Rarity and the Phylactery

by Nevermore777

Visitors

Rarity didn't sleep. Not that she felt any desire to, really. The only time she felt even a little bit tired was when the sun first came up, its light seeming to suck the strength from her muscles and turn her bones to lead, which prompted her to close all the curtains in her bouquet. It wasn't like she was planning on being open today anyway.

She also found herself only turning a few lights on in her home. While she couldn't see in the dark, she found that to much light made her eyes sore. She tried to eat something, but much to her disdain the feeling in her tongue had vanished as well, meaning she couldn't taste anything, which kinda took all the fun of eating away along with what little appetite she had.

It was about an hour after the sun rose that she heard the knock on the door. After a moment of consideration, Rarity remembered that Pinkie had said she would see her in the morning, and realized she must have arrived.

With a soft groan at the thought of conversation, Rarity went to the door and opened it. Sure enough, there was Pinkie Pie with a box of something. However, to her surprise, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were also there. Applejack had a barrel of soemthing resting on her back, and Rainbow Dash also had a box.

They all brought food, Rarity realized, mentally grimacing as she remembered her lack of taste. This was most certainly going to be a very miserable day.

"Heya, Sugarcube, I hope you don't mine, but we all brought a little something for ya," Applejack said with a vaguely apologetic expression, "Hope you haven't eaten breakfast yet."

Rarity shrugged. "I tried, but I don't seem to have much of an appetite this morning."

Applejack seemed to at least sorta take the hint judging by her expression, but Pinkie Pie on the other hand... "Well, nothing to work up an appetite than a few yummy cupcakes! Especially when you can enjoy them with friends!"

"Thank you, Darling." Rarity responded politely, though mentally she blanched at the thought of something so sweet.

"You doing okay, Rarity? Your mane is a mess." The others, including Rarity herself, were surprised and noticed it for the first time. Rarity realized she had completely forgotten to wash up or do anything with her mane or her other beauty products.

"Must have slipped my mind, Dashy. Thank you for reminding me." Rarity was vaguely surprised that of all of them, including herself, it was Rainbow Dash who noticed first.

"Speaking of forgetting things, did you remember to take that medicine that Dr. Getwell gave you?" Applejack asked, and Rarity slapped a hoof to her face.

"Oh, I completely forgot! Darling, that wouldn't happen to be cider would it?"

"Sure is."

Rarity gestured to in the direction of her dining room. "Could you be a dear and go up and sit? We can talk there."

They nodded, and a few moments later, the four friends were sitting at her dining room table. Rarity washed the pill down with a glass of cider, mildly disappointed when she realized that there was in fact no taste to it if any kind. She might as well have been drinking air for all she could tell.

Pinkie Pie had, of course, brought cupcakes, which Rarity slowly nibbled on. Despite it's lack of taste, Rarity still found herself drinking a lot of it as it at least wasn't absolutely revolting to feel in her mouth, unlike the cupcake.

Rainbow Dash surprised everyone by bringing some sort of cheese. At everyponies raised eyebrows, she shrugged. "Didn't the doc say you should eat light things?"

Again, Rarity was surprised that of all of them, Rainbow Dash had seemed to take in the most consideration on what to bring. The cheese was soft and was also a lot better than the cupcake it terms of texture, so she found herself mostly eating it, while taking small sips of cider in between.

"So, Applejack, how's Sweetie Belle?" Rarity asked.

"Great, actually. Scootaloo is staying over too, and they spent most of their time in their little tree house," Applejack said, "Though I believe they're actually helping Big Mac with something at the moment."

"Well, as long as she's having fun."

"And what about you? How have you been feeling?" Rainbow Dash asked as she sipped her cider.

"Fine, I guess," Rarity responded with a shrug, "a little under the weather and a little restless, but at least I haven't been coughing blood or anything recently."

"Restless?" Applejack raised and eyebrow in concern. "Have you been sleeping alright, Sugarcube?"

"Honestly? No. I keep having these weird dreams." Rarity said, shuddering as she remembered some of them.

"Maybe when Twilight and Spike get back, you could see if they could send a message to Princess Luna? See if she could do anything about it." Rainbow Dash suggested.

"Oh! If you want, you could borrow my melatonin gummies!" Pinkie Pie offered.

"You take melatonin gummies?" Rainbow Dash said, surprised.

"Why of course, silly, how else would I ever fall asleep?" Pinkie Pie said with a laugh.

"Hmm... If this keeps happening, I might take you up on that." Rarity finally decided, the idea of a good night sleep sounding very appealing at the moment, even if she didn't feel all that tired.

They continued with the small talk for about an hour before Pinkie Pie, then Rainbiw Dash, and finally Applejack left to attend to their daily business. When Applejack left, Rarity gave her the remaining cupcakes. At her raised eyebrow, Rarity quickly explained.

"My sense of taste is all messed up, Darling," Rarity said, "I couldn't even choke down one of them. So please, take them and give them to the CMC or something. I'd hate to waste them."

Applejack nodded, and then departed. Rarity threw out the remaining two-thirds of the cupcake she had been slowly nibbling, shuddering and gagging at the thought of actually trying to finish the thing.

She then retired to her private room, were the gemstone still lay on the table. She approached it again, and sighed.

"What are you?" Rarity asked once again, desperately wishing there was someway for her to get an answer. She was certain that everything strange that had been happening to her had happened because of the strange gemstone. "What have you done to me?"

Of course, she received no answer from the cold gemstone. However, as she sighed and turned away, she heard a crash downstairs.

"What in Celestia's name?" Was there a thef? She had had a couple, but for the most part such things were far from common in Ponyville. And the noise suggested this was more a robbery than a theivery, which she had never had before. And what idiot robbed a place in the middle of the day?

Levitating a metal bat that she had confiscated from Sweetie Belle when she and her friends had broken a window trying to get their Cutie Marks a few months back, Rarity slowly walked downstairs.

The lights were still dim, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Then, there was a second crash, but again it was coming from below her.

"The basement?" Rarity muttered in suprise, turning to the rarely used door. There were no windows into the basement, no other ways in. So how was somepony there? "Maybe a rat or a mole or something dug in."

However, what rat or mole would make that much noise? Gulping, Rarity slowly opened the door into the basement, and descended downwards into the darkness below.

Comments

[JazzyWaffles]

"Oh! If you want, you could borrow my melatonin gummies!" Pinkie Pie offered.

I am... Unsurprised, actually.