> A Gem in the Night
>  by BandNerdMafia
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The First Night
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The campfire crackled a delightful tune as marshmallows were being playfully roasted by fillies, colts, mares, and stallions alike. “Oh, don’t keep mine in too long, Twilight; you know I don’t like them burnt.” Rarity cautioned, nuzzling the newborn in her arms. The tiny, royal purple unicorn was much too preoccupied with the marshmallow she had been given to notice her mother’s loving embrace. “At least somepony is having fun. It’s much too cold out here for me, dear.”
“We do have a fire burning for a reason, sugarcube.” Applejack retorted. “I know you’re just bein’ careful is all, but it won’t hurt lil Amethyst one bit being in the warmth, I promise.”
Rarity showed even more concern. “She’s in two blankets, boots, a scarf, a winter dress, and a beanie. If she comes any closer to the fire, she’ll simply burn up!”
“Then take off one of the blankets and put it over yourself, silly!” said Pinkie Pie in a very matter-of-fact tone.
“Yeah, silly!” copied the bright pink colt sitting next to Pinkie, mouth full of S’mores.  After taking his hoof through his chocolate brown mane, which is always kept in a mess that not even Rarity can fix, he asks, “Can I have another one, Mom?”
“You’ve gotta swallow that one first, Puddinghead!”
After swallowing very loudly and attempting to stifle his embarrassment, the colt replied, “I told you not to call me that, Mom!”
Pinkie simply giggled. “I told you I would anyway, silly! It’s a lot less boring than Gregory Puddington Pie, isn’t it?”
By this time, the pink colt’s cheeks were a furious crimson. “It’s also lot more embarrassing. I told you I wanted to be called Pudding Pie.”
“Oki-doki-Loki!” exclaimed Pinkie, sure the argument was over.
“No, not Loki, Pudding Pie!”
“S’more?” asked Pinkie, shoving the treat into her son’s mouth.
“MMM!” was the only sound he could manage to make in response.
“That settles it! I’m calling you S’more from now on!”
Pudding emitted a very audible gulp as yet another S’more entered his stomach. “MOM! Aunt Fluttershy, I wanna go home!”
“Oh my! Pudding, I’m sure your mother is just joking with you. That’s no reason to be up---”
“READY DAD? CATCH!” Before anypony knew where the second colt around the campfire’s cry had come from, molten marshmallow was heading straight for Big Mac’s muzzle. “EEYUP!” he cried back, and with a swift lean to the right, he caught the red hot projectile with his tongue and began chewing. A single tear ran down his cheek.
“Impressive, as always, but watch this! Hit me with one, Zap!” shouted Rainbow Dash, taking to the skies.
“Ok Mommy!” Nearly as fast as Rainbow was in the sky, Zap Apple ran to her brother, took a marshmallow out of the bag, and kicked it as high as she could towards the speedster pegasus. Aside from having her father’s bright green eyes, Zap Apple was a wingless mirror image of her mother, who was currently chewing victoriously and coming down for a midair hoofbump. “Awesome, as always, little filly.” Dash said as she sat back down next to Big Mac, who was still chewing the flaming marshmallow his son had tossed his way. “How does that taste, sweetie?” 
The red stallion emptied his mouth before speaking. “I think I burnt my tongue. Why in tarnation would you throw me one that’s been in the fire, Brock?” Big Mac scolded. “You could have hurt somepony.”
“Sorry, dad.” The colt answered, his blonde mane in its usual middle part. Prince Charming was a very fitting nickname for the handsome little red devil, only a few years his sister’s senior.
“Don’t be so hard on him! That stunt made you look pretty cool to me.” the mother of two stated. “I mean, you didn’t even flinch!”
“Yeah daddy, that was mighty cool!” exclaimed the little blue filly. “I wish I could do that!”
“Well thank you kindly, but it was still very dangerous, Brock.”
“Oh stop criticizing him and let me kiss it better!” Rainbow Dash said lovingly, with a hoof on Big Mac’s cheek. He turned to face her and shared the affection the blue mare asked for. “Oh, you pansy!” she squealed as she went in for another, longer kiss.
“That’s it! Camping trip is over!” Applejack declared.
“But we haven’t even had story time yet!” Pinkie Pie whimpered.
“Oh, I love stories! Don’t you, Pudding Pie?” Fluttershy inquired calmly.
“Princess Twilight, how did you and Rarity have a filly?” Pudding Pie asked nonchalantly. Everypony stopped and stared at the couple, horrified and shocked at how easily the colt asked his unintentionally offensive query. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way, I promise. I know two mares can’t… I mean, biologically speaking—“
Twilight knew where this was going, and stopped the colt before he said something truly embarrassing. “I’ll stop you right there, Pudding Pie. I don’t think either of us really knows how it happened, but all I can guess is that our love was so powerful, she just… happened.” The mare turned to the newborn, still playing with the marshmallow rather than eating it. “I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
“I just wish you’d have been the one to receive our little gift. I feel so pudgy. My figure may never recover!” asserted Rarity, looking down at her flank. “And don’t even get me started on foalbirth!”
“OH COME ON!” uttered Rainbow Dash. “I’ve had twice as many as you, and you don’t see me complaining!”
“Ya know, that sounds like a great idea for a story.” blurted Applejack, completely ignoring the boasting nature of her pegasus sister-in-law. “I’ve always wondered how you two ended up together.”
“Yes, that is a great idea! I’d love to hear it. I’m a sucker for love stories.” Fluttershy agreed.
“Maybe it’ll help you figure out where Amethyst came from, Miss Rarity!” Zap Apple chimed in while giggling at the tiny foal, who had finally thought to put the white treat into her mouth, and was delighted at the result.
The white unicorn’s eyes began to tear up. She looked back down at the purple bundle she was holding, who was now trying to nibble on her mother’s coat. “Maybe you’re right, darling, maybe you’re right. Would you like to start, my love?”
“I’m not even sure where to start!” said the alicorn princess, lost in her memories.
“I think you know exactly where to start, dear.” Rarity hinted.
“I still don’t understand why you had to show up at my door so late that night…” The group of friends looked confused, and slightly shocked, unsure of exactly which night the two lovers were talking of. Twilight blushed. “Oh, I didn’t… Never mind. I’m talking about the night she told me she loved me!”
