Ulysses led Rarity downstairs to the main floor of her shop, with a deliberately slow pace. She found the same state of abandonment; windows were shattered, mannequins were mostly absent or smashed to small pieces, and there was no fabric big enough for a single sock. When Rarity’s eyes fell on the door, she was surprised to even see it there, if laying on the floor a foot away from the door frame.
With a glimpse of hope she checked the desk where she kept her bits. It was a foolish hope, she admitted to herself, but it was still revolting. Whoever or whatever happened in the boutique she built her life in, raided, pillaged and scavenged it completely and carelessly.
Rarity glared at Ulysses, who sported a serene smile that made it clear that he wasn’t sorry about her situation at all.
“What exactly happened here?” she asked a bit quieter than her normal.
“Do you want the long version or the short?” Ulysses asked back nonchalantly, his smile always there, much to the mare’s annoyance.
“Which one will give me everything I need to know?” she shot back firmly.
Ulysses ceased smiling.
--
The cleanest upholstery Rarity could find in her boutique was a mere pillow, one that had been ripped and some of the stuffing inside had been pulled out, though this too wasn’t all that clean, and she had to physically and mentally force herself to sit on it. It was an important ritual for her when talking in her boutique or something like that, which Ulysses waited for a little impatiently through the best part of an hour.
“Alright, now for what happened.” Ulysses begun with a relieved sigh, “Your portal has sent you forward in time by six years, something I personally kept track of with my limited control over time. Six years you have been gone, with your friends worrying about you every day, and always checking in to see if you were back in the library basement yet.” He looked directly at her who had mouth open from the shock. “You never came back, obviously. But they never gave up hope. Well, until more pressing matters came up. Three years ago, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna disappeared, the sun and moon, which had been ready to trade places, both rose to join each other in the sky, side by side.”
It was a lot for Rarity to take in. The princesses had gone missing, and that’s what caused all this? Not only that, but if she never came back, then, ultimately, her mission was doomed to fail. She returned her focus to what Ulysses was saying.
“For a while, everything went on as best as possible, considering the princesses were gone, and the sun and moon were now side by side in the sky. But it wasn’t fine. Ponies got worried, crops wouldn’t grow, the pegasi could no longer control the weather, even magic became wild.” Ulysses described, with his usual detachment, as if he was talking not about ponies like him, but of something different, not to be cared about, but watched in amusement like fishes in an aquarium. “This,” he continued, “led to bickering among neighbours and friends, soon, ponies were fighting each other, killing for property, money and reserves their victims had stored. Civilisation crumbled. Those who survived left for Canterlot, on the promise of rebuilding the world under the harsh, eternally present sun and moon. They call this the ‘age of the day-night’.”
“Age of twilight?” Rarity thought aloud, during a short silence during Ulysses explanation. She also thought of asking of Twilight Sparkle specifically, but chose to let him finish instead.
Ulysses smirked briefly as he walked towards an northeastward window. “I suppose that would be an accurate term.” He looked out that window to Canterlot and continued, “even now, word still exists among those who survived; the promise of a better future exists if they make it to Canterlot. I believe what you are looking for to return back to the present, and prevent this terrible future, is there.” He glanced over his back towards her.
Rarity took a while thinking about all that explanation. He was very clear that he thought she should be in Canterlot. She didn’t look forward to going there, though.
“Is there anything left in Ponyville?” she asked.
He answered with a single shake of his head.
“Manehattan?”
Ulysses shrugged dismissively. “I doubt it.”
“Cloudsdale?”
He snorted, failing to hide his smile. “All gone.”
“What happened to my friends? My sister?”
“You will find that out at Canterlot.” He looked away, then disappeared into the air without any sort of farewell gesture.
Rarity looked out of the front door, still not quite eager to go to Canterlot, and, despite the pressing matters at hoof, quite annoyed at her interlocutor’s lack of chivalry. She took a deep breath, and walked out of her shop.
The sky was crimson and barely filled with clouds, drifting slowly on the winds. She’d think the air would be filled with heat with such a sky, but it was strangely cool. She thought of what Rainbow Dash would think of drifting clouds.
Looking back ahead, she saw an empty cart toppled over. There was a sight of blood running over one of its sides. She squealed but instinctively followed the trail to find a pony with blue coat and gasped in shock when she realized it was Rainbow Dash.
While Rainbow wasn’t bleeding badly, she had enough cuts over her to cause the blood trail that Rarity had followed. As fast as she could, Rarity ran over to Rainbow Dash, and helped her up.
“Don’t bother helping me, I don’t have any bits to pay—” Rainbow Dash paused mid sentence when her eyes saw Rarity. Rainbow took a step back as if she had seen a ghost, “Rarity? Is... is it really you?” she asked.
“Of course it is, Rainbow Dash. I just walked in from that portal from six years ago.” Rarity replied, smiling.
