Chapter 26- The Harmonies From The Underworld
Rarity blew out a cloud of smoke as she lay on the sofa, trying to process what Applejack had told her. Her light blue magic levitated the paper cylinder to her muzzle, the ash within slowly burning down the paper from the tip. So Scootaloo’s amnesia was from Applebloom slamming into her, to move her out of Sweetie Belle’s range. Too bad it was near a river, though I guess that’s what saved her in the end.
“Ya know that’s bad fer yer health, right, Sugarcube?”
Rarity glanced up at her friend’s comment. Applejack sat in a chair greedily taking a swig from a brown glass bottle. Rarity chuckled.
“Well Sugar-cube, so’s downing that homebrewed swill of yours all the time.”
Applejack cringed, at Rarity’s attempt to mimic her. She narrowed her one eye and stared at the normally prissy Unicorn; when her heart skipped a beat. Rarity's eyes were staring into hers, but they were glassy; dark as a moonless night and as cold as the blizzard’s frost. Giving no indication she saw this, Applejack aggressively replied.
“Ya’ sayin’ Ah have a problem, Dah-ring?”
Rarity stared into the warm eyes of Applejack; having known her longer than anypony, Rarity knew when she wasn’t angry but also more importantly, when she was. She levitated the cylinder of ash to her mouth and took a long draw before exhaling a plume of smoke towards Applejack and responding flippantly towards the mocking Earthpony.
“I suppose I am, Darling.”
“That’s rich comin’ from an assassin turned wannabe healer; lecturing meh on mah drinkin’ while she’s over there smokin’ away.”
“Hey!”
Rarity’s tone was one of indignance but her eyes twinkled with malice.
“I’ll have you know, I’m a great healer! My skills as a torturer make synthesizing antidotes and stitching wounds a breeze, Dah-ling.”
Applejack laughed. Finally back to normal eh, Rar?
“Yeah after ya poisoned and lacerated ‘em, first, probably.”
“I told you that wasn’t me, Dah-ling.”
“But it was, wasn’t it Rar?”
“There’s no evidence linking me to those wounds.”
“An’ there never is, but you an’ I both know that better than anypony...Don’t we Rar?”
Rarity took another slow drag as the light left her eyes from the memories. She did know. How long ago was it? How long ago was it that she and Applejack dwelled in the Underworld of Equestria? 12 years ago. Our lives truly began. 12 years ago, we were finally free from our chains of loneliness.
***
Outside the room, Chrysalis sat with her back to the wall. On her head, she wore the typical Changeling guard helmet; useless to an immortal, but still, she wore it anyway. In her hoof rested the traditional guard spear; merely a decorative trinket to her but it matched her helm. She sighed as she listened to the conversation between Applejack and Rarity. These two, what tragic destinies the fates have chosen. What should I do?
“You don’t need to interfere, Chrysi. Each will have a part to play. I’m only asking that you watch over those five and provide guidance, however vague you wish, as a seer. Please Chrysi, as my new Sister-in-Law, grant me this one favor.”
“Why them, Celestia?”
“Because every Light creates a Shadow.”
The words of Celestia on her wedding night came back to Chrysalis as a single tear fell from her eyes. Damnit Celestia, such a wicked tyrant to give an order and then vanish leaving me on my own once more. Evil mare. You and my brother better be enjoying that overdue Honeymoon in Tartarus; you two demons deserve each other. Though…
A small smile graced the normally passive Changeling Queen’s face as she slowly stood up, her spear transforming into a long staff and her helmet becoming a circlet of golden radiance. I suppose if your plan works we’ll be seeing each other again soon enough, won’t we?
Now about these two… Chrysalis’s staff began to glow with the magic gifted to her by Clover; the ability to see the past, the present, and the possible future. Perhaps I should learn more about what made them this way. Maybe I can change the fates foretold, if I can find a role for them to fill. With her powers of Clairvoyance, Chrysalis observed the past, peeling back the layers of time; back before the Night of Fire. A time when two fillies were stripped of their innocence and ventured into the darkness together, hoof in hoof.
***
Her hindlegs were sore, with hooves blistered and bloodied as she opened her eyes in her bed. Painfully she got to her hooves, the pain on her face. Another day in this nightmare, she thought bitterly as the banging on her door began. She shouted out in response, as loud as the little filly could muster.
