MAKE UP
Among the many of sounds that reached her ears at that moment there was one in particular that drew her attention, but it wasn't the clinking of the wine glasses of the ponies invited to tonight's party, nor was it their talks about their possessions or what they planned to do with them or how much they had spent to get them. No, this noise didn't belong to the well dressed ponies downstairs, in the wide halls of the new Carousel boutique, clopping anxious their hooves against the shiny white floor tiles decorated with golden designs showing grape vines and playful unicorns, earth ponies and Pegasi due to the anticipation of meeting their beautiful host. It wasn't the rustling sound of the purple sashes hanging from the walls in elegant bows either. And obviously it couldn't be the delicate sound of the lamps swung by the wind that managed to slip into the halls thanks to the tiny gap of one of the sliding doors left open by a careless guest, astonished by the enchanting white marble statues and, of course, the buffet.
No, this sound had nothing to do with it. It was something less fancy, a timid knocking on wood, a modest request to enter her room. Something quite not fitting for her life long awaited fantasy come true, but nothing she couldn't get rid of easily enough.
"Come in♪"
She didn't care about who it was. It could only be one of her friends, after all not many knew how to reach her room through the labyrinthine corridors of the massive building but them.
The door didn't open and no pony came in. Instead the knocking persisted.
"Such a bother"
Her expression reflected on the mirror was enough to understand the words she didn't say.
The azure, magic glow around her horn vanished and her make up fell down slowly to the top of her little table. She approached the door, took a quick look around to check that mane and tail look good enough, and after giving them both a few light taps with her hooves to make them look puffy, she opened wide the door.
"Yes?
Oh! Spike.
What are you doing here?"
In front of her stood a little purple dragon, alone in the darkness of the corridor, only illuminated by the light emanating from her own room.
Spike, was a little tubby dragon, his colors lime-green and purple and his eyes sparkled brightly like a couple of emeralds. Rarity didn't like much that color, green, but she admitted Spike made it look good enough.
"Hi, Rarity...I was...I just wanted t..."
While Spike stuttered his sentences, Rarity took a look around the darkness behind him, searching for Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or any of the others, but they weren't there.
"Spike, did you come here alone?"
Spike wasn't finished saying what he wanted to say, but he left it like that in order to answer her question.
"Yes. I came alone. Oh! But I saw the others downstairs. They were having fun by the punch bowl."
The dragon quickly added a few foot notes to his comments, explaining what her friends did and trying to excuse his presence there now.
"Is that so?"
Rarity tried to speed up things with Spike. She still had a few preparations to go through before she could go downstairs to her guests, her boutique and her party.
Spike on the other hoof didn't seem to think too much about it. Time was still running and yet all he did was remain in front of the threshold of the door mumbling a few sentences now and then and giving a few glances inside Rarity's room, looks he hoped she'd not notice.
"Would you like to come in?"
This question took him by surprise although he wished deep inside she'd invite him in at some point.
"Sure. Thanks."
Spike entered the room and the alabaster mare closed her door behind them. Both went towards her mirror and make up table. She sat on a purple seat and magically brought closer another seat for Spike. With nothing to say they both spent a few seconds in complete silence until Spike finally spoke.
"Sorry."
Rarity surely didn't expect that.
"Sorry for what?"
His green eyes moved here and there, as if looking for something on the floor.
"Its just...well...I just forced my way in here without your permission."
A faint smile appeared on Spike's face.
"Oh dear, what are you talking about? I let you in didn't I?"
Rarity paid close attention to the sound made by the crowd downstairs paying attention to anything that could be a possible threat to her dream come true. The mare looked towards the door concentrating only on the sounds coming through it, so when Spike called her name so suddenly, it took her by surprise.
"Rarity!"
"Y-y-yes, dear?"
Spike hadn't noticed she had not paid attention to what he had said.
He just looked at her with the scales around his cheeks turning of a different, pinker color while his expression was a mixture of resolve and embarrassment. For the first time she saw him look at her directly in the eyes.
"...that's why I want to ask you something..."
While Spike had turned a little bit pinker in a matter of seconds, for Rarity, on the contrary, those seconds were to turn pale. If Spike was going to ask "that", it then was something she could consider a threat for the evening.
"But its kind of hard to do so..."
She didn't want to deal with those kind of questions right now.
It was a perfect night. Her success, the rich ponies waiting below to praise her and her creations, the stallions standing line just to cross a few words with her while the other mares bit their hooves in envy of her. She didn't want to deal with the feelings of a little dragon right now. She'd do so another time, but right now she didn't want to be bothered by the guilt of breaking a young heart.
"D-don't force yourself. We can talk about it later, dear?"
Her lips formed a nervous smile that could barely even be considered one. She tried to make it look natural, but even Spike could notice her true feelings behind it.
"....
...Yeah...sure. It...it wasn't really that important anyway. I'm sure I'll forget it myself after just a good night of sleep. Sorry if I made it look otherwise."
Now it was Spike's turn to smile awkwardly.
He stopped looking at her in the eyes and began to look down to his scaly purple knees and his swinging feet, hanging a few centimeters above the floor.
"Well...I've to go...I've things to do too."
He jumped from the chair and went to the door.
"Is that so, dear? In that case I'll see you later."
"Yeah...later."
Spike told a lie he didn't believe himself.
