The Wishing Stone

by Fervidor

Rating: everyone
Tags: Spike, Adventure, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Rarity, Romance, Thriller, Fluttershy
Length: 12700

Twilight Sparkle needs to organize Rarity's birthday party, but all her friends seem troubled. As if that wasn't enough, Cadence sends Twilight a mysterious jewel possessing mystical powers... as well as a dark secret.

Twilight Sparkle is having a stressful day. She has agreed to organize Rarity's surprise birthday party, but all her friends seem troubled one way or another: Applejack is overworked, Rainbow is fretting, Pinkie is acting even weirder than usual, and Fluttershy finds herself distracted by thoughts on a certain somepony.

On top of it all, Cadence sends Twilight a mysterious jewel suspected to possess magical abilities. What is the purpose of this enigmatic stone, and will its dark secrets be uncovered before it's far too late?

Rarity, meanwhile, is simply looking forward to her birthday party, even though she is technically not supposed to know about it. What she doesn't know is that she is in for a birthday she will never forget.

This story was my contribution to the Writer's Group Contest.

Chronologically, it is set at some point in the middle of Season 3.

Published 2013-10-07 04:00:05 UTC
Last updated 2013-10-07 04:00:05 UTC

Chapter 1

The Wishing Stone

It had been a pleasant morning in Ponyville and it was turning out to be a pleasant afternoon as well. The sun shone brightly and only a few white cotton clouds dotted the azure sky when Spike stepped out of the library to fetch the mail that had, for various reasons, not been retrieved earlier that morning as was the norm.

Standing on his toes, the baby dragon opened the mailbox and looked inside, noting that it contained an unusual amount of mail that day. Twilight Sparkle rarely received many letters through the Equestrian postal service since both her parents as well as Princess Celestia preferred to handle their correspondence via Spike's fire scrolls, and most of Twilight's other acquaintances lived nearby and had no reason to write to her.

Today the mailbox was full of mail, however; most of it in the form of a large oblong package wrapped in brown paper and tied up with strings. It occupied nearly the entire box, accompanied only by a few envelopes that Spike assumed were bills or other boring stuff. He yanked it all out at once and found that the package seemed strangely heavy for its size. A look at the return address revealed that it had been sent from the Royal Palace of the Crystal Empire. Growing more and more curious, Spike wasted no time returning inside.

Within the library, Twilight Sparkle had worked herself up to a tooth-grinding frenzy, rifling through lists and triple-checking schedules she had already double-checked, all while mumbling to herself: ”Pinkie said she'd handle the cake, I'm sure we can count on her, but... Will everyone be free tomorrow? Applejack's awfully busy, we'll need to... What about Rainbow Dash? Weather, what's tomorrow's weather? Is it going to rain tonight? Where did I put my calendar...”

”Twilight,” Spike said as he walked through the door, ”you're doing it again. Calm down, it's just a birthday party. I'm sure everything will be fine.”

”I know, I know,” Twilight sighed, ”but everypony is counting on me to get Rarity's surprise party properly organized and I got so caught up with my studies I haven't even started yet and the party is tomorrow and...” Noticing herself rambling, she drew a deep breath to calm herself. ”...It's okay, I can do this. Getting things organized is what I do best. Just need to stay focused, that's all.”

”Anyway, I brought the mail,” Spike said, casually adding: ”There's a package for you.”

”A package?” Twilight frowned. ”That's odd, I'm not expecting a package.”

”Looks like it's all the way from the Crystal Empire,” Spike held up the paper-wrapped box for Twilight to see. ”Maybe Shining Armor sent you something?”

Putting her notes down, Twilight levitated the box out of Spike's grip and unwrapped it. A slight gasp escaped her when she saw what it contained. ”Spike, take look at this!”

The dragon's eyes filled with wonder as Twilight held up a large, perfectly cut jewel. At first glance it appeared black as ink, but when Spike looked closer he found that it was actually a very dark shade of red. Leaning closer, strangely spellbound by its somber luster, he could see small glimmers of light deep in the crimson darkness, like an entire starlit sky trapped inside that single gleaming stone.

”It's beautiful!” he whispered. ”But... where did it come from?”

Taking another look inside the package, Twilight found a letter at the bottom. She whisked it up with her magic and eyed it. ”Spike, it's from Cadence!” she exclaimed. ”Listen to this: My dear Twilight Sparkle, your brother and I hope all is well with you and your friends in Ponyville. I hope this is not too inconvenient for you, but we could use your assistance.”

”The jewel delivered to you along with this letter was recently discovered in the royal treasury of the Crystal Empire. Official records of its name and history appear to have been lost, but we have reason to believe it possesses certain unidentified magical qualities. After corresponding with Princess Celestia we have decided that you are the best pony to shed some light on this mystery. Please take your time investigating the stone and report your findings back to me when you are done. This goes without saying, but we have the out-most trust in your skills. Your loving sister-in-law, Princess Cadence.”

Twilight lowered the letter and regarded the jewel. She arched an eyebrow. ”That's odd, Princess Celestia didn't say anything about this in her latest letter.”

”Are you going to look into it?” Spike asked, still having trouble taking his eyes off the stone.

”Of course I am,” Twilight said, ”just not right away. Cadence did write that I can take my time with it and right now I really need to get the girls together so we can organize Rarity's party. The mystery jewel will just have to wait.”

Spike picked the stone up and examined it closely. ”A mysterious magic jewel from the Crystal Empire... Oh, I bet Rarity would just love this!” Not to mention it looked delicious, though he didn't say that part out loud.

Noticing her dragon assistant beginning to salivate slightly, Twilight chuckled and lit her horn up, pulling the stone from his claws. ”I'm sure she would, but it's not like we can just give away an unidentified magical artifact as a birthday present. And neither can we eat it,” she added, a little more sternly.

Spike looked offended. ”I-I wasn't thinking of doing either of those things.”

”Of course you weren't,” Twilight smiled at him and put the stone down on the table. ”Which is why I'm going to trust you enough to leave you alone with that thing while I go chase down my friends.”

Spike stood a bit straighter. ”You can count on me, Twilight!”

”I know.” Twilight opened the door and was just about to step outside when she hesitated. ”But seriously,” she added over her shoulder, ”there better not be a single nibble missing from that stone when I get back. We have no idea what it actually does, it might be dangerous.”

Spike's shoulders sank somewhat and his eyes narrowed into a glare as Twilight closed the door behind her. ”Honestly! Give me some credit!” he huffed. Turning around, he picked the jewel off the table and looked at it. ”As if I would ever eat a gemstone that doesn't belong to me, not to mention one this important, and beautiful... and luscious...” Once again he found himself staring deep into the crimson crystal, mesmerized by the countless glittering galaxies within. ”Though I do wonder what it tastes like. Maybe if I just...”

Then Spike shook his head and resolutely put the stone down on the table. ”No! I won't let it tempt me! Twilight trusted me. Sort of.” He shrugged, turning his back to the stone. ”Anyway, I guess I'll just munch on a couple of those sapphires I saved up. That should keep the old stomach satisfied until Twilight gets...”

ssssspiiike...

Spike turned his head, frowning. ”Did somepony say something?”

Nopony answered, yet Spike suddenly felt that he wasn't alone. He glanced down at the stone again and now it almost seemed to pulse with a dark radiance, its inner lights swirling. Was it just his imagination, or was the jewel... calling him?

ssssspiiiike....

Slowly, the dragon reached out a trembling claw towards the blood-red stone.

Rarity smiled through her facial mask and let herself sink deeper into the soothing mud bath. ”Fluttershy,” she said. ”I can't tell you how much I love these weekly spa get-togethers of ours. I'm so glad you could make it today.”

”You know me,” came Fluttershy's reply from the mud bath next to her. ”I wouldn't miss this for the world.”

”I know,” Rarity sighed, ”but this is always such a busy time of year. Why, poor Applejack barely had time to talk to me at all last time we met and Twilight has been cooped up in the library all day. I simply feared maybe you too had something special planned.”

Fluttershy shifted nervously in her pool of mud. ”...I can't say that I do. Oh and I'm sure Applejack is just busy with the harvest, and you know how easily Twilight gets carried away with her books.”

