Twilight Sparkle awoke slowly to the bright new morning. She heard birds chirping outside of her window, and she smelled the scent of toast and coffee. She rubbed her eyes and rustled her wings slightly against her satin sheets. It was still very difficult for her to get used to feeling her new wings in the morning, but the sensation was more odd than unpleasant. She sat up in bed to see Spike at the foot of her bed with a small breakfast tray in his claws.
"Good morning, your highness!" Spike said, cheerfully.
Twilight smiled slightly, and then waved her hoof at him.
"Aw, don't call me that. Just Twilight is fine, Spike. I can't handle these formalities." She said with a slight laugh.
Spike walked over to her nightstand and placed the breakfast tray next to her.
"You have plenty of royal errands to run today, Twilight, including our trip to Ponyville!"
Twilight hadn't seen Spike this excited in weeks. The thought of seeing her friends again comforted Twilight. She magically lifted her cup to her mouth and sipped her coffee as Spike excitedly laid out their itinerary for the day ahead.
"First off we have to go to Sugarcube Corner and see Pinkie Pie to pick up the cakes for our guests this evening. Then we need to go by Rarity's shop for a fitting for your new dress..."
As Twilight sipped her coffee, she thought about how much she desperately missed her friends. Sure, at home in Canterlot she could see her family any time she wanted to, but her friends in Ponyville had grown to be like her sisters. Especially one pony in particular.
"I wonder how Rarity is holding up," murmured Twilight into her coffee.
Spike took no notice as he bustled about Twilight's room, gathering things for their impending trip.
"Probably just as beautifully as always," Spike gushed slightly at the mention of his secret crush's name.
Twilight smiled ruefully at her assistant. Spike was rather oblivious when it came to keeping actual secrets from her. However, she was rather excited to see the fashionista once again.
It had been a few months since her royal coronation, and her transformation from a student unicorn to an Alicorn princess. Due to the nature of her duties, she had moved back to Canterlot with her mentor and fellow ruler, Princess Celestia.
Twilight had missed her friends terribly and was just as excited as Spike was to travel to Ponyville once more.
"Spike? Is everything packed on the list?" Twilight called out.
"Yep," Spike said enthusiastically. "I triple checked the check list, just like you asked," he smiled and let Twilight bring the list to her, using her magic.
Even as an Alicorn princess, some things never changed.
"Very good, Spike," Twilight said and rolled up the list once more. "Everything seems in order," she added as she finished her coffee and rinsed out the cup using her magic.
"I will go tell the guards we are ready, come along Spike," Twilight smiled and led the way out into the courtyard.
As she crossed the threshold, each of the guards on either side bowed deeply.
"Good morning, your highness!" They each exclaimed.
"Arise, good sirs," said Twilight, brightly.
'HONESTLY' she thought, a bit exasperated. 'Well, I guess they HAVE to greet me like this.' She shrugged as she walked out into the sunshine.
"Wait! Twilight, wait!" Shouted Spike from behind her.
Twilight turned sharply to see the little dragon waving her tiara in the air as he ran up behind her.
"Spike, do I have to wear this? I'm only running errands..."
Spike cute her off, breathless, "Celestia's orders." He gasped as he stuck the tiara in her face.
Twilight gave a deep sigh as she looked into the center stone of the little crown. Once upon a time, this little crown used to make her feel so happy. She was defeating evil side by side with her friends.
Now it was just a symbol of what separated her from them.
Twilight lifted the crown out of Spike's claws by magic and fitted snugly on to her head.
She leaned down and flattened her wings out so that Spike could climb on to her back.
"Ready to fly with me?" Twilight said, playfully.
"But...Twilight…" stammered Spike.
"What? Still unsure of my skills?" Twilight teased.
"No, Twilight, I trust you with my very life! It's just that Celestia told me that riding on your back made you look undignified. A true princess takes the royal carriage into Ponyville. Have you ever seen Luna or Celestia arrive in town by flying with other ponies on their backs?!" Squeaked Spike, unsure of himself.
"Um...Well...No," Said Twilight, saddened by the realization.
"I'll call the Pegasus carriage, then," said Spike, as he tried to comfort Twilight. He patted her shoulder, and the hurried off.
Twilight gave a heavy sigh as she looked down at her heavy hoof gauntlets.
