The Rite Setting

by Ebonysdagger

Rating: teen
Tags: Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Spike, Rarity
Length: 9325

High Lady Twilight tires of not being able to leave her mansion in Canterlot. Could Rarity, a rumored miracle worker with gems and metals, help?

Life is hard when your own mana well is too large for your body which is something Twilight Sparkle should know. Rarity also knows life is hard when a night of drinking and desperation lead to you spreading rumors about yourself being able to work miracles through your creations. Spike just hopes his gambit to save his boss will work. Can Rarity pull through and help High Lady Twilight and cement her reputation? Will Twilight find the artificer a fraud or a friend?

Created for Monochromatic's Interwoven Colours contest.

Published 2017-05-28 00:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-05-28 12:31:55 UTC

Chapter 1

It had only been a week after she had gotten her cutie mark and hatched Spike that the pain set in. At first she had assumed they were just headaches or some mana burnout from her explosive entrance into the Celestial Sisters’ School of Magic. A month later after passing out from pain during a lesson with Princess Celestia she found out it was something else entirely. Some panic, a few accusations, and scans from the greatest minds in magic and medicine later it was determined what was going on. Twilight Sparkle, daughter of Lord Night Light and Lady Twilight Velvet, would be lucky to see her thirtieth birthday and it was all because she was too powerful for her own good. Apparently her mana well was growing geometrically by the day which would not have been so bad a thing if her mana supply was not growing exponentially at the same rate. If something was not done soon her own power would not only rupture her body but would be liable to destroy all of Canterlot.

Immediately upon discovery of this the princesses and her family began to do everything they could to help her. Hours and hours of research and testing was carried out in the hopes of preventing the loss of possibly the most powerful mortal magic user their world would ever see. At first it was easy to handle with teaching her power intensive spells for her to shunt all her energy into and housing her in rooms that were designed to block out external mana to slow down the rate at which she would recharge. As such she was housed in a series of such chambers in the palace and one was constructed in her parent’s mansion for when she would stay with them. This carried her through a few years into her teens until they discovered the problem was much worse than expected.

Spike had discovered his employer on the ground passed out one morning after her eighteenth birthday. Once more there was a flurry of doctors and wizards trying to determine what had happened to Celestia’s Favored. Once more something horrifying was discovered as it would seem that Twilight’s rate of magical absorption to recuperate her expended magic was now beginning to grow at an exponential rate every six hours. She would be lucky to make it through the year without extreme measures being taken immediately. Luna and Celestia provided access to extremely restricted materials to build a small suite in Twilight’s family home where she could live. These materials, a magically dead variation of marble that was impermeable to magic, would buy Twilight a few years while more work could be done to save her.

Twilight was not idle during these years of course. She spent many an hour poring over theories concerning energy build up and expenditure. Her failures to cure her problem lead to some of the greatest advancements in the fields relating to energy containment for Equestria. Many a device and new magical method came out of her works but none helped her issue. In her attempts to keep her magic buildup minimal she had taken to casting massive spells and putting them to work. One such method was that she currently supplied most of Canterlot’s electricity alone by tossing her power into an orb that would be replaced each day and hooked up the city’s electrical system. All of this was aside from the various spells and inventions she designed and theorized on that other mages had to work on in her stead given her lack of room for a proper lab. As such, her name and influence were felt throughout the capital even if the average citizen had never seen her.

“The same room. The same four walls. The same droning emptiness the lack of ambient mana registers as to my horn. Spike, if I can’t get out of here soon I might expire of boredom before I explode from magic overload.” Twilight complained to her assistant. The past three years spent in that room was beginning to become too much for her to handle. The purple unicorn rolled over on her bed to look at her assistant as he entered the room.

“Come now, Twilight, it isn’t that bad. You used to brag at how you could visit so many worlds even if you were stuck here for the moment.” Spike tried to talk her down. He only had to have this discussion every other day after all so it was old hat to him. Still he would give his tail for a way to help her with her problem. It could not be healthy for her to have not seen the sun in so many years after all. The young green and purple dragonling set up a tray with some simple breakfast items for his employer.

“That was two years and eight months ago, Spike. I’ve read every book in here including the four I wrote at least three times already. I couldn’t even go to my parent’s funeral. We couldn’t be sure that I could be outside this room for long enough to attend the ceremony.” Twilight grumbled to her assistant.

“Well, eat your breakfast for me at least, Twilight. Who knows, we might have a breakthrough today.”

“I might as well. Then it’ll be back to the old grind of throwing a lot of power around and then retreading the same research again.” The magician heaved herself out of bed and began to eat.

As Twilight got a start on her day Spike began to plan his trip to town for supplies and, with some luck, something a little more important. He had been hearing rumors spreading through town about a miracle worker within the realm of enchantments. Perhaps it was time to rely on an unknown rather than those with more titles and diplomas than sense.

Author's Note

Yes, I know. Show don't tell. A lot of the AU is being set up here so I do hope you'll forgive me for it in this chapter.

