Chapter 5: The Dam Bursts
Rarity awoke to the sound of chirping birds as the sun started to peak through her bedroom window. She gently wiggled herself from under the covers and made up the bed, the first part of her morning ritual that included a shower with a thorough shampooing, brushing her mane and teeth, and finishing with a proper breakfast.
The first of her daily habits complete, she went down to the sales floor of Carousel Boutique to ready it for the day. She prepared some of the blank mannequins by adorning them with her designs and also laid out fashion booklets and magazines for her customers to peruse if they needed ideas. Ready for business, she used her unicorn magic to raise the blinds of the store front windows and unlatch the door. The instant she did Rainbow Dash barged in holding something in her mouth.
“Rainbow Dash! I must say that you surprising me is starting to become a regular routine for us.” Rarity chuckled at her own whimsy.
However, she soon saw that the look on Rainbow Dash’s face was solemn and somber. The pegasus pony approached Rarity and came close enough that the unicorn noticed tears starting to form in the corners of her friend’s eyes. She also noticed the bundle in her mouth, a lavish napkin that Rarity knew to be from the palace in Canterlot, but it seemed to have something inside of it. Before the unicorn pony could ask any questions, Rainbow Dash placed the parcel at the ivory mare’s hooves and started to speak.
“Rarity, this is for you.” Rainbow Dash motioned to the swathed object. The pegasus pony was so close that Rarity felt her friend’s breath on her face. “But before you open it, there’s something I need to tell you.” Rainbow Dash tried not to choke on emotion as she spoke.
The alabaster mare had never seen her friend so perturbed before. Whatever Rainbow Dash had to say was causing her so much distress that Rarity was compelled to comfort her friend. She looked at the winged equine, focusing her attention on the polychrome mare instead of the gift.
“What is it, darling?” Rarity asked with her voice drenched in concern.
The use of the word “darling” made Rainbow Dash’s mind stumble. She had wanted to confess her feelings in a gracious manner, in a way that Rarity might prefer, but she quickly forgot all that and decided that now was the time to be direct. Rainbow Dash locked eyes with Rarity and focused on the beautiful blue eyes that were filled with empathy. She gulped her fear long enough to say the words that were in her heart.
“I…I…I’m in love with you.”
The world around Rarity quickly disappeared. The suffocating stillness of the moment lasted for a small eternity until Rarity was able to utter a single quiet word in reply.
“What?”
“I’m in love with you, Rarity. I love you. I love you!” Rainbow Dash admitted, her voice increasing in volume each time as though the louder she spoke the more her affections would be returned.
As it was, Rarity was stunned by what she heard. She wasn’t sure what to think. She knew that Rainbow Dash liked mares, but she also knew that Rainbow Dash liked to play tricks. “Rainbow Dash, whatever you’re trying to pull, I don’t find it amusing.” She said sternly.
Rainbow Dash vigorously shook her head with her eyes shut. “It’s not a joke, I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for the longest time, I just never knew it.” She returned her gaze to Rarity. The pegasus pony needed to speak her heart now because she knew she would never get another chance to convince Rarity that her love was genuine. “You’re everything I’m not. You’re understanding, forgiving, graceful, tender, and beautiful. I never knew just what you meant to me until the other day when you cared for my wounds. ” Rainbow Dash reflexively touched her nearly healed cuts but did not break her eye-lock with Rarity. “Nopony’s ever taken care of me like that before. I’ve been so used to taking care of myself that I never realized how it felt to have somepony look after me, how warm and soft it could be. How it could feel so wonderful and natural.” Gentle tears started to drip from Rainbow Dash’s eyes, she was no longer fighting to hold them back.
Rainbow Dash picked up the bundle that she had brought Rarity and placed it in the unicorn’s hooves. “I don’t know how you feel about me, or even if you can love me, but you need to have this. It’s the only thing I can give to you…to prove that I love you…” Her voice trailed off into indiscernible words as her eyes pleaded with Rarity to accept the gift.
