//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8: The Lovestruck 
// Story: Personas of Harmony 
// by EricStarstorm 
//------------------------------//

	The morning came without further incident. Twilight had woken up a few times during the night due to a mixture of excitement and worry at the prospect of catching the killer. That, and the potential of Dominant Link, weighed heavily in her mind. Nevertheless, she wasn't tired at her usual wake-up time, and she was ready to start the day.

The first thing she had to do was wake Spike up. After nudging him awake with her magic, he stood up and stretched. "Morning, Twilight!" he said, beaming. "Looks like it's not gonna rain today. What do you wanna do?"

"I dunno. All I can think about is catching the killer right now," Twilight replied.

"Yeah, tell me about it." Spike hopped out of his basket and started going downstairs. "I think we still have leftovers in the fridge. Wanna just eat those for breakfast?"

"But...we had pot pie for dinner. Is that really a breakfast food?"

"Ehh, can't hurt. Besides, I'd rather eat that than make something right now. Don't wanna waste any time, y'know?"

"I guess."

Reheating the food was easy for someone that had the ability to breathe fire. Despite Twilight's hesitation, they both enjoyed the leftovers, and soon enough, they were out and about. However, everywhere Twilight looked, there was no one around.

"Where is everypony?" Spike asked.

"I...have no clue," Twilight replied. "This is pretty unusual for a day like this. You don't suppose they're hiding from Zecora again or something, do you?"

"No, it's not like that...besides, that's long since past."

The silence was nearly crushing. Twilight looked around again, this time looking on the rooftops and in the sky for any pegasi flying around. Her eyes fell to a stop on a familiar pony standing on a nearby rooftop.

It was the same pony that she had seen on her way home the night before the first body was discovered.

"Hey, is that Pinkie Pie?" Spike asked. Twilight turned to where Spike was looking, and Pinkie was, in fact, speeding towards them.

"THERE you are!" Pinkie yelled. Twilight sighed with relief.

"Finally, somepony else I know," Twilight replied as Pinkie finally stopped in front of them. She looked to where the dark grey pony had been to provide an example, but she was gone. She decided to dismiss the topic.

"Pinkie, are you all right?" Spike asked. Twilight turned to Pinkie again to discover that her mane was droopy, and her eyes full of worry.

Pinkie shook her head. "I have some bad news..."

Twilight's eyes widened. "Oh, don't tell me..."

Pinkie nodded solemnly. Twilight's ears splayed, and Spike's hands balled into fists.

"Do they know who it was?" Spike asked, a tranquil fury in his voice.

Pinkie nodded again. "It was Lotus Blossom...from the spa."

"How could this have happened...? Where did we go wrong?" Twilight looked up and put a hoof on Pinkie's shoulder. "Go get yourself cleaned up, okay? We'll take care of this."

Pinkie nodded a third time before turning around and walking away.

"Let's go, Twilight!" Spike exclaimed. "We're headed to the spa to sort this out!"

"You're right, Spike." Twilight's somber expression turned into a harsh glare. "This isn't the time for doubt. We have work to do!"





The trip to the spa was a short one. The inside was just as beautiful and pristine as it had always been. It was difficult to even tell a difference between how it had been a few days earlier and how it was now. The one noticeable difference was the missing presence of a friendly blue pony.

"Lotus was missing?" Spike asked.

"For three days," Aloe replied, wiping tears away. "I thought she would be coming back with the new shipment."

"Twilight, you know what this means, right?"

Twilight nodded. "Both victims were missing for three days before their bodies were discovered. In both cases, the third of those days was a rainy one." She turned to Aloe. "Did Lotus ever associate with Filthy Rich before he died?"

"Hmmm...I'm not sure myself, apart from his monthly spa visit," Aloe said.

"Can we take a look in her room? It might provide vital information."

"Anything that will help you end this madness."

Twilight looked at Spike. "Go up there and find anything you can that might connect the two victims. Even the most insignificant connection is vital for this case."

Spike saluted. "Got it!" he yelled, then ran up the stairs.

Twilight turned back to Aloe. "How are you holding up?"

Aloe shook her head. "About as well as you would expect. Lotus was my dear sister...and without her, I might have to close the spa." She sighed heavily. "Maybe I'll try my luck in Manehattan next."

"You guys really get in tight with your regulars, too, don't you?"

