I don’t think you can know Rarity without being at least a little bit scared of her. I know Rarity really well, because she’s my sister, but I think I wasn’t afraid of her until last week, because that’s when I saw her save Ponyville all by herself.
This is how it went:
Rarity said: “Daaaaaaarling.”
And that’s how she saved Ponyville.
It was pretty scary.
I love Rarity a lot (although sometimes I don’t like her) but I always thought she was kind of dumb. So one day I told Twilight during Twilight Time.
“I don’t know, Twilight,” I said. “I think Rarity is kind of dumb.”
And Scootaloo said: “Yeah! Rainbow Dash is the smartest one of the Elements of Harmony, right?”
I think there was, like, an actual conversation going on, but I don’t really remember it. I don’t think it even matters, it was probably just Scootaloo talking about how great Rainbow Dash is. She goes on like that for ages now and then.
“I hope one day I’ll be as great as her!” Scootaloo said then. “And as smart, I guess.”
“Are you sure?” Oh, and Apple Bloom was there, too. “Ah don’t know. Ah think you gotta study a lot to get smarter. That’s what Applejack says all the time.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Well. Studying is kind of boring.” Scootaloo looked at Twilight. “Isn’t there a way to become smarter by doing something that’s at least a little bit cool?”
“Nah, gettin’ smarter’s inherently lame. You gotta study.”
“Shoot.”
“…On the other hoof, I don’t think you need to study a lot if you want to be as smart as Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said then, and I think I saw her smirking but I’m not really sure, and Rarity said I shouldn’t start gossip like this without a verified source unless it’s about Prince Blueblood, so I guess I won’t say anything. “Don’t tell Dash I said that,” she added. “Applejack and Rarity, though, you can tell.”
And then Twilight shook her head and sat down in front of us, and I remember that she looked at me here.
“Speaking of which,” she said, “I wouldn’t go saying things like that, Sweetie Belle. Rarity is a really smart mare!”
“Eeeeeh.” That was me talking. That was me going ‘eeeeeh’. “I don’t think so.”
“Why?”
“Because she’s always talking about dumb stuff!” I said. “Like, like thread counts, and accounting! And fashion trends!”
I remember that Twilight smirked here, and this time I’m sure. “Oh, and you find that dumb? Sweetie Belle, if you asked me, I’d say your sister is the smartest mare out of all of us. If not the smartest mare in Ponyville.”
“What?”
“What!” That was Scootaloo yelling. “No way!”
“Yeah,” Apple Bloom said. She was frowning in that way she frowns all the time, and Rarity says she’s trying to look like Applejack and is pretty cute, but I don’t see it. “What about you, Twilight?”
“Yeah! And what about Rainbow Dash?”
“Okay, Scootaloo, Ah’m pretty sure blind admiration can only carry you so far.”
“Let me dream, Apple Bloom.”
“Girls.” Twilight used that voice that makes her sound like a teacher. I think Miss Cheerilee taught her how to do that. “Every member of the Elements of Harmony is an irreplaceable part of our group. Each one of us is necessary and unique in their own way, and while I can’t talk about myself that way—”
“Rarity says you’re also unique,” I said here, because Rarity did say that. “And magnifique. But you’re not chic, and that’s why she’s one of the Elements of Harmony.”
“Well, your sister proved her worth by understanding the fashionable concerns of a giant sea serpent, so I guess I’ll give that a pass. Which brings me to my next point.” She took air, then, and said: “Every single one of my friends, I’m proud to say, is a genius in their own right. Yes, Apple Bloom, that includes Rainbow Dash.”
“Ah’m scared and confused by that statement.”
“As you should be. And, Sweetie Belle, Rarity is definitely the smartest.”
So I asked: “Why?” Because I love Rarity but she’s my big sister, and that means I’ve seen her cry and eat a lot of ice cream because she read a bad review once, and after seeing that you can’t really say a pony is smart. She also forgot that unicorns aren’t supposed to fly, once, and Rainbow Dash had to save her. And Dad once told me she was really bad at Math as a kid.
So after that I said: “No, really, why?” and Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded behind me, and we all looked at Twilight.
And Twilight just patted my head. “Girls,” she said. “Do you know what Rarity’s dream was at your age?”
We didn’t.
