Chrysalis' unexpected Life

by coto616

What are you going to do?.

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What are you going to do?.
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Rarity walked with Soarin through the streets of Ponyville towards the boutique without saying a word, the Pegasus had a serious and focused look on his face, one could easily imagine his mind working at full speed, but... what about his heart?

Rarity, for her part, felt her heart squeeze and her eyes jumped from the road to the Pegasus' face, searching for a way to lower his defenses even if it was just the slightest to be able to talk, this last year she had gotten to know Soarin very well, his strong personality, his level of empathy, how he pursued his dreams even though he often risked too much, How he talked about his family and how much he cherished them, how she sometimes saw him playing with the little ones in Ponyville and how he was always ready to help anypony who asked him. He also had an impressive physique thanks to his work in the Wonderbolt, she appreciated him a lot and didn't like to see him suffer.

When they arrived at the boutique, Soarin opened the door and walked in, followed by Rarity who used her magic to close the door behind her, the Pegasus liked this place because whenever he went in his muscles relaxed and his heart rate calmed down, he knew this place very well and knew that he could sleep peacefully and that no pony would judge him, this place felt more like home than Rainbow's own house where he had been living for the last few months.

"Would you like a drink?" Rarity asked on her way to her study.

"Do you have any Pinot left?" Soarin asked as he followed her out.

"I'm afraid I'm out, but I do have some Rose." Rarity replied.

"I don't like Rose, she's a bit neurotic and gets scared too easily." Soarin said.

"Shame, she's cute, too bad she's married, I also have Merlot."

"Where'd you get a bottle?" Soarin asked, feigning surprise.

"I made it." Rarity replied proudly.

"And how did you make it?"

"Raisins, sugar, toilet water and magic." Rarity replied as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Isn't that cheating?"

"What, the use of magic?" Rarity asked curiously.

"No, the use of toilet water." Soarin replied.

They both laughed for a second as they finished their little word game, something they always did before they had a drink, where they started with something simple and could end up with the wildest idea in the world, Rarity liked to see that the Pegasus could laugh for at least a few seconds after what happened, but unfortunately she knew that this little laugh wouldn't last long, and the Pegasus knew exactly the same thing.

"I'm going to the kitchen to get some glasses while you choose something to drink. I'll be right back." Rarity half turned and went to the kitchen. Soarin went to the study to get a drink and relax.

The Pegasus had been here many times and knew the place very well, plus he already had Rarity's trust and could take certain liberties when choosing a bottle or reviewing her next clothing designs, something Rarity was jealous to protect, but more than once she showed them to Soarin and asked for his opinion from a male point of view on certain sketches. Sometimes he also served as a model so the unicorn could work on outfits with wings.

As Rarity walked towards the kitchen, she could hear someone with a soft voice singing a beautiful melody. When she entered, she saw her little sister reading a cookbook, and on the counter she had many different ingredients.

"Hi Sweetie, what are you cooking?" Rarity asked as she grabbed a couple of wine glasses.

"Hi Rarity, I'm trying to make a salad, and how did everything go at the hospital? I'm sure Soarin and Rainbow must be very happy with their new little one, or is it a girl?". Sweetie Belle asked as she leafed through the recipe book, making sure not to miss a single word.

"Not quite..." Rarity's answer was one of obvious concern.

"Why is that, what happened?" Sweetie asked worriedly. She looked up from the book and turned her head to see her older sister thinking the worst.

Rarity thought for a moment how she was going to tell Sweetie what had happened, it wouldn't do to hide what had happened as she would find out eventually and it would be better if it came from her mouth as she had a little more information.

"Rainbow had a beautiful baby girl, but she doesn't share any physical traits with Soarin or Rainbow. She's a dark, almost black earth pony with a red mane and a multicolored streak, and if Sister Redheart hadn't been present at the birth, it wouldn't have been possible to confirm that the little girl was Rainbow's daughter, but in Soarin's case..." Rarity looked at the cups and wondered how the stallion would feel.

"Oh... And how is he taking it?" Sweetie asked.

"Not too well, he's in the study now and we'll talk about it."

"I'll come too." The young unicorn said as she closed the cookbook and put the chopped vegetables away in the fridge.

"Thanks, but you don't have to." Rarity said with a smile.

"Rarity, I'm telling you I'm coming too, he's my friend too and I'm worried about his feelings too, don't you think at a time like this he needs to feel accompanied? to see that he doesn't feel alone? I want to talk to him, I want him to see that he can count on me too, just like he can count on you." Sweetie Belle told her older sister with clear concern and determination, feeling every word she said. Of course, she had other intentions that her older sister did not suspect.

