Gone. All of them. Gone. Twilight had managed to get her and Rarity back to Canterlot. She had teleported them. Normally Rarity hated it, but now she did not much care. About anything. Twilight used her last bit of energy to get them there. The two of them appeared right in Royal Canterlot Castle throne room.
Celestia was sitting on her throne, alone. She looked over at the empty throne next to her own. Luna usually occupied that seat. But recently it had been less and less. And now, ever since Spike left, Celestia had barely seen a glimpse of her sister. She stayed up in her room almost all the time. Celestia sighed heavily. And then she felt a shaking in the throne room.
The guards all looked about as the room shook even more. Celestia got off her throne and stepped forward. Even with all her power she was stumped at what this could be. Then they appeared. In a brilliant flash of light the shaking stopped. And in the middle of the throne room stood two ponies. One was Twilight Sparkle.
She had just teleported her and Rarity an overwhelmingly long distance with little energy to spare. She looked up at Celestia with a defeated look in her eyes. And then her eyes closed as she passed out and fell to the hard, cold floor of the Royal Castle. Celestia raced up to her and immediately cast a spell of rejuvenation on her.
“Come now, Twilight Sparkle,” Celestia said soothingly, “You will be okay.”
The spell had its intended effect and Twilight's breathing grew to be shallow, but stable. It was then Celestia turned her attention to the other pony that was there with Twilight. It was Rarity. The dress maker. Celestia could tell in an instant what was wrong with her. She knew the answer already, but she asked anyway.
“Where are the others?”
“Gone. All of them. They are all gone,” Rarity said blankly as she sat on the floor.
Just then Celestia heard something off to her side. She looked over to see her sister. Princess Luna. She was standing off in the shadowy entrance of a side corridor. She had heard what Rarity had said. She had tears of great sadness in her eyes and she ran back to her chambers. Celestia ran after her, but not before giving the guards one final order for the evening.
“Make sure these two ponies get to the hospital. And make sure it is done discreetly. Am I understood?”
The guards nodded their heads and Celestia ran off. They knew when she was being serious. Now was most definitely one of those times. They knew why she wanted the discretion. If the civilian ponies saw Princess Twilight Sparkle in this state they would panic. If even she can't stand up to the Madness, what can? The guards knew this, and understood.
The guards had one thing going in their favor. Night had fallen fast that day. Celestia's doing no doubt. Three guards removed their armor and managed to sneak Twilight and Rarity out of the Castle. Two guards took Twilight by both sides and supported her as they walked. The third lead them with Rarity right behind him. They got the hospital without anypony spotting them. For being the guards of the Princess of the day they were fairly adept at moving around unnoticed at night.
The next week was a blur to Rarity. Twilight had woken up after spending a full day and half asleep. The doctors said it was a combination of exertion and shock to her system. Twilight was able to leave the hospital soon after that. Rarity was not so lucky.
Physically, she was fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises. A few more cuts from the shattered glass of the column and that was it. It all healed in time. But she simply did not care anymore. About anything. Twilight came in to talk to her a few times, but Rarity was never in the mood to talk.
Twilight simply said a few things, and waited for her to respond. She never did. Rarity's day were spent with her head hanging low and heart full of sadness. Twilight even tried taking Rarity to the castle again. To the room where the best dressmakers in Canterlot get their materials. Nothing. Rarity had no reaction to the room. Well, she had one.
Rarity walked into the room behind Twilight. She moved slowly. Twilight stopped and Rarity moved up beside her. When she saw the room her demeanor changed a little. Her eyed widened a bit. She moved about the room, going from corner to corner looking at a few fabrics here and few designs there. Then she did something Twilight never would have thought she would do. Rarity picked up a roll of fabric, and she threw it.
Rarity threw the fabric as hard as she could at the far wall. First one roll, and then two. She turned around and bucked a rack with several dress design ideas hanging from it. Twilight raced to stop her before she ruined everything in the room. She came to Rarity as she was just about to toss several bottles of clothing dye onto the floor.
“Rarity, stop! Why are you doing this,” Twilight asked her friend.
“Why did you bring me here, Twilight,” Rarity replied angrily.
“What? You haven't been the same since the desert. I figured if maybe you could do something you liked it-” Twilight said, but did not finish.
