One year later
Rarity's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she pushed her sleep mask off of her head. She groaned and nuzzled into her pillow, keeping her eyes open as she waited for the last remnants of sleep to fade away. She yawned and sat up before hearing the doorbell go off and registering that it might be the cause for her earlier awakening. She slid out of bed and slicked down a few loose strands of her mane as best as she could before trotting downstairs and opening the door, revealing the town mayor on the other side. Rarity smiled at her and stepped aside.
"Good morning Mayor. Have you come to order something? I hope my work on your last tie was satisfactory."
Mayor Mare gave Rarity a slight smile, and tilted her head in a nod as she stepped into her home. "Yes, Rarity, it was. Thank you. I'm not here for that, though. I'm here because Princess Celestia has chosen our town as the one to host the Summer Sun Celebration this year."
Rarity tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Well, that is a great honor, then!" Rarity chuckled and shut her door. "And I was planning on having a little sister night with Sweetie Belle for the celebration. Seems we'll be changing our plans, then."
"Indeed, but that's not what I wished to speak to you about exactly." Mayor Mare opened up her saddlebag and pulled out a scroll, which she passed to Rarity. "I would like it if you were the one to decorate Town Hall for the Celebration. I've seen your past work and have decided that you are the pony in the town best suited for the job. I know you will do very well."
Rarity's eyes widened, and she put a hoof up to her mouth. "M-me? You want to have... me decorating Town Hall for the Celebration?!"
Mayor Mare gave an amused smirk and nodded. "Indeed, Rarity. I am certain that you will do a wonderful job. You have a blank check for whatever you need. Just bill it to my office."
"Oh thank you, Mayor Mare! This is..." Rarity started scanning the parchment, a large grin on her face. "This is an amazing opportunity! I don't know how what to say!"
Mayor Mare chuckled and waved her hoof. "Think nothing of it, Rarity. I should be the one thanking you for this. You will, of course, be paid for your work. Standard freelancing fees."
"Of course, of course," Rarity said, her eyes narrowed in thought. "Yes, I think the colors of the sun would be nice. Maybe the sky as well in keeping with the theme. Hmm..."
"Well I can see I've made the right choice, then." Mayor Mare turned to the door and began walking towards it before she stopped and looked back at Rarity with a small smile. "I'm happy to see how far you've come, Rarity. I asked the council if any of them objected to me giving you this job because of your past, and not a single one did. This town has really welcomed you back."
Rarity smiled and put the scroll down on a pile of fabric. "Yes, it has been nice. We've all moved on, I think, myself included. I didn't even go to the creek this year to lay flowers. I'm putting the past where it belongs. I'm not Rarity the murderer. I'm just Rarity."
"I'm more than pleased to hear it. I think the town is in the same camp." Mayor Mare tilted her head in another nod. "You're going to do a wonderful job with decorating, Rarity, I'm sure of it. Everypony is going to love it."
Rarity chuckled, and her mind began flashing with more design ideas. "Yes, I'll be sure to make sure they do."
* * * *
Rarity smiled and stepped back from her boxes of supplies, looking around at the freshly decorated Town Hall. She scanned each of the decorations with her discerning eye, looking for any fault in the designs. The sun and sky color palate seemed to be meshing well. The banners were all hung perfectly from the ceiling, and every pillar had a nice ribbon tied neatly on. In short, Town Hall seemed to be ready for the Summer Sun Celebration.
"Beautiful indeed, Spike," said a mare's voice from her left.
"Not the decor," said what sounded like the voice of a young male, "her!"
Rarity frowned and turned her head to see who had arrived. Maybe it was the supervisor Mayor Mare had told her would be around to check up on her work. When she looked she saw a lavender unicorn mare standing next to a green and purple lizard thing standing on two legs. She gave a slight frown at the lizard, who grinned widely at her, before looking to the mare.
The eyes of both her and the mare widened at the same time.
"Holy Celestia!" they cried in unison.
"Your mane!" Rarity screeched, staring at the poofy, giant curled up mess.
"You!" the mare replied at the same time.
"Darling, I..." Rarity's reply died in her throat when it registered with her what the mare had said. She grimaced and flattened her ears. "Ah. Yes. I see. I take it you're familiar with my... actions, then."
"Uh..." The mare bit her lip and uneasily scratched her foreleg while the lizard alternated between looking at the two with confusion. "Well, I've read a bit about you, yes."
