All The Little Rings

by Nines

The Seventh Day

Following her friends’ visit, Rarity felt… lighter. Raw, still, in many ways, like her soul had been made delicate and just one errant hallmark moment could send her into blubbering tears. But still, lighter.

A great rock had been moved from within, and now the gusts of emotions rushed through her, sweeping away the dreary cobwebs that so stymied her creative spirit. Best of all—

She could cry again! Oh, what sweet relief it was!

She let the tears come, gladly welcoming the salty torrent with all of her trademark wailing and moaning. She was cleansing her heart, ridding it of the despair she’d felt, but also reveling in the beauty of things. To feel things so acutely was practically to straddle life itself.

Why, just the other day, she became verklempt at the sight of a stallion proposing to his beloved just outside of her shop, forcing her to flee upstairs before anypony could see her crumble.

Oh, Rarity was keenly aware that breaking into tears during a fashion consult went far beyond a simple faux pas, so she mustered up all of her considerable social skills for some self-control. It got her through the workdays. Mostly.

There may have been an errant tear or two, and perhaps she needed to excuse herself for a teensy moment, but she maintained some semblance of decorum in front of her customers.

To say that it wasn’t challenging— especially in the wake of her recent night with Pinkie and Fluttershy— would have been an outright lie, whatever appearances may seem.

Two days after her girls’ night, Rarity had been at her sales desk, finalizing the sale of a tuxedo to a stallion, when Spike entered, his scaly brow tightened and his claws fiddling with each other in an anxious wrestle.

After thanking her customer, Rarity turned to her draconic little friend as he came to a stop at the end of her counter. “Spikey-Wikey? My dear! Whatever is the matter?” She touched a hoof to her chest, her eyes tensing with concern. “Heavens, you look as if you owed the wrong sort a king’s ransom!”

Spike scratched at his cheek and shuffled on the spot, his emerald gaze turning down. “I ran into Pinkie Pie today,” he said, looking up at her with chin tucked. “She told me about how she and Fluttershy spent time with you to help cheer you up.”

Rarity blinked. “Yes, they did visit me two days ago...” She said this slowly, still uncertain of where this was going.

Spike rocked forward and back on the soles of his feet, his hands clasping behind his back. “When she told me that, I realized that I hadn’t been by to visit since I gave you that taaffeite gem, and…” he sighed and slouched, peering at her sidelong. “I felt bad. I should have been more concerned!”

Now Rarity smiled, her heart warming with that familiar glow of friendship, though the teensiest crease divided her brow. She was heartened to hear that he cared so deeply, but she hardly wished for the little fellow to feel responsible for her well-being! A young dragon like himself didn’t deserve the burden.

“That’s very sweet of you, Spike,” she started gently, “but I hardly hold that against you—!”

“But I hold it against me!” He cried, taking an impassioned step forward. His head lifted and his eyes fixed on her, large with anxiety, and with little tears threatening to spill down his scales.

Rarity leaned back, her mouth pressing together in surprise. Well! Her small friend certainly couldn’t be accused of lacking in fiery passion!

Her eyes ticked to the side.

I, er, suppose he’s a dragon after all… and so honor-bound, at that!

Spike clutched the sides of his head and squeezed his eyes shut, globs of tears clinging to his eyelashes. “It wasn’t like I didn’t know you were going through something! That’s why I gave you the gem, hoping it would cheer you up!”

He sighed again, more heavily, letting his clawed hands fall. “But I should have known you needed more than that from me. I just… wasn’t sure you’d want to open up to me. M-Maybe I was afraid I’d bother you and just make it worse...”

Rarity bit her lip.

I’ve underestimated him again… I thought he didn’t notice my despair, but the fact was he knew something was wrong and handled it as best he felt able.

Rarity leaned down and nuzzled the spines on Spike’s head. “Oh my precious dear… Please, do not torment yourself like this! I didn’t reach out to anyone, and I certainly did not make myself in the least bit approachable!”

She gave his forehead a little peck, then placed a hoof under his chin and tilted his head up to meet gazes.

“Spike, you have been a good friend,” she murmured warmly. “And you continue to be one of my most cherished companions and ardent champions!” She pouted and gave a little shake of her head. “You deserve no reproach!”

Spike wrung his claws. “If… If you say so.”

She smiled. “I do say so.”

“But… uh… I was wondering…” He looked away, his shoulders hunching up.

Rarity tilted her head and waited patiently with a curious blink. Her ears swiveled forward with expectation. Something deeper here, I think.

Spike took a deep breath and pointed meekly toward her gossip nook. “I was wondering… If I could add something to your chain project too?”

Now Rarity’s eyes widened. “My… chain project?”

