The Beauty and the Nerd

by HattieForest

Broken

Rarity left the kitchen in much lower spirits than she had entered. Flare had destroyed Rarity's happiness, and no doubt somepony had put Flare up to the whole thing. Flare was not a pony to do anything of her own mind. Even her words were stolen most of the time.

Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were around the snack bar when Rarity returned, apparently learning from Derpy how to clean their snouts with warm water and a tea pot. Thankfully it was all just theory at this point and no one was actually doing anything with a poor defenseless teapot.

"Where is Twilight?" Rarity asked.

"She went to bring us punch," Fluttershy said.

"She's been gone a long while," Derpy added.

"We thought she was with you!" Pinkie hopped. "I guess she isn't 'cause obviously if she was we would see her and you can't be invisible, ooooh that would be cool if you could be invisible, she'd be an invisible purple unicorn, and ohmygosh, what if she made me invisible? The invisible party pony!" Pinkie stopped abruptly. Suddenly she began to twitch and shake all over. "Oh no. Oh no. I sense a dozy."

"A dozy? What's a dozy?" AJ asked, coming up from behind Rarity.

"When something horrible is going to happen, Pinkie gets the -"

"Twitchy twitch twitchy!" Pinkie yelped. "Twilight! Where is Twilight?"

"I saw her run outta the house about five minutes ago - "

"Which direction? It's important, Applejack, which direction!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Um...that-away." AJ pointed.

Pinkie shot out of the garden in a haze of pink.

Rarity's breath seemed to freeze in her chest. Why would Twilight leave the party? Glitter! But no, Glitter was over there, talking with Lightning Smoke. If Glitter had done something she would be over here, rubbing it in Rarity's face.

Rarity forced herself to breathe. This was ridiculous. Twilight was her best friend, but that didn't mean her leaving Rarity at the party was a bad sign. The purple unicorn's mother was the mayor, after all. Something important must have happened to force Twilight to leave.

Pinkie's whole body hurt from the fire under her skin. She twitched involuntarily to get the fire under control, to ease the pain, and yet the only relief seemed to be a numbness. Why was she feeling this bad? Her twitches and her knowledge never hurt before.

Yes, she had seen things sometimes she wished she could unsee. Like her neighbor's fighting in her mind's eye. She knew why their young colt used to come to school with bruises, and why his mother finally kicked his father out. She knew why Derpy's eyes were crossed, why her home room teacher ate only grapes, and why Glitter stayed close to Rarity. So why couldn't she see what was coming?

Her ears twitched in one direction, and she found herself suddenly facing that way. The local library. Twilight! She must be in the library! Pinkie quickened her pace.

Boom! The sound echoed through the silence, and the librarian, a mare named Candle Whisper, sent Pinkie a look of pure venom.

"Shhh," Candle hissed.

Pinkie grinned her grin, and the twitching started up again, pulling her to the left and up the grand staircase. The twitching plopped Pinkie at the very top, about five floors up, without a warning.

"Oof!" Pinkie muttered.

She shook her head. No time for that, no time to waste! She twitched her ears on her own accord, listening deeply. She gingerly stood up. There! Sound! Pinkie followed the quiet sobs to the back of the shelves.

Her heart seemed to shred itself in her chest. Twilight laid among numerous books, sobbing, and desperately looking for something within their pages.

"Twilight?" Pinkie asked.

"I can't find it!" Twilight sobbed. "I can't find the information I need!"

Pinkie trotted to Twilight and carefully navigated over the books. "What are you looking for?"

"Why does it hurt so much, Pinkie?" Twilight burst out. "I don't know...I need - I can't - how do I deal with this? Tell me. Please, tell me, please show me a book." Twilight stopped rushing through the pages of her book. She dropped it. "Why can't I find it?" She turned to Pinkie, and Pinkie gasped.

Twilight, who Pinkie had seen only be in control, was now crying without thought. Pinkie hurried to her friend, and held her close.

