Twilight Sparkle walked along the road leading to her book-filled home, returning from a very long discussion with Rainbow Dash about Daring Do. Twilight loved her friends, but sometimes Rainbow could get so carried away with analyzing those books that she would spend hours speculating on the most inconsequential aspects of the stories. Twilight noticed that the library's front door was ajar as she stepped closer. That's odd, she thought, nopony usually checks out books at this time of night.
Upon stepping through the door, she found the library was almost completely dark. The only light came through the windows and from the open door which lead to the basement. Curious about the odd noises she could hear from down below, she stepped down the stairs. There she found Spike frantically running around the laboratory. "Spike?"
"Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you're home! You have to help me!"
"Help you with what Spike?" Twilight smiled, always happy to help her friends. When she saw what he pointed at, however, her smile vanished and she woke up screaming in her bed.
It took her a few minutes to calm down enough to get up and make her way out the front door. She took the nightmare as a sign that she had to try again.
On the other side of town, all was quiet as Spike sat in his armchair and watched Rarity finish up one of her side projects. He smiled contentedly and put a hand on one of her hooves. She turned to him briefly, putting on a small smile of her own for a moment before returning to her work. Once she'd made the final stitch, she lifted the little dress up to the light coming from the fireplace to get a better look at her work. It wasn't her finest, but it wasn't bad.
"It's beautiful, Rarity," Spike commented from his seat as the white unicorn held the dress gingerly in her magic and moved toward the door. "If you're going up there, would you mind bringing me a cup of hot chocolate on your way back?"
"Of course I wouldn't mind, dear." She hesitated for just a moment before adding the term of endearment, but Spike didn't seem to notice. She opened the door and walked carefully up the steps into the boutique she called her home.
After Spike had moved in and Sweetie had moved to Las Pegasus, they'd had a basement built under the shop to create more space for the two of them. It was a nice addition to her home, but it did have a problem of which she was then reminded. Somepony was knocking on the front door, though the shop had been closed for hours. She placed the dress down on one of her display tables and stepped up to the door.
"About time, Spike, I've been knocking for-" but Twilight suddenly stopped speaking when she saw who had answered the door. "Oh, uh, hi," she said, suddenly uncomfortable.
"Good evening, Twilight," Rarity replied. "Have you been waiting long?"
"About ten minutes, actually."
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry; I was just finishing up a side project in the basement with Spike. You know how well-insulated it is down there; the entire boutique could be coming down and I probably wouldn't hear it. You wanted to see Spike?" Twilight nodded and Rarity beckoned her inside. "Make yourself at home and I'll fetch him."
Twilight simply sat down on the floor to wait. It was only about a minute before the young dragon came up the stairs alongside Rarity. "Hey Twilight. What're you doing over here so late?"
Twilight sighed and took a moment to compose herself before speaking. "Spike, we need to talk."
The dragon's eyes grew narrow, for he'd heard that tone of voice before. "Sweetie, would you mind getting that hot chocolate now?" Rarity moved into the kitchen as Spike approached his old friend. He waited until Rarity was out of the room before giving his reply. "Twilight, if this is about me and Rarity, you can keep it to yourself."
"But that's just it, Spike, I can't keep it to myself," Twilight said, shaking her head.
Spike brought himself closer. He had grown a bit in the time he and Rarity had been together and now stood as tall as Twilight. "You didn't tell anypony, did you?"
"No, Spike, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this a secret. I feel like I'm going crazy." Spike turned from her and waved a hand dismissively. "Don't ignore me, Spike!"
Spike whipped around to point a claw at the unicorn. "You're not my boss anymore, Twilight, so don't think you can order me around just because you can't accept that things change. There's nothing to talk about. This is the way it's going to be, and you're just going to have to deal with it." Spike walked off toward the kitchen without another word. Twilight thought about pursuing the conversation further, but she knew it was pointless after his reaction. His mind hadn't changed since the last time she'd attempted to discuss the matter. Spike ignored her as he walked back to the basement, a cup of steaming brown liquid in his claws. Rarity, on the other hoof, paused at the entrance to the basement staircase.
The two unicorns made eye contact for a second. Twilight's disappointment was plain on her face, but Rarity's face was almost an expressionless mask. Almost. Maybe she wouldn't have noticed it if she didn't already know, but Twilight could see the discontent deep within Rarity's azure eyes. She opened her mouth to speak as Rarity turned and headed downstairs, but then she just shut it again. Sighing and hanging her head in defeat, Twilight slowly walked back to the library.
"What was that about?" Rarity asked as she shut the basement door behind her. She already knew, for she could hear them from the kitchen, but she wanted to see what Spike would say.
