White-hot Crimson

by Kajio

The Mantle

If a young foal is thrown into a body of water too deep for them to stand in, their mind will react with panic. Their instinctual reaction is to thrash their legs wildly, scrambling to escape the cold grip of the water. The majority of foals will react this way, despite the fact that it is ineffectual to the point of being detrimental. It is possible, however, to train even the youngest ponies to swim properly, to acclimate them to water.

---

Rarity knew her telekinesis magic wasn't nearly powerful enough to lift the weight of a full-grown stallion. Instead she grasped the suit being worn by the corpse and dragged him across the previously clean floor.

Concentrating on using magic was a difficult task for Rarity. Her heartbeat throbbed in her skull, each beat causing a new thought to surface: What just happened? What am I doing? What am I going to do?

Rarity heaved a sigh as her hold of the suit broke. She opened her eyes and took another look at Velvet Collar. His face was stuck in an expression of fear. He wasn't afraid, Rarity thought. He couldn't be.

Rarity scanned the room again. She had moved the body several feet across the room, leaving a thick trail of blood from Velvet's body to the large pool at the room's center.

Rarity fell to her haunches. There was an electrical short in her brain. She wanted to think of a better way to get the body out of sight, but she could not. Each attempt at imagining a new method of moving the body was met with soft static that burned her mind.

It was common in Rarity's line of work for her to be stuck on a single idea. The remedy was to clear her mind, to let all thoughts of the problem at hand fade. A few moments of clarity would allow for new angles of deliberation.

Rarity shut her eyes. She imagined herself in her normal state: working happily on a dress. She was adding a fancy ribbon to a dress standing on a mannequin. Her brow furrowed. The dress was a suit, and it was worn by a pale green stallion. Rarity's eyes shot back open. A flash of silver. Rarity stopped imagining. She didn't want to see what her mind was showing her.

The static had faded; Rarity was able to think again. Rarity felt a stiffness in her cheeks. There was a weak smile on her face. It felt like it had been weeks since she last smiled. She relaxed her face. It felt better that way.

Rarity mentally chastised herself for creating a larger mess than necessary. She was able to think of a better solution now that her mind was clear, and acting hastily had set her back. Such mistakes would get her caught.

Rarity went to the back room. Strewn about the room were fabrics, paints, and other craft supplies. Rarity strode past them, searching for the largest container she had. Against the wall was an extra large wheeled-dresser. The exterior of the trunk was a porcelain-white wood fastened with amethyst-studded iron. It would be more than sufficient.

Rarity lifted the dresser's chest-style lid and swiftly removed the fabrics that laid inside. They had gone out of style years ago, but she had kept them for the retro wave that never came. Rarity could see the interior of the dresser was lined with a dark velvet. Beneath the old fabrics where even older fragments of incomplete dresses, which were added to the mess of the room. The bottom of the dresser held scraps of musty paper and fabric, which Rarity left. They would absorb some of the blood, she reasoned.

Wheeling the dresser out of the room proved impossible with the loose fabric on the floor getting caught in the wheels. Rarity quickly cleared a path through the room, tossing the junk to either side. This mess can wait for later, Rarity thought as she pushed the dresser through it.

It was impossible for Rarity to lift Velvet's body high enough to place it inside the dresser. She pushed the dresser on its side, making a loud crack as it hit the floor and a solid thump as the lid fell closed. Rarity winced at the loud noise, and hoped nopony nearby heard it.

Rarity held the lid of the dresser open with her magic, and pushed the corpse with her hooves. The body hit the rim of the dresser and resisted being pushed up. As Rarity pushed, the dresser slid from its position. Rarity tried to hold it steady with her magic. Her hold on the lid dissipated, and it fell with a thud on Velvet's body.

Rarity took a deep breath and held it in for a moment, then exhaled slowly. She was letting her nerves get the better of her; she just needed to calm down.

Using her magic, Rarity flipped the dresser over, so that the lid laid on the floor. From this position it was much easier to push the body into the dresser. Streaks of blood appeared on the lid and side of the dresser. It wouldn't matter. The dresser would have to be cleaned, if not destroyed, after this was done.