“OH!” exhaled the group with a huge sigh of relief.

> A Declaration of Love
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight was awoken by the sound of a very loud knock at her door; a knock so loud that she was surprised it didn’t wake her baby dragon assistant from his slumber. She arose quickly and quietly to keep it that way. After almost tripping down the stairs and carefully tiptoeing over many a book that she didn’t have the time to put away after yet another long night of study, Twilight finally answered the door.
Rarity ushered herself into the library with quiet effortlessness. “Hello dear, I’m so sorry to intrude at this hour, I really am, but I have a problem that I need to discuss with you in private and without anypony even knowing I was here in the first place. Is Spike still sleeping?” she spoke lightly.
“For trying to be so secretive, I’m can’t believe you knocked so loudly. I wouldn’t be surprised if half of Ponyville didn’t just roll over in their beds!” Twilight quipped. “Let’s go downstairs. I don’t think either of us wants to risk waking him. Spike can be very cranky, and if he knew you were here, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all! What did you come here for anyway, and why in the middle of the night?”
“I’ll tell you once I know we’re absolutely alone, dear.” Rarity said while the pair walked through the piles of books still strewn across the library floor. “My my, you should really clean up, don’t you think?” Twilight gave Rarity the most disapproving look she could possibly muster in her dreary state, and then proceeded to open the basement door. “Yes dear; let’s get to business, shall we?” questioned Rarity with a nervous laugh. 
Twilight closed the door as softly as possible, and turned to ask Rarity once more, “Why did you have to come so late at night?”
“Because dear, this is something that nopony else must know about, and you’re the only pony I trust that can help me. I have a very serious problem, and I just don’t know anypony else who can help. That is, except you, dear. I would have come to you sooner, but I had to make sure I could entrust this information to you. Now that I know that I can, I must, if I ever want this to be resolved.” Twilight could hear the anguish in Rarity’s voice as she spoke. A deep fear began to fester in Twilight’s heart; she hated to see her friends in pain, especially a pony so generous and pure of heart, but she had no clue if she could actually help Rarity or not. ‘What if I can’t help her?’ Twilight thought. ‘What if I fail her?’
Rarity immediately noticed the look on Twilight’s face; it was a look of doubt and of terror. She knew exactly what Twilight was thinking. “Twilight, dear, I know you can help.” The alicorn princess appreciated her friend’s confidence, but she couldn’t help but think that it was born from ignorance.
“Ok, Rarity, what is it?”
“I guess I can’t turn back now, can I?” the white unicorn said with a heavy sigh, looking nervously at the stairway.
“Please Rarity; just tell me what it is that you need me to do!” Twilight proclaimed earnestly, and with a small yawn afterwards.
“You know how the fate of Equestria rests within the friendship the six of us share, right dear?”
“Of course I do, Rarity!”
The marshmallow Unicorn knew there wasn’t any way she could leave without telling her purple friend exactly what she came here to tell her, even if she was to be rejected. “What do you imagine would happen if we were to, say, fall in love?” Twilight was pleasantly surprised, but she did everything she could not to show it. She thought this was something much more serious. Rarity continued, “How would that affect the Elements? Could we still use them?”
“I don’t know Rarity; I don’t think it could possibly affect our friendship. I could always do some research, even though there really isn’t very much information on the Elements. Why are you asking; did you happen to stumble upon Prince Charming in the middle of the night?” Twilight replied jokingly, not realizing just who Rarity meant when she said, “we,” and was certainly not ready for the answer that followed.
Rarity pressed her lips as hard as she could against Twilight’s. She needed to express what she was feeling, and mere words simply would not do. Not that Rarity could speak them anyway; she was much too afraid. Twilight needed to know somehow. It was the only other way the white unicorn could think of. Rarity loved her friend’s intellect, her diligence, her curiosity, her ingenuity, her beauty. She couldn't tell the purple mare how cute she was when she worried over the little things, or how she adored the way Twilight took care of Spike in such a loving manner. Rarity decided to tell her all of it with just a simple kiss. Well, so to speak, anyway.
The princess had always shared the same feelings her unicorn friend had just so abruptly and haphazardly shared with her, but was never certain if showing them was really appropriate. Twilight loved her friend’s elegance, her brilliance, her curiosity, her ingenuity, her beauty. She has always thought the way Rarity overdramatizes everything was just too cute, and has always loved that adorable face the dressmaker sometimes makes when she gets angry.  The purple mare no longer had to hide any of it anymore. Suddenly, Rarity withdrew from the kiss Twilight had been waiting so long for, but never had the courage to attempt.
“I… I have to go.” the marshmallow mare said before turning and fleeing from the basement. In a hurry that would have made even Rainbow Dash dizzy, 	Rarity left the library and bolted home, making more noise than she had really intended, and leaving Twilight confused, and very suddenly alone. The alicorn princess wasn’t sure whether she should be worried or not for her newfound special somepony, but for now, she couldn’t have been happier. After what Twilight felt like was eternity of thinking about everything and nothing at all in the library’s dimly lit basement, Spike called down from the top of the stairs, “Twilight, what are you doing up right now? And why is the front door open? Is everything ok?”
“Everything is going to be fine, Spike.”

> A Simple Picnic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“OOOH! What did you do next, Twilight? Did you go on a date?” Zap Apple couldn’t wait to hear the next part of the story, even though the fire was nearly out, and as her father was well aware, it was way past her bedtime.
“I’ll tell you all about it, but only if your parents are ok with you staying up a little bit later than usual, little filly.” Rarity directed the comment more to  Big Mac and Rainbow Dash than the excited little pony in front of her.
“Just this once, Zap, you can stay up a little late ok?” Dash told her daughter, who jumped up with excitement.
“After a few days of awkwardly avoiding each other, we had planned to have a quiet picnic by starlight. However, we had forgotten about the downpour that had been scheduled that night, so we ended up staying inside the library instead. Neither of us were sure yet how Spike would react, so we planned to have the whole thing happen the night he was at a sleepover with a few friends of his. It was all very fun!”

________________________________________________________________________________

This time, Twilight was expecting Rarity’s knock. “Come in!” she called musically. The princess had spent almost every minute of her day cleaning for tonight. In her opinion, she wasn’t nearly done, but as usual, the purple alicorn was worrying too much.
