A Rarity Such as I

Chapters

When It Began
We Will Run and Scream
Business Goes Up (Literally)
In the Darkness
Sovereign
The End Of An Era

When It Began

A Rarity Such as I

by Touch the Sky

Rarity stood, looking rather bedraggled, before a beautiful but weak-looking wispy white alicorn with a curly emerald-green mane, who gazed expetantly through vivid emerald eyes while standing, with patience on her face. All around Rarity stood armed soldiers, black-coated with white patches every one, all with spears aimed at the white unicorn.

Rarity gazed fearfully back at the alicorn, wondering how the last 48 hours had led her here. For it had been just two days ago when she- or more namely Twilight- had made the discovery that would shake Rarity’s life apart and inevitably lead her to where she now stood in a dark forest, facing a terrible choice. Listening to that selfsame purple unicorn struggle for freedom behind her, Rarity let her mind drift back to the four words which had ruined everything.
“Rarity… you’re a marshmallow.”

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*48 hours previously*
Rarity was working hard on a new clothing line,standing facing a pony mannequin in her workroom in Carousel Boutique and muttering to herself.
"No... it needs to be a few shades darker... no, that ribbon should be deep blue, not navy... yes, perfect... although...it needs some gems... where did I put those sapphires again..."
Her next mumblings were lost as there was a loud knock at the workroom door. In the focus on her designs Rarity's ears had not detected the gentle jingle signalling somepony entering the boutique.

"Come in!" she called amiably over her shoulder, and a lavender unicorn trotted in.
"Oh, hello Twilight dear, is there something I can do for you?"
Twilight didn't speak. She stood panting for a few seconds, before shaking her head.
"Are you alright?" asked Rarity, surprised. Twilight nodded, then jabbed a hoof at a small drawer in Rarity's dresser. Rarity opened it. This drawer was where she kept her most precious things, like the fire ruby Spike had given her, and pictures of her friends. Twilight ran over and, digging in the drawer, finally pulled out a piece of paper and waved it in Rarity's face. Rarity took a moment to focus on it, then looked bemused.

"Twilight, darling, that's just my birth certificate. What's so special about that?" She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know that was in there? Have you been prying through my possessions when I'm not around?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. " Not... important right now...ran all the way here... Found something in... book..." Twilight waved her hoof vaguely in the direction of the library, then raised her eyes to Rarity's and said, "Rarity... you're a marshmallow."

Rarity held Twilight's intense gaze for all of three seconds before laughing. "Oh, Twilight, you can't be serious. Did Pinkie put you up to this? Honestly, that mare has sugar on the brain every second of every day... when she's not thinking up pranks to pull on innocent ponies..."

Twilight shook her head fiercely. "Rarity, I'm serious! You're a really rare kind of pony, a marshmallow pony. They're born once every millenium, when four stars line up in a certain way. The pony born at that exact moment is imbued with special magic; whatever species they are- earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus- they excel, even more than usual,at what they are destined to do. They always have smooth white or pale pink coats which taste of marshmallows. Don't you see, you have a white coat, excel at your dressmaking and you were born at the moment the stars lined up!"

Rarity still looked disbelieving. "I can't be a marshmallow pony... my coat doesn't taste of marshmallows..." she trailed off, as having never had the urge to find out what she tasted like, she had no idea if she was right in saying this.

"Did somepony say marshmallow pony?! Where?!?" cried Pinkie Pie, bursting in, pink saddlebags brimming with sugary supplies strapped to her sides. Rarity turned to stare at Twilight.
"She really didn't put you up to this?"
Twilight shook her head. Pinkie bounced around the boutique. "Where's the marshmallow pony?!" she yelled. "I wanna see it!"

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Rarity stuffed a hoof in Twilight's mouth before she could utter a syllable. "Are you crazy?" hissed Rarity. "If you tell her you think I'm a marshmallow pony, she'll want to find out by trying to eat me!" Rarity saw Twilight pull an 'I told her so' face and muttered "Don't tell me... I taste of marshmallows?"
Twilight thought about it carefully, then nodded. Rarity sighed, took her hoof away and then went to clean it.

Twilight couldn't convince Pinkie of the nonexistence of the marshmallow pony, so eventually had to construct a pony out of some marshmallows she sneaked from Pinkie's saddlebags. Pinkie promptly ate the marshmallows, then, satisfied, jumped out of the window to seek more fun, just as Rarity returned.

"Oh, she's gone. Thank goodness." muttered Rarity. "How did you get rid of her?"
"I made a pony out of marshmallows. And she ate it, then jumped out the window."
Rarity rolled her eyes. "Typical Pinkie Pie. So who did put you up to this? Rainbow Dash? She wanted revenge for when I drew that moustache on her with lipstick while she was sleeping..." Rarity paused for thought. "Though why I taste of marshmallows is beyond me... I haven't eaten marshmallows for months."

Twilight shook her head. "Honestly, Rarity, I'm telling the truth. All of the signs point to you being the marshmallow pony of this millennium."
Rarity blinked at Twilight for a few seconds, but she didn't say anything else. "So....?" prompted Rarity.
"So what?" said Twilight, looking confused.
"So... what difference does it make? You know, to my day to day life, and all that."
"Oh, none. I just thought you might want to know."

There was an awkward pause, then a vivid rainbow flash and a familiar blue pegasus with a spectrum of colours on her mane and tail shot through the window Pinkie had left by.
"Twilight, Rarity!" cried Rainbow Dash. "There are some weird ponies in town... and they've captured Pinkie Pie!"

Author's Note

This is my first story, just an idea that came to me while I was just sitting around.

