//------------------------------// // They Are // Story: Pony Horror Anthology Vol. II // by LoreLove //------------------------------// With seasons changing so did the attire meant to go with them. Rarity enjoyed the work dearly but also knew it was a constant battle with the ever moving design changes that followed. Each season brought back older works to be redone or thrown out for newer pieces to take the spotlight. It was always something to keep her busy, not to mention the fashion shows and more that happened during them. Her purple curly mane bounced as she trotted along her boutique’s floor and made sure the warmer wear would be ready in time. Even though she did do most of her work to show plenty of ponies, it did please her to make the more simple things that many might find more affordable. After all, she did need the bits to keep her store running and more. With her study of fabrics and the like it seemed as if she were on track with most work. Fall was creeping in and with it the cooler weather. There would be a need for some things for sure. Her magic levitated a needle and thread as she paused in thought. If she worked through the night she might just make one of her deadlines in time as well as being able to push out a few other items. The idea wasn’t pleasing but if it must be done then so be it. Sweetie Belle could stay over at a friend’s house for the time being so neither of them disturbed one another. Walking to the nearest ponyquin, Rarity squinted behind her glasses as she tried slipping the thread through the tiny needle. Several attempts and fails made her sigh as she thought of the looming deadline for next week. She was so behind and it wasn’t like her but things had come up and she needed to take care of them as usual. If only Equestria could save itself just once. Another try and she grumbled lightly before jamming the needle into the side of the ponyquin. It was the stress of it all getting to her. She knew it as much any other. Perhaps a tiny break would do her well. Working all through the morning, past her lunch and well into the evening wasn’t exactly healthy. “Sweetie Belle~” Rarity called with an airy voice. She didn’t wish to appear upset to her young sister. “Coming!” came the squeaky voice up the stairs before the sound of little hooves were clopping down the steps. “What is it, Rarity?” “Would you like to spend the night at Applejack’s with dear little Apple Bloom tonight?” the marshmallow colored unicorn asked, her sapphire eyes trying to stay focused on her sibling. “Yeah!” the little one squeaked and hopped up. Her two-toned mane bounced in her excitement. “That’s good, dear. I’m sure Applejack won’t mind so long as you eat before you go,” Rarity mentioned before letting her gaze turn to the doll she had stuck. She really wanted to keep working. “Of course,” Sweetie said and turned tail to go rummage for something from the kitchen. “Thank you, Rarity!” “Mhm,” the eldest replied back as she already started moving back to the life-size doll. A break was needed indeed but her work kept demanding her attention. If she messed up measurements or got the wrong thread it would spell disaster for her. Her eyes closed softly as she gathered her thoughts and did her best to push them all aside. Just a few minutes for some tea or something to nibble on then she could hop right back to it. Mistakes weren’t something she wanted to occur if she could help it. With that, Rarity breathed easy and pushed the ponyquin aside before turning around and heading to the kitchen herself. ••••• The tea and bagel were certainly a welcome to her stomach even an hour after consumed. She felt a bit more lively and Sweetie Belle had gone to spend the night with a friend of hers. Rarity took no time in getting back to work shortly after. Her eyes studied patterns and colors as she closed the boutique and focused fully on the line of wear she needed to complete. Various pins held parts in place as she magically worked on the sewing nearby. Things did seem to be running along quite nicely. It took her hours before she felt satisfied with some of the progress. A few of the articles of clothing were near completion and she only had a few left to do. Such a far better place she was in than before. She almost wondered if she even needed to work into the night like she planned until she glanced around. One of the items had been flipped almost inside out on a ponyquin. Her groan was audible as she stopped the sewing and walked over to the scene in question. She was sure she put it on right and didn’t mess it up though seeing it differently began raising the doubts of her dressmaking into her thoughts. Carefully, she pulled the piece off the doll and flipped it over. No thread was going to be missed if she was making these. It wasn’t a long study of the piece but just enough to be sure she hadn’t messed up any stitching or misaligned any fabrics. Her breath let out an exasperated sigh before she fit the article back onto the haunches of the ponyquin then took a couple pins and stuck them into place. There. Now she had no excuse for accidentally flipping it over and making herself worry again. That piece would sit there until she removed the pins herself. A nod to her own fix had her smile before she turned and began to sit at the sewing machine once more. The work had to be careful but quick. Her hooves moved the fabric to and from the moving needle as she kept working diligently. Those red framed glasses stayed perched on her snout to keep her inspecting every fine detail she could while making sure things kept moving. Her ear perked up as she stopped the machine. Had Sweetie Belle come back? Rarity turned to look at the front door before giving a confused mumble. She could have sworn she heard something barely over the sound of her sewing. A look through the boutique itself showed nopony else other than her. The entire place was vacant, as it should be at such late hours. Glancing out the windows to the darkening town had her shift a bit in her seat. Why did she have to put up with Dash’s annoying scary stories? They didn’t bother her at the time but afterwards they left an impact. She gave a cautious look around her building once more before slowly starting to start up her work once again. It was silly to get uneasy over just being alone in a building. A building that she had to sleep in. The mare stared at the fabric moving she