Music for the Massesby SonicRainboomGirlChapters1. Never Let Me Down Again2. The Things You Said3. Strangelove4. Sacred6. Behind the Wheel7. I Want You Now5. Little 151. Never Let Me Down AgainNever Let Me Down Again Sweetie Belle sat comfortably in the little wagon that Rarity was pulling and giggled as Rarity ran her around the yard. Rarity laughed too, trotting around in circles as her little sister cheered. Rarity grinned happily, and approached Sweetie Belle's little red wagon. "Uh oh," she said, distastefully. All the joy left her face. "What is it?" Sweetie Belle questioned, her eyes filling with fear and worry. She could almost feel her sister's tension. Rarity paused for a second, looked Sweetie Belle in the eye, and slowly took a small step forward. "EARTHQUAKE!!" she screamed, shaking the wagon furiously and screaming dramatically. Sweetie's stress melted away and she laughed gleefully. She laughed until her stomach hurt, and then she begged Rarity to stop shaking the wagon. Rarity began pulling her little sister around in circles again, all over their yard. Sweetie Belle had so much fun, and it almost made up for the fact that Rarity had missed her school play last night. Almost. Later that night, as Rarity was tucking Sweetie into bed, Sweetie Belle was reminded of that fact. She was snuggled into the covers, a soft pillow resting below her little head, and she gazed with wonder at her beautiful big sister. She was kind, interesting, and gorgeous. She was so lucky to have such a great big sister, and Rarity had proven herself before. That made apologies easier. "I had a really great day..." Sweetie Belle yawned. "Me too. Are you sure there's not another showing of your school play?" Rarity asked, just to be sure. "No..." Sweetie Belle sighed, feeling disappointed all over again. "I'm so sorry, darling," Rarity apologized once more, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. She had promised Sweetie Belle, and her cute little sister had played the lead role. "It's okay, Rarity, but why weren't you there?" Sweetie Belle asked. It was a good question. *** Sweetie Belle was in bed, and Rarity's parents were in their bedroom. Rarity didn't know if they were asleep or not, but she didn't care. She stepped into the bathroom of the family's house and removed from the drawer a blue, short wig and gigantic purple glasses. She had a gig tonight. Rarity carefully pinned her gorgeous mane down flat on her head, careful to hide every purple strand. She covered it with the blue wig and looked in the mirror. She appeared to be an entirely different pony. The jaggedly cut blue strands were high quality, and it felt like a real mane was on her head. The lighter highlights were a fine touch, Rarity thought. Next she covered her tail with the same fake hair and pinned it carefully. Nobody could know of the fabulous tail hidden beneath. Finally, she covered her cutie mark with concealer, carefully drew a fake one on with eyeliner, and covered her sapphire eyes and brilliant lashes with gigantic purple glasses. She was ready to roll! Vinyl Scratch ran down the hall, threw on a coat, and was out the door. *** "I don't know about you, but I'm flying high!" Vinyl screamed. She didn't have to act refined or generous. Here she could be laid-back and as selfish as she wanted. She was the one in the spotlight, after all. Vinyl Scratch tossed another vinyl record on, cranked up the volume, and laid back. The ponies were all dancing, and they loved her. The song was dark synthpop, exactly the kind of music no one expected ultra-poised Rarity to enjoy. All the excitement reminded her of when she was just a young thing and she knew how to party. She was generous, alright. She knew how to throw a great party back in the day. So why should she stop now? Because she had a career to think about? Because she was grown up? Vinyl Scratch would not be stopped. She was too powerful, too cool. "You're amazing!" A clearly intoxicated mare neared Vinyl and kissed her promptly. Vinyl kissed back, hard. Unlike Rarity, she didn't have reservations. It was a sudden, passionate little affair; it smelled and tasted like sweet cider. When the kiss broke, Vinyl took a step back and looked up and down at her latest admirer. It was a sea-green mare with a slightly lighter mane and brilliant yellow eyes. A white streak ran through her hair, and Vinyl thought it added great flair. "You're not bad yourself, cutie," Vinyl said smoothly, embracing the mare and kissing her again. She was soft and warm. The mare reached her hoof up, and crept it towards the glasses, preparing to remove them. Vinyl grabbed her hoof, and quickly shoved it away in a manner that was almost violent. "Look babe, nobody touches the glasses," she said, and tossed another record onto her turntable. She smiled smugly, and dismissed the mare with a shake of her flank. "Who do you think you even are?" the sea-green unicorn asked, clearly put off. "Vinyl Scratch," she said simply, and continued her work by starting up another dark synthpop song. I'm taking a ride with my best friend... *** "Now where they hay is Rarity?" Applejack asked, scanning the auditorium around her. Pinkie Pie shrugged. "I have no idea! I saw her earlier today, but I'm not sure where she is now!" Pinkie admitted. "Isn't it strange that we're all here, but Rarity isn't?" Fluttershy said softly. The girls all nodded, and they'd arrived to support both Rarity and Sweetie Belle in their endeavors. "Well, she made a promise. If she doesn't show up, she's going to personally offend me. So uncool," Rainbow Dash growled. She turned to look at her friends, who were all preoccupied by that time. Fluttershy was daydreaming, Applejack was still looking around for Rarity, Pinkie Pie was amazed by her own hooves, and Twilight Sparkle was engrossed by the program. "Look Rainbow!" she cheered, pointing to the program, "There's Sweetie Belle! I like her bio, very well written. I wonder if she wrote that all by herself. Ha! She could have quite a career as an author, don't you think?" "Sure," Dash sighed. The lights dimmed, and the stagelights lit up. Sweetie Belle was the first filly in Ponyville to read her poetry, and Rarity was missing it. "See the stars, they're shining bright," Sweetie began, smiling as brightly as her description of stars, "Everything's alright tonight." Rainbow Dash wished that everything was alright. *** Rarity looked with shame at her little sister. It wasn't her fault! She'd simply watched the world pass her by, and she'd forgotten about Sweetie Belle's poetry recital. "You keep doing this, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle whined, her lower lip quivering. "I know, I know, but what more can I do? I apologized!" Rarity defended herself, ashamed but also frustrated. "You could show up!" Sweetie Belle shouted, looking her big sister in the eye. Rarity melted, the words striking her heart quickly. She sank to the floor and collapsed into a heap. She began to cry, sniffling and breathing in short huffs. Tears leaked from her eyes, and her nose began to run quickly. She could feel mascara already starting to drip down her face. Sweetie Belle sat down next to her sister, leaned over, and hugged her tightly. Rarity wondered if she could ever achieve redemption. "Never let me down again," Sweetie Belle said softly to Rarity, embracing her warmly. Rarity swore in her heart that she wouldn't. 2. The Things You SaidBeing Vinyl Scratch helped Rarity to put the past behind her, to move on. Being Vinyl Scratch was soothing for Rarity, in some ways, and she enjoyed all her time behind those shades. She had a dark past that no one had ever heard about, and there was no way she would tell them. Even the extroverted, generous Miss Rarity needed her very own secrets. It pleased her to know that there was a world that no one knew about except her. She'd pulled off schemes before, after all. Yet, at one time or another, she could help but remember the things they said. *** Rarity's upbringing had been halted when she was just a teenager. Soon she would be out of high school, and she had a promising career ahead of her. She exceeded academically, and was very popular in school. She had boundless amounts of friends, and she practically sold her soul to each and every one of them. The near-selling of her soul is what landed her in such trouble as a teenager, and had caused her so much pain. Rarity loved to have a good time, and usually thought of consequences. But sometimes, when her judgement was impaired by cider or lies, she would make very bad decisions. The bad decisions started the first night she got truly drunk. She'd been tipsy with friends before, and it was all in good fun usually. However, when she was drunk she would do almost anything to impress another pony. She acted outrageously, sexually, and recklessly on those nights. There was that one night where she danced atop a table for everypony to see. There was another night where she and her friends ran through the streets screaming and giggling to themselves. And Rarity was certain that she'd made genuine friends, too! After all, they really liked her. Even if they weren't always the most supportive, Rarity thought that they would always be by her side because of the way Rarity constantly tried to please them. