The next morning wasn’t as painful as Rarity had expected it to be. She was up bright and early, and although she felt a bit crusty and covered in alcohol and spit, her head wasn’t hurting. In fact, after yesterday’s troubles, she felt clear-headed and driven. Something was rotten in Equestria, and she meant to figure out what.
She had showered and groomed herself for the day when Coco woke up. Breakfast was cooking, and she placed it down in front of Coco first, before serving herself up an omelette and sitting across from Coco. The two picked at their food in silence for a moment before Rarity spoke up.
“First, thank you for last night, Coco. I appreciate what you’ve done for me, and I need you to know I do appreciate the work and help you provide. I am sorry for coming in drunk like that,” Rarity said.
“Apology accepted,” Coco said. “What spurred you to drink that much, anyway?”
Rarity was silent for a moment. “I think Weak Stitch has ponies following me.”
Coco choked. “A-and you’re calm about this why?
“I spent all yesterday getting drunk when I realized what was going on. I couldn’t tell you the details of why, but I think it has to do with him and knitting needle stating I’m ‘his type’,” Rarity said.
“How do you figure that’s what’s going on?” Coco asked.
“The only place I’ve seen or heard of the pomander thing is from Weak Stitch. He’s the highest profile pony I’ve seen using one, and the stallion from last night had clothes similar to those worn by Weak Stitch. No matter what those mares from several nights ago said, I’m certain the one who had the pomander was more familiar with him than she let on,” Rarity said.
“So you think he’s putting them up to following you?” Coco said.
“I do,” Rarity said.
“It sounds like you should get the police involved, Rarity,” Coco said.
“I will, today, but I had no idea what to do last night. The stallion I encountered, Coco, in order to figure out what I suspected, I had to sit with him. He wanted a blowjob, so I kissed him to distract him, but the kiss… Coco, he tasted like rotten meat smells,” Rarity said.
Coco made a face and retched. “Are… are you sure?”
Rarity nodded. “Very sure. I remembered the cow Applejack and I found on her farm, and that just doesn’t disappear. She had been several days in direct sunlight, and you don’t just forget a scene like that. His mouth tasted like rotten meat.”
“That’s really disturbing Rarity. The whole thing is disturbing. I mean, the only thing these ponies all had in common was the pomanders, right? Are you sure it’s Weak Stitch setting it all up?” Coco said.
Rarity sighed. “I suppose I can’t say for certain that it is, but the smell Coco. That smell is unique. I hadn’t encountered it at all before Weak Stitch, and now suddenly it’s everywhere? In a single week? That seems like too much of a coincidence.” Rarity pushed her omelette around on her plate. “If Weak Stitch is having me followed for nefarious reasons, I wish to know why. I’ll go inform the police, but meeting three different ponies on three different occasions doesn’t exactly make it sound like a completely unrelated pony is following me.”
“That’s true, but at least they’ll know you lodged a complaint about it,” Coco said.
“Small comfort, but if my body turns up somewhere they’ll know I saw it coming,” Rarity said.
“That’s… macabre,” Coco said.
“Well, I’m no stranger to having ponies follow me, Coco. It is with no small amount of pride when I say that I am attractive and I know that other ponies find me so,” Rarity said. “I’ve had stalkers before. But this one…” Rarity gave a frustrated grunt. “This one doesn’t make much sense. It’s as I said, the only thing connecting the ponies to Weak Stitch is the pomander, but I’m positive the connection is there. The question is why? Why have them all carry this pomander?”
“I don’t know, Rarity. I’m sorry,” Coco said.
“Oh, it’s nothing I’m blaming you for, Coco. I just feel like something is creeping up behind me and there’s nothing I can do about it,” Rarity said.
“Just go to the police and see what they say,” Coco said. “After that, don’t travel alone, okay? Especially at night. If you want to go anywhere, let me know and I’ll come with you.”
“Thank you, Coco. I appreciate it,” Rarity said.