I'd appreciate some constructive feedback. And if you dislike it, please tell me why, so that I can avoid making the same mistakes again.

The categories will come in later chapters, provided I continue.

We Will Run and Scream

Rainbow sped through the air, leading the two unicorns towards the town centre. Rarity cantered after the colourful pegasus, and cried, "I don't understand... what would anypony want with Pinkie Pie?"
Rainbow executed a sharp U-turn, moving to skim the ground beside the other two. "I don't know... they said something about marshmallows..."

As Rainbow zoomed back up to roof level, Rarity and Twilight exchanged a concerned glance.
"If they wanted marshmallows, they could have just asked her. She'd have pelted them with about a million marshmallows if they just asked for a few. But they just grabbed her and barricaded her in Sugarcube Corner with every pink or white pony in town." Rainbow said, then looked down at Rarity. "They must have missed you."

Twilight looked at Rarity again, and Rainbow said irritably, "What is with the glances? Do you guys know something I don't?"
Rarity gave a tiny, imperceptible headshake and Twilight looked up at the blue pegasus. "No, we were just... uh..."
"...telepathically discussing plans for rescuing Pinkie!" gabbled Rarity hurriedly. Rainbow narrowed her magenta eyes, but then just said,
"Wow. I didn't know you unicorns could do that. Still, you're nowhere near as awesome as pegasi."

Twilight mouthed 'Telepathy?' to Rarity, pulling an incredulous face. Rarity rolled her eyes and kept running. Suddenly Rainbow yelled, "There!" and shot in a flash of spectrum towards a black and white stallion in camouflage armour, barrelling into him and pinning him down. "What gives, soldier boy? Why have you rounded up all the pink and white ponies?"
The stallion struggled beneath Rainbow's hooves. "None of your business, civilian. We'll release the ponies when we've found the one we're looking for."

"Oh? And who are you looking for?" snapped Rainbow. "You let Pinkie and the others go, now!"
The soldier pushed her off and stood up. He was a tall earth pony, similar in build to Applejack's brother Big Macintosh, with a predominantly black coat, a few splashes of white showing around his armour. His mane was obscured by his helmet, though his short tail was spattered with green and brown paint, giving it a camouflage effect and making it impossible to identify his tail's natural hue.
"We can't. We were sent here with orders to find a specific pony, and we aren't leaving without them." Suddenly the soldier spotted Rarity and pounded his hoof on the ground. "Troops, fall in. We've another to check."

Immediately three more soldiers, almost exactly like him except for variations in size and species- for there was a pegasus, unicorn and another earth pony- sprung from nowhere to surround the two unicorns. Rarity's ears flattened, but Twilight just growled, lowering her head like a bull preparing to charge.
"Don't be foolish, purple one." said the first soldier. "We only wish to examine your companion."

Twilight ignored him and purple magical aura surrounded her horn. She fired a spell at the unicorn soldier, who raised a magical barrier with a flash of emerald glow. Twilight's spell dissipated, but so did the shield, and Twilight prepared another spell.

Rainbow launched herself with a yell at the pegasus soldier, who threw himself on the ground as she swept so close by him that she could touch him, and so she reached out and with a quick strike of a blue hoof knocked him sprawling.

Rarity was left to contend with the two earth ponies, who advanced on her, stopping as she threatened with a spell, pale blue aura surrounding her horn.
The first earth pony spoke. "You have nothing to fear. If we examine you and find you are not the pony we seek, we will let you go immediately."

"Yes." chimed the second. "One simple check."
But Rarity knew it was almost certainly she they sought, and was about to cast the spell when Twilight shouted something. There was a flash of purple, then white, and then Rarity was standing in Sugarcube Corner. Rainbow and Twilight stood beside her, Rainbow looking just as confused as Rarity felt.

Just then there was a squeal and Pinkie crashed into them, hugging all three of them at once. "Ohmygoodness, you guys, it's been so boring, I mean, those weird ponies caught me and brought me here all of ten minutes ago, and there's nothing to do! And I've already eaten all the cakes and sweets, but nopony has any idea what's going on, andtheninoticedthatallthepinkandwhiteponiesexceptRaritywerehereandwonderedwhy, andthen-"

Rainbow shoved a cyan hoof in Pinkie's mouth. "Okay," the pegasus said crossly. "Will somepony please tell me what the hay is going on here?"
"I don't know." lied Rarity. "Maybe-"
But before Rarity could panic at her lack of a plausible story, a small white filly trotted over. "Rarity?" said Sweetie Belle. "What are you doing here?"

"Sweetie Belle?" cried Rarity. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
"No." came the reply. "I was with Applebloom and Scootaloo planning new schemes for getting our cutie marks in the town square, when one of those soldiers showed up. He told me I needed to come with him, so I followed him. The next thing I knew, I was locked in here."
"Sweetie Belle, how many times have I told you not to wander off with strangers?"
"Too many." muttered Sweetie Belle. "But he seemed so official, and he sounded really serious. I wondered if... something had happened to you, or our parents."
Rarity hugged her little sister. "It's okay. I'd probably have done the same."

"Ahem!" declared Rainbow Dash. "Now that touching moment is over, don't you think we should put our heads to busting out of here?"
"Way ahead of you, Dashie!" said Pinkie Pie cheerfully, as the last lock on the door clicked open.Pinkie was about to shove the door open when Twilight intervened. "Wait! We don't know how many of those soldiers are out there."
"Who cares?" Rainbow blustered. "I can take them all, hooves down."
"Rainbow, you know that isn't true. We need to think this through."

