//------------------------------// // Chapter One: An Elixir So Vile // Story: An Evil Elixir // by Anonymule //------------------------------// An Evil Elixir By Anonymule Chapter One: An Elixir So Vile The rhythmical ticking of the clock matched the mare’s shallow breaths. Rarity sighed deeply as the sun kissed the horizon while she prepared for her bath. After adding just the correct amount of bubble soap, she looked into the water and saw her reflection. Her weary eyes scanned her reflection as she silently cursed herself. It had been well over a week since the whole Trenderhoof incident. She had made a fool of herself, gushing over a stallion who didn’t even like her back; changing herself almost entirely, just to get the attention of one stallion. Rarity thought she had learned her lesson after the fiasco with Prince Blueblood. She could only wish that next time she wouldn’t fall into the same pitfalls she’s fallen into before. Rarity wished she could pursue a romantic relationship free of all of the drama that seems to follow her around. It almost seemed that she was cursed. After all, Trenderhoof was only the latest in a long line of failed romantic attempts. If only life would go her way, but alas life just isn’t that fair. The downhearted mare snorted dejectedly as she turned away from the bathtub. Rarity trudged over to her vanity. In the mirror, she looked at her reflection,and the dark bags under her eyes. Her once gorgeous blue orbs were now dull and gray, a result of her troubled thoughts and sleepless nights. Rarity swallowed a hard lump in her throat. Looking down into the empty glass beside her sink, she sighed again before turning away. Leaving the bathroom for a moment, Rarity disappeared downstairs. She returned a few moments later with a chilled bottle of her favorite Marelot. Biting her lip, she poured herself a glass of the claret liquid. Rarity took a sip of the wine; breathing in deeply its rich scent as the liquid cascaded down her throat. The mare stood in silence for a few moments, thinking quietly to herself. Reaching into the cupboard of her vanity, Rarity pulled out a nondescript pill bottle. She studied the pills inside of the bottle intently. Rarity shrugged her shoulders before popping a few capsules in her mouth. The pills were various pain relievers she had taken from her parents in order to relieve her constant migraines. She knew it wasn’t right for her to take their medication, but they practically had a small pharmacy in their master bathroom, so they wouldn’t miss them. Rarity washed the pills down with a big gulp of wine. Smacking her lips a bit, Rarity let the odd concoction of alcohol and opioids settle in her stomach. “Ooh,” Rarity moaned in pain as the acid in her empty stomach reacted with the drugs. She had skipped breakfast as well as lunch today, just like many other days. It wasn’t like she was trying to starve herself, it was only that at times she was simply too busy to eat. Lately it seemed like she is getting busier than ever before. Her weight has dropped a little over fifteen pounds over the past few weeks. “Not enough for it to be too noticeable to others,” she thought; however it was enough for her to feel it. “Why must I do this to myself?” Rarity thought while walking back to the bathtub, her glass of Marelot in tow. She tested the temperature of the water with her hoof. Satisfied, she slipped into the water, submerging herself completely for a moment. Rarity pulled her mane behind her head as she laid back, letting the warm water massage her tired muscles. She took another sip from her glass of wine and placed it back on the cart where she kept her bathing supplies. Everyday her thoughts got darker; her dreams became more and more sinister. She hid these feelings very well from her friends and family. After all, if she could do anything correctly, it would be putting on a mask. A pounding headache hammered her skull. Rarity tried rubbing her head in circular motions in an attempt to alleviate the pain. She silently cursed, it now felt like a pair of jack hammers was assaulting her. The unicorn mare swallowed another gulp of wine as a sinister thought came into the forefront of her mind. “I’m going to die. What matter does it make if it happens tomorrow or in fifty years?” Rarity shuddered, dismissing the sinister thought. She brought her wineglass to her lips and took another sip from it. The unicorn kept the glass aloft in her