“Ahm Comin’! Just gettin’ on mah work harness. The dern thing is stickin’ again.”
Harness. The collar she was forced to wear in servitude to her captors; she was a slave. One year ago, her parents had been unable to settle their debts with The Apple Family; a sinister underworld cartel that controlled all the nefarious under goings of Equestria. As a result, the nameless filly was claimed as payment in full, as was the blood of her parents.
At first, she resisted their commands for her but as time went on, the harsh reality became the normal routine. She found herself performing her daily tasks with little to no concern. As a result, she no longer resisted. It was what it was. What she didn’t know was the matriarch of the Apple Family; Granny Smith had taken notice of her work ethic.
A low, gruff voice came back through the door.
“Not today youngin’. Leave the harness on th’ hook. Ya won’t be needin’ it today.”
The filly’s blood ran cold. The last time she heard those words, the filly that had been her bunkmate hadn’t returned. Had she done something wrong? She had worked her hooves to the literal bone, to appease them. Barely able to withstand the pain of standing, she trembled. Was this really how it all ended for her?
The door flew open to reveal the form of Big Macintosh; the second-in-command of The Apple Family. A Stallion, with Candy Apple Red fur, and a possessor of immense physical strength; Big Mac was the one sent when it came time to ‘collect dues’ as it were.
Her eyes went wide with terror. Big Mac was intimidating, standing there but he was nothing compared to the figure beside him. The filly began to sweat profusely. Not her, anypony but her! There next to Big Mac stood Granny Smith.
Though seemingly frail and sickly, the Matriarch of the Apples was ruthless and personally responsible for the gashes in the filly’s fur. She held an ironhoofed sway over all the underworld, specializing in slave trading and black market dealings. And on her head, she wore a ragged stetson.
Instinctively, the scared filly stiffened her legs and cowled her head in submission, as had been beaten into her since her arrival. Surprisingly, she felt a hoof on her shoulder and a kindly, elderly voice speaking to her.
“Raise yer head, Applejack. Ah have a job fer ya.”
Applejack? Was that her name? Since her arrival, not once had the filly ever been called by her name. No slave had. It had been so long, she wasn’t sure she even had one. Surprised, the filly raised her head, blurting out.
“Applejack, marm?”
Nodding, while halting Big Mac’s stride towards the filly with a simple raise of her hoof, Granny Smith cleared her throat.
“Yes, that’s th’ name Ah’ve decided ta give ya. Ah’ve been watchin’ ya and frankly Ah think yer talent is bein’ squandered as a lowly Applebucker. Ah’ve decided ta give ya a chance to prove yer worth to the Apple Family. If ya do well, perhaps we ken burn that harness. However-”
It was then Applejack noticed the frilly-lace outfit she was carrying. Applejack shivered as she stared Granny in her merciless eyes.
“This is yer only chance, now listen up.”
***
In a small, dank, dimly lit room the mare sat in a chair, unmoving. She didn’t move, she didn’t breathe. Her hide was marred with the scarring of stitches, from repeatedly opened wounds that had been forcibly stitched shut repeatedly. The mare’s flesh had become twisted and pitted, in her vital places, owing to groups of two small fang-sized holes decorating the neck forehooves and flank. The eyes of the mare were wide with terror; her muzzle having been stitched closed, and her tongue lay in a jar on a side table.
A small filly standing beside the corpse, slowly closed her sightless eyes with her hooves, speaking tenderly to the deceased creature; stitching closed the eyelids as she did so.
“You see, Darling? I kept my word, your suffering has finally come to an end.”
The filly took a step back as her unicorn horn ceased its gentle blue glow. Nodding approvingly, the filly observed her twisted handiwork. Simply fabulous, she thought to herself.
For the past 48 hours, the filly had delicately whittled down the mare’s soul, consistently slicing her open, only to surgically stitch the wounds closed once more when the mare gave her the information she requested. The stone floor was a sickly rusted brown, and the scent of iron filled the cold room. Looking down at her forelegs, she noticed the bright crimson stains on her soft, white fur. Lifting up her hoof, she smiled and gently licked the stained patch of fur.
Overhead, an intercom installed came to life, and a prissy, yet oddly caring voice echoed throughout the room.
“Rarity, my dear, have you finished taking inventory?”
