Make It White
Chapter Three
Make It White
Getting up the stairs proved to be just as difficult a task as Rarity had feared. She had to lean on the bannister at several points, forelegs wrapped around the rail as if it were a lifeline, praying that her body didn’t betray her once more and send her tumbling down the steps. What used to take her a couple of seconds took her a couple of minutes. As soon as her hooves met the comforts of solid floor once again, she fell back on her haunches and wiped her brow.
Look at me. Sweating like a marathoner. Her breath shook, her legs trembling as if she stood at the edge of some great cliff. Sighing, she glanced over her shoulder, down at the foot of the stairs, less than a dozen feet below her. Climbing the stairs: just another thing to add to the list of things she had taken for granted in a past life. For a moment, she stared at the floor, cheeks weightless and chest tight. Then, with what must have been her hundredth sigh of the day, she pulled herself and started down the hallway.
No more than five steps into her trek, she took a detour, ducking into upstairs washroom. A sheen of blue fell across the room like candlelight as Rarity twisted the sink knobs with her magic. Rarity leaned over the basin, splashing water on her face with her hooves. She sputtered and coughed the first few rinses, but otherwise only found relief. It was cool; cool was good. Blue light reflected off the immaculate basin once more as she turned the water off.
For a few moments, Rarity stayed there, elbows resting on the corners of the sink, forehooves covering her eyes. It was nice to feel a dampness that wasn’t tears or sweat for once. She took a few gentle breaths. Twilight had been such a dear, taking the time out of her undoubtedly busy day to teach her some breathing exercises. “Meditative,” Twilight had called them. “A real lifesaver in any stressful situations.” Rarity had to admit that they helped. They didn’t heal—they didn’t numb completely—but they did enough. At least now it could be tens of hours between episodes instead of one or two.
You really need to get it together. She had lost track of how many times she had said that.
Rarity groaned, standing up straight. It took all her effort not to shriek at what she saw in the mirror. Her mane was disheveled and the spotless white that usually lined the bottom of her eyes had been replaced by dark bags. She swore she saw a gray hair in there somewhere—she just knew it!
Opening the medicine cabinet, Rarity was relieved to find a brush. She delicately ran it through her mane—slow and steady is the way to go—and thought. Mainly, her thoughts centered around the present: Could this arc possibly make the curl tighter? Maybe I should try a new conditioner—the current one obviously isn’t getting the job done. Do I have any mask to cover up these horrendous bags? There were a few moments, however, when they drifted to topics she’d rather not think about. Brush still moving through her hair in dainty sweeps, her eyes began to drift the right. However, unlike normal, she was able to stop them before they’d ventured too far.
Not now... not now...
For a few moments, even her mind was silent. She placed the hairbrush back in the cabinet and walked out of the bathroom, marching down the hallway once more. She had not come upstairs just to brush her hair. No, she had gone up there for far more pressing matters.
“Sweetie Belle?” she said, leaning against her sister’s bedroom door. She didn’t expect an answer, and her expectations were met. Not even a cough or ruffling bed sheets came in response. “May I come in?”
Nothing. Just silence.
Rarity sighed. “I’m coming in,” she said, pushing the door. She expected it to open with no effort, revealing her sister to her in the most dramatic fashion possible. Maybe even a music swell or two playing in her head. It would, of course, be followed by a most inspirational heart-to-heart—a speech for the ages. A smile crossed Rarity’s face as she pushed forward harder, prepared to meet her moment. Instead, she was met with a faceful of wood.
Squeaking and jerking her head back, she counted to three, then pushed on the door again. It wouldn’t budge. She frowned and unlocked the door with her magic, pushing on it again, this time prepared to give Sweetie Belle a good scolding about locked doors. Once again, the door refused to move even an inch. Rarity glared down at the knob, just in time to see a green aura fade.
So that’s how it’s going to be... Face contorting into the expression of a warrior prepared for battle, Rarity focused on the doorknob and demanded that it open. The aura that shone around the knob was as blue as the sea—and just as strong. Rarity pushed, even going so far as to put her shoulder into it, but the door remained firmly closed, a now-clear green glow surrounding it. Rarity didn’t know whether to be impressed at her sister’s magical abilities, or hate them for being so strong. Probably a mix of both.
Sweat poured down Rarity’s forehead in a most unladylike fashion. Her head felt like it had been drenched in kerosene and set ablaze. Sighing, she relinquished her grip on the door and stepped back, rubbing her aching head with a hoof. “Sweetie Belle...” she choked out. “Please just...” Her words drifted off, and in that brief space of silence Rarity swore she heard muffled sniffles.
