Honey

Chapters

Discovery
The Third Wheel
Nectar
Aftermath

Discovery

Rarity peered into herself in her make-up dresser mirror, however, it would be more accurate to say she stared at particular parts of herself that needed the ‘magic touch’. Though her girlfriend, Sunset Shimmer, would say that she didn’t need make-up, Rarity would always retort that there was nothing wrong with wanting to look one’s best. And so the better half of every morning was spent in the mirror, meeting with face peels, scrubs, cleansers, and moisturizers.

It was especially pertinent that she look her best, because in just a few days was the Fall Formal dance, and she wasn’t about to lose the crown for the fourth time in a row. Sunset Shimmer was her girlfriend, of course, but when it came to the dance, Sunset could stand to lose just one time.

Rarity wiped off the last bit of moisturizer from her forehead when something caught her eye. There on the side of her chin, just adjacent to her mouth, was a small… hole. The young fashionista guffawed, she had gone through excruciating measures to make sure that any acne she had was properly attended to, and then hidden. She refused to believe she had any acne scars.

Biting the inside of her lip, she leaned forward grasping all her hair in one hand to stop it from falling into her vision. And there, tucked away in a spot a careless eye wouldn’t be able to spot, was a crater. Rage built up in her like a volcano.

“Impossible.” She snarled, running a finger over the divet, and a sharp pain seared through the underside of her face like a fiery needle. She clenched her teeth in response, trying to contain any outburst. It was still too early for anyone in her family to be up, as her routine demanded at least two hours of attention, and she hadn’t yet showered or styled her hair, much less picked out her outfit for the day.

Rarity leaned further into her mirror, trying desperately to get a closer look at whatever was on her face before bumping into her dresser and sending all the neatly organized cosmetics into a clinking tremor. She reflexively seized the sides of the bureau and stilled it.

From what she saw, it wasn’t an acne scar, they were certainly painful to look at but didn’t cause that kind of physical sting. It wasn’t a cut or some kind of wound, she would remember such an incident that would give her perfect face a scar. Beyond that, she’d spent a tremendous amount of money on salves and foundations to hide them.

In a flash of irritation, she snatched a hand mirror and brought it close under the blemish. “What in the world are you?” She demanded, glaring down at the awkward angle the mirror was poised in.

What greeted her sapphire eyes was a perfect hexagon, miscolored and black, like dried blood, staring back at her, almost mockingly. Rarity retched. She wanted to explode. She was a girl without blemish, a girl who took extraordinarily, practically obsessive care of herself. It should’ve been impossible for such a thing to happen, but here it was, taunting her in the reflection.

Rarity’s mouth pursed into a sour line and she calmly put the hand mirror down through trembling hands that failed to contain her fury. Calmer still, she took careful and measured steps to her massive plush bed, pristinely made according to her routine, grabbed one of many thick pillows, pressed her face into it, and screamed as hard as she could.

This can’t be happening.

She pulled the pillow away and drew in a shaky breath, recoiling at how sad it sounded, and waited precisely six seconds, and exhaled evenly. This was a technique that Sunset had taught her to calm down, and it kept Rarity from having plenty of little meltdowns.

Part of the next step of the technique was to assess things logically, which, she wasn't used to doing.

“So,” she whispered her thoughts aloud, “I have this horrible, terrible, ugly, dance-ruining… crater on my face. I don’t know what it is, why it hur-r-rts, or how to fix it.” She kicked her feet, tossing the pillow aside to draw a hand to the unblemished side of her chin.

“You also have friends who can help you, dear. Twilight might know what it is, and maybe even how to fix it.” Her face scrunched up in humiliation. “But that means you’d have to show her your horrible, terrible, ugly, dance-ruining… thing.”

Rarity could hardly stomach the thought of having the horrid hexagon on her face, but showing someone else, well, she ought to just drop dead. “Then,” she began again, “I’d have to hide it for now, and hope it goes away. It’s not like I’ve never hidden acne before.” She nervously giggled to herself.

Rarity returned to the tiny stool before the boudoir and hummed as she fetched some foundation and paused just before applying it, her thoughts racing. Would this hurt? Is it really worth the pain? Can’t you just own it? Maybe it can be like a confidence booster for everyone else that even The Rarity Belle gets acne. “Yes, maybe so, but that little boost to the school body will have to come after I win the crown!” She stopped again, her hand frozen at an odd angle. She looked at herself in the mirror confused, as if there was something she was supposed to be doing but forgot.

“A shower!” She burst, before dropping the foundation sponge and clasping both hands over her mouth.

Somehow, in the time between Rarity stepping in and out of the shower, the blemish had multiplied. No longer was it a singular, vile hexagon, but it stood united among five more of its brethren, forming a small line from the underside of her chin to just below the center of her cheek.

The girl would’ve wailed into her pillow were it not for the searing pain that stopped her from contorting her face. As she gazed into a hand mirror, her expression morphed from abject disgust to outright horror.

Why is it getting worse? That’s impossible! Rarity watched her reflection become watercolor from tears. She opened her mouth to speak to herself aloud, but as she moved her cheek, agony silenced her. That’s not fair. She retreated into her thoughts. I did what I was supposed to. I washed my face, I stayed away from greasy food, and I didn’t even drink any of the wonderful lemonade Applejack makes this time of year. Why am I so… Hideous now? What even IS this?

Rarity sat on her bed with her back to the wall, looking up at her ceiling fan as its four twirling shadows danced across the well-lit ceiling, and wondering what she could possibly do.

Going to school today was out of the question, but that would mean she’d have to either tell someone what was going on or lie and say that she suddenly got sick. Her mother usually fell for that sort of thing, and both she and her sister, Sweetie Belle, had routinely spat chewed-up food into the toilet and said they’d thrown up and couldn’t go to school.

Still, even if she did that, her girlfriend would wonder where she is, and why she isn’t at school, then would come the text message asking about it, and then Rarity would break down and tell her because she could never lie to her beloved, but she didn’t want to tell her that —

Rarity shrieked and her chin ignited in pain from her mouth opening so wide.

“This isn’t that complicated Rarity.” She spoke through gritted teeth to the girl in the hand mirror. “Why can’t you accept the fact that you got a… Whatever this is!? It’s normal! You’re a teenager!”

Rarity furrowed her brow. “Because I shouldn’t have gotten this. My skincare routine is second to none, and I use only the —”

“Oh I know all about the routine Rarity, I’m there every day and guess what else, I pay for it too! Don’t you hate the weekend job at the coffee shop you have to take to pay for all this?” The designer retorted to herself, a common way of getting her thoughts in order through a self-dialectic. It was easier for her to talk to herself than in her head, or with anyone else.

“Of course I do! But we both want the crown, don’t we? We both want to be able to say that we were the belles of the ball, the Rarity Belles of the ball.” She winced as she had to move her chin to make an ‘l’ sound.

“So what? You may never even get to go if it keeps spreading like this! You might even have to see a —”

“Don’t you say it, Rarity.”

“A dermatologist.”

Rarity writhed underneath her comforter. “Never! There’s no need!”

“How is there no need!? You’re in severe pain, and it spread this much in one morning. You might need to go to the hospital before anything else.”

“Do you hear yourself? You sound crazy.” A palpable silence lingered for a few seconds. “We just need to figure out what it is.”

“How do you suppose we do that?”

“We either search around, and waste our time, or ask Twilight.”

“But then we’d have to show Twilight.”

“Do you have any better ideas?”

“Take the picture...”

Rarity set the mirror down in front of her, stretched her arm out to the nightstand accompanying her bedside, and fetched her purple smartphone from under her artistic helix-shaped lamp, and positioned it in front of her bad side. Recoiling, she snapped a picture. No, that won’t do, the lighting’s too dark. She leaned back over to her nightstand and flicked the lamp on.

Knock knock knock

“Hello in there, sweetheart. You doing ok? I heard you scream earlier, and just wanted to check in on you.” This too was routine. Her mother, Cookie Crumbles, knew that Rarity was prone to screaming about minor inconveniences, but always checked, just in case something actually went wrong.

Rarity scrambled out of bed and to her purse on her boudoir, trying desperately to find something to chew up and spit out. Receipt? No, that’s not food. Change purse? Cute, but still not edible. The newest Shadow Spade novella? No, no, no! Why is there no food in here I know I left something in here! Rarity clawed through her bag.
There, sitting beneath everything, was a long-forgotten Nutri-Grain bar. It must’ve been there for weeks, let alone months. But it was the only thing she had, and Rarity would be damned if everyone had to see her face today. She tore the bar free from its plastic prison and crammed half of it in her mouth before mashing it down to miscolored mush. Her knees collided with the diamond-patterned bathroom tile and she hurled the forgotten contents into their watery grave as soon as the bedroom door creaked open and her mother stepped through.

“Oh dear,” She rushed over to her daughter, “Let me guess: Another one of Pinkie’s weird cupcakes?” She asked as she rubbed her daughter’s back.

