Author's Notes:

There is a short piece of music in this chapter. It is not required that you listen to it to get everything from the chapter; it’s just something I wanted to play around with.

The embedded player was much nicer, but it won't work anymore—not since the site update last December, so I had to do it with the underlined link. Feel free to open a new tab and listen while you read, or just follow the link to listen to it. Or skip it.
Your choice.

Please let me know if there are issues with it not playing properly, etc. Thanks.

Credits:
Song composed by: Naoto Tanaka
Recorded by: Krzysztof Słowikowski

Chapter 108

It was the middle of the night. The dinner was over, everyone had gone home, and Fluttershy and I were well underway to helping Rarity relax a little.

She was lying face-up on Fluttershy’s bed, legs slung over my shoulders. Her head was on the pillow with her hands resting on each side, limp fingers curled. Her eyes were closed, showing off that smooth, blue eye-shadow and thick lashes; her face was neutral, other than the long, soft exhales blowing from those plump, pursed lips. Her breasts rolled softly up and down her chest, keeping time with each thrust into her slick heat, each one bejeweled with a stiff, pink nipple.

Fluttershy kept watch next to us, lying on her side with one knee raised so she had easy access to pump her middle and ring fingers into her hot, sloppy nethers.

I had been going fairly easy on Rarity, given the reason for this session, but she appeared to be somewhat docile —more so than normal— making me wonder if she was actually enjoying herself. After glancing down between her legs to watch my glistening self reciprocate between those soft, pink layers, I returned my eyes to her face, studying her eyelids and that neutral visage.

Perhaps it was time for a wakeup call. I reached down with one hand to grip her shoulder and then pulled her towards me while thrusting my hips forward, plunging my length deep inside so that our laps came together with a dull slap.

Suddenly feeling an astonishing fullness, her eyes popped open and her head sprang up, mouth open wide. “OH!” she gasped. “Darling! What was that for?”

I released her shoulder and leaned on the bed, reducing my depth slightly. “Just making sure you’re still awake.”

“Of course I’m awake!”

“Yeah, but... you just looked kind of… out of it.”

“Nonsense, darling. It was exquisite,” she replied, taking a deep breath as she let her head rest on the pillow again. “I was quite enjoying myself, if you must know—at least, until you did that.” She exhaled noisily and put a hand over her forehead, closing her eyes. “Goodness me, I swear I could feel you in the back of my throat!”

“Sorry, Rare.” I leaned down to kiss her lips. “I thought maybe you needed a little jolt, that’s all; just to keep you on your toes.”

“It’s perfectly alright, my love,” she said, reaching up to caress my cheek with her fingertips. “But just because I’m not screaming my lungs out doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying myself.”

After giving her a smirk, I turned slightly to kiss her palm.

With a soft giggle, she lowered her hand and let it rest on her forehead, palm up. Then she cocked a brow. “Shall we continue?”

I looked down and withdrew from Rarity to stroke her with my erection, letting that slippery wetness do its job as I swept along her crease, causing her to jump when I brushed her clit. After a gasp was drawn, I slipped back into her, bringing forth a shrill yelp of delight.

As I resumed my slow, methodical thrusts, Rarity licked her bottom lip and then bit down on it, her bust heaving as another deep breath entered through her nose.

I glanced over at Fluttershy, noticing that she had also slowed down and was watching Rarity, mild concern marking her brow. When the fashionista let a long, sensual moan slip from her throat, however, she closed her eyes, satisfied that all was well, and went back to pumping her fingers into herself.

“Mmmmm…” Rarity’s body arched up slightly and she tipped her head back, pointing her chin into the air as her breasts shifted toward her collarbones.

Seeing an opening, I leaned down and nibbled on her throat, causing her to curl up and giggle at the unexpected sensation, bringing her chin down against my cheek.

“EEK! Hehehehe!”

