Diamond in the Flames

Rarity sighed deeply as she opened up the newspaper and read the top story of the day.

"Oh, Sweetie," she muttered to herself as she nursed a cup of tea. "What trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

Apparently, the answer was going to a nightclub and dancing extremely provocatively on top of the bar. A fair number of pictures had been taken, of course, and now Rarity had quite a bit more material for her fantasies on lonely nights away from her marefriend.

That was the problem, really. Every time they were apart, Sweetie found some way to cause a scandal, which inevitably became the talk of the town for the next few days wherever Rarity went. At least this time she wasn't being arrested for vandalism— it had been very unpleasant escorting her own sister out from prison.

It had only been six months, and already Rarity felt like she was at the breaking point. The first time, Sweetie had punched Svengallop after he'd been harassing her while Rarity was in Yakyakistan negotiating a contract to open up a boutique there. Rarity couldn't really fault her for that, and had comforted the crying mare afterwards as they'd planned out damage control.

Then, Sweetie had crashed Fire Tone's birthday party while in Fillydelphia and told his newest marefriend all about her former beau's sexual shortcomings while the crowd watched. Rarity had caught a train the next day and the two of them had hidden out in a hotel while the media attention died down, Sweetie apologizing profusely the whole time for her impulsive actions. Rarity had forgiven her, having had her own fair share of petty revenges over the years.

After that, it had become almost routine, and Rarity dreaded opening the newspaper every morning whenever Sweetie wasn't there to read the news with her. It was always only a matter of time before she made a spectacle of herself one way or another.

And the worst part was, this behaviour was actually doing wonders to keep anypony from suspecting the true nature of their relationship. After some workshopping, Rarity and Sweetie had realized that any cover story was likely to be too easily pulled apart by the media, and so they had decided to allow them to do exactly that.

The official byline was that Sweetie and Rarity were moving in together because they both wanted to see more of each other's cities, and trusted each other to show them the sights. It was such a transparent lie that everypony had immediately begun speculating on the true purpose of the cohabitation, from working on a secret collaborative project, to Element business that was vital to national security.

And as the theories had grown wilder, ponies had grown dismissive of any speculation about their relationship, allowing them to effectively fly under the radar. It also provided a good bit of entertainment, reading through the tabloids on a lazy night in and laughing at the latest wild conjecture.

With Sweetie's antics, however, it had become relatively well accepted that Rarity was acting as some sort of handler for her sister, keeping her out of trouble as much as possible. Hence why these sensational headlines only appeared when they were separated. It was such a perfectly logical explanation that sometimes Rarity found herself believing it— at this point, it seemed she was the only one who could keep Sweetie under control.

For the life of her, she could not figure out why her sister was acting this way. Sweetie didn't seem unhappy when she was with Rarity— quite the opposite, really. That idyllic happiness in Ponyville had extended to Canterlot and Manehattan, and living together had only brought them closer together.

Any attempts to confront Sweetie had also only led to apologies and promises that it wouldn't happen again, followed by the two of them getting distracted by lovemaking.

Perhaps Sweetie was secretly chafing under the lack of independence that came with being in a relationship? If so, then Rarity could see why she was acting out like this, taking every opportunity to exert her identity as an independent mare. But if that had been so, why not talk to Rarity about it? Rarity would gladly give Sweetie space if she needed it, and in fact, it was usually Sweetie who constantly hovered around Rarity.

The sound of the train screeching to a halt brought Rarity out of her reveries. There'd be time enough to pick away at these concerns later.

Gathering her things, Rarity stepped out of the train to see Sweetie's smiling, angelic face waiting for her. "Rarity!" her sister exclaimed, rushing forward to hug her chastely. "I've missed you!"

"I've missed you too, dear," Rarity said truthfully, because she had missed her, despite her exasperation. "I see you've managed to land yourself squarely in the spotlight again."

Sweetie's smile turned sheepish. "Sorry about that. I had a little bit too much to drink, you know?"

"I suppose that's understandable." It always was. Rarity always forgave Sweetie, because that was what she needed. Not another judgemental presence in her life. "Well, at least you had fun while I was gone."

Sweetie pouted. "It wasn't the same without you."

"I would hope not," Rarity said, flashing a smile. "I pride myself on being unique, after all. Shall we return home?"

At Sweetie's nod, they made their way back to Rarity's Canterlot home, a small house in the Upper District that cost far more than a mansion would have back in Ponyville. Still, it was cozy and perfect for two, and Rarity was perfectly content with it despite being able to afford a larger place.

"I'll get you some tea," Sweetie said as Rarity unpacked. By the time Rarity was finished, Sweetie trotted out with a teapot and a pair of teacups, and they seated themselves on the couch, Sweetie snuggling up against Rarity as she always did.

The tea was delightful, Rarity's favourite brand of jasmine, and they enjoyed it in silence for a few minutes as they focused on the feel of their coats brushing against each other and listened to their hearts beat as one. It was perfectly tranquil, and Rarity felt a sense of contentment welling up from within her very soul.

"So, how was Vanhoover?" Sweetie eventually asked, putting her empty teacup down.

"As rainy as it always is," Rarity replied, refilling her cup. "I do not understand why Prim Hemline chose to retire there, but at least the North Luna ocean was lovely, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Carousel location went swimmingly."

"That's nice." Sweetie was staring dreamily at Rarity, and it made Rarity feel like a princess. "And the supply chain issues got fixed?"

"I pulled some strings," Rarity replied. "It cost me a few favours, but a successful opening is more than worth the price."

Sweetie nodded. "Gotta love everypony's short attention spans."

"It's a double-edged sword, to be sure," Rarity said. "For example, your latest antics are unlikely to spend more than a week on the tabloid shelves before something new and shiny draws the public's focus away."

The admonishment made Sweetie pout. "I said I was sorry," she muttered.

"You did," Rarity agreed. "And yet, somehow I doubt that it won't happen again the moment we are apart." It was time to put her hoof down, at least a little. "I could excuse the first couple indiscretions, but you must admit this has become quite the worrying pattern. Please, Sweetie, talk to me. I love you, and I want what's best for you."

"I—" Sweetie deflated, her defensiveness fading as she slouched. "I guess I just get restless when you're not around. It wasn't a problem before, when it was just me, but it's like, now that you're here, it's so much harder to put up with all the bullshit when I know there's somepony who actually loves me back home. Don't you feel like that too?"

"Unfortunately, I can't say I do." In fact, it had been the opposite for Rarity. Having Sweetie near to her only emboldened her spirit, giving her the strength to take on the day knowing that she had somepony worth going home to. "However, I can understand where you come from."

"I know it's not a good excuse," Sweetie said, and the shame in her voice lanced at Rarity's heart. "I'll try to do better."

"That's all I ask." She should push harder, try to set steps and make a plan to ensure that there wouldn't be another incident, but Sweetie looked so dejected that Rarity couldn't bring herself to do so. Instead, she leaned over and placed a kiss against her sister's cheek. "I love you, Sweetie." She placed a hoof against Sweetie's chest. "And I'll be in here with you, always."

Sweetie giggled. "Wow, you're really sappy today, huh?"

Rarity gasped in mock outrage. "I'll have you know that I am a romantic!"

"Mhm." Sweetie's hoof trailed circles around Rarity's barrel. "Well, I'm feeling pretty romantic too, right now." Her lips found Rarity's and drew them into a passionate kiss. "Wanna try out some of the techniques I picked up at that bar? There's this thing with a weather vane that's really hot and—"

Rarity cut her off with another kiss. "Surprise me, darling."