusement writ large on her face. “Is she—”
“I doubt it.” Rarity replied, shaking her head. “She probably just had a little twitch that disturbed her sleep. She’s very sensitive to breaches of confidence.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, you’ll need to watch that. For all that you're the head of the country, you might want to avoid making promises you don’t wish to keep if you’re going to be involved with Pinkie. She’ll get cross with you.” Rarity’s face turned deathly serious. “Trust me, it’s very important you not break trust. She will know, she always does.”
“I’ll... keep that in mind.” Celestia replied, casually stroking the top of Pinkie’s head.
Rarity cooed excitedly. “Goodness, something very interesting must have happened to bring this about.”
“You could say that, yes.” The princess took a deep, cleansing breath. “You could say I was asked to stop fighting with myself and accept the gifts I was being offered. Twilight made a compelling argument, and I... I was just so tired of trying to find ways to say no when I so badly wanted to say yes.” She gazed downwards fondly, gently nuzzling Twilight’s mane. “Forgive me, I don’t have the energy to keep up appearances right now.” she said apologetically.
“You’re talking to the mare who kissed your hooves over a Royal Suite, Your Majesty.” Rarity replied, chuckling. “I think you’re to be excused.”
“Well, I thank you for that, then.” Celestia said, letting out a little laugh herself.
Thoughts of Canterlot did remind her of something a bit more recent that she’d forgotten. “Oh! Princess, I meant to ask, do you have means to get word to Princess Luna?”
The princess seemed surprised at the question, nodding hesitantly. “Yes, of course.”
“Could you possibly send her a note inquiring about sending along the materials she promised me?”
“Materials?”
“Yes, rolls of fabric that were going unused. I had a bit of a mishap with my home... and she showed me the workroom of your former Royal Seamstress—”
Celestia’s express took a sudden turn for the morose. “Lace Ribbons, yes. She was a wonderful seamstress. Very competent.”
“Errr, sorry, Luna didn’t supply a name.”
“Luna never had a chance to meet her before she retired. She was still recovering when Discord broke free.” Celestia shook her head sadly. “It was for the best. Lace was never the same after his attack. I’d rather Luna had known her in her prime.”
“Was... was she a friend of yours?” Rarity asked quietly. She felt bad enough having supplanted the other mare and having utilized her workspace and materials, but if she’d unwittingly trod on Princess Celestia’s hooves in the process she may as well just retreat to her bedroom and never come out.
Her face fell as she remembered her bedroom was not a refuge, and would not be for some time.
“Not a personal friend, no. But I value all of my staff.”
Rarity allowed herself a little sigh of relief. “Well... I suppose I am technically in your staff, now. Though... perhaps I should consider myself more of a contractor. Luna commissioned me to make her a new wardrobe and provided the workspace and material to do so. She also mentioned that the castle might place orders for uniforms and the like. But we ended up leaving Canterlot rather abruptly.”
“I would imagine.” Celestia looked around the room, finding quill and ink easily enough and writing out a quick note. “So, ask her about the materials and sketches?”
“Yes, please. And if you wouldn’t mind, tell her it was delightful spending time with her, and that I’ll be working on her new wardrobe just as soon as I can fix my home.” Rarity paused, trying to think of anything else she might wish to convey. “Oh! And ask her how I am meant to invoice for the repairs, please. My contractor needs an advance payment so he can begin.”
“Repairs?” Celestia asked curiously as she wrote out the missive.
“Yes, Everfree storm. Fortunately I was elsewhere when the fire happened or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Ah.” Celestia signed the parchment with a flourish, and in a flash of green smoke it was gone. “Well, that’s sent. I think she’ll be glad to see it, actually. She was concerned that you two might never forgive her for the mess she caused, for all that she meant well.”
Rarity’s ears perked up curiously. She hadn’t managed to get a straight answer about what exactly had happened, and here it was being offered up without her even having to ask. “Well, I’d be happy to forgive her, but truthfully I’m not not very clear on just what did happen—”
A quiet yawn came from below Celestia’s wing, and a pair of brilliantly blue eyes opened, announcing that Pinkie had joined the land of the awakened. She looked up at Celestia curiously. “Hey! You’re awake!”
“Yes, Pinkie. You are as well, I see.”
“Yeah!” Pinkie crawled out from under Celestia’s wing, stretching out her limbs one by one. “You know, I dreamed about you!”
