"No matter what you come across, Rainbow, you have to think about what's really important in life. And when you figure out what's genuinely important to you? Stick with it. Remember it. Don't ever forget it." A RariDash.
Rarity often compared her situation to the day-to-day of the gorgeous mares and loyal stallions in her romance novels- fall in love where you'd least expect it, develop a heartfelt crush, and finally confess to the pony of your dreams.
But what if the mare you loved didn't feel the same way?
Rarity's simple confession sets off a mental battle in the minds of both her and Rainbow Dash- battles that make them ponder what's important in life, the meaning of companionship, and the art of racing in the snow.
As Rarity gazed out her window, her glasses and tape measure were primed to resume working. A few white flakes began to fall from the sky and landed in a ragged circle on her lawn.Following those few flakes came more, and then more, until the sky had turned a soft shade of white. The flakes picked up pace, blanketing the ground in a thick white sheet.
"Ah, winter." she thought, watching her breath fog up the window, and then disappear almost as quickly as it arrived. "I dislike it so."
Rarity grumbled loudly, pulling down her drapes and covering up the horrid scene with a twinkle of magic. She lit a few candles, watching everything settle into place- exactly where she liked it- then headed towards one of many awaiting mannequins.
"It's just so cold!" she cried out in distress, fiddling with the outfit that adorned her mannequin- a chic, strapless gown, all a deep shade of aquamarine, commissioned by Sapphire Shores herself. The famous singer had requested that it be suitable for this time of the year, and Rarity had obliged by adding a sleek coat that was filled with griffin down feathers. "The only good that comes from it is a few bits for ski resorts. What about the poor ponies who thrive on warm weather to boost their sales?"
Her eyes glided across the boutique and landed on one of her other projects, this one thrust in the back of the farthest corner of her home. It was cropped to the point where some sensible ponies would have considered it risqué, but it made up for that with enough frills to make one of the Canterlot elite gag. She had (stupidly) designed it in two pieces, much like a bikini (She had also found most of her inspiration in them, too, but she didn't appreciate admitting it), so it would become the laughing stock of the town if one were to put it on when the fillies of the neighborhood were singing delightful Hearth's Warming Eve carols, not planning day-long excursions to the beach.
Or as Rarity fancied calling it, "useless and faulty." Thus was why she hid it behind random bolts of fabric and unraveled threat, hoping that its memory would soon be forgotten.
"I'll have to talk to Rainbow Dash sometime," she said, making a mental note to talk to the cyan mare. She levitated a small box full of pins to her side and was beginning to patch up a section of the gown. But will she listen? Most likely not, Rarity, and you know that. Talking to that pegasus is like talking to a brick wall and expecting it to answer.
With a heavy sigh, she set down the pin set and adjusted her eyeglasses again. The area was perfect, and there was no evidence that there had ever been a problem attached to it.
"And... done." she said flatly. "This should be an exciting moment, finishing this elaborate gown for the mare whose name is universally known in the music business, but this so called 'accomplishment...'" Rarity sat down, dejected and confused, and put her hooves on her chin. She sighed deeply, then lifted her gaze back up to the gorgeous gown. "...Why does it feel so empty?"
Before the first snow of the season fell, the white unicorn was already having a less-than-stellar week.
On Monday, Sweetie Belle had utterly demolished a ball gown for a sweet little filly in urban Canterlot- the filly had apologized multiple times, but even her cries for forgiveness couldn't heal the hurt in Rarity’s heart.
Tuesday was spent remaking said dress, instead of going to the spa with Fluttershy. The pegasus had been extremely concerned when her companion hadn't arrived after an hour, and she had even resorted to tears when she didn't turn up at all.
On Wednesday, she had surprised Fluttershy with an afternoon on the town, and when she returned home, she had found five new orders on the roster, all the commissioners demanding that they be finished prior to Hearts Warming Eve. Thursday...
Rarity blinked back moisture. She... she didn't want to think about Thursday.
She looked back at the gown, which was simply stunning. The candles’ light reflected off of each jewel on the coat that she had so meticulously placed, creating a spectrum of colors. She could only imagine the look on Sapphire's face when she presented the dress— it would first be surprise, and as the initial first look sank in, her expression would morph to happiness, drinking in all the details. The symphony of feelings would finally end with a huge smile, many thank-yous, and perhaps some sweet yet utterly shallow praise, if the mood was right. It was always the same.
Slowly, she levitated the gown to the doorway, and brought her favorite couch to her side. She looked out the window at the bank of snow that had accumulated outside her window. Delivery can wait, she thought glumly, the snow probably delayed shipping and train departures. Poor Derpy probably won’t be allowed to carry even a simple letter until the snow stops. Again, she cursed at the weather.
"At this rate, I'll be up to my chin in snow before Heart's Warming Eve." she mumbled, pulling a fleece blanket up her body. The design was one of her favorites, a classic by the esteemed Inkamena Pie. There were times when she marveled at the amount of detail that could be made with a simple swipe of a brush and transferred to such soft fabric. Often she forgot that Miss Inkamena was an earth pony, which increased her surprise tenfold. This was not one of those times.
The pillow beckoned to her aching head, and the unicorn gratefully obliged. Her mind was a cesspool of confusion, procrastination, and the memories of... her throat jumped upon thinking of the day everything came crashing down in a single conversation. How something so right could become so wrong in just a minute, I will never know, Rarity thought, and the consequences of what we both said still stings like a branding. She wondered, only for a fleeting moment, if the other pony present on that day felt the same wounds.
She was deep in thought when the strike of a hoof against her door dragged her out of her psyche and deposited her in reality. Another customer, she thought.
"Hello! Rarity!" a female voice called. Knock knock. "Are you home?" Knock.
"I'm busy wallowing, dear!" Rarity yelled in response, though it came out more spiteful than she had intended. She rolled over, digging the edges of the blanket into her ears. "Come back in the spring!"
"I see the candlelight, Rarity!" the anonymous pony retorted. "You can't fool me, nosiree!"
Rarity snorted. Unladylike, yes, she thought, but completely called for.
"I can't wait 'till spring, Rarity!" The voice took on a sad tone, and Rarity flicked her tail from under the fleece blanket. Her heartstrings flinched, not enough to make a sound just yet. "C’mon Rares, please let me in!" The knock-knocking on her door became a sort of pawing, like a young puppy trying to enter his house when its owners had already fallen fast asleep.
Rarity’s horn glowed a pale blue, and she dived into the covers, shielding her head with the pillow. She heard the door open, felt the cold breeze of the outside world chill her bones (Blasted snow, she fumed), but there were no hoofbeats. No breathing. No talking. No nothing. Could it have been my imagination?
No, Rarity chastised herself, I heard something, I just know it. Maybe she decided to go harass somepony else.
Silence.
The white-coated mare rose from her couch and took a long look around her boutique, which was currently being ravaged by the snow and winds of the outside world. Nothing seemed to come into contact with her dress, though, so she didn't take any action against it. Usually she would dive towards her creations, shielding them from the bitter elements with her body- but her heart just wasn't in it today. It wasn't in a lot of things, come to think of it.
And then she saw her.
The mystery knocker, the anonymous mare who had begged to see her face. A body sleek and slender, a mane that had seen better days but still had a cute curl. The visitor showed her true colors with pride and outstretched wings, her eyes sparkling with a strange, warm light.
"I've missed you, Rarity," said Rainbow Dash.
Rarity huffed as the air was violently squeezed out of her lungs by Rainbow Dash’s strong hug. She had heard from one of Twilight Sparkle's lectures that pegasi bone structures were exceptionally light, and that was the reason they were able to walk on the cloud layer. Rarity objected. What Rainbow Dash lacked in bones she made up for in sheer muscle.
"I've missed you, too?" Rarity said, unsure of her feelings towards the mare. Both ponies, plus their other four friends, were bound together by the Elements of Harmony- that didn’t mean she shared any strong feelings for one in particular, though. This wasn’t like the Rainbow Dash she knew at all- for a moment, she thought it could be an imposter- but she decided to give the pegasus the benefit of the doubt and kept her mouth shut.
"Although, Rainbow Dash, I saw you just last Thurs..." The word caught in her throat, she feared that the pegasus might lash out at her for attempting to mention the accursed day.
But she did just the opposite, and ended the hug before turning to Rarity with a slight grin. "Oh well." the light blue mare murmured. "I'm just so happy to see you! You know, because of how busy you get ‘round the holidays and all of that...”