She looked to the chain curtain that hung over her nook. It had grown since that night, to put it lightly. She’d added several more links. Some not so flattering, and others a little more kind. Her friends’ loving additions had widened her view to more generous understandings of herself. Things she could not have seen mere days ago.

Rarity regarded Spike carefully, her eyes tensing in thought. It was true that her little experiment wasn’t a guarded secret— it was openly visible from her boutique floor after all— but it hadn’t been her original intention to allow others to participate.

Though, I allowed Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie to add something… I saw the value in their participation, and Spike is every bit as dear to me as they are!

“You may contribute a link to my chain, Spike,” she said with a small smile and a nod. “Pardon my hesitation. I’m only surprised that anyone else would be interested!”

“Of course I would be!” Spike said, popping straight with a big fanged smile. “From what Pinkie Pie told me, it sounds really neat!”

Ah, Pinkie, of course. As he spoke, Rarity had produced the basket of strips and glue from under her counter. As she set it before Spike, her eyes brightened with an idea.

Hmm… What if… she looked out at the boutique floor, where a few customers still perused her displays and clothing racks. Her ears perked straight, her eyes growing. What if… I put this out on the floor and invited visitors to share something about me?

Yes… yes! Why bloody not?

But even as the thought crossed her mind, she felt anxiety gnaw at her as she turned to look at Spike. He was lying on his belly, the pen from the basket in his claws as he looked up in serious thought. Spike, dear and treasured friend, was one pony, er, person; to open the gates further...

It could backfire on her. Goodness, it could be a nightmare!

Except I’ve lived in Ponyville for so long… What could my neighbors add to my chain? Isn’t it worth it to see?

She puckered her lips, her tail flicking across the floor pensively. I dare say, I get along with just about everyone here! Though I do get out of town visitors from time to time...

Rarity looked around, trying to think of a solution. Her eyes brightened at seeing a round hat box up on a shelf. I-deee-ya!

Yes! I could cut a slot into the top and leave a sign! That way, others could submit their ideas, and I could go through them in private!

She stilled, her heart doing a little flip in her chest. Her ears drooped a little.

Ah. But I’d need to refrain from bias, or there isn’t any point. Even if someone submits something less than flattering...

Rarity’s spine uncurled itself, with effort, a determined little frown coming over her features. By Celestia, I shall do it! After all, even negative feedback is preferable to nothing! How else can we grow?

By stretching our neck with pretty silk, a dark corner of herself hissed.

She pushed at the fear this flared in her, her jaw tightening. Get thee back, foul thoughts! As if we had much to lose in trying! What awful thing could someone possibly tell me that I haven’t already told myself?

“Rarity?”

Rarity blinked herself out of her reverie to see Spike on his feet, holding out a green strip. The light blush to his scales was simply more darling than was fair!

“H-Here,” he said, struggling to hold her gaze. “I think… this captures how I see you pretty well!”

Eyes lit with avid interest, Rarity took the strip with her hooves and read it.

An elegant lady.

So simple. So sincere.

And yet so devastating in its scope.

Months ago, such a statement would have brought a smile to her face, but she would have hardly felt it news. Her perception of herself was firmly set in the ardent belief that she was elegant, and she was a lady.

It wasn’t out of conceit. Not totally, anyway. She had been heavily enmeshed in the upper echelons of Equestrian society, well-versed in their ways, and no stranger to the flattering opinions of others.

But in the black descent of recent weeks, her own self-perception had been warped to the point that she hardly believed herself to have even an ounce of genuine aristocratic nature, and most certainly she felt utterly lacking in any semblance of true elegance whatsoever! In her gloomy transformation, it became easy to convince herself that she was, in fact, a con artist and fraud that had simply tricked others into buying a falsehood. An imposter of the worst sort:

A dilettante.

Spike’s earnest emerald gaze laid waste to this negative perception, cutting through it cleanly.

Rarity’s facade was also a casualty.

The tears came swiftly, her emotions choking her throat as her vision clouded.

She tried, vainly, to stop the flow, but even as she bit her lip and turned her head, the sobs seemed to tear through her, and she broke down in mere seconds. Even hidden behind the sales counter, this turned the heads of her customers.

Spike, naturally alarmed, touched a clawed hand to her shoulder, his voice tight with panic: “Rarity?! I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—!”

She shook her head quickly, her glossed trembling lips spreading into an unsteady smile as she laughed and wept. Her hooves swept Spike up into a bone crushing hug to rival Pinkie’s, and his little arms encircled her neck. He touched her mane with hesitant strokes, his scales warm against her hide, but he didn’t protest.

They stayed that way for some time before Rarity felt herself calm enough to release him.

Spike gazed up at her, his face flushed and his brow tight. “Are you okay?”

