//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3 
// Story: A Novel Disaster 
// by Monochromatic 
//------------------------------//


Twilight took a minute to readjust her thoughts. 



If memory served, Heart Haven went to the mall in chapter twelve, after which she met up with Charming who then proceeded to break her heart by choosing his upscale life over her. Classic star-crossed lover story, where the rich and handsome stallion buckles under his snobby parents's wishes. 



Despite the… slight turn of events, considering Rarity didn't go to see Charming, it seemed like the plot of the book was still in motion, and Rarity's heart would have to be broken for them to continue. 



The idea of this was not a pleasing one for the former alicorn. It was one thing entirely to go through a breakup knowing it was staged, and it was another thing entirely to go through it while actually… being mind-washed into being in love. 



Guilt seeped through Twilight. All she'd managed to accomplish that day was hurting Rarity in various degrees. Maybe… If the spell had allowed her to completely change the endings of Daring Do books, then surely it would let her spare her marefriend of any pain, wouldn't it?



She stood up and trotted towards the magic, and again the familiar time-freeze took place. She closed her eyes, counted to five, and when she opened them, cracked a smile at the sight of the bustling Sunrise mall in the distance. 



The sun was shining overtop, and when stopping a nearby pony, she was relieved to see him actually reacting to her and informing her that it was a quarter to four. 



Great, she thought, trotting towards the mall. Just in time. 



Dozens of ponies littered the mall, each one of them lost in their part of the story. Foals ran along the hallways, their laughter filling the air while their parents idled by stores, carrying several bags of purchases. Twilight's memory of the mall was hazy at best, but to her fortune, the coffee shops were prominently displayed on the signs scattered around. 



When she reached the shop, she was dismayed to see Rarity was nowhere in the vicinity. She'd gotten the time right, but had the book maybe taken her to the wrong day? 



She trotted inside the shop, and a glance at the calendar on the wall calmed her fears. It seems the spell had taken her to the right time and day, but where was Rarity?



Then again, this was Rarity she was dealing with, and the expression 'fashionably late' was one the unicorn loved using. With that in mind, Twilight looked around and spotted an empty table in the distance. Another sign that she was in a fictional universe, for getting an empty table at Ponybucks during lunchtime was practically impossible in real life. 



She sat down and waited, going back to trying to devise a plan to prevent the plot from advancing while still being able to leave the book. 



A whole fifteen minutes of thinking later, her planning was interrupted when a cup of coffee was placed before her. She looked up and found the heavenly sight of her amnesiac marefriend smiling down at her, looking adorable sipping from her coffee. 



"Rarity!" Twilight exclaimed, relieved to see her there. 



"I'm sorry, darling. Were you waiting long?" She pointed to the cup on the table. "I took the liberty of buying you a mint almond cappuccino! Just what you always order."



Twilight smiled gratefully. "Than— Wait." 



Rarity blinked. "Something wrong?"



"No, actually," Twilight replied, smiling rather smugly. "I'm just curious about something. How did you know that's my favorite drink?"



Rarity blinked once, twice, thrice. "I..." She looked absolutely puzzled. "I… Well, I-I don't know obviously! I just assumed. It came to me! Destiny and the like, and it's not because we're 'inside a book' so wipe that smile away, Twilight!" she reprimanded. "It's been a long day, and I'm not at my best."



She sighed theatrically and gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"



Twilight nodded and followed her out, concerned about Rarity's statement. Was something wrong? Did she maybe remember that was when Charming dumped Heart Haven?



"So, Twilight," Rarity said, glancing at the shops as they trotted by them, "you've barely told me anything about yourself! What area exactly are you head researcher of?"



"Friendship," Twilight said, the word leaving her mouth before she could stop it. 



Rarity laughed. "Friendship? Goodness, that's an interesting subject!" She took a sip of her drink and smiled deviously at the mare. "I take it I'm part of your research, then? Are the results encouraging so far?"



Twilight giggled. "Very."



Rarity looked pleased by the reply. "Excellent! Something is going right today, finally."



"What do you mean?" Twilight asked. "Is something wrong?"



Rarity, again, sighed theatrically. "I don't know," she said, approaching a nearby window display and brushing her hoof against it. "Charming asked to meet with me later today but…" She turned to Twilight. "I can tell something is wrong. He sounded off when he visited me at work yesterday, and I worry his dreadful parents have swayed him away. They're a bit… Well, they don't approve of my livelihood, so to speak."



