Must you keep worrying. Having to listen to constant loops of guilt and foreboding is rather annoying.
“How can I not worry? How will this affect my life? I am facilitating a criminal.”
Okay first, this is only going to be a positive. You get to stay with you hubby longer and he doesn't have to be depressed about your passing. Win win. Second, you have captured a great criminal and are now able to carry this poor mare to the aid she needs. You are a hero if anything.
“She is in this condition because of you! Also, great? Narcissistic much?”
You lecture me on narcissism?
“Fair point.”
There! Stop!
“What?”
Look at your reflection on that window.
What Rarity saw shocked her. Wrinkles gone, legs thicker with once lost muscle, her shapely curves had returned to her, her mane had lost it’s graying strands, and her white coat shined bright once more. Her mane however was now as black as the night sky. “Is that me?”
Indeed. I do good work my dear.
Perhaps it was vain, but Rarity could not help but smile. She was called beautiful, a goddess, an angel sent from the heavens to make mere mortals believe in perfection. She had worked hard for her image. Both for her business and because she truly loved feeling beautiful. To see her hard work being undone by the unstoppable force of time was hard to take. Try as she would, that was a fight she lost in the end. Yet, here before her, there was the beauty she had once wielded. The new mane color was a bit severe though.
Hey, I’m in here too. Can’t I have this at least?
“I suppose.” Rarity continued her journey to the clinic.
I’m sure your hubby will be excited as well.
“He loves me for far more than my looks.”
From the look of things in here, you know that your appearance was what first caught his eye.
“Of course. Many would turn their heads at my presence. Naturally he was able to appreciate what he saw. Our desire for each other grew as we came to know the soul within each other.”
Poetic, but looks like you haven’t been able to be as rowdy with him as you once were. Oh my. Such a naughty mare in your hayday.
“Stay out of there! It’s private!” She heard the giggling in her mind.
“Umm hello? How can I help you?”
Rarity turned her head to see a nurse outside the clinic looking at her suspiciously, “Oh dear. Terribly sorry. We were being too loud.”
“We?”
“Err… I was being too loud.”
Smooth.
The nurse’s eyebrow raised. “I found this mare in the woods and brought here here for treatment.”
The nurse indeed just noticed the mare on Rarity’s back. “Bring her in.” She moved quickly ahead of Rarity, “Bed to the front please!” The staff brought a stretcher and helped move the mare from Rarity's back onto it. As they began to wheel her away the nurse moved behind her desk and retrieve a clipboard and turned to Rarity, “I need your name please.”
“Of course. Rarity Sparkle.”
“Rarity?” The nurse looked from her clipboard to Rarity and gave a look of skepticism, “You look… different.”
“Oh. Umm… you see. That’s… why I was in coming from the woods. I was visiting Zecora and Applebloom for some revitalizing cream. This one appears to have done the trick.”
“I’ll say. Gosh you look thirty years younger. Diggin’ the new mane color. Guess those grey hairs finally got to you eh?”
“Yes well… oh dear me is that the time? I must be returning home. You know how Spike worries.”
“Oh we all know. One more question. Do you know her name?”
“I-”
Terra. Terra Richter.
“Terra Richter.”
“You know her?”
“Uhh… she uhh… told me after I asked her what her name was. That was all she was able to tell me before she completely lost consciousness”
“I see.” The nurse wrote a bit more on the clipboard then turned her attention back to Rarity, “Alrighty Rarity. We’ll handle it from here. Thank you for bringing her. Celestia only knows what may have happened to her had you not found her.”
“Yes.” Rarity turned to face the mirror on the wall with the letters “Great Pony” above it. She stared into her eyes, calling towards the entity within, “There are indeed monsters out there.”
Hey now. Rude.
As they made their way to Rarity’s boutique, she sighed, “I cannot wait to go to bed and rest.”
Not going to break in the new bod with your dragon?
Rarity stopped suddenly, “Oh dear me. Spike. I completely forgot. How do I tell him?”
Why do you have to?
“Why? Because he deserves to know why his wife returns home looking thirty years younger and sporting a new mane color.”
