> Femme of the Theater > by Rarity Belle > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Prologue > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “To a bright future,” spoke Rarity up before she rose her glass of wine in the air. A smile stood on her face while she looked over to her five best of friends on the whole world. Each of the mares returned the smile before they clanged their glasses against hers, but also with each other as they repeated the spoken words. They all took a sip from their wine before the glasses were set back on the table. “Ah can’t believe it, yar going to move outta town because of yar career?” Applejack spoke up just after she turned her gaze back to the unicorn and placed one of her hands on her thigh while the other fixed her hat. Her eyes still had a look of disbelief within them. A look that was rightfully there. “I am, my dearest Applejack, of course has Ponyville always been an amazing place to be for me. But I felt that it limited my capabilities of what I could actually do with my life. You see, being a designer in a rustic little town as Ponyville has its advantages for I am the only one. However, it takes away the competition you get in cities like Manehatten or Los Pegasus,” explained Rarity to her. Once she was done, she took another sip of her wine with a smile on her face. Life had been good for the tailor, her business was booming like never before and her designs only became greater the more she worked on them. It all began when Rarity looked over the administration of the boutique and took note of the profits she had made in the last three months alone. The numbers didn't lie. “Will you return every now and then?” Fluttershy spoke with a set of worrying eyes. “Of course I will return to the town because I was raised and were all of my friends reside. Even though I will be moving away, I will never forget who my true friends are. There are things bits can’t buy, no?” the unicorn answered under a gentle giggle. The answer seemed to have satisfied Fluttershy more than enough and Rainbow downed herself in yet another glass of wine. “Tis ish good stuff Rares,” managed Rainbow to bring out after a couple hiccups. The daredevil pegasus had been drinking herself in the liquors of the unicorn ever since she had arrived at the boutique. There were only a couple times a year that she would just let herself be drunk as a skunk. And the event around the mare was one of them. “Only the best of the best enters my home, my dear Dash. Though I suggest you are not going to fly tonight given your, well…” said Rarity before she placed her hand at her chin and stroked it gently as a thoughtful moan left her. “I’ll take care of her, Rarity,” Twilight replied with a smile on her face as she finished up her glass of wine. The other unicorn set the glass back on the table before released a deep yet pleasant sounding sigh. Just out of safety precautions she wrapped an arm around the drunk, cyan coated pegasus to have some form of control over her. “So, this is it then? I mean, tomorrow you are gone. How about, one last group hug before you separate yourself from us?” Twilight said while she looked to Rarity at first. But then turned her gaze to the rest of her friends as well. “It is true, tomorrow at noon I will be leaving this all behind… But yes, I would love that to the honest. Come here you lovely mares!” said Rarity before she opened her arms. All five of the mares left their seating and walked up to the unicorn. There they gave her a tight and warm hug of pure friendship. Even the drunk Rainbow gave off a warm and pleasant aura to all of them. The white unicorn wasn't able to hold herself and as she closed her eyes to go deeper into the embrace, a single tear left her right eye and a bright smile formed itself on her face. But time never stood still for any soul and the future came closer with every passing second. A future that wasn't all too bright sadly. For the unicorn had been gone for nearly two months and there wasn't a single pony that had ever heard from her again. Though the strangest of rumors took their turn through the gossip world. Some spoke about the mare being caught by changelings and being dragged off to work as a slave for their queen. Others spoke about a horrible disease that caught her and eventually send her to the afterlife. Rumors often stand far from the truth. And in the case of the unicorian mare it was all so true. ---   For that what truly happened to her was a story to be told by the progression of time itself. But also a story that had to be discovered by one pony. > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the attic of Sugercube Corner had Pinkie Pie found herself staring to the moon. Her hands supported the head while the elbows rested on the window sill. The mare let out a deep and depressed sigh before her eyes closed themselves. Time didn't had to progress long before there was a single tear which rolled down her cheek. “Why didn't I told you earlier Rares, why didn't I just go to you and told you that I loved you,” she spoke to herself before more tears began to roll down. The weather didn't seem to be improving her mood all that much either. There were some clouds of a new