magical aura as she stared at the red liquid inside. It was odd, the alcohol and opioids she took regularly were very much like an elixir to her; it didn’t exactly cure anything she had, it only pushed her problems to the back of her mind. Rarity was aware of the dangers of mixing alcohol and prescription medication. Her liver had nearly shut down eleven years ago when she mixed the two at a party when she was a teenager. A party with ponies she thought were her friends, but they were not, not in the slightest. She only swallowed the pills because of a dare. A dare that nearly cost Rarity her life, and perhaps even more if it hadn’t been for the true friend that was watching over her, much like an angel. The friend that watched over her that day was still one of her good friends, her best in fact. Fluttershy, a mare usually considered weak and timid, showed a great deal of strength that day. There was nothing Rarity could do to truly pay Fluttershy back. Their weekly spa visits are merely a token of her gratitude for a friend that single hoofedly saved much more than just her life. The whole ordeal took quite the toll on her parents; it might have been the reason her mother was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder soon after. She never intended to do that to her parents, and they have never blamed her for it, but she always had. It took her ages to stop blaming herself for her mother’s diagnosis; however, on days like these, when her feelings and thoughts are dark, she cannot help but to slip back into her old self destructive ways. Rarity knew in her heart that her parents would be disappointed that she was doing the same thing that had almost gotten her killed all those years ago. The depressed mare took another sip of her wine, trying to wash away the pain in a drunken haze. Placing the now empty glass back on her cart, Rarity sniffled a bit. Looking above at the bathroom ceiling she began to sob quietly. A small trickle of tears flowed forth from each eye, cascading down her now sodden face. Episodes of her life began to flash through her mind, each one of them a different time in her life where she has put herself before others in order to put herself ahead. She felt powerless to the raw emotions coursing through her. All of her past wrongs seemed to be coming for her as if they wanted to consume her in grief. She started to hyperventilate as she sucked air between her chattering teeth. “Why am I so c-cold?” Rarity asked herself, black spots now appearing in her vision. Rarity began to shake violently, her eyelids twitching rapidly as her vision went black. A croak escaped her throat as she tried to call out for help. The mare jerked suddenly as she faints. Rarity’s eyes rolled into the back of her head before she sank below the water’s surface. ~~~~~<>~~~~~ “Phew, what a long day,” Fluttershy remarked as she stepped into her cottage after a long day of caring for Ponyville’s animal population. The only task she has left to do now is to make a meal for herself, Angel, and her friend’s cat Opalescence. She walked into the kitchen and made a salad for herself and Angel. After that, she filleted a salmon and cut it into tiny pieces for Opal to enjoy. She didn’t enjoy having to cut up the fish for her friend’s cat, but she knew cats needed to eat meat because of how sickly they would get if they didn’t get enough of it. Rarity had brought Opal to her a few days ago because Opal had come down with an upper respiratory infection The illness wasn’t life threatening, but it did leave Rarity at a loss on what to do with her poor kitty. Fluttershy didn’t mind since caring for animals was her calling, but she was a bit miffed by Rarity’s recent behavior. She assumed it was because Rarity had been shot down by that stallion, Trenderhoof, who apparently had a crush on Applejack. Fluttershy could certainly sympathize with her friend’s plight; after all, she has been crushing over Rarity for years now. She knew her feelings wouldn’t be returned, and was at peace with that, but it broke her heart to see Rarity so distressed. Rarity of course had never said anything about what she was feeling because of how strong of a mare she is, but Fluttershy could tell that something was wrong. Rarity seemed more tired when she engaged in conversation, and Fluttershy could have sworn she’d seen the outline of Rarity’s ribs when they were modeling outfits together. The pegasus knew firsthoof the dangers