"Yes. Many of our customers have turned up to offer their condolences." Aloe looked up at Twilight. "You know Rarity, don't you? Oh--silly question, of course you do. She's like extended family to us, even though our only interaction is through her visits to the spa."

Spike came back downstairs. "All I found was her diary...and I'm not so sure about it."

"Isn't it really disrespectful to use that as a clue?" Twilight asked.

"Oh, no, please...if it helps you solve the case, you can have it," Aloe interjected. "I've never bothered to read it myself, and I think she would want that."

Twilight's eyes softened. "Are you sure?"

Aloe nodded. "She was my sister, after all. I would hope I've gained some insight into the mare."

"Then we have a lead. We'll look through this, and you'll be the first to know if we find something. Thank you for your cooperation."

"I beg you...please, avenge my sister." Aloe's eyes were pleading. "Bring her killer to justice."

Twilight nodded slowly. "I will."

"Celestia be with you, Princess."

Twilight turned to Spike again. "Let's go. We need to go get Rainbow Dash."

Spike nodded. "Yes ma'am!"





Rainbow Dash's house was on the edge of the town, making the trip a bit lengthy. Twilight and Spike did make it in due time, however. Once they were there, Lotus's diary was stored to go over later, and the three began their trek to the old castle. But first...there was one thing to do.

"Twilight, why can't I come with you?" Spike asked as they walked into the library.

"Because you know firsthand how dangerous it is in there," Twilight replied. "We don't know what we'll find. You have to stay here."

"But if you're in danger...how can I just ignore that?"

"I'm not asking you to ignore it. I'm asking you to be safe."

"I--I can't just stand by and do nothing!"

"Spike." Twilight put her hoof on the dragon's chin, holding his head up and making eye contact. "My only reason for not bringing you along is so you won't get hurt. If I took you to that other world again and you did get hurt, I'd never forgive myself."

Spike averted his eyes. "I...I just want to be there...in case something happens to you..."

"And do what? You'd just have something equally terrible happen to you right along with me."

"That's not what it's about!" Tears filled Spike's eyes. "I should still be there with you..."

Twilight knew that she wasn't going to change his mind...but at the same time, she couldn't let him go. "I'll be okay, Spike. I have Merlin, and now I have Rainbow and Peregrine to watch my back."

Spike stayed silent. He wiped away the tears from his eyes and nodded. "O...okay..."

Twilight couldn't bear to leave him like this. She knew that what she was doing was right, but seeing him in this state was heartbreaking. She sighed and smiled at Spike gently. "C'mere," she said, holding out her forelegs.

Spike ran up and hugged Twilight closely. She wrapped her forelegs around him in return, softly rubbing his back.

"Twilight...please come back...I don't know what I'd do without you..." Spike said, his voice choked up.

"I promise you I will," Twilight replied. "It'll be okay."

It took a few seconds, but Spike was done crying. He and Twilight let go of each other, and Twilight stood up. No more words needed to be said between them--everything was already in the open. Twilight opened the library door and left, closing it gently behind her. She then turned towards the path ahead to find Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

"She's insisting that she comes with us," Rainbow said.

"Okay, for pony's sake!" Twilight exclaimed. "I already told you about how dangerous it is! Besides, I JUST finished explaining to Spike why HE couldn't come!"

"Twilight...Lotus was like a sister to me," Rarity replied. "If I sit by and do nothing to help with your investigation of her murder...no, the very thought of it sickens me. This foul murderer has made things personal between himself and me, and I do not intend to let this go on any longer."

Twilight's eyes softened after hearing Rarity's side of things. "Rarity, I...I know how you feel. But you have to stay here. You don't have a Persona, and going there without one is certain death."

"I don't care!" Rarity yelled suddenly. "I'll die for this case if I must! If it means catching the murderer, my life is a small price to pay!"

"Whoooa there, girl," Rainbow said. "Let's not get--"

"Enough!" Rarity glared harshly at Twilight. "I AM going with you. I will not take no for an answer. Should you continue to deny me, I will never speak to you again!"

"RARITY!" Rainbow exclaimed, getting in the posh mare's face. "You don't know what it's like over there! Do you have any clue how close we came to losing Twilight?!"

"I have already offered my rebuttal to the risk of danger!"

"And your rebuttal is horse apples! How do you think we'd feel if you died?!"

