It happens to everpony...
It was a surprisingly uneventful day for once, and I found myself adding a short entry my journal. Nothing too exciting, mostly just a log of recent events. That is, until I remembered Rarity.
Rarity has been acting rather odd lately, I wrote, Ever since the most recent diamond dog attack, she’s spent most of her time scurrying around the storerooms and muttering incoherently. If this keeps up, we may have to look into—
I suddenly found myself interrupted by the haggard white form of Rarity herself bursting into my room.
“Rarity, what on earth…”
“TWILIGHT!” she cried, whipping around and grabbing me, “You must help me! I must have six emeralds, a block of persimmon wood, three rat knuckle-bones, a bar of silver, and a pint of apple cider! NOW!!!”
“Whoa, calm down!” I said, “Why on earth would you…” And then, as I looked in her eyes, I finally saw it.
Her bloodshot eyes, never resting on a single spot. Her hooves, constantly fiddling and twitching. Her horn, glowing faintly and sparking. And of course, her strange, almost crazed requests.
“Alright,” I said, “Just tell what you need, and we’ll do our best to help.” A look of intense relief crossed Rarity’s face, only to be replaced a split second later by her frenzied panic.
“Quick, is the forge still hot? I must start at once! Where’s my planishing hammer?! I need … WHY ARE YOU STILL STANDING THERE?!?!”
I yelped and ran off, heading for the nearest wood stockpile.
***
“Sooo, she’s just moody?” said Rainbow, clearly not impressed. I had called an emergency meeting at the well to inform the others of Rarity’s condition.
“No, she’s not moody,” I said with a sigh, “I said Strange Mood. It can happen to anypony pretty much any time in their life. I’ve even heard of a few foals being afflicted.”
“But what exactly is this, ‘mood’ thing?” asked Applejack, “And is there any cure?”
“Well, nopony knows exactly what causes it,” I said, “But when a pony is struck by a mood, they become obsessive over some aspect of their craft, be it woodcarving or metalworking or whatever else. They become reclusive, volatile, and demanding, shirking food, drink, and even sleep, until they have accomplished a great work.”
“Yep, that just about sums her up on a good day,” said Applejack. I elected to ignore the comment.
“Most of the greatest weapons, artifacts and treasures in the world were the result of a Strange Mood,” I continued, “And now, unless I’m completely mistaken, that’s what is afflicting Rarity.”
“Awesome!” said Pinkie, “I wonder she’s gonna make? Maybe a gilded statue? A legendary battle axe? How about a huge tapestry? Whatever it is, I hope it Menaces with Spikes! Spikes are just the best!”
“Aw shucks,” said Spike, “You got me blushing!”
“Seriously though,” I continued, “We need to be supportive of Rarity while she works, and we need to be patient with her demands. Remember, she really isn’t herself right now, but this will all be over as soon as she finishes.”
“So what can we do to help?” said Fluttershy, “Has she asked for anything yet?”
I relayed Rarity’s set of demands, and set the others to gather them. The wood and rat bones wouldn’t be an issue, though I couldn’t imagine what she needed knuckles for, and I even had a small bar of silver stowed in my room. But what I was worried about were the emeralds. We hadn’t mined terribly deep yet, and what few gems we had found thus far were the result of Rarity’s gem finding spell. Without her assistance, I had no idea how we were going to manage. I had heard of what happened when a Mood went unfulfilled, and that was something I didn’t even want to consider.
***
“How’s it going Rarity?” I asked as I entered the jewelers workshop she had claimed. The normally neat sets of tools and implements were in disarray, shards of metal and crystal strewn across the floor. All over the walls were drawings ranging from crude sketches to absurdly detailed diagrams, none of which I was able to decipher.
“Oh Twilight, thank Celestia!” she cried as I entered, “I can’t believe I forgot it, but I positively must have two yards of Gorlack leather, suede if you can manage it. Also, I need 16 wheels of cheese, I don’t care what vintage! And please tell me you brought the emeralds, I can’t bear much of this infernal waiting!”
“Um, well not exactly,” I said, “The leather we can manage, but you see, we’re running just a bit short in the gem department. I was thinking that you might…”
“WHAT!?” she screamed, “You mean to tell me that you can’t even manage to scrounge up a lousy little rock?! What kind of friend are you?!?”
“We’re doing our best, really,” I said, “I sent Pinkie to the nearest settlement to try and trade for some, and Applejack and Spike are down in the mine right now, but it’s a bit slow going. Although, if you could join them for a bit and use that spell of yours, I’m sure it would…”
“What, and leave my work?!” she screamed, “Twilight, you don’t understand! I can’t just drop everything and leave, what would become of my endeavors? Anything could happen, and I simply cannot afford the risk!”
“But, if you could just…”
“Twilight what are you still doing here?! GET ME MY EMERALDS!!!”
I had no answer, so I left, feeling more than a little anxious.
“Rainbow Dash!” I called down the hall, “Feel like slaying a Gorlack?”
