It all began with the hugs. Pinkie Pie is a very physical pony, so getting a hug from her was not unusual. In fact, she has a rather tenuous grasp on the concept of ‘personal space’, so getting a long, full body contact sort of hug was not unusual either.

The unusual thing about these hugs was something so small and subtle that not many ponies would notice it. Neither Applejack, nor Rainbow Dash, nor even dear Fluttershy would see anything unusual. I think only Twilight and myself possess the necessary attention to detail, and I do not think Twilight would recognize it for what it was without other factors to back it up.

The unusual thing was that Pinkie would hug me just a little more often and for just a little bit longer than anypony else. It was a small discrepancy to be sure, but in the end, it made all the difference.

Once I had taken notice, I began to look for other signs. Looking forward as well as searching my memory, I began to notice a pattern. Pinkie seemed to favor standing next to me, even when she had no reason to actively hug me. She seemed to be making an effort to spend more time with me on a regular basis. I even wondered about Pinkie’s having stranding us in the Appleloosan desert, was that related? Did this start so long ago?

Of course, I could not be positive from such circumstantial evidence, but it did seem that Pinkie Pie harbored a crush, and I was the object of her affection. And yet, if that were true, there had to be more to the story. Pinkie Pie is a very outgoing pony and not normally given to subtlety. If she did yearn for me, but had not made that fact immediately clear, there must have been a very good reason behind it.

The very first thought to come to my mind was not a very likely one, but it did turn out important in its own way. You see, as a relatively new settlement in the grand expanse of Equestria, many prosperous Ponyville families are related to each other. Applejack and I share a connection by marriage, a great great uncle of mine married a great great aunt of hers, on the Orange side of her family, I believe. Pinkie and I, however, share a remote connection by blood. Twilight discovered during a research project some time after her coronation that we share a common ancestor seven generations in the past.

Some further thought convinced me that this could not explain Pinkie’s actions. Her odd behavior began some considerable time before our connection was discovered. Nor did the matter worry me, such a small connection is enough to feel a touch sentimental perhaps, but is trivial otherwise. It is rumored that the nobility actively encourages much closer connections, which I find believable.

That idle thought about the Canterlot nobles brought up another consideration. Perhaps Pinkie Pie believed I was only interested in stallions. Stallions have long been my strong preference, but I am not immune to the charms of mares. Flirting with young bucks is easy when you put as much thought into your appearance as I do, but it is not satisfying. All give and no take. Mares are more interesting, mares flirt back and then it becomes a challenge. I adore a challenge.

I considered the situation. Pinkie is a sweetheart, even if she can be somewhat unusual at times. Unless I was misreading the signs, she was making an effort to show me a little extra affection and enjoy a little more of my presence in a most un-Pinkie-like fashion. Having decided, I set out to return the gesture in kind and gauge her reaction before finally bringing the issue into the open. The results were startling to say the least.

“Thanks for inviting me over Rarity! I love having tea parties with my friends!”

“You’re quite welcome, darling. Though, I must confess, I had a reason for inviting you over beyond sharing some tea.”

“Ooh, what is it? Is it something fun?”

“Mmm, perhaps. I wonder if you might confirm or deny a suspicion of mine.”

“Gossip? Ooh, is it juicy? Who’s it about?”

“Well... It’s about you and myself actually.”

“Gasp and shock!”

“You see darling, I’ve noticed that you seemed to be making somewhat of an effort lately to be closer to me.”

For what I believe is the first time since I’ve known her, Pinkie had nothing to say and simply stared blankly at me.

“Please understand, darling, I shall take no offense either way. You seemed to be happy when I tried to respond in kind, but I could just as easily have misread the signs. I merely seek confirmation one way or the other.”

I feared I may have been too blunt, but for reasons unknown at the time, Pinkie Pie was much more fearful than I. If anything, I would have expected anger, but there was no malice, just fear.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no... Stupid, stupid curse. You weren’t supposed to figure it out.” Her mane and tail drooped from their usual exuberant curls, laying flat and dull against her as she backed across the floor. She looked frightened as if I were a large predator, ready to strike.

“Pinkie, wait, please...” I tried in vain to call her back, but she fled through the door.

As the bell hit the floor with a sad tinkling sound, I heard Pinkie’s parting words echo in my head as she galloped away in tears. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you, Rarity.” It was several hours before I could bring myself to move from that spot.

“Rarity, please tell me you’ve seen Pinkie Pie. She hasn’t been seen for several days now and the townsponies are starting to go a little nuts.”

“I’m afraid I haven’t, Twilight...”

“Do you have any clues at all? I mean at least the weather isn’t all haywire this time, but Rainbow Dash can’t keep everyone happy with clear skies for much longer or we’ll have a drought on our hooves... Um, are you okay, Rarity? You’re looking kinda down.”

“No, darling. I’m afraid Pinkie’s disappearance may be my fault.”

“Your fault?! How?”

