Must you keep worrying. Having to listen to constant loops of guilt and foreboding is rather annoying.
“How can I not worry? How will this affect my life? I am facilitating a criminal.”
Okay first, this is only going to be a positive. You get to stay with you hubby longer and he doesn't have to be depressed about your passing. Win win. Second, you have captured a great criminal and are now able to carry this poor mare to the aid she needs. You are a hero if anything.
“She is in this condition because of you! Also, great? Narcissistic much?”
You lecture me on narcissism?
“Fair point.”
There! Stop!
“What?”
Look at your reflection on that window.
What Rarity saw shocked her. Wrinkles gone, legs thicker with once lost muscle, her shapely curves had returned to her, her mane had lost it’s graying strands, and her white coat shined bright once more. Her mane however was now as black as the night sky. “Is that me?”
Indeed. I do good work my dear.
Perhaps it was vain, but Rarity could not help but smile. She was called beautiful, a goddess, an angel sent from the heavens to make mere mortals believe in perfection. She had worked hard for her image. Both for her business and because she truly loved feeling beautiful. To see her hard work being undone by the unstoppable force of time was hard to take. Try as she would, that was a fight she lost in the end. Yet, here before her, there was the beauty she had once wielded. The new mane color was a bit severe though.
Hey, I’m in here too. Can’t I have this at least?
“I suppose.” Rarity continued her journey to the clinic.
I’m sure your hubby will be excited as well.
“He loves me for far more than my looks.”
From the look of things in here, you know that your appearance was what first caught his eye.
“Of course. Many would turn their heads at my presence. Naturally he was able to appreciate what he saw. Our desire for each other grew as we came to know the soul within each other.”
Poetic, but looks like you haven’t been able to be as rowdy with him as you once were. Oh my. Such a naughty mare in your hayday.
“Stay out of there! It’s private!” She heard the giggling in her mind.
“Umm hello? How can I help you?”
Rarity turned her head to see a nurse outside the clinic looking at her suspiciously, “Oh dear. Terribly sorry. We were being too loud.”
“We?”
“Err… I was being too loud.”
Smooth.
The nurse’s eyebrow raised. “I found this mare in the woods and brought here here for treatment.”
The nurse indeed just noticed the mare on Rarity’s back. “Bring her in.” She moved quickly ahead of Rarity, “Bed to the front please!” The staff brought a stretcher and helped move the mare from Rarity's back onto it. As they began to wheel her away the nurse moved behind her desk and retrieve a clipboard and turned to Rarity, “I need your name please.”
“Of course. Rarity Sparkle.”
“Rarity?” The nurse looked from her clipboard to Rarity and gave a look of skepticism, “You look… different.”
“Oh. Umm… you see. That’s… why I was in coming from the woods. I was visiting Zecora and Applebloom for some revitalizing cream. This one appears to have done the trick.”
“I’ll say. Gosh you look thirty years younger. Diggin’ the new mane color. Guess those grey hairs finally got to you eh?”
“Yes well… oh dear me is that the time? I must be returning home. You know how Spike worries.”
“Oh we all know. One more question. Do you know her name?”
“I-”
Terra. Terra Richter.
“Terra Richter.”
“You know her?”
“Uhh… she uhh… told me after I asked her what her name was. That was all she was able to tell me before she completely lost consciousness”
“I see.” The nurse wrote a bit more on the clipboard then turned her attention back to Rarity, “Alrighty Rarity. We’ll handle it from here. Thank you for bringing her. Celestia only knows what may have happened to her had you not found her.”
“Yes.” Rarity turned to face the mirror on the wall with the letters “Great Pony” above it. She stared into her eyes, calling towards the entity within, “There are indeed monsters out there.”
Hey now. Rude.
As they made their way to Rarity’s boutique, she sighed, “I cannot wait to go to bed and rest.”
Not going to break in the new bod with your dragon?
Rarity stopped suddenly, “Oh dear me. Spike. I completely forgot. How do I tell him?”
