The stars shone brilliantly that night, like thousands of tiny, immaculate gems upon a sea of velvet darkness. They twinkled in greeting to one another and to the ponies down below, who watched in curiosity, wonder, or even sorrow. As the moon gracefully rose to its celestial throne in the middle of the night sky, the stars around it would vanish in deference to its pale majesty.
Occasionally, a trail of light would flash and streak across the night sky, burning in glory for only a few scant seconds before becoming nothing more than a memory. In many ways, the shooting star was like the life of a pony: short, but wonderful to behold. Naturally, it was every pony’s hope that theirs would be a life worth remembering, seeking immortality through the minds and hearts of their fellow equines rather than chase the impossible.
A sigh passed my lips as I continued to stare into the ancient sky. ‘The impossible’ was something I was coming to find more often than not in my line of work. My muse had always been fickle at the best of times: and it had chosen to betray me once more. I simply could not feel that spark; I could not sense the wardrobe hidden away in a pony’s heart, born from their inner beauty.
That brought me here to my little stargazing session. It was my hope that a cosmic display would spur my muse into action and allow me to actually work as the deadline loomed overhead. The fact that it was not working simply frustrated me even more. What would it take to produce another work of art fit to bear the name of Rarity?
A sudden sharp shooting pain in my neck forced me to bring my head down, and try to find some inspiration a little closer to home, perhaps in the grass. While I loved Princess Luna’s work as much as the next pony, it simply did not yield anything. A rather unladylike groan rumbled in my throat as I tilted my head side-to-side in an effort to be rid of the annoying sensation.
The chill of the night breeze played across my coat and nearly blew my tail into the dirt from the pillow on which I sat. Frustration continued to build up as I sat there in silence. I knew that I could not kick my muse in its rump, but I had tried practically everything else to make it create. I wondered if I should head back to my bed: perhaps sleep would bring the inspiration that I sought?
Seeing no better alternative, I stood and stowed my pillow into my saddle bags. A good rest would do more for my creativity than staring into the sky all night. From my spot at the top of the hill, I could see my house and a thin, scarcely used trail that extended from town out into the Everfree forest. As I began my walk home, I could not help but notice a pony emerge from between the buildings and walk out into the field.
It had to be at least eleven at night, so it was not unnatural for me to be just a little bit curious. I was the only other pony out that late, but I had told no one I would be out there, as it was sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision. So, I did the only thing a sensible mare could do: I followed.
First, I walked down the hill from the opposite side, in case I had been spotted before I walked around the base. By the time I was behind the pony, they were already at the edge of the forest. Perfect! They haven’t seen me, I thought as they passed the shrubbery at the edge of the woods. The thought of going into the Everfree, especially at night, scared me, but I knew that my curiosity would not let go until I knew who it was.
My heart began to beat hard in my chest, making my ears throb with it. I pushed on, for I could see the rustle of leaves ahead of me, but I kept my distance for fear of being spotted. Daring to venture close, I could see a tail of slate blue with a streak of pink and purple. There was only one pony in town with a tail like that. “What is Twilight doing out HERE this late at night?” I asked myself in a whisper.
Normally, I would have let this go, but it was my friend out in the Everfree Forest in the middle of the night! What was I to do? Let her go on unescorted, albeit secretly? So I continued to follow her in deeper into the woods. I noticed that her saddle bags bulged with unknown contents, deepening the mystery further.
Eventually, she came to a stop in a clearing and began looking around. I had to jump off the path and into a bush in order to avoid being seen: the sacrifices I make for my friends! She did not seem to notice; or at least, she did not let on that she knew. Her ruby magic glimmered in the low light as she lifted her bags off of her back and pulled out a mass of darkness. The way it flowed told my expert eyes that I was looking at a bundle of fabric, possibly a dense polyester blend.
Giving it a tug with her magic, I could see that it was some sort of hooded cloak that covered her body and obscured her face from view. I felt a tickle of magic in my horn, which told me that the woven material was imbued with a spell. Before I could ponder this further, she was off, leaving her bags behind in a bush. I pulled myself out from behind my own bush and continued my pursuit.
We continued down the narrow path at a faster clip, since she obviously was confident she had not gained any pursuers. What are you up to, Twilight Sparkle? I thought as we ventured deeper into the forbidden woods. The howl of a distant Timber Wolf caused the hairs on my back to rise with fright. Whatever she was out there for, I hoped that she would turn around and go home before long.
Thankfully, an unnatural shape presented itself through the thicket: a wooded, dilapidated and GROTESQUE little shed that was an affront to sheds everywhere. Moss grew in thick patches where vines and other wildflowers could not grow on the smelly, rotten wood that assaulted my nose from even a hundred yards away! I wanted to use my magic to plug my nose: but the arcane scholar would sense it right away, and I would have a lot of awkward explaining to do.
She picked up her front hoof and knocked on the door, before muttering in a tongue that I had never heard before in my life. A small panel in the door slid open, showing nothing but blackness deeper than the already dark forest floor. I could hear it slide back into place before it opened to let Twilight through. “This doesn’t make any sense,” I whispered. “What does this all MEAN!?” However, I became distracted as the howl of another Timber Wolf, this time closer, inspired me... to get out of there lest I become its dinner. Some mysteries could wait until day break, after all!
***
In my experience, it never does any good to march right up to a pony and ask questions about a juicy piece of gossip. Besides, as a lady, I possessed far more class and sophistication than to stoop to such brazen tactics. So, I decided to let the issue simmer for a few days and make subtle notes on Twilight Sparkle’s behaviour as she went about her daily routine. I am not saying that I followed her of course. It only seemed like such to the bourgeoisie.
After a relaxing morning bath, I decided that I simply needed answers. I closed up my shop and walked down the street towards the library, mentally running over my plan of action. Naturally, since it was my plan, and since my target could be quite naïve, I was assured that it would be a success after just a single review. Yet, I could not help but feel a sense of foreboding in my chest as I gaited ever closer to the hollowed out tree.
Of course, the uncomfortable feeling could have come from the idea that I had no clue how she would react to the fact that I followed her. As bookish and sheltered as the mare was, she still had a temper and enough magical power to destroy the whole town if she so wished! I shook my head and quietly laughed at myself as I drew close to the door. This was Twilight Sparkle we were talking about here. The mare would feel guilty over zapping a fly with her magic!
Keeping that thought at the forefront of my mind, I raised my hoof to the door before I thought better of it. Even though it was her home, she did get a little testy when ponies would knock before entering during library hours: something about disturbing potential visitors. So, I used my magic to open the door and casually walked inside to find, naturally enough, a lone baby dragon dusting shelves.
“Just a minute!” he called, obviously not having seen me. He slid down the ladder he was standing on while I shut the door behind me and ventured into the room. “R-Rarity!” he added. I looked at him and smiled, causing a light blush to develop despite his dazzling little scales.
“Spike, darling, would you happen to know where Twilight is? I would like to have a word with her about... well, girl stuff,” I spoke. Hopefully that would reduce the chances of him eavesdropping. The poor little thing was absolutely smitten with me, not that I disapproved of his good taste.
“Oh, yeah, she’s right upstairs doing some reading. Do you want me to get her down for you?”
“No, thank you. I just came in for a quick word.” At least, I hoped that it would be a quick word.