storm had approached. Those would have blocked the moon from her sight. The eyes of Pinkie opened themselves again as she heard the sounds of the gentle ticking of the rain against the window. Pinkie made a gentle jump and she landed right on the sill itself. Her back placed itself against the nearest wall while her legs crossed themselves over each other. There she sat then in her simple nightie. A nightie that was a lighter shade than her coat and it covered all of her body but ended halfway of her thighs. It always had a comfortable and warm feeling for her. With a stroke through her flat mane, she removed a stand out of her eyes. Her blue eyes laid themselves then on the window and she just began to watch the storm to erupt above their little town. “Go and get them Dashie, you can do it,” she spoke up to herself as a rainbow colored tail could be seen going in and out of the skies. For hours she just sat on the sill without motion. Her eyes went over everything that there was to be seen. But even the hyperactive earth pony needed her sleep. Which was knocking right at her door, wanting to enter. Under the sounds of a loud yawn she placed her head against the window to the attic and Pinkie closed her eyes. “Just, for ten minutes,” she mumbled to herself. Though the ten minutes became twenty, which on their turn became forty and so on. The only sound that could be heard in the room was the gentle snoring of the depressed earth pony mare. Outside had the storm grown out to one of the worst in the season. Its howling winds ripped branches off of trees like it was nothing as the flashes of lightning did their turn one after the other. The pegasi up in the clouds truly had the greatest of difficulties as they worked through all of the night to keep the storm fed up. Not that it mattered to the sleeping mare though. For she found herself deep within the realm of the princess of the night. Pinkie was granted a much more pleasant dream for once. One in which she didn't try to reach of the unicorn of her life, but just found peace and calm by a lake. A lake of calm waters and soft breezes of wind that blew through her wonderful flat mane. ---                       While the early sun rose up from its own slumber and the first rays tickled the nose of Pinkie as well as her eyelids. The mare still found herself in the sill while she sneezed gentle from the warm rays. A sneeze that caused her eyes to open themselves up in a gentle manner. With the sounds of a loud yawn she managed to stretch herself a little bit before she left the sill. “Why do you even sleep in there?” Pinkie asked herself out loud as she walked down to the bathroom in order to refresh herself. She gave one last crack of her back before disappearing within the room. After a small amount of time, the mare stood back in her attic all made up. Her teeth brushed, her mane and tail combed while the nails on her fingers were trimmed. Pinkie found herself before her wardrobe and began to wonder what she would wear for the day. “Nah, I’ll just take that again,” the mare spoke to herself while she walked over to the door that led to the staircase. She closed the door a bit to reveal as set of clothing hooks that were mounted on it. On the hooks themselves hung simple outfit that was made out of a semi decent shirt and a skirt that came up to her knees. She pulled on the pieces of clothing and then made her way to ground level. The level where the Cake family greeted her with their happy smiles as they did each other morning. But no matter how cheery they were, the earth pony would never seem to find joy within it. The mare returned the smile faintly to them before she took a slice of bread out of the bag. “I will be off for most of the day, I just want to wander around for a bit more,” she said to them. “Pinkie, it has been months by now. Why can’t you just set yourself over it?” mister Cake replied as he took a sip from his coffee. “Because I love her! Much as you love your wife, I hope,” she spoke up in a sudden burst of anger. The spoken words caught both of the Cakes a bit by surprise and Pinkie just left the shop through the front door. The further she was away, the more she muttered. The two bakers could understand the reasoning of Pinkie for she had been like that ever since the unicorn left the town. ---                       Pinkie made her way over the streets and she stuffed the piece of bread in her mouth. With haste in her steps did she just wander around without aim. But on the route that led her to town-hall, there were two stallions to be seen. The both of them hung over a fence and they stared at the old theater of the town. One had a red coat and the other a yellow one. It could be seen that the both of them were either farmers or cowboys given their attires. At first she didn't gave them much attention. But when she came into their hearing distance and the words they spoke sparked her interest as their voices set of the feeling of recognition. She kept walking while her ears kept themselves perked at the two voices. But Pinkie took a couple steps back as there was one set of words, that made her head go on tilt. She leaned a bit against the fence as well as her blue eyes laid themselves over