The Book

by Manes

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Alternate Universe, Sad, Dark
Length: 5153

One morning in the vibrant city of Manehattan, a washed-up stallion presents a strange, battered book to Rarity, claiming it to possess an extraordinary ability. But he seems desperate—afraid, like it may not be all it promises.

One morning in the vibrant city of Manehattan, a washed-up stallion presents a strange, battered book to Rarity, claiming it to possess an extraordinary ability. But he seems desperate—afraid, like it may not be all it promises.

Urging Rarity to dispose of it, he leaves it in her reluctant possession, hopeful that the elements of harmony can rid its apparently corruptive power from the world. But as Rarity's friends race to Manehattan to help her, will she be able to resist the pull of temptation?

Co-Authors, Cerulean Voice and MissingLink

A book that does whatever is written in its pages…

Take place before S4.

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2014-01-22 13:20:05 UTC

The Price of Power

The Book

Rarity.

A name synonymous with grace and beauty. She had it all: friends, a lovely sister and a glamorous, well-paying job she loved.

However, even these traits could not lift her spirits on this day, for she had failed to take the top prize at the latest fashion convention. Distraught and humiliated, she slammed her Manehattanite apartment door, making it undeniably clear that she wished to be left alone.

Yet, there would always be somepony who does not take a hint.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The now-aggravated mare turned her head towards the source of the annoying sound. She wished the stranger outside would leave her alone.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Rarity sighed. Then again, why would they? Oh well, the sooner see what they want, the sooner they can leave. She plastering her fake, signature business-smile on her face, trotted to the door and opened it.

“Yes? How can I—oh, goodness gracious!” Before her stood a rather ruffled-up stallion in the corridor. His jacket was excessively wrinkled, with large rips and tears through the sleeves. “What in Celestia’s name happened to you?” she asked in concern.

Ignoring Rarity’s question, the stallion reached within his saddlebags and fished out a book that seemed in even worse shape than its owner. It had clearly been battered from overuse, displaying some old scorch marks. Somehow—despite the excessive damage—the edges still held together in fine condition.

“T-Take this.”

Rarity gazed at the stallion, then back at the book. Raising an eyebrow, she rubbed her chin as she fell into deep thought. “What kind of book is it?” she finally asked.

“Excuse me?”

“What kind of book is it?” she repeated. “If you wish to sell it to me, you should at least inform me of its contents, darling.”

“Buy? What are you—” the stallion shook his head as he realised what she was referring to. “—No, this book isn’t for sale. Please, just take it from me! I insist!”

“Well, that’s nice to hear but I still have no idea what it entails.” She tried to close the door, only for it to be stopped by the stallion’s hoof. “Listen, I don’t—”

“Wait! Please, take this abomination!” he pleaded. “If you are really as generous as they say you are, the most charitable thing you can ever do for me is to take this off my hooves!”

Rarity grunted as she tried to push the door shut but her strength did not match up to the stallion’s own. “Sir, you’re frightening me. Please get off my door this instant or I’ll have to alert the authorities!”

“Please, Rarity! Take the damn book!”

Rarity loosened her grip on the apartment door. “How do you know my name?”

The stallion breathed a sigh of relief. “Perhaps I could tell you over a cup of tea?”

Rarity trotted over to the boiling kettle. Carefully, she levitated it towards the stallion at her fancy, compact round table—an impulse buy from Manehattan’s finest furniture store. “Careful, it’s hot,” she warned.

Tentatively, he reached for the cup. “Heh, thanks,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. A delicate sip rewarded him with the relaxing taste and scent of chamomile. Despite savoring its enticing properties, his smile soon turned upside-down as he stared at the book. “Lady Rarity,” he started, calm and polite from the tea’s effects, “do you know my name?”

Rarity put a hoof to her jaw in thought, then shook her head at the stallion. “I apologize, sir, but I don’t recall ever seeing or meeting you in my life.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. I suppose even you can’t keep tabs on everypony in the fashion world. My name is Stargazer. I used to run my own dress business here in Manehattan. It was the top-rated boutique in the entire city once.” He sighed. “That is, until I became a greedy fool, drunk with that damn book’s power!”

