Rarity: Behind Barsby White-pawPonyChaptersFramed!The InquiryOne Phone Call and Three Psychotic Ponies LaterNot the Best Day EverA Colt of Many ColorsWhat's WhatFramed!Rarity looked up and down the pink filly, evaluating the smooth combination of mane and fur. "Purple, white, pink..." she mumbled to herself. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Aha! Yes, darling, I have just the thing! Olive green will look wondrous on you. I'm sure I have some in the back..." The mother of the filly sneered, "Of course it will. Everything looks perfect on my daughter." The white unicorn tried to conceal her distaste for this snooty mare with an unsincere smile. "Undoubtedly." "And make sure that it has lots of diamonds!" demanded the schoolfilly with an elite tone that matched her mother's. Not bothering to reply, Rarity strode gracefully to a shelf stuffed with folds of fabric, all sorted by color. With her magic, she pulled out two different shimmering forest greens and appraised them. She lifted them up next to the little pony, one at a time, imagining a lovely dress for the bratty thing. Choosing the winning fabric, she smiled, setting it on her work table and putting the other back. Donning her ruby glasses, she went to work. "I'm going to have to measure you now, darling," the white mare informed. "Diamond Tiara," shrilled the mother, "do your pageant pose for mummy!" The girl immediately did so, striking a much-too-sexy-for-a-young-filly pose. While Rarity held her measuring tape up to Diamond Tiara's waist and legs, she secretly rolled her eyes. Of course, this was a pageant girl! I wonder if this filly goes to Sweetie Belle's school, she thought. But just as Rarity had set down her tape and was about to inquire the mother for what occasion this dress was to be made, there was a sharp knock at the door of her boutique. Rarity looked over to the door and laughed an apologetic laugh, "Will you please excuse me a moment? This shan't take very long." The older mare huffed, taking a look at her watch. Rarity trotted over to the door, surprised to see standing there two police ponies, and one handsomely dressed colt. She nervously cleared her throat and opened the door. "H-hello, officer Sour Grapes; officer Mango! Um, welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every outfit is... um..." she began. A familiar-looking yellow stallion with a blue mane pushed his way past her, "Yes, nice to see you, Miss Rarity. But we're not here for clothes, I'm afraid." "Oh, really? Then what would you gentlecolts be doing here, may I ask?" Rarity inquired in a lady-like but quivering voice. For some reason, the air about these ponies was making her exremely nervous. Without answering, officer Mango strode over to Diamond Tiara and her mother, "Ma'am, you and your daughter will have to leave the premises until further notice." At this, both mother and daughter became indignant. "Wait just a minute! We came here expecting a gorgeous new dress for my lovely daughter, and that is what we had better get!" Diamond Tiara, in an obviously perfectly-practiced routine, seemed on the verge of tears, and started to whine with a voice Rarity knew all-too-well. "But I wanna get my dress today! If I don't get it, I won't look more fabulous than cousin Ruby Crown at aunty's party! Mom, you promised!" Rarity exasperatedly explained the situation to the earth pony in a low voice, "Maybe it would be better if you did come back at a later time, Miss Masquerade. I hope you'll except my apologies." With a last huff and a stamp of the hoof, Masquerade led her daughter out of the shop, calling behind her shoulder, "You just see if we ever do business with you again, Ms. Rarity!" The door slammed behind the two ponies, and Rarity could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. She turned to talk to the officials, and found that officer Mango and the mysterious unicorn in the suit were both furiously searching her boutique, tipping over carefully-organized fabrics, threads and patterns. Horrified, Rarity galloped over to officer Mango. "Stop! Stop, please, officers, what are you doing? Just tell me what you are here for, and I'm sure I can answer your every question!" Mango, however, pushed right past her with a scowl that made the white pony's cheeks turn red. "Will somepony please tell me why I am having my boutique invaded by the authorities?!" "Ma'am," officer Sour Grapes said in a deep voice, "we have reason to believe that you have in your posession some stolen and very illegal, dangerous magical items." The fashionista, taken aback, opened her mouth in utter surprise. She stuttered a moment, and then laughed, perhaps a bit too amusedly. "And you think that I, Rarity... what? Stole these items? A lady such as I? You simply cannot be serious!" Sour Grapes opened his mouth to reply, when his associate called over to him. "Hey, Grapes; I think we found what we're lookin' for." The cop's eyebrows raised, and he walked over to where his partner and the other pony stood. Rarity followed, still confused and perhaps just as indignant as her client had just been. The unicorn, whose cutiemark was a gleaming silver badge, had magically lifted up a floorboard. As soon as Sour Grapes looked underneath, he smirked, and all three male ponies turned to Rarity. Slowly, she peered under as well, and her proud demeanor shattered. Her mind buzzed with thought and emotion as her mouth once again dropped open, and her eyes bugged in a quite unattractive manner. I didn't put those there! How could they have gotten there? Do these ponies really believe that I am behind this?! Rarity swooned and nearly fainted. The unicorn came up to her while Mango and Grapes started collecting the evidence. "Miss Rarity; my name is Cuffs Shady, and I'm with the P.C.I. You'll be coming with me." The curly-haired pony barely noticed in all her shock the cold pair of hoofcuffs were magically clapped around her. As two buff stallions in shades came in to drag her away, Rarity remembered herself crying out, "Wait! I didn't do it! I was framed, I tell you! Framed! Framed!" The InquiryIn the dim light, two sapphire-blue eyes fluttered open. Where in Equestria am I? ...And why does my head hurt so much? It was then that Rarity remembered the events leading up to this point, causing her to moan. She had been screaming bloody murder when two stallions had stuffed her into the back of a van, and her weak disposition had caused her to faint. Later on, she remembered being in a nearly drunken state, and struggling furiously as the stallions again had tried dragging her someplace. They had been talking about how full the female cells were, due to there having been a mob just hours before, and how she was to be placed somewhere with a less violent pony. At this point she had started to fight with full force, biting and kicking, when she felt a huge bang upon her skull and she once again blacked out. Now that she was regaining conciousness, she began gathering her wits about her. She was bruised, but not bleeding, as far as she could tell. Her hair was still perfect, but... A chair. She was tied to a chair. The indignity! They tied me to... to a chair?! Oh, wait until my lawyer hears from me - just wait! I don't know who these ponies think they are... And just about that time, Rarity realized that she was not alone. Sitting across from her was a black stallion with shades on. In fact, he was so much covered in black that one could hardly tell he was there. The mare in Rarity could not help but notice how handsome these men in uniform were, but she quickly shook off these thoughts. "Where... where am I?" was all she could say. After all, she was still dazed. She could imagine Rainbow Dash being convicted of a crime, if any of her friends. Pinkie, perhaps, for extreme hyperactivity. But her? Rarity? This must have been one big joke - or even a nightmare. "I'll be asking the questions here," he replied in a threatening tone. In her most lady-like voice, Rarity pleaded with the stallion, "Oh, goodness. There