The two ponies ate breakfast, cleaned up, and trotted down to the police station to file Rarity’s complaint. As expected, the police admitted there was nothing they could do. Ponies were allowed to be where they were as long as they weren’t disturbing the peace, and there was no law against smelling like a clothing store or wearing pomanders. The two mares left only slightly satisfied with the results, and made their way down to the boutique.
They opened up the shop for the day, ready for their customers. Work went smoothly, with the pony from the night before coming back to pick up her clothing, and being so pleased with the work they did that she set up three more orders for new outfits. There were only a few dissatisfied customers they had to handle, and by the end of the day, they’d built up a significant backlog of customers, even with Rarity there working as well.
The day was finished with the both of them very pleased with themselves, and there hadn’t even been strange smells around to ruin it. Rarity wasn’t convinced it had ended, but at least one day passed without her having to deal with somepony stalking her and smelling like that awful shop of Weak Stitch’s.
They closed up shop, went home, ate dinner, and went to bed all without anything going wrong or smelling that awful smell. Before going to bed, Rarity pulled open the windows and sniffed lightly. Not smelling anything, and knowing they were on the second floor, she felt safe enough to leave it open and relieve the stuffy confines of the flat. A summer’s day is still a summer’s day, and Coco’s apartment got quite warm during the warmer months of the year. Rarity laid herself down on top of the sheets and drifted off, enjoying the cool breeze.
Rarity was awakened the next day by Coco bursting in and shouting madly.
“Rarity, wake up! Weak Stitch was murdered!” Coco shouted.
Rarity started awake, and it took her a moment, but her eyes widened in surprise. “What? How? When?”
“His body was found inside his shop in the back room. Ponies were concerned when he didn’t open shop for several days, and nopony could contact him or Knitting Needle. Police burst inside and found, and I quote: ‘a grisly scene’,” Coco read. “There’s no further details than that just yet, but news sources speculate there’s more to it. It’s been ruled a murder, and Knitting Needle is the primary suspect.”
“Well I can’t say I’m surprised. He treated her so poorly and for so long, dangling himself in front of her. It’s no wonder she snapped,” Rarity said.
“Yeah, I guess so. But at least you don’t have to worry about him anymore,” Coco said.
“That’s true. I guess the ponies he hired to follow me tipped off the police when they couldn’t contact him,” Rarity said.
“It’s a load off my mind, at least. I’ve never had fans like that, and I had no idea what to do. I was so scared for you,” Coco said.
“It’s scary for me as well, but I’ve learned how to deal with it,” Rarity said.
“That’s good, I guess. Shall we head to work, though? We have a lot to do,” Coco said.
“Yes, let’s do that. Get our minds off this whole messy business,” Rarity said.
The two made it to the shop in good time, and work began. They stitched, sewed, and fabricated with expert precision, and work was getting done on time. Rarity didn’t give Weak Stitch much thought through most of the day, until she smelled his particular scent once more, this time coming from within the shop. She groaned in exasperation.
“Sweet Celestia, don’t you read the damn news? There’s nopony to report back to. Leave me be,” Rarity said.
“Rarity? What’s wrong?” Coco asked.
“I smell it again. I don’t know where and I don’t know why, but I smell that awful smell again,” Rarity said.
Coco sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose. “You’re right. Do you think it’s somepony in the shop?”
“If it is they certainly don’t read the news. There’s nopony to return to with information about me. Just ignore it. They’ll figure it out soon enough,” Rarity said.
Coco obliged, and the two of them went about their day as usual. The smell persisted, and some of their customers even complained about it. Rarity assured them that it was merely from some touch-up work on one of the back walls and it would be gone soon enough, there was nothing to worry about.
She was lying, of course. It definitely was something to worry about, because it hadn’t gone away all day, and she still couldn’t pinpoint the source. It had lessened at one point, but it had come back stronger than ever, and she didn’t know which pony it was. She had watched the customers come and go, and none of them had stayed here all day. Everypony who had come in had left at one point, which meant the one that smelled strange was elsewhere. That was worrying because this was stronger than when that weirdo had been sitting in the club upstairs. Rarity didn’t this the pony was outside the shop. They were somewhere inside.
