Rift Shield was concerned about his fiancé.
Her long white and purple tailfin wafting in the water, Princess Rarity sighed as she stroked the base of a statue. Placed on the surface for all visitors to see, it depicted the seapony princess rushing through the waters with a passenger on her back: the Hero of the Wild, a landpony named Twilight Sparkle.
Normally there wouldn’t be anything strange about immortalizing the legendary moment where they worked in tandem to disable a divine beast, but the devil was in the details. Namely the fact that it had the princess twist around to embrace the hero while they both had what could only be described as smitten smiles.
Rift came to make good on their childhood vow of marriage well after that adventure and Rarity insisted that’s how it happened, so he supposed he had to believe her. But there was still the way she acted around it.
Rarity fanned herself with her front fins. “Goodness, whenever I look at this statue, I think back on the excitement of that day. The feeling as Twilight mounted me, her soft fur pressed against my back. I can’t believe how nice she smelled after all that adventuring.”
Rift gritted his teeth. Swishing his gray and teal tail, he breached onto the base of the statue in front of the princess. “My love, please, we need to talk.”
The white seapony blinked with distant blue eyes and an easy smile. “Oh my, and who might you be, my dear fellow?”
Rift’s eyes widened. “It’s me… your fiancé.”
Rarity touched his face with both of her front fins, feeling all of his features. “Ah, yes, the love of my life.” She booped his nose. “Now aren’t you being silly? Anyway, Twilight is back on her adventures, haven’t you heard? Surely that means she’ll make her way back here.”
Taken aback by how this conversation was going, Rift looked up at the streams of sludge falling from the sky. The princess and other wizards of the court had used their magic to protect the seapony city, but everything around them was getting more and more polluted, so he certainly hoped the Hero would save them. However, part of him also hoped that she would do so without visiting their realm.
At first, Rarity’s frequent tales about her and Twilight were charming. Then she kept talking about her almost every day—and that “almost” was just in case a day had slipped his mind. Then she had this statue made, and now, during these days of duress, she would spend all of her free time at it, even sleeping at its base.
Rift couldn’t remember the last time they shared a bed. He frowned. Actually, they never shared a bed. It seemed like they were going to once but then they didn’t and he couldn’t quite remember why.
He shook his head. “My love, get a hold of yourself! The way you’re acting around this statue, it’s frankly indecent. And if you can’t even recognize me, then there’s something terribly wrong!”
Hearing that finally broke Rarity’s trance. She blinked rapidly as her face shifted into a frown. “Rift, goodness, you’re right. Sitting up here, staring at a statue, it’s quite unbecoming of a princess. I fear I’ve been using my magic too often recently, and it’s taking a lot out of me.”
Rift’s head shot back. “Yes, of course! You’ve been exerting yourself far too much, that’s why you’ve been acting strangely!” He silently chided himself for misunderstanding. His princess merely saw Twilight as a sign of relief from these trying times, and this wasn’t a case of infidelity. In the end, they were simply good friends, and Rarity was still his love.
The seapony stallion slipped back into the water and put a fin on the princess’s back. “Come, my dear, let’s get you to bed. The other wizards can handle purifying the water without you for a bit longer.”
Rarity gave the statue a wistful glance. “Yes, I suppose that’s for the best.”
Rift coughed. “And perhaps I could give you a massage.”
Rarity twisted her mouth and hummed. “While that sounds nice, I’d prefer to be left with my thoughts. Besides, we need you guarding the realm!”
Rift’s face fell. “Yes, yes, you’re quite right. But my offer still stands, in case you want it later.”
Her mind clearly elsewhere, she responded, “I’ll think about it.”
He’ll have to take that for now.
Just as he was about to lead the princess underwater, he heard air displace near them then hooves thud on the ground. Twisting around, he spotted a landpony—the first one to visit since the sludge appeared—folding up her wings. She was an alicorn mare with a purple coat, a striped purple mane, mismatched armor, and a sheathed sword on her side.
