A dull thudding came at the edge of Rarity's consciousness prompting her to gurgle through the sieve of sleep. The unicorn kicked one back leg and rolled in the chair on the veranda where she had fallen asleep. Another jarring set of thuds caused a more guttural response and Rarity barked some unintelligible declarative from her mostly asleep state. It wasn't until a piercingly high pitched voice began to wail depressingly that her eyes opened and she confirmed her surroundings.

Rarity groaned and sat up from the reclined chair, her spine popping and aching in protest to the unusual sleeping place. The purple maned mare whined and stroked her cramping back as she looked over the edge of the deck to see her parents and little sister waiting below.

"Now dear, Rarity is a very busy mare. I'm sure she'll be here in a moment, she promised to look after Sweetie Belle while we're away," Rarity's mother was saying to her father.

"I know, but we don't want to be late for the train. You should have let Sweetie just start her stay after the party last night. We don't really have time to wait." He was easy-going but disliked being late for anything and they would be pushing it to make it to the train station on time as it was.

"I wanted to stay! I love spending the night with Rarity. She's so much fun. I hope she gets home. I've been looking forward to this for weeks." Sweetie Belle's voice was what had awakened Rarity. When Sweetie was upset, her voice took on a sour quality like metal being shredded by a squalling cat on a chalkboard. It was the kind of noise that could eat at one's mental stability.

"I know but it was her birthday and I don't know what she does with those friends of hers. I thought she'd find a nice stallion by now but maybe she's more acquainted with those friends of hers than we need to know about. We have to give her personal time too, dear," her mother answered her father.

Rarity's face flushed with embarrassment and shame. She didn't need to hear her parents speculating on her love life or the reason she didn't have a stallion yet. She quickly called down from the balcony, "I'm here. I'm sorry; I was up rather late with Applejack and didn't wake up on time. I'll be right down." Great, that was exactly the right string of words to clear up doubts about her sexuality.

The mare rushed downstairs, forgetting her cosmetic remodeling for the moment. She had forgotten that Sweetie would be staying with her for the next week while her parents were away on vacation. Sweetie had, apparently, enjoyed her stay so much the last time that she would rather spend her time with Rarity than laying on a beach somewhere. It seemed odd to the elegant mare, but it was important for her to be a role model for her younger sister, even if it meant subjecting oneself to a week of chattering, questions, and foalish games.

Rarity stepped to the door, pausing a moment to straighten out her aching spine and slick down her wildly protruding mane. She was a sight this morning, she was sure, but it was only her parents and sister; she may not like appearing so disheveled for any reason but at least the only ones to regard her in such an unfashionable state would be those who were sworn to secrecy through the bonds of familial ties. The only one she may have to threaten would be her sometimes troublesome younger sister. She all to angrily remembered the Gabby Gums incident and rolled her hoof across her velvety mane again, sighing deeply just as she took the handle in her magical caress, forcing a winning smile to play across her lips. "Mother, Father, it's so nice to see you this morning. Oh, I do apologize for my poor manners and appearance. Applejack stayed rather late and I, regretfully, awoke on the veranda."

"Rarity, it's fine. We've not been waiting too long and..."

"We have to go! We're going to be late!" her father interrupted.

"Oh, stop. You always worry so much. Rarity, honey, about last night. I know the things that that awful pink pony said were …" Rarity's mother stopped in mid-sentence and a strange look overcame her features as if she were about to say something terribly out of character or had just realized how far down her throat she had stuffed her hoof. Rarity couldn't help but wonder what her mother had started to say. The slightly gray unicorn laughed awkwardly and flirted her eyes to her father for some indication of explanation but only met a very taxed and obsessing stallion.

From somewhere below Sweetie Belle giggled and gazed up at her older sister, struck with a short fit of jubilescense. Rarity furrowed her brows as she attempted to understand the reactions of her family and nervously echoed her awkward laughter once more.

"Rarity! You must have slept on your face because something left a big sleep welt across your face!" the young candy-maned filly chortled through laughter.

"Oh! Well … I suppose sleeping in a lawn chair isn't the most beauty inducing …" Rarity was cut off quickly by her mother, a crude behavior in which she had not previously been known to commit.

"I'm sure that's what it is. Just a sleep welt, nothing else. So, don't you worry, honey. It's just a little sleep welt." Something in the way she spoke sounded off and Rarity felt a pang of unease settle somewhere in the membranes of her mind.

"Now! We gotta go! Sweetie, have fun with your sister. Rarity, we love you. Watch your sister and make sure she doesn't get into trouble. Darling, we can't afford to waste any more time!" With an only slightly friendly nudge, the stallion ushered his wife away from the door, forcing her to walk away from their children and towards the train station. All the while, her mother craned her neck with concern to her oldest daughter, something that Rarity grew more restless about.

Maybe she thought Applejack had struck her or something … ? Goodness, it was bad enough that they were speculating on her preference of gender, but to conclude that she had so little confidence in herself as to let any possible interest abuse her? Perhaps she should try harder to find a nice stallion. She was thirty now and, although she didn't want to think about it anymore, her looks weren't going to stay in such condition forever.