Why do you have to?
“Why? Because he deserves to know why his wife returns home looking thirty years younger and sporting a new mane color.”
Just fib. You did so well before at the clinic. Quite the silver tongue when backed into a corner.
“I cannot lie to Spike. We swore to never have secrets between us.”
After 50 years of marriage you're surely entitled to one small lie.
“No! I will not lie to him.”
Sigh. Fine, but at least don't get me killed. Neither of us wants that. Also, might want to refrain from talking to me out loud. Will only make you look crazy to match your age. As Rarity approached the door, she paused. Why the delay?
“You seem quite eager for your previous demeanor to the coming confrontation.”
I simply take situations like this as they come. What do you plan to do or tell him after the truth? We can only await his response and act accordingly.
“Here goes noth-No. Here goes everything.” Rarity reached up and turned the doorknob.
Must you be so dramatic.
“Quiet you.” Rarity entered with only her head first to survey the immediate area. It was dark and she presumed Spike had gone to bed. In her haste to desire this, she failed to see two glowing yellow orbs with black slits watching from the couch. “Poor Spikey, must have fallen asleep.”
No. He hasn’t.
“No. I haven’t.”
In an instant Spike reached pulled the cord to eliminate most of the room with the lamp beside the him, startling Rarity who turned to him. “Spike… You’re still awake.”
“Yeah. I am. Do you know how late it…” In his state of ambivalence for Rarity finally coming home, he had not immediately taken in the differences she now sported. “Rarity, what happened?”
“What do you mean?” A voice inside sighed.
“What do you mean what do I mean? You look…”
Rarity converted her face to one of seduction and began to walk towards him, putting emphasis into her her hips swaying, “I look what Spike?”
“Look… uhh… uhh…”
He sat on the closer side of the couch to her and as she passed him, she raised her tail to playfully swat Spike on the nose with it. This did not phase Spike as his eyes were completely fixed on his wife before him, entranced. She got onto the couch and sat, making sure that her derriere was closer to Spike than the rest of her so she could turn slowly with eyes that would set him aflame, “Do you like Spikey?”
I approve.
“I… uhh…”
Rarity stepped her front legs toward Spike and moved her muzzle forward to kiss the bewildered Spike. Close to her goal, she feels two claws grab her shoulders and stop her. “Spike?”
He looks at her with suspicion, “Who are you?”
Keeping up her playful demeanor, Rarity answers with a slight giggle, “What a silly question dear. I’m your wife, Rarity.”
“Rarity doesn’t look this…”
Her face changed immediately to one of inquiry and what can only be described as womanly challenge. A face that said, “I dare you to finish that.”
Oh boy. Here we go.
“This… uh…”
“Yes? Thiiiiis…”
Spike sighed in defeat, “Sexy.”
Rarity relaxed. “Under normal circumstances you would be sleeping on the couch for next year for saying that Spikey. However, I am not ignorant to reality.”
“Huh.”
Rarity sighed, “Spike please listen to what I have to say and have an open mind. Alright?”
“Alright.”
“Good. Now, I was walking home from Fluttershy’s cottage-”
“Was it cold?”
“What?”
“Was it cold?”
“A bit nippy I suppose.”
“Did you have your cloak on?”
“I had my scarf.”
“Did you not have your cloak in your saddle bags?”
“I did.”
“You should wear it to be safe.”
“It was nippy at best Spike.”
“Still you can’t be to-”
“Enough!”
Yikes. The nurse wasn’t kidding.
“I was returning from Fluttershy's cottage when I heard a pony in pain.”
“And you went to help said pony.”
“Naturally. I found a mare on the ground and floating above her was this ghastly looking cloud.”
Hey now!
You looked like the smoke emerging from from a metallurgy factory.
Well then, I’ll try and be a pretty cloud when I am trying to possess ponies.
At least show some pride in you work.
Ugh.