"Guess you're right, but not booze for you." Rarity said as she walked towards the study, two glasses floating in the air thanks to her magic.

"But I'm legal now." Sweetie protested, raising her voice.

"My house, my rules."

"Fineee!!!, I'm going to make myself some tea and I'll be there in a minute." Sweetie replied annoyed. But before she went to the study, she had to go to her room.

In the study, Soarin went through the liquor bottles looking for something special, and even though Rarity had taught him a few things about wines and the situations in which they were usually consumed, he needed something stronger. He found a bottle that he had brought with him a few months ago and that they had been saving for when they needed it, and it was just what he needed now.

"Have you found something to drink yet? Or do you need some help?" Rarity asked as she walked into the study.

"I found this bottle I brought a few months ago." The Pegasus replied, showing the bottle to her friend, who quickly examined it.

"La-ven-ven-ganza- del Escor-pion." The unicorn read the label as best she could. It was clearly a bottle imported from a faraway place, and she was surprised by the number on the bottom. "Seventy degrees? Don't you think that's a little strong?" She asked intrigued.

"Just like my day." The Pegasus replied in a serious tone.

"I guess these glasses are useless now, I'll get some more suitable glasses for this poison and some juice. I don't want to end up as a statistic." Rarity added, turning in the direction of the kitchen.

A minute later, Rarity returned with a couple of glasses and a pitcher of orange juice and placed them on the table, then sat down on the sofa in front of Soarin. The Pegasus subtly opened the bottle with one of her wings, while the unicorn poured some juice into both glasses.

Soarin looked at Rarity with a bit of annoyance because she added some juice to his glass, but the unicorn looked back at him and let him know that she would not allow him to drink a liquor of that caliber without something to buffer it. Their mental battle was intense, but after a few seconds the pegasus gave in and added some liquor to both glasses, only in his glass he added a bit more than what the unicorn would have poured.

Rarity magically levitated her glass and took a sip, tilting her head sideways at the intensity of the taste. "By Faust, this stuff is strong." She said as she put her glass back down on the table. "I think the juice will be useless." She added, making the bottle disappear with her magic.

"Indeed it is, but it doesn't have a bad taste." Soarin also tasted the liquor with the juice, only he was more used to drinking stronger liquors.

"It's not bad, it's just that I would have it in a cocktail or in case of need."

"Like now, for example." The Pegasus said, lowering his gaze and thinking about what had happened.

Rarity looked at him carefully for a moment and he looked much less upset and more thoughtful and a bit calmer, the walk to the boutique together with the knowledge that he was now in a safe place helped his heart to slow down a bit, all that was left was that he wanted to talk.

"It's not going to help me to ask you how you've been, because unfortunately I know, so I'm going to be a little more direct." Rarity took another sip from the glass and repeated the same gesture as she had the last time, but to a lesser extent. "How are you feeling?"

Soarin looked into the void between his hooves. He tried in vain to find the answer there, but found only more questions.

`How do I feel?, hurt?, sad?, betrayed?, angry?`,...the stallion asked himself.

Rarity looked at him in silence for a long moment, waiting for him to start the conversation. But it seemed that this was not going to be the case.

"You know... Talking about these things always helps, and I know that from experience." She was telling the truth, hundreds of travels for business and pleasure had given her a lot of experience in the field of love. She didn't have Princess Cadance's ability to discover the love of one pony for another with a simple glance and make it blossom with a quick spell, though she would have loved to be able to do that, But she was a romantic at heart and she knew it very well, and because of her work, she was involved in some relationships that were more liberal than others, which gave her the fun she was looking for, but inevitably ended tragically. This kind of relationship never creates the necessary bonds for such love to blossom beyond sexual attraction and the superficial tastes of the moment.

"What do you mean?" Soarin asked intrigued.

"I've never told anyone, but I've had my love affairs, and to say that they ended badly would be... Let's just say that I may be many things, but a home wrecker will never be one of them." Rarity replied taking another sip from her glass, obviously not as strong as a few drinks ago.

"And why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I trust you, and I know you won't tell anypony. And just so you know, not everyone's life is painted in pink, I dipped my hoof in the mud, but I managed to get out and clean up as best I could, and you should do the same."

Soarin thought about her friend's words for a long time until they heard the door to the study open and saw a cheerful Sweetie Belle enter with a cup of tea in her magic.

