Chapter Text
A drop of sweat fell down Rarity’s brow as she trudged through the dirt in the hot sun, her younger friend, Spike, trailing behind her. She turned back to see him and heaved an annoyed sigh at his short legs struggling to keep up with her longer stride. Rarity hated people slowing her down almost as much as she hated the way the bright sun was beating down on her when she was outside in the mountains like this, messing up the porcelain complexion she had been preserving all summer by not allowing herself to go relax at the pool with all the other girls her age at her parent’s country club. She hated it almost as much as she hated the dirt that stuck to her and got under her nails and made her feel unclean no matter how much she scrubbed at her skin. But most of all in that moment she hated her parents and that hatred outweighed anything else so she continued walking, their voices still ringing through her head.
“Sweety… do you honestly think you’d be able to accomplish any of this on your own? I don’t mean to be cruel honestly but we must bring you down to earth if you believe anything you have isn’t because of us.”
“No.. you are being much too kind with the lazy brat. She’s grown useless, never using her magic for the good of the family business, and if she doesn’t agree to marry him, then she’ll be failing to do the only worthwhile thing she could hope to accomplish in her life.”
She resented their words, not because of the cruelty behind them but instead because she knew deep down that they were right. As much as she wished she didn’t, she loved being rich and pampering herself with nice things. She liked to be gawked at and admired for her lavish style and her shiny hair and her undeniable beauty that she worked so hard to maintain. She revelled in the attention and knew that she really did nothing to disprove the things her parents said about her. But now she was going to change that.
So she worked tirelessly with Spike next to her. Finding diamonds with her ability that had grown weaker with lack of practice but was still very much there. As she closed her eyes and concentrated she could sense the crystals, the power they radiated. It was slightly intoxicating but also very exhausting. Every time Rarity felt that familiar wooziness falling over her after using the magic, similar to a head rush, she just remembered her parent’s condescension, their superior expressions as they pretended they were doing what was best for her instead of what was clearly just serving their own self-interest, and she somehow found the strength to continue.
They had promised her to a man twice her age and the idea had made her skin crawl. Her father had said it was because the family company was failing. That larger mining corporations with unjust practices had begun taking over the industry (this made Rarity confused as she knew how underpaid her father’s workers were but also knew better than to mention it). A connection with the man’s family would get them back on their feet, as her father had put it.
She had met him at a company event. A large gala that Rarity had been ecstatic to go to. She had spent the whole day in the spa getting ready, though she hardly needed it as her friends and Spike liked to remind her, she was already the most glamorous person in the town. Still though, she had put extra work into being as beautiful as possible that night, with her hair down in elegant vintage waves, pearls around her long pale neck, and a low neckline. Her efforts had not gone unnoticed. A friend of her father that she had seen a few times in passing at events such as that one had approached her at the dance and asked her to waltz with him. She had been polite but had declined, lying that her heels were not suitable for dancing. This has clearly displeased the man but he had said nothing at the time. The next morning her parents had told her that he had proposed.
Now, thinking of the man filled Rarity with rage and nausea. She had snuck out that morning, gone to Spike’s house, knocked at his window and insisted that he come with her, to which he readily obliged. She had been determined to go get jewels because her parents were wrong and she knew she could be useful. She just had to prove it to them.
After a few hours running around to where Rarity had discovered jewels, Spike was looking utterly exhausted. Rarity felt bad for exploiting her friend in this way. He clearly had feelings for her, however misguided they were as Rarity assumed it had little to do with her personality, and was too afraid to tell her that he needed a break from digging. So they sat together under a tree while the younger boy caught his breath.
“Spike…” Rarity said gently, turning to face him.
“Yeah?”
“You can leave now.”
Spike’s face dropped and Rarity realized her accidental blunt phrasing, “No no! I just mean… Twilight is probably expecting you and I don’t want to keep you too late. You’ve been an incredible help, honestly. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
The sun was beginning to set highlighting the redness in his cheeks that was a mix of exhaustion and embarrassment at Rarity’s words.
“But, Rarity, what will you do out here without me? You hate digging.”
“I’ll manage. I promise!” She gave him a slow lazy smile that she knew drove boys crazy. “Please go home.”
This seemed to work and Spike gave her a quick, shy smile before turning away and walking back in the direction they’d come from.
Rarity didn’t intend on continuing digging. Her magic was wearing thin and her and Spike had already managed an impressive haul of jewels. No diamonds but that was alright. Maybe she still had enough to prove her worth to her parents. She grabbed a handful and stared at the glistening colors. Maybe not. Maybe it would never be enough. She couldn’t control the tears that began to drip from her eyes.
She was startled out of her self-pity a few moments later when she heard branches crunching behind her.
“Spike?” She asked, quickly wiping the tears from her face before turning around. But he was nowhere to be seen.
“Who’s there?” Her voice shook as her pulse quickened.
Before she could move a bag was pulled tightly over her head and she was dragged away into the darkness.