"Um... I think I might be able to help..." came a inconspicuous whisper.
"Huh? Fluttershy, is that you?" said Twilight. The yellow pegasus emerged from the storeroom, head down so that she couldn't see the incredulous stares directed at her. "What are you doing here? You aren't white, or pink."

Fluttershy let out a frightened squeak. "I was getting some carrot cake for Angel... when those soldiers barged in and pushed everyone out. I ran into the storeroom and hid, and they didn't find me. Then they locked the door and only opened it to shove ponies in... I didn't want to be caught, so I stayed hidden."

"Well, how can you help us get out?" demanded Rainbow Dash.
"There's... there's a back entrance which I think is unguarded..." squeaked Fluttershy.

"Oh, I remember! The kitchen entrance!" chimed Pinkie Pie. "Silly me!"
"Well come on, let's go!" said Twilight.
Pinkie showed them the exit, and Twilight tentatively pushed the door. It was unlocked. Confident that the soldiers did not know about this exit, all of the ponies filed out. Rainbow spread her wings and prepared to take flight, but Rarity grabbed the pegasus's colourful tail.
"You can't, Rainbow! You'll show them all where we are!"
Grumbling, Rainbow folded her wings again. "So now what do we do?" she demanded.
"Well, we can't just disperse to our homes, the soldiers would catch us again!" said Sweetie Belle.

"I agree." nodded Rarity. "We should stay here until we think of a plan to get rid of those soldiers."
"Troops, fall in!" came a shout and what appeared to be a whole squadron of the soldiers appeared, the pegasi flying in, the unicorns teleporting in and the earth ponies sprinting to form a circle around the escapees. A few pegasi stayed in the air to stop any pegasi breaking free.
Twilight, Rarity and the other unicorns were held by a spell from the unicorn soldiers, and try as they might they could not use their magic.

Fluttershy huddled against the ground as a pair of soldiers trotted into the circle. Where they passed a white or pink pony, a tuft of pink or white coat was pulled out and licked by the smaller soldier. Each time, the soldier shook his head, sometimes shuddering at the unpleasant texture of hair on his tongue, and the pony which had given the tuft of their coat was dismissed and allowed to leave the circle. They trotted quickly away, wondering what on earth the point had been.

Eventually Rarity's turn came. After Sweetie Belle and Pinkie had been checked and dismissed, Rarity was the last pony to undergo the 'examination.' A tuft of fur was yanked from her shoulder, and the soldier licked it. Excitedly, he bounced up and down, nodding and jabbing a hoof at Rarity. Rainbow, Fluttershy and Twilight, though not checked themselves, had waited for Rarity and Pinkie, and were standing on the outside with the pink party pony, and all of them, except Twilight, were throwing confused stares at each other. Twilight just gazed at Rarity and looked miserable.

"Miss." said a soldier, the earth pony soldier they had first run into. "You must accompany my command. We have sought you for several months."
Rarity turned an imperious gaze on him. "Excuse me, sir, but I have no intention of trekking around with a horde of scruffy stallions playing soldiers. I have a business to run."

The soldier stepped forward. "Miss, on my authority as General Blackthorn, I must insist you accompany us. If you refuse, we will take you by force."
The surrounding soldiers took a step forwards, but just then there was a loud, "Yee-haw!" and an orange blur knocked over one of the unicorns.
"Applejack!" cried Twilight, as Rainbow, needing no invitation, shot into the air and began to batter the pegasi guards.

Rarity spotted a gap, and turned back to General Blackthorn. "I apologise, dear sir, but it appears that the wisest course of action for me is to..."

"RUN!" screamed Rarity to the other five, and fled towards the boutique.

Author's Note

Yeah... I couldn't think of any other definite test the soldiers could do... so... meh.

Not sure whether to carry on. I've been working on a tragedy to see if I could pull it off, so that's been taking priority over this.

That and I don't actually know what's going to happen next.

Business Goes Up (Literally)

Rarity arrived back at her boutique ahead of the others. After her five friends and her sister had piled in through the door she slammed it (delicately) and then bolted it.

Applejack hit the lightswitch, but Twilight immediately flicked it off again.
"Hey!" said Applejack indignantly, and turned the lights back on. Twilight turned them off again. "Twilight, stop that!"
Applejack again flicked the lights on. Twilight turned them off. The lights flashed on and off faster and faster, until the lightswitch was abandoned and Twilight and Applejack began a heated discussion in the dark.

"Twilight, why'd ya keep turnin' the lights off?"
"Applejack, the soldiers will know we're in here if you put the lights on!"
"But we cain't jus' sit here in the dark!"
Twilight's protest was lost as Sweetie Belle peeked out of the window at the darkening street. "Too late, they already know we're here."

Rainbow Dash shoved the lacy curtains aside. The seven ponies could clearly see a group of the strange camouflaged soldiers standing around the front of the boutique. A glance out of the back window showed that they had completely encircled the building.

General Blackthorn stepped forwards. In a commanding tone, he declared, "My soldiers are positioned all around this residence. Any attempt to escape will be punished. We, the soldiers of the Shadowed Forest, demand that the older white unicorn female turn herself over to our forces before the night is done. If she does not comply, more drastic action will be taken."

All six other ponies turned to stare at Rarity, and she turned to look beseechingly at Twilight, who cleared her throat. Attentions were immediately diverted to her.

"Ahem," Twilight cleared her throat again, nervously. "Well, it's clear we have to compose escape plans-"

"Wait just one minute!" Rainbow swooped forward to hover in the middle of the room. "I, for one, want to know what the hay is going on!"
She jabbed a hoof sharply at Rarity, then Twilight. "And you two are gonna give me answers. You know something... I bet that's what you were talking about tellypac- telepathathicl- with your minds earlier!"