“Something I liked?! I don't like this, Twilight,” Rarity yelled, “I liked making dresses for my friends. I liked showing my friends my designs. What I don't like is being stuck in a room full of reminders of the friends that are gone!”
With that said Rarity stormed past Twilight and out of the room. She stormed past Celestia without even a passing glance. She came into the room with Twilight. She was trying to clean up the mess that used to be a clean room. Celestia walked up to Twilight, her former student, and sat down. Twilight sighed and joined her. She set a few rolls of fabric on a counter top and sat in front of Celestia.
“I see that it did not go well,” Celestia said as she looked about the room.
Twilight stared at the ground and let out a heavy sigh, “I thought it would cheer her up. Being around dresses and fabric and stuff. It never occurred to me that it might all remind her of. . . of them.”
“Twilight, there is something you must understand,” Celestia said in her guiding tone, “Rarity's spirit has been broken. In time it will mend, but you cannot force it.”
Twilight listened the pony princess who she still believed to be her mentor. Even now Celestia guided Twilight and gave her advice. Celestia looked at Twilight. She looked closely at her.
“And how are you doing, Twilight,” She asked.
“I don't even know,” Twilight replied, “I am trying to hold it all together. I have to. For my duties as a princess require that I stay in one piece. I want to go to Rarity and sit with her and cry for all my friends, but I know I can't. I have to be strong, especially for her.”
“Hmm. How is that you and Luna can be so different, and yet so much alike,” Celestia stated, “She has not shed a tear in days. She believes Spike to be gone, and yet she continues her royal duties. She says Spike would want her to do that.”
“I haven't even spoken with Luna since this all started,” Twilight said.
The next day was the beginning of a new week. A whole new week of nothing but Rarity pouting in a dark corner of her room. She did not say anything the entire time. She just nodded her head slightly whenever she was talked to.
Twilight spent much of her time trying to find some way to find the girls. And Spike. She had to be honest with herself. She had more hope for finding Spike than she did finding the girls. Before she knew a week had passed, and then another. Three weeks had gone by. The fourth started off with Cadance coming over to the Royal Castle in an unexpected visit.
She found the Royal Castle to be in a bit of a strange state when she arrived. Many of the guards that were inside were now outside. She could feel a whole heir of secrecy and despair around the place. She threw open the doors to the throne room with her magic, only to see Twilight walking through the castle.
She had a few too many scrolls packed in a saddlebag, and was carrying even more in her mouth. Cadance looked at her for a moment with just surprise in her eyes. And then that surprise turned to joy. She rushed in and swept Twilight up in a huge hug.
“Twilight! It is so good to see you! I have heard such awful rumors about you and the girls,” She joyfully exclaimed.
Twilight spit the scrolls out of her mouth, sending them to the floor a few paces away. She struggled a bit in Cadance's tight embrace before managing to get free. She pushed herself free of her grip and looked up at her friend. She did not look as happy to see Cadance as Cadance was to see her. Twilight closed the doors to the castle.
“Not rumors,” Twilight said, “We lost Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy in the desert. Darkmares. Spike was taken by the sands. I had to leave him there in order to save Rarity, and myself.”
Cadance's look turned from joyful to horrified. And then to sorry. She felt sorry, for all the pain that her little sister pony was going through right now. Twilight started to tear up and Cadance held her close.
“Cadance, why are you here,” Twilight said in an effort to change the subject.
“You have been through so much already Twilight. You are suffering now more than any pony should ever have to. I truly hate to be the one to tell you this, but it is about your brother,” Cadance said, “He has been infected. With the Madness.”
Twilight was crushed. She was already on the verge of going into complete meltdown. First her friends, and now her brother. That was it. That was the final piece that pushed her over the edge. She cried in Cadance's embrace. Celestia stood farther away, out of sight of them. Luna stood with her. Her head held high, but her spirits low.
“You see, dear sister. It is just as I feared,” Celestia said, “Whoever is controlling this Madness had shown their hand.”
“They targeted Spike,” Luna said flatly, “And the only way to get to him was through his friends. So they were made to suffer. And yet, even now their suffering can be a good sign.”
“How can you say that , Luna,” Celestia asked.
“If she is suffering even now, after Spike has been gone for nearly a month, then it must mean that he is alive,” Luna said with a heartfelt smile, “So I have hope. That he will rise up and stop this Madness, and then he will fulfill his promise to me.”
