//------------------------------//
// The Ballad Of Mirror Mare 
// Story: Of Laurels & Lace 
// by WritingSpirit 
//------------------------------//

	"Sure you're fit to go, Rarity?"

It has been four days since their arrival to Palgiot Palace. Tonight is the last night.
With the recent events happening around them, Octavia was extremely worried for her friend's condition.

"No need to worry about me, darling." Rarity said reassuringly to the gray pony, a cheerful smile on her face. "After all, it's just one more night in the palace."
A small knock sounded from the wooden door, making the two mares turn their heads.

"I apologize for my sudden intrusion." Winter began as he slowly limped inside, his right hoof slightly aching.
Octavia noticed a small bandage on his hoof, curiosity beckoning her to ask: 

"What happened to you?"

Winter followed her gaze, before turning to the gray mare, a nervous smile on his face. "Oh... that."
Rarity just turned her head away, uninterested in the stallion's explanation.

"It was just a fall. Minor cut really," he replied, chuckling at his carelessness.

"Well, I hoped it was a lesson well learnt."

Both Winter and Octavia looked over to Rarity, slightly taken aback by her reply.
"Rarity!" the gray mare hissed quietly. "What are you doin-"

"I believe it's time," the unicorn glared a little at her friend, "for the Patriarch to leave."

Winter just stood there, completely baffled by her behavior, before speaking up:
"I know, Miss Rarity, that our first encounter didn't end up well."

Rarity ignored him, her friend just looking at her, dumbfounded.

"Of course," Winter rose his volume a little. "in the meantime you would refuse to ever speak to me."

The white mare gave a slight glance at him as the stallion continued:
"But I do hope, Miss Rarity, that in the future, we can forget that yesterday morning ever happened, and have our chances to talk to each other."

As he finished, Winter Palgiot hurriedly left the room, closing the door behind him.
"Rarity-" Octavia began, but the white mare interrupted.

"I don't have to listen to his lovey-dovey talk, alright Octavia?"

"But..." the gray pony tried to speak, trying to make sense of her friend.
"But I thought you fancy him, Rarity."

Rarity flinched. She felt insulted, cheated, betrayed. How could somepony like Octavia judge her like this?
Tears begin welling up in her eyes, as she held herself back "I-I know ponies like you think that I fancy royalty and such...."

Octavia stepped back, waiting for her friend to explode. She had heard her outbursts before in Ponyville, but she wasn't prepared for any of them.
"But I'm not that simple-minded, Octavia..." the unicorn continued as she started sniffling.

"I-" the gray mare was at a loss for words. "I don't know what to say-"

"You don't have to say anything!" Rarity screamed at her friend, before cringing back once more.

Octavia just looked down at the floor, guilt quickly overshadowing her.

Rarity began to sniffle, wet tears dripping onto the floor.
"The thing is, Octavia-" she stopped, her voice softened, clearing her eyes for a moment. "It's not your fault or anything..."

The grey mare looked up. "Whatever do you mean, Rarity?"

"It's all my fault... I should've never left him in the first place."
Her cries grew louder as Octavia shuffled closer to her friend.

"Who?" she asked. "Who are you talking about?"
Rarity looked into her lavender eyes, as her friend placed a hoof around her.
"Just tell me..."

"No!" she pushed Octavia's hoof away, her sadness consuming her.

The gray mare stumbled, catching herself just in time. She looked at her friend in shock, completely astounded by her sudden, harsh attitude.
Silence filled the air, with only a few sniffles as Rarity glared at her friend.
"You wouldn't understand, Octavia! Nopony ever will!"

"Understand what?!" 
Now it was Octavia's turn to get angry. "You never told me about anything, Rarity. Anything at ALL!"

"Cause you wouldn't know how I feel!" Rarity shouted back to her friend.

"It's all you. It's all you, you, YOU now, huh Rarity?"

The white mare trembled, her mouth agape from the insult.
"You are the most disgusting, wretched, most backward pony I've ever met!"

The other mare just scoffed. "You think you're the only one with problems now?!"
She threw a pillow, hitting the bediside table instead of the white mare. The grey pony's eyes started watering as well, a variety of emotions crossing her face.

"Well, how about this?" Rarity shouted, glaring daggers at the gray mare.