Rarity watched him go, believing she was now out of the danger. But as soon as Spike touched the door knob, without turning around, he spoke once more.
"Rarity...I know this might sound weird, but can I help you comb your mane?"
Rarity kept quiet while thinking about her answer. Before she could say anything though, Spike changed his petition.
"or maybe could I help you with your make up?"
She looked down with her dark blue eyes. Spike's feelings for her had not gone unnoticed, but this didn't mean she corresponded them.
The guilt caused by this feeling forced her make a decision: mane or make up?
To avoid a emotional disaster it would be enough to just let him help her with one of those, but which one?
At the time both were really important, she had been already long enough upstairs, enough to be elegantly late.
It was time to go down and mingle with the Crème de la crème of pony society. If she had to let Spike experiment with her face or mane, she'd spend even longer there and after correcting any mistake he could have made and she would no longer be "elegantly late" but plain late and this could have catastrophic consequences in her social life.
Still it's hard to fight against guilt.
"Sure, Spike, you can help me with my make up."
Her voice sounded like always but under her warm melodic tone, there was a hint of worry. She turned around facing her mirror and waited for the little dragon to come to her side.
Spike walked towards her and took a few of her products choosing a couple of brushes from the ones lying on her table.
"It's ok."
Spike spoke calmly.
"I'd never make you look bad."
At least that was right. Rarity could count on that fact. Spike would never do that.
"Ah!"
The touch of the soft brush on her cheeks startled her. Her thoughts were somewhere else at the moment. The sensation of the concealer being applied on her fur felt like a caress.
Usually applying her make up its more systematic. Her movements are faster and more precise, nothing special about it.
Spike made it feel different. And although she didn't want to think to much about it, he made it feel good, like a pampering.
Here and there he used her make up with such a self-confidence and security, she couldn't help herself but wonder if he had ever helped Twilight or some other mare with it.
"Spike, you should have told me you've done this before."
Rarity moved her head from side whenever he delicately, with just a push of his thumb and index finger, let her know that she needed to change her position.
"I've never done it. But I've seen how you do it very often."
He put the concealer down and picked up the next one, the foundation.
"What? But I've never done my make up in front of you, how come?"
Spike took a puffy brush this time. He pressed it against the fine dust and carefully spreaded it across her face skillfully.
"Well, not you "You", it was...."
He switched sides to have a better sight of her left cheek.
"Do you remember that time when Twilight's crown was stolen? When I ran after Twilight and went inside that weird dimension we told you about?"
The puffy brown brush kept moving over the sensitive, thin hairs of her face tickling her in a very pleasant way.
"Sure."
Rarity close her eyes from time to time, making sure the foundation wouldn't get inside of them.
"In that place there was alternate version of every one of you. There was an alternate Pinkie, an alternate Applejack, Rainbow dash, Fluttershy, and an alternate you. It was all so different and yet so familiar at the same.
Contrary to Twilight I was a dog at the time, but that was actually to my advantage.
The alternate you took me everywhere with her and one of the places she spent most time in was in the bathroom. She did her make up in front of the mirror several times in a day."
Spike finished the second step of her make up with a last "puff" on her muzzle, which made Rarity sneeze in a cute way.
"Achoo!
I see."
Rarity's muzzle moved in unusual ways trying to get out that funny sensation the brush had left on it.
"So that's where you learned about my sensitive muzzle."
She saw him pick up the next product while he giggled mischievously.
"Oh you!"
She laughed to. A little bit louder that she'd have hoped to.
As her laugh continued the sounds of the crowd downstairs seemed to die down, as if losing relevance. Even the voices of her friends, the ones having fun at the punch bowl became less and less audible.
It was time for the blush, but Rarity's face was already a slight pink after all that laughing.
"What should I do? If I apply any more blush people will think you're flirting with them."
Rarity pushed him jokingly with her hooves.
"Oh, stop it already!"
She became even redder and after a couple of laughs more, she again let Spike work on her face.
Spike applied the blush over her cheeks, drawing circles over them until the had a nice slight pink shade.
"I must say Spike, you really paid attention when that other me was applying her make up."
Was that jealousy?
"Jealous?"
Done with the blush, Spike took a black thin box filled with powder of many different colors, and a small brush with two tiny puffs on both ends.
This part of the procedure was silent.
He had screwed up with that last comment. Rarity didn't know what to say. Whatever she said could be used against her so she chose to keep quiet.
"We're almost done. I'm just going to add some eye shadow. Close your eyes."
She did as told without replying. It still wasn't the right time to talk again. It still felt kind of awkward.
The silence hurt. She wanted it to go away and little by little the sound of the crowd that had ceased a few moments ago, began to echo again from downstairs. She had to start thinking about something else.
"Are you thinking about the party?"
Spike spoke again and caught her off guard.
"Y-yes."
A pressure slid subtly across one her eyelids covering a wide area and afterwards it did the same across the other one.
"I see."
Spike's voice sounded different, and he felt different too. While she had her eyes closed his usually childish voice sounded deeper and somehow made her feel small. It was as if his head were towering above her height, letting his voice flow down to her ears. And that was not the only change she noticed in the darkness. He felt bigger, wider and definitively taller. For a second the image of him a few months ago crossed her mind again, that time when he became a full grown dragon and destroyed half of Ponyville.
"Open your eyes."
