A Rarity Such as I

by Touch the Sky

Sovereign

Rarity instinctively stepped back, her eyes widening with fear. Behind her, Twilight growled and lowered her head, but Blackthorn and his soldiers quickly cantered to form a protective circle around their princess and Rarity. The princess looked slightly confused for a fleeting moment, but then gazed down in total bewilderment as small white hooves waved in her face.

Sweetie Belle snapped, "If you want to hurt my sister, you'll have to get past me first!" Twilight and Pinkie tried to barge through the circle to join her, but the soldiers seized them. The two ponies continued to struggle as the three white ponies faced each other in silence.

Suddenly, something seemed to click behind Emerald Shine's gaze and she threw back her head and laughed, a tinkling laugh unnervingly comparable to Rarity's. Rarity and Sweetie Belle, still with her hooves raised, stared awkwardly as if the alicorn was insane. For several moments the laughter continued, until the alicorn shook her head to compose herself, her green curls bouncing slightly, and met Rarity's stare levelly, still with a bubbly grin.

"Thou thought we meant to take thy soul?" Emerald tittered. "Oh, no, my child, we only need thee to pledge thy soul to yonder kingdom as we once did."

Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity and Sweetie Belle stayed completely still as their minds ticked over it. Then, simultaneously, both Pinkie and Sweetie Belle declared, "I don't get it."

The alicorn smirked. "In that case, maybe it would be infinitely better for us to show rather than tell." Beating her wings, she rose into the air, her horn beginning to glow with leaf-green aura. Even as this began, her actual body began to emit a white glow, growing stronger as she hovered a metre off the floor.

Pinkie bounced up, chanting, "Shiny! Shiny!" while the three unicorns just stared. Emerald closed her eyes and her muzzle shaped a concentrated frown.
Seconds later, Rarity felt her hooves rise from the ground, and immediately shrieked in surprise, her white hooves struggling to bring her back down. The air offered no resistance with which to push herself back down, and she continued to rise, up to the level of Emerald Shine, as Twilight and Sweetie Belle shouted and jumped in an attempt to pull Rarity back down.

Rarity's wide blue gaze fell on Emerald, who gave her a smile through closed eyes before her eyelids opened into orbs of pure, painfully bright white light. Everything was swallowed up by the light, and Rarity turned away, closing her eyes and shielding them with her hooves.

When the light died, Rarity was gone. Twilight snapped at the descending alicorn, "What did you do to Rarity?"
The alicorns was calm as her aged joints took her weight once more. "I sent her to take her pledge."

When Rarity opened her eyes, she was standing in a forest clearing. She looked around in bewilderment, before a quiet voice spoke to her.
"Rarity."
Rarity spun around, but saw nothing but trees and undergrowth.
"Rarity."
"Where are you?" she cried.
"We are nature, and therefore, everywhere you see." came the placid reply.

Rarity stood working that out for a few moments, before a swirl of leaves enveloped her. When she had batted them away, a figure was standing before her. It was a pony, or it had at first appeared to be. Its body shape was that of a pony, but it appeared to be woven from wood, shoots and plants. Leaves sprouted here and there, and when its eyes opened they were a lush leaf green, but so deep they spoke of countless seasons.

"Who are you?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.
The same voice spoke again. "We are nature." There was a little laughter in its tone at the need to repeat this fact. "You know why you have been brought to our presence?"
Rarity shook her head.
There was a light chuckle reminiscent of the sound of the wind among leaves. "Child, you have been brought here to pledge yourself to the keeping of the Everfree. Here are the terms of your pledge:
-One will care for the Everfree for a millennium, until his/her successor is found.
-One should care for the plants and animals of the Everfree while ensuring they remain free and independant.
-One shall ensure their people are well led and live peacefully with the forest, even when he/she is not around."

The 'nature' pony looked expectantly at Rarity. With a flash, Emerald Shine appeared and nodded.
Rarity coughed delicately."Just a minute. What am I agreeing to, exactly?"
Nature spoke. "The title of Princess of the Everfree, and a millennium of life to govern this kingdom."
Emerald Shine added, "You would only need to rule for 900 years. You may spend a century with your friends, including those you have already had, and when you have lived out your lifespan there you will return here to rule."

Rarity frowned. "But what will the soldiers do while I spend all those years in Ponyville?"
"They will live and die normal lives. Their families exist in a small village a short distance from the castle." answered Emerald Shine.
"But what about the thousand years?" asked Rarity. "I'm sure people in Ponyville will notice if I don't age."
"Just wish yourself to look older, and you will." came the reply. "When your thousand years are up, you will age rapidly, and that is a sign for you to send out your soldiers to look for your successor. That successor is the next marshmallow pony."

Rarity unscrambled her thoughts. It all seemed very appealing; being a princess, and living for a thousand years. She would rather had ruled over a kingdom which wasn't so... natural, but being a princess at all was surely worth it.
"In that case." said Rarity, still a little unsure, "I accept the terms of the pledge."

Both of the others smiled. Emerald Shine rose up again, beginning to glow once more. Her royal vocals returned and she proclaimed, "Then this kingdom rejoices at your coming, child, for by the maps of stars thou truly art our chosen successor."
Rarity was lifted up again, and this time as the fierce glow enveloped her felt a ripping pain on her back, as if something were forcing out on both sides.

Twilight was pacing the castle floor. First Rarity had vanished, and then before they could demand an explanation from the alicorn she had disappeared too. Sweetie was looking miserably out of the window, while Pinkie just sat staring at the floor.

Suddenly Sweetie cried out. "Hey! What's that?"
Twilight and Pinkie raced over. A sparkling, swirling orb of green leaves was drifting towards them. They stepped back quickly as it came in through the window, and then shards of light began to pierce through it, before the whole sphere shattered.

Again, white light filled the room, and when it cleared Rarity stood supporting Emerald Shine. But something was wrong- Twilight could only see one horn, but there were two sets of white wings. As soldiers dashed to take over supporting their princess and Rarity stepped away, Twilight could finally see clearly.

Rarity had white, feathered pegasus wings. She had become an alicorn, while Emerald was now just a pegasus. Twilight blinked as Rarity walked over, then the white alicorn stopped, frowning at the shock on Twilight's face.

"Twilight, darling, what's wrong?" asked Rarity. Before Twilight could reply, Sweetie raced over and tackled Rarity in a hug.
"Sis, you're back! ....aaaaand you have wings."
"I beg your pardon, Sweetie Belle?" said Rarity, incensed.
"You have wings. Look."

Rarity turned her head and stared with narrowed eyes at the feathery additions to her anatomy. After several awkward minutes of silent staring, Rarity's eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted.

Author's Note:

I was working towards two separate endings the whole way through. The other was that Emerald actually takes Rarity's soul, but I thought this was better.

Opinions?

Comments

[Reeve]

it might be a good idea to write an alternate, darker ending in which that happens. either way the story is very good

[Fimbulvinter]

And then Rarity was a Marshmallocorn,

[The Fiery Joker]

Well. Rarity is the marshmallow pony, has been hunted, kidnapped, beaten, had her house burn down, and become an alicorn in the span of 6 hours.

I'd call it a day.

[Touch the Sky]

2468372 Um... 6 hours? By my reckoning this story has stretched over the intended 48 hours