Rarity, POW

by Amethyst_Dawn

The White Phoenix

Rarity slowly stirred in the great bed, waking gently from a slight unrest. She fluttered her eyes open, and immediately found herself staring directly into Phoenix’s gaping maw as he snored silently: he was obviously much more relaxed than she was at the moment. She smiled softly, and drank in the soft sounds of his breathing.

After a little while of continual restlessness, she began to gently toss and turn: trying and failing to relax once more. She didn’t know what it was, but something wasn’t letting her sleep, and her nerves told her she didn’t need it anyways.

‘Oh, is that what this is all about?’ She thought to herself, rubbing her temples tiredly as realization dawned on her. She looked over to Phoenix, and smiled warmly at the sight of his chest still rising and falling gently, signaling her of his peaceful slumber.

With a silent grunt, she slowly inched her way out of their bed, and into a pink set of slippers that Scorch Frost had set out for her. She threw on her salmon nightgown, and walked over to the door, making her surest to remain completely and utterly silent: so as to neither awaken Phoenix, nor the children. Silently, and indeed almost invisibly, she closed the door behind her: and glided down the hall.

It didn’t take her very long to reach the living room, with the great fireplace that glowed brightly in the night. She calmly walked to the adjoining ‘kitchen’- which, by her knowledge of the palace, was more like Scorch’s mini-fridge: and made herself a small sandwich. Cucumber, of course, and poured herself a cold glass of milk to go with it. She was told that she was free to do as she pleased earlier, when they were being shown to their room.

After preparing her little snack, she sulked back towards the giant furnace, and took a seat by the nearest couch: keeping herself in the light, as the rest of the great hall remained cloaked in nightly darkness.

The firelight danced across her form, and licked the surrounding room in a way most would find creepy, or unnerving. Rarity, however, had found it far beyond comforting: and so very warm compared to her last month or so. She stared thoughtfully into the fire: casually taking a bite of her meal, before she washed it down with some milk. And even though it wasn’t anywhere near ladylike, she discovered herself swirling the milk around in her mouth: savoring the rich flavor she never thought she’s miss so much, before swallowing.

She thought about what the morrow would bring, and what it would mean for her and her business. Surely, she couldn’t leave home: and it was rather selfish of her to consider making Phoenix leave his.

“Don’t tell me you couldn’t sleep, Rarity.” A deep voice said from behind her. Rarity froze at the sound, and turned around: looking over her right shoulder. Though, all she could see was a spiked shape slithering in the shadows near the kitchen.

‘Well, pooh…’ She thought, as a flat spade at the end of the shape faded into the darkness. ’I thought that was the cutting board…’

A great, scaled head appeared to her left, supported by a long neck that snaked around to the front of the couch. Unfortunately, she had not seen him until she turned back, and the sudden sight startled her: causing her to drop her snack with a quiet shriek.

“Apologies if I’ve scared you, Rarity.” Spike said, allowing most of his body to walk into the light. She simply stared as he lay down next to her couch: in a manner not unlike the kingly look of a lion. His tail appeared around the other end, and gently lifted the sandwich into her hooves with its dagger.

“You… look even bigger in the dark…” She mumbled, not realizing that she had spoken her thoughts.

The Dragon chuckled: “Call it a growth spurt, or an illusion.” He shrugged. “Twilight noticed it earlier in the year: I’ve been growing substantially each night…”

Rarity nodded, pretending to understand, and shuffled awkwardly as heavy silence swallowed the room. She could hear his growling breath as he stared out the grand window, and she could smell the faintest scent of what seemed to be smoked salmon. Her stomach growled at the mere thought of it.

“You’ve certainly… grown.” She ventured again, swallowing nervously as her friend gave her a puzzled look. “S-since I last saw you, I-I mean.”

Spike nodded, and lazily scratched his chin with a claw. “It has been a few years. Though, not much has changed with us since you left on your vacation. You, on the other hand…” He lowered his claw, and swerved his long neck to glance at her: “Seems you’ve been through a lot.”

Rarity shivered from the memories, causing Spike to look away. He obviously didn’t mean to bring back the pain: poor dear was just making conversation.

“I have, Spike, both good and bad.” She said softly. She would have extended a hoof to him, but just the simple act of turning his huge head put him out of her reach. The dragon looked curiously at her, and rolled onto his side:

“I can only imagine the bad, Rares.” Spike growled bitterly, before casting a sly grin her way: “But, I can certainly see the good myself…” he added, nodding up to the bedrooms.

Rarity felt her face heat up as she coughed nervously: “Ahem, yes, well… these things happen…”

“As they should, Rares: a mare like you only deserves the best in a mate,” Spike said in a kind tone, that hid a little disappointment as he turned his head away again: “…and he seems to fit the bill.”

Rarity hung her head. “I-… I’m sorry, Spike.” She said solemnly: resolving herself to address the Oliphant in the room. “I know how you felt about me, yet… I ignored it. I’d always hoped it would go away, when I realized. And when it didn’t, I didn’t know how to tell you the truth. And worse, more recently: I’d… forgotten it entirely. I’m sorry for never acknowledging your feelings… and for not telling you sooner that I… could never...”

She felt the room grow warm suddenly, and looked up to see spike giving her a stern, yet gentle glare: his right wing stretching out to comfort her like a blanket, while his body radiated heat in his strict temperament.

“Rares, don’t you ever blame yourself like that again. I know you knew: you’ve led me on enough times that I eventually realized, but I still never held it against you.

“Yes, yes, I know that sounds off, but I was only sixteen back then. Do you know how young that is for a dragon? My mindset wasn’t exactly based in reality, I can tell you that much. And after you disappeared, well… the only story I ever got until recently was that you were missing: most likely taken prisoner, or even dead. With no say in what went on with the war, the only thing a kid like me could do was… move on, eventually.

“And then, well… Applebloom came along to comfort me, and… well… I was finally able to do just th--”

He stopped himself short when he caught a peculiar glimmer in Rarity’s eye. “What?”

Rarity held a hoof to her mouth to hide her snickering, aggravating the dragon further: “Seriously, what is it? Do I have Dotsy in my teeth?”

Rarity was in a giggling fit by now, and had to take a few breaths to calm herself before speaking, still wearing a mischievous smirk: “Oh, my… I’m so incredibly sorry, it’s just… that tone you took! You… and-… and Applebloom? My stars, they grow up so fast.”

Spike suddenly became very flustered, and rubbed the back of his head with a claw. “Well, I dunno if I’d say that we’re… you know. We’re just… a, uh… friendly… species… thing. Yeah, yeah that’s it! Celestia says it might help us get dragons involved in the--” He was interrupted by another fit from the mare: causing him to give a small, rueful smirk as well. “It’s… I’m that obvious, huh?”

Rarity caught her breath once more: “Your crushes aren’t ever really subtle, Spikey.” She heard a chuckle escape his throat, and smiled innocently at him: relieved that they had both moved on.

