//------------------------------// // Noon Star and Scarcity // Story: Fourty-two // by Dusky Flower //------------------------------// Scarcity slowly placed the last jewel where it belonged. She was the finest jewel-maker in Ponyville, and she had the diamond necklace cutie mark to prove it. The doorbell rang, and Noon Star walked in. Noon Star was a lavender mare with a purple sun surrounded with white stars for a cutie mark. Her short black mane was neatly brushed, and she wore a smart black skirt, as well as a white blouse. "Honey! I'm home!" giggled Noon Star. She leaned in and pecked Scarcity on the cheek. "And I got you some more books on the history of gemstones!" No matter what universe, Twilight Sparkle was still a bookworm. "That's... wonderful, darling..." Scarcity had more books than she knew what to do with, ever since Noon Star had moved in with her. Noon Star beamed. "I knew you'd like it, Scarcity!" The doorbell rang. "Ah! Let me go get that, Noon darling!" ----- "-sure this is the place?" Spines had refused to be left out. "For the last time," fumed Twilight Sparkle, "-we're sure," finished Dusk Shine. The door opened, and they saw a stunning white unicorn with a curled purple and white mane standing in the doorway. "Hello, and welcome to Carousel Jewelers. My name is Scarcity. What can I do for you today?" Twilight and Dusk looked at each other, and then looked at the mare. It was already agreed that Twilight would do the talking. "Hello! Do you, uh, know where the librarian is?" Twilight had a hopeful grin plastered across her face. Scarcity raised one eyebrow. "Why, certainly. Hmmm... Are you a relative of hers, if you don't mind me asking?" Twilight mentally cursed, of course they were friends. The purple unicorn came up with an answer. "Yes, we're related. Much closer than you know." ----- Scarcity raised her eyebrow even higher at this explanation. Surely her marefriend would have told her about a sister? Something seemed fishy about this. And what could this lavender mare mean by "closer than you know?" Scarcity enveloped the door in a turquoise glow, and it swept open behind her as she walked into the jewelry shop. ----- Noon Star had draped herself across one of Scarcity's couches (she had several) and was reading one of the trashy romances that Scarcity so liked with faint disgust. "Come on! She trips over a hedge and finds a billionaire who just happens to like her?" Okay, maybe not so faint disgust. Lord Discord, I have your reports- A splitting headache erupted from Noon Star's horn. "OW! OW! OW! WHO SET MY HEAD ON FIRE? AAAAGH!" ----- Twilight looked quizzically at the alternate her. A strange feeling started to hiss within her, and then she knew why the black-maned mare was screaming. "GAAAAAH! DUSK! SOMETHING'S... WRONG! AAAAH!" The lavender unicorns collapsed simultaneously, and a wire-thin stream of magic sparked between the two. Spines rushed in. "Mare Dusk! Other mare Dusk! What's wrong?" Scarcity, after realizing just what was happening, rushed to her marefriend's side. "Little dragon! Get the doctor, NOW! It's anti-magic!" Spines tilted her head. "But why aren't you affected?" "That's what we need to know! Now, oh last hope! Go forth!" Scarcity collapsed, sobbing on Noon Star's hoof. Spines didn't waste another second. Mare or not, this was still Elusive. ----- "Lady Chaos. The aura has taken effect." "Wonderful. This is all going to plan."