the two. “What did you say?” she asked out of curiosity. “Pinkie? Ah didn't saw ya coming here. Where ya been all this time?” the red coated, overall wearing stallion spoke while he stroked his chin in a thinking manner. His big and strong hands were the trademark of the stallion as he was known to be one of the hardest workers in town. “Been here and there actually, Big Mac. Hey Braeburn,” said Pinkie while the yellow coated, cowboy outfit wearing stallion gave her a faint smile. “Ah reckoned ya would. But, ya didn't hear what happened?” Big Macintosh questioned while he turned her attention back to the theater. “No I haven’t, I just woke up and haven’t read the news yet.” “Well, how do Ah put it…” the red coated stallion spoke up. “Just say it, Mac,” Braeburn interrupted all of the sudden while he flipped his hat back up. “Alright, alright. Ah shall tell then. What the news is, is that the old theater seems to be haunted by something. Nopony knows what it is. A poor soul sought shelter within its walls, but left it with terrible injuries… He called it… What did he call it again, Brae?” “Femme of the Theater,” the other stallion replied. His eyes fell on both Big Macintosh and Pinkie. The glance that was within them stood on serious, scared even. “How did she look?” the mare asked as she wanted to know even more. Her curiosity had been greatly sparked. For the rumors of the Femme had been around for a month but nopony ever dared to go inside. Only fools would do so. “Red dress, eye patch. Tisn’t the first time we heard about it though. Sights did their turn through it nearly two months ago already. It is to be believed an urban myth. But the truth might be even worse. Ah recommend to just stay clear of it,” Big Mac said in a caring tone to the earth pony. “I see, thanks for telling me Big Mac, Braeburn. We see each other later. Bye!” Pinkie spoke after she gave a nod to the warning given to her. Both of the stallions nodded as they shook her hands before she went away again. When the mare left their eyesight, the two stallions looked at each other with a questioning gaze in their eyes. And in a perfectly orchestrated event, they both released a sigh through their noses. “Maybe, that will do me some good,” said Pinkie to herself after an idea came to her mind. An idea which could be considered foolish. The mare turned over to her left at town square. She turned right into the direction of the abandoned and rumored to be haunted theater. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The young mare opened the doors of the decayed and abandoned theater and the scents of aging shot right in her nose. Scents that were everything but the most pleasant of smells. “Good gosh, what has been rotting here?” the mare spoke to herself before she ventured further through the open doors. “Somepony been dumping bodies here, or what..?” With the doors that fell shut behind her, the darkness would be dominating the building once again. The hooves of her two legs brought her forth in a careful manner, further into the cursed building. With her hand against the wall did she took her steps with the greatest of care while her eyes tried to up anything that could be seen. Pinkie let the sounds of the building echo in her ears and did a couple soft prayers as all that truly could be seen was the darkness. But the sounds that entered her ears didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary and she continued further in. Despite having the feeling something would got terribly wrong deep within her guts. A persistent little mare she was, everypony gave her that much. She wanted to reach the main stage in an attempt to get rid of her feelings or at least have the wounds in her heart be lightened up a little bit. That same heart found itself beating in her throat as she walked down the hallway. Pinkie passed a small opening that was once a doorway to the hat and coat stands. The feeling of being crawled up in her for the first time since she had entered the building. Her blue eyes were clearly visible in the darkness in which she stared down ever so deeply. She tried her best to make up that was to be seen, but her eyes still weren't fully adjusted to the darkness that consumed the place. Black was all that she possibly saw within the her eyes. From time to time she could differentiate the shapes, but that was it. “H-Hello? S-Somepony here?” she spoke up. Pinkie tried her best to keep her guts together. Nothing answered her call. No voice, no sound, not even a breath echoed through the place. Pinkie shook her head a little bit while she tried to shake the feeling off of her. Pinkie turned herself back around and she continued to venture down the hallway as she had planned in a slow pacing. After a passage of a few minutes, there was a faint aura that lit up the room where the earth pony had gazed upon. Within the light there was a being in a red dress could be seen just for a mere second. Then the aura faded again and the darkness consumed it all once more, leaving no trace behind of the mysterious being. ---                     Pinkie’s tour through the theater stopped when she reached the building’s main room and stage. A smile formed itself on her face she saw it before