“Do you think she knows?” Spike asked, obviously bothered by the thought.

“Based on experience, it’ll take her another month or two before she realizes it. If it’s mutual, though: she might just make the first move…”

He nodded in understanding, and she could see his cheeks burn slightly at the thought. They both stared into the fire, until the silence was broken once more: this time by the dragon.

“So… Phoenix,”

Rarity felt her own face warm up so quickly, that for half a second: she almost swore it had caught on fire. “Yes?” She asked, suddenly greatly uncomfortable.

Spike either didn’t notice, or didn’t put it to mind, as he proceeded: “About him… how did that happen, anyways? I can guess, but I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”

Rarity took a deep breath, and told him her story as far as she could remember: from the first day in Germareny, to her flower shop, to their house, and eventually the journey through the woods. She spared some details, including a few that just the memory of made her face heat up. She did, however, go into immense detail of her time of unrequited love: and he smiled as memories of a certain blonde Unicorn back in Ponyville jumped around in his head.

When she was finished, she could tell that Spike was impressed: even with the calm façade he put on. He nodded, and looked away as he yawned: obviously out of tire, rather than boredom. She chuckled nervously as what had first kept her awake smashed back into her memory like a spellfire bolt.

Spike noticed- of course he did…- and looked over to her, seeming to read her mind:

“Well, then. Now that I know your story, and you know mine, why don’t we discuss why you’re up so early?”

Damn.

She was hoping to avoid the topic, but here the drake was, cutting straight to the point. Just like old times…

“Well…” she began, hoping to find words that would help her fears sound reasonable. After what seemed like an hour’s pause, she finally decided to just tell it like it was:

“I… don’t know where to go.”

Spike quirked a brow, retracted his wing, and lolled his body lazily to the side: showing that he was listening.

“I know that Phoenix and I being married tomorrow is no mistake, by any means. But… where do we go, when the war is done? Do we stay in Germareny, after all this, or am I to be selfish: and ask him to leave his home just because of where mine is?”

While she paused, Spike scratched his chin. But he apparently didn’t need to think long before an answer came to his mind:

“You’re assuming this war will end in our favor,”

Rarity found herself giving Spike a horrified glance, fearful of what he meant. The dragon seemed to pay no heed, and continued.

“Rarity, this war has already put two of our friends out of service: and Fluttershy is barely holding on in her work as a medic. And Pinkie…”

Rarity raised an eyebrow worriedly: “W-what about Pinkie?”

Spike’s expression darkened, telling the mare all she needed to know.

‘Of all the things that could happen,’ She thought. ‘May Hitter be damned for his crimes…’

“Besides that, most of the Earth Ponies and Mules left in Germareny are dead. Their homes have been burned, and the streets are patrolled by Dotsies: whose numbers grow every day from Marelin. Their refugees are being hunted down, and slaughtered. And the Ghettos have been given over to pyromaniacs, with the promise of no punishment for whatever they do in there, or whoever they hurt. This war might not ever end, not truly, anyways.

“There is no home for him here, Rarity, only death. This city as well can only burn in time, the only hope for these races is in Equestria, if that is even safe anymore. This may be his homeland, but the blood you and I have seen will take centuries to clean from the streets.”

Rarity felt her heart sink, she knew he was right. Something still felt wrong about ripping him out of his roots: and expecting him to grow elsewhere, though.

“He’s right, you know.”

Both mare and drake turned in surprise to see Phoenix standing on the terrace where Rarity had come from, smiling down at the two.

“How l-long have you been standing there?” Rarity asked, shivering slightly from a sudden burst of cold.

Phoenix chuckled. “I heard the whole thing, dear: our bed got a little chilly after you left.”

Rarity flushed deeply at that statement, where Spike just quirked an eyebrow in innocent confusion. Phoenix was clearly enjoying himself at their reactions, and walked down the stairs:

“However, I do agree with your little dragon friend on this. Germareny is my homeland, but it’s no longer my home.” He nodded thankfully to Spike as he sat down next to Rarity: wrapping a hoof around her, and curing her of the sudden chill. She nuzzled into his warm neck, and nickered joyfully as she enjoyed his warmth. She heard Spike chuckle at the display, and opened her eyes in time to see him stand: giving her a good idea of just how large he had grown in just the last ten hours.

‘Applebloom has good taste…’ she chuckled to herself, nuzzling a little deeper into her fiancé’s embrace.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Rarity.” Spike offered, she could hear the smile and the pride in his voice. “And congratulations, to the both of you.”

They both thanked him fondly, and he glided noiselessly into the shadows behind them once more. Afterwards, the loving pair stared into the fire: until she felt well-deserved sleep creep up on her.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“… I know p-pronounce you… excuse me… Mare and C-Colt.”

Rarity could tell that Twilight was holding back a sniffle with those words, and she could even see tears in the poor dear’s eyes. Rarity was choking back tears as well: this was a day she would not soon forget. She only wished her friends could be here.

In a touching display of honor and respect, the Count himself had made sure that the entire palace was decorated for the events, doing far more than his fair share of the work himself: he wanted this to be flawless, despite Rarity insisting that simplicity was an option.

“… You may now kiss the bride.”

Twilight seemed to say that a little too eagerly…

Didn’t matter to Rarity, though: for she turned to Phoenix, and he to her. And they became lost in each other’s eyes; each could swear that the other was made of pure, shimmering summer moonlight. Yet what seemed like a joyous eternity to them was merely a split second to those who were watching.

Phoenix started leaning forward, yet she was far too impatient to let him travel all the distance. However, she made a note to try and curb her excitement from this point on: as she ended up not just kissing him, but all-out tackling him as well. That provoked a few hoots and cheers of congratulations, laughter, and adoration from the townsfolk. Even Twilight herself grew red in the face as she chuckled.

When their lips finally parted, Phoenix was smiling dumbly at her eagerness, and giving her a rathermeaningful look: one which she agreed to completely.

“How about after we mingle, Darling?” She cooed, earning a chuckle from her new husband.

“Of course…”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Rarity stomped down the hall, an odd mixture of hope and fury coursing through her veins. She felt lightheaded, and she almost passed out whenever she tried to run these past few days. Zippowill kept saying something about a ‘small problem’, when she took notice of Rarity’s ailment, but she never told her what she meant. Damned infuriating: that’s what it was.

She opened the door to Hitter’s office, before taking her usual place on his couch: sitting up like a trophy. She had long since given up on glaring at him, as she in turn decided that the better way to change him would be to butter him up a bit.

She sat in respectful silence throughout the day, and much to her amusement: that seemed to make him even more nervous. He kept glancing back her way, but quickly turning back after she’d offer him a sincere smile.

Finally, after endless hours of baited silence, he spoke.

“What are you planning?” He hissed, looking at her suspiciously.

