Rarity

Her mane was in a state of disarray as she looked into her dresser mirror. Her reflection stared back at her with a grimace; slight bags had developed beneath the mare’s eyes during the night. Rarity groaned at her mirror self, magicking her comb up to fix the mess of hair.

She had woken startled in the middle of the night, her mane and tail frazzled from a loud thumping. Having feared that what was in her dreams had come to life, the white unicorn had clung to her sheets for comfort. When the noises did not continue, however, she stepped out from under her covers and gingerly walked up to the windows, pulling back the curtain and peering out cautiously. It was dark out, the moon large in the sky and the stars twinkling harmlessly. There had been nothing in her scope of vision that warranted panic, but in her waking mind she had still believed that something was watching her.

She had calmed herself down after a few moments of worry and berated herself afterward for being spooked. Rarity, feeling her eyes grow lidded for want of sleep, had crawled back into bed and tried, unsuccessfully, to sleep, consumed by the stress of yet another dream.

The same as before…another horrible nightmare, she remembered thinking, rolling over to see the sunrise through her closed silken, purple curtains. A pained expression marred her face as the memory resurfaced. Ponyville was once again ablaze; however, this time Rarity was within her boutique. The fire had spread all throughout her poor town and had begun to make its way inside the shop. She was trapped. Her windows were broken. Pieces of glass lay shattered on the floor, the drapes burned wildly, encased in green flames.

The white mare had sat curled in a corner, sweat dripping from her forehead and body, from the fire’s sweltering heat or her own stress, she did not know. From without her store she had heard the faint sound of birds chirping, the rumbling of the earth, roars of anger; Rarity had staggered to her hooves, knowing that if she stayed any longer she would burn alive. She did not know where to go, nowhere had been safe, and so when she did leave, the teary-eyed unicorn galloped for the outskirts of Ponyville.

She had regained consciousness then, from the noise of birds on the rooftop and outside her window fluttering about. Rarity hadn’t been able to fall asleep again.

What is happening to me? She steadied the comb, still held in her magic, and finished brushing her mane out, the natural curls of her violet-hued hair shining brightly in the mirror. Rarity’s lower lip began to tremble. How can I be thinking of this when Spike…? She placed the comb back on her dresser and sat on her haunches, her eyes closed to hold back her tears. Oh, I’m so sorry Spike. I can’t help it…you are a dragon. She bit her lip to try to stop her shaking. How can I think he would do such things?

Taking a deep breath, the seamstress magicked the dresser drawer open and stared down at the heart-shaped gem, alone at the bottom. It was contained within a large golden necklace that she had created four years ago to hold the lovely gift. Rarity took it in her hooves and rubbed at the perfectly formed facets of the jewel. Months of aging had been put into this, Rarity recalled, and I took it from him. The smile she now had was timid and broken, remembering grudgingly now how she received it.

On the same day that the dragon was consumed with greed and grew to that immense size, she had seen Spike with it and used her charm to collect it from him. It was his birthday present to himself. I feel so terrible about this, but I doubt he’d let me return it to him now. With a sad sigh and a last squeeze of the present, she placed the object on top of the dresser and closed the drawer.

Yesterday, when she had gone to the marketplace, her thoughts and feelings were jumbled together; what she had done was inexcusable. In her search to see the purple dragon flush in affection for her, Rarity had pushed him too far. Wandering down the dirt roads, she had racked her mind for why she had done that in the first place. If I hadn’t been so eager, Spike wouldn’t be upset right now, she thought. After all I said to him about waiting, and I do that! What kind of a friend am I?

When she had returned to her home that night, Rarity was no closer to knowing what feelings she had toward the eight foot-long dragon. All she knew was that she was frightened of his claws and teeth and tail, a fact she hated having to admit to. She ate in silence, not having the stomach to finish her sweet mince pie, and after cleaning the dishes, she went to her bedroom. It took Rarity much tossing and turning before she drifted off into that troubled, disturbed slumber she still envisioned.

As she placed her fore hooves on the dresser to pull herself up off the pink carpet floor, Rarity remembered back when Spike had gone on a journey to find himself. The Great Dragon Migration. She was so worried for him and decided to go after him, with Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash; she was right to do so it turned out, as an image of those older dragons flashed before her eyes. Ruffians. She tightened her jaw as she sniffed softly. No, Spike is not like them. He’s sweet and kind and caring, and oh so cute when he’s nervous. My little Spikey-Wikey, he still wants to be called that.