"Hi Soarin, sorry to hear about what happened." The young unicorn said as she approached the small coffee table.

"Hey Sweetie Belle, what are you doing here?" Soarin asked.

"Rarity told me a little bit about what happened, and I'm sorry, but as your friend I also want to give you my support and have a talk with you about the whole thing... unless you don't think I'm your friend." The young unicorn answered the Pegasus' question, knowing that he wouldn't refuse her presence, after all, she had practiced those very words a few minutes before.

"No, yes, of course we are, have a seat and thank you." The Pegasus replied.

"Thank you." Sweetie said in a subtle way sitting down on the same couch as Soarin, only in the opposite corner.

Rarity was watching her little sister the whole time, she had brushed her mane, washed her face and hooves, and was wearing a subtle fruity scented perfume. If it had been any other mare, she would have found it all very suspicious, but she, like her little sister, always took care to look as presentable as possible, and surely Sweetie did it for that very reason.

"So how do you feel?" Sweetie asked as she took a sip of her tea.

"I'm upset, how do you expect me to feel?" Soarin replied with a raised voice and anger in his eyes.

"Soarin, please calm down." Rarity said, trying to calm the Pegasus down.

"How am I supposed to calm down?. My marefriend just had another stallion's baby and half the town will know about it in less than a week." Soarin said, almost yelling at her friend.

"I know you're upset, but I'd really appreciate it if you didn't yell at me." Rarity said.

"Upset? I'm furious Rarity, today I found out that the pony I lived with was unfaithful to me, she doesn't seem to care and besides..."

"I'd be furious too if I found out my coltfriend was cheating on me, I'd want to punch him in the face with all my might and break his snout." Added Sweetie Belle.

"Sweet Belle!" Rarity said in surprise. "I can't believe you would say such a thing."

"And why not?, I'm sure you would do something like that as well, I'm just being honest." The young unicorn replied, preventing Rarity from being able to answer that, after all, she had done things like that in the past.

"That may be so, but this is neither the time nor the place for you to say things like that."

Soarin sat back on the couch and thought about what had happened, he was angry about what Rainbow had done and he had all the reasons in the world to be, but he had a strange feeling in his head, like he knew something was wrong but he couldn't put his finger on it. Rarity looked at him carefully and remembered his conversation with Twilight, Fluttershy and Sister Redheart, it was possible that it was all a misunderstanding and she preferred to believe that, but if she wanted to help them she had to get Soarin's side of the story and the only way to do that was to ask him some difficult questions and she didn't know how to ask them.

She didn't want to upset the Pegasus any more than he already was, but if there was a real possibility that Shadow Fire was a genetic anomaly, she should ask. After all, Twilight was right, the little girl's future was the priority.

But first she had to tell Soarin what Nurse Redheart had told her.

"Soarin dear, I hope you don't take this the wrong way. I know this is the worst time to ask you this, but this little girl's future is at stake and I need to ask you some questions."

Soarin and Sweetie watched the unicorn. She spoke very seriously, which meant that what she said next was of the utmost importance.

"First of all, I have to tell you that after seeing .... Shadow Fire, we have spoken to Nurse Redheart because... her appearance was not unnoticed and-" Soarin frowned and wanted to say something, but Rarity didn't stop knowing that if she did, she wouldn't be able to continue.

"-As you have unfortunately discovered, she does not share any physical characteristics with you." Soarin opened her mouth to speak, but Rarity continued speaking more intensely so as not to be interrupted. "'BUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS WITH RAINBOW DASH, besides a simple multicolored streak, she's a black earth pony with a red mane, and..."

"I know." The pegasus managed to say quickly, before Rarity stopped him.

"Please let me finish, this is very important." Rarity replied in a reprimanding tone, but Soarin was unaffected. "But she doesn't share any characteristics with Rainbow either. She's an Earth pony."

"And what does that mean?" Soarin asked annoyed.

"It means that NurseRedheart was able to confirm that the little girl is Rainbow's daughter because she was present at the birth."

"And?" Soarin asked annoyed.

"And?" Rarity replied in surprise, but she couldn't blame the Pegasus; as far as she was concerned, it could only mean infidelity.

"And I want to tell you that this little girl doesn't look like either of you, neither her colors nor her mane, not to mention her tribe, honestly I wouldn't believe she was Rainbow's daughter if it wasn't for Nurse Redheart confirming it to me, she told us that something like this only happens once in a million, and she's probably the first one."

