The Princess

It was a strange feeling, like a single cell in her stomach had frozen solid. It didn’t hurt though. Uncomfortable maybe, but not painful.

As it grew, her heart tensed up, wary of this foreign feeling. She both wanted and didn’t want it to stop; it was just so curious. The sensation lasted for no more than a few seconds, but in that short time, the ice in her stomach had grown into a piercing, stabbing pressure.

Rarity knew what was coming.

“No, no, something large,” called the rock princess from her spot on the floor.

Rarity popped out from her closet, displaying a slightly larger hand mirror. To her, ‘go find a mirror’ wasn’t a simple task. There were many kinds of mirrors.

“No, no. Think something you could walk through.”

“Oh, you mean like a full vanity? Well, why didn’t you say so?” said Rarity, tossing the mirror back into the dark depths of what could only be described as a fashionista’s closet.

“Yes, that’s the term—vanity! You have an exceptionally expansive vocabulary.”

Rarity beamed from the complement.

“Thank you darling, but flattery is the unexamined approach to constructing relationships,” she lectured. “Perchance since death threats and sickness have worked so well thus far, we should constrict ourselves to those. Also, sarcasm—vile, unrelenting sarcasm.”

Rarity picked Illustrious up and made her way to her showroom.

“Uhh... if you insist,” replied Illustrious. She cleared her throat. “Ahem, the unicorn that holds me is the most beautiful, most stunning, most perfect creature, and it will pain so very much to have have her gutted and quartered,” she said a bit too happily.

The sudden suggestion of violence made Rarity purse her lips and raise her brows slightly. “Elementary. You speak with the eloquence I spoke with when I was an adolescent,” she replied.

Rarity trotted down her stairs and flipped the lights. Before her, the famous Carousel Boutique Showroom lit up section by section. It was predominantly a white room, with bold streaks of colour dashed precisely across the walls like a robot’s paint strokes. Light rained down from a series of complex railings, sitting invisible against a black ceiling. Cool, contemporary jazz began playing through the room.

To the left of the entrance were a half-dozen closed red curtains, spaced evenly down an arced wall. Behind each one sat one of Rarity’s finer designs draped across a mannequin.

On the opposite wall, the main stage sprawled across the room. It was a simple, but elegant, half circle of hard-crafted, white plastic. Backlights beneath the plastic gave the stage a sleek, modern glow.

“Wow, this is nice!” said Illustrious. “How successful did you say you were again?”

“Who me? Oh, not very much at all.” Rarity buffed her hoof on her chest and examined it. “I mean there was this one time I was commissioned to dress a royal wedding.” She tapped her chin. “And I do suppose there was this other time where I was tasked with creating the wardrobe for a world famous pop star. And they did both make me their personal fashion design—”

The rock’s squeal cut her off.

“Rarity—just—you have no idea how impossibly perfect you are for this.”

“Am I? I am disinclined to believe you as your statement lacked the requisite amount of death threats, and I have yet to sense any sarcasm.”

Illustrious was still lost in her own excitement. “Throw me at the wall. I need to make sure this isn’t a dream!”

“That’s more like it.”

“No, seriously, throw me at a wall.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I said, toss me lightly at a firm establishment,” she iterated. “Preferably at a velocity that would awake a pony should they be unconscious.”

“You—you want me to throw you at my nice, expertly decorated walls? What if I make a crack in one?” she whined.

“Sweetie Belle will die if you don’t throw me at the wall.”

Rarity cocked her head and looked deep into the gem. It was hard to tell if it was lying, because it had no facial expression. After growing frustrated with meeting the deadpan gaze of a rock, she burst out. “For some reason I don’t believe that! Also, it is ill-mannered to use a pony as leverage. My sister is not a bargaining chip for the destruction of property.”

“Stop being so stubborn and throw me at the freaking wall,” said Illustrious.

“Stubborn? I am a lady, and ladies do not throw rocks. T’is brutish and unbecoming. I apologize, but I will perform no such task.”

Rarity stuck her nose up away from the princess.

“Fine, whatever. If I wake up from this I will probably cry.”

“Well, I never! There is rude, and then there is childish,” she scolded.

“Or maybe I’ll cry if I don’t wake up from this. You know, you remind me of my mother—so proper it hurts.”

Rarity ignored her.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what makes me so perfect for this task? Wouldn’t a pony who’s more talented at magic be better suited at freeing you from your prison? Is it not a magical task?”

“Find a mirror and I’ll show you. And no, magicians are uhh—‘icky’, for a lack of better terminology, and not what I need. I need an artist.”

“Alright then...”

Rarity climbed a few short steps onto her stage.

She opened a hidden control panel behind stage left and pressed a few buttons. On the other side of the curtain, a veil of seven mirrors dropped down from the shadowy ceiling surrounding the stage. Rarity passed back through the curtains and came to lay eyes on every inch of her own physique. Each mirror was angled to capture a different aspect of a pony’s body with only the center one facing her head on. She posed dramatically like she always did when they came down.

“You know, one mirror would have been sufficient,” commented Illustrious.

“Obviously you’ve never done anything commercial before. One of anything is never enough.”

“Point taken.”

Rarity switched poses, and her eyes came to rest on themselves in the reflection.

“So, what’s up with you?” asked Illustrious. “You seem pretty normal for having just lost your sister.”

Rarity maintained her pose, looking up and down her sleek form in the mirror. “The shock has passed. Next I must do the work that is necessary, and during my downtime I will grieve.”

“How practical. Honestly, I never took you as somepony so stoic. You came off more as a—”

“A drama queen?”

“Well, I was going to say something nicer, but that’s an accurate description, among prima donna, diva and—”

“Yes, well, I certainly have my moments, but nopony is perfect. I think it a necessary outlet for a romantic artist’s soul.”

She gently transitioned to another pose, bouncing her mane up into place. “You know, for a princess, I expected a more graceful experience. The phrase ‘throw me at a wall’ doesn’t exactly ring my ear as regal. ”

Illustrious fell silent.

“I’m—I’m working on it, ’kay?” she mumbled.

“Very well, enough chit chat,” Rarity said sternly. “Before I do this, tell me how I know you’re capable of helping me. Even if I resent your imprisonment out of good will, I will not let you take priority over my sister. Maybe after we save her, but not before.”

