> Tales of the Sapphire Carousel: The Chef's Guardian
>  by Undome Tinwe
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> Chapter 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shimmer Glass waited an hour after her shift ended before leaving the kitchen.

Lady Luna didn't seem like any of her previous... employers, and the Sapphire Carousel was a far cry from her previous places of employment, but that didn't mean she could drop her guard. The girls she had met so far had been kind to her, but the clients... well, this place served a more respectable clientele, but then again, some of her worst memories had involved clients who wore very respectable masks.

Shimmer made her way down the hallway behind the rehearsal area that served as the main throughway between the various parts of the backstage. She smiled at a few of the girls who passed her by, thankful that none of them were accompanied at the moment. It looked like she had waited long enough to prevent being accosted by rowdy johns.

At least Lady Luna had guards to deal with those. If only her old pimp had thought to do the same, then...

Shimmer shook her head. It's not like any of them actually cared about her. In fact, despite the Lady's cold exterior, she was the only one who had actually seemed concerned about her well-being. Enough to create a position that would allow her to put her other skills to good use.

Her first day of work had been nothing short of a dream, if a very stressful and demanding one. Despite how harsh a taskmaster the head chef had been in the kitchen, it had been an incredible feeling to be praised in a way that didn't trigger the familiar twinge of shame that was her constant companion.

As Shimmer continued down the hallway towards the dorm where she and her son would be staying, she allowed herself a small smile. Things were finally looking up, and maybe it wouldn't be too bad to let herself hope a little.

She passed by one of the dressing rooms and heard a familiar rough voice come out from it. Curious, she peeked inside nearly on instinct.

Inside, she saw the guard from yesterday — Rainbow Dash, her name was — leaning against a wall with one arm raised high, in a pose that made her loom over a smaller girl what was mostly obscured from Shimmer's view, though she did see locks of rich purple hair behind the larger frame.

"C'mon, Rares." That voice dripped with arrogance and entitlement, and Shimmer froze at the sound of it as her brain locked down and warned her not to draw any attention to herself. "I saw the way you looked at me the other night when I threw that Svengallop creep out. You totally had the hots for me. So how about we find an empty room here and you can do some professional training with me, if you know what I mean."

Bile rose up in Shimmer Glass' throat as her panic switched modes and she hurried away from the door, barely avoiding breaking into a run as she desperately tried to get away before Rainbow Dash noticed her. She'd been a fool to fall for the luxurious trappings of this place, to hope for a new life where her worth could come from something other than her body.

Ths Sapphire Carousel had seemed too good to be true, and it was.

The guard had seemed gentle enough around her son, and she'd asked before taking one of her sandwiches, but Shimmer supposed that everyone acted more proper around their boss. A lesson that she'd learned time and time again was that a person's true character was revealed when you gave them power over someone.

And Rainbow Dash had just shown what kind of person she really was.

It was fine, she told herself. She'd come to this place expecting to sell her body to give her son a future. If this was the price of security, she'd pay it willingly.

But that didn't mean she wasn't going to avoid Rainbow Dash as best she could. She'd had enough of brutes taking what they wanted from her in her life, and she wasn't going to let the guard have her way with her if she could help it.

Rainbow Dash disgusted her, and she would stay away from her.
> Chapter 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shimmer Glass managed to avoid being alone with Rainbow Dash for three days.

She couldn't avoid the guard altogether. After all, they worked in the same building and she occasionally popped by the kitchen for a snack. She behaved herself in those times, but Shimmer still made sure to be on the other side of the room when she showed up.

Still, she'd managed to avoid her attention, and whenever she'd seen her cornering one of the girls to tell them she'd "see them after the show for a little fun," she'd quickly rushed past, keeping her eyes averted and trying to ignore the sensation of her skin crawling.

On the third day, Shimmer's shift finished early, and she hurried back to the dorms just as the evening's performance was ending. She could hear the applause from backstage, and she knew she'd have about fifteen minutes before the clients started coming in.

"Hey, Shimmer!" That rough, almost masculine voice froze Shimmer in her tracks. Her breath caught in her throat as she forced herself to turn around and look casual.

Rainbow Dash was running towards her, holding a paper bag in her hands. "You forgot your dinner," she said, extending the bag towards her.

"Oh." Shimmer Glass cursed her forgetfulness. She'd given Rainbow Dash the excuse she needed to get her alone. Careful not to make any physical contact with her trembling hand, she reached out and grabbed the bag. "Thank you, Miss Dash."

"Call me Rainbow." A cocky grin replaced her previous expression as she leaned against the wall in the same pose she'd used to intimidate that other girl three days ago. "We might look like a fancy place, but we're just like any other of the fun places, and we don't need to be all stiff and uptight with each other."

"I— I see." Shimmer knew all too well what those "fun" places could be like. "Thank you, Rainbow."

"That's more like it!" When Rainbow Dash reached an arm out behind her, Shimmer Glass stiffened in fear, but instead of grabbing her, all she did was pat her on the back. "So, how're you settling in around here?"

"I— I'm doing fine." Her voice faltered for a moment as she tried to inch away from the looming guard. "Everyone's been very kind to me." She forced a smile on her face as she took a small step back.

That was a mistake. Rainbow Dash's eyes narrowed. "Are you okay?" she asked, and for a moment, Shimmer Glass was confused by what sounded like genuine concern in her voice. "You seem really nervous."

"I— It's nothing." Why couldn't she keep her voice from shaking?

"Is someone bothering you?" The darkness in her tone made Shimmer Glass shiver. "If someone's harassing you, just let me know and I'll take care of them."

"No!" She didn't want to know what the price of her "protection" would be. "No! Everything is fine! Please, just let me go!"

Rainbow Dash reeled back as if struck. "You don't have to be scared of me," she said, understanding lighting up in her eyes. "I'm here to protect you."

Shimmer Glass wanted to invent some kind of excuse, some reason to get away from this brute who was forcing herself on the girls working here. And yet, she saw real hurt in those bright red eyes, and something in her heart told her that not everything was what she thought it was.

Chest pounding madly, she made her decision.

"And what do you want for that protection?" she asked carefully, knowing that she had sealed her fate. If she'd guessed wrong about Rainbow Dash, then... well, it wasn't like she hadn't come to this place expecting to get a different job anyways.

"Umm, the Boss pays me?" Shimmer Glass' spirit lifted at the confusion in Rainbow Dash's voice and expression. "Why do you think I would... oh. Oh." She quickly backed away, holding her hand out between them in a placating gesture. "I don't know what the last place you worked with was like, but I would never..." she trailed off, and her eyes hardened. "And if someone here does try anything funny, you let me know and I'll take care of them, okay?"

She wanted to trust her, but she still couldn't get the image from her first out of her mind. "What about with the girls? The ones who... perform." And did other things, afterwards. "I saw you asking Autumn Haze to see you after the show yesterday."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "I was talking about our poker night!" she said quickly. "A bunch of us play poker every Thursday." She shook her head. "Okay, I think you got a completely wrong picture of me. They like it when I tell them how hot they are. Lemme show you."

The star performer of the night, Rarity, stepped out from a nearby door, wrapped in a robe that covered up what would likely be mostly bare skin. She wore a confident smile on her face and moved with a grace and elegance that transfixed Shimmer.

"Hey, Rares!" Rainbow Dash called out. "I saw the first part of the show. You make one hell of an entrance, and you got me really worked up. How about a little employee discount for a loyal employee, huh?"

The world froze as Shimmer waited for a response.

Rarity smirked, no hint of unease at all in her eyes as she gave her reply. "Darling, you couldn't afford me even with a discount. You know we charge extra for group sessions, and I'm afraid we can't make exceptions for your ego."

With that, she walked away, leaving behind a stunned Shimmer Glass and a smug Rainbow Dash. "See? They don't mind."

"Oh." Suddenly, Shimmer felt very silly. "So, have you ever...?"

"Not yet," Rainbow replied, "but one of these days I'm sure one of those girls will fall for my charm and we'll have a radical time together." The cheer in her voice dimmed. "So, I know you used to work at a brothel before. That place, were the guards... bad?"

"We didn't have guards at the last place," Shimmer said bluntly, and quickly moved on before Rainbow could say anything and bring back memories. "And the place before that... well, having guards was better than not having them, I guess, but some of them were worse than the johns." She shuddered, her mind going to dark places despite her attempts to hold them back.

"Hey, hey, it's okay now." It was strange how such a rough voice could sound so tender, but Shimmer Glass held on to the sound of Rainbow Dash's voice like a drowning sailor to a life raft. "The Boss wouldn't ever let anything like that happen here, and the other guards are all good people." Rainbow paused before continuing. "And you don't have to worry about me making a pass at you. I wouldn't do that to anyone who didn't want me to."

"Like Rarity?" Shimmer said with a snort, focusing on the present and forcing her breathing to steady.

"Rarity likes it when I tell her how much I wanna pull her into one of the bedrooms and have some fun," Rainbow replied. "Believe me, one day I'll talk her into it. But until then, I won't even touch her unless she lets me."

"I believe you," Shimmer said. She took a deep breath and reached out a hand towards the other woman. "I'm sorry for thinking such awful things about you before. Can you forgive me?"

"Pfft, it's no biggie." Rainbow Dash shook her hand, her firm, powerful grip a comfort rather than a threat to Shimmer now. "It's my bad for forgetting you were new, and that not every place is as awesome as the Sapphire. Hopefully you'll be able to see how great this place is soon."

"I think I might be starting to get it." Shimmer smiled at Rainbow as she pulled her hand back. "Sorry, I need to go back to my son. I'll see you around?"

"Not like we don't live and work in the same place," Rainbow replied. "Pretty sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other."

"I look forward to it." And somehow, she did. Rainbow Dash seemed fun, and loyal, and unlike any guard she'd known before. She still wasn't completely comfortable with her coming on to the girls, but she could respect that she'd never do anything unless they really wanted to, and the girls here didn't have to be scared of saying no.

Her smile stayed on her face all the way back to the dorms when she went to spend some quality time with her son.

The future looked brighter than it had ever looked before, and she couldn't wait to see what the next day had in store.
> Chapter 3
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Shimmer hummed to herself as she brought a tray of snacks to the dressing room. She was technically on break, but she'd wanted to spend her break talking with the performers anyways, so she'd volunteered to take their food to them.

It had taken some time for her to finally accept the fact that these girls wanted to work here, in their chosen profession, but she'd come to find them wonderful company once they warmed up to each other. They weren't all perfect by any means. Misty Dawn was a bit of a bitch, and Belladonna could be a bit of a diva in a bad way, but Autumn Haze was an absolute dear and Rarity, for all her dramatics, was a generous soul and delightfully witty.

She still didn't entirely feel like she belonged, and every time the conversation drifted towards sex work she tried to find an excuse to be somewhere else, but for the first time ever she felt safe and valued, and she couldn't wait to see their reactions to her latest recipe.

Shimmer turned the corner and stopped at the edge of the door as a familiar voice reached her ears from inside.

"Hey babe, how about a good luck kiss before the show?"

She stopped at the edge of the doorway. Nobody had seen her yet, but she could see Rainbow Dash sidling up to Candy Apple with her usual casual grin.

She'd spent more time with the energetic bodyguard, who'd quickly become one of her biggest fans thanks to her cooking, and after their rocky start, they'd become fast friends. Her endless enthusiasm was contagious, and she could make her laugh, to say nothing of the warmth she felt when she praised her skills, but she still shied away from her whenever she started making advances towards the other girls.

Rainbow had noticed this and made a point to stop her antics whenever Shimmer entered the room, a gesture that Shimmer appreciated greatly, even if she felt a little guilty at being a buzzkill.

Today, she decided to let Rainbow have a bit of fun before she came in.

Candy Apple smiled up at Rainbow and shook her head. "Considerin' your luck with the ladies, I think I'll take my chances without. Mighty kind of you to offer, though."

"You know me, always ready to help a pretty girl out," Rainbow replied, undeterred. Shimmer Glass ignored the feeling of her heart skipping a beat as old tensions still stirred under the surface of her mind.

"Sure you are, sugar." Candy pressed her hand against her mouth and blew Rainbow Dash a kiss with her ruby-red lips. "Here, you could use some luck yourself. One day you'll find a nice gal who appreciates you."

"She's gonna be one lucky girl," Rainbow Dash agreed, and Candy Apple giggled.

"Go on, now, I gotta get all gussied up for tonight's performance."

And with that, Rainbow Dash left her alone. Shimmer felt a pang of shame for assuming that the guard would have done otherwise, but old habits died hard.

Those same old habits caused her to tense when she saw the direction Rainbow was headed: the corner that Heart Throb was currently huddled in.

Heart Throb was the Carousel's newest hire. She had some dance education, but not much experience on the stage, and certainly no experience on a stage like this one. The few times that Shimmer had gotten a chance to talk with her, she'd put on a brave face, but her nervousness was still obvious to anyone who took a closer look.

Shimmer had done her best to reassure her, but she really didn't know what to say. She certainly never wanted to be up on stage wearing what Heart Throb was wearing right now, but she understood that they had different experiences.

Still, that didn't mean she wasn't worried about how the new dancer would respond to Rainbow's behaviour. Shimmer prayed that nobody would get hurt.

"Hey there, beautiful." Rainbow's voice was unexpectedly soft, though it still held her usual swagger. "You ready for your first show?"

"I— I guess." Heart Throb shifted uncomfortably in her scandalously-cut dress.

"Well, I'm not guessing," Rainbow replied. "I know you'll get everyone out there all hot and bothered no problem."

She took a step forward, and Shimmer almost stepped in to stop her, but the faint smile on Hearth Throb's expression gave her pause.

"C'mon, let's see the goods." Rainbow did a little twirling motion with her fingers as she spoke.

Hearth Throb looked surprised, but she did as instructed, and Rainbow whistled appreciatively as she took in the show.

"Yup, no way a beautiful girl like you won't knock 'em all dead," she said with total confidence. "Maybe afterwards I'll see you for a little private show, huh?"

With that, she sauntered off, and Shimmer saw Hearth Throb stand a little taller as she grinned and stepped out of the corner with a little sway in her hips.

The sight shook Shimmer out of her voyeurism as she remembered why she'd come here in the first place.

"Hey everyone." Shimmer grinned as she brought in the pastry-filled tray into the rehearsal area. "I brought something special for you before the big show."

Every pair of eyes in the room turned towards her with almost predatory glee, but Rainbow Dash was, of course, the first one to reach her, flying over with blinding speed to grab a cookie from her tray.

"Wow, these are awesome!" she declared. "I need to sneak into the kitchens more often if you're gonna be working in there."

And then, it was open season as the girls descended on her like a pack of starving dogs, grabbing the cookies and showering her and the rest of the kitchen with compliments. Shimmer took them in stride, playfully suggesting that they help out with the dishes to get more treats.

All the while, she kept her eyes on Rainbow Dash and Heart Throb. The new dancer still kept her distance, and her nervousness was still visible, but she also held herself with a confidence in her body that was heartening to see. As for the source of that newfound confidence...

"I call dibs on the last one!" Rainbow Dash was as boisterous as ever as she plucked the last cookie from the tray before anyone could react. And yet, despite all her joking and teasing, she never once made any advances towards any of the girls, and she didn't even make the lewd jokes that Shimmer knew she enjoyed when she thought Shimmer was out of earshot.

It was a little sign that she cared, and Shimmer made a note to sneak something from the kitchen over to her the next chance she had.

She had friends now for the first time she could remember, and she would take care of them however she could.
> Chapter 4
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"So, where do you see yourself in five years?"

Lily Petal's question brought every pair of eyes in the rec room facing towards her.

Setting down her bottle of cider, Candy Apple snorted. "What is this, a job interview? Are ya looking to poach us for that place down by the docks?"

"It's a perfectly reasonable question!" Lily protested from her seat on the other side of the room. "We all know that this is a pretty tough job to work in the long term, so we gotta be thinking ahead, right?"

"Well I for one won't be here in five years," Rarity said as she made another stitch in the hat she was working on. "By then, I'll have found myself a handsome prince who will whisk me away to his palace and shower me with love and affection. And the finest silks, of course."

"Right." Lily rolled her eyes. "So you plan on having only one client in five years."

"Oh, not at all," Rarity replied. "I'm not going to let myself become a woman of leisure. After all, It would be cruel of me to deprive my clients of my services. Either set of them."

Ripple Seas set down her own bottle of beer and stared at Rarity incredulously. "You really think your prince is gonna let you keep selling dresses and screwing people for money?"

"I expect anyone I fall in love with to understand and support my career choices," Rarity said primly, turning up her nose in that dramatic way that Shimmer Glass had learned meant she wasn't being fully serious, but still meant what she said.

"Uh-huh." There was a moment of silence as Ripple took another swig from her bottle. "Gonna be real interesting one day when you actually fall in love with someone."

The sound of Lily clearing her throat brought the room's attention back to her. "Meanwhile, in the real world, I'm thinking of taking some business classes," she said, sitting up straighter. "Maybe the Lady will let me manage this place when I get too old to dance, or I can strike out on my own and start another troupe."

"So this is a job interview!" Candy Apple said with a snicker. "Anyways, I don't see much point fretting 'bout the future. Got plenty o' time before I have to hang up my knickers and dancing shoes."