She did as told, she was a little bit frightened of what she'd see, but in front of her she found nothing more than a chubby dragon with purple scales and green spines holding a black box in one of his claws like an artist holds his color palette.
"How do you feel?"
He sported such an innocent smile on his face that Rarity felt ashamed by her thoughts and the fear she just felt.
"Oh, I'm doing great, dear.
I'm actually thinking of asking you to make me up every now and then."
Her white hoof placed itself on top of his head and rubbed it lovingly like one does so often to younger ponies when they've done a good work.
Spike smiled, but it looked forced.
"Ok, all we're missing now is some eye liner. Are you ready, Rarity?"
The black bottle appeared in his claw as if by magic. Reluctantly Rarity closed her eyes again.
"Don't worry. I told you I would never make you look bad."
Spike tried to reassure her, but it didn't seem to work. With her eyes closed Spike felt different.
"It's ok. Rarity."
He was done with her right upper eye lid in just a couple of seconds. But he was taking his time for the other one.
"Spike?"
The reply took him a while. In those seconds of silence a thought began to nag at the back of Rarity's head.
What makes a thief is the chance to steal and this was the perfect chance to do so.
But would he do it?
Would he steal a kiss from her?
The idea started to take more and more place inside her mind. So much she thought about it, that she swore she could feel him getting closer.
She felt how the blood rushed to her cheeks. Rarity tried to convince herself he wouldn't do it, but the idea of an approaching warm breath made her heart beat faster and faster.
Would she give him a kiss out of guilt?
"Spike!"
She was about to open her eyes, but before she did so, she heard his deep voice.
"Sorry.
I was was thinking on something else."
No longer did she feel his breathe blow delicately over the fine hairs of her fur. Instead with a quick and skillful stroke he finished her left eye lid. Rarity was relieved. She could open her eyes again.
"Huh, I must say I didn't think I could pull it off, but I guess I did. I managed to make you look even prettier."
That last comment made her smile once more.
"Oh really?"
She opened her eyes to her mirror and took a look at herself.
Spike did a great job, her make up was flawless.
"Oh, Spike! It's looks amazing!"
"Do you like it?"
"A lot."
Her reflection on the mirror beamed with happiness.
"I'm glad to hear that. I didn't want to mess up the night of your dreams.
....
I'm sure you'll do great, Rarity."
"What are you talking about, Spike? We're not done yet, we're still missing the..."
She turned around to meet his gaze, but she found nopony. Just an empty room and her eyeliner spilling black liquid over the floor.
"Spike?"
Spike didn't retort. It was as if he had never been there. But how could that be? He was there not to long ago, he couldn't have just vanished into nothing, dragon's don't do that.
"Spike, where did you go?"
She tried to look for him, but the skirt of her dress tangled itself between her legs and made it difficult to move.
"Spike, if this is your idea of a joke, let me tell you it isn't the tiniest bit funny."
Rarity gave a few steps forward but her skirt was so caught up between her hooves that it was almost impossible.
She could still hear the chatter of the crowd.
"Stupid dress! Spike? Come out already!"
Suddenly the thought of being alone scared her. She tried to think about the ponies downstairs, the crowd waiting for her, her friends, her success.
In response to her intentions, the sounds of the crowd grew louder and louder, so loud that now they even made her suspicious about their words. Was that the kind of sound ponies made when talking? It somehow resembled water crashing against glass.
Glass?
"Spike!?"
Her skirt had her completely under its control, trapped in its silky and soft touch.
It didn't look as if it were to stop anytime soon. As if it were alive it began to swallow her. In vain she tried to shake it off, to regain her freedom. But before she noticed her whole body was a prisoner of her magnificent night dress. It wasn't long before she had disappeared in it; leaving behind nothing more to look at than a marvelous sparkling cloth lying on the floor.
Suddenly thunder roared.
Rarity woke up under her bed sheets, her limbs tangled in them due to all that twisting in her sleep, just a few centimeters away from the border of her bed.
The darkness of her room on the second floor of carousel boutique was absolute. The halls and the party were gone, the warm light up room was no longer, but still she called a name in the void.
"Spike!"
Rarity jumped out of her bed, her ability to difference between dream and reality numbed. It was obvious her boutique was real, her bed, her room, the storm outside. But that talk between her and Spike was also real too, her halls, her party, her friends, the make up on her face was proof of that, wasn't it?
She ran downstairs so fast she almost fell. The darkness in which the house was submerged unsettled her.
The strange feeling in her chest, that unknown fear she had when she woke up, drove her towards the door which she opened with a tackle. The cracking sound of the door was loud enough to wake everypony up in the house.
The icy rain flew down her coat to the now muddy ground of Ponyville, yet it wasn't enough to wash her delusion away.
"Sister? What are you doing?"
A white filly with a double-colored mane appeared inside the house. She rubbed her eyes trying to get rid of her tiredness without much success.
"Sweetie Belle? I thought you'd be at the party."
"Party?"
The little sister yawned and after rubbing her eyes again asked her big sister once more.
"What party are you talking about? There's no party. It's 3:00 am and we have a storm. Not even Pinkie would plan a party now."
Rarity turned around, reality starting to kick in.
"What are you saying? The party in my honor in carousel boutique."
Sweetie Belle looked around inside the building trying her best to keep herself awake.
"There's no party in here."