“So, what does this book...do?” Rarity asked, taking a seat opposite Stargazer. “Surely a single tome could not bring a sophisticated individual like yourself to the brink of ruin?”

“Oh, it can. And so much more, if you let it,” Stargazer confirmed, taking another sip of tea. “Basically, it does what you want it to do.” He tapped the top of the book, bringing an unexpectedly grim smirk to his face. Something in that sudden expression rubbed Rarity the wrong way. “You know that quote, ‘Life’s like a written book’?” he asked, his smirk growing wider.

Rarity nodded slowly, triggering an unsettling laugh from the stallion. “Imagine if you held the power to make you own dreams come true, simply by writing out the scene and… and...” he trailed off as his pupils shrank, inhaling and exhaling as he tried to calm himself. “Sorry... I fear the book has gotten too far into my head. I need to get it far away from me.”

“Where did you get this book from?” Rarity asked, feeling increasingly unsure every second.

Another sip. “I got it from a store that deals with all kinds of black-market material. It moves around a lot. I don’t even know its real name. Back then, I was a teenager seeking my fortune. I had no care for such things. I wanted a get-rich-quick scheme and the book provided it.” Suddenly, Stargazer began banging his head with a hoof, muttering the word “stupid” over and over again.

Rarity raised an eyebrow; clearly this stallion needed help. “So you’ve been using this... book... since you were a teenager?”

He nodded as he cradled his now-throbbing head. “It’s how my company got so famous in the first place. In turn, I became well-known. Of course, I was ignorant of the potential chaos the book could bring.”

“Let me stop you right there, Stargazer,” Rarity interrupted. “Why is this book so dangerous and why would you give it to me if this is so?”

He sighed. “Though I’m ashamed to admit it, this troublesome tome almost drove me to murder somepony out of rage. The more I used the book, the more of its corruption coursed through my veins. I almost lost control of myself.”

“So... why me?”

“Because,” Stargazer pressed, “I know that you happen to bear an Element of Harmony. I hope that you and the other bearers would be able to destroy the book’s corruptive power by combining your elements.” His composure slipped a little, leaving the more neutral Rarity slightly more wary. “Please, Lady Rarity. Please, at least try to destroy it! I beg of you!”

Rarity sighed as she gazed at the disfigured book. “I suppose... I’ll have to write a letter to Princess Twilight Sparkle and tell her about this problem on our hooves.”

Draining his cup and rising from his chair, Stargazer trotted to Rarity and pulled her into a hug, tears filling his eyes. “Thank you so much, Rarity. Just one more thing. Promise me you won’t open the book, for your own sake.”

Rarity gingerly returned the embrace. “I promise,” she said as she broke the hug. “You take care of yourself, Stargazer.”

After the stallion departed, Rarity sat at her apartment desk, where she would be whenever she was brainstorming her new line of dresses. Now, however, her priority was informing Twilight of the predicament she found herself in. She levitated a quill, dipped it into some ink and began:

Dear Twilight,

While my time here in Manehattan has been splendid, I must get right to the point of this letter. A stallion by the name of Stargazer came by my apartment today and claimed to have an enchanted book. Supposedly, this book makes everything written in it by the user come true.

I write to you because he entrusted it to my care, though I was reluctant at first to take such a badly damaged and tacky-looking book of unknown provenance. Having sat down and conversed with him, I have good reason to believe that the book, while powerful, may have very serious side-effects to the user. It appears that Stargazer has become… unstable because of it. I need you and the girls to meet me here with the Elements, so we may try to dispose of it. He seemed completely convinced that the Elements can destroy it, though you may find a way to do so without such drastic measures.

I’ll explain more when you get here. Please hurry.

Your friend,

Rarity.

Rarity absent-mindedly hummed a tune as she levitated her unfinished work over to the desk. It was part of a new line she’d been planning for weeks; one that would surely amaze any who beheld it. She planted her hooves firmly on the dress, keeping it straight and steady as she ran it through her sewing machine.