"I—" A soft voice made Shimmer turn her head to see Heart Throb looking up from a book.  "I think I want to play the piano. Professionally, I mean. I, umm, I studied music and dance at the academy, and I really liked them both." At the attention everyone was giving her, she wilted a little.

Shimmer couldn't let that happen. "I think that's a wonderful idea," she said, smiling. "You have to play for us sometime. We'd all love to hear you."

There was a chorus of agreement, and Heart Throb blushed and promised to play a song next week.

"How about you, Shimmer?" Ripple asked after the commotion had died down. "You gonna be feeding us still when we're all old and gray?"

Shimmer paused. "I don't know," she finally admitted. "This is a good place for my boy." Something she never thought she'd say about a brothel, but the Sapphire was truly a special place. "I think I'll stay until he's finished schooling, at least."

"Yeah, the Lady might not know the difference between a baby and a dog, but she only hires the best tutors," Ripple agreed. "And I'll have enough saved up to retire in a nice little cottage by the countryside by the time my little Wave is old enough to decide what she wants to do."

"What if she wants to go into the same business as you?"

The question slipped out before Shimmer could stop herself, but before she could give an apology, Ripple waved her off with a laugh.

"I'll give her a recommendation to my best clients," Ripple replied once she settled down. "Make sure she starts things off with the right folks, and a contract that doesn't screw her over."

Shimmer didn't know what to say to that. The last thing she would ever want for her kids would be to have them forced to do what she'd had to in order to survive. But if they chose to sell their bodies...

Fortunately, she was saved from having to answer by a pair of late arrivals to their little party, their voices predating their appearance by a few seconds.

"You're just scared that I'll blow your mind so hard that you'll never wanna do your job again."

"Oh, if I had a bit for every time a client told me that, I'd be living it up in the Solar District right now."

"Gimme one night and I'll show you—" Rainbow Dash stopped as she entered the room and she saw Shimmer Glass staring at her.

It warmed her heart to see that consideration from the guard, but it also made it pang with guilt at forcing her to hold back. Even as Shimmer appreciated the gesture, she couldn't help but feel it was wrong to keep her restrained in this way, like a caged bird not allowed to sing some admittedly very bawdy songs.

She looked at the girls around her. They were all comfortable, even appreciative, of Rainbow's advances, and she had to admit that she'd grown used to them talking about their other trade in the past couple months.

Maybe... maybe it was time for her to let go of a piece of her past. It would do her good, even if it scared her. An idea came to Shimmer as she watched Rainbow stand in awkward silence by the entrance, and it terrified her, opened up doors that could lead to her getting hurt like she had in the past.

But this was Rainbow Dash. One of the guardians of the Sapphire Carousel. And she would never hurt Shimmer.

Steeling her shaking body, she made her decision.

"C'mon, Autumn!" she called out, using every inch of her resolve to keep her tone light and joking. "You can't tell me you aren't interested at all in what Miss Dash has to offer, can you? Look at her!"

The whole room went silent as everyone seemed to hold their breaths. Shimmer felt the weight of embarrassment press down on her, and though she didn't feel any past fears threatening to seize control of her heart, she did feel a very real fear of making a fool of herself.

Just as she was about to make some excuse to leave the room, Rainbow Dash's eyes sparkled with understanding. "Yeah, how could you turn down all this awesomeness?" she boasted, gesturing at her own lithe and muscular figure.

Autumn Haze caught on, and gave Dash a considering look. "Hmm, well, you're not the worst I've had before," she said. "Maybe I'll keep you in mind next time I'm looking for a little fun after work."

"I'll take it!" With that, the tension in the room melted away, and Rainbow Dash and Autumn Haze joined the carousing in the Carousel, grabbing their own preferred drinks and going to town.

Some time later, Shimmer found herself alone in a corner, sitting opposite to a mostly-sober Rainbow Dash. Despite the large amounts of alcohol the guard was consuming, Shimmer didn't feel even the least bit nervous. She knew Dash didn't have it in her to do anything unwanted towards her.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," Dash said, taking another swig of cider.

"I know," Shimmer replied, skirting the edge of drunkenness. "I wanted to. You shouldn't have to change for me."

"It's fine," Dash slurred. "Not like I've got a chance with any of these girls anyways. I mean, I'm competing with professionals here, and they're all damn good at their jobs."

"Rainbow Dash," Shimmer chided, "you work here. You should know better than anyone that it isn't what's on the outside that counts."

"I know." Even in her inebriation, Dash's eyes had a look of true honesty about them. "That's why I know none of them will be interested in me. They're all so awesome, you know? Heart Throb is some kinda musical genius, Lily's been meeting with the boss to help her out with running this place, and Rarity is basically the best dressmaker in history. They're all prettier and cooler than me. I'm just the guard."

"You are much more than just 'the guard.'" Indignation rose up in Shimmer's heart as she set down her drink. "Everyone here trusts you enough to come to you with their problems. You make people feel safe just by being you, and let me tell you, that means more than you can possibly imagine. Don't you ever think you aren't just as awesome as everyone else here."

The alcohol loosened her tongue enough that the next words just slipped out between Shimmer's lips. "And you're way prettier than you think, too." Her eyes found themselves tracing the taut lines of Rainbow Dash's muscles before she stopped herself, chiding herself silently for leering at her friend.

"You really think so?" Rainbow Dash sounded so vulnerable in that moment, with the alcohol dulling her mask of confidence.

It was easy enough for Shimmer to answer with the truth. "I know so. One day, someone very lucky is going to see that, and I'm sure you'll blow their mind."

"Pfft." Rainbow let out a short chuckle. "Yeah, you're right. Just gotta keep trying."

"That's the spirit!" Shimmer raised up her glass. "To finding someone who likes you on the inside and out."

Rainbow Dash grinned. "I'll drink to that!" They downed their beverages, letting the warm burn of alcohol suffuse their bodies before Dash added, "you know, you're really pretty too."

Shimmer's heart skipped a beat. "Oh?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she'd just said. "I'm sorry!" she blurted out. "That was dumb of me. Stupid cider. I shouldn't be drinking if it's gonna make me say stuff like that to you."

"No, no, it's fine," Shimmer hastily assured. To her shock, she found that it actually was. Compliments on her looks used to make her skin crawl, and having a guard at this place make such a comment should have made her want to run, but this was Rainbow Dash. She didn't have any ulterior motives in complimenting her, wasn't thinking about the next time she'd be able to use her body. It was just a compliment for a compliment, two women recognizing each other's beauty. "Please, don't apologize. I... I liked hearing you say that."

"Really?" Dash's body sagged with relief.

"Yes," Shimmer said. "I'm not going to let my past take anything else away from me. I want to be beautiful, and not feel like I'm going to be hurt because of it." So that's why they called it liquid courage. Right now, as she straddled the line between sober and drunk, Shimmer wanted nothing more than to reclaim the love of her own body that had been seized by others.

"Well, you're definitely beautiful." And as for Dash, the cider was making her tongue more free, and Shimmer heard nothing but honesty in her words. "Even in a place like this, you shine."

A blush threatened to form on Shimmer's cheeks. "Thank you, Rainbow."

"No need to thank me for telling the truth." The bodyguard finished the last of her drink in a single gulp. "I'm gonna get another one of these," she said, putting her bottle down and standing up on unsteady legs. "See ya later."

Shimmer waved and watched her teeter away, her heart warming and a smile played across her lips. Rainbow Dash was beautiful, and so was she, and those facts couldn't have Shimmer any happier tonight.
> Chapter 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Okay, so I think you put this number on line one-fifty, then add these two numbers together for line one-fifty-six."

Dash grabbed another sandwich and wolfed it down with terrifying speed as Shimmer squinted at the lines she'd pointed out. "Okay, so that means this number is bigger than that number," she said, scribbling out the arithmetic on a separate sheet of paper. "Is that good?"

"Umm, yeah." For a moment, Dash stared at the complex list of instructions that had come with the tax form. "That means, uhh, you subtract this number from this number to get the amount that the government owes you."

"Oh!" Shimmer beamed as she wrote down the final number. "That's great!"

Dash smiled as well, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "It's pretty sweet. Though, you should probably get that double-checked by Lily. Or, y'know, hire one of the accountants the boss recommends to do this."

"I'll see if Lily is willing to help." She was getting better at trust, and she knew Luna wouldn't recommend anyone who'd take advantage of her, but she'd had one too many bad experiences to trust an outsider in a suit and tie.

"Bring her some of these sandwiches and she'll do anything for you," Dash replied, grabbing another and actually taking the time to savour it, much to Shimmer's delight. "So, what're you gonna do with that money?"

"Well, I..." Shimmer paused. She'd never had the luxury of considering that question before. For the first time, she had money she didn't desperately need for survival, and she could use it for anything she wanted.

Well, within reason. She was a responsible woman, with a son she needed to take care of. She needed to think about both their futures, another boon that working at the Sapphire had granted her.

"I've been thinking about taking cooking classes," she said, her voice dropping low, as though she didn't want anyone else to hear. She shouldn't have to feel bad about it, but after being valued only for her body for so long, it was still hard for her to think of improving her own skills at things beyond her former profession.

Of course, she didn't need to worry about Rainbow Dash thinking it was a waste of time. Still, she felt her heart lighten when the guard grinned. "That's an awesome idea!" she exclaimed, her eyes growing wide with excitement. "I mean, you're already so good at cooking. With a few lessons you could probably become one of those fancy world-class chefs!"

The sincere enthusiasm warmed her soul. "They're pretty expensive, though," she said. "This will cover the first couple lessons, but I'll need to save up for a while before I can take more."

Dash shrugged. "Maybe you could ask the boss for a raise? You totally deserve one, with how good your cooking is."

"Oh, she's already been far too generous," Shimmer replied. "I don't think she'd appreciate me trying to take advantage of that generosity."

"Do you think she'll let you pick up some more shifts?"

Shimmer shook her head. "She wasn't even planning on hiring a cook, remember? I wouldn't want to take away hours from anyone else."

"You could ask Rarity if she needs an assistant for her shop," Dash suggested, gathering the example tax return she'd been using to help Shimmer with. "Are you any good at fashion stuff?"

"Not really, no." One of the sheets floated away from Dash's pile, and Shimmer's eyes widened at the numbers on the page. "My stars!" she gasped. "That's certainly a lot of money."

"Huh?" Dash glanced at the page that had slipped out. "Oh, yeah, that's Autumn's return. She let me borrow it to figure out how to fill it out with you. All the girls make about that much, I think. Comes with basically having two jobs and being able to charge what they charge, I guess."

"How much do they make?" It hadn't ever come up in her conversations with the others, but now Shimmer couldn't help but wonder.

Dash told her the average price the girls charged per hour, and she gasped even louder.

"I could easily afford my classes if I..." Shimmer faltered, the words finally catching up with her head.

Rainbow Dash was quick to pick up on her thoughts as well. "No," she said firmly, staring her dead in the eyes with an unwavering gaze. "I'm not going to let you go through that just so that you can start taking classes earlier."

Shimmer bristled at her tone and words. "You won't let me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "And just what gives you the right to decide what I'm allowed to do?"

To her credit, Dash realized her mistake quickly. "I didn't mean it like that!" she protested, holding up a hand in a placating gesture. Her ethereal wings flapped in agitation as well. "I just—" she faltered. "It's my job to protect all of you, right? That's what the boss pays me for. And that means making sure none of you get pushed into taking any clients you don't wanna. No matter what the reason."

Shimmer's voice softened. "I appreciate all you do for us, Rainbow, but there's nobody here to force me to do anything. You know the Lady wouldn't stand for it."

Rainbow Dash grunted. "I guess. And it's not like you'd ever want to get back into that side of the business anyways."

For a moment, Shimmer almost agreed with her out of instinct. But something held her back. Memories of the times she'd spent with the other girls, watching them chatter about their work and all the ups and downs of the trade. And how it made some of them feel.

"I don't know," she finally said. "The Sapphire isn't like the other places I worked for. If I could— if, maybe, going back to my old job here could help me take back that part of me, turn something terrible into something good, then..." she trailed off and shot Dash an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'm rambling now."

"It's cool," Rainbow Dash replied. "And I guess there's a couple girls like you here who, uhh..." She floundered, and Shimmer decided to take pity on her.

"I know," Shimmer said. "They've been really inspiring to me, and I wonder if I could be like that too." Seeing how much Ripple Seas and Autumn Haze loved their jobs had Shimmer hoping that one day she'd be... better.

"Well, it'd be pretty awesome if that happened," Dash said, "but it's still totally cool if you don't feel safe doing it."

"I trust you to protect all of us." The admission surprised even Shimmer, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was true. Rainbow Dash cared about everyone in the Sapphire, and she wasn't going to let a single one of them get hurt.

In her usual manner, Dash puffed up at that. "It's true, I'm pretty good at my job," she declared proudly.

"You are." A wicked thought entered Shimmer's head, and before she could help herself, she did her best to grin seductively. "And you definitely deserve a reward for it. If I do get back into the business, I'll be sure to give you a great discount." She winked, and a thrill of absolute delight surged through her when Dash's face turned bright red.

Ever the quick-wit, Dash recovered and managed to reply with a casual smirk that was marred by the blush that hadn't completely faded yet. "Nah, you're worth paying full price for." There was barely a stammer in her voice, but it was definitely there, and Shimmer basked in it.

"Aww, you say the sweetest things," she teased. "Thanks for all the help, Rainbow. You're a great friend."

"Anytime." Rainbow Dash grabbed the rest of the instructions and sample tax forms. "Well, I gotta return these to Autumn. See ya around."

As Rainbow Dash left the room, Shimmer committed to memory the image of her blushing face. For a moment, she had felt... normal. No, that wasn't the right word. Nothing about this place was normal, and it was all the better for it. But Dash's reaction, and the knowledge that Shimmer had the power to elicit it, gave her a sense of control over her life that she craved.

And she wanted more of it.

Maybe going back to her old job wouldn't be that bad. Not if it let her feel like that again, and not if Rainbow Dash would be there to protect her. And maybe, just maybe, Dash might be interested in being a patron of the Sapphire...

The mental image came unbidden to Shimmer, and she quickly shook her head to clear it. Yes, they were good friends who teased each other, and Rainbow Dash was a very attractive woman, but at the end of the day, Shimmer knew her competition, and didn't want to get her hopes up.

Though, that didn't mean she couldn't think about it in the safety of her own imagination.

Shimmer collected her own forms and returned to the dorm to check up on her little Glass Shard, her mind churning with possibilities for her future.
> Chapter 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, I should have practiced this before!" Shimmer Glass wailed as she stood in front of the mirror, struggling with the clasp behind her back.

"It's fine," Rainbow Dash replied, getting up from her seat in the dressing room and walking over. "It's not like you'll need to be able to put this on while you're in there. Lemme help you."

Strong hands pried the two metal halves from Shimmer's fingers, and a moment later she heard a click and the next piece of her ensemble lock into place. "Thanks, Dash." She looked into the mirror once again. "How do I look?"

In the reflection, she saw Dash smirking at her. "Like you could have literally anyone in the world eating out of your hand if you wanted. But you already knew that, right?"

Shimmer took a moment to really look at herself in the mirror. "I guess I did," she admitted, giving in to the little bit of vanity inside of herself and admiring the way that the lace hid just enough of her body to entice the imagination. "Rarity really did an amazing job with this outfit."

"She had an easy job with you," Dash said matter-of-factly. "Don't really need to do much to make you look good when you're already a knockout."

Shimmer let herself bask in the compliment before she grabbed the robe hanging off a nearby chair and wrapped it around herself to complete the outfit. "Still, I need to remember to thank Rarity again for making this and charging me next to nothing."

"She's nice like that, yeah." A shrug from Dash. "Every girl gets one outfit almost free when they start out. I think she calls it a marketing strategy or something."

"Well, I'll definitely be a repeat customer if this goes well." The reminder of the job Shimmer had tonight brought back the butterflies in her stomach.

It seemed her nervousness had shone through in her expression, as she saw Dash frown behind her. "You're going to be amazing," she promised. "Fancy and Fleur are going to love you."

"I hope so." There was a pause before Shimmer decided to ask, "so, how much do you know about them?" Rarity had assured her that they would be wonderful first clients to work with, and Shimmer trusted her, of course, but Rainbow Dash was... well, Rainbow Dash.

"They're pretty cool, even if they're totally hoity-toity nobles," was her response. "Nice to the kids, too, when one of them gets loose and ends up in the wrong place before we can wrangle 'em back to the dorms. And Fleur knows some really great dirty jokes, even if she looks like a prim and proper lady who wouldn't say a bad word if her life depended on it. Both of them are people I'd grab beers with after a shift."

Then Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "But that doesn't mean I won't give 'em the boot if they do anything you tell them not to. If they try any funny business you yell for me and I don't care how nice they seem, they won't ever hurt you."

And that was why Shimmer wanted her confirmation. She knew from the bottom of her heart that Rainbow Dash would protect her, would never let what had happened to her in the past repeat itself, no matter how rich or important or powerful the client was. Shimmer Glass was safe here, and that gave her the courage to stand up and give her reflection a winning smile that dripped with just the right amount of lustful heat.

