Rarity jumped a bit, opening an eye hazily to look at what she had magicked. Somehow, a white wing was stuck underneath her. Wait. A white....wing? / Raricorn/Twicorn ship, sad later, rated for possible fluff later.
Rarity wakes up one morning--far too early for her liking--and finds she has a lovely new set of pearly-white wings on her back!
What does this mean? Has something become of the Princesses? Will Twilight know what to do? For that matter, how will the newly-made princess feel when one of her friends becomes an alicorn, as well?
Raricorn/Twilight shipping. All cast will be involved. Some sad to come, this is a ship fic, so be aware of...feelings and such.
Ponyville was quiet, the sun had not yet breached the eastern skyline but was lingering on the edge of the horizon, the moon at about an equal position on the opposite side of Equestria. Each was lightly misted over, and the sky was still dark.
Rarity rolled over in her sleep, moaning softly as she resisted wakefulness. The sunlight filtered in through her dancing curtain, it's silken form being gently lifted by the breeze. She had been laying on her stomach nearly all the night, and as she rolled onto her back, she felt a pillow shoved under her back. She used her magic lazily to try and yank it out, and found that whatever she was yanking was attached to her.
"Ow!" Rarity jumped a bit, opening an eye hazily to look at what she had magicked. Somehow a white wing was stuck underneath her.
Wait.
A white....wing? She bolted upright, and nearly instantly, two large wings popped from her back with an almost comical spring like action.
She turned in circles in her bed, chasing the foreign objects on her back.
She finally caught one of them with the reach of her hooves and pulled it towards her. It hurt. Yep, it was definitely attached. She jumped off the bed, nearly toppling as her wings set her off balance. She galloped shakily, her rollers bobbing in her hair, over to her vanity and tilted the mirror down a bit. She gasped in shock as she turned her body a bit. She had wings! She...she was an alicorn!
She must tell someone! She must do something! This was madness! But she...she mustn't panic!
Even as she told herself not to, she found her breathing rate increasing. She had to talk herself into calming down. Okay, first of all....
She forced her wings shut through an incredible amount of concentration. Sweet Celestia, it was strange having the new appendages. She looked back in the vanity and went about beautifying herself as normal as she could. Her horn was a little longer, which was also odd, so it was a little different to brush her hair.
When she was satisfactorily beautified, she wrapped a fabulous silken cloak about her shoulders and bolted out the door, heading right for the first pony she knew needed to know--Twilight.
She galloped up to the new castle, knowing it would be locked as the sun was barely raising, a thin shimmer of fog filled the air. She reached for the door knocker and pounded it furiously, looking about worriedly, not wanting any pony to see her as she used every fiber of her being to prevent those springs winding in her wings from popping up.
Far across town, still barely used to sleeping in a magnificent new castle and her new bed, was the princess Twilight Sparkle. As Twilight shifted in her bed under the covers she kept letting out unsatisfied groans as she continued to attempt to find the perfect place to lay for the final few minutes she would get in her bed until the sun was high enough in the sky that she would actually have to get up. But she just couldn't get comfortable! Every time she turned over she bed only seemed to get worse and worse. Her blankets weren't doing much for her either which only made her angrier.
So in a final move of anger she opened her eyes to see that she wasn't in her bedroom at all. She was in the castle library...yet again, on the floor midst a few unraveled scrolls and a few open books here and there.
She leaned up and gave her body a good stretch and let her bones pop a few times and then she felt pain of sleeping in such an awkward position on her back come full force all over her. She groaned and got herself up.
Twilight slowly and groggily made her way past the throne room near the entrance of the Castle and started to make her way to her bedroom and then her bathroom to get herself ready for the day. As if to add to the mare's morning discomfort and soreness, there was a sudden loud, obnoxious knocking that boomed from the main door, causing her to wince with every pound. She had an inkling to not open the door and just go on her way but she supposed, as a princess, she really couldn't do that. Even though she did look rather ridiculous.
Her mane and tail were both a mess but she didn't care at this point. She slowly made her way over to the door and again...slowly opened it. Before she could see who it was she let out a yawn and closed her eyes, blinking groggily. When she was finished she saw her friend, Rarity. A little too early for her liking on this day, but she supposed she couldn't turn away a friend. But she was rather dressed up...did she forget something she was supposed to do this morning? There wasn't anything on her calendar...There was no way she could have.
"Oh...hey Rarity," She said in groggy tone with half open eyes. She tried her best to smile to her but only got this kind of half grin. "What...uh..what brings you by? Isn't it a little early..?"
"Twilight, I have to tell you someth—EEK!!" Right as Rarity was about to speak, the springs in her new found wings popped open, sending the cloak which had been covering her flying into the air, where it loftily floated to the ground. Rarity blinked several times as her wings stood out to her sides, stiff and spread eagle.
She did not say anything, biting her lip a moment before remembering her silk cloak was now on the ground. She didn't move but just drew her eyes over to where the cloak laid and used her magic to pick it up and set it back on her back, though just laying over the top of the base of her wings, as she couldn't seem to get them to close again.
She was beginning to feel more and more unnerved and self conscious as the sun was climbing ever higher, and the fog was starting to clear up, "Let me inside!"
Without much grace, she shoved past her friend and into the castle, barreling her aside to slam the door shut, leaning against it with her wings spread wide. She sighed and slumped her haunches to the ground, not really certain what to say to Twilight, as the purple princess stared at her, still clearly still half asleep, so she muttered softly, under her breath, "Twilight...I....I woke up this way!"
Twilight wanted to let out a yelp as she was barreled over by Rarity as she barged into her Castle but she was just so tired she couldn't. She toppled over and fell on her back and thought for a second...that this floor was rather comfortable. She swore she saw something up with Rarity before she entered but she couldn't quite put a hoof on it. It was rather early, okay!?
Twilight then got herself up and focused back on Rarity. She gave a wide yawn, a squeak sneaking in as she did, and covered her mouth. She put a smile back on her face, then, though she still looked rather airy and it was clear the purple mare still had one hoof in dreamland.
Her face seemed to light up just a bit but not quite when she took in the new wings that Rarity had on her body. Twilight had that groggy smile still on her face and she moved over to Rarity and poked one of the wings with her hoof. When she did she spread out one of her own wings and gave it a poke as well. They felt the same...
The princess then started to giggle rather dopily as she moved away from Rarity.
"Okay...okay," She said through the breaks in her giggles. "I think it's pretty funny, I'll give you that."
Or was it insulting?
"Who set you up to this? Rainbow? Pinkie? They are always pulling pranks on me..."
Twilight was still dilusional with tiredness. Either this was a dream and it didn't matter, or the alternative, this was some sort of prank.To think that this was all just a prank was really the only thing her mind wanted to perceive this as at the moment. Her brain did too much work last night so it needed a break and the smidge sleep she got last night didn't help at all. She made her way closer to Rarity and asked curiously, still staring at the wings, “How'd you get the wings though? They feel so...real."
"Twilight!" Rarity could see that with this groggy Twilight in place of the normal, smart, thinking Twilight this conversation was going absolutely nowhere. That in mind, Rarity trotted over to Twilight's restroom and magicked up a glass, filled it with water, then trotted back to Twilight. She paused a moment, then threw the glass onto Twilight's face, "WAKE UP! This is no prank--I do not partake in such things, you should know by now--I have WINGS, Twilight!"
Twilight watched as Rarity trotted off and then came back with a glass of water. She must have been thirsty. Twilight was about to ask her something but her face was then splashed with the water she had in her cup. With her mane now wet and face cold she let out a scream of surprise, as she wasn't expecting that at all.
"Rarity!" She screamed at her friend. The old Twilight was back now and groggy Twilight was gone. "Why did you just...do...-"
Rarity turned in a circle and managed to flap her wings a couple times, and felt her front hoofs lift off the ground a little, which terrified her enough to stop moving them, "They're as real as real can be! What in Equestria is going on!?!"
At this moment Twilight's jaw hit the floor. Her eyes widened pretty much as wide as they could and her mind just started going faster and faster.
She brought her mouth to a close and gave her head a shake. She almost started to hyperventilate just a bit as this was all just too much. She was just splashed in the face with water so she had to be awake. Besides...she remembered waking up.