Well, of course something is wrong, Twilight thought, you're not supposed to be dating him, for starters. 



"Why not?" she asked, though she knew the answer already. 



"Well… I'm not like 'them', I suppose," she said, and that statement felt so wrong coming from Rarity. 



Rarity, who could so effortlessly blend into any high-ranking event, worrying about what others thought of her? Of who she was? It was actually a bit jarring. 



"Then you shouldn't go," Twilight immediately said. "I really, really think you shouldn't go. He's a jerk, and—"



Rarity's smile disappeared. "Because you would know that about somepony who you haven't even spoken with, wouldn't you? Because you'd know all about the life of two ponies you've only spoken to three times in your life, wouldn't you?" she asked dryly, and Twilight's ears fell. Her hurt expression must have done something for Rarity, because immediately her attitude softened. 



"I'm sorry, Twilight, I didn't—"



Twilight shook her head. "No, you're right," she said, and now all her desire to fight had died. 



She wanted all of it to be over with, and the more she tried to fight it, the more she prolonged it. She wasn't going to be able to convince Rarity that she was in a book, she wasn't going to be able to convince her to not go on her date, and all she could do was just sit back and hope things would go along fast. 



Besides, it wasn't even a bad ending for Rarity. Charming would come back in the end, just as dramatically as Rarity dreamed of, and they would ride off into the sunset. 



"If I go with him," Rarity asked, "will my book have a bad ending?"



"No," Twilight replied. 



A small silence.



"Will it have a bad ending for you?" 



"Yes," Twilight replied, bowing her head down. 



Rarity hummed one last time. "I think I ought to go, then," she said, and Twilight wished she could turn around and walk away, but before she could do so, Rarity lifted her chin and said, "I will see you later, won't I?"



"I don't think I have a choice."



Rarity smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."



And with those words, time once again came to a stop. The familiar yellow magic enveloped the room, and Twilight watched with a sinking heart as her surroundings changed. Moments later, time restarted and with it came the sensation of water against her skin. 



She found herself in the middle of the street, right in front of a large plaza, rain crashing down on the pavement and her quickly dampening coat. The shock was enough to spur her into action and she ran to a nearby restaurant for cover. Once inside, she sneezed once, twice, thrice before looking around for Rarity. 



She assumed this was the hours following the breakup, so Rarity should… should be… 



Twilight sighed. Right. The main character just had their heart broken, and it was raining. Where else would she be but sitting in the middle of the plaza, mascara running down her face? 



Effectively, when Twilight pressed her face against the window, she could see somepony sitting on the lone bench in the distance, obviously having no care for getting pneumonia or worse. 



Twilight looked around and stamped her hoof on the floor. "Come on! Be nice for once!"



Just as her sentence finished, a wisp of yellow magic teleported an umbrella in front of her, which she quickly took before rushing out of the restaurant. She ran across the park, slowing her pace when she realized that was indeed Rarity. 



Rarity didn't notice her presence until the rain stopped pouring over, and she looked up to find an umbrella covering her while Twilight stood several meters away, her horn alight and drops of rain splashing all over her body. 



"You were right," she said. 



"I know," Twilight said, and she couldn't help but smile when Rarity let out a hearty laugh. 



"Twilight Sparkle, your ego is truly inspiring," she said, and patted the spot next to her on the bench. When Twilight sat down next to her, Rarity scooched over to her, their coats pressing together as they huddled under the umbrella.  



Twilight didn't know what to say exactly. On closer inspection, Rarity wasn't nearly in the state Twilight had imagined her to be in. There was no mascara running down her cheeks, and though her mane was pressed to her face, she didn't look absolutely miserable. 



"He told me the path that had been chosen for him didn't include me," Rarity said, simply. 



Twilight rolled her eyes. What a line! She could almost hear a regretful Charming running back to Rarity, claiming that "if the path chosen for him (by his parents, of course) didn't include her, then he wouldn't go on it". 



"Well, you have your own much better path," Twilight firmly said. "And you'll find somepony much better than him, I promise." 



Rarity smiled, leaning in ever so slightly and pressing her hoof against Twilight's chest. "But, darling, I already have." 



Without warning, she leaning in more and Twilight's face flushed when her lips pressed against Rarity's. She felt like it was their first kiss all over again, which, technically… it was? 



When Rarity leaned back, she let out a dreamy sigh and brushed back Twilight's wet bangs with her hoof. "Have I told you that kissing you simply never gets old?"



