Norrath, Earth, Equestria. A Construct's Journey

by Nimnul


Intermission: Berry Meets Rarity

Rarity earned most of her living catering to customers from abroad. There were only so many dresses one could sell in Ponyville, after all, so when she had made it big, it had been on the backs of elites who were unlikely to consider Ponyville worth their time. Even with Twilight's new title, powers and castle, most of the old money snobs stuck to the safer bets and stayed in Canterlot, while the younger, more mainstream customers, such as Sapphire Shores, still didn't see a great deal of appeal now that Ponyville had been put on the map for good.

Nonetheless, Rarity loved walk-in customers. Often, work done for them felt more personal and sincere. Perhaps she just liked to see their reactions first-hoof. She would hate having to pick between her nation-wide success or her more local customers, but when she was feeling particularly introspective, she thought she'd always prefer to stay in Ponyville. After all, she could be allowed to think that she already had won the game, as it were, considering the ponies that had worn her creations. She knew she was a very fortunate pony.

It explained why she had allowed herself a small smile when she heard the door to her boutique be opened and a customer trotting in. She had become pretty good at recognizing her friends by the way they handled the door and the rhythm of their walk. Rainbow Dash as often as not flew indoors, but she was so rough with the door, the sound was recognizable enough.

Knowing that it wasn't one of her close friends didn't lessen the surprise when Rarity stepped out of her inner sanctum and spotted Berry Punch. The fashionista still tried to hide her surprise. "Miss Punch! What brings you here?"

Berry Punch wasn't particularly comfortable in the fancy boutique. She didn't feel very chic, unique, or magnifique, in any case. Still, she regarded Rarity evenly and attempted a smile. "Well, first thing first, I want to apologize, Rarity. And just call me Berry, okay?" She looked away and continued more quietly. "Friend of Shark can be my friend too."

Rarity hid her confusion behind a smile. "Apologize? Whatever for?" She didn't think she had had any kind of noteworthy contact with this particular earth pony. Perhaps there'd been something recent she hadn't discovered yet? Sweetie Belle and Ruby Pinch were classmates, but she'd never heard a complaint about the other unicorn filly.

After some awkward shuffling and pawing at the ground, Berry set her jaw and met Rarity's eyes again. "Was a while ago. Y'know, when Fluttershy was modeling those dresses? Me and Bon asked who you were, but I knew. Bonny was kind of having an unstable day and I played along with her 'cause I'd had a few drinks already and was being a bad influence." She sighed. "I'm sorry. It wasn't right, making you feel little just so you'd make a funny angry face."

That had been a frustrating day, but Rarity frankly barely even remembered that detail, and in any case it would be terribly selfish to insist on a grudge even if she had. "It's all water under the bridge. I hope you haven't been holding onto that ... Berry." She smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. "Now that you've reminded me, however, I don't remember you taking a particular interest in fashion before or since. At least not my fashion, I suppose."

"Yeah, well." Berry returned the smile. "I wasn't so good at taking care of things I did own, so caring for a fancy dress was right out. Probably just pawn it for some extra spending money," she admitted candidly. Her smile grew wider and more confident. "But I'm here now! I'd like to, uh, to be measured for ... something nice?"

Rarity chuckled, but sudden recollection hit her and her face fell. "Wait a minute, didn't I see you at Princess Cadance's wedding in Canterlot? You weren't wearing a dress, or any kind of jewelry. Berry, something could have been arranged! I know you weren't the only mare without a dress but ... you were just ... you," she finished lamely. Other ponies had at least had their manes styled. "I'm ever so sorry for how that came out."

Berry clicked her tongue. When she spoke, it was with wry amusement. "Rarity, come on. I still think I got invited by accident. Getting dolled up was the last thing on my mind. I would have just ruined it anyway. They had free drinks."

Knowing Berry Punch more by reputation than experience, Rarity wasn't entirely sure what to make of that. She cocked her head and gave the earth pony a questioning look. "Surely it can't have been as bad as all that?"

