Chapter III

“He’s checking y’out, missy.”

“Shut up, you’re trying to fuck up my shot.”

“Naw, he’s really checking y’out, maybe ya’ll oughta stop leanin’ s’far over that table.”

“Mmhm, let me just pocket this.” The clack of the glossy billiard balls sounded like a small gunshot and both Rarity and Applejack watched the colorful spheres ricochet around the green table. 3 slid precariously close to the left center pocket, but held its ground mere centimeters from the abyss.

“Son of a bitch, that’s not right.” Rarity brought her face close to the ball. It suddenly dropped into the pocket and vanished from sight.

“That’s cheatin’, y’breathed on the thing!” Applejack said indignantly.

“Ha, I did no such thing. And if you’re going to accuse me of cheating, you’d better catch up on your shots.” Rarity slapped a glass of rum down onto the pool table. The farm pony squinted at it.

“Whut in the hell is that? Some kahnda shoe polish?” She lifted the glass cautiously.

“Nope, I chose rum. Drink up.” Rarity retorted. AJ lifted the glass tentatively, then downed the contents with a sharp toss of her head. She coughed once, then pounded on her chest.

“Auck, that burns, whut in the hell do ya’ll drink shit like that fer?” AJ asked in disgust. Rarity laughed and tossed her the cue.

“Your shot farm girl. Maybe if you lean enough you can get his wingman to check you out.” Rarity jabbed. Applejack said nothing, but focused on her shot. She was motionless for a few seconds, then her arm pulled back and shot forward as if she were stabbing somepony. 6 and 10 were instantly swallowed into a pocket and 4 disappeared moments later. AJ handed the cue to Rarity.

“Yer’ up squirt. And we drink cider for mah turn.” She walked to order the next round of alcohol, leaving Rarity to formulate a winning strategy. She had forgotten how good Applejack was at pool, a short trek around the table showed just how good the orange mare was. Her opponent returned with her cider.

“This’s what real ponies drink, y’might want to sit down fer this, ah know how y’keep yer liquor.” She toyed. Rarity snatched the minute glass from Applejack and swallowed the cider. It dropped down her throat like acid and burned in her stomach. Fuck that was hard stuff! Her head drifted about for an instant, then her equilibrium returned and she steadied herself for her next shot.

She knew he was watching; Snips’ was entirely focused on another mare, and he was across the room, but he was checking her out. The cue connected solidly and a chain reaction sent 7 bouncing around the velvet, but nowhere near a pocket. Rarity tossed the cue to Applejack.

“I’m still drinking you under the table.” She called to her friend as she waded through the crowd to the bar. Applejack snorted to this and planned her shot.

It was crowded tonight, Rarity squished against the mostly sober ponies as she approached the bar. Any amount of ponies made Hennessey’s seem crowded though. A classic wooden bar ran along the left side of the room and the billiards table sat in the middle. Around the room were scattered tall tables that only sat three or four. Mr. Hennessy said that it was everything a bar should be, and everypony took his word for it. Clopping her hooves down on the slippery wood of the bar, Rarity signaled Quinn. The bartending pony shoved a Shirley Temple to a patron, then came to Rarity. He was a stout green pony with a four-leaved clover Cutie Mark. He had an adorable accent that reminded Rarity of butterscotch. Quinn was fairly short, only about her height, and he typically wore a small purple vest from which drooped the chain of a pocket watch. Gentlemanly and polite, Quinn fit the description of the neighborhood bartender.

“How’re things on the pool front?” He asked with a grin.

“Not ideal, she’s a shark. I need something she’s not expecting, give me some options.” The green pony rubbed his jaw and looked at the shelf of dusty bottles behind him.

“Well, tequila is a safe bet. Thar’s bourbon, but she’s a little spendy. I’m partial to malt whiskey, has a naece finish.”

“Fucking hate tequila, she’s fine with bourbon.” Rarity pointed to a bottle. “How about some gin?”

“Good choice, I recommend tonic alongsaede.” She shook her head.

“No, just a shot of gin, nothing to dilute it.” The bartender shrugged and poured her request.

“There y’are. Be careful now, it’s got a little baete.” Just what she wanted, Rarity thanked him and took the glass to Applejack.

“Gin.” She said, setting down beside her mostly sober friend.

“Bring it.” Applejack tossed the gin down carelessly. Her reaction indicated an amount of surprise.

“Gak, that’s mule shit!” She coughed. “That’s fermented mule shit!” She protested, looking into the empty glass. Rarity laughed.

“Hehe, try something that’s not apple related, see how you handle it!” Applejack glowered at her, and wiped her mouth.

“Ah’m sober as a funeral, y’best git on with yer shot.” Rarity looked out over the table. It was already over. She went for a pot shot at 9. She threw far too much force into her shot and the cue ball popped off of the table and bounced across the floor. It landed at his hooves.

“Whoa there, looks like you got a powershot!” He tossed her the yellowed cue ball. “You oughta be careful, there aren’t a lot of guys who like getting knocked out by a gal.” Snips surveyed the table. “Looks like you could use a hoof.” He dropped the cue ball onto the table. “I’ll take a shot.” He looked to Applejack. “If that’s ok.” She shrugged indifferently.

Discounting his retarded voice, Snips was a fairly passable stallion. He came often to the bar; the Blast seemed to have intensified his already insatiable desire for feminine company. Carefully balancing the wooden cue against the table, he prepared for a shot. In an instant the white sphere blazed across the velvet and knocked 9 into the pocket. Applejack said nothing, but Rarity knew she was fuming.

“Y’gotta take another shot if he’s gunna shoot again.” Said Applejack from grated teeth. She clomped to the bar, pushing a few ponies out of her way. Snips watched her.

“She’s something different.” He said jokingly. “How do you know each other?”

“We met at a flea market. We both wanted something and neither of us was going to back down. I called her some names, she called me some names. We got in a fight and afterward we didn’t even buy the thing. Guess we just connected.” She laughed a little. “Me and Applejack hang pretty close actually.” Snips eyes widened.

