After some time being missing, an old friend returns, but she isn't the same.
(First ever fic on this website! Woo!)
Three years have went by ever since Twilight became an alicorn. It had also been three years since Rarity disappeared because of it. Many who knew her did there best to move on, yet her closest friends still try to find her.
One day, however, Rarity returns, although it could have been through better circumstances. But she has very clearly changed, both physically and mentally, and her old friends don't know how to deal with it.
Meanwhile, Rarity doesn't remember her old friends as well as she should, due to her having amnesia. And while Naga had granted her her memories back, she doesn't see them as her own anymore.
Now, due to dire circumstances, Rarity finds herself in the world of her memories, and along with her new friends, seeks closer, and aims to give one final goodbye.
Celestia's sun rose above the small, yet well known village of Ponyville. Few ponies would be awake during this time, simply to prepare to open up their shops and stores for the coming business day.
A cloaked individual had arrived at the Golden Oak Library, which served as the current dwelling for the local alicorn and her dragon assistant. The cloaked individual entered the library and pulled back their hood, revealing themselves to be said alicorn.
"I taking it you didn't find anything." Came the voice of a much older Spike, who was sitting by the couch that sat in the middle of the library, reading a book.
"You could at least show some enthusiasm." Twilight said, placing the cloak on a coat rack. "Honestly, I thought you loved her."
Spike looked up from his book, annoyed by the comment. "You know that was just a crush, Twily." He then closed the book he was reading and stood up to his full height, which was now a head taller then the average pony. "And besides, I've moved on. I'm already with someone that actually reciprocates my feelings."
"So I've seen." Was Twilight's reply. "How did things go?"
"The usual." Spike answered, placing his book back on the shelf. "Fluttershy did visit often, though."
Twilight raised her brow. "Really? What for?"
"Usually to ask about our progress in finding her." Spike then gave a frown. "But recently, things have been getting.... Heated, between us."
"I see..." Twilight said, putting a hoof on her chin. "Weren't her and Rarity romantically involved with each other?"
Spike shrugged. "Not like it matters now. She needs to move on."
Twilight was shocked. "It's not that easy, Spike! Especially for Fluttershy!"
"Normally, I would agree with you." Spike said, intentionally lowering his voice. "But it's been three years, Twi. Three whole years. That's more than enough time to let go."
Twilight sighed, looking to the floor. "You really have grown, Spike."
Spike huffs. "Sometimes I question if I've grown in the right ways or not."
Twilight let out a yawn, which caused Spike to give a concerned look.
"Did you sleep at all?" Spike asked.
Twilight sighed. "No, I've been traveling all night."
Spike shook his head. "Get some sleep, Twi."
"But, don't you need the help?"
"We've held down the fort whenever you do go out on these searches, Twi. We can handle one more day."
Twilight's eyes narrowed. "'We'? What do you mean 'we'? Who else is here, Spike?"
"Who else?" Spike asked, seemingly annoyed at the question.
Twilight thought for a bit, but then her eyes widened. "Silver Spoon?" Spike nodded. "Why is she here? What about her parents?"
"She volunteered to help out, Twi." Spike answered. "And her parents are completely okay with this, so there's nothing to worry about." Spike then made his way to the kitchen. "Now get some sleep, you need it."
Twilight sighed as she walked towards the stairs that lead to the rooms. "Alright, then. I'll just leave things to you, then."
Some time has passed, Celestia's sun was now more or less in the center of the sky. Towards the edge of town stood a small cottage, which served as a home to a certain shy yellow pony.
"Angel Bunny! Where are you going?!" Said shy yellow pony was silently screaming, running after the little demon bunny. Said bunny began frantically pointing into the Evergreen Forest, as if to say something was in there.
"Oh Angel Bunny, you know we can't go in there, it's far too dangerous!" Fluttershy tried to reason with the bunny. But Angel wasn't having it, so he ran up to Fluttershy and began to pull on her hoof, making incomprehensible noises while doing so.
Fluttershy understood what he was saying, however, but only sighed. "Well, if there is something in there, then don't you think leaving it alone and avoiding angering it is the better solution then possibly entering it's territory?"
The bunny finally relented at this point, but still seemed to be on edge by whatever it was that was in the forest. Fluttershy noticed this, and began to pat the bunny on his head.
"Oh Angel Bunny, there's nothing to be worried about." Fluttershy said with a smile. "How about I prepare for you a nice carrot cake, as a gift for worrying about me."
The bunny seemingly forgot all about the forest, and started salivating over the thought of having carrot cake.
Fluttershy's smile only grew. "Alright then, follow me. It should keep your mind off of things for a bit." It'll definitely keep my mind off of a few things,she thought.
Angel Bunny's concerns weren't unwarranted, however, as large, green, bipedal beasts stalked them from within the forest. One of these beast grunted as it looked towards the rest of Ponyville, as if to give a command. The pack of beasts slowly made their way there, using the forest to cover their approach.
(Days earlier, Halidom of Ylisse, Ylisstol Castle)
"LADY CORRIIIIIIIIN!!!!!"
"Felicia?!" The screaming threw Corrin for a loop, as she immediately went on guard. "What's going on?! Are we under attack?!"
"Faceless!! There were...... There were Faceless." Felicia managed to say through breaths.
Corrin's eye's widened in horror. It didn't make any sense for them to be here, yet here they are. And as if to prove Felicia's statement, a crash was heard outside of the throne room doors, with the sounds of combat following soon after.
That was all Corrin needed for her draconic anger to flare out, as she unsheathed her Yato and prepared for combat.
