EPISODE SIXTEEN
Over the past couple of days since Rarity came home, Spike made good on his promise and helped train her to get used to her new self.
Her strength had indeed increased, and thanks to her scales, her endurance was much stronger too. She could even grab onto really hot things a lot easier than she used to be able to.
Naturally, there were things she had to work on… such as flying. Now that her wings were double-crossed with both scales and feathers, they couldn’t balance and hold the wind currents as easily.
“Take it easy.” Spike called to her as he flew with her, “Don’t flap so hard and so fast, just nice and easy. One and two, and one and two…”
Rarity slowly began to get the hang of it, but needed more practice.
She also had a hard time controlling her fire breathing, especially whenever she sneezed, or even belched. Trying to hold it in only made it come out through her nostrils.
Spike taught her to breathe easy, and that fire-breathing was sensitive to the pitch of her voice as well as how hard she exhaled.
“You also need to keep it well fed,” he told her “Eat a good diet of iron.”
He demonstrated by preparing a special dinner for her one night, which consisted of huge salads packed with loads of iron packed vegetables, and a few diamonds on top… which Rarity passed up.
“I don’t believe I’ve quite acquired the tasted for precious gems yet.”
“Suit yourself.” said Spike as he popped a gem in his mouth and swallowed it whole. “Yum…! It’s better than eating coal or sulfur.”
Both of them gagged at the idea!
Easily, the hardest thing Rarity had to adjust with was her claws, especially when it came to her sewing. She would accidently poke holes in the fabric, shred it to pieces, or sew it all in weird and poor ways due to having a hard time adjusting her hands.
Of course, she was still able to use her magic to get the jobs done, but in order to more swiftly and do multiple things at once, she needed to use her hands.
“Here, let me help you…” said Spike, and he guided her to keep her claws steady to pass the fabric through the machine, in a very soft and romantic scene.
The two then stared into each other’s eyes, and shared a romantic embrace.
Then, one day, while they were walking hand-in-hand, or claw-in-claw-- whichever it was preferred-- while their other hands pushed the baby carriage with little Twilight in it.
“Excuse me…” someone said.
An Earth Pony who was holding a camera came up and asked, “Colonel Rarity, could I have a picture of you please?”
He explained that he worked for a fashion magazine, which she often was mentioned in. “Everyone across the planet heard of your accident, and they’re so happy you made it, but we’d all like to see the new you; start new fashion trends and ideals.”
Naturally, Rarity couldn’t object to that and allowed him to a couple of shots… only of her of course. Spike was asked to keep himself and the baby out of the shot.
No sooner had he finished did a newspaper photographer come by and wanted shots of Rarity too, followed by a scout agent, and fashionista in search of new juicy ideals, and thought Rarity’s new looks would be perfect.
Rarity couldn’t seem to get enough of the attention as she posed and posed, until about Sundown, and Twilight was starting to get cranky and hungry, and Spike knew she needed to get home.
“Um… Rarity…” he called to her “We should really be getting home.”
His wife didn’t seem to hear him much.
“Rarity…?”
“Oh, could you take Twilight home please, dear.” she called to him “I’m afraid I’m a little busy. I’ll catch up with you later.”
That later turned out to be much, much later; until well after dark, and poor Spike had barely managed to care for Twilight and put her to bed, and it wasn’t until that he climbed into bed himself did his wife return.
Rarity seemed exhausted for all the excessive posing she had done that day. “Oh, Spike…” she groaned.
“Rarity!” cried Spike “What happened to you?” not that he already couldn’t guess. “You were posing out there all this time.”
Rarity was just too tired to talk about it, or even want anything to eat. She just wanted to crawl into bed and fall right to sleep.
“Um, Rarity…” he said softly to her “Remember you and I have a full schedule tomorrow.”
His wife only groaned, “Mmm…!” and slept like a rock.
Spike was not convinced she had heard him.
Two days later…
Ever since Starla found Dearka’s locket she had been examining it very thoroughly. It was far too burnt up and charred for regular computer scans to identify anything.
“Ahem.” Lightning said to her “If you can put that down for just a minute or several, we do have reports to look over.”