She giggled and dabbed at her eyes, no doubt running with mascara. She cupped his cheeks with her hooves and said with a small sniffle, “Yes, Spike. I am. Thank you.”

Rarity levitated the glue from the basket. “Come! Let us add your touching contribution before I perish from the sight of a smiling foal next!”

Spike beamed. “Or a cute kitten!”

She dissolved into giggles.

---

Her customers had certainly stared that afternoon, and who could blame them after her emotional outburst? But with Spike at her side, Rarity rallied her courage and set forth with her bold idea—

To everypony present, she explained with head held high, that she would appreciate their contributions to her curious little project. Rarity encouraged honesty, and she invited them to view the curtain of links for ideas of new things to add. She set out the hat box with a slot opening cut in the lid, along with a neat cursive sign.

By closing, a quick shake of the box told her that some had indeed taken her up on the offer.

Still, she put off looking at the slips for that evening.

I’m a tad too sensitive to go straight for the plunge, I dare say!

Instead, Rarity added yet another ring to her growing tapestry:

Expressive

It wasn’t really a positive or negative in her opinion. Oh, of course, some would see it as a definitive positive, but then she couldn’t help but think with a small titter that her death throes would no doubt be called ‘expressive’ as well.

Death. It still lingered on her mind, especially in those moments when she seemed to be running out of energy to keep up the pluck. ‘Fake it Till You Make It’ had run on to a very long performance, and she was sure even the most grizzled of method actors would be begging off the role!

When she let herself be self-aware (because self-delusion was so much easier when you weren’t bone-tired) Rarity recognized that romanticizing death was... problematic. Dangerous, even. But even as the dark woods of depression thinned about her, she still cast her eyes backward and felt a grim relief knowing that the Final Escape was always there.

Waiting.

Rarity really wasn’t certain when it had become normal to think of suicide and feel comforted by it. As a foal, death had been a terrifying concept to her. Death meant the end of inspiration, and artistic freedom, and laughter, and love, and all things beautiful.

But now… As a grown mare, she’d already suffered without inspiration, laughter, and love. She’d languished under her own self-imposed artistic tyranny, and nothing about life seemed beautiful in that misery.

After all that, death didn’t seem so awful anymore…

I suppose this is why we reach out. So that others can remind us that the struggle to live is well worth it.

With another day done, and her knight-in-shining-scales having retired back to his home, Rarity let herself sink into her gossip nook with a cup of herbal tea. The curtain was drawn. Right now, she didn’t really feel like looking out at the world— that place that was so… bloody functioning.

It truly feels as though I’m the only one going through this sometimes… she thought with a bitter little sigh.

Rarity looked at her reflection in her teacup, turning her head this way and that, before tsking at her gaunt cheeks and looking away.

How can Twilight want a waif like me?

Uncertainty flowed into her mind like foulest miasma. Was she enough for Twilight Sparkle? Her friend was royalty, with an intellect that rivaled the greatest minds known to history. Rarity was nothing more than a small town filly with grandiose dreams and a sewing machine.

She squeezed her eyes shut, a lump rising in her throat as tears burned her eyes—but she willed them back.

NO! Blast it all, just cease with the self-pity! I already know she wants to be with me.

She set her teacup down on the stand and curled up on her cushion, her tail tucking in close. She sighed, feeling heavy, her mind’s eye enraptured with the visage of Twilight, the princess’ eyes filled with love.

And I so want her… with all my heart.

Still the question lingered…

Was her heart strong enough?

---

The next day, she received a letter from Twilight.

Rarity’s heart simply leapt when it appeared in a flash of dragonfire. The letter was in a square envelope, not rolled and bearing a royal seal like Twilight’s usual missives. The envelope lacked any kind of special marking or address— though Rarity supposed it would be unnecessary. After all, who else sent messages by dragonfire?

Rarity opened the envelope hastily with her magic. After removing the neatly folded papers, she unfolded it and read:

Dear Rarity,

I hope you’re doing well.

I’ve been thinking about you so much these last few days. More than once I almost came galloping to see if you were all right. To see if there was anything I could do.

I’d be halfway to your house before I remembered this plan was my idea, and to ruin it when you’ve been so strong in your resolve wouldn’t just defeat the purpose, it’d destroy any chance of us answering the one thing we need answered.

It feels like I’m going mad. Is it hard for you to focus, too? Every other second I find myself wondering what you’re doing. How you’re feeling.

The fashionista let out a shaky breath, her heart beating against her ribs like a wild animal fighting to break free from a cage. Oh, Twilight! Every day has been a struggle!

She continued to read:

I was a little desperate, so I MAY have suggested to Pinkie Pie that she bring you some dessert. When she told me she was already planning on throwing you a massive surprise party with the whole town, I managed to talk her down from the idea. (You’re welcome.)