of being too skinny. While she was working as a model she was constantly pressured to drop a few pounds by her employer as well as her fellow models. She hated the fact that she had to hate herself over having that cupcake or extra serving of pie. It was one of many reasons she quit being a model. Should she ask Rarity what was bothering her, or should she just let Rarity work it out on her own? Rarity was one of the first ponies she met after she was laughed out of Cloudsdale. Fluttershy was glad to have met Rarity, because otherwise she would have been completely alone. Just because she was just about the most introverted pegasus out there, didn’t mean she wanted to be alone. The mere thought of being alone terrified her, and it was probably why she kept so many animals around her. Rainbow Dash was traveling across Equestria, trying to find herself after dropping out of school; at least, that was the last thing she had heard from the prismatic pegasus a while back. She felt she had really hit it off with Rarity, making them the best of friends. She had seen Rarity at her best and worst, like many long time friends do; but now she wondered why she had such a sinking feeling concerning the white unicorn. Years ago, she had these very same feelings when she was at a party with Rarity. She could only pray this wasn’t the case; Hoping that her sinking feelings were only her overreacting to her friend’s strange actions and behavior. “Perhaps I am worrying too much.” Fluttershy was brought out of her thoughts by a flying peppershaker thrown by her pet rabbit Angel. Shaking her head, Fluttershy blinked. “Angel, that was very naughty of you!” Fluttershy chastised her pet. Over the past few weeks, she had gotten better control over Angel, but he was still spoiled rotten. Angel paid Fluttershy no heed, and impatiently thumped his foot on the table while pointing to the salad she had in front of her on the counter. “Oh! You must be hungry, here let me get that for you.” She grabbed the salad bowl in front of her with her muzzle and placed it before Angel. “Here you go,” Fluttershy said sweetly. She soon felt something furry rub itself against her forelegs, she looked to the ground and saw Opal staring up at her expectantly. “Are you hungry too?” Fluttershy asked the cat who replied with a curt meow. Heading back into the kitchen, Fluttershy soon returned with her and Opal’s food. Fluttershy made it a point to hold her breath because she held Opal’s plate in her mouth and wanted to avoid losing her appetite. Opal purred happily while she waited for her food. She immediately started eating when the food was placed in front of her. Fluttershy took the bowl of salad she had balanced on her wing, and put it on the table before she began eating. The yellow-coated pegasus ate her food quietly, looking at Opalescence she began to reminisce. She was actually the one that had found Opalescence about six years ago in an alleyway while walking through town after grocery shopping. After she was unable to find the kitten’s owner, Fluttershy took her home and brought her back to health. A week later, she had Rarity over for tea and introduced her to the kitten she found in the street. The two of them bonded instantly, and spent the rest of the day playing together while Fluttershy took care of some errands. Fluttershy was surprised to see Rarity still playing with the kitten when she got back. Watching Rarity play with the kitten for a moment, Fluttershy had an idea. Rarity was so ecstatic when Fluttershy told her she could have the kitten as a pet. She was so happy, she barely flinched when Fluttershy told her that she would have to clean the kitten’s litter box daily. Fluttershy’s recollection was interrupted by the dull toll of her clock, mounted on the wall across from her. Looking out of the front window of her cottage, Fluttershy saw the sun sink beyond the horizon. The quiet mare made it a point to get in bed early every night so she could be well rested for her duties in the following day. Seeing that her animal friends have finished eating, she gathered the dirty dishes and took them to her kitchen sink for washing. After washing the dishes, Fluttershy left the kitchen and went up to her bedroom. Once there she saw Opal rolling around on the plush cat bed that Rarity had bought for her. Fluttershy smiled at the sight. She made her way over to the feline to wish her good night, but realized that the cat was