"Hah." Berry shook her head. The line of her jaw worked quietly as the earth pony seemed to think over what she was about to say. "Have you ever had to pace around the neighborhood because you were too scared that if you went to sleep you could die of alcohol poisoning or drown in your own throw-up? Sometimes I felt like the only thing holding the liquor in was the fact that I was standing an' holding my head higher than my barrel. When that happened, I thought like if I went down, the liquor would get all mixed around in my stomach and I'd hurl."

Rarity was clearly taken aback, but Berry just continued, her tone even, still maintaining a small smile. "It was like 'Have to stay moving! If I stop moving, I'll crash. If I crash, I'm not getting back up! If I'm not gettin' up, I can't say awake. If I can't stay awake, I'll fall asleep. If I fall asleep I'll either go into a liquor induced coma or risk drowning in my puke. Gotta keep the liquor flowin' till it's all digested. Gotta just keep on stumblin' around! Can't stop! Won't stop! Gotta survive and get home to Pinchy!'" She finally breathed out a tired little sigh. "So there wasn't much point dressin' me up around free alcohol, really. After the changeling thing, everypony was so happy to be alive it was hard to find a barkeeper in Canterlot who'd cut a pony off."

"I can't say I've experienced something like that." Rarity was unsure how to respond further. She squashed the tiny impulse to point out that public inebriation was a sure way to social ruin. It was likely the most asinine thought of the day, considering the pony she was listening to. But Berry didn't seem to need comfort and in any case the two of them were not that close. Rarity considered her next words. "But now there's a point?"

Berry nodded. She didn't seem to be looking forward to the next part. "Probably. It's still hard, sometimes, but Shark once talked about a real good conversation you two had and I think ... I just thought I'd treat myself nice." She seemed bashful. "None of my friends are that great at getting all dolled up so I figured you'd know best. I can afford it so long as it doesn't get too fancy, I guess."

At last Rarity was in her element again. Her eager smile came easily. "That's a wonderful idea. Please come in. Follow me! First, we'll have to brush your mane and tail. There's nothing wrong with them," she added quickly. "But please reserve judgement until after you've seen the result."

"You know, I've brushed my mane before, Rarity." Berry was grinning now. "And I didn't say anything. Knock yourself out."

To Berry's apparently limited surprise, Rarity owned a versatile collection of personal grooming tools, including two different brushes just for the coat. She made an appreciative noise. "Huh. Would you mind terribly if I sent over Pinchy sometime so you can show her this too? I think I've been making her miss out."

Rarity had of course restrained herself when selecting grooming tools. She didn't wish to overwhelm anypony who obviously had limited experience taking care of their own appearance. "I can let you take some brushes home, I'm sure your daughter would prefer if you were to do this for her."

Frowning a little, Rarity changed the topic. "Is that unsightly blemish going to be permanent?" The left side of Berry's ribcage was marred by a burn scar roughly the size of a hoofprint, surrounded by a fringe of slightly shorter fur, presumably just growing back from being shaved off to make treatment of the injury easier.

Berry stiffened for a few moments, then slowly nodded. "Yeah, coat's probably not going to grow in properly anymore there." Her jaw worked silently for a while before she continued. "Guess I don't mind so much. Still hurts a little when I twist wrong, that's all." She suddenly smiled with what appeared to be genuine happiness. "And Pinchy said she doesn't mind. She looked real proud of me, even though she knows it wasn't a good situation."

"Mhm. Twilight did seem rather flustered about your little excursion. She's still very excitable, after all." Rarity kept calmly brushing Berry's coat with a soft brush. "You simply must consider visiting the spa someday soon. My ministrations here are mere amateur hour compared to the real thing, I assure you."

Berry tensed again, but when the brushing continued, she relaxed again. "I don't care what the Princess thinks, but you're taking it better than I figured you would."

"I might not enjoy it," Rarity allowed. "But I've gotten into my share of trouble with the other girls. Besides," she went on more quietly, "I may not be a mother, but still an older sister. I shan't judge you for going after those dreadful brutes. Perhaps it's a bit barbarous, but any blood you spilled was for the sake of your filly. Well, indirectly, I suppose."

