//------------------------------// // Breaking Silence // Story: A Shadow Hangs Overhead // by BronyWriter //------------------------------// In a shocking turn of events, the famously silent lone survivor of the Ponyville Massacre has chosen to break that silence and give an interview. When asked why, she merely responded that she "wanted to set the record straight." "Thank you for having me. I know I've been pretty quiet these past ten years about what happened in the woods there, but it was, as I'm sure you can guess, a very traumatic experience. I wished to keep my privacy on the matter, and didn't want to re-live the memories of seeing my best friends brutally slaughtered in front of me. But ever since I saw the news stories that Rarity is now considered a national hero because she helped free Princess Luna, I felt I needed to set the record straight. That mare is no hero. I find it shameful that she's managed to fool so many ponies, especially those other five mares, who I think are absolutely heroes. They deserve better than to believe that Rarity is on their side. A mare like her cannot be a hero. As you all know, I attended Ponyville Elementary with Rarity when we were fillies. I am ashamed to admit that my friends and I weren't as kind to her as we could have been, and I am truly sorry for that. She might tell you that we spent all day torturing her, and that is absolutely untrue. My friends and I largely left her alone, save for a few snide remarks now and again. Nothing unusual of schoolfoals. Could we be a little mean? Yes, and like I said I regret that every day. But we didn't say anything too hurtful. I guess she didn't really see it that way. I think that she has some kind of mental problem that makes her fixate on small, harmless things. When my friends and I snarked at her, I think she fixated on that until, in her mind, it became a bigger deal than it actually was. At some point she must have snapped, I guess. On that day, I don't think my friends and I had even looked at Rarity. We went through school like we normally did with no real conflicts from her. Still, school was pretty boring, so we decided to go exploring in the woods when it was over. We found this really beautiful creek, and I think we were about to start looking for frogs when we saw her there. She had this... look in her eyes. I've never seen it before. It looked almost inequine. I've never seen a smile like that before or since. She didn't say anything, though. She just stared at us. My friends Dug and Kicker moved in front of me in case she tried anything. They always were pretty protective of me. Dug asked her what she wanted while Kicker said that I should run in case Rarity became dangerous. I didn't want to, they were my friends and I wanted to make sure they were okay, but Kicker insisted that I should go get an adult if Rarity did anything. As you know, she did do something. Dug didn't see that she had a rock with her, and when he tried to ask her what she wanted again, she... she hit him with the rock. Right on the head. Then just kept hitting him, even though he was already down. Kicker went to go fight her, telling me to run. She stopped hitting Dug, and the two of them began fighting. I think Kicker knew that he probably couldn't win, but he had to try. Anything to make sure I could get away. I... I was a coward. I ran, just like he told me to. I didn't make it more than a few hooves into the trees before I heard her hitting him with the rock too. I think it's a miracle that she didn't find me. I know she would have killed me too if she had. I made it into town and got the attention of the nearest adults. They called the police, and they locked her up. I'm... I'm sorry if I seem a little emotional. It's hard to think about, you know? And she's gotten no better! Every year I go to Ponyville where... where it happened, and I lay down white roses for my friends. Last year, I found her in the creek. She was snapping them, and tearing the petals out. She looked really pleased with herself. I wanted to confront her, but I think if I had... I don't think I'd be able to give this interview. She'd have jumped at the opportunity to finish the job. A mare like that is no hero. She's a sick, twisted mare who will kill again, I'm sure of it. If she hasn't already, that is. She'd be a lot more careful if she did. I urge Princess Celestia to look into that. If she does, she might prevent more ponies from dying horribly at the hooves of that evil, evil mare. So she put on a necklace with a few other mares. So what? Does she think that excuses what she did, and what she might still be doing? If I have one message for you all today it's this: don't trust her. She's a wolf in sheep's clothing, and she will do something to reveal that. We have to be vigilant to ensure that when that day does come, she doesn't spill any more blood. Were we as nice to Rarity as we could have been? No, and I will forever regret that. But no matter what we said or did, my friends didn't deserve to die like that. Rarity put the paper down and quietly sighed. She looked up at her five friends, all of whom gave her looks of worry. "It's all lies," Rarity said through gritted teeth. "She lays down the roses? I went into that creek to hunt them?!" Rarity crumpled up the paper and tossed it onto the floor of her boutique. "I can't believe she thought she could say these things." "She's not gonna get away with this," Applejack said, fury in her voice. "This here is libel, and that's illegal!" "But who will believe that?" Rarity muttered. "I'm the only other pony who knows what truly happened that day. I mean, yes, I've given the story to other ponies, of course, but her and I are the only ones who went through it. Lies or not, the citizens of Equestria will trust her word." "Well then what do you need us to do, Rarity?