"Everything keeps changing," she said softly to herself, closing her eyes briefly. When she had become a princess, everything had seemed so exciting.
The wings, the fact that she could be near Celestia at all times, near her brother and his wife, and in Canterlot as well, her home town. However this meant many drawbacks, she had lost her friends, lost the relationship she had with Spike, and even with her brother as well.
Whenever she saw him, he saluted her, being far too strict for her liking. Even Cadance no longer greeted her the same way, with their small dance. They had roles to fill, and perspectives to upkeep. Twilight was always saddened by this, was it worth it becoming a princess?
She was drawn out of her internal dilemma as Spike ran up with two Pegasus guards, pulling a small chariot behind them.
"Your chariot awaits, your highness," Spike said walking up to her and bowing to her slightly, pointing her claws to the chariot.
Twilight hid a sad frown; already he was calling her highness again. Would he ever be able to call her just Twilight again?
"Thank you Spike," she murmured quietly and walked onto the chariot with Spike, standing carefully as the two Pegasus guards took off into the air.
Twilight hoped her friends would not be having the same issues that Spike seemed to be having. She just wanted to have a wonderful time with her friends, as a fellow friend, and not as a princess.
Twilight steadied herself as the two guards took off, rumbling down the takeoff strip outside of the castle. Spike clung to her leg for support. As soon as the cart had taken off and the ride became smooth, Spike realized what he had done and backed away from Twilight with an embarrassed look on his face.
"Oh! Sorry, I um...Just lost my balance is all. Didn't mean to scratch your gauntlet or anything!" Spike stammered.
Twilight looked down at him, with an understanding smile on her face "Really, Spike, it's fine. The carriage rides take a bit of getting used to. Princess Celestia has had over a thousand years to get the hang of it."
Twilight almost laughed at the thought of a young Celestia having to brace herself on her first carriage ride.
Then, Twilight realized something that made her heart skip a beat.
Celestia and Luna were over a thousand years old.
With her new form, Twilight and her sister-in-law were probably going to live for just as long, or perhaps even longer.
Twilight held in hear breath as she thought about the breadth of a thousand years of life. What kind of knowledge would she learn in that period of time?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a small horn from below. The Canterlot Express was chuffing up the hill to deliver ponies from Ponyville up to the big city. The inside of those train cars had always been so fun, sharing a tiny train car with five other ponies. She closed her eyes and thought about their late night conversation on the way to AppleLoosa.
"I'd like to be a tree" Fluttershy had said.
Twilight smiled to herself, and then came to a more saddening realization.
One thousand years of life would also mean having to outlive each and every one of her friends. She bit her lip as she thought about it, and tears began to well in her eyes.
'The earth ponies would be the first to go, hard lives spent on land. Then my flying friends...Leaving only...Only...'
Spike looked up, with a puzzled look on his face
"Princess Twilight, are you crying?"
"Me? No, it's just...Just the wind. It makes my eyes water." Twilight said, shortly, as she sniffed a bit.
"Well, we're almost to Ponyville. Are you as excited as I am?" Spike asked, with a little jump.
She looked down at him and cracked a small smile "Yes, Spike. I love it when I get to see my friends. I'm going to spend as much time with each of them as I can while we are here."
Even as the carriage began to descend there was excited shouting from below.
"Twilight!" Rainbow shouted, and in a flash of rainbow, she was gone darting up into the clouds and startling the Pegasus guards a bit.
"HEY!" Rainbow said enthusiastically and flew in loops around the carriage. "How you been? Flying okay? Anything weird happening?"
"RAINBOW!" Applejack shouted up at her over enthusiastic friend and the Pegasus winced.
"See you down there," she offered and quickly dove back down towards the ground.
Twilight had to smile a bit at her friend's enthusiasm...maybe this would be a good trip after all. She chose to be optimistic about this as the carriage began to descend towards the ground.
Out of habit, Spike clung to Twilight's front leg as the landed. They both jostled a bit from the rocky landing, and the guards were not too impressed with Rainbow Dash's intrusive flyby.
"Young filly!" One of the guards snapped "You interfered with an important royal carriage transaction. Princess Twilight will have her say as to whether or not you are going to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
"Prose-what?" Rainbow shouted as her eyes widened.
Applejack hurriedly shunted Rainbow Dash aside to plead with the guard "She didn't mean nothin' by it, honest, Mister Guard! The princess is just a real good friend of ours; we were just excited to come and see her is all."
