> Harmony's Warriors: Iron Mare (Revised Version)
>  by Avenging-Hobbits
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Act I - 01 - The Way of the Fool
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act One:
"In Your Own Little World"

Chapter One:
"The Way of the Fool"




Rarity Belle walked among the various party goers of her charity ball. The reason for the party was a noble cause, if she did say so herself. It was a charity event arranged to aid the newly democratized nation of South Griffinheim. The third world nation had finally been able to shake itself free from the dictatorial government it once had. So, out of the goodness of her heart (and the prospect of a new client), she had set up this nice little event.

She, herself, had dressed to the nines, with her purple mane done up in it’s standard curl and her attire consisting of an elegant black dress that clung to her body, showing off all her curves. Her cutie mark, three diamonds, served as a constant reminder of her prowess in working with and refining gems. With that talent, she had discovered a radical new use for them. Powering all manner of advanced machinery. She had quickly made a name for herself, with the help of a certain unicorn by the name of Fancy Pants. He was a weapons manufacture of great standing, and the two enjoyed a sort of mutual respect. Rarity, with her genius and intellect, would create all sorts of new inventions, and Fancy Pants would then produce some grandiose new military application out of it, which the Equestrian Military would eat up like wild dogs.

However, Rarity still found Fancy Pants’ (and the company’s) main source of income to be rather uncouth and brutish, what with all those terrible explosions, guns and bombs. It was all so...violent. Of course, her own personal feelings about the application of Belle Tech’s technology really didn’t matter to her. As long as the money kept flowing in, she’d be set. With her income, she could buy anything she wanted.

A new car so that she can travel in style? Done. That brand new designer dress in the window? It was her’s. A brand new software for her home computer, so that she could continue to innovate and design the newest gem powered wonder machine? Bought and paid for with a flick of a credit card. A new boy-toy for the night to make things interesting? One quick mention of a name and her job and they would be sharing a bed by the end of the evening. Everything was at her beck and call, and honestly, right now she felt as if she was at the top of the world.

She could feel the eyes of dozens of stallions on her, and she loved it. She was Rarity Belle after all and her name meant only one thing. She was the best, the brightest and the most beautiful unicorn in Canterlot, and as such, that made her the subject of their affections.

Her eyes scanned the various stallions, trying to spot any who she saw fit to grace with her presence. Her eyes landed on a rather tall and handsome blonde unicorn pony. He wore a nicely pressed dark brown suit with a dark red tie to match. On his flank, as a cutie mark, was a typewriter and pen. She had seen him a few times before at various other events, mostly those held by Applewood’s elite. His name was Ernst Scribbler, and she knew him as a writer of various television shows.

“Why hello there Ernst,” she chimed as she walked up to him, quickly levitating a nearby martini glass off a passing waiters tray as if it were second nature to her. Which of course, it was. The unicorn turned to face her, and smiled.

“Oh hello, Rarity. Wonderful party!” he replied, as they quickly hugged each other in a non-committal way. Rarity simply shrugged in a smug manner.

“Oh, of course it is, my friend. I only throw the absolute most fabulous parties,” she took a sip of her martini. She briefly grimaced at the flavor, “Oh dear, is this a vermouth martini? Dear Celestia, I detest these.” She quickly placed the half-empty glass on a nearby table and turned back to Ernst.

“So, Ernst, how goes it? Any new projects lined up?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. She noticed as Ernst’s chest puffed up slightly at her words and a self-confident grin crossed his muzzle.

“Well, if you must know, yes I do. I’ve taken on writing for that soap opera, The Passions of All the Fillies of Manehattan Hospital’s Days of Life,” he boasted.  “Would you care for a replacement drink, since you seemed to react so...strongly against that one?” he asked politely, motioning towards the bar across the way.

Rarity paused for a moment, putting a hoof to her chin. “Well....” she said slowly, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd of party goers. She had come alone tonight, and so far, she hadn’t found any potential take-home companions. Her eyes drifted back to Ernst and she smiled. Well... she thought. Might as well.

“I would love to hear about that Ernst.”



/////////////////////////



A few minutes later, the two unicorns sat at the bar, having downed a generous amount of alcohol between them. Ernst was talking quite adamantly, his voice now somewhat slurred by the amount of drinks he had had.

“So, what I have mind for the show is that Standing Stone is gonna find out that Noble March, head of security for the hospital, is actually his father!” he then smiled broadly, obviously quite proud of himself. “And I think that just might be the single greatest plot twist in soap opera history!” he dramatically waved his hooves in the air, causing the now very tipsy Rarity to giggle.

She actually knew the show quite well, as one of her friends (and personal assistant) Written Script, was an avid fan of the show, and watched every episode with an almost religious fervor. Rarity, herself, couldn't care less. She had already figured out that Standing Stone was Noble March’s son, mainly because they looked almost identical. The only difference was that Noble March was a unicorn and Standing Stone was an earth pony. Anyone with a brain could have figured that one out, she thought, taking another sip of her drink.

“Wow...*hic* that’s really...*hic* exceptional,” Rarity snorted, not taking notice of how many drinks she had had. Ernst once more pumped his chest out slightly.

“Why thank you, Rarity. I do think it’s one of my better ones…*hic* *hic*” he smiled smugly, his eyes glazed over with alcohol. “What about you though? I’ve been chattering up a storm here and you haven’t said a word. How goes it for the fabulous Rarity Belle?”

Rarity smiled broadly, basking in the sound of her own name. “Oh…stuff, things,” she snickered, taking another sip of her drink. “Been working on various projects you know, this and that,” she paused, all of a sudden remembering one of her many at-home projects. “In fact, I think I might have the single most brilliant idea of my career.”

Ernst raised an eyebrow. “Really? What?”

“Well…” Rarity sloppily reached for a nearby napkin and her purse and pulled out a pen. “I, *hic* have devised a rather innovative design my friend.” She dragged the pen across the napkin sloppily until she was satisfied with her doodle. She levitated the napkin in front of Ernst’s face.

“Gaze upon genius!” she laughed, her own vision starting to swim slightly. Ernst drunkenly leaned forward, raising an eyebrow.

“Wow! That’s the coolest robot I’ve ever seen!” he giggled. By now, the two of them had ingested at least a dozen shots each, and now the both of them were giggling and slurring their words. Rarity looked at the drawing on the napkin. It was a rather simple design, a pony-shaped robot that she had intended for various uses that she hadn’t yet figured out.

“Yes it is,” she sighed drunkenly. “I’m sure Fancy Pants will find some sort of military use for it. Celestia knows he lives and breaths that sort of brutish behavior,” she took another shot. The two of them were silent for a moment, the conversation finally drowning in the ocean of drinks and the music taking prevalence. Rarity felt the distinct feeling of boredom start to slink into her, and she reached back into her purse, pulling out a box of cigarettes. She pulled one out and lit it with a spark of her magic. She took a quick draw from it when the bartender walked up to her.

“Excuse me,” he said gruffly, “But you can’t smoke in here, it’s a non-smoking area.” He pointed towards a nearby sign, where a lit cigarette was shown with a bold red X over it. Rarity simply snickered, waving her hoof dismissively.

“Nonsense! I may do as I please. Here,” she reached into her purse and pulled out a fifty bit bill, “Take this. That’s fifty bits. Now, if you will allow me the pleasure.” She took another puff and the bartender took the cash from her begrudgingly, muttering under his breath as he walked off. All of a sudden a voice caught her attention.

“Why hello Rarity, how are you this fine evening?” the voice said in a cultured Canterlot accent. She turned to see a familiar white unicorn with a grayish-blue mane and mustache, wearing a monocle. He wore a very expensive looking double breasted suit, and his cutie mark was a trio of crowns.

“Oh hello there, Fancy Pants! How goes it?” Rarity chirped. Fancy Pants smiled thinly.

“As well as could be expected. Good news, I’ve managed acquire some good contracts with the new government in Griffinheim. In fact, they are so ecstatic to meet with you they invited you over to that technology conference they’ll be holding in the capitol.”

Rarity simply waved a hoof. “Oh alright then…*hic*…Although those things are a terrible bore,” she said, frowning at the idea.

Fancy Pants could be heard sighing. “Rarity, are you drunk again?” his voice was laced with disappointment. Rarity simply shrugged.

“So what if I am! I’m Rarity Belle, a mare of her own making!” she theatrically waved her hooves in the air. Fancy Pants simply rolled his eyes and put a hoof on her shoulder.

“Rarity, I believe it would be most prudent for you to go back home for the evening. Lest I need remind you of the last time you drank a tad too much.”

Rarity paused, mulling over the memory. The incident in question had been her own birthday, and things had gotten quite out of hoof. Her memory was still somewhat hazy, as she always, no matter the situation, over drank at parties. That particular time, she had recently finished one of her newer robotic designs and attempted to show how it worked to some prestigious military liaisons. Next things she knew, her precious widescreen television was in flames and a rather important member of the Equestrian military, a minotaur by the name of Iron Will was covered in motor oil. At the time she had found it incredibly funny, but come the next day, the reporters had gotten their hooves on the story and caused quite a stir, leading to quite a bit of embarrassment on her part. She was, unfortunately, used to this sort of attention from the press.

She grimaced slightly, “Oh I guess you’re correct. Wouldn’t want to ruin everypony’s evening.” Rarity’s eyes then drifted in their sockets towards Ernst again. The alcohol had done a number on her inhibitions and she didn’t exactly want to share a drunken limo ride back to her home alone. “Say...Fancy,” she asked, leaning against Fancy. “Have you met Ernst?” she gently dragged the drunk writer over next to her.

Fancy Pants’ expression faded into vague disgust. “Why yes. That writer chap. Nice to meet you.” He extended a hoof in greeting, which Ernst shook sloppily. Rarity simply smiled and leaned close to Fancy Pants.

“Now, Fancy, I shall be leaving and he shall accompany me, because, as we all know, a hangover is something that should be shared with a close friend. Come Ernst.” She turned back towards Ernst who paused and eyed her suspiciously for a moment. He nodded dumbly; a somewhat dimwitted smile crossed his face. Obviously, whatever he was drinking was taking an effect on him as well and he was blatantly plastered.

“If you want, I can show you a prototype I’m working on,” Rarity said, making sure to pose herself so that all the right curves were in his field of vision and leaned in close. “Would you like that?”

“Yeah sure thing Rares…that sounds positively enrap-enra, good,” Ernst giggled drunkenly, giving up trying to speak in a well mannered way.

Rarity smiled and motioned towards him and he immediately stood at attention. “Then let us go, and leave this dismal affair shall we?” she started to trot away from the bar, her glass levitated in her magic. Of course, being as drunk as she was, her hoofsteps were drastically off kilter and she fell onto Ernst’s side, giggling. Fancy Pants walked up to her and propped her upright.

“Come on Rarity, let’s get you home,” he said, walking the two very drunk ponies out of the main party area, and to the rows of limousines. Rarity and Ernst flopped inside and Rarity waved towards Fancy Pants sloppily.

“Au revoir monsieur!” she called out to him, leaning out the window as the limousine started to drive away.

Fancy Pants watched the limo disappear into the night, a rather grim look on his face.

“Stupid mare…” he grumbled in annoyance before returning to the party.



/////////////////////////




The Next Morning:


Written Script rested his hoof on the doorhandle of Rarity’s bedroom. A quick glance at the clock on the wall told him that it was time for the guest inside to leave. Taking a moment to get into character as the no-nonsense personal assistant, he opened the door.

The bedroom looked like it always did when his boss came home from a party. Scattered glasses and a half-empty wine bottle sat on a small table, and articles of clothing were scattered along the floor, along with several dozen piles of crumpled up paper. The bed sheets were, as always quite ruffled, and there was a conspicuous lump under the expensive comforters. At first, Written Script ignored the lump, from which faint snoring could be heard. Instead, his attention was focused on the large window curtains. With his horn glowing a shade of lavender, the curtains moved aside, letting in a golden shaft of morning light.

Almost immediately, the once snoring lump groaned in frustration and a blonde unicorn stallion’s head peeked out from under the covers.

“Blegh....” he groaned, holding a hoof in front of his blue eyes while he dragged himself up right. “What the buck man?”

Ignoring the stallion, Written Script went about picking up the various bits of crumbled up papers and quickly inspecting the various doodles on them. Every so often, he’d fold a paper up and tuck it inside her ever present briefcase. As for the other papers, he’d crumble them up a little more and toss them into a nearby (and now overflowing) waste basket.

The stallion raised an eyebrow. “Hey, what’s the deal? Why’d you wake me up?”

Written Script stopped sorting sketches and turned towards the stallion. “Because it’s half past eleven. High time for you to set about your day don’t you think?” he emphasized her words by levitating the scattered remains of Ernst’s Scribbler’s clothing towards him, all folded neatly. “Here you go,” he said, plopping it on the bed in front the perplexed stallion.

With that, he turned around and trotted out of the room. He turned to the left and headed down the rather spacious hallway. As soon as he was out of sight of the bedroom, he loosed up, his gait shifting from the rather tight manner of his secretary job to a more laid back gait.

His main thoughts were centered on Rarity. He had known her for more than ten years, and honestly, he had grown tired of seeing her act like this. She didn’t need to act this way. She was smarter than that. The night before in particular had been tiring for Written Script. Rarity and that Ernst Scribbler fellow had shown up, both totally drunk, basically all over each other. They had made a beeline for the bedroom, and to be honest, the noise coming from there had kept Written Script up all night. It was nights like those that Written Script wished he had brain bleach. He shuddered at the memory.

With these thoughts on the forefront of his mind, he finally reached a rather simple looking white door with the words “Workshop. Do not enter.” written across it. Music could be heard thumping loudly from the inside. Written Script lifted up the welcome mat beneath his hooves, and pulled out a small key. Quietly whistling to himself, he unlocked the door and opened it, instinctively putting his ears back against his head in preparation for what was to come. Right on queue, a blast of the deafeningly loud music greeted his ears as the door opened. Without saying a word, Written Script reached over towards the panel on the wall. Tapping it a few times, the music decreased in volume to something much more reasonable.

“Hey! What happened to my music?!” Rarity shouted, turning around, her face the very portrait of anger. She was now clothed in a simple white lab coat, under which was an equally simple t-shirt and black slacks. The lab coat was covered in grease stains, just like her hooves. Pearched above her head, making her look vaguely like a mad scientist, was a pair of goggles. In her magic was levitated a small soldering gun and in her mouth was a slowly burning cigarette. Her anger faded when she caught sight of Written Script, “Oh, it’s you.” She then promptly turned back to work on whatever she was currently working on.

“Hey Rarity. Showed your friend out.” Written Script said, trotting up next to the white unicorn. He looked over the work table. Scattered across it where the various pieces of Rarity’s newest project, which was a rather advanced equine robot prototype. The part Rarity was currently working on looked like the torso, and a rather large gem sat in the center, glowing gently. A cloud of cigarette smoke hung around Rarity, as she busied herself with the half-disassembled machine, muttering something about input-output ratios. Written Script coughed as he accidentally inhaled the fumes.

“Geez Rarity, you smoke like a train...” he said, waving to disperse the smoke cloud. Rarity simply shrugged.

“Helps me think. You know that. Same thing with the music too,” Rarity then motioned towards a nearby computer, “Can you tell me what the simulation says?” Written Script refocused his attention on the computer. On the screen was a very complicated and detailed diagram of what Written Script assumed was the gem implanted in the robotic torso. Written Script took a moment to attempt to decipher the dozens of different readouts the screen was giving.

“Um...I think it says you’re not getting enough power...” he finally said, turning back to face Rarity. Rarity looked up from her work and looked closer at the screen. All of a sudden and unexpectedly loud booming noise greeted their ears and they turned to see the metal torso was now caked in ash and a thick cloud of smoke came from where the gem once was. On seeing this, Rarity let a frustrated groan and tossed the soldering torch back on the work table, stripping off her goggles and lab coat, tossing those aside as well. Written Script, taking the cue, followed after her.

“Damned rock,” Rarity muttered, tossing the now withered cigarette into a nearby waste bin before producing another one that had been tucked behind her ear the whole time. A quick flicker of her horn and the cigarette was alight. “Always says that. Why isn’t there enough power to it?” she then levitated a pen and a bedraggled looking journal off a nearby shelf as the two unicorns exited the room, Written Script being sure to close the door behind them. Rarity continued to jot down notes and calculations in the journal, muttering them to herself. Apparently though, she couldn't find the solution to the problem and closed the book with a frustrated groan.

They entered the living room and Rarity flopped herself down on the large antique fainting couch. “Script?” Rarity called out all of a sudden, levitating a remote control in front of her and turning on the brand new wide screen television. “How’s my schedule look?”

Written Script walked up to her and levitated his clipboard in front of him. The clipboard had a long list of various appointments that Rarity was due for that day. “Well...seems a little busy this week. You have that science conference in South Griffinhiem you promised to attend,"

"Yeah huh..." was all Rarity responded with. Written Script took that as a cue to continue.

"And I think today you’re mom’s going to be visiting to bring Swee-” he was cut off by Rarity letting out a long, drawn out groan of frustration.

“Oh please no not that! Please tell me it’s not today!” she complained dramatically. Written Script simply shrugged.

“That’s what the schedule says.” He said. Rarity turned to face Written Script, looking quite angry.

“Can’t you just make up a reason for them not to come? Something, anything to keep that little imp out my mane? And don’t even get me started on my mother! Did I ever tell you about the time I first got my cutie mark?”

Written Script let out a patient sigh. “Only every time anypony mentions her.”

“Exactly! It was awful!” Rarity groaned, sliding down on the fainting couch and flicking through the channels. The channels flicked by at the speed of light, with Written Script barely able to see what was going by. Rarity let out another frustrated groan.

“Dear Celestia is there nothing on?”

Written Script simply shrugged. “Don’t know. Maybe if you slowed down you’d find something.” he said sarcastically. However, his sarcasm died rather quickly as he caught a glimpse of Rarity’s expression. It was quite obvious he was in no mood for sarcasm. In hindsight it should have been obvious, as any mention of Rarity's mother was bound to send the unicorn into a near unbearable funk where everything was perceived as the most annoying thing in the galaxy. There was a silence between the two as Rarity continued to flick through the channels. It was interrupted by the sound of Written Script's phone ringing.

He glanced down at the phone, revealing it to be Fancy Pants. "Rarity, it's Fancy Pants. Do you wanna talk to him?"

Rarity simply shook her head, still focused on the television.

"So you want me to take it?" Written Script asked, already guessing the answer.

"Yes. He's your uncle, not mine. Last thing I need is that stallion acting as if he's my legal guardian or something. Always sticking his muzzle in my personal life. Rather invasive don't you think?" she answered offhandedly.

Written Script sighed. "Alrighty then. I'll be in my office." he turned and trotted out of the room, mentally prepping himself for the oncoming conversation with Fancy Pants.



/////////////////////////



Rarity meanwhile, simply grimaced at the television screen. It seemed the universe was setting out to make her day particularly difficult for her today. First, she had woken up with a tremendous hangover (and a headache to match) and then, once she’d recovered from that, she had attempted to work on her new design. And she had hit another roadblock.

For some reason, the gems she was using the power the prototype would constantly short out, causing a shower of sparks and another ruined gem. And now this. Her mother and her little sister would be coming over for a visit. Wonderful.

Words could not begin to describe the animosity she felt towards her mother. The best way she could think of to describe her mother was as the single coldest, unemotional, difficult to please and manipulative pony she’d ever had the misfortune of meeting. It didn’t matter to her mother that her daughter had made millions, if not billions off her talent. All that mattered is that Rarity had dared to break free and be her own mare. Every time Rarity had made a new innovation or a breakthrough in an project, her mother would find out and call her for the simple reason to ask: “When shall you be finished with this foolish enterprise of yours?” or “Really? You did that? I’m surprised you could even spell that word.”

Her mother had controlled almost every aspect of Rarity’s life until she was twelve years old. Then it was off to finishing school, to be the target of ridicule and scorn from the strict teachers. But, Rarity had pulled through, by her own strength of will and intelligence. Once free from the oppressive world of the finishing school, she had struck out on her own, determined to never again allow someone to control her.

She had went to college, and there met Written Script. Written Script had come from a rather upstanding family, and was probably the only other pony in the entire college that appreciated the potential contained within the various gems and rocks buried around Equestria. With Rarity’s knowledge and vision and Written Script’s seemingly supernatural organizational skills, the two had started a business together. Her mother’s reaction? One of deafening indifference.

Soon, the two had caught the attention of Written Script's uncle Fancy Pants, and the rest, as anyone in the know would tell you, was history.

Rarity let out another long frustrated sigh, and continued to flick through the channels, until she landed on something that held some semblance of interest to her. She landed on a rather dull special on the Trottingham Steel Mill and it’s history.

Ugh, at least it’ll take my mind off- her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of her doorbell ringing. Oh no...

She closed her eyes tightly and bit her lip. Please be some little brat just playing a prank...please... She thought as she dragged a cushion over her head in an attempt to block out the sound of the ringing doorbell.


*ding-dong**ding-dong*


The ringing continued, quickly becoming a long string of dings, interspersed with loud knocking.

“Ugh...fine damn it here I come...” Rarity bitterly mumbled, throwing the cushion to the side and stalking towards the door. She paused, taking a deep breath to collect herself. Deep inside, she still hoped it was just a random tabloid reporter trying to get a scoop or something nerdy fanboy desperate to get the advice of the great Rarity Belle.

With that rather weak hope on her mind, she opened the door.

Standing on the front porch, with characteristic disinterest, was a middle aged light pink unicorn with a purple mane done up in a beehive. Rarity instantly recognized her as her mother, Pearl Belle. Next to her, dwarfed by her own suitcase, was a small white filly with a light purple mane with equally light pink highlights. Her flank, a place usually adorned by a cutie mark, as completely bare. Rarity’s eyes narrowed at the sight of the young filly. Sweetie Belle.

“Hello Rarity,” the older unicorn spoke, her voice as cold as ice. “How are you?”



> Act I - 02 - Unexpected Visitor
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act One:
"In Your Own Little World"

Chapter Two:
"Unexpected Visitor"




“Miss Sweetie Belle...time to wake up.”

Sweetie Belle slowly opened her eyes and rolled over in bed.

“Not now Miss Feather Duster...can’t this wait?” she mewled, pulling her covers over her head in an effort to block out the bright sunlight streaming in through her window. There was a light purple aura and the covers were pulled back, to reveal a rather elderly looking unicorn maid.

“I’m sorry Miss Sweetie Belle, but your mother asks-” At those words, Sweetie Belle let out a groan of frustration and pulled the covers back over her head.

“No! I’m tired and I wanna sleep,” she protested, making a conscious decision to sound as cute as possible.

Miss Feather Duster simply rolled her eyes and pulled the covers away, revealing the small body of Sweetie Belle. Sweetie Belle let out an over dramatic sigh and looked Miss Feather Duster in the eye, being sure to make the cutest sad puppy eyes imaginable. Miss Feather Duster simply looked Sweetie Belle dead in the eyes, seemingly unfazed by the normally devastating weapon of mass destruction that was the Sad Puppy Face.

“Miss Sweetie Belle, your mother has specifically requested that you make yourself presentable.”

Sweetie Belle flopped back down on the bed, facing the ceiling. “Ugh! But why?! It’s so early!” she groaned. Miss Feather Duster cast a glance to the clock on the nightstand by the filly’s bed.

“Miss Sweetie Belle, it is 10:30 AM. I assure you that is not an abnormally early hour.” Miss Feather Duster said matter-of-factly. “Now, please Miss Sweetie Belle, lets get you ready.”

Sweetie Belle groaned in response and dragged herself out of bed. She shuffled over towards the bathroom in her room and set about brushing her teeth, combing her hair and all the other parts of her morning routine. Once she was ready, she was lead down the staircase into the palatial dining room. The only words that could properly describe the size of the room was ‘tremendous’. A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling in order to provide light for the room during the various dinner parties that were frequently held in the room (much to Sweetie Belle’s annoyance). However, at this moment, the room was completely empty, save for the familiar forms of her mother and father, seated at the end of the seemingly mile long table, eating their breakfast. Her father sat absorbed in the economic section of the newspaper, and her mother busied herself drawing up some new kind of design for a dress for her fashion line.

“Morning mom,” Sweetie Belle said as she sat down in her respective chair, which was at the opposite end of the table. Her mother simply waved a hoof dismissively as she continued to draw, occasionally crumbling up a piece of paper and tossing it behind her, causing a large pile of sketches to form on the floor. Another maid appeared and proceeded to toss the pile of papers into a wastebasket she held aloft with her magic, before trotting off to take care of something else in the home.

Sweetie Belle awkwardly went about idly stirred her porridge, dividing her attention between her parents, her food and her reflection in the polished wood of the table.

All of a sudden, her mother spoke up, her icy voice echoing slightly in the cavernous dining room. “Sweetie Belle, I assume you’re fully prepared to leave?”

Sweetie Belle looked up from her breakfast and tilted her head slightly. “What do mean ‘leave’ Mom? Where are we going?”

“I’m scheduled to appear at a fashion event in Manehattan, and as such I have decided to leave you with Rarity.” Her mother replied, not looking up from her drawings. Sweetie Belle’s shoulders sagged.

“But Momma, why there? Rarity hates me. All she does is glare at me and make me stay in that stupid guest bedroom all day while I’m there.” Sweetie Belle protested, only to be greeted by her mother glaring at her. 

“Just because she’s being an unpleasant and intolerant child is no reason you should be one back. I’d like to believe that I’ve raised you better than that. That’s why we’re having you stay. To see what happens when you don’t listen to my advice. Understood?” Her mother replied, her voice the same icy tone as before, but this time with a hint of irritation, as if the very idea of Sweetie Belle disagreeing with her was repulsive.

Sweetie Belle quickly looked back down at her breakfast, knowing not to press the issue any further, lest she incur the wrath of her mother. “Yes mother...” was her only response.

“Good. Now finish your breakfast. We hope to get you there before noon.” her mother replied, her voice losing some of it’s iciness as she returned to her drawings.



///////////////////////



The limo ride over to Rarity’s house was a typically boring affair, with Sweetie Belle tucked in the back seat of the limo, idly watching the city fly by outside the window. The buildings were mostly the houses of the ultra rich that lived in this neighborhood. The neighborhood was the prestigious Cliff Side Estates, in which every home was built so that it was perched on the sides of Mount Canterlot, overlooking the city itself and the land below. Each home was spaced apart rather generously, so that one could see the other homes, but not what went on inside said home.

The home that they were heading towards was perched at the highest point in the neighborhood, overlooking the rest of the neighborhood below. The limo pulled up the driveway and Sweetie Belle’s father, Magnum, gave her a quick hug.

“Okay my little bell. Daddy loves you. Stay safe and be nice to your sister.” he said. Sweetie Belle nodded.  

I’ll be nice if she is, Sweetie Bell thought gloomily. “Okay daddy.” she replied as she stepped out of the limo.

“Sweetie Belle! Come now.” Her mother called for her, beckoning her towards the large front door. Sweetie Belle nodded and walked towards her mother, dragging her large suitcase behind her. Her mother was now distracted by ringing the doorbell over and over again.

“Damned rebellious child, open the door.” her mother muttered under her breath, pushing the button for the doorbell over and over again. After a couple more rings, Pearl started to hammer her hoof into the oakwood door as well, interspersing it with a ring.

All of a sudden, the door knob started to jiggle, and Pearl’s hoof left the doorbell alone. The door opened to reveal the familiar form of Rarity. She was in a white t-shirt and black slacks, and her expression made it evident that she had hoped it was someone else knocking at the door, and she glared at Pearl and Sweetie Belle.

“Hello Rarity,” Pearl Belle spoke with the characteristically disinterested tone Sweetie Belle knew she used whenever speaking with Rarity. “How are you?”

Rarity visibly bristled at those words, shooting Sweetie Belle a death glare. “Why is she here?” she asked, sounding as if she were going to explode.

Sweetie Belle shied away slightly, as her mother simply rolled her eyes. “She’s staying here because I deem it fit. Or am I interrupting something?” her mother asked, eyebrow raised.

“Yes you’re interrupting something!” Rarity responded, waving a hoof in the air. “You are interrupting my ‘Me Time’! Can’t you harass me some other time?”

“If your precious ‘Me Time’ entails sleeping around with every stallion you see and playing around like a foal in your so-called laboratory, staining your coat with grease or some other horrible chemical, then I don’t think I’m interrupting anything world shattering.” Pearl replied very matter of factly as she pushed her way past Rarity.

Rarity, meanwhile stood by in shock as her mother pushed past her, with Sweetie Belle following close behind.  Sweetie Bell gave her sister an apologetic look, but Rarity simply glared at her.

“After all, it’s not like Equestria needs another kind of toaster.” her mother chided, looking around the house with an expression of that of immense indifference.

“Is that all you think I do?!” Rarity spat back, quick to regain her lost venom. “I’ll have you know, Mother, that my supposedly ‘useless’ tinkering is working towards the advancement of ponykind! You yourself are using something MY company developed!” she pointed towards the phone held aloft in her mother’s hoof.

Her mother glanced at the phone dismissively. “Oh this old thing? I don’t even like it. The service is terrible and I hate the color. It simply doesn’t get the job done.” 

Rarity grit her teeth. “Then get a different one...” she practically growled, desperately fighting the urge to explode in a tirade at the insufferable mare.

Her mother’s dismissive gaze turned back to her. “And waste seven hundred bits? Most certainly not.” Before Rarity could make a comeback, her mother had diverted her attention to the large widescreen television, which was still on, left hanging on a sports channel. “Oh this is new. I suppose another one of your toys broke your TV...again.” she turned back to Rarity, taking notice of the now limp cigarette in Rarity’s mouth. “And why must you insist on smoking all the time. Don’t you know it causes cancer.” she said bluntly.

Rarity bristled. She was growing tired of her mother’s constant belittling. “Because, Mother, I feel like it. Can’t I just do something I feel like doing without you constantly finding something wrong with it?!” she complained, growing sick of her mother’s criticisms.

Her mother simply shrugged and turned towards one of the various paintings hanging on the wall. “Alright then. Just don’t come crying to me when your lungs start to rot.”

Rarity held back a biting response and instead focused on the task at hoof. “Why in Equestria are you even here right now?” She asked, rubbing her forehead slightly.

Her mother didn’t even bother to shift her focus away from the painting on the wall she was studying. “Oh don’t be dense Rarity. Your sister’s here isn’t she? Connect the dots.”

Rarity glanced in the direction of Sweetie Belle, who had been left standing awkwardly in the foyer, next to her suitcase. The young filly simply shied away slightly and tried to smile, to which Rarity greeted with a vague sound of disgust. She turned back to her mother, who was now looking at another painting on the wall.

“But Mother...why is she here? You must have some better reason in your supposedly oh-so efficient mind then just to see me angry.”

Her mother looked back at her briefly before returning to the painting. “Obviously. I’m due to speak at a fashion conference in Manehattan-”

“Why not just get a baby sitter?” Rarity cut her off.

Pearl looked back at her again. “Too expensive.” she stated as if it were the simplest thing in the universe.

Rarity stood agog for a few seconds not sure how to continue. There was the sound of knocking at the door again, and the three unicorns looked towards the door.

“Well,” her mother asked, looking at her. “Aren’t you going to answer it? Or is that interrupting your so-called 'Me Time'?” she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Rarity narrowed her eyes and walked towards the door, fiddling with the door knob for a second, opening it to reveal the somewhat stocky body of her father.

“Hello Rarity!” he beamed, spreading his arms wide and pulling her into an unexpected bear hug.

“Ugh...oh hello father...” Rarity choked out around his incredibly tight hug. Magnum released her from the hug and stepped inside the house. “Why are you here?” Rarity asked as she closed the door behind them as she followed him back inside.

“Oh I’ll be accompanying your mother to Manehattan,” he replied over his shoulder as he gave his youngest daughter and wife hugs, whispering something to Pearl about being left back in the limo.

“Father,” Rarity asked, walking up to him. “Why is Sweetie Belle here? I thought we discussed this...”

Her father looked at her quizzically. “Rarity didn’t your mother tell you?”

“She said it was ‘too expensive’” Rarity replied, eyeing her mother angrily. Her father’s response was rather unexpected.

“Well, yeah it was too expensive. I mean seriously, 40 bits an hour? Who would spend that kind of money on something that can be done for free! Why when I was a colt, my parents didn’t even pay half that!” Magnum replied, seemingly outraged by what he considered an outrageous price.

Rarity simply stared at him in shock for a few seconds before looking at her mother. Her mother had the same unimpressed look on her face as before.

“But I...” was all Rarity could manage in response. Magnum shook his head and walked up to her.

“Oh don’t be such a stick in the mud Rarity. Think of it this way: You’re alone too much,”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “I go to parties constantly and I have a live-in assistant, how does that qualify as ‘alone’?”

Magnum’s eyebrows lowered. “You know what I mean. Just try to have some quality bonding time with your little sis here, and she can maybe learn some of your mad skills with machines.” he said, smiling.

Rarity let out a long sigh. “Ugh...fine. How soon will you two be back?” she asked, looking back at her father. Her father pondered for a moment.

“Oh I don’t know....two days? Maybe a little longer. No more than a week, that’s a fact.” he finally replied. By this point, Pearl had made her way for the door and was now giving Sweetie Belle a quick peck on the cheek.

“Two days?! I can barely stand her for two minutes!” Rarity responded. Mangum simply smiled at her.

“Oh come my little diamond, don’t be like that. Just think of it as some quality bonding time, like I said, and everything will be fine. Trust me.” he said softly, giving her another quick hug. Rarity returned the hug as best she could, and Magnum then walked towards Sweetie Belle, giving her a tight hug as well.

“Bye my little bell. Be nice to your sister, okay?” he whispered in her ear.

“Daddy you already told me that,” she giggled. Magnum raised an eyebrow.

“I did? Well it must have slipped my mind. But just because I forgot doesn't mean you should. So be nice, okay?” he chuckled, opening the door for Pearl, who had already given Sweetie Belle a hug and a kiss. Once the door opened, Pearl stepped outside, followed closely by Magnum. Rarity and Sweetie Belle both smiled and waved, Rarity’s smile noticeably smaller then her younger sister’s. The two older unicorns stepped inside the limo and Magnum could be seen waving as the limo started off down the driveway.

Once the limo was out of sight, Rarity looked down at Sweetie Belle, the smile gone from her face, instead replaced by a cold look eerily similar to Pearl’s.

“Alright then it seems that I’m stuck with you for the next two days...” she turned around and beckoned for Sweetie Belle to go in the house. Sweetie Belle nodded meekly and followed Rarity inside. Rarity closed and locked the door behind them and walked over to the couch and flopped down on it, picking up the remote and flicking through the channels again.

“Um, what do I do with my bag?” Sweetie Belle asked, taking a moment to take in the rather spacious living room. The general decor was more modern looking than her mother’s house, with lots of glass windows, letting in tons of natural lights. Out one of the window stretched a view of Canterlot City below, and in the distance could be seen the rest of Equestria, stretching out for what seemed like an eternity. Sweetie Belle turned away from the window and looked back towards Rarity again expectantly, waiting for an answer for her question.

"Um, Rarity..." She asked again, this time trotting up next to her. Rarity eyed her disdainfully.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" Rarity grumbled as she flicked through the channels. Sweetie Belle continued to stare at her with the Sad Puppy Look. Rarity glanced at her.

“Stop making that face. You sleep in the guest bedroom. Just like every other time you’re here, understand?”

Sweetie Belle felt herself deflate slightly. “But I hate the guest bedroom. It’s tiny and doesn't have a television.”

Rarity gave her a frustrated look. “Then you can use this one. Just leave me alone okay. And no going in my workshop okay. Or my room. Got that?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Can I watch TV now? My show’s on. And Momma always lets me watch it.”

Rarity shifted in the seat, trying to keep herself from screaming. “Can’t it wait?”

Sweetie Belle switched to the Sad Puppy Face again. “Please....” she begged, seemingly trying to look like the most pitiful being in the universe. Rarity looked Sweetie Belle dead in the eye, determined not to let her will surrender to the invading forces of the Sad Puppy Face. She could feel the strength of her will slowly start to erode, as the attacking forces of cute grew in strength until her will finally crumbled under the withering assault.

“Ugh...fine. Watch your stupid show. What do I care...” Rarity muttered as she got up off the couch and tossed the remote to Sweetie Belle rather brusquely.

“Thank you!” Sweetie Belle beamed, hopping onto the couch and making her way to whichever channel her show was on.

Rarity simply grunted in response and trotted out of the living room.

Got to get back to work. She thought. Maybe if I just leave her she’ll leave me alone.

She walked towards the workshop, her mind returning to the failed experiment from earlier. As she wracked her brain for a solution to the problem, she entered the workshop, scanning her hoof print and stepping inside. She picked up her soldering gun again and pulled out the remains of the gem that had once powered the automaton. She chucked it asides, making sure it landed in the wastebasket (no use being dirty about it).

“Stupid crystal...” she grumbled, looking over the scattered blueprints and schematics for a possible solution. Her eyes landed on the design for the gem itself. The idea had been that she would cast a spell over the gem, which would cause a large amount of magic to be stored inside. Once that was done, the gem was (on paper at least) supposed to take the stored magic and convert it into energy to power the droid. However, whenever she tried to do so, the gem would be unable to handle the stored energy, and would, just as it had today, spontaneously combust in a shower of sparks.

As she brooded, her eyes wandered up to the calendar on the wall. The gears in her head started turning. Hadn’t Fancy Pants just called? And wasn’t she due to talk somewhere? A conference right?

She quickly trotted over to the intercom. “Script...what was that about South Griffinhiem?”

"Gimme a sec, gotta find my note pad..." He replied.

She could hear the sound of Written Script shuffling through papers, obviously trying to find the schedule in the “controlled chaos” of his office.

“Stupid notepad I just used you where’d ya go...” he muttered under his breath, not knowing that Rarity could still hear everything that was going on. “Ah-ha! Bingo! There you are!” More rustling papers.

“Okay found it! Yeah Fancy Pants wanted to know if you're still up for it, that’s why he called.” Written Script informed.

Rarity nodded, although she knew he couldn't see her. As much as she didn't like going to those stuffy conferences, maybe this time some time spent amongst ponies of a similar intellect as hers might be able to wake the muses for her and help solve her gem problem. Not to mention put some much needed distance between her and Sweetie Belle.

"You can tell Fancy that I will, in fact, be attending the conference."

“Okay then," Written Script replied, "I'll call him then."

"Thank you very much Script." Rarity chimed, happy to have a way of escape from the little imp that had decided to come and visit. “Well that’s one problem solved,” she muttered to herself, glaring at the waste bin the ruined crystal was in.

Letting out a sigh, Rarity's horn glowed, pulling out another cigarette, and, setting it alight, returned to work, being sure to turn up the music.




> Act I - 03 - Thunderstruck
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act I:
"In Your Own Little World"

Chapter Three:
"Thunderstruck"




Rarity now stood in her bedroom, digging through her tremendous closet. Her was still bundled up in a towel, and she wore her favorite bathrobe as she had just stepped out one of her fabled three-hour showers. In her mouth was a burning cigarette, which caused a small cloud to follow her around.

After the call to Written Script, she had spent another hour in the lab, still trying to figure out the problem with the gem. However, even she had to admit she was at a dead end, and she had since moved on to try to figure out just the right dress for the conference.

Something nice and comfortable... she thought. Probably a good three hour flight to Griefenplatz anyways...wouldn’t want to ruin one of my silk dresses.

Her eyes scanned the dozens of dresses as she shuffled through them. She halted briefly on a flashy red dress.

“No...” she murmured. “Too clingy...” she quickly moved on to another dress, this time a blue one.

“No, that’s more of a winter color...” she thought aloud moving on the next one. After going through what seemed like an endless series of dresses, her eyes caught sight of a particularly ravishing dark purple dress and a navy blue dress as well.

“Hmmm...” she laid the dresses out on the bed, inspecting them. However, a knock at her door caught her attention. “Who is it?” she absent mindedly answered, still deliberating which dress would suit her better.

“It’s me, Script.” the voice said. “You decent?”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Yes, Script, I’m decent.”

There was a jingling sound and the door opened to reveal Written Script. He was carrying with him his ever present note pad.

“Well, you ready to go yet? Because I took it upon myself to call the airship pilot to get ready to go.” he said, glancing down at the notepad. Rarity nodded.

“Almost, just have to find the right dress is all,” she levitated the dresses off the bed and held them up for Written Script to see.

“Which one do you think? The purple one,” she levitated the purple one in front of her body. “Or the navy blue one?” she moved the navy blue one in front.

“Um...well...” Written Script stammered for a second. “Isn’t this a science conference? I mean most of the ponies there are going to be scientists right? Wouldn’t make sense you dress in something maybe a little more...” he paused and Rarity could tell he was trying to find the right words.

“Little more what?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, something a little more...subdued? Like a business suit or something?” Written Script asked.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, taking another look at the dresses. “Well...” They are a little flashy... she thought, noticing that the navy blue one had a strip of sequins that ran down it’s length and the purple one was rather...revealing...

“I guess you do have a point,” she finally said. “After all, we wouldn’t want these dresses to get dirty...” she chuckled, going back in the closet. “Celestia knows South Griffinheim is rather dusty...what with all those dirty griffins and diamond dogs and the like..” she continued, ignoring the fact that her voice was somewhat muffled by the door.

Written Script meanwhile, raised an eyebrow. “Um...Rarity. I was wondering, taking into account how violent it’s been over there recently, should you wear something protective? I mean just in case.”

Rarity leaned out of the closet, eyebrow raised. “What do you mean ‘something protective’? ” she pulled an elegant and simple black suit off the coat hanger and lay it on the bed, smiling in approval.

“Well, yeah, but everypony knows that they only just became a republic. And what about those news reports? You saw them. It’s pretty nasty over there...” Written Script replied, his voice worrisome.

Rarity simply rolled her eyes. “Oh don’t be such a worry wort, Script. Just because some crazy kooks with funny names are running around shooting into the sky, doesn’t mean there’s anything major to worry about...” she caught sight of Written Script’s face. He looked legitimately concerned.

Rarity sighed. “Look, Script, I’m fairly sure that they will provide security at the conference...” she said, putting a confident hoof on his shoulder. “But, if it makes you feel better, I’ll play along and wear something underneath. Alright?”

Written Script shrugged. “Well, you don’t have to wear something underneath. it was just a suggestion. But I’d prefer if you did.”

Rarity nodded. “Well, as long as you don’t rub it in, I’ll do it.” she answered. Written Script nodded.

“Alright then. I’ll tell the security stallions to get you something.” he said, turning to walk out of the room. “I’ll give you some privacy now. Celestia knows I’m not going to stay and watch you primp your mane for an hour...” he chuckled sarcastically as he walked out.

“Ha-ha, very funny.” Rarity deadpanned, smiling in spite of herself as she closed the door behind him, before turning to sit at the vanity on the opposite side of the room from her bed. Putting out the now dwindled cigarette out in the ashtray so she could focus on her make up. Her eyes drifted absented mindedly towards the television that was mounted on the wall, facing towards her bed, above the vanity to the left.

Hmm...I wonder... she thought as she opened a draw of the vanity and pulled a small television remote and a new cigarette. Flicking on the television and setting the cigarette alight, she switched over to the news channel, Written Script’s mention of the news having piqued her curiosity.

“...And in international news, security is at an all time high in Griefenplatz, the capital city of South Griffinhiem, where there is scheduled to be an international science conference is due to be held tomorrow evening. The conference, arranged by billionaire industrialist Bruce Mane and military contractor Fancy Pants, along with some of Equestria’s brightest minds and innovators, is intended to help bring the recently liberated country up to date on modern day technology and sciences, which the struggling nation has had trouble catching up with during the former regime. Sources say that among the luminaries of Equestrian science and knowledge will be well known astrophysicist Dr. Time Turner, roboticist and technological genius Rarity Belle...”

Rarity smiled slightly at the mention of her own name, always loving the sound of it. The report continued on, the reporter droning on in a monotone.

“...biochemist Sweetie Drops and many more. Local authorities insist that security is their first and highest priority, and that nopony need fear any disruption by the local rebel forces or the remaining forces of the original dictatorial government.”

Rarity sighed confidently. See Script. Just being paranoid. She thought, smiling as she unwrapped the towel and adjusted her mane. She paused, as a knocking at the door attracting her attention.

“Ergh...come in...” she called out, returning her attention to the mirror and continuing to adjust her mane. She looked up to the mirror to see the door open, revealing Written Script, carrying what looked like a small, lightweight plastic vest.

“Got the vest Rarity.”

“That fast? What did you do, teleport to them?” Rarity asked, honestly surprised at the speed he had been able to get the vest.

“No,” Written Script answered. “But one of the security guys did, so he just teleported it over.”

“Well, thank Celestia for magical mail transportation yes?” Rarity chuckled, concentrating on applying her fake eyelashes.

“Yeah...” Written Script replied, his voice sounding somewhat distant. Rarity looked at him in the mirror and raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t worry Script. I just saw the news myself. I don’t think anything will happen.” she stood up, finally satisfied with her makeup. She walked over to Written Script and took the vest from him. She trotted to the bed and levitated the suit as well and trotted towards the folding screen that was always tucked in the right hand corner of the room.

“Now, remember, whatever you do, make sure that you to keep Sweetie Belle out of the workshop, my bedroom, the kitchen, the backyard, the--” she paused, and peaked out from behind the folding screen for a moment. “On second thought, just make sure she only stays in the living room or the guest bedroom. I don’t want her screwing around with my stuff.”

Written Script nodded. “Alright then. Would you like me to hoof cuff her to the couch as well?” he asked sarcastically. Rarity narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t give me any ideas. just promise to keep her occupied Mr. Script.” she stated plainly. Written Script nodded.

“Sure thing Ms. Belle.” he replied, his voice still carrying some of the playful sarcasm from before.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Please don’t call me that. Makes me sound old.” she responded, stepping out from behind the folding screen to reveal herself clothed in the business suit.

“And voilà!” she chimed. “‘All dressed up and ready to go’ as they put it.” she started towards the door and was about to step out when Written Script called out to her.

“Rarity, you forgot something.” Rarity turned to see him holding her phone aloft in his magic.

“Ah, yes, thank you Script.” she chimed, taking the phone from him and tucking it in her suit.

“You’re welcome, Rarity,” he replied as the two unicorns walked out of the bedroom, with Written Script closing the door behind him. As soon as they entered the living room, Rarity noticed the conspicuous absence of Sweetie Belle.

“Script, where’s Sweetie Belle?” she asked, not out of any great concern, but more the fear that the little filly might have scuttled off, ready to cause some sort of chaos.

“I put her to sleep.” Written Script responded. “She got burned out after jumping up and down singing along to ‘Cutesy Cutey Cutey-Cute Time’.”

Rarity stopped in her tracks and looked towards the couch in fear. She opened her mouth to speak when Written Script cut her off.

“Don’t worry, I made sure she did it on the floor.” he responded, and Rarity let out a relieved sigh.

“Thank Celestia. What would I do without you Script?” she chuckled, walking to the door and unlocked it.

“Go insane, most likely.” Written Script shrugged. The two stepped outside to see the limousine already parked and waiting.

“Evening Miss Belle.” The driver said, magicking the door open.

“Evening Hobbes.” She replied, stepping inside the vehicle.

“Remember to stay safe!” Written Script called out as the door closed. Rarity nodded.

“Oh of course darling. Adeu!” And with that, Hobbes closed the door, and started back to the front, tipping his cap to Written Script. He stepped inside and the vehicle revved to life and drove off into the night.



////////////////////////////////////



After an airship flight that felt as if it would never end, and a rather dull drive over in a armored truck, Rarity arrived at the conference. The elegant music wafted through the air, as she made her way to the bar. She figured that she would at least get a quick drink before hobnobbing. At the bar sat a handsome light blue earth pony in a black suit.

“Good evening Bruce. Interesting event you’ve managed to arrange.” Rarity said, motioning to the waiter for a drink.

“Thank you Miss Belle.” Mr. Mane replied, taking a sip of his ginger ale. Rarity always thought it odd that he never had any actual alcohol at these events. Celestia knows she always made sure to try the bar.

“I hear things are going well in Fillydelphia…” she said, trying to keep up conversation. Mr. Mane nodded slightly, maintaining his aura of disinterest.

Like talking to a painting. Rarity thought. A few moments of awkward silence passed before another earth pony appeared and started talking to Mr. Mane. Something about missing Kevlar suits or something. Mr. Mane simply shrugged and made his way to the rest of the crowd, with the earth pony in tow. Rarity's focus returned to the bartender, a rather thin griffin who now stood in front of her.

"Vhat vould you like ma'am?" he asked, his voice thick with a South Griffinhiem accent. Rarity thought for a moment.

"I'd like a martini. You do have those here am I right?" she asked, her eyes drifting around the various scientists that milled about, all jabbering among themselves.

The griffin nodded. "Ja, ve do."

