Chapter 14: Feelings Deep Inside
Dear Fluttershy,
Now its my turn to apologize. The last couple of months have been rather busy; I've been traveling around the Crystal Empire to familiarize myself with all of its ponies. Its much larger than the capital city that you visited.
Shining Armor told me about what happened to Rainbow Dash. My heart goes out to her and to all of you. That's something that nopony should ever have to experience.
On a lighter note, I think you know what you're feeling Fluttershy, and I think you need to follow your heart. Have you talked to Twilight yet? I know that she was your original concern.
Your friend,
Cadance
Preparations for the Grand Galloping Gala began months in advance, out of necessity. For one, it was a large-scale event that required many ponies to spend a lot of time organizing. For another, everything had to be perfect- or at least as near to perfect as ponyly possible. The biggest reason that everything needed to be planned far in advance was because everypony involved in setting up some aspect of the Gala sill had their own lives to lead.
Today Rarity had managed to find a gap in her schedule that coincided with some of Rainbow Dash's free time. They needed to get together so that Rarity could get her measurements for her new dress. Rarity had her friends' approximate sizes all memorized, but getting an exact measurement was a necessity for her normal routine. She could get by without doing it of course- she had done so in the past- but the closer she could keep to her routine the better off she would be...or at least the better she would feel about.
Rainbow Dash was standing on a raised platform that looked to be rising out of the cream colored rug itself, holding her about a head higher than Rarity on the ground. Rarity was moving around Rainbow Dash while using her magic to levitate half a dozen tape measures that stretched and curled all around her friend. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, was recounting her latest time spent with the Wonderbolts. She'd been getting invited to their training sessions more and more frequently as of late, as well as a few social events.
"So then I was like, 'Hey Soarin, try this!' and I did my Super Speed Trot, you know the one, its the one I did back at your birthday last year?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh yes," Rarity replied, "I recall quite nicely." She also recalled how the Super Speed Trot had turned the buffet table into a Super Big Mess.
"So then Soarin tries it!" Rainbow Dash said with a laugh, "He gets all of two steps and trips over his own hooves and rolls right off the edge of the cloud and starts falling and screaming like a first time flier, ahahahaha!" She stooped in her posture and clutched at her sides with one of her forelegs as she laughed at the memory.
"Rainbow, while your story is amusing you must stand still while I take your measurements!"
"Oh, sorry Rarity," Rainbow Dash said, standing up straight and snickering a little. Rarity was genuinely happy that her dear friend was living her dream, but her quite animated mode of communication was annoying the fashionista.
"After that I started trying to teach the Wonderbolts the Sonic Rainboom. Stillnone of them can even come close to my level of awesome and they're all left in my dust, haha!" she pumped her hoof in the air as her chest swelled with pride, pulling one of Rarity's tape measures out of place and getting her even more flustered than before.
With a twitching eye and rapidly draining patience, Rarity snapped "Hold still!"
Rainbow Dash stood up straight and clenched her jaw shut, remaining unmoving for several seconds. Rarity eventually sighed and apologized for snapping at her.
"Um, lets talk about something less exciting than the Wonderbolts," Rarity suggested, "You're seeing Applejack now, yes? Care to talk about that?"
"Oh sure!" Rainbow Dash said, her eyes changing subtly from the bright excited gleam they had held to a softer glow as her thoughts began to go to Applejack. "We went on our...hm...third date last week. It was awesome; we raced through Whitetail Wood, then-"
"You two had a race for a date?" Rarity asked, shocked and slightly appalled by the idea.
"Yup!" Rainbow Dash answered happily; the tone of voice completely lost on her. "We raced through Whitetail Wood then dove into Clover Lake for a relaxing swim. After we sun-dried on the edge of the lake we walked and talked back to Sweet Apple Acres where we drank cider for the rest of the day." An expression crossed Rainbow Dash's face at the recollection that Rarity was able to clearly define as 'longing joy'. Despite how dreadful such an energetic date seemed to her, it was apparent that her friend had enjoyed it fully.
"Well, that sounds lovely," Rarity lied, "So, third date, does that mean you two..."
"What? No!" Rainbow Dash argued, knowing what Rarity was implying. "I mean, we kissed, yeah, but we didn't go that far."