It was fortunate Rarity's eyes were covered in cucumber slices at the time, or she would have been sorely tempted to roll them. She certainly hadn't forgotten that tomorrow was her birthday, and it was getting very obvious that her friends were planning some kind of surprise party for her. She recognized all the signs from way back when she'd helped prepare Pinkie Pie's surprise party, and while it was cute in a way, Rarity couldn't help but feel the whole thing was just a bit foalish. They were all grown-ups, after all. Surely they could celebrate a birthday without resorting to this kind of elaborate conspiracy? Still, if it made them all happy, Rarity didn't mind playing along.

That didn't mean she couldn't tease them a bit, though.

”Really, I don't know what would become of me with without these weekly treatments,” she said, adding just a bit of melodrama to her tone. ”After all, I'm not getting any younger, am I?”

”Oh, don't talk like that,” Fluttershy said. She blushed, very glad her friend couldn't see her, and whispered: ”You're, um, still very beautiful, Rarity.”

”Why darling, that's so sweet of you to say,” Rarity said, inadvertently causing Fluttershy's blush to deepen in shade.

They fell silent for a moment, then Fluttershy said: ”Um, Rarity?”

”Yes?”

”There's... Um, there's something I need to tell you.”

”Well, go on then. You know you can tell me anything.”

”You see...” Fluttershy mumbled, trying to ignore her racing heart and the burning of her cheeks. She marshaled every ounce of courage she had in her. ”I, um... I-I really like...” And then her confidence completely crumbled and the rest came out: ”...our spa days as well!” She sank deeper into the mud, mentally kicking herself.

Rarity levitated a piece of cucumber from her eye and glanced at the sulking pegasus. ”Fluttershy, forgive me, but is something bothering you?”

”What? No!” Fluttershy squeaked in sudden panic. ”Nothing bothering me! W-What gave you that idea?”

”It's just that you seem to have been acting a bit odd lately,” Rarity said. Her glance narrowed. ”You're not hiding anything from me, are you?”

”O-Of course not!” Fluttershy lied, looking more nervous by the moment. ”We're friends, Rarity. W-Why would I ever be hiding something from you?”

A part of Rarity wanted to press on, but she was feeling a bit sorry for Fluttershy now so instead she shrugged and returned the cucumber slice to her eye. ”Very well, if you say so. I'm sorry for doubting you.” There was a quiet but audible sigh of relief from Fluttershy's direction and Rarity held back a triumphant grin. My dear, you are such a bad liar. Not quite as bad as Applejack, but still.

Looking sufficiently surprised at the party tomorrow was going to be quite the challenge, she could tell.

Some time later the two of them left the spa together like always. It was a rather nice day, somewhat cloudy with an overcast coming along later that evening, but it was still nice weather for a stroll. Rarity was in a good mood, feeling refreshed and relaxed. Fluttershy had a distant look in her eyes, though, as if her thoughts were elsewhere. Rarity gracefully opted not to bring that up. She could make a pretty good guess to what the pegasus was thinking about, after all.

As they walked together down the main street, they heard a familiar voice call out to them: ”Rarity, Fluttershy!” They turned to see Twilight Sparkle prancing towards them, smiling. ”Did you enjoy your visit to the spa?”

”Oh, it was lovely as usual,” Rarity said. ”Why, I feel a whole year younger. And I'm so glad to see you, Twilight. You sure have kept yourself busy lately.”

”You know me,” Twilight chuckled. ”once I start one of my research projects I lose track of time. It feels nice to finally be out of the library, though.”

”You really should get out more,” Rarity agreed. ”So tell me, how will you spend this lovely day? Any special plans, perhaps?”

Twilight averted her eyes, looking a bit awkward all of sudden. ”Actually, I wanted to borrow Fluttershy, if that's okay.”

”Huh?” Fluttershy looked up. She had been quietly glancing at Rarity for most of the conversation and now seemed slightly puzzled. ”Me?”

”Yes, Fluttershy,” Twilight gave the pegasus a meaningful look. ”I need your help with the thing we talked about earlier, remember?”

”Oh! Right!” Fluttershy nodded, quickly catching on. ”The thing, at the... place. Now I remember.”

Rarity looked at her two friends and raised an eyebrow. ”Oh? So you do have plans?”

Fluttershy and Twilight exchanged nervous glances. It wouldn't do to let Rarity get suspicious. ”Yes,” Twilight said. ”We need to see... um...”

”...Rainbow?” Fluttershy offered.

”...Applejack,” Twilight said before she could stop herself. She grinned widely. ”We need to see Rainbow and Applejack. About something. Yeah.”

”Really now?” Rarity smiled her most innocent smile. ”Well, then why don't I come with you? I have nothing much to do today and as they say, the more the merrier!”

Twilight's eyes widened in silent panic. ”W-Well, the thing is...” She tried to think of something to say that might discourage Rarity, but nothing came to mind.

Fortunately, Rarity decided she'd had enough fun for now. She let out a sudden dramatic gasp. ”Oh no! I just remembered, I promised to give Sweetie Belle magic lessons today.” She pouted. ”I'm so sorry, you two, it looks like I won't be able to accompany you after all.”

”Th-That's okay, Rarity,” Twilight struggled not to look too relieved. ”Maybe some other time?”

”I'm looking forward to it.” Rarity turned to Fluttershy and beamed a smile. ”Thanks again for today, dear. And good luck with that thing at the place.”

Fluttershy returned the smile, though she looked a bit flustered for some reason. ”Thanks,” she mumbled. ”Bye, Rarity.”

As she trotted off, Rarity was glad her two friends couldn't see the wide grin on her face. She was so very on to them.

”Do you think she suspects anything?” Twilight asked in a low voice.

”I don't know,” Fluttershy mumbled, still gazing after the fashionista making her way down the street. ”I mean, I don't think so.”

Twilight nodded. ”Good. We want the party to be a surprise, after all.”

”Huh?” Fluttershy snapped out of her daze, turning to her friend. ”Oh. Right! The party.”

Twilight raised an eyebrow. ”Are you feeling alright? You seem a bit distracted.”

”I-I'm fine.” Fluttershy felt a blush burn on her cheeks. That had been happening a lot lately. ”We should go find the others. Rainbow said she'd head over to Sweet Apple Acres once her shift ended, so she's probably with Applejack now.”

Twilight nodded. ”Great, that saves time. Now we just have to find Pinkie Pie. She's the expert on parties, after all.”

”Diiiiid somepony order a party expert?”

Twilight and Fluttershy were both pulled into a sudden hug as Pinkie Pie seemed to materialize between them out of nowhere. Even so, neither of them were especially surprised – by now they were used to this sort of thing, almost to the point of expecting it.

”Right on time, Pinkie,” Twilight said, smiling at the pink personification of playfulness that was the Element of Laughter. ”I trust you have the birthday cake situation under control?”

”You betcha!” Pinkie patted her saddlebags. ”I just picked up the last few ingredients I need and I can't wait to get back to the shop so I can start baking! Just you wait, Twilight, this is going to be the super-duper-yummiest birthday cake any of you have ever eaten, and that's a Pinkie Promise!”

”You don't actually have to...”

”Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!”

Twilight chuckled. ”If you say so. What kind of cake are you making?”

”Oh, you're going to love this!” As always when she got excited, Pinkie started bouncing up and down from sheer glee. ”See, I had this great idea of using blueberries and cream to kinda make it look like Rarity because that's such a Rarity thing to do, you know?”

Fluttershy blinked. ”Oh-oh. Um, Pinkie, there's something you need to...”

”Well, it won't actually look like Rarity,” Pinkie carried on. ”It's not like a sculpture or anything. I mean it'll be white and purple, just like her coat and mane, because Rarity totally loves it when things match her coat and mane. Sometimes it's like that's all she ever talks about!”

”It's just that...”

”It would be pretty neat if the cake was also a Rarity sculpture,” Pinkie kept blabbing, seemingly oblivious of Fluttershy's attempts to interrupt, ”but I think it might get a bit weird when we have to cut it to pieces and eat it, you know? It would be like eating Rarity, except as a cake. Kinda awkward, right?”

”...Rarity doesn't like blueberries.”

Pinkie stopped bouncing, skidding to a halt as her grin was replaced by a look of bafflement. ”She doesn't?”