Whirrrrrwhirrrrrrwhirrrrrr….

Tick! Tock! Tick! Tock!

As she worked, images of her new line’s debut flashed through her mind, though she couldn’t help but imagine even the horrible outcomes as well…

“I’m sorry, Rarity, but you didn’t make the cut.”

“But-but I worked so hard up until this moment... I can’t lose, I CAN’T!”

“Sorry, maybe you should've worked harder, sweetcheeks.”

Eventually, she forced herself to stop thinking such thoughts, though the doubt still lingered. From what he told me, it’s fairly simple to use, Rarity thought. Worry and caution warred against her desire to aspire to even greater heights within the fashion world. Alas, she was slowly losing the battle against temptation, her conviction eventually sweeping her worries aside. Rarity turned off the machine and trotted over to the table where the beaten book sat.

She quickly averted her gaze from the book as unbidden thoughts of Stargazer's condition resurfaced. “I shouldn’t…” she muttered under her breath as she raised a hoof. “But if I am to assure my glorious rise to the top, I must use every bit of creativity, every tool at my disposal. Why, this is nothing more than another way of being creative!” she reasoned. “To write my own destiny… To have my designs, my creativity and artistry be used at my full potential…” Her hoof slowly slid its way towards the frayed cover. She caressed it with slight reverence before opening the book… only to be rewarded with a blank page.

She stared at the book’s contents—or lack thereof—laid out before her, confusion plastered upon her face. She flicked from page to page, hoping to see something there, though it stubbornly remained blank. Where are the words that Stargazer wrote? This book should be packed with his past memoirs! Could he have been lying about the whole thing? If it’s as powerful as he would have me believe...

Rarity gasped, pulling her hoof back as though it burned at what she saw next. She had seen, even performed great feats of magic in her life, but this…

No, this can’t be possible...

Words written appeared before her very eyes, none of which she wrote herself:

Fear’s icy grip clenched Rarity’s heart as she came to understand the book’s power. She knew now that the stallion’s words rang true; anything she wrote, be it dreams, desires, any wish… they were all very possible now. She tried to force the selfish, impure thoughts from her mind, but she needed the book—and the book required a new master.

Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the book had lured in a new puppet to play with, using her very mind to lead her into its jaws. As the sun set and the shadows grew longer, a sinister grin spread across the unicorn’s face.

“Let’s rewrite the results of the last fashion convention for a more—” she giggled “—satisfying conclusion.”

Rarity stood with another unicorn fashionista named Castle as they faced a large crowd of mares and stallions. The sophisticated crowd before them desired a top-tier dress to buy after the show. The fashion audiences and elite were of a critical sort, their judging eyes failed to strike even a little fear in Rarity.

A stallion trotted up to the stage, modelling a white suit he made himself. Hoster was his name; famous for creating the first fashion convention in Manehattan. He trotted towards the crowd with a smug grin on his face, feeling the crowd’s energetic excitement course through his veins. Being his talent, he knew what they wanted. He levitated his golden microphone to his mouth and prepared to speak to his fans. The crowd replied with a lively, yet appropriate cheer.

Hoster chuckled, swiftly waving his foreleg to his left side of the stage where Rarity stood. The crowd roared as they gazed upon Ponyville’s most famous fashionista, some knowing Rarity quite well. “Alright, on my left we have Miss Rarity, from Poooonyvilllle!”

Hoster’s smile spread from ear to ear and his heart pounded at the fans’ reaction towards Rarity. Oh yes, I’m going to make some big bucks after this. He trotted towards the more nervous mare as the fans’ attention focused on her. “And on my right, we’ve got Miss Castle from Cannnterloooooot!”

The crowd cheered even louder as the mares were introduced.

Hoster smiled as he levitated his microphone towards his muzzle. Just as he was about to announce Castle’s victory, time seemed to slow down…

“And the winner is...” Every pony collectively held their breath as he opened the letter. The wind whistled in the air; leaves on the ground brushed past the Manehattan ponies’ hind legs as silence filled the air.