"Good to know," Berry mumbled. Her jaw, again, worked silently for a few seconds before she continued. Rarity was starting to wonder if she had some kind of knotted muscle to work loose. "Twilight's not a mother or a big sister. Or maybe to Spike? Hmm. I wasn't real close to the guy or his family. Just friendly co-workers. But I knew he had an ordinary little life with a wife and two foals. It was real easy to close my eyes and imagine Pinchy or any of her friends in their place." The earth pony shuddered and ground her teeth. "I hadn't felt that way in a long while."

Taking a calming breath, Berry continued. "The plan kinda made sense, I guess. Just making sure that whoever took those guys away didn't hear how the replacements had already been busted. Make it more surprising when somepony catches up to them. I guess that must have worked okay." She sighed and dragged a hoof across the floor. "Plan didn't matter. I just had to blame someone and hurt 'em. Cracked all their horns, too."

Some days it was harder to avoid being judgmental than others, Rarity thought as she winced at the idea of horn damage. She finished brushing the earth pony's coat and started idly taking measurements. She wasn't yet sure what she'd make, but she didn't think it was going to be anything grand. "Why are you telling me all this, Berry?"

Berry fidgeted. She apparently wasn't entirely sure herself. "I guess maybe I wanted to bounce it off somepony outside my immediate circle of friends, and Shark spoke highly of you. Well, you and Fluttershy, but I didn't want to burden her, and I wasn't in a Pinkie Pie mood."

Rarity nodded slightly. It was understandable, and perhaps Berry felt a little awkward around Pinkie for, as some gossipers claimed, misusing Pinkie's parties to get drunk for free. No reason to bring that up, of course. "Well, without wanting to fish for compliments, I have sometimes wondered why she gets along so much better with Fluttershy and myself compared to Rainbow Dash and Applejack. She doesn't seem the type to be turned off by their personalities."

Slowly walking around Berry, Rarity squinted, pausing to rub her chin. "Perhaps some kind of semi-formal vest would be an idea? Something that looks good without making you over-dressed, so you can wear it anywhere you might wish to cover the scar?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Berry's smile, as far Rarity could judge, showed real appreciation. "As for your friends ... I guess they're just not that close? I wouldn't sweat it. I'm sure she told you what it is she likes about you, and she respects Fluttershy for being strong, in her way. Shark's easy to get to talk about her old friends, but imagine how many friends you lose when so many of them don't make it to ten years old." Berry sounded impressed herself. "Maybe the critters don't feel quite like ponies to us, but losing 'em hurts. But she's the same Fluttershy for the next generation of her friends. Because that's who she is."

Thoughts of losing Opalescence were certainly unwelcome for Rarity, but it'd come to pass one day, unless something happened to Rarity first over the course of some adventure or danger to Equestria. Now that was a cheerful thought. "I suppose since Landshark doesn't age and could outlive us all, she sees something to admire in Fluttershy. I hadn't considered that angle."

"Yeah, but let's not kid ourselves here. Fluttershy is hard to dislike in the first place unless you got something against timid ponies." Berry grinned impishly. "Easy on the eyes too, in her way. I like her mane style, she makes it look good. You both got this thing going where you look pretty without making mares around you self-conscious, and I know all about being self-conscious."

"It's in the way we carry ourselves, perhaps. Besides, she does regularly join me at the spa. I already said you should try it?" Rarity was starting to compare bolts of cloth with a thoughtful frown. "But didn't you want to talk to me, not about me?"

Berry chewed her lip, looking slightly pensive. "I guess that's true." Her expression suddenly turned sly. "Maybe I'm just practicing lookin' someone better than me in the eye without feeling bad about myself, huh?"

Rarity's earlier frown was redirected at her guest. "I'll have you know that I have worked very hard on myself to avoid looking down on others for petty reasons." Her response was stiff and concluded with a small huff of annoyance. After a moment, she added, "I rather dislike hearing my customers talk that way about themselves, as well."

"Okay. That's fair." Berry shuffled uncomfortably. "I guess I'm ... not real sure what to make of myself, some days."