Temporarily shelving her thoughts into the recesses of her mind, Rarity put on her best award-winning smile as she began to help carry in her sister's luggage from the front door.

After Sweetie Belle had finished helping Rarity place her belongings in the guest bedroom, the filly began to leap up and down on the queen-sized mattress while laughing with the kind of unrestrained, hyperactive merriment that only a foal could manage. "Alright! I've been waiting for this since school got out! We're gonna have so much fun!" The physical manifestation of excitement incarnate inched higher and higher into the air, slowly increasing the risk of ramming her horn into the ceiling and getting stuck like a disco-ball, all while running her mouth at speeds that would have rivaled Pinkie's.

"Oh, I can't wait to see what sort of cool stuff we're gonna do together! We could go rock climbing, skydiving, swimming, oh, we could even braid each other's manes! I brought some scissors, some glue, and everything!"

A lump formed in the back of the winsome unicorn's throat. The very thought of her resplendent mane at the mercy of Sweetie Belle was enough to make her nauseous. It had been blatantly clear for some time now that the two were long overdue for a sister to sister talk about what was and was NOT acceptable behavior for a young mare, but activities that exposed a pony to the elements? This was something taboo on the highest caliber.

"Right, I think a little heart to heart is in order. I'm going to go freshen up a little. In the meantime, do be a dear and stop jumping on the bed. It's very unladylike."

Sweetie Belle seemed to pause mid-air for a few seconds as her big sister excused herself from the guest bedroom. Upon closing the door and trotting down the hallway within the upper levels inside the Carousel Boutique, Rarity could swear that she heard more foalish giggles coming from the little filly. What was she laughing about? Suddenly, she recalled what had happened when her family had arrived a few short minutes ago. Sweetie and her mother both had mixed emotions about her … 'sleep welt'.

Something was definitely amiss here. If it was just a sleep welt then what reason did her mother have to look so worried? Even more puzzling, why did Sweetie find it so humorous? Her pace quickened as all sorts of possible explanations began to take root; none of them were pleasant.

Her thoughts were immediately thrown off course by the ocean of disorder that her boudoir was presently in. Empty wine glasses and carelessly shuffled furniture laid strewn about everywhere. Inspecting her face could wait for a few minutes. Besides, she was sure that she could fix whatever was wrong with a few layers of powder. She wouldn't stand for having other ponies thinking that she lived like some sort of irresponsible slob.

One by one, the empty glasses and scattered furniture were enveloped in a light blue magical aura. Her organizational skills had been refined thanks to years of designing clothing. Her profession demanded nothing less than a sharp eye for detail, grace, and, more importantly, photographic memory. The pale unicorn's ability to recollect previously seen patterns was so thorough that she likely could have reassembled the entire room blindfolded.

With the exception of the wine glasses, the room was just as spotless as it was before her birthday fiasco. Rarity beamed in content as she took it all in. This was how all living spaces were supposed to look, the epitome of beauty and elegance, just like her.

Rarity now stood in the kitchen, washing and putting away the dirty dishes. She was almost done, but her thoughts continued to drift back to Sweetie Belle and her mother. The feeling of not knowing what it was that they were so fixated on had become unbearable. She couldn't fight the urge any longer. Her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her. After cleaning and drying the next glass, she slowly brought it over to her face, turning her head from side to side as she gazed into the reflective surface of the wine flute, casting her astute eye for detail across her own visage.

"Hmm ... I don't see anything that calls for alarm. What did they -" her thoughts were derailed in the next instant that followed. No, it … it couldn't be! This … this had to be some sort of mistake!

Her hoofsteps echoed down the hallway as the panicked unicorn darted through the Boutique in a desperate search for a mirror. She finally found one sitting on her front desk. She reached one shaky hoof forward and brought it close. Her breath caught in her lungs, painfully turning to ice as she tried to let out a scream. Her body went numb as complete paralysis overtook her slender frame. For a moment, she lost all sense of self awareness, the mirror slipped silently, going unnoticed, causing it to shatter upon impact. Sweetie raced from upstairs; nimble but full of youth, she made quite the raucous as she flew down the stairs to discover the source of the commotion.

"Uh, Rarity? What just fell?" the voice of the youngster crescendoed and broke in typical fashion.

Rarity didn't notice, lost in abashed horror. "It … it's there. N- no … not. Wr-wri- …"

Sweetie was struck with profound disconcertment. Rarity gawked in such a manner unbecoming with her conventions it seemed caustic and momentarily spread to the filly. Her words were nearly devoid of emotion as Rarity seemed foregone of rationale. "Um, are you okay Rarity?"

Sweetie Belle slowly backed away as Rarity's eyes began to dilate and the corners of her mouth stretched into a sinister smile, followed by nervous laughter which then transformed into a quiet whimper. "A wrinkle … I'm … I'm …" 'Rarity! You must have slept on your face because something left a big sleep welt across your face!'

