Rest of Their Lives

by babyuknowme13

Rarity Confronts the Problem

Today was a normal day in Ponyville, which was not the same as saying it was a normal day in Equestria. Ponyville’s normal involved regular attacks by monsters, neurotic unicorns turned princesses, royal visits, and the occasional disaster caused by three fillies.

But today had already had its usual chaos as those same fillies had finally earned their cutie marks and hopefully, the townsponies prayed, put away their crusader capes for good. So other than the biggest cutsienera party that would be thrown first thing tomorrow morning, everypony was eagerly awaiting it and had marked the anniversary on their calendars for the next ten years, it was a normal day.

Rarity and Sweetie Bell had finally made their escape and returned to the boutique to prepare for tomorrow. Every few seconds the filly would twist her head around to look at her flank, and if possible she smiled even brighter each time she confirmed the mark was still there.

“All of us at once, can you believe it?” Her sister kept saying. “It’s just like the Sonic Rainboom from your story!”

“It is, isn’t it?” Rarity sighed, remembering the day perfectly. “A sure sign you’ll all be friends forever, dear.”

“I can’t wait to tell Mom and Dad! I’m going to write to them right now!” Without another word, but a lot of happy squealing, Sweetie bounded up the steps to do just that.

Rarity though had lost her enthusiasm. Oh, she still planned on designing three new outfits for the fillies in commemoration, of course, but now it felt like someone had smudged a delicate silk in front of her. The day wasn’t ruined, not entirely, but it was more than she could fix.

She had taken their names off her approved account list earlier that day. Helping Pinkie prepare to move out on her own, becoming her own mare (Not that anypony could say with a whit of honesty that Pinkie Pie wasn’t her own mare already) had convinced her it was time to make a change for herself. She would no longer push herself to the breaking point trying to reach extra deadlines to make up what their fraudulent spending lost.

She’d meant to talk to Sweetie Bell about it today, but with this momentous occasion she couldn’t bring herself to mar such a perfect day for the filly. Not today, and maybe not tomorrow, would she spoil her sister’s happiness. Every filly deserved everything to be perfect for their cutsienera.

She wouldn’t hold off any longer than that though. It would only take a day for her parents to realize what she’d done, and a week or more for them to walk back home and confront her about it. She needed to have a serious discussion with her sister about the kind of ponies their parents were, and she couldn’t allow herself to shy away from it.

For years she’d been avoiding the problem, working herself to the bone, but she was 23 years old now and she was not going to be their piggy bank for the rest of her life!

And she was sure that someday Sweetie Bell would make it big, she’d be a happy successful mare with friends who would stand by her through thick and thin, and Rarity would rather slave away for Diamond Dogs for the rest of her days than let her parents do to Sweetie what they’d done to Rarity.

Rarity retreated to her inspiration room and began the designs for the new dresses, but she couldn’t help but think of how she would explain everything to her sister and wonder how Sweetie would take it.

The next day’s party was one of the biggest Ponyville had ever seen. Rarity had cornered Pinkie about it, worried her friend might have spent bits she didn’t have to set it all up in time, but the pink mare revealed that a lot of the townsponies had donated bits for the occasion. More than she’d needed, actually, but none of them would accept their bits back.

Rarity had a feeling the townsponies weren’t trying to highlight their generosity, but let sleeping dragons lie.

The girls looked absolutely dazzling in their new dresses. It was worth the sleepless night making them! They weren’t as formal as their gala dresses had been, and she’d been careful to leave their flanks bare given the occasion, but it was rather nice. Rarity decided to give thought to starting a casual line for next season.

Scootaloo had fine, downy feathers lining her mini-dress and high net stockings for her back legs, bringing attention to her flank and the proud symbol adorning it. Rarity thought a blushing red went very nicely with her mane and tail, even if she hadn’t been able to convince the filly to let her style it.

Applebloom was resplendent in her simple frock, it was longer in the back and instead of stockings Rarity had chosen to use gold gilded high horseshoes. Instead of her usual pink bow Rarity had convinced her to use a pink band that matched the dress to pull her hair out of her face for the day, giving her an older, more mature look that only highlighted the family resemblance to her sister, who hadn’t stopped gushing over her since yesterday.