“I’m guessing Spike has left for his sleepover already, dear?” Before Rarity could receive an answer, she simply had to let Twilight know how fantastic the library looked. Every shelf, every book, every scroll, every note, every artifact, every inch was spotless and covered in dim candlelight of many hues, some whites, some purples, some blues, some greens, some reds, some oranges, some yellows, some of everything. Calling tonight a date had suddenly become a drastic understatement. “Oh my! Divine, simply divine! It’s marvelous what you’ve done with the place! And all for me? Oh, you shouldn’t have, darling. You shouldn’t have.”
“Oh come here you!” Twilight couldn’t stand one more second of praise. She kissed the white unicorn tenderly, as she had wanted to for the past few days. Twilight didn’t know why her special somepony was avoiding her for so long, but now that she was here, the purple mare didn’t really care. “Of course I did it for you! Who else would be worth all this trouble?”
Rarity levitated the picnic basket and blanket she had been carrying on her back out onto the library floor. “I hope you’re ready to eat, dear. After spending all day preparing it, smelling it, testing it, oh, I’m famished! I don’t think I’ve worked so hard on a meal in my life! First, we have a slightly over the top salad with 3 different kinds of lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions, cherry tomatoes, and for an extra crunch, some homemade, lightly salted potato chips, which I am very proud of I must say, in a sweet mustard vinaigrette.”  Twilight couldn’t believe just how extravagant her new love had gone with what was supposed to be a simple picnic. However, it seemed like the generous mare still wasn’t finished. “Next, we have a few slices of marble rye toast with your choice or grape or apple jam, and for the main course, so simple and my absolute favorite, boiled artichokes with lemon butter dip.”
“Geez, Rarity! And I thought the candles were going too over the top! Was it too hard to have a normal picnic?” Twilight joked, visibly in awe of the excellent food in front of her.
The white unicorn looked puzzled, obviously taking her love’s sarcasm too literally. “For you, dear? That simply wouldn’t do. You’re too important for normal picnics. You deserve the. Best. Possible. Picnic!” With her last word, Rarity put her hooves around Twilight and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead, then another on her cheek, and finally just kissed her lips like she had wanted to in the first place. “You deserve the best.”
The pair lied on the picnic blanket and started to eat. Rarity knew her purple love was enjoying her meal; Twilight didn’t speak a single word until she was finished, and the alicorn princess practically licked her plates clean. It may not have been very ladylike, but at least she loved the food. “Wow Rarity, that was amazing! I’ve gotten so used to boiling noodles every night that I had forgotten what a home cooked meal had tasted like! I can’t wait to taste what you can do for a dessert!”
“Now I love looking at a well fed flank just as much as the next mare, but slow down, love, or yours might just explode! Especially if you don’t eat that well already! Eating noodles every night? That simply won’t do! I insist you come over for dinner from now on, dear.” Rarity may have led off her concern with a joke, but she was fairly serious about the possibility of Twilight’s figure getting a bit out of hoof. A sudden change of diet can work both ways, after all.
“Please Rarity, it’s our first date, and you’re already offering to make me dinner from now on? If I get fat, I think the blame lies with you at this point… Besides, you’re the one who went overboard with the food tonight!” Twilight may have been getting a bit defensive against her marshmallow lover’s joke, but she was right.
“It may have been a special night, dear, but I assure you dinner wasn’t nearly as much trouble as you think it was. I could make meals like this every night for you, and if you become Equestria’s fattest mare, I’ll love you anyway.” Rarity stated nervously, trying not to upset her special somepony. Even if it was true, she’d rather not be the cause of Twilight’s figure becoming… Blobby.
“And as long as I kept eating your food, I’d be happy. However, I’d rather not become the princess of gluttony, if that’s fine with you.” Twilight joked back. “Come on, Rarity, I can tell you worked very hard to make this food perfect. Thank you, love.” 
Rarity packed all of the dishes back into her basket, neatly folded the blanket in mid air, and turned towards the door. “Aren’t you going to walk me out, love?”
“What do you mean?” Twilight questioned in a very confused tone. “It’s still raining outside! You can’t leave!”
“I brought my umbrella just in case of this, dear.” The white mare hovered her exquisite accessory ever so lightly out of the picnic basket, and was about to unfold it when Twilight interrupted her.
“Wait!” Twilight trotted towards Rarity to make sure she didn’t leave just yet. “We have the entire library to ourselves; why don’t you just stay here tonight?”
“I… I… Well I… I just--”
“	Please, Rarity? I know it’s got to be freezing out there; I don’t want you to have to walk home though that storm. I insist.” Twilight put Rarity’s umbrella back into her basket, and then set it and the blanket carefully on the floor. “It’s starting to even get cold in here! I could use somepony to cuddle with…” Twilight nuzzled Rarity’s neck in such a way that it sent a tingle down the marshmallow unicorn’s spine.
“Ok, dear, I’ll stay; it is getting awfully frigid…” Rarity said with a smile, and kissed her special purple somepony on the cheek. “I hope you have blankets big enough for the both of us. Oh my, I almost forgot how dreadfully small your bed is, darling. Could I bother you to help me move your spare bed next to it?”
Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. “Anything for you, my princess!”
“Oh, well, if it’s too much of a bother, perhaps I can manage…”
“I was only kidding, Rarity.” Twilight gave her marshmallow mare a loving peck on the forehead. “Let's hurry up, though. All this time I’m spending not cuddling is making me cranky.”

> Coming Out
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Alright my little ponies, that's all for tonight. Bedtime!" Twilight said in her most motherly tone. After an audible groan was heard from every foal, and Pinkie Pie, the princess continued, "Don't worry, we'll have more to tell tomorrow!" Twilight turned towards her partner in parenthood, and asked, "How's our little purple fuzzball doing?"
"Fast asleep, and still sucking on her marshmallow. I want to give her a bottle to drink for the night, but I don't want to wake her, or disturb her incredible cuteness!" Rarity squeezed Amethyst and kissed her on the forehead before putting their tiny bundle of joy in her foal basket, and the basket on the white mare's back. "Let's hope she's not too hyper in the morning, dear. This is supposed to be a vacation, after all. Motherhood is such work!"
