Rarity bit the inside of her cheek as she carefully stitched the star pattern onto the dress. She had to focus because she hadn’t sketched the idea first, so she risked losing it if her attention strayed. Normally she wouldn’t play with fire like this, but finishing this dress had been something of a headache for her all day before inspiration had struck, so she was going to knock it out as quickly as she could. After all, there were very few things that could take her out of the zone.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Rarity glared at the dress, refusing to even acknowledge the door and whoever might be outside. Her focus quickly became tunneled from sheer frustration and she failed to notice the spool of thread that was teetering on the edge of her table. That is, until it had fallen and rolled underneath.
Grumbling, Rarity lit her horn and bent down, attempting to see where it rolled to; she did not, however, concede defeat yet. Despite her attention slowly crumbling, she was still in the zone, and it certainly wasn’t a problem that she had to convince herself of this.
The knocking continued. “Rarity? Can we talk?” Twilight asked, her voice muffled, as if she was the one at the door.
Rarity scoffed. That was silly; Twilight never knocked like that unless she was upset.
Once that thought finally sunk in, Rarity scrambled to stand up and, in the process, smacked the back of her head. She cried out in pain and winced; the pain quickly faded from a sharp jolt to a dull ache. The knocking at the door became more insistent, and Rarity couldn’t suppress her groan as she finally accepted that she had been truly and utterly knocked out of the zone.
“I’ll be right there!” She called down, rubbing her head.
Collecting herself, she made her way down the stairs and to the door. The showroom was a mess, with dresses that had been strewn across the floor after hurried fittings as well as ponyquines scattered around on their sides and backs—that part was her sister’s work, no doubt. Rarity would have to talk to Sweetie Belle about this (after she cleaned her own part up, of course). She briefly considered tidying the mess before letting Twilight in, but a twinge of pain from the back of her head kept her on task.
With a deep breath, she plastered a smile on her muzzle and opened the door. “Good evening, Twilight. How can I help you?” As she took in the sight before her, her smile slipped to a frown.
Twilight held her muzzle high and kept her posture rigid in a very obvious attempt to appear regal; unfortunately, she looked less statuesque and more petrified. The weather ponies were filling the skies with dark and ominous thunderheads, which, combined with the fading light of the setting sun, served to frame Twilight in a gloomy light. Worst of all, though, was that despite her best efforts to keep a neutral expression, the corners of Twilight’s lips were ever so slightly turned down and emotions ran through her eyes too quickly for Rarity to name.
“I was hoping we could have some tea?” Twilight said.
Rarity’s frown deepened. Twilight’s tone was casual, but Rarity caught the slight lilt at the end, as sure a sign as any that Twilight was nervous. A small part of Rarity’s head reminded her of work to be done, but she shushed that part; helping Twilight with whatever was bothering her was more important than some silly dresses.
“Of course darling, come in!” Without a word, Twilight entered the boutique; also without a word, she surveyed the chaos before her. Rarity couldn’t help but nervously chuckle. “Please pardon the mess.”
Shutting the door behind them, Rarity led the way to the kitchen. She silently rummaged through packed cabinets for her tea kettle as Twilight pulled her chair back with a clatter; Rarity winced and quickly took a pill from her bottle of pain relievers.
Kettle now heating on the stove, she turned back to Twilight. “What tea would you like?”
“Earl Neigh.”
Rarity paused, turning from her tea tins to look at Twilight with narrowed eyes. Twilight’s gaze was directed out the window, but Rarity didn’t know what she was looking at; she didn’t know what was on her mind, either, but she had an idea.
“I think I shall have some chamomile myself,” she said casually. Twilight’s ears twitched, but she betrayed nothing else.
Shaking her head, Rarity turned back to the task at hoof and pulled out her Earl Neigh and chamomile tins. She spooned them out into infusers, taking in the aroma of each. She popped the lids back on and put them away. During all of this, Twilight still said nothing.
With no conversation forthcoming and nothing else to occupy her mind, it began to wander. Thoughts of scolding her sister for not cleaning up her mess led her to thinking about how she had not cleaned up her own mess, and those scattered dresses brought back to mind the one she had been working on earlier. Her mind raced as she remembered the design, and even how to improve on it. Oh, how she wished she had her sketchbook!