“I see good in you, Hitter.” Rarity stated simply. “I saw that smile on your face when we returned Octavia to our home, I’ve seen glimpses of what lies beneath that murderous façade you put on: there’s somepony under there, somepony who doesn’t want this endless destruction.”

She was expecting several reactions to her speech, not one of which was the one she received. Hitter bowed his head, rested it in his hooves, and chuckled. Not a rueful chuckle, nor a warm chuckle: but a genuine snicker, as if what she said was amusing.

“Of course you saw that, Rarity. Confusing as it may seem: I still hold nothing but the good of our kind at heart. When all these useless races are wiped out, I’ll be sparing their descendants from being kicked and beaten in the street, all because of the unfortunate race they were born into.

“I also spare them from further pain and torture, if they do not resist. Those that surrender themselves are executed so humanely that they often don’t even know they’re dead.”
Rarity blinked, and her smile vanished. The worst part was, she didn’t know how to argue with him on that. She felt her head ache as she searched for a flaw in his logic, but he had caught her so unprepared that even after searching she still came up blank.

“Is that not a good thing, then?”

Hitter turned to her with a confident smirk as an upbeat rhythm hummed through the air, while Rarity wracked her brain in search of an answer…

Hitter smirked: “So you’re saying that I should let them live on, when they will slowly starve out anyways? I think it would be merciful to kill them all now rather than let them kill themselves with their ignorance.”

Rarity clenched her teeth as her head ached. “No, no: not at all! I’m saying that things were fine the way they were, for not only did you needlessly cause the deaths of thousands of Earth Ponies: but there are several dead Pegasi and Unicorns who could have lived far longer, were they not busy getting themselves killed for your cause.”

“So what you’re saying is that I should have let the Earth Ponies starve out our kind, because they insist on taking jobs that we could do with half the effort?” Hitter laughed coldly. “Evolution needs to take its course, Rarity. And how many of my soldiers are dead by your hoof alone, when you could have spared them by joining me in the first place?”

“That was in self-defense, and you know it.” Rarity said defiantly, walking up to his desk. “And don’t try to change the subject! I’m not saying that anypony has to die, I’m simply stating that--”

Hitter slammed his hoof on the desk for silence as he barked at her, making her cringe from the presence he placed before her as the beat rose to fruition: blooming into a powerful orchestra that thrummed with dramatic intensity.

“You thankless mud-lover, get out of my way!
Those ponies will be taught the truth
And they'll hear it from me…”

It took all the willpower Rarity had left to stand up to him: as belted out her own verse, brightening the music slightly as well.

“Stop! My dear Hitter, this is not the way
I know you're better than this hostility!”

Hitter groaned, rested his forehead on his hooves, and continued in a pained tone.

“You haven’t tried to know me at all
Don't understand the meaning of my fall
What my charges would think if I ever
Failed at this cleansing!”

He lifted his head back up, leaned forth over the desk, and roared in her face with a hurt tone.

“I'm their leader – that means I cannot break
No matter what be the cost of the path I take
Whatever I have to do to win in the end”

She tried to join back in, but he would cut her off sharply each time.

“Stop! Yours is not the answer
Wait! And I can clearly see
Listen! You can redeem yourself
Not by helping Earthens, but by joining me…

“I know you want friends who admire you
You want to be the hero with the answers, too
But there's a better way, there's a better way~!”

Struggling to rejoin the beat, Rarity finally fought her way back in:

“There's so much more still left
To learn about the world
I see the light that shines in you
I know you can be strong when unfurled.

“You can stop right now
And try another start
You'll finally free yourself from the dark
And see the light
And see the light that your lead can mark!”

Hitter groaned in frustration at her resistance, and stood up to pace the room. He was clearly fed up with her ability to disregard his word, and was thinking of new ways to reach her as the orchestra played on.

Something clicked in the tyrant’s mind, and the level of confidence in the smile he gave Rarity sent shivers down her spine. His deep laughter echoed through the room, giving all who heard it a feeling of great cold. The tone of the orchestra lowered to an eerily deeper, slower revision of the rhythm. Hitter stepped around her like a shark: his voice flowing dangerously low, and smoothly seducing.

“You surely need to see the truth, Rarity. So please, listen to me…”

Rarity was frozen uncomfortably by the soothing tone of his voice as he stalked around to her front again.

“Please listen, my darling, when I say that I can offer you everything you could want… power, influence, money… love…”

He sat down in front of her, and placed a hoof under her chin as the tune carried forth once more from his mouth.

“I can show you the burden I haul
Teach you the true meaning of my faults
What your powers can be if you’d care to
Listen to reasoning!

“I have studied the paths you've had to take
I smell the stench from the piles of bodies you make
Whatever you’ve had to do to win in the end…”

Rarity felt her stomach heave from the memories of what she’d had to do to survive, and she found herself unable to fight his reasoning.

“Think! You’ll see you’re not unlike me
Look! And it is plainly seen
Listen! You are a murderer, too
But by helping others, you are killing these

“I know you want your name etched in hard stone
You want to see your ponies returned to their home
But there's another way, there's another way

“Sit by my side and I can
Give you all the world!
I can keep all your friends safe
You don’t have to ever try and change!

“You can join me now
And make another mark
You'll free your mind from their oppressive bark
And be the one
And be the one that has lit a spark!”

Rarity fell to her haunches as she felt oddly satisfied. Had he just opened himself to her, or did he just get her on his side? She honestly couldn’t tell. She had no will to fight, her identity felt shattered, and she felt cold.

Hitter bent down, and helped her up with a hoof around her shoulder. And much to her disgust, she welcomed it. But she found herself feeling suddenly faint, which was not something unnoticed by Hitter.

“Come now, Rarity. You’ve been increasingly faint the past few days, and you’re eating weirdly. Let’s get you to your bed: I’ll have the doctor look you over.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

*THOOOMB!*

Rarity and Phoenix both awoke with a scream as the floor above their tower suite disappeared in a flare of heat and color, collapsing the ceiling on top of them. They emerged, miraculously unscathed, as what remained of the floor above erupted over onto the next tower: igniting it as well. Rarity looked out into the blizzard-thick night, and saw something that caused tears of horror to appear in her eyes:

Just outside the walls of Brookhaven, countless torches flickered through the snow, stretching as far as the eye could see. They illuminated what seemed like thousands of swarming shapes that were undoubtedly soldiers. But what really scared her was the dozens of menacing machines: that could loosely be described as what giant metal matchboxes would look like if someone sewed a button on the top, and stuck the needle into the thin side of the button.

She had never seen such constructs before, and she didn’t dare guess what they were for. But, it turns out she didn’t have to, as one of the ‘buttons with needles’ swiveled, and—

“That’s a CANNON?!” She shrieked in terror as the creation fired at the town. A glowing ball of crackling energy shot into the city with a bang, and exploded on impact: lighting up the building with a horrifying mixture of lightning and fire, and sending debris flying every which-way.