And how diligent the white unicorn was. Twilight may not have known where their daughter had come from, and she may never know, but she was grateful every day that her lover was given the opportunity to be a mother. Rarity was so very great at it. No, she was meant for it. She was delicate, precise, and always willing to give her time, but also wasn't afraid to lecture or discipline, as Twilight had seen many times with their friend's foals, and especially the marshmallow mare's sister, Sweetie Belle. The whole gang was very proud of those three fillies, as the Cutie Mark Crusaders had become an Equestra-wide anti-bullying and self acceptance driven organization in a very short time, all thanks to them. If anypony was a perfect example of how great Rarity was with foals, it was Sweetie Belle.
Twilight had a sudden thought that she needed to express. "I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you, 'I love you' as much as you deserve to hear it, Rarity."
"And I know I'll never be able to tell you as much as you deserve, darling." Rarity looked around, saw that they were alone in the camp, and kissed her lover as sensually as she could.
Twilight blushed a flaming crimson. "I hope you know I'm going to cuddle you so hard tonight."
Rarity smiled with a devious look in her eye."Well I have to put Amethyst in her crib first, dear."
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The next day may have been filled with swimming, a collaborative picnic that put Rarity and Applejack's friendship to the test yet again, a crude tire swing that ended up turning into a runaway journey down the hill, which Zap insisted her father let her do again, and the longest game of hide and seek anypony had ever played, what everypony in the camp looked forward to most was the next part of Rarity and Twilight's story.
"I guess the only place to go next would be when we told all of our friends over lunch!" Rarity exclaimed. "I believe it's your turn to tell the story, Twilight."
"OOO! OOO! I'm in this one!" Pinkie started jumping up and down upon remembering this little fact.
Applejack gave the pink mare a blank stare, and then rolled her eyes. "We all are, sugarcube."
"I know our little ponies may not have been there for this part, but could we just skip it anyway? I mean, we all saw it coming, didn't we?" Rainbow Dash proclaimed smugly.
"Rainbow Dash!" This wouldn't be the first time Fluttershy had wiped that look off of her fellow pegasus' face. "Not only is that incredibly rude to say, but I think it should be up to the foals as to whether or not they want to hear it." Upon turning to the purple couple, Fluttershy's cheery nature returned, and she smiled brightly in the dark, heavily forested night. "I know I wouldn't mind one single bit."
Pudding Pie had a terrible habit of saying things he'd find himself later regretting. He was about to add something else to that list. "How did Spike react?"
The only sounds that followed were the dropping of a milk bottle and a newborn foal's cries. Zap Apple darted out of her seat to pick up the bottle and hold it to Amethyst's mouth. The foal seemed initially confused at the filly's swiftness, but returned to her content suckling once again. "What's wrong, Rarity? I haven't heard very many stories about Spike, but he seems mighty nice!" The blue filly had a way with bringing the new mother back to reality.
"Thank you dear, I'll take it from here." Wiping the shock and tears from her eyes, Rarity took back the bottle with her magic, motioned to the filly that it was fine to sit back down, and began to stare upward, recalling the dragon fondly.  "Nice doesn't even begin to cover it, dear. He was a diligent assistant to Twilight, and would never say no to a pony in need. I'll never forget what he said to us that day."
"I thought something was different. I'm really glad you guys actually told me. I think if I were you two, I'd have tried to hide it, but you didn't need to. I just want you two to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted, and if its together, that's even better. I'll always try to be the best friend the two of you will ever have, and I won't ever let something as silly as my feelings get in the way of that. If anything, they'll motivate me to be an even better friend. I want you both to know I'll never stop being your friend. No matter how mad or sad or anything. I will always be your friend."

> Lover's Regrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"I always knew from the stories I've heard of Spike that he was cool, but that was very..." the pink Pudding colt started, and then realized he lacked the words to finish.
"Noble? Yes. That dragon is the greatest gentlecolt I have ever known; Celestia should have him knighted for having to deal with the two of us." Rarity turned to Twilight in order to direct her second sentence more to her lover, who simply smiled in agreement. The white mare may have giggled while she asserted that Spike deserved knighthood, but she knew that didn't make her point any less valid. Rarity had always believed Spike's love was nothing more than a silly schoolboy crush, and she was both glad that she was wrong and glad she had never thought of it as anything more serious. It would simply never work, and she knew that Spike was always aware of that fact. And yet, that little fire breather tried anyway.
"Is everything ok?" Twilight had a look of veritable concern.
"Why wouldn't it be, darling?" questioned Rarity, blissfully unaware of the tear running down her cheek. Twilight smiled.
The pair had many a conversation about Spike in their time together. The purple Alicorn had always guessed that the generous mare held a world full of sympathy for her assistant; it must be difficult to love somepony who will never return how you feel for them. Twilight sometimes thought that it was unfair to Spike that she had stolen Rarity away from him, even after he had declared the contrary. At the very least, the princess always told herself, the dragon would never have to be without his lost love as long as the two mares were together. Twilight always wanted the best for Spike, even when it came to the little things, but she felt that if she had failed him in anything, it was this.
"You're crying, dear. Are you ok?" Rarity now owned the right to be concerned for her special somepony.
"I'm fine, I just need to lie down..." Twilight voiced seemed hollow and trailed off in what Rarity thought was a very depressing manner.
"Goodnight everypony!" The marshmallow mare feigned as much bliss as she could muster in an attempt to wipe the worried looks from her friend's faces before turning to her tiny purple gem, asleep in her stroller. Rarity let a single tear form in her eye before regaining her composure, and asking if Fluttershy could watch over little Amethyst tonight, to which the yellow pegasus happily replied, "Of course, Rarity!" The loving mother nuzzled her daughter, and turned to trot quietly into the couple's tent. Rarity could see that Twilight was still visibly shaken, even though the princess' back was to her. The white unicorn attempted to ask her lover what was the matter, but before she could start her query, Twilight answered, tears still running down her face.
"I failed him, Rarity. I failed him."