Chapter 2

“Damn it all.” Rarity Belle was not having the best Thursday ever. Actually, that was an understatement. Her past week had been hell if she was honest with herself. It all started last Friday.

“What do I do now? If I don’t start getting some orders soon I won’t be able to afford the rent. If that happens I’ll lose the store and then return to Ponyville. Who knew it would be so hard to break into the market here in Canterlot anyway?” Rarity had just spent the past month running her new jewelry shop getting only two customers the entire time. Oh sure she got the lookie loos one would expect a new shop to gain in any town but only two had purchased anything and at that it had been rather simple earrings. Given the care and hours she had put into several virtual raiment of gems she was not happy to only part with her simplest wares to say nothing of the least expensive.

Given these facts it should have been unsurprising she was spending her money as wisely as anyone on the fast track to depression would by visiting a bar to get plastered. Perhaps the sauce could help her creativity was her excuse. As she continued to cast sheets to the wind she began to come up with an advertising scheme. This was Canterlot which was not only the city of the unicorns but one of the few cities in the entire nation that ran as much on gossip, hearsay, and scandal as it did money and magic. Perhaps she could spread some tales of the miracles her creations could work for her clients. Why it would not even be a lie after all. What Lady would not feel more confident with a lovely tiara or horn ring and in the realm of nobility what problem could a bit more confidence not fix? What Lord would not cow his rivals with a refined pocket watch made from far rarer and quality materials?

She spent the rest of that night plying her secondary talent for gossip spreading the rumors about her shop. In time, she drunkenly believed, this could only help her business. What she had forgotten was this was Canterlot and not Ponyville. Rumors of miracles in a city filled with arch mages and psuedodeific royalty will be taken far more literally here than they would have been back home.

These last two days had been a mad scramble trying to fulfill requests from clients. Rarity had never spent so much time researching the lattices of crystal and the mana throughput of various metals before in her life. She had managed to make four different tailor crafted trinkets for customers that mostly dealt purifying their mana for smoother flow or augmenting a customer’s mana pool. She was left feeling sort of dirty given that these were things unicorns looked for in a mate, purer magic and larger magic stores, and the leers the customers who had purchased them had shown to their companions after making the purchase made her ill.

Today was a brand new day and she just knew it would mean more time taking her special talent and using it to help some sleaze get laid. The sad thing was these were the first requests she had received after the rumors spread. If this was what miracles meant to the nobility she was beginning to think it might be better to return to Ponyville after all. The problem was now though the store was empty again because she had received word that an important client would be requiring her services and as such she had her shop closed to the public until they arrived.

“At least this month’s rent is handled. So let us hope today will be better.” She began to draw up a sketch for a lovely little diadem that had attached to it a small netting of silver that would loop into the grooves of a unicorn’s horn and was covered in small gems that would catch the light just so when it was made. Thankfully she no longer had to take time away from creating new works to find gems and it was all due to a chance happening. The day she had encountered her friend, Maud Pie, had been such a boon for her she would remember it always.

Rarity was bored. Her horn had been tugging her somewhere for nearly a day and a half at this point. If this did not end soon she was going to fear for her health though perhaps more importantly now was how scuffed up her hooves were becoming. After a few more minutes she suddenly stopped thanks to her horn slamming her into a giant rock. Needless to say the filly was unamused with this development. Just as she was about to kick the rock off the cliff she had found it on an explosion rippled across the sky and magic raced throughout the world as far as her limited magical sensitivity could tell. This lead to the rock breaking in half, finding a mother lode of gems, and the attainment of her cutie mark in a single instant.

As the young unicorn set her best efforts into carrying the gems back home she spotted a gray colored filly heading her way. She stopped to see what this individual would want. As she waited a very monotone voice reached her ears. “Please wait a moment. If you don’t mind I would like to see those gems you have there.”

After some talking and some working together Maud had taught her a bit about the gems and their properties which had lead Rarity to using them for more than just augmenting some costumes for her class play. From that day on the path of the jeweler had been Rarity’s and Maud had been more than willing to give Rarity any gems she found once she had finished studying them. Why, Rarity still had an odd bit of tourmaline from that day that she could never seem to part with for any reason.

Her door chime rattled calling her attention. Just as she was about to explain that the store was closed today so as to accommodate a client she noted that the one who entered was a dragon with purple scales and a green underbelly and fins. This caused her to halt before she could begin because this must have been who she was waiting for. Everyone in Canterlot recognized Spike if only because he was the only contact with the High Lady Twilight Sparkle anyone in the city had. Why would the custodian of this modern age of magic and science need her services.

“Excuse me miss. Are you Rarity Belle?”

Author's Note

I hope this one reads better. Ugh, the sequence with Maud was supposed to have all the Pies but I felt that wound up thinning the chapter's focus too much so rounded it down to just Rarity meeting Maud.

Chapter 3

Rarity was the most nervous she had ever been in her life. Sitting here in a waiting room while Spike prepared the door way into Twilight’s room to allow an unknown visitor or so she had been told. She had always feared her big mouth might get her in trouble one of these days but the most she expected was to get on the wrong side of an angry wife or husband caught up in a scandal for spreading what happened. Not possibly being vaporized by a look from the single most powerful mortal pony in the nation for failing to live up to her expectations.