The princess moved over and grabbed a hold of one of Rarity's new wings. She would every now and then look to her friend's face and try to formulate words to speak with. Only little burst of gibberish and mutters.
"Owww!" Rarity moaned pathetically as Twilight snatched her wing.
"How...H-..How did this happen?" She still had that look of utter confusion on her face as she released her new wing and looked her straight in the face. Her mane was still rather wet but that didn't matter at the moment. "What---wha-what did you do to yourself?!"
"Moi!? What did I do?!" Rarity was aghast. Twilight thought she had cast some sort of spell or something! On herself! "I would never! I swear to Celestia, I haven't done a thing! I woke up this morning and...and...."
She flapped her wings awkwardly, beating them out of sync in exasperation, "Twilight, do you really think I would magic myself wings?! I...I don't even know how! You were barely able to magic those those....butterfly wings! How could I possibly make myself an...an...ALICORN?!"
The large amount of confusion was still evident on Twilight's face as she continued to look over Rarity's new wings. She honestly had no idea how she got them. Or if they were even real, or permanent. Maybe Discord had something to do with this? Though, it was hard to put a hoof on that seeing as how this was not something she could truly imagine him doing. Why would he just mess with Rarity was a good question to ask, as well. Mass chaos was more his thing...this just...didn't seem like him.
Still having a hard time formulating words into proper sentences Twilight finally sat herself down on her haunches and her eyes seemed to drift off into space.
"This...this.." She muttered quietly as she continued to look off into space. She was at a loss for words as well as thoughts. She didn't know if she should be happy for her friend and her wings or concerned. How would Rarity take it? Her feelings were something she needed to consider before just speaking out.
"I...I..I just don't know Rarity!" She threw her hooves up in slight anger at the fact that she just had to admit she didn't know something. "I don't know how this could have happened...I don't know! Are you sure you can't remember anything before you had your wings? Maybe something happened or something?"
"No! I...I mean...perhaps I was...particularly generous or...or something? Could my element have given me such an ability? Do you think our friends were also effected!?" Rarity whined, then at her own words, she gasped, "Our FRIENDS! I...I mean...if I'm shocked at having wings...can you imagine what AJ or Pinkie would go through--suddenly having both?!"
She gaped at Twilight, pausing a few moments, "Though...they are not here...and you'd think that they would be if we all were..."
She tapped her hoof against her chin, and ever the lover of a good accessory, she could not help but ask a truly Rarity question, "Does this mean I get to wear a crown?"
At the mention of all their other friends Twilight got to thinking about them as well. She doubted something happened to them really...but, it was always possible. If something did happen to them why weren't they here? Well, it was rather early in the morning...or they could just be hiding if they had reacted differently.
Maybe...maybe she WAS just overly generous or something....She never remembered hearing anything about her friends and their elements and if they exceeded their limits they would gain alicorn status. But then again everyday in this town just seemed be more exciting than the last. Her own element was related to her alicorn status, perhaps it also applied to the other elements....there was nothing in her books or any logic that would decree that only the Element of Magic would or could bring a pony to alicorn status...
Twilight gave a rather concerned look, pulling herself from her own thoughts, and cocked her eyebrow to the white mare,"No I don't think you will get to wear a crown..but if you really want one you can have mine. For the time being."
She put a hoof to her chin in thought a bit. "There was never a coronation so I don't think you have princess status just because you now have wings. But I think we might need to speak with Celestia or Luna about this..."
The fact that she couldn't put a hoof on what was going on just irritated her. But she wasn't about to make that evident to Rarity. She might not recognize it, but she more worried than angry about something that trivial. "But....I'd need to get ready before we left there. If that's what we can agree upon doing?"
"Well, you did become a princess prior to coronation, Twilight," Rarity huffed, feeling a little wounded. Her friend obviously did not think she was worthy to be a princess, "Perhaps mine has not been planned yet. It would certainly be a most marvelous event."
She flipped her hair poignantly, not truly looking herself with the upset look upon her face, "It's not so far-fetched, is it? Why....you are not the only pony who has done great things for Equestria...we all have."
She flushed indignantly, "Besides...it is not something for you to truly decide, is it? We should see the royal sisters at once! But...first, I think we should get our friends. They will want to know that we are alright....they would be worried if we suddenly vanished without a trace."
Alright, now Twilight felt bad. Rarity was right. Well, mostly right. Twilight opened her mouth to retort but she quick shut it and then let her lips quiver just a bit as she held her tongue. Best not to say anything she didn't actually mean. The things she was saying now would be easy to blame on her lack of a good sleep and the fact that she was awoken so early and how all of this was a lot to take in. There was just a lot going on, alright.
With a small huff she nodded to Rarity. "You're right, Rarity."
She almost said something sympathetic after that but figured she wouldn't. They couldn't just be sitting here talking about this situation and who is a princess or not. They needed to do something about this!
"Come on," She got up and made her way over to the door of her Castle. "Let's go get our friends."
She opened the door and then waited for her to go first. She figured she was going to use that cloak to cover herself up. To be honest she kind of hoped she did. She didn't want the ponies of Ponyville to get all wigged out when they saw another alicorn among them. Who they met first was entirely up to where they decided to go. Or a random encounter could happen...one never knows.
Rarity was about to go after Twilight when she remembered her situation. She grunted and tried to fold in her wings, but the darn things seemed to have a mind of their own, refusing to fold nicely.
"Ugh! How...does...one...control...these...stupid..." she pushed on the stubborn appendages with her hooves, and the second she'd get one wing down to her body, the other would pop open, before long she found herself groaning quite audibly in frustration, "AAAUUUUGH!"
She sighed one final time in annoyance, giving up on them she strutted into Twilight's room, not waiting for any sort of permission. Nose to the air, she gingerly magicked off the star belt from Twilight's Gala dress and used her magic to hold her wings down a moment while she quickly wrapped the belt around them and her waist and tightened it tight enough to lock them to her body. She huffed out a sigh and grabbed her cloak, covering herself once more, "Alright! I'm ready!"
She galloped out the castle doors after Twilight, a little uncomfortable with the tight belt around her waist, but she could handle it. She had certainly worn tighter garments!
“Rarity!" Rarity nearly jumped out of her pelt as she heard the familiar high-pitched cheer of their earth-pony friend, who was quickly bouncing towards them, a saddle bag on her back, "Oooh! And Twilight, too! My Pinkie Sense told me something exciting was about to happen! Or maybe something scary...maybe a little bit of both!"
Rarity knew better than to doubt Pinkie Pie's Pinkie sense, and was simply glad to have her here...but she was still a completely normal Earth pony, and a shared glance with Twilight told her that the lavender mare had the same thought ran through her mind, "We'll explain once we get the others, Pinkie."
"Okie dokie, Loki!" Pinkie Pie chirped cheerfully, happy to follow along with her friends to get her other friends and then find out what was going on.
Normally, Twilight would have been a lot happier to see Pinkie but given the current situation she was letting these different emotions reign all over her. She got a funny feeling in her stomach as Pinkie told them about her Pinkie Sense. Twilight was able to quickly recall the memories of that fateful day when she learned just what Pinkie Sense was. The amount of time she spent afterwards trying to prove it wrong. If she learned anything from that day it was that you need to believe the Pinkie Sense. No matter how far-fetched or ridiculous it may seem.
"Hey, Pinkie." Twilight started in a quick voice. "Say, have you seen the-"
"Howdy Ya'll!"
A familiar southern drawl called out from behind the trio. Of course, there were only a small number of ponies in Ponyville that had such accents but none such as this one. It was one that Twilight had grown attached to over her time here. It was the voice of that honest, orange-coated mare, Applejack.
The blonde mare came up to the trio and nodded to each of them. In her mind everything seemed normal, she sported a fond smile on her face. Pinkie seemed to be as energetic as usual and Rarity was...sorta dolled up, though not enough to raise question, Twilight seemed distracted, but otherwise fine to her.
"Ah thought Ah heard familiar voices comin' from round here," She beamed a smile to each of them. "Say, what're ya'll doin' here so early, anyway-"
Twilight put a hoof to her mouth to close it for her. While she always liked to listen to AJ and she was always happy to answer her questions, they needed to get their two pegasi friends.
