The Trials of the Elements
LOYALTY
Because, when one loses everything, they no longer have anything to lose.
"Sorry girls, I'm kinda busy." The cyan speedster said from her cloud perch, looking over her five best friends.
"But Dashie~" Pinkie whined. "We can't do this without you."
"Look, as much as I'd love to get my hair tortured at the spa, I'm on weather duty, and I really can't be distracted."
Rarity raised an eyebrow at that statement.
"Dashie!" Pinkie yelled. "You said that last time!"
"Because I was busy then." Rainbow groused.
"And you Pinkie Promised that we'd hang out on Tuesday!"
"Once again, working. And you kinda forced me to promise you, but then I told my boss and she said I had to work."
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Pinkie growled, somewhat scaring the surrounding ponies with her lack of normal bouncy joy.
"I told you, Derpy sprained my wing and I couldn't work." Rainbow crossed her forelegs. "And before you ask, no, I was not ok to walk around."
"But-"
"She has a point." Twilight raised a hoof. "I once sprained my neck. I couldn't walk around due to the movement causing me pain."
"Ah have many-a-time mahself." Applejack added, much to Pinkie's less-than-subtle anger. "Once on mah birthday, for cryin' out loud."
"See?" Rainbow gestured to the two ponies while staring at her pink friend. "They know what it's like."
"But," Twilight started. "Spraining a wing may be different as they aren't as needed for walking. Am I right?"
Fluttershy, who until then had been hiding behind the farmer, nodded. "I've... um, sprained my wing before. I was alright to walk."
"See?" Pinkie mimicked Rainbow, but with a more aggressive tone. "She's sprained her wing before."
"Fluttershy isn't exactly the 'flying-type', while I am!" Rainbow yelled. "No offence, Flutters."
Fluttershy dismissed the comment with her hoof. It was true, after all, and she wasn't ashamed by that.
"I fly so often they kinda work on their own. And even if I did come, I'd be in no mood to have any fun."
Pinkie remained quiet except for a low growl.
"And to be completely honest, I really don't like the spa."
"But darling, you're missing out on one of the most wonderful sensations known to a mare." Rarity said dramatically, cranking the feminism to 11.
"Too much sitting still." Dash deadpanned. "Look, I'd really like to hang out, but I'm really busy, and-"
"DASH!" A stern mare's voice shot out from nearby clouds.
"Uh oh."
A blue pegasus with a slightly poofy red mane alighted next to Rainbow's cloud, looking very angry. "What the hay are you doing?"
"Ma'am, let me explain-"
"No, let me explain." She cut her off. "You're slacking off, wasting your time with those five groundwalkers. Now get back to work or I'll dock your pay."
"With all due respect, ma'am, but I was just explaining why I'm too busy to hang out with them today." Rainbow replied with venom. "And don't you dare call these girls groundwalkers."
The pegasus looked down on her before taking off. "You've got five minutes with the groundwalkers." She flew off with what a pegasus would translate to as the same as storming off in anger.
Rainbow turned to the girls. "Sorry, we're kinda understaffed ever since Derpy brought a storm to HQ. And I'm very sorry she was rude to you guys."
"She was rude?" Rarity questioned.
Applejack huffed. "Groundwalkers. Ain't nothin' wrong with us."
"Amen to that." Pinkie replied, seeming to be a little happier.
Rainbow smiled before her eyes fell on Fluttershy. The butter pegasus was on the ground, silently bawling. Dash's heart sank.
"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry, Fluttershy." She said, leaping down to comfort her.
"What's wrong?" Twilight asked, somewhat clueless.
"You know how she called you guys groundwalkers?" Rainbow looked up, still stroking her friend's mane.
"It's an old pegasus insult against unicorns and earth ponies." Rarity added, then the implication finally sunk in. "Oh my..."
"It's also a really, really, really mean insult against pegasi who don't seem flighty enough." Pinkie continued.
Twilight stared blankly before it finally hit. "And she called Fluttershy a groundwalker."
"That..." Applejack struggled for a word, but snarled instead.
"Even though Flutters isn't that eager to live in the clouds like I am," Dash continued. "She's had some bad experience in flight school."
Fluttershy sat up slowly, still crying. "S-she probably didn't mean it... I-I mean, I had my wings h-hidden and..."
"Hey, take it easy, 'Shy..." Rainbow pulled her friend close, before releasing her and turning to the bank of clouds. "I'm gonna have some words with Rainbowshine, and then I'll see you girls later."
Rainbow took off easily, her natural flight instincts working in an instant. Pinkie looked up and gave her a grin. "Go tell that meanie-mean meanie-pants who's the pegasus around!"
The cyan mare smiled and saluted, before taking off.
Two hours later, and one after the spa treatment, the five mares were at Sugar Cube Corner, eating or drinking whatever they were craving.
"Hey, does anypony know when Rainbow's shift end?" Twilight said after swallowing a chunk of brownie.
"She's usually done around three in the afternoon." Fluttershy replied, holding a juice box. "But lately she's been working until sunset."
"So we have between..." Applejack tried some quick arithmetic. "Uh..."
"It's midday now, so we have between three and seven or so hours before we can see her." Rarity finished, sipping her coffee. Applejack gave her a look, which only made the white mare grin slightly.
"Well, I hope she's in a super-duper good mood after it anyway." Pinkie said while icing a cupcake perfectly with her hooves. "That's why I'm making a special cupcake just for her."
Twilight smiled at the gesture. "Just don't force it on her if she is in a foul mood."
Just then, the pegasus in question shoved the door open. Her mane was a mess, her eyes bloodshot and her coat somewhat soggy underneath them.
Pinkie skidded across the floor to greet her friend, grinning like a maniac. "Hey Dashie, here's a cupcake!" She raised one of Rainbow's hooves and placed the cupcake on it. Rainbow stared at if for a few seconds as Pinkie slid back.
