Twilight visited Rarity after seeing Dash, a small filly trailing behind her in the shadows. Rarity's room was dark but she seemed the same... neither good nor bad, which brought a smile to Twilight's face. At least the mare was resting well. News got shared all the same, as it seemed right to keep Rarity in the loop:

"Rainbow Dash was hurt while making a delivery, but she's okay. She's in the hospital, too... with a broken shoulder, but she's still Rainbow Dash. That makes, uh, three of us in here now."

"Wonderful." Replied the still mare.

"Yes... well," Twilight blinked her eyes. "Aren't you at least a little curious as to how it happened?"

Rarity chuckled:

"I figure it's just Rainbow Dash being Rainbow Dash. She's been here before, after all."

Twilight laughed in response:

"Actually, you're not far off... from what I can tell Rainbow just wanted to be the hero, all the way, of course... typical Rainbow Dash. Apple Jack's doing better now, too, by the way... looks like she might not lose her farm after all, and it's because of Rainbow. I don't know what she did, but it worked..."

"Splendid."

"Yes, well, uh... Apple Bloom's here, too, if you want to say hi. We kind of wanted to keep her away from the hospital and out having fun... I'm sure you understand."

"Yes, Twilight, I do understand. And no... no, thank you. I don't care to have Apple Bloom or Pinkie Pie, or any other nosiey pony in here right now. I'm here to rest... remember Twilight? You said that... what, maybe a week ago?"

"Yes, but... Apple Bloom would be really excited to see you. She fixed the scooter you gave Scootaloo with her cousin, and I'd imagine has a lot of interesting things to tell you... some of which might make you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine, you know."

Rarity faked a laugh, but ended up coughing:

"I'm just plain not in the mood tonight... I'm very tired, and I'm sure you understand. Good bye for now, Twilight?"

Twilight walked up to the bed and gave her resting friend a hug.

"Okay Rarity... rest up. I'll be back tomorrow."

Twilight was already on her way out when she heard Rarity chuckle:

"I've heard that before."

Twilight lowered her head:

"I mean it this time, Rarity. Really! We've just been so busy trying to help Scootaloo, who could be taken away, and Apple Jack... who could have been displaced, we haven't had much time or energy! I'm sorry..."

"And I believe you, Twilight. But a mare takes a long time to fall into my current state... longer than a mere couple of weeks, wouldn't you say?"

Twilight sighed:

"The fact that you're aware of this makes me really happy and... I promise I'll give you more time. We all will. Good night for now?"

Rarity did not respond.

"Uh... Rarity? Please say something."

"Twilight..." Rarity put a hoof to her face, not in annoyance but rather rub a sense of discomfort away. "Good bye."

Twilight walked out of her room, past the filly standing right outside the door, and looked back. Rarity had shut her eyes and pulled her sleeping blind over her face. Perhaps all she did need was a little rest and quiet that night.

"AJ was right..." echoed Twilight's words, as she walked down the hall. "I shouldn't have brought Apple Bloom. Glad I didn't."

Having withdrawn into a fine point, Rarity felt at ease... at least as much as she could. Her side itched intensely where she had drawn the tattoo, but it was nothing she wasn't tough enough to bear. Adding to the discomfort, however, her fur was coming back in (she had successfully managed to color the follicles). She was plagued all the time by horrible headaches and brilliant lights flashing in her head as she tried to sleep each night... the mask did little to help with that, but still she tried to sleep. Even a little rest was better than nothing.

Rarity yawned loudly in an almost unladylike-like way, stretching. She giggled, scratching her side. It didn't take her long to lapse into this very relaxed, crude behavior... having most everything done for her felt wonderful, though she felt quite empty without her friends to talk to. It seemed hours passed, and the mare finally felt like she was drifting off...

A small, high-pitched voice caused Rarity to jump:

"Uh, hi Rarity!"

The ivory mare pulled off her sleeping mask in an instant and looked to the side. Standing right next to her bed was none other than Sweetie Belle, smiling anxiously up at her big sister.

"Sweetie Belle!" Rarity looked around herself, trying to find the clock on the wall. The room was too dark to see and it sounded as though the clock had stopped. Rarity still went into big sister mode. "Do you have any idea what time it is? ... not that I mind seeing you."

"I dunno what time it is, sis... time doesn't really seem to matter much anymore where I've been. I heard you telling Twilight you didn't want visitors right now. Do you want me to go away again, Rarity?

"No!" Rarity sharply cried, motioning towards her little sister with both hooves." Again, she rubbed her face with a hoof and slowed down. "What I mean to say, dear, is I think I'll make an exception for you..."

"Great!" With a leap, Sweetie Belle jumped into the hospital bed beside her big and snuggled up tight.

Rarity shut her eyes, embraced her sister, and took in a breath... tears instantly streaming down her face. Oddly she didn't feel wet, but she knew they were there. Rarity could smell her little sister Sweetie Belle, just as she remembered... and hugging tightly took her back almost a year. This was her smell, her touch, her long missed embrace... the mare kissed the filly on the cheek and sighed.

Opening her eyes, Rarity had one thing to say:

"Sweetie Belle... I've missed you so much." She looked down at the filly's flank, and could see the her little Cutie Mark of 8th notes even in the dim light. "Oh, my, that is a lovely Cutie Mark!"

