//------------------------------// // Chapter 1 // Story: The Bonding Stone // by Some1Else //------------------------------//             Rarity gave her potential client the best smile she could manage. It wasn’t difficult. Clay Mud owned many of the diamond mines in Equestria. Running a business required good publicity, which she could never get enough of, and working with him would help her get more of it.             “I’d like to thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice,” Mud said.             Mud wore a fitted suit with a lapel pin stuck to his chest crafted from the mineral that had given him his fortune. It replicated the upright shovel featured on his cutie mark. He carried a battered saddlebag with him that Rarity assumed had sentimental value, which made up for how it didn’t complement his suit.             Rarity wrinkled her muzzle at the amount of cologne Mud had used on himself. “But of course, darling. To what do I owe this honor?”             “I’m here on behalf of my granddaughter, Ocean Rain. She’s getting married in three months to Mazurka Waltz and wants you to make a wedding dress for her.”             Rarity gasped. “Mazurka Waltz is getting married?”             “You’re familiar with him?”             “Certainly. My closest friends and I happen to be connoisseurs of musical theater. Waltz did a fine job playing Tabby in last year’s production of Kittens. I take it this arrangement has not yet been made public?”             Mud shook his head. “They have done their best to keep the relationship private. A lot of hearts will break when Waltz commits himself to a life with Rain. I had hoped to count on your discretion.”             “While I can’t deny I’m inclined to gossip, I can assure you I never violate client confidentiality.”             “Good. Rain has always been a smart mare. I knew you would be the best pony for this job.”             A royal flush. Dice landing on seven. Betting on a frog named Skipper. The proverbial jackpot. Rain would stroll down the aisle wearing the custom gown Rarity had made for her. Jaws would drop. Tears would flow. They wouldn’t be able to contain themselves. Who had made this lovely dress? Just some mare by the name of Rarity. It wouldn’t take long for business to pick up. The first quarter of the new year was looking rather lucrative, not that she was hurting for money. Anymore, at any rate. It was just that plenty of it made paying the property tax for her store in Manehattan much less of a headache.             Mud opened the battered saddlebag he had with him. “Rain already filled out the questionnaire you ask your customers to finish if they’re looking for something a bit more personal.” He pulled a manila envelope from the pouch and placed it on the counter in front of him. “She almost didn’t fill it out since she wanted you to have total creative freedom to do the dress as you saw fit, but we convinced her that wouldn’t be reasonable. By the way, she’s sorry she couldn’t be here. Her job has been keeping her a little busy.”             The envelope had a noticeable bulge. Ocean Rain had to be a mare who knew what she wanted. If Rarity’s hunch was correct, half the work had already been done. Rain would undoubtedly still be a challenge, but only ten clients had ever walked away from Rarity in disappointment, so the odds weren’t against her.             Rarity nodded. “Careers can lack flexibility. What does she do for a living?”             “My granddaughter is a journalist for the National Chronicle.” Mud bristled a little with pride. “She’s currently involved with a lengthy piece of work regarding the rising problem of those who misuse magic. It has left her little time to plan the wedding.”             “I can’t say I’ve read much of the Chronicle, but I’d like to see that article when it’s finished. I do hope she is aware that the problems we’ve been having with rogues haven’t escalated past the point they reached before Celestia’s reign.”             “That’s true, but those who do cause trouble are getting more powerful.”             Rarity wasn’t impressed. “I’m confident justice shall be served to all those who break our laws.”             “I’m sure you are. Don’t worry, it’s not a scare piece. Anyway, there’s a stipulation attached to Rain’s request you should be aware of before deciding to accept this commission.”             “And what might that be?”             Mud looked uncertain. “She was hoping you would be able to have it finished in two weeks.”             Rarity gave Mud another genuine smile. “Is that all?”             Mud raised an eyebrow. “Your confidence is inspiring.”             Rarity waved a hoof to bat away the compliment. “Nonsense, I’m merely prepared for this sort of thing. While I prefer having at least a month to complete a project like this, I tend to do my best work under pressure. She is aware there is a possibility some minor adjustments might have to be made once the dress is finished, correct?”             Mud nodded. “I also included extra compensation on the check for asking you to finish this project in such a short amount of time.”             Rarity batted her eyelashes at Mud and gave him look number sixty-eight, which she reserved specifically for older earth stallions. “That is much appreciated.”             A blush crossed Clay’s face. “It’s nothing. Everyone involved with the wedding knew you had to be the one to make the dress. Do you think it might be possible for Rain to stop by before the end of the week just to see what you’ve come up with?”             Rarity put a hoof to her chin. “Let’s see. I will be able to have enough concepts for her to review in five days.”             She should have said six to err on the side of caution, but it was too late.             “That’s perfect. It falls on the same day she’s scheduled to go on the Ponyville tour.”             “Our tour is among the best in Equestria. She’ll have a great time. You should consider taking it while you’re in town.”             Mud glanced outside. “As a matter of fact, I’ll be heading over to the visitor’s center right after this. I’ve even decided to spend the night. Any recommendations on where to go or what to do?”             She could think of a few, but mentioning them wouldn’t be fair. “I know all of the business owners in our community. I couldn’t possibly suggest one over the other. You’ll have a pleasant experience wherever you go.”             Mud smiled. “You’re very humble for someone so famous.”             “An ego can compromise one’s creativity. I’m not immune to it, though. I’ve just gotten good at suppressing it.”             Mud nodded and began heading towards the front door. “It was nice meeting you, Rarity. I’m certain you will do great work.”             “Thank you. Enjoy your time in Ponyville, Mr. Mud.”             Once Mud had left, Rarity carried the folder in her aura and retreated upstairs to her work room to see what she was up against. She only needed a quick peek. Without one, she wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about it. Leaving the counter typically summoned guests. An enchantment on the bell above her front door carried an echo of the ring it produced into every room but her bedroom during business hours.             The last thing Rarity expected to encounter after opening the door to her work room was a spray of blue confetti. It forced her back into the hallway as a kazoo sounded off at full volume. Rarity managed to keep herself from inhaling or ingesting any of the shredded paper. A group of yellow balloons traveled through the open door and bobbed along the ceiling. The shock brought on from the whole ordeal hadn’t caused her to lose her hold on the folder.             Only one pony could be responsible for this. Sure enough, when everything had cleared, she spotted Pinkie Pie standing upright on her drafting table.             “Surprise!” Pinkie Pie said. “It’s eight forty-five in the morning and this is your regularly scheduled live upcoming birthday reminder! In exactly one week, Spike will be one whole year older! Isn’t that amazing?”             Rarity walked through the confetti and used her aura to retrieve a mane brush she had stashed inside the bottom drawer of her sewing cabinet. A single stroke came back positive with a few specks of confetti. She looked at it. She looked at Pinkie Pie. “Yes, quite. You mentioned this sort of reminder is live. Might I instead opt for the one where you send me a letter through the mail?”             Pinkie produced a notepad from nowhere, already open to a marked page. “Are you sure? You might miss it if it’s bundled together with your bills.”             Rarity grabbed a mirror from the same drawer she had retrieved her brush and checked her mane for anything she had missed while brushing by feel. “Do you mean to say your colorful letters aren’t indistinguishable from monotonous notices and unwanted catalogues?”             Pinkie did a front flip off the drafting table and landed a step away from Rarity with the grace of an award-winning athlete. “But don’t you think it’s much more fun to get them directly from me?”             “I’d still like to receive these notifications by mail.” Rarity set the folder down on her drafting table and returned her mirror and brush to the drawer they lived in.             A tendril from Pinkie’s mane appeared with a pencil curled around it that scratched a line from the notepad. “Done!” The tendril used the eraser on the pencil to flip ahead to another page in the notebook. “Are you gonna be at Spike’s birthday party?”             “Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Will he be able to contain himself until the afternoon? I might be busy that morning.”             Pinkie used her tendril to check an item on the notepad. “Ayuh, Twilight is way ahead of you on that one! Something about delaying gratification, whatever that means. Do you have any idea what you might get him?”             As a party planner, Pinkie had the right to know who was buying what in order to avoid awkward instances of the recipient receiving multiple bottles of the same type of cologne. Rarity hadn’t yet announced what present she intended to purchase, but she could still get him what he really wanted since Spike wasn’t hard to shop for. He usually made it clear what he was hoping to receive for his birthday or Hearth’s Warming Eve.             A book was the current item at the top of his wish list. While Twilight usually managed that department, Rarity could have been the first pony Pinkie asked. Rarity wouldn’t be stomping on her hoofs if she took the opportunity to buy the book Spike couldn’t wait to read since there was no end to Twilight’s recommendations, which were highly reliable.             None of the bookstores could keep enough copies to meet the demand for it. Spike couldn’t even get it through other libraries in the area since all copies were out with at least ten other patrons waiting in line for a chance to read it for free. Another run was on the way. The timing could not have been better.             “I think I might get him---” Rarity began.             Pinkie sat on her haunches and waved both of her hoofs in the air. “Don’t say Puppeteers IV: No Strings Attached!”             Rarity arched an eyebrow at her. “How did you know I was going to say that?”             “Everyone knows how much he wants that book. He’s even thinking of dressing up as Adder for Nightmare Night.”             “Really? He hasn’t mentioned that to me. I could do his costume for him.”             Pinkie blinked. “Oh? You read Puppeteers?”                        Rarity chuckled. “Just the first one and only because he really wanted me to.”             