Rarity might have been biased, but she considered Sweetie Bell to be the most beautiful of all. Her hair was up in a meticulous bun with a few tresses peeking out, her dress was silver sheen and her black horseshoes matched the eye-shadow Rarity had applied before they left the house. She normally didn’t approve on fillies so young wearing make-up, but she’d made the exception today.

It seemed the whole town really had shown up to the party, but Rarity would have been hard pressed to confirm it. Her eyes continuously bounced over the other ponies, focusing on her sister again and again. The only reason she ever looked away was because she had to mop her eyes before her mascara began to run.

By the time it was over, and that wasn’t including the after party which went on until morning from what she heard the next day, they were all exhausted. Rarity had to carry Sweetie Bell home as fatigue had caused the poor dear to almost fall asleep on their hooves.

“Today was the best day ever, Rarity.” The filly yawned as she was tucked into bed.

“Indeed it was.” Rarity nuzzled her. “Now get some sleep, we have ever so much to talk about tomorrow.”

Tomorrow seemed to be a long time in coming, at some point the party must have moved to the boutique because the place was an absolute mess, but eventually she was able to roll into bed. So great was her exhaustion that even worry about the discussion she’d have tomorrow could not keep her awake.

“Rarity, Mom and Dad wrote back.” Rarity blurrily pulled away her sleeping mask, too sleepy to do it with magic. She turned tired eyes first to the clock by her bed, it was but six forty eight in the morning, much too early to be awake.

“Dear, why are you up so early?” She asked as she stretched and hid a yawn behind her hoof.

“Derpy broke my window while she was delivering the mail.” Rarity made a note to get that fixed but didn’t hold it against the gray mare.

“Rarity, Mom and Dad wrote back.” Sweetie repeated, and this time Rarity heard the suppressed sobs in her voice.

Instantly wide awake, she hopped to her sister’s side immediately and instinctively looked for some glass shards or splinters that would explain her sister’s pain. Only when Sweetie Bell levitated the letter in front of her face did Rarity realize the pain was emotional, not physical.

Dearest Sweetie Bell,

First, we’ll just let you know that we’re happy you have your mark now. You said your talent was helping other ponies understand their marks? How will you make money doing that? Anyway, we’re writing this letter to tell you that our trip will be unfortunately cut short. Your sister has seen fit to cut us off from our money and now our vacation has turned into a disaster, we can’t afford hotel rooms, food, or even a carriage ride home.

Your father and I have no idea why she’d do this to us, especially now of all times when this should be a happy occasion. Please tell her to fix this mistake as soon as possible, we were planning to board a six month cruise to view the Isles of Dragons next week but can’t afford the tickets now. Be good, see you both when we get back!
Sincerely,
Silver Bell.

Her first thought was that she was glad she hadn’t waited before cutting them off. A six month cruise could not be cheap. In fact, Rarity was going to be extra careful in making sure she never found out just how expensive it would’ve been.

“R-Rarity?” Her second thought was that she hated her parents.

She didn’t mean it, not really, but she was indeed very upset with them.

“Let’s go down to the kitchen, Sweetie, we need to have a talk.” She folded the letter up, and thought about burning it, but the words were already seared into her mind.

“Sweetie dear, do you know why I am so often busy trying to make last minute deadlines?” Was her opener once they were both seated with a plate of French toast with powdered sugar topping in front of them. Rarity normally wouldn’t have something so sweet in the morning, but they were Sweetie’s favorite.

“Be-Because a lot of ponies like your clothes?” Her sister ventured.

“That’s why I am able to get those assignments, but not why I take them, my dear.” She sighed and set the letter on the table, where they could both see it.

“I take them to make back the thousands of bits our parents spend on trips and vacations.” She explained. “I’ve been doing this ever since you were two months old, in fact that is when I first started the boutique.”

“But, they always told me you made plenty of money for their trips.” Sweetie Bell was stunned.

“In their eyes, I do.” She said regretfully. “You’ve seen for yourself how often I’ve worked myself to exhaustion, now you know why I always push myself to the very limit.”

“Sweetie dear, they’ve been doing this even longer than you’ve been alive.” She knew it wasn’t ladylike to play with her food, but Rarity didn’t have much of an appetite at the moment. “I believe they’ve been doing it longer than I’ve been alive.”