"I'm sorry," Rarity said, feeling genuine guilt at suggesting it, "I only asked because-"
"Because you give tail on the third date?" Rainbow Dash bit. Rarity looked at her aghast, pain in her eyes. In an instant Rainbow Dash's hostile expression was replaced with one of deep regret. Her ears flattened in shame and she looked down at the floor. "I'm sorry Rarity. I honestly didn't mean that. I'm just...frustrated. I mean, I wanted to, and I know Applejack wanted to, but I'm still not..." Rarity reached out and put her hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder. She could see tears in her friend's eyes and knew what she was thinking about.
"Its quite alright Rainbow Dash," she said, "All is forgiven...so long as you stand up straight and stop moving for five minutes so i can finish taking your measurements."
"You're not done yet?" Dash asked, smirking, "You've been staring at my flank long enough to commit it to memory!" She inflected her voice in a suggestive manner; when she felt bad she liked to joke around. It was something she'd learned from Pinkie Pie over the years; the best cure for a frown was a smile. Rarity, apparently, did not take too kindly to the joke and puffed out her cheeks in rage.
"How dare you say such a thing? Just because I appreciate your figure doesn't make me a lesbian!" Rarity's hostility surprised Rainbow Dash, but not to the point of backing down. Instead, she stoked the flames some more. Aside from competing with Applejack, getting under Rarity's coat was one of her favorite hobbies. I'd like to get under her in other ways she thought with a grin.
"I never said that." Rainbow Dash said casually, looking away from Rarity and standing fully upright to allow her friend to continue her work.
"Well of course you didn't..." Rarity conceded, "But you were going to!"
"No, I was going to say that for you there's not a look-don't-touch policy." Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself from chuckling at her own wit. The entire joke- now falling into place- irritated Rarity and she was about to 'accidentally' poke Rainbow Dash with a needle that was on a nearby table when, glancing at her friend's flank in an attempt to find an adequate stabbing zone, she was struck with inspiration. More than inspiration; she had an idea for a whole newstyle of dresses.
Rainbow Dash heard Rarity gasp and looked back at her. Rarity was staring, mouth agape, at her flank. Dash blushed, wondering what was going through Rarity's mind. "Um, Rar-"
"IIIIIIIIIIIDEAAAAAAAAAA!" Rarity sang as a look of bliss came across her face. She vanished in a cloud of smoke and appeared across the room at her drawing table. Rainbow Dash stood in place, uncertain of what to do for a bit.
"Hey Rar-"
"Oh thank you so much Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said without looking away from the paper where three pencils were dancing around under the guide of her light blue magical aura, "I'm going to change the entire way Equestria looks at fashion with this!"
"Well, you're welcome, I guess," Dash said, "But-"
"Oh feel free to go," Rarity said nonchalantly, "I dare say I'll be at the drawing table for quite some time."
"Oh okay!" Rainbow Dash said with a smile, glad to be free, "I'll see you later!" she said while heading for the door. Once outside she inhaled the fresh air and took off into the sky. She had to go and pick up Scootaloo for the Sisterhooves Social later in the day.
No sooner had Rainbow Dash left did the front door open again, but this time with a slam. Rarity winced at the sound of the slamming door, and cringed at the voice that followed it.
"Rarityyyyyyyyyyyy!" Sweetie Belle whined. Rarity sighed. Just when she was struck with a daring new idea for a dress- a whole new style of dresses- her sister had to show up in one of her moods. Rarity loved Sweetie Belle to death, and the last things he wanted to do was repeat the drama of a couple years ago when the filly had gone off seeking a new sister, but just because she was trying to be a better sister did not imply that she needed to ignore the irritated feeling she got when she was interrupted.
Calming herself, Rarity turned around and gave Sweetie Belle a smile. "Yes Sweetie?" she asked, as though she were not ready to roll her eyes and ask her to go play with her friends.
"You forgot what day it was didn't you?" Sweetie Belle asked, an expression of non-surprise and mild irritation worn on her face.