Celestia nodded as if this was no surprise, though to Rarity it was certainly news. “I dreamed of you as well.”
“Cool! Was Twilight in your dream, too?”
“Yes, Pinkie. She was there as well. My sister’s work, and I thank her for it.” Celestia sighed fondly. “You are hereby allowed to tell her she was right, Rarity. I was a stubborn fool, and she was right.”
Pinkie leaned back, hugging Twilight’s head excitedly. “You did it, Twi-Twi! This is gonna be so much fun!” She then tilted her head up to Celestia. “Hey, what about the other you? Is she okay?”
“She seems content with how events transpired.” Celestia replied, her face screwing up in brief annoyance. “At the very least, she is silent, and thank goodness for that.”
Rarity had been trying to get a word in edgewise, and that word was: “What?!” She blushed as both Pinkie and Celestia turned from each other to her, and hastily added: “Errr, well... First, good morning, Pinkie. But I am afraid I must restate: What?”
Twilight blinked, having apparently been woken by the sudden exclamation. She looked around blearily, noting she was being held by Pinkie, and was reclining against a warm, white pelt—
“Gah! I’m sorry, princess!” she exclaimed, scrambling out of Pinkie’s grasp to the far side of the bed.
“Now don’t you go distracting them before they start making sense!” Rarity said, growing ever more exasperated. “Pinkie was talking about dreams and another Celestia and nopony has even mentioned why the princess shrunk and—” Her eyes narrowed as she remembered something Fluttershy had mentioned yesterday. “Wait... I think that one was my fault, wasn’t it?”
“Nah, that was Twi-Twi’s.” Pinkie said with a barely stifled giggle. “She used up a lot of magic trying to blow you up.”
“B-blow me up?” Rarity said, her eyes wide with shock.
“Well..." Pinkie tapped a hoof to her chin thoughtfully. “Actually, I guess they were trying to overflow your coffee cup so they could patch the crack, or was it make the nasty straw go away?”
Rarity turned to Celestia and Twilight, pleading for one of them to translate. Unfortunately, Twilight seemed far too busy profusely apologizing for intruding on the Princess’s person to oblige. “Coffee cup?” She asked, not sure if she really wanted the answer.
“Yeah! Then they caught all the coffee in Luna, and she got big again! But poor Celly’s thermos nearly ran out, and she lost her flowy mane. But it’s okay! We’re gonna make her super happy and then it should spring right back up just like mine!”
As frightening as it all sounded, what was more frightening was that Pinkie was starting to make sense. She was getting the gist, at least. Rarity did recall being under the effects of a healing spell that drained her natural magic to increase the rate of her healing. So... something had happened, necessitating that the spell be severely overloaded. If they had been routing the excess into Luna, it followed that Luna’s reserves had been nearly spent just as Celestia’s were now.
So, Luna very likely saved my life. She thought, quailing at the idea. The idea that magic had gone wrong in such a huge way that it had been necessary for the Princesses themselves to intercede on her behalf was terrifying. It certainly explained Fluttershy’s concern, though not why she had been upset with Luna. One would think gratitude would result, not anger.
She was distracted from further musings by Celestia drawing Twilight into her embrace and simply holding her, the latter’s eyes wide and tinged with just a bit of fright. But the longer she was held, the less she babbled about needing to apologize for her actions.
PInkie watched with a huge grin and stars in her eyes, sighing in contentment. “Nibble on her ear. She likes that,” she suggested.
Both Celestia and Twilight developed twin blushes. “I appreciate the advice, but we have a guest.” Celestia replied, letting her grip around Twilight slack slightly.
Notably, she did not say the idea was a bad one. Rarity was rather thoroughly scandalized.
Celestia turned to Rarity, smiling apologetically. “Forgive me.”
“Not at all!” Rarity said quickly, “ Please forgive me for intruding! I really just wanted to check in on Pinkie and Twilight. It seems they are doing better than I imagined.” She waved at Twilight, smiling warmly. “Good morning, Twilight! Terribly sorry to have woken you so abruptly.”
“G-good morning.” Twilight replied, looking a little calmer but still quite shaken. “I’m sorry. A lot happened all at once. First I thought I was dreaming, then I actually was dreaming, but it didn’t feel like it, and then—”
“Errm... yes. I’m going to assume that all makes sense from your perspective. Is everything all right now?”
“I...” Twilight looked up at Celestia, then at Pinkie. “I think so. I think... I think maybe everything is all right.”
Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she took in the scene. Twilight was certainly happy enough in Celestia’s arms, but Pinkie was simply looking at them, not part of the embrace. It struck her as worrisome. “And Pinkie, is everything all right with you?”
Pinkie nodded quickly. “Yeah, everything's gonna be great!”
“If you’re sure.” Rarity replied, her lips pursed in a worried little frown. Perhaps she was overthinking things. If Pinkie was happy, that was enough. “Well, I should be going, then. I imagine you’ll want to wake up properly, have breakfast and the like.” Rarity climbed down from the bed, giving a deep bow to the princess.
“Wait.” Twilight said.
Rarity raised her head towards the voice, her eyebrow raised questioningly. “Yes?”
“Are... are you all right, Rarity? Like... no adverse side effects?”
“Well... my head was a bit fuzzy. Truthfully, I don’t have very clear memories of the last couple days or so. I’m not entirely certain how we left Canterlot, for instance.” Rarity shook her head as she tried and failed to recall. “If that’s the worst I have to deal with, I suspect I’ll be fine. I’m much more concerned about the boutique than a few missing details.”
“Wait...” Twilight interjected. “What happened to your boutique? Is everything all right?”
“Hmmm? Oh, it’ll all be fine, Twilight. Don’t concern yourself,” Rarity replied quickly, not really wanting to trouble her friend just as she was finally getting back to stable emotional footing. She walked to the bed, embracing first Pinkie, then Twilight. “I’m glad things worked out so well for you, darlings, but I really must go.” She turned to Celestia, uncertain how one was meant to broach the subject that worried her, and elected to simply be forthright. “Princess, could I trouble you for a word before I go? Alone, that is.”
“Certainly.” Celestia replied, her expression confused. “We could go down to the library if you like.”
Twilight looked ready to protest for a moment, but after opening and closing her mouth several times, simply disentangled herself from Celestia’s wings. “No, that’s fine. C’mon Pinkie, we’ll go get something to eat.”
Pinkie sat up, looking between Celestia and Twilight worriedly, but made no objection, choosing instead to scramble over to Celestia and give her a great big hug. “Muffins okay?” she asked.
Celestia nodded distractedly. “That sounds wonderful. And maybe—”
“Coffee too. I’ll see if we can make it extra strong.” Pinkie then kissed Celestia on the cheek, joining Twilight where she had been waiting at the doorway, watching with a little smile.
When they had gone, Rarity addressed the Princess once more. “Well... how shall I put this... I...” She trailed off, suddenly very much aware than she addressed an immortal goddess who normally had the magical power to move the sun, and even weakened as she was still had the political and social power to crush her forever. “With all due respect, Your Majesty. I... I am worried for my friend,” she said, finally. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for whatever was to come.
“Twilight?”
At the mention of Twilight, Rarity opened her eyes again. “No, not Twilight. I mean Pinkie Pie. I... she’s a very dear friend, and... well... You might very easily hurt her unintentionally. I won’t judge what you and Twilight do, of course. The three of you can work out how you would like the relationship to work, but Pinkie just adores her and if you end up monopolizing Twilight she’ll just quietly allow it and smile all the while.”
Celestia didn’t answer for a time, and Rarity grew increasingly nervous that she had overstepped herself. But if she didn’t speak up for Pinkie she wasn’t sure that Twilight (or Pinkie herself) ever would. Twilight was far too enamored with Celestia to deny her anything, and Pinkie would actively work against her own interests in favor of theirs!
“I know,” Celestia replied, her voice subdued instead of enraged, thankfully.
While thankful that she was not, in fact, ruined for life, Rarity didn’t quite know what to make of what had been said. “What do you mean, you know?”
“I’ve been doing some... extensive talking with Pinkie Pie over the last few days, Rarity. I’ve learned that she will behave exactly as you say. I’ve tried to explain to them both that I worry about the same thing. And If I were a stronger mare, I would be back in my chambers, drinking heavily and binging on cake, anything that would help me forget I’d ever found out Twilight’s little secret.” Celestia’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “But I’m not. I can’t...”
For one naked moment, Rarity saw an expression that she knew all too well. A fear of loss and the pain of never having that one pony who truly made your life worth living want you in turn. Worse, she was telling this mare (As, for all her power the Princess was still a mare) that her involvement would likely end in tragedy.
What would I do were I in her position?
