404: Romance Not Found

by Oroboro

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle (EqG), Slice of Life, Romance, Rarity (EqG), Equestria Girls
Length: 10368

Getting rejected by Sunset leaves Twilight holed up in her room. But when Rarity comes asking for help, Twilight can't ignore a friend. Both of them have a lot to learn about rejection, each other, and if a friendship really can become more intimate.

Getting rejected by Sunset seems like a pretty good reason for Twilight to hole herself up in her room for three days. But when Rarity comes asking for help to develop a website for Carousel Boutique, Twilight can't ignore a friend.

Both of them may find they have something to learn about rejection, how to deal with it, and if a friendship really can become something more intimate.

An entry in Monochromatic's "Interwoven Colors" contest.
Cover art by Novel-Idea.

Published 2017-05-27 05:30:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-05-27 05:30:01 UTC

Error: Unable to Intitate Subprocess Relationship.exe With Module SunsetShimmer.bat

Sunset Shimmer: I'm really sorry, but I'm not interested in pursuing a relationship with you. I didn't mean to lead you on. I want the two of us to stay friends, but I understand if you need some space. I'm sorry.
- Seen 3 days ago.

Twilight's eyes slid away from the web page she'd been browsing over to her second monitor, where that torturous rejection still dominated half the screen. Even now, her gut twisted up in anguish. How could she have been so stupid?

Footsteps thumped outside, someone coming up the stairs. Probably her mother, come to deliver dinner, and to try to coax Twilight out of her room. Not yet though. She had everything she could possibly need in here. And nothing she wanted existed outside.

Or maybe it was something she wanted entirely too much but couldn't have. Either way, her computer was all the company she needed.

“Hello? Twilight? It's me.” Rarity rapped on the door sharply. “Do you have a moment?”

Twilight blinked, then pulled off her glasses to wipe them on her shirt. That was unexpected. What would Rarity be doing here? Unless…

Of course Sunset probably told everyone else. Twilight clenched her teeth. Just the thought made her want to bury her head under the covers and hide. But if Rarity was in her house, then her mom had let her in. She had to at least acknowledge her.

Twilight coughed several times, then held her nose. “Hi Rarity. Um, I'm kind of sick right now, sorry. I'd hate to infect you, so can we do this another time?”

“Bah.” Spike snorted, his voice muffled. “More like lovesick. It's less contagious, and more just annoying.”

“Shut up!” Twilight hissed.

“Oh! Hello there, Spike. I didn't see you down there.”

Spike yawned, and Twilight could hear his collar jingle as he stretched. “Yeah, I've been sleeping outside her door for a couple days now. She won't let me in because she's throwing a tantrum and moping.”

Twilight growled and grabbed the nearest object she could find—a rubber stress ball—and hurled it at her bedroom door. It impacted with a loud thump. “Bad dog! Go outside or something!”

“I see.” Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, I'm sorry to bother you when you're so… indisposed, but there is a matter I'd like your assistance with and, well, time is of the essence. You're the only girl I know with the skills to help me, Twilight.”

Her phone buzzed. Twilight lunged for it, her mind already conjuring up a brief fantasy where it was a text from Sunset, apologizing for the rejection and saying how she'd given it a lot of thought and decided that she really did want to date Twilight.

It was just an update for some stupid mobile game, reminding her she hadn't played in a while. Twilight clenched her fist around the phone, then sighed.

“Okay, we can talk for a bit,” Twilight mumbled. She stood up and shuffled her way over to the door before pausing, hand over the lock. “But Spike has to get lost. Girl talk only.”

“Oh I see how it is. I play the diligent guard dog and this is the thanks I get? Whatever. Probably something cool going on outside anyway.”

“I'm sorry, Spike. I'll make it up to you later.”

“Yeah yeah.”

Twilight waited until she could hear Spike's footsteps receding into the distance, then unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Hey.”

Rarity stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip. She wore some sort of flowery summer camisole and bright leggings, and in general looked as fabulous as she always did. It served as a stark contrast to Twilight, with her unkempt hair and her frayed pajamas.

“Goodness. Whatever’s got you down, Twilight, you certainly look the part.” Rarity wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. “And smell it, too. Is there something I can do to help? Do you want to talk about it?”

So she didn't know after all. That was a relief. Twilight raised an arm for a quick sniff test. It didn't seem that bad. “No thanks. I'd rather not… it's personal, I guess. So you said you needed something?”

“Hmm.” Rarity stepped inside, arms crossed over her chest, one finger tapping against her skin. She carefully navigated around the dirty laundry strewn about, then sighed. “Yes. Where to start, I wonder? You know my business, right?”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “I know you occasionally make clothes and sell them to people. I'm not sure that really counts as a business though.”

Rarity stiffened, her back to Twilight. “Well. That's why I'm here, after all. I’d like to take the next step.” She took a deep breath, then turned around, her expression twisted into a grimace. “But I'll have you know that this is something I care very deeply about, and am working hard at, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't demean my efforts. I'm sure whatever you're going through is rough, but that's no excuse to be rude to a friend.”

“Huh? Wait, what?” Twilight blinked several times, then rubbed her glasses on her shirt. Rarity's expression remained stern. Twilight mentally backtracked through the conversation, trying to parse what went wrong. “Ah crap, Rarity, I didn't mean it like that, I just…” Twilight sighed, then shuffled over to her computer chair and slumped down, burying her face in her hands. “I'm sorry. I can't do anything right these days.”

“Apology accepted.” A faint smile played at Rarity's lips, and she clicked her tongue. “Now then, if you ask me, a gloomy atmosphere leads to a gloomy mood. So first things first, let's get some light in here.” Rarity strode over to the bedroom window, and pulled the heavy, dark curtains aside, letting in a flood of daylight. With a grunt, she pulled the window itself open as well.

Twilight hissed, and made weak clawing motions at the air, her eyes tearing up from the brightness. The sounds of a suburban block drifted in from outside: birdsong mixed with the occasional dog bark, and the low rumble of a distant lawnmower. The trees were in bloom, and the open window would probably wreak havoc with her allergies, but oh well.

Rarity giggled. “See? Even as frumpy as you are right now, you still sparkle in the sunlight. You're beautiful darling. Now, let's get down to business.”

She sparkled in the sunlight, huh? What an astonishingly poor choice of words for Twilight's current predicament. She tried to keep the fresh stab of agony that ripped through her from showing on her face, but suspected she wasn't entirely successful. “Business. Right. So what, you want my help selling clothes?”

