Not With a Whimper, But a Bang

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Darkness engulfed Carousel Boutique in a thick, velvety blanket. Every inch of the living room lay under heavy shadows while outside, dark clouds swirled in the sky. The tree branches whipped around in a wild wind that threatened anyone foolish enough to leave their home. The boutique’s walls shook from the wind’s ferocity.

Inside the shop, something slunk through the murky darkness and made its way towards and then under a couch. Wide, bright-green eyes stared out as the creature shivered in fear. Suddenly, the sound of slow hoof-steps came from somewhere in the boutique, their sharp clacks clearly contrasting with the constant wailing of the wind. The creature’s eyes darted back and forth as the steps grew louder.

“I know you’re in here,” a mare called in a singsong voice right outside of the room. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” The voice’s source, barely visible in the stifling shadows, slid into the room and dropped something very heavy to the floor before beginning a slow circuit around the room.

The creature under the couch kept its eyes fixed on its pursuer as the pony continued her search. Finally, her steps brought her to the couch, where she stopped momentarily. A sudden flash of lightning nearly blinded the hidden creature and illuminated the room for a brief instant. Only a second later, the accompanying thunder cracked so loudly that the walls shook.

The searcher continued on past the couch. A soft sigh escaped the creature’s mouth as it finally realized safety from the torments that had surely been in store had it been discovered. For the first time ever, it had escaped—

A magical aura grabbed hold and yanked it out, dangling it in mid-air.

“Found you!” the mare cried in delight. The creature yowled and thrashed, but no amount of effort could save it now. “You thought you could get away, didn't you?” The yowling cut off with a loud splash, followed by several seconds of silence as the mare dunked the hapless creature underwater. While the mare’s maniacal cackling filled the building and echoed off of the walls, another bolt of lightning lit everything. Suddenly, the laughter stopped. “Perhaps some light would help. This atmosphere is a bit grim, n’est-ce pas?”

She reached over and flicked a switch, and an electric chandelier in the ceiling burst to life, bathing the room in its bright glow.

“Ah, much better!” Rarity said as she clapped her hooves excitedly.

In the room’s center sat a metal tub, filled with hot, soapy water. It bubbled for a moment before a drenched cat’s head emerged and fixed her with an icy stare.

“Oh, don’t be like that, sweet Opal,” Rarity said. She took up a cloth and zealously scrubbed Opalescence between the ears. “You know that this hurts me far more than it hurts you.”

Opal’s glare promised to make that much come true before the day ended.

Rain began to fall outside, fat, heavy drops that started out few in number but soon increased until they thundered at the boutique’s roof. More lightning flashed. “Another storm,” Rarity mumbled. She squeezed a bottle of shampoo over Opal’s back. “Honestly, what are those pegasi thinking?” Small pieces of hail began to fall along with the rain.

Opal lunged for freedom, getting halfway out of the tub before Rarity pulled her back. However, just as she prepared to attack the grime on Opal’s stomach, the bell over the front door jingled. It was just barely loud enough to be heard over the sound of the storm.

The door blew open to admit a pegasus stallion, who darted inside and out of the weather. Rain and hail blew in after him and immediately soaked the carpet. “Whoa!” he shouted as he strained to shut the door behind him. The wind pushed back, however, preventing him from making any headway. Rarity shot to her hooves, only to halt in place when a voice whispered in her ear.

“Help us,” it breathed, eerily close.

Her head whipped around only to find that nobody stood behind her. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Opal’s dripping tail vanishing up the stairs, but that was all. “Is… is somepony there?” she asked, frowning.

“So, uh, you think you might be able to give me a hoof here?” the stallion asked. He had almost gotten the door shut when a particularly powerful gust of wind blew it back open to bang against the wall.

“Oh! My apologies!” Rarity gave one last confused glance behind her before moving over to help. With both of them working together, they forced the door closed. Rarity fought to bring her breathing under control. “Are—are you—alright?” she gasped.

“Just wet,” he answered, lying on his back on the soggy carpet.

Rarity fetched one of the towels meant to dry Opalescence and handed it to the stallion, who rolled upright and accepted it gratefully. “Well, that was certainly exciting,” she said. “Now if I might ask, what brings you to my humble shop in such awful weather?”

Instead of answering, he shook himself dry and rubbed his head vigorously with the towel. “Darn unnatural weather,” he muttered. “Hope it didn’t get the scroll wet.”

Rarity’s ears perked. “Scroll?” For the first time, she noticed that a capped tube was slung across his chest.

“You don’t have anything to drink, do you?” he asked as he threw the wet towel aside.

“Of course! Where are my manners?” She trotted into the kitchen. “Might I offer you a cup of hot tea?”

“Just water’s fine,” he said, stretching his wings and sighing in satisfaction.

Rarity’s head poked back out. “Dear, I would have thought you’d had quite enough water for one day,” she said drily. A moment later, she fully emerged with a pitcher of ice water and a glass in tow. She poured a glass, which the stallion took and greedily slurped at. “I don’t believe I caught your name, Mr…?”

He finished the drink and wiped his mouth on the back of his hoof. “Just a royal courier with a message for a Ms. Rarity,” he said, placing the glass on a nearby wooden table. He uncapped the tube and slid out a parchment scroll.

“Oh, dear,” Rarity said with a sigh. “If it’s from the League of Nobles Against Bovine Immigration, I've already told them that I’m simply not interested in paying—”

“This one’s from a bit higher up,” the courier said. “I speak here on behalf of Her Royal Majesty, Princess Luna.”

Slack-jawed, Rarity dropped to her haunches. “Oh.”

“So, if I may…” He opened the scroll, cleared his throat loudly, and read:

“‘To the Honorable Miss Rarity, Owner of Carousel Boutique, Companion to Princess Twilight Sparkle, and One-Time Bearer of the Element of Generosity,

“‘I bid thee Greetings, and hope that thou findest thyself in Good Health.

“‘My Purpose in writing this Letter to thee is to request thy Services, as they pertain to the Design and Manufacture of Clothing. Regretfully, the Clothier who had been responsible for such things at Castle Canterlot hath seen fit to abandon his Duty in favor of pursuing a career in competitive bird-watching. Thus do I find myself in a Dilemma. I require Suitable Attire for the morrow’s viewing of Bridle’s Comet, but do not have anypony to provide said Suitable Attire. Oft hath Princess Twilight Sparkle praised thine Abilities, so I thusly decided that thou wouldst serve as an Appropriate Replacement.

“‘Enclosed is a list noting my Measurements, as well as a voucher for thy Deserved Compensation. I will grant thee Audience one day hence after Noon so that I may view thy Work.

“‘I thank thee for thy Cooperation and wish thee a Pleasant Day.

“‘Sincerely, Princess Luna, Lady of the Night, She of the Moon, Slayer of the Rock-Gorging Dragon, Creator of the Moonwich’...”

Rarity hadn’t heard a word past “appropriate replacement”. Her jaw hung open as she considered the implications. She cannot be serious! A dress fit for a princess by tomorrow afternoon?

“...‘Shepard of the Stars’,” the courier continued in a monotone, “‘Purveyor of Dreams, Five-Time Annual Equestrian Snowball Fight Champion’…”

There is nothing that says I must take this job, Rarity thought, chewing on her lower lip. But, it would be absolutely awful to let Princess Luna down…

“...‘Las Pegasus Junior Soccer League Participant Ribbon Winner, Conqueror of Prickly Pete’s Five-Yard Hoagie Challenge’...”

She put a hoof to her chin. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to help, just this once. I must make it clear that such short-notice orders are unacceptable in the future, though!

Meanwhile, the courier’s voice droned on. “Rarity, you must help, or else everything is doomed...”

“Very well, I acc—” Rarity paused and frowned. “What?”

“...‘Guest Judge on Equestria’s Got Talent, and She Who Went the Whole Way Around On the Swings Once’.” He coughed softly as he rolled up the scroll. “I’m sorry, is something wrong?” he said when he noticed her expression.

“Would you mind repeating that one part?” Rarity asked, frown deepening.

“You mean about the swings?” The courier chuckled. “I wouldn’t believe it either if I hadn’t seen it with my own two—”

“No, no,” she interrupted. “The part about everything being doomed unless I help.”

Now the courier frowned. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, tilting his head. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Yes, I—” Rarity paused and swallowed. “My apologies. I must have misheard you over the rain.” Suddenly, she realized that the rain had stopped sometime during the reading of Luna’s letter. “Odd weather, wouldn’t you agree? Anyway, you may tell Princess Luna that I gratefully accept her request, and will see her tomorrow after noon.”

“Right,” he said slowly, holding out a smaller piece of paper which Rarity accepted. “Here are the measurements and other details.” The rolled-up parchment disappeared into its tube. “I’ll inform Her Majesty of your answer.” Without another word, he opened the door and darted out.

“Hmph,” Rarity said, glancing after him. “Some ponies have no manners at all. He could have at least thanked me for my hospitality.” She turned and examined the messy room. “I suppose I should get started now, if I want to finish Princess Luna’s order on time.” As she carried the tub full of now-cold water outside to empty it, her mind wandered back to what the courier had said.

I’m certain I didn’t mishear him, she thought. Back inside, she gathered up the wet towel and empty glass and took them into the kitchen. But why would he say the world is ending? Perhaps it was a joke he likes to play. Yes, that’s probably it. She pranced upstairs to her workroom, where she gathered a number of materials before glancing at the complex instructions Luna had provided. This is going to take a while.

The courier’s odd words forgotten, Rarity focused herself wholly on the task of dressing a princess.

Three hours and two pots of coffee later, Rarity still remained confined to her workroom, slaving over Luna’s order. Her tongue stuck out at an odd angle as her pencil wildly scribbled figures onto a diagram. On a nearby mannequin, something vaguely resembling a dress had begun to come together. Bolts of dark blue and purple cloth draped over each other, with strips of black to provide accent.

Because it was summer, the sun still had yet to set. It spread a peach hue across the western horizon, giving no indication that only a few hours before, the sky had been hidden by a violent storm. Rarity flinched as a ray of sunlight reflected off of a diamond and into her eye.

“Yes,” she murmured. She checked her diagram for a moment before she nodded in satisfaction. “Yes, this looks to be about right.” A pair of scissors, held aloft by her magic, floated over. She glanced at the clock. If I skip dinner and stay up all night, I can be finished by early morning. Then, assuming that I can catch the ten o’clock train to Canterlot—

“Rarity, help us,” someone whispered into her ear. Rarity shrieked and spun in place, only to once again find nobody there. She was completely alone.

“This is—this is ridiculous,” she said, holding a hoof to her heaving breast. “Are my nerves really so strained?” She gave her heart a moment to slow before taking the scissors and trotting to the mannequin. “I must remain focused. I must!”

She groaned when she heard the downstairs bell chime.

“Rarity, are you here?” a voice shouted up. “It’s Twilight!”

“I’m in my workshop, dear!” Rarity shouted back, not turning away from her work. She began to cut slowly and precisely. “Come on up!”

Within seconds, the workshop door opened the whole way and Twilight Sparkle walked through. “Rarity, I need to—” She paused and glanced back. “Come on, Meri, it’s alright! She won’t bite you!” Another pony stood out in the corridor, but didn’t enter the room.

“Of course not, dear,” Rarity said distractedly. She continued to cut the fabric.

“As I was saying,” Twilight said, turning back to face Rarity, “I wanted to talk with you for a bit.”

“Of course, dear.” Rarity glanced at her diagram for a moment before she returned to her cutting.

Twilight frowned. “Er… okay. I’m going away for a few days on a research trip, so I just wanted to let all of my friends know.”

“Have fun, dear,” Rarity said with her gaze still fixed on her work.

“Well, it’s more of a practical trip,” Twilight said. “Merigold, here—” She gestured to the pony in the corridor “—is going with me to help out. C’mon in, Meri!” Merigold didn’t respond.

“That’s nice, dear,” Rarity said, taking a quick mouthful of coffee.

Twilight glanced at the coffee mug and made a face. “Are you still drinking that stuff? Isn’t it supposed to be terrible for you?”

“That stuff?” For the first time, Rarity looked into Twilight’s face. “Twilight, that stuff is premium Griffonian coffee, hoof-ground by myself and brewed to perfection. Just because most ponies don’t care for it does not mean it is anything short of delightful.” She slowly and purposefully took another sip. “Besides, it helps my focus.”

“Focus with what?” Twilight asked. She pranced over to inspect Rarity’s workbench. “Do you have a big order? I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“I hate to act rudely, darling, but I do in fact have a very, very important dress that I must finish as soon as possible.” Rarity frantically scribbled notes onto her diagram. “Princess Luna herself has hired my services, and I simply cannot let her have anything but my very best.”

“Rarity, that’s fantastic!” Twilight gushed, clapping her hooves together.

“Yes, I quite agree,” Rarity said with a light smile. “However, she requires the dress by tomorrow afternoon, and I only just found out about it today.”

“Well, then…” Twilight cleared her throat and turned to the door. “I—I guess I shouldn’t distract you, then.”

Rarity reached out to put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “I do appreciate it, dear. I promise, next time you come by I’ll have the time for you. And if I don’t, I’ll make the time.”

“Thanks,” Twilight said over her shoulder. She walked to the door but stopped before leaving. “Oh, right! One last thing—if any of you girls need me for something really important, I left Spike with Applejack.”

“Understood,” said Rarity, who had already returned to her work. Her eyes remained fixed on the dress’s diagram. “Goodbye, darling.” The door closed, and Rarity glanced up at last to see that she was once more alone. She put a hoof to her chin. “Perhaps I should have offered her something to eat.”

Through the window, the sun touched the horizon.

At long last, with the moon at its zenith, Rarity leaned backwards and examined the result of her toils. Princess Luna’s dress, in all of its majestic glory, adorned its mannequin.

“Hmm…” Rarity glanced at the list that Luna had provided just to make sure that she didn’t miss anything. “This appears to be in order.” On the wall, a clock chimed as the hour hand struck three. “And I do believe that a short nap appears to be in order, as well.” She laid her head on her workbench, closed her eyes, and—

“Has anypony ever told you you’re adorable when you’re sleepy?” asked a voice.

With a shriek, Rarity fell off of her stool and banged her head on the workbench’s edge. “Ow!” she cried, rubbing the injured area. She opened her eyes with the full expectation that she had once again imagined the voice. Thus, it was to her surprise that she found herself looking into a stallion’s frowning expression.

“I guess not,” he answered himself. On his head he wore a bowler hat, which he tipped in her direction.

“Wh-who are you?” Rarity demanded. She pushed herself upright, holding onto the workbench to steady herself. “Why are you in my boutique?”

“Hello to you, too,” he said. He picked up Rarity’s mug of cold coffee and drained it in one swig. “Blech, how do you drink this swill?” He shook his head in disgust.

Rarity’s legs finally stopped shaking. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave—”

“Relax, I’m here for a good cause.” He threw the mug over his shoulder, and it shattered against the wall. “You can call me Hay Budget.”

“That doesn’t—” Rarity’s voice caught in her throat. “That was my favorite mug, I’ll have you know! And I’m terribly sorry, but what kind of odd name is Hay Budget?”

Hay’s eyes narrowed. “The name of a guy that isn’t judging others,” he snarled. “I’ve got something kind of important to tell ya, but if you’re going to be rude—”

“I beg your pardon!” Rarity said. “You have the nerve to trespass in my home, break my things, and then accuse me of being rude?” She sighed and rubbed her temples. “Mr. Budget, I am afraid that I must ask you to leave.”

“Now, just hold on a second,” he said, holding a hoof out towards her.

Rarity’s scowl deepened. “Do not make me repeat myself!”

“If you would just listen—”

“I will not!” she said. She butted his side and pushed him towards the door. “If you have something to say, then come back in the daylight like a respectable pony!”

Hay stumbled, nearly falling on his face. “I’m trying to tell you that the world’s gonna be destroyed!”

“I said—” His words registered and Rarity quickly stepped away. For a long moment, heavy silence floated between them. “I’m sorry,” she finally said, “but could you repeat—”

“I know I didn’t stutter,” he snapped. He scratched under his bowler hat, and Rarity could see that it hid a unicorn’s horn. “The world is ending. It’s a simple concept.”

“But—I—” Rarity fought to speak clearly. “How do you expect me to believe that? Nopony in their right mind would!”

Hay Budget sighed. “Look, do whatever you want with the information. I came, I saw, I told.” He walked over to the window and glanced out. Rarity noted that he had a limp in his right foreleg.

“This is preposterous,” she said to his back. “The world ending, simply like that? I won't believe that until I see some proof.”

He glanced back at her and smiled widely. "You want proof, eh?" Unnaturally white teeth glinted in the moonlight. “Oh, I think we’re gonna get along real well,” he said in a soft voice. “I gave you the news, and you can do with it as you will. I think I’ll be seeing you again very soon, though.” A chittering laugh burst forth from his lips.

Rarity frowned. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

“Catch ya in the next life,” he said, waving farewell.