The guard narrowed his eyes at Applejack, just as he was about to reply to her, everypony heard a shriek fly out from one of the adjacent buildings.
"TWIIIILLLIIIGGHHTT IIISS HEEERRREEE! TWILIGHTSHERE TWILIGHTS HERE SHEEESS HEEEERRREEEE!"
Before he could even blink, the guard in front of AJ had been bowled over by a big bouncing mass of pink. Pinkie Pie jumped into the cart and hugged Twilight so hard that Twilight could barely breathe.
"Hi...Pin...Kie...Pie..." Twilight struggled to say through the tightness of the hug.
"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Pinkie, you're squishing the princess!" Twilight heard a gentle voice say over Pinkie's shoulder.
"Oh, yeah, you're right Fluttershy! I mean even though we like zapped her out of existence for a while and then she showed up with these crazy wing things on her back and now she's an all-powerful princess and everything I guess that Twilight will have to breathe sometime wont she? But even so with her princess powers she should be able to cast a hold your breath spell right? But maybe that's only for underwater and hugs don't cunt with underwater spells, but I don't ever want to let her go again because I missed her so so so so soo much!"
'Holy Celestia! Did she even breathe?' Thought Twilight as Pinkie Pie finally made the wise decision to stop crushing her ribs.
Twilight moved quickly away from Pinkie to give a hoof to the guard who Pinkie had knocked over.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I don't want to press charges against any of them; they have every right to be so excited to see me." Twilight said, as she blushed and smiled.
Twilight looked around her to each of their faces. Rainbow Dash was grinning, eagerly as she flew steadily in place. Apple Jack had a warm, comforting smile, and a small basket of apples attached to her side. Pinkie Pie wouldn't stop bouncing up and down in the cart behind her as she kept excitedly squeaking "She's back she's back she's back!" and Fluttershy was coyly flying at a steady pace in place next to Rainbow Dash. There was somepony missing among this entire hubbub. And then Twilight remembered her appointment.
"Spike! What time is it? I have to hurry over to Rarity's shop for my dress fitting!"
At the mention of her name, Spike perked up and told Twilight that she had about twenty minutes before her appointment.
"Oh, Yeah!" Rainbow said and tapped her hooves together as if remembering something. "Rarity said she wanted to meet you at her shop, ya know setting up all her fabric and stuff."
"Ya'll know Rarity" AppleJack grinned slightly. Their unicorn friend was quite the busy worker when she set her mind to something. She was well known for staying up all night just to finish an appointment.
Add to the fact that Twilight was technically royalty and you were sure to have a slightly strung out fashionista. Even if Twilight insisted that this was not very important, there would be no deterring the element of generosity from her task. It was reasonable as well to understand that she would be busy working right now.
Spike sighed softly in adoration, "She is so hard working," he said sound softly enthralled with the thought of Rarity. This of course was common and the others just rolled their eyes or hid soft smiles.
Twilight trotted over to Rarity's shop with Spike in tow. When they got to the shop, Twilight noticed that the outside looked a bit disheveled. There were a few weeds growing along the path, and the exterior of the windows of the shop had a visible grimy surface.
"She must be very busy with dress making, looks like the garden hasn't been tended to in weeks," said Twilight with a concerned tone in her voice.
When they opened the door to the shop, Opal darted out between Twilight's legs with a nasty hiss.
From what Twilight could see from the white blur of fur, Opal hadn't had a good bath or a brush in a while.
The inside of the shop was slightly askew. There were fabric snippings all over the floor, bits of thread all over the place, and some light dust had begun to collect on some of the mannequins.
"Hello?" Called out Twilight, nervously "Rarity? I'm here for the appointment!"
"Twilight!" Rarity's voice came from within the depths of the boutique, echoing almost eerily within the confines of the shop itself. "Darling, so good to see you again."
Even as Rarity spoke she trotted into the light of the shop, filtering in through the windows. Spike could not hold back a slight gasp of shock. Rarity looked horrible!
There were some bags under her normally shining blue eyes, her mane had appeared to have not been brushed in weeks, and her coat was dull as well.
"Sorry the shop is such a mess," Rarity said dismissing her own attire entirely. "I had a large back order of outfits for Sapphire Shores that just HAD to be done," she said pouting slightly.