A fantastic idea drew a gasp from Pinkie. “You two could go out as a pair! You could dress up as a golem Adder has to fight!”             “Well, that’s one idea. I take it Twilight is getting him the book, then?”             “Yup! Puppeteers IV and Gateways to Parallel Universes in My Backyard? It’s More Likely Than You Think.”             Two books. One fiction and the other non-fiction. The classic Twilight gifts.             “Any other ideas?” Pinkie asked.             “Not off the top of my head,” Rarity replied.             “I have at least fifty-eight suggestions that are guaranteed to brighten his day.”             “No, thank you, Pinkie. I’d like to think of it myself. I’ll be sure to check with you when I do. Right now, I’ve got a very important dress that. . .”             The idea came out of nowhere and hit her with the force of an epiphany.             The simplicity. Stunning. The ease. Obvious.             She truly was a genius.             “Never mind. I believe I know just what to get Spike.”             “I can’t take the suspense!” Pinkie did a backflip. “Enough fluff. Cut to the chase, sister. What is it?”             Rarity dodged the confetti Pinkie had kicked up with the force of her landing and drew in a bit closer to share the secret. “Do you remember the day he gave me his fire ruby?”             “You mean that one time where Spike turned into a super huge dragon, grabbed you, and ran off to the mountains? And then the Wonderbolts tried to save you and totally beefed it, but it was okay because Spike realized what a jerk he was being thanks to some of the stuff you said that made him shrink to his normal size?”             There was hardly anything friendly in the smile Rarity produced. “Yes, Pinkie. Precisely. How oddly specific.”             “It’s not exactly hard to forget.”             Unfortunately. “I only used the fire ruby once for the dress Spike destroyed, but I kept it in case I wanted to wear it again sometime. Since I haven’t, I’ll give it back to him.”             In fact, she had nearly forgotten she still had it, but she wasn’t going to tell Pinkie that.             Pinkie’s tendril used the pencil it still had to scribble something on her notepad. After finishing, it wrapped around her notepad. The tendril pulled both items out of sight into her curly mane. “What a great idea. I can say with full confidence that he will love receiving that ruby as a gift. It’s probably really tasty by now.”             “I’ll stop by Sugarcube Corner later this afternoon with the ruby so we can have it wrapped and ready for next week.”             “Sounds great! I’ll be waiting.”             Rarity watched as everything Pinkie Pie had done since coming into the room rewound itself. It defied explanation. Pinkie’s body became blurry and distorted as she reached the part where she had been waiting on the drafting table. Rarity blinked and rubbed her eyes. When she opened her eyes again, Pinkie Pie had vanished along with all her effects. She had to be a unicorn. Invisible ink hid her horn.             Since the party was over, Rarity sat at her drafting table and opened the folder Mud had given her. A stack of documents awaited her perusal. The thorough questionnaire she had made for commissions was on top. A check carrying her fee was attached to it with a pink paper clip. Rarity skimmed through the paperwork. All the questions were answered. Rarity required measurements be taken by a professional tailor if she wasn’t doing them so the numbers wouldn’t be off by a few digits. The numbers were written in a different style than the rest of the document and the tailor’s business card was stapled to the page containing the numbers and his signature. Rain had no known allergies or aversions to an illustrated list of fabrics and materials at the end of the dossier.             Rarity moved on. Rain had torn five pages out of a bridal magazine. Certain features were circled in red ink with sticky notes filled to their capacity accompanying the highlights. Three professionally taken photographs of Rain looking quite perky underneath lighting that complemented her form were included as further references. An additional photograph was at the bottom of the stack. Mazurka Waltz was giving Rarity a smile and a wink. He’d autographed the photo and included a personalized message, urging her to dazzle him.             Everything was in order. There were no red flags. Before Rarity really got into designing the wedding dress, she decided to take care of the fire ruby. She closed the curtains and fetched the key to the room from a drawer packed with pincushions. Rarity left the room and locked the door, activating an enchantment set in place to keep the room safe from intrusion. Any attempt to get in by anyone other than her would inflict a great deal of confusion on the prowler.             Rarity entered her bedroom. The door to her walk-in closet was ajar. She clicked her tongue while pushing it open. Opalescence was inside, satisfying her feline curiosity by batting at the hem of a dress she had worn last year to Sweetie Belle’s school play.             “Opal!” Rarity waved her hoof around. “Stop that immediately! Shoo!”             The noise Opal produced made it seem like she had been trained to go for the throat.             “Honestly, why must you always get into my things?”             Opal dodged Rarity’s hoof and darted out of the closet. Having to discipline her was never pleasant. The dress wasn’t damaged. No claws had been used. It was a lot to be thankful for. Rarity could still wear it. Technically. If she had a reason to.             At the back of the closet was an armoire specifically dedicated to her jewelry. She kept it open for easier access. The fire ruby had been right next to her ten-carat diamond necklace. Her heart began beating against her chest the way it did during the middle of an intense workout. There was her favorite diamond necklace. And right next to it was where the fire ruby was supposed to be. Last she checked. Probably. Some of her dresses rustled against each other due to the speed she reached while shooting out of her closet.             