"How about the fact that you left the love of your life, who loves you in return, and never saying anything to him about loving him, ever? How about the fact that the love of your life had an accident, possibly attacked, and is now somewhere in a hospital with a coma?!"

Octavia stopped short, shock and guilt twisting into her face.

"How about the fact," she screamed, flailing her hooves around, her tears scattering throughout the floor.
"That you put the blame on your friends, screaming and shouting at them, that you feel like just THROWING YOURSELF DOWN THE STAIRS? IS THIS HOW YOU FEEL NOW, OCTAVIA? IS IT?"

Rarity couldn't take it anymore. She buried her face into her dress, sobbing her life out as Octavia stood there, completely at a loss for words.

"I-" the grey mare stammered, unable to think of what to say.

"Cause I know you don't!" she screamed one last time, before collapsing onto the bed.

"Just ... get out."

Octavia started trotting out of the room, her mane hung low as Rarity began sobbing. As she walked out, the gray mare turned back once more to the despairing unicorn, opening her mouth as if she was about to say something, but left, a tear forming in her eye as she shut the door behind her.

Rarity just sobbed, letting all of her despair out with her face buried in the sheets of the bed.

"I'm sorry.... I'm so sorry..."

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"It isn't everyday you go to the Tower Room, sir."

Stellar Lionheart ripped off the fabric from the roll, quickly wrapping it around Winter's sprained hoof. The young Patriarch has just returned from visiting the guests, his previous bandage a little damp from the effort.
The Patriarch sighed deeply, biting his lip from the sting his with each rub of medicinal oil onto his wound.

"Something terrible has happened, Stellar," Winter began.
"One of our comrades. Mirror Mare has..." he stopped when Stellar gave him a shush.

"I will look upon it for you." he said to the unicorn, reassuring him.

Winter smiled at his butler. 
"Sometimes, you're like a father to me."

Stellar looked up at his master, a little startled from the comment.
"I'm flattered, sir." he said with a grin. "After all, it isn't everyday your father visited you."

The Patriarch felt his stomach twist. He settled his teacup down before his face darkened. 
"My father never visited me."

"Don't say that, sir." his butler replied, finishing up the wrapping.
"He loves you in his own way, protecting you from harm."

"By exiling me to an island?" Winter questioned his butler skeptically.
"He wasn't fit to rule, all of you knew that."

Stellar sighed. He serviced Winter and four other Patriarchs before him, including Winter's father, who nearly drained the expenses of Pendant Lakes and their benefactors. It wasn't long before he was assassinated. He completely understood about the lengths the family can go through.

"At least your uncle helped you out."

The butler was right. Harrow Palgiot had quickly supervised the conditions of Pendant Lake after his father's sudden death. With him as Patriarch, he removed the order of Winter's exile shortly after. At that time, Spring wasn't even born yet.
His mother, Sovereign, wasn't keen on his father as well, so many ponies were especially happy when his father died.

All except for Summer.

Now that was one pony he couldn't understand. "If I found out which pony did this," his brother once swore. "I'll kill him!"

"The pony that did was already dead..."

"Pardon, Sir Winter?" Stellar said as he helped polish the unicorn's shoes.

"Nothing."

Winter limped out of his room, with the help of his butler. The two ponies slowly walked down the corridor.
Then, the Patriarch abruptly stopped, his attention fixed towards an oil painting. There was his father, sitting royally in a general's uniform, his snout held up high. His eyes seemed to stare through him, with no pity in his maroon pupils.

"Sometimes, I don't know why his painting was hung here." Winter said to his butler, who looked at him with no expression.

"He wasn't the best," Stellar clarified. "But he was still a Palgiot."

Winter grumbled. A maid walked past them, doing her daily duties.

"Let's go." the unicorn said, his butler following him closely behind.

The maid ignored them, taking out a wet rag. She started to slowly clean the table and the frame of the painting, not leaving any trace of dust around.
She polished the nameplate, which gleamed a brilliant gold as she wiped off the dust from the carved words.


27th Patriarch of Palgiot Palace.
Ambassador of Pendant Lakes & Aston Reach

~ Tantrum Palgiot ~


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Rarity sighed. Her hoof held tightly onto a clutter of bags, her necessities for tonight's masquerade ball all wrapped neatly inside..
She thought back about the previous days here. The arguments, the drama, the death.
Her hooves kicked on stone as she absentmindedly wandered through town. The shopping avenue was, surprisingly, uncrowded today.