"I have something that is just fabulous planned for you; I think you are going to find it absolutely stunning!" Rarity enthused slightly, gesturing in the air with a hoof.
When Rarity said the word "stunning" her voice cracked slightly and her face twitched slightly.
"Oh, I must be coming down with a cold...Yes...Um...Spike? Would you be a dear and run down to the store for a bit of cough medicine for me?" Rarity laughed slightly "In the midst of planning for all...All of my...My work...I seem to have neglected my health."
"Certainly, Rarity!" Spike replied, cheerfully as he ran out the front door of the shop.
Twilight smiled at his enthusiasm and then turned to Rarity and took her under her wing into a tight hug. Rarity shifted uncomfortably underneath the wing.
"I'm so glad to see you. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to write more often, Celestia has been keeping me pretty busy. You know how things get with princesses." Twilight said, airily.
Rarity cleared her throat and backed out of the wing hug slowly "Well, no...I mean I imagine that you're...You're very busy...But I personally wouldn't know what a PRINCESS like yourself would have to go through. I've never been able to live in Canterlot, anyway, let alone the palace for more than a few days at a time…"
Twilight looked puzzled at the ramblings of her friend. Maybe Rarity needed some sleep, a break from work, something to help her calm down.
"You look a bit tired, Rarity. Did you need me to come back another day?" Twilight said, cautiously.
"NO!" Rarity said loudly and almost too quickly. "I mean, no not at all darling."
Rarity gently nudged her into the boutique; however there was a frenzy to her movements. Even as Twilight was nudged into the depths of the boutique, Rarity turned back slightly and her horn glowed blue.
There was a faint click as the door was locked, so that the pair of them could not be interrupted.
"After all, I have everything ready, I would not want to make you late for your precious assemblies" she added, an undercurrent of anger slipping in, but only briefly.
Immediately, Rarity was all smiles again, albeit twitchy smiles. "Please darling, get on the stand in front of the mirrors," she said gesturing to the small podium in front of three mirrors.
Rarity magically lifted some of the large pieces of dress fabric up and over Twilight.
"Now, darling, I have the dress in larger pieces at the moment. It's...Pinned...Pinned inside out so that I can get your exact measurements. All I have to do now is bring these pins in a bit closer so that it will be a nice...Nice snug fit..."
Rarity's voice trailed off as she began to tug at the fabric around Twilight's left wing. One of the longer feathers got caught up in the fabric and was pulled backwards, bending the feather.
"Ow! Rarity, please be careful! They may be magical, but that doesn't mean that they're indestructible." Twilight said with a nervous laugh.
"Oh, did that hurt you? I'm TERRIBLY sorry, my dear." Rarity said, her voice, oddly sarcastic.
"Just, please, watch out for them. They're really taking some getting used to."
For the next five minutes, Rarity silently went about her business of tucking and folding the dress pieces into place and pinning them.
Suddenly, Rarity declared "One LAST pin!" and Twilight felt a stabbing pain in her flank.
"Rarity! What are you...?" Twilight tried to shout, but then she felt her knees give way and the whole shop was enveloped in blackness.
"HmHmHm" Rarity laughed slightly as Twilight collapsed and tumbled off the podium. "So sorry darling...I grabbed the wrong needle~" she lied to thin air, as if Twilight could even hear her.
Her horn glowed blue once again and she dragged Twilight into the basement of her shop, down the dark stairs and not lifting her at all, pins that were still within the dress, stabbed and buried themselves within the purple unicorn's flesh and wings.
Rarity dropped her on the floor harshly once they made it down to the basement, a wing snapping like a fragile twig as she did so. "Oh, Oops~" she giggled slightly and then moved her once more.
Rarity placed Twilight onto a table and strapped her to it, a crazy grin flitting across her muzzle. "The princess always must look PERFECT!" she snapped, affixing a thread to a needle.
"Don't worry PRINCESS," she spat the term hatefully. "I will make sure you are always beautiful~"
With this promise, she began to sew the crown to Twilight's flesh around her head. Forming loops around the crown itself so it was held securely in place to the poor Alicorn's head.
Slowly, Twilight began to open her eyes after what felt like hours of black, dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes slowly and felt incredible pain in her back and across her forehead. There was also a blinding light, like someone had stuck a white hot light bulb inches from her eyes.
