> A Monument to Fashion
>  by Llyander
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Part 1
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


“A Monument to Fashion”
Part 1.


Celestia’s sun was just beginning its slow ascent over the roofs of the town of Ponyville, bathing the little town with its warming, golden light. You would never know it at first glance, but this was, it was fair to say, a place that had seen its fair share of weird, confusing, distressing and occasionally near world ending events.
However, as this particularly quiet morning dawned there was little indication that this would be anything but a quiet day.  There were only a handful of early rising ponies up and about.
The weather team lead by the ever awesome (at least if you were to ask her for her own opinion) Rainbow Dash was hard at work clearing the clouds overhead, the forecast today was for nothing but blue skies and sunshine over Ponyville.  
Applejack and the rest of her family were already hard at work in the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. It was nearly time for the Zap Apple harvest and they were determined to get as many of the other chores done before they had to devote all their attention to this shortest lived of magical mysteries.
Back in town, the air around Sugarcube Corner was filled with the sweet scents of the delectable treats being baked by the nigh-indefatigable pink pony Pinkie Pie and the Cakes and the grey Pegasus mailpony Ditzy Do, known to most as “Derpy”, was already hard at work on her rounds.
She flitted from house to house, somewhat unsteadily it had to be admitted, her wall-eyed stare making her less than the most confident of flyers, prone to bumping into walls… Trees… Other ponies… It suited her when she had a lovely, warm, quiet morning like this where she could take her time inspecting each piece of mail to ensure it found its proper destination.
Ah, another package for Rarity, Carousel Boutique. Probably more fabric samples from Canterlot or Manehatten. She swore that mare got nearly as much mail as Twilight at the library. Satisfied she had her next destination firmly in mind she clutched the small package tightly to her as she swooped over the tops of the buildings to the tall, magnificent spire of Rarity’s shop.
“Rarity?” She peered in the windows at the upper level. “Rarity, you in there? I’ve got some mail for you!”  She fumbled with the package for a moment before deciding to simply hold it in her muzzle by the string as she put her hooves up to the glass and she peered inside at the bedroom.
It was as immaculately kept as you might expect from someone like Rarity but more importantly the bed looked like it hadn’t been slept in, the lights still off and the room devoid of anypony at all.  Derpy wasn’t entirely surprised. Rarity was probably downstairs working on some new commission and just forgot the time. The fashionista had been known to lose track of entire weekends while in the throes of creation.
Dropping down to the ground floor she again peered in the windows, frowning a little as she tapped on the glass once more. “Merrmph? Oo ing ere?” She spat the string back out with a snort and set the package down on the grass as she again peered within. “Rarity? Sorry to bother you, it’s just Derpy with some mail for you.” 
The shop was quiet and still, no sign of the unicorn at all.  Huh. That was sort of odd. But then maybe Rarity was just staying with a friend?  Well… Derpy rubbed a little thoughtfully at her chin. Well, she could always just come back later in that case.  It wasn’t like it was late in the day so she had plenty of time to complete the delivery at the end of her round… She stuffed the parcel back into her saddlebags and turned to leave when she noticed something faintly through the windows at the other side of the shop. 
She fluttered around to get a better look at it, squinting in the glare of the early morning sun reflecting from the river, the rising mist making it hard for her to get a good look at this curious shape that had caught her attention, She didn’t know what it was, but she knew it hadn’t been there the day before when she’d been fluttering around town. That meant it was weird and in Ponyville when something weird happened, there was only one pony you went to.
“Oh ponyfeathers.” She sighed. “I’d better get Twilight.”


*******


The protégé of Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, had a certain image to maintain. Known around the town as a dependable pony, a sensible pony (most of the time), a pony that could always be relied on for a certain amount of decorum, a pony that would certainly never be caught snoring, facedown in a book on the library floor, her tongue poking cutely out from the corner of her mouth.  No no, certainly not.
So when the first knock at the door came, she scrambled to all four hooves so quickly that she bit down on her tongue in her haste to compose herself, filling the air around her with curses until she remembered Spike was asleep upstairs and these were words a baby dragon really shouldn’t be hearing.  She sighed as she ran a forehoof through her mane, sticking out in all directions following her impromptu slumber then went to answer the door.
“Oh hey, Twilight. I like your mane, is that a new look?”
Twilight blinked as she came near nose to nose with Derpy, the mailmare hovering just over her doormat. Well, it could have been worse. She was used to ponies only knocking on her door this early in the morning when they had a problem they needed help with. “Oh, good morning Derpy. Er… No. This was just, uh… You know what, never mind. Did you have a delivery for me?” 
“Well, no… I actually had a delivery for Rarity.”
“….And you came here?”
“Oh. Well. No, not right away. I mean, I tried the boutique first and she wasn’t in, then I looked around behind the boutique and I saw something really weird floating on the river that wasn’t there yesterday and I thought wow, that’s weird I’d better let Twilight know about it in case it’s something nasty so I flew right over here and here we are with me telling you all about it.”
Twilight blinked at the sudden stream of words with barely a pause for breath between them, her head cocking to one side as she tried to puzzle out exactly when and how Derpy and Pinkie had switched bodies. “Er… Well, alright. I guess we can go and take a look at this whatever it is. It’s not anything dangerous is it?”
“I, uhm… I couldn’t really get a good look at it. There was mist and light and... Well, I don’t think so but it was kind of spooky. If I didn’t know any better I’d think it was some sort of, well…” Her voice dropped to a Fluttershy-like mumble at the final word, her head darting left then right before she gave a helpless little shrug. “You’ll understand when you see it.”
“Riiiiight.”  Twilight drawled, the purple unicorn chalking this up as yet another of the many “just one of those days” that seemed to happen so very often since she’d come to Ponyville. “Okay. I’ll head down there and take a look right away and make sure that it’s nothing dangerous. Thanks for letting me know, Derpy.”
“Oh no problem!  Bye Twilight! I knew you’d be the right person to come to about this!”  She turned and quickly flapped up and over the houses towards Sugarcube Corner, only smacking two of her hooves on the chimney as she passed, managing to stay in the air with a frantic burst of effort.  She paused briefly to give the bemused unicorn another wave which Twilight returned before closed the door of the library and trotted down the quiet street to see exactly what all the fuss was about.
She paused and looked up at the few clouds that still remained in the sky, searching for that flash of colour that would give away Rainbow Dash’s current napping spot. There! Just over by the town hall.  She quickly trotted down the street, exchanging friendly greetings with the ponies she passed but never lingering for more than a moment or two just in case there really was a threat that no-one else had noticed. “Rainbow!” She yelled up at the cloud. “I know you’re up there, I can see your tail.”
“This is the pegasus message system. Rainbow Dash is napping, please leave a message and come back later!” And with that, the tail disappeared into the wispy cloud, a muffled snigger reaching Twilight’s ears.
“Rainbow Dash!” She protested, stamping her forehooves. “If you don’t come down from there I’ll... I’ll... I’ll do SOMETHING and you won’t like it one little bit!”
“Alright, geeze. Take a breath before you blow your horn out or something.” The rainbow-maned pegasus rolled over on her cloud and planted her muzzle on her forelegs as she peered down. “This had better be something awesome, important, or awesomely important for you to stop me getting my nap on.”
Twilight took a breath, steeling herself for the inevitable reaction. “Derpy said she saw something down by the Carousel Boutique.”
Rainbow rolled all the way over and swooped down from the cloud to stand facing Twilight, her expression blank. “Derpy saw something. Derpy.” She pulled a face, circling a hoof next to her ear. “Right, because she’s the most reliOW! Okay, okay, I’ll go easy on her.” She muttered, rubbing at her shoulder where Twilight  had just punched her. “But seriously, Twi’. She saw “something” and for that you disturbed my nap?”
Twilight hesitated for a moment then added. “She did say it was something, uhm, spooky.”
Rainbow somehow managed to look even more disinterested. “Spooky.  Well, I’m sure we need to get the Princesses involved, call out the guarOW! Geeze, Twilight. Have you been working out or something?” She muttered, rubbing at her other arm.
“You of all people should know better than to act like a bully, Dash.” She chided.
“Yeah, yeah. Fine.” Dash muttered, scuffing a hoof on the grass, “I know. I just mean… Come on, this is Derpy we’re talking about here. When you make a list of reliable witnesses she’s not exactly in the top ten.”
“Nevertheless, if she says she saw something, I think she did. Derpy’s lots of things, but she’s never been a liar.”
Rainbow didn’t have a response to that, so instead she just shrugged and nodded. “So where’s this spooky thing again? By the Boutique?  Gimme one second and I’ll go scope it out.” She crouched down, ready to launch herself into the air. “Well, maybe more like five seconds.”  And with a flash of technicolour light, she was gone, leaving nothing but swirling grass and dust in her wake.
In point of fact, it wasn’t five seconds. Nor ten.  Or twenty.  In fact, the rainbow-maned Pegasus was gone for well over a minute, long enough for Twilight to begin to shift nervously in place.  It wasn’t like Dash to be… She shuddered at the word… Tardy.
Just as she began to gather her magic up for a teleport to the Boutique, the air was split by the sound of frantically beating Pegasus wings and Rainbow Dash landed heavily in front of the lavender unicorn, her eyes wide. “Derpy wasn’t kidding.” She blurted out before remembering that she was not only supposed to be awesome, she was meant to be cool and collected as well. She cleared her throat and quickly composed herself. “I had to clear the mist around it to get a good look. If I didn’t know any better I’d swear it was some kind of floating tomb or mausoleum.”
“A tomb?” Twilight echoed sceptically. “Floating?”
“Look, I know what it sounds like but that’s what it looks like!  It looks like it’s made of marble and it’s got all these pillars and billowy bits and flickering lights and… I swear there’s two statues that look just like Rarity!”
“What?” Twilight’s eyes widened in concern, “Derpy said that she couldn’t find Rarity at all this morning when she went to deliver something to her! Quick, go and round up the girls and meet me down by the Boutique. I think we need to take a closer look at this thing.”
“I’m on it!”  Dash exclaimed and leapt back into the air, disappearing over the roofs on her way to collect the other Elements of Harmony, leaving Twilight to make her way through the streets at a quick trot.
Now what in Equestria was going on?  Rarity missing and someone had left a monument to her in place instead? Was this somebody’s idea of a joke? If so, it was in very poor taste, coming so close behind everything that had been going on recently. Tensions were still running high after the thwarted Changeling attack and any new arrival in town was viewed with a degree of suspicion that made Twilight a little sad when contrasted to the warm welcome she’d received all those months ago when she’d been ordered to town to check on the arrangements for the Summer Sun Celebration.
Pinkie wouldn’t have done it. It just wasn’t her style tro do something like this. Now if someone had put a massive cake or balloon on the river...  Maybe it was Trixie?  Could it be this was some elaborate plot to try and get one-up on Twilight again but she couldn’t really see how!  This kind of elaborate setup was reminiscent of the showmare’s theatrics but it wasn’t like Trixie to be so elusive. If this really was her, she would want everyone to KNOW that it was her.  
Maybe it was Discord?  No, he was still frozen in stone in the palace gardens, wasn’t he and really this seemed a little mundane for the mercurial dracoequus. If the tomb was made of cheese and the busts were dancing in place while spewing chocolate milk then she’d be more willing to believe he was responsible.
“Hey Twilight. Twilight? TWILIGHT!”  The exasperated yell finally broke through her musings and she looked up in surprise to find she’d actually nearly walked right past her friends all waiting patiently at the door of the Carousel Boutique for her.
“Oh! I’m sorry, I was just…”
“On another planet?”  Dash butted in with a snort. “Well, I got everyone here like you asked.”
“Yeah Twilight, what’s this all about?” Applejack adjusted her stetson atop her head. “Ya think somethin’ happened t’Rarity?”
“Well, apparently there’s a…” She sighed to herself, no point trying to explain it to them, it’d just lead to more comments about poor Derpy. “You know what, let’s just go and see it for ourselves.  It’s around the back.”
The other Elements of Harmony exchanged glances and shrugs before following Twilight around the side of the Boutique till they all stood on the riverbank in the early morning sun, their eyes wide, their jaws hanging open.
“Well dip me in honey and throw me t’the filyfoolers.” Applejack deadpanned.
“Dip you in who and throw you to the what?”  Twilight squeaked, giving the blonde haired pony an odd look while Rainbow 	Dash and Pinkie collapsed to the floor in helpless giggles.  Applejack blushed and cleared her throat, tugging her hat down a little more snugly atop her head.
“Never you mind.  Ah was just a bit caught by surprise, that’s all.” She paused while Rainbow and Pinkie composed themselves, Fluttershy just watching the antics with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. “So…. What the hay IS this?”
Floating on the river behind the boutique, plain as the nose on each of their faces, was indeed what could only be described as a floating tomb.  Sitting on a wide base, the gleaming white marble rotunda mausoleum built atop it was flanked by heavy, carven columns. Flanking either side of this tomb was a marble statue of a pony that was unmistakably their friend Rarity.  
Heavy purple banners displaying her cutie mark flapped in the early morning breeze as torches flickered either side of the heavy bronze door that lead inside.  A small plaque above the door read – 