“Okay,” he said before shouting up the stairs. “Twilight! Rarity’s here to see you!” I quickly thanked him again and made my way up the rather cramped set of stairs. The scent of wood filled my nostrils as I climbed, the light from a single window right at the landing allowing me to see where I was going. My breathing became a little shallow in apprehension before I banished the shades of doubt once more. I had lost some of my beauty sleep over her late night escapade, and I only wanted to know if everything was all right.
I drew my hoof up to her bedroom door and knocked, resolve filling the place where doubt had once dwelled. “Come on in, Rarity,” the voice of my friend beckoned. I strode into her room, all thoughts of confronting her about the midnight walk vanishing from my mind as I beheld a ghastly sight! Books and pieces of parchment littered the floor as if a small tornado had torn through the room, dust tickling my nose and making my eyes water.
“Twilight Sparkle!” I cried out in disgust. “I thought librarians were supposed to be cleaner than this! I say, if I walked into this downstairs, I would be positively affright! You’d better be in the middle of cleaning this ghastly mess, or we are going to have words!” A light blush developed on her cheeks and she broke eye contact with me. I had made my stance on mess and grime quite clear to her in the past, so she better have been embarrassed!
“Oh, you know how it is. I find an obscure reference to a spell, and I can’t rest until I’ve studied every facet of it and tried it for myself, power and circumstance permitting of course,” she explained. “This time I found a theory on crystal resonance when affected by waves of matter such as light or sound, and I wanted to see if the same principle is applicable to magic. So, I started pulling books off of the shelves to see if I could cross-reference my intuition...”
Her words drifted in one ear and out the other. While I was not a foal when it came to magic, such technical descriptions were like Pinkie’s ramblings to me sometimes. I shook my head to clear it as the purple mare walked over to the bookshelves, continuing her academic ramblings unabated. I knew that she would not hear me, so I let her continue for a while. However, after about ten minutes, I lost my patience.
“Twilight, darling, I did come here with something in mind and I don’t exactly have all day.”
“Oh,” she said looking back at me with a slight blush on her purple cheeks. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I didn’t realize that I was talking so much. So, what is it you came to talk to me about?”
I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve. I had my wavering doubts that I was fretting over nothing and that Twilight would never do anything too dangerous, but that curious mind of hers seemed to attract no end of trouble. Perhaps I am being a bit too rash, my subconscious spoke. No! No. We have to bring this up. She could be in trouble and as her friend it is our duty to stick our nose into it. “Twilight...” I began, “I saw you out a few nights ago heading into.... the Everfree Forest and I may have, keep in mind that I was concerned, followed you to some decrepit shack.”
My gaze was met by a blank look of sheer horror, almost as if I had walked in on her and a stallion at a rather awkward time. It was a look I had, unfortunately, become all too used to in my years knowing her. Knowing how long it would take her to snap out of it, I walked over and gave her a gentle shove in the shoulder with my hoof. “Twilight, are you okay?”
“Ahh!” She shouted, as if I had touched her with a cattle prod. “R-Rarity... you... you FOLLOWED ME!?” There were tears building up in her eyes; obviously, I had stumbled onto something rather important. This only made me even more suspicious. “How could you!? I mean... I appreciate that you were probably concerned, but I know what I am doing and... and frankly, it’s none of your business!”
To say that I was taken aback was almost like saying that Diamond Dogs smell nice: for the record, they do not. “But darling, you could have been hurt! I was only trying to-”
“You were sticking your muzzle where it doesn’t belong! Just forget anything ever happened; it was a one-time thing, I swear to Celestia!”
Okay, now I had to know what was going on in that shed of hers! “Oh, but you misunderstand me, Twilight. I’m not here to tell you to stop. Far from it: I want in!” That seemed to knock her for a loop, as her eyes widened and she took a step back. I could tell that mind of hers was reeling and she was trying to figure something out on the fly. Her left eye always twitched like that when she was nervous or knocked for a loop.
“I... I’m not sure if I can. I mean... well... I just... I’m not exactly alone out there, so it’s not like I am in any DANGER, but...” Despite the fact that she probably knew my arsenal as well as, say, Applejack, I still gave it my best shot: batting my eyelashes and giving her the most pitiable look that I could. Twilight bit her lower lip and backed herself in a corner. I just had to keep it up and the mental battle would be over! “Okay, okay!” she relented. “No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.” A sigh passed her lips, admitting defeat.
“Splendid!” I cheered in victory. “I just want to make sure that you are okay, Twilight. I am your friend after all.” And if somepony is hurting you, I want to buck them from here to Tartarus! She nodded her head in reply and smiled at me.
“Of course, Rarity.”
“Well then, I shall see you around!” With that, I left her to her thoughts, not knowing just what I was in for.
***
A few weeks passed, I cannot recall exactly how many, since that day. Life returned to normal; my muse came back to me and let me finish my project, in between the dozen or so crises that made Ponyville anything but a boring little town. So, I had forgotten all about Twilight’s little midnight adventure into the Everfree Forest, and returned to cultivating interests in other areas.
It was a bit chilly that night, and I was exhausted from a hard day of work, but I decided to run myself a long, hot bubble bath to release the tension in my muscles. The scent of my favourite strawberry scented bath soap filled the air with the steam that gently rose from the water’s surface. Slipping in was like being wrapped in a blanket of pure warmth, a drawn-out happy sigh expressing my delight.
Settling into the tub, I brought over one of my favourite books to help me relax even further. It was a harrowing tale of adventure, intrigue, and romance. My thoughts quickly became lost, throwing me into the midst of a story-fueled fantasy. I was on the cold, metal decks of a spaceship as it raced between the stars themselves, locked in the warm embrace of a mysterious stallion who I knew to be my one true love!
However, it was not to last, as a sharp knock from downstairs brought me back to Equestria. I sat in silence for a moment, straining my ears to make sure that it was not something falling over. When the knock came again, I groaned in frustration and pulled myself out of the tub; obviously, some ponies did not get the hint that I was closed! I put on my white bathrobe and let the water sit, for I was sure that I would be right back after giving the rapscallion a piece of my mind.
The knocking continued even as I trotted down the stairs and over to the front door, putting on my best ‘I’m irritated, leave me alone’ face. I pulled open the door a little harder than I intended only to find a purple mare on the other side with a look of confusion on her face. “Oh,” she spoke as the confusion fled. “Sorry, Rarity, I didn’t know that you were in the middle of a bath. I can come back another time.”
“Well, if it were not for the bath, I would have turned in already. It is no trouble, Twilight. Please, come in and tell me what has brought you here at this time of night.” I stood to the side to let her in, but the mare did not budge, opening one of her overstuffed saddlebags with her magic instead.
“Rarity, are you still interested in what I was doing out in the woods a couple of weeks ago?” she asked me with what I imagined to be a shade of trepidation. “I mean, it’s fine if you’ve lost interest in my... er social club. Just please, keep it to yourself, okay? I’ve been doing it since I’ve moved here to Ponyville, and nothing bad has ever happened because of it.”
“Of course, I am still interested, darling!” Her face seemed to droop a little, deepening the mystery.
“Okay, I um... sure. Well... put this on and we’ll... get going, I guess” she smiled back to me, although it seemed a bit strained. Using her magic, she pulled out a simple black cloak and floated it over for me to take in my own.
“What, we’re going now!? But, I have just been in the bath, Twilight! I need to comb my mane and dry off first!”
