Months later, Rarity still thought about Big Macintosh and Caramel.

It had happened on the way to Sweet Apple Acres, when a flushed Caramel had shouted over a shoulder-high fence to a nearly mute but ever indomitable Big Macintosh. Rarity could had hardly ignored the bellowing.

“Now you listen here Big Macintosh!” cried the brown colt furiously. “You... you...”

And at that point he broke down.

“You were right about everything! I owed you five bits and I should have paid it back when ya asked!”

“Eeyup.”

Caramel tore a small pouch from his saddlebag and threw it at Big Macintosh’s hooves.

“Here ya go,” he said tearfully. “Ah don’t care about the money, I just don’t want to fight about it anymore!”

“Eeeyup.”

And then, to Rarity’s amazement, they embraced.

“Ah don’t believe it,” said a grey-bearded worker as he carried a bale of hay past Rarity’s left. “That was the worst fight they ever had. I’m just glad it’s all over with and we can git back to normal.”

The rancher was gone before Rarity thought to ask about that statement.

That was the worst fight they ever had?

That was the low point of Big Macintosh’s friendships?

At that point, Rarity seriously considered switching to stallions. The temptation would return to her every so often in moments of weakness. Why not don a hoofball cap, stick hayseed in her mouth, and just be one of the boys?

Yes it would destroy nearly very all of her sensibilities. But on the other hoof, she pondered as she lay semi-conscious in the company of her drugged thoughts, how many times in a week did Big Macintosh have to wake up in a drugged stupor after finding the tea was spiked?

Stallions had it easy, she decided as she gradually became aware of the cool wooden floor pressing against her face.

Rarity struggled to awake. No good, her stubborn eyes remained shut tight, trapping her in that dreamless realm between sleep and alertness.

Very well, such are the consequences of a fragile constitution. A lady can’t exert herself too often after all. She relaxed and tried to recall what had happened, paying no mind to the slow departure of her consciousness.

A medical procedure?

No, that didn’t seem right.

A blow to the head?

Troubling, and best not to dwell upon.

Pinkie Pie?

Once again, Pinkie Pie was the usual suspect for a reason. Yes, that was how it all began.

What was it this time? Rarity recalled her friends sitting in that room, all those troubles and unhappiness that they thought they had so masterfully concealed laid bare. And all because of Pinkie’s random acts of romance, bless the poor dear.

Everypony’s troubles, that is, except her own.

A burst of stars danced across Rarity’s vision and her head spun. As she struggled to recollect her thoughts, she thought about her conversation with Luna.

*****

“We could not help but notice your distress,” said Luna, stepping into the clearing where Rarity sat.

Rarity hastily wiped the dripping mascara from her face and stood up, bowing humbly. The presence of royalty demanded certain observances, and a lady did not ignore them.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you princess!” Rarity was never quite comfortable with royalty. While her own conduct would of course be impeccable, a royal could by contrast do whatever they pleased without causing offense. That massage Luna had requested yesterday being the case in point.

“Please,” said Luna, “talk to me. We are the guardian of all our subjects dreams, and we would not have you upset while you slumber.”

Rarity glanced around the field. “It doesn’t feel like I’m sleeping, princess.”

“You are not. But you will be.”

Rarity blinked but did not question the odd statement. Princess Luna could be afforded her eccentricities.

“It’s about... well, I suppose you saw enough to know what it was about.”

“A mare.”

“Yes darnit a mare. She’s the one for me; I know it, she knows it, and if only she weren’t so stubborn then that would be all there is to it!”

“How do you know which is the one for you?”

‘“Why it’s the simplest thing ever. You take the one who is kind, honorable and strong, and then you polish away all the rough edges.” Rarity lifted a hoof and briefly mimed wiping at a surface.

“The problem is perhaps money? As we recall, earth ponies are a clannish sort and would need considerable bribes to mix unicorn blood into their lines. If your own family cannot secure the marriage, we would be happy to step in with veiled threats and additional gifts.”

Rarity blanched. “Oh no no, that wouldn’t do at all your Majesty! These days the old tribe lines are rather blurry.”

“Then we shall gift you with our poison lipstick. Put her under as it were, and she can easily be moved to where she cannot easily return home and must rely on you.”

Rarity’s jaw dropped. She knew Luna had trouble adjusting, but it was hard to imagine that there was ever a time when such a suggestion would have been acceptable. She began to stammer out some half-formed criticism to express her objection, when Luna interrupted her by blowing a raspberry.

Calming inwardly, Rarity rolled her eyes. “Good one your majesty,” she said dryly.

 “Thank you fair Rarity. Now would you care to discuss this?”

“Your majesty, I don’t wish to offend but I don’t know if this is a situation that a... princess could relate to.”

“Pinkie Pie.”

Rarity glanced to her left and then her right. “Your majesty, we don’t invoke her name carelessly, it has been known to summon her.”

Luna’s voice softened and went up an octave. “Ever since my return, my big sister has been coaxing me into social gatherings and telling me to make friends. And I do my best to connect to ponies but I fear I have... limited social resources. My work only rarely requires interaction with others and now I fear I simply can’t connect with them.”

Rarity looked at Luna and for the first time really saw her. The princess of the night had a frightening demeanor, muscles tensed and perpetually frowning. She reminded Rarity of a dress just a size too small. Awkward, stiff, and prone to tear in one careless movement.

“But that silly mare’s exuberance warms my old heart. If only that smile could be my armor, then all of Canterlot would hold no fears for me.”

Rarity stepped closer and looked up into Luna’s distant eyes. “Have you told her this?”

“I attempted to, yes. I don’t think she quite understood me.”

“It can take more than once with her, especially if she’s distracted. And she’s almost always distracted. You’re going to have to be direct. Use language she understands. Tell her: ‘Will you be my special somepony?’”

Luna tilted her head. “Special in what manner?”

“That’s a typical saying in this day and age. A declaration of romantic interest.”

Rarity’s heart leapt into her throat as Luna seized her and crushed her against her bosom. It took her a moment to recognize the gesture as one of affection.

“Thank you fair Rarity. It is so hard to keep up with the times.”

Rarity faked a laugh and a smile, and struggled out of Luna’s grasp. “Don’t mention it, good luck with that!”

Luna lowered her head and looked Rarity right in the eye. “Is turnabout not fair play in this modern era?”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed. “You’re good.”

Luna sat on her haunches and waited.

“She won’t...” Rarity’s face tightened. “She won’t acknowledge our relationship. She’s happy enough to take my kisses, but then she says she’s just playing, or practicing, or whatever ridiculous excuse muddles its way into that thick skull! I just... I want a chance to put her on a pedestal. To wipe the dirt off her face and see what lies underneath. And then have her lift me up and put me on that same pedestal, like I know only she can.”

Luna nodded. “You understand, you have to take it away from her.”

“Pardon?”

“Force her to make a choice. Let her lose you, and see what she does to get you back.”

“Oh, I know. That’s why I’m leaving for Canterlot.”

“A bit drastic, perhaps?”

Rarity shook her head. “It’s for me, really. Canterlot is the city of my dreams. Just one extended visit made me happier than I’ve ever been in my life, and to live there? I finally have a chance, and I can’t turn it down.”

“And your friends?”

“I haven’t told them yet. It... it’s going to be hard to break the news. I’m not even planning on leaving Ponyville forever, just enough time to set up a second Carousel Boutique and find a worthy apprentice to carry on in my name. I’ll be back in a few months... or a year or two... at most.”

“It’s a lonely decision, fair Rarity.”

“I can do it if Applejack is with me. And if not... I’ll probably need some time away anyway.”

“Might I suggest a pact between us?”

Rarity blinked.

“For good or for ill, we will make our confessions to the ones we desire. When it is done we will either celebrate our success or console our failure. And if fate should be so cruel, then perhaps we will do both.”

“I think I’d like that,” said Rarity with a faint flush.

Luna leaned forward, offering her dark-glowing horn to Rarity. Recognizing the gesture, Rarity put some magic into her own horn and tapped it against the princess’s. She felt a brief jolt of pleasure she hadn’t expected, and then nothing.

*****

Rarity awoke to the sound of voices. The shifting mass of a blurry, murmuring crowd briefly revealed her friends, but they vanished before she could be sure of what she had seen.

A hoof shook Rarity’s shoulder, and her eyes flickered open.

It was that powerful, sweaty, beautiful mare standing over her. “Rise n’ shine Rarity. Princess Celestia’s got somethin’ to tell us.”

“S’that so...” mumbled Rarity, her head still muddled by the drugged mixture.

The recreation area wasn’t immediately recognizable with so many ponies in it. Familiar faces from both Ponyville and Canterlot filled Rarity’s view, chatting fervently to each other as Princess Celestia made her way through the mob and towards a clear area.

It took Rarity a moment to notice Twilight Sparkle trailing behind the royal unicorn.

“Attention, my little ponies,” said Celestia. The crowd instantly silenced. “I fear that I have made a grave error, constructing this Straight Camp and forcing our beloved champions to attend. Let us now do away with this nonsense and instead celebrate our culture of love and benevolence, and do so until the dawn breaks!”

The crowd cheered and Rarity felt Applejack throwing a forearm around her. “Isn’t that great Rare? Listen, the way Ah’ve been treating you wasn’t right. Truth is, my heart’s been yours for a long time. Ah was just scared to tell ya how I felt. Ah hope ya can forgive me. Ah’m ready ta be yer special somepony, if ya still want it.”

Rarity looked back at Applejack. Her head was clearing and her vision was much better now. Something seemed off. Rarity glanced left and right, under the watchful eyes of Applejack. Despite being near the perimeter of the room, she felt like the center of attention. In the span of a few seconds she caught a half-dozen discreet glances, no doubt thought unnoticed by her watchers. The gnawing chill in her stomach did wonders to perk her up.

“Rarity?” asked Applejack tentatively. “Is there a problem?”

“A problem?” Rarity put on a false grin and plucked Applejack’s hoof from her shoulder. “Where do I begin? Your coat is off-color, you’ve got an extra freckle right... here” Rarity gave Applejack’s cheek a brush to indicate it, “the apples on your Cutie Mark form an inverse triangle, your mane is about six inches too short and...” Rarity paused to breathe, and took the opportunity to reach behind ‘Applejack’s’ ear and rub it. Her hoof squeaked sharply against the earth pony’s coat.

“Applejack never cleans behind her ears.”

Applejack blinked, and stepped back. “C’mon Rares, that’s crazy talk! Ah just want to make you happy.”

Rarity sighed. “I suppose I can appreciate the effort, darling. And you do the accent well, I must say.”

She looked the second-rate duplicate over and felt her vision clouding with rage. Here this imposter stood, its very existence spitting in the eye of the one thing Applejack stood for above everything else: Honesty.

“But this isn’t a story. And I already know I don’t get a happy ending.”

She concentrated on her horn and brought out the magic simmering within. Once it began to glow a healthy light blue, she let loose and blasted ‘Applejack’ with her best cancellation spell. Her aim was true and the spell quickly did its work, stripping away orange fur and solid muscles and replacing them with a black carapace and spindly, swiss-cheese insect legs.

Rarity didn’t wait for the creature to recover. She began firing indiscriminately into the crowd, getting Bon Bon in the head as she backed away, nailing Fleur De Lis as she turned to face her with a stupid blink, and then turning her aim upward to blast Soarin’s underbelly, the shock of the impact forcing him to make a clumsy landing even as he reverted into the form of a changeling.

When a precision shot struck Derpy Hooves as she hid behind a chair, the grey pegasus became Fluttershy. That shocked Rarity into ceasing her assault.

She shoved through the crowd and to the staggered pegasus’s side. “Darling,” she moaned as she helped her friend to her hooves, “I’m so sorry. I had no idea that was you!”

“It was my fault Lyra,” said Fluttershy, her voice barely above a whimper. “I shouldn’t have gotten in the way of your spell like that.”

Rarity blinked slowly. “Lyra?”

 Before Fluttershy could answer, Twilight broke through the crowd. “We’re in the presence of a Changeling Queen. I did research on their species after the wedding. The most powerful changelings can also alter the appearance of their victims!”

Rarity nodded hastily. “What do we do?”

“Well, your spells seem to be doing a great job so far, but in a big crowd like this, you need to cast a wide area modification to get everypony at once.”

“So, advanced magic?”