kept moving before lifting her head and pushing away from the desk. She had definitely heard something that time. Was somepony trying to rob her? They would be in for it if they didn’t know who she was. Rarity set aside her glasses and measuring tape from around her neck before walking around her store. As much as she wasn’t one to get her hooves dirty she wasn’t shy of teaching some trespasser a thing or two. Preferably with her words rather than her hooves. Scouting around appeared as if nothing were out of place. Nopony was hiding in some corner or even trying to break in. There were a couple passes on the ground floor before she resigned and shook her head. Her ears were just hearing things due to the hard work she had been under lately. Filling the gaps of droning sounds or nothingness with an oddity or two. Twilight would be finding the reasoning instantly, Rarity knew. Her work picked back up just as quick as she had put a halt on it. Things might be getting to her out of her tired state of mind. Spooky stories or not, she had things to do in a timely manner. The unicorn continued her pace on feeding the fabric through the machine as she hovered her glasses before her. It would be extremely late by the time she got to bed. Her guess was that it might be well into early morning before she got one more piece done. Staying up overnight for just one instance wouldn’t be too bad, would it? Oh, how she wouldn’t mind another slumber party with Twilight and Applejack again. It had been so long and maybe they could all stay up longer with much more to talk about. The idea made her smile while she kept going and let her tail sway behind her. It would indeed be a pleasant activity to revisit. There it was again. Rarity stopped sewing and held still. Those ears stood at attention, eager to pick up anything. There had most certainly been a noise that time. A few moments passed before she let out a grunt and forced herself to resume her work. As much as she wanted to believe she had just imagined it, she did feel that it was an actual noise. A noise to what was something that befuddled her. The mare shook her head lightly as she forced herself to just keep her mind on the work she needed done. As the hours began to stretch long into the night, Rarity continued her efforts as long as she could. Minus the odd noises she heard once in a while, it was a relatively steady pace. Yawns escaped her tired muzzle as she kept up the work while getting herself a few cups of tea to keep things going through the dark hours. Most of the time was spent hunched over her sewing machine or carefully stitching together patterns by magic. Sadly, as time went on so did her fatigue. Light bags formed under her delicate eyes as she made sure to get certain tasks done before daylight. A snack and more tea were her only breaks as she pressed onward. It wasn’t until the sun of Celestia began to shine through her windows that she realized just how long she had been working for. It was a surprised to her as the mare took a moment to watch the sun rise more while she contemplated taking a nap or just going on with the day. Her boutique usually wasn’t closed during a weekday but she started thinking it might be easier to just take it off. “What do you think, darling?” Rarity asked, turning to one of her ponyquins within the store and smiling. Obviously no answer came in return. While she enjoyed it she also felt the lack of connection due to it. She felt so tired that she was talking to her own store dolls. The reality of it made her giggle lightly in a tired tone to herself before she looked out the windows again. A light scuff against the floor made her sit up and look around quickly. She hadn’t been doing anything that time and knew she heard something. Her ears twitched as she glanced around slowly yet found nothing amiss. Not even her pincushion she haphazardly set aside in a rush earlier. Was her store just making strange noises for settling? Temperature change, something or other? Twilight had told her about something like that with how things change shape in different temperatures. Rarity only took it to mean her figure wasn’t so great during summer. “Is there anypony there?” she called out softly while staying where she was. Even though the orange hues of the day were lighting the store it still felt unsettling with the silence that greeted her back. Things just felt off to her for some reason. Several minutes seemed to pass as she surveyed the area before eventually deciding it was nothing. She needed some beauty rest, she thought. Getting up, the unicorn strode over to the front door and made sure it was still locked. Her magic moved a ponyquin back to where it belonged from where she had taken it to set patterns on it. She couldn’t believe she dragged it all the way across the store floor. On her way to the stairs, her magic shifted another of the standees aside before she slowed down and stopped. Looking it over more showed the designs she had been using on it while the prior one had none. Her brow knit together in confusion as she stared between the two. There was no doubt about it. She was diamond dog tired. Her eyes rolled as she huffed and flicked her head to swing her mane aside. Just like her to forget which dummy she was using and dragging others around in such a haste. Sleep was most certainly needed if she was losing that kind of attentiveness. One by one, her hooves hopped up the steps to the second floor where she hurried herself into drawing a warm bath. A lady like her deserved a reward for hard work. The bathroom held far more than the barest of necessities for her. Various tubes of lipstick, compacts, colored towels and much more adorned the area. Nudging the door closed, her magic was quick to turn the water one as she slipped her favorite bathrobe on. The sleek purple curtains around her tub shifted apart with more help from her magical abilities as she let the tub fill and lazily splashed a hoof in the water as she waited. After a while, the tub was finally filled to a level she deemed adequate. The warmth radiated off the surface as she breathed in the humid air and let out a smile. Her robe was quickly removed after such a short time of wearing it and she slipped into the water instantly. A relaxed sigh escaped her as the mare leaned into the tub and just let all the tension ease away. Those lovely eyes closed while she tilted her head back to