“To be a princess. To be somepony important. Maybe even an alicorn, who knows?” Then Twilight pointed at her wings. “I managed to do that, but only because I studied a lot of magic, and I worked really, really hard. You can only become an alicorn if you’re really good at magic, did you know?”
“No.”
“Nu-uh.”
“Applejack says that’s classist but she likes you so it’s okay.”
“Applejack is a rich real estate owner whose entire fortune was a direct present from Princess Celestia to her family, so she’s really in no position to talk,” Twilight said. “But anyway—you need to learn magic to be a princess. But Rarity isn’t really good at magic, is she?”
Scootaloo and Apple Bloom looked at me.
“She says any spell stronger than levitating a spoon is just there for show unless you’re Twilight, and even then it’s a bit of a stretch,” I said.
“Boy. From the mouths of the children indeed.” Twilight sighed. “Rarity is not good at magic, so she couldn’t become a princess, not realistically. But you know what happened then? We became friends. Best friends!”
“And you saved Equestria?” I asked.
“Yes. And then I became a princess. And suddenly, Rarity is an extremely important mare, and she’s on a first-name basis with every Equestrian Princess, and she gets every benefit from being a royal without worrying about the paperwork.” She paused. “She’s also far richer than me, too. Being a businessmare pays far better than being royalty. My only income comes from selling diamonds I chip from this castle’s walls.”
“But Applejack’s your friend too, right?” Apple Bloom asked. I remember that she was doing that frown again, and I still didn’t see it as cute, but Twilight really liked it, so I guess it was. “Ah don’t get why Rarity’s special here.”
“Oh, of course.” Twilight shook her head. “But being a princess wasn’t Applejack’s dream, right? It was Rarity’s. And here’s the thing—unlike me, she never had to work on her magic. She focused on her clothes, and her boutique, and everything that made her happy. She found her own way to chase her dream, which didn’t work, and then she became a princess by proxy anyway. That, girls? That is being smart.”
I like Ponyville. Canterlot is better, because it’s bigger and it has more stuff, but Ponyville is pretty cool. All my friends are here. I guess that if they all moved to Canterlot with me I wouldn’t mind leaving this town, but Rarity says it has rural charm and that one day it will become the cultural capital of Equestria, so I guess it’s nice.
So I was really scared when Rarity said Ponyville was in danger. She said it like this:
“Is that Prince Blueblood at my doorstep?” And then she frowned, because she was looking through the peephole of Carousel Boutique and hushing at me. “I think that’s Prince Blueblood at my doorstep.”
And I asked: “What?”
Then Rarity didn’t say anything, because Prince Blueblood knocked pretty hard on the door, even though Carousel Boutique has a doorbell, and then he yelled “Open up! I know you’re in there!”
“Okay.” Rarity didn’t open up, she just talked to me. “Sweetie Belle, I promise I won’t get mad. Is this your doing? Did you bring Prince Blueblood to Carousel Boutique without my knowing?”
“How would I even do that?”
“Darling, I truly have no idea, but we both know I’ve seen you do far, far worse.”
And then Prince Blueblood said: “Open up in the name of Princess Twilight Sparkle!” and knocked some more, and Rarity rolled her eyes really, really hard.
Then she said: “Ugh." Although she made it sound like: “Uuuuuggggh.” Then she patted my head. I don’t like it when she does that, but she does it anyway. And then she fixed her mane. “Well, never mind, Sweetie Belle. I suppose this wasn’t your fault, and I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“Open up already! I don’t care if it’s Sunday, this is royal business!”
“I think you should open up.”
“Any moment now, darling. I need to prepare for this a little.” Rarity sighed. “I truly have no idea what’s going on, but I am going to assume it isn’t pretty. With Blueblood here, why, Ponyville itself might be on the line.”
“What! Ponyville? But why?”
“Darling, if I know Blueblood at all—and I sadly do—that is the best possible scenario. Of all the possible ponies…” Then she pushed me towards the kitchen. “Never mind. Sweetie Belle, be a dear and brew some tea, please? Three cups. I believe we’ll soon need it, and I think you've become good enough at cooking not to burn the water this time.”
“Tea? For him?”
“Oh, no, no. Definitely not for Blueblood.” Then she fixed her mane again, and opened the door, and said: “Sorry for the wait, my dear. What can I help you with?”