It took a moment for Rarity to shake off her shock enough to look. She carefully unfolded the cloth to revel its contents, shards of clear azure glass. Her first thought upon looking at the proof of Rainbow Dash’s love was confusion.
“I don’t understand, Rainbow Dash.” She remarked as she prodded the glass pieces with her hoof. “Why would you bring me…” Rarity gasped loudly as she brought her hoof to her mouth in amazement once it dawned upon her on what she was holding. They were the remains of the glass slipper she had crushed when she fled the Grand Galloping Gala.
“I know that I’m not the prince you wished for…or even deserve…but the least I could do was prove to you that I’m sincere…” The emotional outpouring finally overwhelmed Rainbow Dash. She collapsed to the floor, crying like she never had before, worried that the only thing she had accomplished was to make a complete foal of herself to Rarity.
As Rarity looked at her crying friend in front her she searched her mind and heart to help bring sense of it all. There was no doubt that her longtime friend was being truthful about the affections she had just professed, which meant that it was now up to Rarity to be honest about her own feelings. She thought back on the many memories that had Rainbow Dash in them and noticed the reoccurring similarities within. Each time she had been in the presence of the pegasus pony, Rarity had always felt light-hearted and at ease, but the unicorn pony wasn’t sure if that constituted love. However something stopped Rarity from dismissing her friend’s love outright.
The unicorn remembered the time when Rainbow Dash saved her life during the Best Young Flyer Competition. Thinking back to that day made Rarity’s heart beat faster from reflex, but as she looked at the fragments of her slipper that Rainbow Dash had brought back, her heart beat became even more rapid. She began to feel heat buildup in her checks from blushing as her affections for Rainbow Dash started to become clearer.
Rarity reminisced to the Grand Galloping Gala and the catastrophe that it had been for her. When her slipper fell off of her hoof Pinkie Pie remarked that “now her prince was sure to find her”. The distressed unicorn pony then purposely shattered it because Prince Blueblood was the last pony that she ever wanted to see again. In fact, she never wanted any prince to return her slipper.
But instead of a prince returning her slipper, Rainbow Dash had obviously gone through great lengths to recover the remnants and deliver them to her. It was better than any tale out of a storybook because not only was it happening for real, but because it involved somepony that was already important in Rarity’s life.
Her mind and heart made up, Rarity crouched down and joined her friend on the floor, smelling the aroma of crisp cool air and fresh rain that permeated Rainbow Dash’s hair. She lightly took hold of the crying mare and gently rubbed the tears away from the face of her friend.
“I know you’re not a prince, Rainbow Dash, but you’re wrong about one thing.” Rarity softly said.
Rainbow Dash’s heart sank when she heard her own words repeated in that way. She was certain that the next words would be the rejection of everything she had just done. She shut her eyes tight enough that ugly lights appeared, the only thing she could do to steel herself for the final blow to her heart.
“I do deserve you because you’re better than any prince I could have wished for.” Rarity’s kiss was more than anything Rainbow Dash could have imagined it to be. It was so soft and light, but full of love and care, saying more than words could. Ironically, it caused the pegasus pony to cry more than she had a few moments ago, but this time out of joy instead of emotional uncertainty.
“Thank you, Rarity… Thank you, Rarity…I love you so much.” Rainbow Dash squeaked out between her sobs, grasping her love tightly as though she could still slip away from her.
“Even if I’m not twenty percent cooler?” Rarity asked with an impish grin, trying to lighten the tone of the moment. Rainbow Dash chortled and sobbed at the same time “You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”
“Not on your life.” The couple enjoyed a mutual laugh as they lifted each other off of the floor. They gazed into each other’s eyes and gently stroked each other’s mane, both feeling so foalish for never knowing the truth that was in front of them the entire time. They shared another kiss, this one more passionate and longer than the first they had. After breaking the kiss, they touched foreheads and held each other in a warm embrace, thinking that this moment was their whole world and that there was nothing that could ruin it for them.