rest on the edge of her bathtub then she began humming softly to herself. It certainly did feel good to just let all the stress wash away. The sudden thump downstairs had her open an eye but remain still. Something must have just been set up too close to an edge. It wasn’t until the second time it sounded out that she sat up and stared at the bathroom door. “Sweetie Belle? Are you home?” Rarity called out, not knowing when her sister might return from her friend’s place. Silence seemed to be her most common company. There was a little longer of a wait before she tried to settle back into the water she had barely got to enjoy. Surely, just a simple item fell over. Nothing more. The third time it happened it sounded much closer downstairs. Rarity carefully sat up and thought of what to do. It wasn’t like her boutique to make such odd noises so commonly. The idea of it not being her store itself made her frown some. There was only so much she could just sitting in a tub and soaking. A deep groan escaped her throat while she got up and wrapped a towel around her mane then slipped her robe back on. Why she enjoyed wearing it was just a matter of comfort when not drying off. Undoing the latch, the mare opened the bathroom door and began to step out. A look around seemed to show nothing wrong so she checked her and Sweetie’s bedrooms just to be sure she hadn’t misheard the source. Still nothing. It wasn’t until she neared the stairwell that her heart skipped a beat. At the foot of the stairs sat a lone ponyquin, just barely set aside from the last step. While it wasn’t how near it was that spooked her it was the fact it almost appeared to be looking up at her for a split second. Rarity let out a slow sigh and levitated the doll away from the steps. She didn’t wish to admit how startling it was but it did seem so very odd for something like that to happen. Did it happen? Maybe she just moved it without realizing where to. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered, already upset she let herself ruin the nice bath she was taking. It had to be her tired mind. There was simply no other cause for such fancy thoughts and missed details. Even if it were just a few hours for a nap it could benefit greatly to her. Her hooves made a hurried rush back to the bathroom to drain her tub as she sighed and shook her head. Just sleep. It’s all she needed. Refraining from removing her robe and towel, the unicorn moved into her bedroom and kicked the door shut. She could just rest for a few hours and then be just perfect. With a very unceremonious flop, Rarity got onto her far too soft sheets as she rolled onto her side. The robe and towel had luckily dried off most of her coat and mane from the small dip she took so there was little worry about the sheets. Her eyes fluttered as she let her hooves stretch out before the embrace of sleep took hold almost instantly. ••••• “Wha?” Rarity mumbled out, stirring from her sleep and trying to blink away the blurred vision. Something had disturbed her and woken her up but she had no idea what. It didn’t appear as though anything was wrong from a quick look. Her eyes tried adjusting as she slowly drew into focus her surroundings. Judging by the daylight she had barely slept more than a couple of hours. It was a curious thing. Somehow she had woken up with a strange feeling. Almost as if her body had told her she needed to do so. Upon checking around her room, nothing seemed to signal danger to her as her body had reacted in such a way. Then her eyes saw her door. The gap between the door and the frame was only barely visible but enough to spot. When she leaned over her bed to look closer, Rarity gasped and covered her muzzle with her hooves. A single ponyquin sat on the other side of the door, peering in as if it were some intruder. The blank face somehow made it all the more startling to the unicorn as she got a grip on herself and eventually used her magic to open the door further. It stood motionless and staring as always. No way it could have been put there on its own. The idea of her little sister playing a joke on her crossed her mind and she felt all the fear replaced with annoyance. Hopping out of bed and shoving the display aside, Rarity stomped across the hall and barged into Sweetie Belle’s room. “I don’t know who taught you such crude jokes, young lady, but we do-” the angry mare said before stopping. Her eyes scanned the room quickly. The small filly was nowhere to be seen. In fact, it appeared she hadn’t entered her room at all during the day so far. It dawned on her that Sweetie might have gone to school with Apple Bloom instead of heading home first. It was a weekday and school was in session after all. Her head turned back to the toppled ponyquin at her bedroom door. There would be no way Rainbow Dash would have known she was taking a nap. The fast flier took her own fair share of free naps during the day as it were. Anger slipped into unease as Rarity kept her eyes on the still and stiff doll. She found herself having a harder time just brushing off the few strange incidents. It felt so deliberate to her. After working with them for years, why would she start to feel uncomfortable around them? Perhaps it just happened to be coincidence for the other times. Right place and right time just to spook her and make her start thinking twice on the things. Then what of the current situation before her? Had it been a mere coincidence too? Her head shook as she levitated the ponyquin up and thought of just throwing it down the stairs. Of course, ruining it and also anything else it might hit at the bottom could cost her bits and time. Instead, she decided to take it to the far end of the hall. She had a place for it. The storage room where she kept plenty of extra fabrics and other things was perfect for it. The room was actually quite spacious but only because she used it during working hours to get other projects done. Her magic tugged the rigid display through the door before she tossed it on the far side of the room near the window. It tumbled and clattered loudly before finding rest beneath the window and on its side. Rarity felt it was a quick problem to solve. Her magic closed the door and locked it as she nodded to herself. Perfect. Now she could work instead of having odd occurrences. Though, she did wonder how it had got where it was. The closest she could come up with was somehow using her