must be some mistake here, Sir. I mean, can you really believe that I of all ponies would do such a vulgar thing?" "Ma'am, please remain silent until I've finished asking my question." Rarity shut her mouth. "Now, then. Do you have any explanation for the concoctions that were found under the floorboards in your boutique?" he asked, flipping on a small recording device. Smiling politely, Rarity answered, "No, Sir. I haven't the slightest clue. Now, if we could just discuss the terms of my release-" "And you deny having anything to do with the making, storage, or consumption of these illegal products?" he continued. "Yes, I do," she replied, smile dropping off of her face. "Ma'am, what does the name 'Silver Brick" mean to you?" Rarity had had just about enough of this ridiculous inuiry. "I am quite sure I don't know! I've told you every piece of information I have about this - zilch! Now, if you would kindly escort me out of here..." "I'm sorry, Miss Rarity, but we'll have to continue questioning later; you are officially under arrest. The only place you'll be escorted to is your cell," the stallion stated. This unicorn was done with being shocked for one day. "What ever do you mean, 'under arrest'?! You simply cannot arrest me! I am Rarity, premiere fashion pony! ...Don't I get my one phone call, at least? And where is my lawyer?! For the final time, I was framed!" "Don't worry, Miss; if we don't believe you, I'm sure the judge will." Dearest Celestia - make this nightmare stop! One Phone Call and Three Psychotic Ponies LaterThere really should be a basic training course for what to do if one is arrested, so one can be prepared. At least, this was the thinking of Rarity as she once again reflected on the day's events. What have I done to deserve this? I've had a decent life - I worked hard, made a name for myself. I've done nothing worthy of divine judgement such as this! She stood next to the phone, deciding whom she might call, and made a mental list. Fluttershy? She's quite the caring pony, but the dear just isn't assertive enough to do any good. Applejack? No, I don't believe she even owns a telephone... Rainbow Dash is away at that convention in Canterlot, so she's out of the question. Pinkie Pie would just muddle things up even more. One by one, she picked out her friends, until only a single pony remained. I must call Twilight. She's quick-witted, strong of composure, and most definitely has connections, yes? "Hey, wouldja hurry up, Lady?" pressed an employee of the prison. Rarity's eyes narrowed as she mumbled, "I swear, if one more pony makes a... snarky remark to me, they shall regret it." With her horn, she painstakingly pressed each number, and waited as the phone rang. ...And rang. ...And rang again. "No, no, no! Pick up, Darling, pick up!" the mare cried. Frustrated, she hung up and started to dial again. Unfortunately, her guard wasn't pleased with this. "Wait a second, you only get one call!" "Well, excuse me if my pony of choice isn't picking up at this moment. It is my right, so we are just going to have to wait!" ...And wait. Apparently for almost twenty minutes. Rarity simply would not give up. A guard behind them, however, had other ideas. "Listen, your call can't take this long. I've got another guy who's gotta make his one call, too, so you'd better hurry up." "Oh, no! You listen here; it is my right to be able to make my call, and until I do so, you... you..." Rarity stopped dead and gulped at the sight of the convict who needed to make his call. Big didn't even begin to describe this scarred criminal. He was around twice the height of Rarity, and at least four times her weight. His appearance reminded her of the buffaloes she had seen back in Appleoosa. Rarity formed a weak smile. "Well, I suppose that I could make my call later, since you seem so very... nice." *** "I am not going in there. You cannot make me go into that room!" The stallion escort who was currently watching over Rarity was exasperated. He wanted nothing more than to end his shift and leave this whiny mare behind. "There's nothing to be worried about; we have guards posted all around the area for your safety," he assured her. Rarity would not let up, "Sir, I do not believe you see these ponies - they are obviously all hardened criminals. Even the mares are muscular! This is simply not safe!" "Will you please stop your whining?" Stamping her foot, Rarity grunted, "I am not whining. Do you want to hear whining?! This is -!" But Rarity did not have time to finish her explanation, for she was shoved into the cafeteria and right into another pony. The victim of this unintentional crash also seemed unwilling to listen to Rarity's accounting of the situation, and turned to growl at her in a rather un-pony-like manner. Squeaking in fear, the white unicorn quickly backed away... Right into another pony. "Watch where you're goin'!" he shouted. Nodding furiously, Rarity scooted into an unoccupied corner so she could whimper to herself. "Wonderful, Rarity - just wonderful. This certainly is not your day. So far you have managed to lose a paying client, get yourself arrested, miss your opportunity to make your one phone call out of this place, and anger two or three nasty criminals. "Well, you're just going to have to make the best of this situation - no use making it worse for yourself by having a bad attitude. You must keep your wits about you, and use your resources to get yourself out of here. All you have to do is..." "Make a habit of talking to yourself?" The voice startled Rarity, and she whipped her head to her left, to see that the voice came from a heavy-built blood-orange mare. The orange prison jumpsuit conflicted with the color of her coat, Rarity noted. The mare laughed at Rarity's silence, "That's okay - we all do that sorta thing around here. Name's Spider Sage." Not about to forget her breeding, the unicorn replied, "Oh. Hello. I am Rarity. It... is a pleasure." Spider Sage smiled, "Nice to meet you Rarity. Me and my friends over there couldn't help but notice you seemed a little out of place." "Out of place doesn't even begin to describe the day I've had," Rarity confessed. Another laugh from Spider Sage loosened Rarity's taut lips a bit. "We don't see many fancy mares like you around a place like this. Would you join us at our table?" Rarity hesitated a moment. Was it really wise to be making friends with convicts? After all, she needed to save herself from as much trouble as possible. But then again, these ponies didn't seem like the rest of the crowd. This Spider Sage character seemed quite good-humored. The diamond-flanked mare nodded, and followed her new friend over to the table. Spider Sage's friends were two mares, just as muscled as she; the azure one had a spiky pixie-cut, and so many piercings and tattoos a pony could hardly tell she was under there; the other dark-grey unicorn's mane was shaved completely off, and her left eye was covered with a black eye-patch. A lady tries to overlook such vulgarites in others, Rarity silently reminded herself. A lady tries to look for the best in everypony. After all - Applejack and I are still friends. "Afternoon, everypony," she greeted them. The reply was two cold stares. Spider Sage put her front leg around Rarity's shoulders. "C'mon, guys - this is my new pal, Rittery." "That is Rarity." "Rittery; this here's Iron Loop and Drake." Iron Loop nodded, at least acknowledging the newcomer's presence. Drake nudged a dark mug of coffee towards Rarity, who stared at it. "You drink it." "Right." As if I didn't know, Rarity thought. I can't believe I must stoop down from my afternoon tea to this concoction, but it is all I have. But Rarity couldn't lift the cup to her lips. Try as she might, her horn simply would not work. Rarity panicked, afraid something was wrong with her magical abilities. As if reading her thoughts, Spider told her, "You can't use unicorn magic in here." Rarity was aghast. "Well, whyever not?" "Magical barrier surrounds the place - if unicorn magic was available, ponies would