//------------------------------//
// They All Know 
// Story: A Shadow Hangs Overhead 
// by BronyWriter 
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Rarity wept well into the night until she collapsed onto her bed from sheer exhaustion, drained of any emotions. She was free, and she knew that she should be beyond overjoyed. And yet, she barely registered the fact that she was, for the first time in six years, lying down on her own bed. Not the bed in the institution. Her bed. The sheets and the mattress felt alien to her, almost as if they belonged to some other pony and she was intruding, but at the same time the thick comforter was welcoming. When she snuggled underneath it after drying her tears it felt almost like she was being hugged by her mother when she was a filly before the white walls of Ponyville Youth Psychiatric Care ensnared her. 

But she was free now. There would be no more walls designed to keep her trapped. No more locked doors. No more ugly hospital gowns. No more horn blockers, or mandatory therapy sessions, or doctors, or visiting hours, or hoofcuffs or muzzles. 

No more institution. 

Just life. 

A small smile crossed Rarity's face as her eyelids became heavier, and the sweet embrace of sleep came over her. Life was about to begin again for her. With that wonderful thought in her mind, she allowed herself to fall asleep.


*  *  *  *


Rarity awoke the next morning to the sound of hay bacon sizzling on the stove. She deeply inhaled and let the delectable smell wash over her. She had not been given such things in the institution, and even if she had, they would have certainly not made it as well as her father did. 

Rarity hopped out of bed and stretched. Yes she had spent all of last night crying until she had gone to sleep, but the time for tears was over. She felt cleansed, like all of the negative emotions that had built up inside of her over the past six years had been released in one long crying session, and now was the time to try to restart her life. Taking a deep breath, Rarity opened the door with her magic and walked out into the main room. Her mother was at the table feeding Sweetie Belle, who was positioned on a high chair, and her father was standing at the stove and flipping pancakes. All of them smiled at her when she came in.

"Well, good mornin', Rarity!" Her father turned down the stove and walked over to her to give her a hug. "You sleep well?"

"Indeed I did, Father." Rarity broke off from the hug and walked over to Sweetie Belle, who giggled and clapped her hooves together. "I must say that I haven't felt quite so refreshed in a long time."

"We're glad, Rarity," said her mother with a wide smile. 

Rarity at down at the table next to Sweetie Belle's seat and smiled at the scene before her. It was exactly as she remembered it, though Sweetie Belle was a welcome addition to the picture. Her father would serve whatever he had cooked then sit down with his paper, which was always folded neatly at his usual spot at the table. Today it was strangely absent, but that was a minor detail. 

After another few minutes, Rarity's father served the food and the family dug in. Rarity eagerly began cutting up her pancakes after drizzling them in maple syrup. She took a large bite and let the heavenly taste wash over her. She didn't even finish chewing before shoving the next bite into her mouth. Her father chuckled after finishing a bite of his own. 

"My my, Rarity, it's like they didn't even feed you there."

Rarity rolled her eyes and swallowed her mouthful. "Well, they did, but it was sub-par at its best. Your birthday and Hearths Warming treats were the only real food I ate in the past six years until I met Applejack and had dinner at her home, I daresay." 

"Well feel free to have as much as you'd like, Rarity." Her father motioned to the large stack of pancakes at the center of the table. "I made plenty."

"Well I'll be certain to do that, Father." Rarity dabbled her lips with a napkin. "I must say, this is exactly how I remembered family breakfasts, save for Sweetie Belle being here, of course. I do remember that you tended to have the morning paper while you ate, Father."

Rarity's father shrugged as he finished a bite. "Yeah, I skimmed it already. Nothin' good in it today."

"Some days are slow, I suppose," Rarity said, returning her father's shrug. 

Rarity's mother gave Sweetie Belle another spoonful of foal food while cutting up her own pancakes into manageable pieces. "So, what are you going to do today, Rarity?" she asked. "We've still got a little while until we figure out what you're going to do from here on out, but what do you think you would like to do today?" 