"Stay close to me, Felicia!" Corrin ordered.
"Y-yes ma'am!" Felicia sputtered. While she still may have been winded from running over to Corrin, she was still ready for combat.
Corrin ran through the open doors and into the many corridors within the castle, following the sounds of combat. She finally turned a corner to see a group of soldiers fending off a few faceless, three to be exact. Corrin wasted no time in getting in on the action, as she made a glorious leap above everyone present, only to land on the faceless with her Yato breaking through the face mask and plunging into it's skull.
The dead faceless gave the soldiers a winning edge, as they now had the numbers on their side. Another faceless fell with a thud as Felicia threw a frozen dagger that pierced its heart. The last one finally went down as it was overwhelmed by the soldiers.
Finally the faceless were dead, but they were still in the rushing water.
"Where's my husband?" Corrin asked one of the soldiers.
A mercenary spoke up. "The prince is in the main courtyard with the Shepards. There are faceless there as well."
Corrin gave a quick nod. "Felicia, stay here and take care of the wounded."
"Aye aye, captain!" Felicia exclaimed as Corrin ran down the hall.
Rarity wasn't having a good day.
She initially planned to work on a redesign for her armor, but instead these things came in out of nowhere and started causing havoc within the castle. Thankfully, it stayed within the castle walls, but it didn't make it any easier.
She jumped out of the way of a massive tree trunk arm that was meant to hit her, and retaliated with a hard swing of her Levin Sword, releasing an arc of lightning. The magically charged bolt hit the faceless that tried to attack her, causing it to convulse and spas out before it went limp on the ground.
"LOOK OUT!"
Before Rarity could act, a force pushed her aside as she heard the familiar "ching" of a successful block of the shackled fist. Rarity turned to face her savior, only to witness a small figure dodging away from another strike of a faceless. Rarity rose to her feet, but that was when she say it, a sharp glint of light within her small savior's eyes as time seemed to have froze all around her.
"IT'S ALL ME!"
A jump in the air and a swing of a katana, lead to a strike through the face mask and a very loud "CRACK". The faceless fell on it's back as blood oozed from its head.
"You've gotten better, Sakura." Rarity remarked, sheathing her Levin Sword.
"Anything for a friend." Sakura smiled back.
Rarity looked to the rest of the courtyard to survey the current battle. There was still quite a few faceless being dealt with, and more seemingly arriving.
"The situation doesn't look good at all." Rarity remarked.
Sakura gave a sad sigh. "So many people are getting hurt.... There's bound to be at least a few dead."
"Let's hope it doesn't get to that, darling."
The voice caught both of their attention.
"Inigo." Was all that Rarity said.
"Smile, darling! It'll raise moral!" He joked with a smile of his own.
"Always with the smiles." Rarity muttered not so quietly as a smile indeed did make it's way to her face.
Inigo ruffled Sakura's hair. "And how's my sweet sister-in-law doing?"
Sakura couldn't help but smile as well. "I'm doing fine, as always." But then her smile dissipated. "I'm not sure about the others, however."
Inigo gave a knowing look. "If it's of any comfort, that right there is the last of them."
"INIGO!"
He turned to where he heard that familiar voice coming from. "I'm here, my love!"
Corrin slammed into him with a tackle hug, almost knocking Inigo off his feet.
"My love, please! This is still a battlefield!" Inigo protested.
"Blame my inner dragon for being so protective of you." Corrin said as she broke away from the hug. "I'm just glad you're safe."
"Ehem." Rarity interrupt. "M'lord, shall we?" She asked as she drew her Leven Sword again.
Inigo nodded as he drew Falchion from his hip. "As my father would say, let's finish this!"
The battle ended some time later, when the mages found the source of the faceless; a portal that was quickly closed. They did find a second portal, however, and it lead to a world none of them have seen.
"You have my thanks for keeping the portal open, Archimage Ricken." Said a much older Lucina with an airy voice.
"I didn't become an Archimage for nothing, my dear Exalt." Said an even older Ricken.
Lucina nodded. "Of course, your magical capabilities are beyond even the most skilled battle mages, only ever being challenged by dragons themselves."
"Thank you, your father said the same." Ricken smiled. "You have some downtime, so let your brother know to prepare to go after whatever faceless made their way there."
"I'm sure they already know, they are Shepards, after all."
"Is that the redesign of the armor?"
"Of course, my princess! Do you find it appealing?"
"Well, I like the purple cape, it reminds me of Nohr, in a way."
"Of course darling. That was the intention, after all."
Corrin was receiving a new set of armor from Rarity, mainly to show how she accepted Ylisse as her home, while still showing how close she is to Nohr. It was modelled after the Nohrian Hero's armor, this time with a lighter color palette. Gone was the navy blue and black, and in came a light blue and gold. A purple cape was added, with the Nohrian insignia emblazoned in it.
"Well then, don't let me keep you. Get changed into it! I'd like to see my work... Well... Work." Rarity said as she moved back towards the exit.
"Of course, Rarity." Corrin smiled. "And don't forget to get ready yourself, we'll need you there."
"Of course princess, shall I prepare supplies for the trip as well?"
"Yes, just.... Don't go overboard." Corrin warned.
"No promises, darling!" Rarity gave a smile as she darted out the door.
"Rarity! I mean it!"
"My my, darling, these doors are really sound proof!"
"Rarity! Ugh!"
(Later)
Rarity was with Sakura, handling the supplies. Sakura was counting the vulneraries and Rarity was inspecting her gear.