“Well, if you don’t want to come, then that is fine. I’ll just tell them that you are not interested. But, if you are coming than we have to leave right now. If we don’t hurry we’re going to be...” she gulped a little. “Tardy!” I bit my lip as her pupils shrank at the very mention of that word. Twilight and ‘tardy’ was a more dangerous mix than a lime green saddle on anything but a lime green pony. A shiver ran up my spine as I remembered the infamous catastrophe with that silly little enchanted doll.
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” I smiled despite myself. Although she insisted that I wait until we entered the wood, I would rather die than be caught strutting around town with a wet mane, so I put the robe on right at the door. After making sure the store was closed up tight, we made our way into the forest at a rather smart pace. Although still lethargic from my soothing bath, I did not dare fall too far behind, lest I become the reason she arrived late.
We walked upon the same little trail I followed her on that night, remarking to myself how much easier this was in contrast to sneaking from bush to bush and messing up my coat on leaves and branches. In no time at all, we were in the clearing where Twilight tossed aside her saddle bags and put on her set of robes before we continued deeper into the forest.
“Listen closely,” she spoke in a deeper tone that carried more authority. “From this point on, we have to adapt code names. For now, you are called ‘Pledge,’ while I am ‘Sister Star’ to maintain anonymity. Code names are merely a club tradition that dates back to the beginning of the Pre-classical Era when such pseudonyms were common in society. Other than that, you are not to speak unless spoken to and try to keep close to me, okay?”
“Of course, Twil--- ‘Sister Star’” I corrected myself. What kind of a club wore cloaks, held meetings in forests in the middle of the night, and used such levels of secrecy? My subconscious immediately screamed ‘cult’ and my conscious mind was quite happy to listen to it. How could Twilight Sparkle, the mare who worshiped Celestia as a god, get tangled up with a group of possible miscreants? Well, if they were causing trouble, my new authority to send letters directly to the solar monarch would come quite in handy.
By the time my plan of action was complete, we were already upon the dilapidated little shack. Twilight put her hoof to the door and knocked in a specific rhythm and pattern, followed by words in a tongue that I could not even begin to try spelling. It sounded like the sort of noise an injured pony would make when doing their best not to scream profanities at the top of their lungs.
Like last time, the little slot in the door opened to reveal naught but blackness beyond before shutting as soon as it had opened. The wooden door creaked and groaned on rusted hinges as it swung forward, the shrouded mare stepping inside quickly. I hesitated only for a moment before I noticed that the door was closing rather fast and galloped through in a mild panic.
There was no pony minding the door when I looked back and the only thing in the tiny, pitch black shed that I could see was a glowing circle in the middle. It was about a pony length in diameter, and it glowed blue from the magic of the runes etched into the rotting floor. I may not have known runes as well as Twilight, but I could tell that these ones were unlike any I had even seen before. Normally, runes were delicate and flowing symbols, but these jutted at hard angles and were extremely blocky in appearance.
Before I could take note of them, my friend stepped onto them and vanished in a quick pillar of light, leaving behind pinpricks of blue magic in the air before they faded away. I took a deep breath and steeled myself, even as the images of brutish rituals played out in my head. Still, I needed to be sure that they were dangerous and that Twilight was in trouble. I cantered into the circle with all the willpower I could muster.
A brilliant flash of light sparked the very moment my body was in the circle, making me weld my eyes shut as I felt the teleportation spell carry me through space to another point. I only opened my eyes when the tingling of magic across my body subsided. Out of instinct, I took a couple of strides forward as I tried to evaluate where I had been taken to.
I was obviously underground, as I could see steaming breath escape my muzzle in the damp coolness of the groundwater that seeped in past the grey stone bricks. Four candelabras stood in the corners of the square room, the flickering lights illuminating two black shapes in front of me. One of them, off to the side had to be Twilight, while the other pony was a complete mystery.
“Sister Star tells me that you wish to know more about our family,” the mysterious pony said; obviously a stallion, but I could not tell who he really was. This would make things difficult if I wanted to report them. I nodded my head in hopes that he would see the gesture. “Very well, but I must warn you that it is a bit of a lengthy tale. We could be here for a quite a while.”
“I don’t mind,” I answered, surprised to find that I could hear the modulation spell change my voice.
He nodded back. “An admirable quality in a pledge. A long, long time ago...”
** ~ **
A long, long time ago, before the magical land known as Equestria, there was a deep and dark forest that stretched as far as the eyes could see. It was a place of great danger and darkness, but also filled with life and opportunity. As fate would have it, two earth pony villages, their names lost to the sands of time, relied on trade with each other and had to travel through the forest.
One day, three friends were walking in the woods, carrying a cart of goods from one town to the next. There was always safety in numbers, and every week, they would accompany their friend to the other town and back through a shallow and relatively safe portion of the wood. It was about a day’s trot in both directions, so the normally busy stallions used it as a bonding opportunity.
However, that day they found their routine broken by an unexpected turn of events. On the side of the road, the one friend heard the sound of a whimper over the groan of his cart’s wooden wheels upon the dirt. He paused and spoke to his companions, “Did you hear that?” They strained their ears, yet they could not hear anything apart from gentle birdsong
“Are you sure you heard something?” the eldest of the group asked.
“Yes, I’m sure,” the merchant replied, unhitching himself from his cart. “It was here, just beyond the road.”
“Wait! It could be a beasts’ trap!” the youngest of the group warned. But when the merchant left them, the two followed their stubborn friend off the path anyway. A few dozen yards off into the bush, they paused as the thick undergrowth opened up to a small clearing. In the middle of it, there was a strange creature of shadows lying in a heap.
The ponies sought to flee upon first sighting the creature: however, it called out in a stallion’s voice. “Help!” it pleaded. “I eat no flesh! I mean you no harm! Please, I am in need of aid!” The merchant, being kind of heart, paused mid-flight and looked back at the black beast. He could see no teeth in his maw, or malice in its strange blue eyes.
So, he approached the creature. “Strange creature,” he spoke. “What has happened to you, and how may I help you?” His friends whispered to him from beyond the thicket to run away, for they still feared that which they did not know. However, he knew he was doing the right thing and continued.
“Fair pony,” the creature spoke. “You are far kinder than your companions. I realize that, to many creatures, I appear to be a demon. In truth, I am not a demon, but am barely a thing at all. I have made eyes to see and a mouth to speak, but have no belly to feed or lungs to breathe. I need one thing above all else so I may keep existing.”
“What is that?” the pony asked.
“In order to live, I need ponies to know that I exist. All I ask is for you and your friends to listen to a story. Once done, you will be on your way again.”
“Do not listen to it!” the younger pony urged, no longer hiding. “The creature is trying to trick you with kind words, or curse you with strange magics we know not!” The merchant thought about this, but the weakness he saw in the shadow was real: it could do him no harm.
So he turned to his friends and he spake, “If I find his trick, I shall run away with you two back to the village. If he blights me, surely our shaman may cure me. I shall trust him.” Having spoke, he turned back to the broken shadow and sat upon the grass. “Please, creature, tell me your story, while my friends keep watch. This forest is home to many dangerous beasts, after all.”
The creature wove his tale of how it was forged in the crucible of creation and saw the birth of planets and stars alike in the vast cosmos. The merchant hung upon its every word, finding new truths and lost tales. Even his friends, who were once wary of the strange creature, found themselves paying rapt attention to its stories.
