The Beauty of it All

”What is it?” the unicorn asked.

“It’s my favourite bedtime story,” the foal replied. “It’s about two ponies that tried to be happy. I like it a lot, but it’s really sad.”

“Why? What happens?”

The unicorn flipped to the end of the simple picture book and read the last page.

One was sent to Paradise and the other to the cold darkness. In the end, their broken love sundered the world.

Sweetie Belle pushed the door further. There she stood, her sister, like nothing was wrong. It was just another day. Rarity could scarcely believe what she was seeing. This could be a reflection, but she kept telling herself it wasn’t. She didn’t want it to be. Anyway, if it was, she’d have been able to tear the entire room into two and turn it into a fashionable cape.

Yet, she had no such cape.

Sweetie Belle scratched at the carpet. “I was wondering if you still wanted to hang out today. Do you think we can try singing? Or if you don’t want to do that, you can style my mane.”

“Wh-what day is it?” asked Rarity, still completely entranced.

“It’s uhm, Sunday?”

That was the same day that Rarity left through the mirror. It also was about the same time she woke up from her nap prior to realizing her sister’s disappearance.

“O-oh... Sweetie Belle.”

Rarity eyes grew misty. She crawled out of her bed in silence, walked over to her sister, and embraced her. Sweetie Belle looked awkwardly from side to side.

“I love you, Sweetie,” she whispered.

Sweetie Belle let herself be hugged, but the uncomfortable surprise was apparent in her voice. “Rarity? You feeling okay?”

“Yes—absolutely—never better.”

That hug was more comforting than any massage, warmer than any spa hot tub, and a stronger relief than venting. Rarity could wipe her mind clean of Illustrious and reflections with her sister in her arms. She had grown somewhat attached to the princess, but knowing she was just a dream, Illustrious was estranged to a fleeting thought.

Rarity stroked Sweetie Belle’s mane and rubbed her back.

Sweetie Belle blushed. It wasn’t often she got such tender attention from her sister. She nuzzled up to her. They held that moment for a short time. Eventually, Sweetie Belle broke the embrace. Rarity’s warm, almost euphoric smile flashed a hurt look, but it passed.

“O-kay—so, are we singing or doing our manes?” she said quietly.

Rarity stuck her nose up at the filly. She had a better idea.

“Well, that’s a silly question,” she said with sudden harshness. “Do you think I really have a choice?”

“W-what? I don’t know,” she said as more of a question.

Rarity smiled. “We’re going to do something extra special tonight. Maybe it will involve both of those, but how does camping in the great outdoors sound?”

Sweetie Belle leaned away, her eyes large and bewildered. “Who are you?” she asked sharply. “What happened to Rarity?”

“She is right here in front of you, and she would like to know if Sweetie Belle would like to go camping!”

“I have school tomorrow.”

“You won’t if you’re out spending the entire day with your big sister!”

Sweetie Belle rubbed her right arm and looked to the floor from the corner of her eye, frowning. Rarity didn’t expect to be met with such a long face. In all honesty, she thought Sweetie Belle would be jumping for joy or knocked unconscious by rampant enthusiasm. Of all the things she always begged Rarity to do, camping was the fantasy pipe dream. A ‘someday’ or ‘eventually’ type of promise.

“Darling, is something wrong? If you don’t want to miss school, you don’t have to! You’ve always talked about how much you wanted to camp, and I thought an entire day together would be even more fun!”

“No, it’s not that—”

“Or if you don’t want to sing or do manes, we don’t have to! I just want to do whatever you want to do!”

“Are you sure? You hate the outdoors.”

That particular statement cut Rarity deep. It was the reason why she lost Sweetie Belle to begin with, and she would never let that happen again.

“No, I’m positive. I’ve been meaning to take you out camping, and if it means getting a little dirty as well—that’s what baths were made for! Look, I even prepared us saddlebags!”

Rarity opened her closet and revealed two primed and ready bags filled with camping supplies. She threw on her most convincing, enthusiastic smile, and even hopped with a happy giggle.

Sweetie Belle lit up.

“Wow!” She scurried over to the bags and stuck her head under the flaps. “Look! There are nets for catching bugs, and canned beans, and a telescope!”

“Won’t this be a smashing time?!”

Later that night, the sisters sat before a roaring campfire. Rarity didn’t think they’d make it to her special spot in time, but the late afternoon sun seemed to stay in the sky forever. For hours they hiked until finally they reached the forest clearing.

Rarity gently placed the toasted marshmallow on the graham cracker and chocolate. It smashed the gooey, sugary cream perfectly.

“Now, it is merely my own preference, but the next step is to simply shove the whole thing in your mouth,” Rarity said. She proceeded to take the entire treat and do that. It took some maneuvering, but eventually it fit. She chewed it messily.

“How uncouth! A real lady would take small, polite nibbles,” replied Sweetie Belle playfully.

“Darling!” Rarity swallowed her mouthful. Sticky marshmallow and chocolate cracker crumbs littered the corners of her mouth. She took a napkin and patted herself. “S’mores are the only exception to the rule.”

“Oh yeah? Why is that?” Sweetie Belle followed her sister’s example and shoved the whole thing in her mouth.

