“How is it, Twilight?” The white mare grinned.
“Whoa, how do you know I like my mane combed this way?”
“Um, just a hunch of mine, dear.”
“That’s pretty good hunch then. For a moment I even thought Spike was combing it!”
“… Haha.” The white mare drily chuckled, but secretly gulped.
Twilight did not notice the sweat-dropping look on the white mare’s face. Instead, she jokingly commented. “Seeing how this is a boutique filled with so many clothes and dresses, I totally expect to be shoved around and dressed in different clothes like a doll.”
The white mare briefly recalled how Twilight was indeed subjected to that treatment the first time around, and decided to tease her a little bit. Channeling Rarity’s proneness to drama, he leaned back and sighed loudly. “Oh my, do I look like a pony who would ignore my friend’s protest if she’s uncomfortable with me dressing her around? Woe is me! I’m seen as a manic seamstress who just treat any passing pony as mannequins. I must be a terrible host and a terrible pony!”
Twilight gasped, and the dragon eyed her with dissatisfaction for seemingly badmouthing Rarity. The purple unicorn hurriedly shook her head and hooves like a rattle drum. “N- no, no! I don’t mean that! I- I- I mean, uh- you, uh-”
“Haha, darling, relax! I’m just teasing you for a bit.”
The white mare chuckled, which was joined in by a hearty laughter from the dragon.
“R- Rarity!” Twilight blushed and protested.
The white mare collected herself and said. “I noticed that you look a bit skittish, Twilight. You should unwind a bit, things would work out just fine.”
Twilight just knitted her brows. She seemed to want to say something, but eventually she decided against it.
The white mare briefly considered whether to discuss the matter of Nightmare Moon’s return with Twilight right now. But he eventually decided that it might be better for the purple mare to meet Fluttershy and Pinkie first without a different frame of mindset.
Still, he set up the stages for later discussion. “You don’t look convinced, Twilight. Is your worry related to the legends surrounding the thousandth Summer Sun Celebration?”
“H- How did you know?” Twilight, and even her little dragon, were stunned.
Of course this is because I’m from the fu-ture. He was almost tempted to say with a dramatic flair. Instead, he made up an excuse to go with it. “I’m a unicorn after all, I know something about magic as well as local legends.”
He threw his curly mane backwards with a flourish. “But now, you should finish your official assignment, and I should give a final touch-up to the town hall. We can meet later tonight at the library to discuss further. Don’t worry too much, darling, it’s not like the world’s going to end.”
Twilight briefly rolled her eyes, but she nodded with a thin smile. “Finally! Somepony in this town who can be relied on. Perhaps Princess Celestia’s order for me to make friends is not that… out there, huh?”
The white mare smiled with satisfaction, and then turned his gaze to the dragon. The expectant look in the dragon’s eyes was so innocent and young.
Ah, so many things have happened since I moved to Ponyville. I’m in my full power to give this Spike a happier head-start, so why not? Perhaps things would then turn out better for both of us? Before I can eventually find a way back, it would be great to see more happy faces. He thought pensively.
Reaching into a jar on the shelf, he took up a few gemstones to the astonishment of both the purple mare and the dragon.
“E- Eh? What are those gems for, Rarity?” Twilight asked in surprise.
The white mare simply waved down the purple unicorn’s query and said to the dragon. “Spike, I’m sorry I can’t give you a mane comb-over as well.”
The dragon shifted a bit. “N- Nah, you don’t have to be. You’re such a gracious host, and I’m happy enough to just be here with you.”
“No, Spikey-wikey, this just won’t do.”
Juggling the gems with his magic, the white mare continued. “I must have used up most of my stock to fulfill all my orders, and I didn’t expect that a dragon would visit, so I didn’t restock my gems. Luckily, I still have some emeralds and rubies by my side. They are not exactly ripened fire rubies, but it should be good enough as a parting gift. I think three to four gems are quite the right serving size as an afternoon tea for a dragon, no?”
Twilight immediately said with a gasp. “We can’t possibly accept your gift, it’s too precious!”