However, the beast kept its word, and in less than one fourth of an hour, it had finished its tale. “Thank you so much for taking the time to listen. I can already feel strength coming back to me!” It stood upon four legs and smiled with new white teeth. “In thanks, allow me to give you all a gift: a sliver of my own power. With it, you will be able to do magic no other pony can cast: not even the unicorns.” The shadow then sliced itself into three parts, and one was given to each stallion, which made them to faint.
“I can do magic!” the eldest pony cried when he woke up. There was a black aura around his hoof and when he stomped it upon the ground, flowers and trees sprouted in the clearing. Indeed, all the friends had this magic. After trying it out for themselves, they quickly made their way to their destination so they could tell their other friends and family of the creature they had met in the woods.
In time, their families and those who believed them listened and gained their magic too: but they had to hide it for fear that the unicorn rulers would slay them. They kept to the shadows and practiced their arts under the cover of night, eventually bringing pegasi into their extended family, and then sympathetic unicorns once the nation of Equestria was founded.
Even then, they kept to the shadows when the alicorns Celestia and Luna took to the throne, for they feared they would judge their magic unnatural and evil, if they learned that it had come from a creature of shadows. In time, their descendants would learn that not only were they gifted with magic, but fortune too: the families of the original three ponies becoming the most wealthy and successful of them all.
** ~ **
My mind reeled as the pony’s tale came to an end, not because that the story itself was masterfully told, which it was not, but rather the implications of what this meant. Yes, I was a little suspicious of the fairy-tale nature of the story, and the whole idea that the ponies would not pull their friend back if they were so afraid. Not to mention that the creature itself rang alarm bells in my head. What did they mean that it was not actually a monster or other living being?
Although, when I was honest with myself, the idea of being granted good fortune and having access to a new and different area of magic was quite an exhilarating proposition. What kind of feats could I pull off with access to a vein of magic yet untapped by the general unicorn population? Could I use some of them in future dresses, and awe both the wearer and the people around them? The possibilities were endless!
“Come along, Pledge,” he spoke, breaking me out of my revery. “Now that you have been given the basics, you may sit in our meeting.” I smiled despite myself as the unknown pony and disguised Twilight opened a hidden door in the wall with a wave of dark magic coming from her horn and his hoof.
It was unlike any magic that I had ever felt before: cold, but full of life and untamed power at the same time. Was this magic the secret source of Twilight’s raw abilities, or just a complement to them? Then again, if the stories she told of how she met Princess Celestia were true, than it was probably just her. It was another mystery that I would figure out later, once I had found out if these ponies were malicious or not.
Passing through the door, I had expected dark, damp passages as gloomy and ugly as the chamber that I was teleported into. However, as soon as I stepped beyond the threshold, I gasped audibly. It was magnificent! A large, vaulted ceiling of granite hung overhead, dispersing the pressure of the ground above onto columns of chiseled bedrock which jutted out from walls of pure marble. Golden sconces shone with fairy light, giving the hall a bright mid-day glow, illuminating woven tapestries and fine paintings. The passageway had to be at least five pony lengths wide and maybe one hundred, or more, long!
Were my eyes being deceived by some cheap spell? I ran my hoof against one of the tapestries: pure Persian silk! Any pony in the fashion business (like moi) could tell that this was authentic just by touch. Perhaps this ‘luck’ and ‘good fortune’ stuff they mentioned was not all smoke and mirrors after all? I lost my enthusiasm once I passed a dark painting of a stallion in a similar garment to ours bleeding out on what appeared to be a battlefield while his comrades struggled to get to him: a simply ghastly scene.
At the end of the hall, beyond many doors leading into other rooms, there was a large set of doors that spanned the entire width of the corridor. They opened before the two ponies into a large yet homely room. It was like a concert hall: a wooden stage with red curtains at the front and a sloping floor lined with seats going up towards the only exit that I knew. About two dozen ponies were in attendance; a sea of black robes twisting and turning to look at us.
The stallion continued down the centre aisle while Twilight and I took seats towards the back of the hall. Although it was in a darker colour scheme of reds and purples, the room looked like it had the same intricate care and detail put into it as the passage that led inside. How had they built all of this, and how did they keep it a secret?
The houselights overhead dimmed as a series of spotlights on the flanking walls clicked into life, illuminating the stage so that the others would focus their attention on him. I, however, was busy looking around, trying to see if I could tell who I was sitting with.
“Good evening, brothers and sisters,” the stallion on the stage spoke with warmth.
“Good evening, Master Scroll,” all of the ponies except myself droned as a congregation.
“We have some exciting news that I would like to share with you tonight. As you might have guessed, there is a new pony among us. Will you please rise?” I eagerly sat up and approached the stage, thinking that from his vantage point, I might be able to get a better idea of who else was in the group for signs of any known troublemakers. I could feel their eyes on me as I ascended the stairs flanking the wooden platform and stood beside the leader. “This pony has expressed an interest in joining The Family. Please, give our new pledge a warm welcome!”
“Welcome, Pledge!” they chirruped in unison.
“Please, be seated.” I complied immediately, uncomfortable being singled out like that almost from the get-go. Although I was just another shrouded face in the crowd, they probably had ways to keep tabs on me. In fact, several kept looking at me, even as I settled back into the soft, velvet cushion the seat provided. “Now, as you all might have guessed, since we have a new pledge, our schedule for the next couple of months has changed.”
A collective groan filled the audience, causing hairs to stand on my back. What had they changed? Why did things need to be moved back on my account? Did it really take that much time to fill new members in on the culture of their little ‘social group’?
“Naturally, since the induction of a potential new member to our family requires guidance and education, Bingo has been moved back to next Saturday instead of this one.” Wait a minute. They played BINGO here!? What other games and activities did they do? A part of me told me that it had to be a ruse, or code for something more heinous, but I had to ignore it because I had missed something he said. There could be no mistakes here!
***
In the days following that meeting I was beset upon by a number of rather strange packages, none of which had return addresses or mailing addresses, but were stuffed into my mailbox regardless. Upon inspection and opening, I found them to be instructional material on their unique magical skills and a more in-depth history of Twilight’s little social club. Being Ponyville’s premier fashion designer, I had little time to rest; but when I did, I curled up with one of the books and read.
It was really quite interesting how things worked and I found myself more compelled to read on the further into it I got. Of course, I had my doubts that most of it was anything but superstition. That is, however, until the events of a very specific day. I had found myself with some free time, so I was in my room reading one of the books that Twilight (no pony else knew where I lived, after all) had delivered.
Like the others, it was a thick, weighty book bound in black faux leather with gold designs stitched onto it in a pattern that I knew was writing, but I could not read. Nevertheless, the inside was written in Equestrian, and what it had to tell was quite fascinating. There was one passage in particular that caught my eye, since according to the first meeting, it was on a ritual that was pushed back due to my recent entry.
“The Ritual of Regeneration,” the passage read, “is a ceremony in which one pony from each clan of The Family lays down all that they have been given for the good of their brothers and sisters. In doing so, the Offering Pony shall be granted eternal life when the Shadow returns from his realm in the void between stars. The other members of the clan partake of their offering and draw from it renewed strength, or in the case of new members, become a sliver of the Shadow’s powers for the first time.”
However, before I could read further, there was a pounding knock on the door that I did not recognize. It had to be a customer since my friends never bothered to knock during store hours, even when it looked like nopony was around. I put the book down and stowed it in my trunk under the bed before I got up and trotted quickly downstairs to greet my potential customer.