“Now hold on,” Rarity said as she reached out—

—and lifted her head from the workbench, where she had dozed off. She blinked dazedly in the sunlight streaming in through window.

“Hay Budget?” she asked, voice thick with fatigue. Nobody else was in the room with her. At the back of the bench, her mug sat half-full with cold coffee. She recalled Hay Budget tossing it over his shoulder and shattering it on the wall. “Just a dream.” She yawned so loudly that her jaw cracked.

Rarity ambled into the hallway and into her washroom, where she planted herself before the mirror. She licked her lips as bleary eyes gazed into the mirror.

Eyes that shot open as soon as she saw the image that stared back.

Her shriek echoed off of the walls and startled a flock of birds into flight from a tree right outside. “No, no, no!” she cried, grabbing her mane and examining it closely. “It’s impossible! It cannot be! It simply cannot!” However, after another moment’s inspection, she fell backwards and put a hoof to her forehead. “It is! Oh, why must these things happen to me? Why me? Why?” The last word came out as a garbled sob.

Hanging down across her forehead, for all the world to see, was a lock of hair, nearly half of which had split-ends.

It was a scowling Rarity that stared out the train’s window as the scenery blew by. The sunny weather had disappeared, replaced by gray clouds that grew darker by the minute. Small sprays of mist fell, but nothing that could be considered stormy. At least, not yet.

I do hope that Twilight didn’t have to travel in the rain, she thought. I should have asked her where she planned to conduct her research. I’ll make certain to show plenty of interest in it next time I see her.

Rarity had ended up sleeping later than she intended to, and just barely caught the ten o’clock to Canterlot. Unfortunately, this had left little time for her to prepare herself, other than stowing Luna’s dress in a garment bag. As for her mane, the most she had managed to achieve was wrapping a scarf around her head in order to hide her shame. She hadn’t even had time to set up an appointment with her hair-dresser, followed by a well-deserved visit to the spa.

Her lips blew a most-unladylike raspberry as she propped her head on a forehoof and tried to stay awake. Coffee, she thought idly. I must find coffee before I meet Luna.

“Is it getting ready to storm again?” a mare from the seat behind Rarity asked. “It was sunny just an hour ago!”

“When is the weather going to settle down?” her stallion companion answered. “You know, I’ve heard that there’s been flooding in Manehatten and Baltimare. I heard Princess Celestia herself went up there to help with relief efforts”

Rarity’s ears pricked up.

“It’s like the weather teams have lost control,” the mare continued. Rarity craned her head so that she could eavesdrop more effectively.

“Rarity,” the stallion said, “if you don’t do something, everything will be gone.”

Her blood chilled as she twisted in her seat and glanced back. “I’m—I’m sorry, but were you talking to me?”

“No, I’m speaking with my wife,” said the stallion, who cocked an eyebrow at her. “Do we know each other?”

“No, of course not,” Rarity said with a nervous laugh. “I’m afraid my head is in the clouds. Please forget that I said anything.” She quickly settled herself back into place.

A chime sounded over the car’s intercom. “Attention, passengers,” a pleasant voice said, “we are approaching Canterlot Station. All disembarking passengers, please be prepared to offload the train. It’s the end of the world unless Rarity does something about it.”

“Oh, you must have heard that!” Rarity said, once again turning back to face the couple behind her. “About the end of the world! I’m certain I didn’t imagine it!”

The mare frowned. “I’m sure I do not know what you’re talking about.”

“If you will excuse us,” her husband said, “we need to prepare to get off.” He kept his eyes fixed on Rarity until she glanced away.

This day cannot get any worse, Rarity thought as she gathered her belongings. The train began to slow. I missed my beauty sleep, I had no time to prepare myself, my mane is simply ruined, and now I’m hearing things.

The train rolled into the station and, with one final hiss, came to a complete stop. Rarity shuffled out onto the platform in the midst of a crowd. Canterlot Castle loomed overhead, appearing for all the world as a sentry watching over the entire city. Rarity sighed and went to find a taxi, hopefully before the heavens opened up and proved to her that there was indeed plenty of room for her day to worsen.

By the time she managed to arrange transportation in a particularly rickety carriage, noon had come and gone with nary a tea shop to be found. As the taxi trundled up the hill towards the castle, her head lolled on her shoulders while she fought to maintain consciousness. Fortunately, the cobblestone road was uneven enough that the sudden bumps and drops kept her awake.

At long last, Rarity arrived at Canterlot Castle. She handed twenty bits to the carriage driver and, hefting the garment bag, trotted up to the front gates, which stood open. One of the two sentries standing guard glanced at her.

“Welcome to Canterlot Castle,” he said in a bored tone. “What business do you have here?”

“Oh, well, you see—” Rarity coughed to clear her throat. “My name is Rarity. I believe Princess Luna is expecting me for—”

“Right, the dress-maker,” the other guard said with a knowing expression. “Her Majesty made sure that all of the guards knew you were coming.”

“Is that right?” Rarity said, chuckling nervously. “Well, perhaps you could take me… to see her?”

“Sure,” the first guard said. He turned around and cupped his forehooves around his mouth. “Hey, Piddles! Are you in there?”

The pounding of hooves heralded the arrival of another guard, this one much smaller than the others. His armor didn’t fit nearly as snugly. “Sirs!” he said, snapping a smart salute.

“Newblood, take this refined unicorn up to have audience with Princess Luna,” the first guard said. He waved a hoof in Rarity’s general direction.

“Oh!” Piddles said as he turned his attention to Rarity. “Are you Miss Rarity, then? The dressmaker?”

“Er, yes, I am,” Rarity said uneasily. She shifted her weight from hoof to hoof. “If it’s all the same, I do need to see the princess…”

“Ah! Right!” Piddles spun on his hind legs and marched towards the castle. “This way, please!”

As she followed young Piddles, Rarity’s gaze roamed the walls of the palace. Tapestries hung everywhere. One depicted Luna’s return, while another showed Twilight’s coronation. Rarity recognized a third, which exhibited the marriage of Shining Armor and Princess Cadance. On the bottom of the tapestry, ornate golden letters read, The world is counting on you, Rarity. Next along the wall was—

Rarity shook her head and re-read the words. “When love conquered the darkness,” she mumbled.

In the back of her mind, she heard Hay Budget say, “The world is ending. It’s a simple concept.” She even heard his high-pitched laugh—

Except he isn’t real, she thought firmly. Rarity, you are tired and stressed. Absolutely nothing bad is going to happen. Aside from your mane, of course. Oh, my poor mane—

“Um, Miss Rarity?” Piddles’ nervous tone brought Rarity back to the present. She stood fixed in place in front of the tapestry. “Her Majesty is waiting.”

“I apologize,” Rarity said, falling back into step behind him. “Lead the way.”

The rest of the trek to Luna’s private meeting chambers was less thrilling. Twice, Rarity found herself nodding off, only to stumble and nearly plant her face in the marble floor. Fortunately for her, Piddles was either oblivious to her embarrassment or too much of a gentlecolt to mention it.

At long last they halted in front of an ornate wooden door. “I will now announce you to Her Majesty!” Piddles said. He opened the door, walked in, and threw a salute that clattered against his helm, knocking it askew. “Your Majesty, I present the honorable Miss. Rarity!” His voice echoed on the inside of the turned-around helmet.

Rarity took a deep breath and pranced inside.

She had been expecting an ornate room. Maybe a red carpet, but definitely a throne. Instead, what she saw was a small square table with a lavish meal laid upon it. At the table sat Princess Luna, who immediately straightened on her stool.

“Thank you, guard,” she said as she stood to acknowledge her guest. “You may leave us.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Piddles saluted once more, which only spun his helm even further around, and exited the room.

Rarity watched him depart, then turned to the table. “H-hello, Princess Luna,” she said as she fought the urge to yawn, “as you may know, I am Rarity—”

“Yes. Rarity. I do know.” Luna’s jawline firmed and she looked Rarity in the eyes. “Thank you for agreeing to help me, and for coming all this way.”

“It’s truly no problem, Princess,” Rarity said with a slight bow. She stiffened when a rich, familiar aroma drifted under her nose.

“I took the liberty of having this small repast prepared,” Luna said, picking up a mug in front of her and sipping from it delicately. “Normally I sleep at this hour, but I was feeling a bit… peckish. However, if you have already eaten—”

“Is that coffee?” Rarity’s gaze had fixed on a steaming ceramic pot at Luna’s elbow.

“Er, yes.” Luna took a deep breath and swayed slightly. “I realize that it likely disgusts you, but it helps me maintain my wits when fatigued.”

“Disgusts me?” Rarity said. She fixed Luna with a confused expression. “Why would it disgust me? Coffee is the greatest thing to come from Griffonia since griffon-feather pillows.”

Luna leaned forward, wide-eyed and smiling. “Truly?” She lifted the pot towards Rarity. “I just assumed. Everypony else I know in the castle detests it. Please, do have some.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said, dropping onto the stool. She filled her mug to the top, then took a deep drink. “Oh, my, that is good.” Warmth blossomed in her stomach and she immediately felt cheerier, even though the caffeine had yet to take effect.

A crooked smile appeared on Luna’s face. “You are the first I have met that thinks so.” She sipped lightly from her own cup. “I convinced my sister to try some a month ago. She accused me of attempting to poison her.”

“Some ponies just cannot recognize quality,” Rarity said. She gasped and raised a hoof to her mouth. “No offense to Princess Celestia, of course. I will admit to not enjoying the flavor at first, but after a little while—”

“—it grows on you!” Luna finished, nodding sagely. Suddenly, a loud rumble ripped through the air.

“What was that?” Rarity asked as she glanced around. “It didn’t quite sound like thunder.”

Luna scratched the back of her head and chuckled softly. “That, ah…” She cleared her throat. “That may have been my stomach.” Another similar rumble bubbled forth. “Please, help yourself to whatever you wish.” Her hoof reached out to snag a plate of eggs.

Despite her hunger pangs, Rarity resisted the urge to gorge herself. It wouldn’t do to make a bad impression on Luna, after all, she thought as she daintily spread jam on a slice of toast. No, slow and steady wins the race.

Apparently, Luna had no such qualms. She piled her plate high with eggs and hay bacon before adding a liberal dousing of maple syrup.

“So, Princess,” Rarity said slowly, cautiously eying Luna’s meal, “have you had a pleasant day so far?” She almost blanched when Luna stuffed two eggs into her mouth and swallowed.

“As pleasant as can be expected,” Luna answered. She took a large swig of coffee. “I have actually been quite looking forward to this.”

“Beg—beg pardon?” Rarity managed to tear her gaze away from a smear of ketchup on Luna’s cheek..

“Not often do I get to enjoy the liberty of having a leisurely meal with somepony else,” Luna said. Already, she had finished all of the eggs and started on the toast. “Nor do I have frequent opportunities to engage in small talk.” She finally noticed Rarity’s expression and frowned. “Is something the matter?”

“No, of course not!” Rarity said through clenched teeth. Her eyes darted back and forth between Luna’s face and a brown splotch of syrup on the tablecloth. “I’m sure that’ll come right out!”

Luna glanced at the mess in front of her and grimaced. “I, ah, suppose it shall.”

A few minutes passed in relative silence. Rarity smiled when she saw that Luna had slowed her pace. “How fares your sister?” she asked at last.

The remainder of the meal passed quickly. Rarity was constantly amazed at Luna’s ability to eat and hold conversation at the same time. The talk drifted back and forth, moving between princessly duties, Manehattan fashions, and life in Ponyville, among other things. Partway through, a violent storm struck, only to blow itself out moments later.

Finally, Luna sat back and sighed in satisfaction. “I hope the food was to your liking,” she said, rubbing her stomach.

“It was delicious,” Rarity said. Her gaze fixed on Luna, and her brow furrowed. “Tell me, Princess—”

“I would prefer if you called me Luna,” Luna said. She sat forward with a groan. “I believe we are acquainted well enough at this point, would you not agree?”

“I could never do that!” Rarity said as her eyes widened. She put a hoof to her mouth. “It wouldn’t be proper! No, that’s simply—” Luna’s scowl cut her off. “Very well, Luna it is.”

The scowl immediately disappeared, replaced by a wide smile. “Wonderful! Now, what was it that you wanted to say?”

“I just wanted to thank you for the delicious meal.” Rarity drained the last of her coffee. “You truly know how to make a mare feel welcome.”

Luna’s eyes lit up. “Honestly?” Rarity nodded. “I am glad to hear it. I had feared that this might have been too much, considering we never truly met before.”

“No, you have done nothing but make me feel welcome,” Rarity said, reaching out and patting Luna’s hoof. “I’ve always been one for grandiose gestures, and this wonderful spread certainly counts.”

“Thank goodness.” Luna sighed loudly. “I did not ruin it.”

“Er, ruin what?” Rarity asked. She tilted her head to the side.

Luna covered her mouth with both hooves. “I, ah—” Her eyes darted from side to side. “I suppose I should tell you. You see, my sister always tells me to interact more with other ponies, so I might have invited you here for… that reason…”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Rarity said, laughing. “You needed the dress anyway, so I would have had to come here even if you didn’t plan to entertain me! In the end, it all worked out.” When no response came forth, her laughter faded. “You… did need the dress, yes?”

“I maybe already had one available,” Luna said. She poked her forehooves together repeatedly.

For a long moment, Rarity did not move. “So you are telling me that I stayed up all night slaving over my workbench—” A scowl slowly spread across her face “—and got absolutely no sleep just so you could have social interaction?”

Luna flinched. “That is not wholly true! I—I have wanted to meet you for a while! Twilight Sparkle always speaks quite well of you and tells me that we would get along splendidly!” Her face fell. “Or, we would get along splendidly had I not completely ignored the burden I placed on you.”

“You—you—” Rarity felt the heat recede from her face. “That—you truly have a lot to learn.” She fell backwards, suddenly drained. “As angry as I am, I cannot help but feel flattered at the effort you put into this just for me. And I must admit that I have wanted to meet the mysterious Princess Luna ever since the other girls met you last Nightmare Night while I handed out candy at home.”

“I expected more anger,” Luna said as she raised her chin. “Honestly, I am not sure why you have not left yet.”

“I suspect it’s because Twilight was right, as she always is,” Rarity said, allowing a tired smile to appear. “I cannot say that I did not enjoy this time—sleep deprivation notwithstanding, of course.”

“Very well!” Rarity shrieked when Luna slammed a hoof down on the table. All of the plates jumped, and one bowl nearly fell to the floor. “I have decided how to express my apologies best. Twilight Sparkle told me of your fondness for high society, so you shall accompany me to tonight’s ball in honor of Bridle’s Comet.”

Rarity’s jaw dropped open. Unconsciously, she brought a hoof up to rub at her frayed mane, still hidden under the scarf.

“Well?” Luna asked, leaning forward. “Will you accept?”

Rarity wanted to ask what she would wear. She wanted to explain how her ruined mane made it impossible for her to appear in public. She wanted to say that she desperately needed sleep, and staying awake in order to view a comet would not do anything to that end. Perhaps all three of those things came together and mingled into her actual response.

“What?”

“Is this alright?”

“Of course it is.”

“How is my mane? Can you see the split ends?”

“You hid them well.”

Rarity and Luna walked up a spiral staircase, on their way to the ballroom from which the viewing would take place.

“Are you absolutely sure this is alright?” Rarity asked, tugging at her silver dress’s neckline. “I mean, I am grateful for the gift, but—”

They reached the top of the staircase and entered a short hallway. “Of course it is alright,” Luna answered. A pair of guards snapped to attention as the two mares meandered by. “I outgrew that dress long ago, and you have shown me enough generosity to deserve further recompense. Besides, ‘twould be poor form indeed for me to invite you without making certain that you have appropriate attire.”

Rarity poked at her mane to make certain that it remained wrapped around her head. “I suppose this is true. I do have plenty of fashionable wear at home, though, so I couldn’t possibly keep it—”

“It brings out the color in your eyes,” Luna continued. A blush, barely noticeable against her dark coat, appeared on her cheeks.

“I—you—” Rarity’s face heated at the unexpected compliment. “Thank you, Luna. And I am glad that you like your dress.”

Luna glanced down at the purple-and-black number that she wore. “To be frank, I have never seen a better made dress in my entire life.” She struck a pose, then laughed into her hoof.

Rarity quickly looked away from Luna’s leg, which had clearly displayed itself through the slit in her dress. Perhaps I should have used a more conservative design. “Well, again, thank you.”

“Think nothing of it.” They approached a large pair of doors with a guard on either side. The guards bowed and pushed the doors open.

Rarity couldn’t help but gasp as she followed Luna into the massive room beyond.

The entire floor was made up of dark granite tiles that seemed to absorb all traces of light that the blue-flamed torches on the wall emitted. Columns made of crystal stretched all the way to the ceiling, which was composed entirely of glass. On a clear night, all of the heavens could be seen from this hall.