magic in her sleep to bring it close from all working she had done. Maybe it was still too much on her mind and it was an unconscious action. Anymore thinking on it and she’d be worrying herself into a rut. It was nothing and that was that. Briskly, the mare went back to her room to change out of her robe and towel then work on her mane. The rest she had managed to get was very little but she could work with it. Maybe all the strange things around her were just her being tired still. Even if the ponyquin was very real and she had to push it out of the way to leave her room. The thought made her shiver lightly. Something just felt wrong. It didn’t help that she needed to do more on her projects. A light grunt as she tugged a tangle out of her mane and she sighed. Look at that. Her mane was getting in a fuss over her own worries. Just another thing to add onto the pile. Rarity whimpered but finished up and hurried out of her room. Some more work could get her mind off the creepy happening. Something that could get her to just forget about anything outside of her boutique. Without delay, she galloped down the stairs and went to work immediately, cutting fabric and checking spools. She just didn’t want to think about it. ••••• It was nearing on the evening when Rarity looked up at her clock. Sweetie Belle would be home soon enough and the poor filly didn’t need the worry her older sister was dealing with. The sounds were one thing and usually easy to ignore. It was the fact that she felt watched that bothered her. There was no clear indication she was being eyed by somepony but the feeling was present. Her constant check over her shoulder had the mare wondering just what she might see the next time she looks. A few times had her do a double-take to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. It didn’t help her worries. One moment, a ponyquin was resting near a far wall and next to the curtains of her centerpiece stage. The next time she looked, it was as if it had turned to face her. Hallucinations were what she wanted to believe but the doubt that refused to let go had her wondering otherwise. The sense of feeling in the spotlight but in a far more uncomfortable manner had the unicorn shifting in place restlessly. While she did get a couple of hours of a nap, the poor mare was basically running on fumes. Her hallucination assumption help more ground to her than the strange thoughts that crept their way into her subconscious. It was the only solace she had. A knock at the front door had her let out a startle yelp. Her magic juggled the scissors she was hovering before placing them very carefully onto the table. That could have been bad. She was so jumpy for what appeared to be no real reason. “Rarity?” the young voice of the filly called out from behind the door. “Rarity, are you there? The door is locked!” It took a minute before the eldest sighed and closed her eyes. She had forgot to unlock the door for her sister. Her magic quickly unlatched the lock and tugged the door open as she gave a pitiful look to the smaller pony. “I’m sorry, Sweetie,” Rarity said, honestly feeling terrible for such an accident. “The day hasn’t been kind to me and I just plum forgot.” The filly gave an accusatory look before noticing the faintest of stress showing on her sister’s face. Rarity lowered her ears and looked away but not just simply to avoid eye contact. Her eyes kept trying to shift off what they focused on though it was useless. Sweetie merely followed her gaze until she guessed the object. “Is it broken?” the little one asked and looked back to her sister. “I’m sorry?” Rarity blurted out, looking back to her sibling. “The doll. Is it broke?” Sweetie repeated while lifting a hoof to indicate the ponyquin in the far corner. “Oh, uh, I don’t think so,” was the answer. Rarity quickly turned and began to head into the kitchen. “Would you like some water or a treat?” It was clear she was acting off. Sweetie Belle was left with little more than just a vague notion as to what might be bothering her. Confusion set in but she brushed it off as she just followed her sister into the kitchen. “I don’t need anything,” the filly said while watching her sister constantly moving around. “Are you okay?” “I’m… I’m fine, dear,” Rarity said as she avoided looking to the filly and just paced around the area. The two barely conversed much after that point. While Sweetie knew something was bugging her big sister it was seeming like just nerves from so much work. Rarity couldn’t even place why she was starting to get so strung up over silly instances but they did seem to be getting to her some. The lack of work being made due to it also tended to make her upset. Eventually, they did exit the kitchen and bid each other a good night as Sweetie Belle began hopping up the stairs before giving a worried glance back to her sister. Rarity just tapped a hoof as she looked around before staring across the area to the ponyquin sitting silently. Whatever was going on left the young one more confused the longer she tried to understand it. Her hooves sounded out up the stairs until they reached her room where they grew muffled and the door shut. Rarity couldn’t help herself. The feeling felt stronger than ever when she was alone. It had to be simply just the knowledge of her being by herself which made her think such things. It was just silly to be thinking that those… things were capable of anything more than showing off her fashion. There was a deep groan from within her that sounded out as she looked around before deciding to just call it a bit early. Some actual rest would do her good and have her head thinking clearly. Silly ideas of such ridiculous things would fade away the faster she put her head to the pillows. It was settled then. The unicorn marched herself up a few steps before stopping and staring at her hooves. She could still sense it but pushed onward and did her best to ignore it. Her hooves moved her along while she forced her head to stay down. She just didn’t have to look at it and keep feeding into the odd feeling. Her walk barely resembled the way she usually carried herself but she tried. The door to her room was pushed open and she nearly kicked it shut. Some proper sleep. She just needed better rest. The sleep mask levitated from her nightstand as she hopped up onto the comfy sheets. With the band stretched out, she slipped it on and over her eyes