Twilight giggled. "Every time we kiss," she said, absolutely smitte— Wait. She leaned back suddenly, her goofy expression vanishing as she scanned Rarity's eyes and found them to be clear of any trace of the spell. "You're… You're back?"



Rarity fluttered her eyelashes in reply, laughing when Twilight all but threw herself at her. 



"You're back!" she exclaimed, relieved beyond words, practically kissing Rarity out of the bench. Suddenly, she pulled back again when an admittedly cheesy thought made her way into her mind. It made sense! They were in a romance novel, after all… Her heart thumping in her chest, and a smile threatening to show on her lips, she carefully asked, "Did… Did my kiss bring you back?"



Rarity's expression softened, and she leaned in, brushing her hoof against Twilight's cheek. 



"... No," she said, giggling childishly afterwards and leaning back. "Though we can pretend it did, if you'd like."



Twilight decided then and there she'd never try to be romantic again. 



"Actually, the spell wore off while I was at Charming's apartment," she said. "He was about to make his terrible confession, but asked to kiss me beforehoof, and, well… it would seem my love for you snapped me out of it and prevented such a terrible thing. Then again, I never did anything I didn't want to do! I was planning to drop him for you even before the spell wore off." 



"Wait, but… what happened when I was gone?" Twilight asked, her thirst for knowledge taking over now that Rarity was back. "Didn't it freak you out that you were switching scenes?"



Rarity shrugged. "We're in a book, Twilight. If every book explained in detail what happens between every scene, you'd have a never-ending novel. The spell simply filled in my memory gaps, so I always just knew what had happened before."



Twilight frowned. "Hmm… I suppose that makes sense. Though… I'm kind of worried by how easily you warmed up to me despite how crazy I must have sounded."



Rarity nearly snorted. "Twilight. We're in a romance novel. What did you expect of a place where falling in love at first sight is commonplace?"



Twilight furrowed her brow. "...Are you sure you're back, because that sounded like you just criticized your own favorite genre?"



"I blame it entirely on my incessantly nitpicky marefriend, thank you very much," Rarity cheekily replied. "I'll have you know, by the way, that I took the opportunity to tell Charming everything I thought about how poorly he treated poor Haven, especially after how terribly in love she was with him. I'll admit that I could've picked a better novel with a more interesting love-interest."



"Maybe one who actually knows French," Twilight added. 



Rarity hummed. "Yes, the poor dear didn't know a single thing, did he? I very much doubt he even knew what he was saying."



Twilight snorted. "Well, you didn't either since you said it was romantic."



"I had to!" Rarity exclaimed, smiling childishly. "Honestly, I wasn't about to be rude and embarrass him by correcting him when he was at least making the effort! Do you even realize how utterly unromantic that is?" She lifted her hoof and booped Twilight on the nose. "I am not you, Twilight Sparkle."



Twilight's face flushed, mortified. "I only do that because I want you to be better! And, when I made a mistake with French once, you corrected me almost immediately! How come you didn't do that with him?!"



Rarity brushed a hoof through her mane. "That's easy. First of all, it's because the mistake you made was absolutely appalling. When I told Fluttershy, even she couldn't believe it! And, second of all, It's because I want you to be bett— Shoot!" She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Touché, Princess." 



Twilight leaned in to nuzzle Rarity, sighing with content. When she pulled back, a single question remained.



"... Now what?"



Rarity sighed theatrically. "Alas! I have to finish the novel, still, I believe. Admittedly, this all feels like a drag now that I won't end up swooning in your forehooves, but I don't see any other way out of here. Don't want to upset the spell again, do we?"



Twilight looked down, regretful. "I'm sorry, Rarity. You're not too mad, are you?"



Rarity waved her off. "No. I think you've already had enough of a punishm—"



"RARITY!" 



Rarity and Twilight turned around to find Charming Smile standing under the rain, having come back to claim Rarity's heart. Despite the heavy rain, there was enough breeze for his mane to blow into the wind, and all that was needed to complete the scene was a emotional background soundtrack. 



"See!" Rarity said, gesturing to Charming. "That could have been you! Coming here and fighting for my heart!"



Twilight giggled. "Should I go and tell him you're taken?"



"I wouldn't mind," Rarity replied, jumping off the bench and going towards Charming. "Watch and learn, darling, watch and learn." 



Twilight did as told, leaning back and wondering how odd it must have looked for her to be sporting such a grin while watching such a scene." 



