The Diamond and the Rainbow

by Qiscord

First published

A collection of short stories focused around the budding relationship of Rarity and Rainbow Dash.

There are six mares - seven, more recently, and a dragon - that make up a very small group that, despite its best efforts, manages to save Equestria. Of this group, no two mares aggravate each other more than Rarity and Rainbow Dash.
To one, the other is snooty, uptight, boring, and girly, and to the other, the one is Rainbow Dash; an adjective here used to mean 'Annoying, pushy, arrogant, stubborn, and too cute for her own good.'
Together, they manage to aggravate themselves into love, and although they might seem like a pair of bickering mares to outsiders, if you asked either one if they really loved the other, their answer would be 'definitely.'



A series of short one-or-two shots focused around my ship du jour a la horse. Rated T for now, but there may be some smut later on.

Art by the lovely Servidor; go check it out.

Sleight of Hand [Human]

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The two of them walk together through the market, Dash holding a drink in one hand. They chat about this and that, the things that friends talk about when they get together... Until Rainbow takes her empty cup, throws it away, and turns to the girl next to her.

"Check this out." she says, turning to Rarity. The designer, for her part, adjusts the parasol she's holding and turns to look as Dash reaches into her back pocket, withdrawing a penny.

"Okay, so I'm gonna flip this coin, and you gotta tell me which hand I caught it in." she says, flicking the coin into the air. As it falls back down, she reaches both hands out in front of her, as if in the process of folding her arms... The coin falls in between them, and, in a flash, Rainbow withdraws her hands, smiling confidently at the other girl.

"So..." Dash says, grinning as she holds both hands out. "Which hand is it in?"

Rarity smiles gently, raising a slender finger to tap Rainbow's left hand. "That one." she says, and the speedster opens her hand to reveal a shiny penny.

"Lucky guess." Rainbow says, smirking. "But check -this- out!"

The next flip goes much higher, and Rainbow begins to move her hands even as the coin comes down. It falls into the middle of two whirring wrists, the sparkle of the penny first disappearing into one hand, then the other, then the one again, in a dance of glinting copper and moving fingers... When all is settled, Rainbow gives Rarity a challenging look, her arms held out.

Rarity lets out a small, ladylike laugh, and taps Rainbow's left hand. The girl scowls, opening it to reveal the penny.

"How'd you follow that?" she asks, and Rarity laughs again.

"A lady never reveals her secrets." she croons, spinning her parasol lightly in her hand. "Do it again; it's fascinating to watch."

With a huff, Rainbow cocks her arm back and hurls the coin into the air... She looks at Rarity, her face drawn, before tapping her foot to a rhythm, counting the beats...
Before Rarity can register it, the coin falls into a whirlwind of flailing hands, the coin invisible now as it's flipped first from one to the next, then back and back again in a dazzling display of dexterity. The look on Rainbow's face is one of utter concentration as she slowly begins to turn, spinning around once slowly, making sure the coin is good and shuffled... Finally, she offers her hands to Rarity, breathing heavy, her hands practically steaming with friction heat.

Rarity pats Rainbow on the shoulder, smiling.

"That was a wonderful display!" she says, leaning in and nuzzling her girlfriend. "Oh - right hand."

Rainbow lets out a cry as she opens her hands, revealing the penny in her right palm.

"How the-" she stammers. "I don't... What!? How!?"

Rarity laughs again, setting her parasol across her shoulder.

"It's simple, darling." she says. "I don't need to watch your hands; you're very easy to read. Of course you'd have the coin in the opposite hand than the last two, especially if I'd guessed left twice before and was right."

Rainbow sighs, slumping as she places the penny back into her pocket, giving Rarity a frown.

"I worked hard on that trick..." she murmurs, before turning.

"Hey, I'm going to get us some grub." Rainbow says. "D'you want anything?"

"No food, but I'd love a lemonade, if they have some." the other calls. "I'll wait for you here."

With a wave, Rainbow walks off, and Rarity sits down at a nearby bench, relaxing on it and watching the crowd pass by.

Soon, Rainbow returns with a small bag of food, smiling as she sits down next to Rarity.

"All right." she says. "Trick aside... I wanted to ask you about something."

"Go ahead, dear." Rarity says, retrieving a cup of lemonade from the other girl and taking a sip.

"So... There's this fighting game tournament next Friday... I've gotten really good, and I think I've got a shot at the top five, if not the win." Rainbow leans back and smiles, turning her head to look at Rarity. "It'd be really awesome to have my best friend be there to watch me kick butt."

Rarity simply sips her lemonade... Before scowling, gritting her teeth and pressing her fingers to her temples. Rainbow winces in sympathy, and pats Rarity on the shoulder. Once the brain-freeze subsides, Rarity lets out a gasping breath, giving Rainbow an appreciative smile.

"I'd love to be there." she says. "Provided... You come to -my- tournament in three days' time."

Rainbow gives her a look, raising an eyebrow.

"You're in a tournament?"

Rarity nods, and Rainbow shrugs.

"Why not?" she says, smiling as she nudges Rarity's shoulder with her own. "I'd love to be there for you. Text me the time and place later?"

"Of course; you should do the same."

Rainbow nods, and they sit in silence for a bit... Before, grinning, Rainbow reaches into a pocket and withdraws the penny, which she flips into the air and catches, just like she did with the first one. With a smirk, she turns to Rarity.

"Which hand?" she asks, and Rarity pats the right. Rainbow opens both of her hands to reveal a coin held squarely in her left.

"Gotcha." she says, sticking her tongue out, as Rarity laughs.

"You cheated!" Rarity says, still giggling. "You had another coin in your left hand, and you flipped the one in your right. Then, when you caught the coin with your right hand..." she gives Rainbow a look. "You slid the coin into your sleeve, leaving the one in your left."

Rainbow sits there, jaw agape, as she looks down at her hands.

"H-How... How'd you know?" she asks, her voice defeated.

"You're easy to read." Rarity says, smiling as she stands. "Plus... If you're going to do that trick, make sure it's not with a penny and a quarter."

With that, Rarity walks away, waving to her dumbfounded girlfriend.