//------------------------------// // A Dash of Generosity: Part One // Story: In the Hour of Twilight // by Blue Dragon //------------------------------// Is it true...? I... I'm not sure I'll be able to move on. Now, or ever... Rarity thought grimly as AJ was finally able to get a hold of herself. The earth pony sniffled once more. "A-Ah'm sorry, Rarity, it's just..." Applejack sighed, clenching her eyes shut. "I ain't ever gonna be able to get over this. I sure do appreciate the Princess's advice, but it's not goin' to happen." "Darling..." Rarity's voice caught in her throat. She really, really, truly wanted to tell Applejack that eventually, she would get over it, but it felt empty to her. The unicorn couldn't tell her friend such a cruel lie when she herself was in the same boat. The only difference between them? Applejack had a chance. "...I understand. I don't think I will be able to, either." Rarity's own accepting tone surprised her. As sad as moving on felt to her, she knew she stood no chance in gaining Twilight's love. "...And to the only mare that I've ever fallen in love with." Applejack gasped. At least she was distracted from her own sorrows. "Rare... You're into mares?" Rarity smiled sadly, shaking her head. "No. Only her." AJ pushed herself off the ground, rubbing the last of her tears away. "I... I'm sorry, Rarity. Ah shouldn't have brought it up." The white mare stood up as well, and hugged her friend. "There's nothing for you to apologize for, darling. She's... She's already found her special somepony, and I wish them the best of luck." They hugged in silence for a long time. Though this whole situation brought misfortune to everypony, it was comforting to know that she wasn't alone. That somepony was just as hurt as she was. "Rare..." AJ began quietly, "Ah'm jealous of you. I wouldn't be able to do that. You're always so generous, helpin' everypony else, and me... Ah'm cryin' my eyes out like a filly over something that happened so long ago, even when one of mah best friends might die soon." Harsh. Rarity pulled away from their hug, giving Applejack a confused look. "Applejack... You're the strongest pony I know. I admire you for that. You did your best to find love with Rainbow Dash, and did everything you could to keep it. Your honesty, even now, shows how wonderful of a pony you are. I'm just... a coward." How ironic... Applejack and I are so different, and yet so alike. We argue so often, and now... we are able to comfort each other like no other pair of friends. Ah... such is the power of a strong friendship, I suppose... Rarity thought as they remained in a contemplative silence. I just wish things hadn't turned so badly. Whatever happened to the days when the worse things on my mind were whether or not Twilight liked me back? Finally, the two ponies pulled away. Rarity felt about as good as a mare could with the current circumstances, but that was better. "Applejack... Why don't you go and get some rest?" AJ snorted immediately, and Rarity was met with the defiant glare she knew so well. "Like hay I am! A-Ah've been enough of a nuisance already!" Rarity knew that her friend was still hurting, and that she needed some down-time. As reliable as AJ was, she was in a bad state of mind now. Obviously, she was more sensitive than she let on, especially when it comes to her friends being hurt and a bad love life. She was just a pony, after all. But even so, Rarity knew that Applejack wouldn't just walk out of the hospital knowing that she was "abandoning" her friend. So, she knew she had to come up with something else. Honesty may have been AJ's element, but generosity was definitely Rarity's. "Darling... I believe Fluttershy will need some food. Would you mind getting her something from the cafeteria? I'll check on her. Let's do our best to support them." Applejack's eyes softened, and she nodded slowly. The least Rarity could do was give her some space to clear her head enough to get through this. The unicorn watched as the orange pony trotted away. Then, when AJ was out of sight, she moved closer to the door. Of course, she'd fully intended on going inside. But something kept her there. Rarity could hear the conversation going on through the door, and it sounded important. Like, something you shouldn't walk in on. And, as fate would have it, that was when Rainbow Dash showed up. The pegasus wasn't sure how to feel, and it showed in her every step. Luckily, she didn't rush in like she might've in what seemed a lifetime ago. Rarity could see the fire in her eyes; she