Popularity Pains

When Rarity had woken up, she had found herself in a new location and she almost screamed. However, when she noticed familiar blond hair and said hair being out of its usual ponytail, she calmed down and she smiled down at Applejack. I must have passed out like usual. Rarity thought as she seen how Applejack had wrapped her arms around her. Rarity didn't mind the girl being wrapped around her as it felt very comfortable to her. She loves to snuggle, huh. Rarity gotten comfortable again and she fell into another deep sleep. This time, she had wonderful dreams of her and Applejack. While Applejack and Rarity was in Applejack's bedroom, Rara was in the Apple guest house. Big Mac didn't mind the two people in the house after Applejack had told him details. It wasn't a lot of details, though as Applejack knew that they liked their issues private and between them.

In the guest room, Rara was deep thinking as she wondered what was going to happen to her if she is able to meet with Maramel. Will the therapist determine her as a lost case? Rara hoped that the therapist wouldn't look at her as a lost cause that deserved to be locked up in an asylum. Rara hoped that her case would be taken over by Maramel because she had read the best reviews on the woman. She's awesome, based off on reviews, but because Rarity went to her personally, I feel like I can trust her judgement now. Rara was thinking about booking Maramel, but because she was booked to the max, she gave up, but now that Rarity had actually opened up to both her and Applejack, she felt confident in Maramel's abilities as a therapist. Rara wondered if Rarity wouldn't mind her asking questions about the woman. She was curious about the woman, after all. Rara knew that she had to know people at least a little before she spills any shit to them about her life, which was why she didn’t want to get a therapist in the first place, but she would trust Rarity’s judgement.

She didn’t know why it was hard for her to trust people, but she was willing to trust people as long at it meant that they don’t mean her any harm. She knew that she was being too cautious, but that was how a star is supposed to act. Rara knew that people would just look at her wrong if anything were to come out to the public about her problems. There is a reason she doesn’t talk about her private life to news reporters. She knew that was how rumors spread and she didn't like rumors. She didn't need anyone talking about her like they know here when they don't. All of the thinking she was doing made her tired, but she didn't close her eyes until she passed out.

~~

The next morning, Rara was being tended to by Rarity. "Are you alright, darling? You've slept for a long time." Rarity was worried about Rara. Rara groaned as she rubbed her forehead.

"Sorry. I wouldn't sleep until I passed out." Rara admitted to Rarity. Rarity was glad that Applejack was out shopping for food for them. She knew that she would have gotten worried for Rara with her state worsening by the days passing by.

"Goodness me. You need an earlier appointment with Maramel!" Rarity exclaimed, making Rara winced in pain. Rarity remembered the headache that Rara was obviously sporting after sleeping for a long time and she felt guilty. "Sorry." She spoke much softly this time. Maybe Fluttershy would be able to help her. Rarity wondered about her other friends, but she knew that Fluttershy was the quietest out of them all.

"No, I don't have time. Svengallop will be looking for me tonight. Thanks for everything, Rarity." Rara tells Rarity and Rarity knew that Svengallop's influence isn't healthy for Rara, but she trusted that the teenager knew what she was doing.

"Applejack won't like it, but I will tell her your decision." Rarity tells Rara. Rara smiled at Rarity as she was very grateful for her.

"Please do. I know that I won't be able to face her. I can barely face you, telling you that I'm going back to the man that stresses me out more. I know it's wrong for me to do so, but I want to part with him on good terms. If that doesn't happened, I know that my career will probably be ruined. Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this for my reputation, I'm doing it for my fans. I know they will miss their pop star, Countess Coloratura and honestly, I miss being Countess Coloratura." Rara tells Rarity and Rarity gave her a smile.

"You're a brave soul, you know that?" Rarity asked Rara. Rara shook her head in the negative. Rarity was surprised that no one had never told Rara that she was brave for taking up the mantle of a pop star at her young age of sixteen. "You're very brave. At our age, you are a busy pop star who wants a normal life. I'm a fashion designer that is busy, but I'm not popular like you yet." Rara grinned at Rarity's mention of her fashion designing.

"I'm surprised that you're not famous for your beautiful designs." Rara tells Rarity and Rarity thanked Rara for her compliment.

"I haven't really put myself out there. I design clothes for my friends, but I haven't really put my clothes for other people to judge. I don't know when I would put myself out there, but I know Manehattan had heard about me." Rarity about Manehattan as if it was poison to her. Considering that was where she had first met Coco and Suri Polomare, Rara couldn't blame Rarity for not wanting to visit Manehattan. Manehattan can break people. Rarity thought as she thought about the harshness of Manehattan. She remembered that she had to call Maramel in order to give Rara both of her appointments. She knew that she would have to get to work on that soon.

"You should put yourself out there. Will Coco be okay?" Rara spoke about Coco on auto pilot and Rarity noticed it, but she never said anything about it. She gave Rara a rare sad smile.

"I hope so. That little girl is my life, aside from Sweetie Belle." Rarity admitted to Rara and Rara knew that Rarity cared for Coco as much as she cared for her friends. She checked the time and she glanced back at Rarity.