"Both of you, stop!" Twilight yelled. Glares still plastered on their faces, Rainbow and Rarity turned to hear what Twilight had to say. "Rarity...if you're going to come with us, I need to warn you. Your Shadow might emerge while we're in there, like it did for Rainbow Dash. You may think you're strong enough to keep calm and accept it, but it will get under your skin, and it most likely will make you angry and irrational. If that happens, we'll have to fight it, and it might kill you...or worse. Are you truly prepared to face that?"

Rarity nodded.

"You won't be able to see. Thick fog permeates that whole world."

"It takes more than a lack of visibility to deter me."

"You're truly, honestly ready?"

Rarity's eyes hardened with determination. "No matter the cost, I will avenge Lotus Blossom."

"Then you can come with us."

"WHAT?!" Rainbow shouted. "Twilight, what about--"

"It's like she said," Twilight interrupted. "With her, it's personal."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Ugh...fine. Whatever. But you'd better stay behind us at all times, got it?"

Rarity nodded. "While it is true that I am obligated to help with this investigation, I know the importance of staying out of your way at the same time."

"All right, then. Let's go," Twilight said. She began walking, and the other two ponies followed closely behind.





Even as the group first entered the other world, Twilight could tell that something was different. Looking around as she held Rarity in her forelegs, she saw a carbon copy of the spa in the distance, in a different direction from the portal than the gingerbread house.

"You didn't tell me this was here," Rainbow said.

"That's because it wasn't before," Twilight replied. "It must have come into existence when Lotus was thrown in here."

"You weren't kidding when you were talking about the fog," Rarity said, rubbing her eyes with her hooves. "I can't see what you're talking about."

"Stay close to us, and you'll be fine."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that. You are the professionals, are you not?"

Twilight started gliding towards the spa, with Rainbow close behind. Twilight descended quite a bit faster, and as they flew, she debated casting the spell to give Rarity butterfly wings next time--if there were a next time, of course. Nevertheless, she managed to land only a short distance from the spa, where Rainbow joined her by going into a steep dive. She put Rarity down and walked up to the front door.

"Let's be careful. We don't know what's waiting for us in there," Twilight said. Rarity and Rainbow nodded, and she turned around to carefully crack the door open ever so slightly and peek into the building.

The instant Twilight saw the spa's interior, the sizable crowd of Shadows inside trained their own eyes on her. There were two kinds of Shadows inside--one that looked like a morbidly obese police stallion, and another that looked like a large pair of metal dice. Twilight slammed the door shut as they lunged towards it.

"What did you see?" Rarity asked.

"Rainbow, summon Peregrine about five seconds ago," Twilight said quickly.

As if on cue, the Shadows began to bang on the door. Twilight jumped back, and both she and Rainbow summoned their respective Personas. The instant their Personas had emerged, the Shadows broke through.

"Oh dear!" Rarity exclaimed. "I'll take a few steps back and stay out of the way..."

Peregrine sprung into action as Rarity started backing up. She flew up to a small group of police Shadows and slashed through two of them with her claws. At the same time, Merlin blasted some of the dice Shadows with lightning, vaporizing them. As more Shadows advanced, Peregrine flapped her wings vigorously, trapping them with a whirlwind. Merlin followed up by throwing a fireball into the twister, causing it to turn into a violent firestorm. By combining their powers, Merlin and Peregrine managed to move the firestorm around, trapping and incinerating more and more Shadows.

Several police Shadows lifted large crossbows and aimed them at the Personas. A hail of crossbow bolts pelted the air around the two, and a few hit their marks. After brushing off the pain, Twilight and Rainbow headed for cover.

"Jeez!" Twilight yelled. "How can we get to the Shadows like this?"

"Leave it to me," Rainbow said with a smirk. "Peregrine, boost our speed!"

Peregrine flapped her wings, and both herself and Merlin were surrounded by green auras. Twilight felt somehow faster. Peregrine emerged from her cover and managed to somehow weave between the barrage of crossbow bolts, slashing through Shadows on the way. Twilight sent Merlin out of cover and decided to try out a wind spell. Merlin summoned a large tornado, throwing the sharpshooters into the air. Peregrine acted quickly before the Shadows began to fall, flying between them and slashing through their bodies. In ten seconds flat, they were all gone, and the ponies themselves emerged to survey the carnage. Not many Shadows were left, but those that were either charged or loaded up more bolts on their crossbows. Merlin and Peregrine both cast wind spells to throw spheres of compressed air, which exploded on impact and vaporized the remaining Shadows.

"ALL RIGHT!" Rainbow exclaimed, jumping into the air. "That was AWESOME! We make a great team, Twilight!"