“S’mores are the stuff of our foalhood. To preserve the sanctity of our of innocence, one must take special care to always treat at least one memory like a foal,” explained Rarity. “I used to always eat s’mores this way as a child, so I do now, and always will. If I’m not careful, I may one day forget what it was like to be so young.”

Sweetie Belle watched her sister with wide, confused eyes, her mouth full of sugar.

“Also, a finely made s’more is nearly impossible to eat without making a mess...” she conceded.

Sweetie Belle struggled to chew her mouthful and ended up just forcing it down in one big lump.

“Are you sure you’re Rarity? You’re acting nothing like the Rarity I know,” she said. “You even got dirt on your hooves and didn’t scream or squeal or anything.”

Rarity was definitely aware of the dirt. It was on her hoof right now—taunting her—begging her to be washed up.

Earlier that day, they’d been chasing down a butterfly. It had taken nearly ten minutes to catch up to the brilliant blue creature, but Sweetie Belle had finally crept her way up on it. The entire time, Rarity had agilely avoided any sorts of grime or dirt, much to her pleasant surprise.

As fate would have it, the second Sweetie Belle got close to the butterfly, Rarity had rubbed up against an anthill. She stifled her scream though. A yelp of dirt induced trauma would have startled the butterfly away and made their effort vain.

To make sure that her valiant sacrifice was worth it, Rarity had hit the creature with a brilliance spell, turning it from a regular insect to a flapping spectrum of dazzling colours. Sweetie had sat there for some time, lost in its beauty.

“Me? Scream at dirt? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Rarity stuck her dirty hoof out, admiring it.

“Yeah huh! You’re just being weird right now!”

“Don’t you just adore how this particular piece of filth perfectly accents my extremities?”

Rarity’s eye twitched. She had to constantly remind herself how much she more she loved Sweetie Belle over being clean.

Sweetie Belle shook her head and went back to looking at the fire. “Like I said, weird.”

“If you find this odd, you will absolutely floored by what sorts of activities I have planned for tomorrow!”

“Like what?!”

“Patience, little sister. Since I’m spoiling you so much, you must be patient!” Rarity tapped her chin a few times apprehensively. “My, my... I am spoiling you, aren’t I? No school, a camping trip, a whole day of roughing it in outdoors...”

Sweetie Belle hugged her sister.

“Love you, sis!”

She chuckled. “Of course. Anything for you, darling.”

Close in her arms, Sweetie Belle nestled up to her big sister. Rarity could not imagine anywhere else she’d rather be than exactly where she was; in a tent, cuddling her baby sister next to a kindling fire. The clear night air was quiet, but Rarity’s song broke that silence.

If happy little bluebirds fly above the rainbow

Why, oh, why can’t I?

She let the last note ring in the air.

Silence.

“I love you too, sister,” whispered Rarity finally.

Rarity awoke the next day, still in her tent. She could smell the fresh pine air and feel the retreating nippiness of the night as Celestia brought warmth back to their world. Her sister was peacefully sleeping and still in her arms. She released a deep sigh of relief. She had been skeptical of her return to Equestria, but she still couldn’t create anything at will like she’d done in the previous reflections.

Rarity dug her nose into Sweetie Belle’s coat, gently nudging her awake.

“Sweetie, love, time to wake up,” she said softly. “We have a big day ahead of us.”

She didn’t stir. Rarity placed her cheek against her and spoke on top of her.

“Sweetie Belle, ‘tis unbecoming of a lady to sleep so late,” she cooed. “Don’t you want to go and sing to nature? Maybe to a rainbow? Oh, I know an absolutely perfect song for singing to a rainbow!” Rarity pressed her face a little closer to the foal. “Sweetie...?”

Worry began to seed itself in Rarity’s heart. Something was wrong. A tiny detail was present that shouldn’t have been. Even worse, she still couldn’t figure it out. It was something vital, critical, and staring her straight in the face. Her legs went cold and numb in an unnatural chilliness. She began checking around for signs of the princess, reflections, or anything else out of the ordinary.

Then the ice in her stomach began to grow. Her heart nearly stopped. It only lasted a second, but it was the undeniable sign that she was exactly where she didn’t want to be. While there was little point in denying the truth, there was even less point in accepting it anymore.

Truth was a far-gone thing.

She began trembling, holding her breath. She wanted to scream, but didn’t want to wake her sister. She let her panic build inside her as she frantically searched for the oddity. She became frantic.

Then she learned what was wrong. It was almost anti-climatic. She expected something dramatic to give it away, but it was the lack of something that should have been there. It crushed her nonetheless.

Sweetie Belle wasn’t breathing, and her heart wasn’t beating.

Rarity lifted her ear from her sister’s chest and looked down at her. Tears welled up in her eyes immediately. Her first instinct was to call her name, but she bit her tongue. On top of that, she felt a wave of nausea overcome her. She choked it back down.

Her lungs burned as she realized she hadn’t taken a breath for almost a minute. She drew into her lungs the fresh scent of death that now hung apparent in the air. Rarity’s urge to scream rose up again, but instead she bit her tongue hard, tasting blood. She wouldn’t be like Illustrious, who howled and wailed over loss. No, dignity had always been a close companion. So she was quiet as she cried.

