Blood Curse Boutique

by Rarity Belle

37 But to overcome them, you have to face them

The loudest scream ever did its turn through the cloud palace that Rainbow had been calling ‘home’ for years. She held Wing-Pony firmly against her chest with her wide eyes. The terrified pegasus was wide awake and stolen from her sleep. All thanks to the nightmare that she had. She panted for her life while she sat right up in her bed. The eyes shot into every single direction. “A-Alive!? H-How... w-why?” she managed to speak up to herself. Sweat of fear traveled down all of her body and her head lowered itself against her chest. In silence was there the first tear that rolled down her cheek.

Rainbow tried to keep herself tough as always though. Yet her fears and memories had crushed her almost as a whole. The mare laid back down in her bed and she curled up around herself. With one swift motion had Rainbow placed the blankets over herself and nuzzled her plushy all over to find some form of comfort. She tried it would save her the river of tears but it didn't. Streams of tears left her eyes without end. Tears that came forth out of her fears ran down her cheeks while they were accompanied with the occasional sob.

Through the rest of the night she laid there, crying and sobbing like a foal as her mind was in a two way struggle. A struggle that was exhausting her much more than she though. It was only when the first rays of the sun had made their way into her room she found some comfort again. For she knew the night had passed then and that everything was safe.

No matter how it got turned in her mind, Rainbow had to face her fears at some point if she ever wanted to be the pegasus everypony knew her as. She had to overcome them in one way or the other. The pegasus wanted to make the nightmares stop once and for all. For dreams like she had the past night had been haunting her ever since that day in the boutique. Always a little different but ending in the same manner.

The death of her dream-self and waking up screaming in the real world. But it was the time that wasn't there yet. Because before the pegasus could do anything, she needed her sleep to have caught up with her. Rainbow looked with fearful eyes through a gap that was created by the space between the blanket and the mattress. She dared to push herself a bit further up. Just enough to make her head rest upon the pillow. The frightened pegasus released a deep sigh before her eyes closed again. Finally was she able to have rest, a peaceful rest without being killed by anything.

Yet the plans were forged in her mind to let them stop. One way or the other did the nightmares that were being brought upon her come to an end. Even if she had to face the very source of them, Rarity herself.

~~~~

Meanwhile, during the morning that came after the five friends had paid their visit to the reopened boutique, the whole town was starting to wake up from its own sleep and many ponies were going to do their morning routine. But on the well-known apple farm just outside of the town, two ponies were up for a long time already and they made their way back inside the house. One of them was a red, muscular stallion with a blonde colored mane and tail, as the other was an orange coated, blond ponytailed mare who always wore a cowgirl hat through any kind of weather.

“Woowie, never thought things would go this easy despite is both being cranky when we got out, eh Mac?” the mare spoke as she walked in and held the door open for the stallion.

“Nope, not at all sis, but now that is out of the way, we can focus ourselves again on plowing the land for the new generation. And thanks sis,” the humble giant spoke after he had walked in. The holes in his nose opened and closed themselves a couple time as the scents inside got picked up by them and he licked his lips. “Seems Granny got up early as well.”

“Hehe, she always is Big Mac, Ah think since you spend so much time on the land, yar always missing her until she comes with a plate to you or rings the bell for breakfast,” explained Applejack with a giggle in her voice. She closed the door behind her and let out a giggle.

“Hmm, ya might be right there sis,” he replied in a chuckling manner before he swiftly snitched off her hat and placed it upon his own head with a smile. Normally the earth pony mare would get furious if somepony even as much touched her hat but given how it was her own brother, her own flesh and blood who did it, she didn't do anything else than letting out a giggle at it.

“Hehe. Real fabulous Big Mac, real fabulous,” she spoke at the sight before the giggle turned into a loud chuckle. It was quite the hilarious sight to be seen for the gentle giant of a stallion wore a piece of headgear he wasn't seen in in ages. At least it was in the eyes of Applejack.

The both of them made their way into the kitchen under a chuckle at the sights they each saw. Yet when they walked into it, they could see the green coated elderly mare and the both of them spoke in choir. “Morning Granny Smith.”

Granny herself was busy cooking by the stove as the words of her granddaughter and –son came into her ears and she turned herself around in order to face them. “Oh, morning to you two as well. Uhm, take a seat, breakfast is almost ready.” There was a small explosion took place on the stove and it widened her old eyes before she left a chuckle. “...I think, hehe.”

“Not a problem Granny, take ya time with it all,” said the young cowgirl. She took place behind the kitchen table that was big enough for the whole family. The stallion just sat down with a slight smirk visible on his face.

Big Macintosh never had been a stallion of many words and only spoke when truly needed. Needless to say, he did have quite the brain behind him and was a gentle giant in everypony’s eyes. He was one of the few ponies out there who had his heart on truly the right place. That alone was the reason why the entire town loved him as much as they did.