“...Rarity from Ponyville!”

Rrrrrriiinng!

Rarity’s head jolted up from the desk as if she had been struck by lightning. She cocked her eyes towards the source of the horrid sound ringing inside her ears—the clock.

She staggered wearily to the source of the grating noise. Her hoof hovered inches from the clock’s off switch for a moment before finally pressing the relief-bringing button, silencing the accursed sound. Moments after the silence returned, so did her thoughts: What in Celestia’s name happened last night?

Her comfort zone was soon broken as a titanic voice crept its way inside Rarity’s mind, making her heart pound furiously against her chest. The tone of the menacing voice sent a shiver down Rarity’s spine with its words:

“The words of the new author will bear witness to the death of the old."

“....What are you?”

“I am your destiny, and your doom...”

Rarity’s eyes widened with disbelief as she softly whispered, “What I have done?”

“You murdered an innocent stallion, all in the name of achieving your own desires.”

The following moment saw her mind retreating to the safe depths of unconsciousness as she refused to comprehend her actions. “No, I didn’t kill him...I couldn’t have!”

“You did, Rarity. You killed him to satisfy your own egotistical needs.”

A waterfall of fresh tears began to trail down Rarity’s face. “I didn’t do it!” she protested with great vehemence. “I would never do such a thing!”

“He warned you of the trouble I might release should I be used by another, but NO! You didn’t listen to him. Your selfish ambition has now cost this stallion his life. You. Killed. Him.

“I’ll bring him back!” Rarity shouted, a look of determination plastered on the fashionista’s face. “I’ll write him his life back and once I’m done with that I’ll destroy you, you atrocity!”

The voice only chuckled, malevolence permeating into Rarity's mind as she felt her temporary confidence shatter. “You can’t write him back. Even my power is limited in some certain ways. And you, trying to destroy me?” it chuckled, “do you really think he didn’t already try that himself?”

“You mean… really, I… his blood, on my…” Feeling her forelegs sapped of strength, Rarity sagged down to the rough rug and began to sob as the sense of failure impaled her heart.

“You’re mine, Rarity.”

A couple of days later, Twilight and the others walked into the hotel lounge in Manehattan. All they had to go on was Rarity’s uninformative but desperate letter.

The walls were sticky with dust, smoke and “leftovers” from previous visitors. The lounge was lathered with dirt and bits of unnameable things lying in the corners. Clearly, the pony hired to clean didn’t even bother to do their job… if there even was one. The first sign of trouble, according to the girls, was that Rarity chose this hotel to stay at, rather than one that was cleaner—not to mention the noticeable lack of prestige among certain other “questionable” dealings.

When Twilight trotted to the front desk, she found a large stallion slumped in his chair, snoring like a beast—and of questionable sobriety, judging by the smell. “Excuse me, can I have the room number to a mare named Rarity?”

The stallion continued to snore, showing no signs that he heard Twilight at all.

Rainbow Dash trotted up to the desk. She stopped and turned to Twilight with a frown on her face.

“Let me handle this,” she said. She raised her hoof high in the air before thumping it against the desk.

BAM!

The stallion sprung up from his chair, landing on all four hooves. He jerked his head towards the front desk where he spotted the culprit. Frowning, he gruffed, “You had to interrupt my beauty sleep, didn’t you?”

“Rainbow! That’s not how you treat other ponies!” Twilight exclaimed, peeved that her friend used such methods. “Excuse my friend’s behaviour, but could we please have the room number for Rarity?”

The stallion sighed as he extended his foreleg inside his desk to scrounge for the sign-in ledger. A moment later, the worn tome sat on the desk as he searched for the mare in question. “She’s in room 207. Now please, let me get back to sleep.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course. Thank you, sir.” Twilight trotted away towards the stairs, her friends following suit.

Rainbow Dash scoffed. “Twilight, why didn’t you do something about that moron? He was totally unprofessional!”

“Because we have bigger problems to deal with right now, Rainbow,” Twilight said, “and we can’t stop to pick a fight with somepony all because they were slightly rude.”