"Don't you dare say that, Twilight." Rarity knew her purple lover had a habit of not giving herself enough credit, but she found this statement rather ridiculous, even for Twilight's sometimes warped view of her self-worth. "You gave that baby dragon everything he could have ever asked for and more." Rarity had walked fully around Twilight in this time, and was now staring her special purple somepony's bangs, which were currently covering her woeful eyes. The alicorn princess looked up at her white mare to give her a reply Twilight had always felt true, but never had the heart to proclaim.
"Except you." Twilight had put it so bluntly that it broke even Rarity's diamond hard composure. Tears were now  flowing freeing from both lovers' eyes. They hadn't really discussed Spike since he had left. The mares had told everypony that while the trio was digging up gems in the mountains, he had found the dragon love of his life, and the two wanted to go travel the land and live out their days together. The truth was, they had no idea why he had so suddenly disappeared. The dragon assistant had left behind two empty hearts and a note of only a few words.
Twilight, Rarity, please don't come looking for me. --Spike
The pair secretly looked everywhere and anywhere they could for any trace of him even to this day. Rarity closed down her boutique to help Twilight in any way she could for a time after the baby dragon had ran away, for what she said was, "...a much needed creative reprieve." The generous mare didn't like lying to her friends and clients, but she simply couldn't tell them the truth.
"I thought not being told about my brother's wedding was bad enough, but Spike ran away from me! He didn't want to be around me anymore!" Everything she had tried to provide for Spike was now meaningless. A home, a warm bed, a full belly, an acceptable sisterly figure, and quite a few good books, even if he did prefer his comics. None of it meant anything; she took the only thing Spike truly wanted away from him. The alicorn couldn't help but feel she deserved the hatred and contempt her assistant must have felt for her. With that sudden realization, Twilight lost all control of her sobbing.
Rarity swept up her princess before even Twilight knew she was going to collapse in emotional agony, and gave the purple pony as much affection as the unicorn could muster without breaking down into a wet, teary mess herself. The marshmallow unicorn wasn't quite sure what to say, but she knew she had to say something. "Oh please, Twilight, if anypony is to blame for our little fireball running away, it's me. Why else would he have put my name on that note?" Rarity couldn't hold any of it in anymore. Her attempt at calming Twilight had only made her see just how much pain she had caused the purple mare and her baby dragon. It would have been better to have just moved to Manehattan and avoided them altogether. Who cares about the Elements? There are loads of other generous ponies in the land; any one of them could have taken her place.
Twilight cleared her tear-ridden eyes as best as she could. "I... I need to rest"
Rarity smiled. "Ok, dear. After tonight, I think we could both use it." Rarity looked towards the crib. The pair was so emotionally distraught, she had forgotten to mention the whereabouts of their daughter. "That's why I asked Fluttershy to take care of Amethyst tonight."
The princess rested herself on the ludicrously luxurious bed Rarity had insisted they bring along on their trip. "Remind me to thank her tomorrow." However, Twilight had no plans of resting that night. She was going to find her assistant, no matter how long it took. All she had to do was wait for her marshmallow lover to fall asleep for the night.

> From a Distance
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rarity knew Twilight was planning something. It was much too obvious. The dress maker thought that the purple mare must have been waiting for her to fall asleep, so she pretended to drift off, hoping Twilight would take the bait. Suddenly, the alicorn was hovering slowly off of the bed in an effort not to wake her already alert sweetheart. Twilight turned back to see if Rarity had stirred, then fled the rather large tent, assuming she was doing so alone.
Rarity had no idea what her lover was up to, but she feared the worst, and knew there was only one way to find out; the white unicorn would have to follow closely and unseen by her special somepony. Why would Twilight be out looking for Spike alone? What would make her think she would find the dragon here, of all places? If he had truly ran away, why would he even be in Equestria anymore?
Both mares stopped dead in their tracks; Twilight out of curiosity, Rarity out of necessity. An empty bottle of ink lay in the middle of another small clearing not too far from the friend's campground. Even more curiously, Twilight must admit, there wasn't a single hoof print around. Rarity's eye, however, was fixed upon a large branch just a meter above her lover's head. It was, for some strange reason, glittering a beautiful red in the soft moonlight. It was as if someone had crushed a ruby and strewn it across the branch haphazardly in just a way so the subtle elegance he or she had added to the forest was meant not to appear artificial. Then again, the dress maker admitted to herself, it could have just been an unintentional act.
"Somepony was here..." Twilight whispered to herself, before finally looking upon the dazzling display above her. "Or maybe it wasn't a pony at all." Rarity could hear the anguish in the purple alicorn's voice. As much as the white mare wanted to comfort her lover, she couldn't risk exposing herself just yet. In fact, she was starting to think Twilight was hiding something. "Who would you be writing to, Celestia? Why would Celestia hide you from me?" Both mares had assumed these questions were rhetorical.
"Because I asked her to, Twilight." Spike's voice may have been octaves deeper, but there was no mistaking it.  Rarity muffled a cry with her hoof. The white mare's mind was filled with so many emotions that not even Pinkie Pie would be able to create a word to describe just how Rarity was feeling. As much as she wanted to bolt to the purple dragon and give him the swiftest hoof to the mouth, and then, of course, the largest, most forgiving hug, both of which she had been longing to give for so many years, Twilight needed her moment with Spike more. For now, the unicorn would continue to weep with joyous rage in silence, and from a distance.
"I was hoping it was you. It really is, isn't it? You look so..." The princess paused to look over her former assistant.
"Grown up?" Spike may have the same visage as a fully grown dragon, but his stature was barely taller than Twilight's.
Twilight couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah. Your voice changed a lot, too." After what all involved imagined was an eternity of awkward silence, the alicorn princess asked the one question that needed to be answered. "Where have you been?" The patient eavesdropper  edged dangerously close to the chatting pair. Twilight may need her time with Spike first, but Rarity deserved to hear the answer to her lover's question just as much.
"You might want to get comfortable first." Spike and Twilight both searched for a soft patch of earth, but found nothing particularly comfortable. The tiny dragon pondered for a moment. The glee he showed when coming up with a brilliant idea was still very much the same. "There's a cave nearby; I've been living in it for a few weeks now. I've got a chair you can use!"
"Spike, it's fine! We have a camp not too far from here, why don't you come back with us?" Rarity hid frantically from the pair. How could she have known?
"Us?" The dragon looked around nervously, grabbing his tail for comfort. "I thought you were alone."