“Coco, can you run and get the police before we close up shop? I don’t want to be stuck in here with just the two of us and that smell. I’m certain somepony is hiding somewhere in here,” Rarity said.
“Are you positive?” Coco asked.
“I cannot prove it, but the smell is much stronger than when the pony was upstairs, this is a pony hiding inside the shop, though I’ve no idea where,” Rarity said.
“Okay, if it’ll make you feel better.” Coco put down what she was working on, and trotted outside to the police station.
She was only gone a few minutes, but Rarity didn’t feel safe with only the two other customers that were still in the shop. She kept scissors on hoof just in case until Coco came back. She did return soon enough, but only with a single officer. He tipped his cap at Rarity and approached.
“What seems to be the trouble miss? Something about a pony hiding inside the shop?” The officer sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. “What is that smell? Phew!”
“That is actually what I want to talk to you about officer,” Rarity said. “I believe I am being followed, because that smell has been following me for several days. Not all in a row, but I frequently smell it, and it is very distinct, and quite unique, and it’s not me, and it’s not my friend Coco Pommel here. Now it is inside my shop, and that leads me to believe that somepony is hiding here that smells of that, and it makes me worry for my safety.”
The officer scratched his head. “Well, that’s quite the story. But you say it’s just the smell?”
“Yes, and before you tell me ponies are allowed to smell how they please, can you honestly say somepony would willingly smell like that? I can only think of two, and one of them was murdered this morning by the other,” Rarity said.
He turned to look at her. “You’re talking about Weak Stitch and Knitting Needle.”
“Yes, a big name in the fashion industry, like myself. He was well-known for his unique scent, which this is,” Rarity said.
“Hmmm…” The stallion paced back and forth while he thought. “What makes you think Weak Stitch or Knitting Needle were following you?”
“One week before his death, I visited with Weak Stitch at his shop. We had lunch together,” Rarity explained. “Knitting Needle told me I was ‘just his type’, and Weak Stitch himself admitted that I am. It didn’t go further than that, but his smell has been following me ever since, on ponies that I have encountered,”
“That’s a good connection, and a fair assumption. We’re limited in what we can do, but if it will make you more comfortable, we can scour the premises after you close up shop,” The stallion said. “Can you leave a key with us?”
“Absolutely. Use mine. Coco is the supervisor of the shop and needs hers.” Rarity passed the officer her key to the shop.
“Alright. We’ll return it tomorrow if that’s alright,” the stallion said.
“Thank you, officer. I appreciate it,” Rarity said.
Rarity and Coco ushered out the last of the customers while the police officer waited, they left him inside after Rarity had gotten his name and badge number, and traveled home to Coco’s apartment.
“Do you think he’ll find anything?” Coco asked.
“I hope he does, but if I wasn’t able to pinpoint the source of the smell, I have my doubts he will. I’m actually hoping that whatever is in there doesn’t hurt him. He’s trying to make me feel better by saying he’ll look, but if he’s alone in there, who knows if the pony stalking me will hurt him or not,” Rarity said.
“He’s trained for this sort of thing Rarity. He’ll be fine,” Coco said.
“I certainly hope you’re right Coco. I certainly hope you’re right,” Rarity said.
“I think I am. Let’s get supper, relax with a nice bath, and then get some sleep okay? We’ll know for certain tomorrow,” Coco said.
They traveled to Coco’s apartment and the rest of their day was normal. Coco went to bathe first while Rarity prepared the ingredients for supper. Once Coco was done, they switched and Coco cooked the food while Rarity showered. Dinner was rather quiet, with neither pony very comfortable talking about their day, so they ate in silence. They retired to their beds without much chatter, with Coco cleaning up the dishes.
“Good night Rarity. Sleep well,” Coco said.
“Good night Coco. Thank you for being a friend,” Rarity said.
Rarity opened the window and laid herself down on the bed, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.
She was awakened later by an intense smell filling her nostrils. It was so strong, and it was so bad, she choked as she tried to breath, coughing endlessly as she tried to evacuate her sinuses to no avail.