He skill with the sword was there, but what really showed was her magical affinity. She was offered to be a dark mage, but refused because she found the outfits too revealing, so she became a mercenary instead. Of course, now she dons the armor befitting a hero, and she didn't let her magic go to waste.
The weapon with an oddly shaped yellow blade was known as the Levin Sword, or Lightning Sword as it was in Nohr. The primal lighting that rested within this blade was only amplified by ones magical strength. Prince Leo has also gifted her a rather large sword that was imbued with powerful ice magic. The blade was too big to remain on her hip, so she made a back scabbard specifically for the blade.
Despite what her old memories tell her, Rarity wore these weapons with pride.
She looked up at Sakura, looking her over like an inspector.
Sakura had come a long way. No longer was she this timid meek princess who stumbled over her words half the time out of fright, much like a certain.... Pony... That rests in Rarity's memories. Sakura remained soft spoken, but each word was laced with confidence. She was sure of herself now, and that confidence led her to become more than just a healer.
Inigo taught her the sword, while she continued to focus on her archery. She never gave up healing, of course, but she now stuck to the front with everyone else, sticking by either Corrin or Inigo's side.
"Don't you find it strange?" Sakura said as she drew her Killing Edge.
"I beg your pardon?"
"This katana is called a Killing Edge, yet back home it was primarily a Nohrian weapon." Sakura elaborated.
"Ah, of course. That is quite strange." Rarity out a hand on her chin. "The same could be said about the Killer Lance. In this world it's a naginata, if I'm correct?"
Sakura nodded. "Yes. I wonder why that is."
Rarity hummed as she went back to inspecting her gear.
A pair of arms wrapped around her that caused her to tense her muscles.
"How are your memories holding, dear?"
She relaxed soon hearing the voice. "Silas, my love, don't scare me like that!" She could practically hear Silas's shit eating grin, to which she only sighed. "It's.... Harder to accept it than I thought."
"Are there any.... Similarities?" Silas asked.
"Well..." Rarity paused. "I used to be a fashionista, owning a boutique, if I recall."
"I guess that's not much different then what you do now, with all the redesigns to the armor and all." Sakura said, joining in.
Rarity only sighed. "That's as far as I want to believe. If it weren't for the beaststone that was given to me, everything else just seems like.... Like a child's dream."
"From the memories you told us about, I could see why." Silas tried to sympathize. "That does explain your affinity for magic, though."
"Always trying to find the good in everything, aren't you, love?" Rarity mused.
"Yes, go ahead. Be lovey-dovey right in front of me." Sakura huffed.
"As much as I want to, I'd rather wait." Sakura then sheathed her Killing Edge. "Inigo says that I shouldn't rush things, that I'm still young enough to experience other things before I decide to jump into marriage."
"Yes, because Inigo is a shining example of how one should act." Rarity retorted in jest.
"At least he's honest." Sakura muttered.
Silence followed for after that, as the three began to finish up their preparations.
It was noon, and the few Shepards that were designated for the mission slowly showed up to room where the portal was being held open in.
"You know, I actually miss going on these types of missions back home." Corrin mussed.
"Ah, of course, I remember." Inigo said. "We went on these sorts of 'Faceless Hunt's' for some time after the war."
"Wasn't that job handed out to sellswords when we left?" Rarity asked.
"More or less, I remember Leo saying that the money involved was enough to get the mercenaries going." Corrin answered.
"I see."
Silas then entered the room. "Well m'lord, your friends are almost here."
"Why do I hear a 'but' coming?" Inigo asked.
What sounded like an argument could be heard from a distance, causing Silas to sigh.
"I would say 'see for yourself', but it's easier to just listen." Silas said with a sigh.
As if on cue, the voice was louder now, allowing them to hear what was exactly being said.
"How many times do we have to go through this, Owain!"
"Oh come on, Severa! You have to admit that it looked really cool!"
"I don't want dark swords flying all over the place, Owain! I'm surprised you haven't been banned from these experiments yet!"
"Research is more then just sitting around all day reading tombs! One must perform these grand experiments to figure out the greater things in life!"
"You can't figure out anything if you're dead!"
Sakura then entered the room, looking down at the floor in annoyance.
"How do you deal with them, Inigo?" She asked as she approached him.
Inigo only smiled. "That's the thing, darling. I don't."
Severa and Owain then entered the room as well, with Severa crossing her arms and a scowl on her face, and Owain with a shit eating grin.
Inigo wasted no time. "Is everyone ready?"
Everyone nodded.
"Alright, let's step through." Inigo then raised his hand to get everyone's attention. "One more thing, do your best to not reveal who we are to any locals we find unless I say so, yes?"
"We get it, Inigo! Gawds!" Severa was more then irritated.
Corrin gave a concerned look. "Are you okay, Rarity? You've been silent since we've got here."
"I've been here before." Rarity stated, earning her confused looks. "This place.... It exists in my memories. Not all of them were good, however."
"Hold on, you're saying that the world we chased these Faceless into just so happened to be the world you came from?" Severa asked. "Not to mention we just so happened to be in a place you visited in your memories. Do you know how outlandish that is?"
Rarity was visibly offended, but before she could speak, Silas cut her off. "I'm sure there's a scientific explanation for this, but we could always ask Ricken for that."
"Thank you, Silas." Inigo said, and turned his attention to Rarity. "Rarity, since you've been here before, would you mind telling us about these ruins?"
"Of course." Rarity began. "These ruins are the remains of the 'Castle of the Two Sisters'. It's.... definitely seen better days."
"Is there a way to get in? This trench here doesn't seem all that friendly." Inigo asked.
