That night brought Blossom her first dreamless sleep in her memory. She endured no torment, she received no comfort. It was merely a deep regenerative sleep brought on by an overwhelming sense that her time had come. Although, in its own way the knowledge both frightened her and relieved her but as she thought more on it, the relief side won the day. It would be good to leave this place, to see paradise, to put down her burden after a long day.
When she awoke, it was with a sense of peace that was foreign to her, but no less unwelcome. She was still chained to the wall in a dungeon, her magic had been taken from her even if her horn had not been, she still had to endure saying her goodbyes, but none of those things frightened her. She suspected that nothing ever would again.
Her ear swiveled in the direction of the door leading to the dungeon when she heard it open up. Curious, she pushed herself off of her bed and stood in the center of the cell. In hindsight, she supposed that she should not have been surprised that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would want to speak to her before they passed down their judgment, but here they stood.
"Good morning, Blossom," Celestia greeted with a subdued sorrow that punctuated her words. She tried to hide it, but seeing Blossom brought out a sort of vulnerability.
Blossom gave Celestia a small, almost reassuring smile. "Good morning, Princess Celestia." She turned her gaze to the night goddess. "Good morning, Princess Luna."
Luna's contemplative look subtly shifted to a small frown. "Your mood is perplexing to us, Joyous Blossom," she noted. "Is there a reason for this?"
Blossom nodded and took a step towards the bars. "If I'm right, you are here to talk to me about what the rest of my life is going to look like, whatever that may be."
"Yes," Luna confirmed, "you seem strangely peaceful for such a solemn time."
Blossom's eyes trailed to the floor and her smile turned vaguely sad. "It's because I know what I want. I think that I know what's best." Blossom took a deep breath and forced her gaze back to the princesses. "I'd like the needle."
The eyes of both princesses widened and Celestia's jaw dropped. "Blossom, I need you to listen to me very carefully," she said sharply. "Do you understand what you are saying?"
"I do." Blossom took another step forwards. "I'd like to die."
Celestia exhaled sharply, but Luna's expression returned to a contemplative one. "What are your reasons?" she questioned.
Blossom quietly sighed, and sat on her haunches on the floor. "It'd be better for everypony, I think," she began, "my aunt's line dies with me, and we can move on. If I'm alive and in prison, my family has to see me degraded, insane, and a constant reminder of everything that has happened in the past forty years. Because of what I've done, I am the last symbol of my Aunt Rarity's actions.
"But I admit that there's more to it than that. I’m scared of being alive, because if I am, then I might kill again. I see my Aunt Rarity all the time, and if I'm allowed near other ponies, she'll just keep telling me to kill. Eventually, I know that I'd snap, and kill some poor pony who was just doing her job, or I'd kill myself to prevent that." A wry, humorless smile crossed Blossom's face. "I'd hate to be the pony that came to my cell to find out that I'd swallowed my tongue. You could restrain me to prevent that, but that would be torture."
"But your family would be devastated," Celestia pointed out. "Your mother already buried her sister. She could not handle burying you too, I think. None in your family could endure a second execution of a loved one in so short a time."
"And them seeing me miserable, behind bars, wasting away into a shell of my former self would ease their pain, is that it?" Blossom retorted. "If I die, they could know that I died happy, painlessly, and at peace with everything. I wouldn't be suffering anymore." A single tear rolled down Blossom's face, and she reached out to touch one of the bars before her. "And I'm suffering. Every day is like a nightmare, every dream is torture, and every waking hour is misery the likes of which I know you cannot understand. I am guilty of murder. I deliberately murdered two foals, and I can never take that back. When I killed, the death penalty would have been administered to me. If I'm executed, it's well within the legal boundaries, is it not?"
Celestia closed her eyes and bowed her head. "Your family would suffer in your absence."
"But not forever," whispered Blossom. "Their lives could go on without my misery weighing them down. It would be justice, it would be merciful, and it would be peaceful to just let me go."
Celestia merely stood there, rooted to the spot as she contemplated Blossom's words. Every fiber of her being desired to see as many of her subjects as safe and happy as possible, but she was unsure if Blossom's execution would achieve that. The mare's words rolled through her brain, enduring every last bit of scrutiny that her wisdom and knowledge could give it.
"Sister?"
Celestia's eyes snapped open and she turned her head to Luna who was looking worriedly at her. Celestia could see in her eyes that Luna was just as unsure of what to do as she was, but it was time to pass judgement. Slowly the monarch of the sun turned her gaze towards the broken mare in the cell before her.