"You were there when I got it, silly!" Sweetie replied, laughing. "I've been singing a lot lately, too! Apple Jack's parents listen sometimes and tell me I'm really good."

"Apple Jack's parents?" Parroted Rarity. "I've never met them... she doesn't like to talk much about them. I always assumed they'd passed on."

"They're really nice and they make the best apple pie I've ever had!"

Sweetie Belle began to jump on the side of the bed, which surprisingly didn't irritate her big sister or hurt her side (which no longer itched, either)... a smile spread itself over Rarity's face. For once in a very long time, she was having fun.

"When I get out of here, I must meet them," the Unicorn said, watching her sister bounce. "I'd simply love to try their pie sometime."

"You can go meet them any time you want to, Rarity," replied Sweetie Belle, cheerfully. "All you have to do is get up and I'll show you where they are."

"You... know where they are?"

"Duh, yeah!" Sweetie Belle giggled, continuing to bounce. "They're in the most wonderful meadow. We're all there together. It's bigger than Sweet Apple Acres and has all kinds of animals and plants, and plenty of fillies and colts for me to play with! Some are Blank Flanks, but that's okay... they don't get made fun of. There's grown-up ponies that are a lot like you, too. They talk about fashion and work together to make things for everypony because it makes them feel good. There're all kinds of ponies there and they're all really nice! Even Princess Celestia and Luna come there sometimes, too, but I think they're going to be mad at me because that was supposed to be a secret. Oh, I really want to show you this meadow... but, the Princesses say you have to be ready! They sent me to ask you if you're ready or not." Sweetie Belle stopped jumping and looked down at her sister. "Are you?"

"Oh, Sweetie," said a wide-eyed Rarity. "That sounds wonderful! I'd love to see it, but I'm not sure that I'm ready. I'm here to rest, you see... perhaps another time?"

The filly looked up at her big sister and smiled:

"Oh, okay... but can I ask you something before I have to go, Rarity?"

"Of course, Sweetie Belle! You can ask anything."

"Do you feel tired now?"

Rarity paused, scanning her body... she noted right away that no part of her hurt, itched, or felt tired any longer. It was odd, but welcome relief at the same time. In fact, she would have ventured to say to (if Dr. Stable had asked) that she felt as energetic as one of her sister's filly friends.

Rarity smiled at her sister.

"You don't feel tired, do you, Rarity?"

"No, I don't... not one bit." The mare sighed. "Sweetie Belle, I do wish you didn't have to leave so soon... no pony's really visited me. Between the headaches and the loneliness, I really haven't been very happy here. Sometimes I see you and we get close enough to hug, but then I wake up in the strangest places... on the floor of my shop, on the street, even talking to my friends. It can be very frightening! The Doctors tell me I'm also having seizures!"

"It doesn't have to be that way, Rarity." Sweetie hugged her sister, looking up at her with piercing green eyes. "They tell me if you stay here you're just going to get really tired, and you're going to have worse head aches and more seizures... it won't get any better."

"Celestia and Luna say this?"

Sweetie Belle nodded:

"They don't want you to suffer. Princess Celestia says you've put so much of yourself into making others happy, she and Princess Luna just want you to have peace... but, you here can stay as long as you want. They'll send me back when you're ready."

Rarity stroked the filly's mane as she cuddled up again and thought on the proposition she was just given:

"What do you want me to do, Sweetie Belle?"

Sweetie Belle smiled, shuffling her hooves nervously over the floor:

"I want to stay here with you, Rarity. That way we can be together forever!"

"But it doesn't work that way... does it?"

Sweetie Belle shook her head, looking as if she was going to cry. Rarity gently patted her eye with the sheet, even though no liquid came. Rarity turned her little sister's head so they were face-to-face:

"Sweetie, we can't stay here in this... limbo. It's much too dark! It sounds to me like this meadow's a lot happier of a place than my icky hospital room. Would you please show it to me? I'm ready to see it."

Sweetie Belle's face instantly lit up. She gently jumped off the bed, her hooves making no sound as they came in contact with the hard floor:

"Come on, Rarity!"

"Coming," Rarity said, as she slowly got up. "Easy does it, Rarity... you haven't been on your hooves in over a week."

Despite her hesitation, Rarity soon found herself standing with ease, feeling completely unencumbered by her state. She looked back in her bed and saw herself laying there... mouth open, mask still on her face. She didn't appear to be asleep... or breathing.

I'm dead. She thought, explicitly. Or dying. I can't let this happen yet...

Rarity turned to her sister, getting second thoughts. Sweetie Belle was in the door, looking at her with a joyous smile. She took two step towards her sister with the intention of opening her mouth and expressing her hesitation, and her reservations completely melted away. Those two steps brought a sense of warmth to her being that felt familiar and natural, as if from some distant, far off dream. This... where she was headed... was where she was always meant to be.

"I'm not afraid," she said, aloud, taking another step towards her sister.

"Come on!" Exclaimed Sweetie Belle, turning the corner to the right. "It's this way!"

Rarity turned the corner in the same direction as her sister. Before her was Sweetie Belle, and behind that filly a brilliant light, bathing both ponies in its transcendent glow. So far off, and yet so close... there it was. Sweetie Belle was turned to her sister. She laughed, her voice echoing in the great hall. She turned, and Rarity followed... heading off to a place where there would be no more pain and they would be together forever.