"Good morning, Princess Twilight! And how are WE doing today YOUR HIGHNESS?"
That voice came out of the darkness, Twilight could almost place it...But that voice had never sounded like this. The light bulb was inches from her face and made it impossible for Twilight to see around the black room.
Twilight tried to reply to the voice, but her attempts were foiled by tape that had been strapped over her muzzle. When she tried to take the tape off with magic, nothing happened.
"NOT SO POWERFUL NOW, EH PRINCESS!?" Thundered the menacing and screechy voice "I TOOK YOUR FUCKING HORN!"
Tears began to well up in Twilight's eyes. She was scared, alone, bound and gagged, probably bleeding, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
For the first time in her life, Twilight Sparkle was utterly powerless.
The familiar voice cackled again and Twilight felt another stabbing pain in her back. Suddenly, a small clump of purple feathers were raining down in front of her face.
"I suppose you won't be needing these hideous things anymore..."
'THAT VOICE!' Thought Twilight, as she struggled against her bonds 'RARITY, HOW COULD YOU?'
Twilight began to sob underneath the tape.
"You do not even UNDERSTAND the PAIN and the WORK I have had to do in my life to get here!" Rarity snarled, even as she forcefully removed her wings.
"Hoof-picked by Princess Celestia, the favorite, the wonder, the magic user, the fucking little SLUT who has never worked a hard day in her LIFE!"
"You won't be any use to anyone after this~" she said almost sadly but the maniacal lilt returned to her voice soon after, "How the mighty have fallen~"
"Don't worry though, I made sure you get to keep your crown and gauntlets, even I would not ruin that about you," she said quietly. Almost making it sound as if Twilight should be THANKING her for this.
"And don't worry about dying either~ I want you alive to LIVE THE LIFE I HAVE GIVEN YOU!" despite the mostly methodical way Rarity had been hacking and slashing, one long cut suddenly slit down her back.
"Oh I ruined your poor back, oh well, you made me mad."
"This is your fault than mine princess, take account for your actions," Rarity placed candles by Twilight's feet, hot enough to bind the heavy, metal gauntlets Twilight wore to her hooves permanently.
The constant stream of tears that had been falling down Twilight's face had finally made the tape just wet enough to move.
She broke through the tape, but it took a large patch of her coat with it as Twilight screamed and sobbed "WHY? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIIISS?"
"Why, darling?" Rarity suddenly dropped what she had been doing, she pulled the light bulb away from Twilight's face and stuck her nose just inches away from Twilight "Why indeed..." Rarity said, almost mockingly.
"You don't even know what it's like to be a...A Filthy half-breed like me, do you? All of my LIFE I had wanted to live like all of the other unicorns do! I wanted to go to school in Canterlot, live and play with other magic users like me...But my mother. It was all her fault, you know? My horrible skank of a mother had to go and roll in the hay with the first stallion she saw. A FILTHY MUDPONY!"
Rarity's eyes began to water as she choked out the next part of her story "I tried...I tried to apply to that magic school that Celestia had...I tried so hard...Mother said we couldn't do it. She said she couldn't move...That she...She LOVED Ponyville! I was stuck with every other Mudpony and Horsefly...I didn't even get my cutie mark until I was almost a young mare!"
Then Rarity's eyes narrowed "You...You spoiled little ROAD APPLE!" Rarity spat in Twilight's eye, then turned away and began to cry, bitterly "Hoof-picked, living in the most beautiful place all of your fillyhood, now a princess!"
"But...Rarity…I..." Twilight knew that she had to pick her next words carefully, or she would have to endure more torture "I didn't want this. If I could trade places with you, if I could make Celestia take back these horrible wings I would. I've been lonely, depressed; I can't even go out on my own anymore without fucking royal escorts! Please...Please stop this...This madness!" Twilight sniffed and swallowed "I...I missed you most of all. Because of your magic you would have been the only friend who could have hoped to live alongside me. What happened to the mare who took me in to her beauty parlor on my first day in Ponyville?"
Rarity smirked cruelly and she leaned the bulb against Twilight's face briefly, burning her face and causing the Alicorn to cry out in pain.
"She died the day you got those horrid things," she said quite coldly, referring to her wings. "You should be thanking me dear, they ruin your face and body...I am doing you a favor."
"But I appear to have forgotten a trash can down here...how unfortunate," She sighed softly as if this were truly an issue that must be resolved and right away.
