The dust that ponies kicked up outside didn’t seem to like to stay outside. Rarity cleared her throat again, thankful that she had a covered glass of water. She had made it to Appleloosa two days ago to deliver the clothing and make any final adjustments. The mare, a lovely young earth pony, had adored her dress. Once she had made the small adjustments the dress needed, she had found the rodeo team. She had expected the vest to be nearly perfect, like the mares dress had been. They would have been, too, except the team had simply guessed their sizes.
The two mares and one of the stallions, thankfully, hadn’t been far off the mark, and their adjustments were easy. Another stallion had overshot his measurements by more than a smidgen, but Rarity had done her best to adjust his vest so that it wouldn’t be a hindrance as he used his lasso.
The last stallion of the team, Duke, posed the largest problem. He was quite possibly the most muscled stallion Rarity had ever laid eyes on. He would have made Bulk Biceps look like a beginner. “I sure am sorry, ma’am,” he drawled, as Rarity fussed over his vest. She could cut away and make room in the much too small garment, but that would ruin the insignia on the back. She hadn’t brought enough cloth to make up for the difference so the vest would be able to buckle in the front, either.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “It was a simple mistake. I shall fix it.” I hope, she added, biting her lip. Had the vest been overly large, she could have made it work, but it was too small. She couldn’t simply magically enlarge it. Doing so would weaken the fabric, and with the casual flexing power of that pony, it would rip before the show was half over.
“Ma’am,” Duke tried again, walking over to her.
Her eyes met his, and he shrank back. “I only wanted to say that you don’t have to go through all this here fuss. It was my mistake. You made exactly what we asked you too.” He smiled, and Rarity finally relaxed slightly. He isn’t bad looking. He’s just so…muscly. His dark brown hair off set the green of his coat, and his eyes, the color of sunlight through whiskey, made her never want to look away. “I’ve brought you your bits,” he said, his accent elongating his words. Still, the muscles. If only they weren’t quite so…big. He seems a gentlecolt.
Rarity smiled. “Oh, darling, I would feel just awful leaving you without a vest to wear with your team before the rodeo this weekend.” She placed a hoof on his shoulder. “After all, I want to be able to see my team from the stands.”
His eyes shone as he smiled. “You’re staying to watch?”
Oh, but he’s such a sweetheart. Perhaps I could get over the size of his muscles. “Of course. I need to make sure my designs stand up. These are the first rodeo costumes I’ve ever made that are going to get regular use.”
His cheeks took a pinkish hue as he opened his mouth. Whatever he had been about to say was cut off, as a flash of magenta appeared between the two, a scroll falling to the ground as their eyes focused.
“Wha—What was that?” he asked, still blinking away spots from his eyes.
“Oh dear,” Rarity said, picking the scroll up. “It’s a letter from my friend Twilight.” She unfurled it, glancing at him. “I’m sorry, but this must be urgent. I don’t even know how she teleported this scroll from Ponyville.”
“I have all day, ma’am. Take your time.”
With a smile, she began reading.
Rarity
“Hmm, not even Dear Rarity? No time for niceties?” she murmured, mostly to herself.
I know you’re on an important business trip to Appleloosa but you have to come back to Ponyville. Sweetie Belle collapsed earlier at Sugarcube Corner. They’ve admitted her to the hospital, and I’m acting as her guardian until you are able to be here. The doctors say she’ll be fine now, but also that it’s urgent that you’re here.
Twi
Rarity stared at the letter for a moment, her mouth moving but not forming words, her eyes no larger than pinpricks. Then she was running, the letter falling to the ground as she moved as quickly as she could to the train station.
She was breathing hard as she made it to the ticket booth. “When’s the next train to Ponyville?”
The stallion behind the ticket booth gave her a concerned look. “Tomorrow.”
Oh, no, no no. “What about close to Ponyville?
“Still tomorrow. No trains going that direction for the rest of the day.”
Rarity blinked. Then she blinked again. “No. No, no, no.” Turning she ran back toward the center of town, bursting into the sheriff’s office. She grabbed the first officer she could find, her expression almost manic. “I need help.”