"Help me Pinkie! Please, give me a book that tells me what to do! Please!" Twilight dissolved in tears, sobbing into Pinkie's shoulder as the happy-go-lucky pony gently held her. Quietly and calmly, Pinkie whispered soothing words in the unicorn's ears until she had cried herself mostly dry.

"There there, silly. Shh... it's going to be okay, it's all going to be okay. Okay?"

Her eyes red with tears, Twilight nodded.

"Now, will you tell me why you were crying?" Pinkie's tone had changed; it was no longer chipper and bubbly, but a calm, mature, soft tone, sisterly and gentle. "You don't have to, but I'd like to know."

"It's... it's..." Twilight's lower lip trembled, and she nearly broke into tears again.

"Shh, there there." Pinkie rubbed her neck. "It's fine."

"But it's not." Twilight said, sounding miserable. "It's Ra-ha-ha haaarity!" Twilight sobbed the word out, still fighting the tears back.

"What is it with Rarity?" Pinkie asked patiently.

"She... she doesn't like me! She hates me! She was-"

"Slow down now, Twilight, sweetie. What happened?"

Her voice still trembling, Twilight recounted what had just happened. How Rarity had said those hurtful things, how she had said it was all make-believe, how Twilight had just ran off on her own, not thinking about anything else.

Pinkie shook her head. "That's terrible, Twilight. But listen- my Pinkie sense never lies, and my Pinkie sense told me she wasn't a bad pony."

"But she-"

"Ssshh, sweetie." Pinkie said, hugging Twilight close and kissing her forehead. "Your trusty friend Pinkie Pie is going to get to the bottom of this, believe me. And if it's true... then she doesn't deserve to be your friend anyway."

Rarity hurried down the street, following Pinkie's trail. It took her a little less than second to realise she needed to follow Pinkie. Twilight had run- had she heard? Oh goodness, let her not have heard! She felt as if there was a black hole inside her chest, a painful, sinking void expanding every minute. She felt heavy, afraid, but most of all ashamed. That she dared not stand up for herself, for her own choices...

Coward. Deserter. Untrustworthy.

Galloping to the library, she ran like never before. She had to make amends.

After searching for a few minutes inside the library, she found Twilight sobbing into Pinkie's mane, Pinkie soothing her. Standing still, just staring for a few minutes, she heard Pinkie comfort her. That sinking feeling in her stomach multiplied four times- Twilight had heard, and seeing her hurt cut into her heart like a knife.

"I think I'll just go round this book shelf for a while," Pinkie said.

"What?"

"There is somepony to see you, and she looks very sorry." Pinkie said, smiling. "Go on, hear her out." Gesturing with a hoof, she pointed to Rarity. Rarity, who for all the world looked like a whipped dog, miserable as could be.

"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

Oh goodness, she wasn't even angry. She just sounded hurt and confused. She could take being yelled at; she would deserve that, but that look on her face...

"Twilight Sparkle, I..." Rarity lost her wording, and stood quiet for a few moments. "I am an abominable coward and a slanderous liar. I am weak. I am so-"

"Sorry?" Twilight wiped her nose. "How do I know you're not just lying to me?"

"I-"

"No!" Twilight at once felt liberated and ashamed at the word torn from her throat. She had never raised her voice to anypony before, thinking it vile and rude. "I told you to be honest with me! I told you I would help you no matter what! Do you think I'm such a miscreant I can't comprehend you simply needing help with your schooling? Even if you just wanted to get ahead I would have helped you, because I was just that stupid! Not anymore! Find another egghead! You are rotten! Like your father!"

Once the last six words were out of her mouth, Twilight wanted to die. Once they were out, Twilight opened and closed her mouth, shocked such things could ever come from her own tongue. Pinkie's sense told her this. It also told her deep down Twilight knew Rarity was nothing like her father - her father would never have sacrificed his time to take his daughters to the zoo, never-mind his daughters and their friends.

Rarity backed up. "I...I...I never meant to hurt you!" And she turned hoof and ran, bawling, nearly running over Candle in the process who had come up to lecture the fillies on being quiet.