"My workshop cannot be ruined by your pathetic feathers," the manic lilt in her voice to a thoughtful turn, plotting and obviously planning horrible things for the Princess.
Twilight winced as she struggled helplessly against her bonds; she wondered what horrible things Rarity would come up with next.
Suddenly a flash of blue magic flew by her nose and Twilight's mouth felt like it had been jammed with a ball of small hairs. The ball was being shoved down deeper and deeper into her throat, poking at the sides of her tonsils.
Rarity had made a feather ball and was using Twilight as a living garbage disposal.
Twilight choked and sputtered against the prickling feather fibers as they jabbed inside of her neck. The harder she struggled against the feathers, the further Rarity pushed the ball.
"Using garbage to dispose of filth" Said Rarity in a proud voice "My, my, aren't I clever!" She giggled.
Twilight attempted to gasp for breath against the feathers, but it was useless. She began to feel dizzy. Between the tears, snot, blood, and feathers, there was no way to breathe.
A deep chill filled the basement of Rarity's shop, perhaps this was Death coming to take her away at last
'I suppose there are worse ways to die' Twilight thought, as her vision began to darken.
Rarity was giggling maniacally, the sound filling the basement even as she continued to push the ball deeper, finally she would be rid of the menace that was Twilight Sparkle.
Or so she thought.
A large gust of wind blew into the room, a figure stepping out of a burst of night blue magic. A midnight blue Alicorn stepped out of the magic; it was trailing around her like a wraith, almost as living as the Alicorn itself.
The Alicorn's mane was the night sky itself imbued with life, and twisting with rage. The normally sea foam green eyes of the princess were filled with white, glowing anger.
"ELEMENT OF GENEROSITY," the princess of the night's royal Canterlot voice was nothing compared to the rage imbued in this tone. "Rarity, the unicorn..." she snarled, her voice becoming quiet and deadly.
"I have come to stop your killing, and your monstrous actions," Luna, the princess of the night stated. There was a feeling of magic fighting for control over the feather ball, and the dark blue magic won out easily.
The feather ball vanished easily, allowing Twilight a working airway once more.
Luna's white glowing eyes looked as if they would burn a hole right through Rarity's skull.
"ELEMENT OF GENEROSITY! WE HAVE BEEN OBSERVING YOUR DREAMS AND THOUGHT THEM ONLY TO BE COPING MECHANISMS! CERTAINLY ONE WHO IS THE LIVING ELEMENT OF HARMONY WOULD DO NOTHING TO HARM ONE OF HER FRIENDS!"
Rarity cowered next to her terrible table of torture tools. Twilight could see out of the corner of her eye that Rarity was struggling to break Princess Luna's magical grasp of Rarity's head.
"DO NOT BREAK AWAY FROM MY GAZE, PITIFUL, MEANINGLESS, SELFISH WORM!" Luna thundered as she raised Rarity into the air and dropped her down on to the cold stone floor on to her forehead.
"GET UP! GET UP, YOU WORTHLESS WHELP! YOU HAVE DISPLEASED NOT ONLY US, BUT OUR ENTIRE KINGDOM AS WELL AS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF HARMONY!"
Rarity struggled to get back on to her hooves, but her legs were shaking with fear. Luna broke her gaze away from Rarity in time to loosen Twilight's bonds. Twilight was free, but still in agonizing pain. Twilight decided that it was best not to move for a while.
Once Rarity was back on her feet, Luna's voice echoed through the basement once more "FANTASIZING ABOUT MAIMING AND TORTURING ONE OF YOUR FELLOW ELEMENTS IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE! ACTUALLY CARRYING OUT THESE IDEAS IS UTTERLY UNFORGIVABLE! WHAT HAVE YOU TO SAY FOR YOUR MURDEROUS ACTIONS?!"
Rarity's eyes filled with bitter tears and her face twisted with a jealous rage. She looked into Luna's glaringly white eyes and whispered "I deserved that power. It should have been ME."
Luna laughed bitterly, sounding absolutely amused with the fact that Rarity deserved that power. That responsibility was only reserved for the kindest of heart...even Luna herself was unsure of her standing in that arena.
"You think you deserve the power to rule a people?"
