Tales of the Sapphire Carousel: The Chef's Guardian

by Undome Tinwe

Chapter 9

"Happy birthday!"

Shimmer Glass rolled her eyes as Pinkie Pie brought out a tray with a very... inappropriately-shaped cake on it. "Really, Pinkie?" she asked, a grin splitting her face despite her deadpan tone. All around her, the rest of the girls laughed.

"Hey, I was given a very unique baking challenge, and I worked really hard to overcome it!" Pinkie snickered. "Heh, hard."

"Aww, you know you love it," Lily said as she handed her a knife. "Besides, it's just us here. The kids are all sleeping back at the Carousel. Now, you wanna do the honours?"

Shimmer accepted the knife and began cutting the cake, trying not to think too hard about what it looked like. At least Sugarcube Corner was closed right now — after the kid-friendly birthday party that Shard had helped throw for her at the Carousel, a few of the girls had taken Shimmer out for a night out at the bakery, well after closing time, with Pinkie offering to host a private gathering for them.

"Alright, who wants the first slice?" Shimmer asked as she carefully sliced out the first portion, delicately plating it with professional expertise.

Immediately, a polychromatic blur snatched the plate from her hand. "Mine!" Rainbow shouted, to everyone's amusement and absolutely no one's surprise. "Wow, this is amazing!" she exclaimed through a mouthful of cake as she dug in with gusto. "New recipe?"

Pinkie nodded. "Yup! We got a new batch of chocolate from the North that's just super smooth and creamy and goes great in cake!" she explained as Shimmer finished cutting up the cake. "I can send you a sample afterwards if you want."

Shimmer took a small bite from her cake and immediately nodded. "This is delicious!" she exclaimed. "I need to see if I can convince Savoir Faire to order some for the Sapphire."

"Sweet, then I can swipe some from the kitchens!" At Shimmer's glare, Rainbow Dash's smile turned sheepish. "I mean, maybe I can talk you into giving me some?"

Shimmer's eyes narrowed. "We'll see. You'll have to make a good argument though."

Rainbow Dash leered back. "Oh, I'm sure I can find some way to pay you back." She waggled her eyebrows, and Shimmer giggled.

"Alright, you two, save it for the bedroom," Aqua Swing scolded. "It's bad enough I gotta deal with you two making out during working hours."

"Hey, we only did that, uhh..." Rainbow Dash looked as if deep in thought for a moment before brightening up. "Twice! Yeah, only twice. I think. Or was it three times?" She paused. "Whatever, point is, Shimmer and I aren't that bad."

"With the way you flirt, you might as well be making out," Aqua teased good-naturedly. She then turned to Shimmer with a smile. "So, what else do you wanna do for your birthday? Besides Rainbow Dash."

Shimmer waited for the snickering to die down. "Honestly, this is perfect, Aqua," she said, then turned to address everyone in the room. "I want to thank you, all of you, for doing this, and for giving me yet another great year at the Sapphire Carousel. And I want to say that I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us."

"Here here!" Lily raised a mug of hot chocolate and downed it. A moment later, everyone else followed.

The conversation flowed naturally after that, as they gossiped and talked about the latest news in addition to reminiscing on old times. It was just the way Shimmer wanted her birthday to go, and she relaxed into Rainbow Dash's side as the night wore on, taking comfort in her girlfriend's presence.

It was hard to believe that she'd been dating Rainbow Dash for over a year. A wonderful, exhilarating, terrifying year, and one that she couldn't have imagined was possible when she'd first arrived at the Sapphire Carousel. Rarity liked to say that the building was alive sometimes, when she was waxing especially poetic, that it spoke to you and listened in turn, and Shimmer had to admit that there was some truth to that. The Sapphire had become a good friend to Shimmer, had taken her in and taken care of her, and given her a new lease on life, and brought her together with the most amazing woman in the world.

"You're smiling again," Rainbow Dash said, nudging her. "You wanna share with the class what you're thinking?"

"I was thinking of how lucky I am to have you in my life," Shimmer said truthfully, delighting in how Dash's eyes widened at that. Her girlfriend might talk a big game, but Shimmer had quickly found that direct compliments out of the blue had a wonderful effect of leaving her speechless for a moment.

Still, she recovered quickly, and shot her back a cheeky smirk. "Glad someone finally figured it out." Her grin faded and her expression turned serious. "Really, though, I'm the lucky one. Never thought I'd be with someone as awesome as you."

Shimmer blushed at the praise, still getting used to it after all this time, and changed the subject. "So, you're still up for going with me and Shard to the Dragon District on Sunday, right?"

"Yup." Rainbow nodded. "Already got my ticket for the show. Really getting mileage out of that employee discount."