her. Her eyes glared over everything that could be seen and there came a sudden joy to herself. A joy that she hadn’t felt in her body in ages. With a quick run had she rushed over to the main stage and stood in the very middle of it. Her eyes looked over the empty and broken down seats in the darkness. She didn't even question just why there was a spotlight on but her eyes did moved themselves over to it. “Teehee, some things never run out now do they?” she giggled to herself. Pinkie knew that it was a magical circuit that run through the spot, as it wasn't any form candle light. “And now, for your hearing pleasure, Pinkie Diane Pie,” she spoke up to the imaginary crowd of ponies who sat in the seats. The young mare began to smile a bit before the notes left her mouth. Each of them were pure and filled to the brim with emotion. Her voice was as sweet as it possibly could be. Every stallion that would have heard the notes, would have fallen right away for her. But the reality of the case was more depressing. For she sung about the one true love in her life. Ever since they first met, Pinkie’s thoughts had been consumed by the being of her dreams. She didn't just sung her song for the crowd, but also imagined her love being among them. It was that simple thought, that made tears stream down her cheeks as she continued to sing her songs. It could be considered an odd manner of finding happiness without a doubt but if it worked for her, none should question it. Despite the tears which streamed down her cheeks, her tones and tunes became only more purer. Each of them came directly out of her heart, a heart that was still bleeding. Its only remedy was either time or the pony she loved. ---   But there was a major turning point to her singing. As beautiful as it was, it was also loud enough to be heard deep within the hallways of the theater. The halls where the Femme lurked for its next victim. It found itself within the small restaurant as the notes caught up within its ears and the shadow turned itself over to where the notes came from. “Time will tell,” it spoke in a female voice. Within an instant was it just gone from the restaurant. The Femme made its way through the darkness as silent as the dead. Swift and clean as it was it ran up the stairs that led to the balconies of the main stage. Its dress waved like a cape behind the body as the left hand was used for stability on the staircase railings. The pacing of the being lowered itself down more and more. With its eyes it simply stared down the hallway of doors as it judged just which one was the best for it to enter. It started to sneak up to one of the doors in the hallway. It walked down all the way to the end of it. The eyes continued to look around all over the place. Almost as if it was afraid somepony else would pop up next to it without a warning. The white hand on its journey to the doorknob in an attempt to open it. But then a shock of realization went through the Femme and the hand removed itself from the knob. The door it stood before would be leading up to the front balcony, a place where the it could easily be spotted. It gently walked back down the hallway. It was on the search for a door that that would lead up to one of the balconies where the Femme would have perfect sight over the events. While its white hand swiftly turned the knob of the door, it opened the door as slow as that was possible. With the passage of seconds would there have been a gap created that was big enough for it to squeeze itself through. The being in the red dress did just that and then closed the door silently behind itself again. The Femme found itself on one of the balconies and it had an excellent view on the main stage. It found itself on the second furthest away from the stage, away from the mare who would have been able to spot it. The being set itself down in one of the seats and placed its arms over each other at the railing. It began to simply watch Pinkie in pure delight as her notes continued to echo within its ears. ---   What was unknown to Pinkie, was that the Femme was looking over her. The being that had been rumored about did exist in the form of flesh and blood. But the always energetic earth pony had her eyes closed as she tried to sing the highest note possible for her while the tears never seemed to stop. A fact that even the Femme was able to see from its spot back within the theater.  “I wish you were here, my dear,” said Pinkie after her tones and tunes died down into nothing more than just her regular voice. “I truly do.” The depressed mare lowered herself off of the stage and walked back into the direction that she came. Pinkie had the simple desire to just leave the place as it was and to go back to her duties in the sweetshop. Whether she liked it or not. The Femme kept its eyes firm upon the earth pony. It watched her every movement all the way to when she left the room. But the feeling of being watched took its turn again in the guts of Pinkie. Before she disappeared from the room, her eyes moved over all of the balconies and her eyes rested themselves on the very last one a bit longer. “Odd…” she mumbled to herself before she left the room like nothing was going on. ---                     