"And what are you trying to tell me?"

"I want to tell you that I know you very well and I know that you are not capable of being unfaithful, but if you were the one in that bed and Rainbow was the one who came through that door... what would you do?, would you be just as angry?, would you want her to think that you were unfaithful?, what do you think she thought when she saw you coming through that door looking her in the eyes disappointed and leaving that place without even saying a word to her?." Rarity asked in a calmer tone, giving the Pegasus time to think.

He looked down and considered Rarity's words for a moment, and she was right in what she said, it was true that he was angry and he had a right to be, but in his anger he couldn't deny the fact that he had left the hospital without saying a word, let alone asking for an explanation, all he saw was a little black pony with a red mane, He didn't even care if it was a colt or a filly, all this gave him something to think about, but couldn't shake the strange feeling inside him that there was still something wrong with all of this. He had it in front of him and he could almost touch it, but it was still impossible for him to know what it was.

"At the moment, Twilight is talking to Rainbow's parents to find out if they have any relatives who are earth ponies or who look like little Shadow Fire, and Fluttershy is talking to Rainbow to get her side of the story. We're doing all this because we're worried about the little girl's future after what happened, and that's why we need to know if you remember if you have any relatives who are earth ponies or who share colors with little Shadow Fire."

Soarin tried to concentrate on what Rarity was asking him about the little one's appearance, but every time he tried to form a mental image of her, his mind rejected the idea and wouldn't allow him to think well. It was only filled with images of Rainbow with several different stallions doing indescribable things in the bed they shared.

He shook his head to erase those images and stretched out his hoof to drink the contents of his glass in one gulp, surprising Rarity and Sweetie Belle, then poured another glass half full and drank it again in one gulp, but when he tried to pour himself a third drink, Rarity intervened with her magic, making the bottle disappear and appear at her side.

"Easy, cowboy." The unicorn said, causing the stallion to get a little annoyed with her friend, but Sweetie stepped in to help the stallion and used her magic to snatch the bottle from Rarity and make it appear at her side, then took Soarin's glass and poured him some, which the pegasus thanked her for with a smile.

"Sweetie Belle, what are you doing?" Rarity asked.

"Helping a friend, why?"

"Because what you're doing is reckless, we don't want him to get drunk."

"Do you think a few glasses will do the trick?" The young unicorn asked, winking at the Pegasus.

"That is not the point my dear, I am concerned about his condition." The unicorn replied to her little sister, raising her tone a bit.

"And who says I don't?"

"If you're going to take that tone, I'm going to have to ask you to leave and-"

"It's okay Rarity, it was my fault for drinking too much in the first place, not Sweetie Belle's." The Pegasus interrupted, smiling at the young unicorn sitting at her side.

Sweetie wagged her tail slightly in happiness, while Rarity just frowned at him, and Soarin was grateful for another sip of alcohol to clear his head and make him think a little better.

The Pegasus concentrated for a moment on what Rarity was asking him. He remembered that when he was little he had a relative who looked like Shadow Fire.

"I remember having a distant grandfather who was dark when I was little, but I'm sure my whole family was Pegasus."

"Hmmm... I see, so there must be Earth Ponies in Rainbow's family."

Rarity told them about her conversation with Nurse Redheart, and how she couldn't divulge any information about Rainbow's personal life or medical history, and how there was no way to know the paternity of a newborn except from the mother's own words. She also told them how Twilight had been concerned that Rainbow Dash's parents hadn't shown up at the hospital, and wanted to know if something had happened between them, and how curious she found it that Rainbow didn't seem to care that her daughter was an Earth pony. She also told them that even though this was a matter that belonged to the couple alone, they couldn't just sit on the sidelines and watch, and that their priority in all of this was the safety and future of the little filly.

"That's why I think she's happy with her daughter and will try to do the best for her, regardless of whether she's a Pegasus or not. But I think her reaction is normal for a first-time mother," Rarity finished. Rarity finished after her short explanation.

"And where do I come into all this, huh?" Soarin asked, raising his voice.

"What do you mean?" Now it was Sweetie who asked the stallion.

"How am I supposed to react to the way Rarity talks about Rainbow's daughter?"

"I don't understand you dear." Rarity replied, a little confused.

"This little girl you are talking about is nothing like me." Soarin said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Does it matter so much to you what other ponies say about how that little filly looks?" Rarity asked, a little disappointed at the thought of Soarin being so superficial.

"You don't understand, Rarity."