“Okay, ma’am. What seems to be the problem?” The officer pushed her hooves off his uniform as he asked, making sure there were a few steps between them.
“I have to get to Ponyville. My sister…” Her heart pounded against her chest. She had known better than to leave Sweetie Belle by herself. She was no better than their parents, running off and leaving the poor filly. “She’s…I need…”
“You’re Braeburn’s pal, ain’t you? Come on, let’s go find him and get you sorted.” He trotted ahead of her. “So, what exactly has happened?”
Rarity was barely keeping her breathing under control. “My sister is in the hospital. I don’t know why. She’s all alone. Our parents are gone on a trip, and I need to be there.” She felt the tears running down her face. “I need to get to Ponyville."
He led her back to Appleloosa Boutique, where Duke was still sitting. “Ah, Duke, just the pony I wanted to see. Will you make sure Miss Rarity stays here while I go and find Braeburn?”
Inclining his head, Duke glanced between the sheriff and Rarity. “Yessir.” He glanced at Rarity once more, as she took slow deep breaths to try and calm herself. “I reckon she’s worked into a tizzy.”
“Good reason, though,” the officer said as he left the shop.
Gingerly, Rarity picked the letter back up. She should have realized something was wrong This was Twilight’s own writing, and it was sloppy. She hadn’t even bothered signing her whole name. She didn’t understand what could have been wrong. Sweetie had that stomach bug the other day, but that should have ran its course by now.
“Ma’am, you want to talk about your letter?” Duke asked. “I didn’t mess with it. I sure hate to see you so upset, though.”
She looked over at him, the tears in her eyes blurring her vision. “I’m sitting in Appleloosa, while my sister, my sweet, precious little sister, has collapsed for no reason and is currently in the hospital.” She fell to her rump, looking at the ground. “I’m supposed to be looking after her and here I am, stuck with no way of getting to her.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Braeburn said, stepping into the shop. “Come now, Miss Rarity. I’ve found a couple ponies you’re going to be overjoyed to see. Just showed up on my doorstep ‘bout the same time as the sheriff.”
Rarity was on her hooves in an instant. “Oh, thank Celestia.”
Braeburn chuckled. “Almost literally. I think it was Princess Twilight, though.”
Exiting the shop, Rarity saw two pegasus guards standing tall, their golden armor emblazoned with a silver six pointed star, a chariot behind them. “Lady Rarity,” they said, inclining their heads. “The Princess sent us to bring you to Ponyville.”
Without even saying goodbye, Rarity was on the back of the chariot and the guards took off. “Am I ever glad to see you,” she said, looking forward between the guards. “I was about to have a nervous breakdown trying to find a way home.” She sat, the adrenaline from her earlier panic starting to wear off. “How did you get to Appleloosa so quickly?”
The guard on the left looked back at her. “The Princess sent us hours ago, while she was researching how to long-distance teleport.”
“It-It’s been hours?” Rarity asked.
The guard on the right nodded. “’Fraid so, Lady Rarity. We got here as quick as we could. The Princess wanted to just pull you to Ponyville, but it seems like she didn’t figure that one out in time.”
Rarity suddenly felt light headed. “Okay then. Thank you both ever so much. I can’t imagine how tired you both must be.”
The guard on the left smiled. “It’s our honor, Lady Rarity. Sweetie Belle is our friend, and she adores you.”
“You know Sweetie Belle?”
The guard chuckled. “’Course I know Sweetie Belle, Lady Rarity. It’s me, Rumble.”
“Oh my, Rumble, really?”
He smiled. “Yeah.” He poked his partner with his elbow. “Come on, Streak, let’s double time this thing.”
“For real?”
“For real.”
The guards landed in front of Ponyville Medic, and Rarity jumped out of the chariot, throwing one last thank you over her shoulder as she rushed into the hospital. She shivered slightly as she made her way to the front desk. The unnatural whiteness of everything, the artificial smell of the air, the long hallways with strange medical instruments. She hated hospitals, especially at night.
She made it to the front desk and the welcome stallion looked up at her. “How can I help you?”
Managing to keep her voice level as she spoke, she said, “I’m Rarity, Sweetie Belle’s sister. What room is she in?”