Rarity stomped furiously on the ground, she didn't have any time to lose refreshing her sister's memory.
"Not here, in the big carousel boutique, you know, the central."
The filly gave her sister a look that under other circumstances would have got her into deep trouble.
"Sister, this is carousel boutique, you know, the only one."
Sweetie trotted forwards and stood behind the door's threshold far enough from the cold droplets of water.
"You must have been dreaming."
A dream?
"A dream? That...no. What? That can't be. We...we were all there. Pinkie and the others, you, Applebloom, Scootaloo, Spike even helped me with my make..."
Rarity rubbed her cheek with her hoof and took a look at it.
On her hoof was nothing, not the remainders of her blush, nor the stain left by a ruined eye line. Her face was clean without a trace of anything more than the water running down her factions.
"It's ok."
Sweetie spoke and dared to step into the storm, approaching her sister, convincing her of coming back with her into the house.
"It was just a dream. A very real one apparently, but still a dream. Look."
With her tiny hoof Sweetie Belle pointed to a shadow in the distance, the huge construction that was the never sleeping city of Canterlot, the home of the princesses and the purple unicorn that just a couple years ago in Ponyville was just known as Twilight Sparkle.
"Twilight...I mean, princess Twilight and Spike went back to Canterlot a few weeks ago, remember?"
The memories of their farewell began to appear in Rarity's head, the argument of her little sister started to become more and more solid with each of her words.
"I know, it must be hard. You and the other guys went through so much together with Spike and Twilight. I think I'd feel the same if suddenly Applebloom and Scootaloo weren't around anymore."
Despite the logic behind her argument, Rarity still had her doubts. She still had a strange feeling lingering in her chest after that dream, but after a few more words of her sister, she came back to the house.
Both mare and filly were soaked to the bone, shivering due to the cold.
"I'm going to prepare us a hot bath. Tomorrow Applebloom, Scootaloo and I are going to help around the farm to see if we get our cutie marks and I don't want to miss it just because of a cold."
The filly dashed upstairs into the bath room, leaving the white unicorn behind, alone with her thoughts.
"A dream, huh?"
It was kind of obvious now.
Labyrinthine corridors? Marble statues and wide halls in her yet humble carousel boutique? Ha! How laughable. A smile appeared for less than a second on the mare's face, but disappeared quickly afterwards.
There was something she couldn't remember anymore. What was it though? The more she thought about it, the less she could put her hoof on it. As if trying to grab water with her hooves, that indescribable thing inside her avoided her.
"Sister. The bath is ready."
Rarity trotted towards the bathroom were her little sister was waiting for her to bath together. Small puddles of water and mud were left by her hooves like a trail on the usually white floor. It didn't matter though, she'd clean up later.
When she opened the door of the bathroom the sweet aroma of herbs and bath salts slapped her in the face. Sweetie Belle had obviously used too much of both when preparing the bath. The white filly sat in the middle of the bath tub, submerged partially in a pinkish water and clear foam caused by the soap.
"Come sister, it feels great."
Rarity carefully submerged herself in the water as her sister did. It felt great indeed, but she didn't say anything about it.
It was truly rare that both sisters shared a bath together. Sweetie never actually thought Rarity would ever bath with her, but despite how unusual this moment was and how much it meant for the filly, Rarity just kept staring at the foam.
"Don't you think you should give them a visit?"
"Huh?"
The azure eyes of the alabaster unicorn stopped focusing on the random shapes of the froth to meet the green eyes of her sister.
"Spike and Twilight. Maybe you should give them a visit. It has been so long after you saw each other for the last time. You can even invite rainbow dash and the others. I'm sure they'll all go with you."
After her statement Sweetie submerged her head into the water reemerging seconds afterwards with her wet mane over her face.
"I'm sure, Twilight and Spike will be glad to see you."
Rarity kept looking at her little sister without even blinking.
"Spike..."
Her face showed no expression or reaction for so long that Sweetie felt worried about her. But then a smile appeared on the unicorn's face and her eyes sparkled beautifully.
"You're right. Maybe I ought to visit them."
She giggled sweetly and submerged her head in the water just to reappear behind the filly with her wet purple silky mane over her head.
"But before doing that, I better enjoy this moment. We don't bath together every day after all."
Rarity took her sister in an embrace only big sisters know how to deliver properly.
"Ah!"
"Thanks for the idea Sweetie Belle."
The hug lasted longer than any other the filly had received from her sister, but despite this when Rarity let go it didn't feel long enough for her.
"I-it's ok. I'm glad you're feeling better, sister."
Both mares laughed bemusedly and enjoyed the rest of their bath.
That's right. I just need to go visit. They might be far, but still we can be together.
Rarity thought those words to herself ignoring roar of the ominous storm going outside.
Chapter 6.6: Presents and souvenirs
Chapter 6.6: Presents and souvenirs
Presents and souvenirs
The train to Canterlot had been pretty crowded that morning. It felt as if all of the ponies in Equestria had decided to visit the kingdom's capital at the same time.
Complete families and ponies, groups of students, friends, and the occasional loner filled the cars of the train with laughter, gossips, or complains. Their voices were like a buzzing, which had only intensified when the train suddenly stopped and they were informed about a small situation with a lost, and stubborn cow, that had decided to take rest right in the middle of the railway.
