Rarity was a busy mare. She runs multiple boutiques, has a sweet sister she needs to tend to, and to top all that, is a heroine of Equestria. Luckily, there’s not much need for that last bit as all of the world’s threats are essentially removed. Sombra was vaporized, the Legion of Doom (the official team name for Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow), Discord reformed, so did Starlight, the Storm King was a distant memory. Though minor problems occasionally arose, they were nothing compared to the past.
Even without hero work, Rarity had a lot to do. Ironically, being a hero attracted more attention to her boutiques, increasing her workload. At present, she was in her workroom, meticulously stitching garments on her sewing machine. Hearth’s Warming Eve loomed, and the flood of custom clothing orders from ponies eager to gift their loved ones kept her tethered to her desk. With her friends occupied—Twilight running Equestria, Applejack busy on the farm, and so on—Rarity had no one to lend a hoof. The staff at her Canterlot and Manehattan boutiques were also overwhelmed, and Sweetie Belle was still too young for such demanding tasks.
“Here I thought you ponies would be singing songs instead of doing manual labor.”
Rarity’s ears perked up. She turned to see Discord floating, laidback in a recliner chair while sipping from a coconut with a tiny parasol.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, exasperated.
“What? Can’t I not visit friends?” Discord replied with a grin.
“Not if they’re in the middle of an important order!”
Discord glanced around at the organized chaos of fabric, sketches, and lists of orders. With a snap of his fingers, his drink and chair disappeared, and he floated upright, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
“Why so many?” he asked.
“Because Hearth’s Warming Eve is coming? Many ponies only want the best of gifts for their loved ones. I’m just making that wish happen.” Rarity explained, her voice tinged with fatigue.
“Don’t you have friends to help? You know, a friend helps a friend and all that jazz.” Discord teased.
“They’re busy, obviously. And I hardly I have time to explain this to you. You probably already know,” Rarity retorted.
“I certainly do! While we had our *cough* ups and downs, to say the least, I’m still your friend. And as a friend, I want to help!” Discord replied with a mischievous smirk.
“You’ll make these orders for me!” Rarity eagerly asked.
“Ha! No. I’ve brought somepony else to assist,” Discord replied with a mischievous smirk.
Rarity’s face soured, “Really? And who do you even have—”
Before Rarity could protest, the door opened, and a yellow-coated, blue-maned stallion walked in. Rarity gasped—it was her boyfriend, Flash Sentry. Their relationship had blossomed after Twilight’s fleeting interest in him faded. Though they lived apart, with Flash stationed in the Crystal Empire, they cherished their time together.
"Heya, Discord," Flash greeted the draconequus before turning to face Rarity. "And hello, beautiful," he said with a wink; Rarity blushed but giggled despite of it. Although, she was still confused on this turn of events.
“If you’re wondering why he’s here, you have me to thank,” Discord announced, teleporting above the couple with a piñata shaped like them. “Fluttershy mentioned your predicament, so I pulled some strings. Didn’t know you were a taken mare at the time.”
“Disappointed?” Rarity teased.
“Oh, no. You’re really not my type.” Discord teased back.
“Is your type kind, shy mares?” Flash mocked, deciding to be a part of this conversation.
Discord turned into a tomato; he immediately turned back to normal, “Shut your face! Back to my story, after terrorizing our new head princess with screaming banshees, Twilight agreed to convince Starlight and her boyfriend to welcome Flashy-boy as the new guard at the School of Friendship. ‘Bout time they had some, if I’m being honest.”
“And since I can’t work at the school while I’m at the Crystal Empire,” Flash remarked, “I’ll be living here!”
“Really?!” Rarity asked excitedly, “Where’s your place?”
“What used to be Strawberry Sunrise’s home,” Discord interjected. "You're welcome, by the way."
Ah, yes. Strawberry moved out after meeting Applejack; she realized how close Sweet Apple Acres truly is and moved to Cloudsale. It’s about time to, in Rarity’s opinion; hearing Strawberry whine about apples was quite irritating. It was like how Applejack acted when Rarity asked her to be a judge in a fashion show. Except that was the one time Applejack acted like that while Strawberry had the same attitude every time Rarity saw her. Good riddance to that!