"Shall we, then?" she said, practicing her sultriest voice. She trailed her fingers lightly across Dash's arm as she strode towards the door, and a thrill coursed down her spine as she saw the guard stiffen in response. Knowing that she could have an effect on her even in a place like this gave Shimmer a rush of confidence that she rode all the way until she stepped outside and saw the two people she was going to be sharing her body with tonight.

Lord Fancy Pants and Lady Fleur de Lis stood by the entrance of the back rooms, chatting idly with one another. Fancy Pants looked up as she neared. "Ah, you must be Shimmer Glass," he said, smiling kindly.

For a few seconds, Shimmer simply stood there, all the mental preparations she'd made crumbling down in the face of reality. She wasn't ready to do this, wasn't ready to go back to her old life. This was too much, she needed to leave before—

No. She was safe now, and she wasn't going to let the past have any hold over her. Keeping in mind all the wonderful experiences she had been blessed with at the Sapphire Carousel, Shimmer Glass smiled back at her clients for the night. "Lord Fancy Pants, Lady Fleur de Lis, it's a pleasure to meet you," she said, flashing them that same sultry smile that she'd practiced in front of the mirror so many times.

"The pleasure is ours, ma chérie," Fleur replied. "Notre petite diamant has spoken highly of you, and anyone who earns the praise of our dear Rarity is someone we are eager to enjoy the company of."

The reminder that Rarity had risked her own reputation in giving Shimmer a referral was both terrifying and comforting, and Shimmer Glass chose to focus on the fact that so many people believed in her, believed that she could go through with this. "Rarity told me a bit about you too," she said. "Is it true that you were the ones who gave the secret donation that kept the Hope's Hollow Halfway House running?"

"Ah, so it's finally time to pay the piper for the love of gossip we share with our Rarity," Fancy Pants said jovially. "A small price for such wonderful pillow talk, I must say."

"What my husband means to say is that we do try to help those in need. However, we do not wish our endeavours to become public knowledge, so as to avoid... complications." Fleur's lips quirked up into a smile. "Ah, but we can trust those who work at the Sapphire Carousel in their discretion, non?"

"Of course," Shimmer promised. "I promise I won't tell anyone. Your donation kept that place running, and helped me out a lot. Thank you."

"It was truly the least we could do," Fancy replied, "and if you have any places in need that you feel could use some help, we'd be happy to discuss with you."

That got a smile from Shimmer. "I'd be happy to do that." Charity donations weren't always a sign that someone would be nice, but Fancy and Fleur really did seem to be genuinely good people, and Shimmer actually found herself looking forward to spending time with them. "But first, I believe you paid for a full night with me."

"Pleasure before business, hmm?" A wicked grin flashed across Fancy's expression before he turned to Fleur. "I like her!"

"Mon amour, notre plaisir est son affaire." Fleur tsked at her husband. She extended a hand towards Shimmer. "Allons-y, mademoiselle. Let us attend to your business tonight."

Shimmer took her hand, and together they made their way towards the bedroom so that she could ply the trade she'd once sworn never to return to. And yet, this felt like a victory unlike none other she had ever experienced.

_____________________________

"It was amazing!" Shimmer exclaimed as she wrapped the towel around her soaking-wet body. "I've never felt anything like that before!"

From across the bathroom, Rainbow Dash smirked as she perched on top of the toilet seat. "They're that good, huh?"

That got a snort from Shimmer. "Not like that. Well, I guess a little like that. It's just, I know the other girls talked about it, but I didn't think I could... be like them, you know?" She shrugged helplessly, struggling to communicate just what she was feeling to Rainbow Dash.

Luckily, that didn't seem to matter to the bodyguard. "I'm really happy for you." Dash stood up and grabbed a towel, then walked over and offered it to Shimmer. "So, how do you wanna celebrate getting your first clients?"

"Well, first, I'm going to go check on Glass Shard and make sure he's sleeping safe and sound, and then I'm going to sleep for a week," Shimmer replied, her lips twitching up into a tired smile as she took the towel. "That was exhausting. Fancy and Fleur were wonderful, but they really believe in getting their money's worth."

Dash chuckled. "Heh, I can imagine."

"I'm sure you could." Shimmer wrapped her hair up and began drying herself off. "Can't imagine working in a place like this as long as you have and not having some wild stories to tell."

"You got that right."

"I bet you've even got some crazy stories yourself." Shimmer smirked. "Or does the great Rainbow Dash never kiss and tell?"

There was a moment of hesitation before Dash laughed awkwardly. "Oh yeah, totally. Wouldn't want everyone fighting over me if they knew how awesome I really was, you know?"

Normally, Shimmer would have written off those words as part of Dash's natural bravado, but there was something distinctly fake in her voice that had her instantly suspicious. "Really?" she asked casually. "There isn't a single time you can talk about?"

"I, uhh..." And when Dash faltered, Shimmer knew the truth.

"You've never slept with anyone before!" she exclaimed, shocked to the core. This was a brothel, after all; as far as Shimmer had thought she'd known, there wasn't a single virgin working at the Carousel. Except maybe for the Lady, but Luna was the owner, not an employee.

The effect of her words was immediate. Dash's eyes widened and she held up her hands in a panicked gesture. "Please don't let anyone else know! You can't tell them!"

Shimmer raised an eyebrow at that. "You really think that they'd think less of you for that?"

"Well, no," Dash replied. "But still, do you know how much street cred I'd lose if the girls found out that I've never actually rocked anyone's world before? I don't want to blow any chance I have with any of them!"

"You know, you'd probably get a lot farther with the truth," Shimmer said. "I think they'd appreciate it a lot more."

"Probably," Dash admitted, "but I'm... I'm Rainbow Dash." She sighed. "Everyone expects me to be confident and awesome all the time. I don't want them to know that I have no idea what's going on when it comes to the thing that this place is literally famous for."

"Oh, Rainbow Dash." Ignoring her relative state of undress, Shimmer reached out and pulled her friend into a hug. "I'll keep your secret, but please know that none of us would ever judge you for being a virgin. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

It took a moment, but Dash eventually returned the hug, her stronger grip wrapping them tighter together. "Thanks, Shimmer. You're a good friend."

"Just returning the favour." As they pulled apart, Shimmer took the opportunity to brush her fingers underneath Dash's chin.

Rainbow Dash hadn't made a single comment hitting on her since that day when she'd first considered getting back into sex work. Part of her had actually been looking forward to receiving that same teasing that the other girls got, and Shimmer decided at that moment that if Dash wasn't sure if she'd be okay with comments like that, then Shimmer was going to make sure she knew.

With a teasing smile, she lifted the bodyguard's chin and playfully teased, "And if you ever want to get some experience in intimacy, you know who you can come to. I'm a professional now, after all."

The blush that formed on Rainbow's cheek was absolutely adorable, and Shimmer immediately regretted not teasing her more often. Still, her friend recovered impressively quickly, and fired back with her own smirk. "Heh, don't worry, I'm a fast learner. It'll be me teaching you in no time."

Shimmer giggled. "Alright, Professor." Drifting away from Dash, Shimmer quickly dressed and headed towards the door. "Anyways, I really need to hit the hay right now. Thanks for watching out for me tonight. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Dash said. "No way I'm missing out on lunch if you're cooking. Night, Shimmer."

"Good night, Dash."

For a moment, Shimmer had the urge to turn around and give Rainbow Dash a good night's kiss. Being with Fancy and Fleur must have left her feeling more affectionate than usual, and now that it felt like physical intimacy was possible for her again, Shimmer's mind couldn't help but wander even more than it had before.

Still, her earlier reasons for holding back were still true, so she quashed down the urge by letting the day's exhaustion wash over her, and left the room without turning back.
> Chapter 7
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Mama, Mama!"

Shimmer looked down at her son, who was tugging on the sleeve of her dress. "Yes, Shard?"

"Look, a pony!" He pointed excitedly at a large stuffed toy hanging from the rafters of a booth. It was big and blue, with wings sewn onto its sides and a mane and tail made out of string of every colour. "I want it!"

Shimmer glanced at the booth, where the carnie was shouting out with a megaphone, "Step right up and test your skill to win some fabulous prizes! All you have to do is knock over all the bottles!" He gestured at the stack of ten bottles stacked in a triangle on a wooden platform.

"That's just a trick."  She said, shaking her head. Just because she had some money to spend now with her second job, didn't mean she had to waste it like that. "Why don't we get some cotton candy instead?" At some point, she needed to teach Shard about all the different ways people tried to trick you out of your money, or worse. The Sapphire was safe enough, but there was a whole world out there ready to take advantage of anyone they could get their hands on.

"Aww, c'mon." That included Rainbow Dash, apparently, as she grabbed Shimmer on her other sleeve like she was Shard's age. Shimmer turned to find the bodyguard staring at her with a cocky smile. "That's a pretty awesome plushie. Kid's got good taste."

Shimmer noted the similarities in the multicoloured hair on the plushie and on her companion's head. "Of course you'd think that," she teased. "But I guess it does look nice."

"So let's go get it!" Before anyone could react, Dash ran off towards the booth.

"Mama, let's go!"

Shimmer looked down at Shard, saw his wide eyes and the pleading look on his face, and decided that it would be easier to just go with it and explain why these sorts of things were scams afterwards. "Alright, Shard."

Making sure to keep her grip on her son so as to not lose him in the crowd, she walked up to the booth, where Rainbow Dash had already settled in, standing in front of one of the tables. "One pony plushie, coming right up!" The bodyguard said as she slammed down some coins on the table, her voice filled with its usual confident swagger that Shimmer was fast becoming enamoured with.

The carnie smiled in a way that Shimmer had seen many times before, all false promises and dazzling lights. "Ah, I see we have a brave player right here!" He leaned down and fake-whispered at Dash. "So, you trying to impress your girl here?"

"She's just a friend." The speed at which Dash gave her response sent an odd pang through Shimmer's heart. Not that they were dating or anything, but the instant rejection hurt for some reason. "Now, are we gonna do this?"

"You got spunk, kid," the carnie replied with a boisterous laugh. "I like it!" With a grand gesture, he swept away the coins and replaced them with a pile of worn, wooden balls.

Shimmer suppressed a sigh as she watched the bodyguard pick up one of them, testing their weight in her hands. She didn't like disappointing Shard, but there was no way she was going to waste all of her spending money on this fool's errand, or let Dash waste hers.

And maybe this would teach her some humility, though Shimmer doubted it.

"Alright, let me show you how it's done!" With a large wind-up, Rainbow let the ball fly, striking right below the center of the tower with a meaty thud.

To both Shimmer and the carnie's surprise, the entre tower toppled over in a cacophony of clacking noises. Dash let out a cheer and pumped her fist into the air, looking unbearably smug at Shimmer's shocked expression.

The carnie recovered first, laughing again as he slapped an arm around Rainbow's shoulder. He turned to face the onlooking crowd. "And we already have a winner!" he announced, before addressing Rainbow. "So, what'll it be? Since you're the first winner of the night, you can have anything you want."

Rainbow pointed at the stuffed pony without hesitation. "That one."

The carnie pulled down the toy and handed it over to Dash, before ignoring her and trying to attract the crowd with promises of sharing in Dash's luck and skill. Shimmer wanted to ask her about what had just happened, but there was something more important to do first.

Rainbow Dash leaned down, holding the plushie out. "Here, kid. Something almost as awesome as your mom to keep you company at night when she's working."

"Thanks Miss Rainbow!" Shard said before grabbing the pony and happily smooshing his cheek against its head. "You're the best!"

Dash chuckled. "Yeah, I know. So, what're you gonna name her?"

Shard's face scrunched up in thought as he pondered the question. Then he glanced at the multicoloured mane on the pegasus pony, and the similarly-coloured hair on his favourite aunt, and seemed to come to a decision. "I'm gonna name her Speedy. Because she's the fastest pony in the world!" he declared proudly, holding Speedy up like it was a trophy.

"Oh, really?" Dash raised an eyebrow. "The fastest, huh? Maybe I should race her some time so we know if the fastest pony is faster than the fastest human."

"Speedy is faster than anyone!" Shard said with the conviction of a child's belief.

"Heh, with you helping her train, I'm sure she'll have no problem beating anyone in a race." As she liked to do whenever she could get away with it, Dash ruffled Shard's hair, then did the same to the plush. "Now, are we just gonna stand here, or are we gonna have some fun tonight?"

They set off again, Shard chattering excitedly to his new stuffed friend about a training regime to make her the fastest pegasus ever. Shimmer let him go on as she leaned in to speak to Rainbow Dash. "So, you wanna tell me how you did that?"

"I knew a carnie once who told me that since they put something in the bottom bottles to make them heavier, you gotta throw the ball lower to, uhh, 'account for the difference in centre of gravity.'" Dash shrugged. "He was a real egghead, but he knew some pretty cool tricks too. I usually don't do stuff like that since people get mad if you play too well, but I figured I'd make an exception today."

Shimmer smirked. "You know, you don't have to impress me more if you want to get me into bed." There was no hesitation in her voice, not after all the teasing she'd already shared with her. "I already know you're pretty awesome, and anytime you want me I'll find a slot for you in my schedule."

"Pssh, like I did it for you," Dash replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Did you see Shard's face when I gave him that pony? That's why I did it. But if seeing me pull off amazing feats of strength and dexterity gets you all hot and bothered, I'm not gonna complain."

That got a laugh from Shimmer. "You really know how to make a lady feel special, huh?"

"You have no idea." The smoulder in Dash's voice was unexpected, and made Shimmer's heart skip a beat and her mouth part slightly in shock until Shard tugged at her again.

"Can we get cotton candy, mom? Please?" her son asked, and Shimmer's maternal instincts quickly kicked in again.

"As long as you don't eat too much and ruin dinner," she said.

A few minutes later, and each of them had their own cone of candy, with Shard struggling to find some way to eat it all while Rainbow didn't seem to care at all and simply started biting wherever she felt like.

Shimmer, for her part, tried to be a little more deliberate as she slowly licked her way around the comically large ball of sweet fluff.

"Heh, bet you've got a lot of practice doing that, huh?" Dash teased, smirking at her.

Shimmer took a moment to make sure that Shard was too busy with his own treat to be looking at her, then turned back towards Dash and slowly, sensually ran her tongue along the edge of the cone, batting her eyelashes as she gave her reply. "I sure do," she said, her voice dropping low and sultry. "It's okay, Dash, you can admit that you wish this was you I had my tongue on."

The smirk never faded from Dash's expression. "And you can admit that you'd rather have your mouth on me than some random ball of fluff."

"This ball of fluff is a lot sweeter than you." Shimmer stuck her tongue out. "Well, on most days, anyways." Warmth filled her heart at the banter. This had become a ritual of sorts for them ever since her first night with Fancy and Fleur. Dash was someone she felt safe with, could flirt with without having to worry that she'd get the wrong message. After all, Dash didn't want her that way, so Shimmer could say whatever she wanted knowing that Dash wouldn't take her seriously, and likewise, Shimmer knew Dash was just joking.

As long as she reminded her heart of that fact, everything was fine.

Before Dash could reply, Shimer felt a tug on her shirt as Shard tried to race off again. By unspoken agreement, the two of them stopped their back-and-forth before it became too inappropriate for her son, and followed him across the packed fairground until they reached the edge of the field.

"A Fairy Wheel!" Shard exclaimed, pointing excitedly up at the large circular structure in front of them.

Shimmer's heart dropped. "It's called a Ferris Wheel, Shard," she corrected gently, trying not to show her unease.

"Can we ride it?" Ignoring her correction, he looked up at her with wide eyes. "Please, mama?"

"Umm..." Shimmer faltered, and Dash pulled her aside.

"Why don't you finish that first?" she said, pointing at the colourful cone of sugar in his hand. When Shard complied, she turned her attention back to Shimmer and whispered, "You're scared of heights, right?"

Shimmer swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. "It doesn't matter, though. Shard's wanted to ride a Ferris Wheel for so long, and we can finally afford it. I can do it for a few minutes." Even as she said those words, she could hear her heart pounding in fear at what she would have to endure.

"Don't worry about it," Dash replied. "Hey, kid!" she called out at Shard. "Why don't we ride the Ferris Wheel while your mom finishes her cotton candy?"

Shard looked to Shimmer for permission, and Shimmer smiled. "That sounds like a wonderful idea," she said without hesitation. If there was anyone she trusted her son with, it was the bodyguard who had made her feel safe for the first time in far too long. Rainbow Dash wouldn't let anything happen to him.

Dash grinned. "C'mon, kid, let's fly!"

The three of them joined the line for the ride, and Shimmer let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she told Rainbow, the previous warmth in her heart returning in full force.

"Don't mention it." Dash reached out and slung an arm around her. "Try not to be too sad that you don't get to share a romantic moment with me at the top of the Ferris Wheel. I know it's tragic, but we can always have fun together later."

"I think I'll survive," Shimmer replied dryly.

"Next!"

As they reached the front of the line, Shimmer stepped aside and waved to them. "Have fun, you two!" she called out before they sat down in the seats and were strapped in.

The operator cranked the mechanism, and the wheel turned again, pulling them up and away. Too far to hear their words, Shimmer could still see how her son was laughing at something Dash said, and the smile on Dash's face spoke of a sense of contentment that Shimmer had come to associate with taking care of Shard.