Rarity immediately went with the lie, “Yes, and I really ought to stop obliging her offers.” She put a quivering and queasy slant to her words to further sell the lie, straining with all her might to not scream from the pain opening her mouth to talk caused. As time had gone on since the shower, the pain steadily increased, as though some invisible force was applying more pressure to and beneath the blemishes.

“Then we better get you into bed with some ginger ale, how does that sound?”

“Simply divine, but I had planned on attending band practice today —” That’s it Rarity, you don’t want to stay home, but your mother is making you.

Her mother didn’t remove her hand from Rarity’s back as she escorted her to bed. She pulled the thick violet comforter up and ushered her daughter beneath it. “Don’t you worry about that now, ok? You’re a priority, not your band y’know. So you lay right there and let your mother take care of you.” She cooed as she cupped her hand to Rarity’s chin, in a benevolently lecturing tone.

“Thank you, Mother. I don’t know where I’d be without you.” Oh my goodness why does this blemish hurt so bad?

“I don’t know, in school probably.” Sweetie Belle spat from the bedroom door. She was dressed for school and looked as though she was about to head out to the bus stop, before stopping in and giving her unwanted opinion.

Rarity gave her an angered look that said shut up, hoping her sister would back off.

“Sweetie Belle!” Cookie scolded. “That is no way to talk to your sister. How would you like it if this was the other way around?” Good, she completely fell for it!

Sweetie rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t, because I don’t like lying.” She leered at Rarity. “I don’t like going to school either, but if I have to, you have to too!”

“That’s enough. You go wait in the car before you get in trouble, young lady. I will keep you from your field trip, do you understand? I expect an apology when you come home, are we clear?”

“Ugh, yes Mom.” Sweetie recited as she retreated from the doorway.

Rarity’s mother waited until she heard the front door close before she spoke again. “Sorry about your sister dear, she can be a bit of a handful sometimes.”

“Tell me about it.” Rarity nearly shook with pain. “You simply are the best, Mother.”

“I try my best,” she responded, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Now you just sit tight, I’ll start making you some of your favorite soup from when you were a girl, ok?”

Rarity could only nod as her vision reeled from the pain.

When the door finally closed, Rarity snatched her phone up and positioned it in the same place as before. The very thought of taking such a picture of her defiled face almost made her puke for real. It’s the only step forward Rarity. You can do it! It’s only a… Horrible, vile, nauseating picture sent to your girlfriend of two years...

Rarity flinched as she took the picture again, this time with proper lighting. Her flinch grew into disgust as she pulled up her chat with Twilight, and into outright revulsion as she sent the picture, along with the question, ‘what is this on my face?’ She clicked the phone off and tossed it beside her like a grenade. She hadn’t realized her hands were trembling.

Or that the number of holes in her face had grown again.

The Third Wheel

Two Weeks Earlier

“Ah, ah, ah! Don’t move a muscle Sunset!” Rarity had carefully positioned everything in place for the perfect photo of her picnic date with her girlfriend. She’d even gone so far as to schedule the outing for a day that would have very little wind, and the requisite amount of sunlight to create perfect lighting. Biting the inside of her lip, Rarity ever so gently nudged the camera to make the frame fit according to the all-powerful rule of thirds, or so she called it.

The weather couldn’t have been more pleasant, and what little wind blew carried a refreshing and gentle fragrance of freshly cut grass and blooming flowers, alongside the intoxicating perfume Rarity wore. The picnic blanket set out was the same that lay atop Rarity’s kitchen table, she’d snuck it out of the home for just this occasion. It was as though the day was made in a laboratory to be as pristine as possible.

Rarity had consistently canceled this date for weeks now, sometimes owing to improper weather and sometimes owing to school work or ‘work work’, which is what the tailor had called the times after school when she worked on outfit commissions or as a part-time barista. Finally, they were here sitting in an idyllic patch of grass in Wallflower’s garden, which itself was tucked neatly between the student parking lot and the back exit of Canterlot High School. And there, sat as rigidly as a statue and looking every bit as radiant as one, was Sunset Shimmer who wore a stunning black dress, fashionably ripped leggings, and a polite smile. She’d be stuck in this very pose for twenty minutes.

“Hey Rarity,” Said Sunset, barely moving her mouth to talk, “I think my face is gonna get stuck like this if you don’t take that picture soon.”

“Oh come now,” Rarity smiled as she finally got the framing she was looking for, “I don’t such a thing has ever happened to anyone. It’s an urban legend, dear.” Rarity doubled checked her positioning, and then double-checked her double-checking, before finally pressing the timer on the camera. In just a few moments, it would take twenty photos rapid-fire.

BzzZzZzz

Unbeknownst to either girl sitting at the picnic, a rather peculiar bee had also decided to join the photoshoot. A slightly smaller-than-average bee, with black and gray stripes as opposed to the uniform yellow and black that its traditional brethren had.

“I don’t know…” Sunset maintained her pose as Rarity hurried over to her and sat next to her, folding her and straightening her white dress. At the present moment, they were the embodiment of sapphic affection. “Pinkie Pie told me it happened to her once after Rainbow Dash dared her to.”

“And is her face stuck like that now?” Rarity solidified her poise.

“Touche.” The wind blew through Sunset’s hair with just enough force to push it, but not nearly enough for it to ruin the photograph. “Sometimes she does make the face to mess with us though.”

BzzZzZZZz

Just as the camera’s shutter began to chitter open and close rapidly, the bee moved in for a photo bomb. The first ten pictures left no trace of the bug, but the next five had it in the corner, and the five after that had it front and center. After its successful raid, the bug silently landed atop the camera’s lens.

“Do you think I can stop smiling now?” Sunset asked, her patience starting to wear down.

Rarity placed her hand on Sunset’s chin and turned her head, “As gorgeous as you are when you do, I’d prefer you never did. But yes, I think we’ve gotten all the photos we need for Instagram.” In a single graceful motion, Rarity rose from the blanket and returned behind the camera, neglecting to notice the bug that had perched on it.

“And just in time too,” Sunset wasted no time in reaching into the basket and pulling out a small pink container, packed full of strawberries and cantaloupe, the pair’s favorite. “I don’t think the ice pack could’ve held out any longer.”

“Oh please!” Rarity bemoaned, clicking through the pictures and deliberating on the best one to post later in the day. “I did not take that long. Besides, one cannot and must not rush perfection.”

Sunset popped a strawberry in her mouth and talked as she chewed, “When perfection takes about an hour on a day off, I’m gonna try and rush it a little bit. Babe, you know I think you’re perfect as you are, and I’d challenge anyone to contradict that. If micromanaging was some kind of job, you’d be a millionaire.”

Rarity smirked, “Well, that is the plan. And flattering as that may be, darling— Oh, this one’s very nice— It isn’t like me to settle. Beauty is about boundaries and I—AHHHH!!!!!” On the small display of the camera lies the bee in perfect focus, its frighteningly numerous compound eyes, the dark tufts of hair, and the two writhing antennae. The bee, for its credit, did not flinch as Rarity let out a shriek, as though it were proud of itself.

“Oh my God, what? Are you ok!?” Sunset scrambled to her feet and rushed to Rarity’s side, only to let out the breath she was holding upon seeing the source of the shock. “Is… That it?”

“Whatever do you mean ‘is that it? This insect nearly burst my heart from my chest!” Rarity placed a hand on her chest for emphasis. “Worse! He ruined half of my pictures!”

“And that’s worse than your heart popping out of your chest?” Sunset smirked.

“I feel as though you’re missing the calamity of the situation.”

“I think they’re kinda cute. We could post one of these and say he was a third wheel.” Sunset’s grin grew wider as she nudged her partner in the arm. “Wouldn’t that be funny?”

“Hmph! It could’ve stung either one of us.” Rarity pouted her lips before softening her expression. “Although… I must admit it would be pretty funny.”

“There she is! I knew you were in there somewhere. Now c’mon, let’s eat that fruit before the flies get to it!”

“Only if you agree to be the lookout for that interloper.” Rarity said in a half-sincere, half-joking tone as she took Sunset’s hand and took her place on the checkered blanket. “I’m deathly allergic.”

“Wait, really?” Sunset asked, pulling a particularly ripe piece of melon from the container, bits of rind clinging to its outer edges.

“Well… No.” Rarity’s gaze turned to the ground as her face reddened. “But for as unsightly as a sting can be, I might as well be!”

Sunset giggled and pointed the melon at her, “I’m sure that the bee just flew off. It’s got better things to do like pollinating things and making honey and… Whatever else it is that bees do aside from harassing the most beautiful girl at Canterlot High.”

The bee had, in fact, not flown off. It stood still on the camera lens like a soldier laying in ambush, waiting for their moment to strike.

“I’m glad we’re in agreement, darling.” Rarity said, plucking a bottle of homemade sweet tea from the basket, “I can hardly come for your three-year crown any less equipped than the best.”

Sunset rolled her eyes, thinking of a comeback as she chewed, “Look, I may have won the first three under… Questionable circumstances—”

“Coercion.” Rarity snidely interjected as she took a sip.

