//------------------------------// // Problem 8: Rarity's Redefining Rule // Story: The Alicorn Problems // by TheTimeSword //------------------------------// Why did they call it Tartarus? Who had made such a prison? Many similar questions were on Rarity's mind during the trip to Equestria's most dangerous location. At first, she thought of fashion designs depicting the veiled locale. That had turned into curiosity at the prison's origin. Zecora's prepared tonic slowed the miscreants Rarity led beyond their normal speed. Walking, talking, and even thinking had become lax for those three. After unlocking the door thanks to Twilight's information, every step inside Tartarus felt like a thousand years. She watched the three trot in incredibly slow fashion, like terrified runway models at their first showing. It gave Rarity time to question her surroundings in great detail. This dark cavern would be perfect for the introverted and socially awkward—the very opposite of Rarity. Of course, a personal enemy would be staying here temporarily, so this place wasn't so bad. They'd gotten what they deserved. Suri Polomare, Svengallop, and Lightning Dust. None of them would be flying out of here—not after what they'd done. Equestria had been ripped apart just so that they could become alicorns. Rarity didn't mind the side effect of becoming an alicorn herself. Those gorgeous white feathers that spread across her back felt like a beautiful cloak that could never be wrinkled. And the endless possibilities of dyeing and styling the feathers to match her mane. Or matching up dress styles to the brilliant plumes. Most pegasi didn't do that—which left an open market on designs for such things. Ideas sprang forth in her mind, but she had to deal with these three first, and that was slow going. Though their sluggishness aggravated her, the idea of where to stick them in Tartarus hadn't crossed her mind. The place was a massive cavern with most cells filled with occupants. Sticking them in Tirek's old cage wouldn't do. If he were caught—when he was caught—he'd be placed back in his cage. However, he could use the roommates. That brought a smile to her face, then a frown creased her forehead. If Tirek returned to Tartarus and absorbed the magic of the three, wouldn't that be alicorn magic? Wouldn't that make him incredibly powerful? A truly nasty thought. Even Cerberus, the three-headed guard dog of Tartarus, might be incapable of dealing with Tirek. Twilight had packed a bone to alleviate the big dog's attitude towards Rarity, and he now happily munched away. Where Twilight had gotten such a big bone, Rarity would never question. She didn't want to be in Tartarus longer than necessary, otherwise she might be the next bone to be chewed upon. Yet as Rarity climbed the steep steps to Tirek's old home away from home, she found something that would keep her here longer than desired. Not just something, someone. "You're here?" Rarity asked in a whisper, staring wide-eyed at the centaur. Had the Elements been so scattershot to snipe any evil miscreant and send them off to Tartarus? Would the terrible Grandmaster be somewhere nearby as well? She couldn't see anyone else in the cage, which dominated the skinny centaur. He looked too old and frail to be locked away like this—unless you knew what he could do. "We thought you escaped," she told him, though his eyes didn't wander from the ground. He did respond, however, by raising a hand. With a small shove, he pushed against the door of his metal cage and it swung wide, stopping once it opened halfway. Rarity gulped. "I did escape," he finally spoke. "But what's the point?" Rarity took a chance and glanced back at her three charges. They had just reached the first step of the long trek up to Tirek's cell. That was good, she'd have time to turn them around and find a new cell. First, however, she would need to deal with him. When she turned her eyes back on Tirek, she flinched to see they met his. "What's the point of what?" she stuttered her question. To close his cell she needed him distracted. Getting him talking would do the trick. Tirek's wrinkled brow turned questioning, as though he hadn't expected her query. "You're one of Twilight Sparkle's underlings, aren't you? Not the smart one or the fast one." He tapped a bony finger against his chin. "Applejack is the orange one. Rrrr-avish?" "Rarity," she corrected, her fear replaced with annoyance. "Right." His lips turned into a flat line, and they stared at one another for an awkward pause. "Why are you here?" "I planned to put a few prisoners in your cage, but you're here already, even though it's unlocked." Rarity scratched her head at that one. Why hadn't he