There was a ringing silence in the house, except Pinkie's soft snoring in the guest room, and I made my way into the living room. Zecora was asleep on a small cot that she had set up next to her table, and Rainbow Dash was lazily stretched on the couch. I thought about waking Ditzy to go to Ponyville and get my tools that we'd left by the Carousel Boutique, but she simply looked so peaceful that I couldn't bring myself to do it. I eventually walked back to the bedroom and sat in the floor by the bed. Ditzy had stirred quite a bit in the night, and the covers ended up with most of her flank exposed.

I thought about the day before and how we had fought with each other. Well, more accurately, I had fought with her, but at any rate, I thought about ways to make it up to her. While it seemed crude, a waking sexual assault played in my mind, and I figured that I'd just slide my hoof between her legs, wait for her consciousness to return, and then she would join me. If it was my bed and my home, I probably would have done it, but I felt it would be weird to have sex in Zecora's bed. While we didn't exactly keep our relationship a secret, we weren't explicit to my friends that Ditzy and I were together, and walking in on us while we were in the throes of passion was likely not the best way to reveal it either. I turned my attention from Ditzy's rump and looked at my clothes on the wall.

Ponyville wasn't very far from here, and the radiation didn't seem nearly as dangerous as the other places we'd visited. I assumed that this was because the yaks' target was very specific; therefore, they didn't need as big a payload. What was confusing me was the fact that the yaks clearly wanted Twilight dead, and if that was the case, why not send the largest force in their arsenal? The crater was not like the kilometer-wide scar in the ground below Cloudsdale, and it was far from the effects of the Vanhoover bomb; it was only about a hundred meters across which is why I figured it was much smaller. But why? Was it because Ponyville wasn't a strategically advantageous location?

I pushed the thought aside and became set in what I was to do to make yesterday up to Ditzy while I put on my protective gear. After I got dressed, I quietly took a quill from Zecora's desk in my magic, and I wrote a note to Ditzy that I'd gone to Ponyville to get my tools. I crept silently outside, and slowly closed the door behind me. I began on the northern path, out of the Everfree, and past City Hall. I stayed low and diverged my route to exclude going by the squatter's home. I could see the Hoofister's from the smaller, western path that I took, and I saw a bright orange pony outside the building with a green mare. He appeared to be carrying buckets of water on his back, and they were standing by the front door. I hadn't stopped moving for fear that they would see me despite their distance, which was about 200 meters away.

I continued to watched them closely while I made my way to the park before I returned to a casual trot. The park was filled with grey cobblestone paths that carved their way through small statues and memorials. The grass and foliage here was browned and a few of the trees had fallen over from the lack of life-giving sunlight. There was a small water fountain next to a statue that commemorated Princess Luna's return from her banishment to the moon. Luna's likeness had not been damaged in the blast like Celestia's fountain in the market, and I figured that was because of the shielding from trees in the park. I wandered to the drinking fountain and pressed the pedal that was supposed to release the water, but there was no pressure and it just clicked down under my hoof. I shrugged and took the water bottle from my pocket.

The early morning sunrise could be seen through the smoke in the sky which provided little light. The sunglasses were more for the safety from the odd piece of ash that remained floating in the air, but I almost couldn't see in the low light with the tint. I used my magic to put them on my cap, and I continued through the park toward my boutique.

As I left the dying grass of the park and back onto the path in front of the Carousel Boutique, I saw that the box was exactly where we left it. I smiled to it, and thought about how Ditzy was going to wake up, find her coat has been altered while she was sleeping, and then we would be all made up. I'm sure that we were okay now, but I wanted to extend a token of gratitude for her patience. I picked up the box with my magic and began to go back the way I came, but a chillingly familiar voice called to me from the southern path.

"Stop, right there." She yelled. It was the green mare from outside the store, and she was in a determined canter toward me. The orange stallion was just behind her, and he must have left his buckets at the store. They both stared me down as they closed the distance.

My eyes darted around her body to check if she was armed, and even though it appeared that she was not, I didn't stop being scared. Do I run away? Do I attack? There were so many questions flooding my brain that I simply stood and watched them approach. Thankfully, they slowed as they got near to give me time to consider my options, and they stopped about 20 meters from me.

"You're not taking anything from us." The green mare said. Her face had a lesion of necrotic flesh across her forehead that even overtook the base of her horn. The stallion's wings adjusted as he stopped next to the mare and looked her over. The look he gave her appeared evil. It wasn't like he was inquiring what to do next, it was as if they had already decided, and he was confused. Perhaps he expected her to lead a charge against me.

I tried to retain a tough exterior, "This is mine. I owned this boutique, and I own this box. It's mine."

"There are not enough resources to allow scavengers to take things from Ponyville. We need everything here." She explained.

"Why are we not just ending this now?" The stallion said, his voice gruff from the radiation burns on his mouth.

"These are my tools. I need them." I said firmly.