Twilight nodded happily.

Rarity just stared at her.

After a moment Twilight had the good grace to look sheepish. “Right, one wide area dispel, coming right up!”

The crowd watched her in silence, including the few changelings Rarity had managed to reveal.

Twilight began the spell, but stopped before it could be completed. “Oh, before I begin, everypony please brace yourselves, you might feel a little impact from this. That is if any of my friends are in there. For those of you who are creepy changelings, I don’t really care if you get jostled around a little.”

The crowd continued to wait.

Twilight’s horn began to glow a strong magenta, and her eyes turned a brilliant white. A shockwave of magic exploded from the little unicorn’s body, washing over the horde of ponies and exposing them for changelings. Some of the simmering, shifting forms didn’t become changelings. Time Turner by the watercooler became Applejack, Berry Punch backing against the wall morphed into Pinkie Pie, and against the monochrome of changeling flesh in the crowd, Rainbow Dash suddenly stood out with ease.

The kinetic force wasn’t as bad as Twilight had warned: she truly was a skilled magic-user. Having braced themselves properly, the ponies in the crowd quickly pushed through the masses of changelings as they picked themselves up off their hooves. In a few moments, the six were joined again.

There were nearly a hundred changelings in the room. Rarity never relished a fight, but this one did not look particularly winnable. She turned her attention on the biggest threat in the room - Queen Chrysalis, formerly posing as Princess Celestia.

Everypony remained silence, each side seeming to be waiting for the other to make a move.

“This isn’t what it looks like,” Queen Chrysalis said at last.

Pinkie Pie burst out into laughter. “Isn’t what it looks like?” she squealed between giggles. “Get it? They’re changelings!”

“It’s not funny,” said Rarity sourly.

Twilight Sparkle stepped forward. “Is that so Chrysalis?” she spat through gritted teeth. “Because to me it looks like you had yourself disguised as Princess Celestia and kidnapped me and my friends!”

Queen Chrysalis looked away and sucked in air nervously. “Well... yes. That is what it looks like. But I only did it because I knew you would never give me the time of day otherwise.”

“You’re right,” said Twilight coldly. “Come on girls, let’s go find Princess Celestia. You’ll be hearing from the Elements of Harmony soon, Chrysalis!”

Rarity looked toward the double door leading outside. The changelings in the way had begun hissing and fluttering their wings in agitation. She wouldn’t go against Twilight’s decision. If this was their last stand, Celestia have mercy.

“Let them go,” said Chrysalis.

A few glanced her way but none of them moved.

“I said now!” snarled the queen.

At once they scattered and a path to the door was clear.

Twilight made it five steps and then stopped, Rarity following cautiously. They began to move again, and got a few more steps before Twilight turned to Chrysalis with a scowl.

“What are you up to?”

Chrysalis slunk towards them, a terrible grace to her malformed body. “I’m glad you asked,” she said, purring out the words. “I want one thing to be clear. I’m not here for payback. I won’t spill your blood. When I led my children here, I didn’t know who I would find. I just let my nose guide me to the biggest heap of misery and sorrow in your entire realm. And what do I see? The Elements of Harmony! I might find this amusing, but as it happens I’m in a grave situation.”

“Don’t think you can divide us Chrysalis!”

“Divide you? Oh no no,” said Chrysalis, lowering her voice to a husky growl. “I want to unite you. Beneath me.”

Twilight blanched. “Excuse me?”

“Let me be clearer. I want to be... inside you.”

Twilight snorted. “Ahah! You want to manipulate us psychologically until you’re inside our head and all our innermost secrets are laid bare to you!”

Chrysalis blinked, looked away, and then smiled coyly. “I can assure you, it’s much less complicated than that.”

Rarity kept her eyes on the changeling queen as she moved intimately closer, her perverse gaze dragging along each of them. Queen Chrysalis glanced over her shoulder to her followers. “Let them see,” she barked.

The swarm parted to make way for a dozen of the largest changelings, pushing and pulling along two dozen other changelings. At first Rarity thought they were prisoners, but as she watched them move she realized that the smaller creatures were struggling to stand, and leaning on their comrades for support.

“They’re starving,” said Chrysalis in a tone devoid of emotion. “And they’re my responsibility.

“Now, your previous experiences with my people are what we call an offensive union. That’s a procedure where we incapacitate a pony with loved ones and replace them with ourselves, in order to feed.”

“Like you fed on my brother!” spat Twilight.

Chrysalis’ lips pulled back into a sneer. “Of course, begrudge me the deceit of one pony while ignoring your own sins. I don’t suppose you recall the pesticide wars?”

Twilight Sparkle raised a brow. “My history lessons never mentioned anything like that...” she said uncertainly.

“They wouldn’t. Suffice to say you aren’t as blameless in our enmity as you think. But the truth is, offensive unions are rare and only authorized with my permission; a permission that for many reasons I will no longer be granting. Much more common is the symbiotic union. This is where we scout out a pony who is troubled by love. The grieving widower, the unlucky best friend, the jilted lover. And we give them what they can never have.

“In fact,” said Chrysalis. “I’ve thought of a little saying. Once you go changeling, you... hrmm. Actually now that I think of it, that’s as far as we’ve gotten. We changelings have many skills, but rhyming is not one of them.”

“Ooh! I know!” cried Pinkie Pie, raising her hoove. “How about ‘Once you go change, you’re free on the range!”

Chrysalis wrinkled her snout and then sighed. “That’s... that’s going to have to do until we can think of something better. Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re welcome!”

“Pinkie,” said Twilight in an assertive murmur. “Stop helping her!”

“Oh, sorry!”

The towering queen began circling them like a timber wolf. “So perhaps you see what I’m getting at. My offer is not so evil. Nothing will be taken from you that you will not eventually get back.”

Her voice seemed to encompass the entire room and seep through Rarity’s bones like a viscous slime. “Abandon this painful reality. Together we can replace it with an illusion more to your liking. It’s so very rare for a pony to find happiness on their own. Almost impossible really. It’s not so wrong to accept a little help, is it?”

“Get lost!” screamed Rainbow Dash.

“No way, no bucking how!” roared Applejack.

“Absolutely not!” said Rarity.

“Out of the question!” said Twilight Sparkle.

“Okay,” said Fluttershy.

“Then it’s settled,” said Twilight with no small amount of satisfaction. “We’re not going to fall– what? Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy bowed her head as she stepped forward to awkwardly face the ponies. “I’m so sorry,” she said with wide, pleading eyes. “I really don’t feel good about going against the group like this. But..” she bit her lip as she looked over the malnourished changelings. “I can’t let a starving creature go hungry. Please just... don’t ask me to do that.”

“Fluttershy, darling!” Rarity cried out. “You simply mustn’t listen to her. Yes, perhaps they genuinely do need help, and if that’s the case then it’s all the more important we leave now and find Princess Celestia. Surely she’ll be able to help them without putting anypony in danger!”

“Listen to her,” urged Twilight.

Fluttershy wouldn’t meet Rarity’s eyes. “I’m very sorry, but I can’t let them suffer. I hope you aren’t too mad at me.”

Trembling, the pegasus approached the changeling matriarch. “Is umm... is it okay if I can have Rainbow Dash?”

Rarity heard an anguished mewl and a thump behind her. She turned to see Rainbow Dash on the floor, having lost the will to stand on her own four legs. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were distended and moist.

Rainbow looked as though she were too shocked to cry, and Rarity could not keep her gaze on that carefree and fearless friend of hers.

“You’ve chosen well Fluttershy,” whispered Chrysalis. “And you’re doing a service to my children that I will not overlook.” The queen glanced back to her changelings with a nod, raising a prickled hoof to pick one out of the group. “Step forward, you. You belong to her now— Fluttershy has already dictated what she desires.”

On shaking legs, one of the changelings stumbled out of the crowd. Its weary, green eyes told more than all the dirt, grime, and soot that littered each of the swiss-cheese holes puncturing its skin. It gave Fluttershy a smile full of fang.

Fluttershy opened her mouth, but before she could speak the Changeling began to flicker and strobe, disappearing behind a curtain of static haze. A blue pegasus emerged from the transformation, her cyan coat and powerful wings a match vis-a-vis with the dismayed, real Rainbow Dash staring mouth wide-opened behind Fluttershy.

It didn’t last.

The blue melted away into black, the feathered wings crumbled into insectoid appendages, and the form shimmered and evaporated back into a fledgling, whimpering Changeling. Only the green eyes remained.

Chrysalis rushed to the weakling’s side.

The creature let out a grateful cry and fell, resting fully against its queen.

With tenderness that astounded Rarity, the monarch leaned down and touched her horn against its brow. The changeling glowed green and then became Rainbow Dash again, this time for good.

“There we are,” said Chrysalis as she gently guided ‘Rainbow Dash’ over to Fluttershy. “Your good friend Rainbow Dash. Is there anything you want to say to her?”

Fluttershy smiled hesitantly. “Hello Rainbow Dash. Do you want to go for a walk with me?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” said the changeling with a smile. It leaned against Fluttershy, relying heavily on her for support as the two headed for the door.

“That settles it,” said Pinkie Pie. “It’s time for a party!”

“No... Pinkie, we’re leaving.” The resolve had been drained from Twilight’s voice. Her gaze hadn’t yet moved from the door where Fluttershy had left.

“Aww, I really wanted you to be there too,” said Pinkie. She bounced over to Queen Chrysalis. “Oh well! Can I get Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and ohh... Vinyl Scratch on music?”

“Absolutely,” said Chrysalis.

“Pinkie,” said Rarity in a near-whine. “Not you too.”

Pinkie turned solemnly to the group. “Now look. I don’t think Queen Chrysalis can really be that bad with a line like ‘This isn’t what it looks like,’” Pinkie giggled once more at the recitation of the joke. “But you’re still my friends. If you really want to go grab the Elements of Harmony and hit Queen Chrysalis with them, then I am totally on board with that. But until then, somepony should stay behind and look after Fluttershy. And while I’m looking after Fluttershy, then I might as well party!”

Queen Chrysalis selected a half-dozen changelings that obediently morphed in accordance with Pinkie Pie’s specifications. One conga-line out of the room later, and they were down to four.

Rainbow Dash struggled to rise. “Uhh... Twilight?”

“Yes Rainbow Dash?” Twilight was staring at the floor. Her voice was completely listless.

“You’ve all been really great y’know... not rubbing it in my face or anything. But there’s no need to pretend that I didn’t buck up... because... I really bucked up. I don’t think I can do that whole Loyalty thing anymore, and I don’t want to just pretend that nothing’s wrong all the way up until it becomes time to activate them and have the magic fizzle out. So... while you go and find a new Bearer would you really mind if I just chilled here and hung out with these guys?” She gestured to the changelings.

“Huh? Oh y-yeah, sure Rainbow, you do wh-what you need to do.” Twilight gave Rainbow Dash a weak smile.

“Rainbow!” said Rarity, trying but failing to keep the desperation out of her voice. “You never give up!”

“Hey it’s cool,” said Rainbow, looking guiltily away. “I mean, we can still be friends and everything, I’d never give that up. I just... I just need some time to gather my thoughts and everything. Like a vacation, y’know?”

Queen Chrysalis stepped towards Twilight Sparkle, ignoring Rainbow Dash for the moment. “You’re not as united as you believed, my little pony. But it’s not as if your friends have abandoned you. All they’ve done is made the correct decision; a decision you can make too.

“So... are there any dreams of yours I can make come true? Don’t answer that, I already know. I can taste your emotions, and see the shape of your desire.” Chrysalis’s body melted away to be replaced with that of a larger white pony, with radiant wings and an elegant horn. “How would you like to be happy, My Faithful Student?”

Twilight looked up at Chrysalis, her mouth forming into an ’O’. She blinked.

And then slowly, her mouth crept up into a smile.

Rarity didn’t even bother to protest. She turned to the last pony she had on her side, and the one she could always count on. That insufferably stubborn, painfully witless, freakishly strong, gorgeous, dependable, and completely indomitable mare.

She didn’t see what she expected.

Nowhere was the smoldering anger that Rarity wanted to see in Applejack’s eyes. Absent were the tensed muscles that demanded to be put into action. Gone was the solid posture that made her seem invincible.

Rarity searched desperately for a mirror of her own resolve and determination to act. She found nothing.

Rarity had seen enough.