Rarity cringed as Sweetie Belle frowned. "Telepathically? But unicorns aren't-"
Twilight interrupted promptly. "We'll explain when we get out of here."
Rainbow looked as if she was about to argue, but Applejack was nodding. "There's a time an' place fer long explanations, Rainbow, and stuck in a boutique encircled by soldiers ain't it."

"But how will we get out?" whimpered Fluttershy.

"Well, duh." came Pinkie's voice. She was pointing at Twilight's horn. "We teleport."
Twilight looked annoyed with herself for not seeing this obvious solution, but then looked doubtful. "But my magic is still weakened from that spell they cast on us... I don't know that I can teleport all seven of us, maybe just three, max, including myself."

"Well, can't Rarity do a teleportation spell too?" said Pinkie. Rarity once more felt their eyes on her.
"Well, I can perform a quite weak teleport spell... I could maybe take myself and one other..."

Applejack nodded. "So Rarity takes Sweetie Belle, and Twilight takes Pinkie an' Fluttershy."
Twilight frowned. "What about you and Rainbow?"
Applejack glanced at Rainbow Dash, still hovering above them. "Me an' Rainbow'll fight our way out. You with me, pardner?"

Rainbow pounded her front hooves together. "To the death!"

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that." said Twilight hastily. "Where are we to teleport to?"
It was Fluttershy who answered. "We could go to my cottage... they might not know about that, since it's out of town."
"We're sorted then." said Applejack. "You five teleport over ter Fluttershy's cottage, an' me an' Rainbow'll meet y'all there."
The six put their hooves together. Rarity nudged Sweetie Belle, and the filly's small white hoof joined the orange, blue, yellow, pink, purple and white hooves already placed together. The seven ponies nodded.

"Okay. We'll bust out and provide a distraction, then you five skedaddle out of here." said Applejack indicating herself and Rainbow Dash.
"Alright." said Twilight. "We'll see you at Fluttershy's."

Without a backwards glance, Applejack kicked the front door off its hinges, earning a gasp of outrage from Rarity and a musical jingle from the bell overhead. The orange farm pony charged out of the door, followed quickly by a flying streak of rainbow colours. The sound of soldiers shouting floated through the doorway.

Rarity turned to Twilight to see her grip Fluttershy and Pinkie and vanish in a flash of magenta magic. Sweetie Belle grabbed at Rarity's foreleg as Rarity cast her own spell, an image of Fluttershy's tree home locked in her mind. There was a flash of pale blue aura, and a sensation of rushing along at great speed before Rarity was blinking in the cool air outside Fluttershy's cottage.

Twilight and the others had arrived safely, and Fluttershy was engaged in deep conversation with a pair of birds sitting on a low branch, while Pinkie and Twilight sat waiting, Pinkie twitching and fidgeting like it was hard for her to sit still. Rarity fleetingly remembered Pinkie saying she'd eaten all the sweets while locked in Sugarcube Corner and sighed. Pinkie Pie on a sugar high was something she didn't need right now.

Sweetie Belle detached herself from Rarity's leg. "You have got to teach me how to do that sometime! It would be awesome to be able to teleport wherever I wanted to go!"
Rarity smiled and nodded distractedly, looking back towards Ponyville and wondering how Applejack and Rainbow were coping.

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General Blackthorn sent a small group of his soldiers to hunt down the orange earth pony and colourful pegasus. Some looked distinctly unhappy about their task, especially one of the pegasi soldiers, who had been battered by the rainbow pegasus before. Blackthorn dismissed the thought; his soldiers were more than capable of securing two female ponies, however good fighters they were.

Now he turned his attentions back to the building. There should be five ponies still in there, including their target and the juvenile. But as he watched, one of his soldiers, who had been searching the building, emerged from the doorway shaking his head.

At first, Blackthorn was confused. But then he growled. Unicorns. They had obviously teleported out of the building. He kicked himself for being so foolish as to overlook the fact that three of their captives were unicorns. Now they were... who knew? Maybe those two escapees knew, but for now he had to try something else to draw his target in. She had a business, did she say? One look told him she was a dressmaker, and he withdrew with a smirk.

A business, she said. Not for much longer.

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Rarity frowned, going to sit at the window of Fluttershy's cottage and watching for Applejack and Rainbow Dash by the orange light of the sunset. The other five were laughing and joking behind her, but something was nagging at her. As she watched, that something occurred to her. It was hours too late for the sun to still be up, so what was causing the orange glow? She glared at it, squinting, and then saw-
Fire! Just a flicker, a leaping tongue of orange flame, but unmistakably fire. But what could be burning to cause such a big fire? And almost right in the centre of town, right where... where...

Before she knew what she was doing, Rarity was out of the door and running towards town.

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Blackthorn was pleased. The boutique burned beautifully, an orange beacon against the night sky. If the white unicorn was anywhere within a few miles, she'd see it. And if she worked out what it was, she'd come running back. In fact, if he focused hard he could almost hear her hooves pounding over the crackle of the flames, hear her cry of misery as her business supposedly burned.
Suddenly his ears flicked up. That wasn't in his imagination; he could really hear her desperate call.

*************************************************************************

Rarity's eyes filled up with tears as she stood helplessly, watching all of her dreams come to ruin. All of her belongings were in that building, every dress she'd ever made, her most expensive materials. And her memories, all the photos of her family, friends, sister. She sat down before her burning boutique and wailed in misery and grief.

What she did not know was that Blackthorn, simply not cruel enough to destroy things he knew must be precious to her, had had the boutique emptied of fabrics, dresses and furniture before setting it alight. All of her possessions were piled in an empty house nearby, so that it was only the building and a few permanent fixtures which now went up in flames.

