She falls backwards, barely registering the bullet holes in her chest, or the blood soaking out of them.
All she thinks of is a chess piece, a black knight, crashing to the floor.
Rarity awakes with a start, dripping in sweat, to an alarm clock. She remembers what day it is. She gets up quietly and wakes her best friend and fellow admiral Fluttershy. Fluttershy's baby blue eyes flutter open then cloud with worry.
"It's time," Rarity mutters grimly.
With a sad sigh, Fluttershy gets up.
Two hours later, Rarity, Fluttershy, and about five other men are boarding on a helicopter. Each person individually wondering why they couldn't have brought more men. Rarity thinks back to the conversation they'd had with Luna when she'd ordered them on this mission.
"It's a missile shelter in Manehattan. Raid it. I want you to kill guards, blow up missiles, tear the whole place down if you want. Just make sure they can't recuperate anything from the place. You can take five men total, and you're going by helicopter. I'll leave the rest to you."
"But Luna, five men for an all-out attack? This'll never work!"
"Have faith that it will."
"But-"
"No but's. Just do as I say."
"...Yes ma'am."
Luna is usually so good at strategy, and Rarity doesn't understand how this half-baked plan will possibly do them any good. Rarity snaps out of her thoughts when she hears quiet sobs emanate from the back of the helicopter. It's one of their soldiers. He has his face in his hands as he cries. Rarity strides over to him. She must keep morale high. She pulls his hands away from his face and looks him dead in the eyes with two piercing dark blue eyes.
"None of that," she says gently but firmly, "We will be okay."
The soldier shakes his head.
"Look around you," he says, "None of us are getting out of there alive."
At this all the men and women collapse in sobs. Even Fluttershy's eyes are misty.
Even though this is hardly the time, Rarity feels a rush of pride for Fluttershy. Before the war, Fluttershy would have hidden in a log and sobbed until she was dead if she'd had to be in a war, but now, she is one of the most courageous people Rarity knows. Rarity supposes it's the same for herself. Before the war, she would have been far too much of a priss to fight. Now she doesn't even feel the blood of others or the mud from the ground whenever either splatters onto her. It's odd what five years can do to someone.
Rarity looks around her at the sobbing soldiers. She has to do something. Even if she doesn't know what, she still has to do something. Rarity marches to the front of the helicopter.
"Listen up!" She shouts.
Everyone turns to look at her. Shit, what now? Rarity's mouth goes dry. She'll have to wing it.
"Um, you all remember the First Battle right?" She blurts.
Everyone starts tearing up again.
Shoot. That was a bad idea. Rarity panics and clenches her sweaty palms. She tries to steer the conversation towards Luna, someone they all revere, even if she still doesn't know where this is going.
"Um, I mean, you all remember joining the Republic right?" She says, "Why did you?"
Soldiers turn to look at her. Rarity wipes her hands on her pants and makes her voice stronger and louder.
"Why did you?" She says, "You could have had a grand luxe life in the Empire, so why did you choose the Republic?"
She looks around the helicopter, "Anyone want to tell me?"
"Because Celestia is corrupt and immoral," one girl tentatively says.
"Because Luna cares about us," a boy spoke out.
"Because Celestia is power-hungry," another girl shouted.
Answers started popping up.
"Because I want a good future."
"Because I want to do what's right."
"Because I care about my country."
"Because this is the kind choice," Fluttershy spoke up.
Rarity smiled at her gratefully.
"Exactly!" She said, her voice becoming confident and sure, "We chose this life. We chose our princess. And you know what that entails. Doing what she asks, because we know that what she wants will ultimately make a better Equestria!"
She looks at the men. They are looking more confident now.
"But there's still a strong chance we'll die," one says timidly.
"And if we do die?" Rarity says, "Then we die with honor! We die proud men and women of the Republic! We die heroes! FOR THE GLORY OF THE REPUBLIC!"
"FOR THE GLORY OF THE REPUBLIC!" The soldiers cheer, and now instead of sitting in somber silence, they chatter about strategy and weapons and how they'll survive.
Rarity walks back to her place by Faith, smiling.
"That was amazing," Faith says.
"Thanks," Rarity smiles, "But I mostly just winged it."
"Still," Fluttershy says, "That was great. You're a natural leader and a natural soldier, unlike me."
Fluttershy always has this attitude of feeling like she's not good enough. She feels that her timidity and fears make her weak, and therefore she just slows everyone down. Sometimes she falters when she has to show leadership, but that's just because she has talents in different areas, such as strategy and spying.
Rarity sits beside Fluttershy, "Fluttershy, that's not true."
Fluttershy shakes her head, "Too many failures on my part. I don't know why Luna bothers sending me at all."
"Because we need you!' Rarity exclaims, "We need your brilliant mind! You are better than anyone at strategy and everything that requires a good strong mind to use! Don't ever forget that."
Fluttershy smiles slightly, "Thanks Rarity."
Her smile drops and she rushes to the window, "We're here."
Rarity, Fluttershy, and their soldiers touch down on the roof of the missile shelter. They begin to carry out their plan. They place as many bombs in as many places as possible. There's a sense of panic in Rarity's stomach. "Hurry, hurry," she thinks. She places her last bomb. Now all that's left is for Fluttershy to activate them. She just has to go find her.