“Rarity, what about yourself? You needn’t hide your desires either.” The awful voice was behind her, creeping seductively along her shoulder. It sounded no better even though it perfectly matched the voice of the princess. “Is that a cowboy hat I can see? The smell of dust and apples, and a strong back? You can have it all, Rarity.”

Rarity scowled. “I already know I won’t get a happy ending.”

Holding her head up high and closing her eyes, Rarity walked straight up to the door Fluttershy had vanished through. Spinning, she gave the door a buck that sent it cracking open. That mare would have been impressed, but Rarity didn’t know if she was even looking. With the night now exposed to her, Rarity plunged into it and broke into a gallop.

She couldn’t see where she was going. She was in grave danger of catching her hoof in a pothole and breaking a leg, or tripping over an obstacle and killing herself. Instead of dwelling on the danger, she inhaled and picked up as much speed as she could.

She dared a glance behind her. She couldn’t see or hear anything. Abruptly she screeched to a halt and looked carefully around.

Rarity was alone in the woods, on one of the camp paths. The changelings hadn’t even made a token effort to pursue her.

What was she doing? She couldn’t even say that her friends were wrong, they were hurting inside, just as she was. They might have been able to hide it from the world a little while longer if that blessed rascal Pinkie Pie hadn’t opened up the doors and shoved everything out into the open, but Pinkie Pie wasn’t the cause of all this.

Nor could Chrysalis really be blamed. Her desire to care for her children seemed legitimate enough, even if she couldn’t be trusted.

Rarity's heavy hoofsteps slowed, and then fell into silence. She restarted her trek, and stopped once more. Turning her head, she cast a look over her shoulder, and turned around. Sighing, she took a few steps back to the recreation center and Chrysalis.

She glanced back and forth, torn between the dark unknown of the woods that lay before her and the comfort of Applejack that lay behind her.

She wanted that mare. Wanted her kisses, her reassurances, and her acceptance. She wanted that mare to say ‘Yes Rarity, we will go to Canterlot together. And I’ll love you and take care of you until the day you die, like a prince does for his princess.’

But there was a paradox here. She had fallen in love with the paragon of honesty, and anything an imposter said would be a lie. A changeling substitute might work for any other lover, but not Applejack.

She wondered at that look she had shared with Applejack moments before she had fled. Surely she had misinterpreted it? Perhaps even now Applejack had regained her senses, only to wonder why her Rarity had fled the field of battle.

Or perhaps she had understood the look perfectly, and Applejack’s pain was plain for all to see.

She couldn’t waste time pondering it any longer. Rarity already had a plan.

With a simple light spell, Rarity’s horn emitted a gentle glow. Wielding her weapon against the dark, she retraced her steps until she arrived at Princess Celestia’s cabin.

“Your highness?” she asked from outside, not daring to raise her voice. The changelings may not have attacked her tonight, but they had been violent before, and she feared that they were simply waiting until she was alone to ambush her.

There was no response, so Rarity crept up to the door. As she raised a hoof to knock, her mind filled with visions of the noise reverberating through the entire forest, summoning waves of hissing and chittering enemies. Fear defeated her manners. This breech of etiquette would have to be forgiven just this once.

Uninvited, Rarity entered the building.

Her magic gave her more than enough illumination. There were books everywhere, stacked haphazardly and lying half-open. Rarity was dismayed at the mess but not surprised, she knew it was inevitable of any dwelling that Twilight lived in without Spike to look after her.

“Princess Celestia?” asked Rarity hopefully.

No answer. Rarity’s hope that this was going to be easy faded.

After ensuring that she was alone, Rarity began searching for a blank scroll and some ink. If she could get those items and find Spike elsewhere in the camp, then she could get a message to Princess Celestia.

When she got to the bedroom, she found the bed unmade and thoroughly unkempt. She didn’t really have time, but she spent a moment to fluff the pillows and straighten out the sheets and blankets anyway. Honestly, couldn’t Twilight at least try to be a little bit neat in the presence of royalty? To say nothing of the princess herself leaving her bed in such a state!

A plain wooden box poked out from beneath the bed. It might have been a container for parchment. Rarity pulled it free and opened it.

It turned out it was a jewelry box. Five pendants surrounded a beautiful diadem with a starburst symbol. The butterflies, the balloons, the apples... all were all present.

Rarity looked up. “Well, that was convenient,” she said to nopony in particular. She retrieved the diamond shape and pulled it over her neck. That done, she scavenged the office until she found a saddlebag to store the remaining elements.

The glow of her pale blue light lulled Rarity away from her panic as she stepped out, and the cool weight of the pendant against her breast imbued her with a new resolve. Seeing the elements would remind the others of what they stood for, and band them together once more. Even the changelings might benefit from the power of Harmony, as Princess Luna had all those months ago.

She decided to start with the recreation center, where she hoped to find Twilight Sparkle. Having the unicorn at her side would relieve her of the burden of decision-making and give her a powerful ally.

After all, she would almost certainly have to confront Chrysalis again. Rarity squeezed the element briefly, and quickened her pace.

A pair of changelings flanked the entrance. The light of her horn caught their attention immediately, but they simply watched Rarity from their post. Acting as though she had every right to be there, Rarity went directly to the door and opened it. She was not challenged.

Inside, changelings milled around the desks and equipment. A few had taken out board games and stared at the pieces in confusion, tossing them at the board, or pointlessly stacking them up. Alien heads turned as the unicorn trotted through the open doorway, and their eyes followed her progress through the room. Rarity heard the occasional chatter, and thought it possessed a hopeful tune.

From a side room came voices.

Rarity followed them to their source, coming before a red-paneled door with a dark frame.

The voices were distinct now.

“I suppose it was when you came of age that I first realized my love for you, my Faithful Student. You had learned each of my lessons without fail and grown into a mare that I was proud to have raised.”

Rarity blinked. Could Twilight really be... no... it was too much.

“Oh Princess, you’re making me blush!”

Or not. No matter what was going on in that room, Rarity’s blush was certainly fiercer.

Rarity pushed open the door.

‘Princess Celestia’ ignored her entrance. Twilight lay curled beneath her wing, pressed snugly against the imposter’s barrel. She glanced up at Rarity, but then closed her eyes and rested her head against the princess’s shoulder.

Chrysalis addressed her without looking up. “Speak with the guards about your desire, Rarity,” said Chrysalis, her voice a peaceable moan. “I am... otherwise preoccupied.”

“My desire is to see my friends happy and you defeated!”

“Your scent tells me you’re lying,” said Chrysalis carelessly.  “Tell them anyway. None of them can imitate the form of Queen Chrysalis, but they’re all excellent improvisers. They’ll think of something.”

“Trouble is, I want it to actually happen.”

“That could be a problem, we don’t deal in real events.”

Rarity gritted her teeth and ignored the sovereign. “Twilight,” she pleaded, trotting closer to the two. “You don’t really want this. It’s no better than a painting, sure you can admire it, but art only imitates life.”

At last, Twilight opened her eyes. “Have you ever wanted something you could never have, Rarity?”

“Absolutely.”

“More than life itself?”

Rarity thought of Applejack. “Of course,” she said.

“Then how do you deal with the pain? How can you spend your entire life ignoring your desire?”

“Well...” said Rarity, stalling for time. “One simply searches for other reasons to live...”

“Why search?” interjected Chrysalis. “Twilight Sparkle can already have her heart’s desire with me, her teacher and lover. The only thing she doesn’t want is a so-called friend trying to interfere with the happiness she has finally attained.”

“Silence!” screeched Rarity as the room flashed green. “One’s desires and one’s needs are two separate things, and the first must not interfere with the second! It sickens me how you have seduced my friends in the moment where they’re most vulnerable and broken, playing on their sympathies and heartbreaks like... like... a... where am I?”

Crickets chirped in response to Rarity. A rabbit stared up at the curious creature that had shimmered into existence before it. She was alone again in the dark woods.

Teleported! Chrysalis has teleported me!

Rarity huffed in frustration and stamped her hooves into the uncaring earth. It had been a good rant, and Twilight hadn’t even heard it.

Chrysalis was not only powerful but clever. If she injured or mistreated Rarity it would surely rally the others, but by simply teleporting her away against her will she was now out of sight and mind.

Rarity realized that she was lost. Transported far from any familiar path, she scanned the dense foliage for a trail, a road, a sign— anything. A glimmer of lights twinkled in the distance, but they seemed so far away. Too far away: Rarity was no hiker. She expected to exhaust herself before she got back.

Still, she had to start somewhere. Eyeing a rough patch of grass that resembled a withered trail— if you could call it that —Rarity sighed, and began her journey.

Every step taken lay heavy with self-doubt and the beginnings of despair. Her plan had failed. She would not reach Spike in time and had no way of communicating with either of the princesses. Taking care not to trip over a sharp branch, Rarity shook her head. Chrysalis was probably ]too powerful to overcome anyway.

Coming to a stop beside a tree, Rarity hesitated. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the starburst tiara with a shaking hoof.

“Maybe...”

There in her hooves lay the greatest source of power in all of Equestria. Celestia herself had referred to it as the most powerful magic— when used alongside the other Elements. But it didn’t belong to her. Without the special attunement that Twilight Sparkle possessed, Rarity just had a pretty piece of jewelry.

Which meant there was no harm in trying.

She levitated the artifact atop her head. As the frail metal graced her brow, Rarity tingled at the contact. It began in her skull and sank through to her bones.

Rarity gasped upon seeing the world in perfect clarity for the first time. Every spectrum that fell beyond the reach of pony eyes, laid bare to see. The chilling night could no longer hide the forest’s path. She saw for the first time the unseen fibers connecting Magic with Generosity.

The ley lines of Equestria were bare before her, reacting to her subtle movements and fleeting thoughts. Her dreams could be made reality. Her desires were her will.

She could do this. She could win. She could look fabulous doing it.

Summoning a full length mirror from her house in Ponyville, Rarity ran a panicked eye up and down her reflection. The damages weren’t as bad as she had feared, but she still wouldn’t want to be seen in public, much less rescuing Equestria. Her mane was matted, there was dirt on her tail, her coat had been scruffed, and it looked like— Rarity leaned forward and scrunched her face —yes! She had chipped a hoof.

Well it was nothing a little all-powerful magic couldn't fix, was it?

Rarity pulled a hairbrush from the aethers, and breathed life into the red-wine woodwork. Buzzing into action, the brush at once began its work, running a tender touch through her silken mane.

Rarity melted as her hair lined into perfection. If only she had time for a little more pampering.

Well, maybe just a bit more . . .

A portal shimmered into existence beside her and a swarm of manicure products emerged. Her servants hovered and whizzed about her sculpture-like frame, tending to her damaged ego. A simple wave of the hoof and the nail filer dove for her hooves. Another thought, and the gloss’ shimmering surface began spreading across her coat.

Perfect. She wondered if she could get the princess to loan the Element of Magic to her again when this was all over. Strictly for professional occasions, of course. Perhaps she could even get a matching purse for it... On the other hand, she might never need to carry a purse around ever again.

She took a few precious moments to admire herself, then dismissed the mirror. Her friends couldn’t wait any longer.

Rarity had merely to think about where she would rather be, and she was shunted through space and back into the vicinity of the camp

Opening her eyes, Rarity blinked, and remembered to breathe.

I am still alive. The teleportation had worked! That crazy unicorn had a point, this was the way to travel.

Chrysalis remained in the recreation center but Rarity decided against immediately returning. It meant that Twilight would have to be rescued last, yes, but it also bought time to ensure everypony was safe and accounted for before the changelings discovered her plans.

That left the matter of finding them. If the blaring music and flashes of light coming from the dormitory were any indication, she had an idea.

Approaching the front door, Rarity knocked, but could hardly hear her own noise over the blare of music.

She reached again to knock, but stopped.It was ridiculous. She could teleport now. Doors no longer held any meaning to her.

Still, magic was no reason to ignore manners. “Yoo-hoo! It’s Rarity! May I come in?”

Finally the door opened and Rarity was face to face with... Rarity.

“Does this ever get awkward?” Rarity asked.

“You have no idea,” replied the double while stepping aside to allow Rarity through.

“I would have never applied so much mascara by the way,” she said with a sniff as she examined the chaos of one of Pinkie’s parties.

