Rainbow Dash grumbled to herself while flying at the speed of sound. Speed was her favorite way of burning off anger.
Stupid Rarity, calling me uncouth. Uncouth! Me! I don't even know the meaning of uncouth!
She honestly didn't. It sounded like some close cousin of the word uncool, though. So Rainbow assumed that it had something to do with that.
To Rainbow, that meant it was a grave insult from her prissy friend.
So now, here she was, flying so quickly that she couldn't go in circles without accidentally making a tornado, and trying to bury or burn her anger so she could live her life.
So of course, when something clonked her on the head from above, Rainbow was a roughly even amount of angry and confused. “What the heck…?” She rubbed her head, scanning the skies higher above her.
Of course, the most obvious answer was the correct one, as a wall-eyed, blonde mailmare flew obliviously away with a box that had a fallen-out bottom.
Rainbow glanced down at the item that had struck her, which had bounced off her head and landed in her hoof. It was a deep blue gem of some sort, humming with such magical energy that even the dense Rainbow couldn't possibly miss it.
Staring at it, Rainbow’s head started to swim. Bizarrely, it looked like hypnotic spirals were beginning to emit from it, leaking into her vision.
She shook her head to clear it. Okay. Magic dizziness rock. Moping can wait. I gotta take this to Twilight.
“Well it's… something…” Twilight said slowly.
She and Rainbow stood in the library of the Castle of Friendship. The purple alicorn was gazing at the blue gem in a daze, unable to take her eyes off it. The spirals were visible in her eyes even to an outsider like Rainbow.
Beginning to get impatient, Rainbow prodded her friend in the side.
“Huh?” Twilight sprang awake, eyes clear, and shook herself. “Oh. Right. Sorry.” She strolled over to one of the shelves, and pulled a book down from it. “Thankfully, that something is pretty common. It's a hypnostone.”
“What's that?” Rainbow asked.
“It basically hypnotizes anyone who looks at it,” Twilight explains. “You basically follow any directions you're given while in the trance it puts you in. Lots of ponies use them for self-improvement. Though the effects start to fade away once you're not around the stone anymore, so they're mostly good for building habits.”
Rainbow’s eyes widened as a very mischievous idea came to her. Maybe she could get a little revenge after all. “So it's temporary, right? Nothing permanent happens?”
“Not without repeated exposure over a long period of time,” Twilight assured. “It's perfectly safe. You can probably just bring it back to the post off— Rainbow?”
She looked around. Both the pegasus and the hypnostone were gone.
Twilight sighed. Why do I get the feeling I'm going to be writing a letter to Princess Celestia about this later?
The bell of Carousel Boutique jingled as Rainbow stepped inside.
The prim and proper white unicorn behind the counter turned to greet the newcomer. “Welcome to— Oh. It's you, Rainbow.” Her friendly smile had vanished.
“Hey.” Rainbow greeted hesitantly. Clearly things were still a little frosty after their fight.
Rarity shifted uncomfortably. “Sorry for earlier. I shouldn't have insulted you.”
Rainbow softened a little bit. “It's alright. I understand. I was actually gonna invite you out to do some stuff with me.”
Rarity wrinkled her nose. “I'd… love to but… mud wrestling? An eating contest? I'd do those things for the Sisterhooves Social, but if there's not an event for it…”
“What if I told you I had a way to help you enjoy it a little more?” Rainbow said with a sly grin.
Rarity frowned. “Help me? What do you mean?”
“Help you think a bit more like me, just for a little bit,” Rainbow replied. “It's a magic thingamabob that dropped on my head earlier.”
Rarity opened her mouth, then closed it. “You know what? Sure. I can make a possibly foolish decision out of apology.” Her smile returned.
“Awesome!” Rainbow Dash pulled out the hypnostone.
Rarity’s eyes were overtaken by the spirals almost instantly. “Oooh my… What is that?”
“I'll tell you later.” Probably should've asked Twilight how to actually use this thing. She tried to avert her own eyes from the tantalizing blue glow. Maybe I just say stuff?
She chose her words carefully, really not wanting to accidentally cause any unintended consequences. “For the next day or so, you're gonna be a tomboy. You're gonna act like me, and enjoy the things I enjoy.” That was careful enough, right?
Rarity mumbled something that Rainbow hoped was agreement.
Then, out of nowhere, she turned and marched into the dressing room at the back of the shop.
Rainbow watched in confusion, and was nearly blinded by a multicolor flash from beyond the privacy curtain. Then Rarirty stepped back out.
Her main and tail had been trimmed short, with streaks of yellow, green, and blue dyed into them, and little, purple stubs where she'd shaved part of her head. She wore a punk-style leather vest.
“What are you staring at, darling?” Rarity asked. Her voice hadn't changed much. Had the hypnostone not worked?
“Erm, Rarity, you're still talking weird,” Rainbow pointed out.
“You never said anything about changing my voice,” Rarity reminded. Then drew herself up to glare into Rainbow’s eyes. “Is it a problem?”
Rainbow gulped. “Uh… no. It's fine.” Honestly it's kinda funny seeing her acting this way with that posh accent.
Rarity’s smile returned. “Excellent! So, what are our plans for the evening?”
Rainbow’s grin came back in full force too. “Just follow me. I promise you'll have a great time.”
The Macho Bowl was held just outside Ponyville, at a big stadium that surprisingly few people even knew was there. Despite the connotation of its name, the population of the arena was almost entirely female. The Macho Bowl was a gathering for all the most macho mares in Equestria to gather and test their skills against each other.