escaped? "Did you return to Tartarus on your own? How did you get in?" "Of course I returned on my own." Tirek folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Why do you think the cage is unlocked?" He didn't give her a chance to respond. "What is the point of being free in a world filled with alicorns? It's a travesty." Rarity started to feel like the dummy Tirek assumed her to be. Nevertheless, she had to ask. "Why would that be so bad? I figured you'd enjoy stealing the magic of alicorns. Wouldn't that make you powerful?" Tirek took a step forward, craning his head down as he passed between the gap left by the open cage. Rarity had thought of slamming the door into him and knocking his behind to the ground, but the moment passed before she could try it. "Powerful? Yes. Ultimately so. One alicorn, all of its strength, would fill me with the power of a thousand drained ponies. But the problem is that there were four alicorns the last time I set hoof in Equestria. Four can easily be tricked, deceived, and beaten. Now, I steal one alicorn's magic and two pop up to fight back. I drain three alicorns, six appear. I drain nine—eighteen then. The odds are forever astronomically not in my favor. It's the entire reason I fought against that brain dead secret society." "I see. So you'd be worried about an entire city raising up hooves against you. That would be a scary sight for you, I'd imagine," Rarity replied. She didn't have the heart to tell him most ponies with new horns couldn't even levitate a grain of sand, much less blast the centaur into oblivion. Though he might think her stupid, Rarity knew better than alleviating that fallacy. "So I chose to return here, where at least I know I will be given a better deal." "Why didn't you just remain at the Cave of Harmony instead of disappearing after the blast went off?" Rarity asked. "Wait around? With a bloodthirsty mob of expertly trained unicorn-turned-alicorns?" An eyebrow raised on his wrinkled face. "Right." Rarity leaned back on her hooves, as if moving away from his judging gaze. "Why not run off to some place else? Surely returning to Tartarus is the least pleasant of options for you. Even if stealing magic were now a pipe dream, why not return home?" Tirek gripped the roof of the cage and the open door, leaning his body closer to Rarity without letting go of either. "Home?" he growled the word. "I've been gone for over a thousand years. What home?" It seemed every turn Rarity took only brought her nearer to his rage. "I—well, it's just—you see, these three were supposed to be in your cage. And since you're here, you've well, uh, put me in a predicament, and I'm afraid you're just going to have to... leave?" "Leave?" That stunned him momentarily, but then his eyes dragged to the slowly approaching trio behind Rarity. "You're going to put them in this cage? Why? Just so you can forget about them too?" "They're being punished for what they did. After things settle down, we'll drag them out for a trial." Rarity wondered if the princesses would really have a trial for them. In that way, Tirek was right. The princesses rarely did things so bureaucratically. Celestia had left her own sister trapped in the moon for a thousand years, after all. "No, no," she mumbled to herself. "Best not question that. I'm just a fashion designer from a small town." "Are you?" Tirek asked. Rarity realized she had said that last bit too loudly. "What do you mean?" She narrowed her eyes at him, uncertain what his question meant. "Are you just a fashion designer? From a small town? You've got wings and a horn. Don't they usually signify a royal change for your pathetic breed? Why not question everything now that you've got the power to do so?" He thumbed his lip and stuck it into his gums as though the conversation bored him. Perhaps it did. "Unless, of course, you're afraid of ending up like me. I think that might have led the Grandmaster down her path too. You ponies really are just a lot of fearful mice, aren't you? Well, were it not for that group in the cave that tried their best to tear me down, I might think myself right. Maybe they're the exception." "I'm no coward," Rarity said, and meant it. She hadn't expected him to then leap toward her, jutting his gaunt face into hers, and that caused her to tense up. Yet the tensing of her muscles kept her from cowering away out of fear. Tirek appeared disappointed by the showing. "Perhaps you're not. Though that would be why you six are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony—well, were the bearers." He let out a soft chuckle. "But neither are these three, or that Grandmaster. They knew their plan and executed it. Your world is better for it—yet