"Charming Smile!" Rarity shrieked, before letting out a pained sob and looking off into the distance. "It's over between us! I'd ask what else you could possibly want from me, but we certainly wouldn't want your pristine legacy sullied by anything I've touched, do we?!"



"Rarity, please!" he pleaded. "I know what I said is unforgivable, but, please, understand! The path my parents chose for me didn't include you, but if—"



"But if that's the path they want you to follow, then you won't go on it?" Rarity asked, voice softening and turning away slightly, enough for Twilight to see her hoof pressing against her chest. 



"Yes, Rarity," Charming said, taking a step towards Rarity. "I choose you."



"Oh, my darling Charming… Who do you take me for?!" Rarity shrieked, turning back to him. "Sweet Princesses, what are you?! A character from a sappy romance novel?! You really think you can sweet-talk me into taking you back?! I didn't think you could offend me more, but you never cease to amaze!"



Letting out one final sniff, she rushed off into the plaza, once again leaving Twilight to her own devices. She wondered if she ought to run after her, but before she could do so, Charming distracted her by falling to his hindlegs and very dramatically screaming out Rarity's name into the night.



Twilight watched one, two, three seconds before the scream was cut off by time once again coming to a stop. They'd just finished with the park scene, which meant that the next scene… She gulped down, remembering the last scene she did before being kicked out from the book was the park scene, which meant… 



The space around her began to change, and before she knew it, she was back at the familiar apartment from where she'd been kicked out. However, rather than appear at the beginning of the scene, she was transported into the middle of it. Standing inside the kitchen, she could hear Rarity and Charming arguing in the distance. 



Well, now all that was left was to wait for Rarity to say she was leaving, for Charming to stop her, for them to… kiss, and then for the story to hopefully end. 



Except...



Except, if Rarity was back to normal, then… why couldn't Twilight get a second chance at ending the book properly? After all, as the Daring Do books had proved, the spell should accept any ending as long as it was true to the novel's purpose, no?



And what was the purpose of a romance novel but wooing the beautiful protagonist? And what would Rarity love more than two ponies fighting over her? 



Twilight walked towards the kitchen door, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She turned to her side and noticed the yellow magic on the walls. 



"Truce?" she whispered, and smiled when the magic crackled once. Satisfied, she turned her attention back to the outside room. 



"I have to follow my destiny, and my destiny does not include you, Charming!" Rarity yelled from inside the other room. 



"No! Please! You can't leave me!" Charming begged. "What will I do without you?!"



"Don't try to stop me! You can't!" Rarity continued, and Twilight could hear the front door opening. “I gave you everything, and you threw it away! You’ll never change!” 



“No!” Charming exclaimed, slamming the door shut. “You can’t leave me, Rarity! I won’t let it end like this!”



"But I will!" Twilight exclaimed, slamming the door open and stepping into the room. If Rarity wanted the show of her life, Twilight would make sure she got it. 



"Twilight?" Rarity asked, apparently thrown-off. Until… "O-Oh! Twi-Twilight! Er.. Yes! Yes, she will!"



"What?!" Charming gasped, looking appalled. "She—! She's the 'other' you mentioned?! The waitress?!"



Twilight teleported in front of Rarity and smiled. "No. Not the waitress." She slammed her hoof against the floor, and her smile widened when she felt her wings return to her body. "The Princess." 



"Oh my..." Rarity whispered behind her, and Twilight wished she could have turned to look at her marefriend's expression. 



Charming stepped back. "You… You… I will fight you for her!" 



Twilight smiled. "You're not the one I have to win over," she informed before turning around to face Rarity, her grin turning into a sly smile. "You are."



Rarity blinked, her cheeks flushing. It was clear she had not been expecting that from Twilight, and somehow that invigorated Twilight all the more. 



"Win me over, you say?" Rarity asked, clearing her throat. She fluttered her eyelashes and whispered, "What makes you think you can accomplish such a task, Princess?"



Twilight smiled. “This.”



Her horn began to glow and suddenly, the scenery around them changed. They went from inside a Manehattan apartment to the highest balcony of Canterlot Castle, the moon and stars shining in the sky and a breeze strong enough to make both their manes flow with the wind. Emotional music could be heard coming from afar, setting the scene to perfection. 



“Twilight!” Rarity gasped, breaking character and looking around the balcony, eyes growing wide. She trotted over to the railing and looked down at the glittering capital. “How did you— But, we’re still inside the book! You’re not supposed to be able to—” She turned back to Twilight. “But the spell—! Isn’t this against the rules?”