***
I apprehensively entered the mine, only to hear Spike and Applejack arguing.
“C’mon spike, you’re a dragon! Can’t you smell them or someth’n?”
“Oh, right, he eats gems, so he must have a nose like a diamond dog, typical dragon stereotype.”
“Well we have to try something, ‘cuz this obviously ain’t workin’!”
“Hey, what’s going on down here?” I said, approaching the bickering duo.
“Oh, hey Twi’,” said Applejack, “I was just tryin’ to figure out what to do next, and lizard boy sure ain’t helpin’!”
“Look,” said Spike, “We’re doing the best we can, but there’s only so much we can do. We found a handful of beryls a while back, so we should be on the right track.”
“But that’s not good enough!” I said, “We’ve got to hurry and help Rarity, or it’ll be too late!”
“Okay, I understand that Rarity I just a little nuts right now,” said Applejack, “But honestly, what’s the rush? She can work just as well next week or next month than today.”
“Applejack,” I said, “Do you know what happens when a Strange Mood goes unfulfilled?”
“Um, nope.”
“Well, do you remember a couple years back when Braeburn had his… Incident?”
“Yes…”
“Imagine that, but ten times worse.”
“Oh.”
“Unless we can get Rarity everything she needs within the next few days, we’re going to have a monster on our hands.”
“Well, back to work I suppose,” said Spike, hefting his small pickaxe.
“You said it,” said Applejack, and together they resumed hacking at the stone wall.
***
I returned to Rarity’s workshop, only to find her slumped over on the ground, tears coursing down her face.
“Rarity! Are you all right? What happened?” I cried as I entered.
“Oh Twilight, what’s the point?” she said, and I could here the misery in her voice, “No matter what I do, there’s no way I will ever finish. I was crazy for thinking that I could make something great, for thinking I could succeed. The whole thing was pointless from the start. I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to throw me in a dungeon to rot for my incompetence. Of all the worst things that could happen, this is The. Worst. Possible. Thing!”
Oh no, it’s starting already, I thought to myself.
“It’s not that bad, not really,” I said, attempting a half hearted smile.
“No no, you’re right,” said Rarity, taking a breath, “… IT’S WORSE!!!” She threw herself onto a conveniently placed couch, sobbing hysterically.
“Now now Rarity,” I said, trying to think of something, anything I could say to help, “Things really could be a lot worse. Sure, your little project is taking longer than you thought, but it wouldn’t be worth making if it wasn’t also worth waiting for!”
“No, you really don’t understand,” she said slowly,her voice still wracked by sobs “Just leave me be, you won’t be hearing from me again…”
It was then that I heard a dull, rattling roar, a sound that instantly brought dread to my heart.
“Twilight, come quick!” I heard Spike’s voice echo down the corridor. I glanced back at Rarity, who was now curled up in a ball and crying softly.
Just hang on a little longer, I thought, and I dashed own the corridor.
***
I ran back into the mine, only to encounter a wall of dust and the sound of clattering rocks echoing in the darkness.
“Over here!” I heard Spike call, “But watch out, there was a cave-in!” In response, I heard more clattering as rock fell from the ceiling.
“Are you hurt?” I called to the darkness, slowly picking my way forward over the mounds of broken stone. My horn was a dim light in the darkness, but I could only see a few feet in front of me.
“I’m all right, but I can’t find Applejack!” called Spike. I felt panic begin to blossom in my chest.
“Just hang on, I’m coming!” I called back.
It wasn’t long before I found spike, desperately scrabbling at a heap of fallen rock.
“Quick, I think I might have heard her on the other side, we’ve got to move these rocks!” He was clawing desperately, trying to shift boulders five times his size.
“Stand back spike,” I said, “I’m going to try something, but it might end badly, so keep your distance.” Spike stared wordlessly at me for a moment, before quickly scurrying behind me. I focused on the rock heap before me, sending out feelers of magic to try and gauge how much I had to remove. Finally, I began a very specialized spell that I had only attempted once before. The glow from my horn intensified, and the rocks began to shine with a magical aura. I kept adding more power, my horn growing brighter.
Just as I began to doubt my ability to pull it off, my spell began to work in earnest. The rocks themselves suddenly began to glow with an intense light, and a loud humming filled the air. It took all of my concentration to keep focused on the rocks, to maintain the power and control. But just as I felt myself starting to slip, the rock wall before me emitted a single bright flash and a loud POP. I finally released the spell, and the cave grew dark once again.
And in the place where the rocks once stood, was a deep pool of water.
“Wow. Just… Wow,” said Spike, who had returned to my side, “That would sure be handy for mining in the future. Why haven’t you done that before?”
In response, I dropped to the ground, utterly exhausted. I felt completely drained, and my head felt like a beaten drum. Every bit of me ached, and I wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep.
“…Oh, I see,” said Spike. Then, as if suddenly remembering why we were there, he dashed forward, and called out to the darkness.
“Applejack! Can you hear me? We got through, are you all right?”