She looked back to the army, and could barely make out the form of Hitter himself: identified by his trench coat. He stood on a stone that jutted violently from the ground: overlooking the assault on the ancient city.

“You fools! Don’t fire those Mäusen at the palace yet! Bring me the Lilac Duchess: alive, and unharmed!” His voice commanded angrily, enhanced by something she couldn’t see. “Kill all the others!”

Phoenix wasted no time in grabbing her, and escaping down the stairs as another explosion sounded from the town below, and an alarm rang through the city.

By the time they returned to the great hall, Twilight had mounted Spike, and was carrying a large-barreled Spellrifle- almost twice her size -in her aura.

“What’s the quickest way out there?” She barked at Count Frost: Spike clawing at the ground in a draconic fit of eager fury, and bloodlust.

The Count smiled, and gestured to the giant window with his horn: causing it to explode outwards in a fireball, and leave a more than big enough hole for both Dragon and Rider. Twilight thanked him as Spike charged out the window with a fearsome roar: taking to the dark sky with a burst of fire.

The Count turned his pupil-lacking eyes to the newlyweds, and sighed in relief. “Thank the Lady for your survival, are you two alright?”

Rarity nodded. “We’re fine, but your tower suite is destroyed.”

Scorch Frost chuckled, returning to his cheerful attitude. “As long as nopony’s hurt, all it does is spare my servants from doing your laundry.”

Rarity felt her face flush with heat: and stammered as she tried to remember what she was going to say.

“Your eminence, it looks like the entire Dotsy army is out there, and they’re firing on your city.” Phoenix said sternly. “How can we help?”

“Get your wife, and your little ones to safety, Phoenix. Our city has no shortage of defenses, we’ll be fine.” The Count assured them.

“Oh my god, Phoenix: the children!” Rarity panicked, pawing at her husband’s chest: “We need to find them! They must be scared out of their minds!”

As if to punctuate her fears, another explosion rocked the mountainside: lighting the room with an eerie orange glow, and eliciting shrieks from two very familiar voices somewhere in the building. Upon hearing them, Rarity spun on the Count, eyes moist with worry:

“Where are they?”

Scorch Frost gestured down the hall with an equally concerned expression. “They’re in the spare suite, just up the stairs, first door on the right!”

He had barely finished when the couple had disappeared in a blur: Rarity in the lead, with Phoenix just behind. She practically shattered the door as it flew open, and they rushed in to embrace the cowering foals.

Though startled by the sudden contact, Grain hugged Rarity tightly as he sobbed, and Seamist was clinging to her brother in silent terror: tears matting the fur on her cheeks.

“Sh-sh-shh…” Rarity soothed, stroking Grain’s mane.

“What’s going on out there?” The colt whimpered, clutching to the fur on her chest as his fearful eyes begged for an answer.

“War, my child.” came the simple reply.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Phoenix led their small group through the downtown. Or, what was left of it. Smoke billowed from the fresh ruins as fires leapt up in scattered locations, casting their orange sheen on the fresh-fallen snow. They could hear the battle waging on in the outskirts of town: and Rarity found herself oddly thankful of their warrior culture, as only the children weren’t allowed to fight.

Another fireball smashed into the town as the machines fired on: hoping to exterminate whatever life was left in the ruins. They had to make it to the east gate!

Unless…

“We need to go towards the mountain!” Rarity stated urgently.

Phoenix looked back towards the mansion, just in time to see another tower hit with one of the magical cannonballs: causing it to burst into a pillar of fire as the screams of those trapped inside pierced the night. He turned back to her: and quirked an eyebrow with an unamused expression.

“Yes, really,” she deadpanned, “I have a feeling that they’re herding us into a trap: and directly where Hitter wants me to be.”

A second hit the town about twenty yards behind them.

“How do you know?” Phoenix asked, genuinely concerned.

Rarity opened her mouth to speak, but found herself muted as another missile missed them by only a few yards: scattering fiery debris of all sizes.

They all cringed from the explosion, and Rarity now had a large splinter of wood stuck through her left ear. Seamist shouted a very unladylike word when she was conked over the head by a small stone, and Phoenix’s flank was bruised and bloody from being clouted by a wooden plank. Grain just ducked a large section of wall by half an inch, and proceeded to quietly complain to himself about them standing out in the open like idiots.

“Darling, that is how I know.” Rarity groaned, plucking the intruding object from her head. “His shots are forcing us to retreat to the eastern wall. He always attacks to the east of his enemies.”

Phoenix opened his mouth, but quickly shut it: deciding that she was right. “Where to?”

Rarity paused for a moment, before pointing to the Cliffside: “The mountain path, it should take us to Edelweiss’s cave, judging by your story.”

Phoenix shook his head as they all turned to head back into the city. “You think she’s home?”

Rarity smiled. “No, but we will be.”

They had just passed the first building when they heard an almighty roar thunder through the town, and into the woods:

“ENOUGH!”

The awful din of fighting stopped, and they all looked up to the palace, in time to see a monster slither out of the side of it:

The best way Rarity could describe the beast was to imagine a dragon, only let each scale fray into several hair-like strands, and then to cover the gigantic wings in silvery-blue feathers. Its hide, fur and all: looked as if it was carved from diamond, and streaks of golden ruby ran along its form like vines. Its head was like that of a dragon, yet resembled a pony in a way Rarity couldn’t place. And the eyes shone with white light: forbidding anypony from looking to long.

Nine golden horns frilled from the back of its head: three running forth along the left cheek, three along the right. The three on top had grown into an intertwined braid: encircling a great, pink amethyst that shone in the firelight. In size, the creature was minutely smaller than the Dragon Lord, though still big enough to tower over Spike like a monolith.

It lifted a great claw out of the hole, and set it on the mountainside, before stepping a little further with the other. It fanned its wings out to their full size, and spoke again in the authoritative, earth-shattering voice:

“BEGONE FROM MY HALLS, ‘ERE YOUR FOUL STENCH BOTHERS MY NOSTRILS FURTHER! I AM EISDRACHE UNTERGANG: SON OF LADY EDELWEISS, AND HEIR OF BEFLAMMUNG. THE WIND AND SKY ARE AT MY COMMAND. I CHARGE YOU FLEE FROM MY CITY: BEFORE I REDUCE YOUR SOULS TO TINDER!”

Rarity felt the need to run from his voice alone, but the sheer spectacle held her in place. She heard Phoenix mutter something about a ‘Kirin’ to her left, but she paid no mind to it: where had this beast been hid--?

“Count Frost…” She muttered, as realization clicked into place.

The world remained silent, until Hitter’s voice rose to an equal volume: though sounding more amused than stern.

“Not impressed, Halfling.” He countered, before looking slightly over his shoulder. “Kill it.”