be busting outta here all the time," said Drake. Rarity felt about to blow a fuse. "How do they expect me to drink my coffee?! Or eat my food - or dress?! I'm not some simple Earth pony! I have standards! I have class!" she next-to-screamed, pounding upon the table several times. She sat there, panting and convulsing, cheeks red, eye twitching. There was a long, silent moment, as all four mares were still. Finally, Rarity gave in, bending her neck and taking a sip out of the blue porcelean cup. "...So, how did you all become friends?" "We were all in the same heist at this grocery store in Fillydelphia, and after that we became a gang," Spider told her. "Fillydelphia? Why, that's miles from here! Why did you end up in Ponyville?" Rarity asked. The three mares exchanged amused looks. Drake leaned forward, "We're not in Ponyville." "We aren't? Whatever do you mean?" There suddenly was a loud crash as a table tipped over. A colt and a stallion, equally as menacing, were stomping their hooves, about ready to run into battle. "You wanna take that back right about now?" growled the older one. "Not if you do first, Fatso!" taunted the younger. They charged, fighting tooth-and-nail. Before either Rarity or the prison guards could realize what was happening, Spider Sage had let out a jolly battle cry and rushed into the fray, followed by her two compadres. Thud! Whinny! Smack! Bang! Rarity shut her eyes tight, not willing to witness this atrocity. When the guards finally were able to break up the fight, they found the two male ponies nearly broken to pieces, bruised, bleeding, and close to tears. The three mares, however, were only slightly bruised, heaving, bloodied, and smiling wickedly. It was almost too obvious that this was quite an enjoyable sport. "And that's how you do it in Fillydelphia!" Not the Best Day Ever"Oh, come on - no vital organs were spilled! Sure, there was blood, but it's all fun and games, right guys?" Rarity could hear the ridiculous, jaunty rantings of Spider Sage as she was prodded into her cell. The ever-graceful Element of Generosity was being shown to a cell of her own by a prison security guard. "I'm sorry that you had to witness that display of violence," apologized the guard. "Thankfully for you, you have been assigned a room with a much less frightful pony." Rarity, who was still a bit shaken, was pleased to hear this. The last thing she wanted was to be caught up in the middle of a hoof-fight. "And I give my dearest thanks," Rarity assured him. She looked up at the colt, and sensed a bit of... admiration, was it? Although Rarity was not one to take advantage of a pony, she seemed to have no other choice than to pour on the charm. "But, you wouldn't mind looking into my situation, yes? See if you can't shorten my stay awhile, hm?" she inquired as she batted her eyelashes fretfully. Unfortunately for Rarity, this only caused the guard to shake his head and once again turn strictly business. "Ma'am, I am in no way allowed to accept bribes, so please keep your troubles to yourself." Well, thought Rarity with a huff. I suppose I underestimate the police forces a bit much. "Then I suppose," she looked up at him again, this time with less flirtatiousness to her tone, "you would not mind informing my as to where I am being held?" As they came to the end of the hall, the earth pony opened the iron cell door. "Whinnyshire," replied the colt as he stamped his hoof and gestured for her to go inside. "Whinnyshire?! But... but that's hours from Ponyville!" exclaimed Rarity frightfully. "In." The guard forced Rarity in with a shove, at which she squealed in protest. All at once, Rartiy felt the weight of the day fall upon her. It was almost too much to bear. Her eyes began to water as she held back hot tears, "Please! You must believe me - I'm not supposed to be here! Please!" But the only things that Rarity heard were quiet hoofbeats on cement, and a voice call back to her. "Your prison outfit is in there - you are expected to have it on by tomorrow. Have a nice stay!" Rarity slowly slumped to the ground with a whimper. Why her? Why? Of all the terrible things that could happen, this is the worst possible thing! It took a moment, then, for Rarity to hear the breathing from behind her. It was almost too frightening to bear, but Rarity turned around and saw a little shriveled figure in the corner of the boxed room, rocking back and forth. The unicorn thought she had seen that expression somewhere before...and she shivered as she zeroed in on the factor that made this scene most disturbing: the eyes. The eyes, yellowed and with tiny pupils, were facing opposite directions. Somewhat like a certain pegasus she knew from Ponyville. But this wasn't a friendly-looking, oblivious pony - this was a crazed pony. "Um... I am... Rarity... who - who are you?" There was no response; the greenish-brown pony just kept rocking back and forth unnaturally. Rarity slowly, cautiously, eyes never leaving her cellmate, backed up towards the cot behind her, and sat upon it gently. "Very well." *** Back at Rarity's boutique, Sweetie Belle had just returned from school. "Big sis, I'm home!" she called out in her usual sing-song voice. With her magic, she set her backpack up against the wall, near the door, and trotted into the back. "You wouldn't believe the crazy science experiment Ms. Cheerilee had us do! It was incredible!" The filly came back out to the front, apple in mouth. "Shmm mmud uf puh uh..." Sweetie Belle stopped her talking as the apple dropped from her mouth. Standing before her was a crimson pegasus, much taller than she. "Um, hello..." The pegasus responded with an all-too-happy smile and sultry voice, "Hello, there, Sweetie." "I'm sorry, if you need a dress, I'll go get my big sister..." "Oh, that won't be necessary," the mare informed her, drawing closer. The filly slowly began to back up, "No, it's no trouble - I'm sure she's around here somewhere." "No, Sweetie Belle, she isn't. In fact, she won't be for quite a while. So I've come to take you until she comes back." Sweetie Belle was unsure to make of this stranger, but her heart began racing with instinctive fear and adrenaline, "I... I don't think that I'm allowed to..." "Oh, Sweetie Belle - don't you see?" The red pegasus flared her wings, "No is not an answer." A Colt of Many ColorsRarity was woken up by the sound of a prompting voice. This came from outside of the cell, as an angry guard banged on the iron bars. It was not as if this had been the first time Rarity had been woken today; twice today, early in the morning, her disturbed inmate had filled her ears with frantic mumblings that quite frankly gave the unicorn a chill up her spine. "Rarity, is it? It's seven o' clock - your recess slot. So get outta bed, or you'll have to stay inside all day! And I thought that suit was supposed to be on you!" Yawning, and quickly becoming apathetic to the rantings of the jail officials, Rarity stretched. She could feel bones and muscles popping in response to the awful night they'd just had. But Rarity, ever optimistic, put on a smile. A recess? Yes, this might mean some fresh air, and perhaps another chance to make her case to anypony who would listen. "Just a moment, good sir," she called out in a sing-song voice that most likely confused the guard. She grabbed the orange outfit in her mouth and slowly unzipped it - a terribly complicating task to a unicorn with no magic. Just about to step into the cloth, she turned to the guard who was impatiently staring at her. Scrutinizingly, she said, "I would rather you not watch me while I am dressing!" The guard's mouth dropped open a moment, struck dumb. "Ma'am... ma'am, we don't usually wear clothes," he pointed out lamely. Sighing deeply, Rarity frowned and put on the outfit. "Really, how uncivilized..." The place where the 'recess' was held looked very much like a cage. And really, it was. Although the inside was nice enough, with patches of grass mixed with patches of concrete and picnic tables, it was surrounded by two fences of iron