The Unicorn

"But what exactly does it do…?" Rarity continued, a bit agitated. The tiny gem rolled from hoof to hoof as she talked.

"A soul gem is not actually a gem," Twilight explained, missing the question for the second time. "It's made of a magical substance called aether. Somepony took the raw magical energy that powers all magic and transformed it into crystalline form. The only way to do that is to use somepony's soul as a binding agent.”

“It's funny that they say the gem traps the soul, when the soul actually binds the gem."

---

Rarity knocked on the door of Twilight’s library. After grooming themselves, Rarity decided that staying with her would be best. Rarity liked clean and quiet in her workspace, and Twilight’s house was both of those in the absolute extreme. Rarity would have suspected that each speck of dust had a pre-set place in the library if Twilight had access to a movable microscope.

Also it was a library. Being quiet in a library is like the first, universal rule of etiquette, and a law punishable by death in the presence of Twilight Sparkle.

The yammering of a dragon sounded from the depths of the library.

“Yeah, I heard ya, sheesh louise, bossiest unicorn e—,” Spike said as he opened up the door. “WHAT, RARITY?!”

He stumbled backwards almost too quickly as he saw his beloved unicorn. The door hadn’t even fully swung open by the time his eyes grew to the size of dish plates. He stood in an ever-expanding puddle of his own sweat and his heart literally pounded about a foot out from his chest.

Rarity gasped at such a cartoonish effect happening to her little dragon in terrifyingly real detail.

“Oh geez! I—uh!” Spike stammered. He looked nervously from side to side, before leaning against the threshold of the door. A goofy grin spread across his face. “Yeah, baby. What’s cookin’? You are hot st—”

He slipped and smacked his head against the wall, nearly knocking himself out. Tears welled up in his eyes as he grasped at his head.where a large bump was sprouting at a physically impossible rate. He crawled away into the shadows in no particularly special way.

“Spikey Wikey! Are you alright?!” Rarity took an apprehensive step forward. “Do you want Rarity to kiss your boo boo better?!”

He stood silently in the shadows under the false impression that she couldn’t see him anymore.

“Interesting reflection, Rarity...” Illustrious observed.

“Reflection? Is that why he’s acting like a babbling, bumbling buffoon?”

“He’s going to be whatever you think he is. This must be what you really think he’s like.”

Rarity’s eyes went wide. “Just you wait one second! Are you meaning to tell me that everypony we meet is going to be some gross exaggeration of the way I truly view them?”

Illustrious smirked and chuckled. “Reflections don’t lie dear. Why? Do you have things to hide?”

“Well—!” she stuttered. “Of course not! A lady is never ashamed of her thoughts, but it’s a bit prying, don’t you think?!”

“Sure it is, and if don’t want me to see them, you better get to work.”

“What are you guys talking about?” piped a familiar voice.

It was Twilight. Or at least an ironically fashionable form of Twilight. She wore a pair of thick-rimmed, lensless, black glasses, a hoofwoven sweater and tie combo, and a white blouse. Her mane had been tied into a ponytail and she wore a pink headband just behind her bangs. A pair of pink bows adorned the end of her tail. She hugged a book, wearing an innocent, girlish smile.

“Oh, good afternoon, Twilight. We were just talking about... uhh.... not... books.” Rarity grinned. “Me and my friend were wondering if we could stay here for awhile.”

“Oh, okay!” Twilight replied none-the-wiser. “Come on in!”

They followed the lavender unicorn inside.

“So, I’ve been working on this quantum theory of thermodynacular, secular bio-gravity...” Twilight went on.

Inside the library were books upon books stacked to the ceiling. Candles hung from some of the walls lighting the darker, but surprisingly clean, floorspace. After a few minutes of walking around the winding and wheeling maze of literature, they reached Twilight’s desk and bedroom area. Hundreds of stacks of parchment surrounded a central desk with several dozen candles placed in romantic, idealistic positions, cascading around her workspace. Inkwells covered roughly half the surface space of all the papers and the desk.

“...but, the specimen just keeps hyperbolicking the flux radeon. It’s crazy, I know! Anyways, who’s your friend? Is she a princess? She looks like one,” Twilight said, now circling Illustrious.

“Oh, no, of course not, darling. This is Lily,” Rarity introduced.

Twilight narrowed her eyes at her. Illustrious smiled nervously. The unicorn intensified her scrutinous gaze, and a bead of sweat rolled down Illustrious’ forehead.

“If you say so!” She smiled warmly with unrelenting cheer. “Well, you two make yourselves at home!”

“Twilight, do you have somewhere, where I can put my regalia?” Illustrious asked.