It seemed that the invitations had gone farther than just her close friends and Vinyl Scratch. Not only was half of Ponyville packed into the room, but several undisguised changelings could be spotted mixed in with the revelry.

Pinkie found her first. As Rarity tip-toed around a Fluttershy getting cider funneled down her throat, the earth pony popped up in front of her. Rarity couldn't be sure but it almost looked as though Pinkie had just emerged from a flower pot.

“Oh hey real Rarity! Did you meet everypony yet? Fake Berry Punch is over there with Fake Cloud Kicker, and those two changelings in the corner are Deceit and Denial.”

Rarity waved her hoof in an inquisitive circle. “Shouldn’t they be uhh... changed?”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened. “No! I told some of them to stay in their normal form. I know the changelings are our mortal enemies, but I don’t want my new friends to think I don’t accept them for who they are!”

Pinkie glanced to the side at ‘Fluttershy,’ who busied herself in making out with ‘Thunderlane.’ She glared and stalked over to the two.

“Ahem! I went over this before! Fluttershy is way too shy to just jump on everyone she meets!” She spun to ‘Thunderlane.’ “And you’re gay!”

“Sorry,” the two said as one and slunk off to vanish into the crowd.

“I’m so glad you decided to join us,” said Pinkie Pie, with her attention back on Rarity. “Making all these new friends is super fun, but it’s going to be even funner with one of my old friends! Ooh, have you met fake Rarity yet? You can talk fashion with each other!”

Rarity surveyed the chaos of the party. The droves of dancing ponies, the spilled drinks littering the floor, the dull, pounding music— it all made a foreboding sense to Rarity, but she needed confirmation. Impossible as it seemed, she needed some way to wring some sense out of Pinkie Pie.

Drawing upon those half-formed desires, the Element of Magic came to life, and placed the spell Rarity needed into her mind. Before she fully understood what had happened, the magic was cast. Her vision blurred and shifted as she left the real world to enter the mind of Pinkie Pie.

She appeared in a ballroom, no, a ballroom full of chickens. Octavia led the orchestra— all chickens disguised as, yes, chickens —in a somber classical, so brilliant in composure that Rarity had a hard time believing she had found it here, of all places.

A paradox lay beneath her hooves. The floor did not seem to be built out of solid mass but rather an infinite medley of swirling spirals that supported her quite well, yet it brought such dizziness that she could hardly stand.  The walls weren't much better, lined with balloons and streamers combining into a tasteless color clash that could have only been selected by Pinkie Pie.

Seeking an exit, Rarity froze in place at the sight of the two sole occupants of the dance floor: Nightmare Moon and Discord. The pair performed a masterful Lindy Hop across the floor, their strange bodies pressed close together.

“Your forehooves move masterfully, my dear,” Discord whispered to his partner as the two swung past Rarity.

She decided the ceiling might be a better place to rest her tired eyes. This proved to be a mistake, since overhead millions of unblinking eyeballs stared back at her.

Rarity shrieked and retreated her attention back to the relative safety of the dancers.

A bell began chiming.

“It’s fun o’clock!” cried a dismayed Discord, seizing a mute Nightmare Moon and pointing to some unseen exit. “Let’s get out of here!”

What? Rarity looked around in confusion as everypony, even the chickens, packed away their instruments—or in the case of Discord, Nightmare Moon— and ran away.

“Wait...” she cried, desperately trying to get anyone’s attention. “I need to find Pinkie’s memories! Where am I? How do I get out of here?”

An ominous rumble was the only reply.

Almost too afraid to look, Rarity turned, slowly, anticipating anything and everything. Her eyes did not disappoint.

A horde of thousands of Pinkie Pie’s stampeded towards her, eyes wild with excitement. “FUN!” they chanted in desynchronization as they charged. “FUN! FUN! FUN!”

“Oh sweet Celestia.”

Seeing this final checkmate, Rarity knew it was the end. She would perish here, buried beneath an avalanche of pink flesh and party hats. Chrysalis would win, and Equestria laid bare before her nefarious plans, whatever they may be.

Rarity removed her brooch and stared down at the Element that had damned her to this fate. The necklace, with its purple crystal, winked back at her.

Some help you were!

As if in answer, a rope ladder fell down beside Rarity. Without thinking she grabbed it and was tugged away just as the tidal wave of ponies rolled past underneath her.

Higher and higher she rose, above the avalanche of ponies below and towards a break in the ceiling above. A single beam of light shone from the opening, and the rope pulled her towards it. A pink hoof reached out from beyond and beckoned for her cooperation.

Rarity groped for the arm and seized it; her rescuer pulled her to solid ground.

“Whew! That was a close one!” The speaker, Pinkie Pie dressed in a train conductor’s uniform, removed her hat and wiped away the sweat.

Looking around, Rarity saw machinery everywhere. Numerous pipes spiraled about, shuddering and emitting bursts of steam. Dials, valves, levers, and not one thing in a sensible position to anything else in the room.

“What was that?” demanded a panicked Rarity of her rescuer. “WHAT WAS THAAAAT?”

“You should have warned me you were visiting,” said Pinkie Pie as she trotted over to a huge lever and seized it with both hooves. She grunted and pulled it with all of her might, and eventually it reluctantly budged and moved to its other setting.

Pinkie Pie pointed at a quivering meter on the wall, its red indicator moving from ‘fun time’ to ‘be nice to the visitors in my head’ even as Rarity observed it.

“There,” said Pinkie Pie, puffing up her chest and smiling. “You should be able to visit the rest of my brain now without getting driven loopy.”

“Thanks,” said Rarity, her breath coming in better now. “But all I need are your memories.”

“Down the hall and to your left,” said Pinkie, pointing at a door behind a massive engine.

Rarity took a step in the direction and stopped. A tremor ran through her body as she recalled her brush with disaster in the ballroom.

“Don’t worry!” said Pinkie, pushing her forward and opening the door. “It’s smooth sailing from here, and your Auntie Pinkie’s watching out for you. And if you do run into any more trouble, just give a giggle!”

Rarity did giggle. “Of course, you’re right,” she said as she walked through the door, emerging into a memory devoid of color and emotion.

Pinkie opened the door for her and without further delay, Rarity stepped through the threshold.

Pinkie Pie bounced down the streets of Ponyville, heading straight towards Golden Oaks Library. Her hoof thundered on the door.

No response.

Eventually she grew bored of waiting and barged in, and found Spike brushing the shelves with a feather duster. He glanced at Pinkie Pie with a sigh. “She’s upstairs.”

“Thanks Spike,” said Pinkie.

Darting up to the second floor, she found Twilight in her bedroom tossing clothes about in a panic. A pair of lacy white panties briefly fell atop Pinkie’s face, concealing her vision. She brushed them off and approached Twilight just as the unicorn spun around to head back to the closet.

The two collided.

“Oh, thank goodness you’re here Pinkie,” said Twilight, only now noticing that she wasn’t alone. “I got word that Princess Celestia might have a little free time in her schedule, so I’m riding up to Canterlot to see her.” She levitated two nondescript dresses in front of Pinkie, one blue and the other black. “Which of these do you like better? I need to say ‘I’m not a slut, but I am willing to sleep with you.’”

“Uhh...” Pinkie’s brow scrunched as her hoof pointed to one then the other.

“No no, I’m moving too soon! Look, I’ll just go au naturel again. It’s not suggestive, but it lets her see what she can have. Thanks Pinkie!”

With that Twilight bounded out the library, seizing Spike on the way out of the door.

Leaving the library herself, Pinkie resumed wandering the town. When she arrived at the park she found the top of Rainbow Dash’s mane hiding behind a low floating cloud.

“Dashie!” she cried in joy. “What’s up?”

Rainbow Dash cautiously peeked up from her cloud cover and then glided to the ground beside Pinkie. “Oh, y’know,” she said, looking around nervously. “Just hangin’.”

“Cool! Do you want to hang with me?”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’d be great! Fluttershy keeps pestering me to hang out with her and it’s driving me nuts! C’mon, let’s go, we’ll do whatever you want.”

“Hello Rainbow Dash,” called Fluttershy from across the park. “I’m so glad I found you. I was worried I was going to miss our weekly date and then you’d be upset with me.”

“Darnit!” said Rainbow Dash, quietly enough so that only Pinkie could hear. “I can never get any ME time!” She looked up and smiled weakly at Fluttershy, trotting off to meet her.

“Oh well,” said Pinkie Pie. “I guess I can always see if Applejack needs help on her farm.”

When she stepped onto the grounds of Sweet Apple Acres, she already heard the screaming. It sharpened when the farmhouse came into sight.

“Well since we’re just friends, I guess I’ll just see you the next time I see the rest of my friends!” shrieked Rarity.

“Fine!” cried Applejack, storming out of the house. “Ah’ll look forward ta seein’ ya then, with the rest of my good friends!”

Blinded by her tears, Rarity knocked Pinkie onto her flank without noticing, and galloped off of the premises.

“Confound that mare! She’s just gotta take the plain and simple words out of my mouth and twist ‘em into somethin’ she can whine about!”

Spotting Pinkie, Applejack forcibly calmed herself. “Sorry Pinks. This ain’t a good time.” The door slammed shut as Applejack retreated inside. Applejack didn’t want to play today. Nopony did.

Pinkie would have to show up for work after all.

As the earth pony walked down the empty road back to Sugarcube Corner, she found a rock and began kicking it with a soft sigh. “How come everypony’s having fun except me?” she said quietly.

Though the music and voices still raged, Rarity could barely hear them as her mind returned to the physical world. She and Pinkie were sitting on a love-seat together, Rarity staring at Pinkie, and Pinkie staring at the ground. Her poofy mane had deflated into a long, stringy cut.

“I want you to know,” said Pinkie, “That I’m not mad at anyone or anything. I’ve learned my lesson. I’m not going to get upset about being all alone, because things... things’ll probably turn around.”

“Oh Pinkie, dear.” Rarity gently rested her chin on Pinkie’s shoulder.

“Maybe you know?” said Pinkie helplessly. “Why don’t any of you want to be my friend anymore? Why is all of this happening without me?”

“Pinkie,” said Rarity soothingly. “I can’t speak for the others. But I am certain that they will tell you the same thing that I will. Nopony meant to exclude you. Nopony is having fun without you.”

Rarity chose her words carefully, trying to make Pinkie understand something that she herself had no business explaining. “It’s a strange time, when we’re no longer foals but only barely adults. We’re all told what mistakes not to make, and yet we go and make them anyway. That is the folly of young love.”

She clasped her hoof over Pinkie’s own. “We’re hurting Pinkie. All of us. I was so absorbed into my own wounds, that I didn’t notice the pain everypony else was in until tonight.

“I want to make things better Pinkie. Will you help me?”

Pinkie bravely looked into Rarity’s eyes. “Can things go back to the way they were?”

“I don’t know,” Rarity answered. “I don’t think so. But they can get better. I believe that much at least.”

“Can we spend time together again?”

A pang of guilt shot into Rarity’s stomach.

“Of course,” she said, putting on a mask of warmth. “In fact, I was just thinking that I need to move some furniture, and I could use an energetic earth pony to help me out.”

She felt her lungs compress as two pink forearms wrapped around her chest and squeezed fiercely.

Wriggling free, Rarity grasped for her saddlebag and barely managed to retrieve the balloon pendant despite the best efforts of the pink ball of affection.

“They’ll understand how you feel if you talk to them,” said Rarity. “And if they don’t listen, then I’ll make sure they do. But right now they need our help. Can I count on you Pinkie Pie?”

“Ab-super-duperlutely!” Pinkie seized her Element and pulled it over her head. “I’m with you all the way Rarity! Just tell me what you need to do.”

Rarity nodded and stood up from the cushions. “I don’t want Queen Chrysalis to know what we’re up to,” she whispered to Pinkie as the party raged around them. “So let’s split up and look for the others. Can you signal me somehow if you find them?”

“You got it,” cried Pinkie, leaping up. “Hey guys, I’ve gotta go do something really important that I can’t tell you about, so while I’m gone... party on! Hey wow, that rhymed!”

“What rhymes with orange though?” asked Pinkie with a scrunched brow as she vanished through the door.

With Pinkie gone, two of the changelings immediately sighed in relief.

“Sheesh,” said one as it immediately transformed into a pony. “I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but I felt so naked like that.”