"Listen, you got me in trouble when I didn't kill you yesterday. You came into our house, took our clothes, and I let you go. That was clearly a mistake." She said, and she began to stalk closer to me. Her horn glowed, and my box floated toward her. My blue magic aura turned her green grip into a brilliant cyan as I stopped her.

"No, this is mine, and you can not have it." I growled.

The stallion moved quickly toward me, and he gave a look that communicated his intent to hurt me. So, I released the box and backed away. He stopped and eyed me for a moment before he said, "That's what I thought."

My memory of Ditzy being attacked in the barn flooded my brain. How was she so fearless? The stallion I killed was so much bigger than her, and Ditzy had predictably lost that fight. She had stared down somepony that was clearly dangerous, and she cursed him without regard for the fact that he was going to hurt her. She and I both knew, even before he attacked, that we weren't going to be capable of stopping him, but she stood her ground and fought him anyway. I took a deep breath and forced my tears back. You can do this, Rarity, I thought to myself. Fight for what's yours.

I stared at the orange stallion's wings and concentrated hard. My horn flashed a powerful blue, and I even felt my eyes alight through the anger and frustration. His wings glowed brightly in my magic aura, and then he choked out a ghastly scream while a muffled crunch echoed through the hills as I snapped as many bones as I could.

The mare dropped the box and her attention was captured by the woefully painful cries of her partner while I galloped toward her. She had just begun to look back at me when I dug my left fore-hoof into the ground, pivoted, and sent my full weight into both of my rear hooves. The buck connected with her nose, and a hollow crack muffled her grunt. The strike sent her back several meters and took her completely off the ground. She tumbled over her head, landed on her belly, and she gasped to breathe around the sudden onslaught of blood pouring from her disfigured nose and mouth. She spit several teeth onto the ground, but I'm sure that she swallowed most of the broken ones. The stallion's screams had become more horrifying as I pressed the sharply snapped bones from the skin, and he writhed on the ground in an attempt to free himself from my magic.

I trotted to him, brought my fore-hooves above his head, and stomped on his skull as hard as I could. A disgustingly deep pop signified the separation of his jaw bone, and he became silent in unconsciousness while he lay with his jaw unnaturally askew from his maxilla.

The mare coughed and choked with wetness filling every breath, but she managed to say, "You'd better not leave me alive, you fucking cunt." Her voice sloshed through the blood, "I will find you, bitch, and I'm going to fucking kill you." She was caught in a heave as she vomited the blood she had swallowed and then she gasped, "I swear to Celestia; you're fucking dead."

The fact that this pony spoke Celestia's name offended me to a point of rage that I'd never felt before, and I took the tool-case in my magic. It swung in an upward arc and connected with her chin which took her off her fore-hooves, and she rolled on to her back. I floated the case high above her head, and then I slammed it into her face repeatedly until every bone was reduced to a pulp of unrecognizable flesh. I finally took a breath from the exertion of swinging the case and looked over the box that was now dented even worse than before, and now the beautiful purple paint was stained with deep red and stippled with tiny peach colored lumps of brain. The dead silence was interrupted with only the gasps of me trying to catch my breath.

A pool of blood began collecting under the mare's head, and a deep gurgle reverberated through her chest as she attempted to breathe through her broken face. I watched the pile of muscle and skin pull toward where her mouth used to be, and a dark whistle of rushing air bubbled through tiny openings between the bones. Her exhale was like a sharp sigh which caused misplaced cheek flesh to bow outward, and then she returned to further voiceless pleas for oxygen. I believed she was unconscious, and her body was simply trying to sustain itself, but I couldn't stop thinking of the possibility that she was experiencing it.

I slowly made my way to the path on which I approached the Boutique, and I left them to die in the silently irradiated hell that had become of Ponyville. To my surprise, the guilt wasn't any easier to cope with than the first time I'd killed somepony. I felt like I'd killed them for a case of easily replaceable tools, but my rational brain told me it was the threat that made me do it. They made it apparent that they planned to hurt me if I took the case, and I was not going to have ventured all this way into the dangerous wasteland to go back empty hooved.

Ditzy was awake when I returned to the hut, and it appeared that she was going to scream at me for leaving her, but she stopped at the sight of the blood on my boots. Zecora stopped her work immediately and began checking me for wounds while I took off my jacket and cap. Everypony was just silent as they watched me set the gore covered case on the floor next to me. I slid off my boots, and then out of my pants, the white fabric harshly stained with blood. Rainbow Dash was standing and was looking much better than she had a few days ago, but she had a horrified look in her eyes as she studied the bits of brain on the case.

"A fierce warrior does not fight alone, is any of this blood your own?" Zecora asked.

"No, darling." I said simply.

"Why did you leave?" Ditzy asked with frustration remaining in her voice. It appeared that she had just woke up and was getting outfitted to come after me.

"I'm sorry. I really thought it'd be quick." I explained.

"Don't ever do that again, Rarity." Ditzy gruffly commanded, and then her fore-hooves suddenly grasped me around the back of my neck. "I was so scared."

"I can hold my own, darling." I said. "I was just trying to make things right from yesterday."

Ditzy released me, "So, you picked the worst possible way to make it up to me?"

