For Her Favor

Dark, quiet, and eerie. This was the world Rainbow Dash awoke to, or rather she assumed she had woken up, but because it was so dark she had trouble figuring out just where she was. She stirred as the world slowly reformed around her. How long she had been here she could not say, all she knew was that the last time she had been conscious was all a blur to her, but one thing was for certain.

She was restrained, to a chair she guessed.

Also it was dark.

Very dark.

As her eyes adjusted to help her see in the darkened room, Rainbow Dash tried to piece together what had happened before she blacked out. Then without any warning a bright light turned on, blinding her, forcing her eyes shut. As she struggled against her restraints she was addressed by a calm, cold voice.

“Ah I see you are finally awake dear. I do hope you can forgive the precautions.” Rainbow suddenly ceased her futile attempts to escape and merely looked head on into the blinding light and called out, “Rarity?”

After the shock of who was responsible for her imprisonment had worn off, Rainbow Dash immediately called back impatiently, ‘Wha- Rarity!? What in the hay is going on and why am I tied up?’ It was then at that moment that the memories of just before her black out flooded back into the pegasus’ mind.

...

Rarity considered herself a mare that was well put together, and she certainly attempted to have her home and business be a reflection of that belief (her creation room being a miniscule exception). For instance  the furniture in her sitting room was all neatly aligned and everything from the ceiling fan to the end table was dusted and shined. For Rainbow Dash this gave her an uncomfortable vibe, as if one wrong move would upset the delicate balance of everything and end is devastation. Also the sterility of it all made Dash feel uncomfortable and fidgety. Rainbow preferred the open skies, the wind in her mane, to her Rarity’s world of prim and proper precision was just controlled, too persnickety, and to stifling for her.

Still despite their near opposite opinions on most things the two ponies shared many similarities. They both had pretty big dreams, as far as dreams go anyway. They were also quite comfortable in the spotlight, especially more so than a mutual friend the two of them shared, this friend in question being a rare area in which they saw eye-to-eye. For Rarity and Rainbow Dash their friendship with Fluttershy meant a lot.

Rainbow and Fluttershy’s relationship went back, much farther back than any of the other friendships within their little group. The two pegasus ponies both hailed from Cloudsdale and even met at the same flight school. Fluttershy, as her name implied, was quiet and meek and an easy target for bullies. Rainbow Dash often took it upon herself to defend the poor filly because Rainbow felt it was the right thing to do, and an amazing pony such as herself of course did what she considered heroic. Overtime however, Rainbow go to actually know Fluttershy and realize there was more to her than just some helpless filly, and the two soon became friends despite their significance differences.

Since those days Rainbow and Fluttershy’s lives had gone on increasingly diverging paths, but after the arrival of Twilight Sparkle those two paths collided once more and their friendship resurfaced. Despite some rough patches, Rainbow could say with confidence that her friendship with Fluttershy was better than it ever had been before. Rainbow was well aware that when push came to shove Fluttershy would push back, oftentimes literally. However, the bold flier also knew that she still had to be there to protect her friend thus leading to her recent arrangement with the unicorn who now sat before her and from whose tea cup she was now drinking.

Rarity’s friendship with Fluttershy was much different than Rainbow’s. Rarity and Fluttershy both enjoyed many feminine pursuits together, such as their weekly spa dates. At these trips the two would relax and have talks which ranged in a variety of subjects from their other friends to fashion and even animals. Fluttershy’s calm and quiet nature complemented such a peaceful environment, which Rarity loved. Of course Rarity also found the pegasus to be quite… enchanting. Fluttershy was so demure, had excellent poise and was far more graceful than any of the other mares in Ponyville. Once the air had been cleared between the two after Fluttershy’s brief run as a model Rarity was a little bit saddened that her friend had turned away from such an opportunity since she genuinely believed her friend had made an excellent model. However, Rarity knew Fluttershy was not capable of dealing with delicate social interactions and so she had taken it upon herself to ensure her friend would not have to suffer any embarrassing dealings with other ponies, thus leading to her current arrangement with the brash pegasus who know sat before her and who had just taken a sip from the cup Rarity had offered her.

“So what is it that you called me over for Rarity,” Rainbow Dash finally asked innocently after taking her first sip from the cup.

“Oh well it’s about a dear friend of ours. It seems, through a bit of investigating, I have discovered that a certain pony wishes to attempt to try and court her,” Rarity replied while staring out the window.

Investigating? Rainbow thought to herself and chuckled. Like most every other pony town, Rainbow was quite aware of Rarity’s talent for obtaining information via gossip and here say. If not for her proficiency at procuring precious gems, Rarity could have easily gotten a pair of binoculars on her flank. “Well alright then, who is it?” Rainbow inquired.

Rarity did not look at Rainbow, instead she continued to sip her own cup of tea. After a brief pause of inactivity Rarity finally answered, “Oh I think you already know the answer to that question Rainbow Dash”.