"Joyous Blossom, I sentence you to be executed by lethal injection at ten o' clock tomorrow morning for the murders of Golden Necklace and Fire Ruby."
To see the look of relief that washed over Blossom's face, one would imagine that Celestia had told her that she could erase all of the damage that Rarity had done. The happiness chipped away the last vestiges of Celestia's composure and forced stoicism and she beckoned her sister away from the cell. The night goddess followed Celestia out of the dungeon, both knowing that it would be the last time that they would ever see Joyous Blossom alive.
* * * *
Three hours later, the two princesses were sitting on their respective thrones in the throne room. Both had long since cried themselves out, and they merely sat in a stoic silence. Neither felt that they needed to say anything, for there was nothing to say. No mere words could erase the pain of the second execution in thirty years. Neither goddess moved. It was almost as if two statues inhabited the throne room.
* * * *
Rolling Thunder put down the book he had been reading and stretched his forelegs. He put them down and let one hang limply over the edge of the couch he was reclining on and he draped the other across his chest.
Normally reading helped him keep his mind off of things, but the letter he had received telling him that Blossom had never made it back to Ponyville weighted heavily on his mind. He hadn't known her for that long, but she didn't strike him as the type of mare that would disappear and not tell anypony for no reason. If she was missing there was likely some nefarious cause and he wished that he could help with the search, but he was needed in Baltimare in case she showed up at his house again.
He was brought out of his thoughts by a loud knocking on his door. Hopeful that it might be Blossom, he leaped off of the couch and ran towards it. He threw it open with an expectant smile on his face but found not Blossom, but Applejack and Apple Bloom on the other side of the door. He sighed and shook his head. "She hasn't been around here, I'm sorry to say," he mumbled sadly. "I would have told you."
"We're not here ta ask you where she is, we're here ta tell you," said Applejack solemnly.
Rolling Thunder's ears perked up and he shifted his gaze between the two Apple sisters. "Yes, where is she?"
"Who's at the door?" asked the voice of Lilly.
Rolling Thunder turned his head back and saw his wife walking towards them. "It's Applejack and Apple Bloom. They know where Blossom is!"
A look of relief spread across Lilly's face and she smiled as she trotted over to stand next to her husband. "That's wonderful news! Where is she?"
At the question Apple Bloom burst into tears and collapsed onto her haunches. Applejack had to blink back tears of her own, but she remained resolute despite the growing fear of the two ponies in front of her. "Blossom is in Canterlot," she explained, "she went there because she was the one who killed those two foals when she was just a filly. She's turned herself in to Celestia now."
Lilly gasped and took a step back while Rolling Thunder began blinking back tears. "N-No, she's not a killer," he whispered. "S-She's a good mare, I know she is! This has to be some kind of mistake!"
Applejack sadly shook her head. "No, Blossom and Sweetie Belle both told us the truth: that Blossom was the one who did it." Applejack sighed and wiped her eyes with her foreleg. "We're all goin' ta Canterlot right now. We're gonna go talk to the princesses and ask for her to spare Blossom's life."
Rolling Thunder bit his lip and slowly nodded. "Of course. We'll meet you there."
With that he shut the door in the faces of the two Apples and ran to the middle of the living room and collapsed onto his haunches. He grabbed his head in his forelegs and began moaning as though in pain. Lilly walked up beside him and wrapped him into a hug in an attempt to comfort him despite her own tears. "She's not a killer," Rolling Thunder whimpered. "S-She's a good mare."
"I know," said Lilly sadly as she nuzzled her husband's mane. "She's going to be fine. The princesses are merciful ponies and I know that we can convince them to spare her life."
"What are we gonna tell Comet?" he groaned. "Her and Blossom..." He sniffled and wiped his eyes. "Well, you know."
"I don't know," Lilly sighed. "We have to tell her now though if we're going to make it to Canterlot in time to help her." She turned her head towards the stairs where Comet was playing quietly in her room. "I'll go talk to her."
"No." Rolling Thunder shakily got to his hooves and took a deep breath. "I'll tell her. You make sure we're ready to go to Canterlot once I'm done; we need to leave as soon as possible."
Lilly nodded and trotted over to the closet where she kept her saddlebag and Rolling Thunder slowly trotted up the stairs. As he approached the door, he heard Comet playing Wonderbolts inside her room and he had to pause as the memory of Blossom playing Wonderbolts with her such a short time ago burned itself in the forefront of his mind. He shook his head and exhaled. He had to do this.