All of the cannon-machines focused their barrels at the beast, and fired at will. Most of the random blasts harmed him about as much as a bee sting, but one shot struck Untergang square in the chest: knocking him back onto his own palace.

“SO BE IT…”

The Heir of Beflammung took to the sky in a geyser of ice and flame, before descending on the enemy like a thunderbolt with a roar like a hurricane. A circle of bitter flame billowed out from where he landed: setting many soldiers running with horrifying screams as fire consumed them.

Untergang reached out of his shallow crater, and grabbed one of the bizarre cannon-machines as the town launched their own charge into the enemy: pushing them out towards the forest. He threw the construct into the air, and it crashed with a screeching thud of metal on concrete: miraculously intact, considering the altitude it fell from.

Rarity gestured for Phoenix and the foals to take cover behind it, as she searched around the front. She found the entrance easily enough: a large circle of steel with a hinge was labeled “Klappe” in black letters over the camo-green-and-cream-colored. Rarity couldn’t help but chuckle at the way Dotsies mastered subtlety.

Refocusing on her purpose, she levitated a brick: and readied it for a quick swing. She manually turned a large wheel on the roof, and stepped back with a shriek as the hatch opened, and the body of the operator rolled out with a putrid crackling sound that all but told Rarity what had killed him.

She held a hoof over her mouth: fighting back vomit as she pushed him down the hill, letting the poor soul’s lifeless body roll into a ditch. She swore under her breath, hoping she’d never get used to seeing so much death.

She cautiously stepped into the vehicle, and gaped as it looked in perfect working order: exception being a small screen that was cracked, and held a small trickle of blood. No point in wondering how that happened.

“Found anything?” The muffled voice called from the other side of the floor.

Rarity leaned her head to call over her shoulder, still keeping an eye on the panels and buttons. “Well, Darling, that depends: If we can find somepony strong enough to flip this thing upright, and work it, I think I just found our ride up the mountain…”

There was a moment of pause, before the brown stallion poked his head in. “And if we can’t?”

She allowed a small smirk to form on her lips.

“Then we’ve found shelter from the storm.”

After making sure the children were safely inside the wrecked machine, and making sure they locked the hatch from the inside: Rarity and Phoenix had ventured towards the battlefield to notify Twilight and Spike of their plans. They had just ducked behind a crumbled wall to avoid another blast when they heard panicked cries coming from the front lines.

Rarity poked her head around to survey the battle. From her vantage point, she could see the entirety of the outer walls. She saw Untergang and Hitter engaged in a duel of magic and brute strength: each looked like they could go on for years. The dragon spawn released a blizzard of icy daggers towards Hitter: only for the Unicorn to grab the shards with his magic, and whip his head around to send them back to the unsuspecting Count.

Rarity cringed as the countless icicles pierced through the beast’s neck as soon as his guard was dropped, leaving behind holes that leaked black with blood, and causing him to roar in pain. He had just regathered his wits when the blades swept back in from behind, and buried into his back before he could defend himself.

“Did you honestly think that I would attack a god without preparing first?” Hitter chuckled, amplifying his voice once more. “Give my regards to Cerberus, and tell him that Fear says hello.”

With that, Hitter lit his horn, and signaled for a volley from his devices. The Count reared up with a shriek as countless blast after blast bashed into the base of his neck, until a tremendous crack like thunder echoed through the blizzard: and Untergang’s severed head and neck crashed to the snowy ground, spilling black blood.

Instantaneously, the winds stopped howling, and the snow ceased. The darkness beneath the overcast night sky prevailed: making the world feel small: and bleak. Silence prevailed as the townsfolk’s morale was literally slain, and the enemy was once again awed by the power of their leader.

“Scorch!” Rarity felt herself scream before she could stop herself. Hitter’s ear flicked, and he turned towards her. Rarity was frozen in place as his gaze fell on her, before he smiled like a toddler who’d just discovered a candy bar before dinner, and turned to his soldiers:

“Advance on the city! The Lilac Duchess lies within! Leave nopony else alive!”

Rarity shuddered as a shape descended, latched around both her and Phoenix, and carried them back where they came.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Seamist peered out the front window of their new shelter, and smiled widely as several explosions lined the sky: spells fired by mages to knock down the enemy Pegasi.

“Fiewuks!” She giggled, looking back to Grain as she tapped on the glass. “Grin, Fiewuks!”

Grainwood smiled broadly at her, and felt his heart soar with her innocent enthusiasm.

“That’s right, Seamist!” He chuckled. “The fireworks are keeping us safe.”

The electric blue filly giggled again, before rolling onto her back with a quiet thud and batting at one of her braids with a hoof: taking wide-eyed interest in her new game.

Grain turned his head with a blush, and muttered something about diabetes.

They were both startled by a loud banging on the roof: as if somepony had just clambered on top. Then, voices started to chatter on top:

“Is this the right one?” A deep male voice questioned.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“There was only one tank thrown into the city, Darling.” Rarity claimed, before pointing to an ‘X’ painted with red. “And it has the little mark we left on it, see? A pity we can’t run it.”

Spike spoke up again: “There’s a chance a Mage might mistake you for Dotsies if you use the Construct, Rarity. And if we mark it to show that you’re an ally, Hitter might focus his fire on you.”

Before Rarity could offer a possible solution, they heard the clink of the lock, and the hatch flung open: quickly followed by Seamist and Grain popping out and embracing the newlyweds. Rarity and Phoenix welcomed them with open arms, and Spike allowed himself a chuckle at the sight of their bond.

“As touching as this scene is,” Spike cut in after a moment of lingering: “you need to start moving. The path to Lady Edelweiss’s Caves is behind the old blacksmith shop at the back of town, you can’t miss it.”

“Thank you, Spikey.” Rarity said warmly, wrapping her arms around the dragon’s forearm. “Stay safe.”

Spike patted her back with a claw, and nuzzled her gently with his great head, letting a single tear fall from his eye. “Don’t worry about me, Rarity. Just keep your family safe, I’ll be fine.”

With that, he gently laid each of them onto the ground, and took off with the ‘Maus’ in tow.

“Let’s go!” Phoenix commanded bluntly. “If luck is with us, we can evade the enemy, and make it back there before daybreak.”

Rarity swallowed, and nodded as she heard more Mausen approaching their location. “Yes, let’s hurry along. It’ll be harder to hide now that the walls are down…”

Barely a second had passed before the quartet were booking it through the streets: the sounds of war chasing after them. After the Dotsies broke through the defenses, the city soon became overrun with bloodshed and battle: and several screams, spellfire, and explosions could be heard alongside the mechanical droning grind of the Mausen Constructs.

It seemed that each alley they ducked into was the home of a Construct, and each doorway held a soldier. They were being hunted, and their defenders were being slaughtered.

“What a lovely way to spend a Honeymoon…” Rarity mused.