"Then explain it to me, because frankly, if there is love everything else is secondary." She said it with conviction, but deep down she knew those words were half lies.

"It's about trust." It was Sweetie Belle who answered before the Pegasus spoke.

"Excuse me?" Rarity asked, confused.

"Soarin hasn't felt the same trust in Rainbow for a long time, and that's why he has this reaction to seeing his daughter. Why do you think he's been sleeping on our couch so often?" Sweetie Belle replied, subtly emphasizing the word 'daughter'.

"And how could you know that?" The stallion asked, surprised by the young unicorn's simple words.

"I may be young, but I am not stupid. I also live in this house, where I could sometimes listen to your conversations and draw my own conclusions, even though I personally would have preferred you to sleep in a much more comfortable place." The unicorn replied to the stallion, "Like me in my bed," she thought to herself.

"Am I really that simple?." The stallion asked thoughtfully.

"You are not at all, but I have a feeling that the two of you were not meant to be together, and this is proof of it." Sweetie Belle replied.

Soarin lowered his gaze again, pondering the unicorn's words, his anger slowly fading to frustration.

"In case you haven't noticed, you haven't been in love with Rainbow for a long time, and I don't think she's in love with you either, and you were only together because you would have a daughter, and I assure you that has nothing to do with her fur color or her tribe, otherwise you would be in the hospital with her right now." The young unicorn added, taking another sip of her tea.

With a simple sentence something clicked in Soarin's mind, this strange feeling he felt to be angry was not because he only thought Rainbow was unfaithful, it was because the relationship with Rainbow was systematically deteriorating until it reached a point where it would break for anything, and it was only held together by their future daughter together, but seeing the little filly overflowed his patience and he could no longer bear to see his mare friend any more.

"Sweetie Belle, how could you even think of saying something so outrageous?" Rarity said, scolding her little sister.

"What am I doing wrong? even though that is a question that should be directed at Soarin and not at me." The young unicorn replied, looking Pegasus in the face, and everyone was silent for a long time, thinking about their own ideas.

Rarity thought that her little sister had come to this conclusion so quickly, and that Soarin seemed to accept it, while Sweetie was grateful that her bed was big enough for two.

Soarin pondered the words of the young mare sitting next to him, and how she had taken that nebulous idea that had been floating around in his head and shaped it, forcing him to think about at what point his relationship with Rainbow had gone downhill, and as Sweetie Belle had said, it had never been meant to start.

"I suppose you'll be thinking about it for a few days, won't you?" Rarity asked, daring to break the silence.

"What?" Soarin asked, interrupting her train of thought.

"You're going to take a few days to think, are you going back to your old house?."

"I can't, remember I have a lease on my house." The Pegasus replied.

"I forgot. So you're going back to your parents for a few days?."

"They're on vacation and I don't have a copy of their house keys. Do you think the hotel in Ponyville has any empty rooms?"

There was a small hotel in Ponyville that had grown over the years, but as it grew, so did its clientele. It was known that some guests had permanent leases on some rooms, so it was impossible to find last-minute reservations.

"I'm afraid not, for how small Ponyville is, it's surprising how hard it is to find available rooms." Rarity knew very well that the town where she had lived most of her life was no longer small. Neither was the hotel, but she was right about it being difficult to find a room at the last minute.

Sweetie Belle watched Soarin for a moment as she thought of a solution to his problem.

The young unicorn had known the Pegasus for years and knew that he was an excellent mate and that any mare in Equestria would be lucky to have him at her side. He was funny, strong, noble, loyal, he had played with her many times when she was younger and surely he would make an excellent father, By any standard, Soarin was flawless, and even though there was an age difference, she could handle him, it just showed that the Pegasus was more experienced in many areas, and he wouldn't be the first partner of that style. His only red flag was Rainbow Dash, and Sweetie hated the fact that a mare could treat him so badly, He deserved somepony who would make him happy, who would listen to him and be his companion, who would wait for him when he came home with a smile, a warm hug and a passionate kiss. He did not deserve to come home hungry and have to cook while listening to an endless list of complaints, Sweetie Belle was not an expert in the kitchen, but she had improved a lot over the years. She had always had feelings for Pegasus, but never dared to enter the board because Rainbow was such a powerful enemy piece, but now she had left the king unprotected giving her an opportunity, and Sweetie was not going to waste it.

"And why don't you stay a few days and live with us?" The young unicorn said with a sincere smile much to the surprise of the two adults present.

"Stay here, with you?" Soarin asked a little confused.

