Rarity slammed the door shut behind her with magic as she entered her boutique in a fit. Her mane was disheveled, leaving what she would call an unsightly mess. The carefully crafted curls on her tail had lost their divine touch, leaving it a tangled mess. Masterfully applied mascara ran down her tear-stricken face as she ran to her room, not bothering to even greet her confused younger sister.
Rarity barely noticed Sweetie Belle as she ran through the front room. Hopefully the little filly would leave her alone until she composed herself. It would be best for her to assume her older sister had spent the night at Twilight’s like last time, when she had found herself stranded in the middle of a rainstorm. Maybe if she was lucky, Sweetie Belle would try to cheer her up with breakfast.
Rarity dashed into her room and jumped facedown on her bed, sobbing into her pillow. Every hindrance and conflict she claimed was ‘the worst possible thing’, but today was absolutely gut-wrenching. She hadn’t felt so worthless in her life, and all her repressed emotions were coming back to the refined and bottled-up mare as her tears soaked her pillow. Makeup ran down her muzzle and onto the bed, staining the pristine sheets. She dug her sore white hooves into the bed as waves of grief ran through her. Her day had started out absolutely horrid.
Yesterday was a normal day in Ponyville. Stitching dresses, playing with her friends, and foalsitting her sister was just another day for Rarity. Yesterday was the day to have her occasional drink for that week to unwind after her stressful work. It was all planned out from the start, a nice glass of pinot noir to relieve her stress and then a simple walk back home. She had been enjoying the drink, nearly ready to pay her tab and leave. Then he came.
A wonderful stallion. A polite stallion. A handsome stallion.
Perhaps if she had not chosen to drink last night at the local wine bar, nothing would have happened. Perhaps if she had stopped after the first glass. She could’ve stayed home and stitched more dresses. Maybe spend time with her dear sister. Bucking apples with Applejack would’ve been a better option, much to the chagrin of the refined mare. Even so, Rarity had not chosen to do so and thus went to her favorite bar, and a classy one at that.
He did what most stallions tried to do. He sat next to her, ordered the same drink. Carelessly threw his bits away and paid for Rarity’s. It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to the attention; many a stallion had tried to bed the mare, but none had succeeded. Rarity was an unmarried lady of class, a pure maiden. Only her prince was to sweep her off her hooves and love unto her in a romantic tryst. A prince this stallion was not.
He was decent, Rarity had supposed. Simple, kind, nice. His words were many the same as others had said, but they carried the weight of sincerity. Sincerity was new to Rarity; shallow nothings were what she had expected. Rather than shoo the stallion away like an eager puppy hounding a foal, Rarity allowed him to bask in her presence and shower her with his complementing prose.
After some time, and a few drinks, Rarity dared to turn toward the stallion. For the first time that night, Rarity took in his appearance. Most stallions left before she gave them a single glance, but this one had braved the distance. His amber eyes contrasted greatly from a coat of cornflower blue, his mane of midnight. A mono color palette for the first stallion to garner her attention. How appropriate.
What was striking was his cutie mark. Rarity couldn’t help but sneak a peek as the stallion continued to speak to her, her attention encouraging him. The mark was four musical notes, eighth notes if Rarity recalled correctly. It explained his way with words, it was certainly his talent. The way they resonated in her very soul… it was much different than the magic that flowed through everypony when they sang. His was much more refined. Artistic was more appropriate.
Something stirred in Rarity’s chest as she purred with each word the stallion whispered to her, drowning out the muffled murmur of the bar’s guests. After her sixth drink, she couldn’t help but find herself leaning closer to the stallion. As a unicorn she was generally more attracted to her own race, particularly those of a more refined background, but something about this stallion struck her fancy.
Rarity giggled, a slight drunken blush taking form as she held her face in her hooves. She fancied this stallion! Rarity, a mare of high respect, fancying a normal Ponyville earth pony! Rainbow Dash would never let this one go. No, she would milk this for all its worth. The stallion, seeing a moment of opportunity, ceased his woven threads of spoken affection to converse.
“I’m glad you’re having a good time. Mind if I ask if you travel to this establishment commonly, or is this a rare occurrence?” he asked, probing the mare hopefully. Rarity stopped giggling and turned to face him again.
“I-” she hiccupped. “-do stop here from time to time. Unwinding is very important, even for a mare of my breed. I cannot simply work forever, even if it is my passion.”
“Passion...” the stallion muttered. Rarity nodded, fluttering her eyelids as she did so. “There are many passions to be had, from talent to life to destiny itself. However, the greatest is one that cannot be earned, but shared.”
Rarity gasped, waving herself with a hoof. “Shared? If it is so precious, how would one share it? Passion burns in a pony’s heart, but nopony can share their inner depths so.” Her mind sluggishly churned to follow his words as he continued.
“It burns, the greatest passion burns deeper than a dragon’s fire,” the stallion whispered to the now-leaning mare. Rarity had started the evening aloof, but was now enraptured by his words. “It can only be shared for it is not only a passion of expression and identity, but the passion of pleasure. Only a tryst could reveal such desires within ponies, and thus the fires of passion shall burn.”
Rarity nodded, finally understanding. “Indeed, it is the greatest passion. The most precious gift a maiden can give to her prince.”
The stallion mulled over her words carefully, seeking a dignified response. “Yes, a prince. Only a prince deserves the warmth of a lady of your stature. Miss Rarity,” he announced, finally using her name. “Will you allow me to be your prince, and you as my lady? Together we shall burn with the intensity of Celestia’s sun in the embrace that only lovers shall know, and Princess Luna shall bear witness to our union under the blanket of the night.”
Rarity was cognitive and perked up when she was called a lady, and decided to accept the stallion’s offer. She was too tipsy to understand the long-term ramifications of her decision, not realizing she was about to give away her virginity on a whim to a stranger, a romantic one at that. The two were to spend the night at his place, as to not disturb her sister, where they would commence to do the deed. Only until morning would she return from his embrace.