The goods she bought were as good as any shop in Manehatten. She bought a pair of heels, crystalline with a decorated diamond at the side, clasped with a golden frame. She had earrings, rather small for her ears, but valuable all the same.
Of course, she bought a mask for the occasion. It was a mask that represents a swan, something Autumn would wear. A small, golden pattern decorated the edges, finishing with a few pale feathers.
She smiled proudly at her set. No wonder the locals call this part of town Starlet Avenue.

"Rarity?"

She turned around, a bit startled from the voice.
There stood Crimson Lux, an array of bags on his hoof as well. She spied a tuxedo with small, maroon lines decorating the side, making it look more modern.

Rarity looked at him, uninterested.
"What are you doing here?"

"You know," the cardinal-colored pony said, raising his bags up. "Shopping for me and 'Tavi."

She immediately humphed at the mention of the grey pony's name.

"Look, Rarity." Crimson began with a discerning smile.
"I know 'Tavi got you upset and all. In fact, she's really guilty about it. She wouldn't leave her room-"

"OUR room," Rarity corrected with annoyance.

Crimson fumbled, before saying, "Sorry, what I meant was she hasn't left the room since, well, the argument."

The white mare just turned away, with broken ignorance.

"I don't wanna know what's it about," the stallion continued. "but I just wanted the... old Octavia back."

The white pony glanced back, guilt starting to pierce her heart.
"Just go.. talk to her, I dunno what mares like you do." Crimson said with a chuckle, before toning down his voice into a small, quiet whisper.
"For my sake, okay?"

The stallion continued down the avenue, leaving Rarity as the white unicorn stood there, a mix of surprise and guilt on her face.

"Alright then," she said to herself. "For Crimson's sake..."

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Winter and Autumn marched up the weathered cliff, with Stellar pushing Spring on a wheelchair closely behind them.
The pale green pony giggled as the bumpy road rattled the wheelchair. Autumn smiled warmly at her as their brother walked up the path.

"Stellar," he whispered to his butler. "Please bring Spring to the falls."

Stellar nodded, a somber expression on his face.
"Come on, Spring." he quickly smiled as the filly beamed at the aging pony.
"Uncle Lionheart's taking you to see something rather jolly."

"Can I guess what it is? Can I, Can I?"

"Of course, dear."

Autumn looked on with a grin at the two ponies, her brother already trudging forward into the pine forest, before continuing with her brother.  A hut and some ponies in uniforms quickly came into view, despite the mist shrouding all around. One of them waved his cap in the air, signaling them to go over.

"Chief Griffonhooves." Winter called out his name, crunching through the leaves. 
"Autopsy please."

"There was a struggle," the chief said, his hoof pointing to the window.
"A fight started between Hostia and the Mirror Mare itself."

He then lifted a bag. Inside was a bullet, stained with blood and wet from rain.
"Extracted two of these from the body," he said as two ponies lifted a body bag onto a stretcher. Autumn immediately turned away, unable to look.
"Matched the bullets found in Caesar's leg, sir."

Winter quickly nodded, gazing at the body being carried down the mountain.
"Where was it found?"

Chief Griffonhooves looked up from the clipboard. "I'm sorry?"

"Where was his body found?" the Patriarch asked again.

"Down below the crevasse." the chief pointed at the cliff.
"Painful death, this one. Two bullets and one dastardly long fall."

Autumn flipped open her pocketwatch, before turning to her brother with concern.
"We're running quite late, Winter."

Winter walked towards the body, the two ponies lifting the body halted, saluting the blue-maned unicorn.
Opening the zip, he took a glimpse of the pony's face, the sunset shining radiantly in the golden sky.

Rest... Sidus

"It's time."

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Rarity climbed up the stairs, losing count of the steps she took. Rumor has it that the horseshoe stairs are uncountable, with every pony that tried losing count.
The closest was the account of one pony, who was about to shout out the answer to everypony in the room, before he suddenly dropped dead.

She shuddered at the thought of it, as she continued towards her room. Guards aligned the corridor. Since the death of Tassel Twist, the number of guards quadrupled throughout the palace, with every window and door guarded.
The mare sighed as she reached her and Octavia's room. She placed her ear to the door.

