Out of my Element

by TheLostwriter

Setting the Stage

Out of my Element

Chapter 7: Setting the Stage

It had been a little over a week since everyone had been warded and in that week the only time any of us had interacted was during the daily ward checks. Pinkie was busy with her diet and exercise routine, it involved an unnatural amount of singing. But she, like Rainbow Dash, had limited her interaction with other ponies. If it was anything like me every little detail of the waking world brought forth a tidal wave of dream memories. We all assumed this was the reason

Fluttershy had locked herself in her cottage. Applejack and Twilight in all appearances the least affected alternated going out to check on her. She refused to see me unless everyone else was around, and I didn't blame her. Over the past week I had spent most of it in my barn slash house on the farm or at Rarity's boutique, finishing the last bit's of the crown. It was definitely awkward for both of us, with the memories causing tension and the tension causing uncomfortable silences. I found the daily meetings the epitome of discomfort, I couldn't look anypony in the eye save Applejack and Pinkie there were now awkward memories involving them.

The morning that Celestia warded our minds, she had also brought the sole potestatum gem from the royal treasury, along with a royal decree that I had permission for possession. She remembered the conversation from the dream, and had seen the suit in her observations, but she also knew that that it's construction was the only way into the lab. However for me just looking at the sickly yellow crystal was enough to sour my gut. I didn't want it and that's why I left the stone and papers in Twilight's care.

I had lost track of the days, they didn't matter to me anymore but it felt like the end of the week. I had been living day to day, in some form of depression induced misery, and I didn't see a way out. My only saving grace was it gave me plenty of time to work on finishing the circlet. I had learned some tricks from the dream, twenty years of modifying the crown and suit had not gone to waste. The rest of my experiences in the dream world I would do just about anything to forget. Rarity and I had finished tweaking the crown, specifically adding a cascading amplifier the day before and there were a few other things left to do to finish the crown. One I needed to mount the gemstone, which I was getting ready to go and collect. The other was the placement of the physical connections, two on either side of my spinal column and one in each temple.

I left the barn early, before the sun rose I didn't want to run into any pony my trip through town. At this time I only ran the risk of seeing the mail mare but I still wanted to avoid that. I quickly cut through town and was knocking at the library door before the first rays of sunlight began to tickle the town. It took several minutes before the door opened, but it felt like an eternity.

Twilight opened the door slowly, her mane a mess and bags under her eye's. "Hey Steel why are you here so early," she asked with a yawn.

I gave a weak smile, swallowed and said, "Hi Twi, I'm here to pick up the gem and the papers." My mouth was dry and my tongue felt like it was swollen.

"Oh, okay," she said stepping back to let me through.
I stepped through and gave her a nod.

"I do have to ask why you came over so early," she asked not even trying to hide her annoyance.

"Well, there are some ponies I would rather not run into just yet, I'm sure you understand," I said as I gave her a knowing look.

She nodded and muttered something as she turned around to go get the crystal. "Can I see the crown before you go," she asked with a large smile.

"At this point I don't see why not," I replied with a sigh as I dug the circlet out of the bag.
I held it out and she enthusiastically took the device with her magic pulling it away before I had fully let go. She ignored everything around her as she examined the exterior. Then she made an odd face and I realized she was probing the interior with her magic. Almost absent minded, she walked over to a desk and began to write while simultaneously spinning the crown slowly with her magic.

I walked over beside her and and said "Um, Twilight," there was no response. "Twilight," I said a little louder, again the crown held her attention. I took a deep breath to ready a shout only to be interrupted by an alarm.

The ringing bell shocked the unicorn out of her fixation and we both looked towards the sound's source. It quickly shut off and a half asleep dragon staggered down the stairs. He walked past us while we watched in silence, and into the small kitchen alcove. He began to noisily fix something, the clink of stoneware was distinct. There was a loud clink as if a bowl had been slammed onto a counter and the dragon reappeared, "Twilight, Steel, why are you up this early?"

Twilight smiled and said, "We might ask you the same thing," she giggled slightly.
I couldn't help but smile as the two interacted, it reminded me of a sibling relationship, something I had only experienced from afar. Jack was in essence my adopted brother, but by the time we had met we were too old to develop this kind of connection. It was close though no doubt about it.