Standing on all four hooves now, she tidied herself up in front of the mirror and descended to the lower floor. The fabulously coiled railings of the staircase complimented her home perfectly, red mahogany held firmly in place by metal worked into tremendously intricate designs. The white unicorn stopped a moment to take in the masterpiece she herself helped to plan: wave patterns of metal, just beneath the mahogany played across the top, while below straight vertical pieces in sets of three divided the sections. Arranged in each column was a gorgeous heart which split off from the main piece and curled out to delicately touch the borders. Within those hearts was an ornamental ring, which was her thought of positive perfection.

As she ran her hoof along the railing, lost in thought, Rarity caught the scent of a delectable smell arising from the kitchen. Why whatever could that be? Her eyes shut in delight as the smell pervaded the area. “Sweetie Belle?” she said, opening her eyes once more as she realised there was only one other pony it could be.

“Good morning, sister!” a sing-songy voice replied from the other room. The soft and sweet sound of her voice brought a small smile to the mare’s lips. She descended the remaining steps and stared around at her living room as she made her way into the kitchen. Over the years and through her business swiftly expanding, many renovations were necessary to keep up with her designs. The rooms were far more spacious now, and her aesthetically pleasing furniture and stylish decorations reflected her success. Rarity was proud to have come so far in her line of work.

She stepped into the open kitchen area, the rooms merely divided by a wide doorway, and saw her little sister frying something on the pan. Sweetie Belle had a curly mane and tail of pink and light purple, while her eyes were a beautiful shade of green. Those eyes twinkled with innocence as she gazed at her older sister, but Rarity knew that those giant circles could become an inescapable guilt trip, if necessary. Her coat was white, like Rarity’s, and her cutie-mark was rosemary and thyme.

“My Sweetie Belle, you’ve certainly gone all out this time.” There were several bowls on the counter top, inside each were the remnants of whatever ingredient was in it; vegetarian sausage, sweet potatoes and creamy butter, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, onions, spinach and eggs.

A skillet sat off to the side of the stove, while the prepared meal cooked in the oven. The aroma smelled heavenly to the proper lady. Rarity watched as the purple- and pink-maned pony maneuvered around the kitchen, cleaning the bowls out while she waited. Buttering me up with food, I see. Though she knew her little sister’s tactic was having the desired effect on her all the same.

“Nothing’s too good for my older sister!” Sweetie Belle replied.

Rarity walked up to the countertop and took a seat in one of the high chairs. She has also come a long way from not even knowing how to properly prepare toast, she thought with a giggle. As Sweetie Belle leaned down to check how the meal was finishing up, Rarity recalled why she hadn’t seen her last night. Probably a good thing too, what with the state I was in. “So how was your sleep over at Applebloom’s house?” she asked nonchalantly.

“Oh, it was great.” Sweetie Belle answered. “We made some plans for this afternoon to discuss the new crusaders.”

Ah yes, Rarity remembered. The idea to pass the club’s ideals to younger ponies. She nodded her head in understanding, so her sister would continue.

“I just want to thank you for that.”

“Why, whatever for dear?” Rarity tilted her head to the side questioningly. What did I do to help with such things?

Sweetie Belle had been looking down at the ground rather bashfully when she began, but now she tilted her head up to stare into Rarity’s eyes. “Well, if you hadn’t mentioned helping foals that would otherwise go through what we went through, we probably wouldn’t be crusaders anymore.”

Rarity touched a hoof to her chest, feeling warmth spread through her. “Oh. You are most welcome Sweetie Belle. And I’m so proud of you for doing something so selfless. It’s very considerate of you and your friends.”

“Really?” Sweetie Belle had turned back to clean up the dishes, scrubbing the skillet and bowls meticulously, but she glanced Rarity’s way with curiosity and mild confusion. Hearing the alarm sound, the little pony opened the oven and brought out the breakfast. Sweet potato casserole, Rarity knew it instantly. Delightful.

The cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend had melted perfectly atop the spinach and the crumble pastry crust, the scents of it wafting passed the unicorn’s awaiting nostrils. Onions and cottage cheese were in the center of the scrumptious meal, bubbling and simmering from the heat of the oven. The pieces of sausage poked out the sides and top of the casserole to tease the senses and the awaiting taste buds. It was truly a mouth-watering meal.

The fashionista nodded her head sincerely, stepping in to the kitchen to set two plates with the food Sweetie Belle had prepared. “Of course. Now come along, Sweetie Belle. This lovely breakfast you prepared looks almost too delicious to dismiss.”

The white unicorn stood on the front step to her house, saddlebags lay on each side of her slim form. A hoof was raised to her mouth in contemplation, as she thought about how to proceed. “Now, Spike should still be at the library. After all, Pinkie’s party isn’t until four o’ clock.”

Once breakfast was over with, Sweetie Belle had excused herself from the table in order to prepare for her meeting. Rarity had nodded of course and watched as she disappeared into the kitchen to clean the rest of the dishes. Rarity had stayed seated in the dining room, not really sure what she should do today.