"My library!" Candle exclaimed. "You...my...you...OUT!"

Twilight flinched. A blur of pink swirled around the room and in a split second the books were in their proper places. Candle's jaw dropped. "Oh my...young lady, if you ever need a job here..."

"Thank you, ma'am, but I can't. I'm too loud and party-going. Please excuse us, we need your top level for a few minutes more."

"Um...I suppose...." Candle Whisper trotted back down the stairs. "But no more shouting!" she called.

Pinkie turned to Twilight.

Pinkie's sense a lit with pain once more. Something was so deeply wrong, something beyond the girls not being friends, that her whole body went beyond twitching, jerking and snapping in agony. As suddenly as it started, it was gone. Pinkie layed on the floor, groaning in pain.

"I'm sorry," Twilight said bitterly. "I...I did this didn't I?"

"No, sweetie, the ones who did this are the ones making Rarity afraid to be herself."

Another pony peeked over the last step on the staircase. Twilight registered it as a "friend" of Rarity's and was going to yell and scream her hate out, but the pony spoke first, revealing herself to be a friend to Twilight as well.

"Whatcha'all doin' up here?" Applejack asked. "Where's Rarity?"

"Crying, I'd imagine." Twilight sighed.

"You look like you cried some." AJ trotted to Twilight. She looked at Pinkie. "You need Apple Cidar, stat. You both do. Come with me, I gotta talk to you both. I'll stop by Rarity's later if you need me to."

Numbly, Twilight followed AJ, and Pinkie kept pace with Twilight.

"Twi, you need to make it up with Rarity," Pinkie said. Applejack looked back.

"I..how can I?" Twilight asked. "I said such horrible things."

"So did she, and she said it first, but you said it worst, but none of that matters. What matters you did not mean it, right? You were hurt."

"Yeah."

"Rarity never means to be awful." Applejack broke in. She stopped by a cart just outside of the library, and smacked it so that it opened. She fished out some apple cider. "On the house. Recant everythin', y'all. The good ol' county doctor is in the house. I can fix anythin'. If you don't mind my askin', what brought this about?" Applejack asked.

"Well..." Pinkie said, sounding less than chipper, "Rarity said some really mean things about Twilight at the party when she didn't think Twilight was listening. Twilight wouldn't have said those things to Rarity without a reason."

Applejack frowned. "That don' sound right. You sure about that?"

"She called me an egghead. She said she was using me. She said she only needed me because she was failing her studies and because of who my mother is." Twilight said flatly. "But I'm not giving up yet."

"Now, that don' sound right at all." AJ said, shaking her head. "She's got some apologizin' to do- but I tell you this, Twilight: When I saw her runnin' out, that was the most sad-lookin' pony Ah ever saw. She looked like she'd been beaten over the soul, and that's the honest truth. Ah have a way with ponies, Ah really do, and Ah can tell she's one sorry pony."

Twilight raised her head. "I need to get to the bottom of this somehow. I want to find out about Rarity. I guess I owe her at least a chance."

AJ nodded. "That's the spirit. Rarity may seem cold sometimes, but I tell you, she's afraid. A lot."

Twilight blinked. "Afraid?"

"A way with ponies, as I said."

"But what of? She seems so secure."

"Is it the boogie man?" Pinkie chippered in.

"Failin'." Applejack said. "She's takin' on so much on her shoulders all at once. School, her future career, her lil' sister... that poor pony don't even trust her own folks. And she really, really wants ta make it, too. She wants to be one of the fancy ponies everyone knows, and she wants to do it on her own. She wants to make her mama an' papa proud, even if she don' like 'em. She was raised ta be perfect, an' she's dead scared she won't make it. So she don't like lettin' anypony in close."

"How do you know a lot of this?" Twilight said, frowning. "I'm not calling you a liar, but-"

"Don't fret none, sugarcube." Applejack said, smiling. "I used to be as close as can be with her, when I was a little filly. my family moved to a bigger farm, much further from the big city, and I didn't see much of her 'till just last year, when I started in the big school. I know Rarity, even if she won't let me in close."