“Yup, just put them anywhere!”

“Don’t you have like a closet or somewhere, where I can properly stow them?”

“Not really, anywhere is fine.”

“Interesting...”

Illustrious began undressing herself, piling her things neatly in a corner. It was odd to watch. With every single piece she removed, Illustrious’ demeanour became goofier and weirder. Illustrious noticed Rarity watching her curiously and looked from side to side awkwardly. Suddenly self-aware, Rarity blushed and looked away, laughing nervously.

“Twilight do you mind if I borrow some ink and parchment? I’d like to doodle,” she asked, deflecting her awkwardness.

Twilight turned around, the candlelight splashing across her face as she did. Each lick of the flame created the perfect shadow to accentuate her stunning features.

Rarity blinked.

“Oh, Rarity, you don’t need to ask...” she said, batting her lashes at the unicorn. She took her glasses off and undid her ponytail, letting her long, lush mane dangle to her shoulders. She picked up a stack of paper and strutted over her friend. “You can just take... Take anything you like...” Twilight blushed seductively, hoofing over the paper.

Rarity blinked again.

“Right! Much thanks, Twilight! I’ll be upstairs—drawing! You go back to studying now,” she said with a giant, feigned smile. “Come now, Lily, we have work to do!”

Rarity slipped away deftly and trotted upstairs.

Twilight stuck her lip out and pouted. “Hmph!” She glared at Illustrious as she followed suit.

Now, in Twilight’s extended guest bedroom, Rarity sat down at a small table. The princess trotted with a skip in her step and a cheeky smile across her face. She hummed a nonsensical tune, tripping slightly over the top step.

“I suspect that filly is completely infatuated with you. I can tell because she said you can take anything of hers and that’s quite a statement.” Illustrious sighed dreamily. “I wish somepony surrendered all their possessions to my materialism like that...”

Rarity quickly took a paper and began her first design drawing. After reflecting on Illustrious’ designs, she was eager to try her hoof at contesting her genius. “Yes, how very odd. The Twilight I know, would never act like that.”

Illustrious tapped her chin, her smile turning devilish. “Since reflections don’t lie, ever, I’ve induced that you wish she’d act that way in real life.”

“Inconceivable, she is my dearest friend and nothing more. We go on shopping trips, I treat her to the spa, and she lends me books.”

“Ha, yeah right.” She pointed at Rarity accusingly. “I’m the Princess of Expression and I know what I saw!”

“And you saw an awkward exchange of outstanding conflict and butting heads. At no point in time were Twilight and I at all thinking the same things.”

The princess playfully nudged Rarity. “Nuh uh! I totally saw how you looked at her. You liiiiike her don’t you?”

“I most certainly do not!”

“See look, you’re blushing! You loooooove her, don’t you?”

“Do not be ridiculous! I just—”

“Rarity and Twilight, sittin’ in a tree! K-I-S—” Illustrious sang.

“Don’t you have designs to be sketching?!” Rarity scolded with a stamp of her hoof. She glowered at the smirking princess.

“Design one, Rarity’s and Twilight’s wedding dresses...” she replied, dabbing her quill in the ink.

---

Rarity crumpled up another drawing and threw it into a nearby wastebasket. How many different ways could a pony conceivably wear a scarf? At least twenty ways more than she had considered before. Horn scarfs? Were those even a thing?

Five straight hours of conceiving pure brilliance had a way of wearing a pony’s stamina and sanity down. She placed her quill down, levitating her fourth cup of tea to her lips and finishing it off. The tea pitcher seemed to call to her for another cup, but her splitting headache was saying ‘no’. Rarity slumped back in her chair, her hooves on her belly, and looked to the ceiling.

“So, I’m curious. How will we know we have colour when we create it?”

“It’s different each time you make it,” Illustrious muttered. Her outfit was not coming out the way she wanted it. She held up her drawing to Rarity. “The frills?”

Rarity’s sharp eye quickly analyzed the outfit. “Around the collar? They are fine, but the hat needs a rework. Bring the rim down, loosen the fit and don’t have it sit on the crown. Relax the look, we aren’t victorian, darling.”

Illustrious turned the paper sideways and squinted. “Yeah, okay... You’re thinking something more neo and adjusted to colonial Baltimare?”

Rarity rubbed her aching head and groaned

“I don’t know...” She strained her imagination to its last length. “Pretend like everything is made of velvet, line it with felt, stir the idea and send it two hundred years back before where it first seems like it’s from.”

Illustrious blinked.

“That’s so weird, because I had a vaguely similar idea...”

“I don’t want to hear it...”

They gave each other deadbeat stares.

“Maybe we should take a break...” Rarity suggested.

