Black Diamond

CHAPTER THREE

A day after the storm...
The sun shone down once again over Ponyville as the storm had finally broke and every available pegasus was taking to the sky to help disperse the remaining rain clouds it was a wonderful sight to bestow.

After watching Rainbow Dash rounding up a hooful of black clouds before buck kicking them into oblivion Rarity stepped away from her kitchen window where she sat down at her dining table along with Sweetie Belle and Rumble serving their breakfasts. "Well Rumble, I do hope you have enjoyed your stay this past week, it's been so lovely having you here darling. You're going to be a miss."
Rumble held Sweetie Belle's hoof in his whilst smiling to his generous host. "Thank you so much for having me Rarity, my family and I won't forget your kindness. I've enjoyed my stay here and it's also helped give me and Sweetie the chance to grow closer and helped make our relationship stronger." Rarity smiled as they gave each other a soft kiss. "Ohhh darlings, I'm so happy for you both, just be sure to look after one another." She said smiling at the young couple.

As they ate breakfast there was a knock at the door. "Ah Rumble, this will be your parents. Are you ready to leave dear?" Rarity asked as she headed for the door. "I'm so looking forward to meeting them" She soon got to the door and opened it with a gleaming smile to find Rainbow Dash standing with a tall dark pegasus. Rarity was taken aback for a moment. "Rainbow Dash, what are you doing here? I'm expecting Rumble's parents." She said smiling through gritted teeth. Rainbow Dash laughed doing a little on the spot backflip. "Ha! Well Rarity this is Rumble's big brother Thunderlane!"

Rarity was taken aback by the tall dark steed in her doorway and was soon becoming flustered "Ohh Thunderlane, such a pleasure to meet you. Please, come in. Rumble is just finishing his breakfast, may I get you both anything? A drink or a fresh apple?" She asked pointing a hoof inside. Thunderlane stood to attention "Thank you Miss Rarity, I would like that." Rarity smiled ushering them both into her humble abode. "Please, as I told you're brother, 'Rarity' will do." She smiled to Thunderlane as she passed him a bright red shiney apple that matched his cheeks.
Rarity was sure she had caught him blush just before Rainbow Dash burst into life, flying towards the kitchen. "Hey guys, you got any of those waffles left?" Calling out to Sweetie Belle and Rumble. Rarity could only roll her eyes at her uncouth friend as Rainbow Dash made herself at home pulling up a chair opposite Sweetie Belle and Rumble.
Rarity took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before turning her attention back to Thunderlane who was just finishing his apple. "So Thunderlane...I take it you'll be pleased to get you're hooves back on the ground here in Ponyville? However that said it must be simply wonderful working in Cloudsdale." She glowed gesturing him for to take a seat before taking one herself. Thunderlane gave her a nod taking a seat opposite her. "Thank you for looking after my little brother, the storm had us all grounded in Cloudsdale not even Dashy could work her magic...so to speak. I was so worried for my little bro, thinking he was at home all alone and he can barely make toast...so you can imagine my relief when I received word, from the Princess that he was safe in your steading. Miss Rarity, you have taken good care of my little brother and therefore I am in your debt."
Rarity took a sip of tea to hide her blush. "Oh my Thunderlane, I can assure you it was nothing, your brother is a gent and just an absolute darling. He is welcome in my home anytime...besides if I recall correctly it is I who is in your debt since you saved my life, in which I am eternally grateful." She ran a hoof through her mane watching the dark steed blush as he remembered the way she hugged into him after he caught her from falling to her demise that day, just as Rumble came cantering in to the room breaking the tension.

"THUNDERLANE!" Rumble called out cantering over to his brother. "Hey lil bro! How you been? We've missed you!" Thunderlane yelled out giving his little brother a high hoof and a playful noogie. "Have you been good for Miss Rarity?" Rumble smiled wide. "Of course big bro! And Miss Rarity has been taking real good care of me, she's great!" Rarity beamed at the reunited brothers. "Oh darling, thank you but it was nothing, I've enjoyed having you here. Just promise me you won't be a stranger...both of you." She softly smiled at Thunderlane.
Sweetie Belle and Rainbow Dash trotted into the room "Are you ready to go Thunderlane?" She asked as she and Sweetie Belle trotted into the room. "Almost Dashy." He said keeping his eyes on Rarity. Sweetie Belle bit into her pancake and levitated the other half into Rumbles mouth. Thunderlane glanced raising an eyebrow at the small unicorn. "Oh Bro, this is Rarity's sister Sweetie Belle, she's my...my marefriend."

