Rarity's breath caught in her throat, and her grip tightened on Sweetie Belle. She felt Sweetie Belle moving in her grasp, trying to see who had come into the clearing, but Rarity's grip meant that she could not move. Annie and Rarity's eyes were locked on each other, and Rarity's mind worked furiously to think of what to do or say. After a few minutes of silence, the expression of shock on Annie's face twisted into a snarl, and she took a couple of steps forwards.
"How dare you?" she growled. "How dare you come back here? How dare you desecrate this place by being here?"
Rarity blinked away the first traces of tears, and her jaw began quivering. "Annie, I--"
"Shut up, you evil little bitch!" Annie stomped a few steps closer to Rarity and swept aside a previous line of white roses. "You don't get to talk to me! You don't get to be here! You don't get to say anything! If Princess Celestia was fair, you would be dead by now!"
Rarity's ear flicked when she heard Sweetie Belle whimper, and she began gently stroking her mane. "It's okay, Sweetie Belle," Rarity whispered. "Just hold on to big--"
"I said shut up!" Annie screeched. "You should be grateful that you're even breathing! I wrote to her, you know, I looked up every single law on what you did that I could find, and every single one of them said that you had to be executed, so I wrote to Princess Celestia probably a dozen times begging her to put you down like the animal you are!"
"I... I'm sorry," Rarity whimpered as two tears streaked down her face. "I didn't mean for it to go so far."
"You forfeited the right to be sorry once Dug stopped moving!" Annie spat. "You are worthless! You do not deserve to be alive after what you did to me, after what you did to them, you rotten cu--"
Annie's words were cut off when Sweetie Belle whimpered again, and a little of the fire in her eyes died down. Her gaze flickered to Sweetie Belle, and her eyes narrowed. She pointed at Sweetie Belle and looked back up at Rarity. "Who is that? What's she doing here?"
Rarity turned her body to shield Sweetie Belle from Annie's gaze, and returned it with a slight glare of her own. "She's my sister."
"Sister." Annie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course it's your sister. What, did you bring it here to gloat over what you did? To tell it what its big sister did, so the two of you could have a big laugh about it?"
Rarity's eyes widened, but once Annie's words fully clicked, they narrowed, and her mouth twisted into a snarl. She gently set Sweetie Belle down behind her, then shot to her hooves and stomped forward until she stood mere inches away from her tormentor.
"How dare you speak of my sister like that? How dare you speak to me like that?" Rarity stomped her hoof on the ground, and felt a slight bit of satisfaction when Annie flinched back. "Do you think that I have not been suffering for what I did? I have been suffering almost every single day for the past eleven years because of what I did!"
"Well then Celestia lopping off your head would have been the best thing for the both of us, wouldn't it?" Annie retorted. "Do you have any idea what I've gone through in the past eleven years? I woke up screaming almost every night for nearly two years! We had to move out of town a month after it happened because reporters kept coming to me to ask about what you had done! Even after we moved to Baltimare, everypony knew who I was because of everything that had happened! I had nopony growing up! Everything was about what you had done! Every new teacher I had gave me condescending special attention, every new school I went to, I had mandatory counseling sessions from day one, and all of my classmates stared at me! They stared at me like I was some kind of freak because I survived! I survived what you did! Every single day I was forced to be reminded of what happened, and every single night I replayed what you did to Kicker over and over in my mind because I didn't know what else to do!"
"Oh, is that all?" Rarity snarled. "Oh how positively awful for you to have that happen to you! To have to see a school counselor every once in a while! Why don't you try being locked up every night for six years? Oh, and do you think that I never get chased by reporters either? Eleven years later and one will still come by every once in a while to try to get the whole story because they know that if I ever decide to spill, the newspaper that got the story would be sold out in seconds! When you left the forest, you got to go home to sympathetic ears and your parents! I was dragged out hoofcuffed, gagged, covered in blood and with my horn blocked, all the while wondering what was going to happen to me, knowing that my life was never going to be the same! I sat in a jail cell like that before being psychologically tormented by Dug's uncle! You got to go outside whenever you wanted! I got to go outside with a horn blocker and escorted by orderlies for an hour or two a day!"
"The law said that you should have been executed for what you did!" Annie snapped. "You should be appreciative for what you got! You were lucky for it! It was a mercy for you! Meanwhile I did nothing, and I became just a victim for eleven years!"