“Sweetie, are you okay?”
For once she received a response—or the closest thing she was going to get. The mattress in Sweetie Belle’s bedroom squeaked, the familiar sound of sheets being wrapped tight gracing Rarity’s ears. It only made Rarity’s blood run colder, but... it was clear that Sweetie Belle didn’t want to speak to her right now. Sure, Rainbow Dash had told her that she should make Sweetie talk with her, but...
Patience is a virtue, Rarity mumbled inwardly. This is strike one. She kicked the rug and clenched her eyes. Don’t you dare. Her eyes opened, and she leaned against the door, pressing her ear to the wood. “Dinner’s in an hour, Sweetie Belle,” she said, trying in vain to keep her voice unwavering. “Please come down.” Her request was met with a noise. She couldn’t quite tell what it was—a sigh? A groan? Words? Just a breath?—but she could tell it was her sister’s voice, and that in itself brought the ghost of a smile to Rarity’s lips.
Rarity stood there for a while, hoping beyond hope that the door would open. However, silence had once again taken over her sister’s bedroom, and the door remained latched and locked. Letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, Rarity stepped back from the door and made her way back down the hallway. It was going to be a long evening.
* * *
You’re supposed to move the cloud to its proper place without breaking it into a bajillion pieces! How hard is that to understand?! How Rainbow Dash managed to keep her fuming on a strictly internal level surprised even herself. What amazed her more was the sheer length ponies’ stupidity could stretch. Simple directions for a simple job. Now more than ever, Rainbow Dash realized why she was the face of Ponyville’s weather team. Just imagining how disorganized and downright bad the patrol must have been before she’d taken over gave her a headache.
If this whole ‘controlling from the ground’ thing doesn’t kill me... it’ll be a miracle. Each step felt like another weight being dropped on her back. By the time she’d crossed the bridge, and the Carousel Boutique was in plain view, it felt like her knees were bowing, a single gram away from snapping. Her hooves dragged across the road, sending up a cloud of dust in her wake. It was probably blowing right into some poor soul’s face, but Rainbow found it difficult to care. She just needed to cool off, to lay down. In the back of her mind, she kept her wings crossed that Rarity was ‘in the mood’ tonight. Celestia knows I need it, she mumbled inwardly as she pushed the door to the boutique open.
Her nose was immediately hit with a pleasing aroma. Her mouth watered, and she had to forcefully lock her wing down to keep it from flapping. That was one of the few disadvantages of being a pegasus: wings seemed to have a mind of their own a lot of the time. She cursed her good wing for its insolence then let it free. One could only ignore a smell as pleasant as the one drifting from the kitchen for so long.
Rainbow waited in the front hallway, expecting Rarity to call out to her. Surely she had heard her come in. Rarity might have been all about cleanliness and neatness, but the hinges to the boutique’s front-door had, according to what Rainbow had been told, not been oiled since Rarity had moved in. Needless to say, they squeaked like a cavalcade of clowns when anybody entered. Same went for the other doors in the building. There was no such thing as ‘sneaky’ when it came to the Carousel Boutique: only ‘obvious’ and ‘slightly-less obvious.’ Knowing that she probably fell into the former, Rainbow tiphoofed forward, a feeling in her gut telling her that something was very, very off at the moment.
“Rarity?” she called out as she crept along, hoofsteps silenced by the carpeting. Please don’t be freakin’ out, please don’t be freakin’ out, ple—
“Rainbow! I didn’t hear you come in.” A giggle flowed underneath Rarity’s singsong voice. The response came as enough of a surprise that Rainbow forgot to breathe for a moment. “I’m in here,” she said, voice drifting from the kitchen like a gentle whisper from Rainbow’s dreams. It sent a chill running through her body; her good wing shivered. Shaking herself back to reality, Rainbow strode forward, leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen as she rounded the corner.
Rarity stood with her back to Rainbow, diligently working her magic. A stir here, a sprinkle of spices there. Rainbow was utterly content with leaning there, simply watching Rarity go about her business. Her eyes drifted from the pot of whatever awesome-smelling thing Rarity was making, to the back of her head, then right down her back, straight to her perfectly curved...
“Ah, there you are, Rainbow.” Dash cleared her throat, feeling like a stallion caught snapping pictures through a hole in a mares’ dressing room wall. Heat rose in her face, but she quickly covered it with her wing, running the feathers through her mane like a brush. Nice save, Dash. She couldn’t keep a small grin from tugging on her lips.