Unfortunately, at that particular moment, thick clouds hung in the sky, preventing what would have otherwise been a majestic panorama. Rarity sighed in disappointment and glanced across the room, where a massive… something, at least twice a normal pony’s height, sat hidden under a cloth. Beside it a small podium had been set up.

“‘Tis unfortunate that nature obscures the view,” Luna noted, directing Rarity’s attention back to the ceiling. She turned and plodded to one of many tables laden with beverages and hors d'oeuvres. “The royal astrologists promised a sight unlike any seen before.”

“What makes this comet so particularly interesting?” Rarity asked, cocking her head.

Everybody they passed bowed to Luna, who answered each with a nod. “A joint effort between the astrologists and a team of physicists produced a machine, by which a unicorn might manipulate celestial objects, much like how my sister and I do so.” They came up alongside a refreshment table.

“So they are using this machine to do… what?” She watched as a trio of cheese squares disappeared into Luna’s maw.

Luna swallowed heavily. “They plan to alter the Bridle Comet’s path so that it passes closer to Equestria and provides a more magnificent spectacle,” she said, reaching out for a plate and piling it high with cheese and crackers. “I admit, never before have I considered doing such a thing. If the pegasus weather team can clear these clouds in time, the sight should be magnificent.”

A waiter passed by with a tray of champagne glasses balanced on his back, and Rarity reached out to take one. “I may be mistaken, but doesn’t that seem a bit… dangerous?” She took a small sip of wine.

“I do not believe so,” Luna said through a mouthful of food. She caught Rarity’s disapproving glare and pointedly slowed her pace. “Apologies. I have personally examined their data, as has a number of other prominent scientists. All found the research to be sound.”

“Well, I suppose if you say so then it must be true,” Rarity said softly. “I hope it’s true.”

“The world is ending,” she heard Hay Budget whisper again in the back of her thoughts. “It’s a simple concept.”

“Mares and gentlecolts,” a voice called out, “may I have your attention?” A stallion had climbed the podium and cleared his throat. “In a few moments we will begin the demonstration, but first I would like to say a few words.”

Luna sighed and placed her plate on a nearby table.

“I shall begin by thanking our contributors, without whom none of this would be possible,” the stallion continued, tugging at his bowtie. “In particular, thank you to Princess Luna, whose support was invaluable. Thank you, Princess.”

Light applause danced around the room as Luna gave a solemn wave. She remained straight-faced, despite the faint blush that only Rarity could see.

“Next I would like to—” A mare wearing thick glasses tapped the stallion’s shoulder from behind and whispered a few words in his ear. He nodded before returning to his audience. “Everypony, my colleague informs me that the time has come.” He reached out and yanked the cloth, revealing a large machine that resembled nothing so much as a telescope.

Both he and the mare took up position at the machine’s base. He began to fiddle with a series of levers while his partner continuously glanced through a small lens.

“If the clouds clear within the next few seconds, we will have a perfect view,” the stallion said while he worked.

As Rarity watched them work, an odd feeling of dread blossomed in her gut. Her weight shifted back and forth while she fought to find a comfortable position to stand in. She gulped down the rest of her champagne, then blushed and looked around to see if anybody had noticed. She found Luna staring back at her.

“Are you well?” Luna asked, putting a hoof on Rarity’s back. “Is something wrong?”

“Honestly, I’m not certain,” Rarity said. She scanned the room for another waiter bearing drinks, but none showed themselves. “This feels—”

Suddenly, a cacophony of voices filled the room as everybody’s eyes turned upwards. The clouds had finally begun to dissipate, and a bright glow shone through the quickly vanishing cover.

“The moon is beautiful tonight,” said a nearby noble, turning her eyes towards Luna.

However, Luna paid the noble no mind. Her attention had focused wholly on the sky. “The moon cannot have risen that far yet,” she said faintly. “That—it must be Bridle's Comet.”

Rarity’s sense of dread grew stronger, sitting heavily in her gut. “What—what do you mean? It shouldn’t be so close, should it?” The cloud cover vanished entirely. The glow belonged to a large blue-white sphere that slowly grew larger and larger.

“You were right to doubt,” Luna said. She straightened her posture and flared her wings. “Everypony take cover!” Her horn flared brightly and a blue translucent barrier covered the entire room. To the scientists, she shouted, “Can you divert its path?”

“We’re trying!” the stallion yelled back, frantically working the machine.

The comet had nearly blocked out all view of the sky as it approached. Its shadow covered all of Canterlot.

“The world is ending. It’s a simple concept.”

“Stop saying that!” Rarity snapped before she remembered that Hay Budget wasn’t real. But if I had listened…

The ponies in the room began to panic, but it was clear from Luna’s expression that nothing could be done. Still, she maintained her magical barrier. Rarity patted her consolingly on the back.

A moment later, Rarity’s vision disappeared in a blinding white flash before everything went black.

That Wasn't So Hard

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Neverending nothingness. The black, empty void stretched out before Rarity’s eyes.

“H-hello?” she said into stale air. The oppressive darkness swallowed the word, not offering even a hint of an echo. “Can anypony hear me?”

When no response came forth, Rarity twisted her head around in search of something, anything. She waved her hoof in front of her face, but couldn’t even see that. Then she gasped when, upon bringing her hoof back down, she trod on something warm and squishy. Something that groaned in response to the contact.

A circle of light suddenly burst into being, lighting up Rarity and allowing her vision of what she had stepped on. Or, rather, whom she had stepped on.

“Pinkie Pie!” she exclaimed, dropping to cradle the prone Pinkie Pie’s head. “Darling, speak to me! What happened to you? Where are we?”

Pinkie lay on her back with legs splayed out. “I don’t feel too good,” she said with another groan. “I think I ate too many cookies. Mrs. Cake even warned me about this...”

Pinkie’s stomach gurgled and Rarity saw that it bulged alarmingly. Despite the strange environment and all the questions burning in her mind, one seemed far more important to Rarity than the rest. “For Heaven’s sake, how many cookies did you—”

She was cut off by a loud clang, which heralded the appearance of another large beam of light. It fell a few meters away and illuminated a group of ponies. After a moment’s confusion, Rarity recognized them as Princesses Twilight, Luna, Celestia, and Cadance. She frowned when she noticed a moment later that each wore a voluminous toga and bore a crown of laurels in her mane.

“Twilight?” she said slowly, tentatively lifting a hoof in their direction. “Luna?” Her eyes widened when they began to sing in pure, lilting voices.

“She of the Gems, consider this poor mare,” the princesses sang in unison. As one, they pointed at Pinkie. “Who received warning true and well thought out, yet in the end that warning did not heed.”

Rarity let her hoof drop. “Dear—er, Your Majesties, why are you singing?”

“Preferred she blissful ignorance rather than harsh, unpleasant truth,” Twilight and Celestia continued, followed by Luna and Cadance, who sang, “and thus does reap her just rewards.”

As if to punctuate their line, Pinkie belched loudly.

Rarity grimaced and covered her nose. “You must explain it better than that. What does this have to do with anything?”

“Be ever vigilant and foster not complacency,” they sang, “lest you doom us all to oblivion.” On that note, their forms vanished upwards and into nothingness.

“Well, that was certainly odd,” Rarity said, uncovering her face and glancing down. “Pinkie, have you any idea—” Her eyes widened when she saw that Pinkie, too, had disappeared. “What in the world is happening here?”

“They all ask that,” said a voice, bringing Rarity’s head up quickly. “Well, the sane ones do, at least.” In the spotlight that had originally illuminated the princesses stood a stallion wearing a bowler hat.

“You’re…” Rarity frowned and tapped her forehead. “Straw Bucket?”

“It’s Hay Budget,” he said dryly.

“Yes, of course,” Rarity said with a loud sigh. “How could I forget?”

“I dunno, how could you?” Hay shot back before shaking his head. “What was that about princesses, by the way?”

“You didn’t see them?” she asked, head tilted. “Pinkie sat right before me! They were here only seconds ago.”

Hay raised a dubious eyebrow. “Uh, no. They really weren’t. Maybe you’re letting the stress get to you.”

“I am not!” Rarity said in an indignant voice. “I will have you know that I have never been so composed in all my—”

“Yeah, you’re the perfect model of serenity.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’m not here to argue with a crazy mare about make-believe princesses.”

“Pray tell, then, would you be here to tell me what the hay is going on?” She stomped angrily with the last word. “I am sick and tired of being yanked around! First I thought you were a dream, and then I end up here with Pinkie Pie sick at my hooves and a chorus of princesses—who were here, mind you—giving me cryptic warnings! If this isn’t a dream, then I demand to know what is happening!”

“Oh, you’re definitely dreaming,” Hay said, chuckling into his hoof. “This is the easiest way for me to chat with you, is all.”

Rarity fell back slightly. “O-oh. W-well, um—” She resumed her scowl and strode forward. The spotlight tracked her the whole way until she stood directly in front of Hay. “That doesn’t explain what you want!”

“Before I tell you that, do you remember what you were doing before you, ah, fell asleep?” he asked, tipping his bowler hat in her direction. “Don’t think too hard, though. Wouldn’t want to hurt that pretty little brain of yours.”

“I shall elect to allow that uncouth comment to slide for now,” Rarity said primly. “As for what I was doing, well, I was—” An image of a bright light approaching suddenly flashed through her memory. “I was… Oh, dear.” She saw Luna shouting and covering the entire ballroom with a shield spell. She saw certain death approaching from on high. “The comet! Is everypony okay? What happened to—”

“When the comet hit, everyone died,” Hay said, all levity gone from his expression. “You, included.”

“E-everyone?” Rarity stammered. She grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. “But—but that makes no sense! If I died, then what am I doing here?”

Instead of answering, Hay glanced poignantly at the hooves that gripped him. Rarity snatched them back. “Don’t touch me,” he said softly. “Never touch me.”

“My apologies,” she said with a cough. An awkward silence descended. Finally, Rarity said, “So, what am I doing here?”

“You are getting a second chance to make things right, courtesy of my benevolence,” Hay said, still glaring at her. “Do with it as you will. Perhaps, if you show promise, we’ll meet each other again when this is over.”

“I do not understand what you—” Rarity gasped as she began to dissipate from the hooves up. “Wait, stop!”

He waved, then stood and turned away. “Ta-ta for now.”

“What did you mean by ‘second chance’?” she cried. “Please tell me—”

As though teleported, Rarity suddenly found herself at her workbench in Carousel Boutique. She pushed off heavily and flailed, falling backwards and slamming her head on the floor. She lay there groaning as rays of sunlight pushed past the curtains and illuminated the room. The mannequin that bore Luna’s dress stood in the corner.

“A dream?” Rarity mumbled through numb lips. She clambered up and yawned. “That was....a dream. But it felt so very real.” Stumbling twice on the way, Rarity shambled into the bathroom and yawned again. “Well, at least none of that nonsense actually happened. And without a doubt the best part—” She tousled her mane and glanced in the mirror “—my mane is still as pristine as eveeyaahahaha!”

Where before only a few hairs had been split at the end, now an entire clump of her mane had begun to fray.

The workshop door slammed open as Rarity stormed through and marched right over to Luna’s dress. “That is the dress I just finished,” she said. “If that wasn’t a dream, then this wouldn’t still be here! Right?” Her gaze turned to the desk and the mug of cold coffee upon it. “And this is the coffee I drank last night. What is going on?” The last sentence came out as a barely intelligible shriek.

As Rarity stood there, chest heaving, the clock on the wall chimed and drew her attention. It read nine forty-five. She frowned and looked at Luna’s dress, then back to the clock, then again at the dress, then one last time at the clock before it finally hit her. The scream died in her throat almost as soon as it began.

Three minutes later saw Rarity, dress in tow, thundering through town towards the train station. “Late, late, late!” she muttered over and over again.

In the time it took her to gather her things and get outside, a thick spread of grey clouds had appeared and blanketed the sky. Thunder rumbled through the air, still distant, and the clouds flashed with lightning. Rarity glanced upward and frowned.

“Don’t you dare!” she yelled at the stormclouds. “Stay up there! Shoo!”

A strong wind tore at her mane as Rarity continued her madcap dash to the train station. At last, she rounded a corner and caught sight of her destination. A whistle blew, indicating that a train was preparing to leave and urging Rarity into one final burst of speed. She bounded up to the ticket booth by the tracks and slammed a cluster of bits onto the counter.

“One ticket—to Canterlot,” she gasped, fighting for breath. She shifted the garment bag on her back into a more comfortable position.

The stallion running the booth peered down with beady eyes. “The ten o’clock to Canterlot?”

“Yes, the ten o’clock!” Rarity said, frantically waving a hoof at the train. “Do hurry, please!”

"Do you mean the ten AM or the ten PM—"

"I mean the one that is about to leave!" she nearly screamed.

"No need to yell, ma'am." He arched his eyebrows and, as Rarity's gaze darted back and forth between him and the train, slowly— agonizingly slowly—tore off a ticket. “Ten bits, plea—”

Rarity snatched it from him and tore off down the platform. “Money’s on the counter,” she shouted back over her shoulder. “Keep the change!” Fat drops of rain had started to fall. The attendant rolled his eyes and went back to his newspaper.

Just as Rarity darted into one of the cars, the rain picked up and the heavens unloaded. She sighed and brushed a sheen of sweat from her forehead before dropping into a nearby seat. No sooner had she sat than the whistle blew again and the train started to pull out of the station.

For the first time since she had awoken, Rarity had a chance to simply think. It feels as though I’ve done this already. She stretched her legs and settled in for the ride. The storm had already blown over, letting the sun poke through a hole in the clouds. It was such an oddly prophetic dream—oh, ponyfeathers, I forgot to bring a scarf. She examined her reflection in the window for a moment before she laid her head between her legs. Now everypony can see my awful mane.

As the train sped towards Canterlot, Rarity thought to catch a few minutes’ sleep. However, she couldn’t stop her mind from whirling in circles whenever she closed her eyes, so she settled with staring out the window.

Half an hour into the trip, clouds once more threatened to block out the sun, and Rarity’s sense of deja vu surged forth. This is exactly like the dream, she thought with a frown. What if— She chuckled and toyed with her mane. Rarity, you cannot let a silly nightmare affect you so. It’s mere coincidence, and nothing more.

“Is it getting ready to rain again?” a mare’s voice from behind her said. Rarity felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. The voice continued, “It was sunny just five minutes ago!”

Wide-eyed, Rarity slowly rose and turned to look behind her, where sat a mare and stallion. A very familiar mare and stallion.

“When is the weather going to settle down?” the stallion said, paying no attention to Rarity. “You know, I’ve heard that there’s been flooding in Manehatten and Baltimare. I heard that Princess Celestia herself went up there to help with relief efforts.”

The mare nodded sagely. “It’s like the weather teams have lost cont—”

“Pardon the interruption,” Rarity said, wincing when her voice cracked, “but have we met before?”

“I couldn’t say,” the stallion answered. He peered at her intently. “I do not believe so.”

“Oh.” Rarity continued to examine the two until the stallion cleared his throat loudly. “Oh! My apologies, please forgive my rudeness.” She twisted back into her seat. They’re well-bred ponies—I can hear it in their voices. Yes, of course! I must have seen them at one of Fancypants’ parties!

A chime sounded over the car’s intercom. “Attention, passengers,” a pleasant—and terrifyingly familiar—voice said, “we are approaching Canterlot Station. All disembarking passengers, please be prepared to offload the train.”

And that voice plays every time the train arrives in Canterlot, she thought. I certainly heard it last time I travelled here with Twilight and the girls!

As the train came into the station and slowed to a halt, Rarity’s unease deepened. Everywhere she looked, every sound she heard, all of it tugged at her memory. The pony waving goodbye to his mother, the pots on display in that window, the sound of a violin—she had seen at all before. Rarity’s head swiveled in her efforts to distract herself. She spotted an available carriage and flagged the driver down.

“Where to?” he asked, holding the door open for her.

“The castle gates,” Rarity answered in a quavering voice. Is this the same driver as bef—from the dream?

“You got it.” The driver slid into the carriage’s harness and took off at a steady pace.

Within no time, Rarity found herself standing in front of the castle. She dropped payment into the carriage driver’s grasp, then trotted up to the gates. Her heart beat quickly as she saw the two guards waiting there.

“Welcome to Canterlot Castle,” the first said in his familiar bored voice. “What business do you have here?”

“P-Princess Luna,” Rarity said. She nearly slapped herself across the face. Pull yourself together, Rarity! “I mean, my name is Rarity, and Princess Luna is expecting me.”

“Right, the dress-maker,” the other guard said with a nod. “Her Majesty made sure that all of the guards knew you were coming.”

Rarity glanced up at the sky, which had cleared for the moment. “I would be oh so grateful if you would take me to see her before it rains again.”

“Sure,” the first guard said. He turned around and cupped his forehooves around his mouth. “Hey, Piddles! Are you in there?”

Piddles came dashing out, armor clattering as he ran. “Sirs!” Rarity’s mouth hung open.

“Newblood, take this refined unicorn up to have audience with Princess Luna,” the first guard said. He waved a hoof in Rarity’s general direction.