“Hmph. Took you your time, I say. I was told to come here by Princess Twilight Sparkle for… official business.” Prince Blueblood looked around. “Apparently, this is the best this sorry town has to offer, and—hmm?” And he looked at Rarity. “Do I know you?”
“Oh, I’m afraid I don’t have the honor, your Highness.” Then Rarity pushed me aside a little. “Sweetie Belle, darling, come on. Your Highness, please be my guest?”
So Prince Blueblood came in, and I just went to the kitchen and boiled some water. Because I really like Ponyville, and I was a little scared, so I wanted to help.
“Wait, wait, wait. Wait a minute.” Scootaloo raised a hoof and shook her head, and I think she was imitating Rainbow Dash because she reminded me of her a lot and Rarity says I have a very good visual memory.
“Yes, Scootaloo?” Twilight asked.
“How’s that being smart? Rarity is—uh.” She looked at me. “Sweetie Belle, can I?”
“Insult my sister?”
“Yeah.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Thanks! Rarity is always talking about being pretty and fashion and trying to give me clothes, Twilight.”
“They’re pretty clothes,” I said.
“I guess? I’m not into them.”
“Ah like ‘em,” Apple Bloom said. “They can’t get dirty, so Ah don’t have to help at the farm when Ah’m wearin’ them!”
“And they’re pretty clothes,” I said.
“Applejack told me if Ah have nothin’ good to say Ah better stay quiet, so Ah guess this is when our conversation about your aesthetic sense ends.”
“Oh,” Twilight said. She did this thing where she arches an eyebrow even though ponies have no eyebrows. It’s all in the eyelashes, Rarity always says, unless you’re Applejack. If you’re Applejack then you’re so good at it anatomy doesn’t matter. “And you think that means she’s not smart, Scootaloo?”
“Yeah!”
“Yeah.”
“I mean, a little,” I said.
“I see.” Twilight sighed. “Girls, this is a very important lesson you need to learn—Rarity cares about beauty, because she’s an artist. She makes others feel beautiful. She also makes herself beautiful, because that’s what makes her happy, and that’s a good thing.”
So I smiled at Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. “Toooold youuuuu,” I said. “Pretty dresses!”
“But,” Twilight continued, “there’s a… sadly common idea out there, that says pretty ponies—especially mares, or fillies like you—can’t be smart. Some ponies think that you have to choose between beauty or brains. That beautiful ponies need to be dumb, because otherwise life is unfair.”
“That sounds dumb,” Apple Bloom immediately said.
“Yeah!” Scootaloo said. “You’re smart and pretty, Twilight!”
“Really pretty!” I said.
And Twilight smiled really, really hard, and she went all ‘aaaaw’. “Why, thank you very much, girls,” she said. “But—would you say I’m prettier than Rarity?”
“Uh. No.”
“Nah.”
“Not really.”
“Exactly. See, it’s never good to judge, or to insult ponies behind their backs?” Twilight shook her head. “But I find that most ponies who think beauty never comes with smarts always happen to be really, really insecure. And really, really ugly.” She thought about it. “And I’d add that they’re dumb, too, but I suppose you already know that.”
I giggled, but Scootaloo didn’t. “Wait, so why are you telling us this?”
“Because you are three really beautiful fillies—yes, Scootaloo, even you, stop making silly faces—and I think one day you will become three really beautiful mares.” Twilight sighed. “And I’m afraid that you might find ponies believe this about you—or worse, that you believe it yourselves. Because it’s a wrong thing to believe. And you should know that.”
“So Rarity’s not dumb just ‘cause she’s pretty,” Apple Bloom said. “Ah guess that makes sense. She’s nice, so Ah like her bein’ smart.”
“Rather,” Twilight said, “I’d say she’s pretty because she’s smart, Apple Bloom. Nopony can look that good naturally. Rarity takes care of her mane, of her skin, of her eyes, of her figure… That’s a lot of effort. That’s a lot of things you need to know to make it work, and she makes it work constantly.”
And then Blueblood came in, and I could see them from the kitchen so I know that he looked around like he didn’t like Carousel Boutique. I’m pretty sure Rarity also saw this, but she just closed the door and smiled and fluttered her eyelashes a lot.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to answer the door, your Highness,” she said. “I was, ah, a little bit busy. What can I help you with?”