Spike sat in his chair for a few seconds and sipped his drink before answering her. "She's still having trouble accepting our," he paused a moment as if considering the right word before continuing, "relationship. She just needs to remember that she's not my mom and to stay out of our business."
"If you wanted her to stay out of our relationship, you shouldn't have involved her in the first place."
Spike turned to glare at her. "I couldn't have done it myself."
"Then perhaps it shouldn't have been done at all."
"Don't be like that," Spike said as he put his drink down on the end table and trotted over to her. "We're still together, and that's all that matters."
"Are we really, Spike?"
* * * *
"Sorry I'm late, everypony; there was an unscheduled storm rolling in from Everfree that I had to clear up." Rainbow Dash dropped down into her seat at the mushroom-shaped table and folded her wings against her ribs. "So, what'd I miss?"
Applejack directed a hoof toward her purple friend. "Twilight was just tellin' us about how she's been studyin' the history of White Tail Woods."
"Good, then I didn't miss anything." Twilight rolled her eyes at that and looked over the café's menu again. When the waiter came by, they all placed their orders and began chatting about recent events. It didn't take long for their food to arrive and soon they were digging into their dishes.
Something caught Twilight's eye as she leaned over to take a sip of her oat smoothie. A few mares were going by, and she recognized their outfits. They all wore dark dresses and hats with sparkling dots all over. It was nice to see Rarity's work was still being appreciated, even if the dresses came out three years ago. That was the beauty of Rarity's work; it was timeless.
Timeless, Twilight thought. She had to turn away from the sight of Rarity's dresses as that thought wound its way through her mind. Her eyes came back to her friends, who were still chatting away at the table. She tried focusing her thoughts on the daisy sandwich in front of her, but found that she wanted to rip it apart instead of eating it.
"Ooh! I've seen those!" Pinkie exclaimed suddenly, pointing a hoof across the table. Everypony except Twilight turned to look.
"They do look familiar," said the quietest pegasus at the table. Fluttershy gasped, "Oh, how could I forget? That's Rarity's "Summer in the Stars" line. She asked me to help when she was developing it; I was so honored." The group admired the dresses for a moment. "You know, I don't think I've seen many new designs from the Carousel Boutique in a while."
Twilight was quick with an answer. "Spike tells me she's just not feeling that creative spirit lately. Don't worry, I'm sure she'll get back into the swing of things soon. So, does anypony know about what's hitting the bookshelves next week?"
"I do!" Rainbow shouted, causing bits of her salad to spew out across the table. "Daring Do and the Hidden Valley! I think this is gonna be the one where they finally reveal how Daring got her hat!"
Twilight sat back and ate her lunch as Rainbow speculated about the origins of Daring Do's signature headgear. That should keep them busy for a while.
About an hour later, the group dispersed to their various homes. Twilight was relieved that their lunch had gone well, and not just because the food had been good. Her relief turned to concern with a touch of hope as she entered the Golden Oaks Library and found Spike waiting for her. Maybe he'd finally come around.
Spike spoke first."Rarity convinced me to come over and talk to you, so let's hear it. Is it more whiny angst?"
Twilight shook her head. "How can you be so callous, Spike? You weren't always like this."
"You mean when I was a naive little baby? Well, let's say I got a rude little wake-up call. I think you remember that."
"You know darn-well that I do, Spike. I'm reminded of it every time I see... her."
"Her name is Rarity, Twilight, and she's my mare. The sooner you accept all of this, the better, because it's not going to change. And don't pretend I'm the only one who's changed, Twilight Sparkle. You think you can take the moral high ground here? Please. You're just as involved in all of this as me. More so, in fact." Twilight gritted her teeth as Spike berated her.
Spike walked toward the door, adding, "now, if all you're going to do is whine about the past, then I'm going home."
Twilight steadied herself and tried a different approach. "How is she?" Twilight's question stopped Spike halfway out the door, and he hesitated a moment before answering.
"She's fine. We both are."
"That's not what I see," Twilight snapped, her vicious tone surprising both of them.
"Then maybe you need glasses, Twilight." Spike stepped outside and slammed the door behind him.
* * * *
Twilight Sparkle noticed that the library's front door was ajar as she stepped closer to her home. That's odd, she thought, nopony usually checks out books at this time of night.
Upon stepping through the door, she found the library was almost completely dark. The only light came through the windows and from the open door which lead to the basement. Curious about the odd noises she could hear from down below, she stepped down the stairs. There she found Spike frantically running around the laboratory. "Spike?"
"Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you're home! You have to help me!"
"Help you with what Spike?" Twilight smiled, always happy to help her friends. When she saw what he pointed at, however, her smile vanished.