“Not exactly, but in a fashion, yes.” Rarity sashayed away from the window and neatly sat down on the edge of Twilight's bed. Her posture somehow maintained perfect dignity and grace, unmarred by the frayed stuffed elephant lying haphazardly next to her. “What I need is for you to help me design a storefront. I mean, it's the most important part, isn't it? I want potential customers to feel safe and comfortable, to be thrilled and awed, to be enticed to delve deeper and see what I have to offer.”

Twilight scratched at her chin. “A storefront? I'm sure that's important, but I don't know all that much about the logistics of scouting out and renting the right place, or any of the aesthetics involved in designing it. My Dad might know a bit more than me, and if not he probably knows someone who does. Want me to get you in contact?”

Rarity grinned and leaned forward, resting her chin on folded knuckles. “Oh, but you misunderstood me, Twilight. And believe me, you're perfect for the job. After all, I'm not talking about a physical storefront. I need you to build me a digital storefront! A website of my very own, the first real step of Carousel Boutique into the modern world!” Rarity threw her arms into the air with her exclamation, and held them there for several moments before she coughed. “And so this way Etsy doesn't eat into my profit margins.”

Oh. Well that made a bit more sense. But even then… “A website, huh?” Twilight leaned back and stretched her arms behind her head, her bones popping audibly. “Well, I might be able to help. I'm hardly an expert though. I've studied the basics of HTML and web design, and have put together a website or two for practice, but I've never done anything like, commercially practical. A professional would be able to do something a lot nicer than I could.” Twilight paused, then smirked. “Of course, a professional would charge a bit more than the payment of ‘smiles and gratitude’ that I suspect you're prepared to offer me for my time.”

“Ah. Yes, well there is that.” Rarity's cheeks colored, and she absentmindedly chewed on her thumb. “As a teenage entrepreneur, my investment capital comes pretty close to zero. I know it's not much, but maybe I can at least offer you some of my merchandise. A custom made dress, just for Twilight Sparkle!” Her smile became coy. “Maybe you'll be able to turn the head of that special someone, hmm?”

Twilight winced. She wasn't sure which would be worse. If Rarity knew and was digging into her on purpose, or if all of this was cruelly coincidental. “No heads are going to be turning my way,” Twilight muttered.

Rarity’s eyes softened, and she opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out. After a few moments she cleared her throat and shook her head. “Be that as it may, yes, I'm asking you for a huge favor, and I won't be able to offer much in return, but I could really use the help. I tried to learn it a little bit my myself, and blech. I can barely get it to say hello!”

“I mean, I guess I can. I don't have anything better going on. I'm not sure I'll really be able to do the job well enough to match your expectations.” Twilight scratched her chin, then snapped her fingers as something occurred to her. “Oh, that's right! There's, uh, that one kid! Blue hair, friends with the hippy guy. Uh… Micro Chips, yeah, that's it!” Twilight grinned, and leaned forward. “I've seen him in programming classes and stuff, he's pretty good. Probably a lot better than me. And I bet he'd totally do it for free, if you just bat your eyelashes a little.”

Rarity smacked herself in the face with her palm and groaned.

Twilight blinked. “Crap. Did I say something wrong again?”

“No no, it's not that.” Rarity's moved her hands back down to her lap, her face twisted into a painful grimace. “It's actually a brilliant insight, but I'm afraid that Chip and I have a bit of a… history that makes that option out of the question.”

“Oh.” All the girls had such long histories here in this town and at Canterlot High. As welcoming as they were, that shared past sometimes felt like a vast distance between her and them that she could never cross. “Is that something you want to talk about?”

“Hmm. It's not exactly a story that paints a kind picture of yours truly.” Rarity glanced around the messy room, and gestured vaguely about. “But I suppose I'll tell you my secret if you tell me yours.”

Twilight stiffened. She didn't really want to talk about her troubles with Sunset. She just wanted to bury those feelings and pretend they never existed. And it wasn't like she had a personal investment in the story behind Rarity and some guy she barely knew. But Rarity was a friend. It wouldn't hurt to get to know her better, to close that distance a little bit more. And maybe Rarity could offer a better shoulder to cry on than her family or her dog. “Okay… I'm sure you were going to find out eventually anyway. You first though.”

Rarity smiled and crossed her legs. “Very well then. This story takes place back in middle school, when I was just starting to blossom into a woman. Boys started to pay all sorts of attention to me, and well, I loved it.” Her cheeks coloring, Rarity lowered her eyes to stare at her knees. “I loved the attention, and the power it gave me over them. I loved the compliments, and the gifts they showered me with, and how they were willing to drop everything to fulfill any request of mine, no matter how trivial. I felt like a princess.”

“I see.” Twilight's mind drifted back to her own time in middle school, as a socially awkward loser who was just starting to realize she liked girls. She'd had such an awkward crush on Fleur De Lis, who used her looks and status to command worship just like Rarity was describing. Twilight had kept her distance though. Still, it wouldn't do to interrupt. “I’m guessing Micro Chip was one of those boys?”

“Mmmhmm. He had it bad for me, too. And I made sure to give him all sorts of smiles and winks that would make hearts dance around his head.” Rarity raised a thumb to her mouth, idly chewing on it. “Like I said, this doesn't paint me in a kind light. I of course never had any intention of reciprocating his interest. Then one year, we were tasked to work together with a partner for that year's science fair. Chip was an obvious pick. He’s brilliant boy, and was willing to do all the hard work while I offered encouragement. And maybe a few adjustments to to the aesthetic. I'll be damned if something with my name attached to it is going to be spaceship gray.” A breeze blew in from the open window, making the spaceship models hanging from the ceiling sway about. Rarity glanced up at them, then coughed. “Suffice it to say, we won.”

“Congratulations,” Twilight muttered dryly. “Let me guess, this is where everything crashes and burns?”

Rarity winced. “When the awards went out, we each got up on stage, the Principal gave us ribbons, that sort of thing. We were asked to say something inspiring about science to the crowd. I went first. I barely even remember what I said, really. Probably something vapid. But then Chip got up and…” Rarity wrapped her arms around her midsection and shuddered. “Ugh, it hurts just thinking about it. In front of the entire school, and my parents and my little sister, he started reading a poem he had written about how much he loved me, culminating with him asking me to be his girlfriend.”

Twilight clapped her hand over her mouth, her insides twisting up in revulsion and sympathetic pain. “Nooooo.”