Rarity nodded. "From what I remember, there's an old, dilapidated bridge.... Somewhere around here."
"You don't know where the bridge is?" Severa asked, slightly annoyed.
Rarity narrowed her eyes. "I can't remember everything, you know."
Severa only sighed.
Inigo then cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "It's getting late, and I know all of us are tired beyond measure." He paused. "But our best bet is to find that bridge so we can camp within the castle for the night. It's far better in there then it is out here."
"He's right." Rarity spoke up. "Although not as dangerous as the faceless, there's still plenty of dangerous creatures within this forest, specifically wolves made of wood."
"Nani?" Sakura finally spoke, this time in her native language.
"Search now, questions later." Corrin said, as she began to walk alongside the trench. Everyone else just shrugged and followed her.
...
...
...
Then a Timberwolf made itself known, jumping in front of them and howling.
"Nani?!" Sakura screamed, drawing her katana. "I thought you were joking, Rarity!"
"Why would I joke about this?!" Rarity screamed back.
"Doesn't matter now! Just kill it with fire!" Owain screamed as drew his blade. He then muttered something and lit his left hand aflame. He brought the blade over his head and slid his left hand across the side of it, causing it to catch flame. "By the might of Gwyn, and the flames of the Soul of Cinder, YOU WILL BURN TO ASH, UNWORTHY OF FIRE!!"
A light glinted in his eyes, and he made a glorious leap in the air toward the wooden wolf. Upon landing, he swung his blade down on the wolf, splintering wood and cathing in on fire.
"Power... OVERFLOWING!!" Owain yelled as more Timberwolves entered the scene.
"Dammit Owain! Save some for the rest of us!" Severa yelled.
"Form up behind Him!" Corrin commanded. "And get ready for battle!"
Forest Fight Objective: Kill the boss. Player Phase
"We need to take out the alpha, doing that will disperse the rest." Rarity informed Corrin.
"Is the alpha the bigger wolf that's glowing blue instead of green?" Corrin asked, to which her answer was a nod. "Alright! Let's clear a path and take out the alpha!"
Owain made the first move, charging straight towards another Timberwolf. In one swift swing of his blade the wolf was felled. Owain only laughed, this was easier then he expected.
Sakura didn't have the same sentiment. When she swung her katana, it connected with a Timberwolf with a loud *CRACK*. Yet the wolf was still standing, and it attempted to scratch her with it's claws. Sakura was able to dodge the attack, and retaliated with another swing of her katana, hitting the Timberwolf once more.
She stood ready, as the Timberwolf still stood, even though it looked much weaker then earlier. Rarity and Silas made their approach, with Rarity raising her Levin Sword in the air. A bolt of lightning shot up into the sky, and came down on the wolf, finishing it off.
"Thank you." Sakura said, a smile on her face.
Rarity only returned the smile. "Anything for you, darling."
Corrin and Inigo approached a Timberwolf, with Corrin swinging Yato at the wolf. The attack connected, with Inigo following it up by thrusting forward Falchion. The wolf was felled before it had the chance to attack.
"Learn some new steps." Inigo said one of his catch phrases, causing Corrin to smirk.
Enemy Phase
The alpha howled, as if to give a command. Two Timberwolves approached Rarity and Silas, with the first one leaping forward in an attempt to bite Rarity. Rarity was able to jump out of the way, but the second wolf made its move and jumped forward.
"On your guard!" Silas pushed Rarity further back and blocked the second wolf's attack. Rarity took this opportunity to attack the first wolf, her Levin Sword arcing with lightning. She missed by mere hairs as the wolf managed to jump back, causing Rarity to mutter some profane words.
The other wolves quickly shortened the distance between them and our heroes, yet the heroes had the advantage.
Player Phase
Corrin wasted no time in taking action, as she sprinted her way to Rarity's side. The instance she got there, she raised her Yato, and the light glinted in her eyes.
"This ends NOW!!!"
Water seemed to materialize around her and Yato, and she charged foward with blinding speed. The sound of wood cracking followed by a deathly howl echoed through the forest as the Timberwolf practically exploded into splinters. The other wolf whimpered in fear, and by instinct ran back from our heroes.
At least, it would have, if it weren't for Silas stepping up to it with his Silver Lance.
Even on his feet, Silas was a force to be reckoned with. He trained hard to protect his best friend and liege, Corrin, and he trained harder to protect his wife, Rarity. The lance only amplified that strength. So the only possible outcome for the poor wooden wolf was to be absolutely decimated by Silas's attack, which it was. The wolf was felled in the same manner as the first.
"Showoff!" Severa screamed from a distance as she brought an arrow to her bow.
"Severa, bring the alpha's attention! We can end this now!" Corrin ordered, earning a huff from Severa as she knocked the arrow and released it on the alpha Timberwolf. The arrow connected, earning a growl from the Alpha, yet this also gave Rarity an opportunity.
The alpha was close enough to attack, but so were the other wolves around it. Rarity had the means to take it down, but she also had the chance to fail, and failure would result in getting mauled by the wolves. Normally she wouldn't take such a risk, but one look back showed that more Timberwolves were approaching from behind, encircling them. If she didn't take this chance now, they might not have a second chance.
Rarity sheathed her Levin Sword, and from her back scabbard drew her Ice Blade, and charged at the alpha wolf
The alpha wolf growled in rage as Rarity stood defiantly in front of it.
Rarity held her blade in both hands, looking for a proper opening.
Rarity sighed. "Somewhere out there, someone... or somepony... is going to detest my actions here. But I can't just stay put when my friends are in danger." She then pulled herself into a stance. "Killing you is the only way out, the lives of my friends are more important then the lives of some animal. May Naga watch over me."