wasn't giving up. No. To her, it was likely only the beginning. Rarity couldn't help but admire that about her. "What are you doing?" Rainbow's brow came down accusingly at Rarity, and only then did the unicorn realize just how she looked next to the door. "Shouldn't you--oh, I don't know--go in?" It stung. Just a little bit. However, the pegasus caught her tongue and seemed to realize her wrongdoing. She sighed and cast her eyes downward. "I'm sorry. It's just... well... I talked with Princess Luna." Rarity stared at the pegasus. Suddenly, the reason why the Princess had shown up in the first place came into focus. Words were beyond the white mare at that point. "You... She..." The unicorn took a moment to compose herself, finally able to get a coherent sentence out. "What happened?" Dash's brow furrowed in that familiar way--the one that said This is bad news. "...I told her about what was happening with Twilight. She didn't know. And... I asked her to make sure Twilight would live." Rarity didn't understand why Rainbow Dash was speaking so glumly, until she realized there must've been more. The pegasus continued quietly. "I... I don't think there's really a way to save her... Princess Luna doesn't think that she'll live." Rarity gasped in response. Without a word, she pressed her ear against the door once again. Just what was going on here? At first, Rainbow glared at her for seeming not to care at all about the weight of the words she'd just said, but then she heard Luna's voice through the door. Curiousity and confusion mixed within her, but she pressed up against the door beside Rarity, too. "...There's a way to save Twilight Sparkle... but you won't like it." Both eavesdropping ponies cast an uneasy glance at each other. This couldn't be good. "W-what? Really? Oh, please tell me what it is!" Fluttershy's pleading tone cut through the door, easily making Rarity's heart lurch in response. "W-what's goin' on?" Rainbow urgently whispered to Rarity, who only shoved a hoof into her mouth. "Are you sure you want to hear this?" Princess Luna's hesitancy could be heard, and Rarity could somehow tell that her hoof was dragging on the floor. "Yes, Princess. I'd do anything for Twilight..." Rarity felt the cold bite of jealousy bare its fangs at her, but she shoved it away. Fluttershy was her friend. She deserved to have a pony so wonderful--a pony like Twilight. The unicorn felt Rainbow's wings flap slightly, perhaps in impatience. Silence. Finally, Princess Luna spoke once again. "...Would you mind being turned into a monster, into something that you could no longer assossiate with yourself as, just to continue living? Even though you would be shunned by all of ponykind?" "I... I don't understand, Princess..." Rarity imagined Fluttershy's confused expression, though she was no better. The unicorn had to keep Dash from just racing into the room, demanding to know the truth. A sigh. "Would you spend the rest of your life with a Draconequus?" Luna paused once again. "The only way to save Twilight Sparkle is to turn her into a Draconequus--the very same beast Discord is." Rainbow Dash shot up in alarm. Rarity, though surprised herself, looked at the airborne pegasus for explanation. "T-that can't... That can't be true...!" Rarity could see Dash's eyes well up with unshed tears. She was beyond surprised to see Rainbow even tear up, when she'd tried so hard to be cool. "I don't get it... There has to be a way...!" Dash's entire body shook, and she didn't try to hide it. Rarity was overwhelmed, and couldn't get herself to say anything fast enough. The pegasus could take the emotional bashing no longer. Tears finally spilled over her eyes, and a look of utter betrayal crossed her features, as if the world had wronged her terribly. Rainbow Dash said no more, and flew off faster than ever before, leaving only a rainbow trail behind her. Stunned into silence, Rarity was unsure of what to do. She was stuck between a rock and--no... She was stuck between half a dozen ponies who needed her support at the exact same time, but it was just too much. "...I could never ask that of Twilight. That sounds like... like... torture." Fluttershy's voice shook, and Rarity heard a sob. "I-I'm sorry, Princess, but there's no way she'd want that..." She felt numb. Never had Rarity thought of friendship like this before. Maybe they were too close. Maybe friendship was a double-edged sword. Rarity loved all of her friends, and her heart ached when she thought of how hurt they all were. This was an impossible