Work Text:
Rarity sighed, the magic emanating from her horn flickering out tiredly. The fabric spread out on her desk lay unfinished, a clumsy work in progress as a consequence of her distracted mind, and it only worsened her mood as she stood up from her workspace and shuffled to her bed to collapse dramatically onto her sheets.
“Oh, Opalescence,” she bemoaned, one hoof thrown over her forehead. “What am I going to do!?”
The fluffy white cat meowed boredly.
“It is a big deal! I've never felt this way about somepony before. Oh, I just don't know what to do about it, it's all so dreadfully confusing…”
Opal rolled her eyes and growled. Rarity sat up with a scandalized expression, one hoof placed over her heart.
“I wouldn't! I couldn't! I'm sure she doesn't feel the same, and I would hate to ruin our friendship,” she lamented, eyes downcast with a pout. Her brow furrowed resolutely. “No, she's far too important to me! I will simply… grin and bear it.”
Opal sniffed disapprovingly and curled up to nap.
***
Sweetie Belle had been watching her sister carefully over the last week, and had come to the conclusion – through incredibly meticulous sleuthing and a great deal of innate cleverness – that something was bothering her.
“I just don't know what,” she mused, pacing the clubhouse. “She's been mopey all week! She doesn't make me pancakes in the morning, or let me watch her sew, or let me play with Opal – well, that one's mostly because of Opal – or barely even talk to me anymore!”
“She doesn't talk to you?” Apple Bloom asked, eyes wide.
“Well, she does, but she just says –” and Sweetie Belle did the best impression of her big sister that she could “– ‘later, Sweetie Belle, I'm too tired right now.’”
“That is pretty weird,” Scootaloo said, squinting at the ceiling curiously. “Sometimes Rainbow Dash says that to me. Usually it's when she's gonna hang out with Fluttershy and doesn't want me to know.”
“Hmmm,” Apple Bloom murmured. “Do you think Rarity is hanging out with Fluttershy?”
“Rarity says Fluttershy has a big crush on Rainbow Dash,” Sweetie Belle said, momentarily distracted from her plight by the opportunity to gossip and giggle. “I bet they're… y'know…”
“Mashing snouts?” said Scootaloo. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom both gasped.
“Noo! Holding hooves! You're so gross!” exclaimed Sweetie Belle, sticking out her tongue. Apple Bloom nodded in agreement.
“Buuuut,” Apple Bloom began, “you might be onto something, Scoots. Maybe Rarity has a big crush on someone.”
“Oh!” said Sweetie Belle. “But who?”
Apple Bloom shrugged. Scootaloo grinned, crouching low to the ground and flaring out her little wings. “We'll have to go sleuthing!”
***
The Crusaders crawled through the grass as a unit, ducking into a bush and peeking out to observe Rarity as she pranced into town (with notably less pep in her step and volume in her hair). They tiptoed after her, hiding behind trees and rocks and shrubbery, as she trotted to her favourite mud bath spot.
“Oh, right,” Sweetie Belle whispered. “Today's her date with Fluttershy.”
“Is that bad?” Apple Bloom asked quietly.
“It's really good!” she exclaimed. “They talk about all sorts of gossip in there! Maybe Rarity will tell her who she's got a crush on.”
They shuffled in after her and hid behind a potted plant as she sunk into her mud. Fluttershy was already there, sitting awkwardly in her tub.
“What a day I'm having,” Rarity began, sighing wistfully. “I have so much on my mind, Fluttershy, like you wouldn't believe!”
“This is it, guys,” Sweetie Belle breathed excitedly.
“My latest line is hitting a bit of a rough patch. I have no ideas, or at least nothing original. Everything I make looks the same! Purple, stars, academia. Purple, stars, academia. Purple, stars, ACADEMIA!”
“Her fashion line?” Apple Bloom remarked, frowning. “That's it?”
“It can't be,” Sweetie Belle said, her expression just as confused and disappointed. “She's been working all the time. I thought she was almost done with her new line.”
“Well–” began Fluttershy, before being immediately cut off by Rarity's ranting.
“Yes, yes, I know. Academia is in right now.”
“That's not what I–”
“But everything I make looks so much the same! Argyle patterns, star motifs, dashes of pink… I need more variety! But alas, I am a slave to my muse, who does not even look at me.”
“Maybe if you–”
“It's helpless! I can do nothing but wallow and work my hooves to the bone! Oh, but how I wish I had a fresh idea.”
“Okay,” Fluttershy sighed, settling into her bath a little more. Rarity continued talking about her fashion and her plants and her split ends, but the three young spies had all they needed to fix her problem.
“So she does have a big crush,” Sweetie Belle said, smiling excitedly.
Apple Bloom nodded determinedly. “And I think I know who it is!”
***
“Okay,” said Apple Bloom, “you guys know the plan? Scootaloo, did you convince Rainbow Dash to help?”
“Sure did!” Scootaloo said proudly. “Once I told her what was going on, she looked really excited to help!”
“Great work, agent,” Apple Bloom said, nodding approvingly. “Operation: Make Twilight Fall In Love With Rarity And Get Married Forever, commence!”