Thunderlane looked at the two sisters a moment thinking of how lucky his brother had been stuck here with these two stunning pony's for a whole week before looking back to Rumble. "Well, it's very nice to meet you Sweetie Belle. Rumble's told me all about you. It's always Sweetie Belle this or Sweetie Belle that, always yap yap yap..." He teased.
Rumble blushed snapping at his brother. "Thunderlane! No I don't!" Thunderlane laughed. "No he really doesn't. All he's ever told me is how he met a pretty filly whilst out on his field trip, he's been that quiet about it that I thought he was making it up. Well anyway it's finally nice to meet you Sweetie Belle. You should come over for dinner sometime...both of you." He smiled turning to Rarity. "Ohh that would be simply wonderful Thunderlane thank you." She beamed widely giving a knowing nod to her sister. "Dinner would be great, Thanks Thunderlane!" Sweetie concurred smiling at her Rumble.

"Okay lovebirds, can we get a move on or what? We got places to be and clouds to hoof!" Rainbow Dash huffed as she headed for the door. Thunderlane rolled his eyes giving a short laugh. "Okay Dashy just a minute. Well Miss Rarity, it seems duty calls. I'll pass on the dinner plans to Rumble when things settle down around here...And thank you again Rarity for everything." He turned heading for the door. Rumble made a dash for Rarity giving her a hug. Rarity was taken aback a moment before smiling, hugging him back. "Thank you for everything Rarity, you've been so kind to me." He nuzzled into the warm fur of her crest breathing her perfume in before following his brother and Rainbow Dash out the door. He was almost there when a glow surrounded him stopping him on the spot. "Ahem! And where is my hug mister?" Sweetie Belle demanded her horn all aglow with her eyebrows crossed. She looks quite cute even when she's mad Rumble thought as she pulled him towards her.

He awkwardly hugged her as the three pairs of eyes watched them. He gave in and leaned into his marefriend tight a long moment. As they broke their embrace he looked into Sweetie's soft green eyes, he could feel her warm muzzle with her breath kissing his face as she softly smiled, he was then overwhelmed and kissed her, Sweetie Belle swooned in his embrace kissing him back.

Thunderlane looked on as his little brother was being a filly killer, he had taught his little brother well. Rarity stood smiling as she watched them her wishing she had memories like this one from when she was a filly. The moment was ruined by Rainbow Dash "Eww gross guys! You gonna make me lose my breakfast! Blurr!"
Rarity huffed. "Ohh Rainbow Dash, Really? Let them have their moment, you were like that once surely." Dash rolled her eyes hovering on the spot with her arms and eyebrows crossed. "Euh fine, but I ain't waiting around." She scowled before flying off. They giggled at Dashy as she left saying their goodbyes.

Sweetie Belle gathered her satchel as she finished getting ready to meet her friends, stopping just before the door watching her sister clumsily levitating a roll of fabric as she headed towards her workshop. "Uhm...Rarity?" She queried apprehensively. Rarity stopped in her tracks turning to look at her sister over the red rims of her glasses. "Yes Sweetie darling?" Sweetie Belle rubbed her hoof on the floor before finding her words. "I...err this last week...Well, thanks for trusting me and Rumble...You're a really cool sister." She smiled shyly before heading out the front door. Rarity's smile fleeted as she stood in the large room feeling empty and alone once again.

Once inside her workshop Rarity placed the roll of fabric down to one side, wiping a tear from her eye she laid her spell book down on her workbench slowly running her hoof over the embossed black diamond following it's indentation deep in thought, wondering what her life would be like now if she had been a 'normal' filly. "What if I'd given that colt the time of day instead of ignoring him every time for doing something nice for me? Or would I have become just a run of the mill pony if I'd have gone to sleep overs with fillyfriends sharing secrets and swooning over boys and having fun?" She wiped away the slow trickling tears from her eyes. "Was it worth it, was it worth all that just to be sitting here in your boutique all alone whilst trying to make ends meet?" She said aloud to herself in the mirror before sobbing.

The shop door bell rang making Rarity jump, she wasn't expecting anypony to be making orders this early. She quickly tidied herself up drying her eyes to look more presentable when Twilight appeared. "Hey Rarity....oh my are...are you crying?" She asked trotting to console her friend as Rarity started crying again. "I'm so lonely Twilight, I just want to settle down with a nice mannered gentle colt and maybe have a foal or two before it's too late, you know? Twilight hugged her tight whilst gathering her thoughts taking care as to not to salt her friends already open wounds any more than they have been. "Sooo, err I came by and just in time by the looks of things to ask if you wanted to go for a chat in Cupcake Corner, just us girls...hanging out... you know?" Rarity looked up and was greeted by her friends warm smile so solace and kind. She took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry Twilight, I'm just being an old nag... I'll be fine."