Fluttershy shook her head. ”She told me herself, though she wouldn't tell me why. I think she may have had a very bad experience with blueberries somehow, because she really can't stand them.”

Pinkie scratched her mane, looking deep in thought. ”Huh. Come to think of it, whenever she stops by Sugarcube Corner, she never orders anything with blueberries.” She frowned. ”Well, that's okay. I can still fix this. But I don't get it, why didn't I know this? I mean, this is the sort of thing I'm supposed to know!”

”Haven't you ever asked her about her preferences?” Twilight wondered.

Pinkie shook her head. ”I guess not. I like everything, so it never occurred to me there were things other ponies don't like. I mean, except for obvious stuff like potato chip and earthworm muffins.” She gasped and turned to Fluttershy. ”Oh no! What else do other ponies not like that I don't know about? Quick, is there anything Rarity can't stand other than blueberries?”

”Not that I know of,” Fluttershy replied.

Pinkie leaned closer, staring intently at the pegasus. ”Is there anything you can't stand?”

Fluttershy hesitated. ”Well, no, not really...”

”Phew!” Pinkie let out a sigh of relief. ”That's good to hear.”

”...but I am a little bit allergic to strawberries.”

”Oh.” Pinkie's face turned strangely blank for a moment. ”That's... That's good to know. Strawberries, huh? Who'd a thunk it?”

”I agree, that's important information,” Twilight said. ”Still, Pinkie, maybe you shouldn't take this quite so seriously?”

”But it is serious!” Pinkie exclaimed. ”I never even thought about this stuff before! It changes everything! What about you? Is there anything you don't like?”

”Not really,” Twilight said. ”I mean, I guess I'm not too fond of chocolate, but that's...”

Pinkie gasped and stared at her with a look of sheer horror. ”You don't like chocolate!? What kind of pony doesn't like chocolate?”

”It's not like I hate it,” Twilight quickly clarified. ”It's just a bit too rich for me, you know? It mostly just makes me really thirsty.”

”So, no chocolate?” Pinkie mumbled in a disbelieving tone, as if still trying to fully grasp this alien concept. ”That's... That makes it trickier...”

”It's okay, Pinkie,” Twilight said, ”you really don't need to...”

”No! Nuh-uh! No way!” Pinkie shook her head. ”I promised to make the best birthday cake ever and that's exactly what I'm going to do! I... I just need to think about this, that's all.”

Walking as in a daze with a strangely blank stare in her eyes, Pinkie kept mumbling quietly to herself all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged worried looks, but didn't speak of it for fear of making this – whatever it was – even worse somehow.

”I don't know what to give Rarity for her birthday,” Rainbow said, hugging the cloud she rested on with a worried pout on her face.

Applejack struck one of the orchard's many trees with a solid buck, sending its bounty of fresh fruit raining into a set of buckets underneath it. She was so focused on her task that she barely heard the pegasus. It was the busiest time of the harvest period and that left no time to waste at Sweet Apple Acres. The entire family was hard at work, and Applejack was no exception. On top of it all, she had agreed to help her friends plan Rarity's surprise party and she had no intention of letting them down. Still, why'd Rarity have to go an' get born smack in the middle of harvest? Applejack shook her head. Complaining wouldn't get the work done faster.

She looked up. ”Sorry, Rainbow, Ah didn't catch that.”

”I said, I don't know what to give Rarity for her birthday," Rainbow repeated, landing on the ground next to her. ”I can't think of anything and I'm starting to get kinda desperate. What do you think?”

”Ah dunno,” Applejack moved over to another tree. ”Just get 'er somethin' fancy, Ah s'pose.”

”I don't do fancy, Applejack,” Rainbow sighed. ”You know that.”

Applejack chortled. ”An' ya think Ah do?”

”Well, no. But you're an awesome cook,” Rainbow said, ”so you can always make up for it by whipping together something really delicious.”

”Heh, ya got that right,” Applejack chuckled. ”Even Rarity can't resist my home-cooked treats. Long as it don't come with... blueberries, that is.” She shivered slightly, as if forced to recall a bad memory. ”Never again.”

”What?” Rainbow looked confused. ”Blueberries? What in the hay is that supposed to mean?”

”Ya don't wanna know.” Applejack shrugged and gave her tree another hard buck. ”Jus' don't ever offer Rarity anythin' with blueberries in it. Trust me.”

Rainbow Dash was trying to decide whether or not to press the earth pony for more details when Twilight arrived to the scene with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie in tow. ”Hello Applejack, Rainbow.”

”Oh man, are you guys right on time!” Rainbow said, perking up. ”Fluttershy, you are Rarity are pretty tight, so you should know what she likes, right?”

Fluttershy seemed startled by the question. ”W-What? I-I have no idea if she likes... I mean, we're close friends, but...” She gave Rainbow a confused look. ”Sorry, what were you asking?”

Rainbow groaned. ”What is with you, Fluttershy? You've been walking around with your head in the clouds for a while now. I need your advice on what to give Rarity for her birthday.”

Twilight frowned slightly. ”You still haven't found a present for her?”

”I know, I know!” Rainbow sighed. ”Normally I'd ask Rarity for advice about something like this, but now she's the one I'm trying to surprise and we kinda like the complete opposite type of stuff.” She shrugged. ”So yeah, I'm stumped. What about you,Twilight? What are you giving her?”

”Notecards,” Twilight said. ”I mean, everypony needs notecards, right?”

”Right.” Rainbow quickly crossed out Twilight's name from a list in her mind. She would find no help there.

”At any rate,” Twilight said, ”I think it's about time we get organized if we want to have our surprise party ready for Rarity tomorrow. Applejack, I don't mean to stress you, but how is work coming along?”

”Ah wish Ah had some good news fer ya, Twilight,” Applejack replied. ”Ah really do, but harvest is still harvest, ya know? The whole family's workin' as hard as they can but we can't work miracles. At this rate, Ah don't think...”

”Applejack!”

Applejack turned her head to see that Pinkie Pie had somehow appeared right next to her. The pink party pony was looking straight at her with starey eyes and a somewhat stiff smile. Applejack frowned. ”...Did ya want somethin', Pinkie?”

”Applejack!” Pinkie repeated. ”You like eating things, don't you?”

Applejack raised an eyebrow. ”Sure Ah do. Don't everypony?”

”You'd think so, wouldn't you!?” Pinkie exclaimed. ”Turns out someponies don't even like chocolate! Can you believe that? While on the subject, is there anything you don't like to eat?”

”Ah suppose...” Applejack began, just as she noticed Twilight frantically waving her hooves and shaking her head behind Pinkie's back. ”...not?”

”Reeeaally?” Pinkie asked, leaning in close and giving Applejack a glare full of suspicion.

A drop of sweat ran down Applejack's temple. She felt her willpower crumble and her mouth began to speak on it's own: ”O-On second thought, Ah guess Ah'm not that fond of oranges.”

Twilight facehoofed, but Applejack was relieved when Pinkie simply blinked and chuckled. ”Really? Heh, you know, that actually makes a lot of sense.”

”Oh, an' pineapples,” Applejack added. ”Can't stand the darn things.”

”Pineapples?” Pinkie snapped, looking furious all of a sudden. ”Pineapples!?”

Startled, Applejack found herself backing into one of her apple trees. ”Yeah, that a problem?”

”What? No!” Pinkie shook her head. ”No. No, no, no. No. Yes. A little bit, yes. But mostly no!”

”So... we're good?” Applejack chanced.

”Fine! Just fine!” Pinkie turned to Rainbow Dash, grinning a not entirely healthy grin. ”Hey, Rainbow! What's your least favorite type of cake?”

”Hm?” Rainbow gave it a moment's thought. ”The kind with nuts in them, I guess. Almonds, hazelnuts, that sort of stuff. I dunno, I just don't like 'em.”

Pinkie let out a slightly hysterical laughter. ”Of course you don't!”

”Are you okay?” Rainbow asked. ”Your face is doing this kind of twitchy thing.”

”Everything's fine!” Pinkie yelled. ”I can do this! I can fix it! I-I just... I just...” She pulled her hooves through her pink bubblegum curls and giggled softly to herself.

”Oookie-dokie,” Rainbow slowly edged towards Twilight. ”I think Pinkie's broken.”