“Right...” her voice trailed off. After a tense silence Rarity was about to speak, but Illustrious beat her to it. “I can show you her, bring her here even, but she’s very grey. What you see won’t make you happy.”

“Do it,” replied Rarity without hesitation.

“Place the gem on the floor, please, and pay very close attention. This isn’t going to last more than a minute.”

Rarity did as she asked and stepped back. She heard Illustrious take a deep breath before yelping in pain. Blood oozed from the gem as it began to glow. The gem expanded outward in a projection of red light, creating an enlarged, ghostly, blood-red prism around them. Inside the red lines, Sweetie Belle lay amidst grey smoke and fog. She was black and white as the princess had predicted. Rarity was by her side in a heartbeat. She wasn’t moving or breathing as far as Rarity could tell. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen anything more heartbreaking.

“Sweetie Belle, baby—” began Rarity, cradling her lifeless body.

“Rarity, she’s about to wake up!” Illustrious interjected in a strained, tense voice. “You’ll have about ten seconds to talk to her. So make it count!” She panted a series of short, preliminary huffs before crying out again in pain.

Faint colours returned to Sweetie Belle and she gasped. She looked up to Rarity and started crying. “R-Rarity, I’m cold. It was so dark...” she stammered, weakly grabbing onto her sister.

Rarity squeezed her sister tighter. “Sweetie, darling, big sister’s got you,” she whispered gently, stroking her mane. “You’re okay, I’m here.”

“Five seconds!’ Illustrious screamed.

“D-don’t leave me,” cried Sweetie Belle meekly.

“I’m coming to get you. I love you so much,” Rarity said, her own tears welling up. Sweetie Belle tried to say something, but Rarity only caught the beginning.

“Princ—” The prism closed back up and Sweetie Belle evaporated from her arms. Rarity was left clenching at air, breathing intensely. Illustrious panted alongside her, more worn out than exasperated.

Rarity felt an ooze creep to her rump. She looked down and saw a large puddle of blood running from the soul gem.

“Do you believe me?” Illustrious choked out. “I really can’t do that again...”

Rarity made the connection easily enough. “You’re bleeding.”

“Yeah, some spells aren’t meant to be cast everyday. Now do you believe me or not?” said Illustrious, a touch of desperation in her voice. “I can wait. I’ve waited seven-hundred years. When you say Sweetie Belle takes priority over me, I agree with you. If she was anywhere else besides where I know she is, I’d tell you to go out and look for her and forget about me, but she’s not.”

Rarity listened intently. She could hear Illustrious’ voice cracking beneath her anxiety.

“She’s somewhere dark,” continued Illustrious, breaking down further as she ranted on. “And if we don’t do something, we’re going to lose her. If I knew she wasn’t in my domain, I could wait a few days while you go out and find her." She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "I-I’m not that th-that important! I c-can wait! Now are you inclined to believe my statements, or shall I iterate my points in a different fashion?!”

“I do,” interrupted Rarity quietly. “I believe you.”

She listened to the princess sob while she gathered herself. If anything else, her zeal convinced Rarity. It was a strong point that Illustrious could wait for her to find her sister. She didn’t think anypony would be so self-centered as to demand priority over a missing foal. After finding Sweetie Belle, of course Rarity would be able to revisit Illustrious’ imprisonment, but it was her fervent call to action that gave her a sense of urgency. This pony in the soul gem was absolutely necessary in the safe return of her sister and she knew it.

“Okay, great.” Illustrious took a deep breath to calm herself. “Well, times-a-wastin’! Take the stone in your hoof and push it against the mirror. Make sure not to let go!”

Rarity ceased her levitation and dropped the bloody rock onto her hoof as instructed. She pressed the gem against the glass of the center most mirror and it immediately sunk in. A wave of green washed through the smooth surface from where the rock touched it. From the way it splashed, the colour looked like a can of brilliant, luminescent paint had been spilled over the mirror. It repeated itself, and soon shade after shade of paint spilled rapidly until every colour was present in some form. The colour sunk into the mirror itself and began to move, forming shapes and scenes.

Rarity came to recognize every single image she saw as they played out in front of her. She was with her friends. She was singing with Sweetie Belle. She saw herself go through a typical day in only a few seconds. It was like watching a movie of her life. Everything she thought about on a daily basis flashed and swirled in the ever-changing, technicolour mirror.

As she pushed another inch further, a sudden jolt of burning intensity electrified her. Her breathing became ragged as the brief jolt returned and became a stream of raw emotion. She struggled to contain it, but it overtook her and a low moan escaped her.

Her deeper memories were surfacing on the mirror. The feeling became bliss as she sold her first design, knowing she’d be able to do what she loved for the rest of her life. It was sadness after that stallion rejected her. She wanted to go see the Dream Trees shed their leaves with him, but that night she went there alone. Bitterness filled her as she realized she hadn’t fallen in love since. Next was confusion, as a pony she loved struck his hard hoof across her cheek. She was sent spinning to the floor.

He struck her again.

The colour of the mirror infused her, shrouding her in a technicolour coat. The mirror itself was now shining with the light of a rainbow star. Rarity tried to close her eyes as it threatened to blind her, but it tore straight through her eyelids. There was no escaping the light.

“You’re almost there! Just get the gem through the mirror and I’ll pull you through!” said a distant voice.

Every centimeter was excruciating. Even the slightest push blared at her mind with a thousand different colours and feelings. It was too much and she tried to pull away, but couldn’t. Her mind could only comprehend moving forward. Tears streamed her face as she built the courage to make one last push.

The rock was completely through now, and part of her hoof had caught inside the mirror, stuck as if in cement. She couldn’t even feel that hoof anymore, the only sensation being that of burning hot nothingness. It was the impossible blend of feeling everything and nothing at once.

She panted heavily. “I don’t know if I can do it!”

“Brace yourself!” called the voice.

Rarity would never forget the sensation of being yanked through the mirror in less than a second. It had taken at least a minute to push the rock through and at that rate she could barely withstand it. Every fiber of her body already burned like the sun, and then somepony had grabbed her by the hoof and tore her through the threshold.