"Don't worry!" Twilight began to show the motherly affection for Spike that Rarity adored oh so very much. "It's just all of your old Ponyville friends! Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, and--"
"Is Rarity there?" The firebreather appeared worried.
"Well of course she is!"
Spike's worried look grew into one of fear. "I... I can't."
"Why not?" Twilight wasn't sure why Spike was so reluctant to come with her, but she thought if anypony would be able to calm him down, it would be Rarity.
"I just can't, ok? She'll never forgive me; I just know it." The dragon was starting to reconsider showing himself upon rehashing every thought he'd had over the many years of his absence. "I had to, Twilight, I had to. I didn't want to get in the way of your happiness, or hers. I just wanted you both to be happy."
"HAPPY!?" The princess snorted a fierce breath. Something within Twilight cracked, burst open, and turned smiling, motherly love into tearful, paternal rage. "HAPPY!?" The purple mare raised herself above her former assistant, making him cower in fear even farther.  " HOW CAN I BE HAPPY WHEN YOU LEFT ME BEHIND WITHOUT ANY EXPLANATION AT ALL AS TO WHY YOU'RE LEAVING OR WHEN YOU'RE COMING BACK? HOW CAN I BE HAPPY WHEN I'M CONSTANTLY WORRIED FOR YOUR SAFETY? HOW CAN I BE HAPPY WHILE I'M SEARCHING EVERY SINGLE PLACE I'VE EVER BEEN FOR EVEN THE SMALLEST CLUE AS WHERE YOU'VE GONE? HOW CAN I BE HAPPY WHEN I TURN TO ASK YOU FOR A FAVOR, AND YOU'RE NOT THERE? HOW CAN I BE HAPPY WHEN I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHERE YOU'VE BEEN FOR THE PAST 9 YEARS, 5 MONTHS, AND 22 DAYS? TELL ME THAT, SPIKE!" 
"Twilight, stop that right this instant!" Rarity had to intervene, even if Twilight was right. Twilight was so angry with the tiny dragon, she didn't even see that she was about to drive him away for good. Their lives may have been incredible, but without Spike, it just didn't feel the same. The constant worrying, the realizations that the pair would never see him again, would never get to meet their daughter, or their friend's foals, or the new friends they've made along the way. Not being able to share all of these wonderful experiences with him was nothing short of painfully depressing, but the white mare knew he didn't deserve this.
"... Rarity?" The unicorn was so incredibly ecstatic to hear Spike call out her name in such a hopeful manner. There was still a chance to fix the damage Twilight had so unknowingly done.
"Yes, dear. It's me." Rarity walked forward, positively beaming. The tears of joy only aided in showing how truly happy she was. The white mare continued her pace while stating what she had been waiting so very long to tell her dragon admirer. "I need you to know something. I forgive you. I had the very first day you left. I knew that whatever your intentions were, you never meant to hurt us." Glad that she could skip the swift hoof to the mouth, Rarity gave Spike a warm, past-forgetting hug. "I forgive you, Spikey-Wikey."
Nopony expected what was to happen next. Eyes still wet with fear, Spike took to the skies. "SPIKE!!!" the lovers shouted after him. Rarity bolted, but realized there was no way for her to catch the dragon; Twilight was the one with wings. The white unicorn turned to her special somepony, staring angrily. "Aren't you going to DO SOMETHING!? This is your fault, after all." Rarity immediately knew she was going to regret that last sentence for the rest of her life. Twilight sat motionless. If Rarity hadn't have known better, she'd have swore the princess had stared directly into eyes of a cockatrice. "TWILIGHT! DO SOMETHING!" Completely unresponsive, and only breathing unconsciously, Twilight merely continued to stand on her pedestal of regret.
Realizing she would have no help from her special mare, Rarity darted off into the night, determined to make everything right again.

> Reflections, Part One
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight had stood motionless for hours after her long lost assistant had left, the white unicorn fast on his tail. The alicorn's stone legs were rigid, immovable, and guilt-racked, but also weak, lifeless, and as unstable as her thoughts. She could think of nothing but the harsh words she had exchanged with Spike, and how Rarity had come seemingly from nowhere to comfort him. Not only that, but her special somepony had ran after the dragon, and left her behind, the purple mare's heart in tatters. Everypony seemed so eager to run away from Twilight. 'Why?' she asked herself over and over again. 'Why? First Spike, and now Rarity. Why does everypony I love keep leaving me? Am I not good enough? Have I not been a good caretaker? Have I not been a good partner?'
Twilight's continued self ridicule was too much for her legs to bare. The mare collapsed into a heap of purple, lonely, defeated, and incomplete wreckage of her former self image, as if somepony had taken the one piece of the sculpture that made it stand tall and crushed it with the brute force of lost love, leaving the once beautiful statue to fall and crumble under its own weight. 'What is wrong with me? Instead of coming out of the woods to aid me with my pain, she comforted Spike. Instead of staying to rescue me from my regrets, she chased after Spike.' Twilight's demeanor turned from sadness and guilt to that of anger and blame. 'It's always been about Spike, hasn't it Rarity? You never loved me. It was always him.'
A voice of reason still lingered within Twilight, and responded in place of her marshmallow lover. 'Don't be silly, Twilight. Rarity knows how much Spike means to you; she's only trying to help.' The inner struggle had begun. Years of doubt, guilt, regret, angst, and fear were about to come face to face with the princess' love for her elegant white mare.
'She's only helping herself; generosity my flank! I bet she's known where Spike has been all along. If Celestia will keep secrets from me, why wouldn't little miss pure of heart Rarity?' Rage was the only emotion Twilight could feel anymore. Rage at herself, rage at her former assistant, rage at her lover, rage at her teacher, rage at her friends, rage at the universe itself. 'Was it so hard for anything to work out the way I wanted?'
The spark of rationality and love that was her former self had not died in the alicorn yet, and was prepared to fight until she could no longer, if the mare had to. 'Spike's intentions were in the right place. Spike wanted to give our love a chance, and he thought if he stuck around, he'd get in the way. He made Celestia promise not to tell us where he was so he could write her and keep up with how his friends were doing. Spike did all of this for us! He's just been waiting for the right time to come back, even if he never had to leave in the first place.'