“Whoa, you just got in a fight and became friends?” He asked in confusion. Applejack returned, carrying a frothing shot glass.

“Drink it, nao!” Rarity shrugged and downed the gall-like liquid. She coughed, a deep lung cough that threatened to choke her. Yet she regained herself with a smile.

“Hey AJ, I was just telling, uh.” She waited for Snips to introduce himself.

“Snips. You could call me Nips if that’s more comfortable.” He said nonchalantly.

“Snips here about how we met.” A grin spread across AJ’s face. The orange mare cocked her head and leaned against the table.

“Yeah, whut part are y’at?”

“Told him about how we met at the flea market. Y’know we both wanted the.” She whistled here. “And you called me a lying bitch and slapped me.” Applejack started to cackle.

“A’course, that was after ya’ll said ah was a hick virgin. That ain’t sumthin’ ah take to kahndly.” She turned to Snips. “Ah ain’t no hick.”

“Or virgin.” The white unicorn said playfully.

“Shut up ‘bout that!” AJ snapped. “It’s yer shot, ya’ll better take this one!” Snips looked into his stein.

“Hey, let me just get a refill! Be back in a sec!” He darted off into the crowd. The two watched him, then Applejack broke.

“Gawd alahv Rarity! Whut the hell? Y’jus’ lahk makin’ outlandish stories? That one ain’t even believable!” She said incredulously. Rarity guffawed.

“Bet you one point he’ll introduce his wingman when he gets back.” AJ shook her head.

“Any amount of brains says he’s run off cause ya’ll made us sound like a couple’a lesbians. Either that or he’s tryin’ to find the smut y’stole that backstory from.”

Rarity cocked her head.

“I believe I’ll take my shot now.” She said confidently. After seven shots, her aim was less than precise. The cue ball sprang back and forth across the fuzzy surface of the table. It knocked into 9, which collided with 13, knocking 2 into the pocket. Rarity’s shoulders sank.

“HAW!” Applejack pulled off her hat and twirled it in the air. “That’s one for mah favor.”

“Hey ladies, this is Snails, buddy of mine, he works with the mayor. A lot of times he even delivers to Queen Twilight Sparkle.” Snips returned with a full glass, and a wingman. The mares exchanged looks. They were now tied. Snails pinched Snips. “Augh, I meant, he does work for the mayor and the queen!”

“And jus’ what kahnd of deliveries does Mr. Snails do?” Applejack wheedled.

“Uhhh, I mostly carry important packages between the safehouses in Ponyville.” He looked at his hooves for a second. “All sorts of thieves and monsters want to steal royal deliveries.”

“Oh, you must have a dangerlust then.” Rarity breathed.

“Haha yeah, so what do you do?” Snips said over Snails’ stupid response.

“Oh.” Both mares said simultaneously. They blushed and Rarity motioned for AJ to continue.

“Well, ah’m a cider brewin’ workhorse. Everyday ah’m squeezing the juice outta ripe apples. Hard work, usually gets me into a lather.” She answered provocatively. Applejack looked triumphantly to Rarity, the gauntlet had been thrown.

“Well.” Rarity tilted her head ever so slightly. “I’m a baker, over at the Lone Star Bakery.” She pushed at her empty shot glass. “Not very interesting I’m afraid. Just baking bread. Day in and day out.” Applejack watched her in puzzlement. “Of course, the ovens make me sweat like a glass of lemonade. After eight hours, my whole body is streaked and I’m covered in flour.” She flipped the glass over and over. “Not dignified at all I’m afraid.” Applejack narrowed her eyes. “How about you Snips?” The bushy-maned unicorn sat starting off into space for a second, as if he were picturing something.

“Oh, uh, I work at the barber shop. Maybe you’ve heard of it? The Cutting Room?”

“Oh of course, you’re the only barbers in town. You must have put all of your competitors out of business.” Rarity said in false impression.

“Well, we do professional work.” He said “bashfully”. Snails spoke up.

“Actually, I heard there’s a Pegasus out in the meadows who I guess cuts manes. It’s a rumor I think, but I guess she cuts manes, just randomly I guess.” Snips rolled his eyes.

“Oh yeah, Rainbow Dash.” He looked at the mares, judging their interest. He then leaned in and spoke a little softer. “She was in the explosion at Cantorlot you know.” He leaned in even closer. “Fucking …crazy.” He said in a whisper. “She lives out in this broken down shack; she supposedly supports herself cutting manes.” He spoke a little louder now. “Of course, I don’t know a single pony dumb enough to go out there and actually make an appointment. She’s seriously messed up, she doesn’t talk to anypony, she like never comes into town. God only knows what goes on inside her head.” He sipped his beer. “So anyway, if you ever want a cut, just come on down to the Cutting Room, I can get you a half off discount.” He took another sip of his beer. The conversation fell flat. Applejack said suddenly.

“Y’boys like shots?”

“Hell yeah!” They said in unison.

“We’re on round seven, y’got some ketchin’ up to do.” The pair of amateur wolves brohoofed.

“We got this!”

Over the next hour, the four (mostly AJ and Snails) consumed 407 bits’ worth of shots, the stallions beginning to find the mare’s weak spots, and the mares trying to beat one another’s score. Rarity took an early lead by making another perfectly placed reference to the pair’s possibly lesbian encounter, which AJ of course denied. Applejack one-upped her competitor by disclosing that the item from the flea market was “a toy of sorts”. The two managed to weave a fantastic and highly sexual backstory of their friendship, and somehow, probably a combination of alcohol and mare fever, their unassuming lovers accepted this. The evening was winding down, and the bar seemed to have receded into a sluggish coma of cheap alcohol.

The four sat at a corner table. Rarity was approaching the point of foolish drunk, which came after kinda drunk, and before shit-faced.

“So tell me.” She blinked to clear her vision. “What does Mr. Daredevil Snails do in his free time?”

“Oh you know, I like to read a little, I work out. To stay in shape for fighting off whatever comes crawling after the royal gold I deliver. I also liv-take care of my mother.” He tossed his mane a little bit. “Course I don’t get a whole lot of time off.”