"Applejack," Twilight started in a calm voice. She put her hoof back on the ground before shooting a quick glance to Rarity. "We can talk in a bit, but we need you to come with us. We need to find Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. It's quite...urgent."
Honestly confused, Applejack shrugged and tipped her hat back up.
"Well, alrighty then!" She then followed along side Pinkie behind Twilight and Rarity.
Pinkie Pie bounced along after her friends as normal, while Rarity trotted ahead with purpose, scanning the clouds above for Rainbow Dash. She was certain Fluttershy would still be at her cottage, but the rainbow mare was so hard to get ahold of...especially when it was this early in the morning.
"Twilight...do you suppose you could fly up there and--"
*HOUHHNNNKKK*
Rarity stopped in her tracks as the sound of a hideous snore met her ears loud and clear. She looked up, and as if fate had planned it, there was the rainbow mare snoozing on a fluffy white cloud.
"Rainb--"
"RAINBOW DASH!! WAKEY WAKEY, SLEEPY HEAD! WE HAVE A SUPER-COOL, AMAZING MISSION TO DO!!!" Pinkie bounced up, just about reaching the clouds, and startling the mare to awareness, then bounced up again, "OR MAYBE NOT!"
"Huh? Wha-I'm awake! I wasn't sleepin'!" Dash muttered groggily, stumbling backwards off the cloud and crashing to the ground. Rarity stepped clear just in time. The blue mare rose up off the cloud, stretching her wings and groaning, "Ughh...what's the deal, Pinkie? ....oh....uh...Hey, everypony!"
Rarity blinked at Rainbow Dash as the mare smiled sheepishly, obviously wondering why they were all here, then turning to gallop to Fluttershy's cottage, "Come, Rainbow Dash. We will explain later! We must get Fluttershy, post haste!"
Dash stood up and dusted herself off, "A mission? I'm on it!"
With that, Dash took off with huge gust of wind, nearly blowing Rarity's cloak off. She looked off in the direction Rainbow went, "Well... I suppose she'll just bring--"
"Got her!" Dash appeared with a certain yellow pegasus in her arms, looking as though she had just gotten pulled out from under the covers.
The small framed pegasus gave a dainty yawn and then put her hooves to her eyes to rub them. As she reopened her eyes, she saw all of her friends in front of her. Why Rainbow Dash had grabbed her like this she had no idea.
"Oh..." She started in her usual quiet tone. "Hey girls."
Fluttershy then inched her way out of Rainbow's hooves and started to flap her own wings to hover in place. "Is there a reason I was taken from my bed?"
She felt as if she was about to yawn again but stifled it, stretching her jaw and keeping her mouth closed, releasing a soft squeak. She glanced curiously between all of her friends around her.
Twilight looked between all of them before looking to Rarity. "Yes."
The purple alicorn tried to push back that worried look on her face but it was rather hard, and she felt her brow furrowing further.
Applejack moved a bit closer and cocked an eyebrow to the two, "Is uh...everything alright, Sugarcubes?"
She kept her eyebrow raised as she waited for an answer.
Twilight still kept her gaze on Rarity.
"Well...." She shrugged before letting out a soft sigh. "Rarity, do you want to tell them or do want me to be the one to say it?"
She then looked to her left and her right and she could feel that worried look coming back on her face.
"We can't just show them here.." She whispered in a hushed tone.
Applejack still had her brow slightly raised as she awaited her answer, and the four other mares had gotten closer to them as well, crowding around the orange mare to gape at Twilight and Rarity with wide eyes.
"It would certainly be easier to just show them, Twilight...perhaps we should go back to the castle," She looked around the group. Pinkie Pie, as though knowing this was coming next, was already bouncing to the steps across town, heading for the large marble door, her curly pink tail springing about as she sprang along. Rarity turned to follow her, not paying much attention.
Rainbow Dash looked at Fluttershy with a cocked eyebrow, then back to Twilight and Rarity, "What's with the creepy-cloak, Rarity?"
Rarity stopped in her tracks and turned back towards Rainbow, gasping, "Creepy!? Why, I never! This is solid Arabian silk! It may be...rather dark...for my tastes but...it has served it's purpose!"
Rarity turned away, her nose in the air and trotted off angrily after Pinkie.
"Wait, Rarity, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that!" Rainbow landed next to Rarity, one of her hooves on the end of the garment without noticing, "I'm sorry. What's going on, though? It's just...you don't usually wear....well, anything...especially on just a normal day...especially when the weather today is supposed to be a scorcher..."
Rarity looked angrily at RD for a moment, then her face relaxed as she sighed, "I'm sorry Rainbow. I overreacted. Come on, to the castle! Twilight and I need to show you what's going o---AHHH!"
As Rarity went to step forward, a loud rip sounded as Rainbow's body weight pulled down on her garment and caused Rarity to trip forward and the clasp that kept it the garment closed around her neck ripped open, and as if to add to the trip, the star buckle that kept the belt closed popped out and shot out straight at Rainbow, smacking the mare right in the muzzle, leaving a bright red mark on her blue nose. She didn't seem to notice the pain, her eyes were glued to the two things that had just popped out of Rarity's back. Not things...WINGS.
"RARITY? WHAT IN THE HAY –WHA WHA...WHAT ARE THOSE!?!” Rainbow Dash's loudmouth outcry was certainly enough to attract the gaze of all of the townsfolk who were starting their business for the day.
Several faces peaked out of windows and the town began filling with curious whispers as the sun climbed the sky and the morning stretched into its more reasonable hours. Rarity did not move, sprawled on the pavement with a look of sheer terror on her face. She was normally apt and ready for any sort of attention, but with all of those whispers and eyes upon her, she positively froze with nervousness. Her face blanched and her lip quivered, but she could not find her hooves.
With awestruck looks on their faces Twilight was afraid of this exact thing happening. At least they were close enough to the castle so she should able to do...this.
Quickly, she used her magic to envelop each of her friends and with a pop of magic, landed on the castle steps, and then quickly, and rather harshly, pushed them inside the castle. She trotted in herself and then quickly shut the door behind her with a sigh.
Applejack, having somehow landed on her back, turned over and gaped at her fashionista friend. She was still at a loss for words. She looked to the crystal floor and grabbed her hat, which had fallen in the transition, and placed it back on her head. She slowly made her way over to Rarity and brought a hoof up to one of her new wings. She lightly touched it and once she felt the soft feathers she quickly retracted her hoof. They felt real to her...
"Ah second what Dash said! What the hay is going on here?!"
Fluttershy had her hooves covering her mouth even before she was inside the castle. She still hadn't moved them as she was still at a loss for words like most of them were. She decided best not to speak, as usual, and just see what all was going on. Her eyes were wide, but her hooves clasped her mouth shut.
Twilight let out a sigh and moved close to Rarity.
"We don't know what's going on," She looked to all of her friends and saw her own confusion reflected tenfold in their eyes, "I just woke up today with Rarity banging at my door and then...bam. This."
She pointed a hoof towards the white pelted mare's wings.
"Ya'll think Discord had something to do with this?" Applejack inquired. She actually seemed rather sure this was his doing. She never liked that dragon...goat...horse..lizard...thing. Besides...this was out of order and he did have the power to give and take wings and horns.
Fluttershy put a hoof up, managing to interject with her squeak of a voice, even the squeaky sound seemed to hold a bit of a scold to it for Applejack,"Oh, no, he wouldn't have....not after...he's learned his lesson, Applejack!”
While Applejack did recall this..."reforming", she still didn't trust it. He had let them down once, and he could certainly do it again, "Well... Ah'm just going to be honest here, Sugarcube. Ah still don't trust him."
"Hey!" Twilight yelled to them. The two stopped looking at each other and then to Twilight. With the occasional glance at Rarity. "We don't know if Discord had anything to do with this but...let's not jump to conclusions. This is..a lot to take in and it's all...very confusing."
Rarity listened to her friends bicker around her, grateful for Twilight's magicking them into the castle. She could hardly breathe. This was not what she imagined when the thought crossed her mind of becoming a Princess. Her breathing was increasing, and tears were welling in here eyes. She was about as close to sobs as one could get without truly bawling.