She knew the tales of the rather curt letters Twilight had sent out as her form of interaction with the world when she needed to communicate. Supposedly half the staff at the Sisters’ Magic school in the field of experimental magics had a break down when she had torn into their theories. If mere words on a page from such a pony could do that then surely the only thing more nerve wracking than meeting her would be waking up to find you had a one night stand with Princess Luna. This was all without considering the surely exaggerated tales that if she got angry while in her youth Twilight would shift colors and her hair would blaze with the flames of wrath.

“Are you Rarity Belle?” questioned the dragon.

“Yes. I am. How might I help you sir Spike?”

“It has come to my attention that you have a bit of a reputation for achieving miracles, miss. If it wouldn’t be too much of an imposition, I was hoping you could perhaps work one for my boss.”

The light gray unicorn tried not to show her heart stopping at those words. ‘Well I’m doomed.’ “How could a mere artificer of bits and bobs of metal and gems possibly help Lady Twilight?”

“I’m sure you know that she suffers from a small problem. One of not being able to travel past a small contained room in her mansion for fear of her magic retention over swelling her capacity to contain it. I wanted to ask you to come and speak with her. Perhaps you can help her with her issue. If not, you will be compensated for your day. If you can help her though I can assure you that you will have the Patronage of House Star from here on out.”

Forget the heart attack Rarity was about to lose all her blood flow to her now saucer wide eyes. Patronage from one of the greater noble houses was a dream of anyone working in Canterlot. Patronage from Twilight Sparkle, grand mage of Canterlot, Celestia’s Favored, Luna’s Champion, and the unicorn that almost single hoofedly powered the entire city would shoot the reputation of whoever earned it into the realm of legend. There genuinely was only one answer she could give.

“Lea… lead the way.” Rarity gulped just barely avoiding swallowing her tongue in the process.

Spike coughed to get Rarity’s attention. “Miss Rarity, Twilight will see you now. Just follow me and I will lead you to her.” The little whelp waited until Rarity rose from her seat and lead her down a singular hall to a door covered in more sigils and wards than she had ever seen. He opened the door and lead the unicorn past it before closing it behind them. Another long hall lead to another door that he pushed open and led her into what appeared to be an antechamber of a bedroom.

There at a small desk only marred by reams of paper and ink stains sat a mulberry unicorn reading over some tome and comparing it to some report that was next to her. ‘She is smaller than I expected.’ This distracted creature, Rarity’s mind supplied in counter point, could boil her alive if its concentration slipped for even a moment. In fact the only reason she could get this close to Twilight was due to the effects of the wards and material the room was made up of. Rarity immediately held still thanks to that thought trying not to make any sudden movements while the dragon approached the busy mare.

‘Well they do say dragon’s are magic resistant and bold. I guess there is truth to that after all.’

Spike began to poke at Twilight trying to get her attention. He knew he would find her busy doing something like this. Judging by the fact that she was failing to use ink he supposed she was simply burning her displeasure into the page. ‘Must have been helping to grade some reports for a teacher at the school again and found someone who could not cite properly.’ After about a minute of this failing to get her attention he flipped the book she was using to verify the citation closed.

“Spike!.” Twilight jumped in startlementand a small spark of energy burned another smudge into her desk. Apparently there was quite a collection of them that Rarity could spot now that had been covered by the book earlier. “Don’t do that! You remember the last time you spooked me I teleported you into one of the palace walls.”

“Twilight, I have someone I would like you to meet.” The dragon ignored Twilight’s warning as he had dozens of times before.

“If it is that idiot Blueblood you can tell him to go hang before I ice him. For the last time I will not consent to a marriage between our houses. No way am I letting that flank wipe have the resources of our house behind him. He already has more power than a moron like him should have anyway.”

“No Twilight, this is something important. I want you to meet someone who might be able to help you. According to the grape vine she is an up and coming miracle worker in magical trinkets.”

As the two discussed these things between themselves Rarity blanched about as well as a white coated creature could. ‘The rumor was only that my creations could work miracles for my clients. And I only spread that around with the express intention of meaning it would help them look better. I guess this explains some of those clients before.’ While she was distracted realizing how bad her tales would backlash on her the two finished talking to each other and turned their attention upon her.

“So Miss Rarity, my assistant tells me you could help me with my problem. Are you aware of what you are being set up to do? Do you understand what the problem is?”

“I think most of Canterlot is aware at least in part. As I understand it, your ability to hold magic is growing at a slower rate than you regenerate it.”

“That is more or less it but I don’t think it covers how severe this situation is. As you know, all magic users regenerate their magic over time by taking in the ambient magic of the world around them. The problem I have is the rate at which I regenerate my magic grows ever greater by exceedingly small units of time versus my set growth rate of containing it. I can’t even set hoof outside the sealed hallway leading into this room without the limb almost rupturing from magical build up within it.”

