Day Two Rarity

It took Rarity a few minutes to remember why she was so angry when she woke up that morning. For a moment she simply sat there, as confused and tangled as the bedsheets beside her. Then she remembered all the events that had happened at the games, and suddenly all the indignation and resentment came rushing back to her.

The nerve of someponies!

Or should I say, some dragons!

Rarity scowled as she got up and headed down the stairs to see Sweetie Belle happily eating muffins from SugarCube Corner. "Good morning!" said Sweetie Belle happily as she picked up another muffin and bit into it.

"Good morning," said Rarity moodily.

"What's wrong?" asked Sweetie Belle, looking concerned.

"Nothing," said Rarity in a nicer voice.

I shouldn't take my frustrations out on her. She's the real victim with a inconsiderate dragon like Spike after her!

She spent the rest of breakfast making forced conversation with Sweetie Belle, who informed her that she and the Cutiemark Crusaders were going to earn their cutiemarks in archery.

"That's... lovely." said Rarity distractedly.

I should say something.

Maybe warn her about Spike.

"Sweetie Belle?" asked Rarity. "You know Spike?"

"Of course I know Spike!" Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity, bemused. "Why wouldn't I?"

Rarity shrugged, scowling and unknowing as to how to proceed. She wanted to say everything on her mind at once, right now. Make sure that Sweetie Belle was warned, was-

"Hello there, fellow Crusader!" came a loud voice from the door. "Are you ready to earn your cutiemark?"

"You bet!" yelled Sweetie Belle, leaping towards the door. "Bye, Rarity!" said Sweetie Belle. "See you when we have cutiemarks!"

"But Sweetie Belle, I–"

"Bye!"

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity yelled after her. But Sweetie Belle was long gone.

"Aargh!" Rarity screamed as she slammed the door, stomping to the dining room and flinging herself at her chair. However, she missed and tumbled to the floor and with a crash, the chair landing on top of her. This didn't help Rarity's mood at all. On the contrary, she couldn't concentrate for the rest of the morning with all of the rage building up inside her.

She was furious with the whole lot of them. Sweetie Belle for not listening to her, the Cutiemark Crusaders for taking Sweetie Belle when she needed to talk to her most, Spike for starting this whole mess, her chair, for now her hoof was really hurting her and was starting to develope a bruise, something that can simply not be made fashionable, and even Twilight for bring Spike along with her to Ponyville in the first place.

Consequently she ended up with a lot more injuries to add to her hoof; mostly pricks from her needle and a particularly painful tug on her tail informed her she had caught it in her sewing machine. After carefully removing her tail and combing it into a somewhat passable style (though not her favorite) she decided she had to call it a day. Which only made her more irritated, because she had to finish her dress by the end of the week for a very important pony, meaning that she would be up half the night and gave her one more reason to be mad at everyone.

Alright, calm down.

I'm going to be fine.

She sighed, and went to her kitchen to pour some water for herself. With a glow from her horn she grabbed a pitcher and glass. She turned around and trotted back to the door. As she was about to pour the beautiful spring water from the pitcher to the glass, she tripped over something and the pitcher went flying over to the window.

With a loud hiss, Opal leaped into the air and started clawing and scratching at everything in sight. Rarity tried to calm her down, but after five minutes and several scratches, she gave it up. Lifting the now soaked Opal as high as she could with her magic, she opened the door and left her on the steps. As soon as she did so, Opal ran pell-mell towards what Rarity suspected was Fluttershy's cottage.

Well good riddance!

Who needs her? She's just as bad as the rest of them.

As she turned around, she saw what she tripped over. It was a bulky bag with the letters SR emblazoned on the side. She opened it and a slew of arrows, also with SRs emblazoned onto them, cascaded on to the floor.

Sweetie Belle must have for gotten them.

I suppose that I should return them to her. And teach her how to spell.

She sighed, hoisted the bag onto her head and trotted in search of Sweetie Belle. She realized that her search would be a long one, for Sweetie Belle had given no indication as to where she was going. Rarity searched Sweet Apple Acres first, then SugarCube Corner, and finally as she was just about to give up hope, she saw Sweetie Belle talking to somepony behind a cart selling asparagus. Rarity nodded, and trotted towards her.

"Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, looking relieved. "I've been looking everywhere for you. You left your arrows at–––." Rarity has been so pleased to see Sweetie Belle that she had forgotten that Sweetie Belle was talking to someone.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was just telling Spike that I couldn't give Opal to you because I was looking for my bag. And I was wondering if you could help me. The thread ran out and I could only make an SR and not an SB!".

Rarity turned to see Spike smiling sheepishly towards her, holding Opal. "Oh… hello," said Rarity before adding through gritted teeth, "Spike."

Spike's smile faded. "What happened to you?"

For a moment Rarity had no idea what Spike was talking about. But turning to get a good look at herself in the reflection of the nearest store window, she knew exactly what he meant. She thought she might faint. Every inch of her was covered with scratches and needle pricks, her tail looked like it had gone through a grinder, and her mane was a mess.

"Here, let me help you," said Spike. He gave Opal to Sweetie Belle and, using his claws, started to comb Rarity's mane.

"No, stop!"

Rarity pushed Spike off of her. She turned to the mirror and saw that her mane was now perfect except for the part where Spike had not had time to reach.

"Oh. Sorry." Spike looked saddened, almost scared. "Did you not like it?"

"No! I mean... Yes. But I –– I have to go! Thank you for bringing me Sweetie Belle! I-I-I mean Opal! Bye!" And with that she took off and didn't stop until she was in her room. She tossed Opal unceremoniously onto the bed and looked at herself in the mirror.

I have some thinking to do.