Rarity sighed and rubbed one of her temples. "Of course. Read a few newspaper articles twelve years ago, then? I know you're not from here, so my story must have reached wherever you're from."
"Well, not exactly." The mare looked down and flattened her ears. "I was in a library and found a few books."
Rarity raised her eyebrow and tilted her eyebrow. "Books? They've written books on me?"
The mare nodded. "Yeah. A few about you, and there was one or two where you're in a collection of killers."
"I see." Rarity studied the mare for a moment before shrugging. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected, then. There's nothing I can really do about it, is there?"
The mare raised her head and gave Rarity a questioning look. "You don't care that there are whole books written about what you did?"
Rarity chuckled and waved her hoof. "Darling, I will forever regret my actions, of course, but after twelve years I decided to not let it rule my life. I've known for years that it created a huge media storm throughout Equestria, but the country has largely moved on, wouldn't you say? I've kept out of the spotlight these days, and I'm perfectly content with that." Rarity took a step towards the mare, who flinched back, causing Rarity to grimace. "Darling, I assure you that I'm perfectly safe to be around. I haven't so much as given other ponies a paper cut in over a decade. Mayor Mare wouldn't have given me this job if she wasn't absolutely positive that I'm a good mare who wouldn't hurt anypony." Rarity's smile returned, and she walked up to the mare. "Now, I find it completely unacceptable that I don't have any idea who you two are, so I feel that introductions are in order." Rarity extended her hoof. "My name is Rarity. I own a small shop in town where I collect gems to polish, cut, and sell, on top of using my knowledge of sewing to act as the town tailor."
The mare nodded uneasily and slowly raised her hoof to shake Rarity's. "Hello, Rarity. My name is Twilight Sparkle, but most ponies just call me Twilight. I'm Princess Celestia's personal protégé. She sent me to Ponyville to supervise preparations for the Summer Sun Celebrations."
"Princess Celestia's personal protégé?" Twilight nodded, and Rarity gave an impressed grunt. "Well, that is something! I'll bet that must be quite exciting." Rarity turned down to the lizard with a smile. "And you are?"
The lizard returned her smile. "My name is Spike. I'm a baby dragon, and Twilight's number one assistant."
"A dragon? Well, I must say that I've never met a dragon before! It's a pleasure to meet you, Spike. However..." Rarity looked back at Twilight and pointed to her mane. "Now that introductions are out of the way, I must say that something must be done about your mane! It is a disaster!"
Twilight groaned and draped a foreleg over her muzzle. "You can thank the weathermare for that one. This pony named Rainbow Dash tackled me into mud, washed me off with a raincloud, then dried me off with this 'rainblow dry' thing."
"Ah..." Rarity sighed and massaged one of her temples. "Yes, I'm familiar with her. She means well most of the time, but between you and me, sometimes she has an ego the size of Canterlot." Rarity shrugged. "I'd still say she's a good pony. Now, then..." Rarity fired up her horn and took out a few brushes and combs. "As a mare of culture and taste, I'm afraid that I simply cannot allow you to go out into Ponyville looking like that." Rarity engulfed Twilight's legs in her magical aura and sat her down. "Just relax, this will only take a moment."
Twilight bit her lip and glanced at the door as if she was considering running, but she seemed to realize that Rarity had already made up her mind, so she quietly sighed and settled in.
"My usual mane style is straight with it curving around my neck at the end," she muttered.
Rarity nodded and began running her brush through Twilight's mane as gently as she could. She smiled when the brush went through the hair with little effort. The Rainblow Dry had only poofed it up, not knotted her mane, it seemed.
"So, you're here to supervise the Summer Sun Celebration, then?" Rarity questioned as she worked. "What does that entail exactly?"
Twilight sighed and looked down at her saddlebag, out of which a rolled up scroll was sticking. "Oh, just the basics, I guess. You know that I met Rainbow Dash, so I guess the weather's all ready to go for tonight. I also went up to that farm at the edge of town. Sweet Apple Acres? Met this pony named Applejack and her family." Twilight stuck her tongue out. "I guess they were nice ponies, but they fed me way too much."