“Unfortunately yes. The poem was pretty terrible of course, but that was just the icing on the cake. It's probably the single most mortifying moment of my entire life. The whole audience was dead silent, staring at me and Chip. And it just kept going on and on. Lucky me smartphones weren’t nearly as ubiquitous back then, else I'm sure the whole thing would be on YouTube. I don't remember exactly what I said anymore, but once he'd finally finished I shot him down, and rather cruely at that. He ran off the stage in tears. He was the laughing stock of the school for weeks, people kept writing bits of his poem on blackboards, you know how kids can be.” Rarity sighed, then folded her hands in her lap. “And I haven't spoken more than two words to him since. So now you know why asking Micro Chips for help isn't an option.”

“Wow.” Twilight slumped back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling. She wiped the sweat from her brow, and half of a giggle escaped from her lips. “Holy crap, Rarity. That's just…” She giggled again, this time leading with a obnoxious snort. “Wow.”

Rarity pursed her lips and blew her bangs out of her eyes. “You know this isn't something I find all that humorous.”

Twilight shook her head, chuckles still rising up from her gut unbidden. “It's not like that. I'm really sorry you had to go through something like that, and I feel really bad for the poor guy. I just… I've been sitting here for the past couple of days wallowing in self pity because I felt like an awkward, cringey loser. Your story just kind of puts things in perspective, you know?”

“Ah. I see.” Rarity smiled faintly, then leaned over and placed a hand on Twilight's knee, squeezing gently. “For what it's with, I don't think you're cringey or a loser at all. A little awkward, perhaps, but who isn't?”

The casual touch of a girl as attractive as Rarity sent sparks rocketing through Twilight followed by a number of uncomfortable thoughts. She immediately stamped them out with ruthless efficiency. Mistaking the intimate friendship these girls all shared for something more was what got her into this mess in the first place.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, her cheeks heating up. “I don't quite feel it myself, but I appreciate the sentiment. In any case, while I don't know him very well, Micro Chips seems to be doing alright for himself. Good grades, good friends, and I think he might be dating someone? I'm not sure.”

“Well, this did all happen maybe six years ago. Time heals a lot of wounds.” Rarity stared past Twilight, her eyes distant. “Still, I always meant to apologize. But I feel like the opportunity has passed. I think it would just dig up painful memories at this point.”

Twilight shrugged. “You never know.”

Rarity clicked her tongue. “In any case, I just told you my most embarrassing moment, and I doubt you'll be topping it. So what's got the multifaceted genius, Twilight Sparkle, holed up in her room, hmm?”

“Yeah yeah.” Twilight took a deep breath, then scooted her chair to the side and gestured at her second monitor. “See for yourself.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, then stood up from the bed and made her way over, leaning far over Twilight's shoulder to squint at the screen. Her perfume danced about her, subtle to the point where nobody would know it was there unless someone were close enough for her to want them to know.

Twilight licked her lips.

“I'm really sorry,” Rarity muttered, reading out loud. “But I'm not interested in pursuing a… Oh. Oh dear.” Rarity blinked several times, then turned to face Twilight, eyes full of compassion and pity. “Oh Twilight, I'm so sorry.”

“Mmm,” Twilight grunted. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. “It's my own fault, really. I let myself get wrapped up in this elaborate fantasy I concocted in my head. Every little thing Sunset did or said to me was proof she liked me back. I might have been as blind as Chip. I'm just lucky all I did was ask her out normally.”

Rarity scratched at her chin, and tapped her foot on the carpet. “Hmm. I'm not so sure. Well, I doubt it's entirely your fault. Sunset is a bit of a… irresponsible flirt, I'd say. That girl was born with oodles of natural charisma and charm. When she was a bully, she used and abused that power, but now that she's good, I'm not sure she entirely notices the effect she has on people sometimes.”

Twilight pursed her lips. “Doesn't matter much in the end. The answer is still no, and it's not like there's anything I could ever do to change that.”

“Afraid not.”

They stood there, silence hanging between them for a long time, before Rarity giggled. “So, you like girls, huh?”

Twilight blushed, and looked away. “Do you have any idea what it's been like, going from having zero friends to having six who are all incredibly attractive girls and are all really good friends who love hugging and occasionally forming a magical emotional resonance that unites our spirits to fire a giant rainbow at some manifestation of evil? Some days I swear I'm literally going to explode.”

Rarity laughed even harder. “Goodness, Twilight, you poor thing! Well, your specific ailment isn't too surprising. I don't think there's a woman alive who wouldn't go at least a little gay for Sunset Shimmer. Why, we went to this wedding together one time, and…” Rarity's eyes widened, and she coughed. “Well, the less said about that, the better.”

A faint smile tugged at Twilight’s lips. “Yeah. She really is something, isn’t she? I guess you’re right. It was kind of inevitable. Fly too close to the Sunset and you can expect to get burned.”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Twilight, if I wanted bad puns based on classical literature, I would have led with that.”

Twilight snorted. “Too bad. They come with the package. Take it or leave it.”

“I guess I’ll have to take it then.” Rarity stepped back and stretched her arms over her head. “Which seems as good of a time as any to circle back around to the original point of this all. Will you design me a website?”

“Oh yeah, right. I dunno, we could always just talk about our feelings some more, it’s kind of fun.” Twilight stuck her tongue out, then nodded. “Yeah, I’m happy to help however I can. I might not be able to make it perfect, but I’m positive it will at least be a functional storefront.”

“Oh, thank you thank you!” Rarity’s eyes glittered, and she clapped her hands together. “I know you’ll do a great job, I just know it. So, what’s the first step?”

Twilight reached for a glass of water on her desk and took a sip. “The first step? Well, I’m going to have to dig up some tutorials on web design, look into some hosting options, and figure some stuff out. Also there’s a lot of other responsibilities I should really catch up on. And I need to do something real nice for Spike, after the way I’ve been treating him the past couple days. How about I come over to your place tomorrow, I’ll bring my laptop, we can go over some of the basics, and we can discuss your design?”

Rarity nodded, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Tomorrow, right, that makes sense. Sorry, I guess I’m just a little excited. Hmm, I have a yoga class in the morning, so why not come over around eleven? I can make us lunch.”

“Sounds like a good plan to me. I’ll be there.”

“I guess I’ll see you then.” Rarity smoothed her blouse, then turned to go.

“Rarity?”

“Hmm?”

Twilight took a deep breath, then smiled. “Thanks. I’d gotten the most hardcore moping out of the way already, but it felt really good talking to you about it. It still hurts, but I think I can handle it now.”

