Lifeblooms

Rarity woke up as she always did on the weekends, slowly. She made sure to set aside every weekend to unwind and spend time with family and friends. So no matter how busy she was, or how many orders she still had to do, the weekends were a work free time. Years ago Rarity would never have dreamed of taking every weekend off, there was simply too much to do. She would already be down stairs working right now on a new design or a dress that needed finishing, but those days were gone. After the Apple family died, well, she had to reevaluate everything. Work no longer took precedence in her life, and she started setting aside more time to spend with friends. After all who knew how long any of them truly had left?

Stretching, Rarity set the coffee to brew down stairs, brought in the mail leaving it on the kitchen table, and filled Opals food bowl for her breakfast. She also started making herself a salad, and used a modified version of her gem finding spell to locate all her friends in town. Her morning routine started, Rarity made her way to the shower to get freshened up while the coffee and salad were being made. Most unicorns struggled to control more than a few objects with their telekinesis, and line of sight was usually required to manipulate an object. However with the sheer number of objects flying around Rarity’s shop on any given day, she was quite comfortable controlling dozens of things at once without ever seeing them. So long as she knew where it was, she could pick it up and use it as if it sat in front of her, a minor perk of the job.

Finally looking presentable, she made her way down stairs to the small kitchen and was greeted by a fresh salad next to a steaming cup of coffee. A small stack of letters also awaited her appraisal in the center of the table. Well small in comparison to most days, it was still much more mail than most ponies got. As she enjoyed her breakfast Rarity went through the stack of letters. Most of them were as expected, orders for dresses, invitations to parties, the normal fare. One letter caught her eye though as she was perusing the mornings arrivals. It was from the zebra lands, which was odd in and of itself, considering zebras weren’t much for pony fashion. They seemed to consider it much too flashy and over the top for their tastes. Needless to say a letter from the zebra lands was, well, a rarity.

Opening the letter Rarity found two folded stacks of paper inside, one much larger than the other. The larger of the two had ‘Luna’ written boldly across the front, while the smaller said ‘Rarity’ in the same print. Anything signed to the princess had Rarity’s full attention, but she decided it might be wiser to read hers first if for nothing else than to gain context.

Dear Miss Rarity,

It’s been a long time and I have a huge favor to ask of you. Before that however I believe introductions are in order, I’m Applebloom…

Rarity lost her magical grip on the papers, and they fell fluttering to the floor. The name shocked her, she never thought that she would ever see or hear the filly’s name again. The last time she heard anypony mention the filly was when Luna said she was still dreaming, she couldn’t be found but she was still dreaming. It had been over nine year’s sense then. As the shock faded, it was quickly replaced with anger… no rage. Somepony had the nerve to pretend to be the missing sister of her dead friend! Picking the letter back up in her magic Rarity was determined to find whoever thought up this twisted idea of a joke and make them pay dearly.

…but I just go by Bloom now. Anyway I don’t expect you to just believe me because I say it in a letter, so I’ll prove who I am to you.

I suppose the obvious place to start is with the CMC. The Cutie Mark Crusaders was meant to be a ‘secret society’. Heh, that didn’t stay secret long, did it? We got Babs Seed to join, but aside from that it was just Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, and me. We were often too loud, had a knack for destroying anything we touched, and from what I remember we must have been a nightmare during sleepovers. Even our crusades looking back weren’t all that bright of ideas. Though I blame Rainbow for telling us to try everything to get our cutie marks, and we did try just about everything. From pig farming, to mind-reading, to mountain climbing, even zip lining somehow made it into the list. I personally still can’t believe I didn’t get my mark for fixing up my sisters old clubhouse. Did that old thing make it through the fire? I didn’t get the chance to check…

The letter went on to detail a few more of the crusaders adventures, but Rarity found it difficult to read through the tears. Sure somepony might know one or two of the crusaders adventures, but not all of this. Half of this stuff even she never knew about until Sweetie told her years later. Which left only one conclusion, the letter floating in front of her was truly from Applebloom. This simple realization was enough to break the dam and let the tears flow freely down Rarity’s cheeks. All the memories of that little filly were unwittingly forced back to the surface. And with them came the unwanted memories. The memory of Pinkie running through town at an impossible speed towards the hospital, a blood stained filly on her back. It wasn’t until later that Rarity learned that the filly was Applebloom, and just how bad of shape she was in. At the time she couldn’t waste time chasing Pinkie; she had to get to Sweet Apple Acres and help put out the fire. If only it had been just a fire, Rarity would never forget the carnage she found when she arrived. Even now it made her light headed just thinking about it; Applejack, Granny Smith, Big Mac all dead and partly eaten. Strewn about the yard were also pieces of what she later found out was the troll they placed in the Everfree forest. Whatever Pinkie had done to that thing when she arrived she never said, so Rarity and the others never asked.