Rainbow sat in silence and pondered for the briefest of moments before offering her unsure answer, “um is it Thunderlane again?”

“Nope”, the unicorn quickly replied.

“Noteworthy?” the pegasus offered.

“Afraid not.”

“Meadow Song?”

“Try again darling,” Rarity replied turning her head to look at Dash for the first time in the entire conversation.

“Well then it’s obvious I don’t know who it is, so why don’t you quite being weird and just tell me already!” Rainbow Dash said with obviously increasing frustration.

“Oh this pony in question is a rough, brash, daredevil who has been lying in wait to pounce on our dear friend for quite some time, they also have a prismatic mane,” Rarity said calmly as she described this mysterious pony. As Rainbow recounted Rarity’s description one word in particular caught her interest.

“Um Rarity, what does prismatic mean again?” Rainbow Dash asked with the slightest hint of nervousness.

“It’s used to describe something that has many colors dear, you know like a rainbow,” Rarity said in the calmest and most off-putting manner Rainbow could imagine. Then as if Rarity had planned the timing to absolute perfection, which Rainbow had no evidence to the contrary, the pegasus began to feel suddenly overcome with a heaviness as the room began to spin and fade into darkness.

Then there was nothing.

...

Then there was something again. Once her memories had returned to her, Rainbow Dash’s mood had quickly shifted from confused to enraged.

“What the?!? Rarity what is your deal!? First you spike my drink, then you drag me to who the hay knows where, tie me up to a chair, and now you have a really bright light shining right in my face!?” Rainbow yelled to her captor and supposed friend.

As infuriated as Dash was Rarity was just as calm and collected, though Dash couldn’t tell with the light still shining in her face.

“Rainbow you and I have always had our differences, but there was one area in which we saw eye to eye. That being our mutual concern for the safety and well being of our dear Fluttershy,” Rarity spoke calmly as if merely to counteract Rainbow’s energetic inquiry.

“Yeah, and you and I have totally been doing that. For the past several months every lousy stallion that’s had a thing for here you and I have chased off. Thunderlane, Ace, Noteworthy, Thunderlane again. We even put the fear of Celestia into Snowflake and that guy is as big as well Big Macintosh .” Rarity then thought back to those times she shared with Rainbow, and it’s true they made an excellent team.

She remembered the stakeouts, the interrogations, the intimidation. Together Rarity and Rainbow Dash came made a formidable team and no second-rate stallion was going to lay a hoof on Fluttershy while they had anything to say about it. Rarity then corrected herself in her mind to include second-rate mares as well.

“I must admit we have had some good times together you and I,” Rarity said in a tone recalling find memories she shared with her sky blue partner in crime. “Remember the time you and I followed Fluttershy and Thunderlane to that party, to which then Thunderlane got a tad too forward we accidentally knocked the punch table and got him soaked?”

Rainbow replied happily, “Of course! That was priceless how could I forget? It also helped that we were those disguises you made for us so our cover wasn’t blown.” Rainbow then gave another ecstatic grin as she recalled another past escapade of theirs, “Oh what about the time that one unicorn Silver Tail took her to see that movie, but he tried to pull that lame move stallions always try where they pretend to yawn.”

Recalling the moment Rarity also became overcome with laughter, “Yes it was quite painful to watch, good thing we were able to put an end to that nonsense quickly.”

“Yeah throw enough popcorn at a stallion and eventually he’ll make a scene and get himself thrown out,” Rainbow Dash continued to chuckle only to suddenly stop and remember that Rarity had drugged her and tied her to a chair. “So Rarity, are you at least going to tell me why you brought me here and have me tied up?”

Seemingly also just then remembering the circumstances they found themselves in Rariy’s face lost all signs of humor and her voice returned to being calm and cold as she addressed her prisoner, “Well Rainbow as I said you and I have done our best to protect Fluttershy from some brutish pony having their way with her and while I considered you a capable and effective ally I’m afraid times have changed. I now find myself faced with a dilemma, in which a once trusted friend may perhaps be my next enemy.”

By this point Rainbow Dash had lost nearly all patience with Rarity and in a very annoyed fashion she demanded, “Will you stop beating around the bush and just spit it out already!”

Calmly Rarity replied, “ Alright fine then, “ she then cleared her throat in a slightly overemphasized manner as she turned off the blinding lamp allowing Rainbow to see her for the first time clearly, “I want you to admit once and for all that the real reason you did all this was because you have feelings for Fluttershy yourself!” Rarity proclaimed and she pointed her hoof accusingly at Rainbow Dash.

A silence permeated throughout the room as Dash sat, still tied to the chair, with her mouth agape. After what seemed like an eternity she finally stammered out, “What, huh me and Fluttershy!? How in the world could you ever come up with such a crazy idea as me liking Fluttershy!?”