He walked up to Comet's room and knocked on the door three times. The sound of Comet making whooshing sounds to signify the Wonderbolts flying around halted and after a second he heard Comet telling him to come in. He pushed open the door and saw her sitting in the middle of the room with her Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash dolls at her hooves. She smiled at him when she saw him enter. "Hello, Daddy," she chirped. "Do you wanna play Wonderbolts with me?"
Rolling Thunder let out a half chuckle/half sob at his daughter's demeanor, and the knowledge that he had to essentially crush it. "I'm sorry, Comet, but it isn't time to play Wonderbolts anymore." He pushed the dolls aside and sat down in front of his daughter.
Comet was remarkably perceptive in picking up her father's mood and she flattened her ears and leaned back a little. "Daddy what's wrong?" she whimpered.
"It's about Blossom," he began. "We... we know where she is."
Comet's eyes widened and she perked up her ears. "Where is she?" the filly cried. "She's okay, right, Daddy? Nothing bad happened to her like when that mare hurt her, right?"
"Uh..." Rolling Thunder blinked back a fresh wave of tears and nervously scratched the back of his head. "Blossom is in Canterlot with the princesses right now. She... she did something really bad and they put her in jail because of it."
Comet gasped, followed by a pained whimper and instant tears. "Blossom wouldn't hurt anypony!" Comet sobbed. "She's going to be okay, Daddy! I know it!"
Rolling Thunder reached forward and hugged Comet close to him. The filly threw her forelegs around her father's waist and began sobbing loudly into his chest. "We're going to go to Canterlot now, okay? We're going to go ask the princesses to be kind to Blossom and not hurt her."
"Then she can come home?" Comet sniffled.
Rolling Thunder let loose another sob but collected himself and cleared his throat. "No, Comet. If the princesses listen to us then Blossom still can't come home. They want to give Blossom a shot that would make her fall asleep forever. We're going to go ask them not to."
"Are they gonna listen, Daddy?" Comet whimpered.
Rolling Thunder began stroking his daughter's mane and he nuzzled the top of her head. "I don't know, Comet, but we're going to try. I promise you that we are going to try.
The entire cast of Monty Python and the Holy Grail: GET ON WITH IT!
2480136 Next one is the last one.
Godd Bye Blossom. Apple Seed is proud of you...
2480148
What?? No epilogue? I suppose the next chapter going to be huge.
Pd.-Ooooh! Why this story can't end with a "All was well"?
2480220 Actually I am planning a small epilogue.
At first, I was happy to see this chapter! But then, I was like "ARGH, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO US?! " Since I had expected a confrontation, but instead, we get a bit of unclarity as to WHAT exactly is gonna happen... even though it seems kind of obvious, I guess. And at first glance, I thought they passed Blossom's execution (that she wanted) time to be that morning (instead of the next) and figured the others would need to rush like crazy, in order to get there in time (thinking you were going to do what I had figured you wouldn't, making sure they show up at the last possible minute or second). Now... I wonder just HOW everypony's gonna feel when the Princesses or Blossom tells them that she WANTS to die, wants to make them sad and miserable for the supposedly time being, just because she feels she deserves it instead of help.
I swear, I shouldn't be out of sad/bad feelings about this story, yet I am! I REALLY hope it doesn't end how you're making it look to, I'm sure the next chapter will likely be long like the final chapter of The Secret Life of Rarity, as I'm hoping Blossom's family knocks some sense into her depressed head after talking to the Princesses (if they say only she can change her mind) and makes her see that she doesn't deserve DEATH, but another chance at life if somepony can honestly help her! Looking forward to the finale of this story... and then after that, the side stories, I suppose!
2480169
We're almost to the end. Will Blossom live or die? I'm not sure how I want it to end at this point, I just want to see what happens.
2480223
Yes! I like epilogues. They leave nothing to the imagination.
Pd2.- I remembered something I was gonna ask. Why when Blossom tells that she see Rarity no one are surprised? If someone tells me that he/she see a dead serial killer i would say "Ok listen to me, you're sick, you need help" and would lead (by force if necessary) to the nearest asylum. SB didn't even flinch when Blossom say that she see her death sister.
2480302 1. As far as most of the ponies know (Celestia, Luna, Working Mind, etc.) Blossom only sees Rarity in her dreams. She hasn't told anypony that she sees her when she's awake too. She tells Sweetie Belle before she changes her memories, and SB tells her to go get help.
2480223
Will Comet be able to see Blossoms execution?
Oh Blossom, you should have listened to Aunt Rarara
You good Sir , are marvelous.
