Of Laurels & Lace

by WritingSpirit

Fractured Merriment

Thistle readied his dagger. "This is it, Winter."
"The moment I've been thirsting for."

Rarity closed her eyes, glancing away in fear.

BANG!!!

Winter opened his eyes. He lifted his head up slowly, as his eyes fixated on the tip of a serrated blade.
Thistle's body trembled in disbelief as his blade stopped in mid-air.
"Wha..."

He looked down to the floor as a small pool of blood gathered below. A small stream of it leaked from his mouth as he dropped his blade on the floor.

Stellar watched in bewilderment as he covered Spring's eyes.
Autumn looked up in shock as Caper helped her up.

The mob stopped ranting, the noise died down. A haunting silence settled as everypony watched in confusion.

Rarity opened her eyes, her hoof clutching tightly on a small revolver. Tears streamed down her eyes as her mind started whirring from shock.
"What... What have I..."

The crowd erupted into a frenzy as Thistle fell onto the floor, his hoof twitching slightly. The guards struggled as they tried to counter the pushing and shoving. Ponies tried to break free, scuffling with the guards as Stellar helped his master up.

Octavia rushed to her friend, with her coltfriend following close behind her.
"Rarity!"

The white unicorn lowered the gun, more tears streamed from her face as she fell onto the carpet.
She looked at the glinting gun in her hoof. The strong smell of gunpowder seeped from the barrel.
"What have I done? What have I-"

"Rarity!!" Octavia cried as she stumbled beside her. "What are you doing?!!"

The mob rampaged, some breaking free of the guards as they charged forward.
His hoof smacked one of the ponies on target as Stellar tried to get Spring out of there.

"Rarity! Come on!!"
The white unicorn snapped out from her daze, timing it perfectly as the circle of guards completely broke. Havoc stormed through the room as Winter loaded his gun, firing at some of the ponies.

"Autumn!!" he called out to his sister.

Rarity and Octavia galloped frantically up the stairs, with Crimson buckling his hind hooves as some ponies pursued them, shouting as they get closer and closer.
"There she is!! She murdered Master Thistle!!"

"Hurry!" Crimson exclaimed as gunshots rang through the hall.
Rarity faltered, stumbling over as she landed face first onto the floor.

She cursed under her breath as she lifted herself up, her hoof twinging slightly in pain.
"Come on, Rarity." Crimson said as he kicked a few more ponies away.

Stellar rushed in front of them, guiding Spring along sliding a lever under the table as the wall before them slid open.

"This way!!"

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Fluttershy yipped in delight as Sweetie Belle's voice filled the room. The whole audience was entranced in awe at the singing filly as she was halfway through her climactic song.

The operatic violins fizzled along with her voice as she started dragging it melodically. Everypony watched in awe at the filly, her voice booming through the auditorium with elegance.

The waltz melody suddenly shunned, the stage lights dimmed. Twilight sat at the edge of her seat, anxious to know what's happening next.

"I didn't know she could sing this well." she whispered in amazement.
Rainbow, Fluttershy and Applejack nodded, their eyes glued to Sweetie Belle while the filly's voice arched sharply.

The lights flared up as a small spotlight shone brightly on Sweetie Bell, who threw her hooves dramatically in the air. She held her breath, readying her final verse.

The violins hummed in violently, a parade of French horns joining in. The symphony blared with a roar of pride as the lights flared upon the stage. Sweetie raised her voice loudly, finishing her song while the music continued.

Suddenly, a loud crack sounded through the room as the music stopped. The sound of splintering wood followed.
Twilight's ears perked up as Applejack looked around anxiously.
"What in tarnation was tha-"

A giant beam collapsed onto the stage, missing Sweetie Belle by a few feet as she jumped back in horror. Flames blazed from the top, spreading quickly onto the curtains around them.

"Fire!!!"

Everypony started scattering in shock as the embers blazed up the walls.
"Sweetie Belle!!" Twilight called to the cringing filly desperately.
"Hang in there!!!"