“Oh!” Piddles said as he turned his attention to Rarity. “Are you Miss Rarity, then? The dressmaker?”

“Y-yes,” Rarity squeaked in a passable imitation of Fluttershy. She sighed and rubbed her eyes wearily. “Let us move on, then. It wouldn’t do to let the princess’s meal grow cold while she waits for me.”

Piddles snapped into ramrod-straight posture. “Yes, ma’am!” Just as he turned to lead the way, he glanced back at her. “Er, how did you know that Princess Luna’s waiting to eat until you arrive?”

“A hunch, I suppose,” she answered with another sigh. Piddles shrugged and started off at a smart pace.

This is too much to be a coincidence, Rarity thought, following him towards Luna. Is Hay Budget real? Does that mean that tonight everypony is going to die again? She shuddered. If, by chance, my dream was indeed some kind of foretelling, then perhaps I can stop that from happening. Her glazed eyes passed over the tapestries that had so interested her before. That machine meant to change the comet’s course must have been the cause—I’m sure of that much, at least. But how do I stop—

“I will now announce you to Her Majesty!” Piddles’ voice ripped Rarity out of her thoughts, and she found that they had already arrived at the ornate wooden door that led to Luna’s private dining room. Piddles opened the door, walked in, and once more knocked his helmet askew with a fierce salute. “Your Majesty, I present the honorable Miss Rarity!”

As Rarity shambled into the room, she immediately locked gazes with Luna, who sat in the exact same spot as before.

“Thank you, guard,” Luna said, climbing to her hooves. “You may leave us.”

Rarity waited for Piddles to salute and leave the room before she opened her mouth. “Hello, Luna,” she said wearily. “Forgive my rudeness, but would you mind terribly if I helped myself to some coffee?” But what if this is all a freakish coincidence?

Luna recovered from the abrupt greeting. “You like coffee?” She smiled and nodded towards the pot. “I thought I was the only one! Have as much as you wish—it appears that you need it.” Her eyes flickered to Rarity’s mane and back.

“You have no idea,” Rarity said as she poured herself a mug. Without even bothering to add cream or sugar, she drank nearly the whole mug’s worth before she needed to catch her breath.

“Pray tell,” Luna said, lowering herself back onto her stool, “what can so fluster a mare as reportedly refined as yourself?”

“Simply the most horrible—” Rarity bit off her words. Whatever would I tell her? ‘Why, Princess, the most fascinating thing happened! Apparently, I already lived through this day and witnessed the end of the world when it gets hit by Bridle’s Comet. Then I got sent back to try and stop it! Isn’t that simply marvelous?’ Who would believe that, particularly when it comes from a pony in such dire need of a mane styling—

Luna coughed and brought her back to the real world. “Simply the most horrible what?”

“It is nothing terribly important,” Rarity said with a self-deprecating chuckle. “I merely had a poor start to my morning, is all.” She watched Luna hoard a stockpile of food before taking a seat and doing the same herself. Before anything else, I must prove that I have been here before.

“Ah, I understand,” Luna said. She paused to take a large bite of egg. “One of those mornings. I hope that my calling you here had nothing to do with your problems.”

“Of course not,” Rarity answered, taking a smaller mouthful and swallowing with gusto. She did not notice when Luna tilted her head questioningly. Manners be damned. I don’t have the patience to eat slowly. “I am happy to spend time with you—” Her eyes widened slightly as a thought struck her.

Luna smiled and sipped at her coffee. “I appreciate that. And I am pleased that you are comfortable enough to speak to me without using my title.”

Rarity, however, paid no attention. There is one final thing that I may check to see if I truly did experience this day already. She placed her mug on the table. “Luna, I honestly must thank you for inviting me here today,” she said, looking Luna in the eyes. “I was absolutely green with envy when the other girls had the opportunity to see you last Nightmare Night and I did not. I’ve been wanting to meet you properly ever since.”

“Ah, I see,” Luna said. She gave a nervous laugh and glanced away.

“I had thought that maybe you used your need for a dress as an excuse,” Rarity continued, craning her head to catch Luna’s gaze, “that you had more interest in getting some social interaction.”

“Of course not.” Luna’s sudden glare rocked Rarity backwards. “You think me some common trickster who would manipulate others so?”

“N-no, Lu—Princess Luna,” Rarity said. I'm worse off then before. And now I have gone and made a fool of myself in front of— She frowned when Luna exhaled loudly, seeming to deflate right in front of her.

“No, forgive me,” Luna muttered. “I should not feign anger. I—I am such a common trickster.” She lowered her head to stare at the ground. “What you said was the absolute truth. I lured you here under false pretenses, and had not even the courage to admit to it right away. If it is your wish to leave, I cannot blame you.”

Oddly enough, the anxiety in Rarity’s stomach simply vanished. Ah. I suppose that proves it. She reached out and patted Luna’s hoof, resulting in another wave of deja vu. At least I know that I’m not insane, she thought with a light smile. “Luna—darling—I already told you that I am glad to be here. You may rest easy.”

“Are you certain?” Luna asked as she slowly lifted her gaze. “Even though I did not reveal the ruse myself?”

“I am certain that you would have done so in due time,” Rarity answered. “I just wanted to know.” She smiled again and sank her teeth into a piece of toast. “Now, tell me something about yourself. Anything at all.” She turned her attention inward as Luna began to speak

And perhaps in the meantime I can figure out a way to save us all.

“I haven’t figured out anything at all!” Hours later, Rarity stood in Luna’s private bathroom, swiftly wrapping her mane into a more presentable fashion. “Think, Rarity, think!” The time spent with Luna had passed in a flash, and before Rarity knew it, they were heading upstairs to get ready for the viewing of Bridle’s Comet, to which Luna had once more invited her.

Rarity had already dressed herself in the clothing Luna provided. The same silver dress as before hugged her body and reflected the bright light mesmerisingly.

If I tell her and she does not believe me, then I likely won’t get another chance, she thought, paying little attention to her work. So I must first try to handle this on my own. Her hooves deftly slid pins into her mane to hold it in place. But I’ve never done this sort of thing alone. Usually, Twilight’s in charge. What would Twilight do? She smacked herself repeatedly on the forehead. Think!

The glint of light off of metal caught Rarity’s eye, and she noticed a pair of mane-trimming scissors by the sink. Frowning, she examined them closely before sighing and slipping them under her dress. With one last glance at herself in the mirror, she walked back into Luna’s chambers.

“Ah, there you are!” said an already-dressed Luna, who stood tapping a hoof by the doorway. “I feared that you had fallen in.”

“Fallen in wha—” Rarity’s eyes widened. “I assure you that not even once have I fallen in in my entire life! The very thought is utterly disgust—”

Luna laughed and walked over to drape a companionable leg over Rarity’s shoulders. “I jest,” she said with another chortle. “‘Twas merely a comment on how long you spent in the bathroom.”

Rarity felt to make sure that the scissors were securely held against her chest. “Well, I do like to look my very best,” she said, giving Luna a demure smile. She spotted her slippers on the far side of the room and cast a spell to levitate them over to her. “Manes don’t style themselves, you know.”

“Mine does!” Luna laughed again, then released Rarity and moved back to the hallway door. “Well, shall we?” As the door creaked open, she held out a hoof invitingly. “After you.”

Rarity nodded and made her way through, followed closely by Luna. The two took up an ambling pace down the hallway. “Forgive me for saying, Luna, but you seem to be in quite the mood.”

“Ah, my apologies,” Luna said, slowing her steps and straightening her posture. “You—you do not find it odd, do you?”

“No, quite the opposite,” Rarity said as she let a wide smile spread across her face. “It’s helping me feel better, I think.”

Luna glanced down at her. “You mean you were unhappy earlier? What was the problem?”

“Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” Rarity waved a dismissive hoof. “I just had plenty on my mind, is all.” She pranced forward to the spiral staircase that led to the ballroom.

“If you so insist,” Luna said with a raised eyebrow before moving after her.

They climbed up in near silence, with only the sounds of their hoofsteps on stone to be heard. Rarity stood waiting at the top, chewing on her lower lip. She didn’t react when Luna stopped in front of her.

“Rarity?” Luna said, tilting her head. “Are you sure nothing is wrong?”

Rarity’s attention slowly returned to the present. “Hm?” Her eyes snapped into focus and she jumped. “Oh! Nothing! Everything is fine, absolutely fine!” She raised a hoof to muffle her sudden titter. Luna frowned, but otherwise did nothing, and Rarity sighed. “Forgive me for being… preoccupied, I suppose I should say. I just need to figure something out.”

Luna’s expression softened. “Might I be of some assistance?”

For a long moment, Rarity considered her offer. “I’m afraid not,” she said finally. “It is a bit of a personal matter.” Blast, I must change the topic.

“Are you certain?” Luna said as she turned to the ballroom door. “You need not explain everything—”

“Oh, my, you look simply stunning this evening!” Rarity interrupted before slapping a hoof to her mouth. “Not that you aren’t lovely otherwise! I just meant—”

Luna’s chuckle cut her off. “I understand what you meant,” she said with a warm smile. “You, too, are quite beautiful.”

“In the dress?” Rarity asked, frowning when Luna walked towards the ballroom. What—what just happened? “You meant in the dress, correct?”

“Come, we should not be late,” Luna said without turning back. Rarity blushed and trotted after her.

The ballroom was no less grand than the first time she had been there, although her reaction was slightly more subdued. She glanced around until her gaze landed on the covered machine, which stood separated from the rest of the party. I must go over there and do something, she thought. And sooner rather than later. She subconsciously patted the hidden scissors.

“‘Tis unfortunate that nature obscures the view,” Luna said as she pointed towards the cloudy sky, visible through the glass ceiling. She turned towards the hors-d'oeuvres. “The royal astrologists promised a sight unlike any seen before.”

“I see,” said Rarity. “I—ah!” She feigned interest in something in the distance. “Why, is that Blinding Crescent, over there? I haven’t seen him in ages! Forgive me, Luna, I shall return momentarily.”

“Very well, I shall be here,” Luna said to her back.

As Rarity moved across the room, she noticed that the unicorn stallion in charge of the project stood near the machine, and an idea began to form in her mind. She checked that the scissors were firmly in place and moved towards him. However, as her eyes roamed around to make sure that nobody had their attention on her, she saw a flash of purple amidst the crowd.

“Twilight?” she muttered. She squinted and once more caught glimpse between the milling nobles of someone who looked exactly like Twilight, deep in conversation with a unicorn mare.

Suddenly, Twilight glanced over and fixed her gaze on Rarity. Her eyes widened as she whispered something hurried to the mare beside her, who also turned to look. Rarity stared into her piercingly blue eyes for a moment before she remembered her mission.

As soon as I take care of this, I can speak with Twilight, Rarity decided. She crossed the final few yards between her and the machine. The scientist took no notice of her.

“Hello, there!” she said, causing him to jump. “What would a handsome gentlecolt such as yourself be doing all on his lonesome?”

“Ah, just getting ready to make the presentation,” he said. “You know, guests aren’t supposed to be over—”

“I just wanted a peek at this device,” Rarity continued. She moved to the machine’s far side, where nobody could see her, and pulled up the sheet. “It’s utterly fascinating, what you plan to do.”

The stallion followed her. “You really aren't supposed to be—” He yelped when she pulled him under the sheet with her. “What are you—”

Rarity’s horn lit, producing a dim glow in which the scientist could see the shining scissors held out before her. “Now, here’s what we’re going to do, Mr.—forgive me, but what is your name?”

“Bl-Blinding Crescent,” he stammered, eyes fixed on her weapon.

“Blinding—wait, really?” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “How odd.” She shook her head sharply. “But no matter. Mr. Crescent, you are going to make it so that this machine does not work, if you would be so kind.”

“Why?” Blinding Crescent asked. A sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead.

“Because if you do not, then I will be forced to use these scissors on you,” Rarity said with a wild glint in her eye. “Tell me, Mr. Crescent, have you ever seen what a desperate mare can do with a pair of these?”

He swallowed heavily. “N-no.”

“Well, let me tell you, it is not pretty,” she said. “And I will have you know that I am very—very—desperate.” She opened and snapped shut the scissors for effect.

Blinding's wide eyes focused on her weapon. “Okay, I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” he said in a cracking voice. He quickly turned to the machine and slid open an access panel. “Here, just take this!” From the panel, he pulled a vial of glass filled with a clear liquid.

“What is it?” Rarity asked, holding out her hoof to take the vial.

“It’s a solution that serves as a medium for our magic.” Hesitantly, he passed it into her grasp. “It allows us to provide power for the attraction field. Difficult to produce, and quite expensive.”

“So, if I understand what you say,” Rarity said as she examined the glass, “without this solution, you cannot perform your demonstration. Correct?”

“Yes, that is—” The sound of shattering glass interrupted him. Rarity had dropped the vial onto the ground. “Wh-why are you doing this?”

“I truly am sorry, dear,” she said, smiling lightly. “I cannot tell you. But it is for the best, you’ll see.”

“Whatever, just—can I go?” Blinding pressed back against the machine.

“Not quite yet,” Rarity said. She held her hoof out once more. “I find it difficult to believe that you would not have a spare for such an important component.”

Blinding opened his mouth, but immediately shut it when the scissors flashed in front of his face. With a sigh, he pulled another two vials out of his coat pocket and handed them over. Those, too, were dropped and shattered. “Will you let me leave now?”

“Of course I will,” Rarity said. She patted him on the head. “Honestly, though, now that that’s over with, I must admit that I’m not sure if I could have gone through with it. Ruining somepony’s mane…” She shuddered violently.

“Um, mane?” he said with a frown. His eyes flickered to the scissors and back.

“Well, yes,” she answered, dropping her weapon to the floor. “It would have been impossible for you to go outside with the awful manecut I would have given you.” She reached up and lifted a clump of his hair. “Well, more awful manecut, I should say. I’m afraid there isn’t a lot to work with here.”

“Wait, so you mean you weren’t going to—” The cloth vanished as someone ripped it away, and Rarity looked up to find Luna scowling down at her.

“And what would happen to be going on here?” she asked primly.

“Princess!” Blinding said. “She forced me to do it, I swear!” He darted behind her, peeking around at Rarity. “She’s crazy, I tell you! Crazy!”

“Rarity,” Luna said as she attempted to push Blinding away, “would you care to explain to me why you and Blinding Crescent were hiding under that sheet?”

“Well, we were—that is, I—he—” Rarity sighed deeply. “Oh, very well. I forced Mr. Crescent to sabotage his machine.”

Luna’s jaw dropped open. “You what?” She quickly turned to Blinding, nearly knocking him over in the process. “Can you repair it?” she asked him.

“Y-yes,” he said, “but probably not in time for—”

A loud series of gasps cut him off, and almost the entire room went silent as the clouds cleared overhead. A bright blue glow shone through the quickly dissipating cover.

Rarity looked up and nearly fainted when she saw Bridle’s Comet, right in the center of the sky. Was this all for nothing? However, after a moment’s observation, she noticed that it was moving across the starscape, rather than approaching and growing larger, and she released her pent-up breath.

“It’s not supposed to be so close,” a wide-eyed Blinding Crescent whispered. “We didn’t even alter its course.”

“You mean, this is how close it was even without your machine’s influence?” Luna asked him softly. Meanwhile, all of the guests in the ballroom had begun to applaud.

“Almost positive,” Blinding answered. “If we had tried to bring it closer—” He turned his gaze to Rarity. “You—you saved us.”

Rarity blushed and pawed at the ground. “Yes, well…”

The sound of hoofsteps heralded the rest of Blinding’s team’s approach. Luna lowered her voice so that only he and Rarity could hear her. “Blinding Crescent, as far as anypony else is concerned, the machine worked and Bridle’s Comet’s current proximity is a result of that. You decided to perform the demonstration on your own. Do I have your understanding on this?” He nodded mutely. “Very good. Rarity, come with me back to my quarters—I believe it is time we had a conversation.” She waved in the door’s direction.

“One second, dear—I saw Twilight in the crowd earlier,” Rarity said as she craned her head to look around. “I thought to have a word with her.” However, Twilight had seemingly vanished from the room. “Perhaps she’s standing behind something?”

“Are you certain it was Twilight?” Luna asked. “When I invited her last week to attend this viewing, she declined. Perhaps you merely saw somepony who resembled her.” She nodded sagely. “Regardless, Twilight Sparkle’s presence should not concern us right now.” Her hoof once more gestured towards the door.

No, I’m certain it was Twilight. She recognized me. “Yes, of course,” Rarity said, head drooping. She fell into line behind Luna. On their way out, she spotted a cluster of bottles of chilled wine and caught two up in a levitation spell, along with two glasses.

Luna glanced back over her shoulder. “Is this truly going to be so bad for you that we require alcohol?” Despite her disapproving tone, a hint of a smile played around her lips.

“Perhaps,” Rarity admitted with a chortle. “But I know for certain that after the day I’ve had, I could use a drink.”