they become imprisoned. Where's the justice in that?" "They ruined homes and ponies' livelihoods," Rarity argued. "Arguably, the society caused more destruction than you ever did. Not to say they're worse—losing our magic is far more egregious. But they cannot remain unpunished. I have my duty to fulfill. I'll just find another cage and stick them in it. You can be cellmates." Tirek grimaced at that statement. "So they damaged some homes. Places can be rebuilt. You only see what is lost, not what is gained." His words were starting to irk Rarity. "We lost the Elements of Harmony. How is that not the worst possible outcome?" "Lost the things that could defeat villains in a magical rainbow of good and love and whatever else makes me vomit. And gained a standing army of powerful alicorns ready to defend their homeland from the likes of me and other villains," he retorted. "And if Sombra were somehow alive, he'd be an alicorn too. Because that's just what we need!" Rarity barked. "Twilight's already dealing with some sort of protest in the Crystal Empire. Who knows what Celestia and Luna are having to deal with in Canterlot? And Ponyville was a mess before we got things settled down. I have no idea how the other cities are handling their affairs. All because they wanted wings and a horn. That's selfish! That goes against the very nature of harmony!" "The very nature of harmony is change!" Tirek acted like he wanted to reach out and strangle Rarity, but he kept his hands steady. "How is it I've been bested by complete morons who don't even understand their own core values!? I feel like a genius chess player losing to a rubber chicken!" "You're just arguing about tradition," Rarity countered. "Yet you never even gave living amongst ponies a chance. Your first interaction was to steal magic, and what did you do when you escaped Tartarus? You stole more magic! You can't tell us what we're about when you don't even know us. You just think you do!" Tirek folded his arms and loomed over Rarity. He barely towered over her, but his shadow covered her face. "And yet here you are. An enemy you've defeated is being locked away. A brand new world for you ponies and you still fall back on that tradition. Second chances are only given to those you know you can use, is that right? If you don't know that answer, ask Discord. For some reason, your kind still allow him to run loose." "So I should just give these three a second chance?" Rarity asked, but didn't let him answer. "That's absurd. I'm on Twilight's orders. They go in a cage." With a low, guttural groan, Tirek shook his head. "You can't even make a decision for yourself. A lackey, through and through. Isn't decision making part of being a princess?" "I'm not a princess." She wasn't. At least, she believed she wasn't. But Twilight hadn't said anything about it. There was no statement that they weren't princesses. And since she had been a bearer of the Elements of Harmony, Rarity couldn't be certain she didn't deserve the princess title. Even if Celestia hadn't granted it, that didn't mean it untrue, could it? "I'm a lord, yet you don't see me with a kingdom or a crown," Tirek replied, and she didn't know what to make of that. "Well, if I am a princess, I believe they should be locked up. What do you have to say to that? What they did was wrong!" "They don't see it that way. Villains never do." "I—" Rarity paused. Why did she battle philosophy with such a smugly, arrogant creature? He put out some interesting points while floundered at others, but Rarity knew she was unequipped to deal with such unfamiliar concepts. This whole situation would've been better fit in Twilight's hooves. But, that wasn't quite right either. Everything had changed. Nothing familiar. From being in Tartarus to the wings on her back. "Villains never do?" That statement didn't sit right with Rarity. Not a bit. Why? Didn't Sombra see the damage he caused? Discord—in his own way—eventually came around. Luna suffered silently with the Tantabus long after her envy as Nightmare Moon ended. Chrysalis— Her heart sank. The thought of Chrysalis reminded Rarity of another villain. Starlight Glimmer. Rarity quite liked Starlight, and having another unicorn in the group after Twilight's ascension was delightful. That all changed, much like Starlight. But Starlight didn't see what she did as wrong. She came back for revenge with a nasty spell, from what Twilight had said. "We gave her a second chance," Rarity mumbled to herself. "And she's a wonderful addition." That seemed to settle it in Rarity's mind. Maybe they could become like Starlight in their own ways. "Right." She stared up at Tirek who looked slightly worried now. There had been quite