“That is soooo awesome, I think ya’ll really know what it’s lahk to live an adult life.” Applejack began to lose coherency as she approached foolish drunk. Snips chuckled politely at AJ’s apparent intoxication.

“You know Rarity, I think you know what it’s like to live an adult life too. Oh I don’t mean anything sexual of course, I just think you’re very mature, you look like you know what it really means to be a mare.”

“Oh.” She looked at the pile of empty shot glasses in front of her. “I’m just a silly little filly, I don’t really know anything about anything.”

“No. That’s your ex talking, stop listening to him.” Snips spoke with surprising warmth. “I think you know something about something.” He ran his hoof along her cheek. “You’re smart with me.” She rubbed her face.

“I’ve had too much to drink.” She said miserably.

“Hey, why don’t you come back to my place? It’s a long walk to Apple farms.” He suggested. Applejack caught this and brought Snails, who was talking about his mother, back on track.

“Eyah! Why dun we all head back to Snips’ place? Maybe get sumthin’ goin?” Snails nodded vigorously to this. Snips didn’t take his eyes off of Rarity. The green stallion was fixated on the mare before him. “Why don’t you two head back to your place? I’m sure AJ wants more of what you’ve got.” He said quietly. His wingman shrugged and he and his sufficiently aroused mare departed. Snips patted Rarity’s shoulder. “C’mon, let’s get you out of this place.” He helped Rarity to her hooves.

As they left, she stopped by the bar to take care of the tab.

“Oh no you don’t.” Snips handed a check to Quinn before Rarity could give her money. “I will take care of this.” He put his arm around her. “I can’t have my little baker paying for our evening.” By the door, both Applejack and Snails were engaged in a drunken effort to recover Applejack’s hat, which had fallen to the floor.

“You know, I wasn’t always a baker.” Rarity started softly. “I used to design clothing.” Snips slowed his pace.

“Hang on, what?” He asked, turning to her. The mucus green unicorn was already beginning to recognize his date.

“Eyep, I ran a clothing design and fashion consulting business for a couple of years.” Snips stopped altogether. He stared at her, refusing to believe she was really Rarity.

“Wait, hold on. You’re not Rarity from the Paracel Boutique.” She nodded, already beginning to grin. “No, you look nothing like her and she’s living in a forest somewhere, and she’s a complete bitch who doesn’t have friends, stop joking.” Rarity hadn’t seen her comically-intended ultimatum playing out like this.

“Oh, is that a fact?” She stepped away from him. Now the alcohol began to run its course. “Are you sure you aren’t a horny jackass who isn’t capable of recognizing somepony who ran a notable business for years on end?” She demanded. “Are you sure you aren’t just trying to pound me?” He was shocked for a moment, then his alcohol kicked in.

“Are you sure you aren’t a lying whore who goes to bars looking for a pounding?” He fired back. Rarity scoffed.

“Yep, I actually managed to have a fun evening jerking you and your moron friend around. Did any sort of skepticism ever cross your mind when Applejack and I got so friendly? Nope, you just took it as your lucky day. We honestly thought you’d catch on at some point. But I guess you were too dumb to recognize anything.” Snips seethed, he pulled in quick sharp breaths, redness spawning on his green face. The spurned unicorn wore an expression of pure outrage, yet said nothing. A wiser and more sober Rarity would have left the bar triumphantly. But something about his description of her made Rarity want to twist her dagger even more. “Yeah, we were gonna stop and tell you in the middle. But the more I got to know you, the more I wanted to get you to the door before telling you how much of slimy piece of trash you are. You’re still the stuttering little colt that got wet over a magic show. You’re a pathetic wolf and you couldn’t pick up a drunk mare with a crane.” She whispered brutally.

“I’m glad you told me who you were, I wouldn’t even joke about banging you.” He retorted. “You’d probably get pregnant with half-demon ponies, they’d all run off and live in the forest like you, and we don’t need more crazy, jobless ponies.” He hissed. Out of options and soundly defeated, Snips walked back to the bar and sat down. He turned to an uninvolved patron. “Seriously, can you believe that bitch? She’s fucking crazy.” Rarity snorted to herself, he had given up and retreated, it was over.

She walked to the door, Applejack and Snails were staring at her. AJ was too drunk to explain things to, she’d tell her everything in the morning. She motioned for them to leave. She heard Snips still talking to his unwilling listener. “Heh, kids’d probably grow up and blow up shit of their own.” She stopped dead in her tracks. A wiser Rarity would have already been outside.

“Take that back.” She said in a voice of stone. Snips whirled around.

“Just get the fuck out of here.” He growled. She stood motionless.

“Take it back right now.” She repeated. He laughed into her face.

“I’m sorry, did you add a threat to that? I think you might have forgotten.”

“Take it back or I’ll kick the shit out of you.” Her words were deathly monotonous. He chuckled for a moment.

“Heh, I’m sorry I said anything about your demon spawn kids blowing things up. Ok?” He gave her a pacifying smile that reeked with insincerity. Without a word, Rarity shook her head and again made for the door. As she turned, Rarity felt a hard slap across her rump.

“That’s how you gotta talk to them.” Snips was in the midst of his explanation as her hoof collided with the back of his skull. She slammed his face into the surface of the bar.

“Alright cocksucker, that’s really fucking it.” She snarled into his ear. In an instant, the ponies around her evicted their chairs and crowded away from the pair. He threw her off of his back and rose. Blood ran from his probably broken nose. He looked beyond pissed.

“Oh now you’ve done it. You’re going to make me hit a girl.” He said in an enraged whisper. He rushed at her and tackled her into a table. The thick wood struck her back, yet she felt next to nothing. As the pair fell to the floor, Rarity threw a hoof into Snips’ throat. Choking momentarily, he took hold of her arms. Using her horn, she cracked a stein across his face. He kicked her off of him and rose. “You’re fucking crazy.” He said, wiping blood from his cheek.