Twilight woke up sweating and panting in her bed. It was the second time in as many nights she'd had the same dream, and each time it was a painful reminder of what had been a turning point in her life. She punched her pillow in frustration and pulled her body from the bed, afraid to go back to sleep.
It had never been easy to deal with, not really, but the more she saw Rarity the harder it became. She often would find herself torn between the love she had for her Number One Assistant and her desire to see him happy, and the pain and guilt which wrapped its thorned vines around her heart. She'd put up with it for a long time, and fought her instincts and judgement for Spike's benefit, but it seemed as though the former half of her struggle had been getting weaker every day. She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her own mind together, let alone continue to keep Spike's secret to herself. She'd never been good at keeping even the smallest secret, and she considered it a miracle that she was still lucid enough to live a semblance of a normal life.
The only light in the room came shining in from the moon outside, and a thin beam made its way between the curtains hanging in front of her bedroom window. She made her way to it to get a better look, desperate for any distraction, and pulled the curtains aside. Nights like these made Twilight wonder how anypony could have been so blind as to ignore Luna's sky all those years ago. The arrangement of the stars, the way the moon gracefully slid through the dark abyss above. It was truly a beautiful sight.
She sat there until sunrise, losing herself in thoughts of the night sky and Equestria's history. As daylight returned to the library, Twilight made her way downstairs. Inspired and curious, she slid a book from one of her shelves and started reviewing the tale of Nightmare Moon's origins.
* * * *
"How did it go?" Rarity finally asked, breaking the long silence that had occupied the kitchen.
"How did what go?" Spike asked back, not taking his eyes off the breakfast he was making. He had returned from Twilight's home a little after noon the previous day, but hadn't mentioned the visit at all.
"Your talk with Twilight yesterday. Is she okay?"
Spike sighed, but kept looking at the stove. "Don't worry about Twilight. She's just stubborn and won't let go of the past, that's all."
"Sounds familiar," Rarity said dryly.
Spike shot a brief glare in her direction before returning to the stove. "That's different. And what's with you lately?"
"What do you think is 'with me?'"
Spike sighed. "Oh, come on. It's not that weird."
"It's very weird, Spike. You try living with something like that weighing on your mind every minute."
"Just don't think about it. Forget about it. It's not important, it doesn't matter."
"These feelings aren't my own, Spike. Now that I know, I can never forget. This isn't something I can just ignore."
Spike flipped over the pancake he was cooking. "You need to spend less time with Twilight; you're starting to sound like her." Once the pancake was finished, he slid it onto a plate and turned the stove off. He then placed two plates down on the dining table and sat down at his plate of pancakes. Rarity looked down at the plate of white candies in front of her, sighed, and started eating.
* * * *
The Golden Oaks Library was an utter mess, as was typical whenever Twilight went on a reading binge. This time, however, it was less about studying and more about avoiding sleep and the recurring nightmare that came with it. Books were both stacked neatly and piled sloppily, and a winding path led down from her bedroom to the library's main floor. The only light came from the moon outside and the candles lit throughout the building.
Twilight stepped through the maze of books, looking for her next target, and her gaze fell upon a book that didn't tell stories through words, but pictures. She paused a few seconds before she lifted the tome and brought it to her desk to examine. She hadn't looked through it for at least six months; she hadn't been able to bring herself to even open it. Maybe it's time to try again, she thought. Maybe I can finally move on like Spike says.
She opened the book, the spine making a slight cracking noise, and started flipping through the photo album. A small smile formed as she passed a string of images taken in a photo booth. The only frame where Spike wasn't making a funny face and Rarity wasn't striking a pretty pose was the last in the series. The final shot was of Rarity planting a kiss on Spike's cheek while he looked at the camera dreamily. Her smile slowly faded as she turned the pages.
They always looked so happy together that nopony had ever really questioned the pairing of a unicorn pony and a dragon. Twilight had missed her Number One Assistant, but she'd never seen him happier than when he was with his beloved Rarity, so she hadn't objected when he wanted to move in with her. As long as Spike and Rarity were happy, then so was Twilight. But the situation had changed. Now Rarity wasn't...
She stopped on some photos of Spike and Rarity on vacation at Neighagra Falls, unable to contain herself anymore. Her face fell against the pages as tears slid from her eyes. Her quiet sobs slowly grew in volume until she was screaming, her pain and frustration exploding inside her mind. She lifted the photo album with her magic and tore it to pieces, throwing the shreds into her fireplace. She swept her hooves across the desk, sending the books, papers, and wells of ink to the floor. She backed up and into a nearby table, which she bucked away in response. She was angry at Spike, but even more angry with herself for what she had allowed to happen. For what she had helped Spike do. She turned her rage on her home, tearing a ladder from a wall and sending it across the room.