The last couple of chapters were a bit shorter but it fits perfectly.
Its like a clock slowly counting it's last seconds/chapters till time has come.
Keep up the good work. You've done great so far.
2480136
What he said
If just her execution would been kept a secret from public.
That way Comet would be able to live a happy life without any judgement from outsiders.
As she grows older she would probably understand why her sister was executed.
Honestly, if she just ends up being executed and that's it, it's kinda underwhelming. Sure, her goodbyes with everyone will be sad, Comet's probably gonna be tragic, but that's still anticlimactic. Hopefully actually reading the next chapter will prove to me that there was no reason to worry, because up until now you've always delivered and you do know what you're doing.
2480590 Anticlimactic? How so?
2480595 Personally, I disagree. In a way, though she had the beginnings and makings of becoming a monster like Rarity, Blossom's true nature was about as far from her aunt's as possible. Perhaps I am speaking out of turn when I analyse a character to that character's creator, but to me, this kind of self sacrifice seems incredibly noble. Your Rarity was an evil mare with certain good qualities. Blossom was a good mare with vestiges of that evil. It's hard to describe, but her own self-sacrifice versus Rarity's execution seems to be a poetic redemption of everything that has happened in the stories. I'm sorry that her aunt's evil prevented her from having a normal, fulfilling life, but I'm glad she found peace at last.
Well played, BronyWriter. I can't wait for the conclusion.
Blossom's self-sacrafice seems to be a fitting end. I can imagine the arguements they'll get in, the Apple's begging for her life, the Princesses explaining Blossom wants to die... Should be a very interesting chapter. Whether she gets her death wish or not, it's been one hell of a ride. I look forward to the emotionally gripping typo-free conclusion to an epic trilogy.
Personally, I would make her live her life in jail with Aunt Rarity. They can cut out her tongue to keep her from swallowing it. We are aiming for soul-crushingly tragic ending, right? Maybe Sweetie commits suicide after that, then Blossom can be haunted by the ghosts of her Aunt and Sister. Every night she would dream she was back to the kill room with Sweetie on the table, until every night she would stab Sweetie to kill her and make the dream end a little quicker.
Oh, and Comet is so devestated she becomes the next serial killer.
There's no such thing as too tragic.
2480595 I dunno, I guess I expected some big bomb to drop, but then Blossom just goes to give herself up and they presumably just execute her and that's it (of course that remains to be seen). I was expecting her to snap, and/or use her transormation talents in some extremely interesting way, or something really tragic to happen. Diamond Tiara's part felt more like that, more like a climax. But this way the whole conflict that was building up just kinda quietly dies down without any more indecisiveness or tension. Maybe for some people scenes like the ones that I expect to happen now - presumably very sad scenes - would have a bigger impact and feel like a fitting ending, but to me they're never nearly as powerful as when a character's fate is undecided and I'm waiting for something terrible to happen. If she just gets executed then nearly every bit of tension I've enjoyed these stories for is pretty much gone, leaving only things that don't affect me as much. It just feels like "ah, whatever, she just dies and all her problems die with her" - of course, that is, if she does indeed die in the last chapter.
2480767 So... what would you prefer? If you were in my shoes, what ending would you write? This isn't me saying one way or the other what the ending will be, I'm merely wondering.
I never thought about it too much. I'm not a writer in any capacity after all. So what I would prefer and what I would write are probably completely different. I can't think of a solid ending that would be better for me as a reader than what I expect to happen as of now, because since I enjoy the tension and mystery of what horrible thing is going to happen next, ideally the story would just be infinite or something.
But hey, you asked. One of my ideas, which I posted before, was that Blossom could go completely mad (triggered by something horrible happening, maybe involving DT or SS in some way) and adopt the Rarity personality - and looks too, using her transformation - and become the twisted version of Rarity that she presumably only "imagines" currently (the one that demands her to murder). She would effectively give up her own personality because dealing with everything would be too much and retreat and the Rarity construct would take complete control - and advantage - of her abilities. It could end on a classic "hey the killer is still alive and out there" note - maybe not say that this is what happened, but have Blossom disappear or something, and end it on a newspaper article that mentions that Rarity has been seen around some city and ponies have been disappearing there.
That's pretty much the best I can come up with just like that. It's probably stupid, but again, I'm not a writer - never even tried.