The front door of Carousel Boutique slammed shut, shattering their perfect world. They were no longer alone. Applejack stood just inside the doorway, clutching some kind of violet bag in her teeth. It wasn’t clear how long she had been standing there, but both Rainbow Dash and Rarity knew it had to have been long enough. Her face was contorted with jealously and anger, but also wet with tears spilling out of her eyes. Time stood still as the earth pony glared at the couple, disquieting them and filling the shop with palpable tension.
Rarity ended Applejack’s deafening silence with a question. “Applejack, is there something I can help you with?” She asked cautiously, not wanting to upset her friend any more than she was now, as she was unsure of the reason for the earth pony’s behavior. The unicorn gently pulled away from Rainbow Dash and slowly approached the tangerine mare. Applejack’s face softened as she looked at Rarity by herself without Rainbow Dash. The earth pony calmly placed her satchel in her own hoof so she could speak.
“The door was open, so I let myself in.” She answered in reply to Rarity’s question. She outreached her leg with the violet bundle. “I came to give ya this, Rarity. It’s...It’s something I should have given to ya fer a while now.”
Rarity, without taking her eyes off Applejack, reached out with both of her front hooves and grasped at Applejack’s offering. She found that it was actually a piece of torn felt fabric that had been folded to make a purse. After unfolding it, she inaudibly gasped in stunned disbelief. Inside the scrap of drapery were more shards of clear azure glass.
“I love ya, Rarity.” Rarity looked at her friend’s lovelorn face as she spoke. Applejack tried to keep her voice still but it still cracked with heartache. “Ever since we shared that night together…that night ya kissed me…I fell in love with ya. I stopped myself from tellin’ ya because I didn’t want to believe it. I knew it would only muddy our friendship if I tried to tell ya how I feel. Also, I didn’t want to ruin any chance ya might have at finding yer prince at the Gala…” She choked back a sob as tears poured down her face. “But once I saw that ya were alone…my feelings couldn’t contain themselves…I needed to tell ya how much I care fer ya. But I didn’t know what words to say, so I can only give ya this.” Applejack gestured at the remains of the slipper that she had brought. “I’m so sorry, Rarity…so sorry that I’m such a coward and couldn’t tell ya sooner…” Losing the will to talk or even to look at Rarity, The earth pony hung her head in shame while she continued to cry over her failure.
Gentle hooves cradled Applejack’s face, surprising her. When she looked up, she found it was Rarity that was holding her. The loving expression she had had when she was holding Rainbow Dash was replaced by one of empathic worry. The unicorn pony looked at her friend with apologetic tears in her eyes as she spoke.
“No, Applejack. You’re not a coward. I’m the one who should be apologizing to you. I had no idea that you felt this way and I should have realized it sooner.” Rarity began to gently caress her friend’s cheek, the same way she did that night which did not seem so long ago now. The pleasant fragrance of apples and cinnamon wafting from Applejack sent Rarity back to that night. She remembered the tight embrace of Applejack’s strong legs, the intimate whispered conversation they had shared and the kiss that she had gifted Applejack with. When she had kissed her friend on the cheek that night, it was meant as an afterthought, but now even Rarity wondered if there was more meaning to it now.
Whatever impetus drove Rarity’s actions that night, the kiss had clearly meant something to Applejack. So much so that it had brought her to confess her latent love which was so difficult for the earth pony that she broke down crying during the act. Rarity could not stand to see Applejack so afflicted and remedied the situation by doing the only thing she could think of. She reached down and kissed the freckles on her friend’s cheek.
Applejack stopped sobbing instantly as Rarity softly lifted her lips off of her freckles. The two ponies locked eyes, taking the place of words and actions as the means of communication at the moment. Their tears began to wane as their gaze grew more intense. Applejack took hold of Rarity who could not think of reason to protest the action. They grew closer together, slowly yet naturally, their lips coming together in an inevitable and delicate kiss.
A rainbow wedged itself between the two, grasping Rarity while pushing Applejack away. Rainbow Dash glared with rage and hatred in her eyes at the thief that was trying to steal Rarity from her.