Rainbow Dash was entirely baffled by the whole situation, and kept twitching her head from pony to pony as everypony took turns speaking of Rarity as if she weren't here, pulling on her wings as though she were some sort of lab specimen. Dash was starting to feel more and more like she needed to defend Rarity, then Pinkie bounced up, bursting through the doors--having been left outside as she was already at the castle steps when Twilight used her magic. She seemed to have somehow gotten decked up in a familiar party outfit.
"ALLICOORRRN PARRRTYYY!!!!" She called as she bounced around the room with her cardboard wings and horn, confetti flying about seemingly from nowhere as she bounced about cheerfully, bringing a weak smile to her white pelted friend's face. Dash flew over quickly to close the doors behind the pink earth pony and stopped suddenly when they were barely open a crack, looking down to the floor where a tiny figure stood...
"Rarity?"
Rarity jolted and stumbled clumsily to her feet, the tears that had welled in her eyes leaking down over her cheeks as she blinked and looked past her friends to where her little sister stood, peaking into the castle.
"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity wailed pathetically, rushing past her friends and yanking her sister inside in a full on arm and wing hug, snuggling her own white face against her sibling's. She had forgotten that her sister had spent the night last night, and must have been missing her, "Just who I needed to see the sweet little face of! Ooh~!"
Sweetie Belle tolerated her elder sister's coddling with an awkward half smile on her face, "Rarity....I heard all the commotion in town...what's...ehrgh” The little filly squirmed pathetically in her sister's crushing embrace, “...what's going on? How come...how come you have wings, like Twilight?"
Rarity released her, sniffling pathetically, "Well, Sweetie, we're not really sure yet. That's what we're trying to figure ou--"
"OH, WOW!! MY SISTER IS A PRINCESS!" Sweetie squeaked out excitedly, galloping for the door, "I have to tell the girls!"
Rainbow Dash dashed in front of the filly, slamming the door shut, "WOAH! Hold up, there, squirt! We are figuring this out NOW, before anypony out there starts thinking we have a new princess!"
Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and looked at Dash with a cocked eyebrow, obviously confused. She spit out the paper party horn she had been tooting into her hoof, "Wait....don't we? I thought that's what we were celebrating?"
Rarity looked around at her friends uncertainly, sitting down and managing to lay her wings down, if not fold them, "Well, that is what we are trying to figure out....we were going to inform all of you first before discussing this with Princess Celestia and Luna."
Applejack and Fluttershy and Twilight all remained silent as Rarity's little sister came in, seemingly, out of nowhere. She seemed to be overjoyed that she now had a princess for a big sister and wanted to go tell her friends. But she was quickly stopped.
The crazy antics by Pinkie weren't really helping in this situation but she was just doing what she knew best it seemed. Applejack and Fluttershy looked to Twilight as she nodded in agreement with what Rarity said.
"Yes. We agreed that this was something the royal sisters needed to know of at once." Twilight gave a look between all of her friends and then back to Rarity. "So, whenever you are ready to go... Let's go!"
"Ohhh!" “Sweet Celestia!” Gasp! “What!?” "Oh my!" “No...” "What in all of Equestria--?!"
A sudden chorus of voices came from outside the castle in the courtyard, and an odd clunk of what sounded like a carriage landing from the sky.
Rainbow fluttered back to the door and opened it a tiny crack, curious what was going on. She gaped at the site before her, and as Pinkie Pie bounced over to peek over her head, she too went slack jawed at the site outside. Rainbow turned back, looking at Twilight with a cocked eyebrow, "Well...we won't have to go to Canterlot. You've GOTTA see this, Twilight....”
Rainbow fluttered back to the door and opened it a tiny crack, curious what was going on. She gaped at the site before her, and as Pinkie Pie bounced over to peek over her head, she too went slack jawed at the site outside. Rainbow turned back, looking at Twilight with a cocked eyebrow, "Well...we won't have to go to Canterlot. You've GOTTA see this, Twilight....”
Twilight felt an odd clenching in the pit of her stomach, and the look on the blue pegasi's face did nothing to unnerve her. With a sigh, she pushed the door open and Pinkie fell forward, her jaw sliding shut as she hit the floor.
Rarity looked over her younger sibling's head out the open door into the town square, where a carriage pulled by four pegasi in the Royal Guard had landed. And...seated in the flying chariot were Celestia and Luna...but....there was something....different about them....
As if to finish the thought running through her mind,Sweetie Belle gasped and stated in a hushed squeak of a voice, in such proximity that only Rarity heard her. "They're....they're not alicorns anymore!"
Sure enough, in the carriage sat Luna with a soft periwinkle mane next to her sister, who had only a soft pink hue. Neither had the ethereal flowing or sparkle they normally did. They had neither their wings nor their horns, and they looked oh, so tired.
In the castle entryway, the purple alicorn had still yet to fully look at the situation, but as more and more of her friends saw, and she heard the whispers of townspoke and the looks in the eyes of her friends, it made her want to turn around completely and run to hide under her covers. Despite this, Twilight found her hooves glued to the floor and Fluttershy and Applejack moved to the door instead. When they saw the sight before them, they both gasped in unison and slowly turned to look to Twilight before looking back out the door.
So it was really that bad, huh? Well, she'd have to face it eventually...
Twilight Sparkle made her way over to the door and she had her eyes closed in a prolonged blink as she stepped forward, still trying to brace herself for whatever it was that was coming. When she got to the door she felt the outside air brush over her mane and she opened her eyes to see something that almost made her faint right there. She could feel her breath catch in her lungs, and she thought she might lose focus from the shockwave of emotion that immediately hit her.
Then Twilight sprang forward and galloped towards Celestia and Luna at fullspeed. The princesses...were barren. No wings or horns! Twilight's pupils were tightly dilated as her emotions mixed in a stew of panic and shock.
"Cele--celestia..." She muttered softly. She felt as if all heat was fading from her body, like she was outside of herself. She turned, too to the lunar princess, the shock on her face a mix of pity and confusion. The periwinkle maned mare had barely just returned to herself...and now this, "Luna.."
The young alicorn wanted to just have herself wake up from this bad dream she felt she was in. But there was no way this was a dream now..
"What...what happened?"
The sister duo looked incredibly weary and seeing them in this state made Twilight beyond sad. She felt like crying, screaming, running, hyperventilating or just simply passing out to get away from it.
"Twilight..." Celestia managed gingerly, sighing softly. She felt old. Every part of her body was aching for rest. She slumped down to the floor of the chariot with a sigh, and managed a weak smile as her student rushed to her, and with a glance at Luna, she continued, "We....believe...our time may soon be over..."
Gasps came not only from the group of Twilight and her friends, but from everypony gathered around the square staring with wide, horrified eyes at the site before them.
Luna gently put a hoof on her elder sister's shoulder and looked at Twilight Sparkle with grave concern painting her face, "We believe that there will be new alicorns born to this world soon. Just as we were born to protect this realm...so shall others. Whatever purpose we had shall be passed to he or she...."
Luna sighed, leaning lightly on her sister, it felt as though every second that went by, another year from her millenniums of life was catching up to her.
"No...that can't be!" Rarity was positively shaken by their words, and stepped out of the castle, her new wings bobbling awkwardly, her younger sister at her side.
Celestia and Luna looked up and whatever strength they had spread in the form of surprise as they gazed upon Rarity. Celestia was baffled. She had thought Twilight and Cadance would be their replacements one day, it was true....but....why Rarity? She was certainly kind and generous....but....the white sun goddess did not understand.
"Rarity.....come here...," Celestia called out, reaching a hoof towards Rarity. Rarity looked around at the muttering towns ponies nervously as she descended the steps and slowly walked past her friends, every hoofstep heavy, to the princess of the sun.
Rarity met Celestia's outstretched hoof with her own, her cheeks tinted a soft pink as she flushed with nervousness, and she could feel tears welling in her eyes, so insecure was she with all that was going on around her. She could not speak, but to whimper ever so softly, "Princess...."