The other changelings who weren’t already in pony form muttered their agreements as they transformed. One near Rarity stopped sucking in its gut.

Rarity gave the changelings a nervous smile as she wove around them. Few seemed interested in staying now that Pinkie had departed, others stared longingly at Rarity, but most were already streaming out the door.

Finally the swarm thinned enough for Rarity to leave without stepping on any hooves.

But when the door opened, the night sky was not waiting to greet Rarity.

Instead of a blackened a field of stars, the polished sheen of oakwood panelling winked back at her, along with a bartender.

A sports bar. She was standing in a clean and well-polished sports bar.

Rarity looked behind her, trying to find the lodge again. No door, or any other indication of how she had gotten in. Just an entryway leading to another room.

How did I let myself be caught in a tavern of all places? The scandal!

Admittedly, the posh establishment was decorated just enough to barely meet her standards.

Was this a memory? She thought back in an attempt to recall when she had come to be here. She puzzled the situation from every angle. Eventually, she came to a decision.

She was already here. It wouldn’t hurt to have a drink.

The barkeep seemed completely nondescript, a point Rarity gave in his favor. As he watched her approach, he filled a mug up with cider and placed it on the bar to await her.

Rarity gazed down at the mug, a cracked ceramic affair. Even the thought that her perfect lips would have to touch that hardened mud was enough to summon the fainting couch. But then again, she had just emerged from the darkest depths of Pinkie Pie’s mind.

The cider suddenly looked very appetizing. She would have a single drink and then leave. Why not? A busy night lay ahead of her.

She brought the mixture to her lips and sipped. The hard, tangy beverage reminded her of Applejack.

Ten minutes later, Rarity could not be certain how three empty mugs of hard cider had ended up in front of her. She could only be certain that she did not feel buzzed in the slightest.

She slid one of the three mugs forward. “Another round, sir.”

“Ma’am, I’m not sure—”

“I’ll tell you when I’ve had enough!” she slurred her speech deliberately. She may as well act the part.

The nondescript bartender cleared his throat. “I’m not sure how you think you’re going to pay for this. After all, you have no bits.”

Rarity blinked, taken completely off guard. The matter of paying for the drinks had not even crossed her mind. “Oh well... I seem to have left all my bits at home, but if you could send me a bill then—”

The bartender interrupted her with a chuckle. “I was only teasing you Rarity. Of course you don’t have to pay.”

Of course. Just as well, she could use a few more rounds. Seeing into Pinkie’s memory had reminded her of the fight she had with Applejack over a month ago, and she decided not to leave until she had forgotten about it.

She could not remember the subject of their disagreement, only that it had been resolved as each one had been before, and each one would be afterwards: With their ‘relationship’ returning to the status quo, and neither side getting what they wanted out of the other.

Rarity wanted commitment. She could only guess what Applejack desired.

She slammed her face onto the bar, trying to purge her mind of all images of that hot, sweaty farmer.

“Mares,” she moaned.

“Tell us about it.”

Rarity looked up. Sitting on the stool beside her was a tall, dark and gorgeous unicorn with a pair of breathtaking wings folded at her side. Her hard eyes flickered over Rarity as she brought a stirred margarita to her lips.

“Oh,” said Rarity. “Hello. Do you often frequent this establishment?”

“More than you know.”

“This is my first time personally. I don’t normally drink, but I must say this place is almost serviceable. I just don’t quite understand how I got here.”

“We are puzzled about the matter ourselves, Rarity. We rarely intervene in hallucinations, but we are curious about your debilitated state.”

“If you must know, I have had quite a bit to drink.”

“In your imagination, yes. But something would have had to trigger your mental withdrawal to begin with. Tell me, have you sampled any mushrooms that you could not identify?”

“Now just one moment, what gives you the—”

The moon shone through the window and laid the unicorn’s lunar cutie mark bare. Rarity abruptly realized who she was talking to.

Luna offered her a confident smile.

“No,” said Rarity quietly. “No mushrooms.”

“Can you think of anything unusual that occurred tonight?”

“Oh yes, I saw how Pinkie Pie’s mind works.”

“We remember. That was in truth your first departure from reality.” Luna smirked. “Honestly, an orchestra all wearing chicken suits?”

Rarity laughed. “I know, I can’t pretend I’ll ever understand that brain of hers.”

Luna blinked. “Hers? Neigh! You were never there. That utterly mundane dreamscape was conjured from your own imagination, Rarity. If you truly had  ventured into the mind of Pinkie Pie, the experience would have left a much greater impact.

“Are you sure? That certainly seemed rather out there.”

“We are. We visit those dreams every night...” Luna looked away and sighed.

“Then none of it was real? But that last bit... I’m sure that I saw events that really happened, through the mind of Pinkie Pie!”

“Tis possible. I noticed you travelling from your own dreamscape to another, much to my amazement.”

Luna took a breath and lowered her gaze to the bar. “I wish to know... does she think about... about me at all?”

Rarity put her hoof against Luna’s shoulder. “I only saw one memory, so I can’t answer that properly. But no, there weren’t any thoughts of you. I’m sorry.”

Luna’s lip tightened as she nodded. “That is neither here nor now. What prompted you to enter Pinkie Pie’s mind? And how were you able to cast such a mighty spell?”

“Well you see... Queen Chrysalis has my friends—”

Luna stood up. “SHE’S THERE AT THE CAMP?!”

The vocal impact sent Rarity’s mane in disarray.

Luna began to pace irritably, only to stop almost immediately and return her attention to Rarity. “We apologize. Continue please.”

“She made this offer to my friends, to use her people to fulfill all those desires they thought they could never have. And the crazy thing is that they accepted! I’m wandering around, all on my own, trying to figure out how their spirits got to be so low and fix all this!”

Luna nodded. “That explains the mind probe spell.”

“I never would have been able to cast it without the Element of Magic. As for the hallucinations, I can only imagine that whatever dreadful substance Chrysalis used to knock us out in the first place is to blame... Princess? Princess Luna?”

Luna stood absolutely still, except for the quivering of her lip. Gazing into the princess’s eldritch eyes, Rarity decided that she had never been as terrified of the monarch as she was now.

“You put it on?”

“Yes,” said Rarity, reaching up to give the tiara on her brow a gentle tap. “Surely you must have recognized—”

“I COULD NOT SEE IT BECAUSE YOU WERE NOT THINKING OF IT YOU FOAL!”

“A thousand apologies Your Majesty! If I’ve misappropriated royal property in some way—”

“HEAR ME CAREFULLY,” Luna spoke with nothing more than a hiss, but her words seemed to travel to Rarity’s ears from galaxies away, gathering the frost from galactic winds before finally settling their chill into her ear drums.

Luna had Rarity’s complete attention.

“HAS CHRYSALIS THREATENED OR HARMED ANYPONY?”

“No.” Rarity’s response was immediate. The villain’s lack of aggression had been conspicuous.

“GOOD. YOU WILL TAKE THAT RELIC FROM YOUR BROW AT ONCE.”

“But Your Highness! It’s simply too useful to abandon just yet! I can use this to help everypony!”

Luna’s muscles strained as she seemed to forcefully restrain her demeanor. “Neigh! It is no toy you have resolved to wield Rarity. Years of training must be undergone to withstand that device’s immense power.”

“Err... maybe I’m a natural?”

“Typically, no problem will be obvious itself at first. The rush of power granted by the Element of Magic obscures the energy it begins to consume. After the initial rush, the wielder will begin to hallucinate, becoming more and more disconnected with reality as Magic drains them. This will continue until you have nothing left, Rarity. You will die.”

Rarity reeled and stammered. “They’re... dangerous?! But Princess Celestia trusts us with these... things!”

“My big sister trusts you only with what you are capable of managing safely.”

“I... okay... what if I just took it off... and then put it back on only when I needed another mind probe?”

“Take it off, yes. But leave it off, fair Rarity! The drain is most severe the instant you don the crown! Your plan would only lay you low thrice as fast.”

Rarity stood up. “Then I guess I don’t have very much time.”

Luna moved faster than the eye could perceive to block Rarity’s path. “What drives you to this suicide?”

Rarity looked at the ground. “They’re my friends, Your Highness. I cannot bear to watch them suffer.”

“How much greater will their suffering be when they bury you?”

“They’re my friends, Your Highness. I cannot bear to watch them suffer.”

“YOU HAVEN’T A PRAYER AT SUCCESS.”

“I’ve already succeeded,” snapped Rarity, her patience at an end. “Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to go see if I can do it again.”

Luna’s horn exploded with force. Her eyes filled with pure, silvery moonlight as she conjured a beam of unearthly glow to blast open the ceiling. Above them, the full moon shone ominously into the shattered building.

Luna attacked their surroundings again. Everything she struck dissolved into ethereal liquid, which in turn dispersed into fading gas. Soon there was nothing left but blinding moonlight. No tavern. No ground. No sky. Only Rarity and her all-powerful liege.

Rarity felt the urge to run but could only take two panicked, stumbling steps before falling back on her flank. “HAVE YOU GONE MAD? WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Around the corners of her vision, the moonlight gradually began to fade away and return Rarity’s surroundings to her. She discovered that she and Luna were both outside the bunkhouse, where the changeling party was still wrapping up.

“Helping you,” said Luna, taking a deep, shuddering breath as the glow faded from her horn. “May my sister forgive me, I am going to help you.”

Rarity couldn’t think of a reply. A ‘thank you’ seemed foolish at this point.

 “As you can see,” said Luna, still ragged from her efforts, “I have dispersed your hallucinations so that you may interact with the real world once more. For now I shall keep you on the threshold of a dreamlike state, so we can communicate despite the vast distance between us.”

“I am... I am so—”

“Save it.”

“Ah! Of course.”

Unsure of her next move, Rarity found the path from the bunkhouse and began walking.

“Hold a moment Rarity,” said Luna as she trotted beside her. The princess raised her gaze to the heavens. “Why is it that unicorns never think to turn their gaze up?”

Rarity looked to the sky and saw Rainbow Dash flying with three others. “Should have figured Rainbow Dash’s head would be in the clouds,” she said with a light chuckle. She waited for a response, but Luna only rolled her eyes.

“Everyone’s a critic,” said Rarity and drew upon the power of Magic. A dull ache grew at the base of her horn.

“I will keep watch over you from the shadows between dreams,” said Luna, melding into the background of midnight until only her voice remained. “Do not hesitate to ask for help.”

Rarity bowed her head. “I will, Princess.”

A sparkling pair of gossamer wings sprouted from Rarity’s sides and she wasted no time in taking to the air.

She found Rainbow Dash flying high into the air against a dark field of stars. The speed of her twists and dives caused the dim lights of midnight to skip off her wing and trail auroras through the sky. Rarity might have thought the show to be Luna’s work if her powerful vision didn’t show her otherwise.

Fortunately Rainbow had seen her too, and zipped down to meet her.

“Hey Rare, how’s it flyin’?” cried Dash as she sped by the unicorn. And then Rainbow Dash was behind her and speeding away. “If you think you can catch up on a pair of conjured wings, you’ve got another thing comin’!”

Three ponies in Wonderbolt outfits trailed after Rainbow. Rarity knew they were famous fliers, but their names escaped her at the moment.

“Wow, our new Captain’s awesome!” said one.

“I know! She’s got it it all; speed, attitude, and pizazz!”

Rarity gaped at the Wonderbolts. “Rainbow... you didn’t.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “Yep, I did. Pretty sweet huh?”

One of the changelings, disguised as a stallion with blue hair, echoed the statement. “Yep! Pretty sweet!”

Rarity would never catch up to her friend long enough to do what she had to. None of the powerful magic at her disposal could match Rainbow Dash’s speed.

Even so, Rarity was not helpless. She knew a certain trick that would work on a stallion every time... and it would work on Rainbow Dash.

“Oh no!” she shouted in Rainbow Dash’s direction. “My magic’s failing!”

Rainbow Dash did a sharp U-turn and her distant form grew closer. “Huh? What’d ya say?”

Certain that her friend’s attention was on her, Rarity dismissed her wings and allowed herself to plummet straight toward the ground. She didn’t spare the theatrical flailing, or the blood-curdling scream.

It wasn’t even ten seconds before a powerful set of forearms scooped up Rarity, and two light blue wings beat against the air current to lift her up. Rarity instinctively clung to Rainbow Dash’s firm chest, and heard her labored but strong breath.

