//------------------------------//
// Chapter Five 
// Story: No Sweets for Sweetie 
// by fallen starr 
//------------------------------//

Rarity looked around the crowded area. Ponies milled about, walking into the pristine building, casually chatting with friends as they went through the buffet line outside, or talking to three young grinning mares. 

“This is something,” Coco said to Rarity, taking in the scene as well. “Your sister and her friends really pulled it off.” 

Unable to keep the proud smile off her face, Rarity nodded. “Yes, she did. She’s barely turned sixteen, and she already has her own business. I was still working out of my parents’ house at her age.” She glanced around the crowd again. Applejack and Pinkie were tending to the buffet table. Rainbow Dash was inside giving tours, while Fluttershy was in the back doing the same. She saw Sassy sitting next to Little Wing, both mares laughing, most likely comparing notes over how different the stores they managed were.  “I’m glad the three of you could come.”

Coco laughed. “I don’t think any of us would ever say no to a paid day off, Rarity.” She winked at her friend, laughing again. “Still, I’m going to go see what they’re doing. We’ll talk more later, okay?” She walked away, leaving Rarity to watch over the crowd again. Her parents were mingling with the other ponies in the crowd, dutifully telling anyone who would listen that this was their daughters business. 

Rarity’s eyes scanned the crowd for Sweetie Belle. Once the announcements and the questioning parents and foals had finally left to check out the facilities, the three business mares had been working the crowd, but she couldn’t seem to spot any of them. Now, where has she gone? Rarity stood and began walking, only to hear Sweetie’s voice calling her name. “There you are, darling, I’ve been looking all over for you.”

Sweetie’s eyes held a mischievous glint as she smiled. “I’ve been looking for you, too. I need you to come over here for a moment.” Not giving Rarity time to move, Sweetie began pushing her sister in the direction. 

“Sweetie Belle, is this any way to behave in public?” Rarity spun out of her sisters grasp, the younger mare stopping herself from falling face first into the dirt with a hoof. “What has gotten in to you?”

Scuffing her hoof in the dirt, Sweetie wouldn’t meet Rarity’s eyes. “I just really wanted you to talk to someone. That’s all.”

Still not trusting her sister, Rarity narrowed her eyes. “Who is it?”

Sweetie’s ears perked up and she looked past Rarity as Apple Bloom and Scootaloo led a pony over to them. Rarity looked behind her and saw the trio, turning back to Sweetie with a deadly look on her face. “You didn’t.”

With a slightly nervous laugh, Sweetie rubbed the back of her neck. Well, you weren’t saying anything to him, you know, and you should.”

Rarity filled her lungs and slowly released the breath in order to keep her emotions in check. “When I told you of my crush, I trusted you not to do something like this. I thought you learned your lesson already?”

“Yeah, but that’s why you aren’t getting anything but pushed together.” Sweetie smiled innocently.

“Miss Rarity,” came a voice from behind her. Slowly, Rarity turned and took in the mare standing before her, a casual smile on her face. 

“Hello, Macintosh, darling. How are you?”

“Good. Apple Bloom insisted something needed tending to over here.” Big Mac looked around. “Everything seems to be fine.”

Rarity jumped slightly at a hoof poking her side, and turned her head to glare at Sweetie Belle. “If you girls would excuse us,” Rarity said, walking a short distance away. 

“Oh, come on!” Sweetie yelled. “Seriously?”

One last glare from Rarity was enough to quiet her. 

Big Mac looked confused, but said nothing. 

Rarity sighed. “I might have said something to Sweetie the other day, and she’s just being foalish, is all.” She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. “It’s a rather nice day, isn’t it?”

“Eeyup." He took a deep breath, though not one of annoyance. Rarity knew Mac was always one to appreciate nature. Rarity was finding this conversation much easier than she had anticipated it being. Of course her stomach was fluttering a little, but the words were easy to say. “Once this is over, I was wondering if you would like to perhaps go to dinner?” Rarity resisted fluttering her eyelashes. Macintosh was not some colt to be wooed, he was a proper, rugged gentlecolt.

With a smile, Mac nodded. “That sounds nice.” he glanced around again before leaning over and planting a quick kiss to Rarity's cheek.

In the distance, Rarity heard Sweetie Belle yell in victory. 



Late that night, soft knocks on her bedroom door barely roused Rarity from her sleep. “Come in,” she said, blinking as the door opened and shut quietly. 

“Is Mac here?” Sweetie asked from next to the door. 

With a smile, Rarity lit up her horn and turned the lights on. “No, darling, he isn’t. It was the first date Sweetie Belle.” 

Sweetie shifted from hoof to hoof, biting her lip. “Good. I…I need to sleep with you tonight. The therapist says I should try to do it on my own, since I won’t always live with you, but…” she bit her lip again, looking down at the carpet. “It’s hard.”

“Well, come on then.” Rarity scooted over as Sweetie slid between the sheets. “You have needed me less and less, you know. This is the first time in nearly two weeks.”

“I haven’t wanted to throw up for a whole week,” Sweetie said as she snuggled into Rarity’s side. “I knew all those people would see me and I thought about how I would look and stuff, and throwing up or skipping meals did cross my mind, but almost like half-thoughts, you know?” She smiled. “The therapist says the thoughts will never fully go away, but that I can make them small enough to just ignore.”

Rarity brushed her hoof through Sweetie’s mane. “I’m so proud of you, little sister.”

With a happy sigh, Rarity snuggled next to Sweetie. Maybe the struggled would continue, but they would face it together.