"Yeah, I'm going to met Big Mac, he wanted to talk to me about something," the little dragon said.

"Oh and that would be," the unicorn asked.

"Twilight I, he didn't want anyone to know but he's trying to keep up everyone after the dreams, you all had." He glanced at me before continuing, "AJ told him about what she dreamed and why she was acting so different. He's just worried we both are and we don't want to see you like that again," after he finished speaking the little dragon braced himself like he expected a lecture to explain what was wrong.

"Oh, Spike," said Twilight as she gave him a hug, placing her head on his shoulder, "Don't worry about us we have the princess looking out for us. She placed ward's on our minds and

Rarity and I are checking them every day to make sure they stay strong."

The little purple dragon reached up returning the hug by wrapping his arms around the unicorns neck. He then let go and backed up before speaking again, "I know, Big Mac told me, but we still want to watch, and make sure you all stay okay."

"Alright go on," she said with a smile.

Soon he left but he was eying me as he walked out the door, and it made me a little uncomfortable. I shook my self trying to remove the feelings that were resting between my shoulders. "Well," I began, "Why don't we put the crystal in now to see if the fool thing works."

Twilight nodded with a smile that rivaled a kid in a candy store on a shopping spree. "Alright," she said, enthusiasm flowing like a loosed river.

Her energy flowed around me causing my worry to be swept away like leaves in rapids as it buffeted my soul. I sighed with smile as well and stepped forward while instructing her on how to place the gem stone. "Okay according to, Jack he said magic has flow similar to electricity, for a lack of a better word set a positive and negative direction."

"I hadn't thought of it that way but it kind of does," she said with a raised eyebrow while manipulating the stone with her magic. She closed her eyes and stood with a calm patient look on he face, the stone slowly spinning, rotating in random directions. Eventually it stopped and she announced,"here it is," as she opened her eyes.

If you looked closely at the stone enveloped in a purple energy cloud you could see a flow in the energy into one end of the cylindrical stone. "All right the negative flow is at the bottom of the slot," I said while gesturing at the slot on the neck tab. When she placed the stone in, it clicked against the mount frame slightly due to being just a hair too big. Once it was in place a high pitched whine filled the air while the mounting ring spun around several times before both stopped and slight glow was emitted from the gem. "I think that's what it's suppose to do," I said tapping the crown with a hoof. "Ah, yeah, I guess," I added after a moment.

"So... what now," asked Twilight still overflowing with excitement.

"I go to Rarity's to get the last bit of tweaking taken care of."

"I could do it," she responded taking a step forward.

"No offense and it's nothing against you but she has helped me build this, and she already knows what to look for and the tolerance levels of the device."

Twilight's smile shrunk by just a hair, "No problem, but once you're done why don't you both come over early I can show you what I've found out about the Laboratory's entrance."

I returned the smile and loaded the crown into the saddle bag. "Thank you Twilight, we also need to find two more of these gems one to actually do magic and one to power the wing part of the harness. Anyway I'll be back as soon as I'm done, I can't guaranty anyone else, and I'll let you take another look at this thing."

"Okay, I'll be getting ready for my presentation on my findings then."

"I'll see you then," I said as I reached the door. That unicorn is an odd one, I thought to myself with a smile.

I looked both ways as the door closed behind me, I needed to skirt the outside of town to stay away from any ponies I might recognize from the dream. Luckily the library was the last building on this side of town so I just had to give the town proper a wide birth.

As I walked towards the boutique I hoped Rarity was awake. The route I took was long and it gave me plenty of time to think eventually my mind wandered to the question of why I had decided that it had to be Rarity that helped me with the crown. It made sense for her to help she helped build the fool thing. She was good with fine manipulation, I wouldn't want someone who wasn't putting the probes in my head. I would need to have my mane trimmed for this so it didn't hang in the crowns mechanisms, all that together meant that Rarity was my logical choice.
However none of those were why I chose her. I stopped and looked at the ground with a wry grin, it had to be the dream memories. There was a good twenty years of them dancing in a haze in my mind. I beat the memories back, but they were part of who I was now. Little things would draw them out, a sign, a glance from a familiar pony. I feared the mail delivery now. At least I knew Rarity and her friends had similar problems, I could still be around them without wanting to bury my head in the sand. Derpy, the Mayor, I ran from them, I couldn't stand the memories they brought forth.