"N-nothing?" Rarity's furious expression faded, and her left eye twitched. "Nothing? Did you really...?" Rarity's fiery glare returned full force, and she leaned forward until she touched foreheads with Annie. "Did you say that you did nothing? How can you be so deluded? How can you be so blind? Do you think that I did what I did to Dug and Kicker because I decided it might be interesting? Because I was bored? You tormented me every day in school! I came to this creek to get away from you, and you followed me here! Dug told the three of you to beat me within an inch of my life! How can you say that you did nothing?"
"I was eight! Do you think that an eight year old deserves what the three of us got? Do you think that anypony deserves what the three of us got?"
"Of course not!" Once again, the fire in Rarity faded away, and she let out a single sob, flattening her ears and collapsing on her haunches. When she spoke next, her voice came out as a whimper. "I wish I could take it all back. I want to take it all back. I want to go back in time and stop everything from happening; to erase that awful day. I wish that it had never happened."
"Rarity."
The word came out as a whimper from behind Rarity, and Rarity's eyes widened, she shot to her hooves and wheeled around to see Sweetie Belle behind her, curled up in a ball and shivering like it was ten below in the creek. Tears streamed down her face, and even when she reached up a hoof to wipe her eyes, more came, staining her face.
"Sweetie Belle." Rarity rushed over to her sister and scooped her up, holding her tight and rubbing her back. "Shh," she soothed. "It's okay, big sister has you. Don't be afraid."
Sweetie Belle's sobs became more audible, and she leaned into her sister's shoulder. "R-Rarity, I d-don't understand!"
"I know, Sweetie Belle. We're going home now, okay?"
"She doesn't understand?" Rarity's gaze flickered over to Annie, who stared contemplatively at the pair. "She... she doesn't know, does she?"
Rarity glowered at Annie and shook her head. "No, she doesn't."
"Well, then..." Annie took a step toward the two. "Tell her. Right here and now. Tell her what you did. Tell her who I am and why I wish more than anything to see Celestia standing over a chopping block, holding your severed head."
"Absolutely not!" Rarity snarled. "I'm taking her home this instant!" Rarity stood up and gently levitated Sweetie Belle onto her back. "You stay away from her. She does not belong in this. This is not her burden to bear, and you know it."
Annie stared blankly at Rarity for a few moments before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry to Sweetie Belle too. Sorry that she had to see this. I'm also sorry that her big sister is a murderer, and eleven years ago today she purposefully beat my two best friends to death with a rock and enjoyed doing it, and would have killed me if I hadn't gotten away!"
Rarity gasped, as Sweetie Belle squeaked on her back, and stomped on the ground, her anger rising with Annie's smug, satisfied smile. "You heinous bitch!" she screeched. "This was between you and me, and you involved my five year old sister just to hurt me?"
Annie snorted and began walking towards her fallen flowers. "Yes, I did, because it's no less than you deserve. You're a murderer, and you deserve every little bit of pain and misery you get, because we both know that no matter how much you get, it will never match up to the pain and misery you inflicted."
"I have been trying to atone! I want forgiveness for what I did!" Rarity's hoof snapped out to the four white roses. "Those are for us! One for each of us! I'm trying to atone for what I did to all of us, not just them!" Annie grunted and walked over to the flowers, gently laying hers down next to the one for Dug. "I just want forgiveness, Annie! From somepony!"
Annie quietly sighed and picked up the rose Rarity had laid down to represent herself. With one swift motion, she snapped it in half and tossed the pieces aside. "No. Not now, not in the future, not ever, do you understand me? You don't deserve it. You never did."
Rarity glared at Annie as she laid down in front of the roses. "Well, then, I'll leave you to wallow in your hate."
"Please do."
Rarity gave a grunt of disgust, and turned around, walking out of the creek and away from Annie. Just as she reached the edge of the woods, she heard the sounds of her tormentor's hysterical sobbing coming from inside. Rarity sighed and flattened her ears, but shook her head and made her way towards home, being careful not to dislodge Sweetie Belle from her back.
The walk back to her home went quickly, and Rarity found herself grateful for how uneventful it was. She opened the door and went straight up to her room, where she pulled back the covers on her bed and gently laid Sweetie Belle down before tucking her in. She kissed her forehead and made to exit her room, but she stopped when she heard her sister call out her name. She turned back and put a hoof on Sweetie Belle's head.
"Rarity... she was lying, right?" Sweetie Belle rolled over and stared at Rarity with wide, watery eyes. "You never hurt anypony. You didn't kill anypony. You did something else, right?"