The answer to that question eluded her, though she did realize what she could do in her own position. “Majesty,” she said, squaring her jaw and nodding with as much conviction as she could muster. “I’m not saying it will happen, simply that you must take care that it doesn’t. I was watching her, just now, as you comforted Twilight. She wanted to join that embrace, but she held herself apart. If you let that happen, she will distance herself even more.”
Celestia nodded slowly, the fearful look still in her eyes. “I... I will keep that in mind.”
The silence that followed quickly grew uncomfortable once more, and Rarity cleared her throat noisily. “Majesty... I think... maybe the best way to avoid the worst is to try to establish a bond of sorts with her.” At Celestia’s scandalized look, she clarified: “I’m not saying it has to be romantic in nature, but it could be, if you wish. You two love the same mare, that’s one thing you share. Find other things. Draw her in, don’t let her be distant.”
“I am not a foal, Rarity,” Celestia replied hotly. “I understand that something like this doesn’t come easily for anypony. It’s just... I was under the impression that the only way to make it work would be to... well...” She petered out and looked to the side with a blush.
“No!” Rarity exclaimed when she realized what the concern was. “I mean, yes, I suppose that would be the ideal, but I imagine that it would be horribly awkward!” She put a hoof up to her chin, tapping it thoughtfully. “Well, perhaps not so much for Pinkie. She’s wonderfully affectionate, overly much at times. I know it’s a lot to ask for you to feel the same for Pinkie as you do for Twilight, but...” She sighed and made circling motions with her hoof. “If you just got to know her her a little better, spent time with her, perhaps quite literally draw her in for a hug when you see that she is unsure.”
“And if I can’t ever love her?” Celestia asked. There was a certain hesitation that bordered on defeatism in her voice, as if she did not believe there was any possible way for it to ever happen.
“Love... takes many forms, Princess. I love Pinkie Pie very much, even if I wouldn’t necessarily choose to express that love carnally.” Rarity replied, blushing herself as she remembered Pinkie’s casual groping of her backside. “I’m certain you will figure out what form it takes between the two of you, and if it turns out that it will never be a romantic love... then so be it.” Having said her piece on the subject of love, her expression grew harder. “Just... don’t ruin things between her and Twilight. I’ll never forgive you if you do.”
“I don’t intend to.” Celestia said firmly. “But... I understand your concern. I have my own, but—” She looked up as a swirling green flame appeared in midair, depositing a reply scroll in her waiting magic. She inspected it momentarily, then passed it to Rarity.
“Goodness, that was rather prompt of her.” Rarity exclaimed as she took the scroll. “Well, forgive me for my rude questions, Majesty.”
“No, you were right to question. And I agree, Pinkie deserves better than this. There is much to love about her, and I wish her relationship with Twilight hadn’t been muddied up by Twilight’s past. I just don’t know if I have it in me to do what Twilight proposed.” Celestia let out a heavy sigh. “But I will try.”
“Well, let’s see what Luna had to say...” Rarity broke the seal, unfurling the scroll.
Dearest Rarity,
We hope that this missive finds thee well, and fully recovered. We extend our sincerest apologies for not being present when thou didst wake, for We would have liked to give thee a proper goodbye prior to Our departure. Alas, Our citizens’ needs must trump our personal wishes. We enjoyed thy company as well, and wouldst welcome further visits should thee be inclined. Simply send word and We shall send a carriage at thy pleasure.
Thy materials will be en route to thee shortly. We had not thought to ask where to send them, We confess. We were also a bit preoccupied, and for that We ask your forgiveness.
Please, do not fret about producing Our wardrobe quickly. If there is one thing We learned during Our long incarceration, it was the value of patience. We are certain that thou will have sufficient time in thine life span to produce what We require. We are far more concerned with quality than the speed of acquisition.
Regarding the invoicing, We shall send along our personal Advocata Corona to present to the pony thou wishes to perform the repairs. Simply present the document, and all will be taken care of. Furthermore, the cost of the repairs may be considered a gift, as will be the cost for the fabric We expect thou wilt need to order to replace what was lost.
If there is aught else that thou doest need, send word and We will obtain it for thee.
Thy friend,
Luna
Rarity breathed a sigh of relief. All would be in order soon. She would have her workspace. And in the meantime, her present residence had a very warm bed next to a warmer sleeping partner, albeit one who was going to need more blankets if she was going to be sleeping next to her blanket hog of a marefriend. Yes, she could see very few problems with waiting for her home to be made livable again.
She was still going to need ear muffs, however.