Pinkie had returned from the theater without a scratch on her coat. Something that came as a surprise to most ponies as big or massive. It was soon after it that there was a new gossip in town. Something that spread itself around the borders of it like a raging fire without end. As the days went by more and more, the earth pony hated it that she was associated with the terrible Femme. Pinkie tried her best to continue on her work with the Cakes, who were the only two who actually believed that she was innocent. Next to her friends. But the rest of Ponyville came to know that Pinkie wasn't the Femme at all. There was another poor soul left the building with a broken arm and looked like it had gotten a lot of punches. All of the events happened while Pinkie Pie stood on the market of the quiet town with tons of folk around her. Mystery and suspense rose only more about the Femme figure. Nopony truly knew what it looked like, nopony knew who it was even. All that they knew was that it was a dangerous being, best to be left alone. However, the warnings that were given weren't enough for Pinkie to not go into it and empty her heart. Done in the musical way she seemed to love the most. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- With the passage of weeks and they slowly were being turned into months, Pinkie continued to kept going to the haunted theater. Where every other soul would be injured badly all the way up to the point of no recovery, the mare was always allowed a safe passage. For it was her singing that caught the ears of the Femme every single time. The tunes so refined, the words that came right out of the heart. It did odd things to the Femme itself. It began to genuinely love the earth pony. Unknown to just what to do with the feelings racing through its body, the being in the red dress walked down a set of hidden stairs that could be found behind the main stage’s curtain and laid below a hatch. A set of stairs that led over to the very basement of the abandoned theater. The place where it had set up its lair of operations. ---   The door flung open and the left eye of the being gazed over the room. The Femme’s right one was revealed to be covered by a flock of mane. It took note of the infamous organ which was played on a daily base during the early evening. Its tunes were powerful enough to be heard all the way up on the main stage. The sounds themselves could only be heard faintly on the spot. Which made it all the more perfect for the being. It could play, but few could hear. Its eye turned over to the right to see the bed it had been residing in for months after each other and on the wall next to it were all the articles that were written about it. About its deeds done and victims speaking. But there also hung pictures of many dresses. Dresses that were made by a unicorn tailor a long ago. With a growl in its voice was the head turned over to the left side of the room. There it saw the desk it had been working behind it long enough to know every single inch of it. Above it, there was a one-way hearing device made out of a near endless supply of tubes. Sounds from all over the theater would enter through receivers placed all over the building, travel down and then end up for her to listen to them. That was the manner how she knew just where her victims were. That was the starting signal for the sick play of games that it did. Traps would be activated while the Femme stood in the darkened hallway. The Femme walked over to the chair of the organ and sat down on it. With its hands she pulled and pushed a couple sets of levers to set the right tunes for the organ. There was a sly grin that formed itself on the face. It had set everything as it desired to and the fingers loosened themselves up. All before they touched the keys of the organ and brought the beast to life. The hands moved over the keys of the massive instrument, the many pipes began to release their powerful tunes. Tunes that were filled with both hatred and sadness for the done deeds. But when they released the pipes, they echoed through the room in all of their glory. Next to practically making the Femme deaf, it also had another effect and that being remembrance from earlier deeds. One in particular. ---   It was the night of the terrible storm that raged over the simple town. The rain dripped down all sides of the wonderful gothic styled building. The gargoyles acted as rain catchers before it would find their way down to the ground. A poor soul of a stallion was in the desperate need for a place of shelter and the building was its only option. The soul knew of the rumors but everything was better than to suffer through the harsh weather that been raging on. While the soul closed the door behind itself, a sigh of relief did its turn through the empty hallway. The eyes shut themselves for a couple seconds and the stallion tried to get back up on its breath. What was unknown to him, was the fact that the Femme of the Theater stood in the hallway as well. Within mere seconds had it stepped out of the hallway, glancing to him. Its sapphire blue, visible eye appeared to almost be shining down upon him. All while a flock of mane covered half of the face. No other features could