With the eyes of every pony and diamond dog in the bar on you and the rest of your dance mates, you half wonder if it was possible to feel Schadenfreude towards yourself.
The pony in front of you was moving deftly on his back legs, slapping his hooves along his thigh and the diamond dog behind you had no trouble with the dance either.
It was just you who looked more than out of place.
You stumbled every now and again and your thighs were positively burning. Not just from the repeated slaps, but from walking on just your back legs; something you were not accustomed to.
But that’s what you did when you danced the Schuhplattler.
Hey! I think I’m getting it, you think with a smile as the group starts moving in a circle. Your smile disappears after locking eyes with Rarity, however.
Because she was holding a camera.
The feeling of embarrassment comes welling back and you want to do nothing but hide your face.
Oh come on... Nothing to be embarrassed about... you hear a voice tell you. Seriously, there’s no one here who knows you, save Rarity, and they don’t care. Hell, they’re the ones who dragged you into it. And if somepony sees it back home? So what? Not like their opinion about you will change.
You feel that smile come back for a number of reasons: the first one being it’s the first inner voice that hasn’t made you feel some level of dread. And two, it was right.
The brass band finishes, as does the accordion shortly after and by now, you’re dying for a drink of water.
Dropping down to all fours again, you start making your way towards Rarity’s table when a paw finds itself on your shoulder.
“Don’t disappear just yet, friend!” Rottie says with a slap on the back. “We got one more dance coming up.”
“Can I at least get a drink?” You ask as you point a hoof towards Rarity. “I didn’t realize how much of a work-out this can be.”
Rottie nods. “Sure, sure! In fact, invite the Missus over as well! We could use her for this next bit!”
A devilish grin grows across your face and you shoot Rarity a look, who gives you one of confusion right back.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Rottie gives you a pat on the back and you start making your way to Rarity’s table with a grin that was practically bolted to your face.
“Enjoy the show?” You ask as you take your seat.
“Oh yes, and I’m sure everypony back home will enjoy the wunderbar pictures!” She says with a little giggle. “I’ve never seen you enjoy yourself so much! Please, tell me you’re going to be dancing again.”
Grabbing a hold of your glass of water, you throw the contents back and swallow it in one go.
“Oh yes, there’s another dance,” you say as you stand up. “And you’re joining.”
Rarity’s smile vanishes in an instant and she lets out a nervous laugh. “I-I, um, oh but I can’t darling, please I-”
“Come now, you only live once!” You cry out as you hook a hoof under Rarity’s shoulder. “This might be your only chance to dance the Schuhplattler!”
“Please, darling, it doesn’t look like my sort of-”
Oh no you’re not, Rarity. You’re not getting out of this one.
Your smile disappears and you look back to her as your face falls into a disappointed frown. “Oh,” you say solemnly. “Well... Okay, I guess. You, uh, don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
You keep your eyes to the ground and let out a tired sigh before shrugging. “I’ll, uh... take our glasses up to the bar and-”
“Wait!”
You had to repress every urge to grin. Instead, you glanced up to Rarity who had the look on her face of somepony who just kicked a puppy.
“I’ll... dance,” she said warily. “Okay?”
You immediately brighten up and place a big kiss on her stunned cheek. “Oh thank you mein Süsse~”
Rarity’s jaw goes slack as she begins to process just what happened before puffing out her cheeks. “Oh you do not play fair!” she says with a pout.
“Who do you think I learned it from?” With a low chuckle, you lean in and whisper. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”
You punctuate the promise with a nibble on Rarity’s ears that makes her stifle a gasp and her legs go rigid.
“Not fair at all...” She grumbles.
“Go talk to Rottie and see where he wants you for the last dance. I’ll go get ourselves some refills.”
“Alright dear. But remember, I will get you back for this.”
As soon as Rarity’s out of sight, you scramble for her bag. And now, for part 2... Finding her camera, you grin from ear to ear and start scanning the bar tables.
“You there, good sir!” A diamond dog resembling a sheep hound finishes off a glass of ale before giving you a look. He starts to smile however when he recognizes you.
“Nice dance moves out there,” he says with a little laugh. “What can I do for you?”
“My lover and I are going to be together for this next piece and I would be very grateful if you could get some pictures. I’d be willing to pa-”
The diamond dog holds up a paw. “Say no more. I’ll take no money. I’ll make sure to get some wonderful pictures to remember your time here.”