"I'm sorry. I really am. I promise that I've learned a powerful lesson." I explained.

"Yeah, don't mess with Rarity." Rainbow Dash interjected.

Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and the Cakes were still asleep as I was led outside to a water pump that was much like the one at the barn. I rinsed myself off, put my clothes in an iron tub to soak, and I also rinsed off the case. Ditzy asked me what had happened many times, but I couldn't bring myself to give her any details. I couldn't even believe what I had done. I felt like a murderer. I had three ponies to my name, and I never thought I'd even have one.

While I went inside and began to sew the Pegamittens to Ditzy's jacket, Zecora and Ditzy went to the tractor to try to get it working. The auburn leather gloves clashed against the black jacket, but I paid no attention to that. I ran a pair of scissors through the back of the coat. I used a thick needle to run some leather string through the gloves and weaved it through the edge of the holes. Every now and then, I'd catch myself crying for the ponies I'd killed. I kept coming to the conclusion that I could have let them live, that I didn't have to kill them. I could have just run away when they were adequately incapacitated... But I didn't, and what's done is done. I finished up her jacket, and I went outside so Ditzy could try it on.

"Hey, Ditzy. How's it coming along?" I asked with the jacket floating in my magic.

Ditzy wiped a grease covered hoof across her brow, which left a black streak on her forehead, and she nodded, "We're making real headway."

Zecora blew air, "I am not too keen on mechanics, but with Ditzy's direction; there is no need to panic." She pointed about 5 meters from the tractor to a circular machine that was spinning. "We are separating with the centrifuge, so we'll have no problems with the fuels."

I raised a brow at Zecora while I helped Ditzy into the coat. Her wings fit snug into the gloves, and she gave a couple of slow flaps.

"The fuel lines were muddied from the oil, and this caused the engine to toil." Zecora continued.

Ditzy chuckled while admiring my work, "2-cycle gas has oil in it. Burning oil in a gas engine is bad for it, and we ended up with residue that blocked the lines. The transmission was running hot because-"

"Darling, I appreciate that you're filling me in, but I have no idea what you're talking about." I interrupted.

"Oh, okay." Ditzy laughed, "I'll just get back to it, then. I appreciate the jacket; it feels very nice."

"Not a problem, darling. It's what I do." I smiled. Ditzy and Zecora went back to work while I returned to the hut to find something to eat.

Pinkie Pie was awake now, and she was talking with Rainbow Dash who was actually sitting up on the couch next to her. They fell silent and they watched me enter as if I was going to attack them at any moment.

"Hello, darlings. I'm going to get some biscuits, and then may I join you?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. That'd be cool." Rainbow Dash said.

I went into the master bedroom. I glanced in the guest room on the way there, found that the Cakes were still asleep along with Fluttershy. I went to Ditzy's saddle bag and pulled three of Zecora's biscuits from it. I went back to the living room where the mares were talking, but when I sat with them, they were suddenly silent. I floated two of the biscuits to them, and they allowed me to place them on their fore-hooves.

"So, what are we talking about?" I asked while biting into the biscuit.

"Nothing, really." Rainbow Dash said with a tiny shrug.

"Yes, we were." Pinkie looked confused at Rainbow, "You said that you didn't know Rarity could kill somepony, and then I said she probably had good reason, and then you were saying how you were worried that she was going to like killing ponies, and..."

Rainbow Dash's glare finally caught her attention, and Pinkie became quiet.

Pinkie chuckled quietly and bit into the biscuit, "Oh, I meant, we weren't really talking about anything."

"It's okay. I'd probably feel the same way if I was in your position." I said.

"I'm just surprised is all." Rainbow Dash said. "You're still awesome, but it's just kind of freaky that you've done that."

"Believe me, darling. I know it is." I said with a nod while helping myself to more biscuit. "I'm so glad of what we've accomplished, let us not forget that. We've come together, and that is something to be grateful for."

"Yeah, I get that." Rainbow Dash said.

I smiled at them, "It will be so nice when we find Applejack. I'm optimistic that she is still out there looking for us."

"Probably not." Pinkie chirped while finishing her biscuit.

I glared at her, "That's a terrible thing to say, Pinkie."

"No, I don't mean that she's dead, but she's probably not looking for us." Pinkie explained.

"How do you figure?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"Because you know how she is. She is really helpful, and I'm sure that she's doing her part in Dodge Junction." Pinkie said.

"Wait, Applejack is in Dodge? How do you know? Why didn't you tell us?" I nearly shouted.

"You didn't ask." Pinkie shrugged. "I was going out for cherries, and I ran into Applejack. She said she was going to Dodge Junction to visit her friend Cherry Jubilee, and I asked her to pick up a bag of cherries on her way back. The Cakes were happy because I stayed home, and I was happy because I was going to get some cherries."

"Do you think she may have gotten caught in the bombing?" I asked, "How much time passed until it began?"

"A few hours at least." Pinkie said.