That hadn’t changed much. She still didn’t have any ideas on how to spend her day, but the seamstress thought she should apologize to Spike. Though she didn’t really know how she would do that either without having Twilight suspect that something had gone wrong between them. Doesn’t matter, Rarity thought sharply. I still owe Spike an explanation.

With that out of the way, Rarity stepped down and began to trot over to the lavender alicorn’s house. It was a short distance, and many other ponies were out and about just as she was. I also must explain myself to Twilight. We were so looking forward to our book reading yesterday; it was a shame to cancel. Perhaps we can reschedule.

She waved to ponies as she passed them by, greeting them with a pleasant smile. Mayor Mare stopped on her way to Town Hall to congratulate her on her new line of clothing. “Oh why thank you, mayor; always nice to be appreciated for my work.” Rose was out watering her garden when she spotted the seamstress. “Good morning, Rose. My, your garden grows more beautiful by the day.” The red-maned pony waved back with a broad, thankful grin. Rarity relaxed into her pace as she sauntered along, feeling like she could accomplish the task that she had set out for herself.

Her trip only lasted a few short minutes, and before she knew it, Rarity was knocking on the door to Twilight’s house. I do hope he’s feeling better. She grimaced. Having come all this way, she began to have doubts. She panicked. The fashionista felt her heartbeat quicken noticeably. For what I said to him, I deserved that nightmare. All that confidence she had gathered from her walk over here seemed to dissipate with that one thought and feeling. She remembered four years ago, having that same sort of dream after the incident with Spike. These dreams began after I received the fire-ruby from him. Perhaps if I hadn’t taken it…he would not have lost himself. Could I be having these dreams because I took that gemstone? Rarity swallowed and shook her head. Nonsense, I’m over thinking things. It’s totally unrelated.

Before Rarity could truly end her inner argument, she heard the front door swing open to reveal Twilight Sparkle. “Oh, hi, Rarity,” she said, stepping aside to allow the unicorn entry. “What brings you here?”

“Good morning, Twilight,” replied Rarity, trotting into the living room to speak more privately. “Actually, I just happened to be passing by and thought I’d drop in to chat with Spike.” The lie came easily to Rarity. It wasn’t so much as a lie as an over extension of the truth. “Is he here?”

Twilight shook her head. “Sorry, Rarity. He left earlier with Pinkie Pie. Apparently, they were also meant to hang out before the party, so our plans for the morning were cut a bit short.” Rarity noticed the pang of hurt crossing the princess’ face as she said that.

“Oh, I…I’m sorry to hear that,” said Rarity, trying to provide for Twilight what comfort she could. She rested a front hoof near the astute mare. “You know how Pinkie Pie can be. I know how much you want to catch up with him, we all do. I’m sure you’ll have your chance, perhaps even at the party.”

“You’re right.” The lavender pony brightened slightly at her words. Twilight walked over to her kitchen and set some water to boil, turning her back to Rarity. “Would you still like to stay? I still have some cookies left over from our last reading session.”

“Why not? I was thinking about our missed book reading opportunity yesterday. I brought it over just in case you weren’t busy.” She levitated the book out of her saddlebags to show her friend. “Tea and cookies sound lovely.”

When the two friends sat down with their tea and their books, the air was peaceful; silent, but not too awkward for the unicorn’s liking. It was usually like this, calm and quiet. It was the perfect atmosphere for reading. Being in a library meant no loud noises would jar Rarity from imagining the world the author had created. This one was turning out to be a truly talented storyteller.

However, it seemed as though Twilight couldn’t keep still or focused. Rarity saw from out of the corner of her eye how the mare would fidget and glance at her every so often. It made her worry. Rarity knew her friend wanted to ask a question, but couldn’t will the words to form on her tongue. The white unicorn was well aware of that sort of dilemma. Years of courting had shown how nervous ponies could become when struggling to ask her out. It brought to mind all of the attempts Spike had made to gain Rarity’s attention. This little show wasn’t so different.

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” she asked, setting her cup down onto the plate. Her eyes focused on the alicorn, as she drew in a breath.

“It’s about yesterday,” began Twilight, uneasily. The well-read pony set her cup down as well, but kept her book open, enveloped in her magic. “I talked to Spike after you left, but he wouldn’t say what was wrong. You seemed to know what was going on, so I was wondering if you could tell me. He seemed really upset.”

Rarity stared down at her book sadly. The fact that she knew this was going to come up didn’t do much about the lump that now formed in her throat, or about the quickening of her heart.