slightly whimpering. Perplexed by this, Fluttershy wondered if the salmon dinner didn’t sit right with Opalescence. To try to comfort the whimpering cat, Fluttershy nuzzled the feline’s side. Opal rolled onto the end of Fluttershy’s muzzle and looked deep into the pegasus’s eyes. Fluttershy stared back; Opal, whose eyes were usually an icy blue, now had bloodshot eyes almost as if the cat had been crying. “Oh, what’s wrong Opal? Do you have a tummy ache?” Fluttershy asked softly, rubbing her hoof down the back of the mewling Persian feline. Rather than dignify the pegasus’s inquiry with a response, Opalescence hopped from her bed and onto the floor. The feline then jumped from the floor onto the bed of Fluttershy before walking onto the nightstand beside Fluttershy’s bed. Opal walked between the photos Fluttershy had of her friends and stopped before a picture of Rarity. Looking back at Fluttershy, she began to rub herself against the photograph, hoping the pegasus would get the message. Sensing what the cat meant, Fluttershy walked over to her. “Oh, so that’s it. You’re just homesick.” The pegasus grabbed Opal by the scruff of her neck and placed her in her bed. Fluttershy turned around, turning the lights out before slipping into her bed. Not to be deterred by the pegasus, Opalescence jumped on the mare’s bed and began to lick the pegasus’s face with her rough cat tongue. “Opal, I realize that you’re homesick, but it’s too late to take you back home tonight.” Fluttershy rolled away from the pestering feline, but it didn’t stop the cat from licking her face repeatedly. “Opal please, we can’t go tonight, we would wake up Rarity,” Fluttershy pleaded to deaf ears. Opalescence wouldn’t have it though, and continued to assault the face of pegasus with her cat licks. “Please, go to bed Opal. We’ll visit Rarity tomorrow, I promise.” Fluttershy looked into the eyes of the feline to see that her heartfelt statement did nothing to stop the onslaught. The drowsy mare did her best to ignore the persistent Opalescence, but felt her resolve begin to break. “Ok, ok, we’ll go see if Rarity is up, and if she is we’ll stop by for a quick visit,”the yellow mare said, hastily throwing off her covers. Fluttershy trudged to her dresser to retrieve a scarf before following Opal downstairs. Fluttershy grabbed Opal and placed the cat on her back before taking off. She admired the landscape as she made her way over the forest. A few of her animal friends were settling down into their dens for the night as she flew past. In the distance, she saw the town of Ponyville peak over the horizon. She made her way to the outskirts of the town, flying quickly over the top of the buildings on her way to her friend’s house. Rarity’s house appeared in her line of sight, causing her to slow her approach to avoid smacking into the structure. The house appeared dark with the exception of a flickering candle light in one of the rooms upstairs. Fluttershy landed on the Carousel Boutique’s doorstep, still apprehensive about disturbing her friend. “M-maybe she’s asleep?” Fluttershy asked to herself, a bit chilly from taking a night flight in February. Opal didn’t respond as she hopped down from Fluttershy’s back and ran into the house through the unlocked pet door. “Oh, I hope Rarity doesn’t mind a late visit.” Fluttershy whispered to herself as she retrieved the spare key from underneath the flowerpot. The yellow pegasus let herself in quietly. Looking around in the dark room, she saw that she was the only one on the first floor of the building. Quietly tip-hoofing her way up the staircase, Fluttershy made her way to the second floor. Upon reaching the second floor, Fluttershy saw Opal scratching against the bathroom door. She then realized that Rarity must have been bathing. Approaching the door, Fluttershy gave it a few soft knocks to avoid scaring the mare inside. “Rarity, this is Fluttershy. Opalescence got homesick, so we thought we could stop by for a visit. I hope we aren’t bothering you…” She trailed off, baffled when her usually prompt friend didn’t answer her. Fluttershy went to knock harder, but the door began to creak open by itself. The door opened up into an empty room, completely dark aside from the flickering candle in the windowsill. The room was silent. Fluttershy walked inside and made her way over to the flickering candle. “Huh, it’s unlike Rarity to be so careless. She could burn her house down.” Fluttershy thought to