“Here lies Rarity, a pony every pony should know.  The world of Fashion will never know her like again.”

> Part 2
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


“A Monument to Fashion”
Part 2.


Long seconds of silence ticked by as the five friends stood in stunned, disbelieving silence, broken only by the soft lapping of the water against the bank by their hooves.
“Did… Did she say anything to anypony?” Twilight whispered, “Fluttershy?  Did she even hint at the spa that there was anything wrong?”
The yellow pegasus shook her head mutely, her one visible eye glistening with unshed tears as she turned away from the floating tomb, letting her mane fall down over her face. “Not a word.” She brokenly whispered. “Nothing. W-Was she sick, m-maybe? I just… She seemed fine to me.”
“She came by the farm a couple of days ago.” Applejack admitted, sweeping her hat from her head as she rubbed between her ears, a little frown furrowing her brow. “An’now I think on it, she seemed a mite out o’sorts. Ever since that business with Sombra  she’s seemed a lil…”
“Distracted.” Pinkie Pie chipped in to everyone’s surprise. “ Really, really distracted! She came to Sugarcube Corner yesterday and I gave her one of my special muffins by mistake. I mean they all look the same, how was I supposed to know that one of the special superduperspicy ones had got mixed in with the normal batch!  I smelled something funny about it but she took a bite before I could even stop her and I thought her head would just EXPLODE or something but instead she just…” The pink pony’s stream of words faltered. “She just ate it. She didn’t even seem to notice.”  She began to pout as she went on. “She didn’t-even-NOTICE.” She stamped a hoof on the ground as her voice began to rise, her normally fluffy mane starting to go straight and limp, the curls drooping little by little over her neck, “There was enough chilli and pepper in those to send half the royal guard screaming for the nearest trough and she didn’t even MMPH!” Her voice rose with very word, shrill and outraged until Rainbow Dash clamped a hoof down over her mouth to stifle any further outbursts.
“Uh, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash interrupted. “You want to tell us why you’d even make a muffin like that?”
The pink pony’s eyes darted left, then right, as she suddenly clammed up and pulled back, miming pulling a zipper across her mouth and violently shaking her head, her mane promptly poofing back out. “Nuh-uh. Sworn to secrecy. Pinkie Promised and everything that I wouldn’t tell!”
“Riiiiiiiiiight.”  Rainbow and Twilight exchanged glances and those quick little shrugs that everypony had come to recognise as code for “It’s Pinkie, don’t ask”. “So we know that she went out to the farm, where there’s dirt and mud, bugs and leaves and everything she hates, that in itself is pretty weird.”  Rainbow did a lazy backflip in midair as she mused out loud. “And she was so distracted at Sugarcube Corner that she didn’t even notice she was eating one of the special muffins…”  She stifled a little, disgusted look, remembering the worm-filled muffins that had graced the menu really not-long-enough-ago for her to not be able to still taste them in the back of her throat. 
“Maybe she had some big commission on?” Twilight ventured. “You know how she gets when she’s creating things.”  She sighed. “But weird behaviour aside, that still wouldn’t explain this!” She glared at the mausoleum, one hoof pawing at the grass and then abruptly stopping as a terrible thought slipped unbidden into her head. “She… You don’t think she would have done anything silly, do you?”
Pinkie’s head cocked to one side like a curious puppy. “Silly? Like what? Like trying to eat liquid rainbow? That’s pretty silly. Oo! Ooo! Did she maybe try and go tap-dancing through the Everfree Forest in the glass slippers she wore to the Gala? That’s REALLY silly!  Maybe she…”
This time it was Applejack that pressed her hoof down over Pinkie’s mouth to cut off the stream of consciousness. “That ain’t quite what Twilight means, sugarcube.” She said quietly.
Pinkie stared blankly at Applejack for a long, long moment, understanding slowly dawning in those big, innocent eyes. “No.”  The party pony whispered, her denial barely audible, “She wouldn’t have done that. Not Rarity.”
“Done what?”  Asked a new voice from behind the small group of sombre ponies. “Well now, what’s this we’ve got here? Some new project? I don’t recall seeing anyone asking for planning permission for a new building on the river.”
The girls turned to find Mayor Mare standing innocently behind them, peering at the new addition to Ponyville. “Oh my.” She blinked, peering at the group over her glasses. “Is something the matter? This isn’t anything… Dangerous now, is it? Another of your projects, Twilight?”
“Well, we don’t really…” Twilight started out.
“Did somepony say it’s dangerous?” A new voice chimed in as, much to Twilight’s horror, a small crowd was beginning to gather around them, ponies muttering to themselves as they looked uneasily towards the river. 
"Has somepony died?” Another voice piped up. “Who’s died? Somepony got killed?”  A third voice added towards the back of the now quickly growing crowd that was surging forward toward the bank to get a better look at the mausoleum, ponies jostling against ponies as each tried to clear view.
“Killed? Murdered? Everfree… Diamond Dogs… Discord… Muffins.”  The louder the voices got, the more fanciful the speculation got, the ponies arguing amongst themselves even as the girls stared at each other in amazement at the sudden escalation.
“No, wait!” Twilight yelled, trying to make herself heard over the rising voices, “Nothing’s happened! We don’t know what’s going on or even if this has anything to do with Rari-“ She slapped her hooves over her mouth but the damage was done and after a momentary silence the voices cried out once again.
“THEY KILLED RARITY?”
“They’re coming for us next! That’s a tomb for everypony!”
“RUN!”
And with that, the crowd dissolved into running, panicking ponies galloping in all directions.  Moments later the air was filled with a chorus of slamming windows and shutters as Ponyville was battened down as if the forces of Tartarus itself were knocking at the doors demanding entry.
“Sooooo.”  Rainbow mused dryly. “That could have gone better.”
Twilight muttered something from under her hooves, her legs draped over her head as she banged it against the ground. What WAS it with ponies panicking at the slightest thing? If it wasn’t freaking out about Zecora just because she was a bit different, it was panicking about Parasprites, bunnies or a hundred and one other threats, both real and imagined. How had anypony survived before she’d come to this town? She gathered her resolve and stood back up, “Look. We need to try and figure out who put this here, and what’s happened to Rarity. Ideas?”
“Ooo! Ooo! I know! Queen Meanie!  I bet she did it!”  Pinkie immediately offered, to sceptical looks from her friends.
“Queen Meanie?” Applejack echoed, casting a confused glance at the others.
“You know. Black Snooty.” More blank stares followed, “Pokey Smokes!”
At long last, a distant memory was stirred in the recesses of Twilight’s mind. “Uhm, Pinkie.? Are you talking about Nightmare Moon?”
“Well DUH! Of course I am!  That’s what I just said! Queen Meanie!”
Twilight’s right eye twitched a little, “Pinkie… We defeated Nightmare Moon, remember? She’s just Princess Luna now.”
“Oh you silly. If that was true, then who was that scaring everypony at Nightmare Night?” Pinkie asked, seriously, earnestly, and apparently with a complete defiance of logic and reality that left Twilight speechlessly grasping for where to even begin to refute that twisted skein of reasoning.
“Ah wouldn’t even bother, sugarcube.” Applejack advised . “Just let it lie’fore you do yourself a mischief.”
Twilight took a deep breath, let it out slow. “No, Pinkie.” She replied at last. “I don’t think Nightmare Moon did this. It’s not really her style.  It’s a little too, uhm, bright.  If she’d done it I’m sure it’d be lots spookier.”
“Awww….” Pinkie Pie hmphed. “But I like spooky.”
“What about the Great and Powerful…” Fluttershy whispered, 
“Trixie?” Rainbow Dash finished, her voice oozing contempt. “That blowhard? She wouldn’t have the guts, or the skill for something like this!“
“Maybe, but it might be worth checking into. You know she didn’t take her embarrassment well.” Twilight mused. “Not well” was something of an understatement if she was honest. For the first few months she’d been the recipient of supposedly anonymous letters threatening all sorts of dire reprisals for the imagined slights. They might have been more intimidating, and anonymous, if each wasn’t signed from “A Great and Powerful Enemy”. Trixie was many things; subtle was not one of them.
“You know...” Rainbow drawled. “Instead of standing here and wondering, we could just go over there and take a look inside.  That might tell us who put this thing here, right?” She started to flap up and over the river, only to be brought up short with an indignant snort as Applejack and Fluttershy both grabbed her tail in their teeth.
“Whoa nelly!” AJ snorted. “What the hell’re you doin’, Rainbow? Openin’ up a tomb?  There ain’t no worse kind of bad luck! You touch that thing and you’ll be comin’ last in every race for the next seven years if you’re lucky!”
“I, uh, thought that was, uhm, mirrors.” Fluttershy whispered around her mouthful of multicoloured tail. “Isn’t it?”
“Mirrors, tombs, they’re both bad! Might as well fly under a ladder and say Candymare’s name five times while you’re at it! You just leave that thing alone.”
Rainbow glared at the pair staring stubbornly back at her then sighed and folded her wings, dropping back to the ground with a thud. “Fiiiiine.” She grumbled. “But I get to be the one who goes and finds Trixie and gets her to explain how she did this!”
Twilight nodded in agreement and Dash blinked, “What, really? YES!”
"Yes really. It’s a good idea, Rainbow. You and Fluttershy can go and see if you can find Trixie and ask her.” She glared at the pegasus who gave an innocent little smile, as if she would ever be anything but polite, “If she knows anything about this.  I’ve had people tell me her wagon is parked a little ways outside town, near the Everfree.   Applejack and Pinkie Pie, can  you go and find the Cutie Mark Crusaders?  I don’t think they’d have anything to do with something like this, but weirder things can and do happen around here, especially when they’re involved.  I just want to make sure they’re not trying to be Cutie Mark Crusader Morticians or something.”
“Sure thing, Twilight.” Applejack assured her. “We can take care of that. I bet they’ll be round the clubhouse already.  What about you? What’re you going to be doing?”
The lavender unicorn took a deep breath. “I’m going to wake Spike up to tell him that something might have happened to Rarity.”