“Agreed. Let’s go for a walk.”

They both stood up and stretched, breaking their bodies out of their stiffness. In the doorway, Twilight leaned against the wall. Her sultry eyes greedily and deviously watched the unicorn as she bent over.

“Going somewhere...?” she asked softly.

Rarity squeaked. “Twilight! How long have you been standing there?!”

She corrected her potentially compromising position, returning to her usual perfect posture.

“Oh... I don’t know... A while...” She took her glasses off and folded them, tossing them far onto her bed. “Why? Don’t you like me watching you?”

“I uhh— Am not sure?”

Rarity bit her lip anxiously, flitting her eyes with the Twilight. Her eyes, her smile, her outfit, all of it was the stuff of a special part of Rarity’s mind. The fashionista was far too well-versed in social interaction for her own good. Twilight was totally getting weird.

Twilight locked eyes with the unicorn and cocked her head at the innocent princess. It was clear that Twilight wanted the princess out of her house, but Rarity pretended like she didn’t understand. Illustrious was busy tickling her own nose with a quill, after which she let out a triplet of high-pitched sneezes. She smiled innocently at the two.

“Well, Lily and I have been hard at work designing all afternoon. We’re going to go for a stroll. Pardon us!” she added, hurrying to the doorway. Twilight held out her hoof, blocking Rarity’s path.

“Go on Lily, I need to speak to Rarity in private. She’ll catch up with you,” Twilight said sharply.

Tension rose in the room. The two pale ponies pursed their muzzles and exchanged glances. Rarity gave Illustrious a nod before she shyly trotted out the room and down the stairs. The sound of a heavy oak door opening and closing sounded a few moments later.

Twilight’s smiled turned from flirtatious to completely sultry and almost deprived.

Now alone, Twilight walked lazily around the unicorn, dragging her hooves daintily. The burning ice in Rarity’s stomach grew. It was still very small, but the tiny sensation from before was almost twice its original size.

Rarity blinked. As she closed her eyes, the smell of warm cinnamon tickled her nose. Among that, she was now clothed, the light had dimmed and she felt fresh air ruffle her mane. She wrinkled her nose in a momentary discomfort.

When she opened her eyes she was no longer inside the library.

A warm ocean breeze rolled across her coat, running softly through her mane. The sun was setting. Gold and purples painted the sky behind her. In front of her, Twilight Sparkle still stood in the doorway, but instead of a heavy sweater, she wore lacy black stockings, pink sheer, and a sweet smile. She was blushing, but unafraid. In her eyes, Rarity could see Twilight’s heart sparkle, unfettered.

They shared a soft, marble balcony, set high on a rocky cliff above the sea. White pillars rose to support a matching, marble roof. Vines wrapped and embraced the stone in perfect symmetry from one pillar to its mirror. A pink, heart-shaped bed with scarlet pillows stood directly behind Twilight. The breeze lightly rustled the sheets and netted drapery that hung above it. The setting sun poured golden twilight across the dreamy scene, but as it sunk lower, floating candles lit themselves one by one.

Rarity looked down to herself to see a stunning, indigo gown in obvious partnership to Twilight’s. Both of them being one of her fantasy designs.

“What the...?” Rarity said rhetorically. Despite the jarring shift, she knew exactly where she was, her most recent, favourite daydream.

While she never truly harbored feelings for the unicorn, she had entertained the thought more times than she was willing to admit. It was a pleasant, long-winded thought. Particularly the thought of what would happen made her heart skip and send warm blood surging through her body.

She looked around for her royal companion, but couldn’t spot her. All she saw was a beautiful unicorn. A smile came over Rarity’s face. Twilight reflected it with her own warm smile. There was something enticing about the lavender unicorn, and despite seeing no escape, Rarity wasn’t sure she would leave if she could.

After a few moments of pleasant silence and sizing the other up, their subtle body language agreed to begin the night.

“Sweetheart...” Twilight said to Rarity, taking a few steps forward.

Rarity was about to meet her halfway before she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Looking for me?” Illustrious whispered softly right in her right ear..

Rarity suppressed a squeal and did her best to maintain composure.

“Lily, what in the world just happened?!” she hissed back.

“Lily, who’s Lily...?” Twilight said, suddenly extremely hurt.

Illustrious spoke quickly. “Right, information! So, I never left. I merely turned invisible, slammed a door, and put a sound ward around Twilight. I predicted that you might need my help.”

“How wily...” Rarity whispered without moving her lips.

“Aren’t I the smartest?” she said triumphantly. “I mean I’ve seen this approximately thirteen-hundred times in my life, so I’m a bit prepared. Anyway, you triggered a reflection! Congratulations on your first one!”