“Sheesh Rarity! You almost scared me half to death!” Rainbow spared Rarity an admonishing glance before returning her attention to the air ahead of her. “What are you doing up here anyway?”

“Nothing much really,” said Rarity idly. “Rainbow Dash there’s always something I’ve wondered about pegasus. Is it true that if a pegasus were to fall asleep during flight, they’d fall straight to the ground?”

Rainbow Dash’s laughter beat softly upon Rarity’s body. “Oh man, is that what you unicorns tell each other? Of course not! Our magic is way too powerful for that. It rarely ever happens, but if a pegasus were to fall asleep in flight, their wings would work on automatic and glide them to the ground. I’d only be in danger if I got injured in midair, or if I was flying really fast.”

“Okay, just wondering!” Rarity summoned her magic into a glow and pressed her horn against Rainbow Dash’s brow. Once more her vision blurred and faded, as both she and Rainbow Dash lost consciousness to retreat into the pegasus’s psyche.

Rainbow Dash moved through the campus of Cloudsdale University as though she owned it, and she certainly dressed the part. A tight leather jacket clung to her barrel and forearms, adorned with lines of steel studs. In contrast to the unkempt look that she would later wear, her mane was shaven on both sides, with the center left spiked up in an arrogant mohawk. Asymmetrical piercings glinted across her face, one on her eyebrow, two on the left side of her nose, and four on her lips.

A gorgeous cloud fountain poured water vapor into the air as Rainbow circled around it. On the other side, a bespectacled colt reading a book looked up to greet his fellow pegasus.

“Oh hey Rainbow!”

“Hey Blue Skies,” said Rainbow with a grin. “Studying for midterms?”

“Yep, how about you? Done anything homosexual lately?”

“Oh yeah, I was jus... bwhuh?”

Blue Skies had already returned to reading. Rainbow stared at him a moment longer before continuing her journey.

As Rainbow passed the science building, April Showers and Blossomforth emerged and waved at her.

“Hey Rainbow Dash, how’s it going?” asked Blossomforth.

“Want to have a threesome with us?” asked April Showers through a fit of giggles.

Rainbow froze in place, staring at the pair. “No... thank you?”

“Suit yourself!” cried Blossomforth as the two flew off.

Rainbow frowned and began grumbling as she approached the student center.

The doors to the center flew open and the pegasus Cinnamon Swirl burst out.

“Oh wow, it’s Rainbow Dash!” cried Cinnamon.

“Haha, that’s right,” said Rainbow Dash with the start of a grin.

“I hear you’re the gayest thing since gay flew to gayville!”

Rainbow Dash’s head began to droop. “Don’t you mean awesome?”

“Nope,” said Cinnamon Swirl and trotted away.

Rainbow Dash picked up her pace in a huff and entered the student center, where Cloud Kicker waited for her outside the business office.

“Rainbow!” cried Cloud Kicker. “I”m so glad you’re here, I was afraid you were going to stand me up!”

“Are you kidding?” said Rainbow as Cloud Kicker rose and fell in line with her. “These astrology courses are ridiculous! I was just looking for an easy A so I could devote more time to the flight team, but Professor Hoofstrom’s such a hardass! If I don’t do well on this constellation project, I’m going to be in trouble.”

“Haha, yeah!” said Cloud Kicker nervously. “I know, he is way too strict isn’t he? Oh wow, we’re agreeing about something! We’ve got so much in common!”

“I guess so,” said Rainbow Dash, leading them outside.

“So where did you want to study? Are we going to need the library, because otherwise I know some quiet, beautiful places around campus where we could get to know each other... through study! Studying is fun!”

Rainbow Dash gestured to the dormitory building. “Let’s do it in my room, that’s where my project is anyway.”

Cloud Kicker’s eyes bulged out. “Your room?! Oh wow... I guess... I guess that’s fine! Sure, let’s go to your room!”

“Uhh... yeah,” said Rainbow Dash, giving her partner a flat look. “That’s what I said.”

When they reached the dorm room Rainbow Dash gave it a brief knock, and then entered after a bare moment of waiting for a response. She waved Cloud Kicker in and unceremoniously dumped the contents of her backpack on the desk.

“Shouldn’t we put a sock on the doorknob or something?” asked Cloud Kicker from the doorway.

“Why would we do that?”

“So your roommate doesn’t walk in on us?”

“Don’t worry about her, she’s really quiet. If she came by we probably wouldn’t even notice.”

Cloud Kicker sat on the bed, her hind legs rubbing nervously against each other.

“So I’ve got the basic formulas down,” said Rainbow as she shuffled through a few papers. “But some of Celestia’s more advanced star patterns are really stumping me. Do you want to help me through this worksheet and then we can quiz each other?”

“Actually Rainbow... I’m really nervous here. If it’s all the same to you, can we just get down to business?”

Rainbow Dash picked up a stack of papers and slapped it against the desk. “I am getting down to business.”

“You don’t have to pretend. I know your reputation; you brought me up here because you want to sleep with me.”

Rainbow Dash did a double take. “What? No I don’t!”

Cloud Kicker’s eyes began to water. “What do you mean? What did you bring me up here for?”

“So you could help me with my astronomy homework!” cried Rainbow Dash, beginning to rile.

“I’M NOT PRETTY ANYMORE!” screamed Cloud Kicker as she burst into tears.

“What does that have to do with anything? I don’t pay attention to that kind of crap!”

As Cloud Kicker continued bawling Rainbow desperately switched to a gentler tactic. “I mean... I’m sure you... are though?”

“No I’m not,” whimpered Cloud Kicker. “Half the mares in this school say they’ve slept with you, so why am I the only one you don’t want?”

“Half the mares— look Cloud Kicker, I don’t care what anypony says. I’m a virgin alright?”

“STOP LYING TO MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!” with a fresh torrent of sobs, Cloud Kicker rushed to the window of the dorm and leapt out, flying away.

Rainbow Dash scowled and flopped onto her bed. “Sheesh! Is every mare in this school crazy? Whose gonna help me with my astrology homework now?”

Rainbow stared at the ceiling in silence as the minutes ticked away. Eventually a soft knock came at the doorway.

“Come in,” said Rainbow Dash without moving. “It’s your room too.”

The door gradually creaked open and Fluttershy ducked nervously inside. “Umm, I know. I heard fighting though, I didn’t want to walk in on you if you were fighting. Is... everything alright?”

“No,” said Rainbow Dash bitterly. “Cloud Kicker promised to help me study but then she just flipped out and abandoned me for no reason.”

“Oh... that wasn’t very nice of her. Umm... would you like me to help you out instead?”

“You? You’re working on a veterinary degree, there’s not much crossover with meteorology.”

Fluttershy smiled. “That’s true, but I’ve been tutoring students for extra bits. Astronomy tutors are actually in high demand, so I took it as an elective last semester.”

“That’d be great! I don’t know what I’d do without you ‘Shy.”

“Hopefully you’ll never have to find out,” said Fluttershy with a giggle. She went to her own side of the room and retrieved her quiz cards while Rainbow Dash set up the star charts she had drawn in preparation.

“So Fluttershy...” said Rainbow Dash, squinting as she taped a sheet of paper to the wall.

“Hmm?”

Rainbow Dash shoved some textbooks off of her desk. “I think I might be gay.”

Fluttershy said nothing, but her wings began to perk up.

*****

Rarity and Rainbow Dash lay pressed together in a bed of pine needles, having landed safely during the vision.

“Those were really the days,” said Rainbow Dash softly. “Fluttershy always made a big deal out of it when I stood up to the snobs and bullies for her, but the whole time it was really her looking after me.”

Rainbow closed her eyes to prevent the tears from falling. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me Rarity. She was the one pony I wanted to protect from all harm. The heart of Loyalty that carried me so far was inspired by her. And now she’s having somepony pose as me just so I can’t hurt her again.”

Giving Rarity’s shoulder a squeeze, Rainbow stood up. “She’s better off without me Rarity. You all are.”

Rarity stood up too, the cogs in her mind sparking as they ground against each other. “Rainbow Dash,” she said gently. “I would like to try an experiment if that’s alright with you.”

Rainbow Dash tilted her head, bewildered. “Are you coming on to me?”

“No Rainbow Dash, not that kind of experiment! I’m just going to show you some images, and you are going to tell me how they make you feel. Simple, really.”

“Uhh... yeah,” said Dash, lips pursed. “Sounds easy.”

As Rarity concentrated on her magic, an ache appeared on her brow and trickled numbly up her horn. She refused to consider the implications.

The spell burst from her horn. The misty night coalesced in front of them, forming into an image. 

A summer day lay beyond the screen. The sun reflected on the surface of a swimming pool, causing the water to glimmer.

On the far side of the pool, Spitfire stood at the deep end in her Wonderbolt costume. With breathtaking torpor she slid out of the colored leather and plunged nude into the sparkling depths. A leisurely backstroke brought her closer to where Rarity and Rainbow Dash watched in silence— right up against the magic screen. The pegasus then climbed the steps leading from the shallow end, her yellow form dripping copiously as she emerged.

Spitfire shook, spraying water everywhere.

“Oh wow,” she said breathily, her eyes half-lidded. “That made me all wet.” She strode over to a plastic lounging chair and lay down on her back, writhing on the rubber surface.

“Hey,” she murmured. “Could you grab that bottle of lotion and lather it all over me? Make sure not to miss a single inch.”

The image faded from the screen, and Rarity turned to watch Rainbow Dash expectantly.

“Well?” she asked when Rainbow drew out the silence.

Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Well what?”

“How did watching that make you feel?”

“Oh! Well personally I kinda hate it when my wings get wet... so I guess I can identify with her?”

Rarity nodded clinically. “Very good. Now, I have another image to show you.”

The screen came to life again, a sharp rapping ringing through the air before the image finally came into focus.

Big Macintosh slammed a hammer into a wooden fence, driving down a nail. With each whack, his powerful form tightened sharply. The sweat of his neck muscles glistened as they strained with effort.

Soon the hammer fell from his mouth. He gave it a long glance, and then turned to look over his shoulder.

“Whoops, dropped my hammer,” he said with a salacious grin. “Better pick it up, huh?” He winked and then returned to the task, his iron-forged haunch thrusting up in the air as he bent to retrieve the tool.

Rarity dismissed the image and the screen. “And... there,” she said, turning to look at Rainbow Dash expectantly. “How did that make you feel?”

“Sorry Rare,” said Rainbow Dash, her wings stiff and upright. “Didn’t feel anything at all.”

Rarity kept a neutral expression. “Mmm-hmm. Could you look behind yourself for one moment?”

Rainbow glanced over her shoulder and got a face full of feather.

“By Celestia’s mythological phallus,” she said, eyes bulging as she turned to stare at Rarity. “This means... this means...”

“Yes?” asked Rarity gently, prompting Rainbow to continue with gestures of encouragement.

“I must want to have sex with you Rarity!”

Rarity covered her eyes with her hoof.

“I’m so sorry... it’s alright if you’re as disgusted as I am, but I swear this isn’t why I became friends with you. I never spent all day staring at your flank, and I didn’t save your life up in Cloudsdale just for gratitude sex, and I swear I’ve never lost myself in daydreams of wrapping my lips around your pert little horn and—”

“Rainbow! Please!”

“Oh geez, sorry! I kind of lost it there for a second. But you know, it all makes sense in a kind of sick, perverted way. I’m a rampaging, sex-addicted monster! I’d probably do anything with a pulse! Wouldn’t even matter if it was a pony, maybe—”

“Rainbow! Would you get ahold of yourself for one moment?”

Rainbow shut up, though she was still fidgeting.

Rarity took a deep breath and tried again. “If you’ll recall, your excitement occurred when you viewed my second showing, no? I doubt very much it had anything to do with me.”

“Huh? Yeah...” Rainbow’s brow scrunched in thought. “Yeah!” She thought some more. “So what you’re saying is... I might be... slightly... bi-curious?”

Rarity decided then she would need a direct approach.

“Rainbow Dash... when was it that you first came to identify yourself as a lesbian?”

“Well you know, in college. You saw most of it, everypony pointed out that I’ve got a rainbow mane, and I’m told I have a raspy voice, plus I like sports. I never really noticed because I was too busy studying and training and being awesome, but once everyone else started mentioning it I just sort of... caught on.”