"That's wonderful and all, but might I ask why, exactly, you are here?" the unicorn questioned. Usually, Rainbow Dash arriving in Carousel Boutique meant either a fitting or a modeling of the latest and greatest trend, both of which were not on Rainbow's accord.
Rainbow Dash's ear twitched, but her expression was unwavering. "To have some fun, duh!" she exclaimed. She began trotting in place, huffing and puffing as if she had just finished the Running of the Leaves before she got there.
"Fun?" she asked, frowning. She shut the door with a blast of magic energy and levitated the couch back to its former position by the wall. "You'd be better off asking Applejack, or perhaps Pinkie Pie. You know how the holidays affect the Apple Family’s business."
"They’re awesome, that’s for sure, but..." Rainbow Dash’s tone sounded reminiscent of a foal, pandering to its mother about purchasing the newest gadget or a sweet treat. "I wanna hang out with you, Rarity."
Rarity stopped in her tracks. "Me? A humble dressmaker with an adoration for the fine arts, not the sky? Rainbow Dash, you must be joking."
"I'm not joking." Rainbow's tone was much more serious than it had any right to be. Eyes shadowed with determination, she yanked on her friend's finely curled tail and headed towards the doorway. The unicorn's legs were pulled out from under her, and she fell in a heap with all hooves in the air, but her winged companion didn't even turn around. After much grunting and squirming, they were both outside.
In the snow, which was gently falling.
In the cold, which was relentlessly pounding her.
Outside, in the first snowfall of winter, with Rainbow Dash.
"This can't end well..." Rarity murmured under her breath as Rainbow Dash dragged her through a snowdrift.
* * *
"C'mon, Rares, I'll show you how to do it!"
Rarity slipped across the ice with the grace of a water buffalo, ears pinned to her head.
"I will not be taking any directions from you, Rainbow! You don't even have skates on!"
"Skates are for fillies that don't know the definition of ‘daring’. It's really easy!"
Along she slipped, her eyes darting from the thin ice to Rainbow Dash’s determined face and her hooves quivering. Her mane, entangled in more snow than what was still on the ground, was beginning to weigh her down.
"I've already had my say in the matter, Rainbow."
"At least watch me! You'll see!"
She swiveled her head. Blue eyes met magenta, and the dance on the ice began.
For the first time in nearly four years, the mare with the passion for beauty noticed just how strong her friend's legs were. They were like falcon wings, slicing through the air with the agility and ease of the graceful bird. Her mane flowed in the wind, twisted around her neck, caressed her face, and then bounced back down before finding some more energy to get right back up and do it all again. She seemed so sure of herself, where her hooves were going to be, how much to turn to ensure stability...
Rarity was mesmerized.
The pegasus leaped, wings outstretched, and flipped over before landing perfectly on four hooves. She bowed gracefully, and when she lifted her head back towards Rarity, her eyes were filled with longing. Whether it was for praise or for herself to get her flank on the crude rink, neither of them would ever know.
"So, do you wanna try? Or are you a scaredy-filly?"
Hesitation brewed in her mind. She swept it into the cosmos, and she alighted on the ice with a sneaky grin.
“I’d never back down from a challenge, Rainbow Dash,” she said.
* * *
"Please?" Rainbow Dash’s eyes drooped innocently, and she stuck out her quivering bottom lip.
"No" was all the alablaster unicorn said in response. She kept a stoic expression whilst the mare pleaded.
"Please?" Rainbow smiled, her pure white teeth catching the dull sunlight and blinding her unicorn friend.
"No. Final answer, Rainbow." Rarity snorted.
"But...but you ice skated with me! How could skiing be much different?" Rainbow Dash motioned to the snowy peaks behind them, each one nearly touching the sky. Rarity took one look at them and cringed.
"They're polar opposites, Rainbow Dash." she retorted.
"All you need to do is remember to watch out for trees. It's easy, promise!" the pegasus exclaimed. Her wings, eager for an adventure, loudly thumped against her flanks.
"You said that about ice skating." muttered Rarity.
"And it was, wasn't it?" Rainbow pressed. It was as if the steep mountain range was calling out to her, begging to feel her ride the slopes.
"I guess." Rarity said, still firm on her decision.
"Lookie, I've already got you some skis! Sure, some other pony might be missing them in the next few minutes, but we can worry about the law later. I'll even fly you up to the top of the hill, if you want!" Slowly, Rainbow Dash pulled two pairs of pristine skis from behind her back and set them on the snow beside them. Her eyes gleamed deviously, and the urge to fly up the range by herself was almost too strong to resist.
"Y-you stole these skis?" Rarity stammered. She pulled her hoof away from the nearest ski, wondering where it had been before Rainbow had taken it. Although she didn’t say it aloud, they did look quite alluring.
"How else do you think I was going to get some?" The pegasus shrugged, oblivious to the smoke coming out of Rarity’s ears. She had begun to strap a light cyan ski to her back hoof when a cloud of unicorn magic twisted her head towards a small, ragged cabin far from the mountain range.
"Renting them from that little shack, of course!" came Rarity’s enraged voice. Rainbow Dash blushed slightly, and she was thankful that the white unicorn couldn’t see her face.
"...Oh. It's the thought that counts, right?" she asked. With a quiet pop, she had full control over her head and she resumed her work on the ski. When Rarity didn’t answer, the pegasus lifted her gaze to her friend. Her luminous eyes fixed on the unicorn’s stoic muzzle.
"I'm not getting out of this, aren't I?" she sighed.
"Nope! Now get on my back." The Element of Loyalty got to her hooves swiftly, bent down until her nose brushed the freezing snow, and playfully shook her back. She heard Rarity groan and chuckled under her breath.
"I'm not sure I'd want to get out of this," Rarity murmured, holding on to her friend's shoulders as they alighted into the freezing air, leaving the ground far below their hooves.
* * *
By now, Rarity's nose was the color of a farm-fresh apple and her hooves were shaking like leaves in the breeze. She had been having fun, and she fully admitted that fact- but the elements were beginning to take their toll on her body.
Rainbow Dash had sculpted a drift into a wall a few feet away from her, and she was busy gathering snow from every corner of their winter wonderland. Swiftly, her hooves dived into the piles of fluffy white, pulled heaps of it out, and shaped it into what appeared to be snowballs before hurling them behind her shoulder and launching back into the fray. At regular intervals, all that Rarity saw of her friend was her distinct rainbow mane.
Finally, the pegasus decided she had a fair stash of snowballs and plopped behind her wall. Her eyes twinkled mischievously, as if there was a hidden meaning behind her actions.
"Ready, Rares?" she called out to her, juggling a few snowballs.
Rarity shivered. A few minutes ago, the action would have just meant that she trembled slightly before continuing on whatever adventure Rainbow Dash threw at her. Now she was not a unicorn but an oak leaf, shaking so furiously she thought she might collapse, right then and there, in the freezing snow. "I don't know, Rainbow Dash," she responded, "I'm feeling, as Applejack would say, 'mighty cold.' Perhaps we should head inside." Without a second thought, her hooves began a slow march towards her warm haven.
Rainbow Dash yelped like a foal, and within a few seconds she was blocking her friend's way. Her wings were outstretched, blotting out all of the Boutique, and she glowered at Rarity. "No! We can't go in yet!"
"Why ever not?" The white-coated mare blended into her environment so well, it seemed as if the ever-growing pile of snow behind her had grown hair. Her eyes, however, with their highlights of blue and ultramarine, could not have looked more out of place. Even her mouth seemed to disappear whenever she was idle. "Are you hiding something from me?"
Rainbow Dash's expression hardened, and her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. "No! Of course not! I'd never hide anything important from you, Rarity. You’re talking to the Element of Loyalty!" She added the last sentence after she had already spoke, as if it were an afterthought. “Then again, Applejack’s the Element of Honesty... But you get my point!”
"You have yet to answer my question." One of Rarity's heavily waxed eyebrows shot up her face like a rocket.
"One more game, then we can go inside and do whatever you want to do." the pegasus said. "Pinkie Promise."
By now, Rarity thought it was a chore to try and reason with the headstrong mare. No matter how long she struggled in this game of tug-o'-war, her winged companion could not be beat. If you can't beat them, join 'em, or so the old saying said.
"Fine, Rainbow Dash. Aren't we persistent today?" she smirked, following Rainbow's tail back towards the clearing where the wall still stood. She stole one look at her swinging, firm flank and blushed furiously immediately after.
You dirty, dirty little filly, she thought.
"Okay, time for an old-fashioned snowball fight!" Rainbow Dash clapped her hooves together. "First one to fall loses. Ready?"