Much to the party pony's surprise, Rainbow simply put it on a table and slumped down hard in the closest seat, sighing. Pinkie's smile dropped.
"Are you alright, sugarcube?" Applejack asked with concern.
Rainbow let out a low growl which ended in a loud volume. "Rainbowshine bucking fired me!"
Everyone turned silent as the pegasus breathed heavily.
"She said I was wasting too much time with my friends and not considering my duty to the Weather Patrol." She rested her head in her hooves. "She said that because a few more ponies fell ill, I have to work 12/7. No bucking extra pay."
Nopony dared move to comfort the pegasus.
"That, or it was suspension from work for three weeks with no pay at all."
"So... you weren't technically fired?"
"It's three bucking weeks without a job." Rainbow growled. "Which means no bits to spend on things." Her head slammed on the table. "This bucking sucks..."
"Darling, watch your language." Rarity reflexively responded before she could stop herself. Rainbow just glared at her.
"How would you feel if you lost your only bucking source of income for three weeks?" Rainbow snarled.
"I'd be absolutely devastated." Rarity replied.
"Yeah, now you know why."
"Um... Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy started.
"What?" Rainbow replied with venom, causing the butter pegasus to flinch. When Rainbow didn't soften up after seeing her fillyhood friend cowering from her, Fluttershy cowered more.
"N-n-n-never mind..." She continued quietly.
Pinkie leapt between the two. "Hey, don't be a meanie pants!"
"Are you even aware of what's happened, Pinks?" Rainbow said, standing up. "I. Lost. My. Job." She poked the pink pony in the chest with each word.
"But that's no reason to be-"
Rainbow growled. "Just shut up for once, Pinkie Pie!"
Pinkie took a step back, looking shocked and very much hurt. Tears were starting to well up from the corners of her eyes.
"I don't need you lecturing me, not now, not ever!"
"D-dashie...?"
"Shut up! It's your fault that I lost my job!"
"W-wha-" Pinkie started, before being cut off by a mad pegasus.
"You're practically forcing me to hang out with you, even you know I'm busy!"
"I was never forcing you!" Pinkie yelled back, suddenly full of similar anger.
"Your stupid bucking Pinkie Promises force ponies to do things that you think should happen!"
"You shouldn't have made a Pinkie Promise when you knew you were busy!"
"And you shouldn't have invented the bucking thing in the first place!"
Rainbow grabbed the cupcake and threw it hard on the ground. It hit in front of Pinkie, spattering her with rainbow frosting. Pinkie stared at the cupcake in shock, like somepony's blood had just been dashed across her chest.
"Now just leave me alone!" Rainbow flew off, tearing the hinges off the door.
Pinkie continued to stare at the icing. To her, the cupcake was a symbol of her friendship to Rainbow Dash. And it had just been beaten across the floor by that same friend.
Everyone in the room was watching her, including the Cakes who had just entered after hearing the commotion. Pinkie's eyes started tearing up.
"D... Dash..." She finally said with a sniff, her mane deflating quickly. Finally she broke into tears and galloped up the stairs, sobbing loudly.
"Oh dear." Twilight murmured.
"D'ya think Dash really meant what she said?" Applejack looked at the six ponies in the room with concern.
"S-she's probably really really stressed..." Fluttershy replied, picking herself up. She was shaken to the core, but doing far better than anypony would've imagined. "I-I mean, she has cracked like this before..."
"Really?"
Fluttershy nodded. "It's the reason she dropped out of Flight School. She was protecting me, and ended up failing school because of her lack of attendance. She... She yelled like that, to me..." She sniffed. "I-I thought she'd never want to see me again..."
"And yet, she remained loyal." Rarity muttered her reply, looking at her coffee.
"But... This time she was louder. And meaner..." Fluttershy gulped. "She might not come back..."
Twilight sighed. "And, from an objective view, she'd lose her connection with the Elements of Harmony." She gasped loudly. "And that means we'd lose the ability to defeat someone like Discord."
"Well, what do we do now?" Applejack asked.
"We can't do anything except wait." Rarity replied. "If we try to bring her back, she'll move further away from us."
"Oh... My..."
Rainbow destroyed a cloud in one fell swoop, a hard kick to its side. Ironically, she had set the cloud up that morning, though in her rage she didn't even care.
"Stupid..."
Another kick to a cloud. This one burst into water, drenching the field beneath it.
"Bucking..."
She kicked again, and this cloud crackled into lightning. None of it hit her, fortunately, but something underneath was charred.
"Pinkie!"
She kicked harder, somewhat surprised to hear a squeak and a flutter of wings alongside a more solid form. She turned to face a grey pegasus covering her nose, eyes closed.
"Owie..." The grey pegasus mumbled.
"Derpy." Rainbow, despite feeling sorry for hurting the mare, just remembered that the same pegasus had given most of the weather team burns that put them in various stages of hospitalisation.
"You've got a good kick." The cheery pegasus opened an eye, and stopped smiling from under her hooves. "Oh my gosh, are you ok?"
"No." Rainbow admitted. "I've just been suspended for three weeks."
Derpy's open eye widened. "Oh dear."
"All because Pinkie wants to bucking hang out while I'm working extra shifts." She kicked another cloud. "And the only reason I'm working overtime is because you fried half the weather team!"
Derpy removed her hooves from her muzzle. "Oh yeah, that..."
"Yes, that. Derpy, your Cutie Mark's bucking bubbles-"
"Water droplets." Derpy deadpanned.
"-Not bucking lightning. Why the hay were you working with thunderclouds?"
"I..." She looked guilty. "I made a bet with Thunderlane, ok? I said I could do his job, and he could do mine for one shift. I-I mean, how was I supposed to know that L-types were activated when you jump on them too hard?"
"Oh, I don't know, it's in the bucking Weather Patrol Hoofbook! How the hay could you not know that?!"
"I have trouble reading, ok?" Derpy replied, looking at her with wonky eyes.
"With eyes like those, of course you do."
