Thirty Minute Pony Stories

Rarity narrowed her eyes from her surveillance point. Watching the pair of ponies before her with hawklike intensity, she refused to be disproven.

“Rarity, this is idiotic. Everypony knows that there’s something going on between Rainbow and Fluttershy, we don’t need evidence of it.”

“Yeah, and ya’ sure as sugar didn’t need to drag me and Twi’ along with ya ta’ get it.”

Rarity sighed. She knew that Twilight and Applejack were going to be difficult about it, but she needed to catch them in the act. And she needed an audience for it, too, her word meant nothing if there weren’t fellow witnesses.

“I know that everypony can already tell,” she whispered to her accomplices. “I just need to see it for myself. I need to be absolutely sure.”

“We can all “see it for ourselves”, Rarity! Why do you think everypony already knows?” Twilight hissed.

“That’s not what I meant. Hoof-holding and affectionate gestures like that aren’t enough, I need to see something more intimate. Like a kiss or something.”

“Then why in tarnation are we stalkin’ them through the marketplace?” Applejack inquired. “They ain’t just gonna kiss in public like that, Rarity.”

Rarity’s narrowed eyes turned towards Applejack. “I never implied that they would, but luck favours the prepared. You can never be too careful when it comes to matters like this.” 

Applejack slumped back. “The way ‘yer actin’ you’d think you were tryin’ to win a bet or something,” she deadpanned.

Rarity’s eyes shifted away from the orange pony. “I may have a running wager or two with my gossiping friends at the spa, but that’s irrelevant.”

“Keep quiet!” Twilight hissed, dropping her head. “They’ll notice us!”

The three of them quickly dropped low to the ground, concealing themselves in the bush they were hiding in.

“I thought the main point of sneaking was to be stealthy, Applejack!” Rarity silently snapped at the pony beside her.

“And what makes you say this is my fault? You were arguin’ with me just as much as I was with you!”

“Girls, girls, girls.” The three of them froze. “The point isn’t who was arguing with whom, it was that you were arguing at all in the first place. Loudly, I might add.”

Sighing, the three ponies stood up and were greeted by the smug grin of Rainbow Dash. “I knew this was a bad idea…” Twilight groaned.

“Is there any particular reason that the three of you decided to *ahem* “accompany” Fluttershy and I to the market today?”

“Well, er, you see…” Rarity stammered nervously.

“Rarity wanted to see once and fer all if you two were an item and lassoed the two of us into joinin’ her.”

“YES, thank you Applejack, I was getting to that!” Rarity snapped.

Dash looked confused. “Wait, you thought Fluttershy and I were…huh?”

“Well, you have been seeing each other a lot more, haven’t you? And all of the public displays of affection, like holding hooves and hugging…”

Rainbow Dash snorted, laughing a bit. “Fluttershy and I aren’t dating! Did the rest of you seriously think that?”

The three ponies before her looked around at each other, confused.

“Aw, that’s rich. Can two ponies not hold hooves with each other and not be dating? Man, you guys are ridiculous.”

“Well what about all the time you’ve been spending together lately? Much more than usual.”

“We’ve been spending more time together because Fluttershy was worried we’ve been getting out-of-touch lately. We’ve been friends since we were really little, and she thought we weren’t as close as we’ve been in the past.”

Confused glances turned into uncomfortable ones. It had seemed so obvious that the two were involved that they hadn’t even considered that they were simply trying to reconnect as friends.

“Though if you must know,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Fluttershy and I did used to date way back when. It’s part of why we’re still such good friends.”

“Oh? What happened?” curious voices piped up.

“Eh, you know how it goes.” Dash answered. “We were young, it didn’t really wind up going anywhere, so we broke it off and promised to stay friends. It’s way in the past now, though, so don’t worry about it.”

“Really? Well, now I’m curious,” Twilight stated. “The two of you will have to tell us about it sometime.”

“Yeah, I’d honestly love to hear this story too,” Applejack added. “Wouldn’t you, Rarity?”

Rarity didn’t answer. She was too busy fuming about a number of things. Being wrong, for sure, getting caught as well. But more than anything the fact that she had actually lost a bet with her gossip friends for a change. Impotently she turned around and left in a huff, characteristic of her overdramatic flair.

*********************************

RWL’s Commentary

I really enjoyed the argument between the three of them as they stalked Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash through the market. I can see Rarity going to those lengths to settle a bet and dragging her friends along with her. Dash takes it pretty well though, and it was funny to see them try to explain themselves. I really liked the detail that Dash and Fluttershy were trying to spend more time together too. It added a sweetness to a scene that could’ve just been Dash saying she doesn’t feel that way about Fluttershy.