The dragon swallowed at the sight of the tasty gems, but eventually his sense won over. “Y- Yeah, I didn’t really do anything for you yet, Rarity, I don’t deserve such valuable presents!”
“Nonsense. If you two do consider me as your friend, then just accept my small sign of appreciation.”
He paused for a bit and attempted to explain his willful showering of gifts, using what Rarity would likely have said. “Friendship is not a game of tally, there isn’t an amount of favor that you have to do before I can give you gifts. When I give, I don’t look at the price tags and overthink. Generosity for friends should always feel as if it costs me nothing.”
“Whoa.” The dragon could not even think of a response, only absorbing the words of wisdom from his mare, who seemed to have a sharp mind in addition to pretty look as well.
Twilight blinked, and indeed blanked for a while. She then shook her head and hurriedly took out her friendship journal and scribbled something on it. The white mare looked on with some surprise, but he then nodded happily.
“Good!” The white mare placed the gems into a little sack, which she then placed into the grateful claws of his alternate self.
Twilight scratched her cheek. “I guess I’ll be going then.”
“Bon voyage, dear.” The white mare uttered, and only then he was surprised that he was already getting entirely used to Rarity’s repertoire of speech, even using phrases that he as a dragon would almost never use.
Just when Twilight was about to step out of the boutique, she suddenly turned and asked aloud. “Wait, how do you know so much about a dragon’s diet preference?”
The white mare was briefly taken aback, but he soon said. “Patience, darling. We can talk about all the questions in your mind tonight.”
“A- Alright.” Twilight blushed slightly.
“See you later as well, Spikey-wikey.”
“S- See you, Rarity.” Spike gazed back longingly.
Twilight rolled her eyes and put Spike on her back with her telekinesis. “We have to get going, Don Juan.”
Waving to the departing duo, the white mare silently nodded. This might be a strange situation, but it was not completely devoid of fun, was it?
--------------------------------------------------------
“Twilight, why don’t you stay downstairs longer for Pinkie’s party? And where’s Spike?”
“Um, he’s still playing around downstairs. Ugh, he forgot all about duties when there are parties. I’m not that big into parties anyway.”
“Come now, dear. Spike needs some off-time with all his shelving and being a faithful research assistant. And Pinkie must’ve prepared it for a whole day as well since she met you on the main street.”
Twilight was briefly unnerved by the uncanny pieces of knowledge the white unicorn possessed, and she suspiciously glanced the white mare. But she reluctantly discounted it as educated guesses. She then asked back. “Well, why are you upstairs then?”
The white mare paused. He just wandered up while reminiscing about his erstwhile library home. But he could not tell Twilight that, so he instead said. “Nothing really, I just want to catch a breath because it’s a bit late. Sorry anyway, I shouldn’t waltz up here, being a guest and all.”
“Oh, that’s fine. It’s my first time around here as well.”
Twilight politely smiled. “Anyway, I know, right? All the ponies in this town are a bit loco. You seem to be only one who know what time it is.”
The white mare could not help but frown a bit. He might have cajoled her a bit too much. If Twilight somehow subscribed to the idea that he was the only reliable one among the lot, then it would hurt her friend-making. Even if they could still make the Elements work, he would be mortified to cause Twilight to become less open to connect with the rest of the Element-bearers.
“That’s a bit harsh, darling. The other ponies simply want to give you a proper welcome. Besides, it’s tradition that ponies stay up to see Princess Celestia raise the sun, and we all get a day-off tomorrow to make up for it. Just give tonight a pass, dear.”
Twilight looked like a filly who just got told about her tantrum. “Not you too, Rarity?! I thought you’re the only dependable pony in this town!”
He shook his head and said somewhat pleadingly. “Twilight, that’s not true! Each of the every other four ponies you met today is dependable in their own ways. Applejack cares for her friends and family with a deep sense of duty, Rainbow Dash is loyal and steadfast even though she’s a bit of a prankster. Fluttershy might be shy, but she’s the sweetest and kindest pony around. Pinkie… she might look a bit whimsical, but she would always try her best to make ponies happy about what they are and what they have now. They’re all prime ponies to make friends with.”