She cried for some time. It was only when Rarity finally managed to pry herself from her sister that she found a glass shard between them, a piece of the Sparkling Reflection. It was one-half of a hand mirror, cut cleanly down the center. It was gilded and decorated; a fine piece.

She stepped outside the tent to see Illustrious sitting thoughtfully besides the entrance. Rarity glared at her with a mixed look of sorrow and crazed anger. She shook slightly, new tears forming. Illustrious glanced at her, but looked away shamefully.

“I’m sor—” began Illustrious.

“No. No, you’re not...” replied Rarity.

“I really am...”

“No, you’re not!” she shouted. “I’m sure your eavesdropping has made you so wonderfully aware of what happened in that tent. Or maybe you watched somehow?!”

Illustrious laughed nervously, avoiding eye contact. “It was the second one... I just wanted to check on you. Funny thing about invisibility spells...”

Rarity was left breathless. There were no words for Illustrious’ shameless voyeurism. It had been a black joke, something she could never have expected to happen, but apparently she had underestimated even Illustrious.

“You are truly a heartless pony...” said Rarity

“Yeah, okay. I can live with that.”

It felt like Rarity’s innards were tearing themselves apart. She wanted to thrash Illustrious, but maintained her poise. She wanted to berate her, but she kept her thoughts civil. The pain of her self hatred and of losing Sweetie Bell had already incensed her, but the anger remained within the realm of semi-self-control.

“How dare you!” she screamed.

“Wh-what did I do?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?! I thought I was home! I thought that Asaralubat was a dream! Instead I’m back in this wretched world, and I woke up with my sister dead in my arms!”

“You were happy when you were with her. Was there something wrong with letting you be happy?”

“My sister died in my arms last night! Do I look happy?!”

“It’s not my fault. I didn’t hurt you, you hurt you,” she said stoically.

“So, it’s my fault that you didn’t tell me this was a reflection?! Or is it my fault that I even had this reflection?!”

Illustrious bit her lip and rubbed the back of her neck. Never once was she able to look Rarity in the eye.

“Err, no, but technically your attachment to your sister is what hurts. Since you are deeply connected to her, her death, real or fake, will cause you pain.”

“Oh, really?” chided Rarity with pure venom. “Thank you for enlightening me to your most brilliant philosophy. If you love a pony, you may be sad when they die. Pray, I wouldn’t know what I’d do without you, Princess.”

Illustrious furrowed her brow. “You could always stop loving her!” She covered her mouth immediately. Rarity glared at her, a fiery rage burning in her eyes.

“W-wait, t-that came out wrong...”

Rarity nodded and let out a few short, exasperated laughs.

“Yeah, it really did,” she jeered. A wicked, malicious grin came over her face. “Is that what you did? After Dauntless beat you, did you think the pain would go away if you pretended you never loved him?”

A look of pure horror came over Illustrious’ face. Her mouth went agape and her eyes widened.

“But, it didn’t go away, did it?” Rarity pushed further. “Love doesn’t just go away like that, and neither does pain.

“I—It didn’t... ”

Rarity didn’t even grace her with a response. Satisfied with making her cry, she turned her back on Illustrious and walked back to the tent.

“Rarity! I’m sorry! For everything!”

Illustrious’ words fell on deaf, bitter ears. Rarity slipped into the tent and emerged a few moments later levitating a small bundle of blankets. The princess continued to call out after Rarity, but was ultimately ignored as the unicorn walked off towards the meadow.

Rarity sat before the small mound of dirt reflectively. The tears had dried up a while ago, but her eyes were still bloodshot and puffy. She was calm now. The grave was bare. There wouldn’t be a gravestone, but maybe she wouldn’t need one. The act of burying her sister felt like it had been enough.

It felt real, despite being a reflection. She was always one for doing things formally, but she found herself satisfied without the common rituals of a funeral. She didn’t want any words said. She didn’t want any stories told about Sweetie Bell’s life. She didn’t even want any other pony to be there. Rarity just wanted it to be between her and her baby sister. It was the last memory she’d ever have with her, and it was special.

The tiny grave sat against as stark contrast to the beauty of everything around her.

The day was perfect. The wind blew her mane lightly and lapped the meadow, sending waves down the greenery. Wild flora bloomed in the brightness of the spring sun. The sky was mellow and the clouds, lazy. Rarity should have been doing anything else with her sister besides burying her.

A spinning sunflower passed in front of her face, gently carried in the wind. Another one chased it, playfully following the first’s path. In them, Rarity saw two sisters. They were herself and Sweetie Belle as they should be, playing in the wind together. Together they came to fall on Sweetie Belle’s grave. It was so ideal and bittersweet that Rarity couldn’t help but smile.

A powerful gust brought a new wave of sunflowers that whirled up around her, not a single one touching her. The swarm danced around the unicorn. Rarity ignored them, her eyes fixed on the dirt. She felt one last tear well up. It was a needlessly poetic gesture, but Rarity positioned herself so that the tear would fall on Sweetie Belle.

“I love you, little sister. Be good, and I promise to join you soon.”

Rarity opened her eyes and saw a glass shard on resting on top of the grave. It was the other half of the hand mirror from before. She levitated it and drove it into the ground. Rarity decided Sweetie Belle’s grave looked much better with a tombstone.