Owlowiscious came swooping down from Twilight's bedroom to investigate the ruckus, but came to a sudden halt as he saw the disaster area that was the library's main floor. He was used to seeing books everywhere, but the tables, desks, ladders, and wardrobe scattered throughout the room was a new sight to him. He could only assume the source of the destruction was the unicorn quietly crying in the center of the room, her face buried beneath her hooves. The owl silently landed on a broken end table nearby.
"I thought I could handle any problem that came my way. I thought I could deal with hard times and the unexpected... but I wasn't prepared for this." Twilight shifted onto one side, facing away from the owl she didn't know was there. "I always tried to plan ahead. I did my best to forsee any disaster and be ready to handle what would come. But I couldn't forsee this happening to you."
"Hoo?"
Twilight jumped a little and whipped around, her mane a mess atop her head. "Oh, it's just you. I forgot you were here."
"Hoo?" the owl repeated.
"I can't talk about it, Owlowiscious. Now please just leave me alone." She got to her hooves and turned away from the owl. She found herself wincing as the words, "I want to be alone," slipped from her mouth.
"Hoo?"
"Me. I want you to leave me alone."
"Hoo?"
"You!" She felt her anger starting to return as she shouted at her pet, gripping him with her magic.
"Hoo?"
"Shut up!" Her grip around the bird tightened as she held him in front of her face, tears streaming from her eyes. "Shut up!"
"... hoo?"
* * * *
"There she is, there she is!" Pinkie bounced and pointed a hoof down the road. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy all turned from the library's front door to see the pony they'd been looking for.
"Howdy, Twilight. Ya'll ready for our weekly Pony Pet Playdate?"
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks and dropped the shovel she'd been carrying, a few leaves falling from her messy mane and tail as she did. She'd completely forgotten what day it was. She did her best to put on a friendly grin as her dirt-covered hooves brought her past them and into her home, picking up the shovel and tossing it inside. "Oh, I-I'm sorry, everypony, but I won't be able to make it this week. Owlowiscious is... not feeling well today. Maybe next week." Her voice cracked a little as she spoke that last word, and she turned her face from her friends so they wouldn't see the tears she couldn't stop from flowing down her face. "Have fun everypony."
The other three looked at one another for a moment before collectively shrugging and trotting off after the already-bouncing-away Pinkie Pie. "I hope he gets well soon," Fluttershy called over her shoulder.
"You know, I still don't understand why Rarity had to give away Opal like she did," Fluttershy said as they neared the park where they had their weekly get-togethers. "Not that I'm complaining about taking her in; it just seemed a little strange, that's all. She always loved Opal so much."
"Yeah, well, that cat never seemed to love her very much," said Rainbow from above her, flying alongside her tortoise.
"I guess you're right. She seemed particularly upset when Rarity gave her to me. I thought that she was just angry about having to live with me."
"Those two never got along. It was probably bound to happen eventually."
"I guess..." There was a moment of quiet as they reached the park before Fluttershy continued, "although, now that I think about it, that was around the same time she stopped coming to the spa with me. At first I thought she just didn't want to spend time with me, but Lotus Blossom said she wasn't coming in at all anymore."
"That is mighty strange. Didja ask her why?" Applejack sat down and reached into her saddlebags for some of Winona's toys.
"Oh yes, but she said she didn't know why Rarity hadn't been coming in."
"I meant Rarity, sugarcube," Applejack said flatly.
"Oh! Sorry. I did, actually. She said she was trying to cut down on expenses. I don't think that her business is doing too well."
"Spike said she's in a slump," Rainbow added, rejoining the conversation.
"I have noticed that she hasn't been actin' quite so perky lately," said Applejack.
"How could somepony who eats so much candy not be perky?" Pinkie suddenly asked, her pet alligator attached to her mane.
"Pardon?"
"Well I think she's eating it. I mean, what else would you do with big bags of candy? She and Spike are some of our biggest customers."
"You sure it's not all for Spike?"
Pinkie shook her head, causing Gummy to fly off and onto Angel's face. "I don't think so. They don't usually buy any gem-based candy; they usually just buy lots of marshmallows. And Rarity still buys lots of candy even when Spike is out of town."
"That doesn't seem quite right. Rarity always used to worry about her weight so much. Anypony know how long this has been goin' on?" After a bit of discussion, the best estimate was the better part of a year. "How come we never talked about this before?"