“Oh Twilight.” Rarity’s eyes softened, and she made her way back over, spreading her arms and wrapping them around Twilight in a tight hug, “Anytime, you hear me? That’s what friends are for, after all. All those magical rainbows aren’t just for show.”

“Yeah, I know.” Twilight melted into the embrace, enjoying the warmth, softness, and sweet smell of human contact, and took a long, shuddering breath. “Don’t tell the others though. If I want them to know, I’ll tell them at my own pace, okay?”

“My lips are sealed, I promise.” Rarity held the hug for a few more seconds, then mumbled, “Erm, Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

“You could really use a shower.”

Rarity wiped the fog off of her bathroom mirror, meeting the gaze of her own reflection.
“You. Are. Beautiful,” she said out loud. Her reflection didn't offer any judgment or contradiction to this statement, so she nodded in agreement.

With that out way, it was time to get ready. There was still an hour left before Twilight was supposed to show up, so she should be able to finish if she hurried. It wouldn't do to greet a friend all unkempt and sweaty from yoga, after all.

Her routine was complicated, but all the effort was worth it in the end. Moisturize with lotion. Deep pore cleanser for the face, followed by an herb-mint facial mask while she dried, brushed, and styled her hair.

Then she had to pick an outfit. While it was still very much skirt weather, this occasion called for something else. This was in some respects a business meeting, and she should look the part. Therefore, dark dress slacks, and a matching blazer over one of her nicer blouses.

Finally, just the right amount of makeup to pull it all together. Some lipstick, eye shadow, and blush, and she was all dressed and ready to stay inside all day and stare at a computer screen.

And she still had ten minutes to spare. Rarity sighed, and stared up at the clock in her kitchen. Maybe Twilight would be early? Or maybe she might even be late. She didn't have a car after all, and had to rely on the bus to get around. Should Rarity have offered to pick Twilight up herself? Oh, but she might also get a ride from her mother.

Rarity tapped her heels against the linoleum floor, and blew her bangs out of her eyes. There was no point in fretting about it. She stood up and made her way over to the kitchen counter, filled up the electric kettle, then pulled down an assortment of teas. That should keep her busy.

By time the doorbell finally rang, the shrill whistle of steam filled the kitchen. “Be there in a second!” Rarity shouted. She switched off the kettle, then paused to check her reflection in the window. Perfect.

Rarity swung the door open, beaming widely. “Good morning, Twilight! I’m so glad you could make it. And you look absolutely ravishing today, if you don't mind me saying.”

Twilight blushed, and scratched at the back of her neck. “Uh, thanks, I guess. You're the one who picked this outfit for me, so I guess that makes sense. You, uh, look really sharp yourself.”

“Oh, thank you darling, I do my best.” The compliment meant a little more than she let show. Having her efforts appreciated always left Rarity with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside, but when they came from Twilight… Rarity closed the door behind them. “Have a seat at the kitchen table, I'll make us some tea.” She paused for a moment to enjoy her own handiwork in Twilight's outfit. A light blue, low cut sweater, a pair of skinny jeans, and a well made messenger bag slung over her shoulder. Back when Twilight had first become a member of the group, Rarity had made sure to replace pretty much her entire wardrobe. The poor girl had been completely overwhelmed at first, but she now wore the outfits like she had been born in them.

“Uh, Rarity?” Twilight poked her head out of the kitchen. “Are you coming too?”

Rarity blinked, and shook herself out of her reverie. “Sorry. Guess I let my mind wander a bit too far. Always a new design to chase. Got to grab inspiration where it strikes, you know?”

“Huh.” Twilight scratched at her chin, then smiled. “You really are a true artist, aren't you?”

Rarity hesitated for a moment, then made her way back over to the kettle. “Any particular kind of tea you want? And what do you mean?”

“Whatever you have is fine. Or I guess maybe something sweet?” Twilight shrugged, then adjusted her glasses. “I don't know. I've tried to do creative stuff before. A little bit of drawing. Some… embarrassing attempts at fiction. I took some piano lessons. But it's never something I felt inspired by. Never the kind of thing that I'd space out thinking about, you know? But you live to create. I think that's really cool.”

“Oh.” Rarity felt her cheeks heat up, and masked it with the warmth of the boiling water as she brought the tea over to the table. “Thank you. But I think you're selling yourself a bit short. You get just as excited about a good science problem, don't you?”

“That’s different,” Twilight said quickly. She blew on her cup, steam swirling about to fog up her glasses. “Science is about… it's about doing your best to understand something that already exists. Art is about creation, right? Taking a blank page and creating beauty where there wasn’t anything there before. I think the drive to learn and the drive to create are fundamentally different.” Twilight sipped at her tea, then winced, sucking in air to try and cool it down. “Too soon. Gah. But I mean, I guess I wouldn’t really know, seeing how I’ve only really experienced one and not the other.”

Rarity crossed her legs, idly swirling a spoon through her tea. “I suppose if that’s the case, than I’m in the opposite boat, aren’t I? I don’t understand what it's like to have such a passion for learning. But that passion itself is very admirable, regardless of what form it takes. It's what makes us human, after all.” Rarity smirked, then concentrated. The geode on her bracelet lit up and thrummed with a soft power, and she held out one finger. Tiny diamond shaped motes of light sprung forth from her finger, circling it in an exotic dance and light display. She twirled them around, each crystal multiplying, shedding into the air like a fistfull of confetti. Then she closed her fist, and they all vanished. “For as much as being human means anything anymore.”

Twilight giggled, and clapped her hands. “Wow, you’ve gotten pretty good at that. But hey, if we’re showing off... “ Twilight closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She held her hand out over the teacup, and a lavender glow surrounded the cup. Rather than the cup, though, she lifted the steaming tea right into the air, a spherical globe of liquid. She made squeezing motions with her hands, and the liquid began to funnel back down into the cup, as if it were being forced through a straw. When only a tiny drop remained in the air, she flicked her wrist, and it landed on her outstretched tongue. “Tada!”

“Simply marvelous!” Rarity offered up applause of her own, then sipped her tea. “Doesn’t Sunset keep telling you that you don’t need the hand motions though?”

“...Yeah.” Twilight’s expression immediately darkened at the mention of Sunset. “It helps me concentrate though, and to visualize what I want to do with something.”