Rainbow stared at Twilight, confusion plastered on her face. “Slightly?”

“Umm, Twi?” Applejack started.

“He didn’t know we were there because he had been working hard. He deserves some rest. The fact that he was sleeping doesn’t give us the right to startle him like that!”

“Twi?”

Rainbow Dash snickered. “What’s going on? You two dating or something?” she joked and began doing kissy faces at Twilight. “His fat flank should have been loyal to his job, not sleeping!”

“Twilight, we need to focus—”

Twilight rolled her eyes at Rainbow’s foolishness. “Rainbow Dash, stop behaving like a little filly and focus on the task here!”

“Twilight—”

“I love you and I love you too, Twilight. Smooch. Smooch.” She chuckled.

“Twilight!” Applejack shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Yes, Applejack?” Twilight said, turning her attention away from Dash.

“Ah’m curious about what this book Rarity has actually does.”

“Well in the letter, Rarity says it grants whatever the user writes in it. But it also comes with a possibly dangerous side-effect.”

“And that is?”

“...Corruption.”

Fluttershy gasped. “You don’t think—”

Silence filled the air. A cold sensation caressed the mares’ coats with its icy hands. Twilight sighed. “I hope not,” she muttered.

“Miss Rarity, you look simply marvellous.” A stallion in a black suit complimented Rarity on her dress. A small, blue diamond similar to Rarity’s cutie mark was embedded in the middle of his suit. “Shall I fetch a diamond crown to go with it?”

Rarity whirled around as she gazed in amazement at her new white dress, heavily encrusted with diamonds. Her name was embroidered on the right side of her chest. “No, I think that is all.”

He nodded. “Ummm, Miss Rarity?”

Rarity groaned. She stopped gazing at her dress and turned her attention to the stallion. “What is it, Gubler?”

“Well I took the liberty of moving your book—”

SLAP!

Rarity lashed out, striking her butler across the face. “Don’t ever touch my book, do you hear me?!” Her words dripped venom as she shouted. “I wrote you here for one reason and one reason only.”

“To serve you,” Gubler muttered, gripping his now sore face. When he glanced at his mistress’ face, he saw bags under her eyes. When she’d shouted, a green shade of light glistened in her eyes.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

“Gubler, fetch the door will you, please?”

Gubler nodded. “Yes, Miss Rarity.”

“My Lady, there are five ponies here to see you.”

Rarity smiled. “Good, my friends are here.” She clapped her hooves together as she motioned Gubler close. “Be sure to treat them well—they are my guests, after all.”

Twilight and the others trotted into the room where Rarity awaited. “Hey, Rarity!” they shouted in unison, smiling brightly.

“Hello girls, how are you? It is a delight to see you all.”

Pinkie Pie sprang onto Rarity and pulled her friend into her signature, bone-crushing hug, “I’ve missed you soooooo much!”

“Can’t… breathe…”

Pinkie released her hulk-ish grip and giggled. “Oopsy-whoopsy! I forget how strong I am sometimes.”

Rarity groaned, rubbing her sore spine. “Yes, I suppose you do.”

“So, how was your time here in the city, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked quietly, barely audible even at close proximity.

“It was just splendid, darling.”

Rainbow Dash chuckled and lightly tapped Rarity's back, eliciting a short cough from the unicorn. “Did you beat out the competition, fancy-tail?”

“Well I wouldn’t put that way, but… yes, I did win,” she said with a cocky grin.

“Umm, Rarity,” Twilight interjected, “I’m happy for you and all, but can we talk about something in private? It’s important.”

Rarity stared at Twilight, confusion evident on her face, but shrugged it off. “Sure… everypony!” she called out to the others, gaining their attention. “Make yourself at home; my butler will retrieve anything you require. Just inform him and he’ll be on the deed in an instant.”

Twilight and Rarity trotted to the room where she created her dresses. However, all that remained inside the room now was a desk, quill and the book.