"Hi Steel," a high pitched voice shouted.

I screamed in surprise and jumped into a nearby bush. When I looked out of my hiding spot and saw the Crusaders, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo. When my eye's fell on the orange pegasus my breathing stopped and I began to scramble away.

As I was cresting the first hill I heard Applebloom ask, "What's his problem."

On my way down the back side of the hill I tripped, tumbling past a little purple dragon and a large red stallion. Eventually I came to rest in a small creek, my head was mostly above water and I was staring at the sky.

Soon both Spike and Big Mac walked into view the world still spinning when Spike asked, "Steel, you okay?"

I stretched my legs, working all the joints and other than some sore muscles I felt fine. "Physically," I said as I rolled over and staggered out of the creek. "I don't know about anything else," I shook myself off and looked at the two, "I don't suppose you know about the dreams?" I knew the answer but I asked anyway.

"Eeyup," answered Big Mac rolling the the piece of hay to the other side of his mouth. "That's why we're out here, Spike and I were talking about what we've been told."

The crown, my mind jumped into gear, Where is it? I dug around in my saddle bags but it wasn't there.

"What's this," asked Spike as he held up the circlet. As he held it up the sun glinted off the potestatum gem, he muttered, "oh," when he saw it and licked his lips.

"It's mine," I said a little sharper than I meant.

"Oh, sorry Steel, I wasn't going to eat it. It's just I've only seen gems like that once before." He handed me the crown and I placed it back in the saddle bag.

"Where," I asked as soon as I dropped the circlet.

The little dragon shifted his weight and cautiously began to speak, "I was in the Everfree Forest and ended up in a dragon den. He had a few of those gems, I kind of ate one."

"Was that the crown you've been building with Rarity," asked Macintosh.

"Yeah, they convinced me to finish it," I glared at the saddle bag that held the crown. "I'm not sure about it though."

There was a long silence before Mac spoke but when he did it was a calm but commanding voice. "We've both heard from Twilight and AJ on what they dreamed so why don't you help us fill in the gaps."

I winced as he spoke, it seemed like every time I would start to bury things someone or something would come by and dig it back out. "I'll try but there are some things I'd rather not remember."

"Alright, we'll see. Now neither of them remember what happened to us two, and seeing as you ran that dream world we figured you might know."

Before I could stop it part of my mind dove into the memories and I grimaced.

Welcome, back Smith, said a voice in my head, as it echoed in my mind, a feeling came with it, a snark smile.

Why are you thinking about the Stallion and the dragon, I didn't think we swung that way. Said another voice I think it was Walker.

"I'm not Gay," I shouted into my internal dialog. I looked up at Big Mac and Spike. My eyes dilated as I realized that had not been solely internal comment. I couldn't think, so I bolted. I ran the entire way to the boutique straight through town. I hit the door at full speed, knocking it open.

"Steel, what are you doing," asked Rarity as I tumbled across the floor. She was in her nightgown magically holding a cup of coffee.

It took me a bit to calm down enough to speak when I did I explained what happened with Spike and Big Mac.

When I was done she giggled a little and shook her head. I shot her a glare and she responded with, "Steel I'm sure if we explain everything to them they will understand."

"That's not the big problem, what about the voices?"

"Yes that does concern me as well." She floated the cup of coffee over to the counter before saying, "Hold still let me check your wards." After several silent moments she said, "everything seems to be in order. I would wager that they are tied to your dream memories just stay out of them and you'll be okay."

"How, almost everything reminds me of those dreams."

"Oh come on, the rest of us have had to deal with the same thing."

"Yeah and half of you have locked yourselves away."

"Maybe you're right, we need to bring this up at the next meeting," she finally conceded. "So any other reasons for you barging into a lady's house, without knocking, this early in the morning."

I managed a slight smile as I pulled myself off the floor. "Yes," I said once I was standing again, "It's done." I pulled the crown out of the saddlebag and set it on the counter. "I stopped by Twilight's earlier and picked up the gem."

"So you've made your mind up then," she said in a flat voice.