She thrust her blade, expecting it to connect, but the alpha managed to dodge at the last second, jumping back. The alphas blue glow seemed to flash, causing Rarity eyes to widen. A powerful swipe from the alpha ripped of the metal plating of her armor tore through the gambeson underneath, causing Rarity to scream in pain as the beasts claws tore through her flesh.
Someone had screamed her name, but she couldn't discern who it was. Adrenaline was pumping in her veins, yet she stood tall and resumed her previous stance, when the light flashed.
"You uncouth BEAST!"
Swinging the blade with the speed that a certain someone would be jealous of, splintering wood and cracking magical ice rang out from the impact. The alpha gave out a small whimper before its blue glow dissipated, leaving behind a pile of sticks and planks.
Rarity thrust the Ice Blade into the dirt and leaned against it as she held her wound, smiling all the same.
(Level up! plus one to speed, magic, and defense!)
"And yet I still have room to improve." Rarity muttered, giggling afterwards.
Stage Clear! MVP: Rarity
"Looks like they're retreating." Corrin said as the Timberwolves ran into the forest, whimpering as they did so.
"Well... that's that." Inigo said as he sheathed Falchion. "Although it was... easier then I thought."
Rarity sat down as the two approached her. "Well... they aren't the top of the food chain here... so we more or less got off lucky." She said with a strained voice.
Sakura then appeared with her sun festal in hand. She muttered a small prayer and began to heal the wounds on Rarity.
"Please don't take a risk like that, you had me worried." Sakura said the moment the wound was closed.
"Forgive me, but.... I saw no other choice." Rarity tried to reason.
Inigo only shook his head. "Regardless, we care for you, and it wouldn't do any of us good if you died to protect us."
Rarity continued to smile. "Be as it may, I'd make the same decisions if it meant the same outcomes."
Inigo couldn't help but smile as well. "You sound just like my uncle."
"The man who just so happens to be my father!" Owain exclaimed as he gave a hard slap on Inigo's back. "That old bridge is just ahead, and it's really getting late."
"And it's way too dangerous to camp out here." Rarity pointed out. She used the strength she had to lift herself on her feet, yet she struggled to stay that way. Silas, fortunately, came and held out his arm, and Rarity grabbed onto it. "Let's get going, shall we?"
Corrin smiled. "Lead the way."
(Castle of the Two Sisters, late night.)
They didn't venture far into the old castle, only going past the entrance. A rather large hole in the ceiling allowed the bright moonlight to shine upon the camp fire.
Severa was already fast asleep, stating that she'll wake up later to stand watch, switching out with Silas. No one minded this, since a cranky Severa is a very bad Severa. Owain had fallen asleep as well, yet he was muttering incoherently. Corrin and Inigo was doing their usual "couple-y" things, as Inigo rested a hand on Corrin's back while she slept atop him.
Rarity, however, was awake, seemingly lost in thought.
"ALL ALOOOONE!" Kiran yelled.
"Wh-what... how did... JUST SHUT UP!! IT'S A STUPID JOKE THAT NEEDS TO DIE HARDER THAN ANANKOS!!!" Azura bellowed from across the hall.
Rarity looked to her right and saw Sakura, who was staring intently at the fire, almost as if she were meditating from it.
Silas stood on guard, occasionally tending the to said fire.
"How are you feeling?" Sakura suddenly spoke, not breaking her gaze from the fire.
"What do you mean?" Rarity asked.
"The friends you have here are surely gonna have a.... reaction, to how you've changed." Sakura elaberated.
"Oh." Rarity let out a sigh. "Well... I couldn't expect them to understand. They might even resent you guys, thinking it was your fault for 'tainting my perspective'." She paused. "It's my sister I'm really worried about."
"You have a sister?" Silas asked, surprised as this new information.
Rarity nodded. "The first memories I saw when Naga restored them was ones involving her, a small filly who tried to emulate my likeliness." She then smiled. "She was ruff around the edges, of course, yet she looked to me only a sister would."
Sakura hummed while Silas began to think.
"Have you any siblings, my love?" Rarity asked.
Silas hesitated to answer. "I do have a brother, but he stayed with our mother when I joined the military." He sighed. "I wanted to stay by Corrin's side while he wanted to stay by mother's. Last I've heard, mother wanted to see the world beyond Nohr and Hoshido, so they packed and to a ship heading out into one of our neighboring continents. This was right after the war, so I don't know if they ever made it or not." Silas sat down by the fire. "I hope they're okay."
Rarity only sat in silence and looked to the fire, silently regretting her question.
"I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." Sakura said, breaking the silence.
Rarity hummed. "I can hope so." She then looked up to the hole in the ceiling. "I also hope she's more understanding."
Sakura broke her gaze away from the fire and looked at Rarity. "She's family to you, I'm sure she'll understand your position better then anyone else."
Rarity only sighed. "I don't know, darling. From what I've picked up during the war, is that blood ties don't really mean much."
Sakura only hummed, and looked back to the fire. Rarity did the same, with one thing one her mind.
Dear Naga, please let them see, help me let them know that I'm not a bad person, She thought.
(Present day, Golden Oak Library, late night.)
Twilight was fast asleep, it was one of those rare times she didn't read a book before hand. Within the library was Spike, sitting by a desk with a single lamp lit, reading a book.
"You're becoming more like Twilight then Twilight herself." Silver Spoon quipped, a devious smile on her face.