"Not at all!" Rarity said defensively, "It was the one day I could get Rainbow Dash to come by so I could-"
"The Sisterhooves Social is today!" the younger unicorn cut her off with another whine. Rarity's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She had forgotten that. She tried to look unphased by the information, but Sweetie Belle had seen the look of surprise. She scowled at Rarity then turned away, sticking her nose up in exaggerated disgust. "I knew you forgot!" she accused.
"Now now Sweetie Belle," Rarity said, her voice sounding almost pleading, trying to salvage the situation. She looked down and to one side, lifting her hoof halfway to her mouth as she quickly thought up an excuse. "I...I didn't forget it was today, I just lost track of time because of Rainbow Dash. Honest!" She lied through her teeth. Sweetie Belle turned her head to look over her shoulder with big, sad eyes and a pouting expression; she believed her sister's lie but still wanted to pour salt on the proverbial wound while she could.
"So...you still want to compete with me?" She asked, adding a sniffle for effect.
"Of course I do!" Rarity was quick to say, "I just-"
"Great!" Sweetie said, a sudden smile on her face. She ran to Rarity, then behind her, and lowered her head into her sister's flank and began to push her to the door. "We can go there now! The event starts in less than an hour and we still need to register!"
"But I-" Rarity tried to argue as she was shoved across the floor.
"I bet this year we'll beat Applejack and Applebloom!" Sweetie Belle continued, ignoring Rarity's protests as she pushed her out the door. Rarity looked over her shoulder at her shop and sighed. Her horn flared with magic and the door shut and locked itself under her guidance.
The older sister began to walk herself and the younger one stepped up to walk next to her. Sweetie Belle looked happy as could be and Rarity, despite wanting to get back to work on her new dress design, couldn't help but start to cheer up as her sister's infectious attitude spread to her.
"You certainly do seem to be in a good mood today," Rarity said, "Are you this excited about the Sisterhooves Social?"
"Yeah!" Sweetie Belle said, "I've been looking forward to this for weeks! And when we win I'm gonna go out and celebrate with..." she trailed off after that sentence and turned away with rosey cheeks.
"With whom?" Rarity asked.
"Nopony!" Sweetie answered quickly.
"Sweetie Belle...?" Rarity asked, "With whom will you be celebrating our victory if not the sister with whom you were victorious?"
"Well..." Sweetie bit her lower lip and nibbled on it a little as she struggled with how to answer. Rarity read the signs and read between the lines. Sweetie Belle was getting to the right age where crushes were expected and common. She smiled and giggled a little.
"Dear sister...do you have a crush on somepony?"
"No...maybe...I don't know," Sweetie Belle said. "I mean...I really like her...and I know she likes me, but it seems like...I don't-"
"Her?" Rarity asked, stumbling in her walk as the phrasing got to her. There was no way...could it be? Was Sweetie Belle a...no...no, Rarity shook the thought from her head.
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle said, "It's-"
"It's just a crush, dear," Rarity said, "Just a little bit of youthful confusion. It's perfectly natural for you to like your friends, just-"
"But Rarity," Sweetie Belle said argumentatively, "This is different, really! She's not like Applebloom or Scootaloo, she's-"
"Besides," Rarity said, repeating the words of her mother when she had confessed similar feelings about Applejack when they were but children, "That feeling you have is just your inner creativity trying to come out. What were you and your friend doing when you first felt it?"
Sweetie Bell looked up as she thought about this. "Um...she was playing music and I was singing."
"Well there you have it," Rarity said, "Clearly you enjoyed the music and singing to it; you just happened to associate the experience with your friend. And we both know your special talent is music," Rarity said leadingly, glancing down at her sister's flank where the musical notes of her cutie mark had appeared the year before.
"Yeah, I know that," Sweetie Belle said, "But I don't think you're right about Octavia. It's really-"
"Octavia?" Rarity asked, surprised, "She is whom you have a crush on?"
"Rarity!" Sweetie Belle barked, looking around in pure embarrassment, "Not so loud!...And what's wrong with Octavia?"
"Oh...nothing at all," Rarity said, a spreading sense of relief through her chest. Octavia was older than Rarity, so nothing would come of this crush. Soon enough, Octavia would realize what was going on with Sweetie Belle and talk to her to let her down easily. Perhaps I should speak to Octavia and see if I can expedite the process Rarity thought as Sweetie Belle was talking. She blinked and realized she hadn't been paying attention.
