The Cat Is Dead.

by shortskirtsandexplosions

Chapter 6

Warm.

Soft.

Fragrant and inviting.

Rarity's cloak eases her dry fur as she strolls across the hotel suite.

It's a comforting feeling. It should be. She created it... like so much else. Calming, assuring, familiar artifice.

She makes a quick stop in the mini-kitchen. Pulling a bottle of wine from a cooler, she pops the top and pours herself a liberal glass. Upon the first taste, there's little to no effect. Rarity's grown more familiar with wine than blood at this point. There are times when Rarity wonders if there's actually any blissful buzz to be had from drinking anymore. She's long settled for the fact that it's something that she needs. And needing something creates the illusion of something needing her in return.

Another artifice, but so far it's carried her well enough.

Even carried her this high—in towering luxury—aloft among the stars.

Deadpan and contemplative, Rarity trots towards a window overlooking the affluent districts of Prance at night. The world below is a pinprick matrix of gold and platinum, twinkling up at her with admiration and approval. She might as well be flying; the mountaintops of the fashion scene are her only perches.

Still room enough for only one.

For a moment, her thoughts drift to the stallion she saw downstairs. In hindsight, his stubble was quite ghastly. Unkempt. She ponders designing a jacket for him, but all she can muster up is adding rows upon rows of dangling belts—only because she's absolutely certain the delicious ruffian would leave them unbuckled.

This elicits a slight chuckle from her lips. Between tastes of wine, Rarity thinks of turning around and sharing an anecdote out loud—

The cat is dead.

She exhales calmly. Then, after another sip, she purrs at the dwindling lights of Prance down below, vanishing one after another, like tears down a sterile drain.

“All for the best~”

There's no time for distractions. There simply isn't. Rarity is tired, aching, and more than a little bit inebriated. But instead of going to bed, she hobbles over to a work desk, hunches over, and reviews her schedule for next week.

Comments

[Nyerguds]

She sure misses that cat.

[Stahlseele]

11057410
mine died years ago and i still miss him

[Silver Starlight]

Hugged my cat after reading.

[Symerzen]

This one hurt, ngl. My cat died just last month and the constant reminders of his absence are portrayed here quite accurately, you've written this quite well. Great job :)

[Hillbe]

Dearest Rarity,

Hope this letter finds you well and happy.
We found your boutique empty except for poor Opalescence
laying on the floor stiff as a board, I talked to Fluttershy and
Angel Bunny said Opal wanted a Viking funeral so we use the
bird bath behind your kitchen window and it almost went as planed.
After the Ponyville Fire Department put out the flames we'd have to
say mission accomplished...

I'm on my way to Prance on a diplomatic bag to set terms of their surrender.
I know you're busy but you had to notice the change of management there,

What the century is going on? Is it too much to ask for a quiet bath without a
flaming milk carton to deposit a dead and smoking feline in my freshly shampooed mane?
Oops wrong dragon fire...

Spikey Wikey you're so "Woof"!
Yea , I hear that a lot now days
My how times fly...

Take time from the rat race

[zx29b]

Well, at least Schrödinger has the answer to his little riddle now.

[Iron Comet]

I think this story is about the past haunting her. The cat died and Opal was her anchor to Ponyville. Not her sister or her friends. She left them behind easily enough for fame and fortune. But without Opal there wasnt a link to Ponyville.

[I_S]

..... It's not a cat. This is a short skirts fic.

[Nyerguds]

11058048
Obviously. The cat stands for everything Rarity sacrificed in the pursuit of her career.

[Mica]

Hauntingly beautiful, with the motif of the dead cat anchoring the story. At times the cat makes her panic, at times it makes her feel a sick sense of relief. The juxtaposition of the success on the outside and a troubled mind on the inside reminds me of modern day celebrities. I could see a fic similar to this working in G5, such as with Pipp Petals.

The panic of chapter 5 was my favorite part. I always love myself a good panic scene.

[fanreader999999]

Hmmm

[Fatail]

She could almost purge everyone from her memory in pursuit of success... but not Opal. And that little cat reminded her of everything she sacrificed.

...My cat is sleeping in my bed tonight and that's final.

[Rockyvolcano4]

The first 2 chapters of this story hit really hard. My cat passed a few weeks ago and I caught myself opening a can of wet food for her last night at the usual time. I was looking for her bowl wondering where I left it when the thought of, “I left it on her gravestone.” hit me like a truck.

[Okie Brony]

Both of my little dogs passed away a few weeks ago, within 24 hours of each other. It still hurts like hell. It took days for me to stop feeling the urgent need to feed them every night.

Having said that, I'd like to think that 20 years from now, I won't be obsessed with their memory the same way Rarity was still obsessed with Opal. But, then again, my first dog died in 1998, and I still miss him!!