before slipping under the covers and sitting still. Her magic peeled one end of the mask up as she peeked to her door then breathed a sigh of relief and extinguished the lights. It would all be better in the morning. Everything would feel right again and she wouldn’t be having odd moments or hearing things. The only problem was her subconscious still trying to whisper those evil thoughts into her head as she eventually managed to slip into a very deep sleep. ••••• Rarity stirred awake from her somewhat peaceful rest as she lay in bed. Her vision still obscured by the mask, she couldn’t help but feel something amiss. A hoof reached for the cause of her lack of sight before stopping. The hesitation was spurred by her thoughts almost insisting somepony or something was in the room with her. Instead of simply sitting in total darkness, she slipped the mask up and squinted in the darkened room. It was impossible to tell heads from tails without any light. Her horn lit up with a simple spell to illuminate the area before looking around. Nothing at her door and it was still closed. Nothing right next to her, thankfully. Was she just so tense that her body woke her up for no reason? It didn’t make much sense. It wasn’t until she looked to the other side of her bed that she felt her heart nearly stop. Leaning over her bed was a single ponyquin, stand tilted to almost peer down at her at the angle it was at. How she didn’t notice it right away made her feel so insecure. Rarity barely managed to draw in just enough breath to let out a piercing scream. Her hooves hugged the covers tightly to her while she shut her eyes tight. Multiple sounds were heard nearby and she was about to assume the worst until she heard Sweetie Belle’s voice calling her name. More noises seemed to move about before the bedroom door opened and the filly was already jumping around while calling out. It took a good few minutes to have them both settle down enough before the situation could be assessed properly. Bouts of crying and reassurances were given until finally there was some conversation. “Rarity, please. Stop crying?” the filly pleaded, hopping onto the bed and rubbing at her sister’s lumpy form under the covers with a hoof. “It… It’s here,” Rarity sobbed, clearly shaken by the sudden intrusion to her privacy and creepy visitor. “What was? Who?” Sweetie asked as she looked around the room. There was a pause in the cries before the older unicorn sat up and opened her eyes. Her horn stayed lit as she looked around and braced herself for the direction she last saw the ponyquin. The empty space made her whimper slightly as she frantically looked all over the room before giving up. She would sound so dramatic over a scare like that, given the circumstances. “It… I just thought I… saw something,” Rarity finally said and forced a smile to her sister. “I’m okay. Sorry to wake you.” Sweetie Belle sighed and lunged forward, hugging her sister tightly. The embrace seemed to soothe Rarity far more than she expected. It was a wonderful welcome and she held on as long as she could before nuzzling her little sister’s head. “Will you be okay?” Sweetie asked, looking up to her sibling with a worried gaze. “I’ll be fine. Just some night terrors, I guess,” the eldest proclaimed while trying to appear strong for her youngest. “Just get yourself some rest. Thank you.” A long moment silence kept them together for a bit before the filly finally inched herself off the taller bed. Her little hooves trotted to the door before she looked around and gave a nod to her sister. “Nini, Rarity,” Sweetie said softly and smiled, using her magic to tug the door closed. “Goodnight, Sweetie,” responded her sister as she took a deep breath to relax and watched the door eventually shut. The light from her horn flicked across the area around her once more as she tried settling back down and laying down. Her horn made a bright pop before fading out as she took a glance around then froze. Once more, the light spell was active but brighter than before. She was silently hoping her mind just made her think she saw something. Light flooded the area more than just around her bed. The aura pressed out until she saw the faceless horror sitting in a corner of her room. Details or not, the featureless head of the ponyquin was clear in her blue light. It had been hiding behind the door when Sweetie entered. Rarity felt ice travel along her back as she entered the staring contest with the thing. She wanted to sleep, to close her eyes, to do anything. Her body wouldn’t budge. No scream came from her a second time. The entity just sat and watched her. Still and lifeless as ever but she could feel it staring. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, there was another sense that came from it. It wasn’t just watching but it was conveying something. A feeling. Whimpering, the mare continued to watch it back, disliking every bit of it. She didn’t feel safe. Her mind was already assaulted by the lack of sleep but the fear only seemed to invoke more attacks onto her and her sanity. Try as she might, it was impossible to fight off sleep forever. Slowly but surely, Rarity found herself jolting awake to keep watch but failing more often than not. The thing didn’t budge. It merely stayed in the corner and kept watch as she struggled with herself. The entire time she felt uneasy with the eyeless face looking at her and that emotion that she could feel almost emanating off it. It didn’t let up the entire time and was there every second into her descent of slumber. A feeling that scared her so much despite knowing she couldn’t fight her tired eyes. She was disliked for noticing them. ••••• Rarity felt beyond lucky to have woken up the next day. The scan of her room turned up nothing in terms of ponyquins. It had left at some point to return to a prior position. At least, that’s what her mind began telling her. The days and nights after were filled with constant fear. She could hardly work without dropping everything at the slightest noise. Even Sweetie Belle’s company had felt less like a comfort and more of a barrier to try and shield her from the truth. The projects being worked on slowed almost to a halt more than enough times. It began eating at Rarity’s very mental health the longer it all went on. Each night was spent with her staying up for hours just waiting for the things to return. When they didn’t, it scared her