Sapphire Shores
How they glistened. How they sparkled. How they shone.
But it would have been better if they were dull and lifeless.
Sapphire Shores sat on the floor of her dressing room, staring at a row of six immaculate, shining dresses that had been made for her almost two years previously. Normally she discarded outfits long before then, but these... these had been made with such flair, such passion, such beauty, that as a fellow artist she could not help but hold on to them. Every time they started showing signs of wear and tear she took them to the designer to have them repaired.
Ah yes, the designer.
Rarity. The owner of Carousel Boutique, and a step above a casual acquaintance for the Pony of Pop. Every time since the first that she went into the shop, Sapphire Shores always made a point to take Rarity out for a coffee as an additional thank-you to the designer, and she had even sent a few clients her way. Such a charming young mare, even if she hadn't really ever stopped being tongue tied by her presence.
Rarity. Passionate, talented designer of flawless outfits.
Rarity. A dependable pony, one who really wanted to please her clients and give them the best outfits that she could possibly manage.
Rarity. A Psychotic mass murderer. Responsible for the brutal deaths of at least eighty ponies, and possibly many more. The papers were never quite clear on an exact number of victims, but the basic story was always the same.
Iron Will murdered in Canterlot. Element of Generosity responsible. Guards find torture and murder basement in Carousel Boutique. Pony skins on the walls, taxidermied mare and her filly side-by-side, their faces stretched into lifeless grins. Rarity confessed to over eighty murders, but there could have been far more. They were only able to pin around nineteen on her officially.
She had read the story more times than she wanted to count from more newspapers than she wanted to admit. Despite the subject matter, there was something fascinating about it all. Even so, that left the matter of...
The outfits.
Sapphire Shores sighed and closed her eyes as she tried to think about what exactly to do with them. They still meant something to her. She still liked them. Somehow Rarity had managed to epitomize everything about her image with just some cloth, thread, and gems. No other designer in Equestria had managed to come close.
But she was a murderer.
Sapphire Shores' ear twitched when she heard the door to her dressing room open. It was her agent Flash Bulb again. She didn't turn her head to look at him. She simply didn't feel like it.
Flash Bulb scoffed. "Well, well, I never thought I'd see the day when Sapphire Shores herself was sitting on the floor. Normally you have to have a chair custom-made for each room you go into."
Sapphire Shores frowned and glanced at Flash Bulb out of the corner of her eye. "I ain't that much of a diva and you know it, Bulb. I was jus'..." Sapphire Shores shook her head and lowered her gaze to the floor. "Thinkin', I guess."
Flash Bulb tilted his head and walked over to Sapphire. He stopped just behind her and looked up at the rack of six dresses presented before her. "About these?" Sapphire nodded. "Why? What's so special about these?"
Sapphire frowned and looked up at her agent. "I wear one of these at least once a week, Bulb! I've had these dresses longer than I've had some of my supporting cast, an' you don't know what's so special about 'em?"
Flash Bulb raised a hoof defensively. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I don't know the intimate details of every single outfit you have." He looked over at the dresses and nodded approvingly. "Yeah, I remember these. I like 'em. They really bring out your personality."
"Rarity made 'em."
Flash Bulb raised an eyebrow and tilted his head again. "Rarity? I don't know if I've ever met her. Is she..." All at once comprehension dawned, and his eyes widened. "Rarity?! Like... The Ponyville Butcher? That Rarity?"
Sapphire Shores' glare returned. "Honey, I'm gonna thank you not to use vulgar language like that around me no more. Her name was Rarity. Doesn't matter to me what she did or why; nopony deserves some name like that."
"Fine." Bulb tapped his lower jaw thoughtfully. "I take it you’re wondering what to do with these, then?"
"Mhm." Sapphire Shores grimaced and fixed her gaze on the one on the far right. The first one she ever purchased from Rarity. "I can't ever wear 'em again. It would be in poor taste to go on stage or out in public wearin' the outfits of a mare who killed that many ponies." Sapphire flattened her ears. "Too bad. I do so love these outfits."
"You could sell them." Sapphire raised an eyebrow and saw that Flash Bulb had a hint of an eager smile at the corners of his mouth. "This kind of thing doesn't interest you, so it makes sense that you don't know, but these six dresses are without a doubt the six most valuable things you possess right now." He snorted an put a hoof on one of them. "Even if they weren't studded with gems."
"Say what you mean or stop talkin' honey," Sapphire snapped.
Flash Bulb smirked and continued scanning the outfits. "Everything that The Ponyvi.... er... Rarity touched has suddenly become more valuable than Princess Celestia's tiara. There are collectors who would pay millions of bits for just one of these things, let alone all six. A Sapphire Shores owned Ponyville Butcher designed dress studded with this many gems? Your entire line for the rest of time is set for life."
Sapphire let out an indignant gasp and shot to her hooves. "Is that what you see this as?! Murderabilia?!" She slapped his hoof away and pushed him back from her outfits. "These mean more to me than that! These are the physical representation of a pony's artistic soul! Rarity's very artistic being was poured out into these outfits, and it speaks to me like no other outfit has ever spoken to me before!"
"Yes, her very soul was that of a psychotic murderer," Flash Bulb retorted. "You do know how many families out there are grieving because they got the news that their relation was confirmed as one of her victims, right? Those outfits might as well be stained with blood."