The sunflowers left her and moved on, flying far into the distance.

Illustrious approached slowly from behind. Rarity heard her, but didn’t turn around. The anger from before had been buried with Sweetie Belle. All that was left was solace and somber love. Illustrious noticed the grave. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

“Me too,” Rarity replied. “I... said some things I shouldn’t have.”

There was a comfortable silence.

“Is that a shard?”

Rarity’s heart hardened a bit. “No. That’s the memory of Sweetie Belle. It stays with her.”

“Oh, I see...”

More silence. Rarity didn’t want to say anything, but Illustrious did, and broke the silence. “This is probably a bad time, but we have a situation.”

“Can’t it wait? Please, I need a day.” Rarity never tore her eyes from her sister’s grave. She knew that they’d need to get back to work soon, but some things needed time.

“I’m so sorry... but this can’t wait. If I’m reading into this right, we may not have a day...”

Rarity closed her eyes and shook her head. “What? What could be so important?”

Illustrious gulped hard. “I... I saw you hanging from a tree on the way here.”

“What?” replied Rarity, only half-listening.

“I actually saw exactly four of you hanging from various trees on the way here,” corrected Illustrious to herself.

“What? What do you mean, you saw me hanging from a tree?”

“You had committed suicide,” she said. “Four times. I am under the impression that you are becoming suicidal. The real you, that is.”

Rarity turned around and let her eyes wander from her sister’s grave to meet Illustrious’. She had heard what she said, but it hadn’t sunk in yet. “You—you saw me hanging from a tree? And what do you mean ‘the real me’?”

“Yeah, it was unsettling the first time, but after seeing it a few more times, I knew it was a reflection.” Illustrious dug at the dirt. “Well, you haven’t exactly left Equestria. The real you is still there doing exactly what you would be doing.”

Rarity nodded her head. That was yet another question that had been on her mind for awhile, but she had never gotten around to asking.

How long had she been gone?

“So, there is a doppelganger masquerading as me running around Equestria?”

“It’s still you. She’s actually more you than you are. And right now, I think she’s very sad... this is all a reflection and if I’m reading this right, you haven’t taken Sweetie Belle’s disappearance very well.”

Rarity closed her eyes and took a sweet breath of floral air. “She’s... she’s dead to me. That’s what this means.” Both of their eyes fell to the small grave. “I blame myself.”

“We can still save her.”

Rarity nodded her head sadly. “That is no longer my motivation. She’s dead and I’ll do my best to save you and myself,” said Rarity solemnly. “If she is alive I will be happier than I’ve ever been, but I can’t bring myself to believe that anymore.”

“Auntie, you’re behaving negatively—more so than usual. Are you sure you’re alright to continue?”

She burst out suddenly. “What else am I going to do?! My sister’s dead, I’m trapped in here alone with a pony who can’t get her life together after Celestia knows how long, and to top it all off I have this unerring desire to kill myself! Now, if you can tell me the positive side to all this, please do not restrain yourself!”

Illustrious narrowed her eyes at the petty insult. “Take us back to Asaralubat, Princess. We have two more reflections to live out.”

Rarity’s mane and tail extended once again, blowing in the breeze. Her regalia materialized in a subtle translucent effect. All the while, the world shifted away from the meadow back into the city. She didn’t know what she had done, but Rarity had somehow returned them to Asaralubat.

Except this Asaralubat was neither dead nor grey.

The streets were paved with bold looking blue and purple tiles. The buildings were made of pure sapphire, diamond, gold and platinum. Around them, everything gleamed and sparkled in the sunlight and clearness of daylight. They stood in the park from before. The grass was made of a soft, organic material with the depth and reflectiveness of a perfect emerald. In the trees of similar visage, Red jays of ruby chirped and sang. High above them, the blue sky held a thematically similar sheen, but it was softer.

“Is this some sort of bribe? That girl loves gems, so if I turn everything into precious stones, she’ll come along easier?” Rarity sneered.

“Not at all. Princess, this is your Asaralubat,” exclaimed Illustrious with cheer. “Mine is so dark because my reflections are old and tired. I’ve let myself become bitter over the years and the city reflects that. Yours on the other hoof... It’s quite beautiful.”

Rarity snuffed out the urge to smile. “So, what’s next? Aren’t you going to whisk us off to someplace new? And equally confusing?”

“Nope! We’re going to go for a nice walk through this lovely city!” “Because in about ninety seconds it’s not going to matter!”

She trotted off humming Rarity’s song.

Rarity laughed. “Oh yes, that’s right. Something large and terrifying is about to happen. How could I forget that irrefutable mechanic of this silly world?” Rarity said, dripping with sarcasm. She began to harmonize Illustrious’ song.

For ninety seconds they sang together. When they finished Rarity afforded a genuine smile. “Okay, let me guess! We are going to go sailing!” Rarity said. She was done taking anything seriously. She’d cracked and fallen into a spiral of cynicism. Her sister was dead, she was about to kill herself, and the last pony who could help her just wanted to sing. Admittedly, it was all her fault, but why despair when she could feign cheeriness?

“Nope! Guess again!”

