Rarity trotted down Mane Street in Ponyville to meet up with Fluttershy for their weekly spa session. It was just like any of the other times, except Fluttershy had found some stray bunny rabbits in the Everfree Forest, and wanted to show them to Rarity. “Oh, there you are Rarity,” the yellow Pegasus whispered, “I was starting to get worried about you.” “Nonsense, Fluttershy. You know I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Rarity replied. With that, they trotted inside to relax for a while.
“Oh, that’s so dreadful! It’s bad enough that there were stray bunnies in the woods, but who in the world would abandon a peafowl!” Rarity exclaimed, “Have you ever seen their feathers? Why, they are to die for!” Rarity and Fluttershy had just gotten out of the spa, and Fluttershy was explaining all the poor creatures she had found in the woods recently.
“Oh, I know, it’s so sad…” Fluttershy said, agreeing with her purple maned friend, “And I’ve been finding so many helpless animals, I can barely take care of them all.”
Rarity stopped walking. “You… can’t take care of them all?” she queried.
Fluttershy stopped too and looked back at the mare. “Well, I can, but they’re not getting anywhere near as much attention as they deserve…” she murmured, trailing off.
“Oh, that’s simply horrid! Here, I’ve noticed that Opal has been getting very lonely; if you would like, I could take a few bunnies and that peafowl off your hooves,” Rarity offered.
“Oh, you would? That would be so… so,” at that point the Pegasus paused, “Oh, but I wouldn’t want to trouble you, after all, your fashion line is finally taking off, and I know how much it means to you…” she trailed off again.
“Of course it wouldn’t trouble me Fluttershy! In fact, it might even inspire me! And even if I don’t get inspired, Opal does need a companion or two. Here, let’s go take a look at those poor little bunnies.”
Rarity ended up walking back home with 12 bunnies, 7 chickens, 2 snakes, and the peafowl.
A week later, Applejack stood outside Rarity’s boutique, trying to decide if the unicorn was the right pony to ask about her problem, when the unicorn in question walked out the door and ran into the earth pony.
“Oh! Applejack! What in the world are you doing here?” Rarity asked. Applejack opened her mouth two or three times to speak, but kept getting distracted by the unusually large hat on her friend’s head. Finally, after five awkward minutes, the orange pony gave up on her original question and asked a new one.
“What the hay is that thing on yer head?” Applejack blurted out.
Rarity looked up at the ‘thing’ in question, “Why, this is only a new piece in my fashion line, my dear.”
Applejack nodded, “Well, Ah figured that much. Any who, can you take it off so Ah can talk to ya properly?”
The unicorn chuckled. “Of course I can, Applejack,” she laughed, taking off the hat, “So what was it that you wanted to talk about?”
The orange pony looked down almost sheepishly, “As Ah’m sure you know, the Royal Apple Fair is taking place in Canterlot, and pets aren’t allowed…” she trailed off. “…And you were wondering if I would take care of Winona,” Rarity picked up for her.
Applejack nodded for the second time that day, “Since Fluttershy had to leave town to take a look at that dragon, Ah thought that you were the next best pony for the job.”
“Of course, and I would be honored to look after Winona for a week,” the unicorn replied.
“Thank ya kindly,” the orange pony said as she turned around and started trotting home, “Ah’ll go home to fetch her right now.” As Applejack started galloping away, she paused and called back, “What in the world is that thing made of anyway?”
Rarity looked down at the hat by her hooves. “Just a little felt and peafowl feathers,” she called back to her farm pony friend.
“That’s what Ah thought,” Applejack answered as she started galloping away again to get her beloved friend.
"Who was that?" piped up a voice from behind Rarity. The unicorn jumped, and turned around. "Sweetie Belle! You scared me half to death! " the elder pony exclaimed, "Let me know next time you sneak up behind me!" Sweetie Belle tilted her head, clearly confused, and asked, "If I told you, then it wouldn't be sneaking, would it?"
Rarity was silent for a few seconds. "Oh, never mind. Why don't you go play with your friends; do some of that 'crusading' you do."
The confused look on Sweetie Belle's face disappeared at the mention of the word 'crusading'. "Okay! We're gonna try being the Cutie Mark Crusaders Fashion Models!" she announced as she darted out the door of the boutique.
"That sounds..." Rarity trailed off, trying to find the correct word, but not wanting to offend her little sister. "Nice! That's it! Yes, that sounds very nice Sweetie, dear. Good luck! And do try not to break anything."
The younger pony had paused to listen to her sibling, and giggled at the last sentence. "Okay sis, I'll try not to." With that, the unicorn foal cantered off to find Applebloom and Scootaloo.
After her sister rushed off, Rarity walked back inside for some peace and quiet. She started looking around at the mess she had created before she walked into Applejack earlier, and caught her reflection in one of the many mirrors in the boutique.
Is that... she thought as she hurried over to her reflection. She gasped as her fears were realized.
Perhaps nopony saw, she reasoned with herself.
Of course they saw, it's as plain as the horn on your face she told herself, glancing up at said horn as she started pacing.
To you, maybe, but none of 'them' care enough about details to notice a spot as small as that.
"But what about Sweetie Belle? If anypony noticed, it would be her," Rarity said, arguing to herself out loud now.
Well, just hope she didn't, and forget about it.
"I will NOT 'just forget' about it! I don't 'just forget' about things!"
Oh? What about Tom?
"Don't you DARE bring THAT up! I forget about things like that, but I DO remember details, this being one of them."
Just wash it off; after all, the longer it stays, the more chance there is that it'll stain.
"How dare you, telling me what to d-" Rarity cut off, realizing she was right.
"Well, I suppose I have a point sometimes."
Rarity was standing in front of her sink scrubbing a small spot on her chin that had caused so much fuss earlier. While she was pouring more soap onto her hoof, she heard knocking at the door. Oh, hay bales! That must be Applejack with Winona. she thought.
"Just.. Just a minute!" she called, trying to hurry. The knocking became more frenzied, and Rarity called louder, "Hold on just a second! I'll be right there!"
The unicorn started to panic, and accidentally upended her bottle of soap, effectively spilling it everywhere.
Who needs that old soap anyway she thought, I have to hurry and answer the door. Rarity decided to ignore the bubbly mess on her bathroom floor, and dried off her face.
Before she left the room though, she made sure to rinse the bit of blood out of the sink.