"That's so sad." Pinkie said, her lower lip trembling.

"It is." Applejack said, nodding knowingly. "And that's why we're goin' to make her happy again. Twilight here might not ha' known much about life aside from books, but in some ways, Rarity's the same. We're gon' show her the value of friends, real friends, and we'll do it together. Sounds like Violet Stone is up to her tricks. She doesn't really do things herself. She gets Runner Flare or Lightning Smoke to do her work."

"Who is Violet Stone?"

"Lighting Smoke's friend with benefits."

"His what?" Twilight asked.

"They aren't together, but they bump uglies," AJ explained.

"Bump...oh. OH." Twilight shook her head. "Oh no, I don't want that image in my head."

"Balloons, cake, punch, Gummy, pink, purple, green, blue, presents -"

"Pinkie?" Aj asked.

" - music, pie, dancing -"

"Pinkie!" Twilight shouted.

" - and I'm helping." Pinkie nodded.

"Yes you are."

"Really, all I'm seeing is Smoke and Stone in a party room, doin' it like weasels."

"Applejack!" Twilight said, exasperated.

She grinned. "Ever see Tails and the City? I'm Sun Designer."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. Just know I love to flirt. That's as far as it goes until I'm outta school. Anyway... 'bout your problem. Rarity is an honest, hard workin' pony, she's just frightened of not being Queen. She was raised to be the perfect daughter of one of the richest families in Equestria. So, beleive me, Twi, she is worth it."

Twilight finished her cider. "Okay...so...how do I fix this?"

"We all have to fix it," Pinkie said. "You, me, AJ, Rarity. We need Fluttershy and Dash, too, I think." Pinkie vibrated. "Whoa! Yup, we need them."

After the cider was gone, they walked back to the party. Twilight hung her head. Having been friends with Rarity even for such a short time had been wonderful. This calamity was unlike any emotion she had felt before. She felt sore inside, sick, like she usually only felt after an adrenaline rush. Oh, Rarity...

Back at the party, Twilight saw most ponies dancing like AJ had left them. The execption were the CMC, who were running about and getting into mischief. Fluttershy and Derpy were trying to keep them in check, but the music covered Fluttershy's voice, and Derpy's idea of stopping little hurricanes was giving them some sweets to keep them occupied.

"This is too much!" Fluttershy told Twilight softly. "I...I don't know what to do!"

"Hold on a tick!" AJ pulled rope out of nowhere, and lassoed the little angels.

"Hey!" Scootaloo shouted.

"That was fun, let's do it again," Sweetie Belle suggested.

"Ah, sis," Applebloom pouted.

"There now, be nice, Pinkie Pie did all that trouble!"

"Sorry, Pinkie!" the young fillies said. AJ untied them.

"Sweetie Belle, come, we are going home," Rarity said from behind Twilight. Twilight winced. She turned to Rarity. Rarity gave her a small smile. "Good day, Twilight Sparkle. I trust you can get home yourself."

Sweetie Belle looked between the two. "But -"

"Sweetie Belle, come."

Rarity walked to her coach, and Sweetie Belle followed, casting a sad and apologetic look to Twilight.

"Well, dang, did somethin' happen?" Applebloom asked.

AJ took her sister and Scootaloo to the side and whispered to them.

Twilight blinked. Rarity had walked out on her, taking that coach away... pretending like nothing had happened. She wanted to chase her, follow her into the coach, put her hooves around her neck and hold her close until it was all good again. She wanted to talk to her, work this all out...

But seeing Rarity so casual, just... walking away, she hesitated. She was still upset, still unsure of how to feel. Did she not care? No, she would, she would have to- or did she? Didn't she?

AJ came back to Twilight.

"Don't worry none, sugarcube." Applejack said reassuringly. "You'll talk to her t'morrow. Probably best like this. You can both calm down an' talk about it like sensible ponies."