Rarity laughed, a large smile blossoming on her muzzle. The letter continued...

I later heard that Fluttershy joined her, and that you three had a fun girl’s night! I was so happy.

I’ve really missed you. All of you, even the new things. Your humor especially! I know you worry the death jokes put me off, but you should know, I’ve read a LOT of Prussian comedy.

Rarity’s smile turned slanted. Ah! But of course those grim-faced Prussians have sweetened you to my wayward remarks! I shall have to ask what your favorite play is, then…

The letter went on to read:

I’m sorry. This was only supposed to tell you where dinner was going to be. I just can’t help myself when it comes to you. That’s why I had to stay away. If I saw you again, I wouldn’t have had the strength to see this through.

Rarity shook her head, her expression clearing. Nor I, darling. Nor I.

Twilight’s letter finished with:

I know there’s a chance you may have changed your mind by now, but I hope you’ll still meet me for dinner. I’ll be waiting outside the Ponyville Cafe at five o’ clock on the seventh day.

I can’t wait to see you.

Sincerely,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S.
I hope you aren’t too disappointed with the location? I just figured it’s been a long time since you’ve traveled, and maybe it’d be nice to just take it easy and go somewhere close. If we decide to stay together, I promise to take you somewhere much nicer.

Rarity didn’t really care where they were meeting. She was perfectly aware this was out of the norm for her, and her mind teased her with the memory of the link in her tapestry labeled Standards, but there were more pressing matters to concern oneself with than just how fancy a locale was.

Then her eyes flashed with inspiration, and she went running to the strips basket. Taking a pen, she swiftly wrote on a white strip—

Love is PARAMOUNT.

It found an honored spot in what she planned to be the center of her paper weave.

---

The seventh day had arrived.

Rarity had half-expected the sun to reach into her chest and… and.. and ignite her with warmth, wonder, and excitement! She’d imagined herself rising from bed with a smile so large, her face would ache from the endless joy. Her hair would be perfect. Her coat would have a wondrous sheen. Love, they said, was a boon to one’s appearance.

Instead, she slept in, feeling unspeakably weary. When she finally did rise from bed, it was to find that she felt no warmth, but a tight and chilling cold in her gut. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, blinking slowly at her limp locks and ruffled coat.

Not worthy of royalty.

The thought slithered into her mind faster than she could stop it.

Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and she took a deep breath.

Twilight wants to be with me. Before she was royalty, she was my friend, and she knows all of me. Accepts all of me.

Rarity’s eyes eased open. Her eyes had regained a little of their gleam.

“I cannot love her if I do not love myself,” she murmured to her reflection. “Even if I cannot trust my own judgement, I trust hers. We are worthy.”

And with that, Rarity levitated a brush to her hair and set to work.

The boutique was closed for the day, but she had much to prepare.

---

Five o’ clock was near. Rarity left thirty minutes early, anxious to leave her home and find some purpose other than staring at the clock.

She’d almost come in an elaborate dress, complete with a fashionable hat and cute parasol… but she’d decided against it. After all, Twilight surely wouldn’t come dressed to the nines— it simply was not in her nature.

Rarity couldn’t resist coming in a light blue shawl, however. And she may have tried a different tact with her makeup today— a light rouge on the lips, and bolder eyeliner. It didn’t hurt to put in a little effort.

No, really, she realized. It doesn’t hurt. Blessed, blessed amor. The effort doesn’t hurt!

When she arrived at the cafe, she explained to the garçon that she was expecting Twilight, and if they could please be so kind as to direct the princess to her table once she’d arrived, only to be surprised with—

“Oh! But Princess Twilight is already here!”

Rarity’s eyes grew. “I— Goodness! T-Truly? She’s already here??” She could feel the sweat start to dampen her coat. She’d thought she’d have more time to… well… gather herself.

The garçon nodded with a smile. “Yes, Miss Rarity. She’s seated inside. Please. Follow me, right this way!”

Rarity swallowed hard, and tried to make her heart calm. It’s finally happening.

She followed inside the small cafe, where the evening allowed for more intimate lighting. Warm overhead bulbs cast spotlights down onto individual tables and booths. Rarity was led to the very rear of the establishment where…

Oh my stars—

There she was. Twilight Sparkle was seated at a booth, her eyes fastened onto a little book with no clear title. Her hair seemed to shimmer under the light, gleaming strands of raspberry pink burning against the smooth sheen of midnight blue and velvet purple. Her brow was lowered in concentration over her amethyst eyes, her teeth chewing artlessly on her plump lower lip.

What was more surprising was the slim black satin ribbon about her sleek neck, tied into a neat and elegant bow, and the clear evidence that her friend had, in fact, also put on eye makeup!