Meanwhile, Twilight quietly wept on her bed. She had always made a point of being with her friends whenever they had a gathering, but she was in no shape to attend this time. Not after what she had just done a few hours before. She winced as the horrible sounds of cracking bones resounded in her mind yet again. She was sure they would haunt her for years to come, as would the sight of the empty owl perch in the corner if she didn't throw it out.
Besides, her friends might ask more questions about why Owlowiscious couldn't come if she joined them. On a normal day, she would just avoid their questions and redirect the topic to her books and studies like she did whenever they asked about things she couldn't discuss. Her breath caught in her throat as she thought about the conversations they might be having in her absence. Without her there to direct the flow they might talk about....
A fresh surge of tears worked their way onto her pillow as the memories and pain came back to her once again. But through her tears, a small smile formed on her face as a faint hope popped into her mind. Maybe they'll figure it out. Maybe the whole plot will come crashing down and then I can stop the charade. Maybe it'll finally be over. Spike won't be happy, but what can he do if they find out on their own? Slowly, her body relaxed and she slept for the first time in two days.
Curious about the odd noises she could hear from down below, Twilight Sparkle stepped down the stairs and into the library's basement. There she found Spike frantically running around the laboratory. "Spike?"
"Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you're home! You have to help me!"
"Help you with what Spike?" Twilight smiled, always happy to help her friends.
When Twilight turned to see what Spike was pointing at, however, she didn't see what she always had before. She saw a tall, dark-coated alicorn standing before her. The Princess of the Night spoke softly, "Twilight Sparkle, you and I have something to discuss."
* * * *
A cloud burst around her as Rainbow punched through it. The pegasus then rolled until her chest faced the sky and made a half-loop toward the ground, performing a Split S maneuver to slice through another cloud. She followed up with a 1/4 loop to shoot straight upward and slam another cloud apart.
To Rainbow Dash, there was nothing better than flying. Nopony in Equestria felt more thrilled than she did when she was in the sky pulling stunts. She spread her wings and held them out, letting her speed decrease until she had almost peaked. Then she shifted her weight and cartwheeled sideways until her nose pointed to the ground, pulling a smooth Hammerhead Turn and diving back down.
As she adjusted her flight path to blast another puffy mass of white, something reached her ears that drew her attention away for a moment. The bell in the Ponyville Clock Tower was tolling. She turned back to her next target, but found herself looking at the tower again a moment later. There was something white next to the bell. Something white that was falling off the tower. Something white that trailed purple behind it.
"Rarity!" Rainbow shouted with sudden realization. She rolled hard to her left, folded her wings up close to reduce drag and sped towards the clock tower.
It took more than just quick reflexes to be the best flier in Equestria. It took knowledge of physics and geometry to be able to pull off high-risk stunts without losing control or crashing into something. Rainbow may not have been a mathematician, but with the distance to the tower and the time it would take for Rarity to reach the ground...
NO! Rainbow shouted in her own mind, refusing to accept that she might not be able to pull it off. She spread her wings a little more to gain some lift and maintain her angle. The air in front of her visibly compressed into a white half-sphere as she surpassed the sound barrier. The ponies she passed over ducked and covered their heads as a thunderous shock wave washed over them. Rainbow couldn't hear it, as she was moving too fast for the sound to catch up.
The soft angle of the mach cone sharpened and tightened as her airspeed increased. Rainbow had reached these speeds before, but she'd never accelerated this fast. She'd never gone from subsonic to high-supersonic in less than five seconds before. Her legs began to shake and her squinting eyes watered as the edges of her vision darkened from the blood in her body being forced away from her head. If she could just pull off another Sonic Rainboom then she knew she'd be okay; the magic associated with the maneuver would protect her as it had before. If she could just push through that final wall...
"Here you go, Squirrely," Fluttershy said as she put a bowl of nuts down in front of one of her squirrel friends. The furry little creature dove right into his food, munching away happily. Fluttershy smiled softly and turned around to deliver a much larger bowl. "And one for you too, Harry." She placed the large bowl down in front of one of her bear friends. The bear dug into the bowl with his claws and started eating, causing Fluttershy's smile to grow. The smile vanished for a moment as something tapped her on the hoof. She turned around to face her closest bunny friend and her smile returned. "Oh, Angel, I haven't forgotten about you. In fact, I made a special salad just for you. Eat up." She put down the salad and the white bunny tore into it with enthusiasm.
To Fluttershy, there was nothing better than taking care of animals in need. Nopony in Equestria felt more at peace than when she was tending to her animal friends. She reached over for another bowl of food, but suddenly the bowl bounced up into the air and all her windows shattered as the cottage was rocked by a tremendous shock wave. Fluttershy screamed and threw herself to the floor as glass and nuts pelted her quivering yellow body. Her animal friends clung to her, shaking with fear.