chains, both with barbed wire at the top. For any cocky pegasus who decided that their chance at freedom had arrived and tried to fly off, a meeting with an electric shock was imminent. The laser triggers were set all around the roofline of the place; any motion sensed, and an electric field would turn on. Rarity strode in, and squinted at the light of the sun. For a moment, she felt ashamed that at any point in her life she would be viewing her good Princess's masterpiece through the confines of a prison, before remembering that she was not to blame. Luckily, there was no sign of Spider Sage and her gang. Another confrontation with them was not desired. Instead, the room was filled with about seven other ponies. This must be quite a large establishment, Rarity thought to herself, to be housing this many... undesireables. Slowly striding through the giant birdcage, Rarity made her way to the center of the room. She looked around, seeing about five tables. Suddenly, her gaze stopped, as her eyes bore into a certain pony. Rarity was unsure of why she found this stallion so very interesting, but she simply could not pull her sapphire-blues away. Well, if I've learned anything from befriending Twilight... it is that everyone deserves a chance at friendship. Cautiously making her way over, the mare saw that this stallion was a pegasus. His coat was a grey, almost blue color, and his mane and tale a darker shade of grey. His prison suit looked worn, as if he had been in the facility quite a while, and his demeanor, at first threatening by his fierce stature, was very... lonely. I shall make Pinkie Pie proud. "Ahem... hello, there! Do you mind if I sit down?" she asked with a smile. Without a hint of surprise at this intrusion, the pegasus looked up slowly, with only his eyes, at the white mare. He stared at her for a good long while, causing Rarity to laugh nervously. "I'll take that as... a yes?" she sat down on the white stone bench and gave another smile. The stallion grunted. "Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you..." Looking at the mare, and glimpsing her sincerity, he replied, "Stone Blade," as he looked to the side. "It is very nice to make your accquaintance, Stone Blade." There was a long, awkward silence. Rarity, still smiling, shuffled her feet. Finally, Stone Blade turned to face her. "What is it that you want?" As she was about to reply, Rarity caught sight of the stallion's eyes, and stopped. These eyes, though filled with sorrow, were the most incredible, indescribable color. Immediately, Rarity sympathized with the pony. "I came over because you looked like you needed the company... just as much as I did," she told him, quietly. Stone Blade's hardened face melted. Why was this mare being so generous to him - to his feelings? "...Thank you..." What's WhatAs Rarity was ushered away from her new friend and into the cafeteria to eat breakfast, she kept thinking about Stone Blade. The way his eyes sucked her in; the way his unkempt mane swept over his shoulders... how terribly comforting those strong arms looked... Wait just a minute, Rarity! she scolded herself, blushing. Are you forgetting your breeding? Your heritage? You mustn't let yourself be pulled into romancing about a criminal! But inwardly, her heart fluttered every time she thought of him. She didn't want it to, but it did. She was determined, though, to make a friend out of this stallion. Perhaps, I might even teach him to see the error of his ways! As she struggled to eat her toasted bagel and buttercup spread without use of her magic, she smiled inwardly. Perhaps I can make light of this experience. Most of the day was spent playing Solitaire with some of the prison's cards, and thinking to herself how wonderful it would be when it was all over. As night came once again, and Rarity found herself in the company of a crazed cellmate, who most obviously should have been held in a mental ward, the grim sadness settled for the second time over the white unicorn. The mare, uncomfortable in this new bed, restlessly tossed and turned. There wasn't even a mattress under which to tuck the blanket, frustrating Rarity to no end. A dream came to her in the dead of night; Spike, coming to rescue her, in armor - telling her it was alright. She woke up with a start, and then hung her head. Had things gotten so bad that she was wishing for the baby dragon to be her savior? Trying to settle back into the comfort of sleep, Rarity imagined her five best friends, coming to save her, just as they had when she had been kidnapped by the Diamond Dogs. This is just the same thing, isn't it? Rarity tried to reassure herself. I can get myself out of here... can't I? Just because I am a lady, doesn't mean... doesn't mean... "...Doesn't mean I cannot handle myself." Rarity whispered to herself, a tear sliding down her cheek. She closed her eyes. And imagined Stone Blade. A spark ignited inside of her. "Dear Celestia, am I crazy, or is this a mare's intuition...? I don't know why, but I believe that... becoming friends with that stallion..." Rarity's voice gained in volume, "is the key to my rescue!" "Hey, you! Shut the heck up, will ya?! Some of us are trying to sleep!" shouted a voice from across the hall. "I'm sorry if my inspiration disturbed you!" Rarity yelled back. At the moment, she didn't care that she wasn't being polite - she felt alive again. But the next few days were extremely dissappointing for the mare; her morning excursion to the fenced yard were fruitless in trying to reunite with Stone Blade. Perhaps it was only a one-time thing? Rarity thought to herself, although she knew that if this were the case, the other ponies that she had seen before would not have been there. Three days passed, with no sign of her new friend. Was it possible that he had already done his time? Was he being let free? Rarity contemplated this mysterious disappearance that afternoon in the cafeteria, as she was eating a tomato salad, when a familiar voice came from behind her. "Well, well, well! If it isn't my old friend, Varsity!" "...That's Rarity..." she muttered under her breath. Rarity was beginning to wonder if this orange mare had serious mental problems. She looked behind her to see the infamous Spider Sage and her cronies towering menacingly above her. "Y'know, Varsity, for the past few days that we've been given to 'contemplate' our 'seriously violent actions' and 'trouble-making attitudes', we were thinking of you," Spider Sage told her. "Is that right? How very thoughtful of you." Drake pushed her way to the front of the group, "We were thinkin' 'bout how you just left us hangin' the other day, you weakling!" Rarity stuttered in disbelief, "E-excuse me? I left you hanging?! I had no intention of rough-housing with you ponies! I had hardly even met you!" "Yeah," Spider Sage growled, "well, think of that as a test. A test of your loyalty. And you flunked that test." "So now, we're gonna pound you," stated Drake. What. The rage at these ridiculous ponies bubbled inside of Rarity until she was steaming. "You are going to beat me up?! Why, of all the - you three are absolutely insensitive! Ridiculous! Stupid! Uneducated! How dare you accuse a lady in such a manner of such a thing?! How dare you push the blame of your punishment onto me?! You know what? You deserve to be locked up forever in a dank dungeon, you annoying pests! I swear to Celestia, you are even worse than parasprites! And those things ate my designs! Well, at least the parasprites were comely - you three are just the most unfashionable, least-well-presented ponies I think I have ever laid eyes on! I have a mind to sent you to my finishing school when I was a filly - oh, but you would die there! I don't believe you have a single mannered bone on you...!" The three ponies exchanged worried glances as Rarity continued her rant. The pain. The absolute pain. How long could she keep this up? How far could she stray from the main point?! How many big words could she use in one sentence?! By the end of the night, neither Spider Sage, nor Drake, nor Iron Loop wanted anything to do with Rarity. Ever again.