> Part 3
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Monument to Fashion
Part 3


The door to the library, Twilight decided, could do with repainting.  The handles could also do with polishing. In fact, it might be worthwhile simply taking the entire door off and having it remade from scratch... Preferably with the rarest woods imaginable, necessitating a trip to somewhere far, far away. Somewhere so far away that she wouldn’t have to open the door at any point in the foreseeable future.
    
She let her head drop forward till her horn thudded against the door, her eyes closed. She could do this. She HAD to do this. She just had to open the door, go inside, and tell Spike that Rarity was missing, that’s all.  Three little words. Rarity is missing. We think. Maybe. She might be de-. She cut that line of thought off firmly before it could go any further. NOT dead. Missing. Definitely not dead. They’d just mislaid her. Like a book. 
    
Not that she would ever lose a book; she knew where every one was (well Spike did, and that was pretty much the same as her knowing) apart from that copy of Tacked to Death, but that had gone missing before she’d even taken over the library so it wasn’t like it was her fault. She should order another copy, she supposed. It’d probably be easier. In fact, she was sure she knew of a bookshop in Canterlot that sold it, she could just turn around and get on the train and...
    
“Uh, Twilight?”  A voice impinged on her musings.
    
“Hmmmmm?” She muttered, not really paying attention as thoughts of running away to Canterlot and the safety of her old room at the castle ran round and round in her head.
    
“Are you gonna come in? You’ve been standing out there for like ten minutes now, just staring at the door.”
    
“Oh, no. Not right now, I just need to try and figure out a way to tell Spike that Rarity has gone....” At this point the alarm bells screaming from the depths of her subconscious finally filtered through and she shut her mouth with an audible clack of teeth as she looked up to find Spike peering curiously down at her from an upstairs window. “Er...”
    
“Tell me Rarity’s gone where? Has she gone off to a fashion show? The spa? To start a successful career in cheese and wine?”  Spike vanished inside and a few moments later the door to the library swung open. Damn you, door. She wouldn’t forget this betrayal. “She hasn’t been kidnapped by Diamond Dogs again? Marauding gryphons?  You gotta give me something, I’m dying here, Twilight.” 
“Dying? Who said anything about dying?”  Twilight’s face twisted into the sort of rictus grin normally reserved for villains in Daring Do books. “I never said anything about dying. I certainly didn’t say anything about Rarity dying. Not a word.”
Spike blinked slowly, confusion giving way to concern.  She was acting pretty weird, even for Twilight. “Twilight? H-Has something happened to Rarity? Is that what you’re trying to tell me?”
Twilight blinked, her expression faltering as she heard his voice catch. “Oh Spike.” She whispered as she dropped down to wrap her forelegs around the baby dragon, hugging him tightly to her. “We don’t know. There’s… We  just can’t seem to find her right now, and there’s something on the river that…” She trailed off. “She’s not dead.” She said firmly even as that traitorous little voice in the back of her mind taunted her. Who was she really trying to reassure here - Spike or herself? “We just don’t know where she is so we’re not assuming anything right now.”
Spike was stiff and unresponsive in her hug, his arms held tight by his side as he trembled a little against the unicorn’s embrace. “We’ll find her, I promise.” She pulled back a little so she could look into his eyes, seeing the worry there, worry for more than just one of his friends.  She'd hoped for months he would grow out of this crush on his own, but he still clung stubbornly to even the slightest shred of hope; any hope was welcome right now, Twilight found herself thinking, gaze still locked with her number one assistant.
“I know you will, Twilight.” He replied with unwavering faith, “We’ve been through enough for me to know that we never give up on our friends, that you never give up.” He rubbed at his eyes, quickly hiding unshed tears. “If you don’t mind, though, I’m going to go wait for her at the Boutique. Just in case she needs any help when she gets back.”
Twilight hesitated.  The boutique with its macabre new neighbour was probably the last place the little dragon should be right now, but one look at the set lines of his face convinced her that he wasn’t going to listen to any objections she might raise so she simply nodded. “Okay. Just… Don’t worry.  We’ll find out what’s going on, I promise.”  She loosened her hug at last to let him step back and then hurry off into town.
Well, at least she knew where he’d be if she needed to contact the Princess.  Should she contact the Princess? This was pretty odd even by Ponyville standards but did it warrant bothering Princess Celestia before they even really knew what was going on for sure? She shook her head. Not yet. Not until they’d been able to confirm this wasn’t just some outlandish prank. Speaking of pranks, she wondered how Applejack and Pinkie were getting on with the Cutie Mark Crusaders…