Rarity looked around the perimeter. "Rainbow Dash?" She raised a hoof questionably. "I don't seem to have any snowballs..."
The pegasus giggled deviously, and without warning, fired a snowball at her unicorn friend.
She ducked just in time for the cold weapon to explode beside her. Slowly the wheels in her freezing head turned, and a smile graced her lips and her horn glowed.
"Hahaha!" Rainbow Dash fired snowball after snowball at her foe, watching the previous one fly off into the distance before reaching for another. "This is too easy, Rares!"
Suddenly, everything was still. The tell-tale explosion of white powder had long-since disappeared- as well as her competitor, her partner in crime. Pure white closed on the pegasus.
"Rarity?" she cried. "Rarity?" Her chest felt heavy and tears welled up in her eyes. "You know I didn't mean it....right?"
A single color stood out on the blank canvas. A light blue, lighter than the sky above or the pools below the snow. A familiar shade of blue that could only signify one thing...
Out of nowhere, Rarity appeared, horn surrounded by a blue aura and eyes ablaze with... Rage? Confused, Rainbow Dash found her bearings and unfurled her wings, ready for flight if the need arose. Her jaw went slack.
Behind Rarity was the sum of fifty or more snowballs, all piled into one lump, and hurling towards her. The blue aura wiggled and twisted, laughing at Rainbow Dash's impending doom.
She dropped to all fours and rolled, recreating the movements of her old flight teacher during the fire training lecture.
"You never know when ya'll have to use it," the dusty hag had said. Up until this point, Rainbow Dash had completely dismissed the notion of herself using the technique, whether she was on fire or not.
Unfortunately, she was too late. All at once, a string of events occurred- Rarity landed in a heap by her side, the mutated snowball became a thick flurry, and everything became white. Her feathers were white, her tail was white. Nothing was left untouched by the fingers of the snow.
Rarity squealed, pummeling Rainbow Dash with her soft hooves. "You fell first!" she cried victoriously. "That means I'm the winner!"
"You cheated!" Rainbow whined, playfully nudging her friend. The two sat in the cold snow for quite a while, looking up at the sky then down at one another then back at the sky. Through the blinding white mess that the unicorn had created, the familiar forthcoming of night shone bright.
It was Rarity who got up first. She shook her rump, much like a canine, letting all the snow trapped within go free. Her mane followed suit. Glancing at Carousel Boutique, so alluring with the candlelight burning as furiously as ever, Rarity grinned. The simple expression felt like being stabbed with a thousand needles, but nonetheless she smiled.
She reached down, extending a hoof to Rainbow Dash, who was still splayed across the ground. "Would you like to accompany me, Rainbow Dash?" she asked. "I have hot chocolate, or a new coffee blend, if you wish."
Rainbow Dash grinned, and accepted the mare's hoof- but not before spitting i "That sounds ‘absolutely lovely,’ Rares."
* * *
While Rarity mixed the chocolate powder into the boiling water, Rainbow Dash sat tentatively on her couch. She pawed through some of Rarity's fashion magazines, gazing upon the designs within with wonder and slight confusion.
"Why would anybody wear this?" she yelled to Rarity (In the kitchen), gesturing wildly at a ball gown adorned with griffin feathers. She stuck out her tongue in disgust.
"Remember, Rainbow, that those magazines were made in Canterlot." replied Rarity. "They're a... unique group of ponies, that's for sure. Some of the designs in Ponyville might make no sense to them, when you and I see them around town everyday!"
"I guess you're right." Rainbow Dash tilted her head, flipping the page. The next was a bejeweled spectacle- crimson fabric that looked as soft as pony fur, a crown to rival Celestia's magnificent one, and four dainty little glass slippers, each carved for just the right amount of comfort. It was, to put it bluntly, dazzling. Rainbow Dash, who prided herself on the fast and furious, the daring and adventurous, couldn’t help but be impressed at this gorgeous gown. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but the design seemed vaguely familiar.
Rarity returned with two steaming cups and a saucer full of sugar cookies. "Sweetie Belle made the cookies yesterday," she explained, "with Applebloom and Scootaloo. If you don't pay attention to the exterior, they're actually very nice." She took a bite of one that might have looked like a filly, if it had a head.
Rainbow Dash stirred her hot chocolate, watching the marshmallows bob below the surface. As soon as she saw Rarity finish the cookie, she set down the steaming cup and grabbed the magazine by the spine and pointed at the amazing design.
"Do you know who made this, Rares?" she asked, genuinely curious. "It looks so awesome!"
"I did." Rarity barely scanned the photo before returning to her hot chocolate. She blushed.
"Really? Rares, this is fantastic!"
The unicorn raised her glass to her mouth, the chocolate liquid hiding her raging blush. "Oh, stop it, Rainbow Dash." she said. "In fact, that is my Grand Galloping Gala outfit. Remember that little escapade?"
"How could I forget?" Rainbow Dash set down the magazine, putting it back in the chin-high pile of its brethren. "You made everypony a dress in less than a week! You had to listen to me whine!"
She gently pulled Rarity's cup out of the air, earning her friend's undivided attention. The unicorn frowned and waited for an explanation. "Yes, Rainbow?" she asked flatly.
The pegasus hopped up from her seat, hooves in the air and wings outstretched. The candlelight bounced off her expressive eyes, flooding the room in a soft magenta glow. Rarity could never comprehend how one so brash could look so utterly adorable.
Slowly, as if she was a falling building, Rainbow Dash lowered herself onto Rarity, wrapping her hooves around her slender figure and squeezing tight. The white unicorn mare felt sudden moisture on her chest, and at a loss for words, she returned the embrace. Could Rainbow Dash, daredevil extraordinaire, be crying?
"I..." Rainbow Dash choked out the word, her frantic heartbeat feeling oddly soothing against Rarity's fur. It was rhythmic, soothing, so odd yet so right. "I just wanted to tell you, Rarity..."
"...Yes, Rainbow?" she whispered, petting the pegasus' soft mane and brushing away all the excess snow.
"I've waited for this day for so long. Every day for the last three years, I've wondered if it was time to tell you. How I went on before now is a complete mystery." Rainbow's words practically dripped with adoration and lust. Rarity, for one, was perfectly fine with that.
"You flatter me-" Rarity began.
"No." Before she could finish, Rainbow Dash brought her face to her own and locked eyes with the unicorn mare. "You don't understand. I honestly, truly love you. This isn't just some little schoolyard crush, Rares.”
Warmth, sweet and savory, flooded through Rarity's bones, far nicer than her hot chocolate, which was still sitting on the table next to the decapitated sugar cookies. Her mind went utterly blank, the fragile reality around her morphed, and all that seemed to matter was Rainbow Dash. The pegasus was her world, and vice versa. Nothing else mattered to her- not even the discarded gown for the prestigious Sapphire Shores, which was worth more than her house if the singer enjoyed her design. The only other time she had felt this elated was on Thurs-
Rarity growled and swatted the nasty thought away, sending it into the aether along with all her other subconscious fears. The past was in the past, and there was nothing she could do to try and fix it.
She glanced down at Rainbow Dash, prettiest pegasus in Equestria, whose chest rose and fell ever so slightly. She grinned and nuzzled the mare, wrapping her hind hooves around her.
Rarity’s keen eyes spotted a strange object along her friend’s fetlock- a light blue flower accented with darker spots. It seemed familiar somehow, but Rarity’s clouded mind couldn’t put her hoof on its name. She flicked it away with her magic and watched the pieces tumble down the couch.
As curious as Rainbow Dash’s confession was, there would be time to ponder it later. The past was over, but the future was well in her grasp.
The next morning was much like the last. The snow couldn't tell time, she realized- when Rarity awoke at 5:00 am, the snowfall was tumbling out of the fluffy clouds in a thick stream. "Good morning to you, too," she grumbled as she snatched the newspaper from her doorstep. The icicles above her head danced and laughed in response.
After tearing of the protective coating on the daily paper, which did nothing to protect the front page, Rarity tiptoed over to the couch which occupied Rainbow Dash and sat down, tussling the latter's mane as she read the news section.
Her eyes were quickly sweeping over an article about a sudden decrease in the swallow population when she felt Rainbow Dash stir against her side. The pegasus was not as deep of a sleeper as she had originally imagined- in fact, Rainbow Dash made it evident that she didn't wait to kick her, but cuddle. It took all the strength in Rarity's body to pry her hooves away from her waist.
"Good morning, Rainbow." Rarity yawned, popping a sugar cookie into her mouth. It was obvious that had Sweetie Belle had made it, as there were more ultramarine sprinkles than actual cookie. She liked to think her younger sister got her flair for the shiny from herself.