Applejack rushed downwards, hopping over the descending row of seats as she hung on to her hat.
Rainbow Dash flew towards the stage, avoiding the raining chunks of stone and clouds of ash which fell into the flames that wicked below her.
"Sweetie Belle! I'm coming!"

Twilight started choking through the smoke, ash searing in her eyes as she looked around in confusion.
"Fluttershy?" she called out, twirling around as her heart started to sink.

"Fluttershy?!" she called again with more desperation.

The fire grew stronger with each passing minute. Applejack rushed down in determination. Sweat enveloped her skin as she furiously worked her way down towards the stage.
"Rainbow!" she shouted to the blue pegasus overhead her. "Find Fluttershy!! Now!!"

"Got it!!"

More wooden beams collapsed to the floor as Applejack clambered up the stage.
"I'm comin', sugarcube!" she shouted to the cringing filly.

Rainbow scoured the burning auditorium, coughing slightly while she peered through the dust.
"Where are you, Fluttershy?!"

Twilight stumbled out, fresh in the open air as wailing sirens came into view.
"Come here, miss!" a pony guided her towards a firetruck.

"Is there anypony else in there?"

"My..." Twilight coughed and wheezed, trying to breathe.
"My friend, Fluttershy.... we can't find her.... It's just..."

"Don't worry, miss. We're doing everything we can to stop the fire."

Applejack rushed out from the doors with Sweetie Belle clinging tightly on her back. The small filly sobbed loudly in terror as the orange pony helped her down.
"There, there...." she hushed her. "It's over now... you're safe."

Rainbow Dash flew out, coughing exasperatedly while she plunged towards the ground.
"Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed, galloping to the blue pegasus.

Rainbow wheezed and cough, her rainbow mane covered in patches of soot as she tried to catch her breath.
"Fl-Fluttershy..."

"Where is she?" Twilight asked frantically. "Where?!"

The pegasus coughed a little more, before croaking out:

"She's not here!"

Twilight and Applejack paled while Rainbow continued coughing. Smoke enveloped the building, pouring through the windows and the double doors as the fire-ponies sprayed it with their hoses.
"B-But I don't understand! She was here a second ago!" Twilight asked frantically. "How could she not be here?!"

Fires whipped from the building, creaking slight while ponies started scrambling for safety.
"Watch out!!"
Part of the structure collapsed, a mountain of cement and debris rumbling to the floor.
"Oh Celestia!" Applejack gasped in horror.

Twilight felt a tap on her shoulder.
A police-pony stood, his face grim as she turned around. "Excuse me, miss?"
Applejack and Rainbow walked over, the orange pony still comforting Sweetie Belle.
"What is it, officer?" Twilight asked worryingly.

The officer straightened his hat, shuffling through his clipboard as he scanned through its contents.
"It's about a friend of yours. Pinkie Pie."

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The passage was incredibly dusty, as Rarity found out.
Her hooves looked more like Octavia's with every step. The group of ponies trotted cautiously through the dark corridor. Stellar held the lamp up, guiding Spring by the hoof as Rarity, Octavia and Crimson followed.
"Normally servants aren't allowed through these passages. But Winter made this an exception."
A boom echoed from behind, making Rarity and Octavia turn around suddenly. Small waterfalls of dust fell from the ceiling, nearly coating all of them in the grey matter.

"Miss Octavia," Stellar asked discerningly. "Did anything... interesting happened in the cellar while I was away?"
The pony just shook her head. "Not much, but we found this-"
Rarity covered her mouth suddenly. "Ha-ha, Octavia!" she chuckled nervously.
"Very funny story you got there!"

"Okay...."
Stellar turned to the front, trying to see through the dark passage.

"Are you insane?!" Rarity hissed at her friend. "We were not supposed to be in the cellar in the first place!!"
"How would he know?!" the grey pony whispered back. "It's not like he's Winter or anything."
Crimson just sighed.
"I think it's best to assume they both know."

Spring whimpered slightly, her voice echoing in the dark.
"Rarity?"
"Yes, dear?"
"Do you think my brother will be safe?"
Stellar turned his head around as Rarity hastily looked for an answer.
"Isn't your talent looking into the future?"