Rarity chuckled and began curling Twilight's mane around her neck. "Yes, they're a family that shows their love through food. You never feel more at home with the Apples then when they've invited you over for a hot meal." Rarity grimaced and sat down to begin work on Twilight's tail. "You'd be harder pressed to find better ponies in all of Equestria, darling. Goodness knows I can't imagine how I would have made it through the past decade without dear Applejack."
Twilight flattened her ears and bit her lip as she uneasily rubbed her foreleg with her hoof. Rarity quietly sighed and began spraying Twilight's mane with some mane product to ensure that it wouldn't poof up again. After a moment of silence, Rarity clicked her tongue and put the cap back on the bottle.
"Darling, just ask."
Twilight turned her head to face Rarity, a frown on her face. "Ask what?"
"One of the dozens of questions I've received since I was released." Rarity got to her hooves and began putting her brushes back in her bag. "'Why did I do it?' 'Do I regret it?' 'Would I change it?' 'What was it like being in that place for six years?' 'What was it like doing that?'" Rarity closed her eyes and lowered her head with a sigh. "Did I miss one?"
"Uh..." Rarity heard both Twilight's hoofsteps and the sounds of Spike's claws clacking on the hardwood floors. They were walking closer. She cracked one eye open and glanced to the side to see Twilight looking at her, her head ducked and her ears flat. "I'm sorry. I guess I was just kind of curious, that's all. Like I said, I read about you."
"And those books painted me as an evil, psychotic little filly, correct?" Rarity laughed bitterly and snapped her bag shut. "Somepony who deserved to be executed or imprisoned forever for what she did?"
"Well, I mean..." Twilight exchanged a look with Spike, whom Rarity could see just looked confused. "Nopony ever really got any interviews with you. So they just had to go off of what they knew."
"Well, I suppose that makes sense," Rarity said with a sigh. "Though I'm certain that you can understand why I'd prefer to keep my privacy in this matter. Suffice to say, it was a mistake. A horrendous, life-altering mistake that I will regret forever, but simply a mistake. A truly psychotic pony wouldn't regret it, but I regret it every time I think on it."
Before Twilight could respond, Rarity smiled at her and wrapped her foreleg around her shoulders. Twilight flinched back, something that Rarity ignored. "Now, then, you came all this way from Canterlot to check on the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration. I have done my best to make Town Hall presentable, but do let me know if you have any critiques. I'm open to suggestions."
Twilight blinked owlishly, then looked around the room before shaking her head. "Uh, no, I think everything looks rather good. I think that Princess Celestia will be rather happy with it." Twilight ducked her head and backed out of Rarity's shoulder hug. "But I really do need to get going now, though. I have to check on a few more things before the Celebration actually starts. I'll... see you later, I guess?"
Rarity gave Twilight a strained smile and nodded. "Of course. I'll suppose I'll see you at the celebration itself, yes? If not, I wish you the best."
"Right. Yes, you too." Twilight pressed her hoof against Spike's back, herding him out of the room. "Come on, Spike. We have a few more stops to make."
"Okay," Spike muttered, a disappointed frown crossing his face.
"I will talk to you later, dear Spike," Rarity said. "We'll see each other at the celebration."
Spike brightened at the idea, and quickly ran to catch up to Twilight. Rarity watched them go for a few moments with a small smile before turning back to her work. So they knew. So everypony knew. There were books. She didn't care, and that's the way she liked it.
Rarity trotted over to one of her boxes to set up the finishing touches on Town Hall, but before she could, the top of the box exploded outward, and a certain pink earth pony leaped out of it with her usual grin.
"Oh, hello, Pinkie," Rarity said, unfazed by the sudden appearance of her friend. "How are you today?"
"Superrrrific!" Pinkie squeed. "There's a new pony in town, and you know what that means!"
"A party," the two said at the same time, Pinkie in glee and Rarity in amusement.
"Yes, I've met her. Twilight Sparkle, if I recall correctly. She had a baby dragon named Spike with her, too."
"Ooh, I didn't know the dragon's name!" Pinkie cried. "This is unacceptable!" Pinkie hopped over to Rarity and threw a foreleg around her shoulders. "I'm going to have to make the party even better now, since there's two of them. It's at the Golden Oaks library at seven."
"Consider me there," Rarity said, nuzzling Pinkie Pie. "If you need me to do anything for it, don't hesitate to ask."
"Will do, Rarity, but I think I've got everything well in hoof!" Pinkie began bouncing towards the front door of Town Hall, waving back at Rarity as she did. "See you soon!"