“Questionable circumstances!” Sunset cut back in. “But that doesn’t mean that you’re gonna take it from me this year. No matter how pretty you are, or how much effort you put in. I’m still gonna be,” a devious smirk came across her face, “Queen bee.”

“Hm.” Rarity restrained her impulse to meet fire with hotter flames but decided it would be more refined to parry it away. “The vote of the people will decide the best princess, and I believe it is moi.”

“Oooohh you’re so mad!”

The restraints holding in her outburst cracked. “I am not mad! Calm confidence trumps loud uncertainty, darling.” Unbeknownst to Rarity, the bee had made its move. Within an instant, the insect closed the gap between it and its target and cushioned its landing in her luxuriously kept hair. “The amount of effort put into being flawless will pay dividends, I’m certain.”

Sunset Shimmer rolled her eyes as she chewed one of the few grapes in the container. “Y’know, there’s a shortcut to being perfect?”

Rarity took a few more gulps of the decadent sweet tea. Applejack had once invited her and Sunset over to her home and served them this very tea made with brown sugar as a substitute, and they’d been hooked ever since. “And just what would that be?”

“Accepting the imperfections, not trying to overcorrect.” Sunset leaned in, getting just inches from her partner’s face. Her eyes moved to each part of Rarity’s complexion, as though admiring every individual part. “Trixie accepts herself, and I don’t think you could name anyone happier.”

Rarity furrowed her brow, as though by bunching them down she could reconcile the contradictions swirling within her. “But Trixie is also a vile goblin woman who smells like spent energy drinks. Happy as she may be, darling, elegant she is not.”

“Chew this slowly.” Sunset reached for the last strawberry in the Tupperware and motioned for Rarity to open her mouth, which she readily obliged. “I think there’s elegance in accepting yourself as you are, and if I’m going to win this year, I’m going to do it as myself. Not some raging she-demon. So would you, as Rarity, if you were to win.”

Rarity opened her mouth to say something, only for Sunset to place a finger to her lips and shake her head very slowly. “I’m saying all this, babe, because I’m worried about you. You're not burning yourself at both ends, you're burning yourself out at every possible end! Your AP classes, the band, your Etsy shop, your part-time job, making time for us, and every free moment you get you spend trying to make it like a movie. At some point, something's gotta give."

Rarity looked into Sunset’s eyes with apprehension and swallowed the vibrantly sweet berry, her gaze nervously flicking between her eyes and her lips. Something in her wanted to kiss her because she was just so close, but a larger part moved to counter what she was saying. "And what if I want to spend all this effort into being as pretty as I can be? There is beauty in the world, dear, but it doesn't always make itself known and it won't show up without patience or work."

Sunset cupped Rarity's face in her hand, and the look in her eyes carried the passion of a storm at sea. "Rarity, I love you, but no one's happy living like this. And if they are, they can't be forever. There's beauty in everything without straining yourself to find it." Rarity shrugged Sunset’s arm away in response. They both wore small smiles at one another, as though they were both telling the other that they understood.

Then Rarity let out a note of amusement through her nose. "This must be how Twilight and Starlight argue with one another. I feel like, oh, what does Rainbow Dash say?"

"An egghead?" Sunset offered, her smile growing warmer.

"An egghead!" Rarity accepted. A breeze picked up and accentuated the moment of silence that stretched on from that word. The inches between the pair felt like miles. "I'm scared that if I don't try this hard, I won't pass. And if I don’t pass then people will see right through me and call me ‘Elusive’ again. And if they see me that way I’m petrified that something bad will happen again.”

"No one's going to do that, in fact, I can guarantee it, y'know why?" Sunset’s voice was an uneven balance of nurturing and cocky, leaning more towards the latter.

Rarity's eyes met the red and white pattern of the blanket they sat on, holding onto her slight smile as she knew what Sunset was about to say. "Why would that be?"

"Well," Sunset started counting on her fingers as she listed off reasons. Wearing that fiery determined look that made Rarity fall head over heels, "For one, because you're fucking hot. You legit pass better than me, and I’m cis. That's just a fact. For two, you're soo hot Rarity, oh my God."

"Uh huh," Rarity covered her mouth and snickered, she was never fully secure with her smile and covered her teeth whenever she laughed. "Care to give an actual reason."

Sunset stuck her tongue out and continued, "For three, no one can do that to you 'cause I'll give 'em one of these!" She mimed herself throwing jabs at a prospective bully. "And one of these!" She threw a quick left hook, and then an uppercut. "Whaddya think of that?"

"I think Dash is a bad influence on you!" Rarity held her chest and let out a long laugh before having to catch her breath, Sunset kept on with her imaginary fight as she did. The tiniest, quietest snort in the whole world slipped from Rarity and caused them both to freeze. "You didn't hear that."

"Oh yes, I did!" Sunset lunged at her girlfriend and pinned her to the ground in one smooth movement. She only needed one hand to pin Rarity to the blanket, which freed the other to sneak down to the most ticklish part of her stomach. As Rarity landed on the ground the bee took flight and opted to stand by on a wildflower close to the corner of the picnic blanket.

"Nooo! Stop!" Rarity beamed, her laughter filling the entire garden. "This is so unfair!"

"Admit I'm right!" Sunset refused to relent, laughing as small snorts escaped Rarity’s nose.

"Never!" Rarity writhed in place, being held firm by her better, barbaric half. Her smile couldn't have been wider, and she couldn't cover it up. "Never you brute!"

"Then I'll have to pull out the secret weapon." Sunset sneered down.

"You can't. You wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" She put her lips to Rarity’s neck and prepared to blow, unleashing the devastating raspberry upon her.

"You'll just have to do it, I refuse to yi-"

PBBBLTTLTLL

"NOO!!"

Sunset drew in a large breath before releasing another.

PBBBLLTTT

"Alright, alright!" Rarity wiggled her legs and feet in place, tears starting to well in her eyes from sheer joy. "Fine you're right!"

"See?" Sunset leaned down and stared into her lover’s eyes. "Was that so hard?"

It was now Rarity’s turn to stick her tongue out. "Simply arduous, now unhand me, fiend!" She bit her lip and looked on pleadingly at her 'captor'.

The bee made its move, quickly zipping from the flower to Rarity's leg and started getting into position.

The stronger of the two girls feigned a gasp, "Fiend? Why, I think I'll keep you right here." Her eyes darted to Rarity’s lips and back to her mesmerizing eyes.

Sunset kissed Rarity with the depth of all the world's oceans, breaking the kiss and running her hand through her hair before kissing her again.

The kiss parted and they looked deep into each other's eyes, as if in that moment they somehow fell further in love with one another.

"Y’know you've got a gorgeous smile?" Sunset asked, nuzzling her hose into Rarity’s.

"I did not, but why don't you tell me more often?" Rarity stole a quick peck from her partner.

And it's at that moment that the bee decided to strike.

The insect positioned itself, rearing its stinger up to the soft, skin barrier of her leg before, without a moment of hesitation, piercing it. Within the same instant that the barb broke her skin, Rarity let out a shrill scream and scrambled out of Sunset’s grip, who readily let her go.

Tears streaked down Rarity's face as if they were only waiting to fall out, taking a black trail of mascara with them as she swiped her hand down to the source of the lancing pain. It was unlike anything she'd experienced before. The pain felt like a burning set of spears burrowing inside her skin and lacerating everything they came into contact with, as though it were replacing her tissue with jagged glass.

Rarity laid eyes on the bug anchored in her calf at the same time that Sunset did, and winced. Rarity knew what she had to do, she'd pulled such wretched and revolting pests, and their equally as vile stingers, from Sweetie Belle and her friends' arms too many times to count. Even still, it meant bringing on more pain than she was already experiencing and also touching a gross bug.

The tailor took a breath in and then heaved it out, repeating the process again and again until the time between her breaths was almost nonexistent. Pain and panic chased each other in her mind, stirring her thoughts into hysteria. For each thought that screamed at her to uproot the bee, another chased it away and declared that she was embarrassing herself by making such a scene. Her eyes shot in every direction except for her attacker as the world started to close in on her and the air that forced itself in and out of her lungs started to sting.

Then a hand touched her shoulder. “Hey, listen to me.” Sunset’s voice was made of stone and pierced through the whirlwind within Rarity’s mind like a harpoon. “I need you to look at me, breathe in slowly, and count to four. Can you do that for me, Rares?”

Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and nodded, her breathing slowing but still very quick.

“Ok, in one, two, three, four,” Sunset spoke calmly as she massaged her partner’s shoulders, “Hold one, two, three, four. And out one, two, three, four, you’re doing great.”

“One more time, in,” The bee squirmed inside Rarity’s leg, scraping its stinger across the wound it created prompting Rarity to start shuddering from the pain. Still, she didn’t let out another scream, only clenching her jaw tightly and continuing to breathe. After a few more repetitions of this, she was still in great pain, but somewhat stable.

“I’m so proud of you, Rares, but I’m gonna ask that you do one more thing for me.”

“Name it.” She responded through gritted teeth, half-expecting what was coming next.

