At the Beginning of Everything
The Sweetie Chronicles: Fracture
By Wanderer D
Rarity carefully levitated the plate into its place, closing the cupboard behind it. The boutique was empty. It always was now. She heard a purr and felt something soft press against her foreleg, followed by a questioning meow. "Come here, Opalescence," she said tiredly, as she levitated her cat onto her back. "Let's go sit down on the sofa so mommy can take care of you."
The pair made their way out of the kitchen and to the living room to where the sofa was, where Rarity gently levitated Opalescence onto, before laying on it herself. She absently stroked the soft fur with her hoof, as her eyes drifted to the coffee table, where a couple of scrolls from Princess Celestia lay abandoned, half rolled, next to several cups of coffee.
It pulled at her heard and she had to look away. "Oh, Opal, when is she coming back? What if the Princess and I can't reach her? What if we're too late?"
Opal meowed in response, nuzzling Rarity's hoof and drawing a smile from her face. "Oh, Opal, you always know the best thing to say." Rarity giggled and brought up the cat so she could nuzzle her back.
A soft knock on the door drew their attention, and Rarity had barely opened her mouth to call whoever it was in, when it opened.
"Hello, Rarity," Fluttershy said with a smile. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" she asked, as her eyes took in the room.
'It's funny, Rarity thought. 'The first few times she had done that, I got so angry and defensive. And now...' she sighed. 'Now I just feel bad.
"Don't worry, Fluttershy," Rarity assured her, forcing a smile. "I'm just resting with Opalescence here."
"Oh, hi Opal!" Fluttershy giggled. "Who's a good kitty? I'm so proud of you, taking care of Rarity!"
Opal preened under Fluttershy's praise, and Rarity couldn't help but smile more honestly this time. "She has been taking care of me, Fluttershy, she's a good kitty."
Fluttershy took a seat on one of the chairs and pulled out a small container from her saddle-bags. "Here you go, Rarity."
"Oh joy," Rarity muttered, levitating the pills and putting them on the coffee table. "More pills."
"Oh, it's only until you get better!" Fluttershy said hastily, then recoiled. "I'm sorry, I—"
"Now, Fluttershy," Rarity sat up and smiled a bit sadly. "We both know that I need them... and why."
Fluttershy licked her lips, and looked away, nodding.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Rarity asked after a moment had passed in silence.
Fluttershy cringed, looking back at her and shaking her head. "I don't ever want to remember that. Please?"
Rarity patted the empty space next to her on the sofa, and as soon as Fluttershy had sat next to her, she gave her a heart-felt hug. "I won't bring it up again, I promise."
Fluttershy nodded, and after a slightly tighter squeeze, Rarity let her go. "Have you heard anything from Zecora?"
Fluttershy nodded a little, placing a comforting hoof on top of Rarity's. "She's made some contact with other Zecoras in other worlds... she says so far only one has heard of our Sweetie, but it was a long time ago. But she's looking. She's trying to have the others figure out where Sweetie has been to see if we can make sense of it."
Rarity took a deep breath. "At least we found one." She let the air out slowly. "Would you like some tea, Fluttershy? I still have some of Zecora's."
"Um... yes? It's not the dreaming tea, is it?"
Rarity shook her head and headed towards the kitchen. "Not at all... I asked Zecora not to give me any more... unless you both were there."
She slumped a bit, hoof on the door. "I just miss her, Fluttershy. So much it hurts. I know what I did wouldn't bring her back. I know I've risked not seeing her if she does ever come back, but... it hurts."
She pushed into the kitchen, feeling a bit silly for essentially just running out of the room before letting Fluttershy reply. She shook her head. 'Fluttershy will think nothing of it, but I need to get a grip!'
She had just started heating water for the tea when she noticed something that hadn't been there before.
On the kitchen table rested a white-covered book, with some sort of stylized dragon or creature on it and a small, purple gem of some sort in its claws. Leaving the water to boil, Rarity took a look at it, frowning. The figure looked familiar... each part of it was a different gem, cut to fit like a puzzle.
She gazed at it, eyes widening when she realized who it was supposed to be. "But... Discord? Isn't he still trapped in stone?"
The universe spun into lights and flashes of color. Thousands of voices pulled at her attention, memories flashed and faded, fears boiled until they burned away and insecurity festered like a weed growing into her spine.
She rejected the words.
She spurned the unsaid demands.
She laughed at the frustration of the universe. At the demons. At the fakes. At the thieves. At fate.
The cacophony of voices, images and emotions grew in volume until it was deafening and they were all lost within each other.
The chaos died and a song rose around her, like a chant that beat in rhythm with her heart, or maybe it was her heart that beat to the universe's rhythm.
Order from chaos.
The universe slowed down. The memories rushed back in, with the fears, insecurities, hopes, denials... she batted the rest away. She did not want to do what the rest wanted. She was herself! She was nopony else! She was not to be controlled!
It was daytime.
She could feel the sunlight bathing her, warming her. She could hear birds chirping, and distant voices.
She was lying on something soft. Her nose immediately recognized it. 'Grass'.
She opened her eyes and realized she was in a small crater on a grassy hill overlooking… 'Ponyville?'
“W-where... what?” She looked at her hooves extended in front of her, her mane, and coat. It was pristine. Her coat was soft and white, her mane pink and purple… her glamour was active and more powerful than ever… even she couldn’t tell it wasn’t her real appearance.
Breaking glass. Torn, crackling steel beams. Vertigo. Rushing air... Pain!
She gasped, hugging herself against the flood of... of... memories? Some sort of mental attack?
“Ah think Ah heard somethin’!” a familiar voice called out. “Over here!”
Soon, two familiar fillies came galloping up to her only to stop and stare at the young mare.
"A-apple Bloom," she gasped. "It's me... it's—"
“S-Sweetie Belle?” Apple Bloom stammered, eyes wide. She carefully walked around the young mare, older than either her or Scootaloo. “B-but y’all died when Twilight’s lab exploded!”
Sweetie Belle smiled. "I'm home."