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Rarity was very beautiful, but her friends began to find her absolutely boring because of her inherent reservations. Whenever they dared her, Rarity could only go so far. "Are you nervous, Rarity?" they would ask her, placing their hooves all over her pale and shapely body. "Yes!" she would shriek, and that was it. One could never go too far with the risque game of Are You Nervous. Rarity always ran over to them at school, and stayed near them as much as possible. She'd lean on them, laugh with them, and bring them presents. But as the fillies grew older, Rarity became clingy and needy in their eyes. They didn't need a boring, uncool friend like that. They tried to dump her, and the intuitive Rarity picked up on it quickly. Instead of letting go of unhealthy relationships, Rarity clung to them harder. She would sew them things with fine fabric and give them fantastic makeovers that resulted in tons of compliments. They didn't like her any better the more she tried, and Rarity knew this. Still, their annoyed and sympathetic smiles made her feel wanted. Eventually, all she ever wanted was to be wanted. Then all she ever wanted was to be needed. Finally, she craved this so much that she spat on her moral code by slowly removing her reservations as a stripper removed her clothing...slowly, playfully, and with a near-taunting attitude. Despite her romantic aspirations, she became sexually active. Despite her career dreams, she let school slip away from her. Suddenly, other things slipped away from her. And it really was sudden. *** It all started one morning when Rarity woke up with an enormous headache. This wasn't unusual, and she shook it off as best as she could. She realized that she was on a crumby, sticky little sofa covered in unspeakable remnants of last night's affairs. Rarity sat up, looking around her. She stretched, yawned, and felt her eyes water. Most of her friends were still sleeping, but a few were beginning to wake up. Rarity suddenly felt a hot flush fill her face, followed by a cold chill. She shivered, and her eyes widened. The hairs on her neck stood on end, and sweat began to slowly drip. No! She refused to throw up this morning. It gave her terrible hair and breath. She began to drool, and her tongue felt too small for her mouth. She could practically taste a battery, and swallowing back her drool was even more nauseating than letting it drip down her chin. She quickly scanned around. The bathroom door was closed. She bolted off the sofa, shaking her head, and promptly vomited into the nearby kitchen sink. The acid burned her throat, and she could smell overpowering scents from within her nose. She vomited again, becoming even more dizzy. "Ahh..." she softly whined, spitting into the sink. She knew she would not find a comb or a toothbrush at this residence, so she headed home as fast as possible through back alleys. At home she climbed into bed with a ceramic bowl. She stayed up reading a classic novel for about fifteen minutes before a thought pressed through her ears and into her mind. "No," she said to herself. That was ridiculous. Still, it was a possibility. Rarity scrambled to the bathroom, her emptied stomach growling in anguish. Her mother was pregnant, and Rarity knew that there would be leftover tests in the bathroom. *** "Tunics are so in!" Rarity said. Obviously. She rolled her eyes. "No offense, Rar, but you're gaining a lot of weight," said one of her friends. They were all sitting together at their typical lunch table. Rarity's friend pulled a hay-fry from Rarity's plate and waggled it in the air as to say "You're really getting fat." Rarity laughed awkwardly, and downed more hay-fries. She'd been craving them madly, and finally they were hers. Could she truly keep this masquerade up longer? She stood up, realizing that she'd finished her fries, and started trotting towards the counter for seconds. "Hey," said a friendly voice. Rarity turned to see a filly with dangly earrings that crimped hair. Her caring green eyes stared into Rarity's and her smile widened until she could see braces. The most obvious feature here was her clearly enlarged belly. She was very pregnant. "Hi, Cheerilee," Rarity greeted in a friendly manner. "Look, before you go sit down with them again, take a look at this." Cheerilee smiled sympathetically at Rarity, looked around, and then passed Rarity a note on lined paper. Rarity stepped closer to Cheerilee, who she hardly knew, and opened the folded paper. Sit with me. Trust me, I actually care. *** "Nice going, penis-breath!" shouted one filly. "Fucking fatty," uttered another. These had once been Rarity's cherished friends. Ever since they'd found out about her pregnancy, things had changed. Why had she gone on so long pathologically convincing herself that they cared? They couldn't care less! As Rarity walked slowly down the halls, she recalled every bit of news. She'd heard it from Cheerilee about the things they said. They'd constantly ridiculed and made fun of her. Didn't they know her better than that? They knew her weaknesses, and at one point in time Rarity didn't even try to hide them! She never denied them even when she'd let her guard down. How had her view become so twisted? She'd become so carried away! Cheerilee, a social outcast, was beginning to show her true friendship and bring her back down to earth. The most hurtful thing is that Rarity had thought she and her friends had something special. Now she knew what it was worth. She'd never been so disappointed. 3. StrangeloveFor a time, Rarity kept her promise. She would not dare to disappoint Sweetie Belle, and for a long time after their conversation she constantly watched her actions. Sweetie Belle was, of course, ecstatic. Rarity privately cancelled gigs for her, and even though Sweetie never knew about this, she could intuitively feel that Rarity was sacrificing things for her. Rarity's sudden change in attitude impressed all of her friends, especially Rainbow Dash. Dash, being the element of loyalty, never broke her promises. She was proud to see that Rarity was beginning to do the same. She felt it was the only way to live. The only real way to prove your love to your friends, in Dash's opinion, was to stay by their side and be as reliable as possible. Rainbow Dash was very proud of Rarity, and constantly expressed her satisfaction. Whenever Rarity would go and see something Sweetie Belle was in, Dash would accompany her. Even though she and Rarity had certainly had their disagreements in the past, and their personalities were not always the most compatible, Dash began to see her from several angles. She really liked what she saw. She liked the amount of initiative she took. She liked that Rarity really liked and got along well with other ponies. Even though Rainbow Dash wasn't in any sense fashionable, she admired beauty. She admired Rarity. She really admired her. But she also had another unicorn on her mind, a DJ she'd met in a nightly club. *** "Hey hot-stuff," Rainbow Dash said to the DJ, winking. "Uh, hi," Vinyl Scratch greeted. It was one of the days when she was simply too nervous to talk to Dash. She didn't want to let any inside knowledge slip, or accidentally let loose one of their inside jokes. "What's up, Vinyl?" Dash asked. "Nothing," Vinyl muttered coldly, playing with an oscillator to see if it would warrant any reaction in the crowd. Ponies didn't seem to pay much attention, they just needed something to dance to Vinyl frowned in disappointment. It was a really good song, filled with lots of bass and twinkling keyboard. "Nothing?" Rainbow asked. This confident and cool DJ seemed pretty insecure and uptight. "Yes," Vinyl said, "now go away." "Hey!" Rainbow shouted, not used to being told what to do, "What the hell did I even do to you?" Even though Dash couldn't see it, Rarity was rolling her eyes. She ignored Dash, keeping her eyes on the records she was spinning. Suddenly she saw a little flash of blue and a slight breeze on her face. "I'm talking to you!" Dash demanded Vinyl's attention, and looked her in the eye. Without her glasses on. In