Just fib. You did so well before at the clinic. Quite the silver tongue when backed into a corner.
“I cannot lie to Spike. We swore to never have secrets between us.”
After 50 years of marriage you're surely entitled to one small lie.
“No! I will not lie to him.”
Sigh. Fine, but at least don't get me killed. Neither of us wants that. Also, might want to refrain from talking to me out loud. Will only make you look crazy to match your age. As Rarity approached the door, she paused. Why the delay?
“You seem quite eager for your previous demeanor to the coming confrontation.”
I simply take situations like this as they come. What do you plan to do or tell him after the truth? We can only await his response and act accordingly.
“Here goes noth-No. Here goes everything.” Rarity reached up and turned the doorknob.
Must you be so dramatic.
“Quiet you.” Rarity entered with only her head first to survey the immediate area. It was dark and she presumed Spike had gone to bed. In her haste to desire this, she failed to see two glowing yellow orbs with black slits watching from the couch. “Poor Spikey, must have fallen asleep.”
No. He hasn’t.
“No. I haven’t.”
In an instant Spike reached pulled the cord to eliminate most of the room with the lamp beside the him, startling Rarity who turned to him. “Spike… You’re still awake.”
“Yeah. I am. Do you know how late it…” In his state of ambivalence for Rarity finally coming home, he had not immediately taken in the differences she now sported. “Rarity, what happened?”
“What do you mean?” A voice inside sighed.
“What do you mean what do I mean? You look…”
Rarity converted her face to one of seduction and began to walk towards him, putting emphasis into her her hips swaying, “I look what Spike?”
“Look… uhh… uhh…”
He sat on the closer side of the couch to her and as she passed him, she raised her tail to playfully swat Spike on the nose with it. This did not phase Spike as his eyes were completely fixed on his wife before him, entranced. She got onto the couch and sat, making sure that her derriere was closer to Spike than the rest of her so she could turn slowly with eyes that would set him aflame, “Do you like Spikey?”
I approve.
“I… uhh…”
Rarity stepped her front legs toward Spike and moved her muzzle forward to kiss the bewildered Spike. Close to her goal, she feels two claws grab her shoulders and stop her. “Spike?”
He looks at her with suspicion, “Who are you?”
Keeping up her playful demeanor, Rarity answers with a slight giggle, “What a silly question dear. I’m your wife, Rarity.”
“Rarity doesn’t look this…”
Her face changed immediately to one of inquiry and what can only be described as womanly challenge. A face that said, “I dare you to finish that.”
Oh boy. Here we go.
“This… uh…”
“Yes? Thiiiiis…”
Spike sighed in defeat, “Sexy.”
Rarity relaxed. “Under normal circumstances you would be sleeping on the couch for next year for saying that Spikey. However, I am not ignorant to reality.”
“Huh.”
Rarity sighed, “Spike please listen to what I have to say and have an open mind. Alright?”
“Alright.”
“Good. Now, I was walking home from Fluttershy’s cottage-”
“Was it cold?”
“What?”
“Was it cold?”
“A bit nippy I suppose.”
“Did you have your cloak on?”
“I had my scarf.”
“Did you not have your cloak in your saddle bags?”
“I did.”
“You should wear it to be safe.”
“It was nippy at best Spike.”
“Still you can’t be to-”
“Enough!”
Yikes. The nurse wasn’t kidding.
“I was returning from Fluttershy's cottage when I heard a pony in pain.”
“And you went to help said pony.”
“Naturally. I found a mare on the ground and floating above her was this ghastly looking cloud.”
Hey now!
You looked like the smoke emerging from from a metallurgy factory.
Well then, I’ll try and be a pretty cloud when I am trying to possess ponies.
At least show some pride in you work.
Ugh.
“It turns out that this cloud was the remnants of Nightmare Moon.”
That caused Spike to swing into action. “Nightmare Moon?” He moved to reach into the stand drawer beside the couch to find some parchment. “We need to tell Twilight.”
Rarity quickly intervened and pinned Spike to the couch. Oh my, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be. “Spike I told you to wait until I was finished did I not?”