be seen from it. The eyes opened themselves again and they picked up the sapphire blue eye of the Femme. “Oh, s-sorry if I i-interrupted anything. But, y-you see, the storm outside had become unbearable and I, well, I needed shelter. I, I won’t be any problem. I’ll leave again once the storm has died down. O-Okay?” the soul spoke up in a terrified voice. Hope was his only point of turning and he clanged on it for his dear life. It was then that the Femme removed itself out of the hallway and the red dress waved behind it in an oddly beautiful manner. The soul that had entered gulped only more whereas its curiosity rose up. “K-Keep it together now… It, it didn't look that scary…” the soul mumbled in itself as it began to walk further down the hallway. The curiosity of just finding out who the mysterious being was almost burning the stallion from the inside out. But the being wouldn't let go of its secrets with ease. He tried to follow the being that had disappeared in one of the hallways. In his mind he believed that the Femme wouldn’t harm him and actually lead him over to safety. Nonetheless he still kept his guard up. In reality had the stallion only came closer to its doom. For when the soul reached the spot where the Femme stood while it gazed upon him, the hell broke loose. The last thing to be caught with the eyes of the poor stallion, were a horn that was covered in a blue aura and a fist that made its way over to the soul’s face. ---   The tunes of the organ only became louder and got even more filled with hatred the more the Femme thought about the ponies that were hurt within the building. Each of them were beaten up by it. Some had to suffer with magic while others were just beaten up with bare hands. Growls and moans left the nose and mouth of the being as its fingers kept going over the keys of the organ. There wouldn't be a stop for it anytime soon. With the pipes ringing their tunes so loudly down in the lair, they came over the sounds from the listening device. Somepony had entered through the front door of the building. Somepony who had been there more often that it was at its own home. Pinkie Diane Pie found herself once again in the theater as she did at least once a week. Once a week she came down there to perform before the imaginary crowds. Ponies declared her crazy for doing such actions as they myths of the Femme. But the mare didn't care about what was being said. For her it was a form of releasing stress. She would continue to do that until her heart would have been healed from its wounds, no matter how long it took. If such a thing was even possible to begin with. Everpony in town also laid themselves down on the fact that the unicorn tailor would never return home again. How she was caught, was different for everypony. The results however, all stayed the same. She simply was, gone. The earth pony mare stood on the main stage once again and she closed her eyes to sing the first notes under the magical spotlight. Then there were some faint sounds that got caught up within her ears. Her ears perked themselves a bit better to gain the origin of the sounds as her eyes opened themselves again. “Well all in,” she calmly spoke in a scared undertone before she would turned herself around to face the curtain. The curtain that had never been opened since her arrival and she never had been behind either. Though she had good reasons for it, she feared that what could possibly behind it. The fear for the unknown crawled up to her, every time she looked at it. But her ears indicated that the sounds came from behind it and after she had gathered her guts. Pinkie just walked over to it with a confident pace. She pushed them aside like it was nothing. Which it in one way was, given their rips. She feared she would actually see the worst possible things the old that could house and her eyes were forcefully shut as she moved the pieces to her side. When she dared to open her eyes again, everything was empty. No props, no instruments, no decor. Absolutely nothing filled the area behind the stage. That was with the exception of the faint sound that came from the only visible hatch behind the curtains. Her curiosity rose only more and more. Pinkie made her way over to the hatch and her hand carefully moved itself over to the knob to open it. With a shaky arm would she have just opened it as her fears crawled up in her once more. While the hatch was opened, she was treated with the tunes of the organ being a lot louder and a staircase to be revealed. Armed with the desire to know just who or what would be playing the tunes, Pinkie began to descend from the steps with the greatest of care. Down into the abyss of darkness. She prepared for the worst, but in silence hoped for the best. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie had descended all the way from the staircase and found herself by a mysterious looking door. A door that was made out of wood and within it there were words cared. “Main, star,” she managed to get out of it while her eyes had been adjusted to the darkness. But it still didn't gave her the answers she wanted to have. With a shaky hand, she moved over to the knob of the door. Pinkie wanted to open it but she feared that what she would be treated with. Under a soft click had the door opened itself. Pinkie pushed the door open just wide enough for her to peek in. The sounds of the organ became even louder and she knew that the massive instrument was located within the room stretched before her. The fear to enter was still present in her body and her eyes fell upon the desk that was visible to her left. The countless horns and name tags fell in her eyes as she began to get an understanding in the Femme’s manner of working. Under the sounds of a quiet sigh did she pushed the door open even further. Though one of her biggest fears would be the sound of the screeching hinges disrupting the flow of music that entered her ears and would send the creator after her. The tunes of hatred and sadness still did their turn as the gap was big enough for Pinkie to see the being that was playing on its keys. Her blue eyes caught a sight where every stallion would commit a murder for. For on the chair before the piped instrument sat the shape of a mare. A mare who wore a red dress as the coat itself was revealed as a grayish white coloring. The mane of the being were a deep purple and ended in a curl behind the back of her head. “Impossible,” she whispered in silence to herself. All the feelings of fear just left her body and got replaced with the feeling of recognition. She thought that she knew, just who the mysterious and deadly Femme of the Theater happened to be. A face she had thought to have lost forever. “R-Rarity?” Pinkie spoke up. When she spoke, the sounds of the organ died down before the new set of keys would be pressed. Though within an instant, the fingers stopped moving themselves over the keys as a whole and pressed themselves on the ones they held. The combination of actions resulted in a deep and terrifying screech of numerous false notes being sent into the air at once. After the sounds had died down, the breathing of the Femme became deep and loudly audible for Pinkie. “What makes you think that?” it spoke in a bitter voice of the unicorn her normally so sweet and kind one. “Why have come to me? Answer me!” “Rares, I know it is you. Please, t-turn yourself around and face me,” replied Pinkie. She then walked over to the desk and got a hold of the empty chair. The pink mare removed it from the desk and placed it so that she could see the Femme in a better light. Pinkie then took place into it as she awaited the answer. The answer that probably not be the one she had so desperately hoped for. “Rarity died… A long time ago. The rumors speak that way,” the Femme spoke up. Just before another deep sigh left through the mouth. A sigh that was deep enough to only leave the mouth of one unicorn she knew. And that unicorn happened to be Rarity. “Rarity isn't dead, she is sitting right in front of me. Be a mare and show yourself to me!” “You want to see the face, that caused just so much havoc and despair into the building? You want to see the thing, she has become due to her own mistakes? You wish to see, the consequences that came, from her journey?” the Femme replied before its head rose up. It appeared to be looking at the pipes of the organ with its one visible eye. The pipes of the instrument were as shiny as they could possibly be, because of a good maintenance and the reflections in the light of the candles. The Femme was able to see Pinkie and vice versa as well. Pinkie found herself staring right into the visible eye of the Femme. Her fears crawled back up in her body. She thought about the many things that were spoken against her. But she would either be declared a fool or brave, because she gave a nod to the words. The Femme released yet another deep sigh through her nose before it turned herself around. Revealing its true self to the young earth pony mare. Within the eyes of Pinkie it was to be revealed. The reality of just who was, the Femme of the Theater. ---   On the chair before the organ, sat the white unicornian tailor that had left ever so long ago to pursue her career. Nopony had ever heard from her again and all of them accepted her fate. With her hand she removed the stand of mane that blocked her other eye. An eye that was covered by an eyepatch made of the purest amethyst and connected to her horn by multiple strings. The mare didn't spoke a word, for Pinkie first had to get over the shock of just who it was. “W-Why did you…” Pinkie brought out with a scared voice. She too was faced with the reality of the situation. A reality she rather had left untouched. For as much joy as it gave her that she knew where her friend was, so many tears it brought to her given the done deeds. “Because... I, there… There have been things going on in my life. Things that happened to me that shown me the sheer brutality of life outside of town. They may paint it all sugar and spice. But the reality is nothing more but a bloody freezer,” replied Rarity while her voice filled itself with anger the more she spoke. “And that is why you beat up those who came here? They are traumatized because of you! Ponies think that there is a ghost in here,” snarled Pinkie. She rose up from her chair and pointed to different directions. Where she was aiming to was a thing nopony could say. “I know what