Rarity smiled. "Good. Then get me a vodka martini on the rocks if you will."

"Yes ma'am," the griffin bartender replied nicely, turning to get Rarity her drink. This left Rarity alone at the bar, mulling over her gem design. Her eyes continued to scan the crowd, with her mind's attention focused on two matters: her gem design and the possible solution for its problem, and where in Celestia's name Fancy Pants was.

Where is that stallion? I thought he said he would be here... She thought, still scanning the crowd. Her search proved fruitless, as she couldn't spot him among the rainbow of other ponies. Frustrated by this, she turned back to the table, her mind refocusing on her gem problem.

How do I fix that stupid gem? she wondered, noticing a smile pile of napkins resting on the bar nearby and she levitated them over and pulled a pen out of her suit pocket, and set about hammering out calculations. In the background, one of the presenters, a brown earth pony with a hourglass cutie mark, rambled on about the research he was doing on cosmic rays and their potential uses.

Her phone rang, distracting her from her calculations. A quick glance at the phone told her it was Written Script. She grumbled in annoyance and left the phone alone. The bartender arrived with her drink and set it in front of her.

“There you go. Vodka martini on the rocks, Frau.”

Rarity took the drink without another word and took a gulp. The bartender turned to leave as an announcement came over the PA system announcing the next presenter.

“...thank you very much Dr. Turner. A round of applause everypony!” There was the obligatory sound of applause as the doctor nodded and stepped down from the podium to sit with a gray blonde pegasus. The applause died down slightly as the master of ceremonies stepped up to the podium. “And now, to give a presentation on the recent advancements in robotics, the esteemed Rarity Belle!”

Rarity smiled smugly at the sound of her name and she levitated the drink and started towards the podium. She shook hooves with the master of ceremonies, thanking him as she stepped up on the podium.

"Thank you very much," she spoke into the microphone, smiling as the crowd continued its applause. "No, no, you're all much too kind."

The applause died down and the audience returned to their seats. Rarity smiled once more and cleared her throat.

"Well, thank you very much for the ecstatic reception, my fellow scientists. Now, I sadly have not provided a speech for this evening, so I offer my sincerest apologies if I seem uninteresting," there was scattered chuckling from the audience as she discreetly reached into her business jacket to pull out a pair of red reading glasses. "I do, however, have enough knowledge at my disposal to make due without a pre-prepared speech. Now, we are gathered here today in this..." she paused, searching for the right term to describe the rather ramshackle township that she had seen on the ride over. "...wonderfully exotic country to help bring them out of the darkness of the past and into the light of the future. Now, I understand that several premier South Griffinhiem scientists are attending, am I correct?”

Some scattered agreements greeted her ears and Rarity smiled.

“Alright then! Excellent. If you are willing, I shall then, instead of boring you all with a pedantic speech, bless you all with any knowledge you might want to know about the simply wondrous world of robotics.” she said, to the applause of the audience.

“So, shall we begin?”

“Um yes!” a high voice piped up. Rarity looked to see a pale blue unicorn as thin as a rake standing up with his hoof raised.

“Ah, yes, and you would be?” Rarity asked, smiling.

“Um..er...I’m Dr. L-Light Bright.” He stammered, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Rarity’s smile faded slightly. This was a hard core nerd if she ever saw one.

“Well, Dr. Bright,” she answered, doing her best not to snicker aloud at the unicorn pony’s hopelessly ridiculous name. “What is your question?”

“W-well, I was wondering, if it were possible for one to harness light for energy and-”

“Well dear, I’m sorry to break it to you, but energy makes light, not the other way around.” Rarity chuckled, causing everyone else to look at the doctor with eyebrows raised.

“True, but there’s still the electrons in the light itself. My question was if one could harness the actual electrons and possibly produce energy from the very light itself.”

Rarity shrugged slightly. “Well, I suppose so yes. But why would somepony want to do that?”

“Well, why would someone want to take gems and infuse them with power? I mean they aren’t even supposed to conduct electricity.” Dr. Bright replied, seemingly having gained a massive dose of confidence.

Rarity huffed. “Well, Dr. Bright, you do forget that I cast a special patented spell in order to make the gem able to contain said electricity.” she replied, doing her best to smile in spite of herself.

“Well, I’ve seen your mathematics, and I’d like to point out that several times your calculations were unable to work outside of a perfect laboratory environment.” Dr. Bright replied.

Rarity narrowed her eyes. “And I would love to know where you read that little piece of information.”

“I didn’t read it anywhere I did the calculations myself. I tried it on one of the gems you use, and it failed to maintain any power. It simply exploded.”

“Well aren’t you just a shining example of science. Have you been able to repeat your experiments asides from that one time?” Rarity asked, her brow furrowing and a grim smile crossing her face as she could see him lose all that confidence almost instantaneously.

“Well-I-um...” Dr. Bright stuttered, obviously at a lost.

“Did you?” Rarity pressed. No answer. “No? I thought not. And, if you must know, the spell I use is of my own making, and not one you can just dig up at the local university library. And, if you’ll notice, its my company that most likely provided the engine for the vehicle you drove here today, since, to my knowledge, eighty-six percent of Equestrian engines are powered by variants of my gem powered designs. So, in conclusion, one should not be hasty to criticize me, or my math, which, might I mention, is always correct, when I am quite capable of matching wits with any other intelligent scientist in this room. Unlike you.”

With that, she leaned back from the microphone and smiled contently. Dr. Bright meanwhile, sat back down, blushing furiously.

“Now that we’ve settled that, are there any other questions?” Rarity asked, as the crowd shot up their hooves, all eager to ask their questions.



////////////////////////////////////



Light Bright sat down at his table, completely humiliated. He had managed to finally overcome some of his massive anxiety issues only to be shot down in front of more than two hundred fellow scientists.

Stupid arrogant mare... he thought bitterly, crossing his arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he could spot one of the scientists whispering to another one sitting next to him, and the two of them snickering quietly, occasionally pointing a hoof towards him or looking at him. Dr. Bright simply shifted in his seat, looking back towards the alabaster unicorn on the podium, who was answering another scientist’s question.

In the background he could hear Dr. Time Turner asking about the gems. Light Bright’s ears perked up at this.

“Miss Belle, on Dr. Bright’s question.”

Rarity could be seen to look mildly annoyed. “We’re still on that? I thought we all saw the flaw in his argument good doctor.”

Dr. Turner nodded. “Well, I will be the first to admit that Dr. Bright’s methods for testing the gems were flawed, but he does still raise an interesting question.”

“Really? What is that Dr. Turner?” Rarity asked.

“Well, one could possibly use vibranium as a storage device for the gem? Thereby, when the gem has the proper enchantments, it wouldn’t overwhelm the energy conducting spells enacted on the gem, which is most likely the cause of the aforementioned malfunctions. All one would need to do is figure out a way to make sure that the extra energy created by the vibranium goes into whatever needs to be powered, and not the gem. Wouldn’t that be a way to create the same effect as your own spell, if not better?”

Dr. Bright facepalmed. Why didn’t I say that damn it. he thought bitterly. He could hear Rarity respond.

“Actually Dr. Turner, that is a very legitimate theory, since any energy created by the gem-enhancement spell would go into the vibranium, which will just keep absorbing it and replicating it endlessly. Of course, vibranium is very hard to come by, so until we have a quick, efficient way to create vibranium in Equestria, and not have to import it from places like Zebrica, we’re at a stand still...” she paused, chuckling slightly. “Except for me of course.”

Dr. Bright, meanwhile, was already jotting the information down on a napkin, a plan for a device of his own formulating in his mind.

Call me an idiot will you? he thought, smiling as he saw his design coming together. We’ll see who’s the idiot soon enough...



////////////////////////////////////



Rarity now sat in the back seat of the armored truck, idly playing a game on her phone. After her own time in the spotlight of the convention, she had made her way straight back to the bar, and returned to passing the night away. Anything to stave off boredom. The suggestion of using vibranium to solve the gem problem was on her mind, but she had decided to wait until she was able to get her hooves on vibranium before she fully committed her brain to the problem.

"Um, excuse me, uh, Miss Belle?" A voice said. Rarity turned reluctantly to see one of the stallions who had been tasked with security looking at her expectantly.

"Yes, whatever do you want?" She asked, not even trying to mask her disinterest.

"Well, is it true that you once got so drunk that you accidentally splashed oil all over General Iron Will?" He asked, a hopelessly fanboyish expression on his face.

Rarity rolled her eyes. Seriously? Thats the only question this plebeian has? She thought.

"If I told you 'yes', would you stop talking?" She said, grumpily.

"Um...I guess..." The colt replied, sounding very dejected. Rarity simply shifted in her seat in order to be more comfortable and looked out the window, idly watching the desert of South Griffinhiem passing outside her window.

Her mind had started to wander back towards her gem problem when her phone rang again. A quick glance down at the screen of the phone told her it was Fancy Pants.

Hmm...whatever would he want? She wondered, remembering the oddity of the fact that she hadn't seen neither hide nor tail of him at the conference. She picked up the phone and answered.

"Hello Rarity, how did it go?" Fancy Pants asked, sounding curious.

Rarity shrugged reflexively, even though she knew he couldn't see it. "Fine Fancy. Just fine. Say what kept you? I expected you to be there, not leave me alone there at that boring affair."

"Oh that? Well...something unexpected came up is all. I would have come but as it turned out, I was needed elsewhere." Fancy Pants answered. Something told Rarity that his tone was...off for some reason, but she couldn't quite nail it down.

Probably just tired, she thought, reminding herself of the fact that Canterlot was at least a day behind South Griffinhiem, timezone wise. Its probably four in the morning in Canterlot right now anyways...

"Well alright then," Rarity answered, feeling somewhat gypped.

"Well, enough about me, Rarity, what about you? How did it go for the glorious and fabulous Rarity Belle?" Fancy Pants asked.

"As well as could be expected. I told you that I find these conferences a bore you know." Rarity replied. She could hear Fancy Pants scoff on the other side of the phone.

"Oh Rarity, you really have to get out more. You're alone too much." He replied, sounding as if he were a guru giving out some kind of deep insight.

"I go to parties every night and have a live in assistant and somehow that means I'm alone?" Rarity asked, eyebrow slightly raised.

“Oh you know what I mean.” Fancy Pants answered. “Well, it seems things went well? Well, that’s a relief. Good night then.”

“Good night Fancy.” she said, hanging up the phone. There was an awkward pause as she noticed the security guards all looking at her.

“What?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. The guards all shifted their attention back out their respective windows.

Weirdos. Rarity thought. Can’t wait to get home and start work on that gem. Get away from these...ruffians the thought of home, however, only reminded her a certain little white filly that was waiting for her.

Ugh, I totally forgot...Sweetie Belle.... she rubbed her temples in frustration, the very idea of having to share a house with that little imp for two days giving her a headache. All the filly did was cause trouble. She’d ask for water when she obviously didn’t need it. She’d rummage around, touching things she shouldn’t. She’d stick her head through the bedroom door at the absolute worst possible moments, always mis-shelving Rarity’s DVDs, and the absolute worst thing was constantly telling her what Mother thought about Rarity’s actions.

Rarity’s gripping however, was interrupted by a sudden explosion of noise and fire that sent the vehicle she was in tumbling onto it’s side, sending her and all the passengers inside flying. Next thing she knew she was enveloped in a wild storm of gunfire, shouting, screaming and explosions. Rarity’s head was swimming as another explosion rocked her world, sending hundreds of pieces of razor sharp metal flying everywhere. Her ears were ringing, making it hard to tell if the screaming was her own or that of the wounded ponies around her.

She saw nothing but more smoke, this time coming from the bottom of the vehicle. A quick touch of the metal body of the car told her that whatever was causing the smoke was nearby, as the metal body felt as if it had just come out of an oven. A strange burning smell burned her nostrils.

Is that...gas?! she thought, instantly recognizing the smell of burning fuel. I’ve gotta get out of here! She thought, trying to clamber out of the vehicle, since the idea of being trapped inside that metal time bomb certainly unattractive. She crawled out of the car and let out a sigh of relief. The open air around her was a wonderful sight. However, another loud explosion of gunfire caught her attention and she started to clamber low along the ground, hoping that whoever was doing the shooting couldn’t see her.

She clambered behind a rock and hunkered down, her body seized in panic. She shot a hoof into her jacket and felt for her phone. Nothing.

Oh that’s just perfect! Getting attacked by maniacs and NOW is when I can’t find my phone?!

A high pitched whistle caught her ears and she looked to see a large bullet shaped chunk of metal impact the ground two feet away from her. It was obviously some kind of bomb. The projectile then started beep loudly, as if a timer were going off. She bolted to her hooves in an attempt to distance herself from the bomb.

Oh shi- she thought as the beeping ran out and a blinding flash of light filled her vision, sending her flying backwards at least ten feet. She slammed to the ground, her chest feeling as if someone had ripped it open. A quick glance down at her chest showed a pool of red forming under her suit. She ripped away at the suit, tossing away the expensive fabric in a panic, revealing the protective vest Written Script had given her. It was soaked in blood as well, and obviously punctured in several places.

Her stomach twisted at the sight and she felt incredibly dizzy as her vision started to fade out. It was as if someone were pulling a curtain over her eyes and everything was enveloped in a curtain of blackness.



> Act I - 04 - The Valley of the Shadow
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act I:
“Charade You Are”

Chapter Four:
“The Valley of the Shadow”:




Pain. Blinding, excruciating pain. Shouting. Dark figures looming over her body. Something digging into her chest, causing searing agony. She screamed. More shouting. Something rough pressed against her mouth, cutting of her screams and air. She writhed only to be swallowed by a cold weariness. She blacked out again.



////////////////////////////



A clatter of noise greeted Rarity’s ears as she slowly came to. The vaguely metallic sound felt like nails on a chalkboard to her aching head. Her chest felt as if it were on fire, and every little movement she made only managed to make another bolt of pain explode across her chest. There were some scattered shouts that sounded like a strange mixture of barks, yelps and squawks. She blinked several times, but could only see pitch blackness in front of her. There was some more murmuring and yammering and there could be heard the sounds of more metal clattering. Rarity took a breath, as some wretched smelling rough fabric pressed against her mouth and nose, pulled in by her inhalation. She was hooded. Her mind went into overdrive running through several wildly paranoid scenarios, all involving various ponynapping horror stories she had heard or read about in newspapers and gossip magazines.

There was a sudden explosion of yellowish-white light as the bag was lifted off her head, exposing her to the bright spotlights. She blinked her eyes in a rapid frenzy, trying to adjust in the sudden shift in lighting. As the image came into focus, she had an opportunity to get a rough idea of her surroundings. In front of her was a rather hulking diamond dog with a rather mundane cloth covering his face, with a small gap in the fabric for his eyes. He wore dirty old khaki's, and busied himself making what seemed to be some final adjustments to a surprisingly modern-looking video camera perched atop a tripod. Rarity tried to crane her head to the right, only for it to be gruffly pointed back towards the camera by another diamond dog’s paw. A quick glance showed that he was dressed in the same cloth hooded garb and khaki combo as the other was. Another glance to her left showed another diamond dog, and several more milled about, along with one or two griffins, their muddled speech sounding like nothing more than uncultured grunts, growls and squawks to Rarity.

All of a sudden, a tall griffin stepped into Rarity’s field of vision, his head covered in the same hood as everyone else had. He squawked something that sounded like an order, and the diamond dog standing behind the camera nodded and pressed a button, which turned on a small, blinking red light. The griffin cleared his throat, and then began to jabber animatedly, facing the camera directly. Every so often he would wave a claw towards Rarity theatrically, all the while continuing his strange series of chirps and squawks that Rarity assumed was his uncouth excuse for a native tongue.

It didn’t take Rarity long to figure out what was going on. This was most obviously a ransom video and she was the prized captive. As the griffin continued to squawk, he would occasionally receive a bark or growl of approval from the diamond dogs surrounding Rarity, apparently supporting wholesale whatever it was that the griffin was saying.

The griffin finally finished his spiel, and turned to look at Rarity, and she could see his amber eyes peering through the mask. His eyes glinted with wicked glee, and the next thing Rarity was greeted with was a claw to the back of the head, and everything once more went black.



////////////////////////////



The large griffin stepped inside the rather well-manicured room hewn out of the rock. At the back of the room, hidden from view by shadow, was a large high back chair that looked similar to a king’s throne. Two snake-like dragons carved from wood reared up next to the chair, and at the top stood another carved dragon, its wings spread out and mouth opened menacingly.

Sitting on the chair was a large, blue-coated creature. His long arms were poised in front of him, fingers steepled and his face was shrouded in shadow. On his fingers were several rings, one on each finger, each radiating a strange, unearthly, different-colored glow which glinted off his yellow eyes and large fangs.

“What is it, Herzlos?” the figure asked, his voice carrying with it a strange, calculating cadence, as if each word were emphasized with equal importance. “Have you prepared the message?”

The griffin in question, Herzlos, cleared his throat, bowing his head in respect. “Yes, sir, it has been prepared,” his voice carried a controlled tone, as if he were walking on eggshells.

The figure smiled. “Good. You may leave.” the figure waved a ring-adorned hand dismissively, and the griffin nodded, letting out a subconscious sigh of relief as he turned to walk out. The figure’s ears, however, perked up at this and he leaned forward in his chair.

“Herzlos, is that a hint of fear I hear? I trust that you have nothing to hide from me, yes?”

Herzlos stopped in his tracks and shifted on his paws, swallowing.

“Ah, so you have been hiding something,” the figure said, standing upright, his lean frame looming over the griffin, his body still masked in shadow, as the glow from his rings increased noticeably.

“Answer me, Herzlos,” he ordered, his voice still level, but still carrying a threatening tone.

“Lord and Master, I must confess that during the attack, the prisoner...” he halted, desperately trying to find the right words.

“What happened, Herzlos? The prisoner is alive, am I correct? I trust you have been suitable and deft in capturing her and didn’t cause any... unnecessary damage?”

Herzlos swallowed again, taking a deep breath, “The prisoner was injured. Severely sir.”

“Are you telling me she is dead?” the figure asked, his level tone becoming somewhat more pointed. Herzlos rapidly shook his head.

“No, she is not, Lord and Master,” he said. “We’ve managed to repair as much of the damage as we could, Master.”

The figure smiled, his ivory teeth catching the light from his rings. “Well, then, you had no reason to worry, Herzlos,” he turned back to his chair, once more taking his seat. “I will forgive this... mistake this time, Herzlos, but only because you managed to recover from it. However, I stress that you cannot be so overzealous in our pursuit of true justice.”

“Yes, Lord and Master, I apologize,” he said, his voice reverent, like a child being disciplined by a parent and frightened of what potential punishment he might receive. “But, if I may, I must ask, why her?”

The figure’s jackal-like ears swiveled forwards, and his eyes narrowed. “Whatever do you mean? Please be clear.”

“What I ask is, why not capture a military general, or a politician? Why must we waste our resources on such an obviously foolish and useless target?” the griffin asked, his expression inquisitive and apprehensive.

“You must understand, Herzlos, that Miss Belle is considerably more intelligent than she lets on. Trust me when I say that I do, in fact, have a reason for capturing her,” he paused, shifting in his chair slightly. “She has knowledge that we shall make use of. Here, take this,” he reached a blue-coated hand into an old and weathered briefcase, pulling out a manila folder with an emblem printed on it in black ink, showing two unicorns rearing up, their horns crossing over a large diamond. He handed the folder to the griffin, who took it in his talons.

“Inside there you will find the reason for our capturing of Miss Belle,” the figure said as Herzlos opened the folder and quickly scanned through it. “I trust you now understand her value to us, Herzlos?”

Herzlos nodded, looking up at the figure with understanding. “Yes, Lord and Master. I apologize for ever doubting you.”

The figure scoffed. “I accept your apology. For now, I must meditate, and that requires me being alone. Understand?”

Herzlos nodded and started for the door, his footsteps noticeably lighter.

“Oh, and Herzlos,” the figure called out, causing Herzlos to once more stop in his tracks.

“Yes, Lord and Master?” he asked, turning his head to look at the figure.

“Make sure no more unnecessary harm comes to our new guest. Or else I shall have to discipline you.”

Herzlos nodded. “Yes, Lord and Master, I swear to that.”

“Good. Now depart,” the figure said, once more waving his hand dismissively. Herzlos started to the exit, opening the heavy steel door once more and closing it securely behind him.



////////////////////////////



Rarity once more came to, her head pounding and ears ringing as if a miniature rock concert was being held inside her brain. The first thing she noticed, aside from the headache and the ringing ears, was the same burning ache from before.

What in Celestia's name happened? She thought, taking notice of the strange object that was stuck up her nose. A wandering hand felt around blindly, stopping once it felt a long narrow tube running down the barrel of her chest. Her horn glowed and her magic gently tugged at the wire slightly. She could feel the object in her nose tug slightly in sync with the movements of her magic.

What is this? She tugged once more at the tube in earnest, causing it to slowly slither out of her nostril, all the while making a disturbing, moist, squelching sound, causing her stomach to turn. Like a snake crawling along the ground, the tube finally was freed from her nose and she gagged, levitating the filthy tube as far away from her as possible. She let out an involuntary groan as her eyes drifted in her sockets, trying to process her dark and musty surrounding.

It was obviously a cave of some sort, as the roughly hewn rock surface indicated. Embedded in the ceiling and walls of the cave were dozens, if hundreds of gems and precious stones of various sizes. In any other situation, she probably would have squealed for joy, and set up a small mine at the site to harvest this bounty for her projects, but it was obvious that this wasn't an option.

The sound of someone humming caught her ears and her head swiveled to the left to see a rather thin looking diamond dog wearing an old vest, standing in front of an old and dirty mirror, brushing his coat while quietly humming something that sounded quite a bit like Beethoofen’s Ninth Symphony. He apparently noticed her movement, as he stopped brushing his coat and smiled into the mirror.

“Well, good morning,” he said, his voice surprisingly well-mannered and cultured-sounding. “Fancy seeing you awake.”

Rarity simply groaned in response, her mind still more occupied on what could be causing the searing pain in her chest. Her eyes drifted around the room, still trying to get her bearings. Next to her cot was a small wooden table with a large car battery on it. Attached to the top of the battery where two cables. Her innate curiosity got the better of her and she reached for the wires and started to follow them with her eyes, until they disappeared out her line of sight and under the old dirty shirt she found herself wearing. She pulled the shirt up to reveal a mass of soiled white bandages. She felt her stomach tense up at the sight and against her better judgement started to tear away at the old cloth, ripping away layer after layer. Her stomach twisted when she saw the metal ring implanted into her chest. Surrounding it was a grotesque looking scab and her coat and chest were covered in dried blood stains.

This sight managed to finally shatter any hopes she might have had that this had all simply been some sort of aberrant dream, and she moved a hoof to her chest, pawing at the ring of metal, hoping that she could maybe pull it out.

“I really wouldn’t do that if I were you,” the diamond dog said, walking up to her. "Not if you want to stay alive, anyways."

Rarity looked up at him, completely baffled. “What in Celestia’s good name is this... this... abomination, and what is it doing in my chest?!” she asked, her voice tight with panic.

“That,” - the diamond dog pointed a finger at the metal ring - “is an electro-magnet, and that,” - he pointed towards the battery - “is the power source.”

Rarity’s eyes followed the diamond dog’s gestures and quickly put two and two together. It was obvious that if this diamond dog were telling the truth, that meant that the magnet (if it really was a magnet) was most likely doing something vitally important.

“What is this for?" she asked, calming down slightly as she sat in a slightly more comfortable upright position. Just remain calm, Rarity, and maybe you can get some answers, she thought as she discreetly pushed the old shirt asides and warily watched the diamond dog sit down next to her and reach into his coat pocket. He pulled out a small vial, which Rarity saw held several small flecks of metal.

"You had quite a bit of shrapnel in your chest, so they asked me to take out as much as I could. That's all that's left, since they took the rest to recycle."

Rarity said nothing, instead gingerly taking the vial in her hoof and silently inspecting it. She could see what looked like a chaotic mix of marble flecks, slivers of metal and what looked like pebbles. She felt her stomach twist again at the thought of that having been in her chest.

"Um... thank you, Mr...?" She asked, realizing she didn't even know this good Samaritan's name yet. The diamond dog smiled warmly and extended a paw in greeting.

"My name is Kili, Dr. Kili. Nice to meet you properly."

Rarity raised her eyebrow slightly, unsure of what to do next. This 'Kili' fellow seemed nice enough, and apparently was the one behind the device in her chest. His smile was warm and inviting, giving off a sense friendliness and his eyes radiated sincerity. Of course, the paranoid part of Rarity told her that this could all be an elaborate ruse on his part, that he was actually in cahoots with the ruffians that had so obviously seen fit to ponynap her, and to be wary. However, she couldn't deny, the fact that, ruse or no ruse, he had obviously seen fit to save her life. The least she could do was thank him.

She extended a hoof slowly and shook his paw gently. "Nice to meet you Dr. Kili. I'm Rarity, Rarity Belle."

Kili smiled, "Oh I know who you are. The whole world knows who you are, you’re Equestria's premiere robotics designer, and the country's most eligible bachelorette..." His smile faded somewhat and he sighed. "Not that it matters. To these people, you're nothing more than another prized captive, here only as a quick way to get their paws on a couple million bits. Just like me."

“What do you mean, 'prized captive'?” Rarity asked, the sound of the words reminding her of even more horror stories. “What are they going to do to me?”

Kili shrugged. “I honestly don’t know exactly what they decided with you. All I know is I’m woken up to find you with a hole in your chest, and them demanding I fix you up. So, that’s what I did.”

Rarity looked back down at the magnet in her chest, taken aback by the fact that this diamond dog of all things had been able to fashion one out what seemed to be spare parts. Her eyes drifted to the car battery, her mind quickly running through the scenarios. He had said he had gotten most of the shrapnel out, not all of it. That meant there was still some inside of her. Her gut told her that she most likely didn’t have much time. The full scope of her situation finally dawned on her: here she was, hundreds of miles from home, in a dark and filthy cave with a small, homemade electromagnet most likely being the single thing keeping her heart beating and her alive.

“How much were you able to get out? How long do I have?" She asked, her voice hushed as she mulled over her situation. Kili shrugged.

"Well, I got a good amount of it out, given the circumstances. But there's still quite a few chunks left. The magnet is to keep those from drifting into your heart...” he paused, obviously hesitant to give Rarity an answer as he beat around the bush.

“Well?” she asked, growing more tense as she waited for a response.

Kili sighed. “Maybe three or four days, but no more than that.” He motioned towards the battery. “That’s the lifespan of the battery, at least.”

At those words, Rarity’s hope for escaping seemed to evaporate. Three days? That was all she had? Three days and then her life would be snuffed out, with her left to die in a cave in the middle of nowhere. Alone. And not only that, but the death was most likely going to be an incredibly painful one. The idea of shards of razor-sharp metal piercing her heart, all at the same time, made her stomach twist.

There was a sudden knock at the door, however, which caused Rarity’s whole body to tense up reflexively. Kili stood erect almost instantaneously, his face worrisome. He beckoned for Rarity to stand up, and she did, although in her worried and confused state, she forgot to levitate the battery, and felt a razor-sharp sting in her chest as the cables went taut. Her horn quickly flared and she lifted the battery beside her. Her eyes gravitated to the doorknob, as it jiggled, and there could be heard muttered complaints in various foreign languages.

However, the doorknob didn’t jiggle for long, as it finally gave way and the door swung open, screeching on its hinges. In stepped a large, imposing-looking griffin, followed by two diamond dogs wielding large machine guns. The griffin was dressed in a rather bedraggled military uniform, as where the two diamond dogs.

The griffin made a beeline towards Rarity, putting a talon on each shoulder. Rarity tensed up at the unexpected contact, recognizing the griffin’s hazel eyes as the eyes of the hooded griffin from earlier.

“Welcome, Rarity Belle, chief maiden of Equestrian Imperialism,” he said in thickly accented Equestrian. Rarity simply blinked, unsure of what to make of her new title. The griffin however seemed unaware of her confusion, as he continued to yammer on.

“For far too long we have stood idly by and allowed the draconic forces of Equestria to strangulate our people. Now we have finally struck the first blow in order to destroy its acidic grip.” He then paused, dropping his talons from her shoulders and reaching under his wing to pull out a folder with the Belle Tech logo on it. Rarity’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of her company’s logo on the folder.

How did they come by that?! she thought, utterly baffled. The griffin opened the folder and pulled out a black-and-white photo of one of her missile designs. She looked from the photo to the griffin, connecting the dots.

“Is that why you have me here? Do you suggest that I build you one of these?” she asked indignantly. The griffin nodded. Rarity looked towards Kili. “Surely this... plebeian can’t be serious?” She then turned back to the griffin. “Because if you are serious, and intend to use these weapons against my country, then I most assuredly say no."

The griffin’s expression changed from secure satisfaction to rage and he barked in his native tongue, an ear-grating squawk. Rarity winced at the sudden verbal assault but stood her ground, shaking her head.

“My words are final. And I will not be swayed by your barbaric shouting, you overgrown chicken.” She emphasized the last words with a haughty lifting of her nose. No matter the situation, she was Rarity Belle, and that meant that some poor excuse for a terrorist would most certainly not boss her around like a housewife.

However, what happened next was most unexpected on her part. She felt the griffin’s rough talons grab her shoulders violently and lift her up off the ground.

“WHAT?! Let me go, you bastard!” she shrieked, kicking and flailing her legs, any further protests being silenced by the wires once more going tight and causing another acidic burst of pain to go across her chest. She looked to see the battery being dragged along the ground behind the griffin, with one of the armed diamond dogs quickly scooping it up and carrying it behind her.

The fear of instant death temporarily abated, she once more resumed her protests, but was quickly silenced by a talon over her mouth. The griffin carried her through the labyrinthine cave system, ending up in front of another nondescript metal door. The griffin pounded a talon on the door, and it opened to reveal an incredibly burly and rough-looking diamond dog. The griffin once more barked what sounded like an order, and the diamond dog nodded and allowed them inside. Rarity tried her best to get a view of the room, but the awkward way the griffin held her prevented her from catching anything more than a fleeting glimpse of her surroundings.

Out of nowhere came a torrent of water, which poured into her open mouth and nostrils. Her eyes clamped shut as the dirty water stung them. She could feel the griffin's talons wrapped around her neck like a vice, holding her head under the water. She could feel the air quickly leave her lungs as a torrent of bubbles escaped her nose. She quickly realized that she didn't have that much air left, as her lungs stung. She could feel her whole body vibrate spastically as the electromagnet hit the water as well, sending electrical shocks through her body.

Her head was unexpectedly yanked above the water however, and the world briefly flew into focus, the sound of the magnet sparking being the most prominent sound to her eyes. She drew in air desperately in a series of deep, heaving gasps, her head swimming.

"You will do as we say, or I will personally cut you open and eat you myself!" The griffin growled in her ear, before shoving her head under again. Rarity once more felt the panic of drowning overtake her before being yanked up again a mere second later.

"Understand?!" the griffin barked, once more about to shove her head under again before she cried out.

"Wait! Wait please!" she cried, gasping and panting for air mere inches above the water, her voice desperate. "I'll do it! I'll do it!" She repeated desperately, hoping she wouldn't be subject to another horrifying encounter with the water. The griffin simply growled, yanking her head up so he could look her in the eye.

"I don't believe you," he hissed. "All Equestrians are liars." He shoved her head towards the water more. Rarity braced herself for impact, only hear a booming voice come from behind them.

"HERZLOS!" The voice ordered, and Rarity could feel the griffin's vice like grip loosen almost instantaneously causing Rarity to slip out of his grasp and topple over to the ground, shoving herself away from the water tank, hitting the ground like a rag doll, her body heaving as she coughed up the filthy water.

As she lay on the ground, she could still hear the voices of the people surrounding her.

"Lord and Master!" The griffin could be heard saying, his voice losing all its venom and anger, only to be replaced by abject terror. There were footfalls and a vaguely blue-colored blob drifted into her rapidly fading field of vision. She couldn't quite make out what the voice said next, as she felt her consciousness drift in and out of focus, but whatever it was, it sounded enraged. There was the gristly sound of bones being broken and a cry of pain that sounded like the griffin, and the next thing she knew, her body was being hefted into the air and once more carried down the corridor and back to her cell, and she was unceremoniously tossed onto her cot, the pain in her chest once more at the forefront of her mind. There was some more barking and squawking that sounded generally confused and chaotic.

Rarity didn’t care. All she wanted to do was curl up and escape from this horrible nightmare. Her wish was granted as she felt herself slip into unconsciousness and the world was once more black.



////////////////////////////



“Mommy, look what I drew!” The tiny alabaster filly chirped, holding up her rather crude drawing up to the older lavender unicorn, who was busy working on some drawings of dresses, muttering numbers and measurements under her breath.

“Rarity, dear, I don’t have time for your foalish games,” she said, waving a hand dismissively.

The filly’s expression fell slightly, “Please, Mommy. Just take a quick look?” she begged, putting on the cutest face she could muster. The older mare sighed, setting her pencil down and looked down at the young filly, taking the drawing up in her hand and inspecting it for a brief moment.

“Well, Mommy? Do you like it?!” The filly asked, her voice eager. The older mare simply shrugged.

“Seems rather ramshackle, dear. What was it supposed to be, anyways?” she asked, raising an eyebrow slightly and unceremoniously levitating the drawing back over to the filly.

“It’s supposed to be a robot, Mommy, like on on the television!” she pointed towards the doodle, which looked somewhat like a stick figure of a pony with two straight lines coming out of its head. “And that’s me controlling it, see?” the filly beamed, pointing at the bottom right corner, where there was another stick figure, this one much smaller and with only a single stick coming out of its head. It had a bunch of purple scribbles around it’s head with the word ‘Me’ scrawled in crayon.

The older mare raised her eyebrow slightly before shrugging and returning to her own work.

“I don’t see why one would need such a thing, Rarity,” the older mare said, her attention obviously focused on the dress designs in front of her and not on the alabaster filly. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, but we do, Mommy! It’s going to be really strong so it can lift heavy stuff! Maybe even help rescue ponies!”

The older mare shook her head. “Nonsense, Rarity. We have rescue ponies already and cranes for the job. Why waste thousands if not millions of bits on something that is only a glorified filly’s toy?”

“B-but Mommy...” Rarity whimpered, her hopes having been dashed. The older mare seemed to notice her whimpering, as she cast her a sideways glance before sighing and looking the young filly in the eyes.

“Look Rarity, you must learn one vitally important thing,” her voice sounded as if she were trying to be kind, but her own naturally icy tone sabotaged it. “If you are going to create something, it must in some way make the world a better place. All while being quick, efficient and above all, not inexpensive. This,” she pointed a hoof at the drawing. “Is neither quick, nor efficient and most definitely not inexpensive. Nopony wants a machine that costs ten million bits that does the same job of a machine that costs one thousand bits. Understand?”

Rarity hung her head and nodded. “Yes, Mother... I understand.”

Pearl smiled. “Good. Now, Mommy has to work now, okay?” with that, she sat back up and returned to her designs, leaving Rarity to glumly walk out of the room, carrying her drawing behind her, not saying a word.



> Act I - 05 - Sic Parvis Magna
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act I:
"Charade You Are"

Chapter Five:
"Sic Parvis Magna (Greatness from Small Beginnings)"




"Oh my head," Rarity moaned as she came to, her eyes once more drifting in her sockets. Damnit, she thought, catching sight of the roughly hewn ceiling, with its dozens of diamonds and gems all glittering in the low, amber colored lights of the cave.

Her chest still ached, but nowhere near as much as it had been earlier. She could see out of the corner of her eye the brownish lump of some figure sitting at the end of her bed.

"Are you alright?" The figure asked, as it slowly came into focus, revealing the diamond dog who had been in the cave with her before. Dr. Kili was it? Rarity honestly couldn't remember.

"Ugh...do I look okay?" Rarity grumbled bitterly, gently rubbing a hoof on her sore head in an attempt to chase away the splitting headache she had.

"Well, for someone who's just had their chest blown open, sewn back together and then had their heads shoved underwater several times...I suppose so, yes." Kili said, shrugging slightly.

Rarity glared at him as best she could, given the headache. However, the diamond dog seemed unfazed, simply getting up and picking up a small bottle from the makeshift table next to her. He then opened what looked like a rickety draw to pull out two small tin cups. "Care for cider?"

Rarity shook her head slowly. "Why would I want a hangover at a time like this?" She grumbled, sitting up slightly in an effort to do something to relieve the headache.

"Well, thats all I've got," Kili said, pouring himself some cider in one of the tin cups, "Because I would avoid the water if I were you. It's terrible here. Cider is the only thing that stays good out here," he added, filling the other cup as well.

As Rarity watched the golden colored liquid pour out of the bottle and into the cup, she realized just how thirsty she really was. Now that she thought of it, she hadn't had a drink since she was back in the escort vehicle. And, inspite of her headache, she knew going without a drink, things would probably only be more miserable for her.

"Ugh," she finally grumbled, beckoning for the tin cup. "Fine, I'll take your cider. Celestia knows that I'm probably going to need quite a lot either way..." Her horn flared cooly, with her wincing slightly as the use of her horn caused her headache to flare up. The cup levitated towards her shakely, and she took it in her hooves, releasing it from her magic and taking a tentative sip.

Not that bad actually, she thought, savoring the taste of the cider in her mouth. Tad sour though... Of course, that didn't matter all that much, since at least she didn't have to risk dysentery from drinking it.

"Well," Kili said, taking a seat next to her. "I feel I should re-introduce myself, since, well, we were kind interrupted. I'm Dr. Kili, and it is a pleasure meeting you, Miss Belle." He once more extended a paw in greeting. Rarity looked at the paw, sighing as she shook it tersely.

"Yes, I guess..." She paused, raising an eyebrow slightly. "You said you were a doctor? What kind?" She asked, honestly surprised that there were even such a thing. To her knowledge, most diamond dogs were second class citizens even in their own country, and she assumed they spent most of their time digging and burrowing in the earth like a glorified mole.

"Well, I'm actually a physicist actually if you'd believe that," he answered, shrugging slightly.

Rarity nearly spat her drink out at that. A diamond dog physicist?!

"Seriously? A physicist?" She asked, not really noticing how shocked she sounded. Kili nodded.

"Yeah. Astrophysicist actually. Kinda expected you'd react like that," He chuckled. "Most Equestrians I meet do tend to be on the surprised side when they find out about that."

Rarity at first said nothing, still wrapping her mind around the idea of a diamond dog being capable of something as advanced as astrophysics. Wait, she thought, looking down at the gently humming electromagnet in her chest. "But how were you able to build this?" She asked, pointing at the magnet. Kili shrugged.

"Well, I wasn't always a physicist. My father wanted me to be a mechanic actually. 'A more practical skill', as he put it. I would probably have become one, just like him, but I got my back injured,” he then sighed, chucking again. “Kinda put an end to that job,” he finished, idly ironing out whatever imperfections he might have seen in the coat of his lap. “But don’t worry though,” he piped up. “I used this,” he said, reaching over to the table, picking up a small bottle of dark blue, syrupy looking liquid, holding it up for Rarity to see.

Rarity levitated the bottle over, squinting slightly in the amber light, wishing she had her reading glasses. The label was somewhat smeared, and whatever writing she could make out was scrawled diamond dog runes.

“What in Equestria is this?” she asked incredulously, looking at Kili.

“Well, that’s a Zebrican healing potion.” Kili replied.

“‘Zebrican healing potion’?” Rarity repeated, trying to remember where she last heard the name. It was familiar to her, but only in the vaguest way. “What does it do?” she asked, more out of paranoia than anything else. For all she knew, this supposed ‘healing potion’ was just another way to make sure she died faster.

“It’s exactly what it says on the tin. I used it so you wouldn’t bleed out all over the floor during surgery. It was all I had.” Kili replied, rubbing the back of his neck slightly.

Rarity simply blinked, still taken aback that her entire life was being held together by a car battery, a magnet and a vial of some sort of mysterious Zebra healing potion. “You know,” she said, shaking her head. “Maybe I’m just a little tired, but I honestly don’t want to know anymore about how this stuff works,” she stood up slowly, her legs weak-kneed and wobbly. In fact, they were so wobbly that she nearly toppled over, a spike of pain running through her as the cables linking the magnet to the battery once more went tight. However, Kili practically flew out of his chair, grabbing Rarity and propping her up right before she had a chance to fall completely.

“You okay?” he asked, his voice concerned. Rarity nodded, levitating the battery beside her.

“Yes, I’m fine, thank you. I’m not some old pony you know, I can handle myself,” she said, steadying herself and standing upright. She let out a breath, satisfied that she had found her footing. She scanned the room, her curiosity piqued as she saw large pile of half-assembled weapons of various sorts, mostly missiles, along with another pile of tools, all piled in the corner. Disturbingly, they all carried the unicorn and diamond logo of her company.

They can’t seriously believe I’d do what they said? she thought as her eyes landed on the manila folder resting on the table next to the tin cups.

She levitated it over, not saying a word, more focused to get a better understanding of what it contained. She paged through it, muttering to herself under her breath. With a strange sense of both relief and disappointment, she found that it consisted almost entirely of the designs and blueprints for one of the more advanced missile designs of hers. She sighed, dropping the folder onto the bed and putting her head in her hooves. The pile of materials, the tools and various other half-assembled pieces of her technology all made sense now. They were all variations on her missile design.

"What am I to do?" She moaned, shaking her head. She was in a cave, hundreds if not thousands of miles from home, forced into building a weapon of her own design for people that would assuredly use to for some sort of brutal and savage attack on some innocent town or village. But most importantly, her life was hanging by a thread. She looked down at the magnet again, and then at the battery. She reminded herself of the amount of time Kili had given her.

Three days. And she had idea how long she was actually unconscious. "How long was I unconcious?" She asked, looking directly at Kili. Kili glanced up at the clock on the wall. She followed suit, hoping that the clock was accurate. She wished she had known what time it was when she had woken up the first time, as it would have helped her calculations. Of course, she didn't even know the clock was there in the first place.

Kili must of had the same worry, as he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a weathered black book. He opened it, scanning the pages briefly before resting a finger on an entry and quickly glancing at the clock. As casually as possible, Rarity glanced over his shoulder, trying to see what the book was. She could make out several dates with various entries, and quickly guessed that it was some sort of journal.

"I think it was the 25th," he finally said, looking back at Rarity. Rarity nodded.

"That makes sense. The conference was on the night of the 24th, so it makes sense that they brought me to you the next day..." she halted, any unfinished calculations resolving themselves with the new information she had. Her eyes widened and she put a hoof to her mouth. "Oh no..." she said, her voice hushed. "I only have a day..."

She looked at the battery again, the device taking on a malevolent air as she realized just how little time she had left, and that, in less than twenty-four hours, she would suffer what was guaranteed to be an incredibly painful and excruciating death. "I'm going to die," she finally said, tears welling in her eyes. "And I'm alone," she added, the tears now flowing down her cheeks. She covered her face with her hooves, unable to do much more then sob. She finally realized the truth. Her entire life was pointless.

Her sobbing was interrupted however, when she felt herself pulled into a gentle hug. She tensed up, quickly realizing it was Kili who was hugging her. She wasn't exactly okay with some random stranger, a diamond dog no less, hugging her. "Wh-what are you doing?" She asked, pushing against him slightly.

"You need this," he stated simply. Rarity simply continued to push out of the hug until he released her, subconsciously brushing away the dirt that now stained her coat and clothes.

"No. I don't need a hug. Hugs aren't going to magically cure me." she was quick to add, scooting a little closer to the battery. "Not like your hugs are going to stop my heart from exploding in a day..." she then let her shoulders slump. "Nothing can stop that."

"Are you serious? You're just going to accept this fate like that?" Kili asked, his voice incredulous. Rarity looked towards him sullenly. His expression now looked more like a disappointed parent who had just seen their child throw a tantrum.

"What else am I going to do?" She replied, her voice still thick with emotion. "I'm going to die, or did you just assume that when this little gizmo of yours finally puckers out and dies, I'd just magically evaporate into a golden magical mist like some cheap sci-fi tv show?! Because it won't be that way! I know for a fact I'll probably be awake when that happens, and I'll feel every accursed fleck of metal slowly piercing my heart and ripping it to pieces. I'll die in agony!" She bitterly turned away, her vision watery from her tears. She looked up, gazing at the gems and diamonds in the rock.

She braced herself, expecting to get some kind of response from the diamond dog. She glanced towards him, only to see that he now carried a sad look, as if he had seen something incredibly terrible happen.

"What is it?" She asked, her voice bitter. "Did you expect more from the fabulous Rarity Belle? Because if so, I'm sorry to disappoint."

"To be honest," Kili answered. "I did expect more from you. I've heard stories about how smart and charming you were, and how you would never take no for an answer. And I honestly thought that maybe, just maybe, you were really like that. But instead, all I see is an arrogant mare who won't admit that she should at least accept this with some kind of grace instead of simply curling into a ball and letting it defeat you."

"Oh please, like you've had worse!" Rarity scoffed, her patience for this diamond dog having worn thin.

"As a matter of fact I have had worse," Kili said bluntly, his face bitter. "I had a wife and two beautiful children whom I loved deeply. Than these...these monsters come, take them from me and throw me in this dark hole. I have every reason to give up and surrender, let them break me. But that would mean they have achieved just what they wanted. And I can't abide by that." He finished, sitting back down tersely.

Rarity said nothing, instead looking at the ground, a feeling of intense guilt cutting through her. All I've have made were a bunch of glowing rocks and killing machines, she thought, And what sort of legacy is that?

She took a breath, sadly looking around the room. The glimmering diamonds and gems in the ceiling above provided the only source of beauty in the filthy cave, and Rarity couldn't help but wonder what wonderful new machine she might had been able to craft from them had things been different. She wondered if, had things been more in her favor, if any of these gems might had been good enough to power the automaton she was working on back home.

Hold on, she thought, looking towards one of the half-assembled missiles. The gears in her head started to turn as a memory from what she had been speaking about at the conference stood at the forefront of her mind. She quirked an eyebrow, her horn glowing softly as she attempted to levitate one of the missiles off the ground, grunting in effort.

“Damn it,” she huffed, as her headache kicked in again, her hoof rubbing her forehead in pain. “Kili, can you bring that,” she asked, pointing towards the missile she had tried to move. “I need to check something.”

“Check what?” he asked, walking towards the missile.

Rarity continued to rub her forehead. “Please, just give it to me,” she said, her voice strained from the headache. Kili sighed, leaning down and dragging the missile over to Rarity.

“Put it on the cot,” she said, motioning towards a spot on the cot next to her. Kili nodded rapidly, obviously putting quite a bit of effort into lifting the heavy missile. He finally reached the cot, dropping it unceremoniously onto the cot. He let out a loud sigh as he sat down next the missile, panting slightly.

“Ow...my back,” he murmured. Rarity meanwhile, had already begun to disassemble the missile with her magic and a nearby screwdriver, occasionally setting aside several pieces of dark colored metal on the table. As she worked, she felt a smile slowly spreading across her face.

Yes…yes! she thought as she removed another piece of the dark metal, gently placing it alongside the others.

"You okay?" Kili asked, his voice laced with a touch of concern. Rarity nodded, her eyes once more watering slightly. But these weren't tears of sorrow or loneliness. These were tears of joy. She had been given a revelation, and, if it worked, a possible way to freedom.

"I'm more than okay," she said, looking directly at Kili. "I've had a revelation!" And with those words she turned from the half-disassembled missile and started searching frantically for something, anything for her to draft up a sketch of the design that was now forming in her mind. “I need paper! Something to draw on right now!”

Damn it I need paper! she thought, glancing at the bedsheets of her cot, her horn flaring as she tore away a swath of fabric. She glanced towards Kili. “Do you have a pencil? Anything to write and draw with?”

Kili hastily reached into his coat pocket and fished around for a second, pulling out a weathered pencil. Rarity took it in her magic and leaned over the sheet, beginning to mutter under her breath as the idea emerged onto the makeshift blueprint.

Kili stood rather awkwardly to the side, unsure if Rarity was in fact, still sane or if the waterboarding and her imminent death had finally gotten to her and that she was, in fact, now insane. She was constantly writing and erasing what looked like dozens of various calculations and design sketches, every so often pausing to glance at the pile of vibranium on the table or a clump of gems in the ceiling before turning back to the sheet, and continuing to scribble.

“Um...what are you doing?” he asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. Rarity shook her head and shushed him, her eyes intensely focused on the makeshift blueprint she was drafting up. all of a sudden, she stopped, sitting upright with a beaming smile on her face.

“Kili, you said I should just give up and let all this defeat me right?” she asked, looking towards Kili and motioning around the cave. “Well...take a look at this,” she said, her voice carrying a foal-like giddiness, as if she were showing off a brand new box of chocolates to a close friend.