Twilight saw the spell book in front of Rarity giving her an idea to cheer her up. "Okay Rarity, grab your satchel we're going to have a girly day, just you and me and we are going to have fun!..." She took hold of Rarity's satchel in her magic and started filling it with various items whilst Rarity could only look on. "Okay, we'll need this, this, Ohh and one of these just incase and finally this." She levitated the spell book up from Rarity's hooves. "We'll definitely be needing this."
Rarity was about to say something before Twilight cut back in. "Rarity, you are my friend and I care about you and lately I'm worried about you feeling so blue all the time. So now I'm helping you have a second chance at things. Like everything is different when you're young, like I always waited every week to get an ice cream and it always tasted great it was so special but now I'm older I get an ice cream every other day it still tastes good but it's not as special anymore...you understand my meaning?" She asked with an inquisitive eyebrow before carrying on. "So I'm going to help you do this Rarity...now c'mon girl let's go!"
Twilight's belly growled. "But Cupcake Corner first." They laughed and began heading out.

After a nice girly chat over a teapot of tea and a whole lot of carrot cake they headed to the enchanted forest to find the ingredients for Rarity's spell. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this." She said smiling foraging the root of one of the ingredients for the potion. "Okay Rarity, I've found the last one!" She called over. Rarity felt a shiver down her spine, it was real now if this was to actually work then she'd be a filly again. "So what now Twilight?" Twilight trotted over through the foliage "Well Rarity, we can go to my lab and create it, then when you're ready you can take the potion and relive your youth." She said softly smiling. "Come on you fashionista, let's get over to the library and we'll cook up this potion."

Under the Golden Oak Library

"Okay Rarity, we just need to add the witch-hazel and let it simmer aaaaand now we play the waiting game." She smiled watching Rarity bite her lip with apprehension. "So Rarity, what's your plan for your new life, so to speak?" Rarity shuffled in her seat mulling over the details tussling her mane with her hoof. "Well since I don't want any pony to know that it's me cantering around as a filly, it's a longshot but I think I can use the abandoned house over side the old mill." Rarity paused a moment not wanting to lean on her friend more than she had. Twilight smiled. "Well Rarity, we have some time before the potion is ready, we could go check it out now if you want?"
Rarity looked at the potion and then to Twilight. "But what if Spike comes looking for you and takes the potion?" Twilight smiled "Well if we find an egg on the floor then at least we'll know the potion works." Rarity gasped and laughed. "Oh Twilight, that's awful... but funny!" They both laughed as they headed back outside.

As they reached the woods on edge of town the girls could speak openly. "I'm not sure how I'll cope without my sewing machine..." Twilight turned smiling "Well Rarity, I suppose you'll be to busy with school and chasing boys, that's what you're doing this for right?" Rarity looked ahead as the abandoned house came into view. "I do want to find my inner filly Twilight, I'm just anxious as to how effective this potion will be. I mean will I still be me or will I actually be young me who needs to learn everything again? And will I still know you and the girls? What's going to happen to me Twilight??"
Twilight put her hooves on Rarity's shoulders to help calm her down. "Heyyy Rarity! It's going to be okay, I won't be too far away and I'll always help you and be there for you whether you remember me or not. So deep breaths, you've got this you amazing fashionista. She smiled warmly as they carefully opened the crickety old wooden door into the abandoned house. Rarity and Twilight both gasped as the chill of the stale air greeted them from the darkness of the abode making them cough in the thick dust. "Well, it just needs a little loving..." Rarity's hoof went through a rotted floorboard. Twilight corrected her first statement. "Okay, so it needs a lot of of loving." She giggled as Rarity wriggled away the spider which started running up her leg from under the floor. "Well you're definitely getting out of your comfort zone Rarity let's get started shall we?"