they think of me and I am more than proud on that! And there are things, even you don’t understand about me!” the unicorn said in return, growling a bit as well. “How could you have sunken this deep. I loved you, I still do!” Pinkie yelled while she continued to point in different directions. “And I love you!” Rarity returned in a yell. It were those words that caused Pinkie Pie to just drop herself on the bed with her jaw wide open. “C-Come again…” she managed to speak up. “Yes Pinkie, I, I love you,” said Rarity before she stood up from her chair. “I, have been watching you ever since you first came to here to sing. Your notes, your tones, they were all just, so pure, coming right out of the heart. And they hit a heart, a heart that began to realize it loved yours as time progressed on.” Her tone had turned from its angry one, into just a friendly or loving one as she sat down next to the mare on the bed. “But… Why didn't…” Pinkie stuttered up. Rarity gently turned the head of the pink mare towards herself and the white mare brought her lips over to those of Pinkie. When their lips met each other, it erupted out in a kiss of love for the other. Pinkie managed to calm herself down and she wrapped both of her arms around the unicorn. She held herself closely against her as she managed to deepen the kiss more. Her eyes fell shut in a gentle manner before she released a very quiet moan. Rarity just went with the deepening and they held the kiss up for a good five minutes. Then it was the unicorn who carefully pulled away and a small stand of saliva still connected them. The hand of the purple maned mare gently made its way through the mane of Pinkie Pie as her sapphire blue eye opened themselves again and simply stared into the eyes of her love. “Many things went left untold about me when I left, things I will tell over time. What do you say, shall we, give it a shot?” Rarity asked in a bit of a scared tone of her tone. A tone thought to be long lost by time. Pinkie nodded to the words as she pressed both her forehead and nose against that of the unicorn. “Yes, I would love that, my love,” she spoke in a soft tone. One of her hands went over the amethyst eye patch. “What, what lays below the patch?” “That, I will show you,” spoke Rarity her visible eye closed itself. The unicorn let out a deep sigh. She knew that it would remind her of unfortunate events of the past. Events she wanted to forget with every fiber of her body. > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Under a deep sigh had Rarity removed the eye patch that laid before her eye and kept both of her eyes closed as the patch fell in her hand. “Are, you sure you wish to see it, darling?” she asked one last time. There wouldn’t have been any way back, not anymore. “I am sure, my love. Please, don’t be shy now,” answered Pinkie before as she stroked the cheek of her new found love. Rarity nodded in understanding and then she opened her eyes. Her left one was perfectly fine. The sapphire blue rim around the black pupil. Her right eye was where the horror struck. For it had lost its blue coloring. It was replaced with a gray one and on the spot where normally the pupil would be, could an emerald be found. “It, happened a long time ago… Just two weeks after my journey began, I got the accident… I knew I would never be the same with it. I lost my sight in the eye and am one hundred percent blind on it. Equipment to remove the gem I didn't had and it, does create a unique look. But it is why I have the eye patch. To hide the misfortune of my powers.” Rarity explained as the pink mare listened with both of her ears wide open. “But, what about all of this…?” Pinkie spoke while she pointed to all of the theater. “I had bought the theater soon after I found out that I couldn't walk the streets like I usually would. It became mine to do what I want, and I took residence within it. I lived here for months Pinkie. Never setting a step outside and keeping unwelcome visitors out by force,” explained the unicorn with a regret in her voice. “E-Except me?” “Except you,” Rarity spoke under a nod. “My love, let’s, let’s just get out of here,” Pinkie spoke. She stood up and offered a hand to Rarity. A smile formed itself on her face as she knew just the place where she wanted to go. “But, to where do you want to leave then Pinkie?” the unicorn began to question a bit as one of her eyebrows rose itself. “To a place far away from here. Where nopony knows us and nopony knows of. The world things you have left the surface, shall we make that a reality?” Pinkie explained further. Where every other soul would suggest that death would follow, the unicorn always had looked at words differently. With the cryptic code given to her, she could only make up one solution. “A city, in another land?” “Bingo,” said Pinkie. She still offered her love a hand. Rarity didn't hesitate to take it anymore and she just took the hand of Pinkie who pulled her up. “Far across the oceans, nopony will know us and we can live in peace, together. Become, a family.” And so it happened that the words spoken in the basement of an old theater within the borders of a rustic town, became a reality neither of the two mares could have ever dreamed of.