Foal of the Night

by Endarko

Chapter 1

It was a dark and stormy night…

Well, that wasn’t quite right, was it? It was always satisfying to start a train of thought like that, but it was rarely all that true. The rainstorm outside of Rarity’s home of Carousel Boutique was still certainly loud enough to have woken her up in the first place, though; so it certainly wasn’t anything to scoff at. The thunderstorm currently going on outside was scheduled to go on for a few days, too; supposedly to make up for a minor drought Ponyville’s weather team had accidentally caused last month due to a scheduling error.

Personally she didn’t much mind the rain; umbrellas made a fine accessory as well as being practical under such circumstances; and for the most part the social occasions she ended up in were set indoors. Not that she ever appreciated getting drenched or the like; of course; but generally with a bit of thought she could avoid such awful experiences and keep her beloved clothes prim and proper. Plus; the ambience that such storms provided brought with them a certain sense of calmness and in turn inspiration; a resource that was invaluable to the artistic mare.

Regardless; she’d mentally accepted the fact that it was indeed stormy; and thus her original description wasn’t that far off. But the dark part she really had to argue; it was admittedly dark but not all that dark; and the occasional flashes of lighting were making that arguable too; even though they were still quite far off in the distance. The thunder was still certainly loud; though; and Rarity assumed that the weather was what had woken her up in the first place.

She was far from sure of the fact, though. For the past three nights she’d found herself in a similar state. Awake in the middle of the night; with an unnaturally alert mind and a certain sense of comfort… she couldn’t quite attribute it to anything or compare to anything… it just felt natural to be in the moonlit hours of the night. And along with that had come a tiredness; a feeling of exhaustion that usually came about from being awake for too long; even though she was feeling it when she was just going by her usual waking hours. It just felt more tiring to deal with her daily tasks; and thus early bedtimes became inevitable; and much to the unicorn’s horror she’d even overslept during the morning before… well; overslept more than usual, anyway.

It couldn’t be anxiety or the like, either; it’d been a few years since she and the other elements had taken on anything major like the Changelings or Nightmare Moon; and even recently there hadn’t been anything of note going on. All in all the group had grown, well; mature; and thus such events had grown all the more sparse. Not that she didn’t admittedly look forward to them a little bit… they were at least a nice change to always having to take care of her store.

For now, though; she really had to get some sleep; despite how wide awake she felt. She had things to do in the morning anyway; and the middle of the night really wasn’t the best time to be considering her current state. She was probably overreacting anyway; she was probably just under the weather. Still, she could figure that out later; she was going to see Twilight and Fluttershy tomorrow anyway; no doubt they had plenty to say on the matter. For the time being she’d just have to try and slip away into her slumber once more to the sounds of the storm; whether her internal clock wanted her to or not…

Despite her apparent conviction Rarity found herself awake again; albeit thankfully having been woken up by some scattered rays of light that had managed to make it through both the storm clouds above and the bedroom’s blinds. Feeling notably refreshing the unicorn swiftly went about her usual morning routine; slipping on one of her homemade dressing gowns and soon coming to appreciate the warmth its fluffy lining providing given the storm outside as she headed to the kitchen; hoping to begin her sister’s breakfast before the filly herself made any attempt at doing so. She knew better than to allow the girl to attempt to even touch any unprepared food product; having experienced the ways the unicorn managed to pervert the rules of the Princesses and ponies with her cooking skills’ products.

Once she got downstairs; however; she was treated with a rather new sight; finding but a note from her little sister upon the table… and finding the clock having just struck two in the afternoon. Given her home-run business this would be quite the horrific event on any other day even with her already rather late awakenings; but thankfully it was a weekend. Still, she was somewhat concerned as to Sweetie Belle’s disappearance; although as expected the note the filly had left swiftly explained her whereabouts; in this case she was alongside the other two Cutie Mark Crusaders as per usual; thankfully under the supervision of Nurse Redheart; so they would likely be able to take care of themselves. Then again; she wasn’t sure what Sweetie had meant by ‘concussive therapy’… that girl was getting too eloquent for her own good.