There were several events. Rainbow herself was mostly interested in three particular ones: wrestling, the eating contest, and the hoof race. Sadly, Applejack had declined to attend this year. But Rainbow was a little excited to see what Rarity could do.
At least, she WAS a little excited. Until the wrestling match started. Then she got REALLY excited.
Rarity pinned the biggest earth pony that Rainbow had ever seen to the mat, one foreleg behind her back. Despite the mare's struggles, she couldn't dislodge the smaller unicorn.
“Now now, darling!” Rarity teased with a wink. “Grunt louder. Nobody can hear how hard you're struggling.”
The mare wriggled as hard as she could, but Rarity’s grip was ironclad.
Rainbow’s eyes were practically sparkling in joy. Had Rarity been capable of this the whole time? She hadn't done anything to make her physically stronger, or given her some hypnoboosted wrestling skill. So this had to have been possible the whole time! Why did Rarity hide it, then?
The referee signaled that Rarity’s opponent had submitted, raising Rarity’s hoof in victory.
Despite her tomboy brainwashing, Rarity still had her signature strut as she met Rainbow outside the ring. “Well, that worked up my appetite! What do you say we hit the eating contest next?”
“Sounds good to me!” Rainbow agreed. “What are you hungry for? We've got hayburgers, pie, and carrot dog eating contests here.”
Rarity scoffed. “Why not all three? Let's make this interesting. We both do all three contests. The last to finish all of them loses.”
Rainbow’s wings spread, a big grin on her face. “Heck yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about! Which do we start with?”
“Whichever you like!” Rarity replied. “It's not like any of the choices will actually let you beat me!”
That bit of trash talk may have offended someone else, but Rainbow couldn't have been happier. She really hoped she could talk Rarity into being open like this with her after it was all over.
They both ended up choosing the carrot dogs. It was just a good strategy. Hayburgers were too heavy, and would sit in your gut. They were last. But the pies were big enough that they still had to be eaten early, before you started feeling how much you'd eaten. But the dogs were light and easy, even if they were just as numerous.
Rainbow actually ended up a little behind at first, only because she spent a few precious seconds staring open-mouthed at Rarity sucking the dogs down in a gulp each, barely chewing. But she caught up quickly by downing two at a time. They left that station at roughly the same time.
Rainbow wasn't particularly fond of the pies, but the spirit of competition overcame her tastes.
Sadly, that dislike did slow her down. Rarity finished several seconds before she could.
It was a small gap, but it was enough, and Rarity finished just a single burger ahead of Rainbow Dash.
It was a mix of pain at losing and pride in her friend for Rainbow.
Rarity let out a loud belch, the kind she'd NEVER have loosed before her hypnosis.
Rainbow laughed. “Nice! I can't believe you actually beat me! Have you done this before?”
“At the Sisterhooves Social, usually,” Rarity confirmed. “I recall Sweetie and I have beaten you and Scootaloo a few times.”
“Oh yeah!” Rainbow recalled. “I guess I get so caught up in the competition that I never really noticed the pattern. Huh.”
Rarity gave her a playful whip with her tail. “Well I hope you'll notice me beating you in the hoof race.”
“Oh, you are ON!” Rainbow said with a big grin, nostrils flared.
The venue had actually built an obstacle course for the track this year. So they had to wear helmets. Rainbow couldn't help a chuckle. Rarity would normally complain that it's messing up her mane.
They braced themselves at the starting line. All the pegasi had their wings bound to make things fair.
When the starting horn went off, both Rarity and Rainbow were ahead of the rest of the herd. Rainbow ran right over the balance beam, while Rarity lost some ground, not having Rainbow’s bullheaded confidence.
But Rarity quickly regained it as they made it to a forest of small platforms. Even brainwashed, her natural grace let her easily and nimbly hop from platform to platform, while Rainbow’s wild charge caused her to fall off the edge. That forced her to work her way slowly through the bamboo poles.
She caught up on the straightaway, and the two of them were neck and neck through a series of hurdles that they had to hop over or duck under.
But when they hit the finish line, Rarity was just an inch or so ahead.
Rainbow cheered along with everyone else in the crowd. At times she may have been a sore loser, but now she was just proud of her friend.
Rarity, of course, devoured the praise as she always did, waving to the crowd. Though now instead of blown kisses, she was flexing and posing at the audience.
But then Rarity’s eyes flashed blue. She wobbled unsteadily, and Rainbow had to catch her. “Looks like the hypno-thingie wore off,” Rainbow said with a chuckle. “Wanna go home?”
Rarity nodded slowly. “I think that'd be for the best…”
The trip home was a little awkward.
Rarity was blushing furiously, and refusing to make eye contact.
“You okay?” Rainbow asked, concerned.
“I'll be fine,” Rarity assured. She at least sounded confident. “Just… embarrassed.”
“There's no need to be!” Rainbow insisted. “You did awesome out there!”
She held the door to Carousel Boutique open for Rarity.
“That's not how I want to be seen, though,” Rarity replied. “Just because I'm secretly good at something doesn't mean I enjoy doing it on that level. Like you, with the spa.”
Rainbow flinched a little. “Well, I'm sorry then. I guess I was thinking too much about showing you that my favorite stuff can be fun.”
“All is forgiven,” Rarity replied. “I did agree to it.”
“I still feel bad though,” Rainbow said, eyes downcast.
Rarity smirked mischievously. “Well, I do have to restore my usual beauty. Perhaps you could pay for a trip to the spa? I don't believe I need hypnosis to make you have fun there.”
Now it was Rainbow’s turn to blush, and she groaned. “Alright… fine. But no hoof touching!”
“We'll see,” Rarity said with a chuckle, leading Rainbow back outside.