While the ponies in charge tried to solve the situation as soon as possible, the passengers inside the train tried to look for different ways to spend their time. Some of them read, some of them looked at the landscape through their window, some others wrote busily as if suddenly struck by maddening inspiration, while others told themselves some jokes or played card games.
What Rarity, Applejack and the others did was the latter. Pinke had brought along a very amusing card game she had bought "eons" ago and that she, so far, had never had the opportunity to play with others besides gummy. She also stated how good the small alligator was in that game.
The five mares sat in a circle with a moderately large pile of discarded, multicolored cards in the middle of it. Next to it was the card deck and a small basket full of sandwiches that Fluttershy had made that morning for the trip.
"Alright. My turn. And I choose the color green. Also, I'm on my last card."
Rainbow dash finished her turn by showing everypony in the round the back of the last card in her hoof. She was about to win according to the rules of the game.
As Pinkie had explained, the game consisted on discarding all of your cards until you had none left. Of course that could only be done if the card about to be discarded matched the color or the design of the one discarded before. In the deck there were also some cards that skipped turns, reversed the order of the turns, or even forced somepony else to draw a certain amount of cards, from two until even four, giving the whole game a small strategical touch.
"Well, Sugarcube. Looks like you could use some more cards. Here hav' some."
Applejack discarded a red card with a +2 drawn in one of its corners. It meant the pony right next to her should draw two more cards without the chance to discard any for this turn.
"Oh. A daring strategy. You do know other three other players have to play before it's my turn again, right?"
" Ah have faith on their cards."
"Hooo... I see. Let's see were your faith will take you."
Applejack's card and any other card of that kind was accumulative. It meant that if Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity discarded cards of the same type, the amount of cards Rainbow dash had to draw in her turn could easily become eight, twelve or even fourteen.
The orange earth pony and cyan pegasus had been at odds since the very first match, always striving towards maintaining a flawless victory streak of five or more consecutive matches. Rainbow dash had managed so far to win three matches in a row so far, but it had been always Applejack that thwarted the next one, not always looking victory for herself, but mostly making sure Rainbow didn't win.
"Come on girls, this is just a game. We're supposed to be having fun."
Fluttershy, the yellow pegasus with the butterflies cutie mark, was next. She had never understood the fun Rainbow Dash and Applejack had during their competitions. So she doubted a little before throwing her card into the pile.
Unlike the other two before her, she didn't expect to win every single match without ever losing. She was more content with the idea of having fun with her friends and winning just one match.
The cards she had right now were quite good and they were only three. All she needed was a chance and it'd be her victory this time. She'd have to make sure Rainbow didn't win on her next turn.
"I'm sorry, Rainbow."
The innocence reflected on her eyes certainly did not match her actions. Fluttershy threw a +4 on top of the pile, meaning that Rainbow would have to draw six cards on her turn.
"Woah Fluttershy, I never expected that from you. So coldblooded!"
Pinkie pie giggled with mischievous grin on her face while she shuffled the cards in her possession.
Like always it was hard to see Pinkie's true intentions. Since they started playing she had never shown her determination to win a single match. Instead she seemed to have her fun playing around with others, messing up their strategies or aiding them in their victory when she saw it was fine with her.
"Let's follow Fluttershy on this one."
The pink pony threw the second +4 on top of the pile and things started to look pretty bad for the cyan pegasus. Only Rarity was left. If she also added a +4 or even a +2 to the chain, Rainbow dash would have to draw ten or more cards, nullifying her chances to win this round.
Rarity didn't seem to be that interested in the game though. She saw through the window at her side at an unknown point in space.
"Rarity? It's your turn."
The mare didn't reply and instead continued to stare.
The girls, unable to fight against their curiosity got close to the window and looked too. But saw nothing besides the bluish mountain range with its snowy peaks in the distance.
"We still can't see the castle, huh?"
That comment from the cyan pegasus managed to snap her out of her trance.
"W-what? Oh, the castle. Yes. We still can't see it. I'm sorry. Is it my turn already?"
The white unicorn quickly took a look at the cards in the pile and her own and discarded another +4. Apparently Rainbow was doomed. But the game didn't continue right away.
The girls all looked at the unicorn with wide smiles on their faces.
"What is it? Do I have something on my face?"
"Oh, come on, Rarity. No need to play it cool in front of us."
The smile on Rainbow Dash's face as she spoke was both teasing and mischievous. The mare enjoyed seeing her friend try to hide her obvious embarrassment behind a fake indignation.
"P-playing it cool? I wonder what you might possibly be talking about, Rainbow Dash? I was eeehm...astonished, yes! Astonished by the wonderful sights presented in front of us. Nothing more."
"Yeah, right."
Apparently the unicorn's act had not fooled any of her friends, especially Rainbow dash.
Applejack asked Rainbow to stop her teasing. It didn't seem like Rarity was comfortable with the way Rainbow expressed herself, so she decided to put what the pegasus wanted to say into her words.
"Ah think what Rainbow here wants to say Rarity, is that you don't have to act as if you didn't care about arriving to the castle faster.
Ah think we all here are feeling the same as you. It feels like ages since we have met with Twilight and Spike. Ah personally can't wait to see them again.
Ah have to admit that if it weren't for this card game, Ah'd be asking every five minutes if we're there yet."