He pointed at a huge pile of papers sent from soldiers all over the planet the nearby star-systems.
“I’m sorry…” said Starla “I just know I’ve seen the symbol on this locket before. I’ve been going through all the reports of every planet I’ve ever studied or been to, but there’s something else I’ve noticed, and it’s been bothering me a little.”
“What’s that?”
His wife held up a perfect photo copy of charred picture from within the locket, “Doesn’t this creature have a slight familiar resemblance?”
Lightning looked at the picture and shook his head, “It’s too charred. I can’t make out what species this is.”
“No,” said Starla “Does this creature look like someone we’ve seen recently?”
Her husband looked really hard at the faded picture, and while most of it was burned away, the eyes and the slight revealed of the faded nose made him gasp, “…Dearka!”
Starla nodded.
“Are you suggesting this is Dearka?” asked Lightning.
“It could be.” said Starla “But there’s only one way to know for certain. I’m going to go see Zecora.”
“Ahem…!” Lightning said and pointed at the reports.
His wife giggled nervously, but Lightning smiled at her, “Since this is for information of the enemy, I’ll consider it the greater need.”
She pecked him sweetly for that.
Suddenly, Krysta appeared. “Lightning, you better look at this.” she said handing him a red envelope with a black star mark on it.
This meant a Starfleet officer had been neglecting their duties. He had to personally looking into this.
“Krysta, can you watch the baby for us?” asked Starla “I don’t dare take him into New Everfree.”
“Sure,” said Krysta “But what are you up to?”
“We’ll explain later.” said Lightning “Right now I’ve got a scolding to give.”
Then he and Starla were out the door, and Starla made sure to take the locket with her.
Meanwhile…
Ever since he had lost his locket, Dearka’s anger and hatred had been at all-time high, much to King Von Devilor’s Delight, but he was concerned about his focus.
“Dearka, your overly developed rage is blinding you. I am concerned of how this shall affect your skills in our mission.”
Scarlet chuckled, “Yeah, if we send him on a mission he’ll botch it right at the start.”
Dearka growled thunderously at her. “If you think you can handle the mission, why don’t you take it?”
“Ooh, I never thought I’d hear you surrender a mission to Me.” taunted Scarlet
The two Devils growled at each other, forcing their king put up a powerful blue blaze between them. “Enough of this bickering!” he bellowed “You shall both return to United Equestria and take on the next mission to gather energy together. I have spoken!”
The two growled at each other again and turned away, but Scarlet was secretly delighted about this as she thought, “If all goes well, I just may be able to expose Dearka for the fraud he is. No faker is going to stand in my way of becoming The Greatest Devil Warrior!”
The two vanished and were gone, leaving Von Devilor to snicker sinisterly as he thought, “I will do whatever it takes to get what I want…
…Anything!”
The way he was thinking, he didn’t seem to show too much concern for his two generals, or if the chances were they would botch the mission.
The large glowing on his lower forum began to stir again, but whatever it was it hardly even made him flinch.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie was on her patrol rounds, skipping rather merrily at that.
Suddenly, as she passed Carousel Boutique, she was distracted by the flashes of cameras.
She turned and looked, and saw no less than a dozen photographers take multiple shots of Rarity as she posed on a pedestal, in a rather ravishing gown.
“Hey Rarity!” she called to her, causing Rarity to nearly lose her balance.
“Oh, really, Pinkie Pie; can’t you see I’m terribly busy now?”
The photographers agreed with her and asked Pinkie to keep well away while they continued the shoot.
Pinkie felt most upset as she stomped to the side and sulked.
“You too, huh?” said Spike as he came along with baby Twilight in her carriage.
Pinkie smiled at the baby and tickled her little chin. “Where did you guys come from?” asked Pinkie.
“I took her for a walk because the photographers asked me to leave, and take Twilight with me so her cries wouldn’t bother Rarity.”
He explained that ever since Rarity’s body change, fashion magazines, and writers had been flocking from all over to get shots and interviews with “The New Rarity”
He held up one of the magazines which showed Rarity on the cover, posing with a kissy face and batting her long eye-lashes.