Entering the room with Twilight in tow, Rarity closed the door behind her and asked, “So, what is so important that you have to tell me in private?”

“Do you have the book with you? I wanted to ask you about it alone because the girls just got here. It’s been a long trip and I don’t want them to get down to business so quickly.”

“W-what book are you talking about?” Rarity asked, a nervous smile plastered on her face.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. “The one you mentioned in the letter?”

“I’m sorry, darling, but I don’t know what you are talking about.” Rarity giggled nervously as a bead of sweat began to trail down her forehead. “Perhaps you misunderstood what I was trying to say in the letter.”

“Rarity, what’s going on?”

“Nothing at all, dear. Everything’s fine.”

Twilight sighed. “Please, Rarity, tell me what’s the matter… you look nervous.” She trotted to Rarity and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

Rarity looked at Twilight’s hoof resting on her shoulder. A sudden rage boiled in her heart and her eyes blazed with anger. “Get your filthy hoof off me!” she shouted, slapping Twilight’s hoof away.

Twilight gripped her hoof, cradling the pained appendage. “Rarity, what’s gotten into you?”

Rarity closed her eyes before shaking her head violently. “I’m sorry, Twi… Twi… Twilight!” Her eyes shot open, glistening an unsightly green. “You and the others are just here for the book!”

“Oh no.” Twilight placed a hoof over her mouth as she began to sob. “Oh Celestia, please tell me you didn’t…”

Rarity shivered, staring at Twilight with tears in her eyes. “I’m… so-sorr-sorry…” she said between sobs. “I’ve failed you.”

“No, Rarity! Please, don’t do this!” she rushed to Rarity's side. “Fight it! You can do it!

“I can’t!” she screamed. “Please forgive me!” She pushed Twilight off her as her eyes gleamed emerald. “Get out!”

“Rarity, please let me help you—”

“I said, get out!”

Twilight shook her head. “I’m not leaving, Rarity! C’mon, fight it!”

Rarity scoffed. “NO! Leave before I help you leave!”

Realizing Twilight was not going anywhere, Rarity lunged at the alicorn. Twilight raised her hooves to block the attack.

“Rarity, stop!” Twilight yelled, still slightly in shock from the surprise strike. She looked at her friend’s eyes and gasped.

They were filled with corrupting emerald light!

Without thinking, Twilight ignited her magic, encasing Rarity’s form and pulled her away forcefully.

“Ahhh!” Rarity yelped as she slammed into the floor.

“I’m so sorry, Rarity!” Twilight exclaimed, worried that she might have used too much force.

“Rrr…rraaaagghhh!” Rarity roared so loudly that a Manticore would have cowered. Leaping off the ground, the enraged alabaster unicorn turned to face Twilight, eyes blazing green. Apparently, not only did the book grant the wishes of the user, it increased their strength tremendously as well. Baring her teeth, Rarity pounced upon the alicorn again.

Learning from experience, Twilight took evasive action and dodged the strike. “Rarity! Calm down!” she shouted.

“NOOOO!!!” Rarity bellowed, gearing up for another charge.

Twilight concentrated her magic and prepared another spell. “You leave me no choice, Rarity.”

Just as Rarity was about to attack Twilight for the third time, the alicorn fired her magic at her, colliding with her in mid-air. Rarity rebounded into the wall, body falling limp onto the ground.

“I’m sorry,” Twilight muttered.

Just then, the door came flying off its hinges and landed on the other side of the room. Applejack—returning from her apple-bucking position—gasped in horror, “What in the hay happened here?!”

Twilight turned to face her friends minus Rarity, who was still sprawled on the floor. A mixture of concern and shock was etched on their faces.

“Is Rarity—”

“No, she’s not dead!” Twilight yelled.

“Whoa! Calm down, sugercube. What happened?” Applejack asked, slightly disturbed by the scene.

“I’ll explain later. Right now, we need to get to Canterlot. ASAP!”

“So she just attacked you like that?”

Twilight nodded in response. “The book controlled her, fuelling her rage. I couldn’t convince her to calm down. I had no choice but to knock her out with a spell.” The five friends stared at the limp body of the sixth member of their group.