"Mhm. Do go on."

"It's funny, in a way." Berry's voice took on an almost musing tone. "The regular ponies around where I grew up and the authorities were always saying that the fillies and colts growin' up in our neighborhoods weren't much better than packs of wild dogs, tearing at each other and the cops when they bothered to even show up groundside."

She shook her head and grinned. "Maybe they weren't wrong, you know. I'm sure happy Pinchy didn't grow up there, but I guess if that's the way I am when I'm sober, I don't mind so much, not anymore." She let out a slow breath. "I'm not sorry at all for hurting those changelings. I know my friends are, at least a little. Even Shark regrets that it had to be that way. Maybe they weren't the ones that actively did the abductin'," Berry allowed, "but they were the same lot and we, no, I had to send a message."

Rarity gave Berry a hard stare, but at least credited her for specifying that she the earth pony only spoke for her own motivations in moving against the group of changelings. "You can't seriously be comparing yourself to some sort of attack dog! You're a perfectly good pony in your own right."

"Heh. I got a mean bite." Berry just smiled for a moment before she continued. "They're just words, Rarity. I know I'm alright, but I haven't been doing a decent job of being a good pony in the past. When you do the same bad thing year after year, you can't keep calling it a mistake, after all." She shook her head and raised a hoof. "Being clearheaded, I can't avoid looking at myself, Rarity. I gotta learn to like what's there."

She looked at her trembling hoof and stomped it back onto the floor, but her explanation remained calm and her smile persisted. "I won't apologize. My daughter was the only thing motivating me to stay even a little functional, and if anypony comes round being a danger to foals, I'll hurt 'em and hope the message sticks." She glowered at the memory, but doubt crept into her voice. "It's not good pony behavior though."

"Nopony's perfect, dear." Rarity sighed. "Awfully trite of me to say, I know. Ask yourself, then. Do you deserve to be happy and at peace?" Waiting for a response, she continued to tailor a vest for the earth pony. Truly, a tuxedo vest certainly wasn't the height of creative endeavor, but she thought that Berry was more interested in, well, taking an interest in her appearance, not necessarily in looking stunning. Starting off with a gala-quality dress tended to overwhelm customers who had no true idea what they actually wanted.

"I do." Berry nodded, and the answer sounded quick and sure. "I don't feel too different now than I did back before I had Pinchy, you know. Oh, I was drinking then too, everypony did, but not as much. And I still feel okay about myself!" She licked her lips. "Imagine if I hadn't crawled back into the bottle after giving birth. Better catching on late than never, I guess. But what a waste of time." Her voice caught and her jaw worked again, teeth grinding.

Rarity put her work down. She assumed thinking along those lines wasn't ideal for a recovering alcoholic. She shook her head. "I appreciate that you want to benefit from my skills, and it's my pleasure, but I'm nopony you should have to tell all this to. I doubt the judgements of relative strangers have been of particular use to you so far." Her tone softened. "Trust me, it's best to be selective about the ponies whose opinions you care about, I should know. You have a daughter who surely adores you, and friends that obviously back you up even in extreme situations. That's all you should need to look to the future."

Berry squared her shoulders and frowned. "I know that, but ponies still talk. I can't take back the way I acted in the past, I just wish my daughter didn't have to toughen up and bear with the way ponies look at me, just waiting for me to give in and get drunk." Her frown turned into an expression of grim determination. "She can take it, but she shouldn't have to. I'll show them all. Sooner or later they'll have to accept that I'm stronger than they think."

"Well, although I said you shouldn't worry about the opinions of strangers, looking good has a way of smoothing things out a little. Nothing difficult, of course, it should hardly count as getting 'dolled up', but perhaps you could cooperate with your daughter in being a little more fastidious about your mane and coat?" Rarity smiled encouragingly. "This may sound insensitive but I could imagine she'd appreciate a proper little mother-daughter ritual after getting you back, as it were. And she is a unicorn, right? That will be helpful."