“But you’re the one who’s making this big meaningful speech to me now. You sound like a big sis to all of them.”
“Ah, well… I, uh, just stayed in Ponyville long enough to know about them.”
Twilight slowly nodded. A flash of unease and wariness flashed across her face, but she immediately replaced it with a questioning gaze.
“So, you told me you can talk with me about what you know about legends related to Summer Sun Celebration. Can we talk about it right now? I’ve wasted enough time that I could have used to study about the Elements of Harmony.”
Gee whiz, it’s the time of reckoning. I can’t let my foreknowledge go to waste despite the risks. I might use them to patch up the fact that I’m not quite Rarity, the Element-bearer of Generosity. But let’s hope Twilight doesn’t freak out this time.
“Twilight… Nightmare Moon is not an old pony’s tale, she’s very, very real.”
“…?!”
“And she will come crash our celebration tonight, and eternal night will befall Equestria if she succeeds.”
Twilight gasped. “H- How do you know?”
Sheesh, I heard you talk about it yourself. But I can’t say that now, can I?
“I, um, did some research like you did. If you’ve heard about the story of the two sisters, you should know that Princess Celestia banished her little sister Princess Luna to the moon. This was because Luna fell to her own jealousy and became the dreaded Nightmare Moon.”
The white mare continued with a snort. “You know what they say, what goes up must go down eventually. And tonight, precisely after a thousand years, the stars would align just right to provide a route of escape for Nightmare Moon back to Equestria.”
“I- If so, how can you be so blasé? There will be eternal night for all Equestria, a- and Nightmare Moon is going to do all kinds of nasty things to ponies who don’t obey her! Why don’t you bring this up sooner, but right before she came back?!”
“Blasé? I’m not- Now, Twilight, I just want to ease your nerves, because we just need a simple step further and we can make things right again!”
“Make things right…?!”
Twilight gasped and interrupted him loudly, while trotting a step behind in fear. “I have always been suspecting it since we met earlier! Now I know it! You’re actually a spy for the Nightmare herself!”
A cricket outside chirped at an almost comedic timing, but the white mare was in no mood to laugh at all.
“… What?”
“How else would you know so much about her and everything else?! You’re just a seamstress, you should not be so prescient about things… unless, of course, you dabble in dark magic and beckon the return of Nightmare Moon!”
“D- Dark magic?!”
The white mare was too aghast to properly retort. It made little sense to him, since it implied that the only way to know about Nightmare Moon for anypony that was not Twilight was through evil means. But he then just mentally sighed at the purple pony’s proneness to make the worst assumption when she was panicking.
Twilight held her hooves to her muzzle and exclaimed. “Hmph! I have fallen foul to your false niceties, but no more! You must be encouraging me to do all these ridiculous friend-making in order to distract me from finding a way to stop your mistress!”
The white mare extended his hoof, attempting to pat the purple unicorn’s shoulder to calm her down from the ridiculous paranoia. “W- Wait, Twi, you’ve mistake-”
“Get off me!”
Twilight swatted off his hoof rudely and entered a battle stance. “And don’t call me ‘Twi’! Only my friends and loved ones can call me that!”
“Ouch!” The white mare let out a painful yelp, and massaged his hoof ruefully. He felt as if his heart was hammered and broken into a thousand tiny pieces. His Twilight not only misunderstood him, but also leapt straight to a most incriminating conclusion. He did not know what he did wrong, but it hurt his body as well as his heart.
“P- Please, Twi… light, I only want to help you to stop Nightmare Moon! I’m not colluding with her in any way!”
Twilight did not seem to hear his defense, and proceeded to cast a binding spell on the white mare. He was pinned towards the wall and whimpered sadly, chafing under the magical pressure.
Why does it come to this? What have I done wrong? Now that Rarity’s not here and I’m all alone, I just want to make things better! Why, why? Am I wrong to make use of what I know? Is the world punishing me by trying to pretend to be Rarity?
