A Rarity Such as I
by Touch the Sky
Rarity stood, looking rather bedraggled, before a beautiful but weak-looking wispy white alicorn with a curly emerald-green mane, who gazed expetantly through vivid emerald eyes while standing, with patience on her face. All around Rarity stood armed soldiers, black-coated with white patches every one, all with spears aimed at the white unicorn.
Rarity gazed fearfully back at the alicorn, wondering how the last 48 hours had led her here. For it had been just two days ago when she- or more namely Twilight- had made the discovery that would shake Rarity’s life apart and inevitably lead her to where she now stood in a dark forest, facing a terrible choice. Listening to that selfsame purple unicorn struggle for freedom behind her, Rarity let her mind drift back to the four words which had ruined everything.
“Rarity… you’re a marshmallow.”
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*48 hours previously*
Rarity was working hard on a new clothing line,standing facing a pony mannequin in her workroom in Carousel Boutique and muttering to herself.
"No... it needs to be a few shades darker... no, that ribbon should be deep blue, not navy... yes, perfect... although...it needs some gems... where did I put those sapphires again..."
Her next mumblings were lost as there was a loud knock at the workroom door. In the focus on her designs Rarity's ears had not detected the gentle jingle signalling somepony entering the boutique.
"Come in!" she called amiably over her shoulder, and a lavender unicorn trotted in.
"Oh, hello Twilight dear, is there something I can do for you?"
Twilight didn't speak. She stood panting for a few seconds, before shaking her head.
"Are you alright?" asked Rarity, surprised. Twilight nodded, then jabbed a hoof at a small drawer in Rarity's dresser. Rarity opened it. This drawer was where she kept her most precious things, like the fire ruby Spike had given her, and pictures of her friends. Twilight ran over and, digging in the drawer, finally pulled out a piece of paper and waved it in Rarity's face. Rarity took a moment to focus on it, then looked bemused.
"Twilight, darling, that's just my birth certificate. What's so special about that?" She narrowed her eyes. "How did you know that was in there? Have you been prying through my possessions when I'm not around?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. " Not... important right now...ran all the way here... Found something in... book..." Twilight waved her hoof vaguely in the direction of the library, then raised her eyes to Rarity's and said, "Rarity... you're a marshmallow."
Rarity held Twilight's intense gaze for all of three seconds before laughing. "Oh, Twilight, you can't be serious. Did Pinkie put you up to this? Honestly, that mare has sugar on the brain every second of every day... when she's not thinking up pranks to pull on innocent ponies..."
Twilight shook her head fiercely. "Rarity, I'm serious! You're a really rare kind of pony, a marshmallow pony. They're born once every millenium, when four stars line up in a certain way. The pony born at that exact moment is imbued with special magic; whatever species they are- earth pony, unicorn, or pegasus- they excel, even more than usual,at what they are destined to do. They always have smooth white or pale pink coats which taste of marshmallows. Don't you see, you have a white coat, excel at your dressmaking and you were born at the moment the stars lined up!"
Rarity still looked disbelieving. "I can't be a marshmallow pony... my coat doesn't taste of marshmallows..." she trailed off, as having never had the urge to find out what she tasted like, she had no idea if she was right in saying this.
"Did somepony say marshmallow pony?! Where?!?" cried Pinkie Pie, bursting in, pink saddlebags brimming with sugary supplies strapped to her sides. Rarity turned to stare at Twilight.
"She really didn't put you up to this?"
Twilight shook her head. Pinkie bounced around the boutique. "Where's the marshmallow pony?!" she yelled. "I wanna see it!"
Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but Rarity stuffed a hoof in Twilight's mouth before she could utter a syllable. "Are you crazy?" hissed Rarity. "If you tell her you think I'm a marshmallow pony, she'll want to find out by trying to eat me!" Rarity saw Twilight pull an 'I told her so' face and muttered "Don't tell me... I taste of marshmallows?"
Twilight thought about it carefully, then nodded. Rarity sighed, took her hoof away and then went to clean it.
Twilight couldn't convince Pinkie of the nonexistence of the marshmallow pony, so eventually had to construct a pony out of some marshmallows she sneaked from Pinkie's saddlebags. Pinkie promptly ate the marshmallows, then, satisfied, jumped out of the window to seek more fun, just as Rarity returned.
"Oh, she's gone. Thank goodness." muttered Rarity. "How did you get rid of her?"
"I made a pony out of marshmallows. And she ate it, then jumped out the window."
Rarity rolled her eyes. "Typical Pinkie Pie. So who did put you up to this? Rainbow Dash? She wanted revenge for when I drew that moustache on her with lipstick while she was sleeping..." Rarity paused for thought. "Though why I taste of marshmallows is beyond me... I haven't eaten marshmallows for months."
Twilight shook her head. "Honestly, Rarity, I'm telling the truth. All of the signs point to you being the marshmallow pony of this millennium."
Rarity blinked at Twilight for a few seconds, but she didn't say anything else. "So....?" prompted Rarity.
"So what?" said Twilight, looking confused.
"So... what difference does it make? You know, to my day to day life, and all that."
"Oh, none. I just thought you might want to know."
There was an awkward pause, then a vivid rainbow flash and a familiar blue pegasus with a spectrum of colours on her mane and tail shot through the window Pinkie had left by.
"Twilight, Rarity!" cried Rainbow Dash. "There are some weird ponies in town... and they've captured Pinkie Pie!"