Rarity sat near the table, the flames of her initial anxiety receding to cool embers. She smiled, gently, content to drink in this lovely sight for a moment before making herself known.

She shook her head, a small giggle escaping her. No doubt, Twilight also put on lip gloss… pity she’s nibbled it all away by now! But even that simply seemed to make Twilight more adorable still.

The sound of Rarity’s humor caused Twilight’s eyes to snap up, her wingfeathers fluffing as the book clattered to the table. Upon seeing the unicorn, Twilight flushed a deep pink right through her dark coat. “R-Rarity?” Her head whipped around to look at the clock just over the booth. “Did I lose track of time again—?!”

Honestly. Most mares— and no few stallions!— pay a fortune to Clipique for what Twilight Sparkle can produce simply by accident. Feeling her head swim, Rarity found herself smiling broadly.

Another Twilight Sparkle effect, but this one felt rather more personal than most.

“You’re quite all right, darling,” Rarity said as she slid into the seat across from Twilight. “I am early… though not as early as you are!”

Twilight let out a breath, her ears drooping. “I’m sorry,” she said softly; almost too softly to be heard. “I was feeling antsy in the castle, so I decided to come here and read while I waited for you.”

“What were you reading, if I may ask?” Rarity leaned forward onto the table, her lips curling as her chin rested lightly on the back of her crossed hooves.

Twilight’s eyes batted as her face cleared to something like... admiration, maybe? She cleared her throat, squeezing her eyes shut and pressing a hoof to her brow.

“Sorry,” she said again, limbs twitching slightly and sweat gathering on her brow beside the hoof. “Words. Not working.”

Inhaling sharply, Twilight dropped the hoof and gazed at Rarity with a warm smile. “I was reading poetry.” She tittered. “I may have been looking for romantic shorthand.” She quieted as her eyes went half-mast. “You... look lovely this evening.”

Ah, this mare and her research! Is there any aspect of Twilight Sparkle that is not unfairly sweet?

Rarity could feel her cheeks tinge pink and she lowered her chin bashfully. “Thank you.” She peeked at Twilight through her lashes. “I see I’m not the only one who decided to wear something tonight! Your ribbon is charming. And to think, I had feared I overdressed.” She mirrored Twilight’s expression. “Twilight, you truly are the definition of beauty…”

Twilight let out a single, nervous chuckle. She touched a hoof to her ribbon. “That’s high praise coming from you. I just figured… you’re so wonderful, even without trying. I couldn’t just show up without any effort on my part.”

Then the princess’ brow tightened, her ears turning out. “I guess I wondered if… if maybe you’d need a little persuasion to be with me.”

“Persuasion? Then…” Rarity felt her breath leave her in a gust as she went still. “Do you mean—?”

“Rarity, I— I just want you to know, I’m sorry. I know I said things that hurt you.” Twilight’s eyes fell shut, her lip corners turning down as her ears drooped. “That wasn’t okay. I think I was just so taken aback by how you responded—”

“Twilight, I’m afraid I must stop you there,” Rarity said firmly. Twilight’s intensity was always so endearing…

And so often, misaimed.

Twilight’s eyes fluttered open, her brow tightening. “But—!”

“It’s true. Some of what you said did hurt me.” Rarity’s lips thinned and she gazed down at the glossy brown table. “But your fears had some merit. After you departed, I saw it almost immediately.”

She sighed, her ears flattening. “I was in a place of utter weakness. Your feelings for me… they were intoxicating! If we had rushed into it, I would have placed the burden of my happiness on you, demanding affirmation with your every breath whilst giving little in return.”

A slight half-smile curled to the left of her mouth. Rarity shook her head, her curls swaying with her self-reproach. “I needed this week. I needed to see that… in order to be worthy of your love, I had to value myself first. Taking responsibility for my own well-being was absolutely necessary!”

“And do you value yourself?” Twilight asked softly. “Because... I can’t put into words how much you mean to me.”

Rarity peered at her, a wry smile on her lips. “I do not think I shall ever value myself as much as you do. But… yes. I think I’ve returned to self-love of a sort.” She chortled, cheeks dimpling. “If basic self-care can be considered self-love!”

Twilight smirked. “It’s a start!”

“Even my silk noose enters my mind less often these days.” Rarity hummed, one eyebrow arching. “But without my suicidal ideations, what is left to shock you with?”

Twilight puckered her lips and looked up in thought. “Gee…” She held up a hoof and grinned. “Maybe politics?”

“Darling, if I ever deign to trade words about politics, do look twice, for I may in fact be suffering a stroke!”

This earned a laugh, and Rarity flushed, her ears quivering in delight. Oh that wonderful sound! How I missed it!

Twilight’s wings extended forward, hugging around her legs as she shook with giggles.