~~~~

Having allowed some time to pass and a small fire being extinguished, the massive and delicious breakfast found itself ready on the table as the final member of the family made its way down the stair. A red maned filly with a red ribbon in it. She smiled bright when her legs carried her in the kitchen. But the smile quickly turned into a questioning mouth as she took note of the stallion with that hat. “Mac? Is that you?” was asked by her with care. She couldn't believe the sights as they were revealed to her eyes. Surely the eyes must have played a trick with her, right?

“E’yup,” the stallion replied as he looked down upon his youngest sister.

“Why do ya..?” she didn't even named the object but just pointed to the top of her own head. Applejack had just taken a bite out of a slice of bread before she couldn't hold her laughter in anymore. She managed to swallow her bite and just erupted out in snicker of joy.

“No offence Apple Bloom, but that look on yer face is priceless!” said Applejack before she wiped a small tear away from her left eye that had come due to the laughter. The cowgirl slowly calmed herself down again in order to answer the question. “As for the question, Mac just took it. Snitched it right off mah head, like the sneaky thief he is.”

“J-Just like, t-that?” Apple Bloom asked with a risen eyebrow. She took place on the remaining chair as both the mare and stallion nodded. Granny just watched the events unfolding for herself while she prepared a slice of bread to start the day. She didn't gave it away, but she had trouble holding in her laughter at the words of Applejack. They were just too true and the face that was made, didn’t work in Apple Bloom’s favor.

“But ya look amazing with that on though, all we need is a vest from Rarity and you are ready for the upcoming party in Appleloosa. Yah know, the one uncle Braeburn is giving!” Apple Bloom spoke up.

“You know Apple Bloom, he is your sister's and my cousin, not making it your uncle, or does it?” the red giant replied under a blush at hearing the name of the unicorn. Despite he always had denied the fact, he did had a small eye on the first class fashionista.

The filly shrugged a little bit while she prepared her own breakfast. “Might be true, but Ah still call him uncle, and he even likes it! So there’s nothing wrong there, right?”

“Well, if Brae like is, why change it?” Granny Smith giggled to herself. The other three gave a nod to those words before continuing on their breakfast.

“Speaking of Rarity,” said Applejack after a little while. “Ah heard her boutique opened itself again before Ah went to Twilight’s place the other day. Ah don’t think Ah told this once Ah got home... But Twi got a little annoyed from all the ponies walking in as she eventually erupted into flames, after what we went for a peek with our own eyes. And what do ya know, that unicorn reopened her boutique for real.”

Granny Smith, Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom all hung on the lips of the cowgirl before the elderly mare softly spoke to herself. “Darn unicorns, always messing up with their magic, erupting into fire!? Back in my days, only changelings could do that. But continue, Applejack.”

“Thank you Granny, as Ah was saying, she did reopen it, but is having some kind of flu. Something she had for the past six months, that is the very reason we haven’t seen her in such a long time. Quite the shame if ya ask me.” The last words got spoken in sympathy for Applejack knew how hard it was to run a business. Of course an apple farm and a boutique were two completely different things but in the core they were the same.

“T-That is a relief to hear,” said Big Macintosh under a soft sigh and a blush that was even visible on his red coat. Yet none of the members seemed to be catching. All but one.

It was the little Apple Bloom who took notice of his relief and chuckled. “Maccy has a crush on Rarity!”

“Ah do not!” the stallion denied almost right away.

“Ya do! Admit it brother, ya found the love of yer life,” she spoke in a teasing tone that went accompanied with a wide grin. She even moved closer towards her brother in order to hear the confession that may or may not have come from his mouth.