Rarity took a deep breath and lowered her head before shaking her head. "Sweetie Belle... no, she was not lying. I... I did kill two of my classmates eleven years ago today."
Rarity heard Sweetie Belle whimper again, and she felt Sweetie Belle move out from under her hoof. She looked up to see her sister curled up in a ball once more. "She said that if she didn't get away, you were gonna kill her too. Was she lying about that?"
Once again Rarity shook her head. "No, Sweetie Belle, I'm sorry, but she wasn't lying about that either."
"Why?" Sweetie Belle sniffled and wiped her eyes with her forelegs. "Why would you ever wanna hurt ponies so bad that they died on purpose?"
Rarity exhaled and ran a hoof through her mane. "I... I know it excuses nothing, but when I was eight years old, that mare and two other classmates were extremely cruel to me. That creek we were just at was the only place where I felt that I could be safe. One day they followed me there and told me that they were going to hurt me. So, I hit one of them with a rock to prevent that. I didn't mean to kill him, but I did. In a rush, I killed the second classmate, but before I could do anything else, that mare had already run away."
"Have... have you ever killed anypony else?"
Rarity's eyes widened, and she grasped one of Sweetie Belle's hooves in her own. "No! Absolutely not! That feeling is gone forever, Sweetie Belle, I promise! Even when that mare was being mean to the both of us, I never even considered hurting her! I don't hurt ponies anymore, Sweetie Belle, that's not who I am! I would especially never hurt you! That is a promise I shall never break!"
Sweetie Belle sniffled again. "Okay. I don't want you to hurt anymore ponies either."
"And I won't, Sweetie Belle. I don't hurt ponies, I promise you." Rarity took a deep breath and straightened up. "But for now, I think we both need some time to relax, yes?" Sweetie Belle nodded, and Rarity returned it. "Good. You try to get some sleep, Sweetie Belle, and I'll try to do the same."
Rarity kissed Sweetie Belle's forehead once more, then left the room, shutting the door behind her. With nothing else to do for the moment, she trotted down to her basement, where she had a small mattress and blanket set up in case she needed to work long nights, and sat down on her bed. All at once the rush of emotion from everything that the day had brought hit her, and before she could stop herself, Rarity began weeping.
Well... shit.
That was a really well-conveyed chapter, aside from hitting the "Sweetie Belle every couple of sentences" thing in the last few paragraphs again.
Rarity's stronger than I am, I'll freely admit that. I'm not sure about how I would have reacted, but I think that, perhaps, I would have killed Annie. Sweetie wouldn't have even registered in my mind until it was all over. And more than killing somebody, more than having to live with the guilt that I took a life, subjecting a child to a sight like that would be the one thing that would torment me for the rest of my days.
I wonder if the fact that Rarity remembered that Sweetie Belle was there was the only reason, or at least the biggest reason, why Rarity didn't attack Annie.
Last thought, I get the feeling that Annie is going to be the main antagonist in this story. Harassing and tormenting Rarity every day, trying to ruin any chance she has of happiness, until Rarity either snaps or takes her own life.
So Annie wants Rarity dead, huh? Isn't that interesting.
Something tells me this won't be the last time we see her in this story.
This was a very good chapter.
I can't wait to see Rarity have to break that promise to Sweetie Belle. "Not hurting ponies anymore", Ha! Not with Annie still around. Not with how much of a cunt she still is. Agreeing that Sweetie didn't need to know, and immediately telling her anyways. Showing how much of a hypocrite she is. Just to antagonize Rarity.
Consider the last time she tried to antagonize Rarity. Two of her friends died while she fled. You'd think she'd learn not to antagonize ponies. Or at least not Rarity. Not face to face like she did in this chapter anyway. And considering some of the declarations Annie made in that conversation, It sound's like she's not going to stop. She's just going to keep pushing Rarity, effectively repeating what happened eleven years ago. Her willingness to involve Sweetie Belle is only going to escalate it much faster. Perhaps to fast for Annie to realize. I don't doubt that Rarity will relapse and kill if she thinks Annie is a danger to Sweetie Belle.
Ouch. This story stirs some kind of emotion in me. A little bit sadness along with pity and anger all mixed together into an ugly brown feeling.
I embrace it.
I want to see Anne attempt murder, and get to go through the same type of ordeal.
Wow all the hate for Annie. No offense everyone but being a rude traumatized jerk fairly benign considering what she has been through. And I'm kinda impressed by her a bit as well. Not everyone can look the person that killed two of you best friends in the eye and call them out on it. I know anger is helping to keep the fear down but that still a bit impressive. Also I wonder how much guilt Annie feels. From putting Rarity in the situation in the first place, from being the only survivor, from not being able to help or save her friends. Those are not exactly easy things to live with.