The cover story read: “Dazzling Dragony Dressing.”
“Wow!” said Pinkie as she took a look inside at all the many pictures of Rarity in different outfits “She’s really become popular with this whole Dragony thing.”
“That’s just it!” snapped Spike “All this fame and glamour had gone way to her head, worse than anything ever has before.
I woke up this morning to find she was already out here photo shooting, which meant I had to make breakfast for both myself, and Twilight.
Then Twilight needed a diaper change, but we’d run out, so I just went out with her to get some.”
“Oh, my…!” said Pinkie.
“And that’s not half of it; Rarity’s supposed to be training with me today to understand how her new body and powers work, and she missed her doctor’s appointment too.”
Ever since Rarity had gotten out of bed, Dr. Penny had insisted upon seeing Rarity once a week for a month to see how she was getting in her new forum.
“Ohhhh…!!” groaned Pinkie “How worse can it get?”
She just had to open her big mouth and say that, because right at that very moment, a mare came along looking huffy.
“Excuse me!” she called “But I believe Rarity had written to me saying now that she had returned she would finish that expensive ball gown I commissioned her to make. It has been a week since her return, and where is the gown?”
Spike sighed; he knew the gown was still incomplete inside. Rarity had been working on, but ever since her new fame started, she had neglected to finish it.
“That’s it!” he snapped, and he asked Pinkie to watch the baby as he marched straight over and called to his wife “Rarity, did you ever finish that dress? Your client is here!
Rarity gasped when she saw her angrily client, “Oh, no!!” she screamed in horror “I promised I’d have it finished today!”
In her panic she had lost her balance and slipped off the pedestal, and part of her long dress flopped over her head.
Rarity scrambled to get back up, and pull the dress off of her face… forgetting about her claws… and she accidently shredded right through the expensive fabrics.
She screamed blue murder, “...MY DRESS!!”
“Rarity, don’t scream!” warned Spike “If you scream too hard you’ll--” too late! Rarity had accidently breathed a small burst of flames from her mouth, charring more of her dress, and nearly exposing her naked body for all to see.
She screamed even louder which made her fire more flames up high in the air, nearly hitting Rainbow Dash on the way.
“Hey, turn down the heat!” she bellowed.
All this, and the photographers flabbergasted… Rarity felt so humiliated that she dashed inside in a trail of tears and slammed the door behind her!
“Ohh…!!” Spike groaned as he held his head.
The photographers actually started snapping shots of him in his shameful state, until he gave them a good dragon growl, warning them to back off, and then he rushed inside after his wife, leaving Pinkie with baby Twilight.
“Okay… what was all that about?” asked Rainbow.
Dearka and Scarlet saw the whole thing while peeking from around the corner.
“Ooooh… a little argument in the making.” hissed Scarlet “This is the perfect chance for us to absorb their hatred.”
Dearka didn’t seem to care much for that at moment, all he was concerned with was finding his locket, but first he had to make sure he knew which of them had his locket, if any of them did have it.
“When I find whichever of them has it,” he thought “I will make them wish they had never been born!”
Twilight began to cry without her parents around.
“Oh, don’t cry, little Twilight.” Pinkie hushed as she rocked the infant in her arms.
He rocking actually soothed the baby.
Rainbow thought it sweet and patted her little head. “You know, Pinkie, you’re really good at this stuff with babies.”
Pinkie sighed “Ever since Pumpkin and Pound were very little I’ve looked after kids for a long time.”
She continued to rock the baby until she fell asleep in her arms, and then she placed her down in the carriage.
“You know, if I didn’t know better,” teased Rainbow “I’d say you’d like to be a mom yourself.”
Pinkie giggled “Everyone keeps saying that to me… and they’re right. I can’t wait until I have kids of my own.”
She would have slipped into one of those dozy fantasies, but quickly snapped herself out of it for the same reason every time-- her lack of even finding a husband.
Lightning then came along and he didn’t look the least bit pleased. “Where is Rarity?” he asked rather coldly as he held up the red slip. “According to these reports, she’s missed two of her beats and neglected to report on the status of her new body like I ordered.”