Rarity grinned and put her hooves on the table, a wild look appearing in her eyes. She pushed her empty plate aside and stood on her hind legs. "I want to run! I want to go outside to the park or to the market or through Applejack's orchards. I want to go somewhere with wide open spaces and just run until I positively drop from exhaustion! And then? Well... I don't know, really." Rarity giggled, something that triggered a mirroring laugh from Sweetie Belle. "That's the whole point. I don't want to plan anything right now. I don't want to dictate anything! I want to be able to completely improvise my day like I haven't been able to do for as long as I can remember! I may decide to do something and then for the... er..." 

Rarity's smile fell slightly, and she shifted her gaze left then right as if worried that somepony was watching her. She moved away from her place at the table and walked over to Sweetie Belle before standing on her hind legs and putting her hooves over Sweetie Belle's ears. 

"Then for the hell of it I may decide right in the middle of it to say fu... er... screw it, I'm doing something else; anything else!" Rarity put all four hooves back on the floor and began bouncing around the dining room and giggling like a madpony. "And nopony is going to stop me! Nopony is going to stop me from running around the park or laying in the grass! No. Pony."

"Well then, madam, I think it's time that somebody went outside to do whatever the heck she wanted." Rarity's father stood up from his seat and stacked the empty plates. He bowed low to Rarity and extended a hoof towards the door. "Go run. Go play. Go do whatever the heck you want to do. We'll be here when you get back."

"Though..." Rarity's mother extended a hoof to her daughter and flattened her ears. "If you could... find some way to check in with us every few hours or so, okay? We want to make sure you're okay, Rarity."

Rarity gave her mother a reassuring smile and walked over to her for a brief hug. "I'll be okay, Mother. The townsponies know me now. Applejack told me that her family helped found this town and, well, the reassurances from the entire Apple family that I'm a perfectly good mare means a lot to these ponies. I'll be okay." 

"All it takes is one, Rarity," her mother whispered. "All it takes is one jerk to come along and ruin your day."

"Mother..." Rarity nuzzled her mother's neck and gently rubbed her back. "I won't relapse. Even in the very, very small chance it does happen I'll find some way to get away. I won't hurt anypony ever again, I promise."

"I know you won't, Rarity." Rarity's mother took a deep breath and gave her daughter one last squeeze before letting her go. She managed a small smile as Rarity walked towards Sweetie Belle to give her a goodbye hug. "Be safe, Rarity. Go enjoy your day. You're happy now. Don't let anypony take that away from you." 

"I won't Mother. Nopony is ever going to take anything from me ever again." 

With that, Rarity was off. She skipped towards the door and walked out of her home, relishing the warm sunlight washing over her. She sighed contentedly and let the feeling that the whole day was before her and completely her own fill her. This was her day. Nothing was going to change that. Rarity took a moment to stretch out her legs then bolted in the direction of town. 

Freedom. This was pure freedom like she hadn't felt since her arrest and incarceration. Rarity squealed in delighted and leaped into the air, focusing on the feeling of the cool morning breeze flowing through her mane before her hooves touched the earth again and she continued running. She was vaguely aware that there were ponies around her, doubtlessly watching her run down the street but Rarity didn't care in the slightest. Let them watch. Let them wonder. Let them realize that she was free. 

After a few minutes of running the town came into view and Rarity slowed down in her tracks. Despite her mood, it wouldn't do to go barreling through the busy streets of the main square as fast as she could. She could run into somepony. She dialed her speed back to a quick trot and walked through town, her mind going through her various options. 

I could go see Applejack, though she's likely working. The park would be nice, but the market could be fun to do some stall shopping. I do wish that I had some money, but that will come in time. Rarity shrugged as she walked past the newspaper stand. Whatever it is, I'll do it because I want to. Not because some doctor says so.