She responded by wrapping her hand around the back of my neck, then she reached up to nibble at my earlobe, followed by: “You know what would really hit the spot after this, darling?” she asked, her hot breath wafting into my ear.

“What’s that?”

“A hot shower.”

“Yeah?”

“Mm-hmm,” she moaned, her voice like warm butterscotch.

Once she’d released me and laid back again, I rose above her and accelerated my thrusts, savouring the sweet sensation of her tight flesh as it stroked my length, sending wondrous shivers of delight up my spine.

I was prompted to look to my left when Fluttershy spoke, rather sensually. “I think a hot shower would do you good, Rare.”

Another long sigh from Rarity signalled her agreement. Her eyes were closed again, and her brows had begun to furrow when she felt my length stiffen and swell, the familiar sign that she was about to find herself filled with another hot, satisfying flood. She reached up and wrapped her delicate fingers around my arms, squeezing firmly. “Yes, darling…” she whispered, “give me your cum.”

What she missed, however, was Fluttershy and I winking at each other. The shy girl sat up on her knees and positioned herself next to me as I straightened up and held Rarity’s legs apart by the ankles; Fluttershy leaned against me, kissing my shoulder as she watched that rigid shaft slide in and out of her girlfriend, her left hand still between her legs, fingers buried inside her, stroking idly.

Several thrusts later, my heart was racing and I was ready to burst like a stick of dynamite, brought to the very edge of orgasm by Rarity’s heavenly interior.

“Read-dy?” I whispered to Fluttershy, shaking uncontrollably.

She gasped softly at the prompt and removed her fingers from herself, holding her hand above Rarity’s abdomen.

In the final seconds before detonation, I withdrew from the panting fashionista and swung my hips forward to let my length project over her. Fluttershy was quick; she wrapped her fingers around that swollen head and stoked vigorously, using the moisture from her masturbation combined with Rarity’s juices to lubricate the favour, completing what little was left of my journey to blissville.

Just as it happened, however, the shy girl’s other hand met my chin and turned me towards her so she could press her soft lips against mine; she sent her tongue into my mouth for a sweet frolic, intoxicating me with her flavour as my length began to convulse within her grip.

The first rope soared straight up Rarity’s body and landed between her breasts, a thick, wavy streak that extended from her sternum, all the way down to her navel.

Rarity gasped sharply when the warmth hit her skin, and she lifted her head to look just as the second shot fired and blasted her square on the chin, splattering down her throat and pooling between her collarbones.

“GAH!” She quickly turned her head and brought her hands up to shield her face.

Fluttershy continued to stroke as she kissed me, causing my entire body to tingle and shiver blissfully as the next shot was fired. This one strayed slightly to the right and slung itself across Rarity’s left nipple, followed by a fourth shot, which took the same path and landed right next to the previous one.

Subsequent shots lost propulsion; several more spurted lazily from my tip and landed on her belly, slathering that hint of abs she sported in my smooth, slick syrup. A pair of thick strands dangled from Fluttershy’s knuckles, swinging precariously as her hand pumped away at my now oversensitive head, which had finally ran out of ammunition and was now twitching helplessly in her grip. The webs eventually broke free and fell from her fingers, landing across that strip of violet pubic hair that graced the fashionista’s mound.

At last, the shy girl relented. She released my erection and peeled her lips away from mine, leaving me in an overwhelmed, panting mess. When I turned to Rarity, however, I found myself slightly disappointed: it felt to me like I’d shot a lot more than what there appeared to be—of course, she was the same colour; perhaps it was camouflaged?

I sat back on my heels and watched as Rarity lowered her hands and looked down to appraise herself, grimacing while doing so.

“Well…” she said, reaching down to dip her fingertip in her navel—which was filled to the brim with cum. “That certainly was the icing on the cake.” She rubbed her thumb and fingertip together, feeling the slippery substance between them as she surveyed the rest of herself. “Goodness me, I am positively covered!”

Fluttershy paused from licking her fingers off to reply. “Well, um… you said you wanted a hot shower.”