Dodge junction was about 60 kilometers south of Ponyville and about an hour by train. So, it was safe to assume that, if they had been hit, Applejack would have had plenty of time to find shelter. I badly wanted to make sure, but we needed to free Twilight first. I had just started to get up from the chair and go see how the tractor was coming along, when we heard the guttural roar of the machine from outside. It only ran for a few seconds before it cut off, and then Zecora entered.

"Such work it has been, but the tractor lives again!" Zecora announced.

"Excellent!" I exclaimed. "Let's go get Twilight!"

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Zecora put together a set of her own gear while my clothes dried. We got dressed, gathered tools, and went to the tractor. It ran like new, and the three of us rode it through Froggy Bottom Bogg. We cut across the western residential area, made our way past the fountain in the market, through the park, and past my boutique. I averted my eyes from the bodies of the slain ponies, but I saw that the stallion had crawled several meters. The erratic blood trail led me to believe that he couldn't see very well due to his injuries. I was thankful that nopony said anything as we made our way to the crater.

Ditzy drove the tractor around the rim of the crater and we made our way to the north side of the foundation. Zecora and I began digging the blackened dirt from the top of the stone frame while Ditzy used her wings to secure chains to the tractor. When our shovels would hit the stone, we would move back a few more meters until we had it completely unburied. It took several hours for all of us to force the chains under the structure, but eventually we had a network of chains webbed over and around the stone. The three of us went into town and took an I-beam from a collapsed house and carried it back with us. I found a large boulder that we were going to use to force the I-beam down on one end while the other side would act as a fulcrum to pull up the stone.

We got into position, and Ditzy slowly pushed the differential to depress the accelerator. I dropped the boulder, and Zecora monitored the fulcrum from the side. The plan was working, and the stone shifted upward and was being pulled from the hole by the tractor. There was a deep rumble as the structure's integrity gave way, and it split in half where the I-beam was pulling on it. The chains came loose, and Ditzy shut down the tractor. The remaining stone broke apart and fell back into the hole.

"Don't worry, ponies; this is okay. Smaller pieces are easier anyway." Zecora said.

Much like before, we replaced the chains, put the fulcrum into position, and Zecora kept a close watch. The top of the gate's frame slid across the dirt and the plan went off without a hitch. As we set up to remove the block that had fallen back onto the door, we noticed that the glow of the sun behind the clouds was getting closer to the western horizon. We tried not to hurry too much, because we wanted the plan to work a second time, but we also didn't want to have to work in the dark.

The tractor roared as it pulled the stone from the hole, and the fulcrum tilted it as designed. Zecora shouted for us to stop and pointed out that the chains were coming loose from the block. Ditzy set the parking brake on the tractor, and we allowed the block to hang several meters above the trap door. We went to the edge of the hole, and I opened the trap door with my magic. It was damaged, but I managed to force it open.

A lavender alicorn began to make her way out of the door, but I shouted to her, "Not yet, Twilight!"

"Okay." She called back and she looked at the block hanging above the door. "I'm guessing that it's not stable."

"No, darling, but it is nice to see you." I smiled. She appeared healthy which I figured was extremely lucky. Spike was just behind her, and his brilliant purple scales were just as vibrant as I remembered.

"It will be much nicer when I get out of here." Twilight smiled back while she studied our work.

"Rarity! I knew you'd come for me!" Spike called from just behind Twilight.

"Of course, darling." I chuckled. "How was I to get along without my Spikey-wikey?"

Twilight craned her head to see as much as she could without leaving the cover of the safe room, "If you can get another beam, I can put a support on the other side."

"I'm not sure we can find another boulder." Ditzy called.

"Not a fulcrum, Ditzy. A support. Instead of trying to pull it out, you'll put it down." Twilight explained.

"Then how will we get you out?" I asked.

"With a support in place, we can design where it will land. That will keep the door free of obstruction, understand?" Zecora explained.

I wasted no time and immediately went to another house on the other side of the crater. I took an I-beam, but I stopped myself and decided to take two. I went back to the hole, Twilight took one of the beams, and she placed it next to the fulcrum, but made sure that it was securely resting against the ground. She took the other beam and put it on the other side. With the two beams supporting the structure, she removed the fulcrum and quickly placed it where all three beams were intersecting at a common point. Ditzy went back to the tractor, and backed it up slowly. The chains descended from the stone, and the structure was supported completely by the I-beams.

Zecora took a rope from the tractor and tossed it into the hole. Twilight took the rope in her teeth and allowed us to pull her out. Spike was next, but he was able to grip the rope with his claws.

Twilight hugged me, but I pushed her off and said, "It's not safe here, darling. There will be time for that, but we have to get you away from the radiation here."

"Of course." Twilight said with a nod. Ditzy drove the tractor, and Spike rode on the back while the rest of us walked behind it.

"Do you know anything about what happened?" I asked while we began a large circle around the crater toward the western residential area. By this time, night was quickly falling.

"Princess Celestia warned me that the yaks had started bombing us, and she said that she was sending royal guards to come and bring me to the safe house." Twilight began. She blew air and continued, "But they didn't get to the castle in time. I was watching out the window for them to arrive, but I saw a yak in the courtyard in front of the castle."