Giving the camera to him, you can’t help but smile. “Thank you. Just put it back in that bag when you’re done. Thank you.”
As you walk away from the table, you make your way back to Rottie and Rarity, who was now sporting a red and white dirndl.
“Do you like?” She asks as she gives the skirt a little spin.
You nod dumbly. “Yes... That doesn’t look like one you packed.”
Rarity’s smile grows even brighter. “Good eye! No, Rottie here offered this to me. He said it belonged to a former barmaid and he’s kept it cleaned and pressed for her if she came back.”
“It been 4 years. Do not think she will mind,” Rottie says with a shrug.
“It fits just right, too! Now, Mr. Rottie sir... Where did you say I was going to be again?”
Rottie opens his mouth to answer, but the band starts into the music and from one of the hallways, a number of diamond dogs and ponies began carrying out a large table with handles for all of them to grab.
“Right on here, miss!” Rottie says as he places a paw on the table.
Rarity’s eyes dart between the table and Rottie. “On... the table? Rottie my dear, is there a language barrier here I don’t know about?”
It starts clicking in your head just what was about to happen and you find yourself internally debating whether or not to tell her.
“None. Hop on up and we can begin! Just make sure not to panic and above all, don’t flail.”
Rarity’s eyes widen as she starts climbing up onto the wooden table. “Flail? What do you mean flail? Why would I flail?” She asks with increasing worry.
You clear your throat as you join each of the other dancers around the table and give her a meek smile. “It’s a... more... now I wouldn’t use the word dangerous, but maybe... extreme? Extreme, yeah. Extreme form of Schuhplattler.”
The music starts up and the dancers around the table start up their routine again with you following shortly.
“Extreme? Extreme?!?” Rarity asks as the color drains from her face. “I-I don’t think this is the best idea, mayb-”
The music cuts abruptly and in an instant, each of the dancers grabs a hold of a handle of the table and brings it up to their shoulder, only for the music to continue. You nervously follow suit, your eyes never leaving Rarity as you start to share her nervousness.
Rarity lets out a yelp as she’s jostled and looks around nervously as she tries to get her bearings. “M-Maybe I should go back to watching, I don’t think-”
“EINS! ZWEI! DREI!”
On the count of three, every dancer heaves the table into the air and sends Rarity following and eliciting a shrill cry from her.
It seems as though Rottie’s advice registered mid-flight and Rarity keeps her hooves from flailing and sticks the landing, much to the joy of the crowd who let out a thunderous applause.
“Okay, okay, okay,” Rarity says as she shakes nervously. “All well and fun, but I think I’ve had enough for now please.”
You give her a nod and nudge the dancer in front of you as you continue to carry and spin the table. “Let it down for a moment.”
The pony in front of you looks confused for a moment, but then smiles and nods. With the two of you now lowering it, every other dancer follows suit and gives you a chance to step on up the table with Rarity, who was looking quite shaken.
“Are you okay?” You ask as you wrap your hooves around her.
“A little rattled, but I’ll be better in a seAAAH!”
The dancers didn’t seem to get the full memo that Rarity wanted off and in an instant, both you and Rarity are sent flying into the air, just a hoof away from touching the ceiling before coming down on the table in a perfect landing.
She didn’t scream this time and you look down to her and notice she was doing her best to fight back a smile.
“Oh, now you’re enjoying it?” you ask with a teasing poke.
Squirming in your grip, Rarity giggles and shakes her head. “No. I mean... Okay, it’s a bit better now that you’re here, but-”
With a little jolt, the table is set down and the dancers clap as the orchestra kicks up again and with a smile, you start to dance with Rarity.
“Then let’s have a little fun now, huh?”
“While it is exciting, what happens if we fall?” Rarity asks nervously as you start into a typical Mecklenberg folk dance.
“Then I’ll make sure you fall onto me and not the ground,” you say with a smile as you stomp your hoof mid spin.
That earns a giggle from the once nervous mare and giving her a spin and bringing her into an embrace nets you a smile.
The music stops and you ready yourself as you’re hoisted back into the air.
You find yourself smiling as well, but a different kind of smile. The kind of smile a child makes when the rollercoaster reaches the top of the tracks. Never have fear and excitement been closer bedfellows.
“EINS! ZWEI! DREI!”