Silence.

She held a breath, running through a mental script on what to say.
There were no guards in this section of the palace. Rarity never understood why. She wouldn't bother finding out anyway. With one more gulp, she turned the knob.

"Octavia, I-" she began, but was cut short at the scene before her.

The gray mare was standing on the ledge, the glass windows opened wide. She stared into the distance, her hoof placed against the granite wall.

"Octavia, what are you doing?" Rarity frantically asked. She was waiting for the grey mare to step down, but a part of her made her think this wasn't the case.

"Rarity," a tear formed in her friend's eye. "Remember what you've said this morning?"

"About screaming and shouting at your friends? About throwing yourself down the stairs?"

The white mare froze with guilt and shock.
"I wasn't in my right mind this morning, Octavia. We can talk about this."

Octavia just stood there, a breeze blowing across her mane. "Well, I thought about what you've said."
The white unicorn strode closer to her friend, preparing to catch her just in case.

"You know, Rarity? You're right."

Rarity looked up with surprise, her mouth slightly open with a quivering gasp as the gray mare continued:
"No pony would've known what you've gone through."

"Octavia," the unicorn tried to console her friend.
"Come to your senses now. You don't want Crimson to worry about you, don't you Octavia?"

"Worry?" the gray mare asked quizzically, before letting out a cold laugh. Rarity felt sadness, depression breaking in her voice, which only flourished her guilt even more.
"Would he even worry, in fact would he even care?"

"Of course he would!" Rarity shouted at her friend, trying to knock some sense into her.
"He was the one who convinced me to come talk to you! He cared about you, about how you were!"

Octavia turned back to the unicorn, a glimpse of sadness and regret in her eyes.

"He made me realize what I've done, Octavia! He made me realize how hurt you were!"

The gray pony just trembled, a small tear in her eyes.

"He made me realize," Rarity hesitated for a moment, "how I was hurting my friend."

That made Octavia blink in surprise, turning to her friend.
"And I'm sorry, Octavia!" the unicorn continued with tears of her own. "I'm sorry!"

The gray pony felt herself tremble, before launching herself onto Rarity, sobbing with her face buried in the unicorn's curled mane.
"I'm s-sorry too, Rarity!" Octavia cried out, albeit muffled.

"It's alright, Octavia," Rarity replied, hugging her friend tightly.
"It's alright..."

The gray mare looked up to her friend, wiping a tear off her eyes.
"So we've switched positions now, huh?" she said with a chuckle.
Rarity laughed slightly at her joke, remembering about the event on the train. 

"I guess so." she said with a grin.

Then suddenly, both ponies started laughing uncontrollably, lying on the bed with tears in their eyes.

Tears of happiness.

As the laughter died down, Octavia looked towards her friend, who closed her eyes with relief.
"You've no need to tell me about him, if you don't want to." she whispered to her friend.

Rarity just gave her a smile. "Don't worry, Octavia."
You'll find out when we get home tomorrow!" the unicorn said with a wink.

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The night was sweet, as how his uncle would've put it.

Winter wore a black suit, preparing for the night, the dance, the mare he wanted to talk to.
"So you're the famed Winter Palgiot everypony's talking about."
He chuckled at the thought of the mare, fair and dazzling in her own way.

"Mr Palgiot?" Stellar asked, waiting for his master.

The Patriach sighed. Time to go.
He walked down the steps as his butler stood there patiently, his hooves tucked into his suit.
"Miss Spring is waiting for you outside, sir."

He smiled. He couldn't wait to see her face.
Winter straightened his bow, before asking his butler what a mare would to her partner.

"How do I look?"

Stellar smiled, remembering how feminine the stallion was with things.
"Fascinating sir, if I do say so myself."

From the table, he quickly grabbed a mask. It was the mask of a white tiger: a creature Winter admired the moment he saw it at the Las Pegasus zoo.
Such aggresion, yet so graceful.

The white and black striped mask gleamed back at him, waiting to be worn. He strode across the room, opening the door with Stellar following close behind.
"Wow, Winter!" a small voice squeaked when he stepped outside. "You look smart!"