deeply. When they did, she could only fear the worst to happen. It didn’t matter if they did or didn’t appear in her room for she had no break one way or the other. Sweetie Belle could see the havoc they wreaked though she knew not the cause. Seeing her sister each day just worn down and far more jumpy than she ever had been was worrying her. Some nights there was muffled crying coming Rarity’s room. There were plenty of times the seamstress had even passed out during her work. While Rarity did her best to assure her little sister nothing was wrong there were obvious signs to the contrary. Those beautiful sapphires of her eyes lacked the luster they once had. Every time she had nodded off while working she had jumped awake at the sound of the scuffing against her floor. She knew what it was. The purple mane was frayed so much that it looked almost irreparable. Rarity, for once, didn’t care. Her worries were on other things far greater than her looks. If only she could have things back to normal. One after the other, the days blurred together with the nights acting as an open door for nightmares. It happened more than she liked to find herself jumping awake at the lightest noise. Several times had her look around with the ponyquins either facing her or closer than she last remembered. She wished she was dreaming or just imagining it all but knew better. Upon shuddering in fear when waking once, Rarity noticed her scissors had been misplaced. The ones she had been using just moments before sleep took hold. She spent a good hour looking for them only to see the shine of the metal from the sunlight through the window. They had been wedged beneath the stand of one of the displays. It took her half an hour to convince herself whether or not she needed them. She did manage to get them back but only after stretching her foreleg out to pull at them with a hoof. Her magic had grown weaker due to the lack of sleep and unable to concentrate properly. The sudden shake from the standing being shifted had her scurrying back quickly while holding the cutting utensil close. Not once did the sensation of being watched or the feeling that she had done wrong by noticing them ‘move’ go away. Every second was spent in perpetual torture for a week. Her deadline for the new wear would be coming and going without her noticing, not that she cared any longer. One of the most recent incidents involved her peeking out her bedroom at night to find one of them standing down the darkened hall. It almost acted as if it were guarding her from going downstairs and to keep her confined her room. Rarity silently obeyed out of the fear she felt. She couldn’t even remember what day it was anymore. With everything so blurred and her mind just a mess there was no way to tell without having somepony state it. It felt like she was almost a prisoner of her own boutique though she never tried leaving. The dread itself kept her from doing so. “Rare?” came the southern drawl of her friend at the door. The white unicorn hadn’t even heard the bell chime from the door opening. Her ears perked up quickly enough before she gave skittish trots over to the orange earth pony. “H-hello, Applejack,” she greeted with a tired smile. The rest of her looks didn’t seem to compliment her any better. “Uh, yeah,” Applejack replied before glancing around. “Sweetie Belle says you been actin’ strange for a while. Ya mind explainin’?” “Well,” the unicorn said and looked around as if she were about confess a secret. “Well?” pressed her friend, clearly not sure what was going on. “H-here,” Rarity whispered, beckoning Applejack closer with a hoof then saying even quieter, “They move.” The silence was palpable. While the country pony seemed entirely absent on the supposed secret, her eyes rolled as she sighed. There was a foreleg that wrapped around Rarity’s and started tugging her along. “Alright. You ain’t thinkin’ clearly at all. You sound like gone off your rocker, girl!” Applejack said as she dragged her friend to the door and forcefully pulled her out of the building. “You need to get away from your work, Rare. It ain’t good to overwork yourself like that.” A shift was heard behind them but only Rarity picked it up. Her head turned as she saw a few of the displays facing them from the glass. Her stomach turned as she stared and let herself be taken away from the beings. “Thank you,” Rarity whimpered and latched onto her friend in a tight hug. “Thank you so much.” “Uh, okay?” the orange pony said giving a confused pat to her friend’s back. “I didn’t know if I would ever be able to leave!” the unicorn said as her forelegs stayed tight around her friend. “That’s nice and all but I was just takin’ ya to get something to eat. Don’t have to go through your drama as if it were the end of Equestria,” Applejack told her while prying her off. It took a moment for Rarity to regain her composure before she thanked her friend once more and they headed out. While the lingering feeling that she was being watched stayed for a bit it did seem to let up at some point. She felt like she could finally relax for once. The two friends walked along and slowly began to form conversations along the way. Gossip reigned supreme as they talked about who did what and more. Considering the week of absence from the outside world, Rarity mostly listening and chimed in when possible though. It was the first time in seemingly over a week that she had actually forgot her worries and stress. While it may have been just a brief social encounter it was one Rarity had needed for what felt like far too long. The place was barely much of a walk through Ponyville but had some of the best tea and sandwiches she had ever tasted. It all seemed like she was experiencing them for the first time ever again. Applejack may have made her laugh once and shoot tea through her nose as well, though she wouldn’t attest to it. It may have been just the thing she needed to know that despite the torment of Carousel Boutique, she wasn’t stuck in some limbo of a nightmare. The topic of what had been going did come up but nothing of use really got mentioned. Not until Applejack assumed that somepony had caused her trouble. “Just give’em a swift kick! Ya ain’t gotta take that lyin’ down!” the country mare spouted while nodding to herself. A swift kick. Rarity hadn’t thought of that. The fear that plagued her mind had clouded any kind of clear thoughts for so long. Those