"Rarity!" She hears a voice call.
Fluttershy races towards her, "Did you forget to turn on your communicator?"
Shoot. Rarity realizes she has.
"Turn it on," Fluttershy urges.
Rarity flips on her communicator and listens to several audio messages. Most are cut off right before the end.
"Where are you? We got ambushed! They took us to a jail near by. We're being held in Detention Block Number 4-"
"That's Detention Block Number 43-"
"Number 435-"
"4356-"
The last is just static. Rarity looks at Fluttershy with wide horrified eyes.
"We've got to go save them!" Rarity starts to run towards the helicopter.
"You're not going anywhere," a silky smooth voice calls.
Rarity clenches her fists. She knows that voice. She knows its condescending tone, it's high lilt, it's smooth ease, it's poisonous undertones.
"Twilight," she whispers.
She whips her head around, only to come face to face with a league of men pointing rifles at her with Twilight at the head.
"Miss me?" Twilight purrs.
Rarity opens her mouth, but Fluttershy elbows her and gives her a warning look. Rarity sighs and slowly sticks her hands in the air.
"Good," Twilight says, "Now, I have orders to take you two back alive, but I'm sure once she's tortured you enough, Celestia will let me be the one to get rid of you."
Twilight smirks cruelly, "You won't see the end of the month. Now come o-"
Twilight's sentence was cut short by the commotion behind her. Several Empire men were dropping like flies to the ground, their skin burnt to a crisp. Burnt. Oh hell no. Rarity turns, and just as she suspected, there's the infamous redhead demon with her equally infamous flamethrower cocked in front of her.
"Pinkie Pie," Twilight growls.
Rarity feels sick in her stomach. Pinkie has earned notoriety as the ruthless leader of P.A.R.T.Y., a terrorist group that was gaining vast amounts of power. If the Empire and Republic weren't careful, there would be no war because P.A.R.T.Y. would take over, end of discussion.
There's a commotion now. People are screaming and running and trying in vain to shoot Pinkie. But even through the commotion her voice can be heard. Yes, her loud bubbly voice can be heard in all its magnanimity as she shouts one word.
"ATTACK!"
P.A.R.T.Y. soldiers charge down towards the Empire soldiers. Rarity turns to grab her gun, but realizes she has no need. The P.A.R.T.Y. soldiers are only attacking the Empire.
"Come on!' Fluttershy yells, "We have to go!"
Rarity turns to follow her, but sees something that makes her stop in her tracks.
He has the same black hair that he always keeps spiked despite Rarity's annoyance.
The same piercing green eyes that only went soft when they looked at her.
The same soft scaly green wings that he is so proud of.
Spike Sparkle, Twilight's half-brother and the love of Rarity's life. He's standing with Pinkie shooting Empire members.
Rarity dimly hears Fluttershy screaming at her to come on.
Spike. Is here. And a member of P.A.R.T.Y.
And then Rarity thinks back to those words he said to her the day of the First Battle.
Rarity races through the crowd. Everyone is frantic, trying to choose a side.
The day had started out normal. Rarity and her friends were part of a council in Ponyville that oversaw laws. That was when Celestia and Luna had been arguing, and Luna had declared her revolt. The fighting had started in an orderly manner, but that was before P.A.R.T.Y. broke in, turning the place into a madhouse. The people siding with Celestia were boarding a carriage to take them back to Canterlot, where they would be safe.
This is the day that Rarity first sees Pinkie in all her demon glory, with her red hair like fire streaming behind her and her blue eyes blazing like hell. Pinkie is terrifying in action. She's never left a survivor behind unless she means to. This is also the day Pinkie makes a name for herself by betraying her friends.
Rarity runs through the crowd trying to get out and ran smack dab into someone's chest. It is Spike.
"Rarity!" He exclaims happily, "Oh god, I'm happy you're okay!"
They embrace, and Rarity holds on for as long as possible, trying to keep the best thing in her life close.
Then his smile drops, "Where do you plan on going?"
"Republic!" Rarity blurts immediately.
Then her face fell.
"You?" She asked tentatively, using far to casual a word for this immensely important question.
Spike looked torn, " I don't know! I want a happy future, and I don't know which will promise me that!"
Rarity sighs, "I want you to come with me, but it's your choice."
Spencer opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, the crowd starts to push them apart.
"Spike!" Rarity lunges for his hand grabbing it, holding it desperately.
"Rarity! Hold on to me! Just hold on!" Spike cries.
Rarity holds his hand as hard as she can. She can feel her grip slipping and desperately tries to strengthen it. Her efforts are in vain, and her hand falls away from his.
"Spike!" She calls, tears starting to leak from her eyes, "Don't leave me! You can't leave me!"
"I'll never leave you!" He cries, choking a sob, "I promise!"
I promise.
I promise.
I promise.
These words have stuck with her since that day. There's not been a day where she hasn't said them over and over again in her brain. They are her mantra when she needs confidence, when she feels alone, when Fluttershy is off in the distant worlds of her own brain. They are her only hope. And it is these words that are in her brain as the bomb goes off.