With her nerves calmed for the time-being Rarity set about getting herself prepared for the day’s tasks; thankful that she’d managed to wake up before her planned meeting with Twilight; set up for the sake of dragging the lavender unicorn out of the cocoon she’d established since she’d gotten her very vocally anticipated full first series of Starswirl the Bearded’s Observational and Mundane Magick (Unaltered Collector’s Edition; naturally). Well, that and Rarity had slightly considered trying to explain her current issues of insomnia to Twilight; but at this point she was fairly sure that giving the magician any such chances to go prying into her physiology was really just asking for trouble; especially with a batch of new spells no doubt at the fellow unicorn’s beck and call.

Being in a bit of a rush Rarity’s brief breakfast predominantly consisted of and was finally finished with a rather inelegant chug of coffee; as the unicorn still felt weary despite the amount of sleep she’d gotten; although thankfully the storm outside blocked most of the sun’s glare which typically ended up giving her a headache when she was in such a state. And with that out of the way next came the natural conclusion to Rarity’s routine; a quick dab of mascara and moisturising cream on her face setting the stage for the finishing flourish of a single, practiced stroke through her lavender locks; finally leaving the unicorn properly prepared to face the day.

Well, that wasn’t without an umbrella, of course; while the storm had calmed significantly since the last night’s downpour it was definitely still rain as scheduled; assumedly as the eye of the storm passed over. Thankfully given her business and preference for sticking in style finding a decent umbrella to fit the circumstances took little time; and thus the unicorn was able to head off; her mind clear of concerns for the moment; apart from those regarding the social skills of her lavender friend.

The journey was as uneventful as expected even with the storm overhead; and thus Rarity took little time in reaching Ponyville’s library; swiftly arriving and closing her umbrella; swiftly sheathing it in its cover. She really had to wonder how earth ponies managed umbrellas; since they had to handle the things with their mouths due to their lack of telekinetic magic. Still, that was a problem to be considered some another time; so the unicorn swiftly focussed her thoughts back on the matter at hand of a certain socially awkward librarian. Though admittedly that was probably every librarian Rarity had met.

Rarity’s polite but short knock on the door of the bark-laden library was thankfully swiftly answered (while she didn’t mind the rain so much the unicorn still wasn’t keen on being stuck in the downpour) by Twilight’s number one assistant and quite possibly Rarity’s number one admirer; who was about as pleased to see his crush as would be expected; swiftly stepping out of the unicorn’s way and opening the door with him.

‘Heya, Rarity!’ greeted the dragon chirpily; leaving Rarity as amused as ever by both his enthusiasm and attempted politeness. She couldn’t really fault him on his manners; especially given the example a certain member of Canterlot’s royalty had given her; but it was still a little silly to see the diminutive dragon trying to pull off such chivalry in regards to somepony who was twice his height.

Rarity still wasn’t quite sure of what she thought of the diminutive drake; at least in regards to his consistent romantic interest towards her. It had been a few years now; to the point where at least Rarity would be hesitant to really refer to the boy as a child; but his small stature and often rather naïve attitude still lead her to keep from seriously reciprocating his interest… well, plus the fact that she still wasn’t too keen on dating a different species; and, well… such clinginess wasn’t totally appreciated; although at least he was eager to please rather than just getting in the way all the time.

‘Twilight’s just upstairs right now; finishing off cataloguing some new spell she’s figured out from those Starswirl books she got; if I recall.’ Explained Spike; seeming none too pleased about Twilight’s present fixation; courtesy of having had the task of managing to get the quite massive books (at least with his size in mind) around the place while the lavender unicorn organised her studies. ‘I’ll fetch her; if you’d like. I think she would’ve heard you, though; we were expecting you after all.’

‘Oh, it’s alright darling; I’m happy to wait for the moment. I’m sure she’ll take the clue eventually.’ Replied Rarity; having plans of her own in her mind. After all, if Twilight did take her sweet time in picking up on the fabulous fashionista’s arrival it was just further proof Rarity could use to make a point of the unicorn’s current reluctance to embrace or even acknowledge the possible existence of a social life.

‘So, u-um… how’ve you been?’ asked Spike awkwardly; trying his utmost to start a conversation while retaining some semblance of dignity. Usually he had something to work with; or at least Rarity would have some work he could offer to help with; but at the moment he’d rather had the circumstances forced upon him; a bit of an awkward situation.

