Work Text:
"I've never been to this part of the park before."
Rarity's keen eye scrutinized a dark pine boldly looming over the faded pathway. It was the sort of tree a pony might see in the Everfree, not Ponyville; an obelisk of phthalo pigment marring the unassuming, verdant palette of calm slopes and birches.
"We're kinda-sorta not in the park anymore!" Pinkie's enthusiastic voice floated to Rarity from beyond the pine's broad frame.
"So where exactly are you taking me?" The inquiry was a futile one and Rarity knew it — she'd been attempting to ascertain their true destination for the better part of half an hour with no success. A pony didn't get far in the world of fashion without being stubborn, though.
Rarity turned the corner. Pinkie's roseate coat clashed garishly against a backdrop of fern, moss, and sage. Offending all good sense without a lick of self-consciousness, Pinkie hopped across a lush carpet of grass — the sorry path they'd been following had abruptly come to an end. "We're almost there!"
Impatience and suspicion sat heavily in Rarity's gut alongside an over-large lunch. Why had Pinkie insisted on treating her to so much food, anyway? She hadn't even allowed Rarity to order her usual sunflower seed salad, demanding the unicorn indulge in something more decadent. Her recommendation had been delicious, yes, but Rarity wasn't used to eating so much; her lunches typically amounted to spot of light snacking while she was working on a project.
Rarity gazed up at the sky and dreamed of fabrics as soft as the clouds, of pale turquoise dye and the rumble of her sewing machine. A day spent with a good friend was never unpleasant nor wasted, but she wished Pinkie's idea for how to spend said day had ended with lunchtime.
"Pinkie, I know that I promised we'd do whatever it is you wanted today, but wasn't that us going out for lunch? I feel as if doing a second thing goes a bit beyond the exact parameters of our verbal contract."
Pinkie Pie paused long enough to tilt her head, looking at Rarity sideways. "Eating a super yummy lunch was an important part of the thing I wanna do, but not the actual thing! Besides, I'm the one who paid for our food, so that doesn't really count as paying me back, does it?"
Curse earth ponies and their simple logic. Rarity dared to hope one last time. "And what exactly is the thing you want to do?"
Pinkie resumed her ceaseless march. "You'll see! We're super-duper close!"
With a groan, Rarity dutifully followed. She was a mare of her word, even if integrity meant going on a long walk across town with a too-full stomach and missing out on time that could be spent on work. Granted, she'd have much more work waiting for her at home if Pinkie hadn't helped her out the other day.
Reminding herself what all of this was for, Rarity steeled her resolve, determined to maintain her composure. She refused to complain or make a show of her own displeasure! A promise was a promise and Rarity had said they could do whatever it is Pinkie wanted. If that amounted to giving Rarity a run around town, so be it!
Progressing past another large pine, Pinkie Pie lead them well beyond the park's invisible borders. The ground began to slope downward, and Rarity saw a very large tree residing at the base of the little hill, one very much unlike those they'd passed. It was tall with open branches splitting into hundreds more branches, each ending in a burst of emerald leafage. A short distance from the tree was a small pond with tall grasses and reeds outlining its shores. Just looking at it made Rarity's tail instinctively flick against her flank at the thought of gnats.
Pinkie hastily descended the hillside, leading a reluctant Rarity to the base of the tree. "Yay, we're here!" The pony hopped in a little circle, then beamed at Rarity.
"It's... a tree?" Rarity could admit it was a rather impressive specimen, but... "You just wanted to show me a tree?"
"It's not about the tree, silly! It's about what we do under the tree!"
"And what do we do under the tree?"
"This!"
Pinkie then flopped down into the grass. With an exaggerated stretch of all four limbs, she grinned and began to roll around. "C'mon!"
Rarity immediately took a step back. "What? Pinkie, no! You want me to... to roll around on the ground? Like a barbaric little filly without a spot of good manners? I'm going to get dirty! I'll get icky, itchy grass stains all over my coat and mess up my mane and—"
Pinkie twisted around to sit up a little, bright blue eyes catching Rarity's. "You promised to try whatever I wanted to do today!"