"Yeah, I was thinking we could go ahead and put the contacts in. I mean even though I heard those voices, we can set up the implants. You can hold on to the fool thing until we need it."

"Are you sure about this?"

"No but it needs to be done."

"Why me?"

"Hell I don't know, I've been asking myself that since I woke up. I guess it's because I trust you more than anyone else. I feel like I know you better than anyone else, possibly because of the dreams, I don't know." I looked at the floor after I spoke, not sure if I had said anything out of line.

"Aw, Steel," she said as she stepped forward to nuzzle my neck.

For an instant I saw her grayed mane and scared face causing me to step back and
choke on my words, "Rarity please don't."

She started to apologized only to have Spike interrupt, "Hey Rarity have you seen," he stopped when he saw us and he began to panic. "Oh, I'm sorry, I'll be back later, no wait sorry." He backed quickly out of the building continuing his stumbling apology.

Rarity blinked her eyes her eyes twice as her face shifted from confusion to horror, before taking off after the little dragon. "Spike," she shouted as she bound out the door, leaving me alone in the boutique with a racing heart. Soon she returned with Spike in tow, "I explained everything to him, he wanted to talk to you."

"Everything," I asked, "the voices too?"

"Yeah, everything," the little dragon said, " hearing voices in your head isn't that strange around here. Especially with the six you picked as your friends."

"Spike," snapped an indignant Rarity.

He winced at her voice but continued, "I even had a problem taking stuff that wasn't mine, I just wanted it and I couldn't stop."

I smiled, "Thanks Little Zilla, now if I remember correctly you wanted to know what happened to you and Big Mac." My heart was starting to slow back down.

"Yeah," he said cautiously.

I relaxed and started to describe what I could. "You, unable to control your craving around the potestatum gems, went into self imposed exile." I had a half smile as I spoke, but once my mind went to Big Mac, I frowned and looked at Rarity. There's no way that anyone could forget what happened to Big Mac and if they remembered anything about the dream world they would remember that.
.

"That's not that bad," said Spike with a smile, "what about Macintosh."

I started to speak but was interrupted by Rarity. "He tried to lead a coup against Steel and was punished."

Punished, I thought with an internal laugh. To call what Big Mac went through punishment was a joke he had his eyes plucked out and tong removed before being placed in a cage for public display. He was kept alive but only as a warning against further usurpers. I could feel my stomach fall as I thought and I could see Rarity face fall as she had similar thoughts. We both knew that was the least of the torture he went through at our hands.

"Oh," he said and then looked away. The little dragon wasn't very good at hiding his feelings. There were several questions he wanted to ask but there was something in his eyes before he looked away that said he wanted out.

I sat down and smiled at him before speaking, "Little Zilla, go talk to Big Mac. Tell him what you found out and if you have any questions, why don't you both come talk to me." I continued to wear what I hoped was a friendly smile as I looked at the purple dragon.

He relaxed a little and smiled, "well I then I need to go find Big Mac then and let him know I found you," he gestured towards the door as he spoke.

"Spike," I said as he turned around, "you know when the afternoon meetings are at Twilight's?"

He stopped and said nothing.

"I'm going to bring something up and I would like you there, you can bring Macintosh as well."

The dragon nodded and walked out of the boutique.

Rarity cocked her head and asked, "was that a good idea?"

"It had to be done he's the only one I've met that has seen a potestatum gem before." I rounded on her with the crown on one hoof and a grim smile as I asked, "you ready?"

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Spike walked through town his mind buried in thought, his world was crumbling around him and it all had something to do with Steel. He hated him to some degree but didn't know why, Steel hadn't caused any problems with his friends, in fact he had done his best to not cause problems. It's the Steel from the dreams I hate not the current Steel, he thought as he kicked at a rock.

"Ow, why you throw a rock at me," asked a familiar voice.

Spike looked up and muttered, "sorry Derpy," to the googly eyed gray pegasus. Everyone in town knew her, she was friendly, gave Fluttershy a challenge in the kindness race and Twilight called her a savant whatever that meant. She was a tad bit clumsy though, well it was more like a black cloud of bad luck followed her everywhere, but she never let it stop her.

"What's wrong? Looks like dragons heart is dragging."

Spike blinked and translated what the pegasus was saying, "I don't know what's going on, but it feels like somethings wrong."