fact, Rainbow Dash was waving her glasses in one hoof. Vinyl tried to reach forward for them, but Dash snapped her hand away. She had amazing reflexes. Vinyl looked at Dash, feeling more like Rarity every second. Dash suddenly felt sorry for her, seeing a sad look her in her beautiful eyes. They truly were amazing eyes, sapphire blue and huge. Dash slowly handed Vinyl back her glasses, and she took them more than happily. "Thanks, darling," she said quietly. Rainbow Dash cocked her head in confusion. Something was off. Had she seen Vinyl around somewhere? Did she know her in high school or something? She just seemed so familiar suddenly. "No problem," said Dash, feeling uncomfortable. Vinyl moved towards her suddenly, with slow and careful movements. She kissed Dash passionately, and Dash was unarmed. The tension on their lips was comfortable, and soon Vinyl gently licked Dash's. Kissing with tongue, the two mares began to wrap around each other. A careful white foreleg wrapped around Dash's neck, and soon their chests were touching. They blushed, it became hot, Vinyl took off her own glasses, and down on the floor things became more serious. Vinyl was hot, she was cold. She had strange highs and strange lows. It was simple strange love, and Vinyl would gladly give it to her. 4. SacredRarity hummed to herself quietly as continued to sew. She was backed up on requests after so much neglect of her actual job. However, nopony knew this except her. There was something wrong, and she couldn't exactly put her hoof on it. Then, it hit her. There was no music playing! Rarity changed that immediately. She quickly put on a record that appealed to her, one with a sandy cover and a picture of red speakers. She loved this record quite a lot, and played it frequently. She started it up quietly, nodding along to the rhythm and sewing onward. Sweetie Belle entered the boutique in a huff, sighing and slamming the door behind her. She looked extremely frustrated, and she quickly ran and sat down next to Rarity. The purple-maned mare looked up from her machine and quickly paused her music. "Whatever is the matter, Sweetie Belle?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "Rarity, I'm really upset!" Sweetie sighed. She looked absolutely downtrodden. "Why are you upset?" Rarity asked, turning off her sewing machine and taking a seat next to her sister. "I still don't have my cutie mark," Sweetie explained, "and everybody else does. I just don't see why they're so special!" Rarity was taken aback, absolutely startled. Cutie marks were extremely important! At least...weren't they? Rarity suddenly realized that she wasn't truly enjoying her career anymore, the one her cutie mark guaranteed she would go into. She was instead enjoying a night-time career of being a disc jockey, and it gave her a severe sense of fulfillment. She stared into the distance, flabbergasted. "What does a cutie mark mean, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking at Rarity's flank. The diamonds there had always been a source of pride for Rarity, but now she wasn't sure they really meant anything. "I..." Rarity stuttered, "Well, you see Sweetie Belle, a cutie mark is kind of...sacred." "Sacred?" Sweetie asked. "Holy," Rarity explained. "How?" "Well, it represents your special talent. If you follow what your cutie mark tells you, you can't ever really be led astray. For me, I know that my jewel-finding magic and the ability to add gems to clothing is truly what I want to do." Rarity was lying. *** "Rarity, oh my Celestia, she is hot!" Rainbow Dash bragged up Vinyl Scratch to Rarity, who pretended not to be too terribly interested. "That's quite nice, Rainbow Dash," she said, "but I must say hearing about your sexual escapades can make me rather uncomfortable." Dash laughed, her wings flapping away happily. Rarity took another sip of her coffee gingerly, trying to act as little like Vinyl as possible. The two friends were sitting in a local coffee shop, definitely not the kind of place Vinyl would hang out. In fact, Rarity was surprised that she had roped Rainbow Dash into coming with her at all. Rainbow Dash had started hanging out with her more, and compromising more. Since Dash had become impressed with Rarity's loyal behavior, she was willing to act less and less like herself. "So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Rainbow Dash asked, slurping loudly at her vanilla frappucino. It was a sweet, not-caffeinated drink. Dash couldn't handle anything that tasted bitter, which was something Rarity had learned to observe. "So... here is my confession," Rarity began, sighing. Dash grinned eagerly at the words. "It's an obsession; I'm a firm believer-" "Ugh, cut to the chase," Dash sighed, waving her hoof in the air impatiently. She didn't really understand Rarity when she talked this way. "Well...I'm not happy with my cutie mark. I don't think I really want to sew anymore," Rarity admitted, feeling ashamed. Dash's jaw dropped, and she flew a foot or two off her chair; dragged by her wings, of course. "What?!" Dash almost shouted. "Shh!" Rarity shushed her, looking around. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself. Dash slowly drifted down into her chair again. "Well, what do you want to do instead?" Dash asked immediately. "I... I don't know... music?" "Music?" Rainbow Dash looked absolutely stunned and confused. "I didn't even know that you liked music!" "Well, I do," Rarity explained quite indignantly, sipping once more at her coffee. "Explain!" Dash demanded, extremely curious. "Well, I can't really explain very well. I'd have to put it in words, write it down," Rarity was extremely embarrassed. Rainbow Dash casually reached into her hair and pulled out a pencil. She passed it to Rarity calmly, and Rarity was astounded. "Hey, I'm a writer now!" Dash defended herself, "I gotta keep a pencil on me at all times. I have ideas to write down. By the way, the novel is just awesome." Rarity laughed, enjoying her friend's confidence, and wrote down her feels on a napkin. I feel like music is my duty. I'm a missionary. And I've made my decision, this is religion! There's no doubt. She passed it to Dash inconspicuously. Dash read it, smiled with understanding. So your one of the devout, are ya? Dash wrote. Rarity looked at it, and smirked at Dash's grammatical error. She cut her multicolored friend some slack, however since she was still learning. Yes. Music is just so...sacred. 6. Behind the WheelRarity and Rainbow Dash were now officially a couple, but Rarity still couldn't tell her about Vinyl Scratch. That secret seemed too dark, and Rainbow Dash clearly had a soft spot for Vinyl. Rarity's obsession with music was growing, and almost everywhere she went she would check for records and instruments to learn. She even began to sing more, much to Sweetie Belle's delight. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was eager to introduce Rarity to Vinyl Scratch. Even though she was now loyal to Rarity now, and didn't intend to sensually interact with Vinyl Scratch anymore, she thought the two mares might get along. They were both confident, and music lovers. "I have a friend to introduce you to," Rainbow Dash said to Rarity one day. Rarity was working on an order, and even though she was beginning to find the whole thing so tedious, she worked hard and skillfully. "Oh?" Rarity asked. "Yeah, have you ever been to a club?" Rainbow Dash queried, enthusiastically. "No, darling!" Rarity quickly denied, and laughed nervously. "You will love it! There's lots of music, all sorts, like that dark synthpop you like! Everyone dances together, and I find it to be a really romantic atmosphere. It's dark, but there are lights everywhere. And of course, cider!" "I'll try it," Rarity agreed, knowing already how much she loves the environment. "I have to introduce you to this DJ, Rarity," Rainbow Dash explained, "She's so cool!" "Yes, darling..." Rarity said, curtly. *** "Let's go!" Rainbow Dash said to Rarity once she was all done dressing up and had met her in the living room. Rarity already knew that she would not meet Vinyl Scratch at the club last night, but she agreed to go to the club anyways. It would be so fun! "Do what you want, I don't care!" Rarity replied, grinning. Rainbow Dash nudged Rarity with a wing and rushed out the door. Rarity followed her, but quickly instructed her not to run so fast. Tonight was in the hands of fate, and Rarity was handing herself over on a plate. Rarity liked following Rainbow Dash's lead. Rainbow Dash led Rarity into the club when they arrived, very loud music playing. The floors shook, vibrating, and lights flashed. It smelled of cider, sweat, and perfume. The smell was acrid, but it felt like home. Rarity was soon swaying side to side, grooving to the beat. Rainbow Dash grinned at her, excited that she was willing to try new things. Rainbow Dash led her onto the dance floor, and they danced in circles, laughing and flirting playfully. For several minutes, Rarity forgot that she was a pristine beauty queen. She was, instead, Rarity of the clubbies. She was dark, mysterious, and completely beautiful. Her cutie mark was a fake, for sure. Could it change? Rainbow Dash led Rarity outside to chat, where a group of smoking ponies were getting a quick fix. "Vinyl's not here tonight," Rainbow Dash sighed. Rarity's heart smiled. "She's not?" she asked. "No, it's a different DJ. Such a shame, you would really love Vinyl!" "I'm sure I would, darling. Should we dance more?" "You're enthusiastic!