“Yep, the one and only,” Rainbow said, pushing herself off the doorframe and waltzing into the kitchen. She pulled back a chair at the table—noting that there were three plates set out—and sat down, nearly propping her hind hooves up on the tabletop before remembering the kind of scolding it would stir up in Rarity. Sighing, Rainbow resorted to simply slouching back in the chair. “So, what is that awesomeness you’re cookin’ up over there?”
Rarity briefly looked up from her work, smiling at Rainbow. “Fettuccine alfredo.”
Rainbow forced a gag. “Sounds healthy. Don’t like it.”
Rarity giggled, shaking her head. Dash loved it when she giggled. She wouldn’t go as far as to say it was cute or anything, since that wasn’t how she rolled, but still it was...
Oh, who am I kidding? It’s adorable. Rainbow had never wanted to beat herself up over a thought more. So uncool. She shook her head and focused on Rarity once more. It amazed Rainbow, just how much Rarity could put into everything she did. From a dress for a princess to a simple meal, she never did anything halfway.
“Honestly, Rainbow Dash, I think you will be surprised just how appetizing this is.” Rarity giggled once more. “I wouldn’t even call it ‘healthy’ if I do say so myself. Celestia knows I wouldn’t be making it if it weren’t for the fact that I knew you’d throw any salad I made against the wall.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes. Assumptions, assumptions. “Sheesh, Rare, I’m not some kinda psycho. I wouldn’t just throw it against the wall.” She grinned. “I’d be sure to put it in the trashcan, like a ‘proper lady.’” Her Rarity impersonation needed some work, and the mane flip left much to be desired, but Rainbow still felt slightly proud of herself. It made Rarity laugh; that was all that mattered in her book.
Lifting her forelegs up behind her head, Rainbow stretched, joint pops and strained groans bouncing around the room. “Well, I think I’m gonna go clean myself up,” she said, rising to her hooves. Her muscles screamed out in protest. Maybe sitting down wasn’t such a good idea. Rainbow stood still, pacing in place as she waited for her legs to stop being jerks to her. “I don’t wanna know what fettu-whatever you call it tastes like when it’s seasoned by sweat and cumulonimbus.”
Rarity shuddered. “Sweat? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were flying. Weren’t you just supervising?”
Rainbow nodded, rotating her neck, a series of pops and clicks ringing out and causing Rarity to shudder once more.
“Well, it’s surprising...” Rarity continued. “I’m no expert on your field of work, but surely watching somepony move clouds around couldn't possibly tasking enough to cause you to sweat. No offense intended.”
“Trust me... if you were a pegasus and had to watch Dewdrop try to work, you’d be sweating bullets too.” Rainbow sniffed the air and nearly gagged. “Man, I need a shower!”
“I can attest to that,” Rarity said. “Try not to drown.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. She wasn’t quite sure when or why that joke had come about, but... it just had. Rainbow doubted there was even a rhyme or reason. Probably just Rares trying to be Pinkie or somethin’. Still, it brought a smile to Rainbow’s lips, and as she entered the bathroom, she couldn’t help but let out a single, sputtering laugh.
* * *
As far as Rainbow Dash was concerned, showers were the only way to go. Baths were too calm and quiet; gave her too much time to stew in thoughts she didn’t want to be thinking. Taking a shower, she could sing as much as she wanted and never notice how off-key she was. She could think any thought without realizing how painful they were.
The water thundered in her ears, and for a second it was all that was. No troubled mind, no sinking feelings, just water washing away a day of frustration. If she could spend the rest of the night—the rest of her life—in there, she would. It was peaceful.
She leaned against the wall, head lowered. The warm water curled around her face, falling like a sheet before her eyes, matting her mane so low that she could’ve chewed the strands if she wished. It felt like being bathed in the sun’s rays—like heaven. How Rarity could take showers with cold water, on those rare occasions when she didn’t spend hours soaking in the tub, was something Rainbow doubted she’d ever understand.
Snorting the bathwater out her nose, Rainbow allowed herself to think—truly think—for the first time all day. She thought about how much of a pain in the ass work was. She pondered what she was going to do about Spike. Rarity had said she didn’t want to do anything about it, to let time do its thing and wait until Spike had cooled down (“He didn’t mean anything by it,” she had said. “I’m not upset with him,” she had whispered through teary eyes), but Rainbow had other plans. She wasn’t going to just let someone get away with insulting her marefriend. Spike might be a friend of hers, but a stern talking to would probably do him some good. Realizing that her version of giving a ‘talking to’ would inevitably lead to punches, Rainbow made a note to tell Twilight to talk to Spike. Spike would listen closer to whatever Twilight had to say, and talking with Twilight would probably end with far less bloodshed.