Rarity smirked and rolled her eyes. “That’s not quite what I meant, darling.”

“I know,” Fluttershy giggled, reaching up with her dry hand to hold her hair back. She leaned over Rarity to close her lips around her nipple —the one that’d been doused in cum— teasing and tasting at the same time, sucking the salty flavour away before letting that pink bud pop noisily from her mouth. She sat up, swallowed and licked her lips, then continued. “We just thought that… if one was good, then two would be better.” She shrugged, letting her hair swing free. “It’s just gonna get washed off anyway, right?”

“Well... yes, I suppose so.”

By then, I had decided to crawl beside Rarity and lay down. On my way, though, I caught a glimpse of the slathering I’d given her when the bedside lamp was in just the right spot, creating a glare on the many streaks and pools scattered along her body.

“Whoa, I did get you good,” I smirked.

She looked at me, surprised. “Of course you did, darling, just look at me!”

“Yeah but, I couldn’t really see it before, with the… you know... white-on-white.”

Her eyebrows went up. “Oh... trust me, it’s there. I can feel it. Speaking of which...” She looked down at herself again. “I suppose I’d better get myself cleaned off, hm?” She started to sit up, but then stopped suddenly. “Oops…” —she chewed her lip, looking slightly concerned— “that’s not going to stay put, is it?” She laid back again and faced the shy girl, her hand outstretched past me. “Fluttershy, darling, could you hand me the Kleenexes, please?”

“What for? You’re just gonna wash it off in the shower,” Fluttershy reasoned. “You’re gonna waste half a box of tissues wiping all that up.”

“I… but I don’t want it to drip on my way to the bathroom, darling.”

Fluttershy shook her head. “Here, just do what I do: spread it around.”

Rarity gave the shy girl a bewildered look while I snorted and covered my face.

“What d’you mean?” Rarity asked.

“Like lotion,” Fluttershy explained, demonstrating by moving her hands around herself, keeping them just above her skin. “If you spread it around really thin, it won’t drip off.”

The fashionista stared hesitantly at her lover, considering the idea. Such a filthy, naughty prospect, though from a physics standpoint it made sense; not only that, the idea of being completely coated in semen did excite her to a certain degree, and she’d be lying to herself if she said she didn’t want to try it—if only for the sake of being able to say that she’d done it.

Rarity brought her hands up and held them over herself, pausing as she looked to Fluttershy for reassurance.

Fluttershy nodded and smiled. “Go for it, Rare.”

Rarity looked back at herself, then took a deep breath before lowering her hands into the thick, warm mess on her skin. She squeezed her eyes shut and let out a high-pitched squeal as she began to slide her hands around, smearing the smooth substance over her breasts first, then across her chest and down her belly.

I couldn’t help but raise a brow as she ran her hands down her thighs, leaving a visible sheen behind; running her hands between her legs, she made sure to coat her mound and labia in a shiny layer as well. Before long, her entire front from thigh to throat was covered, but even so, she continued to run her slickened hands all over her skin, moaning softly as she tilted her head and slithered around in place.

I shifted away from her a bit. “OK… this is gettin kinda weird.”

“No, it’s not,” Fluttershy argued, staring hungrily at her girlfriend, who had finally stopped and opened her eyes.

“Oh my…” Rarity said after a short pause. She lifted one hand, gingerly licked the tip of her index finger, and then slowly turned to Fluttershy and me. “Er… perhaps it’s time for that shower,” she announced quietly, her cheeks rosy.

Rarity swung her legs over the edge of the bed —being careful to keep her hands up to avoid touching anything— and stood, showing her petite, white derrière to us as she headed for the next room. She stopped halfway, however, and turned to face us. A sly smirk appeared on her face and she placed her hands on her hips, shifting her weight onto one leg to swing her hips to the side.

“How do I look?”