Rainbow Dash licked her lips and grabbed one of her own. After delicately licking some of the thick frosting off the cookie, she plunged it into her mouth and downed the entire thing in one smash of her jaws.
The pegasus reached for a napkin as Rarity began to speak.
"Once you've woken up, Rainbow," she said eagerly, "we should start getting ready to go. The spa's quite finicky about their schedules, if you know what I mean."
Slowly, Rainbow Dash retracted the napkin from her lips. It now had a huge crimson blemish on the surface. "The spa? Why the spa?" she questioned, beginning the ever-tedious task of preening her feathers. Usually she only did this when she was meeting royalty or any famous ponies, but she figured that looking her best would look good on Rarity's part. It wasn't everyday she went into the prestigious spa, let alone be pampered there.
"I had arranged for Fluttershy and I to have our weekly spa appointment today, but the poor dear got caught up in a meeting for an animal protection bureau. She's overjoyed with it, and so am I, but I simply can't go to the spa alone, correct?" Rarity neatly folded the paper and set it back on the table, setting a pair of the sugar cookies on a spare napkin before carrying the saucer back into the kitchen.
"How'd Fluttershy get into a meeting like that?" Rainbow fought back a burp with her hoof, and as soon as Rarity was out of earshot, she let everything out with in a deep, heavy sigh following.
In the kitchen, the plates clashed together in an odd symphony. "Twilight mentioned her in a little discussion with an aviary specialist the other day. Who would've guessed that he was recruiting members for the bureau?"
"In all honesty," the pegasus called, twisting her remaining cookie around in her hoof, "I'm kinda surprised she would accept. In front of crowds, Fluttershy's... Well, shy!" She squinted at the pastry, trying to decipher what kind of creature it was.
A moment later, the white unicorn mare appeared outside of the kitchen, a towel levitating beside her. "You wouldn't believe how she acts when the subject changes to the animal kingdom!" she exclaimed. "She's a different mare, Rainbow. I guess she just needs to be around ponies who understand her, that's all."
"Ah." After concluding that the Cutie Mark Crusaders had created a new animal with the head of a pony and the bottom half of a snake, she dropped the cookie into her open mouth and chewed once, twice, then stopped abruptly. "What's with the towel?" she asked.
Rarity was already climbing the staircase, towel in tow, when she turned her head around. A look of pure confusion crossed her features, then she laughed- it sounded like sleigh bells. "I don't trust Sweetie with much up here," she explained, revealing most of the general necessities for bathing, such as shampoo and soap. "There was the one time she burned juice... I wouldn't put anything past that filly, regardless of her cute little cheeks."
A moment of silence passed. When Rainbow didn't respond, she giggled again. "She got them from moi, you know." With a sly grin, she ascended the stairwell and left Rainbow Dash to preen her wings alone.
* * *
Rarity burst through the door of the Ponyville Spa, a horrid mixture of rain and sleet pouring in behind her, and slid across the floor to the front desk. The attendant, a mare with a pastel blue coat and pink mane that was practically aglow with gel, fluttered her eyes at the scene but said nothing.
"I'm here!" Rarity shouted, levitating a furious and moist Rainbow Dash front and center. "I should have a reservation under the name 'Rarity,' Miss Lotus."
The pony nodded quickly and slid into a back room, her blue flank disappearing behind a wall of various flowers. Once she left, the unicorn glanced down at her companion- she could barely tell that Rainbow Dash had preened her feathers, and her mane had been tussled around her neck and shoulders to the point where it looked as if she were wearing a mop. The pegasus didn't mind whatsoever, and curled her body around Rarity's leg sleepily.
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think you're becoming the slightest bit clingy, Rainbow?" she asked, gently kicking outwards. Rainbow Dash paid no mind to this and burrowed her head into the white mare's soft fur. It smelled of apples and roses and tropical riches aplenty. She found the mixture revolting but didn’t say it aloud.
Moments later, Lotus reappeared with a small clipboard in her mouth. She blinked, setting the clipboard down and observing it.
"Ah. Rarity and..." The mare raised an eyebrow and glanced over the edge of her counter, spying Rainbow Dash almost instantly. "Forgive me, miss Rarity, but who is your companion? I don't believe I've seen her before." she asked with a chuckle.
Rarity shuffled her hooves, the cold rain beginning to seep into her warm fur. "This is Rainbow Dash." she explained, glancing over at the spa's entrance with a fierce longing, "this is her first appointment, if I remember correctly. Fluttershy had to attend to some business today, so I figured I'd bring Rainbow here instead."
Lotus bowed gracefully to Rainbow Dash, who didn't notice in the slightest. She examined the clipboard once more. Immediately her warm and tender stare fixed on Rarity. "I'm sorry, miss Rarity," she said apologetically, "but at the moment we cannot prepare you and your partner a herbal bath."
Rarity frowned. Rainbow Dash moaned happily on the floor, burrowing deep into her friend's luxurious fur. "And why ever not?" Rarity questioned.
Lotus stood her ground against Rarity's primal gaze, her stance suggesting that she was more than eager to scuffle over the matter. "There has been a shortage of the herbs necessary, if you wanted to know." she muttered. "We have only enough ingredients to concoct two, perhaps three at the most. I'd be happy to assist you in finding an alternative, though."
The white unicorn scoffed in frustration, stomping a hoof on the clean tile floor. The moisture on her horseshoe exploded on contact, creating a tiny puddle of dirty rainwater and half-thawed snow, but she didn't care. "I beg your pardon, miss Lotus," Rarity began, her voice effectively masking the blackmail within, "but how long have I come to this spa? Four years, maybe five? Some might consider me a regular of this fine establishment."
"Nothing can make me change my mind." Lotus interrupted, shaking her head furiously. Her mane twirled around her perfectly sculpted features with ease that even Rarity felt a twinge of jealousy towards.
"Oh, really? Might I remind you that, on occasion, regulars are the only reason a store or business stays alive-”
Aloe rushed in from a back room, one eyebrow raised in confusion. “What is going on here?” she asked the pair of mares.
Rarity blushed. “Nothing at all, dear Aloe.” she responded sweetly. “Am I correct, Miss Lotus?”
The spa pony, slightly dazed, gave a weak smile and nodded to her sister. Bemused, but still content, Aloe winked at them and headed back to where she had came from.
Rarity beamed, levitating Rainbow Dash to attention. The pegasus grunted and her eyelids hung over her deep magenta eyes. "It's lovely to see you come to reason, Lotus," Rarity said, depositing a few silver bits on the counter as she left the lobby. "Have a delightful day!"
"Likewise..." replied Lotus wearily. She folded her legs neatly under her body, taking great care to conceal herself from any potential customers. Slowly, the pretty aqua mare brought her head to her hooves and thought long and hard about what miss Rarity had spoken.
* * *
Flora, dark green and luscious, reached out to her with long vines. Some smelled endearing and reviving, some horrid, and some bland and boring. Beyond all the wildlife, there were pools of water, some just large enough for her hoof and some mountainous enough to hold the entire town in its depths. When she stopped to glance into one, a ragged pegasus with wide, rabid eyes stared back.
Who am I fooling? I don't belong here!
She felt utterly lost in the controlled chaos of plants and scented soaps and tubs of hot water. She was beyond thankful that Rarity knew every inch of the Ponyville Spa, and could find her way to their destination without even opening her eyes.
They arrived at a wooden shack, where a short pink earth pony was waiting diligently. She carried fluffy robes embroidered by hoof and equally soft towels with a smile almost too wide for her face. "Mif Rarify!" she exclaimed, struggling to open the door for them. "Felcome!"
"Hello, Aloe." Rarity acknowledged the mare with a tip of her head and a spark from her horn. All of the spa pony's robes and towels were lifted into the air, reclining in a light blue aura, waiting to be worn.
Aloe breathed a sigh of relief. "Why thank you, Rarity. You're very kind."
She twisted the door handle, and a blast of heat from inside nearly bowled Rainbow Dash down. At first the warmth was excruciating, unbearable....
Rainbow Dash saw Rarity and Aloe trot into the shack.
Her fear of the intolerable heat faded, and the pegasus gladly followed suit.
* * *
The heat wasn't nearly as bad on the inside of the shack as it was on the outside. It actually had a larger interior than Rainbow Dash suspected- outside it seemed that the three ponies would have to stand close together with little room to move, but really there was more than enough room for everypony to have their own personal space.
Rainbow Dash felt something tug on her heartstrings. For a few short, fleeting moments, she was disappointed with how much room she had.
