Saturday Evening

Chapter Twenty – Rarity

A white unicorn was lying face up on her bed feeling awful. It wasn't because of what Rainbow Dash had said to her. It also was not because she regretted yelling at the cyan pegasus – she did in fact regret it but that was not the point. She felt awful right now because she was lonely.

Nopony, not even Pinkie Pie, had spoken to her since the fight. Dash had also found herself excluded as Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy all more or less shut them out of the group whenever they spoke among themselves about the airship, or the Crystal Empire, or anything else. It seemed that the group as a whole had come to the consensus to shun the feuding friends in hopes they would make up.

It hadn't worked though.

The entire flight to the Crystal Empire Rarity had pondered what to say to Rainbow Dash. She just didn't know what could be said in order to make things right again. Twice already she tried to communicate with Rainbow Dash. Once was at lunch time, when everypony had been jammed into the mess hall to eat substandard food. It was just her luck that as she walked over to Rainbow that she tripped and food flew off her tray and into the pegasus' face.

Rainbow accused her of doing it on purpose and Rarity, out of a defense for herself, had screamed right back that she had not. Dash had stormed out of the mess hall, leaving things worse than they already had been.

Her second try was during the fifth hour on the airship. Dash was pacing on the front deck, anxious without a doubt to stretch her wings, or for the ship to land. Rarity had tentatively approached her, and managed three words. "Umm… Rainbow Dash?" The cyan pegasus shot daggers at her when she had spoke, and so Rarity merely slinked out of view, ashamed she hadn't done anything else.

Now she sat, alone, in a cabin in the hull of the airship. The flight had totaled seven hours, and she desperately hoped they would land soon. If loneliness didn't get her, then claustrophobia would. A knock came at her door. Rarity sprang up instantly, elated that somepony wanted to see her. Briefly she hoped it was Rainbow Dash, but upon opening the door she saw a lavender face stare back at her.

"Hello Rarity." Twilight said casually.

"Oh Twilight, hello." Rarity responded. "Did you um, need something?"

"I just wanted to let you know the ship's going to be landing soon." The purple unicorn said. Rarity saddened at the thought that her friend, all of her friends, still weren't talking to her.

"Oh, thank you darling." Rarity managed to say.

Twilight turned, as if to leave, but she stopped for a moment and looked back at Rarity. "Is everything okay, Rarity?" She asked.

"Oh, umm… Yes darling, everything is fine. I just…" Rarity paused, feeling all the emotions she'd been trying to bottle up suddenly swell over. Tears welled up in her eyes as she broke down sobbing right there. Twilight looked around awkwardly, unsure of how to handle the situation.

"Uhh… It'll... be okay." Twilight said, patting Rarity's back. The white unicorn sniffled, trying to regain her composure.

"I'm sorry Twilight." She said. "I don't know what came over me. I just feel so lonely right now."

"I'm sorry about that Rarity. The girls and I just thought you needed some space since the... uh... incident back at Canterlot."

"It was a little too much space." Rarity said, only half-joking. "We should probably get up to the main deck if the ship is about to land." The white unicorn said, eager to change the subject. Twilight nodded and the two made their way to the upper levels of the ship.

Seeing Twilight come out of the lower levels with Rarity had seemed to throw a switch for the rest of the group. Pinkie had run up to her joyously, exclaiming about the amazing view of the Crystal Empire that you could get over the side of the ship. Applejack and Fluttershy had followed her lead, now willing to include Rarity in their conversations. It seemed to the white unicorn that the incident from the throne room was forgotten by all.

Well, except by Rainbow Dash.

The cyan pegasus stood off to the side by the railings, looking down at the Crystal Empire. Fluttershy tried to draw her into conversation, but met fierce resistance on Dash's end. Eventually the yellow pegasus decided to leave Rainbow Dash alone.

There was a clamor, as the soldiers and crewman moved to formation suddenly. Looking around, Rarity saw that Sergeant Swift Sword – who unfortunately was the ranking officer on the ship and therefore in charge of everypony on it – had moved onto the deck. Upon noticing him, Dash appeared to be more on edge than before. Rarity too was unnerved by his presence on the ship. His cold demeanor coupled with the rude way he talked about Frostburn did not serve in favor of the Sergeant in her eyes.

"Alright." Swift Sword said, addressing the crowd along with the Mane Six. "We're not wasting any time here, ponies. We've got a threat to neutralize." Rarity noticed Rainbow glaring lividly at the Sergeant as he spoke. "Princess Cadence already has as many guards as she can spare searching, but it's our job make sure this outlaw doesn't escape. Each of you have groups you've been assigned to for search parties, so the second we land, fan out and comb the streets."

Rarity was puzzled by this, seeing as how she hadn't been put into any group to help find Frostburn. She looked to Twilight and found the purple mare to appear just as confused as Rarity felt. Before she or anypony could speak up, there was a lurching motion as the ship landed on the ground. While many of the soldiers hardly reacted, Rarity struggled to stay upright.

"Are you okay, Rarity?" asked Twilight when she steadied herself again.

"Yes, darling. I'm fine. Just not used to the landing I suppose." The white unicorn answered. Twilight nodded, having experienced the same thing. Every one of her friends seemed to have experienced some discomfort in the landing.

"Ah'm glad y'all are alright." Said Applejack. "But what was that whole thing about assigned groups?"

"I had no idea there were any assignments." Twilight said. "We'd better talk to the Sergeant."

"Fabulous." Rarity said in a sardonic tone. Any time spent around that pony was a waste as far as she was considered. Twilight seemed not to realize Rarity was being sarcastic, or she just didn't care. Either way she trotted right up to the Sergeant, followed closely by the majority of the Mane Six. Rainbow Dash had hung back, clearly not eager to talk to Swift Sword. She still paid attention though.

"Excuse me, Sergeant?" Twilight asked.

"What?" He responded. Only one word, but Rarity detected his annoyed tone in it.

"My friends and I didn't get assigned in any groups. Was there a problem or something?"

The Sergeant narrowed his eyes. "I'm just not sure I can trust you ponies to look for the outlaw."

"Why? Because we're his friends?" Applejack accused. Swift responded with a you-said-it-not-me kind of look.

"B-but that's ridiculous!" Rarity stammered. Her friends, even Dash, nodded in agreement.

"Fine." Swift Sword said. The dark brown stallion looked them over shortly, then said. "You can search. But at the first sight of the outlaw you report it to my soldiers so they can take him down."

"Agreed." Twilight said, though clearly she hated it.

"What?!" Rainbow shouted, now finally joining the group. "That's stupid. I'm not…"

"Rainbow." Twilight cut her off. The lavender mare stared down her cyan friend. Clearly the message got through because Rainbow did not continue her tirade.

"Alright then." The Sergeant said slowly, likely doubting them all. He then pointed at Fluttershy and Twilight. "You two will be a group." Then he pointed at Applejack and Pinkie Pie. "You two will be a group."

"Whoopee!" An enthusiastic response from Pinkie rang out. She put her foreleg around Applejack and began joyously rambling about all the fun they were about to have. Doubtlessly though she would have reacted like that had she been paired with any of her friends. Suddenly Rarity wasn't focusing on the party pony's outburst, because she had a horrible realization.

Sergeant Swift Sword pointed at the shocked white unicorn and an angry rainbow-haired pegasus before saying the condemning words. "And you two will be a group." Next Chapter: Method to my Madness Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 34 Minutes