Oh, how she wished she could just go back to work.
She wouldn’t, though. Part of it was simply that the generous thing to do would be offering her time for a friend. Even if she wasn’t the element of generosity, though, she simply could not abandon Twilight now; it had been many moons since Twilight had been this quiet and anxious during a visit. Even if Rarity had to stay up all night to finish that dress in time she would not turn her back on a friend in need.
Her kettle whistled, pulling her from her thoughts. She turned off the burner and waited a minute—pouring straight in would scorch her tea, and that simply would not do. She poured the water into the waiting mugs, the tea infusers going to work releasing their flavor and aroma.
After a few minutes, she was satisfied that it was ready. She removed the infusers and carried the mugs to the table. Twilight finally looked at her again as the aroma of the tea finally reached her—or maybe it was from the sound of her approaching, but it didn’t really matter either way. Rarity hoped it was the tea, though. That seemed more poetic.
Outside, Rarity could see that all of the dark clouds were in place. Soon they would release their payload on the town. She hoped Sweetie Belle would make it back soon. Rarity rubbed her aching head—hopefully that pain reliever would kick in soon. She took a sip of chamomile tea and suppressed a grimace. It wouldn’t do to play her hoof too early, after all.
Across from her, Princess Twilight Sparkle sat regally—more rigid than anything else, but she had to give the dear some credit—and sipped on her tea; one Rarity knew was Celestia’s favorite. To the untrained eye, Twilight was sitting perfectly still; unfortunately for her, however, Rarity had a very trained eye. Every few seconds a few of her feathers ruffled. Her brow had become more furrowed as the minutes passed in silence, and she kept working her jaw around as if to pop it.
“So, are you going to tell me why you’re doing your best impression of Princess Celestia?” She sighed and sipped some more tea before staring at Twilight, unimpressed. “Or are you just going to stay silent for the rest of your visit.”
Twilight deflated, the tension in her brow fading as she stared at the ground to the side of Rarity. “Sorry.”
“Darling, I didn’t ask for an apology. It’s okay to feel down, but I would like to help you if I can.” She set her tea down and smiled. “And I have a feeling you would like me to help you if I can.”
Rain finally began to fall outside, but Rarity only idly noticed it when the wind started blowing it into the window. It was soothing white noise, filling the space in the background as Twilight processed her words.
Twilight picked up her tea and took a sip before grimacing. “You know, I never did like this tea.”
Rarity’s smile felt a little more genuine now. It was the first time Twilight had been open and honest today. It was a start. “I know.” Just like Rarity knew that Twilight loved chamomile when there was something on her mind.
Just like Rarity knew that she didn’t like chamomile much at all. “Would you like to swap teas?”
Twilight smiled. “I would, actually. Thanks, Rarity.”
After a quick swap, they both sipped at their teas, smiling at the more appropriate matches for their tastes. Rain continued to beat down against the windows, creating a rhythm in contrast to the silence that continued to permeate the room. In the distance there was a rumble of thunder, quickly followed by three muffled shrieks and a series of splashing hoofsteps as the Cutie Mark Crusaders ran for the door of the boutique.
As soon as the door opened, Rarity caught the three panting girls in her magic. “Ah ah ah! Wash your hooves before you come in, and then go take a warm bath, okay girls?”
The three giggled and nodded, wasting no time getting the mud off their hooves. They ran through the boutique towards the stairs.
“Come on! Rarity just got me this new lavender bubble bath stuff and we’ve got to try it out!”
“I don’t want to smell like lavender!”
“You don’t even know what lavender is, Scoots.”
“Well, no… but it sounds super girly, which is, like, the opposite of cool.”
As they climbed, the bickering faded in volume until it was practically unhearable behind the ever-present rhythm of rain.
“Ah, the joy of youth, right Twilight?” Rarity chuckled. Twilight was looking at the stairs with watery eyes. Rarity’s smile quickly fell to a confused frown. “Twilight, are you okay?”
“No. No, I’m not okay, Rarity.” A tear carved a trail down Twilight’s cheek. “I’m not ready to rule a country. It feels like I’ve barely gotten my wings, and now Celestia and Luna are expecting me to take over for them?”