This was no time to panic. There were still other places it could be. She came to a stop just outside the entrance to her bedroom and faced the wall that marked the end of the hallway. Rarity sent her aura forward through the wall and manipulated the switch on the other side. A muffled click filtered through the false wall. Rarity put a hoof on the wall and pushed in the revolving door. Hidden from plain sight and potential ruffians looking to make a name for themselves by selling something in the possession of an Element of Harmony on the black market was a room just big enough to accommodate a large safe.             The ticking noise of the dial was almost soothing as she entered the combination. Another click. Rarity swung the door open too fast. She put a hoof out to stop the door from leaving a dent in the wall and winced as it smashed against her foreleg. The wall remained undamaged. Gold ingots, silver ingots, bonds, deeds, and a few mementos were before her. No fire ruby, though. Groaning in exasperation, Rarity closed the safe, stepped out of the hidden room, and locked it behind her.             There were times when she had forgotten where she had put something. She liked to think of herself as above such carelessness, but that didn’t prevent it from happening once in a great while. A distinct memory played through her head. She was a foal again, tearing through her parents house in search of a chunk of strawberry quartz the size of a cantaloupe that she had unearthed in the outer reaches of the elementary school playground near a grove of trees. A cleric who happened to be a part-time mystic had received permission to approach her during recess and ask for it, having heard about her find from a merchant in the market who was the father of one of her classmates. Rarity could still hear her parents laughing at her. Had she looked in the last place it’d be?             Rarity cast her gem-finding spell in the bathroom. Nothing. Her jaw popped under the strain of her clenched teeth. She loved her parents, but it hadn’t been good advice then and it wasn’t doing her any good now. The rest of the memory came back to her while she looked in the bathroom mirror to make sure her agitation wasn’t spoiling her beauty. Rarity hadn’t found the strawberry quartz until she moved out. It had been in the back of her closet. Where she had looked. Twice.             Sweetie Belle. She hadn’t been in the habit of taking items from Rarity without asking. There was a chance she might have asked Rarity if she could borrow it while Rarity was busy and she hadn’t gotten around to returning it yet. If that wasn’t the case, Rarity would need to begin accepting the possibility that she had been robbed, which was preposterous. The worst crime Ponyville had dealt with in the past year had involved a merchant selling fake goods. Everything else was loudmouths and colts being colts.             She rushed out her front door and took five steps in a gallop when she realized she had forgotten to put up her away sign. This was beginning to be more than she could take. Why did the universe insist on tormenting her? To balance out the luck and good looks she had been blessed with. But still, why? She had too much good karma for this sort of thing to occur. Whimpering, Rarity went back inside and stuck her away sign on the door. She wrestled with the clock dial. Ten minutes. No, fifteen. Thirty. Just to be safe.             It occurred to her that there was a high possibility she would bump into Mud while he was on the critically acclaimed tour of the town. Rarity’s childhood home happened to be on the list of stops. Her parents used to entertain tourists with only the most embarrassing stories about her until she had begged them to stop. Now they simply smiled and waved from the safety of their living room. If Mud saw her, he might think it was rather peculiar of her to be taking a walk after she had just been given such a large job to do.             “Oh, yes,” Rarity said to herself. “You would just love that, wouldn’t you? You who can’t get enough of toying with me. Haven’t you been doing too well lately, Rarity? Yes, you have. We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Rarity caught herself. “Stop it, Rarity, you’re acting like Twilight.”             Rarity had business with her family. If she needed to see them, it wasn’t because she was slacking off. She still approached their home cautiously. To her relief, a flock of tourists weren’t standing in the spot they always stood in. Rarity made her way to the front door. Sweetie Belle would be in school, but either her mother or father would still be at home.             The door opened as Rarity reached for the doorbell and her mother stepped outside.             “Rarity, what a nice surprise. I seen ya comin’ from a mile away. Looked like ya were in a big hurry.”             How she had avoided picking up her parents’ thick accents was something she never got tired of appreciating. “Yes, you’re right. I suppose I am, so I’m afraid this isn’t a social call.”             “Well, it’s always good to see ya, kid.”             Cookie Crumbles moved in to hug her daughter. Rarity accepted. It was a feeling that wouldn’t be there forever. She cherished it.             “Whatcha need? Didjya run outta bakin’ sodah again?”             “No. I just need to have a quick look around, is all.”             Rarity ignored the look her mother gave her and headed for Sweetie Belle’s room. The door was closed. It would be rude to barge in unannounced when she wasn’t at home. Rarity put her head as close to door as she could get without touching it. Her spell revealed a single piece of pyrite inside a box underneath Sweetie Belle’s bed. Rarity smiled. It might have been gold for fools, but Sweetie Belle had thought enough about it to keep it.             