But most of all, Rainbow thought about Rarity. And, as usual, her thoughts drifted from the good and soothing ones to the bad and painful. They built up in Rainbow’s chest, like a horde of cats clawing at her heart. She fell against the side wall of the shower. A pressure built up in Rainbow’s chest, and she slid down onto her haunches.
There, where her choked breaths could be drowned out by the pounding water and the steam kept her a hazy, faceless ghost and her tears could be blamed on the shower simply doing what showers do, Rainbow allowed herself to break. She wept until her lungs and eyes both felt like they were on fire. And even then, they were mere pinpricks compared to the excruciating pain pounding on her head and soul.
Slow. Failure.
* * *
Clinking silverware and slow chewing. That was the soundtrack of dinner in the Carousel Boutique that night—not unlike every other night. Rainbow slurped a noodle up as obnoxiously loud as possible, and glanced over at Rarity, smiling wryly as she prepared for an onslaught of gasps and rants about ‘culture’ and ‘manners’. However, if Rarity had heard her, she didn’t let it on. Her eyes were locked on the center of the table, drifting between her plate and Sweetie Belle.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t say the silence came as a shock. Since the incident, whenever Sweetie Belle and Rarity were in the same room, the air could be cut with a butterknife. And those moments had lasted only moments before Sweetie Belle had scurried off to ‘crusade for a cutie mark’ or Rarity dismissed herself to another room to work on a project. Rainbow had followed Rarity on those occasions. If by ‘work on a project’ she meant ‘break down into a complete mess’ then she wasn’t lying. However, Rainbow had serious doubts that that was the case.
At the dinner table, they had nowhere to hide or run off to, except deep within themselves. Unsurprisingly, they resorted to doing just that.
Spinning a fork on the table with one of her forehooves, Rainbow looked from sister to sister. She wanted to speak up. She wanted to yell, 'Hey, you guys are boring the feathers off me! Quit moping about and, like, tell jokes or blow bubbles in your water or something. Sheesh, this isn’t a friggin’ funeral.' But she bit her tongue. Her special talent wasn’t reading minds, but Rainbow could tell when something was eating somepony from the inside out. Rarity and Sweetie were clearly fighting their own demons; Dash couldn’t blame them. She wasn’t exactly put together herself at the moment.
Still, silence sucked. “So, this stuff’s pretty awesome, Rares,” Rainbow said, thumping her hoof on the table, causing both unicorns to jump in their seats. “Thought it was gonna be some disgusting health food crap, but... well, I stand corrected.”
Rarity smiled, though not as brightly as Rainbow hoped. A small step forward, but progress. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash.” She glanced at Rainbow, and there was a glimmer of a twinkle in it. Yeah! Score one for the Dash team. Dinner saved. “I know how much you enjoy Roamen delicacies—especially ones covered with enough cheese that you can’t even tell there’s broccoli in it.”
“There’s broccoli in here?” For a second, she felt like spitting the bite she’d just taken out, but quickly thought better of it, and swallowed with a gulp and a whimper. She glared down at her plate. She could see chunky bits of green. Broccoli. It just had to be broccoli. Ugh.
A hearty giggle floated across the table. Rainbow’s ears perked up. Sure enough, Rarity was giggling, hoof covered with her mouth. “Well,” Rarity said, “I will admit there are vegetables in there, but trust me when I say I’m not trying to cover them up. They were simply part of the recipe.”
“I know that.” Rainbow ran a hoof through her mane and slurpped up yet another noodle. This time she saw Rarity’s face contort—not much, but a cringe nonetheless. Damn, Dash. You are good. Even dinner can be saved when you’re around. Too bad you couldn’t—
The thought was cut off by the thundering of her forelegs slamming down on the table. Plates jumped, and one of Rainbow’s knives fell. Her hoof ached. She raised it, shaking it, blowing out a shaky breath as she winced. Somehow the table remained in one piece. She couldn’t bring herself to look up. She could see a single small hoof shaking in the corner of her vision; could only imagine what Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s faces looked like.
“Sorry,” Rainbow said, rubbing her right eye with her now-throbbing hoof, “thought... thought I saw a spider.” It was one of the worst lies she’d ever told. No way Rarity would buy it.