“I need you to look at me, and count to three.” Sunset placed a hand on her lover’s cheek as if gently asking her to open her eyes with the gesture.

Rarity opened her eyes and stared back into Sunset’s, flinching as she began to count. “One.” Sunset moved the hand from the shoulder down to the leg, closing her fingers around the thorax.

“Two—” Before Rarity could count to three, Sunset pulled up with all available might and swiftness her arm could supply. The strength she exerted seemed to be for naught, as the entire bug slipped out of the injury it created with relative ease, and her whole body ended up jerking backward from the excess force. Stranger still, was that the stinger was still intact.

Not that it mattered though, for Sunset reached over to the pink container that held their fruit and flicked the bee inside of it before immediately clicking the lid shut over the top of it.

Sunset glanced back to her partner and opened her mouth to ask how she was holding up before getting her answer without any words. Rarity’s mouth hung ajar, her body was tense and hunched forward, wearing a look of terror, as though every part of her was engaged in a scream except her vocal cords. The pain must’ve been so vast that it stole her voice to express it. “Hey uh, Rarity?”

Only the tailor’s eyes moved to face her partner, and in a voice that sounded part-way disbelief and a squeak, “Three?”

Without sparing a second, Sunset pulled Rarity into a tight hug. “Sorry I did that, it was an old trick Princess Celestia taught me.”

“I can’t fault you for it, I suppose.” Rarity sniffled, her hoarse voice returning to her as the pain ebbed from a fiery needle into a dull throbbing ache. “I was going to ask you to wait before I got to three anyway.”

The two exchanged a giggle before pulling away, still retaining a slight embrace. Sunset wore an inviting smile, “You wanna go back to my place and stay over? After what you’ve been through, I say you need some pizza and an ice pack.”

“That sounds divine dear,” Rarity smiled again, and with the mascara streaking down her face and her cheeks puffing up with irritation, she couldn’t have looked prettier, “after all, it was your job to stand guard for them. I think that much is owed.”

“Oh is that so? I think I’m gonna pick the movie tonight!” Sunset got close to her girlfriend’s face again.

“Fine, but I get to put garlic bread on the order.”

“Deal.”

Sunset reached for Rarity’s hand beneath her but didn’t look away from her eyes. The two shook on the deal. “I love you, Rares.”

“I love you too, Sunset.”

“Just one more thing.” A wicked sneer came across her face.

“Oh, here we go.” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Still wanna call the bee a third wheel?”

Nectar

Two Months Earlier

Rarity slowly moved her view from left to right, scanning the decorations in the Canterlot High School gymnasium searching for even the slightest imperfection. Principal Celestia had tasked her with the decorations for the Monster Mash Dance, scheduled for Halloween night.

The dance happening at all was an accomplishment, as Rarity, Luna, and their good peer Picket Fence had been practically begging Celestia since the start of the year. They must’ve collectively gotten over several dozen ‘no’s’ before the decisive ‘I suppose, if you can gather the funding for it.’ Rarity would never forget the little dance Luna did upon hearing the news, which ceased almost as soon as it began, followed shortly after by firm orders.

Rarity crossed her arms and gave a curt nod to herself, finding satisfaction in her decorating. The lighting caught the smoke machine’s fog perfectly, the cobwebs and dangling spiders were immaculately placed, and the wax pumpkins standing guard with styrofoam tombstones along the walls couldn’t have been arranged better if she tried. She knew that because she’d spent nearly an hour doing just that. On either side of the gym in front of the pushed-in bleachers lay a simple fold-out table topped with a pumpkin-print cover that Rarity had stitched herself for the occasion, each holding a punch bowl flanked on either side by festive, and unfortunately healthy snacks. The punch bowls even had ice in the shape of skulls. It was the very epitome of a mild and family-friendly Halloween event, which were Luna’s exact instructions.

Just as Rarity put a finger to her lips in thought over where she should hang the felt bats she hadn’t got around to yet, the world suddenly plunged into darkness as a pair of hands descended over her eyes.

“I’d like a word with the one responsible for this decor.” A familiar coarse voice cooed from behind, prompting a smile from the tailor.

“Hmm,” Rarity tilted her head up and into the hands, her voice droning and snide like a bored secretary, “I don’t know, Picket Fence. Do you have an appointment?”

“I figured I wouldn’t need one to tell her that her work was tacky.” Fence teased, returning the sarcasm.

“Tacky!?” Rarity guffawed and swatted off his hands and turned around, jabbing a finger into his chest as she spoke, “Why, in all my years as a designer, I’ve never detested a word as much as that one! In the little time I’ve known you, you’ve been nothing but a scoundrel!”

Picket Fence was a tall and imposing figure hewn from marble and brought to life. It’d only been two months since he transferred from the Vanhoover Academy of the Arts, but he wasted no time in becoming the Class President and pushing for some pressing demands of the student body.

He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair and rolled his icy blue eyes. “Aw, c’mon Rarity, you don’t mean that. Besides, even if that were true, I think I’m a pretty good problem to have.”

“Yeah, right.” Rarity rolled her eyes in turn. “I must admit, you’d be forgiven just this once in thinking of my work as tacky, for ‘tacky’ is what was ordered, so ‘tacky’ is what I delivered. Still, I’m quite pleased with my work, and I’ll not have another word about it.”

“You’re pleased with—”

“Not another word!” Rarity stomped her boot into the laminated wood beneath her.

“Alright, alright. But speaking of the dance itself.” Fence couldn’t help but look out onto the, admittedly milquetoast display and smirk at what he saw.

“Go on.” The look in Rarity’s eyes could melt steel.

The towering teenager was not dissuaded by his friend’s animosity and took it as encouragement if anything. “How would you like to accompany me to it?”

Rarity’s expression softened into one of thought. “You want to take me to the dance?”

“If you’d be willing to have me, yeah.” He winked.

Any girl around Picket Fence’s age would’ve likely melted on the spot at such a proposition. Here was a boy who was so ideal that he couldn’t be made in a lab if all the world’s resources were pooled into it, who would be welcome on any stage with any boy band, but… Didn’t really do anything for Rarity.

“Sorry darling, but I must decline. I know I’ve worked so hard on this, but I promised Sweetie Belle we’d spend Halloween trick-or-treating together and staying up watching that new horror movie she insists upon.” She reached up and patted Fence on the shoulder. “I’ve got big sister duty, so enjoy the dance twice as much for the both of us.”

Picket Fence scoffed, as though the very thought of being told ‘no’ was an insult. “Sorry, after everything I’ve done for you, you’re just gonna turn me down like that?”

Rarity was entirely unphased, having dealt with plenty of aggressive customers and clingy boys before, this was nothing new. “Why yes I am darling, I’m afraid family comes first even if I miss the chance to debut my Princess Bubblegum costume.”

“Hey, c’mon. Don’t be like that.” Fence snarled, fire flashing in his eyes as he snatched Rarity’s wrist, “Just one dance, that’s all I ask. It wouldn’t even exist without us, so you owe it to the class to at least show up. And to me too, since I put so much effort in.”

“I don’t owe you a thing, Fence.” Rarity struggled against his strength, quickly turning a glance around the gym to find nothing and no one there to help. “This was both of our efforts, and I think it’s a success. Now let go, you’re starting to frighten me.”

“You’re coming with me.” The ferocity in his eyes was enough to paralyze anyone with terror. That look that Diamond Tiara had years ago when she’d punched Sweetie Belle on the playground, like she was owed everything she wanted, and denying her that was a great crime. “I’m not letting you go until the end of the ni—”

Rarity used her free hand to slap Picket Fence. It was a quick gesture, barely any more thought put into it than a reflex, but just as soon as it happened, Rarity regretted it. Like every other time she’d smacked some boy, she'd expected that she could slip away in the shock she caused. But Fence was not moved, if anything, it only further enraged him.

“I wouldn’t have done that if I were you.” He remarked coldly, his free hand lunging for Rarity’s neck, but oddly did not apply any force. “One last chance.”

“Go to hell.” Rarity hissed, the venom in her words was enough to corrode the feminine veneer she’d spent years training to put on her voice. If anyone had heard it aside from Picket Fence, they would’ve thought it came from a masculine, albeit dainty, source, but to Fence it sounded as though it came from a demon.

“Just my luck.” The corner of his mouth turned up like he’d just smelled something foul and his gaze darkened away from rage and more towards disgust as though he’d just stepped in something. “Of course, you had to be a faggot.”

Fence released her wrist and reared back to deliver a devastating blow, Rarity squeezed her eyes shut and silently prayed that she’d make it out of this alive.

Pain exploded from her mouth like a cannon had been fired into it. She felt a tooth dislodge from her jaw, and many more chip from the impact. Rarity’s head bounced against the ground with a crude thud that echoed in the empty gym as her body crumpled against the wood.

The world spun and doubled as Rarity opened her eyes, only to see Picket Fence run a hand through his hair and get low to the ground, putting one leg over Rarity’s waist while the other clung tightly to her other side. He leered down from on top of her as Rarity writhed and sobbed beneath him, which only served to make him more frustrated.