As for why exactly they had put a troll in the Everfree to begin with was a point of much self-loathing for Fluttershy and Twilight. The six had been sent by the princesses to investigate the disappearances of two cows near the Everfree, a few miles up the tree line. It didn’t take long with a tracking spell from Twilight to find where the cows had been taken. It was a clearing not far into the forest, but it didn’t take an expert to tell the group that the cows had been eaten. The blood all around the clearing coupled with the scent of death that permeated the clearing left little doubt in the groups minds of what happened here. They were just about to leave when a sickeningly sweet voice called out from above, “to what do I owe the pleasure of such company?”

Looking up to a tree at the other end of the clearing Rarity saw quite possibly the most frightening creature she ever had the displeasure of meeting.  It sat upon a low hanging branch, with its back to the tree and one of its tall spindly legs hanging off the limb. It wore a robe of what looked to be leather over its bone white body. Its forelegs were long, much longer than they should have been for a creature its size. They ended in long thin fingers much like Spikes, only they had seven digits with what looked like bone protruding from the end of each. Its rear legs were different however; they ended in what looked like twisted roots of flesh and bone. How the thing was meant to walk on that was a mystery to Rarity. The things face was grinning, but that didn’t help its appearance as it showed off the rows of sharp teeth inside. There was no nose on its face that Rarity could see, only its large smiling mouth and huge eyes, blue as the summer sky. It was hard to tell what the thing was looking at as there was no pupil in its eyes, no iris either, just a mass of azure.

The thing used its long fingers to brush its inky black hear out of its eyes before sliding gracefully out of the tree. “You know it is quite rude to stare,” he said, still smiling. Now that he (the voice was clearly male) was standing not twenty paces from her Rarity could see just how tall he truly was. Celestia would only come up to this things chin at most.

“Did you do this,” Rainbow demanded as she gestured around them. It was no surprise she would be the first to come back to her senses.

The laughter that came ringing from the monsters throat was kind and inviting. The type of laugh that makes you wish to play the jester if only to hear it again. “My dear of course I did this, do you see anyone else here?” The tone of his voice was so warm and comforting, like a trusted friends. That’s what made it so frightening to hear such cold words delivered so sweetly.

Dash’s anger clearly rose, and if it wasn’t for Twilight interrupting her she might have attacked the thing then and there. “Why is a troll this far from home?” She said it with the curiosity of a scholar, but behind that was the hint of a threat.

“It seems someone has done their homework to know where it is we live. As for why I’m here,” he smiled taking a step forward. “My lady told me that I could start something interesting here.”

“That doesn’t explain why you would kill these cows,” Twilight said clearly getting more agitated.

The troll answered with the innocence of a child, “lunch.”

That must have been the last straw for Twilight, because she blasted him in the chest with a sleep spell the moment he finished speaking. The amount of magic behind it had to be massive as well for the spell to light up as it did; blinding everypony the instant it was cast.

For a few moments everypony was silent, not really sure of what to do next. Then Rainbow spoke up, “I guess we should get rid of this thing…”

Fluttershy gasped, “How could you even suggest such a thing!”

Rainbow just sighed, as if she were too tired to start this today. Deciding to help her out Rarity spoke up, “I have to agree with Rainbow on this one darling. That… thing ate two cows without a second thought, it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t do it again. We simply can’t leave something like that to just run around freely.”

“So you just want to kill it! We could…” she struggled to find a solution that ended without more death, and it was clear she was coming up with very little. “We could come up with something else,” she finished weakly.

“Well…” Twilight started, looking around at her friends. “…we could just bring it back to its home in the Everfree, or at least closer to it. It’s quite a ways so it couldn't just randomly wander out again.”

Fluttershy immediately brightened at this. “See girls we don’t have to kill anything. We can just bring it home where it can’t hurt anypony.” She looked from face to face in search of approval to the idea.

“It’s a gamble,” Pinkie said. There wasn’t a hint of her usual mirth anywhere in her voice, it was flat and serious. She said nothing else after that, just walked past the troll and began to bury what was left of the cows in a shallow grave.

“I know you like to take care of all them critters sugar cube, but this ain’t one of your critters. So I’m gonna have to agree with Rares on this one, this creatures clearly dangerous.” Applejack looked over at Twilight and sighed. “Still I know I ain’t the brightest pony here, so if Twilight thinks it will be ok then I’ll follow her.”

Rainbow grumbled under her breath before she looked up at Twilight. “You already know I will do what you think is best. But I still don’t think it’s a good idea to leave that thing alive.”