The attic was Rarity’s next destination. Her mother followed her. Eventually, she would ask the question and Rarity would have to give the answer. The result was predictable. She would delay it for as long as possible.             Her father was on his way down from the attic when she reached the stairs. He had a cardboard box in his aura. “Oh, heya, Rarity. Didn’t hear ya come in. Have you saved Equestria again this week?”             Rarity held her head high. “No, but I did happen to gain the trust of a very important client.”             Her father blinked a few times. “Oh. Congrats. You know what you’re doin’. You’ll knock their socks off.”             It was clear which of her stories he preferred.             “Lemme squeeze pastcha, Rarity,” her father said.             “What have you got there, anyway?” Rarity asked.             “A friend of mine was lookin’ through his stuff a week ago and he found Triple Play’s rookie card. He took it to a hobby shop and got a thousand bits for it. I’m pretty sure I have that card somewhere as well. You gonna stay for lunch?”             Rarity ascended into the attic. “I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry.”             “Want us to bring it over to your shop?” her mother asked from the bottom of the steps.             Boxes of varying shapes and sizes loomed over Rarity. What were the odds she had left anything here? “That would be fine.”             Her spell revealed her mother’s old jewelry along with a few gold and silver ingots she had given to her parents. Carelessness or theft were the only two remaining possibilities. She settled on negligence, submitting to the reality that she wasn’t perfect. Today had been going very well. An extreme high and now a terrible low. Balance had been restored to her life.             “What are you lookin’ for, Rarity?” her mother asked from behind her.             “It doesn’t matter. It’s not here, anyway.” Rarity cringed. She had said too much.             Her father chuckled. “Didjya look in the last place it would be?”             “Yes. Not only is my fire ruby absent from my bathroom, it doesn’t appear to be in your attic, either.”             She earned a scoff from her mother. “I guess you’ll just have to use that fancy gem findin’ spell all over Ponyville until you find it, then.”             Rarity pulled out a box bearing her name. The box she had chosen contained old toys. She pulled out a Brain Twister that had been tucked away unsolved. “That sounds exhausting.”             “Have Princess Twilight help yah, then,” her father offered.             A few idle rotations of the Brain Twister left it in a solved state. She still had it. Rarity dropped it back into her box. “I like the first suggestion more.”             Her mother’s eyes went wide. “Are you two not talkin’? What happened?”             “We’re talking, Mother. I don’t want to ask for her help because it would make me look bad. The fire ruby originally belonged to Spike. He gave it to me and in my blissful ignorance I have completely forgotten where I put it.”             “I’m sure it will turn up somewhere. Try thinkin’ like a fire ruby. If you were one, where would you be?”             If she were a fire ruby, she wouldn’t be easy to find. Having been in hiding somewhere at the bottom of a volcano, only a dragon would be able to get to her safely. Odds were she’d be eaten the second she was discovered. A wiser dragon would hoard her until it could no longer tolerate how agonizing it was to age her. Then she would be given to some beautiful fashionista who would wear her once, put her in a cabinet, and promptly forget about her. She’d gather dust until someone or something came across her who thought more of her than the fashionista did.             “I’ll keep that in mind while I’m looking for it,” Rarity said.             “Your father and I could help, if yah want.”             “Let me see if I can find it first. If not, I’ll have both of you over. Until then, I’ve got to get back to work.”             “Alright, we’ll see yah when we drop off lunch, then,” her father said.             They left the attic together. Before heading outside, Rarity peered out the living room window. Sure enough, Mud was outside by the dock admiring the pond with a gaggle of would-be paparazzi. If she slipped out the back door, chances were high she could avoid bumping into them. A better idea replaced the initial plan immediately.             “Mother, Father, do you two think you could go distract those adorable tourists for a few minutes while I leave?”             Her mother almost leapt in excitement. “Yah mean you’re going to let us talk to visitors again?”             “I never said you couldn’t. I only requested you not share stories about me that I’d like to keep private.”             “There’s a whole lotta those,” her father said.             “Yes, there is. Don’t they ever ask anything about either of you?”             “There’s not much to us, Rarity,” her mother said. “You know that.”             “Fine. Forget what I have said. Just don’t tell anyone about the time I ate the honey scented soap bar. Especially to that group since I’m supposed to be working for one of them right now. I’ll tolerate everything else.”             Her parents hurried out the front door, eager to make new friends. Rarity exited through the back entrance and set out for her boutique. If she could not find the fire ruby by the time the evening arrived, she would report it stolen. It sounded so absurd. Theft in a town where six experienced adventurers lived, the victim being one of them. A seasoned professional had to have done it. She shuddered at the thought of someone breaking into her home. Why had they only taken one thing from her? It made no sense.             