Ponyville
A knock on the door made Rarity stir. She wasn't feeling well that particular morning. She used her magic to move the covers off herself as she smacked the taste of morning out of her mouth. She put in her morning curlers and skipped the mud masque. She pulled on a robe with her magic and answered the door. It was her parents.
She was ready to give them quite the earful. Also, make sure this never happened again. But the sight of Sweetie Belle and Opal safe and sound made her leave it at half an earful.
"Gee, we're sorry. We just figured..." said Rarity's dad sadly. She magic-ed a cup of tea over.
"It's fine, it's the thought that counts, but... I guess with my worry for Opal and being left here made me kinda nervous. I made a new friend and practiced new spells, I just... Changed, I guess, and you two whisking the two things I care about most to Canterlot did not help," Rarity explained.
"Well, we're here now!" exclaimed Sweetie. Another knock on the door made everypony turn. A voice came from the other side.
"Helli? Rarity? Is this a bad time?" Ivory Wisp asked. Rarity flung open the door.
"Impeccable timing, my dear! This is my family, Ivory! My little sister Sweetie Belle, my parents, and my cat Opalescence. Or Opal for short. Guys, this is Ivory Wisp. What with my friends gone, she's kept me company," Rarity greeted the two together.
"Ih, Sweetie Belle, what a pleasure. I've heard si much abiut yiu! Well, mire hiw Miss Rarity's 'effing parents taking yiu ti that effing effhile Canterlit', but that's my Rarity!" joked Ivory. Rarity's parents stared at thier daughter in shock. Rarity made a cutting motion across her neck. "Well, um, I'm famished, and I was windering if yiu'd cime with me ti Sugarcube Cirner, but if this is a bad time..." Ivory back towards the door.
"No, no, not at all, we could..." began Rarity, but only to be cut off by her younger sister.
"I could cook!" Sweetie jumped in front of Rarity. Rarity shook her head vigorously, but Ivory said it would be a good idea.
" .J .u .s .t .a .s .p .l .a .n .n .e .d....."
"InDeEd It Is, My FiNe FeLlOw!"
" .N .o .w .w .e .j .u -zctchssssssh- .t .h .e .p .l .a .n .d-zctchchcwfffffwwawwfftch- .a-gfftc- .l .i .k .e .I .v .o .r .y .t .w .o .p .o .i .n .t .o .h .s .a .i .d .i .t .m .i .g .h .t!!!!!"
"WhAt? YoU'rE fAdInG iN aNd OuT!"
" .J .u .s .t .f-sfffffffffffcsss- .i .n .g .f .o .r .g .e .t .i .t!!!!!"
"She makes toast into liquid, Ivory, liquid!" warned Rarity.
"Ti be hinest, Miss Rarity, I just want ti see it. We can gi ti Sugarcube Cirner later!" assured Ivory. Rarity grew weary as smoke filled the air. Sweetie could be heard screaming.
Upon entering the kitchen, Sweetie rushed past them, half her mane burned off and tail ablaze. She put it out by slamming it along the walls, catching them on fire. A letter flew out of nowhere and bonked Rarity in the face.
Knowing the contents it withheld, Ivory caught everypony's attention.
"Iperatiin Riasted Marshmalliw is a gi," she said in a soothing sing song voice. "It's time yiu kniw that the Iviry yiu hild dear is ling since diimed."
"Dimmed?" asked Rarity's father, confused.
" .S .h .e .m .e .a .n .s .d .o .o .m .e .d,,,,," said another voice. The skin on Ivory began to turn black and melt off. Another entity made of a black, slow moving liquid in which held reflective silver spheres formed of what was Ivory, leaving a much skinnier Ivory with a bloodstained coat in it's place. A hole where her left eye used to be stretched back at a diagonal angle to the right flank of her head, growing smaller as it went thru, as a funnel would. Her body was spotted with metal plates of assorted sizes screwed into her. She smiled to reveal crooked yellow and black teeth.
The viscous form spoke. It's voice was choppy and each letter was pronounced as a separate syllable with a microscopic pause between each, devoid of recognition of a gender.
" .Y .o .u .m .a .y .r .e .c .o .g .n .i .s .e .m .e,,,,, .R .a .r .i .t .y..... .O .r .s .h .o .u .l .d .I .s .a .y,,,,, .R .a .r .e .s?????" it said, almost condescendingly. Rarity wasn't ready to admit it, but she recognized the pet name right away.
"P-Pinkie Pie?" Rarity shuddered. The shape laughed, scaring Rarity so much she began to shake.
" .Y .o .u .g .o .t .t .h .a .t .w .r .o .n .g..... .I .j .u .s .t .s .a .i .d .t .h .a .t .t .o .m .e .s .s .w .i .t .h .y .o .u..... .I .a .m .t .h .e .r .u .l .e .r .o .f .c .h .a .o .s,,,,," it regained its gurgling laugh.
"Discord! What have you done with Ivory?" screamed Rarity. The black liquid took the form of the chaos lord known as Discord and shook its head. The spherical pieces of metal took place as his eyes and joints.
"Ih, I'm giing ti be quite dead in a bit. But, I make it! I wiuldn't be standing here if I didn't!" the Ivory zombie said and looked herself up and down. Discord rolled his eyes.
“ .I .s .t .h .a .t .y .o .u .r .b .i .g .s .e .c .r .e .t,,,,, .b .e .i .n .g .f .r .o .m .t .h .e .f .u .t .u .r .e?????" asked Discord. Ivory raised an eyebrow.
"Why, yiu catch in quicker and quicker, din't yiu, dear biy?" she asked and threw her head back in a bloodcurdling laugh to rival an insane mares.
"You're forgetting one thing!" exclaimed Rarity. Discord leaned against an invisible table and tapped his fingers on it.
" .A .n .d .w .h .a .t,,,,, .p .r .a .y .t .e .l .l,,,,, .i .s .t .h .a .t?????" asked Discord, unimpressed.
"I know the spell to get to Red Dwarf!" she exclaimed and grabbed Sweetie Belle. She ran for the door and blasted it open with some magical spell. Her parents ran after, just to be chased by the two beings in the house. The Carousel Boutique fell apart as it was further engulfed in flames. Ivory slowed down to a walk and laughed maniacally as Rarity opened a portal and jumped thru.
The portal closed in Rarity's parents's face, chopping off a bit of Rarity's mother's hair. Discord expanded around the two and closed like a burlap sack. Ivory's insane voice could be heard, singing.
"Nighty, nighty, nighty night. Don't you worry, it's no fright. You'll be safe right here with me. Close your eyes, there's nothing to see. Sleep comes faster if you really try. But don't try too hard, you might just die."
RReedd DDwwaarrff
Rarity fell flat on her face in a cold, desolate room. A loud thump echoed thru the hallways surrounding. She heard a voice echo back.
"What was that? Damn scutters!" came a male voice.
"Grrrnn... Rarity? Where are we?" groaned Sweetie Belle. Rarity shushed her.
"No, I definitely just heard a voice, sir!" said another.
"Well, whatever it is, we should check it out..." said another voice. It had a tang of familiarity to it. Rarity winced.
"I-I... I'll be there in spirit!" said another weak, female voice. Fluttershy!
"Hello? Was that you, Fluttershy?" asked Rarity. The voices of her friends galloping to greet her made Rarity sigh with relief. Ivory's was in there somewhere, and it wasn't the insane one she'd heard back home. She was amongst allies at last.