The princess stamped obnoxiously in praise.

“Reflection? My reflection of Twilight is a flirtatious school filly who speaks scientific gibberish!” she quietly protested. “Not an impossibly beautiful mare on a cliffside suite! And aren’t we always in my reflection, like because I control it?”

“To tell you the truth, I call basically all the relevant occurrences of Asaralubat ‘reflections’. Now that I think of it, I should probably have a more clear cut identification system. Maybe I’ll call this a fantasy, or a musing. Maybe a daydream? Sometimes I question existence maybe...”

Rarity could almost feel a smile growing on the princess’s face as she derailed. Meanwhile Twilight eyed Rarity with a pout. She cracked a nervous smile.

“Anywho!” she continued. “This kind of reflection is particularly powerful. It means the real you is thinking deeply about whatever this is, and that consequently makes you live it out. Also, you can’t leave it until you live it out.”

“What do you mean, live it out?” Rarity clarified.

“I means, you’ve had this fantasy before, and you obviously play a part in it, so play the part. You can’t leave this place until you satisfy whatever emotion this particular reflection makes. There is probably nothing twenty feet out from this room because it’s not part of the fantasy,” Illustrious explained. “Just black, swirly smoke like my room.”

“You’re telling me I’m stuck here?!” she said louder that she wanted to.

“Well, of course you are, you silly mare,” Twilight said bashfully. “Just you, and me, the ocean... the night...”

”Ohmigosh, this is definitely a fantasy... Yeah, you two have fun. I’m going to go cry and be alone in this corner over here.”

Rarity kept her voice back down. “I will not, I repeat, I will not go through with this. You’re the monarch of this world, so help me!”

“Heh, yeah, I’m not going to get in the middle of this. Awkward much,” she laughed nervously. “Well, obviously this is something you’ve thought about before, might as well go with it. Don’t pretend like you don’t want to!”

Rarity flushed crimson at the accusation.

“My real self just lost her sister for pony sakes! I just lost my sister! Why the blazes am I thinking about my friend giving me a goo—”

“Funny you mention your sister because this might actually be a good thing...”

“Rarity, baby. Twiley Sparky, wants you to talk to her... Not whisper like a mad pony to the candle.”

Rarity focused her eyes and saw a candle right about where she thought Illustrious was.

“How in the world is this a good thing?! One of my deepest suspicions is about to be put display for a complete stranger!”

“I won’t watch! I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll leave you guys alone and go somewhere else!” she protested. “Now listen, I have no idea if what I’m about to say is true, but if you live out your little fantasy here, you might find colour. We’ll be able to get home sooner and subsequently be able to save Sweetie Belle,” Illustrious explained. “Try and relax, this isn’t the real Twilight, just your imagination.”

Illustrious trotted off to the balcony behind the bed, whistling Over the Rainbow.

Rarity closed her eyes and clenched her teeth, taking a deep breath. She didn’t know what exactly to do next, so she just went with what she remembered.

“Come here, you beautiful unicorn,” Rarity strained as sensually as possible. “Don’t keep your love waiting!”

Rarity could hear the clops of hooves against marble get closer and closer.

‘For Sweetie Belle, I will do this,’ she thought. ‘Good gracious! This is so utterly absurd! How does this make any sense at all!? Why didn’t I just go and search the forest like a normal pony?!’

She felt a soft touch graze against her neck. Rarity clenched her eyes tighter and bit her lip. Twilight had started kissing up her neck from her chest. She desperately tried to remember exactly how it was supposed to happen next, but her raging inner conflict kept her from focusing.

In a small way what she was experiencing was pleasurable. This was her fantasy for a reason. She knew it was wrong, but it felt more and more right as Twilight progressed upwards to Rarity’s lips. Still, it was only suitable for her mental record to not be okay with it.

‘Ohdearohdearohdear! Oh sweet sun princess, please have mercy! Save me from this!’

Twilight stopped kissing halfway up her neck. Rarity stood taut for a moment, sweating profusely, but mildly disappointed.

‘Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou, EEEIIYEEE!’

Twilight’s wet tongue slithered across her neck as she suckled lightly on the unicorn. Rarity let out a reflexive gasp. Her heart fluttered with each dollop of her tongue . She had wanted to know what that felt like for so long now. The slippery tongue, the soft lips, all of it exhilarated her, jolting her heart. Her hopeless romantic soul had been tapped and Rarity embraced her friend.

“Mmmm...” the lavender unicorn moaned. “Rarity...”

“Oh, Twilight...!” she whispered.

From the sidelines, Illustrious cheered. It was quite awkward.

