//------------------------------// // Rarity's Reveire part three // Story: Ruining Harmony // by Artaelian //------------------------------// The three friends sat in a triangle shape in the middle of the grove. Applejack tried to stifle a yawn and looked at Fluttershy, as the two silently tried to decide who would talk first. Eventually, Fluttershy nodded and started. “Well, um, you see, we were expecting Rainbow Dash to return from another trip to look for other ponies. So we went out looking for her, to make her eat and rest.” “I saw her,” said Rarity, “I don’t know how long ago. This… this ‘day-night’ thing has made me lose track of time.” Both Applejack and Fluttershy looked happy at the news, oblivious to Rarity’s lack of enthusiasm on giving the news. “Great!” Applejack beamed excitedly. “Which way is she? We can all go get her and head to Canterlot!” “Um,” Rarity looked at the ground, “how to put this. I… I carried her on my back for a while, after helping her eat an apple. She was so weak, and, I guess I turned up too late. I’m sorry… she passed away…” Rarity’s voice grew quieter as she explained. Both mares’ smiles faded into a heartbroken frown. In a second, Fluttershy was crying against Applejack’s coat. “Ah guess the answer to your second question is in order,” Applejack muttered dejectedly, after about a minute. “Twilight is at Canterlot, but Pinkie Pie joined us to look for Rainbow. We were running low on food, so we tried to reduce what we ate. Before we knew it, Pinkie was very weak.” Applejack sighed and paused for a couple seconds. “She begun laughing. Ya know, her prank laughter?” Rarity nodded. “That. Well. Then she and told us she had stopped eating so me and ‘Shy could last longer. She died. Here, in this grove.” Applejack pointed at the simple rock Rarity had seen before when entering the grove, “that’s her grave.” Fluttershy only stopped crying long enough to look at Applejack, her face concerned. “Applejack, you’ve not eaten for a few days now. You better eat something.” Fluttershy said. “It don’t matter now ‘shy. There ain’t no more food. Besides, ah,” Applejack stopped a moment, dropping slightly, “ah think, its too late… everything is getting dark.” Rarity tried to close her eyes, as Fluttershy begun wailing. Right in front of them, Applejack passed away, faster than she had assumed it would have taken. Rarity sat there, her eyes closed, as she begun to cry along with Fluttershy. -- Rarity was muddy again. She still hated it, and would have had Fluttershy help dig the grave. But even being able to look at Applejack’s body made Fluttershy cry and collapse to the ground. Rarity instead had her go and look for some more flowers instead, while she did the task. Fluttershy returned when Rarity had just finished with the stone that marked Applejack’s grave. Without speaking, Rarity walked to Pinkie Pie’s grave, giving Fluttershy a chance to read what was on the stone by Applejack’s grave. “Here lies Applejack. Strong to the end, and always in our memories,” Fluttershy muttered to herself, “I think she would have liked it, even if she wouldn’t admit to it.” Rarity didn’t say anything, as she begun using her magic to carve words on the stone at the head of Pinkie Pie’s grave. The words read; ‘Here lies Pinkie Pie, our laughter is gone from this world, but may you be there to bring us smiles when we follow you.’ “Fluttershy, do you want to spend a little while here before we go to Canterlot?” Rarity asked, looking at her friend. Fluttershy didn’t move from where she stood, looking at the grave of Applejack, though she shook, signifying that she was crying. Slowly, Fluttershy turned her head to look at Rarity. “You can go. I’ll.. stay here... with them.” Fluttershy said softly, tears running down her face. “You can’t Fluttershy! We must get to Canterlot, where its safe.” Rarity protested. “I’ll be fine Rarity. I can live off the land and watch over them.” Fluttershy looked away. “Just, come check on me every so often. If I’ve... joined them, be sure to give me a nice spot to lay.” “But Fluttershy...” “Please, Rarity,” she pledged, sitting down, “do this for me. Go to Canterlot, I’ll be ok.” Fluttershy had clearly made her mind up, and there was no way Rarity could change her mind once she had decided to stick to what she had determined to do. With a sigh and a sorrowful look, Rarity walked to Fluttershy’s side. “I’ll make sure that you get food sent to you, as long as you wish to stay here.” she said to Fluttershy. Fluttershy didn’t look at Rarity as she left the grove, tears still flowing down her face. Fluttershy stood for a while in the grove, her crying eventually stopping. On the wind, she listened to a voice. ‘You couldn’t bear to tell her the truth. It’s what Applejack would have done.’ “I couldn’t tell her. If I did, she’d know the real reason none of us were at Canterlot, and why Rainbow Dash was looking for anypony to send there.” Fluttershy replied to it. ‘You still hope that things will change? They won’t, Fluttershy. The world will never be what it once was. What I am doing, it is for our own survival. You, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, you all chose to go into the wild, risking death. At least I offered safety.’ the voice taunted. “That’s no survival…” she said, trying to reason with the voice, but without the energy to do so. “That’s only a slow death to everypony. I… didn’t have the heart to tell her that soon I’ll be dead as well.” Fluttershy stated. The voice mused for a moment, laughing as it repeated the words. ‘If you return with her, I can bring them back. Don’t you want us all to be together? To use the elements of harmony and fix all of this?.’ Fluttershy bit her lip, her eyes darted between Applejack’s grave and Pinkie Pie’s grave. She sighed. “Maybe…” she mused, “but… Look at her. So full of life and energy, just like we all were six years ago,” she smiled at the memory. “I’d just… hinder her. And then she’d have to stop and bury me.” Fluttershy lied down. “I’d just rather be alone when my time comes.” ‘As you wish. Farewell Fluttershy.’ the voice whispered, and ceased to speak, taking the wind with it. -- Away from Fluttershy and Rarity, the Canterlot Palace throne room had a much darker tone to it now. Whereas Princess Celestia kept it bright and open, the current inhabitant liked the darker colours, and the feeling of a closed space. Banners lined the walls which held six dark colours, purple, navy, grey, dirty yellow, dirty orange and a dirty pink. Similarly, the walls had been covered over in a deep rich purple, and the carpet that lined towards the throne was a crimson with gold thread pattern. The new inhabitant of the throne room was clearly a mare, her crown a mix of the ones once worn by Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, as was the neck piece and ornate shoes. She sat in silence, the conversation with Fluttershy in her mind still. Could things be changed? Was travelling back and preventing the Princesses from disappearing even possible? “We shall soon find out, won’t we Rarity?” she said, her eyes fixed on the doors to the throne room. -- Rarity now stood at the gates to Canterlot, and a shiver went down her spine. After witnessing all these deaths of her friends, Rarity dreaded finding Twilight. What state was she in? And what about other survivors? She knocked at the gates, and waited. From behind them, she could clearly hear the guards debating and arguing, but for the most part, it was muffled. When everything went quiet behind the gates, it didn’t take much longer for them to open. The ponies beyond the gate only stared at her, as from the castle itself, a very familiar purple and green dragon, much larger than she remembered, walked over. “Hi Rarity,” said the deep voice Spike now had. “It’s been a while,” he stated, after lingering for a few seconds. His head now looked more like a regular dragons, and his body had begun to change to fit the typical vision of a dragon. He didn’t look all that healthy, but definitely much better than her pony friends. “You, Spike. You look so different… I’d love to catch up with you,” she looked at the other ponies, who still stared at her, their looks a mix of fear and wonder, “but, right now, may I be taken to Twilight? I’d be glad to see her too.” Rarity smiled. Spike seemed to formulate a reply, but said nothing. He nodded, turning to face the castle again. He waited until Rarity was beside him, and looked at the ponies, who begun to close the gates. Smiling at Rarity, Spike led her into the castle.