Twilight and Fluttershy looked over at Rarity then, eyes clearly asking where she stood. “Twilight dear, I’ve given a lot throughout my life, but it hurts to think you would have to ask if I’d give you my trust. If you truly believe you can end this with no more blood then I will trust your judgment.” Back then it had been true, Rarity had been quick to give her trust to a friend. Now though trust was the one thing that she wouldn’t give away freely, it had to be earned.

It hadn’t taken much time to finish burying the cows, and with a bit of magic Rarity carved a headstone for each grave. She didn’t know their names but she thought the intricately carved stones were better than nothing. After that was done Twilight bound the troll’s limbs with enchanted vines and they were off. There was no path to follow, but Twilight assured them that if they just went east long enough it would be hard to miss the troll empire.  And so they walked in relative silence for hours, venturing deeper into the Everfree than any one of them had ever gone.

Rainbow once again was the one who finally broke the silence to ask, “Just how far away do we have to go?”

“About as far as you are now.” It took Rarity a moment to relies it wasn’t one of her friends talking, nor was it the troll who was still sleeping. It didn’t take long to find the speaker, and who she found cause Rarity to jump. There, seated on a fallen tree was a changeling grinning at them. It was strange though; it stood about as tall as Luna with a bright pink mane and tail much like Pinkies and eyes to match. Its horn too, unlike other changelings was smooth and curved back like a blade.

“Changeling,” Twilight all but spat the word as she fired up her horn and blasted it with a sleep spell. The spell however never reached its target; it simply flowed around the changeling like water around a stone to harmlessly hit a tree.

“Now aren’t you the rude one, just up and shooting spells at strangers.” The smile didn’t leave her face though, nor was there any malice in her voice.

Rarity wasn’t the best a judging the power of others, but had Twilight taken the time as she had to see how strong the stranger was she would not have fired at her. You didn’t have to be skilled at sensing magic to feel the waves of raw power that thing was radiating. “Twilight darling I don’t think you should try that again…” Slowly Rarity stepped in front of her friend to address the changeling. “I apologize for my friend, she is none too fond of changelings I’m afraid. Perhaps we can try this again, hello my name is Rarity.”

“Look at the manners on you, I like you. My name is… hmm let’s see there are so many to choose from its hard to just pick one.” The pink changeling tapped her chin as she searched for a name. “Archive, yes that one seems to fit well. You can call me Archive my dear.”

“Alright Miss Archive, what brings you all the way out here?” Judging by the fact that Twilight had stopped trying to get around Rarity she must have got a peek at Archives magic. Rarity just hoped she could end this without a fight, because even if Twilight was the Element of Magic she would surely lose this fight.

The changeling smiled as she hopped off the log and began to walk towards the group, “I’ll be taking the troll off your hooves. Then I’ll be sending the lot of you home.”

Without a word Twilight levitated the troll over to Archive and laid him at her hooves, untying the vines as she did. “You’re such good girls,” the changeling said kindly. “I know the next few months will be hard, but stick together and you’ll get through it.”

Rarity was about to ask what she meant, but she wasn’t there anymore. There was no glow or flash, no puff of smoke, just there one moment and gone the next. She turned to the girls to ask if they saw that, but when she looked behind herself all she saw was bolts of cloth. She was home in her boutique. She never saw Archive again, and even Twilight could never explain how she had pulled of such a large scale teleport without so much as a glow.

A knocking on the door broke Rarity from her memories and back to her kitchen table and the letter in her magical grasp.“I’m coming darling,” Rarity called as she got up and made her way to the door. Opening it she was greeted by an overly happy pink ball of parties and smiles. As she started her usual rambling of anything and everything at illogical speeds Rarity just smiled. It had been a long time after Applejack died before she could even smile again, let alone throw a party. It was months before Pinkie came back to them, and it surprised Rarity just how much she needed the party mare’s energy. “Pinky darling, please calm down and tell me why your here.”

“I’m throwing a party and I came here to drop of your invitation!” At that she shook at pink invitation out of her mane and presented it to Rarity.

“Darling there isn’t a name on here, who is the party for exactly?”

Pinky just laughed, “Oh Rarity you don’t have to know who the party’s for to set it up. My Pinky Sense told me somepony would be coming home soon so I’m getting ready to throw them a party.”

Rarity glanced over at her table and the two letters sitting on it. “Hay Pinkie, do you think you could give an invitation to Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo?”

“That’s a great idea!” With that the party pony ran out the door in a pink blur. Chuckling to herself Rarity closed the door and returned to finish up the letter.

I hope you believe me now, if not I’m a bit fucked…

When did little Applebloom pick up such uncouth language?

…I’d love to tell you everything right here and now, but I’m running out of paper. So do two things for me, please, and I promise I’ll explain it all face to face. Firstly, please send the second letter to Princess Luna as soon as you can. And second, please don’t read that letter. It has things in it I’d rather stayed between me and Luna. Do that and I’ll answer all of your questions as soon as I get home.