He finally could not bear it and teared up. “Please, Twilight, I swear I have nothing to do with Nightmare Moon…”
Twilight became a bit hesitant when she saw tears started flowing, but she still narrowed her eyes and said. “I might be a student of magic under Princess Celestia, but it is definitely farfetched for somepony like you to know of any of my exploits. Not to mention you know about Spike and how he helps me out all the time as well! The fact that I have a dragon with me is not exactly a secret, but we were living inside the Ivory Tower with quite a low profile. There are literally hundreds, even thousands of Canterlot ponies more important than me. Why do you know so much about me and Spike then? Is that because we started to investigate the legends of Nightmare Moon, and you caught wind of it, huh?!”
The white mare was flabbergasted. Now he saw where the doubt began. He wanted to argue, but burdened with such enormous physical and emotional pressure, he could not find an appropriate retort at the heat of the moment. He could only swallow back another sniffle and looked at Twilight with the most innocent look he could muster.
The purple unicorn, however, glared at him even more fiercely. “Also, you bring up the issue of ancient legends related to the Celebration all of a sudden. Why would anypony mention those kinds of things unprompted? I bet you’re aware of my research, but want to use my eagerness to know more to lead me on the wrong trail!”
The white mare could not believe it. He had been nothing but kind, accommodating and incredibly generous to her since they met, so why the unreasonable doubt and antagonism? Did he somehow offend her? Insult her? Displease her?
“W- What are you doing to Rarity, Twilight?!”
The two mares sharply turned to the direction of the stairs, and saw a stupefied-looking dragon looked at the scene with disbelief. He threw down his comical lampshade hat and ran between the two mares.
“Twilight, you’re hurting her! Stop that at once!”
“Spike, she’s a spy for Nightmare Moon, Spike! I’m just interrogating her!”
The dragon looked on with speechlessness, as the white mare cried out desperately.
“Please, I’m not a spy! I just want to tell Twilight how to use the Elements to defeat Nightmare Moon!”
“Oh yeah? Do tell! Let me see how far your lies can go!”
“I’m saying the truth! I even pulled out the book from downstairs already, it’s on the table!”
Twilight and the dragon both looked to the table. To their surprise, there was indeed a reference book called ‘The Elements of Harmony: A Reference Guide’ lying on the table.
With some suspicion, Twilight picked it up and have a quick glance. She widened her eyes when she really discovered useful information about the Elements inside.
The white mare sniffled and said. “I just want to forewarn you about Nightmare Moon before she shows up tonight during the ceremony.”
“Wait, so the legend about Nightmare Moon is real?” The dragon gasped.
“I swear it is!”
Twilight pressed on. “But how would you know precisely that she would attack the town hall and not any other place?”
The white mare almost let out a yelp of desperation. It was as if Twilight was picking apart the smallest bit of his speech to find out even the tiniest thing to suspect about. He was running out of excuses to give, and he would consider saying the plain truth if not for the fact that Twilight of this state would not believe an ounce of it.
With a mournful sob, he reluctantly said. “I- It’s just an educated guess… If she’s to make a point to all ponies how she’s going to take revenge on Princess Celestia who banished her to the moon, the venue where the Celebration would take place will be her best choice.”
Twilight was slightly stumped by how reasoned the white mare’s response was, and she found herself briefly unable to place more doubt on her story.
The white mare looked despondent, but he continued quietly. “There’s no way we can stop her in a head-to-head fight. She’s an Alicorn bolstered by dark magical power. We must go inside the Everfree forest, retrieve and activate the Elements in order to keep her threat at bay! If we succeed to do so, we can even cleanse Princess Luna from her evil influences and bring Princess Celestia’s beloved sister back to her. Isn’t that the best outcome that we all want?”
Twilight was briefly wordless, but she then still said willfully. “E- Even if that’s true, I still don’t trust you! I’d rather go with the rest of the girls, or even myself alone!”
The dragon finally interjected angrily. “Twi, what’s wrong with you? Since when do you begin to just assault ponies with no reason? And not just anypony, but Rarity! She so kindly invited us over to her house, comb your messy mane and tail, and give me gems as presents! How can you make baseless accusation like that and even attack her? You even make her cry!”