After a shuffle and a look through a couple files, the stallion looked up. “114. Down that hall and take a left.”
With a quick “thank you,” she took off at a quick trot. She made it into the room to see Sweetie Belle hooked to several monitors, her white coat looking rough around the edges. Twilight was asleep in a chair to the side, the princess drooling onto her purple fur. The room was filled with an assortment of presents. A small basket of apples sat on the table next to Sweetie Belle’s bed. Balloons were tied to the railings. Flowers and books were placed on the window seal. She took a few more steps toward Sweetie, her eyes filling with fresh tears.
She brought her hoof up to stroke the sleeping girls mane. “Oh Sweetie,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.” The only reply was the steady beeping of the monitors. She wasn’t sure what to say. She didn’t want to wake her sister, but she also wanted to grab her into the biggest hug she had ever given her.
“Oh, hey Rarity, you made it,” came Twilight’s sleepy voice. “I was worried you wouldn’t get my note, or that Rumble and Streak would be slower.” She stretched, getting out of the chair slowly. She walked over to where Rarity was standing. “It isn’t your fault, you know. It would have happened either way.”
Rarity looked into Twilight’s face. “Do you know what happened?”
“Apparently, her blood pressure was too low. They talked to her after she woke up, but she’s been out again for a few hours.” Twilight looked directly at Rarity. “They didn’t tell me exactly what was wrong. I do have a few guesses, but they are all so different…”
“She’s okay now, right?”
Twilight nodded. “For now, yes.”
Rarity walked over to the chair and sat. “What happened? At Sugarcube Corner, I mean.”
Twilight sighed, sitting on the floor next to Rarity. “Pinkie was there, so she would be the better pony to explain.” She stopped for a moment, brow furrowed. “Actually, never mind that. From what I understand, she was in line with Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, explaining that she wasn’t hungry because she had ate a large breakfast. Apple Bloom told her she didn’t, since she had woken Sweetie up and they had left your house together.” Twilight looked over at Sweetie, the mare seemingly sleeping peacefully despite all the wires attached to her. “She was about to say something else, when she just…passed out. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom were here until the nurses forced them to leave. All the girls stopped by, too, and some of Sweetie’s other friends.” She looked at Rarity again.
“Why would she lie about eating breakfast?” Rarity asked, looking at Sweetie. “I even bought her favorite cereal.”
For a while, the mares sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. Finally, Twilight yawned and stood, stretching out her wings. “I think I should go back to the castle now. It would probably do you good to go home and sleep, too, you know.”
Rarity shook her head. “No, Sweetie needs me here when she wakes up.”
A small smile formed on Twilight’s face. “Yeah, I thought so. My blanket and pillow are in the drawer there, feel free to use them.”
“Twilight,” Rarity called as her friend turned to the door. “Thank you. For everything.”
Will Sweetie Belle be adorable in this story? More adorable then she already is, I mean?
Hmm. The diabeetus, mayhaps?
nuuuu! its deeabeeteees! nuuuu!
6904732 That would be blood sugar not blood pressure, I would know, I have type 1 diabetes.
If the author ends up saying that it is diabetes, then they'll have to make a few adjustments with the story.
Now for more Rarimom.
What I wanna know is how did a pipsqueak like Rumble, and whoever his friend is, appear to be fully grown royal guards, and able to haul a chariot and pony for hours?
6904670 I think she's going to stay at the level she currently is? I honestly can't judge that.
6904732 6904761 Two more votes for that. It seems to be the most popular theory, just in front of bulimia, with pregnancy at third.
6904930 If you want Rarimom, you're going to love chapter three.
6905158 Okay, I'm going to be honest, I stopped reading at the comma for a second, and I was so confused. I was like, 'Pipsqueak hasn't even been mentioned in this story' and then I continued reading and realized what you meant. Anywho, answering that actually takes a bit of headcanon.
So, when a foal gets their cutie mark in Equestria, from what I'm given to believing, they have three options. Quit school and strike out on their own, right then and there, maybe getting an apprenticeship (I imagine this as what Pinkie did). Stay in school and finish learning, and then find an apprenticeship of some sort or go it alone, working on your skills (a la Rarity). Or they go on to secondary school if what they want to do requires that, and maybe even college or something (like Twilight). Although parents are still responsible for foals until they reach around the age of like 16-18.
Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom are starting their own company once the building is, well, built. Rumble got his cutie mark and went to start training to be a Royal Guard. When it was time to be assigned, he wanted to be in Twilight's guard, and then (this might come out in the story, so I'm putting a spoiler tag) Twi asked for volunteers to go and get Rarity. Rumble is one of Sweetie Belle's close friends, so he offers, and so does Streak. Between his training and his knowledge Ponyville and Rarity and Sweetie Belle, he's able to pull through. Plus I was thinking like, a three hour trip at most.
Eep, that's a bit of a long response, but yeah. That's the basics of it.
I'm surprised I haven't seen anyone mention Anorexia as the issue.
To me it seems like the obvious problem, but then I suppose knowing people with Eating Disorders may simply means I'm more familiar with it.
My question would be as to what the Mental component of the issue is. I suppose spending so much time with Rarity and 'high class' ponies might have caused the initial problem. It could also have to do with feeling like there is something wrong with her since her parents keep abandoning her, but I'm sure it will be explained in later chapters.
Enjoying the story and looking forward to what comes next.
Keep it up ^_^ .
6905336 I think most people are putting Anorexia and Bulimia together when they guess at this point, and Bulimia is actually the second favorite theory.
6905240
Well that clears a lot up. I thought the story was set with Rumble and the others still being the foals we see on the show, not aged up.
6905240 I used to go to a school with a kid who had diabetes... The signs point to that...
6905388 Oh, no, I'm sorry. I did mention that Sweetie was almost 16 at the very beginning, but it was a tiny mention, so it's probably easily overlookable.
6905404 I can see where people see that, but I can also see where people get the others as well. (I'm trying to make sure my replies don't reveal what it is and whether any of the guesses are right, just because there are people giving reasonable thoughts to them. Plus, spoiling the story before I put it up would suck). My older brother has had type I his since he was a toddler, so I have a pretty good understanding of how it works.
Oh dear... I really wonder what Sweetie Belle has. I honestly don't think it's diabetes, because it was her blood pressure. Also, the whole not eating thing is concerning.
6905359 Easiest way to figure out the mystery is to just look up the symptoms on 'web md'.
It's Cancer obviously.
She's lying about eating, and she threw up last chapter so I'm guessing anorexia/bulimia.
Like how many people are still trying to guess at the diagnosis when it's just becoming more obvious. Well I guess not everyone can have experience with EDs.
I like your narrator, it keeps just the right distance. There was one point where you used a structure meant for more intimate storytelling, which I found jarring. The "and soon she was running" bit or something like that. Anyway, carry on
6905906
Reference to Wilson from House?
6905795 See, I had originally put down blood sugar, but when everyone started guessing that it was diabetes, I had to change it. That's the only thing the comments has influenced with this story.
6906113 Well, I do want the story to be a bit intimate with Rarity and her part in all this. Also, yeah, EDs are a thing so many people are blessed to have no experience with at all.
I'm back, and this mystery is ever so intriguing. Apparently, her blood pressure was too low. If it were blood sugar - that'd be a dead ringer for diatebetes (but also a side-effect of an eating disorder). As for blood pressure - hypotension - ...that leaves a lot of varied options. Pregnancy, dehydration, a heart problem, any number of neurological/glandular problems, extreme excercise, also diabetes (in some cases), blood loss, anaphalaxtic shock, certain medications... Twilight had it right :
“They didn’t tell me exactly what was wrong. I do have a few guesses, but they are all so different…” Pregnancy could still feasibly be it, but as before, unlikely. A host of options are very unlikely indeed. Diabetes is still a leading candidate, but the alleged witness testimony of Apple Bloom, for me, establishes eating disorder as prime suspect.
Mystery aside - I liked Duke's character and Rarity's interaction with him, limited as it was. Seemed like a really sound, decent guy. She must feel terrible about being away - not being there - especially so if it comes to light that the situation is indeed a behavioural one. It was very kind of Twilight to stay in and wait like that. It's a very nice setting, this one, where the ponies obviously rally together in support, as they can. I like that.