It was one of the worst mistakes she had ever made. He was the most well-spoken stallion she’d met at a first glance, but it was merely a mask. A mask hiding a much darker stallion. A stallion with desire that ran deep, a thirst that would never be quenched.
They had an agreement. Lines were made, boundaries were placed. She drunkenly remembered signing a contract.
Rarity never cried once, nor did she whine or whimper once the drunken fog had lifted. Her honor was on the line, and her will strong. It was completely consensual. She never uttered another word that night. Her emotions did not slip through until morning. The stoic shell held strong for the length it was needed. She followed through with her promise; nothing more, nothing less.
The stallion did not treat her like a princess like his words had promised over their drinks, nor did he act as a prince. He was not gentle. She was not swooned. She was deflowered, defiled, debased that night.
She was not his princess.
She had become his prisoner.
And she enjoyed it.
Which now left Rarity on her bed, sobbing as the memories of the night flooded through her mind. Once morning had came, as per their agreement, he had released her. Rarity, with all her self-control and dignity, had thanked him for the venture and trotted her way out of his home. Her hooves were sore beyond belief, but she held her head up high as she trotted away.
As soon as her first lover’s home was out of sight, she broke into a gallop as the tears began to flow and blur her vision. Nopony saw her, daybreak had only just come, but only shame weighed on her shoulders. She was a horrible pony, not one worthy being seen in public.
Rarity stifled a sob as she lifted her head from her scarlet sheets to stare at the open letter on her nightstand. The torn envelope and damp parchment was evidence of her recent stress from yesterday. Stress that had pushed her into the regrettable decision of last night. To her it was meaningless now, but sorrow still weighed on her heart.
Stupid Canterlot! Rarity thought as she screamed into her silk pillow. Despite all her success in the fashion industry, despite all her connections, despite all her ingenuity and raw effort, despite saving Equestria numerous times with her friends as an Element of Harmony… she was deemed unacceptable by the Canterlot elite.
It was a written apology, one that reeked of rejection. Rarity had tried to gain entrance to a party with many of Canterlot’s finest, a party that was sure to boost her career and raise herself higher in the ranks of the social ladder. It was the gateway to true fame, the bridge to her destiny. Only one thing held her back.
Blood.
The very thought brought a surge of anguish through the mare, her new stream of tears reflecting it. Only ponies of noble lineage could truly make it in her line of work. It didn’t matter what a pony has been through or what deeds she had accomplished; only blood mattered. Even being on a first-name basis with the Princess who raised the source of all life every morning didn’t matter to the Canterlot elite. If you weren’t one of them, you were never going to be. Few ponies rejected this mentality; Fancy Pants had been one of the few ponies to accept her for her talent rather than her lineage. However, Fancy Pants was a rare breed, an outlier in Canterlot. Nobility, as a whole, rejected her.
It was a harsh truth that had taken Rarity her entire life to accept.
Rarity’s mind raced as she sobbed, stopping only to linger on painful images and memory. Her talent... her life... no- her destiny itself had been a lie. She was not born to become a star, she was not born to burn bright in the night sky and illuminate the elite with her vision. No, her talent was beauty. Nothing but beauty. All Rarity could do was find rocks and make other ponies look pretty, but making a dress pretty with shiny stones would never do anything for her in the long run.
All her talent, all her dreams… she was born to be normal. Nothing but normal. She was born a commoner, and she was destined to die a commoner. Her thoughts began to turn to a more fortunate friend, but she shunned such thought. No need for spiteful jealousy for a friend, even if she was privileged. Privileged since birth. Privileged unto royalty. Some ponies were just born special.
Why not me? Rarity sniffed one last time before the fog of slumber shrouded her vision and engulfed her consciousness.
Why can’t I be special?
“You may rise,” Princess Celestia ordered the commoner as the single mother bowed to the ruling trio. The shaking mint mare slowly rose, holding her swaddled foal in her foreleg. She wore a traveler’s cloak, having journeyed from a small town to Canterlot on hoof. A lowly earth pony mare had braved the weather to face the three princesses with foal, and now she had the court to herself. Celestia maintained a calming presence as to not overwhelm the young mother.
“State your business to the court,” Princess Luna spoke, leading the session. A few nobles sat in attendance as several requests were either carried out or rejected.
The mare opened her mouth to squeak a reply. “M-my foal…” Her mouth slammed shut, her nerve ruining her chance to speak. One of the guards moved to escort her out to avoid wasting the Princess’ time, but a large white wing opened to stop him.
“Do not worry, you are safe here,” Princess Celestia reassured the mother. “You have journeyed far and have earned my favor. Ask anything from me, and I assure I will do anything in my power within reason to fulfill it.” She smiled, the warm gesture radiating with a comforting aura that calmed the mare down. As the shaking dissipated, Celestia couldn’t help but feel a tad smug. Being the avatar of the sun had its benefits.
The mare took in a deep breath before continuing. “Please, my foal.” She sat down and help up her foal, a mirror image of her except for the blonde mane and horn jutting out of its forehead. “Bless her!”
The court fell silent as Princess Celestia stared at the filly. Blessing was an ancient tradition, one she hadn’t performed for four hundred years. Her white hooves shuffled, surprised, as she searched for something to say. Her wings fluttered as she thought about how outdated the tradition was. Of course an earth pony would ask such a thing, but it remained a surprising sentiment. Celestia sighed. It was a rare request, but she was a princess of her word.
The nobles stiffened as they watched the solar princess rise from her high throne, eyeing the mare with narrowed eyes. The mint mother held her breath as her forelegs began to shake in fear as the white alicorn slowly stepped toward her. Celestia towered over the petite mare, examining the foal with much scrutiny.
Several moments passed before she uttered another word. “Name.”