I studied her body once again. Her skin glistened brilliantly in the light of the bedside lamp: her breasts, her toned belly, her hips, slit, waist, collarbones, hands—everything. All of it looked as though it was made of porcelain.

“You’re, um… really shiny,” Fluttershy giggled.

“That I am,” Rarity replied, looking down as herself once more before turning to finish her trip to the bathroom.

“Rare… RARE! Don’t touch anything,” I barked, sitting up part way.

“Not to worry, darling; I shall leave the door open.” The fashionista kicked the shower curtain out of the way and then stepped into the tub.

The shower had just started when a warm, yellow body slammed on top of mine like a ton of bricks. I looked up just as Fluttershy grabbed the sides of my head and curled her fingers to fill her fists with my hair. She gritted her teeth, her stare cutting into me like a pair of teal daggers.

“Did you fucking see her, Goldie!?” she hissed. “All fucking shiny and fucking covered in your fucking fucking CUM!”

Eyes wide, I sank my head into the pillow to distance my face from hers. “Yes! Yes, I saw it, Flutters. And thank you... for showing me what fear is.”

She exhaled her hot breath against my face, then came down to deliver a sloppy kiss, smearing her saliva around my face with her lips and tongue. “Mmmmmmmm...” she moaned, backing away slightly. “I need to fuck you SO bad right now.”

“OK, uh…”

Her movements distracted me, and I trailed-off as those bulbous, yellow breasts ground against my chest; she pushed her hips downward and rubbed her mound against my semi-hard length, causing it to quickly re-inflate, much to her delight.

She arched her hips to aim her entrance at my manhood and pushed backward, stuffing it inside that tight, moist inferno.

“Ooh…” She closed her eyes and sat upright next, letting her weight rest on my hips to impale herself on me. She tipped her head back, exhaling loudly into the air.

“You know, Flutters, I’ve never actually seen you do that,” I said, resting my hands on her thighs as I felt my length project straight up into those tight depths. “That thing... with the jizz smearing.”

“I haven’t,” she replied, looking down at me. “I just wanted to see Rare do it.”

“Oh.”

She came down suddenly and put her face against my neck, biting my shoulder first, then my ear, exhaling against my throat afterward. “Fuuuuck…” she whispered quietly, “it made me SO hot seeing her like that…”

“I think even Stevie Wonder could see that,” I said anxiously, knowing full well that I was about to get utterly fucked by this beautful psychopath, and with a post-sensitive hard-on, to boot. “You’re ready to go, Flutters, I can tell, but… I just need… just give me a minute, K?”

She sat up partway, letting her breasts dangle above my chest while giving me a stern glare. “Sorry, big boy,” she said softly. “No break for you.”

Then Fluttershy grabbed my shoulders, cocked her hips, bit her lip and delivered a thrust that nearly drove me through the headboard.

*****

Wednesday, November 23, 11:45am.

ME: Hey

RARITY: Hello

ME: R u going out for lunch today?

RARITY: Wasn't planning on it. Why?

ME: Wanna come to the music store with me for a bit?

RARITY: Music store? What for?

ME: Doin sum preemptive bass guitar shopping

RARITY: For Applejack? Certainly.

ME: Cool. C u in a few.

*****

Rarity and I walked into the music store hand-in-hand, heading directly for the guitar wall.

It was a big place. Display cases filled with a plethora of different instruments lined the walls an isles; music books sat on the shelves, surrounded by picks, straps, lint-free cloths, and just about any other item you could think of that could be related to musical instruments. The smell of the place was potent, like cleaners, glue and new materials, giving the place a sort of ‘new car smell,’ only different.

The fashionista and I were talking amongst ourselves as we weaved through the store together.

“Oh, I know, darling. I saw her going at you when I got out of the shower; I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so frightened.”

“Dude, I… fuck,” —I paused to rub my forehead— “I was scared. I thought she might actually snap me in two.”

Rarity giggled. “Well, that’s what you get for blasting me into a slimy mess.”