"Yeah," Berry mused. "She likes it when her magic's useful around the house." She broke into a bright grin. "That's a wonderful idea, Rarity. Don't suppose you could write down for me what some of these fancy brushes are called so I'll know what to get?" The excitement seemed to infuse her with nervous energy and she began fidgeting in place. "Oh, I bet Pinchy is going to love it. Thank you!"

Rarity allowed herself a small chuckle. Perhaps if she practiced enough on other earth ponies, one day she might get Applejack to improve her grooming habits as well. "I can do you one better, my dear. I always have some spares ready, I'll pack some up for you. Now, let's see you try on this vest, if you would?"

The garment might not have been any particular challenge for her tailoring skills, but Rarity was still happy with her idea. "You can wear that for just about anything without seeming dreadfully overdressed. Except farm work, perhaps." It'd also be at least a nod of acknowledgement towards the concept of 'formal wear' on occasions that warranted it. Rarity didn't think Berry had even brushed her mane for the royal wedding.

Berry inspected herself in the mirror for several long moments. With her mane and trail brushed straight, a bit of a shine to her coat and the vest, she was hardly recognizable. Eventually, she nodded. "This isn't even a big thing, brushing and a vest, but the difference is nice." She seemed to fumble for words "Do you just ... look at ponies and see how they could look? That must be nice. How much is this going to run me?"

"The first hit, my dear, is always free," Rarity joked with a smile. "In seriousness, please don't worry about it. Letting someone see what I see for the first time is always worth it." She really made more than enough bits off ponies who considered beauty to be their due, and the vest really wasn't a great expenditure of fabric. Helping a pony who hadn't previously cared much about her appearance was infinitely more satisfying than mere profit.

Chewing her lip, Berry frowned. "I appreciate the sentiment." Landshark tended to talk about sentiments, maybe the word was worming itself into her vocabulary. "But I took up so much of your time and it's not like I can really, uh, do you a favor in trade. You know I don't do wine anymore."

Mutual freebies weren't unknown between Ponyville citizens, of course. An extra cupcake here, a free apple there, maybe a bottle of wine for a special event. Even Berry, when she allegedly had been her own best customer, hadn't just taken advantage, but participated, the fashionista knew.

Rarity didn't necessarily consider her own generosity in that same context, of course. She huffed in false annoyance. "If you must feel like you have to pay me back in some fashion, my sister does appreciate grape juice a great deal."

Berry nodded slowly, and her expression turned into a smile again. She stomped one of her hind hooves. "You're a good sort, Rarity. I'm still not real sure why I wanted to talk to you, maybe because you're so fancy and I wanted to see if I could stand up to it, but ... " She paused in thought. "You just put that on like a dress and make-up, you're not a snob without substance." Berry facehooved. "And that sounds like I only got here expecting you to be snobby. I knew better, I swear."

"Think nothing of it, Berry." Rarity began packing a small assortment of brushes into a bag for the earth pony to carry. "Still, you seem confident enough now. I'm sure our mutual friend would have something quaint to say in my place." She affected the construct's tone and timbre. "Let adversity temper the ingot of your will, Berry!" She punctuated with a snappy hoof stomp. "Something to that effect, in any case."

Berry chuckled, seeming to appreciate the attempted joke. "Probably, yeah. I'll run along now and show off to my friends. Don't hesitate to ask if ya need a favor."

Rarity watched Berry pick up the bag she'd prepared, offer some muffled parting words, and amble out. Berry almost looked like a new mare but, Rarity realized, the earth pony would still be recognizable by the way she moved. She didn't know quite how long it had been since Berry had sobered up, but she still seemed to move with a sort of deliberate torpor Rarity had seen in some associates who, according to gossip, spent most of their time at least a little drunk. Not every Canterlot noble or businesspony was glamorous.

She supposed it made some sense. The earth pony had clearly managed to raise a filly and hadn't entirely ruined her own life. Functioning under the influence might be a skill, of sorts, or at least seemed to have brought about the habit of moving with care whenever she couldn't really trust her own sense of balance or coordination. Still, it was a good thing Berry hadn't had to operate heavy machinery for a living, Rarity assumed.