‘I’ve been fine; thankfully not too many orders to deal so far in this season. Of course; I am still working; Winter fashion leaves room for plenty of variety you really can’t get away with in the heat of the Summer; not to mention I’ll probably get quite a lot of sales further down the line; since ponies will have to adapt to the colder weather and thus will probably need some heavier clothing.’ Replied Rarity idly; naturally keeping her concerns as to her insomnia and its related issues under wraps around her young admirer. While his usual thought for her well-being was always appreciated it could be rather overbearing; and no doubt if he heard of her having any trouble he’d end up spreading it about and making a real mountain over a molehill; especially with Twilight being his closest compatriot and her usual issues with stressing out over minor issues.

‘Yeah, you always come up with some pretty amazing stuff in the Winter. Your scarf designs are the best, I think. Plus they’re some of the only stuff I can wear, of course.’ Said Spike, seeming fairly pleased by the discussion as Rarity trotted aside to find somewhere to sit; assuming their conversation would probably be somewhat extensive.

Upon finding a suitable chair the Unicorn turned back to her draconic friend; only to be met with a rather confused expression; although he quickly regained his composure. ‘I like your makeup, Rarity.’ Remarked the dragon chipperly; managing to elicit some curiosity from the Unicorn.

‘Well, I appreciate the compliment, but it really isn’t anything different to my usual; Spike.’ Replied Rarity; unsurprisingly a little confused by the boy’s remark. ‘Still, what’s caught your eye, then?’

The dragon whelp did open his mouth to reply; but was quickly cut off by the hurried entrance of his superior of sorts. The lavender unicorn looked fairly embarrassed over her ignorance of her visitor; although her irritation with her assistant wasn’t totally hidden under the expression at hand. ‘Oh, I’m so sorry Rarity! I was just caught up with some magical work upstairs; and I didn’t hear you come in at first and I needed to finish writing up a new category for th-’

‘That’s quite enough, darling;’ Interrupted Rarity; amused by her friend’s hastiness but not really keen on letting the poor dear embarrass herself with her usual obsessive nature; ‘Now, don’t fret; I’ve only been here for a moment; and Spike was kind enough to offer some hospitality in the meantime anyway. However, I think we do need to talk about all this time you’re spending indoors…’

‘Well, I’m glad you’ve already thought about all this, Twilight.’ Remarked Rarity; giving her compatriot a light pat on her shoulder; rather proud of the fellow unicorn’s plans. ‘I still can’t fathom why you haven’t thought about really taking part in Canterlot’s social circles previously given your status there; but I suppose the high life just isn’t for everyone.’

‘Still, just remember I’m only interested in the academic circles, Rarity;’ Replied Twilight warningly; knowing well about the fashionista’s similar tendencies to gush about her hobbies; ‘I’m not that keen on all your partying groups and all that wine and buffets and such-like.’

‘At least you’ll be getting out for a change; whether you end up amongst other nerds or not.’ Interjected Spike offhandedly; getting a quick glare from Twilight for his bluntness; although Rarity nodded along with his point.

‘And that’s really the point of the exercise in the first place. And I’m sure you’ll probably find some fellow sorcerers and the like; so it’ll probably end up nicely for your studies, too.’ Added the unicorn; leaving Twilight to simply sulk a little; not entirely impressed by her friend’s idle acceptance of her plan. She was expecting a little more jealousy; at least from Rarity.

‘Still, it’s a shame you’re not interested in coming to any of my evening parties;’ commented the snow-white mare in question; apparently ignorant to her friend’s sulking; ‘I had quite a nice one lately; quite the selection of wonderful wines and some very polite gentlecolts, too. Although the head of the party was a little touchy-feely; but there’s always someone like that.’

Twilight just responded with a dismissive shrug; honestly not understanding the attraction such minor festivities. ‘Sorry Rarity, but I’m not really one for alcohol myself… plus, you know what I’m like around most people. I doubt any of the nobles you spend time about are all that keen on the history of Equestria’s lesser known but progressive illusionists.’

‘Each to their own, of course.’ Replied Rarity; shrugging demurely in return. She was pleased regardless that her friend was finally paying some mind to her fame in Canterlot; having always been a little jealous of Twilight’s dismissal of her reputation… although Rarity herself certainly had quite a name for herself anyway.