“Actually, Flutters technically did the pumping there, so… blame her.”

“Not to worry, darling. We’ll get that little she-devil back,” she declared with a flip of her bangs. “One of these days, when she least expects it, you’ll take her and shove her face-down on the bed and have your way with her; all the while, I’ll be off on the sidelines, laughing diabolically as that sweet, yellow tuchus is torn asunder.”

I couldn't help but smirk as I surveyed the selection of bass guitars that hung on the wall. Rarity’s dirty talk had certainly garnered a reputation for being somewhat hit or miss, but in this case I honestly wasn’t sure how to grade whatever the hell she just said.

“That won’t work, Rare. You know Flutters’ll just enjoy it.”

“Hm... true,” she grumbled. “Always one step ahead, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. So what did AJ’s old bass look like, anyway?”

Rarity paused, tapping her chin with her index finger. “It had a stained wood finish… with some little decorations on it.” She snapped her fingers and pointed at me. “And an apple.”

“Hmm…” I scanned the wall again. “I don’t see anything like that here.”

“No…”

I raised a hand to point at a blue one with a white pick-guard, topped off with a light wooden neck. “What about that Fender there?”

“Perhaps; it does have that retro look that Applejack likes. We’ll put it in the ‘maybe’ pile.”

We took slow steps along the wall, eyeing each instrument. There were some nice guitars there, but none of them seemed to emanate the farm girl’s style. I glanced down at Rarity and gave her hand a squeeze, noticing a mild look of despondence in her.

“You OK?”

She looked up at me with her eyes open wide, her long lashes spread like the wings of some majestic bird. After a few seconds of unsureness, she brought her attention back to the guitars. “Oh… nothing.”

I raised a brow. It didn’t look like nothing. “You sure?”

She sighed, cocking her head as those sapphire eyes jumped from bass to bass. “It’s just… being here reminds me of the band, which… reminds me of the battle.”

I drew a breath through my nose and faced the wall again. “Sonata.”

She nodded.

“You’re still upset about that?”

Another nod.

“Why?”

“I told her to stay away.”

I gave her a dubious look. “Surely that can’t be it.”

“I don’t trust her.”

“Oh come on; Sunny said-“

“I KNOW WHAT SU-“ she stopped suddenly and looked over her shoulder, realising her volume had gone higher than she’d intended. “I know what Sunset said,” she finished, whispering this time.

“Why don’t you believe her?”

“It’s… it’s not that, I… I…” She placed her free hand over her eyes and groaned. Then she let her arm flop down to her side and stared blankly at the wall. “It’s… this whole thing with the suits. I thought I felt it the night she and I went out, but I brushed it off as… something else. But then, when Sonata showed up…” She trailed off and shook her head.

“What?”

Rarity sighed, then spoke quietly. “The suits, the hero stuff, all of it; it was my idea. I set it up, I made the suits, I created a reputation —a legend!— something the town has come to revere, and…” She looked down at the floor. “My first night out, I ran into them: the sirens. I told them to leave, or die. That was my decision. Then Sonata came back.”

I remained silent and scanned the display as I listened to her.

“And Sunset…” —Rarity rolled her eyes— “she just swooped in, took over, and overturned my call and let Sonata stay. Just like that. She took what I created and just… made it hers.”

Hearing this made me give pause, then I snorted and looked at the floor, shaking my head. "Fuck. I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"I said this the other night: that you felt like Sunny was stepping on your toes. And you denied it."

Rarity scowled at me, but hesitated. "It... no, it's just that..." She stopped, sighed and closed her eyes, then let out a frustrated growl.

“Rare... you know this isn't really Sonata’s fault. Plus, I mean, you guys kind of hold Sunny as your leader, so…”

“I know.” She nodded. “And I realise that I was the one who wanted others to join me out there, but… I didn’t expect this.”

“What?”