Spike weighed in at this point. “Don’t forget the fact that even in this area cut off from ambient magic you still regenerate magic so fast you have to go out of your way to bleed it out but this isn’t going to remain viable for much longer.”

The jeweler considered this situation for a moment. “Have you considered using something to augment your ability to hold magic? I don’t mean just a shunting it into a battery but rather jewelry that could sap away your regenerating magic faster than your body takes it in?”

“Is that possible? I’m rather familiar with enchantments and various methods of transferring and containing energy but I have never ran across anything that could do this outside of something made by Tirek that I’d rather avoid using.”

“I have a friend who I could get in contact with who knows all about gems. If I ask her she may know of a gem that could do most of that work on its own. Even if she doesn’t she may know of something that could do better than this room at least.”

“Then please do contact her. If you need anything my resources are available to you. Simply notify Spike and we will make it happen.”

The three began to talk to each other well into the evening tossing theories and ideas back and forth on how to make Twilight not a ticking weapon of magic destruction. At the end of the night and on her way home Rarity had realized that she would try to do this. Not for her reputation or for wealth but simply because she found herself having enjoyed the conversation this night. She did not have many real friends here in Canterlot and this looked like it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Chapter 4

In the past month quite a lot had changed in the lives of both Rarity and Twilight. Rarity spent quite a bit of time going over ideas on how to help Twilight and contacting Maud for some help. During the down time that she was not spending in Twilight’s room or meeting Maud she would accept the ever more outlandish requests of her clients. It would appear word had leaked that she had been approached by House Star so many a noble was now willing to visit her shop. While it was still mostly the same things she had been cranking out before she met Twilight she also found herself enjoying the occasional challenge. While she had started on shaky ground between Twilight’s advice, her own touch of creativity, and access to certain sections of the palace library afforded her thanks to a good word from Spike, she was beginning to earn the reputation she had falsely built for herself.

As she began to read over her latest letter from the Pie sister after a busy day she found herself wondering if Twilight would want some company. ‘It can’t be pleasant for the poor dear. I think I’ll visit her tonight. Perhaps I can take this time to begin getting her ready for it.’ She could not help but notice that Twilight did not wear any sort of adornments and the purple unicorn was going to have to get used to them if this plan was going to work. For now it would just be some earrings and a hoof bracelet or two so it was not going to be much.

“This should be fun. Perhaps make it a slumber party while I’m at it. I think Spike wouldn’t mind letting me in still.” She turned her attention back to the letter and began to read about a find of some orichalcum on a dig. Samples of such should be arriving at Rarity’s place by the end of the week so she can test them with Twilight to see if it could be of any use. Maud would be doing her own tests on some of it to determine if it could help. So far the earth pony had not found the gems Rarity was hoping for, the ones capable of eating magic at a fast rate, sadly.

Four months into the project saw Twilight looking up from her reviewing a few of the latest theories of her contemporaries relating to using ambient mana to charge machines instead of requiring a unicorn or pegasus to do so. It was fascinating stuff and potentially of use to her however their grammar left much to be desired and she needed a break before she was tempted to storm after the writer of the article.

She took in her somewhat changed antechamber around her for perhaps the first time in a month. After all how often would one really pay attention to a room they have seen every day of their lives for years? ‘When did Rarity set up a jeweler’s atelier in here?’ Of course Twilight had noticed that Rarity was here more and more often but she had not noticed the artificer setting up shop. ‘Well that would explain why she kept coming back to me so quickly when I would explain to her why the guiding wires would not channel the energy the way she wanted.’

She also noticed that a small little pile of pillows was near her friend’s work station. ‘Has she been sleeping here?’ “Spike! Spike!”

“What is it, Twilight?”

“How long has this been here?”, the magical powerhouse asked her scaly assistant.

“For the past five weeks. Geeze Twilight, I’ve always said you need to get your head out of your books but I didn’t realize it was this bad. You even helped her set it up.”

“I did?”

“Yes. Though I guess you wouldn’t remember because it was rather early in the day and you hadn’t had your coffee yet. I seem to recall you accidentally created that mass teleportation relay in that condition one morning when you found out we were out of sugar and we had to clean up after an entire plantation’s worth appeared in here.”

“Oh. Does she also sleep there then? I see a cozy spot she has set up beside it.”

“Most nights for the last two weeks. She keeps muttering about being close to figuring something out.”

Twilight pondered on how to take this situation. ‘Sure, I can adapt to this. I can almost ignore the weight of the bangles and the occasional twitches from the earrings now.’ “Spike, why would she need to sleep here. Surely she could sleep at her home.”

“Supposedly there are more resources here for her to tinker with. The stock in her shop is mostly for her average clients. The stuff she is working with for you is somewhat rarer and she can’t take those books with her when she leaves. Half of them are restricted to anyone below a rank four mage.”