“Take it back, and I’ll let you go.” Rarity panted as thee both stood to face each other. He flashed a still-intact grin to this.

“Uh-uh, you got yourself into this, you better have a way out.” He rushed at her. Rarity lowered her head and dove into her oncoming attacker. The pair slammed into each other. Even in her inebriated and enraged state, Rarity felt a sharp pain shoot through her chest. She was thrown to the ground, and Snips took a step back from the force of the collision. Yet he recovered in a moment and soon threw a kick into her exposed belly. His hoof sank deeply into her body, and the steel horseshoe lashed her white skin. It felt as if her innards were squished like toothpaste, and Rarity teetered on the edge of vomiting. “How’s it feel to get hit when you can’t fight back?” He said between breaths. Another kick struck her chest, sending stinging spears of fire through her lungs. She coughed, a splatter of blood fountained onto her face. He struck her again, and the lights around her began to bloom and swirl.

A bottle upset by the exodus of ponies lay on the floor beside her. Taking ahold of it with her horn, she whipped the glass container into the side of Snips’ head with all of her might. It shattered, showering her with fragmented glass.

“Ah fuck! FUCK! You got my eyes!” He howled as he clutched his face. The stallion stumbled back, blood beginning to trickle down his hooves. Rarity fought to rise, her chest felt like it would cave in if she moved. The foul taste of liquor mixed with the blood in her mouth and the world reeled around her. She stood, painfully and unsteadily. Snips was hunched over the bar, he was whimpering as he shakily pulled bloody glass shards from his bruised head. She stumbled up to him, and pinned his arms behind his back.

“Take it back.” She spat from bloodstained lips. He said nothing. “Take it fucking back.” She growled. He was still silent. She released his arms and struck him across his gashed face. Blood and bits of glass stuck to her hoof.

“Agh!!!” He pushed her away. “Alright, I’m fucking sorry ok? I take it back, ok? I take it back!” He capitulated bitterly. Rarity coughed again, blood and mucus filling her mouth.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” She clopped two hundred bit bills down on the bar “Here’s my tab.”

Ponyville had the tiniest jail in existence, in fact, it wasn’t even a jail. It was just a supply closet that had the carpet taken up. It was located in the town hall, right behind the mayor’s office. Rarity sat on a pile of carbon papers, she breathed in some mayoral dust, unleashing another wave of agonizing coughing. Her entire chest seemed inflamed and each cough thudded against her lungs and heart. Gritting her teeth, Rarity began to clean the dried blood from her bruised body. There was an ancient bag of wet napkins at her hooves. She delicately lifted one and began to wipe her wounds. The door suddenly swung open, the light from the office flooded the dimly lit room. Twilight looked sleepy.

“Let’s go.” She said tiredly. Rarity limped from the “jail”, past the sleepy police officer and followed Twilight. Outside, Maximus and Praetorian waited by Twilight’s chariot. It was probably one, maybe two “Get in.” Twilight motioned to the back seat. Rarity eased herself into the golden vehicle, leaving some bloodstains on the immaculate surface. Twilight waited for her to seat herself, then nodded her guards. The chariot lifted off the ground and they lurched forward.

Twilight said nothing and continued to gaze off ahead of them. Rarity was ashamed, aside from Pinkie Pie, Twilight was the last pony she wanted to bail her out after a drunken brawl. Fucking Applejack was probably still leading Snails on. Every other pony she knew was asleep, like Twilight should have been. Nevertheless, the cool night air felt good on her wounds, and Rarity watched the ground pass by underneath.

“Applejack called me. She said you’d been in a fight, she said you’d been taken to prison. She sounded pretty drunk.” Twilight said as they drifted through the air.

“Yeah, we were at Hennessy’s, we were messing around with some guys. One of them said something to me, I told him to take it back, and he didn’t. I guess I just wouldn’t let it go.” Rarity answered dumbly.

“Yeah? Maybe that was because you were messing with them?” Twilight said flatly. Rarity didn’t say anything. It would have been bad enough without Twilight being the Queen of Equestria. She knew Rarity had been struggling and tonight only solidified that knowledge. Twilight sighed, a weary, strained sigh. “You know Rarity, maybe you should be more aware of what you’re doing when you drink. I’m just say-”

“He made a joke about the Blast, about how I was a part of it.” Rarity interrupted angrily. There was a pause, then Twilight sighed again. They passed over some trees, which whistled in the breeze.

“I’m sorry, he shouldn’t have said that. But you need to know that if you go to a bar, get a stallion drunk, then mess with him, he’s probably going to say something that he thinks is going to hurt you.” Twilight explained.

“Fucking shithead, I fucked him up. Nopony is going to say that to me, nopony.” Rarity muttered bitterly.

“Look, Rarity-”

“I can take the whispers and handouts, and I don’t have a problem with working at a bakery.” Her eyes began to burn. “But when somepony says I had something to do with that explosion, that’s where I draw the fucking line.” She struggled against the impending tears. Twilight turned and sat next to her.

“I know you didn’t, the courts knew you didn’t, Spike knew you didn’t, Applejack and your friends, they knew you had nothing to do with that explosion.” She put an arm around her beaten friend. Rarity took a painful and jagged breath.

“Ponyville doesn’t.”

All in all, Rarity suffered three cracked ribs, moderate bruising of her intestines and stomach and a concussion, along with the extraneous cuts and bruises that accompany a drunken brawl. Two days after the fight, she returned to work.

“Come in Rarity. Are you collected?” Mr. Salukas asked as she stepped inside the bakery.

“Yeah, thanks for the time off. I won’t be getting in any more trouble for a while, I can promise you that.” She still hurt like shit, but she would get back to speed as soon as physically possible. The bakery didn’t pay a lot and she didn’t have much in the way of savings.

Mr. Salukas nodded.