"Yeah, we certainly do," Twilight replied as she caught her breath. She turned over to where Rarity was waiting. "It's safe now!"

Rarity sighed with relief and rejoined her two friends. "That was simply marvelous," she said. "Now I know firsthand why you did not wish for me to accompany you."

"Well, hey, at least YOUR Shadow hasn't popped up yet," Rainbow said, still full of adrenaline. "I'm already getting the hang of this, but that'd be a different story."

"You're gonna jinx it if you keep that up," Twilight scolded, finally regaining her composure. "Now let's go. We can't get distracted."

"You're absolutely right, Twilight. Let us make haste!" Rarity yelled.

The group entered the spa. The walls and floor were littered with photos, just as the gingerbread house had been. Merlin and Peregrine rejoined their hosts now that they were inside the building, and the ponies absorbed the details of the various photos. Aloe and Lotus were in each one of them, along with one other pony that varied from picture to picture. There were multiple pictures of some ponies, Rarity and Fluttershy included.

"These must be regulars at the real spa," Rarity said in a calculating tone. "I recognize some of them."

"Is it me, or does Lotus not look very happy?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight took another look around, this time paying attention to Lotus. In every picture, she was smiling, but her eyes showed sadness, rage, or emptiness. The smile she wore was hollow and empty.

"Ugh...working here is so frustrating!" the voice of Lotus yelled.

Rarity nearly jumped out of her skin. "Wh-what was...is that Lotus's voice?!"

Twilight nodded. "She's about to tell us her hidden feelings."

Lotus continued. "I thought working at a spa would be great! It's my special talent, after all--and Aloe adores her job. How bad could it possibly be?" She scoffed, mocking her old, idealistic self. "But ever since day one, it's been nothing but a constant parade of sore hooves and stupid rants from worthless ingrates! And to make matters worse, I'm trapped here...if I quit this job, Aloe will be devastated. We'd have to move back to that snooty, pompous cesspool Canterlot!"

Twilight's expression dropped. "...Not ALL of Canterlot is bad..."

"Try not to take it personal," Rainbow said reassuringly.

"I just want some way to escape," Lotus said, her voice desperate. "Some reprieve from this torture..."

Rarity sighed as Lotus's voice faded. "How could I not have seen this?" she asked herself. "Oh, my dear Lotus...you were stuck with a life that you're unhappy with. It's simply unfair..."

"Unfair?" asked a warped version of Rarity's voice. "UNFAIR?! Since when do YOU care about that?!"

The three ponies were flabbergasted, and turned towards the sound of the voice...to find a duplicate of Rarity with a blue aura and sickly yellow eyes.

"Ooooh horseapples," Rainbow said.

"What...what do you mean?" Rarity asked.

"Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean!" Shadow Rarity hissed.

"By all means, enlighten me."

"You know, your dear friend..." Shadow Rarity's eyes narrowed. "...Spikey-wikey."

Now it was Rarity's turn to glare. "What did you do to him?!"

"Oh, SPARE me! You lament on how Lotus Blossom's situation was unfair...when the way YOU treat HIM is far worse! He's so agreeable, especially for a child. And you take advantage of him!"

Rarity's eyes widened. "Wha--take that back, you scoundrel! I treat Spike like family!"

"Spike wishes nothing more than to be with you...to make you happy." Shadow Rarity grinned crazily. "Why not have a little fun with that?"

"Stop talking!"

The Shadow laughed. "Spikey-wikey, my little slave...he'll do anything I say. I have him wrapped around my hoof!"

Rarity was livid. "Now listen here, you--"

"The dear boy would move mountains for me! Why would I ever let go of something so very useful?!"

"SPIKE IS NOT A SOMETHING!" Rarity bellowed, rapidly losing her composure.

"Rarity, calm down!" Twilight exclaimed. "It's trying to--"

"This doesn't involve you!" the Shadow yelled. She turned back to Rarity. "He thinks I'm a goddess...or an angel...it really doesn't make a difference to me. What matters is that he'll always be there, so I never have to do ANYTHING myself..."

"Listen to me, you INGRATE!" Rarity yelled. "Spike is like the little brother I never had! You could never understand the way I feel about him! You may wear my face, but we are nothing alike!"

Shadow Rarity saw an opportunity, and her crazy grin widened. "Run that last part by YOURSELF again?" she asked mockingly.

"YOU HEARD ME THE FIRST TIME!" Rarity's eyes were on fire.