Pinkie and Rainbow pointed at the shop.
Lightning moved his way past the photographers, and stopped a moment to address them. “I suggest you all leave now.”
Sensing trouble, and heeding the commander’s warning, the photographers all left the premises.
Inside, Rarity and Spike were really blowing their tops at one another.
“How could you embarrass me like that?!” thundered Rarity.
“How could you wrap yourself up so much in all the attention and spotlight?!” bellowed Spike “We were supposed to train today! You supposed to see the doctor, and you just blew off a well-paying client who still doesn’t have her dress ready!”
Lightning stepped in through the opened door, and gave Rarity his own scolding for skipping her rounds and reports. “Dereliction of Duty is a serious offense, Colonel!”
When he called someone by rank, you knew they were in big trouble.
Rarity was becoming more and more shaken, but more so by the realization of her neglect in her duties as both and officer, a seamstress as well as a wife and mother!
Before she could say anything…
“LIGHTNING…!!” Pinkie called from outside.
“GET OUT HERE, NOW!!” added Rainbow.
Lightning and the others gawked at one another, and dashed right outside to find Dearka and Scarlet, and an army of all the brainwashed photographers they had infected as they passed by.
“Who’d have thought, love for work, and fear for a simple disagreement would produce delicious fodder for us?” teased Scarlet.
The fighters didn’t look the least bit amused.
“Don’t you Devil’s ever give up?” griped Rainbow.
Dearka only looked more furious than ever. “Where is my locket?!” he bellowed.
“Your locket?” said Pinkie “We don’t have it here.”
“Last warning: Hand it over, or I’ll break you all to pieces!”
Lightning nodded at the others. It was time to transform.
“Starfleet Magic”
“HARMONY HOUR, FRIENDSHIP POWER”
“Dragon Power”
“Oh, well. Have it your way!” teased Scarlet. “…Attack!”
The photographers all rushed forth, and held up their cameras, shooting dark beams out of their lenses, forcing the fighters to dodge.
Dearka saw Lightning and dove straight for him, colliding into him and tackling him to the ground!
“Give me my locket!”
Lightning didn’t answer and instead kicked Dearka clear off of him.
The two figured coldly glared at one another.
“I don’t have your locket. My wife does.” said Lightning “We’re starting to know the truth about you Dearka. You’re not what you seem to be.”
Pinkie’s ears gave a twitch when she heard that. “…Not what he seems to be?” she muttered to herself.
In her distraction, she didn’t see a photographer about to blast her, so Rainbow came swooping in and scooped Pinkie out of the way.
“Pinkie, will you try and keep your head in the game!” scolded Rainbow.
Scarlet saw them in the air and blew them a kiss mark, which exploded in midair, causing them to lose balance and crash down hard.
Spike and Rarity leapt over to them.
“You two okay?” asked Spike.
“Just peachy.” groaned Rainbow.
Scarlet laughed “All this negativity is a feast of sensations.”
She snapped her fingers signaling the photographers to open fire again.
Spike stepped forward as the beams were fired.
“DRAGON FLAME” he unleashed a wall of fire to block the blasts, but the photographers were ready for more!
Spike prepared to break more flames.
“Not this time…” called Scarlet. “SMOOCH OF DESTRUCTION” she kissed out a mark that exploded near Spike blowing him over.
“Spike!!” cried Rarity.
“Look out!” shouted Pinkie, but the blasts struck them all, knocking them down in a shower of sparks and explosions.
“That does it!” snarled Rarity “Time for me to turn up the heat!”
She intended to breathe loads of fire at the photographers to back them off, and so she took in a deep breath, and roared with all her might, only to produce a flame big enough to barely roast a single meatball.
…She was still badly undertrained.
“Oh, dear!” she cried.
Spike could only groan in shame.
The photographers fired their blasts again.
“We’ve got to heal them!” shouted Rainbow.
“Right!” agreed Pinkie “Let’s give them a dose of the Healing of Love.”
Scarlet wasn’t willing to let them pull it off this time. “Try this…!” and she blew several more magic kisses which splatted right onto their armor, covering their energizers!