It took a great concentrated effort to lift the dresser upright. Rarity was a unicorn - a dainty one - and not used to heavy lifting. She was already winded, task half complete. Rarity began to push the dresser out of the main room, but stopped short. She would need to clean the blood. She couldn't just use towels; she'd have to throw them out. Buying several towels out of nowhere? It could rouse suspicion. Velvet's death would not go uninvestigated, and any suspicion could spell her end.

Rarity collected a few of the old fabrics and dress scraps that had been in the dresser previously. She returned to the main room and mopped the blood with the forgotten material.

With the majority of the sickly red mess soaked into the cloth, Rarity went to the kitchen. Beneath the sink was a bucket, which Rarity filled with a small amount of water and soap. She returned to the streaks of blood that remained and poured the soapy mixture over the floor.

After another round of mopping, the mess was contained to the dresser. The soap had even covered some of the stench of blood. With the lid closed, the chest was completely unassuming. To the outside onlooker it would have shown no sign of what macabre reality it held within.

Rarity exhaled, removing the poison air from her lungs. She paused for a moment before breathing in, making her vision spin briefly. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. The fresh air set her mind at ease, and she dropped to the floor.

A sound caught Rarity's attention. Her head ached; she felt as if she had been awoken from a terrible night's sleep. She opened her eyes. She was laying on the floor of her boutique.

Rarity shot up. She was alone in her home. Nothing had changed since she shut her eyes. The white dresser stood motionless a few feet from her.

Knock knock knock - it was the sound again. Rarity felt a vacuum in her gut as she realized what had caused her to stir before. It was the sound of someone knocking at the door.

I have to answer, Rarity thought. Pretending to be closed today could arouse suspicion... The open sign! What time is it? If anypony walked by, they could have seen I wasn't open when I was supposed to! Opening late would be even more suspicious than staying closed... Oh, what can I do?

"Hello~! Rarity?"

Rarity seized. Whoever was at the door was calling for her. Rarity's exterior was rigid, while her insides writhed.

"Rarity, it's me, Twilight!" the voice called. "Are you okay?"

Rarity's mind arched. She was relieved that the pony at the door was a friend, but she was frightened. Of all the days for Twilight to drop by: why today?

Knock knock knock - the sound made Rarity jump. She dashed to the door, stopping for a moment to inhale, then opened the door.

"Twilight! How nice of you to drop by!" Rarity strained. "Please, come in!"

Twilight cocked an eyebrow and stepped inside. "Hi, Rarity... um, did you forget? I needed a dress made; we scheduled an appointment for today."

"Today?" Rarity recalled the conversation she had with Twilight a few days prior. "I thought we had agreed on next Monday..." Rarity stood between Twilight and the dresser situated conspicuously in the main room.

Twilight looked sideways. "I- I was sure it was this Monday... Maybe we just miscommunicated?"

“Oh, well, I’m so sorry, Twilight,” Rarity said as sympathetically as possible. “You see - I’m expecting a very important client from Hoofington to arrive at any time now, and I've heard he is quite demanding, and I've made promises that must be kept! It’s just that-”

“It’s okay, Rarity,” Twilight interjected. “It sounds like this is pretty important to you.”

“Why, yes, it is!”

Twilight continued with a small smile, “It shouldn't be a problem for me to reschedule for next week. I’ll just see you then.” She then trotted back to the front door.

“Thank you so much for understanding,” Rarity cooed, her body becoming less stiff.

“It’s nothing, really,” Twilight called back. She walked out of the boutique, mumbling neurotically to herself about which appointments she should move when.

Rarity shut the door and heaved a sigh. She would have to think of a story, an alibi. It wouldn't do to try to make something up on the spot like that. Rarity cursed herself. She could have invited Twilight to stay, fulfill the appointment, then gone out - It would have been a brilliant alibi. Now she would need to think of something else to cover her tracks.

