Different Paths

The ceremony had been beautiful, as perfect as Rarity could have hoped. Her family there to support her, her looking radiant and beautiful, Sunset herself had been quite striking in her suit. All her friends there as bridesmaids and groomsmen. Rarity's favorite pastor, the one who had baptized her doing the ceremony. Rarity had not kept up with her religion as she grew older but she'd always have a soft spot for the kind old man who'd helped raise her. Despite everything being perfect Rarity couldn't help but feel put out by the entire course of the wedding. She smiled, she greeted people, she laughed, she danced, she did everything that was required and expected of her. But inside, she knew it was all a lie.

This wedding was fake, it was a sham, she did love Sunset Shimmer, but she wasn't in love with Sunset Shimmer. This was a ploy to save her friend and allow her to stay with them. Rarity had to keep reminding herself that there was a reason she was doing this. A reason she was deceiving so many people. While most knew the marriage's expedience was because of that infernal government agent that even now Rarity could see lurking in the crowdm they all believed that it was still planned and legitimate to their feelings. Rarity knew it was legitimate to Sunset's, but Rarity's... She shook her head and did her best to smile as Sunset brought her another glass of sparkling cider. She had two years of this, of being very close with her friend, or of learning to love Sunset. She hoped she could pull either one of those off.

Sunset cut into her thoughts. "What's the matter Rarity?" Sunset's gentle hand squeezing the bride's own.

Rarity shook her head, smiling as best she could, forced and obviously strained. "Oh darling, the wedding, the marriage, it's just very stressful you know."

Sunset smiled and nodded, leaning in to give Rarity another kiss but Rarity turned her head, at the last minute so Sunset caught her cheek. Huffing slightly Sunset decided to try and not make an issue out of it since Rarity was obviously just stressed over the wedding, but Sunset would give her all the encouragement she could. "I love you Rarity."

Rarity couldn't look Sunset in the eye as she responding, keeping her eyes locked out over the crowd of guests. An action natural enough to pass off as normal. "Darling, you know I do love you... Right?"

Sunset frowned at Rarity, that was not how you usually responded to someone saying they loved you... "Yeah... We did just get married here Rarity."

Rarity bit her bottom lip as she glanced away from Sunset, letting out a low sigh. She knew she shouldn't do this here and now, but she couldn't live this lie a moment longer. It was far from ideal but it was better than her screaming and running out of her own wedding. That would certainly attract more attention. "Darling I do love you... But... I'm... I'm not in love with you..."

Sunset froze with her own cider at her lips, before lowering it and looking at Rarity for a long minute of silence. Thankfully no one seemed to want the attention of the newlyweds at that moment. Sunset said in a low hiss. "Really Rarity? Now? You tell me this -now-? You couldn't have done it before the ceremony!?" Sunset was hurt, and she knew she'd be bawling in the bathroom in about ten minutes, but at this moment she was just angry at being toyed with, and her heartbroken -after- she had been promised by the woman of her dreams that she would be with her forever!

Rarity grabbed onto Sunset's hand, clasping it hard. "S-Sunset... I... I'm sorry but we... I-I'm still going to help you to get to stay here! I-I promise!"

Sunset pulled her hand out of the other woman's grasp, scowling at her, hissing. "You really think that's what I care about Rarity!? The woman I love, on our wedding day, told me she doesn't love me!"

"B-But I d..."

"Not how it counts to me Rarity!" Sunset got up and quickly stormed off. Rarity bit her bottom lip and looked out over the crowd, it didn't seem like anyway was giving particularly special attention to the fact that Sunset had just stormed off, but Rainbow Dash did get up from her nearby table and go after Sunset. Rarity wasn't sure if that was a great idea but she couldn't very well tell her to stop without drawing attention to the fact that Sunset had stormed off.

"Heya Rarity." Rarity let out a small yelp as Pinkie Pie now occupied the seat that Sunset had been in just a moment before.

"Uh... Hi Pinkie..." Rarity was not only surprised by the sudden appearance of her pink friend, she was not very happy about it either. She liked Pinkie, but she was so... Out there at times she couldn't very well... She sighed, it might be better just to get it over with. "What Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie smiled and waved to someone in the crowd that Rarity couldn't make out. "Well someone told me that you might need someone to talk to you know!"

Rarity frowned, had Fluttershy or Applejack sent Pinkie to talk to her? It might have been Twilight but she wasn't the most emotionally perceptive of people. But Applejack or Fluttershy would have come themselves... So who would have sent Pinkie... "No... That's fine really darling I don't really need any..."

"You know, things are always worse when you hide from them!"

Rarity was taken aback by the usual happy go lucky girl giving her such advice. "Well... Yes, darling... But there are... Times when discretion is the better part of valor you know."

Pinkie tilted her head to the side then shook her head. "Nu-uh! Like Applejack says honesty is a better policy! I mean, in that case, you and Sunset wouldn't have just had a fight over Fluttershy!"

Rarity shook her head. "We didn't fight over Fluttershy Pinkie... Wait, why would we have fought over Fluttershy!?"

Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. "What? He said that you two were fighting because you found out that Fluttershy had a crush on you!"

Rarity shot to her feet, and it was all she could do to not yell the next sentence. She sat back down, calming at least her voice. "She what!?"

Pinkie frowned. "What? You didn't know? But he said... Hey!" Pinkie shot up and stormed off into the crowd looking a lot more angry than Rarity had ever seen her more than three times before.

Rarity was glad she wasn't on the receiving end of Pinkie's anger at the moment, but all this new information, Fluttershy had a thing for her!? She had always thought that having the cute shy girl on her arm would have been ideal, both for the practical reasons and because she did so enjoy Fluttershy but she'd always seen Fluttershy pining after Rainbow Dash. After she realized that they were just friends she'd nestled Fluttershy comfortably aside from actual romantic consideration. She scanned the crowd but couldn't see Fluttershy. Getting up she went to find that shy girl before someone else did and made Fluttershy hide from everyone under the sun. Normally Rarity wouldn't worry about Sunset yelling at Fluttershy, but right now... If Rainbow Dash had apparently heard what Pinkie had head and told Sunset... Fluttershy could be in trouble if Sunset found her.