"I know how that's feeling," said Derpy landing beside the moping dragon.

A smile flickered across Spikes face, that was an understatement, he thought. "What do you do when you feel this way?"

"Changes depending on what feelings are making you feel."

"Huh," he grunted as he came to a stop.

"Feelings can lead to feelings, confusion, irritation, jealousy," she let her words hang.

"I'm not jealous," grumbled Spike.

"Oh, little dragon is jealous, but why? Is it white unicorn Rarity?"

"Wait you know, how?"

"Little dragon not so sneaky as he thought, it is obvious to anyone who watches."

"I guess it could be," he admitted scratching the back of his head.

"You feel better now," she asked with a broad smile.

"Yes," he did feel better, it felt like his soul had been lifted.

"Good," she said giving the dragon a hug, "See you around." She took off flying leaving Spike to to get back to his business.

The little dragon walked through town spirit high as he looked for Big Mac. During his search of the town he saw an odd group of ponies getting off the train. One was a particularly irritated green earth pony with a stack of books for a cutie mark.

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This had to be punishment, why else would the head librarian volunteer him for this job, and of all ponies to lead the expedition why her. "Unfair," he muttered to himself, he had never been outside of Canterlot. Now seemingly on a whim he was going on an archeological dig in the Everfree forest. Because somepony though he would be the best one for the job of preserving, and preparing and books they might find for travel. Oh yes what would the world do if we lost some moldy rotten tome that was lost buried in the ancient castle.

He stood watching as half a dozen earth ponies pulled their supplies out of one of the train cars, and in the middle of it all was her. Logia, a unicorn, she had always been just a hair better than him as far back as he could remember. In university she had been the top of the class him always a close second. Never once did he out score her, and the day they graduated he celebrated. Never again were there paths suppose to cross.

"Come on, let's hurry I want to be at the site before nightfall," she called out to the crew. She tossed her short but flowing mane that covered the gradients from violet to turquoise, over her ear.
She already had the crew under her spell, but she wasn't going to get to him. This was going to be a long day and it would only get longer before it was over.

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The pain had subsided but every time I moved it returned, less so with every passing second but still enough to notice. My once shaggy mane was going to have to be kept short to keep it out of the circlets mechanisms, but I could deal with that. Once the crown had been mounted I felt the inner ring traverse a cycle as the self test ran. I sighed and lifted the device off my head while saying, "It's ready, a little more painful than I hoped but all I need is another crystal and the magic will start."

Rarity nodded at my comments and kept eying the contact plates on my temples, "I wish those were smaller it would be nice to hide them in public. Anyway, you're free to stay here if you want Steel I'm going to go freshen up, it's already so late in the day."

"Thank you I think I will take you up on that," I said. I still didn't like the idea of wandering around town right now. I think the other ponies, the true ponies had enough true memories that they could hide the dreams behind the real ones. I however haven't been here long enough to build that buffer. I meandered through the bottom of the store eying the outfits that were on display, I could hear the sound of a shower running and once it shut off I heard Rarity call out.

"Steel, this is embarrassing for me but could you do me a favor, I seem to have forgotten to replace my towel that I use for my mane could you go to the laundry room and grab one for me."

I called out, "Just a tick," before going in search of the towel. Eventually I found one that was large enough and appeared to be the highest quality,\. I took it up the stairs and found Rarity's head poking out of a door.

Her hair was still dripping wet and she smiled when she saw me. "Thank you," she said with a laugh.

I gave her a jumbled smile as I turned away and walked back down stairs. You're a human she's a pony, that's bestiality if nothing else, I thought. Yeah but if she came back to my world she would be human for the same reasons you're a pony here. I shook my head I didn't want these thoughts. What perturbed me more was why was she acting this way. She was still not the unicorn I remember from my first few days here. Hell none of us were truly whole again, I knew I wasn't back to normal either. It took more to turn and walk away than it should have even if she had been human. I rubbed my forehead with a hoof careful not to affect the terminals attached to my temples. This has to be caused by assimilating the dream memories, I thought. Then my muse took hold and an idea formed in my mind if more memories are created they will dilute and bury the dream memories. "That's it," I said aloud to no one in particular, "That's the road to recovery."

