Rarity's eyes shifted back and forth between her friends as they stood around her. She stifled a wince as Pinkie poked the wings sticking out of her back.
Finally Applejack spoke up. "Well, it was a darn good ahdea. Wish you'd have let Pinkie and ah know so ya coulda cast it on us too."
"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "Twilight and Fluttershy have their own wings already, and it was Rainbow Dash's party, it would have been awesome if the three of us had wings as well, even if they were just illusions!"
"O-oh, well it was just something I thought up on the way here and I figured nopony would notice." The unicorn stammered as her horn pulsed a gentle azure, her wings fading from view, allowing herself to chuckle a little as she looked across her friends.
Twilight opened her mouth to say something but stopped just before the first word escaped her lips. Rarity noticed and tensed up slightly.
"F-for what it's worth Rarity... t-they looked very natural on you.... so life like.." Fluttershy smiled gently as she peeked out from behind Applejack.
"Th-thank you Fluttershy dear... my attention to detail is only surpassed by Twilight's after all." the unicorn chuckled again, her throat suddenly dry.
"Well, ya can't change that past, no sense dwellin' on it now." Applejack spoke up. "Come on girls, ah reckon we've kept the birthday mare waitin' long enough don't ya'll?" she chuckled before she turned and trotted out, Pinkie and Fluttershy following hot on her hooves.
"I-is something bothering you Twilight?" Rarity asked the alicorn, who was still eyeing her critically. "It's impolite to stare you know."
"Something is, but I can't quite put my hoof on it." The alicorn remarked, squinting her eyes at her unicorn friend as if she'd sprouted another head. "But you are a really bad liar Rarity, I can tell that much." she sighed. "Now if only I could figure out what you were lying about."
After the lavender alicorn had teleported out to join the rest of their friends Rarity took a moment to let out a large breath of relief, the wings reappearing at her side. "That was a close one." She smiled sadly at the appendages. "Well they say be careful what you wish for. At least I know I won't ever be jealous of Twilight getting them and not me, but appearances after all." she said as she recast the glamour that hid them from the world and trotted out to greet her friends warmly.