“E-excuse m-m-me?” the mare stuttered, her spine shaking in blatant fear. Celestia closed her eyes and rolled them beneath her eyelids. She was well-known as a benevolent ruler, but somehow her subjects still feared her. It was fine for her subjects to fear her power, that kept them in line, but to fear the princess herself was a slight annoyance. She still had the heart of a pony, after all.
“Your child’s name. What is it?” Princess Celestia asked, honey coating her soothing words as the mare relaxed.
“Honey Dew, your majesty,” the mare answered with a nod. Celestia looked down at the filly and smiled at her, earning a giggle from the foal. The filly held out tiny stubs and wiggled her hooves, reaching for the alicorn.
One thousand years old and still her heart fluttered at the adorable sight. The mother gasped as her princess leaned down and nuzzled the squeaking filly. Maternal instincts never faded with age, not with a pony like Celestia.
The princess sighed. How she missed maternity all those years ago. Despite her stirred feelings, she had a matter to attend to.
Princess Celestia tilted her head until her long horn touched the very tip of the filly unicorn’s own stub. Her horn glowed with a strange orange glow. The ethereal glow of magic extended to the filly’s, causing her excited squeals to silence as she froze in place. A sun sigil glowed on her forehead, a mirror of Celestia’s cutie mark. Luminous light blinded the occupants in the room as Celestia spoke with a calm tone.
“Dear Honey Dew, may your destiny burn bright as the intensity of the sun yourself. Bear my blessing and honor thy princess.” With her words finished, Princess Celestia stepped back as the sigil on the filly faded. Her sister walked past and took her place.
Luna performed the same gesture as her sister. “May the light of the moon dispel your illusions and light your path, young one.” A more subtle midnight blue shined on the filly, quickly disappearing as the nobles regained their senses. Luna nodded toward the awestruck mother as she turned to rejoin her sister.
“Twilight, it is an old tradition but I’m sure you'll perform it perfectly,” Celestia reassured her favorite student as she turned toward the lavender alicorn. Or rather an empty space. “Uh, Twilight?”
“What is it dear sister?” Princess Luna whispered through the side of her muzzle, maintaining eye contact with the watchful crowd. Celestia regained her composure and whispered back.
“Our dear Twilight is missing. Where did she go?” It was only then did it occur to Celestia that she hadn’t seen Twilight at all during the royal court, or the entire morning for that matter. Princess Luna couldn’t help but roll her eyes. It was just like when she had been Twilight’s age. Playing hookie.
As if on cue, the castle doors burst open, revealing the princess in question. Princess Twilight galloped through the castle’s throne room, carrying a white box in her magenta telekinesis. She slid to a stop as she faced her mentor, panting. The mint mother and filly stared at her, nonplussed.
“Sorry for being late! Did I miss anything?” Twilight panted as she turned toward the nobles viewing her spectacle. She raised her head, searching through the crowd. Before Celestia could say anything, it appeared as if Twilight had found the pony she was searching for. “Ah, there you are! I got you the donuts!”
A striking white stallion with a dashing blonde mane strutted through the parting crowd of nobles. “Why thank you, dearest Twilight. The royal donuts are of utmost importance, as you now know,” Prince Blueblood greeted with a bow. Celestia hid it well from her subjects, but a scowl settled inside her mind. After the Gala, her nephew never ceased to shame her with his antics. Princess Luna couldn’t help but smirk. Watching her nephew goof off never ceased to amuse her, not since Twilight and Pinkie had taught her how to take joy in life and stop taking everything so seriously.
“No problem!” Twilight smiled at her adoptive cousin. “Anything for a friend!” The prince had begrudgingly learned his lesson from the Gala when Twilight had shown him how persuasive her magic can get. Ever since the incident with the mysterious mare with luscious gold locks running through the castle in a fearful fit, the prince had been miraculously cured of his snobbiness. Unfortunately his common sense wasn’t anymore lifted than Twilight’s, now shown as the two began munching donuts in the middle of the royal court. If anything had rubbed off Twilight onto her cousin, it was her Ponyville manners. The prince and his aunt now shared a certain insatiable love for pastries.
“Ahem,” Celestia coughed. The two ravenous royals looked up from their treat, eyeing the princess with confusion. “Would you mind-” one particular pastry caught her eye. Without a word her horn glowed and snatched the jelly donut. She quickly chewed and swallowed it before continuing. “-tending to court, please? We can forgive you for forgetting because you were out doing a good deed, but holding court is part of your royal duties, dearest Twilight.”
Twilight’s wings shot out in shock, pieces of chocolate dripping from her frozen jaw. “C-court? That was today? How did I forget?!” Celestia’s eyes widened as Twilight’s began glowing with radiant magenta energy as a few locks of hair popped out of place in her mane. Her wings began twitching in shock as the thought of failing her mentor crossed her mind. The distressed princess began muttering something about ‘magic kindergarten’ as she sniffed in shame.
“Twilight..?” Prince Blueblood gingerly nudged the crazed mare with his hoof. Without missing a beat he lifted his donut to his mouth and took another bite, watching his cousin sniffle. It took all of Celestia’s willpower not to facehoof at the sight. Princess Luna stifled a snicker with her hoof, grinning widely behind it. Twilight was adorable, yet frightful when stressed.
“Twilight Sparkle!” Celestia roared, drawing the distressed mare to attention and out of her stupor. Twilight shook her head and bowed, fearful of her beloved mentor’s anger.
“Go home to Ponyville this instant and get some rest,” Celestia ordered, much more calmly. “The duties of a princess are taxing and it is obvious you have not been eased into it properly. Take the day off and recollect yourself.”
Twilight sniffed and nodded. With a glow and a pop! she was gone.
Celestia turned back to the confused mare and her filly. With a smile she apologized. “Sorry about my student, it’s only a few weeks after her coronation and she’s rather taxed with her studies lately.”