"And my stress-activated dyslexia." Derpy added.
"You have dyslexia?"
"Or it really could be just the eyes. I can't remember whether the doc said dyslexia or myopia or something else ending in 'ia'."
Rainbow just stared at her, half annoyed and half confused. "Look, I really need some time to cool down. Can you, I dunno, go away so I can break clouds in peace?"
"You know I have to replace those."
"Like I care." Rainbow started drifting back to her home. "Whatever, I'm gonna break clouds somewhere else."
As the cyan mare left, the door below where she was opened. "Derpy, what are you doing here?"
"Hey Carrot Top." Derpy alighted the ground next to her. "Dash was just relieving some-"
Carrot Top shrieked, staring at her now-soaked carrot patch.
"...Tension." She finished guiltily.
The Weather Patrol's doing fine without me, I see. Rainbow thought, flying through a storm that had been set up near Fluttershy's cottage. She couldn't destroy these, they were charged. She realised that it has been by sheer dumb luck that that stormcloud had burst away from her.
She simply hovered, willing the wind to carry her wherever. She simply didn't have the energy to head home, not now. Her rage had burnt up, simply leaving her hollow.
"Maybe I should go and apologise..." Rainbow muttered, then shook her head. "No way. They won't want me coming back after all this."
For a good while she drifted, her wings somehow remaining light enough to keep her flying. When she shook herself out of her headspace she found herself drifting over the Everfree Forest. She scanned the area for threats and, finding none, relaxed.
"Whew, that was close. Time to head back and-" A loud roar interrupted her, and she turned to face the noise.
A Hydra. One with at least six heads. It was hard to tell with it flailing around while it was being shot at by purple magic.
Purple magic?!
Rainbow sped closer, and found a familiar purple unicorn casting bolts of magic from her horn. Most of the bolts missed, and the ones that did hit turned to magic dust on impact. Around the Hydra's large feet were Applejack and Rarity, the former kicking with all her might, the latter... using a sword.
Rarity has a sword?
Pinkie was laying down covering fire with her party cannon, the confectionary and party gear splatting harmlessly against the Hydra.
Fluttershy, naturally, was hiding behind Twilight.
Applejack kicked particularly hard, which bothered the Hydra. The beast kicked Applejack into Twilight, sending the three ponies flying. Pinkie continued her assault, but her strange weapon was crushed underfoot and blew up, spattering a large area and knocking the pink pony far. Rarity stopped her assaults as soon as Applejack was sent flying, and ran towards her stunned companions.
***
"Applejack!" Rarity cried as she dodged a stomp from the Hydra. Same stomp his Pinkie's contraption, detonating whatever was inside. Cake batter and ice cream sprayed out in all directions, sent flying by an invisible explosion. She was spattered with the mix, but despite her normal behaviour diligently ignored it.
That didn't stop her wiping some off when she helped Applejack up.
Twilight looked up at the Hydra. "Darn... I'm running low on magic."
"Mah kicks ain't doin' anythin' against this beastie." Applejack said, now helping Fluttershy up.
"I'm close to burning out." Rarity added, flicking the sword in a dynamic fashion and wincing.
"I-I can't do anything." Fluttershy said quietly, the roar of the Hydra making her inaudible.
"And he destroyed my Party Cannon!" Pinkie screamed at the beast. "You will pay for your crimes, meanie!"
The Hydra looked at them with twelve hungry eyes, and charged.
"Well, it was nice knowing you." Twilight responded.
"At least I could die with my mane intact." Rarity muttered, flicking cake out of her hair.
The beast lunged, but stopped short of eating Applejack. Then its surprised head shot back, a rainbow ball pressing against its chest. The creature was knocked onto its back, and the rainbow bolt arced around and landed hard in front of them.
Out of the dust cloud a rainbow tail flicked out. "Sorry I took so long."
"R-rainbow Dash?" Twilight stammered, seeing the pegasus in full once the dust cleared. Rainbow turned back to face them.
"What? I'm Deus Ex Machina incarnate." She let off a grin, and then looked at the sword at Rarity's hooves. "Mind if I use that?"
"What in tarnation are y'all doing here?" Applejack looked at her, confused. "Ah though-"
Rainbow grabbed the sword without Rarity's consent, and flashed another grin. "Saving your flanks and probably going to die in the process." She took off without another word, charging straight for the Hydra.
The Hydra shot one of its heads at Rainbow, who dodged easily and sunk the blade in its throat. A gem on the sword glowed and as she sliced the Hydra's flesh a searing beam of light cut through the rest of its neck. As the head dropped down she looked at the sword in confusion.
"Woah. Cool." She grinned, only to be batted to the ground by the Hydra's head. The impact didn't do much except stun her and send the sword flying. It embedded itself far off, but not impossible for her to grab in a dash.
Except that one of the remaining heads broke it in half.
She looked up as the same head burst into flames, shrieking wildly. She turned onto her back and saw that the neck of the head she had just severed split in two and grew two new heads.
"Oh buck." She muttered, before dodging a claw smashing beside her. She bolted for the remains of the sword, and caught it in her teeth. She turned to the Hydra. "Hey, you big dummy!"
The seven heads turned to face her, one of which fell off because it was on fire.
"Come and get me!" She taunted, tossing the sword-piece into her hooves.
The two creatures charged. Before Rainbow could sink the blade into its chest, the Hydra swung a claw at her and cut deep along her side. Her wing was, miraculously, undamaged.
The knock sent her flying in front of her five friends. She screamed as she landed on her wounds.
"Rainbow!" Pinkie yelled, running to her aid.
"Go!" Rainbow called out, coughing out a little blood.
"But-"
"I said go! I ain't dying just to let you guys die too!" She struggled up, and turned to face the Hydra. The burning head's neck split into two new heads, totalling eight heads now.
She grinned, and opened her wings.
"Come on, ya big lug!" She bellowed. The Hydra charged again.
She took off.