Twilight gritted her teeth. The dragon’s words seemed to make her briefly subdued anger rise again. “S- She-!”
“She what?!”
Twilight finally decided to throw away the slightest of pretense and growled. “Grr… She’s trying to pry you away from me! Don’t you see that? When she noticed how giddy you were about her, she immediately latched onto you and began to lay it on the thick! She must be trying to turn you against me t- to further her plan, whatever it is!”
The white mare’s jaw hung open even wider. Now he finally knew the biggest reason why Twilight was acting like that – plain old jealousy. She thought his attempts to make his alternate-self happy, compounded with her natural skepticism, were seen as some nefarious attempts to steal her faithful dragon away.
Considering how much Twilight cared for the dragon, and how naïve the purple unicorn was towards romance in general, it must be a wholly bewildering and disconcerting sight for her to witness his blatant attempt to draw her dragon near emotionally. The fact that the dragon immediately came to his defense certainly made her even more suspicious.
“You’re just jealous that you-”
“No! Stop, Spike, don’t!” The white mare yelped in time to stop the dragon from further upsetting Twilight.
“H- Huh?” The dragon turned with surprise.
“If there is anypony in the wrong. It is me. Spike, don’t ever say anything bad about Twilight. She hatched you, she cared for you, she’s like a mother to you. I- I’m just a pony you met half a day ago. It would be wrong if you two argue because of me.”
Twilight was a bit taken aback by how the white mare remained steadfastly on her side even with this kind of treatment.
Spike looked distraught. “R- Rarity…”
She then turned towards Twilight, who unconsciously stepped back. “Twilight, I see that you misunderstood why I was like that in the boutique. I’d admit, my intention was not pure. As much as I would like to devote to the principle of generosity, I’m not just going to grab ponies from the street to give them mane do-overs and give out expensive gems all the time.”
Twilight immediately pointed at the white mare and said. “See, Spike! She admits it!”
The white mare’s ears drooped, and then he looked up with both pleading and resoluteness. “Twilight, you’re supposed to be the centerpiece of the Elements.”
“… Huh?”
“I fear that it might literally take away the magic if I actually lay them out all in the open.”
Sadly smiling, she continued. “But now that you distrust me like this, I might as well tell you, in my own… research, I’ve come to know a lot about the Elements, even down to who exactly would be the rightful Element-bearers in the inevitable fight against Nightmare Moon.”
“Wait, what?”
“I know that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and… well, me, we’re supposed to reflect each of the five Elements, Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter and, of course, Generosity. Only if and when the five Elements come together in unity, the sixth will be created. The Element of Magic – and you, Twilight Sparkle, the most talented magical unicorn in Equestria, will be its one true bearer.”
Twilight widened her eyes speechless, while the white mare let out a deeply regretful sigh and continued. “I know about all these, but I never know what exactly to do to ensure it comes to pass. I want everything to go the way I wish it would go, with every one of us becoming good friends at the end of this, setting the stage for many future adventures. I don’t know that my intervention would mess things up far more than if I just sit at the side and watch.”
“Rarity…” Twilight muttered. She began to feel some regret at roughing up the white mare.
“Twilight, you’re a very bright unicorn. It was due to some… very strange personal events that I come to know about you, but ever since I did, I admire you a lot for your intelligence and hard work. You’re risen above the fray and become the Princess’s student, somepony whom every unicorn… no, every magic learner out there should strive to become.”
Twilight was a bit mortified. She started to feel terrible, because the mare she pinned to the wall turned out to be her secret fan, and she felt like a guilt-ridden owner after accidentally stepping on her pet’s leg. With a flicker, the magic glow around the white mare’s body ceased, and she dropped to the ground like a ball of lead.
“Ou…!”
The white mare massaged her back and said. “… Thank you Twilight. It was a bit hard to breathe up there.”
Twilight let out a muted nasal noise. The white mare was not quite certain what she was signaling by that, so she just continued. “I know it’s going to sound weird to be this invested in somepony else’s life story, but I think that it’s extra admirable how you brought Spike up in addition of pursuing your study.”