None of the family members could hold their laughter in at that point as the stallion’s cheeks only got pinker and pinker. They become so pink that they could be easily spotted above his own coat. Applejack shook her head a little bit under a gentle snicker before she continued on her breakfast. No matter how it was to be turned, they still had a day ahead of them and she knew that.

~~~~

In the meantime, as the day ventured on and everypony fell into their daily routine whether they liked it or not, Fluttershy had taken the opportunity to just sit down for a little bit and had closed her eyes for a nap she needed ever so much. Nothing had ever returned back to normal ever since her assault in Everfree. The pegasus could be found lengthwise on the sofa as her forehooves acted like a pillow and her tail hung off to the side. The scars of her encounter were hidden by both the backside of the sofa and the tail itself, which was a good thing for many eyes. Many of the little critters didn't even dare to wake her up for their needs. For when Fluttershy was asleep, she was the peace itself. She was so innocent, so harmless and above all, so peaceful.

Even the normal so bossy Angel didn't dare to wake up her owner.

For many minutes went her light slumber undisturbed by anything until a ferret turned its gaze to the door. There was rather loud knock on it and it went through all of the house. All of the critters looked at each other and then to the pegasus in the hope she didn't wake up, yet it was the ferret took the initiative to go to the door and open it for the still knocking visitor. The critter made its way over to the doorknob thanks to a small ramp that the yellow coated pegasus had built in case some of the smaller critters had invited bigger critters. And those ramps walked through all of her cottage. It made the place unique and stand out while it stood so close at the edge of the woods.

On the other side of the door stood nopony else then Rainbow Dash, who was revealed to be the mysterious knocker. Having slept through the morning and shocked up in the early afternoon, she was desperate in the need to talk with somepony. And that pony happened to be Fluttershy. The reason was that the mares had known each other for a long. They were already friends before they even knew the rest of the group even lived. But the fact that a ferret opened the door already dropped the hints for her. “Oh, she, she is asleep isn't she? M-Mind if I come in anyway? I’ll keep myself quiet,” she spoke in a soft tone. She didn't want to wake the sleeping angel either.

The ferret looked back and forth between the door and sofa before it gave a nod. The critter allowed Rainbow to enter who did it ever so thankfully. Ever so quiet did she closed the door behind her. Then the pegasus made her way over to where her friend laid asleep. The mane fell over her face and was covering the sleeping right eye with its inviting, pink color.

The other pegasus just couldn't hold herself while many thoughts of cuteness soared through her mind. She could have only let out a small sigh at them. With the quiet steps that Rainbow took, she had reached another couch and the mare allowed herself to sit upon it as the ferret joined the other critters. Her racing mind calmed itself down from the rush of life and her fears she had the more she just watched the sleeping mare.

Maybe that was what she needed but it would be near impossible to do. Having Fluttershy over all the time and having her asleep was not the greatest idea in the world. Not to mention the attitude that Rainbow could have from time to time. When those thoughts had entered her mind was the idea as a whole quickly scratched.

While Rainbow kept staring over the sleeping Fluttershy, it was the little bunny Angel who hopped onto the couch as well and snuggled himself up against the flank of the terrified mare. The mare was quite surprised by the actions and she looked down to the bunny. Rainbow couldn't help herself but to just let out a small giggle before she petted him behind the ears. His favorite spot as it made his right leg twitch in a cute manner.

~~~~

Only after time had passed on its own did the eyelids of Fluttershy began to twitch a little bit. Only to be opened in the end of things. As they were opened, she let out a light and cute yawn. Fluttershy blinked a couple times and removed her mane out of her face before she turned her attention to the quiet Rainbow who was cradling a sleeping Angel. Normally she would get scared if another creature or pony was in the same room without her knowing it but that time things were a little different, almost as she was expecting her to a certain degree.

The wings of the half sleeping mare untucked themselves in a slow manner and she allowed the bones to snap themselves back into place in silence. Then she allowed a deep, quiet, and for Rainbow unusual moan of utmost comfort. “Oh, hey there Rainbow, what brings you here if I may ask?” she spoke in her usual shy voice. The wings tucked back against her body and she assumed a bit more of a normal position on the sofa. Yet as she re-positioned herself, the scars did became clearly visible to all the eyes to see.

“I, I wanted to talk to you about my nightmares, they, they have becoming worse… F-Far worse…” Rainbow replied before her eyes fell upon the marks over the body. “Y-You sure you don’t have any problem with that? I mean, it looks nasty...”

“No Rainbow, the doctor said it was just a scar. It will never go away but at least I’m still here. But goodness me, what happened Dashie? I mean, I can understand if you don’t want to talk about it, but maybe, talking about it, relieves some of the stress,” replied Fluttershy. Of course she wanted to help her friend out the best she possibly could.