Celestia was proud of her dear sister. Even in the darkest of times she was able to find hope. Luna flew down to the two other princess's. She smiled and shared with them her belief of hope. At first Twilight was angry with her, but then she came to see what Luna saw. She came to understand that Luna might be on to something. And yet, she could not just forget about her brother. So her and Rarity both would head back to Crystal Empire with Cadance. Twilight had to pack her bags for her quickly, but Rarity was most definitely going to come with her.
So the three of them went on to the Crystal Palace. Twilight immediately went to see her brother. Cadance took her down to the the depths below the Palace. The old dungeons. Her and Shining Armor had discovered them just after the defeat of Sombra. They had hoped ti never use that dark place. But they had no choice now. Shining Armor had the Madness. He was a raving, raging Mad pony bent on destruction and mayhem.
Twilight cautiously approached the cell he was in. It was dark. Shadows enveloped the whole interior of the cell. She could just barely make out the outline of a bed. She could see a few other things, but nothing had enough detail for her to know exactly what they were. Then one of those things moved. Shining Armor! It had to be him. He rose from his place on the floor. He was bigger. Much bigger than Twilight remembered him to be. It was what the Madness did to you. He lunged at the bars of his cell, only to be held back by thick metal chains around his back hooves and neck.
“Don't worry, Princess Twilight. He won't be breaking those chains any time soon. Promise,” A pony said behind her.
“And who are you to make such a promise,” She asked without even looking back.
“The Forge Master here at the Palace. My name is Strikefire,” The pony said, “I forged those chains from the strongest metal and Princess Cadance enchanted 'em from there.”
“Good. Good,” Twilight said as she stared at her brother, “I will save you from this, big brother. I will.”
All while this was going on Rarity was up in a higher point in the castle. Cadance had posted a guard there, just outside the adjoining rooms. She ordered him to let her or Twilight know if there were any changes with Rarity. Nothing happened. He heard a lot of ruckus at one point, but it soon died down. He could hear her hollering and shouting from inside the room. That soon died down as well. After that all was quiet.
Days after they arrived Rarity sat in her room. She sat amidst the remains of her packed bags. Twilight had packed the for her, and she had done so horribly. Or maybe it was just her. Every time she looked at her bags she saw something that brought up old memories of Rainbow Dash, or Pinkie Pie.
She pulled a hat out of one bag that Fluttershy had once given her. She had found it at a sale, and thought Rarity would like it. She did. It was simple, yet elegant. Now Rarity hated it. She did not want to think about Fluttershy anymore. She threw the hat off to the side and tore through her bags.
Everything. Everything brought up old feelings that she did not want anymore. So she tore through everything, and tore it all up. That was hours ago now. Now she sat alone amidst the mess of broken memories and torn clothes. But not for much longer. For in the briefest of moments she heard something.
A voice. A faint, but ever so familiar voice. But it can't be. No pony even knows where they are. So how did she find out? Rarity tried to hone in the voice. She tried to find out exactly where it was coming from. The hallway. She would check the hallway. So Rarity raced to the door in her side of the room that led to he long corridor beyond and threw it open with a flare of her horn. She did not even notice the guard pony there as she laid eyes on the pony whose voice as now filling her ears.
“Sweetie Belle? What are you doing here? In the Crystal Palace,” Rarity asked her little sister.
“I came because of you, Rarity,” Sweetie Belle said, “I could feel your pain and sadness even in Ponyville. I came to help.”
“Please, Sweetie Belle, stop this nonsense,” Rarity implied, “There is no possible way you could help. Not now.”
“But I can, bis sister, I can. All you have to do is follow me,” Sweetie Belle pleaded.
Without waiting for a response from Rarity Sweetie Belle turned tail and trotted down the corridor and around the corner. Rarity was quick to race after her little sister, even if she still wasn't sure as to how she got here.
Rarity rounded the corner she just saw Sweetie Belle go around. Except, when she rounded the corner she saw nothing. Until Sweetie Belle popped her around a corner even farther down that corridor. And so Rarity chased her down that hallway. And the next after that. She was finding it near impossible to catch the little filly. No matter how fast she ran she was always just around the next corner. This went on for who knows how long until Rarity finally caught up. Sweetie Belle was waiting for her at what appeared to be a dead end.