The two of them had grown quite close in the past couple years and, for a moment, Shimmer let herself think of the possibility of them being a family. It was an idle fantasy she tried her best not to indulge in too often, since she didn't want to risk the friendship she had with Dash now. But she couldn't deny that the feelings she had towards the bodyguard had changed, from disgust and fear to cautious acceptance to friendship and admiration and then finally to something more.

She could be happy with Rainbow Dash, and Shard liked her as well, which was vital. No matter where her heart led her, he was the most important person in her life, and Dash respected that.

But at the end of the day, she knew that Dash would never see her as more than a friend, and she couldn't blame her. She hardly stood out among all the wonderful girls at the Sapphire, and there was no reason for Dash to choose her or to ever want to settle down with anyone and stop being the free spirit she was. Still, a little fantasizing never hurt anyone.

And so, as the woman she had grown to care for so much soared into the sky with her son, Shimmer stayed grounded and let her imagination fly.
> Chapter 8
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And then Fancy tells me that he met Upper Crust at Lady Wish's soirée last week. And she told him — quite seriously, I might add — that Celestia's former student had run off to join a travelling circus!"

Rarity huffed as she took another gulp from her glass of wine. "A travelling circus! Can you believe it?"

Shimmer held back the urge to laugh. "Well, you do perform in front of a crowd most nights."

"Oh, please, don't compare my performance to that of those charlatans." Another gulp as Rarity waved her hand dismissively. "I cannot believe that the rumour mill has downgraded me so swiftly. A month ago, I had perished from a rare and exotic affliction that no one could quite remember the name of. And then there was the time I was actually a princess-in-training and had to return to my kingdom with my dashing bodyguard because the king had fallen ill and I had to prepare to take the throne."

"I don't think there's a kingdom nearby with a dying king," Shimmer said dryly. "And you don't look like you're from some distant land."

"Looks can be deceiving," Rarity replied. "Really, if my dear former teacher is too ashamed to admit the truth, could she not at least dangle some delectable hints that imply I met some appropriately tragic end or went off on some grand adventure? Perhaps I found a mysterious princess trapped within the Everfree Forest and had to travel the world seeking out a way to free her so that she could whisk me away to her castle and shower me with the finest silks this world has to offer. Wouldn't that be an ending our Fairytale Lady could be proud to boast about?"

Despite her dramatic words, Shimmer sensed real pain in her voice. "Well, I think she should be proud of who you are now," she said, hoping that her sincerity shone through in her words. "We are all so very lucky to have you, and those high society folk won't ever know what they're missing."

That got a bitter chuckle from Rarity. "Plenty of them know exactly what I have to offer. Though, they'd never say it in polite company, as the wild rumours surrounding my ultimate fate prove."

"Fancy and Fleur do look great in the clothes you make for them," Shimmer said. "And really, who matters more to you? The people who cast us out and pretend we don't exist when they don't need us, or your friends who actually care about you and see you for who you really are?"

Rarity set down the bottle. "Thank you, dear," she said, then hiccoughed. "I don't know what came over me just now."

"It happens to all of us." This time, it was Shimmer's turn to laugh without humour. "I think all of us have things in our past that hurt to remember. As long as you know that we're here for you, in good times and bad."

"I'll toast to that." A devilish grin formed on Rarity's lips. "And speaking of good times..." she waved at someone behind Shimmer. "Good evening, Rainbow Dash."

Shimmer turned to see the bodyguard standing by the doorway. "Hey girls," she said, "just wanted to let you know that my shift's starting now, so if you need me for anything, just call out, okay?" She smirked as her eyes met Shimmer's. "Well, not anything. If you want a taste of this awesomeness you'll have to wait until after I clock out." The words were punctuated with a wink, and Shimmer felt her own answering smirk on her lips.

"I don't know if I can wait that long," she shot back, uncaring as to who overheard. The girls were all familiar with their routine by now. "What if I need you right now?"

Rainbow laughed. "Well, I guess I could make an exception for you, babe. Anyways, see you around, girls!" With that, she turned away and strode off down the hall, no doubt to do her usual patrol route and make sure all the clients were behaving.

"So, how was your trip to the fair yesterday?" Rarity's voice drew Shimmer's attention back to the woman sitting in front of her.

"Oh, it was wonderful," Shimmer gushed. "We played games, at cotton candy, and then Dash took Shard up on the Ferris Wheel. Shard loved it, of course. I haven't had that much fun in way too long. I'm so glad Dash suggested it."

"I see." There was a glimmer in Rarity's eye, one that hid some emotion Shimmer couldn't put her finger on. "And that's all that happened? The three of you had a grand old time partaking in the festivities?"

"Umm, yeah?" Shimmer tilted her head in confusion. "Why, was something else supposed to happen?"

"I suppose not," Rarity replied. Then, so softly that  Shimmer was sure the words weren't directed at her, she muttered, "As much as I might have hoped otherwise."

"Excuse me?"

"It's nothing, dear," Rarity said, her eyes focusing on Shimmer once again. A calculating look settled on her face. "You know, I'm glad you decided to join us this time. I understand that Shard needed you last month, but it's really not the same without you."

Shimmer shook her head. "I appreciate the kind words, but I'm sure you girls can have fun without me."

"Perhaps, but Rainbow Dash is no fun without you anymore." The way those words were said, with such a predatory air, made it clear that Rarity was waiting for Shimmer to take the bait, to ask the obvious follow-up question. To what end, Shimmer didn't know, but she could hardly refuse now.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, you didn't know?" Rarity asked, false surprise in her expression. "In the past month or so, our darling, if often crude, bodyguard has been nothing but professionally respectful to all of us. The only time she ever even attempts to make an overture towards someone is when you're present, and even then, it's generally directed at you."

"Really?" Shimmer's heart skipped a beat as she considered what that could mean. Surely it wasn't because...

"Truly," Rarity confirmed. "It's quite dull without you. I must say, it's quite odd what one takes for granted. I never imagined that I'd miss Rainbow Dash trying to proposition me. Then again, there are many things I never imagined I'd end up doing."

"Yeah." As the conversation continued, Shimmer only half-paid attention to whatever Rarity was talking about, the rest of her mind stewing on the information she had just been given quite deliberately by Rarity.

Part of her wanted to hope that Rainbow's refusal to flirt with anyone except her was a sign that her feelings were reciprocated, but that hope was tainted by the fear of being wrong. If Rainbow didn't want her...

And even if she did, then what? Shimmer was definitely down for a quick roll in the hay with her, but what if Dash wanted more? Did Shimmer want more as well? She'd been hurt before, and if she opened up her heart and Dash turned out to be like Shard's father...

Uncertainty plagued her mind, and she decided that the only thing to do was to talk to Dash, no matter how much the prospect terrified her.

The rest of the night passed by in a haze of terror, and Shimmer could hardly remember what she said or did. Eventually, though, the girls all retired to bed, and glancing at the clock, Shimmer saw that Dash's shift was just ending.

The alcohol had long since passed from her body, and with sober clarity, she hurried down the halls towards the changing room where the bodyguard would be.

She skidded to a halt at the entrance when she saw Rainbow Dash standing next to a locker, her uniform off as she was in the middle of changing. At that moment, Shimmer realized that despite where they worked, and despite the fact that Dash saw her in various states of undress on a regular basis, Shimmer had never seen Rainbow without her shirt on.

Her tongue caught in her throat as she struggled to speak, her mind struggling to process the sight of a very attractive Rainbow Dash standing in front of her in her undergarments. It was ridiculous. The bodyguard's clothes could at best be described as "comfortable," but, after all the time she'd spent this night thinking about her, this was apparently enough to stun her into silence.

"Hey, Shimmer," Dash said, seemingly completely oblivious as to the effect she was having. "What's up?"

Shimmer forced herself to look Dash in the eyes instead of elsewhere and cleared her throat. "I... uhh..." It was at this point that she realized she hadn't actually figured out what to say yet. Would it be too forward to confront her directly? Maybe not, but Shimmer's earlier courage had faded when faced with the actual reality of speaking with Rainbow Dash.

Who still hadn't put on a shirt, so that wasn't helping either.

"Is there a problem?" The cool swagger she normally wore like a second skin immediately faded into concern. "Did someone try anything funny?"

Ironically, the threat in her voice calmed Shimmer. This was Rainbow Dash, who would do anything to protect her, and nothing that happened tonight would change that. She looked her in the eyes, and even as her voice trembled, she took the plunge. "Rarity told me you haven't hit on anyone else lately!" The words were rushed, tumbling out of her mouth before she could take them back.

Silence filled the room as Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "S-She told you that, huh?" she finally stammered, all of her usual cockiness gone. "I forgot that Rarity notices a lot of stuff."

"She does," Shimmer agreed. Then, she asked, "Why? Why just me? Is it because I'm the only one who flirts back?" That would make sense — maybe Dash was bored of rejection and thought it was more fun when Shimmer played along. Maybe that was all there was to it.

"That's not it!" Or maybe not. With that level of vehemence, Dash had to be telling the truth. "It's just..." She raked her hand through her unkempt hair in agitation. "Ugh, it's dumb."

"Rainbow." Shimmer said softly. Something was eating at her friend, and whatever it was, she had to help. "It's me, Shimmer. You've seen me at my lowest too. It doesn't matter what it is, if it's giving you trouble, it's not dumb." Swallowing the last of her fear, she asked the question that she had been on the tip of her tongue all night. "Did you... mean it? When you said you wanted to sleep with me?"

"What? No!" At Rainbow's shocked words, Shimmer's heart fell. Noticing her reaction, Rainbow immediately backpedalled. "I mean, yes! But, like, I..." She groaned again. "So much for being smooth and suave."

Rainbow sighed and started again. "Look, I like you, okay? Like, really like you." She blushed and looked away. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't have said it. I'll talk to the boss about making sure that I'm not taking a shift whenever you have clients."

"That's ridiculous," Shimmer immediately replied. "There's still no one I would trust more to keep me safe than you."

She reached out to cup Rainbow's chin, thrilling at the contact she forced the bodyguard to turn and face her. Their eyes met, and Shimmer knew she was lost as she stared into those eyes so filled with uncertainty and yet a resolve that made her feel so many things at once. "I know you'll never be like the guards in my old places." Heart pounding in her chest, she continued. "And... I like you too."

"You do?" The sheer surprise on Rainbow's expression would have made Shimmer laugh if she wasn't so nervous. "Why?"

At that, Shimmer did laugh. "I was going to ask you the same thing! This place has the most beautiful and interesting people I've ever met! Why would you settle for me?"

"Okay, first of all, anyone who says they're settling for you is an idiot." A smile lit up her already beautiful face. "And second, all of the other girls are great, but you're the only one I feel like I can really be myself around, and I have the most fun with you." She shrugged. "I'm not great at being sappy, but you're, like, really nice, and sweet, and funny, and hot, and I'm just really happy when I'm around you. Also, Shard's a great kid, so you definitely had to be awesome to raise an awesome kid like that."

Shimmer blushed at the praise. "And you wonder why I like you. No one has ever made me feel as safe and loved as you have. I finally feel like I'm living my life thanks to you, and you make me feel like I could do anything I wanted." She brushed a finger against Dash's cheek. "You made so many of my dreams come true, and if you'll let me, I'd like to make another one happen right now."

"A-Are you asking what I think you're asking?" The burning desire in Dash's eyes was reflected in Shimmer's heart, threatening to set both of them aflame.

"Can I kiss you, Rainbow Dash?" Shimmer waited for Dash to nod enthusiastically before leaning in and capturing her lips with her own.

Rainbow Dash was clearly inexperienced, but Shimmer didn't mind. Years of experience and expertise were brought to bear as she did her best to blow Rainbow's mind, and given the raw enthusiasm of the response she was getting, she figured she was doing a good job of it.

It wasn't the most skillful kiss she'd ever experienced, but it was definitely the most pleasurable one, for the very simple reason that Rainbow Dash was the one she was kissing.

Eventually, they pulled apart, and Shimmer felt a thrill at the sight of Dash looking dazed and deliriously happy, a dopey smile on her face that was positively adorable. "Wow," she said, staring at Shimmer in wonder. "That was awesome."

"I told you I was good at what I did," Shimmer said, smirking.

"Never doubted you," Dash replied. "Just, I don't think I could've imagined that it'd be this good."

"If you think that was good, wait until we get to the bedroom." The words slipped out before Shimmer realized the implications, and she paled as soon as her brain caught up with her mouth. "Sorry!" she quickly said, placing a hand over her mouth. "Force of habit!"

"It's fine." Despite her words, Shimmer could see that Dash's cheeks were bright red, the fire in her eyes still burning bright with lust. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I know," Shimmer replied, "but, I want you, all of you, if you'll have me. As long as we both know what we want." She pulled back from Rainbow, already feeling empty but needing to think straight. "We can just go into one of the bedrooms and have some fun, and I'm fine with that. But, I want more." It was terrifying to say those words out loud. Terrifying and liberating at the same time. "I want us to be more than friends. I want to wake up with you in the morning, and go to bed with you at night, and be together whenever we can during the day."

"I..." Dash grinned. "Shimmer, you have no idea how much I want that. You make me wanna do all the sappy things that the characters do in those romance books Rarity loves." She paused. "Well, most of them. I hope you aren't expecting any poems or love songs. And, uhh, it'd probably be better if I didn't try to cook for you."

Shimmer laughed, the tension finally melting away as they laid out all their cards on the table. "I wouldn't dream of it. And don't worry, I don't expect you to ever go near a kitchen, unless you're going to try to steal some of the cookie dough before I finish baking it and to try to lick the spoon again."

"Well, I could always lick something else if you want," Dash said, waggling her eyebrows.

Shimmer pulled her close. "I'll hold you to that," she whispered sultrily before taking her hand and leading her out of the changing room and towards the bedrooms. She paused at the entrance. "We don't have to sleep together tonight," she said, realizing that she'd never given the same consideration to Dash that her new girlfriend — oh, thinking of her like that gave her a pleasant flutter in her chest — had given her. "I understand if you're not ready."

For a moment, she saw uncertainty in Dash's eyes, before it was washed away by excitement. "Shimmer, I've been waiting for this for months. I'm definitely ready." She smiled sheepishly. "Just, remember that I haven't done this before? I know I'll be awesome at it, since I'm awesome at everything, but it might take me a little bit to figure out how to rock your world."

"Of course," Shimmer said, smiling. "Now, why don't I show you how a professional does it first?"

With that, they left the room, hand in hand as Shimmer prepared to give the woman who had won over her heart the first of many unforgettable nights.





"Okay, so now I see why people pay so much for that."

Shimmer giggled. "Was it good for you too, dear?"

It was a familiar scene for her. Lying in bed, herself and her partner completely naked save for the blankets partially covering them, basking in the afterglow of a night of passion. The only thing that made this different was the identity of her partner.

And that had made all the difference.

Rainbow Dash stretched and reached out an arm around Shimmer. "That was amazing!" she gushed. "You were amazing! Is that what sex is always like?"

"Sometimes," Shimmer said. "It's different when it's with someone you lo—" she cut off, her cheeks burning for the first time that night as she realized what she had been about to say. It was too soon, wasn't it? They had just become a couple a few hours ago.

But...

But they had known each other for over a year, now, and had seen each other at their best and worst. Wasn't that what love was supposed to be about? Rarity said it was about accepting the other person for who they were, and wanting to be with them more than anything else in the world.

Maybe it wasn't too early, in that case. Maybe it was really, really late.

Rainbow Dash seemed to be thinking something similar. "I love you too, Shimmer." She paused and then laughed awkwardly. "Bet you've heard that one before too, huh?"

"A few times," Shimmer admitted. "This is the first time I didn't have to make up something to laugh it off, though." She leaned over to kiss Rainbow on the cheek, because she could. Because there was nothing stopping her from peppering kissing against Rainbow's body whenever they both wanted. "I love you," she said, this time without stopping herself. The words felt right, and she felt the warmth in her chest bloom once again as she said them.

There were a few more minutes of silence as they basked in the afterglow of their lovemaking, before Shimmer finally asked, "So, what happens now?"

Rainbow shrugged. "I dunno. I've never had a girlfriend before. I guess we should go on dates and stuff?"

Shimmer smiled. "I'd like that. And I guess I should cancel all my appointments tomorrow." She held back a wince as she tried to work through how to budget for her cooking lessons with the extra money from clients. It would be tight, but she wasn't going to give up her education for Rainbow, no matter how much she loved her.

"What? Why?" Rainbow glanced at her in surprise. "Why would you have to cancel?"

Shimmer stared back, equally surprised. "Rainbow Dash," she said slowly. "We're dating."

"Yup, and it's great," Rainbow replied. "And do you really think I'm the kind of girlfriend who would want you to quit one of your jobs just to have more time with me? Really?"

"I..." Shimmer shook her head, trying to process Rainbow's words. "You really don't care if I keep sleeping with other people for money?"

"Shimmer," Rainbow Dash said, raising an eyebrow. "I work here. I get that it's just a job, and if you wanna keep working it, then I'll keep making sure that you're safe. Honestly, what kinda  jerk would dump a girl just because of her job?"

