Rarity stood at the edge of a cliff, staring down at the ground below as tears fell from her eyes. She had always been a mare of hope, a mare who had always believed that no matter what happened; things would always get better. So when her sister Sweetie Belle had gotten really sick one day, forcing her to be taken to Ponyville hospital, she had not been concerned at all, knowing her sister would pull through.
Even when her sister had gotten worse, she had kept up hope, knowing that her sister was meant for great things and there for refusing to believe for a second that things were bad. But then the doctor had come in during one of her visits and pulled her aside, giving her news that had nearly stopped her heart.
The doctor had said that Sweetie Belle had been diagnosed with a rare unicorn disease, one that caused her magic to turn on its host, slowly killing her from the inside. It usually manifested by the filly’s magic lighting things on fire, even things that were supposed to be impossible to do so, which explain everything that had happened when she would try and use her magic.
Rarity had been devastated, but had stayed strong, right up to the moment when her sister’s life had left her body, and then her life had turned into a blur.
And now she stood here, her will broke and the one thing she had loved dearly in her life gone forever, lost due to cruel fate. “I just want it to end,” she thought, and then she stepped forward, falling off the cliff toward her end.
As she fell, she allowed her mind to go back over to the happier times with her sister, her mind becoming so focused on the pleasant images that she did not notice the blurred form speeding toward her, at least not until said form caught her half way to the ground and flew her to safety. Her eyes shot open, turning to look at her unwanted savior and discovering Princess Luna holding her in her forelegs, slowly carrying her to the ground before letting her go and landing in front of her.
“Lady Rarity what do you think you were doing, you could have…”
“It’s none of your business what I was doing, and I did not ask you to save me, so please do me a courtesy and leave me be!”
Luna looked shocked by her comment, understanding crashing over her as she looked at the young mare in disbelief. “You…you were trying to kill yourself, weren’t you?”
Rarity didn’t answer her, looking away and causing Luna to walk up closer to her as she shouted, “Weren’t you!”
“Yes!” cried Rarity, pushing the princess away as tears began to stream down her face. “Is that what you want to hear, will that make you leave me alone?!”
Luna looked stunned for a moment, and then shook her head, deciding to get to the heart of the matter. “Lady Rarity this isn’t like you, we know you well and you would not wish such a thing on yourself, so why do you now?”
“Because I don’t want to live,” yelled Rarity, “my sister was not meant to die before me, and I cannot bear to live in a world where she is gone!”
This caught Luna off guard, but once again she recovered, speaking harshly as she looked Rarity dead in the eye. “And do you think that is what you sister would want, do you really think she would want you to kill yourself and leave Equestria defenseless.”
“You don’t…how dare…YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT MY SISTER WOULD WANT!”
“I know she would not want you to waist your life so needlessly.”
Rarity opened her mouth to argue further, but any retort she had died on her lips, the wait of the princess’s words sinking in like the cold steel of a dagger, causing her to slump to the ground as she began to sob uncontrollably.
“Why…” she asked through a choked sob, “Why did it have to be her, why could it not have been me…?”
Luna walked up beside her, sitting down and draping a comforting wing over the young mare, sighing in relief when her wing wasn’t shoved away before speaking. “I do not know Lady Rarity, many have speculated as to why, but rarely do they have any good answers. All we really can do is learn to live with the pain, and in the case of ponies like you and I, learn to use it to better ourselves.”
“…You and I?”
Luna nodded, “yes Lady Rarity, for I too suffered a grievous loss just like you did, one that still pains me to this day. But instead of letting this loss consume me, like you have done, I instead learned to channel it and use it, allowing me to better myself in many ways…much like you will be able to…if you wish it that is.”
Luna remained silent after this, knowing it was crucial that she do so, however she didn’t have to wait long, for Rarity finally spoke.
“What do you mean I can use this to better myself, how can anypony use pain like this to better themselves?”
“Because Lady Rarity,” said Luna calmly, “a part of you died when Sweetie Belle left this world, and as we know from watching nature, death invites rebirth. That part of you that died has the potential to be reborn into something new, but only if you nurture it and let it grow. It will not be easy, for things of this nature never are, but if you are willing, I would like to help you explore that potential.”
“…ok,” said Rarity at last, nuzzling close into the princess before speaking again. “But not tonight, I…I can’t handle doing anything tonight.”
“A wise choice Lady Rarity, now get some sleep, we shall guard thy dreams while you rest.”
Rarity made to protest, only to collapse upon the princess as she cast a spell, sending her into a deep and dreamless sleep, safely wrapped within her wing as Luna looked up to the moon.
“Let’s just pray you don’t make the same mistake I did…so long ago…”