Spring pranced around at the sight of her brother, despite her sickness. Winter couldn't help but chuckle at his little sister, ruffling her mane.
"You look pretty, Spring."

"When I grow up," she squealed to her brother. "I won't be pretty. I will be beautiful ! Just like Autumn is."

"Ha. Ha," Autumn walked up in an auburn dress fitting her name, shaking her head.
"You already look beautiful, just the way you are, Spring."

Winter smiled, before turning to his butler.
"Where's Summer? He's missing the family reunion!" he joked.

"Apparently," Stellar cleared his throat. "Your brother said he had some... errands to run."

Winter's face immediately darkened with suspicion.
"Errands, huh?"

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"Welcome, Miss..."

"Rarity. This is Octavia and Crimson."

"We hope you'll enjoy the ball."

Rarity gave a nod and a thank you, as the three ponies entered the Equinox Ballroom.

The ballroom was filled with ponies, all chattering among each other. Everypony was excited about the dance, awaiting the arrival of the esteemed family that invited them here.
Rarity headed towards the buffet table, as the waiters handed out porcelain plates. Her hoofs strode smoothly along the polished marble floor, her eyes glistening at the glamour around her.
The chandelier of diamonds hung above everypony, illuminating the giant ballroom in a dazzling display of lights. The unicorn quickly scooped a bit of raspberry of punch with a ladle, filling up a glass.

"Miss Rarity, is it?"

Sapphire Shores walked up to her, lining up to savor the food on the platter as the white mare took a sip of punch from her glass.
The singer looked at her dress, a spark of interest in her eyes.
"Where did you get that dress?"

Rarity chuckled, frolicking her yellow, glittering gown. "I made it, all by myself."

"Oh, I almost forgot! You're the one that helped me in my fashions previously!"

The unicorn blushed. Sapphire finally remembered about her.

"Listen," the singer whispered. "I've heard about the incident with the... Diamond Dogs, is it?"

"I'm over it." Rarity responded dismissively.

"I'm glad you are," the singer replied with a grin. "I'm sorry I've put you in so much trouble, and not going straight to you for it, but you know how the ponyrazzi are these days." She chuckled softly.
"They would die to get a scoop of these stories."

Rarity laughed along with her. "No problem, Miss Sapphire."
As Sapphire walked along, gathering more of the exquisite food, Rarity looked around, searching for Octavia, before spotting the gray mare at the side of the room.

She and Crimson already found a table, the gray mare beckoning her to sit.
The unicorn quickly trotted over, careful of not spilling any food, or act unladylike, for that matter. She sat down across the couple, who were already nuzzling their snouts together.

"See this?" Crimson stirred a glass of wine. "It's a new formula created by the Patriarch!"

"How was it?" Rarity asked.

"Very special! You can taste a bit of raspberry in it, then it dissolves into some muscat grape taste."

"Interesting."

Octavia took a whiff from the glass of wine. She crinkled her nose as she looked at the bottle beside it.
"Palgiot's Finest." she read the label. "Parsan 1389"

The clock in the ballroom chimed eleven, echoing through the Equinox ballroom.
"Hail!" a voice boomed from the doors. "Palgiot!"

The grand doors opened, as the four ponies stepped in. Each looked well dressed, their snouts held high with pride.
Everypony in the ballroom clapped, some whistled, as they slowly strode towards the ballroom stage. Ponies in suits follow closely behind them.

Winter stepped out from his siblings, walking up to the stage. His horn glowed dark blue as the microphone flew from the stand, an aura matching that emanating from his horn.
The microphone hovered below his mouth, as he spoke:

"I thank everypony here for coming!" Winter said with a smile. "My family and I really wished you enjoyed your stay with us, despite the unfortunate events surrounding Tassel Twist's death."

Some ponies cringed a little as he continued, aware of the slight change in atmosphere.
"Mr. Twist will be sorely missed, and I send my condolences to his family, his friends, his company and all those affiliated with him."

The Patriarch cleared his throat. "So, as respect to him, we shall begin a prayer in silence."

Everypony closed his eyes as they prayed for the deceased pony. Rarity cupped her hands together as she prayed not only for Tassel, but for Spike as well.

"Now," Winter finally said, breaking the somber atmosphere.
He gestured the suited ponies to their seats on stage, clutching a few instruments between their hooves.
"Let the masquerade..." the stallion raised his hoof. 