Tossed in the air, you and Rarity hold each other tight and laugh as you come back down with a loud bang as your hooves hit the wood and the crowd applauds even louder than before.
This... This is fun, you think as you lean in for a kiss.
****************************************************************
“Oh dear... Now that was exhausting...” Rarity says as she collapses into the bed. “My hooves and legs hurt so bad...”
You let out a mumbled agreement into the foot of the bed. The dance went on for an hour and when it was done, you were both the talk of the tavern. Quite a few ponies asked if you were professional dancers. Or encouraged you to go professional.
As you feel yourself drifting off to sleep, something hard and hoof shaped pokes against your side. Cracking an eye open, you see Rarity’s big blue eyes glistening at you as she holds her back legs up.
“Can you give a massage? Pleeeeeeease?”
You laugh under your breath before forcing yourself up and to Rarity’s side. “Anything for you, mein Schatzi~”
Grabbing a hold of one of her back legs, you start to knead the tense thigh muscle and earn yourself a pleasure sigh from her.
“This was quite the night...” Rarity muses aloud. “It... does remind me of another, however.”
You raise an eyebrow, but keep up the work. “What night?”
Rarity smiles from ear to ear and moans as you hit a particularly tense set of muscles. “Our... first daaAAAHaaate~”
This actually makes you stop, much to her displeasure. “Really?”
“Well, yes. Don’t you see? You, confident and forward as you take me in your hooves onto a dancefloor and doing something I’ve never done before. Me, nervous and a little against it at first, only to be giggling like a school filly and loving every second of it by the end.”
You blink in surprise as it hits you and the nostalgia blends with a warmer feeling that leaves you smiling like a dolt.
Memories of that night come flashing back, from the dance to the carriage ride home and especially the night after. You haven’t thought about that time in such a while and just remembering it ignites a fire in your belly. Any feelings of tiredness leave you in that moment.
“So, you’re saying I managed to do something really romantic this night.” You say as you creep up the bed, straddling over Rarity’s form and making her blush heavily.
“Ah heh... Well, yes...” She says breathlessly. “What has gotten into you?”
A sultry grin cracks across your face and you lean in, planting a series of kisses up and down her neck. “Let’s just say I found my second wind,” you whisper before nipping her shoulder. “And I seem to recall promising to make up for something...”
Rarity’s voice cracks and she feels like putty in your hooves as you let them wander as they please.
“Darling... T-There are guests next door...” She pants out as you continue to ravish her. “W-What if they hear?”
“You’ll have to keep your voice down then,” you whisper huskily. “But don’t think I’ll make it easy for you...”
The look on Rarity’s face is priceless. Excited, shocked, and an eagerness on her face that gets you in the right mood. Leaning over to the nightstand, you turn the light off.
“Ohhhhhh!”
***********************************************************
Rarity’s eyes remain fixed on the floor; and for good reason.
She was good at keeping the volume down through most of your... activities. But that ending.
“I can’t believe you made me do that,” Rarity grumbles as she pulls her suitcase. “I feel so mortified.”
Her face was bright red and every now and again, you hear a low laugh from a pony or diamond dog enjoying their breakfast.
“Well,” you start above a whisper. “I didn't think you could... squeal like that. At that pitch.”
Taking your glasses off of your face, you sigh heavily as you look at the large crack running down the center of the frame. “I think you also broke a glass in the other room.”
Rarity’s face scrunches up and she glares daggers at you, all the while her cheeks glow a rosy red. “I’m learning a soundproofing spell next chance I get,” she grumbles as you and her walk up to the front desk.
Clearing your face and smiling as if nothing was wrong, you pull out a number of bits and slide them towards Rottie, who was doing his best not to smile.
“So,” he says suddenly. “Did you two... enjoy... the bed?”
You keep your teeth clenched as Rottie starts laughing. “Okay, okay laugh it up. Make any jokes you want, let’s get through the ridicule so we can pay,” you say with a long sigh.
Rottie’s expression does a complete 180 and he holds his paws up defensively. “Oh, no, no! No ridicule! We’re used to, ah, couples getting, ah... frisky as you say. We’re not laughing at you, get that thought out of your heads.”
“Really? Because it looks to me like they’re looking at us and laughing,” Rarity says curtly.
“You’d laugh too if you saw three bottles of ale and two glass pitchers explode from sound alone,” he says as he wipes at his eyes. “Strong lungs on you. Think about going into opera, I’m serious.”