“When I was a foal I was often left in the hooves of a live-in nanny while they were away, and they got their funds from winning the lottery then. When I was about ten and I first got my cutie mark they inherited a vast amount of wealth from one of our relatives, on mother’s side I believe.” She brought out a photo album and held it open for them both to look at, breakfast forgotten. There was a picture of Rarity right after she’d gotten her cutie mark, and then one of Rarity at about thirteen holding Sweetie Bell as a swaddled foal.

“You were born on one of their trips, and they came back just long enough to drop you off and dismiss the nanny, claiming I was old enough to take care of both of us.” She’d been completely out of her depth, especially when Sweetie had begun using accidental magic.

“That is when I moved out and bought the Boutique. It was incredibly difficult making enough to live on, designing and selling clothes, juggling finances, and all the while taking care of a newborn foal all by myself, without even any close friends to call on for help.” Just remembering those frantic days made her want to shake and quiver down to her horseshoes.

“As soon as our parents returned from that trip they tried to order me to move back home, but I wouldn’t do it. I’m afraid I was rather rebellious.” She admitted bashfully. “But it was the right choice.”

“They didn’t like the boutique? Why? They love it now!” Sweetie gasped, Rarity reached over and tapped her chin to remind her that ladies did not gawk with their mouths open.

“They love the money it makes.” She said bluntly, hoping that by channeling some of Applejack’s bluntness it would make the whole thing easier to accept.

“Because I was underage at the time they had full access to the accounts I’d made, and once the inheritance money ran out they began dipping their hooves into it.” When she’d first realized what was going on she’d been at once outraged and horrified. All the money she’d spent an entire year earning, gone to pay for a trip to Neighagra Falls!

“I was certainly upset to see my bits disappear like that, but when I tried getting them to stop, well,” She winced. “You know how mother gets when she’s upset, and you know how father gets.” Rarity had unfortunately inherited her mother’s tendency to whine and cry when things became too much, she was a big enough pony to admit that, Sweetie took after their father though, and would just quietly ask the perpetrator why they were doing such awful things, just as she’d done in her room earlier.

“They convinced me that I owed them after they’d paid for my schooling and the nanny for thirteen years, and since I was underage I couldn’t take them off my approved list.” By her fifteenth year she’d been counting down the days to her seventeenth birthday.

“When I came of age I tried again, you were only four at the time, perhaps you don’t remember what happened then, or else were too young to understand.” She paused.

“What happened?” Sweetie didn’t look like she wanted to know, but Rarity had already determined that she needed to.

“I took them off the approved list and was set on not allowing them to take anymore of my money, but they convinced me to let them on again for your sake.” She admitted.

“My sake?” Sweetie repeated, an uncomfortable sensation in the pit of her stomach.

“Neither of them have jobs, you know, without my money they couldn’t afford to take care of you. They couldn’t afford to even feed you, let alone pay for your schooling or anything else you might need.” She braced herself. “Once again, I told them no. I told them that if they were so concerned they could find paying jobs to take care of you.”

“But then the Red Fever hit Equestria.” Later it was discovered the epidemic had been caused by the enormous flea population that year. It struck young and old alike and had taken one in every five ponies to the grave.

“You got sick, and they couldn’t afford the bills, and they wouldn’t allow me to pay for them.” She’d been too shocked to even be furious. “They said that if I couldn’t afford their trips surely I couldn’t afford the expensive treatment you needed.”

Sweetie remembered something like that. She remembered being sick and seeing Rarity a lot in a white room. She didn’t remember her parents being there, and now she wondered if they’d even bothered.

“I put them back on my approved list, and they’ve been there ever since,” She took a deep breath. “Until now.”

“Sweetie dear, our parents aren’t necessarily bad ponies, but they are irresponsible ones.” She reached out and hugged her sister, and was relieved when the hug was returned.

“In the last five years they’ve been back three times, I’m afraid that qualifies as neglect.” She sighed.

“I can’t let them take you back.” Sweetie pulled away to look at her sister’s face.

“W-Why? They’re our parents, they love us.” She tried to sound convincing and was afraid she only sounded like a foal.

“I know dear, but I have no guarantees that now will be better than six years ago.” Rarity tried to explain around the lump in her throat. Now was not the time to degrade into a fit of hysterics.

“Back then, I caved into their pressure for your sake, when I should have reported them as soon as you started losing weight.” A few tears broke through the surface. “You have no idea how many nightmares I’ve had about that plague, thinking of how I almost lost you to it.”