**********


“Girls? Y’all in there?”  Applejack called as she trotted up the ramp to knock on the door of the Crusader Clubhouse. “Applebloom?  Sweetie Belle? Scootaloo? We gotta have a word with ya.”
“We have cake!” Pinkie Pie helpfully added. “It’s superduperscrummylicious but there’s so much we need help eating it!”  She tilted her head to one side, straining to hear the stampede of tiny hooves such a pronouncement was likely to incite. “Well poopie.  Nothing.”  She gave a swish of her tail as she looked about, bouncing idly in place. “I wonder where they went? I bet they’re off having awesome fun adventures again!”
“Yeah, well, their last awesome fun adventures near’nough landed Applebloom in hospital last time.” Applejack muttered, “Cutie Mark Crusader Hang-Gliders.  Lucky she landed on her durned thick head!”
Pinkie’s eyes were wide and gleaming. “HANG GLIDER CAKE DELIVERY!” She burst out, near vibrating with excitement at the thought. “We could drop them down chimneys and in open windows! Deliver cakes even when you’re not at home! We could revolutionize the industry!”
“Uh, Pinkie… I don’t think that sounds real safe t’me.” Applejack ventured. “Ah mean, did you miss the point where ah said Applebloom near broke her head?”
“Details!” The pink pony insisted, making a shushing noise as visions of squadrons of muffin loaded gliders filled her mind.
“Why not just ask a pegasus or two t’do it for you instead?”  AJ persisted. 
“Silly! They’ll be too busy towing the gliders!”
Applejack wisely decided to let the matter drop at that point, trying to ignore Pinkie’s excited muttering as she instead looked around the little clearing for any hint of where the Crusaders might have gone.
“Applejack?”
“Mmhmm. Whassup, Pinkie?” 
“You don’t think something’s really happened to… I mean… She wouldn’t have done anything silly, right?” Pinkie whispered. “Twilight said, and I know she didn’t mean it, she was just trying to say we shouldn’t make any assumptions about anything but.  I mean, she can’t be gone.”
Applejack blinked, pushing her Stetson a little higher atop her head as she frowned at Pinkie Pie. “Now don’t you go thinkin’ like that, sugarcube. We’ll find her and she’ll be just fine.” She brushed her hoof to Pinkie’s cheek which got a hint of a smile from the party pony. “Element of Honesty here. Wouldn’t say if ah didn’t believe it. She’s gonna be fine.”
“Do you promise?”
“Ah promise.”
“Do you PINKIE promise?” 
Applejack hesitated, swallowing around a sudden tightness in her chest and a lump in her throat.  She’d already had to deal with the fallout of breaking a Pinkie Promise (She didn’t break nothin’ she just worked around it!) once before.
“Applejack…” Pinkie persisted, her mane beginning that slow droop to full straightness as her mood fell. “Do you?”
AJ sighed as she tugged her hat down a bit more firmly over her eyes before she spoke, “Don’t make me promise that, sugarcube.  Ah don’t wanna have to break a promise t’you.” She silently mouthed the word “again”.
“Oh. Well, I… Hi Girls!” And just like that, her mane poofed back up to its usual springiness as she waved excitedly over Applejack’s shoulders as the three fillies in question emerged from the woods on the back of Scootaloo’s scooter, the little pegasus’ wings buzzing frantically a moment more before they coasted to a gentle stop in front of the clubhouse.
“AJ?” The familiar voice of her sister was confused as Applebloom climbed off the scooter. “Whatcha all doin’ at the clubhouse? Ah don’t think you get to sign up for Crusadin’ AFTER you get your cutie mark.”
“Is that a rule? That should probably be a rule.” Scootaloo chimed in. 
“But wouldn’t having the grownups helping us mean we’d stand a better chance of getting our cutie marks?” Sweetie Belle offered. “I mean they’ve got theirs, so that makes them qualified to help us figure out what ours might be in!”
“Cutie Mark Crusader Conference!” Applebloom declared and the three fillies had their heads together and were muttering away before Applejack or Pinkie could do more than exchange bemused glances.
A quick round of muttering, hoofwaving and nodding followed before the three broke apart and turned to face the two patiently waiting mares. “The Crusader Conference is over!” Applebloom declared, “And by a motion of two to one, we have decided that if you already have a Cutie Mark, you can’t be a Crusader. Sorry Sis.”
Sweetie Belle shrugged and gave the two a helpless little smile. “I tried, but they overruled me.”
Pinkie gasped, holding a hoof to her forehead as she swooned, “This is the WORST. POSSIBLE. THING!” She declared, channelling Rarity to perfection though, unlike the white unicorn, no couch miraculously appeared to cushion her fall and instead she collapsed onto her back on the grass and lay there with all four hooves pointing skyward.
“Uh, Pinkie?” Applejack ventured.
“Yes Applejack?” She promptly replied, not moving an inch.
“Did y’all actually WANT t’be a Crusader?”
“Well... No. But that’s not the point! I would’ve been the greatest Crusader ever! I bet I could have even got my own Cutie Mark!”
Applejack opened her mouth to reply, thought better of it, and instead turned her attention to the girls. “Sweetie Belle, have you seen Rarity lately?”
The unicorn filly shook her head. “Well, our folks have been out of town on vacation again so I've been staying with her for like a week now but I hardly see her at all! She’s been really busy with something. You know what she’s like when she has a big project going? It’s been like that, only way worse.  She’s been busy for days, working all hours of the night.  I’ve even caught her wearing....” And she lowered her voice so that the others all had to lean in to hear her. “BLACK.” She whispered in a low urgent voice. “She’s been acting all weird-like ever since she got back with you guys from the Crystal Kingdom.”
“Weird? Weird how?” Scootaloo chipped in, leaning over the handlebars of her scooter. “Like Pinkie Pie weird? No offence, Pinkie.”
“None taken.” The pink pony replied easily, briefly pausing in her attempt to launch a paper aeroplane with a cupcake atop it to flash a bright, cheery smile at the pegasus. “Genius is never appreciated in its own lifetime!” She popped the cupcake, plane and all, into her mouth and chewed merrily away.
Scootaloo just grinned. “Aaaaaanyway. Go on, Sweetie. What’s Rarity been doing?”
“Well, uhm... There’s the black, and I heard her kinda, well, muttering to herself sometimes. She seemed a bit obsessed with something, and I don’t mean just dresses or someone from Canterlot.  Sometimes I’d even catch her staring out the window with a funny little look on her face.” She paused, “Why are you asking about my sister? Has something happened to Rarity?”
Pinkie and Applejack exchanged glances.  Applejack rolled her eyes towards the fillies, Pinkie rolled her eyes towards them as well. Applejack jerked her muzzle, Pinkie followed suit, a little frown creasing her brow.  The two stared grumpily at each other, neither wanting to deliver the news and neither of them willing to back down.
“Well, Pinkie?” Applejack asked expectantly.
“Well what, Applejack?”
“Ain’t there somethin’ you need to be telling Sweetie Belle?”
“There is? Oh no, I’m not really one for telling tales. I think you should take care of this one, Applejack.”
“Wut? Tellin’ tales? You insinuatin’ something ‘bout me, Pinkie?”
“Of COURSE not!” The pink pony assured the increasingly annoyed looking Applejack. “I’d never do that.  But if I was going to insinuate something that I’d mention that only ONE person here has ever made a Pinkie Promise and THEN BROKEN IT.”  And for a moment her eyes flashed red. Despite herself, AJ actually felt a little twinge of fear and cleared her throat, memories of Pinkie’s frantic pursuit through the desert not entirely gone from her mind. 
“That don’t make me no liar!” She shot back, trying to regain the offensive.
“I never said it did!”
“Ya did too!”
“Did not!”
“Did TOO!” Applejack advanced till she was near nose to nose with Pinkie, her nostrils flaring, while the Cutie Mark Crusaders stood watching, open mouthed, as the argument suddenly escalated before them.
“Did NOT!” The party pony didn’t budge an inch even as AJ invaded her personal space. “Wait, what didn’t I do again? I sort of lost track there of who was doing what with who and where. Was it Professor Prance in the Library with the riding crop or...?”
“Ya just called me a liar!” Applejack fumed, stamping a hoof on the ground.
“Oh yeah, that was it. Okie-dokie-lokie.” She cleared her throat before loudly declaring, “I did not!”
“Ya did!”
“Did I?” Pinkie tilted her head to one side and immediately looked contrite. “Oh. I’m sorry. All I meant to say was that you’re a lot better at explaining things than me, Applejack. You tell really great stories and you make things all simple-like and I get all sidetracked and... SQUIRREL!” Her head jerked to one side, staring intently at the base of a tree. “Oh wait, false alarm. Anyway, what were we fighting about again?”
“Ah...”  Applejack blinked. “Ah’ll be damned if ah know.” She sighed, took another deep breath and turned back to the girls. “Sorry about that.  Look, Sweetie Belle. There’s somethin’ weird going on in town and we’re a bit worried something might have happened t’Rarity cuz no-one can find her right now  We just came by to make sure you girls haven’t been doing any pranks or anything Crusadin’ related down by the river lately, have you?
The three shook their heads in unison though Sweetie Belle now looked more than a little worried. “Not a thing, sis.” Applebloom assured her. “Not since we tried Cutie Mark Crusader lifeguards.”
“And fishermen.” Added Scootaloo.
“And water polo champions.” Sweetie Belle couldn’t help but add still more.
“An’boating experts, bridge builders, cutie mark crusader raft makers...” Applebloom went on. “But no, nothin’ recent. We all got tired of bein’ wet all the time so we went back to stuff on dry land.”
Applejack nodded. “Don’t worry, girls. We’ll figure out what’s going on. In the meantime, why don’t you two take Sweetie up to the farm?  Granny Smith and Big Mac will fix you somethin’ to eat.”
They nodded, though Sweetie Belle only left following a great deal of coaxing and reassurance from her two friends. Applejack sighed as she watched the three disappearing over the hell towards Sweet Apple acres. “Here’s hopin’ Dash and Fluttershy are havin’ any more luck with that Trixie.”
“Do you really think she would have done something like this?” Pinkie sounded unconvinced. “I mean she’s a meanie-head who’s a little too full of herself, but to try and do something like this, to make us think something bad’s happened to a friend... Or to even have...” She broke off that thought, “That seems really extra special mean. Even for her.”
“Ah know, Pinkie. Ah just don’t much like to think about the alternatives if it weren’t her.  C’mon now, we’d better head back to meet up with Twilight and wait for them to check in.”
> Part 4
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Monument to Fashion
Part 4