Rainbow started flapping her wings and took to the air. "Rarity, don't--"

"YOU ARE NOT ME!"

Shadow Rarity began cackling maniacally. "Yes, that's right! It's just as you said..." Red clouds began flowing into her. "We are NOTHING alike!"

The red gas completely engulfed the Shadow. Rainbow acted fast, grabbing Rarity and putting her out of harm's way.

"What is this?! What's happening?!" Rarity demanded.

"The Shadow is going berserk!" Rainbow replied. "It's because you wouldn't accept it! Don't worry, just leave it to us!"

Rarity's anger disappeared as Rainbow flew over and landed beside Twilight. She felt wobbly on her hooves and sat down. "Ohh...what have I done?"

The red mist finally dispersed. Shadow Rarity had become a large, floating humanoid. She wore a large golden crown and an ornate black robe and white cape. The bottom of both garments had been cut into long, jagged spikes, which flowed down past her hips. Instead of hands, at the end of each arm was an enormous sapphire. Emerging from under the crown was long, flowing hair that was rising into the air from some unseen force. Her eyes were deep blue, just like the sapphires on her wrists.

"I am a Shadow..." Shadow Rarity raised her arms and extended them to each side. "...the TRUE self!"

"Rainbow, are you ready for this?" Twilight asked.

"I was BORN ready!" Rainbow replied.

"Spikey-wiiiikeeeey!" Shadow Rarity whined. "Don't you know that it's TERRIBLE to keep a lady waiting?!"

Shadow Rarity lifted one of her arms, and a small purple doll appeared beside her. It was about Spike's size, but it had no spines, hands, or feet. Its eyes were simple green buttons, and there was a gaping hole in its chest. It floated as if it were dangling by a string.

"What's that thing for?" Twilight asked.

"Here's a better question: Who cares?!" Rainbow yelled. "Let's get down to brass tacks, Peregrine!"

Peregrine flew forward and lifted her claws to attack. As she closed in, the doll's eyes flashed with blue light. Shadow Rarity was encased in a blue aura, and Peregrine's claws bounced off, only leaving a small wound.

"How sad!" Shadow Rarity yelled. She slammed her hand into Peregrine's stomach, sending her flying. Rainbow Dash covered her mouth.

"Rainbow, are you all right?!" Twilight asked frantically.

"Trying...to keep...my lunch..." came the pained reply.

Twilight glared at the Shadow. "Merlin, try a Wind spell!"

Merlin swung his hand towards Shadow Rarity. The doll's eyes flashed green, and the blue aura around her changed to a green one. She easily dodged the spell, laughing evilly.

"Just as I thought," Twilight said thoughtfully. "That doll is boosting the Shadow's abilities!"

"Got it," Rainbow replied, shaking the pain away. "Peregrine, speed us up!"

Peregrine surrounded herself and Merlin with green auras again, then launched herself at the doll. She slashed into it once before Shadow Rarity stopped her with some kind of telekinetic force. The doll didn't even react to the attack.

"Get away from my TOY!" Shadow Rarity yelled. She aimed her sapphire hand at Peregrine, encasing her arms in ice.

"Rainbow?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow's forelegs were frozen solid as well. "J-j-just a bit...c-cold..."

"Don't get distracted, now!" the Shadow taunted. The doll's eyes flashed orange, giving her an orange aura. She launched an icicle spear at Merlin, which impaled his shoulder. Twilight screamed in pain and fell forward.

"It's...so strong!" Twilight said, the pain evident in her voice. "Merlin...fight back!"

Merlin used his increased agility to get within point-blank range of the Shadow. He aimed his hand directly into her face, and before she could smack him away, he blasted her with fire. She recoiled and clutched at her face (or did the closest thing to it that she could, considering her lack of fingers). The doll's eyes flashed white this time, and some of the damage from the blast disappeared.

"The doll's HEALING her, too?!" Rainbow demanded. She took to the air and slammed her front legs down, shattering the ice. This also caused the ice trapping Peregrine's arms to shatter. "All right, that's it! That little cotton ball's going DOWN!"

"Go for it! I'll keep the Shadow busy!" Twilight yelled.

Peregrine flew forward and began tearing into the doll. Shadow Rarity turned to her, enraged. "Don't you ever LEARN?!" she demanded. She was about to fly towards Peregrine, but Merlin got in the way and blasted her with fire again, causing her to take a few steps back.