“Pinkie became infatuated with me, at least I believe so. I attempted to confirm my suspicions, with full intent to reciprocate if I was right, but something about the situation frightened her beyond all reckoning. She fled in tears and... and I have n-no idea where...”

I had spent the previous several days in a perpetual fog, not wanting to believe what had happened. Relating the story finally made it very real. I did not even have the energy to summon my chaise lounge, I broke down sobbing upon Twilight.

Some time later, Twilight was still comforting me in my doorway when Fluttershy returned with news. She and several other non-weather certified pegasi had been sent to scout for Pinkie.

“Twilight, I found her. She’s safe at least, on her family’s rock farm, but she says she won’t come back to Ponyville.”

“What?! Did she say why not?”

“She said that she hurt Rarity and she’s afraid that they can’t be friends anymore and that she’s better off living with her curse on the rock farm so she doesn’t end up hurting any more ponies.”

“Hurt me? I was afraid I’d hurt her. And that’s the second time she’s mentioned a curse. Was that all?”

“I’m sorry, Rarity. She definitely didn’t seem like herself. I had to listen through a lot of nonsense just to get that much out of her.”

None of this was making sense, but this supposed curse had to be the connection to get to the bottom of it. I wiped away my tears, set my jaw and stood up, removing myself from Twilight’s embrace. “Twilight, Fluttershy, please excuse me. I am not sure exactly what is wrong with Pinkie Pie, but I seem to have caused it and I intend to make it right. I have a rock farm to visit... just as soon as I fix my mane and makeup.”

“Pinkamena Diane Pie! You have another visitor!”

Pinkie looked up from where she sat, forlornly chipping at a rock with a pickaxe clenched in her teeth. She gave a cry of surprise when she saw me and took off running. I wasted no time galloping after her, I intended to solve this mystery. Pinkie was clearly not herself, she ran without using any of her little tricks, but she was still an Earth pony and it showed. I was hard pressed to keep up, let alone catch her.

“Pinkie, please stop! I just want to talk!”

“I can’t! I messed everything up and let you figure it out and now you’re going to hate me and that makes me a horrible friend!”

“You’re not making any sense! I don’t hate you!”

“But you will! My stupid curse is going to make you hate me, all because I couldn’t help myself.”

Pinkie’s tears returned and she seemed to be having trouble keeping her speed up because of it. I seized my opportunity as I caught up to Pinkie’s tail, leaping into the air and pushing off against the ground with my telekinesis, I landed squarely on her back and tackled her to the ground. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

As soon as Pinkie stopped struggling and I caught my breath, I spoke up. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but I was still pinning her to the ground. “Pinkie, I don’t hate you, I just want to figure out why you’ve been acting so strangely. Just what is this curse you keep mentioning for one thing?”

Pinkie would not meet my gaze, her head turned to the side, but she did answer. “My dad was never very happy that I didn’t have a rock cutie mark,” she began in a dull voice, “and he was especially not happy when I left the farm. He cursed me when I left so that nopony would ever love me for real unless they have some kind of rock cutie mark.

“I didn’t believe him, but it’s true. All the coltfriends and fillyfriends I ever had broke up with me.” Pinkie’s eyes began to well up with tears. “I t-tried so hard not to, but you’re so pretty and hard working and confident, I f-fell in love with you, Rarity. I thought maybe I’d be okay if I just s-stood close to you or gave you a little extra hug sometimes. I c-could love you and you’d n-never know, so you’d n-never end up h-hating me, but you f-figured it out...” Pinkie was sobbing uncontrollably by now and yet, I couldn’t help but smile. The answer was right in front of her and she hadn’t seen it.

I lay down with Pinkie, no longer pinning her, but holding her and stroking her mane. The dirt could go to Tartarus, I had a loved one to comfort. When she had finally cried herself out, I held her close and kissed a relatively clean part of her forehead.

“Pinkie, my darling, is that all?”

“Is that ALL!?” Pinkie seemed shocked at my question, but I forestalled her with a gentle hoof pressed to her muzzle.

“Pinkie, do you recall Twilight’s discovery that we have a common ancestor?” I pressed on as she nodded. “My father is an Earth pony from a family of miners.” As I lit up my horn, the scattered geode deposits growing on the rock farm became visible through the earth. I made a sweeping gesture with my hoof, drawing Pinkie’s eyes to the three diamonds on my flank. To my everlasting relief, Pinkie’s mane and tail regained their usual cotton candy curls and her eyes lit up just as bright as my horn as she hugged me tightly.

Author's Notes:

This one borrows from BOTH of my favorite places to pick ideas from.

The idea of Rarity and AJ having a family connection comes from TheLastBrunnenG's The Rustic and The Romantic. I extended the concept to Rarity and Pinkie, as my headcanon on the rock farm is that they grow geodes there via the ever mysterious Earth Pony Magic(tm).

The idea of Pinkie's curse came directly from bookplayer, and the whole fic itself is an attempt to apply lots of the advice from that same forum thread.