“It turns out that this cloud was the remnants of Nightmare Moon.”
That caused Spike to swing into action. “Nightmare Moon?” He moved to reach into the stand drawer beside the couch to find some parchment. “We need to tell Twilight.”
Rarity quickly intervened and pinned Spike to the couch. Oh my, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be. “Spike I told you to wait until I was finished did I not?”
Spike was struggling to free himself from his wife’s grasp.”Why can’t I- how are you so strong all of a sudden?”
Rarity ignored his inquiry, “Did I not Spike?” Spike seemed to ignore her and Rarity knew a firm touch was needed. “Spike! Listen to me!”
That stopped Spike in his tracks. Rarity almost never yelled at him. He liked to think he was a good husband and part of that was being a good listener. “Rarity.”
Seeing Spike stop struggling, she returned to her calm demeanor, “Spike, Please listen to my entire tale. All will make sense once you have. I promise.”
“I… I’m sorry. But can you blame me? You just told me Nightmare Moon is out there”
“I assure you she is no threat.”
I take offence to that.
“You promise?”
“I swear to you Spikey.”
“Alright.” Rarity dismounted Spike, but stayed close to him. She did enjoy having him next to her of course. He sighed, “You saw a cloud of Nightmare Moon, then what?”
“I reacted the same way you just did. I was set to write you a message to come aid me in capturing her. However, she intervened and-”
Here he comes.
“-we fought.”
Sure enough Spike grabbed Rarity by her shoulders and with worry on his face asked, “Are you alright? Did she hurt you? Do I need to get the first aid or the clinic?”
A low growl escaped Rarity as she spoke, “Spike. What did we say you were going to do?”
A small shiver reverberated through him at Rarity’s menacing tone, “Uhh… to listen?”
“And what are you not doing right now?”
“Listening, but you just told me got into a fight.”
“And I am perfectly fine as you can see dear. Now please I want to tell you what happened, but your constant interruptions need to stop. Understood?”
Spike sat there with his mouth slightly open in silence before turning his head down and putting his claws together in front of him to calm and fortify himself. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
She hated seeing him gloomy as he often got when she scolded him. In many ways he was a grown child, but he was her grown child. Rarity moved to hug his side, kiss his cheek and squish hers up to his, “I love you.”
That got him to smile a bit and he move and he put his arm round her while also rubbing his cheek back into Rarity’s , “I love you too.”
They stayed hugging for a couple of seconds before Rarity continued, ”So, after our scuffle I found myself quite weak. In fact even now I cannot produce much magic.” Rarity sighed heavily, “I was afraid. I was afraid that I had doomed myself to ruining my health staying outside for the night and of course knowing that you would be worrying. I was afraid… that my remaining lifespan…” Rarity saw and felt Spike sag. That she had brought up a subject that she knew was on his mind made her feel guilty, but she knew she had to continue to hopefully move his consciousness from such sadness. “That it was shortened, but she offered me a chance.”
“She?”
“Nightmare Moon. She offered to help me… undo my failing health and even to undo a much stronger force.”
“Rarity, what did you do?”
“Spike, I chose to take her own failing essence into my body and she in turn would empower my own body with lost youth.”
“Rarity how could you-”
“Spike please.”
“No! Rarity this is the same thing that possessed you before.”
“I can assure you that I am far more in control this time.”
Spike got up off the couch,“We need to tell Twilight. Now.”
“I agree with the first sentiment, but Spike am dreadfully tired.”
“I can carry you.”
“As much as enjoy you carrying me sometimes, this can wait until morning.”
“No it can-”
“Yes it can.” Rarity got up off the couch as well and stood on her hind legs with her forelegs reaching up to hug around Spike’s neck. ”Look at me Spike.” Spike did so with rapt attention and worry. “Do you trust me?”
His eyes never left her’s,”You know I do.”
“Then why stop now. Spike I would never allow myself to put those I love in danger. I know I have this under control Spike. So please, let’s go to bed and visit Twilight in the morning.”