Put delicately, it was like being skinned alive in the icy waters of the frozen north and then put into a boiling hot caldron, every second, for a year. It exhilarated her to the point of transcendence if such a thing were possible.

Rarity laid on what must have been other side, back flat to the ground. She wasn’t moving when the blinding light subsided in her vision and the white ringing in her ears died down. Her heart beat gently in her chest and she was calm despite what had just happened.

That was when she noticed the pony standing over her, watching her every move.

She looked up and saw the smiling face of whom she assumed was Princess Illustrious. Illustrious was a pearly, opalescent white with a starry, baby blue mane and tail. Her bangs were cut jagged and her eyes held the perfect visage of an amethyst. She was young for a princess, barely taller than Rarity.

Her crown immediately stood out to Rarity. It was better described as an ornate tiara, a finely crafted platinum and gold piece. She had been lucky enough to gawk over the crowns of many royal figures in the past, but never one so brilliant as Illustrious’. It was custom designed with modern art in mind. The surfaces were smooth instead of gilded, its central jewels, a series of diamonds and amethysts, floated just above the ridge, and the patterns were uniform, but inspired. Her horseshoes and necklace were of similar design.

Illustrious’ eyes sparkled like the gem they paid homage to. They watched Rarity, and in them, she could see positive, blissful energy building. The princess’ smile grew large and toothy. Illustrious’ eye twitched, and she began giggling quietly under her breath. She looked like she was about to explode in pure excitement in a way that was definitely creepy.

Rarity finally regained control of her eye muscles and looked away.

“Ohmigosh, ohmigosh! It worked! My calculations were correct! Hi! How are you?! You’re a very pretty unicorn!” she squealed. “Have you ever been told that you hold a shocking resemblance to me?! Nope! Because you’ve never seen me before, and that would make the statement highly inaccurate!” She bit her lip and cocked her head, examining Rarity’s form. “How come you’re not moving? Oh wait, you’re probably still in shock, aren’t you? Severely dazed, can barely move your everything?”

Rarity laid there.

“I should have suspected as much,” Illustrious said, scratching her chin. “You’re probably very confused, aren’t you? Confusion follows from a lack of knowledge, so you must require information to relax!” she concluded. “Since I don’t know what you want to know, you have to tell me what you want to know! But in order to converse quickly, we should devise a system to communicate since it is the case that you can neither speak nor gesture.”

Illustrious pursed her lips, looking straight into her eyes. Rarity blinked, and inspiration hit the princess.

“Oh, wait, I know! One blink for ‘yes’, two blinks for ‘no’, got it?”

Rarity blinked once.

“Great, the system works! So, do you anticipate having full control of your body soon? Or at least some control? Wait, no, better question, is your motory functionality returning in a positive trend over time?” Illustrious sighed. “Words are so fun...”

Rarity looked to the corner of her eye in thoughtfulness before blinking once.

“I thought so. Well, I’m going to leave you here for just a moment and go fix us some tea! I love tea because of the caffeine content, and it’s very calming. Those appear to be contradictory premises, but they are not!”

She got up, still giggling, and skipped across to the door.

It only just occurred to Rarity that she was on a bedroom floor. Around her she saw the standard fare for an adolescent mare. There were posters of various artists, a corkboard filled with pictures, a desk with a vanity mirror, and a bed with girly pink sheets and covers. Cheap carpeting covered the floor, and it smelled sorely of even cheaper body spray.

It was basically her room seven years ago, if not a little cleaner.

“Oh, would you like some scones?” Illustrious called before leaving through the door.

Rarity blinked once.

Illustrious nodded and left through the door, ranting to herself about something.

By the time she returned, the numbness had subsided for the most part and Rarity was able to sit up and speak. She ran her hoof over the tingling needles under her coat, trying to get feeling back faster.

Illustrious walked back in, the same smile slapped across her face, and set down a surprisingly ornate tea tray followed by a plate of scones.

“Look who’s feeling better. You are! Your recovery rate was exceptional! I thought you’d have to blink at me for, like, hours,” gushed Illustrious, pouring Rarity a cup of tea.

“Yes... Thank you.” Rarity took exactly two sugars and one creamer, stirring them into her drink. “Pardon my manners, but just to make sure I’m not mistaken, you are Princess Illustrious, the mare from the soul gem, are you not?”

“Lily is fine, but yes! Hello! I’m Princess Illustrious, Crown Monarch of Asaralubat!”

“I’m sorry, what is it that you reign over again? Asa...?” Rarity stirred her tea a bit slower, her ears attentive to the mouthful of a word that just fell out of Illustrious’ mouth.

“A-sa-RAL-u-bat!” she replied slowly. “It’s where we are right now—well actually we’re technically in my bedroom, but my bedroom is inside Asaralubat, so yes. I reign over it, kind of.”

“Indeed... It’d be safe to say we’re not in Equestria anymore, correct?”

“You are correct! Most observational.”

“Charmed. I know you already know my name, but to be proper, I am Lady Rarity, and it’s a pleasure to meet you,” said Rarity dryly.

She thirstily eyed her cup and took a deep breath of the tea’s minty aroma before sipping it. It was pleasant. The hot liquid brought waves of feeling rolling across Rarity’s skin. She looked at it, a little surprised by how good it was. If she didn’t know better, she could have sworn it was magic.

“My, my... This is excellent tea, Princess,” commented Rarity politely. She took a large, unladylike gulp of the drink despite herself.

Illustrious blushed and stirred her own tea with upwards of four sugars and three creamers.

“Thank you, you’re really nice. Did I mention you’re pretty? Wait, yes I did, once actually, twice if you count the previous statement’s implications.”

Illustrious flitted eyes with Rarity as she drank. The nervous purple eyes soon turned passive as Rarity watched Illustrious zone out on her cup, falling deep in thought. She swayed back and forth, humming quietly, almost as if she’d forgotten Rarity was there. It was endearing in an odd way. Illustrious noticed Rarity watching her and snapped out of her reverie.

“Here, have a scone, they’re apple. I love apple scones. It’s the apple part that I like, but the scone form is a close second. Really, scones are an ingenious packaging system...”

Rarity waved them away.

“Heh, no thank you,” she said, still watching the curious creature in front of her.