"I have no time to train, but i can read." Spike said, seemingly uninterested in continuing the conversation.
Silver Spoon wasn't going to let up. "I'm pretty sure actions speak louder then words. That book would only teach you so much before you need to put it to practice."
Spike sighed. "I don't want to be mad at you, Silvy."
"And I don't want to see you run yourself to death, but we can't always have what we want." Silver Spoon retorted.
Spike flinched. "That's a low blow, you know?"
Silver Spoon smiled. "Well... if it works..."
Spike finally smiled. "Alright, I'll finish up and head to bed."
Silver Spoon the planted a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you."
Spike turned his head to see that Silver Spoon was already heading up the stairs to their shared room. He then looked out the window to see Luna's moon shinning above the Everfree Forest, which was an odd sight, but he thought nothing of it.
Spike seemed to be lost in thought.
"ALL ALOOONE!!!"
*SMACK*
Spike found it a bit weird that the moon was positioned like that, but he chalked it up to sleep deprivation.
Spike sighed, closed his book and put the lamp out. He was going to get some sleep now, oddities be damned.
Little did he know, Luna had intended for such an odd position, if only to direct his attention to what might be there.
"Then let's get going, we already have an idea as to where they went."
The campsite was practically cleared now, with Silas stomping out the embers of the bonfire. Moral was high thanks to everyone getting a good night's rest, but they'd still liked to be done with the Faceless quickly if they can.
Severa approached Rarity, who was standing outside by the bridge.
"Hey, can I talk to you?"
Rarity looked back at her. "Of course, what do you need?"
Severa sighed, her hands held behind her back, as she kicked a small pebble to the side. "I'm... sorry, for how I treated you yesterday."
Rarity blinked a few times. "Oh, it's quite alright, we were all on edge to some degree. Not many of us seemed to have gotten proper sleep beforehand."
"I know... But...." Severa looked up at Rarity with a sad look. "I've been working hard to... fix how I handle people." Severa waited for a response, but got none. "I'm sure you know, I've always been a bit... nasty to others."
"You did have quite the superiority complex back there." Rarity jested. "But yes, I've seen it myself how much easier you are to talk to."
Severa gave a sad sigh. "I just feel like my efforts were just wasted right now. All that work, only to loose it there, of all things."
Rarity was concerned. "But darling, everyone makes mistakes."
"But I always make mistakes!" Severa said, raising her voice. "My mother was practically perfect, yet everything I tried to do always ended horribly!" She kicked a rock down the trench. "I'm surprised I've been able to keep the little friends I have around, let alone get married...."
Rarity had had enough, and grabbed Severa by her shoulder. "Look, darling, I don't know how far this problem goes, but you're already on the path to fixing that problem." Rarity gave a stern look. "And you should know something important."
"That is....?" Severa asked nervously.
"It's that you are not your mother. You are not Cordelia" Rarity began. "I didn't become friends with Cordelia, none of us did. Cordelia didn't become the retainer to Camilla, the princess of a kingdom that only exists in child stories. Owain didn't marry Cordelia." Rarity then placed a finger on Severa's chest, as if she were pointing at her heart. "That was Severa. All of that was Severa, and Severa is you."
Severa immediately threw her arms around Rarity, with Rarity returning the favor.
"Th-thank-"
"GROUP HUG!"
Severa's eyes widened in confusion. "Wait wha-!?"
Before she could continue the sentence, the both of them found themselves being tackled to the ground by their friends. Instead of angry remarks, everyone found themselves laughing.
Severa took a look around at everyone present.
Inigo and Owain, her first two friends, with Owain now her husband and Inigo being like an older brother. Corrin and Sakura, people who looked past her shortcomings and accepted and embraced her for who she was. Silas and Rarity, people that despite having predicaments of their own, took the time to care for her when others couldn't.
She couldn't ask for anything more.
"All of you guys... You're the best." Severa finally said with tears in her eyes.
"So it's down this path?" Inigo asked as they crossed the bridge.
Rarity nodded. "It's the closest civilization for the faceless to attack."
Inigo patted the hilt of Falchion as he looked back to everyone. "Let's get going! I only hope that we make it there before any damage is done."
(Ponyville, morning.)
Spike took the time to gather everyone around for a picnic in the only way he knew how.
Peer pressure.
It wasn't the hardest thing in the world, and at the very least he proved to bring the perfect distraction from the everyday work. Better yet, he chose the perfect hill for the picnic.
"See? It wasn't so bad, right?" Spike said while smiling. "The weather's nice, the food's good, and everyone's happy!"
Twilight looked over Ponyville. "I have a lot of memories with this very hill."
"We had a lot of good times here." Rainbow Dash joined in. "Hey Spike, thanks for having us here, especially AJ." She snickered. "She would've worked herself to death if it weren't for you."
Applejack shot her a glare. "You know ah ain't no workaholic, Dashy."
"Yeah, that title goes to Twilight." Spike said with a straight face.
"Hey! I take some offense to that!" Twilight said in mock shock.
Spike continued with the straight face. "You're right, you have an OCD problem more then a workaholic problem."
Twilight's eyes narrowed. "Okay, now I'm offended."
Spike smiled sheepishly. "Too much?"
Pinkie Pie giggled as she bounced on her tail. "Do me! Do me!"
Spike went back to his straight face. "I will not be doing you, Pinkie, I have a marefriend."
Pinkie Pie froze while blushing, while Rainbow Dash and Applejack laughed at how easily Pinkie walked into the joke. Even Twilight found it hard to stifel a laugh.
"Uh... girls?"
"Wow, you really walked into that one, Pinkie!"