The filly pouted a little, obviously unimpressed. "I know the future, all right."
"But I want to hear what you think."

The five ponies stopped as Spring stared at the unicorn. Octavia just nudged her hoof. "Spit it out."
"Yes." Rarity answered. "I believe he would be safe, dear."
Spring smiled, one of the brightest Rarity had ever seen since Summer's death.
"Thank you."

Stellar gave Rarity his own smile, as they continued trotting slowly down the tunnel. Another rumble rocked the dark hallway, to which Octavia tripped suddenly with a gasp.
Crimson grabbed her hoof, just in time before she hit the floor.
"Well," he said heartily, "I guess those dance lessons worked really well!"
Everypony laughed as Stellar scanned the hallway. His hoof reached around the walls as he tried to recall something.
It must be here somewhere...

Rarity shook the dust off her mane with a small *poof*. Spring coughed a little as she giggled slightly.
"I knew that would happen!"

Stellar's hoof felt a gap, cleverly concealed between two bricks.
"This is it." he told the other ponies.
His hoof reached into the niche, straining inside as he tugged on a cord.

The wall slid open, making the five ponies shield their eyes from the sudden glare of light.

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"What do you mean, she ran away?!!"
Twilight stood in front of Ponyville hospital, a shattered window visible at the corner. Police cars wailed loudly, surrounding the iron grates of the hospital as the lavender unicorn couldn't believe her ears.
"No, she wouldn't. She wouldn't run away."

"Why in tarnation," Applejack spoke suddenly, "would she do that for, officer? She understands that-"
"Apparently, she didn't." the officer cut her off. "Was your friend mentally stable recently?"
The ponies felt their gut twinge.
"Was she?"

"I'm not sure." Twilight said first. "I really am."
"Ever since the... accident she had, she's been acting very strange."

Rainbow shuddered. "She keeps saying that somepony pushed her out! Mr Cake said nopony could've reached Pinkie Pie's room without passing through the main counter!"
"There must be somepony that did." Applejack argued. "The same pony did this to my hoof!"
The orange pony raised her cast defiantly, trying to prove her point.

"So what you're saying," the officer inquired, "that somepony is targeting random ponies for no reason?"
Twilight nodded with uncertainty. "We have reason to believe that this pony was the one that caused the train explosion up north, in Pendant Lakes."
The officer's face darkened slightly, his mind clicking into place.

"Sir!"

Another police-pony trotted up to him, carrying a few sheets of paper.
"Guess what security picked up."

The officer gazed at the sheet, his eyes slowly peering closer towards the paper.
"This is the footage from the auditorium." he explained, passing the paper to Twilight.

"What?!" she gasped in shock, staring at the photos in disbelief.
"But... but-!!" she stuttered as she leafed through the dual sheets of paper.
"What in tarnation is wrong, sugarcube?" Applejack asked.

She and Rainbow Dash paled with horror as they saw Pinkie somewhere upstairs, carrying a few canisters of lighter fluid.
Applejack could only look in shock, as Rainbow yelled in frustration and disbelief.
"What the hell was she thinking?!! She could've killed somepony in there!!"

The next sheet proved even more disturbing, showing Pinkie Pie gagging and dragging out a pony while the auditorium burned around her.
"Based on this photos, we have enough evidence to show that she started the fire to kidnap this particular pony." he pointed out.

The final photo showed a zoomed version of the previous one, focusing on the kidnapped pony.
A small pair of wings froze up in horror, an expression of terror pasted on the pony's face while Pinkie forced a piece of cloth against her mouth.
The three ponies gasped in shock, realizing who the pony is as they exclaimed her name in unison:

"Fluttershy!!"

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"What's happening outside?"

Stellar strained as he placed his ear against the door. Muffled screams and cries echoed through the door.
Rarity looked out the window in horror as flames danced at the garden below her. All around, ponies were engaged in combat, sword with sword and, on rare occasion, the faint sound of gunshots.
"I don't know." she mumbled nervously. "I don't really know."

She buried her face in her hooves. "What would they think of me? My friends?!"
"What do you mean, Rarity?" Octavia asked. "You did nothing wrong."