Sapphire Shores snorted steam and stomped on the floor. "I will not tolerate the idea that these outfits are anything less than pure art, darlin'!" Her hoof snapped in the direction of the outfits. "Killer or not, this mare created somethin' I ain't never seen before nor since with these, and that's gone now!"
"It's gone because the mare who made them died on Princess Celesta's execution chamber." said Flash Bulb evenly. "Face it, these may be art, but the artist lessens their effect."
"But does she?!" Sapphire Shores turned to face the outfits and ran a hoof down the back of one of them. "Does the fact that Miss Rarity was a serial killer lessen these outfits? They were made from her soul, and they speak to me. I feel like myself when I wear them. I feel like they're me presented in cloth and jewels! Should what she did take away from what I feel when I see these? When I wear them?"
Flash Bulb snorted and let out a single laugh. "Wear them? Sapphire, you can't ever wear these things again. You'd be showing proudly that you're wearing the clothes designed by the deadliest mare in the history of the Equestrian nation this side of Nightmare Moon. It's not like she just poisoned her victims either; she had a bucking torture and murder basement."
"I know that!" Sapphire Shores wheeled around, fire in her eyes and a snarl on her lips. "I know that my favorite outfits are unwearable now! I know that these things are completely unacceptable to even look at, but I can't! They're art to me! They're creative expressions the likes of which I know you can't understand! From one artist to another, these are masterpieces of expression and creativity, and all you can see is muderabilia from them?"
Flash Bulb stared in silence at Sapphire Shores for a few moments before sighing and shaking his head. "Whatever. I guess it doesn't matter. You're not selling them, but you can't wear them either. You ask me if the 'art' behind them is lessened because the mare had a stuffed filly corpse hidden away in her basement and pony skins on the walls? Yes, I think it is. You can disagree, but I do."
With that, Flash Bulb turned around and walked out of the room, leaving the Pony of Pop alone with her thoughts once more.
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Damn...
Good grief. All of these ponies so spiteful to a true artist...
Regardless of occupation, Rarity deseves not this much scorn.
What a— terrible fate; and darkness.
Awaiting further releases.
3795977 He's not completely discounting it, but he does believe that the outfits are lessened by the fact that the mare who made them was a murderer. He's not saying they're worthless, and not just because they're worth millions as murderabilia, just that the actions of the maker dull the positive impact. Sapphire isn't sure what to believe.
Honestly Sapphire, I'd donate them to a museum on the proviso that they be kept in storage until the immediate legacy of Rarity has fallen from popular memory. That way they'll be displayed again for the world to see without the cloud of reactionary hate to dim their merit.
3796234 Not to mention the vandalism attempts for a museum "daring" to display such a thing *thinks about the Timbuktu book burnings, among other things.*
3795981
Yet they seem to believe that she doesn't know beauty or anything normal.
Nopony remembers the generous and kind mare who would always make time for you or help you have just what you need.
Your, not you're
Damn, all these chapters are good, but this one was extra good.
Are you still accepting chapters for this story? I'm interested in writing one that is how you say different. Not in the eyes of somepony who wants to follow in Rarity's footsteps but somepony who most don't think about when it comes to situations like this.
3807523 I most certainly am.
3808027 and I'm sorry to bother you with two questions but is there anything on the father of the foal and mother that Rarity killed near the end? And what happened to the stuff in Rarity's basement? I'm sorry about this but it can add a lot of flavour to what I want to write.
3808669 The father of the mother and foal is dead. I quote the original story
"If only your father were alive so he could deal with you instead of me having to."
Or something like that. As for the stuff in Rarity's basement, the royal guard confiscated all of it, but some of it popped up later as murderabilia that ponies started collecting (such as Rarity's butcher knife that Blossom got ahold of in TWiF)
3808687 Thank you very much. You saved me a lot of time. Hopefully I won't disappoint you with the chapter.
This chapter was just beautiful...
4005009
I don't mind. The question is whether the author does.
I'm not saying Rarity was insane; rather, she would become insane if she stopped for long enough without some advanced help.
Given what we learn of her fate after Blossom's death, I don't think she'd agree with herself from when she was alive.
Hatred is just another emotion, and they can be felt by those who lose themselves.
Here are some ideas I have for ripples. Feather weight.Around the time he becomes an officer or so. Dixie. Sweetie belle, but what she did in her teenage years. The rest of the mane 6... slash that 5. And there is one more I really wanted to see, but I can't remember right now. Also if the movie really is success, I'll turn every story in the Rarity verse including the alternitvoes into a movie, and I will make Ripples an online series.
3796234 Yes. Like the tiny mustache!
This is the best one yet
Argh, how did I not know about Ripples!? Why was I not following you?!?!
3795981
Naturally I disagree. Art is art and, while one's perception of the art and/or artist may be forever marred, the failings of the artist don't lessen the value of the art even if stashing it in a dark, lonely place is the most practical course of action.
I agree with Sapphire. Art is art. For instance, Hitler's painting's are lovely. Does not mean I'm a Nazi and I don't hate everything Hitler was, but the paintings aren't any less beautiful.
I'm surprised she didn't break his jaw. He only had one argument, Saphire had at least two.
5866833
You can only separate the art from the artist so much
5866833
Now that's very true. Adolf's artwork is nice to look at, and he clearly had talent. It makes you wonder what could have happened if he got accepted into the at school...