"Shh....come here," Celestia said firmly, pulling Rarity closer. She pulled Rarity's head to her own, connecting their skulls together. Rarity's eyes went blank, glowing a soft white as she stared blankly ahead. Celestia grunted with effort, sweat forming on her brow.
"Sister.....Sister....SISTER!" Luna started off gently pulling her sibling away, but ended up yanking her free as her body began to lose energy. Twilight looked on in horror, not sure how she could help, or what had just transpired.
Celestia lay on the ground, breathing softly in her sister's arms, and in a barely-audible voice, she whispered, "So...that is your plan....mother..."
With these final words, the princess of the sun, deity to Ponykind and protector of the land for generations, shut her eyes. Never to open them again.
Twilight listened intently to Celestia as the tears streamed down her face. She continued to silently mouth the word 'No' as she listened to her speak to Rarity. In no way was this Rarity's fault....so why did she feel the tight clench of anger?
There was no way that this was really happening.
Alicorns were immortal....right?
No way they could just lose their power and up and die..right? Right?!
Twilight tried to look up to Rarity and Celestia but she was only filled with more sadness so she lowered her head. She felt a hoof come on her shoulder. When she titled her head up she saw Applejack was the one who put her hoof on to comfort her. Her hat had fallen off by the castle doors, and her eyes, too, glistened with tears.
Rarity was struck speechless. She could not will her body to move. What was that strange vision she had just seen when Celestia had touched her mind....? A red maned mare....she had seen the galaxies above as never before....pictures or books could not describe the magnitude...her mind was practically numb.
So...was she truly a princess...? She could not even fathom it.
Luna's eyes welled with tears as she looked down at her sister's unmoving form, her once shimmering white coat seeming to fade as she ceased to be. Luna held her sister tightly, crying softly over her lifeless form. Without any sort of warning, Celestia's body shimmered away, becoming a twinkle of small golden stars that started floating upwards towards the sun. Luna grasped at them desperately, but they eluded her and dissipated into the sky.
She followed them with her eyes as long as she could, watching the biggest part of her life vanish into the sky above. Had she still had wings, she would have followed them...
"Farewell....sister...." She muttered softly as a tear leaked from her eye. Several ponies gathered around had now began openly crying, sobbing or wailing. Even Pinkie Pie's mane deflated, and tears filled her eyes. Rainbow Dash felt the sadness weigh her down and landed softly, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
Luna turned to face the ponies that her sister always had so much faith in, a sudden look of determination and understanding in her eyes, "I am younger than she....but...with whatever time I have remaining, I will teach you....all of you....all that I can. Where is your dragon? Have him send word to Cadance to come at once."
With the whole sequence of events going on around her, Twilight still just felt numb. As Celestia's body vanished into the sky, a single tear slid down her lavender cheek as she gazed up at the vanishing lights. She sat down then with her head down and cradled her face with her hooves as she sobbed softly, feeling the slow rub of a hoof on her back above her wings, but it felt alien, as if she was outside her body. She was drawn out of her sobbing when Luna requested for the dragon to send word to Canterlot at once Applejack slowly put her hat back on and made her way back to the inside of the Castle to search for Spike.
After that ,Twilight slowly got up and wiped the tears away from her face. She sniffed a bit before finally being able to sit on her haunches properly. She locked eyes with Luna and then shifted them to Rarity. She opened her mouth to say something but she stopped herself and closed her mouth and looked away. Inside of her wanted to just stay quiet and never say anything about this. Just repress it or something. It was too much.
But she knew she needed to address this issue. It was a big one after all. So Twilight looked back to Luna and Rarity and sniffed again.
"So.." She started in a soft tone. "What now? Just..wait for Cadance..?"
"I...do not have time to be waiting....she will catch up upon her arrival..." Luna muttered, clambering clumsily out of the carriage. Rainbow Dash darted over, catching the princess as she stumbled, giving her a shoulder to lean on, "I...must teach you...what I can...the sun and moon must keep balanced, Twilight Sparkle."
Rarity was still frozen, mulling over the strange vision Celestia had shown to her when their minds had met. She was so incredibly confused....
She looked up as Luna and Rainbow headed into the castle, leaving the townsfolk and guards with lost, confused expressions. She felt terrible. Here she was, gifted with an incredible amount of responsibility out of the blue, and honored with the role of a princess, and she was forgetting to whom a princess' duty was to first and foremost. Her ponies.
She was shook up, too, but she knew, too, that Twilight would be far more impacted by Celestia's death--if you could call it that--than she was at present. The filly was practically raised by the sun goddess. She turned to the shaken townsfolk and smiled softly, "It will be alright, everypony... Go about your business."
They looked at her warily, not sure whether they could trust her. Many of them looked over to where Luna was managing to weakly climb the stairs. The night princess turned and managed to nod weakly in agreement. With whispers and sniffles still abound, the townsfolk began to slowly disperse from the castle. Rarity smiled softly as they left, though her eyes still shimmered with tears.
She jumped a bit as she felt something against her leg, and when she looked down she saw Sweetie Belle rubbing against her leg, great, plump tears dotting the filly's face,"Sweetie...I need you to go home to mom and dad's, alright?"
Sweetie Belle sniffled and mewled something incomprehensible, and after a lingering hug, she galloped off towards their parent's home. Rarity turned and looked at Twilight a long moment, unsure what her friend would be feeling for her. Hatred...distrust....blame...she was ready for it. She deserved it, she supposed. She would give it all up, if she had to. Their friendship, their closeness with one another, anything...as long as Twilight would be happy. For that is the kind of friend she was...generous to the point of her own unhappiness. Especially when it came to Twilight Sparkle.
She lingered a moment before quietly heading into the castle behind Pinkie Pie, who did not hop, but trotted slowly, her mane deflated and tail dragging as she clambered up the steps after Princess Luna.
When Luna almost fell over Fluttershy went to go and try to grab her but Rainbow beat her to the princess, again. Twilight didn't care though, she was just happy someone was there to catch the previously alicorn mare. She had clearly had enough, and was still stuck motionless before the carriage.
As they started to enter the castle, Applejack was just starting come down from the floor above where Spike's bedroom was, but seeing as how the ponies were entering she figured it best to be quiet and follow along. Rarity gave a long, forlorn and longing gaze at Twilight, her heart sore with the love she felt for the mourning purple alicorn.
Twilight stayed in her spot on the ground for a bit longer. This whole thing was just..almost too much. It was so sudden and unexpected she didn't want to move...she just wanted to fade away, to somewhere safe where everything was back to normal...back to a simpler time....sending letters to the princess...she wished she had never become an alicorn. She sighed as her red, puffy eyes followed after the form of Luna vanishing into 'her castle'...teaching her about the sun and moon or something about how the duo must live on or something..oh..she just couldn't think straight at the moment.
Twilight, moving with sluggish, dragging movements, turned away from the carriage and made her way inside her own Castle.
When she entered she could just feel the weight of the air coming down around her. Not because she felt like this was her fault or she was supposed to do something about this but just because the situation just left everyone on edge, and she was beginning to feel it.
Rarity was the last to enter, and followed her friends in quietly magicking the door shut softly behind them, turning then to look at the Princess of the Night with both concern and curiosity. She was so weak...Rarity could hardly imagine what she even had left in her to teach.
They got Luna into the chamber where the thrones for the elements sat in a room, and she stood in the center of the room, pushing Rainbow Dash away as she stood proudly, firmly, remnants of the princess she had been still strong in her, "Sit, all of you."
Pinkie Pie trotted over to the throne with balloons on it, Rainbow sat in the lightning bolt marked chair, and Rarity sat in the chair with her diamond on it, parallel from Twilight. Spike arrived and informed them that he had sent a message to Cadance. He clambered clumsily into the small chair that he held next to Twilight's throne, watching with wide eyes, sniffling a little at just hearing the news.
Luna waited for all of them to take their seats, "Twilight....do you recall how my sister, Cadance and I gave you our magic...? Do you think...you would be able to do that...in part....for me? I just...need a small amount of magic."
As Applejack and Fluttershy both took their seats at their designated thrones, Twilight crawled into hers and remained silent. She watched Luna stand up and then listened to her as she started to speak.