Framed!Rarity looked up and down the pink filly, evaluating the smooth combination of mane and fur. "Purple, white, pink..." she mumbled to herself. Suddenly her eyes lit up. "Aha! Yes, darling, I have just the thing! Olive green will look wondrous on you. I'm sure I have some in the back..." The mother of the filly sneered, "Of course it will. Everything looks perfect on my daughter." The white unicorn tried to conceal her distaste for this snooty mare with an unsincere smile. "Undoubtedly." "And make sure that it has lots of diamonds!" demanded the schoolfilly with an elite tone that matched her mother's. Not bothering to reply, Rarity strode gracefully to a shelf stuffed with folds of fabric, all sorted by color. With her magic, she pulled out two different shimmering forest greens and appraised them. She lifted them up next to the little pony, one at a time, imagining a lovely dress for the bratty thing. Choosing the winning fabric, she smiled, setting it on her work table and putting the other back. Donning her ruby glasses, she went to work. "I'm going to have to measure you now, darling," the white mare informed. "Diamond Tiara," shrilled the mother, "do your pageant pose for mummy!" The girl immediately did so, striking a much-too-sexy-for-a-young-filly pose. While Rarity held her measuring tape up to Diamond Tiara's waist and legs, she secretly rolled her eyes. Of course, this was a pageant girl! I wonder if this filly goes to Sweetie Belle's school, she thought. But just as Rarity had set down her tape and was about to inquire the mother for what occasion this dress was to be made, there was a sharp knock at the door of her boutique. Rarity looked over to the door and laughed an apologetic laugh, "Will you please excuse me a moment? This shan't take very long." The older mare huffed, taking a look at her watch. Rarity trotted over to the door, surprised to see standing there two police ponies, and one handsomely dressed colt. She nervously cleared her throat and opened the door. "H-hello, officer Sour Grapes; officer Mango! Um, welcome to the Carousel Boutique, where every outfit is... um..." she began. A familiar-looking yellow stallion with a blue mane pushed his way past her, "Yes, nice to see you, Miss Rarity. But we're not here for clothes, I'm afraid." "Oh, really? Then what would you gentlecolts be doing here, may I ask?" Rarity inquired in a lady-like but quivering voice. For some reason, the air about these ponies was making her exremely nervous. Without answering, officer Mango strode over to Diamond Tiara and her mother, "Ma'am, you and your daughter will have to leave the premises until further notice." At this, both mother and daughter became indignant. "Wait just a minute! We came here expecting a gorgeous new dress for my lovely daughter, and that is what we had better get!" Diamond Tiara, in an obviously perfectly-practiced routine, seemed on the verge of tears, and started to whine with a voice Rarity knew all-too-well. "But I wanna get my dress today! If I don't get it, I won't look more fabulous than cousin Ruby Crown at aunty's party! Mom, you promised!" Rarity exasperatedly explained the situation to the earth pony in a low voice, "Maybe it would be better if you did come back at a later time, Miss Masquerade. I hope you'll except my apologies." With a last huff and a stamp of the hoof, Masquerade led her daughter out of the shop, calling behind her shoulder, "You just see if we ever do business with you again, Ms. Rarity!" The door slammed behind the two ponies, and Rarity could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. She turned to talk to the officials, and found that officer Mango and the mysterious unicorn in the suit were both furiously searching her boutique, tipping over carefully-organized fabrics, threads and patterns. Horrified, Rarity galloped over to officer Mango. "Stop! Stop, please, officers, what are you doing? Just tell me what you are here for, and I'm sure I can answer your every question!" Mango, however, pushed right past her with a scowl that made the white pony's cheeks turn red. "Will somepony please tell me why I am having my boutique invaded by the authorities?!" "Ma'am," officer Sour Grapes said in a deep voice, "we have reason to believe that you have in your posession some stolen and very illegal, dangerous magical items." The fashionista, taken aback, opened her mouth in utter surprise. She stuttered a moment, and then laughed, perhaps a bit too amusedly. "And you think that I, Rarity... what? Stole these items? A lady such as I? You simply cannot be serious!" Sour Grapes opened his mouth to reply, when his associate called over to him. "Hey, Grapes; I think we found what we're lookin' for." The cop's eyebrows raised, and he walked over to where his partner and the other pony stood. Rarity followed, still confused and perhaps just as indignant as her client had just been. The unicorn, whose cutiemark was a gleaming silver badge, had magically lifted up a floorboard. As soon as Sour Grapes looked underneath, he smirked, and all three male ponies turned to Rarity. Slowly, she peered under as well, and her proud demeanor shattered. Her mind buzzed with thought and emotion as her mouth once again dropped open, and her eyes bugged in a quite unattractive manner. I didn't put those there! How could they have gotten there? Do these ponies really believe that I am behind this?! Rarity swooned and nearly fainted. The unicorn came up to her while Mango and Grapes started collecting the evidence. "Miss Rarity; my name is Cuffs Shady, and I'm with the P.C.I. You'll be coming with me." The curly-haired pony barely noticed in all her shock the cold pair of hoofcuffs were magically clapped around her. As two buff stallions in shades came in to drag her away, Rarity remembered herself crying out, "Wait! I didn't do it! I was framed, I tell you! Framed! Framed!"
The InquiryIn the dim light, two sapphire-blue eyes fluttered open. Where in Equestria am I? ...And why does my head hurt so much? It was then that Rarity remembered the events leading up to this point, causing her to moan. She had been screaming bloody murder when two stallions had stuffed her into the back of a van, and her weak disposition had caused her to faint. Later on, she remembered being in a nearly drunken state, and struggling furiously as the stallions again had tried dragging her someplace. They had been talking about how full the female cells were, due to there having been a mob just hours before, and how she was to be placed somewhere with a less violent pony. At this point she had started to fight with full force, biting and kicking, when she felt a huge bang upon her skull and she once again blacked out. Now that she was regaining conciousness, she began gathering her wits about her. She was bruised, but not bleeding, as far as she could tell. Her hair was still perfect, but... A chair. She was tied to a chair. The indignity! They tied me to... to a chair?! Oh, wait until my lawyer hears from me - just wait! I don't know who these ponies think they are... And just about that time, Rarity realized that she was not alone. Sitting across from her was a black stallion with shades on. In fact, he was so much covered in black that one could hardly tell he was there. The mare in Rarity could not help but notice how handsome these men in uniform were, but she quickly shook off these thoughts. "Where... where am I?" was all she could say. After all, she was still dazed. She could imagine Rainbow Dash being convicted of a crime, if any of her friends. Pinkie, perhaps, for extreme hyperactivity. But her? Rarity? This must have been one big joke - or even a nightmare. "I'll be asking the questions here," he replied in a threatening tone. In her most lady-like voice, Rarity pleaded with the stallion, "Oh, goodness. There must be some mistake here, Sir. I mean, can you really believe that I of all ponies would do such a vulgar