Ponyville Jukebox

by wbwolf

Story 1: Vanity, thy name is [Rarity]

Vanity, thy name is
inspired by "Vanity Kills" by ABC

"I have very beautiful lips."

Rarity stared intently at her image in the mirror. The phrase was a mantra to try to convince herself that she was the same beautiful mare she had always been.

"Sis, are you going to stay in there all day? We need to be on the train to Canterlot in an hour!" Sweetie Belle's voice came through the door. She had long since become a grown mare herself, and the voice training she had ordinarily made Sweetie Belle's voice as sweet and mellow as her name. However, whenever she got exasperated at her sister, the squeaks of foalhood would creep back in. Those squeaks were there now.

Rarity did her best to ignore that tone as she carefully applied the makeup first to her lips. "Sweetie, darling, I'm going to be appearing before royalty and I need to look my best." What she didn't say, but had to admit privately to herself, is she was doing this because she wanted to still look like that graceful mare from twenty years ago that used the Elements. Spike, even as a juvenile dragon, would always compliment her looks and compare her to the diamonds on her flank. But she knew she was getting older, and time is not kind to a mare.

Behind the door, there was a soft growl. "You won't be seeing the Princesses until tomorrow. Twilight even specifically made sure you would have time to freshen up before you appeared in front of the crowds."

Sweetie Belle was still young enough that she didn't have to worry about such things, Rarity shot back in her own mind. But she didn't say it, partially because what Sweetie said was true. She looked at her white coat, ever so slightly dulled to grey; her fabulous purple mane and tail no longer holding the coiffure she worked so hard to achieve not as long as it used to. Worst of all, aside from Spike, she was not getting the compliments from the other stallions that she had long enjoyed. No, she still needed to look her best.

Her horn glowed a light blue and lifted a powder puff. She lightly dusted her coat with talc, helping to hide the grey. She was lucky, she mused, that she had a white coat. Poor Fluttershy must to have to get something special for her yellow coat. She must ask her sometime.

"How much longer?" Sweetie Belle called impatiently.

"I am just about ready, dear. You don't rush a lady," Rarity retorted primly. Regardless, she did start to pick the pace. As much as she wanted to wallow, her sister was right. She had to be on that train, and it would best that she did it in a dignified manner, rather than running pell-mell through the streets of Ponyville.
Rarity took another look at herself in mirror. She would like to believe that the face that stared back at her was the same one of the youthful Rarity, but no, time has marched on and left its tracks on her body. She sighed, quickly applied the false eyelashes, then gathered the toiletries and set them in the travel case.

As she opened the door, Sweetie Belle was standing there, still in the prime of her life, the two toned mane keeping its youthful curl. "Took you long enough," she muttered with a mixture of exasperation and sisterly teasing.

Rather than rising to the bait, she looked at her sister seriously. "Sweetie Belle, darling, do you think I'm getting rather long in the tooth?"

Sweetie Belle was rather confused by the non-sequitur. "No, you're just as lovely as ever. I wish I could be half as graceful as you are."

Rarity smiled at the compliment, a tear welled in her eye. Maybe she still had beauty left in her. There was an awkward pause, before Rarity broke the silence. "Right, the train. Shall we get going?"

Comments

[Path_of_cloud]

Well, I liked this. Particularly, that Spike still has feelings for her where everyone else has moved on, so to speak. As little as his part is, it speaks chapters of his character.

Sweetie was... well, a sweety. and Rarity concerns do feel like her.