As the rain continued to pour down outside there was a brief silence between the trio; leaving it up to Twilight to finally break the moment. ‘So; Rarity; how have you been faring lately?’ asked the lavender unicorn politely; although with the slightest edge of concern to her tone. ‘It looks like you’ve taken a bit of a new style of makeup.’

‘Yeah, I was kind of wondering too… you look a bit paler than usual, y’know? Though I really do dig the contacts you’ve got.’ Noted Spike; getting a little nod of agreement from his superior of sorts until his remark about Rarity’s contacts; earning himself a confused look from Twilight. Rarity on the other hand just looked consistently confused by the comments she was getting.

‘While I appreciate the attention; my makeup is no different to how it’s been previously. I rarely ever go beyond the basics on meagre occasions like this… oh, well; no offence, darling.’ Replied the fashionista; with a little embarrassed grin; although it was clear Twilight didn’t mind the backhanded remark. ‘I haven’t a clue of what you mean about contacts though, Spike… my eyes are quite fine as they are; and I would rather avoid any sort of contacts anyway; for medical or fashion reasons… glasses are much more in this season anyway.’

Even with Rarity’s reassurance the little drake took a moment to appraise the unicorn’s appearance; but soon relented; seeming satisfied with his analysis for the moment. ‘I guess it was just a trick of the light or something. Sorry.’

‘That’s alright, dear.’ Responded Rarity; a little confused by the attention she’d gotten but soon getting her mind back on track. ‘Well, I have been a little under the weather lately; unsurprising given the current showers; so perhaps I do look a little off due to that.’

‘Well, that would make sense.’ Mused Twilight; a little curious as to the severity of her fellow unicorn’s affliction; not to mention a little suspicious that she had still decided to go out in all that rain despite being ill. ‘Do you think it’s just a cold, or…?’

‘I’m fairly certain it’s just a simple illness like that. Just a bit of insomnia; feeling a little poorly in the day.’ Replied Rarity, with a light shrug; not really appreciative of Twilight’s usual curiosity. ‘I suppose I really should be heading home, now that I think of it. Get some rest.’

‘I thought you usually had your spa treatments with Fluttershy on these evenings, Rarity.’ Remarked Spike curiously; leaving the unicorn to squeak a little with surprise; clearly having forgotten her previous arrangements. ‘I mean, otherwise I would’ve offered to escort you home and lend a hand with your work; like any other time…’

‘Oh, I can’t believe I forgot!’ lamented Rarity; her dramatic side taking the fore in a hurry; leaving Twilight to simply sigh while the unicorn hurried to get her umbrella in hoof (well, telekinetics) again, while Spike was about as gullible as ever when it came to his crush’s exaggerated concerns.

‘Rarity, it’s only half past three. I wouldn’t really call that evening.’ Pointed out Twilight flatly; far from impressed by her friend’s panic. ‘Last time I talked to Fluttershy she said that you two had your little dates fairly late in the day; certainly not this early.’

Rarity heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing news of the actual time; and was almost joined in doing so than Spike; clearly acting about as clingy as always. The pair’s little performance went down as poorly as one would expect with Twilight; whose patience for her friend’s dramatics was beginning to run rather thin.

‘You should still be heading home, though;’ interjected Twilight; much to her draconic assistant’s clear disappointment; ‘If you are ill I would prefer if you didn’t go spreading it around; and even if it’s beyond its contagious stages it’d be best if you get some rest; as this cold weather will only make things worse. Especially seeing as you’re not wearing anything.’

‘For once.’ Added the lavender unicorn; albeit at a volume that her fashion-crazy friend would no doubt miss; not keen on starting a row with the ever-stubborn Rarity but certainly keen on getting in the last word in the discussion.

‘I suppose I should; being sick isn’t too good for business.’ Replied Rarity wistfully; choosing to ignore Spike’s little sulking display. ‘Maybe I might even recover a bit before I have to meet with Fluttershy. Wouldn’t want to give that poor dear anything bad; would be an awful guilt trip watching someone like her deal with an illness.’