things wouldn’t stop her from knocking a few down to feel better about herself. While the advice was more towards somepony trying to actively harm her, the dressmaker took it as something to use either way. They finished their meal and continued talking for a bit after until the decision was made to head back. The lack of fear stopped as the unicorn knew exactly what awaited her back home. Her heart sank as she agreed in a defeated tone before starting to walk back with her friend. She couldn’t leave Sweetie Belle to tend to the place and still had work to do as it stood. As much talking as they did during their meal, the walk back was mostly in silence. They had little else to say to each other as Rarity only tried thinking of what to do once she got back. She knew Applejack wanted to help further but had no idea what was really going on. Sadly, even letting it slip when she greeted her friend made her appear crazy instead of focused. Rounding the bend and heading towards the boutique, Rarity kept to herself as she tried her hardest not to look into the display windows. Her eyes betrayed her once she felt the invisible glares upon her. Nearly all her windows were lined with ponyquins rather than the few she put out to show off designs. The worst was when something caught her eye above. The storage room window held a single ponyquin staring out the window at her as she walked. The very one she had thrown in there and locked the door a week ago. She felt nauseous and weak. Nopony had been in that room and she knew that it had been laying across the floor when she locked it away. “Well, I best be headin’ out. Say, why don’t I take Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom out for tomorrow? They can stay over at my place,” Applejack suggested after noticing her friend’s solemn stare. “Oh,” Rarity said quietly. Her eyes never met Applejack’s as she kept walking. “That sounds lovely, dear.” “Great,” the orange mare said, though her voice had a bit of worry. “She can walk home with me. How ‘bout it?” Rarity just nodded and walked to the door of her boutique. Opening it, she called out to her younger sibling while Applejack explained the situation. The filly was more than happy to spend more time with a friend and quickly got ready. It was barely a minute before she was hopping down the steps and rushing out the door. They said their farewells and, once again, Rarity was all by herself. Not alone but it wasn’t ponies that offered their unwanted company. How long was she going to have to endure such a thing? She had never felt more unwelcome coming back to her own home than right then. A shuffle sounded behind her as she walked further inside. Her body reacted with a jump as she looked back to see two of the dolls now blocking the front door. She just wanted it to stop. Why wouldn’t they leave her alone? Nopony would believe her in the slightest anyway. The sound near the stairs made her whirl around to see another ponyquin to the side of them. Her eyes darted around the area as she cautiously moved to the stairway and slowly began to climb them. It was as if she walked directly into her nightmare once more instead of waking up. When she arrived at the top, the display pony standing near it made her wince for a second until the advice of Applejack made its way around in her head. The fear was still present but coupled with a bit of anger. Rarity glanced back down the steps and to the ponyquin. It was almost like she felt it knew what she was thinking. The wait was long enough and Rarity quickly reached up, though shakily, and yanked the doll down. Every loud bounce and thwack on the stairs sounded out loudly in the quiet store. It was violent for such a still thing, bounding around the stairs and having a leg snap off midway. The moment it crashed to the floor it was like the quiet ate up any source of noise. She couldn’t feel their gaze for a moment. In fact, she couldn’t even feel their distaste of her. Realizing what she had done, Rarity seized the chance and hopped down the stairs after the fallen display. The mare didn’t even think. A quick stomp with a hoof severed another of the legs before she kicked it away. Her attempt to take control of the situation had escalated into a fit. The unicorn stomped and smashed at the doll beneath her, crying madly as she tried to do away with the hideous thing. Once her hoof landed upon the head and fractured it into several pieces, she could feel them staring once more. No, not just staring. Seething. They loathed her. They despised what she had just done. A scuff behind her made the mare almost cry out. They had blocked the stairs. Before she could turn to run there were more noises. Much more. A few had blocked the front door while the rest moved in front of her. Every time she turned her head there were more scrapes across the floor until she realized they were all around her. Trying to move had her hoof trip on a piece of the broken ponyquin under her. Staring at it then back up to the rest had her shake her head. Her breath was nearly caught in her throat as she felt tears flowing down her cheeks. “I… I’m sorry,” she whimpered out and tried to keep from stepping on more of the doll below. “I-I was… just…” Every little noise set her on edge. No matter where she looked there was something moving. It was almost the noise itself was digging into her soul. It was mind numbing and grating. They were also closing in while she wasn’t looking. “Please!” Rarity cried, finding herself cowering before them. “PLEASE! I’M SORRY!” She had taken one down but somehow felt all the more weaker for it. Her will to fight was gone and she only wished to be left alone. The noises picked up as if in disagreement with her actions and refusing her apology. When she backed up and bumped into one, her scream sounded out loudly. She covered her head and shook in fear as they kept advancing. It got worse when she closed her eyes, hearing them move right in front of her. She regretted every second of her actions. “W-wait! Please! I can… I can fix things!” she pleaded to nopony. “I can g-get your friend. Um, u-upstairs.” The noises stopped. While it wasn’t a good idea, she was at least thankful they had managed to halt for a moment. Her eyes glanced around at the towering ponyquins above her shaking form. One more look and the movement behind her made her tense up. They had opened a path to the stairs. It wasn’t