Rarity awoke to the feeling of sunshine on her face and the sound of noise from the kitchen.  With a heavy sigh she slipped out of bed, still a touch unsteady on her hooves.  With time clearly being short, she could only spare a moment to run hooves through her hair in an effort to remain presentable. 

It was a slow, but short walk from her bedroom to the kitchen.  Stepping cautiously through the doorway, she let out a far softer sigh.  Three sets of hooves scrambled and clattered around the kitchen, and she could hear [i]something[/i] sizzling on the stove.  The smell was indescribable.  Quite literally so.  Rarity couldn’t even begin to guess what her dear sister was (attempting) to cook.

“Sweetie Belle, my beloved little sister.  I know that you and your friends are trying to help.” A light touch of magic turned the stove off.  “But for the love of Celestia, please leave food preparation to your elders.”  

A sad “Sorry Sis” echoed with two equally depressed “Sorry Miss Rarity”s.  

“I do appreciate the thought girls.”  She said softly, smiling in their direction as her magic extracted four bowls from the cupboard.  Moments later the bowls were joined by spoons, napkins, cereal, and milk.  There was a moment of stunned silence from the CMC, then Scootaloo spoke.

“WOW Sweetie!  Even blind Rarity is a better cook than you!” 

Rarity sighed and rolled her milky white eyes.  

[hr]

Rarity smiled as she leaned back in her chase lounge, the voices of her friends washing over her.

“And then I bucked that cloud so hard, the hail [i]flew[/i] out!”  Rainbow crowed, wings flapping faster in excitement. 

“Really darling, must you be so barbaric?”  Rarity lifted her nose in the air, but kept her tone teasing. “Such aggression is hardly lady like.”  Lifting her teacup to her lips, she took a small sip.  

There was a rude snort in response, and a change in the tempo of wingbeats.  Hearing the other girl’s giggles, Rarity could guess Rainbow’s expression.

“If you keep making faces like that, it will stick that way.”  She sing-songed in Dash’s direction.  Her smirk grew as the wingbeats ceased, followed by hooves striking wood.

Dash’s incredulous “How did you know I was making faces?” was interrupted by Pinkie’s exuberant “Wow!  Really??”  Rarity just smiled and took another sip of tea, emptying her cup.

Reaching out with her magic, she lifted the teapot from the coffee table, frowning at its weight.  

“Drat.  Empty.”  She murmured.  

“I’ll take care of it.”  That soft, quiet voice could only be Fluttershy.

“Oh, don’t trouble yourself dear.  I can handle it.”  Rartiy made to get up, but a gentle (and unexpected) hoof held her down. 

“Please Rarity, just rest. I’ve got it.”  

Rarity could do little more than pout.  Fluttershy was impossible to track. Even her hoofsteps were quiet!

“I gotta say, I’m mighty impressed at how well you’re coping, sugarcube.  How do you always know where things are?” 

“Just like Fashion, dear Applejack, it is simply a matter of paying attention to the details.”  Gesturing grandly, she emphasized her point by levitating her teacup precisely onto its saucer.  

“Be that as it may, too much attention to detail can be unhealthy.  And [i]unsafe![/i]”  Concern filled Twilight’s normal ‘lecture voice.’  “Overuse of ocular magnification spells can have terrible side-effects. You’re lucky it’s only [i]Temporary[/i] Blindness Disorder.  TBD only lasts a few days.  It could have been much worse!”

“Well, I could hardly have sewn those breezies the clothing they’d needed without them, now could I?”  She waved a hoof dismissively.  “It’s a small price to pay under the circumstances.  Why, I shudder to think what would have happened to them otherwise!

“Well, that’s true.  But…”

“Tut tut!  No buts Twilight!  I knew the risks.  I only regret being unable to help out now.  Oh, girls!  I feel like such a terrible host!”  She threw a forehoof across her face. But despite the melodrama, there was an undercurrent of true emotion to her words.  

“Besides, I’m hardly an invalid in my own home.  Surely you girls have more important matters to attend to.”  She insisted.  

A torrent of denials immediately followed. But it was the quietest one that cut through the chatter. 

“[i]This[/i] is the most important place for all of us to be.”  Fluttershy spoke softly, but firmly. 

Rarity could not see the others nodding their heads, but she didn’t need to.  Warmth filled her chest, and tears her eyes.

“Thanks girls.”