“You wouldn’t like a scone? I could find you a bagel if you wish, or perhaps some corn. Maybe you’re a carnivore. You’re not a carnivore, are you? I’ve never been friends with one of those before. Would you like some meat?!”

“Oh, no, darling. It’s merely a poor coincidence. My friend Applejack owns an apple farm, so you can imagine how often I’m treated to the humble fruit.”

Rarity took a sip of tea and sighed in comfort. Illustrious’ eyes were glued to her as she drank. Rarity managed to ignore the obsessive attention.

“Such repetition wears thin on a mare,’ continued Rarity. “Nothing to eat though, I’ve decided my stomach isn’t quite ready yet.”

“Ok, no problem! More for me I suppose.” Illustrious gingerly nibbled off a corner of a scone. “So, I bet you’re ponderin’ in your noggin how we’re going to save Sweetie Belle.”

Now it was Rarity’s turn to be thoughtful, blanking out on her cup. “Only since the second I realized she was missing, and I am willing to do whatever it takes.”

“Right—well that’s good because I have a solution! We need to make the Sparkling Reflection!”

“I’m sorry, the what?”

“The Sparkling Reflection. It’s my special mirror, and we’re going to begin right now!”

“I’m not sure I understand,” said Rarity primly through closed eyes.

Illustrious stood up and trotted in place to get her blood flowing. She panted and did a few stretches to limber up.

“That’s okay! You don’t need to! All you have to do is stand around and pluck giant shards of glass from my reflections!” The princess unleashed a girlish, cackling laugh that sent shivers down Rarity’s spine. “Oh, Rarity! You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to show somepony this! I spent like thirty years compiling these six memories! It’s gonna be like a movie!”

“Darling, what are you talking about?” Rarity set her tea down to its saucer, her eyes locked on the enthusiastic princess. “You’re scaring me.”

“Really? Am I? I can’t even tell. Okay, are you ready? You must follow my instructions with less than ten-percent deviation. We’re going to run for our lives now. On three!”

“Princess, what are you talking about? Can’t I finish my tea?”

She flared her wings. “One!”

“Don’t you ignore me! Answer me right now!”

Her horn lit amethyst purple. “Two!”

Rarity grit her teeth and looked at the door. In the center of it, a wave of grey spread out, covering the brown wood with dullness. The effect came to the edge of the door and seeped into the threshold, the crack somehow slowing it down. Time slowed for a moment. Everything was still. Her chest locked up, leaving her unable to draw breath.

“Three!”

The door swung open to reveal a swirling, smoky darkness. The room depressurized, and the void immediately sucked the colour from the room. She gasped, filling her lungs with staleness. The doorway pulled her, beckoning her closer. She watched as her vibrancy began peeling off of her, flying in the unfelt wind that wanted to send her spiralling off into the void.

Furniture and papers stood no chance. They were pulled from the room by their colour, shades of blue acting like sails, reds turning into engines, and yellows running out, their hosts in tow. Without the ability to resist, the room was soon stripped clean. Everything that hit either of the ponies burst into dust, leaving not a scratch on them.

Illustrious’ giggling reached a fever pitch. She jumped up and hung in midair for a split-second before the pure purple of her eyes tore her through the door at dazzling speeds. Rarity cautiously inched her way to the edge of the threshold and watched Illustrious right herself in the distance.

“Princess!” shouted Rarity, completely baffled. “What are you doing?!”

“Quick! There’s no time to explain! Project yourself out the door!”

“Are you mad?!” jeered Rarity.

“No?! Why would I be upset with you?! I actually have grown attached to you! I’d actually suspect you’d be more upset with me on the contrary!”

Rarity glanced down and did a double take. Her mind didn’t immediately register what she was seeing, and even after gawking at it for a few seconds, it still didn’t make sense.

She was on a steep incline of what looked like a massive mountain of artwork. As far down as she could see, paintings, dresses, sculptures, and statues of every colour were fused together to create a gargantuan slope. It radiated a light golden, rainbow aura, giving it the feel of buried treasure mixed with a hint of madness. The art wasn’t just loosely attached to one another, but melted down and frozen in place like a welding accident gone horribly wrong.

She looked outward and saw more than one mountain of art amidst the darkness. They were shifting slowly throughout the skyline.

“Princess! You better have a good explanation for this!”

Illustrious just laughed. Rarity gritted her teeth and said a few quiet words before leaping out from the ledge. She wasn’t sure if she had just jumped to her death, but something about the complete surrealness of her situation was comforting. It was like a dream in that she didn’t really perceive consequence, physical or otherwise.

But it still didn’t stop her from following her requisite, ‘flipping out’ protocol.

She flailed through the air, screaming at the top of her lungs, and plummeted a few meters before Illustrious swung up below her and caught her on her back. Rarity latched onto her saviour, nearly choking her.

“Princess, I’m going to strangle you if you don’t—WAAAHHH!” she screamed as the enormous mountain of colour scurried away from them at breathtaking speeds.

In less a second, something that was probably the size of Ponyville at its base was now a half-kilometer away from her. Rarity didn’t think something so large could move so fast.

“Rarity! Stop it! You’re causing temporary damage to my hearing!” whined Illustrious.

“Where in the good name of the princess are we?!”

“I told you, this is Asaralubat, the World of Reflections!” she declared, the goofy grin returning, and her eyes becoming childishly large and innocent looking.

As they soared, Rarity looked down. Much to the contest of her original observation, the world wasn’t just a black, smoky void. Far below was what looked to be the husk of a derelict city. It was dark and hazy, and a thick fog of dust obscured most of the ground. Curiously, the city was alive, if only a husk. Faint lights shone through the windows of the infrastructure. She was too far away to be sure, but Rarity swore she could see the silhouettes of ponies in the windows. They moved and were lively, but never left their windows, giving her the unnerving feeling of being watched by shadow puppets.

To her, the city looked like a graveyard. The dusty fog rolled along the silhouettes of the mid-height buildings, rising up and down like that of fresh graves. The tallest skyscrapers clustered uniformly into the approximate shapes of headstones. There were even patrons among the graveyard. The scattered mountains of colour resembled spirit visitors, giving their respect for the deceased.