She got to her hooves and started issuing words of reassurance to her furry friends and making sure none of them were hurt. Once she was convinced they were okay, she moved her face to a destroyed window and looked outside. "What in Equestria was that?"
She could hear a familiar-sounding voice shouting from somewhere outside, but she'd never heard that voice make such sounds before. She could see ponies standing up and gathering around the nearby clock tower, but she couldn't make out what they were looking at until a few of them shifted out of the way. What she saw caused her fear to disappear and sent her flying right out the window toward the crowd.
"Rainbow, are you okay?" Fluttershy said as she landed softly next to her friend's spot on the grass. Rainbow Dash was openly sobbing, and the words spilling from her mouth were those of denial. Fluttershy started toward her, but stopped with a gasp as she saw Rarity hanging limp in Rainbow's forelegs. Her voice was shaking as she asked, "Rainbow, what happened?"
"I... I tried," Rainbow choked out. "She fell. I couldn't catch her. I tried..." They were the only words Rainbow could get out as she held her fashionable friend close to her. Fluttershy crouched down and put a hoof on Rarity's limp body as tears of her own formed in her cyan eyes. She shook the white unicorn, but no response came. Fluttershy turned to Rainbow, who could only shake her head and whisper, "I failed." Fluttershy pulled her old friend into her embrace as the two cried together, and for a time there was no other noise.
Then the crowd started to split as an angry mare made her way through. "Rainbow Dash! What have I told you about breaking the sound barrier within the city limits?! Are you not aware of how loud-" but Mayor Mare stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the two pegasi on the grass and the unicorn between them. "Wha-what happened here?"
Rainbow turned her head with an indignant glare in her eyes. She was about to chew the mayor out but stopped suddenly as she felt something move against her. She turned her eyes back to Rarity's, which were now open and looking up at her in surprise. Rarity shifted a little and unsteadily got to her feet. "Pony feathers," she cursed quietly before walking away on her wobbling legs. Rainbow and Fluttershy would have helped steady her, but both were too shocked to even move.
* * * *
Twilight tapped a hoof on the door to the boutique, though she didn't have to wait long this time. Rarity pulled the door open without a word and Twilight stepped inside. Twilight decided not to bother with pleasantries and get right to the point. "I heard about what happened at the clock tower this afternoon."
"Hmm... yes, I imagine you would have. I made an error, you see. I should have realized it wouldn't work, really." She paused for a few seconds before adding, "I won't make the same mistake again, however."
"Does Spike know yet?" She found the dragon's name left a bitter taste in her mouth as of late.
Rarity shook her head. "No, he's out of town until tomorrow morning." Twilight nodded, and Rarity turned from her and to a window. Twilight had thought about it on the way to the boutique, but she still didn't know how to properly break the news to Rarity.
"I'm going to tell Princess Celestia," Twilight blurted out. "I've been having dreams about... about the night it happened, and Princess Luna has been watching. She knows. She visited me last time I slept. She's agreed not to tell her sister, but only if I tell her myself."
Rarity sighed, but kept her eyes pointed out the window. "Then it's time, Twilight, for this little exercise in denial to end. Things aren't as they once were and they never will be, even if Spike won't allow himself see it. I'll make no attempts to stop you from informing Princess Celestia, and I won't tell Spike, but I ask that you wait one final day. There's one last thing I must do, Twilight."
Twilight opened her mouth to say what she'd been wanting to say since Rarity's discontentment had become apparent, but she still couldn't say it. "Alright, I'll write the letter tomorrow night." She paused for a moment before asking, "what do you think they'll do to Spike? Do you think they'll arrest him?" Again, the name of what was once one of her best friends tasted of bile.
"I don't know, Twilight. What can they do, really? I don't think there are laws regarding things like this." Twilight pondered that for a moment before turning and heading for the door.
"Then I'll have to do something myself," Twilight said under her breath as she walked back toward her home.
* * * *
"Hi Spike. How was your trip?" Fluttershy asked.
"Meh, it was okay. It wasn't a vacation, you know; I was delivering a shipment from the boutique."
"Why didn't you just use the mail service?" asked Rainbow as she hovered above the floor.
"Yeah, right. Last time that one mailmare sent it to the wrong end of Equestria and it took weeks to sort everything out. By the way, what is everypony doing in my kitchen?"
"Rarity invited us over for breakfast. Ain't that just the sweetest thang?" Applejack said from her seat at the table.
"Although, we've been here five minutes and I haven't seen her yet. Oh, I hope she's alright. I've been really worried about her ever since yesterday." Fluttershy gazed nervously at the floor as Rainbow landed next to her.