Rarity took a deep breath in and widened her smile, turning her head to give a greeting nod to the pony working the newspaper stand. He smiled back at her and returned her nod with a mumble of "good mornin'." As Rarity passed the stand, the headlines of the papers caught her eye as they were designed to do, she supposed. The Ponyville Press had something about rising corn prices on the front of its paper. No wonder her father had tossed it aside if that was the best they could do for the morning. 

Though, now that she thought about it, he did read the National Equestrian to get a broader range of news. Shrugging to herself, Rarity walked around the stand out of mere curiosity to see what was going on around Equestria. She was, she admitted to herself, woefully out of the loop when it came to national news. 

When she saw the headline on the National Equestrian printed in bold black letters across the top of the paper, Rarity's smile evaporated, and she gasped. 

"No," she whimpered quietly. "N-no, please not that..."

PONYVILLE FOAL MURDERER RELEASED FROM MENTAL INSTITUTION

Despite all of her internal alarm bells going off, Rarity ignited her horn and slid a copy of the paper off of the stack and opened it up to the correct page. The picture at the top made her whimper, and her eyes began brimming with tears. It was her, hoofcuffed, her horn blocked, muzzled, and covered in the blood of her attackers on the day of her greatest shame.

We've all by now heard the story of what some are calling the most tragic event in centuries when a young filly named Rarity violently murdered two of her classmates in the woods with a rock. Rarity's actions were the first murders that Equestria had seen in three hundred years, and she was rightfully arrested and incarcerated in a mental institution for her heinous crimes. There were those amongst the Equestrian nation who were content to simply keep Rarity in the institution forever and forget about her, but it seems that it was not meant to be. 

Yesterday evening, Rarity was deemed fit to return to society and she was sent home to her parents and her infant sister. Her doctors in the institution famously wouldn't allow anypony to speak with Rarity about the fateful day in the woods, so it is unknown if Rarity is willing to give her side of the story to the nation. Though how much the horror of the crimes would be diminished if we understood Rarity's side on the matter is up for debate, and indeed, it may even amplify the horror. 

Our top reporters interviewed the arresting officer, Tactical Formation, who was in charge of dealing with the fallout of Rarity's actions. When asked about his feelings of Rarity's release, he said he longed to "return to a time when murderers were beheaded by Princess Celestia herself. [Rarity] deserves to be in Tartarus for eternity, suffering for everything that she did." 

Reporters tried to reach Annie, the only survivor of the trio of foals that Rarity attacked, but she could not be reached for comment. 

The event that has come to be known as the Ponyville Massacre is one that is mired in controversy, most prominently because the four involved were foals no older than nine. Whatever your perspective on the matter, one thing is undeniable: a foal murderer walks among us again.

Rarity's magic sputtered out and the paper floated to the ground, landing open on the same article Rarity had just been reading. 

They knew. They all knew about everything. 

The Ponyville Massacre. 

Foal murderer, they called her. 

Deserves to burn in Tartarus for eternity. 

"I..." A pair of thick tears streaked down Rarity's face and splashed on the paper, smudging the ink on the photograph of her arrest. "I didn't mean it."

"Hmm?" The newspaper stand pony turned towards Rarity. "Did you say...?" He noticed that Rarity had a paper in front of her and frowned. He stepped out from behind his stand. "Hey, you can't read the papers until you buy them! These aren't free, you know, I run a business here."

"I'm sorry," Rarity whimpered. "I didn't want to h-hurt anypony."

The newspaper pony's frown faded and was replaced by a confused look. "Hurt?" What are you talking about?" He looked down at the paper and saw the article. A look of comprehension dawned on his face, and he quietly grunted. "Oh... uh..." He cleared his throat and scooped up the paper. He crumpled it up and tossed it in a trash can behind the counter. "Don't worry about it. Sorry if I got a little mad."