The air over Ponyville was calm, clear and still, a relief for Fluttershy who was struggling to keep up with the ever-speedy Rainbow Dash even as the other pegasus struggled to rein in her speed and not leave Fluttershy in a cloud of dust. Fluttershy was a weak flyer at the best of times, but she was determined to try and keep up as best she could, trying not to think too much about just how far it was down to the safety of the ground.
At first they flew silently together, Rainbow’s gaze fixed rigidly towards the horizon, her ears angled back as she brooded over how her quiet morning of napping and relaxing had suddenly spiralled into something so much less awesome.
“You don’t really think Trixie could have done something mean to Rarity, do you?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean, I don’t think she would...” She trailed off as Dash turned to glare at her from under the fringe of her technicolour mane. “Nevermind. It was just my opinion and I mean nopony should ever really pay much attention to menevermindIsaidanything...” Her voice got both quieter and quicker as she went on till it ended in a high-pitched squeak and a quick look off to the side.
Dash didn’t say anything at first, the silence stretching out not entirely comfortably between the two friends. “Maybe.” She grunted. “Maybe not.  She’s certainly got a grudge against Twilight after we sent her running from here with her tail between her legs. She might have decided that Twilight was too tough for her to take straight on and gone after Rarity instead.” Dash snorted loudly, “Trixie and that huge ego of hers.  She got what was coming to her! Served her right for bringing an Ursa to town!”
“Well, uhm, technically SHE didn’t do it, it was Snips and… I’m just going to be quiet now.” She squeaked as Dash glared at her again. “You’re, uhm… We’re just going to talk to Trixie, right?” She ventured. “Just talking. No hitting. No shouting. Talking.”
“Oh yeah, I’ll talk to her alright. But if I don’t like what she’s got to say then…” Dash trailed off, her jaw set in a stubborn line, her tail giving an irritated flick. 
“Then what?”
“Then we might have to get a bit more persuasive.”
“Like offering her cookies and cake if she tells us if she had anything to do with Rarity going missing?” Fluttershy asked hopefully. “Treating her to a spa day if she’s helpful as a thank you from everyone?”
“No!” Dash screeched to a halt midair, forcing the yellow pegasus to swerve around her with a frantic squeak before she ploughed into a cloud and came to a stop with her rump and hindlegs stuck in the cloud, wings fluttering helplessly for a moment before she gave up and just watched Dash working herself up into a proper rage. “If she had anything to do with Rarity going missing, or if I even THINK she had anything to do with Rarity going missing, then I’m going to make her regret the day she ever heard the name Ponyville!”
“RAINBOW MIRIAM DASH!”  Fluttershy’s voice was suddenly cold and hard, the little pegasus breaking free of the cloud and all but forcing Dash to back up in surprise, her forehooves lifting reflexively to protect herself as the normally timid and diffident pegasus unleashed the full force of The Stare that had been known to cow dragons and cockatrices into trembling, whimpering obedience. “We don’t know that Trixie had ANYTHING to do with what’s going on with Rarity!  You won’t accomplish anything by blustering and threatening! You promise me you’ll be nice to her and not just a big bully!” She blinked, the moment passing as quickly as it had come, her head ducking, mane hiding her features away once again. “I mean, if that’s okay. Not if it’s going to be a problem, I mean… Uhm… Oh dear.”
Rainbow sighed, rubbing her hoof over her muzzle. “Geeze, Flutters. Okay. I’ll be nice till we know if she had anything to do with it. But if she DID…”
“Then kick her butt!” 
The statement was so unexpected that Rainbow forgot to beat her wings for a second or two and started to drop before she recovered and popped back up with a sharp bark of laughter. “Now that’s more like it!” She crowed, grabbing Fluttershy and giving her a noogie right between her ears. “Glad we’re on the same page, now let’s get going!  AJ and Pinkie must have spoken to the Crusaders by now and learned they had nothing to do with it.”
“They didn’t?” Fluttershy peeped. “You sound really sure about that.”
“Oh come on. First off, so totally not Scootaloo’s thing. Or Applebloom’s for that matter. Sweetie Belle maybe, but it just doesn’t really seem her style. She loves Rarity too much. Buck it, everyone in town loves Rarity, as prissy as she can be. There’s no-one in Ponyville would ever do anything to her so that leaves someone who’s not a local and wouldn’t you know it, Trixie just happened to be nearby when Rarity just happened to go missing.”
“Coincidences do happen, though.” Fluttershy points out. “Look at how often Twilight gets herself all worked up over nothing. Uhm, you won’t tell her I said that, right? I just meant that sometimes everypony does sort of rush off to the wrong conclusion.”
Dash grunted in reply. “There she is.” Was all she had to say as she suddenly swooped down low, skimming over the trees before she came to a neat stop on the grass along the distinctive shape of the Great and Powerful Trixie’s wooden caravan. The paint was flecked and faded, the wood holed here and there. It seemed the fates hadn’t been entirely kind to the showmare after her last visit to Ponyville. Potential motive for her to hate Twilight enough to try and hurt her? To hurt her friends? Dash’s face hardened even as Fluttershy looked all the more nervous as she came in to land rather more tentatively beside her.
“Trixie!” Dash yelled. “Get your plot out here! We need to talk!”
Fluttershy facehoofed and shook her head in dismay. Not the most diplomatic approach she’d ever heard, though she was sure Iron Will would be proud of just how, uhm, assertive the blue pegasus was being.
“Trixie!”  Dash thumped on the door with a forehoof. “We know you’re in there! Get your plot outside, I said!”
“The Great and Powerful Trixie does not DO requests, Rainbow Dash.” A familiar voice came, not from inside the caravan, but from behind the pair.  They whirled around to see Trixie emerging from the trees, carrying a bag with the unmistakeable logo of Sugarcube Corner on it, “Can a mare not eat her breakfast in peace without somepony demanding their attention?” She absently took a bite of a muffin she was carrying in front of her with her magic, taking her time to swallow the mouthful before she said anything else. “Now. Can you explain why you felt the need to bother Trixie at this time of the morning?”
“Well, uhm, that is, I…” Fluttershy stammered out the words.
“What did you do to Rarity?” Dash spat, dropping into an angry crouch, as if ready to pounce at Trixie if she didn’t like what the showmare had to say.
“Do? To Rarity? Ah yes, the dressmaker.”  Her voice dripped contempt. “Why in the wide world of Equestria would Trixie DO anything to her?  The crimes she commits against fashion aside, she has done nothing to bring the terrible wrath of Trixie down upon her.” She took another bite of her muffin, only for Dash to knock it aside with a quick flick of her wing, sending it spinning off into the undergrowth.
“Oh dear. Uhm, Rainbow…?” Fluttershy whispered. “That wasn’t very nice.  Trixie just said she had nothing to do with it.”
“Oh right, and of course Trixie’s shown she’s SO good at telling ponies the truth, hasn’t she?” Rainbow spat even as Trixie’s expression darkened, the unicorn’s horn beginning to glow as she gathered her magic. 
“The Great and Powerful Trixie resents the implication that she is a liar, Rainbow Dash.  If you were to apologise immediately and replace her breakfast, she might be willing to overlook your rudeness.”
“Oh yeah? Well I’m NOT willing to overlook your FACE.” Dash retorted.  There was a moment of stunned silence as Trixie just stared at her and Fluttershy once again had to resist the urge to slap a hoof to her face.
“How DARE you?”  Trixie yelled, “Begone from here at once, you insolent whelp before Trixie sends both you and your cowering yellow friend home to Ponyville with your wings stuck so far up your plot you’ll need a-“
“What the hay is going on out here, Trixie? Can’t a mare get some slee-Dash?  Fluttershy? What’re you two doing here?” A new voice suddenly interrupted the argument before it could escalate any further.  The door to the back of the caravan had been pushed open and much to Dash and Fluttershy’s amazement, Berry Punch was standing there with a confused look on her face.
“Berry, oh, uhm… We were just…” Fluttershy stammered.
“Trixie brought breakfast, as she promised.” The showmare interrupted, levitating the bag over to her.  Berry accepted it with a grateful smile before turning her attention back to the pair. 
“So… What are you two doing here exactly? What is it Trixie’s supposed to have done?”
“Trixie has no idea. These two showed up and started throwing accusations before Trixie could even gather her thoughts. Apparently something has happened to the dressmaker, so obviously Trixie must be at fault. After all, Trixie just happened to be in the neighbourhood so that immediately means she is guilty.”
Berry blinked. “Wait, something’s happened to Rarity?  What’s going on?”
“Rarity’s gone missing.” Dash finally managed to get the words out. “No-one’s seen her today and there’s this weird tomb thing floating on the river behind the Boutique, a tomb to her.  We thought maybe someone might have… Y’know…” She drew her hoof across her neck with an appropriately gruesome noise that had Fluttershy burying her face down against the grass.
“Right. So, let me get this straight. In a town where we have Changeling invasions, the semi-regular returns of Gods of Chaos and Nightmare, Twilight exploding stuff, Spike’s occasional rampage, parasprite invasions, cockatrices, dragons and timber wolves you immediately decided that Trixie must be to blame for what’s happened?”  Berry had a reputation as the town lush, a little too fond of the wines that she sold every day, but right now her voice and her face were cold, annoyed and oh so very sober. “And exactly when is Trixie supposed to have committed this particular act of nefariousness?”
“Uhm, we think it was last night.” Fluttershy stepped in before while Dash struggled to restrain her temper enough to get any more words out. “Derpy found the m-mausoleum floating on the river this morning.”
“Well then.” Said Berry firmly, “It couldn’t have been Trixie. She and I were together all night.”
There was a long, awkward silence. Somewhere in the distance a bird tweeted, then fell silent. Berry stared challengingly at Dash, who stared open-mouthed at Trixie, who had her tail tucked firmly up against her rump as she glared at Berry from beneath the rim of her tall, pointed hat. Fluttershy tried her best not to look at anyone and instead thought very long and hard about fluffy kittens and cutsie, wootsie bunnies.
“Together. All night. As in “together” together?” Dash had finally found her voice. “As in, er…”
“Yes, Dash, as in together-together. As in bumper to bumper, making scissors, eating her muffin, tasting her honey, licking carpet, mashing our mounds to-“ There was a sudden flash of magic and before Berry could utter another syllable, a bucket had dropped firmly down onto her head to silence her.
“BERRY PUNCH!” Trixie finally managed to squeak out as the glow faded from her horn. “Trixie will thank you not to go any further! Trixie thinks even Rainbow Dash gets the message quite loud and clear.”
“Oh yeah. Got it. Never wanted it. Might need to wash my ears out, and my eyes, and my brain.” The rainbow-maned pegasus looked a little unwell. “Wow, Berry. Never figgered you for a fillyfooler.”
Berry was busy pulling the bucket off her head, finally tossing it aside and shooting Trixie an annoyed glare. “Yeah, well, since when did you care what I did or who I did it with, Dash?” She growled. “Who I fool around with has nothing to do with you, and I can assure you that Trixie never once left this caravan last night.”
“Well…” Dash blustered, trying to regain the offensive. “What about this morning? Maybe she got up before you did and went to take care of Rarity!”
Berry just gave all three of the mares a slow, languid smile. “Oh trust me, honey. When I was done with Trixie, she wasn’t going anywhere for a long old OH COME ON!” She managed to blurt out before another bucket landed over her head with a solid thump.
Trixie cleared her throat. “Regardless of whatever you may think of Trixie, Rainbow Dash, she, that is I, had nothing to do with whatever has befallen the dressmaker. Berry may have put it somewhat more crudely than I would, but I have been here all morning. I only just left the caravan to fetch us something to eat. You may call me a liar if you wish, but I am not sure Berry would appreciate you calling her the same.”  She paused a moment to levitate the second bucket back off of Berry’s head, giving the glaring mare an apologetic little smile.
“Well, I… I guess you’re off the hook, Trixie.” Dash growled, the words like poison in her mouth. She’d been so sure this had been some trick to get back at them, something to wind them up, but as soon as they called her on it she’d have to bring Rarity back. If it wasn’t her, if the Crusaders hadn’t done it, then that left a number of increasingly unpleasant alternatives. “C’mon, Fluttershy. Let’s get back to the library. AJ and Pinkie should be back by now, we can see if any of them had any more luck.”  And without another word, she shot up and into the air, leaving only a rainbow coloured blur in her wake.
“Sorry to have, uhm, woken you up, Berry.” Fluttershy apologised. “Er, I hope you and Trixie are very happy together.”  She didn’t wait for a reply, hurrying after Rainbow as quickly as she could.
The two mares watched them go, Trixie reaching over to help herself to another muffin from the bag. “Should someone explain “friends with benefits” to that mare?” Berry asked.
“Trixie says “not it”.” 
“Nor me.” Berry sighed and turned to nuzzle Trixie’s cheek. “Of course, one of those benefits just happens to be breakfast in bed. C’mon, Trixie. I’ve got another muffin you can try.” She stepped back indoors, pausing only to cast a salacious look back over her shoulder, giving her rump a playful little wriggle as she sauntered back inside.
“Trixie is quite happy with the one she-“ She broke off as she actually took a moment to think over what her companion had said, eyes widening as her brain caught up.”Oh. Oh yes. Trixie would like that very much.” And with cheeks burning red, she hurried into the caravan and shut the door behind them.