Before Rift could look back at the statue for confirmation, Rarity shot from his grasp with astonishing speed and energy. “Twilight!” she called out. Faster than the alicorn could react, the seapony pulled her into the water.
“Twilight Sparkle, my darling, I’m so happy to see you!” Rarity said as she swung the Hero in a tight embrace, pressing their cheeks together. Keeping her head above the water, the Hero smiled and giggled in response.
Rift couldn’t quite see what happened, but Rarity brought her mouth close to Twilight’s ear and did something that made the Hero’s face turn red. With a scandalized laugh, Twilight cried out, “Rarity, stop!”
The seapony princess pulled back with an innocent smile and fluttered her eyelashes. “But darling, how else am I supposed to react to seeing you again, with your lovely ears so soft and inviting?”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “Maybe don’t turn into a shark.”
Rarity hummed. “Didn’t you tell me once that sharks bite in order to feel around their environment? Perhaps there’s enough shark blood in me that I need to do that.”
Twilight put her hoof to the other mare’s chin. “I’d prefer if you used your eyes instead.”
The two ponies stared into each other’s eyes. With half-lidded eyes, Rarity said, “Well, I would never reject an opportunity to look upon such lovely amethysts.”
They slowly got closer and closer, but before their lips met, Rarity suddenly gasped and, with her dexterous front fins, grabbed a single strand of Twilight’s mane. “Twilight Sparkle, is this a gray hair?”
The Hero’s eyes widened. “Oh, well, I mean, it’s been pretty stressful lately. What with the kingdom in trouble, me dying and getting resurrected again, and all that.”
Rift, still floating where Rarity had left him, said, “Wait, resurrected? Again?”
Without looking, Rarity waved her fin. “Don’t worry about it.” She grabbed Twilight’s shoulders. “This is terrible, darling! And your armor! It all clashes! Wearing a matched set will grant you a set bonus, you know!”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “So I’ve heard.”
Unheeding, Rarity continued, “We simply must put an end to all this trouble before it’s too late!”
Twilight nodded. “Actually, I could use your help with that!”
Rarity blinked. “Me? What for?”
“Well, you see, SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.”
“SPOILERS SPOILERS? SPOILERS!”
“SPOILERS!”
“Good heavens, then we must get going right away!”
Rift lifted his fin. “But my love, don’t you need to rest?”
Rarity gracefully spun to face him. “Oh no need, Rift. Knowing Twilight needs me has lit a spark inside!” Indeed, it would be hard for Rift to deny that her face had more energy than he’d seen from in days. She turned back to Twilight. “That said, darling, it’d probably be best if I saved my magic. Instead of using my magic to give myself legs, might I ride on your back for the journey?”
Twilight smiled. “Of course, Rarity!”
Rarity clapped her fins together and giggled in an indecent way. “Yes, well I’m going to clean up, so just wait here. I’ll be back in just a moment!”
The seapony princess dived into the water and Twilight took this opportunity to climb onto the surface pathway. “Phew,” she said as she shook herself off. “I almost ran out of stamina. Definitely need to increase that next time.”
“Ahem,” Rift said as he approached the Hero.
Using magic, Twilight wringed the water out of her mane. “Yes?”
“I hate to admit this, but it’s clear to me that you have me beat.” The stallion sank his head. “Rarity’s love for you is far greater than hers for me, so I won’t get in your way.”
Twilight’s eyes widened. “What? Love? Rarity is in love with me?!”
They both looked at each other, alternating blinks. Rift finally broke from this, motioning toward the statue. “What, you don’t—you mean—but what about how she just treated you?”
Twilight laughed nervously. “You mean pulling me in the water and biting my ear and calling me darling? T-that’s normal, right? Doesn’t she do that to everyone?”
Rift’s shoulders sank. “Not to me.”
Twilight tilted her head. “Sorry, who are you, again?”
Rift sniffed. “I’m Rarity’s fiancé.”
The Hero’s eyes widened. “Oh.”
“Yeah.”
After a moment of silence, Twilight knelt down and put a hoof on his shoulder. “That’s rough, buddy.”