2480821 So the fact that the whole last third of the book has been leading up to a symbolic redemption for the past two and a half books would be anti-climactic? Blossom wouldn't be executed just because, it's self-sacrifice to prove to everypony, including herself, that she is the antithesis of who Rarity was. If Blossom was caught and executed out of the blue, then yeah, that would be pretty dumb. But by giving herself up she's seeking redemption. She's ensuring that exactly what you are envisioning doesn't happen because she knows that if she is allowed to keep going then it will, on top of the fact that her mother is suffering for her sins.
2480836 I guess I didn't think about it enough. Honestly, I think I was reading this whole trilogy as something less deep and a bit cheaper than what it is and can be. Maybe I just don't have the level of attachment required to really care whether Blossom is the antithesis of Rarity or not and about her redemption. I mean, I get what you're describing, but to me that's indeed kind of an anti-climax and a surprisingly tame and uninteresting ending to a trilogy full of exciting(ly horrible) stuff happening. But hey, Rarity's execution had a big emotional impact on me, even though that's probably only thanks to her last words ("It's time to go...", IIRC), so I don't want to judge anything before I read it.
Well now, as much as I'd like to say, "It's about time!" This series never did have a good track record for playing out the way everyone expected it too.
What last minute surprises will jump out next i wonder?
I'm... not sure if I should be a little offended by that or not. I mean, the whole point of everything was those deeper meanings and connections. It was never about the blood and guts. The gore was a storytelling element, not the focus. This trilogy was about the characters and their emotions, motivations, etc. I think it would be ridiculous if Blossom snapped and turned into Rarity when she spent the entire book (and a bit of the last one) fighting it and she hated herself when she slipped up.
Now, maybe I'm misunderstanding your perspective and if so I apologize.
Agh! Thy princess demands to know!
Based on the discussion between you and SUperbowl, here's what I'd like to see.
They all beg for her to be okay, and Apple Seed even offers her own life in exchance for Blossom's after realizing she led to this. Then Blossom explains how she constantly sees Rarity, and the Princesses realize she's just a lonely mare who's a little crazy, and let her live or something in a local hospital psych ward. or something.
Just wanted to say that your trilogy is one of three stories that I look forward to rereading. You are a wonderful writer and the hardest part of this is dealing with the feeling that this story may be about to end for good. I know it can't go on forever, but I'm always excited for the next update. Oh well
2480786 Regardless of your actual ending, and I will like it no matter what since I completely respect and enjoy this trilogy, I personally would have made Blossom find true redemption in another way that doesn't involve taking her life. Yes her death would be the true end of it all and her actually wanting it that way is her own way of redemption, but she was just as much a victim of Rarity's actions and subsequent events as anyone else. I actually see Blossom dying as a last stand for Rarity in a way (Rarity died, but there are still lasting effects of what she did. i.e. Blossom's death is like getting shot and shooting someone). Making Blossom survive and overcome the vision would be an effective way to break the cycle and not give Rarity that "satisfaction from beyond the grave". Again, that's just how I see it. Having Blossom find inner peace in life would be the best way to move on from the dark past. Either way, I look forward to your ending!
2480148 I have great respect for your writing style, but come on man, you could have pretty much condensed the last 3 or 4 chapters into 1 with all the plot developments you've accomplished in them x.x
Will there be another trilogy?
2481481 No but there'll be a lot of side-stories.
2481160 Well I have confirmed that I'm releasing a bunch of side-stories and even allowing anybody who wants to contribute to that so while the main storyline will be over, the series isn't.
If this is about to end, might i ask for an epilogue of how everyone is coping in various different points of time after the finale? (if indeed blossom does die) Also I wanted to ask if it would be ok if i printed these stories and binded them into a book
2481817
Still cool.
2480136
2482443 You may certainly do so. I only ask for pictures and for you to let me do some heavy editing to The Public Life of Sweetie Belle as I'm not quite satisfied with it yet.
after finishing this, I was like OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK NO WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WHY ARE YOU KILLING BLOSSOM YOU MONSTER IM TEARING UP GOD DAMMIT NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
2484201 The real monsters are those with ideas.
You Sir, are one sick and twisted individual, string us along like this. But, the fact remains that we all love you for it and can't wait for more.
So like everyone else has been saying, can you please just GET ON WITH IT!
2488039 The final chapter and epilogue should be out in a few hours.
2488062 great!
2484416
No, I AM THE REAL MONSTER
Maybe she wouldn't wanna die if mental health was worth a damn in this Equestria. Anti-Psychotic meds? No? Screw it, might as well die I guess.
nooooooooo
At least Blossom is in a better place sniff... BronyWriter why do you play with my feels so much!