Occasionally, they had run across Twilight and/or Spike as they shredded through the enemy like water through paper: leaving a safe path for them to follow. Spike was using the vehicle they’d given him as a club against others, and sending soldiers screaming as his breath scorched their flesh.

They had just taken refuge in an alley when they were blocked from behind by a collapsing wall, and one of the Constructs was currently watching the street in front of them, as was evident by the spells that were fired whenever anypony tried to cross. And the next alley was blocked by two officers, with their backs the family.

“We’ll have to cross one at a time, when the pilot isn’t looking.” Phoenix grumbled, poking his head out just enough to see where the turret was focused.

“Who’s first?” Rarity questioned.

Phoenix rubbed his forehead. “I’ll go first, and dispatch the guards. Then you cross when you can. Then we can scout for a second, and signal the children once it’s safe.”

Rarity nodded, and shooed the two foals back as Phoenix poked his head out. He ran across the street, and ducked into the alley: swiping his hoof across both of the ponies’ necks in a single blow, their unconscious forms flopping into the snow. He signaled back to them with a hoof, and Rarity turned to Grainwood:

“Phoenix and I are going to be gone for a little while, you two are going to stay here until we say otherwise,” she said gently, before leaning in, and letting her tone become beyond stern: “am I understood?”

Grainwood nodded worriedly, and Seamist just hugged Rarity’s foreleg. Rarity pulled them in for a final embrace, before checking on the Construct, and dashing hurriedly into the next alley.

She was too fast to notice the barrel of the Maus slowly turn back to their street, and start priming.

After a few more streets were successfully scouted, Rarity dashed along the last one: skidding to a stop just behind Phoenix.

“Is it safe?” Rarity inquired silently, setting a hoof on her husband’s shoulder.

“No,” he answered, gesturing to a small troop of Unicorns that patrolled around a large building, which Rarity could only assume was the Hospital based off the signage.

“But,” He continued in a voice just beneath a whisper, “it’d be pushing our luck for us to go back, too: the pony inside that metal monster won’t look away forever.”

Rarity was about to voice her agreement: when the world turned into heat, light, and screams.

Twilight flicked the pony-shaped piles of charcoal into the wind with her magic, and turned to the pair. Her eyes went wide as she noticed a peculiarity.

“The children?” She asked with concern.

“They’re taking cover in a back alley while we scout ahead, Twi.” Rarity answered, not missing a beat. “They’re competent for situations like this: we did constant exercises while in exile.”

Twilight considered that, and decided to trust her friend’s instincts. “Well, I’ve been having trouble with a Tank acting the sniper downtown: the operator’s been keeping me grounded until I can get a clear shot.”

A lightbulb clicked inside Rarity’s head: “The street we left Misty and Grain at has a straight view on a Construct, might that be the one?”

Twilight shrugged. “Worth a sh--”

Before she could finish her sentence, an explosion rocked the streets, and they heard an all-too familiar voice cry out:

“NO!”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

After Rarity left them behind, Grain sat down in the snow, and contemplated going after them. He was held in place, however, when Seamist nuzzled up against him, and relaxed as if she were asleep: head resting peacefully on his shoulder.

“How?” He asked, before he could stop himself. He cringed a little as the filly’s eyes flittered open, and she smiled at him.

“How, w-what?” She asked, straining on each syllable. He couldn’t help but smile, as he wanted her to talk all day.

“How are you able to remain so carefree?” He asked. “All we’ve been through, all you’ve seen: and you still have a smile on your face… and an almost absolute abundance of happiness… how?”

Seamist gave him a bizarre smile, as if the answer was tap-dancing on his nose. She scrunched her nose up in concentration, and said two simple words:

“Shin up,”

Now it was Grain’s turn to look confused. “It’s that simple, huh? Just keep your chip up?”

Seamist nodded, and returned her head to his shoulder.

“I wish you’d talk more, Misty.” He mumbled, prompting her to give a small, satisfied smile.

They sat there for a long time, watching as the snow slowly melted, before Seamist tapped his shoulder, and gestured to a spot in the snow with her eyes.

Grain looked, and stifled his gasp at the shadow of a Pegasus: cast from the rising sun hitting the pony that had perched atop the building beside them.

No sooner did they start to retreat, when the Pegasus landed behind them: grinning evilly.

“What have we here? A new recruit, and some firewood… Looks like my lucky da--”

With a shout of defiance, Seamist cast two simple light spells that flared instantly: right in front of the soldier’s eyes. He grunted in pain as his eyes clenched shut, and took a few steps back.

Grain was about to cry for help, when Seamist slid under the blinded pony, and bucked his stomach with all four hooves: knocking the breath out of him as he toppled to the side. She ran back to grain, and pushed him behind a pile of bricks: before running towards the alley’s exit, and standing in the open.

The soldier stood, rubbed his eyes, and turned towards the filly with anger in his eyes.

“You little twerp,” He grumbled, charging towards her: “c’mere!”

She leapt upwards once he drew near: hoping to sock him. But he saw the strike coming and sent her sprawling into the street with a harsh strike, making Grain’s jaw drop. Barley thinking as his vision flooded with red, Grain ran up behind the soldier: only to be met with the butt of a rifle striking his jaw, and flinging him against a wall.

Shaking his head, Grain stumbled out of the alley, and looked up to see the soldier pointing the rifle directly into Seamist’s neck: pinning her in place. The Pegasus smiled wickedly, cocking the gun:

“I’m going to enjoy this…”

Grain’s pupils shrank as he focused on the unfolding scene, and his eyes darted towards downtown when he heard a sharp whirring. What awaited his gaze prompted him to action. Thinking fast, he gave a battle cry, and with a barreling slide: knocked Seamist into the next alley.

Seamist looked up just as the Construct fired: and both her friend and the enemy soldier were obscured by the explosion.

“NO!” She shouted painfully: vision readjusting. The first thing she saw was a giant crater where her friend used to be, and two trails of red leading through the snow. She followed one with her eyes, until they focused on the still form of Grainwood: lying alone in his own little crater.

“Granood!” She cried. Her voice reached new octaves in her panic. The melting snow flew to the sides in her wake as she ran to his side, stopping just in time to see the horrifying wound that used to be the right side of his back half.

The snow around him was beyond stained with red, and he coughed violently: spurts of his own blood firing from his mouth. Seamist cautiously approached him, and sat down where he could see her easily.

His eyes looked in her direction, remaining hazy and unfocused. His expression blank, he looked down to his nose, and saw the crimson snow beyond. Putting two and two together, he smiled weakly:

“I guess… I guess this means I get to see mom and dad again…” He choked. His was voice barely more than a whisper.

Seamist shook her head desperately as tears stained her eyes. She seized Grainwood’s forehooves in her own, and tried to drag him through the snow.

He looked at her sadly: “Misty…”

“Get help!” She grunted, tugging him along with all her might.