"OF COURSE!" Rarity growled at the pissed off princess. "I deserve that power far more than that bitch ever did!" she snapped angrily. "I WORKED FOR EVERYTHING! SHE DID NOTHING! I DESERVE-"
"YOU DESERVE NOTHING," Luna snarled her eyes glaring a hole practically through her and she flapped her wings creating a burst of wind around the wind, almost strong enough to knock Rarity off her feet.
"AND NOW AS YOU WERE WILLING TO DESTROY A FRIEND, YOUR FELLOW ELEMENT, AND A ROYAL," Luna grabbed Rarity using her magic around her throat and dragged her to her glowing eyes, so she could not look away.
"YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING!" she snapped, her horn beginning to glow with immense power, it was even sparking with a dark blue aura, reminiscent of her time as Nightmare Moon.
Twilight heard a bloodcurdling scream from behind her, she turned her head to see Rarity crumpled on the ground clutching a bleeding hole on her forehead.
"Her horn!" Twilight gasped to herself.
Twilight wanted to feel pity for her friend as Rarity laid on the floor in agony. The only thing that Twilight wanted more than anything at that moment was to forget everything that had happened. To forget about her lonely nights away from her friends. To forget about being deceived by the one pony who she had trusted most. And especially, to forget about the whole torturous ordeal.
Luna took her eyes off of Rarity and turned to Twilight. Luna's eyes dimmed back to their usual aqua blue, and she spoke to Twilight in a softer tone.
"We are sorry, Twilight, but we had to use our Royal voice to reprimand her. I can see that you will need our help."
Twilight cringed as Luna gingerly lifted Twilight's body off of the table with her magic. Luna mended every part of Twilight that she could, from her burns to her horn. Before Luna mended Twilight's wings, she paused.
"Princess Twilight?" Asked Luna, as carefully as she could.
"Yes?" Croaked Twilight, through even more tears.
"Our sister turned you in to one of us much too hastily, didn't she?"
Twilight gave a slight nod.
"We did not think that your friends would react this way. Please forgive us."
"I forgive you, Luna. I just wish there was a way that I could erase this whole mess."
"But there is, Princess Twilight. We are not just the princess of dreams; we can control time and ideas. Thoughts and actions. We were once an element too."
"Our sister...wants the best for you Twilight Sparkle...we hope you understand that. However, we understand the curse of loneliness as well, and we do not wish it inflicted upon anyone else."
Luna walked towards Twilight and gently placed her hoof on a portion of her head that was not hurting. "You will have your wish, Twilight Sparkle," with these words, she used a spell to put Twilight into a light sleep.
She then turned back to Rarity "AND YOU SHALL HAVE YOUR PUNISHMENT PASSED DOWN BY US!" she snarled returning to hateful speech once more.
"OUR JUDGMENT IS AS FOLLOWS, YOU WILL NOT BE REMEMBERED, WHAT YOU HOPED FOR IN FAME WILL NEVER COME TO FRUITION," Luna said her eyes glowing white once more.
"YOUR ENTIRE TIME IN PONYVILLE, NAY, IN LIFE WILL BE NOTHING AND WILL NOT BE REMEMBERED. YOUR FAMILY, YOUR FRIENDS, AND YOUR CLIENTS WILL NOT REMEMBER YOU EVER!"
"WE HAVE NO MERCY FOR THOSE WHO PREY UPON THE WEAK OR SCARED, AND YOU WILL KNOW THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE EXISTENCE!"
The entire room began to glow with a dark blue aura; the clock running backwards that was hanging on the wall. Time began to shift and change, even as Luna took Rarity to her final resting place, and the time shift finally stopped.
()()()()()()()()
Twilight Sparkle awoke to a soft hooting at her bedside. She also heard the grumblings of one sleepy dragon quite close by.
"Mmmph...No...Not the owl...Mmmmph" Groaned Spike.
Twilight decided not to disturb her number one assistant yet, so she crept out of bed to start her morning coffee.
On her way out of her room, Twilight stopped to look in the mirror to brush her mane. She knew that she'd had an incredibly strange dream the night before, but like water pooled up in a hoof the dream was trickling away and out of her memory.
Twilight entered her library and stopped for a moment to admire all of the jewelry of the Elements of Harmony. Pinkie's bright blue balloon, Apple Jack's shining orange apple, Rainbow Dash's daring red lightning bolt, Fluttershy's dainty pink butterfly, and Cherilee's lemon yellow daisy.