“Over here sugarcube!” I was dimly aware of Applejacks voice drifting to my sleepy ears, “And I think you’ll want to see what I found!”
***
Despite my exhaustion, we were all able to make it back up out of the mine, mostly with the help of a little of Applejacks ‘Special Cider’ that she always kept handy. I finally managed to stumble back into Rarity’s workshop, with Applejack and Spike taking up the rear. Rarity was no longer lying on the floor and weeping, but now she simply sat, staring blankly at the nearest wall.
“Oh, hello Twilight,” she said, “Nice day we’re having and all that.” The blankness in her voice worried me more than her tormented cries.
“Rarity,” I said, “I think we have something that you might like.”
“Whatever,” she said, slowly turning to face us, “It doesn’t really matter, I’ll just…” and then she stopped as she caught sight of Spike. In the dragon’s tiny arms were nestled at least a dozen large, bright green emeralds.
Rarity didn’t speak, didn’t move, didn’t even breathe. She just stared, before finally leaping off her seat, grabbing up spike in her magic and dancing around the room.
“Oh Spikey Wikey! I can’t believe you did it!!!” she squealed in glee as she spun the baby dragon across the room. She finally drew him close and planted a kiss on his scaley cheek. Spike promptly began to glow redder than a ruby.
“Aw shucks…” he began, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by his being thrown against the wall, the gems ripped from his grasp.
“Now get out, all of you!” Rarity screamed, “I MUST WORK!!!”
“But wait, I thought you still needed…”
“Guess who just slew a whole pack of rabid gorlacks!” Rainbow Dash came trotting at a fair clip down the hall, several large, damp animal pelts draped across her back, next to her still bloodstained battle axe.
“So, what did I miss?” In response, Rarity took one look at her, bolted forward faster than the eye could follow, and snatched the pelts from Rainbow’s back, bowling her over in the process. She turned at the door to the workshop, holding the dripping pelts in bared teeth. She let out a feral growl, and proceeded to slam and lock the door behind her.
“Well, that went better than I expected,” said Applejack, “You alright Spike?”
Spike didn’t answer, a broad grin still spread across his red face.
“I think he’ll be fine,” I said, “But personally, I need a nap.”
***
Three days later, Rarity was still sequestered in the workshop. I tried to bring something to eat or drink, but every time I knocked, I received no answer. I would have been worried that something bad had happened, were it not for the continuous sounds of work, and a constant string of incoherent muttering.
“Are you sure she’s all right?” said Fluttershy, “It’s been such a long time…”
“She’ll be fine,” I tried reassuring, “We’ll just make sure to prepare a nice big meal for when she finishes.” Assuming she doesn’t die of thirst first…
“Relax,” said Pinkie Pie, “These things always sort themselves out in the end. Like the time I had a Strange Mood!” We all turned and stared at her quizzically for a moment.
“What? Where did you think my party cannon came from, especially since we’re supposed to be in a quasi-medieval fantasy setting?”
It was at that moment that the door suddenly burst open. Out stepped Rarity, haggard and exhausted, but sporting the biggest grin I had ever seen. In her telekinetic grasp floated a small, plain wooden box
“IT IS FINISHED!!!” She cried out, “Behold, my masterpiece!”
She flipped open the box, and pulled out…
A pair of earrings.
A pair of earrings constructed of wood, leather, silver, jewels, and various unidentifiable bits.
Mind you, a very nice pair of earrings, a pair that any of us would be glad to wear to a fancy social function.
But they were still just earrings.
"Seriously?" groaned Rainbow, performing a hearty facehoof.
“I shall name them, Ignostill Englebrecht!” Rarity cried, holding them aloft for all to see.
“Well, darlings, what do you think?”
She was met with stunned silence.
“What, do you not like them?” she asked.
“What do they do?” asked Applejack, clearly confused.
“Well, you know,” said Rarity, “You wear them!”
“Are they enchanted with a spell of strength or protection or something?” asked Rainbow, clearly skeptical.
“N-no, not as such,” said Rarity.
“Are they imbued with a terrible power that can only be destroyed by throwing them into an active volcano?” said Pinkie, clearly hopeful.
“I should think not!” said Rarity, “Twilight, did Pinkie get into your 'writings' again?”
“I think they look pretty,” said Fluttershy, clearly trying to help Rarity feel better.
“They’re very nice,” I said, clearly perplexed, “But do you really think they were worth all that trouble?”
“Twilight! I’m surprised at you!” she said, clearly offended, “Of all of us, I’d think you would be the one to understand!”
“Whatever,” said Rainbow as she began to fly away, clearly growing bored, “Let me know when someone makes a legendary spear or something.”
“Yeah,” said Applejack, “I gotta go, uh, eat apples or somethin’.” One by one the others wandered off, leaving just me and Rarity.
“Um, now what?”
“Um, good job I guess?”
“Ugh, none of you ponies understand my craft…” she muttered, slowly walking back into her workshop. As I walked away however, I heard her calling down the empty halls.
“Hey, why is there so much cheese in here?!?”