Rarity’s eyes go wide before she buries her face in your mane. “Oh my gosh, I’m so embarrassed...” she moans aloud.
With another sigh, you push the bits towards Rottie and shake your head. “We should get going. Sorry for... well... damages, I guess.”
Rottie waves a paw. “Forget about it. Travel safely you two!”
Rarity couldn’t get out of the tavern fast enough and as soon as you both hit the road, she lets out a loud groan. “It’s so hard to be mad at you right now!”
“Wha-”
“On one hoof, I knew exactly what I was expecting that night and thought I’d be able to keep my quiet. But noooooo!” She cries out in frustration. “You were the best! That was amazing! And everyone in there knows that now and I.... GAHH!”
You blink in confusion. “R-Really?” You ask in confusion. “T-That was the best? As in...”
Rarity lets out a tired sigh and hangs her head in frustration. “It was. You were so passionate and... into it and so focused on me and my hips hurt, but even that feels good and...” She lets out another sigh and shakes the blush from her face. “And it was so embarrassing when I realized that everyone knew what we did. So I have mixed feeling right now.”
Wrapping a hoof around Rarity’s neck, you plant a kiss on her cheek. “Don’t be so down... Everyone will forget about it in a week. And 3/4ths of them probably don’t even know your name.”
With one more sigh, she nuzzles into your neck. “You’re probably right... So, with that behind us, where are we going to next?”
“Bitken,” you say as you dig out the map. “I’ve been through there a few times. It’s an artisan village, famous for its glass sculptures. I figure we can browse the market for a while, grab breakfast, and maybe try our hoof at glass blowing while we’re there.”
Rarity blinks in surprise at that part. “Us? Making glass?”
You shrug. “I’ve always wanted to, but never did. It’s supposed to be one of those ‘easy to learn, hard to master’ sort of things,” you say with a chuckle. “Worst comes to worse, we make a nice ashtray.”
“Well, you can make an ashtray if you’re so inclined,” Rarity says in a huff. “I’ll be making something much more refined.”
“A really good ashtray?” You ask with a snicker.
Rarity’s eyes narrow for a moment, but her expression quickly changes to one of shock. “Darling... How have you been feeling lately? In all honesty, have you been feeling stressed at all? And when was the last time you’ve, well, had a nightmare? Or seen anything?”
Your eyes go wide as it suddenly hits you and you find yourself stop dead in your tracks. “I’m not stressed out at all... I feel fine, to be honest. Hell, more than fine. I feel... great.”
You can’t help but start gigging as one more thing hits you. “And I honestly can’t remember the last time I had a nightmare. Rarity, I can’t remember when the last time I had a nightmare!”
“Why, yes... That is great darling~” Rarity hums thoughtfully. “I bet you can’t wait to tell everypony back home.”
Something about that statement kills the mood and you find your smile slowly falling.
“And get back to work,” she adds.
With the reminder of work, you feel your shoulders sag and a heavy breath leave your lungs. “Yeah...”
“Darling,” Rarity says as she puts a hoof around your shoulder. “Do you think that maybe the reason that you feel so good is because you managed to escape what’s been bothering you?”
Taking off your glasses, you rub at your eyes and sigh. “That’s... definitely a possibility.”
“Come, let’s sit down for a moment.” Guiding you to a nearby tree, Rarity takes off her saddlebags and pulls out what looks like a picnic blanket. “A lady is always prepared. We’re overdue for our first session, I’d say.”
You open your mouth to protest, but one look into Rarity's eyes and you know that she won’t have any of it. So with a small nod, you lay down on the blanket and get yourself comfortable.
“I’m thinking that this happiness, this new-found relief that you’re feeling might be more closely tied into our conversation earlier. About what ponies think about you,” Rarity begins as she settles herself down. “Am I wrong?”
With a heavy sigh, you nod your head. “No, you’re right.”
“Why do you think that is? When you think of Ponyville and everypony that lives there, what are the first things that come to mind?”
“Well,” you start. “I start thinking about what everypony must have seen that week ago when I had my first episode... After...”
Your breathing goes shallow and you feel your heart start to speed up as the memories start flooding back.
“After what happened with Careheart?” Rarity finishes.
You can’t find your words, so you just nod fervently.
“Is there anything else?”