Rarity was starting to understand how Illustrious looked so happy all the time. It wasn’t that she truly was, but when one felt dead on the inside, happiness could be a choice—a morbid choice. She could pretend to be happy, or pretend to be sad.

“We’re going to—jump off a cliff! Oh, that sounds wonderful!”

“Nope! You’re getting closer though!”

“We’re going to run for our lives?!”

“Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!”

Illustrious trotted in place and limbered up. Rarity quickly followed her example. They spent a few goofy moments doing the most ridiculous stretches they could think of. Illustrious even made faces while she did, stretching her mouth and sticking her tongue out. Rarity was not that far gone yet—but she did laugh.

“We’re running down that street?” Rarity pointed to the one just to the left of where they were facing. It reminded Rarity a little of Manehattan, though it was more colourful. There were skyscrapers flanking the street, modern construction, and utilities like lamps and public trash cans.

“What other street would we run down?!”

Rarity looked around and behind her. All the other outlets surrounding the park had become dark and grimy. Even as they spoke, the gem world was starting to lose vibrancy. High above her in the distance she saw the Colour Eaters approach from behind.

“There is not another street in the world I’d prefer to run on!” exclaimed Rarity.

“So, on three?!”

“One,” started Rarity.

“Two!” replied Illustrious.

“Three!” they said together.

They ran. It was a sprint to escape the Colour Eaters and the greyness they brought. They left everything behind; their worries, their colour, everything that made them who they were. They laughed as they ran, because their choice to pretend to be happy meant they had to laugh. Golden memories passed by them in a stream of colour. It all blurred together; the buildings, roads, and signs.

She thought of Sweetie Belle, and as she did, the foal was running next to her. She cried out to Rarity, but Rarity didn’t have the heart to say anything. Sweetie Belle told her that she was getting tired and needed help, but Rarity ignored her like the horrible sister she was.

Sweetie Belle told her that she was scared.

And Rarity stayed home and ate chocolates.

The foal hit the end of her line and fell behind. She screamed and cried, and in a sickening crunch, the greyness consumed her.

She thought of her friends. Soon they were running alongside her, begging her to help them. Rarity left behind a trail of tears as she ran. Each one of her friends just wanted her help. They were running for their lives, and Rarity could save them with the utmost of ease. But she didn’t. She left them behind.

One by one, the sickening crunches behind her. She listened to her failures, but didn’t stop.

Her parents, her peers, ponies of distant memories—they appeared next to her as she ran, but were all too slow. The grey caught them and Rarity forgot who they were. Yet they were still there, in her memories; not as who they were, but as reflections upon reflections.

They blamed her for so many things, yet she was only one pony. They demanded her time and affection, and did they return it? Maybe, but it felt better to say ‘No, they didn’t.’ She was the victim and had been taken advantage of.

Her whole life she had been taken advantage of. She was always such a good pony, and no one appreciated her.

Twilight always thought she was smarter than Rarity. She talked down her nose to Rarity like she was an imbecile. Fluttershy was far prettier, but her humility kept her from ever flaunting off the truth. It was infuriating and pretentious. Rainbow Dash was more popular and all she did was fly fast. Rarity needed to put hundreds of hours of work into dresses to be only half as popular. Everyone loved Applejack. She was the hero and had even won an award for her helpfulness despite Rarity generously giving them everything they wanted. And as for Pinkie Pie, she was just silly and everyone adored her. She did nothing besides whatever her little heart desired, and everything worked out perfectly for her.

All her friends were better than her, each being her friend only out of pity. Yet, when she needed them most, they found excuses to ignore her. She would die alone. Her only companion was the pony in the mirror of her showroom stage. Yet, even her reflection was an uncaring stranger. She brought the ice closer to her stomach.

“I don’t need to live anymore, Illustrious! I’m a worthless pony no one would ever miss!” cried Rarity. She’d die alone, and not even a stranger would be there for her.

The darkness had almost caught up to them. She didn’t even know where she was running anymore. All that was in front of her was colour and all that was behind her was the lack of it. Memories surrounded her on all sides by ponies she cared about, or used to care about. She couldn’t tell which was which anymore. She didn’t care about what was what anymore. Colour, grey—they were all the same.

“It’ll all be over momentarily! Soon you’ll be able to see what I see,” Illustrious cried back. “This is our city! Maybe we never knew each other in life, but in our reflections we’re going to be sisters! We look too much alike!”

“This isn’t real!”

The ice grew in her stomach.

It hit her like a freight train. A sudden wall of water that flooded the streets. She remembered being thrashed around, violently colliding with the structures around her. The ice grew again. The buildings were no longer there. Her flailing madness subsided and she became still. Soon she was calm. Instead of a city, she was in an infinite ocean. It was warm and, after the initial shock, comforting. Far below her was an ocean floor of pearly white sand, and far above was the light of day and the blue sky above that.

She let herself relax, drifting aimlessly in the sea. The current was her master, but she didn’t mind it. She felt a wiggling body in her embrace.

Sweetie Belle was cuddling in her arms as they drifted. They didn’t need to breathe. They couldn’t speak, but words would have been meaningless. For hours they let the current move and massage them. It rolled them about, sometimes quickly, sometimes slower. They fell up and down through the bright, whitish-blue ocean, smiling with glee as the current rushed them. There was nothing on Rarity’s mind but them together, her and her sister.