The mare nodded in understanding. Her husband had acted exactly the same after their child’s birth. Celestia tilted her head.
“So… can I hold her?”
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad,” Spike said as he sat down on Twilight’s bedside. The mare had taken to hiding under her sheets, hugging her pillow for comfort. Her number one assistant was doing his best to cheer her up after her embarrassing deed in front of the Canterlot elite. “It sounds pretty funny, actually.”
“Funny?” Twilight shot out of her bedsheets to glare at her baby dragon. “What about embarrassing the royal court, myself, and most importantly the Princesses strikes you as funny?” She huffed angrily, her raspy breaths and pumping chest showcasing her stress. Her eyes were shimmering with tears and her muzzle was covered in snot. Spike felt she looked like she had failed a test.
“I… uh…” Spike searched for words to comfort his best friend. Reassurance… compliment… agreement… the right path to take was not clear so he opted for deflection. “It’s not your fault, really. Princess Celestia did say you weren’t eased into it, after all. It’s just going to take some time, Twilight.”
Twilight stopped sniffing as her ears shifted toward the dragon. A weak smile crept onto her tear stricken muzzle. “I guess you’re right. I can’t be the perfect princess overnight, after all.” Spike smiled back as she reached out and pulled him into a hug, complete with a loving nuzzle. Her wings shifted on her back, causing her to wince way from the embrace.
“Still not used to those things?” Spike asked, a tad smug. He was scoring several points in sensitivity today and Twilight was so going to owe him later. Maybe he’d finally win that date with Rarity. However, Twilight first and Rarity second. Even a baby dragon needs to keep his priorities straight.
Twilight sighed and shook her head. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to these.” She stretched her wings out for emphasis. The unkempt feathers stuck out in twenty different directions. Another sigh escaped her lips as she tucked them back in. Spike felt another wave of unease from his caretaker, prompting him to confront the elephant in the room.
“Twilight, do you even like being a princess?”
Twilight snapped her eyes to his, her eyes shining with tears.
“No, no I don’t.”
knock knock!
Twilight jerked her head from the depths of the book she was reading as somepony knocked on her door. She placed her bookmark inside its folds and carefully reshelved it before trotting to the door. With Spike’s help she had recovered from her grief and cleaned up. Tomorrow she would try again, this time with hopefully more success.
The young princess took a deep breath to collect herself and used her magic to open the door, revealing Applejack. The tangerine mare was holding a picnic basket in her mouth as she waited patiently for Twilight to gather her belongings, remembering their plans for that night. Twilight quickly packed her saddlebags and placed them on her sides before following Applejack outside.
Ponyville was silent, save for the quiet hoofsteps of numerous ponies walking toward the outskirts of the town. Night had fallen and the foals were asleep, allowing the adults to partake in an annual tradition. The foals in school heard about it in class, but never showed any interest like the adults had. Spike had declined Twilight's offer to join her that night, instead heading off to bed after Twilight's distressed episode.
Applejack walked silently beside Twilight, their coats occasionally brushing together, toward a hill outside town where several ponies had gathered. One particular spot hosted four of their best friends, each one passing the time in her own particular way.
Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie was currently dancing a strange jig on her hindlegs, making odd noises as Rainbow Dash watched and yawned on her low-hovering cloud. Fluttershy was humming a tune with a grey songbird who had stayed up with her to watch the night’s event. Rarity was merely staring at the stars, her face frozen in a mask of indifference.
Applejack trotted ahead, threw her straw basket on the ground and dug inside it. Using her mouth, she dragged out a blanket and placed it on the grass. Their friends stood up and moved onto it, as to not stain their coats for their prolonged viewing. Fluttershy bumped into Rarity, who had been staring into space, and turned her attention toward the blanket.
Once the other five got comfortable, Twilight began unpacking her saddlebags. With her magic she swiftly set up a small crystal telescope, a birthday gift from her brother. Due to the unusual properties of its build, it took the young alicorn several minutes to adjust it correctly to a functioning state. Once finished, she took a step back and admired her handiwork.
“Quite the interesting contraption. I take it’s magically augmented?” a male voice asked from behind.
Twilight turned around as she spoke. “Yes, of course. It’s imported from the Crystal Emp- Discord?” She choked on her sentence as the draconequus in question rubbed his bony chin, examining the fine telescope. “What are you doing here?”
Discord shrugged. “Same as you. Watching stars with my dear Fluttershy.” He leaned over to the purring pegasus and ruffled her pink mane. Fluttershy tried to shy away, but barely hid her content smile underneath her unrevealing mane. Discord turned his attention back to Twilight. “However, it is a nice piece you have there. Crystals and chaos have always been close, you see. Fractals and all that jazz.”
“Thanks...?”
Twilight began to stare through her telescope, examining each star in the sky that appeared. Of course she couldn’t use it during the meteor shower, but it was something to pass the time with. Interestingly enough, Applejack had approached her and requested a turn stargazing, which Twilight gladly obliged.
The other mares took turns stargazing through the magical telescope and were struck by the luminous beauty of the stars. Fluttershy declined, purring as Discord petted her. Rarity abstained. Fluttershy was currently in bliss; Rarity preferred to stargaze herself without aid.
The hour passed pleasantly without incident. Many ponies talked amongst themselves in hushed whispers, enjoying their time together. Couples cuddled and whispered sweet nothings in each other’s ears, occasionally rubbing their muzzles together affectionately. A few rowdy teenagers began a skirmish, but pegasi from the weather team quickly defused the conflict.
Everypony fell silent when the first meteor streaked across the moonlit sky. Hushed whispers spread as the second, third, and eventually fourth blazed through and illuminated the dark land. Even Discord ceased his endless jokes to Fluttershy when the shower began to quicken its pace.