"I'm sorry Sweetie, what was that last part?" she asked.
"I said that when she kisses me my chest feels like its going to burst," Sweetie Belle repeated with a rather satisfied and happy expression on her face. Rarity, however, had a look of horror on hers. She froze in her tracks when Sweetie told her that they kissed.
"Pardon..." she said, "Did you say she kisses you?"
"Yeah," Sweetie Belle said, looking at her sister with a bit of confusion.
"Um...how does she kiss you?" Rarity asked, "Like, is it a friendly peck on the cheek or..."
"Vinyl called it making out." Sweetie Belle said, "I think she gets jealous when we do it in front of her. Or that's what Octa...Rarity? Where are you going?" Sweetie asked as Rarity ran ahead of her.
"I'm going to speak with Octavia!" Rarity called back, anger lacing her words.
"But what about the race!?" Sweetie Belle called.
"I'll meet you there!" Rarity called back before vanishing around a street corner.
The grey earth pony who was known for her ability with the cello and symphonic compositions sat in the main room of her home in Ponyville, pulling the bow in her hoof across the strings of her favorite instrument. Her eyes were closed as she focused on the subtle sounds she was producing. The loud notes were the ones that anypony could hear and anypony could produce. It was the filler; the things between the notes, the subtle nuances that truly made the music.
A loud series of slams distracted her and made the mare wince. That was notpart of her composition. Somepony was knocking at her door. She looked out towards the hallway and was about to rise when Vinyl appeared, emerging from the kitchen.
"Got it," she said absentmindedly Octavia nodded to herself and closed her eyes again, pulling the bow across the strings to return to her tuning.
"Hello Vinyl, is Octavia home?" a feminine voice asked. Octavia stopped pulling her bow as she tried to figure out whose voice it was. It almost sounded like Sweetie Belle's, but there was something off about it.
"Sure, she's in here," Vinyl said. Octavia heard the door shut before her housemate called "Octavia! Rarity is here to see ya." Octavia watched Vinyl walk down the hall, probably back to the kitchen, while Rarity glanced into the room and saw her. A sudden change came over Rarity. She appeared hostile as she made a beeline for Octavia. Alarmed, Octavia stood up off of her seat, setting her cello down upon it semi-gently before backing away.
"W-what's wrong?" she asked, still backing away from the outraged mare.
"What's wrong!?" Rarity asked, walking closer, backing Octavia into a corner and stepping right up into her face. "I'll tell you what's wrong! You! an adult mare!Kissing my little sister!" Octavia, unfortunately, couldn't deny the accusation. Aside from being a naturally honest pony, the fear brought about by Rarity's intensity. Her bright blue eyes were red with anger.
"I...I...I..." Octavia tried to defend herself, but Rarity wouldn't give her half a moment. A finely polished white hoof came of nowhere and slapped Octavia cross the face.
"I don't want to hear whatever excuses you may conceive of!" Rarity yelled, "The only reason I do not call the authorities on you for being a pedofoal is because it would humiliate Sweetie Belle and-"
"I am not a pedofoal!" Octavia countered back, finding her voice again after the brazen accusation. "My feelings for Sweetie Belle are-"
"Are beyond immoral and disgusting!" Rarity snapped. This took what little wind there had been out of Octavia's sails. She looked down and away from Rarity, shame on her face.
"I'm...sorry," Octavia said, "I know its wrong, but...I couldn't help it. It felt-"
"No!" Rarity cut Octavia off, putting her hoof over the grey mare's mouth. "I donot want to hear anything about it. I want it to stop! She's just a child, Octavia."
"Told you," Vinyl Scratch said from the other side of the room. Both Rarity and Octavia turned to look at her, glaring. Vinyl's eyes widened a bit and she whistled nonchalantly as she backed away from the entrance to the living room and back into obscurity. Rarity and Octavia looked back at each other; Rarity's hostility diminished somewhat by the look of shame that was apparent on Octavia's face. Not fear; shame.