"Girls."
"I know! Even I found it funny, and I was at the butt of the jo-!"
"girls!"
Everyone looked at Fluttershy due to the sudden outburst.
Spike was slightly annoyed. "Hey, I'm not a - oh my Celestia, what happened to Ponyville!?"
Everyone looked on in horror as Ponyville seemed to be in chaos, smoke billowing from buildings.
"How does that happen? And why so fast?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Doesn't matter how it happened." Twilight said. "All that matters is us making sure everypony is alright."
"Beg yer pardon, but where's Spike at?" Applejack asked.
A good look around the picnic site showed no signs of said dragon. However, a look back to Ponyville showed Twilight that Spike was already halfway there.
"WWOOOAAAH!! WE'RE LIVING ON A PRAYER!"
"Kiran! Stop screaming! I don't even know what you're referencing!"
"He has the right idea, girls. Let's go!" Twilight said, with confidence.
Strange, green, bipedal beast could be seen rummaging through Ponyville, practically punching anything in their way. Be it market carts, houses, or other ponies, nothing stood in their way.
The mayor at narrowly dodged said punches as she made her way to the library. The moment she made it, she began to hit the door with all she could muster.
A growl caused her to turn around, and she looked up in horror as the large beast stood tall above. The beast reared its fist to attack, causing the mayor to flinch.
She didn't expect to be teleported inside the library.
"Huh... Wha-?" She looked around in confusion until she made eye contact with Silver Spoon.
"You're lucky she pulled you in here in time." Silver Spoon gave a concerned look.
"Twilight?" The mayor asked.
"Nope. Sweetie Belle."
The mayor looked towards said pony, as well as Scootaloo and Applebloom, and then back to Silver Spoon.
"Where's Twilight? What are these things?" The mayor frantically asked.
"I don't know the question to either of those questions." Silver Spoon bluntly stated. "We are just as scared as-"
*CRASH*
All present mares gasped in shock as Spike practically flew through the window. Said dragon then stuck the landing in the middle of the room, his fist clenched and on the floor as he knelt. He then stood to his full height, a serious look plastered on his face.
"No need to fear, for I am here."
While the CMC gave blank stares, the mayor gave a confused look, while Silver Spoon face-hoofed.
Spike huffed. "Yeesh, tough crowd."
"Now's not the time to play hero, Spikey." Silver Spoon said matter-of-factly. "Where's Twilight and the other girls?"
"Didn't wait for them, but they are on their way here." Spike answered as he approached the door.
"Spike, I thought I said that you can't play hero." Silver Spoon gave a stern look.
Spike looked back at her. "I'm not playing hero, Silvy. I answering to my blood."
"Dragon or not, you won't be able to take them on." Silver Spoon retorted.
"I'm not denying my draconic instincts, Silvy. Doing so would only drive me mad."
Silence filled the room, until Silver Spoon spoke again.
"I'm going with you."
"What?"
"You heard me." Silver Spoon stated. "Someone needs to keep an eye on you, so why not that someone be the one who wants to marry you?"
"WHAT?!"
"Let's go already!"
The two bolted out the door, leaving the mayor and the CMC behind.
Spike charged straight forward towards one of these green beasts, and with a flaming fist punched it in the face. Before the beast could react, Spike was able to throw another punch, knocking the beast out cold.
With newfound strength, spike charged at another of these green beasts, when light flashed in his eyes.
"Feel the dragons wrath!!"
A flurry of flaming punches followed, with Spike ending it with a mean uppercut that was heard throughout the town. The beast was done before it had a chance.
Spike laughed as a red aura encircled him. "I'm ready! How 'bout you?!"
Enemy Phase.
The green beasts didn't like the fact that this puny dragon was able to take out two of their own so easily, so they instead made the attempt to bum rush him from all angles. The little pony next to him could be dealt with later.
Unfortunately, this dragon wasn't going down easily, since the three green beasts that managed to reach him punched air and were rewarded with fire sandwiches for their attempt. These sandwiches were the last things they would ever enjoyed, because it killed them.
Player Phase.
Spike huffed as he looked on over Ponyville.
The green beasts still roamed, wrecking havoc anywhere they went. He looked own at the ones he took down, and saw the blood that dripped from their masks.
"S-spike? Y-you..." Silver Spoon nervously said, unsure of how to react.
Spike looked up at another beast with newfound bloodlust in his eyes. He charged at it and made a magnificent leap, and landed on the beast. The beast was too confused and enraged to do anything, allowing Spike, with all the strength he had, to cave in through the mask and into the skull with one swift hit. The beast fell in a bloody mess, with the red aura around Spike dissipating.
Spike the came to a realization. "These things... they're golems."
Silver Spoon gasped. "How did you know?"
"Magic." Spike bluntly stated. "The magic flowing through them isn't that of a living being, at least not in the traditional sense."
"You think Twilight might know?" Silver Spoon asked, to which she received a shrug.
Spike looked forward as his eyes widened. "Well then, speak of the devil."
"Spike!! Silver Spoon!!"
Twilight flew over to the dragon-pony duo with as much speed she could muster. Upon landing near them, she turned around to blast a magical beam towards another of the green beasts, ending it there.
"Before you ask," Twilight began. "I did a lot of defending myself while I was on those searches, so I know my way around when it comes to combat."
Spike raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, never said otherwise." He looked around before speaking. "Where are the other girls?"
"Making sure everyone else is safe." Twilight said as she walked to his side. "Let's say we handle this together, yeah?"
Spike smiled. "Don't need a book to explain to me why."