“Is she going to be okay?” Fluttershy squeaked, concern definite in her almost inaudible voice.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Twilight muttered.

“How do you know?” Rainbow Dash asked, unconvinced.

Twilight deadpanned, “Rainbow, I got this. She’ll be fine.”

“I trust you on that,” Rainbow said, glancing at Rarity. “But… no offense, you don’t know everything.”

The alicorn sighed. “I know. That’s why we’re headed to Canterlot. To find out whether Princess Celestia has a solution.”

“...and then we can get our friend back!” Pinkie exclaimed in delight.

“Yes, Pinkie. I really hope so.”

“Princess! I had no choice. She wouldn’t—”

“I understand, Twilight. You tried to talk to her but she didn’t listen,” Princess Celestia placed a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “You did what you could.”

Twilight sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to do that. I hate having to attack one of my closest friends,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. Just then, she felt a wing being draped over her and pulling her close. Twilight looked up to see Celestia, concern plastered on her face.

“Worry not, Twilight. The memory-erasing spell will ensure that Rarity remembers neither the book nor its corruption.” Celestia comforted Twilight. “It’s for the best.”

“Are you sure?”

Celestia nodded. “I’m sure. After all, she would have wanted you to do that.”

Silence reigned over the throne room as the two alicorns sat looking out over horizon, the sun about to set. Curious about the fate of the book, Twilight looked up at her former mentor and asked, “Celestia, what happened to the book?”

“It has been locked in the Canterlot Archives, heavily guarded and in its own enchanted vault. Only my sister and I will be able to access it.”

Twilight sighed. “I’m worried, Celestia. I don’t know if the spell worked. I just really hope it did, for her sake and the rest of Equestria.”

Celestia hugged Twilight as she whispered, “I hope so too.”

After a while, Celestia pulled away from the hug. “Now, I must get going. It is time for Princess Luna to raise the moon for the night to begin. As for you, Twilight, you have some friends to get back to.”

“Thanks for your help, Celestia. Twilight bowed.

Princess Celestia smiled. “I didn’t do anything. I simply gave you my advice. If anything, you were the one who reacted well in the face of adversity. Well done, Princess Twilight Sparkle.” She turned around and began trotting towards the exit.

“Wait, Princess!”

Celestia stopped mid-step. “Yes, Twilight?”

“What if…what if Rarity remembers the book and does more than tell me to go away?”

Princess Celestia replied solemnly. “We’ll have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. I’m sorry, Twilight. The book is most likely an ancient relic from millennia before my time. There’s no way to destroy it. We can only keep it away from prying eyes.”

Twilight sighed. “It’s alright, Celestia. Of course I trust that you’ve done all you can. I’ll keep Rarity in check.”

With that, Twilight left the throne room to find her friends.

That night...

“I can’t believe how tired I am…” Rarity muttered as she got into bed. “Today’s events must have drained me quite a bit.”

Rarity stared blankly for a moment. She couldn’t seem to recall what had happened hours ago and none of her friends wanted to comment on it.

“Perhaps a good night’s rest will restore me to my usual, marvelous self,” Rarity said to herself. Once she was comfortable, the unicorn flicked off the light switch with her magic and closed her eyes...

Your selfish ambition has now cost this stallion his life.

Rarity grunted as she tossed and turned in her bed, trying to get more comfortable.

You can’t write him back.

Sweat began to drip down Rarity’s head, heart rate increasing. She jerked her head to the right side of the pillow, trying to shake the voice off.

You. Killed. Him.

Rarity’s sprang up from her bed and scream. She placed her hoof on her chest where her heart was, breathing in and out to calm herself down.

“Must’ve been a nightmare,” the unicorn assured herself before laying back down on her bed and falling into a deep slumber.

As the night drew on, a subconscious muttering could be heard emanating from Carousel Boutique. A hint of emerald flashed under the eyelids of the speaker.

You’re mine, Rarity. Always and forever.

“Always and forever.”

The end?