Rarity had donned her robe and towel already, and was straightening the former so that the material didn't overpower her pores. If Rainbow had any doubt that the unicorn frequented the spa as much as Lotus let on, it disappeared when she saw the robe- somepony had embroidered an elegant R onto one of the sleeves, and her three-diamond cutie mark on the other. Rainbow's only had the logo of the spa.
"Come sit down, darling." Rarity called, patting a spot on a long wooden bench. Once Rainbow Dash had managed to slide the robe over her skittish wings, she obliged.
"Isn't this wonderful?" the unicorn asked, watching intently as Aloe nimbly deposited some water on the sea of hot stones. The water evaporated swiftly, and with a joyful hiss, rose into the air.
Rainbow Dash flicked her ear. Her towel was beginning to slip. "Yeah. It's, uh," she said, trying to handle the soft fabric, "nice, Rares."
The white mare giggled at her companion's misery, and levitated the towel upwards. Within a few flips and folds, what was once a simple few feet of fabric was now an elaborate hat. Grinning, she set it slowly on Rainbow's ears.
"How's that?" she asked.
"Much better." Rainbow Dash replied calmly.
* * *
Their trip to the sauna was brief, and before both of them knew it Aloe was propping up the door and explaining where they'd go from there.
"Would you prefer the moisturizing blend with aloe leaves," Aloe asked Rarity as they trotted along, "or Lavender Petal's newest product? Rumor has it that she travelled to Griffins just to retrieve the perfect tea leaves."
Rarity pondered her choices. "I'll go with the moisturizing blend," she decided and then quickly added after seeing Aloe raise her eyebrow, "only because I have a meeting with Sapphire Shores in the next few days. Better to go with the usual when meeting somepony that high in the social ladder, correct?"
Aloe's eyes widened. "Sapphire Shores! Might I ask why?"
The unicorn mare blushed.
"She commissioned me for a gown a little while back. I was almost thinking of keeping it for myself!"
The spa pony laughed heartily, then turned to Rainbow Dash. "And what would you prefer, Miss Rainbow?" she questioned.
"I guess I'll go with whatever Rares is getting. I'm not too familiar with all this stuff." Rainbow Dash shrugged.
Aloe nodded solemnly, saying nothing more on the subject. She lead them to a short platform, taking Rarity's hoof as the unicorn lifted herself up.
Without thinking, Rainbow Dash bristled. Her vision flashed a bright shade of crimson, but when she blinked everything was back to normal. She's just the attendant. Why should I be worried?
After they were seated on the platform, Aloe's pink body disappeared behind the thick flora. She was only gone for a few seconds, though, and when she returned she did so with a companion.
This pony's coat was the color of melted butter, her mane the same shade of lavender as the flower petals that surrounded her. Although she wore a smile, her dull eyes suggested that her grin was less than genuine. This pony took a small brush from Aloe, dipped it into the container of moisturizer before her, and stepped up to the platform. The other spa pony followed suit.
Rainbow Dash was worked on by the mystery pony. Her strokes were uneven, sometimes laying a huge layer of the lotion on the pegasus' cheeks and sometimes so thin it was nearly transparent. Her expression was hard to read- Rainbow wasn't sure if she should try to cheer this poor pony up or stay as far away as possible. She finally decided to stand as still as a statue, avoiding eye contact at all costs.
Beside her, Rarity was being pampered by Aloe, the pair seeming to have a much better time than Rainbow and the yellow-coated mare. They chatted whilst Aloe slowly but surely covered every inch of Rarity's face with the light green foam.
"What's your name, pegasus?" the mare asked. The clarity of her voice despite the brush in her mouth astounded Rainbow Dash. This pony clearly was a master at her profession.
"Rainbow Dash." said Rainbow Dash. "You?"
"Vera. I've worked in the spa business practically since it began." she replied, confirming Rainbow's beliefs. "And Rainbow Dash, you say? The Rainbow Dash who's saved Equestria who-knows-how-many times? Same one who performed a Sonic Rainboom at the Royal Wedding some time ago?"
"The one and only." the pegasus responded, flipping her mane, showing off the technicolors that were her defining features "Why?"
"For one thing, you're a pretty famous hero around these parts. Curiosity, I guess." She paused momentarily to move the brush to the opposite corner of her mouth, as if showing off her strange talent. "Not only that, but there's been quite a few rumors that have been going around since..." Vera flicked her tongue. "Thursday, I think."
Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. "Rumors? Continue."
"Well," Vera began, "there's been talk of a fallout between two mares. Lots of crying and screaming, a few broken pieces of furniture, maybe a few broken hearts...?"
The spa pony glanced up at the light blue pegasus, as if inviting her to explain some of these rumors. Quizzically, Rainbow returned the stare. "I don't remember anything being broken. Definitely nothing on Thursday, either." she said.
Vera's eyes widened momentarily, then she grinned- something Rainbow Dash still wondered how to do with a brush in one's mouth. "Really? Nothing at all? You can't tell me nothing?"
"Nope." responded the pegasus. She was frowning.
"Odd." Vera placed the brush in a clay pot, then trotted over to a nearby tub of water. "You sure, Rainbow Dash? Don't forget for a moment that I'm a senior spa worker-"
"-meaning you're a senior citizen?" Rainbow cawed.
Vera narrowed her eyes. "Meaning that I have access to everything in the Ponyville Spa. Even some of the more... Toxic materials. You wouldn't like your mud bath tainted with Poison Joke, now would you?"
The threat hidden until Vera's words was harsh enough to shut Rainbow up. "I promise. In fact, I really can't remember anything before yesterday morning."
Slowly, the yellow mare dipped her tongue into the water, lapping it up greedily. After she was content, Vera retrieved the brush once more and began cleaning off the bristles in the pool using careful hooves.
Rainbow Dash's wings stiffened. Suddenly, this lush wonderland didn't seem as safe as it did a few moments ago.
Vera returned with the wet brush and a twinkle in her eye. Gingerly, she began wiping the moisturizing cream from Rainbow Dash's face.
"I'm going to share some advice with you, Rainbow Dash," the mare began, making long strokes that tickled the pegasus' skin, "'cause I like you. Ready?"
Bemused, Rainbow nodded slowly, as not to interrupt Vera's diligent work. "Ready, I guess."
"No matter what you come across, Rainbow, you have to think about what's really important in life. Me? I live for my job. I wouldn't be here if I didn't like pampering stuck-up ponies- no offence intended to your friend over there. You might live for flight, as I've been told numerous times, or maybe the thrill of saving Equestria from impending doom." Vera chuckled. "And when you figure out what's genuinely important to you? Stick with it. Remember it. Don't ever forget it."
Rainbow Dash nodded. Her expression was blank, like a canvas waiting to be painted with a light pink blush or faded blue. She nodded in approval, and Vera's grin peeked out from behind her mountainous brush.
"Good. Now don't forget that, Rainbow Dash."
* * *
"Shouldn't we be getting to that herbal bath or something soon? Seems like we've been walking around here forever."
"Patience, Rainbow Dash. We have just one more stop to make, then we shall bathe in the finest pool you'll ever see."
The pegasus grunted and shuffled her wings under the heavy robe, her mind wandering to Vera’s harsh threats. They were now on their way to the middle of the enclosure, nestled between a vast tub of thick mud and a few elongated tables draped with pink sheets. Vera had left, heading in the opposite direction to accompany a lonely magenta mare on her way to the aromatherapy section of the spa. The yellow-coated mare had not taken Rainbow's doubts with her, though.
What did that crazy mare mean? I know what's important to me, Rainbow Dash questioned, I've known it practically since I was born! It's....
It's...
Her mind drew a blank. There were many things that she loved- the feeling of flight, hanging out with her awesome friends- and quite a few things she simply liked, but she couldn't figure out what went beyond those categories.
Rarity had just hopped atop a small pedestal. She removed her robe with a sigh, the water's reflection bouncing off her alabaster coat. For a split second, everypony in the spa was blinded by a flash of pure light.
Rainbow Dash shrugged off her doubt as easily as she beat her wings. If she truly needed to use Vera's cryptic advice, wouldn't she have already thought of an answer?
* * *
One long massage later, Rainbow and Rarity were on their hooves again, heading towards the pool that the latter hadn't stopped gushing about. As they neared it, Rainbow Dash couldn't help but stare- it was everything the unicorn said, and more. Towering walls of light aquamarine stood high above Rainbow's head, and the sound of thundering water cycling through the elaborate system boomed in her ears. She felt her wings unfold, ready to take to the air and catch a glimpse of what was inside of this beast.