"Almost got it," Rainbow said as Peregrine relentlessly attacked the doll.

Shadow Rarity slammed her sapphire hands into Merlin and threw him to the ground, then flew towards Peregrine again. With another icy blast, she froze Peregrine's arms, halting her onslaught.

"Aw, not again!" Rainbow yelled. "Twilight, are you okay?!"

"I'll live," Twilight said wearily.

Rainbow tried to break out of the ice again, but it was stronger this time. Meanwhile, Shadow Rarity advanced towards Peregrine, laughing softly. "Scream for me," she said menacingly.

"Oh, wait!" Rainbow yelled, She would have smacked herself if she could. "I'm an idiot! Peregrine, blow him away!"

Peregrine flapped her wings, trapping the doll in a twister. Due to the deep claw wounds it had already sustained, the force of the wind shredded it with ease. Shadow Rarity gasped.

"Spikey-wikeeeey!" Shadow Rarity cried. "NOW who's going to be my slave?!"

"STOP TALKING ABOUT SPIKE LIKE THAT!" Twilight roared. Merlin aimed both hands at the Shadow and blasted her with fire again, causing her to clutch her head in pain.

"Insolent whelps!" she screamed. "You're USELESS to me!"

The Shadow punched Merlin in the gut and threw him into the air, then trapped him in ice. Twilight was also frozen as a result. He flew towards the ceiling, but Peregrine flew up and caught him before he could and put him down gently beside Twilight. She then flew back towards the Shadow.

"BOW TO ME!" Shadow Rarity bellowed. She lifted both arms, and a huge mass of white light appeared above her head. As it grew, she began to laugh crazily. Soon, this turned into a cackle that gave no indication that its owner had any coherence whatsoever.

"Yeah, no," Rainbow said. Peregrine flew up and impaled Shadow Rarity with one hand. The energy mass above Shadow Rarity dispersed as she froze in place, allowing Peregrine to withdraw her claws and swing a wicked left hook with her other hand, cutting the Shadow clean in half. With that done, Peregrine flew over to Merlin and smashed the ice, freeing both him and Twilight.

"N-nice one..." Twilight said, barely conscious.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Shadow Rarity cried as red mist began to leak from her two halves. "I...CANNOT...LOSE!"

Both halves were completely encased in the red mist, and as they hit the ground, it completely dispersed. Shadow Rarity had gone back to her pony shape, her eyes closed.

"We...we did it..." Rainbow said. She smiled. "Phew...that was a lot tougher than I expected."

Rarity stood up. "I see now what denying yourself can do," she said quietly. She walked over to her Shadow. Upon hearing her host's footfalls, she opened her eyes and looked up at her. "I...truly do think of Spike as family. He's always so full of life...it's difficult not to like him. When he first offered to do me favors...I agreed at first because I didn't want to turn him away."

"Do you...still deny me?" Shadow Rarity asked.

"Let me finish, please." Rarity sighed. "As Spike continued to be so generous...I couldn't help but spoil myself. I knew that it was awful of me...but I told myself that it was so he wouldn't feel rejected. I'm fully aware of how frustrating it can be for one's generosity to be turned away...it was the perfect lie."

"But just like you said, you still care about the little guy," Rainbow said. "In spite of all that, you're still really good friends. Doesn't that count for something?"

Rarity smiled weakly. "Yes...of course it does." She placed a hoof on her Shadow's shoulder and looked into her eyes. "I apologize for keeping you locked away for so long...I can see now why you were frustrated. You and I...we truly are the same pony."

Shadow Rarity smiled tenderly. There was a blinding flash. When it faded, floating before Rarity was a man wearing a duster with shoulder brushes, a modest golden crown, and leather pants. He wielded a golden duelist's rapier. After a few seconds, he turned into an Arcana card that was identical to the one that Twilight had seen last night. The card floated down to Rarity's face and disappeared, bathing her in white light.

"Jack of Clubs," Rarity whispered. "My Persona."

With that, Rarity wobbled on her hooves. She buckled, but Rainbow flew over to support her. "Let's get outta here," she said. "I think we could all use some rest."

Rarity smiled. "Indeed...though I believe Twilight needs it much more than we do."

Rarity walked over to Twilight, despite her dizziness. She extended her hoof, which Twilight took. Rarity supported Twilight, and they both began to leave the spa.

Rainbow then realized something. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. "Aw, GREAT!" she yelled. "I have to carry BOTH of you!"