"I hate to leave, but I want to go find Svengallop. He probably wants to talk about my recently single that I have released on my website. He grilled me for only have one thousand viewers within the first hour of being released." Rara said to Rarity. Rarity wasn't shocked at how stingy Svengallop, but she disliked his character so much that it is obvious how much Rarity dislikes him. Even sweet Fluttershy was put off by his attitude. Rara knew that if Fluttershy is put off by a person, then they must be horrible. Svengallop wasn't liked by many people in the first place. Not even the people at the label that put out Rara's music didn't like him, but they only dealt with him for Rara's sake because she didn't know any other managers to help her out. They wanted to offer to help her to find a new one, but Svengallop is always crowding over her. They hate how much he overworks the girl, but they can only speak to Rara to check up on her. They told her that she could always sue Svengallop for neglect, but Rara was too scared to do that. They have repeatedly told her that Svengallop won't be able to touch her, but she still fears for the consequences as she knew that Svengallop can find ways to get what he wants. That was why Rara didn't want to get close to Coco now as much as she wants to. She knew that Svengallop could find ways to ruin her happiness with Coco and she didn't want Coco to be stuck in her problem with Svengallop.

Rarity gave Rara a comforting pat on her shoulder as Rara didn't know that she was crying. When Rara felt her wet cheeks, she was shocked as she rubbed her face. I'm crying. Damn, he is really stressing me out too fucking much. She thought as she cleaned her face off to show that she wasn't just crying about Svengallop stressing her out. "Darling, does he bother you that much?" Rarity asked. Rara sniffed a bit.

"I'm afraid. I want to sue him for neglect, but I fear for my safety." Rara reveals to Rarity about her plans to sue Svengallop. Rarity was impressed with her plans.

"That will leave him out to dry, won't it?" Rarity asked. Rara laughed with no emotion in her voice.

"Damn right, it will." She answered Rarity with a humorless smile plastered on her face.

"Why are you afraid of him? Did he hurt you?" Rarity asked. Rara looked away from Rarity. "Rara?" Rarity called her name as Rara looked outside of the window.

"He...he hit me once, but his explanation was that he was already angry and he 'hit me on accident'. Rara reveals to Rarity. Rarity was shocked at her answer and Rara knew that she had made a mistake in telling Rarity the truth. "I have to go. Please, don't tell Applejack about that." Rara begged Rarity as she ran off to go find Svengallop. Rarity felt like a coward for letting Rara run back to Svengallop. She couldn't believe that she didn't move to stop her nor did she believe that Rara would have told her that about Svengallop hitting her. That monster! He had no right to hit Rara! Rarity thought in anger. She couldn't believe that the manager had hit his charge. Rarity now knew that was why Rara was afraid of Svengallop. The frightened gaze in her eyes reminded her of Coco. Sweet, little Coco who feared Suri's touch after a few beatings. She noticed the same gaze that Coco that Rara had. It haunted her soul. It haunted her soul because she knew that she was powerless to help them physically. She knew that she could help them by telling a trusted adult, but she knew that Rara was too personal with her life and Coco was getting treatment, but she wanted both Suri and Svengallop behind bars. As she thought about what to do, Applejack came back to see that Rara had left.

"Where did she go?" Applejack questioned Rarity. When Rarity faced the worried stare of another friend, Rarity knew that she had to lie to her face. Please forgive me! It was Rara's wish! She thought as she started to speak about Rara wanting to check up with Svengallop. "What?! Rarity! I can't believe you." Applejack was angry. If she is angry now... Rarity lost her thought process when she felt a bone crushing hug from one of her friends. She knew who was giving her a bone crushing hug. It was Pinkie Pie.

"Pinkie, what on earth-?!" Rarity wasn't one to shout, but Pinkie had surprised her. Pinkie apologized with a sheepish smile on her face. How did she even get in here? Rarity wondered, but her answer was given when she saw Applejack give her an apologetic face. "Don't give me that. Pinkie Pie is our friend. You know that this is your house." Rarity tells Applejack, who gave her a face of embarrassment.

"I know that. Pinkie is being Pinkie." Applejack tells Rarity as Pinkie looked at Applejack with an pleading face. Rarity never noticed Pinkie's red face and Pinkie was grateful for Rarity not noticing how red her face was. Unknown to Pinkie Pie, Rarity's face was red and Applejack noticed it and she smirked at Rarity. Rarity noticed the smirk on Applejack's face and she glared at her. Applejack noticed that glare and she removed her smirk. It was not good to get on Rarity's bad side as she was a vicious young woman. Rarity didn't mind Pinkie hugging her as she loved Pinkie hugging her, but she did mind Applejack playful teasing. Neither of them were out to their friends. Pinkie was a strange case as people could never tell with her, but she did have a crush on Cheese Sandwich, which was why Rarity was terrified to confess to Pinkie. Pinkie came to her with her boy problems and it made Rarity jealous, but she handled her jealousy very well. She helped Pinkie Pie through her crush on Cheese and it turns out that Pinkie was just having a school girl crush on the good-looking and nice male. Rarity couldn't pinpoint how her crush on Pinkie Pie started, but it started and it was still there. She didn't mind it as speaking to Sweetie Belle about it made her realize that love was love, whether or not she liked another girl wasn't really important to other people, but Rarity cared about her friends, but she knew that Applejack knew about her crush on Pinkie. Rarity would prefer that Applejack kept that to herself and she knows that she won't tell anyone else.

"I have to talk to you when you have the chance." Pinkie whispered to Rarity, making Rarity look at the girl's face. Her innocent blue eyes showed the seriousness in her eyes and Rarity knew that she couldn't avoid the talk that Pinkie wanted to have with her.

"Alright, Pinkie. We can talk later on, I promise." Rarity tells Pinkie, who looked at her.

"Pinkie promise?" She asked. Rarity didn't answer her, but Pinkie didn't push the issue. She knew that their talk was the most serious talk that they will ever have alone. Pinkie gotten closer to Rarity if that even possible to do.