While the mare’s somewhat less than thoughtful comment did elicit a bit of a scowl out of Twilight the unicorn rather hand to agree with the sentiment; simply shrugging off the idea. ‘Just try not to get too drenched on your way home… even with an umbrella at hoof this weather is awful.’ Remarked Twilight; with a slight sigh; getting a nod from Rarity in response.

And with that the purple-maned mare in question began to take her leave; walking back over to the door and snagging her umbrella along the way from an ever eager-to-please drake’s waiting hands. ‘Thank you for the tea and chat, Twilight; it was lovely to see you again.’ Concluded Rarity; giving the unicorn in question a demure nod; before turning her attentions to her draconic admirer.

‘And it’s always a pleasure to deal with Spikey-Wikey, of course.’ Added the fashionista; giving the diminutive dragon a light hug; having it as eagerly returned as always.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow, Rarity.’ Replied Spike chipperly; reminding the mare of her previous arrangements with her little apprentice of sorts; a helping claw that was always welcome especially now that it was a more productive season. ‘I hope you’re feeling a lot better then.’

With her farewells out of the way the unicorn once again opened her umbrella and stepped into the pouring rain outside; rather dreading having to deal with the awful weather. Still, at least she wasn’t in for too long a trot…

Upon getting home Rarity had settled down for a nap as per her fellow unicorn friend’s suggestion; finding herself still feeling rather faint but at least a little better now that she was indoors; feeling far better once she actually set herself down with her windows properly closed and covered. Not that there was much light to block out in the first place given the storm outside… she almost considered leaving the windows open for the sake of listening to the calming ambience of the rain pouring over the windows; although the sound was only slightly dampened by having her curtains drawn anyway.

Thankfully unlike her conventional sleep this time Rarity didn’t manage to oversleep again; having her clock wake her up on time for her rendezvous with Fluttershy. While she did feel better upon having gotten indoors; she couldn’t say she felt a whole lot better after her nap. It’d been relaxing; and surprisingly easy to slip into; but it hadn’t really made her feel that much more energised. Still, she had little time to worry about her apparently illness right now… she had appearances to keep up with.

With practiced grace the unicorn went about preparing herself for her appointment with Fluttershy; swiftly heading to her vanity and properly preening herself; giving her mane that proper bounce with a bit of gel and giving her face a quick touch-up on its blush. She didn’t see what Spike and Twilight had been saying about her appearance, though; she still looked as snow-white as ever… besides; how could she even look pale in the first place? She was block white anyway!

For now, however; Rarity had to put her complaints aside for now; she had things to do and ponies to see. After a final look-over in her mirror just to make sure she was in perfect shape the unicorn made her way to the door; taking up her umbrella once more with her levitation magic before heading outside; making tracks for the spa sisters’ business. Some luxury would certainly be appreciated given her seemingly ill condition; even if she’d have to brave a storm to get there; although by this point in the afternoon the rain had eased up a little… assumedly the pegasi on the weather team were in the midst of changing shifts.

Making the most of the apparent eye of the storm Rarity made good time in reaching her destination; soon meeting her pegasus partner. The dainty mare was as skittish as always in greeting Rarity, simply giving the unicorn a meek little wave of a hoof before hastily rallying with her; eager to place the responsibility of actually dealing with their appointment and thus talking at all on to her socialite friend. Not that Rarity minded, really. She certainly hadn’t any problem with doing all the talking on her own; and Fluttershy was always so appreciative of her support when all was said and done.

‘Good evening, Rarity.’ Murmured the pegasus with a little nod; ducking behind her friend as they approached the reception. Rarity couldn’t help but be amused by the mare’s nervousness; giving her a reassuring smile as she dealt with the receptionist. Admittedly there wasn’t much to organise; it wasn’t like they didn’t come to the place just about every week. The stallion there was even nice enough to offer to dry out Rarity’s umbrella while she was having her treatment.

With the spa sisters getting themselves set up the pair were left to finally chat for a bit; a chance the unicorn certainly wasn’t opposed to. ‘Apologies for the interruption, darling; good evening to you too.’ Greeted Rarity; giving Fluttershy a brief little nuzzle; managing to actually get a little blush from the pegasus despite the friendly nature of the action. ‘I hope you’re faring well?’