Being modest snapped her out of doing the deed, though. As much as she wanted to, she had to let Rarity and Aloe reach the top first.
The band of mares began to ascend the spiraling staircase that led to the rim of the pool, their hooves sounding like bells as they touched the perfectly polished steps. When Rainbow Dash grew tired of looking at the never-ending wall of stairs before her, she glanced out of the corner of her eye at the rest of the spa.
Finally, they reached the top of the staircase- to Rainbow Dash, it felt like the top of the world. The pool was just as magnificent on the interior as was the exterior. Gleefully, after getting Aloe's slow nod of approval, she undressed and climbed in.
The ladder she descended ran all the way down to the bottom of the pool- why, the pegasus mare never knew- but even as her hooves scratched the water's surface the pure white rails were fading into black.
How deep is this thing?
Before she could question it further, a pony's pelt brushed against her own, the scent of apples and roses filling the air. Rainbow blushed deeply, her wings quivering with excitement, then leaped off the ladder and dived into the water.
The chill hit her frame like a swift-moving train, coursing through her fur and freezing her bones. She wouldn't have been the slightest bit surprised if somepony had unloaded a barrel of ice cubes into the pool, but the pegasus didn't mind. She closed her eyes, watching the light dance across her eyelids, and burst into the air using every last bit of her wingpower.
When she landed, a very moist but nonetheless cheerful-looking Rarity and calm Aloe waited for her. The spa pony had just finished a conversation with the unicorn, and was hopping merrily down the stairs.
"What did she want to know?" Rainbow Dash asked, treading water whilst Rarity let go of the ladder.
Immediately after she was out of reach of the ladder, Rarity began swimming towards the far edge of the pool, her sleek body rippling with hidden muscles. "Oh, Miss Aloe just wanted to confirm my choice to have a herbal bath instead of, say, another massage. She's a good little filly."
An odd sensation shot down Rainbow Dash's spine. Her back felt unnaturally warm in the chilling water, but it wasn't the welcoming, soft warmth she was used to. Could it be... Jealously?
I'm not jealous! Why would I be?
Rarity reached the far side of the pool, and the pegasus saw her friend reach for something beneath the surface. As she opened her mouth to ask the white mare if she needed assistance, Rarity stood up in the deep pool and laughed. It sounded like sleigh bells.
"There's a ledge over here, darling." Rarity explained, motioning towards where she sat. "If you wish, there's more than enough room for two."
Without a second thought, Rainbow Dash paddled over to her friend and felt around for this supposed ledge. After much struggling, she found where it began and pulled herself up with a great heave. She noticed that there was about an inch of water that swirled around her stomach.
"So, Rainbow Dash," Rarity began, scooping up small puddles of water and dousing herself, "how is your spa day?"
"Awesome." she said calmly. "I wouldn't want to spend it any other way."
The white unicorn blushed slightly- on other ponies the dusting of pink would have been invisible, but her snow-like coat magnified her feelings tenfold. Her long eyelashes fluttered, something Rainbow noticed she did often when she was embarrassed. "Really, Rainbow Dash? You're not just saying that, are you?" The unicorn chuckled softly. "I know how much you simply detest spas."
"Nope. I really am enjoying it."
Rarity pulled a few drops of water from the pool and shot them at Rainbow Dash's soft pelt, watching in delight as the pegasus turned on her with a confused glare. "You're just saying that!" she exclaimed, trying to talk in between fits of laughter.
Rainbow Dash growled playfully and flapped her nimble wings, sending a fair-sized wave towards her companion. Rarity shrieked in shock as the water deflated her perfectly combed mane, and she fell backwards off the ledge with a crash.
"I'm not!" Rainbow Dash argued.
When Rarity got her bearings and swam upwards, her coat was slick with moisture and her eyes twinkled deviously. "Then you most definitely not the real Rainbow Dash!" she laughed, launching herself off the ledge and into Rainbow's hooves. The pegasus squealed in terror as the ledge slipped away, but within a few moments her eyes focused on-
Her.
Rarity's face was twisted in a gleeful squeal, her tongue peeking out from behind her dainty, pure-white teeth like a serpent in a cage. Her mane waved wildly like a banner in the swift autumn air, a seemingly heavenly aura of water swirling around it whilst she fell.
There was no doubting it. Rarity was the personification of beauty, the one who shone brighter than the sun. She was the embodiment of generosity, grace...
She was the mare of her dreams.
Rarity's forehooves snuck along Rainbow Dash's lean shoulder blades until they found one another, like lovers destined to meet although they were on opposite sides of Equestria, and the mare embraced the pegasus with such force the former's heart stopped. For a single second, everything was at peace. Rarity's head hung limply on Rainbow's strong shoulder, the rest of her body ebbing passion, and the pegasus smiled and unfurled her wings in the depths of the pool.
I could drown here, Rainbow Dash thought, but would I care? I've got Rares beside me, and that's all I've ever wanted.
Her fleeting thought of drowning in the spa was forgotten as figures of light danced on her closed eyelids. She felt Rarity, scared like a foal, twitch and pull herself closer into her grasp.
Something hard slammed into Rainbow Dash's back, making her yell in response. All that came out was a few tiny bubbles that quickly swam to the top of the pool and exploded. She felt the two of them rising, rising from the deep pool into the harsh world they had left behind.
Sputtering, Rainbow Dash lifted her head out of the water and inhaled deeply, her hooves flailing as if she was a foal just learning how to swim. She couldn't hear very well over her retching, but it sounded like Rarity was the same way.
The sharp light on her sleepy corneas made the pegasus do a double take, and when she finally recovered she saw Aloe standing on the deck. Vera was beside her- Rainbow Dash wasn't sure how she felt about the earth pony being there. Her emotions were a tightly weaved tangle already, and she didn't have to add the wise yet supposedly elderly mare into the fray.
"Miss Rainbow Dash!" Aloe cried out. A long rope leading to the neon orange buoy behind Rainbow hung in her mouth. "Miss Rarity! What happened to you two?"
Vera said nothing, but behind the large canister she held was a slight smile.
Rarity paddled to the ledge and whipped her mane back and forth, a faint grin gracing her features as the moisture flew off her hair in thick dollops. The pool beneath her shivered with glee as the water returned to its homeland.
"It was just an accident, miss Aloe. Nothing to worry about." she said calmly, dipping her hoof into the water and stirring the surface. When the spa pony said nothing in response, Rarity lifted her finely sculpted head and gave a sweet smile. "It is perfectly fine, ladies. I don't want to come off as rude, but may we get on with the herbal bath? As lovely as this spa is, I'd like to get going before the weather decides otherwise."
Aloe raised an eyebrow, and her gaze darted to Rainbow Dash. The pegasus blinked, shrugged, then continued swimming.
"Whatever you say, miss Rarity." Aloe flicked her perfectly-groomed tail and turned to Vera, who gently shook the canister she held before spilling its contents into the pool. The light green dust exited the ceramic pot with a small cloud, and then began to seep into the water and let the liquid absorb it. Within a few moments, the once clear water became a cloudy shade of emerald.
Vera placed the container on the stairwell and looked over her shoulder at Rarity and Rainbow Dash. She began to descend, but before she touched the first step she turned back around to face the damp, cyan-colored pegasus.
"Remember what I said, Rainbow Dash." she said with a wink.
Before Rainbow Dash could say anything in response, Vera had vanished.
* * *
Rarity laid one hoof over the edge of the pool and rested her head on the other. She had asked Aloe to turn up the pool's heat just a little- the mare, as dear as she was to Rarity, had turned what was once a chilly sea into a frothing, hot-to-the-touch Jacuzzi. She didn't want to lash out at Aloe, especially considering her fragile emotional state, so the unicorn kept her mouth shut and silently broiled in the pool.
Rainbow Dash had become quiet, her strokes deeper and much more relaxed, rhythmic. Her eyes were a rosy pink, and her wings trembled at her sides. She had gone in circles for a while, saying nothing but mumbling every few minutes under her breath. Although Rarity was confused, she figured her companion was simply overwhelmed by all the luxurious pampering and needed a few moments to find her bearings. Until the pegasus mare showed signs of distress, Rarity would stay put.
Slowly, the white mare let her heavy eyelids flop over her eyes. The water was making her lethargic, as if it was stealing all the pent up energy inside her. She hadn't the faintest idea what time it was- early afternoon, perhaps?- and Aloe had departed a few minutes after she adjusted the temperature, so she couldn't ask her. For a moment, Rarity worried that she could be missing out on something grand- maybe a new customer, a Canterlot elite on her doorstep? Or perhaps the delivery of one of her endless commissions?