The orange mare placed one of her hooves gently on her friend shoulder and, while looking her in the eyes, told her that it was alright to be anxious.
"This is especially true in your case, Rarity. After all you were the one that organized this whole trip and gathered us together in a -what did you call it?- "flash visit". I guess that without you, we wouldn't have come here at all and we would still wait for them to come visit us."
Fluttershy's comment caused everypony else in the round to agree. The mare's nodded and thanked the white unicorn for inviting them and some straight out forcing out of their labors in order to come visit Twilight and Spike.
"That's true. Without you I would surely have waited ages to show Twilight the second chapter of my awesome Daring Doo fanfiction. She liked the first one so much I'm sure she'll just shoot into the sky out of excitement once she sees it."
Rainbow dash took from the bag next to her a thin booklet with a colorful cover depicting the famous adventurer jumping with her whip over a pit full of thorn vines.
"Woah! Rainbow Dash, you drew that? It looks amazing."
The image was good. It looked almost professional. But Rainbow Dash quickly pointed out that the didn't draw the cover, but a friend from work. She immediately after explained that the story was her own invention.
"Well, Ah surely didn't expect you to give Twilight a book of your own authoring. In my case Ah brought her a bottle of our Apple family special cider. We can only do twelve of these every six years so it's an almost one of a kind drink."
Applejack had in her hooves a brownish bottle with an old looking label on it depicting right in the middle of it an aged apple tree flanked on both sides by earth ponies bucking its trunk. The name on the label was "Ye old kick in the apples". On the label was also additional information regarding ingredients, production and the address of the farm.
Through the glass one could see the yellowish-golden liquid fizzle inside the bottle. Everypony in the round had to gulp down their saliva at the thought of its taste. Rainbow Dash was especially affected by the idea.
"Ehm...hey, Applejack. I was wondering if I could get a tiny sip of that cider."
The puppy eyes of the pegasus were useless against the earth pony.
"Nope. This is for Twilight only. If you want cider, you'll have to get it like everypony else."
"Oh come on, Applejack! What if I leave town? Would you give me some cider then?"
At the question Applejack's reply was even colder.
"Not in a thousand years, Rainbow dash. If you leave town just so that Ah send you a bottle of cider, Ah'd make personally sure that never again a single drop of our cider touches your tongue."
"Woah...that's harsh. Why would you go that far? Do you have something against me and cider?"
"No. But I don't like the idea of you leaving just because of that."
"Awwwww...well, aren't we a softie."
Rainbow Dash began to tease Applejack about her last comment. Meanwhile Fluttershy, who believed was her turn to show what she had brought for Twilight and Spike, started to talk.
"I brought a photo album. It has all the pictures I could collect that had Twilight and Spike in it."
A thick and heavy book was set in the middle of the circle for everypony to see. The cover was made of leather and it had written beautifully in golden letters the words "Ponyville's memories".
"I have been gathering the picture for a while now. I wanted to make an album from all of us. I was really surprised by the fact that some of them even existed, like this one here."
With her hoof the yellow pegasus pointed at a picture of the very first time that Twilight and Spike came to Ponyville. It showed the two newcomers looking surprised at a pink pony jumping several inches above the ground.
"Oh, that's me, that's me! Where did you get that picture?"
"Well...I got it from..."
"Did you get it from Mike?"
"How did you know?"
"I thought it could only be him."
The conversation of the two mares was something the others couldn't quite follow. So Applejack as well as Rainbow Dash and Rarity just had to ask, who that Mike was.
"Oh, Mike is a stallion that keeps following me around. He seems to admire me a lot. He keeps taking pictures of me and makes different things that look like me: stuffed dolls, costumes, mugs, lamps. Even his wife resembles me a little."
The other girls didn't want to say it out loud, but that "Mike" sounded like a creepy pony. Maybe that was the reason why Fluttershy hesitated before mentioning him.
Disregarding that situation Pinkie pie was next to show her present for Twilight and Spike, and she was more than happy to do so.
She took out two pink boxes with big white letters that read "Sugar Cube Corner" on them. Both boxes were tied with an elegant cyan ribbon and from inside them came a delicate and tempting smell.
"These are special V.I.P pastries of Sugar Cube corner. They are made following an old recipe of Mrs Cupcake and have a name so exotic that any amateur pronouncing it would bite off his tongue by accident. In the business we just call them 'Heaven's lies'."
Maybe it was the way Pinkie was talking, but there was something ominous and yet alluring about the contents of the two boxes. Something that seemed to pull softly from their noses towards them, but at the same time seemed to alert them about something.
Y-you are surely exaggerating, Pinkie Pie. It clearly smells like vanilla and almonds."
Pinkie let a somewhat creepy giggle at her friend's comment.
"Is that what it smells like to you? For me it smells like banana and chocolate."
"What? What are you talking about? It's clearly apples and honey."
The mares kept quiet for a while and looked at the boxes, trying to find out exactly what they smelled like. But despite the many attempts they could never coincide in the aroma. Some times it smelled like roses, some others like peaches in syrup. It even smelled differently for the same mare after a few moments.
At the end they just stopped guessing and just let Pinkie put the boxes inside her bag.
"Woah, I'm officially freaked out by those pastries...I wonder if they are dangerous."
"I don't think so. Otherwise we wouldn't sell them."
"Still Ah really want to know how she makes them."