“It was Rarity again, she tried and succeeded to kill me during a nightshift in one of Cloudsdale’s weatherfactories.” A deep sigh left through her nose as a small tear ran down her cheek. “I, I can’t take it take it anymore Fluttershy! For months it has been haunting me, I can’t take much more, I am a wreck!” Before she would lose her mind as a whole, Rainbow laid Angel to the side and she turned her attention back to Fluttershy. “I just... don’t know it anymore.”

Her friend shook her head with calm and stood up from the sofa. Fluttershy walked over to the crying pegasus and gave her a warm, friendly and above all, tight hug of comfort. “No Dash, you are everything but a wreck. I have said this many times to you and I will stick to this point. Talk to her, we know she is home. Don’t do it for me, but for yourself Dashie.”

Rainbow embraced the hug thankfully by wrapping her own forelegs tight around her. She was not willing to let go in the slightest of bits. Though she did take the spoken words into deep consideration. “M-Maybe, you are right... I, I will hop by today, o-or somewhere next week... Hey, m-mind if I stay here for just, just a little longer?”

A light giggle left Fluttershy’s mouth as she gently nuzzled the cheek of Rainbow. “Not at all Dashie, not at all.” Time passed by as it did every single day, for some slow as others it went like a race but eventually the weekend would be reached and everypony enjoyed their two days off, just two days or nothing on their mind. At least that would be the plan for many.

~~~~

Fleur had proved herself to be quite the valuable asset to the boutique and for Rarity as she served as both her employee and personal ‘toy’. Rarity didn't had to go out and actually hunt for blood because of the hypnotized mare could always be found in the boutique. More often than not, when Rarity needed to still her thirst for blood, both of the unicorns found themselves into the bed of the vampony where the always exciting game of seduction and pleasing took place.

A game that would be ending with the thing the vampiric unicorn always needed and sent Fleur into the slumber for the night. A night in which Rarity would be working on many projects at once for she never felt the desire to wander through the streets anymore especially with the rumor of her being sick.

But on one day certain day, a day that was close to the evening found Fleur Dis Lee herself cleaning up the boutique a bit for the fact that not many clients were going to be expected at that time. It could have been found guilty by the weather that was above the town. For it wasn't the most pleasant one, just cold and windy. But nonetheless and when it was least expected, there was a knock that did its turn on the door. It caught Fleur off of her guard and the unicorn called upon her magic even more in order to open it as the broom kept sweeping.

In the opening appeared the daring pegasus with the unique rainbow colored mane. Without a word spoken she entered the warm and rather pleasant boutique before the door was closed again behind her. Fleur released some of the charge of her horn and could be found behind the counter. Her purple rimmed eyes fell upon the mare and she spoke up under a warm and inviting smile. “Ah, miss Dash. Lady Rarity has been speaking a lot about you as of late.”

The pegasus rose one of her eyebrows to the spoken words and asked the question of her own. “She has? H-How come?” Within her body was the nervousness only growing more and she rubbed a foreleg over nearly all of its size with the other. It was something done in order to try to calm her for the horrible thoughts had returned almost right away.

“Oh yes, I can not understand just about what, but it was something about a ‘rainboom’ or something the like.”

“Oh, that old thing?” Rainbow replied under an even more nervous chuckle. She moved her hoof over to the back of her head to scratch it. But then her expression turned into a more serious. “It is not that that I want to speak about though, I want to meet Rarity, just a conversation under four eyes. If that is possible.” She remembered the words of Fluttershy and had to come to terms.

The wish took Fleur by deep surprise but she managed to hide an otherwise loud gulp. She spoke in her mind to her mistress who laid in the bed upstairs just how she had to tackle the situation and also to warn her. “Y-You know she is ill right?”

“Yes, yes I know that, but I need to speak to her, it is for my own sanity’s sake! You can put me into a ball if needed, but I will speak to her!” The fires of Rainbow were thought to be lost due to the rather difficult time she had. But they appeared to be back as her shouting was heard even in the bedroom of the boutique. The fuel for the fire was there, igniting it into a bonfire.

The stone cold eyes of Rarity opened themselves with great force while some of the veins were visible for a few seconds. The purple maned mare removed herself from the bed and answered the rather desperate mental calling. I will take care of personally, send her to the living room and give her a cup of tea, please, she thought in return to Fleur and she walked up to the door.

As sweet as it may have sounded in her voice, it could be read in her eyes she didn't want to do it at all. She had to confront Rainbow once again and she had their last meeting was still in her mind as fresh. But there was no other way possible, it had to be done and she knew that.