“Ah, but wait!” Rarity said with a small titter. “Could you perhaps stomach the horrors of…” She struck the table with both hooves, leaning forward dramatically. “Bookkeeping?!”

Twilight’s hooves swept to her cheeks as she gasped. “No! Not that!”

Rarity pressed the back of a hoof to her forehead. “Yes! You do not know true terror until you’ve realized…” her eyes narrowed and her voice dropped to a hiss, “You forgot to carry the one!”

Twilight threw her head back, fresh peals of laughter escaping her. Rarity joined her, her amusement buoyed over the fact of how niche their shared joke was.

A link, one might say.

When the pair calmed, a new garçon approached. “Good evening, ladies,” he greeted with a practiced smile. “May I get you anything?”

The pair ordered wine— though Rarity requested moscato, and Twilight a malbec. When the garçon left to fetch their drinks, the fashionista remarked, “I wouldn’t have thought you favored dry wine!”

Twilight Sparkle batted her eyes. “Oh?” She tapped an idle hoof on the table, her gaze fogging as she mulled this over. “I suppose I have my father to thank. He was the one who introduced it to me. And anyway, reds are supposed to be healthy for you… in small amounts, that is, but who's measuring?” She smirked a little. “I am less surprised by your choice, though!”

Rarity jutted her lower lip, anticipating teasing at her expense.

Twilight smiled, her eyes going soft. “Because you are just as sweet and vibrant.”

The blush came quick as Rarity tucked her chin.

“So am I safe in assuming that… that you haven’t changed your mind?” Twilight’s voice sounded small.

Rarity felt her breath seize, her brow wrinkling.

How could she still wonder? With every second spent in her radiance, I am fighting for self-restraint!

Then her expression cleared with sudden understanding.

She wonders… the same way that I wondered. Even after hearing her ardent confession, I still feared she didn’t truly want me…

Rarity slid out from her side of the booth. Twilight watched her, her expression nonplussed. The fashionista went slowly to the princess’ side. Her eyes held fast to Twilight’s with nervous yearning. Would this overture be rejected?

Rarity joined Twilight on that side of the booth, making the princess stammer apologies as she scooted over in alarm. Rarity had expected that, so just before the alicorn could slide too far away, she kissed her on the cheek. This effectively halted her friend’s polite attempt at making space, her wings fluffing, and allowed the unicorn to sit flank-to-flank with her companion.

“This is where I want to be, Twilight Sparkle,” she murmured, flirting her lashes as she laid a hoof over Twilight’s. “Never in my life have I known such caring, such compassion, such understanding as when I am with you. That you deem me enough is a gift all on its own, and I want so much to make you happy… like you’ve made me.”

Twilight was shivering, her eyes wide. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the garçon returned with their drinks. Polite words and meaningless babble held the moment on pause.

After he was gone, Rarity giggled and levitated Twilight’s glass in the air. “A touch of liquid courage, ma chérie?”

This seemed to help the other mare out of it. Twilight chuckled, a very crooked smile on her muzzle as her aura overtook the glass and she took a sip. Licking her lips, she looked at Rarity sidelong.

“You should be proud!” she said, her smile curling. “Considering the amount of words that can come out of me, you’re pretty good at getting me to shut up!”

Rarity winked as she levitated her own glass. “Years of handling chatty nobles, darling.”

Twilight cocked her head to the side, her eyelids lowering. “I can save you some effort, though.”

“Mmm?” Rarity swallowed her sip of wine and set her glass down as she looked at Twilight curiously. “Pray, tell me? In what way?”

Twilight leaned in and caught Rarity’s lips, her breath hot against the unicorn’s cheek. Rarity’s eyes turned round before falling shut.

When Twilight pulled away, the pair were both sporting a warm glow about their hides, but each were smiling.

“Ah, yes,” Rarity murmured, her head tilting to the side so that her curls slipped over her shoulder. “That is a rather effective method.”

Twilight shrugged. “Um. Pretty effective! Heh, yeah.” She seemed to need a moment to absorb the success of her brief boldness before the nervousness left her smile. She nuzzled Rarity’s cheek, and murmured, “Feel free to use it whenever you deem it necessary…”

Rarity leaned in to Twilight’s touch, savoring it. “May I use it even when it is unnecessary?”

“Especially then.”

“You’re giving me a rather large blank check, dear.”

“That’s fine. I’m already willing to give you everything.”

Rarity felt her breathing quicken as she pulled back; just far enough that they were muzzle to muzzle and gazing into each other’s eyes.

“That’s what I was trying to say before, Rarity,” Twilight breathed, her eyes tensing. “I… love you. I love you enough that I don’t care if every day is a rainy day, I just want to be with you! I shouldn’t have let my fears get in the way of that!”