Kili walked over, looking down at the makeshift diagram scrawled onto the torn up bedsheet. Her narrowed his eyes slightly, squinting to better make out the somewhat sloppy and hard to make out writing.

“It looks like you're planning to make a miniature self-sustaining power source.” he said, looking towards Rarity. She nodded admittedly.

“But,” Kili said, gently taking the pen from her magic, “Wouldn’t the gem explode? I mean look,” he leaned down and used the pencil as a makeshift pointer in order to better pinpoint the calculations he was talking about. “Wouldn’t the input/output ratio make the gem to overheat and the contained magic inside to spontaneously combust, destroying the gem?”

“Yes, that would normally be the case,” Rarity said, taking the pencil back in her magic. “But look here,” she pointed towards a ringlike shape that ran along the outer edge of the diamond. “This outer ring will be made of that refined vibrainium,” she pointed towards the small pile of vibranium on the table top. “Therefore, when I cast the special spell I’ve just created, it won’t cause that overload you mentioned.” she motioned to some other scribbles of various symbols that Kili knew to be Equestrian shorthand for magical spells and formulas.

“So basically what you’re saying is that we’re going to take the vibranium there, and turn it into this?” Kili asked, pointing at the design. Rarity nodded.

“Well, technically, we’ll only need a small amount, since this outer ring need only be about half an inch thick or so, probably less than a pound or so, which I believe we have. It’s finding a gem big enough to properly process the spells and hold them long enough for the vibranium to absorb the energy and then keep the metal in my chest from moving.”

“But how will that work?” Kili asked, sitting down next to Rarity.

“That, my friend, will be another spell, carefully interlinked with the first one, that not only prevents the metal in my chest from moving any further than it already has, but it will also function as a sort of life energy battery. It will take my body’s natural magic reserves, absorb them, and then re-emit them at approximately three times the power,” she paused, looking back down at the design. “However, the natural magic reserves in question will only be related to my body’s natural healing process, so it’s not like I’ll become Captain Equestria or anything.”

Kili nodded in understanding. "So, how do we set about building this?" He asked. "Because the best place would be in an actual laboratory, and not a cave."

Rarity put a hoof to her chin, thinking for a moment. "Well, we have a work table," she said, motioning towards the small table by the bed. "But no jeweling tools...unless..." She paused, her eyes scanning the walls of the cave, her horn glowing softly as she enacted her patented Diamond/Gem Finding Spell. All around her, the various gems and diamonds embedded in the walls of the cave lit up with the pale blue aura of her magic. "There we are," she chimed, her magic focusing on a particularly large diamond embedded in the rock. "Kili, can you dig that one out?" she asked, pointing towards the diamond in question.

Kili looked towards the diamond. "I'll do my best," he said, walking over to where the diamond was, reaching up with his paws and starting to claw through the rock as best he could. "I’ll have you know that I’m a physicist, not a miner.” he said, grunting in effort as his lean arms pulled away layer after layer of rock. It didn’t take long though, as the rock around the diamond was surprisingly brittle, with the diamond coming loose rather easily.

Rarity was quick to levitate the diamond over to her makeshift work table, holding a hoof out expectantly. “I need a diamond to use to cut this one, mind getting me one?” she asked, pointing her hoof towards another diamond in the wall of the cave.

Kili sighed and turned towards the diamond, digging it out of the rock and handing it to Rarity, who took it and immediately started to slowly chip away at it. Kili sat down next to her, unsure of what to do next. He was a physicist, not a geologist, so the properties of rocks were not a topic he was well versed in. But, even so, he knew that it would probably take quite awhile for her to carve the diamond into the shape she had drafted up on the blueprint. He got up, digging another diamond out of the wall, and sat down opposite from her, silently beginning to chip away at the diamond as best he could.

Rarity looked up from her work when she heard the sound of another diamond striking the rock, to see Kili, not saying a word, but simply carving away, occasionally glancing down at the blueprint.

“Um...I really don’t think I’ll need your help on this,” she said, her voice carrying none of the haughtiness it would have normally carried in a conversation like this.

“Figured that this is probably going to take a while, and you’ll need help anyways. Diamond’s don’t carve themselves you know.” Kili answered simply, shrugging slightly. Rarity bit her lip ever so slightly as she felt another blow to her already weakened pride.

I guess he’s right, she thought, picking her makeshift pickaxe back up and once more chipping away at the diamond.


> Act I - 06 - Living in Your Own Little World
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


 Act I:
“Charade You Are”

Chapter Six:
“Living in Your Own Little World”




“Mom, Dad, I’m home!” Rarity said as she opened the door, levitating her suitcases and bags, turned to see her mother and father standing there, with her mother’s chest covered in cloth.

“Dear, I and your mother have something to show you!” Magnum said, as Pearl walked up to Rarity and pulled back the cloth covering her chest to reveal a tiny white baby filly with a light purple and pink mane sleeping quietly.

“Mom…?” Rarity said, dropping her bags in shock.

Pearl pulled her cloth back over her chest, her horn glowing as she smoothed it over. Magnum took a quick step toward them, one back, and then one forward again, his tail twitching the way it did when he was trying to think.

“Well, you see, honey, err…your mom thought that-well, since you were having finals and that’s always a hard time for you kids-”

“I have a sister and you never told me?” Rarity said, her face the very portrait of confusion. “Is THAT why you didn't come to my graduation? Because I just got a sister??” she said, staring simultaneously confused and angry at her mother.

“Honey-” Magnum said, reaching out a hoof to calm Rarity down.

“And you!” she turned on Magnum, who took a step back. “You didn't tell me? You called me every single day and your best explanation was ‘you know your mother?’”

“Sweetie-” He said, trying again to reach out and calm her down.

“I knew she was cold blooded,” Rarity said, turning back on her mother. “I knew she a completely reprehensible and unemotional husk, but I didn’t know you’d be so disgustingly selfish! You’re the most egotistical, self-absorbed, soulless pony I've ever met! I've never dealt with a pony who cared so little about manipulating and exploiting the hearts and feelings of others for her own personal gain like you do!”

“Now you stop right there, young filly,” Pearl said in a such a firm and venomous voice that Rarity clamped her mouth shut. “Are you seriously going to call me selfish and manipulative? You’re always manipulating your father’s love for you as an excuse to do whatever the buck you want! He is too busy worrying about not hurting your precious little feelings and not concerning himself with the fact that you waste millions upon millions of dollars partying and building your pointless little toys and gadgets that do nothing useful at all!”

There was a weighted pause as both Rarity and Pearl glared at each other hatefully.

“Well Mother,” Rarity finally said, her voice icy. “I respectfully disagree. I think I have all the rights in the world to accuse you, since everything I know about life has come from your cold, heartless mind. you have no business telling me I’m wrong. all you do is sit around all day doodling overpriced dresses and hats for fancy snobs to go and wear to play dress up! What I build is advancing technology and medicine, something that actively HELPS ponies!”

With that she spun around, grabbing her bags with her magic, and started towards the door.

“Where are you going-” Magnum began.

“Away,” Rarity replied, continuing towards the door.

“But honey!” Magnum trotted up beside her. “You just got home! Your mother’s a bit…uh, hormonal from all this baby business but she’ll be back to normal in a few-”

“That’s why I’m leaving,” Rarity said. “This is the first time I’ve actually had an honest conversation with her and I think I finally know what I should have done years ago. I can’t stand being in the same room with her. I’m going to go insane if I stay here any longer! And no matter what you’re going to say, I know I can’t live with a pony who hates everything that I love. And goodness knows if I were to stay around here, that precious little baby isn’t going to be able to follow every little word that comes from her oh-so-knowledgeable mother’s mouth!”

“B-But dearie!” Magnum tried to call out to Rarity, but she ignored him completely, instead too angered to hear anything more than her mother’s off-handed remark as she stepped out the door.

“Don’t humiliate yourself, Magnum. She’ll be back.”



///////////////////////



Rarity blinked rapidly for a moment, clearing away the bad memories and refocusing her attention on the diamond she had been chipping away at for what seemed to be hours. She could still feel the dull, throbbing ache in the middle of her chest, which signaled that, even with Kili's makeshift electromagnet in her chest, she probably didn’t have much more time before the inevitable. As she chipped away at the diamond, she wondered exactly how painful would it be. Would it just be a brief, piercing pain before her heart stopped and she died? Or would it be slower, more tortuous, with her feeling each individual shard of metal piercing through her heart, leaving her to wallow in agony for possibly hours.

“Hey,” came Kili’s voice, distracting Rarity from her dark musings. “Don’t worry, we’ll fix this. Just watch.” he said, putting a paw on her shoulder. She sighed, letting her shoulders sag.

“Thank you...I suppose…” she replied, going back to chipping away at the diamond. “I think it’s just that...everything’s changed in my life right now, and I just feel lost.” she continued, briefly pausing to wipe away some excess diamond dust. “To know that everything I’ve worked for is being use for something so...savage, so brutal and soulless. And what did I do? Sit around at home eating pretzels and glaring at my sister for being younger than me, or waste my time trying to find the next stallion to bed and twiddle around all day in my laboratory.” she sighed sadly, putting down her makeshift carving tool and gently rubbing the magnet. “I just want all this madness and pain and confusion to end…” she said, looking towards Kili sadly. “You know what I mean Kili?”

Kili seemed pensive, as if intensely contemplating his answer. Finally, after what seemed like an abnormally long time, he spoke. “In fact I do Ms. Belle, you’ve only ever been exposed to the best the world had to offer you, and now you’re faced with the sheer viciousness and savagery that the real world holds. Compound that with the fact your very life is hanging on by a thread of copper.” He paused for a moment as he seemed to double check an equation, after nodding his head satisfied with whatever his result was, he continued. “I believe that right now you are having a crisis of faith, of identity, of your own worth as a pony as you are forced to look at the heritage you leave behind and the things it’s caused. I have seen many friends of mine who leave to become soldiers only to come back after war broken and hollow, and in more than just a physical sense. Just as you are now. It always ends up being the the scars we can't see that hurt and define us the most.” He paused again, his voice tight. Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but Kili shook his head slightly. “Sorry just some bad memories. And I must be honest with you Ms. Belle, if you wanted some kind words, I’m sorry that I really don’t have any to give you,” he said, his voice now humble. “But if you want advice know this: It is easy to find a reason to die but it is much harder to find one to live.”

Rarity said nothing, instead simply staring at Kili as he worked on another healing potion, so deep in thought on his words she almost didn’t notice that she was working on autopilot and that she appeared to be done shaping the gem. She looked down at the diamond, and she couldn’t help but smile thinly with pride. Kili was right. It was easier to want to die than to live. But lying on the table in front of her was the instrument to her salvation.

“Well...here it is…” she said, her voice quiet, and her hoof once more idly stroked the magnet in her chest. “Are you ready Kili?” she asked, looking him in the eyes. Kili looked at her, then the magnet and lastly the diamond before nodding slightly. Rarity took this as her cue, and her horn illuminated, 

“I suppose so yes. But I will say it’s going to be rather difficult to switch out the magnet for the diamond…I mean...square peg, round hole and all.” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck slightly.

Rarity nodded. “Yes...it will be. But you’re right Kili, it’s easier to just give up,” she paused, sniffing slightly. “But you know what? I’m not going to give up. I-” she felt an excruciating pain her chest and doubled over in pain. Kili rushed to her side,

“You okay?” he asked, helping to prop her up. Rarity kept her hoof on her chest, and she swore she could feel each individual shard scraping it’s way through her chest and towards her heart. She could hear the battery humming drop in and out sporadically, and she tried to flare her horn in an attempt to inject some energy into the faltering battery long enough to prevent the heart attack she was sure she was about to suffer. Then, just as unexpectedly as the humming faltered, it revved up again and Rarity felt a surge of energy flow through her. She took several deep, gulping breaths and the pain in her chest ebbed away and her heart rate stabilized.

"I th-think I'm okay n-now..." She said, her voice trembling. "B-But I th-think we re-really should try and get the gem in my chest as soon as possible.

"Are you sure? You really haven't had much rest, maybe you should-"

"No!" Rarity countered. "If that battery slips up again like that I'm probably not going to survive. It's either now..." Her horn flared and the gem began to shimmer and glow from the inside. "Or never." She finished, a smile spreading across her face as the gem continued to glow a cool, blue light. She couldn’t help but feel a touch of pride at the fact that, even in the face of this plummeting from grace, she had been able to craft something wonderful. She looked towards Kili, who was staring at the gem like a foal in a candy shop, his eyes wide with wonder.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” she said, and Kili simply nodded. Rarity nodded as well, already bracing herself however, for what she knew what was going to happen next. “Have you got any of that healing potion left?”

Kili looked down at Rarity and nodded, a worried look on his face. “Yeah...but not that much, maybe only the one vial.”

“Well that’ll have to do then...let’s just hope everything works out nicely.” she said, walking over to her cot and laying down chest up. Kili looked visibly worried as he opened the draw of the nightstand and pulled out a bottle of what Rarity assumed was chloroform. He opened it, pouring some on a cloth.

“Ready?” he asked, holding the cloth at the ready. Rarity nodded. Taking a deep breath, Kili lowed the cloth above her face. Before the chloroform could take effect however, Rarity held up a hoof.

“What?” Kili asked, halting and looking at her. “Something wrong?”

“No...I just wanted to say thank you...just in case…” Rarity replied, doing her best not to let her emotions get the better of her. She felt her heart warm slightly at the sight of Kili smiling, a welcome sight amongst all the darkness that had been dominating her life for the past few days.

“You’re welcome Ms. Belle.” he replied simply, “On the count of three okay? One,”

Rarity took a breath, nodding.

“Two,”

She closed her eyes, bracing herself.

“Three.”

The wet chloroform soaked cloth dropped over her nose and she inhaled deeply, feeling herself slip away into unconsciousness.



///////////////////////



“Ow...my head,” Rarity groaned, gently rubbing her hoof over the sore bump on her forehead. “Ugh...my chest,” she added, the burning fire in her chest being the next thing she noticed. Her vision was fuzzy and she craned her neck around to see Kili standing over her, a relieved smile on his face.

“Did it work?” she asked, hoping she wasn’t just having a bizarre out of body experience. Kili nodded.

“It did.” he said, his voice dripping with relief. Rarity smiled, leaning her head back on the cot and letting out a long, tired sigh of relief. Her eyes drifted down as far as they could and she was greeted by the cool, blue glow of the diamond.

“Wonderful...simply wonderful,” she said. “I wish I didn’t have such a tremendous headache though,” she groaned, rubbing the sore spot on her forehead again. Kili smiled guilty.

“Well...the chloroform kinda wore off about two hours into surgery. Kinda had to knock you out with this,” he held up the now empty bottle of chloroform. “Sorry about that.”

Rarity couldn’t help but laugh at the mental image of her waking up like that. “Oh that’s okay...you handled it much better then I would have. I probably would have fainted.” she chuckled as she tried to prop herself up slightly, just to get a tad bit more comfortable. Kili was quick to hoof her the vial of Zebrican healing potion. Rarity eyed it with raised eyebrows.

“I have to drink this don’t I?” she asked, her voice falling slightly. Kili nodded.

“Yeah. It’s not that bad actually...kinda tastes like bacon.” he said, shrugging slightly.

Rarity couldn’t help but grimace at the thought. “Well...we ponies aren’t exactly big on eating bacon.” she said, swallowing tensely before taking the vial in hoof. She closed her eyes tightly and downed the syrupy liquid in one go, her face involuntary twisting like a pretzel at the overwhelmingly meaty flavor of the potion. Of course, as soon as it left her mouth and made it’s way down her throat, she could feel the potion going to work, as it sent a thousand little tingles through her body as the pain in her chest and head faded away into nothingness. The next feeling she felt was pure magic running through her body, stemming from her chest. It felt like having a miniature sun implanted in her chest, warming the entire area around it with life giving energy.

“I think it’s safe to say that the surgery was a success, don’t you?” she asked, looking towards Kili. Kili nodded, obviously relieved beyond words.

Rarity smiled, leaning back on her cot. “I would normally say that this calls for a celebration...but I’m honestly quite exhausted…” she said, yawning as her body loosened up. “I mean, having two chest cavity surgeries in as many days really tends to make one…*yawn*...tired right?”

Kili nodded. “Sure thing. Take your rest. You’ll need it.” he said, his voice sounding more worried than anything. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“For what?” she asked, and Kili simply glanced to the so-far untouched pile of missiles and rockets.

“Oh…” she murmured, her heart sinking again at the reminder of why she had even been kept alive thus far. She looked over to Kili, who was now sitting on his cot, readying it for bed. Instead of saying a proper good night, the pair simply traded glances before Kili switched off the light, leaving Rarity alone with her diamond, which still glowed brightly, it’s light flickering off the cold, heartless metal of the missiles nearby.

Without saying a word, Rarity shifted in her cot and pulled the strachy cover over her body. she was tired. It had been a long day, and, while she was glad that she was now free from that wretched car battery, and no longer had to worry about dropping dead of a heart attack, that didn’t change the fact that she was hundreds, if not thousands of miles from home, and still locked inside a dark cave, surrounded by her enemies, all of whom expected her to build them a weapon. With that worrisome prospect on her mind, she finally surrendered to sleep, her eyelids falling like curtains over her eyes.



///////////////////////



Rarity found herself alone on a beach, with the waves of the ocean lapping at her hooves. She looked around. She had no memory of how she ended up here or why she even had a reason for being at this beach in the first place.

Unlike most beaches she’d been to, the ground beneath her hooves was more like pebbles rather than sand, with each pebble being almost supernaturally smooth. She looked ahead to see the ocean stretched out before her for what seemed like an eternity. She raised an eyebrow. While the water at her hooves seemed to move in and out like another other ocean tide, the rest of the water seemed to be almost as smooth as glass, reflecting the dark cloudy sky above like a mirror. She lifted a hoof and gently tapped the water, and watched quizzically as the ripples went out in perfect rings, barely disturbing the mirror like reflection of the sky above. What was even more strange was the gentle, almost sonar like ‘ping’ sound that came when her hoof had touched the water. She retracted her hoof, stepping back slightly.

Furrowing her brow slightly, she started to walk alongside the shoreline, looking around, wondering where she might find anyone. This place, for reasons she couldn’t quite pinpoint, gave her the chills. Maybe it was the perpetually whistling wind that never seemed to let up, and while it caused her mane to idly blow in the breeze, the water still remained perfectly still. What is going on here? she thought, still searching for anyone else on the beach. Her hoofsteps halted when she caught sight of a distant, black figure sitting down the beach.

“H-hello?” she called out, waving towards the figure. The figure seemed to notice her, as it raised what looked like a hoof towards her before turning and walking up the beach towards the high cliffs that loomed overhead. Rarity let out a frustrated sigh. “Hey! Come back here!” she called out, her walk shifting to a canter, and then to a gallop as she rushed to catch up with whomever the figure was. She followed it up the cliffside, happy to find a staircase that had been carved out of the rock. She could see the figure already at the top of the staircase, having seemingly climbed up it in mere seconds.

“Slow down!” she called out, starting to follow it up the staircase. As she climbed up the staircase, her ears caught a low, croaking voice calling out her name. She paused, looking down to see, of all things, a large frog that looked up at her with vacant eyes.

“What the hay are you doing here?” she asked, not understand why a frog would suddenly appear. The frog simply shrugged.

“All I know is that you’re on a stairway to heaven.” he croaked. Rarity simply stared, blank faced at the frog. She blinked several times before looking around. She wondered if this was some kind of really elaborate prank.

I don’t see any cameras… she thought, her train of thought interrupted by the frog again.

“Didn’t ya hear me? You’re on a stairway to heaven!” he insisted. Rarity simply scoffed.

“Don’t you know you’re one heck of an annoying frog?” she asked incredulously. The frog shrugged again.

“Fine. Be that way. But don’t say I didn’t warn ya…” And with that, the frog hopped down the staircase and away from Rarity. Rarity simply rolled her eyes. She didn’t have time for talking frogs. She continued up the staircase, and could have sworn the staircase was getting longer and longer with each passing step.

“Oh come on, how tall is this damn thing…” she muttered. As soon as she said this however, she found herself at the top of the staircase. Weird…. she thought, looking around to see the top of the cliff face. It looked like a large, open field of poppies and clovers. In the center of this small field was a small and simple looking table. Sitting next to it was the black cloaked figure from before.

“Um...hello?” Rarity asked, walking through the field and towards the figure. The figure looked towards her, it’s features hidden by it’s hood. It lifted an alabaster hoof and beckoned towards her.

“Come,” it said, it’s voice low. “Care for some tea?” it asked, levitated a teapot and an empty tea cup that was perched on a saucer. Rarity shrugged.

“Um...thank you,” she said, taking the cup and saucer in her magic. The figure nodded, levitating the teapot and pouring what looked like chai tea. Rarity took a sip, relishing the spicy flavor. It had been quite awhile since she had sat down and had a proper cup of the drink, and even though this was most likely a dream, it was still nice to have the wonderful taste in her mouth again.

“You’re probably wondering who I am…” the figure said, causing Rarity to look up from her cup with a raised eyebrow.

“Well...yes, yes I was wondering.” Rarity replied. The figure chuckled.

“Oh I used to be somepony...somepony everypony knew. Made quite an impact on the world.”

“Really?” Rarity asked, honestly intrigued as to the identity of her mysterious drinking partner. “What did you do?”

“Oh this and that. Mostly worked with machines...gizmos...you know how it is.” the figure replied, it’s voice sounding somewhat nostalgic.

“Oh really? I’m a machinist as well,” Rarity said. The figure tilted its head.

“Oh I knew that….” it said, waving a hoof dismissively. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"Um...have we met?" She asked, setting the cup and eying the hooded figure with suspicion.

“Not technically no…” the figure said, shifting as if it were uneasy. “I mean...not yet anyways…”

“What do you mean ‘not yet?’” Rarity asked incredulously. She was growing impatient of this mysterious pony. “Come now, who are you and why am I here?”

There was a long pause and Rarity could tell the figure was thinking about something. The figure finally sighed grumply. “Oh fine…” it said, pulling it’s hood back to reveal...

Rarity simply blinked. The pony sitting in front of her was an almost perfect doppelganger, except that her mane was now tied back into a tight ponytail and her coat had lost much of it’s luster. She carried herself with an aura of defeatedness, as if she had lost everything.

“What?” was all Rarity could say. “What is going on?” she asked aloud. Her doppelganger shrugged. As it shrugged, her cloak opened slightly, providing Rarity a glimpse of the large, brightly glowing diamond in the center of her chest.

“Who are you?!” Rarity asked, leaning forward. The doppelganger leaned back slightly, and held a glove covered hoof up.

“You could say that I’m you...or rather a potential version of you.” it said, taking a sip of the tea.

“What do you mean a potential version of myself? What are you even doing all the way out here?”

The doppelganger sighed. “Well...after you’re - excuse me - our captivity, I was finally released…”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

The doppelganger nodded. “Yes...but I soon found out that my company...well let’s just say wasn’t dealing with the most...law abidings of clients. I tried to stop it I really did, but…” she sighed taking another sip. “...I just felt no passion for my work any more. Everything felt passionless...static…pointless. No matter how often I tried to inject life into my work, try to restore meaning to it, it just lead to pain.”

“But what about Kili? What happened to him?” Rarity asked.

“Oh him? He went back to his family. I assume he’s alright, I really don’t know,” the doppelganger said, taking another sip.

“And what about Written Script? Or Sweetie Belle?” Rarity insisted. The doppelganger waved a hoof dismissively.

“Oh them? They left. After I was bought out they didn’t want to stay around.”

Rarity shook her head. “No way. That can’t be possible. Written Script’s been with me since college! He’d never leave me. Not in a million years.”

The doppelganger scoffed. “That’s what I used to think. Then he left. I haven’t even seen him in ten years.”

Rarity simply looked at her doppelganger in shock. Was this what she was destined to become? A frail and reclusive pony who seemed to be utterly defeated by life.

“If you’re wondering what happened after he left, I simply decided to stay indoors. Work on my designs...nothing else to do really. All my friends abandoned me, so I abandoned the world.”

Rarity said nothing, instead simply baffled at the sheer ambivalence that her doppelganger had towards life.

“You’re lying. I’d never let that happen!” With that, Rarity stood up, turning away and heading back the way she came.

“Hold on darling! Don’t leave me here!”

Rarity stopped, turning and looking towards her doppelganger with disdain. “Listen here you, I’m not your ‘darling’. And try as I might, I will be sure that I never come to resemble anything that is even a pale shade of what you are. Understand?”

Her doppelganger leaned back slightly. “Why are you getting all bent out of shape? There’s no reason for you to be angry. There’s really no way you can fight...this…” as she said this, the doppelganger seemed to shift and morph to resemble a pitch black, armor garbed alicorn with a long flowing mane that was midnight blue. Her eyes were now snake like and looked at Rarity with an almost demonic hatred.

Before Rarity had a chance to turn and run, the creature leap towards her and everything went black.



> Act I - 07 - For Everything a Season
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act I:
“Charade You Are”

Chapter Seven:
For Everything a Season




Rarity practically leapt out of bed, her eyes bolting open as she belted out a banshee like shriek of panicked terror.

“Ms. Belle, are you alright?” came Kili’s concerned voice and Rarity turned to see him sitting across from her, apparently having been reading a book. Rarity took several, gasping breaths, looking around the room and regaining her bearings. She was still in the cave, the nightmare having evaporated from view. Finally regaining her composure, she answered the question.

“I’m alright…” she said, more to comfort herself then to answer Kili’s question. Kili raised eyebrow.

“Are you sure you're alright? You look terrified,” he said, getting up from the cot he was sitting on and walking over to sit at the end of hers. Rarity simply nodded, waving a hoof dismissively as she sat up.

“It just a dream Kili...a really intense dream,” she said, involuntarily running a hand through her mane. Kili’s expression betrayed her suspicions that he didn’t believe her, but he instead simply shrugged.

“Alright then. Are you ready?” he asked. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“Ready for what?”

Kili simply responded by briefly looking towards the large pile of disassembled machines and missiles in the corner. Rarity’s expression fell, her mind quickly reminding her that she was, in fact, still captured. She sighed. The sight of her name plastered over every single one of the missiles seemed to only remind her that, in a strangely warped way, it was her own carelessness and selfishness that had landed her here in the first place. She let her shoulders sag.

“How am I going to do this?” she muttered quietly, more to herself. Kili shrugged, standing up and walking out of her line of sight.

“Well, whichever decision you make, we’ll have to have a full stomach if we’re going to achieve anything,” he said, and Rarity turned to see him pulling open a drawer, reaching in and pulling out what looked like a can of soup. He quietly popped the soup can open with a claw, reaching down to pull out two, very beat up and old looking wooden bowls.

“Hot or cold?” he asked, looking towards Rarity expectantly.

“What?” she asked, not understanding the question.

“Do you want the soup hot or cold?” he repeated, holding the can up. “Because I’m having mine warm if that’s okay with you.” he continued as he poured the soup into the pair of bowls. He held a bowl up towards her, and she took it in her hooves.

“Thank you,” she murmured, only now realizing it had probably been a good two days since her last proper meal. She quietly brought the soup to her lips, taking a tentative sip. Her face twisted into an involuntary grimace at the extremely salty flavor

“They made sure that it’d last didn’t they?” Kili chuckled, taking a sip of his own. Rarity simply smacked her lips in an effort to make the sheer overwhelming saltiness go away.

“Well if I wanted a salt lick I could have just asked…” she said, her horn glowing softly in an attempt to at least heat the cold soup up. She winced as she felt a sharp pain go through her skull and her magic faltered. “Dammit!” she spat, setting the soup bowl down on the table. Kili looked up from his soup.

“What’s wrong?” he asked expectantly. Rarity simply crossed her arms.

“Now I can’t use my magic, dammit,” she said bitterly, rubbing her temples. Kili simply shrugged again, returning to his soup.

“Maybe you just haven’t been getting enough rest. Not to mention that you’re still technically in post-surgery recovery,” he motioned towards the glowing diamond in her chest. “Don’t worry though, you’ll most likely be able to regain the use of your magic by the end of the day. If my calculations are correct.”

Rarity simply exhaled sharply through her nose. “I don’t have time for your sarcasm…” she muttered, taking the bowl and setting on the small table next to her cot, not wanting to admit that he was most likely right. She should have taken into account the obvious mana drain that would occur within the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours of enacting the gem, not to mention that heating magic, while appearing simple to the untrained eye, required quite a bit of magical finesse to pull off properly. Mostly because one had to vibrate the individual molecules in order to heat up anything. With the thought of the mana generator in her mind, her thoughts drifted back to the various ways she could potentially use it. It was powerful, that was for sure. If anything, the amount of power going through the gem was most likely around three gigajoules per second. Probably enough to run her heart for fifty lifetimes...or there abouts.

Or something really big for five minutes… she mentally added absentmindedly. The idle thought however, coupled with the sight of a large stockpile of military weapons, just waiting to be used for something, almost instantly sent the gears in her head turning. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she got up, looking around for something to sketch. “Um...Kili did you ever hear what happened at my birthday a few years back?”

“I assume you ate cake, right?” Kili answered, a touch of confusion in his voice.

Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at the rather befuddled answer, “Well, that is true for the most part, but I also tried out a demo a brand new automaton. Suffice to say that, quite frankly it was a disaster. Oil got everywhere and I lost my television in the chaos.”

“Well how did that happen?” Kili asked, a chuckle in his voice. Rarity shrugged.

“I don’t know, I was really drunk at the time,” she answered, quickly focusing her attention on finding a piece of paper to sketch on. "But that's not the point right now, what's important is that I have had another wondrous burst of inspiration for what to do with this equipment." She motioned towards the pile of armaments in the corner.

"But what does that have to do with your robot?" Kili asked matter-of-factly, reaching into the draw to take out a pen and paper, holding it out for Rarity to see. Rarity halted, surprised at the sudden appearance of the paper, but was quick to take it from him. The idea was still forming in her mind, and she knew full well that the best way to properly create anything, was to get every possible idea for it down on paper as soon as possible, and then picking and choosing the best elements of each sketch. After a quick test to see if the pen still had any ink, she set about sketching, only now answering Kili's inquiry.

"Well, the problem with that flawed automaton is that, at first, there was no proper way for me to power it without a total malfunction, which I assumed caused the birthday fiasco..." She continued to sketch, occasionally scratching out a design she wasn't fond of in order to draft up a new one, more often than not one that was completely new. "Until that is, I had the breakthrough that created our little friend here," she pointed towards the gem in her chest.

"Let me guess, you want to use the gem to power your robot?" Kili asked, standing up to look over Rarity's sketches. "Because that doesn't really look like a robot," he said, motioning towards one of the sketches. "These look more like some kind of power armor from a children's tv show. I mean am I right in assuming that's a helmet and not just the head right?" He pointed towards a rough sketch of the helmet. Rarity nodded.

"Yes, Kili, that's a helmet," she then pointed her pen towards another sketch. "In fact, this is all part of my grand scheme, Kili," she beamed, smoothing out the papers to reveal her main sketch. "Gaze upon genius!"

Kili looked at the drawing with wide eyes, "You're seriously going to build this? How?"

“With that box of scraps,” she answered, pointing a hoof towards the pile of missiles and material.

"But why?" Kili asked, his voice confused. Rarity simply smiled mischievous grin.

"They wanted us to build them a weapon right? Well, we're going to give them one...to be used against them," she stood up, walking over to the pile of materials. "If you are willing Kili, come and help. Not like I'm going to be able to build the path to our salvation by myself." She tried to levitate a toolbox, only to feel her magic falter again. She lowered her brow, reaching down to pick the toolbox up with her hoof.

"Still no magic?" Kili asked, stepping over to help her with the unexpectedly heavy box. Rarity nodded.

"Yes, apparently so… but no worries, I can still build without it. Just might take a little longer..." She glanced over towards the workbench, as they both set the toolbox on the table and sat down. Kili sat next to her, causing her to glance towards him. He replied with a simple smile.

"Need anything else?" He asked. Rarity paused, not sure how to react to the sheer willingness he had to help her. "Well… you could pass me that box of scrap electronics and that pair of goggles..." she said, motioning towards the box of scraps and the goggles. Kili nodded, handing her the box and goggles and Rarity set about taking out the various scraps to see if she could fashion a makeshift welding torch.

"Hmmm… okay we have something I can work with..." she muttered, lining the pieces out on the worktable. "I'll need a gas tank or some other fuel source for the torch, since, until either this evening or tomorrow afternoon I won't be able to do much with my magic. See if they gave us one," she said, and Kili got up, rummaging through the pile of tools they had been provided with. Rarity meanwhile, continued to cobble together a makeshift welding torch for her to work with. She heard Kili let out a frustrated sigh.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning away from her project. Kili stood over the pile, hands on his hips.

"They didn't give us a welding torch," he said, sounding frustrated. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" she asked as she walked over to the tools, and indeed, there was no welding torch. "What kind of idiots are they that they ask us to build them something but don't give us a welding torch. I mean who-" she halted, spotting what looked like an upside down gastank. Her shoulders dropped and she looked at Kili, eyebrow raised.

"Kili that's one right there," she said, pointing towards the cylinder. Kili simply blinked, before sheepishly reaching for the tool.

"Well, I'm a physicist, not a mechanic, so I can't be blamed..." he said self-consciously. Rarity simply shook her head, a bemused smile on her face.

"I'll let it slide," she chuckled. "Since I didn't see it at first either." She took the torch from Kili, only to discover that the welding end was heavily damaged. She sighed, "Guess I'll be building a welding torch after all..." She took it to the table and set about repairing the welding as best she could. Within a few moments, however, she had managed to create a makeshift torch out of the spare parts, attaching it to the rest of the torch.

"There we go," she beamed as she set the torch alight, the bright glow from the torch shining bright in the otherwise dank cave. "And out of a box of scraps no less," she said, full of pride. Satisfied that she had something she could properly weld with, she set about to work, with Kili lending help wherever and whenever he could.



/////////////////////////



Rarity couldn’t help but smile as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “I can’t believe how much we’ve gotten done already!”

Before them were the half-assembled chunks of the suit, a complete helmet and one or two pieces of the legs. Kili simply nodded.

“Well, there's an old saying from where I come from: 'There are miracles if you believe,'” he said, taking a seat next to her. Rarity chuckled.

“A rather greeting-card like sentiment I'll say," she said, leaning back in her chair. "Never been one to put much stock in miracles,” she then chuckled, looking down at the gem in her chest. "But maybe I should start,” she finished with a bit of a laugh. There was a quiet pause between the two of them, both quite tired from their hours of labor on the suit. While they had managed to create much more than they had expected from the pile of missiles and machinery, there was still hours, if not days of work to be done before the suit, even in its most basic form, could be even considered close to complete.

A quiet grumbling from Rarity's stomach reminded her of the fact that, besides the sip of soup she had had, neither of them had really had a proper meal. “Kili do we have any more of that salt flavored soup left?” she asked absentmindedly.

“I thought you didn’t like it,” Kili replied with a chuckle.

“Oh rest assured, I loathe it, but food is food and it’s been what, eight or nine hours since we ate?”

Kili glanced down at his old wrist watch, “Most likely ten by my watch.”

"Well then I think now is as good a time as any for dinner, am I right?" Rarity asked and Kili nodded. They carefully cleared the worktable, being sure to hide their work as best as possible, since there was no knowing if their captors might catch wind of their scheme. Kili then pulled out two more soup cans, popping them open.

"Want to try and see if your magic is back?" he suggested. "I mean its worth a shot right?"

Rarity shrugged, "Might as well..." She set about lighting her horn. "Not as if it'll work-" she was cut off by the sound of the soup rapidly boiling. Her eyes widened and a look of childish glee mixed with relief washed over her face.

"Ahahaha!" she laughed, before noticing that soup was about to boil over. She quickly toned down her magic and the soup stopped bubbling, now properly heated. She then gently poured the soup into the pair of bowls Kili had set up and the pair set about to eat, now deeply enjoying the incredibly salty, yet warm, soup. As they ate, Rarity took a moment to appreciate the fact that, even here in this dark cave, she had a friend who stood by her. Of course, if all went according to her plan, she wouldn't have to worry about remaining here, eating overly salted soup much longer. Still, it would probably be a surreal moment when she and Kili eventually parted ways. She wondered where he would go. She had a home, money and another friend to return to, but who did he have? It was then that Rarity realized that she knew next to nothing about the diamond dog who saved her life, and she felt it would at least be courteous to attempt and learn more about him.

“Kili, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” she finally asked, voicing the main thought in her mind. Kili paused for a moment, seeming to mill the possibilities in his mind for a few moments before speaking.

“No I don’t mind at all Ms. Belle, ask away.”

“Well, it’s just that you’ve mentioned your family quite a bit lately, which is understandable, but never really went into any real detail…” she trailed off, sensing that she might have chosen an overly-sensitive topic. She half-expected him to get angry or flustered, but instead, he simply sighed.

“Well, I was kind of expecting this question...” he answered, idly rubbing the back of his neck.

“It’s okay...If you don’t want to answer that’s fine…” Rarity said, diverting her attention elsewhere.

“Oh no, it’s alright, I’ve been meaning to tell you...we’ve just never had the opportunity I guess. Let’s see, we have my wife, Nalla, and my three children, Alexander, Markus and our little princess Sarah,” he let out a sigh, his voice obviously quite emotional. “Sorry… I just... I just miss them alot,” he finished, wiping a tear from his eye.

Rarity quietly stood up and sat down on Kili's cot, gently putting a hoof on his shoulder, “It'll be alright Kili. We're gonna get out of here and I promise that you'll be able see them again.”

Kili sighed, looking down with a very somber look in his eyes. “That is what I’m afraid of," he replied cryptically. "But no point dwelling in the past," he said before Rarity had a chance to comment. "Let's make sure the sketches are safe and let’s both try to get some sleep, we’ll need our energy for tomorrow I fear.”

Rarity simply nodded, not wanting to press the issue. She walked over to her own cot and set about preparing for bed, making sure to stuff the notes and drawings under her pillow.

“The good news is that we did a lot of work today. I think it'd be best that we have a good nights rest before we continue work tomorrow… right Ms. Belle?" It seemed whatever darkness was plaguing Kili had left him, as he began clearing his cot which he previously used as a makeshift desk. “I pray you have pleasant dreams tonight Ms. Belle.”

Rarity smiled softly, lying down on her bed. “I hope you have a good night as well,” she replied, quietly rolling over and falling into a deep sleep.



/////////////////////////



Rarity slowly opened her eyes, deeply refreshed after her noticeably dreamless night. She let out a yawn, stretching her arms as she did so. First thing she noticed was that any dull aches in her chest that might have lingered since surgery had faded away, and now were almost completely gone. Sure there was still a noticeable throbbing every so often when she bent her chest at an odd angle, but asides from that, it was as if nothing had happened. Her ears caught the sound of snoring and looked to see that Kili was, in fact, still asleep. Content that she was as alone as she could get, she stretched again, before quietly reaching under her pillow to double check and make sure they hadn’t had any uninvited guests snooping around.

Ah...there we are, she smiled as she saw that, in fact, the papers were still there. She heard a snort and almost instantly covered the sketches with her pillow again. It turned out to only be Kili, who was rubbing away the sleep from his face.

“Oh, it’s you,” Rarity said, relaxing somewhat. “Just checking to make sure nopony decided to snatch away our sketches in the middle of the night.”

Kili chuckled, “Well, they don’t normally come into the room at night, at least from my experience, but that’s an understandable fear.”

“Yes it is,” Rarity said, standing up and trotting over to the work table. “But we might as well keep going. They expect us to be working Kili...can’t disappoint them can we?”

Kili nodded, following her to the work table. Rarity spread the sketches out on the table so that they could see which part of the suit to tackle next. The plan was to build it in stages, with each piece being assembled separately, so that, if interrupted, they could hopefully pass off any pieces as something relating to the missile. Their concentration however, was shattered by a loud clang coming from behind the door. Both Kili and Rarity whipped their heads around to look at the door, Rarity’s heart flipflopping in panic. There was a series of loud, barking shouts from behind the door in some foreign language, and Rarity looked over to Kili in fear.

“What are they saying Kili?” she asked, only to see Kili shake his head, his face looking equally worried.

“I have no idea! It sounds like Guoxian, but I don’t speak Guoxian!” he replied, his voice worrisome. Rarity bit her lip.

“Well we can’t let them see these…” she said, motioning towards the notes. They stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds before another loud knock and a shout snapped back into reality. “Stall them, I’ll burn the notes!” Rarity said, not paying attention to Kili’s baffled response as she dragged all the scraps of paper and sketches into a large pile, all the while attempting to commit an important detail from each sketch to memory before setting it alight with her magic.

Kili meanwhile, was already at the door, apparently trying to placate whomever it was on the other side of the door. Rarity meanwhile, had only managed to get three or four pages destroyed before the door was forced open, revealing the same griffin Rarity recognized as the one who had nearly drowned her a few days before. Rarity also noticed that his right arm was bandaged, as if it had suffered a fracture. His golden eyes darted between her and Kili, burning with intense suspicion.

“What is going on in here?!” he barked, his accent only seeming to get thicker with the anger in his voice. Kili took a step forward, putting on a brave face.

“Wh-what do you need to know?” he asked, making sure to look humble in front of the large griffin. The griffin simply growled.

“The Master wishes to know what is this delay?” he barked, looking directly at Rarity. She swallowed dryly, doing her best to keep herself from panicking as she subconsciously did her best to hide the remaining sketches. However, the sight of the griffin’s eyes focusing on the large gem peaking out from the neckline of her shirt only made her feel all the more frightened.

“What is this?” he hissed, stepping close to Rarity and yanking her shirt down noticeably to better inspect the gem. “Has this been what’s been taking up your time?” There was a tense pause as the griffin simply glared at her, as if awaiting a response. Rarity’s mouth simply opened and closed as she tried to find a plausible explanation for the obviously suspicious gem in her chest. “Well? Are you going to tell me?!” the griffin shrieked again, causing Rarity flinch.

Before she was able to properly respond, the griffin turned towards Kili, quickly walking towards him and grabbing him roughly.

“What about you? Do you know what that’s for?” he asked, pointing a claw towards Rarity’s chest. “Because they most certainly do NOT look like what The Master has ordered!”

“I-uh-well-I-” Kili stammered, obviously not prepared for the sudden, incredibly aggressive line of questioning. The griffin cut him off with a harsh slap.

“Tell me!” he barked, readying himself for another slap. He paused, balling a fist and giving Kili a sharp punch. “Is no one going to tell me what that thing is?!” he shrieked once more, awaiting a response. None came. Grinding his teeth, the griffin pulled Kili up from the ground.

“Alright then. If no one is going to tell me what I want, I guess I’ll have to make them tell me!” he growled, shoving Kili to the floor violently before quickly putting a claw under his throat.

“Ms. Belle, if you do not tell me within the next thirty seconds what that thing in your chest is, I will personally cut your friend’s throat,” he hissed, and emphasized his words by dragging his claw across Kili’s neck so that it broke the skin somewhat. Kili let out a brief cry of pain before the griffin clamped his mouth shut.

Rarity was too frightened and unsure of herself to say anything. She feared that if she gave away the true purpose of the diamond, this psychopath might tear it out of her chest and give it to whomever his master was, so that they could use it to make even more weapons. But if she didn’t say anything, that would mean dooming Kili to a terrible death.

“Ten seconds.” the griffin said, readying his claw for the death blow. Rarity’s breaths were now shallow, her mind still trying to come to a decision.

“Nine.”

“It’s j-just a device to keep me alive…” she finally answered, her voice shaky despite her best efforts. “I sw-swear.”

The griffin’s eyes narrowed and Rarity braced herself for whatever horrible torture was sure to come next. Instead, his eyes cooled somewhat and with a small smile crossed his peak.

“Well...that wasn’t so bad was it Ms. Belle?” he said in a cool manner, the complete polar opposite of how he had been moments before. “However, I still have a few more questions for you and this time, if you don’t answer…” he trailed off as he lifted his talon and began to stalk closer to her, poised to strike. It was mere inches from Rarity’s neck when a voice boomed from the doorway.

“HERZLOS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” it barked and the griffin instantly retracted his claw, his entire body tensing up in fear. He spun around, his eyes darting to the door fearfully.

“What have I told you about using those methods on her! I need her intact!” the voice boomed and in walked a rather unexpected sight. He was a tall, noticeably lean creature who stood a good head and shoulders above everyone else in the room. His head looked quite a bit like a jackal’s, but his eyes were strangely, placed at the very tip of his muzzle, right next to his nose. His legs looked quite similar to a diamond dog’s, but his arms looked more like that of a monkey’s, with four fingers, and a thumb. Strangely, this applied to his cat-like tail as well, as it had an identical hand on it’s end. On each finger, thumbs included, was an ornate ring, each one a brilliant, exotic color. They seemed to glow with some kind of energy. The creature walked into the room slowly and deliberately, exuding an aura of authority and domination.

The griffin, who moments before had apparently been dead set on cutting Rarity open, was now bowing repeatedly, spewing out a stream of apologies and obviously trying to explain his actions. The creature simply held up a bejeweled hand, and the griffin instantly fell silent.

“Herzlos, I wish to be frank,” he said, his deep voice resonating through the room. The griffin nodded rapidly, bowing his head again. “Tell me Herzlos, do you actively enjoy my punishments?”

“N-No Lo-Lord an-and Ma-Master...” the griffin replied, his voice having lost all venom and was now sounding more like a fearful child than the menacing monster from before.

“Herzlos, I keep you around because you are incredibly skilled at all tasks I give you yes?” The creature asked, his voice condescending.

“Y-Yes L-Lord and M-Master…” The griffin said, his voice quivering.

The creature let out a long sigh. “Then why must you always anger me so?”

“Lord and Master I was simply-” the griffin was silenced mid sentence as a dark purple aura surrounded his head and a ring on the figure’s left hand glowed the same color. There was a strange pause as the pair simply stared at each other, with simple indifference in the creature’s eyes while the griffin’s eyes were wide with fear. There was a sudden, sickening crack and the griffin was released, his talon instantly moving to caress his beak as he let out a muffled squawk of pain.

“Hopefully the dislocated jaw will teach you manners and obedience Herzlos,” the creature said, straightening himself up a bit before motioning towards the door. “Now get out of my sight before I decide to permanently end our working relationship.”

The griffin nodded rapidly, still holding his dislocated jaw in place, quickly scampering out of the cave and out the door. As soon as the griffin left, the creature turned to face Rarity and Kili, with neither of them having said anything, each too shocked to really say anything.

“I am very sorry you had to see that Ms. Belle, but alas, griffins at times only understand power, and quite frankly, he needed to be reminded who holds it,” he stated simply, finishing with a large, fanged laden grin.

“Who.. who are you?” Rarity asked fearfully, her vocal chords finally loosing up again. Although this creature hadn’t done anything to hurt her physically (at least not directly), the fact that he could simply snap a griffin's beak seemingly telekinetically was certainly threatening.

“Oh I have many names, Ms. Belle. My soldiers call me Lord and Master, Kili’s people call me The Blue Death and your own government, well they would mostly likely refer to me as a terrorist. But as for you dear, you may call me Ahuizotl.”

Rarity didn’t answer, honestly just too fearful to attempt to make a comment. This ‘Ahuizotl’ was obviously not one to be toyed with and it was obvious that he controlled his men with an iron fist.

Ahuizotl however, seemed to notice her unease, as he smiled again, waving a hand. “Now dear, no need to fear. I myself, am not angry at you. You simply took some time to insure your condition doesn’t worsen, which I respect, but I must admit that I am, still, the slightest bit disappointed that you did not inform me of this new project of yours, and that, admittedly, I expected a result from your main task much earlier. However, Ms. Belle, I do wish to know how does that gem work and how does it relate to these?” He asked in a very business like manner, all while reaching over Rarity to pick up the burnt sketches.

Rarity felt her stomach twist at the realization that she had completely forgotten the existence of the sketches, her mind having been too focused on Kili.

“The-they don’t re--relate at all, ju-just getting ideas down is all.” She stammered, putting on her best innocent smile in an attempt to make the half-truth just a little more believable.

Ahuizotl meanwhile, only arched an eyebrow at her and without looking away from her, lifted his left hand again, the same ring as before glowing dark purple and Kili was wrapped in the purple aura and bragged beside Rarity. Without having said a word, Ahuizotl refocused his gaze on Kili.

“Kili, how does the gem work? And how does it relate to the plans?” he asked simply, his voice dropping an octave.

Rarity turned to look at Kili fearfully, unsure of how he’d respond to the question. In KIli’s case, he seemed to be equally fearful, but there was a visible aura of defiance in his eyes, which became more obvious when he answered Ahuizotl’s question, “What gem? What plans?”

Ahuizotl’s eyes narrowed. “Open defiance will get you nowhere dear doctor,” he growled, and his hand tightened into a fist.

Kili turned to face Rarity directly this time, “Don’t worry Rarity, he needs you. He just enjoys rattling his saber.”