Shimmer's smile returned. "And here we all laughed at Rarity for dreaming of a boyfriend who would let her keep taking on clients after they got married."

"Hey, I told you all you were missing out." Rainbow pulled her closer into her embrace, pressing their bodies together. "None of you ever believed me. Well, who's laughing now, huh?"

Her words reminded Shimmer of her earlier conversation at the beginning of the night. "By the way," she said. "Rarity told me that she misses your flirting. You don't have to stop on my account, you know." A wicked grin played on her lips. "Just, if you ever succeed, let me know so I can watch."

Dash's eyes widened at that, and she burst out laughing. "I love you, Shimmer," she finally said when she could speak again. "And I'll make sure you're there when I tell Rarity that I'm still on the menu if she wants to taste the Rainbow. Her expression is gonna be priceless!"
> Chapter 9
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Happy birthday!"

Shimmer Glass rolled her eyes as Pinkie Pie brought out a tray with a very... inappropriately-shaped cake on it. "Really, Pinkie?" she asked, a grin splitting her face despite her deadpan tone. All around her, the rest of the girls laughed.

"Hey, I was given a very unique baking challenge, and I worked really hard to overcome it!" Pinkie snickered. "Heh, hard."

"Aww, you know you love it," Lily said as she handed her a knife. "Besides, it's just us here. The kids are all sleeping back at the Carousel. Now, you wanna do the honours?"

Shimmer accepted the knife and began cutting the cake, trying not to think too hard about what it looked like. At least Sugarcube Corner was closed right now — after the kid-friendly birthday party that Shard had helped throw for her at the Carousel, a few of the girls had taken Shimmer out for a night out at the bakery, well after closing time, with Pinkie offering to host a private gathering for them.

"Alright, who wants the first slice?" Shimmer asked as she carefully sliced out the first portion, delicately plating it with professional expertise.

Immediately, a polychromatic blur snatched the plate from her hand. "Mine!" Rainbow shouted, to everyone's amusement and absolutely no one's surprise. "Wow, this is amazing!" she exclaimed through a mouthful of cake as she dug in with gusto. "New recipe?"

Pinkie nodded. "Yup! We got a new batch of chocolate from the North that's just super smooth and creamy and goes great in cake!" she explained as Shimmer finished cutting up the cake. "I can send you a sample afterwards if you want."

Shimmer took a small bite from her cake and immediately nodded. "This is delicious!" she exclaimed. "I need to see if I can convince Savoir Faire to order some for the Sapphire."

"Sweet, then I can swipe some from the kitchens!" At Shimmer's glare, Rainbow Dash's smile turned sheepish. "I mean, maybe I can talk you into giving me some?"

Shimmer's eyes narrowed. "We'll see. You'll have to make a good argument though."

Rainbow Dash leered back. "Oh, I'm sure I can find some way to pay you back." She waggled her eyebrows, and Shimmer giggled.

"Alright, you two, save it for the bedroom," Aqua Swing scolded. "It's bad enough I gotta deal with you two making out during working hours."

"Hey, we only did that, uhh..." Rainbow Dash looked as if deep in thought for a moment before brightening up. "Twice! Yeah, only twice. I think. Or was it three times?" She paused. "Whatever, point is, Shimmer and I aren't that bad."

"With the way you flirt, you might as well be making out," Aqua teased good-naturedly. She then turned to Shimmer with a smile. "So, what else do you wanna do for your birthday? Besides Rainbow Dash."

Shimmer waited for the snickering to die down. "Honestly, this is perfect, Aqua," she said, then turned to address everyone in the room. "I want to thank you, all of you, for doing this, and for giving me yet another great year at the Sapphire Carousel. And I want to say that I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us."

"Here here!" Lily raised a mug of hot chocolate and downed it. A moment later, everyone else followed.

The conversation flowed naturally after that, as they gossiped and talked about the latest news in addition to reminiscing on old times. It was just the way Shimmer wanted her birthday to go, and she relaxed into Rainbow Dash's side as the night wore on, taking comfort in her girlfriend's presence.

It was hard to believe that she'd been dating Rainbow Dash for over a year. A wonderful, exhilarating, terrifying year, and one that she couldn't have imagined was possible when she'd first arrived at the Sapphire Carousel. Rarity liked to say that the building was alive sometimes, when she was waxing especially poetic, that it spoke to you and listened in turn, and Shimmer had to admit that there was some truth to that. The Sapphire had become a good friend to Shimmer, had taken her in and taken care of her, and given her a new lease on life, and brought her together with the most amazing woman in the world.

"You're smiling again," Rainbow Dash said, nudging her. "You wanna share with the class what you're thinking?"

"I was thinking of how lucky I am to have you in my life," Shimmer said truthfully, delighting in how Dash's eyes widened at that. Her girlfriend might talk a big game, but Shimmer had quickly found that direct compliments out of the blue had a wonderful effect of leaving her speechless for a moment.

Still, she recovered quickly, and shot her back a cheeky smirk. "Glad someone finally figured it out." Her grin faded and her expression turned serious. "Really, though, I'm the lucky one. Never thought I'd be with someone as awesome as you."

Shimmer blushed at the praise, still getting used to it after all this time, and changed the subject. "So, you're still up for going with me and Shard to the Dragon District on Sunday, right?"

"Yup." Rainbow nodded. "Already got my ticket for the show. Really getting mileage out of that employee discount."

"I'm just glad it applies to the other theatres Lady Luna owns," Shimmer replied.

"Boss knows how to make her money back, I guess," Rainbow said. "I ain't gonna complain about getting to see more shows with you two, though. The one about the princess turning the moon purple last month was hilarious!"

"I had fun at that one too." Contentment seeped through Shimmer's soul as she pressed herself against Rainbow Dash, taking a deep breath and letting herself be lost in her lover as the night wore on.

Eventually, the festivities began to die down and everyone agreed that they were tired and that it was time to return to the Carousel. They bid farewell to Pinkie Pie and made their way back to the Lunar district.

They arrived to find Rarity standing near the entrance, a haunted look on her face. "Hey Rares," Rainbow said, waving. "What's up?"

"I fear Fate may be playing her games with me once again." Rarity sighed dramatically, placing a hand against her forehead. "I've met the most fascinating creature, and Fancy and Fleur have shared with me some very troubling information about her. For myself, I would turn from the path laid ahead of me, but I must go on, for Sweetie Belle!" She opened one eye and glanced at them. "Oh, and Shimmer, Luna wishes to speak with you."

"I see." Shimmer turned to Rainbow to see if she needed help. Rarity could be very dramatic at times, but this was on a whole other level from her usual self.

Rainbow pressed a kiss against her cheek. "Go ahead and see what the Boss wants. I got this."

Shimmer nodded before making her way deeper into the Carousel, just as Rainbow turned her attention back to Rarity. "Alright, so can we try this again, but with less metaphors and stuff so I can actually understand what's going on and if I need to punch someone for you?"

Shimmer wiped the grin from her lips as she reached Lady Luna's door and knocked politely.

"Come in," her employer's voice called out, sounding impatient as usual. Shimmer stepped inside and found Luna at her desk, poring over a stack of papers. She looked up at her. "Ah, Shimmer. I hope your birthday has been a good one."

"It has," Shimmer said. "Thank you for the wonderful cake."

Luna shrugged. "I had nothing to do with that. It was Savoir Fare who wished to make it. Still, I am happy that you have had a good day, and I hope to be able to make it better." She reached into a drawer in her desk and pulled out a document of some kind. "I have heard that your cooking lessons have been proceeding very nicely."

Shimmer nodded. "I've learned so much, and I can't thank you enough for the recommendation that I attend Amuse Bouche's classes."

"He came highly recommended to me," Luna replied. "As I understand it, however, while lessons in the classroom can be very valuable, there is also much to be gained from working in the right places." She pushed over a folder towards Shimmer. "Savoir Faire does very good work, but I understand that the Sapphire is not known for having the highest echelons of cuisine, and that, due to the reputation of this establishment, networking opportunities can be limited. Tell me, have you heard of the Sun Pavillion?"

Confused, Shimmer nodded. "It's one of the fanciest restaurants in the Solar District. I've never eaten there because, you know, I don't exactly make enough to go."

"I have some connections in the restaurant business," Luna said. "And I know that Gustav Le Grand is looking to hire a new sous-chef. I can guarantee that you get an interview, and with your skills, I have no doubts as to your ability to obtain the position."

Shimmer's heart stopped. "That is... very generous of you," she said carefully, old instincts flaring up. "What's the catch?" She didn't mean to come off as rude, but she knew Luna would appreciate the bluntness.

"I find it useful to have friends in the right places," Luna replied. "Having people with a positive opinion of our line of work in the Solar District could be a good thing in the future."

"That's fair." In spite of everything, Shimmer trusted that Luna wasn't hiding anything sinister from her. It was obvious that she wanted to help Shimmer out, and Shimmer wasn't going to call her out on not saying that. "This is a really big decision. I'll need some time to think about it."

Luna nodded. "Take the time you need, though I will need an answer from you by the end of next week."

"Okay." The world felt so far away as Shimmer tried to process Luna's words. "Thank you, Lady Luna," she heard herself say, her mind turning over the possibilities and risks in her head.

Luna gave an affirmative grunt, and Shimmer recognized it as a dismissal, which she was most thankful for. She said a hasty goodbye and left the office, instinctively headed toward the anchor in her life.

She knocked on Rainbow Dash's door and let herself in before she realized her rudeness. Still, Rainbow Dash didn't seem to mind, and her expression brightened when she saw her. "Oh hey Shimmer, you would not believe what Rarity told me. It's like something right out of one of her romance novels!" She paused, her head tilting as she studied Shimmer's expression. "What's wrong? What did the Boss say?"

Shimmer's world came back to focus as she found her comfort in her lover's concern. "Lady Luna said she could get me an interview at the Sun Pavillion," she said.

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened. "Wow," she breathed. "The Sun Pavillion? Really?"

Shimmer nodded. "It's— it's a really good opportunity. A position at a restaurant like that could help me get a job at a lot of other places. If I can get the job, anyways."

"With how good you are at cooking, there's no way you won't knock 'em all dead," Rainbow said with complete confidence. "I don't think you need to worry about not getting the job if you want it."

"Do I want it, though?" Shimmer asked. "I... I'd have to leave the Sapphire if I took the job." Leave the only place she'd ever called home, and the wonderful people who made it a home. Not to mention the various ties she had here. "I'd have to find a new place to live, and get a tutor for Shard, and look for another healer, and figure out how to get the services of the police and fire department, and—"

"Hey!" Strong arms wrapped around Shimmer as Rainbow Dash's voice cut through her panic. "Breathe, Shimmer."

Shimmer did as she said, taking in a deep breath and gripping Rainbow tighter to focus her thoughts. "Sorry," she murmured. "It's just, it's a lot. And I didn't really realize just how much stuff this place was providing for me." It set Shimmer's teeth on edge now that she understood how much of her life was taken care of by the Sapphire. That was dangerous, relying on just one person, and Shimmer didn't like that she'd fallen into that same situation again.

"Yeah, I know some of the other girls had a bit of trouble after they left," Rainbow said. "The Boss tries to help them out, set them up so that they can move on, but it's kinda easy to just let other people deal with a lot of your life when you're here."

"It's scary," Shimmer said softly. "I— I let my guard down, I guess."

Rainbow Dash smiled at her. "Hey, it's gonna be fine. We'll figure this out together. Might as well start spreading my wings too." She stretched her arms out before continuing to hug Shimmer. "Maybe we can find a place to live together?"

And now Shimmer's heart was pounding for a completely different reason. "R-Really?"

Rainbow immediately backpedalled. "I mean, we don't have to. If you wanna go it alone I'm totally cool with that. It's just, we've been together for a while, and we're over in each other's rooms a lot already, and I really like you, so..."

Her ramblings set Shimmer's mind at ease, and she smiled. "I'd love to move in with you, Rainbow." Suddenly, the prospect of going out into the world didn't seem to scary anymore. Not when she had someone with her to support her whom she knew would enable her to learn to live on her own.

"And we don't have to do everything at once," Rainbow continued. "Since I'd still be working here and we'd be living together I can get the Boss to let Shard keep studying here. I can bring him here in the morning and bring him back after work. I'll just have to make sure I'm taking the right shifts for it. Also, there's no way the girls won't want you to come by and hang out whenever you can, so it's not like you'll be saying goodbye to them forever."

"You're right," Shimmer said. "I can do this." With some help, but there wasn't anything wrong with getting help. Nobody could make it in this world alone, Shimmer knew. She pressed a kiss against Dash's shoulder. "Thanks, Rainbow. I needed that."

"No problem," Rainbow replied. "So, are you gonna do the interview?"

"I..." Shimmer paused, thinking on her answer. "I'm still not sure yet. I love the Sapphire, and I love working here, and even if the Sun Pavillion is a good career opportunity, I'm going to miss this place so much." She glared playfully at Dash. "You'd better keep me up to date about everything that's going on with the girls if I leave."

Dash snapped off a mock salute. "Yes ma'am." A smirk twitched on her lips. "Oh man, that reminds me, Rarity's got it bad. Apparently, she met some weird girl at the train station and like, completely blew it with her in the funniest way."

Shimmer pressed a hand over her mouth to hide her shock. "Really? But she's Rarity!"

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash snickered. "Whoever this girl is, I wanna meet her one day so that I can buy her a drink." Her good humour faded for a moment as she frowned. "Though, apparently, she might actually be Lady Celestia's new student, so she probably wouldn't want to get within three feet of me."

"Oh dear," Shimmer said. "Well, I hope Rarity doesn't get hurt, but I guess she wouldn't want to have anything to do with someone like that, so it should be fine?"

Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Rarity's a smart a girl, but she can be pretty dumb sometimes too."

"Well, either way, we'll be there for her," Shimmer said with complete confidence. No matter where she ended up or what decisions she made, she wouldn't forget her friends.
> Chapter 10
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Oh, I am fortune's fool!" Rarity declared, raising her sewing needle high into the air. "Why must the Fates curse me so?"

Shimmer glanced up from her sketchbook as she set down her pencil. "It'll be okay, Rarity," she said soothingly. "You'll get through this."

"Will I?" The sewing needle dropped down to the table as Rarity sighed. "My body, perhaps, but I fear she's stolen my heart and may never return with it. Oh, why did I have to fall in love with my own replacement?"

"She's not really your replacement, is she?" Shimmer asked. She'd picked up some things about Rarity's past, but beyond having been raised by Lady Celestia herself, it was hard to tell what was truth and what was Rarity being a little dramatic for the sake of a good story.

"I suppose I'm too unique to be replaced," Rarity allowed. "But still! She's the first student that she's taken on since moi! My only love, sprung from my only hate!"

"You don't hate her, though." Despite the anger and venom that Rarity tended to spit when the subject was broached, Shimmer always sensed an undercurrent of love and hurt underneath it, and it pained her that Rarity was estranged from one she cared so much about.

Another sigh, this one much more genuine and raw, as Rarity settled back down in her chair. "I wish I did," she admitted. "It would be so much sweeter if I was stealing her student from under her nose if part of me didn't still care for her. But now, the only person who ever once made me feel ashamed of my chosen profession, and the only person who could make me feel that same shame now, are both living under the same roof. It's... well, it's quite terrifying, frankly."

"Love is a scary thing, even when it's not as complicated as yours." Shimmer glanced at the sketch she'd been working on, an attempt to capture a scene from her memory of Rainbow Dash practicing her martial arts in the gym. It was crude and messy, but she also hadn't started getting into art until a few months ago, when Ivormory had decided to start hosting impromptu lessons.

"You're lucky," Rarity said, picking up her sewing needle once again and making an attempt at continuing her stitching. "You and Rainbow are simply perfect together, and you understand each other so well."

"We weren't always like that," Shimmer said softly. "I used to be scared of Rainbow, scared that she'd be like the guards at my old place. It took me a while to really accept that she'd never do anything to hurt me. I think... I think as long as you can't trust the person you're in love with, you'll never be able to get over your fears."

"And what if she rejects me?" It was so odd, and so wrong, to see Rarity seem so small. The fashionista usually filled every room she was in with her presence, and to see her so vulnerable touched Shimmer's heart. She knew that very few people would have been allowed to see her like this, and she felt immensely honoured at being one of them. "I love her so much that I fear my heart may burst, and if she chooses to tear it in half instead..."

"Then you'll live," Shimmer said firmly. "Just like how I would have lived if Rainbow Dash hadn't wanted to date me. Because you're Rarity, and even if it hurts, you won't let it stop you from shining as bright as the sun itself."

Finally, Rarity smiled. "I suppose it's her loss if Twilight decides to follow in her mentor's footsteps," she said primly, raising her head high. "Thank you," she added afterwards. "I... I don't know if I have the courage yet to confess to her, but you've given me something to think about, at least." She then glanced over at her table. "You're improving quite well at your art, I must say."

Shimmer blushed at the praise. "It's been a good way for me to keep my mind busy so that I don't keep fretting about the Pavillion job."

"So, have you made a decision yet, dear?" Rarity asked.

Shimmer shook her head. "It's so hard. I really want to work at the Pavillion, but I'm going to miss this place so much."