Rarity held her face with both her hooves, her eyes tearing. “Twilight Sparkle, you…” She sighed roughly, a pursed smile spreading her lips. “You are such a silly mare!”

Twilight blinked, her expression going blank. “C-Come again?”

Rarity laughed and kissed her nose. “I’m afraid if you’re truly wishing for an explanation, then we will have to cut this dinner date short.” Her ears flicked as she released her friend and sat back. “I have something to show you. Back at my boutique.”

Twilight’s amethyst eyes searched Rarity’s features, no doubt hoping for a clue as to what this ‘something’ was. After a moment, she nodded her head, a warm smile once again on her face. “All right.”

---

At her home, Rarity ushered Twilight into the dark boutique space before shutting the door behind them.

“So what is this thing you want to show me?” Twilight asked mildly as she ambled to the center of the boutique floor.

Rarity smirked, knowing full well that Twilight was practically bursting at the seams to know how this surprise related to her declaration of love.

The unicorn’s horn glowed blue with her aura as she turned on lights around the room.

“Look up, if you please. Toward my sales counter,” she said.

Twilight raised an eyebrow but did as she was told. She went rock still when she finally saw it. “Paper… chains?”

“One big tapestry, actually,” Rarity corrected, nervous laughter evident in her voice.

She sat next to Twilight and looked up at the work she’d finally completed that day. It hung high on the wall, a beautiful array of connecting diamonds, each composed with colors that, while not always perfectly coordinating with each other, held a hidden meaning that spoke volumes to her soul.

Rarity held up a hoof. “I took our talks to heart, and began this as a way of dealing with my dissociation and depression.” She looked at Twilight, small flutters of anxiety leaping within her. Would this seem too eccentric? Her ears turned out as she worried.

But they were here. Finally here! She’d come too far to second guess now! She was an artist, wasn’t she? Eccentricities were to be expected.

Remember our purpose. We must make her see!

With some assurance regained, Rarity returned her gaze to the tapestry. “It started rather small. I’d take a strip, write an observation about myself, or maybe even jot down an important memory... Then, pip!” She flicked a hoof. “Off it went to join the weave!”

Her horn glowed as she carefully removed the tapestry from the wall and gently floated it down to the boutique floor where she laid it out before them. It was easily taller and longer than both of them combined.

Twilight’s eyes lit with intensity as she hurried to it with pricked ears, her head lowering as she carefully tried to read the markings on each strip. Rarity stifled an affectionate laugh.

Ever the curious one.

She watched Twilight for a short time, a calm settling over her as she curled her tail along her flank. She had been silly to think Twilight would find this too much. Her friend’s body still thrummed with that intellectual energy that practically thirsted for such exercises as these.

When Rarity spoke again, it was with a slower, more ponderous tone. Her brow creased with the memories of the week. “This was a curious experience, and one that I hadn’t particularly thought through. I had hopes of what it would achieve, certainly… but they were narrow and misguided.”

Twilight lifted her head to peer back at her, her expression clear but her eyes focused with apparent interest.

Rarity met her gaze. “As the tapestry grew, I asked myself many things. Would I ever finish this? Could I? At which point would I feel it was ‘complete’?” She lowered her eyes, and they narrowed at the floor. “I so wished to regain an understanding of myself. I also yearned to find a return to my ideal self.”

Her head tilted to the side, her voice lightening. “But can any bloody creature examine themselves with that level of self-awareness and self-honesty? Heavens, no! That was when I realized I had no choice but to accept the relative truth of each link I made.”

Twilight Sparkle looked down at the tapestry again but didn’t move in to read the entries. Her lips pressed thin. “Mmm…” she murmured pensively.

Rarity sighed with a touch of drama. “Oh the angst! I’m afraid such avante-garde experiments are not my forte! But still, I pressed on.” Her blue eyes swept over her work, a solemn expression overcoming her features. “I wanted so very badly to find that ringing commonality between who I currently was and with the better versions of myself that I remembered.”

“And did you find that link?” Twilight asked. She looked back at Rarity, her silky tresses spilling forward in a starry curtain that captured the other mare’s attention for a brief, but critical moment.

Rarity found Twilight’s eyes with some effort and shivered at the open care that shone in them. It was as though Twilight’s love reached across the space between them to give her soul a warm hug, whispering all the while, It’s all right, I’m here...

“No,” Rarity said breathlessly after a long moment. Her brow tightened. “No, I’m afraid I didn’t.” She rose to her hooves and stepped around the other side of the tapestry, opposite Twilight. All the while, their eyes never left each other. “But that was because I realized there was no single thread. No unmistakable link. Just a weave that had been turned over to a darker side.”

Twilight’s lips curled up as she nodded. “And how did you come to see that?”