"And why not?, we've known you for years and you've stayed with us more times than I care to remember thanks to your arguments with Rainbow, besides I don't see that you have any other choice, single apartments are small and expensive, here you have everything plus we have plenty of space and we can lend you some willing ears to listen if you need to talk."

"Well... I don't know where to stay. I was thinking of landing in Cloudsdale and looking for a place to stay for the night, and tomorrow I'll see if the ponies I rent my place to are willing to move in."

"I doubt it. If they have a lease, they're not obligated to leave without thirty days notice. Besides, it's pretty late and the trip to Cloudsdale is a long one." Sweetie interrupted, sipping tea as she looked Soarin straight in the eye.

Rarity subtly rose from her seat and walked over to her little sister.

"Sweetie, what are you doing? Why are you offering him a place to stay without talking to me first?" Rarity said angrily to her little sister, within earshot so the Pegasus couldn't hear.

"Do you have a better idea Rarity?, he is seriously thinking about leaving Ponyville, how do you know he will come back?, and if he will, how soon?, in days, weeks, months, a few years?." the young unicorn answered in the same tone as her sister, she was, like Rarity, very clever and knew very well which parts to exaggerate in order to conceal her intentions, besides, what she said was true, since she was the one who offered to help him and prevent him from leaving Ponyville, Rarity had no reason to disagree.

Rarity thought for a moment, unable to argue with her sister.

"I guess you're right." She said to Sweetie Belle, and the young unicorn just smiled, then turned to look at the Pegasus. "Soarin dear, you'll be staying with us for a few days as it will be impossible for you to find a place to stay for the time being."

"And that's okay with you? I'm a stallion and you two mares, you don't have a problem with that?" Soarin asked a bit nervously, not sure what his meaning was.

"We'll have to organize the bathing schedules a bit. But otherwise there shouldn't be a problem."

"Then thank you. It would help me a lot if I could stay with you for a few days and hopefully not be a nuisance." Soarin said with a smile.

"Not at all dear, remember you can stay as long as you want. Within the week we can clear out one of the rooms I use for storage and get you a bed."

"I would like that."

"Well, now that we've settled the matter of your stay, I'm going back to the hospital. I need to tell the girls that you won't be leaving Ponyville anymore and what you told me about your relatives." Rarity thought for a moment, and in all the conversation she had missed something very important. "You don't mind me and the girls prying into your private life? I know no pony wants to find out." Rarity asked in a sympathetic tone.

"This is a personal matter, and I would like to keep it between... Rainbow and me, but I know what her personality is like and how our relationship has been the last few months, I..." Soarin looked down slightly, knowing that the two of them would just end up arguing and yelling at each other. He would just take his things and leave Ponyville, just as he had planned a few moments ago. "If you girls could figure out the truth, it'd be better for everypony." He finished with a smile on his face.

"Then I'll go, I don't know how long it'll take because with all the rushing and worrying we didn't agree on a time or place to meet, plus Twilight has to get back from Cloudsdale and that's a long trip, but anyway I'll go at least to talk to Fluttershy, will you two be okay here?" Rarity asked, looking at the Pegasus and her little sister, who both nodded.

"Don't wait for me and Soarin, remember Sweetie can't drink alcohol, I know she's legal but I don't want her getting into these habits, okay?" The white unicorn said to the Pegasus, who nodded again, then Rarity turned and walked to the door, closing it with her magic.

They both looked at the door for a moment, as if waiting for Rarity to return, and seeing no movement, Sweetie stretched her limbs and gave a moan of pleasure that Soarin didn't miss, turning his head to look at the unicorn. Sweetie knew she was being watched, and took the bottle that was by her side to increase the ethyl level of her brew.

"Rarity said you should be drinking alcohol." Pegasus commented.

"Are you going to rat me out to my sister?" Sweetie asked with false intrigue, knowing the answer as she added some alcohol to her cup.

The Pegasus said nothing and just took a sip from his glass, sighing and looking off into nothingness. Sweetie watched him for a moment before taking a sip from her cup.

"Boy, this stuff is really strong." The unicorn said, shaking her head slightly at the intense taste. Like her older sister, she liked sweeter or fruitier flavored drinks.

"I like the idea of you staying to live with us, we can do lots of fun things together." The unicorn said in a somewhat childish tone, catching the Pegasus's attention.

"Like what?" The Pegasus asked, looking at the young girl sitting next to him.