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her wings stretching out excitedly. A grin split across her face. "I can be spontaneous." "Let's dance!" Rainbow whooped, running back into the club. The two ponies danced close feeling a buzz of affection and music. Love and lights and vibrations shook them. Rarity listened closely to the music. Do what you want, I'm going cheap... Tonight. You're behind the wheel, tonight. Rainbow Dash was behind the wheel and Rarity was so pleased. For once in recent history, she forgot her troubles. 7. I Want You NowHidden inside Rarity's heart was a trigger. There were four words that could make her crumble into a heap of sad tears, four words that Rainbow Dash had mistakenly just said. I want you now. "Rarity, wait!" Rainbow Dash screamed as Rarity ran away from her home in tears. She carried nothing with her. There was a terrible windstorm and the sky was a dark gray color. The Ponyville weather team had told everyone to stay inside and let the wind run it's course. Rarity was not listening. Her mane, usually perfectly curled, whipped around with ferocity. Fighting the breezes, she ran down the block and past Rainbow Dash's sight. Dash, bewildered, unfolded her wings and prepared for flight. Suddenly, she heard a small and feminine voice beside her. "Rainbow Dash? Is everything okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, concerned, "I heard Rarity yelling." "She'll be fine once I go get her!" Dash assured the crusader, and leapt into the air. She wasn't as fast as usual, the wind fighting her; in fact she hadn't made it halfway down the block when one of her weather team friends shouted to her. Dash stopped, and hovered. "Rainbow Dash! Stop!" called Blossomforth -leader of the wind team- above the noise, "What are you doing?" "I'm chasing someone down!" Dash shouted back. "Is it a filly?" Blossomforth pointed a hoof urgently to the ground. Rainbow Dash gasped, seeing Sweetie Belle clinging to a lampost. The tiny filly had stepped out of the house and blew away in the breeze, and now her back hooves were kicking wildly as she tried desperately to keep her hold on the metal. Dash dove down and snagged the squirming foal, who hugged her immediately. Rainbow Dash ushered Sweetie Belle inside, telling her to please stay put, then flew after Rarity again. "Thanks, Blossomforth!" Dash shouted as she passed the mare. Blossomforth smiled, but looked concerned. It was too late to find Rarity. She was gone, and Rainbow Dash couldn't find a trace of her in town. "What have I done?" Dash whispered to the wind, then thought she saw the words being carried away. When tears rolled from her eyes, they too flew away. Rarity was no longer in town, and outside there was no wind. She surely did not look so elegant now, and her mane was likely hopelessly tangled. She looked back at the little town, her home, and decided she could not go back until she figured out who she was. Why did she have her cutie mark in the first place? The sound of wheels approached her, and Rarity looked over to see a little caravan wheeling towards her, driven by an ox. It was painted beautifully, and had huge wooden wheels. "Rarity?" asked a voice. Rarity's blue eyes met with purple ones and she was transported into a flashback. "I want you now," said a stallion with purple eyes before impregnating Rarity, invading her. Rarity was desperate enough to accept this fate. "Trixie?" Rarity asked, cautiously. The blue mare stopped her cart and revealed herself. "The Great and Apologetic Trixie wonders if you need a ride!" Trixie declared, stepping out of the cart, "She also notices that you are not looking so good!" "I'm not feeling well..." Rarity said. Trixie put out a hoof, beconing Rarity into her caravan. "Come along then! The Great and Apologetic Trixie will care for you." Rarity once more did something risky, and stepped inside. The caravan once more began to roll down the rocky road and Rarity had officially left home. 5. Little 15Sweetie Belle just couldn't help but notice how unhappy Rarity seemed. The classy unicorn spent less days working, and seemed to do a lot of primping and lazing about the house. She noticed Rainbow Dash came to visit a lot more often, and she wondered if Dash knew any way she could lift Rarity's mood. One day, while Rarity was getting ready to go out, Sweetie Belle caught Rainbow Dash sitting in their living room casually. Rarity always took forever, but for some reason Rainbow Dash didn't seem to care. She must have been a really good friend to Rarity. "Hi Rainbow Dash!" Dash looked up from the book she was reading, the latest installment in the Daring Do series. "Hey Sweetie Belle, what's up?" Taking this as an invitation to sit down, Sweetie Belle took a seat next to Dash and leaned on her. She sighed sadly. Dash was surprised, and awkwardly patted the foal on the head. "Um..." she stuttered, not sure what to say. "Rarity's very unhappy, isn't she?" Sweetie Belle asked the pegasus. Rainbow Dash felt her heart melt slightly from sympathy. "She's just going through some rough things," Dash explained, trying not to give Rarity's cutie mark unhappiness away in case Sweetie Belle didn't know. She still felt highly awkward. "Well, I am too, and you don't see me acting like she does..." Sweetie Belle huffed, crossing her forelegs unhappily. "You know, Sweetie Belle, you really do help Rarity," Dash insisted. She wanted Sweetie Belle to be cheered up, and to continue supporting her sister. "I do? She always supports me, but she also makes fun of me sometimes." "She really loves ya, Sweetie Belle. And, you know, you help her forget the world outside." "I'm not part of it yet," Sweetie groaned, reflecting on her blank flank. She still didn't seem to have a cutie mark, and it was exhausting. Every day she felt like an outcast because she didn't have a special mark. Rainbow Dash knew that Sweetie Belle's mind was not yet in league with the rest of the world and its little intrigues. Sweetie Belle was really struggling to keep up with everyone, but she worked so hard to do so. "Is it your cutie mark you're upset about?" Dash prompted. "Yes!" Sweetie Belle practically shouted, "Rarity says cutie marks are sacred. I want one!" "Do you understand?" Dash asked, to check. Sweetie Belle cocked her head in confusion, really thinking. "Do you know what she means?" Dash queried, wanting Sweetie Belle to answer. The foal shook her head no. Rainbow Dash nodded, really starting to understand. "I think that as time goes by, when you've seen what she's seen, you will." Dash was surprised at her own wisdom, and smirked. "Trust me, I'm awesome." *** Rarity and Rainbow Dash were out for a walk, calmly strolling along in a lovely little park. Rainbow Dash was off on a tangent, and Rarity was charmed by her very presence. She wondered to herself... why did she have to defend her feelings inside? Why pretend? Rarity had not yet had a life. Her life had simply been a life of near misses. She was not yet successful enough to really brag about her fashion design, and she was also unable to talk about what really intrigued her: music. "Oh Dash, I wish I could see with your eyes and smile with your smile..." Rarity sighed. Rainbow Dash was so confident and happy all the time, she wanted a part of that. "Maybe this will bring you one step closer..." Dash said. Suddenly, strings began to play, and Rarity noticed a quartet playing softly for the couple. Rainbow Dash had prepared a tasty picnic for the two ponies to enjoy, and Rarity was completely enchanted. "Rainbow Dash!" she gasped, taking a seat on the picnic blanket, "This is just lovely, darling!" "Thanks. I figured you'd like a nice surprise every once in a while." Rarity smiled at her friend, realizing that she was completely in love with her. She embraced the rainbow-maned mare and smiled warmly. "Thank you," she whispered. Dash hugged her back gently, feeling overjoyed.