Rarity reached her boutique and went through her front door, being sure to grab the sign on her way in. All her mannequins were stripped and arranged to be facing her the moment she stepped inside. The curtains had been closed in her absence, leaving very little light in the room. She backed up into the closed door, the hair on her coat standing on edge in alarm. She noticed a card lying on the ground. It had been put there for her to find. Rarity fetched a pink hoofkerchief from her available inventory and used it along with her hoof to pick up the card. Magic or the imprint of her hoof might soil the evidence. Triple Play was on the card, at bat and ready to hit another home run with a wad of salty bubblegum pushed into the cheek facing the camera. The back of the card displayed his stats instead of a message.             Rarity turned the card around and saw Discord staring back at her, dressed as Triple Play. He gave her a wave. She yelped and tossed the card on the ground. A red, pulsating vortex in the shape of a door appeared from nowhere out of her floor. Discord stepped out.             The door receded into the floor and vanished behind Discord. “Good morning.”             It had been a good morning. Once upon a time.             “I trust you have a good explanation for spying on me?” Rarity asked.             “Where did you get that idea?” Discord countered.             “It’s not obvious? The baseball card.”             “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. I’ve got a million different ways to make an appearance while you girls are still around and I’d like to get through a good chunk of them.”             Jumping to conclusions was only going to make her look silly. She reined in her anger and decided he was telling the truth. For now. Rarity assumed he was here on business since she couldn’t imagine him ever paying her a social call and decided to treat him like a potential customer. “To what do I owe this pleasure? Are you looking for a new suit? I haven’t made one for a Draconequus, but I’m sure there’s nothing to it. Measurements do most of the work.”             Discord snapped his eagle talons. Rarity’s mannequins returned to their original positions and her curtains opened themselves.             “I’m just checking up on you, is all. You didn’t notice Fluttershy giving you a friendly wave while you were on your way to wherever it was you had to get to in such a hurry. You were also talking to yourself. That had us both worried. What’s got the Element of Generosity in such a tizzy? Income inequality?”             That was good for a laugh, but he didn’t deserve the credit.             “It’s nothing you need to be concerned about.”             “Good, because I’m only asking for a friend.”             Slick. “If you must know, the fire ruby Spike gave me has gone missing and I can’t figure out if it has been stolen or misplaced. I wanted to give it back to him on his birthday, but I might not be able to.”             Discord blinked a few times and leaned in. “A dragon parted with a fire ruby? What did you want it for?”             “A dress.”             Discord burst out laughing and fell to the floor. She wasn’t amused. A giant chicken feather appeared out of nowhere. It went for the spot right above her stomach before she could avoid it. In no time at all, she was on the floor laughing along with him.             “How ridiculous!” Discord exclaimed while catching his breath. “And you probably just tossed it in your closet after only wearing it once, didn’t you?”             The feather vanished. Rarity got up off the floor, thankful she spent so much time vacuuming it. She had to catch her breath before speaking. “Yes. Would you like a medal?”             He straightened up in an instant, leaving no trace of his laughing fit behind. “Give one to that misguided, lovesick reptile. Has he ever asked you to give it back to him? Probably not, right? Not with Twilight there to drill gift giving etiquette into him.”             “Discord, you are making me feel worse. What makes you think you can just barge in here and start insulting me? I thought we had at least managed to come to respect one another through your friendship with Fluttershy.”             “I do respect you, Rarity. That gives me the right to be honest with you, doesn’t it? Unfortunately for you and everyone else, honesty doesn’t always account for feelings. With that in mind, here’s something you need to hear.” Discord snapped the toes of his lion paw together and they were both standing in her closet. He gestured to all the dresses in their view. “You hoard. No wonder that schmuck likes you so much. And don’t give me that spiel about how each of these dresses is oh, so precious. You could honestly make do with twenty of them, but then the size of this closet would begin to look rather silly.”             “If you are trying to imply that I lost the fire ruby simply because I have too many personal items, you’re wrong.”             “But it certainly wouldn’t hurt. Do you even still fit in the one you wore for prom?”             No. Stupid hips. “As if I’d answer that.”             Discord put a talon to his lips and looked around. “Is it still in here? May I see it?”             “You can’t.”             “Why? Because it’s in storage?”             Rarity didn’t answer and stepped out of her closet.             “I was wondering what you were going to do when you reached the end of this closet!” Discord called after her.             She needed to get away from him. Dropping him off at Fluttershy’s was the only method that would work. The door to her bedroom was shut. Rarity attempted to open it. Someone had locked it from the other side. Possessing the ability to teleport rarely ceased being enviable, but it was beyond her skill. She headed for her window. Calling out for help might get him to leave. If that didn’t work, a pegasus stallion would be able to fly her to the ground.             