"Don't be," Rarity mumbled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hoof. "It is your newspaper. I'm sorry I stole it." Rarity took a deep breath and looked over at the stack of National Equestrians and shuttered. "It's just... they're all going to read it." Rarity's voice dropped to a whisper and she flattened her ears. "They're all going to read about what I've done and know and judge and... they're going to be reminded that that's all that I am to society: a foal murderer."

"Yeah, annoying thing about that." Rarity looked up at the newspaper stand pony who was grimacing and looking out into the distance at nothing in particular. "It seems that the delivery pony forgot to give me my morning's supply of the National Equestrian." He ignited his horn and, to Rarity's complete surprise, he levitated the entire stack and put it behind his stand. "Oh well. I'll make do with the local paper today, I guess."

Rarity got to her hooves, her eyes wide. "Sir, you don't need to do that for me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The newspaper pony shrugged. "Nice weather we're having today, isn't it?"

"Er..." Rarity blinked twice before slowly raising her eyes to the sky. Indeed there wasn't a single cloud there. "Yes, I suppose that it is." 

Rarity stood in an awkward silence for a few more moments before deciding that she might as well get on with her day if there was nothing else. She tilted her head in a nod. "Good day to you, sir."

He returned the nod. "Good day."

Rarity slowly turned and trotted away from the newspaper stand. That had been most odd, to be sure, but hardly unwelcome. The fact that the nation was reading about what she had done today was... Rarity didn't want to even think about it. She shuddered and shook her head, resolute in the idea that she would do what she wanted today, regardless of whether or not the newspapers had her face plastered all over them. Rarity decided that given the flawless weather, she would go running in the park. A trace of the smile she once had appeared on her face, and she picked up her pace. Yes, the park sounded lovely at the moment. Let them talk. She knew that she wasn't an evil pony. 

"Oh my Celestia, there she is! That's her!"

Rarity turned her head towards the voice and gasped when she saw two reporter ponies staring straight at her, their eyes wide. One of them ignited his horn and pulled a notebook out of a saddlebag strapped to his side, and the two began running towards her. 

"Rarity! Rarity can we talk to you for a few minutes?!" one of them called out.

Rarity froze, her mind trying to process the sight of the two reporters running at her. They'd be begging to hear her whole life's story soon, she figured. Then more would come. More would come anyway, but if she gave into them then that would open the floodgates. Rarity blinked and slowly took a step backwards. 

"N-no, just leave me alone," she whispered, but they still came at her. She backed up a few more steps. "Go away. Leave me alone. L-leave me alone!"

With a scream Rarity turned tail and ran in the opposite direction as fast as she could. She heard the two of them call out after her, but she didn't care what they said. Nothing they could possibly say mattered to her. She just needed to get away. This attempt to get out and do what she wanted was a mistake, she saw that now. She belonged holed up in her house where her father would turn away reporters and her mother would hold her when things became too scary. Sweetie Belle was at home too. Why didn't she just spend the day with her?

Rarity chanced a glance behind her and squealed when she saw that the reporters were still right behind her. Without thinking she ducked into the nearest shop that she saw. Instantly her senses were assaulted with the pure sugar scent that was filling the air, and for a moment Rarity's terror turned to bewilderment as she tried to regain her bearings from the sugary overload. Just as she was about to re-gain her mental capacities, her field of vision was completely overtaken with a pink earth pony who was grinning an impossibly wide smile. 

"Hi! I've never seen you here before!" 

Rarity squeaked and flinched back, startled at the sudden appearance of this new pony. She stumbled backwards and crashed into a nearby chair, sending her tumbling to the floor. Before either pony could do anything about it, the door to the shop opened again, and to Rarity's horror, the two reporters walked inside, their notebooks at the ready and eager smiles on their faces. 

"There you are," said the first one. 

Rarity whimpered and curled into a ball on the floor, her hears flat on her head. "No, I don't want to do any interviews! J-just leave me alone!"

"But don't you want your side of the story told to the public?" asked the second. "We just want to ask you a few questions about what happened in the woods that day. Heck, we can even pay you a pretty nice chunk of change for the interview. How does... five thousand bits sound?"