Swallowing the lump in your throat, you take a deep breath. “I heard from Nurse Redheart that they had to take me through town to get to the hospital... And I wager that I was screaming up a storm when they brought me in.”
Your bluntness makes Rarity flinch and her hoof soon finds its way on your back. “You’re worried about how you must have looked to everypony, huh?”
“And what they’ve been saying... I didn’t want to bring it up, but after the sleep study, I heard ponies talking behind my back. Talking about how I ‘lost it’. And pitying me,” you add, spitting the words. “I hate it.”
“Rumors are just that, dear. Rumors. Now, let’s go over a few things and see if this makes you feel better about ‘home’. First, Careheart isn’t even in Ponyville anymore. She’s in Canterlot and she’s going to be tried before the Princesses themselves.”
That was news.
“Really? I mean... I haven’t really given it much thought. I knew she’d broken some sort of law, but... The Princesses? Really?”
“Nurse Careheart went to Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. And Canterlot Medical School. She broke multiple oaths and pledges when she poisoned you. Best case scenario? She’s sentenced to 30 plus years in Canterlot Penitentiary.”
You feel like the wind was just knocked out of you. “Thirty years...” You say breathlessly. “Just... wow.”
“Thirty years she will never be near you,” Rarity says with a smirk. “Feel better knowing that?”
“A bit,” you say with a strangled laugh. “I guess I expected her to get, I don’t know, a fine or a few months in prison. Felt like I was waiting for that moment when I’d see her again or have to mail her pay or just anything. Thirty years...”
“So you don’t have that on your shoulders anymore. Nurse Careheart is going to be going away for a long time. Does that make you feel any better?”
“A bit, to be honest,” you say with another laugh. “It’s definitely a weight off my shoulders. Now I just have to let everyone in Ponyville know that I’m not a raving lunatic.”
The words leave with a dry laugh, but Rarity simply gives you a deadpan look.
“Darling, I’ve been the center of gossip in Ponyville more times than I can count. They always forget in a week. The minute you show that everything’s fine, that’s when the interest goes away.”
“I know, I keep telling myself that it doesn’t matter-”
“It doesn’t,” Rarity says curtly. “They could say that you’re Discord in disguise and enjoy kidnapping foals and it doesn’t make it true. So please, stop torturing yourself over what the other ponies think.”
You give her a look and raise a single brow. “Discord in disguise?”
“Oh you know what I mean,” she says with a playful nudge. “Though it would explain how you do all those unbelievable things.”
The frown you were wearing just a few moments ago melts away as you find yourself giggling.
“Just remember. Ponies can talk all they want and it won’t affect you in the slightest. ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but-”
“‘Whips and chains excite me’?” You ask with a smile.
Rarity’s face scrunches up and she can’t hold back a fit of laughter. “Oh that was just horrible,” she says with another nudge. “But it’s a good sign. You’re starting to act like your old self. It’s quite possible that ‘getting away’ was quite the smart idea. Now, I would like to ask you a few more questions and then ask for a favor or two. Is that alright?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“On a scale of one to ten with ten being the highest, how would you rate your stress right now?” She asks as she pulls out a pad of paper and a pencil.
Letting out a long breath, you roll your shoulders. “A solid 3?”
“And when you think about Ponyville, does that affect your stress at all? How would you rate it afterwards?”
“It does. I’d say between 5 and 6.”
“Alright, now for those favors... First and foremost, I think it would be wise to contact the doctor and let him know about your improved condition and see what he makes of it,” she says as she tucks away her pad of paper. “And this may take a while, but I’d like you to sit down at some point and write out a full description of your nightmares and any hallucinations you’ve had.”
You feel your throat go dry at the second request. “All of them?”
Rarity nods. “Yes. I’ve been studying a more prominent psychologist in those books you lent me and he discussed dream interpretation quite a bit. I’m wondering if there is anything that we might be able to discern from your nightmares and hallucinations. It could give us a glimpse into your subconsious.”
You sigh in defeat and give Rarity a weak smile. “Alright. I’ll start working on it as soon as I can.”
“Thank you,” she says before placing a kiss on your cheek. “We’ll get through this, I promise.”
With that in mind, you get to your hooves and offer one to Rarity. “Shall we? Bitkin is waiting.”
With a noble-like nod, she stands up. “Certainly~”
********************
Rarity was not happy.
