//------------------------------//
// Shattered Diamonds 
// Story: Links in a Chain 
// by Touch the Sky 
//------------------------------//

As soon as she got back from Twilight's funeral, Rarity threw herself onto her bed and began to sob. Fluttershy, Pinkie and now Twilight; it seemed some mysterious force was doing away with the Elements one by one. That horrible thought swept over her like a wave, and she panicked. What if she was next? Or Rainbow Dash, or Applejack? The idea of losing either of her two remaining 'inner circle' friends was too hideous to contemplate.

"Now, now, Rarity." she calmed herself. "That's just the grief and superstition talking. You must learn to move on; it's what Twilight, Pinkie and Fluttershy would have wanted."

A last shaking sob sounded in her throat before the white unicorn pulled herself off the bed. A new thought came to her and she gasped. "Why, I have been so selfish! Poor Spikey Wikey has known Twilight all his life; losing her now must have crushed him. And since the library burned, he doesn't even have a home! I must go and see him at once!"

Rarity replaced her make-up before trotting over to the hospital, where Spike was being treated for minor burns. She met Spike just as he left the hospital, a travelling haversack slung over his scaly shoulder.
"Oh, hello, Rarity." muttered Spike. "What are you doing here?"
Rarity was horrified by his emotionless tone. "Spike, are you alright?"

Spike looked up into her sapphire eyes, and a spark of anger flickered in the depths of his emerald gaze. "Do I look like I'm alright?" His voice cracked. "I just lost the one stable pony in my life, the only one who's always been there for me! I... I can't..."
Rarity wrapped a comforting hoof around him as the anger in his eyes dissipated and died to be replaced with sparkling, salty tears. 
"Spike, I'm here for you, and so are Applejack and Rainbow Dash."
"But Twilight... she was special." whimpered Spike. "We learned so much from each other. I enjoyed watching her get better at magic, and she watched me grow up. But now she's gone."

"Spike, I've lost three of my friends, but I know they would want me to carry on with my life, not curl up and wallow in my own misery. I also know Twilight would want the same for you."
Spike stood up. "I know. That's why I've decided to move on. I'm leaving Ponyville, and I'm never coming back."

Rarity was appalled. "But Spike, where would you go?"
The dragon shrugged. "Wherever, just away from everything I remember. Remembering Twilight, and Pinkie, and Fluttershy, is too painful for me to bear."

"Spike, memories of those we've lost are painful at first, but when you think about the fact that you'd be so much worse off if they had never lived to create those memories, you realise that remembering them is a happy experience. You shouldn't be sad that they've died, you should be happy that they lived."

Spike turned to look at her. "But I haven't got anywhere to live. The library is a pile of ash, nothing's left."

"Spike, I'm certain I can have some accommodation set up for you."
"But..."
"No buts.You can come and live at the boutique until your accommodation is finished. I will not have you sleeping rough."
"But..."
"What did I just say about no buts? I insist."
Spike gave up and trailed in Rarity's wake as she trotted back to the boutique, muttering to himself.

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Over the next few days Spike remembered why he had a crush on Rarity. She was beautiful, clever and dignified. Rarity, unaware of his rekindled love, continued to design, and then criticise, new fashion items.

But one day, a few weeks after Twilight's funeral, Rarity had nothing to do, having finished an order ahead of time. So she, Sweetie Belle, who invited Applebloom and Scootaloo, and Spike got on the train and went to visit the coast. While the Crusaders played in the surf, Rarity, loath to wreck her mane with salt water, went for a walk along the cliffs. Spike accompanied her, and the two walked along the cliff edge, the wind whistling around them. 

As the cliffs rose higher, Spike struggled to stay on his feet as the wind grew stronger. Rarity turned, and, seeing him struggling, started to walk back to him.

Just then, the wind picked up considerably, sweeping Spike to the edge of the cliff. It was his claws which saved him. He dug them into the soil on top of the cliff, and pulled himself back onto the cliff top.
It was then he noticed that he could not see Rarity. He panicked. Had she been swept over the edge? As the wind died, he called her name, and immediately got a reply.

He ran to the edge of the cliff to see her standing on a narrow ledge a few feet below him. Even as he watched, some of the ledge crumbled away, falling into the sea many metres below. Rarity looked up at him, her blue eyes full of fear.
Spike stretched a claw out to her, and she stood on her hind legs trying to reach it.

He leaned forwards as far as he could, his back claws firmly embedded in the soil, and finally managed to clasp her hoof in his claw. He pulled, and she climbed, the ledge crumbling away beneath her, until he held both her front hooves, kneeling on the cliff edge, and her back legs and body hung in space. Lifting her eyes while still scrabbling at the cliff face with her back hooves, Rarity saw how tired Spike was, and felt his claws slip slightly. She knew then that this was it; that the curse which had been killing all the Elements had come to claim Generosity.

Getting Spike to understand that would be much harder than it had been admitting it to herself. As he struggled, she kept her gaze on his face. Eventually, exhausted, he stopped trying to pull her up and returned her gaze. In that gaze, they expressed more emotion than any words they could ever say.

Rarity, with one last effort, stretched forwards to kiss him. For a few seconds they shared their first and last kiss, salty tears running over both of their faces, before Rarity broke away, gently whispered, "I'm sorry," and kicked her back hooves into the cliff face, at the same time pulling her front hooves free of his claws. Gracefully, her face calm, and without uttering a single sound, she fell backwards into oblivion.

Spike screamed, throwing himself forwards to look over the edge in case she had somehow landed on another ledge. But all he saw was the waves breaking on the cliffs, hundreds of metres below.

Rarity was gone.