“The world of reflections? Please, I don’t know what that is! If you could speak plainly with me, I’d much appreciate it.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Illustrious clicked with a shake of her head. She pointed below. “Please, refer to the instructions!”

Rarity looked down again and saw that the lights of the city had changed. Some windows were glowing bright cyan and compiled to spell messages to her in a pixelated fashion. As they flew, the lights kept shifting from building to building to keep perspective and not skew the words.

Welcome to Asaralubat, the World of Reflections!

Population: 1

Illustrious cleared her throat.

Population: 2

“Wait, are you telling me we’re the only inhabitants in the world?”

Illustrious rolled her eyes and pointed back at the ground.

Yes.

“How do you keep doing that?”

With a flash of her horn, the sign and text changed. Next to it, a pixelated picture of a pony with a thought bubble appeared. Various things and thoughts passed through it. The message was longer and scrolled upward in an implied box next to the picture. Rarity watched on, equal parts amazed, enraptured, and terrified.

Have you ever dreamt of a world where all your wildest fantasies could come true before your very eyes? Have you ever wanted to find love, climb Equestria’s tallest mountain, and explore vast jungles all in a single day, and be back to enjoy your gourmet dinner?

You can in Asaralubat!

Under the rule of Princess Illustrious, Asaralubat is the place where your daily reflections come to life!

“When you say ‘reflections’, how do you mean?” asked Rarity. The wording had been vague at best.

“Erhm...” Illustrious squinted her eyes and pursed her lip as if trying to remember if she had a message to answer the question. She didn’t.

She sighed, as if disappointed in having to talk.

“Fantasies and memories are the best ways of describing it, but there are contentions to it!” she replied. Her cheer had only disappeared for a moment and was back in full force. “It’s all from your perspective with your own personal twist, so it won’t be exact to what actually happened, only as you remember. But watch, I have more instructions!”

Meet Princess Illustrious!

Next to the sign was a picture of the aforementioned. She held her hooves up to her open mouthed smile and was winking at the camera. It was adorable, if not terribly immature.

She’s a really nice pony who likes to have fun and go on long walks. She likes honest ponies who aren’t fake and don’t stab their friends in the backs. Sometimes she just wishes she could meet a nice stallion.

She’s the crown monarch and creator of Asaralubat. Stop by and say “hi”!

“How quaint...” muttered Rarity.

Meet Lady Rarity!

She’s not a carnivore and likes tea. She’s really super pretty. I’m totally jealous.

Rarity smiled and snorted out a one-breath laugh. “Darling, you have such a way with flattery. I see you have the unabated power of manipulating the entire world at will. Pray tell, how can somepony so regular as me assist in your errand?”

Learn about the Sparkling Reflection!

Long ago, Asaralubat was powered by the Sparkling Reflection, a magical mirror that could reflect the colour in a pony’s soul! Artistic ponies everywhere would merely look to the beacon atop the citadel and find as much inspiration as they needed for their art. It was pretty sweet.

Princess Illustrious took care of the Sparkling Reflection, constantly fueling it with her own unending colour. She kept it safe for centuries this way.

One day, the beloved princess was brutally trapped in a soul gem, shattering her colour along with the Sparkling Reflection. Its fragments were lost in her reflections and Asaralubat fell to darkness.

“Oddly enough, I still don’t understand. Are we going to find these shards or something?” Rarity ventured with what she thought would induce another scrolling message.

“You are correct!” said Illustrious. “The Sparkling Reflection is practically, and theoretically, my soul. The soul gem broke it and split it into six shards. We gather the shards, make the mirror, and I look into it; that should dismantle the soul gem. Once that happens, I go back to Equestria and rescue Sweetie Belle.”

“Well, there’s no arguing with that logic,” replied Rarity sheepishly. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

“When I start going into my reflections, I need you to simply pick up the shards and carry them with you to the end. It’s hard to explain, but you’ll get it soon enough. Oh, and one last thing.”

“What’s that?”

Illustrious pointed back down to the dead city.

Beware of the Colour Eaters!

Next to the sign was what looked to be a picture of a spider with a couple of large paintings on its back.

They are really mean. If they see any colour at all, they’ll steal it. No colour means no reflections, and you know what that means! So watch out!

“What’s that mean?”

She sighed—and not because she didn’t have a scripted answer.

“Well, if they get me, I actually go free, but without colour or a soul. That is arguably worse than death, yet there is much evidence supporting either side,” she explained. “It’s actually quite an interesting argument! Very complex, lots of symbolism. Oh, also that means you get stuck here forever.”

They landed amidst plenty of dust. Rarity was sure there were other things to notice, but none of them were more obtrusive and pervasive than the dust. That, and the complete lack of colour everywhere besides herself and the princess. Like Rarity’s room from before, it held the quality of an old, black and white movie. Specks and screen tears played across her eyes.

“This may seem a bit too reasonable, but perhaps you could whip up a witty skyline message to make all this mucky dust go away?” Rarity coughed, fanning some of it away from her mouth. She was trying her hardest to not have a nervous breakdown as billions of dust particles assaulted her cleanliness. “I’m having a hard time breathing in this smog.”

“Nope! No-can-do! It’s serving an extremely important purpose—the smog that is,” she said, bouncing in place.

“And what’s that?”

“Ambiance.”

She inexplicably pulled down a pair of red sunglasses and maintained a cool expression. Their redness was torn from them, floating off in gale force, colour-stripping winds. After reaching a breaking point, the glasses and the redness fell, disintegrated to dust.

The silted fog swirled and tossed in the breeze, moderately vacating the area. It didn’t clear completely, but Rarity could finally make out her surroundings. She was in a sort-of central park. Old street lamps lined the premises and shone light down in cones outlined by the thick dust. There were several concrete walkways and plenty of benches strewn across them. To her surprise, the grass and trees were still alive, if not devoid of vibrancy. The two ponies were the only shimmering sources of colour against the bland, dead world.

“Right, so am I to assume that you brought me here because you like long walks in the park?” asked Rarity.

“You are correct! But I’m about to trigger a reflection, so get ready to follow instructions!”

“Darling, I really haven’t had the slightest clue what you’ve been talking about for the last hour or so,” she admitted openly. “But for Sweetie Belle, I will try.”