thing?" "Ma'am, please remain silent until I've finished asking my question." Rarity shut her mouth. "Now, then. Do you have any explanation for the concoctions that were found under the floorboards in your boutique?" he asked, flipping on a small recording device. Smiling politely, Rarity answered, "No, Sir. I haven't the slightest clue. Now, if we could just discuss the terms of my release-" "And you deny having anything to do with the making, storage, or consumption of these illegal products?" he continued. "Yes, I do," she replied, smile dropping off of her face. "Ma'am, what does the name 'Silver Brick" mean to you?" Rarity had had just about enough of this ridiculous inuiry. "I am quite sure I don't know! I've told you every piece of information I have about this - zilch! Now, if you would kindly escort me out of here..." "I'm sorry, Miss Rarity, but we'll have to continue questioning later; you are officially under arrest. The only place you'll be escorted to is your cell," the stallion stated. This unicorn was done with being shocked for one day. "What ever do you mean, 'under arrest'?! You simply cannot arrest me! I am Rarity, premiere fashion pony! ...Don't I get my one phone call, at least? And where is my lawyer?! For the final time, I was framed!" "Don't worry, Miss; if we don't believe you, I'm sure the judge will." Dearest Celestia - make this nightmare stop!
One Phone Call and Three Psychotic Ponies LaterThere really should be a basic training course for what to do if one is arrested, so one can be prepared. At least, this was the thinking of Rarity as she once again reflected on the day's events. What have I done to deserve this? I've had a decent life - I worked hard, made a name for myself. I've done nothing worthy of divine judgement such as this! She stood next to the phone, deciding whom she might call, and made a mental list. Fluttershy? She's quite the caring pony, but the dear just isn't assertive enough to do any good. Applejack? No, I don't believe she even owns a telephone... Rainbow Dash is away at that convention in Canterlot, so she's out of the question. Pinkie Pie would just muddle things up even more. One by one, she picked out her friends, until only a single pony remained. I must call Twilight. She's quick-witted, strong of composure, and most definitely has connections, yes? "Hey, wouldja hurry up, Lady?" pressed an employee of the prison. Rarity's eyes narrowed as she mumbled, "I swear, if one more pony makes a... snarky remark to me, they shall regret it." With her horn, she painstakingly pressed each number, and waited as the phone rang. ...And rang. ...And rang again. "No, no, no! Pick up, Darling, pick up!" the mare cried. Frustrated, she hung up and started to dial again. Unfortunately, her guard wasn't pleased with this. "Wait a second, you only get one call!" "Well, excuse me if my pony of choice isn't picking up at this moment. It is my right, so we are just going to have to wait!" ...And wait. Apparently for almost twenty minutes. Rarity simply would not give up. A guard behind them, however, had other ideas. "Listen, your call can't take this long. I've got another guy who's gotta make his one call, too, so you'd better hurry up." "Oh, no! You listen here; it is my right to be able to make my call, and until I do so, you... you..." Rarity stopped dead and gulped at the sight of the convict who needed to make his call. Big didn't even begin to describe this scarred criminal. He was around twice the height of Rarity, and at least four times her weight. His appearance reminded her of the buffaloes she had seen back in Appleoosa. Rarity formed a weak smile. "Well, I suppose that I could make my call later, since you seem so very... nice." *** "I am not going in there. You cannot make me go into that room!" The stallion escort who was currently watching over Rarity was exasperated. He wanted nothing more than to end his shift and leave this whiny mare behind. "There's nothing to be worried about; we have guards posted all around the area for your safety," he assured her. Rarity would not let up, "Sir, I do not believe you see these ponies - they are obviously all hardened criminals. Even the mares are muscular! This is simply not safe!" "Will you please stop your whining?" Stamping her foot, Rarity grunted, "I am not whining. Do you want to hear whining?! This is -!" But Rarity did not have time to finish her explanation, for she was shoved into the cafeteria and right into another pony. The victim of this unintentional crash also seemed unwilling to listen to Rarity's accounting of the situation, and turned to growl at her in a rather un-pony-like manner. Squeaking in fear, the white unicorn quickly backed away... Right into another pony. "Watch where you're goin'!" he shouted. Nodding furiously, Rarity scooted into an unoccupied corner so she could whimper to herself. "Wonderful, Rarity - just wonderful. This certainly is not your day. So far you have managed to lose a paying client, get yourself arrested, miss your opportunity to make your one phone call out of this place, and anger two or three nasty criminals. "Well, you're just going to have to make the best of this situation - no use making it worse for yourself by having a bad attitude. You must keep your wits about you, and use your resources to get yourself out of here. All you have to do is..." "Make a habit of talking to yourself?" The voice startled Rarity, and she whipped her head to her left, to see that the voice came from a heavy-built blood-orange mare. The orange prison jumpsuit conflicted with the color of her coat, Rarity noted. The mare laughed at Rarity's silence, "That's okay - we all do that sorta thing around here. Name's Spider Sage." Not about to forget her breeding, the unicorn replied, "Oh. Hello. I am Rarity. It... is a pleasure." Spider Sage smiled, "Nice to meet you Rarity. Me and my friends over there couldn't help but notice you seemed a little out of place." "Out of place doesn't even begin to describe the day I've had," Rarity confessed. Another laugh from Spider Sage loosened Rarity's taut lips a bit. "We don't see many fancy mares like you around a place like this. Would you join us at our table?" Rarity hesitated a moment. Was it really wise to be making friends with convicts? After all, she needed to save herself from as much trouble as possible. But then again, these ponies didn't seem like the rest of the crowd. This Spider Sage character seemed quite good-humored. The diamond-flanked mare nodded, and followed her new friend over to the table. Spider Sage's friends were two mares, just as muscled as she; the azure one had a spiky pixie-cut, and so many piercings and tattoos a pony could hardly tell she was under there; the other dark-grey unicorn's mane was shaved completely off, and her left eye was covered with a black eye-patch. A lady tries to overlook such vulgarites in others, Rarity silently reminded herself. A lady tries to look for the best in everypony. After all - Applejack and I are still friends. "Afternoon, everypony," she greeted them. The reply was two cold stares. Spider Sage put her front leg around Rarity's shoulders. "C'mon, guys - this is my new pal, Rittery." "That is Rarity." "Rittery; this here's Iron Loop and Drake." Iron Loop nodded, at least acknowledging the newcomer's presence. Drake nudged a dark mug of coffee towards Rarity, who stared at it. "You drink it." "Right." As if I didn't know, Rarity thought. I can't believe I must stoop down from my afternoon tea to this concoction, but it is all I have. But Rarity couldn't lift the cup to her lips. Try as she might, her horn simply would not work. Rarity panicked, afraid something was wrong with her magical abilities. As if reading her thoughts, Spider told her, "You can't use unicorn magic in here." Rarity was aghast. "Well, whyever not?" "Magical barrier surrounds the place - if unicorn magic was available, ponies would be busting outta here all the time," said Drake. Rarity felt about to blow a fuse. "How do they expect me to drink