“I see. You think you could see about ordering a proper second bed for her then. We’ll put it in my bedroom proper so she can sleep nearby. While that looks comfortable it can’t be too healthy.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

‘Found you.’ Rarity found what she had been looking for finally. Any jeweler or enchanter knew this book existed out there thanks to rumors that ran through the schools that taught the arts and simple history lessons about dangerous artifacts. The unicorn stepped away from the shelf filled to the brim with tomes of knowledge usually restricted solely to the grand mage or the princesses. While Spike had gotten her access to the archives even his word would not save her if she was caught with this one.

Rarity sat down and began to pour over the tome on esoteric methods once employed by a unicorn known simultaneously as the foremost enchanter in history, the one who practiced the least restraint in how he did it, and in some ways was creator of at least half of the cursed artifacts sealed in rooms similar to the one Twilight lived in. As she began to realize that a lot of it was over her head she did catch something disturbing hinting at sacrifice being needed to achieve truly powerful results. This was going to be harder than she expected and she would need help understanding it. Time to slip it out of the archives and to Twilight’s.

It had been seven months and all she had managed to do was help her friend mellow out a bit. Twilight was getting less stern and more open to herself and anyone who had reason to meet with her. It still took her and Spike far too long to calm Twilight down if someone offended her somehow but she was no longer fearful that Twilight would turn her to stone with an errant look while angry. ‘Now then, how to distract the guard?’

“Sister, do you really think we should have allowed her to take that book?” Luna asked Celestia as they observed the visitor to the archives make a beeline for Twilight’s mansion.

“Normally, no. But with Twilight helping her I think it was a safe choice. Besides things are starting to get desperate. You and I both know what is coming and we are going to need Twilight when it happens. It is perhaps time to start looking at more unconventional solutions.” Celestia bit her lip watching what was happening before turning to look at her sister.

“You think Twilight will recognize the book? Won’t she just turn her in.”

“No, I don’t think she will. She will protect her friend even from us.”

“Good. It gladdens my heart to see she finally has one outside of us.”

“GET OUT OR DIE, CRETIN!” A white unicorn mare sporting red eyes and flaming locks glared down upon the cowering unicorn stallion before it. The desk that had started out in between them now only a pile of ashes as was the chair the mare had sat upon. Slagged metal running from her ears and down her hooves some how being less noteworthy to an observer in the moment.

Spike and Rarity stayed off to the side watching the events proceeding before them. Rarity mostly still in shock that Prince Blueblood had come to marry Twilight with a business proposal. No romance or an attempt to couch it as if he cared about her but a pure proposal for a consolidation of the resources of both their houses. He had made no attempt to hide that it was purely a power grab with his words indicating he expected to inherit the mutual resources when Twilight inevitably blew up. Spike merely was waiting so he could try and soothe Twilight as this was hardly the first time he had seen this song and dance.

As the prince turned tail and fled Spike and Rarity moved in to calm their friend. Twilight began to go through breathing and focusing exercises she had learned over the years so as to avoid destroying everything around her. Normally her upset would be at his attempt to use all her family had earned and gained simply to aggrandize himself rather than to help others as Twilight’s family had been doing for centuries but this time it was because he had slandered her friend and Spike at every chance he had. She had never noticed how insulting he was to everyone before for some reason she was not comfortable analyzing. ‘Why was there a new section of his bid about no mistresses being allowed for me for that matter?’ She had no delusions whether the prick would keep some for himself of course.

While the calm was setting in and her friends were cleaning up her mess Twilight began to work out the reason for that condition. ‘Perhaps because I have a friend who has been living with me for the last nine months?’

Rarity got Twilight’s attention and took her mind away from that line of thought rather quickly however. “Darling, you are a mess. All that soot in your coat and it is going to take hours to clean all that metal off of you. Please let me get some ponies I know in here to help me get you sorted out. I know that with their help we can get you more relaxed than you have ever been in your life.”

“Sorry that you had to see that Rarity. I know I’ve been getting better at staying calm but something about that… that flank wipe just hits that primal part of my brain that tells me it needs to be destroyed. Sorry to you too, Spike. Because of me you have another mess to clean up.”

“That is alright, Twilight. In this case I believe it was perfectly understandable. Now you let Rarity help you while I sweep all this up, alright?” Spike soothed. “I’ll be back with a broom and dustpan.”

“Twilight, I’ll be right back after I send a message through Spike, alright?”

Twilight nodded to Rarity as she followed Spike out the door. Likely to get him to send a letter for her. ‘Oh and I destroyed Rarity’s work too. I was beginning to like the earrings.’

Outside the room Rarity wrote up two letters and had Spike send them for her before he returned to sweep up the mess. The first letter would insure that the head attendant at the only spa in the city Rarity trusted would be arriving shortly to help her pamper and clean up Twilight while the second would make sure Maud knew that they would need something more than just orichalcum since Twilight would melt through it during an emotional moment.

Chapter 5

“Down!”, a booming male voice rang out through the Everfree Forest to his companions. As soon as they heard the shout Rarity and Spike ducked under the swiping claws of a timber wolf. A moment later a combination of shields and spear work extinguished the creature trying to slay them.