“It’s quite alright, Rainbow,” Rarity replied. Dash stole a look up. Rarity was frowning, and something in her eyes told Rainbow that explanations would undoubtedly need to be made later, but there was something about the way the words flowed that calmed Rainbow. An underlying whisper that said, “I understand.” Rainbow Dash took a sip of water, which quickly transformed into chugging. She placed the empty glass on the table with a quiet thunk, and sighed. Her mind could be such an asshole sometimes.
It was Rarity who broke the silence this time. “Well,” she said, drumming daintily on the table, “Rainbow, didn’t you say Fluttershy came by earlier, wanting to invite me to the spa with her, but... had a change in plans?” Rainbow caught Rarity’s quick glance at Sweetie Belle between pauses. She frowned. Great... things are worse than I thought.
“Uh, yeah, she did.”
“Well, I must say that does sound like a splendid idea.” An impish smirk crossed her lips, and Rainbow’s blood ran cold. “You know... you promised me—Pinkie promised me, actually, if I remember correctly—that you were going to go with me on a spa date a ways back. When was it? A month ago?”
“Little over.” Rainbow had a very, very bad feeling about this.
“Then what better time to fulfill your obligation?!” Rarity was bouncing in her seat by now, and Rainbow found it difficult to even think about protesting. A few giggles rang out like bells through the kitchen before suddenly stopping. Rarity placed a hoof against her chin, eyes squinted. “Hmm... I’m not quite sure if I can handle walking all the way out there just yet. Are you going to be near Fluttershy’s tomorrow, by chance?”
Dash looked into those eyes—those damn beautiful, blue eyes—and had to answer, “Yeah...” How could she say anything else to a face like that? “Not much weather to do tomorrow—save for one group of showers down by the pond... ya know, the one behind Sugarcube Corner where Pinkie does all that weird frog-catching stuff?” Rarity shivered and nodded. “Yeah, besides that, the weather’s pretty much the same as today. Slow day. I was planning on going by the library... that’s where Twi’s staying, right?” There was a lengthy pause before Rarity once again nodded—much slower this time. “Going by there,” Rainbow continued. “May be there awhile, but I think I can run by Flutters’ place afterwards.”
“Excellent, excellent,” Rarity cheered, eyes closed and tail swishing. “Oh, it’s been too long since I went there. Aloe and Lotus probably think I’ve left town.” She giggled, scooting her chair back in a surprisingly dignified manner—for a second, Rainbow thought she’d have to jump and catch Rarity’s chair before it fell over. “I know just what would be good right now! I’ll be right back.” With that, she pranced over to a small door in the far corner of the kitchen, and, with a flash of her horn, threw it open. She disappeared into the pantry, humming a happy tune, leaving Rainbow Dash alone with Sweetie Belle.
Swallowing hard, Rainbow Dash glanced over at the filly, hoping that she was still fully-invested in her meal. Luck was not on Dash’s side. Sweetie stared at her, fork swinging lazily in the air, held up by a dim green glow. Rainbow smiled, and she thought that, maybe, Sweetie Belle smiled back, but if she had, it had been too quick and tiny for Rainbow Dash to be sure. It came as a surprise to Rainbow that Sweetie Belle wasn’t scared to death of using magic—let alone using it like a normal unicorn. If Rainbow was a unicorn, and she’d been through what Sweetie had in her first few months of magic practice, she’d probably never cast a spell again.
And that is why you’re a failure.
Rainbow shrugged off the voice. What’d it know? She wasn’t a failure, she was Rainbow Dash: awesomeness extraordinaire. And that she was sure of. Speaking of ‘awesomeness...’
“So, uh, how’s Scoots been?” Rainbow said, adding a little chuckle at the end. “You get to hang with her a lot more than I have. Haven’t seen the squirt in a month.”
“Still Scoots,” Sweetie Belle replied, twirling her pasta with her fork.
That was all the answer Rainbow really needed. She made a note to try to get around to talking to that orange wrecking ball sometime in the near future. Might even help me out a bit with Rares, since they... both... She shook her head. Not there. Not at the dinner table. Those thoughts could be saved for another time. Not here.
Just in the nick of time, Rarity’s humming grew loud once more, and she strode out of the pantry with a long-nosed bottle and two wine glasses gripped tightly in her magic. Even after she’d laid the bottle and glasses down on the table, she refused to stop humming. Rarity’s suddenly sky-high spirits surprised Rainbow. Something was up. She was too upbeat. Rainbow predicted that she’d have some venting to deal with later.