Dozens of bright streaks shone and sparkled across the night sky, causing the audience to widen their eyes in awe to take in the heavenly light. Frozen in amazement, nearly an hour passed before the first pony got up to leave.
Signaling the end of the meteor shower, ponies left and right began to uproot themselves and leave for town. Stallions packed up their belongings, mares cleaned up after themselves, and the older teenagers raced home on ground and in the air. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving only Twilight and her five friends (and Discord).
“Welp, I’m all tuckered out. I’ll see y’all in the morning,” Applejack yawned as she turned tail and trotted home. She took her basket, but left the blanket with her friends. Pinkie Pie grudgingly followed suit, her mane losing some of its volume as she muttered about having work in the morning. The pink fluffy mare forgot to bring snacks, leaving a very tuckered out party pony.
Dash’s cloud merely floated upward as careless snores emanated from it. Fluttershy smiled as she watched her foalhood friend float away into the night.
Discord and Fluttershy remained with the two unicorns, a slight distance away from them now that the company between them had left. Fluttershy moved to get up and approach them, but Discord stopped her with his paw, gesturing her to be quiet. Fluttershy looked up, confused, but Discord merely pointed toward the sky with a claw.
As the last meteor disappeared, the sky abruptly burst into a synthetic dawn as another celestial body shot through. It was long-lived compared to the meteors and rivaled the sun in intensity.
“A-amazing…” Fluttershy whispered in surprise. “A shooting star!”
Discord smiled and said, “make a wish, dear Fluttershy.” His best friend smiled with her butter lips.
Twilight leaned against her telescope with a wistful smile. She adored logic and rarely believed in superstition (Pinkie Sense being the exception; that had turned out to be some outlandish scientific fact. Twilight still didn’t understand it.), but for some reason her lips moved and uttered a small prayer. Unbeknownst to each other, Rarity had followed suit.
“I just want to be normal.”
“I wish I was special.”
The two mares hardly noticed the other had spoken, but Discord and Fluttershy exchanged concerned glances as the starlight faded. An exchange of raised eyebrows, frowns, and other various facial expressions took place in under a minute. Fluttershy moved to comfort her friend, but Discord pushed her down again.
“Nuh uh. You didn’t make a wish.”
Fluttershy smiled and peeked out of her mane with wistful shining blue eyes. “I just want my friends to be happy.”
Discord smiled, raising his paw as he did so.
“Your wish is my command.”
snap!
Pain. Blistering pain. Blue light briefly flashed in Twilight’s vision as she regained consciousness.
Sunlight poked through her windows and illuminated the main room. Her head pounded, as if she had cast one too many spells last night. Perhaps that new long-distance teleportation spell was finally taking its toll on her. Contemplating the thought, Twilight stood up and reshelved the brown tome amongst the others in her library as her thoughts turned to Spike.
Odd. He should have woken me up by now. Since her coronation two months ago, her assistant had been finding the princess more and more sleep deficit, staying up odd hours to catch up on her studying. Princess Celestia no longer had such high expectations from her star pupil, understanding that balancing her magical studies and royal duties was difficult as the former unicorn adjusted.
“Spike?” Twilight called upstairs, standing before the bottom step. Spike had matured immensely since their arrival at Ponyville and had finally mastered his sleep cycle. However, Twilight knew from personal experience that it was easy to bounce back to bad habits and wanted to make sure Spike wasn’t cheating himself. The small indent on her forehead was proof. Books do not make great pillows.
She trotted upstairs toward her bed. Spike’s sleeping arrangements were strangely absent. Perhaps he slept over at the clubhouse. Since her new duties prevented her from constantly supervising the small dragon, she had allowed him more time to spend with his filly and colt friends. Apple Bloom in particular enjoyed having him over, even if she didn’t get a cutie mark in ‘dragon riding.’ Suffice to say, they had words about it.
It was still odd he had slipped away while she was gone last night. Maybe he had changed his minds about stargazing, and slept at the clubhouse with the crusaders so they could get cutie marks in astronomy. A likely outcome.
Twilight felt an urge to jump on her bed and catch up on her sleep, but abstained to avoid resetting her biological clock. It was enough that she had missed court, turning completely nocturnal would be dreadful. A shiver ran down her spine. The Night Court was much creepier that she could handle.
Instead of an impulsive nap, Twilight settled with a stretch. She arched her back, her lavender fur bristling as she let out a yawn. She puffed her chest out and rolled her shoulders as Cadence had taught her, making sure her wings wouldn’t cramp. As a princess, Twilight didn’t have much time to fly. Fluttershy probably flew more than she did. For once her wing joints weren’t aching, greatly boosting Twilight’s mood. Magical exhaustion numbed them, for some reason. That’s strange
Once downstairs, breakfast became the first priority. She hummed as she found some alfalfa for her oatmeal. Simple, yet eloquent for her tastes. Not that she needed it, she wasn’t scheduled for an appearance at the royal court today. She had double checked her schedule this time to avoid another spectacle.
“Let’s see… first I have to go find Spike,” Twilight said in between bites. Her horn glowed with magenta power as she wrote a new checklist on her notepad. It had the misfortune of being forgotten at home, leading to Twilight losing track of time yesterday. Checklists were nice, checklists prevented mistakes, checklists maintained order. “Then we’ll go visit Rarity, that’ll make him happy. Wait, no,” she muttered as she crossed that line out. “I have find Rainbow Dash; will she ever learn that I don’t have to hound her if she just remembered to turn her books in time?”
Twilight tapped her chin for a moment before adding, “find a butterfly.”
Adding a few things to the checklist as she finished her oatmeal was therapeutic for the recovering mare. Twilight was still rattled by her embarrassing behavior but knew Princess Celestia was only concerned for her well being. She had learned the hard way to not be absolutely obsessed with earning her favor. A little obsession was okay. If only Twilight had any idea what ‘little’ meant in that context.