The first thing Rarity felt upon awaking was the throbbing pain right behind her eyes. She rubbed them, which did nothing to alleviate the discomfort. The second thing she noticed was how thick and fuzzy her tongue felt. Oooh, my head, she thought, licking her dry lips. This is why I never drink. The third thing that she took note of was that her head and upper body lay on something warm. Something soft.

Something that let out a sudden, loud snore.

With a squeak, Rarity rolled away and off of whatever had been under her. However, gravity did its job, and she dropped a hoofspan onto her stomach. She scrambled to her hooves and backed away. Her eyes widened when she realized that she stood in Carousel Boutique. They widened even further at the sight of her one-time pillow, Luna, lying unconscious on Rarity’s couch.

“Oh—oh, my,” Rarity breathed in a raspy voice. “What did—what happened last night?” She shook slightly as a wave of nausea passed over her. Luna scratched her stomach and shifted slightly. “Water. First, I need water.”

In the kitchen, Rarity poured herself a generous glass and sipped at it. Flashes of the night before had started to surface in her memory.

“I wish you had trusted me more,” Luna said. She and Rarity sat on soft pillows in her private chambers. “I would have believed your story. Ponies have successfully traveled through time before. “ She sighed and shook her head. “Although I suppose I cannot argue with the results.”

“I won’t doubt you again,” Rarity said, glancing away. “I just—I didn’t know what to do!”

Luna patted her on the back. “Things could have ended much more poorly, considering. For now, let us just celebrate your success. Do you still need a drink?”

Rarity took her water with her back into the main room as she waited for her headache to subside. She closed her eyes.

“What time is it?” Rarity asked, knees wobbling. She tried to pour herself another glass of wine, but the bottle was already empty. “Oh. It appears that we drank it all.”

“My clock reads midnight,” Luna answered in a slurred voice.

Rarity nearly dropped her glass. “We’ve been talking for three hours?!”

Rarity winced when a particularly painful throb ran through her forehead. Her hoof rubbed gingerly by her horn until the pain passed. As soon as her legs stabilized, she walked up to Luna and, with a neutral expression, looked down at her.

“I will accompany you back home,” Luna declared. She drew herself up and nearly toppled over. “You—you are—you are too in—ininebra—inebrian—drunk to go without me.”

“You seem far from sober your—” Rarity hiccuped into her hoof “—yourself,” she finished with a laugh.

“Then all the more reason for us to accompany one another!”

Rarity glanced at her grandfather clock that sat by the staircase at almost the exact instant that it chimed. It read six o’clock. “Six o’clock, and we’re all still alive,” she said, taking another sip of water. Luna’s eyelids flickered.

The wind tore at Rarity’s mane, pulling it free from its styling and sending it whipping through the air. She laughed at the sensation, as the airborne carriage in which she and Luna rode soared towards Ponyville.

“Thank you for inviting me, tonight,” Rarity said over the roaring in their ears. “And I am frightfully sorry for not trusting you more.”

Luna laughed and patted her on the back. “‘Tis water under the bridge. You had your reasons, and the most important thing is that you saved us all.” She arched an eyebrow in Rarity’s direction. “Next time, though, perhaps you could find a more legal solution.”

“Aah, yes, that.” Rarity glanced away. “It shamed me to resort to threatening the poor pony, but I honestly could think of no other way—” Her eyes widened as she felt a pair of lips plant a kiss on her cheek and pull back. She slowly twisted around to look at Luna, who had glued her eyes to the sky while she whistled innocently.

A soft gasp, barely more than a normal breath, floated past Rarity’s lips as she recalled that particular moment. “Ah,” she said, raising a hoof to her mouth, “was that…”

Rarity crossed to the other side of her living room and bent over to look under a table. “Opal, sweetie,” she called. “Where are you?” Her body wobbled, right hooves flailing for steady footing but failing. She tumbled to the ground.

“Are you alright?” Luna said as she darted to Rarity’s side. Her concern eased when she saw the wide grin on Rarity’s face. “I suppose that—” She, too, swayed slightly before she managed to catch herself “—answers my question.”

“My dear Luna, I do believe that you are drunk,” Rarity said, patting Luna on the nose.

Luna opened her mouth, but her words were too soft to be heard over Rarity’s sudden burst of laughter.

Rarity wiped the tears from her eyes. “I am so sorry—I haven’t felt this giddy in ages! Now, what were you saying?” She wiggled into a more comfortable position.

A blush swept over Luna’s face as she glanced away. “I said that if I am drunk, then you are beautiful. And believe me, I am very, very drunk.”

Luna groaned and stretched her hind legs out, knocking an empty bottle from a nearby end-table. For the first time, Rarity noticed the six—no, seven other bottles that lay scattered around the room. She darted back into the kitchen and opened up a cabinet, only to groan when she found it empty.

“That was my entire stock of sauvignon blanc!” she said. A loud grunt from the other room reminded her that Luna still slept, and she slapped her forehooves over her mouth. She slowly ambled back to the couch.

“Am—am I doing this incorrectly?” Luna asked Rarity, who stared back, wide-eyed.

Rarity snapped her mouth shut. “N-no, it’s just—” She swallowed heavily “—y-you merely caught me by surprise, is all.”

“And thus I have ruined the moment,” Luna said with a groan. She quickly stood and moved to the couch. “Along with the entire evening.”

“Of course you haven’t!” Rarity said, swiftly moving to Luna’s side and dropping next to her on the couch. “Like I said, you surprised me.”

“Clearly I did something wrong, or else we would not be having this conversation right now.” She buried her head between the cushions. “I know not what made me think that was a good idea.”

“Now see here—if I say that your advances only surprised me, then that’s the truth!” Rarity grabbed Luna’s shoulders and twisted her around so they sat face-to-face. “And if I must prove it to you, well, so be it.” She leaned in and...

“What happened next?!” Rarity cried, holding her head.

A sudden groan froze her in place. She glanced over and saw Luna sitting up. “Ugh, my head.”

Once more Rarity flew into the kitchen, where she poured a second glass of water. “Will Luna remember?” she mumbled. “Do I want her to remember?”

Another groan came from the living room, and she heard Luna say, “This is why I never drink.”

Well, no use hiding in here. Rarity hefted the glass and trotted out to find Luna sitting up and rubbing her forehead. “I thought that exact thing when I woke,” she said in a raspy voice. She held out the water. “Here, this should help.”

“Thank you,” Luna said as she accepted the offer. She tilted her head back and drank the whole thing at once, then glanced around blearily. “Ah, forgive me for asking, but—where are we?”

“This is my humble boutique and home,” Rarity said with a bow. “If you recall, you insisted on accompanying me here, and apparently decided to spend the night, as well.”

Luna scrunched her face up thoughtfully. “I—I think I remember some of it,” she mused. She ran a hoof slowly along her jawline. “After we arrived, you offered your own wine—and ‘twould have been rude had I refused—so we drank and shared conversation, and then we—” Her eyes widened at the same instant that a deep blush set in upon her cheeks. In a faint voice, she said, "Yes, this is why I never drink."

Oh, dear. “And then we what, Luna?” Rarity said, tilting her head.

Luna didn’t answer, but instead raised a hoof to play with her upper lip.

“Tell me, Luna, what exactly did we do?” Rarity pressed.

“‘Tis better if I do not tell you,” Luna said at last. She hopped from the couch and stretched her neck. “I may have dreamed the whole thing. In fact, I am certain of that.”

“Luna,” Rarity said, trotting into Luna’s line of sight, “you asked that I strive to trust you more. Can’t you do the same for me?”

“Yes, but that was—” Luna paused again as her blush deepened. “You were—” She let her head droop. “Is there no way I can avoid this?”

“No way at all, dear,” Rarity said with a laugh. She leaned in for a friendly nuzzle, but gave a start when Luna stiffened at the contact. “Luna?”

“I am afraid that last night we may have acted—” Luna’s ears suddenly pricked, and she whipped her head towards the window. “Did you hear that?”

Rarity listened for a moment, but heard nothing. “Oh, no, you aren’t getting out of it that easily,” she said. She glanced up, only to frown at the gravity on Luna’s face.

“This is no jest,” Luna said. Her ears twitched again as a keening noise, one that both could hear, sounded from far away. “There, did you hear it that time?”

“What is that?” Rarity moved to the window and peered out. “I can’t see anything.”

The sound rumbled through the air again, this time much more clearly. Luna’s face paled. “Oh, no,” she whispered instants before sprinting to the door.

“Wait!” Rarity cried. "Where are you going?" She followed closely behind as Luna whipped the door open and ran out, past two royal sentries standing guard.

“Guards, prepare yourselves!” Luna shouted at them on her way past. “Something has roused the blazekites!”

Rarity opened her mouth to ask what a “blazekite” was when a sudden wind caught hold of her and nearly threw her to the ground. She glanced up just as a massive, scaled form soared overhead, wings spread wide as it passed. “Oh, you cannot be serious!” A second dragon passed by in the wake of the first. Each screamed their fury down at the quickly awakening Ponyville.

“I will attempt to distract them,” Luna said to the guards, who had followed her. A burst of fire lit up the town hall in the distance. “While I do so, you will evacuate the town as quickly as you can.”

“Yes, Princess!” they said with a quick salute before they galloped off to follow her orders.

As Luna spread her wings, Rarity pushed forward. “Luna, what can I do?” More fires raged around town as the dragons continued their rampage.

Luna considered her for a long moment, then gave her a grim smile. “You can evacuate with the rest of the town,” she said somberly. Her eyes remained fixed on Rarity, even as she prepared to push off of the ground. “You know, I truly looked forward to getting to know you better.”

“But—”

“Be safe,” Luna said, pumping her wings heavily and pushing herself into the air. With a few powerful flaps, she was off towards the carnage.

For a few seconds, Rarity watched Luna fly away until she disappeared amidst the pillars of smoke climbing skyward. Then, her eyes narrowed. “There must be something I can do! I did not save everypony from a comet just for some silly dragons to kill them instead!”

Hooves pounding the ground, Rarity ran into the town square. Everywhere, ponies tried to escape the carnage. A nearby house crumbled to the ground and sent up a large cloud of dust to mingle with the smoke. She saw one of Luna’s guards attempting to direct the crowds, but they paid him little mind. Suddenly, a screaming roar hit her from behind, and she turned to behold a dragon diving directly at her. It opened its mouth and belched forth a searing jet of flame.

Rarity turned away, eyes tightly closed. However, nothing happened, and a few seconds later, she peeked out from behind her eyelids. There in front of her hovered Luna, breathing heavily as she maintained a magical shield. The dragon turned its fiery breath towards a different part of town.

“I thought—I told you—” Luna fought for air as she allowed the shield to dissipate “—to get out.”

“Yes, but I—” Rarity didn’t get a chance to finish. The house behind her, caught up in the flames that Luna had saved her from, collapsed and fell forward. She glanced up to find the entire second floor dropping onto her head.

A loud thud and a sudden pressure were the last things her mind registered before blissful nothingness washed over her.

Once more, Rarity stood in the absolute darkness of the void. She tapped a hoof on the obscured floor before opening her mouth.

“Hello?” she said in a quavering voice. “Hay Budget? Are you here?”

Metallic clangs rang through the air as spotlights overhead illuminated two circles on the ground. Rarity, who had a circle all to herself, couldn’t help but smile when she saw Rainbow Dash in the other. However, the look on Rainbow’s face was anything but joyful, and Rarity’s own grin quickly faded.

“Rainbow, dear, whatever is the matter?” she asked, reaching out a hoof.

“I failed my Wonderbolts tryout,” Rainbow said. She dropped to her haunches and put her head on the floor. “I thought I had it, too, after doing so well on that stupid written test for the reserves.”

“Don’t worry, darling, everyone knows you’re the best flier in all of Equestria,” Rarity said. She opened her mouth to continue when a third circle of light appeared, once more revealing Princesses Twilight, Luna, Celestia, and Cadance in their togas.

They all pointed a hoof at Rainbow. “She of the Gems, consider this poor mare,” they sang, “who merely won a single victory, and let accomplishment cloud her judgement.”

“Don’t you dare mock her!” Rarity shouted, interposing herself between the princesses and Rainbow. “I’m positive that she did her best!”

“Triumph is the sweetest nectar of all,” Luna and Cadance sang, proceeded by Twilight and Celestia, who added, “and the most treacherous that one might imbibe.”

“Is this supposed to be another lesson?” Rarity drew Rainbow into a tight hug. “I do not appreciate you using my friends as a subject of your silly riddles!”

Ignoring her, they all sang in unison, “Be ever vigilant and foster not complacency, lest you doom us all to oblivion.” The lights all went out simultaneously.

Rarity screamed her frustration, even as she sat straight-up in bed. However, a puzzled look crossed her face when glanced around and took in her surroundings.

This was not the Carousel Boutique.

The bed, a simple wooden affair with a thick mattress and a worn quilt, sat in the corner of the dimly lit room. The only light streamed around a cloth covering the only window. A half-full bookshelf collected dust across from the bed, right next to a white dresser. On the wall opposite the window, a door stood ajar.

Rarity slid from under the quilt and placed her hooves onto the carpeted floor. With a disgusted groan, she noticed that smudges of thick soot covered her body. She padded to the door, through which she peeked. “Is anypony home?” she called tentatively.

“C’mon downstairs!” shouted a voice. Rarity glanced to the right and saw a wooden staircase. She ambled down and into a small kitchen. At a round table sat Hay Budget, sipping a cup of tea while he read his newspaper.

“Mr. Budget—” she began.

“Hold on one second,” he said. He turned the page and chortled. “Do you read the comics? These things get me every time.”

“I say, Mr. Budget—”

“I said, hold on,” Hay told her. He flipped the page again and hummed as he took another drink. “Hey, check out this headline— ‘Equestria Mysteriously Vanquished From Existence’. Looks like it’s gone. Poof. Vanished into thin air.” His high-pitched laughter echoed in the tiny room. “You know, they just don’t make worlds like they used to—”

“Mr. Budget!” Rarity stomped a hoof so hard that a picture frame on the wall tilted. “I will have you know that I am tired, cranky, possibly dead, and worst of all, filthy! Now, will you please explain to me exactly what is going on?”

Hay sighed and laid his paper on the table. “Ponies these days,” he said, rolling his eyes. “You just can’t be patient, can you?”

“Considering the circumstances, no. I cannot.” She dropped to her haunches.

“Well, what exactly do you want to know first?” he asked her as he crossed his forelegs.

“I—” Rarity paused, mouth working but no sound coming out. Finally, she said, “I-I do not know.”

After a few moments, Hay sighed again. “How about I start by telling you why all this is happening?”

“Well—yes, that would be lovely,” she said.

“And you probably want to know why you aren’t dead,” Hay continued. “Either from getting hit by a comet or burned by dragons.”

Rarity nodded. “I find myself curious about that.”

“The answer is simple,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “Both times, I stepped in and retrieved you.”

“Retrieved? You mean, you saved me?” She cocked her head and frowned.

“In a sense, yes,” Hay said as he finished off his tea. “And I sent you back to try again. You did well enough with Bridle’s Comet on your second run through, but, well…”

“Yes, the dragons appeared and found me wanting,” Rarity finished for him. “I suppose I would now like to know why you have done all of this.” She settled back and crossed her forelegs.

“Somebody has to do it,” Hay said, “and it sure as hell ain’t me. I can’t even leave this house, let alone go gallivanting all over Equestria.” When Rarity opened her mouth to speak, he added, “And don’t ask me why. You only need to know that I’m stuck here, inside.”

Rarity’s mouth snapped shut for a moment. “Very well,” she said after a moment. “Then how about if I ask why these catastrophes both happened so close to each other?”

“I actually just learned this part for myself,” Hay said. He stood and walked to the stove, where a teapot sat on the burner. “The comet, the dragons—things like this don’t randomly happen at the same time. Someone’s behind it.”

“So the comet wasn’t an accident?” Rarity exclaimed, leaning forward. “And someone actually sent the dragons to attack Ponyville?” She laid a hoof against her chest. “The absolute nerve! But—who would do such a thing?”

“I don’t know if it’s being done on purpose, but I definitely know that someone is causing these disasters,” he explained. He poured a cup of tea and handed it to her. “And I’ve found out who.”

Rarity accepted the cup with a grateful nod. “Who is it?”

“Someone you know already,” Hay said, dropping back into his seat. “In fact, I believe you know her quite well. She’s one of the brightest minds of your generation.”

“Wait,” said Rarity. A sense of dread weighed down her stomach. “You cannot mean…”

“Yup,” Hay said with a shrug, “The one responsible for this entire mess is Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

Dragons Take Their Ponies Medium Rare

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A final crack of thunder shook the boutique’s walls before the storm blew itself out, pattering rain ceasing and clouds dissipating. Within seconds, pale sunlight filtered through the early morning fog and beamed into Rarity’s workshop, where the fashionista herself lay asleep at a cluttered workbench. Forehooves splayed out and cheek pressed against the tabletop, she presented a less-than-elegant portrait of a slumbering lady.