“Thanks Shining.” Spike called to Twilight’s brother as Rarity set to work casting the spells she would need to in order to extract the force animating the living wood.

“That is alright, Spike. I’m sorry that I almost didn’t catch that one.” Shining said to his sister’s assistant. As Rarity’s horn lit up in a black aura and her eyes shifted to red and green Shining Armor himself turned a bit green at what she is doing. “Are you sure this is the only way?”

“What? The soul extraction? Yeah. We are going to need them to help attune the gems we are going to use to Twilight herself. Don’t worry too much about it. We have the okay from the princesses after all.” Spike himself was only slightly less disturbed by the dark magic that was being practiced in front of them.

An orb seeped out of the wooden predator and into a jar Rarity was carrying in her saddlebags. “Four down one more to go. Cheer up Captain Armor. We’ve almost finished what we came here for. As for the necessity of what we are doing, I can assure you it was the least messy method detailed in Craving’s enchantment manual.”

“If this wasn’t for my sister I’d never help do something like this.”

“If you think you are bothered by this, imagine being the one having to cast the spells. Only reason I’m holding out against how wrong this magic feels is the fact that it will help my friend.”

Nearby some bushes began to rustle and the hunting party got ready for another run in with the local wild life. So far they had not had to kill anything but their target wild golems but that did not mean they had not already ran across a manticore or cragodile on this venture. After a moment an equine head poked through the bushes which was welcomed however though this one was odd. They had never seen a pony with stripes like that before.

“Okay Twilight, are you ready?”

“Are you sure about this Rarity? I’m not comfortable with what we had to do to make these.”

“We’ve been over this a few times already, Twilight. We only used the souls from the timber wolves. Nothing else was killed to make this possible.”

“Alright.” Twilight gulped before applying the choker Rarity had made for her. It was a lovely thing created of several strands of interwoven alloys that should have been used to armor air ships than make a small band to sit around a unicorn’s throat. A small piece of azurite sitting in the middle to decorate the band.

“How do you feel?”

“Strange. There was an odd sensation the moment I put it on.”

“That should have been the enchantment syncing with you from what we’ve been reading. Now, just put on a bangle for each leg and then we’ll find out if they will do what we hoped.”

“Right.” Twilight tried not to go cross eyed as the bands of metal were slid over each of her hooves and up her leg. Each had reacted oddly in her magic field and feeling them resize so they would stay in place was odd. All four had been made up of the same metal as the choker with decorative bits of ivory laced within on advisement from their new zebra friend, Zecora.

“There. Now for the real test. Come on Twilight, let us see if these will do their job.” Rarity fretted about whether or not her creations could hope to hold up. It was not every day someone retro-engineered an enchantment to sync the growth of a unicorn’s reservoir with their mana generation. Doubly rare when the rates were so skewed from one another.

“Now then, let’s begin the tests, shall we?” Celestia stepped into the room followed by some of her experts.

What followed was a few hours of tests to confirm that their hopes were well placed. Twilight’s ability to contain her power was now growing at an exponential rate to match her ability to generate it. While this did not save her given that there was a vast gulf between the two it would buy her some hope. If they could do this then they were on the right track to saving her.

With tears in her eyes Twilight thanked everyone there and made a note to send thank you letters to Zecora and Maud as well. Without their input and help she was sure she and Rarity would still be spinning their wheels. “Thank you all so much. This is wonderful. Thank you Spike for taking a chance. Thank you Rarity for all you have been doing for me. This is a great anniversary gift of our meeting.”

Rarity herself was surprised to realize that Twilight was right. It had been a year to the day since she had been roped into all this but figured the awe at how much time had passed was less important than the fact that she had brought her friend hope. If she had anything to say about it Twilight would be able to leave this room in another year. “No worries, dear. We are just glad you are nearly free to move about again.”

“You are welcome Twilight. I just figured it was time to search in a different direction.” He kept it to himself he had been looking into some other information that Rarity had shared with him. The metal those bands were made up of would work for now but even they would be so much slag if she exploded like she did against Blueblood. It was time for him to contact some experts on odd and rare metals. It was time to talk to some dragons.

A cultured masculine voice could be heard in the office after the servant delivered the news to its employer. “I see. Continue to monitor everything. Let me know if they make any more progress.”

The servant nodded and left as Blueblood turned back to look out the window of his office. “I’ll have to make some plans. I had hoped I wouldn’t have to resort to these methods after I got rid of her parents but it looks like I’ll have to once again hire a ‘contractor’.”

Spike, trying to hide his blush because of the guest he was leading to Twilight’s room, spoke to the one he was guiding. “So Ember, you say you have what Twilight will be needing.”

“Yes, Spike. My father has given the okay to share the knowledge with your employer and even deliver as much as she needs assuming she agrees to help smooth things along for our peoples to get along.” The older teenage female dragon looked onto Twilight’s assistant.