Damn. While I can see where Annie is coming from, I do feel that they did pretty much bring it on themselves. You can't just keep pushing someone and then be surprised when they finally snap. Also, while I do feel she is justified in being angry at Rarity, bringing Sweetie Belle into it was uncalled for. She has nothing to do with this and doesn't deserve to be made to deal with what Rarity did at such a young age.
I suspect this won't be the last we see of Annie, either. Looking forward to more, as always.
Honestly I can see this from both Annie and Rarity's perspective and I sympathies with them both. Don't Hate on Annie, yes she was a horrible bully as a kid but regardless nobody deserves to live with what she went through. Then again neither did rarity. Annie and her friends may have been the catalyst for what happens and they did deserves to be punished but no kid should have to go though that.
This is why Bullying has to be stooped as soon as its seen. Its not harmless, It destroys lives.
Man can I ramble sometimes.
4424514 That doesn't excuse what she did here. She could've called her out and then let it go when she saw that her sister was with her but no. Her anger made her an idiot and now she'll be doing nothing but antagonize a mare who wants to move on while she's stuck in the past. I do understand her anger but that is still not an excuse to hurt Rarity or her sister like she did in this chapter.
Looks like Annie did not learn her lesson , but then again Diamond Tiara did not learn her lesson until it was too late either.
As far as Annie defending what her and her friends did with how young they were "We were eight we didn't deserve that!' is kind of funny.
Death is not funny of course, I mean the whole "we were young we didn't know any better kids will be kids" defence she has.
A good deal of crazy messed up individuals are made when they are young.
All it takes is the right kind of trauma.
Anyway I love the story keep up the good work!
Hmm......
BronyWriter has already stated that Rarity isn't going to relapse. This chapter makes me think that Sweetie Belle is going to become a murderer.
Not sure why I think that though.
I first thought the whole 'Annie' thing was a hallucination from Rarity. If Annie was real she's got some real PTSD to live through. Congrats to both of them for not slugging it out though.
I don't think she's going to relapse in this story. My bet is that when Annie continues to torment her Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash will defend Rarity, and they'll become friends. Annie will be scared off or thrown in jail...
I love how Rarity has a strong connection with her basement even in this universe. Some things never change.
Now I'm curious about what will happen next. Twilight and the Elements, I presume?
4424768
It's already been confirmed that Rarity will not relapse.
That said, I keep imagining the confrontation with Nightmare Moon going a bit differently.
"The night! Will last! FOREV--" crunch
"Okay, I know I have a bit of a...history when it comes to bludgeoning ponies with rocks, but I think this time you'll all agree that I had a good reason."
And then ten minutes later Celestia shows up, hoping that the head trauma has somehow caused Luna to get over her inferiority complex and jealousy issues.
4424807 It was semi confirmed. It was also said as one of 3 possible true sentences that she might think of killing again.
And yeah that would be funny.
Yea...pretty much exactly what I imagined after last chapter and having read your other stories.
4424923
Considers, yes, but he's been pretty direct that she won't actually relapse.
4425178
Yes, but this isn't Secret Life of Rarity. This is one where the only murders she's going to commit are the ones she did at the start.
4425178
I'm picturing her trying to do that and it's hilarious.
I have a feeling that Annie is going to confront Rarity again and cause Rarity to defend herself or Sweetie Belle. What would be funny though is if Annie bludgeoned herself to death with a rock at the memorial creek for her final act of revenge.
4424565
I'm pretty sure he's also stated this isn't a murder story, period. If anything, I'd expect Annie to try and kill Rarity, get caught in the nick of time, and go through the same motions as Rarity, and come out of it maybe not forgiving Rarity, but at least being a little more sympathetic.
I see Annie hasn't grown up in the last eight years, still a bully who refuses to accept her actions have consequences
Well... That could've been worse.
4425538
Ah, alright.
Yeah, it was funny. XD
If she had killed Annie, I would not have considered it a relapse. Sweetie Belle is too little to fully understand what happened. She's innocent in this
4424397 I could see Annie still being a bully, yes. Though this is likely largely fueled by shock. Sorta like seeing a bitter ex show up uninvited at your wedding or something. It has the potential to make you snap at them. But it doesn't mean you'll go out of your way to antagonize them afterwards.