Twilight put her hoof against the glass box and gave a sigh.
She couldn't wait to start her day and spend it with her five best friends.
()()()()()
"YOU IDIOTIC GUARD!" a fine voice shattered into fine dust was shouting in rage. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!"
Rarity was strapped into a strait jacket and her front hooves were pinned to her sides. The hole in her head where her horn had been was healed, but scarred.
"YOU!" she snarled angrily at the guard outside of her cell. "I demand that you release me right now, as I am needed in my shop. Sapphire's orders still need to be filled!"
The guard outside of Rarity's cell shrugged and turned to the stallion who was about to take over his shift.
"Who is that mare, anyway? All she does is scream about powers, dresses, and some shop I've never heard of."
The other stallion paused to think for a moment, as if he was trying to place this new patient.
"Ya know, I can't rightly recall when she came into the hospital. All I can say is she must need to be here, whatever her name is."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DO NOT KNOW MY NAME?!" Rarity cried out in rage and shock. The guards both shrugged and walked off ignoring her cries of hatred. "That is impossible," Rarity snarled to herself as their hoof steps faded into the darkness.
"…Unless…" Rarity went wide eyed at Luna's punishment, she had gone through with it…and now she was alone.
()()()()()()()
Rarity had plenty of time alone in the dark to contemplate her fate. She denied that this was a reality, it had to be a nightmare, and there was no way that this was happening to her. She had worked so hard all her life, this was not meant to be her fate.
Yes…this could not be her fate; her rage grew as she sat in the shadows. She cursed the world, cursed Twilight, cursed the Princesses, and cursed everyone. Blaming and spatting hatred at everyone but herself, the only one who she could blame truly for giving into the darkness in her heart.
She pled with the darkness itself, let her be free, let her finish her mission, let her finish what she started with Twilight and destroy her. But the darkness had no freedom for her, only quiet, judging, silence.
The darkness led Rarity into a deep grief; she had time to think in this calmer mind state. She regretted everything she had ever done to Twilight. She even balked at her actions, how could she have allowed jealousy to so taint her mind that she would harm her best friend?
As she apologized to Twilight, to the unforgiving darkness…a soft white lift appeared in her cell. The princess of the night stepped into her room, her eyes quiet but full of more knowledge and darkness than could be comprehended by any mere pony.
"Pr-Princess?!" Rarity cried out in shock, she had accepted her fate of loneliness and desolation. She deserved it after all what she had done to Twilight.
"Element of Generosity…you have spent many a month within the confines of this facility," unlike the last time she and Rarity had spoken, her voice was not as hateful, more understanding. "You have had time to blame us all, hate us…and you have seen that you could only blame yourself…"
"You have apologized to the one you wanted to harm most, your best friend…and you miss her." Rarity's eyes watered at the truth in this statement, there was nothing more she wished than to see Twilight once more.
"You will be given your redemption, you will be freed. However, no one will recall your plight, you can return to the land of PonyVille…but I will be watching" she warned her slightly even as Rarity gasped in shock, the tears running down her cheeks now.
The straps on her strait jacket undid themselves with a burst of blue magic and the unicorn could stand weakly.
"Walk into the light Rarity," Luna said softly.
Rarity walked on wobbly hooves into the light, still crying in disbelief.
The light swallowed her whole and she vanished from sight.
()()()()()()()()()
Rarity blinked the bright light from her eyes, only to glance up and see the sun, warming her coat, warming her mind.
"Rarity!" she heard a familiar voice cry out and she turned to face Twilight Sparkle, holding a book with her magic. She was no longer an Alicorn, she was free as well.
"What are you doing out here? I thought that you were working on something for Sapphire Shores," Twilight said in confusion. She was even more shocked when the white unicorn's eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, Twilight!" she cried out and hugged her friend, tightly enough to rival Pinkie. "I missed you, I am so sorry…I am so sorry" she sobbed into Twilight's shoulder.
Twilight was startled and she patted her friend's back. "But, Rarity I never left anywhere," she said confused.
Luna's words rang in Rarity's mind and she said "O-Oh of course darling," she wiped her eyes with a hoof and smiled at her friend. "I guess, I have just been working too hard…how about we have lunch," she offered.
Twilight smiled brightly, "That sounds great Rarity," she said. The two friends walked off into the town, to enjoy the rest of their lives.