"A yak was here in Ponyville?" I asked.

"Yes. I think he was looking for me, and when he saw me in the window, that's when he pulled the detonator out of his coat." Twilight explained. She shook her head, "I just grabbed Spike and teleported us to the panic room. It wasn't even a second later that I felt the explosion."

"Close call." I said.

"You're telling me." She said. "I wrote to Celestia to tell her that I was safe, and she told me that she and Princess Luna were being held in separate safe houses until the crisis had passed. They're going to wait a month until they come back out to rebuild."

I recalled the books Ditzy and I had read in the cellar and figured that the royal advisers were using the same knowledge to determine the time frame. I nodded to her and said, "We have most of our friends at Zecora's hut, but Applejack is still in Dodge Junction."

"How is everypony else?" Twilight asked.

"Rainbow Dash was really sick for a while, but Zecora has made a cure for radiation sickness." I said. We were going past Sugar Cube Corner, and I pointed to it, "We found Pinkie Pie and the Cakes here. They're not doing so well, but that cure really works, so they will be fine. Fluttershy got out of Ponyville before it happened and avoided the blast altogether."

"And what about you?" Twilight asked. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, darling." I said. "Ditzy saved my life. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here."

"I see that Ponyville isn't doing too well." Twilight said with her mouth pressed into a thin line, "Is anypony alive?"

I nodded somberly, "I haven't seen how many, but I know there is a group of survivors living in a store in the market. Given the drastic situation, they've become quite paranoid."

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked.

"Well, ponies are desperate." I said, and then I shook my head, "I can't talk about it."

"What happened?" Twilight prodded further. I thought about how she was in a hole for ten days, and that I understood her need for answers, but I felt like returning to the surface to find that her kingdom had been destroyed was shocking enough. I didn't want to tell her that her friend had also killed ponies on top of everything. I suspected that Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie would tell her anyway. The details were not important.

I finally answered, "It was bad, but I really don't want to talk about it."

As we made our way over the bridge into Froggy Bottom Bogg, she said, "Whatever happened, I'm sure that you did what you had to do."

I tried to come up with an appropriate response, but was at a loss for words. I simply followed Ditzy through the bog and to Zecora's hut. Twilight went inside, and was given a warm welcome. Everypony was so happy to see her, but I was caught in the dread of having Twilight find out that I had killed three ponies. I simply stood back and watched her hug everypony.

By the time I was able to shake myself from my melancholy, Twilight was laying out a plan to go to Dodge Junction tomorrow. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were on the couch, Twilight was standing in front of them drawing a map in the steam above the cauldron, and Pinkie Pie was surprisingly listening attentively from the chair on the left of the couch. Ditzy was in the chair on the right, and Zecora stood in front of the hallway behind the couch, also watching Twilight's presentation. I remained near the front door, but wasn't really paying attention.

"You don't look very happy to see Twilight back." Spike said quietly so he wouldn't interrupt Twilight's speech. "You've stood here at the door and stared at the floor. What's up?"

"Oh, darling. I'm just a little down. It's been quite rough out here." I explained.

"But you're okay? It pains me to see somepony so pretty be so sad." He grinned.

I smiled and effectively stifled the urge to roll my eyes. I sometimes forget about his boyish crush on me, but he'd been pining for me since the day we met. It was certainly adorable, but it was also slightly heartbreaking because I was sure that he wasn't going to take the news of Ditzy and I being together very well.

"I will be okay. I just fear that this new world is growing on me faster than I thought it would." I said.

"Adaptation is good, right?" Spike asked.

"I'm not sure about this kind." I said. I thought about how tired I was and about how we hadn't really laid out the bed situation. If you counted the twins as one pony, there were eleven bodies in this one dwelling, and there was three beds, one cot, and a couch. I'd realized that before tonight, our schedules had been so sporadic that we hadn't required the coordination.

"Gosh, I'm tired." I blurted.

"Don't let me keep you." Spike said with a bright smile.

"Thank you, darling." I yawned, but then I felt an urge to ask him, "How would you feel about me if I'd killed somepony?"

Spike looked at the floor and pondered for a moment, and then he said, "I guess it would depend on what happened."

"What if I didn't have to kill them? Would it make it worse if I had chosen to kill them? I weighed the option to leave them alive, and I killed them anyway." I asked. I made my voice soft with shame.

"It probably would." Spike said. I appreciated his honesty, although it didn't really help my anxiety.

"Thank you." I whispered. "I feel awful for it, but I killed three ponies in the last week."

"You had to though." Spike asked more for his emotions rather than actual clarification.

"I'm not sure, darling. I probably didn't, but I did." I said.

"Why?" Spike said.

Now, that was the real question. I didn't know why I felt the need to take their lives. I knew why I took action. The stallion in the barn was going to kill Ditzy, the pair in Ponyville probably would have killed me over the case, but both instances ended up going too far. The feeling that they didn't need to die plagued me so heavily.

