Rarity is taken under the wing of Princess Luna, to learn the secret magic of those who have suffered loss.
Prequel to the book My Foal.
Rarity has always been a generous mare, generous with her time, generous with her wealth, and generous with about every other aspect of life. She is like this because she knows what truly matters beyond wealth and trinkets, for she was blessed with truly irreplaceable treasures, ones she wouldn't give up for the whole wide world.
But when one of those treasures is lost, only the comforting hoof of one who has suffered simalar loss will help her to heal, and possibly build from the wreckage of her torn heart.
(Celestia tag for later chapters) (Dark Tag for certain chapters only)
Rarity stood at the edge of a cliff, staring down at the ground below as tears fell from her eyes. She had always been a mare of hope, a mare who had always believed that no matter what happened; things would always get better. So when her sister Sweetie Belle had gotten really sick one day, forcing her to be taken to Ponyville hospital, she had not been concerned at all, knowing her sister would pull through.
Even when her sister had gotten worse, she had kept up hope, knowing that her sister was meant for great things and there for refusing to believe for a second that things were bad. But then the doctor had come in during one of her visits and pulled her aside, giving her news that had nearly stopped her heart.
The doctor had said that Sweetie Belle had been diagnosed with a rare unicorn disease, one that caused her magic to turn on its host, slowly killing her from the inside. It usually manifested by the filly’s magic lighting things on fire, even things that were supposed to be impossible to do so, which explain everything that had happened when she would try and use her magic.
Rarity had been devastated, but had stayed strong, right up to the moment when her sister’s life had left her body, and then her life had turned into a blur.
And now she stood here, her will broke and the one thing she had loved dearly in her life gone forever, lost due to cruel fate. “I just want it to end,” she thought, and then she stepped forward, falling off the cliff toward her end.
As she fell, she allowed her mind to go back over to the happier times with her sister, her mind becoming so focused on the pleasant images that she did not notice the blurred form speeding toward her, at least not until said form caught her half way to the ground and flew her to safety. Her eyes shot open, turning to look at her unwanted savior and discovering Princess Luna holding her in her forelegs, slowly carrying her to the ground before letting her go and landing in front of her.
“Lady Rarity what do you think you were doing, you could have…”
“It’s none of your business what I was doing, and I did not ask you to save me, so please do me a courtesy and leave me be!”
Luna looked shocked by her comment, understanding crashing over her as she looked at the young mare in disbelief. “You…you were trying to kill yourself, weren’t you?”
Rarity didn’t answer her, looking away and causing Luna to walk up closer to her as she shouted, “Weren’t you!”
“Yes!” cried Rarity, pushing the princess away as tears began to stream down her face. “Is that what you want to hear, will that make you leave me alone?!”
Luna looked stunned for a moment, and then shook her head, deciding to get to the heart of the matter. “Lady Rarity this isn’t like you, we know you well and you would not wish such a thing on yourself, so why do you now?”
“Because I don’t want to live,” yelled Rarity, “my sister was not meant to die before me, and I cannot bear to live in a world where she is gone!”
This caught Luna off guard, but once again she recovered, speaking harshly as she looked Rarity dead in the eye. “And do you think that is what you sister would want, do you really think she would want you to kill yourself and leave Equestria defenseless.”
“You don’t…how dare…YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT MY SISTER WOULD WANT!”
“I know she would not want you to waist your life so needlessly.”
Rarity opened her mouth to argue further, but any retort she had died on her lips, the wait of the princess’s words sinking in like the cold steel of a dagger, causing her to slump to the ground as she began to sob uncontrollably.
“Why…” she asked through a choked sob, “Why did it have to be her, why could it not have been me…?”
Luna walked up beside her, sitting down and draping a comforting wing over the young mare, sighing in relief when her wing wasn’t shoved away before speaking. “I do not know Lady Rarity, many have speculated as to why, but rarely do they have any good answers. All we really can do is learn to live with the pain, and in the case of ponies like you and I, learn to use it to better ourselves.”
“…You and I?”
Luna nodded, “yes Lady Rarity, for I too suffered a grievous loss just like you did, one that still pains me to this day. But instead of letting this loss consume me, like you have done, I instead learned to channel it and use it, allowing me to better myself in many ways…much like you will be able to…if you wish it that is.”
Luna remained silent after this, knowing it was crucial that she do so, however she didn’t have to wait long, for Rarity finally spoke.
“What do you mean I can use this to better myself, how can anypony use pain like this to better themselves?”
“Because Lady Rarity,” said Luna calmly, “a part of you died when Sweetie Belle left this world, and as we know from watching nature, death invites rebirth. That part of you that died has the potential to be reborn into something new, but only if you nurture it and let it grow. It will not be easy, for things of this nature never are, but if you are willing, I would like to help you explore that potential.”