"Why, what happened yesterday?" Applejack asked. Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at one another, but Pinkie spoke before either of them could explain.
"Ooh, do you think she'll make pancakes? I hope she makes razzleberry pancakes! Or blueberry! Or chocolate chip!" Pinkie danced in place, oblivious to the growing tension in the room. Spike turned to the only pony there who hadn't spoken since he'd arrived, but Twilight remained silent.
All eyes turned to the nearby hallway as a rhythmic squishing sound was heard. The pale unicorn they'd been waiting for finally stepped into view. Her mane and tail hung heavily from her body, both thoroughly soaked, and her slick body glistened.
"Where've you been?" Spike asked suspiciously.
"I was taking a hot shower," Rarity replied flatly, slipping a little bit as she stepped across the room. "I'll get started on your breakfast now, hmm?" She turned all the burners on her stove to maximum.
"Uh, shouldn't you dry off first?" Rarity only made a slight chuckle in reply to Rainbow's question. The only ones who didn't look confused were Twilight and Spike, who looked worried instead. Rarity looked at each of the other six in the room, Twilight being the only one who avoided her gaze. Spike was watching her with concerned eyes.
Rarity turned to face the stove, lifted up a hoof, and then placed it down on one of the burners. Twilight winced, Spike looked angry, but the other four stared in shock and horror as Rarity's melting hoof stretched into gooey strands as she pulled it back. "Yes, I think that's hot enough," Rarity said before jumping up onto the stove and settling down into a lying position atop the hot plates.
"Rarity, no!" Fluttershy and Rainbow each made a leap for their white-coated friend, but Rarity held all six of them back as magic flowed from her horn.
"Rarity, stop! Don't do this!" Spike pleaded.
"Please stop calling me Rarity, dear. I'm not Rarity, not matter how much you want me to be."
"Dang it, Rarity! You're my mare and I want you to stop this right now!" Spike's tone grew harsher as he tried to push through her magic and reach the stove.
"Spike, what's goin' on here? What's she talkin' about?" It was Applejack's turn to speak, alarm clear in her voice.
Twilight sighed, taking this as her cue. "That's not Rarity."
"Twilight, stop! We can still fix this!"
"No, Spike! No more secrets! No more lies! I can't keep doing this! I can't take it anymore!" She turned to her friends, moisture building in her eyes. "Do you remember that trip Spike and Rarity took last year up to Neighagra Falls? There was an accident that day. Rarity fell off an observation deck. Spike managed to pull her out of the water, but it was too late."
"Rarity died that day," said the white creature melting on the stove. Molten goo was pouring off her body and onto the floor. "I was made to replace her." Everypony but Twilight looked from Rarity to Spike to Twilight, all of them thoroughly confused.
"She's gone," Twilight said quietly, her eyes on the floor. "When I got home, Spike was down in the basement with her body. I can't bring ponies back from the dead, Spike knew that. So instead, he was building a new Rarity out of candy. 'Because she was always so sweet,' he said. Spike was so distraught, I didn't know what to do. So I helped him. I used my magic to bring the copy to life, and gave her fake memories so she would be just like the original. But..."
Twilight shuddered as she recalled her very first attempt at making a new Rarity. The stress of the situation had been too much for her, and she'd made a few mistakes during her spell casting. All that the new Rarity did was scream and writhe on the floor until Twilight destroyed it out of mercy. It was shortly after their first attempt that they had sound-proofed the basement of the Carousel Boutique and moved their operation there.
"I didn't know at first," the creature on the stove said, "but I started noticing things. Spike never let me go to the spa, even though I knew that Rarity went there quite often. I wasn't allowed to take showers, either. Spike insisted on giving me cold sponge baths, instead. I would eat and eat, but was never satisfied unless I was eating candy. Spike said I'd developed a rare disease, but I couldn't find anything like it in any medical journals I looked up. Then I burned myself cooking, and instead of a blister... well..." The creature looked mournfully at the bubbling mass that used to be her pony-shaped body.
Applejack shook her head in disbelief. "I just can't... I mean..." Fluttershy squeaked quietly behind her, burying her face in Rainbow's mane as the blue pegasus stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Pinkie was muttering almost inaudibly, her eyes frantically moving about as she tried to make sense of it all. Her pink mane and tail lay flattened and limp.
"I didn't know how to react either when Twilight first told me the truth," the melting creature continued. "The life that I thought I knew wasn't mine. All the memories, experiences, and accomplishments belonged to somepony else. I wasn't even a real pony. My whole life had been a lie. What was I supposed to do? Well, I figured that out eventually..."