"I don't know. I guess I just lost my bearings when I was scared." I explained.

Spike gave a tiny shrug, "Fear can be a powerful force. It changes you, and you may not like what you see. But, there's nothing you can do. There's the normal you, and there's the scared you; two ponies that react independently from each other."

I smirked, "You're saying that you don't judge me for what I did."

"I'm saying that it wasn't really you that killed them. The fear changed you into somepony that I've had the fortune of never meeting while having plenty of time to learn about the Rarity I know and love." He smiled while touching my shoulder with his claws.

My smirk turned into a smile, and I looked at him, "You're surprisingly insightful, darling."

"I can be full of surprises." Spike chuckled. "Anyway, how does this bed situation work?"

"I was just thinking about that a minute ago." I said. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy had been sleeping together, the cakes slept together, and the twins had their crib. Ditzy and I took Zecora's bed, and she slept on the cot by her table. With Twilight and Spike added in, I wasn't sure what we were going to do.

"That sounds like a plan!" Rainbow Dash announced as Twilight's map dissolved from the steam.

"Good, we'll leave at first light." Twilight said, and then she looked at me with a smile. I just smiled back and hoped that I hadn't missed any important details.

As the meeting broke, Fluttershy left the couch and went outside. Rainbow Dash stretched out on the couch, Pinkie Pie and Twilight retired to the guest room, and Twilight called for Spike to join them, while Zecora began unfolding her cot.

Ditzy came up to me and gave me a little smile, "Is something bothering you?"

I thought about what Spike had said, "Yes, darling. I'm fine."

"Are you ready for bed?" Ditzy asked and her smile grew a bit bigger.

"We're still taking Zecora's bed?" I asked.

"Yeah, Fluttershy is sleeping in a tent outside so Twilight can take her place with Pinkie." She raised a brow, "We're going to be alone again tonight."

Her comment spurred a little smile from me, and I said, "Oh, then we should definitely get to bed."

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Once again, I woke up before Ditzy did. Rainbow Dash also slept a long time, and Fluttershy was generally a heavy sleeper as well, which led me to believe that it was simply a pegasus thing. Of course, Ditzy and I didn't get to sleep until the wee hours of the morning. It was the first time that we'd had sex in an actual bed, and it was that much more amazing. It wasn't my bed, or hers, but it didn't take long for me to be okay with that. With the help of her breathy, gasped instructions, I was able to bring her to orgasm twice, but of course, she had me reeling in pleasurable agony many, many more times than that.

I snuck out of the bed to go to the outhouse, but stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of a small, purple dragon curled up on the floor at the end of our bed. Sweet Celestia, how long had Spike been there? I thought to myself. Ditzy and I had been quite preoccupied throughout the night, and I was worried that he'd caught us. Maybe he was too bashful to say anything, but why would he stay? I hoped that he hadn't seen anything. It was going to be difficult to explain.

I crept into the living room where I found Zecora drinking tea and enjoying an adventure book while the Cakes were mixing Cure Stew. It was nice to finally see Zecora relax, and with the Cakes being natural cooks, they were a perfect stand-in for her as well. I nodded to them as I made my way by so that I wouldn't wake Rainbow Dash.

The sun was just beginning to light the horizon, and the cool and crisp air was a nice touch to a sky that was so clear that I could see the stars. I felt thankful that I was one of the few ponies in Equestria that got to see them, and I pushed aside the thought that there were up to millions of ponies that never got the chance. I went around the hut to the outhouse that was about 20 meters from the rear of the house. I closed the outhouse door and did my business. My magic lit up the tissue roll, which was frustratingly empty, and I noted to myself that we needed to scavenge more from Ponyville soon. I looked around the tiny space, and I found a tiny, stale piece of paper towel. I shook my head and then shrugged at it.

Leaves rustled just outside the outhouse and my eyes snapped toward the sound. Although we were not far inside the Everfree, there was still dangerous monsters. My head weaved side to side as I tried to see through the cracks in the wood planks, and I could see a dark shadow lumbering near. I tried not to breathe and wait for it to pass, whatever it was. It stopped in front of the door for a long time, and I could hear it sniffing the air. I prayed that it was just Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, or somepony, anypony. Please, let it just be a pony.

A soft growl confirmed my greatest fear. I took a slow breath, and tried to remain completely silent. I was just going to pretend that I wasn't here, and hopefully it was just going to leave. It's large nostrils were snorting air, and it brushed against the door, but I couldn't see what it was. It had just began to lumber away from the outhouse, and then, to my horror, I felt a tiny scratch in the back of my throat.

The urge to cough was strong, but my will to live was stronger. I put a hoof over my mouth and tried to breathe around it. I had no idea what it was, but I assumed that I'd inhaled dust that was knocked loose from the creature rubbing against the door. Every breath refused to go down easily, and my diaphragm would contract wildly in protest that I was leaving the dust in my throat. The urge grew into a painful obstruction, and despite refusing to take a breath, my body forced a weak expulsion of air from my mouth. I saw the creature stop and heard it sniffing for me.