As Rarity popped the top on the wine, Sweetie Belle plopped down from her chair, and made her way back upstairs. Once she was out of sight, Rainbow glanced over to Rarity. She, too, was watching the stairs, but with a look on her face that made Rainbow’s heart shatter. Hesitantly, she lifted a hoof and patted Rarity’s shoulder. That brought a smile to Rarity’s face, and once again, Rainbow found herself sighing in relief.
A filled wine glass hovered in front of Rainbow. White wine. Surprising. Rarity was usually one for red wine, but then again, Rainbow reckoned Rarity wasn’t really looking for taste tonight. A buzzed Rarity usually meant one of two things, and Rainbow hoped that it was the one that led to tangled bedsheets and not torn ones.
“You sure you’re allowed to drink this stuff?” Rainbow Dash watched as the glass swirled in a blue vortex, the wine circling close to the rim but not a drop spilling out. Dash groaned and shook her head. Rarity just had to make everything into a show.
There was a long pause before Rarity shrugged. “One glass shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Besides, I haven’t needed to take any painkillers the last two days.”
Rainbow frowned, but remained silent.
“To a bright tomorrow,” Rarity said, clinking her glass against Rainbow’s, then taking a long sip—much longer than usual. Rainbow held the glass to her lips for a few moments, but couldn’t force herself to take a sip. Wine had never settled well, and her gut was already uneasy enough.
Rarity lowered her wine glass with a loud clink, then moved around the table, towards the door, her tail brushing against Rainbow’s back. Rainbow went rigid, her entire body heating up. She turned just in time to catch Rarity wink at her before making her way upstairs.
“That mare,” Rainbow muttered with a smile. She glanced down at the still-full wine glass. A sip or two couldn’t hurt.
* * *
As she did every night, Rarity stood in front of the mirror and counted her mistakes. Her right forehoof was slightly pruney—wrinkly, like an old gray mare!—and she swore she could see conditioner left in her mane. The tub had already been drained, which meant she’d have to bear it like a scarlet letter. Woe was the centerpiece of Rarity’s after-bath specials. Anypony present with a hunger for dramatics would undoubtedly be satisfied.
However, tonight her performance was subdued. A dull burn poked around her thigh like a swarm of gnats—more annoying than painful. She turned until she was profile to the door-tall mirror, and used her tail to lift up the back of her pink robe. A sigh filled the room, carrying with it a heavy weight. Her eyes drifted from the floor all the way up to where her thigh met her hip. Unlike the usual pains, her white fur hadn’t suddenly been drowned out by red or blue, but even now she could see the muscles jump against her skin. That wasn’t what made her sigh, though. What made her sigh was her flank—her cutie mark.
She looked it over once more and sighed. Two against three. She doubted she’d ever get used to it.
No sooner had she lowered her robe back into its normal position than the door opened. Rainbow Dash strode in as if she owned the place, kicking the door closed behind her, shaking the mirror and drawing a sigh and glare from Rarity. Any ire Rarity tried to throw Rainbow’s way—and she threw a lot—bounced right off her winning grin. Rainbow practically hopped the last few tiles before wrapping her forelegs around Rarity’s neck and giving her a kiss on the neck. A familiar heat rose in Rarity’s face, and she could see her white cheeks being replaced by bright red in her reflection. Drat. Blushing like a schoolfilly. A common tail-chaser. Strike me down now, she thought with a drawn-out sigh.
“Ever thought about doing it in the tub?” As usual, Dash had a one-track mind.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Is that all you can ever think about?” she asked. “‘Hey, Rarity, let’s make out on your favorite sewing table. ‘Forget about that soufle you just spent making, let’s do it on the counter!’” She would have gone on longer, but her throat screamed for her to stop. Her act was broken by a string of coughs. Impersonating Dash was a lot harder on the throat than she’d first thought.
“Come on, Rare, I don’t just think about sex.” Rainbow grinned. “It’s just the whipped cream on an awesome sundae.”
“I’m going to assume that was innuendo, because if not, that might just be the worst metaphor I have ever heard. And I’ve read pharmacy romance novels.” Rainbow kicked at the tiles, snorting, her ears falling flat against her head and the most precious scowl on her face. Rarity giggled, and had to fight the urge to hug her marefriend right then and there. She failed, and soon found her forelegs draped over Rainbow’s shoulders, lips pressed firmly together. The kiss lasted but a second, ending when Dash pushed her back. From the wide eyes and gaping jaw, Rarity thought she had screwed up, but the slack-jawed expression was quickly replaced by a grin, and Rarity found her lips getting acquainted with Dash’s once more.