I cleared my throat and made sure my mane, tail and coat were up to my usual standards. Once assured that I was the epitome of beauty, I gently opened the door with my pale blue aura of magic. The door was unlocked, but they probably did not want to be rude when they saw nopony around. “Hello and welcome to Carousel Boutique where every---”
I suddenly found myself on the floor as a blur of blue and purple knocked into me, hurling me across the room and into a heap. Before I could complain about their barbaric manners, I was stunned by a familiar form and unique voice. “I, Photo Finish, have arrived!” I pulled myself up from off the floor with my eyes so wide that I could feel them straining to leave their sockets!
“I... but... you... why... what!?” I stammered in disbelief. Out of all the ponies to walk into my store, never before had I found myself in such a tizzy! This was the mare who once said that she was going to make me a star to shine all over Equestria, only for her to pick Fluttershy up as a new model! All at once, I wanted to be resentful, thankful, infuriated, and elated, hence leading to my inability to say anything.
“I know, I know, you have been ze stars-stuck, but I have come to expect it from ponies, liebling!”
“Wh... Why are you here?” I managed with a slight, un-ladylike squeak to my voice.
She did not answer immediately, choosing to trot around my store and give my display dresses a quick once-over. Those stupid, yet fashionable, goggles of hers could not stop me seeing the sparkle in a pony’s eyes when they find something just right. Her hoof gently caressed one of my finer dresses and the shadow of a smile graced her blue lips.
“Well, I vas in Canterlot vhen I walked into Hoity Toity’s place to find it swarmed with ponies! Naturally, I vanted to know vat ze commotion was, so I pulled him out and asked him. He said zat ze clothes flying off ze shelves vere YOURS and at first, I vas puzzled. But ZEN I remembered your name from Flootershy and ze rest clicked, leading me here!”
“You... Hoity Toity... FLYING off the shelves!?” I was stunned; no, I was flabbergasted! My mouth hung, striking me dumb. I knew that they were selling in his Best of the Best Boutique in Canterlot, but I could almost see the throngs of ponies clamouring for MY designs! In my mind, I was drooling at the idea of reaching the fashionista’s version of the Heavenly Plains.
“Yes, so I said to myself, ‘I MUST get some of her clothes for my models and myself to wear at ze upcoming Rouge International Fashion Expo!’” I had to stop myself from moaning in delight; RIFE, as it was called, was only the premier fashion show in the world! Industry leaders would meet, showcase their best designs, and endorse all of the up-and-coming trend setters. Even if they were not going to be displayed, if I did them well enough, I would become world famous!
It took all of my willpower not to faint in front of her.
“So, vat do you say? Can you make me and my models clothes that will make us ze talk of ze show?”
“YES! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!” I wanted to scream. However, I was a lady and I had more self restraint than that. “I would be simply delighted to accept this challenge, Miss Photo Finish! I shall not let you down!” Her face curled into a small smile, sending shivers of joy down my spine at her reaction. This was going to be big! I was going to be big!
“Wunderbar!” she smiled. “I shall send ze measurements and ze pictures as soon as possible. I am a very busy mare after all, so now... I go!” In her typical bizarre fashion, she sprinted out the door as fast as her hooves would carry her. I closed the door behind her and waited a few moments, just to be sure. Suddenly, the roaring tide of emotions swelled up in me. I hopped on my hooves and giggled as giddily as a school filly. I just could not believe my good luck!
“Wait a minute,” I paused in my fit of joyous giggling. “Good luck? Does this mean that...” I stopped, unable to speak any further. Was this a result of being tied to Twilight’s social group? Even as a pledge, I had read that I would get some of their so-called good fortune. Did it actually work? Another fit of giggles overcame me as I smiled a smile that would make Pinkie proud. It really worked!
There would be some time before I would get her requests in the mail; plenty of time for me to read and learn to my heart’s delight. If that ‘fortune’ business of their club’s blessing was legitimate, then what could I do with these new magics that had been foretold as well? I went back upstairs and pulled the book out from my trunk again, suddenly all too eager to devour each and every bit of information that I could!
***
Fine silk was pressed between my hoof and the table as I gently fed the delicate fabric through my sewing machine. I hummed softly into the late night as I worked, my machine providing the perfect rhythm to keep myself going despite a muted longing for my bed. A client like this deserved only the most care and attention that I could provide: I just had to finish one more seam, and then I would be done for the night!
After all, it was not every day that I would receive a commission form royalty! But, something in me told me that this would not be the last time, either. Even so, I wanted to impress Princess Luna with my work, and by proxy, all of the Canterlot nobles. With the seam finished, I put the dress of flowing midnight and purple over one of my dress forms and examined it for any tears or wrinkles in the fabric: her majesty was very specific about what kind it was to be made of and it was a touch difficult to work with.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as I found no tears or unsightly burrs in the seams. With my fears put to rest, I grabbed my broom and my dust pan from the closet and started sweeping up the excess material, taking extra care to sweep up around my work table more than anything. Busy or not, I had to keep my shop immaculate and trendy all day, every day of the week.
However, just as I was about to move on from clearing my table, a knock sounded on the front door of my shop. Looking towards the clock, I saw that the time was only ten thirty, so whoever it was, they knew I would not be asleep yet. Giving the sales floor a quick look, I deemed it fit for visitors, even if it made me cringe a little at the dirt pile yet to be eliminated.
“Oh! Good evening, Twilight,” I spoke once the door opened. As usual, she wore her saddle bags which were filled what I assumed to be our robes. “Would you like to come in for tea? I was just making up a small pot before I go to sleep.”
“Sure, I’d like that, Rarity,” she smiled before crossing the door.
She placed her bags over by the door and followed me into the kitchen, which left me wondering: if she had come over with our robes, why was she not in a tizzy about being on time to the meeting? That was assuming, of course, that there was going to be a meeting. She might have just torn her robe and wanted me to fix it: hence the late night arrival.
“So, what can I do for you tonight, darling?” I asked as she seated herself at my humble little dining table.
“Oh, I just wanted to... to talk for now. So, how have you been? I’ve heard that Princess Luna asked you to make a dress for her for the upcoming Harvest Ball.”
“I’ve been absolutely splendid, darling! The commissions have been pouring in and I just can’t seem to stop myself from accepting! For once, my muse is not failing me at the worst possible moment!” I knew I was grinning like a little filly, but I could not contain my sheer euphoria. Tonight, I would be doing a dress for Princess Luna. In a month from then: who knows? The sky was the only limit! “I can’t believe how fortunate I have been, and I owe it all to your club, Twilight! I’m so sorry that I ever doubted you.”
Contrary to what I expected, her face fell and she looked to the side a little sadly. At first, I thought I had said something wrong and went to apologize to her. But before I could begin, she spoke. “You don’t owe the... the club anything, Rarity. You’ve got to where you are based on your raw skill and talent alone. Sure, the magic might have helped you get noticed, but it is ninety-nine point eighty-three percent you and you alone!”
“So you’re saying the fortune or the extra magic does not contribute to your own strengths or weaknesses?” I asked, the question having buzzed in my head for months.
“Not at all: the only life-changing things either have done for me is getting me seen for the entrance exam to Princess Celestia’s school ,and making friends with five wonderful mares that I would not trade for any magic, power, or item in this world!”
I sniffled a little bit. “Oh, Twilight: I feel exactly the same way you do.” I leaned over and touched her hoof as the tea began to boil. “I would not give up our friendship for anything either, and I am sure the others share my sentiments.”