Blueblood looked at Rarity. I think her she liked, even if he found the store ugly. “Well,” he said. “I’ve been told you’re an acquaintance of Princess Twilight Sparkle?”
“We do know each other, yes. Lovely pony, isn’t she?” And Rarity giggled. “And so beautiful, too! Oh, we are so lucky to have her here in Ponyville.”
“Yes, yes, sure.” Blueblood shook a hoof and I think he also rolled his eyes, but I couldn’t see him well from the kitchen. I’m going to say he did that, anyway. “Whatever. She refused to see me today—apparently the occasion calls for formal attire, and my clothes aren’t fit to the task. Supposedly you can help.”
Rarity giggled again. “I do dabble in the matters of fashion, your Highness. However… The occasion, you said? What, exactly, are you talking about? If you don’t mind my asking?”
“Hmrph. My proposal, of course! Princess Twilight Sparkle and I are getting married!”
I counted. Rarity was quiet for almost five seconds after this.
I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but it felt like it was a super long silence.
And then she said: “Why, really?”
“Indeed!” Blueblood said. “You see, it is hardly surprising if you are a connoisseur of Canterlot’s high society. There are countless reasons why a marriage between me and Princess Twilight would be beneficial to both parties. We could tear down this place, build a real city around the castle—I’m sure between the two we have more than enough funds, and my family’s reputation would only soar—”
“Ooh, your Highness.” Rarity fluttered her eyelashes some more and fixed her mane again. “Everything you just said sounds wonderful, for sure, but I must admit, I’ve never understood politics,” Rarity said then, and she fluttered her eyelashes a bit more and fixed her mane again. “They just seem so complicated, don’t you think?”
“…Yes, I assume that for a simple tailor as you, these matters are hard to grasp.” And Blueblood looked at Rarity’s face, and her mane, and her body. And then he said “You don’t look like the thinking type.”
He said that.
Rarity always says that ladies don’t start fights, but they can end them if necessary. I once asked Mom what this meant, and she said it was just something Rarity said to give herself an out when she wanted to kick somepony. But I don’t know if that’s true. I know I would have tried to punch Blueblood if he had said that to me, but Rarity would say that’s unladylike.
And Rarity is never unladylike.
So she didn’t punch Blueblood.
She just smiled and said: “Absolutely! And I can’t wait to see the wedding. I’m sure Princess Twilight will be so, so relieved to hear that you accepted her hoof in marriage. You’re such a generous gentlecolt, your Highness.”
Blueblood frowned. “Generous?” he asked.
And then Rarity saved Ponyville.
“See, girls,” Twilight said, “beautiful mares—especially the ones like Rarity—are always the smartest ones. You should always treat them with respect. Because they chose to be pretty, and they’re clever enough to make it work. And even though they say they don’t, and even if they act like this is not true? Beautiful mares like Rarity are perfectly aware of how good they look.”
And then she winked at us.
“I was so smart they made me a princess, but Rarity can do things I wouldn’t even dream of, girls,” she said. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with caring about dresses and being pretty, but there’s a lot wrong with thinking that means somepony is stupid. Just be glad Rarity is on our side.”
Rarity said: “Daaaaaaarling!”
And that’s how she saved Ponyville.
I was taking the water off the stove when she did this, so I don’t know how she looked, but I know Rarity didn’t say daaaaaaarling like she usually would. She sounded like she was laughing, or maybe sharing a secret.
And then Blueblood said “What?”
And he didn’t sound happy at all.
“Well, you know,” Rarity said, giggling. “I’m sure Princess Twilight would love to marry a rich stallion like you, your Highness! Being a princess doesn’t pay well. Why, she’s barely scraping by, isn’t she? Last time she told me that I was probably richer than—Ah!”
Then Rarity pressed a hoof against her cheek, and said “Oh, no, no, I was not supposed to talk about this. I’m so sorry, sometimes I forget myself...”
“You…” Blueblood looked around the boutique again. “You are… richer than Princess Twilight.”
“Well, I—I shouldn’t say, your Highness.” Then Rarity made a pout. “She will get angry with me if I talk more!”
“But you are?” Then Blueblood coughed. “I mean, I’m a prince. I’m sure you can tell me.”
“Hnng.” Rarity did a little anxious dance—she said that’s what it’s called, and that I shouldn’t say she looks like she wants to go to the bathroom when she does it—and then looked at Blueblood. “You promise, your Highness? Not to tell anypony?”