Later that night

Twilight and Rarity plopped down in the centre of the room exhausted looking around at their fine hoofiwork. "It looks just wonderful in the candlelight Twilight darling. Thank you for helping me get this place into shape." Rarity panted. Twilight leaned against the hearth smiling. "I know how much this means to you." She said catching her breath. "They looked around the empty room in the soft light. "All you need now is a bed and chair and maybe a little something for your clothes and you're good to go." She smiled.
Rarity lay back closing her eyes mulling over what she was about to embark on. A new chapter in her life, a one she could actually relive, righting her wrongs and doing the things she'd always wanted to do.
"Okay Rarity, let's get back to the library and we'll call it a night, you've got a big day ahead tomorrow."
Rarity smiled apprehensively. "I do indeed let's get moving and I'll make us a nice pot of tea when we get there." She smiled picking up her saddlebag. As they got out the front door, Twilight extinguished the candles giving her a thought. As Rarity closed the door behind them Twilight put a hoof on Rarity as her horn glowed and a purple haze engulfed the old wooden door for a few moments. "Okay Rarity, only you and I can open this door now. So nopony can get in without you opening the door."
Rarity smiled at her friends safety blanket. "Thank you Twilight, that's very thoughtful of you." She gleamed in the moonlight before they both headed back together.

As they arrived back at the library Rarity put the kettle on. "I'm in desperate need of a bath, darling I'm just absolutely filthy." Twilight quietly removed a cluster of web from the back of Rarity's mane with her magic as not to freak her out, before replying. "You're in luck, I've just ran a bath for you, so once you finish our tea should be just right." Rarity sighed smiling. "Thank you Twilight, why don't you join me and we can pretend we're in the spa, which I'm definitely treating you to when I get back from 'my business trip'." She smiled wide. Twilight beamed. "Why thank you Rarity that would be lovely. That gives me an idea c'mon girl!"

They sat in the warm tub facing each other through the thick bubbles. They giggled as they splashed one another as they playfully fought over the chocolates on the stand to the side of the tub along with two glasses of sparkling wine. Rarity laughed out loud as Twilight got her in the eye. "Well I never! Twilight Sparkle how could you do such a thing?" She said teasingly as she turned to take a drink from her glass whilst passing Twilight hers. "Oh this is just simply wonderful Twilight darling." She smiled closing her eyes laying back in the suds, breathing in the air as they relaxed into the warm water.
Twilight sat up straight. Turn around Rarity I'll wash your mane." Rarity sat up slowly turning her back to Twilight readying her mane for her.
Twilight ran her hoof slowly over Rarity's stiff shoulders. "So how are you feeling about your big day tomorrow Rarity?"
Rarity's head tilted down to the right. Her shoulders rose heavy with a sigh. Twilight strategically changed her question. "Because if that was me, I'd be feeling a whole hurricane of emotions. However I would be super excited on the whole. Just being able to run around like a filly all day without a care in the world with no real consequences and there's a colt who lives in town he is just an absolute sweetheart. He opens doors for me and helps carry my books whenever Spike's busy. I think I would definitely have to give him a kiss on the cheek as the age gap would be a lot closer, you would love him Rarity...and the cakes! I would just sit and eat cakes all day without worrying about it going straight to my hips!" Her smile beamed widely. Rarity smiled softly thinking her friends musings through. "That would be lovely indeed Twilight." She softly said taking a sip out her glass.

Rarity took a breath. "Okay Twilight, you're turn now, around you go darling." She motioned with her hoof as she turned back round. Twilight smiled as she turned her back to Rarity. "So Rarity, I've told you what I'd like to do... now it's your turn." Rarity bit her lip in thought running her hooves through Twilight's mane before applying the soap. "Well... since we're speaking candidly I would definitely eat cake..." They both laughed as she broke the tension before continuing. "But also I think I'd definitely kiss a colt...or two annnd not just on the cheek." Twilight teasingly laughed. "I knew you were a dark horse Rarity! I'm tempted on joining you on this potion venture." She giggled. "So come on tell me, what else apart from wooing colt's and eating cake." Twilight giggled as Rarity continued washing Twilight's mane. "Well, I would spend time reinventing myself. I would like to learn a different craft, maybe even get a little dirty and enjoy it and most of all just do what fillies, do. I was to far snooty for a pony my age, I was...well I was just simply awful darling. I was so selfish and rude, I'm surprised that I actually got anywhere. That's why I'm always grateful for ending up here in Ponyville and becoming friends with you and the girls....you all helped bring out the best in me."
Twilight turned around putting her arms around Rarity and smiled. "Oh Rarity you're lovely, I hope you achieve everything and more."

The girls grabbed their towels and hopped out of the tub. They got dried and settled down for supper and a cup of tea before turning in for the night. They retired into Twilight's bedroom "It's been a while since you slept here Rarity, which side of the bed do you want?" Rarity tiredly yawned. "I'll take this side thank you Twi...light..." She was out like a light before her head hit the pillow. Twilight lay down beside her friend. "Goodnight Rarity, sweet dreams." She smiled closing her eyes.