I got up and pulled the tea off of the stove before pouring a cup for myself and my friend, smiling a little to myself in the wake of a heartfelt moment. In fact, Twilight’s mood seemed to have picked up a little more as I floated our tea over towards the table. She took it in her own magic and lightly sipped on the steaming liquid while I sat opposite of her. “If you do not mind me asking, there is something that has been on my mind for a while now.”
“Sure, what is it, Rarity?”
“I um... Feel free to not answer if this is too personal, but... How did you find out about that club? How long have you been a member?”
A strange smile came upon her face as the question hung in the air. I was about to apologize for my forwardness when she finally decided to answer. “All of my life: my parents are in it and my brother is in it. In fact, I think one of my ancestors was one of the first unicorns to be allowed into The Family. I might have to double check my genealogy to be sure.”
Any lingering doubts I may have had about them vanished in that instance. If Twilight Sparkle was born and raised in such an environment and come out of it the shy, bookish and friendly mare that she was, then her club was not a cult, but a legitimate collection of ponies banding together with the same set of beliefs and values. I was suddenly reminded of something. “Twilight, do you mind telling me why you came over? I do enjoy your company, but it is quite strange for you to visit me at this time of night just for a chat.”
“Oh!” she replied, as if suddenly reminded of something too. “That’s right, I nearly forgot. There is a special meeting taking place tonight in about an hour or so. It’s the Ritual of Regeneration, you see. Since you will become a full sister at this meeting, I was tasked with giving you special robes to be worn at such ceremonies.”
With a pulse of her magic, her bags flew into the room and opened, pulling out two robes like the ones I had seen before, but this time their hems were trimmed with gold. I pulled one out and inspected it with great detail, seeing several frays and over-stitched portions in the fabric. “Can I alter this to make it less... bad?” I asked.
“Later, I guess, as long as it looks the same?” she replied, the tone of her voice betraying her lack of certainty. I had no plans on doing it immediately, so I brought down my own saddle bags and placed the robes in them so that she would not have to bear the entire burden on her own. Since we still had time left until the meeting actually began, we decided to have a little chat as we finished off the last of the tea. Nothing exciting, just gossip and what vein of magical research Twilight was obsessing over at the moment.
Eventually, the time came for us to leave the boutique and head out for the base. I turned out my lights and locked my door as I followed Twilight out into the cool, damp night that Luna had brought forth. Normally, we would chat a little on the way there, mostly to keep my nerves intact while entering the Everfree so late at night. Tonight, however, we walked in complete silence.
Twilight seemed to be taking her time this night: where normally we would progress at a light trot, she had slowed to a simple gait. If I did not know any better, I would have said she was scared, but that was absurd! They were nice ponies and were quite civil to me despite being a pledge. Then again, she was probably worried since there was probably some test waiting for me, and she did not wish to see me fail.
When the time came to put on our cloaks, I decided to break the silence. “Twilight, darling, are you okay?”
Pulling down her hood, since she had already put her cloak on, she looked at me with a smile on her face. “Yeah. I’m just a little bit nervous.”
“What is there to be nervous about?” But then it came to me. “Oh! You’re worried that it might be your turn to give up all of your worldly possessions! Well, don’t worry about it, darling. If worse comes to worse, you can live with me.”
“No, we already decided,” she explained. “It’s just that... well... once you join The Family, you can’t leave, since the magic that is given to you is forever. It would be like taking out a mortgage on your shop but never paying it back if you moved.”
“No offence, darling, but you worry over the silliest little things,” I pointed out.
“More so than throwing a fit over a lost ribbon?” she prodded, knowing my... disposition for drama. I decided to remain silent and pull on my robe, leaving the question to hang in the air, since I knew I had been parried quite admirably. So, the silence resumed as we quietly continued through the forest along the old and narrow path.
In what seemed like no time at all, we were upon the disgusting little shack in the middle of the woods. I had to wonder if it was a spell that made it seem so grungy and dirty on the outside, or if it really was just that old, broken and offensive. Either way, had I not seen Twilight go into it a couple of months ago, I would have given it a wide berth and forgotten all about it, if only to preserve my sanity. Knowing something like THAT existed with no purpose would have driven me to do things: things that involved fire.
“Rarity?” Twilight said as we came to the door of the ugly little shack. There was an air of seriousness in her disguised voice that I could not ignore. “This is very important and I have to ask this as part of the ritual. I know you have already made your mind up, but please think carefully before you answer this question. Are you sure that you want to go through with this? Once we go beyond this door, there is no turning back.”
The last time I had seen Twilight this serious was when Discord had attacked our minds. Although I could not see her eyes, I could tell they were looking at me with intensity, causing a slight shiver to run down my spine. If she had learned anything from Princess Celestia other than magic, it was the ability to make a grown pony shrink before her gaze when she wanted to.
I took a deep breath and nodded my head. “Yes. I am sure that I want to go through with this, Twilight.”
“What would you like to be called by your future brothers and sisters?”
I had pondered on that for some time since I had learned that there were codenames. “Well, I have grown rather partial to ‘Sister Diamond’. Do you know if that is available?”
“I’ll ask,” she replied simply. “Very well then, let’s get this show on the road... if you are sure?” I nodded my head firmly: I had come too far to give up now. She turned her head to the door and knocked the same knock I had heard over and over, the little slot opened and revealed naught but blackness once more. She spoke in the strange tongue I now knew belonged to the Shadow, causing the door to unlock and swing open.
I followed her into the shack and hardly flinched once the door slammed behind me. I had determined that the door was magically enchanted to respond to the correct knock, and wait for the pony to speak the phrase before opening. I waited for Twilight to vanish in the light of the teleportation circle before I followed suit and was transported down into the main base.
The moldy, stuffy little room and the darkness it contained waited for me, although the door leading out into the immaculate passage was open, spilling light over the cracked stone. I followed behind Twilight as closely as I could, her pace having picked up the moment that I had assured her that this was something that I wanted.
Instead of going down the hall to the main meeting room, we turned about three quarters of the way down and into a door that opened to a Spartan set of stairs. I had been through every door in the facility except this one and they were all game rooms or cinemas or for other social events. I did not even suspect another level was in the base, but I followed all the same.
The stairs were steep and narrow, barely enough room to fit a pony going one way either up or down. It was a bit of a fire hazard, to be quite honest. “So, where does this go?” I asked once we turned and reached the bottom. Three doors lay before me: a set of double doors and a pair of single doors flanking it on the side walls. Above, the building was lit with an array of fairy lights, but down here, there were only torches set in metal sconces.
“This is the ritual hall, where all of our most important and powerful rituals and spells are cast,” she replied gravely. I blinked and followed her in towards the set of double doors, which opened with a wave of dark magic which flowed from her hidden horn. I stepped inside lively, the door slammed shut behind me to eliminate the light of the torches inside.
The room was completely dark except for a candelabra hanging from the ceiling. White wax oozed down the brass holdings over years of service, creating white stalactites. Fresh candles burned in them, adding to the appendages and bathed the room in a flickering glow. The room itself was completely bare save for a dais made of stone jutting out from the centre, surrounded by the chalk outline of a complex runic casting circle.
Twilight pulled the hem of my robe, urging me forward into the circle of ponies that stood outside the limits of the chalk. I was lead to the opposite side of the room from the door, past the dais. “Stand beside me and remain quiet,” my friend whispered to me in hushed command. I obeyed and stood with her on the outside of the circle. “Sorry we’re a little late, everypony,” she apologized to the crowd.
