Rarity sat at the couch in front of a coffee table with Pinkie in one chair, Applejack next to her on the couch, and Rainbow Dash in another chair. She smiled at Applejack, remembering their time together as fillies. She hadn't seen her since she left for Manehattan to be a Uniform Maker, and had finally met her again today, along with a soldier named Pinkie Pie. They had invited her to lunch, but had gotten lost. Then they had found themselves attacked by six Crystal soldiers. Luckily, the other soldier, Rainbow Dash, had found them, and quickly taken out their attackers. After calling the royal guard to get the Crystal soldiers captured, they had picked up some lunch at one of the best Middle Equinern restaurants, and had talked all the way to the apartment, Applejack introducing Rainbow to Rarity. The strangest thing though, was that when they got to the apartment, they found one gem out of six that they had for some reason, was flickering a soft red. It had continued to flicker for a little while, before finally dying out. Now, the four of them shared lunch in the small apartment, while Rarity was delivered an explanation for why the three of them were there, and why they were looking specifically for her.
"So, let me get this straight." Rarity said, setting down her curried oat cake. "You all came here, because Princess Celestia sent you to find me and two other ponies, because you, Applejack, were visited by an Alicorn, who said she was friends with us and another pony, and that we bore the Elements of Harmony in another timeline, and we defeated Sombra?"
Applejack nodded, chewing on a marinated daffodil and daisy sandwich. "Yep. That's pretty much the gist of it."
Rarity placed a hoof to her chin in thought. "I'm dreadfully sorry Applejack, but I find this very hard to believe."
Rainbow set down her food, looking at Rarity as if she was crazy. "We live in a world of magic where the very laws of physics are bent on a daily basis, and you find us bearing the Elements of Harmony in another timeline hard to believe?"
Rarity considered this. "You do have a point Miss Dash. But, what exactly is the purpose of getting all of us, if we don't bear the Elements in this timeline?"
Pinkie smiled, resting her head on her hoof. "We figured, that if we were supposed to bear them in the original timeline, we would be able to bear them here, since the last bearers no longer do. That theory seems to be correct, as we've already activated three of them."
"We came here 'cause Ah recognized when yer name was mentioned." Applejack said, taking another bite of her sandwich. "We were worried that we'd have to stay here for a week until you got back to work, but then we found ya."
Rarity smiled softly. "Now, who's the next pony we should be looking for?"
Pinkie instantly perked up. "There's only one left, other than this timelines Twilight. A pony named Fluttershy."
Rarity looked at her curiously. "Did you say, Fluttershy?"
Pinkie nodded, a smile on her face.
"I knew a pony named Fluttershy who used to be a Uniform Maker. She had such wonderful knowledge of sewing, but she couldn't stand up to the long hours."
Rainbow immediately straightened. "Do you know where she is now?"
"Hm, well.......if I recall correctly, she said she was going to be a wool harvester in Appleoosa."
Rainbow instantly shot up, rushing to grab the saddlebags holding the Elements. "Well, what are we waiting for? We need to catch the next train to Appleoosa!"
"Hold on there sugarcube." Applejack said, getting off the couch. "Maybe you should take it easy. After all, ya coulda been hurt a lot worse than ya were in that last fight." Rainbow looked down at where part of her real wing was bandaged. The Unicorn stallion she fought had ended up singeing part of her wing. Rainbow had argued it was nothing, but they still had it bandaged as soon as they got home. Rainbow shook her head, as if clearing it of it's current thoughts. "I'm fine. Besides, we need to find the others as soon as possible. We can't waste a moment." Applejack momentarily glared at the Pegasus, before turning to Rarity. "Even if ya are fine, Rarity's got a job here. We can't just pull her from that on a moments-" "Stop right there Applejack." Rarity said, holding up a hoof. "I won't have you postponing something as important as this, just because I have to sit around sewing drab uniforms all day. We can go as soon as possible." Applejack looked at her curiously. "Well, don't ya still need to make some bits? And can't they fire ya if ya miss too many days?" Rarity chuckled. "Oh ho ho, Applejack, darling. Didn't The Princess ask you to find the other ponies, including me?" "Well, yeah." "Then I'm very sure they'll let me take some days off, if it's by order of The Princess. And even if they won't give me payed-leave, it'll be worth it to help an old friend." Applejack smiled softly. "Why, thank ya kindly Rarity. That's awfully Generous of ya."