“He’s right you know…” Ahuizotl was quick to reply, looking towards Rarity. “About me needing you,” he then looked back to Kili, his eyes now practically burning with anger as he placed right hand, balled up into a fist, up against Kili’s chest, simultaneously physically grabbing him with his left hand to hold him still. Taking a deep breath, he narrowed his eyes, “But now that you are here he is now no longer needed.” With that, there was a muffled popping sound and Kili let out a sharp gasp. Ahuizotl let out a sigh and released Kili from his grip, and Kili slumped to the floor.

“No!” Rarity cried out, instantly flying to Kili’s side, yanking a sheet off the cot and attempt to stop the bleeding from what looked like a small, ring-sized hole in his chest.

“Ms. Belle,” came Ahuizotl’s authoritative voice. Rarity looked up at him, tears welling in her eyes. As he was about to leave, he turned his head back to the sobbing pony, “I don’t just rattle my saber, I also enjoy using it.” And with that he left the room, the door locking behind him. As soon as it shut, Rarity refocused her attention on Kili, who was still in her arms, a small pool of blood forming beneath him.

“Hold on Kili, please just hold on, I’ll get you patched up in a jiffy,” she said in a panic, forcing the scrap of cloth she had torn from the cot into the wound to hopefully stop the bleeding. However, instead of allowing Rarity to work, Kili brushed the cloth asides and out of her hooves, before shaking his head.

“It’s okay Rarity,” he said, his voice shallow. “My time is just at it’s end”

“No! No-no-no it’s not, you need to stay with me,” Rarity said, tears falling freely from her eyes. “Come on, think of your family Kili. Don’t you want to see them?” she sobbed. Kili simply shook his head again.

“You don’t understand Rarity...my family’s dead. The Blue Death killed them,” he coughed up some blood, looking up towards her a sad smile on his face. “Be good…” he whispered and Rarity nodded, now practically sobbing.

“I promise I’ll be good!” she cried, tears dripping down her face.

Kili nodded slightly. “And another thing…”

“Yes?” she asked, holding his head up in an effort to at least prevent him from drowning on the blood that was quickly filling his mouth.

“D-don’t waste your life Rarity...whatever you do...don’t waste it,” he said, his voice pleading.

Rarity nodded. “I sw-swear Kili I w-won’t,” she sobbed. At those words, a peaceful smile crossed Kili’s face.

“Good,” he whispered, letting his head go limp, “I’ll tell the family you said hi.” And with that, he let out his last breath, his eyes closing, the same peaceful smile on his face. Rarity blinked, her tears now completely blurring her vision.

“Kili? Kili?!” she whimpered, shaking him slightly. However, her mind already told her that he had passed and with that realization, she broke down completely, the sound of her sobs filling the room.



> Act II - 08 - The Red Eye Home
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You”

Chapter Eight:
“Red Eye Flight Home”




Rarity held Kili’s dead body in her arms, gently rocking it back and forth, her tears having long gone dry. She simply didn’t have the will to express her grief in another other way than a blank stare across the room at the rough cave walls. The world just no longer registered to her. Reality was simply too unreal. It was as if something inside of her had shattered, destroying any hope or sign of salvation that she might have had. Her only friend in this hellish place was now dead, and she was now completely and utterly alone. She was still in this shell-shocked state when she felt a paw roughly prod her.

“Get up!”

Rarity said nothing, instead simply looking up at the large diamond dog with a blank expression. The diamond dog simply poked her again, this time with a balled fist, sending her crumpling to the floor like a house of cards. Next thing she knew, she was being pulled to her hooves and dragged out of the room, still in a shell-shocked daze. She was just cognizant enough to notice that they were leaving Kili’s body behind, seemingly paying no heed to it. She weakly attempted to reach a hoof out towards it, only for it to be violently pulled back to her body by the diamond dog.

Any will to struggle was soon squashed as soon as the burlap bag came over her head, cutting off all light and muffling all the sounds around her. All she knew was that she was being dragged somewhere, but where it was she could not be sure. A part of her feared that she might be on the way to another brutal torture session, with her captors duty-bound to see her suffer in every possible way. But she did nothing to fight it. It honestly didn’t really matter to her anymore. They could do anything they wanted to her. The only thing that had honestly kept her from plunging into a bottomless pit of depression had been butchered in front of her for no other reason then just to see her suffer. What was the point of fighting? They had won.

She felt herself being thrown into another room, the door slamming just as her body hit the ground roughly. She rolled onto her back, noticing that the bag was still on her head. Noticing that her hooves were untied, she weakly pulled the sack off her head, tossing it asides.

This time, she was in a much smaller cave, apparently only large enough for herself and a cot, which was noticeably absent. With no bed to lie on, she quietly huddled in a corner, still completely silent.



///////////////////////////////////////////



Rarity didn’t know how long she huddled in that dank, wet corner of the cave. Time just seemed to slither along, minutes oozing into hours, hours sliding into days. Her mind was completely encompassed by an incredible sadness that she could barely believe was possible. Her chest felt hollow and her mind a blank. The only light for the room came from a small window at least ten feet above her. It served as the only indicator for the passage of time, and often, Rarity would simply watch as the light from the window slowly marched it’s way across the wall. This went on for at least four weeks, without a single wink of sleep. Any brief dozing off would result in her being assaulted by hundreds of demonic, glowing turquoise eyes and a voice cackling madly in her mind. After several such nightmares, Rarity resigned herself to simply staring at the wall across from her.

One day, the silence was interrupted by the rusty door opening to reveal a pair of large diamond dogs. Rarity tensed up slightly, fearing what they might do to her now. However, they simply placed another bag over her head. She felt herself being dragged through the caves again. After what seemed like an eternity of being dragged through tunnels and passageways, she felt a comforting warmth spread over her entire body, and a bright light could be seen poking through the bag’s loose stitching. The ambient noise sounded as if it were distributed over a larger area than normal, and the occasional cool breeze blowing over her coat told her that she was most likely outdoors. She felt herself being hefted up and dropped unceremoniously into a metal container, with a door slamming shut.

The loud sputtering growl of an engine caught her ears and she felt herself lurch forward slightly as whatever vehicle she was in began to trundle along, bumping violently every time it hit an obstacle of some kind. The drive lasted a good hour and a half, before it came to a stop, with Rarity completely at a loss as to where they were.

She heard orders being barked in a wide variety of foreign languages, before someone pulled her out of the vehicle, forcing her onto her hooves. She felt herself continually forced back onto her wobbly and weak legs, which only now she realized, hadn’t really been used in almost five weeks. An explosion of light hit her eyes as the sack was pulled off her head and she blinked rapidly, her eyes unadjusted to the sudden bright sunlight.

As everything slowly drifted into focus, she realized she was standing out in the middle of an open salt flat. Next to her, there stood a large diamond dog, apparently there to guard her. She looked around. Besides the one or two large trucks that stood around them, which Rarity assumed were the trucks that had taken her here in the first place, there was nothing but an empty, flat, seemingly endless expanse of salt.

Am I going to die now? she thought worryingly, wondering if this was going to be the place where they would finally end her life with a bullet to her skull, leaving her body for the buzzards or whatever scavengers wandered about this Celestia-forsaken frying pan.

However, as her mind ran through dozens of the various ways they would most likely end her life, Rarity’s ears caught the distinct droning of a zeppelin’s engine and she looked skyward, squinting slightly as her eyes caught sight of a silvery, cigar shaped zeppelin coming steadily.

The zeppelin slowly and gently came to a landing a good five hundred feet away, still managing to kick up quite a bit of dust and salt, causing Rarity to hack and cough furiously. As the drone of the engines died away, she saw a small clutch of ponies stepping out of the zeppelin and walking towards her. It was somewhat comforting that the tail fins of the zeppelin were emblazoned with the bold red and gold of the Equestrian military, but Rarity still had no honest idea what was going on.

It was only when the group of ponies, all dressed in military kakis, came to a stop a good two dozen feet away, that Rarity could see a gruff looking diamond dog standing among them, his paws cuffed. A certain yellow mare with an orange mane came walking up, facing Rarity directly, her eyes hidden by her aviator sunglasses.

“Ms. Belle, I’m Major Carrot Top of the Equestrian Air Force. You alright?” she asked.

Rarity blinked. It was the first time she’d heard anyone speak to her without an accent in almost two months. She simply nodded, unable to find the right words. The yellow earth pony smiled slightly, nodding before turning to face one of the diamond dogs.

“You can have your guy now. We’ll be taking Ms. Belle off your paws,” she said, before glancing back towards her own fellow ponies and giving them a curt nod. One of the other soldiers nodded and they began to steadily walk the diamond dog prisoner towards his compatriots, while Carrot Top gently took Rarity and began to walk her to the zeppelin.

“Wh-what’s going? Wh-where are you taking me?” Rarity asked, her voice frail and thin.

“Taking you home Ms. Belle. Taking you home,” Carrot Top answered plainly, and Rarity simply stared, unable to believe that her ordeal was finally over.



///////////////////////////////////////////



Light Bright shifted in his chair slightly, trying his best not to let his omnipresent anxiety evident as the monocle touting unicorn behind the oakwood desk carefully studied Light Bright’s blueprints and sketches.

“So what does this machine do exactly?” Fancy Pants asked, still studying the blueprints closely.

“Um, well sir, it’s basically a magical enhancement helmet. It takes the ambient magic in the air, channels it through a centralized crystal, and then combines it with the wearer's natural mana reserves and then the user can channel it to do whatever they please.” Light Bright said, motioning to the dozens of complicated calculations and formulas that covered the blueprint for the helmet.

Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow slightly. “That is certainly interesting….any possible military applications? After all, my company is rather, well, militaristic.”

Light Bright reflectively ran a hoof through his mane. “I assume so, yes,” he replied meekly. Fancy Pants seemed pleased by this little detail, as his eyebrows relaxed and he smiled slightly.

“That’s what I like to hear my good stallion,” he said, reaching into a drawer on his desk to pull out a cigar. “Now, before we go any further with this, Mr. Bright, I must ask you...how much might will this all cost me?” he asked around his cigar, puffing it and raising an eyebrow inquisitively, “I trust it shall be cost effective?”

Light Bright shifted in his chair again, taking a breath and reflexively adjusting his tie. He had been dreading this moment since he had been invited. He knew full well that his design would likely run in the pricy range, but he still hoped that maybe, just maybe, Fancy Pants would be different, and be willing to take a gamble.

“Um, well, Mr. Pants, by my calculations, it should cost approximately twenty million bits to fund,” he said, and Light Bright could immediately tell that those were the last words Fancy Pants wanted to hear. Fancy Pants let out a sigh, and steepling his hooves, leaned forwards slightly, cigar still in mouth. He exhaled through his nose, the ensuing billow of smoke giving him the aura of a displeased dragon.

“Mr. Bright, the reason I even considered hiring you is because, due to the rather strenuous state of things in the wake of Rarity’s...disappearance, you seemed like the best, and, might I remind you, least expensive option. If I wanted to spend a million bits on something I could get for a thousand, I would have gone to Dr. Time Turner. Understand?”

Light Bright slouched slightly. He hoped that this job opportunity would give him a chance. His whole life he’d been stepped on and poked fun of, be it for his name or his ideas, which no one ever took seriously. Now, it finally seemed that someone was taking him seriously, giving him a chance, only to perform a complete face-heel turn in the sight of the amount it would cost them.

“Y-yes Mr. Pants...I understand,” he finally said. There was a long pause between the two as neither really said anything, Fancy Pants puffing away and Light Bright sulking in the chair. The silence was broken by the sudden ringing of the desktop phone, with Fancy glancing down at it before looking at Light Bright.

“Pardon me a moment,” Fancy Pants said, clicking a blinking white button on the phone. “Yes Keystroke?” he asked, awaiting the response from the secretary on the other end.

“Mister Fancy Pants, there’s a call for you on Line 29. Says it’s urgent.”

Fancy Pants furrowed his brow slightly, “Alright then. Put it through.” He released the button and faced Light Bright again.

“Dr. Bright, It has been nice speaking with you, but I am sorry, but I must take this long distance call. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Um, no, no I don’t” Light Bright said glumly, taking the blueprints from Fancy Pants and stuffing them back in the overstuffed briefcase from which they came. He slowly walked out, not saying a word.

“Dr. Bright!” Fancy called out, and Light Bright paused, his hoof already out the door.

“Yes Mr. Pants?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Let it be known that I didn’t explicitly say that you aren’t being considered for the job in R&D. I’m still considering it. Understand?”

Light Bright nodded slightly, Fancy Pants’ words almost managing to bring him out of the dumps. “I understand sir. Goodbye.”

“Farewell,” Fancy Pants answered, just as Light Bright stepped out the door. As soon as the door closed, Fancy Pants picked up the phone, clearing his throat.

“Hello, this is Fancy Pants. What is it?” he asked, furrowing his brow slightly. Line 29 was almost exclusively used for vitally important or emergency information.

“Turn on the television,” came the voice of one of his half-dozen secretaries. Fancy Pants sighed and levitated a remote control out of his desk drawer and turned on the television. “What channel?” he asked, unamused.

“Any news channel! Trust me it’s very important,” the secretary said, and Fancy Pants rapidly clicked over to the news channel that his secretary had mentioned. He was greeted by a sight he honestly hadn’t expected at all.

“And in a shocking development, famed inventor and military weapons designer Rarity Belle has finally been returned after almost eight weeks in captivity. Authorities have not yet revealed the exact method of her rescue, but sources inside BelleCorp hint towards a possible ransom payment as the cause for her sudden release. When asked to confirm the rumors, the Equestrian Government has opted remained silent.”

Fancy Pants’ jaw tightened slightly, and he narrowed his eyes.

This won’t do at all, he thought, only to be reminded that he still had the phone up against his ear by the scratchy voice of the secretary.

“Well, did you see that?! She’s back!” the secretary said, his voice ecstatic. Fancy Pants merely let his eyebrows drop.

“Yes...I see it,” he replied, his tone completely level. He then hung up the phone rather tersely, paying no heed to the secretary’s confused response. He let out a sigh, simply gazing at the archive photo the news program had chosen for Rarity. It was one Fancy Pants knew well, with her smiling smugly, adorned in a bright red dress with a plunging neckline and a snow white mink scarf, eying the camera seductively from underneath her bang. Fancy Pants had always disliked the photo, as it highlighted every single aspect of Rarity that he hated. Her vanity, her haughtiness, her arrogance. It was all there, in brilliant color, and broadcast for the world to see.

Letting out a quiet snort, Fancy Pants flicked off the television, putting the remote back in it’s respective drawer and closing it quietly. He quietly snuffed out his cigar, tossing it into the wastebasket and making his way towards the door, turning off any computers or lights as he did so. As he left his office, his gait increased and he made his way brusquely down stairs.

“Did you hear about Ms. Belle?” came the voice of Ms. Keystroke as he passed. “And why are you leaving so early Mr. Pants? It’s only 2:30,” she added, her eyebrow raised in confusion.

“Sorry Keystroke, but I’ve very important business to attend to in regards to Ms. Belle’s return," he answered curtly as he stepped into the elevator, sharply hitting the down button.



///////////////////////////////////////////



Fancy Pants spent the ride home in the back of his limo, brooding. As soon as he had arrived home, he had ordered the staff to take the day off. Several of the staff had noticed how early he had come home and had enquired, but were soon silenced with the threat of unemployment. Once the house had been cleared, and he knew he was alone, he walked into the kitchen, tersely pulling out a bottle of 1942 Andalusian wine and pouring himself a glass.

He then opened a draw in the countertop, pulling out a small, black cell phone. Technically, the phone didn't even exist. That was because the phone was for one express purpose. Contacting a certain 'business' partner that was, to most ponies, an artifact of various overly paranoid imaginations. Fancy Pants quickly dialed a number, putting the phone to his ear and tapping a hoof impatiently.

"Hello Fancy Pants. I was expecting this call," came the deep voice from the other end, and Fancy Pants nodded tersely.

"Yes, I assume you would be, Lord Ahuizotl?" he replied, doing his best to remain cordial despite his frustrations. "What happened to the plan we had discussed?"

Fancy Pants could have sworn that he heard a sarcastic sigh from the other end. "Which plan my friend? You must be more specific," Ahuizotl replied, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

Fancy Pants gritted his teeth slightly and stifled a groan of frustration. "The plan that I would give you Rarity, she'd be your golden goose for awhile, and then they find her corpse in a ditch or something after a year. That plan!"

"Ah yes, that plan. Well, you see, Fancy, you must understand something. First off, I can’t just kill her. If I were to just kill her, I would have attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention. She’s not just some random mare I picked up off the street. She’s rather popular back on your side of the world, and therefore, I’d be bringing quite a bit of wrath on my head.” Ahuizotl said calmly. “And further more, money is a prime motivator for me as well.”

“What do you mean ‘money’? I was going to pay you after you offed her.” Fancy Pants said, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, it seems someone got to me first,” Ahuizotl replied.

“Well how much did they pay you?” Fancy Pants asked again, blinking in confusion.

“Oh...somewhere around fifty million bits or there abouts. Fine money. It also seems that Ms. Belle made a friend while in the caves.”

“Friend? What do you mean friends? Rarity doesn’t make friends,” Fancy Pants replied, furrowing his brow slightly, both at the news of Rarity making a friend and the fact that he had been outbidded by someone.

“Well, apparently she made one this time,” Ahuizotl replied. “Sadly, the friendship had to be terminated by yours truly. Diamond dogs do tend to bleed easily,” he added nonchalantly.

“Diamond dog? What are you talking about?”

“One of my other prisoners. He spoke out of turn and suffered the consequences. Apparently it was too much for our mutual acquaintance, and she’s spent the past five weeks staring at a wall.”

Fancy Pants stomped a hoof. “Please tell me we were able to acquire something from her before her mind decided to clock out?” he asked in frustration, hoping that, at the very least, he could squeeze some sort of prize out of Rarity’s suffering.

“When you told me that she was incredibly skilled, I honestly didn’t believe you, but my, my, she has been able to craft not only a mana reactor that was able to fit inside of her chest, but also made good headway on some form of power armor.”

“What?! How was she able to do that? I thought you only provided her with the most basic of tools?!” Fancy Pants said, shaking his head in both confusion and frustration.

“Well, apparently, a box of scraps is a gold mine to her,” Ahuizotl answered, apparently bemused by the sound of frustration in Fancy Pants’ voice. Fancy Pants rolled his eyes in frustration, letting out a long sigh.

“I should have seen this coming,” he grumbled, rubbing his temples with both his hooves while he held the phone aloft in his magic for a moment. “Did she leave anything else?” he asked.

“Just some sketches. And before you start begging and pleading for them like a helpless child, yes, I will be sending them to you as soon as possible. I do honor my agreements you know. Expect them from the ghost server as is the norm. Good night,” Ahuizotl answered, hanging up with a beep, leaving Fancy Pants standing alone in the kitchen.

Fancy let out a sigh. He had honestly hoped that this gambit he had so doggedly pursued would finally rid himself of that horribly vain, wasteful, and self absorbed mare. But alas, it seemed the universe was dead set on keeping her around, always the thorn in his side. But even he had to admit that, disregarding her constant misappropriation of funds to stock up her liquor cabinet or purchase a new car or a new yacht, Rarity was Fancy’s golden goose. Without her, Fancy would have probably been half as wealthy as he was now. So even if his bet on her demise hadn’t quite managed to go over like he had planned, he had managed to put her out of the game for awhile. If Ahuizotl was right in saying that she was in a semi-catatonic state, that would grant Fancy ample time to go ahead with his initial plan to the board and discreetly suggest that he step into her role as head of the company. Simple as that.

And if Ahuizotl was correct, and Rarity had in fact been able to craft something as complicated as a chest sized mana reactor that actually worked and had apparently been able to avoid any catastrophic failure (unlike the last few attempts), then, indeed, it seemed that Rarity had given Fancy one last golden egg.

With that attempt at self-comfort on his mind, Fancy Pants left the kitchen, already preparing himself for the next day. If it was going to be anything, it would most certainly be a busy day.



///////////////////////////////////////////



Written Script paced back and forth on the airstrip, occasionally looking skyward in hopes that the zeppelin would soon arrive.

Standing close by, dressed in her pastel blue sundress and sunhat, and watching him with concern, was Sweetie Belle. The reason for her being here and not with her parents, was because Magnum and Pearl were otherwise occupied with one of Pearl’s prestigious fashion shows. When Written had informed them of Rarity’s return, Pearl was quick to say she would, quote: “Not indulge in her attempts to garner my attention.”

Written Script had never been a fan of Pearl, always finding her a cold and alienating mare who only seemed to care about something if she could somehow save money while doing it, or if it had something to do with fashion. Her constant habit of belittling her children did her no favors in his eyes either. Written Script had no idea what Magnum saw in Pearl, but whatever it was, it was only seen by Magnum.

“Um, Mr. Script, do you think Rarity is okay?” came Sweetie Belle’s voice, bringing him back to reality and away from his tangent on Pearl Belle.

“I hope so Sweetie Belle,” he replied, finally noticing how she was staring at him. He let out a sigh and sat down next to her. “I mean, she’s been held captive for two months…” he said, trailing off as he felt it might not be prudent to burden Sweetie Belle with any additional worries. The past two months had been stressful enough for her, what with her older sister being kidnapped by terrorists. To dump all his worries onto her would just be mean.

“Why did they ponynap her?” Sweetie Belle asked suddenly, and Written Script shifted his weight slightly, nibbling his lip.

“I don’t really know Sweetie, I don’t really know. I guess they’re just bullies.” He twiddled his thumbs idly.

“I don’t like bullies,” Sweetie Belle replied, leaning against Written Script slightly. Written Script nodded.

“Me neither Sweetie, me neither.”

They sat there for a few more minutes, neither speaking as the zeppelin finally came into view, coming to a landing and kicking up a fair share of dust off the tarmac. Written Script braced himself, hoping that whatever damage Rarity had suffered was only minor, if only for Sweetie Belle’s sake.

The door to the zeppelin opened, letting out a long ramp and, seated in a wheelchair at the top, was a white unicorn mare, whose coat had noticeably faded, her eyes sunken in and darkened as if she hadn’t had a single nights rest in weeks. Her mane, which previously shimmered a brilliant purple, now sagged in front of her face, a veritable nest of split ends and dark with dirt. It didn’t help that she looked as if she had lost a good twenty pounds, and her legs looked rather gaunt, which stood out in wild contrast to the brand spanking new dress she was wearing, one that had obviously been given to her by someone else, if the mismatched cutie mark print were any indication.

A small spark could be seen forming in Rarity's otherwise vacant eyes when she looked at them, and a thin smile spread across her face. She was gently wheeled over to them, with neither Sweetie Belle or Written Script saying anything, as they took in the surprising sight. Rarity came to a stop in front of them, looking up at Written Script.

“Hello Script. How you doing?” she said, her voice thin and stale. Written Script suddenly spread his arms and pulled her into a hug.

“Oh thank Celestia you’re safe!” he said, and Rarity simply looked around rather awkwardly, before gently nudging him out of the hug.

“Th-that’s okay Script, I’m fine. Just a little tired,” she said, brushing herself off slightly as Written Script nodded. Rarity looked up at him, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Written Script, are you crying?” both her and Sweetie Belle asked simultaneously. Rarity cast Sweetie Belle a brief cold glance before looking back at Written Script.

“Well? Are you?” Rarity pressed. "Because those look an awful lot like tears dear.”

“No.” Written Script was quick to reply, nodding his head slightly. “It’s just tears of joy. Have you spend two months looking for a job in a town where everypony has eight secretaries.”

Rarity chuckled slightly, a wistful smile on her face. “I understand Written Script, no need to worry,” she let out a heavy sigh, already feeling a little drowsy. “By Celestia, I need coffee. Want to get some coffee Script?” she asked, as Written Script walked around and gently began to push her wheelchair.

“Yeah, I guess coffee’s good. Where do you want to get it?” he asked, already pointing them towards the limo sitting aways away. A familiar grey earth pony tipped his cap and opened the door for them, helping to gently lift Rarity inside the limo.

“Thank you very much Hobbes,” she sighed, allowing herself to relax and settle in the chair slightly. Written Script led Sweetie Belle around the other side and the pair stepped inside, with Sweetie Belle taking her seat next to Rarity and giving her a quick hug.

“I’m so happy you’re safe sis!” she said, snuggling against Rarity. Rarity tried to nudge Sweetie Belle away, but apparently, the filly would not be deterred. Rarity let out the quietest of grunts as Sweetie Belle continued to hug her, and she looked at Written Script expectantly. Written Script nodded slightly and reached over to pry Sweetie Belle off of Rarity as gently as possible.

“Let Rarity have some rest Sweetie, she’s been through a lot,” he said, and Sweetie Belle blinked.

“Oh...yeah...sorry Rarity,” she said, scooting to the opposite end of the limo. Rarity nodded slightly, turning to look out the window as it began to drive along. There was a long silence between the three as the limo drove along.

“Where are we going Script?” Rarity asked, glancing towards him from her window seat.

“The hospital. I mean, not to be rude, you look like you've been though a lot,” he replied, and Rarity nodding slightly.

“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” she said, once more looking out the window. Written Script raised a concerned eyebrow.

“You sure?” he asked and Rarity nodded.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ve already been checked by several doctors on the way over, and they all said the same thing. That I should just get some rest,” she said somberly, letting out a sigh and shifting her weight slightly. “And honestly Script, there’s nothing I would like better than to just go home and fall asleep. Wouldn’t you say so?” she asked, turning to look at him with tired eyes.

Written Script paused, simply looking at the sheer exhaustion that Rarity seemed to be enveloped in. Never in his entire life had he ever seen her look so tired. There was also a sadness in her eyes that Written Script couldn’t quite explain. Finally, he let out a quiet sigh, turning to tap on the window behind him.

“Hobbes, change of plans. We’re going home, okay?” he said, and Hobbes nodded.

“Of course sir,” Hobbes answered and the window closed again. Written Script looked back at Rarity to see her smiling slightly.

“That better?” he asked sincerely, and Rarity nodded, closing her eyes and already seemingly beginning to drift off to sleep..

“Much better,” she sighed, and within moments, Written Script was greeted by her quiet snores, as she slept with a smile on her face.

Rarity’s long nightmare was over, and she was finally, at long last, at home.



> Act II - 09 - All These Things That I've Done
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You”

Chapter Nine:
“All These Things That I've Done”




Rarity was awoken by a sharp knock on the window, causing her to snap upright with a start. She blinked rapidly, clearing away the last bits of sleep. She turned to her left to see where the source of the tapping had come from, only to nearly be blinded by a flashbulb to the face.

“MISS BELLE!” Came the muffled shout of the paparazzi photographer, only to be knocked asides by another photographer who greeted Rarity with another blinding flash from a camera.

“MISS BELLE DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOU-” he was cut off as Written Script’s horn glowed, completely muting the outside world. Rarity looked over to Written Script quizzically.

“Written Script what was that? Why are we surrounded by reporters?” she asked, “I thought we were supposed to be driving home.”

“That’s what I thought too, but apparently somepony told the media you were coming home…” he replied, shuffling quickly through his schedule. “Because that wasn’t supposed to happen for another three days.”

Rarity looked out the window wearily, the hundreds of ponies outside all assaulting the limo with thousands of flashing cameras and eager faces. “Well who do you think told the media?”

As if on cue, the mob outside cleared way for the limo to slowly drive up to Rarity’s front porch, where, standing at the front door with a broad smile on his face, was Fancy Pants, dressed to the nines. He trotted up to the limo and opened the door for Rarity.

“Why hello Rarity!” he said, still smiling as if his face was going to pop in half. He reached out to take Rarity’s hoof and help her out of the limo. "What a wonderful shirt you have!" he said, and Rarity caught his eyes briefly focus on the glowing rock in her chest, which peaked up from under the first few buttons on her shirt, which had been left unbuttoned. Rarity raised her eyebrows slightly, moving to button her shirt a little more, covering the diamond much more effectively now. She then took his hoof, tentatively stepping outside, only to have the pair of unicorns once more assaulted by the media mob. Rarity nearly stumbled forwards slightly, her legs still not used to supporting her own weight, before she was steadied by Fancy Pants.

“Um, Fancy…” Rarity said, looking around at the gaggle of reporters. “Why are they here? I kind of expected a more...low key reception.”

“Low key?” Fancy Pants asked, raising an eyebrow. “What about you is low key, Rarity? I thought you loved attention!” he chuckled, but the laughter seemed somewhat forced, as if he were an actor in a high school play. Rarity didn’t really have a chance to press the issue though, as she was rushed inside her house, door swinging open to allow her passage.

She stepped inside, while Fancy Pants turned to face the intrepid mob. “Mares and Gentlecolts of the media! Please, please hold your questions for a few more minutes. Please allow Miss Belle a chance to prepare herself, and then she will answer any and all your questions.”

And with that, the door closed, finally cutting off the outside world. Fancy Pants turned to look at Rarity, and she glared at him.

“What?” he asked nonchalantly. “Are you seriously thinking you could just come home in private?” he asked, arching an eyebrow.

“No, but I did expect to have a few hours to myself at the very least.” Rarity replied brusquely. Fancy Pants rolled his eyes.

“Oh Rarity, you of all ponies know that you can’t just disappear for three months and expect to just come home again without at least some fanfare.” he said, past her to head towards the kitchen. Rarity was about to protest when a series of fast, panicked knocks came at the door, distracting her for a moment.

She walked up to the door, peering through the peep-hole to see a very, very panicked looking Written Script seemingly trying to break the door down with his bare hooves. On his back, clutching to him like a life raft, was Sweetie Belle. Surrounding them where a horde of reporters, all shoving their microphones in the two ponies’ faces.

“Let us in!” Came Written Script’s voice over the intercom, and Rarity unlocked the door, opening it just enough to allow Written Script and Sweetie Belle to scramble through. But not before at least eight news reporters attempted to break in through the open door, which was forced shut as roughly as possible.

“Are you okay Written Script?” Rarity asked, and Written Script nodded rapidly.

“We barely escaped with our lives!” Sweetie Belle cried, scampering off Written Script’s back and hugging Rarity tightly. Rarity looked down at Sweetie Belle, gently nudging her off her leg.

“What do they want?” Rarity asked, looking towards Written Script. Written Script stood upright, shaking himself off slightly and straightening his ruffled jacket.

“Well, they wanted to speak with you. Rumor had it that you were convalescent or something. I said that you needed some rest.” he said, flopping down on the couch.

“Did you hear that Rarity?” Fancy Pants asked, reappearing from the kitchen with a bottle of champagne. “They thought you’re in a coma!” he said with a chuckle. Rarity sat down on the couch herself, taking a moment to process everything.

“Well...who told them that?” Rarity asked, looking towards Fancy Pants as he poured her some champagne. She took the glass in her magic and took a sip, happy to have the familiar taste of fine alcohol sprinkle across her tastebuds.

“Well, I certainly didn’t tell them that you were in a coma,” Fancy said, pouring himself a glass. “But I did tell them that once you arrived in Equestria, you would give them a brief press conference in order to assure that you are back on the saddle as it were.” he gave Rarity a wink upon saying the innuendo heavy sentence, before sitting down himself.

“Well Fancy, I wasn’t in a coma,” Rarity answered, looking at her glass. “I wish I was though…” she added quietly.

“What? Why would you want to be in a coma?” Sweetie Belle asked, tilting her head slightly. Rarity simply gave her a stern look.

“Because I don’t like being asked questions I don’t like to answer. That’s why.” she shifted her attention back to the glass. “But thank you for the Dom Pérignon, Fancy. I do think it’s wonderful. But right now, all I honestly want is to just be left alone, have some privacy and rest. Here with Written Script.” she took a sip of the champagne.

“When did you become so closed in?” Fancy asked bluntly, lowering his eyebrows slightly. Rarity shifted on the couch, replaying memories of Kili’s bleeding body laying limp in her arms. Along with feelings of loneliness, uselessness and defenselessness that came with it.

“Rarity? Equestria to Rarity!" Fancy said, tapping his hoof. Rarity blinked, the memories flickering away and the present coming back into focus. Fancy, Written Script and Sweetie Belle all looked at her with varying degrees of concern.

“Well? Are you going to speak with the media or not?” Fancy asked, breaking the silence. “Because you and I both know that the media is nothing more than a pack of dogs. You have to be nice and give them a bone before you can make them leave you alone,” he leaned forward, his voice lowering slightly. “All you need to do is give a quick little speech, just something to occupy them for a few days, and then you can become as reclusive as you want.”

Rarity said nothing, instead focusing her attention on the living room window a couple of feet away. Through the curtains, she could see the silhouettes of dozens of ponies, all clustered around every window they could find, their cameras silhouetted against the flashing of their flashbulbs.

“And Rarity, you and I both know that, unless you give them something, they’ll just remain camped out in front of your house like homeless ponies in the park.” Fancy added, the mental imagery making Rarity bite her lip slightly.

Fancy had a valid point. If Rarity remained inside, her home would quickly be surrounded and besieged like some sort of military fort, constantly under attack from the outside world. And honestly, all she wanted to do was retreat up to her bedroom and sleep for days on end. But she knew that if she didn’t give the news reporters something, the harassing wouldn’t end. She let out a long exhale, and stood up.

“Alright then Fancy, I’ll give them what they want. One quick Q and A. And then I want to be left alone for awhile. Understand?”

Fancy nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. “Perfectly understood.”



/////////////////////////////////



“And three, two, one...go”

The news reporter nodded, clearing his throat, putting a self assured smile on his face, and lifting the microphone to his lips.

“Hello everypony, this is Bold Type reporting for EQD, where, in another surprising development, Rarity Belle, less than four hours after returning home from nearly three months in captivity, has announced her intention for a press conference. The subject of the conference is still unknown, but most speculate that it concerns her recent ponynapping in Griffinheim.”

Rarity meanwhile, took a deep breath, steadying herself. Her legs were still wobbly, but at least now she could stand without any assistance. It was honestly quite surprising she was able to even stand on her own, since, that morning, she had been wheelchair bound.

Guess the gem really does help me heal faster… she thought, looking down at the glowing gem in her chest. She had neglected to hide it from Fancy Pants, and she had noticed his eyes would always seem to gravitate back to the glow of her gem, eyeing it more like a greedy dragon then a concerned friend. In this case however, she was dressed in a simple business suit, which was buttoned as to hide the gem as much as possible.

Not like everypony in Equestria needs to know about this. she thought, adjusting her suit jacket to cover up the tell-tale glow of the gem just a little more. She hoped that no one had noticed it when she had been rushed into the house, but, just in case, she was going to be sure to cover it this time.

“You ready, Rarity?” Written Script asked, trotting up next to her with his ever present notepad in hoof and tablet held aloft in his magic. “Because, I think, and this is just me speaking to you as a friend, that you should rest a little more...maybe even take a vacation.”

Rarity gave Written Script a slight smile. “Written Script, I was in a cave for three months. I think that’s enough time away from work for me. Wouldn’t you say?” she adjusted her collar a little. Written Script shrugged slightly.

“I guess,” he said. “Just be careful. I don’t want you falling over in front of everypony.”

Rarity laughed slightly. “Oh no need to worry about that, I’ll just cast a quick little energy spell. And really, Script, you can relax. I’m not dying for Celestia’s sake. Just a little tired is all. I’m pretty sure I just need to sleep it off. Watch.” she adjusted her collar again. “Now, do I look good?”

Written Script gave her a quick once over, before nodding. “Yeah you look good. Why’d you pick that business suit?”

Rarity tilted her head and shrugged. “I guess I just wanted something simple…” she subconsciously rubbed the gem under her shirt. “and I don’t want everypony knowing I have a mana reactor in my chest.” she cleared her throat again, as Fancy Pants, who had been warming the news reporters up, finished his speil.

“Here we go…” she murmured, giving Written Script a nod and flaring her horn, cloaking her body in the spell. She felt a surge of energy fill her up, and she stood up straighter, striding out with head held high.

“And now, Mares and Gentlecolts, the mare of the hour, Miss Rarity Belle.” Fancy Pants announced, stepping asides to let Rarity have the microphone. Almost instantly, the mob of reporters exploded with a torrent of rapid fire questions and inquires, along with a flood of flashing cameras. Rarity simply gave them a practiced smile, nodding slightly and adding a slight wave of her hoof.

She motioned for them to sit down and, like worshipers before an idol, the reporters all sat down in near perfect synchronization. Rarity then cleared her throat, and began to speak.

“Hello everypony, how are you this fair evening?” she asked cordially, causing a small wave of murmurs to spread through the audience. Apparently, the media hadn’t quite expected her to be so inviting, as their expressions were ones of general surprise.

“Do you have any questions to ask me or are you all just really happy to see me?” she asked with a laugh, hoping that the small joke would at least get them talking, which would mean she could go inside and rest all that much sooner.

Indeed, the joke seemed to do the trick, as the reporters all stood up in perfect synch once more, shoving their microphones forwards and belting out a thousand separate questions.

“Miss Belle, what is the purpose of the gem in your chest we spotted earlier?!”

“Miss Belle are the rumors correct in stating that you’re suffering from post traumatic stress?!”

“Are you actually an alien come to suck our brains Miss Belle?!”

Rarity held up a hoof in an attempt to calm the barrage of increasingly bizarre and off-beat questions, and instead attempted to find a reporter who seemed to be asking a legitimately important question. She spotted an incredibly homespun looking caramel coated earth pony stallion, wearing a pair of tortoise shell glasses and a suit that seemed to be at least a size too large, holding up a hoof. All in all, he looked incredibly non-threatening and unassuming, which made him the perfect choice for a first question.

“You, down in the front with the glasses,” Rarity said, pointing a hoof towards the glasses-touting stallion. The stallion nodded, taking his notepad in hoof.

“Caramel Apple, for the Ponyville Gazette,” he said, pushing his glasses up his nose slightly. Rarity nodded.

“Ah I see, right from my home town yes?” she chuckled, “Anyways, what is your question?”

“I would like to know how the recent ponynapping may have affected you, and if your experience might affect your company.” he asked, and Rarity bit her lip. She had not expected such a pointed and straightforward

“Do you want an honest answer?” she asked, running a hoof through her mane reflexively. The reporter nodded.

“Miss Belle if I wanted a dishonest one, I’d ask your PR department.” There was a series of scattered chuckles at the Ponyville reporter’s jab. The reporter however, still remained focused on Rarity. “So how are you?” he asked again, holding his notepad up a little more.

Rarity said nothing at first, searching her brain for a quick answer that would satisfy both her and the reporters. However, as much as she tried to avoid it, the question brought up something she hadn’t even considered. What would she do with her life now?

She had received some of the worst treatment imaginable, not only from a completely random group of boorish terrorists, but from ones who used her own designs against her and the country she loved. In all her years of working and creating various weapons and designs, it never once crossed her mind that someone, somewhere, would be able to get their hooves on once her designs and use it against Equestria. On top of that, it seemed that their weapons were new, seemingly fresh off the assembly line, inasmuch that they were still packed in their original shipping crates, Bellecorp logo emblazoned on the sides.

This brought her right back to the central question the Ponyville reporter had posed. Had her experience changed her?

Yes...yes it has, she thought somberly.

“Miss Belle?”

The reporter’s voice snapped Rarity back into reality, and she turned towards the Ponyville reporter. She swallowed, before nodding her head slightly.

“Well...Mr. Apple, to answer your question...yes, my time in captivity has changed me. It showed me the extent of which I have ignored the actions of my company. For far too long, this company made deals with those who would mean us harm, which has indirectly caused untold pain and suffering to thousands and thousands of innocent lives. I am ashamed to say that I have sat idly by, ignored the pain my company caused, and instead only sought to further my profits,” she paused, taking a breath and looking down at her hooves. She could almost see Kili, looking up at her and pointing a trembling finger towards her chest, whispering his final words: ‘Don’t waste your life.’

She tightened her jaw slightly. I won’t Kili...I won’t. she thought, straighten up and looking directly into one of the dozens of news cameras. “And that is why, I, Rarity Belle, am finally taking action against the wrongs my company, and, by extension, myself, has caused. From now on, Bellecorp shall focus as much of it’s energy towards our more neglected fields. Fields like medicine, clean energy and renewable materials shall now be the main goal of my company. We--I--have caused enough damage to this world, and I feel it is my duty to Equestria to work towards healing those wounds. Thank you for listening.”

And with that, she stepped down from the podium and turned to walk inside, ignoring the volcanic explosion of shouted questions.



/////////////////////////////////



Rarity closed the door behind her rather firmly, before deactivating the energy spell, causing her legs to once more become wobbly. She leaned up against the wall to catch her breath, feeling a wave of exhaustion crash over her.

“Stupid energy spell…” she muttered, as she sat down to catch her breath, slipping off the uncomfortable high heels she had been wearing. Looking down at her chest, she worried if the gem had somehow begun to malfunction somehow due to the complicated spell she had just cast. I should look into replacing this with a more refined model. she thought, remembering how she had crafted this particular gem with only the most simplistic and basic tools.

“What the hell was that?” Fancy Pants asked, stomping up to Rarity and distracting her from her worries.

Rarity shook her head, bracing herself up against against the wall. “Fancy, I said what needed to be said. Nothing more.”

“What needed to be said?! You’ve just sunk this whole company!” Fancy shot back, stomping a hoof on the ground for emphasis. “Don’t you realize how much restructuring we’re going to have to undergo to pursue what you’re asking? The company isn’t like one of your computers that you can just restart whenever you like!”

Rarity shook her head. “Fancy, please stop. You look as if you’re about to blow a gasket,” she said, waving him away. “...not to mention you’re giving me a horrible headache.” she added with a mutter.

“Me? Give you a headache? Are you serious? I’m the one who’s going to have to go back to The Board and tell them that you just cut off 70 percent of our income because you’re feeling some strange sense of guilt!” Fancy replied, his voice shrill.

“Fancy please,” Rarity asked, standing on her own and stepping away from Written Script. “Just tell them I want the company to change direction. Anyways, you have a knack for organizing things, so I’m pretty sure you and the geeks in accounting can figure out a way to make it all work.” she said, slipping on a pair of slippers.

Fancy said nothing, simply rolling his eyes and facepalming. “Fine, be that way. I guess I’ll have to be the one to bare the brunt of The Board’s wrath...again.” With that, he turned and headed out the door. As he left, Rarity could hear the reporters barraging him with thousands of questions, only for the noise to cut off once the door shut.

What now? she thought, turning to walk down the hall. She had just announced the total restructuring of her entire company, and had gotten chewed out by Fancy for it. She let out a heavy sigh. She was too tired right now to deal with the consequences of her actions. She felt a strange, hollow feeling in the bottom of her chest, as if someone had taken a spoon and scooped out her soul. Maybe I should just work it off, she thought idly, looking towards the hall that lead to her lab. More often than not, whenever she felt angry, or frustrated with something, she’d go to her lab, seal herself away, and work it off.

I guess it’s work then… she thought, turning to towards the hall. Before she could take a step however, she noticed Written Script and Sweetie Belle, who, in the chaos of the media typhoon, she had totally forgotten. They both looked at her with a strange, undefinable expression.

“What? Is what I did that crazy?” she asked, and Written Script shrugged slightly.

“I don’t know, Rarity…I just think it’s really sudden is all.” he answered. Rarity sighed.

“Well, I guess you’re right. I can count on you to handle it though? I know I’ll need somepony who supports me, since Fancy obviously isn’t exactly adamant about it.”

Written Nodded. “That’s kinda my job, so I’d say so yes.”

Rarity smiled. It felt good to know that at least somepony supported her, even when she was doing the most unexpected of things. “Thank you Script. If you need me, I’ll be in my lab...Celestia knows I feel like working on something.”

And with that, she started down the hall and towards her lab.



/////////////////////////////////



“Damn it.” Rarity grumbled, tossing the sketch asides into the ever increasing pile of rejected sketches. At first, she thought work would be the answer, and had locked herself away in her lab, hoping to work off the awkward empty feeling in her chest. However, it seemed that inspiration was illuding her, as her mind would always go back to the cave and what had happened there. In particular, it went back to the suit she and Kili had been building. In any other situation, the suit would have been a good thing, as it was a potential breakthrough in her andriod designs, but now, it only reminded her of her failures.

She had promised Kili they’d get out. That she’d build the suit and they’d escape together. And what had happened? It had all crashed down around her, with him falling into her arms mortally wounded. And why had that happened? Because of her arrogance. She thought she could honestly just shoot her way out like some sort of macho, gun toting hero from an action movie with cheap tricks and a one-liner. But alas, when the moment had come and she was needed, she had failed. She had blown their secret to Ahuizotl, and because of that, Kili was now dead.

With another angry grumble, she started sketching again, trying to channel all her frustration into one drawing. In this case, it had been a gigantic version of the suit, holding Ahuizotl and his Griffin henchman in hoof, horn alight and seemingly ready to mete out justice upon the terrified creatures in it’s metal hoof. Rarity felt an odd sense of satisfaction at seeing Ahuizotl looking frightened, even if it was only a sketch. A knock on her workshop door caught her attention, and her ears perked up at the sound of the door opening.

“I thought I locked that door.” she said aloud, spinning in her chair to see Written Script standing in the doorway.

“Oh...it’s you. What do you want?” she asked, turning back to the drawing table to try and start a new sketch.

“Just wanted to check on you is all,” Written Script said, trotting up to her. “You’ve been in here for almost four hours.”

“That long?” Rarity asked, looking up at the clock. “Six o’clock already?”

Written Script nodded. “Yeah, you’ve been in here since two. Sweetie Belle’s been worried.”

“Worried? Why should she be worried?” Rarity asked, turning to look at Written Script.

“Because she’s your sister?” Written Script asked rhetorically. “She thinks you’re being depressed.”

“I’m not depressed Written Script...I’m frustrated.” Rarity answered, looking back at her sketch pad. “I’ve been trying to get back to my work, but it seems inspiration is evading me.”

Written Script shrugged. “Maybe you’ve been trying to hard and just need a break.” he said, already starting to pick up all the scattered papers that covered the floor. “And I will remind you that the last time you tried to force inspiration, you set the workshop on fire.”

“Suggestions then?” Rarity asked, leaning back in her chair.

Written Script shrugged, tossing a ball of paper into a waste bin. “I don’t know...maybe a pizza dinner with me and Sweetie? You’re work will be here in the morning anyways, Rarity.”

Rarity sighed, the mental imagery of fresh, steaming hot pizza making her mouth water and stomach rumble. Come to think of it I am rather hungry… she thought.

“Alright then, Script, you win. But why Sweetie? Can’t you just send you back to Mother where she belongs?” she asked, getting out her chair and stretching. 

“Because she’s your sister and you can’t keep shoving her aside like she’s a toy. Anyone who looks at her around you can tell she idolizes you.”

Rarity paused in the doorway. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, yesterday, I found her in the living room with like, eight erector sets, trying to make them into one big building or something.”

Rarity raised her eyebrows slightly. “Really? That’s rather impressive…” she said, not wanting to admit that she now felt some guilt. She herself had many fond memories with erector sets, and had found herself often reopening the box and spending a few hours tinkering.

“...either way, she should be sent home already,” Rarity finally said, having noticed her long pause.

“Well, apparently, you’re mother says otherwise.”

Rarity scoffed. “She would. What’s the excuse now?”

“Fashion show got extended. She won’t be back for another week.” Written Script answered, and Rarity nodded knowingly.

“Of course it was.” she let out an huff. “Let’s get that pizza then. Might as well try to keep the little imp quite right? Not to mention I’m starved.”

Written Script nodded. “Sure thing.”

And with that, the pair left the workshop.



> Act II - 10 - All is Vanity
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You”

Chapter Ten:
“All is Vanity”




As the limo quietly drove along, Rarity spent most of the time looking out the window as they headed back from the pizzeria. As it turned out, a luxury limo appearing in the parking lot was enough to attract quite the media attention, and they had been forced to discreetly turn back and head back home, despite some spirited protests from Sweetie Belle. Of course, that didn’t deter the horde of paparazzi from taking flight and following close behind the limo.

Rarity peered out the tinted window, subconsciously turning the volume of the radio up a little in an attempt to block out the traffic noise outside. Thank heavens I had this sound proofed, she thought, as a particularly heady photographer tried to get closer to the limo, only for Hobbes to take a left turn, losing the reporter mob in the tunnel.

Rarity slid back in her seat, looking over towards Written Script, who seemed to be wrapped up in thought, looking out his own window.

“What’s wrong ‘Script?” she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly. Written Script glanced towards her, shrugging slightly.

“I guess I’m just thinking is all,” he answered plainly. Rarity tilted her head.

“About what, exactly?”

Written Script shrugged again, “The company...I just feel that you might have been hasty with your decision. Are you sure this is the best way to change things? A complete restructuring?”

Rarity bit her lip slightly. She honestly didn’t have an answer for Written Script. She hadn’t really been thinking when she had spoken earlier, but rather speaking the first thoughts that came to her mind. Maybe she had been too hasty, and had basically doomed her entire company to a complete economic collapse.