The shard of glass from before was in her hoof. It reflected light as a technicolour rainbow. It was beautiful, but it made her uncomfortable. Something about it reminded her of something she knew wasn’t true. Deciding she didn’t need it, she dropped it. The sparkling shard fell toward the ocean floor. It was a single tear that fell in slow motion from the two sisters.

Sweetie Belle also had a shard of glass. Following her sister’s example, she dropped it too. Two sparkling tears fell. Relieved, they closed their eyes and went to sleep. In a few hours they’d wake up wherever the current took them.

Rarity was happy.

“Are we gonna live in a castle like this when we get older?” said the voice of a young Dauntless.

Illustrious put up another pair of cards. “Only if you live in it with me. Also, I get to be princess.”

“Yeah, but I get to be king!”

“No,” she whined. “You have to be my prince!”

“B-but... you’re a girl and stuff.”

“I don’t care, I want you to be my prince, so you have to.”

He blushed. “Alright, fine... You’re really pretty, so you’d make a good princess,” he said, placing his own arc of cards on the castle. “’Cause princesses have to be pretty.”

Now it was her turn to blush.

“Really? You think so?” dreamed Rarity.

Rarity coughed up a gulp of water as she stumbled into wakefulness. Her head spun. She thought she saw rainbow fire and coughed up another bucketful of water.

“Oh good, you’re awake!” said Illustrious with a smile.

Through squinted eyes, Rarity tried to find the source of the voice. The ground she laid on moved. She looked around and saw the raft from before.

“What the...?”

Even more shocking was the ocean they drifted on. Far beneath the surface of the water, the dusty city was washing and eroding away. Massive skyscrapers were falling and crashing to the ground in huge piles of dust. The entire city was being wrecked and destroyed in a grand display. Around her, the giant colour eaters floated just below the surface, dead. Only a fraction of their mass poked up through the water, but they were still a few stories tall. She couldn’t help but stare as they floated between two of them.

“We have one last reflection to live out...” Illustrious said. “It’s at the citadel. We’ll be there soon, and then we can go home!”

Rarity groaned. “I feel unwell... and sad.”

“Hold on, Auntie.” She took Rarity’s hoof in her own. “Think happy thoughts until we get there. Life is worth living, and I don’t want you to forget that.”

A few hours passed and soon the grand structure came into view. The Citadel of Asaralubat was everything that Rarity imagined it’d be. In fact, it was her own imagining—the fantasy castle from before. It sat atop a rocky cliff with a small wooden village before it. It was strange, out of place amidst the the rest of the modern city. At the very top rose a tower and balcony that peaked just above the water.

Eventually their raft came to bump up against the balcony of the tower. Illustrious picked her friend up and flew her over the railing. Rarity turned around to see a breathtaking sight.

The sun was rising between two derelict Colour Eaters. Its light shined down upon the decaying city, wiping all of it away. Its rays dissolved each building on contact, effacing them like a shadow. What was left below the ocean was a pearly white, sandy floor.

“Ready, Princess Rarity?” asked Illustrious with a smile. “This is it.”

Rarity felt an icy tingling in her gut again. It grew larger. It felt huge now.

“Just do it, darling.”

The world around her began to shift.

Illustrious walked out to the end of a grand, marble courtyard, high atop a mountain cliff. It overlooked an equally grand marble city that stretched on forever. Vast monuments of heroic ponies towered up from the skyline, breaking the fuzzy glow of the gleaming city.

Around her were statues of six ponies cast in silver, three of which she recognized. One was of Princess Celestia sitting, warmly holding a foal in her embrace. Another was of Princess Luna standing proudly, a look of determination on her face. The last one she recognized was Illustrious. Her statue was rather plain though, merely displaying the princess sitting atop a cushion.

Illustrious walked towards the end of the balcony. Dauntless stood there, looking thoughtfully out over the city. The wind whipped his mane wildly about his face. As Illustrious approached, the wind was suppressed by an unseen force.

He exhaled a sigh without turning around. “Illustrious,” he said.

“Dauntless,” she replied.

In the distance, a blanket of clouds broke from beneath the horizon and blanketed the sky. One half of the clouds were storming, bringing lighting and rain across the land. The other half was pure and white, basking everything else in a glowing, glaring white light. Whether it be in darkness or light, the city was shrouded and forgotten.

She walked up close to him, nuzzling her cheek against his neck. His eyes remained on the distant horizon. He looked grim but collected. Worry riddled his face.

“They’re about to tear the world apart,” he said. There was a pause as he cherished Illustrious’ touch one last time and looked to the clouds. “They’re already tearing the world in two... Isn’t the last day of anything always the worst? You spend so much time trying to do something meaningful, and when it ends, it just doesn’t feel right.”

Illustrious had the soul gem gripped tightly in her wing behind her back. He hadn’t seen it, and Rarity was sure that was intentional.

“That’s because it isn’t right. You know it doesn’t have to be this way. I’m going to need you in Asaralubat,” she said.

“Do you really need to keep on saying that?” he said with sudden anger. Illustrious didn’t back away though. “I’m going to think about you every single day, alone and afraid, and you know what? I don’t care. This is the price of immortality; to be alone.”