“It is okay, Sister Star,” one of the ponies beside us spoke. “There was a little trouble getting started, since the Offering Pony got cold hooves and we had to... aid them in seeing the light and their duty to The Family.” I raised an eyebrow under my hood. He had stopped himself from saying something else, but what? Before I could figure it out myself, every pony’s head turned in unison towards the door.
Without any warning, the doors that I had just gone through burst open in front of two cloaked ponies, a pair of ropes digging into the side of their hoods as they dragged something heavy across the floor. I could not see what, exactly, being behind the dais.
The door slammed shut behind them and clicked in a lock as the two cloaked ponies came up to the dais. They turned around and stamped their hooves with dark magic, causing the item they were dragging to float. It was a bundle of cream and two-tone red, not moving but occasionally making a pitiful noise as it floated out from behind and landed neatly on top of the stone table.
I gasped slightly, as I recognized the pony from around town; I think her name was Roseluck. Her mark was that of a thornless rose with two big leaves and a healthy stem. She was bleeding slightly from sores on her sides and shivered as metal clasps buried in the stone sprung shut, trapping her in place. “Tw- Star, what is going on?” I whispered over to Twilight in concern.
“Fillies and gentlecolts,” the stallion known as Master Scroll spoke as the other pony retreated into the circle. “Tonight, we will be paying homage to our Master Shadow through our most ancient and powerful of rites: the Ritual of Regeneration. Sister Red has generously agreed to play the part of Offering Pony so that the rest of our family may continue to be blessed by our True Master. Indeed, we also have the pleasure of welcoming our newest sister into the loving embrace of The Family. Sister Star, has she chosen a name for herself?”
“Yes, master,” Twilight spoke, ignoring my question. “The Pledge has requested the name of Sister Diamond.”
A silence loomed over the room as the leader considered, but I was too busy looking at Roseluck to pay much attention. She seemed... I could not put my hoof on it exactly, but if I had to say, she looked like she had resigned herself. Indeed, it looked like she was there quite willingly as she did not even look around, keeping her eyes glued upon the ceiling and not moving an inch.
“Very well,” Master Scroll spoke after a moment’s silence. “The name is acceptable. As soon as the Ritual of Regeneration has been completed, you, Pledge, shall receive that name. We are ready to begin.” As soon as he finished talking, a pony stepped out of the circle with a rather large dagger clasped in their teeth. I gasped a little, trembling. There were not going to... I mean... they were not the kind of ponies to do such a thing, were they?
That was when the chanting started, the group droning in a monotonous chorus, making the white chalk upon the floor burn with dark flames. I tried to run as fast as my hooves could carry me, but whimpered when I saw tongues of blackened fire licking at my legs like some kind of hungry animal. I tried to scream, but my voice was caught in my throat as if a creature had grasped my neck in their hands!
I bit my lip for lack of anything I could do and watched as the pony took her dagger in a wave of black magic, the blade glinting in the soft candlelight as she drew closer. What had I gotten myself into? How could Twilight do something like this and still be the kind, naive mare that she was!? A part of me hoped that this was some sort of final test: that any minute now they would stop, turn up the lights and all laugh at my expense. Then Pinkie would hop out from somewhere and declare a party in celebration.
Master Scroll stood over the helpless pony with the dagger hovering just above her navel. He spoke above the din in that language that I could not comprehend, tracing the tip along her soft belly. I squeaked in an effort to cry out and stop them, but it was far too little, far too late. I welded my eyes she as I saw the steel jerk downwards into the mare’s vulnerable flesh.
I did not dare open them as I head the chains rattle or the chanting come to a stop, but my imagination had filled in the blanks in the most sickening way possible, causing bile to build up in my throat. I faintly heard the sound of what I guessed to be flesh being cleaved from bone, but I refused to open them for even a second. Not even a gentle prodding in my side could convince me to open them.
However, more vigorous prompting from the side made me turn my head; I refused to see what was going on directly in front of me. “Pledge, are you okay?” sounded Twilight’s sweet, if altered, voice. I gulped audibly, forcing back the bile and opened my eyes to see naught but blackness greeting me back. My blood ran cold when I saw what was floating beside her.
Wrapped in a twisted aura of dark magic was a tiny chunk of something... something red and dripping red liquid onto the floor. I sniffed it experimentally, only to whimper loudly, gaining looks from the rest of the congregation. “Is... is that what I...” I shook like a leaf as similar pieces of red floated from where the... corpse had to be. “Oh... oh sweet Celestia! It... How could...” I backed up instinctively, suddenly finding that my legs could move.
“What is wrong, Sister? You have to partake in order to complete the ritual.”
“YOU’RE ALL CRAZY! YOU...” I cast a glance to the dais and immediately wished I had not. “YOU KILLED HER! AND... AND NOW YOU’RE...!? CRAZY! EVIL! MONSTROUS!!” I had never shaken as much as I had in that moment. The hurt and betrayal burned like hot irons in my heart, making my eyes well up in tears under the hood as my flank met the wall. They all looked at me like I was the insane one, and not them for refusing!
I screamed loudly as I felt the push of dark magic shove me onto my back and then lock my hooves onto the cold stone floor. I felt just as exposed as poor Roseluck, my white belly on display for them. Were they going to do to me as they did to her?
“Looks like somepony needs a little help,” Twilight said cruelly, dangling the nauseating meat over my muzzle. I could not see her face, but I could almost feel a wicked grin boring into me as the flesh dangled closer and closer to my lips, a second aura of dark magic pulling my jaw open. I screamed as loudly as I could, my own shrill voice hurting my ears as it dangled just a fraction of an inch from the precipice!
I struggled frantically as blood gently dripped onto my tongue, but I could hardly move from their magic pinning me to the ground and keeping my jaw painfully open. I welded my eyes shut, unable to see through my tears anyway before the disgusting and revolting sin against pony nature slid down my throat. I tried my best to push the revolting substance away with my tongue, but a sharp kick to the side caused me to gasp and inhale the tiny chunk.
The flesh slithered down my throat like a snake, setting the insides on fire as it passed through. My eyes rolled up into my head as the burning soothed. I rubbed my tongue against the roof of my mouth and felt a shiver roll down my spine again, making me moan in pleasure. I knew that I had just eaten the flesh of a brutally murdered pony but... by Celestia... it tasted good!
There was no time or place for me, only a cold, welcoming sensation that traveled up my spine like a lover’s kiss. Endless darkness spread before me like the canvas of a dark winter’s night or a roll of black fabric, awaiting my skilled hooves to cut and sew it into the beautiful evening gown that it would be. Was I in Heaven, or had I been sent into the depths of Hell for my crime? I did not know and I did not care: all that I knew was that I was at peace and could stay like that forever more.
My dear child, a voice spoke from the darkness. It was soft, but strong as thunder, echoing all around me and through me, touching my very soul. Please, listen to my story. I was in no fit state to reject, for I was in pure bliss: unable to feel anything but the pleasant, bracing cold akin to a chilly Heart’s Warming night. “Yes, please tell me,” I bemoaned, feeling my hair ruffled as if he were there, caressing my body gently.
In the beginning, long before the creators, there was only I. For I am the alpha and the omega: the emptiness at the beginning and the end of all things. In the sky at night you will find me, for I am the void between the stars themselves. I am death but also life. My dear, darling Rarity; let me into your loving heart and wonderful mind. I shall tell you the secrets of the universe. All I ask is for you to help me: believe in me and you shall be gifted with eternal life, for we shall be as one.