“Like… feeling like I’ve had my child taken away.” She let out a sigh. “I made this thing, and now… I feel invisible. Like no one wants to listen to me; not Sonata, not Sunset… and then Twilight and the others came up with that app without even talking to me first, and you and Fluttershy want nothing to do with it—even though I made her a suit…” She squeezed my hand and looked up at me, her eyes glistening.

“You didn’t expect to be playing second fiddle in your own game.”

She swallowed, and then faced the guitars. “I feel underappreciated. I thought this was always going to be my thing.”

I released her hand to wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Maybe you should tell Sunny how you feel.”

She sneered and rolled her eyes. “What’s the point? Sonata’s here to stay. Everybody else has already welcomed her with great enthusiasm.”

“Not that,” I said. “You can’t change that. I meant talking to Sunny about including you in future decisions.”

Rarity remained silent for a moment, considering my advice. “Perhaps.” She stroked her chin thoughtfully. “Yes… I-I could tell her that this was my venture, and that I should be respected more, and-“

She stopped suddenly, then she let out an exasperated huff, covering her face. She stayed like this for a moment before letting her arms fall to her sides, looking at the floor to my right.

“Oh dear. I’m being selfish, aren’t I?”

I gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze. “Maybe, but I get where you’re coming from.”

She sighed and then let her head rest on my shoulder.

“I understand, Rare. You were excited to share this thing with us when we got back, and now it’s not what you expected it to be.”

“It wasn’t like this when I took Twilight out. She followed me; not the other way around.”

“Yeah. Sunny’s not like that.”

“It’s become very different now, and I feel… let down.”

“You know what?”

She raised her head to look at me, and I planted a kiss on her forehead.

“This kind of thing happens to everyone: people have expectations, and when things don’t go the way they planned, they feel just like you do. But now it’s up to you to adapt to it, deal with it, and move on.”

“How?”

“Talk to Sunny. Tell her how you feel.”

After a brief hesitation, Rarity nodded.

“And try to give Sonata a chance. I know she’s a fuckin idiot, but I really think she means well.”

“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

I removed my arm from her shoulders and gave them a rub. “You’ll be fine, Rare. You’ve dealt with far worse things in the past couple months and came out on top. This should be a walk in the park.”

Finally, a tiny smirk. “Hm. Thank you, darling. And I apologise for being so… dramatic… at times.”

“It’s one of my favourite things about you.”

“Pffft!” Rarity gave my arm a slap. “Oh, go on! You’re a terrible liar.”

“Yeah-yeah,” I said as we re-joined hands. I looked past her just then, noticing another guitar display. “Hey look, there’s more over there.”

“Ooh!”

Once we’d made our way to that rack, it was only a matter of seconds before my eyes landed on a sleek, black bass with a wooden neck that was stained very dark.

“What about that Ibanez?” I asked, pointing to it.

“it’s lovely, darling, but it’s not really Applejack’s style.”

I opened my hand and gestured to it again. “Yeah but, what does it remind you of?”

Rarity cocked a brow.

“Something she was wearing the other night…?”

The fashionista’s brows rose when the realisation hit her. She brought her chin up, mouth open. “Ahh… yes, I see.” She turned to me with a sideways glance. “But still, I’m not so sure she would be into it, darling.”

“I dunno,” I replied, shaking my head. “By the end of the night, she really seemed like she was diggin that suit, and she did look good in it.”

“Of course she did. Everyone looks good in the outfits I make.”

After a short chuckle, I stared at the bass for a few moments, chewing my lip, deep in thought.

Then I nodded. “I’m gonna buy it.”

Rarity turned to me, wide-eyed. “What, right now?”

I nodded.

“But what about her hammering-“

I waved her off. “I’m not worried about that. She’ll have that down in another week.”

“But… what if she doesn’t like it?”

I shrugged. “If worse comes to worse, we can return it. But I personally think she’s gonna love it.”

Rarity sighed and threw her hands in the air. “Alright then. It’s your money, darling.”

“Did you find everything you’re looking for?” the music store attendant asked, moments later.