Twilight remained quiet and she looked away from her and down to the ground. She would want that. It was like..she didn't even care that Celestia was gone. To her she was her sister..but to Twilight..no. Stop being selfish.
Twilight raised her head slightly and still said nothing. She cast a glance to Luna and nodded. Applejack had her mouth open to say something but she closed it as Twilight started to emit a glow from her horn.
She looked to Luna and tried to get the same feeling she felt when all the princesses poured their magic into her and when she felt it she saw tiny little waves of magic seep over to Luna. Doing as she wished. Twilight closed her eyes, in defeat and remained still as she let the magic flow to the other pony.
Luna turned, her teal eyes flashing a glimpse of something...darkly familiar as Twilight's magic came her way. Instead of absorbing it into her body, as Twilight had done, she turned to Twilight, opening her jaw, inhaled and the magic entered her mouth, pulling out of its source with an incredible surge of sudden power. Fangs curved from her upper lip, her eyes tightened into slits, and her mane and body began to grow larger, darker. It happened so fast that none of the present mares even had a moment to react.
"Yeesssss....." The dark mare hissed. Rarity stared on in horror, too struck by the sudden change to move, her jaw slack. Rainbow stared wide eyed, also agape at first, but jumped into action, flying up and diving to intercede. Luna--or...Nightmare Luna....turned to Rainbow Dash, her cat-slit eyes focusing on her as she continued to suck Twilight Sparkle dry, and with only a flash of her eyes, Dash was suddenly sent spiraling back, slamming into the crystal wall and sliding slowly to the ground, out cold. It was evident that the direct approach was not the answer. Applejack, who was about to start her own attack, hesitated, now.
The dark mare smirked through her sharp fangs,
"Finally....I knew this day would come....I do not intend to vanish into the air like some wisp of dust! With my powers restored..."
She beamed, her fangs gleaming as the final drop of magic disconnected from Twilight's horn and the magic swirled around her. "The night--" Dark wings burst forth from her pelt.
"Will last--" Her mane billowed like a dark sky of stars,
"FOREVER!!!"
Finally, a long, spiral horn burst forth from her brow, and she rose to her hind legs, kicking her forelegs at the air. She cackled wickedly as her mane swirled all around them, darkening the room, and outside the sky shifted, the moon climbing out of its place on the horizon and made its way up the blue sky. A blinding flash swept across the land as the moon--for the first time in over a thousand years--eclipsed the sun.
As Twilight continued to give Luna her magic she felt this strange feeling coming from inside of her. And at that moment she locked eyes with the mare and noticed the sinister glare in them.
She tried to pull away but when she saw Rainbow Dash fly into the wall she lost her focus.
She let out a groan of pain as she quickly had her magic drained. Luna started to speak and Twilight tried to look up to her and stop but she was loosing the ability to even move at this point. Getting her magic drained like this was just too much. But it wasn't even that.
As she could feel the last bit of her magic being sucked away out of the corner of her eye she saw her wings slowly dissipate and then in a small white flash, just vanish.
Her horn then did the same thing and then, with a fizzle, she felt all of her energy fade, and she slid to the ground.
Chapter 5
The Gift
"TWILIGHT!" The call was in unison as all hooves in the room went galloping to the purple, magic-drained mare.
Her eyes were no longer their same color but instead a vacant, faded silver version of what they once were. She was confused and felt like she had just been punched in the gut, "As...if. I didn't think things could get any worse..."
She shuddered out a mirthless laugh, though she was hardly able to move. She looked between all of her friends and then stopped on Rarity. The only Alicorn now.
"Well..Rarity.." She gave a humorless smirk to her. "Looks like..you're the princess now. I've...always had a feeling...that...that's what you wanted."
Honestly she would have put up more of a fight and not said the things she did. But..she had been through too much already and then to have this happen. And the only thing gripping her heart right now was sadness and a profound feeling of emptiness. Friendship seemed like a far off myth.
She just wanted to give up...and just embrace her new earth pony life...go far away from everypony, live her days in the new darkness. She tried to tell herself she had to stay strong, but her own conscious fell to silence in her mind.
Rarity was standing with her friends, who were trying to help Twilight up, about to reach for Twilight as well, when she heard the sharp words dig into her, and her eyes welled with tears, her cheeks a tint of pink as her nose crinkled in a sniff.
"I...I never wanted this, Twilight!" She half-yelled half-whimpered at her purple friend, her heart aching as she saw the empty husk of an earth pony dissipating into hopelessness before her, "You....You should know me better than that!"
She openly cried now, no excess drama, simply honest, endless tears that flowed down her cheeks like a waterfall, "I love you, Twilight! I...I love all of you! I'd never want this! This....this is all wrong!"
She hiccuped, her wings lowering for the first time since they had appeared as she openly wept, "This...this isn't what Celestia showed me....I don't want this! I don't want any of it!"
She shut her eyes tightly, biting her lip before gasping and turning sharply on her heel, galloping out of the throne room and into the unexplored corridors of Twilight's castle, not truly knowing what she had meant or where she was going, her sobs echoing after her as she vanished into the dim halls.
Pinkie Pie stared after her, her mane completely depleted of all of its normal plump pizazz. She kept a hoof on the small of Twilight's back, rubbing her softly. She looked down at Twilight through glossy blue orbs, looking a little disappointed with the princess, "...Even when you weren't....you've always been a princess to Rarity..."
She spoke with a strange knowing that was eerie, and yet exclusively Pinkie. She did not run after Rarity, nor directly tell Twilight what to do, just had a simple moment of wisdom. Against the wall, Rainbow slowly clambered onto her hooves, groaning and stumbling over to her friends, her wing hanging limply at her side, obviously sprained.
Twilight moved her head away from Pinkie as to not look at her after what she just said. Way to make her feel better Pinkie. Really doing a good job. She let out a soft sigh and still kept her head turned. They way she spoke about her. She felt like it wasn't supposed to cut so deep or leave these feelings but it did. Might have been intentional or unintentional but still, Pinkie was a strange mare.
It wasn't every day you have your idol killed and your whole being stolen. So how was she supposed to feel? If they honestly looked at this from Twilight's point of view she felt that they would understand how she felt. The way she saw it...Celestia and Luna came back..Celestia just up and dies and then Luna takes her powers away and..comes back to being Nightmare Moon, leaving Twilight an earth pony..and on top of all of this..the prime thing that Twilight was confused about, Rarity was now an alicorn.
Twilight turned her head over and looked to all of her friends. AJ continued to look to Twilight with her gaze shifting from the others in the room, her hat somewhere on the Castle floor.
Fluttershy still stayed quiet and was doing the same, her eyes lowered but flickering between friends.
Rainbow limped up to Applejack, who allowed her pegasi friend to lean on her and Rarity just..ran off. Dramatically, as usual.
Twilight put her hooves on the ground and started to push herself up but she found her strength failing. With a soft grunt she fell to the floor again but she didn't give up. She grunted again and this time she was able to push herself up.
She looked to Pinkie with a cold and exhausted stare, her tone a hiss, "Even though I'm sure you weren't meaning to I appreciate the...harshness of your words. But I sure hope you can understand where my changed feelings are coming from."
She still had this small feeling inside of her that somehow they though that this was her fault, or she could have prevented it.
Still, she kept her same hard gaze on as she looked between all of them. She honestly felt like just falling over again. "Well...one of us should go find Rarity...right..?"
Pinkie returned Twilight's glare with a fierce reflection, steadfast in what she had said. She pulled her hoof away from Twilight and clambered over to the three-ballooned throne, "Well, I'm not going to get her. AAND I know who should."
She crossed her hooves across her chest and slumped into the chair. Despite looking like a pouting, bratty child, she was obviously hurt by Twilight's harsh snap at her statement, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes. Dash was a little confused as to what had transpired, but could tell from what had passed between Pinkie and Twilight, where her loyalties needed to lie at present. So, she bit her lip and lowered her head a little before clambering back onto her own throne, swallowing hard as she looked across the room at Pinkie. Pinkie, surprised to have any support in her thoughts, smiled very weakly at Dash, who managed to nod, if not smile, in return to her pink friend.