herself while extinguishing the small flame. Turning around, Fluttershy’s heart leaped into her throat. Illuminated by the glow of the moon was the body of her friend, submerged underwater completely. Rarity’s mane floated in the water, her white coat reflected the pale moonlight like a beacon. Fluttershy stood still, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Her chest contracted, she felt as if her hooves were encased in cement. Her blood felt like it was leaving her, her vision began to blur. She awoke to a hoarse shriek; it took her only a moment to realize that it was her own. “Oh, my goodness! Rarity!” Fluttershy rushed to the side of the bathtub, knocking over the cart and shattering the wine glass that lay atop it. Fluttershy reached into the lukewarm water and hooked her forelegs underneath her friend’s own. With a mighty heave, Fluttershy desperately pulled her friend’s motionless body from the water. “Oh, god! Oh, god! Oh, god NO!” Fluttershy screeched. She started to shake; her breathing became hollow. Tears, the beads of her distress, streaked down her face. Shaking, she pressed her face against her friend’s chest to see if she could detect any breathing; much to her anguish, however, she couldn’t hear anything, nor did she feel anything. Her heart sunk to the pit of her stomach. Going into overdrive, Fluttershy hoped to the gods that the training that she had in flight school was still good. Taking her quivering hoof, she opened her friend’s mouth. Rarity’s lips were icy to the touch, Fluttershy brought her face over her friend’s; a tear fell from the side of her right eye, landing on the underside Rarity’s jaw. She placed her mouth over Rarity’s, breathing in deeply before compressing the center of Rarity’s chest. Fluttershy kept repeating the process. She eventually lost count of how many times she had performed CPR on her friend. Not wanting to hurt her friend even more, Fluttershy pulled away. Looking at her friend’s lifeless body, the pegasus whimpered. “No, please, not this,” Fluttershy reached out to touch Rarity’s cold and sodden body, “Anything, just anything b-but…” a scream of utter anguish escaped her lips. “Why? Why, does this have to happen? Why Celestia, does this have to happen…” Fluttershy breathed in deeply. “Dammit Celestia why did this have to happen again!” It happened all of a sudden, she cursed, for the first time in her life, she had cursed. She cursed the name of Celestia, of Luna, of Discord, and even herself. “Why wasn’t I faster getting here? Opalescence knew something was wrong, but I didn’t listen… I didn’t even listen.” Fluttershy looked up with tear filled eyes to see Opal rubbing against the body of Rarity. the usually prissy feline wasn’t bothered by her owner’s wet fur. Fluttershy reached out snatching Opal into a heart broken embrace. The mare just held the cat for a while. Her ears flicked, picking up a sound that she has yet to understand. Looking up she saw that Rarity had vomited. Fluttershy put her face on her friend’s chest, unfazed by the specks of vomit on it. She heard something, faintly hearing Rarity taking in a shallow breath. Fluttershy was ecstatic; she could barely contain her joyous shriek. The loud sound made Rarity open her eyes briefly before closing them again. Fluttershy saw how glassy and foggy Rarity’s eyes were, and she stopped her celebrating and gasped. Fluttershy hooked her forelegs under her friend’s as she began to drag her. As she passed Rarity’s vanity, the canary yellow mare saw the nondescript pill bottle next to the bottle of wine. Panting, the frail mare was not used to any heavy lifting. Dragging her fully grown friend was taking its toll on her. She knew she couldn’t stop. Not until she got help or reached the hospital, whichever came first. Carefully pulling Rarity down the stairs so she wouldn’t bruise her, Fluttershy made it to the first floor. Legs burning, she pushed onwards, not willing to rest until her friend was safe. Fluttershy grunted in effort, her ligaments and tendons felt like they would tear at any moment; the mare’s muscles screamed for relief. Fluttershy made it to the front door. Placing Rarity down for the moment, Fluttershy delivered a buck to the door that would make Applejack whistle in respect. Pulling Rarity out into the street, Fluttershy took a deep breath. “Help me! Oh, sweet Celestia, please somepony, help me!” Fluttershy shouted desperately into the cold, quiet evening.