“…ok,” said Rarity at last, nuzzling close into the princess before speaking again. “But not tonight, I…I can’t handle doing anything tonight.”
“A wise choice Lady Rarity, now get some sleep, we shall guard thy dreams while you rest.”
Rarity made to protest, only to collapse upon the princess as she cast a spell, sending her into a deep and dreamless sleep, safely wrapped within her wing as Luna looked up to the moon.
“Let’s just pray you don’t make the same mistake I did…so long ago…”
Rarity awoke slowly, the events of the previous night slowly returning to her as she looked around. She was no longer below the cliff she had attempted to jump off of, and instead was laying upon pristine night blue sheets, on what she realized was Princess Luna’s bed, due to the fact that princess Luna was sitting up beside her looking at her.
“How do you fair Lady Rarity?”
“Well enough,” said Rarity hoarsely, “I didn’t have any nightmares last night, which I suppose I can thank you for?”
“Yes you can, I figured you were in need of a dreamless sleep, but we can talk more about that later. Breakfast is ready in castles dining room, when you are ready we can head down…”
“I’m ready now,” said Rarity almost immediately, getting out of the bed and not even bothering to straighten her mane as she headed toward the door.
This troubled Luna for a moment, but she decided to address it on another date, knowing they had more important things to worry about today as she got up and headed toward the door.
They made their way through the halls of Canterlot castle, many of the guard looking at Rarity with concern till they caught Luna glaring at them, then they returned to looking stoic.
They reached the dining room soon after, Luna opening the door and allowing Rarity to enter, walking inside and nodding to her sister before finding a seat.
“Morning Luna, and good morning to you Rarity, what brings you by the castle this fine day.”
“I have taken her on as my student dear sister,” said Luna in Rarity’s stead, for Rarity was already digging into her food.
“Really,” said Celestia skeptically, “are you sure that is wise sister, after all you already have one student.”
“I know dear sister, but she will be my day time student, whereas the other is my nighttime student.”
“I see,” said Celestia, taking a sip of her tea before speaking again, “and I assume she will be learning your…particular field of magic correct?”
“Yes,” said Luna, “but her reasons for it I will discuss with you later…in private.”
Luna put particular emphasis on the last two words, and Celestia got the hint, nodding respectfully before returning to her food.
They ate in silence for a while, Luna and Celestia exchanging small gossip from time to time, till finally Rarity pushed her empty bowl away, Luna taking that opportunity to speak to her.
“Lady Rarity, why don’t you head to back to my chambers and freshen up a bit, then meet me at the grand balcony in twenty minutes, I have some things to discuss with my sister.”
Rarity nodded, getting up and leaving the room at a slow pace, Luna and Celestia waiting till she was gone before the latter spoke up.
“She does not look well.”
“Of course she doesn’t,” said Luna, “she tried to kill herself last night.”
Celestia gasped audibly, “what, why would she do such a thing?”
“Her sister, the one I believe is known as Sweetie Belle, died some time ago.”
Celestia covered her mouth in horror, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she tried to keep from sobbing, “h-how?”
“I do not know…but I have a guess,” said Luna. “Judging from the filly’s age, and her habit of lighting things on fire with her magic, as we gleaned from reading your students letters, we can only assume she died from...”
“Magic sickness,” whispered Celestia, tears running down her cheeks as she slowly lowered her hooves, “no…”
“Sadly that is all I can assume at this point,” said Luna, “I have not asked her how it happened, nor do I plan to till she is ready to tell. Now if you will pardon me, I have to go and meet with my new student.”
Luna got up to go, only to feel a tug on her wing as Celestia grabbed her with her magic, causing her to look back as the elder spoke.
“Luna, I know you mean well, but are you sure it is wise to teach her this form of magic. Your first student was already injured during his training, and considering what happened to you a thousand years ago I…”
“The only reason my magic caused me to become what I became is because of what you told me regarding our mothers…disappearance, and while I know you meant well, I was already suffering from thinking that our subjects hated my night, so it was simply bad timing on your part when you dropped that particular bomb shell.”
Celestia was far from convinced, “be that as it may sister, the injuries she is likely to suffer could kill her, and I don’t think…”
“We cannot move forward without inviting risk, your words; three days before we challenged Discord with the Elements of Harmony. I know that she might and probably will be harmed by this magic; it will help her to heal, as it would help you to heal if you would just…”
She knew she had gone too far the moment the words left her mouth, for Celestia’s expression immediately darkened as her walls sot up. “I told you Luna I don’t need help,” she spat out venomously, “I will deal with my pain in my own way, so please just drop it.”