”I know,” Twilight groaned. She was still facehoofing.

”Yeah, well, do something about it!” Rainbow pleaded. ”She's freaking me out! And besides, she can't be broken now! We need her. We haven't even started planning the party yet, and Fluttershy is all spaced out for some reason, and I still have no idea what to give Rarity for her birthday!”

”Look, y'all, Ah have no idea what's going on here,” Applejack said, frustration starting to seep into her voice, ”but Ah've got a lot a' work to do and Ah'm stressed out as it is. So if ya all wanna go crazy on me, fine, but could ya kindly do it someplace more out of the way?”

Twilight bit her lip. This did not look good. Applejack was overworked, Rainbow Dash was panicking, Pinkie Pie was having some sort of meltdown, and Fluttershy kept staring off into nothing all the time as if distracted by something. They had until tomorrow to put together a surprise birthday party for Rarity and it was Twilight's job to make sure that happened. She felt her pulse quicken as the statistical likelihood of success dwindled before her eyes. Something had to be done and the clock was ticking. The clock. Was. Ticking.

She drew a deep breath. In, then out. Stay in control, Twilight.

”Okay!” she said, loud enough to get the group's attention. ”We have a lot to do and not much time to do it. Clearly this will take a group effort, so I'm calling an emergency meeting of the Surprise Party for Rarity Planning Committee. Applejack, how soon can you finish up today's work?”

”Not in a while,” Applejack said. ”Real sorry, Twilight, but Ah gotta clear this field today or we'll fall behind schedule. At this rate it's gonna take me all afternoon.”

”Do you think you can have it done by nine?” Twilight asked.

Applejack scratched her mane. ”Ah dunno...”

”How about I stick around and lend you guys a hoof?” Rainbow Dash offered. ”I don't have anything important to do today. With the two of us working together, we can have this wrapped up in no time!”

Applejack smiled at her friend. ”Ya know, that might just be doable. Thanks, Rainbow.”

”Great. Then once you're finished, we all meet at the library at nine tonight,” Twilight decided. ”We can work out a schedule for tomorrow and brainstorm Pinkie's cake and Rainbow's present together. What do you say?”

”Sounds like a solid plan to me,” Rainbow said. Applejack nodded in agreement.

Twilight turned to Pinkie Pie. ”How about it, Pinkie?”

”Yeah, I guess,” Pinkie muttered. She seemed to have calmed down somewhat, ”I... I'll just be at Sugarcube Corner until then. I think I need to go through my recipes.”

”I'll walk you back,” Twilight said, putting a comforting hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. ”I need to return to the library anyway, something else came up today that I should probably look into. Remember, everypony, nine o'clock tonight. Fluttershy, did you get that?”

”Hm?” Fluttershy snapped out of whatever daydream she'd drifted off into. ”Oh, yes! Nine tonight, at the library. I'll be there.” She turned to Rainbow and Applejack. ”I wish I could stay and help as well, but I need to get home and prepare dinner for myself and the animals.”

”Don't sweat it, sugarcube,” Applejack said. ”Rainbow an' I got it covered. Well, see y'all tonight, then!”

They parted, Fluttershy heading towards her cottage, Twilight and Pinkie towards town. Pinkie Pie remained silent the whole way, walking at a steady pace. Aside from her drooping ears and somewhat sagging mane and tail, she kept her expression neutral. Twilight should have been relieved she wasn't mumbling or giggling anymore, but somehow the silence was even more unsettling. Pinkie Pie and silence were practically antonyms.

”Well, here we are,” Twilight said as they reached Sugarcube Corner. ”Pinkie, are you sure about this? I know this whole cake thing is important to you, but you are really starting to worry me.”

Pinkie didn't even look at her as she replied: ”There's no need to worry, Twilight. I'll find a way. I have to.”

”That's not...” Twilight began, but Pinkie had already slipped inside the shop and closed the door hard behind her. Twilight sighed. ”...what I meant.”

Deciding there wasn't much more to do about it, she turned and headed home. She tried her best not to worry. Pinkie will be alright, won't she? I mean, she's Pinkie. No matter what, she always bounces right back like nothing happened. Still, Twilight had never seen Pinkie this distressed over anything before, except possibly during that misunderstanding on her own birthday.

Come to think of it, everypony's been acting a bit out of it today, she realized. It's probably just a coincidence, but it seems all my friends are either on edge, or not all there, or both. Well, except for Rarity, I suppose. She wasn't sure what to make of this line of thought, and so she ended up discarding it. She entered the library and called out: ”Spike, I'm home! Spike?”

There was no reply; apparently Spike had left for some reason. Twilight didn't particularly mind, though she noticed that her books and checklists were still scattered around where she'd left them. Normally Spike would tidy up her messes while she was away, even when she didn't ask him to. It struck her as somewhat odd he hadn't done so this time. Had he left in a hurry?

”Well, wherever he ran off to, that jewel better still be in one piece or...” Twilight cut herself short when she found the gem in question unharmed on the table where she'd left it. She smiled. ”Well, now I feel guilty for doubting him. I'll have to remember to reward him somehow to make up for it.”

Twilight decided she might as well start examining the stone. Dinner would have to wait until Spike returned and there wasn't much use trying to put together a party schedule until the rest of the commitee showed up. She probably wouldn't have time to form a conclusive analysis, but at least it would take her mind off everything else for a few hours.

”Alright, mister mystery jewel,” she said and picked the stone up, ”let's see if we can figure what exactly you are.”

She completely failed to notice the small plush doll on the floor by the table, mere inches from her hooves.

”I should tell her.”

After returning to her cottage and making sure all the animals were fed, Fluttershy had taken to restlessly pacing around her living room, her brow furled deeply behind her pink mane. She turned to look at Angel Bunny, who was trying to enjoy his dinner at the other end of the room. ”...Should I tell her? I should tell her, shouldn't I?”

Angel rolled his adorable bunny eyes. He hated it when his pony started ruminating. Looking up from his salad, he nodded emphatically and raised his tiny paw in the universal gesture of encouragement.

”You're right!” Fluttershy nodded with a new look of determination. ”I should tell her!” Then her frown returned. ”...But maybe her birthday isn't the best time?”

Angel put his paw over his eyes, shook his head, and continued eating.

Fluttershy started pacing again. ”I mean, what if it all turns awkward? I don't want to ruin it for her. I should wait until later.” She shook her head. ”But I can't! If I put off saying it much longer I may never get it done.” A weak smile dawned on her face. ”Maybe if I try to make it really romantic?” The smile faded. ”Oh, but I'm not very good at this sort of thing.” More pacing. ”I don't even know how to tell her. What if I mess up? W-What if she ends up hating me?”

She stopped and stomped the floor hard with her hoof. ”No! She would never hate me!” She glanced at Angel. ”...W-Would she?”

Angel put his paws on his hips and gave her a look of unbridled disappointment. He'd expected better from her.

Fluttershy sighed and slumped into her sofa, running her hooves through her mane. ”I know, I know! Oh Angel, I'm a mess. I wish I was braver. I wish I knew what to say to her.” She wished for a lot of things, in fact, and most of them involved a certain unicorn. But as the saying went, if wishes were horses...

Her eyelids felt heavy. How long had she been been this tired? Had she been getting enough sleep lately? Fluttershy wasn't sure, but her mind was weary from her mulling and the sofa felt very comfy. In a moment of weakness, she allowed herself to relax. Pretty soon she would have to head over to the library and help her friends plan the party. But resting her eyes for just a few moments couldn't hurt, could it?

Pinkie Pie was close to her breaking point.

The floor of her room at Sugarcube Corner was a mess of jumbled cake recipes and cookbooks with Pinkie sitting right in the middle of it, frantically checking them one by one in search of combination that worked. ”No. No.” Each time she was met with disappointment, throwing the recipe over her shoulder and picking up the next one. ”No. No. No! No! Nononono! NO!” She pulled her mane in frustration, the pupils of her eyes shrinking down to needlepoints of hysteria. ”Why is this so hard all of a sudden!? How can there be this many ways to not make a perfect birthday cake!? How is it even possible to not like chocolate!? AAAAUURGH!”

And suddenly it was as if a switch flipped inside her head. Her hooves fell back down and she stared blankly in front of her, still huffing from her outburst.

