Departing
Rarity could feel her heart beating rapidly against her breast as she trudged on towards the Castle of Friendship. With each step closer she could feel her breath starting to become more shallow, her mind was already a mess, conflicting emotions of fear and anger, but also of love and sorrow. As with every journey they had taken together, she had packed a few needful essentials; sleeping bag, blanket, food, water, a small tent, just about everything that she hoped would get her on her way.
Just beyond the rise in the hill she could make out the tall translucent sapphire crystal star, similar in shape to Twilight's cutie mark, as it rose from the tower below it. As more of the castle came into view she could feel her nerves starting to fail her. After the talk with Twilight the day before, after the long hours afterwards where she cried until her cheeks were rubbed raw and sore, after feeling the pain of what she said to Spike sink in, she was scared to say the least.
Now, standing before the tall crystal castle made out of their love for each other, out of their friendship, out of their harmony, she felt more insignificant that she ever had before. The twin golden doors, guarded by two purple hearts, and flanked by two almost lavender purple windows, seemed menacing to her.
She could feel the anger, the malice that the pony inside had for her as she raised a hoof up to open the door. It was like the castle was alive, an extension of the mare who inhabited it. Gulping, she slithered inside.
Past the threshold was a large open room with a four way intersection, a carpet laid out to show that you could go left, right, back the way you had come, or straight down a narrow corridor to a staircase that rose up then split to the left or right, colored a light ocean blue. Atop the staircase, just before the junction, was a banner that rolled down from the top, colored a deep amethyst purple with Twilight's cutie mark plastered upon it.
Looking up, she could see the two tall crystal spires that flanked the corridor, hanging between them two crystal hearts colored a very vibrant white. Above, just past the golden railing of the upper floor, she could see a set of stairs on either side leading even higher up into the castle.
Pushing away her nervousness, she proceeded down the corridor towards the first set of stairs, ignoring the lingering feeling that there were ponies inside of each room that she passed, talking ill about her. She could hear the echo of laughter coming from somewhere deep within the castle.
She tried her best to put a smile upon her face as she ascended the second set of stairs on the second floor. With each lingering, hesitant step up she took she could hear the laughter, the voices growing louder. For some strange reason, she swore they were of the Canterlot Elite. It sounded as though the very same ponies that she had worked tirelessly for ages to impress, were fed up with her antics already.
Thinking back to those that she claimed to want to be a part of, she couldn't help but feel even more foolish about who she chose to be around more. If they were smart, which she knew some of them certainly were, then they could have easily seen through her facade and could have easily known about her. They all already knew that she came from Ponyville, thanks to a certain alicorn princess having her party in the Canterlot Castle.
A few tears spilled out from her eyes as she turned on the stairs and began her final ascent. The laughter was even louder before, and though she could recognize it as that of Pinkie Pie and Applejack, it still felt as if it was directed at her. She already knew that she was treading on thin ice with Twilight, maybe she was foolish for coming here. Maybe she should have just left a note and been on her way. No Rarity, you need to do this. It is the first step to becoming a new mare, the mare that you really are.
After what felt like an eternity of walking, the mare came to rest before a wide open corridor that ended at a set of closed doors. To either side were doors, each one looking exactly the same, except for the one at the end. It was encrusted with the symbol of harmony, and all of their cutie marks intricately laid around it. It was from behind the door that the laughter was the loudest. Though it was a short distance away, to Rarity, it felt like it was clear across Equestria.
Rarity felt her throat go dry when she could make out the soft sobbing of a certain amethyst drake amid the laughter and voices. Her heart ached, it burned with want, want to rush to him and tell him that everything was alright, to tell him that she didn't mean what she said. It was a fruitless endevour, as Twilight would never allow her to get anywhere close to her little brother.
What would normally take anypony a few seconds to arrive before the door, took her almost an hour. And when she finally was close enough to hear the voices of her friends as if she was in the room, she felt her whole body go rigged with fear. Was she ready to face them? Was she ready to hear what they had to say? Was she ready to take their anger, their hurt? Worst of all however, was she ready to see a heartbroken dragon?
Sucking in a shallow breath, she whisked the doors open with her magic and stepped inside.