“Oh please darling, it’s quite obvious. First there’s the history you share with her and your habit of ‘defending her honor’ from bullies in Summer Flight Camp and afterwards. Then there was the time you went all the way to her cottage to get her for cider season, despite being in a hurry yourself to beat Pinkie there, and then you even let her get in front of you in line. Then you went to see The Great Butterfly Migration with her, despite being bored out of your mind, and then you were upset when she refused to go to the Great Dragon Migration with you. Finally, you were so insistent on her helping with the tornado to take water up to Cloudsdale, and your actions and surprising patience with her were just so not you, well unless you somehow had other interests.” Rarity then smiled smugly at Rainbow Dash, knowing she had uncovered the truth.

After hearing Rarity’s laundry list of supposed evidence she was filled with a mixture of anger at having been found out and awe at her friend’s impressive observational skills. Still Dash was a competitor and she hated to lose, and to her this was just game between her and Rarity, one in which she had no intention of losing just yet.

“Fine, fine I admit it I do like her and have for a long time,” Rainbow admitted. Rarity wore a grin that signaled she had won, but then her victory lap was cut short as Rainbow Dash continued. “Now hold on one second I’ve made some interesting observations myself lately. See I’ve noticed that I’m not the only pony who has been spending an awful lot of time with Fluttershy, Let’s not forget about you and your little ‘Spa Dates’ you have with her every week. I’ve walked in on you guys, and I’ve noticed the way you never take your eyes off her. Did you really think no one would notice the  way you look at her, heck I bet those twins could write at least half a dozen of those trashy romance novels you and Fluttershy both love so much about you two alone. Then there was the time you felt betrayed by her when she became a model, but you swallowed your anger for her sake, despite the fact that she had essentially stolen your dream job away from you. Finally, let’s not forget it was you that made up this plan that we’d go around and stop any deadbeats from approaching her.”

Rarity interjected, “I did that as her friend of course.”

“As her friend, or is just because you want her all to yourself? Huh, Ms. Element of Generosity?” Rainbow Dash was sure to add that last bit for good measure.

It was at that moment that Rarity was left speechless, but she was impressed that Rainbow had been keeping just as sharp an eye on her as she had on Rainbow. Realizing that it was fruitless to deny any longer Rarity proclaimed, “Fine seems I have been caught as well with my hoof in then ribbon jar”.

“So uh, this is awkward,” Rainbow admitted, both the revelation that they both pined for the same mare, and had been working together to ensure that no other pony would have her. Also Rainbow was still tied to the chair.

It was then that Rarity looked around at the situation she had found herself in and quickly noted the absurdity of it all. She then looked at her friend, co-conspirator, and competition, not with anger or jealously, but with mirth.

“Look Rainbow, I’m sorry about all this, it’s just together we both wanted to ensure that no one undesirable would have Fluttershy who I know means so much to both of us, I know my actions seem to suggest that I don’t see you as worthy but that’s not true, I was just afraid of losing her. In fact I have no problem saying that if it ever came down to it and I could not be with her then I would be truly happy if she were to end up with you. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’m sorry about this whole mess.”

Rainbow then did her best to comfort her. “Hey it’s fine, no hard feelings really I probably would have done something equally as nutty, and if Fluttershy doesn’t end up with me, I hope it’ll be with you.”

Rarity then went over to her friend and enveloped her  in a genuine hug, then stepping back to address her again.

“So shall we continue with our previous arrangement and ensure that Fluttershy only ends up with the best possible pony.” The pegasus nodded her head in agreement. Rarity continued, “Also from now on you and I will try to woo that lovely mare, and we won’t do anything to compromise one another. Deal?”

“Deal,” Rainbow repeated.

“Excellent, well I’m certainly glad that’s over. Now if you’ll excuse me all this kidnapping and interrogation business has been an absolute wreck on my complexion, I think a trip to the spa is in order. Oh and I’ll see if Fluttershy would like to come too, you don’t mind do you Rainbow Dash?” Rarity then looked at Rainbow with her best puppy-dog eyes, almost matching her younger sister Sweetie Belle in adorableness. “

“Um no not really, but Rarity don’t you think you should untie….” Rarity interrupted her before she could finish.

“Why thank you dear I promise you and I will work out this whole ‘us loving the same mare’ ordeal later. How about tomorrow? Oh yes tomorrow.”

“Yeah that’s great Rarity but really I think you should…”

“Excellent we have a plan, see you tomorrow then dear, and we’ll figure out how where we go from here, ciao darling” and with that Rarity trotter happily out the door. There was just one problem.

“Ummm Rarity, don’t you think you forgot something? Heh, really funny Rarity but I think the joke is over so if you can now just come back down and untie me. Hey Rarity I know you can hear me, I’m still tied to this chair. Rarity! RARITY! RARITYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!”