Rarity mentally cursed herself for ruining the good mood. Despite their heartfelt talk yesterday, of course Twilight was still sore over the subject. She’d been mooning over Sunset for months now. While Rarity feigned ignorance, it had been painfully obvious to pretty much everyone except Sunset herself. “Of course. Whatever makes it easier for you, I guess. That all being said, would you like to get started? I don’t know a lot about computers, but I tried to learn what I could and at least get some of the basics figured out before I came to you for help.”

Twilight nodded, blew on her tea one more time, then drained the rest of her cup. She stood up and hefted her laptop bag over her shoulder. “Alright, yeah. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“Perfect. Right this way, it’s in my father’s study, actually.” Rarity pushed open the heavy oak and tried to suppress her internal revulsion as her heels slid through the shag carpeting. The decor hadn’t been updated since before her father was born. The walls had wood paneling. She prefered to spend as little time in this room as humanly possible, but this was where the family computer was, so she didn’t have much of a choice for now.

“Wow, talk about a blast from the past. When I was real young, my Dad still drove a station wagon that had a pretty similar aesthetic to this. I remember it had a rear facing back seat, and I used to love watching the road go by behind us.” Twilight leaned over a desk, running her finger across some old books, and peering closely at their titles. The dust she kicked up caused her to sneeze.

“Gesundheit,” Rarity muttered. She leaned under the desk and flicked on the power to the computer. It made some whirring and grinding noises, followed by a loud series of beeps. Rarity sighed, then sat down in the computer chair to wait for the long and arduous process of it coming to life.

After maybe three minutes, it finally reached the login screen, and Rarity carefully typed in the password, “football”. It would take another three to five minutes after this. Rarity sighed, and leaned back in her chair. “Computers, right?”

When no response came, she pursed her lips. Twilight had been rather quiet this whole time, for that matter. She spun the desk chair around, half expecting to find her buried in a book. Instead, she found Twilight staring at the computer in horror.

“Rarity,” Twilight said, her voice carefully level. “Is that computer still running Windows 98?”

Rarity blinked, then looked back on the screen. “Um, I think so? That’s what the logo always says, anyway. Why, is that bad?”

Twilight groaned, and smacked her face against her palm. “Rarity, that operating system is old enough to drive a car. Which means the computer is probably equally as old. Which means your cellphone is probably ten times more powerful!”

Rarity pulled out her phone, then looked at Twilight, and to the computer. “Okay, I’ll admit, it’s a little out of date, but I’m sure it will work for what we need it for. I was able to follow the steps in the guide well enough I think, for a beginner.”

“What guide?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Over there, see? How To Design A Site On The World Wide Web For Dummies.”

“Alright, nope.” Twilight took Rarity by the hand, and tugged her out of the chair. “I do not want to stick around to see what sort of horrible amalgamation of word art and midi files that guide created. Come on, we’ll do this my way.”

“But—”

“It’s fine. Trust me, I got this.” Twilight flashed her a smile brimming with confidence, one that could easily melt someone's heart. It was the kind of smile she never could have imagined seeing on Twilight back when she first met the shy girl at the Friendship Games, but here it was now. Rarity allowed herself to be dragged back into the kitchen.

Twilight pulled her laptop out and set it on the kitchen table. It booted up almost instantly. “What’s your Wi-Fi password?”

“Wi-Fi password?”

“Right. Should have seen that one coming,” Twilight muttered under her breath. She pulled out her phone and began fiddling with it.

Rarity stood to the side, twiddling her fingers together. Apparently she was even more out of her depth than she realized. “I’ll make some more tea.” It was at least something she could do. Still, she could put her faith in Twilight.

Twilight cracked her knuckles, then danced her fingers across the keyboard at a speed Rarity could never dream of matching. “Alright, so I stayed up pretty late last night doing research for all of this. Thanks to a variety of paid services available out there, I don't think we'll have to do much coding from scratch.” Twilight turned the laptop screen towards Rarity, though she could barely see it from her place at the counter. “See? This website here offers an incredibly robust ‘build your own website’ tool. Most of it is just drag and drop, and comes pre-optimized for the modern web. There's a large variety of customization options and styles available, and you can still dig into the code yourself if you need more than it offers. Though for a simple storefront, I don't think it will be necessary.”

“I see.” Rarity blinked, trying to process the onslaught of information. “I think I caught about half of that. You said these services are… paid?”

“Yeah, that's right. Don't worry, it should be pretty affordable.” Twilight glanced at the screen, then back to Rarity. “Well, on top of this you'll also need to pay for web hosting, domain registration, and credit card processing. All together it's still far cheaper than operating anything brick and mortar. Be mindful that you'll also need the space and materials to ship out packages. If you get a high volume of orders, that can almost be a full-time job unto itself.”

Rarity crossed her arms over her chest. “You've certainly put a lot of thought into this, Twilight. Perhaps even more than I have. All of a sudden I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. You don't think I'm rushing into this, do you?”

Twilight shook her head. “You have a great product, Rarity. You just need a place to show it off, where people can buy it. I only know the theory, but I'm sure most of this stuff will run itself once it's in place.” She drummed her fingers on the table, then frowned. “Well, I guess the website will constantly need to be updated with new items and custom orders and whatever else you need. But I should be able to handle most of that, as long as you tell me what you want.”

“Twilight…” Rarity stared, her eyes wide. “I think you're going a little above and beyond just making a website for me.”

“Huh?” Twilight tilted her head. “Would you do anything less?”

Rarity was struck, not for the first time, with the sudden urge to close the distance between them and kiss Twilight Sparkle. She was something special, after all. But before, her eyes only held Sunset, and now… Well, making a move on someone so recently heartbroken would be beyond inappropriate. Instead, Rarity smiled, and wiped at her eyes. “Very well then. I'm looking forward to a long and fruitful partnership with you, Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight grinned. “Come over here, I've got a couple templates here to start with, and I want to know what you think.”

Rarity made her way to the table and leaned over Twilight to peer at the screen. The scent of lavender shampoo tickled her nose, stray thoughts worming into her mind that told her to ignore any and all prior objections.

Twilight clicked through the menus, explaining how each one worked and how it might look as a finished website. She explained how the dresses could be displayed here, and a checkout button might go there. The picture started to take shape in Rarity's mind, and even though she didn't understand computers in the slightest, she did know aesthetics. Before she knew it, she was hanging on Twilight's every word, and she did her best to direct each element where she thought it fit best. And to accept Twilight's advice when it wouldn't be practical.