“Just because everyone else is doing it, doesn’t mean we have to.”

“Somepony has to stay here. Rosetta has to go to Paradisium. You have to go to Asaralubat. That’s the way it is.”

“No... it isn’t.” Two sparkling tears streamed down her face and fell to the ground. “You said we could be together... forever...”

The soul gem began glowing intensely as Illustrious flourished it. She drew it back as if to strike him. Dauntless noticed it and immediately his soldier’s training kicked in. He countered, blocking her hoof. She screamed as she tried to push through his bulk, but he was too strong. He tried to push her away, but she changed her tactic and latched onto him, getting as close as possible.

The soul gem projected its prisms and walls outwards, creating a cage of light. It was roughly large enough to contain the two of them. As they struggled, the projected surfaces began to materialize, solidifying their fate. Panicked, Dauntless struck Illustrious’ stomach hard, causing her to keel over. He stood there, appalled with himself. He stayed out of her gem’s damning area, but fell to his knees.

“I don’t want to live without you!” she cried.

“I-I’m so sorry—I’m so, so sorry!” he whimpered.

“Come with me! We can share an eternity together in this gem! Just come into the light.”

He tried to reason with her. “I—I can’t! I have a duty here.”

She desperately reached out for him, but he kept his distance. They were clawing, little bids for one last touch of his hoof. They were equal parts pathetic and heartbreaking to Rarity.

And then it was clear to both mares.

Dauntless had hit Illustrious to save himself. She had wanted to spend her life beside him. Like the ending to all relationships that should have been good and enduring, it was a misunderstanding. And like the bitterness that follows, everyone involved leaves without the truth. The true feelings had been hidden beneath daily reflections brought on by the pain of loving someone and having them ripped from one’s arms.

Yet, as much as it hurt to be away from them, as easy as it was to be angry, remembering love with pain only brought more pain.

Were there a better time to have an epiphany, Rarity could not imagine it. As if preordained, a thought came to her mind. It was not preceded by any relevant thoughts, and left only blank thoughtfulness in it’s wake. It was odd, but from what she saw, nothing was clearer.

The thought was this:

Remember the love of your life, with all the love in your life, thought Rarity. Don’t let them hurt you when all they did was love you.

And that was the beauty of it all.

Illustrious broke down further in her helplessness and curled up. The gem was growing brighter, and soon it would seal her in.

“Please... we’ll be happy...” she said.

“I know... it would be too easy, but I can’t. I promise to come back to you when all this is over!” he consoled. “Wait—Just wait for me.”

“I’d rather die!”

She took the small gem and jabbed it in her stomach, drawing blood. She jabbed again, cutting deeper into her gut. She screamed in pain, but continued stabbing herself to death.

The ice in Rarity’s stomach grew larger, and now it was painful. The princess drew back the gem to stab herself again. Dauntless and Rarity looked on in horror. He tried to scream something, and despite his reservations, he ran to her side and ripped the knife from her grip.

The ice grew larger and the gem turned into a knife.

Rarity would have brought it back against herself one last time before falling to the ground.

Rarity would have been on her showroom stage, a knife solidly in her hooves. It was buried deep inside her. The ice became warm. It was her warm blood, oozing out from the wound. She buried it further inside her gut. She took it out and jabbed again. She wanted to scream, but didn’t.

She had been a terrible sister. She’d let Sweetie Belle die on her watch. Her parents trusted her, and she let them down. Two other little fillies would ask her why she didn’t go with her through the forest, and she wouldn’t have an answer. She’d lounged about all day and ate chocolates.

All she would have felt was guilt for leaving behind Sweetie Belle. With every inch deeper the knife sank, so did the guilt. It was crushing her and she wasn’t strong enough to hold herself up. Soon she’d be free of it. Her vision went fuzzy. She wanted to jab again, but now she was cold.

She would have dropped the knife and fallen to the floor.

Illustrious picked up the knife from Rarity’s corpse, sobbing profusely. She’d been too slow. Rarity couldn’t forgive herself for Sweetie Belle’s death, so she took the easy way out. Illustrious had never felt such profound guilt in her life.

She was alone on the beach outside Asaralubat, her entire city reduced to sand. It was pure and undisturbed, perfect in every way. She gathered the rest of her things. Before her were the six pieces of the Sparkling Reflection, the six pieces that would remind her of herself.

A deck of cards from which she made her dreams. The shovel and pail that she tried to make the real thing with, but were ultimately washed away in the tide. A rose, the promise of love should she succeed. Two shards of the same mirror, her delusion broken, and finally the knife that she used when she was too afraid to stop pretending.

That was who she was.

Selena was sitting in her cottage and contemplating the future when a small rock she’d only recently acquired burst into life. From a distance it was a brilliant maroon. She rushed over to inspect it and saw that the inside was not simply maroon anymore. She saw in its depths a myriad of colours, and not just the colours themselves. Living in it were the spirits of the colours as well; verdant greens, fiery reds, and oceanic blues. There were more colours and feelings in the rock than she knew existed.