But Rarity was not to know that. She wailed and sobbed, as her friends ran up to surround her before staring in awestruck horror as the Carousel Boutique burned. Sweetie Belle, when she arrived, joined her sister in her tears as her home, too, was burning.

When the soldiers arrived, Rarity, her mind glazed and uncaring, did not resist as she was dragged away. Her friends and sister were tied up and brought along, too, as they were 'escapees' and so must be punished. The five of them were dragged to the edge of the forest, where they were reunited with a captured Applejack. Rainbow, it seemed, was still giving the soldiers the fly-around.

The prisoners were ordered to 'get some sleep' and were untied, with the exception of Fluttershy's wings. Surrounded by guards with spears, even Applejack knew not to attack. Eventually, even in the face of the night's events, fatigue overtook the captured ponies one by one and they fell asleep. Eventually only Rarity was still awake, her eyes slowly closing as a plume of smoke obscured her view of the sunrise.

Author's Note

This took a long time to write (by my standards anyway). I was working on two new stories at the same time though, so it's kind of understandable

In the Darkness

In the morning, Rarity was prodded awake by armoured hooves. She got to her hooves, shuddering at the black soot which had settled on her coat and resolving to wash off in the first lake they passed. Her friends and sister now stood uneasily around, until the soldiers ordered them to walk into the trees.

The soldiers led the six other ponies deep into the Everfree, not even flinching as timberwolves howled somewhere nearby. Fluttershy, however, huddled on the ground in terror, and the soldiers could not shift her.

Eventually Blackthorn snapped impatiently, "Catch up with us when she gets up. The rest of us will go on. She isn't necessary anyway." Leaving four soldiers to prod the shivering yellow pegasus, they trotted onwards into the trees. Rarity noticed that some of the pegasi soldiers looked even more badly battered than the previous evening, spotted a blue feather in one of their tails, and guessed that Rainbow was still on the loose.

This theory was proved right when a streak of rainbow colours sent one of the soldiers spinning. Applejack seized her chance and with a defiant cry made a run for it, tearing back up the path after the blue pegasus. Applejack looked back and jerked her head imperatively, indicating that her friends should follow, but the soldiers had encircled them again, and Twilight shook her head. Applejack reluctantly kept running.
"Get them!" roared Blackthorn, and a group of soldiers skittered after the fleeing mares with panicked expressions.

Blackthorn very calmly continued walking, but there was now a depleted number of soldiers guarding the prisoners. Rarity could see the cogs turning in Twilight's brain as she tried to formulate an escape plan. Pinkie just bounced along, seemingly oblivious to their situation, while Sweetie Belle stayed near Rarity, a look of confusion flickering on her face.

By midday, Rarity had had to carry Sweetie Belle on her back, as the little white filly's hooves were stinging from all the walking. This doubled the effort it took for Rarity to walk on her own aching hooves, but she kept going. Pinkie just kept bouncing, while Twilight was looking frustrated.

An hour later, they were set upon by timberwolves. But the soldiers dealt with them easily, sending the wooden terrors fleeing with their tails between their legs- after they had reformed, that is. This also caused Rarity to wonder why these efficient fighters had had such trouble subduing Rainbow Dash.

But as evening was beginning to touch the sky, Blackthorn stopped. Pinkie gave one last bounce- and collapsed, asleep before she hit the ground. Rarity lifted a sleeping Sweetie Belle off her back and fought the urge to collapse alongside her sister. Instead, she gazed at the castle.

High above her loomed a castle, up in the treetops. was like a treehouse, but much bigger, made of sticks and leaves. A set of spiral stairs within a tower coiled down from it.
Blackthorn trotted over to the stairs, where he was met by what was presumably a pony with a spear, although Rarity could only see the spear.

"State your rank, name and purpose!" came an intimidating order.
"Tis I, General Blackthorn, returned with that pony which She wished to see."
"What?" the voice lost all of its military tone. "General, you've really found her?"
"Go and lick her if you doubt me." came the irate reply.

At that moment Rarity felt some fur yanked from her front leg. When she looked sideways, she saw Pinkie, looking thoughtful. Then Pinkie's eyes widened. "Hey, Rarity, why does your coat taste like marshmallows?"
Rarity looked at Twilight for help, but then felt another clump of fur pulled out, this time from her other front leg.
"Pinkie's right, it does!" squeaked Sweetie Belle in surprise.

Pinkie pulled out another clump. "It's great!" Feeling another bunch yanked out by Sweetie Belle, Rarity screamed, "TWILIGHT!"
Twilight pushed Pinkie's reaching hoof away from Rarity. "Pinkie, stop it!"
Rarity looked down at the two patches of bald skin on her forelegs and swayed. Twilight supported her, as Pinkie protested, "But Twilight, it tastes so nice..."
"Pinkie, you're pulling her fur out! You didn't like it when the soldiers did it to you!"
Sweetie Belle nodded. "It hurt. Sorry, Rarity."

Rarity gave her sister a weak smile. "Quite all right, Sweetie Belle, as long as you don't do it again."
It was then that they noticed all the soldiers staring at them.

General Blackthorn coughed. "Now, Rarity, if you'd follow me-"
"She's not going anywhere without us!" snapped Twilight.
The general looked about to argue, when a tired female voice echoed from above. "Let them all come up, it doesn't matter to me."
"General Blackthorn nodded, forcing his protests back down his throat, before bidding the four friends follow him up to the tree-castle.