The both of them assumed a combat stance, ready to take on the rest of these beasts.
(Outskirts of Ponyville.)
"Come on!! Faster!"
"Not all of us are part dragon, Corrin!"
"Or part horse!"
"I take offense to that, darling!!"
"But why is it a burning village!? Why can't it not be a burning village for once!?!"
"Be happy this isn't a war time battlefield right now!"
"I'd much prefer fight Vallites over the Bottomless Canyon then fight any Faceless, anywhere!!"
(Also known as a transition to skip time back in Ponyville, since writing fight scenes are a chore, and become meaningless if dragged out too long.)
(Ponyville)
"*Huff* this is.... this is harder then I thought." Twilight said between breaths.
"I'm burnt out... I'm not sure how long I can go." Spike said as his arm hung over Silver Spoon for support.
"Please don't give up." Silver Spoon said with a sad look. "No one else here can fight like you two."
"There's just... so... many..." Spike was straining to stay upright.
Twilight's eyes seemed to wander. "The girls... they can't keep up either."
True to her word, her friends seemed to be backed in a corner. Fluttershy was crying uncontrollably, Pinkie Pie's usually puffy hair was now as straight as a board, and both Rainbow Dash and Applejack seemed to have little fight left in them.
Either they didn't want to kill the beasts, or genuinely didn't possess the strength to do so was irrelevant, since it would be their undoing.
So imagine everyone's surprise when a battle cry came from seemingly nowhere.
An explosion of flame engulfed a mass of the green beasts, incinerating them. When the fire cleared, they saw a smaller bipedal creature. One that was blonde, wore armor and brandished a sword.
"Magical Ponies of the magical land of Equestria! Us humans, beings of darkness, have come to save you, and to KICK SOME FACELESS ASS!!!!"
A human female with ivory seemed to have flown into the air, dragon wings flared out and a sword held high above her head. She suddenly barreled towards the ground, and landed on a faceless with earth shattering force, killing it and sending the other faceless flying.
Before they touched the ground, a blinding light passed through them, and they landed dead. A younger human female with red hair landed near them, seemingly out of nowhere, curved sword sheathed. (In other words, anime moment.)
A faceless was rushing its way towards Fluttershy, who only looked at it in horror. Her friends had no energy to fight, and could only watch what seemed to be inevitable.
That is, until an arrow pierced its neck, causing the faceless to drop like a rag-doll.
A bewildered Rainbow Dash looked to where the arrow came from, an saw another human female, whose red hair was tied in twin tails, and had a cocky grin plastered on her face as she knocked another arrow.
Twilight couldn't believe what she was seeing. she was so bewildered that she didn't notice a faceless charging at her until it was too late.
Before she could do anything short of screaming, a human male with light grey hair thrusted his lance into the faceless's arm, causing the beast to growl in pain. Before the beast could retaliate, the lance had already been retracted, and the human thrusted it at the beasts head, breaking through the mask and piercing its skull. The beast dropped like dead weight.
Another human female appeared next to them, with hair familiar to them. The human flourished her sword, which was cracking with lightning, and thrusted it in the air. Lightning shot from the blade and into a cloud, and came back down on a faceless, which convulsed and spazzed out until it went limp.
"Normally, I'd feel bad for doing that to someone." The human spoke in an all too familiar voice.
"But...?" The grey haired human asked.
"They're not actual 'living' creatures, not to mention their current track record." The human girl answered.
Before Twilight could say anything, she saw three more faceless charging at a single human male, one with dark blue hair and a sword that put Spike on edge.
"What's he doing just standing there!?" Twilight frantically screamed.
Both humans merely smile, with the female one giving the answer.
"Showing off."
When the faceless got close enough, a light flashed in the humans eyes as it slashed forward with blade. The force of the impact seemed to have affected all three faceless, as each of them were staggered.
The human now had a strange blue light emanating from his right eye as he held his now glowing sword back behind him, magic encircling him and unseen wind billowing his cape.
"AETHER!!"
The human thrusted forward with such a speed he seemed to have phased through all three of the faceless, a strange blue glow encircling them as they collapsed.
The human had a bright yellow and green light encircle him as he twirled his blade and sheathed it, yet he wasn't smiling.
"Why am I feeling shy now?"
(Afternoon, Ponyville.)
"That. Was, AWESOME!!"
While everyone had some look of relief, Rainbow Dash had a look of excitement, and was barely able to contain it thanks to her exhaustion.
Twilight stepped up in front of her friends. "Yes, while it was quite the sight, I think it goes without saying that you have our gratitude."
Inigo took a bow. "No worries, princess. We were actually on the hunt for these creatures for quite some time."
"Are they common where you're from?" Twilight asked with worry.
Inigo shook his head. "Think of them as an experiment gone wrong."
Rarity had approached Inigo. "Milord, the faceless here don't seem to be the only ones. I suggest we stick around and see if anything comes up, if only to keep some form of peace."
Inigo nodded. "I'll send Severa and Owain to relay the message, Ricken needs to be told so that the portal can be held open."
Before Rarity could walk away, Twilight approached her. "You. Your voice sounds very familiar."
"Not to mention your hairdo." Rainbow Dash stated.
Rarity only sighed. "I guess I can't run from it now, huh?"
The pony girls (plus one dragon) looked confused. Before Twilight could question her, Rarity pulled out the beaststone from her pouch. Magic began to course through it and around her, until she was engulfed in light.
Every pony (and dragon) present was shocked to see the very same alabaster pony that went missing some years ago, albeit wearing a pony-fied version of the armor she wore in her human form.