I pointed at the wall behind the counter. “How much for that strap? The one with the apples on it.”

“Ten bucks.”

“Sold.”

Rarity wandered the store in the meantime, looking at the other instruments.

The attendant set the strap on the counter next to the bass. “So, which case did you say you wanted?”

I pointed to the display at the far end of the counter. “That brown leather one there.”

“OK.”

He rounded everything up, rang it in, and set about wiping the guitar down before putting it in the case while I counted out some cash. He attached the strap for me and tucked it in around the bass, then closed the case as I handed over the money.

“Don’t worry about the change,” I said as I picked the case up by the handle, giving him a nod.

“OK. Have a nice day—and thanks.”

“Have a good-“ I stopped when the sound of music came from behind, and I turned to find Rarity sitting at a black grand piano in the center of the store.

MUSIC

Surprised, I stood still for a moment to watch her. I was unaware that Rarity played the piano—in fact, if it hadn’t known she’d previously been in a band, I wouldn’t have pegged the fashionista as a musician at all.

Once I got my wits about me, I made my way through the store, carrying the cumbersome case between the other instruments —drum sets, keyboards, stands full of saxophones and other brass instruments— until I was at her side.

It was an elegant yet simple tune, one that seemed like something Rarity would play. Cocking my head, I watched as ivory fingers danced on ivory keys, bringing to life the lovely, emotive music that filled the store with its deep warmth. The performance was not flawless; a note was misplayed once or twice, which would cause the fashionista to cringe whenever it happened, followed by a little ‘eep’ sound, but overall, she did quite well.

At one point, she hit what sounded like a chorus or sorts; the pace picked up slightly, changing the piece into a brighter and more hopeful tune, ending with a pair of rolling chords followed by a single note, leaving it with a slightly darker conclusion.

Once it was over, she put her hands on her lap and faced me, smiling.

“Nice. I didn’t know you played,” I said.

“Yes well…” She gave a smart flip of her bangs and pointed her nose up. “I used to be quite the little Beethoven… many moons ago,” she explained, letting her head drop a bit as she pursed her lips. “There were definitely a few booboos in there, however.”

I gave her shoulder a pat. “Nah, it was pretty good. Especially since it’s been, like… uh,” —I paused for a second or two, furrowing my brows— “how long has it been since you played?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “I’m not even sure, darling. Years.”

“Hm. Well, still, it was a nice tune. What was that anyway?”

She drew a breath and glanced up at me, then she brought her eyes back down to the piano. “Oh… it’s just something Fluttershy wrote. Years ago, in high school.”

My brows went up in surprise. “Flutters wrote that?”

Rarity nodded. “She wrote several songs for the band, including one that we played during our battle with the sirens,” she replied, glancing across the piano keys, thinking about the music she’d just resurrected. “It really is quite beautiful,” she continued as she reached up and gently closed the lid to cover the keys. She let her fingertips linger on it, feeling the smooth finish under her touch. “It’s a shame she never finished it.”

“What’s it called?” I asked.

She looked up at me again, paused, and then furrowed her brows. “It’s a rather strange story, actually: she came up with it during math class.”

“Oh?”

A tiny smirk crossed Rarity’s lips. “Well, she certainly had the time; she was quite good in that class, actually. She even gave Twilight a run for her money.”

I cocked my head. “Flutters? Really… huh.”

Rarity nodded. “Anyway, darling, she was apparently thinking about variables and numbers one day when she got this idea: what if they were alive?”

I raised a brow. “…Alive?”

“Yes, like if they were characters. And what if they were pitted against one another in battle? Specifically the variable ‘X’ and the number zero—who would win?”

“Well that’s easy,” I shrugged. “Zero.”

“Why?”

“Because zero times anything is zero.”

Rarity shook her head and wagged a finger at me. “Ah… no-no, darling; you’re thinking in terms of mathematics. They are characters based on numbers; they embody the traits unique to the numbers that each one represents, but they are not the actual numbers.”