”Better just go with it Rarity! I’m ninety-nine percent sure that if you put your heart and soul into it, we’ll find colour! A lot too, given what’s going—Yeah, kiss her back!” Illustrious hollered. “Oooh, that’s steamy! Now, push her ov—Yeah, I don’t think you need my help anymore. Where was I? Oh, yes, whistling and crying.”

---

Rarity found herself in a warm, heart-shaped bed later that night, her arm around her dear friend. Twilight whimpered a light note and her light breath rustled Rarity’s chest. She held her closer, tighter.

She pensively looked into the shard of mirror-like glass that floated before her. It was her reward for the night. The light glare against it shone deep technicolour instead of the typical whiteness. She caught the reflection of the sleeping Twilight in it and smiled.

The sun had already set and now only candles lit the space.

At the foot of the bed Illustrious was splayed out, crying. Rarity had tried to ignore her for a few minutes now, but she knew the princess wouldn’t stop if she didn’t give her what she wanted. Attention.

“Darling, it is most unbecoming of a princess of your beauty to weep so.”

“Nopony loves me. Nopony ever will,” she brooded.

Rarity sighed, unamused, twirling the shard in midair. “That isn’t true and you know it.”

“Easy for you to say! Right now you have a marefriend all cuddled up next to you! One, whom may I remind you, called your name for the last two hours straight!” she said pointing to Twilight and then her pitiful self. “I’m just alone! And ugly!”

“So am I. Twilight would have never done this... My first loving encounter was me just thinking... Isn’t that funny? It felt so real, but it wasn’t.”

Illustrious stopped crying and looked up at the unicorn, sniffling and wiping a few tears away.

“In all honesty, this has been quite the enlightening experience. I learned I’ve been wrong about a lot of things. I might love Twilight and I only have every reason to think she doesn’t really feel the same way.”

“Why not? What’s she really like?”

Rarity laughed sweetly. “I don’t think I’m the best source for information anymore because she isn’t this. She’s nothing like what you saw.” She gestured at the dozing librarian. “She’s a gem through. The kindest, most innocent, sweetest of ponies. It surprises me how readily I put her into such a devious fantasy.”

Rarity became lost deep in thought.

“It’s funny, she never talks about love or anything of the sort, always trotting about with her nose in a one book or another. Maybe it’s just the romantic in me, but she always seemed so lonely. And as a standing testament, I know a mare will always find time to daydream about love if she’s lonely.”

“I know I do,” Illustrious agreed quietly.

“We both know the hopeless romantic’s heart well, don’t we?” Rarity smiled, but it quickly faded. “The way she looks at me, looks up to me, talks with me... I sort of figured that she might daydream about me like I do about her.” Rarity’s eyes became soft and gentle. “In real life, she has this one look. A blush that I sometimes think about for hours. It’s so perfect and I love it.”

“Okay, now you’re just shoving in my face how cute of a couple you are.” She cracked a smile. “You’re aware of how lucky you are, aren’t you?”

“After tonight, I am. That look, that blush, it stole my heart. I’m certain that whenever she wears it, she is happy to be around me and I’m happy to be around her.” Rarity looked at the reflection in the shard. “Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen her wear it around anypony else.”

Illustrious sighed. “That’s so romantic... Maybe when we make it out, I might be able to find somepony like that...” she said, holding her hooves up to her cheeks. “Oh well, at least we found some colour.”

“I advise you look somewhere else, this hopeless unicorn is mine.” Rarity squeezed her and kissed her lightly on the cheek, evoking an adorable whimper.

She looked into the mirror shard and saw them together, herself and Twilight. “And that we did, we found our first colour.”

“A beautiful blend of colour.”

---

Rarity and Illustrious left while Twilight slept. The door led to the hallway of the Ponyville Inn on the other side of town. The ceiling lights were close to the end of their lives, buzzing and humming, giving off old, amber light. The carpet was stained and musty. Despite being washed weekly, it had clearly been run though. The plaster of the walls were chipping and the wallpaper had been been worn off shamelessly.

“Oh... W-well, this shouldn’t look like this,” Illustrious stammered. “You’re still thinking deeply it seems.”

Rarity’s face dropped in horror. “I know I am... And I know where we are...”

“How come I have a feeling that that’s a bad thing? This is a reflection, isn’t it?”

“Let’s just say that when I was a little filly, I had a wild, uncontained imagination... I imagined monsters and dreamt of nightmares.”

The lights suddenly flashed out, leaving them in pitch blackness, save a few faint, burning coils in the bulbs.

“And I was also absolutely terrified of the dark...”

The ice in Rarity’s stomach grew.