1. Never Let Me Down AgainNever Let Me Down Again Sweetie Belle sat comfortably in the little wagon that Rarity was pulling and giggled as Rarity ran her around the yard. Rarity laughed too, trotting around in circles as her little sister cheered. Rarity grinned happily, and approached Sweetie Belle's little red wagon. "Uh oh," she said, distastefully. All the joy left her face. "What is it?" Sweetie Belle questioned, her eyes filling with fear and worry. She could almost feel her sister's tension. Rarity paused for a second, looked Sweetie Belle in the eye, and slowly took a small step forward. "EARTHQUAKE!!" she screamed, shaking the wagon furiously and screaming dramatically. Sweetie's stress melted away and she laughed gleefully. She laughed until her stomach hurt, and then she begged Rarity to stop shaking the wagon. Rarity began pulling her little sister around in circles again, all over their yard. Sweetie Belle had so much fun, and it almost made up for the fact that Rarity had missed her school play last night. Almost. Later that night, as Rarity was tucking Sweetie into bed, Sweetie Belle was reminded of that fact. She was snuggled into the covers, a soft pillow resting below her little head, and she gazed with wonder at her beautiful big sister. She was kind, interesting, and gorgeous. She was so lucky to have such a great big sister, and Rarity had proven herself before. That made apologies easier. "I had a really great day..." Sweetie Belle yawned. "Me too. Are you sure there's not another showing of your school play?" Rarity asked, just to be sure. "No..." Sweetie Belle sighed, feeling disappointed all over again. "I'm so sorry, darling," Rarity apologized once more, feeling her face flush with embarrassment. She had promised Sweetie Belle, and her cute little sister had played the lead role. "It's okay, Rarity, but why weren't you there?" Sweetie Belle asked. It was a good question. *** Sweetie Belle was in bed, and Rarity's parents were in their bedroom. Rarity didn't know if they were asleep or not, but she didn't care. She stepped into the bathroom of the family's house and removed from the drawer a blue, short wig and gigantic purple glasses. She had a gig tonight. Rarity carefully pinned her gorgeous mane down flat on her head, careful to hide every purple strand. She covered it with the blue wig and looked in the mirror. She appeared to be an entirely different pony. The jaggedly cut blue strands were high quality, and it felt like a real mane was on her head. The lighter highlights were a fine touch, Rarity thought. Next she covered her tail with the same fake hair and pinned it carefully. Nobody could know of the fabulous tail hidden beneath. Finally, she covered her cutie mark with concealer, carefully drew a fake one on with eyeliner, and covered her sapphire eyes and brilliant lashes with gigantic purple glasses. She was ready to roll! Vinyl Scratch ran down the hall, threw on a coat, and was out the door. *** "I don't know about you, but I'm flying high!" Vinyl screamed. She didn't have to act refined or generous. Here she could be laid-back and as selfish as she wanted. She was the one in the spotlight, after all. Vinyl Scratch tossed another vinyl record on, cranked up the volume, and laid back. The ponies were all dancing, and they loved her. The song was dark synthpop, exactly the kind of music no one expected ultra-poised Rarity to enjoy. All the excitement reminded her of when she was just a young thing and she knew how to party. She was generous, alright. She knew how to throw a great party back in the day. So why should she stop now? Because she had a career to think about? Because she was grown up? Vinyl Scratch would not be stopped. She was too powerful, too cool. "You're amazing!" A clearly intoxicated mare neared Vinyl and kissed her promptly. Vinyl kissed back, hard. Unlike Rarity, she didn't have reservations. It was a sudden, passionate little affair; it smelled and tasted like sweet cider. When the kiss broke, Vinyl took a step back and looked up and down at her latest admirer. It was a sea-green mare with a slightly lighter mane and brilliant yellow eyes. A white streak ran through her hair, and Vinyl thought it added great flair. "You're not bad yourself, cutie," Vinyl said smoothly, embracing the mare and kissing her again. She was soft and warm. The mare reached her hoof up, and crept it towards the glasses, preparing to remove them. Vinyl grabbed her hoof, and quickly shoved it away in a manner that was almost violent. "Look babe, nobody touches the glasses," she said, and tossed another record onto her turntable. She smiled smugly, and dismissed the mare with a shake of her flank. "Who do you think you even are?" the sea-green unicorn asked, clearly put off. "Vinyl Scratch," she said simply, and continued her work by starting up another dark synthpop song. I'm taking a ride with my best friend... *** "Now where they hay is Rarity?" Applejack asked, scanning the auditorium around her. Pinkie Pie shrugged. "I have no idea! I saw her earlier today, but I'm not sure where she is now!" Pinkie admitted. "Isn't it strange that we're all here, but Rarity isn't?" Fluttershy said softly. The girls all nodded, and they'd arrived to support both Rarity and Sweetie Belle in their endeavors. "Well, she made a promise. If she doesn't show up, she's going to personally offend me. So uncool," Rainbow Dash growled. She turned to look at her friends, who were all preoccupied by that time. Fluttershy was daydreaming, Applejack was still looking around for Rarity, Pinkie Pie was amazed by her own hooves, and Twilight Sparkle was engrossed by the program. "Look Rainbow!" she cheered, pointing to the program, "There's Sweetie Belle! I like her bio, very well written. I wonder if she wrote that all by herself. Ha! She could have quite a career as an author, don't you think?" "Sure," Dash sighed. The lights dimmed, and the stagelights lit up. Sweetie Belle was the first filly in Ponyville to read her poetry, and Rarity was missing it. "See the stars, they're shining bright," Sweetie began, smiling as brightly as her description of stars, "Everything's alright tonight." Rainbow Dash wished that everything was alright. *** Rarity looked with shame at her little sister. It wasn't her fault! She'd simply watched the world pass her by, and she'd forgotten about Sweetie Belle's poetry recital. "You keep doing this, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle whined, her lower lip quivering. "I know, I know, but what more can I do? I apologized!" Rarity defended herself, ashamed but also frustrated. "You could show up!" Sweetie Belle shouted, looking her big sister in the eye. Rarity melted, the words striking her heart quickly. She sank to the floor and collapsed into a heap. She began to cry, sniffling and breathing in short huffs. Tears leaked from her eyes, and her nose began to run quickly. She could feel mascara already starting to drip down her face. Sweetie Belle sat down next to her sister, leaned over, and hugged her tightly. Rarity wondered if she could ever achieve redemption. "Never let me down again," Sweetie Belle said softly to Rarity, embracing her warmly. Rarity swore in her heart that she wouldn't.