She flew blade-first, striking the Hydra dead-centre in the chest. The beast screamed in eight slightly different voices. And yet she kept pushing.
Her wings were growing sore, but she still pressed on, her sheer wingpower dragging the Hydra across the dirt. The beast slashed a few more times, only cutting her deeply, but not as deeply as before.
The Hydra paused at the top of a cliff, leading into a ravine full of sharp rocks. A few heads looked down wearily, the others focussed on the mare.
Rainbow saw it too, and smirked. "Can't fly, can you?"
Before the creature could possibly reply, she pushed even harder, using her entire wingpower to tip it over the edge. Just as she pushed it down, one of its heads gripped onto her tightly, sinking teeth into her. She was yanked out of the sky, and saw the ravine walls speeding along fast.
She smiled calmly, both relieved that she had saved her friends, and from the lack of blood helping her. And she passed out before she hit the bottom.
"Ugh..." She muttered before her other senses switched back on. "I feel like manure..."
She heard mumbling, but her ears hadn't woken up. When she heard Twilight's voice slowly come into focus, she opened her eyes and closed them again when the bright light stung.
"Dash?" Twilight's voice.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Are you feeling alright?"
"No..." She coughed, and then opened her eyes slowly. All five of her friends were around her, as well as the doctor from when she had broken her wing. "Hey Doc..."
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash." He replied with professional warmness. "Good to see you awake."
"What time is it?"
"Nine in the morning."
"Good." She sighed. "Isn't that long."
"Sunday."
Her eyes widened. "It's been three days?"
"Ten, actually."
"Whoa. That long, huh?"
Rarity nodded. "Don't worry, you're healing quite fine, from what I've heard."
"How long till I fly?"
"Well, your wings weren't damaged much, so I think you'd technically be good to fly now. But-"
Before Rainbow Dash could take off to celebrate, she froze. "Huh?"
"The wounds to your body aren't as good. You'll have to stay a few days."
"Aww..." She muttered. "But I'm fine otherwise?"
The doctor nodded.
Rainbow barely got a word out when a pink shape tackle-hugged her. She winced as she felt her wounds being pressed.
"OH MY GOSH YOU'RE OK, DASHIE, I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU AFTER YOU-!"
"Pinkie?"
Pinkie looked at the rainbow maned pegasus. "Yes?"
"My wounds. You're hurting them."
Pinkie looked where Rainbow's hoof was pointing, then back up with an embarrassed blush as she pulled back. "Sorry, I kinda got carried away..."
"It's fine, Pinks." She turned to her friends in general. "In fact, I should be the one apologising. I kinda got stressed a hay-of-a-lot back at Sugar Cube Corner, and I kinda snapped. Trust me, it isn't the first time."
"Aw, it's ok, sugarcube." Applejack replied happily.
"But why did you decide to help us after that anyway?" Twilight pondered.
Rainbow thought it over. "You guys are my friends, and even if I argue with you I'd still save you from death by Hydra if it came to that." She chuckled. "Glad I didn't die myself."
"Fluttershy here refused to let you go." Rarity wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy, who looked up bashfully from behind her mane. "And neither would we."
"Thanks guys." Rainbow smiled, leaning back.
The five mares smiled, and all wrapped the battle-worn pegasus in a tight group hug.
"Girls?"
The five mares turned to face her, smiling. Rainbow herself was beaming widely, though in a little pain too.
"You're hurting me again." She said with a chuckle.
The Trials of the Elements
GENEROSITY
One must sometimes stop giving small in order to give greater.
"Aaaaand..." The white unicorn poked the sharpened point of the needle into the fabric, then pulled gingerly, a purple thread following it through the puncture. The fabric pulled itself together, the thread locking them in place. Rarity cut the string with a blade of magic, sealing the act. "Done. Now, all that's left is to wash the fabric."
The pleased fashionista drifted her newest creation to the washroom, where her cleaning board sat calmly in its bucket. These days ponies had access to automatic washing machines, but Rarity firmly believed that her clothing would be of higher quality if it were washed with the care of her work.
It seemed to work, at least.
Rarity slowly cleaned her artwork, removing any imperfections and dirt from its surface. After an hour of careful washing, she hung the piece out to dry.
"Hey sis!" A familiar voice called out. Rarity turned to face her sister.
"Hello, Sweetie Belle." She flicked the fabric out in an attempt to straighten it. "How was school?"
"Really good." She chimed, trotting up. "We learnt something about pony bodies." She paused, looking at the limp fabric. "Ooh, that looks pretty."
"Why thank you. I just made it this afternoon." She turned her attention to the filly beside her. "What sort of thing did you learn about ponies?"
"Lots of things!" Sweetie Belle bounced happily. "Like, how the heart pumps blood around and there's, like, five litres of the stuff in there."
"A lesson on the circulatory system?"
"Yeah!" She looked at her flank. "Hey, maybe I could get a cutie mark in circul... circulararoty?"
"Circulatory."
"That! Something to do with that!"
Cutie Mark Crusader Open Heart Surgeon. Rarity thought with horror. "Perhaps..."
"Hey, sis?"
"Mm?" Rarity tilted her head.
"You said you were making a dress for me for the dance that's coming up." She recalled. "It's in a week, have you started it yet?"
Rarity sighed. "No, I haven't. I give you my word, I will have one ready for you."
"And... What if you don't?"
The fashionista cringed.
"I mean, I know you're busy and all, so you might not have time."
She's being very perceptive. Rarity thought. "Nonsense, Sweetie, I'll have a dress for you in no time."
Sweetie Belle immediately beamed, and hugged her older sister. "Thanks a bunch, sis!" She immediately ran off. Rarity swore she could barely hear servos as she galloped, but dismissed the thought.
I've been reading too much science-fiction. She chuckled. But now, I need to check my inventory.
On her bed lay a pile of fabric that would be suitable for Sweetie Belle. Her sister had asked for something simple and flexible, as it was not a formal event like she was used to catering for. But that wasn't on her mind.