Her furious indignation was not satisfied. 'That still doesn't answer why Rarity would care where he was, or why she'd leave me here in the middle of the forest to chase after her real love!'
Her love, of course, had an answer. 'She's not chasing her love, she's trying to bring my baby dragon back. We all miss him, but Rarity knows I miss him the most. She doesn't care about her own feelings; she cares about mine. She wants me to be happy, and if she has to go to the ends of Equestria to bring Spike back to me, she'll do it.'
Her fears were losing ground, and both versions of herself knew it. 'You don't really believe that, do you? Spike didn't come back, you found him by accident while he was trying to take Rarity away! Stop being so stubborn! If he really was writing to Celestia, why would he come to find you? He doesn't want you, and neither does Rarity.'
Clarity was beginning to come to Twilight. None of her worries were ever truly about Spike; she had always known they would one day part ways. Her true fear was in losing Rarity at this very moment. Her path to defeating the anger and woe within her now realized, the princess was ready to fight back her doubts with vigor and understanding.
'That's ridiculous! Spike would never do that! Even if he did, Rarity would never leave me, and she definitely would never leave Amethyst . We're just too important to her. She loves us. She adores us. She cares about us. She always will. Rarity would give up everything to keep us safe, if she had to.' Twilight stood slowly, tears of resentment becoming tears of joy. She was winning; her true self was winning, and now was the time to deliver the coup de grâce to all her fears, doubts, and worries. This time, Twilight spoke aloud.
"This isn't about me, or Spike; this is about Rarity. My Rarity. I don't care what stands in my way. I am going to find her. We've faced manticores, dragons, and changelings. We've faced a dark king, a rouge agent of chaos, and a princess who lost her way. Nothing can stop our love." Twilight stomped a firm hoof upon the cold, dark ground of the forest. "Absolutely nothing. Our love can never fail. We will always be together, and we will be happy, through all of our ups and downs, triumphs and victories, toils and troubles. And you know what? Everything is going to be fine." The mare paused. 'Fine' didn't seem quite good enough. "No; this time, everything is going to be amazing."
Twilight was once again the majestic manifestation of love and friendship she was destined to be. The purple princess galloped into the dusk, her new realization blazing a trail into the unknown. She may not know where to start, but one thing was certain; when Twilight found Rarity, they would never be apart again.
> Reflections, Part Two
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rarity had been galloping for hours. Her hooves ached with the pain of a missed opportunity; the chance to give her princess back the baby dragon she had cared so much for. The mare knew that she could make this right. All she needed was another moment with Spike. All she wanted was another chance to make him see just how much Twilight missed the little guy. However, one thought continued to ring through her head. 'I just wish I knew where I was headed. This forest is such a dark and dreary place at this time of night.' As if Celestia herself was listening in on the unicorn's thoughts, a streak of light cast itself over the treetops. Rarity had spent so long trying to find Spike, the sun was starting to rise over Equestria.
Abruptly, upon seeing the small patch of daylight, the severity of just how long Rarity had spent trotting  to who knows where had dawned on her. The mare was lost, and dreadfully so. She stopped in her tracks, no longer able to determine which way was the right way to go. As her eyes darted through the forest, panic had begun to take over her thoughts. 'I have no idea where I am! I don't even know which way I'm going, or if I've just been galloping in circles! Even if I did find Spike, how would we get back to Twilight? What if I never find her in this dreadful forest? What if nopony ever finds her? What if nopony ever finds me? What if we never see each other again?'
The white mare was not about to give in to fear. 'Keep yourself together, Rarity. You've never been one to fit the damsel in distress cliché in any meaningful way; don't you dare start now. If you have any chance of finding Spike, you'd better pull yourself together!'
Instead, she was given a different chance. By nothing more than dumb luck, a small gleam of light reflected out of a small opening in the cliffside near the white unicorn's path. 'There appear to be hoofprints leading into that tiny cave.' Rarity looked closer before correcting herself. 'No, not hoofprints. Spike was here.' She finally had a clue as to where the dragon had been.
Inside, she found a few quills, some ink, and a small cache of gems. 'That must have been what I saw in the forest.' Rarity thought to herself. 'Of all of the things to bring me here, it just had to be gems. How quaint.' Just beyond the pile of jewels, however, laid the true treasure of Spike's temporary abode. 'A book? Twilight had said there was something odd missing from the library the day he left...' The book began to glow a sweet sapphire. Rarity lifted the book with her magic and began to open it.
It was what appeared to be a journal. However, it was no ordinary journal. Nearly every page, and there must have been hundreds, Rarity estimated, contained a picture of a young filly or colt, a date, presumably a birthday, and a brief list of favorites: favorite color, favorite food, favorite toy, and an address. 'Quite a few of these addresses are the same...' Rarity thought that was very peculiar. 'It's perfectly reasonable for a few of these foals to have the same address, but as much as a dozen of them on average?' After looking more closely at the pictures within, the mare realized just why that would be. 'Wait, I recognize these places... They're...' The generous mare almost dropped the journal to the floor. 'Orphanages! Now why would he... Unless...' Rarity looked over the small cave once again. 'Spike's been going from town to town, collecting gems and using them to buy toys for little fillies and colts!' The mare produced a smile so wide even Pinkie Pie would have thought it odd. Rarity knew she didn't have to worry about Spike any longer. The gleeful unicorn continued to flick through the journal.
Just as Rarity was about to reach the last page, a small scrap of paper had fallen out of the journal. It was a picture of Rarity, Twilight, and Amethyst the day the white mare had given birth to the adorable little foal. 'This was the very same picture Twilight had given to Celestia that day...' Written on the picture, in the dragon's handwriting, was just one sentence. "Don't forget them." Everything in Rarity's demeanor changed. The marshmallow mare had come into the cave thinking she discovered a way to find Spike, but what she had actually found was something much more special, and also much more troublesome.
'How could I have forgotten? I was so worried about bringing Spike back I left Twilight alone in the wilderness. My Twilight. Alone, and most likely so very afraid. I was so determined to set things right I left her positively in shambles. When she needed me most, I aided Spike. When she needed me most, I yelled at her. When she needed me most, I ran away.' A new determination filled the white unicorn in way she never knew possible. Stomping a defiant hoof into the ground, she made a promise to herself. 'I don't know how I'm going to find my Twilight in this forsaken place, but damn it all, I'm going to try, and nothing is going to stop me.'