Twilight Sparkle was eating a very tasty sandwich outside her favourite café, horn emitting a soft red colour as it held up a book and turned its worn pages, carrying the sandwich to her mouth for each bite at the same time. Rarity was on her way as well, having received a very legitimate, not at all fabricated letter from a secret admirer.
Scootaloo snuck into the cafe and locked the door, just as the sky peculiarly began to grow grey and stormy.
Twilight gasped, hastily closing her book (which was very old and valuable) and leaping over the table to try and find cover. In her hurry, however, she tripped over her own hooves, plummeting towards the ground and losing control over her ancient book.
There was no splash into the rapidly forming puddles. Wincing, Twilight cracked open one eye which had been shut tight in anticipation, gasping delightedly when she saw it suspended in the air by pretty blue magic.
“Rarity!” she exclaimed, scrambling to her hooves and trotting over to her. “You're a lifesaver!”
“Don't thank me yet, dear,” she said bashfully, galloping towards the café doors. “The rain can still damage its lovely pages, unless we find c–”
The door, she discovered, was locked from the inside. Twilight joined her and frowned.
“I was just inside, it shouldn't be locked.”
“I suppose we're alright just under this overhang, but it's rather cold and windy.”
Twilight nodded, taking the book from her and tucking it into her saddlebag. “We'll just stay close and share warmth until the storm passes.”
Rarity flushed, the tips of her white ears turning pink. “O-oh, really? You and me… close…?”
"Well, yeah!” Twilight said matter-of-factly. “We wouldn't want you to get cold, right?”
“Ah, yes, of course,” she mumbled, squeaking when Twilight pressed their flanks together. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom high-hoofed from the hiding spot in a bush, which was quickly becoming soaked through and dripping on their heads.
A moment passed in companionable silence before Twilight spoke. “I'm sorry to hold you up here. You seemed busy.”
“Oh, no, not at all my dear,” Rarity said, smiling awkwardly. “I… got a note from a secret admirer. I thought I would come see who it was.”
Twilight deflated slightly, returning her weird little smile. “…Anyone you were hoping for?”
“Oh, I don't know,” Rarity replied, somewhat sadly. Her head tilted to the side and she looked out at the rain with a longing sort of expression. “Of course there's somepony I wanted it to be. But I knew it wouldn't be her, so I hoped it was someone I could… move on with.”
“A mare?” Twilight asked, voice suddenly high and intense. Rarity raised an eyebrow.
“Why, yes, of course.”
The air between them was suddenly tense, electrified by more than just the lightning Rainbow Dash had orchestrated to streak across the sky at precisely that moment. Rarity wondered at the moment, and Twilight, without thinking, blurted out, “I'm in love with you.”
“Pardon me?” Rarity gasped, staring at her blankly. All three observing fillies’ jaws dropped, though Scootaloo was mostly reading lips from behind the café window.
“Oh, no, I'm so sorry,” Twilight said shrilly. “I shouldn't have said that. I'm sure you didn't mean me, and that's okay, friendship is very important to me and I don't want you to hate me for making assumptions I'm really sorry–”
“Oh, shut up, you silly filly,” Rarity said softly, grinning wildly. “Obviously, I meant you.”
Twilight's eyes sparkled. Rarity leaned in and tilted her horn against hers, eyes watering, and the scene erupted with cheers from the Crusaders. The two mares stiffened, looking around before Rarity's eyes caught on the quivering bush a few feet away.
“Sweetie Belle!” Rarity shrieked angrily. “Are you spying on me!?”
***
Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo sat glumly in a row, each draped in a fluffy towel. Rarity held a hairdryer up to them with her horn, blowing them with hot air to warm them up.
“It was very invasive of you three to meddle with my love life,” she reprimanded them, expression stern. “I thought you three had learned not to intrude on others’ privacy.”
“I'm sorry, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle mumbled. “I just hated seeing you so sad! I missed you!”
“That's no excuse!” Rarity scolded, before sighing. “But… I suppose I wouldn't have ever told Twilight how I felt. So I should be thanking you, even if I'm cross.”
The three fillies grinned up at her, and were met with the dryer pointed directly at each of their faces in turn.
“You're little rascals, indeed. Finish drying yourselves off if you're going to be coy.”
They immediately made a game of it, tossing it around and chasing after it, pointing it at each other and laughing when it made their mouths flap. Meanwhile, Rarity settled down next to Twilight, who had been reading atop the chaise lounge and drying off herself.
“Those three are always up to something new,” Twilight said fondly, turning her gaze from her book to Rarity. The latter settled slightly on top of her, weaving a front leg around her shoulders and resting her cheek on Twilight's. The purple mare continued, now blushing: “buuut… I'm thankful that they are.”
“I suppose I am, too,” mused Rarity. “I can hardly believe their antics have led me to you.”
Twilight sighed and kissed Rarity's cheek before immediately breaking out into a giggle fit at her own boldness. “I can't believe I can do that now!”
“We can do much more than that, my love,” Rarity replied slyly, kissing her squarely on the muzzle. A chorus of ewwws came from the Crusaders, followed by raucous laughter at Rarity's embarrassed face and her demands for them to go to the other room.