“I mean, if that’s what you think is the right thing to do, then really you can’t be blamed,” Written Script continued, causing Rarity to refocus her attention back on him. “The right thing is the right thing. Pure and simple.”

Rarity smiled slightly. “I guess so…” she murmured, glancing towards Sweetie Belle, who was now looking at her with a small smile on her face.

“What’s got you all smiley?” Rarity asked bluntly, and Sweetie Belle simply tilted her head.

“Well… I’m just happy to see you being less mean and selfish,” she answered meekly, looking down slightly.

Rarity shifted in her chair and looked back out the window. “Well... thank you…” she muttered, focusing her attention on the patterns of shadow that formed as they drove under the street lamps.

The distinct feeling of something vibrating against her distracted her however, and she looked down to see her phone vibrating, indicating that someone was calling her. She let out a sigh and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Hello?” she asked, only to be greeted by Fancy Pants’ cultured accent on the other side.

“Rarity, I really do wish to apologize for my outburst earlier this afternoon,”

Rarity rolled her eyes slightly, “Really, Fancy?”

“Yes really, Rarity. I was acting in an extraordinarily indifferent and coldhearted manner. I should have taken into account the fact that you haven’t exactly had a good year, and might be suffering from emotional duress.”

“‘Emotional duress?’ What do you mean? Maybe I just don’t want our company to be so indiscriminate with it’s money Fancy Pants,” Rarity replied, straightening up in her chair. “Is that really so bad?”

She could have sworn she heard Fancy Pants let out a grumbling sigh at this, but apparently it didn't affect his answer.

“Well, whatever motivated you to have such a sudden and dramatic shift in ideals, the fact remains that you have me very much in the dark about how exactly you intend to enact these changes in a way that is both organized and efficient,” he said and Rarity sighed. Fancy Pants had a point. In all of her emotion and words, she hadn't really thought any of this out. As much as she was reticent to admit, she knew she need to at least have a plan in store for the future. She also knew that, with something as ground shaking as a complete company restructuring, she’d need to be active in the changes, and not simply leave it to Fancy  pants to work out as she had in the past.

“Well...alright then Fancy, I’ll discuss matters with you. Where do you want to meet?” she finally said, hoping that Fancy Pants would suggest someplace private.

“At the Conroy Hotel. I’m speaking with some investors there and they wanted to know if you had a plan. Hence, why I called you,” he answered, and Rarity nodded slightly.

“Alright then...Conroy Hotel it is. Just make it quick, I’m honestly just want some rest alright?” she said, hoping it would be a simply affair and she could finally go home and catch some rest.

Fancy Pants gave a chuckle from the other side, “Oh, trust me Rarity, it’ll be a very quick affair.”



/////////////////////////////



Rarity peered out the tinted window of her limousine towards the line of similar limousines outside. She glanced up at the banner announcing a certain Bruce Mane and his charity ball that was being held at the Conroy Hotel.

Rarity’s eyebrows drooped. “Of course Fancy, would call me to a party,” she grumbled. “Probably just wants to have an excuse to talk me out of rearranging the company.”

“Or maybe he just doesn’t want you to be so glum,” Written Script countered. Rarity glanced at him, an unsure look on her face. “I mean, there is that possibility right?”

Rarity let her shoulders relax, “Maybe I am overthinking it. And I have been feeling glum I suppose.”

The limo came to a stop at the entrance of the hotel, only to be once more surrounded by a mob of photographers. Sweetie Belle looked outside, shying away slightly when a reporter thrust himself against the window of the limo, obviously trying to get a photo of what was behind the tinted windows. Written Script bit his lip slightly.

“Okay, not to sound repetitive, but are you a hundred percent certain you want to go out there?” he asked, watching as Rarity set about crimping her mane. Rarity nodded.

“We’re already here, Written Script. If we were to leave now, we’d probably attract more attention. Let me just get this over with. Mustn't waste the moment,” she replied bluntly, before turning towards the stallion. “Alright then. How do I look?” she asked, and Written Script nodded.

“Fine, just fine.”

Rarity gave him a thin smile, “Alright then. Off I go I guess.” And with that, she inhaled and opened the door, stepping out into the mob of reporters. Hobbes must have gotten the hint, for as soon as the door was closed, the car lurched forwards, driving off in the direction of Rarity’s home, leaving Rarity alone with the reporters.

“Rarity!”

Rarity turned at the sound of her voice to see Fancy Pants stride over, a self-assured smile on his face. He spread his forelegs wide and pulled her into an embrace no doubt designed to look as good as possible for the two dozen photographers.

“Is this your idea of private Fancy?” Rarity asked, already working to subtly release herself from his grip. “Because I thought private meant a small hotel room and no reporters.”

Fancy Pants simply shook his head, seemingly unfazed. “Private or not, you're here aren't you? Doesn’t it feel good to be out and about, among ponies that are of similar worth as you? And what a wonderful suit you're wearing!” he added, changing the subject.

Rarity huffed. “It's the same one I had on this afternoon, Fancy. And why am I here? This is a charity ball, not a birthday party,” Rarity replied, flashing a quick smile at a camera pony out of habit. “I this is hardly the place to talk about our company’s future.”

Fancy Pants’ raised an eyebrow, gently leading her into the main ballroom, “Well, why not? A lot of the ponies here hold stock in BelleTech, and besides, I thought you wanted a return to normalcy.” He waved down a waiter, the pony trotted forward, pulling out a small notepad.

“I’ll have a Bourbon on the rocks, Ms. Belle will be having--”

“Just a half glass of champagne please.” Rarity said, cutting Fancy’s order off mid sentence. Fancy cast her a quick glance before turning to the waiter. 

“What she said.” he stated plainly and the waiter nodded, spinning on his hoof and slithering through the crowd and towards the bar across the ballroom.

As soon as the waiter was out of earshot, he turned to Rarity, giving her an incredulous look. “Half a glass? Of Champagne? When did you become such a teetotaler?” he asked, his voice matching his expression perfectly. Rarity rolled her eyes slightly.

“Maybe I just don’t feel like getting drunk tonight. Have you thought of that?”

Fancy’s expression grew somewhat confused for a moment, and he adjusted his monocle slightly.

“I’ve just never seen you limit yourself on anything really… alcohol especially,” he said, a touch of surprise in his voice. Rarity shrugged, flicking her head so that her bang drifted out of her field of vision.

“Well, that was before. Like I said, I’ve been neglectful and short sighted for far too long Fancy, and I’ve allowed my companies standards to slip right through my hooves.”

Fancy Pants gave her a vaguely unimpressed look, briefly glancing down at her chest, obviously focused on the glow of the gem that shown through her shirt.

“Well, standards aside, you should have known that your little crusade would be a massacre to our stocks,” he said, taking a sip of his bourbon. Rarity nodded slightly.

“Yes, I know… I probably should have discussed it with you, I’ll admit that,” she replied, sipping her champagne gingerly. She hesitated, only now realizing that she had totally disregarded the stocks.

“What was the damage anyways?” she asked, not really wanting to know an answer.

Fancy let out a barely noticeable snort, “At least a forty point drop. And that’s the minimum Rarity, minimum.” Fancy took another sip of his drink.

Rarity let out a quiet sigh of relief, “Well, at least we can recover from that one. We have had worse. Anyways, if I remember correctly, I’ve been told how our medical research division is only two steps away from curing cancer, or how one of our botanists thinks they can solve world hunger. Surely that means something to you.”

Fancy tightened his jaw slightly. “Even so Rarity, that research was buoyed by our military department. As close as we might be to curing whatever disease needs a cure, we still need money to fund the research. And, as horrible as it might sound to you, we need to sell weapons to fund our medical division. War is a much more guaranteed way to gain money then peace. Pure and simple.”

Rarity gave Fancy an unsure look before speaking, “You’re sounding an awful lot like a war profiteer, Fancy, you know that right?”

Fancy nodded. “That’s only because I’m being frank Rarity. We are the ones who keep the world from disintegrating into a wild chaotic mess.”

“Are you really so sure about that Fancy?” Rarity asked, swishing her champagne in her glass. “Because I’ve seen evidence of the opposite.”

Fancy Pants’ expression grew somewhat uneasy, “How so Rarity?” He once more glanced down at the glow in her chest, his eyes wavering slightly. Rarity swallowed, carefully eying the various wealthy ponies around her before carefully leaning in towards Fancy Pants.

“I fear we may have a leak,” she whispered warily, and Fancy Pants’ expression shifted, growing a little more uneasy.

“A leak you say?” he replied, and Rarity nodded.

“I’m strongly inclined to believe so, yes,” Rarity said, sipping her champagne again.

“What evidence do you have?” Fancy asked, furrowing his brow.

Rarity sighed, “When I was in the cave, I saw several unopened, brand new crates of BelleTech equipment and weapons. Brand new, Fancy. Still in the box. Are you absolutely sure we aren’t somehow dealing under the table?”

Fancy Pants’ expression grew pensive, and he looked into his glass thoughtfully for a moment before answering, “Rarity, as far as I know, every single one of our shipments went to the exact client as they were intended for. But, if what you’re saying is true, then I will personally organize some ponies to find and plug that leak. That sound good?”

Rarity nodded, “If you say so Fancy Pants.”

Fancy Pants smiled, “Excellent. Now, we’ve spent enough time speaking of such dour topics. Go, enjoy yourself. This is a party after all, and just because things have been bad for you doesn’t mean you should spend your entire life moping.” He nudged her towards the crowd. “If you need me, I will be making some calls. Alright?”

Rarity nodded, giving Fancy Pants a half-hearted thank you as she walked into the crowd. For some reason, something about Fancy’s response felt… off; as if he were hiding something. She idly unbuttoned a few buttons in her shirt. No use being buttoned up like a nun, she thought. At least try to enjoy yourself.

However, her thoughts were distracted by an aloof, and velvet like voice calling her name.

“Rarity! By Celestia is that you Rarity?”

Rarity turned to see a lemon yellow unicorn with a wavy lavender and white mane come striding towards her, a large, inviting smile on her face. She wore a sea green strapless dress that clung to her, not unlike one of the dresses that Rarity owned. Next to her, glasses perched on his nose and double breasted suit pressed neatly, was a slate grey unicorn stallion with a slightly curly black mane.

“Oh, hello Upper Crust,” Rarity said, tipping her head slightly in acknowledgement. Upper Crust simply greeted her with a quick, but friendly, hug.

“Hello Rarity, it’s so wonderful to see you,” Upper Crust said, stepping back to give Rarity some space, while simultaneously grabbing a martini glass from a passing waiter, seemingly ignoring the fact that she already had a glass held aloft in her magic. “We heard about what happened. Absolutely horrifying,” she said, looking towards her husband for a moment. “Wasn’t it Jet Set?”

Jet Set nodded. “Absolutely. I cannot imagine how frightening it must have been for you during those three months. We give you our deepest condolences,” he said, putting a hand on Rarity’s shoulder.

Rarity smiled, finally feeling a little more comfortable, “You’re very much welcome, Jet Set. But really, I’m here right now to enjoy the party, not mediate on my time in captivity.”

Upper Crust gave her husband an accusatory look. “She’s right Jet. That was very inconsiderate of you. Say you’re sorry,” she admonished, and Jet Set gave her a loving glance before tipping his head towards Rarity.

“My apologies.” he said, before looking down at the gem in Rarity’s chest. “But might I ask where you found such a beautiful gem?”

“Yes you simply must tell us!” Upper Crust gushed, nodding her head adamantly.

Rarity looked down at the gem. “Well…” she took a deep breath. “It’s something that I fashioned while in captivity.”

Upper Crust’s eyes widened, “No! Really? And all by yourself?”

Rarity shook her head. “Um.. no… it was with the help of a friend.”

“Really? Who?” Jet Set asked curiously, his words emphasized by a nod from Upper Crust. Rarity honestly didn’t feel comfortable talking about such a dark time in her life, but she also didn’t wish to be rude. Not to mention the empty void in her chest seemed to grow just a little bigger.

“Well… it was a fellow prisoner… a diamond dog to be exact.”

Upper Crust let out a gasp. “What? A diamond dog? How did you ever survive being in the presence of a such a ignorant, filthy and horrible creature?!” she asked, her jaw wide open in shock. Rarity felt her jaw tighten and her anger well up inside of her.

“He wasn’t filthy or horrible,” she countered, her eyes narrowing. “He was my friend, and his name was Kili. And above all, he was not ignorant.”

“Well what was he?” Jet Set asked, his tone sounding as if he was trying to be sincere but failing.

“He was a physicist,” Rarity replied bluntly, which only incurred a snorted laugh from the obviously tipsy Upper Crust.

“A physicist? I didn’t even know those existed!” Upper Crust said, her eyes widening. “I mean, I’m shocked those cave dwelling hounds are even capable of reading!” Jet Set was quick to give her a bump on the shoulder to cause her to stop laughing.

“I apologize for Upper Crust’s inconsiderateness,” Jet Set said, giving Rarity a genuinely sympathetic look. “She’s always had trouble holding her liquor...you know how it is.”

Rarity gave him a terse nod, “Yes, well...if you’ll excuse me,” And with that, she brusquely turned away and started to stalk through the crowd, unable to fathom how someone as cultured and wealthy as Upper Crust, could act so inconsiderate. As she walked, she caught the various snippets of conversations from the other rich ponies around her.

“...so I managed to nap this gorgeous summer home in Prance for a steal of only one million bits!”

“...my poor little Fifi is unable to eat soybeans, the poor poodle hasn’t been able to have her Rejuvena for three weeks because of it. I’ve had to stoop to buying store brand dog food! Can you imagine?!”

“...well, a guy who dresses up like a bat, clearly has issues...”

It was then that Rarity realized how much her perspective had changed. Six months ago, she would have probably been deeply involved in any one of the many conversations going on around her. But now? Now none of the conversations had anything more to them then a ‘brand new this’ or ‘fancy new that’. Every discussion was just about improving their immediate needs. Nothing long term. Mirrors, jewelry, clothing, the list went on. Everything was shallow and vain. 

The more Rarity heard, the more empty she felt. She eyed the bar nearby, wondering if she should try to drown out the inane babbling with whatever was the most powerful drink available.

No Rarity… Kili wouldn’t want that, she thought, shaking her head and turning towards the exit. You’re going to go home, and work this off. Do something productive. Not like these…. she paused, giving the crowded room behind her another glance.

Not like these ponies.

And with that, she headed out the door, fed up with the emptiness of the world around her.



/////////////////////////////



Light Bright was awoken by the sound of his cellphone ringing on his nightstand. He peered through his sleepy eyelids, glaring at the phone. He continued to glare towards it for a few more rings, before he let out a grumbling sigh. He lazily picked it up with his magic, not wanting to expose his hooves to the night air, and levitated it to his ear.

“Hello, you’ve reached Light Bright, unrecognized genius. How may I help you?” he droned, hoping that whomever was calling him had good reason to, taking into account it was quite late and he had only just fallen asleep.

“Hello Dr. Bright, this is Fancy Pants. Did I disturb you?”

Upon hearing Fancy Pants’ voice, Light Bright slid up in bed, shaking himself awake. “Oh, um, no, of course not Mr. Fancy Pants. I was hoping for your call!” he answered, hoping not to sound too eager as his hoof moved up to grip the phone.

“Well you don’t have to hope anymore my friend,” Fancy Pants answered, his voice sounding pleased. “There’s a certain position that I think you’ll be perfect for.”

Light Bright’s eyebrows rose. “Really? What?”

“Well, since Ms. Belle has seen fit to expand our alternative energies division, I trust that you have an understanding of mana generators and gem based arc reactors?” Fancy Pants asked, his voice sounding analytical.

Light Bright nodded, “Why, yes, sir, I do have an understanding! I’m very sure I’ll be able to help you.”

“Grand. Then I expect you here, in my office, by tomorrow so we can finalize the paperwork. You’ll be working for me, understand?”

“Yes sir, I do. Perfectly so. What about Ms. Belle?” Light Bright replied, unsure as to why Fancy Pants only mentioned himself.

“Don’t worry about her. That will be handled when the time comes. Until then, good evening.” Fancy answered, hanging up the phone and leaving a beaming Light Bright in silence.

Wow, Light Bright thought, slowly slipping out of bed and walking over to his laptop computer, which on a desk across the room. I’m finally going to do it! I’m finally going to work at BelleTech! I’m going to finally be taken seriously! It’s all coming together!

He happily slid into his chair, his past sleepiness forgotten. He popped open the laptop and flipped it on. He knew he had a basic understanding of mana generation, but, if he was going to be working at BelleTech, he was going to be sure to know everything that one could possibly know.

Everything’s getting better! he thought happily, a smile spreading across his face.



/////////////////////////////



Rarity threw herself onto her bed, disgusted by the actions of those around her. She angrily levitated the remote control over and switched on the TV.

At least I can hopefully drown out the stupidity of the world with a little television, she thought. However, fate determined that she would land on a news report about the conflict over in South Griffinheim.

“...the terrorists say that their new weapons are thanks to the newly disclosed fifty million bit ransom payment for famed Equestrian robotics expert and weapons designer Rarity Belle, who had been kidnapped by the terrorists…” The news pony continued his straight vested commentary, while the footage exhibiting the terrorists’ new weapons. Large machine guns carried on the backs of diamond dogs who fired them with glee at random innocent civilians. The thing that made it especially angering, was that they were using her ransom money to do it.

Rarity had seen enough. She shut the television off, the empty feeling in her chest becoming unbearable. She looked around the room, trying to find something to fill the void. All she saw were the trappings of her old life, from expensive curtains to the velvet carpenting. On her desk across the room, sat a pile of papers, and Rarity caught a glimpse of the doodle of the mechanical pony and griffin she had made earlier.

Rarity’s eyes narrowed slightly, the gears in her head starting to turn. She thought back to the cave, and her original plan. She remembered the suit, and the feeling of fulfillment that hope had given her. She had to do something herself, something to bring that that feeling back to her.

Kili had sacrificed his body for me, she thought, rising out of the bed. Told me not to waste my life...

She immediately grabbed her glasses, levitated some papers and a pen over and began to draw fervently. Her pen whipped across the page hysterically, her eyes didn't even perceive the shape, it was coming too fast—straight from somewhere in her hollow chest—a surge of anger and sorrow.

They have pay, I have to MAKE them pay, wring it out of them before my eyes. She yanked open a drawer, pulling out a box of cigarettes, yanking one out and setting it alight. She needed the nicotine. Her sketching intensified, with her brushing away bits of ash as she fervently sketched. I have to be there, I have to SEE it, DO it myself. It was my fault Kili died, and therefore, I have to be the one to avenge him. For Kili’s sake, I can’t substitute my payment to anypony else. Her pen stopped abruptly—as if responding to her thoughts—and her eyes fell on the page.

The final sketch showed sketch for an elegant battle suit made of steel. This design would be powered by her diamond arc. “‘Don’t waste your gift’ you said,” she whispered to Kili, as if he were standing in the room with her. “Well, I think I've found a purpose for my gift dear friend.”



> Act II - 11 - Purpose
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You?”

Chapter Eleven:
"Purpose"





Rarity leaned back from her drawing desk, and gazed at the sketch of the battle suit before her. The strange, empty void in her chest seemed to have been relieved slightly at the sight of the drawing. She now felt as if she had actually achieved something. Yes it was only a sketch, but it was something productive, something that actually had a chance of changing something in her life beyond the cosmetic aspects that a new hair perm or a manicure often provided.

What had started as a simple design outline had soon bloomed into the designs for the suit’s weapons, it’s internal mechanisms and power systems. Everything from the material needed to the exact number of parts necessary to build it was written down. As she had went, she would pin a new blueprint to the large pinboard above her drawing desk, and now it was practically overflowing with blueprints and sketches. She took a draw from what was now her third cigarette, exhaling smoothly as she pinned yet another sketch to the pinboard.

“Fabulous, simply fabulous,” she said, letting out a deeply satisfied sigh. “Now...how am I going to reverse the polarity of the--” she halted, clearing her throat coarsely, only to hear someone knocking on her bedroom door. Her eyes darted towards the door, and she let out an involuntary groan of irritation before focusing her attention back on the pinboard, and reversing the polarity--

The knock came again, this time noticeably more insistent this time, and Rarity furrowed her brow. The knock came again, followed by several more, and with a disgruntled sigh, she spun on her hooves, briskly trotting over to the door.

“Who is it?” she asked, swinging the door open, revealing Written Script standing in the doorway, a mildly concerned look on his face.

“Oh, it’s you just you. What is it Written Script? I was having an epiphany,” she said, giving him a smile. Written arched an eyebrow slightly.

“Rarity, you alright?” he asked hesitantly, and Rarity tilted her head slightly.

“Um, yes, I’m perfectly fabulous. Why? What’s got you worried?”

“Well, it’s just that it’s seven in the morning.”

Rarity’s eyes widened slightly. “Seven in the morning? Really?”

Written Script nodded, motioning towards the clock that, coincidentally, sat right over Rarity’s pinboard. Rarity looked up at the clock, before biting her lip and blushing slightly.

“Well, I do suppose that I might have gotten a little carried away,” she said, her expression brightened. "But look what I designed!" She added, beckoning for Written Script to follow her inside. Written followed behind dutifully, looking up at the pinboard and the thousands of sketches pinned up there.

"A little carried away? Rarity, I haven't seen you draft up so many sketches since back when you made your first presentation for Fancy Pants," he said, his eyes wide. "What is this? Some sort of fighting robot or something?" he asked, arching an eyebrow slightly and casting a glance towards Rarity. Rarity shook her head.

"No, its not a robot. Its an advanced mechanized armored combat suit," she replied, puffing her chest out slightly with pride. Written Script nodded slightly.

"So its like an anime?" he asked, and Rarity tilted her head slightly.

"You mean like those loud and over-animated cartoons that Sweetie Belle is always watching?"

Written Script cast Rarity an accusatory look. "Anime isn't over-animated. Its an art form," he answered, his voice vaguely defensive. "And that's beside the question, anyways," he then added, seemingly noticing the budding seeds of an argument and deciding to avert it. "The question is that, I thought you said that we weren't going to make weapons. This looks an awful lot like a weapon..." he continued, pointing towards a schematic of an internal miniaturized plasma cannon.

Rarity opened and closed her mouth slightly for a few seconds, before switching to nibbling her lip slightly. “Well…” she began, twiddling her thumbs. “... I will admit that, yes, this suit does have weapons… but it’s not a weapon… per se…”

Written Script simply gave her a very deadpan expression, his eyebrows lowering slightly. Rarity looked towards the ceiling for a moment.

“Rarity…” Written Script pressed and Rarity let out a sigh.

“Oh alright fine… yes, Script, it’s a weapon. But trust me when I say that only I shall ever use it. In fact, I'll probably only use it the one time anyways," she answered, tapping a pen reflexively on the table top next to her.

“Well, what are you going to use it for?” Written Script asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s a one-off… at least I think it’ll be.” Rarity answered. “I just… I just feel like I should be doing… something to help the world. Something more than just saying I’ll do something and then throwing money at it. I mean, you saw the news report last night didn’t you?” she asked, and Written Script shrugged slightly.

“Which one? I watch the news a lot you know. Kinda my job remember?” he replied with a slight chuckle.

“The one with the terrorists in South Griffinheim… the ones who ponynapped me,” Rarity replied, giving Written Script a mildly questioning look. Written Script’s face lit up with recognition.

“Oh, that one!” he said, facepalming. Rarity rubbed her forehead.

“Written, how could you forget seeing something like that?” she moaned. “I’d figure the ponynapping of your friend would be something that would attract your attention when it came on the news!”

“Rarity I’m sorry! I was watching the economics channel! But I’m your assistant, which means I have to keep track of everything. And right now, the economic ramifications of what you said yesterday are kinda massive. I mean, I support you, have no doubt about that, but as your assistant, I still have to make sure you’re not bankrupting yourself.”

Rarity let out a sigh. “And that’s more important than making sure those savage murderers are brought to justice? Making money?”

Written Script shook his head. “No, of course not! It’s just-- if the company does go bankrupt, you won’t be able to help anypony, and then where will you be? You’ll just be another burn-out, who threw all their money at an ideal without any sense of planning or foresight. And then more ponies will get hurt, and you won’t be able to do anything to stop that or fix it.”

Rarity opened and closed her mouth again, unable to really come back with a real excuse. Written Script had a point. As much as Rarity wanted to bring justice to the ones whom had hurt her and killed Kili, if she ran out of money, and her company crashed, she’d stand to lose everything, and then she would be left alone in her poverty, just like she had seen in her nightmare back then in the cave. And she would rather die then end up like that pathetic hermit.

“I-I guess you are right, Script…” she said, looking up at the schematics. She briefly considered disposing of all of them, chalk them up to an emotional episode and move on with her life, get her company back on track. But a small post-it note caught her attention. It hung in the upper left corner, and, written on it in bright red ink was the following two word sentence: “For Kili.”

Those two words brought back the reason for why she had crafted this machine. Not because of an emotional need to fix something that was hopelessly broken, or to simply make herself feel important. No, she had crafted this suit for him. So that his death and her living wouldn’t be in vain. Yes there was a risk, a risk of failure. But so what? Hadn’t everything she’d ever undertaken always run that risk? Fifteen years ago, no one would have pinned her to be one of the wealthiest ponies in Equestria, one who had built herself from nothing with only a sketch pad, a box of tools and a dream. But she had done it, and that achievement had been fueled by her own mere vanity and stubbornness. Now she had a purpose, to bring justice to those who had none, to remember the one who wouldn’t be remembered. To quit now would be taking everything she’d seen and learned, bundling it up and throwing it away as if it meant nothing. And that would be the worst possible thing. She set her jaw, her resolve hardening.

“Written Script,” she began, turning back to face him. “I can’t--no--I won’t turn back now. I shouldn’t even be alive… but I am. I mean, there has to be a reason for that right? In that cave, I made a promise. I gave myself a reason to exist, and if I were to abandon that now, my life would be worthless an--” she was unexpectedly cut off by Written Script yanking her into a completely out of the blue bear hug. She tensed up, completely baffled as to how to react.

“Oh Rarity, you have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say that!” Written Script said, his voice sounding deeply relieved.

“Oh? Really?” Rarity asked, glancing about awkwardly. “Then why did you go on about the money? I mean… mixed signal right?”

Written Script pulled out of the hug. “Oh, that? That was a test!” he said with relief. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“A test?”

Written Script nodded. “Yeah. I just wanted to make sure you’re heart was really invested in all this,” he replied, motioning again towards the pinboard. “I mean, if all this was just a pet project, once I mentioned the risk of bankruptcy, the old Rarity probably would have instantly torn the schematics down and scrapped the project. Now? Now you’re really going to do something good for the world. Something that might actually make a difference. I always wanted to see you do something more with that wonderful mind that you have. Something that can actually improve the world and damn you’re finally doing it!”

Rarity looked at Written Script with wonder. “Y-You really think all that?” Written Script nodded resolutely.

“Absolutely. With all my heart,” Rarity could’ve sworn that he sniffed slightly, and that his eyes were watering visibly. “And I’m going to support you, come what may,” he added, a smile on his face. Rarity couldn’t help but feel her heart warm at the showing of support from her friend.

“Wow, Script… all of all the things you could’ve said… that was the best possible thing,” she said, a tear managing to escape from her eyes as she pulled him into a hug of her own.

“Thanks, I always try my best you know,” Written Script replied, returning the hug in full. They sat there for a moment, simply content to be hugging, only to be interrupted by someone knocking on the workshop door sharply.

“Um, Mr. Script! The waffle iron is on fire!” came Sweetie Belle’s voice, and Written Script’s eyes widened.

“Oh damn I forgot the waffles!” he said, bolting up from where he was sitting and galloping towards the door, swinging it open wildly and madly scrambling down the hallway, leaving a vaguely confused Rarity sitting in the bedroom. Her eyes latched onto the small filly left standing in the doorway.

“What’s this about a burning waffle iron?” she asked, her eyes narrowing. Sweetie Belle opened and closed her mouth slightly, before pawing at the carpet.

“Well… I kinda wanted waffles… and Written Script said he’d make them, so we started and then he went to check on you, leaving me to watch them…” Sweetie then bit her lip slightly, obviously very embarrassed. “And then he didn’t come back and they kinda caught fire…”

Rarity’s eyes widened noticeably, her face darting towards the door as she heard Written Script shouting from down the hall.

“RARITY I NEED YOU OVER HERE!” he shouted. Rarity stood up from her chair, ignoring Sweetie Belle, and galloped down the hall.



/////////////////////////////



“The Waffler lied.” Sweetie Belle pouted slightly as she, Written Script and Rarity cleaned up the utter disaster that was the kitchen. As it had turned out, the waffles had somehow managed to catch fire during the time Written Script and Rarity had been talking, and, in an attempt to avoid setting the entire kitchen on fire, Sweetie Belle had grabbed a fire extinguisher off the wall and fired it towards the flaming waffle iron… only to miss entirely and instead paint every surface with a thick layer of fire extinguisher foam.

Thankfully, there had been enough foam left in the extinguisher for Written Script to be able to put out the actual fire, but the kitchen was still an utter wreck, with foam caking the walls, counter tops and flooding the sink.

“I’m really sorry, Rarity, I didn’t--” Sweetie Belle said meekly.

Rarity waved her hoof, “Please, spare me--I think I can afford a new one.”

Written gave her a dark look and opened his mouth as if to say something--but just then the doorbell rang, followed by a rapid series of knocks. 

“Oh Celestia--it’s mother!” Rarity almost slipped on the foam trying to get to the kitchen door.

“Rarity, she hasn’t seen you in--”

“Tell her I’m resting! Say I’ll call her!”

The unicorn disappeared around the corner and Written and Sweetie heard the sound of her bedroom door slamming shut. The was another stream of rings from the front door and a barrage of knocks. Written sighed. 

“You’d better wipe yourself up Sweetie, before you come to see your mother.”

He went out the kitchen and down the hall to the front door--which he was sure was going to need a new coat of paint after the abuse it had suffered. He pulled it open and Pearl nearly fell on top of him.

“Well, it’s about time!” she exclaimed. “I was about to call the police, I thought you had all been kidnapped this time!”

“I told you they were coming, honey. It’s a big house, it probably took him some time to get down all those stairs Rarity put in,” Magnum said calmly, following his wife into the house. “So where is Rarity?” 

“Yes, she hasn’t called or texted and she’s been back for four whole days--”

Written interrupted her, “She’s resting right now. She’s very tired, you understand.” 

Pearl looked decidedly disbelieving but Magnum quickly said, “Of course, we don’t want to disturb her, she needs time to recover.” 

“... Or maybe she doesn’t want us poking holes in her story…” Pearl muttered so softly Written barely caught it.

Magnum turned to his wife and said in a low voice, “We talked about this, Pearl.” 

She ignored her husband and said to Written, “Where’s Sweetie then?”

“I’m here, Mama,” Sweetie answered meekly, coming down the hall.

“What’s the white stuff in your hair?” Magnum asked.

Sweetie’s eyes widened but before she could answer Pearl interjected, “We’re going home now, Sweetie.”

Sweetie blinked and gawked. “Home? But--”

“Get your stuff and be back down here in five minutes.”

“But Rarity--”

“Never mind Rarity! She’ll give up on this fabrication as soon as the public finds a new scandal to latch onto.”

“Pearl…” Magnum gave his wife a dark look.

“Fabrication?” Sweetie squeaked. 

Pearl leaned down so her eyes were at level with her daughter’s, “Your sister has created this massive illusion as a melodramatic publicity stunt to draw more attention to herself, because being the harlot princess of a second rate fashion line wasn’t enough.” She pulled back and turned towards the door, “Now let’s go. Honestly, wasted all this time to come here and--”

“NO!” 

Pearl stopped cold just as her hoof touched the door and turned back to her daughter. “Excuse me?”

Sweetie’s eyes were wide and she glanced at her father and then Written, who both simply gawked, before taking a deep breath. “Enough Mama. Stop… stop these lies r-right now! Rarity didn’t fake anything and if you opened your eyes for two seconds and realize that not everypony is mean and cold like you you’d see that! Did you even hear what Rarity said to the news ponies when she came back? She’s going to stop making guns and stuff, but of course you don’t know that because you’re too busy leaving me behind whenever you travel so you can go on another stupid vacation or another one of your silly fashion shows!”

“Sweetie Lauren Belle, you stop this right now and listen--”

“No, you listen to me for once! You know what? I HATE fashion!” Sweetie Belle shouted, causing everyone to take a slight step back. “I mean--I mean I like to look pretty and stuff, but that’s not what I want to be when I grow up! I want to do something like Rarity! But of course, that’s not fashion, so you hate it! You only see what you want to see! And you ALWAYS have to be right! No wonder Rarity hates me, she must think I’m a little version of you! But I don’t want to be you, I want to be me! I want to make things and I want to know how they work! And I never, ever want to be anything like you!”

There was a terrible, chilling silence as Sweetie stood gasping to catch her breath while her parents and Written stared at her. Suddenly, a voice from behind them made them all jump: “I always thought I’d die before Mother would ever be speechless. But I guess since I almost died, it still counts.” 

Written and Sweetie turned around and Pearl and Magnum looked up to see Rarity standing in the hall, leaning against the wall. Magnum was the first to speak, “Rarity! Did we wake you?”

Rarity shrugged slightly, “Well, if I hadn’t already been awake, I probably would have been woken up.”

Magnum went over to his daughter and looked like he intended to hug her, but hesitated and instead said awkwardly, “We came to check on you but, um, Written told us you were resting… how are you feeling?”

“After that?” Rarity asked before nodding towards Sweetie. “Incredible!”

Sweetie blushed and Magnum looked uncomfortable but Rarity just smiled, “Say Sweetie, how about some ice cream? Written bought me like seven tubs of it.”

Sweetie looked confused for a moment, but finally said, “Um… sure Rarity.”

Rarity smiled and motioned for her to follow her into the kitchen. She gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for coming, Daddy,” she said quietly, before walking back down the hall to the kitchen with Sweetie on her heels. 

There was a painful pause finally broken by Written, “Would you both like to stay for dinner? I’m pretty sure there’s something you’d enjoy.” 

“I think… we’ll come back tomorrow,” Magnum said, shaking his head slightly. “I don’t think she cares for our company right now… and, um, we should give her some space, respect her decision.”  

Written opened his mouth to protest but Magnum held up a hoof, waiving it slightly. “Don’t worry, we’ll show ourselves out, Written. Thank you.”

Written hesitated for a moment, before nodding slightly and turning and went down the hall after the sisters. 



/////////////////////////////



Once Written was gone Magnum stamped his hoof. “Damn it Pearl, just for one day--one day--can’t you keep your opinion to yourself, is that too much to ask?”

Pearl didn’t answer. Magnum let out a huff, preparing himself to repeat his question, this time with a little more force. However, he stopped dead in his tracks when and turned on her, ready to do just that, but stopped cold when he saw her expression. For the first time in quite some time, Pearl looked horrified. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, the veins visible along the edges.

“Pearl?” Magnum asked quietly, gently putting a hoof over her shoulder. She leaned against him, her mouth moving slightly, as if she were trying to speak. However, no words came out.

“What was that dear?” Magnum asked, bringing her slightly closer to him to catch her words.

“Did you see her?” she asked her voice just barely above a whisper.

Magnum furrowed his brow slightly. “Who? Rarity?” he asked, and Pearl nodded slightly.

“She looks so thin,” she said, looking up at Magnum with worried eyes. Magnum shrugged ever so slightly, unsure of how to handle his normally stoic wife’s expression of emotion.

“I suppose she lost a little weight--”

“I've never seen her so thin,” Pearl repeated, her lower lip quivering slightly.

There was a pause as Magnum closely studied his wife. He could tell she was trying her best not to allow any of the tears welling up in her eyes. Magnum gently reached out a hoof, caressing her face gently.

“Pearl,” he began, his voice gentle. “Are you alright?”

Pearl shook her head slowly. “I-I-I need to go home. Please take me home, Magnum,” she begged, looking him directly in the eyes. Magnum nodded, and began to gently escort her towards the door.

“Of course, dear. Let’s go home.”



> Act II - 12 - Shall I Creep or Shall I Fly?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You”

Chapter Twelve:
"Shall I Creep or Shall I Fly?"




Rarity and Sweetie Belle walked down the hall and into the dining room, and Sweetie Belle sat down at the table, having not spoken a single word since Pearl had left. Rarity gave Sweetie Belle a thin smile, not exactly accustomed to this situation. Normally, Rarity would be more likely to ignore Sweetie Belle entirely, but Sweetie’s words had struck a chord in her.

“So, that was quite brave of you, Sweetie, standing up to Mother like that.” she said, her voice echoing in the empty dining room slightly as she walked into the kitchen to fish out a tub of ice cream. There was a pause as Rarity awaited a response, already in the process of scooping ice cream into a pair of cups. The only sound that reached her ears was the sound of someone crying.

“Sweetie?” Rarity called out, picking the cups up with her magic and walking into the dining room. She stopped, surprised at the sight of Sweetie shaking and silently crying at the table, her head in her hooves.

Rarity bit her lip. “Um...Sweetie Belle? Look, I brought ice cream,” she said quietly, gently sliding the cup of ice cream over to Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie didn’t respond, instead letting out a stifled sob. Rarity sat down next to her, looking around awkwardly. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?” she asked, doing her best to try and comfort the crying filly. 

Sweetie said nothing, instead just scooting closer to Rarity and pulling her into a hug. Rarity didn’t quite know how to respond, not quite used to having Sweetie Belle show her such affection.

“Sweetie, please tell me, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Rarity asked, leaning in a little closer to Sweetie Belle.

Sweetie just tightened her hug more, before speaking in a quiet, trembling whisper. “Am I a bad pony Rarity?” she asked, her eyes glancing up at Rarity briefly. Rarity blinked.

“Um...what?” Rarity said, not quite understanding the question.

“I-I s-said, am I a bad p-pony? F-for yelling at Mo-mommy?” Sweetie Belle repeated, looking up at Rarity with tear filled, deeply worrisome eyes.

Rarity’s eyes widened slightly, and she bit her lip. For what felt like the hundredth time that day, she was at a lost for words. She personally had always enjoyed calling Pearl out, pointing out the older mare’s flaws and problems, and so a part of her was honestly, completely baffled by Sweetie’s current state. Where was the smugness, the feeling of triumph that one would expect by someone who had just humiliated and defeated the one who had always oppressed them? Instead, Sweetie acted as if she had just committed a horrible crime, and that she might be about to suffer judgement for it.

“I...um...well, no you’re not a bad pony. Not at all. Pearl was using you just like a puppet for her every whim. You fought back, expressed your desire for independence. I think that’s wonderful. You were incredibly brave for saying what you said.”

“B-But...Mommy probably hates me now. I don’t want Mommy to hate me! I just want her to think what I like is okay.” Sweetie Belle said, shaking her head. Rarity found herself gently pulling Sweetie Belle into a hug.

“So what if she hates you? It’s her loss, not yours. Just because she’s too foolish and stubborn to admit she’s wrong doesn’t make you wrong for standing up for yourself. Understand?” Rarity said, surprising even herself with her gentle tone. Sweetie Belle looked up at her.

“Re-really? You really think so?” she asked, and Rarity nodded.

“Yes. Of course. Anyways, it’s me who should feel terrible. I’ve treated you horribly all these years. Treated you as if you were nothing more than a nuisance, when, really...we’re more alike than I thought.” she sighed, looking down at the two cups of ice cream. “Care for some?” she asked, gently levitating one of the cups to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie silently took the cup, smiling slightly as she ate the ice cream.

Rarity mimicked Sweetie Belle, and the two quietly ate their respective cups of ice cream, neither really wanting to talk or speak. Rarity could hear hoofsteps, and turned to see Written Script standing in the doorway, his expression concerned.

Rarity smiled at him, before gently nudging Sweetie Belle. “Sweetie, look, I have to speak with Written Script, so how about you go to my room, and then maybe later, we can tinker with those tinkertoys or an erector set or something. How does that sound?”

Sweetie Belle nodded slightly, a thin smile on her now tired face. “Yeah that sounds nice. Thanks Rarity.” she then got out of the chair and walked towards the door, giving Written Script a smile and a nod, which he returned. As soon as Sweetie disappeared around the corner, Written started towards Rarity, taking the now vacated seat where Sweetie Belle was sitting.

“Hello Written,” she said, poking her melting ice cream with her spoon. “Would you care for some? It’s Sugar Cube Corner Cookies and Cream.” she said, holding the cup out towards Written Script, who shook his head slightly.

“No, that’s okay.” he paused, watching Rarity eat the ice cream quietly. “So what’s next for you and Sweetie? I mean, you seem awfully friendly with her all of a sudden.”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “What are you implying, Written?” she asked, turning to look at him. Written shrugged.

“I just wonder if this is just a passing phase, or are you really just trying to spite your mom.”

Rarity blinked.

“Look, don’t get me wrong!” Written continued, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I totally understand why you’d want to spite your mom. She’s terrible...but are you really going to pretend that you’re friends with Sweetie, just so you can stick it to your mother? Yesterday, you made a whole show about new beginnings and being the better pony, and I believe you really are sincere...but you can’t truly be a new pony if you treat those around you in the same ways you did before your life was changed.”

Rarity was about to make a comeback, but Written still had a point. She had made a whole show, told everyone she was going to change. But she had still treated Sweetie in the exact same way she always had. Stunting her, belittling her, making her feel useless.

Just like her mother had.

Rarity let out a sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “Damn it Written...I guess that really would make me a hypocrite wouldn’t it?” she looked down at the table. 

“So what do you want to do?” Written Script asked, and Rarity sighed.

“I suppose be the sister I always should have been. No reason not to right?”

“And the suit? What about that?” Written asked again, causing Rarity to shrug and laugh.

“Well, I’ve always been a multitasker. I see no reason why I can’t do both...” she trailed off, taking another scoop of ice cream. Written nodded slightly, before furrowing his brow slightly.

“And the company? Maybe I can go and keep an eye on things and make sure they don’t try to raise a stink? I mean, robotic battle suits aren’t exactly cost effective.” he said, and Rarity nodded.

“You’re right I suppose. If what you said is correct, then it’s very likely they’ll try to file an injunction against me. And, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that Fancy isn’t exactly being forthright with me.” she said soberly.

“So you want me to check it out personally?” Written asked her.

“Well...yes. Yes I do. I mean, you’ve been with me since college, and I just really feel as if I should have somepony I know is one hundred percent trustworthy keeping an eye out for what’s going on there. And, honestly, I feel as if you’re that pony.”  she answered somberly, looking at Written Script with hopeful eyes. She then sighed. “I mean, I can’t force you, obviously, and it’s probably a rather daunting task I’m asking of you...but I feel it must be done.”

Written Script’s expression was pensive for a long moment, before he began to nod his head slightly. “No, no I get it. I was probably going to have to go over there anyways, since we were going to have to explain the sudden disappearance of a couple million bits worth of technology to the bean counters.” he added with a chuckle. Rarity scoffed quietly, feeling that the current mood was becoming rather dour.

“Oh Written, you sell us short. I am a billionaire after all,” she laughed, smiling again. “I’m pretty sure I can afford most of what I need from my private funds,” she leaned back in her chair slightly, taking another bite out of the now liquified ice cream.

“Yeah I know, if it weren’t for me, you probably wouldn’t have half of those billions.” Written added with a wry smile causing the both of them to laugh lightly.

“But you are here, and that’s what’s important, Written.” she gave him a supportive tap on the shoulder. Written nodded.

“Thanks. That really does mean a lot, Rarity.” he then stood up, stretching slightly and letting out a sigh. “I guess I’d better go and get everything ready. Sure you don’t need anything else? Like, I don’t know, fresh coffee? New notebook? Something?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, I’ll be fine. Just go and get ready. Don’t let me keep you. I have to check on Sweetie Belle anyways and make sure she didn’t accidentally break something.”

Written smiled, “Well, for all we know she’s trying to build a better blender or something out of the parts of the television.” he added with a chuckle.

“Oh, Celestia forbid!” Rarity replied, shaking her head and giving Written a half-hug before Written turned and walked out, leaving Rarity sitting at the table quietly. With a slight shrug and a content sigh, she stood up, taking the cup over to the kitchen and plopping it in the sink before making her way back to her room, where she found Sweetie Belle, cuddled up on the bed, having fallen asleep watching some random anime on the television. Rarity couldn’t help but feel her heart warm at the sight of her sister sleeping quietly, and honestly began to feel a little bit tired herself. She hadn’t slept in almost two days, and knew that she’d need as much rest as she could get before attempting her master project.

“Might as well catch a few winks, eh Rarity?” she murmured to herself as she ambled over to the bed and took her place next to Sweetie Belle, pulling up the covers and letting out a content sigh as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.



///////////////////////////////////



“This will be the laboratory where you will work,” Fancy Pants said, noncommittally motioning towards the various tarp-covered tables that Light Bright assumed had lab equipment.

“Now I know it’s rather bare bones, but, if you are correct and haven’t been lying to me, I know a brain with a caliber such as yours will be able to craft something. Am I right?” Fancy continued, catching Light Bright’s attention as he gave him a sharp prod on the shoulder. Light Bright nodded his head humbly and rubbed his shoulder.

“Um, yes, yes I can most definitely make something with this." He said, levitating a tarp slightly to take a peek at the equipment underneath. "Um, how soon do you want-" he paused, scrunching his brow slightly. “What is it that you want anyways, sir? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Fancy Pants halted, straightening up and turning towards Light Bright with raised eyebrows. “What do you mean ‘what do I want’?” he asked dryly, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Light Bright swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck and tugging on the collar of his labcoat slightly. “Um, well, I just find it odd that you’ve brought me all this way to this laboratory, but haven’t spoken a word about what exactly I’ll be tasked in, um, building--don’t get me wrong, I deeply, deeply appreciate the money and the employment, I really do. I just feel it might be best for me to know exactly what’s needed of me, so that way I can properly provide what you, um, well, need.” he finished with another dry swallow, his worry increasing slightly when Fancy’s expression remained identical to how it was before.

There was a painfully long pause between the pair, before Fancy Pants raised his eyebrow slightly and tilted his head slightly.

“Is it really that important to know?” he asked ambivalently, and Light Bright simply inhaled, bit his lip and shifted his hoof slightly. He heard Fancy let out a slightly ruffled sigh, and then speak.

“Well, I suppose you can’t be entirely faulted,” he said with vague displeasure. “After all, it’s best that I just get this out of the way now, and avoid any unnecessary trouble that might spawn from your current lack of information.” As he spoke, Light Bright noticed him levitating a manila folder out from under his overcoat, and placing it on a countertop. The taller unicorn motioned for Light Bright to come over.

Light Bright walked up without saying a word, instead focusing his attention on the manila folder. In simple, stamped red letters, where the words ‘Secret: Do Not Open Unless Given Express Permission’.

“What is this?” he asked, looking up at Fancy, who merely opened the folder without answering to reveal several dozen photographs, seemingly taken by paparazzi, of Rarity Belle herself. Sitting in her chest, and standing out like a sore thumb, was a large, noticeably glowing diamond. Light Bright’s eyes widened.

“Is that what I think it is?” he asked with shock, and Fancy Pants nodded slightly.

“Yes. Yes it is. It’s a diamond arc mana reactor. Only one of it’s kind. I assumed you knew about it, which is why I haven’t mentioned it so far.”

“Well, I-um-I heard rumors, but I don’t really watch the news all that often.”

This caused Fancy to raise an eyebrow. “Really? Well...that’s...unique.” he seemingly seemed to smile slightly before continuing. “Either way, that’s what I wish for you to recreate.”

Light Bright’s eyes widened. “You want me to craft a working diamond arc mana reactor of that size?! But that’s impossible!”

“Nonsense!” Fancy Pants countered, shaking his head. “We’ve built thousands, if not millions of such mana reactors--”

“No, no, you’re confusing the power gems you make for a mana reactor. The enchantments run on a totally different kind of spellwork. What your power gems work is due to them being specially enchanted to preserve and contain the energy produced in your central power--”

“Central power plants. yes, I know. I designed the infrastructure myself. I know perfectly well how it all works.”

“Then you should know full well that I can’t recreate this. I mean, what Ms. Belle made is basically a self sustaining energy device. It creates it’s own energy and reuses it, with apparently zero visible decrease in power. This requires a spell I don’t know.”

Fancy Pants groaned slightly. “So you’re telling me you're incapable of recreating it?” he rubbed the bridge of his nose in obvious frustration. Light Bright was quick to realize his fumble.

“Um, no, no I never said that! I just said I don’t know the spell as in I don’t know it off the top of my head.” he quickly answered. He couldn’t risk losing what was probably his only opportunity to ever make his laughing stock of a name respectable. Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow.

“So you can recreate it?”

Light Bright nodded resolutely. “Yes. Yes I can. It might take me some time, but I can rest assured that I can recreate this. I just need the materials and tools and the time.”