Rarity never breaks her promises.
"I never did, you know. I never forgot you guys." The unicorn would have been concerned, but even after all these years, their first encounter in the forest just hours earlier had proved one thing; his voice would always be unmistakable.
"I know, Spikey-Wikey. I know." As much as Rarity wanted to catch up with her former admirer, now simply wasn't the time. 'Twilight must come first. Always.' Just before returning to the woods that had made her lose her way both in heart and in hoof, the mare turned, placed the journal in his hands, cleared her throat, and prepared to say one final sentence, knowing full well she may never see the dragon again. "We never forgot you, either." Rarity put her right hoof forward, indicating her intent was not to stay any longer. "And we never will."
Spike hung his head low in regret, the guilt from his years of absence finally realized.  The dragon looked up and opened his mouth to speak, but the white unicorn was gone. Deciding it needed to be said anyway, he let out a simple, "I'm sorry." and collected his things. "Maybe there are some orphan griffins who need some toys..." The dragon looked out into the wilderness, and made a promise to himself. "I'll come back someday. I don't know when, but I'll come back."
Spike never breaks his promises.
> A Timely Fashion
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Twilight had to give up. “I’m a bookworm.” she told herself. “I’m not built for frantic searching through a desolate forest that seems to go on forever. I need to stop and just THINK!” With her last word, the alicorn swooped down and landed her tired flank on the unforgiving soil. “There has to be something in my studies that can help me…” Out of nothing more than habit, the studios mare lifted her hindquarters off of the cold ground and began pacing around a conveniently nearby tree stump. “Come on Twilight! Your girls need you!” She stopped momentarily before once again continuing her unconscious circular movement.
“Girls… Girls… I do remember something about being able to use other unicorns as a conduit for a more precise and distanced teleportation spell, but all that would do is make us stuck in the forest in the same place.” Twilight smiled. The purple princess had to admit that sounded much better than her current predicament, but in the long run, it would hinder them finding their friends more than help. She may have loved Rarity more than anything, but Twilight found it much harder to think critically while the fashionable mare droned on with small talk. “If only she hadn’t pulled me away from that book to take me on this camping trip!”
A rush of reality came back to the alicorn’s mind, followed by a new determination. “All I need is some time to think. I can do this. For my girls. My two adorable, perfect girls. Mama’s coming home.”
________________________________________________________________________________
Rarity wanted to give up. Her legs, her eyes, her hooves, her mind; nothing of hers could take it anymore. The mare just wanted to be home, drinking a nice cup of earl grey, reading the morning paper to Amethyst while letting Twilight have a nice morning nap before the dressmaker left to open up her Boutique. “What was she going on about this time? Quantum Spell Entanglement?” The marshmallow mother giggled so violently she nearly fell muzzle-first onto the cold, leaf-ridden ground.
The mare did, however, decide to take this as an opportunity to stand still and simply remember. “How could I have forgotten last week’s fiasco? Discord nearly exploded with anger when Twilight explained her newfound hypothesis to him! I guess an agent of chaos would be upset at a pony trying to force the hoof of quantum events.” The unicorn began to move again, almost without thinking, and certainly paying more attention to her thoughts than to where she was headed. “Now what was she studying this week? Cosmic Inflation? Yes, I think that’s what it was. She was positively fuming when I practically dragged her out of the library to come camping with all of us! How could she have forgotten? That mare can be so absent-minded…” The marshmallow mare’s steps stopped along with her voice; no train of thought was carrying her any longer.
Abruptly and unexpectedly, Rarity was brought back to the harsh reality she was currently in. The white unicorn just wanted everything back to the way it was. “Curse this camping trip!” she screamed to herself. Just as suddenly as the forest reentered her thoughts, the mare’s body finally gave way. The emotional dam Rarity was so incredibly talented at holding up when work needed to be done burst, releasing instantaneously and incapacitating her completely. With it came a rain of cries and a freshly carved river of tears, the marshmallow lover’s erratically beating heart the headwater. The white mare felt as though her very being was seeping from her eyes onto the frigid, filthy forest floor.
________________________________________________________________________________
Twilight now knew there was only one thing she could do at this point in her search, however improbable and ridiculous the idea was. The purple mare felt that no matter how far she trotted, she wasn’t truly getting anywhere, and had finally officially decided conventional means of finding Rarity just weren’t going to work anymore. Twilight knew it was risky, and most of all, she knew it could be dangerous if not done properly, but it was her only hope of ever seeing her beautiful, sweet, generous love again.
The mare’s horn began to emanate a magical magenta as it always does, but with a twist; wisps of blue and purple shone forth as Twilight channeled her energy into the spell. In theory, any two unicorns with a great enough bond can use each other’s magic to teleport to the other’s location, no matter the distance. However, all that would currently do is let the couple be lost face to face. So Twilight came up with a new plan; she would attempt to teleport both her and Rarity back to camp through their mutual love of their daughter. It was entirely possible that it would simply fail, but a student must be ready to failure. As Celestia once told her, “Greatness can come from a leap of faith; assuming, of course, you’re willing to jump.” The most recently crowned princess may not have been very confident, but she was more than willing to do what it took to get her Rarity back.
“Here goes nothing…”
________________________________________________________________________________
Fluttershy couldn’t quite tell why, but something just didn’t seem right about this morning. Between a normally relaxed Amethyst keeping the mare up nearly all night, and what could only be described as a strange feeling in the air that the yellow pegasus just couldn’t explain, Fluttershy was very afraid of what was to come. Walking out of her tent, the mare’s body shook with each step, caused by the sleepy unrest in the little filly Fluttershy was carrying on her back.
Fluttershy began to think worriedly. ‘Oh my, another nightmare? I don’t think she’s ever had a good night’s sleep since—’ A deep purple light began to emanate from Amethyst’s horn, cutting through the butter-colored pegasus’ train of thought. ‘She’s never done that before…’ A scream erupted from both mare and filly as a bright mixture of sapphire and magenta light flickered into existence with a loud crackle of energy. Neither of them were prepared for who was contained inside, or how loudly she would be sobbing.
“Mommy!”