It dawned on Rarity that the years hadn’t been kind to Rainbow Dash. Her ribs were visible under her coat, and the dark under her eyes together suggested that Rainbow had gone a very long time without food and sleep. However, Rainbow’s rose coloured eyes showed her joy at seeing Rarity. While it had been no secret the two were utter opposites in personality, Rainbow Dash had quite often helped Rarity, begrudgingly, to design outfits and dresses for pegasi when Fluttershy was otherwise preoccupied.
“Rarity, it’s so good to see you again!” Rainbow Dash held back a loud cry, embracing the white unicorn. As she did, the unicorn noticed her friend almost had no heart beat, and her breathing was irregular and seemed strained.
“Rainbow Dash,” Rarity pulled out of the hug, and looked at Rainbow in the eye, “what happened to you?”
Rainbow Dash sat down, and while still smiling, looked herself over.
“Oh, all this? Well, since the princesses went missing, I decided to find anypony that hadn’t yet got to Canterlot and lead them there. It doesn’t leave me much time to eat or sleep I’m afraid. The last few runs, I’ve gone about,” she paused to think, “roughly six weeks without eating or sleeping.” she finished, her smile now seeming strained, as if mentioning how long she had gone without eating or sleeping made it finally catch up to her physically.
Rarity looked around, her eyes focusing on anything that might have some food she could make Rainbow Dash eat. She came to see an old cart which had just one apple on it, and this she levitated towards Rainbow Dash with magic.
“You simply must eat Rainbow Dash, it isn’t good to not eat for so long.” Rarity stated, as the apple reached Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash stared at the apple, as more of the lack of eating and sleeping washed over her. It became a fight to stay up, and she slumped to the ground. Rarity dropped the apple and helped Rainbow up.
“Rarity, you go to Canterlot, the others will want to see you again. Just leave the apple nearby, I’ll try to take a bite and get some sleep.” Rainbow Dash said, a new effort at smiling failed.
“I won’t leave you Rainbow Dash, here,” Rarity picked the apple up again, holding it near Rainbow Dash’s mouth. Rainbow took a tiny bite of the apple, eventually finishing it after several minutes. “Feeling better?” Rarity asked.
“I forgot what it was like to have any food in my stomach. But now, you can go ahead to Canterlot, I’ll catch up, I promise.” Rainbow Dash couldn’t smile with how weak eating had made her.
Rarity glanced momentarily towards Canterlot, then back to Rainbow Dash. She formed a plan in her mind, and smiled. Unable to protest, Rainbow Dash only stared as her view on the world from the ground changed to looking down at the ground.
“If you must rest, do so. I’ll help you get to Canterlot, so we can both arrive at the same time.” Rarity smiled.
“You’re way too generous, Rarity. Generosity isn’t something that exists anymore...” Rainbow Dash mumbled, falling asleep as Rarity begun to walk. If Rarity had been looking back, she would have seen a single tear drop fall from Rainbow’s closed eyes, and on to the ground below.
--
Rarity soon arrived to the other side of Ponyville, or what was left. Most of the buildings that had been in the town had been pulled down, the materials that made them were no longer anywhere near. Rarity stopped at the path, and looked across the valley to Canterlot.
She hadn’t really looked at Canterlot during the time she had been outside of her shop, but she paused now to take a better look. While for the most part it looked the same, the walls were no longer white, having gathered dirt and dust off the winds. The elaborate gold edging to buildings had clearly been taken off, but it didn’t look abandoned, Canterlot was well lit. In way, Rarity thought, it looked like a shining gem against the grey dull light and crimson sky.
Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, and looked back to Rainbow Dash, who was still on her back.
“Rainbow Dash, we’re at the path to Canterlot, do you want to walk now?” she asked.
Her question was met by silence from Rainbow Dash, who still looked like she was asleep. Rarity narrowed her eyes slightly.
“Rainbow Dash, wake up, I asked you a question.” Rarity said, shifting her body slightly.
Again, this was met by silence. Rarity’s eyes widened, and she lowered Rainbow Dash to the ground. Gently, she pressed a hoof to Rainbow’s neck and waited, almost bursting into tears a few seconds later.
“Oh no, Rainbow Dash...” she muttered sadly.
Rarity sat down, looking at the body of Rainbow Dash, tears welling in her eyes. She held back for only a few seconds, before she began sobbing.
--
Rarity hated dirt. She couldn’t stand the stuff. It wasn’t beautiful like the gems she adored so much, which was why she was so glad when Spike offered to help her on her trips to collect more, he could dig them up, while she stayed clean. And all Spike had ever asked was for a few to eat.
But she didn’t have Spike to help dig then. She sighed at the thought of how horrible and messy she looked, but still pulled herself out of the hole. A few feet away were several smaller holes, which Rarity too had dug. She stood back and looked at her work.
The hole she had just climbed out of was large, large enough that she could fit in it laying down if she wished. Beside this was a simple rock and several gems, and next to them lay the body of Rainbow Dash.
Rarity tried not to cry at the sight of Rainbow Dash. She knew Rainbow was dead, but to look at the frail, and malnourished pegasis, it simply looked like she was sleeping. Using her magic, she took a gem, and forced it into the rock. This was soon joined by a few others, and writing, which simply read; ‘Here lies Rainbow Dash, may the skies be blue and warm where you are now.’