What would be the most likely cause of a pony going missing? Murder was very rare in Equestria. It would certainly be investigated as a possibility, but not if there was a more apparent cause.

The most common cause of death was old age; most ponies lived a full life in Equestria. Next to that, monster attacks weren't unheard of. Rarity glared at the dresser. There were two roads between Hoofington and Ponyville. One of them was shorter, but went through a short section of the Everfree Forest.

Once again Rarity felt a strain on her face. Her cheeks her aching as her lips formed a slight smile. Immediately Rarity grimaced. She felt angry, but it was an anger she was not familiar with. The burning heat was there, but it did not radiate from her. It was directed inward.

A tear landed on the pristine floor. Rarity glared at the dresser. Her vision was blurred; she blinked the wetness from her eyes. Rarity's stomach writhed. She was hungry, but the thought of eating disgusted her.

Rarity traipsed over to the full-length tri-fold mirrors arranged at the center of the boutique. She stood motionless and observed the three ponies that stood before her. They looked exactly like her; nothing out of the ordinary. Checking her appearance was something Rarity did daily, but this time it was different - she wanted to find something wrong with herself.

With no disfiguring scars, Rarity set her sights on whatever superficial aspect of her appearance she could correct. Rarity saw her eyes were turning red. She removed a cloth from the stylist's bag that sat nearby and blotted the moisture from her eyes. In the left-most reflection, she saw a strand of hair that was out of place. She took a brush from the bag and gave her mane a few strokes. She shut her eyes, letting them rest for a moment.

When she opened her eyes, the three ponies in front of her were as she came to expect: flawless. She allowed herself a reserved smile, then lifted her chin. She trotted proudly away from the mirrors. If there was one thing that she would not let die, it was her dignity.

Rarity glared at the dresser. A pony lesser than her might have difficulty when a problem such as this presents itself. She would handle it. Rarity the unicorn would rise above, remain unsullied by some fool who got what he had coming to him!

Rarity pushed the old trunk with her magic. She returned it to its original resting place, nuzzled midst the mess that dominated the room. I'll rid myself of the body soon, Rarity thought. I can leave it on the side of the road near the Everfree Forest. The guards will chalk it up to a monster and nopony will be any the wiser. In a week's time, my life will be back to normal, as if this never even happened.

Rarity trotted along the path of clean floor that she had cleared before. She reached the doorway and turned to switch the lights off. Rarity paused and her eyes rested on the dresser. She swallowed before switching the lights off and swiftly leaving the room.

---

"Rarity! I'm home!"

Rarity finished the sentence she was reading, then set the book down. The book was not particularly good, but it held her interest. She had needed something to entertain her for the day. Rarity descended the staircase to find her sister.

Sweetie Belle was already in the kitchen, trying to prepare a sandwich.

"Why don't you let me make you something?" Rarity suggested while turning off the oven. Sweetie Belle beamed in response. Rarity continued, "You'll need all your strength to clean up that mess you left."

Sweetie Belle groaned, "I hate cleaning up..."

"And I hate messes," Rarity retorted, "and since you left me with that travesty all day, you're going to clean it up and then you're grounded for the rest of tonight."

Sweetie groaned louder, "But Scootaloo, Applebloom and me were going to-"

"Ah," Rarity interupted, "I don't want to hear it!" Rarity handed the completed sandwich to Sweetie Belle. "If you had cleaned your mess up before then you wouldn't be in any trouble. Imagine, you could have cleaned everything up before I even knew that you had made a mess! You wouldn't be grounded, and I wouldn't be annoyed; everything would be fine."

Everything would be fine.

Author's Note:

Author's commentary here:
http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/280581/chapter-2-the-mantle

Comments

[BBkat]

Ohh, a killer Rarity story? Interesting. Only read about one other of these.

Not sure why all the downvotes? It's not that bad and it's written well.

[KillingMockingbirds]

This certainly is something of a refreshing read, in some ways. It isn't often that one finds a story regarding rarity in the act of gruesome murder. You have indeed piqued my interest. I'll be sure to keep an eye on your story.

[at least I amuse myself]