Ever since Rarity put on her first dress in her freshman year, she feared this exact moment happening. She’d spent every possible amount of effort at every possible time in order to prevent anyone from even so much as doubting her femininity, but here was her nightmare taking the shape of a friend. The edges of her vision darkened, her heartbeat in her ears, and her stomach fell well below her feet.

Rarity opened her mouth to gurgle up some words, to beg for him to get off of her, only for the blood flowing from her gums and the fragments of teeth embedding themselves into her throat to stay her voice. The tears that escaped from her eyes were her only unanswered plea against her assailant.

“Shut.” He brought his face mere inches from Rarity’s. “The fuck up. You’ve given me an out for self-defense and I intend to—”

BINK!

Just as soon as the flames in his eyes had reached a fever pitch, his arm cocked back to deliver another strike, Picket Fence hit the ground like a felled oak tree, the fire extinguished with one swift blow from an aluminum baseball bat. Rarity scrambled back away from his unconscious body and snapped her head to face whoever did that.

There, standing in the fog of the smoke machines against the spotlights above, flanked on either side by dinky spiders, beamed Sunset Shimmer in a dirty baseball uniform with a bat resting against her shoulder. “‘Sup, babe.” She jerked her head up and crouched down. The calm and cool demeanor she’d carefully built shattered when she opened her mouth again, “Was that cool? Man, I’ve always wanted to beat some creep up and say some sick line like that.”

Relief washed over Rarity like she was baptized in it upon seeing her girlfriend, “I— bleagh!” She opened her mouth to say a line of her own, only to find blood on her tongue. Rarity turned her head and spat out the contents of her throat, splattering it against the wood and staining her dress. Rarity’s mouth hung open as she glanced between the puddle and her lover. “Well, it was certainly better than what I said.” She sputtered, offering up a sheepish grin.

“Oh shit. Come here, babe, you need some help.” Sunset reached a hand down and pulled her girlfriend up to her feet, only for her to stumble back down to the floor and take Sunset down with her. Rarity let a laugh slip from her lips, but when she looked over to Sunset, her expression was much more grim. The look in her eyes could’ve set Picket Fence on fire, and if he’d done this a couple of months ago when she was a she-demon, Sunset very well could have. “He… Hurt you pretty bad, didn’t he? You can’t even stand.”

“He did,” Rarity’s smile shrank back, but didn’t fully retreat, “but you did a number on him, darling. I think some poor fellow is going to have to scrape him off the ground. I’m just happy to see you, that I survived.”

“Yeah, but…” Sunset shook her head almost imperceptibly. “Knowing how things are, he might just get away with it.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem dear.” Rarity mused, grabbing onto her partner’s shoulder. “The yearbook club put a camera in one of the spiders to record it for the end-of-the-year presentation. His time at Canterlot High is through.”

“Ha! That takes care of that, you really do think of everything, babe.” Sunset chuckled, tossing her bat aside and slinging an arm around her beloved. The two strained to stand up, but eventually got their footing and began shambling off towards one of the exit doors in the corners of the gym. “Let’s get you to Coach Double Down, he can patch you up I think.”

“Hey, Sunset?” Rarity mused as they pushed through the doors and limped along the sidewalk wearing warm smiles.

“Yes, my love?” Sunset grunted, still facing forward toward the empty school courtyard.

“I thought of something you could have said.” Laughter threatened to seep out of her voice.

“Lay it on me.” Sunset rolled her eyes and grinned.

“You could’ve said, ‘batter up!’”

Present

The taste of skin was never one that Rarity was particularly partial to, but as she paced in a tight circle around her room, that distaste was clarified. The taste was not helped by the scarce remnants of the moisturizer and products she’d spread with her fingers earlier in the day, so when her index finger rested between her teeth, the taste of salt and chemicals flooded her senses.

The blemish on her face had festered into a papery growth stretching from the side of her chin directly into the center of her cheek. Oddly, since it took the form of a cruel impersonation of a wasp’s nest, the pain had largely subsided. Rarity took the opportunity to talk out a plan of action for herself, speaking at full volume since her mother left for work and her sister for school.

“How hard could it be to just text me back!?” Rarity asked no one in particular as she passed her boudoir for the twentieth time, emphasizing her words with a bite of her finger. “I mean, if my affliction is nothing, then it should be easy to say so! If it happens to be serious, goodness, just tell me!”

As if on cue, the phone on her pillow vibrated and gave the singsong tune she’d set as a ringtone. Much to her dismay, the text was from ‘Shimmie’, and not Twilight.

Hey babe! Where are u? I’m jonesning for a kiss rn :(

“Hmph! You’re not helping, dear, but I could not ignore you if I tried.” Rarity ceased her pacing to quickly type a response.

At home sick :( I do believe a kiss could cure me <3

Within the same instant it was received, a bubble popped up in response. Rarity couldn’t help but grin upon seeing it.

Aww, get better soon! I’ll swing by after band practice w a care package. It’ll be so hard to get through practice without u tho! <3 <3

Rarity returned the phone to its slumber, hugging it close to her chest before setting it down on the dresser. As though she never stopped, she resumed pacing around the room. Then a thought struck her mind: If this was just some kind of acne, surely she could just take care of it herself. “I mean, could it be that bad to just take care of it myself?” She brought the thoughts aloud, “Why, the worst possible thing that could happen is just a scar.”

“A truly brilliant idea Rarity,” She congratulated herself, stealing a glance at herself in the mirror and recoiling, “And I assume that if this egregious, hideous, revolting thing is not acne, you can simply perform the surgery yourself?”

“Ha ha. Honestly, though, what other choice do we have? It’s spread so much in a couple of hours, and Twilight hasn’t gotten back to us. It’s quite possible that by the time she gets back to us, we’ll completely mutate into whatever-this-thing-is!” Rarity ceased her laps around her room, just as she reached the boudoir and leaned into the mirror.

The reflection that stood in the mirror looked far worse than the one that was there in the morning. Rarity’s skin was practically translucent, her eyes were wide and bloodshot as though she’d used lemon juice for eye drops, and she could’ve sworn that the growth, and each one of its uneven hexagons, twitched on its own.

“Gah! Did you see that!?” Rarity blanched, stumbling back from the sight. “Ew! And you wanna keep that thing around?”

“Oh heavens no, darling. I just think we should wait. Not to hurt ourselves.” Rarity scolded herself, “Who knows she could send us a text… now!”

The phone did not respond to the attempt to conjure a message.

“Now!”

Still, nothing.

“Alright, all options are clearly exhausted, I believe the best course of action is to try our hand at this operation.” Rarity grumbled to herself, pulling up a barely-used stool beneath the dresser and sitting atop it. “But do not let this go to your ego, who knows what that would do to your sanity.”

The silence that followed as Rarity went to retrieve a pair of tweezers from one of the drawers was palpable. It felt as though the very air was judging her.

The growth itself felt warm to the touch, and when Rarity poked it, a blinding pain lanced through her entire face and disappeared as soon as it manifested, like somehow by touching it, she’d summoned a serrated blade under her skin and banished it within the same instant. Her mouth hung agape, shock muting any scream that she could muster as tears began to cling to her eyes.

“Ok Rarity, change of plan.” The look in her eyes shifted, from one of fear to one of certainty. “Waxing is painful, but it’s ultimately for the better. So were getting those dental implants, but they were necessary. Beauty is pain, and this is going to make us beautiful but it’s really going to hur-r-rt!”

Returning her gaze back to the mirror, Rarity drew in a breath and steeled her nerves, only to wince again when she looked at the nest. Oddly, it reminded her of whenever Apple Bloom would sleep over with Sweetie Belle, and how she’d skin her knee but refuse to bandage it. Later in the day, the blood would dry and leave a shell around the scrape. Apple Bloom, of course, couldn’t let it rest and constantly picked and peeled at it, and Rarity could never understand why until this very moment.

This hive would be like a scraped knee, and like waxing… And like dental implants. Rarity breathed until she counted to four, held it for another four seconds, and then released it.

In one fluid motion, Rarity gripped the tweezers on the left-most side of the blemish and clamped down. She winced, expecting a lance of pain to spear through her face only for the brittle, papery substance to crumble at her touch. Undeterred, Rarity instead moved the metal to the very spot where the nest and her skin connected, closed her eyes as she felt cold metal connect, and yanked with all the strength she could manage.

Agony flashed through Rarity’s entire being like water being added to a hot pan, and just like water, fizzled and bubbled underneath her skin. It was an entirely new dimension to suffering that she never thought imaginable, nothing like a sucker punch to the teeth, or waxing every hair on her leg in one go, it was more like something had snatched up every one of her nerves and used them to play a brutal ballad.

And just as soon as it came, the pain vanished without a trace, leaving Rarity stunned into total silence. In one… Two… Three… Four… Out Rarity opened her eyes, and there on her cheek where the nest made its stolen home, was a black, oozing crater that seemed to swallow all light that entered it. Unnatural, murky ichor dripped down her cheek like a mockery of tears only to pool and drop off of her chin.