"I've killed somepony, Octavia!!" she screeched, her eyes turning into slits, glittering with tears.
"A pony, for Celestia's sake!! A pony!!!"

Octavia just stood there, a little taken aback at her friend's reaction. Crimson stood beside her, his hoof clutching onto his marefriend's.
Stellar just watched grimly, wanting to say something.

"But Rarity..."
Spring's voice chirped with a tiny whimper as she approached the crying mare. "You saved my brother, Rarity. I'm sure Princess Celestia would understand."
Rarity looked up at the filly, her face crinkled with tears, which she quickly rubbed it away with her hoof.
"Spring," she said, holding her breath, "you're still young, dear. You wouldn't understand."

Spring just looked at her with doubt. "But Rarity, I do understand."
She gestured to her Cutie Mark, which seemed to glow at every glance.
"I know how, and when, ponies were supposed to... pass on. I just couldn't say it."
"And when I do," Spring looked away uneasily. "I get sick."

"Now I'm too sick, so sick until I can't live on any longer. I can't get well. It suddenly feels so weird knowing when you're going to die."

Spring tried not to sob as she hugged Rarity's hoof tightly. The unicorn blinked in surprise.
"You did nothing wrong, Rarity. Just like what your friend said."

Rarity bit her lip. "You remind me a lot about somepony. Somepony special."
"Really?" Spring cried in enthusiasm. "Who?"
"My sister, Sweetie Belle." the unicorn said with a chuckle. "She's just like you, sweetheart."
Stellar watched with a smile along with Octavia, who chuckled a little with Crimson placing his hooves around her.

Spring just beamed. "Sweetie Belle... I wonder how would she think of me."
Rarity just grinned.

"I think she would be delighted to meet you."

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Fluttershy looked around nervously, sweat dripping down her neck as she felt the room spin.
She felt her hooves being bounded by thick rope as she tried to force the cloth out of her mouth.

"It's about time."
A shadow emerged from the darkness. Fluttershy forcibly closed her eyes.

"I was really tired of waiting." the voice continued sharply. "Were you ever tired of waiting for anypony, Fluttershy?"
The yellow pegasus swung in a circle, held in the air as she let out a whimper.
"Were you?!"

Fluttershy felt the gag tear out from her mouth. She screamed a little, retracting her hooves.
"L-Let me go!! Just let me go!!"
The voice just laughed. "And what will I get? What?!"

"Leave me alone!!"
Fluttershy shouted at the top of her voice, coughing slightly as her blurry vision started becoming clearer.

"But Fluttershy," the voice continued coldly. "We're friends...."
The yellow pegasus felt her heart sink as she heard the unmistakable sound of a sharpening blade.

"Schlinkk........"

"...why would you want me to... leave?"
Fluttershy's eyes widened in disbelief as the pony stepped from the darkness.
"P-Pinkie?"

The pink pony just snickered as Fluttershy struggled from her binds.
A glitter caught her eye. There, gripped tightly in Pinkie's hoof, was a small blade.

"Pinkie... Pinkie please. W-We can t-talk about this..."
"Oh, yay!" the pony clopped her hooves in false anticipation. "What do you want to talk about?!"

Fluttershy gulped slowly as Pinkie continued: "Is it about how crazy I was?! Or how everypony doesn't seem to even give a damn about how I'm feeling right now?! Or is it..."
Her voice trailed off as Pinkie stared into space.
"Is it about what I'm going to do to you, Fluttershy?"

The yellow pegasus whimpered. "Pinkie, don't do th-this..." she managed to stutter.
"Do what?!" she yelled with contempt. "You think I would burn the theater down, get you all tied up in here, just for NOTHING??!!"

Pinkie flipped a table over, the oil lamp tumbling into a bale of hay as fire started razing over the floor.
"Pinkie!!" Fluttershy pleaded again. "We all really wanted to know what done this, what made you like this!!"
"Please!! Just give us a chance!!"

Pinkie stopped for a moment, slightly taken aback by her words.
"Please make it stop, Pinkie!!" the yellow pegasus begged with tears in her eyes. "Just STOP!!"
The fire spread around them, surrounding both of them as it whisked around, illuminating the entire room.
Pinkie looked at the blade within her hooves, her mind stopped whirring.

