The Ponyville Seamstress

Applejack loosened her muscles.  She knew this was right.

As quick as a flash, Applejack sent the needle flying towards Rarity.  It hit her in the hoof holding the knife.

Rarity dropped the knife and clenched her hoof in pain as  Applejack and Applebloom ran over to Sweetie Belle.  Applebloom dragged the chair that Sweetie was sitting on away from Rarity, and Applejack picked up the needle.

Applejack lunged on Rarity and duct-taped her down again, and Applebloom restrained Opal.

“Let go of me!  Let go of me you stupid Apple!  You've ruined me, utterly ruined me.  I have nothing left!  Nothing!  Thanks to you.”  Rarity screamed.

“Rarity be quiet and look around.  Just look at your workroom.  Ponies are dead because of you.”  Applejack said, and then Rarity was quiet for a moment.

Rarity’s eyes widened, and took in the sight of the workroom as if this was her first time seeing it.

“You've been killing ponies to make dresses and sell them in Canterlot.  Why did you do this?”  Applejack asked, and Rarity looked at her sadly.

The knife Rarity used on Sweetie Belle was still on the floor.  Rarity reached it with her hoof, and held it.

“You’re right, Applejack.  Now I have nothing left.  My sister will hate me.  Fancypants won’t trust me.  My friends will be disappointed in me.  I’m no good anymore.” Rarity said, and held the knife to her own neck.

“Rarity, stop, please, you can get better.  We’ll help you, everypony will.”  Applejack said sympathetically.

“What’s the use?  I’ll get arrested anyway.  I was so stupid, money was too important to me.”  Rarity said softly.  “I’m no use to this world anymore.  Tell the others I’ll miss them.  I deserve this.”  Rarity said, and then began to slit her own throat.

“Rarity!  No!”  Applejack jumped at her, and tried to stop her, but she was too late.  The blood was already gushing from the excellently sliced cut in Rarity’s throat.

Applejack stared at Rarity’s body, stunned.  Her best friend, who had killed many ponies in the pursuit of fame, had killed herself.  Applebloom loosened her grip on Opal, and walked up beside Applejack.

They both began to cry.

***

Applejack and Applebloom took the duct-tape off Sweetie Belle, and carried her unconscious body back to Sweet Apple Acres.

When she woke up, the decided not to tell her yet.  Sweetie Belle was resting in Applebloom’s bed, so Applejack spoke to Big Mac and Fluttershy about who would take care of Sweetie now that Rarity couldn’t.

“She can’t stay here forever, we’re already full.”  Applejack said, and Big Mac nodded.

“It will take awhile for her to heal.” Big Mac said.

“I guess I could take her in.”  Fluttershy said.  Applejack looked at her.

“I couldn’t ask you to do that Fluttershy.”  Applejack said, but Fluttershy shook her head.

“You’re not asking me.  I’m offering.  You know how much I want a daughter.  If Sweetie Belle agrees, I will take her.”  Fluttershy said.

***

It was hard to explain the situation to Sweetie Belle, but Sweetie agreed to go into Fluttershy’s care.

After that, Applejack went back to Carousel Boutique to bury Rarity.  When she arrived, she went into the workroom.

Now that there was no threat of being jabbed with an anesthesia needle, Applejack had the time to take a good look around the room.

On the walls hung the cutie marks of the missing ponies, so Applejack took them down.

Hangers were scattered around, holding dresses made of pony.  Those she would burn, they were as disturbing as they were beautiful.

On the sewing table lay a bloody sewing machine, a few bloody knives, different colored threads and lots of needles.

But there were also scattered pieces of paper, with writing on them.

Applejack picked up the first paper, and on it was a lot of answers.

They were letters, back and forth, from Rarity to Fancypants.  It was obvious that they were in love, which sort of explained Rarity’s desperateness.  They had planned the whole thing, together.  Rarity had sent a dress to Fancypants, and he sold it in Canterlot, and sent her the money.  Fancypants said they’d make a lot of money on pony-hide, so Rarity made pony-hide dresses.  They became richer and richer, all off the dirty business.

***

Applejack buried Rarity outside of Carousel Boutique, with her old dress from the Gala.

Applejack wanted to remember Rarity as the generous friend, not the love-stricken greedy maniac she had been seen as before.

She left the grave with a tear-stained face, but she convinced herself it was for the best.  Carousel Boutique was now clean of any evidence of how Rarity was, and hopefully nopony would ever find out.

Rarity would be remembered as a great friend, and as the trusted The Ponyville Seamstress.