Now with her whole day scheduled, Twilight cleaned up the kitchen and trotted to the front door. Her saddlebags were empty and ready for the library pickup. One last scan of the library reassured her that every book had been reshelved (twice) properly. Just because she was a princess now didn’t mean she could shirk her duties as a librarian, even if Spike complained about it.
The door shut behind her as Twilight left the carved tree, leaving the unprepared mare at mercy of the sun. Twilight squinted as she covered her brow with a hoof, shielding her eyes. Her head pounded as the light assaulted her vision. It felt like the hangover she had the morning after her last birthday when Applejack had gotten out the ‘special’ cider. Strange, I didn’t even drink last night!
Despite being the bearer of the Element of Magic, Twilight resolved to have more discretion with her magic. A simple train ride would have been sufficient, much more so than teleporting halfway across Equestria. Not to mention train rides were relaxing and wouldn’t have caused this behemoth of headaches. Becoming an alicorn had its benefits, such as boosted magical power, but not even the leaders of the nation could escape the mortal pain of cranial pressure.
Her eyes finally adjusted to the warm light of the sun, allowing her to lower her hoof and continue walking. Flying to Sweet Apple Acres had crossed her mind, but she couldn’t focus enough to move her wings properly. Not that she could fly at the moment. Besides, her muscles were finally relaxed and adding pain on top of pain was the last thing she wanted to do.
There were few places to check for Spike: Applejack’s home and her sister’s clubhouse were the most likely prospects. Rarity’s Boutique was a possibility, but Twilight bemusedly thought how flustered Spike would have been if he had attended one of Sweetie’s sleepovers.
Watching her number one assistant grow up over the years made her heart warm; his crush on Rarity was somewhat adorable. Twilight wished his first crush didn’t have to be somepony older than him, but how he handled it was completely up to him. Twilight would do what she could, but it would only hurt Spike if she interfered, just like Apple Bloom and her quest for a cutie mark. Regardless of the outcome, Spike would have to grow up. Maybe when he was older there might be a chance, but by then he would have moved on or at least grown more independent.
Now that her eyes adjusted, her headache began to lessen to a dull throb. Twilight quickened her pace to a steady trot, her muscles surprisingly limber after a night on the books. Sweet Apple Acres was all the way across town, making it a perfect morning walk.
Before she knew it, Twilight had begun a steady canter as her muscles rolled seamlessly. No cramps, no knots, no pain. Even her headache melted away. She began to hum to herself as she broke into a gallop. If she was lucky, she’d make to Applejack’s and find Spike before noon.
“HEY TWILIGHT!”
Twilight skidded to a stop, barely avoiding accidentally tackling her pink friend. Pinkie Pie had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, her wide grin taking up most of Twilight’s vision as she leaned close to her friend. Twilight gave a sheepish grin and took a step back, regaining her personal space. Pinkie Pie didn’t seem to mind.
“Hey Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said. “Wonderful morning, huh?” The weather team were true to their schedule, clearing the sky for a sunny day. Pinkie Pie cocked her head in confusion.
“Silly Twilight. It’s the afternoon!” Pinkie Pie sprung in place, her poofy mane bouncing as well. Twilight frowned. She really slept in today. Fortunately she didn’t have any important duties today, but that didn’t make the daylight any less precious to her.
“Woops!” Twilight smiled, finding it hard to be upset around her cheerful friend. “I really hit the books last night, didn’t I?” Pinkie Pie zipped in front of Twilight and rubbed her forehead with her hoof, just under the horn.
“Sure did! But you shouldn’t hurt books like that! You love books, Twilight! Well, except maybe that book but that doesn’t excuse hurting books! You might hurt their feelings and make them cry and then they’ll get all wet and you’ll have to dry them!” Pinkie Pie said in a single breath, all while rubbing Twilight’s forehead. As random as Pinkie’s behavior was, Twilight felt a numb indent on her forehead fade away. Odd, but an effective treatment. Twilight chose not to comment. It was the Pinkie Pie way.
“Thanks Pinkie, I guess,” Twilight said as she began to walk with her pink friend following. “I’m just heading over to Applejack’s.”
Pinkie Pie gasped. “Oooh are you going to show her a new apple spell? I bet you’ve invented lots since last time!” Pinkie bounced behind Twilight, her bubbly excitement building in every bound. Twilight pretended to ignore her friend’s antics, but the corners of her lips slowly crept up into a smile.
“Not sure about a new spell, but I have been practicing lately. After I pick up Spike, maybe I’ll show you something new,” Twilight suggested as Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing, rubbing a hoof on her chin. Twilight stopped walking and turned around. “Is everything alright?”
Pinkie Pie’s tail and ears twitched in a random, erratic sequence. “Strange, Pinkie Sense never did that before! Silly filly, Spike’s in Canterlot right now!” Pink muzzle nearly met lavender as Pinkie Pie zipped to Twilight. Pinkie Pie gave an affectionate nuzzle as her friend stood still, a confused expression slowly spreading across her visage.
“Canterlot? What’s he doing there?” Twilight asked, stepping back from her friend. “I thought he had a sleepover with the crusaders while I was gone.”
Pinkie Pie shook her head, her curly mane slightly bouncing. “No no no. He’s at Canterlot getting snuggles with the princess! Which is kind of weird because he grew up as a hatchling with her and now he’s all lovey dovey and only just got over-” Pinkie Pie froze, her tail frozen stiff horizontally. Her right eye twitched. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, several questions on the tip of her tongue, when Pinkie bolted.
“SorryTwilightIcan’tbreakaPinkiePromiseIhavetogoironGummybeforehisjobinterviewkaythanksbye!”
Twilight tilted her head in confusion as the pink blur disappeared over the horizon. That was the third time that week she promised to iron her own pet. Twilight hoped she was just joking, or whatever Pinkie Pie does when she spouts her non-sequiturs.