Past the choking, she realized the smell meant that whatever or whoever it was that had been at her shop, had somehow escaped the building and followed her and Coco home. The thought sent her into a panic, and she tried to sit up out of bed, only to realize that she was being held down by something. She pulled at her restraints, but they had little to no give, making her attempts fruitless. She tried to bring her magic to bear, only to feel a splitting pain in her skull.
“Ah!” she cried.
“Mmmm…” an unseen voice said.
“Who’s there?” Rarity said.
The voice laughed. A high-pitched giggle at first, then shifting into a low tenor. “You don’t remember me doll? We got real cozy at that club above your shop,” Alto Sax said.
“Alto? What are you—“ Rarity stopped and started shrieking for help. “Coco! Help! Get the police!”
Alto let her shriek and cry and yell as much as she liked. He didn’t even panic. There was no response from Coco, so Alto had probably already dealt with her. She kept screaming anyway, not willing to give him the satisfaction of shutting up.
She kept going for a while, but Alto had had enough, and magic silenced her by sealing her mouth shut. “Didn’t think you’d go on that long, babe, but I need you to stop. We got a date, and I’m on a time limit.”
Rarity grunted in frustration and wiggled in her bindings. She still couldn’t see anything, but wiggling more told her that she wasn’t tied up with anything, she had on a full-body suit of some sort that kept her hooves tight against herself, like she had been stuff in a constricting sack.
Alto left the magic sealing her mouth on and a sack came down over her head. Everything went dark, and she heard rustling. She felt herself being lifted up with nothing supporting her, telling her that magic was what was being used. She heard movement, followed by hoofsteps. There was a long pause, then a thump, and she thought she felt wind. The fabric covering her didn’t leave much feeling for her to determine what was going on, but she began hearing telltale nighttime city sounds. The occasional clop of hooves on cobblestone. A rare cart rolling by here and there. Alto was dragging her through backstreets and alleyways she was sure. Being seen with a pony-shaped bundle is a good way to get in trouble.
They traveled for some distance, then Rarity felt herself being placed on the ground, and there was the sound of zippers cloth rubbing against cloth, the sound of cords being untied. All of these sounds were ones she recognized, but she was confused why Alto would stop to undress himself. Unless he was wearing a disguise of some sort? Breaking into apartments without camouflage gear would be foolish, that was true. She listened and tried to discern if anypony was nearby. Would mumbling through the gag help in this case? Would anypony hear her?
Rarity then heard the sound of somepony putting some kind of clothing back on, and she was even more confused. What was Alto doing? Why had he stopped to change clothes? What good would a disguise do to help him kidnap her? She could do nothing but listen and wait, but she was eventually lifted off the ground again, and they began moving.
They took a very circuitous route, and Rarity couldn’t follow it. It was likely through a series of alleys. Rarity didn’t know Manehatten very well, and she swiftly got lost. Even if she could get free, she’d not be able to find her way home again without help.
Rarity heard an extra set of hoofsteps coming closer, and she felt herself stop moving. She was thrust into a pile of something, and cried out into the gag. She couldn’t let a chance like this slip by, no matter how slim it was. Anypony in an alley this late at night might not help, but she wouldn’t lie here and do nothing.
Rarity mumbled, screamed, and thrashed as much as her bindings would let her, shifting the pile of things on top her as her hips shifted back and forth. The hoofsteps were right on top of them!
“Twenty bits to join in with her if you want, or five to just watch, stranger,” a feminine voice said.
That voice wasn’t Alto. She didn’t know who that… wait.
Rarity flashed back to that drunken night when she’d first smelled the scent following her, and she and Coco had bumped into that duo of mares in the alley. But, she hadn’t been a unicorn! Neither of them had. Come to think of it, neither had Alto Sax! Rarity was getting more and more frightened. What was she dealing with? Was this a changeling? Was she being taken back to the changeling nest? Had one of them been left behind to take her place? What would happen to her?