Calling out with pride, Rarity responded.
“Yes mommy-”
Glancing at the corpse, she grinned wickedly.
“Our little helper was so very generous to give me a hoof in compiling the list.”
“How wonderful, be a good girl and bring mommy that list after you wash your hooves. You know how dirty those storerooms can be and I can’t have my precious princess all filthy. I’ll send Coco to clean up any messes you may have made.”
Rarity cheerfully responded.
“Ok mommy, heading to wash up now.”
Bounding up the stairs, Rarity spotted her mother’s assistant; Coco Pommel standing there with a mop in hoof and a tank of bleach water at her side. She smiled warmly at Rarity as she addressed her.
“Little Miss Rarity, your mother said there’s a mess for me to clean up?”
Blushing, Rarity paused and scuffed her hoof.
“Sorry Miss Coco, I was just having so much fun, I got a little carried away.”
Shaking her head with a laugh, Coco reassured the little Unicorn.
“No need to be sorry, Miss Rarity. It is wonderful that you take such enjoyment in your interrogations. That’s all your mother and I really want for you. Now run along, she’s waiting for you.”
It had been 8 years since Coco and Sassy Saddles had found the sobbing foal in the pouring rain that night. Laying amongst the debris and crying out for her mother’s milk, Rarity seemed so innocent, but the two mares noticed the dead eyes of the babe.
Upon picking her up, the two watched her cries cease almost immediately as she snuggled into Sassy’s embrace. Her eyes were blank, soulless and immediately captivated the two. Those eyes spoke of a miserable existence, of one without hope. And so, both gladly accepted her as their own, taking her with them.
Both were well renowned within Ponyville for the boutique they ran. Within the Ponyville Boutique, the two mares sold high-quality dresses and fashions. Few, however, knew what lay beneath the Boutique's surface.
Sassy Saddles and Coco Pommel were assassins for hire. Coco specialized in extracting intel from captives with exotic poisons, while Sassy was well versed in the use of sharpened blades. It was said that to make an effective poison, one should always use Coco; while the best kills are caused by being Sassy.
Though not partnered, the two had become inseparable and close over the years; though neither had a family of their own. Rarity quickly changed that. Both were overjoyed to teach her the delicate ins and outs of their craft, and even more so when she grasped the concepts rather quickly. By age two, Rarity had successfully performed her first assassination.
To celebrate, both had prepared a special gift for her; her own set of Coco’s own torture implements. To show her how to use them, special guests were tied up just for her; the same parents that had thrown her away.
Coco and Sassy never told her how they found her; she just knew them as her moms. However, that day they explained her relation to the terrified captives, and much to their delight, she performed an act of cruel and methodical revenge on the pair.
For one full week, Rarity meticulously brought them to the edge of the Pits of Tartarus by gutting, flaying, and skinning them; only to yank them back from oblivion by stitching the wounds closed in such a way that healed the wound but caused untold agony. As their screams of terror finally fell silent for the last time, Coco openly wept with joy at their adopted daughter’s finesse and merciless style.
That was 6 years ago and as Rarity bounded up to the reception desk, Sassy stared at her daughter with pride. Her eyes were blank, her expression, nonexistent. Rarity had become a very accomplished killer like her parents. Even so, Sassy worried for her daughter’s sanity as she ventured down that path alone; just as the light must cast a shadow, a shadow must have light to tether it in an eternal balance. Rarity was a shadow, but without some form of companionship, she would simply burn to ashes amidst her darkness.
Sassy knew this from experience as this was her relationship with Coco; the latter, a shadow of sin while the former was the light that kept her grounded. And so, Sassy had put out a special request to a client with firm relations and good standing with the pair; The Apple Family. The result stood before her, looking quite uncomfortable in her dress, next to the large, imposing form of Big Macintosh; who quickly took his leave.
As soon as he was gone, Sassy turned to the new arrival and her icy stare softened.
“You can remove that tacky garment, child. My staff would never be caught in such couture.”
As the Earthpony before her struggled to remove the dainty ensemble, Rarity addressed her mother.
“Mom, what’s going on?”
Smiling knowingly, Sassy responded while gesturing to the Earthpony before her; who was still struggling to get out of the dress.
“Rarity, this is Applejack of the Apple Family, your new assistant.”