"I..." Rarity's smile was a wobbly, placating thing. "Yes, yes, darling, I know. And I do so appreciate all the help you gave me the other day finishing up that shipment of gowns. I truly couldn't have done it without you. It's just that—"
"You promised."
"...What if I go get a— a blanket, perhaps? Something I could lie on?"
Pinkie Pie pursed her lips and furrowed her brow as if considering it. Rarity's ears perked up, hopeful.
But Pinkie just sighed and said, "It's not the same, though."
Her dampened demeanor cut through to Rarity, whose lids fluttered as she regarded her friend with freshly attentive eyes. Then Pinkie sullenly added, "You don't have to roll around... Just lie down with me. Please?"
Honestly, how cruel would a pony have to be to say no to that? Rarity accepted defeat with as much grace as possible... which meant she only whined for a second before telling Pinkie, "Fine."
Pinkie's grin shone brightly in spite of the great tree's umbra. The earth pony rolled onto her back and eagerly waved carnation hooves into the air. "Come on! Come on!"
With all the enthusiasm of Opal at the vet's office, Rarity eased herself down onto her fours. The grass was soft, but her skin immediately crawled at the thought of dirt and tiny, hidden insects touching her.
"So are we just... lying here?" Rarity peered upward. The midday sun was at just the right angle to peer down at them through a thick awning of foliage, and Rarity was briefly dazzled. She turned away, blinking spots of vermilion from her eyes.
When Rarity's vision cleared, her friend was lying in a sprawl on her back, all four limbs akimbo. "Yeppers!"
Rarity cast a furtive glance across the open swath of nature surrounding them, but there was nopony else in sight. Only the birds and bugs might judge Pinkie for her outlandish behavior, and Fluttershy was the only pony who might care for their opinion.
They spent the next few moments in silence — much to Rarity's surprise. For a while, there was only the sound of rustling greenery and the quiet lapping of water just within earshot. Once Rarity got past the uncomfortable feeling of lying on bare earth, she found it was almost... peaceful.
Her position wasn't the best, however. As she was, she was putting a bit of weight on her full stomach. The desire to readjust grew until eventually Rarity couldn't resist the urge any longer. The unicorn eased herself onto her side a bit. She let her hind legs relax, keeping herself propped up with her forehooves tucked beneath her.
A breeze made the branches overhead sway, and spots of sunlight danced in the grass. On the tail of that wind was the smell of sedge and iris; it grazed their coats and ruffled Rarity's mane. She tossed her head to readjust her heavy curls only to find the gesture evolved into a spontaneous stretch. Rarity let out a faint groan as her muscles went taught, then eased into a satisfying release of tension.
Unnoticed beside her, Pinkie Pie's smile grew.
Rarity had fallen out of her dainty pose but found she didn't mind it. Spread out as she was, she could feel more grass warmed by steady sunlight. It was a comfort to her body, made weary from their long walk and heavy with good food. The mare slowly began to melt. A final tether snapped as she allowed her neck to bow. Rarity rested her head upon the ground, cheek pillowed by purple bangs.
"Oh." Closing her eyes, Rarity took a slow, deep breath. "This is actually quite nice..."
She heard Pinkie shuffle around. The smell of sprinkles joined that of waterlilies. "Do you really think so? I love this spot! It's so nice for napping!"
Another shuffle. Sugary curls tickled Rarity's nose. Peeking through her lashes revealed a view dominated by Pinkie's mane.
Pinkie's voice was quiet when she said, "Sometimes, I just like to come here and sit for a while. To relax, you know?"
For Pinkie Pie, her tone was rather subdued. But still, she sounded happy. Pinkie was a pony whose smile you could hear. Rarity felt herself mirror the sentiment. Pulling herself forward just a bit, Rarity was able to rest her chin atop Pinkie's withers. From this angle, she could just make out her friend's round, rosette cheeks.
Rarity's smile grew. "Thank you for sharing this place with me, Pinkie."
Pinkie hummed, resting her head in the grass and closing her eyes. Dappled gold shone across her coat — always swaying, never still. Flecks of gold in rosy quartz. Rarity thought the effect was quite fetching.
Letting out a lazy sigh, feeling the warm touch of sunlight, Rarity closed her eyes again and let herself enjoy the moment.