As spectacular as these events sounded, the enjoyment of them quickly disappeared. She delivered at least two dresses per week, and was no stranger to special guests asking for her fashions. These opportunities would have been quickly snatched up in her early days as a seamstress- now, they just seemed like hollow accomplishments, shells of their former selves. Nothing seemed to pique her interest.
Rarity glanced at Rainbow Dash, still staring blankly into space as she circled an imaginary prize in the middle of the pool. Giggling in spite of herself, Rarity took back her earlier thought.
I wouldn't want to spend this day any other way.
Suddenly, there was a loud banging in Rarity's ears. Sharp, high-pitched, seemingly electronic... The combination itself annoyed her, but it also terrified her. It almost sounded like a clock's endless ticking, except magnified. Although she knew she was just hallucinating, Rarity began to hyperventilate. The world turned on its side...
And Rainbow Dash stood up.
The pegasus mare was the embodiment of athleticism- her legs were long and lithe, not an inch of body fat lining her bones, and her wings were the envy of pegasi around Equestria. They shimmered with an unseen energy that coursed through her veins at the speed of sound, and a single flap of them propelled Rainbow Dash out of the water and onto the ledge with the grace of a gymnast. But out of all of these alluring features, Rarity was focused on one in particular- the look of absolute rage on the pegasus' face. She looked so radiant, so powerful, so...
"I can't believe you!" Rainbow Dash screeched, flaring those amazing wings. Her eyes blazed with a fire that Rarity had never seen ignited before; it terrified her.
"Why, Rainbow?" Rarity questioned, flattening her ears against her head. The water suddenly felt unsafe, as if there was a secret beneath the deep calm.
Rainbow Dash lashed out with a hoof, just missing Rarity's ear. The unicorn leaped backwards, eyes wide and fur upright. She opened her mouth to plead for an answer, but the pegasus' sharp tongue swiped the words away.
"I just can't believe you'd stoop so low, Rarity!" Rainbow fumed, slashing the air with her hooves. Thankfully for the white mare, her companion's actions were blinded by rage- no matter how hard she tried, none of the blows hit Rarity. "You knock me out, drag me to this stupid spa, and act like everything's okay? It's not okay, Rarity!"
"I did not drag you here!" Rarity retorted. "You came here on your own accord!"
"As if I'd believe that!"
Slowly, the Element of Generosity rose to her hooves and arched her back, standing tall over Rainbow Dash. She squared her shoulders and twitched an ear, trying her best to look intimidating. "Rainbow Dash," she began, "before you go about accusing me, I'd like to know your reasoning." It took all her strength to keep her voice level, to hold back the dam that blocked her salty tears.
I thought we had something, Dashie...
Rainbow Dash climbed onto the ledge. Her body language screamed her agitation louder than words ever could, and once she had a firm hold on the surface the pegasus straightened herself until he was at eye level with Rarity. As soon as those deep, beautiful eyes met Rarity's watery pair, the latter looked away in spite of herself. If they were savage, clawed beasts in the wild, Rarity would have certainly been attacked and eaten alive.
Perhaps being eaten alive would be a more pleasant experience then this.
"I've already told you, I don't like you like that! Have you forgotten all about Thursday, Rarity? I've already gone through this with you!"
Thursday
Rarity's sanity split in two. Both halves splintered until all that remained was a fine dust and a few small shards scattered around her mind. She felt as if she had been hit by a train, head-on, and ignored as the force knocked her into a snowdrift.
In your mind, your inner sanctum, nopony can hear you cry.
Rarity snapped, as did the fragile twigs that held up the dam. They cracked, spilling the tears down her cheeks like swift-moving rivers that twisted gracefully around her smooth cheeks. She didn't care what Rainbow Dash thought of her. She didn't care what Aloe thought of the usually demure unicorn, now sobbing like a foal in the herbal bath she begged for.
"Why can't you see?" Rarity bawled. "Why can't you see that I love you? You said the same not 24 hours ago! I thought... I thought we had something special, Rainbow Dash. No... I knew we had something! You were there! On the couch! With Sweetie Belle's cookies!"
The enraged pegasus' expression never faltered throughout Rarity's outburst. No moisture appeared at the edges of her luminous magenta eyes. She didn't even blink.
"You have to remember, Rainbow Dash!"
Rainbow Dash raised her lips in a fierce snarl. "What I do remember is that you're a crazy mare with a twisted plan to get me to fall for you! It's not workin' so well, now is it?"
Out of the corner of her blurry vision, Rarity saw a familiar pastel-pink coat and ice blue mane. She didn't acknowledge Aloe's presence, nor noticed Vera slowly climbing up the stairway with another buoy in tow.
"It's not a plan, Rainbow Dash! You were the one who came and knocked on my door! You're the one who begged me to come outside in the freezing snow and frolic with you!" The tears dropped into the herbal bath, the sound similar to sleigh bells. "If anypony is at fault here, it's yourself!"
"You couldn't be more wrong, Rarity." Rainbow Dash's voice became calm, and her eyes hardened. Her stance seemed to shift, but Rarity couldn't tell with all the tears in her eyes and undying adoration in her heart.
The pegasus leaped from the ledge to the very edge of the mountainous pool, wings spread, her body tense. She looked over her lean shoulder at the white unicorn. "I'm done with you." Rainbow Dash said, glaring.
Rarity let out a soft moan. She contemplated drowning in the deep water not too long ago. It seemed like a welcoming offer, now that she thought about it.
"Good luck with your dresses, and goodbye." With that, Rainbow Dash was gone, leaving in her wake a vibrant rainbow and many broken pots. Off in the distance, a window broke and the pegasus took off.
The Element of Generosity’s mouth was agape. Slowly, she gently pushed off of the ledge and paddled inward, towards Aloe and Vera. Both ponies shared the same combination of confusion, horror, and sympathy- Rarity didn't care for their words of comfort, so it didn't matter to her.
"Miss-" Aloe exclaimed. She was visibly shaking, something Rarity took no notice of.
Rarity bypassed the pretty spa pony and made her way to the winding staircase, head down and tail tucked between her legs.
Vera raised an eyebrow. "Rarity, is there something you'd like to-"
The unicorn snapped her head towards the pair of mares, trying to shield her moist eyes with a thick strand of purple mane. "No. I thank you dearly for the extraordinary pampering, but for now..."
She paused, looking at both of them in turn. "Now, I need to be alone." As soon as she was out of earshot, Rarity wailed and galloped at full speed down the stairs, out of the spa, and into the elements, leaving a trail of sloppy hoof prints and mascara.
* * *
She was merely a flash of color on the white canvas. A free spirit, uncontrollable and wild.
Why didn't she feel like any of these?
Rainbow Dash felt the weight of Rarity's words on her shoulders, and she longed to take a sharp turn and drop them onto the back of somepony else. She felt uncontrollable, but in her emotions more than anything- one minute she thought of slamming her hooves into a nice, fluffy cloud, the next the only thing she wanted to do was curl up and cry.
Rainbow Dash... doesn't cry!
She tried to reassure herself that Rarity was just being herself- the overzealous, graceful unicorn she knew and...
The pegasus screamed and shoved her head into a stray thundercloud. The moisture inside chilled her bones and made her teeth chatter. Still she couldn't take her mind off of Rarity's luminous eyes...
Ugh!
Rainbow Dash demolished the thundercloud with a swift swipe of her wings. She braced for an onslaught of pain as she shouldered herself into a cloud containing the beginnings of hail. The tiny, frozen droplets stung against her tender skin, but still Rainbow Dash couldn't clear her mind.
I don't love Rarity! I don’t even like Rarity right now!
Vera's words echoed in her head. No matter what you come across, Rainbow, you have to think about what's really important in life. And when you figure out what's genuinely important to you? Stick with it. Remember it. Don't ever forget it.
Rainbow Dash felt an unearthly tingle edge down her spine, setting all her cyan fur on edge. What was really important to a pegasus with the open sky as her only lifelong companion?
Another companion.
Blinking quickly, Rainbow Dash destroyed the hail cloud and decided to head south- far from Rarity, far from the accursed spa, far from everything. She needed a clean slate, and she wouldn't get anywhere if she had her head in the clouds.
* * *
Leaning heavily against the wall of the spa, Rarity took deep breaths and tried to comprehend what had happened. She was in this exact spa with the mare of her dreams, then the beautiful pegasus yelled at her and she bawled like a newborn foal in front of Aloe and Vera.