Sweetie was well aware of her own attributes, which she had honed over years of growing up, she knew she was smart, funny, hard working, kind, always had a topic of conversation, she was not good at cooking, but her food no longer caused digestive problems, which was a great improvement, She's young, with a beautiful and well-groomed mane, and without losing sight of her modesty, she knew that she was the most stunning mare in all of Ponyville, even more so than Fluttershy or Diamond Tiara. If it weren't for her loving relationship with Silver Spoon, she'd have several stallions in town asking for her hoof in marriage.

Knowing that the Pegasus was looking at her, she leaned to the side to lean against the headboard of the sofa while she took her cup of tea, drawing her perfect silhouette for Soarin to see and covering just enough with her tail so that he could not see more than necessary, the whole move was very subtle and calculated to give the impression that she was doing it without realizing it, and even though she was not as experienced as her sister or other older mares, she knew how to use her attributes perfectly to seduce a stallion.

When Soarin saw all this, his fur bristled and his heart raced.

"We could play board games, walk around town, I could sing you a song. We could dance, unless you have something more fun in mind." She said the last part very innocently. She sat down a little more on the couch and let her flank stand out more.

"Ummm..." The Pegasus said a little confused.

Sweetie knew exactly why the Pegasus was confused, because she was consciously sending him mixed signals, she wanted to get his attention, she wanted to attract him with her physique and her charismatic personality, she wanted to make him fall in love with her, but she couldn't force things because that would frighten him and make him go back to a horrible relationship with Rainbow Dash, she loved him and wanted to make him happy, she wanted them to be happy together and to do that she had to show him her funny side and her dedication, which her body was happy to help her with.

The unicorn's stomach growled loudly and she jumped dropping her cup of tea and turning red making Soarin burst out laughing.

"I think your stomach has already made up its mind." The Pegasus said with a smile.

"Yeah... I was about to make myself some food when Rarity told me what happened to you, and then I completely forgot about food." The unicorn said, pulling herself together and sitting back down on the couch.

"What did you cook? Rarity told me you're not a very good cook." The Pegasus asked with a smile.

"Yes, I'm good at cooking, I've improved over the years, the kitchen doesn't catch fire anymore because of the new cookery book I bought." She replied, raising her youthful voice to defend herself, but Soarin knew the truth about the unicorn's skills in that area.

"That's excellent." The Pegasus said cheerfully, bringing a smile to the unicorn's face. "And what recipes does this book have?" He finally asked, making the young unicorn blush again and look at her hooves.

"It's called...Hundred Cold Salads for Beginners." She replied with some embarrassment and Soarin laughed again.

"Don't worry Sweetie Belle, no one is good at everything, but I tell you what, how about I make the pasta and you make the salads and the juice?. That way we can cook together, eat together and save some for Rarity."

"I would like that, thank you." Sweetie Belle replied, combing her hair with her hoof and smiling at the warmth of the Pegasus. Soarin found this reaction very pleasant.

Both figures went to the kitchen and started to cook a delicious dinner, something Sweetie Belle was very excited about since it was the first time she had cooked something elaborate, or at least helped to prepare it. After cooking, they waited for Rarity for almost an hour, and when she didn't return, they decided to eat together and save a portion for her.

After they ate, they started talking about various things, and Sweetie sang a few songs to Pegasus, who was amazed by the unicorn's beautiful voice. When they finally saw that Rarity still hadn't arrived they went to rest, Soarin went to the couch where the young unicorn gave him a few more blankets and a much softer pillow for the night and she went to her room, she would like to spend the night with the pegasus but she knew it was not a good idea to rush things, she had to lay the foundations of a relationship first if she wanted it to work.

During a moment of the night the Pegasus woke up and went to the bathroom, he had a candle by a small table next to the sofa but he knew the house very well so he walked with complete safety through the darkness accompanied by the little light that filtered through the curtains up the stairs and down the hall, he stopped next to Rarity's room and put his ear to hear if her friend had returned, after a moment he heard a light snore and continued on his way.

As he approached the bathroom he saw the door open and Rarity's younger sister step out, a little startled to see the Pegasus standing by the door.

"Ahh!." She screamed for a second before covering her mouth so as not to wake her older sister. "Don't do that, you scared the hell out of me." She muttered to the Pegasus, who just chuckled.

"I'm sorry, I'm just on my way to the bathroom, and when did your sister get back?"