“I know you are sufficiently injured, but I can see you are committed to working here. I’m putting you on dough for two weeks. Applecrisp and I will manage the rest of the work.” Rarity loved Mr. Salukas, he was probably the only boss in Equestria who would allow an employee as beat up as her to work just two days after engaging in a vicious barfight. She looked into the oven room, she and it were going to get very acquainted over the next two weeks. Tossing her satchel, which contained painkillers and hangover remedies, on the hook by the door, Rarity walked carefully into the oven room. Applecrisp was cracking eggs into a large steel bowl. She nodded an acknowledgement of Rarity’s presence.

“Hey.” Rarity picked up an egg. “Gonna put you outta dough work for a few weeks here.”

“Is’ fahn.” Applecrisp looked her over. “Damn gurl, y’got yer ass whomped.” Rarity chuckled.

“You should see the other guy.”

“Her’ Appl’jack jus’ stood there whahl ya’ll were getting’ y’ass kicked.” First day back and already off to a good start.

“No, she was pretty drunk, and I’m pretty sure she had already gone out the door. Fight didn’t even last that long anyway.” Rarity explained, trying to make it sound like Applejack hadn’t played a part in developing the fight. Applecrisp wore a smug shadow of a smile.

“Ah’m shure she did.”

The Apple cousins were always the closest of friends, except in the case of Applejack and Applecrisp. In typical family feud fashion, the two refused any kind of interaction. Rarity had the unpleasant privilege of knowing them both, and more specifically, having them know she knew them both. The two mares continually asked about each other, how they were getting along, how they were spending their time. Both Apples assured Rarity that they weren’t interested in one another’s affairs in the least. But it was a cold day in wherever Celestia had sent Discord when either pony missed a chance to point out a failing of the other.

“So, uh, how was your weekend?” Rarity steered for a more stable topic.

“Fahn, ah got a letter from mah fam’ly.” Applecrisp brought the bowl over to the buns for glazing.

“How are they? How’s the swamp?”

“Pretty sure the swamp is still around.” Applecrisp said curtly as she glazed a sweet bun. Applecrisp didn’t have conversations, she made statements and stopped talking when she wanted to. The bakers finished the buns in a few minutes and Applecrisp tossed her brush into the sink.

“Welp, ya’ll got the rest.” The deep blue pony left to help Mr. Salukas with whatever work the injured Rarity was incapable of. Applecrisp was not a dotingly compassionate pony.

The hours passed bearably. Rarity made a batch of tea cakes, then zucchini bread, then started on the task of rye loaves. The work was light, although her ribs began to ache deeply as time went on. She avoided the painkillers as much as possible, an injured and high baker was the physical manifestation of the perfect safety liability. Eventually though, she began to breathe less, so as to avoid the pain of expanding her lungs. She started to feel light headed from the lack of air and her hooves began to shake. She popped open the bottle of blue oval-shaped pills. Washing just one down with a sip of water from the sink, Rarity returned to the rye. In a few minutes, her lungs stopped aching, and she breathed normally. She was washing the last of the muddy black dough from her hooves when Applecrisp thrust her head in the door.

“Hey, boss wants y’t’see if the muffins are done through.” Rarity nodded to her.

“Be right out.” She answered.

Outside, Mr. Salukas and Applecrisp were inspecting a tray of muffins.

“Ah Rarity, where is your fork?” The brown stallion asked. Rarity blinked for a moment, why hadn’t she brought out the fork? She moved as fast as pain permitted and got the baking fork from the oven room. She returned to the front counter with the silver cutlery. Leaning in close, Rarity saw that they were potato muffins, the most commonly miscooked item in the kitchen.

A more wasteful bakery would have cracked one open to check, but this was the Lone Star Bakery, and they would not waste a single muffin. Only Rarity had the precise coordination required for inserting the slender fork into the muffin without leaving any visible marks. Steadying her horn, she slowly pressed the sliver prongs into the muffin. It gave in a moment and she carefully pushed it a few millimeters deeper. She took a breath, then slid it back out.

“I got, yeah, egg residue. These are undercooked.” She gave the fork to Mr. Salukas, who studied it. He nodded and dropped the fork onto the counter.

“Chort, an entire tray of worthless muffins.” He fumed. “What now?” Rarity saw a chance to redeem herself a little.

“I’ll buy ‘em, half price.” She offered. Salukas raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t worry about parasites?” She shrugged.

“Naw.”

“I knew you were a strong mare.” He slapped her across the back, shooting flames throughout her torso. She coughed and gripped the counter. “Apologies Rarity, I forgot about your injury.” He in joking bashfulness. She forced a smile, then returned to her home of the oven room.

Her back seemed to channel the pain into her chest and she struggled to catch her breath. Popping the foal-proof cap off of the bottle, she downed another painkiller. The strained baker took a few minutes to breathe and waited for the painkiller to kick in. After a short time, she rose feeling refreshed. She checked the list of breadstuffs for the day. She’d covered everything, might as well clean up.

Arranging all of her implements and ingredients on the counter, she pondered how to start putting things away. She started for the hoof tools, no, those should go last, she needed to wash them. What about the ingredients? No, Applecrisp would get those. She stood for a few minutes, trying to find a place to begin. She frowned at the mess. It wasn’t hard putting things away, why hadn’t she started? Finally, she placed the hoof tools in the sink.

“That’s a good start.” She said aloud. She started to wash them, then remembered that washing came last. She put the bowls and containers away, then returned to the sink. Did washing come after the food ingredients were put away by Applecrisp? What the hell was wrong with her? She shook her head and began to scrub the tools. Presently, Applecrisp shuffled into the room and hauled off the foodstuffs. Rarity was just starting to replace the tools.

“Runnin’ late?” Applecrisp asked on her next trip into the room.

“Haha, yeah, just going slow I guess.” The unicorn replied. Applecrisp had already finished by the time she put everything away, but Rarity was just glad to finish the cleaning and depart for home.

“Rarity, do you want your muffins?” Mr. Salukas called as she saddled her pack.

“Oh, yeah, almost forgot.” She walked to the counter. He handed her a brown flour bag filled with the undercooked muffins.