And here she was, outside, the snow buffeting her mane and tussling it around like a foal's toy. She didn't care. Rarity already looked like a bum, just soliciting by the spa and lamenting about her sadness- what use did her mane serve?
The door beside her opened, and the smell of bath salts and the sound of bells chiming flowed out. While Rarity's tired eyes adjusted to the bright lights of the Ponyville Spa, a yellow-coated mare with equally tired eyes stepped out.
"Come on in, Rarity. You're always welcome." Vera rasped, motioning towards the warm lobby.
Rarity gratefully nodded and got to her shaky hooves, and followed Vera inside. She sighed as sweet warmth tickled her hooves, prying away the ice that had covered them while she was out in the cold. She had no idea how long she was outside- an hour, maybe?- but she was beyond thankful to enter the steamy spa again. She hadn't felt this warm since last night, with Rainbow Dash snuggling next to her on the plush couch...
I'll have to donate that loveseat soon. I just can't look at it the same way ever again.
They walked past the lobby, and Rarity almost whined at the prospect of the soft seats and intriguing magazines passing by. But she needed at least a shred of dignity left by the end of the day, didn't she?
Vera led them behind the front desk, beyond the garden of flowers, and into a room far behind the spa itself. The walls were a dull grey, the chairs stained with coffee and tea, and the table was covered with a thick sheet of dust. The only color in the room, Rarity noticed, came from a single bright red flower nestled in a clear vase on the table.
Vera cleared her throat and glided to the other side of the room, where three rusted machines sat on an equally dusty countertop. She reached for two foam cups, legs visibly trembling, and looked over her shoulder at Rarity, who still stood in the doorway.
"Sit down, Rarity. Give me a minute and we can talk. This is the break room, by the way. Fancy, right?" Vera explained with a hint of sarcasm, one cup in her teeth and the other already under a machine. "We've got hot chocolate, coffee, and tea. Choose your poison."
Bemused, the unicorn sat in one of the seats and laid her front hooves over the hoofrests. "What kind of coffee, dear?" she called.
"Uh," Vera paused to examine the label on a machine, "Fully caffeinated. Can you handle it?"
"Oh, believe me dear," Rarity moaned, "I do need the caffeine. The coffee sounds absolutely lovely."
“It is.” the mare replied.
Vera pressed a small button on the side of the largest machine, gingerly placed the foam cup under the nozzle, then placed her own under a different nozzle and went through the same method. The sharp scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, and in spite of herself, Rarity began to drool.
Before long Vera returned to the table carrying both drinks. After Rarity had a firm magical grip on her coffee, she retreated to the seat opposite of herself and took a long sip of her beverage.
"What do you have, Vera?" Rarity asked in between swigs of the glorious, hot drink.
"Hot chocolate. They say the best is brewed in Manehatten, you know."
"I'm familiar with that. I've yet to try some for myself, though." Rarity savored the feeling of piping hot coffee snaking down her throat, brightening her sour mood.
"Yeah, it's been on my to-do list for a while now." Vera said. Her voice was shaky and uncertain.
Concerned, Rarity set her cup on the table. "What's wrong, Vera? You don't look very well."
Vera smiled, the edges of her face wrinkling and cracking. "Truth be told, Rarity, I'm not a young mare. I try my best not to show it in public, but really, on the inside-" she poked her chest for emphasis- "I'm an old geezer." She coughed.
Rarity winced. She knew the spa pony was older than she, but she hadn't thought that she was around Granny Smith's age. Vera was quite the actress, she had to admit.
"Now, tell me about what happened today. I’m genuinely curious." the yellow mare said, nuzzling her foam cup. After she had her fill, she rested her head in a hoof and motioned for Rarity to begin.
Painful thoughts edged their way into her mind. Memories of that blue Pegasus with the cute eyes, lucid fantasies that should never be said aloud. "It's a long story." said the unicorn, staring into her cup. Maybe it held the answers to her problems.
"We've got time." Vera pressed. A sly smile darted across her cheeks.
Rarity sighed and glanced at the floor, then the ceiling. Summoning all her memories, the highs of her life and the lows, she let it all out.
Hours later, Vera stood up, yawned, and trotted over to the stoic machines. Humming a little ditty from her foalhood, she refilled her cup to the brim, lay in her chair, and took a curious sip. Her eyes twinkled. "Sounds like you've gone through a lot of drama recently, Rares."
Rarity cringed. Rainbow Dash was the only pony who called her that, but she said nothing out loud to the mare. "Exactly. Can you..." She fought for the right word. "...Decipher some of that, I guess? What it means?"
"No can do, Rarity, but I think I might know something you'll want to hear 'bout." Vera explained, motioning for the Element of Generosity to lean towards her. Once the two were only a few hairs apart, she began.
"So this Rainbow Dash pony? I was out on my break late Thursday night, and I was walking around the spa. During the holidays, there's a lot of ponies who come in just to unwind from all the stress- meaning I have to work long hours, no raise, no nothing. But anyway, it was so late at night that there was a huge fog that had rolled in. I lost my way and ended up along the edge of the Everfree Forest, ready to collapse into a nice fluffy chair.
"Before I could try to venture back to the spa, I saw a flash of color between the thick trees- I’m pretty sure that was her, that rainbow mane is so noticeable. Like any pony in the right mind would do, I crept deeper into the forest and followed this pony. She was sobbing- heck, she left a trail of water deep enough for me to sink my hooves into- and screaming a lot. Poor thing kept running into trees, but she didn't stop galloping. I thought I heard her screaming about a 'stupid, stupid unicorn temptress,' but I could be wrong."
Rarity blushed. She snapped to attention when Vera snorted loudly.
"Anyway, this pony decided that she'd take a sudden detour, and she burst into a huge field of poison joke. Horrible, horrible stuff. She actually tripped over a tendril, landed on a patch of flowers, and got up a few times before she finally made her way out." she continued. "I tried following her further, but I knew that I'd get yelled at by Lotus if I didn't get my flank back by the end of my break. Last I saw her, she was bawling her eyes out in the deepest part of the Everfree. She must've been alright, though, or she wouldn't have come here." Vera exhaled deeply, coughed a couple of times, and reached for her hot chocolate.
Meanwhile, the gears in Rarity's head were turning at the speed of sound. She recalled what Twilight Sparkle had mentioned about poison joke so long ago- "Poison joke is a curious plant. It plays practical jokes, which manifest as physical afflictions. Sometimes the joke is on another pony, though."
Suddenly, everything fit together, like a challenging puzzle. Rarity's eyes widened with understanding.
"This was on Thursday evening, correct?" she asked.
Vera nodded.
"And the herbal bath was invented by Zecora, in order to cure a pony of poison joke?"
"Indeed." Vera responded, watching intently as the unicorn pieced her evidence together. When Rarity's eye met her own, she cracked a tiny grin. "When Aloe and I were putting that lotion on earlier," she said, her greedy tongue licking the hot chocolate from her lips, "I told her that you always need to know what's important in life. Perhaps you should take that to heart, too."
For a fleeting moment, the world was at peace. Rarity had uncovered the reason behind Rainbow Dash's irrational behavior, Vera had her delicious hot chocolate, and everything was peaceful. A strange calm washed over Rarity, and she smiled and leaned back in her chair, feeling the fabric give as she wriggled around. She felt the familiar moisture at the corner of her eyelids, but was strong enough to hold it back.
"I can't thank you enough, Vera." said Rarity, her words slurred with happiness. "For everything. The spa treatment, the coffee, this talk... You didn't have to, yet here we are."
"Aw, don't get all sentimental on me." Vera chuckled, drinking the last of her second cup of hot chocolate. Taking a long look at the inside of her cup, empty and cold, to the machines, she got to her hooves.
"Vera, dear?"
The spa pony stopped mid-step and swiveled to face Rarity. "Yes?"
A cup surrounded by a light blue aura was levitated over to the yellow mare. Rarity smiled, her teeth shining- something they hadn't done for a long time.
"Could I have a refill too, darling? If you don't mind, I'd like to stay a little longer." Rarity asked sheepishly.
Vera giggled and grasped the cup with her mouth. "Any special reason? It can't be my good looks, that's for sure."
"Oh, I just have some things I'd like to talk about."
"Sounds good to me." Vera responded, setting the cups down on the counter.
While the spa pony refilled her cup with liquid glee, Rarity set her hooves on the dusty tabletop and stared at the ceiling, imagining that the wear and tear wasn't there. Instead of torn tiles, there was a lithe, light blue pegasus looking down at her sweetly.