> Part 5
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Monument to Fashion
Part 5


The mood was sombre as the five friends assembled back at the Library, growing darker still as AJ revealed what Sweetie Belle had told them.
“So what’re we actually saying here?” Dash growled, her ears pinned back as she dragged one forehoof along the floor, glaring at each of her friends in turn, “Are we really saying that Rarity killed herself?”
Finally, the real fear had been uttered, the thought that every one of them had been afraid to contemplate. Had Rarity really done this?  Surely not. Surely the element of generosity would have confided in one of them before it had got to that point. One of them, any of them.  Wouldn’t she?
Fluttershy had been silent since they’d returned from Trixie’s caravan, staring at the floor as tears glistened in her eyes, feeling as if she was somehow to blame for this. Rarity had been quiet the last couple of times they’d visited the spa, the usual flow of chatter and gossip absent but she, apparently the same as everyone else, had simply assumed that Rarity was distracted by her latest big project and, well, she was Fluttershy. It’s not like she would really have pressed the issue but just for once, she found herself wishing that she could be a little bit more like New Fluttershy had been, brave and confident enough to speak up about what was really on her mind.
“No.” AJ said bluntly. “Rarity mighta been a mite high strung, but ah can’t believe she’d go do a thing like that without a word to us, without leaving us a note, something... That just ain’t like her.  She was never one t’just leave quietly out the back, she wanted t’be the one with all eyes on her and somethin’ like this... No. Ah just can’t believe it.” She repeated.
“Oooh! Oooh!”  Pinkie was sitting on her haunches, one foreleg extended in the air, waving it frantically about.
“We’re not in class, Pinkie. You don’t need to ask for permission to speak.” Twilight gave a weary sigh.
“Why not ask the Princess?  She’d know right away if something had happened to one of the Elements, right?” Her head tilted to one side like an eager puppy. “I mean, as long as we’re all just standing around guessing and stuff!”
The other four mares all looked at each, Twilight took a moment to push her jaw shut again after it dropped open. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” She groaned, rubbing at her forehead. “Don’t answer that, Pinkie.” She hastily added as the pink pony’s foreleg again shot into the air, ignoring her disappointed “Awww.”
“Spike! Take a-Ponyfeathers. He’s at the Boutique.” Twilight grumbled. “Okay girls, we’ll need to head down there.  I’ll grab my quills and parchment and see you there in a minute.”  She barely paid attention to them leaving as she reached out with her magic to quickly stuff what she needed into her saddlebags. Dropping them on her back she turned to leave, and nearly ran straight into Fluttershy who hadn’t moved an inch and was, instead, still staring at the library floor.
“It’s my fault.” She whispered, barely loud enough for Twilight to make out. “I-If I’d been braver.  I-If I’d a-asked her what was wrong and p-pushed when she tried to tell me e-everything was alright, R-Rarity would still be here!”  As she blurted out her friend’s name, the tears began their slow, steady stream down her face to splash around her hooves.
“Oh no, Fluttershy. No, it wasn’t your fault.” She quickly wrapped the sobbing yellow pegasus up in a hug, pressing her close. “We all saw she’d been a bit distracted but none of us did anything.  We just thought that… If she needed help, then she’d come to us. We should have known by now, Rarity’s always quick to offer help to people but not the quickest to admit when she needs some herself.” Of course Applejack was definitely the worst for that and she’d likely not be allowed to forget that infamous Applebucking season for quite a while.
For now, though, Twilight just nestled her neck over Fluttershy’s, pressing the sobbing mare’s head down to her chest, murmuring soft, wordless encouragement until the flood of tears began to ebb. “We still don’t know for sure what’s happened, Fluttershy.” She whispered. “But I know Rarity wouldn’t blame you, and she wouldn’t want you to sit here tearing your heart out over it.  You know, this might still be one big misunderstanding!” She surprised herself by mustering up enough enthusiasm to actually sound like she believed it, “The Princess will be able to sort this all out for us, I’m sure of it. Come on now, let’s catch up with the others and get Spike to send that letter.”
Fluttershy sniffed one more time and nodded, rising to follow Twilight without another word.  She had to believe that things would turn out alright in the end.  They always did! They were the Elements of Harmony, after all, they always came out on top… Didn’t they?
When they arrived at the Boutique, they found Pinkie sitting on one side of Spike, Applejack on the other with Dash fluttering over head, the three friends talking quietly to the little dragon who was staring fixedly at the floating mausoleum.  Twilight sighed, taking a deep breath before she trotted over to join them.
“C’mon now, Spike.” Applejack was saying as Twilight got within earshot. “It’ll be okay.  You know Twilight an’the rest of us won’t give up on Rarity till we know what’s really goin’ on here.”
Twilight had nothing more to add, stepping in to offer her own nuzzle to Spike’s cheek, feeling the little dragon’s scales wet with his tears she had to fight to keep her own in check. No.  No point in being maudlin now, not yet.  Not till they knew for sure.
“Spike.” She whispered, “We need you to send a letter to the Princess. She’ll know for sure what, if anything, has happened to Rarity.”
“But... If we ask her,” Spike’s reply was broken, his voice trembling, “Then we’ll know for sure. “
Twilight’s head tilted to one side, the unicorn’s brow furrowing in confusion as Spike all but repeated what she’d just said. “Well, yes. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Not if she’s DEAD Twilight!” Spike burst out before turning and burying his head down against Applejack’s shoulder while the farm pony made awkward shushing sounds as she tried to comfort the little dragon.
“Oh, well I, uh, that is...” Twilight stammered, momentarily lost for words.  The answer she was seeking came from an unlikely place.
“But this way you’ll know.” Dash’s voice was gentler than any of them were used to hearing, the multicoloured pony leaning in close to brush her nose to Spike’s. “And if it’s bad news, it’ll hurt, and we’ll be there to go through it all with you. But if it’s GOOD news, then you can stop tormenting yourself, Spike, and you’ll really know there’s a chance to get Rarity back again.  But this, just sitting around and wondering, you aren’t doing yourself any good.  Please, Spike.  C’mon now, be brave for us. Be brave for her.”
While the other girls exchanged astonished glances Spike wiped his eyes, sniffled one last time and stood up, reaching out to Twilight for the quill and parchment.  “So what’re we waiting for?” He defiantly growled. “Let’s find out what’s really going on?”
Twilight resisted the urge to snatch him up and into a hug and just nodded as she levitated the items over to him and cleared her throat.

