Crystals Grow on Rainbows

Part One: The Task

"Oh no no no! I cannot possibly be late again! Oh, why did I ever agree to make Pinkie a new party costume?" Clearly, there was far too much to the pink whirlwind of insanity to try comprehending. Nightmare Moon, undoubtedly for an upcoming party at Princess Luna's residence. After all, what sane pony would ask for a costume that was in a completely different body shape, and far too dark for a bright and colourful party that Pinkie was famous for hosting. Rarity's head shook again to clear her mind. The train to Canterlot had been delayed for her in particular, and she felt very embarrassed for holding all the other ponies up. Pacing became somewhat of a requirement to keep herself calm.

"Now now, calm yourself Rarity. It's just another discussion with Princesses Celestia and Luna, nothing to worry about at all... right?" That didn't feel like the case at all, as she fell back on her bed with a shuddering sigh. Stress was not an unfamiliar problem with the fashionista, but being late to a meeting with Princess Celestia and Luna was hardly normal. Twilight Sparkle had gone virtually insane about being late on a letter to the Princess, a rather worrying thought for the unicorn. Was there a chance she'd suffer a similar breakdown?

That wouldn't happen; she was visiting by their request after all. Her previous two trips had been for work purposes, designing a dress for Fleur-Di-Lis notably. Now that was done, she had the summons to follow up. All that had been mentioned was a very important task in relation to a very special subject for Rarity.

The Crystal Empire.

She hugged her pillow in tightly as she thought about the glorious city again. Crystal ponies, crystal buildings, crystal everything! Now that she thought about it, the recent return had to be significant, and they were a thousand years behind on the latest trends. Rarity's eyes began to droop soon after that thought, it was getting late into the night after all. Her head rested back onto the pillow, allowing sleep to come. Excitement and stress wouldn't do too well in the meeting, composure and patience was the key.

The arrival at Canterlot Station woke the sleeping unicorn, who for a moment looked around in a typical state of waking. Which of course didn't last long, she had only seconds to get out of bed, brush her mane and tail back into shape, and enter the capital at speed. Most residents of Canterlot seemed to be up far later than Ponyville, formal parties and gatherings being the common reason from what she observed. She hadn't felt it necessary to dress up for an unofficial meeting with the princesses, and thus felt rather exposed among the other unicorns. It was a good reason to continue on to the palace without distraction.

In the rush, she almost crashed right into the main doors, clipping her leg and tripping in her haste. Recovering before either of the Princesses could say anything, Rarity finally skidded to a halt at the base of the stairs. The grin adopted would surely bring forgiveness for her clumsiness and late timing. Sweat formed anyway as she watched the sisters look between each other in worry. Oh no, she had gone and blown it with appearing too eager to hear what they were going to say, when it wasn't that important after all.

"My dear Rarity, why must you always feel the need to fret about your visits? What we are to discuss in fact will involve a lot of time and patience by nature, it hardly seems appropriate to rush things from the start. Now come, there is a room prepared for us to speak; refreshments are on their way already." Princess Celestia led the way to the aforementioned room, while Luna paused to speak with Rarity.

"Do not fear Rarity, while my sister may be elusive at times, this is something to be joyful for. Such an honour has been reserved specifically for you." Luna left it at that, following after her sister as the unicorn stood there in silence. Clearly the 'honour' was a place at the Crystal Empire that she so coveted! A brief break out into laughter and other sounds of excitement pushed her worries away. Of course, she was still there in front of the throne, while the Princesses were in another room. Rarity quickly re-joined them before her delay would be noticed.

The room itself was very nicely decorated; colours and materials weren't overdone or lacking. She carefully sat down on one of the provided cushions, a very comfortable alternative to most chairs. Two unicorn Guards entered the room at that moment, carrying the trays of refreshments that Celestia had mentioned before. Some minutes passed, both Princesses seemed to be pondering on what they were going to say. Rarity was rather pleased with the preparation; it was a clear indicator of its importance.

"As you know from first-hoof experience, the Crystal Empire's return has caused quite a stir. For now, it is safe and peaceful once again, but my duties do not allow for me to be there on a regular basis. Thus, we need the help of a pony with a close connection to Crystal..." Rarity felt her heart leap, the moment she had been waiting for. The pause that was left however set her on edge. Tension and anticipation was growing very strong inside her, all she really wanted was to hear was the request to oversee the Empire.

"In turn, a Princess requires a lot of, magical influence to bring into being. The mother has to be able to use direct magic, and be willing to commit to a lot of care. Given your line of work, we decided that you are the suitable choice to fulfil such a role." All the excitement and eagerness that had been present in Rarity suddenly drained away, rather akin to water down the drain. Luna had a fairly good idea of what was to follow, silently excusing herself and closing the door behind her. The guards outside glanced between her and each other for a moment, following the lead as she motioned to cover their ears.

"Whaaaaat!" Luna jumped rather high as Rarity's outburst made the doors shake. The guards were rather disturbed, but managed to maintain their usual position. Before that one Galloping Gala in particular, nopony expected that the simple and relatively quiet ones could be so loud. That was a mistake well learned. Inside the room itself, the outburst was nowhere near as disastrous as it had been assumed to be. Celestia wiped the spilt tea off Rarity's face delicately. From the frozen look on her face, it seemed clear that she hadn't reacted quite as well as the Princess would have liked.

That period of silence continued. Rarity was so stunned and upset that Celestia finished cleaning the table and the cutlery, with no sign of change of her condition. The unicorn finally woke from her state as a fresh cup of tea was held to her lips. A few sips of the fresh tea brought life back to her pale cheeks, eventually leading her to bang her head on the table. Why her? Why did they think she would be the perfect one to have a foal, who would eventually be the Crystal Princess? And worse still was the implication it would require her to find a suitable companion. Luna seemed to have worked up the courage to enter the room again, moving to re-assure Rarity.

"Rarity, I'm not sure you fully appreciate the situation. You will be free to continue living at Ponyville, and construction for a railway to the Crystal Empire has already begun. There is also a new line of magic that has been researched; you'll be free to choose any pegasus for a companion. Gender will be one less obstacle in future." She looked up again with new hope. It wasn't as bad as she had imagined, after all, there was a big emphasis on her freedom in choosing. Her nature to be dramatic had probably taken over at that point. Celestia hadn't finished speaking either for that matter.

"Of course, conceiving and raising an alicorn is a very delicate and difficult process, even under the best of circumstances. Do not feel any rush to accept this important task; it is vital that you feel you are ready first." Rarity nodded rather timidly, Celestia's up front approach was an eye-opener, but it did make things better. Undoubtedly, the moment she'd return home, tears would flow in despair at what all her friends would think.

"Well, when you put it like that, I think I'll take a bit of time at home to consider this... proposal." Moving onto far more ordinary subjects such as Canterlot affairs and personal updates between them was rather relaxing for Rarity. This was her comfortable zone, just talking about normal and sensible things. Eventually it came time for her to return home, there was a party at the Town Hall she was unfortunately missing for this visit.