“Mist,” he tried again, fear staining his weakened voice, “you have to leave…”

“No! Get help!” She repeated, pulling him even harder: tears starting to leak from her eyes. Finally, her grip slipped, and she fell on her back: sobbing violently.

“Can’t lose…” she said: choking on her own tears. “Can’t lose you…”

Grain felt himself grow colder by the second, but he couldn’t leave yet. Calling up his last bit of strength: he crawled up to her with his only working limbs- his forelegs -and nuzzled up against her, before giving her a small kiss on her cheek.

The filly’s eyes popped open, and she looked down at him. Growing weaker, Grain could only manage a smile as he collapsed into the snow.

Seamist immediately grabbed him, and set his back on her lap: holding his head up with her forearms. His eyes scrunched shut as he coughed again, flicking blood onto her coat. Seeing her tears, he smiled gently, and lifted his hoof just long enough to bump her chin: pushing it upwards.

He went limp.

She looked back down to him, noticing the distant look in his eyes. Tears flowing in denial, she held her ear next to his muzzle: nothing came, not even a breath. She shuddered quietly, turning to kiss him on the forehead.

“I will save… words for you, Gran… You’re the… the o-only one who lo-*hic*-ved me--… my voice, more than anything…”

Hugging his cold form into her chest, wails of anguish wracking her body, she didn’t even hear the soft gasp from immediately behind her:

“Oh… oh my god…”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Rarity looked on in horror at the war’s latest victim: one hind leg missing, and blood soaking the snow like a river. She couldn’t cry, she couldn’t even move. She refused to believe what she was seeing.

Her stomach heaved dryly as her mouth hung open, and she barely saw Twilight’s reaction to the heinous scene. The Alicorn levitated her titanic spellrifle, aimed now that she had a clear shot, and unloaded it at the awaiting Mausen Construct:

“BASTARDS!” She roared: firing until the vehicle was nothing more than a bitter memory. Not even a speck of ash was left of the damned thing once her weapon was emptied. She looked back to Rarity in time to see the snow around the mare start to pop and fizz, as it turned into steam almost instantaneously. There was a dark look on Rarity’s face, and she wrenched Twilight’s spellrifle into her own field, before charging it with her sizzling magic.

“Rarity, what are you doing?” Phoenix asked, slowly removing the colt’s lifeless form from his sister’s hooves.

Rarity turned back to him grimly, her voice carrying tones she’d never uttered before: “Twilight, be a dear, and take Phoenix and Seamist to the caves. And call all survivors you can out of here, NOW.”

Twilight would normally have argued, but the hollow tone in her friend’s voice scared her. She nodded, and picked up Rarity’s family in her aura, before enhancing her voice to call out to her troops as she ran back up the mountain:

“RETREAT BACK TO THE CAVES! THE CITY IS OVERRUN! RETREAT!”

Phoenix struggled against Twilight’s magic, but to no avail. Seamist gave a hurt cry of “Mama!” before they were sped away by the Princess.

Rarity watched with a smile as she saw several of the town's warriors obey immediately: ducking away from any spellfire hurled their way. Once her rage peaked, she gave a ferocious shout that stopped the charging army in their tracks, and charged towards the enemy: firing openly onto them.

Several squads were reduced to ashes by the time she reached the front lines, and she took out five more soldiers with her horn before she was quickly overwhelmed: ten ponies struggling to hold her down.

She snorted and bucked as she tried to struggle her way out, but her rage was starting to simmer, and her energy was spent. She focused her vision on the approaching figure as several ponies backed out of his way.

Hitter bent down to her level, and smiled:

“Escort her to the nearest dungeons, and order off the attack.” He chuckled, looking over his shoulder towards his General. “We got who we came for.”

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Rarity stirred, and looked around groggily. From what she could gather in her half-asleep state, she was lying on a hospital bed, and there were voices arguing to her left.

“Did you kill it?”

“No, but time will tell if we even need to.”

“Well, I’m not letting her--”

“Forgive me for my interruption, gentlecolts, but she’s coming to.”

Rarity’s eyes finally came into focus, and she saw three ponies standing over her: Hitter, a Doctor, and a Nurse. She blinked a few more times, before the color was restored to her sight as well, and her lips found their purpose again:

“H-how long was I out?” She pleaded. “What’s going on?”

The doctor opened his mouth, but Hitter spoke first: “You’ve been infected, Rarity. A parasite has decided that you were a fit host. We must act quickly, and kill it: if it’s allowed to grow…” he looked away, “there won’t be any hope for you.”

“What!” Rarity gasped, eyes going wide in her terror: “Where would I even have caught this… this… parasite?!”

Hitter shook his head. “The woods, or Brookhaven. I don’t know.”

The doctor carefully moved Hitter aside before he could say any more, and removed the IV from Rarity’s forearm. “It’ll take us a few days to prepare for the operation, Sir.” He stated plainly. “You’ll have to wait until then.”

“Very well…” Hitter growled, “but once she’s sober, send her back up to my office.”

The doctor nodded, and watched patiently as the tyrant stormed off. Rarity rose an eyebrow at the scene before her: still processing the discovery of the para-

“It’s not a parasite, Fraulien.” The doctor whispered, once he was sure Hitter was out of earshot.

“Pardon?”

He turned to her with a weary look, and started to speak. He decided against it, however, and merely held up an X-ray.

Rarity only needed to take one look before her blood boiled fiercely. Her face contorted into a new form of rage, yet her tone miraculously remained calm:

“And he wanted you to kill it, hmm?” She growled, before jerking herself into a standing position, and running out the door.

Her mind flashed through the past three years:

“…I say it's time to let Evolution take its course: give Mother Nature a push in the right direction…"
“…Why did I ever choose this era to go on a vacation in Marelin...?”
"..Have you ever considered espionage…"
“…This is the nicest thing... anypony has ever done for me, Rarity. Thank you... thank you... thank you…"
“…Why did I ever choose this era to go on a vacation in Marelin...?”
"…Huh, working outside of your talent? I can't help but admire that. There's not much call for a seamstress over here, nowadays…"
"…I hope you can understand why I did this..."
“…You and your marefriend are too important to this country to die here…”
“…I believe it’s time we had a little talk, Phoenix Pyre…”
“…Can I call you mama...?”
“…Why did I ever choose this era to go on a vacation in Marelin...?”

No more… no more! After all she’d been through: she’d started to fall for his lies! She was done with this war, she was done with Hitter, and she was done with pain.

“It’s time to end this…” she hissed dangerously, opening the door to his office as she pulled out her locket.

Zippowill looked up at her, pupils shrinking as she saw the look in Rarity’s eyes, and what she held in her aura. She dashed out of the room as the infuriated mare bucked down the door, opened the locket, and entered the passcode:

3,3,2,1.

The locket started to buzz, and click. And Hitter was taken aback by her intrusion. Not waiting for a greeting, she walked around his desk: and pounded her hooves onto it so hard that it cracked. She drew out the locket just as it finished its transformation: revealing a small spellrifle, pre-loaded with deadly magic. She swiftly ducked the device under his chin: and smiled a cold, lifeless smile.