"I'm down on my quota." She said, immediately recognising the slight lack of bits in her safe. "Curse this summer, nopony buys clothing."
Rarity pulled the bits out and counted. "879 bits. While that's more than enough for me to live and restock..." She looked at the pile, sighing. "I still have the other thing. And it's five days until I have to contribute..." She moaned.
"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle poked her head in. "Are you ok?"
The fashionista glanced up. "Oh, yes, yes, perfectly fine. I'm just a little short on bits."
Sweetie Belle nodded. "How much do you need?"
"About 121 bits."
The filly's eyes widened. "That's a lot. Is it going to come out of my pocket money?"
"Sweetie, don't worry, your money is safe. I need it in five days and your ten-bits-a-week won't cut it."
She sighed. "Well, I've got a sleepover at Applejack's today, so I'll see you later."
Rarity waved her off with a hoof. As soon as the door slammed shut, she sighed loudly. "How am I going to fill my quota?"
Day 5
The sun beat down on the fashionista's home and work location. Today was a particularly hot day, though the Weather Patrol said some storms were rolling in that afternoon.
Heat soaked through the window, slowly cooking the room. Rarity stood in the middle, sweating as sunlight hit her alabaster coat. Her mane was looking frazzled from stress, which the heat and said mane weren't helping with.
She was just about to give up when a customer walked through the door, the bell jingling. She immediately raced up, and flashed a smile.
"Hello, and welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is Unique, Chique and Magnifique." She repeated from habit. "How can I help you?"
Her hot and bothered mind finally recognised the stallion who had entered. It was the wealthiest pony in Ponyville, Filthy Rich. "You can, actually." He replied with slight self-importance.
"Do tell." She could barely contain her excitement.
"My little daughter, Diamond Tiara, needs a dress for a dance event that's coming up." Behind the stallion, a small pink filly wearing a tiara slid out. She wore a greater air of importance.
"Well, lucky for you I have some stock out-" She was interrupted by a sharp noise and a raised hoof from the filly.
"Daddy means a custom dress. I need to look better than everypony else, especially those Cutie Mark Crusaders." She said the name of the rag-tag team of adventurers with venom.
Rarity's blood simmered. This was the filly that Sweetie Belle, her own little sister, told her had teased her about her lack of Cutie Mark, and had effectively forced her to reprint her diary in the Foal Free Press.
Though, it didn't seem that Diamond could draw a comparison between the two.
"Well, that requires fitting, planning, customer input-"
"Just do it." The filly demanded.
Rarity scoffed. "Well, if you're going to behave like that, I shan't make you a custom dress."
Both customers levelled a glare. Rarity didn't falter.
"And I'll have you know that custom dresses take time and cost extra."
"Price is no issue." The stallion replied. "I just want my Diamond to be happy."
"Well, as long as she can behave, I'll gladly create a magnificent dress for her." Rarity said with a smile.
***
The three most exhausting hours of her life passed, barely.
The filly had a custom dress that looked stunning on her. This both pleased Rarity and sickened her.
"Well, what do you think?"
Diamond shot a few different poses. "I thought I'd never say this, but this looks good."
Rarity smiled, and turned to Filthy Rich. "Now, about payment."
"As I said, it is no issue."
"Eighty bits."
Filthy's eyes widened slightly. "Eighty bits? That's a little steep for just a dress."
"Filly-sized dresses are normally 50% of the materials, but for custom dresses I factor in the full cost of the material and a set 20-bit fee for working on them."
"Perhaps a discount for distinguished customers?" He said, pointing to a rarely-seen sign.
"While I'd love to give you a discount, Mr Rich," Rarity continued. "I have a quota to fill, and I'm afraid I cannot spare one."
Filthy rolled the information in his mind. "And what is this... quota you have to fill?"
"That is private information of Carousel Boutique, I'm afraid. But anyway, payment is required."
"I'm afraid I won't pay so much for this dress." He said sternly.
Rarity sighed. Time to play my moves. "Then you leave me no choice." She turned to the filly, horn glowing. In a flash of light the dress teleported to the air above the filly. The fashionista lifted the dress out of range.
"Hey, what are you doing to my dress?!" The filly protested.
"Your father refuses to pay, so therefore this is no longer your dress."
"But-!"
"Now now, don't worry, I'm sure your father could happily buy you another, less-expensive dress from my standard line." She looked at the dress in her magic, and stroked a hand along the fabric. "And I'm sure another filly could happily fill out this dress. Everyone wins."
"Daddy!" Diamond moaned. "You said you'd get me a special dress! You promised!"
"You Pinkie Promised!" Pinkie said from out of a bucket of fabric.
For a whole three seconds they watched the pink pony in utter shock as she lowered herself back through the bucket. Filthy snapped back to reality first.
"Well, unless I want cake raining down on the pool again..." He sighed, and pulled out a large sack. "Here you go, Miss Rarity."
Rarity opened the sack and counted the bits. "Exactly eighty." She handed the dress back. "Pleasure doing business with you."
Diamond snatched the dress from its magic aura greedily. "I can't wait to show those blank-flanks this."
"I recommend saving the surprise until the dance." Rarity said. "One will make a larger impact that way." And it gives me time to make Sweetie Belle's dress even better.
The filly pondered. "You know, that's a good idea." She smiled rather... menacingly. "Let's go." She trotted off happily.
Rich turned to Rarity. "Pleasure doing business with you." He added with a little venom.
"See you again." Rarity replied with equal venom as he left.
She smiled, then grabbed the bits. "Only 41 more to go."
"Consorting with the enemy?" A rather irritated, all-too-familiar voice shot out. "Great, now even my sister's against me."
She snapped her head back. Sweetie Belle was slowly trotting up, glaring daggers at her. "Sweetie, I can-"
"You haven't even designed my dress, and yet you spent the past three hours making a really nice one for the pony that bullies me!" She yelled, pointing to the workroom. "What sort of sister are you?"