Thank You.

Rarity looked at Luna’s letter for a long time. On one hoof Applebloom had asked her not to look. Then again she wanted to know so badly… maybe just a peak? As she opened the folded paper the first words at the top of the page were: CLOSE IT RARITY.

She had to laugh out loud at this as she closed the letter again in defeat. Applebloom, or was it just Bloom now? Anyhow she didn’t seem to be in the best place at the moment. The letter seemed to be written in a rush, and for that matter how did she even write a letter with no eyes? And what was she doing in the zebra lands for all this time anyway? Well she could ask once Bloom was home again, for now Rarity needed to go find Spike.

Knocking on the door as she made her way into the library Rarity called out for the purple dragon. Hearing no response she decided he must be out running errands for Twilight. She was about to leave when Twilight yelled down from the second story, “can I help you Rarity?

“Could you tell me where Spike is darling?”

“Oh, he should still be in the market shopping, why?”

“I’m just sending a letter to Princess Luna.”

“Should I be worried,” Twilight asked as she looked up from the book she had been reading.

“Not at all darling this is a good letter,” she replied flashing Twilight a bright smile. “Well I’m off to find little Spikey.”

Leaving the library Rarity couldn’t help but think of just how much everypony had changed, and she wondered if Bloom would notice there changes. Twilight was probably the one who changed the most; the scholarly unicorn had taken Applejacks death incredibly personally. In her eyes she was the one everyone put their trust in, so it was on her if anything went wrong. She became engrossed in her books afterwards, as if she could find the answer to death if only she had more knowledge. She even broadened her scope of research to encompass everything from military strategy to medical knowledge. Twilight had always loved learning, but it changed from a love to an obsession. Rarity had to all but drag the librarian outside to keep her from becoming a complete introvert.

Rainbow had secluded herself as well after the funeral, dragging her cloud home higher than most could reach and turning its walls to storm clouds. When she finally did come down it was to promptly join the guard. She didn’t let it consume her life like Twilight, but it was clear she never wished to feel helpless again.

Fluttershy became more secluded than she already was. Not leaving her cottage for weeks and hardly eating anything. It took a lot of time and effort to pull the little pegasus from her self-loathing, but with the help of her animal friends Rarity somehow managed.

Rarity for her part kept it all together, at least in front of others. With the rest of her friends falling apart around her, she didn’t have much of a choice but to be a point of stability for them. Not just them either, but Sweetie Bell and Scootaloo as well. The little fillies were still so young and all they knew was there best friend was missing. Her family was gone, and all the grown-ups seemed to be falling to pieces around them. Even though Rarity was broken as well, even though she cried herself to sleep for a long time that was what makeup and silencing spells were for. Everypony else was a walking wreck, so she had to at least pretend to be alright for the others.

Smiling at how it all turned out in the end Rarity arrived at the market and began looking for Spike. The dragon wasn’t hard to spot seeing as he stood about as tall as Luna now, with a large set of wings that came in about a year ago. The dragon was by no means still a baby, but Rarity kept his nick name all the same to tease him. “Spikey-wikey!” she called loud enough for half the market to hear, and was rewarded with his claw smacking his face in embarrassment.

“You do that on purpose don’t you,” he grumbled as Rarity fell into step beside him.

“Whatever do you mean darling?” It was hard to keep the grin from her face, but she managed to hold it down for the moment.

Spike just rolled his eyes and smiled good-naturedly. “Nothing, forget it. What brings you out here today Rare?” The young dragon had gotten over the crush he use to have on her, and sense then the two had become close friends.

“A letter,” Rarity teleported the letter from her table to hover before Spike. “I need you to send it to Princess Luna.”

“Sure,” Spike said. Taking in a deep breath and burning the floating letter in green flame. “What’s the letter about anyways?”

Rarity laughed and turned to head home, calling back to the dragon. “Go to Pinkies party if you want to find out. Until then take care darling.” With that the fashionista made her way home, she had to make a present after all.

“Are you sure the Princess is coming?” It was getting late in the day, and the sun was setting in the sky above them. There had been no changers all day, and Blooms trial was set for early the next morning.

“She is the Princess of the Night; I don’t think she even wakes up before around now. She will be here don’t you worry.” In truth Bloom was losing faith, but she wasn’t about to let that show.

“I’m not so sure abou-“ Nydari never got to finish that thought, as it was interrupted by what sounded like the crack of thunder just above there building. “The fuck!” the gryphon shrieked, followed shortly after by the thump of her falling out of bed.

Bloom just started laughing like she had lost her mind. “That,” she said between chuckles, “would be my ride.”