The tranquility was broken by a long, loud creak that rent the air as the workshop’s door, left ajar, slowly opened. From outside the room, Opalescence nosed at it until she had a space wide enough to slip in before darting through with speed that belied her normally languid demeanor. One impressive leap later, she stood upon the table and gazed down at her peacefully dozing owner.

Opal took the opportunity to play with a spool of thread while contemplating all the different ways she could achieve vengeance for that most unjust bath that Rarity had inflicted upon her just the day before. One option was the simplest method; she could take her claws to a piece of furniture—perhaps that ridiculous couch Rarity always collapsed onto—and shred its covering to tatters. It would certainly be the easiest choice.

However, the easiest choice did not appeal to Opal’s sensibilities. Like her owner, she considered herself more sophisticated than others of her species. Clawing would be more than enough for your average, everyday cat, but Opal required something more complex—something more satisfying. A wicked, toothy grin spread across her face.

Something more devious.

Rarity suddenly snorted and Opal leaped away from her, nearly off the desk, back arched and tail raised. However, her owner merely smacked her lips and rolled her head over so that it rested on her other cheek. Opal slowly returned to a more refined posture as her small heart pounded relentlessly; however, her attention was on something else she had noticed in the wake of her fright.

She daintily traipsed around to have another look at Rarity’s face, this time leaning for a better view. Where normally she would find a pristine visage, immaculately cared for and free of blemishes, Opal now took note of bags under Rarity’s eyes and creases on her forehead. She had a haggard look that had not been there just hours earlier, and her mane seemed like it hadn’t been cared for in days.

Opal sat back on her haunches and licked at her paw as she weighed her options. Was there a point in tormenting a pony who already had so much on her plate? After all, if she had her attention on something else, then she wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate the dire consequences of dunking her sweet, darling kitty into a tub of soapy water, would she? No, enacting vengeance now would simply not do. Of course, this decision had absolutely nothing to do with affection for her owner. Absolutely nothing to do at all.

Even as Opal let a smug feeling of generosity wash through her, from seemingly out of nowhere Rarity slammed her hooves on the desk and shouted out.

“No, no, no!” she cried at the ceiling.

Before, Opal had merely leaped back; this time, she whipped off of the desk and out the door. Blood pounding in her ears, she sought refuge in the hallway closet. She glared in Rarity’s general direction and once more pondered the myriad ways by which she could make that infuriating pony pay.

Even as Opal’s bushy tail disappeared into the hallway, Rarity had clambered to her feet. “No, no!” she yelled again with a heavy stamp of her hoof. “Hay Budget, you bring me back right this instant!” Nobody responded. “I say, do you hear me?” Still no response.

She released a strangled cry and paced a tight circle, taking care to avoid tripping over the stool that she had upended just seconds ago as she stood. The room’s carpeting muted her hoofsteps, which brought an even deeper scowl to her face; if one’s stomping made no noise, then what was the point?

“You cad!” she shouted at the ceiling, as though Hay Budget sat on the roof of her boutique just a few hoof-spans away. “Fiend! Lazy layabout! You no-good, washed-up, run-down, asinine, mare-tormenting, accusatory, insignificant, foul-mouthed little—little—” She fought to find an appropriate insult “—foul-mouthed little whiffle-whaffle!” Her tirade ended with a wordless scream that lasted until she ran out of breath.

As the last note died in her ears, Rarity stood on wobbly legs, chest heaving as she fought to regain her composure. She glanced at one of the workshop’s mirrors and gasped loudly at the image that stared back—a mare with sunken eyes and unkempt coat, whose dishevelled mane hung limply, its curls nearly flattened out.

“Oh, just look at this mess.” Her hoof ran through the tangled mass of hair, pulling at one particularly offensive knot. “This is all that ruffian’s fault.”

“Yup,” Hay Budget said with a shrug, “The one responsible for this entire mess is Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

The sound of shattering porcelain echoed off of the walls of Hay Budget’s tiny kitchen as Rarity’s teacup broke upon the tiled floor. Her mouth hung open, jawing soundlessly.

Hay raised an eyebrow. “Are you actually that surprised? I mean, she does think herself a scientist. This had to happen eventually, right?”

Rarity huffed as she lifted the upended stool and dropped it back onto its legs. “The sheer nerve of some ponies,” she muttered. Her weary gaze turned towards Luna’s dress, which adorned one of the room’s mannequins despite having been twice now delivered to Canterlot and its would-be owner. Rarity huffed again and pulled it free, sliding it into the garment bag she had specially prepared for it.

A long scarf, snagged by her magic’s grasp, wrapped itself around her head and neck and hid her mane from view. She gracelessly draped the bag over her back and shambled out of the room and down the stairs.

“Once more, off I go to Canterlot,” she wearily said with a drawn out sigh. Over her shoulder, she shouted, “Opal, sweetie, Mama’s going to leave your dinner in the kitchen. Do try not to make a mess, will you?

As she trudged into the kitchen her vision suddenly blurred, and she stumbled against the countertop, horn catching a jar of sugar and sweeping it off to crash on the kitchen floor. The garment bag, too, slid from her back. After a few seconds, the dizzy spell passed, and she regained her senses.

Crouching to examine the shattered pottery, Rarity heaved another laden sigh. “Lovely.” Her eyes narrowed as she lifted the broken pieces and dumped them into a nearby waste-bin. “This never would have happened if somepony had sent me back a day further so I could get a good night’s sleep.” These last three accentuated words were directed up at the ceiling, along with her baleful gaze. “But no, whyever would I need rest in order to find Twilight and save the world? Not that I believe the two are connected to each other, mind you!”

“That cannot be true,” Rarity said at last. She grimaced at the broken porcelain and the spreading puddle of tea at her hooves, but made no move to clean the mess. “I absolutely cannot believe that Twilight would wish to hurt anypony, let alone destroy the whole world.”

“Did I say she was doing it on purpose?” Hay took another sip of his own tea and rested his hooves on the table. “I’m not stupid—I know Princess Twilight wouldn’t intentionally cause any of this. However, I have seen her research and know without a doubt that it will tear—has torn—Equestria apart if we allow it to continue. You’ve noticed the crazy weather, right? That’s only a minor result of what she’s doing.”

Rarity sucked on her lower lip for a moment. “Sir, if you expect me to even consider believing you, then you shall have to present some sort of evidence.”

“That, I can’t do,” Hay said. “Why not try using that pretty head of yours? Last time you saw her, did you notice anything that might help change your mind?”

At the time, Rarity had said nothing, but she now thought back to Twilight’s visit three days—no, one—one day ago. She had said something about a trip for… something. Exploration? Rarity’s ears flattened as she struggled to remember.

With all of the broken bits of pottery safely thrown in the trash, her bloodshot gaze turned upon the mound of sugar that sat in the middle of the floor. She nearly left it there to be dealt with later, but thought better of it a moment later.

“You’re lucky Mama loves you so much,” she muttered under her breath as she snagged a broom and dustpan and, with short, choppy sweeps, brushed at the mess. A clock in the boutique’s showing room chimed loudly; from where she sat, Rarity could just barely see that it said ten o’clock.

Ten o’clock, when her train to Canterlot was scheduled to depart.

“No, no, no,” she gasped under her breath as she scrambled to finish sweeping up the sugar, then grabbed a bag of dry cat food and dumped entirely too much of it into Opal’s metal food dish. Then, garment bag once more draped over her back, she sprinted out the door, only pausing to slam it shut and lock it behind her.

The grass, still wet from that morning’s storm, almost instantly soaked her fetlocks through as her hooves squished against the spongy ground. Dark clouds had begun to gather overhead, but Rarity couldn’t spare the breath needed to scold the sky like she had the day before. She passed the fountain at the center of town and Sugarcube Corner, each appearing to her as barely more than a blur in her focus to make it to the train on time.

Suddenly, a distant whistle pierced the loud thumps of blood pounding in her ears; her eyes widened and, putting her head down, she forced her aching legs into one last burst of speed through the middle of Ponyville and towards the station, which lay a mere hundred feet in front of her, at the end of a row of houses. She felt her pace lessen as her knees screamed their agony from this unfamiliar level of exertion.

At long last, Rarity rounded the station’s corner and half-stumbled, half-bounded onto the platform and up to the ticket counter.

“Ten—” She gulped down a few mouthfuls of air as the stallion working behind the counter cast down his bemused stare “—o’ clock—Canterlot.” She remembered the cost to only be ten bits, but she was shaking so badly that she couldn’t even sort out the proper change. Instead, she slapped enough coins to pay for a ticket at least twice over onto the counter.

“Sorry to say, Miss, but that train’s long gone,” the stallion said with a shrug. He directed Rarity’s gaze towards the track in front of the station, which had a noticeable lack of trains. Then, she turned her eyes further down and saw, in the distance, the ten o’clock to Canterlot’s caboose just as it rounded a bend and disappeared from sight. “Would you like a ticket for the next one?”

“Gone,” she barked in a raw voice, eye twitching. “Gone.” Her wobbling legs carried her slowly back the way she came.

The stallion leaned out over the counter. “Ma’am,” he said, “you left your money!”

“Gone! All gone!” she yelled.

“Ah—” He frowned, then shouted back, “Hold on, I’m coming out!”

She managed to wave a hoof negligently over her shoulder without losing her balance. “Whatever do I do now?” Her steps faltered and she dropped to her haunches, barely even disgusted by the mud that surely soaked her flank.

After a few moments of rest, her heart stopped its pounding, although her legs still ached from the mad-dash to the train station. Somehow, she had managed to keep Luna’s dress from slipping off of her back.

The station attendant finally managed to extricate himself from the booth and trotted over to her. “Are you alright, ma’am?” he asked, glancing around awkwardly.

“No, I’m not alright!” Rarity snapped as her eyelid twitched again. Then, she shook her head heavily and forced a smile onto her face. “Please—please forgive me, sir. I didn’t mean to shout, but I do not seem to be myself at the moment. I’ll be fine.”

He took a few steps away from this seemingly mad mare. “Well, if you say so—”

“But what do they even want from me?” she interrupted, sniffling. “I’m—I’m—I’m only one mare! I can only do so much!” The garment bag, held aloft by a levitation spell, slowly drifted to rest on the ground.

The stallion reached out and gave her a tentative pat on the back.

“How am I supposed to deal with angry, fire-breathing dragons? I mean, at the very least give me a hint!” She stamped a hoof into the muddy ground. “And then he sends me back so that I’m just barely too late to make my train! The nerve!”

The attendant once more backed away as she gained momentum.

“And now I must wait here for this damnable train in order to deliver this damnable dress to Canterlot so that a damnable princess, who might I add doesn’t even need the silly thing, can wear it to her damnable ball!” The end of the rant was shouted, accentuated by random stomps that sent up gouts of muddy water. “So no, I am in fact not all right—”

She glanced at the stallion only to find that he had already made his escape while she wasn’t looking. For a split second she considered chasing him down so she could complain some more, but her aching joints convinced her otherwise.

“Why me?” she lamented, only to feel a drop of water hit her on the nose. “Oh, you cannot be serious.” A moment later, as the heavens opened up and proved her otherwise, she crossed her forelegs and scowled.

All over town, ponies dashed for cover from the rain, seeking shelter under awnings and inside their homes and shops. Rarity, however, remained outside in the pouring deluge as her mood darkened.

Dragons and time-travelling, she thought over and over. And that’s not even mentioning that business with Luna! How am I supposed to face her after— She forced away the unwelcome reminder of their little affair. There must be something I can do that will fix everything at once—

Suddenly, Rarity’s ears pricked up. “I got it,” she said softly, eyes widening. “It’s all so clear, now!” Her glum expression slowly cracked into a radiant smile that belied the darkening clouds. “In this situation, with everything on the line, there is only one thing for a responsible mare to do!”

Rarity gurgled in primal ecstasy. “Oh, yes,” she cooed, wriggling into the leather mattress. “Right there is perfect.” Lotus, the masseuse, rolled her eyes. “For the love of all that is fabulous, please do not stop.”

She let out an exaggerated sigh, then gasped as Lotus’s hooves—those glorious, relief-inducing hooves—smoothed out a particularly agonizing knot of muscle in her back.

“Ooooooh, yes,” she repeated breathily, eyes nearly rolling back into her head. “This is exactly what I needed.”

Lotus snorted her amusement. “A bad day, I presume?”

Rarity twisted her head to glance back. “You have no idea.” Another shudder wracked her body as another tense spot suddenly unbunched. “I cannot thank you enough for taking me without an appointment.”

“Nonsense,” Lotus said, squirting a generous spurt of massage oil onto her hoof and laying back into her client. “We would never turn away our most frequent patron.”

“Nevertheless—” Both mares paused as, in tandem with a loud crack of thunder, the ceiling lights flickered and swayed. Rarity continued, “Nevertheless, you’re helping me more than I can say.”

Her mood had done a complete flip from when she had arrived at the spa a few hours earlier, drenched by rain and dragging her hooves in the mud. She had barely had to say anything before Lotus and her sister, Aloe, as good as threw her into a bathtub. Ever since, she had been receiving the first-rate treatment that she had come to expect from them.

And now I need not worry about princesses, nor dragons. A contented grin spread across Rarity’s face. And even if things go as poorly as last time, it doesn’t mat— She tried to stymie that disturbing train of thought, but her traitorous mind provided the end of the sentence anyway.

It doesn’t matter, even if I die.

Lotus may have thought the resultant shiver a product of her massage, but Rarity knew better. She had always prided herself as a mare who appreciated the finer things in life, taking nothing for granted no matter how insignificant it might be. To make life itself into nothing more than a renewable resource…

A frown creased her face. “Lotus,” she said haltingly, “would you mind horribly if I asked you something?”

“I suppose it depends on what you want to ask,” Lotus answered without pausing her massage.

“Just a philosophical matter,” Rarity said. Her tone smoothed out as she settled more comfortably into the cushion. “A ‘what if’, so to speak.”

“Go right ahead.”

Rarity spent a long moment in silence before slowly speaking up. “Let us suppose,” she began, “that death was not—”

The room’s small door suddenly slammed open, and Aloe blew in, breathing heavily. “So sorry to interrupt,” she said through her panting, “but there is someone here to see you.”

“My apologies,” Lotus said as she wiped her hooves on a towel. “I shall return soon—”

“No,” Aloe interrupted, still looking out the door, “I mean for Miss Rarity.”

Normally, Rarity would have sprung to her hooves and dashed out rather than keep someone waiting, but this was not a normal situation. “Aloe, would you be a dear and ask whoever it is, if it’s not too important, to meet me at my boutique in—” Her face scrunched up “—two hours, I suppose?”

“But—”

“I would not waste your or your sister’s time,” Rarity added, “and even so, I’m not in any state for visitors.”

“But—” Aloe made eye contact with Lotus, who shrugged helplessly. “If you say so,” she conceded before showing herself out and closing the door behind her.

Rarity sighed loudly. “Oh, that must have seemed awfully rude of me,” she said as she pushed herself upright. “I should go and—”

“Be calm.” Lotus gently but forcefully pushed her back down. “I’m sure Aloe will take care of matters.” Her hooves ran over Rarity’s shoulders, and she tsked twice. “So much tension in those shoulders!”

“Well,” Rarity said with a guttural moan, “as I said, things have gotten… complicated, I suppose, as of late.”

Lotus leaned heavily into the massage. “Complicated?”

“Quite complicated, in fact.” Rarity glanced over her shoulder. “Might you be willing to keep a secret?”

“My lips are sealed,” Lotus said without missing a beat. “You know that.”

Rarity smiled and pressed her face down into the mattress. “Of course I do—forgive me.” Another crack of thunder shook the walls. “I might have developed a relationship of sorts with, ah—with a member of the nobility.”

“Oh?”

“A relationship that might have culminated in a night of drunken passion that I can hardly remember.”

“Fascinating,” Lotus said absently, working at another knot of muscle. “How long have you known this particular noble?”

“Three days,” Rarity said, and Lotus gasped. “Wait, no, that’s wrong.”

“Thank goodness! I did not think you—”

“Two days,” Rarity said, nodding. She looked back again. “Why, is that bad?”

Lotus took a long moment to answer. “I—cannot say,” she said at last. “If you both feel happy with each other, then I suppose not. How does he feel about your, ah, lovemaking?”

“That’s the worst part.” Rarity sighed loudly. “She doesn’t even remember that it happened.” Lotus mouthed the word “she” and nodded. “Honestly, I cannot decide how I should act around her when next we meet.”

“Well,” Lotus said, “if you love each other, surely everything will work out for the best.”

After a long moment’s thought, Rarity nodded and pressed herself into the mattress. “I hope you’re right.”

Before Lotus could say anything else, a pair of muffled voices breached the door, softly at first but growing louder. She frowned and lifted her hooves from Rarity’s back. “Maybe this is your noble lover herself,” she said, “ready to declare her undying love after having remembered everything.”

Rarity snorted. “I hardly think that possible.”

