Changing Seasons

"The Morning After"
Part 2, Chapter 4

Rarity lay snoring at her desk. Opalescence looked off to the side through the window as Celestia's sun began to peek over the horizon. The cat yawned, peering over at Rarity's finished project... indifferent to the night's labor, she covered her eyes and joined Rarity. Opal was a nocturnal animal, after all.

Rarity had done it. She's made a lovely dress for Sweetie Belle in every color that would compliment her mane and coat. This was the second ceremonious time in a young filly's life where she would have to wear a dress. Being Rarity's sister at least meant every month this specially designed dress -- serving Sweetie Belle's needs -- would be different. It was so elegant, it almost resembled the dress Rarity had first worn to The Grand Galloping Gala. She slept peacefully, having done a wonderful thing for her sister... it was only part of her plan, however.

* * *

Upstairs Sweetie slowly opened up her eyes. The yellow glow of the sun came through her window, illuminating her walls with a warm glow. She had survived the night, clutching her pillow tightly... it wasn't so bad in retrospect.

To say she was all better would have been a lie, though. She still felt bloated, achy and stiff, but it wasn't anywhere near agonizing as it was the night before. If anything, she felt almost... relaxed. Still quite irritable, yes, but much better. She shifted her weight, stretching, hugging her pillow. She rolled her shoulders, and...

Sweetie Belle felt a most unpleasant sensation, as though there was mud between her legs.

"Eww," she said, wincing at the sensation.

The filly remained still for a good, long while. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't sweat...

Her first thought was she had an accident, all the cramping had gotten the better of her in the middle of the night and that's why she felt better. She would have been able to smell it, though. Plus this was not exactly... far enough back for it to be that. It was still just as sticky and just as gross.

She sat for a moment, not knowing what to do. She looked at where it was coming from, dark and viscous... the pillow was covered in it, whatever it was. She silently debated calling for her sister... then she remembered the paper packing to the candy Fluttershy had given to Rarity to give to her. Sweetie Belle had to be careful. She didn't want to pull away only to have it get all over everything... even though she wasn't sure what it even was.

The paper crinkled softly as she picked it up, holding it up in the light... transparent and white. Slowly, she dabbed the mess between her legs with the paper and pulled it back up, a bit getting on her hooves. She could see through the paper again... it was almost rust-colored, crimson... dark red. Sweetie Belle's pupils shrunk as she began to grasp what this might be... she pulled away from the pillow to reveal a considerable amount of dried blood and sticky matter from her insides.

A mixture of tears and sweat ran down her cheek as the filly called out, pure fear in her voice:

"RARITY!"

* * *

Downstairs, Rarity bolted up from a sound sleep. She wasn't sure what had woken her, but she knew it was important. Rubbing her eyes, she heard it again, this time her brain processing the filly attached to the voice:

"Rarity! Help! Please help, it's awful!"

The mare bolted out of her chair now, running by the dress in a blur, knocking it off its support... what she had made the night before now meant so little. Sweetie Belle needed her right now.

Rarity went running upstairs upstairs, turning on the light with her magic so that she could see what was wrong. She saw Sweetie Belle... crimson on the paper, red on her hooves, and much between her legs all over the pillow. She was too late to prepare Sweetie for this most expected and... icky of events. At least it was clear sailing from there, as the horrible ordeal was wrapping up.

Still, Sweetie Belle's wide-eyed stare was enough to let Rarity know she had failed. She had failed Sweetie Belle as a big sister, a grown-up, and as a friend.

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity said calmly, looking into her sister's panicked eyes. "Lie perfectly still... you're going to be okay."

The filly's chest rapidly rose and fell as she looked up, trustingly into Rarity's eyes.

"I- ... I'm bleeding," she said.

"Not exactly," the mare replied. "I must help clean you up. This was exactly why I didn't want sleeping on your bed... what has happened is natural. It simply happened much earlier than I was expecting."

"NATURAL!? Rarity, what are you talking about!? I need to go to the hospital!"

The seamstress smiled weakly:

"Sweetie Belle... I've got so much to tell you. Please bear with me while I gather my thoughts." Sweetie's panic did not die down. "I assure you, dear, you're not dying. You're going to be fine. Trust me."

Sweetie Belle lay there, shivering, while Rarity looked around her room for any odd piece of cloth she might use to clean her sister. While she was too late, Sweetie Belle at least wouldn't go anywhere in this state. Now she had all the time in Equestria to clean up her sister... who was a complete mess.

Rarity would explain and Sweetie Belle would listen... after all, she was now there for her.