The cough had not helped, and I involuntarily expelled another sharp hack, but this time, much louder. I trembled as it came closer, and my face grew sore from every feature being stretched wide in fear. I craned further to try and identify it between the cracks, and that's when I saw the unmistakably enormous fang of the manticore.

It pawed the door and emitted a low, rumbling growl. I wanted to call out for help, but I couldn't bring myself to make any more noise that would confirm my existence. It suddenly reeled back to strike the outhouse, and I involuntarily hunkered down, covered my head, and screamed like a foal. The blow took the outhouse completely from the ground and sent it crashing into the woods. I was staring the manticore directly in the face, and there was me, sitting on the toilet and simply shaking.

It's eyes closed tightly, and it drew in a breath with so much force that I thought I may be sucked into it's mouth. It suddenly bellowed a roar so loud that my ears were immediately ringing. Although, I was scared and not in my right mind, I took the opportunity of it's closed eyes to take off running toward the house.

I don't think I've galloped so hard in my life, and as I rounded the corner of the house, I nearly smashed my face into Fluttershy. I was able to stop enough to keep from hurting her, but I still put my left shoulder into her chest which took my fore-hooves from under me. I rolled to my belly and quickly checked to see if she was okay.

Fluttershy looked at me and said, "Was that a manticore I heard?"

"Yes! Let's go!" I shouted just as I watched the gigantic monster round the corner behind me. It was closing too fast to get away, and I buried my face under my fore-hooves, accepting my death. I couldn't help but shriek in the fear that I was going to be ripped to shreds by the lion's claws of a manticore. I just hoped that it killed me quickly and only began eating me after I was dead.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Fluttershy yelled. I looked up and gave her a confused face, but then found that she wasn't talking to me. Her eyes were wide and filled with anger, but the manticore didn't stop coming. Fluttershy slammed her fore-hoof into the ground, and her stare became even more intense. To my surprise, it's gait bounced to a halt just in front of us.

"You scared my friend!" Fluttershy shouted at it. "You apologize right now."

The manticore grumbled as it moved slowly to me, and then it dragged it's grotesque, sand-paper like tongue across my face. I became frozen with a horrified look locked into my features, but I managed not to scream my disgust.

"That's better." Fluttershy said to it with a nod. "Go back to the woods and think about what you've done."

The manticore downcast it's eyes in shame, turned away from us, and then somberly trudged into the woods. It was only the second time, I'd ever seen Fluttershy do that, but it never ceased to render me speechless. I simply looked at her, and then grabbed her by the chest and squeezed her so tight that my fore-legs hurt.

"Can't... breathe..." Fluttershy squeaked.

"Sorry, darling." I said as I released her, "You just saved my life."

"He wasn't going to hurt you." Fluttershy chuckled. "Manticores just play rough."

"What if he was?" I said, "We've got to figure out a solution to this radiation problem and get to some place safe, and soon."

"I promise that he wasn't going to hurt you, but I get what you're saying." Fluttershy said while putting a hoof on my shoulder.

"I heard screaming!" Ditzy called with Rainbow Dash at her side and Zecora in tow.

"Everything is fine." I said, "But, the outhouse didn't survive the attack."

"What happened?" Rainbow Dash said as they began to relax.

"I was going to the bathroom, and a manticore swiped the outhouse right from over me." I explained while recreating the motion as if I was knocking over a tiny outhouse in front of me.

"Well, thank Celestia that Fluttershy was there." Rainbow Dash said.

I nodded and smiled to Fluttershy, "Yes, indeed. She's my savior."

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled back, "He wasn't going to hurt you, Rarity. Manticores aren't like that to ponies."

"Did you not know that?" Rainbow Dash giggled.

I sighed heavily, "I probably did, but it was scary, okay?"

"So, my outhouse was destroyed? Is your bodily function cause to avoid?" Zecora said, and her voice quivered from trying to stifle laughter.

I sighed again and rolled my eyes, "No, it is not."

My heart had just began to settle down, but then a deep pressure in my gut signified that I had more fear to expel. "I'm afraid I must return to the outhouse." I said, and then I started back to the rear of the house.

"I guess it scared the crap out of you?" Rainbow Dash called to me as I rounded the corner, and then I heard Zecora and Rainbow Dash in a laughing fit while they were going back inside.

"I'm glad you find this amusing." I said under my breath while I made my way back to the toilet-hole, and placed the outhouse shell over me with my magic. I was just about to sit down, and I looked at the empty tissue roll. I closed my eyes and silently cursed to myself. I tried to open the door, but it had been damaged by the manticore's strike. I lifted the shell from the ground and went to Fluttershy's tent at the front of the house.

I asked with the lingering "fear" bubbling in my abdomen, "Darling, I need some bathroom tissue."

"Oh, sure." Fluttershy said, and she pulled a half-depleted roll from a duffel.