Illustrious’ horn lit up and everything flashed white.

When the glare subsided, Rarity found she had left the stark world behind. She was somewhere else entirely.

She was in a meadow. The city around them had vanished, leaving a rolling countryside filled with wild flora. The flowers were of every soft, pastel colour, gardens of them covering vast spaces and even entire hills with fragrance and freshness. What sat at the horizon of the greenery and flora was a perfect countryside sunset. Fluffy white clouds rolled lazily across a golden, purple, and maroon sky.

She smiled gently. The artist in her had just died and went to a romantic heaven. This was the place of dreams and fantasy. It wasn’t just the colours of the scenery, but the subtle effects of the space. She felt lighter, healthier, and comfortably relaxed, but still teeming with energy. The saturation of light was so unbelievably perfect in the way it accentuated each and every detail, that it almost looked staged.

Still, someone had to have dreamed up this world, this work of art.

Rarity picked up a sunflower and took a deep whiff.

“Do you like it?” piped a small voice at her side. “This is my reflection!”

Rarity looked down to the source of the noise. It was Princess Illustrious, but instead of the pubescent mare from before, she was just a foal. Her crown and regalia had been shrunk down and repurposed into a size more fitting for the little pony. She was looking up and smiling at Rarity.

“Oh my...”

“I like waffles!”

Rarity blinked. “What?”

“Don’t worry, I’m supposed to be this little. I’ll inform you when we pass the sparkling shard. Gently lift it into your possession and do not misplace it.”

“O-okay. I—will try,” stuttered Rarity. “This place is beautiful.”

Illustrious began walking down into a meadow. “Thank you! It’s based off one of my earliest memories with a few details of visual attractiveness added in.”

“You are quite the stellar artist.”

“I’m the Princess of Expression, it’s like my job,” she said with a giggle.

“Indeed. So, we’re going on a romp through your memories to get the shards, right?”

“You are correct! But there is going to be a storyline, so you’re going to get to learn stuff about me!”

Rarity rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. It wasn't like she had any better ideas, and it might actually be interesting. “So where are we going? Is the shard somewhere in these fields?”

“Nope, it’s at Lala’s house.”

“Who’s that?”

“She’s my Lala.”

“And who is Lala, exactly?”

“Her real name is Stella, but everypony calls her Lala.”

Illustrious fell over and plopped on her stomach. She scampered to her hooves and circled around Rarity. The unicorn lifted her hooves as Illustrious weaved in and out of her legs, examining them with great scrutiny.

“You are of satisfactory condition!” she said finally. “Three! Two! One! Tag, you’re it! Follow me!” Illustrious slapped her knee and Rarity watched her bolt off down the meadow.

She blinked. “What? Tag?” whined Rarity.

“Yup! You have to follow me,” Illustrious called back.

Rarity worked her way up into a full gallop. Being larger and having longer legs, she easily caught up with the princess. Something about the tiny filly was vaguely adorable amidst all the mystery. Watching her run as hard as she could to maintain her artificial lead on Rarity was endearing to say the least.

Something felt odd about exactly how Illustrious was running. It didn’t remind Rarity of her sister, but it gave her an uncanny feeling of deja vu. She knew every single thing that happened a second before it did. A curious sensation pricked her stomach. It was the feeling of having some miniscule, insignificant portion of her gut freeze solid. It was uncomfortable, but only lasted for a second.

Rarity soon forgot it, and quickened her pace to catch up with the princess. Illustrious had somehow acquired water balloons and started throwing them at Rarity in an attempt to slow her down. One of them hit her mane, ruining it on contact, but she didn’t care. They both laughed as Rarity caught a water balloon and nailed Illustrious right in the flank with it, beginning a fierce water balloon war. For a few minutes they threw balloon after balloon, laughing constantly.

Rarity wasn’t even sure where they came from, but every time she needed one, it would be there in her levitation. She dodged and ducked across the princess’ furious barrage, only to swing around and unleash her own. The only thing better than a water balloon fight was one that never ended.

They played for hours, or even days, and by the end of it, something had clicked between her and Illustrious. It was the exact same mutual understanding she had with Sweetie Belle after the Sisterhooves Social.

And it didn’t bother her nearly as much as it should have.

Rarity knew she shouldn’t have been having this much fun with another filly. Not while her sister was missing. She should have felt guilt. Part of her did, but that part was lost beneath the surface—she couldn’t hear it crying.

“Tag, you’re it!” Rarity said.

In the distance a smokestack rose above the hills.

Illustrious knocked on the door to Stella’s simple, wooden cottage with her tiny hoof.

Rarity admired the idealistic simplicity of the stead. A fresh pie had been laid out to cool on one of its two cross frame windows. Smoke lightly puffed out the top of its cobblestone chimney. A sturdy, wooden fence surrounded the home, and it sat in the middle of an endless meadow, unbothered by neighbours.

A ‘welcome’ mat had been laid out before the door. Rarity would have bet bits that the key had probably been stashed under it in case of emergencies. It was the perfect vision of a countryside cottage.

It had taken them awhile to get there. The time was spent alternating between listening to Illustrious ramble in her overly technical jargon, and playing water balloon tag. Rarity was already enjoying her little adventure. After a shaky start, the excursion into the mirror was already turning out to be a wonderful experience. Maybe a little too wonderful considering her errand.

She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt from her happiness. Sweetie Belle was still out there, cold and afraid.

The voice of a young mare sounded from the depths of the cottage alongside a young colt’s voice. She answered the door. The mare had a flat rose coat with a violet mane and tail, and matching violet eyes. Rarity almost gasped when she saw her. The mare appeared to be a pegasus at first, but upon closer inspection Rarity saw that she was actually an alicorn. Her horn had been cut cleanly off just above the base.

“Hey, Lala, can Dauntless come out to play?” Illustrious asked timidly, shuffling her hooves.

“Can I, Lala?” squeaked a young unicorn from beneath the mare. He was a glowing amber, with a silverish-blue mane and matching eyes.

The mare flitted her eyes suspiciously with Rarity. The unicorn realized she had been rudely staring at her forehead, and quickly looked down to meet her gaze.

“Of course you can,” Stella said. “Illustrious, who’s your friend?”