“Hmm… Well, it is a big task, for sure.”
Twilight jumped in before Rarity could think of what to say next. “A big task? A big task? This isn’t some dress order, Rarity, this is an entire nation!”
Rarity bristled and bit the inside of her cheek. Of course she knew that this was bigger than anything she had to deal with, and Twilight certainly didn’t have to insult her livelihood in an attempt to drive the point home. She took a deep breath and sipped her tea, letting her frustration slip from her mind. Twilight’s worries were all that was important right now.
Twilight took a sip of her own tea and slumped a little. “Sorry,” she said as her words finally caught up to her brain. “But what if I don’t do a good job? I’m not ready for this, and I’m going to ruin everything, and Equestria will all fall apart, and, and, and—”
“Darling, you’ll do wonderfully, I’m sure,” Rarity said, cutting Twilight off before her ranting could reach a fever pitch. She watched Twilight take a long sip of soothing chamomile before continuing. “You’ve accomplished things not even Celestia and Luna have; it’s no wonder why they have chosen you.”
Twilight tapped her hoof against the table. “I guess so.” At Rarity’s deadpan expression, she corrected herself. “Okay, sorry, you’re right. I have done some amazing things these past few years, but that was only thanks to you and the girls.” Twilight sighed. “I don’t think that’s enough." Twilight cupped her tea, briefly pulling it towards herself before stopping. Her grip relaxed, and her next words came out in a hushed whisper.
“I don’t think I’m enough."
Rarity raised her cup to her lips, watching the steam rise and curl through the air. Twilight could be ever so frustrating when she got like this, but it wouldn’t do to voice that. She could definitely think it, though.
“I think you are more than enough, Twilight Sparkle. Ponies everywhere love you, and between your school and your friendship missions, other creatures do as well. In the short time you’ve been princess—relatively, mind you—our nation has progressed faster than it had for decades, and yet it has not lost its charm and its life like your critics have feared.”
Twilight slumped over the table, her gaze directed out the window once more. “Let’s assume you’re right. Let’s assume I am fit to rule. What if I don’t want to rule, then. Why don’t I get any say in the matter?”
Rarity set her tea on the table and walked to Twilight’s side. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it?” She gently turned Twilight’s head to face her. “You don’t want to rule at all, do you?”
Twilight clenched her eyes shut in shame. “No. I don’t.” Tears began to flow again. “Did you know that I’m still a unicorn in my dreams? I never asked for any of this, Rarity. It feels like my life has spiraled out of control and I don’t even know what or who to blame.” She stopped restraining her tears and sobbed. “Why couldn’t I have just lived a peaceful life in Ponyville with you and the girls?”
Rarity quietly brought her chair to her with her magic and sat down next to Twilight. Rarity pulled Twilight into a hug, barely caring about the tears that were surely making a mess of her coat. After a few minutes of this, Twilight’s sobs began to quiet.
“It’s okay to be nostalgic for your halcyon days, Twilight. Heavens knows that I sometimes think about when things were simpler. But do you want to know something?” When she felt Twilight nod, she continued. “Simpler does not mean better. Maybe when I was younger I did not have to worry about running three shops and helping creatures with friendship problems. But it is also true that when I was younger I did not have any of the wonderful friends I do now, and you are the one I have to thank most for that.
“You are a remarkable pony, Twilight. Maybe when you look in the mirror you still see a humble bookworm with a talent for magic, and that’s okay.” Rarity pushed Twilight away from her shoulder to look her in the eye. “But you are so much more than that now. You have learned and grown so much in the years I have known you. And I know for a fact that everyone who knows you respects you because of who you are—” she placed a hoof on Twilight’s head “—in here—” she moved the hoof over Twilight's heart “—and in here, not because of some wings you grew or a crown that was placed on your head.
“And that, my dear, is why you are fit to rule. You are smart and talented, a friend to all who are willing first and a princess second.”
They sat in silence for a moment as Twilight let all of that sink in. Rain still fell outside, but it was beginning to taper off.
Twilight weakly smiled. “Thanks, Rarity.” Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. “But what if these doubts come back? What if they don’t go away so easily next time?”
“I’ll just have to remind you, then.” Rarity smiled. “And I can think of four other mares who would gladly do the same.”