~~~~

The pegasus was brought over to the living room as ordered. Moments later could she be found sipping some of the given tea. In her ears she caught the sound of hooves that came down the stairs. There was no way back anymore. She was committed to whatever would happen next. Though fear managed to crawl up within her body.

The fear that was for the monster from her dreams came back. But there was no return, not anymore. From the moment she entered the living room, there was no way out of it. At least that was how it looked like at first glance. For Fleur stood in the kitchen, thus she couldn't leave through there and with Rarity going down the stairs. The front door and back door in the work area was also covered. No escape, or maybe there was a small chance which she could use.

Either way, it was too late as the unicorn walked into the living room with a gentle pace. She appeared to be quite normal with the only exception of her movements being as slow as could have been. And best not to forget the nightgown around her belly and back. Rainbow allowed her eyes to watch her come and they fell upon the ‘gown’ she always wore. Even in all those months hadn't the pegasus forgotten the fact that she only wore clothing when things were truly wrong or when she wanted to show something off. Not to mention the coincidence of the fact that she wore it during their last encounter as well.

“Sweet Celestia, what happened to you!?” the pegasus spoke to her.

“As said Rainbow, that illness got me good after your last visit,” replied Rarity with a weak voice. She shortened the distance between her and the pegasus with a lot of slow, careful steps.

“Yeah, I can see that...” But in her mind it were the visions of the monster that spoke the words and the horrible images just crawled up to her. They were just flashes before her eyes but they were hard to ignore because they looked so realistic. Rainbow tried her best to keep the conversation going. Of course she had done fairly nothing in months means there wasn't much to talk about.

It was when Rarity wanted to sit down in a chair that it happened. That the wires in Rainbow snapped as her mind played the sick game of the unicorn moving up to her. Almost as if she wanted to charge her. Within a split second had Rainbow just thrown her cup to the real Rarity that was just sitting there while she shouted her words of fear against her. “G-Get away from me!”

The vampiric unicorn got hit by the cup which shattered in her face. She was left blind to see where Rainbow would have escaped to. Not even ten seconds later did the mare hear the sound of a window that broke into countless little pieces. The crashing sound fell in her ears and she knew more than enough as the bird had left the nest.

The pegasus had been flying through one of the many windows. With that had she made her escape from the monster she dared to call a friend of hers. With her departure she had given into in to her fears of the unicorn. She had even – unknowingly - sealed her fate of being scared for the rest of her life. She had doomed herself to walk and fly with it and she made her way through countless clouds high in the skies with tears that streamed down her face.

~~~~

Back in the boutique had Fleur heard the crash of the cup and she rushed into the living room. Only to make the discovery for herself and she simply watched in horror as Rarity pulled some of the shrapnel's out of the many small wounds she had gotten. “A-Are you alright?” she managed to ask as she had no idea of what else she could possibly say in the situation.

Even though Rarity was carefully taking them out, one of biggest pieces was located just above her nose and just below her eyes. The mare could speak of luck that nothing had hit her eyes or her eyelids for the matter. “Tis nothing, just be so kind to leave her alone and give her time, I just hope that in the end she will come by. But my hopes, aren't high given how she is.” Rarity replied as her horn charged up.

“Yes, my lady.” Fleur simply replied before she left the room just as she came and disappeared in the kitchen.

“This is going to haunt the both of us for a terrible long time to come...” Rarity whispered before she pulled out a piece with her magic. “Celestia forsaken imbecile!” she almost shouted in pain. The piece gave her a bit more pain she had thought it would. “I’m gonna be busy for a long time with this...” It would be a painful job and even with her vampiric healing ability it was not a guarantee that all of the pieces would have made it out either easy or safe.

Comments

[CountDerpy]

Oh god... damn it hate when it is only a dream...but damn still a good chapter

[Zodiacspear]

I had a strong suspicion that all was not as it seemed. But I know from previous chapters to NEVER expect anything out you, Miss Rarity. Always keeping us on edge. Which is one of the reasons I keep coming back and reading more.

Cheers!

[BlackBloodProject]

You got me again...

I thought the occurences of the previous chapter were reality instead of the dream. Shows what I know.

[Hex Hazel]

I'm really enjoying this story so far, and I can't wait until the next part.

[user123]

Huh, granny smith encountered chamgelings before...