Rarity had gotten the entire hive off in one fell swoop, but the deed was not done. For a few moments, she sat dazed, looking on at the thick, vile sludge leaking from her cheek. After setting the tweezers down on the dresser, along with the limp, fetid nest, her hand involuntarily drifted towards the liquid, touching it just enough to dab some on her finger before retreating.

It felt warm and clung to her fingers like honey as she twirled her thumb against the small drop of it on her index finger, pulling them apart to see a string of the substance connect her two digits.

Then the smell hit.

A foul, sour smell, halfway between rotting fruit and bile wafted from the wound with such intensity that Rarity could taste it, prompting her body to convulse in a set of heaving gags. As though she were a puppet on strings, she went to bolt to the bathroom to puke only for her foot to hook under one of the stool’s legs and send her reeling to the floor. The sudden pressure on her stomach as she impacted with the tile was almost enough to make her vomit, but by some miracle, she managed to keep it in.

The black ichor coming from her face, however, would not be contained. As Rarity hit the ground with a dry heave, the dark bile splattered across the floor as though she had thrown up. Rarity ground her teeth and exhaled a breath through them, in an unsuccessful attempt to control her breathing. Breathing through her mouth didn’t seem to make the scent any more bearable, if anything, it magnified the already foul taste in her mouth.

Tears pooled in her eyes from the stench, which fell down the side of her face as she squeezed her eyes shut, put her hands to the floor, and pushed herself up. “Ew, ew, ew!” Rarity squirmed as she yanked one drawer after another open trying to find a clothespin, holding her breath all the while, before finally laying her hands on one and frantically attaching it to her nose.

Paahh! The breath Rarity was holding forced itself out the instant the pin was clamped to her nose, and promptly replaced with another large gulp of air. Thankfully, she couldn’t taste anything putrid, leading her to let out a sigh of relief.

The bile splattered across her face like someone had thrown a rotten, black tomato at her cheek, and just as soon as Rarity calmed down, she locked eyes with the wound again and let out a shrill scream.

“This is the. Worst. Possible. Thing!” Rarity started the motion to put her head down on the boudoir and pout only to stop herself when she realized that’d spill the black ooze all over her high-end makeup. So instead, she simply sat in place and knocked her legs into one another anxiously and weighed the merits of screaming again before deciding against it.

“Alright Rarity, compose yourself,” she clutched her hand in front of her face as though she could grab poise from thin air, “while it would be nice to scream, I doubt it will accomplish anything.”

“I have to agree darling. It also wasn’t the greatest idea in the world to forsake waiting.”

“Oh, you think?” Rarity chided herself.

“In my defense!” she countered, embarking on yet another expedition into the dresser drawers to find some tissues. “The dance is on Friday night, and that’s the day after tomorrow! You cannot blame me for panicking and wanting to look my best. For all we know, Twilight’s answer would’ve taken days to work, had she responded at all!”

“I suppose I can’t fault you for that, dear, but now we’ve got a wound instead of a… Lousy-ugly-thing! A vile wound, mind you.” Rarity pressed herself as she pulled a few tissues from one of the several purse packs of them she stashed in every drawer and dabbed them against the blackness.

The thick, dark substance coming from her face would not be moved, and when Rarity tried to clean it up, it refused to be taken onto the fabric, like syrup being pushed with a spoon. Rarity, however, would not be defeated and pressed harder into the maw in her face and through careful pressure, managed to scoop some out.

“But like I said earlier darling, scars are in!” Rarity reassured herself as she found considerable success in her cleaning process.

“Are ingrown diseases also in this season? Sooner or later, we’re going to have to let someone qualified look at this. After the dance of course.” Rarity tossed another couple of tissues into the corner under the dresser before fetching another round.

“Oh, of course after the dance.” Rarity concurred, scraping another bit of the slime out of her wound. “I suppose we can put a bandage over it and then work our magic with the concealeEEE—” The tip of the cloth going into the wound struck something that sent a cacophony of pain ravaging through the tailor, as though she’d collided with a razor.

Just like before, Rarity couldn’t even muster a scream before all traces of pain purged themselves from her senses. She closed her eyes and rocked herself back and forth while taking in breaths. “What,” She said, opening her eyes and leaning into the mirror, “was that?”

Staring into the gaping maw that was the blemish was similar to staring into a void, it was impossibly dark, and despite this, something poked out from the puddles of filth that pooled in the injury like a stick in a pool of tar. Rarity fumbled her hand along the dresser, trying to find her phone without looking away at the strange shape she saw, before grabbing hold of it and quickly switching the flashlight setting on.

The light didn’t really help to identify exactly what was it was, but it certainly revealed that it was somehow darker than the rest of its surroundings, and seemingly the source of her suffering. Rarity glanced down and quickly snatched up the stained pair of tweezers, her breathing picked up and she made no attempts to slow it.

“Just like waxing.” Rarity lied, gently putting the tweezers in position, just hovering over either side of the object, “Just like—”

Rarity was a tailor and dressmaker that was all too familiar with needles and pins, and just as much when it came to pricking herself with them on accident. However, if she stuck herself with every single needle in Canterlot, it would measure less than half of the wretched agony that took control of her entire being at that moment.

Rarity could feel the object slide out from underneath her skin like a splinter, but in practice, it was closer to pulling out millions of glass shards with an instrument coated in salt and alcohol, lacerating her flesh the more she drew it out. The world felt as though it were falling away the more the infernal object was drawn out, as though it were the only thing connecting her to reality, but within an instant, Rarity was returned to the world.

Truly, it felt like splitting an atom inside her cheek, and within an instant most of the pain left, its only remnants being a dull, aching throb that pulsated like a wicked heartbeat.

Rarity’s heart thumped in her ears and everything spun as she struggled to catch up to her breathing. Where she wasn’t weak, she was numb, and it took nearly all of her strength and will to not collapse on the spot. Gently, she set the blackened thing on a clean tissue in front of the mirror, and as though it were waiting to be set down, the instant it was placed down, it writhed like a maggot in a pile of trash.

BzZbzz

The unmistakable sound of buzzing barely gurgled up from this creature, but it thundered in Rarity’s ears.

“What…?” She stared on dumbfounded as the small insect struggled to crawl out of the black pool as though it were trying to emerge from a baneful cocoon. The buzzing went on, muffled by the substance it was born in, getting quieter and quieter as it writhed like it was dying the more it squirmed for its life.

This pathetic creature that couldn’t escape from the ooze that spawned it was the source of all of Rarity’s misery, and as she stared at it, frenzy rushed to the forefront of her mind and consumed the pain, the ache, and the weakness out of her and tinged the world in a deep shade of red.

She pinched the tweezers shut in her hands and thrust them down into the bug with the same ferocity that an executioner would use for their axe. The buzzing grew louder for only an instant before petering out in a final, solemn note of distress.

The tweezers clamored to the ground as Rarity stumbled back from the dresser, refusing to stomach the sight any longer, and used the last of her fleeting strength to shamble to the side of her bed before collapsing on her back and waiting for the numbness to take over.

She drifted off to sleep hoping that when she awoke, she’d find that the events of today were all a nightmare. A smile came across her face when she thought of how Sunset would react to such a tale before finally, she fell under.

Aftermath

Sleep was always something that Rarity had prided herself upon. It was naturally a part of her beauty routine to get not merely get eight hours of sleep every night, but nine. More than this, she was a busy girl, having almost every part of her day scheduled or planned or perfecting, but despite this hustle and bustle lifestyle, she never stayed up all night.

Of course, being as she was, she didn’t spend the time idle in her sleep. She used those very valuable nine hours every night to apply leave-in moisturizer or facial masks and let them work their magic while she slept.

Though she used sleep as a beautification tool, she also liked to wake up to the slight burn that a face mask provides while sleeping in while listening to a white noise CD she left running on a loop throughout the night, as a way to prolong the 'beautification'.

The events of the previous afternoon blurred together in her mind and felt more like snapshots of moments than a contiguous day, but Rarity knew when she fell down into her bed, she definitely had not put on her noise soundtrack. Even if she had, the background sound of muffled chatter followed close by a rhythmic beeping sound was not on the discography.

This was the first thing that she’d noticed upon waking up. The second was a slight pain coming from her cheek, stiffness on her back, and the weight on her thighs, only, it all felt very far away from her senses as though it were restrained. The third thing she noticed was when she opened her eyes and saw that she was not in her bedroom.

The cramped room itself couldn’t have been plainer; fluorescent lights that buzzed above her, ordinary white tile with flecks of color thrown in beneath her, and barren off-white walls that Rarity wasn’t entirely sure were eggshell or ivory. To her left sat a fuzzy blob in a rather uncomfortable looking chair that was entirely too small for her, and to her right was a sterile countertop with a set of backpacks laying across them, flanked by athletic water bottles and fast food wrappers, which gave the room a familiar greasy scent. In front of her was a reddish blur, and further out stood a large purple one.