“You never know.” Trotting to the door, Lotus pulled it open in order to get a better look, and the voices instantly cleared.

“P-please, just wait out front!” Aloe’s voice raced ahead of the clapping sound of hoofsteps on the spa’s hardwood floor. “She’s in the middle of—”

“I have spent the past hour scouring this town for her,” someone responded—someone whose voice Rarity recognized very clearly now that she could hear it, unobstructed. “Stand me up? We shall see about that.”

Lotus glanced back, giving Rarity a wide smile. “Nobility, you said? Oh, Miss Rarity, you minx.”

Rarity pressed herself down against the mattress, like a filly scared of a monster in her closet, only to find herself disappointed when she didn’t vanish from sight. Gulping loudly as Lotus hopped aside and allowed the visitor to enter in all of her regal glory, she forced a shaky smile onto her face.

“H-hello, Luna—you won’t believe the day I’ve had.”

The chariot sliced through the cool night air, drawn by a pair of silent guards. When it had first left Canterlot, it had drifted over a gorgeous vista of gentle slopes and rustic villages, rushing rivers and distant mountains. However, mere minutes later, the varied terrain had vanished, replaced by this sprawling forest, with only infrequent rises to break up the monotony.

Neither of the chariot’s passengers noticed this at all.

Dark-gray scarf fluttering behind her, Luna flipped the page of a large, leather-bound book. After rushing to Canterlot to cancel the demonstration and offering her most sincere condolences to the heartbroken scientists involved, she had chosen to leave her tiara and torc behind in favor of something more seasonably appropriate. However, her decision to bring Rarity along for a confrontation with the Blazekites had not been well received, if the other mare’s blistering glare was anything to go by.

“This is quite fascinating,” Luna said as she glanced overtop of it at her travelling companion, but when Rarity’s glower didn’t abate, she jerked her eyes back down to safety. “Apparently my sister pays other dragons to act as liaisons with these particular Blazekites.”

No response other than the glare.

“Because, ah—” She flipped another page. “Because they devoured the pony envoys she sent at first.” Another period of thick silence, and another flipped page. “But even dragons hesitate to deal with the Blazekites if they can avoid it. Because they—because they are so quick to anger.” She muttered to herself a bit longer, then lapsed into silence.

The edge’s of Rarity’s lips quirked up ever so slightly. For the past ten minutes she had maintained this immaculately crafted scowl, and it had worked wonders. Luna would peek out from behind her book, and when she did, that withering gaze would always be levelled her way, searing itself into her eyes and forcing her back into hiding. Rarity forced her mouth back into a more intimidating frown, but a grim sense of delight from making Luna sweat left her smiling on the inside

“D-did you know that Blazekites do not keep conventional treasure hordes?” Luna said. “Instead, they stud their eggs with diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones.”

Without saying a word, Rarity crossed her legs over her chest.

“And-and their breath can supposedly melt rock,” Luna said, flipping another page. “And these two Blazekites might be the only ones of their kind left in the entire world.” Still no answer. “And—and—” She sighed and lowered the book to shoot a glare of her own. “I give up. What is it?”

Rarity’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’m sorry, are you speaking to me?”

“Of course I am,” Luna snapped, waving an encompassing hoof. “Who else would I be speaking to?”

“There’s no call for shouting, dear,” Rarity said evenly.

“I’m not shout—” Luna shut her mouth shut and took a deep, long breath. “I’m not shouting,” she repeated in a softer voice. “Now, would you tell me what is wrong?”

“Wrong?” Rarity’s eyes narrowed further. “Did I say anything’s wrong?”

“The fact that you’ve spent the entire ride mentally boring holes into my skull tells me as much, yes,” Luna said dryly.

“Well, you must be imagining things,” Rarity said. “Because nothing is wrong.”

Luna arched a prim eyebrow. “Nothing?”

“That’s what I said.” Rarity finally twisted away and stuck her nose into the air. “Absolutely nothing.”

For a long moment Luna stared at her before finally relaxing. “That is reliev—”

“I mean,” Rarity cut in shrilly, still turned away, “what could possibly be wrong about the way you have blatantly mistreated me?”

Luna winced. “Ah, I thought so.”

“Really, the sheer nerve of some ponies these days,” Rarity said, mane quivering with righteous anger.

“But it makes sense for you to come along—”

“And right after I gave up what could have been a lovely day at the spa.” Rarity had already begun to rant, and nothing could stop her now. “Lotus and Aloe won’t be so eager to schedule me at a moment’s notice next time, I can assure you of that!”

“Look, I did not mean to break down that door—”

“And then we get to the ball,” Rarity continued, “and I am absolutely famished. But can I have even one small glass of champagne or a measly plate of hors d’oeuvres? Nooo, we have ‘work to do.’ ”

“I did offer you a slice of cake afterward—”

Rarity silenced her with a sharp look. “And then, as though all that wasn’t enough, I am only permitted to have a lone mug of coffee! One!”

Luna snorted. “I know for a fact that you drank two—”

“But very well,” Rarity said, now waving a hoof dismissively. “Sometimes we must make sacrifices for the good of the many—I understand that.”

“And the many are certainly thankful,” Luna mumbled.

“But!” The word came out almost as a shriek; even the guards pulling the chariot heard it and glanced back. “But this final injustice shall not be allowed to pass uncontested.”

“I know this trip came suddenly,” Luna said, rubbing at her elbow. “And I am truly sorry for drawing you along, but—”

“You think apologies can make up for this?” Rarity ripped out something from underneath her and whipped it around—a white scarf with red and blue polka dots.

Whatever Luna had been about to say, Equestria would never know. “Wha—what?”

“I ask for a scarf that complements my mane and you bring me polka dots!” She turned her glare onto the offending garment. “Polka dots! Can you imagine my embarrassment should anypony catch me wearing something so crass?”

“If they offend you so,” Luna said, unwrapping her own scarf, “then let me wear it. You can have mine.” She snagged the end of the polka-dotted cloth.

Rarity’s chest swelled indignantly. “You think me some crude mare who would let somepony else wear polka dots on my behalf?” Try as she might, she couldn’t tug it free from Luna’s grasp. “How dare you impugn my honor like that!”

“It’s not—” A single yank and Luna had sole control of the polka-dotted scarf, which she proceeded to don with an air of gravity “—a slight against your honor.” She reached out and wrapped her gray one around Rarity’s neck. “I simply think the colors pretty and thought you would appreciate them.”

Rarity’s expression softened immediately as patted Luna on the shoulder consolingly. “Oh, Luna,” she said. “Darling, I did not know.”

“Your apology is not nec—”

“Things are worse than I thought,” Rarity went on. “First thing after we’ve put this whole fracas behind us, I must do something about your poor, misguided sense of fashion.” She stuck out her tongue and shuddered. “To think that you would like something so hideously garish as—no, that will not do at all.”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Immensely,” Rarity replied without hesitation. “You are just so adorable when at a loss for words.”

“Wonderful,” Luna muttered, glancing away.

“Come now,” Rarity said. All traces of anger gone from her face, she gave her fellow passenger another pat on the shoulder. “Overreacting is fun! Haven’t you ever tried it before?”

Luna’s eyes flicked up to where the moon would have shone down if not for the thick blanket of clouds. “Yes, I have. You might recall that it did not turn out so well.”

“Oh.” Rarity suddenly put a hoof to her mouth. “Oh! Luna, I—I did not mean to—”

“But perhaps,” Luna said, lips twisting into a cruel smile, “perhaps I should try again.” She belted out a hysterical chuckle. “Maybe I should let Equestria know the true terror of eternal night!”

Rarity shrank away as Luna’s teeth slowly grew longer, sharper. A black, ashen cloud had started to accumulate around the chariot, but she could still see that wicked grin, still hear that barking laughter. The air suddenly reeked of sulfur as her body began to shake. She closed her eyes tight—

—and the laughter stopped immediately. Something gently poked her in the side; she peeked out from under an eyelid to find Luna—flat-toothed, kind-eyed Luna—staring back, smiling a smug smile.

“You spoke truly,” she said. “That was fun.”

Rarity felt blood rush to her face as she spluttered and fought to bring her shaking under control. “Why, you-you-you—you cad! You uncouth—”

“Come now,” Luna said in a high-pitched imitation of Rarity’s voice. “Did you truly believe Nightmare Moon to be the type of mare to wear polka dots?” She flipped the scarf’s end over her shoulder and winked.

“Hmph!” Rarity pointed her nose into the air. “It takes quite a lack of shame to find entertainment by scaring somepony out of their wits.”

Luna’s eyes lit up. “That reminds me.” She moved to speak, but for a moment, no words came. Finally, in a soft voice she said, “I wished to ask you something. May I?”

“It depends,” Rarity said in a huff. “Is it another nasty ploy of yours?”

“Hardly.” Luna spoke slowly, carefully choosing her words. “It concerns a more serious, personal matter. About—about how you have…”

Rarity’s posture softened. “How I have what?”

“How you have, ah—” She coughed delicately. “How you have died. Twice.”

“Oh,” Rarity said. She forced a smile onto her face. “That little old thing?”

“Yes, I was wondering about it,” Luna said as she played with her scarf. “What is it like to perish? If-if you do not mind.”

Rarity frowned at the sudden stutter, but brushed it off. “Quite a bit like going to sleep, actually. A tad painful for a quick moment, but honestly not so terribly bad.”

“Not so bad?” Luna’s voice cracked, earning her another suspicious glance.

“Although I suppose the impermanence matters somewhat,” Rarity added slowly. “But why do you ask?”

“Simple curiosity,” Luna said, turning to watch the forest. “Of course it’s curiosity. What else could it be?”

Rarity stared hard at the back of Luna’s head for a moment, but just as her mouth opened, the clouds began to glow blue. Small patches of sky appeared here and there, then a few more, until finally the clouds dissipated entirely as though they had never been there in the first place, allowing an unobstructed view of Bridle’s Comet as it ponderously soared through the heavens. She had already seen it twice, but far from civilization, Rarity could easily make out the comet’s burning white tail, licking the night sky in its wake.

“So close,” Luna muttered. She turned to glance at her companion. “Is this how you recall it happening during your last, ah—your last—”

Rarity couldn’t tear her gaze away. “Yes,” she breathed.

“I see.” The silence hung heavily between them as they craned their necks to follow Bridle’s Comet before Luna spoke again. “If I am being wholly honest, up until now, a bit of doubt lingered regarding your tale.” Rarity fixed Luna with a flat stare. “Not that I thought you would lie deliberately!”

“So you thought me touched?” Rarity asked primly.

“No!” Luna said, holding her hooves in front of her. “No, but—you must admit that it is a rather large pill to swallow, yes? A lone mare chosen by a mysterious stallion to prevent a calamity. Whenever she d-dies, she travels back through time to start over from the beginning, this time with the knowledge needed to overcome whatever obstacle stymied her progress before.” She finished with a flourish of her forelegs.

Rarity rolled her eyes. “Yes yes, I acknowledge the bizarre nature of my circumstances.”

“But don’t you find it all odd?” Luna asked.

“Is… that a trick question?”

“I mean the fact that, in the span of a single day, we will have had not one but two disasters.” Luna’s face scrunched up in thought.

“Philosophy has not been at the forefront of my mind these past days,” Rarity said. She reached back to primp her mane. “I mean, have you seen the state of my hair? It’s horrid!”

Luna wasn’t even looking. “What if there’s a connection?”

“To my mane?” Rarity asked.

“No,” Luna said shortly. “A connection between Bridle’s Comet and the Blazekites rampaging.”

“What would that matter?” Rarity said, still examining her mane.

“I am not saying there is,” Luna said. She reached up to scratch her chin. “Just that—it strikes me as odd that two dragons particularly known for never leaving their lair would do just that on the same night that a comet nearly annihilates Equestria. In fact...”

As Luna droned on, Rarity felt the urge to yawn; only the urge to maintain proper etiquette kept it from coming out. When is the last time I got a proper night’s rest? she wondered, propping her head up on a hoof. I suppose when I— She glanced at Luna and swallowed. One can hardly call that rest.

Another yawn snuck up on her and cracked her jaws open wide before she could catch herself, and Luna’s voice buzzed pleasantly in her ears as her eyelids drooped.

“Wake me when we arrive,” she mumbled with numb lips. Whether or not Luna answered didn’t matter, because Rarity was already asleep.

What felt like seconds later, her eyes shot open, and she yelped loudly as she was thrown forward. Fortunately something held her around the shoulders and caught her before she could fall. She glanced up blearily into Luna’s smug grin.

“Whuh?” she mumbled.

“We’ve arrived,” Luna said with a snort.

“Oh. Thank you.” Rarity smacked her lips loudly and fought to bring her breathing under control.

They had landed partway down a valleyside on a flat stretch of rock. Pine trees bordered the landing going up the mountain, and towards the valley, the rock dropped away sharply. She glanced over the edge and saw more pine trees stretching up. On the valley’s other side Rarity could see a cave looming, with a wide ashen swathe of treeless ground in front of it. She shuddered, imagining the amount of dragonfire that would have been needed to clear that much woodland.

Soft voices reached her ears, and she glanced back to find Luna, back turned to her, speaking softly with the guards. She trotted over.

“—while I negotiate with the Blazekites,” Luna finished saying.

A scowl spread across Rarity’s face. “Pardon me?” she said in a saccharine voice. Luna visibly stiffened. “I was admiring the view and missed that.”

“I just gave out instructions,” Luna said without turning. “The guards are to stand away while I negotiate with the dragons.”

“And what exactly do you envision for my role in this?” Rarity asked. Beneath the sweetness of her tone lurked a hint of danger. The guards both glanced at each other uncertainly.

Luna took a deep breath. “You will stand with them, back from the danger.”

An oppressive silence fell upon the landing. None of them would meet Rarity’s eyes as they narrowed until she bore an expression that would give even a dragon reason to hesitate. The awkward pause wore on until at last she spoke, words as cold and sharp as icicles. “Princess Luna, might I have a word in private?”

For her part, Luna hadn’t even glanced at her, and even as she waved the guards away in response to their questioning looks, she closely examined a patch of rock that had suddenly captured her immediate interest.

Rarity waited for the guards to move out of earshot. “What, exactly, do you think you are doing?”

“I know not what you mean,” Luna answered, expression blank.

“Oooooh, no you don’t,” Rarity said. She trotted over to stand in front of Luna and ducked into her field of vision. “Don’t think that tripe will work on me.”

Luna glanced up for a split-second before averting her gaze once more. “ ‘Twas an acceptable enough trick when you used it,” she muttered.

“Don’t sulk,” Rarity snapped. “It’s most unbecoming in a princess. And I was teasing you for a lark. This is a matter of life and death! Luna, answer me—what are you doing?”

“I am doing my part as a ruler of Equestria,” Luna said, and at least she straightened her back and looked Rarity in the eyes. “I cannot hide behind you whenever the slightest threat rears its head.”

“The slightest threat,” Rarity scoffed, huffing. “We aren’t seeking a family of irate squirrels—these are dragons! Dragons whose fury I witnessed first-hoof, I would have you recall.”

Luna’s nostrils flared. “They could be twenty-headed hydras that breathe lightning and bleed magma and my decision would still stand.”

“Don’t be ridiculous—”

“Ridiculous?” Luna said, the venom in her voice making Rarity wince. “Why would you think protecting my subjects ridiculous?”

Rarity pushed forward to jab Luna in the chest. “I find it ridiculous because when a dragon roasts you alive,” she said in an increasingly shrill voice, “you don’t wake up back in your chambers, no worse for the wear! You don’t get a do-over when things go south!”

“Do not forget that I have dealt with dragons in the past,” Luna said. A lone bead of sweat rolled down her cheek.

“Princess!” one of the guards called out suddenly, but neither mare paid him any mind.

“You may have dealt with some dragons, but have you dealt with these dragons?” Rarity waved a hoof behind her towards the distant lair. “These dragons that would eat a pony as soon as speak with her? These dragons that even their own kind ostensibly avoids if they can?” Luna tried to turn away, but Rarity reached out to pull her back around. “Do stop me when I start making sense, will you?”

Luna yanked her head free. “You seem to think that you can change my mind,” she said with a scowl. “Save your energy—my decision stands.”

The other guard spoke up as well. “Princess Luna!”

“Don’t feed me that tripe,” Rarity snarled. “I refuse to stand by and idly watch while you get yourself killed!”

“Yet you would ask me to do the same?” Luna shot back.

Rarity heaved an exasperated sigh. “Yes!” she shouted. “Yes, that is exactly what I’m asking you to do!”

“Princess—” the first guard said.

“Then you admit to acting selfishly!” Luna spoke over him.

“No, I admit to acting pragmatically!” Rarity glanced at the guards as one galloped over. The other took wing and soared down into the valley. “What in Equestria are you so afraid of—”

Luna turned on her almost faster than she could register. “I am not afraid,” she said, face inches away.

Rarity’s face paled beneath her pearly coat. “P-pardon?”