Rarity trotted over to Rainbow Dash and sat down before her. “So you based your identity on what everypony else told you?”

“Umm... yeah? Doesn’t everyone do that?”

Rarity closed her eyes gracefully. “I’m sorry Rainbow Dash,” she whispered. “Maybe part of it or even most of it was simply based on what you told me yourself, but I can’t say that I never made any judgements based solely on your appearance.”

Rainbow Dash fidgeted. “Umm... I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about... but I feel like it’s just out of reach... and it’s really important.”

Rarity opened her eyes again and stared. “Then think Rainbow Dash. Forget everything you’ve heard any pony ever say. Think about what your heart truly tells you about colts and fillies.”

Something in Rarity’s voice must have made Rainbow Dash listen, because the pegasus sat down and stared up at the sky.

Neither spoke for several moments.

“I don’t believe it,” said Rainbow Dash at last, voice weak and filled with awe.

Rarity said nothing.

“My whole life, I’ve just let everypony else decide what I am. That’s not what an awesome pony does. An awesome pony decides on her own, and then makes every other pony want to be just like her.

“I’m straight, Rarity. I’ve always been straight.”

Rarity laid her neck to rest on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder and felt her friend’s forearms on her barrel.

She felt around in her saddlebag until her telekinetic aura grazed jagged metal. Pulling out her prize, she offered the Element of Loyalty to Rainbow Dash.

“Ready to start being awesome again? We need you Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow took the offering without hesitation. “How could I have even thought about leaving things the way they are now? I don’t know how to quit because I’ve never done it before. Maybe Fluttershy can’t forgive me, I wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t. But this... this changes everything. She has to know.”

“Do you want me to tell her?”

Rainbow shook her head firmly. “Nah. She needs to hear this from me. I owe it to her.”

Rarity pulled away with a nod, but Rainbow only let go reluctantly. “Rare?”

“Yes Rainbow Dash?”

“Thanks for pulling me out of my funk. I think we’re gonna be friends forever.”

Rarity felt a pang of guilt. Of course Rainbow Dash. Until I abandon you in three weeks.

Despite her heartache and exhaustion, she smiled. “Now I have a plan but I need you to lay low for now so Queen Chrysalis doesn’t get suspicious. Can you meet me at Celestia’s office while I round everypony up?”

Rainbow bit her lip. “Uhh... are you sure you don’t want me to do it? No offense Rarity, but you don’t look so good.”

Rarity tapped the tiara. “I have to use this to find out what’s wrong. Don’t worry, I’m just coming down with a tiny little sniffle.”

Rainbow Dash glanced at the Element of Magic but made no comment, simply taking it in stride. “If you say so. Don’t push yourself though.”

“Of course not. Au revoir!”

Rarity waited for Rainbow Dash to finish her goodbyes and fly away.

Truthfully her friend’s assessment had been right on the mark. Her stomach churned with vague nausea, and her horn felt dull and powerless. Normally she would have been in bed hours ago, and her heavy eyes begged to be allowed shut.

A quick nap then? She hated herself for even thinking it, but even as her mind rejected the idea, her forelegs began curling up on the soft and the inviting grass as though of their own free will.

Across from her she saw Lyra at a confectionary table, chomping so loudly that the sound of gnashing teeth rang against her ears.

“Excuse me,” said Rarity, letting her annoyance show. “I am trying to sleep here, as you can see.”

The unicorn lifted both her forehooves up, and from the tips sprouted long, flexible fingers.

Rarity shrieked.

Lyra used her new hands to pluck cupcakes off of the table. “Behold Rarity! With two hands I can eat twice the cupcakes!”

Then the flesh of Lyra’s torso began to twist and turn, and four ape-like arms complete with their own hands sprouted from it. “But with six hands, I can do so much more!” The fleshy manipulators reached for more cupcakes.

Rarity shrieked louder and stumbled to her hooves, scrambling away from the unfortunate sight.

A blast of moonlight hit the confectionary stand and the apparition faded away.

“Keeping you in a sound state of mind grows more difficult,” said a deep voice from behind her.

Rarity turned to greet Princess Luna. A dark blue hoof was offered to Rarity, and she took it and pulled herself up.

“Oh thank you,” said Rarity tenderly. “I lost myself for a moment there.”

“I cannot allow you to close your eyes, Rarity. If you do, they will not open again.”

“I see.” Rarity began trotting along. “I suppose I shall have to hurry. How much time do I have left?”

“Long enough to lie down and die I should think.” Luna’s voice gained a presence that threatened to knock Rarity off of her hooves. “DO YOU NOT HEAR ME YOU STUBBORN MULE?”

Rarity ducked her head and resumed walking. “I apologize. My work isn’t finished yet.”

“Please, fair Rarity. You have already done more than anypony could expect. The fortitude of your untrained will is stronger than I thought possible. But you cannot go on. I can feel the connection to your psyche fading. I fear it may already be too late.”

The softening of Luna’s voice made Rarity freeze in her place—briefly. A moment later, she had resumed her pace.

“Rarity... I don’t want to lose you. Will you force me to beg?”

Rarity stopped and turned to Luna with a pained smile. “Not on my behalf. Please, never beg on my behalf.”

“What drives you on? Do you think you’re proving a point?”

“Of course not. I just... want them to have one last thing to remember me by, before I go.”

A glimmer caught her eye. She briefly glanced down at Generosity, reflecting in the moonlight.

Rarity took a few steps, and stumbled.

Luna gasped.

“I just tripped,” lied Rarity as she hastened back to her trot. “It’s no big deal.”

“Do not waste your breath.”

“Luna—”

“Truly you must not. I feel you growing weaker every time you speak.”

Rarity clammed up.

“I can’t physically restrain you when naught but my spirit resides here. My sister is already on her way. I can only hope you regain your senses before she arrives.”

Luna became one with the shadows and vanished.

Ahead, Rarity saw an exploding sunburst lighting up the sky. Fireworks. That could only be one of Pinkie Pie’s signals. She had met one of their friends.

Could it be Applejack?

Rarity found enough strength to run.

The underbrush tangled with her hooves, and though she stumbled she never lost control of the gallop. When she lost her balance she only moved faster, and when she couldn’t be graceful, she made do with desperation.

She didn’t know how far she had run or how far she could keep going, but when she heard the voices of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash she slowed down. Hearing more, she decided it wasn’t quite Rainbow Dash. The changeling evidently couldn’t perfect that boyish yet feminine quality that was unique to the real pegasus.

“It’s so nice watching the fireworks with you,” said Fluttershy. “It seems like it’s been forever since we would just hang out like this, as friends.”

“Hah, don’t tell me you’re worried ‘Shy. You know I’ll be there for you whenever you need me.”

“I’m so lucky to have you.”

Approaching them from around the bend, Rarity saw the two lying in the grass, looking at the night sky. The fireworks had run out, but neither seemed to mind.

Applejack wasn’t here. With shame, Rarity felt her relief. Did Applejack ask for a simulacrum of Rarity? And if she hadn’t, then who?

Both ponies looked up at her, and then returned their attention to the sky.

“Mind if I join you?” Rarity whispered.

“Not at all,” said Fluttershy. “In fact I hoped you would. Dash and I are having such a nice time, and if you joined us well... that’d be nice!” She giggled.

Rarity sat close to Fluttershy, not touching her, but near enough to feel her friend’s intense warmth. Too intense. She was burning up just sitting next to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy glanced quizzically over at Rarity, her expression melding into a frown. She reached out and touched Rarity’s shoulder, and then gasped at the contact and pulled her friend closer.

“You’re so cold,” said Fluttershy. “Do you need a blanket?”

“Do you have one?”

“No, sorry.” Fluttershy instead draped a wing across Rarity’s back.

Rarity smiled weakly, her head lolling about on her neck as she clumsily aimed her horn at her pegasus companion.

“Gotcha,” she murmured.

“Huh?” said Fluttershy, more curious than alarmed.

Rarity wound up her magic, expecting the familiar tickle in her horn. Seconds passed as the blue glow gathered at the base of forehead, and...

Nothing.

The spell died within her without as much as a sputter.

She had reached into the depths of herself and found nothing. It might have been like being an earth pony, if earth ponies experienced the world in shades of agony.

“You’re shivering Rarity,” said Fluttershy, bothering Rarity’s neck with an insistent muzzle. “I think we need to get you inside.”

Rarity said nothing. A reply seemed too difficult, and would not get her what she needed.

She glanced down at Generosity. It still reflected against the stars, so bright that it blinded her. She looked away immediately.

As her vision returned, Rarity fixed a vacant stare on Fluttershy. A bead of sweat rolled down her moistened neck and fell to the earth. Each breath she took was a battle of wills, and every exhale brought her nearer to her final breath.

She looked into Fluttershy’s eyes. There was enough concern and affection in them to drown in.

When she tried the spell again, it worked.

Fluttershy was in the midst of her orderly cottage, wrapping a gift. A silk pillow from Prance, stuffed with Gryphon feathers. Rarity’s birthday gift.

That would have been a little over two months ago.

Fluttershy’s work was interrupted by a knock on the door, loud and rapidly fired. She started, then struggled to peel the tape off of her hooves. Another knock came as she finally freed herself.

“I’m on my way,” said Fluttershy, too quietly for the words to have any hope of reaching the visitor beyond the door.

She needn’t have bothered, as at that point Rainbow Dash lost patience and invited herself inside.

“I thought you must be out,” said Rainbow Dash when she spotted Fluttershy. “I was about to leave a note on your table.”

“Sorry, I was just in the middle of preparing Rarity’s birthday gift, and I didn’t expect a visitor.”

Fluttershy led Rainbow back to her work area and showed her the half-wrapped pillow.

“It’s stuffed with griffon feather,” she explained with a touch of pride.

“Cool! I didn’t know what to get her myself, so I just got what any pony would want - two mid-row tickets to next weeks Wonderbolt’s exhibition race! You think she’ll like ‘em?”

Fluttershy nodded at once. “Of course she will.”

“Okay good, I just hope she picks me to go with, I don’t know of anypony else with adequate Wonderbolt trivia to make sure she gets the best possible viewing experience. Plus those tickets were expensive.”

Turning her back on her host, Rainbow Dash wandered toward the kitchen. “I sprinted all the way here, can I have a glass of water?”

“Absolutely, make yourself at home.”

Fluttershy returned her attention to wrapping the gift.

Rainbow Dash called to her from the kitchen. “Hey, you’ve got lemonade in your fridge, can I have that instead?”

Fluttershy rolled her eyes, but she was grinning. “Yes you may,” she said, her soft voice somehow managing to carry to the next room. “There’s not much left, so don’t worry about drinking it all. And if you want a snack I’ve got crackers in the cupboard.”

“I know,” said Rainbow Dash, her words muffled as she chewed. “I found ‘em. Hey, you wanna be my marefriend?”

Fluttershy blinked and rubbed at her eyes.

Rainbow Dash trotted back to the living room with Fluttershy, sipping a plastic cup as she walked.

“Uhh, Rainbow, I couldn’t hear what you said while you were chewing and—”

“I asked if you wanted to be my marefriend.”

“So you did say that,” mumbled Fluttershy. She began hiding within the safety of her bangs.

“It’s no big deal if you aren’t interested,” said Rainbow Dash, frowning and backing up. “You know what? Forget about it, I’ll ask Pinkie instead. See ya around!” She placed her glass sideways on the table, where it leaked a few drops onto the surface.

“Oh no, I didn’t mean... it’s just... Rainbow... this is so very sudden. I didn’t realize you felt this way about me.”

“Well... sure I do. I never thought about it until lately, but whenever I’ve been at work, the other girls have been talking about their relationships. Nothing but stallions and mares the whole lunch break. And that’s not something I can talk about because I only ever dated that one time so I’ve... been lying.”

Rainbow Dash hung her head. “I’m their boss, but if they knew the truth they’d think I was just a little kid. How degrading is that?”

Fluttershy sighed and aligned herself with Rainbow Dash so that their shoulders were bumping. “How you choose to live your personal life is nothing to be ashamed of Rainbow. If that’s all this is about, maybe we could talk to some of the others and see about setting you up on a date?”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. “I— no. It has to be you Fluttershy. I wasn’t even serious about asking Pinkie Pie. You’re really the only one I could see myself getting together with. The way I see it, we’ve been friends almost our whole lives, and I’ve always been there to protect you. And I can see myself just doing that for the rest of my life. If you want, anyway.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath. “So... if I said yes, would it make you happy?”