I shivered again, His voice like velvet against my ear, throwing my mind into a state of disarray. Never before had I felt so loved and so wanted, never before had I been offered the secrets of the universe. I looked into Him, for He was the void and the darkness around me, and spoke. “I humbly accept your request. Please, Master Shadow, show me! Let me help you: let us be as one.”
I gasped as the cold sensation of his kiss pressed against my lips, throwing my body into convolutions of pure bliss as, before my eyes, the secrets of the universe, of everything, were laid bare before me, waiting for me to pick and choose what I wanted to learn or know. Hours seemed to pass as I absorbed everything he had to offer, a sliver of His heart, His soul, taking root in mine.
“Rarity? Rarity, are you there?” a familiar voice echoed to me from beyond. I blinked and found that the darkness was gone, replaced by an island of blurry lavender against a sea of white. I blinked again and made a gurgling sound with my throat in reply. “Oh, good! You’re finally awake!” she chirped. “I can’t say your reaction was the strongest I had ever seen, but uh... things got a little embarrassing rather quickly so I had to take you home.”
Home? I looked around wearily, seeing the soft curtains against my window as the gentle light of Celestia’s sun illuminated them brilliantly. My soft, warm blankets chased away the cold and were slowly rousing me from a weakened slumber. I blinked and turned my head back to Twilight and smiled again. “Oh, Twilight... I---” However, her hoof pressed itself to my lips, silencing me.
“It’s okay, Rarity. What happened between you and the Master is your own business. It is not my place to know, so please do not tell me unless you really, really need to.” Her hooves wrapped around me in a gentle hug. “I’m sorry that I brought you into this. I... I really am. Please, please don’t hate me!” Hate her? How could I ever hate her? Although I felt weakened from my experience with the Master, I put my hoof up to Twilights shoulder and tapped her lightly, smiling.
She smiled back and gave me another hug. “Don’t worry about a thing: you were only out for a few hours and you’ll be feeling normal again by lunchtime, I promise. Just stay in bed and relax, okay?” I nodded, not having any plans of leaving for the foreseeable future. Twilight got up from her seat beside my bed and made for my door, opening it with her usual rosy magic. “Welcome to The Family, Sister Diamond,” she spake in the Master’s tongue before shutting my door behind her.
***
It was a bright summer afternoon as I hummed and got things ready for lunch. Sweetie Belle was over with her friends playing some manner of game, or doing something of the sort to try and coax their Cutie Marks into appearing. And, for the one hundred and seventh time, I had to tell them that they could NOT use my Opal in any of their schemes. I loved her dearly, but that filly could be a royal pain in my flank sometimes!
Alas, soon enough she would come charging through my back door and request that I make them lunch. So, I trotted into the kitchen and pulled some bread, tofu, lettuce: all of the usual ingredients. Making lunches for my beloved little sister was always something I liked to do, sometimes even giving them to her in school if mother or father were too busy or had forgotten to make hers at home.
I hummed to myself as I pulled out my special spice jar from the cabinet over the sink and spread a delicate amount over my own sandwich. Even since I had joined The Family, I found that I had developed a taste for a certain... unique delicacy and Twilight was more than happy to help accommodate me by teaching me a spell to ensure that it would not spoil. All I knew was that it was simply divine and it made a titillating spice.
“Hey Rarity!” squeaked a voice that was commonly associated with ‘trouble’ in Ponyville. “What’s for lunch?” She strode in through the back door of the boutique and seated herself at the table, flinging her bag haphazardly onto the floor. The contents: a bag of pond scum, fake glasses and a ‘whoopee’ cushion spilled out before she stuffed them back in. I did not want to know.
“Sweetie Belle, please pick up your mess,” I chastised. “And we’re having tofu sandwiches.”
“Okay,” she groaned, mostly at being told to pick up her things, I hoped. I turned my attention back to my work, giving my sandwich a nice coating of mayonnaise. The screeching sound of the chair being pushed back caused me to jump as I was shaking my special ‘spice’ onto my sandwich, getting some on Sweetie’s as well. Oh no! I panicked, trying to keep myself from being mad at her. It was not the poor dear’s fault... but then I would have to make a new sandwich for her.
Then, I decided to take a chance. “Sweetie Belle?” I turned to see her struggling to get her bags onto the rack, trying to reach them with her hooves on the wall (which drove me slightly batty: do you even KNOW where that filly puts those sometimes?) and the straps clenched in her teeth. She was still too young to have much of a grasp on basic telekinesis, so I helped her out by putting them up there for her.
“Thanks sis!” she chirped, turning to face me with a smile. “Did you want something?”
“Yes. I was thinking of doing something a little bit... different with our sandwiches and just wanted to know if you wanted to try it.” I smiled back a little nervously, but the little darling was quite the ingenue.
“Oh! What is it?”
“It’s a... special spice of mine that... that I learned about from... Zecora. She said it tastes really good on bread and gave me a bottle to try,” I lied through my teeth. Somewhere, deep down in my mind, I hoped that she would say no, but an equal part of me hoped she would give it a try.
“Okay! Sure. Hey! Maybe I can get my Cutie Mark as a Spice Tester?” Her eyes lit up at the prospect: how could I say ‘no’ to that adorable little filly? So, I walked back to the counter and sprinkled just a little bit more onto her sandwich before giving it an extra thick layer of mayo: just how she liked it.
I capped off our sandwiches with the second layers of bread expertly positioned and carried them over to the table where the hungry little filly eagerly awaited. “So, what are you and your little Cutie Mark Crusaders doing today?” Hopefully the contents of her bag were not a hint towards what they were up to.
“Oh, well first we went over to Sugarcube Corner to try being bakers again, but Mr. Cake got mad at us when we turned the taffy machine into a giant mixing pot since we thought it would be faster than mixing by hoof. After that, we went to the library to find a book on Opt... Opty... eye doctors so we could open a Laser Eye Surgery clinic!”
Well, that explained the glasses quite neatly, but before I could ask her how they were going to do eye surgery, she bit into her sandwich. The effect of the ‘spice’ was instantaneous as a muffled moan of satisfaction filtered through the wheat. “Mmm! Rarity!” she happily spoke once she had ripped the piece away. “This is really, really good!”
“Sweetie Bell, don’t talk with your mouth full! That is very impolite!” I had to be stern, but inside I was happy that she liked it. “Although, I am happy that you like my special spice.”
“I sure do! Hey, do you think I could take this to school sometime and share it with my friends?”
“Well... I don’t know...” Her eyes suddenly became large and glassy as she silently plead her case. Curse those eyes! If only they could be registered as weapons! “Okay, fine,” I sighed in defeat, earning a happy little smile
“Hey, Sweetie Belle, hurry up! We’re going to try getting our Cutie Marks in kite fighting!” Scootaloo shouted from outside. My little sister wolfed down the rest of her sandwich and grabbed her bags from the stand, literally jumping up and pulling down her bags with her teeth like a dog.
“See you later, sis!” she cried before slamming the door shut in anticipation. I grabbed my plate and smiled to myself as I washed off the remains of the sandwich. One day, when she was old enough, she was going to make a wonderful Sister for The Family. Sure, it was dried out and powdered to prevent spoilage, but soon enough she would have a taste of that ambrosia and meet the Master for the first time and experience all the joy, wonder and fortune that I had enjoyed ever since I partook.
Then, we could be Sisters forever.
The End