"This was business." Rarity replied. "I really need to fill this quota."
"Can you forget about your stupid quota and focus on your own sister for once?"
"Sweetie-"
"I don't want to hear another lame excuse for helping Diamond Tiara." Sweetie Belle turned. "When you want to admit the truth, I'll be in my room." She turned and walked away, her gait reflecting the sour mood she was in.
"Oh, what have I done?" Rarity said to herself with despair. "I've been so caught up with my quota, I let it get the better of me." She fell to the ground, sobbing dramatically. A second later, she shot up, gasping. "From now on, the quota can wait until I have finished my sister's dress!" She smiled. "And as Celestia is my witness, I will not betray my sister again!"
Day 3
Rarity collapsed on the couch she had dragged across the floor in an overly-dramatic fashion. She sighed with sheer exhaustion, the two-day's toll of working finally catching up with her.
"Finally, it is complete..." She said quietly to herself. She scanned her latest work, a dress that perfectly matched her sister's colours and form, built with practicality in mind. In a short story, it both looked better than what Diamond had, but it its own elegant way. And the chances of Sweetie Belle destroying it were slim. It was, to say the least, perfect.
It was late at night, having been working for at least 12 hours or more that day and the day before, but she had finally completed it.
"Sis?" Sweetie Belle's voice snapped her mind to reality. Rarity flailed and fell of the couch, immediately picking herself up afterwards.
"Sweetie Belle, hi, how can I help?"
"Umm..." Sweetie Belle scuffed the ground with her hoof, looking down, embarrassed. This gave Rarity a chance to hide the dress quickly, as to keep the surprise. "I just wanna apologise for yelling at you earlier. It was mean of me."
"Apology accepted." Rarity smiled. "I'm sorry, but I'm a little busy at the moment, and once I'm done I'll be heading straight to bed. But that's what tomorrow's for."
Sweetie Belle looked up, a mix of joy and disappointment in her eyes. "Oh, ok. Um..." She looked around nervously, then bolted up and wrapped her hooves around the mare, before running with equal speed out of the room. "Good night, Rarity!"
"Good night!" Rarity waved her off with her hoof. "And now..." She turned to her pile of bits. "I need to figure how to deal with this." She smacked her hoof. "41 bits..."
Day 2
Rarity had a terrible morning.
Her back was sore, it was too warm, and the constant worry about the quota prevented her from getting enough sleep.
And Sweetie Belle made breakfast again.
Now, she was strolling through the market, looking for any place that she could sell anything at. She found none.
Her walking eventually led her to a nearby park bench, where she fell on and sighed. She shut her eyes for a moment, but they burst open at the sound of wings tearing through the sky. Her gaze followed the familiar spectral trail of her pegasus friend, Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow seemed to notice the white unicorn, as she dived down and landed hard, kicking up dirt. Rarity got a lungful of dust, and coughed violently.
"Hey Rarity." Rainbow greeted her cheerily. "What's up?"
"Hello Rainbow-" Rarity coughed again. "-Dash." She finished coughing, and then faced her friend. "I'm not doing too well I'm afraid."
"Darn." Rainbow folded her wings and walked over. "Dealt with an annoying pony at work?"
"Amongst other things, yes." She sighed. "I'm a little short on money at the moment."
"Darn. Do you need any? I've got some bits to spare."
"I need about 41 bits."
Rainbow backpedalled. "Woah woah woah, did you say forty?"
Rarity nodded slowly. "I'd normally be able to cover it, but I'm afraid the summer is driving business away."
"Forty bits is, like, a toaster or something. You could sell your toaster."
"Trust me, nopony would want to buy it after what Sweetie Belle tried to do."
"Tried cooking eggs with it?"
Rarity blinked, looking at her friend in confusion. "How-"
"I've done it before."
"... Well, anyway, I need forty-one bits in a short amount of time."
"How long are we talking here?"
"Tomorrow night."
The pegasus' mouth gaped open. "You're kidding me."
"I wish I was." Rarity said quietly. "How much can you spare?"
"About ten bits, tops." Rainbow dug into the bad she was wearing and pulled out a little sack of bits. "I don't get payed as much as you do, remember." She handed the unicorn the sack, which drifted away from her mouth.
"Thank you." Rarity slid the sack into her own bags. "Say, do you know where Twilight is?"
***
Twilight was, as to be expected, studying.
Rarity rapped on the door, which was greeted by her dragon friend.
"Hey Rarity!" He greeted merrily. "Come on in."
Rarity hummed thanks and entered. She expected the sound of magic and pages turning, which were present. What she didn't expect was to be hit with a blast of cold air, a rare thing on hot summer days. She reflexively shivered.
"You alright, Rarity?" Spike asked with a hint of concern.
"Fine, fine, I just wasn't expecting... Cold. Is Twilight studying cryoarcanum these days?"
"Nah, it's our new Air Conditioner." He pointed to a metal box on the roof. "It basically produces an area-of-affect spell which changes the temperature of the area around it."
"So that's how they work..." Rarity mused to herself. "If I could afford one, it would be the most divine thing ever."
The two walked over to Twilight, who was hunched over a desk, scribbling a note. She glanced at the book next to her, but froze as her eyes tracked the white unicorn. In an instant Twilight turned to face them.
"Hello Rarity!" She greeted happily.
"Hello Twilight." Rarity greeted back, looking at what she was doing. "What are you researching?"
"Lightning magic." She turned to her notes. "I'm trying to work out how Spark-Cells operate, and looking for a way to recharge one."
Rarity chuckled. "Well, good luck with that. Twilight, I need a favour."
Twilight turned again. "What is it?"
"I need to borrow some money."
Twilight blinked. "Why?"
"I have a very important quota to fill."
"How much do you need?"
"I need exactly 31 bits." Rarity looked away.
Twilight stuttered in shock. "Thirty-one?! You need thirty-one bits?"
"I do, sadly."