“That’s…actually why I wanted to see Spike. To apologize.” She brought her head up to match eyes with Twilight. Rarity could see the concern in them. It was almost too much for her to bear, but she pressed on. “I said some things I shouldn’t have…and it made him uncomfortable. I was coming to check up on him and make sure he was alright. I really did not mean to hurt him. I went too far.”

“You mean with the flirting?” Rarity nodded solemnly. “I thought it might have something to do with that.”

“I know he has feelings for me and I should not have said those things, but he looks so cute when he’s embarrassed.” Her eyes grew lidded, tears forming at the corners. “It’s my fault.” Her mind flashed back to the night of the wedding; when she had said for Spike to wait a few years. The day after, he left for Canterlot, because of her. I don’t know if I can tell her. How would she react?

“Rarity?” Twilight said, standing up from the table to walk over and comfort the white mare. She placed a hoof over Rarity’s gently. “It’s okay, he’s over it. He seemed fine this morning.”

Her eyes squeezed shut. “No Twilight, I’m the reason he left. I’m the reason he moved to Canterlot.” Rarity shook her head, as if not truly hearing Twilight’s words. It was pouring out of her now, one word after the other. She had wanted to admit to this for so long, but didn’t have the courage to explain. Now it was too late to turn back. “That night in Canterlot, four years ago; after your brother and Princess Cadence left, Spike came to check on me. He knew how he felt about me and I…” Rarity swallowed and stared at the floor, sliding her hoof out from under Twilight’s. “I told him I couldn’t. His face at that, it broke my heart to see him so sad, but he was just a baby dragon. I didn’t know what else to do. I said before he left…that in a few years, if he still felt that way about me, we could try again. I had no idea I had hurt him so much to make him leave. Twilight, you must believe me, if I had known he would leave for four long years, I…”

She looked up and saw Twilight lean forward to hug the unicorn tightly. Rarity couldn’t believe it. She thought for sure the alicorn would hate her for what she had done. It was why she hadn’t been able to admit to it for so long. Rarity could only imagine how sad her friend had been this whole time, not having her number one assistant with her. “It’s alright. This wasn’t your fault. I’m glad you didn’t lie to him, Rarity. That would have been even worse.” Rarity’s eyes clenched shut to keep the tears from falling. I don’t know if I lied. I’m not sure. “I’m not mad, alright? You did what you thought was best, but please tell me. Tell me you didn’t say that to him out of pity.”

Rarity froze in Twilight’s tender grasp. Was it? Was it just because I couldn’t bear to see Spike like that from what I had done? From what I said? There was silence. How selfish of me… She lowered her head and pushed herself away from Twilight’s embrace gently. “Twilight, I…I can’t say that I didn’t say those things out of some pity toward him. I’ve been through that same sort of emotional trauma. But I cannot say for sure that there wasn’t something there either.”

After a brief pause in the conversation, the lavender alicorn nodded slowly. “Okay. I understand. Just…when the time comes, and he does ask you again…please think hard about how you feel.”

“Yes, of course. I will try to understand how I truly feel about him.”

Twilight was staring apprehensively at Rarity. It made the violet-maned pony a little self-conscious. The alicorn placed her book down on the table finally, as if just now realising she still held it in her magic. “Do you want to call it a day, Rarity?”

Rarity’s breath caught for a second, at a loss for words. “No, no,” she managed, trying her best to reassure her hostess of her composure and at the same moment, give herself time to think. “I’ll be fine. After all, I must know what will become of the Agra treasure.” Yes, that’s it. A valid excuse. “I’m ever so close.”

“Alright, I’m close to finished too.” However hesitant her reply sounded, Rarity was glad Twilight didn’t push the issue.

Once Rarity was on her way from the treehouse, after another hour of reading, she decided to pay Fluttershy a visit. She’s always a pleasure to talk to after all, and I might acquire an idea of the design and manner of this party Pinkie Pie has in mind. With a heavy weight lifting off her shoulders, the unicorn began to trot toward the pegasi’s cottage at the edge of town.

Author's Notes:

Good morning,

Well, this is terrific. This marks six weeks of my weekly drawings. I, myself, am amazed that I could keep doing this for that long without forgetting or just not wanting to draw. In fact, I think with each drawing I finish I want to make more. Of course I have already written the story chapters, so I don't need to worry about finishing them on time just yet.

Speaking of the story side, this is one of my all-time favourite chapters. I love it so much, and one of the pictures I made is my all-time favourite drawing. Rather fitting, I'd say. I just adore everything about this chapter, but I think the main parts are the beginning and the end parts. I don't want to give too much away in case any of you read this before the story, so I will leave it there.

I will post the drawings on Deviantart later today, so enjoy this little addition until I can return to my laptop.

Good day to you all! Ta ta. ^^