the lull in conversation as she thought, and that seemed to trouble him. "Second chances." With a turn, she went to the three ponies who stood stunned in slow motion. Perhaps they were just seeing Tirek for the first time, or perhaps they were shocked by his lack of a seal. It didn't matter. Drawing out the three potions, she poured the contents of each onto the heads of the trio. "We were supposed to drink them you moro—" Lightning Dust had started to say in slow motion, speeding up the process as the ingredients soaked into her fur. She ceased her sentence when she realized the incorrectness of her statement. Removing the wet hair from her eyes, Suri Polomare stared daggers at Rarity. "What is this? Letting us go early to be fed to your pet centaur?" "All three of you, be silent," Rarity commanded. To her surprise, the three shut their mouths. Fear of Tirek might have been the main cause of that quick regression, not her authority. "Being that I am the previous bearer of the Element of Generosity, I feel that it is within my right to be generous with punishment." She waited a moment, looking into the faces of each of them. None of their eyes spoke regret. "And generous with mercy." Svengallop's and Lightning Dust's eyes laxed, though Suri's went sharp with hatred. "As such, I'm granting you all a second chance. Don't think of this as an escape of punishment. This is an opportunity for you to deal some good in the world rather than wasting your time in this deep dark hole. Don't make the same mistakes again." With a nod, Rarity released a beam of magic, sending it screaming into the door of Tartarus and opening it to Equestria. Svengallop and Lightning Dust didn't even say a word before bolting for the exit. They must've thought her a sucker for such a foolish mistake. But Suri stayed. Her face filled with frothing anger, then pain, then confusion. "I don't understand you," Suri said through gritted teeth. Rarity didn't know what to say to that, so she chose silence. Suri seemed to accept that as an answer as she turned away and galloped toward the exit. After a moment passed, a sigh of relief came from Tirek. "Thank goodness. I did not want some crummy ponies being my cellmates." He had slunk back into his cage, though he hadn't yet closed the door. "Oh, no you don't." Rarity pulled on his tail with her magic, dragging him out of the shadow of the cage. "I said I'm granting all of you a second chance." "Even me? But I have no desire to—" "You've been here long enough, Tirek. You're the one who made that painstakingly clear." "B-bu-but—" he sputtered, his hands thrusting out to try and cling to something close to the cage. "You can't free me. A princess has to—" "A princess is right here. You said it yourself. Even if I'm not, I've saved the world countless times. If you cause trouble, you'll be back in here. Unless of course, a few dozen alicorns strike you down first. It's a new chance you've been given, Tirek. Leave Equestria, go somewhere else. Or don't. Feel remorse for once in your life and try to help. It's up to you now." She dragged him kicking and screaming to the entrance of Tartarus and out onto the dirt path of Equestria. Cerberus had one of it's heads stare but the other two ignored them. "Isn't there somewhere that you'd like to go?" "Aside from the comfortable security of my cage?" Tirek growled up at her. He got to his hooves as the door to Tartarus closed, and dusted himself off. "I have been thinking quite a lot recently—about a certain draconequus who knows too much without rhyme or reason," he debated. "Or maybe I could just steal your magic and hide like a snake in the grass waiting for more to come." A false grin held on his face that Rarity didn't fall for. He realized it didn't work immediately and then thought about it some more. "Although, the more appropriate thing would be to just leave. That way the jester can't use me again. Maybe I could head east—far east. I would rather not head back to where my father's kingdom once stood." Rarity did the one thing she hadn't expected to do—she put a hoof on his leg to comfort him. "Try not to end up back in Tartarus. A thousand years is a long time." Nightmare Moon. Discord. Time lost for all three. He frowned, nodded, and then trotted away at a leisurely pace. Had she done the right thing with both the society's Masters and Tirek? Time would tell. They were her responsibility now. If they messed up and shattered their second chances, it would be on her to admit blame. In a way, Rarity believed that was part of what it meant to be a princess. But maybe, even with the Elements no longer existing, harmony could once again return to Equestria, with a few new additions.