Rarity’s hooves traced Rainbow’s neck, moving down her back and to her wings. Slowly, with more diligence than was probably needed, she started to stroke the feathers in Rainbow’s good wing. The first time they’d done this, she’d mistakenly stroked the feathers in Dash’s bad wing. A chipped tooth had taught Rarity her lesson. She moved her hoof along the feathers once more, and she felt Dash shudder. One of these days, Rarity was going to teach herself how to preen a pegasus. Eventually. When she had time and after both of Rainbow’s wings were in good shape.
Suddenly, Rarity found herself raised into the air. The open space under her haunches was replaced with the cold porcelain of the sink’s lip. Dash hadn’t opened her eyes, or even moved her lips away from Rarity’s since they’d started. Rarity’s gut started to twist, and she pushed against Rainbow, however the pegasus’ lips remained locked. Rarity mumbled, her words lost to Rainbow’s lips. She has to come up for breath sometime... right?
Rainbow’s hooves moved down Rarity’s back, curving across her ribs—sending a quiver through Rarity—and then sliding down her chest. Once those unwashed, rough hooves touched her hips, Rarity knew she had to do something. With little in the way of ladylike grace and much in the way of a mare scorned, Rarity pushed Rainbow Dash away, nearly sending her toppling to the floor—no doubt she would’ve smacked the back of her head on the lip of the tub if she hadn’t caught herself. For a moment, Rainbow stood at her hooves, then her eyes shifted to Rarity, set in a glare. No doubt a wave of loud profanities was coming.
So Rarity stopped them before they could begin. “Not tonight,” she whispered. “Please, Dash... not tonight.” She was surprised to find her words getting caught in her throat, and her eyes burning. The painkillers she’d been prescribed really had a kick to them.
“All right, all right.” Dash raised a foreleg , fire in her eyes cooling down almost instantly. “Sheeh. All you had to do was ask, Rare. If you don’t wanna, we don’t have to. I’m not gonna force you to.” She rubbed her shoulder. “Didn’t have to friggin’ kick me either. That thing stings, ya know.”
Rarity giggled, rubbing the back of her neck. “Apologies. Sometimes I... forget.” If only that were the truth.
“Well...” Dash began as she tapped her hoof on the floor—off-rhythm and far too loud. “I’ve got a bit of a busy day tomorrow, so I think I’m gonna hit the hay. You coming to bed soon?”
“I was just about to,” Rarity replied, glancing at herself once more in the mirror. She was, in her opinion, nothing short of hideous, but a voice in the back of her head kept saying, Just leave it be. Get some rest. Any fixing up you could do tonight could just as easily be done in the morning. As much as she hated to admit it, the voice had a point. She stole one last look at her reflection before turning to Rainbow.
“Right behind you,” she said. Surprisingly, the response brought a smile to Rainbow’s face. Rarity smiled back, following her out into the dim bedroom. Just as the last slivers of light left Rarity behind, she glanced back over her right shoulder, toward where her cutie mark lay, the diamonds that had once shone in all light now dim and lifeless. Tiny glints of light reflected slightly below where she knew her mark was, like stars dotting a hazy sky. Her cheeks felt like they’d been filled with air, but for once she refused to look away. She’d have to accept it, sooner or later, and Rarity would much rather it be the former. With a flash of blue, the door to the bathroom closed, leaving her in the dark, faint moonbeams shining through the window and bouncing off a silhouette.
Caught in between.
For not the first time since she’d woken, Rarity felt like she was lost in another world—another state of being. Even after she sat down on the edge of the bed, her horn lighting up and sending a snap and thump echoing through the silent night, even after she felt the mattress against her back, then belly, and pillow against her cheek, even after a wing draped over her back, and even after the last bits of moonlight began to fade to nothing, Rarity couldn’t help but feel like she was still in a coma. Still waiting to be awoken. Still in one piece. Her hoof drifted down her right side, curving around her hip, stroking her cutie mark, and then rubbing empty space.
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We are impressed with thy story.
Thou hast superior character definition and a good writing style. That hast been favourited in the royal canterlot library.
Keep it up .
So, Rarity was watching the stairs with a look that made Rarity's heart shatter?
Wasn't it established in the previous chapter Rarity hadn't put on makeup that morning?
Man this story is way different than the prequel, not that that's a bad thing, in fact, makes it feel more realistic!