"I-I don't have that much. I spent my savings on the Air Conditioner up there."
"Relax, I don't need it all from you, Twilight." Rarity sighed. "Just... If you can spare any-"
"I can't spare any!" It was too late, Twilight was in panic mode. "I only have seventy spare, and-"
Spike covered her mouth. "Twi, relax." He turned to Rarity. "I can spare some myself."
"Oh, you're a life-saver, Spike." She brought the dragon into a hug, feeling his tensing under her grasp.
Spike sighed dreamily, only to have the dream stop shortly when Rarity put him back on the ground. "Uh... Let me check how much I have."
Spike dashed off. A second later the dragon returned, carrying a small sack.
"I can spare fifteen bits. I know it's not much, but I don't get payed like Twilight does."
Twilight shot up, flailing "Spike! Don't tell her! She might get jealous!"
"Why would she?"
Twilight grabbed the dragon and whispered something that the white mare couldn't hear. After a moment, the two turned back. "Sorry about that. Here's your bits."
Rarity grabbed the floating sack, the aura shifting from violet to blue. "Thank y-"
"Now, if you excuse me, I'm very busy, so goodbye!" Twilight pushed the mare out of the library and slammed the door.
"Jeez, I just don't understand why anypony would get mad at the fact that you get 1500 a month from Celestia."
Twilight sighed. "Some ponies don't like hearing that they get payed less than me."
Spike thought it over. "Like Rarity, who works hard on her dresses just to earn her pay, while you get more than her just for being Celestia's student?" Something in his mind snapped. "Oh, right. Now I see why."
The unicorn facehoofed.
***
Rarity was, for a lack of better words, much taken back by Twilight's behaviour.
What was worse was that she once again emerged in the hot sun of Equestria after being inside a marvellously cold room.
Still, she had a mission, and it would not wait for long.
Due to the small size of Ponyville, Rarity was able to make it to Sweet Apple Acres in a matter of minutes. The journey was taxing to her feminine physique, she reckoned, and she stopped short of the house.
She felt something cool radiating near her horn, and she looked up to see a cold beverage being held in an orange hoof.
"Y'alright, sugarcube?"
Rarity took the drink in her magic and had a sip. Apple juice. "It could be worse, I suppose."
"You look a might tired, come on in." Applejack turned inside, and the unicorn swiftly followed.
"Thank you, darling." She set the drink down and faced Applejack.
"So, what can Ah help you with?" Applejack poured her own drink and walked up.
"I'm short on money." She fired off. "By about 16 bits."
"Dang, Ah'm mighty sorry. When do you need it by?"
"Tomorrow."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "That soon?"
"Unfortunately. Would you happen to have any spare bits?"
Applejack looked around. "Uh... Don't think so. We need all the money we have to keep the farm running."
"Oh, please!" Rarity pleaded. "You know Pinkie's out of town and Fluttershy can't pay..."
"What about Dash and Twilight?"
"I've already seen them." Rarity continued. "Oh, if I don't get the money in on time-"
"Hold on a dang minute." Applejack said grumpily. "Lemme see what I can spare."
After the long minute that Applejack spent searching, she returned to her unicorn friend. "Ah can spare only ten bits, but that's it fer th' season."
Rarity grabbed the money quickly, giggling a little unladylike. "Oh, thank you, Applejack! You don't know how much this means to me." Without another word, Rarity departed, seemingly overjoyed.
Applejack frowned. "And Ah thought she was the Element of Generosity... Ah'll have some words with her later."
***
Rarity sighed. "I only have six bits left to fill. I could use my own funds to pay for the quota, but I've already done my restock inventory." She groaned, rubbing her temples. "I can't borrow any money, and the markets are closed. Maybe they can go without six bits? No, don't be ridiculous. I seem to be the only one paying. They need their quota filled, and therefore I need my own to be filled."
"Rarity, you're talking to yourself again."
Rarity froze, and turned to face Sweetie Belle. The filly was looking a little confused. "Hello, Sweetie Belle. I'm just thinking, that's all."
"How many bits do you need?"
"Six, but I have no way to fill that important gap."
"So I heard..." Sweetie thought for a moment. "Hey, Rarity, listen. I'll cover it."
"What?" Rarity looked confused. "Why?"
"I haven't spent my pocket money this week, so maybe I could help you."
Rarity blinked. A smile started forming slowly. "That's wonderful, Sweetie."
"But," The filly started. "I want to find out what you need this much money for."
"Deal."
"Oh, and if you haven't done my dress yet, could you please work on it tomorrow?"
Rarity suppressed a smirk. "Do not worry, I have the situation under control."
Day 1
Today was the night of the School Dance. There was an option to have a 'date', but because Scootaloo had asked Rumble, and all the other colts were either uninterested or already asked out, Sweetie Belle decided to ask Applebloom as friends. Nopony seemed to mind, least of all their sisters.
With Applejack, it was because she was assured that the two of them would keep each other safe.
With Rarity, it was because she was too focussed on making sure that the dress was absolutely perfect.
Rarity specifically made sure that her sister couldn't see what she was working on, even when washing and drying. This only made Sweetie Belle more excited as the day went on.
When Rarity finished she folded the dress up neatly in one of her saddlebags, and the mass of bits in the other.
"Sweetie Belle!" She called out, and waited for a reply.
"Almost done!" A tiny voice replied, as the filly walked down the stairs drying her hair. "Do you have a brush?"
Rarity scoffed at the notion that she even needed to ask, grabbing and then running a brush through the filly's mane. "There. You look fabulous."
Sweetie blushed. "Aww, thanks." She sped to the door. "Ready to go?"
"I am ready."
"Then let's go!" The filly pushed the door open and the cold night air greeted them.
Rarity shivered. "First, let's go to where I need to be, and then we'll head straight to the Dance, alright?"
Sweetie nodded. "After you."