Spike was struggling to free himself from his wife’s grasp.”Why can’t I- how are you so strong all of a sudden?”
Rarity ignored his inquiry, “Did I not Spike?” Spike seemed to ignore her and Rarity knew a firm touch was needed. “Spike! Listen to me!”
That stopped Spike in his tracks. Rarity almost never yelled at him. He liked to think he was a good husband and part of that was being a good listener. “Rarity.”
Seeing Spike stop struggling, she returned to her calm demeanor, “Spike, Please listen to my entire tale. All will make sense once you have. I promise.”
“I… I’m sorry. But can you blame me? You just told me Nightmare Moon is out there”
“I assure you she is no threat.”
I take offence to that.
“You promise?”
“I swear to you Spikey.”
“Alright.” Rarity dismounted Spike, but stayed close to him. She did enjoy having him next to her of course. He sighed, “You saw a cloud of Nightmare Moon, then what?”
“I reacted the same way you just did. I was set to write you a message to come aid me in capturing her. However, she intervened and-”
Here he comes.
“-we fought.”
Sure enough Spike grabbed Rarity by her shoulders and with worry on his face asked, “Are you alright? Did she hurt you? Do I need to get the first aid or the clinic?”
A low growl escaped Rarity as she spoke, “Spike. What did we say you were going to do?”
A small shiver reverberated through him at Rarity’s menacing tone, “Uhh… to listen?”
“And what are you not doing right now?”
“Listening, but you just told me got into a fight.”
“And I am perfectly fine as you can see dear. Now please I want to tell you what happened, but your constant interruptions need to stop. Understood?”
Spike sat there with his mouth slightly open in silence before turning his head down and putting his claws together in front of him to calm and fortify himself. “Okay. I’m sorry.”
She hated seeing him gloomy as he often got when she scolded him. In many ways he was a grown child, but he was her grown child. Rarity moved to hug his side, kiss his cheek and squish hers up to his, “I love you.”
That got him to smile a bit and he move and he put his arm round her while also rubbing his cheek back into Rarity’s , “I love you too.”
They stayed hugging for a couple of seconds before Rarity continued, ”So, after our scuffle I found myself quite weak. In fact even now I cannot produce much magic.” Rarity sighed heavily, “I was afraid. I was afraid that I had doomed myself to ruining my health staying outside for the night and of course knowing that you would be worrying. I was afraid… that my remaining lifespan…” Rarity saw and felt Spike sag. That she had brought up a subject that she knew was on his mind made her feel guilty, but she knew she had to continue to hopefully move his consciousness from such sadness. “That it was shortened, but she offered me a chance.”
“She?”
“Nightmare Moon. She offered to help me… undo my failing health and even to undo a much stronger force.”
“Rarity, what did you do?”
“Spike, I chose to take her own failing essence into my body and she in turn would empower my own body with lost youth.”
“Rarity how could you-”
“Spike please.”
“No! Rarity this is the same thing that possessed you before.”
“I can assure you that I am far more in control this time.”
Spike got up off the couch,“We need to tell Twilight. Now.”
“I agree with the first sentiment, but Spike am dreadfully tired.”
“I can carry you.”
“As much as enjoy you carrying me sometimes, this can wait until morning.”
“No it can-”
“Yes it can.” Rarity got up off the couch as well and stood on her hind legs with her forelegs reaching up to hug around Spike’s neck. ”Look at me Spike.” Spike did so with rapt attention and worry. “Do you trust me?”
His eyes never left her’s,”You know I do.”
“Then why stop now. Spike I would never allow myself to put those I love in danger. I know I have this under control Spike. So please, let’s go to bed and visit Twilight in the morning.”
Spike closed his eyes as he sighed,”Fine.”
Rarity smiled and reached up to kiss Spike on the cheek. “Thank you. Now I must go get ready for bed.” Rarity proceeded upstairs to begin her nightly rituals. Spike stayed behind.
He looked to the drawer beside the couch. He opened it and inside were a few rolls of parchment a sealed ink container and a quill. Silently he stared at it, but decided to do no more that close it. “I trust you Rarity.”