mission; however it ended, their lives would never be the same. Assuming Twilight still had one. There it was. That inexplicable feeling that seemed to be drilling a hole in her heart. Rarity couldn't keep her thoughts at bay any longer. Twilight was going to die. But Rarity still couldn't accept that. Twilight was important to her, even if she couldn't have her the way she wanted to. Rarity would give up her own life if that meant her friends could be okay... If Twilight could be okay. "No... I understand. You needed to know about it." She paused. "I'm sorry." "U-um... Princess..." Fluttershy hesitated, and Rarity could tell that she was just barely able to quell her tears. "Is Princess Celestia going to be coming? I think... I think Twilight would want that..." It was unbearable now. Tears escaped Rarity's eyes. She'd had so much time to get rid of her feelings over the past few weeks, so much time to get a hold of herself. But this was real. Their friendships were real. And no matter what, their fates were forever sealed together. Twilight's death would not change that. Rarity couldn't stay there anymore. She just couldn't. Tears blurred her vision and smeared her make-up, but she managed to trot to the nearest restroom. Not long after, Princess Luna had left. She promised Fluttershy that Celestia was going to be coming soon, and Doctor Sweetheart was dragged out of the room for an emergency. It was quiet in the room, until somepony finally spoke. Somepony who shouldn't have. "...Why do you keep talking like I'm already gone?" Twilight's single, unharmed eye opened and stared at Fluttershy unblinkingly. The pegasus blinked, feeling a slight warmness in her heart, though it was subdued by what she'd said. "T-Twilight... How long have you been awake?" Fluttershy didn't hesitate to nuzzle her marefriend's cheek. "A little bit... What was Luna talking about? Discord? And what wouldn't I want?" Twilight pushed herself up, nuzzling Fluttershy back. The pegasus paused in response. Should she burden Twilight with the truth, or lie for her wellbeing? "...Nothing. She just wanted to make sure you were alright. And to tell you that Princess Celestia is going to be visiting today." Twilight didn't say anything. Her head felt heavy, almost numbed, and if she didn't know any better, she'd have been sure she didn't even have a horn. But she did, however faulty it was now. Wait. Twilight's entire course of mind froze. Princess Celestia? "Princess Celestia's coming?" Her face lit up and she straightened her back. Twilight had been wanting to talk to the Princess since she'd woken up the first time, and her heart lifted at the thought. Her mentor was always so wise; if she couldn't save her, then she'd definitely have some sort of advice that would put everything into perspective. Fluttershy nodded. "Once the sun sets." After the initial excitement of seeing the Princess, Twilight noticed the nearly empty room around her. "...Fluttershy, where are the others?" "Um... I'm not really sure..." Fluttershy frowned slightly. "After they, um, you know, left the room, I've only seen Rainbow Dash. She went to talk to the Princesses, who then came here." A short pause followed that. There was this question in the back of Twilight's mind that she'd been desperately trying to avoid, but she found that the longer she avoided it, the more it burned. That feeling was only amplified by the fact that Twilight's head felt so... drugged? She wasn't sure what to make of that, but she really wanted to get it off her chest now. "...Fluttershy..." She steeled herself for what she was about to say next, despite how much it was going to hurt her. "You don't have to do... this... anymore. I understand if you don't want to be my marefriend. It'd probably be better if you got out of this while you still can." Twilight looked up at Fluttershy, trying to gauge her response. The pegasus was surprised at first, but her gaze hardened just a little. "Twilight, I--" Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, interrupting Fluttershy. The yellow pony swallowed, and glanced at the unicorn. Her message was clear: I'm not finished. "Come in," the pegasus called, and two ponies entered. Applejack had a tray in her mouth, and Rarity trotted in after her. They both looked a little worse for the wear. AJ seemed to have some of her fire back, but Rarity was a bit more deflated. However, both smiled and entered the rest of the way into the room. The earth pony placed the tray on Twilight's lap and stepped back. "How're you feelin', Twi?" Fluttershy