“You may address her only as Lady Rarity!”

“Charmed," said Rarity with a friendly smile. “Illustrious has been talking about you so much, it’s nice to finally make your acquaintance.”

“Has she?” she said. “Oh, I hope she hasn’t been boring you with old stories of an old mare. Please, come in.”

Rarity entered the small, humble cottage. It was a single room. In the center of the left wall was the hearth and fire pit, kindling brightly into the chimney. There were several pots and pans for cooking hung up around it. Flanked on both sides were beds, neatly made and tucked. The right wall had a few small bookcases. The back wall had dressers and trunks full of worldly possessions, and in the center was a long table. On it were stacks of paper, small playthings, dinnerware, and everything else expected in a simple homestead.

“So whataya wanna do?” asked Dauntless.

“I’d like to engage in house with you!” replied Illustrious. “Go on and mow the yard, Honey. I’ll be fixing dinner!”

“Woo! Make me ten cakes!”

“Ten cakes coming right up!”

Rarity continued to watch the two banter as they pantomimed their loudly announced tasks. She smiled. Part of her wanted to join in on their fun, but it looked like they had everything covered. Illustrious was busy flipping cakes on her frying pan and Dauntless was mowing the ‘yard’ with a book. The two seemed to communicate and flow well in their playtime. She didn’t want to interrupt them, but she felt a little left out.

“I haven’t seen you before,” said Stella quietly to Rarity. “Pardon my asking, but where exactly did you meet Illustrious?”

Rarity looked over to see the suspicious eyes of the alicorn, Stella.

Stella looked innocent and genuine enough, but something about the subtle uncertainty in her eyes made her uneasy. It was how she looked like she was just as unsure of being in the house as Rarity was. Despite what Illustrious said, Stella looked like she wasn’t really supposed to be there either.

“Oh, she came into my shop looking for artistic help,” said Rarity.

Stella narrowed her eyes before looking down to the parchment and quill in front of her. She began writing. “How very odd. Illustrious is quite the creative little filly.”

Rarity found herself staring at the stub of a horn on Stella’s forehead again. It glowed faintly as she levitated the quill. She turned away and locked her eyes on the playing foals.

“Yes, she said she needed some help with a creative block,” lied Rarity.

“I see. Pardon my manners, I just like to make sure my little ones are safe.” Stella looked up and together they watched them. “I wouldn’t know what I’d do without them.”

“I understand completely. Trust me, I mean them no harm,” said Rarity.

Stella sighed. It was a tired gesture.

“Milady?” said Stella finally.

“Yes?”

“Are you ever going to leave this world?”

Rarity was silent. It was a strange question with an answer that should have been obvious. Maybe it was obvious to Stella. To her, it was the sort of question with one right answer, and she was sure Stella knew that.

“Yes, that is my ambition. Why?” said Rarity.

“When you go back to wherever you came from, if you ever meet a little filly by the name of Rosetta, can you tell her that her Lala is looking for her and misses her very much?”

Stella eyes held the sparkle of a parent despite the youthfulness of her appearance. Rarity wanted to inquire further, but in doing so, she thought she may induce an unnecessary storm of emotion.

“I will,” she replied simply.

The foals’ play had somehow transitioned into Dauntless and Illustrious flailing wildly at the air. They punched and kicked invisible attackers, calling out the names of their grandiose attacks as they did.

“Shining Wave!” shouted Dauntless before jumping up and doing a clumsy spin kick.

“Dauntless! We can’t sustain this level of energy exertion forever! We need a castle!” said Illustrious.

“I’ll make you a big, strong castle!” exclaimed Dauntless.

“Will it have a butterfly atrium?”

Dauntless ceased all his flailing and suddenly they were no longer under attack.

“I—I don’t even have any idea what that means...” he said, a blank look on his face.

“A butterfly atrium! It’s a housing environment for butterflies!”

“But that’s so girly!”

She stuck her nose up away from the colt in a manner of surprising resemblance to how Rarity might.

“No butterfly atrium, no castle.”

“’Kay, fine. It’ll have a butterfly actingum.”

“Atrium,” she corrected.

“Actingum.”

“Atrium.”

“Actingum.”

Illustrious gave him a deadpan glare. “If it doesn’t have a butterfly atrium, I will cry.”

“Okay, let’s go get some stuff to make the butterfly attium out of!”

Together, they scampered off to the trunks in the back of the room. Rarity followed them, shadowing them passively, more as a supervisor than a participant. Each of them opened a different trunk and stuck their face in it.

“There’s nothing in here!” Dauntless complained.

“I am of similar circumstance!”

Rarity peeked up over their heads and saw for herself two empty chests.

“Oh, wait, what’s this?” said Illustrious. She pulled out a small box with her mouth. “It’ssh a deckth of cards!”

A few hours later, the two had made an impressive castle of cards. It was complete with a central keep, several towers, and an outer wall. It didn’t stop growing despite there being way more than fifty-two cards used in its construction.

Rarity looked up from a book she’d been reading and saw their magnificent structure. Wasn’t it only a few minutes ago that they had started with just one little stack of cards? Now it was truly a work of art. Instinctively, Rarity’s creative mind went to work. She began imagining what sorts of things would be inside and around their little creation. Maybe there should be more towers, or balconies with parapets.

The unusual sensation from before seeded itself in Rarity’s stomach as she continued to observe the two. Right where the ponies from the soul gem’s light had pierced her, the ice formed again. Now it felt large, twice as large as before.

She blinked, and just like that, the cards became the object of her mind, a real castle. The very model of the ideal fantasy stronghold was now sprawled out across the floor of the cottage. It rested atop a rocky cliff, its towers rising almost a foot taller than the foals. Stone walls and ramparts surrounded the main keep, and a wooden village lay amidst grassy hills at its feet.

She blinked again in disbelief.

Dauntless continued to stack row after row of cards onto the unfinished castle, each card completing a greater picture. The cards had lost all depth and became a flat window, letting Rarity see the world that the castle sat in. Beyond it were mountains and blue skies.

When Illustrious looked up, a card in each hoof, her eyes grew wide and her jaw, slack. She stumbled back, horrified and amazed by what she saw. She turned to Rarity, her large amethyst eyes growing even larger. Her lips didn’t move, despite Rarity hearing her voice.