The fashionista shook her head and went back to work that might be slightly less stimulating, but paid the bills. She smiled at the thought that Berry might not only teach her daughter to appreciate personal grooming more, but perhaps even her friends.


Berry left the Carousel Boutique in high spirits.

If she hadn't had years of experience staying on her hooves in less than ideal conditions, she might have missed a step at the thought.

She left the boutique in a good mood. That certainly sounded better. Berry had been feeling great, lately, especially after Landshark had talked about her conversation with Princess Celestia. Berry and her friends sure trusted the construct in many things, but opinions about princesses hadn't generally made the list. That had made it more credible when Landshark had had something positive to say.

It had been a spur of the moment idea to head into the boutique, but she thought it had worked out well. She'd been able to interact with a pony like Rarity without feeling particularly anxious or down on herself, by comparison. Although she knew the world was full of ponies more judgmental than the fashionista, it still felt like an accomplishment to freely interact with a pony of standards. Maybe she really was getting stronger.

On the other hoof, she occasionally wondered if she shouldn't have been affected more strongly by the fight with the changelings. She had seen the queasy look on Lyra's face after the unicorn had helped her stomp one of their enemies. Berry understood the reaction, but couldn't share it, she found. She really didn't hold much of a grudge against changelings in general, perhaps because she'd done a pretty good job avoiding sobriety while in Canterlot and hadn't been particularly traumatized.

She was slowly wandering towards the Ponyville park, deep in contemplation. She had found that seeing happy children at play helped her resolve, where before it had only made her more ashamed about how unhappy she had to be making her own daughter. However, it seemed to help her stay the course now. This time, heading in that direction was more or less automatic as she continued her unwelcome bout of introspection.

She'd been completely sober when they were formulating the plan to go after a set of changelings that worked together with foalnappers. She'd fought as well and as hard as she could, which wasn't that well compared to Bon Bon, but pretty hard. She'd been angry, and scared, and then also in pain, and when it had been over she had experienced the satisfaction of a job well done. She had looked at the two that had died under Bon Bon's hooves and felt very little.

It bothered her that it hadn't bothered her much, but she could think back to ponies she had injured in the past and still feel regret, so she probably wasn't doing too badly. And she hadn't been a hostile drunk so she probably wasn't by nature hot-headed? Her reputation would probably be even worse if she had a history of violence beyond the usual scuffles in bars. Those probably didn't count, and generally didn't end too badly. Ponies were fairly sturdy, you had to really mean it to do permanent harm to another. Unless you deliberately went for the horn or wings, of course.

It wasn't always easy to avoid toxic thinking. Too much introspection could lead to fierce want for a drink, that was for sure.

"Are ya'll chewin' cud, Miss Punch?"

"Bloom! That's a horrible question to ask!"

"Is it?"

Berry blinked and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked down at the Cutie Mark Crusaders, all done up in winter gear. They had apparently been playing in the snow. Apple Bloom looked at her curiously and after the reprimand, perhaps sheepishly. Sweetie Belle looked confused, but had apparently decided to assume that her earth pony friend had blurted out something impolite. Scootaloo didn't appear to be real sure what to think.

Berry put down her bag and raised a forehoof to rub her chin. "Do your friends even know what that is, Apple Bloom? Not everypony lives around cows."

"Well, that's easy," Apple Bloom explained, attempting to adopt a lecturing tone. "Cuz of the way a cow stomach works, they throw up a little in their mouth to chew s'more! Ya'll can swing by the cow herd next time if ya want. Sometimes the cows'll jus' stand there, spaced out an' chewin'" Her face fell towards the end of the explanation.

"Wow, that is a horrible question to ask somepony." Scootaloo, not normally a pony to stand on politeness as far as Berry had heard from her daughter, made a disgusted face.

"I think it would be rude to come up to the cows just to watch them chew. Or weird," Sweetie Belle cautioned.

"Yeah," Apple Bloom allowed. "Ah'm powerful sorry, Miss Punch, it jus' kinda slipped out, seein' ya'll stand there."