my coffee?! Or eat my food - or dress?! I'm not some simple Earth pony! I have standards! I have class!" she next-to-screamed, pounding upon the table several times. She sat there, panting and convulsing, cheeks red, eye twitching. There was a long, silent moment, as all four mares were still. Finally, Rarity gave in, bending her neck and taking a sip out of the blue porcelean cup. "...So, how did you all become friends?" "We were all in the same heist at this grocery store in Fillydelphia, and after that we became a gang," Spider told her. "Fillydelphia? Why, that's miles from here! Why did you end up in Ponyville?" Rarity asked. The three mares exchanged amused looks. Drake leaned forward, "We're not in Ponyville." "We aren't? Whatever do you mean?" There suddenly was a loud crash as a table tipped over. A colt and a stallion, equally as menacing, were stomping their hooves, about ready to run into battle. "You wanna take that back right about now?" growled the older one. "Not if you do first, Fatso!" taunted the younger. They charged, fighting tooth-and-nail. Before either Rarity or the prison guards could realize what was happening, Spider Sage had let out a jolly battle cry and rushed into the fray, followed by her two compadres. Thud! Whinny! Smack! Bang! Rarity shut her eyes tight, not willing to witness this atrocity. When the guards finally were able to break up the fight, they found the two male ponies nearly broken to pieces, bruised, bleeding, and close to tears. The three mares, however, were only slightly bruised, heaving, bloodied, and smiling wickedly. It was almost too obvious that this was quite an enjoyable sport. "And that's how you do it in Fillydelphia!"
Not the Best Day Ever"Oh, come on - no vital organs were spilled! Sure, there was blood, but it's all fun and games, right guys?" Rarity could hear the ridiculous, jaunty rantings of Spider Sage as she was prodded into her cell. The ever-graceful Element of Generosity was being shown to a cell of her own by a prison security guard. "I'm sorry that you had to witness that display of violence," apologized the guard. "Thankfully for you, you have been assigned a room with a much less frightful pony." Rarity, who was still a bit shaken, was pleased to hear this. The last thing she wanted was to be caught up in the middle of a hoof-fight. "And I give my dearest thanks," Rarity assured him. She looked up at the colt, and sensed a bit of... admiration, was it? Although Rarity was not one to take advantage of a pony, she seemed to have no other choice than to pour on the charm. "But, you wouldn't mind looking into my situation, yes? See if you can't shorten my stay awhile, hm?" she inquired as she batted her eyelashes fretfully. Unfortunately for Rarity, this only caused the guard to shake his head and once again turn strictly business. "Ma'am, I am in no way allowed to accept bribes, so please keep your troubles to yourself." Well, thought Rarity with a huff. I suppose I underestimate the police forces a bit much. "Then I suppose," she looked up at him again, this time with less flirtatiousness to her tone, "you would not mind informing my as to where I am being held?" As they came to the end of the hall, the earth pony opened the iron cell door. "Whinnyshire," replied the colt as he stamped his hoof and gestured for her to go inside. "Whinnyshire?! But... but that's hours from Ponyville!" exclaimed Rarity frightfully. "In." The guard forced Rarity in with a shove, at which she squealed in protest. All at once, Rartiy felt the weight of the day fall upon her. It was almost too much to bear. Her eyes began to water as she held back hot tears, "Please! You must believe me - I'm not supposed to be here! Please!" But the only things that Rarity heard were quiet hoofbeats on cement, and a voice call back to her. "Your prison outfit is in there - you are expected to have it on by tomorrow. Have a nice stay!" Rarity slowly slumped to the ground with a whimper. Why her? Why? Of all the terrible things that could happen, this is the worst possible thing! It took a moment, then, for Rarity to hear the breathing from behind her. It was almost too frightening to bear, but Rarity turned around and saw a little shriveled figure in the corner of the boxed room, rocking back and forth. The unicorn thought she had seen that expression somewhere before...and she shivered as she zeroed in on the factor that made this scene most disturbing: the eyes. The eyes, yellowed and with tiny pupils, were facing opposite directions. Somewhat like a certain pegasus she knew from Ponyville. But this wasn't a friendly-looking, oblivious pony - this was a crazed pony. "Um... I am... Rarity... who - who are you?" There was no response; the greenish-brown pony just kept rocking back and forth unnaturally. Rarity slowly, cautiously, eyes never leaving her cellmate, backed up towards the cot behind her, and sat upon it gently. "Very well." *** Back at Rarity's boutique, Sweetie Belle had just returned from school. "Big sis, I'm home!" she called out in her usual sing-song voice. With her magic, she set her backpack up against the wall, near the door, and trotted into the back. "You wouldn't believe the crazy science experiment Ms. Cheerilee had us do! It was incredible!" The filly came back out to the front, apple in mouth. "Shmm mmud uf puh uh..." Sweetie Belle stopped her talking as the apple dropped from her mouth. Standing before her was a crimson pegasus, much taller than she. "Um, hello..." The pegasus responded with an all-too-happy smile and sultry voice, "Hello, there, Sweetie." "I'm sorry, if you need a dress, I'll go get my big sister..." "Oh, that won't be necessary," the mare informed her, drawing closer. The filly slowly began to back up, "No, it's no trouble - I'm sure she's around here somewhere." "No, Sweetie Belle, she isn't. In fact, she won't be for quite a while. So I've come to take you until she comes back." Sweetie Belle was unsure to make of this stranger, but her heart began racing with instinctive fear and adrenaline, "I... I don't think that I'm allowed to..." "Oh, Sweetie Belle - don't you see?" The red pegasus flared her wings, "No is not an answer."
A Colt of Many ColorsRarity was woken up by the sound of a prompting voice. This came from outside of the cell, as an angry guard banged on the iron bars. It was not as if this had been the first time Rarity had been woken today; twice today, early in the morning, her disturbed inmate had filled her ears with frantic mumblings that quite frankly gave the unicorn a chill up her spine. "Rarity, is it? It's seven o' clock - your recess slot. So get outta bed, or you'll have to stay inside all day! And I thought that suit was supposed to be on you!" Yawning, and quickly becoming apathetic to the rantings of the jail officials, Rarity stretched. She could feel bones and muscles popping in response to the awful night they'd just had. But Rarity, ever optimistic, put on a smile. A recess? Yes, this might mean some fresh air, and perhaps another chance to make her case to anypony who would listen. "Just a moment, good sir," she called out in a sing-song voice that most likely confused the guard. She grabbed the orange outfit in her mouth and slowly unzipped it - a terribly complicating task to a unicorn with no magic. Just about to step into the cloth, she turned to the guard who was impatiently staring at her. Scrutinizingly, she said, "I would rather you not watch me while I am dressing!" The guard's mouth dropped open a moment, struck dumb. "Ma'am... ma'am, we don't usually wear clothes," he pointed out lamely. Sighing deeply, Rarity frowned and put on the outfit. "Really, how uncivilized..." The place where the 'recess' was held looked very much like a cage. And really, it was. Although the inside was nice enough, with patches of grass mixed with patches of concrete and picnic tables, it was surrounded by two fences of iron chains, both with barbed wire at the top. For any cocky pegasus who decided that their chance at freedom had arrived