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You just say the word and we'll give this mare a piece of our mind!" "Kind of you to offer, Rainbow, but you're not dealing with a well pony." Rarity laid her head on the table she sat at and closed her eyes. "I don't know what her game is. I don't know if she's trying to force my hoof, or if she truly believes what she's saying. She can't cope with what really happened, so she's created a version in her own mind where I'm absolute evil and she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." "So what do you want to do about this, Rarity?" Twilight asked. "I mean, I could be wrong, but I don't think that you can just let this be. Like you said: she's the only other pony who was there. A lot of ponies are going to believe her, and that can make life very difficult for you." "I know," Rarity mumbled. "I don't want to have to do anything, but if she was trying to force my hoof in something, she might have succeeded." "I can talk to Princess Celestia about this," Twilight said. "I know she'd never censor the news, but her word would mean just as much as yours. You did tell me that she spoke in your defense when... all of it happened." "True, but..." Rarity opened her eyes and raised her head. "I can't have Princess Celestia fighting my battles for me. Not all of the time. If she can help in some way, then I will gladly accept that help, but I can't hide behind her every time something like this happens. If this is truly going to end, if Equestria is truly going to move on from this, I have to be the one to lead that." "So what do you want to do?" Fluttershy asked. * * * * "Thank you for your help, Princess Celestia. I hope today goes well." Celestia smiled fondly at Rarity and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Of course, Rarity. It's the least I can do after everything that has transpired. Should you require anything else, do not hesitate to let me know." "You're too kind, Princess Celestia, but I have my friends here." Rarity turned her head back and smiled the five ponies around her. "After that, what else do I need?" "I think that is a wise perspective, Rarity," Celestia said with a nod. "For now, they are waiting for you." "Thank you, Princess Celestia. I think it's best if I make this quick." "If you think that is best," Celestia replied. "I do. I don't want to answer any questions. I merely want to say it how it happened." "Good." A slight grimace crossed Princess Celestia's face. "And Annie. What she said was libel, and therefore illegal. What do you wish done about that?" Rarity stared a Celestia for a few moments, trying her best to ignore the piercing gazes of her friends. After a moment, she sighed and shook her head. "Nothing. I don't want to pursue any legal action or press any charges against that sad, scared mare. I will not validate her, nor will I rise to any bait. She's made her choices, and I've made mine. She's not worth it." "As you wish." "It is." Rarity took a deep breath and turned to the large door that led to the courtyard of Canterlot Castle. She gave her friends a warm smile before opening the doors and stepping out. A wave of flashbulbs temporarily blinded her, and she could even hear reporters shouting different questions. She had no interest in any of them. She heard Twilight's horn ignite, and after a moment, the bright flashbulbs didn't seem so overwhelming. She shot Twilight a grateful look before continuing on to the podium that Celestia set up for her. She raised her hoof, signaling to the crowd before her that she wished to begin. The questions died down, leaving the courtyard silent, save for a few random murmurs. "Thank you, mares and gentlecolts. I know it must be exciting for ponies of your profession that I've broken my silence on the matter of what happened all those years ago, just as the only other witness did, but I will say now that I am not here to answer questions. I am not here to humor anything in that mare's story. I am merely here to tell you the truth. Nothing more, and nothing less." Rarity took a breath to steady herself before continuing on. "I imagine that the details are well-known to most of you. When I was eight years old, I killed two of my classmates by attacking them with a rock. Many ponies say that I did so because they bullied me, and that is partially true. They subjected me to torment the likes of which I never thought possible at that age. I'd never been bullied before, so to suddenly come across three ponies who only seemed to take joy in my misery was something I did not know how to handle. When it first happened, I became quite distraught. My teacher sent me to a creek not far from the school where I could relax and calm down. It became my safe place. My sanctuary. My parents both worked full-time jobs, so I was a latchkey foal. I spent what time I could in the creek, just recovering from the verbal or sometimes even physical abuse those foals subjected me to. "It was there it happened, as you know. One day after school, they hunted me down and cornered me there. They intended to beat me up, and made those intentions quite plain to me. Not knowing what to do, I hit one in the head with a rock just as he began charging me. I didn't intend to hit him in the head, and I certainly didn't intend to kill him, but... that's what happened." Rarity felt her eyes begin to water, so she took another deep, steadying breath. "It was an accident, I promise, but... they looked scared of me. After months of having to fear them, they were suddenly scared of me. To my eternal shame, it... it felt rather nice. I felt powerful. But I know now it wasn't real power. Merely a sickly, shallow imitation of it. I let that feeling overtake me, and I turned the rock onto my second classmate. "I could argue that my attack on the first was self-defense. I still believe so, even given what happened as a result. But the second classmate... that was murder. Nothing I have done since, or will ever do, will change that. I will never feel that what I did was justified. I will never feel that taking his life was my right after what he had done to me. Nopony deserves what I did to happen to them." The crowd began murmuring, and she even saw one or two nearby reporters raise their hooves for a question, but she pointedly ignored them. "I spent six years in a mental institution as a result of my crimes. I wouldn't call it atonement. Nothing I can do will ever atone for my deed. The best I can hope for is to move on with my life and try to be happy. To help ponies, and to be the best friend, daughter, and sister that I can possibly be. I'm not angry at Annie for her words about what happened that day. I think we've had enough anger and resentment come from that day. I don't know if she can ever forgive me, and I know we can never be friends, but I can only wish that she'd find peace. I haven't fully found it myself either, but I strive for that every day. I hope you understand that I never meant for any of this to happen, but it did, and now I have to find a way to keep moving on." Rarity inclined her head at the audience. "Thank you." As soon as she stepped off of the podium, the cascade of questions began again, but she ignored all of it, choosing instead to focus on her smiling friends. Without a word, the six of them stepped back into Canterlot Castle.