The world gradually became clearer the more Rarity blinked away the grogginess, the blurry shapes taking the forms of people. Another blink and the world came into focus, and another blink after that revealed the blobs’ identities: Sitting on the chair was Rarity’s mother clad in a black sweater and matching pants, Sunset Shimmer was resting her head on Rarity’s thighs and humming a tune she recognized as the song they had written together a week ago. Further out, the large violet blur split off into two separate entities, both of which were Twilight Sparkle, both of which wore lab coats that were heavily stained with mud, but only one wore glasses.

“How long,” Rarity rubbed her eyes, everyone in the room suddenly snapped their attention to her as though she were a bomb going off, “was I ‘out’ as it were?”

The four rushed from their places to give Rarity a tight embrace as if they’d rehearsed such a motion.

“I’m so glad you’re ok, babe.” Sunset buried her head in Rarity’s chest and sniffled before looking up at her. Her eyes told a story that she spent the night crying without sleep, reddened with bags beneath them and distant in their focus. “I was so scared of what happened, we all were.”

“That’s right, dear.” Rarity’s mother tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, “When I got the phone call from Sunset about what happened, I practically flew from work to see you. We’re glad that you’re ok.”

“That’s right.” Both Twilight spoke at the same time before blushing and saying, “You go. No, you go! Ugh!”

Rarity put a hand to her mouth and giggled, “I’ll admit, it took me a moment to realize that there actually are two of you here and that I wasn’t dreaming.”

“You should’ve seen either Rainbow Dash’s reaction to seeing herself,” the Twilight with glasses spoke with a laugh, “She wasn’t sure whether to scream or ask for her autograph.”

“They did both,” Sunset smirked, standing to her feet and making her way to the backpacks on the counter. She wore a black blouse that Rarity had tailored for her birthday and her heart soared seeing it again. “Do you want something to eat? The nurse said you should probably get something down before noon.”

“No thanks, darling, I can’t say I have an appetite at the moment.” Rarity shook her head gingerly before she let out a sudden gasp, startling the room’s occupants. “Did I hear you right, Sunset? Did you say, noon?”

“That’s correct,” The Twilight without glasses piped up, “You were unconscious for just over two days.”

“Two days!?” Rarity squawked, putting a hand on either side of her face, before flinching as it connected with her left one. “Why! That would mean that the dance is tonight!”

Rarity’s mother drew in a breath and eyed the other three in the room before she turned back to Rarity and spoke, her familiar midwestern accent poking through as the chair she was seated in creaked. “In two hours, actually. Rarity, honey, I’m so glad that you’re ok, and the doctor said that you can leave a day after you wake up.”

“But?” Rarity raised an eyebrow, saying the very word she expected to hear.

“But, that means you’d miss out on that dance.” She flinched, as though expecting one of her daughter’s trademarked screams only for it never to come. “You were so excited about it too.”

“If it makes you feel any better babe,” Sunset said, getting back down to her knees and resting her head on Rarity’s legs once more, “I won’t go either. Besides, you wanted to win the crown, and you don’t have to be there for that.”

“Yes,” Rarity’s mouth pursed into a sour line, “I do remember the votes being taken last week. I suppose some things just aren’t meant to be.”

“You mean you aren’t mad?” Sunset perked up, wearing a look halfway between surprise and concern.

“On the contrary, love, I’m quite furious.” Rarity stated matter-of-factly before letting her mouth melt into a warm smile, “But, I’m alive after whatever horrid nightmare happened last afternoon, pardon, two afternoons ago. I’m very grateful for what I have, darling, but I simply cannot have it all.”

“I’m glad you think so because I’m still gonna win the crown,” Sunset teased, gently tapping her fist against Rarity’s leg, “I’ll let you wear it sometimes, I’m a very kind queen.”

Rarity opened her mouth to say something snide back, only for the glasses-less Twilight to interject.

“About what happened the other day.” She almost squeaked, as though she’d been waiting hours to say it, balling her hands into fists and pawing at the air in front of her, not remembering that they were hands. “What happened to you was the result of Equestrian magic coming through the mirror, like what happened with Wallflower Blush.”

Sunset perked up and continued off of the pony-turned-human Twilight’s explanation, “I was able to figure out what had happened to you once I found you on your bed, and tell Twilight — our Twilight — that this was the work of a bee from the Hayseed Swamp.”

“The what, darling?” Rarity tilted her head as much as the, now noticeable, bandages on her face would allow. “Are you telling me I got stung by a bee from, where was it again?”

“The Hayseed Swamp.” The Twilight with glasses answered. “We isolated the type of bee that stung you a few weeks ago to one that was native to the southeastern region of Equestria. They have an extremely painful sting that implants a microscopic egg that moves through the bloodstream to the victim’s face.”

“GROSS!” Rarity’s entire body shook, as though every cell of her body was rejecting the information, “You cannot be serious.”

“You’re actually kind of fortunate, considering that in Equestria they happen to lay several dozen in just one sting.” Princess Twilight lectured in a tone that was improperly cheerful for the subject matter, taking a brief instant to sip from one of the water bottles, hers happened to be bright blue. “However, in Equestria, we have medicine that kills the eggs inside the bloodstream. It’s actually super interesting! The medicine actually calcifies th—”

“I don’t mean to cut you off there, Twilight,” said the other Twilight, who took a seat on the edge of the bed opposite Sunset and took out a notepad from the one pocket that miraculously wasn’t stained. “It is very interesting, but, I think you’d make her faint, or puke, or both, if you went on any longer.”

“Oh, you’re right, my apologies.” Twilight bowed her head and rubbed her arm. “The Rarity in Equestria is the same way.”

“Thank you, darling, I appreciate the discretion.” Rarity gave a slight nod to Princess Twilight and sat up on the bed and turned her view back to the Twilight she went to school with. “So Twilight—”

“Yes?” Both of them spoke at the same time again.

“I— Canterlot Twilight.” Rarity tried again, huffing a breath in and out as she did.

“Yes?”

Rarity shut her eyes and held them closed for long enough to heave a sigh, a lot of her patience exiting on the exhale. She pointed to the Twilight who was scribbling something in her notes in front of her. “This Twilight, how is it that I’m able to walk out of here after just a day? And please, I beg you, please don’t make it so repulsive.” She turned to the other Twilight in the room. “No offense.”

“None taken!” The Princess sang back, “But I will say the story about the cure is less gross and more ingenious on Twilight’s part.”

“Thank you, Twilight!” Beamed Twilight, “She is right about it not being gross. To make a very long story and adventure short, we had to speak with a pony named Mage Meadowbrook who sent all of us, including Twilight’s friends in Equestria, all across the nation searching for ingredients for a ‘healin’ brew’ as she called it.” Twilight must have adjusted her glasses no more than three times throughout the explanation as she flipped through her pages.

“Then,” Sunset shuffled and crossed her legs instead of sitting on her knees, “We drew straws for who would give it to you and… Well, Fluttershy drew the short one.”

“Which one, I take it there were two?” Rarity tilted her head, hiding the anger that was bubbling up inside of her. How could they slip something so alien and so obnoxious into her while she was sleeping, even if it was medicine?

“Our Fluttershy,” Sunset flinched back, expecting a loud scream but none came.

Rarity folded her fingers into one another and rested her hands on her lap, tapping her thumb against her wrist impatiently. “And where is she now?”

Rarity’s mother sliced through the growing tension in the air, “Oh, I think she said something about rounding up all the bees with the others there and then driving them back over into Equestria.”

Rarity bit the inside of her lip and exchanged glances with everyone in the room, “There wasn’t swamp water in this ‘brew’ was there?”

Sunset cringed and sucked a breath through her teeth, “That was one of the first ingredients.”

“You made me drink swamp water?” Rarity’s face and voice both hardened into stone.

“Well,” Everyone in the room talked over one another, before the Twilight with glasses glanced at her notebook and back up at Rarity and took the lead, “Do you really want to know what else was in it?”

The strength was coming back to Rarity in waves throughout the conversation, but the frustration and disgust that racked her only seemed to accelerate the process. “No. No, I do not. I would like to know,” She ground her teeth, “what exactly it did.”

“Well, the first thing it did was dry up all that Hayseed Honey so we could get it all out,” Sunset started, drumming her fingers against Rarity’s thigh.

“Then it allowed for your muscle, tissue, connective tissue, all of that to regenerate partially and without infection.” Twilight pushed her glasses up with the metal spiraling of the notebook. “But it wasn’t able to fully recover all of what you tore off, so there will be some scarring, but other than that, you’re going to be completely alright!”

Rarity looked around the room from her hospital bed, and each of its occupants looked back at her expectantly. The room started to become glassy, not from pain or sorrow as it had a few days ago, but from utter joy. “You… Did all of this for me?”

“Of course we did, Rares!” Sunset took the opportunity to embrace her lover once more, “We’d do just about anything for you. Plus, we have saved the world a couple of times together, after all, so this was nothing!”