"GENEROUS!!"
They looked to Pinkie, who had shot up, and was currently standing on the chair. "ONE OF THE ELEMENTS WAS GENEROSITY!!!!" Realizing this, the three bolted to the saddlebags holding the Elements, and quickly pulled the bag open. But the gems were each as dark as they had been before.
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The four ponies sat on two benches in the Friendship Express. Rarity and Applejack on one, and Pinkie and Rainbow on the other. Pinkie seemed anxious, constantly checking the saddlebags that held the Elements. Rainbow also seemed a bit uptight, in the sense that she stared out the window, looking anxiously for the Appleoosa train station. Applejack and Rarity simply talked, sometimes looking out the window for the train station, but quickly resuming their conversation.
Suddenly, the train screeched to a halt, thrusting the four ponies from their seats. They quickly recovered, looking out the window. They realized painfully, that the Appleoosa train station was nowhere to be seen. "Hey!" Rainbow yelled, getting to her hooves. "What's the big idea!?" The group looked up as the door to the engine creaked open, and the conductor stepped out. "Sorry everypony!" He yelled to the crowd. "The train decided to get weak today, so we need to reduce the amount of passengers. So, only those who can pay a twenty carat gem can still ride. All others have to get out." Applejack groaned with a facehoof. "Great. Any a' y'all got a twenty carat gem?" Rainbow shook her head. Pinkamena groaned out a no. Rarity chuckled confidently. "Oh, Applejack. Lucky for you, I got paid last week, and saved four twenty carat gems." She opened her bag, and pulled out four red twenty carat gems, holding one up to each of her friends. Applejack smiled. "Why ain't that kind a' ya Rarity." They each grabbed a gem, and proceeded to walk to the front of the train to deliver their gems to the conductor.
Rarity stopped in her tracks, at the sound of three foals whining.
She looked over to a pair of seats, where an Earth Pony mare with a lavender coat, a ruffled mulberry mane, mulberry eyes, and a grape and strawberry Cutie Mark, held three foals, each crying into her. Rarity walked over to the mare and her foals. "Excuse me, miss?" The mare looked up at her. "Are your foals alright?" The mare nodded, looking down at her whimpering foals. "Oh, they're fine. They just........" "They what, darling?" The mare chuckled with a strain. "Oh, I wouldn't want to bother you with such things." Rarity placed a hoof on the mare's shoulder. "Darling, you will not be bothering me in anyway, shape or form." The mare looked at her for a moment, before sighing. "Well, we had just gotten enough money to do so, but we were on our way to visit their grandfather for his birthday up in Canterlot. We don't have enough gems currently, and they're pretty upset about it." Rarity looked down at the three foals, whose tears had momentarily stopped, and now looked up at Rarity with raw eyes. Rarity looked back up at the mare. "Now miss, I simply must insist that you take these four gems to get your foals and you to their grandfathers party." She placed the four gems down in front of the mare, who quickly pushed them back. "O-Oh no. I-I couldn't. You need those gems to ride." Rarity pushed them back. "Now, I simply must insist. I will not take no for an answer." "Well......." The mare looked at the gems, before taking them reluctantly. "Alright. Thank you for your charity. I hope it's not a problem." "Please, it's no problem at all." The mare smiled getting up with her three foals and walking to the front.
"What was that!?" Rarity turned to see Rainbow looking at her with an angry expression. "Now we can't get to Appleossa!" "Of course we can still get to Appleossa. We.....we can walk." Rainbow groaned, along with Pinkie.
"Um, excuse me, miss?"
Rarity turned behind her to see four, nicely dressed, ponies. The stallion at the front held four twenty carat gems in his hoof. "We would like to offer you these gems, so you can ride. My friends and I were going on a traveling trip for fun, but after seeing how you were so kind to that mare, we decided our trip could wait." Rarity stared at the gems, stuttering. "W-Why......th-thank you sir." He tipped his hat with a dainty flourish. "My pleasure." He then walked off the train with his three friends.
Rarity sighed, as Applejack placed a hoof on her friend. "Why, that was awfully kind a' ya Rarity." Rarity smiled. "Well, as I always say. Generosity is rewarded with Generosity."
The Unicorn mare was interrupted by a light tapping on her shoulder. She looked next to her to see Pinkie, who dropped the saddlebags at her hooves. In that moment, a single gem rolled out, flickering a soft purple.