After maybe an hour’s worth of work, Rarity yawned and stretched. “Goodness, we've been at this awhile now. Maybe we should take a break, get some lunch, hmm?”

Twilight blinked, her eyes a little glazed over. “Huh? Oh, right, yeah. I guess. Hey, you mentioned a deadline, right? How soon do you need this up and running, anyway?”

“Well, it's not quite a deadline, per se, but I'd really like to have something in place before the–guahh!” Rarity's phone buzzed sharp against her thigh, followed half a second later by the rattling of Twilight's phone against the kitchen table.

Rather than quieting, each phone kept going, buzzing again and again in an irregular pattern.

Twilight reached her phone first. “It's from Pinkie Pie,” she said with a scowl. “Two dozen text messages and counting.”

Rarity fished her own phone out of her pocket, and pulled up the first message. It simply said, “I”. The next was “c”, followed by “a”. They kept going like that, each message only a single letter.

When they finally managed to piece it all together, it read “I can't wait for the big end of summer barbecue bash, you guys! It's going to be so much fun! I heard they've got live music and fireworks and everything!”

Twilight sighed, and let her phone rest back on the kitchen table. “A mistake like that almost makes you look like a tech wizard.”

Rarity clicked her tongue. “Well, that's our deadline in any case. The changing seasons are a big time for fashion. Not to mention the start of a new school year.”

“So less than two weeks, huh?” Twilight cracked her neck, then grinned. “Good thing I'm amazing.”

“Yes, “ Rarity said with a smile. “Yes you are.”

“Damnit!” Twilight swore. She banged her fist on the table, muttering under her breath.

Spike lifted his head up, glanced at her, rolled his eyes, then curled back down into his doggy bed.

Twilight ran her fingers through her hair, the soft light of her computer monitor reflecting off her glasses. As much as she wanted to get this working for Rarity, it just kept breaking.

The rest of the website was about as good as it was going to get, but Rarity wanted a better way to show off her designs than simple pictures. When Twilight had let her know about the existence of 360° cameras, Rarity was immediately sold. There was even a studio in town that could shoot the proper videos.

But for the life of her Twilight couldn't get the website element to work. It was beyond the bounds of the built in software, and apparently beyond the bounds of her own coding experience as well.

She sighed. Their deadline was only a few days away now. It was time she got outside help, and begged Rarity’s forgiveness later. Although who knew? There might be a friendship lesson in there somewhere.

It didn't take Twilight long to find the right contact info, and the phone rang twice before it picked up.

“Hi there! This is Twilight Sparkle. You're Micro Chips, right? Yeah, I got the number from Pinkie Pie, sorry. Listen, I've been hard at work developing a website, but have reached the limits of my ability. I'd like your assistance.”

The Canterlot End of Summer Barbeque Bash was an assault on every sense. Crowds jostled past Rarity, their proximity only exaggerating the muggy damp of the weather. The smells of barbeque, of hot dogs and pork chops, and of all sorts of breaded and deep fried concoctions drifted through the air. Rarity could still taste the powdered sugar on her lips from when she’d decided to indulge earlier. Live music drifted across the cul de sac from either end, split between jaunty country and rock and roll. Rainbow Dash would be doing a set herself, though that wasn’t for hours yet.

All in all, it was a sight to see. It always seemed like half the town showed up to these events, along with a decent amount of folk from the inner city. With this many people around, Rarity couldn’t help herself, and so she engaged in one of her favorite pastimes: people watching. Dress was light, of course, to be expected with the weather. But almost no two outfits were exactly alike. Each person had their own personal style, something that worked to bring out their inner beauty. And if they didn’t, it was all too easy for her to see how she could fix that.

By the time this festival rolled around next year, how many people would be wearing outfits of her own design? Did she dare even dream of such a possibility? They had their website now, but it was just the first step in a long, arduous journey.

Rarity’s cheeks colored, and she shook her head. They. Sure, Twilight had professed her support, but would she really follow Rarity all the way to the top? She was being too greedy for her friend’s attention, assuming too much.

“Hey, there you are. I’ve been looking all over,” Twilight called out from behind her.

“Gah!” Rarity nearly jumped out of her skin, and her heel caught on the curb. She windmilled wildly, and toppled into Twilight’s waiting arms. Rather than catching her with grace, however, the impact sent the pair sprawling.

“Ugh,” Twilight groaned. “Ow. Rarity, are you okay?”

“Mmm.” Rarity pushed herself up off of Twilight, and flexed her foot. Nothing hurt. “I think I’m fine. Sorry about that, darling. I was just spacing out again. Gave me a bit of a start.”

“Hey, you need a hand?” A nasally voice asked from nearby, and held out a hand.

Rarity took the hand, and pulled herself to her feet. “Thank you very much, I—”

She turned to look at the stranger and froze. It was Micro Chips.

Twilight coughed. She sat up, then pulled her glasses off and inspected them for damage. “So, uh, yeah, Rarity. I wanted to tell you that I got the final part of the website working, but I only did it by asking Micro Chips for help and I figured that while he was helping us and all maybe you two should have a conversation like adults and bury the hatchet. Or whatever.”

Rarity glanced between the two of them, and sighed. “I’m guessing you had a much smoother lead-in to that planned before I fell on top of you.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Twilight stood up, then looked around. “Oh hey look! Anything else! I’ll leave you two alone.”

Micro Chips coughed, and fidgeted back and forth. “Listen, Rarity, I—”

“I’m sorry,” Rarity interrupted. “I abused your affection for personal gain and let things escalate too far. I was young and stupid, but that’s no excuse. I was selfish and cruel.”

A chill breeze blew between them, a welcome relief to the sweat beading on the back of Rarity’s neck. Micro Chips smiled and shook his head. “I’m sorry too. I was bit of a creep, all obsessed with you and whatnot, and I had a really warped sense of how romance was supposed to work. I should never have put you in such an embarrassing position, especially in front of everybody.” He shuddered, and clenched his teeth. “Ugh, the memory still makes me cringe. I’m so glad that it never made it onto YouTube.”

Rarity blinked, then laughed. “Right? I think if it had I might’ve had to change my name and move to a different country.”

They shared in laughter together, the crowd parting around them, until they grew silent once more, a new crooning ballad starting up somewhere across the way.

“Was it really that easy?” Rarity asked, her eyes wide. “Confronting you was something I avoided so desperately at first, and after that it just seemed easier to ignore it.”