Spike closed his eyes as he sighed,”Fine.”
Rarity smiled and reached up to kiss Spike on the cheek. “Thank you. Now I must go get ready for bed.” Rarity proceeded upstairs to begin her nightly rituals. Spike stayed behind.
He looked to the drawer beside the couch. He opened it and inside were a few rolls of parchment a sealed ink container and a quill. Silently he stared at it, but decided to do no more that close it. “I trust you Rarity.”
Author's Note
In my head cannon, Applebloom definitely should have gotten an alchemy cutie mark or something to do with potions. Couple episodes show her making potions and the Twilight Time episode was a cruel tease about what their marks would be. Also since AB was the first to befriend Zecora, I like to think Zecora would become her mentor. This rant is basically to explain Applblooms presence in the Rarity's fib about why she looked younger.
Rarity breathed deeply and exhaled, “How long it has been.” Rarity trotted slowly through the empty road that led from Fluttershy’s house to the main hub of Ponyville. Her movements were steady and calculated as she went. The years were certainly catching up with her and she found herself stumbling a bit on occasion. Of course she immediately righted herself, lest Spike begin to smother her with worry. Now she tries to take her step, like many more aspects of her life, carefully. Her life recently consisted of hospitals, pills and Spike’s worry. While once her world was filled with delightful scents of perfume, dragon musk and nature’s splendor now the smell of sanitation, clearance laundry detergent and dragon musk dominated. The latter never really changed and for that she was thankful. “I love that dragon, but I am a grown mare. I should be able to take a nice relaxing evening stroll if it tickles my fancy. I’m not made of glass.”
As Rarity spoke to only the night, a familiar sense of dread engulfed her. A presence she had not felt for years since the one and only time it had invaded her mind; The Nightmare. All but ready to trot quickly from the perceived direction of the ominous air, she stops at the sound of a groan. It sounds like a pony, but moreso a pony in pain. Bound by her good nature, she moves to help this pony in peril. Surprise is what she finds as indeed the body of a pony is before her, lying on its side. A unicorn mare with a red coat and an orange mane lay there, but the intrigue and uncertainty came from what floated above her. A black cloud was the the best way to describe the entity and it simply floated above the mare. That feeling of despair hit her again, only it felt much closer than before.
A new party spoke, “Useless. Why is it so hard to find a good body to inhabit.”
I know that voice. It cannot be… “Nightmare Moon” Rarity gasps quietly and is frozen on the spot.
The cloud shrunk and expanded as if in surprise, “Who is- Oh, you. My, the years certainly have caught up with you haven’t they.”
“How can this be?”
“Don’t be too surprised dear. It will take a lot more than what happened to purge me from this world.”
“We defeated you.” Rarity attempted to speak with confidence, but her voice slightly wavered at the presence of her once captor.
“You simply drove me from your mind.”
“Why are you here? And who is that mare?” Suddenly anger began to well up inside her and she stepped toward the cloud, “What have you done to her?”
“I have done nothing. She simply has such a weak body that I was only able to get this far before that body began to grow weary. Honestly your kind has so few worthy candidates for my power.”
“You stole her bod-”
“Ones like you!” The cloud dove at her and engulfed Rarity.
She could feel Nightmare Moon begin to try and enter her mind. She thought of her husband, friends and family while her horn began to glow. No! Not again! Her horn shined brightly before a pulse fired the cloud away from her body. Rarity’s body wavered and she was forced to sit. Oh my. That took more out of me than I foresaw. Rarity breathed heavily to attempt and recover from her spell. An annoyed groan reminded her she still had an opponent before her.
“Blast it! Why are you and your friends always an annoyance to my existence.”
“Why are you here?”
The cloud sighed loudly, “If you must know I am attempting to recover some of my power, but that process is cumbersome without a host to aid me. The shock of expulsion from your mind did leave me severely weakened so I have been resting.”
“Why have you emerged now?”