“Butt out Applejack! Rarity and I are together!” Rainbow Dash greedily clutched the unicorn pony to prove her point. “You said it yourself! You couldn’t tell Rarity how you feel and now you’ve lost out! Get out of here and leave me and Rarity alone! We’re a couple now!”
Applejack reciprocated Rainbow Dash’s animosity with her own. “That’s not fer ya to decide! It’s Rarity’s choice to make!” She turned her attention to Rarity, but her face and tone did not soften. “Did RD tell ya how she got the pieces of yer broken slipper?”
The question caught Rainbow Dash off guard. She replied with an awkward answer. “I…well…I got them as we escaped out of the Gala.”
“Wait, how did you two end up with the remains of my slipper if you both were running ahead me?”
“I’ll tell ya how it happened, Rarity.” Applejack interjected, eager to shed light on the situation. “After we left the doughnut shop in Canterlot, I managed to sneak back into the castle. I grabbed a piece of a torn curtain and got the stair where you had lost your slipper. I started to collect the pieces of it, but before I could finish, I heard somepony a comin’ and had to vamoose. I thought it might be a guard or somethin’ but guess who it was instead.” The earth pony turned her head and glowered in the direction of the winged equine in the room, silently answering her own question. She followed up with another question, this one meant for Rainbow Dash. “Do you remember what ya said when ya pickin’ up the glass bits and placin’ them in that napkin ya got?”
Rainbow Dash did remember, but she didn’t want Rarity to hear what she had said that night. “No! Applejack! Don’t say it! Please!”
Despite her appeals to Applejack’s sense of forgiveness, Rainbow Dash’s words fell upon a hard heart. In her best impression of Rainbow Dash’s voice, Applejack echoed what the pegasus pony had said that night. “Hee hee, this will make fer a good prank on Rarity someday.”
“Don’t listen to her, Rarity!” Applejack shouted out. “I gathered up them pieces too, but I didn’t do it as a joke! I’ve been in love with you longer than Rainbow Dash has! Rainbow Dash doesn’t deserve you!”
“Shut up, Applejack!” Rainbow Dash became incensed when her rival used the word “deserve”. Her wings instinctively spread themselves out in a show of intimidation. “If you know what’s good for you, you won’t say that again!”
Dared by the statement, Applejack punctuated her words by poking Rainbow Dash with her hoof. “You…don’t…deserve…Rarity!”
That was the trigger that unleashed all of Rainbow Dash’s anger and frustration. She lunged herself at Applejack, knocking the earth pony to the ground. Desperate to end her rival’s chances of trying to claim Rarity, the pegasus pony pounced on her adversary to make sure that she would stay down.
However, instead of being incapacitated, the mandarin colored mare was not only alert but also gave her enemy one of the powerful kicks that she had devolved from years of apple bucking. It sent a rainbow streak across the room into one of Rarity’s dresses on display, tearing it to tatters.
Undeterred, Rainbow Dash picked herself up and flew full speed at Applejack, this time delivering a powerful punch that caused the earth pony to crash into a different dress, destroying not only it but also the mannequin that wore it. The pegasus pony went to follow through on her assault but instead caught a powerful hoof square in her jaw. It sent her off course and into Rarity’s jewel chest, scattering its glittering and resplendent contents all across the floor of Carousel Boutique.
Rarity watched in complete disbelief at the scene that was unfolding before her. The fight was decimating her shop and she was utterly helpless to stop it. She used her magic to try and hold Applejack at bay, but it only turned the earth pony into a stationary target for Rainbow Dash. The unicorn pony tried a new tactic, pleading. She begged her two friends to cease their fighting but they were so engrossed in the battle that they just ignored her.
The animus that Rainbow Dash and Applejack had for each other was all consuming. They had come to Rarity’s home to confess their love for the gorgeous alabaster mare, but now their minds were clouded with hate and vitriol so much that they could only focus on the enemy before them. Hooves flew and teeth gnashed, blooding both opponents. The violent acts they committed did not wound their opponent as much as they destroyed the interior of the fashion shop. The destruction in Carousel Boutique only ended when Rainbow Dash flew Applejack through a window and into a tree outside.