could see Rarity's make-up smeared slightly, in the way that you could just tell somepony had been crying. The pegsus was worried for her friend, but more importantly, she was worried about what Twilight had said. "...Better." she consented. "A little bit better." Applejack smiled at her, and Fluttershy turned to Rarity. "Um... Where's Pinkie?" The white mare blinked at her before answering. "I'm not entirely sure... She said something about having an idea, and left..." Twilight stared at the food in front of her, not very hungry. But even so, she didn't want to worry her friends any more than she already had. The unicorn leaned down and took the apple into her mouth. It was good, but nowhere near Sweet Apple Acres' apples. "Fluttershy, dear? Could I have a moment with you?" Rarity's formality surprised Fluttershy. The pegasus glanced back at her marefriend, and upon seeing her nod slowly, followed the unicorn out the door. In Rarity's mind, this confrontation was a long time coming. Well, not so much confrontation, but more of a... conversation between two good friends that just so happened to love the same pony. But that wasn't what Rarity wanted to talk about. Not really. "Darling, I believe there's something I should tell you. I've been keeping it from you for far too long..." Fluttershy's interest was peaked. "I've been in love with Twilight for a long time." The pegasus' eyes widened and she gasped. "O-oh my..." Her mind reeled back to when Twilight had told her that Rarity was acting weird around her, and that she'd been in love with somepony. Then, she remembered her marefriend asking her to make sure she was okay. Fluttershy felt guilty that she'd forgotten about it for so long, and a little uneasy that her best friend had feelings for her marefriend. " 'Oh my' is correct. I'm afraid these feelings won't ever go away, and I can see that yours won't, either." Rarity shook her head slowly. "But don't get me wrong, Fluttershy. I may love Twilight, but I'm not going to take her away from you. I'm not that kind of pony." "Rarity..." Fluttershy swallowed thickly. "For how long? Why... Why didn't you tell me?" The unicorn had a small, sad smile. "Since the day I first met her. And the same goes for you, darling. Why didn't you tell me?" "I, um... I didn't think I was going to ever confess, so I didn't tell you... But then Twilight came to my cottage with me one day and, well... um... I couldn't keep it to myself..." Rarity nodded once. "And I couldn't believe I'd fallen for a mare." Tears sprang to Fluttershy's eyes. She couldn't believe her friend had been silently suffering the same thing she had been once, and for the same pony. Even worse, she'd gotten Twilight even though her feelings had developed after Rarity's. It wasn't fair. "Oh, Rarity...!" Fluttershy hugged her friend tightly. "I'm so sorry! If I'd known, I wouldn't have done it... And maybe then Twilight wouldn't be here in this hospital today.f you'd confessed before me, maybe you two would be happily reading books and sewing together--"Rarity placed a hoof over Fluttershy's mouth, pulling away from the hug. "I don't blame you, dear. I'm happy for you two. The reason I wanted to talk to you out here isn't about that, though... Not entirely. For me, won't you please stay by Twilight's side? In the way I wish I could?" "I don't understand what you're trying to say, Rarity..." Fluttershy frowned at her friend. Rarity tried again. "I've accepted my fate. I just want to know that she'll be in good hooves, darling..." The unicorn's pleading expression bore into Fluttershy's eyes. Her recent conversation with Twilight sprang to mind. "Of course I'll stay by her side, Rarity. What... What are you trying to say?" Fluttershy got the feeling that Rarity knew more than she let on. "Even if she becomes a Draconequus?" There was that alternative again. It almost seemed like everypony was just testing Fluttershy's love. "No matter what, she'll have my heart. I love her for who she is, not what she is. She could turn into a Princess and live in Canterlot, but I'd still love her." Rarity's smile was genuine. "Good. I was hoping you'd say that. It'd be best if we went back now, right?" The marshmallow pony turned back to the door, but Fluttershy stopped her. "Rarity... Thank you. For everything." Then, the two mares re-entered the room. Fluttershy wondered what the other two ponies had been talking about while she was with Rarity when she saw Twilight's troubled expression. Everypony knew that Princess Celestia would be coming soon.