"We'll miss you terribly as well, as will many of your clients, but don't fret about losing us." Rarity seemed to finally give up on making any headway on her dress, as she set it aside to devote her full attention to Shimmer. "As long as you still want us in your life, you'll have a place here at the Sapphire Carousel."

"It won't be the same, though," Shimmer pointed out.

"No, it won't," Rarity agreed. "And yet, change isn't always a bad thing, hmm? I think you of all people would understand that."

"Yeah, but this is the first time where I actually got to choose what I was going to do. What if I pick the wrong thing?" It was silly and childish, but Shimmer couldn't help but be scared of losing everything she'd gained since coming to work here.

"What if you do?" Rarity echoed with a smirk. "What's the worst that could happen? Perhaps you might end up meeting with a horrible fate." She gasped in mock horror. "Could you imagine if you wound up working at a brothel? There are some who would say that's worse than death itself!"

A moment later, Rarity's expression immediately dissolved into a fit of giggling, and Shimmer followed suit. "Okay, you have a point there," she said once she could speak again.

"I don't mean to make light of your dilemma," Rarity replied. "I understand what it's like to be pulled between two worlds."

"How did you end up choosing to work here?" It was the sort of question that was usually taboo here. The Sapphire was the kind of place where nobody was pressed for their past, and while all were welcome to share the circumstances that led them to this odd establishment, it would be on their own terms.

But Shimmer needed to know, and the broad strokes of Rarity's past were well-known at this point, so she knew she wouldn't feel uncomfortable speaking about it.

Indeed, Rarity simply shrugged. "I don't want to tell you what decision to make, but truthfully, it was never much of a choice for me. I walked in two worlds, and only one of them accepted me for who I was, so I chose to grace with my fabulous self the ones who didn't try to take my colours away."

"Oh." That was a far more direct answer than Shimmer had been expecting.

"We don't share the same circumstances, though," Rarity added. "If I had followed the path laid out before myself, I would have had to wear the mask of a proper lady my whole life as I mingled with the crème de la crème of high society. Working at the Pavillion is just a job that happens to have a certain clientele." She paused and smirked. "Which is not unlike what you already do when you decide to take a shift here, complete with those same nobles you serve pretending not to see you when walking down the street."

Shimmer snorted. "When you put it like that, maybe I'll just stay in the kitchens here forever."

"They're not all terrible," Rarity allowed. "Some of them make for quite pleasant company, though not many, I must admit."

"I guess that's true." Shimmer sighed. "I really don't know what to do, Rarity. If I take this job, it could open up a lot of doors for me, but I really don't know what it'll be like."

"If I had let fear of the unknown control me, I would still be sipping tea in a large mansion somewhere and turning my nose up at the servants," Rarity said, "instead of living the very exciting life of a seamstress, dancer, and prostitute."

"Who's also in love with a mysterious mage from the North," Shimmer added dryly.

That, at least, elicited a chuckle from Rarity. "It's all quite romantic, isn't it? Though, I think I would prefer slightly less romance and slightly more certainty in my romantic endeavours. Only slightly."

"There's definitely something nice about waking up next to someone in the morning and knowing they'll be there every morning afterwards," Shimmer agreed. "Anyways, I don't want to make decisions because I'm scared anymore. Do you think that's all this is?"

Rarity shook her head. "I'm quite perceptive, but even I cannot tell you what is in your heart. I will say, though, that instead of thinking of all that could go wrong, think instead about what happens if everything goes right instead."

Shimmer took a moment to really consider that. "Hmm, well, if things go well, then I could move up in the world, get better at cooking. One day, I could even have my own restaurant!"

The smile Rarity gave her was genuine, without a hint of condescension. "That sounds like a lovely dream, dear."

"But then, I wouldn't be able to cook for you anymore." Shimmer paused. "And if I owned a restaurant, I'd be too busy running it to cook for anyone. I don't think I want that. I think..." And just like that, the answer was so obvious to her. "I think all I really want to do is to make people happy however I can, and the best way for me to do that is to stay with people I love, and who love me, and cook for them."

Rarity's smile grew. "Well, it seems like you've made a decision, then."

Shimmer nodded, smiling with relief herself. "I guess I have. Thanks, Rarity."

"Anytime, darling. And now that you've made your decision, might I say how glad I am that you're not leaving us to grace your skills upon those stuffy nobles that don't deserve you?"

That got a laugh from Shimmer. "Hide your true feelings, why don't you?"

Before Rarity could respond, they heard footsteps coming from the entrance of the lounge, and a moment later, a familiar guard poked her head in. "Hey, I just finished my shift and thought I'd hang out here for a bit."

"Hey, Rainbow." Shimmer smiled and stood up, walking over to hug her girlfriend. "I have good news. Rarity finally helped me make a decision about the Pavillion job."

"Oh?" Strong arms wrapped around her, and Shimmer looked up to see Rainbow Dash's eyes fixed on her. "Are we moving out, then?"

"No." With that one word, Shimmer felt a sense of belonging settle into her heart. She had made her decision, had accepted the Sapphire, and now it was truly her home. "I'm happy here, and I don't think I'll be happier working in the Solar District."

"Sweet." Rainbow Dash grinned. "We all get to keep enjoying your cooking. Oh, and your clients are gonna be real happy that you'll keep taking night shifts too." She paused. "You're still doing that, right? I know we fixed the budget so that you wouldn't have to."

"I am," Shimmer said. "Not going to turn down some extra cash." It also made her feel more like one of the girls as well when she took those shifts, but nobody had to know that. It would just make them think she was being pressured into it, when that was the furthest thing from the truth. She knew she had a choice, and she chose to work alongside the wonderful people who had become her family.

"And I'm not gonna turn down you buying me dinner when we go on dates," Rainbow replied. She pressed a kiss against her lips before they made their way back to where Shimmer had been sitting. "Oh, hey, is that me?" Rainbow asked, pointing to the sketch she'd been working on.

Shimmer hastily scattered some blank pages on top of it. "Umm..."

A chuckle from Rainbow calmed her frantic shuffling. "It's fine. You can show me how hot I look when you're ready."

"I can think of another way to show you," Shimmer teased as she trailed a hand down Rainbow's arm, enticing her with the lightest touches and delighting in how she was making her girlfriend shiver.

"Oh, you two are simply too precious." Rarity's voice cut into the lustful haze that had been building up in Shimmer's mind, and she turned to see the seamstress staring at them with a longing gaze. "Would that I had someone to share in such passion."

"I mean, I'm right here," Rainbow said with a smirk. "If you want, I could grab us a bedroom real quick and show you some passion." She waggled her eyebrows comically. "Or, you know, you could actually confess to that Sparkle girl instead of being all mysterious and stuff."

"It's not that easy!" Rarity protested. "And you are in no position to criticize me when you spent months pining for one another despite both of you working here!"

"Yeah, but you're actually supposed to be good at lovey-dovey stuff," Rainbow shot back, her smirk never faltering. "Do you really wanna be as bad at romance as me?"

"You make a compelling if horrifying point, but as I told Shimmer, my relationship with Twilight Sparkle is complicated."

Rainbow snorted. "Not any more complicated than what I had with Shimmer." She wrapped an arm around Shimmer to punctuate her point. "Just tell her you have the hots for her, and if she feels the same, we can let you borrow some of our toys."

"Hey!" Shimmer protested, smacking Rainbow gently on the shoulder in admonishment.

"You're right, Rarity probably has her own," Rainbow quipped irreverently. "Whatever, if she's down, then it's cool. If not, you can still be friends, and it's not like it'd have been weird since you don't work together."

"And what of my profession?" Rarity asked. "In this simplification of my love life, did you consider that?"

Rainbow shrugged. "So what? You make good money. Nothing wrong with that."

"Not everyone is quite as understanding as you."

"If she has a problem with it, then she has a problem with all of us." For a moment, there was a darkness in Rainbow's voice that sent shivers down Shimmer's spine. She was always conflicted when her girlfriend got like this. On the one hand, Rainbow Dash could be very scary when she felt someone in the Sapphire was being threatened. On the other, Shimmer knew deep in her soul that the fierce bodyguard would never hurt her.

At least Rarity was able to wave off the implied threat without a thought. "There's no need for such dramatics, Rainbow. I shall fight my own battles."

"Then go fight!" Rainbow retorted. "It's painful watching you flail around like this."

Rarity snorted. "I must say, your better half was much more sympathetic about my plight."

"Yeah, well, Shimmer's nice like that." Rainbow shrugged. "I like to tell it straight. If this Twilight doesn't like that you're working here, then she's not worth getting worked up over, so you might as well just tell her."

"I'll take your advice under advisement," Rarity said dryly.

"If you need time, then I think we can all understand that." Shimmer shot a pointed stare at Rainbow as she said that, and Rainbow thankfully didn't comment on it. "But the longer you keep this secret, the more it'll hurt Twilight when you finally tell her."

"I know that," Rarity said. "I just... I simply need more time, is all. More time to learn about her, and to perhaps convince her that it's just a job."

"If you want, we can come with you when you tell her to explain how much it doesn't matter," Rainbow offered.

"I appreciate that," Rarity replied. "But I believe this is something I must do myself."

"Still, if you ever need anything, you just have to ask," Shimmer assured her, reaching out from Rainbow's arm to place a hand on Rarity's. She met her eyes, those fearful, uncertain eyes hidden beneath a casual mask, and spoke with as much love as she could manage. "We're here for you, just like you were here for me."

Rarity nodded mutely, and even Rainbow didn't break this moment of sincerity with a joke or comment.

Instead, she simply tightened her grip on Shimmer as she said, "We got your back, girl."

"Thank you, truly." Tears were glittering in Rarity's eyes now, and Shimmer felt an echoing wetness in her own eyes as well.

"Even if that means that we'll have to drag you to her door one day to confess," Rainbow added, completely destroying the emotional tension in the room.

Rarity leaned back, and the earlier vulnerability was gone, replaced by her confident smirk once again. "Turnabout is fair play, I suppose, though I was much more subtle in bringing you two together."

As Rainbow sputtered out a "what?" and demanded to know what Rarity meant by that, Shimmer allowed herself to melt into her lover's embrace once again. The storm had passed, and her decision had been made, and now it was time for her to enjoy this future she had chosen for herself, with the good company she had been lucky enough to be blessed with.

Life was good, and Shimmer was sure that in short order, Rarity would muster up the courage to confess her feelings and secrets to Twilight, and they could all be happy together.

Everything was going to be okay.
> Chapter 11
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm going to kill her."

Shimmer glanced up at Rainbow Dash as the bouncer entered their bedroom. "Is Rarity doing okay?" she asked, trying to ignore the discomfort of being around Dash's anger.

"I got her into bed," Dash said, slamming the door shut. Shimmer winced at the loud sound. "She should be sleeping by now, I hope. The boss said she'd keep an eye on her and told me to dip."

"That's good." There was a palpable tension in the air, and Shimmer hated it. She reached out a hand to grab Rainbow's arm in a comforting gesture. "She needs rest."

"What she needs is a girlfriend who isn't a total piece of shit." Rainbow's muscles tensed as she clenched her hands into fists. "Why even come for a show if you're just gonna talk shit about us afterwards." She snorted.

"From what you and Rarity told me, I think she really was trying to understand why Rarity was doing this." Shimmer tried to sound as soothing as possible, but she could still feel the angry heat radiating from her girlfriend's body.

Rainbow snorted. "What's there to understand? This isn't brain surgery or advanced thaumaturgical chromoscience or whatever. It's pretty simple, and she's supposed to be some kinda genius, right?"

A sudden burst of defensiveness flared up in Shimmer. "It's not that simple," she said, her grip tightening. "Not everyone thinks that sex work is such a great thing. Or that it's just a job."

The eye roll from Rainbow didn't help things. "Oh, yeah, poor Twilight Sparkle had to grow up hanging out with the rich and snotty types and now she thinks she's too good for honest work. I feel so bad for her."

"That's not the only reason someone wouldn't want to get involved in all this," Shimmer replied hotly.

"Sure, but I can bet you that her reason is exactly what I said." Rainbow was facing away from her as she spoke, and it was probably better than Shimmer couldn't see the expression on her face right now. "And it's not like Rarity didn't literally come from the same place, and she's cool with us."

"Not everyone is as understanding as Rarity," Shimmer said.

"Well, maybe someone needs to beat some understanding into her."

The crack of Rainbow's knuckle sent a frisson of terror down Shimmer's spine. Her girlfriend finally turned to face her, and the rage in her eyes rooted Shimmer in place, her hand stuck holding Rainbow's arm despite the desperate instinct screaming at her to let go and run away, to get away from this violent woman who was standing between her and the only exit, before...

Rainbow's gaze softened as her eyes widened. "Shimmer, are you okay? Shimmer, deep breaths!"

Shimmer realized that she'd been breathing rapidly, her head starting to feel a bit light as she gasped shallowly for air. Rainbow reached towards her with her other hand and Shimmer shifted away, the sudden movement allowing her to release Rainbow's other arm and distance herself fully.

"Shit!" There was no anger in Rainbow's voice now, only concern, and the sound of it kept Shimmer anchored even if it was the source of her fear. "I'm sorry, Shimmer." She backed away slowly. "I... you want me to leave you alone right now?"

Despite everything, Shimmer shook her head. This was Rainbow Dash, the woman who loved her, who would protect her no matter what. Shimmer kept telling herself that she would never hurt her, that there was nothing to be afraid of. It didn't make the icy vise on her heart go away, but the beating of her heart didn't seem to echo quite as loudly as before.

"C—Come here," she finally said, tears forming in her eyes. "Hold me, please."

"Okay, if you're sure." At her nod, Rainbow carefully walked over, keeping her arms by her side until she reached the bed that Shimmer was sitting on. Slowly, with a gentleness that most people wouldn't believe was possible from the brash bouncer, she put one hand on Shimmer's shoulder.

Shimmer flinched at the touch, but forced herself to take another deep breath. It was going to be okay, everything was going to be okay, she just needed to be held by the woman who would rather die than hurt her.

Strong arms wrapped around her, gently once again, and Shimmer leaned into the embrace, drawing strength from the body pressed against hers. Her heart still raced, but she could hear the world clearly again, and her breathing had devolved into quiet sobs. "I'm sorry," she whispered when she could find her voice again.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Rainbow said softly, stroking her hair in a calm, rhythmic manner that soothed her mind. "I'm sorry I scared you. You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

The fear and guilt in Rainbow's voice was what finally broke through the terror gripping Shimmer's heart. Or rather, it gave her something to fight against, and she used that need to comfort her beloved to focus her thoughts on leaning in and kissing her lover on the cheek. "I know that," she whispered. "I... I love you, Rainbow."

"I love you too, Shimmer," Rainbow replied, never ceasing in her stroking. "Even when I'm being a dummy."

Shimmer felt the last of the panicked energy leave her body as she slumped down against Rainbow, leaving her in a state that wasn't quite calm, but wasn't jumping at shadows anymore. "You just care about Rarity a lot," she murmured. "That's one of the things I love about you; you care so much about all of us, and I know that deep down, you just want to protect us. But you can't save us from everything that might hurt us. Some things you can't punch away."

"I just hate feeling like I can't do anything." The frustration in Rainbow's voice tugged at Shimmer's heart, now that it was separated from her anger. "Rarity is hurting so much and all I can do is sit there and tell her everything's gonna be okay like some kinda motivational speaker. What good am I if I can't punch away the thing that's hurting her?"

"You're still one of the strongest women I know, Not just here." Shimmer poked playfully at the muscles in Rainbow's arm. "But also here." Her finger then moved over to press against her chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath it. "Rarity needs someone to be strong for her, needs you to be there to listen to her cry and scream and let out her own anger. I can't be the person who does that. But you can."

"I guess I can go be mad around her instead," Rainbow said with that crooked grin that melted Shimmer's heart.

"She might appreciate it," Shimmer replied with her own hesitant smile.

"I still wanna punch Twilight though." The admission from Rainbow was laced with guilt, enough that Shimmer didn't feel the need to get away from her this time. "I still can't believe she'd just dump Rarity like that for such a... a dumb reason."

"Honestly, I'm kinda mad at her too." After all, Rarity was also her friend, and Shimmer didn't take kindly to her friends being hurt. "But going after Twilight isn't going to make things better."

"It might make me feel better," Rainbow muttered.

"I don't think so." Even as she said it, Shimmer realized she was right. "You're a protector, Rainbow. You want to stop us from getting hurt; you don't go taking revenge on other people for us. That's not you, and I think you know that deep down."

Rainbow sighed. "I guess you're right. I just... I hate not doing anything."

"I told you, just being there for Rarity is enough."

"It doesn't feel like enough." To Rainbow's surprise, Shimmer snorted at that.

"Of course it doesn't," she said. "But it's what she needs, and isn't it more important to do what Rarity needs than to feel good about doing it?"

"I guess." Rainbow's earlier smile returned, and it made the room just a little bit brighter. "We'll all probably have to help her out for a little while, huh?"

"That's the wonderful thing about the Sapphire," Shimmer said, settling in for a nice long rest with her beloved. "No one can go it alone, and we're always going to be here for each other. And who knows, maybe things will work out in the end anyways."
> Chapter 12
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shimmer stepped out of the shower and quickly dried herself off with a towel.