‘Mm hm, I’ve been doing fine.’ Replied the butter-coated mare in her usual painfully quiet tone; although Rarity had long since gotten used to the diminutive volume. ‘I had a bit of trouble feeding my rabbits today, though… I was a little late, so I got bitten once or twice… only by Angel, of course.’

‘B-But I’m okay, of course! Their bites can’t even break my skin or anything; so it’s just a little nip… no real malice behind them.’ Added the pegasus hastily; simply getting a blank smile from Rarity; who was used to news like this… and didn’t much care for it, in all honesty. As much as Fluttershy was her friend she didn’t much care about hearing about her animals every time she met them. ‘…Shame the ferrets aren’t as kindly…’

‘Well, I’m glad that you’re alright; superficial injuries aside.’ Said the unicorn, with a little shrug. ‘I will warn you that I haven’t been at my best lately; although I think that the illness I’ve managed to catch is far beyond its contagious stage. Most likely a cold or the like in the first place anyway; and it’s symptoms have mostly alleviated themselves at this point in the evening; so I don’t think it’s likely to cause either of us much grief.’

Fluttershy just nodded along with the explanation as she and Rarity were soon escorted in by Aloe of the Spa Twins; who was as pleased to see her regular customers as always. Soon they were left alone again, however; as they were left to their initial bathing; their personal treatments courtesy of the Spa Twins wouldn’t be until later in the evening.

While far from something of a serious, Canterlot-grade place one couldn’t argue that Ponyville’s spa centre wasn’t at least something of a luxurious place; and its costs rather represented that. Not that Rarity really minded; her skill in her business allowed for quite a tidy pay check (how else could she manage to take care of Sweetie Belle on her own?); and the spa’s services matched up quite nicely with the costs anyway.

‘So, um; Rarity... have you just been feeling under the weather lately; or has anything worse happened before you recovered?’ asked Fluttershy nervously; seeming a little pensive about asking; much to her partner’s confusion. ‘I mean, m-maybe I might know what the illness is.’

‘Well, like I said; I don’t think it’s anything more than a cold or something. Just a bit of insomnia during the night and yet drowsiness in the daytime…’ mused Rarity, recalling her recent issues thus far; ‘…And I didn’t like to say at the time, but felt that the tea I had with Twilight this noon was a little less flavourful than usual; and looking back on it I think that might be thanks to my condition.’

‘That does sound like a cold, but… you do look a little more pale than usual.’ Remarked the pegasus; earning herself a brief glare from Rarity; who was more than a little tired of that remark. ‘I-I mean, assuming you haven’t put more make-up than usual of course; and even then you look fine; I’m n-not complaining or anything.’

Rarity did dismiss her dainty friend with that said; allowing herself to cool down a little… or at least as much as one could whilst half submerged in fairly heated water. ‘Nevermind, Fluttershy… I’ve just been getting that comment a little more often than I’d appreciate today.’ Grumbled the unicorn, allowing herself to sink into the spa’s water sulkily. ‘It’s probably just a part of a flu or something… the last thing I need given my business should be booming soon with the Winter weather.’

‘O-Oh, I’m sorry, Rarity… it’s probably just a cold; I’m just guessing anyway.’ Murmured Fluttershy nervously; far from happy that she’d managed to upset the unicorn already. ‘M-Maybe it was a trick of the light that you looked a little paler?’

Rarity simply decided to shrug off her stress; although she was certainly tired of people criticising her appearance. She was supposed to be calming down in the spa, anyway; not getting ending up bickering with her least offensive friend. ‘Forget it, Fluttershy.’ Snapped the unicorn, unintentionally aggressive in her defence. While typically not one to lose her temper on such short notice Rarity certainly couldn’t stand to have her looks criticised so idly, and especially not her perfectly kept pelt; even with such excuses in mind.

However, the unicorn’s attempt to keep her composure was fated to fail; as one of the spa twins showed up to round up her and Fluttershy for their personal treatment. ‘Miss Rarity; Miss Shy?’ asked Aloe… or was it Lotus? Even after all this time Rarity wasn’t quite sure as to which was which… after all, it wasn’t like they used their names that often. Regardless, it was the one with the blue coat and pink mane; whichever one she was.

