Reunion: A RariTwi Exquisite Corpse

by SigmasonicX

5. Possessed (Lillowisp)

Rarity groaned, her sides aching as she struggled to recover from the fall. Questions raced through her head-- just how far had she fallen? Where was she now? What was it that had… held her in place and whispered to her?? Where was Twilight?? The last thing Rarity had seen was the alicorn disappearing into darkness, the room she was in vanishing along with her… She forced herself to her hooves, letting out a harsh gasp as she felt a sharp pain in her left forehoof; apparently it had been injured in the fall. Treating it more gingerly now, she managed to stand. .

“Twilight!!” she cried out, her voice echoing into the darkness, a tinge of panic in her voice. The only response was an echo, quickly snuffed out into silence. She felt a chill at the sudden realization that she was truly alone.

“Chin up, Rarity,” she muttered to herself, taking in a deep breath. “There’s nothing to be afraid of; even if there are ghosts, you’ve surely faced worse.” Straightening herself up, she lit her horn with a simple light spell to get a better look at her surroundings.

What she saw made her jaw drop. She appeared to be in some sort of cavern, albeit an unnatural one; the room was larger than it had seemed in the dark, and was dominated by a massive statue of a unicorn, flanked on each side by diamond dog statues similar to the one she had seen in the cabin above. She looked so forlorn; her face was weathered and worn, and her look made Rarity’s heart ache. The walls were lined with shelves set into the stone, small stone jars evenly spaced along the shelves.

That was when it struck her. “I’m in a… mausoleum?” she said to herself, eyes widening. That certainly explained some of the strange happenings she had been experiencing. Even so, this was practically a nightmare. She stepped closer to the statue; it appeared to be damaged somehow. The chest had fallen in, leaving behind a crescent moon-shaped hole.

Suddenly, a chill settled in Rarity’s chest; she struggled to breathe. This was the same sensation that had happened before… she closed her eyes, willing the claws to not grasp her and the feelings to pass. Eventually though, she heard a voice, really more of a bare whisper.

Can you help me?

There it was, the same thing that she had heard on the floor above before she had fallen down here. She felt something brush close to her, the touch freezing her. “We’re certainly here to try,” she said, feeling the touch slowly recede at her words. Encouraged by this, she continued talking. “Is this your grave? What happened here?”

There was a long pause. I no longer remember. I was supposed to protect this place.

Rarity opened her eyes, looking around, but she couldn’t see anything. She tried to press on with her questions. “Is that why I’ve felt like you were attacking us?”

I had to know that you were safe. That you meant no harm.

Then surely you could have done without frightening us so, Rarity thought. Rather than saying it, she bit down on her lip and took a deep breath. “Very well. So, now that you’ve chosen to speak, what help do you need, darling?”

The voice became pensive, hurting. Something is missing.

Missing…? Hmmm. She looked again towards the statue and the inscription, before her eyes lit up. Of course!! The peyton from the previous floor!! “One moment,” she said, going to look around. Perhaps it had fallen down here with her?

It took some searching, but eventually she managed to find the silver armor piece, half-buried under rubble from above. Taking it in her magic with a triumphant smile, Rarity turned back to the statue, gently floating the piece of armor and slotting it into the statue. It fit in with a satisfying click.

Still, it wasn’t quite right… something was missing. Rarity frowned. The indentation in the center was leaving something to be desired. If it was her design, she’d probably use some sort of--

Gem!! Twilight had found a gem above, hadn’t she? It may have needed a polish, but it was about the right shape. Looking around once more, she saw the faint glimmer, and quickly took it into her magic, placing it within the peyton. Once in place, it glowed softly.

Looking around, Rarity called out to the spectre that had been talking with her. It still hadn’t revealed itself... “Darling? Hello…?”

As she was looking around, the soft glow from the gem grew brighter, drawing her eyes towards it, as a pale figure stepped through the statue. It was still indistinct-- Rarity couldn’t quite make out the features, but it was vaguely pony shaped, and it made the room grow even colder. As she watched, she felt the shade look down at her. After another moment, the whisper returned.

… Thank you.

“You’re quite welcome,” Rarity said, quite pleased with herself. “Now, if you could simply return me to my friends, I would be ever so grateful.”

A long pause. Very well.

Before Rarity could respond, she was suddenly held in place, claws grasping at her side. Suddenly, the shade she was looking at rushed towards her. Rarity closed her eyes, feeling the wind rush over her.

Join your friends.

Comments

[PresentPerfect]

...peytral, not peryton