Despite the change in location the brawl continued unabated. Both ponies were equally matched in strength and skill, leaving each to try and take any advantage they could find. Each time Rainbow Dash tried to fly, Applejack bit or punched at her wings, making it impossible for her to lift off the ground. When Applejack revved herself for a kick, Rainbow Dash made certain to dodge it, negating the earth ponies most powerful attack. Each of them gave all of their strength and might into every action of aggression they could against their adversary, but they could only inflict glancing blows or strike air instead.
A crowd began to gather making an impromptu circle for the fight. The onlookers were drawn by the commotion and wanted to see what the cause of it was. At first it was just a small number of ponies, but as the fight protracted itself, it seemed as if every citizen in Ponyville became a spectator. The first few of the bystanders to arrive actually enjoyed the brawl for a while as it proved to be exciting, but their indulgence quickly turned into dread when they realized they were not watching a mere scuffle among friends but a battle steeped in pure acrimony. The wounds that the foes had sustained were a testimony to their malice. Rainbow Dash was covered with bruises and bite-marks while Applejack had a black eye and had blood dripping out of her mouth.
It took well over an hour until the fight ended and it ended, ironically enough, the only way that a fight against two equally matched competitors could end, fatigue. Their attacks grew feebler with each swipe, draining a portion of their stamina each time. Rainbow Dash tried to body slam her opponent, but she was so spent that she might as well have been a pillow when she hit her target. The earth pony was the last to exert any effort when she used a weak kick to push the rainbow mare off of herself. Both tried to pick themselves up to continue the duel, but instead succumbed to their lassitude. They panted heavily for breath and were too tired to even talk. They meekly turned their heads around, finally noticing the large herd that had gathered out of curiosity. Applejack and Rainbow Dash searched the crowd for the only face they were looking for, Rarity’s. When they did find her, their hearts sank as they were wounded more by what they saw than what they had just endured.
Rarity was crying, her face full of horror at what she had just witnessed. Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked just behind her and saw that Carousel Boutique had been thoroughly thrashed. Viewing through the window they had shattered they could see the full extent of the damage they had caused. Dresses and mannequins were shredded and ruined. Jewels and gems littered the floor, their color belying the tragedy that had just unfolded. The walls were cracked and, in some spots, full of holes from where they had slammed into them.
Realizing that their feud had not only failed to produce a winner, but effectively razed the home and business of the one they loved, Applejack and Rainbow Dash felt ashamed. The day had begun with such promise for them, but it had turned into a catastrophe for not only themselves, but for the mare they loved as well. The two tried to muster the very last of their strength to go and comfort Rarity, to apologize and try and make amends for their actions. But instead Rarity turned her flank to them, went inside the ruin that was her home, slammed the door, and drew the shades closed. The sobs and wails that came through the broken window make it clear that the unicorn mare did not want to see either of them.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked around at the rest of the crowd. Everypony had expressions of shock and disbelief. They did not see what had started the fight, but it was clear to all of them why the two ponies had been fighting. The assembled equines murmured gossip amongst themselves and while Rainbow Dash and Applejack could not discern any words, they knew exactly what was being said.
Applejack had had enough of her disgrace being whispered around her and willed her beaten and battered body to rise. She wanted the crowd to stop talking and made them do so by speaking an obvious truth.
“Go home folks, show’s over.” She said with a crestfallen voice. The earth pony then turned in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres and walked as fast as she could towards it. However, since she was so exhausted from the fight, her fastest speed was a snail’s pace.
Rainbow Dash did not bother to address the crowd as Applejack had. Instead she flapped her wings as much as she could to lift herself off the ground. She was so tired and hurt that she could only fly limply to her home on the outskirts of Ponyville.
There were a few more mutterings from the crowd of onlookers as the two belligerents headed for their corners. The group pondered on whether or not this was just the first round of what could be a protracted match. While there was much speculation on the matter, there was no clear consensus on what would happen next. Without knowing, the assembly of ponies cautiously dispersed to return to their own lives, wondering what would come to pass.