Tonight's client hadn't wanted a very long session, but there wasn't enough time to slot in anyone else, so Shimmer was already putting on her casual clothes before anyone else came into the changing room.

Rainbow's shift was also due to end soon, and Shimmer made her way towards the back entrance of the Sapphire to meet up with her. There was still enough time for them to go out, maybe have a late night snack.

Her planning was interrupted by a familiar voice at the counter. "Aqua, my dear, how goes business tonight?"

"Fancy Pants!" Aqua said, and Shimmer rounded the corner to see the receptionist waving at the newcomer. "How can I help you?"

Fleur de Lis, who was standing beside her husband, smiled. "Is notre petite diamant here? We have been trying to schedule a session with her for several weeks, but it seems that, ah, business is closed for Rarity."

Aqua grimaced. "Sorry, but Rarity isn't seeing visitors right now."

"I see." Fleur pursed her lips. "Please send her our love, then."

As Aqua nodded in response, Fancy Pants' head turned as his eyes locked in on Shimmer like a hawk. "Ah, Shimmer!" he called out, waiting. "It's good to see you again."

Shimmer nodded politely. "Thank you, Lord Fancy Pants."

Fancy Pants scoffed. "Please, just call me Fancy. How are you doing this fine night?"

"I'm doing well, thank you," Shimmer replied. "I just finished my shift."

"Capital!" Fancy clapped his hands together. "Fleur and I were hoping to head out for a night on the town with Rarity, but it seems she's indisposed at the moment. Would you care to indulge in some drinks with us? Your beau is invited as well, of course."

Shimmer hesitated. Her first instinct was to say no — spending time with a client outside of work could be a tricky business, and involving alcohol...

On the other hand, Rarity had managed to maintain a friendship with these two for several years, and Shimmer knew she wouldn't have allowed them to do anything untoward with her. Rainbow would also be there to make sure there wasn't any funny business.

"I would love to," she finally replied, smiling. Fancy and Fleur seemed like good people, and it would be nice to spend time with some people outside of the Sapphire. "Let me just go get Rainbow."





"Well, my dear. I think you'll find that quite hard to beat."

Shimmer scoffed, picking up her last dart. "Hard, but not impossible." She took aim, lining up the shot and making a few false starts, before releasing it in one smooth throw.

The dart sailed through the air, embedding itself in the board a scant half-an-inch away from the edge of the bulls-eye. "Drat," Shimmer muttered, her motherly instinct stopping a worse curse from escaping from between her lips. "Almost had that."

Fancy Pants chuckled. "It was a valiant attempt. I believe we are tied now, yes?"

Shimmer nodded. "Another round?"

"A moment, if you please." Fancy picked up his empty glass. "I believe I need a refill."

With that, Fancy made his way towards the bar, where Fleur and Dash were chatting together while downing their own drinks at a much faster rate than her and Fancy. They exchanged a few words, and Fancy gave his wife a quick peck on the cheeks before returning with a full glass of cider.

Shimmer has already retrieved their darts from the board, and handed Fancy his. "It's my turn to go first this time," she said.

Fancy nodded, taking a delicate sip from his glass. "Very well. Shall we begin, then?"

Shimmer nodded, letting loose the first dart and scoring twenty points. "Okay, it's your turn now."

As he set down his drink, Fancy glanced towards Shimmer. "So, as I was walking past our better halves, I overheard them speaking of Rarity and Twilight Sparkle. I take it that Lady Celestia's current student is the reason why our dear friend has sequestered herself in the Sapphire lately?"

Shimmer thought carefully about her response. As kind and respectful as Fancy Pants was, he was still an outsider, and above all else, discretion was prized at the Sapphire Carousel. What was spoken within those walls was not meant for those outside to hear.

But, Fancy was also a good friend to Rarity. And Shimmer didn't see why she couldn't gossip a bit to a concerned friend, especially given Rarity's own penchant for gossip. Perhaps she'd get some good advice out of it as well.

"Twilight found out about Rarity's job," Shimmer explained, finishing up the last of her drink. "She couldn't accept it, so they're not... seeing each other anymore."

Fancy Pants sighed as he made a half-hearted throw, barely hitting the dartboard with his shot. "That is most unfortunate. I had hoped that the apple would have fallen farther from the tree. It does explain what I overheard from Rainbow Dash and my dear wife. I must admit, I am disappointed in Miss Sparkle — she seemed much more accepting than her mentor. Ah, well, Rarity is a strong woman, and I have no doubts she will persevere through this trial, especially with such good friends such as yourself."

Now it was Shimmer's turn to sigh. "I do wish I could do more for her. And not just her." She spared a glance at Rainbow, who was engaged in a rather animated conversation with Fleur. "It's been hard for Rainbow too. She liked Twilight too, and thought of her as a friend. Having her cut off contact is — I know she tries to hide it from me, but I can tell she's still really angry at her."

At this point, the game had been mostly forgotten. Fancy looked at her with kind eyes, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I can't say I blame her. Fleur and I do not have the highest regard for those who live in the Solar District."

"I just..." Shimmer paused, realizing that she was pouring her heart out to a client whom she had barely spoken with ever since she'd taken them on as her first clients. Still, Fancy had been nothing but polite and understanding, and Shimmer knew that many in the Sapphire respected him. "Rainbow has been there for me whenever I needed her, and now it feels like she needs me, and I can't help her."

"One thing I have learned in my many lucky years with Fleur is that one person cannot bear the burdens of another completely." As she spoke, Fancy glanced lovingly at his wife. "Even in the most perfect union, your partner will always have needs that you alone cannot fulfill. As long as you don't try to stop from having a life outside of yourself, it should all work out."

He let out a deep chuckle. "Lord knows I wouldn't have the fortitude to endure half the things Fleur finds herself embroiled in when she disappears for a night on the town with her friends in the Dragon District. I only need to be there to bail her out of jail when the need arises."

Shimmer raised an eyebrow at that. "Fleur's been arrested before?"

"My darling wife has some rather strong opinions on what constitutes acceptable civil disobedience," Fancy explained. "And she's found some like-minded souls whom I've learned not to ask too many questions about."

"That's... nice?" In truth, Shimmer wasn't really sure what to say to that. She'd already known that Fancy and Fleur weren't like the others who lived up in the Solar District, but this was something else.

Fancy nodded. "Quite." He gestured towards the dart in her hand. "I believe it's your turn, dear."

"Oh, right." Shimmer took aim once again, just barely missing the center with her throw. "So really don't mind your wife running off with a bunch of, ahh, colorful characters?"

A shrug from Fancy. "I trust her, and I want her to be happy." His throw was much better than his previous one, landing on the ring outside the bullseye. "Ah, it seems I'm back in this match."

"I guess so," Shimmer replied. She stared into her empty glass. "It really is that simple, huh?"

"Love rarely is," Fancy replied. "But in this case, yes, I believe so. Do what you can for your beloved, and trust her to find others to share her anger with."

"Well, I guess she has the others in the Sapphire for that," Shimmer allowed. She raised her glass. "I'm just going to get a refill real quick."

As she made her way over towards the bar, the conversation between Rainbow and Fleur became audible. "Ah, you see, a knife wound need not end one's life," Fleur was saying. "As long as one takes care not to pierce that which is vital for life, one can leave a most effective message this way."

"I dunno." There was a slight slur in Rainbow's voice as she replied. "There's something really satisfying about making someone eat a knuckle sandwich. Also, how do you know so much about stabbing people, anyways?"

Shimmer was close enough to see the worrying gleam in Fleur's eyes as she spoke. "Your establishment, they specialize in la petite mort, but my associates deal in the grander kind."

"If you and your associates decide to pay Twilight a visit, can I come too?" It was at that very moment that Rainbow noticed Shimmer approaching, and a guilty expression flashed across her face as she quickly turned back to Fleur. "Uhh, so that we can talk, of course."

Shimmer simply smiled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, pressing a quick kiss against her cheek. "I'm just here to get another drink," she said. "Glad to see you and Fleur are getting along, though."

Rainbow nodded. "She's pretty great."

"Merci, mon amie." Fleur gave a gracious bow. "Ton amour is a delight as well, Shimmer."

"Well, I hope you two keep having fun." Shimmer grabbed her refilled glass. "I'm going to go back to my match with Fancy."

"Please send my husband my regards, chérie," Fleur said.

"And show 'em how awesome you are at darts too, babe," Rainbow added.

"I will," Shimmer said to both of them before making her way back to the dartboard. She took a long drink, downing several gulps of beer before glancing up at her opponent. "Did you know that Fleur and Rainbow are planning to rough up Twilight?"

Fancy shrugged. "They both love Rarity far too much to hurt someone she loves, no matter her sins." He paused. "I hope."

"Well, at least they're having fun, I guess." Shimmer shook her head, trying very hard not to think about the various crimes her beloved was planning with her first client. "Is it my turn yet?"

The rest of the match passed with little incident, Shimmer and Fancy casually discussing the latest proposed education initiatives that Fancy was spearheading while they continued to vie for dominance on the scoreboard. It was quite nice to hang out with someone outside of the Sapphire, and Fancy was a pleasant-enough conversation partner.

Just as Shimmer clutched the win with a bulls-eye and was about to challenge Fancy to another round, a hush fell over the entire tavern, the wave of silence creating a palpable tension in the air.

Shimmer glanced at Fancy, and followed his gaze over at the familiar pair by the bar. Rainbow was standing very still, her eyes glinting dangerously as she glared at the man in front of her. "You wanna say that again?" Her voice rang out very clearly in the quiet of the room, a fiery anger in it that was propelled by the alcohol in her blood.

The man, who looked too drunk to know better, did exactly as Rainbow asked. "I'm just saying, I got no problems with taking a whore to bed, but I'm not about to let my son marry one, y'know? The boy's delusional if he thinks she won't leave him the moment she finds a better—"

Rainbow threw the first punch before he could finish the ill-advised sentence, and things got very loud after that.

To her credit, Rainbow also immediately glanced towards Shimmer when she realized that her little altercation had become a full-on bar brawl, nodding to herself when she saw Fancy pull her into a corner to keep her safe before throwing a powerful haymaker at the man approaching her from the left.

Meanwhile, Shimmer couldn't keep her eyes off of Fleur, whose fighting style could only be described as a dance, her lithe body weaving between her assailants to deliver precise blows against them.

"Ah, it's just like that time in Eventide Isle," Fancy said. "I see Fleur hasn't lost her touch since those assassins attacked us." He glanced over towards Shimmer, and his calm gaze brought comfort to her soul. "Will you be alright, my dear?"

Shimmer nodded. "This isn't my first bar fight," she said weakly. "I can hide out until it's over."

"Jolly good, then." Fancy patted her on the shoulder before getting up and cracking his knuckles. "In that case, I believe I shall relive some old memories with my darling wife."

It took another fifteen minutes before security was able to stop the fighting, at which point Fancy, Fleur, and Rainbow were all very roughly escorted outside the establishment, with Shimmer following behind after apologizing and paying for their tab. Fancy had already paid her back, and the four of them made their way back towards the Sapphire.

"Sorry about that, Shimmer," Rainbow said for the third time as they enjoyed the cool night air. "I didn't mean for things to get so crazy."

"It's alright," Shimmer replied, careful not to press against anything sensitive as she held onto Rainbow's arm. "Does your shoulder still hurt?"

"Yeah, that's gonna be sore tomorrow." A wince as Rainbow pushed a finger against it. "Good thing I don't have to work then, but I'll have to take it easy on my workout." She waggled her eyebrows. "Unless you wanna do another kind of exercise with me while I'm recovering in bed."

"Let's see if you can even move when you wake up," Shimmer replied. She looked up at the entrance to her home and turned towards the other couple with them. "Thank you for a great time, even if it ended early."

"It was our pleasure," Fancy replied. "And I'd love a rematch if you ever find time in your busy schedule."

"And Rainbow," Fleur added, smiling widely. "You are always welcome to join us in the Dragon District when there are wrongs to be made right."

"Thanks," Rainbow replied. "I'll keep that in mind." With that, they said their final goodbyes and parted ways for the night.

"I'm glad you made a new friend," Shimmer said as they made their way inside the Sapphire.

"I told you Fancy and Fleur were pretty cool," Rainbow replied. She stretched out her limbs and winced again. "So, my everything hurts right now. Wanna help kiss it better?" Even despite her pain, she still had that cocky swagger that had become endearing sometime in the past couple years.

Shimmer laughed. "You know what, if you still want to do it once your hits catch up to you, then sure, I'll try not to kill you when I rock your world."

"You're the best, Shimmer." Rainbow leaned down to press a kiss against her lips, and Shimmer could clearly see her discomfort at the pose.

A weight lifted from Shimmer's heart as they made their way towards the dormitories. Yes, it was true that she wouldn't be able to meet every one of Rainbow's needs, but Fancy was right. They had good friends who would make sure they could live their lives to the fullest.

And right now, Shimmer really wanted to see if Rainbow could make it to their bedroom so she could take care of their other needs tonight.
> Chapter 13 (SPOILERS FOR ALL OF CRIMSON LIPS)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shimmer Glass awoke to find her loving girlfriend blowing raspberries on her belly.

"R-Rainbow!" Shimmer gasped out between giggles. "Stop it!" She slapped playfully at Rainbow's shoulder.

Rainbow lifted her head and smirked. "You want me to go a little lower?"

"Not right now," Shimmer replied, sitting up.

"Alright." Rainbow glanced up at the clock. "We still got some time before our shifts. Want me to grab Shard while you get freshened up?"

It was at this point that Shimmer noted that Rainbow's work clothes were already on. "Thanks," she said, nodding.

"See ya in a bit." With a final kiss, Rainbow made her way out of their bedroom.

A wide grin spread across Shimmer's face as she climbed out of bed and made her way over to the bathroom. She sped through her morning routine, eager to see her son and girlfriend and knowing that they'd be back very soon, given their penchants for racing down the halls.

Grabbing the first appropriate pieces of clothing from her closet, Shimmer hastily got dressed, and she was so focused on speed that she didn't notice that she'd opened the wrong drawer to get her socks. It also didn't occur to her that none of the clothes in the drawer were hers until she reached in.

And brushed her hand against a jewelry box hidden under a stack of bras.

Instinctively, she grabbed it and pulled it out, her heart pounding as she realized what size the box was. Shimmer knew she should put it back and pretend like she hadn't seen anything, but it seemed some of Rainbow's impulsiveness had rubbed off on her. Before she could second-guess herself, Shimmer opened up the box.

As expected, there was a beautiful engagement ring inside.

A small part of Shimmer's brain couldn't help but note that the ring was set with a sapphire, which was a fun touch and just another sign that Rainbow had put some thought into this. It was very sweet.

The larger part of her brain was currently shut down as she stared at the engagement ring in shock. Things had been going well with Rainbow, certainly, and now that Rarity had her new boyfriend things had calmed down in the Sapphire, but Shimmer certainly hadn't been expecting this.

Then again, it wasn't like they were moving too fast. Shimmer loved Rainbow, and they'd been together for long enough to know that they worked well together. And the thought of walking down the aisle, or swearing to love and cherish the sweet guardian who had let her truly live her life, to kiss in front of everyone and proclaim their union for all to see...

"Ha! I win!"

Shard's voice broke Shimmer out of her reverie, and she looked up in surprise, her eyes meeting Rainbow's shocked gaze she appeared behind him.

Rainbow was the first to recover, slapping Shard playfully on the back. "Heh, good job, kid. You're a natural."

That moment was all Shimmer needed to regain her own composure. "Were you two running down the halls again?" she put all of her motherly disapproval in her voice, knowing that it wouldn't faze either of them.

Indeed, Shard simply grinned up at her and nodded. "Rainbow challenged me to a race, and I won!" he declared proudly.

Shimmer sighed. "Well, as long as Rainbow was there, I guess it's fine." She reached out to hug her son. "So when did you get so fast, anyway?"

As Shard launched into an excited explanation of his technique, Shimmer and Rainbow shared a glance that spoke volumes, with Shimmer painfully aware that she was still holding the evidence of her snooping in her hand.

"Oh, and we made macaroni art yesterday with Miss Cheerilee!" Shard said at the end of his speech. "You wanna see?"

"Sure!" As Shard raced out of the room, Shimmer handed the jewellery box back to Rainbow. "I'm so sorry, Rainbow," she said. "I opened the wrong drawer by mistake and—"

"Shh." Rainbow silenced her with a kiss. "It's cool. I wanted to surprise you, but it's probably better if I didn't just spring it on you anyway."

"Mama, are you coming?"

At Shard's impatient outburst, Rainbow winked. "We'll talk about it later, alright? I love you."

Shimmer could only gulp and nod before following Shard out of the room. She tried her best to put her new discovery out of her mind and focus on spending time with her son. As Rainbow said, they could deal with that later.





Unfortunately, later never came.

Shimmer and Dash had spent the remainder of their time before work playing with Shard, an odd tension in the air that wasn't hostile, but definitely spoke of how nervous they both were for the coming conversation.

By the time her shift started, Shimmer had swapped positions multiple times and still wasn't sure what she was going to tell Rainbow. Marriage was just such a big commitment, and it was scary to think about.