And Blueblood smiled. “Why, of course. Your secret is perfectly safe with me, my little pony.”
I remember that Rarity’s eye didn’t twitch. She just looked as pretty as ever, and fixed her mane a bit.
Then she said “Well, your Highness—I don’t really know about finances, you see? Oh, I was never good at Math. But I heard…” And Rarity got closer to him and whispered the next words, so I had a hard time hearing them. “I heard she still owes money to Princess Celestia herself! That can’t be good, can it? I’ve always been afraid to ask, but it does sound worrying…”
And then Blueblood smiled a little, and went: “Hmmm.” And then he said that he had to leave and he left.
Then Rarity looked at me and she was still smiling. “How is the tea coming, darling?”
“Uuuuh.” It was ready. “It’s ready. Is Ponyville still in danger?”
“I very much doubt so, darling.”
Then the doorbell rang.
“Well.” And Rarity went to the door. “Just in time, then.”
“Glad she’s on our side?” Apple Bloom asked. “Why? What is she gonna do, be pretty against us?”
“Actually, yeah!” Twilight said. “Rarity is a wonderful mare, but she can be really, really dangerous if she wants to. In fact—you know what?” She smiled. “I don’t think you can really know Rarity without being at least a little bit scared of her. Even if you love her as much as I do, which is a lot. Don’t you agree, Sweetie Belle?”
I frowned. “Uuuuh. I don’t know. I don’t think so?”
And then Twilight giggled and patted me on the head. “Oh,” she said. “Maybe you’re too young. Just know that your sister is really, really smart, Sweetie Belle. You’ll get it one day.”
And then Rarity opened the door and it was Spike, and he said that he was really sorry because Blueblood had popped up at the castle and Twilight hadn’t known what to do, so she had sent him to Carousel Boutique.
Rarity said it was fine, and invited Spike over for tea and said his cup was ready, and also asked him if Twilight could tell her these things in advance first. She also asked if Twilight cared too much about her reputation in Canterlot.
Spike said Twilight did not.
Then we had breakfast again, because I hadn’t really finished my cereals, and we also drank the tea. And I asked Rarity if she had saved Ponyville for sure, and she told me that she had.
Only she said it like this:
“Oh, of course, Sweetie.” And she fixed her mane again. “Don’t you worry about it, your big sister has taken care of it. Not being the thinking type has its upsides, don’t you think?”
And that was it.
But she fixed her mane a couple more times, and I think that’s because her mane doesn’t really look that good by itself. She has to take a lot of care of it, to make sure it’s perfect at all times.
Because Rarity always looks good. I think she does it so ponies stop thinking she works for it. She makes ponies believe that beauty just happened to her. Even though she spends a lot of time every day to take care of herself and do her makeup, and even though she does a lot of exercise to have a good figure.
It’s just that you never see Rarity not looking good. I’ve seen her being ugly, but only because she wanted me to. Other ponies haven’t, and they think pretty mares can’t be smart, so they think all my sister does is care about fashion, and clothes, and that there’s nothing else to her. They think she’s pretty and that’s it.
And Twilight says Rarity knows this. She knows, and that’s why she works so hard to be pretty. She talks a lot about fashion, and never stops smiling, and then she does things like saving Ponyville from Prince Blueblood. And nopony really thinks twice about it.
So she just keeps doing it.
I am her little sister, and I’ve seen her being ugly, but I didn’t know this. Twilight told me Prince Blueblood isn’t the first time it’s happened, and that Rarity always gets what she wants because she doesn’t mind ponies thinking she’s dumb. She’s smart enough to be pretty.
That’s a little bit scary.
And I think Rarity knows that, too.
I guess that’s why she looks so good.
I like Ponyville, though, so I’m really glad that she’s that smart. I really hope one day, I’ll get to be as pretty and clever as her.
Author's Note
I'm a middle child. I have both an older sister I still look up to (to an almost ridiculous degree) and a little brother I still dote (to an almost ridiculous degree). Nowadays we're all grown up and it's not as obvious, but there's no denying just how fundamentally we affected each other while growing up. It's interesting how much having blind faith in someone matters when you're a kid.
This was a fun story to write. Call it a cute little fic about siblings being siblings. We need more of those.