The owner of the other set of hooves grunted in disgust and moved on down the alley. Once they were gone, Rarity was lifted up once again and they continued their trek. They bumped into no other ponies, and she heard a set of keys open a door. She heard them pass inside and heard the door lock behind them, then they descended a set of stairs. She heard the faint sound of trickling water, and then was dropped onto a table. There was bustling, clinking, and then she felt straps being pulled tight over her body. After they were securely in place, the sack was removed from her head.
Rarity’s blood ran cold as soon as she saw where she was. The first thing she noticed were skins hanging from the far wall. Pony skins, impeccably preserved and cared for, with sets of clothes next to them, designed to cover any blemishes or holes made by removing them. There looked to be about four of them. Five if you counted the one that was standing there looking at her.
It was indeed the mare from that drunken night. She was looking at Rarity with wide eyes and a big smile. An unnatural one at that. She didn’t visibly move, but her skin bulged in awful ways, and the zipper on her tight clothes opened. Out of the mare’s torso crawled none other than Knitting Needle. Weak Stitch’s assistant.
Or… Rarity realized, Weak Stitch himself.
“Figure it out yet?” The small mare said.
Rarity couldn’t speak, but she nodded slowly.
“When I said you were his, or my, type, I meant it,” Knitting Needle said. “You’re a fashion designer, up and coming, popular with the stallions, and you’re most importantly: Fresh.”
Rarity shook her head in denial.
“No, when I say fresh I mean that ponies aren’t tired of you yet. Weak Stitch can be dead, and they can blame me for his death all they want, because I won’t be around.” Knitting Needle said.
“I’m going to move on, and I’ll be somepony else. They’ll never see me, and I’ve grown so proficient at this you probably won’t start to smell strange for at least three or four years.” Knitting Needle put the skin up on the wall with the others and floated over a bevy of awful-looking tools.
Rarity struggled against her bonds, pulling and yanking as hard as she could, but she was securely tied, and her horn didn’t work. There was nothing she could do, but she wasn’t going to let it happen quietly.
“I really wish you’d stop that, the head is the most delicate part and it’s hard to fix mistakes on ponies. Not like cloth,” Knitting Needle said.
When Rarity didn’t calm down, Knitting Needle cast a spell on her that paralyzed her entirely, and Rarity couldn’t even move her eyes. She could only watch as Knitting Needle lowered some dangerous spike toward her face.
“There we are. I’ve grown exceedingly proficient at this over the years, so I do hope you appreciate what I’m going to do with you. It’s art, no? Your friend Coco should really appreciate it,” Knitting Needle said.
Rarity could only scream inside her head as Knitting Needle’s macabre work began.
Coco woke up and pulled herself out of bed. She first went to the restroom, then grabbed herself a glass of water. She then went to go check on Rarity. The poor dear had such a terrible day yesterday, Coco was afraid she was going to stress herself to death. Upon finding Rarity’s room empty, Coco almost panicked, when she heard a knock at the door. She hurried over to it and hoped that it was the police, or she’d have to run down to the station herself.
She opened the door to see none other than Rarity, smiling at her in the doorway.
“Good morning Coco, I hope I didn’t wake you. I just thought I’d go for a little walk and clear my head, but I neglected to bring the spare apartment key,” Rarity said.
Coco stepped aside and let her in, confusion plain on her face. “Are you okay, Rarity?”
“Oh, I’m feeling much better. Sleep and a brisk walk were exactly what I needed this morning. How did you sleep?” Rarity asked.
“I… slept well, thank you,” Coco said. “Rarity, what are you wearing?”
Rarity looked down at herself in her tight-fitting black outfit. “Just a new outfit I thought I’d try on. Do you like it?”
“It’s… unique?” Coco said.
“Thank you. Now, how about breakfast, then we can head off to work. I’m sure the officer is eager to tell us what he found or didn’t find,” Rarity said.
Coco nodded and sat down at the table while Rarity put together breakfast. Through it all, Coco watched Rarity move about, and tried to figure out what was wrong. She seemed fine, she sounded fine, she looked fine, beyond the strange clothing. What was it? What was it!
Oh… that was it. The faint smell of something cloying and strong.
Rarity looked at Coco from across the table, and grinned.
The End