Rarity went around and around on the spiral staircases, and just as she thought they might never end, she emerged into a large, open throne room. The walls were lined with more soldiers, but at the back of the room sat a small, old, white alicorn. Rarity stared in confusion, and Twilight and Sweetie gasped. Only Pinkie seemed unperturbed.

Blackthorn approached the throne and bowed. "My Lady."
The white alicorn nodded to him and her green curls bobbed. "You have done well, my faithful general. Rest now."
Blackthorn bowed again and withdrew to stand with his soldiers at the edge of the room.

The white alicorn's emerald green eyes turned to Rarity, and Rarity dropped into a respectful bow.
"There is no need for that, Rarity." said the alicorn. Rarity stood uncertainly, as the alicorn got off her throne and walked towards her.

This alicorn's mane did not have an ethereal flow like Celestia's or Luna's; it was emerald green and curly, and she was the same size as a normal mare, with the short rounded horn typical of common unicorns and the wings of a typical pegasus. However her regal gait commanded the respect of the room. On her flank were three emeralds.

Rarity blinked. "Who are you?"
In return she received a smile, sadness hidden behind the green eyes. "We are the Princess of the Forest, Emerald Shine, and we have reigned here for over 900 years."
Rarity frowned. "Then how have I not heard of you?"

"We are well hidden." came the evasive reply. "Only Celestia, Luna and we know of this kingdom's existence."
"Kingdom?" This was Twilight. "What kingdom?"
"The trees of yonder forest." replied Emerald Shine. "We rule over the forest thine people call the Everfree, and it is by my magic that the clouds move, plants grow, and animals care for themselves. They art free from dependence on ponies, and so they art everfree."

"Alright," said Rarity. "But why do you need me?"
"Thou art the marshmallow pony of this millenium, art thou not?" asked the alicorn.
"Yes..." said Rarity cautiously.
"Then you are needed for a very special purpose. Death is creeping up on me, and to ensure my kingdom continues to prosper I require... your soul."

Author's Note

Not much tut the next to say about this. But the next chapter is already in production!

Sovereign

Rarity instinctively stepped back, her eyes widening with fear. Behind her, Twilight growled and lowered her head, but Blackthorn and his soldiers quickly cantered to form a protective circle around their princess and Rarity. The princess looked slightly confused for a fleeting moment, but then gazed down in total bewilderment as small white hooves waved in her face.

Sweetie Belle snapped, "If you want to hurt my sister, you'll have to get past me first!" Twilight and Pinkie tried to barge through the circle to join her, but the soldiers seized them. The two ponies continued to struggle as the three white ponies faced each other in silence.

Suddenly, something seemed to click behind Emerald Shine's gaze and she threw back her head and laughed, a tinkling laugh unnervingly comparable to Rarity's. Rarity and Sweetie Belle, still with her hooves raised, stared awkwardly as if the alicorn was insane. For several moments the laughter continued, until the alicorn shook her head to compose herself, her green curls bouncing slightly, and met Rarity's stare levelly, still with a bubbly grin.

"Thou thought we meant to take thy soul?" Emerald tittered. "Oh, no, my child, we only need thee to pledge thy soul to yonder kingdom as we once did."

Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity and Sweetie Belle stayed completely still as their minds ticked over it. Then, simultaneously, both Pinkie and Sweetie Belle declared, "I don't get it."

The alicorn smirked. "In that case, maybe it would be infinitely better for us to show rather than tell." Beating her wings, she rose into the air, her horn beginning to glow with leaf-green aura. Even as this began, her actual body began to emit a white glow, growing stronger as she hovered a metre off the floor.

Pinkie bounced up, chanting, "Shiny! Shiny!" while the three unicorns just stared. Emerald closed her eyes and her muzzle shaped a concentrated frown.
Seconds later, Rarity felt her hooves rise from the ground, and immediately shrieked in surprise, her white hooves struggling to bring her back down. The air offered no resistance with which to push herself back down, and she continued to rise, up to the level of Emerald Shine, as Twilight and Sweetie Belle shouted and jumped in an attempt to pull Rarity back down.

Rarity's wide blue gaze fell on Emerald, who gave her a smile through closed eyes before her eyelids opened into orbs of pure, painfully bright white light. Everything was swallowed up by the light, and Rarity turned away, closing her eyes and shielding them with her hooves.

When the light died, Rarity was gone. Twilight snapped at the descending alicorn, "What did you do to Rarity?"
The alicorns was calm as her aged joints took her weight once more. "I sent her to take her pledge."

When Rarity opened her eyes, she was standing in a forest clearing. She looked around in bewilderment, before a quiet voice spoke to her.
"Rarity."
Rarity spun around, but saw nothing but trees and undergrowth.
"Rarity."
"Where are you?" she cried.
"We are nature, and therefore, everywhere you see." came the placid reply.

Rarity stood working that out for a few moments, before a swirl of leaves enveloped her. When she had batted them away, a figure was standing before her. It was a pony, or it had at first appeared to be. Its body shape was that of a pony, but it appeared to be woven from wood, shoots and plants. Leaves sprouted here and there, and when its eyes opened they were a lush leaf green, but so deep they spoke of countless seasons.

"Who are you?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
The same voice spoke again. "We are nature." There was a little laughter in its tone at the need to repeat this fact. "You know why you have been brought to our presence?"
Rarity shook her head.
There was a light chuckle reminiscent of the sound of the wind among leaves. "Child, you have been brought here to pledge yourself to the keeping of the Everfree. Here are the terms of your pledge:
-One will care for the Everfree for a millennium, until his/her successor is found.
-One should care for the plants and animals of the Everfree while ensuring they remain free and independant.
-One shall ensure their people are well led and live peacefully with the forest, even when he/she is not around."