“That’s going to come to 22.50.” She handed him a two tens and a one. “Ah, I need more than that.” She dug in her pack and handed him a twenty and a five. He gave her a peculiar look, but said nothing.

“And here’s your change.” He held out a few bits.

“Keep it, it’s fine.” She just wanted to get home now.

“Oh, well, ok, thank you Rarity!” He said gladly as she departed. “Get well soon.”

Outside, the sun was turning to an orange-yellow orb. The warmth of the day was thankfully fading. It was early evening, 6ish probably. Her stomach felt as if she had swallowed something rotten. Her heart beat fast and she began to sweat. Rarity walked down the street, brushing by ponies and obstacles. She was looping pretty badly, she had to get home. On her way, she misjudged a step and stumbled a few feet. She sank to her knees in the road and for a moment, forgot where she was. Standing, she wiped some sweat from her brow. A few ponies looked at her quizzically.

“Man, I am fucked up.” Rarity dizzily noted.

Back at her crates, Rarity made her business short. She dumped the bag of muffins into the wooden container, then sprawled out on top. Mercifully, she was supremely drowsy and she fell asleep immediately.

It was probably around 7 the next morning when she awoke. The sun was just starting to rise through the trees, and the dew of the morning still hung low to the ground. She felt better, her head didn’t feel as if it were immersed underwater. Digging the pill bottle out of her pack, she read the label.

“Refined, non-doping poppy extract.” Fucking shit, this stuff was going to mess her up good. Maybe she could go without.

She stood and looked around, she never rose this early. The sun was just peeking out from behind the trees. It cast a yellow light over the gently swaying grass. The air was cool and the grass wet beneath her hooves; it was a beautiful morning. Rarity rummaged around in the crate for a muffin. She nosed one out of the bag and hopped onto the crate for her breakfast. She took a bite of the potato pastry, it was stale. She chewed the dry pastry, tasting the fried potato and the bland sensation it brought. She needed to be at work around 9, maybe 10, dough work wasn’t the most pressing of matters. She took another bite and looked around. It was a gorgeous morning, she might as well take a walk.

She started for the forest, unsure of her course. She took another bite of salty muffin, how was she going to make two weeks of dough duty while tripping on opiates? She could just work slower under the guise of her injuries. That was a terrible idea; it was bad enough hiding her impairment from her coworkers without slacking off as well. Goddamn it, why had she gotten into that fight? Why did she play with Snips? She passed under the leafy canopy of Everfree forest. She could tough it out, her injuries would heal pretty quickly. She groaned aloud as she thought of the misery she had been in yesterday, how was she going to make two weeks of that? She finished the last of the crumbling muffin and wiped her face. She walked through a patch of pines; the sunlight was slanting through the needles, casting a golden pattern on the forest floor. The air was scented with the perfume of a hundred different plants. She wondered what had happened to Applejack, a part of her worried that her drunken friend had been taken advantage of. No, Applejack knew what she was doing, she’d never make a mistake like that. Rarity stopped for a moment, she had been ahead when the fight had started, Applejack owed her the tab. All the more reason to see if she had made it home safely.

Rarity walked deeper into the woods and the undergrowth began to ensnare her hooves. It was a mystery to her, how she had run effortlessly through here with her friends years ago. Now, she had to wade through the forest, simply trying not to trip on buckthorn and garlic mustard. Looking to her left, she saw the edge of a clearing, she turned and headed for the break in the trees. The forest was still and she tried to walk softly to preserve the peace. She stepped on a branch and heard a rotting snap. Looking down, she saw a multitude of black beetles skittering around the broken wood. One crawled dangerously close to her hoof. She yelped and sprinted frantically away from the horrid little vermin. She thrashed plants and leaves in her wild escape and probably crushed a dozen wildflowers. It didn’t matter, there were those things that Rarity was never going to be fine with, and insects were one of those things. She shot out of the forest, her lungs were already howling with agony and she bent forward to relieve the rising pressure. For a few moments, she coughed and hacked while she caught her breath.

“That’s why I don’t take walks in the forest.” She said aloud as she quickly scanned for any attached beetles. She had lost her bearings and she walked forward to find her position. To her left lay the stream that ran along the edge of Ponyville, which meant...

Fluttershy’s cottage stood like a tombstone and Rarity felt her heart beat against her swollen chest. She stood maybe fifty meters from the abandoned building. It looked, well, it looked pretty normal. The windows were shuttered, the doors were closed and probably locked. Rarity continued to stare at the house. Like many reminders of the past, the cottage was something Rarity avoided at all costs. Something about the house, maybe the green unkempt bushes, maybe the mossy walls, upset Rarity on a deep fiber. Without its shy caretaker, the house would slowly sink into disarray and finally disintegration. Rarity swallowed and walked briskly away from the house, she would not watch as the house eventually fell to ruin. She would not.

The sun was up more now, she could go to the bakery and get an early start on the dough. She’d probably have to if she wanted to avoid using painkillers. Starting over the bridge, Rarity spotted something out of place in the village, a light blue Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was sitting on a bench across from the Lone Star. On her lap was a small drawing pad and a few pencils.

“Hey, what are you doing here so early? I shoulda told you we open at 9.” Rarity said jokingly. Dash looked up and smiled back.

“Hey Rarity, just figured I’d drop by and take a look at the place.” She explained. Rarity motioned to the pad.

“That for the model?”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing to do today, so I figured I’d do some sketching as well.” She paused as she looked her friend over. “Did something happen?” She asked inquisitively. Rarity started to laugh.

“Heh, I went to.” She looked into Dash’s unassuming eyes. “To the bar, and I, got into a fight with Applejack over something stupid, and yeah.” The hell was up with that lie? It was almost as bad as the truth. Dash had the peculiar ability to render Rarity incapable of normal deception. It was probably those damn eyes.

“Oh my gosh, is she ok?” The Pegasus asked in concern.

“Ah, yeah.” Rarity remembered that her friend had left with Snails and hadn’t been seen since. “I mean, I hope so.” She bit her lip. “Yeah I’m pretty sure she’s fine.”