Rarity opened her window. Instead of seeing what should have naturally been on the other side, she saw into her bedroom from her open door. The image was manipulated to accommodate the window. She could see herself looking out the window looking into her bedroom. It wasn’t going to work. She closed the window and turned to face Discord, noting that her bedroom door had been returned to normal and left open.             “Alright, Rar, settle down,” Discord said.             “Do not ever call me that again.”             “Life only comes with one guarantee: that it will end. You know, a fire ruby would have been a fine gift for that little rug rat, but what would you say if I told you I knew of something much better?”             “That depends. Is this part of some game or are you being serious?”             Discord clapped his claw and paw together and a box wrapped in gift paper bearing a pattern of Twilight Sparkle making unflattering faces appeared from nothing. The one with her intentionally protruding her upper jaw with half lidded eyes almost got a snicker out of Rarity. She unwrapped it carefully to save the paper so she could burn it later if Discord didn’t put it back wherever he had pulled it from. A hideous green box was underneath the paper. Rarity took off the lid.             Nestled in velvet was a gem stone cut in the shape of a heart. The outer edges were black and something very interesting was in its center. A frozen universe was trapped inside the gem. Rarity took it out and gave it a closer examination. The only ingredient she recognized was onyx, which was the equivalent of bread to dragons.             “Don’t strain yourself, it’s a replicate,” Discord said. “The recipe to make this isn’t widely known, but I still remember it quite well.”             The frozen universe had captured the other half of her attention. She imagined it functioned like a creamy nugget. The onyx would taste like dark chocolate. “And what is it made of?”             “As you’ve no doubt deduced, the base is onyx. The other ingredients include celevite, lunatoite, and moonstone capable of holding a magical charge.”             Rarity stopped admiring the gem and looked at Discord. “You’re joking.”             “I figured you’d say that.”             “Moonstone is nearly impossible to enchant. Any piece of it that can be enchanted is already in use. And celevite is one thing, but if you know the location of a vein of lunatoite, you’re doing the Royal Guard a great disservice by not sharing it with Celestia since they make the best weapons and armor out of it.”             The impressive gem started melting. She had managed to upset him. It wasn’t hard. Rarity held the gem over the box it had come in so nothing would get on the floor since he might not clean it up if she had offended him.             “So, you don’t want my help?” Discord asked. “Have fun looking for that boring fire ruby, then.”             Rarity let what was left of the gem drop into the box with a splash. Some of it got on her coat, reminding her of the texture of syrup. She fought through the urge to clean and held out an imploring hoof to Discord, who was a moment away from teleporting to the safety of Fluttershy’s cottage. “Wait! I’m sorry, I spoke out of turn. You are telling the truth and I am being rude. Please stay a moment and let’s work out a deal.”             Discord narrowed his eyes at her and grinned. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. The liquefied remains of the gem slid off her coat, fell to the ground, and went back to the puddle in the box. Once the gem had finished reassembling itself, it floated into the air. Rarity squinted. Somehow, it had taken on a much more vibrant appearance.             “I offer you a choice, Rarity,” Discord said. “The gem is no longer a replicate. You can take it now and give it to Spike, but it won’t be nearly as delicious as it would be if you chose the second option, which would be to make it yourself.”             “And the catch for the tastier gem is what, exactly?”             “Why, you’ll have to go and gather the ingredients with me as your guide, of course.”             Adventuring was bad enough. Doing it with Discord would be even more of a pain. He’d relish in every second of her misery, but it would be for a good cause.             “I know this might be asking too much, but can I expect you not to put my life in danger if I go on a quest with you?” Rarity asked.             Discord gave her a boop. “You drive a hard bargain. As amusing as it would be to watch you bumble through a gauntlet blindfolded, I’ll step in if you’re about to get stung by a deadly scorpion.”             “Let’s not dress this up,” Rarity said. “You will make sure I don’t get killed. Have I made myself clear?”             “Oh, please. Cae Cae would never let me hear the end of it.”             A white dinner plate bearing Celestia’s cutie mark appeared near Discord’s head.             The plate started shaking. “How could you?” Luna’s voice demanded in place of Celestia’s. “She was a national treasure, but she was more than that to me! She was my---”             Discord pulled out a megaphone to speak over Luna’s voice. “Can you imagine hearing that for eternity? I know you’re mortal, but give it a try anyway.” Both props vanished.             Rarity noticed her ears were ringing. Discord shoved an uncut diamond in front of her face. She had to take a step back. He was holding it in his lion paw.             “May I ask a personal question?”             He was in her bedroom, after all.             “Yes, but I may choose not to answer it.”             “Do you know how to do this?” Discord used the talons on his eagle claw to give the diamond an emerald cut.             “You make it look very easy,” Rarity replied. “I am familiar with the process, but I’m no expert, if that’s what you’re trying to ask. Is that a bad thing?”             “No, I’ll help you. Do you know a jeweler who has a work station for those who can use magic to keep the rest of his shop from going up in smoke? I like to play it fast and loose.”             “What, you can’t just conjure one up?”             “I could, but a natural one would work better.”             “You’re in luck. I studied under a master goldsmith for a little while to learn how to cut gems before I started making dresses. We became friends. He has a shop with all the equipment we would need to process raw materials. I haven’t spoken with him in a while, but I’m sure he’d let me use his tools for an afternoon.”             “Splendid. Send him a letter immediately.”             “How much of my time is all of this going to take?” Rarity asked. “In addition to being subjected to your sadistic whims, I have to make a wedding dress for a very important client.”             “Convenient.”             “Such is life.”             Rarity’s bedroom was filled almost to the ceiling with onyx. She found herself holding a kickboard and noticed the rocks moved around as if they were water. Discord came floating by on an inflatable bed, sipping cider out of a battered clay goblet.             “I’m sure you’re swimming in onyx since it’s so common, so we don’t have to worry about going farther than the local market to get the amount we’ll need.” Discord offered Rarity the old goblet, which she declined. “We can gather the other three items over the course of three days. On the fourth day, we can make the gem at your ex-coltfriend’s parlor. I’ll try to have you home in time for supper every day. How’s that?”             A dolphin jumped out of the onyx, slammed headfirst into the ceiling, and belly flopped back into the rock ocean.             “It’s agreeable,” Rarity said.             The ocean disappeared through an invisible drain, taking the dolphin and swimming gear with it. A lime green wall appeared near the center of the room. It was just large enough to hang the cuckoo clock Discord placed on it. No support was provided to keep the hideous piece of drywall upright, but that didn’t keep it from remaining perfectly balanced.             “I’ll be here tomorrow morning at ten. Make sure you’re ready.”             “Ten?” Rarity asked. “What’s keeping you from being here earlier?”             “My beauty sleep. The day starts at ten.”             In his world.             He tossed an orange saddlebag at her, which landed right at her front hoofs. “That’s yours. Nothing goes in there except what’s already in it and the rocks we’re after. Be careful. It’s a bottomless bag.”             “Aren’t those dangerous?”             “Only if you’re an idiot. Try not to fall into it and you’ll be fine.”             Curious to see what he had allowed her to leave with, Rarity opened the saddlebag. A mirror, a brush, an emergency makeup kit with her preferred colors, and a package of sanitary wipes would be in her inventory while out questing. The items floated above a black void. If he had thought enough to provide her with these tools of comfort, she was in for a lot of work.             Discord wiggled his claw and paw in excitement. “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun together, Rarity. I can see it now. And just think. After all this is finished, you’ll have a story to tell that might make up for staying in Ponyville while Twilight, Fluttershy, and Applejack flew over the ocean to save the Salamanders from their own stupidity.”             A vein in her forehead popped out. “Wait just a minute. That isn’t fair. I was not invited to that excursion.”             “Gee, I wonder why.”             “If Twilight had thought I would have been useful, she would have said something and I would have gone. Not just as an Element, but as a friend she needed. I would have put up with the terrible weather and the abominable plant creature for her. I wouldn’t have liked it all that much, but I still would have done it.”             “How much are you willing to put up with for Spike?”             “Just as much, if not more. I should have given him that silly gem after I determined I was never going to wear it again. I will make this right. He’s a dragon of character. The Crystal Kingdom has even made songs about him. He’s earned whatever it is we’re going to be making.”             “I’ll hold you to all of that, Rarity. Incidentally, the closest approximation to Ponish I can think of for the recipe we’re working with would be a Bonding Stone.”             “Sounds appetizing.”             “I’m sure he’d share a bite with you if you ask.”             “I’ll pass.”             Discord opened Rarity’s window, ushering in a chill warning of the approaching winter. “That was all rather riveting. I’m glad we could come to an agreement. If you need to get a hold of me before tomorrow morning, Fluttershy will be able to put us in touch. Be sure to hit the sack early, Rarity. You’re going to need the rest.”             He squatted as if to leap out the window and passed through the floor out of sight without leaving any damage behind. The window shut itself.             Now that all the distractions were safely out of the way, Rarity put on her orange saddlebag and headed straight for her inspiration room. A lot of work needed to be done. Plans needed to be sketched. Orders for materials she didn’t have would need to be placed. Discord wasn’t going to make their outing easy on her. Trying to be creative while exhausted from a day of work was a lot like attempting to climb up a mountain while only using a sledgehammer. She intended to have a good start on Rain’s wedding dress by the time tomorrow morning came around.