She continued a casual canter toward the farm. Better to take it slow. A few minutes of light exercise led to the first trees of the orchard. A quick visual scan did not reveal any Apple family members bucking trees. Sighing, she continued down the dirt path with a light trot.
A few minutes later she slowed down to a crawl and turned her head, taking in her surroundings. Something was… off. A mysterious fog gathered from the far reaches of the orchard and surrounded her. An ominous shiver ran down the back of her neck. Quickly, she burst into a gallop.
Tree after tree blurred in her vision as she galloped away from the presence she felt chasing her. She raced down the curved path, pounding hoof after hoof on the dirt underneath. Something strange was going on. The fog hardly obscured her sharp librarian eyes, but the tree laden path seemed to stretch forever. Mental calculations confirmed she was supposed to have arrived several minutes ago.
As she slowed to a cautious canter, she eyed the fog slithering underneath her barrel. Unlike normal fog, there were tiny blue sparkles subtly winking. Sighing, Twilight slid to a stop and turned around.
“Okay, it was fun while it lasted. Can you please stop? I’m on important business and need to speak to you.”
The fog gathered into a small cloud and swirled together, merging and becoming a tiny pink butterfly. The butterfly squeaked and tried to fly away as Twilight’s magic wrapped around it. Her magic caused her temples to throb once, but she ignored it. The butterfly struggled.
“Give it up, Discord!”
“Oh phooey,” the butterfly squeaked as it flashed bright, turning into the chaotic draconequus himself. Discord crossed his arms and pouted, lying on a pink cloud.
Twilight rolled her eyes. Princess Celestia had taught her to take his antics in stride. Fluttershy kept him in line, but now and then he would pull a fast one on her. She still remembered the time he replaced her shampoo with bat guano. Fortunately he swore to never repeat the prank again after being strapped to a gurney while Twilight sorted her surgical tools. Having a veterinarian for a friend was useful when your test subject was a amorogram of animals. Not to mention her experiment would benefit the research field magical anatomy.
“Discord,” Twilight said calmly, careful to keep her tone level. Discord was more likely to act mature when he didn’t get a rise out of her. “Please give my wings back.”
Discord raised an eyebrow to the mare. Twilight sighed, rolling her shoulders. It was probably the fifth time that month he had pulled the same exact prank. Not that she minded the relief, but her duties as a princess required the added appendages. If only they weren’t required. She snorted at the ground regretfully, waiting for Discord to concede to her request.
A moment passed without the familiar sensation of wings materializing.
Twilight looked up at Discord. He stared at her with an amused expression written all over his face. The presently unicorn decided to nip the prank in the bud. “Look, Discord. I have very important princess business to attend to and I need my wings back.” Discord covered his mouth in his lion’s paw, trying not to laugh.
“What?” Twilight asked, taking a step back. Something was confusing here. “Look, I don’t have all day. If it makes you feel better, I’ll ask Princess Celestia about having Fluttershy over at the castle for a few days. I just need my wings back.”
Discord yawned and sat up on the cloud. Using Fluttershy to reason with him had a high success rate, especially if it meant seeing her more. Rarity occasionally joked about them ‘tying the knot,’ whatever that meant.
“Please?” Twilight resorted to humility. “I know you must have heard me last night, but please. I need those wings. Princess Celestia would be disappointed if I just threw them away.”
Discord snickered and held out his claws, forming a square with his fingers. It took a moment for Twilight to realize he was framing her in his vision, as if he was an artist examining a subject.
“Well?” Twilight lightly stomped the ground, becoming impatient. Discord took out his eyeballs and wiped them on his coat before replacing them. He blinked a few times and stared at Twilight. Finding that to be useless, he conjured a monocle and placed it on his left eye. He rubbed his chin for a moment, contemplating. Twilight grew irritated. The prank was becoming old, fast. “What?! Just give me my wings back!”
Discord shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Rarity panted, her horn hot from casting a multitude of spells in succession. A single tear dripped down her cheek as her vision returned, formerly blurred in rage. She made to move her hoof forward, but hesitated, pulling back when shattered glass shuffled underneath. The fog lifted from her consciousness as her surroundings began to sink in.
A queen-sized bed, formerly made with silk white sheets and light blue covers, was torn to shreds and letting off light smoke. The drapes were tattered, the windows completely destroyed. Shards of glass and marble littered the floor, remnants of busts and sculptures that had decorated the fancy abode. A pink rose-bordered vanity mirror had once been a companion with the cyan wardrobe until Rarity had shattered it without a second thought. The marble walls and floor were cracked and sizzled with arcane vapors.
Her panting slowed down to small intakes of breath as she cooled down. Right now she was in control. She felt powerful. She felt good.
Rarity shook her head. This was completely unlike her! She was a lady of class, above such primal, beastial emotions. Even if the circumstances were… heart wrenching.
Once again, she had woken up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar home with no memory of her arrival or inebriation. To say she was surprised was an understatement. Only the unbridled fury of a victimized mare remained. Recent memories flashed in her mind as her vision seared a fierce shade of magenta, blood pulsing in her temples. Her anguish had induced a magical rage she hadn’t felt since she was a brat of a filly, but with the arcane power of an adult.
With her anger finally released, Rarity could only bow her head in shame. Her talent, her destiny was to create beauty, not destroy it. The misshapen head of a former marble statue rolled by with only one perfectly carved eye remaining, a reminder of what she had become.
Tears began to flow, released after an entire day of bottling them up. Waves of repressed grief blew through her, driving her to submit to her grief as the small flow of tears became a steady stream of despair.