***
A few minutes of walking later, the two paused in front of a run-down building on the edge of town. The structure was about three stories high, a lot more squarely built than the other buildings in Ponyville
"What is this place?" Sweetie Belle drew closer to her sister, feeling a little intimidated.
"You'll see." Rarity smirked and walked to the door. She pushed it open gently, smiling as she entered.
The room they entered was looking a little worse for wear, with an old desk seated in the middle. The mare at the desk brightened up when Rarity entered.
"Miss Rarity, good to see you again."
Rarity nodded a greeting. "Likewise, Hoof."
The mare peered over Rarity's shoulder. "And who's this little filly?"
"Ah, let me get to introductions." She took a step, revealing the filly. "Helping Hoof, this is my sister, Sweetie Belle."
"H-hi..." Sweetie Belle said nervously.
"Hello dear." Helping smiled warmly.
"Helping Hoof runs the Ponyville Orphanage. It's... Not as well-funded as it could be."
Helping nodded. "Ponies in Ponyville tend to have good families, but some unlucky foals tend to have their parents... pass on. So that's why I've set up an orphanage."
"And that's why I need to supply them with money. I can't let any foals go homeless." She looked around, eyeing the building. "Even if it is in a drab place like this."
One of the doors creaked open. A little pegasus colt the age of Sweetie Belle poked his head out, then smiled when he saw Rarity.
Rarity turned to face the colt and smiled equally. "Hello, Distance."
"Hey Miss Rarity!" The colt bounced up, followed by a swarm of similarly-aged foals. Sweetie Belle tried to hide in her sister's tail from the sheer rush of ponies.
"Hello all." Rarity greeted the mass of foals. "How are you all doing?"
A mass of positive replies washed over the crowd. A little earth pony filly, younger than Sweetie Belle, pointed at the fashionista's sister. "Hoo's dat?"
"This, Harvest, is my sister Sweetie Belle." She turned to face the filly in question. "Say hello, Sweetie."
"H-hi, everypony." She shyly waved her hoof.
"Hey, I've heard about you." Distance shouted. "My cousin Scootaloo's a friend of yours."
"Your... Cousin?"
"Hey guys, what's going on in this-" A familiar colt-like filly's voice called from the same room, before being silenced. "Oh. Uh..."
"Scootaloo? What are you doing here? Are you an orphan too?"
"What?" Scootaloo shook her head. "No no no no, of course not. I'm just working here part-time."
"Why?"
"Why not? It's something to do while my parents are travelling so much. Besides, my cousin Distance is here."
Sweetie Belle pondered for a second. "Oh. That makes much more sense."
"So... What are you doing here, anyway?"
"My sister's doing something and I'm just following along."
"Technically," Rarity started. "You helped me fill my quota on the promise that you saw what I was doing with this much money."
Scootaloo walked to the counter. "I've gotta go, Hoof. School Dance and all that."
"Sure. See you Tuesday."
"Well, see you two there. I don't wanna keep Rumble waiting." She grabbed her scooter from a locker near the door and sped off.
"Which reminds me, we need to get going too." Rarity added, and placed a sack on the counter. "Here's 300."
Hoof looked at the sack. "Yep, that'll cover costs. Thank you very much for your generosity."
Rarity smiled. "It's what I'm known for." She turned to leave. "Now, I believe you have a dance, Sweetie?"
***
"Hey Sis?"
"Hm?" Rarity hummed as she turned to face the filly.
"Are you really the only one funding the orphanage?"
She sighed. "To the best of my knowledge, I am." She looked to the sky. "It's sad, really."
"Maybe you should let your friends know?"
"It's a possibility that I'll consider." Rarity turned to face the filly. "And when you become a famous and successful pony you can help."
Sweetie Belle beamed. "Yeah! I'm totally gonna do that now."
Rarity paused walking, the filly slowing down and glancing behind.
"Sis?"
"I'm just thinking how lucky I am to have a sister like you." Rarity smiled, and then opened one of her saddlebags. "And I have something for you."
The filly galloped up. "Ooh! What is it?"
Rarity flicked the dress open, making a show of it. "This is your dress." Her horn glowed brighter, and the dress flashed onto the filly's body.
Sweetie Belle looked over herself. "It's perfect!" She ran up and hugged the older mare. "Thanks a bunch, Rarity."
"Now, unlike Diamond's dress, which was made with money, this one is made with love." She paused. "Also stain-resistant and tough material so that you won't break it as easily."
Sweetie smirked. "You thought of everything, didn't you?"
"Of course I did." She started walking, the filly bouncing up behind her.
Within a few minutes the two arrived at the schoolhouse, where two ponies were outside waiting. The smaller of the two smiled when she saw the two walking up, and she bolted to greet the filly.
"Heya Sweetie Belle!"
"Hi, Applebloom!"
"Nice dress. It looks gorgeous on you."
"Aww, thanks."
Applebloom beckoned Applejack over, despite the fact that the orange mare was already making her way to them.
"Rarity." Applejack greeted, slightly annoyed.
"Hello, Applejack." Rarity smiled, ignoring the venom in the farmer's voice. "I'm very sorry I had to borrow money from you, even just a little amount. Unfortunately an orphanage would've closed down if I didn't fill that quota."
Applejack blinked, and smiled. "Aw shucks, Rare. If y'all had told me Ah would've been more than happy t' help."
Rarity mentally facehoofed. Of course I should've mentioned it... "I don't know why I didn't. That was stupid of me."
"Hey, we all make stupid mistakes from time t' time." The farmer replied.
"You know, you're very quick to forgive."
"Heh, Ah get that a lot."
Rarity was about to reply when she felt a poking on her leg. "Yes?"
"Um... We're gonna head in now, is that ok with you?"
"Absolutely fine, darling."
The two fillies glanced at each other, grinned, and galloped away.
"Look at 'em go."
"It is rather cute."
"To be honest, Ah'd think they'd make a cute couple."
Rarity blinked and turned her head slowly to face the farmer. Applejack picked up on that after a second.
"What?"