and tried to fly off, a meeting with an electric shock was imminent. The laser triggers were set all around the roofline of the place; any motion sensed, and an electric field would turn on. Rarity strode in, and squinted at the light of the sun. For a moment, she felt ashamed that at any point in her life she would be viewing her good Princess's masterpiece through the confines of a prison, before remembering that she was not to blame. Luckily, there was no sign of Spider Sage and her gang. Another confrontation with them was not desired. Instead, the room was filled with about seven other ponies. This must be quite a large establishment, Rarity thought to herself, to be housing this many... undesireables. Slowly striding through the giant birdcage, Rarity made her way to the center of the room. She looked around, seeing about five tables. Suddenly, her gaze stopped, as her eyes bore into a certain pony. Rarity was unsure of why she found this stallion so very interesting, but she simply could not pull her sapphire-blues away. Well, if I've learned anything from befriending Twilight... it is that everyone deserves a chance at friendship. Cautiously making her way over, the mare saw that this stallion was a pegasus. His coat was a grey, almost blue color, and his mane and tale a darker shade of grey. His prison suit looked worn, as if he had been in the facility quite a while, and his demeanor, at first threatening by his fierce stature, was very... lonely. I shall make Pinkie Pie proud. "Ahem... hello, there! Do you mind if I sit down?" she asked with a smile. Without a hint of surprise at this intrusion, the pegasus looked up slowly, with only his eyes, at the white mare. He stared at her for a good long while, causing Rarity to laugh nervously. "I'll take that as... a yes?" she sat down on the white stone bench and gave another smile. The stallion grunted. "Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Rarity. It is a pleasure to meet you..." Looking at the mare, and glimpsing her sincerity, he replied, "Stone Blade," as he looked to the side. "It is very nice to make your accquaintance, Stone Blade." There was a long, awkward silence. Rarity, still smiling, shuffled her feet. Finally, Stone Blade turned to face her. "What is it that you want?" As she was about to reply, Rarity caught sight of the stallion's eyes, and stopped. These eyes, though filled with sorrow, were the most incredible, indescribable color. Immediately, Rarity sympathized with the pony. "I came over because you looked like you needed the company... just as much as I did," she told him, quietly. Stone Blade's hardened face melted. Why was this mare being so generous to him - to his feelings? "...Thank you..."
What's WhatAs Rarity was ushered away from her new friend and into the cafeteria to eat breakfast, she kept thinking about Stone Blade. The way his eyes sucked her in; the way his unkempt mane swept over his shoulders... how terribly comforting those strong arms looked... Wait just a minute, Rarity! she scolded herself, blushing. Are you forgetting your breeding? Your heritage? You mustn't let yourself be pulled into romancing about a criminal! But inwardly, her heart fluttered every time she thought of him. She didn't want it to, but it did. She was determined, though, to make a friend out of this stallion. Perhaps, I might even teach him to see the error of his ways! As she struggled to eat her toasted bagel and buttercup spread without use of her magic, she smiled inwardly. Perhaps I can make light of this experience. Most of the day was spent playing Solitaire with some of the prison's cards, and thinking to herself how wonderful it would be when it was all over. As night came once again, and Rarity found herself in the company of a crazed cellmate, who most obviously should have been held in a mental ward, the grim sadness settled for the second time over the white unicorn. The mare, uncomfortable in this new bed, restlessly tossed and turned. There wasn't even a mattress under which to tuck the blanket, frustrating Rarity to no end. A dream came to her in the dead of night; Spike, coming to rescue her, in armor - telling her it was alright. She woke up with a start, and then hung her head. Had things gotten so bad that she was wishing for the baby dragon to be her savior? Trying to settle back into the comfort of sleep, Rarity imagined her five best friends, coming to save her, just as they had when she had been kidnapped by the Diamond Dogs. This is just the same thing, isn't it? Rarity tried to reassure herself. I can get myself out of here... can't I? Just because I am a lady, doesn't mean... doesn't mean... "...Doesn't mean I cannot handle myself." Rarity whispered to herself, a tear sliding down her cheek. She closed her eyes. And imagined Stone Blade. A spark ignited inside of her. "Dear Celestia, am I crazy, or is this a mare's intuition...? I don't know why, but I believe that... becoming friends with that stallion..." Rarity's voice gained in volume, "is the key to my rescue!" "Hey, you! Shut the heck up, will ya?! Some of us are trying to sleep!" shouted a voice from across the hall. "I'm sorry if my inspiration disturbed you!" Rarity yelled back. At the moment, she didn't care that she wasn't being polite - she felt alive again. But the next few days were extremely dissappointing for the mare; her morning excursion to the fenced yard were fruitless in trying to reunite with Stone Blade. Perhaps it was only a one-time thing? Rarity thought to herself, although she knew that if this were the case, the other ponies that she had seen before would not have been there. Three days passed, with no sign of her new friend. Was it possible that he had already done his time? Was he being let free? Rarity contemplated this mysterious disappearance that afternoon in the cafeteria, as she was eating a tomato salad, when a familiar voice came from behind her. "Well, well, well! If it isn't my old friend, Varsity!" "...That's Rarity..." she muttered under her breath. Rarity was beginning to wonder if this orange mare had serious mental problems. She looked behind her to see the infamous Spider Sage and her cronies towering menacingly above her. "Y'know, Varsity, for the past few days that we've been given to 'contemplate' our 'seriously violent actions' and 'trouble-making attitudes', we were thinking of you," Spider Sage told her. "Is that right? How very thoughtful of you." Drake pushed her way to the front of the group, "We were thinkin' 'bout how you just left us hangin' the other day, you weakling!" Rarity stuttered in disbelief, "E-excuse me? I left you hanging?! I had no intention of rough-housing with you ponies! I had hardly even met you!" "Yeah," Spider Sage growled, "well, think of that as a test. A test of your loyalty. And you flunked that test." "So now, we're gonna pound you," stated Drake. What. The rage at these ridiculous ponies bubbled inside of Rarity until she was steaming. "You are going to beat me up?! Why, of all the - you three are absolutely insensitive! Ridiculous! Stupid! Uneducated! How dare you accuse a lady in such a manner of such a thing?! How dare you push the blame of your punishment onto me?! You know what? You deserve to be locked up forever in a dank dungeon, you annoying pests! I swear to Celestia, you are even worse than parasprites! And those things ate my designs! Well, at least the parasprites were comely - you three are just the most unfashionable, least-well-presented ponies I think I have ever laid eyes on! I have a mind to sent you to my finishing school when I was a filly - oh, but you would die there! I don't believe you have a single mannered bone on you...!" The three ponies exchanged worried glances as Rarity continued her rant. The pain. The absolute pain. How long could she keep this up? How far could she stray from the main point?! How many big words could she use in one sentence?! By the end of the night, neither Spider Sage, nor Drake, nor Iron Loop wanted anything to do with Rarity. Ever again.