The 'nature' pony looked expectantly at Rarity. With a flash, Emerald Shine appeared and nodded.
Rarity coughed delicately."Just a minute. What am I agreeing to, exactly?"
Nature spoke. "The title of Princess of the Everfree, and a millennium of life to govern this kingdom."
Emerald Shine added, "You would only need to rule for 900 years. You may spend a century with your friends, including those you have already had, and when you have lived out your lifespan there you will return here to rule."

Rarity frowned. "But what will the soldiers do while I spend all those years in Ponyville?"
"They will live and die normal lives. Their families exist in a small village a short distance from the castle." answered Emerald Shine.
"But what about the thousand years?" asked Rarity. "I'm sure people in Ponyville will notice if I don't age."
"Just wish yourself to look older, and you will." came the reply. "When your thousand years are up, you will age rapidly, and that is a sign for you to send out your soldiers to look for your successor. That successor is the next marshmallow pony."

Rarity unscrambled her thoughts. It all seemed very appealing; being a princess, and living for a thousand years. She would rather had ruled over a kingdom which wasn't so... natural, but being a princess at all was surely worth it.
"In that case." said Rarity, still a little unsure, "I accept the terms of the pledge."

Both of the others smiled. Emerald Shine rose up again, beginning to glow once more. Her royal vocals returned and she proclaimed, "Then this kingdom rejoices at your coming, child, for by the maps of stars thou truly art our chosen successor."
Rarity was lifted up again, and this time as the fierce glow enveloped her felt a ripping pain on her back, as if something were forcing out on both sides.

Twilight was pacing the castle floor. First Rarity had vanished, and then before they could demand an explanation from the alicorn she had disappeared too. Sweetie was looking miserably out of the window, while Pinkie just sat staring at the floor.

Suddenly Sweetie cried out. "Hey! What's that?"
Twilight and Pinkie raced over. A sparkling, swirling orb of green leaves was drifting towards them. They stepped back quickly as it came in through the window, and then shards of light began to pierce through it, before the whole sphere shattered.

Again, white light filled the room, and when it cleared Rarity stood supporting Emerald Shine. But something was wrong- Twilight could only see one horn, but there were two sets of white wings. As soldiers dashed to take over supporting their princess and Rarity stepped away, Twilight could finally see clearly.

Rarity had white, feathered pegasus wings. She had become an alicorn, while Emerald was now just a pegasus. Twilight blinked as Rarity walked over, then the white alicorn stopped, frowning at the shock on Twilight's face.

"Twilight, darling, what's wrong?" asked Rarity. Before Twilight could reply, Sweetie raced over and tackled Rarity in a hug.
"Sis, you're back! ....aaaaand you have wings."
"I beg your pardon, Sweetie Belle?" said Rarity, incensed.
"You have wings. Look."

Rarity turned her head and stared with narrowed eyes at the feathery additions to her anatomy. After several awkward minutes of silent staring, Rarity's eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.

Author's Note

I was working towards two separate endings the whole way through. The other was that Emerald actually takes Rarity's soul, but I thought this was better.

Opinions?

The End Of An Era

It didn't take long for Rarity to revive, but Emerald Shine was on a downward spiral. She grew weaker every moment.
Blackthorn, standing at the door to her chamber, explained that now she had given up her princesshood she was aging extremely fast. The thousand years were catching up to her, and she would soon be dead.

Rarity's respect for the old princess rose and she asked to be able to see her. Blackthorn could not refuse his new ruler and agreed.

Emerald Shine looked up as Rarity came in and her aged face crinkled in a smile. "Hello, Rarity."
Rarity nodded, then lowered her head in respect.
The ancient pegasus laughed huskily, but the laugh quickly degenerated into a fit of coughing. "No need for that, Princess." she chuckled. "Why, it is I who should be bowing to thee. You are the princess now."

Rarity's eyes flickered with pain. "You should bow to no one."
Emerald Shine smiled appreciatively. "I see my kingdom has a good new ruler. I may rest easy now, knowing my realm and people are safe in thy hooves."
With a sigh that echoed countless seasons, the old pegasus went limp and still.

Rarity reached forwards with a hoof and closed the old, unseeing eyes. All the life was gone from them now.
A breeze began to blow through the window. Leaves came swirling in, and Rarity stepped back as they enveloped the body of the pegasus. When the leaves cleared, the bed was empty. The leaves soared out of the window with the breeze, and Rarity watched them fly over the treetops and vanish in the distance.

Rarity left the room and nodded to Blackthorn softly. He hung his head, and then raised his muzzle to the air and let out a keening cry. It was the sound of nature in mourning, and as one every one of his soldiers raised their heads to give vent to their grief.
The sound echoed through the forest, and every creature living added to it; timberwolves began to howl, birds sang, and the wind rustled through the leaves in a rising cacophony which lasted, frozen in time, for much longer than the moments it really did.

Rarity's official coronation was a sombre affair as the forest dwellers mourned their previous ruler. The crown was placed upon her head, and then Blackthorn notified her of the location of her belongings. And with that, she, Pinkie, Twilight and Sweetie Belle were allowed to leave.

Rarity walked with her friends in silence for a little while. They had nothing to fear from timberwolves or other beasts now; all were under Rarity's rule. Then Twilight spoke up.

"So. You're an alicorn princess now."

"Yes." Rarity felt it was rather a stupid question, given what had just happened, but was too polite to say it.

Seconds later, Sweetie Belle looked at her sister and prodded at a white wing. "So can you fly now?"

"Probably." Rarity didn't seem interested.