"Commence!!"

Everypony started to wear their mask as the classical 'band' started playing an upbeat waltz. Sounds of trumpets and trombones flared through the air. The melodic hum of violins and cellos quickly harmonized along, filling the room with a symphonic melody.
Ponies started gathering to the center of the room with their partners, all shaking their flanks with the music.

"Come on!"
Octavia tugged at her coltfriend's hoof. "Let's go!" she insisted.

Crimson laughed before joining the gray pony, her one and only mate, to the floor.
Rarity looked on, a smile on her face as she saw everypony around her dancing happily to the music. The jazz reached its climax as the sound of trumpets burst from the stage.
The jazz melody transitioned in a Latin samba, the white mare found her head nodding to the beat, her swan mask nearly falling off.

"Hey, Rarity."

She heard Winter's voice through the music, before giving out a groan.
"I'm sorry I didn't invite your friends, alright?" Winter sat beside her, his tiger mask gleaming in the light, trying to get a glimpse of her face.

Rarity just humphed.
"You haven't tell me the reason why!" she added.

Winter sat back, feeling a little guilty as the mare took a sip of his wine.
"Alright," he finally said. "I'll explain."

Rarity just gave him a cold stare, crossing her hooves. "I'm listening."

"You see..." Winter began, before looking behind her shoulder. His expression suddenly twisted in horror, prompting the white mare to follow his gaze.

"What is it?" she asked as she turned around, before the stallion stopped her, his hoof blocking the view.

"Stay here, Rarity." the stallion told her, his face as somber as ever. 
"I've got things to take care of."

Rarity slumped back as the pony took off, slinking through the crowd. The music transitioned again, this time into a slow, melodic waltz.
She sipped onto her wine, looking at the couples dancing on the floor. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Octavia and Crimson, the two of them laughing as they danced in circles.

"My, my..." she muttered to herself.

Then suddenly, Crimson raised a hoof towards the musicians on the stage, immediately catching their attention.
The cardinal pony trotted up the stage, grabbing the mic as everypony set their eyes on him.
"I'm sorry for interrupting everypony and their romantic moods." Crimson spoke from the mask of a wolf.

The crowd just laughed at his unintended joke.

"but, my mare and I, we've been wanting to share the stage together."

Rarity's jaw dropped. Is he doing what I think he is?

"Therefore, I would like to ask my marefriend, the one and only soulmate in my heart-"
He beckoned his hoof to Octavia, the gray mare blushing a deep shade of red, nearly matching Crimson's coat. A giant ray of light pointed towards her, revealing the pony Crimson mentioned.

"-to perform our so-called 'duet' here. Tonight."

His marefriend looked up in bewilderment as Rarity giggled softly. 
"Now?! Crimson, we can do this some other time-"

"If we do, I would never speak to you again." Crimson interrupted, a sly smile on his face.

The crowd chorused with 'oohs' as Octavia glared at her coltfriend.
"Fine," she sighed in defeat.

Everypony cheered, including Rarity, who was proud for her friend.
Octavia slowly took a seat, a bow in her hoof. She gave the crimson stallion a cold stare, ignoring his soft chuckle.

Rarity saw her friend mouthing the words from below her crane mask.
"You better do this right." 

Crimson gave her a wink, before he cleared his throat as he began singing.


The world keeps spinning as I fall over,
plucking the leaves off a four-leaf clover.

Feel the blood pumping around,
as I imagined her smile,

Fading away as I grow older.


Crimson positioned himself to the center of the stage as he continued singing.


Saw her leaving a note at my front, door.
I felt a little side of me rotted, to the co~o~ore...

As I saw the dagger eyes you had
Glaring at me like the worst best friend.

I never thought this relationship will end.


Octavia's cello soon harmonized with his voice, as the band continued unanimously with the song.


But I saw new hope, as time goes byyyyyy.
A clearer future, worth for a tryyy~y

Rang the doorbell, put down my hat
The door opened as I kneel on the mat

Ooooooh~ What a lovely sight....


Drums clashed as the chorus began.


Tell me everything was just a lie,
And it was just a prank of you and I;
Spinning in the rain, as I took you higher,
Soaring in the sky, under stormy showers,

Tell me everything was just a joke
'Cause remember the last time, that we spoke
You told me you will 
never leave my side.