Rarity leaned against Fluttershy, too weary to stand. The pegasus supported her weight without complaint or even acknowledgement.

“It didn’t make her happy,” said Fluttershy. “All of you are my best friends but Rainbow Dash... she was my first friend. And no matter what I try to do, she’s just not interested in me anymore. It never used to be this way Rarity. She used to always find time for me. She never avoided me in public. If anypony tried to make her feel ashamed of me, she’d just say that I was cool or awesome. Even if I really was being dorky, she never seemed to mind.”

Rarity opened her mouth but hesitated as she searched for the right words.

“I just don’t understand it Rarity. She asked me for this. She told me it would make her happy. And so I agreed, because anything is worth seeing her smile. So how did it go so wrong? What did I do so that she doesn’t even like me anymore?”

“Stop it.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all my problems on you like that when you’re not feeling well.”

“It has nothing to do with that. Fluttershy, dearest. How could you put all the blame on yourself? And how could you say that Rainbow Dash doesn’t like you?”

“I didn’t mean—”

“I spoke with her,” said Rarity. “I promised not to say anything more than that... but I will say that she has something important to say to you, and she’s just as confused as you are. She wants her friend back, Fluttershy.”

“I’ve always been there for her.”

“Fluttershy, she just saw you choose a changeling over her. I think that broke something inside of her.”

“What? Oh no no no I just... what? She didn’t think that... oh dear, it must have looked like I was rejecting her! I wasn’t rejecting her!” She glanced at ‘Rainbow Dash.’ “I just saw those poor changelings in need and knew I had to do something. I knew that if one of them looked like Rainbow Dash, then I wouldn’t have any difficulty at all loving it. I didn’t mean... but she must think it meant I didn’t want to be her friend anymore! This is terrible.”

“She’ll understand,” managed Rarity. Her voice was growing weak now. “She just needs to hear everything that you told me.”

“Of course. I can’t let things stay like this between us. I don’t know what I was thinking.” Her gaze turned to the disguised changeling. “Are you alright? Are you going to need anymore love?”

The changeling Dash wiped a tear from its eye. “I don’t... I want you and her to be happy, Fluttershy. But maybe... five more minutes and I won’t be so weak?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Alright, five more minutes. And then we’re going to have to get you somewhere safe.”

Rarity stood up, legs wobbling. Fluttershy was at her side in an instant.

“And what about you Rarity? Are you going to be alright?”

Rarity faked a convincing laugh. “Of course Fluttershy, nothing’s the matter with me.”

“That’s not true Rarity. I can see that you’re very sick. Do you need us to walk you inside? We could wrap you in blankets and make you some hot vegetable soup.”

“That can wait Fluttershy! I still need to connect with Twilight and Applejack, and then we’ll have to figure out what on Equestria to do with Queen Chrysalis!”

Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed, threatening a stare. “No. You are not fighting a battle in your current state. You’re going to lie down and sit this one out.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, it’s just a bit of a chill, I can hardly feel it.”

“Rarity.”

Rarity sighed. “Fine, you’re right. It isn’t a big deal, but I suppose I will have to rest and be sure not to infect anypony else. I’ll leave you to meet with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow at the office. I’ll be in the bunk if anypony wants to check on me.”

“Are you sure you’ll make it there alright on your own?”

“Absolutely! See? I can barely feel it.”

Rarity made a show of holding her head up high and trotting off with ease. Somehow she managed to keep the facade up until she was out of Fluttershy’s sight.

Not a minute too soon. She stumbled. Her weak and fever-cold body no longer cared to support her. Rejecting the insubordination of her muscles, she trotted through the pain.

It wasn’t much of a trot. Her gait couldn’t even be called a walk. Through her pain she would pull her leg off the ground, letting it shake and wobble. Then, with a whimper of pain, she lunged forward. The same laborious process with her other three limbs, and she had completed a step.

The tiara seemed to be pouring liquid hot power into her skull.

“It is over eleven hundred yards to the recreation center,” said Luna with a detached expression. She was standing on the side of the path ahead of Rarity. “At your rate of movement, it will take you over an hour to arrive.”

“Don’t muddle this issue with your mathematics,” hissed Rarity.

“Can you endure for that long, Rarity? Can you even endure the next five minutes?”

“I can and I will.”

“There is a noble strength in realizing your own limitations, Rarity.” Luna vanished as Rarity passed her, only to appear again further ahead on the path. “Many ponies go through their entire life without being blessed by this wisdom. And that is fine. BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE THAT LUXURY. THIS IS YOUR FINAL CHANCE TO SUBMIT TO THE LIMITS OF YOUR MORTAL FORM.”

Rarity didn’t bother to respond. Her mind was made up. If she gave a gift to a friend, then she gave a gift to all five of her friends. Anything less would just be selfish.

“Rarity,” Luna’s voice lowered to a vulnerably soft octave. “You have a family.”

“Don’t you think I know that?” said Rarity, and as she opened her mouth she had to spit out something thick and coppery. “Of course I have a family, AND TONIGHT THEY NEED MY HELP!”

Her frustration at Luna’s interference carried too high a price. As Rarity tried to take another step, she spilled forward like jelly and collapsed on the dirt road.

From somewhere, she heard Luna screaming.

“It’s fine,” she rasped. Tears of pain flowed from her eyes as she tried to pick herself up. “I’ll be fine.”

Halfway to her hooves she fell down again. She decided to rest a bit, and her tortured limbs developed a calming numbness. An improvement.

The second time she tried, she got back on her hooves.

“Stop... please...”

“Is there dirt on my coat?” mumbled Rarity, struggling to remember who she was speaking to. “It must be terrible having to look at a lady... with dirt on her coat.”

She made it seven more steps before she was lying on the ground again.

“Rarity... I can’t watch this... I don’t...”

“It’s fine... I got back up before... I can do it again.” She struggled with her failing muscles, managing to rise halfway before stabbing anguish ripped through her joints and forced her back down on the ground.

She tried to rise again, fully aware that her efforts would be useless. Her body didn’t so much as respond to her command.

“Alright, so I can’t get up again.”

“Do you still feel pain?”

Rarity blinked. The pain was gone. The numbness in her legs had spread throughout her entire body.

“I don’t. That’s... good, right?”

“No fair Rarity, that is a dire sign. You must take the tiara off now. You have perhaps a minute, perhaps much less.”

Right, the Tiara. In her focus to reach her destination she had forgotten all about it.

It wasn’t doing her any good now anyway.

She lifted a shaking forearm. Her hoof rose about six inches from the ground before falling again. When she tried again it didn’t respond at all. It might have been a block of wood for all she felt connected to it.

She allowed herself to collapse to her side, her head resting against the earth.

The Tiara fell from her brow and landed in the grass.

“Ah, see?” she whispered. “It’s off now. It’ll all be fine.”

She felt Luna’s weighty presence kneeling beside her.

“You are doing well, Rarity. Help is closer than you realize. All you have to do is keep your eyes open.

Rarity began to close her eyes. “I really wish I could do that.”

“Rarity, don’t close your eyes. Do not close your eyes.”

She kept her eyes half open for a moment longer. “Tell them...”

“Rarity.”

“Tell them... I’m sorry... I couldn’t give them anything more.”

She closed her eyes and let the darkness flood. Luna was saying something, very loudly, but very far away, but whatever her words they couldn’t possibly matter now.

She had never been afraid of meeting her end. Only of the pain she might experience when that end came. In that regard, tonight was a blessing. Rarity felt no pain at all, just something all around her that was warm, and soft, and safe.

“WE ARE GOING TO SLEEP WITH APPLEJACK!”

Rarity opened one eye.

“Really?” she said sourly.

“Yes indeed. We have always harbored a secret lust for the strong farmer. WITH YOU OUT OF THE WAY WE SEE NO REASON NOT TO BOB FOR HER LIKE AN APPLE.”

“No... I mean... I’m lying here dying... and I only just manage to say the last words I’ve always wanted to... and you’ve got to end it on that note? Really?”

“I can’t see how your say matters. You were just about to close your eyes and pass on, why should you care?”

“Princess Luna you are... the most horrible pony ever.”

Luna’s wing fell across her back. “Tis true, fair Rarity. We have no need to keep up appearances any longer. It’s not like you’re going to tell anypony.”

Rarity felt vertigo and darkness assault her vision. She pushed it back. “Well maybe I’ll stay alive just to spite you!”

“YOU WOULD DO THAT? FOR US? WE ARE FLATTERED, FAIR RARITY!”

Rarity looked Luna over weakly. Her vision would not focus and all she could see was a blur.

“I think I shall plunge the world into eternal night too. Without you to stop me it should work this time.”

“Something... I always... wondered about that.”

“Yes?”

“Without the sun, Equestria would get very cold, wouldn’t it? Did you have some way to keep ponies alive to appreciate your night, or was the plan just to have us all freeze to death out of spite?”

“Oh... well...” Luna made a big show of hemming and hawing.

“We never really thought that through,” she confessed at last.

“Worst... pony... ever...”  Rarity rasped. Her eyes drifted shut again.

She could feel Luna licking her. It didn’t matter. She was too tired to care or even wonder why.

A long run over her snout. Then another across her lips.

Rarity opened her eyes again. “You’re not... going to... let me have any dignity in this... are you?”

Luna blinked. “You’re still alive?!” Her face was aghast. “Our apologies, fair Rarity. We will resume molesting you once you are properly deceased.”

“Really.”

“Indeed, we would be loathe to see a mare as gorgeous as yourself be buried a virgin.”

Rarity was silent for a long moment. Luna shifted in and out of clarity.

“You... think I’m gorgeous?”

“That was not quite the key point of my statement.”

“I know but... the rest was just trash that you didn’t mean. That part... was an interesting detail.”

“Who is to say what I do or do not mean?”

“You didn’t mean any of that because you’re a good pony.”

“Nonsense, I am a wicked mare of the moon.”

“Hah!” Rarity reached up and touched Luna’s cheek. “I don’t think many ponies would notice your blush against that dark blue coat. But I do. The signs are subtle, but there for anypony to read. You’re making yourself uncomfortable. All just to make me too angry to die.”

Luna’s gaze lowered. “Am I that easy to read?”

“Like a book.” Rarity tried to breathe and for one panicked moment couldn’t find her lungs. She choked, Luna’s eyes widened in concern, and then suddenly air was rasping out of her mouth again.

“You’re... quite unlike any pony of the court. Quite unlike your sister too.”

“One thousand years ago we were the paragon of class and fashion.”

“Oh princess, you still are. You’re that... noble gentlepony of old that every mare claims is gone these days. But here you are. Don’t... ever... change...”

Rarity fell to her side and began convulsing. Her heart was beating erratically, and then blood drained from her body and it wasn’t beating at all. With no control over her neck, her fading vision forced her to stare passively up at the night sky.

bright... so bright... I wonder... how many stars there are....

She couldn’t count them. The glare of starlight was blinding her.

The view became obscured by Luna’s leaning face. Their horns touched.

“Rarity. It’s too late for you to die.”

From the princess’s horn came incomparable power. Blood flew through Rarity’s limbs once more. Her heart began pumping steadily. In an instant, she was whole.

“What...” she coughed. “What happened?”

“It took a thousand years for the stars to aid in my escape. Now that I’m back on Equestria, they aid me considerably more often.”

Rarity crawled to her hooves, shocked at how easily she could move.

“I simply needed time to prepare that subtle leap through space. Thank you for holding out long enough. The stars move slowly. Now, I was only given an instant to be by your side in body. But you are by no means well, so—”

Luna blushed and recoiled back as Rarity nuzzled her. “Thank you. On this night, on this task, you were just the friend I needed, Princess Luna.”

The Element of Magic still lie where it had fallen from her skull. Rarity scooped it up with her nose and dropped it back on her head.

“Rarity!” protested Luna in shock.

This time Rarity knew what to look for. Beneath the rush of power she could feel the pain of the Element draining her.

“What are you doing? After all that has happened, surely you do not still intend to die to save your friends!”

“Of course not,” said Rarity, hooves falling steadily on the road. “That would be ridiculous. I’m going to live and save them.”