"Try."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Just because." Rarity thought of the old pegasus again and lowered her head.

Sweetie Belle frowned, then jumped on her sister's back. "C'mon! Just try!"

"Alright." sighed Rarity. "But get off in case I crash."

As it was, flight came naturally. Rarity realised finally why Rainbow enjoyed soaring up high so much, and skimmed the tops of the trees as Ponyville came into view, before sinking to the ground and disguising her wings.

Rarity and the others told the inhabitants of Ponyville that they had fought the soldiers off in the forest and

Many years passed, and Rarity aged cosmetically. She hid her wings from common sight- only her friends, sister and eventual husband Spike knew of her princesshood.

But after 80 years living in Ponyville, Rarity felt the forest calling her. Her parents were already dead, and she didn't think she could bear to see her friends and sister, and their families, slip away in such a way. So she left them with instructions rather like a will, and one night, crept away back into her kingdom. Twilight, an alicorn herself, understood her pain. But Spike suffered long after the deaths of their other friends, wanting his wife back, until finally Twilight told him where Rarity's castle lay.

There Rarity lived for 900 years, ruling her kingdom with wisdom and even growing to love the dirt she had once despised for the live-giving qualities it possessed. She watched her subjects- Blackthorn, and many others, age and wither away, never growing old herself until a few months before her thousandth birthday. It was then, when she found wrinkles she could not wish away, that she sent her new general, Stormcloud, out with his battalions to find her successor.

Spike, with an unknown lifespan, had lived by her side all the nine centuries. As Rarity aged, he hurriedly sent Twilight a letter.

"It's time."

Twilight arrived at the forest castle to find Rarity- now looking retirement-aged- sitting at her window with Spike, waiting for Stormcloud to return.

"They know." she rasped to Spike. "They know that soon I will be gone."

"And you'll be missed by all of them." said Spike sadly.

Rarity didn't answer. She was looking out over the forest, and then she opened her mouth and sang the song Twilight remembered from all those years ago, when Blackthorn and the other forest ponies had sung it when Emerald Shine had died. It was no less beautiful now than it had been then.

Twilight went to stand by her friend and took in the song. Rarity acknowledged her with a flick of her ear, but kept singing. Below, in the settlement, many of her subjects gave their answer.

Stormcloud entered an hour later, a pink earth pony mare with a wavy, pale green mane and tail following curiously. On seeing Rarity, the newcomer began to bounce. "Ohmygosh! An alicorn! I didn't know there were five! I..." The mare continued to leap around in glee, babbling excitedly. Stormcloud quickly took his leave, looking relieved to be free of his charge.
Rarity smiled- this pony reminded her of Pinkie Pie- but Twilight's eyes were wide. "Bubble Beam?" she said incredulously.

The pink mare looked at her and giggled, "Princess Twilight! Oooh, who are your friends? Is this pony really an alicorn? Oooh- a dragon! Cool!"

Rarity looked confused. "Do you know this pony?"

"Uh... she's Pinkie's great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great great granddaughter." Twilight thought for a second. "Give or take a few greats."

"Ah." Rarity tried to sound calm, although she was mentally seeing her kingdom burn as Pinkie's descendant hopped around in the carnage. "Well, then. I suppose... time to explain..."

An hour later, Rarity went to see Stormcloud. "It's time, Stormcloud. Be as loyal to her as you have been to me." The dark grey pony lowered his head respectfully and sadly. Rarity had ruled since he was born and long before; he could not imagine a time without her. None of her subjects could.

Rarity went back into the throne room, preparing to cast the spell which would make Bubble Beam the new princess of the Everfree. The pink pony had shown herself to be a lot calmer than she had first seemed, though she had got excited several times during the explanation of the whole situation. Now she stood, head respectfully lowered.

Rarity took a deep breath and muttered the spell. Twilight and Spike shielded their eyes as bright light filled the room. Rarity felt a dreadful wrench- not only physically but mentally- as her wings were taken from her.

Bubble Beam stood there as an alicorn when the light faded, while Rarity was a unicorn once more, as she had been centuries ago. She smiled into the green eyes of her successor as she felt the last of her power swirl away from her.

****************************************************

Rarity lay in her bed, feeling each year catch up to her. Bubble Beam came in, sombre; Rarity smiled weakly. "What is it, Princess?"

Bubble Beam just lowered her head in respect. Too tired to protest, Rarity felt a rush of need to see Twilight and Spike once more before the end. "Please, could you send Twilight and Spike in? And Princess." Rarity said softly, "Rule the kingdom well."

Twilight and Spike stood by Rarity's bedside, their faces downcast. Rarity chuckled. "Why so sad, my friends? I go to join our friends, and my sister... I'll see them again... I have lived far longer than I expected to anyway."

Spike just grasped her hoof with his claw and sniffed. Twilight smiled. "I'll see you again one day, Rarity. Not even an alicorn lives forever."

"Ah, this is too sentimental for me, darlings. Just talk properly." Rarity said crossly.

Just as she said this, the song started up again outside, and Spike raised his head to join in, closing his eyes and holding tight to Rarity's hoof. Twilight followed his lead, and then heard Rarity join in. They sang for a while, until Twilight realised Rarity was no longer singing. She opened her eyes but continued singing, looking down just in time to see her friend's body dissolve into leaves and swirl away, out of the window. Spike opened his eyes as he felt his wife's hoof disappear, and though he continued to sing, his eyes filled up with tears.

Twilight raised her wings and flew out of the window, dancing above the trees as leaves swirled around her and the eerie tune of the song rang out through the Everfree.

Author's Note

I always wanted to finish this story, and now it's done.

Thanks to everyone who read this story!