She looked at Twilight, "Pinkie's right...you were being a real jerk. You, of all ponies, should relate to SUDDENLY HAVING WINGS one day! We're all just as shocked by...everything....as you are...but that's no excuse for taking it out on your friends!"
She huffed in exasperation, tears in the corners of her eyes, then stomping her hoof down onto the marble she sat upon, she barked, "I'm not going, either!"
Fluttershy and Applejack stayed quiet and watched as Rainbow and Pinkie both said what they wanted to. Twilight stayed quiet as she tried to think of something to say back to the two friends. She was being a jerk, huh?
"Ah agree with Rainbow Dash..." AJ said quietly. Twilight looked to her and she looked at Pinkie and Rainbow, with a sigh, Applejack turned away and climbed into her throne, muttering in disappointment, "...honestly Twilight...you could have handled that situation better..."
Fluttershy gave her wings a small flap. Biting her lip, she too climbed into her throne and looked down at her hooves, her voice a soft whisper, “It was awfully rude...”
Spike, obviously stunned by everything that had gone on and not sure what to do, glanced down the hallway that Rarity had fled into, biting his lip, and then looked up at Twilight with wide, concerned eyes.
Twilight closed her eyes and still said nothing. She just felt like...no. Her friends could probably read her face at this point so better to just not think and do. And you know what? If they were going to just not care...then...that was fine!
The drained and weak purple earth pony put her hooves on the ground of her castle and very slowly started to make her way down the hall Rarity had headed down. When she was in about the middle of the room her front left leg buckled and she gave out and fell on the floor. She knew they wouldn't care though. This was her fault right?
So Twilight let out a groan and pushed herself up and after her hooves wobbled for a bit she slowly set herself in motion and started to walk towards the are where Rarity had run off towards. She continued to limp around and would keep herself from buckling as she slowly searched for Rarity. Just...try and find the sound of crying and follow it right?
Waiting until Twilight had stumbled off down the hallway after their white pelted friend, resisting the fibers of loyalty that tugged at her heartstrings and told her to follow. There was a rift in the glue that held the six of them together, and it was between those two, so she forced herself to stay seated. Dash then turned to the others in the group when Twilight was out of earshot, "She's not gonna be of much use to us in that state, and we have a serious problem on our hooves, girls."
Pinkie nodded in agreement, looking around at the other two elements that remained, "What are we gonna do about Queen Meanie?"
Rarity had galloped until she could gallop no more into the depths of unexplored castle halls, and although she still sniffled occasionally, she was mostly quiet as she looked around the halls, seeing paintings she had never seen before. She came across one of Twilight Sparkle's mother, which she admired a moment before moving on, finding another painting of Twilight's brother, Shining Armor. She tilted her head. They were lovely images...very...real. She turned a corner and was surprised to see a painting of Apple Bloom on one wall. She stared at it awhile, then looked down the hall. It was insanely deep, and coated with many members of the Apple family. She turned away and looked down another aisle, where Pinkie Pie's family seemed to be upon the walls, and at the end of that hall she could see a stallion with a rainbow mane. That must be the 'Dash Hall.'
She trotted down the remainder of the 'Twilight Hall' as she had now dubbed it in her mind, passing a painting of what she assumed was Twilight's Father, then one of Princess Cadance. She stopped a few moments as she came to a lovely, somber portrait of Celestia...and a less than notable one of the old Princess Luna... then each of her friends--Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow, Fluttershy...and then there was a frame. Just a frame. The frame had her cutie mark on its four corners, yet the huge canvas inside was empty. She sniffled and a few more tears ran down her face. She wiped her eyes on one of her wings, then stared at the appendage angrily, shoving it away only to have it bobble back at her. She cursed and grabbed the thing in her teeth, "This...is all...your...fault!"
She tugged at the thing furiously, more tears splashing down her cheeks as she felt the pain on her back. She gave a hard yank and got a mouth full of white feathers. She spat them out and sighed, hating the gift of princess-hood more and more. She stared at her empty picture frame, then turned away, finding herself in her own hallway, where the first painting she saw was of her sister, Sweetie Belle. She smiled fondly at it and moved on down the aisle, passing her mother, her father, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie...and coming to a huge wall, she stared with wide eyes at the largest frame she had seen yet, and it was by far the most beautiful. It was Twilight Sparkle...the mare as she had been when gifted with the trifecta of alicorn powers, her mane sparkled, her wings were half-open, her horn glistened in the soft golden lighting, even her eyelashes seemed to sparkle. Rarity was awestruck by the beauty of the portrait. And...it was in her hallway...the thought made her cheeks turn rosy...
She sat down in front of the huge frame, lost in its beauty, studying every inch of it. Was this how...she saw Twilight Sparkle? She could not even move from her seat, her jaw slightly slack as her eyes flicked all over the gorgeous painting.
As Twilight continued to slowly move through the unexplored halls of her Castle the things she saw brought back memories to her. The various statues inside the vacant halls and the vast area that she was completely unaware of made her a bit uneasy. This isn't how she wanted to venture through these halls. She wanted to do it..when she felt she deserved it. And with her friends. But now she had this to deal with. And the...feelings.
But then Twilight made it to the various halls that housed the many portraits on the walls. She looked past all of them and when her eyes landed on a rainbow maned stallion she quickly realized she was in some kind of..Hall designated for Rainbow Dash. She quickly moved on and found herself face to face with a portrait of Sweetie Belle. She almost fell over at this point but she was able to catch herself on the wall nearby. At this point she tried to open up her wings to catch herself...but they were gone.
With a soft sigh she looked up and past the portraits she spotted a white alicorn on the ground looking up at a portrait. The largest of them all, and it was a portrait of herself.
She looked away from it as it was her when she was an alicorn and it only brought back the harsh feeling of being stripped of those gifts. It was too...painful.
Still Twilight had a reluctant job to do or else she would have to face the wrath of her friends again. She pushed down the hallway until she was a little behind Rarity.
"I've never explored these halls..." She said loud enough for her to hear her. Twilight was surprised to not hear her crying. "But I guess now is as good as a time as ever...I guess."
With that said a sharp twinge of pain came from her forehead and surged through her body quickly. She shuddered from the pain and shifted where she stood but she was able to regain herself quickly.
"Rarity..." She said through a soft sigh. "I was sent to get you..because...they want you back...and some stuff has to be...discussed, I suppose..."
Shaking softly as she stood, she could feel herself slowly but surely gaining her energy back as well.
Rarity turned an ear to Twilight, but did not face her friend. Instead, she continued staring at the portrait in front of her, entranced with the beauty of it, "Did you see your own...hall of ponies important to you...?"
Rarity did not know what to call it but that, for that seemed to be what these halls were. Pictures of ponies they all cared about. Well, ponies and Spike. He seemed to be the only non-pony featured in any of the halls. The rest were friends, family members...those important to each of the six of them.
"My portrait is empty," She said softly, referring to the blank frame with her diamond cutie mark upon it that was in the Hall of Twilight,
"Yet...this is my hall...and look at this portrait of you. It's bigger than anypony else's portraits...."
She trailed off, glancing at Twilight a moment, her expression somber. There was one hall, though, that she had yet to explore. She rose to her hooves, folding her wings as a strange, somber calmness came over her. She headed down the hall, which was filled with six tapestries on the right and left wall, each the color of the six friends, and having an emblem of their individual cutie marks at the base, and there were six windows, one between each of them, mirroring each other. But it was what was at the end of the hall that caught Rarity's eye. She trotted on the long carpet that led to the end of the room, where there hung an enormously wide painting, and at it's center were Rarity—as an alicorn--and Twilight Sparkle—also an alicorn--the two of them each with one hoof around the other's shoulders, smiling happily. But...the portrait also seemed to be void of much content. For, as wide as it was, only Twilight and Rarity were in the middle. There was a great amount of blank area between the two of them and the edges of the painting.
She sat down again, her brow furrowed, and finally she spoke, still not facing Twilight, "Do you want to know what Celestia showed me?"
As Rarity moved along Twilight followed her to the best of her abilities. She came face to face with the portrait that Rarity was looking at. The one with the two of them, with wings, hoof around each other smiling happily. She understood the point of the portraits in that moment and it didn't surprise her that much. She felt like she was being guilt tripped at this point but she wasn't going to make that obvious at any moment.