The sweet scent of Sunset’s perfume made Rarity want to melt into her arms then and there, but she did her best to return the embrace and remain solid. “Oh, Sunset you smell so heavenly. After what that dreaded thing smelled like, your perfume is giving me life again. Oh!—”

A thought struck her mind with such force that it caused her posture to stiffen upright, “Twilight, er, Princess Twilight,” She rectified herself, lest the two Twilights answer simultaneously again, “Would this potion have worked better had I not clawed away at the… Ugh, whatever-it-was?”

“Uhm…” the Princess’ eyes became unfocused and darted left to right quickly, as though she were examining her memories and rereading them before she hopped off the floor with an ‘eee!’. “If my medical knowledge from Equestria still holds up here, then yes it should have worked better had you not, but, you still would have had a scar in either case. Yours just happens to be larger because…”

“No, no, you’re right!” Rarity picked up where Princess Twilight trailed off, breaking from the embrace with Sunset. “I should be grateful that I’m even alive, it would be unladylike to complain after all you’ve done.”

“I mean,” Sunset ran a hand through Rarity’s hair, “I’d still be upset if I had something like that happen, but I’d also look at it like one more thing to love about myself. And that’s how I see it on you, babe, just another thing to fall in love with.”

“You’re saying this after you saw the abhorrent scene in my room?” Rarity pressed, holding her partner’s face in her hand with a smile.

“I’d say that in the abhorrent scene in your room.” Sunset beamed back as Rarity tugged her face in for a kiss, which she happily and readily obliged. “But you gotta promise me to stop getting hurt, I might just have a heart attack from all the worrying you make me do.”

Rarity’s mother cleared her throat, which didn’t phase the two girls at first, but a second, louder, cough did the job. “So there, lovebirds, I’m sure you could use some space. I know I could use a shower about now, and sleep in an actual bed.” She chuckled to herself.

“I’m sure Spike is going stir-crazy in the castle without me there, I should probably head home too!” The princess giggled, going along with the obvious implication to leave the couple alone.

“And while I would love to stay with you, I have been up for nearly three days trying to make sure you were alright.” Twilight took the glasses off her face, giving them a quick clean with the thin sheet lining the hospital bed.

“Oof, yeah that goes double for me too.” Sunset emphasized the ‘double’ with a peck on Rarity’s cheek. “But, I think I can get some shut-eye here on this janky bed.”

“Oh no you can’t,” Rarity shook her head and retained the love-laced grin that made its home on her face, “You’re gonna go get me my crown.”

“I, wh—huh!?” The spell that came over Sunset when she kissed her girlfriend broke, “You’re telling me you got a hot date in your bed, and you don’t wanna sleep with her.”

“HA!” Rarity snorted before quickly covering her face. “That’s not it at all dear, I just think that you should go to the dance without me. It’s the last Fall Formal of our high school lives, you shouldn’t be spending it in here, you should spend it dancing! But more importantly, getting me that crown.”

“But… Wouldn’t it be so romantic to spend it in here?” Sunset offered as the other three in the room gathered their things to depart.

“You still can, darling, but I want you to enjoy a night out before you spend another one in with me.”

“Oh, if I may?” Twilight put away her notepad and exchanged it for a smartphone. “I could always facetime it to you on your phone, so you could be there too!”

“Twilight?” Sunset and Rarity spoke at the same time, their thoughts becoming one in that very moment.

“Yes?”

“You’re a genius.”

Pride and selflessness were two conflicting emotions that clashed within Rarity at any given moment. Sometimes her vanity would compel her to jump into the center of attention, but other times her generosity would urge her to give it to others. Sometimes she spent her money on beauty products, and sometimes she donated it to charity. And sometimes, she forsook going to the dance she’d been looking forward to all year because it would make her girlfriend happier to go.

Though Sunset said she didn’t want to go initially, it was clear from how long they’d been together that she was stretching the truth in some measure, and so Rarity had to be content with living through the experience secondhand through her girlfriend. Initially, she’d figured that most of the enjoyment would have been lost since she wasn’t there feeling the music Vinyl mixed, or dancing with her partner underneath the disco ball, but she was surprised when she found herself dancing in what limited motion the bed allowed. Even more so when she found herself biting her nails when they began turning the music down and the crowd hushed.

Principal Celestia took her place behind the turntables flanked on either side by enormous speakers, which took up almost all of one side of the gym. Her dress was an immaculate red sequin, and if Rarity hadn’t been served detention by her before, she would swear that she was a model on the cover of Vogue.

Admiration turned to anticipation turned to impatience. Rarity remembered holding her breath when she announced that they’d counted the votes and a King and Queen would be announced shortly, and how it nearly blindsided her when Celestia announced the Fall Formal King first.

While she was happy for Big Mac, who accepted his crown with characteristic bashfulness and timidity, she was watching only to see if she won.

Then Principal Celestia took out the rhinestone-studded tiara that made her heart soar. She remembered nearly biting through her nails when she said that the vote was very close, in fact, the winner was decided by only one vote difference.

And then wanting to launch her phone across the room when the feed cut to her reflection in the phone. Her battery had suddenly severed her from glory, and righteous vengeance described her rage only in half-measure.

The next hour and a half stewed her discontent and simmered it down into brooding impatience. She knew that at any moment, Sunset would burst through the door either gloating or congratulating her. If she was feeling particularly mean, she’d congratulate her, put the crown on her head, only to then take it back and snicker. But just as quick as the thought came, Rarity banished it as an anger-induced fantasy.

Just as she was beginning to reach for the light to go to sleep, thinking that Sunset had decided to come by in the morning, the handle on the door jiggled and its noise echoed across the painfully quiet room.

The heavy door swung open to reveal the most extravagant, the most ravishing, and the most decadent black dress Rarity had ever laid eyes on, along with the most beautiful girl in the world that wore it. Sunset was never one for dresses, favoring t-shirts and button-up shirts, but whenever she did, it was like falling in love all over again.

Rarity moved her eyes up, savoring every bit of what she saw in both the dress and its wearer until she got to her face. She hadn’t known who had done Sunset’s makeup, but whoever did was a miracle worker. All signs of stress and tiredness were erased, and every single beauty on her face was magnified. Then she laid eyes on the crown that laid atop her head, and her stomach dropped to her knees, and the grin she wore so wide that it hurt fell into one of pure politeness.

“Babe, I have one thing to say to you.” Sunset’s hand vibrated in front of her chest with glee, in fact, her whole body seemed to shudder with overflowing joy, her eyes shining with the brightness of a hundred stars.

“And that is?” Rarity’s voice was as mild as ice water.

“Congrats!” Sunset beamed, launching herself into an embrace with her girlfriend so tight that it would make a vice blush were it capable.

“I… Won?” Rarity croaked, her breath being taken from her by the closeness of the hug.

“That’s right, I was just keeping the crown warm for you, Your Highness.” Sunset pulled away and got on her knees, taking the crown off her head of offering it up. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“You mean…”

“Yep!” Sunset braced for one of her partner’s screams, and this time it came, though it was much more muted than usual.

Rarity let out a long squeak before clasping her hands over her mouth, drawing in a trembling breath. Naturally, Rarity wanted this victory, as she applied and campaigned for it on those exact hopes, but she always relegated her hopes for such a triumph to the back of her mind, but here was the crown. Her crown.

Rarity reached out to claim it, only for Sunset to pull it away.

“Ah, ah, ah.” She giggled, narrowing her eyes and brandishing a wide grin. “Who’s the best girlfriend in the world?”

“You! Obviously!” Rarity returned the laugh and reached out again for the crown, only to again have it swiped back.

“Mmm, I’m thinking I’m owed back kisses over the past few days.” The smugness on Sunset’s face could’ve put Trixie to shame. “I have been jonesing for them.”

Rarity wasn’t sure if her heart wanted to thump or melt. “I’ll kiss you a million times, and a million more after that my love. Now please.”

“I’ve got a better idea.” Sunset swiveled behind her and set the crown on the chair behind her before standing up and grabbing the side of Rarity’s face with one hand, and the top of her waist with the other and pulling her into a kiss that had more depth than the sky had height. Time seemed to flutter away from them as their lips melded into one another, and the entire world fell away in their tenderness.

When the kiss finally broke, Sunset couldn’t help herself and went in for another, albeit much quicker, peck before turning around and grabbing the crown from the chair, and donning an air of regality. “Miss Rarity Belle, first of her name, and beauty of the whole of Canterlot, I do decree that from this day forward, you shall be called: Queen Rarity.”

Sunset gingerly, softly, set the crown on her head and kissed her cheek. “Long may she reign.”

“Come here, you!” Rarity pulled her down into the bed beside her and ravaged her with dozens of kisses all up and down her chest, her neck, and her face before finally reaching one final peck on the lips and letting the silence draw in as they stared on into one another’s eyes. “I love you, Sunset.”

“I love you too, Your Majesty.”

Author's Note

Thank you so much for reading!! This was a fic I've had in the works for some time now, and this is the culmination of many rewrites, enduring the withdrawal of quitting caffeine during the writing process, and almost 10 continuous days of writing and revising! I hope you really enjoyed this weird fic, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

All the best
~ Ruby