The Element of Generosity began to clench her teeth together as the image of her sister poking fun at her flashed into her mind. "No!"

'I'm sure that's what it is. Just a sleep welt, nothing else. So, don't you worry, honey. It's just a sleep welt.' "No! No! No! This isn't fair!"

"Oh, you mean that wrinkle on your -"

Rarity suddenly burst to life and fixed Sweetie Belle with a sinister glare, which then shifted into a harmonious smile. She slowly made her way over to her sister at a slow and methodical pace. "You know what? There's no need to even worry about this, ungodly blemish." Rarity began to rub the side of her cheek. "No, it doesn't matter at all. This is just a minor setback." She began to giggle in a way that reminded Sweetie Belle of miss Pinkie Pie. "I'm too beautiful to age like this. I WILL purge my radiant face of this grotesque marking if it's the last thing I do ..."

Rarity's smile was demented, the crutch of calamity, as she twisted her head towards the filly. Sweetie felt the tingling of a thousand needles pricking her soft filly flesh. That look in Rarity's eyes brought goosebumps to burst from her skin, a shiver breaking through her. She felt apprehensive, the week of excitement suddenly melting from her mind and solidifying as a bristling mistake. She needed to dissuade the unicorn's intentions. She knew this on an instinctive level, regarding her previous remarks as boundaries not to have been crossed. "I … I think you are so pretty, Rarity. You can't even notice it."

Rarity's eyes seemed to hinge themselves, the pin-prick pupils opened and the unsettling grin softened to a disheartened but controlled state and the soft gray unicorn looked apologetically, but concerned, at the filly. "Sweetie, I … I need to do something. Please entertain yourself for a while." She spouted her words hastily and with little more than a glance Rarity dashed from the room.

Sweetie Belle found herself able to breathe again, her lungs burning and yet a cold sensation had engulfed her mind. She needed to pee. Her legs shook slightly and she slowly fought to walk with stability upstairs to the room she would inhabit for the next week. Sweetie loved her sister, had thought it comical when she discovered the crow's foot at the corner of her eye. Despite Rarity's staunch belief in beauty and elegance, Sweetie had never imagined her sister would become so distant and … somewhat unhinged. She felt a poignant regret and wished she had never made a peep. She silently hoped Rarity would overcome the wrinkle that had grown. She loved her sister and the depth in which Rarity had responded shook the filly and cast gray gloom through her heart. She closed the door to her temporary bedroom and climbed into bed, snuggling under the blankets that gave no warmth, and hoped for Rarity's quick resolution.

The front doors of the Boutique flew open, forcefully snapping Sweetie Belle from out of the sorry state that she'd been in for the past seven hours. The small filly had been ridden with guilt ever since her sister had rushed off to Celestia knows where to do Celestia knows what. During her time alone, she thought up a series of apologies to say to Rarity. She knew that her sister was extremely self-conscious about her appearance; after All, she'd seen the way that she reacted to miss Pinkie Pie's remarks at the party.

When the doors opened, followed by the unmistakable sound of her sister's voice, Sweetie Belle smiled and raced downstairs. The filly even had a nice and well-written apology speech memorized and ready to go. Wiping away at her tear stained face, she bolted down the hallways and slid down the rails on the staircase, coming to a smooth landing on the floor below. "Hi, Rarity! Welcome … back …" the enthusiasm in her voice slowly fading.

Her speech, her genuine apology, her plans to spend the rest of her stay showing Rarity how sorry she was, all of it was forgotten at the sight of her sister lugging around a heavy looking bag filled with some very expensive looking moisturizers, facial creams, and other assorted beauty products.

"Oh, hello Sweetie Belle!" Rarity said in an almost overly cheerful tone in between wiping the sweat from her face with a piece of cloth. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to get back. I promise to fix you a nice dinner in just a few minutes." She set the bag down and collapsed into a chair so that she could catch her breath. "You won't believe how long the wait was for the train to Canterlot."

Sweetie Belle's eyes widened and she took a single step back out of disbelief. "Canterlot? You went all the way down to Canterlot?!"

"That's right!" Rarity's voice crescendoed to a whimsical height, mixed with excitement and desperation. "And it was well worth the trip and all of the bits that had to spend! I was able to get my hooves on some of the rarest and finest beauty supplies that Equestria has to offer! There should be at least one thing in this bag that'll take care of my … 'problem'. I'll be back to my normal, beautiful, self in no time!"

After the frequency between her heavy gasps for air had thinned out, she sat back up and smiled at Sweetie Belle. "By the way, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could help me lift this upstairs."

The filly's ears flattened against the sides of her face as her guilt came back in full swing. Rarity was still upset about the wrinkle. 'Of course she's still upset, you idiot,' Sweetie Belle mused. Well, at least she seemed to be in a better mood. Maybe there was still hope for them to still have some fun together after the wrinkle was gone. Until then, she'd do whatever it took to make her big sister happy again.