Slowly, Pinkie Pie let herself fall backwards. Her head hit the floor but her fluffy mane cushioned the impact like a large pillow. Lying spread eagle on her back, staring into the ceiling, she sighed deeply. Tears glistened in the corner of her eyes. ”I don't think I can do it.”

There was something calming about admitting it, but it didn't take the edge of her anxiety. Pinkie could now understand what Twilight felt like when she got too worked up over something. It wasn't a state of mind Pinkie found especially fun.

Why, oh why did she have to go make a Pinkie Promise? She hated having to break her promises, and especially the Pinkie ones. But now it looked like she would have no choice because if she didn't have a delicious cake that all her friends could enjoy by tomorrow her promise would break all on its own. ”Stupid!” she grumbled. ”Stupid me! Stupid Pinkie Stupidpants Pie!”

With another sigh, she sat back up and looked at the clock on her wall. There was still half an hour to go before the meeting, but she clearly wasn't getting anywhere. ”I guess I might as well head over to Twilight's place early,” she told Gummy. ”I'm sure Twilight won't mind, and maybe she can help me figure this out.”

The toothless alligator cocked his head, his misaligned eyes staring intently at nothing in particular. He'd been trying to eat a recipe for Black Forest cake that Pinkie had disregarded early on.

”You're right!” Pinkie said. ”Twilight is a very smart pony! If we both think about this a whole lot, I'm sure we can find a way to solve this problematic predicament! Thanks for the pep talk, Gummy! I feel a lot better now!”

Gummy replied by spitting out his half-eaten recipe, climbing Pinkie's bed and promptly falling asleep.

Wasting no time, Pinkie bounded down the stairs and left Sugarcube Corner, setting her course for the library. She did feel better, and even managed to smile again. Pinkie Pie was nothing if not an optimist. She was certain everything would be okay, somehow.

Applejack's buck sent a shudder through the trunk of the tree, knocking most of the apples out of it's branches and into the waiting bucket below. She wiped the sweat of her brow and stopped to catch her breath. Just a bit more to go.

”Hey, AJ,” Rainbow said, swooping over to her. ”I think we need to get to the library now.”

”We ain't done yet,” Applejack pointed out. Even with Rainbow helping and the two of them working as fast as they could, expecting to clear the whole field in time had proven to be a bit too optimistic. They still had several more trees to go, and on top of that the apples needed to be stored away as well.

”Yeah, well, we need to move now if we want to be on time for the meeting,” Rainbow said. ”So how you wanna do this? It's your call.”

Applejack frowned and chewed on her lip for a moment. She could always put it off, but that would mean more work tomorrow, which would mean even less time to help the others set up the party. She made her decision. ”Y’all go on without me. Ah'll wrap the rest up on my own.”

”You sure?” Rainbow asked. ”It will go faster if I help you.”

Applejack shook her head. ”Ah 'preciate the gesture, Rainbow, but there ain't no need for both of us to be late. You fly on ahead an' tell Twilight Ah'm mighty sorry Ah couldn't make it on time. Tell 'er Ah'll be down there in half an hour, tops.”

Rainbow looked somewhat doubtful, but nodded. ”Alright, if you say so. See you then.”

Applejack watched the pegasus speed off towards the town, painting her trademark rainbow streak through the air. High above, other weather pegasi were busy dressing the sky in clouds, and the sun had long since been covered up. Applejack recalled that a major rainshower had been scheduled for the coming night. Even more reason to get everything properly stored away.

A cold breeze swept across the orchard and even though the farmpony was sweating from the work, she still shivered slightly. ”Hoookay!” she sighed and tensed the weary muscles of her powerful hindlegs for another buck. ”Come on, boys, don't fail me now!”

Fluttershy stirred with a quiet murmur and yawned, stretching her wings. Not yet fully conscious, she blinked her bleary blue eyes while her mind floated gently in the shadow land between dream and waking.

Then she sat up in a sudden jerk and gasped. ”Oh no! I fell asleep! What time is it?”

Quickly getting on her hoofs, she peeked out of one of the windows. It was already starting to get dark outside. A look at her wall clock confirmed her fears; it was already an hour past the appointed time. ”Oh, this is awful!” she whimpered. ”I'm late for the meeting!”

Silently cursing her carelessness, Fluttershy hurried out the door and galloped towards the center of town. Her friends were no doubt waiting for her at the library and she desperately hoped they wouldn't be too upset.

The pleasant weather from earlier was long gone. A thick blanket of clouds now covered the sky and somewhere in the west, hidden from view, the sun was slowly sinking beyond the horizon taking the last of the daylight with it. Ponyville was in for a very dark night. A cold wind swept through the desolate streets, making Fluttershy shiver as she entered the town. She felt relieved when she approached the Golden Oak Library - the warm, inviting lights shining from the windows were almost enough to make her forget her anxiety over disappointing her friends.

She knocked on the door before carefully opening it. ”Hello? Sorry I'm late, I fell asleep.”

There was no answer. In fact, from what she could tell glancing inside, the library seemed deserted. She frowned. The others should have been there by now, so where were they?

Another cold breeze sent a shiver through her body and she felt the first few droplets of rain on her coat. Pretty soon it would all come pouring down. Rather than stand there in the doorway she quickly stepped inside. The door to the library closed behind her with a thud, but the sound was soon lost to the wind.

Ponyville lay silent, and the evening slowly grew ever darker. Fluttershy didn't return to her cottage that night.

The following morning, Rarity gently stirred to warm sunlight shining unto her face through her bedroom window. She pulled her sleep mask from her eyes with a sluggish hoof and yawned. Not yet quite awake, she stretched her limbs and tried to decide whether to get out of bed or return to sleep for a few more minutes.

She was then struck by a flying wrestling splash delivered by an over-excited little sister. ”Happy birthday, Rarity!”

The glomp startled Rarity and shook her out of her lingering stupor. ”S-Sweetie Belle!? What are you...” But then she looked up to see the smiling faces of her parents, Pearl and Magnum, who entered the room carrying presents and a breakfast tray. ”Surprise!” Magnum laughed. ”Breakfast in bed for the birthday girl!”

Rarity relaxed and returned her sister's hug. That's right, today's my birthday.

”Happy birthday, darling!” Pearl chimed and set the breakfast tray down on the bed. ”Why, you just keep getting prettier each year.”

”Thank you, mother, father,” Rarity said. She eyed the breakfast, and in particular the roundish mistreated lump of black coal that was obviously meant to be the centerpiece. It had a small colorful candle sticking out of the top, which only made it look more depressing somehow.

”I baked you a birthday cupcake!” Sweetie Belle declared proudly.

”She's really improved lately,” Pearl added.

”I... can see that,” Rarity said. It was technically true – at least the blackened thing still had the basic shape of a cupcake. Needing a distraction, she tried to think of something else to talk about. ”Speaking of which, um, will you be staying for lunch? You never told me you were coming so I'm afraid I don't have anything prepared.”

”Oh, we just wanted to swing by and congratulate you,” Pearl said. ”We don't want to take up too much of your time. I bet you and your friends already have something special planned for today, huh?”

Magnum chuckled. ”Yeah, if we know those friends of yours, you've got one heck of a party coming up!”

Rarity giggled. ”Oh, I wouldn't know.”

When Rarity left the boutique a few hours later, the sun was still shining brightly and the last of the rain that fell during the night had all but dried away. The air felt fresh and invigorating, and in the blue sky above the weather teams had nearly finished clearing the clouds away. It was a wonderful day, and Rarity walked with a spring in her step and a happy smile on her face. As her excitement grew, she started to sing:

A rare day rises, come and see

It dawns but once a year

So treat me like a royalty

Your birthday girl is here

Today I'm in the spotlight

I play the leading role

My rising star is shining bright

Come every stallion, mare and foal

And celebrate fair Rarity today!

Make merry, join the fun without delay!

I know that this might sound a bit cliché

But I'm a princess for a day!

Hip hip hurray!

”Hello, Rose!” she said as she approached the flower stand at the market.

”Hello, Rarity, and happy birthday!” Roseluck replied cheerfully. ”Here, have a callalily on me.”

”Why, thank you!” Rarity accepted the flower, adding: ”I don't suppose you've seen my girls around today?”