Micro Chips shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, I probably wouldn’t have been able to be this mature about it until somewhat recently. I was pretty salty for a couple of years. But, I dunno. I grew up. So did you. Everything that happened in Middle School seemed like life and death at the time, but now I’m hard pressed to remember most of it, you know?”

Rarity nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. “I suspect memories of High School won’t be far behind.” She glanced over her shoulder and saw Twilight watching from a nearby alley. She caught her eye and winked. “Now, I’m told you have a new girlfriend, hmm? What’s her name again?”

Twilight watched from the alley, seeing Rarity chatting amicably with someone whose heart she’d once broken. The question still hung in the air as to whether or not Twilight was overstepping her bounds as a friend by forcing them to confront each other. It worked out fine in this case, but if things had gone south instead…

“That was a cool thing you did there,” Sunset said, placing a hand on Twilight’s shoulder from behind. “Hardly a master of subtle manipulation, but sometimes people just need a good swift kick in the ass to get moving in the right direction.”

Twilight giggled, and her heart warmed at the contact. “Thanks. I’m glad it worked out, you know?”

Then the situation dawned on her and she froze, before jerking her shoulder away from Sunset’s hand as if it were a serpent. She hadn’t seen or talked to Sunset since getting rejected. Damnit, was she about to be forced to confront her own problems? This wasn’t part of the deal!

Sunset flinched, and wrapped her arms around her chest in a way that made her breasts stand out far too prominently. “I’m sorry. I guess me being too friendly like that is part of the problem, huh?”

Twilight licked her lips, and tried to still her heart, which currently seemed to be doing its best to escape her ribcage. Her adrenal glands kicked in and screamed her to listen to her flight response. She wasn’t ready for this. She clenched her fists as hard as she could, her nails digging into her palms. “Hey. Great party, huh?”

Sunset blinked several times before smiling. “Yeah, it is. Back when I was an evil brat, I occasionally used town events like this as an excuse to further whatever scheme I was planning, but otherwise ignored them. Now? Well, being friends with you and the girls make it all worth it.”

“Yeah, I think I know what you mean.” Twilight wiped at her brow and wished it wasn't so damn muggy. “Shining Armor used to try and drag me outside to come to this celebration, but I'd always find some kind of excuse not to.” Twilight pursed her lips and sighed. “One year I even stuck a finger down my throat and pretended to be sick.”

“Yikes.” Sunset chuckled, then rubbed at the back of her head. “Well, you made it to this one, in any case. It's good to see you again. You've been working on something with Rarity, right?”

Twilight firmly resisted interpreting any deeper meaning from Sunset’s words. “Yeah, on a website. It should be live by tomorrow, unless something goes horribly wrong.”

“That's cool.”

The conversation trickled off, and a silence hung between them for a minute. Twilight cleared her throat. “Sunset?”

“Thanks.”

Sunset raised an eyebrow. “You're welcome?”

Twilight licked her lips. “Thanks for being a good friend. There's always been a lot I needed to learn about all of this. It seems like learning about how to manage feelings, and how to deal with rejection is also a pretty important lesson.”

“Ah.” Sunsets eyes tracked past her, and she smiled. “I think there's someone else who you should be thanking, in that case.”

Twilight turned around, following Sunset's gaze. She saw Rarity there, on her own once more, leaning against a lamppost. She stared at the sky, once more lost in a trance. Some sort of beautiful creation surely danced its way through her imagination right that moment.

“I think I'm going to go find something to eat,” Sunset said. “Catch up with you later?”

“Sure. I'd like that.” Sunset walked away, and Twilight let out a held breath. She still found Sunset insanely hot, and if Sunset were to turn around that instant and kiss her, no amount of dignity or self-control would protect Twilight Sparkle.

But that wasn't going to happen. And somehow, she was pretty okay with that.

“Hey,” Twilight called out to Rarity. She readied her telekinesis in case Rarity decided to trip again.

This time around Rarity reacted with considerably more grace. She turned around slowly, an odd look in her eyes. “Twilight?”

“Yeah?”

Rarity bit her lip, then glanced around at the crowd. “I'd like to talk to you about something important. Preferably somewhere a bit quieter, and with less people around.”

“Somewhere quiet, huh?” Twilight tapped her foot on the ground, then snapped her fingers when it came to her. “I know just the place!” Twilight grabbed Rarity by the hand, and started dragging her through the crowd.

Rarity, for her part, seemed happy to follow.

Twilight threw open the heavy steel door that led to the roof. “And here we are! What do you think?”

Rarity leaned against the doorframe, panting after having run up three flights of stairs in heels. “I think this is technically trespassing, isn’t it?”

“Nah. Well, I mean, okay, yes, but nobody will care, I promise.” Twilight stepped forward, enjoying the cooler breeze three stories up. The sights and sounds of the festival below drifted up towards them, though somewhat muted. “I had piano lessons in this building when I was younger. Occasionally I would sneak away to explore, and I found the roof access. For some reason it was never locked, and I figured it still wouldn’t be.”

“Mmm.” Rarity wandered over to the chest high wall that surrounded the flat roof, then leaned over to look down. “Well, I’ll admit, it is rather nice up here.”

“Yeah. Great view of the crowd.” Twilight joined Rarity on the ledge, resting her elbows on the cool stone. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Rarity bit her lip and looked away. “Right. Yes. Well, thanks for forcing me to talk to Micro Chips. I needed it. And it's caused me to think about some things.”

Twilight nodded, smiling. “Any time, Rarity. When I was talking to Sunset, she phrased it as ‘a good swift kick in the ass’. So if you ever need another one from me, just ask.”

“Oh, if only,” Rarity muttered under her breath. She shook her head, then crossed her arms over her stomach. “I also wanted to thank you again for helping me with the website. I just know this is going to be a huge success, and it’s all thanks to you.”

“Hey, come on, haven’t we both thanked each other enough?” Twilight fidgeted back and forth, her cheeks coloring. “That’s just what friends are for, right?”

“Perhaps.” Rarity took a step closer, her eyes glistening strangely. “But there’s more to it than that. I want more.” Rarity’s hand caught Twilight’s, and she held it in front of both of them. “Twilight, would you like to be my… business partner, moving forward?”

Twilight blinked, her hand suddenly feeling very clammy against Rarity’s delicate grip. “Business partners? You mean like a permanent thing, where we both have a stake, and work together to run it?”

Rarity nodded, her eyes locked to Twilight’s.

