Rarity generally tries to embrace innovation: after all, a mare who's always trying to stay ahead of the trend (or just outright create it) must be ready to accept the new. And the stress generated by a designer's life creates a certain need to... relax. Something where, quite frankly, spa sessions and private time in the designated screaming room aren't always enough to do it. So what's wrong with following up on a magazine article and personally learning how buffalo meditative techniques have been newly adapted for unicorns?
Absolutely nothing. Unless, of course, she recalls that some of her friends happen to enjoy pranking.
She doesn't always remember that last part in time.
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Chapters (1)
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Triptych Continuum Rebooted
"Unasigned" folder
According to studies, cats DO recognize your voice & DO know their name.
They just take the attitude "Just because you feed me, you expect me to walk all the way across an ENTIRE ROOM? You are clearly insane & I won't obey a crazy person."
This is quite the impressive length for Rainbow to go for a prank. It must have taken her ages to put together, and probably not a small amount of bits. It's actually quite the feat for her.
Well, painting it red goes make it go faster...
Rainbow was lucky that Rarity was being merciful. I a willing to bet it could have been much worse.
Zecora can do that
It would be [allow three beats like Worf does] instructive to see how Rainbow Flashinthepan interacts with a certain NEGATIVE one of the delivery pony genus. I would tend to think the one who thinks that she's helping Rarity unclench her bowels might get on somepony else's last nerve even faster.
The story is pretty good... well done!
Rainbow Dash is about to learn what happens when you prank a very creative pony who's wound just a little too tightly.
Ironic story since Rarity could use some actual yoga.
There was only one way out of the room, and it fairly glowed with a two-tone magical aura, a pleasing mix of pale blue and light violet, which was one of the benefits of having an alicorn princess as a very close friend. It also helped that Twilight Sparkle had been on the receiving end of Rainbow's "Wit" several times, and required very little convincing to turn the tables in the other direction for a change. The room was also quite small and mostly concrete, which was a natural consequence of living close to the Everfree Forest and having certain pragmatic individuals who very much preferred to have a place to run into when something oozed or stomped out of the lush green trees and onto the rural streets. As a matter of coincidence, the pragmatic individual this room belonged to also had felt the sharp sting of Rainbow's pranking and required no convincing at all to loan their storm shelter for this purpose, only asking that their name not be mentioned and perhaps a few moments to get a camera ready for the eventual emergence of the metaphorical butterfly from its itchy chrysalis.
"Rarity," cautioned Rainbow Dash, who had backed herself into a corner as if the...striking color scheme she sported could have been hidden in anything other than an ongoing paint store explosion. "I changed my mind. The itching is fine. You don't want to do this." Magenta eyes flickered from the steaming tub in the middle of the floor to the various bottles of chemicals scattered around it, some of which were lightly fuming. Then she looked back at Rarity, or at least who had to be the Bearer of Generosity disguised in a Hoove-Mat Model 746 Extra-Heavy-Duty suit which had been tastefully taken in and let out in places to avoid unsightly wrinkles, but still left the mirror-like faceplate in place. There were two huge frightened eyes reflected in that blank silver expanse, and they grew as the creature approached and spoke in a near mechanical monotone through the filters.
"Why, Rainbow Dash. You could not be more mistaken. You wanted this. You asked for this. You signed the contract that Twilight Sparkle wrote up for you. You said anything would be better than what you were going through."
"Eeep." Even backed into a corner and gnawing at a fetlock that had just begun itching so hard that raw terror could not block it, Rainbow Dash managed, "You're my friend, Rarity!" Then in a much smaller voice, "You're not going to kill me, are you?"
"Kill you? Of course not." The featureless figure took a step back and held one suit-clad hoof across her chest in a pose of pure indignation. "I expect you to dye!"
For all that Rainbow Dash feels like she’s the dumbest Bearer, the last in line when brains were handed out, the dunce cap of the confederacy… she really doesn’t give herself enough credit for being extremely clever when she wants to be.
I think even Rarity would admit that.
If only because it makes it sting less when Rainbow Dash consistently outwits her.
After Rarity discovers golf, Ponyville citizens notice that she regularly carries around a "minimalist" golf bag holding a trio of clubs and a dozen gutty-percha balls. When asked why the clubs, she responds that three was the smallest number she could carry to be sure to have the right tool needed to accurately pelt any moving target within a hundred yard distance and fifty yard height.
You pulled off a dialog-free story admirably, with a great deal of personality of two mares on display despite the lack of any direct interaction!
I love the lengths that Rainbow went to while also including touches that allowed for her own laziness as well. The creativity on display would be admirable if the Faust-intended “Element of Inspiration” didn’t want to murder her for it instead.
I would pay real, hard currency (like, a boatload!) to see the looks on her neighbors' faces when they glanced out their windows and saw that...
Rainbow? >chef's kiss< MASTERFULL!
Of course, the real kicker here? Rainbow wouldn't have just been watching. Not when cameras exist. And in the Continuum, Spike has his little hobby of developing film. There's gonna be some interesting poses there...
I want to read the sequel so badly now
I love so many things about this phrase.
Fire seems like a reliable option.
As I said, very helpful for disposing of regrettable ideas before they spread.
Wonderful stuff, capturing both the hilarious imagery and the agonizing experience. Thank you for a most amusing read. Inspiration does strike in the strangest places, doesn't it?
11559931
Well, yes, but she does it on wood. Much more resilient surface.
11560590
You mean more resistant because the problem was the ground was too resilient & gave way.
*chef's kisses* Bravo Estee! Yet another example of why you're one of my most favorite author's still active here. The fact that you told an intricate & character driven story (in very show-believable voice of them both) in this breadth & depth, without a SINGLE line of dialogue, is impressive enough by itself. The fact that it's so amusing & detailed in world, but requires so little knowledge of your greater body of work, is even more impressive. I've love your previous stories on the pranks of the bearers for some time, so I'm especially glad to see you continuing to write about it.
I too hope for a sequel, though I must give a shoutout to Georg for his minific on the topic. Thank you to you both! 11560038
With friends like Rainbow ... actually, why is anyone friends with Rainbow?
Rarity deserves her revenge. But it would be better if she set up somepony else as the fallpony.
yeah, i remember THAT story.
if i remember, it's called "360 degrees of saturation".
11560038
oh, that last line reminds me of a silly short story where someone hired Pinkie to advertise her dye business, but Pinkie misspelled it, and was walking around town carrying a big sign that said "everypony DIES"!
11560174
Yeah, it's like they say about ADD, you have perfect focus, but zero control of the aim.
I love this worldbuilding
That's one of the things about "friends"...
They know where all the soft spots are, and a good idea of how to attack them...
11561247
Because for all the trouble she causes, she is also the first to step in should you need help.
"This is almost as embarrassing as the time I fell for perineum sunning!"
👍
11561657
Ooh, cool story! Thanks for inspiring me to search for it! Link!
In fact, it works very well as a companion to this, because well... Rarity was the one who hired Pinkie!