Rarity closed her eyes for the next bit, as she levitated Rainbow Dash’s body off the ground and into the grave she had made. The body of Rainbow Dash was soon joined by the remaining gems. Rarity stood at the edge of the grave, smiling down at the body of Rainbow Dash, as she begun to cry. Rarity had placed six coloured gems to join her friend’s body, a topaz and ruby on her wings, an amethyst on her head, an orange sapphire and a diamond on her legs, and a sapphire over her heart.
Rarity spent a moment casting a spell to ensure all the gems would stay with Rainbow Dash, including those on the tombstone, than fall victim to anypony digging up the grave. Then finally, she reached the moment she had been dreading, placing the dirt back and over Rainbow’s body. She took a few minutes to begin, realising that it was an ending. Once covered up, Rainbow Dash would never be seen again. Each small pile of dirt that landed in the grave stung at Rarity.
After half an hour that dragged for too long for Rarity, the grave was filled up, the quickly made, gem encrusted tombstone was the only marker that her friend was even in the ground. Rarity sat down, and begun to cry uncontrollably, which she had fought so hard to not do for so long. She only stopped when the sky over the grave became darker, and what she saw in the sky only served to help her cry harder.
The wind had blown Rainbow Dash’s home, though mostly destroyed by rough winds, over her own grave, and then seemed to keep it there.
--
One hour later, Rarity stood up, once more on the path to Canterlot. She took a deep breath, and looked back at the grave. She wasn’t willing to walk away, Rainbow Dash had always been very loyal, and to walk away felt like it was betraying her. Rarity jumped when somepony coughed beside her.
“Maybe I could help?” Ulysses asked, his smile tried to be reassuring, but Rarity felt otherwise when looking at his eyes. She simply shook this feeling, blaming her distrust in Ulysses as needing to pin the death of Rainbow Dash on.
“Tell me that leaving her and her grave isn’t abandoning her.” Rarity begged.
Ulysses looked at the grave, and seemed to admire what Rarity had done for her friend.
“Before I do, I must say, I admire how you overcame your hatred of dirt to bury her,” Ulysses said, “now, if you stay any longer, her efforts to get you to Canterlot will have been in vain. So will you stay? Or go?” He asked.
Rarity sighed. She had asked Ulysses to be supporting in making her go, but he didn’t sugar coat things. His question had simply been full on slaps to the face. He was right, of course, Rainbow Dash had died to get Rarity heading towards Canterlot, and staying there forever, watching over her grave, would have made her efforts been worthless.
Rarity glanced at Ulysses, who simply looked down like an angry parent or teacher. With another deep breath, Rarity raised her head, and begun the long walk to Canterlot.
Ulysses once again turned to face the grave of Rainbow Dash. His horn glowed as he looked at the slightly disturbed soil that was the only indication of the grave beside the rock which stated it was. He laughed once, turning just his head to look at Rarity.
“Should have guessed you’d pay attention to a detail no one would see. But how much longer will you last in a future where generosity is a thing of the past?” he questioned, before disappearing once more into the air.
--
In the unnatural dim light of the ‘day-night’, it was very easy to lose track of time. Since the sun and moon never moved, hours could pass and be missed. This is what happened to Rarity, as she travelled along the path to Canterlot. She could no longer remember how long it had been since she had left the grave she had made for Rainbow Dash, which was a thought that occupied her mind.
The path led her now to a quiet grove, the trees devoid of leaves and looking very dead. It stood out to Rarity, as it appeared somepony was maintaining it, despite how hopeless the effort seemed. From somewhere within, a weak, but cheerful humming could be heard, and drew Rarity in.
The grove from within it looked just as dead as it had from the path, but whoever was here seemed to keep a sense of how it should look. In the trees were freshly made birds nests, despite the fact Rarity had seen no birds since she left her shop. Near a tree which overlooked the way to Canterlot stood a simple stone, which was otherwise the only thing that seemed out of place to Rarity.
Rarity stood and listened, as the humming drew closer. On the opposite side of the grove, a yellow pegasus appeared, looking slightly dirty, she carried wilted flowers in her mouth. Behind her appeared an orange earth pony, blonde mane tied back, and a hat on her head. Both froze when they saw her.
“Rarity? Is it really you?” Fluttershy asked, dropping the flowers to the ground.
“I’m sorry Fluttershy, I didn’t know six years would pass.” Rarity apologised, hoping that doing so would make things better.
“Now Rarity, ya don’t need t’ be apologising fer nothin’. Weren’t your fault that portal sent you forward in time.” Applejack stated, smiling.
Rarity observed her friends closer, as they drew near. Fluttershy looked better than Applejack, as Applejack looked as thin as Rainbow Dash had. But they both appeared well rested, and somewhat happy.
“So, what are you two doing here? And where is Twilight and Pinkie Pie?” Rarity questioned, happy to see her other friends were doing better.
Fluttershy and Applejack glanced at each other, looking uneasy.
“Sit down, sugarcube, it’s a long story. And it ain’t a happy one.” Applejack stated.