"I said no!" Rarity covered her head with her forelegs a tears began dripping out of her eyes. "I don't want to do any interview! I just want to be left alone! That's all I've ever wanted!"

"That's all you've ever wanted. Okay, that's a good start." The first reporter jotted that down on his notebook. "I assume that applies to the bullies you killed. Is that why you killed them? They wouldn't leave you alone?"

"Hey, would you two like some cupcakes?"

The shop became dead silent at the question, and all three ponies looked over at the pink pony who was still smiling that wide smile, though now she was balancing a tray on her head with two cupcakes on it. "I made them myself. They're very good."

"Er..." The two reporters glanced at each other then shrugged. "Sure."

The reporters ignited their horns and took the cupcakes off of the tray. They popped them into their mouths and grinned when they tasted the treats that the pony had given them. 

"These are really good," said the first reporter, swallowing his treat. 

"Yes, thank you very much," said the second.

"You're very, very welcome!" Without missing a beat, the pink pony pointed a hoof towards the door. "Now get out."

The stunned silence returned, as the reporters let the pony's words sink in. They once again exchanged a confused glance before turning their heads back to the pony. 

"Er... pardon me, but did you say... 'get out'?"

The pony giggled and nodded. "Yes indeedy do! You see, I was seeing that you wanted to interview this pony because you're reporters and all and that's your job, but I also saw that she didn't really want to do an interview with you, so to make up for that, I gave you both a cupcake because nopony wants to not get something that they want." The pony took a step towards the reporters, her smile never wavering. "Now you've had your cupcake. Get out." 

"Well... look, kid, this isn't really your business," said the first reporter. "It's our job to get this interview from her."

"Okay, maybe it is, but you're not going to do it here!" The pony took another step towards the reporters until she was almost face-to-face with them. "Get. Out. She doesn't want to do an interview with you. She told you to leave her alone. Leave her alone, and get out."

"Seriously, kid, this isn't really your business."

Rather than be deterred, the pony giggled. "Ya know something? I met the nicest, most awesomest pony the other day! He came by with his family for some milkshakes. He was a police officer! Can you believe that? What a cool job! He said that if I ever needed anything that I should just let him know and he'd help in any way he could. Well, under the Equestrian law, if I tell you to leave my establishment then you have to get out. If you refuse then I'll just ask good old Officer Storm Chaser to come on over and he can talk to you about it!"

The eyes of both ponies widened, and they began backing up towards the door. "Whoa, kid, let's not get the cops involved, alright? We were just doing our jobs."

"I know you were. We don't have to get the cops involved if you don't break the law. You're not breaking the law if you get out when I tell you to so..." Pinkie bowed her head towards the door. "You know where the door is gentlecolts, and you know how to use one. Do not come back."

The two reporters slowly nodded and turned around. They gave one last glance towards Rarity before walking out of the shop. Rarity slowly sat up and wiped her eyes. They were gone, and this smiling pink pony had gotten rid of them. They pony walked over to Rarity and sat down next to her to her and wrapped her forelegs around her shoulders. 

"You look like you need a hug."

Rarity gave a half laugh/half sob and nodded. "I've needed several hugs over the past long while."

"Yeah, I can guess that. Do you want a cupcake?"

Rarity gave a small smile and stared longingly at the display case. "Well, they do look delicious, but I don't have any money."

"I didn't ask if you had any money, silly, I asked if you wanted a cupcake."

"Oh..." Rarity's smile widened and she looked up at the pony. "Well then yes, I'd like one very much."

"Awesome! They're the bestest cupcakes ever!" The pony broke away from the hug and bounced over to the display case. "The only price is that you have to tell me your name."

"Rarity. My name is Rarity."

"Pleased to meet you, Rarity." the pony bounced back over to Rarity with the tray balanced on her head again. "My name is Pinkie Pie."