Twilight finally brought her eyes up to focus on the miserable creature she'd helped create, and at last was able to speak the words she'd been wanting to get out for so long. "I'm sorry..."
"It's alright, Twilight. It's almost over now." For the first time in months, a genuine smile graced the creature's soft, white mouth. Her body was but a shapeless mass of bubbling sugary goo as she turned her sagging blue eyes to Spike. "Spike, I'm sorry I couldn't..." But the creature could no longer speak as her head sank onto the burner and flattened. Everypony felt the force of the creature's magic subside as Rarity's horn slid from the molten lump and clattered to the floor. Nopony spoke as Spike picked up the horn and held it to his chest.
* * * *
"The trucks are all loaded and ready to go. They said they'd let you know when the charity auction will be."
"Thank you," replied Twilight. "I know it's what she would've wanted."
"It's a shame about the boutique, really, but I understand your position. We'll have it done by the end of the day."
"Just give me a minute before you start, please. I just need to look around one..." She choked on the words she meant to say, but the worker nodded understandingly and Twilight gave him a weak smile.
She found Spike just where she expected him to be. He hadn't left his basement home for the last week. It had taken some time to get everything in order, as well as for Twilight to decide just what she was going to do the next time she saw Spike. She took a deep breath and thought about what Princess Luna had told her. "Friends are an important part of a young mare's life, Twilight," she'd said, "but when a friend does nothing but hurt you, that friendship must be terminated."
"Terminated?" Twilight had asked.
"Terminated," Luna repeated firmly. "Buried and left behind, not to be dwelt upon ever again."
Twilight steadied herself and stepped through the doorway into the basement. "About time you got here," Spike growled.
"I had something to attend to first," she replied from her spot in the doorway.
Spike grunted incredulously from his chair, a bag of marshmallows resting in his lap and Rarity's horn being caressed in his hands. "We were too careless. Your memory crafting spells were perfect last time, but I gave her too much freedom. She should never have been allowed to find out what she was. But we won't be so careless again."
"Spike, it's over. Everypony knows this time. It's all over the news that she..." She really didn't want to finish that thought out loud, but forced herself to finally say it. "... that she's dead."
He slid the bag onto the seat of the chair and stood to face her. "Nopony will know. I'll keep her in the boutique this time. No more trips to the library. No more contact with anypony. I'll handle customer relations from now on."
"Spike, you have to stop this. It isn't right."
"No, this time'll be different. No more mistakes. We can use something other than marshmallows this time. Something that won't melt. She won't be as soft, but it'll be okay." His tone suddenly reminded Twilight of his earlier years, when he would plead for a third helping of ice cream. The heavy contrast between those days and these rattled her nerves, but reminded her why she had to go through with this. He wasn't the same dragon anymore, and she wasn't going to stand for his blatant disregard for her pain.
She shook her head slowly, her words devoid of pity. "No, Spike. I can't. I won't watch anymore downward spirals. I won't watch one of my best friends die again. I won't let you do this anymore!"
"We can use stone! Stone doesn't melt like that!" His arms were spread wide, but fell to his sides as she stood her ground and shook her head again. With a quick slap he smashed the end table against a wall. His eyes narrowed as he pointed Rarity's horn at her. Twilight was no longer reminded of the old Spike. "Not everything is about you, Twilight Sparkle! I spent enough time fetching books and taking notes for you! Now it's my turn! I want my Rarity back and you're going to help me. This is the way it's going to be, and you're just going to have to deal with it."
"I am dealing with it." She took two steps back, her rear hooves on the stairs behind her, and shut the door. A burst of magic later and she'd flash-welded the hinges and latches on the basement door. She could just barely hear the frantic thumping from inside the basement as she turned away, and couldn't hear it at all as she made her way up the stairs and onto the grass outside. She gave a brief nod to the worker she'd spoken to earlier and walked slowly away from the boutique as they set to work tearing it down and flattening the lot over the entrance to the basement. A single tear slid down her cheek and onto the grass. She didn't look back.
* * * *
Inside the the library's basement, she found Spike frantically running around the laboratory. "Spike?"
"Oh, Twilight! Thank goodness you're home! Did you really think it would be that easy?"
Twilight Sparkle woke up screaming, but not because of her dream. She screamed because when she opened her eyes, she saw a purple dragon standing over her, scales covered in dirt, reaching his claws down for her throat.
Author's Note
I consider this story to be somewhat experimental for me. It began when I thought, "what if Rarity were actually made of marshmallow? What would that mean from a serious perspective? How would that have come to be?" I wanted something on the sad side, and definitely with a tragic end for the new Rarity. What came out of that idea was this, for better or worse. I only wish I could have used the original (spoilerific) title: Mallowmare.