“Oh…”

She was right. When she posed the question, my mind automatically pictured the numbers next to each other on paper, so I instinctually made the snap decision to multiply them.

“You must think of them as living people, darling, but also remember to imagine them as the figures they are based on. Take zero, for example: who is he? What is he like?”

I drew a breath and rubbed my chin, considering it; but there wasn’t much to consider, so I just shrugged. “Zero is nothing. It’s just zero.”

“Right.” She swung a finger through the air, ending with her hand against her shoulder. “And what of X? X is a variable, correct?”

I nodded. “Yeah, I guess. He could be anything—maybe even a shape-shifter.”

“Hmm…” She tapped her chin. “Yes, I supposed he could be a changeling of sorts.” She looked up at me again. “So? Who would win?”

“I’d have to change my answer to X, I guess,” I said, after a pause.

“Why?”

“Because X could be anything he wants,” I replied. “How can zero beat that? He’s nothing.”

“True, darling, true.” She folded her hands on her lap. “But then again, if zero is nothing, then how can you beat him? How do you destroy something that isn’t there?”

I raised a finger to reply, but then I stopped. My lungs deflated and my finger drooped, limp. “Hmm… I hadn’t thought of that. You’re saying that X, even with all his potential abilities, can’t do shit to zero?”

“Precisely, my love.” Rarity smirked. “So, we have X, who is potentially all powerful, but cannot defeat zero, because zero is and has nothing to lose. And yet, zero, being nothing, does not have the means to attack X; so… I’d wager that we have a bit of a stalemate, wouldn’t you agree?”

My eyes shifted to the ceiling momentarily; then I nodded. “Yeah. I guess we do,” I said, looking down at her with a chuckle. “This is some fuckin deep thinking, Rare. I wasn’t prepared for this today.”

She let out a giggle. “Well… Fluttershy did have a tendency to daydream in class.”

“Sounds like it.”

After her smile subsided, Rarity smacked her lips and sighed. “I suppose you’re wondering where I’m going with all of this?”

“Yeah, totally.”

Another giggle. “Well darling, Fluttershy’s daydreaming of this led her to be inspired by these characters, locked in battle for all time; and so she wrote this piece of music, which she aptly titled: ‘X Versus Zero.’”

“Hm.” I glanced at the piano. “And that, what you just played; that was the whole thing?”

Rarity nodded. “I told her it was lovely and that she should keep going with it, but over time she seemed to lose interest,” she explained, sighing. “Fluttershy tended to write music that was upbeat and light; ‘X Versus Zero’ was meant to have a more epic sound, and whenever Fluttershy strayed from her norms, she would flounder and end up not finishing it.”

“Why?”

“She always worried that people wouldn’t like it.”

I groaned quietly and rolled my eyes. “Well that definitely sounds like Flutters.”

“Quite so.” Rarity stood suddenly. “Well, as much as I’d love to continue this chat, darling, I should be getting back to the boutique.”

I looked down at the large, rectangular case in my hand. “Yeah…” I looked back at her, offering my arm. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Oh! It was my pleasure,” she replied, slipping her hand through the crook of my elbow as we started for the door.

“Do you think Flutters’ll ever finish it?” I asked, stopping at the door when I realised my hands were full.

“Let me get that for you,” she insisted, opening the door and holding it for me. “As for the song, I don’t know, darling. I’m sure she’s forgotten all about it. I hadn’t thought about it myself for quite a few years... until I saw that piano just now.”

“Maybe we should ask her about it.”

“We could,” Rarity replied, taking my arm again as we strode along the sidewalk.

“Maybe she will now,” I said, shrugging at her. “She’s got the time, right?”

Rarity laughed. “That she does. I don’t know if the ambition is there though, to be honest.”

“Hm.” I followed up with a sigh. “Well, you know what? Sometimes all it takes is the right motivation to get people going again.”