Dear Princess,

We need to ask for you your help. There’s something strange going on in Ponyville. Rarity is missing and no-one can find her. We need you to tell us if something has happened to the Element of Generosity.

Awaiting your prompt reply I remain as always,

Your faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle.

She rolled the letter up, passed it over, and in a gout of green flame it was on its way to Canterlot.  Twilight gathered Spike up in her forelegs, holding him close as the others settled down around them, holding close and waiting for the Princess’ reply.
The minutes ticked by in silence, none of them wanting to be the first to speak, the only sounds the soft rustle of leaves, the lapping of the water in the river and the slow breathing of five ponies and one dragon, all of them waiting, hoping, lost in their own contemplations, their own fears.
“Uh, Twilight? Does she normally take this long t’answer?” Applejack was the first to break the silence. 
“Sometimes.  it depends if she’s holding court at the time. She might not have had a chance to read the scroll.”
“Oh.”
Another long silence fell. Even Pinkie Pie was surprisingly still, though that perhaps had more to do with the visions of hang-gliding ponies dancing in intricate harmony in her head.  
“D’you think it got delivered to the wrong address?” Dash was next to try and start a conversation going, anything to break this morose brooding that was so definitely NOT awesome in her book. She should be out looking for Rarity, anything but just sitting here on her haunches like this.
“I don’t think that’s even possible.” Twilight said sceptically.
“Ooh! What if it went to Princess Cadence? Or to Queen Chrysalis! She must be really confused about why we were asking her... Or maybe because now she knows we don’t have the Elements anymore, maybe she’s going to invade us! Oh no, have we just doomed Equestria? I don’t want all my love sucked ouMMPH!” 
“Thank ya, Fluttershy.” Applejack sighed in relief as this time it was the butter yellow pegasus who covered Pinkie’s mouth with her hooves before the party pony could really work herself up into a panic.
“No problem.” Squeaked the pegasus, giving Pinkie an apologetic look before she removed her hooves.
“Out! And then what if they put us in one of those cocoon things? They’re so icky and yucky and gross and sticky and not fun or superific at MPH!”
This time Pinkie was silenced by hooves from Applejack, Pinkie and Dash all at once, the party pony staring at them before finally snorting and pulling back, drooping her head down. “Oh fine. But don’t blame me when we’re all loveless zombies.”
“Zombies! Twilight, you said it wasn’t likely last time and I told you noooo, not likely but still possible!” 
“Spike!” Twilight sighed loudly. “I told you there’s no such thing as zombies.  Pinkie was just being… Melodramatic.”
“But what if - Princess Celestia!”
“What if Princess Celestia what?”  Twilight echoed before the sound of wings caught her ear and she looked up, eyes widening in surprise as the graceful white alicon swooped down to land with hardly a whisper of sound behind the group. “Princess!” She squealed as relief flooded through her, rushing over to embrace her mentor. “Oh thank goodness you’re here, I…!” She blushed as she remembered herself, stepping back quickly and clearing her throat. “I mean, it’s really kind of you to take the time to come out here rather than just sending me a letter.”
The Princess laughed fondly, dipping her head to nuzzle her faithful student’s mane in greeting. “Come now, Twilight. Your letter was far too important for me to not to come and see things in person for myself.” She lifted her head to gaze at the mausoleum, an eyebrow lifting a little as she took it in. “And I can see why you called for me. This is most curious indeed.  Come, my little ponies. Let us see if we can find out what is truly going on here.”
“Uh, Princess…?” Applejack ventured. “What about the Elements? Has anythin’ happened to them?”  The friends held their breath, waiting for the reply.
“No.”
This simple word was greeted with a loud, relieved sigh from the ponies as they finally breathed again.  Spike, however, looked confused. “So if the Element of Generosity is okay, what does that mean for Rarity?”
“It means Rarity still lives.” Celestia said plainly. “It may be someone has taken her to try and ensure we cannot use the Elements of Harmony against them. This could be some elaborate trap or ruse.”
The arrival of the Princess in town had not gone unnoticed and a small crowd was again beginning to gather as the word spread that, once again, something odd was ahoof in the streets of Ponyville.  In ones and twos, the ponies arrived to stare wide-eyed at the Princess and it didn’t take long for the questions to start.
“Do you know what’s going on?”
“What’s happened to Rarity?”
“Are they really going to kill us?”
“Is that tomb really for everypony?”
“Do you think humans really exist?”
Everyone stopped and stared at Lyra, who just blinked and shrugged, “What? Oh come on. When am I next going to get to actually ask the Princess a question!”
Celestia’s normally beatific smile was looking a little strained by this point but she was spared from trying to answer as Spike suddenly squeaked loudly and pointed over the river, “IT’S OPENING UP!”
All eyes turned to the tomb, the crowd suddenly silent in horror as, indeed, the great bronze door swung slowly open.

> Part 6
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Monument to Fashion
Part 6


There was a sudden chorus of gasps from behind Twilight’s shoulder, “What in the-“ began the violet unicorn as she turned around to see what was going on, “world?” she finished weakly as she found that the crowd had evaporated into thin air, the only sound filling the streets of Ponyville that of doors, windows and shutters being slammed shut as every one of the ponies fled in a panic.
The Princess gave her student a bemused look and Twilight could only shrug helplessly, “Ponies around here are a little, erm, high strung sometimes.”
“I have noticed that.” Celestia observed with a dry little smile. “So, it would seem our questions are about to be answered.”
The mares all turned their attention back to the opening door as it completed its arc and gently thumped up against one of the columns to reveal darkness within. The friends all leaned forward unconsciously, straining to see inside, for some hint of whatever might be concealed within.
“I see something,” Pinkie squeaked in excitement, “I see a light! Lookie!”
Indeed, there was a light visible inside, glowing a pale blue and growing steadily brighter by the moment as it approached the exit. Once more, the girls held their breath, eyes fixed on that glowing light. Even the Princess was leaning forward, more than a little curiosity visible on Celestia’s otherwise inscrutable visage.
Stifling a yawn behind one hoof, a frazzled looking Rarity stepped out from inside the tomb, rubbing at her eyes as she glanced about. Her gaze slid right over the small group staring watching her in silent amazement, the unicorn looking as if she hadn’t had much sleep, her mane sticking out in all directions rather than being held in its usual perfect coiffure.
Her horn glowed brighter as she shut the door behind her than nimbly levitated across the river and set down on the grass in front of them with only a little tired stumble betraying her exhausted state. She looked over her shoulder, nodded to herself, and then walked forward and straight into Princess Celestia, coming to a halt with a surprised “Oof!” She rubbed at her muzzle and finally seemed to really LOOK at what was in front of her, head lifting as she came nose to nose with the gently smiling face of the alicorn.
“P-Princess Celestia? Oh my! I…” Only then did she look at the faces of her five friends, taking careful note of their astonished expressions, “Errr, is something the matter, darlings? Why are you all standing here at this time in the morning?” She fidgeted quickly with her mane, trying to pat down some of the loose curls into some semblance of order.
“Rarity?”  Fluttershy was, surprisingly, the first to speak. “That is you, isn’t it?”
“You’re not a zombie? No sudden cravings to shamble or chew on somepony’s delicious brains?”  Spike couldn’t quite let the zombie idea go as he peered up at Rarity from between Twilight’s forelegs.
“Yes darling, it’s me,” she answered Fluttershy first, “and no, Spikey-wikey, I can assure you that I have no pressing need to…” She trailed off as she looked back over her shoulder, then at her friends… Over her shoulder again, back at her friends, “Oh. Oh my. I think I owe you all a little explanation, don’t I?”
“A LITTLE?” Rainbow Dash finally exploded, hovering in the air inches from Rarity’s nose, “We thought you were DEAD! We thought Trixie had done something to you! Or Changelings, or Discord or-“
“Sombra.”
“Or Sombra, yeah! Wait, what? What’s Sombra got to do with it?”
“He’s the reason I built that,” Rarity’s voice was soft. “It’s a bit of a long story, darlings. Perhaps we can go inside and I can explain myself properly? I’m a little embarrassed at how this has all come out and really, you’re not seeing me at my best. I’m hardly prepared for a meeting with a Princess!”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, Rarity,” Celestia assured her, “I am as glad as your friends are to see you safe and unharmed. Perhaps you are right, we should move this indoors. Do you need a moment to fix your mane, perhaps? I’m sure Twilight or Spike could make the rest of us some tea while you spruce up, so to speak?”
“That would be lovely, Princess.  You’re too kind. Shall I meet you all at the library when I’ve had a chance to, er, compose myself properly?”  She flashed a weak, sheepish smile at the group.
“Then we shall see you shortly,” the Princess turned to leave, then paused and looked back over her shoulder. “You tried to use the background pony spell Twilight created, didn’t you?” she mused. “I can still sense the remnants of the magic.”
Rarity’s face fell and she lowered her head to the ground. “I honestly though the spell would hold,” she lamented. “I didn’t want anyone to see it until I was ready for the unveiling.”
“Wait. What the hay is a background pony?” Applejack snorted, “Y’all aren’t makin’ much sense. What’s a spell about a pony gotta do with this?”
“All in good time, darling.” Rarity said hurriedly. “I’m sure Twilight can explain the ins and outs of it as you walk back to the library,” she didn’t wait for a reply as her horn flashed and she quickly let herself into the Boutique, closing the door firmly behind.
“So.  Tea?” The Princess said simply with a little smile.