Unsure, Twilight nodded. "I guess..."

"We'll be there to cheer you on!" Pinkie Pie chirped. "We'll make sure you make up properly, and if you try to back out..."

"We'll be there, rootin' for ya. I don't know you very well, Twilight, but I know Rarity cares. You need to hang in there."

"All right!" Twilight said.

On Monday, Twilight woke up as if on needles. She felt electric, anxiety and determination running through her mind at the same time. The mourning routine, the walk to school, the first class all passed in a haze, barely even registering in her memory. After that first class had come and passed, she walked down the halls, determined. Rarity had her locker somewhere around here- it would be a good place to start.

Pinkie at her side, she walked down the hall. Sure enough, Rarity was there, with her posse of followers, Applejack standing in the background. Seeing Twilight, AJ winked, beckoning her forward.

"Rarity!" Twilight blurted out. "I-"

"She doesn't need to see your loser face." Glitter said, stepping in her way. "Why don't you make like a tree-"

Moving in a blur, Pinkie had spun round, and suddenly Glitter slammed into the wall.

"You go on, Twilight!" Pinkie said cheerfully. "Nopony is going to stop you. Nopony!"

Happy as she sounded, there was a warning tone in her voice.

"Sonofabitch, she got me right in de muffle!" Glitter squealed. "Dat hurt, you little-"

"Looks like you took a mighty bad fall, Glitter," Applejack said. "Why don't you fillies go on an' take her to the school nurse, make sure she is okay?"

Flare opened her mouth as if to protest, but Pinkie gave her an intense stare. Backing down, they helped Glitter down the hall. Alone stood Rarity, facing them. She turned around, as if to walk-

"Not this time, sugarcube. No runnin'." Applejack said firmly. "I am not going to listen in, but you both need to work this out."

Grinding her teeth, Rarity stared her down, but Applejack did not flinch. Unyielding, she stared back.

"...fine." Rarity said at last.

"I knew you'd see reason." With that, Applejack walked around the corner.

Pinkie saluted, nodding eagerly at Twilight. She was covering the other end of the hall- her new friends were really bent on helping her, it seemed.

"Rarity-"

"There is nothing to talk about." Rarity said coldly. "Just go on about your business, Twilight Sparkle. I shall find another tutor to treat like dirt." She sounded cold, but there was something bitter about her tone.

"I am not giving up." Twilight said, refusing to back down. "I want to talk about this. I want you to tell me why you said those things, and I want to apologize-"

"Apologize?!" Rarity burst out. "You really are quite the pony to apologize after that, Twilight Sparkle!"

"I-"

"After yesterday? After what- just be gone, Twilight! Go run away, go with your friends- your real friends! Your pathetic loser friends, the useless-"

"You don't mean that." Twilight said flatly. "I don't know why you are doing that, but I can hear it. You don't mean a word of that."

"Shut up!" Rarity was flustered, her otherwise perfectly groomed mane hanging in a loose mess. "What do you know? Why do you even- why?!" Her voice was unstable, cracking; she was losing control. Twilight walked in closer.

"Because I believe in friendship. And maybe that's cliché, or silly, or naively idealistic, but I believe. In you, and in Pinkie and AJ and Fluttershy, and even Rainbow Dash. And I think you deserve a chance at explaining yesterday."

"I don't!" Rarity shouted. "I don't deserve it at all! Rarity, the confident designer unicorn, queen of the school- what a joke!" Tears streamed down her cheeks; she had been holding so much emotion in since the other day. "I am so much a coward that I dare not even stand up for the company I keep! This is Rarity- too concerned with the opinions of others to even let herself be happy! No, I don't deserve this at all. I am a hypocrite! Every bit as shallow as the ponies following me- pretentious and false to accuse them, when I am just the same! You were right, Twilight Sparkle- I am rotten!"

Twilight shook her head, stepping even closer. Their faces were only inches apart now.

"You're not rotten at all," she said quietly. "And I am sorry I called you rotten. It was wrong of me, even though I was upset."