“I… maybe? I don’t know a lot about fashion, but I guess I do know a decent amount about business and the technical side of things. I do have my own ambitions and dreams for the future, you know. But…” Twilight took a deep breath, and nodded. “Yeah. If you really want me around, I can give it my best shot. It’s been a lot of fun, and I love working with you.”

“Ah. Great.” Rarity let out a held breath, her cheeks flushed. “Guess that settles that then. I’m sure we’ll need to figure out a contract or something, maybe contact a lawyer, and…” Rarity trailed off, then turned around, though her arm still stretched behind her, her fingers clenched around Twilight’s.

“Um. Rarity?”

Rarity squeezed harder, then stomped a heel against the roof. “No, that’s not that. I still want more. I really am greedy, hmm?” Rarity turned around, and met Twilight’s gaze, her eyes full of fire. “Twilight… I’d also really like it if you would. Well, that is, you would consider being my girlfriend as well.”

Twilight stared blankly. Surely she’d misheard that. “What? Come on Rarity, that’s not funny.”

“Ah…” Rarity winced, and bit her lip, then shook her head. “I’m not joking, Twilight. I’m one hundred percent serious. I’m really quite fond of you.”

“But…” Twilight’s mind scrambled into overdrive, and she seemed unable to formulate a logical chain of thought. “Why? Why me? I’m just an awkward loser. You’ve seen me at some pretty low points. Just two weeks ago I was pining pathetically over Sunset. I’m better now… but only kind of. Those feelings haven’t really gone away, I’ve just accepted that it won’t happen.”

Rarity nodded, and pulled back. “I know. I’ve seen much of what there is to see of you, good and bad. I’m still asking you anyway. Sunset is stiff competition, I’m sure. But…” Rarity struck a pose, flicking her hair back. “Surely I’m at least in the running?”

Twilight laughed, then sunk down to her knees, leaning her back against the wall. “Come on Rarity, you’re smoking hot. You’re one of my best friends, I’m crazy attracted to you, and I like you a lot.” Twilight shook her head. “But that’s almost the problem. Sure, Sunset was Sunset, but I think on some level I’ve been at least a little bit in love with all of you girls ever since I met you. I’m not very good at friendship. Do you really want someone as wishy-washy as me?”

“Hmm. Is that so.” Rarity pursed her lips, then tapped her finger against her arm. “Aha!” She grinned, then sashayed forward, her hips swaying, her expression becoming sultry. She knelt down, and crawled forward, placing one hand on Twilight’s knee. “I think, Twilight, that if you’ll have me,” Rarity whispered, her voice husky. “I’ll be able to keep your attention pretty well, don’t you?”

A display like that hit Twilight hard enough to cause her to bluescreen, and she stared blankly for several seconds. “I…” Twilight licked her lips. What was she really objecting to, anyway? Well, it felt wrong somehow, like Rarity was just her second choice. But Rarity understood her situation. And Rarity was initiating. Nobody had ever so much as asked her out before. But now Rarity really wanted to… “Okay,” Twilight croaked, her mouth dry. She swallowed, before nodding. “Okay. Yeah, let’s do it.”

Rarity smiled, her eyes glistening. She closed the distance between them, pressing her soft lips to Twilight. She pulled away a few moments later, her eyelashes fluttering. “This is going to be a lot of fun, I think,” she whispered.

“Wow.” Twilight held a finger to her lips, before a giggle rose up from her chest unbidden. “Wow!” Twilight leapt to her feet, and started pacing back and forth, tugging on her ponytail. “Wow, that was pretty much everything I ever dreamed it might be.”

“Is that so?” Rarity laughed, then pulled herself to her feet. “Believe me, sweetheart, we haven’t even gotten started yet.”

“I bet.” Twilight blinked, realizing the implications of the words, and a shiver ran up her spine. A strange, manic energy filled her, and she wanted to shout it from the rooftops. She had a girlfriend, just like that. “Hey, Rarity, how do you feel about big, flashy public displays of affection?”

Rarity laughed. “You might remember I had a bad experience with one of those a few years back. But this is you we’re talking about.” She stepped forward, wrapping her hands around Twilight’s waist. “I’m far too giddy to feel embarrassed right now. Do whatever you like.”

Twilight grinned. She pulled out of the embrace, which left a strange emptiness where Rarity’s hands had rested, but she needed some space. “Alright, Rarity, I need diamonds. As many as you can conjure up.”

“Oh? Magic, hmm? Not exactly what I was expecting. But if you insist.” Rarity closed her eyes, and her geode glowed bright. Diamond constructs poured forth from her, swirling about her in a massive whirlwind.

“Perfect!” Twilight had to step back to avoid getting caught in it herself. “Let’s celebrate our new partnership with some fireworks!” Twilight’s own gem flared a fierce violet, and she took hold of all of Rarity’s constructs with her own magic. They shot up into the air, streaking through the skies above the festival. The purple aura of her magic fractured the facets of the gems, dazzling the crowd below with their radiance. She arranged the pieces into a carefully chosen sign—the logo for Carousel Boutique.

Rarity held her hand over her chest, the violet and white light reflected in her eyes, and in the eyes of all the onlookers below. “It’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Twilight.”

“Twilight?”

Darkness swarmed around the edges of Twilight’s vision, and she fell backwards. She might have gone a little overboard there. Whoops.

Rarity ran her fingers through Twilight’s hair, the tired girl’s head resting on her lap. She hummed along with the music as she did so. Rainbow Dash had finally taken the stage, and she belted out a song about how awesome she was.

“I am pretty awesome, myself, aren’t I?” Rarity asked out loud. She ran her thumb down Twilight’s cheek and giggled. For all that she’d fretted over it, Twilight had said yes. This was really going to happen.

Of course it was only the start. The start of a new business. The start of a new relationship. Both were going to take a lot of work.

There was no way she’d let herself fail in either endeavor.

Twilight groaned, and her eyes fluttered open. “Mmm? Rarity?”

Rarity smiled, looking down at her new girlfriend. “Welcome back. You overexerted yourself there a bit. But I do appreciate the effort.”

“Ah. That’s good.” Twilight closed her eyes, and snuggled a little deeper into Rarity’s lap. She wore a contented smile. “Sorry I went overboard. I just… feel really happy all of a sudden.”

“Me too, Twilight.” Rarity leaned down, brushing her lips against Twilight’s forehead.

“Me too.”

Author's Note

This was pretty down to the wire, but it was a lot of fun. I forgot how much I loved writing Rarity.

There's not going to be a Sci-Twi shipping project after this.

...probably.