Then, without warning, it fell dull. But it wasn’t even red anymore. Now it was grey. At first she was perplexed. A soul gem would sparkle if there was a soul inside of it. Had a soul just been recently acquired and freed in a few seconds? Did the soul die?

If Illustrious was free, then she’d be here any second. Selena watched the door in anticipation. After a few minutes passed, she was starting to lose hope.

Then a knock came.

Rarity awoke on the beach, whole and alive. She grasped at her stomach as she remembered how she got there.

Upon realizing she was indeed whole and alive, she took in her surroundings.

The beach was nothing but a featureless, white scape. The only other thing there was a mirror. She looked in it and saw her reflection. She forgot everything she knew, enchanted by the mare in the mirror.

She wore a smashing set of hoof ornaments, a tiara, and a necklace. They were crafted of slick onyx and sapphires. She smiled. They were really pretty. Her mane was cut jagged, but stylishly, the long locks flowing in an invisible wind. Her tail was the same. Her eyes sparkled whitish-blue. She even had large, opalescent wings.

After admiring herself in the mirror for some time, she frowned. Something was wrong. This wasn’t her.

Suddenly she felt alone. She needed somepony to talk to. Out of the sand she crafted a pony, a companion. It was a monstrosity. Its nose and ears were in the wrong places and its eyes were uneven. It barely provided a decent conversation, instead degenerating into petty gossip. She nixed it and tried again. The second one was better, but still not good enough.

She went on to create another, and then another.

Her labours didn’t go unnoticed. So much creation attracted a tall, black figure. It approached her from behind. It was a floating, dirty white masquerade mask with pink feathers around its edge. It hovered just above a long flowing, black cloak. It stared at her with indeterminable intention.

When Rarity saw it, she was afraid at first, but then it told her who it was and her tension eased. They chatted for a long while, sharing stories and experiences. By the end of it, Rarity felt much better. She said goodbye to her old friend and promised to come visit her in the future as friends should.

Before it left, it gave her a piece of paper and a quill. It told her that it would be some time before she would be able to see her friends. It told her to write them a letter telling them she was okay. She thanked her friend for the gift and it left her.

After spending an indescribable amount of time drawing out and editing her letter in the sand, Rarity was satisfied. She wouldn’t this precious message on a spur-of-the-moment dictation.

No, it would be perfect. It had to be perfect.

She reviewed it one last time before beginning to write the only letter she’d get to send.

Dear Sweetie Belle,

There is so much to say and not enough words in this world to say it with. This may be the last time you ever hear from me. I’ll try my best to get back to you, but until then, this letter will have to count for a lifetime if need be. An angel told me that I can send one letter back to Equestria, and I dedicate it to you. Tell the girls, Mother, and Father that I love them and miss them.

There are many things I never told you, Sweetie Belle. I never told you how greatly opposed I was to having you stay with me for that week. When mother and father first brought you over and reminded me of my sisterly duty of babysitting, I thought it would be a nightmare. I never told you how I thought our first day was a complete nightmare. You wrecked the kitchen, ruined my sweater, and, heaven forbid, organized my room. I tried to maintain composure, but throughout the day your help bore down on me to the last nerve. After which, I said the most hurtful things I will ever say. That was when the real nightmare began.

I never told you how, as the day went on, I found that every single thing you did ended up working out for the better. The shrunken sweater? It fit Opal perfectly. The only reason you don’t see it is because I was so embarrassed that I gave it to Fluttershy. My entire summer fashion line? Inspired by your orderliness. Where I was stuck for months in my organized chaos with deadlines bearing down on me, you removed my block with a simple courtesy that I failed to see as anything but an annoyance. You may think I’m forgetting to mention one last piece, but I’m avoiding it on purpose.

Nothing needs to be said about that picture. Of all the things I didn’t tell you, I think this should continue to go unsaid. Go into my room and enter your birthdate into that safe I have in my closet. I keep only my most precious things locked away in there.

There is one last thing I never told you, and this one I regret the most. When we made our peace after our little fight, I didn’t know what to think. I know I speak for both of us when I say there was tension while we figured out what the other was all about. It was so unfounded, because what I found was a little filly who would become my best friend. I regret so much not finding out about you sooner, but what I regret more was never telling you how I truly felt.

A week later, you asked mother and father if you could live with me indefinitely. I remembered how they thought you were joking, as did I for a few moments. But then you refused to leave, and pouted, and cried, and begged until they let you stay with me out of sheer exhaustion. I was appalled in more than one way, but I had never felt more honored and humbled in all my life.

What I never told you was how the day you decided to move in with me was one of the happiest days of my life. I can’t describe with words the way I feel. Right now I’m so afraid of never seeing you again, but I know that this fear will never come to pass. Even if we aren’t reunited in this world or lifetime I know someday we will be.

I love you, little sister. Be good, and I promise to join you soon.

Love,

Rarity.

Rarity buried the letter in the sand as instructed by the Angel. After that, she looked out into the blank slate of Asaralubat. This was her world to create in, and in her creative work, she’d need to remember who she was. There was one way back home, and that was The Sparkling Reflection.

Brimming with colour, Rarity began her fantastic journey of self-discovery. Next Chapter: Epilogue: The Sparkling Reflection of Princess Rarity Estimated time remaining: 4 Minutes