*****


The five friends, plus one relieved dragon and one Princess waited semi-patiently in the library for the arrival of their friend. We say semi-patiently as Rainbow Dash insisted on flitting from one end of the room to the other until Applejack grabbed her by the tail and hauled her down into a chair, the pegasus grumbling softly but not resisting as she settled down and instead took a sip from her third cup of tea.
“Five bits says she shows up in her dress from the Grand Galloping Gala.” Spike suddenly announced as he cleared up the remains of the sandwiches everypony had been nibbling on.
“Fool’s bet, sugarcube. Ten bits says she shows up in something she’s made special just for meetin’ the Princess.” AJ extended her hoof and Spike bumped his fist against it.
“Bet’s on, everypony.” Dash grinned. “You’re so out ten bits, Spike. I gotta go with AJ on this. No way would Rarity be seen dead in last year’s fashion. Errrr… Metaphorically speaking.”
Twilight resisted the urge to smack herself in the face with her hoof for about the twelfth time since she’d got out of bed this morning and decided to move the conversation on to something at least partly constructive, “So Applejack, you were asking about the background pony spell?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah, so ah wuz. So what it is, exactly?”
“Well, basically what it does is it makes you part of the background. Not literally, but it makes you seem nondescript, uninteresting. Ponies will just look right past you unless you do something out of the ordinary to get their attention. It’s a useful spell for if you want to move around without people noticing you but you don’t want to expend the energy to hold up, say, an invisibility spell.”
“So why didn’t it work on Rarity’s, er, construction project?”
“Because I’m not Twilight, darling, and my reach exceeded my grasp, as it were. Rather badly, as it turns out.”
All eyes turned to the front door where Rarity stood, doing her best not to make direct eye-contact with anyone in the room.  The sombre, black trimmed dress she was wearing was not one any of the ponies in the room had ever seen before and certainly bore no resemblance to the purple and yellow dress she had worn to the Gala the previous year.  AJ flashed Spike a quick, triumphant little smile as the dragon sighed and handed over the bits.
“So, Rarity,” Celestia set her teacup aside and sat back, her multi-hued mane moving gently in that unseen wind, “I believe you have something of a story for us all.”
“Yes. Yes, I suppose I do,” the fashionista whispered as she stepped in and let the door swing shut. "But first I want to say how terribly sorry I am that I made you all worry about me. That was certainly the last thing on my mind,” she rubbed a little at her muzzle, “In truth I haven’t been myself for a while now.”
“So what’s been goin’ on, Rarity?” Dash got to the point in her usual inimitable fashion. “Why make us think you were dead?”
“You weren’t supposed to see it, darling. Not yet, anyway. I’d planned to unveil it at the end of the week once I’d finished a few last little details.” Rarity settled down at last, taking a deep breath before beginning her story, “You know we nearly lost. Things have looked bleak for us before now, certainly, but that day in the Crystal Kingdom with Twilight trapped, the barrier down and Sombra bearing down on us… I honestly though that was going to be the end of it, of us.” She flashed Spike a warm, caring smile, “If it hadn’t been for Spikey-Wikey’s bravery and, ahem, the strong throwing hoof of your brother, we might not be here right now.”
“So?” Dash’s face was a picture of confusion, “We’ve faced death before! We stared down Nightmare Moon! We fought the Changelings, we even kicked Discord’s plot all the way back into a statue. Why was this time different?”
“I honestly don’t know, darling. Perhaps it was just a little too close for comfort; perhaps dealing with monsters, mages and malevolent forces of nature has taken a toll on me but when we got back, all I could think about was that we could have died. I could have died… And there was nopony I could trust to ensure that I was properly immortalized!”
There was a long, stunned silence as the friends all exchanged glances. Celestia said nothing, merely taking another sip from her tea.
“Wut?” Applejack deadpanned. “Y’mean to say you were worried if ponies would REMEMBER ya?”
“Oh no, I’m sure they would remember me. I’m not just any old common pony, after all, but I was worried they wouldn’t remember me properly, in a manner befitting a pony of my style and sophistication.”
That was it. She couldn’t hold back anymore, she had to do it. She’d probably give herself a concussion at this rate, but Twilight couldn’t hold it back any more as she smacked herself in the face with her hoof.
“So the whole making us think you were dead…?” She growled, voice muffled by the hoof she’d applied to her face.  Rarity, if anything, managed to look even more embarrassed. She cleared her throat, casting a quick glance at the circle of silent ponies staring back at her before she went on.
“Was really not at all what I had planned! I would never be so cruel to my friends. I  just hadn’t realised my spell had failed, you see.” She mumbled. “I’d been up all night working on getting the curtains to hang just SO and I, that is, I didn’t really mean to but I’d been up for so long that I thought it wouldn’t hurt if I just had a little, I mean no-one could SEE it so it wasn’t like anyone would notice if I curled up and had a little, erm, a little… Nap.”
Pinkie had been watching Rarity in silence all through this exchange, her head tilted a little to one side, a puzzled look on her face. “Silly!” She suddenly exclaimed, making everyone jump. Dash had to stifle a fit of coughing as she all but inhaled half a cup of tea, Applejack thumping her on the back till she could breathe again. “You don’t need a big silly thing like that!  There’s lots of ponies who’ll remember you and how wonderful you are!  What about Fancy Pants? Or Hoity-Toity? They were both huuuuge fans of your dresses! Or Princess Luna! She wouldn’t even be Princess Luna anymore without you!”
“And not just ponies.” Fluttershy added, “What about that serpent you donated your tail to for his moustache!  He’ll always remember you as being sweet and helpful and kind.”
“Yeah! And what about Discord? You helped us kick his ass!” Dash chipped in. “I mean that was certifiably one hundred and twenty percent AWESOME! He’ll never forget you, whether he likes it or not!” She paused and grinned broadly. “Doubt Prince Blueblood will forget you anytime soon either.” Rarity couldn’t quite muffle her snort of disgust at the mention of her less-than-fairytale Prince.
“I think you have left more of a legacy than you realised, Rarity.” Celestia observed. “You have many friends and admirers within Ponyville and Canterlot and let us not forget your own family. Do you believe Sweetie Belle would let anyone disrespect the memory of her sister? If there was anyone who could make sure that you were, as you say, properly remembered, it would be her.”
Rarity sniffled a bit, wiping a tear from one eye, “Well, when you put it like that... I suppose I hadn’t really thought about it in those terms.  You’re right, of course, all of you.  No matter what had happened to us then, we all have those who care about us, lives we’ve touched and changed for the better and they’re a far more fitting memorial than any tomb or mausoleum,” she paused a moment, “even if it WAS fabulous.”
“It sounds to me like you’ve got a letter to write to the Princess, Rarity.” Twilight smiled as she trotted over to hug the downcast fashionista, “We’re all just relieved to see you back again.  Next time something like this is bothering you, just remember that we’re all here for you and we’ll help out anyway we can.”
“I look forward to reading about the lessons you’ve learned here, Rarity,” the Princess rose as she spoke, “but for now I must be returning to Canterlot. Have you decided what you will do with your memorial?”
“Oh, hmm. No. I suppose it is really a little gauche, isn’t it?” She conceded with a wry smile. “I’ll need to see if someone around town can-”
Whatever Rarity was about to say next will never be known because at that moment there was a loud thud from the door followed by someone going “Owww! Who put that door there?” in a very familiar voice.
Twilight quickly opened the door to find the squint-eyed mailmare rubbing her head with a hoof. “Derpy? Is everything alright?”
“Oh, hey Twilight! Is Rarity here? I heard she wasn’t dead so I figured she’d probably be here. Of course some folks said she might be a zombie, but I don’t see any teeth marks on your head so I guess she’s fine. Oh, hi Princess Celestia!”  The gray pegasus eagerly waved a forehoof at the monarch. “How you doing?”
Celestia bowed her head in greeting, “Very well, Ditzy Doo. Thank you for asking. How are your girls?”
“Awww, shucks. I’ll let Sparkler and Dinky know you were asking after them. They’re both doing great! Twilight’s been helping Dinky out with magic lessons and everything.”
Twilight blushed and ducked her head down, then blinked as she remembered why Derpy was here, or more precisely that she didn’t know why Derpy was here. “So why were you looking for Rarity?”
“Oh, uhm… I just don’t know what happened but… That floating building weirdy thing? It sort of… Sank.”
“Sank?” Rarity echoed.
“Sank.” Derpy confirmed with a mournful look.
“I… Just… HOW?” Rarity’s eyes were wide, “It should have stood up to everything short of a hurricane!”
“Well I was heading to Sugarcube Corner to get some muffins and then I got distracted when everypony started running around and panicking and screaming that you were a zombie and I wasn’t really looking where I was going and, well, one thing kinda lead to another and the next thing I knew…” She trailed off as Rarity rubbed at her suddenly aching forehead.
“Well, okay, thank you darling. You’ve probably done me a favour, in truth. I was going to have to get rid of it anyway.”
“Oh. Well, you’re welcome!” The mailmare smiled brightly, “I just wanted to say sorry about it. I’ll try and be more careful in future.” And with that she fluttered off, only narrowly avoiding crashing into the doorframe, muttering to herself as she went, “I just don’t know what went wrong…”
“And I shall be on my way as well, my little ponies.” Celestia stepped to the open door, “Rarity, I look forward to seeing your letter. Twilight, Spike, girls.” She offered a warm smile to the group and turned to leave.  As she walked away she could hear Rarity’s voice, “So the tomb was a little much, I admit, but what do you all think about a statue…?”