2. The Things You SaidBeing Vinyl Scratch helped Rarity to put the past behind her, to move on. Being Vinyl Scratch was soothing for Rarity, in some ways, and she enjoyed all her time behind those shades. She had a dark past that no one had ever heard about, and there was no way she would tell them. Even the extroverted, generous Miss Rarity needed her very own secrets. It pleased her to know that there was a world that no one knew about except her. She'd pulled off schemes before, after all. Yet, at one time or another, she could help but remember the things they said. *** Rarity's upbringing had been halted when she was just a teenager. Soon she would be out of high school, and she had a promising career ahead of her. She exceeded academically, and was very popular in school. She had boundless amounts of friends, and she practically sold her soul to each and every one of them. The near-selling of her soul is what landed her in such trouble as a teenager, and had caused her so much pain. Rarity loved to have a good time, and usually thought of consequences. But sometimes, when her judgement was impaired by cider or lies, she would make very bad decisions. The bad decisions started the first night she got truly drunk. She'd been tipsy with friends before, and it was all in good fun usually. However, when she was drunk she would do almost anything to impress another pony. She acted outrageously, sexually, and recklessly on those nights. There was that one night where she danced atop a table for everypony to see. There was another night where she and her friends ran through the streets screaming and giggling to themselves. And Rarity was certain that she'd made genuine friends, too! After all, they really liked her. Even if they weren't always the most supportive, Rarity thought that they would always be by her side because of the way Rarity constantly tried to please them. Unfortunately, they were wrong. Rarity was very beautiful, but her friends began to find her absolutely boring because of her inherent reservations. Whenever they dared her, Rarity could only go so far. "Are you nervous, Rarity?" they would ask her, placing their hooves all over her pale and shapely body. "Yes!" she would shriek, and that was it. One could never go too far with the risque game of Are You Nervous. Rarity always ran over to them at school, and stayed near them as much as possible. She'd lean on them, laugh with them, and bring them presents. But as the fillies grew older, Rarity became clingy and needy in their eyes. They didn't need a boring, uncool friend like that. They tried to dump her, and the intuitive Rarity picked up on it quickly. Instead of letting go of unhealthy relationships, Rarity clung to them harder. She would sew them things with fine fabric and give them fantastic makeovers that resulted in tons of compliments. They didn't like her any better the more she tried, and Rarity knew this. Still, their annoyed and sympathetic smiles made her feel wanted. Eventually, all she ever wanted was to be wanted. Then all she ever wanted was to be needed. Finally, she craved this so much that she spat on her moral code by slowly removing her reservations as a stripper removed her clothing...slowly, playfully, and with a near-taunting attitude. Despite her romantic aspirations, she became sexually active. Despite her career dreams, she let school slip away from her. Suddenly, other things slipped away from her. And it really was sudden. *** It all started one morning when Rarity woke up with an enormous headache. This wasn't unusual, and she shook it off as best as she could. She realized that she was on a crumby, sticky little sofa covered in unspeakable remnants of last night's affairs. Rarity sat up, looking around her. She stretched, yawned, and felt her eyes water. Most of her friends were still sleeping, but a few were beginning to wake up. Rarity suddenly felt a hot flush fill her face, followed by a cold chill. She shivered, and her eyes widened. The hairs on her neck stood on end, and sweat began to slowly drip. No! She refused to throw up this morning. It gave her terrible hair and breath. She began to drool, and her tongue felt too small for her mouth. She could practically taste a battery, and swallowing back her drool was even more nauseating than letting it drip down her chin. She quickly scanned around. The bathroom door was closed. She bolted off the sofa, shaking her head, and promptly vomited into the nearby kitchen sink. The acid burned her throat, and she could smell overpowering scents from within her nose. She vomited again, becoming even more dizzy. "Ahh..." she softly whined, spitting into the sink. She knew she would not find a comb or a toothbrush at this residence, so she headed home as fast as possible through back alleys. At home she climbed into bed with a ceramic bowl. She stayed up reading a classic novel for about fifteen minutes before a thought pressed through her ears and into her mind. "No," she said to herself. That was ridiculous. Still, it was a possibility. Rarity scrambled to the bathroom, her emptied stomach growling in anguish. Her mother was pregnant, and Rarity knew that there would be leftover tests in the bathroom. *** "Tunics are so in!" Rarity said. Obviously. She rolled her eyes. "No offense, Rar, but you're gaining a lot of weight," said one of her friends. They were all sitting together at their typical lunch table. Rarity's friend pulled a hay-fry from Rarity's plate and waggled it in the air as to say "You're really getting fat." Rarity laughed awkwardly, and downed more hay-fries. She'd been craving them madly, and finally they were hers. Could she truly keep this masquerade up longer? She stood up, realizing that she'd finished her fries, and started trotting towards the counter for seconds. "Hey," said a friendly voice. Rarity turned to see a filly with dangly earrings that crimped hair. Her caring green eyes stared into Rarity's and her smile widened until she could see braces. The most obvious feature here was her clearly enlarged belly. She was very pregnant. "Hi, Cheerilee," Rarity greeted in a friendly manner. "Look, before you go sit down with them again, take a look at this." Cheerilee smiled sympathetically at Rarity, looked around, and then passed Rarity a note on lined paper. Rarity stepped closer to Cheerilee, who she hardly knew, and opened the folded paper. Sit with me. Trust me, I actually care. *** "Nice going, penis-breath!" shouted one filly. "Fucking fatty," uttered another. These had once been Rarity's cherished friends. Ever since they'd found out about her pregnancy, things had changed. Why had she gone on so long pathologically convincing herself that they cared? They couldn't care less! As Rarity walked slowly down the halls, she recalled every bit of news. She'd heard it from Cheerilee about the things they said. They'd constantly ridiculed and made fun of her. Didn't they know her better than that? They knew her weaknesses, and at one point in time Rarity didn't even try to hide them! She never denied them even when she'd let her guard down. How had her view become so twisted? She'd become so carried away! Cheerilee, a social outcast, was beginning to show her true friendship and bring her back down to earth. The most hurtful thing is that Rarity had thought she and her friends had something special. Now she knew what it was worth. She'd never been so disappointed.
3. StrangeloveFor a time, Rarity kept her promise. She would not dare to disappoint Sweetie Belle, and for a long time after their conversation she constantly watched her actions. Sweetie Belle was, of course, ecstatic. Rarity privately cancelled gigs for her, and even though Sweetie never knew about this, she could intuitively feel that Rarity was sacrificing things for her. Rarity's sudden change in attitude impressed all of her friends, especially Rainbow Dash. Dash, being the element of loyalty, never broke her promises. She was proud to see that Rarity was beginning to do the same. She felt it was the only way to live. The only real way to prove your love to your friends, in Dash's opinion, was to stay by their side and be as reliable as possible. Rainbow Dash was very proud of Rarity, and constantly expressed her satisfaction. Whenever Rarity would go and see something Sweetie Belle was in, Dash would accompany her. Even though she and Rarity had certainly had their disagreements in the past, and their personalities were not always the most compatible, Dash began to see her from several angles. She really liked what she saw. She liked the amount of initiative she took. She liked that Rarity really liked and got along well with other ponies. Even though Rainbow Dash wasn't in any sense fashionable, she admired beauty. She admired Rarity. She really admired her. But she also had another unicorn on her mind, a DJ she'd met in a nightly club. *** "Hey hot-stuff," Rainbow Dash said to the DJ, winking. "Uh, hi," Vinyl Scratch greeted. It was one of the days when she was simply too nervous to talk to Dash. She didn't want to let any inside knowledge slip, or accidentally let loose one of their inside jokes. "What's up, Vinyl?" Dash asked. "Nothing," Vinyl muttered coldly, playing with an oscillator to see if it would warrant any reaction in the crowd. Ponies didn't seem to pay much attention, they just needed something to dance to Vinyl frowned in disappointment. It was a really good song, filled with lots of bass and twinkling keyboard. "Nothing?" Rainbow asked. This confident and cool DJ seemed pretty insecure and uptight. "Yes," Vinyl said, "now go away." "Hey!" Rainbow shouted, not used to being told what to do, "What the hell did I even do to you?" Even though Dash couldn't see it, Rarity was rolling her eyes. She ignored Dash, keeping her eyes on the records she was spinning. Suddenly she saw a little flash of blue and a slight breeze on her face. "I'm talking to you!" Dash demanded Vinyl's attention, and looked her in the eye. Without her glasses on. In fact, Rainbow Dash was waving her glasses in one hoof. Vinyl tried to reach forward for them, but Dash snapped her hand away. She had amazing reflexes. Vinyl looked at Dash, feeling more like Rarity every second. Dash suddenly felt sorry for her, seeing a sad look her in her beautiful eyes. They truly were amazing eyes, sapphire blue and huge. Dash slowly handed Vinyl back her glasses, and she took them more than happily. "Thanks, darling," she said quietly. Rainbow Dash cocked her head in confusion. Something was off. Had she seen Vinyl around somewhere? Did she know her in high school or something? She just seemed so familiar suddenly. "No problem," said Dash, feeling uncomfortable. Vinyl moved towards her suddenly, with slow and careful movements. She kissed Dash passionately, and Dash was unarmed. The tension on their lips was comfortable, and soon Vinyl gently licked Dash's. Kissing with tongue, the two mares began to wrap around each other. A careful white foreleg wrapped around Dash's neck, and soon their chests were touching. They blushed, it became hot, Vinyl took off her own glasses, and down on the floor things became more serious. Vinyl was hot, she was cold. She had strange highs and strange lows. It was simple strange love, and Vinyl would gladly give it to her.