"Bye, darling!"
* * * *
When she thought on it, Rarity did have to consider the party a success, just like all of Pinkie's parties, despite the absence of the guest of honor. Well, one of them, anyway. Somehow hot sauce had been placed at the drink table, and Twilight had the misfortune of mistaking it for some of Applejack's apple juice. She had rushed to an upper level and hadn't been down since. Rarity hardly noticed, though, as she busied herself talking to Spike. When she discovered he ate gems, she gave him one from her saddlebag, much to his delight. He didn't ask about what had Twilight so bothered about her, something Rarity didn't mind at all.
As she talked with Spike, her mind wandered ever so slightly, and she realized that almost the entire town had shown up for Twilight's party. And none of them were giving her a second glance. Most had even smiled and greeted her when she came in. The realization triggered a great rush of affection in Rarity for the ponies of Ponyville. Life was good.
"Rarity?"
Rarity snapped out of her reverie and realized that she had drifted away from her conversation with Spike. She blushed and gave him an apologetic smile.
"So sorry, darling, I was just lost in thought for a moment there."
"Really?" Spike tilted his head a bit. "What were you thinking about?"
"I was thinking that..." Rarity's smile widened. "Today is a good day."
* * * *
A few hours later, the party, Twilight included this time, filed out of the library and towards Town Hall for the Summer Sun Celebration. The decorations hadn't been touched since she had left them, and ponies kept coming up to her to compliment her on her work once they found out she had gotten Town Hall ready. Rarity thanked them all with a genuine smile as she walked next to Twilight and Spike, still conversing with the latter. A few minutes later, Mayor Mare approached Rarity.
"Rarity, we need somepony to pull the curtain back when I announce Princess Celestia to the audience. Would you be willing to do that?"
Rarity's eyes lit up, and she vigorously nodded. "Absolutely! Has she arrived already?"
"As far as I'm aware," Mayor Mare replied. "Her guards have taken their positions around Town Hall, so we should be ready any moment now."
"Excellent. I'll take my place, then." Rarity turned to Spike and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I shall see you after the Celebration, Spike?"
"If you want to, Rarity!" Spike Said, his grin nearly taking up his whole face.
Rarity's gaze flicked over to Twilight, who alternated her gaze between Rarity and Spike with a look of unease. Rarity decided to ignore it. Twilight would come to understand about her. If nothing else, Spike would tell Twilight about their time together at the party. She'd see then.
Pushing thoughts of Twilight's bias out of her mind, Rarity trotted up to her place on the balcony next to the curtain to wait for Mayor Mare's command.
As she watched the crowd of ponies beneath her, a small grimace crossed Rarity's face, and her stomach twisted into a knot. Last time she had seen Princess Celestia, she had sent her to that Tartarus-damned place for six years for what she had done. To be moments away from standing close to her again...
Maybe she could slip away after she pulled the curtain back.
"And now, it is my great honor to introduce to you the ruler of our land," Mayor Mare said, snapping Rarity out of her thoughts. "The very pony who gives us the sun and moon each and every day, the good, the wise, the bringer of harmony throughout Equestria: Princess Celestia!"
Steeling herself, Rarity grasped the cord in her teeth and pulled, opening the purple curtains in front of her to reveal...
Nothing.
Rarity's jaw dropped open, causing the cord to fall out. She became vaguely aware of uneasy chatter from the ponies beneath her, but she paid them no heed, instead choosing to stare blankly at the vacant spot where Princess Celestia was supposed to be.
Though it didn't remain vacant for long.
Before Rarity's eyes, a dark mass of what looked like an ethereal cloak of stars appeared before her, spinning around for a few moments before it expanded rapidly, revealing a black alicorn dressed in harsh, silver armor. Rarity whimpered and began backing away. Even knowing nothing about this pony, Rarity could sense her ill intent.
"Ah, my beloved subjects. It has been so long since I have seen your precious little sun-loving faces!"
The alicorn's words flowed out of her like silk, but Rarity felt a shiver run down her spine. Rarity backed away further, hoping to get out of Town Hall before this pony noticed her.
The alicorn glided across the balcony, and Rarity saw, to her horror, that the mare had spotted her. She fell to the ground and let out a half scream. The alicorn grinned at Rarity, revealing razor sharp teeth. She expanded her ethereal mane and lifted Rarity's head up with it to look her in the eye.