“Whatever tools you might possibly need are either here in this laboratory or can be provided for you at a moments notice. What materials will you need?” Fancy replied plainly. Light Bright looked down at the photograph, taking a moment to study a particularly clear photograph of Rarity closely.

“Well, a diamond, obviously,” he answered, squinting slightly as he noticed a purple-ish ring like structure surrounding the outer edge of the diamond. “Do you happen to know what that purple ring surrounding the diamond is?” he asked, turning towards Fancy, who looked down at the photograph for a moment.

“Evidence suggests it’s vibranium.” he answered, looking at Light Bright. Light Bright blinked in surprise.

“How do you know that?” He asked, and Fancy merely shifted his jaw slightly.

“I have connections,” He replied plainly. Light Bright could sense that Fancy didn’t wish to be probed any further, so Light Bright swallowed, looking back down at the photograph.

“Okay then...vibranium...that’s...rather expensive right? I mean, it’s not like you can go down to the local drug store and just pick up a couple of pounds.”

“I know that full well. I’ve already managed to acquire an acceptable amount for whatever you might need. Now, I wish the finished product as soon as possible.”

“Well...I think I can deliver it in a reasonable amount of time.” Light Bright answered humbly, still somewhat shocked that Fancy Pants had already managed to acquire something as rare and precious as vibranium.

“How much time are we speaking of? Because I have a client who wishes to have one such diamond arc mana reactor in their possession rather soon.” Fancy stated matter of factly. Light Bright’s resolute expression waivered slightly.

“Um...well, I estimate it will be about….. a month or so?” Light Bright said, biting his lower lip ever so slightly. Fancy’s expression soured.

“A month? That long?” he asked, lowering his eyebrows and voice and leaning forward to loom over Light Bright ever so slightly. Light Bright swallowed.

“Y-Yes, a month. An-and th-that’s being generous.” The smaller unicorn stammered, taking a step back slightly to avoid Fancy’s now withering gaze.

“Generous? I’d say that’d be rather wasteful of my resources. See, when I say ‘soon’, I really do mean soon. I don’t want any dilly-dallying or fiddling about with my resources.” Fancy Pants said, his voice slow and methodical.

Light Bright swallowed. “Well, how soon is ‘soon’ exactly. I can’t really see if I can meet your request if I don’t actually know your request - if you don’t mind me asking that is.”

“Two weeks.”

Fancy’s answer caused Light Bright’s eyes to nearly explode out of his skull. “T-Two weeks?! I can’t make a mana reactor from scratch in just two weeks! That’s impo-”

“Impossible? Well, that seems odd, considering Ms. Belle was seemingly perfectly capable of crafting one in one-quarter of that time. In a cave. With a box of scraps.” Fancy answered, his voice low and critical. Light Bright opened his mouth to protest, only to be met by Fancy raising a hoof.

“Now, now, don’t be rash. You really only have two options here. Option one is to stay here, in a place that allows you to tinker and work to your hearts content, with no fears about lack of funds or if your work will ever be published, all with the simple request that you follow a pre-determined schedule.” Fancy then started walking towards the exit, continuing to speak. “Option two on the other hoof, would consist of me taking this wonderful lab away from you, and, you’ll return to the pitiful collage laboratory where you came crawling out from. Do you understand? You can either be a somepony, and have everypony see the genius you hold, or you can remain a nopony, and simply be nothing more than a footnote. Your choice.” he opened the door to the lab and stepped asides, looking towards Light Bright impassively.

Light Bright didn’t say anything at first, instead focusing his mind on what Fancy Pants had said. To remain nothing, ignored by all his colleagues and fellow students? Or, should he take the chance at fame, cut a scene. Would he wait or would he fly? He lowered his eyebrows, swallowed and looked at Fancy with determination.

“Expect it next Thursday sir.” he stated simply.

Fancy Pants smiled. “Excellent. Simply excellent.”



> Act II - 13 - Bonding/Sheer Heart Attack
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You”

Chapter Thirteen:
“Bonding/Sheer Heart Attack”




Sweetie Belle’s eyes opened to the sound of the television, which had apparently been left running.

“InuYasha! Come back here! Sit boy!” the mare shouted on the television, and there was a comical crashing sound from the television as Sweetie Belle’s eyes blinked sluggishly. She felt around, noticing an empty space on the bed where somepony had been sleeping.

She propped herself up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she looked around the room.

I must have fallen asleep in Rarity’s room… she thought, sitting up on the bed properly. She looked at the television to see the brightly colored cartoon characters running about, jabbering adimately. Memories of the day before came shuffling back, and Sweetie Belle bit her lip slightly.

I’d better apologize to Rarity, she thought. I probably caused her a bunch of trouble for staying over. Sweetie slid off the bed, quietly shutting the television off, and heading out the bedroom and down the hallway. She entered the living room, looking around.

“Hello? Anypony home?” she called out, surprised by the empty nature of the house. During the few times she had stayed over, she’d always remembered the mornings being busy, with Written Script usually busy working on breakfast. But now the house seemed empty, with no one there besides herself.

“Written? You there?” she called out, peeking her head through the various places where Written usually frequented. Nothing.

Maybe Rarity’s working in the lab… Sweetie thought, walking down the hall towards the lab. She wondered if the events of yesterday would make any difference between her and Rarity. She was tired of fighting with her, tired of getting yelled at. She ended up in front of the door, and, just as she’d suspected, muffled music was playing from behind the doors. She looked down at the welcome matt, internal pondering why Rarity felt the need for such a thing inside a house. Sweetie looked back at the door, and lifted a hoof tentatively, preparing to knock on the door.

Maybe she’ll let me in now. Sweetie thought hopefully, remembering how Rarity finally seemed to warm to her, even going as far as to eat some ice cream with her. Maybe that meant things had changed. Sweetie hoped that maybe,the two of them having finally found some common ground, Rarity would be a little more flexible with her. With that hope in mind, she began to knock. It was a brief one, and she didn’t want to ruin any of the paint on the door by knocking too hard. She waited for a response.

Nothing.

Sweetie’s shoulders sagged slightly. A part of her wanted to turn back, and go watch television, and just live with the status quo. But...I don’t want to, she thought, looking down at the ground. I want things to change. I want stuff to be different.

She took a breath, reaching up to the door again. Her finger paused, when she caught sight of the small button. She scrunched her eyebrow slightly. Who has a doorbell on a door inside their house? she thought, before reaching out to press the button. There was a muffled buzzing sound, and Sweetie Belle felt her lips turn upwards in a slight smile. So, she pressed it again.

Nothing. The music still continued just as loud as before, apparently none the wiser to the doorbell. Sweetie Belle huffed. She looked over at the glass plate built into the wall, with the words ‘Palm Scanner’ printed on the top. She reached a hoof out, pressing it against the screen. A small light appeared, not unlike that of a photocopier, and ran down the length of her palm. There was a brief pause before a harsh buzzing sound came from a small speaker.

“Palmprint not recognized. Entry unauthorized” A computerized voice stated dully. Sweetie Belle’s expectant expression collapsed.

“Stupid scanner…” Sweetie Belle muttered, flopping down onto the welcome mat. She felt something poke her in the flank, causing her to let out an involuntary yelp. She looked down at the welcome mat, raising an eyebrow. It was then that she noticed a small, oblong shape just barely poking up from underneath the matt.

Wait a sec… she thought, carefully moving the mat with her feet to reveal, hidden underneath, a small key. Attached to a small length of string was a piece of paper, with the words ‘Use if palm-scanner malfunctions’ printed in ornate purple cursive text.

Well that was unexpected, Sweetie thought, quickly putting the key into the lock and turning it. With a click, whurr and beep, the door popped open. The music’s volume dropped off, and the first sound Sweetie Belle was greeted with was Rarity’s voice.

“Who’s there?” Her sister called out, and Sweetie Belle swallowed.

Here goes nothing, she thought, before opening her mouth to speak.

“Um...it’s me, Rarity,” she said as she made her way to the bottom of the small staircase.

“Sweetie Belle? What are you doing here?” Rarity called back, and Sweetie was greeted by the sight of Rarity turning around from the worktable, her labcoat covered in grease stains and goggles perched over her horn. In her magic, and still glowing faintly, was what looked like a welding torch. A lit cigarette was in her mouth.

Sweetie Belle took a slight step backwards, opening and closing her mouth slightly, already feeling as if she were walking on very thin ice. “Well, I, um, kinda wanted to say th-thanks for sti-sticking up for me yesterday…”

Rarity’s expression, which had been vaguely critical, became somewhat puzzled. “Well, you’re welcome, Sweetie,” Rarity said, before putting the cigarette out in an ashtray. “Is there anything else you want?” she asked, turning back towards whatever she was working on.

“Can I stay here?” Sweetie Belle asked, and Rarity looked over her shoulder.

“What do you mean ‘stay here’? You mean the house?” she asked, eyebrow arched.

Sweetie Belle took a breath. “Um-well, uh, no, I meant, here, with you in the lab,” she then braced herself, dreading the response Rarity might concoct.

Rarity’s expression soured for a moment. “Why? Don’t you have television to watch? I even left it on for you.”

Sweetie Belle pawed at the floor. “Um, well, I kinda already saw that episode...seven times…”

Rarity’s shoulders visibly sagged somewhat. “I see.” her expression was muddled, as if she were internally debating something. Sweetie Belle let out a sigh.

“I guess not then,” she said quietly, turning to walk up the stairs. “I’ll leave you alone. I’ll probably just screw something up anyways…” She started up the stairs slowly, head hung low.

Who are you kidding, Sweetie? She’d never let you stay. You’re lucky she didn’t scream her head off at you for breaking in. she thought glumly. Just go back to your room and--

“Sweetie, wait,” Rarity called out, and Sweetie Belle halted. She looked back to see Rarity standing behind her, her expression noticeably emotional.

“I’d just like to apologize. I’ve been... an absolutely abhorrent pony to you my whole life, and, well, I’m trying to change,” Rarity said, her voice halting and emotional. “And, um, yesterday, what with that whole fight with…” she practically spat the word out, “her, I kind of realized that, really, I’m treating you exactly like she did, and, well, that got me thinking,” she fiddled with a pen she held aloft in her magic. “And I realized that you’ve never done anything to me--to deserve such treatment from me. I mean, I went on and on about changing myself to those cameras, but I was still treating you exactly how I did before--well--before all of this craziness in my life. And I want that to stop. If I’m going to be a better pony, I’d might as well start right here, at home right?” she let out a long sigh, rubbing her eyes. “Do you forgive me?”

Rarity was greeted by Sweetie Belle practically throwing herself the five feet or so to embrace the older mare in a shockingly tight hug. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes I forgive you!”

“Really? That fast?” Rarity asked, blinking in shock. Sweetie Belle simply nodded. Rarity felt that strange empty feeling her chest, one that had still plagued her ever since she got home, fill up just a little more. She found herself returning the hug just as tightly, and the two simply sat there, hugging each other tightly for Sweetie Belle’s grip tightened, and Rarity shifted slightly. As much as she appreciated her sister just forgiving her so quickly, she didn't want to die of strangulation.

Fortunately, that was when Written Script entered the room. “Hey Rarity, did you leave the door open?” he asked aloud, coming to a stop when he saw Rarity and Sweetie Belle.

“Oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I take it she found the key under the matt?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yup.”

Rarity looked at Written Script. “Which is a rather odd occurrence isn’t it? I have it on good authority that the key was, quote ‘never ever in forever going to be found--ever.’” she gave Written a knowing grin. Written let out a sigh.

“Well, it hasn’t been found until now, so it’s not like I was exactly lying. Anyways, I had suggested hiding the keys in that ficus you have sitting right next to the doorway.”

Rarity’s eyebrows drooped. “I thought I got rid of that last year?”

“I put him back, he really brought the room together.” Written said glumly.

Rarity rolled her eyes, and turned back to her worktable. She motioned for Written Script to come over, and looked down at Sweetie.

“Sweetie give me a moment please, just sit over there by the coffee machine.” she pointed towards the machine, and Sweetie Belle nodded, turning and walking away, a little downcast. As soon as she knew Sweetie was out of earshot, Rarity turned back to Written.

“Written, aren’t you supposed to be going to talk to the board today? I thought we talked about this this morning,” she said quietly.

Written Script nodded. “No, I know, I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I left. I was heading out, saw the door, and figured I’d come check.” he then smiled. “I see you took my advice about Sweetie Belle.”

“Yes, yes I did. No use holding the grudge anymore right?” she answered contently, looking towards Sweetie Belle, who was idly fiddling with the plastic espresso cups. She frowned. “I’d better get back to work. I don’t want Sweetie getting wired on espresso.”

“That’d be a horrifying sight, now wouldn’t it,” Written shot back with a wry smile. Rarity gave him an unimpressed look.

“Just make sure the board approves the order for materials, okay?” she said, unamused.

“Sure thing. If anything, I’ll say you’re working on a new prototype or something.” Written answered, jotting something down on his clipboard.

“That’s my boy,” Rarity nodded, giving him a pat on the back. “Now off you go, you know I hate being watched while I work.”

“Sure thing.” Written chuckled, turning to trot out of the workshop. He passed Sweetie Belle, deftly pulling an already filled cup of espresso out of her hooves and downing it one shot. He then crumpled up the small plastic cup and plopped it into the wastebasket. “You’re not old enough,” he added with a smile, and Sweetie Belle huffed.

“Why doesn't anypony let me drink coffee?” She wondered aloud.

Suppressing the shudder of fear of the potential national disaster that might occur lest the filly have access to the hyper caffeinated beverage, Rarity motioned for her to come to the worktable.

“Come on, I was just working on a pair of boots.”

Sweetie Belle arched an eyebrow. “Boots? What kind of boots?”

Rarity motioned to the table. “These,”

Sweetie looked at the alleged boots curiously. While they did look like they would fit over a ponies fore leg, they didn’t really look like boots. They looked more like...

“Are those rockets?” she asked, pointing towards the complex mess of wires that surrounded a softly glowing metal disk. Rarity shook her head.

“No, that’s not a rocket. It’s an anti-gravity repulsor device,” Rarity said proudly, pushing her reading glasses up her face slightly.

“So it’s a rocket.” Sweetie Belle insisted, looking back up at Rarity. Rarity blinked.

“I...suppose...in laypony terms, yes, it’s somewhat akin to a rocket, yes--”

“But how is it powered” Sweetie asked, tilting her head. “I mean, something that small can’t really carry much, unless it’s output is, like, really really powerful. And if it did have that much power, then it’d need a ton of fuel.”

Rarity blinked. “How did you figure that?” she asked, shocked that Sweetie had such an intimate knowledge of rocketry. Sweetie shrugged.

“I read about it. I always liked rockets.”

“Well...okay then,” Rarity said, not sure how exactly to continue the conversation. She really is smart, she thought, now feeling an extra dollop of guilt for her past actions being dropped on her. She blinked again, clearing away the thoughts. New start Rarity, it’s a new start. Now you know something about Sweetie Belle. Keep it up.

“Um, right, um, the power supply, that’s what you wanted to know about right?” she asked, and Sweetie nodded. Rarity put a pen to her chin. “Well, I’ve been doing some preliminary sketches, um, most likely I’m just going to use this,” she tapped the glowing diamond in her chest. “For the power source, but I first want to see if all the systems are working correctly.”

Sweetie frowned. “But, don’t you need that to keep you from, ya know...dying?”

Rarity’s expression briefly grew worried, but she shrugged it off. “Well, I know that this is producing at least three gigajoules per second, so I’m pretty sure it can handle the rocket.”

Sweetie Belle paused, nodding her head slightly. She looked over at the computer screen. “What’s the suit for? You gonna go kick the flanks of the guys that ponynapped you?”

Rarity looked at the screen, the fact that the suit’s schematics had been displayed there having completely slipped her mind. She wondered what Sweetie thought.

“Uhhh…” she involuntarily said, unsure of how to continue. Now hearing her own motivations coming from another pony’s mouth, made them sound somewhat selfish. Like some kind of immature school filly who wanted to beat up a bully.

Nonsense Rarity! They deserve whatever you plan on doing to them. They shot a hole in your chest, locked you in a cave, tortured you, and killed your only friend. They deserve the very worst. Her mind told her. Anyways, it’s not like you were the only one who got hurt. They killed both Kili and his family. And nopony did anything about it. It’s up to you to avenge him.

“Rarity? You okay?” Sweetie Belle’s voice snapped her back to the real world. Rartiy nodded slightly.

“Um, yes, yes I’m fine. What were you saying?”

“I was saying that I think what you’re doing is really cool.”

“You do?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow. Sweetie Belle nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, they hurt you right? I know that if I could, I’d totally go and kick their flanks.”

Rarity tilted her head slightly. “You would do that?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Yup. You’re my sister, and that means I stick up for you. That’s what sisters do right?”

Rarity felt a tear come to her eye. Even in spite of all the meanness and, at times, downright cruelty Rarity had shown Sweetie Belle, Sweetie still thought of her as a sister. She smiled, and dropped her welding mask back into place as she lit her torch and cut into a sheet of metal, sparks flying.



////////////////////////



Across Town


Light Bright hissed in pain as sparks from the welding torch burned at his skin. He simply shrugged off the sparks, instead keeping his attention focused on the small, glowing crystal that was laying before him. Fifteen hours of non-stop labor, and he had finally done it.

“Yes...a working independant mana generator…” he giggled, running a hoof through his mane to brush it out of his field of vision as he carefully placed the crystal into the stainless steel housing. His magic was weakened by the hours of work, but he didn’t care. Just one small spell, and he would finally be recognized as the genius he undoubtedly was. He held his breath as his horn glowed softly and the whole assembly before him lit up with a soft blue glow.

“I DID IT!” he cackled, shooting his hooves into the air as he let out a loud whoop of enthusiasm.

“Did what?” Came a familiar voice, and Light Bright spun around to see Fancy Pants standing in the doorway, his eyebrow raised critically.

“Mr. Fancy Pants!” Light Bright stammered, “Yo-you’re here!”

“Yes. Yes I am. Let me see it.” Fancy Pants stated plainly, already walking towards the table. Light Bright slid to the side, allowing Fancy to observe the reactor. Fancy Pants at first, said nothing, instead carefully scanning and inspecting the device. His eyebrows lowered over his eyes, and he adjusted his monocle slightly.

“What is this shit?” he said with almost horrific bluntness, peering at Light Bright with palpable disappointment. Light Bright blinked, completely at a lost.

“Um..excuse me sir?” he asked meekly, lowering his head slightly. Fancy Pants let out a grumbling sigh, motioning towards the diamond.

“I asked ‘what is this shit’. This,” he held the diamond up in his magic. “Is most certainly not what I requested.”

“B-But Mr. Pants, I did exactly what you asked--I gave you a mana reactor,” Light Bright replied meekly, taking a step back slightly as his anxiety overtook him.

Fancy Pants rolled his eyes. “Don’t take me for a fool, Dr. Bright. I can tell just by looking at this--glorified pebble that it only has a fraction of the mana energy that Rarity was able to harness. Do you wish to know why I know this?”

Light Bright simply stammered, words failing him.

“Fine then, I’ll inform you, since you obviously don’t have enough independent thought to deduce it for yourself. When I was standing next to Rarity, I could actively feel the mana from the reactor at the base of my horn. You’re a unicorn aren’t you? You should know first hoof that, the more mana an object contains, the easier it is for one’s cranial mana fluid to sense it. And, quite frankly Dr. Bright, mine was buzzing.” he then held the diamond in front of Light Bright’s face. “This on the other hoof, barely gave me a tingle. I want a buzz, not a weak, spineless, simpering tingle.”

Light Bright took a deep breath, and rubbed the back of his neck furiously. “B-But, sir, I d-did my very best with what you’ve given me--”

“Do better! Might I remind you that Rarity made hers in a cave? She made it with a piece of rock attached to a stick. I , on the other hoof, give you the most advanced laboratory in Equestria, and you can’t even make a power battery good enough for a wind up colt’s toy!”

Light Bright stammered, looking around at the reference photographs Fancy had provided for some kind of excuse. “W-well…”

“Well what, Dr. Bright?”

“Well, Miss Belle’s reactor utilizes her body’s latent magical field to create a reciprocating feedback loop--”

“So? What does that mean?” Fancy interrupted, his tone harsh.

“It means that the magical field within her own body is fed through the diamond and the vibranium in the reactor to create an energy field that is two hundred percent more powerful than if it were not in her body.”

Fancy blinked. “You mean that if you were to place this very reactor into somepony’s chest, it would enhance the energy?”

Light Bright nodded mutely.

“Do you have a way to recreate that without open heart surgery? Because if I were to try to weaponize this rock, I’d have to find a much easier method of power enhancement yes?” 

Light Bright opened and closed his mouth dumbly for a few moments, desperately searching his mind for a solution. He mentally scanned through dozens of his own projects, especially the ones he knew were meant to enhance natural mana levels.

“I have it!” he blurted out, a brilliant smile exploding across his face. “A helmet!”

Fancy squinted slightly. “What?”

Light Bright rolled his chair over to the table, pulling out a pen and quickly drafting up a rough sketch. “I can use another design of mine...it’s a clamp that is attached to the horn of the user, and, when coupled with the pony’s natural mana levels, is designed to enhance it at least one hundred times over. All I need to do is modify the designs to better accommodate a gem of that size, most likely in some sort of vest worn on the chest…” he then rolled back slightly. “And there you go,” he finished, revealing a rather simplistic looking design. A small clamp was attached to the horn of the unicorn, and running from it were several cables of various sizes, which all linked to the large vest the unicorn was wearing. In the center of the vest, surrounded by a metal ring, was a glowing diamond, not unlike the one that Fancy held in his magic.

Fancy was silent for a moment, seemingly contemplating the design. “And what advantages would this present?”

Light Bright swallowed, motioning towards some jotted down calculations. “Um, well, like I said, it’s a magic amplification clamp. It goes on the horn of a unicorn, and enhances any spell the unicorn is creating at least twenty times over. If coupled to a sufficiently powerful source, such as the gem, it can enhance it by at least two hundred times.”

Fancy was again, silent for a moment, before he clapped a hoof on the floor sharply, causing Light Bright to jolt. “Excellent. Get to work on it immediately. Get it out by Friday.” he then spun around, walking towards the exit, a dazed Light Bright left dumbstruck in his chair.

“B-But, Mr. Pants, I haven’t had any rest since Wednesday, can I at lea-”

“Nonsense. If you can craft that pebble from raw materials in fifteen hours, then you can make a vest and a clamp in a week. You rest when you’ve accomplished your job, my friend; I expect nothing less.”

“B-Bu-”

“But nothing, Dr. Light. If you wish to gain that precious amount of respect you so obviously lust for, I suggest you haul flank and get to work. Or I shall have to find another means of achieving my goal. Good evening.” And with that, the door to the laboratory slammed shut, leaving Light Bright alone again.



////////////////////////



“Okay, tie that wire there,” Rarity said, motioning at the spot where the wire Sweetie held was supposed to go. Sweetie nodded, tying the wire into place, which was a small metal ring that they had (very gently), welded into place on the metal ring that surrounded Rarity’s diamond arc.

“You sure about this?” Sweetie asked, her expression concerned as she took a step back to look at Rarity. Rarity nodded.

“Yes of course I am. I did the math--which is always right--and the gem should support the energy output necessary for powering the gauntlet without any real harm towards me,” she stated confidently. “So, yes, I am sure. Now,” she slipped the gauntlet on, flexing her foreleg to adjust to the odd feeling of having it completely covered in a sleeve of steel. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

With those words, her horn glowed, and the glow of the diamond brightened as well. At the time of the gauntlet, a ring of white appeared, increasing in brightness with each passing second. A huge grin broke out across Rarity’s face.

“Wha-ha-ha-ha!” she cheered, “I’ve done i--” her celebration was cut off by a sudden low drone coming from her chest, coupled with the feeling of her chest tightening like a vice was crushing her ribcage. She let out a croak, and her vision started to go dark. Next thing she knew, she was falling sideways, slamming to the floor with a smash. As her vision faded in and out, she saw Sweetie Belle practically leap from her place by the table, and practically rip the gauntlet off of her arm and toss it away, pulling the wires attached to the diamond arc with it.

“Rarity! Rarity you alright!” Sweetie cried out, rolling a gasping Rarity over onto her back and leaning over her, her eyes wide with panic. Rarity gasped and heaved, her hoof sloppily yanking the last of the cables off of the diamond arc. As soon as she did so, the droning noise stopped, and she felt her energy returning to her.

There was a long stretch of fearful silence, broken only by the sound of Rarity’s deep, heaving breaths as she slowly recuperated. Sweetie sat next to her, tensely nibbling at her nails, her eyes darting between the gem and Rarity’s face. After several minutes, Rarity finally felt as if her energy was back, the crushing pain in her chest having finally ebbed away.

“Well--*gasp*--I think that could have gone a little better--*cough*” Rarity finally said, letting out several coughs as she motioned for Sweetie to prop her into a sitting position. Sweetie was visibly teary-eyed as she slid Rarity upright and clutched her tightly.

“Are you dying?! Are you okay?!” The filly asked, once again panicky looking over Rarity. Rarity shook her head, still taking deep breaths.

“No, no, I think I just--*gasp*--miscalculated a tad bit. It seems I was wrong about our little crystalline friend here,” she let out a whispery chuckle as she gently motioned towards the gem. “Apparently, three gigajoules is nowhere near enough energy for powering the gauntlet.” She motioned for Sweetie to help her stand up.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You nearly died!” Sweetie said, her voice having calmed somewhat, but still obviously frightened. Rarity nodded.

“Yes, yes, i’m quite alright now--just give me a moment to catch my breath and the gem should do the rest…” she said, finally standing upright and leaning against the worktable for support. She took another couple of breaths, and she could feel the regenerative properties of the gem steadily building her energy back. “See? All fine and dandy now,” she finally said, brushing herself off and sitting down.

Sweetie walked up to her, looking between the gem and the discarded gauntlet. “So...what do we do now?” she sat down next to Rarity, who pulled out a cigarette and lit it, exhaling slowly.

“I don’t know Sweetie,” Rarity finally said, having been silent for a few moments. “I honestly don’t. I mean, my calculations were perfectly correct...” she mused, furrowing her brow as her eyes drifted back and forth between the gauntlet and gem.

“I mean, it’s either the boots or the reactor...” her voice trailed off. “Unless…” She glanced at the diamond in her chest, the gears in her head turning. Without saying a word, she stood up, trotting over to the Mana Meter, and deftly attaching the black and red cables to her reactor.

“What? Half a gigajoule?” she muttered, leaning in closer to the display and reading the numbers on the small screen. Her eyebrows raised as the realization hit her. “Oh of course! That’s why it’s not up to specs, silly!” she said, leaning back and facepalming. “You built it in a cave with a rock on a stick, of course it’s not up to specs!”

Sweetie tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. “So what’s the problem?”

“Simply put, when I was in the cave, I cut some corners. And now it seems they’ve come back to bite me.”

Sweetie blinked, her expression still as confused as before. Rarity bit her lip slightly.

“Right, Sweetie, when I made this,” she motioned towards the gem. “It’s first and foremost task was to keep me alive. However, once I saw it complete, I realized I had a way of escape. So, I set about crafting an armored suit to use in my escape--”

“Like Gundam?” Sweetie interrupted, causing Rarity to blink dumbly.

“Uh….I...suppose….whatever that means,”

“It’s an anime,” Sweetie shrugged. “They got these big robots that fight monsters in it.”

Rarity nodded slightly, still not quite understanding the reference. “Well, alright then, like that.”

“Then why didn’t you finish it?” Sweetie asked in a tone that Rarity could tell was only innocent curiosity, but caused Rarity’s memories of a bleeding Kili to come seeping back. Rarity’s expression grew somber, and Sweetie visibly grew uncomfortable.

“Oh...I forgot...your friend…” the filly said, looking down at the floor. “Sorry, didn’t mean to make--”

Rarity waved a hoof. “No, no, it’s not your fault. Curiosity can’t be helped.” she sighed, shrugging slightly as she sat down back at the worktable. “Either way, the gem obviously still has some major flaws. I suppose that’s to be expected. No need to worry though, thanks to you, we spotted the issue before something truly awful happened.”

“What do you mean ‘because of me’?” Sweetie asked, her eyes widening slightly. Rarity smiled, rubbing the filly’s head.

“Simple, you made me double check my work. On top of that, when I fainted, you were the one who helped get the gauntlet off, which probably saved me tons of work, and not to mention my life. Excellent work, if I do say so.”

Sweetie’s eyes were now as wide as saucers. “Really?” she asked in a whispered, awestruck tone. Rarity nodded again.

“Yes. Really,” she then pulled Sweetie into a hug, closing her eyes. As she did so, several ideas popped up into her mind, coalescing and mixing in a vibrant cocktail of inspiration. Rarity’s eyes bolted open and she sat bolt upright, a brilliant smile on her face. “Idea!”

Sweetie meanwhile, suddenly felt the warm embrace come to an end and Rarity let go, only to blurt out the phrase and almost instantaneously hunch over the worktable, sketching fervently. Every so often, Rarity would mutter an expletive as her pencil broke or her pen went dry, tossing the object aside to replace it with a new one.

“Um...you okay?” Sweetie asked, taking a step backwards as Rarity nodded harshly, waving her away slightly.

“Yes, but please, I need room,”

Sweetie nodded slightly, taking a seat a few feet away as Rarity continued to sketch and plan in a wild fervor. After quite some time, and several dozen notepads later, Rarity let out a satisfied sigh and sat upright.

“Behold! The new and improved Diamond Arc Mana Reactor!” she said theatrically, waiving her hoof at the sketch before her. Sweetie walked over, looking down at what looked the same kind of gem Rarity already had in her chest, but with several dozen minor differences, such as a more refined carving style and a ring of metal around it.

“So what’s different?” she asked, looking up at Rarity. Rarity simply smiled, already trotting over to a large metallic crate labeled ‘Raw Gems’. She popped it open, pulling out what looked like one big diamond.

“The difference, Sweetie, is in the details,” Rarity answered, laying the heavy gem on the table and opening the drawers beneath to pull out what looked like jewelers tools. “Simply watch, and learn.”

And with that, she set to work carefully and steadily carving the large rock, Sweetie watching attentively.



////////////////////////




“Alright then,” Rarity said, leaning back in a chair, chest up. “Let’s do this,”

Sweetie shifted uncomfortably. “Um Rarity, I’m not really a nurse or an electrician. Are you sure I have to do this?? Written’s gonna be home in like a hour, so-”

“Sweetie,” Rarity interrupted, smiling slightly as she shifted slightly. “It’s fine. What’s important is that I trust you, and, on top of that, most of the hard work for this is already done.” She smiled reassuringly. “All you have to do, is unplug this old thing,” she motioned to the gem. “And plug in the new one. It’ll be easy.”

Sweetie rubbed the back of her neck. “But my telekinesis isn't all that good and-”

“That’s okay because I don’t want telekinetic grace. I want nimble fingers. And you have those, if all that wire attaching we did this morning was any indication.” While the compliment did bring a smile to Sweeties face, she was still shaking quite visibly. Rarity frowned, trying to think of a way to reassure the filly.

“Sweetie, you like to build erector sets correct?” Rarity asked and Sweetie Belle nodded.

“Well, this isn’t any different from that. It’s simply a case of unplugging it, and then plugging the other in. Just like the toys. That make you feel better?”

Sweetie Belle nodded slightly, looking a little more comfortable. “Okay...but can I have it in steps? Just in case?”

Rarity let out an involuntary huff. “Alright then, I’ll walk you through it. First, let’s gently unclip the clamps holding the old gem in place.”

Sweetie nodded, reaching over and gently unclipping the small clamps that were at each corner of the diamond. “Okay, now what?” she asked, looking back at Rarity. Rarity motioned towards the diamond.

“Grip the outer edge of the diamond with your hooves and pull. It should pop out with minimal effort.” Rarity instructed, and a tentative Sweetie did as she was told, pulling at the diamond with her hooves. With a ‘pop’ the diamond became unfastened. Rarity smiled at Sweetie, who looked positively beside herself with worry.

“Relax, you’re doing a great job, darling. Now, gently pick the diamond up.”

Sweetie swallowed, once more pulling at the diamond and lifting it into the air slowly. However, she didn’t get far, as it came to a sudden halt as a copper wire revealed itself. Rarity winced slightly at the sharp tug in the depths of her chest, and Sweetie let out a worried murmur.

“What’s that wire?” she asked, looking at Rarity with worried eyes. “Is it important?”

Rarity nodded slowly. “Yes, it is. But don’t worry, it’s just a magnet. It helps regulate the flow of electrons. All you need to do is detach it from the diamond.”

Sweetie nodded slightly, before peering under the diamond she held in her hooves. “How do I do that? It looks welded.”

Rarity motioned with a free hoof towards the hole in her chest. “The connection is down in here, just reach your hoof in.”

Sweetie swallowed, biting her lip furiously as she reached a hoof in. There was a strange squishing sound and Sweetie pulled her hoof out reflexively.

“Ewww…..what’s this goo?”

Rarity just shook her head. “Ignore it. It’s not goo, its just liquid mana discharge. It’s perfectly harmless. Now just stick your hoof down there and--”

Sweetie’s hoof shot into Rarity’s chest, her eyes shut tightly and, with a sharp yank, out popped a metal ring attached to the length of copper wire. Almost instantly, there was a loud cacophony of beeping and alarm sounds. Sweetie let out a panicked yelp, dropping the magnet to the floor in fear. Rarity felt her heart start to fibrillate wildly.

“What’s wrong?!”

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Oh nothing, just me having cardiac arrest--”

“WHAT?!”

Rarity winced slightly, the pain in her chest quickly becoming unbearable. “Just stick the bloody thing back in!” she grunted, and Sweetie plopped the magnet back into Rarity’s chest cavity rather unceremoniously. Rarity ignored the lack of grace and instead beckoned for the new crystal.

“Now plug the new diamond in!”

Sweetie hastily grabbed the new diamond, and hectically attached the wire to the magnet, Rarity’s face contorted in pain the entire time. As soon as the diamond was connected though, it began to glow bright blue, and Rarity felt a cool, soothing aura being to flow from her chest. She smiled thinly at Sweetie, doing her best to remain calm despite her near death experience.

“Good job, good job,” she said, giving Sweetie a pat on the shoulder. Sweetie reached a hoof towards the diamond, which Rarity politely moved asides. “No, no, I’ll do this myself.” And with that, she clicked the diamond into place, a metallic click sounding across the room as she did so. She then refastened the clamps and let out a loud sigh of relief.

“See? Simple as pie,” she chuckled, taking a moment to breath and collect herself before sitting up. Her horn glowed, took the red and black cables from the Mana Meter and clipped them to the new diamond reactor. She carefully walked over to the display and smiled smugly.

“See? There we are, three gigajoules. Mission accomplished.” she then turned towards Sweetie, who had looked like she’d just run five miles.

“You did a great job Sweetie,” Rarity said proudly, tapping her sister on the back.

Sweetie wiped her brow. “You sure? You nearly died...again,”

Rarity scoffed. “Oh don’t worry about that, that’s all just a part of science. Taking risks is quite normal. Just one more little duty, and we can finally call it a day,” she said, motioning towards the clock on the wall.

Sweetie’s shoulders sagged somewhat. “What’s that? Don’t tell me we have to fix another thing?”

Rarity laughed. “Oh no, no, all we need to do, is get rid of this old thing,” she levitated the old, no-longer glowing diamond arc from off the floor where Sweetie had dropped it in the panic. “Just chuck it in my incinerator in the basement, and we’re good.”

Sweetie blinked. “You have an incinerator in your basement?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes indeed. Any old diamonds or gems go down there to get processed. That door right over there is what leads to it.” she indicated the metallic door on the wall that said ‘Incinerator’. “You can handle that right?” she said as she started for the stairs that lead to the living room.

Sweetie looked at the diamond, and then back at the exiting Rarity. “Uh...yeah, yeah I can handle that.”

“Excellent darling! If you need me, I’ll be in the kitchen. I think I deserve a good glass of cider after all this…”

Sweetie wasn’t really paying attention to Rarity’s rambling by this point, instead focusing her attention on the diamond, which she discreetly picked up and slipped into a nearby plastic bag, which she bundled up tightly, carrying it out of the lab. She quietly walked down the hall, and into the guest bedroom, where, sitting on the bed where she left it, was her backpack.

“Maybe I can make something out of this.” she said quietly, stuffing the diamond inside and zipping the bag shut. Maybe something for Sisterhooves Social, she thought, a quick glance at the calendar on the wall confirming the date.

Yeah...something...something ‘Rarity’.

“Sweetie? Do you want some ice cream?” Came Rarity’s voice, distracting Sweetie from her thoughts.

“Coming Rarity!” she called back, hopping off the bed and closing the door behind her.



> Act II - 14 - Under Construction
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You?”
Chapter Fourteen:
“Under Construction”




The sound of laughter filled Rarity’s ears as she staggered along in the dark. The only source of light was from the gem in her chest, which shone out against the dark, illuminating the path ahead, which looked vaguely like a hallway with some kind of liquid pooled on the floor below. All around her, were thousands upon thousands of tendrils and tentacles, all reaching out, clawing at her as she ran. She continued to run, her hooves reaching out blindly, desperately trying to feel her way out of this place.

“Run all you want…” a cold, sadistic feminine voice spoke, it’s words practically oozing out from wherever the source of the voice was. “This is my domain, and I do what I wish with those who enter.”

Rarity tried her best to ignore the words, pulling her ears back as tightly as possible and simply running faster. There had to be some sort of escape method, somewhere to go to escape from the incredible sense of fear and panic that surrounded her.

“Oh, frightened are we?” the voice asked, it’s tone now dripping with a menacing glee. “Well, let’s make you a little more comfortable, shall we?”

Rarity suddenly felt the tendrils wrap around her ankles like a vice, sending her sprawling forwards. She coughed as the gooey, oil like surface surged upwards, wrapping around her wrists, keeping her pinned. It was almost as if she were caught in tar. She struggled to keep her face from being sucked into the mire, frantically panting and struggling.

“Wha-what is this?” she panicked, looking around frantically. “What’s going on?”

The laughter that came in response was haughty and malicious, like some sort of evil queen from a storybook watching her subjects suffer. “‘What is this’? Don’t play dull Miss Belle. You know exactly what this is,”

Rarity’s eyes widened as the black tar-like substance surrounding her slowly started to shift and morph, pooling together and raising above her to form a towering, black alicorn. Her mane spread out behind her, flowing and ebbing like the midnight sky. Her turquoise eyes were pierced by cat like pupils, and she looked down at Rarity with vicious glee.

“This, my dearest Miss Belle, is the result of your precious little endeavours. A soulless, destructive tar that sucks everything inside of it. It is all the pain, suffering, and anguish your work has caused, manifested before you now!” The alicorn’s eyes widened slightly, catching sight of the light of Rarity’s diamond. “Oh, what is this? Some little trinket you’ve crafted? Oh I simply must take a closer look.”

Rarity tried to protest, but was cut off by the alicorn’s magic shooting out and wrapping around the diamond. Rarity then felt an excruciating pain explode in her chest as she felt the diamond being forcibly removed. It was like having open heart surgery without any anesthetic while having boiling lava poured down her chest cavity. She gasped and choked, letting out a cry of pain as the gem was ripped out. Immediately, her vision began to swim and she felt her heart flip flop in her chest. Rarity looked up, seeing that now the alicorn was inspecting the gem closely.

“Hmmm… interesting,” the alicorn mused, rubbing her chin. “It seems this little trinket is distinct from the others...almost as if it was made for an entirely different purpose -- something other than just mindless warfare. A way of escape from the mire of your existence?” she glanced down at Rarity, who merely reached towards the gem desperately. While her vision faded in and out as the pain slowly consumed her. The alicorn simply grinned. “Well, we can’t have that can we?” The alicorn smiled wildly, showing off her viper like fangs as she took the gem in her magic, and, without so much as a flinch, crushed it in her grip. Rarity let out a sound of protest, which only to provoke a peal of laughter from her tormentor.

“Oh, it seems I’ve struck a nerve. Well, sorry to break it to you darling, but you belong here. You’ll never escape, you’ll never be able to break free from this place. This mire is a part of you, and it will never go away. I hope you enjoy your stay.” The alicorn turned, steadily striding away from Rarity, who still pawed at the mire, desperately trying to drag herself towards the surface.

“Goodbye now!” the alicorn laughed, flickering her wrist, causing the ooze to come alive again and drag Rarity into it’s oily depths.



//////////////////////////////



Rarity bolted upright in bed, panting heavily. She could feel her bedsheets clinging to her tightly, sticky with her own sweat. She blindly fumbled for the lightswitch, desperately flicking on the light next to her bed.

You’re alive… you’re alive… you’re okay, she thought in a panic, her hoof darting up to the gem on her chest. Oh thank Celestia… it’s still here… it’s still here...

“Ra-Rarity? Wha…?” came Sweetie Belle’s sleep-addled voice, and Rarity turned to see that, indeed, her sister was still next to her, now rubbing her eyes sleepily. “Why are you awake?”

Rarity swallowed. “Uh… nothing, nothing… just a bit of a nightmare is all. Go back to sleep.”

“Are you sure? How bad was it?" Sweetie added, shifting to better face Rarity. Rarity simply shook her head, subconsciously pushing her bang out of her eye.

“It’s okay, I’m used to it. I had a few back--” she halted, the memory of sleepless nights hunkered in the dark, dank corner of a cave causing her chest to tighten. Her breath quickened slightly, and her hoof gripped the sheets a little tighter. A hoof reaching up to her caused her to blink, and she turned to see Sweetie Belle, obviously tired, but still deeply concerned, looking up at her.

“Are you sure everything's okay? You look scared. Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked, causing Rarity to hesitate.

“Uh… no, no it was nothing worth talking about. It’s over, don’t worry yourself. Anyways, you should get some sleep, we’ll probably have quite a bit of work ahead of us tomorrow.” Sweetie Belle raised an eyebrow, but did not object before giving a small nod and going back to sleep. Rarity sighed and rolled over, hoping that the worst was behind her.

But sleep still evaded her. Try as she might, Rarity could not get the image of the dark alicorn out of her head; her eyes, her laughter, the pain... The pain was the worst part, as even as she rested a hoof on the diamond she could still feel it shatter within the intruder’s grasp, her chest collapsing in on itself.



//////////////////////////////



Rarity shuffled along towards the laboratory, sleepily rubbing away any remnants of exhaustion from the night before. After telling Sweetie Belle to go back to bed, Rarity herself had attempted to follow the same advice. It wasn’t easy. Maybe it was just general lack of proper sleep since returning home, or just her nerves, but the nightmares had continued, on and off, throughout the night. In the end, she had to resort to a sleeping pill to practically knock herself out, which, while granting her a dreamless sleep, also meant that she woke up incredibly groggy. She’d nearly fallen asleep in the shower this morning, only being woken by her horn slapping into the ceramic as she started to fall over.

She’d then gotten dressed, just a simple set of work clothing - no use getting anything expensive dirty - and was now dragging herself towards the kitchen.

Just focus on the suit, Rarity. Don’t let your insecurities get the better of you. They haven’t before, so why let them start now? she told herself, pouring herself a shot of jet black Criollo Coffee. If anything, the hyper-caffeinated drink would most likely restore her to working capacity. She took a sip, the sharp flavor almost instantly chasing away any sleepiness she might have had.

“Ah… that’s the stuff…” she murmured, turning and starting towards the laboratory. I wonder where Sweetie Belle is? she mused, having noticed that the bed had been unoccupied when she had woken up. She headed towards the living room, half expecting the young filly to be sitting on the couch, absorbed in whatever television show or hyper-animated anime the filly considered entertainment. However, the living room was empty. Rarity furrowed her forehead.

Where are you? She walked along the hallway, arms crossed and eyebrows lowered. Sweetie had to be somewhere, since--

“Feel your body melt!/Mum to mum to mad to dad!/Dad diddly office!/Dad diddly office!--”

She halted, the music catching her ear. She took two steps back, turning to face the door to her workshop, which had been left slightly open. Rarity opened it completely, heading down the stairway and into the workshop.

Sitting on a stool, hunched over the worktable and with a welding torch in her hooves, was Sweetie Belle. Rarity lowered her eyebrows again, flicking the music off with a flicker of her horn.

“What are you doing?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Sweetie halted mid-weld, turning the torch off and turning around. She lifted the welding visor, a large, self-aware blush spreading across her face.

“Um… hey, Rarity… nice to see you awake,” she said, meekly waving as Rarity walked up to her.

“Why are you welding without supervision?” Rarity asked incredulously, taking the welding torch from her sister’s hooves and setting it on the table. Sweetie self consciously wrung her hooves.

“Well… I… kinda figured…”

“Yes?” Rarity pressed, leaning forward slightly. “Out with it!”

Sweetie took a deep breath. “The reason I was in here was because I thought you were having a rough night and that you needed the rest so I figured I’d at least try to get some basic work done on the suit I only just started welding, I mean I added some bearing grease on the joints of the glove, but that’s it really I didn’t really want to upset you oh please don’t be mad!” she then quickly shied away, her eyes shut tightly.

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, before halting. She took a deep breath. New start. Got to be more understanding. Just count to ten...

She counted silently, then let out a long sigh. "Sweetie… just… don't do that again. At least, not without telling me first. You could have hurt yourself. Drastically. Understand?"

Sweetie opened her eyes, blinking briefly before speaking. "So, you're not mad at me?"

Rarity shook her head, rubbing the bridge of her muzzle. "No, no, I'm not mad… just… frustrated."

Sweetie hung her head. "Oh."

Rarity felt her heart sink at the sight of her sister looking so sullen once more. She exhaled, dropping her hooves from her face. "However, I suppose your heart was in the right place, so I can't really fault you for getting a tad over enthusiastic." She looked over the half assembled gauntlet. "And I suppose for a first timer, your welding work is serviceable."

Sweetie blinked. "Really? You think I did good?" she inquired, her tone hopeful. Rarity nodded.

"I suppose so, yes. I'll probably have to redo it though, if only to be absolutely sure it works properly, but yes, I suppose you did a fine job for your first try." She gave Sweetie a gentle tap on the shoulder before moving to pick up the welding equipment. "However, I feel it would be best to have the blueprints on screen, yes? That way we don't make a mistake and force ourselves to do a ton of unnecessary work, right?"

Sweetie shrugged. "I guess..." Her sullen expression floated away and was instead replaced by the look of someone who was willing to learn, if somewhat insecure. Rarity noticed her expression, and smiled down at her.

"Look, Sweetie, no need to be so tentative anymore. Just relax, watch and learn." Rarity reached over to the computer screen that was bolted to the wall. She pushed the button, and the screen flickered on. "Now, let's see… blueprints, blueprints… show me the blueprints..." Rarity muttered, slipping her reading glasses on her face, opening and closing folders on the touchscreen busily. The screen however, flickered on and off erratically.

"Stupid monitor," Rarity grumbled. Sweetie meanwhile, raised an eyebrow.

“Um… Rarity…”

Rarity huffed. “What?” She continued to fight with the touchscreen, which continually shorted out or flickered every few seconds.

“Do you feel that weird buzzing at the base of your horn too? I’ve been feeling it ever since you came in.”

Rarity paused, glancing down at Sweetie. “What ‘buzzing’?”

Sweetie pointed to her horn. “Right here. Ever since you came in.”

“Ever since I got here? Really?”

Sweetie shrugged. “Well, okay, to be a little more accurate, I’ve only been feeling it ever since you started the computer.”

Rarity paused. She looked up at the computer screen. She lifted a hoof to her chin, rubbing it slightly. Maybe… she took a step back, and the screen, which had previously looked as if someone had rubbed a magnet all over it, cleared up, reverting back to it’s normal color scheme. Rarity took another step forward, the monitor once more started to fuzz up. Rarity’s eyebrows raised.

“I need to test something. Find me some mithril!” she called out, standing up from her chair and rummaging through the several dozen drawers and toolboxes that lined the walls of the workshop. Sweetie raised an eyebrow.

“What’s ‘mitral’?”

“No, it’s pronounced ‘mit-th-rill’. It’s a special kind of metal crafted by draconian smiths for various purposes. It’s very strong, very light, and has special properties. I need to test a theory,” Rarity answered, busily going through drawers. “Where is it, damn it!” she grumbled, “It’s shiny, and looks like silver. Should be in a container labeled ‘mithril’! I always label things!”

Sweetie looked around, hopping out of her chair and scanning the labels on the wall. She figured that if what Rarity was saying was correct, then it would logically be with the M’s.

“So how do you spell it?” she called back to Rarity, who was now hunkered under a worktable, searching through the series of drawers built underneath.

“M-I-T-H--”

“Here it is!” Sweetie chirped, spotting the drawer labeled ‘Mithril’ in clear printed text. She hopped up, opening the drawer and reaching inside to pull out a large sheet of what seemed to be really shiny chain linked metal. Rarity flew over, looking it over, seemingly inspecting it.