I wonder if Sweetie will end up comforting Spike, given that those two seem just as broken as Dash and Rarity?
Missing ending punctuation mark.
Not gonna tlie, his story so far is some deep stuff. Normally I'm in to philosophy and things and I foresee a bright future, but this is dragging me down with it. Can't wait for the mood To eventualy lighten. Keep up good work. This couple can be cute, and it can be evil, i hope to see some of both, the feel good side by side with the feel bad. A delicate ballence.
I love the lighter-hearted tone of the previous story, but I like this story's darker tone too. I've read lots of sequels that follow the previous installment with almost the exact same tone, and it's nice to see one that mixes it up without changing it drastically.
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Know I'm a bit late with the reply here, but thanks for pointing that out.
Rainbow Dash gives Spike too little credit. She should wait for him to return and apologize. This is a slightly fcked-up version of Dash if she would ever consider hitting Spike, for any reason, to be a likely course of action, especially with the pain he's in. If he's as old as the story implies and Rarity has been letting him think he had a chance for that damn long, his reaction was understandable. But then again, his one-eighty reaction was also pretty absurd, so it's probably safe to say he's a little out of character as well.
2547179
I wouldn't say Rainbow Dash's inclination to hit Spike is f***ed up. Spike's supposed "love" for Rarity stopping at Rarity not returning any romantic feelings . . . it's so selfish. Some "love". And to trash her bedroom and say he hates her six times? After what Rarity's been through? He's all about himself right now, and he actually NEEDS a good wake-up punch in the face. It would actually do him some good. o.0 I also don't think that Rainbow isn't giving Spike enough credit. If Spike can react like that, I didn't get any inclination that he's gonna suddenly realize how selfish and stupid he's being and come back and apologize. Someone needs to sit him down and give him a good talking to. About his actions, and about the nature of his "love" for Rarity if it really requires her to return his romantic feelings. I don't think he'll figure that out on his own.
3165708
I know I'm gonna get flamed for it, but look at it from his side: He's found out in no unknown terms that the girl he's crushed on is dating someone else, and to add insult to injury, he founds out that for the moment she basically rejected him for another girl--which is not just a physical blow, but a emotional and psychologial blow as well, His psyche is a little on the immature side, sure, there's no disagreement there. However, to think that a male is being rejected by a female for another female is damaging. It makes one wonder about things that will take a dark path, even suicide if that gets depressing enough. It basically is not just saying "You're not good enough for me", but accidentally is could also be saying "You're so insignificant and minute to me that a female had more choice than me".
Even with all that, basically terrorizing (at first glance) Rarity because of her choice is a huge NO, regardless of the situation. Spike should have been able to somewhat deal with it. But all it does is reinforces that he's just a kid, which I'm pretty sure he abhors being treated as one (I know I would and I like Spike as a character). And both Rarity and Rainbow needed to tell him that at first shot, instead of basically fucking each other raw and basically rubbing it into his face of the feeling of "you never had a chance and you never will, hahahahaha!!" .
Awww man... thisi s depressing, but I love it!
Its deeeeep.
Good show on this ol chap~
NOTIFICATIONS DESTROYER
2547179
Except it's not fucked up. While it's obviously not the only way, Spike needs some sort of wake-up call to how he screwed up, yelling that he hates a close friend over and over. And it's fitting to her character to consider a bit of violence instead of words, then to reconsider for the sake of their friends.
Also, from personal life experience, a bit of physical pain can often help put everything in context, and jolt the mind from a selfish focus to a broader scope.
Actually, to give credit to Spike's character, it's more likely that he realizes what he did wrong, but he's now in the same drama limbo that everyone else is occupying. Except he's probably the only one who could be brought out of it with a hard slap.
3695287
Not any more so than it is to be rejected for the sake of a different male, unless you have a completely skewed opinion of sexuality--
...wow. That-- you-- I-- just...okay, no. Just because a crush starts dating someone else, it doesn't mean they think they're above you, it means they're dating. Maybe you should've asked.
And if they're dating a different gender than you expected, either they cannot be physically attracted to you due to how their mind functions and you should recognize it is not spite, or you could have just asked.
I don't care if you are speaking personal experience or just some horribly misread context held upside-down and written in Croatian, there are ways to view things other than "they hate me."
Ranting over, sleep now, will continue reading story when conscious thought doesn't hurt.
The whole Dash not liking healthy food thing rings false to me. A mare basing her entire life on physical fitness would insist upon a nutritious diet.