“I can’t keep letting them do this, for both our sakes.” Sweetie’s tears began soaking into Rarity’s coat.

“S-So, what’s gonna happen?” Sweetie Bell hiccupped.

“When they get back, I take them to court with Mayor Mare.” Paying for a good lawyer would be much more preferable to paying for a luxury cruise. “And fight for custody.”

“Y-You’ll keep me?” She asked with a quivering lip.

“Of course, darling!” Rarity swept her into another hug. “I’ve spent the last ten years raising you, watching you grow up to be the pony you are today. I simply couldn’t bare to let anypony else have you.”

“Sweetie,” She lifted the filly’s chin to make sure she paid attention to her next words. “Promise me you will never let anypony else use you as our parents have used me.”

“I promise.” The filly sniffled.

“Thank you dear, and I promise I’ll do everything I can to make you into the happy mare you deserve to be.” Rarity swore.

That wasn’t the end of it, not in the least, but it was the start Rarity had been waiting for since she was a foal. Finally, things were changing.

She closed the boutique for the day and dropped her sister off with Applejack to spend the day with her friends first off, and then she trotted straight to the Mayor. After acquiring the services of a lawyer pony from Trottingham she began explaining her circumstances, and what she wanted done.

She had travel receipts that provided more than enough evidence of her parents’ behavior, and although it had been years the hospital still had detailed records of Sweetie’s bout of fever and who had paid for the treatment. Rarity had nearly bankrupted herself paying for that medicine and the three months of physical therapy Sweetie had needed once she’d recovered.

“Well, Ms. Rarity, there’s more than enough evidence to prove your claims of foal negligence.” The lawyer, Steady Hoof, informed her as they sat in his office. “And you have an extremely good case for custody of your sister.”

“I thought I would but it is nice to hear confirmation.” She allowed herself to relax a bit.

“Since your parents have evidently used emotional and physical abuse to force you to cooperate in the past, I would suggest filing a restraining order against them.” He continued seriously.

“A restraining order?” She hadn’t considered what she’d do, beyond slamming the door in their faces, if they showed up to try talking her out of this. A restraining order felt a bit mean spirited.

‘And using a deathly ill foal is not?’ She shook the thought away.

“This would keep them from approaching both Sweetie Bell and myself?” She made sure to clarify.

“More than that, they will not be able to make any sort of contact with either of you under any circumstances, if they move within fifty feet of either of you it will be seen as a threat against your person and they can be arrested.” He explained the ins and outs of it.

“When Sweetie Bell comes of age she can request to have contact with them, but the order will remain in place for yourself and she can choose whether or not she’d like to withdraw her protection.” He finished.

“Would you like them to pay Foal Support?” He asked her.

“No. I do not require it and want nothing at all to do with them if I can help it. Besides, I do not believe either of them has ever been employed, they will be working hard enough just supporting themselves.” She sniffed.

“Very well, that’s pretty much everything.” He handed her some papers. “Please look those over and sign them if you agree with everything, feel free to come to me if you have any questions.”

“The court date can’t be set until your parents arrive, but I can tell you about what typically goes on in family court cases like these.” He offered.

“Thank you, Mr. Hoof, truly you’ve been a great help to me.” She smiled and put the papers safely in her saddlebag. Those papers were worth more to her than the brightest gems. “But I believe that’ll be all for now. Rest assured, if I come across something I don’t understand I’ll come to you, but for now I’d like to run home to make dinner.”

“Of course, may I walk you there?” He stood up. Rarity’s nostrils flared and a slight chill swept up her spine. It wasn’t unpleasant by any meaning of the word, and Steady himself was a fine blue roan unicorn stallion.

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind having a gentlecolt walk me home.” She looked sidelong at him.

Perhaps this day wouldn’t be so bad after all.

Author's Note:

I'm now trying to imagine what Pony Court looks like. Trust me, fillies and gentlecolts, this isn't going to be pretty.

Comments

[Veylon]

6585360
But where does the crown get it's money from? Taxes! Celestia would have to hit up her ponies for as much as 0.005 bits per year per pony to pay for all that.

[StarzGecko]

This chapter alone could be its very own story. It won’t be a bad idea since though this story is base on basically 6 stories in one full story I think it would actually be neat to see this as a separate story to read just for this