“Rules?” Twilight laughed softly, shaking her head. “Rarity, this spell affected you, but don't forget who I am.” She took a step towards the mare, offering a sly smile. “I’ve read more books on magic than probably anypony in Equestria save for Princess Celestia.” Another step. “I’m the bearer of the Element of Magic.” Another step, and she was right in front of Rarity, secretly delighting in the heavy blushing Rarity was doing. “I was ascended into alicornhood for creating a brand new form of magic, something even Starswirl the Bearded hadn’t been able to do.”



Gulping down whatever embarrassment still plagued her, she leaned in so that her muzzle was inches apart from Rarity’s. “Rules? I make the rules.”



She took a moment to admire the effect her words had on the unicorn. It wasn’t often that Twilight said something that rendered Rarity into a totally flustered state, her eyes wide and mouth hanging half-open in shock. That expression alone was worth almost everything she'd gone through. 



Before Rarity could even try to come up with a way to react properly, Twilight leaned in to finish the novel just like the spell wanted and hopefully get them out of there via the single most passionately dramatic kiss she could muster. 



The moment she broke away, the scenery around them changed once more and Twilight came crashing down onto her bed, Rarity landing next to her. The book followed moments after, and relief washed over her upon inspecting it and seeing the normal cover. 



She fell back onto her back, letting out a very long sigh of relief and turning around to nuzzle her marefriend. Rarity hadn't said a thing yet, but her eyes were glued to Twilight. 



When she looked to Rarity, the mare had already sat up, staring at Twilight with wide-eyes. She looked all right, and just as Twilight was about to confirm that was a correct belief, the distant chimes of the front door interrupted her.



"Girls! We're here!"



"Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are here!" she exclaimed, having completely forgotten they were supposed to stop by. 



She jumped down from the bed, left her room and came down to find Rainbow and Fluttershy waiting by the entrance. 



"Hi, girls!" Twilight said, rushing over to greet them. "Sorry, we got caught up reading a book!"



Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "You were both reading the same book?" she asked, and then snickered. "Pff, eggheads. Bet you have a book club, too." She trotted past Twilight, straight towards her bedroom. "Rarity! Come on, we gotta go! Drop your book!"



Once she was gone, Fluttershy turned to Twilight. "Are you ready to go, Twilight? We wouldn't want to miss our lunch with Mister Bearington. I already told him you have a lot of questions for him."



"Yes, I'm all set!" Twilight replied, and a spark of magic teleported her research papers to her. "I also brought some notes on bear language, so I can make some progress on my study of your animal communication skills."



"I'm glad I can help you, Twilight. I know how important your studies are for you, and I'm sure the animals will be very happy to hel—"



"Uh, Twi?" Rainbow's voice called out. "Can you come here for a sec', please?"



Twilight made her way back to her room, and stepped inside to find Rainbow Dash sitting on her bed, waving her hoof in front of Rarity, still petrified in the same position as Twilight had left her. 



"What's wrong?" Fluttershy asked, a tiny bit alarmed. "Rarity?"



"Geez, that must have been some book," Rainbow said, jumping off the bed and grabbing the novel in question, flipping through its pages. 



Twilight cleared her throat and trotted towards her bed, climbing up and sitting right in front of Rarity. 



"Rares? Are you okay?" she ventured, and finally Rarity reacted, slowly blinking her eyes before her entire face dissolved into an absolutely smitten expression. 



"Rainbow Dash, be a darling and come back another day, won't you?" she said, leaning in and pressing her nose against Twilight's. "I need to melt into Twilight's forelegs right now, and I don't think I'll recover for another week."



"What?! Rarity!" Rainbow protested. "Twilight! What did you do to her?!"



Twilight only giggled, lifting her mouth and kissing Rarity on the nose. "We can hang out later, all right?" she offered, and her reply came in the form of Rainbow dragging Rarity off the bed.



"Come on, Rarity! You promised me you'd be my cheerleading squad during practice, and you ain't getting out of it!" 



"Twilight!" Rarity exclaimed, being dragged off into the hallway. "I'll miss you, my darling! I'll try to survive without you, even though—"



"Rarity, stop it before I gag!" 



After a moment of silence, Twilight cleared her throat. "Um… Fluttershy?"



"Yes, Twilight?"



Twilight jumped off the bed, hoping her cheeks weren't too red. "I'm sure Rarity's going to tell you all about it tomorrow during your spa session, but… can you not ask what that was about?"



Fluttershy giggled. "Oh my. Ask about what, Twilight?"



"Great."



 FIN