something she wished to do but felt she must. Rarity slowly turned to the steps and began to climb. No other sounds were emitted as she rose to the top and glanced back to see them all staring and waiting. The hatred was certain. Her hooves felt like jelly as she walked, almost surreal to her going through with it. The mare tried wiping her cheeks with a foreleg or hoof but it did little to help her sniffling as more tears kept coming. She didn’t wish to be in her boutique any longer. Just to be out of the place would have her never return again if she could help it. The door at the far end still stood locked. A light jiggle with her magic yielded such a fact. It was only second to unlock but it felt like forever. A metal clack sounded out and she pressed it open with a hoof before reeling back in terror. Standing at the door was the single ponyquin she had locked away a week ago. Her heart pounded furiously at her chest as she crawled away while keeping her eyes on it. What else was she to do? Where would she go? “I’m… v-very sorry,” she apologized to the display pony. Her hooves were shaking like crazy. “Please. I want to go…” The thing stood motionless as she neared the top of the stairs, trying not to lose sight of it. Her hooves tried hard to find footing as she backed away. It only took one missed step. Rarity began her descent. ••••• It had been nearly a month since the fateful time at Carousel Boutique. Ponies had wondered why it had closed down and all products being put under a sale. Everything had to go that wasn’t nailed down. Rumors came and went before things settled down. Twilight had taken her time to make sure everything had gone away on the list. With the funds, Rarity had decided to buy another place. Since some were out of the way, Twilight had wished to accompany her friend along the way. The two had checked a few of the buildings but none seemed to be to the former seamstress’s liking. “Well, we came all the way out to Manehattan as it is,” Twilight said while looking to her marshmallow colored friend. “How about we stop by a few stores just so isn’t all in vain?” Rarity smiled and nodded as she did her best to walk with her limp. The injury hadn’t been so bad but the healing was taking longer than usual. She hadn’t been eating right until just days ago and kept acting strange. “Yes, dear,” the unicorn said while looking around. “Where shall we stop first? I should let me hoof rest a bit as it is.” The two continued their walk a bit longer and rounded a corner. There were plenty of shops to check out and more than a few restaurants. Neither could seem to decide on a decent place until Twilight smiled wide. “Oh! Let’s check out this place! Maybe it’ll… help?” the alicorn suggested, rushing forward and stopping ahead. Rarity got confused what she meant as she moved forward and started passing the glass storefront. A familiar and unwanted feeling washed over her instantly. The look to the side at the windows had her ears droop and her muzzle open in shock. The mare whined and fell to the ground as she shook her head. “No! No, please! Twilight, I can’t!” she called out, scooting away from the windows. “Rarity, what’s wrong?!” her purple coated friend asked. “Why are you acting like this?!” “NO!” Rarity yelled trying to fight being picked up but failed. “I can’t go in there!” “Of COURSE you can! An injury doesn’t keep you from being you!” Twilight reasoned and glanced between her and the store. “Maybe it’ll help you turn back around.” “I don’t want to,” mumbled the pony in fear. Her eyes stared at the ground as she waited for a reply. “Nothing’s wrong. You’ll be fine,” her friend assured her, leaning down some. “I’m with you, okay? Nothing’s going to happen to you in there.” There was a bit of silence before Rarity took a slow breath. Her eyes glanced up to the window again, trying not to make it obvious at the ponyquin she was looking at. Twilight did sound like she would be safe. Despite the thoughts of what might await her, Rarity felt she did need to face her fears. It took some time but eventually they did make it inside the clothing store. The lines of fancy outfits and lovely fabrics did bring a breath of fresh air to the unicorn. Her eyes looked over all the items as they walked along while she did her best to push aside any nagging feeling within. At least feeling eyes on her was warranted with some ponies recognizing her and her work. The time in the store was mostly pleasant despite the turning in her stomach. There was so much to look at that the two of them nearly lost track of time. Twilight even offered to try on some dresses if it would humor her friend. It was awfully kind of her. Minutes ran by like good oats. They were going to be late for their next appointment if they didn’t hurry up. It was when her friend ran to the front desk that Rarity smiled warmly for the first time in a long while. “Hi!” Twilight greeted the clerk in her cheery voice. “Um, I kinda wanted to get this for my friend but she’s obviously here. Could I still have it gift wrapped for her? It’s the thought that counts.” Rarity tried hard to act like she didn’t hear any of it but being so close to them made it impossible. At the very least, she could do her best not spoiling the gift right away. Her head dipped and turned in all sorts of directions as she avoided looking at the counter. “Ah, sure thing!” said the clerk, rummaging around for a box and talking. “Business has picked up in the past couple of weeks. Bought a few displays and fabrics from one of the stores that closed down recently.” The words lingered a bit before finally sinking in. Rarity stopped her playful head movements and felt her body grow cold. She really did sell everything off from her boutique. Everything. “Wow, must be crazy,” Twilight replied, keeping the small talk going. “Mhm,” answered the clerk before he furrowed his brow. “Where…?” “Something wrong?” the alicorn asked while splaying her wings playfully at seeing her friend so close. Rarity’s mind was elsewhere as she felt weak. Her legs wobbled as she tried to convince herself to stop worrying. She could feel it. She knew. “Yeah… Can’t find my scissors,” the annoyed clerk mentioned and huffed. The pit in Rarity’s stomach plummeted deeper. The fear grew higher and her breath came short. She didn’t want to believe it as her eyes tried looking behind her but her head refused to turn. A shuffle sounded out.