The duo looked surprised at the fact that the white mare mentioned more than the topic of magic.
“It is not easy to balance between work and care. Umm… Like me, I got flustered when I have to deal with boutique orders and take care of my little sister Sweetie Belle at the same time. But you bring Spike up from mere egg to a proud little dragon boy. Not even many parents can raise their foal alone properly and at the same time having to study or work. I can’t help but feel more amazed and appreciative when I see you two in the person. Again, dear, sorry for everything, and please excuse me, I must’ve accidentally given off a stalker vibe by saying all these, ha.”
“Rarity…” The dragon looked at the white mare, for the first time using an observant and curious gaze, instead of his usual lover’s stare. He realized that the white mare was much more than the well-manicured hooves, curled purple bangs and impeccable face that he had seen.
“… I’m sorry.”
Twilight muttered with sadness. “I shouldn’t be that rash and did that to you. You sound like a pony who means well after all… I must be quite disappointing to meet in person, aren’t I?”
“Don’t be silly, darling. It’s only natural for you to feel agitated with the threat of eternal night looming in the horizons. I’m just glad that you don’t somehow think that I’m in cahoots with the Nightmare anymore. I just want to be friend with you, the other girls and of course, Spike.”
Hearing the name of her dragon assistant, Twilight’s face was again clouded with some doubt. Although she was now convinced that the white mare was not some evil spy, she was still not sure why the white mare seemed particularly interested in her own dragon.
The white mare clearly noticed the rising doubt. He drew in a breath. Of course he’s going to be interested in the welfare and feeling of ‘himself’. After all, who would hate to see himself live a happy life?
“You must think that I’m acting strange, or even not having the best of intentions, when I was being so nice to Spike, don’t you?”
Twilight turned her head aside, but looked back somewhat uncertainly.
The white mare sighed. “I assure you, Twilight. If I have any ulterior motive, it is not in any way wicked.”
After drawing in a breath, He said briskly. “I’m going to be honest with you, dear. When I see Spike, I realize something. I like Spikey-wikey and I care about Spikey-wikey, when he’s happy, I’m happy as well.”
The dragon loudly gasped while stumbling backwards, and Twilight cupped her mouth.
“… So of course I go out of my way to make sure… wait, Spike, Spike! Are you okay?”
The white mare and the purple unicorn both sprinted near the dragon, who had keeled over with a face full of bliss and jubilation.
“W- What happened? Spike, Spike, can you hear me?” The white mare tapped the cheek of the dragon with worry.
Twilight facehoofed and said with a loud groan. “What happened, you ask! Come on, he just heard his very love-at-first-sight said she likes him! He must be in seventh heaven right now, and his little heart must’ve given up on him!”
“I- I don’t-” The white mare blushed heavily. He did not mean it in that way, right? He was not a hopeless narcissist, he thought uncertainly. Although… he did enjoy seeing the dragon fall all over him and look so thrilled.
“Get some cold water from downstairs! Quick!”
“Y- Yes, Twilight!”
The white mare quickly trotted towards the staircase. But before he went down, he turned and asked sheepishly. “T- Twilight, does this mean you’re not mad with me anymore?”
Twilight said with some embarrassment. “I said it already… It’s me who was a tad bit too paranoid. S- So yeah.”
“Thank you, dear! I- I can’t express how thankful I’m for you to accept my explanation. I will give it my all come the time we have to deal with the threat of the Nightmare!”
“I- alright. Thanks, but please just go fetch me the water first. And don’t alert the other girls and keep this little… episode between us three, can you promise me?”
“Of course. Roger that!”
Twilight saw to the delighted mare trotting down the stairs with light steps, and began to ponder.
‘Roger that?’ Hmm, for being like a mannered pony in general, that particular reaction and reply was so Spike-like. I thought she was just into dragons, and he’s just into her looks, but it seems they’re more than that. No wonder they two match up this quickly. Rarity… what a strange pony. Stranger than even Pinkie, I must say.