Rarity inhaled and pointed at the pink, yellow, and green links she’d carefully grouped at her side of the tapestry. “Because of them. Our friends.” She sat and laid a hoof over her heart. “When Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie learned of my endeavor, they begged to add something. Spike as well. The things they wrote about me… Twilight, I was so moved!”

The fashionista let her eyes fall shut. “I was so moved, and yet ever so conflicted. Were these things even true of me anymore? It was a question I’d been avoiding truly answering, it turned out.”

Twilight nodded slowly. “You’d already convinced yourself those parts of you were gone before you even really gave yourself or anyone else a chance to challenge the fear.”

Rarity opened her eyes and saw Twilight was moving slowly around the tapestry—toward her.

“Yes,” Rarity murmured. “My conflict became even more pronounced when I invited others to contribute something. I received some negative comments, yes. But not so many, it turned out. It was all the other comments that had me so frustrated!”

Her lips puckered with a skepticism she couldn’t quite bury. “Confident, one said. Resilient, said another.” She looked up as she tried to recall more notable submissions. “The Cakes praised me as resourceful for crafting last minute outfits for their first family photo. Mayor Mare declared that I was a community treasure for all that I’d done for Ponyville.”

Rarity let loose one tight laugh as she thought of her sister’s entry. “Sweetie Belle wrote that I was equal parts conceited and self-sacrificing!”

Twilight smirked. “Siblings! They're good like that.”

Rarity groaned with a little shake of her head. “But what was the reality of my identity in any of these well-meaning comments? Who was I? When I forced myself to sit and face that, I found that some links fell away…”

“While others appeared,” Twilight said quietly. She was closer now, wings partially extended and her tail flicking. “I bet some of these new ones even sounded similar to those they replaced, but with a twist. A merging of the others’ truth to yours.”

Rarity watched her approach with a growing smile. “Twilight Sparkle, were you spying on me?” she teased. “That is precisely what happened!”

Twilight chuckled. “No, no…” She glanced at the tapestry. “I just know you’re intelligent. Far more intelligent than you give yourself credit for. You’d no doubt have realized that—”

“Some of my own perceptions of myself were simply observations of the same truth from a different angle than those around me?” Rarity offered with a quirked eyebrow. “That the core of who I am, though evolving, was still intact?”

Twilight winked. “See, what’d I tell ya? Intelligent.”

Rarity pretended to snort derisively. “Well it hardly takes a scholar to see that none of this would have been possible without my love for you!”

Twilight paused, a mere few feet away now. “Your love for...?” Her eyes grew.

“You.” Rarity rose up, and took a step toward the princess. “With the creation of every ring in this tapestry, you were never far from my mind. More than anything, I wanted you to see how important it was to find myself again… so that the whole of me could be with you, Twilight Sparkle.”

She took another step. “My dear, if there was one thing I learned from this rather confusing journey,” and closer still, “it’s that I could endure just about anything—even an indifferent universe—knowing that you loved me.”

Twilight’s wings were spread wide now, her feathers quivering. The heated glow had returned to her coat, making her sleek trembling form even more inviting.

Rarity took one last step, their muzzles practically touching. “Having heard you confess as much…” she closed the last maddening inches between them, brushing lips. Into Twilight’s parted mouth, she whispered, “I’m convinced that all the little rings were worth it.”

Twilight let out a shuddering breath. “Rarity, I—”

That was when Rarity took Twilight up on her offer of stopping those excess words.

After all… what more could they say? They loved each other. Fun as it was to find flowery ways to say it, nothing surpassed the sheer ecstasy of a loving kiss.

Author's Note:

Epilogue incoming!

Comments

[zx29b]

I was surprised when “I have something to show you. Back at my boutique.” turned out to not be a sexual overture. Usually when a date ends upon such a declaration said date can be considered to have been successful.

On a technical note, I reckon that your dialogue would be considerably more engrossing with only a fraction of the number of exclaimation points that you used. Exclaimation points tend to make dialogue feel like two hammy stage actors shouting lines at one another (never mind how well that might describe Rarity in particular). Turn most of those exclaimation points into commas and periods, and I bet that you will notice that the exchanges between characters take on a freely flowing quality. Make the reader add the emphasis and tone. That is what his mind will try to do anyway. It is an old trick that Elmore Leonard popularized.

[Ebonyknight1000]

Now see here.. You have now commited a most heinous of crimes by making me have the feels.. For for this crime more chapters must be writen.. And I hope you learn your lession about those feels ;)

[Ice Star]

She shook her head, a small giggle escaping her. No doubt, Twilight also put on lip gloss… pity she’s nibbled it all away by now! But even that simply seemed to make Twilight more adorable still.

There were so many emotions in this chapter alone, but I found this line to be so cute!