You on the other hoof, were doing everything you could not to laugh. “Oh come on now, it’s not that bad.”
The glass-making tour had been a hit. You got to see a professional make a glass swan in less than two minutes right before your eyes and took the course with the eyes of a professional watching over you. And now at the end of the day, you and Rarity are retiring to a modest hotel for the night.
During your time, you had managed to make what looks like a turtle when you squint at it. Before the instruction and session, Rarity had proclaimed her intention to make a candle holder and you admit that it looked like you just dropped the candle in water.
“It was an honest mistake, really.” You say as you bite back the chuckles. “I mean-”
“Stop talking,” she grumbles as she holds her candle holder.
“I mean, it does look like it could be used as an ashtray with the waves in it to hold a cigarette and-”
“He didn’t need to comment loudly on how it was ‘a really nice looking ashtray’ though!” She snaps as she puts the key to the hotel room in. “And you! You were laughing so hard, I thought you forgot how to breathe!”
“I couldn’t help it,” you say with another snicker. “The look on your face was priceless.”
With a snort of indignation and turning her nose up, Rarity takes off her saddlebag and places down her glass sculpture.
“Now I know how Sweetie Belle felt when working with clay...” she says with a sigh. “Besides that little event, it was quite the experience.”
Smiling from ear to ear, you wrap your hooves around Rarity’s barrel as she unpacks her bags and pepper her neck with kisses. “It was,” you say inbetween. “And we’re barely halfway through.”
Rarity returns the kiss and sighs dreamily as you let your hooves wander across her body. “Mmm... I do hate to stop this, but you should give the doctor a call before we go any further.”
With some reluctance, you let go of her and make your way towards the hotel telephone. “Sure thing. Why don’t we unwind with a shower? I’ll be in right after you,” you say with a wink.
“I’ll hold you to that~” she sing songs as she practically skips towards the bathroom.
Grabbing the hotel telephone, you dial in Bones’ number as you lean against the wall and listen to the ringing.
“Ponyville General Hospital, this is Doctor-”
“Heya! How’s it going in your neck of the woods?”
You swear you can hear the sound of papers being tossed as the line goes silent. “Fritz! Sweet Dancing Luna, is everything alright? You’re not-”
“Better than alright, if I do say so myself,” you say with a laugh. “I’m... happy, to be honest. Working through some of the stresses that have been weighing me down, but it’s going good.”
“And I think I know why,” he says in a smug tone. “I can’t take all the credit, but I have a bunch of good news for you. Ready for an info-dump?”
“Schieß los.”
[Translation: Hit me.]
“First and foremost, we found the trigger for the ‘Poison Orchid’. It’s stress, Fritz. The more stressed you were, the more active the poison was in your system. In turn, you’d have more nightmares and hallucinations, which would cause more stress-”
“Which would feed itself, Gotts im Himel... That is a damn dangerous poison. It makes itself stronger.”
“Yeah, Twilight found mention in an old history book of one of the old Unicorn queens who experienced the same symptoms you are. Sleeplessness, nightmares and hallucinations to name a few. Turns out they were poisoned by an earth pony assassin using the very same poison.”
“Did it mention a cure?” You ask hopefully.
“Unfortunately, no. In fact, there is no cure possible as far as we know, but there is good news. The poison is hitching a ride on your blood and after running a few tests, Twilight and I came to the conclusion that in 120 days, the lifetime of a blood cell, when the red blood cells undergo eryptosis and are consumed by macrophages-”
“Slow down, slow down! What’s going on? In a bit simpler terms?” You ask with a chuckle. “I’m not exactly in the right mindset to talk shop here, Bones.”
“Alright, simple terms? When your blood cells carrying the poison start dying, your white blood cells will eat those cells, along with the poison and in the white blood cell, the poison breaks down. Twilight tested it herself, she’s 100% positive. You’ll be fine in around 4 months.”
Now that got you excited.
“4 months? So I’ll be all fine in 4 months?”
“As long as you avoid any undue stress in your life, you’ll be fine. And we got one more bit of news, you might have mixed feelings about it though.”
You straighten up and feel yourself hold the phone tighten in your grasp. “Why?”
“Nurse Careheart. The Princesses offered her leniency if she told them everything about what she did, why she did it, how and when. From what Twilight’s told me, she’s gotten 10 years. But, we do have a time frame now and know some finer details,” he says. “Like for instance, how much she dosed you with and when she started.”