”Not that I can recall.” Rose frowned slightly. ”It's odd, Pinkie always stops by the stand in the mornings and Applejack usually say hello as well.”

”Oh,” Rarity sighed. ”Well, I'm sure they're around here somewhere. Thanks anyway.”

She continued on her way and picked up the song where she left off. As she sang, some of the other townsponies started to join in:

Yes, bring on the jubilation! (Happy birthday!)

The best that bits can buy (This is your day!)

I want a celebration fit

For a pony such as I

Oh tell me I'm the fairest sight (Such a beauty!)

The one you all hold dear (She's so charming!)

That's not too much to ask for, right? (Not at all!)

I mean, it's only once a year!

Allow me to indulge myself today (Whatever you say!)

And cater to my whims in every way! (This is your day!)

Each mare's a maid, each stallion a valet (Your every wish is ours to obey!)

And I'm a princess for a day!

Hip hip hurray!

Outside Sugarcube Corner, Rarity ran across Carrot Cake carrying groceries. ”Happy Birthday, Miss Rarity,” he greeted.

”Thank you, Mr Cake,” Rarity replied with a sweet smile. ”I wanted to ask, is Pinkie Pie around?”

”Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in a while,” Carrot said. ”But knowing her, she's probably just busy setting up another doozy of a party.” He winked. ”If you know what I mean.”

”Do I ever,” Rarity chuckled. ”Well, if you do see her, let her know I'm looking for her.”

She continued on her way, but now her smile started to falter and her song began to lose its cheer:

In spite of all this mirth and merrymaking

Though everypony smiles I start to frown

Pray tell, what joy is there in celebrating

If the friends I wish to see are not around?

But then she caught sight of Big Macintosh pulling a huge cart of apples, accompanied by Apple Bloom. She trotted over to them. ”Good morning, Macintosh, Apple Bloom.”

”Mornin', Miz Rarity,” Macintosh greeted. ”An' happy birthday.”

”Happy birthday!” Apple Bloom cheered.

”Thank you,” Rarity said. ”I was just wondering if you know where I can find Applejack.”

”Nnnope!” Macintosh shook his head.

”We didn't see her at all this mornin',” Apple Bloom clarified. ”But last night she said sumthin' 'bout goin' to see Twilight Sparkle. Maybe ya oughta check the library?”

”That's a good idea,” Rarity nodded. ”I think I'll do just that. You two have a nice day now!”

”Eeeyup!”

With a new look of determination, Rarity set course for the library.

I know that this will all turn out okay

And my every wish will be fulfilled today

And though I know this sounds a bit cliché

I'll be a princess for a day!

Hip hip hurray!

It's my day today!

The door to the library creaked open and Rarity stepped inside. ”Girls? Are you in here? Twilight? Spike?”

She was met only by silence, and indeed the library appeared to be deserted. The place was a bit of a mess, with books and scrolls strewn all about, and there was no sign of her friends.

Somepony had clearly been there, however, because the first thing to catch Rarity's attention when she entered was a huge pink cake resting on the table at the center of the room. She made wide eyes and approached it, and as she did her nostrils filled with the most wonderful fragrance that made her mouth water.

”Oh my,” she whispered. ”Is this... This must be my birthday cake!” It was pink in color, a light rose topped with large fluffy swirls of bright magenta frosting, and decorated with blue and yellow sprinkles. Pinkie Pie's colors, Rarity realized. She wondered what flavors the quirky baker apprentice had chosen for this masterpiece. ”I bet it's delicious. Just as long as she didn't use... blueberries!”

Rarity shivered at the mere thought of the blue horror. Surely Pinkie knew that she didn't like blueberries? They had never talked about it but she must have noticed, or been told by Applejack or Fluttershy. Rarity glanced at the cake. ”Well, there is one way to find out...” It was her birthday, after all, and the cake was almost certainly hers. The others wouldn't mind if she took a tiny, teeny, lady-like bite, would they?

She leaned over the cake and opened her mouth, but then paused. On second thought, wouldn't it be a shame to mar such a splendid piece of pastry before everypony was present? Restraining herself, Rarity settled for levitating one of the smaller swirls of frosting off the cake and letting it float into her mouth.

Her eyes immediately widened and she staggered away from the cake, for she no longer trusted herself not to devour it right away. The frosting alone was one of the most delicious things she had ever tasted. Clearly, Pinkie had outdone herself this time.

To distract herself from the temptation, Rarity took another look around the room and quickly spotted other objects she hadn't seen before. On one of the smaller tables stood a large hourglass she didn't recognize from her last visit. As a time-keeping device it was rather primitive, but Rarity had to admit it was a rather fetching piece of craftsmanship. The polished bronze frame was decoratively styled as the slender branches of a tree and within the glass golden sand slowly trickled down, dutifully counting each passing moment. Rarity would have admired it longer but something colorful lying at the foot of the table caught her eye instead. She picked it up with her magic and let out a high-pitched squeal. ”Oh my! Oh my!”

It was a pair of saddlebags, as blue as a cloudless sky, decorated with jeweled studs in all the colors of the rainbow. The fabric bore a subtle feather pattern and the flaps were stylized to resemble pegasus wings. Despite the flamboyant colors, it had a sort of regal dignity to it. Not to mention, it looked insanely expensive. In short, it was magnificent.

Was this a birthday present for her? Rarity wondered where in all of Equestria they'd found something like that. Canterlot? Manehattan? Prance? She didn't recognize the style, it wasn't a Chamel or a Hugo Bosal or anything she had ever seen before, but whatever it was she loved it. Blue wasn't her first choice, perhaps, but something about these saddlebags really stirred up her inspiration. She was positive she could put together a matching look that would turn quite a few heads.

By now Rarity was getting very impatient. Where are they? Maybe they're hiding, or Twilight turned them all invisible or something? ”Okay, girls!” she said loudly, just to make sure. ”You got me! You can come out now!”

No answer. Rarity frowned and as she turned around, her hoof touched something soft. She looked down and suddenly beamed a surprised smile. On the floor lay a small dragon doll made out of purple and green plush, clearly meant to resemble Spike. The plushie was dressed as some sort of knight, and it even had a small lance in its hand and a tiny crown sown to its head.

”Aw, that's adorable,” Rarity chuckled. ”My own little dragon prince, huh?”

Still, none of this made sense to her. It was clear that her friends had been here and they seemed to have made a lot of headway in the party preparations, but where were they now? And why had they left everything halfway finished like this for her to find? Had she simply arrived too early? Ought she leave now and wait for Twilight or Fluttershy to appear with a vague excuse to bring her back once everything was ready?

She placed the doll on the table next to the cake, and now spotted two books that seemed out of place among all the others. They were both smaller and thinner than the usual assortment of large tomes, old grimoires and lengthy novels Twilight kept her library stocked with. They looked more like journals. One was bound in golden covers, the other was purple and decorated by a large pink star. Rarity's eyebrows shot up when she recognized Twilight Sparkle's cutie mark. Could it be that she had found Twilight's diary?

”Oh, what have we here?” she all but shouted. ”I hope Twilight doesn't mind if I read her diary!”

Still no response. Twilight and the others completely failed to materialize out of nowhere. Rarity sighed. ”Oh well, perhaps a peek inside this will provide a clue to their whereabouts?” She grinned. ”Of course, normally I wouldn't dream of doing something like this, but desperate times call for desperate measures!”

Having thus eased her conscience she quickly opened the journal, but what she read was not only a disappointment but also very puzzling. It was really more of a calendar than a diary and every entry read the same thing:

06.30 p.m: Be a book.

07.00 p.m: Be a book.

08.00 p.m: Be a book.

09.00 p.m: Be a book.

10.00 p.m: Be a book.

11.00 p.m: Be a book.

Rarity closed the journal, frowning. ”Well, that was rather... surreal.” What use could Twilight possible have for something like that? She put the book back where she found it and picked up the golden one, mostly out of idle curiosity. It bore no title but there was a stylized pink heart on the cover. Rarity opened it and found that it seemed to be a book of poetry. Intrigued, she read the very first poem:

You are so beautiful to me,
A shining jewel, so strong and proud
How did you come to notice me,
This bird who fell out off her cloud?
My wish has always been to find
The words I've always longed to say
I yearn to tell all ponykind
How rich you make me feel each day
And so my heart, unlocked, sets free
These feelings I could never show
For you are beautiful to me
Much more beautiful than you know

Rarity wasn't sure what to make of it. This was not a printed book – in fact, Rarity could swear this was Fluttershy's mouthwriting. Was Fluttershy a poet? She'd never even hinted at such a thing to Rarity, and they had spoken about more personal things than that over the time of their friendship. And even if this book did belong to Fluttershy, what was it doing in the library? Rarity read the verse once more. It almost seemed like... a love poem?