"I don't know, but she came in very quietly so as not to wake us." The young unicorn flashed her horn for a second and lit a candle in the bathroom. "There's some light in there and remember to blow it out when you're done." She added with a chuckle, remembering that Soarin had forgotten to blow out the candle several times. As unicorns, she and Rarity didn't need a candle to see but they had put it out for visitors.

"Thank you." Said the Pegasus as he went into the bathroom.

"Soarin!" Said the unicorn, catching the Pegasus' attention before he closed the door.

"Yes?" Soarin asked.

"It was fun spending time with you and I really enjoyed cooking something together. I hope we can do it again." The unicorn replied blushing, but thanks to the low lighting, the Pegasus couldn't see it. "Well, I'm going to my room, have a good night and thank you for staying with us." She tried to control her embarrassment but her young age wouldn't allow it and finally she turned and walked quickly down the corridor to her room not noticing that she had left the door open.

From the bathroom door, Soarin could see a small part of the inside of Sweetie Belle's room and the silhouette of the unicorn drawn inside. He could see her return to her bed and settle in, it was quite an interesting and somewhat appealing scene as he had not seen many mares lying down to sleep.

The whole day had been quite confusing and stormy for him, he still had a hard time understanding and processing what had happened, how and why, but even he was still disappointed in Rainbow, but not for his daughter, it was for the way she had treated him all this time, but he was more disappointed in himself for putting up with it without saying anything, ever since Rainbow told him she was pregnant and they moved in together he could not remember a day when they did not fight for something.

But now he was calmer and he knew that he could stay in this place as long as he wanted, Rarity would help him by giving him a room and a boutique bed, and even though he had stayed in this place to sleep hundreds of times today it felt different, it was like the feeling someone has when moving to a new place but it had a subtle touch, as if a mysterious hoof had pushed him to this place and told him without words that he was in the place he should be at this moment.

Leaving the bathroom, Soarin sighed, closed the door and headed for his couch knowing tomorrow would be another day.

Author's Note:

We learn a little more about why Soarin left the hospital and about his family. Will that be enough to explain Shadow Fire's appearance?

Sweetie also has her own agenda. Will she do anything to prevent a reconciliation between Soarin and Rainbow?.

The next chapter will be about Rainbow Dash's truth, and there will be a final chapter about Shadow Fire's future.

I know I'm taking longer than usual with these three chapters. But I wanted to work on them in a deeper way and, as always, add little details that could open up new horizons.

As always I took your ideas to work on these chapters and in the next two I plan to do so as I said from the beginning.

I am always attentive to your comments and I will see you in a couple of days.

Comments

[Fetch]

And this is why Twilight Sparkle, along with some medical experts, invented the Paternity Check Spell a few years later.

[origami]

Sweetie wrecking the house, but in all fairness, it's like a brick house with no mortar at the moment.

[Starlight Glimmer1]

I get the feeling that Sweetie is going to end up turning everyone against her.

[coto616]

11697351
Cadance have something similar.

11697443
True.

11697560
60/40 I think.

[Starlight Glimmer1]

11698125
Hmm….

[Lord King Cocoon]

"I may be young, but I am not stupid. I also live in this house, where I could sometimes listen to your conversations and draw my own conclusions, even though I personally would have preferred you to sleep in a much more comfortable place." The unicorn replied to the stallion, "Like me in my bed," she thought to herself.

I guess there's no point in theorizing that Sweetie Belle has a crush on Soarin if you're just gonna outright confirm it before I have the chance to wonder for long.

I get that Sweetie Belle is of age now (I presume), but I honestly hope that Soarin at least has enough sense not to do anything stupid. Cheating on Rainbow with another mare is one thing. But cheating on Rainbow with Sweetie Belle not only would hurt his relationship with Rainbow, but it could also hurt his friendship with Rarity, and could even cause a rift between Rarity and Sweetie. I know "homewrecker" refers to something different, but I get the feeling there's a reason why earlier, Rarity described herself as never being one. And her apparent ignorance of Sweetie Belle's feelings towards Soarin may imply that Sweetie Belle may become a homewrecker.

What's worse is that if Soarin does go back to Rainbow Dash, I'd be concerned about how Sweetie Belle may react. It seems as if it's at a point where no matter what Soarin does now, someone will get hurt in some way. In my opinion, the best-case scenario is that he goes back to RD. The worst-case scenario would be if he got together with Sweetie Belle.

Also, I saw the mention of Shadow Fire being a possible genetic anomaly. I assume that's from my idea?

[coto616]

11701251
This Chapter and the last one come from commented ideas, just like the next one.