All at once the voices faded away into silence, replaced only by silent stares from all of her friends. To each she looked in the eye. Twilight still carried her fiery resolve from yesterday, Applejack tilted her head down to avoid her gaze, Rainbow Dash just watched with a mixture of anger, and also of protectiveness, of whom she was already clear about. Fluttershy covered her face with her mane, while Pinkie Pie's mane was somewhat deflated, and her eyes were downcast with worry, and yet too of anger. Finally, her eyes came to rest on the very same dragon, who until yesterday, was always happy to see her.
If she was a nervous wreck walking up, she just felt like a hydra straight out of tarturas now. She felt no better than discord or Tirek. Tears welled up inside of her eyes as she slowly opened and closed her mouth, looking for something, anything to say. “What are you doing here Rarity?” Twilight's voice was filled with so much malice that she felt small, like when they had first been terrorized by Nightmare Moon.
In a shaky voice that was barely audible above a whisper, she said, “I-I'm leaving.” They all softened their expression a bit as they regarded her with a new-found interest. Even Spike, an amethyst purple dragon that stood almost a hoof taller than Princess Celestia, a dragon with an open heart that could never be contained, stopped his weeping to regard her with the same fascination that he always did. She could see it when he looked at her, even though she had broken his heart, it didn't seem to matter, he still was madly in love with her.
Feeling a bout of courage rise from her chest, she said in a slightly louder tone, “I'm so sorry for what I said yesterday Spikey... I mean Spike. I wasn't myself, and it wasn't until Twilight talked to me that I realized what I had become.” She looked from Spike to Twilight, then to the rest of her friends. “I haven't been the best of friend lately. I know that all of you have noticed the change I went through, and to that extant I'm leaving Ponyville.”
Spike spoke up next, “Where are you going?”
When Rarity turned a bit to fully face the dragon she noticed that her friends caught sight of her saddlebags finally, and that they all looked at each other with worry. “I don't know Spike, I really don't. All I know, is that I need to get out of here. Not just Ponyville, but Canterlot too, I need to find out who I really am, so I can be the mare that you deserve Spike.” A collection of gasps, even from Twilight, startled her a bit, but none so much as Spike. Past the surface of tears, she could see the pure joy, and confusion that he had.
Without even giving him a chance, she stepped forward and captured his lips with her own. A husky, smokey flavor danced across her taste buds, and when she opened her lips for more, she was brought into a whole new world of flavor at the added bliss of charred wood that reminded her of a roaring fire in the winter, with a warm cup of coco and a nice book. There was a sweet taste akin to that of one of Pinkie's famous cupcakes, but it had a sort of mineral taste like dirt. Though it all was a weird combination of flavors and reminded her of such uncouth things such as mud and dirt, she didn't care. She was sharing a beautiful moment with the dragon that she loved. Who knew when she was going to get to do so again.
For what felt like a century the two reveled in their sweet and tender moment. But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Their eyes stared deeply into each other when they broke apart, and though a thin trail of saliva connected their lips, neither one dared swat it away. “I love you Spike, I always have. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner.” With that, she turned and raced out of the door and down the stairs to the main foyer, where she didn't even stop to open the doors. Instead, she burst out of them and continued down the dirt road leading out of Ponyville, not even taking one glance back.
Back in the map room, Spike was at a loss for words as the full weight of what Rarity had said washed over him. He could feel his heart leaping for joy at her words, but then it stung when he realized that she had left, and he didn't know when she was coming back. Wordlessly, he left the room with all of his friends watching, ascending a hidden staircase out of their view and up to his own room.
His room was comprised of a newly acquired bed sprawled out from the wall, made from a very fine collection of gems that had been melted down and molded into the shape of a basket, large enough to fit two dragons. Across from the doorway leading in was an open archway that led out to a balcony overlooking Ponyville.
Walking out upon said balcony, he leaned against the railing, watching over the town that he had come to love so much, for more than one reason. Rarity plagued his mind, thoughts of where she was going, of what dangers she might run into. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as though he needed to go with her, and that he needed to protect her. Maybe it was just his dragon instinct to protect his treasure, or maybe it was his need to protect those that he loved.
“Are ya l'right sugercube?”
The drake turned around to look at all of his friends in turn, seeing naught but concern etched onto each of their faces. Looking past them to a small picture that was sitting on a small crystal stand beside of his bed, he smiled. I'll come for you Rarity...