Luna signed, “very well sister, I will drop it, but my offer still stands should you change your mind.”
She then got up, turning away and leaving her sister at the table, knowing no words would reach her now and instead deciding to head toward somepony she knew would accept her help.
Luna found Rarity at the grand balcony like she had requested, her fur and mane cleaned up but otherwise not done up in any other way, the mare’s natural beauty actually far exceeding the image she usually presented herself in.
“I am glad to see you well Lady Rarity,” said Luna as she walked up beside her, “are you ready to begin your lessons?”
“I’m ready,” said Rarity.
“Very well, then the first thing I want you to do is sit down and close your eyes.”
Rarity did so, and Luna walked slowly around her, creating a magical perimeter before speaking up again as she continued to walk around.
“Next, I want you to light up your horn, and focus on the pain that your sister’s passing has caused you.”
Rarity did so, her horn lighting up as she began to think of the pain, tears beginning to form in her eyes as Luna spoke again.
“Now I want you to accept that, while this loss was indeed tragic, it was in no way your fault.”
Immediately she saw Rarity begin to shake, her horn beginning to pulse as the magic around it began to crackle angrily, as Luna had seen many times before.
“Lady Rarity you must listen to me,” said Luna with urgency, “for I need you to accept this fact as truth. You could not have done anything to help her, and that is in no way your fault, you must believe that.”
“I…” said Rarity hesitantly, her mind struggling over Luna’s words as her horn began to crackle faster and faster. “…I CAN’T,” she cried, screaming as she was engulfed in light, before collapsing to the ground on her right side.
Luna rushed over immediately, placing a hoof over both her mouth and throat to check that she was still alive, before blanching as she saw blood leaking down from the right side of her face.
She quickly rolled her over, seeing the source of the blood was coming from between Rarity’s right eye lids, though upon further examination she nearly threw up.
For when she had pealed the eyelids back, she had seen that Rarity’s right eye had imploded.
“By the mothers…” whispered Luna, using her magic to quickly summon medical supplies, only to jump as the doors to the balcony burst open and Celestia barged in.
“I heard screaming, what’s going…” started to Celestia, only to scream in horror herself when she saw the state Rarity was in. “Sister, what have you done!?”
“I have done nothing,” said Luna harshly as she began cleaning the wound, “Lady Rarity did this to herself by not following my instructions, and it is her fault alone that she ended up this way.”
Celestia reaction was one of even more horror, “her fault, it’s your fault for taking her into this branch of magic without the slightest bit of prep…”
“There is no form of preparation I can administer sister,” said Luna harshly, beginning to wrap bandages around the wounded mare as she kept her face turned away from her sister. “And in Lady Rarity’s case she is lucky; she could have suffered far worse.”
“And what could be worse than a missing eye dear sister?”
“A fractured horn…”
Celestia blanched, her coat turning chalk white as she stared up at Luna’s horn, her eyes noticing the small sapphires that had been fused to the crack in Luna’s horn, creating a spiral which ran counter clockwise to the natural spiral of her horn.
“So that’s why…”
“Yes,” said Luna simply, finishing with the bandages before conjuring up a small bed for the mare to rest upon. “The magic makes the pain manifest in a physical way, allowing the pain to be healed more easily. It is gruesome I know, but it is necessary.”
“Necessary,” spat Celestia, “how can something like that be necessary. I’m sorry sister, I know you mean well but I have had enough, I won’t let you do this to her.”
Celestia made a move to get rarity, only to be stopped as Luna slammed her hoof down, her eyes flashing in anger as she moved in front of her charge. “You will not take my student from me Celestia; it is already too late for any other methods. If she stops now she will keep having incident after incident, which will inevitably lead to her death, so if you want that on your conscious then by all means, take her from me.”
Celestia wanted to, she really wanted to, but part of her, the part that wanted Luna’s help, stayed her actions. “Very well Luna, but I have one condition.”
“Name it sister.”
“I will be calling my student Twilight to come and monitor you while you teach Rarity, and if she notices anything which will be to harmful to the young mare, I am pulling her from your care, do we understand each other?”
“Yes sister, just make sure to tell your student not to participate, this is not a branch of magic she can learn.”
“That need not be said, for unlike you sister she does not follow the barbaric teachings of a mad mare.”
Celestia then left, leaving Luna to fume over her hurtful words, for her teacher had not been mad. However soon she shook her head, “let it go Luna, she knows not what she speaks of.”
She then sighed, walking back to rarity before summoning a guard, asking him to fetch her gem cutting tools and her box of gems, for she would have need of them when Rarity awakened.