At least work had been hectic enough to keep her mind occupied until the end of her shift. Savoir Fare's orders filled her thoughts as she rushed about the kitchen preparing lunch for the Sapphire, preventing her from dwelling too much on the coming proposal. And having a little time made her feel slightly more relaxed when her shift ended, though she was still nervous about the conversation she would be having with Rainbow.

And then Aqua Swing had summoned them all to the viewing room.

Shimmer had quickly donned her nicest and most provocative negligee and put on whatever makeup she could in the time she had. Whomever this VIP was, with the way Luna was treating them, Shimmer had to assume that being chosen would be very lucrative for her.

The fact that Aqua had seemed very nervous when informing them all to assemble had set Shimmer and the other girls on edge, and there was a palpable tension as they all made their way towards the viewing room.

At some point, Rainbow Dash joined up with her. "So, uhh, I guess this is later," she said awkwardly. "But also, not a great time to have a big heart-to-heart talk."

"I'm sorry," Shimmer said.

"No, no, it's fine," Rainbow replied. "I get that you have to work, and if this client is enough of a VIP to get Luna to do all of this, then I can definitely wait until you get a big payday tonight. We can talk after. Just focus on being as awesome and sexy as you always are."

"Thanks, Rainbow." They were almost there now. "Do you have any idea who this bigshot client is?"

"Nope." Rainbow shook her head. "But since the boss didn't want Rarity here, I gotta assume it's some bigwig from the Solar District. Still, there's something fishy about this whole thing."

"I'm sure it'll all work out," Shimmer said, despite her own misgivings.

Aqua stood by the door as they made their way inside, still looking like. Shimmer shot her a sympathetic smile as she passed her. "Thanks for arranging this, Aqua. And we'll all be okay, no matter what happens. I trust the Lady."

Her words seemed to make Aqua relax somewhat as she nodded. "It's gonna make for one hell of a story either way."

Once inside, everyone except Rainbow lined up near the back. It wasn't their normal procedure, and no one had really suggested it out loud, but it was impossible for them to assume their normal nonchalant positions right now, not when everyone was obviously on edge.

There was something about this client that the Lady was keeping a secret from them, and the Sapphire didn't take kindly to any secrets that might threaten its employees.

Shimmer's heart was pounding in her chest as some very unpleasant memories flashed through her mind. She'd been forced to stand in a line before with other girls like her, and it had never been a good thing in the past. She had to keep reminding herself that Lady Luna was different, that no matter how things went, she would put their safety above all else.

And even if Lady Luna failed, Rainbow was still in the room.

The calm determination in her eyes eased Shimmer's soul, and when their gazes met, there was such a promise of love and support that Shimmer almost blurted out an answer to the unspoken question between them before Rainbow had a chance to ask it. Yes, everything would work out in the end, just as she'd promised Rainbow.

The door opened, and the Lady stepped inside with the Very Important Client.

Everyone flashed their best Work Smile as they took stock of this mysterious visitor to their domain. She was actually quite pretty, Shimmer had to admit. She also looked very, very nervous, which wasn't entirely unusual for some of the people who came here, but something about this whole situation didn't add up. And it didn't help that she looked familiar somehow, though Shimmer was sure she'd never seen a woman with purple hair that had a pink stripe through it before.

“What the hell is she doing here?!”

And then Rainbow Dash spoke those words with such venom that Shimmer knew there was only one possibility as to the identity of their mysterious VIP.

So, this was Twilight Sparkle.

Shimmer couldn't tear her eyes away from this woman who had shattered the heart of one of their own. She could feel the anger radiating from the others, had an idea of what their expressions might be given that Twilight looked like she wanted to curl up into a ball and die right now.

She looked scared, and Shimmer felt an instinctual need to reach out and comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay, but she held back. That wouldn't help anyone now, and she still had no idea what was going on.

Neither did Rainbow, it seemed. “She’s the client?” Anger, horror, disgust filled her voice as she continued her tirade.  “What the—”

“Rainbow Dash.” Shimmer held back a flinch at Luna’s sharp voice. “It would be wise for you to be silent.”

It was honestly a miracle that Rainbow Dash listened to her. Part of Shimmer had always been scared that her girlfriend would run into this woman she hated so much one day, and do something they'd all regret. Tension filled every part of Shimmer's body as she waited for the other shoe to drop, but Dash really did respect Lady Luna, enough to hold her tongue and content herself with glaring at Twilight.

Shimmer was grateful for having one less thing to worry about as she listened to the Lady's introduction.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming. This is Twilight Sparkle.” The room grew colder as that name was spoken out loud. “She will be the client of one of you today. Specific details will be discussed once someone has been chosen, but I expect this session should only last a few hours."

There was a pause as Luna waited for Twilight's nod before continuing.

“Very well. Now, if you will, please step forward.”

Shimmer didn't step forwards, and she knew that none of the others would either. They were all far too angry, and even Shimmer had to admit that she was annoyed on Rarity's behalf.

Still, there was another reason why none of them stepped up. Not when Twilight had offered double their usual rate, then triple, then five times, then nine times their usual rate, with increasing desperation.

Rarity had loved her.

Rarity had loved her, and so nobody would sleep with Twilight Sparkle. Because while sex meant little to them, it had been everything to Twilight, and to ply their trade with her would be the ultimate betrayal.

"Please."

Shimmer's heart broke at that word, and she almost stepped forward. Whatever Twilight Sparkle might have done, she was in pain now, and Shimmer so wanted to comfort her.

But offering the kind of comfort she sought would only hurt them all.

Rainbow Dash spoke.

“My Lady,” she said. “Permission to speak out of turn.”

Shimmer braced herself as Lady Luna gave her permission, and it went exactly as she expected. And yet, despite her strong language, Shimmer had to agree with some of the sentiment. Something wasn't adding up here, and Lady Luna had to have known what would happen.

They were all missing something.

And when Lady Luna gave her reply, when she asked them if they would give Twilight Sparkle a second chance, Shimmer understood.

This wasn't about Rarity.

This was about helping a woman be better, giving her the same second chance that they'd all been given.

Shimmer recalled the day when she'd first arrived at the Sapphire, desperate to do anything she could to give Shard a future. Luna had seen that desperation, and had offered her what she needed: a rewarding career, a home, a family, and a future.

The Lady had a knack for knowing what someone needed and giving them the opportunity to grow into that. And Twilight had been trying to understand their work, before.

Shimmer knew why Luna had called them here.

“I’m happy to do it." Shimmer Glass stepped forward, her smile returning. “And I’m happy to charge my usual rate, so please put that away.”

"Shimmer!" 

Now was not the time to lose her nerve. Shimmer quickly shot a glare at Rainbow, hoping she would play along for now. There'd be a discussion afterwards, but right now, her priority was Twilight.

“Shimmer Glass,” the Lady said, and Shimmer could hear the relief in her voice. “Thank you.”

“No.” Shimmer's own heart was pounding right now as she kept her eyes on Twilight. She hoped to god that Lady Luna was right about this. “Thanks to Miss Sparkle for coming. VIP room?”

Fortunately for Shimmer, Twilight seemed to be too preoccupied with her own fretting to notice the looks the others were giving them as Shimmer and Luna settled the details. It was a mixture of shock and betrayal, and Shimmer shook her head in disappointment as she frowned at them.

Trust me, she mouthed as she left, her eyes fixed on Rainbow. Rainbow simply stared back, a thousand emotions dancing in her eyes, but she nodded, and Shimmer was grateful for that.

Fortunately, they made it to the VIP room without any more complications, and Twilight looked slightly less nervous when Shimmer led her in. She did her best to put her client at ease, her mind racing to see where this would go. Part of her job was figuring out what a client wanted or needed and providing that to them, and she still wasn't quite sure what Twilight was looking to get out of this session.

The notebook clutched to her chest definitely promised something out of the ordinary. Did Twilight mean to try to take notes while Shimmer plied her trade? That would certainly make for an interesting experience.

Finally, Shimmer got Twilight to sit on the bed beside her, still looking so, so scared. The fear tugged at Shimmer's heart, and without even thinking about it she reached out to brush her fingertips against her cheek in some attempt to provide comfort as she spoke. “We haven’t formally met, have we?” She reached out her hand. “I’m Shimmer Glass.”

“Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” As Twilight took her hand, Shimmer could feel them trembling, and she did her best to keep her smile light and joyful.

"Hello, Twilight." This was the first time she'd opened up a session with a handshake, but it felt oddly right at the moment. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Twilight snorted at that. "I'm pretty sure I'm the last person everyone here wants to see," she said, looking up at Shimmer with reddened eyes.

"Well, Lady Luna wants you here, and I'm glad you came as well," Shimmer said. "She said you were trying to be better, and the Sapphire has always been a place for second chances."

"I'm sorry," Twilight said softly. "I... I don't know what you've already heard, but I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Shimmer gently patted Twilight on the back. "What's important is that you're trying now. So, what do you want to do?"

That question at least brought Twilight out of her self-loathing for a moment. "Oh, right!" She opened up her notebook and tapped against it with her quill. "I'd like to ask you some questions, if you don't mind."

Shimmer's head tilted in confusion. "Questions?"

"About your profession." Twilight's formal businesslike demeanour faltered for a moment. "I— I want to understand."

Shimmer recalled what Rarity had told her about Twilight, and smiled. "I'd be happy to help." Then, something else occurred to her, and she frowned. "Before we go any further, I should probably tell you that Rarity has a boyfriend now."

Twilight nodded gravely. "I know, and I'm not doing this for her. Honestly, I was hoping that Rarity wouldn't ever find out about this, but Lady Luna insisted that she be informed eventually. I want to do this for myself, to become better."

The smile returned. "I'm very happy to hear that," Shimmer said. She clasped her hands together and grinned. "So, what do you want to ask, Miss Sparkle?"

She'd been right to trust the Lady. And maybe, just maybe, this wouldn't be the end of Rarity and Twilight's story, and if Shimmer could help them find some peace, then that was all she wanted. Excitement bubbled in her heart as she prepared for the strangest session she'd ever had to begin in earnest.





Three hours later, Shimmer was more exhausted than she'd ever remembered being after a session with a client.

Twilight's questions were beyond thorough, and had tested every single ounce of Shimmer's knowledge of her profession, beyond making her think quickly and creatively with some of her more open-ended questions.

The idea of using magic in their line of work might be something to bring up with the Lady, come to think of it. Shimmer had no talent herself but some of the other girls had some ability with it, and it might be interesting to explore that. She made a mental note to discuss it with her later.

Still, despite appearances, Twilight's list wasn't actually endless, and she eventually reached the end of her notebook.

"Okay, I think that's the last question," she said. "Thank you for your time, Shimmer."

"It was my pleasure," Shimmer replied, and she actually meant it for a change. She'd never felt quite so seen before, and it was rather flattering to have someone take so much interest in what you did. "Will we be seeing you again?"

"I don't know," Twilight admitted. "It depends on what Lady Luna decides. But... I'd like to learn more, if I can. I think I'm starting to understand, but I know that I still have a lot further to go."

"Well, I hope things work out for the best, then." Shimmer climbed out of the bed, and Twilight followed, still clutching that notebook like it was the most valuable thing in the world.

Shimmer opened up the door and was immediately confronted with two familiar faces which she really should have been expecting.

Rainbow Dash's expression was guarded and suspicious, but at least the open hostilities had faded. "So, are you two done?" she asked shortly.

Shimmer nodded. "We are. Twilight and I had a delightful chat." She smiled at Twilight, who blushed but smiled back at her.

"Very good," Lady Luna said, her expression unreadable. "Thank you, Shimmer Glass."

"As I said to Twilight, it was my pleasure."

"I am glad." The Lady turned her attention to Twilight. "And did you get what you came here for?"

"I have some preliminary notes," Twilight said, and Shimmer tried not to gawk at what she considered to be "preliminary."

"May I see?" Luna extended her hand out, and Twilight gave her the notebook.

There were a few moments of awkward silence as everyone waited for her to finish skimming it. It was at that point that Shimmer finally turned her own attention to Rainbow Dash. There was still some hurt in her eyes, and the lingering traces of anger, but more than that, Shimmer could see the concern for her, and it warmed her heart.

She gave her girlfriend a reassuring smile and saw a bit of the tension leave her shoulders, though she was still on her guard.

"This is quite the impressive set of notes," Luna said. "Would you permit me to hold onto this for a day? You can pick it up tomorrow."

"Oh, uhh, sure," Twilight stammered out. "So, I should come back here tomorrow?"

"Yes," Luna replied. "I'll let Aqua know to receive you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a few moments with Shimmer and Rainbow Dash. There's a table with refreshments outside, which I'm sure you're already aware of."

"Third door to the left." Considering Shimmer had told Twilight the location of the table two hours ago, it was a testament to how much attention she was paying that she still remembered, and it was hard not to be impressed. "I'll, uhh, see you later, then." With that, she scurried off, leaving the residents of the Sapphire alone together.

Lady Luna handed the notebook over to Rainbow Dash. "Skim this," she commanded.

"What?" Rainbow asked, staring at the object like it was a snake about to lash out and bite her.

"Your job is risk assessment," Luna said. "I pay you to ensure that every client that walks through these doors will not be a threat to anyone in here. These are the notes Twilight Sparkle took during her session with Shimmer Glass. I need to know if you think she'll be a threat to the well-being of the people working at the Sapphire."

When she phrased it like that, Rainbow didn't really have a choice. Grumbling under her breath, she took the notebook and began skimming through it. As she read, Shimmer noticed her anger fading away.

Rainbow reached the end and closed the notebook. "Well, I still don't like her, but I guess she isn't completely terrible, and it looks like she cares about the girls here a whole lot more than some of the other regulars we let in." She shrugged, returning the notebook to Luna. "Is that everything you wanted, boss?"

"Yes," Luna replied, satisfied. "Thank you both for performing your duties admirably. I will need your help later tonight when I explain to Rarity what has transpired, but for now, I need to see Twilight Sparkle off, and then I believe I will take this lull in the action to finish some of that damnable paperwork that never seems to end. Have a pleasant rest of your day."

With that, she strode off, and then there were two.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then Shimmer spoke up. "Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for—"

"Will you marry me?" Somehow, when she wasn't looking, Rainbow had managed to pull out the jewellery box, and now she was opening it as she spoke, showing off the sapphire ring inside.

"Huh?" Shimmer stared at the ring, shocked. "I thought you'd be mad at me for taking Twilight on as a client."

"I was, yeah," Rainbow admitted. "But you told me to trust you, and I started thinking about what the boss said about second chances. That's when I realized just how awesome you were. I still wanna give Twilight a piece of my mind, and I probably will if we ever run into each other without anyone else around, but I read through that notebook and you were both right.

A smile spread out across her face as she spoke. "You've always been so kind and understanding, and I really appreciate that, and I think it's really cool how you're so nice to everyone, even if they don't deserve it. You gave me a second chance when you really didn't need to, and I can't really be mad at you doing that for someone else, right?"

Rainbow sank down on one knee, and Shimmer pressed a hand against her mouth to hide her gasp. "This whole day just made me realize even harder how much I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, and I really hope you feel the same way."

Shimmer grinned. "Of course I will, Rainbow. No one's ever made me feel like I belonged like you have, and I want to feel like this every single day."

"Phew," Rainbow stood up and drew Shimmer into her arms. "Not gonna lie, I was kinda worried that you'd be mad at me for earlier too."

"You want to protect us," Shimmer replied, leaning in to press a kiss against Rainbow's lips. "I'm never going to be mad at you for that. And you trusted me, in the end, which is all I ever wanted for you." She gently pressed her forehead against Rainbow's. "You're the best person I've ever met, and I'm so, so lucky to have you in my life."

Rainbow winked. "Right back at ya, Shimmer." They pulled apart, though their gazes remained locked on each other. "So, we gonna go tell Shard now?"

"He'll be so happy to hear it." That had been the most important thing for Shimmer. She could never share her life with someone who couldn't get along with her son. "We should get going as soon as we can, too. I have no idea when Rarity's going to be back, and that's going to be an... interesting talk."

Rainbow chuckled. "I can't wait to see her freak out. It's gonna be great."

"I really hope this helps her move on," Shimmer murmured.

"Either that or she's gonna break up with that guy she's dating and things are gonna get real exciting around here again," Rainbow replied cheekily. "So when are we gonna let everyone know that we're getting married?"

Shimmer shrugged. "I'm not even sure if we have to. They're going to find out somehow and next week there's gonna be a surprise party for us."

"That's the Sapphire for ya." Rainbow slung an arm around Shimmer as they made their way towards the play area. "Wanna just tell the boss and see what happens?"

That got a laugh from Shimmer. "Sure, that sounds like fun." So many emotions were coursing through her right now, all summarized in her next words to Rainbow. "I love you. And I'm so glad I applied for a job at the Sapphire."

"Love ya too," Rainbow said, pulling her into another kiss. "So, after we tell Rarity about the notebook, if she decides she needs some stress relief, are you still okay with me helping her blow off some steam, if you know what I mean?" She waggled her eyebrows in such a way that Shimmer couldn't possibly not know what she meant.

In response, Shimmer simply giggled, wondering how on Earth she'd ended up here, and thanking the heavens that she was. "Sure thing. As long as I get to watch."