"Thanks!" I said as I took the roll in my magic and galloped around the house again. I paid no attention to the fact that the shell wasn't aligned correctly with the wood foundation of the outhouse, my issue had become an emergency. A thought crept into my mind that Fluttershy could probably hear me in there, but I shook it from my head. I'd finished the deed, and was exiting after forcing the door open, and that manticore was sitting on his haunches just in front of me.

I simply froze, and with my eyes wide, I said, "What?"

The manticore cocked his head.

My eyes shifted and I said, "Listen, if you're trying to make it up to me, this is not the best way to do it. I find this rather... creepy."

He lowered his large head to rest his chin on his fore-paws in a submissive position, and he looked up at me.

"I'm going back inside. I forgive you. Now, you may leave." I said.

He didn't move.

"Alright, I'm going back inside." I said, but I stood there as if the manticore was suddenly going to gain the ability to respond. I waited a beat, and then I slowly started away from him, and then I broke into a gallop for the house. I quickly let myself inside, and then I shut the door behind me and took a breath. Rainbow Dash and Zecora were sitting on the couch watching me while the Cakes continued to cook.

"That was strange." I said.

"Did everything come out okay?" Rainbow Dash asked with a grin.

Zecora gave her a hoof-bump, "That was a good one. You're too much fun."

"Oh, jeez, Rainbow Dash, so crude." I said while trotting back to the bedroom.

"I'll take that as a no." Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"Rarity, do not be aloof. I'm here if you need a hoof." Zecora said, and they collapsed onto each other in laughter.

I made my way into the master bedroom where Ditzy was sitting up in the bed, and she put her book down to look at me. I studied Spike, who had remained asleep on the floor. I quietly patted his back to wake him, and his eyes slowly peeled to look at me.

"What's up?" He asked while rubbing an eye with his claw.

"Let's go back to Twilight's room." I whispered.

"But Pinkie snores. That's why I came in here." Spike groggily complained.

"Come on, Spike." I said softly while I pushed him to his feet. He didn't say anything while he wobbled out of the room, and I watched from the doorway to make sure that he went back to the guest room. He put himself at the side of the bed that Twilight was on and quickly went back to sleep on the floor. I silently closed the guest room door, and then looked back at Ditzy.

"He's Twilight's problem." I shrugged.

"Do you think he saw anything?" Ditzy whispered.

I gritted my teeth and shrugged, "I don't know."

"So, are you okay? The whole manticore thing." Ditzy asked.

"I'm sure that it will be funny tomorrow, but right now, it was just scary." I explained.

"I can hear that Rainbow Dash and Zecora find it hilarious." She said while looking back at her book.

"Quite." I commented while crawling back into the bed. "I didn't know that Zecora was into that kind of humor."

"I thought the same thing, but then again I don't know her very well." Ditzy said, and then she put her book down again, "You don't think they're... you know..."

"Zecora and Rainbow Dash? No, no... well, I don't know." I said as I pondered it. "I'm not sure, but I don't want to meddle in other ponies' business."

"But, wouldn't that be interesting?" Ditzy smiled while picking her book back up.

"Why? It wouldn't be much different than us." I said while covering myself with the blanket.

"No, it wouldn't, but you don't think it would be interesting if Rainbow Dash is into mares?" Ditzy asked while turning the page.

"Not particularly. Why?" I said while snuggling close to her.

"Because I think it would be interesting." Ditzy said. "It'd open the possibility to... well, nevermind."

"No, what were you going to say?" I said while propping myself up and looking at her.

She had a naughty smile, and she shrugged, "You wouldn't invite her for a fling?"

I recoiled, "With Rainb-" I shook my head, "Gosh, no. Why would you ask me that? She's my friend."

"I know that." Ditzy chuckled. "I assume that our relationship is exclusive, but-"

"It is exclusive." I interjected firmly.

"But, I thought we wouldn't completely throw out the idea of a three-way." She explained.

"Darling, I'm trying to not be upset with you about this." I said. "Because it sounds like something you really want-"

"Oh, come on. You've never thought about it?" Ditzy interrupted.

"No, I haven't." I said. "Ditzy, I'm the type to get her feelings hurt and become insecure. What if you liked Rainbow Dash better?"

"If I liked having sex with her better?" Ditzy clarified, "Sex and love are two very different things."

I was taken aback by her wanton use of the L-word, and I cocked my head, "Love?"

She giggled, "Yeah, Rarity." She shrugged and then rubbed my back with a hoof, "I love you, Rarity."

"Darling, I..." Joyful tears filled my eyes, "I love you, too."

I leaped from my side of the bed, and tackled her into the sheets in a strong embrace. I kissed her deeper than I ever had before, and suddenly her tongue was gently sliding through my mouth like she was gingerly painting my teeth. Her hooves quickly tossed me onto my back, and she hopped on top of me. She flipped her mane to the left side of her face, and she gave me that naughty smile while she bit her lip. It reminded me of our first time, but this was the most fulfilling that we had yet.

Author's Note

This is why I have an M tag, there is lots of gore and lots of sex in this one. OwO'

If it's not totally obvious, I am trying to strengthen their relationship and establish that they are irrevocably in love...

And that Rarity is just slightly insane.