"Did you not recall the legends?" Her grin widened. "Did you not see the--"
The alicorn's grin suddenly evaporated, being quickly replaced with an "o" of surprise. She stared into Rarity's eyes as if x-raying her.
"There's something..."
The alicorn let Rarity's head go and walked over to the edge of the balcony, scanning the group of cowering ponies below.
"I haven't felt..."
After a minute or so, the alicorn turned back to Rarity, and her blank expression turned back into a malicious grin. A trio of royal guards landed on the balcony, but the alicorn merely encased the two of them in a large shield.
"You're not like the rest of them, are you?" She shot her mane out and wrapped it around Rarity's neck, lifting her up so the two were face-to-face. "I can feel the darkness in you."
Rarity whimpered and tried to free her neck from the mane, but her hooves merely phased through it. A pair of thick tears dripped from her face as she looked at the alicorn.
"Please," she groaned.
"I haven't sensed somepony like you in a long time. You will be valuable to my new world." The mane tightened around Rarity's neck, slowly cutting off her air supply. She continued struggling uselessly against the other mare's powers.
"Please," she repeated.
"It's a wonderful feeling, isn't it?" the alicorn crooned. "Do you miss it?"
"No," Rarity growled. "I... w-want to t-take it back!"
"Perhaps," the mare said, tapping her jaw. "Or perhaps the right opportunity hasn't arisen yet." The alicorn slowly pointed to the ground about two feet from the pair. Rarity moaned when she saw what had appeared.
"What do you see?" The alicorn hissed.
"A... a r-rock," Rarity groaned.
"Indeed? And what do you want to do with that rock?"
"N-nothing! I h-hate it!"
"Come now, child," the alicorn said, tightening her grip even further. "You know what you felt. What do you want to do with that rock? Think about what would happen if you gave in. You could save Equestria from an evil, evil mare, couldn't you? You'd be a hero. Everypony would love you, and no one would remember what you had done. You'd be beloved by all as the savior of Equestria." The alicorn slowly began lowering Rarity in the direction of the rock. "So, what do you want to do with the rock?"
"I... I..." Rarity ground her forehooves against the side of her head, trying to quiet the million thoughts racing through it. "I'm n-not that... pony!"
"That isn't what I asked, foal. The rock is yours. Take it. Do what you wish."
The alicorn released Rarity next to the rock, allowing Rarity to gasp for breath and rub her sore neck.
"The rock, child. Take it."
Rarity froze and glanced down at the rock. It was just like she remembered it. Every detail. Slowly she reached towards it and grasped it in her hooves. A jolt coursed through her forelegs when she touched it, but the feeling wasn't unpleasant. Rarity gripped the rock tighter and began breathing heavier.
"What do you want to do with it?"
"I... I want..."
"Yes?"
"I want to hurt you."
The alicorn's vicious smile widened, and she took a half-step towards Rarity, lowering her head so that she was in range of Rarity's swing.
"Then do it. Save Equestria. Be the hero. And enjoy that nice feeling again."
Rarity stared at the alicorn for a few moments, acutely aware of the feeling of the rock in her hooves. Slowly she raised the rock, and, when it was mere inches from the alicorn's face, she tipped her hooves forward, letting to rock fall to the floor.
"I told you," Rarity said, forcing a glare on her face. "I'm not that pony."
"Oh but you are," the alicorn said, straightening up. "How many did you kill, hmm? What was the petty reason? The blood of your victims will never be washed away, foal. It is a permanent stain. The monster inside you that made you kill your victims, it was no monster. It was simply... you. Nothing more. You can't be rid of a darkness that is an inherent part of your being. It's as much a part of you as your cutie mark."
"You're wrong," Rarity growled. "I-it was a simple bad decision!"
"If you say so," the alicorn sneered. "We have a lot of time to discuss it, don't we? I am your new queen after all. The sun shall never rise again!"
With that, the shield broke, and the alicorn wrapped her mane around her body, flying through the open doors of town hall into the night.
Rarity took a deep breath and collapsed onto the floor. She became vaguely aware of ponies surrounding her, including ones that sounded like Pinkie Pie and Twilight. They all wanted to know what was said, no doubt.
Rarity merely grasped her head in her hooves and screamed.