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The sun had reached it's apex and had started to creep back down by the time the expedition had left town. Decimal eyed the two pegasi guards as they flew slow and low over the convoy getting ready to play look out. Logia walked near the front of the herd with a grizzled old blind unicorn that supposedly used his magic to sense the ground and anything that stepped on it. Soon they passed a grove of blue flowers, Decimal remembered something about not touching them but that was it. It was about then that he looked up to see Logia trotting back towards him with a smile.

"I wouldn't touch those if I were you," she said as she stepped in beside me.

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Ah, okay, well I wanted to thank you for coming. This whole expedition was commissioned by the Princesses to collect books, and since you are considered the best preserver in Canterlot, it means a lot to the crew that you're here."

It is always nice letting someone else stroke my ego for a bit, thought Decimal from behind a fake smile. "Well I wasn't given much choice, the head librarian told me I had to come."

"I saw we went to the same university, did you have Professor Caballus?"

You arrogant little, he thought before saying, "Yes I did, in fact you sat three seats to my right in two of his classes."

"You're kidding me we were in the same classes, wow I wonder why I never noticed you," she asked wearing a puzzled frown.

"You were probably too focused on your study's I was only the Salutatorian," he said hoping that she would pick up on the sarcasm.

"Really," she said with a gasp, "I'm so sorry. Now I feel like the fool. I guess it was because of the studying, with my cutie mark and all."

Decimal tried to hide his disgust, anyone that tried to blame arrogance on there special talent should have had there talent be arrogance, he thought as they continued with small talk. Once they were in the forest proper everyone was told to say as quiet as they could and to stick close together. This made Decimal happy not the proximity but the silence it gave him time to brood.

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It was shortly after noon when Rarity and I made it to Twilight's. When we walked in to the library it was obvious she had been busy, the floor of the main room was marred except for a ten foot circle in the middle of the room that was pristine.

The purple unicorn was breathing heavily, her mane was a mess of tangled knots and strands sticking out in random directions. Her horn was glowing and her concentration was focused on the floor. Soon the glow disappeared, she stomped her feet and gasped, "come on," as she collapsed into a sitting position.

"Twilight?" asked Rarity as took a step towards her panting friend.

The purple mare jumped spinning to look at us, "Oh hi, I've been trying to figure out how to get into the lab."

"Why don't you take a break, you've worked yourself into a mess," said Rarity as she skillfully dodged debris as she approached her disheveled friend.

"I can't."

"Darling you can take a break, have you been working on this all day?" Have you eaten?"

"No, no, no, I can't figure this out, it looks mechanical, like a hinge right here," she stamped her foot on the edge of the circle, "But it's protected by an enchantment. It's not a fancy but it's so strong I can't break it. I've never seen this much power in one spell, well not without the Princesses, Discord or the Elements involved." She shook as she spoke, stress apparent in her voice.

"Twilight come on let's take a break, I'll fix you some lunch," said the white unicorn, her voice soft but with a note that she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Twilight groaned and hung her head in defeat before muttering, "alright," and following her friend into the kitchen.

I waited until the two disappeared then walked over to the unmarred circle and examined it as I paced back and forth across it's surface. I pondered as I walked,Jack would know that odds were against me having magic, unless he wanted me to wait until after the suit was done. He would want me to know how to open it but he hadn't left any notes. I tapped on the circle 'a shave and a haircut' and waited on the 'two bit's.' No answer, eh, it was worth a shot, maybe it was voice activated, I thought. "Open says me," nothing, "Open sesame," still nothing. "Abracadabra, hocus pocus, alakazam," I stomped my front feet one after the other in frustration. I heard a whistle, like a computer turning on, and the circle lifted up dumping me unceremoniously onto the floor.

I heard hoof falls as both unicorns rushed back into the room and Twilight asked, "What did you do?"

I shrugged, still a jumbled mess on the floor, and said, "I knocked."

Comments

[Luckyfanisaac]

We all assumed this was the reason.(——

Edit 10/23/2022:

I sighed with a smile as well and stepped forward

answered Big Mac rolling the the piece of hay to the other side of his mouth.

"Twilight?" asked Rarity as she took a step towards her panting friend.

"Darling you can take a break, have you been working on this all day?(—— Have you eaten?"