But then Rarity asked her if she wanted to know what Celestia showed her. At the mention of that name Twilight tensed up and looked away. She fought back the tears and instead let out a soft sniffle while still looking away. "The...the vision was meant for you..but if you'd want to share it with me..then I guess I can't stop you."
Rarity turned her head to Twilight, smiling sadly at her friend. She felt...for the first time since Twilight had become an alicorn...that she truly understood what her element, and what she, now as a Princess, was meant to do. Meant to...be.
So it was that she walked across the room to her purple friend, and rather than say anything, simply sat on her haunches and wrapped her forehooves around Twilight, pulling her into a gentle embrace, rubbing her hoof gently over her friend's mane, much as a mother would gently rub the back of a child's head when they were crying. She closed her eyes, sighing softly, "I'm sorry, Twilight....none of us have been very sensitive to what you have lost...Princess Celestia was like another parent to you...I can't imagine what that's like to lose...."
She did not allow Twilight to leave, even if the mare had tried to struggle, continuing to stroke her, "But...this isn't what she would want for you, Twilight. Celestia loved the spark you had...the ingenuity...the wit...the courage..."
"...But that will return...in time....for now...you haven't even had the chance to cry," She said the words tenderly, cradling Twilight against her with a generous amount of tenderness, "I think it's time you do."
Twilight stayed still as she had nowhere to go to. She was being held down by Rarity, and was forced to listen to her words and feel her stroke her like some child. While a part of her appreciated the kind words she was saying the other part of her, the more emotional part of her was doing its best to block out what she was trying to do.
Rarity pretty much, just sort of gave her a kind of 'Okay' to start crying. Twilight glanced up to her but still didn't let the waters flow. She stayed quiet for a few seconds longer. Eventually she gave this sort of little grunt that would perhaps make Rarity think she was about to cry but instead she looked up to the painting above, her eyes dim, her tone dark, "That love for my spark, the ingenuity, the wit, and the courage is dead."
She gave a small shrug to Rarity before looking down, limp in the white mare's arms, "Yeah. In a way she was like a second parent. Perhaps more, tell that to them in the throne room..."
She gave that small little soft grunt again and this time she actually almost let the tears come forth. But she was able to hold them back yet again. "In a way it makes me think...maybe...maybe I've done too much. I mean why else would..."
This time Twilight tried to shake herself free but Rarity's hold was stronger than she thought. So she stopped herself and just sat and accepted it. "I know..that sitting here and crying about it isn't going to fix anything."
Rarity refused to release her friend, knowing that the first step to accepting a loss was, in fact, to grieve, and she felt Twilight was still holding back, "I understand what you're saying....and I respect it....but forgive me...if I may be so bold..."
She sighed and hugged Twilight a little tighter, cuddling to her a little, "But I know you, Twilight Sparkle...and...what Celestia saw in you....will never be gone...no matter if you lack wings, horn, or even your very life. You'll always be Twilight Sparkle. Element of Magic, and Librarian extraordinaire!"
She laughed a little, sadly, "I fear you're being too hard on yourself. Be hard on me...blame me, if you need to....but never yourself..."
Rarity's lip quivered, and a tear slipped down over her muzzle, "I can't...be this...I can't...do this...without you, Twilight..."
She sniffed, trying not to openly sob as she was so prone to, trying to be strong. Yet the tears flowed, dripping down her cheeks and onto Twilight's shoulder and mane, but she did not snivel or whine, but just cried quietly, hopelessly, "I need you..."
Twilight was only able to sit quietly as her friend spoke. She still did not cry, but again tried to get away from her friend as she let the waterworks flow on her shoulder and part of her mane. But still, her death grip was strong and she had no way of escape. Besides, even if she did get out of the grip...where would she go? Twilight let out a soft sigh and then decided to just stay put again.
"Rarity." She said to mainly get her attention.
"When I became a Princess I felt the same way you are now. I did things I wish I wouldn't have, but.... You can't just sit here crying about it. Celestia chose you for a reason...and it's for you to know so..you need to accept this. Besides." She gave a small shrug,"While I appreciate your words there really is nothing I can do in this state."
She gave a small smile to Rarity before looking away to come to a new found found acceptance of what she just said to herself, "I'll still be here though...just..."
“Less useful.”
Rarity finally, still feeling Twilight needed a good cry, regretfully, released her friend, standing before her, she managed a smile despite her tears, "Nothing you can do?"
She repeated Twilight's words, scoffing at them, "Did Nightmare Moon take your brain? Your courage? Your cutie mark? Did she take who you are?!"
Rarity beamed at Twilight, her expression determined, "No. She took your wings. Your horn. She took...she took your appearance of being a princess--you are still Princess Twilight Sparkle! You are still what holds all of us together! Still...still....what makes our friendship...magic!"
She turned and rose her hoof, gesturing up to the partially blank portrait on the wall, where the Princess Rarity and Princess Twilight stood arm and arm, happiness plastered upon their immobile faces, "Look at this painting, Twilight! It sees you as you are! A Princess, through and through! And you know what's missing from it!?"
She gestured to the large blank space on either side of the two of them in the portrait, where it did, indeed, look like something was missing.
"Our friends! We...We are the Elements of Harmony! If...If we can defeat Nightmare Moon once...I just...I just KNOW we can do it again!" Rarity stomped her hoof down onto the marble, "There must be something we can do! In your library...or at the old castle...or....I don't know! There simply MUST be something!"
Twilight still kept her head down as she listened to what Rarity had to say. At this point she didn't really care that much about what was missing from a painting. And yes, they had beaten Nightmare Moon before and yes, she knew that she was still who she was. But at the same time she felt like...she wasn't.
She had fully convinced herself that this was somehow her fault but she wasn't going to say anything. Just because of the circumstances and the events that had happened she was thinking like this. Yeah she was still the element of magic..but she didn't feel like it. How could she be the magic element wielder if she couldn't even use magic? It was demeaning, to her at least.
The purple mare gave a soft sigh and looked up to Rarity. She made eye contact with her. "Both of those would be good places to start....tell that to the others in the throne room. "
She nodded her head in that direction and then looked back to Rarity. "While the words..motivate something inside of me. I'm sorry Rarity but..I just can't do anything....I can barely even walk..." She shrugged to her again and this time just one tear was able to break free from her tear duct and it started to slide down her face. She quickly wiped it away and gave a small sniffle.
"I'm sure that you all can do it!" She said with forced optimism. "It'll be easy right..?"
With that Twilight slowly placed her hooves on the ground and stood herself up. She shook a bit but she had regained a bit of strength and was able to move, even if it was slower than an old mare. She stood there silently and looked to Rarity, her greyed eyes desperately sad, before turning to head out the door.
Rarity frowned, scrunching her face in agony, not knowing what to do with this new, depressed Twilight. It was something she had not had to deal with before. She...didn't like it. Even when Tirek had stolen all of her powers, and the powers of the three alicorns...she was still...still TWILIGHT.
"Fine...if you think that way...then..." Rarity's horn began glowing as she concentrated every bit of magic she could muster, "If this is what it takes..."
She bit her lip and braced herself as she aimed her horn and fired every bit of everything she had inside her at Twilight, into Twilight, not knowing what spell she was using, or what she was doing, just concentrating with all of her might on what she wanted to do. In whatever way it was that magic could 'know' anything, her magic 'knew' what she wanted, and gave it generously. Her wings were first, of course, fading from her back and reappearing on Twilight's back. She felt drained already, as if she would crumble at a moment's notice, yet she kept going, her magic whiter than her pelt as it was so purely given away.
Finally, as her body gave out, her horn vanished, too, and the last of the magic vanished into Twilight, bringing the purple alicorn a new horn, it's tip strangely dipped in a soft white, like Rarity's pelt. Her wings, too, had this slight discoloration upon their ends.
Rarity wobbled and slumped to the ground, panting, and managed to mutter, "If...someone...has to be useless...."
She rested her head on her hooves tiredly, her eyes glossy, but she had no tears left to give, "I'd rather it be me."