Before Luna could answer, an ear-splitting shriek rang out through the still air, followed almost immediately by another. The guard came to a stop before them and swallowed heavily. “Your Majesty, the Blazekites are up.” Another cry accentuated his point.

“Yes, I can hear that,” Luna said dryly as she and Rarity ran to the edge. In the charred glade, one of the Blazekites had emerged into the moonlight, giving Rarity her first good look. Her eyes widened.

Golden scales covered its lithe, sinewy body, marked in places with dark-red splotches that seemed more like blood than natural coloring. Vicious spikes jutted forth from its elbows, its knees, its forehead, its spine—this was a creature that existed to tear things apart, to shred them into bloody ribbons. The dragon’s claws dug furrows in the blackened ground as it threw its head back and spread its wings to scream at the night sky.

“See what your foolish arguing did?” Rarity snapped at Luna, who glared back. “If you had just gone with my plan—” Another shriek cut her off as a second dragon burst forth from its lair “—then we would have never woken these beasts!”

“Actually, it wasn’t you that woke them,” the guard cut in with a cough. “Probably, I mean.”

“Then what was it?” Luna said sharply.

“We saw somepony sneak out,” he said, back ramrod straight. “I can only assume that he took something and that the dragons noticed its absence.” He swallowed heavily and dove into a potential minefield. “Or, maybe your shouting woke them up.”

Down in the valley, the first dragon had taken to the sky and glided along the treeline, head held low. Its partner shouted its fury and followed close behind.

“Did you see in which direction this pony went?” Luna asked.

“Yes,” the guard said with a nod. “Follow me.” He spread his wings, but paused for a moment. “And maybe try not to shout at each other anymore.”

Rarity opened her mouth to ask how they were supposed to hunt down a thief with vicious, bloodthirsty dragons scouring the skies when Luna grabbed her around the midriff and took off after the guard. She barely managed to stifle her yelp.

“What are you doing?” Rarity demanded instead as the wind whipped her mane. She spat out a mouthful of hair. “Let me down this instant!”

Luna gave her a flat glance, then directed her gaze to the ground hundreds of feet below them. “Truly?”

“Well, of course you would land first,” Rarity said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly! For royalty, you are woefully ignorant when it comes to treating a lady.”

The three ponies swooped low, keeping a low profile in the two dragons’ wake as they made their way towards the valley’s center. Clouds had begun to gather in the sky, dampening the moonlight, and Rarity had forgotten to bring her umbrella. She whimpered and wrung her mane.

Held up against Luna’s chest as she was, Rarity could feel the princess’s heart pounding. Luna’s coat was rougher than hers—We must work on that later, Rarity thought idly—and it had an almost musky scent to it. Not terribly ladylike, but one that somehow had Rarity’s heart thumping even faster and louder than Luna’s. She slowly wrapped her hooves around Luna’s neck and held on tightly.

Although the flight only lasted a few moments, it felt like hours to Rarity before the pace slowed and they came to a halt, hovering just above the canopy. “Will your fellow signal you?” Luna asked the guard as she shifted Rarity into a more comfortable position in her forelegs.

“Yes, Princess,” the guard said. “As soon as he catches the culprit, he should use his illuminator to tell us—”

A few trees twenty yards to their left lit up momentarily. “Over there!” Rarity said, daring to let go of Luna long enough to point.

“That wasn’t his illuminator,” the guard said with a frown.

A few powerful beats of their wings was enough to carry them to where the light had been, and seconds later they touched down on the muddy forest floor.

“What could have flashed like that?” Luna said. “Rarity, you can let go now—we have landed.”

“Absolutely not!” Rarity said as she clung on to Luna’s neck and eyed the mud beneath her.

A groan from behind a nearby tree cut Luna off before she could reply. She craned her head around to find her other guard lying on his back, chest and stomach singed black in three places.

“Sergeant!” she said, dashing to his side. “Can you hear me?”

His eyes cracked open and focused on her blearily. “Forgive me, Princess,” he answered with a groan. “The culprit eluded me.” When he weakly tried to roll onto his stomach, Luna laid a hoof on his shoulder to hold him still.

“Did you see where he went?” she asked.

“That way,” he said, pointing a shaky hoof to the right, away from the dragons’ lair. “He’s an earth pony, so you should be able to catch him, but be careful—he has some odd magic about him.”

“Magic?”

The injured guard nodded. “Right before I caught him, he threw these—these things at me that exploded when they touched me.”

“Understood,” Luna said, turning away. “Was there anything else?”

“He has one of their eggs,” the guard said with another groan. “I saw it clearly.”

“Then we have no time to waste,” Luna said.

The guard threw an unsteady salute. “Good luck, Princess.” Luna nodded to the other guard, and they spread their wings.

“Wait just one moment,” Rarity said, glancing back. “You can’t mean to leave him here alone with two angry dragons flying about.”

“Don’t worry about me,” the injured guard said quickly.

“Nonsense!” Rarity saw Luna frown but went on anyway. “I cannot help with this search, so I shall stay here.” She let go, steeling herself to drop to the muddy ground, but one of Luna’s forelegs snaked up to hold her tight.

“You are right that we cannot just leave our fellow,” she said softly, “but it is also important that you witness any events of import, such as the apprehension of this thief.”

“Your Majesty, I’ll be—” the injured guard began.

“Stay here with your injured brother,” Luna said to the other guard, whose eyes widened. “Should he recover in time, follow us with all due haste.”

“But—”

“Do not argue!” she snapped, beating her wings and taking off. “We have tarried long enough as is!” Without waiting for an answer, she set a frantic course through the forest, close to the ground. Tree trunks and branches flashed by, in some cases inches away from clipping her wings. More than once, Rarity shrieked as they hurtled towards a leafy bough only for Luna to dip beneath it at the last moment.

“Must you go—” She whimpered and ducked her head when Luna banked around a wide trunk “—must you go so fast?”

“The fiend cannot be far!” Luna answered in a tight voice. “We must catch him before it’s too late!”

After a moment of silence, Rarity glanced up shyly. “Luna, I—can you forgive me for—”

“Not now,” Luna growled as she weaved through a tight cluster of trees. “I see the cur. Look!”

Rarity hesitantly turned her gaze forward, where a stallion galloped for all he was worth. He darted gracefully between trees, but not quickly enough to outpace Luna’s wings. She put on a burst of speed right as he glanced back and used his mouth to flip something in her direction. Three small black pellets soared right at them.

“Simple,” Luna scoffed, twisting out of the pellets’ path. However, they exploded in mid-air and caught her and Rarity in a thick cloud of smoke. Rarity heard Luna yelp, and then she was falling the twenty yards towards the ground. She landed on her behind and skidded a short distance before coming to a stop.

“Ooow!” she whined, rubbing her thigh and glancing up. “Luna, how could you—”

As the smoke cleared, she gasped loudly. Strung between the trees was a mess of thick, ropey cobwebs, and stuck directly in the middle like a giant angry blue fly was the Princess of the Night, legs splayed.

“Damn!” Luna spat, wrenching at the webs to no avail.

“Luna!” Rarity called up. “Luna, are you okay?”

Luna growled and yanked again. “Does it look like I am okay?”

Rarity’s hooves clapped against the ground. She glanced down to find that she had landed on a small patch of rock, which made for a more painful landing, but one that she far preferred to dropping into the mud. Examining the trees supporting Luna’s webs, she saw a fallen trunk lying along of of their bases. She squatted for a moment and leaped onto it, only scrabbling for a moment before she stood up straight.

“Do not fret,” she said as she looked for the easiest way up. “I shall have you free momentar—”

“No,” Luna cut her off. She flailed about, but the webbing held firm. “You must catch that stallion. This is certainly the reason for the Blazekites’ rampage in Ponyville, so it is imperative that you retrieve the egg and return it while they are still here!”

Rarity’s blood ran cold. “But—I cannot do this by myself! I’m-I’m-I’m just one mare, and he has such a head start, and—” She glanced in the direction the thief had gone. Hoofprints, deeply imprinted in the mud, clearly marked his path. “And it’s just so muddy!”

“Seriously?” Luna paused to throw down an incredulous look.

“Of course the first two complaints are the more pressing,” Rarity said with a shrug. “But the third is nonetheless important!”

Luna took a long, shuddering breath. “Every second we spend arguing is another second he has to escape,” she said. “You are the only one who can do this, but even that chance dwindles further by the moment!”

“But—” Rarity’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “But what if a dragon eats you while I’m gone?”

“Do not trouble yourself over that,” Luna scoffed. “Now make haste!”

For a long moment, Rarity stared up without saying a word. “Very well,” she finally said. “But—at least let me first apologize for—”

“We shall speak on that later,” Luna said, clearly trying to stay calm. “But unless you want to see your hometown burnt to the ground, then go!” Her words were punctuated by another dragon’s cry.

Rarity glanced in the direction that the hoofprints led, into the marshy gloom. “You’ll catch up with me?”

“Yes! Go!”

“Fine!” Rarity shouted as she squeezed her eyes shut and leapt from her perch.

If Luna said anything in response, it was lost in the wet squelches of mud that slurped at Rarity’s hooves with every step as she galloped as quickly as she could. She looked back, but Luna was already lost to sight, so she put her head down and pushed forward.

“Ick, ick, ick,” she repeated under her breath. She could feel every last drop of mud, every last fleck of muck that stained her coat. “Ick, ick ick.”

Her quarry’s hoofprints didn’t follow a straight line, instead making seemingly random changes in direction, weaving an almost disorienting path between the trees and other foliage. If it hadn’t been raining so much recently, Rarity would have had no chance in following her quarry. As it was, her chances were slim—she was no athlete, and this mad dash through the mud drained her strength quickly.

She glanced up and realized that clouds had once more blanketed the sky, cutting off any natural light. If not for her own illumination spell, she would have been as good as blind. Even that, however, began to fail her as her breathing came more and more heavily and maintaining the magic grew more taxing. Another piercing cry cut through the air, and the light flickered wildly.

Her pace slowed to a canter, then a trot. She ran a messy hoof across her brow to wipe at the sweat, not even caring that it left behind a swath of mud. A frown marred her face as a loud pattering noise caught her attention. She glanced up, and a fat raindrop landed directly on her forehead, her last warning before the sky opened up and let loose the floodgates.

The mud still dragged at her legs, but now she also had to struggle just to maintain her footing as sheets of rain somehow found their way through the canopy and battered her weary frame. Slipping, sliding, and close to sobbing, she dragged herself forward, eyes still fixed on the trail before her, barely visible in her failing light.

If only I had been caught in that web as well, she thought. As the sky flashed with lightning, an image of lightning striking the defenseless Luna ran through her head. She shook her head sharply and pressed on.

However, as the rain grew even heavier, Rarity realized that the tracks were becoming harder and harder to follow—they had begun to wear away under the storm’s assault. “No, no, no!” she said, trying to pick up her pace before they vanished entirely. She slipped on the mud and fell forward, striking her chin on the ground. As she lay there groaning, the hoofprints disappeared inches from her dismayed eyes.

Now aimless and lost, she pulled herself up against a tree and hunkered under it, desperately wracking her brain for an answer. The tracks were gone; her quarry could be anywhere; the darkness and rain made seeing an unlikely prospect, even if she managed to maintain her spell any longer; and unless the blindest of luck accompanied her—which it didn’t, she decided, if her past few trips through this one day were any indication—she could walk within leg’s-reach of the thief and never know it.

Luna has probably freed herself by now anyway, she thought, ears drooping. Maybe I should just wait for her.

Fat raindrops pounded on and around her as her spirits sank. Every minute she sat there unable to do anything was another minute the thief had to escape and seal Ponyville’s fate. And who knew what other towns or even cities might find a pair of angry dragons descending upon them?

Hay Budget certainly chose the wrong mare. Lightning speared the sky, lighting her surroundings for the briefest of moments, and she allowed the illumination spell to slip away. Darkness settled fully upon her, almost as thick as the mud splattered all over her coat. Anypony could handle this entire affair better than I have. A scene of Luna heroically fighting and single-hoofedly besting a squadron of dragons played out in her imagination. At least I can’t hear that awful dragon anymore.

She hadn’t thought it possible, but the rain fell harder still. The ground was more water than dirt at that point, which would make moving with any sort of haste almost impossible. Not that Rarity was the most athletic pony even in the best conditions, she reminded herself.

I’m not much of anything at all, she thought. What can I do besides sew and track down precious stones? Suddenly her eyes widened and she sat up ramrod straight. “Because,” she said slowly, “whyever would that particular skill aid me in tracking down an egg studded with gems?” She snarled at her stupidity.

Taking a deep breath, she fought to narrow her thoughts. The torrential fear from saving the world, the uncertainty over how to act around Luna, even the fury over her ruined mane—all of these emotions and others Rarity forced into the back of her mind so she could focus on one single, specific concept—beauty. Not the beauty of a perfectly coiffed hairstyle or a pony decked out in the newest, most forward-thinking formalwear on the market, but the simple beauty to be find in things that shone, that caught the eye with a mere glint.

A surge of magic ran through her horn, then faded as she waited for that familiar tingle in her bones that told her the spell was taking effect. When it eventually did, if there was anything magnificent close by, her horn would draw her towards it. Hopefully, I can at least find which direction he went—

She had expected maybe a slight tug. She had prayed for a pull. She had even imagined the remote possibility that it might yank her horn sharply enough to hurt. “Ow!” she said as the spell jerked her head back so that she was looking up.

But of everything she considered, she wasn’t prepared to find a stallion staring down at her from a tree-branch directly overhead. Her eyes widened.

“You!” she cried.

The thief scrambled towards the trunk, hooves scrabbling on slippery bark, but Rarity was not about to let him escape again. A bright blue bolt lanced forth from her horn and sliced the branch off at its base, dropping both it and its unfortunate passenger fifteen feet to land in the soupy mud below. His bag splashed down a second later, and the egg, abnormally large, rolled out. This close, Rarity could see that it glowed brightly due to the effect of her spell.

A groan drew her attention away from the egg, and she fell upon the fallen thief, who blinked dazedly. “What was—”

“Do you know,” she said loudly so he could hear her over the pounding rain, “the full import of your actions tonight?” He groaned again. “That not only is it in extremely poor taste to steal some poor creature’s young, but by angering a pair of vicious dragons, you have endangered everypony within a hundred miles?”

The thief rubbed his forehead. “What—”

“Unless I can set things to right, they will fly to Ponyville and obliterate it!” She slowly gained momentum, speaking louder and more rapidly with every word.

“How—” he began, but again was cut off.

“Do you know how it feels when a burning building crushes you?” Rarity yelled. She pushed him onto his back when he tried to stand. “Because I do! I was killed by one! Tomorrow! All because you had to go and infuriate two of the most destructive creatures in the entire world!”

“Stop—”

Rarity slammed him back down with a snarl. “And then there’s my would-be relationship with Luna, which is on its third take and counting, I would have you know, with all manner of snags along the way as a result of your—your—” She spluttered for a moment “—your selfishness!”

“Seriously, get off me!” the stallion grunted, wriggling beneath her iron hooves.

“Ever since I was a little filly, I dreamed—literally dreamed—of being courted by royalty,” she wailed, “but noooo! When it finally happens, the entire world turns to sand in a saddlebag! Tell me, why would anypony want something silly like a moonlit stroll in the garden or a romantic dinner with her special somepony when she can instead go hunting for tantrum-prone dragons or save the entirety of Equestria from rogue comets?!” She paused to take a breath. “And I honestly cannot tell who I hate more—you for being so utterly selfish, that stallion for throwing me into this entire mess, Luna for not simply making everything better, or myself for being so weak and ineffectual that I cannot handle matters on my own!” With that said, she threw her head back and burst into tears.

The thief glanced away, brow furrowed. “Uh—look, lady, I’m real sorry for—”

“Sorry?” Rarity shrieked as she wiped at her puffy eyes. “You’re sorry? Just look at me! Never in my entire life have I felt so utterly filthy! Will your sorry wash my coat clean?” She waved the end of her mane in his face. “Will it pull the refuse and tangles from my hair? No, it won’t! You don’t get to be sorr—”

One moment she was screaming in the thief’s face, the next she found herself in mid-air, launched by a powerful kick of his hind legs. She landed heavily on her rump just in time to see him disappear into the gloom.

“Oh, you cad!” She ground her teeth. “You absolute fiend! Get back here right this instant, you oversized toad-spawn! I was not yet done complaining to—”

A sound like an entire forest’s worth of tree branches breaking at once sheared through the rain’s pounding, followed by an earth-shaking thump that lifted Rarity from the ground for a short moment. Something very large and very heavy stood behind her, she knew; she slowly turned and found herself staring straight into a blazing red eye as large as her head.

“If you need someone to complain to, my little pony,” the dragon boomed, voice churning with fury, “why not give me a try?”

Rarity’s eyes rolled back and she fainted dead away.

Rarity's Quest to Save Literally Everything

by PegasusMesa

Not With a Whimper, But a Bang

That Wasn't So Hard

Dragons Take Their Ponies Medium Rare