“They’ll love to hear that.” Spike opened the door and lead her inside the antechamber which now looked more like a massive workshop suitable for a dozen ponies. The tables covered in books and scrolls, testing equipment of all sorts whose use was lost on the dragons, Rarity’s jeweler’s workstation and the enchanter’s alter near the edge of the room leading into the bed room.

“Okay, I have to ask what you two are doing.” Spike forgot about his guest for a moment in shock at seeing Rarity and Twilight in the middle of the room twisting around.

“Oh Spike darling, I’m helping Twilight here. Zecora suggested something her peoples had developed to cope with when one of their shamans got a little too in touch with the spirit world. It helps split them off from the spiritual plane so they will return to this world. From what she described it should help keep Twilight from building up such a surplus of power.” Rarity stepped off from Twilight with a bit of a blush. How was she to know Twilight was ticklish. It had been hell wrestling her to the ground to apply the solution. ‘Thankfully I grew up in an earth pony town.’

Twilight stood up mortified that she had been in such a position and that a guest had seen it. As she stood all in the room could see where Twilight’s body was covered in splotches of some sort of azure paint. ‘Oh, we are having words later miss experiments on her friends.’ “Ah, Spike, who is your friend?”

The purple dragon had to do everything he could not to laugh at how Twilight looked. “Ah, yes. This is Princess Ember. She is the daughter of Dragon Lord Torch. She is here to negotiate a trade deal. She has a most wondrous thing to offer us in exchange for House Star’s help in paving a path for such agreements between our cultures.”

“Oh? Well then let us see about making this friendship official.”

Author's Note

Well we are getting toward the end. Not too many scenes left. If you are wondering why Twilight owns the titles if Shining Armor exists in this universe that would tie into my interpretation to what it means to swear an oath to be a soldier of the guard. The minute Armor did that he lost any official position in his family's inheritance. A holdover law to prevent guards from pursuing family politics over serving the crown.

Chapter 6

Reporters lined the lawns outside the mansion home of Twilight Sparkle. They have been told today was going to be big and to be prepared for a long night after this press conference was over. After nearly losing two of their own to nerves about what the grand mage could be revealing through her assistant today they made note of the presence of both princesses, the expected dragon, and the up and coming star of enchanting and gem craft, Rarity. Also noticeable to all gathered was the empty space at the podium set up to make an announcement.

“No way.” The first to see what was coming was a particularly eagle eyed pegasus photographer by the name of Polaroid. As his colleagues began to look around for what he had seen they saw the doors to the mansion open. Out into the light of day strode Twilight Sparkle herself for the first time in nearly five years. All about her form were bits of metal, gem, and in some cases bone and all were catching the light as she approached to the podium. A few earrings in either ear, bangles and bracelets about her legs, choker about her neck, a netting of some delicate metal about her horn, and doubtlessly some horse shoes that they could not make out caught attention from the assembled. Here and there on what bits of her bare flesh they could see were tattooed symbols of no doubt arcane significance in a color not unlike those of her friend’s eyes. An interesting meeting indeed.

“It is with a happy heart I am here to share some news with you all. Thanks to the efforts of several friends and allies I can finally set hoof outside my rooms within the mansion. We are happy to tell you that the primary danger has passed and that I will be taking a more active role in the fields once more. The accouterments you see upon me are equalizing my ability to store my magic to that of my ability to generate it. The whole rig represents some of our best advancements in the fields relating to magical containment, restraint, enchanting, and a few more besides.” Twilight smiled for the benefit of the reporters. “Now then, are there any questions?”

A female unicorn waved a hoof for attention and asked her question once Twilight nodded to her. “Ma’am, if we understand everything correctly does this mean we will be seeing more of you in town?”

“Not yet I’m afraid. What we have rigged here is but the initial stage. It works well enough that I can leave my room and enjoy the grounds here but it could fail if I am upset enough. In such cases I have to be near my home so I can get into the sealed room in case something happens. No worries though for our friends, the dragons, have offered to help us get the metals we will need to create something that can withstand the results of my burning raw mana when upset.”

A male unicorn writing for the paper at the Princesses’ School is the next to get Twilight’s attention. “Does this mean we need to be investing in heart medicine for the staff of those over in the research labs at the school?”

Twilight began to laugh before she started to answer him.

The poor stallion was not happy. His boss had sent him here to the section of Canterlot best described as squalid in his mind. He approached a seemingly random ally and waited for something to happen.

A multi-toned voice spoke to the stallion from the shadows of the alley resulting in him turning to see what had snuck upon him. “So you are the one hiring, yes?” The stallion's eyes could make out green eyes on a tall unicorn. He assumed it was a mare from the voice.

“Yes. There is a thorn that needs to be removed in this city. Have you ever heard of a mare named Rarity?”

The eyes light up in amusement even as the voice from the alley responds. “Oh yes we have. It is understood she is an up and comer in several fields. You do realize the price will be high for such a target, yes?”

“We are prepared to pay any price you ask.”

“Excellent.”