“Oh, no!” cried Rarity.
“I can’t get to it!” shouted Rainbow.
Spike then got out his sword, “I’ll have to use my finisher.”
“Stop him!” Scarlet called, and the photographers began to fire more beams at him, forcing him to dodge, leaving him little space and time to power up.
“Hang on guys, I’m coming!” shouted Lightning, but before he could make his way over, Dearka rushed for him with his claws ready.
Lightning ducked down and then head-butt the Devil right in the gut, sending him over backwards, but Dearka quickly zipped along, creeping up behind him for a slash, but Lightning zipped away himself and aimed a jump-kick at him.
Dearka blocked him with his arms, and flung him off.
The two then charged at each other, punching, kicking, and blasting their powers constantly at each other.
“Where’s my locket?” growled Dearka.
“I already told you, I haven’t got it!” protested Lightning “Does that locket really mean that much to you?”
Dearka roared and raised his claws to swipe at him, but Lightning caught his arm in his hand, and then the other.
“Answer me! Who are you really?”
Dearka seemed to boil like a kettle, with rage, and let out a huge, deathly roar, bursting with dark aura that flung Lightning back hard and even hit the photographers, the other fighters, and just missing Scarlet.
“Whoa, this is getting interesting.” she snickered to herself.
The other fighters were really growing annoyed and angrily peeled off the sticky kiss marks on their suits.
“Get rid of these!” growled Rainbow.
“Yuck!” groaned Pinkie.
Rarity slashed her claws getting rid of her mark.
“Oh, yeah!” sneered Scarlet “…I’ll just slap on some more!”
She was about to attack when…!
“STARLIGHT ARROW”
“Huh?” Scarlet turned around just in time for Starla’s arrow to strike her hard.
Lightning gave Dearka a huge punch to the face sending him off.
“Starla…!”
His wife landed right next to him clutching her bow. “Looks like I got here just in time!”
The other fighters saw their chance while Scarlet was down.
“Now, girls!” shouted Spike.
The ladies agreed, and all together they activated their energizers and Spike powered up his sword, “THE HEALING OF LOVE”
The photographers were all enveloped by the lights and healed of their infections.
“No!!” growled Scarlet “Dearka, help me out here!”
“Silence!” thundered Dearka “These two are my targets!”
Scarlet never felt so livid and began to throw insults at him like crazy. “You traitor…! You backstabber…! What gives you the right to decide who--” she stopped when Rainbow rushed forth and collided into her hard… WHAMM!! Sending her sailing up high into the air!
The others all rushed up after herm forcing her to defend herself!
One by one, the others came rushing in from different angles, and she dodged and blocked their every strike as best she could.
Finally, Pinkie grabbed her wrists and they engaged in a struggle on the ground!
The others didn’t dare try to attack fearing they would hurt Pinkie by mistake.
Starla held up the locket, much to Dearka’s fury. “Give it to me!” he demanded.
Rather than comply, Starla called him out “I know now… You’re from the Planet Vistula!”
Dearka looked stunned, as did Lightning and the others.
“What?” asked Pinkie, but in her distraction, Scarlet broke free and kicked her hard in the gut, sending her crashing along the ground.
The other fighters rushed over to help her, and Scarlet saw this as her chance to flee. “You’re about to be exposed, Dearka.” she thought, and then she was gone.
Dearka angrily decided to leave as well, without his locket, but he swore, “I’ll get you all for this, mark my words!”
Then he was gone too.
Lightning growled, and he de-transformed and so did the others, but then they all huddled around Starla.
“You’re sure he’s from Vistula?” asked Lightning.
Starla nodded, “On my way to see Zecora, I finally recognized the symbol on the locket. It’s the Vistulan Coat of Arms.” She held up the locket showing the picture inside “This is a picture of Dearka… or who he used to be.”
“What’s Vistula?” asked Pinkie.
“Vistula is a planet in a star system, located a ways north west of our own.” answered Starla “A Starfleet outpost was sent there ten years ago, as the people of the planet were falling on hard times due to wars and disagreements.”