She suddenly felt as if she had intruded on something deeply personal and private. Flustered for reasons she couldn't quite explain, she quickly put the book away. And that's when she saw the jewel.

It had lain hidden underneath the poetry book, which was why Rarity hadn't spotted it sooner. But now that she had laid eyes on it, the rest of the room seemed to disappear around her – the toy dragon knight, the cake and the saddlebags, the strange books and the hourglass, they all faded from her mind as she picked it up, utterly transfixed. Rarity considered herself quite the expert on gems and she had long since lost count of all the diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds she had handled over the years. But she had never seen a jewel like this before. It was dark like the darkest wine, dark like blood, and seemed to draw all light in the room into itself. At the same time it seemed to glow in some unnatural way. Deep inside it countless red stars glimmered.

”It's so beautiful!” she whispered.

Hello, Rarity.

Startled by a phantom voice she didn't recognize, Rarity quickly looked around the room, only to find that she was still alone. ”Who's there? Who said that?”

I did, said the mysterious voice. It was deep and soft like black velvet and seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I am the very stone were just admiring.

Rarity looked at the stone with a mixture of curiosity and disbelief. Was this some kind of prank? Had Twilight somehow set this up, perhaps at the suggestion of Rainbow or Pinkie? Or could it really be... ”What are you? Some kind of... talking jewel?”

I am much more than that, Rarity. I am an ancient magical artifact, with the power to grant wishes. A wishing stone, if you will.

”A magical wishing stone?” Rarity gasped in wonder. ”Why that's amazing! It sounds like something out of a storybook. Do you belong to Twilight?”

I belong to you now.

”You mean... you are one of my birthday presents?” Rarity let out a high-pitched squeal of delight and danced a little jig on the spot, unable to contain her excitement. ”Ooooh, this is the best! Birthday! Ever!”

Somewhere in the back of her head, it felt like she was forgetting something important, but she decided that could wait. All she could think about right now was the magnificent stone and how it was hers and hers alone. She stopped dancing and looked deep into its umbral facets, a thousand crimson stars twinkling in her eyes. ”So, can I have any wish I want?”

Indeed, said the stone. For I have the power to give my owner whatsoever her heart desires.

Rarity frowned. ”What I... desire?” She still had a nagging feeling she was forgetting something, but her head was all foggy, like the buzz of a few strong ciders. Had she been drinking? It was her birthday, after all.

All ponies desire something, Rarity. Fame, perhaps? Glory, perhaps? A second chance at an opportunity once lost, or revenge on those who have wronged you? Perhaps you have a fear you wish to conquer or a flaw to overcome? Or maybe something simple, like a perfect day, or to bring back a cherished memory that time has faded? Happiness, fortune, love, power! Tell me what you desire, Rarity.

”You mean... anything I desire?” Rarity asked.

Anything.

”But there is so much to choose from!” Rarity said. ”Why, I can wish for the largest diamond in the world! Or maybe every diamond in the world? Or I can become the greatest fashion icon in Equestria - no, make that in the history of Equestria! Oh, I can see it now, from Tall Tale to Manehattan my name will be spoken in awe! Or...” She blushed slightly. ”Or I could wish for the prince of my dreams to sweep me off my hooves and carry me away to a life of love and luxury, just like I've always wanted!”

Yes...

”Wait, who cares about some silly prince anyway? I could just wish to become a princess myself! Then I could easily have any stallion or mare I set my heart on, and wherever I go ponies will shower me in love and respect and diamonds! I could, bwahaha, I could even become an alicorn! Unsurpassed in beauty and grace! Second only to Celestia herself in radiance!”

Yes!

Rarity cradled the jewel in her hooves. Her face had twisted into maniacal grin and the shine from the jewel made her eyes appear to glow red. ”Oh, you wonderful thing! You are key to everything I have ever wanted, and you're mine! All mine!” She took a dramatic pose and raised her hoof in a great sweeping gesture across the room. ”The whole world is at my hooves! This truly is the best birthday I could ever... ever...”

She fell silent and lowered her hoof. Her eyes had fallen on the wonderful birthday cake Pinkie had baked for her. Her manic elation subsided, replaced by a sudden calmness. A gentle smile touched her face as she looked at the dazzling saddlebags. Noticing that the sand in the golden hourglass had all but run out, she gently turned it over. She sighed.

Is something the matter?

”...No,” Rarity shook her head. Her mind felt much clearer now. ”No, everything is fine. I've decided.”

Then make your wish.

With a determined look, Rarity held the wishing stone up and said: ”I wish that each of my friends be given a stone just like you!”

There was a pause.

What?

”I wish that each of my friends be given a wishing stone of their own,” Rarity repeated. ”I mean, why should I be the only one? This is the chance of a lifetime, and I would like to share it with everypony.”

But... your desires...

”Oh, I know, but look at all this!” Rarity gestured at the room in general. ”I already have so much. I have my business and my family and I have all my wonderful friends! With six more stones we'll have that many wishes to go around, and think of all the good we could do with them!” Rarity looked at the stone and smiled brightly. ”Well, that is my wish. What do you say?”

The wishing stone said nothing, for it had fallen silent and the lights inside it seemed to dim for a moment. Then it suddenly lit up like a flare and filled the library with scarlet light. Arcs of power shot out of it, dancing around Rarity's horn and sending magic tingling all the way to her hooves before leaping about the room from one object to another. In surprise Rarity released her magical grip, but the stone continued to float in the air by it's own power. Finally the light faded and the wishing stone turned dark like obsidian.

In a series of loud poofs, six objects around the room suddenly turned into five ponies and one baby dragon, all in a state of utter confusion. A calendar and a journal became Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy respectively, the later resting uncomfortably on top of the former in a pile of books. A beautiful blue saddlebag became Rainbow Dash and a bronze hourglass turned into Applejack. The birthday cake transformed into Pinkie Pie who immediately fell off the table she'd been sitting on, and a small plush dragon prince became Spike who picked himself off the floor with a sheepish look on his face.

The wishing stone fell to the floor, now completely lifeless, and with a sharp clinking sound it broke in six pieces.

”Oh no!” Rarity whimpered, frowning at the broken shards right before all her friends threw themselves at her in one large grateful hug.

”The wishing stone was never really a living thing,” Twilight explained once everypony had settled down. ”Though it lied about its true purpose, and clouded the minds of its victims to make them more vulnerable to its influence, it couldn't make it's own decisions. That's why it had to prey on our desires and wishes. It was a rather devious trap.”

”I see,” Rarity glanced to the remains of the stone. Twilight had determined that the shards had been rendered completely inert when the spell broke, though they now rested within a magical containment field just to be on the safe side. ”So you all made a wish on the stone, and it turned each of you into an object based on your wish? And since you all arrived here at different times...”

”...We all became trapped by the stone's enchantment before we figured out what happened,” Twilight finished with an embarrassed smile. ”I wished for the ideal schedule so I wouldn't have to stress so much and, well, you saw the results.”

”Ah wished Ah had more time to spend with ya'll,” Applejack said with a melancholic chuckle. ”Darned rock gave me all the time in the world, didn't it?”

”I wished for the perfect birthday present for Rarity. So, uh, it turned me into a bag, I guess?” Rainbow Dash explained. Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Spike remained silent, desperately hoping nopony would ask about their wishes.

”And I wished for the tastiest, most yum-tastical birthday cake ever!” Pinkie Pie cheered.

”Of course you did,” Rarity chuckled. But then she remembered something that made her feel a bit queasy. ”...I, ahem, I'm afraid I might have, er, sampled you ever so slightly.”

Pinky stared at her, head cocked, and everypony in the room suddenly looked slightly horrified. Then Pinkie quickly searched her body, as if looking for missing parts, before finally holding her tail up with a wide grin. ”Oh yeah, look! The tip of my tail is missing!”