Her mind strayed to that day, after she had fled the unspeakable stallion’s home and after she had recovered inside her own. Well, only partially recovered. Out of respect, she had refused to speak to Sweetie Belle and sent her on her way, leaving Rarity to her boutique. Alone. Fortunately none of her friends had noticed her dreary mood last night, otherwise she might have burst into tears. Or worse. Poor Fluttershy would be too afraid to ever visit the spa again if she did that to her…
Rarity held her breath, attempting to stop the tears. Hopefully the owner of this home wouldn’t punish her too severely for her outburst. She didn’t believe she could handle any more punishment. Not again. At least she wasn’t wearing one of those dreaded rings on her horn. She wasn’t completely defenseless.
The glass door handle behind her jiggled as somepony turned it, attempting to open the extravagantly engraved mahogany door. Rarity froze, her breath burning in her chest as her lungs refused to release. Her mind screamed to run, to escape, even to fight but her legs refused. Her hooves were stone, anchoring her in place as the door creaked open. She heard glass scatter across the damaged floor as the stranger’s steps parted the sea. She could hear him come only a few inches behind her when he came to a stop.
“Rarity?” a silky, masculine voice called. It sounded familiar, comforting even. Rarity knew this was a trap, to make her drop any guard and willingly submit.
Her ears unconsciously perked up, listening for the shuffling of clothes and fur. She closed her eyes, ready to submit once more. A burning sensation flared in her heart, erupting and spreading a fiery heat throughout her body.
NO!
Her eyes snapped open, her horn glowing and ready to smite the cretin who dared to defile her! No longer would she be a pretty damsel in distress to some uncouth brute! No, she would put up a fight and show him the true power of an element of harmony! Her vision tinted shades of violet as she whipped around…
Arms wrapped around her neck from behind, stopping the mare in her tracks. The stranger’s rough skin rubbed against hers as he held her in gentle arms. Rarity’s stress melted away as the male rocked her, whispering calming words in her ears. She didn’t understand the words, but the intention was clear. She was safe.
Sensing her newfound calm, the stranger released her. Rarity turned around, only to be blinded with purple visage completely filling her vision. Something stroked her chin and brought her muzzle high. Surprise erupted inside as warm, rough lips met her own. The stranger reached behind her head and stroked her mane, refusing to pull her close out of respect. Rarity felt comfortable in this embrace as fireworks sparked. Her eyes closed, willingly returning the kiss.
She moved closer and placed a hoof on the tall stranger’s shoulder, allowing him to respond by pulling her into his embrace. The two held together, a warm passion exchanged through their lips. Rarity begged him to explore her as her tongue darted, but the stranger refused the advances and remained chaste.
After what seemed like a single heartbeat and a lifetime, the two parted. Rarity blinked several times, holding her hoof to her burning heart. A heat spread through her belly and chest, invoking several emotions within her. The swooning mare ran a hoof through her mane as she collected her thoughts. Once cognition had been restored, she faced her unexpected suitor like a proper lady should..
He was strikingly tall, standing on two legs and wearing a handsomely woven sleeveless silk shirt with brown breeches that appeared to be stitched by none other than Rarity herself. His scaled legs rippled with toned muscles, as did his exposed biceps. His purple scales shimmered in the light as he backed away, smiling. He brushed the green scales on his head as an awkward smile crept onto his face. Rarity’s jaw dropped as the dragon blushed in return.
“I guess that was a little sudden, huh? Not as sudden as this, though.” The dragon motioned with a muscular arm toward the room she had completely trashed. “Must be those nightmares again, huh? Good thing I was around; who knew what you would’ve done without me?”
Rarity could only stutter in reply. “Sp-Spikey W-Wikey?” Her dashing little dragon was an adult? Not to mention handsome to boot. It was a dream come true! But for who? She had no idea why, but a peculiar amount of blood rushed to her cheeks as her shoulder blades shifted. No time was left to ponder the thought as the (formerly) baby dragon placed his hands on his hips.
Spike shuffled his feet and pretended to pout, throwing out his lower lip dramatically as he did so. “Oh Rarity, don’t you remember? That’s Prince Spike to you!” His jolly laugh pushed her to the edge in perplexion. Was this truly her Spike? Or was he..?
Yes indeed, she was dreaming. Rarity hardly noticed Spike catch her as her consciousness faded into a peaceful faint. Spike smiled and lifted her up, cradling her and taking care to tuck in her extended wings as he did so.
The peculiar sensation on her sides rustled the white mare back to a waking state. Her sides rippled with new muscles she had never experienced before, dormant until this very moment. A surge of electricity, as if like magic, trickled through her shoulders and back. Whatever Spike’s claw had brushed against moved on its own accord, pressing against the dragon’s hand. Rarity shivered, the sensation causing equal amounts of perplexion and pleasure. It felt alien and taboo, but completely sensational.
It was strangely familiar, like when she had entered a competition against Rainbow Dash….
She shook her head, blinked her eyes, and stared wide-eyed at her side. When her heartbeat finally slowed down, she looked up to the dragon with sparkling sapphire eyes full of wonder.
“Oh my, are those wings?”
Author's Note
I'm sorry for the wait, but I've been horribly busy with One-Shotober, college, and (now) my job. I was also hesitant to write and publish this chapter because of the ending where I'm beginning to abuse the Alternate Universe tag. Please keep that in mind before you start questioning Spike. I have my reasons and it will be important to the plot. He's not going to be some side character or mustache-twirling dastardly villain that ties Rarity to the train tracks and forces Twilight to defeat him a gun-slinging duel at high noon. He has an important role, and while it may not seem like it now, he's going to be treated with respect as I write. I like Spike, and he will get his dues.
I admit this is taking a huge risk and I will probably hear a lot about it. I may change my character tags, but only Twilight and Rarity are the protagonists. This is their journey. Will it be together? Eventually; maybe. They have not interacted yet, but keep waiting. Just because this story is about them doesn't mean other ships can't be present. What's the deal with Spike? It may not be what you think...
However, for anyone fuming about Spike anyway, here's some stories featuring him that will please you:
When You Wish Upon A Sue
Spike's Unexpected Growth Spurt
Spike's Crazy Date