Reaching into your nearby saddlebag, you pull out your pocket calendar and start flipping through pages. “When did she start poisoning me?” You ask out of morbid curiosity.
“About... 15 days ago. She steadily increased the dosage when she didn’t see ‘immediate results’ as she puts it,” he says with venom in his voice. “I wish the Princesses locked her away for life.”
Flipping through the pages and into last month, you start counting back the days and find when it all started. “15... 15.. 15... Alright, here we-” Your breath catches in your throat. 15 days ago was the day after you took Rarity the Grand Gourmet.
Your mind starts racing a million miles a minute as you try to come to terms with what this meant.
Had the panic attack that night. Thought it was the initial attack. I had my first nightmare that night, I know it. But it wasn’t Careheart. IT WASN’T CAREHEART.
By now, you’re sweating bullets. “B-Bones... Are you 100% sure she said she started poisoning 15 days ago? Exactly 15 days?”
“Uh... Hold on, let me grab my notes...” A shuffle of papers is all you hear for a few tense moments before he speaks up again. “Yeah. She said she started poisoning your coffee 15 days ago right before you saw Crystal. She came in not too long ago, she-”
Your whole body felt like glass. A stiff breeze could knock you over and you’d shatter into a million pieces.
“B-Bones, I g-gotta go,” you choke out. “It’s, uh, I... I’ll tell you later.” Before he can even respond, you slam the phone down on the receiver and let yourself go limp, sliding down to the floor before bursting into tears.
It can’t be true, it can’t be true... You think grimly as you start sobbing. It’s something else. It’s something else, it has to be.
While you wrack your brain for some other explanation, a hoof finds its way onto your shoulder, making you jump. “Honey? Are you alright?”
You crane your head up and look at Rarity, her body still dripping wet and her face full of worry. “What happened?”
Your mouth opens and you try to say something, anything at all, but nothing comes out but a strangled squeak. In an instant, you launch yourself at her and hold her tight as you cry into her chest.
*******************************************
You told her.
You told her everything. You told her everything Bones told you and more. About the date at the Grand Gourmet, your fit of panic and how it had nothing to do with Careheart.
The look on her face.
You couldn’t tell if it was pity or disappointment, but seeing that look on her face hurt you. For the last hour, you’ve been curled up on the bed. Rarity kissed your forehead and told you that she’d be right back. Something about making a few phone calls and picking a few things up.
She didn’t say when she’d be back and that’s what’s worried you the most.
That’s why your heart nearly leaped out of your chest when the door finally opened and Rarity walked through, carrying a number of bags and looking rather haggard.
“I am so sorry that took so long dear, I was having a hard time finding the right stores and had to stop and ask for directions so many times,” she says as she starts setting bags down. “Are you feeling alright?”
“I... But wait... You’re not mad or anything? When you left, I kind of thought the worse...”
With a heavy sigh, Rarity gives you a weary smile and sits down at the foot of the bed. “Darling... I can never be mad with you. Irritated, maybe. Never mad. If anyone, I’m mad at myself.”
Running a hoof through your mane, she takes another deep breath and continues.
“I guess I fooled myself into thinking this would be so easy after you started to act so happy and carefree. I guess I thought that maybe, by some divine intervention, you were cured. And all I could do now was put the last finishing touches on your recovery.”
Laying down next to you, Rarity grabs ahold of you and draws you into her embrace. “I was becoming selfish and thought that at the end of all of this, we’d get our story-book ending. The princess saves her prince in the end, they get married and live happily ever after. Life is never that easy, it seems. Or fair.”
With a sniffle, you hold her back. “I... I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...”
“Shhh... Shhh... Don’t apologize. This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to have a nice, hot scented bath. I’m going to give you a massage and then we’re going to go to bed. I’ll hold you close, never let go, and you’re going to tell me every dream, every nightmare and every errant thought you’ve had. And when we wake up tomorrow? We’re going to continue our vacation.”
“B-But I should-”
“You should relax.” Rarity says firmly. “Remember? Stress is your trigger. We’re going to have fun and I’m going to take care of you. Just like you took care of me.”
You find yourself tearing up and snuggle in closer to Rarity.
“I don’t deserve you...” You mumble into her fur.
You feel her lips press against your forehead. “That’s my line.”