4. SacredRarity hummed to herself quietly as continued to sew. She was backed up on requests after so much neglect of her actual job. However, nopony knew this except her. There was something wrong, and she couldn't exactly put her hoof on it. Then, it hit her. There was no music playing! Rarity changed that immediately. She quickly put on a record that appealed to her, one with a sandy cover and a picture of red speakers. She loved this record quite a lot, and played it frequently. She started it up quietly, nodding along to the rhythm and sewing onward. Sweetie Belle entered the boutique in a huff, sighing and slamming the door behind her. She looked extremely frustrated, and she quickly ran and sat down next to Rarity. The purple-maned mare looked up from her machine and quickly paused her music. "Whatever is the matter, Sweetie Belle?" she asked, genuinely concerned. "Rarity, I'm really upset!" Sweetie sighed. She looked absolutely downtrodden. "Why are you upset?" Rarity asked, turning off her sewing machine and taking a seat next to her sister. "I still don't have my cutie mark," Sweetie explained, "and everybody else does. I just don't see why they're so special!" Rarity was taken aback, absolutely startled. Cutie marks were extremely important! At least...weren't they? Rarity suddenly realized that she wasn't truly enjoying her career anymore, the one her cutie mark guaranteed she would go into. She was instead enjoying a night-time career of being a disc jockey, and it gave her a severe sense of fulfillment. She stared into the distance, flabbergasted. "What does a cutie mark mean, Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked, looking at Rarity's flank. The diamonds there had always been a source of pride for Rarity, but now she wasn't sure they really meant anything. "I..." Rarity stuttered, "Well, you see Sweetie Belle, a cutie mark is kind of...sacred." "Sacred?" Sweetie asked. "Holy," Rarity explained. "How?" "Well, it represents your special talent. If you follow what your cutie mark tells you, you can't ever really be led astray. For me, I know that my jewel-finding magic and the ability to add gems to clothing is truly what I want to do." Rarity was lying. *** "Rarity, oh my Celestia, she is hot!" Rainbow Dash bragged up Vinyl Scratch to Rarity, who pretended not to be too terribly interested. "That's quite nice, Rainbow Dash," she said, "but I must say hearing about your sexual escapades can make me rather uncomfortable." Dash laughed, her wings flapping away happily. Rarity took another sip of her coffee gingerly, trying to act as little like Vinyl as possible. The two friends were sitting in a local coffee shop, definitely not the kind of place Vinyl would hang out. In fact, Rarity was surprised that she had roped Rainbow Dash into coming with her at all. Rainbow Dash had started hanging out with her more, and compromising more. Since Dash had become impressed with Rarity's loyal behavior, she was willing to act less and less like herself. "So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Rainbow Dash asked, slurping loudly at her vanilla frappucino. It was a sweet, not-caffeinated drink. Dash couldn't handle anything that tasted bitter, which was something Rarity had learned to observe. "So... here is my confession," Rarity began, sighing. Dash grinned eagerly at the words. "It's an obsession; I'm a firm believer-" "Ugh, cut to the chase," Dash sighed, waving her hoof in the air impatiently. She didn't really understand Rarity when she talked this way. "Well...I'm not happy with my cutie mark. I don't think I really want to sew anymore," Rarity admitted, feeling ashamed. Dash's jaw dropped, and she flew a foot or two off her chair; dragged by her wings, of course. "What?!" Dash almost shouted. "Shh!" Rarity shushed her, looking around. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself. Dash slowly drifted down into her chair again. "Well, what do you want to do instead?" Dash asked immediately. "I... I don't know... music?" "Music?" Rainbow Dash looked absolutely stunned and confused. "I didn't even know that you liked music!" "Well, I do," Rarity explained quite indignantly, sipping once more at her coffee. "Explain!" Dash demanded, extremely curious. "Well, I can't really explain very well. I'd have to put it in words, write it down," Rarity was extremely embarrassed. Rainbow Dash casually reached into her hair and pulled out a pencil. She passed it to Rarity calmly, and Rarity was astounded. "Hey, I'm a writer now!" Dash defended herself, "I gotta keep a pencil on me at all times. I have ideas to write down. By the way, the novel is just awesome." Rarity laughed, enjoying her friend's confidence, and wrote down her feels on a napkin. I feel like music is my duty. I'm a missionary. And I've made my decision, this is religion! There's no doubt. She passed it to Dash inconspicuously. Dash read it, smiled with understanding. So your one of the devout, are ya? Dash wrote. Rarity looked at it, and smirked at Dash's grammatical error. She cut her multicolored friend some slack, however since she was still learning. Yes. Music is just so...sacred.
6. Behind the WheelRarity and Rainbow Dash were now officially a couple, but Rarity still couldn't tell her about Vinyl Scratch. That secret seemed too dark, and Rainbow Dash clearly had a soft spot for Vinyl. Rarity's obsession with music was growing, and almost everywhere she went she would check for records and instruments to learn. She even began to sing more, much to Sweetie Belle's delight. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was eager to introduce Rarity to Vinyl Scratch. Even though she was now loyal to Rarity now, and didn't intend to sensually interact with Vinyl Scratch anymore, she thought the two mares might get along. They were both confident, and music lovers. "I have a friend to introduce you to," Rainbow Dash said to Rarity one day. Rarity was working on an order, and even though she was beginning to find the whole thing so tedious, she worked hard and skillfully. "Oh?" Rarity asked. "Yeah, have you ever been to a club?" Rainbow Dash queried, enthusiastically. "No, darling!" Rarity quickly denied, and laughed nervously. "You will love it! There's lots of music, all sorts, like that dark synthpop you like! Everyone dances together, and I find it to be a really romantic atmosphere. It's dark, but there are lights everywhere. And of course, cider!" "I'll try it," Rarity agreed, knowing already how much she loves the environment. "I have to introduce you to this DJ, Rarity," Rainbow Dash explained, "She's so cool!" "Yes, darling..." Rarity said, curtly. *** "Let's go!" Rainbow Dash said to Rarity once she was all done dressing up and had met her in the living room. Rarity already knew that she would not meet Vinyl Scratch at the club last night, but she agreed to go to the club anyways. It would be so fun! "Do what you want, I don't care!" Rarity replied, grinning. Rainbow Dash nudged Rarity with a wing and rushed out the door. Rarity followed her, but quickly instructed her not to run so fast. Tonight was in the hands of fate, and Rarity was handing herself over on a plate. Rarity liked following Rainbow Dash's lead. Rainbow Dash led Rarity into the club when they arrived, very loud music playing. The floors shook, vibrating, and lights flashed. It smelled of cider, sweat, and perfume. The smell was acrid, but it felt like home. Rarity was soon swaying side to side, grooving to the beat. Rainbow Dash grinned at her, excited that she was willing to try new things. Rainbow Dash led her onto the dance floor, and they danced in circles, laughing and flirting playfully. For several minutes, Rarity forgot that she was a pristine beauty queen. She was, instead, Rarity of the clubbies. She was dark, mysterious, and completely beautiful. Her cutie mark was a fake, for sure. Could it change? Rainbow Dash led Rarity outside to chat, where a group of smoking ponies were getting a quick fix. "Vinyl's not here tonight," Rainbow Dash sighed. Rarity's heart smiled. "She's not?" she asked. "No, it's a different DJ. Such a shame, you would really love Vinyl!" "I'm sure I would, darling. Should we dance more?" "You're enthusiastic!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, her wings stretching out excitedly. A grin split across her face. "I can be spontaneous." "Let's dance!" Rainbow whooped, running back into the club. The two ponies danced close feeling a buzz of affection and music. Love and lights and vibrations shook them. Rarity listened closely to the music. Do what you want, I'm going cheap... Tonight. You're behind the wheel, tonight. Rainbow Dash was behind the wheel and Rarity was so pleased. For once in recent history, she forgot her troubles.