“Send me a postcard from Hell!”

With that said, there was a loud bang, and Hitter fell: splayed onto the ground.

He was dead, at last.

Rarity held up the small pistol that was concealed in her locket, and kept it pointed straight as she examined the metal bar. She heard the guards approaching. One shot left. She heard the officers start to burst down the door as she carefully reversed aim…

*CRACK*

*CRASH*

When the guards plowed in, there was nothing left alive in the room.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Twilight stood next to the tombstone silently, as what remained of her friends wept. Indeed, it seemed like half the country had attended the funeral of Rarity Belle-Pyre, even a unicorn mare robed in black, whom Twilight barely recognized.

The sermon didn’t last long, an hour or so at most. But the testimonials alone lasted four days, and those were only the ponies who wanted to speak up! Twilight wondered just how many lives Rarity had touched. When it was her turn to come to the stand a final time, she complied, and spoke the final testimony:

“You all know me, the ‘Princess of Friendship’. You all know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without Rarity… or any of my friends. Rarity experienced this war in a way that would break most Equestrians, and she died to end it. She made sacrifices beyond anything any hero I’ve ever heard of before had to give, and she did it all for us, and for the Earthen Tribes.

“The war isn’t over yet, my little ponies. There is still much preparation to do, and many more battles to fight. She’d want us to fight on: so let’s not let her die in vain.”

After the funeral, the crowd dissipated at a respectfully sluggish pace. Until after hours of waiting, it was just her, Phoenix, Seamist, and the hooded mare. Twilight dared not keep silent anymore.

“Do you know how much you risked by coming here?” She said in flat tone, turning to the mare.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow bitterly as he turned to look at Twilight. “How much could a sweet old lady risk by paying her respects to a hero, Twilight?” He said: voice cracking as he turned.

With that, he was gone. Seamist was tagging along behind him, still crying violently from the service. Once they were out of earshot, the mare spoke.

“Indeed then, Princess. What harm can a lady cause?” She shot, pulling her hood back to reveal blue eyes: as well as a long, cyan mane, and a light purple coat. “When can I retire?”

Twilight stared at the grave, not even looking back at the mare. “When the last trace of this menace is buried in his grave, you’ll be free.”

“But not before, Princess? You act as if danger is anything new to me, or even something to avoid.”

Twilight looked curiously at her, and she returned with a look of spite and anger:

“I’ve seen this war closer than most, Princess. In case you’ve forgotten, I was at the heart of it! You act as though avoiding death is the best way to live, as if establishing peace in the world once more will cure all our problems, as if this was not a worthwhile event.” She paused just long enough to see Twilight’s face turn from curiosity to horrified confusion.

“Twilight, if this war had never started, would that hatred have been addressed? Would that sick, festering boil have been brought to light if it weren’t for the pain it caused? There always were prejudicial problems in this world, Twilight. Equestria has just been too blind to truly care. Remember the Yaks, and how their borders were closed to us? Or how the Griffins isolated themselves for thousands of years after we were at peace? Ever wonder what we, as a country, did to offend them?

“And then Hitter came along: fueling hatred for races he deemed useless, and damning them as if he were a god. If he had not acted, his hatred would have been passed onto his children and his pupils: until the threat was even bigger, and we were even less prepared.

“World peace is always something to strive for, Princess. But sometimes war is the only way we can discover what drives one pony to kill another: whether it’s greed, hatred, or even love. A fire needs not only to spark, but to start, and grow before the water is useful. We need to cure the entire illness of hatred, not just those smallest of symptoms, like war.

“I’ve lost a lot of loved ones, dearie. I know what it’s like to watch your friends and family die in front of you, but they didn’t die in vain. We now know that the world needs friendships, which love needs to be seen. That ponies need to be shown the benefits of living in joyous cooperation: not dwelling in constant coexistence filled with contempt. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Twilight stood in stunned silence, before nodding slightly. “I know what you’re saying, and every bit of it is true. But until further notice, you don’t exist: not even Celestia knows you’re here. I don’t want to risk losing another one of my friends to this damned war…

“… Are we clear, Lilac Duchess?”

Author's Note:

And I'm finally finished!

Thank you all for taking this journey with me, and I hope I didn't disappoint!

As always, please notify me of any mistakes, inconsistencies, typos, etc. And please let me know what you think below!

Until Next Time, God Bless You!
~Amethyst Dawn.

Comments

[Derpsterette]

Is all I have To Say.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7750025
I'm glad I didn't disappoint.

[Fireheart 1945]

Oh, yes. Rarity survived her "death"...

Heh heh. Nice one.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7750644
What? You didn't think She'd actually shoot herself, with her 'condition' and all, did you?

Thanks!

[Fireheart 1945]

7750691 I doubted it, but the following events made me wonder... for a while.

Oh. And what happened to Pinkie?

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7750708
Mission accomplished, then.

And I haven't decided yet...

[Fireheart 1945]

7750740 Ah. Thought I might have missed something.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7750800
Nope, you're good.

[Iron Comet]

I'm guessing the second shot was a teleportation shot then? But I do like how she survived. Even if she isn't exactly looking like herself anymore.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7751009
The second shot did enable her escape, but it didn't work any different from a normal spellrifle.

I'm glad you enjoyed this, thank you for adding it to your favourites!

[Iron Comet]

7751039 Any good Rarity story always finds its way into my favorites. I also like how Twilight is keeping Raritys survival a secret. Both from Celestia who might want to continue using her as a spy and her husband. Yet Rarity continues her work, until the war is over.

And please don't make Pinkie dead. That would be horrible.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7751053
Thank you for pointing out the upsides, I always appreciate feedback.

And, well... about that...

[MorgothII]

Good story, loved the entire triology

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7753743
My goodness, you read fast.

I'm glad you enjoyed them.

[Rainbow Spectrum]

I DONT EVEN KNOW ANYMORE!!!!!!

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7776344
I'll guess it had the desired effect, then?

[Rainbow Spectrum]

7776432 Yes!

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7781309
I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[King Kitty II]

I fiiiiiiinaly got around to reading this and...
This... this... *single tear*
Why must you make me feel? I was happy and emotionless till you came along!
...Buck you and your feels. Or my feels, i guess.

But seriously, this was amazing. I love your writing style. But just...
...buck you.

[Amethyst_Dawn]

7867954
Well... this is one of my more emotional fics...

I'm glad you enjoyed(?) it.

[King Kitty II]

7874138
Enjoyed yes I did

[Galaxina-the-Unicorn]

HOLY CRAP THAT ENDING! THAT ENDING! AND JUST EVERYTHING!

Poor Seamist and Phoenix, aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh...and Grainwood! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!

[Amethyst_Dawn]

8370282
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Gala!