"Okay," Octavia said, "I promise...I won't do anything to Sweetie Belle again. Ever. I never wanted..." She swallowed with tears in her eyes. In most any circumstance, Rarity would have taken pity at the honest shame coming from Octavia. She would have tried to delve deeper and see what all had transpired. But this was different. An adult had come onto her sister. Celestia knows what else she might have done if something wasn't done to stop it.
"Good," Rarity said, taking a step back from her, the angry look never leaving her face, "I cannot forbid Sweetie Belle from seeing you anymore; you and Vinyl are the only musically talented ponies in Ponyville and I want her to thrive now that she understands her special talent. But I warn you; if I hear anything about you so much as glancing at my Sweetie Belle improperly, I will not hesitate a second time to send you to prison."
"Okay," Octavia said, "Nothing will happen. I swear. I..." She swallowed and took a deep breath. "I'm going on tour in Germaneigh. I'll be leaving tomorrow. I...I was going to invite Sweetie Be-" Rarity smacked Octavia across the face again, then a second time. Octavia waited for a third but one didn't come. "I'll be out of your mane for six weeks." She said, "Can...can you tell her goodbye for me?"
"I shall," Rarity said, backing away slowly, keeping a steely gaze fixed on her. "Remember...anything improper." She warned. Octavia nodded. Rarity, content that her warning had been received and would be heeded, turned and left the room. She glanced up the hall where she saw Vinyl looking at her with a worried expression. Rarity ignored it and turned to the door, holding her nose up. She was right and nopony would talk her out of it. She was glad that she had gotten to the bottom of it and she would be back to ensure the warnings were heeded. Rarity may not have been the best sister, but she was good enough to not let her sister be taken advantage of.
As soon as she was outside, her thoughts upon herself being a 'good enough' sister, she remembered the race. "Oh!" she said, darting away from Octavia and Vinyl Scratch's house, not wanting to disappoint Sweetie Belle by being late.
Rarity was not entirely certain how much time had passed since she left Sweetie Belle, but it could not have been more than ten or fifteen minutes. She should have enough time to make it to Whitetail Park for the race, find Sweetie Belle, and register if Sweetie had not already done so. Even still, she moved at a brisk trot to try and cover the distance quicker.
She could hear the commotion of the social event before she could see it, and after rounding a bend in the forest road she could see the gathering of ponies. Mostly mares and fillies, but plenty of stallions and colts as well; the families of the competitors were there to cheer their daughters and mothers and sister son.
Sweetie Belle was standing by the registration table, looking around with a frown. Rarity could see she was concerned and probably doubted that her older sister would make it, but she was there. She would always be there for Sweetie Belle.
"Sweetie!" Rarity called as she cantered up to the registration table. Sweetie Belle beamed a smile then sighed with relief.
"About time you got here Rarity! We only have five minutes-"
"Three minutes," One of the ponies at the registration table interrupted.
"Three minutes to register!" Sweetie finished her sentence as if she hadn't been interrupted.
"Well I'm here," Rarity said, smiling down at Sweetie Belle as the pony at the table wrote down their names and gave them each numbers to wear for the race. Rarity was fifteen and Sweetie Belle was Fifteen-and-a-half, earning the number-granter a sharp look from the young filly but a chuckle from Rarity.
"So!" Rarity said as they walked towards the starting line of the race. "I spoke to Octavia." This stopped Sweetie Belle in her hoofsteps.
"Why?" she asked.
"Why? Why...to stop the...er...indecency." Rarity said, fading to a whisper lest anypony else hear her.
"Stop...wait...is this because she kis-" Sweetie Belle began to say 'kissing' then was silenced by Rarity putting her hoof over her mouth.
"We shan't speak of it in public." Rarity muttered.
"But why?" Sweetie Belle asked. They had made it to the crowd of competing sisters. Applejack and Applebloom were visible nearby and Rarity was looking around for Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo; she had heard that they were there to compete with Applejack and Applebloom for the gold. It was actually a rather excited gossip that had spawned some betting pools.
"Because it's improp-"
"Its 'improper' that a pony I kiss somepony I really like?" Sweetie asked.