“It felt as if I had recovered enough power to be able to control ponies. However it seems that only applies to low level ponies. You, it seems, will require more.”
Though winded from repelling the cloud with her magic, Rarity spoke with determination,“You will never control me. Not again.”
“Sadly it seems you may be right. That body may house a great spirit, but it does not appear to have long left.”
To this Rarity could only slowly lower her gaze as that sad fact she had known and pushed aside was thrown before her once again. “I know”,Rarity said quietly. Her life in Ponyville had been wonderful, particularly since the arrival of Twilight and her now husband Spike. Rarity had spoken to Twilight before about the subject of her passing long before Spike and worried of how devastated he would be. Twilight had voiced her own troubles with this subject given that she too had contemplated how the passing of those she loves, especially Pinkie, would hurt since it would linger for her now immortal life. Sadly the conversation produced no desired solution and that it would be simply up to Twilight and Spike themselves to deal with that reality when it came about.
“Tell me, have you an heir? A spawn of yours would surely inherit at least some of your tenacity and power. She would be-”
“No. I do not.” Rarity raised her head to face the cloud, “And if I did, you can be sure I would not let you near her or any other pony. In fact…” Rarity reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a parchment that seemed to be sprinkled with pepper across the whole page. Spike had voiced concern several times that he was unable to communicate with ponies long distance without the aid of Twilight or Celestia. So they created this igniting parchment. In the process of its creation, it is littered with the ash produced from Spike burning a separate parchment. This allowed the sender to write what need to be said, ignite the paper and it would be sent to Spike like Celestia would. This paper was distributed among his friends and family so that they would be able to communicate to him from anywhere.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting assistance. Surely you do not think that I would simply leave you to your own devices? You must be dealt with.” As she began to write the cloud assaulted her once again. Rarity ignited her horn to repel her once more, “You know that will not work.”
“Perhaps not, but it will eventually drain you enough. Don’t think I did not see the toll your first spell had on you.” Nightmare spoke with confidence, but knew that Rarity’s spell had weakened her as well. It was a gamble, but she could only hope she would be able to subdue Rarity before she lost all that was left of her power and vanished from this world. A back and forth proceeded for few minutes until the last clash resulted in an extremely exhausted Rarity laying on her stomach and a cloud that seemed to be trying it’s best to not dilute into the air. “Dammit.”
Through deep and slightly ragged breathing Rarity spoke, “You… will not… win.” She tried to lift herself, but her body was not able to produce the strength needed. She attempted to lift her quill and parchment to her, but she found herself unable to muster her magic. No. She looked to her opponent and could see the appeared to have stabilized its form, though still quite transparent. No. I won’t let her have my body again. Rarity strained to either lift herself or conjure her magic with little yield. Please. Please work. Rarity looked to the body of the mare that seemed to have become paler than she had been at first glance. Tears began to form and roll down her cheeks. Please don’t let it end like this. Her thoughts turned to her husband whom she knew was at home fraught with worry for her. Spike… I’m sorry.
“Looks like you win.”
Through tear stained eyes she looked back to the cloud and indeed the once hazy yet stable form was once again threatening to vanish. “I won?” Spike.”No. I failed.”
“Ugh. What do you mean? I have barely any power left to barely hold my spirit to this world.”
“I cannot move.”Rarity spoke with tears now flowing without resistance, “My magic is drained. I am not in the best health as you mentioned before. One night alone in the woods will surely do irreversible damage to the years I had left. Years I promised myself I would try to hold onto for Spike as long as I could.”
“Spike? Hmm… ah yes the small lizard who joined ranks with your friends to defeat me.”
“He’s a dragon.”
“Pathetic looking dragon if you ask me.”
“You would change your opinion if you saw him now. He’s grown into quite the adonis.”
“I suppose if you're into that sort of thing.”
“That I am having this conversation while possibly becoming very ill is quite depressing.”