“Assistant? Mother, with all due respect I-”
Sassy’s eyes flashed with a hint of light before she casually remarked.
“Well, if you don’t feel she can be of use, kill her and let us continue on with this list of things I want you to do.”
Without a moment’s hesitation as Sassy looked down at the list before her, Rarity pulled forth a dagger and lunged towards Applejack; whose head was seemingly caught in the dress. Surprisingly though, at the precise moment in her lunge when her blade was about to gain momentum, Rarity found her thrust stopped by Applejack’s hoof. Unsure of if it was a coincidence that the Earthpony, who was floundering about in the oversized dress, had managed to stay her blow, she tried again.
She aimed a non-lethal blow at her flank and watched as it landed seamlessly, tearing into the flesh, with no reaction from the still struggling filly. It must be a coincidence Rarity decided before again attempting to slash her throat. However, once more, her blow; though aimed at a different angle, was halted by the forehoof of Applejack. Stunned, Rarity stood there unsure of what to do, as Applejack finally removed the dress and smiled at her.
“Nice ta meet ya, Rar.”
Sassy looked up from her desk and did her best to hide her smile.
“I can see you haven’t killed her, I’m glad you agree with me. Oh, and Rarity, if you really want to know why you couldn’t kill her, just look in her eyes.”
It was then Rarity looked into Applejack’s eyes and saw it; the cold, blank, and soulless stare. That same dead stare she, herself, had carried for years. She put her knife away, as her cheeks blushed a bright red with embarrassment.
“C-come on then, Dah-ling, I’ll show you how we do things here.”
Applejack nodded.
“Much obliged, Rar.”
As the two headed towards the stone stairs once more, Sassy Saddles chuckled and thought about her first meeting with Coco all those years ago. It was a well-known saying in her line of work: You can’t kill a creature who is already dead. Turning back to the paper Rarity brought her, Sassy muttered.
“She is no longer alone in this world.”
***
The scepter stopped glowing and Chrysalis nodded thoughtfully.
“A poisoner and the one who would gladly kill any who stood in her way, huh? Oh yes-”
A gleam appeared in Chrysalis’s eyes.
“I know exactly where you two belong.”
As loud arguing issued through the stone wall, Chrysalis slowly conjured up a portal. Walking through it, she hummed to herself, there was much work to do and not long left to do it. It was time to start the next part of Celestia’s plan.
“To think I would venture to their realm once more. I wonder if they’ll remember me.”
***
Rarity stared daggers at Applejack, who smiled mockingly at her.
“Ya know, be honest Rar, yer only mad Sweetie Belle got caught unawares after all yer effort ta teach ‘er stealth.”
Rising to her hooves and crushing out her smoking ash, Rarity’s horn glowed with her pale blue magic as she shouted at Applejack.
“Y’know Dah-ling, sometimes I could just kill you!”
Applejack paused, the smile on her face fading as Rarity taunted her.
“Are you scared?”
Nodding, Applejack whispered her answer.
“Terrified, Rar.”
Rarity’s horn ceased its glow and the knife in her hooves vanished from sight. She winked at Applejack before turning towards the door. Calling out over her shoulder, Rarity replied in a gentle voice.
“Don’t be, I’m not ready to die just yet-”
As the door slowly closed behind Rarity, Applejack relaxed the hooves that had been tensed to lash out.
“-Darling.”
Placing the empty bottle on the table beside her, Applejack gave a grim smile. Rising to her hooves she walked out the door to find Rarity standing there, smiling at her. The two started heading back towards the dining hall side-by-side.
We’ll deal with whatever happens together, Sugarcube. Just like we always have.
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Ok, is it me or are the b*tches in this story crazy?
10768189
Possibly.
10768195
Good to know.
10768217
The question is ...are they actually crazy? Or are they doing their best to survive in an unforgiving hellscape the best way they know how?
10768221
Nope. They are definitely crazy.
10768246
I genuinely hope you never understand just how sane their behavior is, given their environment. That means you'll never have lived in such situations. Stick around. The veil's about to drop and no I won't explain what I mean. You'll just have to enjoy the ride~
10768290
If that’s same, then I’m afraid to see insane. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely stick around.
10768307
<3
10768308
I’ll be honest, I don’t know what that means.
10768314
it's a heart. It means I appreciate you and your comment.
10768319
Oh. Thank you.