"I'm just glad it applies to the other theatres Lady Luna owns," Shimmer replied.

"Boss knows how to make her money back, I guess," Rainbow said. "I ain't gonna complain about getting to see more shows with you two, though. The one about the princess turning the moon purple last month was hilarious!"

"I had fun at that one too." Contentment seeped through Shimmer's soul as she pressed herself against Rainbow Dash, taking a deep breath and letting herself be lost in her lover as the night wore on.

Eventually, the festivities began to die down and everyone agreed that they were tired and that it was time to return to the Carousel. They bid farewell to Pinkie Pie and made their way back to the Lunar district.

They arrived to find Rarity standing near the entrance, a haunted look on her face. "Hey Rares," Rainbow said, waving. "What's up?"

"I fear Fate may be playing her games with me once again." Rarity sighed dramatically, placing a hand against her forehead. "I've met the most fascinating creature, and Fancy and Fleur have shared with me some very troubling information about her. For myself, I would turn from the path laid ahead of me, but I must go on, for Sweetie Belle!" She opened one eye and glanced at them. "Oh, and Shimmer, Luna wishes to speak with you."

"I see." Shimmer turned to Rainbow to see if she needed help. Rarity could be very dramatic at times, but this was on a whole other level from her usual self.

Rainbow pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Go ahead and see what the Boss wants. I got this."

Shimmer nodded before making her way deeper into the Carousel, just as Rainbow turned her attention back to Rarity. "Alright, so can we try this again, but with less metaphors and stuff so I can actually understand what's going on and if I need to punch someone for you?"

Shimmer wiped the grin from her lips as she reached Lady Luna's door and knocked politely.

"Come in," her employer's voice called out, sounding impatient as usual. Shimmer stepped inside and found Luna at her desk, poring over a stack of papers. She looked up at her. "Ah, Shimmer. I hope your birthday has been a good one."

"It has," Shimmer said. "Thank you for the wonderful cake."

Luna shrugged. "I had nothing to do with that. It was Savoir Fare who wished to make it. Still, I am happy that you have had a good day, and I hope to be able to make it better." She reached into a drawer in her desk and pulled out a document of some kind. "I have heard that your cooking lessons have been proceeding very nicely."

Shimmer nodded. "I've learned so much, and I can't thank you enough for the recommendation that I attend Amuse Bouche's classes."

"He came highly recommended to me," Luna replied. "As I understand it, however, while lessons in the classroom can be very valuable, there is also much to be gained from working in the right places." She pushed over a folder towards Shimmer. "Savoir Faire does very good work, but I understand that the Sapphire is not known for having the highest echelons of cuisine, and that, due to the reputation of this establishment, networking opportunities can be limited. Tell me, have you heard of the Sun Pavillion?"

Confused, Shimmer nodded. "It's one of the fanciest restaurants in the Solar District. I've never eaten there because, you know, I don't exactly make enough to go."

"I have some connections in the restaurant business," Luna said. "And I know that Gustav Le Grand is looking to hire a new sous-chef. I can guarantee that you get an interview, and with your skills, I have no doubts as to your ability to obtain the position."

Shimmer's heart stopped. "That is... very generous of you," she said carefully, old instincts flaring up. "What's the catch?" She didn't mean to come off as rude, but she knew Luna would appreciate the bluntness.

"I find it useful to have friends in the right places," Luna replied. "Having people with a positive opinion of our line of work in the Solar District could be a good thing in the future."

"That's fair." In spite of everything, Shimmer trusted that Luna wasn't hiding anything sinister from her. It was obvious that she wanted to help Shimmer out, and Shimmer wasn't going to call her out on not saying that. "This is a really big decision. I'll need some time to think about it."

Luna nodded. "Take the time you need, though I will need an answer from you by the end of next week."

"Okay." The world felt so far away as Shimmer tried to process Luna's words. "Thank you, Lady Luna," she heard herself say, her mind turning over the possibilities and risks in her head.

Luna gave an affirmative grunt, and Shimmer recognized it as a dismissal, which she was most thankful for. She said a hasty goodbye and left the office, instinctively headed toward the anchor in her life.

She knocked on Rainbow Dash's door and let herself in before she realized her rudeness. Still, Rainbow Dash didn't seem to mind, and her expression brightened when she saw her. "Oh hey Shimmer, you would not believe what Rarity told me. It's like something right out of one of her romance novels!" She paused, her head tilting as she studied Shimmer's expression. "What's wrong? What did the Boss say?"

Shimmer's world came back to focus as she found her comfort in her lover's concern. "Lady Luna said she could get me an interview at the Sun Pavillion," she said.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Wow," she breathed. "The Sun Pavillion? Really?"

