“What’s the big news, Rarity?” Twilight asked.
Twilight Sparkle, along with her five best friends, stood in the main chamber of Carousel Boutique. Rarity had summoned them to her place of business with the promise that she had life-changing news to unveil. Knowing her tendency to overdramatize things, though, they all figured it to be a new trend in the fashion scene: a previously unknown type of exotic silk, perhaps, or a new development in sequins. Nothing of real consequence to them. The five watched their alabaster friend smiling giddily and wondered what could have gotten her so excited.
“It’s too amazing!” Rarity gushed. “I don’t know where to begin.”
Applejack chuckled. “Ah usually find the beginnin’ to be a good place to start, Rare.”
Rarity took a calming breath. “Okay,” she began, the excitement in her voice still just below the surface, “do you all remember Hoity Toity?”
They all nodded.
“What about him?” Fluttershy prompted.
“He... he...” Rarity trailed off into a series of frenzied squeals.
“He what?” Rainbow Dash probed.
“Calm down and use your words,” Twilight instructed.
It took Rarity a few moments to gather herself before speaking again. “He wants me to become his new apprentice and teach me all he knows about fashion. I leave for Canterlot in three days.”
Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack all voiced their sincere congratulations. Rarity’s designs, while somewhat well-known, still weren’t famous by any means, despite garnering Fancy Pants’ personal approval and being featured in a royal wedding. Perhaps Hoity Toity’s tutelage would be the springboard she needed to achieve her well-deserved fame.
Pinkie Pie remained silent. On her face, supplanting the usual ear-to-ear grin, were a pair of furrowed brows and a pronounced frown.
Rarity took notice of her unusual demeanor. “Pinkie, dear, you haven’t said a word. Is something wrong?”
Pinkie answered Rarity’s question with one of her own. “How long will you be in Canterlot?”
Rarity thought, surprised that she had forgotten to include that detail. “Umm... well, Hoity’s letter said at least two years.”
Pinkie’s mouth fell slightly open. “That’s so long!” she said. “Won’t you miss us?”
Rarity smiled sadly. “Of course I’ll miss all of you, Pinkie. You with your parties, Twilight with her books, my spa dates with Fluttershy, Rainbow’s stunts, even Applejack with her dirt.”
“Hey!” AJ protested. “Just ‘cause yer afraid to get yer hooves dirty, don’t mean all of us have to be.”
Rarity chuckled. “If you all would excuse me, I do have to start packing.”
“Oh,” Twilight said, “of course.”
The librarian turned and led her four friends out of the boutique. Rarity was alone.
She walked upstairs to her bedroom and began pulling suitcases out of her closet, finding two dozen of them. She knew she would need them all. Even for a light traveler, something Rarity was not, two years meant a lot of packing. She first packed her makeup and hair-care products, themselves filling a whole bag. Then, fondly imagining fancy soirées where they would be needed, she neatly folded and stowed her classiest dresses and hats.
Rarity paused her work for a moment and simply surveyed the room. In particular, her eye caught on her closet, which was already more than halfway empty. This sight, for all its simplicity, really reinforced the reality of the situation. She thought of all she was leaving: the business she’d worked so hard to establish, the town she’d grown up in, the deeply-forged friendships she cherished, her loving parents and darling little sister.
But as much as the gravity of these things pulled her back to Ponyville, Rarity felt an even stronger force urging her onward to Canterlot. Studying under Hoity Toity was a golden opportunity; she knew she’d never forgive herself if she were to pass it up.
Rarity’s train was scheduled to depart later that night. All the rooms in the boutique lay empty, stripped bare except for the furniture she couldn’t take with her. A menagerie of luggage lay gathered by the front door.
Having just finished packing, Rarity relaxed on her chaise longue. A slow, subtle joy filled her; she was mere hours away from the validation of her life’s work. This joy was undercut, just a little, by a mixture of apprehension and sadness.
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted Rarity’s thoughts. She yawned and got up to answer it.
On the other side of the door was Pinkie Pie. As was customary, the party pony wore a smile, but of a different sort than her usual hyperactive, borderline-manic one. This one was gentler, more pensive, almost melancholy. “Hi, Rarity,” she said.
“Hello there, Pinkie,” Rarity responded. “What brings you by?”
“I want to show you something.”
“Show me what?”
“It’s a surprise.” Pinkie pulled out a blindfold. “Come with me, okay?”
“Alright,” Rarity said. As the blindfold crossed her eyes and she felt Pinkie tying it, she added, “Not too tight, dear, or you’ll mess up my mane.”
“You betcha. Now grab my tail.”
Rarity took Pinkie’s tail lightly between her teeth. As Pinkie started off with her in tow, Rarity already had a pretty strong suspicion of where they were going: this was the perfect time for a Pinkie Pie farewell party.
Rarity felt herself being led down the street, what she assumed was the way to Sugarcube Corner. After a few moments, Pinkie stopped, most likely to open a door, Rarity thought. They walked up a flight of stairs and stopped again.
“Okie-dokie, we’re here,” Pinkie said.
Rarity couldn’t hear any music, smell any party foods, or even hear the chatter of other ponies. She began to doubt her previous assumptions. No Pinkie Pie party was ever this quiet.
Pinkie Pie removed the blindfold and Rarity found herself in her friend’s bedroom. She and Pinkie were the only ones in there. “What did you need to show me here, Pinkie?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Pinkie said honestly.
“Then why did you bring me here?”
Pinkie sighed. “I need to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“About you leaving,” Pinkie said, “are you sure you can’t stay here in Ponyville with us?”
Rarity shook her head. “As much as I would love to remain here, Pinkie, I simply cannot.”
“But why?”
“Because this is my dream. Don’t you have a dream, dear?”
“Sure I do. My dream is to make everypony smile everyday!” Pinkie declared.
“And you can do that right where you are,” Rarity said. “I, on the other hoof, am not so fortunate. I must leave in order to make my dream a reality. Do you understand?”
Pinkie thought for a moment. “I guess so,” she said acceptingly. “I’m just going to miss you so much.”
Rarity moved closer to Pinkie Pie and hugged her. “I’ll miss you as well, but it’s not as though we can never contact each other. We can always send letters, and I’m sure Hoity will let me drop in and visit from time to time.”
Pinkie squeezed her friend tightly. “Okay, Rarity, but make sure to write me everyday.”
Rarity chuckled. “It’s a deal.”
Author's Note
This story was born from wintergreen Lifesavers, AP Literature class, and a desire to explore the dynamic between Rarity and Pinke Pie. I briefly considered ending it with a letter to Celestia from Pinkie Pie, but in the end I decided that that idea had been done to death.
I hope whoever read this enjoyed it!