“What were you fighting over?” Rarity looked toward the Lone Star. Mr. Salukas hadn’t opened yet.

“Ahhh, something stupid. Don’t even remember, I was pretty out of it then.” Dash looked down at her pad.

“Oh, ok.” A few ponies walked by on their way to work.

“Say, if you want to come in when we open, you can try some pretty cool stuff.” Rarity offered. “There’s a lot of breads you’ve never seen before.” She hesitated, was Dash afraid of the bakery? Was that why she had never visited? She really had no idea why or why not Rainbow Dash did things anymore.

“Yeah, that’d be cool, maybe I’ll come in later.” Dash offered in return.

“Well, I oughta get to work, hope your drawing goes well.” Rarity started for the Lone Star.

“Thanks!” Called the little Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was difficult to talk to, Rarity wished the best for her, but she was one awkward pony. Rarity couldn’t fathom anything about her and wasn’t about to try.

The door was predictably locked, she looked up and down the street. A small number of ponies were walking to work, but Mr. Salukas was nowhere in sight. She sighed and sat down next to the wall. Rainbow Dash was thankfully engrossed in her sketch. Five, maybe ten minutes later, Rarity spotted Mr. Salukas walking slowly down the street toward her. She rose and went to greet him.

“Rarity, first you fast on a workday, then you buy a full batch of muffins, now you show up to work early.” He chuckled and gently placed a hoof on her shoulder. “What’s the matter? Do you not enjoy a normal work experience?” She laughed.

“Naw, I just woke up early, so I got here a little early is all.”

“Well, come in, we’re low on a lot of products. You’ll need all the time possible if you want to finish by 6.” He unlocked the door and they entered the bakery.

Rarity’s shoulders sank, while the actual breadstuffs were locked away in the large safe, the cards left in the display showed how few were actually remaining. She slunk to the oven room, then remembered that virtually all of the ingredients were locked away as well. She sighed and took a seat by the cold ovens. Her chest was already beginning to feel tight, actual pain wouldn’t be long. Rarity waited as Mr. Salukas depoisted bags of flour and sugar and eggs onto the counter over the course of the next few minutes. Finally, she could begin work.

For Rarity, baking was routine work and she could drift away from her actions and think on pointless things to run out the clock. Yet now, her chest seemed to anchor her to her every task. She cracked eggs, measured vanilla, and as the long day wore on, her chest began to ache. It was like a vise was slowly closing on her, and she worked as fast as she could before it got too tight. She refused to accept the pain, but eventually, she began to slow. The orders were endless, every time she finished some croissants (buttery rolls that flaked like dandruff), Applecrisp would slap another paper request to the crossbar above the sink. Rarity’s breathing was shallow and fast, the flour got in her lungs and she fought against a rising cough. It got the better of her and she coughed. It ripped through her chest and she stepped back against the sink. Her chest burned like a fire, and her breaths were raw and strained. She was on the verge of tears, but she pressed on. The hours crawled by, and Rarity stopped work more than a few times to clear her head. Finally, Applecrisp ran out of orders and Rarity hurried (relatively) to put everything away. She tossed the implements into the cabinets and extinguished the ovens. Nodding to Applecrisp and Mr. Salukas, she started for home.

Fuck, what a day! The cooler air made her breathing a little easier and she stopped by the stream for a sip of water. She drank a few mouthfuls, then made her way home. Upon arrival, Rarity promptly popped three painkillers and ate two muffins. It was one of the worst dinners she could remember. Then she simply laid down and waited for the drugs to kick in.

Morning came and Rarity walked to work again. Dash had come back to that same bench and Rarity waved to her. Today saw less orders, but the pain returned as soon as before. It plateaued earlier this time, but she was still debilitated. She fought through the hours and into the evening. At last, it was time to clock out, and Rarity quickly cleaned her workstation. Three more painkillers, and two more muffins along with some grass. She soon fell into an opium induced sleep.

The next day, Dash was standing outside of the Lone Star.

“Window shopping?” Rarity asked playfully. Dash pointed to her paper, which was now a pretty impressive depiction of the bakery.

“Nope, just getting the rough details of the front window. Can’t paint too well since I don’t have a horn, so I just do the main aspects.” Rarity nodded in approval of its accuracy and walked into the bakery. Inside, Applecrisp and Mr. Salukas were hauling plastic crates of refrigerated goods to the back room. Mr. Salukas ticked his head to Rarity.

“Rarity, the refrigerator has broken. I need you to mind the store for most of the afternoon while we haul the perishables to the secondary refrigerator.” Rarity didn’t know where the secondary refrigerator was, but it sounded far away. She gave Salukas a tight-lipped smile and walked behind the counter as the two trekked out the back door. She couldn’t shake the feeling that today was going to hurt.

At first it wasn’t too bad. She checked on the baking goods and served a few ponies that came for their breakfast pastries. It was cooler in the front end, and she could lean on the counter to relieve some of the pressure on her lungs. At around 12, there was an influx of customers. Having worked in stocking or baking, Rarity had little experience with front end matters. She was of course, caught off her hooves and began to panic.

“Yes, yes of course. No powdered sugar.”

“No, nothing here is or will ever be gluten free.”

“I’m sorry, we don’t take alfalfa as payment.”

Every customer seemed to have a maddeningly time-consuming request or comment and the line began to grow. Rarity’s chest was sore simply from the talking and rushing to and fro only inflamed it more. By the time she had completed the first few orders, Rarity heard Applecrisp and Salukas returning.

“Things look a little chaotic.” Was all Mr. Salukas said. He gestured for Applecrisp to continue loading the carts and stepped up to assist Rarity.

With the stallion’s help, the line shrank and eventually dissipated. After they had finished, Mr. Salukas turned to Rarity.

“I need to return to my work with Applecrisp. I will check on you later.” He didn’t sound particularly irritated, but definitely stressed. Either way, Rarity was in too much pain to care. She now slowed her breathing to avoid straining her lungs. The next few hours passed easily, Rarity merely rested on the counter and sold to the occasional customer. 6 came and so did a rush. The line formed again, and grew steadily longer. Rarity was fighting dizziness and the impatience of her patrons. The line now extended out of the door and into the street. She heard the back door close, help had arrived. This time Salukas said nothing and merely began serving customers.