“That my last words are to be exchanged with you is not exactly my ideal scenario either. However, perhaps we can aid each other.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let me inhabit your body and I will empower you to be able to leave this forest and return to your Spike.”
“Absolutely not!”
“Stubborn as I remember. Wasn’t Spike important to you? Did you not want to give him as many years as you could?”
“Of course I do, but to even allow you to continue on inside me, let alone at all, is unacceptable.”
“Who has to know?”
“I will not put those I love in danger to get home safely tonight and not get sick. Those few years I might gain would be weighed by my guilt.”
“Few years? I see. I believe we have a misunderstanding. What I am offering is beyond the scope of simply a couple of years.”
“What?”
“If you will indulge me, I offer you a not insignificant portion of my power to sustain our life for.. well.. I cannot say for how long definitely, but for sure a couple of decades.”
“Decades?” That much longer with Spike?
“Yes.”
No. It’s a trick. “You will simply try and take over my mind.”
“Even if I do attempt, which I cannot promise I will not, to have the strength to even attempt so would be very far into the future since to sustain your body in prime condition would take a large portion of my power that I would be accumulating.”
“Prime?”
“Of course. Do you think I would want your aged body? Of course not.”
“Why should I trust you?” I am not seriously considering this, am I?
“First, I am very serious that I have no other option and my time is soon to expire so I am quite desperate. Second, I would essentially be a prisoner within you and would be willingly giving myself up to you and your friends to do with as you please. Finally, you have clearly shown propensity to combating my take over so you should be able to repel my attempts quite well.”
Rarity looked to the side, thinking about how she should proceed, “I do not trust you.”
“That much is clear. However my offer is more limited in time it seems.”
“Why is that?” Rarity turned back to the cloud to see it smaller in overall volume and almost fully transparent. “Oh.”
“Yes, my time seems to be up.”
“You seem strangely calm.”
“Panicking would only exacerbate my finality. Still, choose. You haven’t long.”
Rarity closed her eyes in contemplation. Is it so wrong to desire to be with Spike longer? To delay the tragedy he will have to bare alone? Is wanting to live so wrong? Why is it okay for Fluttershy to use magic to be able to be with Discord eternally, but this racks me with such guilt? Discord is of course not evil anymore, but still...Ugh why am I even trying to rationalize this. This is a purely selfish endeavor and I know it. Still… I just want to live for Spike longer. Can that truly be so wrong? “Nightmare I- What?” The cloud was gone. “Well I suppose my choice was made for me.”
Was it? From in here you were going to choose this option so I decided to expedite the process.
Frantically Rarity looked around t find the source before she realized, “You!”
You were taking too long. Besides you were going to take my offer from the looks of things so it's not a big deal.
“You…”
Conceding to my reasoning are we?
“You can read my thoughts?”
Of course. Well not all of them. Those which you keep even hidden to yourself are difficult for me to decipher or are completely blocked for me.
"I cannot believe I allowed this."
Why? There is no shame in desiring life.
“I have put my friends and loved ones in danger.”
Look, I was not lying before. If you concentrate a little you can see my inner thoughts as well to see for yourself. You are essentially in full control. You simply have an extra passenger aboard is all.
Rarity sighed and tried to lift herself. She did so with great ease to her bewilderment, “How?”
You know how. Now I suggest we make our way to your home. Apparently that dragon yours can be quite the worry wart.
Rarity was about to leave before she remembered. She attempted to light her horn, but found that she still lacked magic power.
I did not offer power in that regard. That would drain me completely. She will be fine by the way.
“We must take her back home. Where is she from?”
Quite a ways away. Traveled by train, but distance was my only goal so I cannot remember.
Rarity lowered her head under the pony to attempt and put her on her back. That too was done with ease.
Enjoying it aren’t you.
“Quiet you. We need to at least get her to the clinic.” Rarity began her journey to the clinic carrying the unconscious mare with little to no strain.
Sigh. I forgot how much of a goody two-shoes you were.