Rarity sighed in exhaustion as she gazed upon her creation. She had to borrow a dress form from a friend in order to plot out all the pieces and their places but she was almost done. As such she was currently in the middle of her shop working since there was not that much room in Twilight’s chambers left. The metal the dragons had provided could stand up not only to Twilight’s occasional temper flare ups but also proved to be some of the best mana guides they had ever acquired. After all this was over arrangements were going to be made to get more and put it to use wiring up the city.

The entire assemblage that Twilight would need was almost ready with most of it being similar to what she had worn merely three months ago at the press conference. A jeweled head dress would sweep before her hair and hanging from it was a net of all sorts of jewels all micro-engraved to alter the flow of energy around the one who wore it. A similar netting was prepared that would drape over Twilight’s tail as well. It was going to be beautiful once it was finished. Rarity just knew it needed one final thing. The great thing was that their studies indicated that not only would this thing protect Twilight from her own power but it would turn her into a veritable walking fortress. Something that Rarity began to worry about as time progressed in the presence of her friend was that she would make quite a few enemies among those who preferred her bound where she could not look into what they were doing. ‘Well this thing just needs to have Twilight charge it up and we can take it for a spin.’

In spite of everything there was still a problem Rarity knew needed to be address. This whole thing was just one giant enchantment housing with no intelligence to it. It would always work at its full strength which was not necessarily what was desired as there would need to be times it could adjust to fluctuations in environment or Twilight herself. Another is that there was just something missing in the looks of the whole thing. Perhaps she could finish the whole thing out with a bit of flair.

As Rarity was busy creating a bezel setting for that fragment of tourmaline she had been keeping since the day she got her cutie mark she failed to notice the buzz that accompanied a green magic aura lifting a window in the back of her shop. As she used some filament of mythril to attach it to the head dress piece so that it would dangle from it just below Twilight’s horn she did not register the sound of gossamer wings flying above her. After a moment she stepped back to observe what she had made just in time to hear a spell and see a flash of green. In her next moment the world was agony as something pierced her through her barrel.

She never heard her assassin approach to steal her creation as she fell to the floor bleeding. 'No! So close. I almost had it finished. I can’t let it end here. I have to see my friend finally free.’

“You angered some powerful ponies helping that purple terror. Don’t worry though, I’m sure my boss would love to look over your pretty creation here. Why, we could advance our own magic knowledge by at least a dozen magnitudes just studying what has been done to this.” The hooves of her attacker being all Rarity could make out of them in the dark. They had holes through a dark coat near as she could tell.

‘Not going to let you take it. If I charge it the thing will protect itself from anyone other than Twilight or Spike. No time to waste. I’ll have to do it. I just hope Spike can get it to Twilight tomorrow morning.’ “Not happening.” Rarity with all the will and energy she possessed in her currently dying body attempted to charge the creation. Her eyes turned red and green and her magic began to reach into herself to pluck out what made her unique and then shoved it into the gem she had just attached to the assemblage.

The sudden flash of magic confused the aggressor and made him step back. When his vision cleared the dying unicorn was missing. He knew that was not a teleportation spell as there was no signature such spells left behind. Taking it for a last desperate attempt to stop him that failed, he sent his magic to snatch up as much of the creation as he could in his magic. As soon as his magic touched it he felt it begin to seep away from him. Failing to take it with magic he tried to remove it with his hooves only to find he could get no purchase on it. Realizing that the flash of light would attract attention he finally gave the thing up for a failure and left.

From inside the newly mounted tourmaline gem a small spot of blue could be seen. If one knew how to listen they would hear the voice of a particular unicorn sighing in relief. “Oh dear, I think I might have made a hasty decision.”

The next morning Spike arrived at the shop to find Rarity’s creation for Twilight assembled and looking more alive in the light of the room than it had the last time he had seen it. Figuring that it had something to do with the tricks of artistry the unicorn had applied in the final touches he began to box it up to bring to Twilight. He really hoped Rarity would be here but thankfully she had left him a key to the store in case she was ever out and he needed to get something for her or even a quick snack depending on the situation. Seeing no sign of the mare or struggle, he assumed she had gotten involved in something with a client and had to step out. He would deliver the goods to Twilight and they would wait until the evening when Rarity came home to place it upon their friend.

When Rarity did not show up that evening Twilight was rather distraught. "Someone must have done something to her, Spike."

"Well Twilight, our best choice is to look into this ourselves. I doubt they could hide anything from your magic after all."

"But I can't go running about the city myself."

"You can now." Spike pointed out the box containing the assemblage.

Twilight realized what he was trying to tell her. Nodding her head she began to get dressed up as she had come to think of putting on the odd things Rarity had made for her. Just before she finished she noticed the odd blue spot in the gem that would hang below her horn. "That is kind of odd. I don't think I've ever seen that before." Once everything was in place Twilight noticed something was wrong. "Spike, this thing is already active."

"That can't be possible. Only you or the princesses could charge the thing."

"I can explain that dears." A voice the two recognized spoke up. After a moment a white figure with purple hair and some markings about its form began to appear before the two.

Author's Note

Ahem, do not hate me please. Do note this is neither a sad tale nor a tragedy. Heh, heh.