7. I Want You NowHidden inside Rarity's heart was a trigger. There were four words that could make her crumble into a heap of sad tears, four words that Rainbow Dash had mistakenly just said. I want you now. "Rarity, wait!" Rainbow Dash screamed as Rarity ran away from her home in tears. She carried nothing with her. There was a terrible windstorm and the sky was a dark gray color. The Ponyville weather team had told everyone to stay inside and let the wind run it's course. Rarity was not listening. Her mane, usually perfectly curled, whipped around with ferocity. Fighting the breezes, she ran down the block and past Rainbow Dash's sight. Dash, bewildered, unfolded her wings and prepared for flight. Suddenly, she heard a small and feminine voice beside her. "Rainbow Dash? Is everything okay?" Sweetie Belle asked, concerned, "I heard Rarity yelling." "She'll be fine once I go get her!" Dash assured the crusader, and leapt into the air. She wasn't as fast as usual, the wind fighting her; in fact she hadn't made it halfway down the block when one of her weather team friends shouted to her. Dash stopped, and hovered. "Rainbow Dash! Stop!" called Blossomforth -leader of the wind team- above the noise, "What are you doing?" "I'm chasing someone down!" Dash shouted back. "Is it a filly?" Blossomforth pointed a hoof urgently to the ground. Rainbow Dash gasped, seeing Sweetie Belle clinging to a lampost. The tiny filly had stepped out of the house and blew away in the breeze, and now her back hooves were kicking wildly as she tried desperately to keep her hold on the metal. Dash dove down and snagged the squirming foal, who hugged her immediately. Rainbow Dash ushered Sweetie Belle inside, telling her to please stay put, then flew after Rarity again. "Thanks, Blossomforth!" Dash shouted as she passed the mare. Blossomforth smiled, but looked concerned. It was too late to find Rarity. She was gone, and Rainbow Dash couldn't find a trace of her in town. "What have I done?" Dash whispered to the wind, then thought she saw the words being carried away. When tears rolled from her eyes, they too flew away. Rarity was no longer in town, and outside there was no wind. She surely did not look so elegant now, and her mane was likely hopelessly tangled. She looked back at the little town, her home, and decided she could not go back until she figured out who she was. Why did she have her cutie mark in the first place? The sound of wheels approached her, and Rarity looked over to see a little caravan wheeling towards her, driven by an ox. It was painted beautifully, and had huge wooden wheels. "Rarity?" asked a voice. Rarity's blue eyes met with purple ones and she was transported into a flashback. "I want you now," said a stallion with purple eyes before impregnating Rarity, invading her. Rarity was desperate enough to accept this fate. "Trixie?" Rarity asked, cautiously. The blue mare stopped her cart and revealed herself. "The Great and Apologetic Trixie wonders if you need a ride!" Trixie declared, stepping out of the cart, "She also notices that you are not looking so good!" "I'm not feeling well..." Rarity said. Trixie put out a hoof, beconing Rarity into her caravan. "Come along then! The Great and Apologetic Trixie will care for you." Rarity once more did something risky, and stepped inside. The caravan once more began to roll down the rocky road and Rarity had officially left home.
5. Little 15Sweetie Belle just couldn't help but notice how unhappy Rarity seemed. The classy unicorn spent less days working, and seemed to do a lot of primping and lazing about the house. She noticed Rainbow Dash came to visit a lot more often, and she wondered if Dash knew any way she could lift Rarity's mood. One day, while Rarity was getting ready to go out, Sweetie Belle caught Rainbow Dash sitting in their living room casually. Rarity always took forever, but for some reason Rainbow Dash didn't seem to care. She must have been a really good friend to Rarity. "Hi Rainbow Dash!" Dash looked up from the book she was reading, the latest installment in the Daring Do series. "Hey Sweetie Belle, what's up?" Taking this as an invitation to sit down, Sweetie Belle took a seat next to Dash and leaned on her. She sighed sadly. Dash was surprised, and awkwardly patted the foal on the head. "Um..." she stuttered, not sure what to say. "Rarity's very unhappy, isn't she?" Sweetie Belle asked the pegasus. Rainbow Dash felt her heart melt slightly from sympathy. "She's just going through some rough things," Dash explained, trying not to give Rarity's cutie mark unhappiness away in case Sweetie Belle didn't know. She still felt highly awkward. "Well, I am too, and you don't see me acting like she does..." Sweetie Belle huffed, crossing her forelegs unhappily. "You know, Sweetie Belle, you really do help Rarity," Dash insisted. She wanted Sweetie Belle to be cheered up, and to continue supporting her sister. "I do? She always supports me, but she also makes fun of me sometimes." "She really loves ya, Sweetie Belle. And, you know, you help her forget the world outside." "I'm not part of it yet," Sweetie groaned, reflecting on her blank flank. She still didn't seem to have a cutie mark, and it was exhausting. Every day she felt like an outcast because she didn't have a special mark. Rainbow Dash knew that Sweetie Belle's mind was not yet in league with the rest of the world and its little intrigues. Sweetie Belle was really struggling to keep up with everyone, but she worked so hard to do so. "Is it your cutie mark you're upset about?" Dash prompted. "Yes!" Sweetie Belle practically shouted, "Rarity says cutie marks are sacred. I want one!" "Do you understand?" Dash asked, to check. Sweetie Belle cocked her head in confusion, really thinking. "Do you know what she means?" Dash queried, wanting Sweetie Belle to answer. The foal shook her head no. Rainbow Dash nodded, really starting to understand. "I think that as time goes by, when you've seen what she's seen, you will." Dash was surprised at her own wisdom, and smirked. "Trust me, I'm awesome." *** Rarity and Rainbow Dash were out for a walk, calmly strolling along in a lovely little park. Rainbow Dash was off on a tangent, and Rarity was charmed by her very presence. She wondered to herself... why did she have to defend her feelings inside? Why pretend? Rarity had not yet had a life. Her life had simply been a life of near misses. She was not yet successful enough to really brag about her fashion design, and she was also unable to talk about what really intrigued her: music. "Oh Dash, I wish I could see with your eyes and smile with your smile..." Rarity sighed. Rainbow Dash was so confident and happy all the time, she wanted a part of that. "Maybe this will bring you one step closer..." Dash said. Suddenly, strings began to play, and Rarity noticed a quartet playing softly for the couple. Rainbow Dash had prepared a tasty picnic for the two ponies to enjoy, and Rarity was completely enchanted. "Rainbow Dash!" she gasped, taking a seat on the picnic blanket, "This is just lovely, darling!" "Thanks. I figured you'd like a nice surprise every once in a while." Rarity smiled at her friend, realizing that she was completely in love with her. She embraced the rainbow-maned mare and smiled warmly. "Thank you," she whispered. Dash hugged her back gently, feeling overjoyed.