Forever~


A guitar strummed a tune along with Octavia's cello as the audience clapped and cheered for Crimson and the 'band'.				
Rarity smiled with tears in her eyes, as she took one more sip of the wine. 
If only Spike were here...

Something lingered in the back of her mind, making her head ache, as she felt time slow. Then everything just seemed to stop; the cheering, the singing, the waltzing.
A sense of dread lingered as the harmonious music abruptly shunned into silence. Rarity started walking towards the crowd, her fears starting to grow.

"Hello?!" she called to one of the ponies, who seemed to be frozen in a cheer.
"Hello~?" 

A wave of horror swept over her. Somehow, time has stopped before her eyes.
"Octavia?" she called to her friend, who seemed to be in eternal slumber with her eyes closed.
Crimson stood, his mouth open slightly with his hooves still holding the microphone. Even wine froze in the air, as a mare started to fill her glass.

"Well, well, well..."

She turned around, frightened by the sudden voice. Nopony seemed to move.

"The damsel in distress, I suppose." the voice continued, She shuddered at its morbidity.

"So, tell me, miss. How is it that you can move in an anomaly of time,"
She heard a slurp of wine as the voice continued.
"while your friends couldn't?"

The mare slowly stepped back, trying to slither into the crowd. Safety comes in numbers, she told herself.

"Why now, surely you couldn't be like your other friends here?.
A dagger whizzed through the air, striking against a marble column beside Rarity. She yelped in surprise as the voice laughed in her terror.

"Leave her alone!!"

Another voice boomed through the room. Rarity looked up into the blinding light, trying to get a view of the stallion.
There, standing on a balcony, was Winter Palgiot!
He took a grand leap, falling onto a table, which surprisingly held his weight.

"Show yourself, Mirror Mare!"

A cloaked figure separated from the crowd, a golden mask with a stitched grin looking back at him.
Rarity immediately gasped. That was the mysterious pony she saw yesterday!!

"Well, well. Looks like we've got company."

The Patriarch harrumphed, his hind leg buckling, ready to launch himself to the cloaked figure.
"Look at the time!" the pony said with a laugh. "I've gotta run..."
Mirror Mare, as he or she was known, slinked back into crowd. A gleam of light flashed through the air as time started speeding up.

Winter looked up in horror. The white mare crept backwards as well, her eyes fixated on the ceiling.
As music filled their ears once more, he suddenly shouted: 
"GET AWAY FROM THE STAGE!"

A creak filled the air, followed by a snap, as Crimson, Octavia and the other ponies stood there in bewilderment.
Suddenly, the diamond chandelier swung to its side with a snap, falling towards the stage as ponies started scrambling for safety.

Screams and cries echoed through the room as the chandelier crashed onto the platform, glass shattering through the windows.

Rarity frantically galloped towards the stage, as Winter and Stellar swerved their way through the crowd.
Octavia lay under the wooden cello, coughing from the dust and debris as Rarity helped her up.

"You okay, Octavia?" Rarity asked immediately.

"Where's Crimson?"

The gray pony looked around in horror at the mess before her. "Where is he?!"

Rarity tried to calm her friend as the gray mare pushed her hoof away.
She crunched through the scattered glass as she dug into the crystal ruin, tears flowing from her eyes. "CRIMSON!"

A set of hooves pulled her back. "Calm down! Miss Octavia!" Stellar exclaimed, as Octavia tried to force herself out from his tight grip. Winter and Summer quickly dug through the debris, trying to get a glimpse of the musician.

"Over there!" the butler pointed to a hoof dangling out from the debris. Summer quickly rushed over, tugging at his hoof as Winter lifted some of the iron bars with his horn.

Rarity rushed by her friend's side, praying for Crimson with Octavia already wailing uncontrollably. "Celestia damn it, Crimson-"
The stallion laid there unconscious, blood seeping from a few, big cuts near his flank. Glass pieces sprinkle across his flesh, some jutting out from deep within his skin.

"Crimson, no-!" Octavia couldn't bear herself to look as she sobbed even louder in agony, her eyes widened in shock from the scene before her. Rarity turned her head away, gripping her friend tightly with tears in her eyes. 

Celestia!

"Somepony call the ambulance!!"