Rarity and Flash looked at each other, entrancing themselves. It was simply amazing having him with her. It was so amazing that she barely registered Discord’s departure, her focus entirely on Flash. Their faces were the epitome of wonder; their eyes were hypnotized by one another; their lips formed a heartwarming smile. They could probably stare at each other for hours on end. Shame that they can’t. Despite that fact, they continue to. After all, it’s been a while since Rarity saw Flash.
Whenever she was stressed, Flash was a constant reminder in her head that the feeling was temporary. He’s always resisted stress, joking around and making her feel upbeat. Rarity couldn’t have wished for a better partner. Her heart warms at seeing him, knowing he’s there to support her through anything.
“So, are we going just to stare at each other or what?” Flash joked.
Rarity giggled, “Right, of course. Get your handsome-self in here!”
They began their work. Together, they tackled her mountain of work. Though their pace only marginally improved, Rarity’s spirits soared, and the task felt less daunting.
After finishing for the day, the couple headed to Café Hay. Over hayburgers, they shared laughter and conversation.
“So, Flashy-dear, why did you accept that job?” Rarity asked, “Besides wanting to be with me, of course!”
“Honestly, the royal guard has been pretty boring lately,” Flash said. “It’s a routine over and over again: Go to work, do some rounds, do some paperwork, yell at somepony, get yelled at about something stupid you did that day, rinse and repeat for the next day.”
“But won’t it just be the same here?”
“Nah, it isn’t. Because I heard they have a hot unicorn professor there.” Flash said with a wink; Rarity chuckled, “Oh, you. You’re such a flatterer.”
Flash chuckled back, “Yeah, I am! But seriously, it’s just to spend more time with you. I missed a lot here and I wished I could’ve helped with you.”
“Oh, my Flashy-Washy,” Rarity sighed, “you didn’t need to move all this way to Ponyville for me.”
“But I do, Rarity. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. And I definitely can’t do that if I’m a train away from your house.”
Rarity smiled lovingly. Her boyfriend truly cared for her. From the letters he’d constantly send to the fabulous gifts he’d give; it was almost like her Flash-Washy was genuinely there. And now, he truly would be here, with her. Rarity was coming close to the Equestrian Dream. And just for that, Rarity gave Flash a long passionate kiss. Suffice it to say, they were both satisfied. The kiss was a sweet symphony of emotions and unspoken words. As their lips met, a tingling warmth spread through Rarity's body, sending shivers down her spine in the most delightful way.
Time seemed to slow down as they melted into each other's embrace. Flash gently touched her cheek, making her heart flutter with joy. In that fleeting moment, the two felt pure bliss; an overwhelming amount of passion. Rarity could feel the love and devotion pouring from Flash, like a bubble of warmth and affection that enveloped her completely. She felt safe, cherished, and deeply connected to him in a way that words could never fully express.
They soon broke away, flustered by the intense moment; and because their food was ready. They ate their food and had a wonderful Hearth’s Warming Eve. And nothing else Earth-shaking happened. Nope. Nothing at all.
MY EARS! OH, DEAR CELESTIA—I mean—TWILIGHT I CAN’T HEAR BUCKING ANYTHING! MAKE THAT RINGING NOISE STOP!
“Turns out, that wasn’t all, and in actuality, something Earth-shaking did happen; literally. Flash and Rarity decided to have a jamming session as they didn’t have for a long time. And for good reason, unbeknownst to them. Think about it, what would happen if two rock guitarists played together? The answer? A rock session that could destroy anypony’s ears in a 5-mile radius. Personally, I think it rocks!”
I THINK THAT TOO! BUT THEY COULD TURN THE VOLUME DOWN A BIT, DON’T YOU THINK?!
“Oh, but what fun is that?”
IT’S NOT! IT’S—Wait, a minute. WHO ARE YOU?!
“I’ll give you a hint. Who’s in this story but isn’t a pony?”
… DISCORD! DID YOU THIS?!
“Yes! Why else would I get them, besides genuine intentions, would I get the two lovebirds together?”
BUCKING TARTUS! MY EARS HURT!
“Oh, grow up. It’ll be gone by tomorrow. Besides, I gave your audience a nice story to cap off the holidays. Isn’t that right, friends?”
Author's Note
Happy Hearth's Warming, everypony!
Remember to eat cheese!