"Mrs Cake said she'd show me if I stay long enough with them. Anyway what did you bring, Rarity?"
Once more the spotlight shone upon the white unicorn. The fashionista was still trying to comprehend the mystery of Pinkie's pastries, so it took her by surprise to be the center of attention again.
"Ah, well. I brought Twilight a dress. I thought it'd she'd look amazing in it."
Rarity used her magic to get her bag and from inside it pulled a long blue dress with silver decorations and gems.
It was astounding. Even Applejack, who didn't have much of a fashion sense, had her mouth wide open in amazement.
"Ah, it's beautiful!"
"Yeah. Ah'm sure Twilight it's gonna luv it."
The compliments from her friends continued to rain over the unicorn. All the mares seemed to love the dress.
During their talk though and by the careless, but unintentional, movement of one of the mares, Rarity's bag topped over and fell to the train's floor. From inside of it a heart-shaped blue gem encased in a golden necklace slid on the floor until it finally stopped at the hooves of Rainbow Dash.
"Oh, what is this? Is it an accessory for the dress?"
"Well, that is...yeah...it's an accessory for the dress. Now could you please give it back to me?"
Rainbow dash kept the item in her hooves for a while longer, despite the fact that Rarity had her foreleg stretched out, already waiting for her to hoof it over.
There was something about the necklace that just bothered the pegasus. A feeling of seeing such an item before, but with a slight difference.
"Say, Rarity. Didn't you have one of these already?
I think I have seen you wear one of these before."
"Yeah. Ah'm with Rainbow on this one, sugar cube.
Ah could have sworn the gem was red though."
Rarity quickly let the necklace fall in the depths of her bag. The others were quickly catching on the matching necklace in her possession, but they still didn't see the connection between them. It was better for her that way, less embarrassing.
She attempted on changing the subject, stating again the gem was nothing more than an accessory for Twilight's dress, but Fluttershy and the others didn't seem to want let go of the matter.
Finally Pinkie put all the pieces together and exposed the nature of the object.
"Ah! It looks exactly like the necklace you have with Spike's ruby. But this one is blue."
"Ho ho! A matching pair of necklaces, huh, Rarity? Looks like we know the real reason for this flash trip to Canterlot."
On the unicorn's cheeks appeared a soft blush, and the delicate line of her mouth twisted in to an annoyed scribble.
"Hmph! I don't know what you might be thinking the reason for this trip is, besides our visit to a good friend, but I can assure you, you are mistaken."
Again Rarity used her fake indignation to evade the problem. Despite being one of the most sophisticated and cunning mares in Ponyville, Rarity was simply too bad at hiding things regarding her feelings.
"Come on, Rarity. Give us a break. It's obvious you organized this whole trip to give Spike that necklace."
"I don't know what you are talking about, Rainbow."
Trying to make Rainbow's comment like a mere trifle Rainbow dash turned around and acted as if she were busy folding the dress again and putting it inside her bag.
"Everything makes sense now. The fact that you were so pushy when you invited us, the sudden visit. It was all because you miss him."
"I believed we all agreed on the fact that we missed him."
In Rarity's voice there was something threatening. It was subtle, but very clear for those who paid attention to the unicorn's tone of voice.
Unfortunately Rainbow dash didn't care much for small details.
"Yeah, we sure do miss the little guy, but not in the same way it seems. Who would have thought though. After all those years following you around trying to woo you, all the little dragon had to do to get your attention was leave."
That was the drop that filled the cup. Even Pinkie Pie, who was also kind of blunt with delicate matters, knew that Rainbow Dash had crossed a line there. Fluttershy and Applejack could only stare in silence.
"It seems there's a misunderstanding here and I better clear it up. I do not, and I repeat, I do not see Spike as more than a friend. This present is only as a symbol of our friendship, nothing more or nothing less. If you'd like to imagine some other intention involved, please keep it to yourself."
Rarity's words were like sharp daggers. She was totally in the defensive, ready to deliver any kind of retaliation to whatever comment might follow her own.
At least Rainbow was able to see now that Rarity was not in the mood for tolerating any other joke about her and Spike.
With a troubled expression Rainbow apologized and let the matter rest.
A sudden and rough movement of the train let the ponies inside know that again they would advance towards the castle. One by one the ponies around the car returned to their respective seats and to their conversations.
Rarity and the others were awfully silent though. The game had ended without a winner and Pinkie had returned the cards to their package.
Applejack looked at the ceiling as if entranced by it. Fluttershy put the album back into her bag and looked down at her hooves.
Rainbow and Rarity stared out the window at the passing forests and mountains, without saying a word to each other.
After a a few minutes had passed, Pinkie was the only one that dared to speak again about Rarity's present.
"Rarity..."
"Yes, darling?"
"Spike...Spike doesn't mean anything more than a friend to you, right?"
".....
That's right."
"Then I don't think you should give him that necklace. For Spike that your necklace means a lot. If he gets a present resembling it he might think it conveys the same feelings his does. He might misunderstand too and he might end up getting hurt. Instead give him this, here."
The pink earth pony placed the deck of cards they had been playing with not too long ago before the unicorn.
"I am sure Spike will like this too. And there's no way he'll misunderstand."
Rarity stared at the deck of cards for a few moments, thinking what it'd mean to give such a present to Spike.