Rarity put her thoughts aside for the moment and took the lead in leaving the spa’s warm waters; although she soon regretted doing so given the chilly weather that persisted even within the building’s walls; leaving the unicorn to shiver, much to her embarrassment given her usual composure; especially as Fluttershy walked out without any such hesitation. Once again Rarity found herself a little jealous of the pegasus’ natural grace… although her partially soaked mane and coat rather ruined the image.

However Rarity had little time to sulk as she had a towel passed to her by the mare before her; while Fluttershy was served similarly in turn; the spa’s employee waiting patiently as the pair dried themselves down. ‘I think it’s a good thing you did come along, Miss Rarity;’ Mused the ever-friendly earth pony; giving the still somewhat sulky fashionista a little nod of acknowledgement; ‘You do look a little ill today, a bit pal-’

‘Who. Asked. You?’ snapped the unicorn in question to the mare, who had been rather rudely interrupted by a wet towel being forcibly deposited onto her head. ‘I have had it up to HERE with you ponies and your constant insinuations about my pristine coat! I am not in a bad condition! I am not that sick! I am white; how can I be pale?!’

Already regretting that her reactions had been too late to avoid the preliminary whining; Fluttershy hastily covered her ears before the unicorn’s preliminary whining could do any lasting damage; hoping to escape with only her brain’s frontal lobe melted. In fact; she might even be able to get out with only brief period of mental instability. It seemed that the spa pony didn’t take the hint, however. She was already a lost cause.

‘Honestly, it’s just utterly petty; it’s barely even insulting in the first place! Wholly unoriginal!’ whined on Rarity; clearly too lost in her complaints to realise that she was slowly causing her unfortunate victim’s brain to melt; although given her current frustration it probably wouldn’t make a difference anyway; ‘If you’re all going to be so simple-minded and childish then you may as well go complain about everything else about me as well!’

‘Oh, Rarity has such poor taste in clothing; despite CLEARLY running a highly regarded clothing store! Oh, Rarity has no importance in the world; despite being someone who saved the ENTIRE kingdom! Oh, Rarity has no magical powers; despite being a UNICORN! Oh, Rarity is clearly ill or awful with her makeup today due to being supposedly pale, despite having a WHITE COAT!’

‘Honestly! After all these years I’ve been a patron here you still have the gall to be so rude!’ huffed Rarity in conclusion; simply giving herself a quick final wipe with the towel she’d deposited on her host before marching out; leaving Fluttershy to just cringe for a while before realising the rant was over. With the storm of words past the pegasus briefly checked up on the pulse of the seemingly brain-dead earth pony before meekly dashing out as well; doing her utmost to avoid anyone else along the way; Rarity most certainly included. This was not a mess the little pegasus wanted to deal with herself; and definitely not on her own.

As she watched the unicorn march off on her little war path back to Carousel Boutique, however; Fluttershy simply had to wonder what had gotten into her. Sure, the mare was quite the drama queen; but this was very short-tempered of her; even though she’d heard the rest of the story from Rarity herself. And even more to the point… how couldn’t she have noticed that she looked so uncharacteristic today?

Deciding to dismiss the thought for the moment, Fluttershy simply began gliding back to her own home; figuring it was probably wise to just give the unicorn her space. But still; she was sure of it now: something was wrong with Rarity.

Comments

[Path_of_cloud]

Before reading, you need to add a extra gap between paragraphs, or indent them with the button on the top of the chapter edit page, preferably both. It'll be a few thousand times more pleasant for your readers, and your own, eyes.

[Path_of_cloud]

Rarity and Twilight were a bit catty, and I felt Spike's affection was over-played. Yes he has very strong feelings, (I'm a big Sparity person), but he's also very practical. In fact, Spike's maturity often overshadows the girls. He's willing to tell Rarity her hair was turned green while everyone else tries to hide it from her. To some this might seem mean, but in reality he saved her from further embarrassment by being brutally honest with her. Also, you use swiftly way too much, and there is some repetition issues.

do need to talk about all this time you’re spending indoors…’

‘Well, I’m glad you’ve already thought about all this, Twilight.’

Seems we skip Twilight saying something, which is quite confusing.

Over all, I liked it. I'm excited to read the next two chapters, but I still believe you can improve on this one.