From Annie's point of view this was somepony who didn't belong showing up where they shouldn't have and Annie (thinking herself justified to) attacking that somepony for it.
media.tumblr.com/5f2dd3ae0d11911cd30e82d8f91d9cb6/tumblr_inline_n5sd4ewLJA1sxf71x.gif
My predictions: Annie is going to try to hurt either Rarity or Sweetie Belle and there's going to be an epic battle which will escalate into either suicide or murder. Or both.
I can't wait for the next.
4427236 Your prediction aside, I just want to say that that clip is one of my all-time favorite expressions in the whole show, and yet another reason why Rarity is best pony.
Wow. Annie is absolutely terrible. D: I can understand her being absolutely horrible to Rarity and refusing to forgive - it's petty, but at least understandable. But dragging Sweetie Belle into this was just low.
My guess is that the victim complex just went to her head. It was so easy for everyone to band behind her and demonize Rarity, because Rarity murdered foals, and Annie barely escaped that same fate. She spent her whole life with constant affirmation that she was right and Rarity was wrong, and the fact that she, Dug, and Kicker were far from blameless really just got lost in light of Rarity's actions. The moral that you should never bully others never got taught, because everyone was so busy fawning over her and reinforcing her victim complex.
So now she's spent eleven years festering in her hate, having learned absolutely nothing about how to treat others, with a singular and insurmountable loathing for Rarity. Yep, I spy a central antagonist.
Is it bad that I almost expected Annie to bite her hoof and then transform into a Titan?
4429022
No joke it was my face when I was reading all of Annie's lines.
Yay, proper psychological abuse. Finally, something good here again. We need more Annies in the stories on this website.
Yay, I see a new chapter!
And you deserved everyone of those nights and more still Annie, you really should have died that day but not by burial alive because again that is really horrifying.
You get no sympathy Annie you sanctimonious bword, you were awful then and you are awful now.
You are no Silver Spoon or even a Diamond Tiara, feather you Annie.
Rarity shoud have been executed, really?
You and YOUR actions directly led to the events in question.
You made the bed, lay down in it.
Great story and chapter, loving it.
4483463 1. There were no "sinister voices" that was just Rarity talking to herself, something that she does frequently in the show. Actually, it's the very first thing she does in the show.
2. Rarity killed for a power fix, something that is the true motivation for just about every serial killer. You ever watch interviews with them? Rarity's motives match up pretty well. She was weak and scared, and then she was in a situation where she had power, and that was like a heroin shot. She couldn't help but keep going.
3. There are tons of different theories as to what the Luna/NMM relationship was. There's a literal being called a nightmare that fed off of Luna's jealousy, the nightmare is a manifestation of Luna's jealousy, etc.
All that to say, if you do read this, I hope you enjoy it. No murder here.
4483497
I did enjoy, thank you! There is a difference between talking to yourself and carrying on a conversation with yourself. And I was joking. It's canon that the Nightmare was a spirit that possesses people in a moment of weakness. It's a self deprecating joke about how making fun of fanfics for using silly tactics like "psycho ghost Rarity" is itself silly since even the show does dumb things like that.
Annie getting closure was a really nice touch. <3
4483803 I am aware of your dislike of that question, but again, if a character who has no knowledge of things is asking for information from people who do, who then answer it and drive the plot forward, I don't see an issue.
4471127
I was just joking
Almost a month since the last chapter... Don't want to sound demanding, but I'd really like to know if something is holding you up.
4551945 1. Going through Game of Thrones (almost done with that)
2. TD the Alicorn Princess just got really good and people are clamoring for updates there.
3. I just started a summer job that's taking a lot of my time
4551968
Well damn. But thanks for explaining either way.
4598764
No, you don't understand. "People die if they are killed" is what's wrong.
http://i1.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/032/057/2061108112619.jpg
Okay, no offense, as the stories of the killer rarity series were amazing... But, I do prefer this ending. It was... er... More lighthearted and peaceful.
4663669 None taken. Everyone has their own choice for which one is the best, and each story has their defenders.
4686973 Her lost innocence, really.
Clearly this shows more forgiveness than the Secret Life of Rarity. Even the beginning when Celestia refused to have Rarity executed reminds me of the Book of John chapter 8:1-11. Except the part of "He who is without sin cast the first stone".
4598764
Someone hasn't seen Fate/Stay Night. Well neither have I but I remember that line from a Fate/Zero review on YouTube.
Are you going to continue this?
Original trilogy and it's spin-offs are among my favorite stories here!