"Don't worry about it, Apple Bloom." Berry shook her head again. "It's just a habit. I worked so many corks out of so many bottles in my life, I guess my jaw remembers when I'm feelin' thirsty." She lowered her head so as to be closer to their faces. "Hey, are there still ponies giving Pinchy a hard time at school because of me? Be honest, I can take it."

"No, Miss Punch." Sweetie Belle shook her head and smiled. "Not regularly. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were always the worst, and they've not been as mean recently."

"Yeah, and everypony knows you're an awesome mom, you went and beat up a bunch of changelings!" Naturally, that would be what impressed Scootaloo the most. Berry expected that most adult ponies would be less enthusiastic.

Berry snickered. "Everypony knows, huh?" News spread thoroughly in Ponyville, after all. "I had help. But we didn't beat them for being changelings, we beat them for being bad guys working with a bunch of foalnappers." She scowled briefly. "I would have hit them just as hard if they'd been ponies. Harder, maybe, 'cause ponies don't have the excuse of having a crazy queen that orders them around. It's a bad excuse, but still."

She sat down, a terrible idea given the season and her freshly groomed coat, and cracked a fetlock. "It was a blunt plan, nothing real smart like Twilight might have cooked up, and I walked away with a permanent scar on my side, but I'd offer to do the same if any of you was carried off. I don't put up with ponies that hurt children." She smiled warmly. "Don't expect your big sisters and friends would need my help, of course. They got a lot more experience solving problems."

The last statement was met with general agreement expressed at various levels of intensity. Scootaloo was, of course, the most vocal proponent of Rainbow Dash's changeling fighting prowess.

"So can ya'll show us yer scar?"

"Sure." Berry agreed easily. "I've got a credible source saying it's pretty cool." She frowned down at her chest, then sighed as she pawed at her vest's buttons with a slightly trembling hoof. "Listen. I'm not used to wearing much of anything, I just got this vest from Rarity. So unless you want to sit here and watch me embarass myself for the next few minutes, maybe Sweetie Belle could help me magic these buttons open? I'd rather practice that at home." She started chewing on nothing again, feeling like an idiot.

"That's nothin' ta make a fuss over, Miss Punch. Most of mah family ain't used to dressing up fancy either. Takes a bit of practice whenever ya got somethin' new." Apple Bloom sported a look of understanding, which helped make Berry feel a little less silly.

Sweetie Belle carefully undid the buttons of the vest. "There you go, Miss Punch. Don't worry, a lot of my sister's first time customers feel clumsy around smaller buttons if they're not unicorns."

Once the vest had been unbuttoned, it was easy to expose the side of her rib cage. It had healed well and wasn't particularly gruesome to look at, which seemed to disappoint Scootaloo and Apple Bloom slightly. "That's where I got hit with fire magic. Had to flop over to smother my smoldering coat."

Sweetie Belle scrunched up her face in thought. "Are you going to be covering that up from now on? Isn't there a way to fix your coat?"

"I'd never cover that up! Anypony who doesn't like it is obviously a jerk." Scootaloo nodded with enough severity to make Berry giggle.

"Well, I guess I'm thinking the same way, Scootaloo. This vest is great and all but I won't be wearing it all the time. You can get something like that fixed, but with an easily covered spot like that it's a waste of bits, isn't it? It's not like I got hit in the face." Berry smiled again. "Well, I'm heading home. You girls have fun."

"See you later, Miss Punch!" The Crusaders chorused their farewells.

Berry paused before leaving. "And thanks for being nice fillies around Pinchy. I know you're not close but you never gave her a hard time, far as I know."

"Nopony deserved what Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon used to dish out. We wouldn't want to be that," Sweetie Belle earnestly explained before joining her friends and leaving.

Berry was wondering what sort of trouble they got into now that they had their cutie marks. She shook her head and headed home. As expected talking to young ponies who weren't brats always made her feel better. Maybe it was unusual that she felt so little about maiming changelings, but at least she had a fairly decent excuse for fighting in the first place. In any case, it felt a lot better than being too drunk to do anything and trying to drown the frustration some more.

She held her head high as she walked. Optimism became easier to practice, week by week.