"Wh-What have I..."

Fluttershy yelped as a wooden beam collapsed in flames behind her. She struggled, trying to force her hooves out of the tight ropes.
"Pinkie!!" she cried. "Help me!!"

The other pony looked up, her eyes refueled with rage.
"You're not the one suffering here, Fluttershy!! I am!!!"
The yellow pegasus looked in horror as the pink pony raised the blade.

"You're here not because I want to hurt you, Fluttershy." Pinkie said morbidly.
Fluttershy felt the ropes starting to loosen while she effortlessly twisted and turned.

"You're here..." her voice faltered a little, "... to watch."

Fluttershy widened her eyes in horror. "Pinkie, no!!!'

The pink pony launched the blade downwards, striking into herself as the blade jutted inside her body.
She coughed and sputtered, her eyes widened. Her mouth open, trying to scream.

"Pinkie!! Stop!! Stop this!!"

The blade was slowly dragged out as Pinkie hid behind her mane in shame.
"No, Fluttershy." she sputtered.

The yellow pegasus looked away in disgust as the blade entered her friend the second time. A broken scream emanated from the top of her lungs, before Pinkie started crying painfully.
"You see, Fluttershy?!" she shouted to the pegasus. "This is what I've done!! This is how I FELT!!!"
The blade launched for the third time as Pinkie screamed again. Blood dripped beneath her, the blade dragging out completely coated in red.
"And I-I'm sorry, Fluttershy." she managed to stutter. "I-I'm s-sorry you ha-have to see me lik-like this."

The door burst open. Twilight quickly rushed into the room, watching in shock at the dangling pegasus. "Fluttershy!!"
A streak of rainbow flew through the air as Rainbow Dash hastily untied her friend. Fluttershy hit the hay-covered floor with a small yelp as Applejack galloped in.
"Hang on, sugarcube!!" the orange pony shouted. "We got you now!!"

"Stop Pinkie!!" the yellow pegasus screamed. "Stop her!!"

Twilight galloped into the flames without care. "Pinkie!!" she cried out her name.
Another loud scream rang through the room, as Twilight stepped on a small path of blood.
"Oh Celestia, Pinkie!!"

Twilight skidded to a halt as she saw Pinkie readying the blade. Her pink body was bloodied, stained red along with her mane. Her face twisted, wincing in pain. She staggered to stand up, raising the blade in the air.
"Pinkie, STOP!!"
The purple unicorn tackled her down, the blade tossed into the air.
"Get off me, Twilight!!" she screamed amidst the roaring of flames. "GET OFF ME!!"

Twilight felt her face crumple as Pinkie gave her face a punch. She stumbled back, nearly falling back inside the fire.
"Pinkie!! Don't do this to yourself!!"

"I can, I will..." Pinkie dragged herself along, giggling maniacally, her hoof reaching for the blade.
"and I must!!"

A rope suddenly looped around her hoof, gripping tightly as the pink pony tried to kick it off.
"Don't do it, Pinkie!!" Applejack's voice boomed above the loud groans of wood, galloping towards her in desperation.

"NO!!" Pinkie screamed, trying in vain to reach the blade. "Let me go!!"

Twilight pulled the rope forcefully with her teeth, the flames eating away the structure as the pink pony's voice faltered.
"Just let-let me... go...."

"Let's get out of here!!"

Twilight and Applejack scrambled through the falling beams, with Applejack carrying the unconscious Pinkie on her back. The ceiling creaked, the flames starting to spread upwards.
"Come on!!" Applejack shouted as the two ponies galloped faster. The door to broad daylight grew closer and closer.

Closing their eyes, both of them jumped, launching themselves out of the barn as they both landed on the floor. The ceiling collapsed, the sound of crashing wood and raging fire echoing behind them.
"Twilight! Applejack!!" Fluttershy yelped as she helped them up. Pinkie rolled over to the side, her blood mixing with the sweat and mud below.

"Get her to the hospital now!"