“Excellent. Where was it?” she asked, and Sweetie simply pointed up at the drawer. Rarity blinked briefly, before shrugging.

“Well, remind me to make the label more clear,” she said, striding over to the table and laying the sheet of chain link out on it. “Alright then… if my theory is correct, I’ll just need to hold this in front of my chest, and it should block the ambient mana energy from affecting the monitor.” As she spoke, she lifted the sheet of mithril in front of her chest, simultaneously reaching over to turn the monitor on. The monitor turned on, seemingly none the worse for wear. She slowly lowered the sheet, and, just as she’d figured, it started to once more short out and warp.

“Wha-ha-ha-ha!” she giggled, flicking the monitor off and happily setting the sheet of mithril on the worktable. “I knew it! The gem we made is so powerful, that it’s causing massive ambient mana disturbance!”

“So that’s why my horn was buzzing?” Sweetie asked, and Rarity nodded.

“Yes. I do wonder why I didn’t sense it though. That is odd…”

Sweetie rubbed her chin. “Maybe it’s because the gem was a part of you. Maybe, since it’s using your own mana energy, it’s like you're standing inside a bubble or something?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “How so? Why a bubble?”

“Uh… I guess because it’s as if the mana is like a bubble around you. Everypony else is bumping into the bubble, but since you’re inside the bubble, you’re not feeling what everypony else is feeling?” Sweetie looked up at Rarity expectantly, shrugging slightly. “I mean… that’s the first idea that came to my mind.”

Rarity blinked, surprised at her sister’s insight. “That actually makes quite a bit of sense… good eye.” She gave Sweetie a quick rub on the head. “Now, just how do we make it so I can cover the diamond, but still work comfortably. I mean, it’s not like I can just strap the mithril to my chest with duct tape.”

Sweetie rubbed her chin. “We could make it a vest. You know, like what police officers wear to protect themselves from bullets. Maybe something like this,” she reached over, grabbing a nearby pen and paper, and quickly drafting up a sketch. It wasn’t exactly the most precise sketch, but it got the point across surprisingly well. It was a rather simplistic design, just a vest with some buttons to keep it on. Rarity picked up the drawing. She never knew Sweetie was such a draftspony.

“This is… really good. Since when could you draw like this?” she asked, looking down at Sweetie, who simply shrugged.

“Mom made me take art classes. Said it was a useful skill.”

Rarity nodded slightly. “I see… well, this is useful to us. I think it would work quite well actually.” She then looked back down at Sweetie. “There is one thing though. I think it would be rather uncomfortable to just put the metal straight on wouldn’t it? We should have something under the metal, to help support it and to make sure I don’t chaffe.”

“You mean like an undershirt? We can stitch the metal onto some kind of fabric.”

“Neoprene. What you want is neoprene. It’s nice, durable, lightweight, and is a great insulator. Let’s see if I have a bit lying around…” Rarity once more started scanning for the right material. “Ah, here we are, neoprene.” She pulled on the roll of black material, rolling it out until she reached a length she deemed suitable. With a flicker of her horn, she detached the length from the roll, floating it over to the work desk.

“Now, let’s get to it then, shall we? I take it Mother made you go to fashion school?” she asked, already running a ruler along various points on the neoprene. Sweetie nodded slightly.

“Yeah… I hated it.”

Rarity smiled. “Well, you and me both then. But at least it gave us one particularly useful skill, didn’t it? We’re our own tailors now.”

Sweetie shrugged slightly. “I guess so yeah.”

Rarity give Sweetie a wink. “Excellent darling. Let’s make ourselves a vest then.”

And with that, the duo set to work crafting the vest.



//////////////////////////////



“Alrighty then, time to test this out properly I suppose,” Rarity said, slipping the gauntlet on. On her chest was the vest that Sweetie and herself had made. The official name for it was the ‘Ambient Mana Diffusion Vest’, but Sweetie just called it ‘The Vest’. It had been a little awkward for Rarity getting her measurements all in order, since she realized she’d lost a good five pounds since the last time she measured herself.

Well, getting captured by terrorists will do that, she mentally figured, not really wanting to worry herself on such matters. Anyways, she’d tried for years to lose that extra five, and here she was, five pounds lighter. I guess that was one good thing to come out of all that, she thought with a hint of sarcasm.

On her foreleg, and hooked up to her diamond arc, was the complex repulsor gauntlet for her hoof, which, once they could access the blueprints on the computer without issue, was a relatively easy build. Sweetie, meanwhile, sat to the side, a concerned look on her face.

“What is it Sweetie?” Rarity asked, noticing Sweetie’s expression. Sweetie motioned her head towards the gauntlet.

“You sure that’s safe? Like, shouldn’t you be sitting down or something, just so that you don’t get blown back?”

Rarity gave a gentle scoff. “Blown back? Sweetie, you’re getting worried over nothing. This is simply the stabilizer gauntlet. If I tried flying without one, every time I flexed my ankle I’d be sent flying all over the sky. This is perfectly safe, just watch.” With those words, she charged her horn, sending an extra boost of magic through her diamond reactor, which caused the end of the gauntlet to erupt in an explosion of energy, sending her flying backwards wildly.

Sweetie flew over, propping a dazed Rarity upright. Rarity simply looked at Sweetie, before letting out a sigh. “Well… that was a miscalculation.”



//////////////////////////////



Rarity now was hunched over, connecting a rat's nest worth of cables and leadwires to the complex repulsor assembly that was attached to the repulsor boots she wore on her hooves. They had been ‘borrowed’ from the automaton she'd been working on before her unexpected detour, which had been lying in the corner of the lab, gathering dust for almost five months. The one advantage to the suit design was that it was based more or less on the automaton, which made gathering parts much easier than having to build everything from scratch. They were only temporary ones, granted, meant more to test out the repulsors Rarity had crafted, but they served their purpose, and now was the time to test them.

“Rarity? You ready?” Sweetie asked, peering out from behind the tripod mounted camera, eyebrow slightly raised. Next to her, ready to be prepared at a moments notice, was a fire extinguisher. Rarity jerked her head away from the random corner she’d found herself staring at, Sweetie’s question snapping her out of her mind’s wandering.

“Yes, quite. Is the camera ready?” She moved to clip another one of the various safety leads to the boots.

“Yeah, everything’s ready.” Sweetie nodded, adjusting the camera slightly and peering through the lens. “Just waiting for your signal.”

Rarity nodded, clipping the final lead into place and then standing back up. “Right then, no time like the present.” She cleared her throat, looking directly into the camera, giving Sweetie a quick nod to have her start recording. The button was pressed and the bright red light signified the camera was recording. Rarity smiled confidently, giving the camera a wave. “Good afternoon! Today is October 2nd, 2009. Today we shall be running the first test on the brand new BelleTech repulsor boots, with neural controlled gauntlet mounted controllers,” as she spoke, she motioned towards the respective parts, which included a simple headband that had a series of lights going around it, and the large gauntlets on her arms.

"The power source is this, my chest implanted Mana Reactor, which is currently running at…” she looked down to an foreleg mounted power sensor, which kept track of how much energy the gem was putting out. “... three gigajoules, which was exactly what I predicted it would.” She then shifted her weight slightly, the boots making a heavy metallic thump as she did so. “Alright then, independent movement without aid of power suit is acceptable, if a tad awkward. Most likely just because I’m not used to this,” she gave the camera a quick smile again. She straightened up again, swallowing and wetting her lips slightly before speaking. “Alright, we’re going to start off rather simple. We’re going to set the repulsor output at one percent, and we’ll see what happens.”

She gulped, closing her eyes, and, with a preparatory breath, lit her horn, sending the mana energy flowing forth as she mentally squeezed the trigger. She felt the slightest bit of a jolt as the boots lifted her less than an inch off the ground, and her ears caught a muted boomph. She opened her eyes, her eyebrows instantly lowering as she glared down at the boots.

“That’s it?” she shouted, glaring down at the boots in bafflement. “That should have given me at least six inches!” she huffed, crossing her arms in frustration.

Sweetie peered out from behind the camera, giggling slightly. “Maybe you should go on a diet.”

Rarity simply glared back, and Sweetie was quick to clamp her mouth shut.

“I’m going to ignore that statement, and instead continue with the focus of this operation, which is figuring out these gauntlets.” She cleared her throat again before continuing. “Alright, next test is going to be at twenty percent, and let’s hope we actually get a result, and not just a half-flanked little puff of air like last time." She once more straightened herself out, moving to adjust the control gauntlets slightly. “Alright then, test two, at twenty percent in three… two… one… IGNITION!”

There was an explosive roar, followed by a deafening whoosh as Rarity was sent flying more than twenty feet, tumbling, spinning and cursing up a storm before she slammed like a battering ram into the far wall. With a vaguely comic whine, she slid down to the floor with a crash, landing on her back, face staring up at the ceiling. A small cloud of exhaust drifted from the boots, which still glowed with energy.

“... ow…”

Sweetie didn’t waste a second, instead bolting from her position by the camera, fire extinguisher at the ready. Within a fraction of a second, she was at Rarity’s side, eyes wide as dinner plates. “Ohmygoshareyouokay?!” she squeaked in one breath.

Rarity simply nodded dumbly before moving to rub her now very sore head. “Yes, mostly.” she groaned, blinking several times before looking directly at Sweetie. “Twenty percent, that was?”

Whatever Sweetie’s reply might have been was drowned out by the sprinkler overhead going off, dousing the two in fire retardant foam.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”



//////////////////////////////



After taking a break to get the fire retardant foam off their bodies, Rarity and Sweetie returned to the lab. Rarity was quick to strap on the boots again, and motioned for Sweetie to set the camera up again.

“Alright then,” Rarity began once the camera started recording, her tone determined. “We’re going to give this another go. Hopefully we’ll hit the nail on the head and have actual success, and not just another chance at a concussion.” She cleared her throat once more as she faced the camera again. “Test two. I’m going to charge up my horn, as always, since it seems a small jump of magic is needed to charge the repulsor batteries, so to speak. We’re going to try this at five percent, see what happens.”

With that, she once more repeated the process of closing her eyes, lighting her horn and starting the repulsors. With a jolt, her body was launched up and she let out a yelp as she quickly moved to turn on the palm mounted stabilizer repulsors. Sweetie let out a shout of her own as she turned tail and scampered out of the way as Rarity went keeling over ahead. After several seconds of dramatic veers and turns, Rarity found herself finally coming to a rather shaky hover in the middle of the workshop.

“Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” she cheered, smiling broadly. “We have achieved liftoff!” As she spoke, she waved her hooves slightly, causing her to go veering to the left wildly again. “Whoa!” she cried out, managing to end up floating over two or three worktables, sending the piles of paper on them scattering and flying about wildly. She was able to regain control however, and once more ended up in a hover, now much more stable.

“Alright then…” she said, looking around for Sweetie. “You can come out now Sweetie, I think I’ve got a handle on this.”

“You sure?! I don’t want to get accidentally fried!” she heard Sweetie call out from a hiding place somewhere in the workshop. Rarity nodded.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure.”

Sweetie peaked out from behind the table she was crouched under, before stepping out more properly, dusting herself off as she did so. Her eyes widened as she saw Rarity floating in mid-air, a proud, content smile on her face.

“That is… AWESOME!” Sweetie squealed with joy, hopping into the air. Rarity puffed her chest out slightly.

“Well, if I do say so myself, yes, it is quite wonderful. Now…” she looked down at the ground. “Time to cut the power.” With that, she flared her horn again, causing the magical flow to reverse, and go back into the source, which was the gem. Her proud smile however, vanished as she dropped out of the sky like a ton of bricks, landing on the ground with a crash.

In a strange, déjà vu experience of the previous crash, Sweetie came rushing to Rarity’s side, only to have them both get soaked by the fire extinguishers.



//////////////////////////////



Rarity was hunched over the right leg of the suit, welding torch in hoof, busily assembling it. Sparks flew about wildly, while, across from her, Sweetie sat hunched over a thick textbook with the name “Artificial Intelligence Programming for Dummies”.

“Rarity, don’t you think you should have some kind of automated co-pilot or something?” Sweetie suddenly asked, causing Rarity to flip the visor up and look at her with a raised eyebrow.

“Sweetie, I don’t think that’s really an issue right this second. Don’t you think we should get the suit’s hardware fully functional before installing software?”

Sweetie shrugged. “Well, isn’t flying without wings kinda hard? I mean, without wings, you can’t really control the air, and if you’re going to be using rockets, wouldn’t you need a stabilizing system? And if you need a stabilizing system, wouldn’t that mean you’d need something to keep it on balance? Something like a co-pilot? That way, you can focus on whatever job you're doing, and not have to worry about all the other stuff the suit is doing?”

Rarity blinked before smirking. “Sweetie, do stop being smarter than me. It’s getting rather embarrassing.”

Sweetie’s eyes widened slightly and she seemed to deflate slightly. Rarity instantly realized her flub and was quick to start shaking her head.

“I meant that as a joke, Sweetie. Relax. You make a good point. We’ll see what we can do about some sort of operating system for the suit. Goodness knows we’ll need something to aim the weaponry when we get around to making it. But right now, we’ve got to build the actual suit itself. One step at a time, am I right?”

Sweetie nodded slightly. “Yeah, okay then.”

Rarity smiled again, dropping the visor back down in front of her face and returning to welding. The sound of a buzzer however, reached her ears soon after, and she paused, her ears flicking about.

“Was that the door buzzer?” she asked aloud, only to be greeted by the same buzzing noise. Her brow furrowed slightly. “Yes… it is. Sweetie,” she looked over to Sweetie. “Can you get that for me?”

Sweetie glanced at the textbook she was currently reading, before slipping off her chair. “Sure thing, Rarity.”

Rarity gave Sweetie a quick grin before once more returning to her welding.

Sweetie meanwhile, smiled broadly. She felt as if she was floating on air. Her sister had spent an entire, uninterrupted day with her! And to top it off, they’d been working together on something, without any nasty fights or mean words between them. It was a new world for Sweetie and she loved it. She practically skipped up the steps, and danced down the hall, singing an idle tune at random. She turned towards the front door as the buzzing sounds grew louder and more insistent.

She peered through the peephole, and was greeted by the sight of a middle aged unicorn stallion with a mustache and monocle. She unlocked the door, opening it with a smile.

“Hello, Mr. Pants!” she chirped, only to notice the stallion’s expression sour somewhat.

“I really do prefer to be called Fancy, darling,” he replied, scrunching his nose ever so slightly. “As charming as it is to once more be blessed with your presence, I really was hoping to see your sister. Is she home?” he asked, peering down at her like one of her frustrated tutors. Sweetie shifted uncomfortably.

“Um, well, yeah, but--”

“Excellent!” Fancy proclaimed, pushing past Sweetie and stepping inside the house, placing his overcoat on the coat rack. “I have urgent business with her that cannot wait, so I really must see her.”

Sweetie followed behind, the stallion’s pace being unexpectedly fast. “But, Mr. Pa--Fancy, Rarity told me--”

“That she’s busy? Of course, she’s always busy. Fillies like yourself can’t differentiate between ‘working’ and ‘busy’, but to a stallion such as myself, it is painfully obvious.”

Sweetie stammered. “But--”

“But nothing darling,” Fancy replied, waving her away. “Run off and watch whatever it is you fillies watch these days, while me and your sister partake in some important grown-up stuff.” By this point, the two unicorns had already reached the workshop doors, and Fancy popped it open, Sweetie letting out a sound of protest as he did so.

He strode down the stairs, head held high, only to come to a halt when he saw Rarity hunkered down and welding something.

“My, my, my, the golden goose is already making another egg?” he chuckled, and Rarity’s ears bolted to attention. She spun around, simultaneously pulling a tarp over something and lifting up the visor and giving him a surprised expression.

“Wha? Fancy, what are you doing here? I thought you were tied up with the board?”

“Well, Written Script arrived today, saying that you’d sent him over. So, I figured I’d take it upon myself to update myself on your recovery process.” he replied, walking up to the worktable. “Also, the board has been wondering what you’ve been up to these past few days.” As he spoke, he lifted up the tarp. Underneath was what seemed to be some sort of robotic arm assembly. He raised an eyebrow.

“What is this? New project?”

Both Rarity and Sweetie shot there eyes towards the robotic arm, and Rarity was quick to slide her rolling chair over. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just that silly little automaton I was working on before…” she flicked her eyes down towards the glowing diamond in her chest. “Before my improvised vacay,” she added, her voice wavering slightly. She then slid the tarp back over it rather pointedly. “But you can’t show them that yet, it’s really quite a hunk of junk. Just a way for me to pass time before the next great idea is all. Nothing much.” She then gave Fancy a big grin and a slap on the back.

“Hmm…” Fancy responded, smoothing out his suit slightly. “What are you doing with it exactly? Improving it? What?”

Rarity opened her mouth slightly. “Well…”

“We’re turning it into modern art!” Sweetie piped up, catching both Rarity and Fancy’s attention.

“Yes!” Rarity added almost instantly. “What?” she said immediately thereafter.

“For my class!” Sweetie casually walked over to the pile, and hopped up on a nearby chair. “We’re taking the automaton Rarity was making, and turning it into a beautiful robotic sculpture!” she said, sounding as though she had rehearsed the line several times. “It’s going to be a symbol of how old, ugly and clunky things can be made into something new, creative and beautiful.” She puffed her chest out slightly and smiled proudly.

“Clunky? Old? Ugly?” Rarity replied, her face an ocean of confusion. Sweetie simply nodded in response, giving Rarity a wink.

“When it’s done, it’s going to be a scale model of the Evangelion Unit A-1, which represents hope.” Sweetie continued, now smiling contently.

“How poetic,” Fancy responded, his voice flat. “But Rarity, I do believe you should be focusing on something a tad more… important, shall we say, then a simple cartoon show?”

“Cartoon?!” Sweetie countered, obviously offended. Rarity was quick to slide her chair over to Sweetie, giving her a quick pat on the back before motioning for the door.

“Sweetie, why don’t you go on and have some lunch. I’ll be there as soon as I’m done speaking with Fancy. We’ll get…”

“Pizza?” Sweetie asked quizzically, and Rarity was quick to nod.

“Yes. Pizza sounds good. We’ll go with that. Now, hurry on now.” She gave Sweetie a nudge.

“But--”

“Go.” Rarity ordered and Sweetie let out a groan, slithering out of her chair and ambling towards the door, muttering as she did so. Both Fancy and Rarity watched her leave, Fancy looking noticeably unamused.

“I now understand why you were so reluctant to spend time with her. She is very annoying.”

Rarity shook her head. “What? No, actually. She’s actually very smart if you give her a chance.”

Fancy simply let out a slight sound of dismissal. “I noticed that you resolved that little buzzing issue…” he flicked his eyes at the gem as he spoke. “I wager it’s that little vest I see peeking out from under your shirt?”

Rarity arched an eyebrow for a second before nodding.

“Oh yes! The horn buzz Sweetie told me about. It’s simply an Ambient Mana Diffusion Vest. Think of it as insulation so my computers aren’t fried everytime I step close to one. I will say I’m quite shocked you didn’t mention it before, that surely must have been quite annoying for you, Fancy, your horn has always been so sensitive.” She let the last word roll off her tongue slightly, giving Fancy a roguish eyebrow wiggle. Fancy simply rolled his eyes, the memory of that one time always having been a favorite way for Rarity to get him to leave. The darn thing was that it always worked. He let out a sigh, sinking to sit.

“You’re never going to let me forget that are you?” he huffed, and Rarity simply nodded. Fancy let out another sigh, and adjusted his monocle. “Well… it does seem like you’re right back on the saddle. Board will certainly be happy to hear that.” As he spoke, he slipped his magic under the table, placing a small, circular device underneath it and pressing the small button on it’s surface. “I will be certain to tell them. I suppose I’m constraining your precious muse by my mere presence?”

Rarity nodded again. “Yes. Yes you are. Now, go tell the board to stop hassling me.”

Fancy held up a hoof. “I will, but on one condition.”

Rarity huffed, rolling her eyes slightly. “What?”

“You let me show this little vest to the board. You have to give them something after all, or else they’ll get like a hungry dog.”

Rarity shook her head. “No. Not now at least. Just give me a little bit more time.”

Fancy groaned. “How much more time?”

Rarity shrugged, brushing her bang out of her field of vision. “Just more, Fancy. I can’t give you a date or anything like that. I have issues to sort out.”

“Issues? Still? What are you going to do, climb up a mountain and start living with monks?” Fancy countered sharply, causing Rarity to flinch slightly.

“No… I just feel that giving the board anything right now is an unwise decision. Or don’t you remember that leak I mentioned? The one filtering our weapons to terrorists?”

Fancy rubbed his forehead. “Are you still hung up on that?”

Rarity nodded resolutely. “Yes. I am. I do believe the fact that those monsters who captured me used my own weapons against me is something worth getting hung up about. Why do you think I sent Written Script there? Somepony has to be investigating that, or do you just want me to file it away and forget it?”

Fancy’s expression became muddled, and he muttered something under his breath that Rarity couldn’t quite catch. He eventually let out another long sigh, before starting towards the door.

“Fine. But let it be known that today the company filed an injunction against you. They want to take you out of the system. I shot it down however, but I promised I’d give them something in return, something to prove that you’re still a, quote-on-quote “valued asset.” Their words,” he said gravely, causing Rarity’s face to grow somewhat pale.

“Now, just give me that vest design, and I can work towards making sure the board doesn’t try making that decision again,” Fancy pressed. Rarity didn’t respond at first, she was too shocked by the information.

“Are you sure there isn’t another way?” she asked, still unable to comprehend how the company that she had built herself, with her own hooves no less, was now trying to get rid of her. Fancy simply shook his head.

“If there was, I wouldn’t be here,” came his answer.

Rarity sighed heavily, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple. She reached a hoof across the worktable, picking out the vest sketch from the pile of blueprints and sketches scattered about the table. She handed it over to Fancy, and waved him away.

“There. Hopefully that will feed their hunger for now.” She pointed towards the door. “Now leave. I have to get back to work.”

Fancy silently folded the paper, and placed it in his breast pocket. “Alright then. I’ll make sure Written gets all the help he needs.” He then turned and walked out the room, closing the door behind him and leaving a frustrated and confused Rarity behind.



//////////////////////////////



Fancy closed the door of his office quietly, silently moving towards his desk, which, in the center of which, sat his computer. With the press of a button, he turned it on, typing in the passcode without a second glance. After a brief pause to allow the computer to properly boot up, Fancy was greeted by a brand new folder appearing on his screen marked “Rarity’s Project”. He smiled, opening the folder and scrolling through the contents. Inside, were dozens upon dozens of blueprints and designs, all from Rarity’s personal data banks.

“Yes, it does seem that little bug was a worthwhile investment…” he chuckled, pleased to now know exactly what Rarity was up to at any given time. “Now then, my dear Rarity, lets see what this 'modern art project' really is,” he added with a chuckle.

And all without her being the wiser.



> Act II - 15 - Testing, 1, 2, 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act II:
“Who Are You?”

Chapter Fifteen:
“Testing, 1, 2, 3”




As the hours passed, Rarity was beginning to think that building the suit was going to be more difficult than expected. She and Sweetie (who was far more proficient at computers than either one of them had expected) had managed to make significant progress, but it seemed that every two steps forward was followed by one step back, and a healthy dousing of foam from the sprinklers.

“You know,” she said, toweling off after another foam bath, glaring up at the sprinkler system. “I’m probably going to blast that thing into next week if it keeps that up.”

“Why don’t you just set up a forcefield over it?” Sweetie asked, aggressively rubbing a towel in her ear in an attempt to get the excessive amounts of foam that were now filling it. Rarity shook her head, motioning towards her horn.

“Mostly because we’re both using quite a bit of magic to power everything in this room, so I don’t want either of us to drain ourselves.”

Sweetie raised an eyebrow. “That can happen?”

Rarity nodded. “In extreme situations yes, usually if a pony is too focused on different stimuli or is impaired in some way. Again, I wouldn’t want to risk it.”

Sweetie shrugged slightly. “Nopony ever told me about that one. How did you find that out?”

Rarity opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated. A particularly colorful and rather unpleasant memory came to her mind.

“My magiksh no’ working...” Rarity slurred before downing another can of Pabst, letting out a loud burp and wiping her lips with a silly grin plastered on her face.

“C’mon Rares!” her sorority sister hollered, jumping up and down in front of the keg. “We need t’ do ‘nother keg shtand!”

Rarity pointed at her horn slopply. “But my magiksh no’ working...”

“KEG SHTAND NAOW!!!” The sorority sister practically shrieked, grabbing Rarity by the foreleg and dragging her to the keg.

Memories of her quickly losing her grip on the keg and sprawling forward ended with her writhing on the floor with a bleeding nose. Rarity blinked and shook her head to dispel the memory, moving to rub her nose.

“Um… mother told me,” she said, giving Sweetie a smile that she knew probably looked as confident as an origami swan in a hurricane. “I suppose it was one of the few things she told me that actually mattered in life.”

Sweetie nodded slightly. “Oh. I see.” She then looked over towards the worktables, which contained various pieces of the suit. "Do you want to try… actually assemble the suit now, see if everything clicks, or do you want to take a lunch break or something?"

Rarity looked over towards the pieces of the suit, furrowing her brow slightly. "Oh..." She groaned, leaning back in her chair and rubbing her tired eyes. "I suppose a lunch break is in order. Celestia knows I need the break. We've been working since what? Ten in the morning?"

Sweetie shrugged. "I guess. I haven't really been keeping track."  Rarity could not blame her; with Fancy Pants’ sudden arrival and the excitement of actually producing something useful filling her mind, something as minor as time had fallen by the wayside.

“Let’s just do one small test, just to see if it’s working,” Rarity said before tossing the towel aside and moving to the suit. “Then we’ll get some lunch. How’s that sound?”

“Okay.” Sweetie answered, hopping off her chair and joining Rarity in assembling the suit. Most of the components were still in various states of disassembly, so it was a rather frustrating processes that resembled assembling a Lego kit with no directions. Several times they had to start over when one or the other set the wrong piece in place, their frustration mounting.

“Why can’t this just magica-” Rarity halted mid sentence, her eyes darting up at her horn. She let out a groan, her palm slapping against her forehead. “Damnit I’m such a…” she trailed off, her horn lighting up and enveloping the dozens of random metallic pieces in a halo of turquoise magic. The pieces all floated into the air, spinning around Rarity and assembling in a random pattern. Within a few moments, the suit was finally assembled, the last piece clicking into place.

“Well. There we go.” Rarity said, the suit’s intercom amplifying her voice slightly. “Can’t believe we didn’t try that half-an-hour ago. Anyways,” she cleared her throat. “Get the camera ready. Let’s see if this tin-can can actually fly, right?”

Sweetie blinked, her face having been frozen in awe at Rarity’s magical show, quickly nodded and scampered over to the camera, quickly setting it up. “Alright, the camera’s ready!” she called out.

Rarity smiled beneath her helmet, walking in front of the camera. There were mechanical whirrs as the complex power system helped move the suit forward much smoother than before, but Rarity still didn’t wish to risk any avoidable injuries by rushing forward, so her steps were steady. She stood in front of the camera, giving it a waive.

“Alright then! Here we go again, another test. We’ll be testing the full suit at... let’s just say 5% capacity for now,” Rarity stated for the camera as Sweetie Belle nodded, Rarity already making some final preparations. She took a breath, mentally preparing herself.

“Alright, now time to power up the suit’s internal computer in three… two… one.” There was a sharp beep as the computer systems sprung to life, flooding the head’s up display with dozens and dozens of holographic images along the inside of Rarity’s helmet. Rarity blinked harshly, trying to process the terabytes of information that now came flooding over her eyes.

“Whoa! Wait-I mean-slow-AAIIIIIIIIII!” she shouted, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. However, that only caused the neural control system to set the rockets into launch mode. With a roar, the suit was sent flying wildly around the room, Rarity’s voice coming out in a stream of shrieks, screams and expletives as she tried to gain control.

With a thunderous crash, Rarity slammed into the far wall. Sweetie ran over to her, grabbing a flathead screwdriver and attempting to pry open the helmet. Rarity however, lifted a hoof, brushing Sweetie’s hoof aside. She pushed a button on the side of the helmet, flipping the face plate up. Rarity blinked several times, her eyes trying to adjust to the sudden lack of hundreds of ultra bright holograms flying in front of her face.  “... that didn't work,” she finally said, shaking her head.

Her observation was answered by a massive torrent of foam from the fire extinguishers, coating the duo in a thick covering of white foam.

Sweetie let out a sigh. “So… I guess that means we take a lunch break huh?”



/////////////////////////////



Sweetie and Rarity now sat the dinner table, eating lunch. It had taken two high pressure showers to strip away the impromptu foam coating, but they’d managed.

“Well, it seems that our main issue is seems to be that the suit has no information filter,” Rarity said, taking a bite out of her pizza. “We need to figure out a way to filter the information I receive, or else my brain won’t be able to process enough of it and it’ll be completely impossible for me to control the suit,” she took another bite, chewing with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Something like an artificial intelligence system.”

“You mean like the one I was working on?”

Rarity’s eyes widened at Sweetie’s observation. “Yes! Yes exactly like the one you were designing!” she stood up all of a sudden, walking towards the laboratory briskly. “Do you know what this means, Sweetie?”

Sweetie arched an eyebrow, giving her pizza a somewhat forlorn glance before turning and following. “What? What does it mean?” she asked, trying to keep pace with Rarity.

“This means I get to design an entirely new artificial intelligence system! Think of the possibilities! We could apply this to aviation, maritime -- all sorts of technology! A whole new world of advancement is opening before us!”

Sweetie honestly had never seen Rarity looking so ecstatic over anything, and it felt especially awkward considering how placid she’d been a few moments ago. “Uh, Rarity, don’t you think you’re moving a little fast? I mean, we haven’t even tested it.”

“Frontiers need to be expanded, Sweetie. It’s not like they expand themselves. Anyways,” she paused, opening the door to the laboratory and starting down the steps. “It finally means we can do some experimenting without fear of foam bath! Surely that’s a bonus, yes?”

Sweetie blinked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. “Uh, yeah, I guess--”

“Excellent! Now, where do you store your work? I trust that you’ve been keeping your notes in order?” Rarity said, cutting Sweetie off as she clapped her hooves together. Sweetie pointed towards her worktable, which had several piles of paper and a laptop, which had been left open. Rarity walked over, pressing the power button on the laptop, magically rolling a chair over and sitting down.

“Hmmm…” she hummed, her hooves typing away at the keyboard, carefully scanning the complex control prompt display through her reading glasses. “This looks like a nice foundation for the AI. Stable…” she trailed off, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Wait a second… this is Katy isn’t it?” she spun her chair around, giving Sweetie an inquisitive look. “You used Katy’s software for this? From your phone?”

“Katy?” Sweetie asked, tilting her head. “You mean the thing I use to find restaurants and stuff?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes that. She’s that little assistant program that I developed for the smart phones. Katy. You used her for the foundation for the AI?”

Sweetie bell shrugged. “Uh, yeah, I guess. I just figured it’d be easier to start with her then from scratch,” she then rubbed her arm. “You’re not mad are you?”

Rarity shook her head. “No, no! I’m just surprised you thought of that. I was assuming you’d started from scratch, but no, you worked smarter. Not harder. Excellent work,” she then spun her chair around, hunching over the laptop and beginning to aggressively type and click away. Her horn flared and Sweetie’s ears shot back against her head as the music started to play over the speakers.

“Uh, do you need my help?” Sweetie asked over the music, walking up to Rarity and looking over her shoulder to watch her pump out line after line of computer programming code. Rarity shook her head slightly.

“No, no, you can take a break. Go, watch television or something. I’d like to handle this myself. You’ve been really busy.” she answered, giving Sweetie a slight smile.

“You sure? Because I’d really love to help out a little more.”

Rarity stopped typing, turning to face Sweetie. “Sweetie, I appreciate the help, I really do, but honestly, I feel that I should handle this myself. After all, I’m going to be the one using the AI most often. I have to personalize it. Secondly, I just feel I’ve been very hooves off. So, I wish to be hooves on right now. Don’t worry though, you’ll get to help soon enough.”

Sweetie sighed, letting her shoulders sag slightly. “Oh, alright then. Do I get to name it?”

Rarity shrugged. “If I can’t come up with a proper name, then sure you can.”

Sweetie gave Rarity a smile. “Okay then. Thanks a bunch.” she then turned and headed out of the lab, the music increasing in volume as Rarity returned to work.



/////////////////////////////



"No matter how many weapons you have, no matter how great your technology might be, the world cannot--”

“Oh Sweetie Belle!” came Rarity’s voice, causing Sweetie to turn away from the movie, and peer over the side of the couch. She simultaneously turned the volume down, her ears pricking to attention.

“Yeah? What is it?” she called back, glancing back towards the television as the movie continued to run.

“I want you to meet TOM!”

Sweetie blinked. “Who?”

“TOM! Come and meet TOM!” Rarity replied, her voice sounding proud.

Sweetie blinked again, looking asides towards nowhere in particular. Who the heck is Tom? she wondered, before pressing the pause button and getting off the couch.

She walked over to the lab, seeing that the door was already open, with Rarity standing proudly in the doorway.

“Come, Sweetie! Meet our new friend.” She motioned for Sweetie to follow, spinning on her heels and briskly walking down the stairs, with Sweetie following behind. They entered the lab, and Rarity motioned towards one of the computers; in the middle of the screen, was what looked like a floating diamond.

“Uh… where is he? I don’t see anypony?” Sweetie said rather bluntly, causing Rarity to let out a slight huff.

“He’s right there.” She pointed to the monitor. “TOM is our new AI. Aren’t you, TOM?”

The diamond glowed, and a deep, smooth male voice emitted from the speakers. “Yes I am, Miss Belle,” the diamond shifted slightly, it’s path followed by a small webcam mounted atop the computer screen. “And hello, Sweetie Belle. It’s very nice to meet you.”

Sweetie’s mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. Gosh…” she said slowly, her eyes widening. “He talks?!” she looked up at Rarity, who nodded.

“Why of course. What use is a mute AI? What do you think of the voice? Too deep?”

Sweetie stammered. “Wha? No I think it’s awesome! He sounds like--”

“One of your anime characters?” TOM interjected, causing Sweetie look at him with wide eyes. “Yes, it is intentional. Miss Belle felt that a familiar voice would be more assuring than a foreign one.”

Rarity let out a slight scoff. “Oh, TOM, stop calling me ‘Miss’. Just call me Rarity. I’m not some old maid you know.” She then looked down at Sweetie. “By the way, I programmed him to recognize you as an admin. That way we don’t have to worry about you being locked out or anything. Nifty eh?”

Sweetie nodded. “This is so incredibly awesome! Can we test him out?”

“I suppose so. Sound fun TOM?” Rarity answered, looking towards the computer.

“I suppose so,” there was a pause as the sound of computer processing filled the room. “Do you wish me to integrate to the home mainframe? It will improve my performance by 87%."

Rarity rubbed her chin. "Well, I think we should take baby steps. We only just got you up and running, so let’s focus on our first flight, and if that goes over well, we’ll then see about integration.”

“As you wish.” TOM replied flatly, and Rarity motioned for Sweetie to sit down in front of the computer that Sweetie assumed was TOM’s central hub.

“You’re going to try flying now?” Sweetie asked, looking up at Rarity. Rarity shrugged.

“Well, maybe not a full fledged test flight, but at least let’s see if TOM will be of help. That way, we can work out any bugs.” She walked over to where the suit was, placed on a rack in order to keep it’s myriad of parts together. She reached for a few of the half dozen cables before reaching down and plugging them into several spots along the body of the suit. “There we go,” she muttered, standing back up. “Now TOM can interface directly with the suit. TOM, you may install yourself.”

"As you wish," the on screen diamond glowed brightly, before dissolving into the bottom right corner of the screen, with a cascade of musical tones. The eye-slots of the suit meanwhile, briefly glowed white, before dimming slightly. "Fully integrated into suit. Currently running diagnostics." Tom stated flatly, and Rarity moved to remove the cables tethering the suit to the computer.

“I have fully integrated into the suit, ma’am.” TOM then said, and Rarity nodded with a pleased expression on her face.

“Excellent, now, let’s see if everything works out then. Sweetie, go set up the camera,” she said, and Sweetie nodded, turning the camera on. Rarity meanwhile lit her horn, causing the suit’s pieces of surround her and then they one by one they layered on top of her. The holograms inside the helmet then lit up. Now she could actually see.

“Okay, commence flight in five… four… three… two… one.” Rarity said.

And then faster then it took to write the suit’s rocket’s ignited and she began to levitate above the ground generating clouds of smoke. There was a slight blue glow as Rarity channeled her magic, steering the suit and keeping it from drifting. Sweetie Belle laughed with delight.

“This is so cool!” she squeaked.

“Yes, indeed.” Rarity said “Now, please stay here and for the love of Celestia, don’t break the camera.”

“Okay.” Sweetie Belle replied before stopping. “Wait, ‘stay here’? What do you mean by-”

“I mean you’re going to be Mission Control, like I said,” Rarity replied, her flight pattern wavering slightly.

“Mission Control? Wait, does that mean you’re--”

“Having a full fledged test flight? Exactly!” Rarity replied, her giggle audible over the intercom. “Did you get that TOM? Let’s see what this can do!”

Sweetie just blinked in befuddlement as she heard Tom’s response.

“Calibrating flight systems… flight systems calibrated. Launching into proper flight in three… two… one…”

There was an explosion of noise as the rockets holding Rarity aloft surged to life again, sending her flying upwards.

“No wait! The roo-” Rarity’s shout was cut off by the suit going clean through the roof of the lab and up out of the house, leaving a deeply baffled Sweetie Belle staring at the new skylight.



/////////////////////////////



Well... I always wanted a skylight. Rarity thought, glancing down at the ground as she surged skyward. Of course, home improvement quickly fell to the back of her mind as she fully realized what she was doing.

She was flying. It was not the same as riding around on some airship, this was actual, honest to Celestia flying. At first she was silent, taking in everything as she zoomed through the air, but then a girlish giggle slipped past her lips as she dove for the ground, pulling up just before impact and shooting forward with unprecedented speed. With TOM handling most of the heavy functions, all Rarity had to do was adjust her stabilizing jets every now and then, weaving around obstacles with expert adjility

Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Flying is Fantastic! she adjusted once again, rising up and surveying the ground below. She could make out the small outlines of ponies on the move, most too focused on where they were going to notice her flight. A younger part of her, one firmly entrenched into her college years, felt tempted to dive down low and buzz a random clutch of ponies.

A high pitched shriek however, caught her ears, and she felt herself lurching to the right, narrowly missing a rather frazzling looking mail pony, who spewed a long series of incredibly harsh expletives. That was quickly greeted by her narrowly clipping a building, sending her crashing towards another one. Rarity concentrated, using her magic to steer the armor out of the way and stabilize her course. 

Better get some altitude between me and these buildings, she thought worriedly, pointing herself skywards and roaring upwards. As she did so, the suit began to vibrate violently, and Rarity felt her heart rate leap and bound erratically.

“TOM? What’s going on?” she called out, and the hud lit up, displaying her speed.

“You are nearing the speed of sound. Analysis shows a 70% chance of surpassing it”

“Seventy percent?” Rarity asked, a sly grin growing across her face. “Well, I suppose those odds are good enough for me. Let’s break that barrier then!”

“Affirmative. Increasing thrust,” TOM replied flatly, and Rarity felt the rockets in her suit once more kick her forwards. The vibrating increased in severity, and Rarity could see a cone of white water droplets forming in front of her.

Come on… come on… it’s been done before… she thought, pushing herself harder and harder, the vibrating making her feel as if she were locked inside a giant paint can being shaken. The white field of water droplets now completely filled her vision, when, with a loud crack, it suddenly evaporated and the vibrations came to a sudden halt.

“BINGO!” Rarity practically shouted for joy, glancing behind her as best she could to see a brillant silver ring of light forming behind her. Her eyes widened.

Is that a… sonic rainboom?! she thought, her mouth breaking into a massive smile.

“Wha-ha-ha-ha!” she cheered, doing a quick loop-de-loop for joy. “TOM do you see that?! Do you know what this means?!”

“I see it ma’am,” TOM replied. “It is quite impressive.”

“‘Impressive’?” Rarity shook her head. “TOM, I’ve just created the first ever artificial rainboom! This is record making!”

“Again, most impressive,” Tom replied, and Rarity simply rolled her eyes, before taking notice of how stunningly smooth her flying was now. It felt as if she were flying on silk, soaring above the cloud layer, just her and the setting sun. It was like something out of a movie, so calm and serene. Rarity gave a pensive sound, her eyes looking skyward, focusing on the moon, which had risen early today and could be seen faintly floating above her head and to the east, nicely complimenting the very top of Canterlot Mountain, which peaked just above the cloud cover, capped in a small layer of snow.

“Uh, TOM, might I ask you a question?” Rarity asked, her eyes focusing on the moon. The hud lit up, sliding to show the glowing diamond in the upper right corner.

“Your request is my command, Rarity,” he answered. “How may I assist you?”

“What’s the world altitude record, perchance?” she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“The world altitude record for unassisted flight is 37,000 feet.”

A sly smile spread across Rarity’s face. “And the record for assisted flight?”

“85,069”

Rarity grinned. “Ah, then we can do better! Let’s go for the gold then!” With that, she aimed skywards, and with a roar, soared upwards. The altimeter rapidly climbed, the numbers jumping and climbing rapidly. First twenty thousand, then twenty-five thousand, then thirty thousand, thirty-five thousand and so on and so on.

Rarity could feel the temperature inside the suit drop slightly, and she could have sworn she caught sight of some frost building on the outmost edge of the eye slots. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly, glancing towards the altimeter. It read sixty thousand feet, and a quick look outside revealed the curve of the earth was beginning to be apparent.

Probably just condensation, she thought, pushing the worrisome thoughts out of her mind. Now wasn’t the time for fear. She was on the cusp of making history, and history wasn’t made by fearful ponies. At least, that’s what mother always used to say.

Huh, that’s two pieces of advice she’s given that are actually useful, she thought, rolling her eyes slightly. A quick glance at the altimeter read seventy-seven thousand feet. Her eyes widened slightly.

“We’re almost there!” she giggled, resisting the urge to clap her hooves together, mostly because they were pointed behind her and serving as her stabilizers. There was a brief sputter in her rockets, causing her to briefly tense up and her excitement was cut short when she heard a loud klaxon go off in her ear. The hud went red, and large white letters appeared on the screen.

“Warning: Dangerous levels of ice buildup on exterior surface,” TOM’s voice repeated above the sound of the alarm.

“Ice? What ice?” she asked, her eyes darting about. she tried to crane her head around to check herself, but suddenly everything went dark, her rockets shutting off abruptly. For a brief moment, she continued upwards, before she felt gravity take hold of her, yanking her towards the ground at a nearly absurd rate. She tumbled about wildly, letting out a loud cry of panic.

“TOM?! TOM what happened?!” she panicked, her eyes darting about in wild panic as she tumbled end over end, the curve of the earth flickering in and out of her line of sight, bouncing between the lights of Canterlot below with the stars above. Inside the suit, everything was completely black, the hud display having vanished with her rockets. She could hear the air outside rushing by, growing louder and louder as it grew thicker and denser the closer she got to the surface. Every few seconds, there was a burst of static, and Sweetie’s garbled, yet noticeably panicked voice shouting her name.

“Sweetie?! Sweetie you there?!?!?! Can anypony hear me?!” Rarity cried out, her arms now flailing wildly. She heard a loud cracking sound and caught a glimpse of what looked like a chunk of ice spiraling away from her.

Ice?! Was her first thought, and she shook her head. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! The suit’s systems must have frozen when I climbed too high! she let out another panicked cry. Not like this, please no not like this. Don’t let me die like this!

She desperately tried to reactivate the systems, going as far as to actively slap her gloves against her suit as hard as possible. As abruptly as they’d vanished, the displays exploded to life and the rockets kicked in, sending her wildly spirling form into a wild corkscrew.

“GAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!” Rarity screamed at the top of her lungs, desperately trying to regain control of the now wildly spinning suit. There was a slurred series of beeps and the bright white diamond reappeared in the upper right of her display.

“My apologies, Rarity, but I seem to have taken an unexpected leave of absence,” came the voice of the AI, it’s utterly impassive tone of voice contrasting sharply with Rarity’s panicked gasps and grunts.

“HOW DO YOU STOP THIS CRAZY THING?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!” Rarity wailed, trying her best to keep her arms and legs steady. There was a series of beeps and chimes, now sounding noticeably clearer and crisp.

“Processing request. Restoring flight control systems…” There was a bright ping, and the suit practically snapped mid-roll into a perfectly straight line. “Flight systems restored. Apologies for the inconvenience.”

Rarity opened her mouth to berate TOM when another burst of static assaulted her ears.

“Rarity?! Rarity are you okay?!” came Sweetie’s voice, and Rarity blinked.

“Wha? Sweetie?” she stammered, shaking her head to try to calm herself down. “I-*gasp*-I’m okay! I’m alive!” she answered, her breath coming out in heavy pants. She heard Sweetie let out a massive sigh of relief.

“Oh thank Celestia! TOM must have froze up at the high altitude! I had to take over!” she said, herself sounding equally stressed.

“Can you get him fully back online?” Rarity asked, letting herself relax somewhat now that she wasn’t wildly spirling to her death. She heard the keyboard typing away wildly in the background, and Sweetie giving a vague sound of frustration.

“Maybe two minutes? One if we’re lucky.”

Rarity let out a grumble. “Can I land this, or am I stuck up here?” She looked around, noticing she was about to dive into the clouds below again.

“I think you might be able to land, but it’ll probably be best to stay airborne until I get TOM back up,” Sweetie replied, still typing away. Rarity pursed her lips, glancing down at the clouds. A quick flash of white and a loud roll of thunder greeted her eyes and ears.

“Um… I’m going to risk it. Looks like these clouds beneath me are getting nasty, and I don’t want to have to fly into a storm if I don’t have to… especially after what just happened.” She banked left, heading towards Canterlot Mountain, which was now behind her. 

Sweetie’s response was worrisome. “Okay then. Good luck.”

Rarity took a breath, pursing her lips together. “Here goes nothing,” she muttered, dropping down into the cloud layer, which was noticeably damper and thicker than before. Water droplets splashed against her helmet, making sharp splatting sounds as they did so. The sound of thunder in the background only made her more stressed, but luckily enough for her, she was able to make it through the cloud relatively easily, dropping underneath to be greeted by a noticeable lack of rain. the city below her was lit up brightly, a sea of golden lamps and white lights, and she could see her neighborhood perched above the castle. she flew in, giving the castle spire a quick glance as she passed, making a beeline for her home.

“Alright, here I come,” she called to Sweetie, spotting the giant gaping hole she’d made not half an hour before. She carefully positioned herself as best she could, before mentally signaling the propulsion systems to power down.

She promptly crashed through the hole she had made, accidently clipping the side and widening it. She hit the ground hard, letting out a sharp grunt, the force driving her to one knee.

“Rarity!" Sweetie exclaimed, running from her makeshift mission control to Rarity's side. “Are you all right?” 

"Yeah, I'm--" Rarity halted, a mechanical whirr catching her ears. She glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of the fire extinguisher. She spun around, her gloved hoof shooting a bolt of energy towards the foam-spraying menace, causing it to be blown back, the nozzle blasted clean off.

"I hate that stupid thing," she muttered, standing up with a slight grunt. Her horn glowed, the suit disassembling and reassembling itself on the mannequin. She glanced down at Sweetie, who looked at the remains of the fire extinguisher. "And to answer your question, yes, I'm fine." She let out a grunt, stretching in an attempt to get her rather sore frame to loosen up. "A little frazzled but fine." She looked over at the computer, where it seemed like a program was being installed. "Is that TOM?"

Sweetie blinked, turning to look over her shoulder at the computer. "Oh yeah, it is. You sure you want to keep him? I mean, he broke down right?"

"Oh don't worry, that's alright. It’s a learning process. We'll get there." She rubbed her sister's head, giving her a confident grin. She then walked over to a nearby chair, flopping down and letting out a content sigh.

"But all in all, I'd say that flight was rather good… minus the near-death by ice."

Sweetie nodded. "Yeah. I suppose. Why do you think that happened?

Rarity shrugged. "The alloy we used, probably. We'll need something that won't freeze… like silver..." she trailed off, grabbing a pen and starting to draft up some sketches. She glanced towards Sweetie, motioning for the rather silent filly to come over. "Come on now, don't leave your big sister alone here. I do need your insight after all."

Sweetie gave her a smile, walking over and taking a seat next to her, and picking up her own pen and mirroring Rarity's actions, as the duo returned to work on the suit.



> Act III - 16 - Mother Means Comfort?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act III:
“Crossing Paths”

Chapter Sixteen:
“Mother Means Comfort?”