Shimmer nodded. "It's— it's a really good opportunity. A position at a restaurant like that could help me get a job at a lot of other places. If I can get the job, anyways."

"With how good you are at cooking, there's no way you won't knock 'em all dead," Rainbow said with complete confidence. "I don't think you need to worry about not getting the job if you want it."

"Do I want it, though?" Shimmer asked. "I... I'd have to leave the Sapphire if I took the job." Leave the only place she'd ever called home, and the wonderful people who made it a home. Not to mention the various ties she had here. "I'd have to find a new place to live, and get a tutor for Shard, and look for another healer, and figure out how to get the services of the police and fire department, and—"

"Hey!" Strong arms wrapped around Shimmer as Rainbow Dash's voice cut through her panic. "Breathe, Shimmer."

Shimmer did as she said, taking in a deep breath and gripping Rainbow tighter to focus her thoughts. "Sorry," she murmured. "It's just, it's a lot. And I didn't really realize just how much stuff this place was providing for me." It set Shimmer's teeth on edge now that she understood how much of her life was taken care of by the Sapphire. That was dangerous, relying on just one person, and Shimmer didn't like that she'd fallen into that same situation again.

"Yeah, I know some of the other girls had a bit of trouble after they left," Rainbow said. "The Boss tries to help them out, set them up so that they can move on, but it's kinda easy to just let other people deal with a lot of your life when you're here."

"It's scary," Shimmer said softly. "I— I let my guard down, I guess."

Rainbow Dash smiled at her. "Hey, it's gonna be fine. We'll figure this out together. Might as well start spreading my wings too." She stretched her arms out before continuing to hug Shimmer. "Maybe we can find a place to live together?"

And now Shimmer's heart was pounding for a completely different reason. "R-Really?"

Rainbow immediately backpedalled. "I mean, we don't have to. If you wanna go it alone I'm totally cool with that. It's just, we've been together for a while, and we're over in each other's rooms a lot already, and I really like you, so..."

Her ramblings set Shimmer's mind at ease, and she smiled. "I'd love to move in with you, Rainbow." Suddenly, the prospect of going out into the world didn't seem to scary anymore. Not when she had someone with her to support her whom she knew would enable her to learn to live on her own.

"And we don't have to do everything at once," Rainbow continued. "Since I'd still be working here and we'd be living together I can get the Boss to let Shard keep studying here. I can bring him here in the morning and bring him back after work. I'll just have to make sure I'm taking the right shifts for it. Also, there's no way the girls won't want you to come by and hang out whenever you can, so it's not like you'll be saying goodbye to them forever."

"You're right," Shimmer said. "I can do this." With some help, but there wasn't anything wrong with getting help. Nobody could make it in this world alone, Shimmer knew. She pressed a kiss against Dash's shoulder. "Thanks, Rainbow. I needed that."

"No problem," Rainbow replied. "So, are you gonna do the interview?"

"I..." Shimmer paused, thinking on her answer. "I'm still not sure yet. I love the Sapphire, and I love working here, and even if the Sun Pavillion is a good career opportunity, I'm going to miss this place so much." She glared playfully at Dash. "You'd better keep me up to date about everything that's going on with the girls if I leave."

Dash snapped off a mock salute. "Yes ma'am." A smirk twitched on her lips. "Oh man, that reminds me, Rarity's got it bad. Apparently, she met some weird girl at the train station and like, completely blew it with her in the funniest way."

Shimmer pressed a hand over her mouth to hide her shock. "Really? But she's Rarity!"

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash snickered. "Whoever this girl is, I wanna meet her one day so that I can buy her a drink." Her good humour faded for a moment as she frowned. "Though, apparently, she might actually be Lady Celestia's new student, so she probably wouldn't want to get within three feet of me."

"Oh dear," Shimmer said. "Well, I hope Rarity doesn't get hurt, but I guess she wouldn't want to have anything to do with someone like that, so it should be fine?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Rarity's a smart a girl, but she can be pretty dumb sometimes too."

"Well, either way, we'll be there for her," Shimmer said with complete confidence. No matter where she ended up or what decisions she made, she wouldn't forget her friends.

Comments

[SigmasonicX]

I read the previous chapters as docs before, so I skipped ahead to this new one. You did a great job pulling at this one dangling thread in the Crimson Lips story and forming a great and fluffy romance, while staying respectful of the professions involved. I don't usually care for romances involving OCs, but this is a definite exception.

[Lingo]

AAAAND caught up. Whew, been waiting for this to go live for a little while now. Its been fun to keep up with it in the docs, but its a different feel when it's on fimfic now.
Its all stellar and fluffy and a little steamy and Golly you've really made a great thing out of that little exchange about Crimson.
As always im eagerly waiting for the next updates, and will not hesitate to poke you if I get impatient.