"But-"

Twilight, on an impulse she did not quite understand, leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "Please. Just talk to me. I'm not going away, and you are NOT as bad as you think you are."

Sitting down on her haunches in defeat, Rarity looked on her with despair written on her face.

"I just... I have never been so ashamed of myself. When I said those things, I felt like a coward. When I realized you had heard... oh, Twilight!"

Twilight sat down next to her, leaning into her.

"Just say you are sorry."

"I am! I have never been more regretful of anything, I swear it!"

"There." Twilight said, giving a small smile. "I forgive you. Even if you have to lie to your other friends, I won't blame you. You need me, that much is obvious."

"Since when are you this assertive?" Rarity said, wiping her tears, sounding less miserable.

"Oh, I am probably going to have a panic attack when I get home. But right now, I need to be strong."

"I...I am at a loss on what to do, Twilight Sparkle."

"So am I. This is new ground for both of us. If you do choose to stand up to your former friends, know all of us are behind you. Pinkie, Fluttershy, AJ and I."

"Not Rainbow Dash? Oh, I don't mean it the way it sounds, but I thought you were friends with her as well?"

"Um... well... we haven't really talked since I saw her last." Twilight thought about it. "And Derpy, too, if you need her. And I bet we can find other ponies willing to stand up with you if you simply ask them."

"After the way I treated everypony?"

"Actually, if I recall, you never actually say anything bad about any pony - except for what you said about me, and you were pressured into it. You slide the conversation away from it."

Rarity shook her head. "No, no, I - "

The bell rang.

"Look, we share no classes today, so how about we meet up for lunch?" Twilight asked.

"I..." Rarity took a deep breath. "Yes. Yes, I am ready, Twilight Sparkle. I am ready to defy my father, and the friends he chose for me, and the life they laid out for me." She raised her head high. "Even if I ... I ...lose my future as a designer..."

"You won't." Twilight grinned. "You have immense talent, Rarity. But...we have to go."

"You are right, Twilight."

The fillies went there separate ways. Twilight stopped to look back at Rarity, and when she knew she was alone, she began to cry.

'Why am I crying?' she thought. 'Exhaustion? Happiness?'

"What's your problem?" a voice sneered.

"Nothing!" Twilight said quickly. "I - Rainbow Dash!"

"You have a problem with me?" The pegasus hovered over Twilight, glaring down at her.

"No. Actually, I want to tell you, if you hurt Fluttershy, I will hurt you!" Twilight found herself saying. "Fluttershy is the best friend I will never let down!"

Dash hovered for a couple seconds, then laughed. "Hurt Fluttershy?" she scoffed. "What are you talking about? Are you nuts? Whatcha think we are, like, a couple? We're friends, nothing more!"

"Friends with benefits?" Twilight wondered. Dash opened and closed her mouth. Twilight went on: "There is nothing wrong with you, Rainbow Dash. You may not be my friend yet, but know I'll stand by your side if you do chose to be with Fluttershy."

"I - whatever. You're delusional!" Dash sped off down the hall.

Comments

[Tailslover13]

Pinkie's Pinkie Sense...it's that powerful, hmm? Somehow, I'm not surprised. She can be a real sweetie when the need arises, huh?

Wow, I foresaw the inevitable fight between Twilight and Rarity...but, I did NOT see Twilight as the aggressor. Man...shocking, painful, deep...but, still expected.

Powerful chapter, and cute/funny way to end it with Rainbow Dash. Man, I SO wanted to see Twilight and Rarity go in for a full kiss, but...guess that'll come later.

[NinjaNin]

Delusional Twilight D< How dare you talk as if Dash is a marelover and follows her heart. How DARE you.

This story is so awesome on so many levels that if it was a pony that pony would have preformed a triple Sonic Rainboom like five times in ten seconds flat.

[RF2]

Oh, I am probably going to have a panic attack when I get home.

That is soooooooooooo like Twilight....anyway GREAT job on the story!!!!!!