Both Rarity and Sweetie sat hunkered over a detached limb of the suit, Rarity busily soldering soldering away at a mineralized missile delivery system. Sweetie watched wide eyed, occasionally passing Rarity whichever tool she needed. She’d never been this close to a missile in her entire life.

“So you’re gonna use this to fight bad guys?” she asked, looking at Rarity with a raised eyebrow. Rarity nodded absent mindedly

“Yes, obviously. Also in case I ever end up on the receiving end of an attack. Wouldn’t want to be outgunned right?”

Sweetie shrugged slightly, rubbing her foreleg. “I guess…”

Rarity paused, glancing at Sweetie with a raised eyebrow. “What’s wrong? You’ve been quiet lately. Usually you don’t stop talking.”

Sweetie shrugged, shifting in her seat slightly. “Well, it’s nothing really. Guess I’m just a bit surprised you’ve got so many weapons in this thing.”

Rarity smirked. “Well, I am the founder of a weapons manufacturer. Makes sense I’d eventually try to actually use what I manufacturer right?” her smirk faded, however, as she saw that Sweetie still seemed uneasy. She put the soldering tool down, lifting up her reading glasses to get a better look at Sweetie. "Sweetie… what's worrying you?"

Sweetie let out a quiet huff, her hoof idly playing with a small screw driver.

"Its just… you seem -I don't know- over eager I suppose. I mean, these missiles hurt ponies right? Like, that's bad right?" She glanced at Rarity. "And you said you didn't want to hurt ponies anymore. So why give your suit guns and missiles and stuff?"

Rarity blinked, biting her lip slightly. "I see..." She said slowly, leaning back in her seat slightly. "I can see what is worrying you, and mind you, it is a valid worry. But if you're fearing I'm about to go axe-crazy and try to just indiscriminately attack ponies, you have no need to worry. I have a very exact set of targets in mind, and suffice to say they are ponies who have done terrible, terrible things. And they’re most likely not going to hesitate from hurting me, if not worse. Hence,” she motioned towards the missile. “My rather… intensive armaments. Understand?”

Sweetie tentatively nodded. “I guess. Maybe I’m worried about you being safe or something, I don’t know.”

Rarity simply put a hoof on Sweetie’s shoulder. “No worries. I’ll stay safe.” She then motioned to the limb. “Come now, let’s get this nice and assembled.”

Sweetie nodded slightly, picking up her goggles and a soldering torch.



////////////////////////////////////



Pearl sat quietly in her office. In front of her, waiting for her skilled hoof, was her drawing board. She quietly looked down at the large sheet of blank white drafting paper, unsure of what to do. She had been unable to muster the slightest bit of creativity or inspiration. Instead, she was consumed with a constant, cloying sense of guilt and frustration. Instead of art, all she’d managed to create were several dozen (if not hundred) crumpled up pieces of paper, overflowing from the waste bin and scattered around the floor.

As was standard whenever she felt the desire or need to create, the door was locked, keeping her sealed off from the chaotic world outside. Usually this meant that she could work in peace, separated from the noise of life. But now, the silence was deafening. The tick-tock of the clock on the wall was ringing through the room, making her keenly aware of the passage of time.

She let out a grumble, rubbing her face with her hooves. Why can’t I create? she mentally groaned, standing up and trotting over to the window. Peering outside, she could see the busy streets of Canterlot with ponies going about their day. Every so often, a mare and their children would pass by, happy in their idyllic and bliss filled lives.

What a sharp contrast to mine, Pearl found herself thinking, eying the happy look on the mother and daughter’s faces as they passed. It had been several days since she last communicated with her own daughters, and that conversation had been dominated by bitterness, with Rarity’s thin, tired looking body providing a piercing visual counterpoint.

Pearl closed her eyes, letting her shoulders sag and her head hang down as she turned away from the window. “Why does it have to be this way?” she asked quietly, shaking her head. Guilt had already begun to well up inside of her. Perhaps she had been too quick to judge her daughter’s actions. Too quick to dismiss them as the over-dramatic consternations of an immature mare who refused to grow as a pony, instead content to forcefully tie herself down to her machines, gizmos and grease. But that had obviously not been the case. Rarity was obviously in less than stellar health.

Pearl let out a sigh, sitting down again on her bed. She’s obviously under duress… obviously had a traumatic experience, Pearl; there’s no use denying that any longer. Perhaps you were too blunt. She rolled onto her side idly, looking towards her drawing board. But she obviously needs to get out of that laboratory, out among the fresh Canterlot air. It can’t be good to be trapped among those tools and weapons. Perhaps you should apologize, make amends instead digging the ditch deeper? A lunch perhaps? Yes… that might work. Get her some fresh air… be among happy, friendly ponies. Much better than her locked away in her dungeon like basement fiddling with her tools.

Pearl sat up, the plan loosely forming in her mind as she walked back to the drawing table, picking up the cell phone. She quickly dialed the number, lifting it to her ear. There was a pause as the other line rang for a moment.

“Why did you call me?” came Rarity’s unexpectedly terse response, causing Pearl to flinch ever so slightly. She quickly steeled herself however, clearing her throat slightly before answering her characteristically calm and contained demeanor.

“I called because I wish to have lunch with you, Rarity.” She waited for Rarity’s response, which was precluded by a slightly confused sound.

“What? What do you mean ‘have lunch’?”

Pearl exhaled a tad sharper than she intended. “I mean exactly what I said, Rarity. I wish to take you out to lunch… perhaps even have a mature, adult conversation with you.”

“Why?”

“Because--” Pearl hesitated, looking down at the ground. “--Because I simply feel like discussing some--” she paused, choosing her next words carefully. “--personal matters with you is all. And I’d wish to do it in a nice, open place, rather than in a stuffy office.”

There was a long pause on the other end, and Pearl found herself feeling more tense than she thought she would. She did honestly wish to discuss personal manners. Rarity’s unforgiving voice had wounded her unexpectedly. She hadn’t really seen how distasteful their relationship was until just a few days ago. Competition between parents and child was, in her opinion, necessary and helpful to drive the offspring out into the world and provoke them to achieve great things. Some antagonism was inevitable, a sacrifice a mother had to be willing to make, after all a mother was a mother not for her own enjoyment, but to further her children. 

But hate? That was a determinant, it made ponies stupid and petty. It narrowed vision and derailed focus. Ambition was doomed to remain small as long as a pony’s mind was consumed over a single hurt. 

And that her own daughters could openly hate her…

“I suppose I can spare a few hours.” Rarity’s voice snapped Pearl back to reality. Pearl raised her eyebrows.

“Splendid. I’ll meet you at Chez Magnifique.”

“I suppose,” came Rarity’s pointed response. “Goodbye.”

She hung up and Pearl placed the phone back down on her desk quietly.



////////////////////////////////////



Rarity stepped out of the car, peering over her lowered sunglasses to get a better view of the coffee shop. She had chosen the glasses and a scarf to wrap around her head in hopes that nopony would recognize her. Last thing she needed was paparazzi pouring down on her like some sort of apocalyptic swarm. On top of that, it was true that she had lost some noticeable amount of weight, which would probably only provoke even more wild rumors about her health.

Hell, Mom could hardly believe how I looked… Rarity thought just as she spotted Pearl seated at one of the outdoor tables.

Rarity sighed and slammed her car door. She had been regretted agreeing to see her mother from the second she hung up the phone and had even considered calling it off, but she could only sigh in exasperation at the thought of how Pearl would make her pay for such a breach in courtesy. Most likely with snide comments in their every meeting afterwards and badgering her about every subject but what she was angry about and probably complaining about it to Magnum until he was driven to beg Rarity to make amends. Because it was always her fault, she was the mean, ungrateful daughter cruelly mistreating her hardworking, sacrificing mama. 

Pearl didn’t look up until Rarity pulled the chair opposite of her out from under the table to sit and then she seemed to flinch as if she hadn’t expected it. 

“Hello Rarity,” she said, setting down the mug she had been sipping. Even from across the table Rarity’s nose wrinkled at the pungent smell; black, no cream, no sugar, the same way Pearl had been drinking her coffee since Rarity could recall. 

Rarity remembered as a filly she once took a gulp of Pearl’s morning coffee and spent three minutes coughing and gagging in the most melodramatic fashion at the bitter mouthful. Magnum had thought it was hilarious and laughed so hard he cried, which Pearl had pointed irritably it was only encouraging her “sensationalist nature”.

Magnum had brushed her off, saying jokingly: “She’ll make a fine actress someday!” 

“Yes, she’ll make a wonderful inane parrot of cleverer pony’s words. Glorious future there,” Pearl had intoned dryly.  

“Rarity?” Pearl’s sharp tone brought Rarity out of her thoughts. “I asked how are you feeling today?” 

“Fine,” Rarity said curtly, moving to rub her forehead slightly.

Pearl raised an eyebrow slightly. “Fine, as in better than you were originally or the same?” 

“I don’t know, better I suppose,” Rarity replied with a shrug, shifting in her seat.

“What has the doctor given you, pills, a diet?” Pearl asked, the vague concern standing out on her face.

Rarity let out a slight huff. “Yeah, those.” 

“Having you been following his prescriptions?” Pearl pressed, causing Rarity to exhale sharply.

“Yes, Mother, I had been obeying the doctor’s orders, is that what you called me here to ask?” Rarity exclaimed sharply, causing a few ponies to glance in their direction. 

Pearl pressed her mouth in a thin line, her violently red lipstick reminded Rarity of a bloody knife blade. Rarity braced herself for the impending terse reply and the following argument… this was all so exhausting, she knew she shouldn’t have come... 

“I apologize.” 

Rarity did a doubletake. “What?”

“I said--” Pearl began, sharply, but then hesitated and continued in a softer voice, “I’m sorry. I was just… concerned.”

Rarity blinked, leaning back in her chair slightly. “Oh. Well, I’m fine really. I mean I’m tired a lot and a little sore and can’t stop eating, my figure will be shot after all this is what I’m saying...” Rarity waited for a scoff or a roll of the eyes--the usual Pearl reaction to her humor. But instead, Pearl looked stricken. 

“Mom…?” 

“I just… I can’t believe…” Pearl covered her mouth with her hoof and started blinking rapidly as if she were trying to stave off tears. 

Rarity felt something akin to panic, a tight compression pinpointed in the very center of her chest. The situation felt suddenly as if it were spinning out of control, she was so used to being able to predict her mother’s tedious antagonism that now she realized she had no idea what to say to her mother outside of a veiled fuck you.

“Mom why don’t you have a sip of your coffee?” Rarity said awkwardly. 

Pearl made a strange noise as if she were choking down something. Rarity realized her heart was racing. Was Pearl really going to cry, in public, in front of half a dozen ponies? Was she going to do that quiet crying like in movies or become hysterical?

“Mom, do you want me to call Dad?” Rarity asked, her voice becoming strident with anxiety. Why was nothing she said working?  

Pearl held up her other hoof, signaling Rarity to stop. She shut her eyes and took a deep breath, picking up her handkerchief to dab the edges of her eyes, smudging her eyeliner. She picked up her mug is shaky hooves and took a swig like she was downing vodka shots. 

“I’m going to call Dad,” Rarity said, unable to think of anything else to say or do, other than to make a break for her car. 

“No. I don’t want you to call Magnum,” Pearl said, setting her mug down with a sharp clink. Now her voice regained her accustomed firmness and Rarity felt slightly reassured.

Pearl straightened herself in her chair and ran her hoof over perfectly permed mane. Since her sudden… malfunction, she hadn’t looked at Rarity but now she lifted her face and stared directly into her daughter’s eyes. Pearl’s eyes were swelled and tinted red from suppressed tears and her smeared eyeliner gave them a hollow look, almost ghoulish. Rarity now wasn’t sure what was worse; her mother having a breakdown in a public place or her staring into her very soul with a sudden macabre stare. 

“When you are a mother, your entire life is a series of increasingly steeper sacrifices. First it’s your body, then it’s your time, your emotions, your resources… all these things that before seemed so vital to your existence you just let slip through your hooves without a second thought. Because now you realize all of that energy you focused into maintaining or attaining those things must be redirected into this superseding project: the promotion of this life that has been placed in your management, this living thing that will either fail or thrive depending on your ministrations. 

But the harder I hammered, the more I realized you were like a liquid, I couldn’t form you into any solid shape and every time I tried to hedge you in your found a way to slip out through any crack. And it made me so angry, to see all this potential wasted on your lifestyle, when you could have built such amazing and lasting things…

And I couldn’t understand how you couldn’t see that, why you kept casting me in the role of the villain when I was only trying to motivate you forward, and it just made me want to shake you until I got it through your head. But I couldn’t so I just kept sniping at you. Then I saw you that day, looking like the dead.”

Pearl fell silent and the expression in her eyes seemed haze, as if she were drifting away in thought. 

“I realized again for the first time since you were a baby, how fragile you were. I only saw your potential strengths and the aptitude of your talents, I completely forgot you were still my child, not a business that I could burn and build back up over and over until it took. And that if you had been taken from me… I couldn’t buy you back or find a replacement or write out your design and rebuild something in your imprint. You would be lost to me forever. I’d die if you were taken from me, Rarity. I’d die. I never told you that, how much your life meant to me, what I would lose if you were suddenly gone.

I never let you know what I wanted from you, I expected you to turn into this tower of prestige without ever showing you a game plan, because I kept looking ahead at what I thought you should be instead of what you were right now. Your childhood, your adolescence, I missed it all because I wanted you to be all grown up and great right now without having to sit through and work on the process. Along the way I overlooked all the little accomplishments you made, your first words, first steps, first school day. All of those little moments, they would have been enough. I have never seen anything like motherhood, that you could pour in so much into and get back so much more in the smallest ways. If it were ever turned into any form of resource it would be the end of every other investment that ever was or ever will be.”  

Rarity stared at her mother, utterly speechless. Pearl reached over and laid her hoof over Rarity’s. 

“Whatever you do Rarity, however small or great, as long as you put your conviction into it will be greater than what I could ever dream for you. If I never did anything else to benefit you, I hope at least I made you a world that you could put into and take back more than you gave.” 

Pearl released Rarity’s hoof and abruptly stood. 

“Tell Sweetie Belle I said hello. I’ll tell your father you look better. Get rest and do what the doctor says. Good afternoon.”

And with those quick words she turned and disappeared around the corner of the coffee shop, leaving Rarity alone with only the half-emptied coffee mug in front of her.  



////////////////////////////////////



“--It’s in the trees! It’s coming--”

“--Are you tired, run down, listless--”

“--Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn--”

“--Surprise motherfucker--”

“--You want to talk to your gods? I will send you to them--”

“--I can’t figure out if you’re a detective or a pervert--”

“--Girl, why you ackin’ so cray cray?!--”

Rarity slouched on her couch, flipping through the channels over and over again. The strange scenario from early that day still clung to her mind like a spider web. Her mother had never before shown such an extreme amount of emotion. Or looked so fragile.

For Rarity’s entire life, her mother had been some stoic, almost robotic pony. Everything was business with her mother, never time for play. A small part of Rarity, one she rarely if ever acknowledged to others, admired her mother, if only out of some sort of strange bile fascination. To be able to be so completely unaffected by the world around you, to have your personal feelings remain your own, and not be privy to anyone else, was both amazing and abhorrent. Rarity was always loud, effusive and above all, emotive. Pearl was always quiet, repulsive and reserved.

To have the roles reversed, if only for a few moments, was a strange, uncomfortable experience for Rarity. She’d never wanted to see her mother have an emotional meltdown. She simply wanted her mother to understand her. So why was she having so much trouble understanding her mother’s words.

How can you care so much for me yet close me off like that? She asked internally, rubbing her temple in frustration.

“Rarity… Rarity, you’re muttering to yourself.”

Sweetie’s voice caused Rarity’s eyes to slide towards the younger filly, who had been sitting across from Rarity for the past several minutes, obviously concerned. Rarity gave Sweetie a shrug.

“Sorry, just... I’m just thinking out loud, that’s all.”

“About what?” Sweetie asked, tilting her head slightly. “Was it the lunch you had with mom?”

Rarity shifted in her place slightly, scrunching up her nose slightly. “Yeah.”

Sweetie briefly glanced at the still quickly changing channels and then back at Rarity. “How bad was it?”

Rarity huffed. “We talked. She tried to apologize.” She lowered her eyebrows at the last word, it’s tone far more venomous than she probably intended.

“Apologize?”

Rarity let out an agreeing scoff. “Yeah. She got all… emotional about it…” She looked over to Sweetie. “She ever do that with you?”

Sweetie simply shook her head. “No. Not that I can remember.”

Rarity out a slight grumble. “Thought as much.” She crossed her forelegs, her horn taking over switching channels. “Is there nothing on?” she groaned.

Sweetie shrugged. “I don’t know. You’re changing them kinda fast.”

Rarity briefly considered responding, but instead slowed down her button smashing. She was now currently neck deep in the bevy of news channels, with most reports concerning either her own recent return and its ramifications, the general economy, cats swatting at paper, a terrorist attack on a small village in Ishval, chile with a griffin claw inside it--

“Wait what?” Rarity clicked back to the news station with the Ishvalan report to see what seemed to be rather shaky camcorder footage of what seemed to be a small village under attack. An eclectic mix of creatures, mostly consisting of diamond dogs and griffins, ran too and fro, shouting, barking or squawking in their native tongues, exchanging gunfire wildly. Every so often, there would be a large explosion on the screen, causing smoke to fill the camcorder’s screen.

Rarity was silent, the images causing memories of the attack that caused her capture vividly playing in her mind. The reporter relaying the information spoke in an understated, precise manner, which only seemed to make the wildly chaotic imagery on screen seem all the more violent.

“...It seems that the Ten Rings, a terrorist group most known for their drug trafficking and the recent kidnapping and detaining of Equestrian technological mogul Rarity Belle, have put the Belle ransom payment, a sum of some $45 million bits, to use in procuring a large amount of advanced weaponry. Captured weapon stocks have shown the weapons are from Belle Tech, most likely stolen from transport vessels or vehicles. BelleTech officials refuse to comment further on this event…”

“Rarity, are you okay?” Sweetie Belle asked, gently prodding Rarity with a hoof. Rarity felt a cloying, heavy feeling begin to pool in the pit of her stomach, spreading through her like old motor oil. It made her chest feel empty, like someone had carved out a hole in her heart.

“This is my fault…” she muttered, her hooves curling inwards unconsciously. Sweetie Belle looked back at the television.

“What do you mean? How is that your fault?”

Rarity pointed a hoof sharply at the screen. “Look! They’re doing that with the money they got from my kidnapping.” She practically bolted off the couch, standing on her hooves. “I can’t just sit around and watch…” she motioned to the television screen. “THIS.” She spun on her hooves to face Sweetie. “I promised Kili that I'd use this second chance to make a difference, not to waste it. And what better way to make a difference then by avenging my fallen friend." She started out of the room, turning down the hallway.

"Ready the suit!”

Sweetie was quick to follow after Rarity, trying her best to keep up. “Really? You’re gonna go over there?”

Rarity nodded. “Yes. Yes I am. Mother may think I'm wasting my life, but I think its time for me to make good on my promise.”


> Act III - 17 - Strike Down Upon Thee
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act III:
“Crossing Paths”

Chapter Seventeen:
"Strike Down Upon Thee"




“Rarity, wait up!” Sweetie Belle called out, scampering as fast as her hooves could carry her. Rarity’s pace was surprisingly fast, and they covered the distance from the living room to the laboratory with a speed that was almost baffling, especially since less than two minutes ago, Rarity had been almost welded to the couch in apparent apathy.

“No, I can’t wait up,” Rarity muttered in response, pushing her hoof up against the print scanner for a moment, the locks on the door unlocking with a sharp clack. “To ‘wait up’ would mean that those… monsters will continue to harm and exploit those who are helpless, and I can’t allow that.”

“But Rarity!” Sweetie followed as fast she could as Rarity descended down the staircase into the laboratory. “I mean, don’t you think you’re rushing? I mean, we’ve only flown the suit once--”

Rarity stopped suddenly, her head whipping back to look at Sweetie. Her expression was incredibly serious, her eyes terse and Sweetie could have sworn that there were tears starting to bubble up.

“The one time I hesitated when somepony innocent was in danger, Sweetie, he ended up dying. I made a promise, Sweetie. I promised to help those who are helpless. That’s why we built the suit. That’s why I feel I’m still alive. I should have died back in that cave, not Kili. He was innocent. I was the one who was irresponsible. It was my company that built the weapons that killed his family. The very least I could do is repay him. And--” she paused, her eyes flicking towards the suit, which was assembled on a mannequin. “--And this is the best way I know how. I can’t let this moment pass, Sweetie. Not now… not when I have the chance to make a difference.” By this point, the tears had overflowed from her eyes despite her obvious best efforts to the contrary, and trickled down her cheeks. “Understand?”

Sweetie was silent for a second, her eyes slightly widened. This was the most emotional she’d ever seen Rarity in her life. Her eyes drifted to the suit, and then back to Rarity. The expression on her older sister’s face was one of intense pleading for validation, like someone begging for approval of some kind. Sweetie swallowed drily.

“Wh-what do you need me to do?” she said, surprised that her own voice sounded so serious. Rarity’s expression loosened slightly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Go set up TOM, I’ll suit up,” she answered, trotting down the stairs briskly as Sweetie followed behind turning to go sit in front of the desktop that functioned as TOM’s central processing unit. The sound of Rarity’s suit assembling in the background mixed with the sound of TOM coming online, in a vaguely over-dramatic series of whirring fans, beeping electronics, and the low hum of the hard drive discs spinning. TOM’s screen flicked on, the glowing diamond pulsing elegantly.

“Good evening,” TOM’s voice chimed. “How may I be of service today?”

“TOM, I need the location of a village in Ishval mentioned in today’s news report if possible,” Rarity replied determinedly, her body already encased in the suit, minus the helmet, which was floating in her magic.

“Very well, Rarity,” he replied, his diamond glowing briefly before a chime went off. “The village’s name is Shambala. Do you wish to have the coordinates uploaded to the navigation codex?”

“Yes.” Rarity placed the helmet onto her head, clicking it shut with a metallic whur. “Ready, Sweetie?”

Sweetie gave another swallow, grabbing the headset and flicking a small switch attached to the monitor. In the bottom right corner a small window opened, revealing Rarity’s face inside the helmet. “Yeah… ready.” Sweetie said, and she saw Rarity smile.

“Good, good. Put the headset on, it should be to your right.” Rarity said, motioning towards the discreet looking headset that sat next to the computer. Sweetie reached over, slipping it over her ears.

“Now you should be able to hear me better and visa versa,” Rarity’s voice said, now no longer sounding muffled by the helmet, but rather crisp and clear. “You’re job is to keep an eye on TOM, and help him out. Understand. You’re my co-pilot.”

Sweetie gives Rarity a slight nod, still taken aback by the rapid pace of everything. One minute she was bored on the couch, the next in her sister’s laboratory about to co-pilot a mission to a foreign country to stop terrorists. It was… confusing to say the least. “Co-pilot…” she murmured, looking back at her reflected image in the computer screen. “... right.”

Rarity stepped into the center of the room, looking up at the large hole in the ceiling. Sweetie glanced at the small window showing her face, and Rarity’s expression was determined, apparent worry only vaguely betrayed by the constant nibbling on her lower lip.

“Well…” Rarity began, taking a deep breath and setting her jaw. “Here I go.”

With those words, the rockets of the suit roared to life, and she rose up from the ground, shooting skyward through the hole in the ceiling, leaving a coughing Sweetie in her wake.

Sweetie got up from her chair, running over to underneath the whole and peering skyward. By now, Rarity’s suit was only a small reddish orange light in the night sky, leaving behind a streak of rapidly dissipating exhaust in it’s wake.

“Good luck.” Sweetie said under her breath, before going back to the computer. Rarity was depending on her, and that meant she had to pay attention.



//////////////////////////



“You know, Roman, I was thinking that after we’re done here, we can do some rugby. What do you think?” the lanky griffin asked the burly diamond who was striding alongside him through the village, seemingly oblivious to the sounds of mayhem and chaos around them. The diamond gave a shrug, motioning towards a random home.

“I’m kind of busy right now, Xavier, in case you didn’t notice.” With that, he started to kick down the door, slinging his assault rifle into position as his final kick caused the door to swing open violently. The sounds of terrified civilians greeted their ears, but were quickly silenced with a torrent of equally loud gunfire from the duo’s rifles.

“Crap…” Roman muttered, flicking his foreleg in vague disgust. “I got blood on me.” Roman merely rolled his eyes as he turned back out of the house.

“I don’t know why you’re so hung up about that, Roman, it’s just blood. No big deal.”

“Yeah, but I just preened this morning.” Xavier complained, following Roman out of the house, leaving behind the pile of bodies as if it where litter.

“Seriously? You’re a badass mercenary, and you’re worried about your feathers?” Roman laughed. “Let me guess, you’re a drag queen on the side? You got a dress stashed away in that pack?”

Xavier glared. “No. I simply appreciate what Gia gave me, is all. Not like you, you mangy mutt.”

Roman glared in return, opening his mouth to hurl back an insult when a deafening boom shattered through the village air. Both Xavier and Roman froze in place, their heads peering skywards, Roman's ears flicking about.

“What on earth?” He said aloud, giving Xavier a confused look. The griffon barely had time to act before a purple and silver streak slammed into the center of the street, dust raining down on anyone nearby. As the thing pulled itself upright, Roman saw that it was a pony, or at least resembled one. A metal pony, its eyes no more than glowing slits peering through the dust and what looked like a giant rock in it’s chest, which glowed brightly.

The monster turned towards them, eyes glowing menacingly. There was a strange silence between them before Xavier and Roman’s commander, a large griffin by the name of Herzlos, barked out an order, sending the entire group into a tizzy of gunfire. The bullets didn’t have much an effect however, mostly managing to simply scuff off the paint and send the occasional spark flying. An unearthly glow emitted from the strange glowing rock in the armored pony’s chest. Its horn glowed, and what looked like a bubble of teal light surrounded the creature.

The bullets simply bounced off the magical bubble, seemingly to no effect. The creature lifted one of its hooves, and a glow emanated from the end of it. An burst of energy burst from it, blowing several terrorists away. The remaining terrorists turned towards their commander, only to be greeted by the sight of him flying away, wings pumping to carry him as far away from the armored pony as possible.

“RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!” came the panicked scream of one of Xavier and Roman’s comrades, apparently voicing the thought that was on everyone’s minds. The group scattered, all screaming and shouting in panic.

Fire exploded from the monster’s legs as it lifted off the ground. It hovered in the air a moment before unleashing a barrage of small rockets and energy blasts from its forelegs, which went whizzing all over, obliterating the vehicles the terrorists had brought with them. Now surrounded by a near apocalyptic swirl of fire and smoke the creature landed once more.

At this point, Xavier and Roman had ducked into a house, peering over the windowsill to the outside.

“We’re all gonna die, we’re all gonna die, we’re all gonna die…” Xavier repeated over and over, his pupils tiny specks.

“Shut up or it’ll hear us!” Roman hissed, slapping Xavier on the back of the head, causing the griffin to let out a murmur of fear. The pair stared outside, watching as the armored pony turned to stalk towards the row of village some of their fellow terrorists had taken hostage at gunpoint. One of the terrorists barked at the armored pony, waving his gun in exclamation. He spoke a language that neither Xavier or Roman understood, but that apparently gave the armored pony pause, as it halted mid step, standing still as it seemingly pondered what to do next.

“Sorry,” a strangely feminine voice answered. “But I take no prisoners.” A little object extended from its shoulders and fired several small bullet-like objects at the raiders, killing them with a precise shot to the head.

At this point, Xavier straight up keeled over, having gone deathly pale and letting out a pathetic chirp. Roman swore under his breath as he ducked behind the window sill, just as the armored pony turned towards the building they were hiding it.

In a flurry of panic, Roman tried to reload his assault rifle, only to have it suddenly enveloped in a halo of magic, which chucked it away. Shaking in fear, Roman slowly turned his head to see, looming over him and horn glowing bright teal, the armored pony.

Roman stammered, only to suddenly feel his leg dragged out from underneath him as the pony proceeded to drag both him and the unconscious Xavier out into the open. This was also the exact moment at which Xavier finally awoke, only to let out a scream of terror as he scrambled wildly to escape the pony’s magic.

“PLEASE NO, PLEASE NO, PLEASE NO, WE WERE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS!!!!” Xavier squealed, which seemingly only made their armored tormentor angrier, as an additional halo of magic wrapped around his beak, clamping it shut. With a rough slam, Roman and Xavier found themselves plopped directly in front of a group of villagers, all of whom had varying degrees of anger and rage on their faces.

“I believe I shall leave these two for you to deal with,” the armored pony said, tipping it’s head slightly before lifting off into the air and flying off, leaving Xavier and Roman behind.

“Now-now…” Roman began, waving his paws in fear as one of the villagers, a burly griffin, leaded down to pick up a fallen assault rifle. “I-I’m s-sure we can re-reach some sort--”

*POP* *POP*

And with that, both Xavier and Roman’s bodies collapsed to the ground, the light leaving their eyes as the blood oozed out of the bullet wounds.



//////////////////////////



Rarity turned towards home, feeling more alive than she ever had before. She’d done it. She’d finally avenged Kili’s death. It felt as if some hole in her soul was being filled. She felt no guilt over her actions. Those monsters deserved their fates. Instead, she felt fulfilled. The image of the somewhat confused yet grateful villagers ran through her mind over and over again. Those faces. All strange to her. The gratefulness in their faces had been genuine, if apprehensive. The image filled her with meaning.

This must be how a firefighter feels… she thought briefly. This… fulfillment. a smile spread across her face.

It feels great.



//////////////////////////



Light Bright let out a seething hiss as the spark from the crystal left a scorch mark on his hoof.

“Stupid rock…” he grumbled, his hoof feeling around for the heavy, heat resistant gloves that sat on the desk next to him. His sleep deprived eyes glared down at the rock as he sloppily grabbed the gloves and slipped them on. He looked over at this computer screen, leaning in close and muttering schematic information under his breath. He grabbed a screwdriver, aggressively stabbing at the Philips head screw in order to fasten the crystal into place.

Okay… good… he thought, smiling slightly. Now just to attach the cabling and strap it to my horn and then I’ll have exactly what Fancy Pants wanted. His eyebrows lowered at the memory of Fancy Pants. Stupid stuck up knob-headed snob.

With a  flair of his horn, he attached the cabling that ran to the ring around his horn. There was an electric tingle that ran down his spine, and almost instantly he felt his magic enhanced. A brilliant smile exploded onto his face, and he clapped his hooves together.

“EHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE YESSSSSSSS!!!!!” he practically cackled, slipping on the heavy vest onto his chest and securing it into place. He spun on his hooves, ready to finally get out of this dark, stuffy laboratory, and finally have his genius recognized.

What happened next was inexplicable. It felt as if his horn had melted, the electric feeling overwhelmed his senses as the entire fabric of everything around him suddenly shifted and warped in around himself, and everything went white.



> Act III - 18 - Converging
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Act III:
"Crossing Paths"

Chapter Eighteen:
"Converging"




As Rarity banked over the wide open deserts, she let out a deep breath, a grin spreading across her face as the supreme sense of satisfaction that accompanied a job well done flowed through her mind and body.

She’d done it, she’d finally done it. She’d kept her word. Kept the promise she made all that time ago in that cave. She’d used her knowledge, her abilities, for good, and while it was just a small village, she honestly felt she’d made a real difference.

“Rarity? Rarity you there?” Came Sweetie’s voice over the comm in a burst of crackly static, drawing Rarity out of her thoughts. Rarity blinked in surprise, before switching her mic on.

“Yes, Sweetie, I’m here. What is it?”

“How did it go?! You dropped out of comm range, so I didn’t get to see the action!” Sweetie eagerly replied, obviously very curious and excited.

“Those monsters won’t be hurting anyone anytime soon,” Rarity answered with satisfaction. “Not if I can help it.”

“Well, don’t leave me hanging! Tell me!” Sweetie insisted, causing Rarity to giggle somewhat. The filly sounded like a filly in a candy store, but Rarity still found herself eager to share what happened. It was a feeling not unlike the jitters before an expo, except now it wasn’t just the thought of her ego being stroked by fawning fans.

This was a jitter born of doing something that mattered.

“Oh Sweetie, you should have seen the looks on the villagers faces! They really were a marvel to behold! I mean, there I was, actually doing something!”

“How did the suit work?! No problems?!”

“Oh, absolutely not, she worked like a dream! Absolutely fabulous!” Rarity replied with a healthy dose of pride. “But really, Sweetie, the way I feel right now--you should have seen how they reacted to me leaving the leader behind for them--there were so many emotions held in their faces. There was fear, there was confusion, shock, surprise--but most of all, it was awe. As if I’d been made of diamonds, some sort of mythical angel sent to save them.”

“‘Mythical angel’? Don’t let it go to your head, Rarity, you’re just a mare, like anypony else.” Sweetie answered, as Rarity gave an acknowledging nod. After all, she’d done this not for the fame, or the thanks, but because it was the right thing to do. Pure and simple.

“Still...I suppose the recognition has its charm…” Rarity replied, smirking.

Smile on her face, she glanced at her HUD display. “TOM, can you hear me?” she began, clearing her throat slightly. “Tell me, how much energy do I have? I can make it home, correct?”

There was a beeping wurr as TOM ran some calculations. “Affirmative, Rarity. Central power is at 89%, and holding steady.”

Rarity rose her eyebrows slightly. “Eighty nine percent? I wonder where those ten points went…” her voice trailed off, before she shrugged slightly. “Well, no matter, I’ll do a full power analysis when I get home. No need to worry now, I mean--like you said TOM--plenty of energy to make it home without a scratch--”

*BOOM*

The deafening explosion just feet away from Rarity’s body send her spiraling away in a disoriented swirl of blue and brown as the sky and earth below switched places dozens and dozens of times over. Her hooves flailed, rockets flaring as she tried to regain her balance.

“TOM, what in Equestria is going on?!” She called out in a panic, eyes darting from flashing alert to flashing alert as her horn glowed, frantically trying to at least slow herself down. All around her the sky seemed to erupt in a relentless wave of explosions and bursts of flak, the thunderous explosions ringing in Rarity’s ears as she tried to evade them wildly.

“We seem to have been clipped by an anti-aircraft missile, which appears to have set off a full scale assault.” TOM stated matter-of-factly, which just caused Rarity’s eyes to widen more. “Apparently the South Griffienheim military doesn’t take kindly to invasion of airspace.

“What? How much damage have I taken?!”

“It seems to have disrupted the gyroscopic stabilization, and some damage to the exterior of the suit, Rarity. Give me a moment.” As TOM spoke, Rarity’s wild spinning began to slow as she heard the whirring of gyroscopes amongst the explosions, which continued to dominate the sky around her.

“TOM, find me a way out! Countermeasures, something!!!” Rarity shrieked, narrowly missing another flak burst, the metal shrapnel flicking off her suit with several sharp scrapes and sparks.

“Deploying flares,” TOM replied, and with a blinding spray of light, dozens of tiny flares spewed forth from slots on Rarity’s legs, filling the sky behind her. As soon as the flares had been deployed, she dived down towards the ground as fast as she could.

They can’t hit me if I’m flying low… she thought desperately, veering past a cliff side that was quickly pulverized by a swath of missile fire right on her tail. Rarity looked over her shoulder, eyes widening slightly as she spotted a small flock of griffons right behind her, apparently armed to the teeth with weaponry.

“Oh...just great.” Rarity muttered bitterly, before trying to increase her speed.That proved to be difficult, since she was now trapped in what looked like a spire filled canyon, which meant constant dodging and weaving to avoid hitting one of the rock spires, and avoid the hail of what was now machine gun fire from behind her. The griffons apparently were very good shots, as several rounds managed to hit her legs and torso with sharp bangs, causing one of her rockets to sputter out unexpectedly.

“TOM, do we have any other countermeasures?” she asked anxiously, narrowly avoiding impact with another rock spire as she lost balance, although the griffon behind her wasn’t as lucky.

“At this moment, no. The best option would be to return fire.”

Rarity bit her lip, taking a deep breath. “Alright then, TOM, here goes nothing…” with that, she flipped around so that she was flying backwards, firing off several blasts from her repulsors. Fortunately, the blasts found their marks, sending two griffons crashing to the canyon floor below. The remaining griffons all halted mid flap, watching their comrades plummeted groundwards in a swirl of smoke and flame. That seemed to finally scare them off, as they quickly turned tail and flapped away, leaving Rarity behind.

Rarity couldn’t help but let out a shout of victory.

“Wahahahahaha!” she cheered, thrusting a hoof upwards in victory. “Take that you ruffians!”

The crunch of metal against rock cut her off cheer, as she clipped a rock spire and went spiraling through the air with a yelp. She landed with a crash on the top of a nearby mesa, where she let out a yelp of surprise.

“I would recommend being aware of one’s surroundings, Miss Rarity.” TOM flatly stated, causing Rarity to roll her eyes.

“Obviously so,” she replied, shaking herself off and dragging herself to her feet. “But we’ll address that when we get home. Wouldn’t you say so, TOM?”

“I would wager so, Miss Rarity.”

Rarity gave a nod. “Well, let’s get out of here. I don’t think I’d like to have more than just a few scouts on my tail. I’m fighting terrorists, not causing international incident.”

With that, she ignited the repulsors again, lifting off awkwardly as the fourth refused to cooperate, before pointing herself in the direction of Canterlot.



///////////////////////



Fancy Pants leaned back in his chair slightly, letting out a huff of satisfaction when a certain message appeared on-screen.

Rarity Belle Computer Online. Access Granted.

Then it works, Fancy thought with a smug, self satisfied grin on his face, pleased that the small device he’d planted in Rarity’s office had managed to piggy-back its way into her computer, simply by slipping through the defenses upon the user logging in. Instead of trying to crack open the no doubt heavy amounts of passwords and codes that Rarity no doubt had protecting her hard drive, the device simply enabled Fancy to slip in through whenever a user logged onto the computer, with the user doing all the work of typing in passwords or pin-numbers, therefore leaving the door unlocked for Fancy’s spyware to slip in unnoticed.

Fancy idly began to go through the proper backdoor programs, and, with a melodic chime, the hard drive of Rarity’s personal computer in her laboratory appeared on his screen.

His eyes scanned the wide array of folders and subfolders that made up the contents of Rarity’s hard drive. Everything from already in-production weaponry to random, half finished sketches for assorted pipe dreams was his for the taking.

Fancy’s eyebrows rose. You really ought to look into better cyber security, Rarity dear, he thought amusedly, as his eyes scanned the folders, looking for any indication as to which one Rarity used to store information about the reactor. Surely it must have been somewhere. After all, Rarity was, if anything else, an organized mare, even if her definition of “organized” was somewhat more...scattershot than what Fancy would have preferred. But, at the very least, the names of the folders seemed to be rather easy to discern.

A folder labeled “sketches” had just that, and a folder labeled “calendars” had her schedule. She’d cleared out a good three months of it, leaving it simply marked as “personal”. Fancy dismissed it. If she wanted to spend three months of her life continuing to filander about with whomever she pleased, well then more power to her.

His eyes, however, suddenly caught on a folder marked “Mark I Development”. He arched an eyebrow. That’s odd… he pondered, clicking the folder to be greeted by a wide array of documents, sketches, and, most surprisingly, video footage.

All of which was related to the construction of what looked like powered armor.

Powered armor that could fly.

Powered armor with weapons.

Fancy grinned like a colt in a candy store, readying himself to copy the files over to his personal USB. Who cared if he wasn’t able to find the designs for the crystal. He had found this. A design for powered armor wildly ahead of its time. Why, he could easily repackage it, and single handedly restore any losses the company had suffered from Rarity’s antics. He could see it now: Dozens of new contracts. New deals...new capital. And this time, he wouldn’t need to put up with a mare who’d had some sudden, insufferably pretentious and maudlin attack of conscious. He’d have it all to himself.

Just as he was about to copy the folder over, heart filled with giddy glee, the universe threw him a curveball, and he was instead greeted by his computer screen shutting down completely, with the droning noise of the entire building’s electrical supply suddenly cutting off, causing the room to go dark, with the only lighting being provided by the setting sun outside his office window.

Fancy muttered curses under his breath, angrily stomping his hoof against the floor.

Then, just as suddenly as it had left, the electricity came back on, and Fancy’s eyes darted towards the lights on the ceiling as they began to aggressively flicker on and off again at an increasingly rapid pace, accompanied by a rising buzzing noise. On top of that, at the base of his horn, he could feel a buzzing pressure building. Someone--or something--was using magic, and lots of it. 

Fancy’s eyebrow knitted in concern as he started towards the door, the hair on the back of his neck beginning to stand up. He was no fool. Something was amiss, and he felt it would be prudent to get himself as far away from the wildly flickering lights as fast as possible.

After all, since when were wildly flashing lights ever a good sign?

Just as Fancy’s hoof wrapped around the doorknob to open it, the buzzing noise reached full volume, and Fancy was greeted by both a deafening burst of magical feedback, and a borderline blinding aura of glowing blue energy. The pulse of energy caused a shower of sparks to fly everywhere, and Fancy let out a shout of surprise as his hoof jerked away from the doorknob in pain.

He spun around, horn flaring as he quickly cast the first defensive spell he could remember, which was nothing more than a basic taser spell. He stopped dead in his tracks when his eyes landed on the sparking, semi-transparent glowing pony that now stood in the middle of the room. It’s entire body seemed to be made out of pure, unbridled crystal blue energy, while it’s eyes glowed bright yellow.

“You did this to me.” the strange creature hissed, it’s oddly familiar voice modulating wildly up and down in pitch as it stalked forward, it’s hooves leaving scorch marks on the carpet. Fancy stumbled backwards, completely at a loss for words as to what was happening.

“I-wha-what are you talking about?” Fancy finally managed to stammer, heart racing in panic. “What did I do to you?”

“You sabotaged me!” the energy pony roared, stomping his hoof on the ground, which sent vibrant arcs of energy flying outwards. Fancy flinched, still trying to piece together who on earth this mysterious maniac was.

“I’m sorry, I don’t rememb--”

“Of course you don’t!!!!” The energy pony shrieked, slamming his hooves down again. “Nobody remembers me! But guess what?” he stalked up to Fancy, pinning him against the wall. “Everypony will remember me now.”

Fancy’s eyes widened as the gears in his head finally clicked together. Now that the mysterious pony was inches away from his face, he could just make out the nest of wires that lead from a ring around the glowing pony’s horn, down to a metal harness on the chest.

“Light Bright?!” Fancy gawked, only to receive an ominous nod in response.

“Bingo!” The pony, who apparently was Light Bright, snickered. “Seems you finally remember me.”

Fancy nodded slightly. He was in a tight spot, that was for sure. For one thing, he still had no idea what Light Bright meant by “sabotaged”, or, most importantly, how in Equestria he’d managed to do...this to himself.

“Light Bright...what in Equestria happened to you?” Fancy ventured, making sure to keep himself sounding as calm and collected as possible. Light Bright’s glowing eyes narrowed, and he seemed to clench his teeth.

“You undermined my work! Didn’t give me enough time! You and your idiotic deadlines! Couldn't wait, could you? You arrogant bastard! Everything has to be exactly when you say it, regardless of if it’s impossible or not! You knew it, and you deliberately sabotaged my work!”

“Light, you’re not making--” Fancy was cut off by Light Bright slamming his hoof into the wall next to Fancy’s head.

“YES I AM! You deliberately made sure I didn’t rest, you knew I would get sloppy. You wanted the magical enhancer to backfire, didn’t you? Wanted me out of the way so you could take it for yourself! Well guess what,” Light ranted, shoving himself even closer to Fancy. “It DID backfire...but I guess you could say didn’t quite take me out the way you wanted...could say it gave me...a boost.”

“You’re saying that magical harness thing did this?!” Fancy asked incredulously. Light Bright merely nodded, grinning maniacally.

“Yes, sir, indeed. You want to know what it did? It made me into mana, Fancy...I’m pure magic now! Do you know what this means? What I can do now? I can make sure you get what’s coming to you!”

Fancy’s eyebrows rose. “Now wait just a moment here, Light! It isn’t my fault!”

“DON’T LIE TO ME!!!!” Light roared, slamming his hoof into the wall again. “YOU RUSHED ME! DIDN’T LET ME REST!”

“But it wasn’t my fault!” Fancy shot back, blurting out the best excuse he could imagine. He had to redirect this crazed maniac’s rage elsewhere...namely to someone who he knew full well Light Bright loathed.

“It was Rarity’s.”

Fancy felt a palpable sense of relief float through him as Light Bright’s eyes widened.

“What do you mean?” He growled, holding an ominous, sparking hoof up to Fancy’s face. “What did she do?” he prodded, as Fancy swallowed dryly.

“She found out--about our--your project. She was angry. Angry you beat her to the idea! She demanded that she take credit for it. You know how she is. She’s greedy. She’s vain. She couldn’t stand the mere thought of you having a leg up on her. So she would prod me every day about it. ‘How’s the project going?’, ‘Give it to me now’! I tried to give you time, speak on your behalf, but she would have none of it. Eventually, the stress got to me, and I lashed out at you. But rest assured,” Fancy motioned towards Light’s body. “This was most certainly not my intention for you. And I certainly had nothing to do with it.”

Light Bright didn’t say anything, merely narrowing his eyes at Fancy for a long, tense moment. His hoof began to descend slowly back down to the floor, and he took a step back, eyes still fixed on Fancy.

“That is my honest word,” Fancy added, slowly relaxing himself.

“After I’m done with her,” Light Bright began, keeping his eyes narrowed. “I’m coming for you.”

With that, the energy pony teleported away in another swirling explosion of sparks and magic, leaving Fancy alone in the burning wreckage of his office.



/////////////////////////



Sweetie’s hoof darted to cover her mouth as the feed from Rarity’s suit was cut off by the sudden burst of static and noise.

“Rarity! Rarity, are you alright!” Sweetie cried out, eyes widening with increasing fear and panic. Her heart leapt at every discordant sputtering of static, distorted shouting, and metallic crunching sounds. Sweetie stammered, her eyes darting around the screen in a panic as she tried to see if there was something she could do.

“It seems we have lost the feed from Miss Rarity,” TOM’s computerized voice spoke, and Sweetie slammed a hoof on the desk.

“I know!!!” she cracked her hooves, leaning over the keyboard. Okay Sweetie, stay calm. Rarity is all the way across Equestria. Signal’s bound to get interrupted by something, right? So, just...try to figure out a way to get it back, and maybe I can make it work!

She set out typing, nibbling her lip anxiously, trying her best to keep fearful thoughts from her mind. After all, no amount of worrying would magically make the program work again. All she needed to do was keep a level head, and--

Sweetie’s heart came to a grinding, brutal halt as the entire room went pitch black, the cool white lighting being cut off, and instead replaced by darkness. The whirring buzz of the dozens of computer fans all went dead, creating an eerie silence.

Sweetie let out a shriek of fear, her horn flaring to light, a tiny bead of light emanating from the tip of her horn. She ended up falling out of the chair she was sitting in, and she stumbled back to her hooves, eyes darting about in fear as she tried to discern what was going on.

However, just as swiftly as they had been shut off, the light’s once more flickered on, albeit in an erratic, spastic pattern at the same time, Sweetie felt a sudden tingle run up her spine and right to the tip of her horn.

There was a sudden, high pitched, sparkling whine that sounded almost as if someone were casting magic while high on helium as the tone raised in pitch, so did the brightness of the lights. Sweetie stepped away from the computer in fear as a shower of sparks and flashes of lights began to erupt from the machine. Time to panic, she thought, starting towards the door that lead back up to the house. The idea of being trapped down in a basement filled to the brim with experimental, hyper advanced, and most importantly malfunctioning equipment was one that made Sweetie’s desire for leaving all the more apparent.

She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but just as her hoof swung the door open, there was an explosion of light, sound and raw magical energy. Sweetie stumbled forwards, her hoof wrapped around the doorknob in a panic and slamming it behind her with a crash.

As she slumped down against the closed door, her chest heaving as she tried to regain her lost breath, the sound of something growling in a guttural, heaving way came from behind the door.

“Where are you, Rarity?” the voice hissed, the sound followed by metal being smashed and tossed asides. Sweetie tensed as she heard the thrumming hum of magical energy growing closer and closer to the door, as the mysterious voice continued to mutter. “Come out, come out wherever you are…”

More metal crashing and a rage filled roar followed, as Sweetie bolted to her hooves and started up the stairs, her horn lighting the way as best it could. She wrapped her hoof around the doorknob at the top of the stairs, only to have it firmly resist her attempts.

I’m trapped! She slammed her forehead against the door, the sheer gravity of the situation finally hitting her. She was now trapped in a pitch-black stairwell, with doors locked at both ends, and on the opposite of the door to the basement, some sort of magical...thing. A thing that apparently had it out for Rarity.

This was a no win situation. Plain and simple.