“Come now, big sister. It's this way,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Sweetie Belle. Stop. This has gone too far,” Rarity exclaimed.
“But I can make all you pain go away. All that sadness. All those unwanted memories. I can make it all go away,” Sweetie Belle said.
“Sweetie Belle, you can actually do that? Really,” Rarity said.
She had made a point. Rarity had been thinking about it. Losing her memories. There had to be some spell she could cast. Right? She had never actually gotten around to looking for one, though. And now her little sister was here before her, ad promising to do just that. It was too good to be true. Had to be. And yet, Rarity was no longer the type of pony who cared about such things.
Rarity agreed to follow Sweetie Belle and she lead her out of the castle and into the city. A few ponies stopped and stared as she walked by. Rarity felt in that moment. More than she had the past month. She felt happy. Her little sister was here. She was going to be free of this terrible pain. Forever. Or so she thought.
As she followed the sweet little filly that was her younger sister something happened. They had just passed the Crystal Heart and were now entering the main hub of the city. Dozens of dozens of ponies all moved about as they went on with their daily lives. Rarity had her eyes on Sweetie Belle, until an annoying little ball of light fluttered into her line of sight. It darted back and forth, and all around Rarity.
“Sweetie Belle, what is this thing,” Rarity asked.
“I don't know. Just get rid of it,” Sweetie Belle said commandingly.
Rarity tried to wave it off with her hoof, but the persistent little light wisp was stuck on being close to Rarity. As it darted around her face Rarity even tried to use some magic to drive it off. That did not work either. It wasn't until a very short while later that the answer came to her. It came in the form of broken glass raining down around her and an old friends dropping by. Literally.
Spike could feel the light wisp guiding him. He could not explain exactly how it was he was getting the messages it was sending. Or how he was understanding them. It was just a feeling that he got. That was the best way he could describe it. So he followed the little wisp as best he could. That is, until it went through a closed window three stories up and dropped down to the ground floor. Great. Spike ran up and peered through the glass. He could see Rarity!
“Uh, Cadance . . . ,” Spike said hesitantly.
“Oh, just do it and get it over with,” Cadance said with a sigh.
So Spike did. He moved back a good ways and stared at the window. He was going to need a good jump. He sprang forward with a burst of speed and right as he got to the window he propelled himself up and forward and out as hard as he could. Glass rained down around the ponies below. They all scattered and ran about to avoid the falling glass shards. All except two.
Rarity ducked underneath the nearest table and listened to the glass fall and shatter into even more pieces as it hit the ground. She peeked her head out after the sound had stopped just in time to see Spike. He was falling from the same place the glass came from. That explained one mystery.
Spike hit the crystal hard and slid across the floor. He dug his claws into the crystal and used one hand to slow himself down to a stop. At that point he stood tall and straight and looked over at Rarity. She was so stunned to see him. Alive!
“Spike, you're alive,” She proclaimed, “But it doesn't matter. None of the others are.”
“I don't believe that, Rarity, And neither should you,” Spike replied with a firm voice.
“Oh, enough Spike. I am going with Sweetie Belle to end this. No more pain. No more sadness. No more memories! I will finally have some peace,” Rarity told him.
Spike then noticed the small Unicorn filly. She was hiding under the same table Rarity was. She crawled out from under it and Spike noticed something odd. In her eyes. Whenever she looked at him a small, barely visible flash of red shimmered in her eyes. Then Spike made the connection.
He closed his eyed briefly. Barely longer than a blink and when he reopened them they were glowing. The intense green of his Mystik state filled his being. He raised his right foot and slammed it into the crystal he was standing on. After a moment of nothing a small circular piece of crystal popped up below Rarity, with her right in the middle of. This circle of crystal laid on top of the rest, and Spike saw that. With the same foot he moved the crystal off to one side. She was no closer to the Crystal Palace, where Twilight and them were just now making their exit.
Spike looked over at Twilight and nodded. She stood next to Rarity as she watched Spike stare down her little sister. She did not know what was going on anymore. Spike just stared down the filly and not moving. It was not until after several moments of challenging silence that Spike finally uttered the first words.
“Ebony Thorn,” He said, “Nice to see you.”