They finally stabilized the flow at around 7. Rarity was holding her shit together with pure will as they dropped the display trays into the soapy water of the sink. Salukas wiped his brow.

“Thank you for minding the shop today. Turn off the ovens and you can go home.” Rarity nodded and walked to the oven room. Something in her stomach turned. She opened the door and caught a breath of burned turnover. Fuck…it…all. The smoke had long settled and she could tell the turnovers had died hours ago. She hadn’t checked them once. She no longer felt the pain in her chest, it fluttered away as if in anticipation of the terrible fate that lie ahead for her. Instead of beginning to explain, or perhaps bolting for the door, Rarity simply stood and waited for the smell to reach her employer.

“What is…?” Salukas began, she heard him run up behind her. She waited as he surveyed the loss, she heard him breathe a curse. “Rarity.” His voice wavered, and the white pony actually wished Pinkie Pie would come bounding in the door to divert Salukas’ attention. “Firstly, you are going to pay for all of this. Secondly, I need you to do the job I give you. If you cannot, then take as many days off as you need until you are able.” Rarity felt sweat encasing her as she shrank from the furious stallion. Mr. Salukas’ anger was something she avoided incurring at all costs.

“Yes sir, I’m sorry.” She whimpered.

“Go home, I will take care of this.” He said quietly. Rarity felt numb as she walked outside. The humidity was soaring and she sweat even more. The past few weeks had been fucking terrible, and things had just gotten fucking worse. Her chest pain returned, seemingly unsatisfied with her current level of unhappiness, and she silently cursed the getting into that fight with Snips. As she topped the bridge, Rarity bumped into Rainbow Dash.

“Sorry, didn’t look where I was going.” Rarity said briskly.

“Oh, uh, no problem.” Replied the surprised Pegasus. The two passed one another and went on their ways.

Back at her home, Rarity gulped down some pills and collapsed onto her bed crate. What the fuck was she going to do? Without the pills she couldn’t make two weeks of any sort of work, but with them she risked seriously fucking something up in a loopy daze. In either case she only had half her ability, what was she going to do? She wasn’t going to take time off, even if she could afford to. She didn’t want to work in any of the other shops in stupid Ponyville. But she couldn’t do it all herself. She needed help, she needed help. Rarity sat up, that was it. She jumped off of the crate began to run as fast as she could toward the town. It was a random and probably frivolous plan, but it gave her hope anyway.

Who better to help her than Rainbow Dash? She could look the inside of the Lone Star over for her model. Rarity wasn’t sure Dash’s model had an inside, but she refused to let go of her hope. She crossed the bridge and looked frantically for the blue pony. She must be farther ahead, Rarity took off along the road that stopped at the prairie leading to Dash’s home. She flew through the town and into the grassy field. She spotted a multicolored tail amidst the palmettos and tore towards it. In a few moments she had caught Rainbow Dash. The Pegasus turned as Rarity bore down on her.

“Hey Rarity…what, um, what are you doing?” Asked Rainbow Dash. For a couple seconds Rarity merely coughed and gasped as she fought to recover her breath. The painkillers hadn’t taken effect and Rarity almost suffocated from the clutches of the swelling. Dash took a step forward, confused and uncertain about her friend’s fit of choking. Finally, her chest released a bit and Rarity looked up.

“Dash, I.” Rarity had no idea what to say. “I, er, was wondering. I mean, it’s kinda weird.” Fuck it, she had run too far to talk tactfully. “Ok, so, I cracked some ribs, just lightly I mean. Anyway, I need help doing my job, I’m just working the dough, you know, like baking and stuff. Anyway, I was wondering if you could give me a hoof at the bakery for like a week, maybe two?” Rarity trailed off. The Pegasus processed this for a second.

“Well, um, do I get paid?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly.

Rarity hadn’t thought of that.

“Yeah, I’d give you ha-three quarters of my pay.” Rarity offered. Three quarters of her pay wasn’t a particularly competitive offer and she knew it. Dash seemed lost.

“So, I’d be baking stuff?” She asked in confusion.

“Yeah, like kneading and mixing dough, then just shoving it in the oven. I’ve been doing it by myself for a while, with two of us it’ll be really easy.” Rarity explained.

“But you can’t do it because?”

“I have some cracked ribs, they get really tight as the day goes on, that makes it hard to do everything.”

“Did that happen from your fight?” Dash’s eyes widened.

“Yes, no, it’s a long story, I can explain another time.” Rarity stumbled. “Please Dash, I need your help.”

Rainbow Dash looked at her hooves. Rarity held her breath, hoping she would say yes.

“What time would I have to come in?” Asked the Pegasus.

“Nine, then you can leave at like six or seven, maybe earlier if you have to be somewhere.” Rarity answered quickly.

Rainbow Dash gazed at the prairie. A wind blew through the grass, making an airy hiss. Rarity held her breath and felt her lungs expand with a sting.

Dash spoke carefully.

“Eeyeah, I think I can do that. Nine you said?” Rarity’s heart fell with relief and she let out her breath.

“Yup, nine A.M. Thanks so much, I couldn’t do this without you!” She gave the rainbow Pegasus a hug that threatened to cave in her damaged chest.

“Aw, it’s no problem.” Rainbow Dash replied kindly. Rarity released her.

“Ok! So, see you tomorrow!”

Rainbow Dash smiled and the pair separated. Rainbow Dash was still awfully unsure of what she’d even be doing, but she’d also never seen Rarity so desperate before. She felt good about being able to help her friend.

Rarity was ecstatic, she wouldn’t have to take days off. She could still work and still get paid! Her heart sank, she’d also be paying Dash three-quarters of her wages. Living on quarter wages wasn’t much better than none at all. She shrugged, she was used to unfair stuff, she lived in Ponyville after all.