As one, they all let out a sigh of relief.

”But I still don't quite understand,” Rarity turned back to Twilight. ”Why did my wish break the spell?”

”I'm not completely sure myself,” Twilight admitted. ”It may be that it couldn't fulfill your wish as long as we weren't ourselves, and that caused its magic to fail. Then again, you wished for six new stones and it broke in six parts, so maybe your wish forced it to shatter itself?”

”Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy finally spoke up, ”but I don't think that's it at all.”

Twilight frowned slightly. ”Really? Then what do you think, Fluttershy?”

”I think the spell broke because Rarity was the only one who didn't wish anything for her own sake,” Fluttershy said. ”I mean, I don't know a lot about magic, but whoever created that stone was probably a very selfish pony, I think, so it couldn't twist a truly selfless wish into something evil.”

”But darling, I'm sorry but that doesn't make sense,” Rarity protested. ”It seems to me you made your wishes for my sake, all of you! A birthday cake, the perfect present, time...”

”You're right,” Fluttershy said. ”We all made our wishes for you. We weren't being selfish, not really. But our wishes were still things we wanted. They were our desires. That's how the stone could exploit them.” She smiled at the unicorn – a very warm, loving smile. ”But not you, Rarity. You could have wished for anything you wanted, but instead you made your wish without asking anything for yourself. That's why it couldn't turn your wish against you.”

Rarity stared at her pegasus friend, speechless. Twilight, meanwhile, looked genuinely impressed. ”You know what,” she said, ”I think you might be right, Fluttershy.”

”Heh, makes sense,” Applejack laughed. ”Our Rarity was just too darn bighearted fer that sneaky old doodad to handle, weren'tcha Rare?”

”Yeah,” Rainbow grinned and playfully nudged Rarity in the shoulder, ”leave it to the Element of Generosity to try to give something away on her own birthday!”

Rarity remained silent, blushing slightly. Despite the praise, she felt humbled and a little bit ashamed. A part of her wanted to protest and tell them about all the vain, selfish wishes that had so easily occurred to her while under the wishing stone's intoxicating influence. But their smiles silenced her, and so she allowed them to continue uninterrupted.

All of a sudden, Pinkie Pie gasped: ”Oh no! Girls, today is Rarity's birthday! Do you realize what that means!?”

”My gosh, that's right!” Twilight frowned while the other mares started to look worried. ”The surprise party is ruined!”

A rather unladylike snort escaped Rarity. Try as she might, she could not keep a straight face. She pressed a hoof over her mouth to keep from erupting in uncontrollable laughter, but instead it flowed out of her in soothing waves that washed over the group and eased their worries.

”As... As much as I appreciate the thought,” she said, putting a hoof on Twilight's shoulder, ”I think I've had enough surprises for today, don't you agree?”

Twilight chuckled. ”Yeah, I guess you're right. And anyway, just because the surprise is ruined, that doesn't mean we can't still have the party, right?”

”Well duh! The party part is the best part!” Pinkie bounced happily up and down, all smiles and excitement. ”I'll get the party cannon!”

”What about Applejack's harvest?” Rainbow asked.

”Aw, to the hay with that,” Applejack said. ”Ah spent all day as an hourglass, ain't no way Ah'm catching up at this point anyways. We'll worry about that tomorrow. Today Ah say we've earned ourselves some fun!”

As one, they all cheered in agreement. Fluttershy smiled. ”Happy birthday, Rarity.”

”Darling,” Rarity returned the smile, ”you have no idea!”

Setting up the party took them most of the remaining day, but the whole thing went surprisingly smoothly – much thanks to Twilight's preparations and organization skills, Pinkie's expertise and liberal use of festivity artillery, plus the new-found feeling of harmony the six friends now shared. Perhaps the evil stone had been subtly influencing them all along, or maybe the adventure had simply given them a renewed perspective on things. Either way, their stress and worry had been replaced by enthusiasm and good cheer.

The party was held at Sugarcube Corner, which had been the plan all along. To everyone's surprise and delight, Pinkie somehow managed to produce a birthday cake very similar to the one she had previously been turned into, claiming to have baked it ”from memory.” However she did it, they all agreed it was the best cake they had ever eaten. In addition to the amazing cake, Applejack had somehow managed to conjure up a mouth-watering feast in record time, which was particularly appreciated as none of them save Rarity had eaten since the day before.

In the end, Rainbow Dash failed to acquire a fitting present for Rarity on time, and was rather crestfallen about that until Rarity pointed out that Rainbow had actually given her something much more valuable: Inspiration. Not only could she recreate the saddlebags from memory, but she could base a whole new ensemble on the design. This made Rainbow perk up considerably and she was quickly back to her usual high-spirited self.

As for Rarity, she got the birthday party she had wished for all along. She didn't have the world at her hooves, but she had her friends at her side and that made her feel richer than any princess. Together they ate and danced and laughed the day away. Everything was well in Ponyville.

Once the party was finally over, Rarity found herself strolling back to her boutique along with Fluttershy. Between the adventure with the wishing stone and everything that followed, it was now late in the evening, almost night. What clouds had remained since last night had long since been cleared away by pegasi and the entire sky was filled with stars. The moon was starting its slow ascent at the horizon, bathing Ponyville in a soft ivory shine. The two friends were amiably chatting to one another as they walked, enjoying the cool air against bodies warm from much dancing and play.

”One thing is certain,” Rarity said. ”This is one birthday I'll never forget.”

”I'm just glad everything worked out so well,” Fluttershy replied. ”But who do you suppose really sent Twilight the wishing stone?”

Rarity sighed and her smile faded somewhat. ”I don't have the slightest idea. I just know we'll have to be more careful from now on.”

Earlier during the party, Twilight had brought the group some distressing news: After sending a brief report to Celestia detailing the effects of the wishing stone and the events leading up to its destruction, the princess had been quick to send a reply revealing that neither she nor Cadence knew anything about such an artifact. An investigation had been launched to look into the matter, but the identity of whoever really sent the stone and the forged letter to Twilight remained a mystery for the time being.

This development had left a bad taste with Rarity, but she was determined not to let worry over shadowy enemies ruin the festivities. She had put on a brave face and taken comfort in knowing that come what may, she could always count on her friends. Even now, the presence of the timid pegasus at her side put her at ease, strange as that may have seemed.

”There's just one thing I'm still wondering about,” Rarity said as the two of them stopped outside the boutique. ”You said that all of you made your wishes for my sake, but you never told me what you wished on the stone. Why did it turn you into a book of poetry?”

”Oh, it's pretty silly,” Fluttershy mumbled, suddenly blushing. ”And embarrassing.”

Rarity shot her friend a sideways grin. ”Don't tell me you've been a poet all along and was afraid to tell us? You know you could have told me that.”

Fluttershy shook her head. ”No, that's not it at all. The stone turned me into that book because I asked it to help me put words to my true feelings. You read the poem, so in a way I guess it did.” She finally turned to face Rarity. She was terrified, but she still smiled. ”What I wished for was the words to tell the pony I love how I really feel.”

There was a moment of silence as Rarity's mind struggled to make the right connections. ”But...” Then everything fell in place and her eyes widened. ”...F-Fluttershy! You mean that you...”

But Fluttershy, overcome with embarrassment, turned away from her in the last moment. There was a sudden flutter of wings and she was gone. Unable to move, paralyzed by an overflow of thoughts and feelings, Rarity watched her fly off in the moonlight. Heartbeats passed by one by one, each lasting a century.

Then Rarity turned her eyes towards the stars, drew a deep breath of the chilly air, and smiled. ”Well now, I have to admit,” she said to herself, ”that was quite the surprise. Happy birthday, indeed!”

And then she started running.

”Fluttershy! Don't you dare run away from me!”

Her cry echoed through the clear evening air as she chased after the fleeing pegasus, and high above a thousand glimmering stars shone down on them. Ponyville was in for a bright, beautiful night.

Author's Note

So, this was my contribution to the Writer's Group contest. It didn't make the finals but I'm still extremely happy with it.

This is a somewhat edited version, so it's not exactly identical to the one I actually sent in, but I didn't change as much as I expected I would, so it's still pretty much the same story.