It didn't convey any of the feelings the necklace would, but as Pinkie stated, it clearly labeled their relationship as friends. Maybe it'd be good enough. After all it was better than ponies having the wrong impression about them.
"Thank you, Pinkie. I'll give him this."
(*)
The train's speed finally decreased. The tubes and pipes of the machinery whistled tiredly, as if breathing out a long and exhausted sigh after an extensive journey.
The last station of the train, Canterlot Castle was quickly covered by the white steam that escaped the locomotive.
The last five passengers descended in a for them unusual silence. But strangely enough the castle seemed to share their quietness.
Ten, maybe twelve guards were posted at the entrance of the castle, a bit more than usual. All of them looked at the group of friends very respectfully, but under their stoic and severe expressions laid a vague shade of sympathy and sadness that only Rarity seemed to notice.
'Did something happen?'
The group of friend walked in silence towards the entrance. There was a young looking guard waiting for them.
"Ah! You have arrived sooner than expected. I guess our messenger really outdid herself this time. Please follow me, the princesses await you."
Rainbow Dash and the others were confused. They were expecting them? How was that possible?
They had decided today morning to come to Canterlot without telling anypony. Unless Twilight had developed psychic powers, it was impossible for her or the princesses to know they were coming. Besides, what about that messenger?
"Eh, sorry. But what do you mean by 'expecting us'?
We didn't tell anypony we were coming. It was supposed to be a surprise."
"A...surprise?"
Rainbow had finished her sentence with a smile, but the guard replied with a somewhat shocked expression, that confused the group even more.
"Yeah, a surprise. Something wrong about it? Did something happen?"
"I...I'm sorry. Did you receive our message?"
"No, we didn't. As I just told you, we decided this morning to come visit Twilight. We must have crossed paths with your messenger.
Is something going on?"
Without giving an answer to Rainbow's question the guard just apologized, mentioning that he didn't have the authority to speak about it, but that the princess should be able to clear the situation for them.
Once more he asked them to follow him, to which the mares acceded.
The guard led them directly to the throne room. Many times before had they been in that gigantic hall, every time for a different reason.
They were led inside without being announced, which in itself was very odd. But even more so was the fact that inside the room was not only Twilight, but princess Luna, Princess Celestia, Princess Cadence and Shining armor as well. It was a meeting of all the greater powers in Equestria. Whatever the matter was, it seemed to be quite serious.
"Girls. You are here."
"Hello, Twilight, or should I say your highness?"
Twilight giggled. Rainbow's little joke helped break the oppressing atmosphere that seemed to envelope every single pony in the room.
"You know there's no need to call me that, Rainbow Dash.
Call me Twilight, like always.
...
I am really glad you came girls. There's something I have to tell you."
"Oh, Twilight! We have missed you too!!!!"
Unable to wait any longer Pinkie Pie jumped at the neck of her friend and embraced her tightly. Although surprised, Twilight naturally returned the hug. What she had to tell them was pushed aside just for a little while longer.
One by one the friends of the purple unicorn began to surround her, each one waiting for their turn to hug and greet her.
"Darn Twilight! Why haven't you written us a single letter? We were afraid you might have forgotten about us now that you're a princess."
"I'm sorry. I always thought I could go visit you any time, but at the end it was impossible."
"Well, the important part is that we are now together. And if it's Ponyville what you're missing we have even brought you some souvenirs!"
One by one the mares showed their presents to the young alicorn. Rainbow Dash's fanfiction, Applejack's cider, Fluttershy's Album and Rarity's dress, all the presents seemed to delight her. But the best was saved for last.
"I'm glad you like the presents, Twilight. But now it's come the time to reveal the true form of the mysterious pastries of Sugar Cube Corner. Prepare your mind to be blown by the tastiest thing ever baked, the 'heaven's lies'!!!!
Beware Twilight, even if you are an alicorn if you eat this pastries, there's a 95% chance your sense of taste won't be the same afterwards."
"Heaven's lies? What kind of name is that? Also, they will change sense of taste? Are they really that good?"
"They are even better! Would you like a bite?"
Twilight nodded. She hadn't realized how much she missed Pinkie's antics and exaggerations.
PInkie was about to untie the ribbon on the boxes, but then she remembered these were not only for Twilight.
"Ah! Wait! We're still missing somepony. Twilight, could you please call Spike. Mrs Cake made one for him as well."
The pink earth pony looked around the room for the purple dragon, but was unable to find it.
Applejack and the others were also wondering where he might be. It was unusual for Twilight to be meet with the princesses and her brother without him. Usually he stood right next to her in this kind of situations.
"Spike...won't be able to accept it, Pinkie."
"Eh? Why not? Is he not around? Did he leave for royal business?"
There was once more that subtle shade of sadness that Rarity had noticed in the guard's face.
"What's wrong, Sugar Cube? Did something happen to Spike? A guard did tell us you had sent a messenger for us, but we must have passed him on the way here."
Somehow Rarity was scared. She couldn't tell why, but a cold sensation began to grow inside her chest.
The sadness in the faces of princesses, Twilight included became more and more obvious with each second they spent in silence.
Spike wasn't there.
Twilight had said nothing yet, but somehow Rarity knew that's what she was about to say.
"Twilight, where is Spike?"
That's the only question Rarity wanted an answer for right now.
Author's Note
Dum Dum Duuuum!