"No," Rarity said, "It's improper that a pony that much older than you-"
"So?" Sweetie Belle cut her off, "I really like her, an-"
"Sweetie!" Rarity cut her off with a sharp whisper, "Don't speak like that in pub-"
"Don't speak like what?" Sweetie Belle asked loudly, getting all of the teams around them to glance in her direction. "Are you embarrassed that I like a mare?"
Rarity was normally an attention hog, and some of her friends- most notably Rainbow Dash- would use another word rather than 'hog', but this was too much of the wrong kind of attention. Ponies were staring and muttering. The phrase 'fillyfooler' was said nearby but Rarity couldn't pinpoint the source.
"N-no, not at all," Rarity said, her cheeks flushing to a pale red, "I-I just-"
"That's it isn't it?" Sweetie Belle asked, "You're too ashamed of being a fillyfooler so if I like a mare you need to make sure I'm as bitter and unhappy as you!" Rarity looked around. Now almost everypony was looking at them and her face felt incredibly hot. "Look at you! You're always so worried about what other ponies are thinking than you are about me! That's always what it is!" Sweetie Belle was about to shriek something else but the whistle for the race to start drowned out her words. All the observing ponies noticed this and broke their attention from the feuding sisters to start running the course. Rarity and Sweetie Belle ran as well; in opposite directions, neither of them going down the racetrack.
Two other ponies hadn't taken off down the racetrack either. Applejack and Applebloom watched as their friends ran away, both of them in tears. They had heard bits of the argument, mostly the louder parts. They exchanged a glance with each other and neither even considered continuing with the race. Applejack turned and ran off after Rarity while Applebloom made to follow Sweetie Belle.
Dune Sea cursed the very existence of dragons. Even their adolescents were a terrifying creature to fight; the magic of the sphinxes was too meagre to overcome the natural magical resistance of dragons, and even the sharpest weapons could not penetrate their scales. Fortunately for the Empress, the rumors and fear of the dragons had spread through her army.
Had there not be a mass consensus to not confront the dragons, Dune Sea risked a challenge to her authority. She did not fear being dethroned, but she did fear discontent and disunity among the ranks of her military. Thus far the Northern Campaign had been successful due to the unified exertion of her forces under her command. Any doubt now would ruin it
The amount of gems that the dragons were requiring to allow her army to pass through their lands without being attacked and obliterated was a frighteningly high price. Precious stones were quite rare in the Golden Sea of her home far to the south and her Empire would be almost bankrupted by this venture. The zebras she had acquired, however, were more than happy to inform her that hundreds of years of dragons migrating while carrying their hoards over these lands had made the ground rich with gems. Dune Sea had tested this by sending out a few of her servants that knew spells to locate gems and when they returned with more gems than were typically found in the Imperial Mines in a year she was excited.
Every sphinx in the army that knew the spell or was capable of nearling it quickly was sent out to scour the land and find every gem they could find. At first, they turnout was good, but the more her sphinxes searched, the harder it became to find the precious stones. Until good news reached her about a new discovery.
"Dogs?" Dune Sea asked.
"Yes," Chrysalis told her. She was kneeling in the Empress's private tent; the air was hot and thick with various scents coming from concoctions on tables all around the outer walls. Dune Sea was sitting in her travel throne resting upon a two-level dais; she would not be unseated when in front of one of her lesser functionaries.
"Like pets?" the Empress asked.
"No," Chrysalis explained, ""They are larger, some of them almost as tall as myself and as broad as your soldiers. They are also sentient, but their intelligence has thus far seemed lacking. They call themselves Diamond Dogs and got into an argument with some of your Gem Seekers over ownership of the jewels being hunted."
"Did they attempt to take the gems?" Dune Sea asked.
"No," Chrysalis said, "They were very cowardly. They retreated as soon as our soldiers appeared."
"Cowards. That is good news." Dune Sea said, "I can enslave them without wasting energy or time attempting to influence their minds." She stroked her chin with her paw and nodded as she thought about the possibilities. There were a few, but the most important and apparent one was that if these Diamond Dogs contested the ownership of gems, then they already knew how to find them and likely had stashes.
"Have your changelings scout out the Diamond Dogs," Dune Sea said. "We will take them over within the month and use them to meet the dragons' demands."
"Yes my Empress," Chrysalis said with a bow, backing out of the tent to deliver the orders.