“Wait…!” Spike interrupted “How can Dearka be from that planet? I thought The Devils originated thousands of years ago, on the other side of the universe?”
Starla agreed, “That’s what I thought too,” she held up the locket again “But analysis of this locket and the way it’s charred, it was smashed and burned just over ten years ago.”
A moment silence befell everyone.
“Darling, are you suggesting…?” Rarity asked.
“I’m not suggesting… it’s been confirmed.” said Starla “Dearka is not a full-fledged Devil, but a Vistulan who became a Devil.”
More silence followed, and everyone’s mouths hung open.
Starla went on to explain what Zecora had told her…
Zecora had dipped the locket into a special brew that didn’t hurt it, but would allow the spiritual forces to help her unlock the mystery.
“The spirits are as baffled as me,
There is little truth that they can see.” she said.
“What can they see?” asked Starla.
Zecora threw some powder in the fire to heat it up, and then poured some liquid into the brew.
POW!! A big flash of light followed by soft smoke that began to show images of the lockets and ideally what it used to be like before it was broken and charred.
“This item once contained two pictures to see.
But what happened to them is still a mystery.
It was probably something that occurred in the past,
Perhaps it was a love… which did not last.”
Starla was most astounded, but the spirits and Zecora could tell her no more.
“A love that didn’t last?” thought Pinkie “Dearka had a lover once?” part of her felt crushed at this realization, but a larger part of her was curious.
Still, there was no more information to go by.
“We’ll have to investigate this further.” said Lightning “We may even have to try and question Dearka himself when we see him again.”
Starla agreed.
“Question a Devil.” said Rainbow “Yeah, that’s probably not going to be easy.”
Lightning then turned to glare at Rarity, “And now… to deal with you!”
Rarity suddenly looked shocked, but then she remembered all the neglect she had committed, and before Lightning could say another thing. “I promise, I shall make it up.”
“Yes, you will.” agreed Lightning.
Starla step forth, “You will complete your client’s order, and then report to me and the commander for further make-up duties. Clear?”
“Yes ma’am…” agreed Rarity.
Then she turned to face her husband, “And as for you… report to me at seven tonight for a new assignment.”
“Me?” asked Spike, he would have protested but Rarity was his superior, and he caught the living smile on her face too and realized what she meant. “…Yes ma’am.”
Rarity immediately set to work to finish the dress for her client, and sent to her by mail, and included half the money she had paid in the commission as an apology.
After that, as promised, Lightning and Starla had sentenced her to a whole week of extra sentry duties and patrol rounds.
Of course, that night, at seven sharp, Spike reported to Rarity at the dining room table where his wife had set up a candlelit romantic dinner for them, and his absolute favorite food-- Gem-studded meatloaf, as her way of neglecting her family duties.
She even lit the candles herself with a teensy breath of her flames, showing she at least had that much control.
“I’m sorry Spike… I don’t know what came over me. I guess it’s been so long since I had that much attention from the camera, but a part of me should have known better.”
Her husband said nothing and kissed her softly on the mouth, showing he already forgave her, as long as she tried not to make it happen again.
So they sat down to a long, quiet, and lovely dinner.
Elsewhere, Pinkie Pie was staring out her bedroom window, looking up at the night sky.
“So Dearka’s not really a Devil.” she thought “If that’s true, maybe there’s hope for him yet, which means maybe there’s still hope for me too… for us?”
She honestly didn’t know why after all this time she was still harboring hope for romantic relations with an enemy.
That still wasn’t her only mystery. Right next to her in the same vase on the table sat that second bouquet of flowers she had gotten that time she went to the amusement parks with Apple Spice.
She knew Dearka didn’t send them.
“…I wonder who did.”
She couldn’t help but think it was sweet, whoever it was.
(Promo)
In our next episode: Cadance begins to hear a voice calling for help when no one else can, meanwhile Artie and Sunset seem to be developing relationship problems whereas Applejack and Apple Spice have plenty enough, which gives Dearka a plan to prove himself to Von Devilor when he overhears the possibility of being replaced!
How will the relationships turn out, and what is Dearka’s true fate?
Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”
(Next Episode: “Trust in Time”)