Rarity went into tunnel vision, unable to see or focus on anything but what she heard.

“It was a perfect castle, in a perfect land,” Illustrious would have said, her voice cracking with unapparent sobs. She sounded older than before and like she was about to cry, but something else was off about her voice.

Dauntless would have turned his back to her.

“T-together, we c-can live there—It’ll be so easy! Please, Dauntless!” she would have pleaded.

“It all fell down,” said the voice of an older Dauntless. “We built our dream, and it all fell down.”

Despite the two foals sitting just in front of her, the voices came from other sources around the room. She could feel the older versions of the two ponies, pacing and moving about the room, like they were actually there.

“Please, our time doesn’t have to be over,” said Illustrious, trying to embrace her love. “We learned what it was all about, what it meant to be with somepony, and it doesn’t have to end. We’ll just build more.”

Dauntless would have backed away from her.

“That’s all you want to do—play pretend—dream dreams!” he chided with a pained harshness. “You know what happens when you make your dreams out of cards? The wind blows them away!”

Illustrious would have sniffled loudly, taking a deep breath to prevent the floodgates from bursting. “What does it matter? Shouldn’t we go as long as we can?! Even if we have to keep making things up!”

“It’ll end eventually, everything does. When it does, what are you going to do? What happens when I have to leave knowing I’ll never see you again, and it’s our last day together?”

“I’ll certainly cry.”

“No. I can’t handle that. The train’s here, and I’m going. I love you, Lily.”

Dauntless would have left for the door.

“No! Can’t we build just one more? I-I’ll go get the cards! No sand, just cards, like when we were young!”

Then Rarity heard a door slam.

Rarity could hear Illustrious trying her hardest to suppress her sobs, but it was no use. The unicorn felt her heart sink as soon as she heard the heartbreaking cries of the princess. She had no idea what she had just experienced, but it felt real, and she was positive it had happened sometime, somewhere.

“I love you too, Dauntless,” Illustrious would have said.

Rarity’s eyes came back to her. As fate would have it, that was when the little Dauntless fell on top of the castle and brought the whole thing crashing down in an explosion of cards. He had been standing on the tip of his hooves, trying to place the last stack atop their creation, but he never finished it.

All three of them watched him fall through it in slow motion, crushing layer after layer. The force of his fall shot hundreds of cards into a sphere around them.

As the last cards fluttered to the ground, Dauntless laid amidst the devastated fruits of an afternoon’s labour. What had once been an impressive, romantic construction was now a papery pile of rubble. He looked upon the crushed cards, his lip trembling and his eyes growing watery.

“I-I broke it!” he whimpered. He grabbed a few cards and tried to stack them again, but it was no use. He just fumbled the cards more and more in his growing frustration. His movements quickly became abrupt and jerky, bordering violent.

          “Dauntless...” said Illustrious, kneeling down next to him.

He ignored her, a few tears streaming his face. Illustrious hugged him lovingly to keep him still and calm. Her tight grasp kept him from flailing and upsetting himself more.

She began to cry.

“Dauntless, it’s okay!”

“Nuh uh! It broke!”

“No, it didn’t! We can make a brand new castle, and it’ll never get destroyed! I know what it’s going to look like now!” she exclaimed. Illustrious lifted him to his hooves and quickly pulled him in tow towards the door. A massive smile grew across her face beside the tears. “Come on! I have a super secret spot to show you.”

Rarity felt the cottage surge with warmth as the two foals neared the door. There was a slight raise in temperature to just the perfect summertime day, but what truly grew warm was the home itself. Old pictures and portraits of Rarity’s friends faded into existence across the walls. Stella grew older, becoming a sweet, welcoming looking grandmother. She smiled at Rarity, the twinkle in her eye restored to that of a happy mother. The air was filled with the aroma of Rarity’s favourite peanut butter cookies. Outside, the sunset became brilliant morning sunlight.

When they reached the door, Rarity was certain she had fallen into a dream. Illustrious turned her back to the door, blocking Dauntless’ path.

“Alright, do you promise not to tell anypony?” she exclaimed, almost laughing and certainly shaking with excitement.  “Not even Lala?!”

“Mmhmm!” He beamed in reflected enthusiasm.

Illustrious gave him a small peck on the cheek, swung open the door, and stepped out into a white light.

Curious, Rarity stepped outside after them. It was bright, and the glare never really subsided, but she more or less became used to it. She listened to the laughter of the foals while her eyes adjusted, but when she could see, she was amazed by what she saw.

It was a heavenly beach. The sand was a brilliant pearly white. The sun on the distant horizon made no shadows except against the holes their hoofsteps made in the sand. It was warming, almost fuzzy, like the warmth of a blanket and hot chocolate in winter. Rarity reached out and touched the sand. It was silky smooth as it ran through her hooves. The sky was a wispy blue, just deep enough to contrast the white sand and sun. The water was the same colour and rippled gently in the current.

Illustrious and Dauntless had acquired a plastic pail and shovel. They made sandcastle after sandcastle, laughing and giggling. Illustrious couldn’t stop crying, but her smile looked anything but sad.

“Dauntless, this is special sand...”

A tear left her eye and fell to the sand. It infused into the sand, transforming that tiny slice of the beach into a carving of wood. It read Dauntless + Illustrious.

“It can turn into whatever you want...” she said.

A voice whispered quietly in Rarity’s ear. It was that of the older Princess Illustrious. “Here, behind your ear. Take the first shard of the Sparkling Reflection.”

Rarity felt something itch across the back of her mane. She reached for it and found a card, the Two of Hearts.

She smiled.

The world faded back to the darkness of the city from before. The beach remained, but its sand had become ash. The sun was only a dull grey circle on the horizon. Princess Illustrious laid out on the sand, but now she was of her regular size and age. She half-heartedly continued to play with the pail in the ash.

“Auntie Rary...” she said in a low voice. “I-I—I require an embrace. Please, do not delay any further than need be. My heart—it’s being emotionally jeopardized...”

Rarity closed the gap and immediately Illustrious latched onto her and pulled her in, whispering in her ear.

“Thank you so much...” Next Chapter: The Ship Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 50 Minutes