Denounced

Dresses and tuxedos sat on every single mannequin in the Carousel Boutique. Some were minimalistic while others were flamboyant and over the top. Each and every dress had been hand-stitched over the course of the previous week, which had required all of Rarity's attention and care. There had scarcely been time left over to spend with her friends.

Today was the last day, and while the order was finished, Rarity still went from mannequin to mannequin in order to review her work carefully. Every stitch, every choice of color, and every design had to be perfect. There was absolutely no margin for error.

Her trained eyes ran up and down every inch of fabric as they hunted mistakes. Despite her confidence in dressmaking Rarity knew nobody was perfect, and even she could make grave mistakes at times. When the elites of Canterlot made such a request, every single thing had to be perfect. If she succeeded, this one order could make her career skyrocket to unimaginable levels.

Rarity mumbled incoherently to herself as she inspected the dresses. To an outsider she might have sounded crazy, but there were no others to concern themselves with her work. Talking to herself always did seem to boost creativity, too. Granted, it wasn't a very ladylike thing to do, but in the confinement of her solitude there was no need for acting the part of a lady.

The corners of Rarity's mouth slowly turned upwards as she inspected the final tuxedo. Her mind was finally calming down for the first time in the entire week. There had been many bumps in the road and time-consuming detours, but now she could finally claim the rewards for her hard work.

“Perfect,” she said aloud. Rarity looked around at all of her magnificent creations with a weary smile. “Absolutely perfect.”

A quick glance at the clock revealed there was plenty of day left. Noon had only just passed, and with her work finally complete, Rarity decided to take the remainder of the day off. She flipped the sign in the window from ‘Open’ to ‘Closed’, and she did so with a faint giggle. Not even Princess Celestia herself could reopen the shop on this day.

“A trip to the spa would be splendid,” Rarity thought. She could already feel the experienced hooves of Aloe and Lotus relieving her of all the tension in her muscles. Even a simple mud bath would be more than enough to satiate her weary mind and aching body. “I do deserve it, too.”

Rarity made sure to put protective spells on each and every one of her creations. The last thing she wanted was a spilled drink finding its way to the expensive fabric. Granted, nobody would be here for hours, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Once done with the colorful protection spells, the proud and exhausted mare turned in place. Finally ready for a good, long break, she began walking towards the door to freedom. With every step she took, her heart got just a tiny tad lighter. Rarity even found herself humming by the halfway point, simply because of the giddiness inside of her.

Before she could open the door herself, however, it swung open. The little bell above the door rang out cheerfully, but the goodhearted nature of the tones was not shared by the pony who had caused them. Into the shop walked a small, frowning filly with a coat as white as snow. Sweetie Belle’s eyes were plastered to the floor as she slowly stepped into the store.

“Hi, Rarity…” she mumbled. She closed the door behind her and slumped to the floor with a heavy sigh.

“Sweetie Belle, what are you doing here?” Rarity asked in confusion. “Weren’t you going to your friend’s house?”

“Yeah, but he wasn’t there,” the younger sister replied, sighing once more. “We had plans and everything.”

The words of her sister tugged at Rarity’s heartstrings, which compelled her to move forward. She sat down next to Sweetie and wrapped a hoof around her.

“I thought today was going to be really special. You’ve been talking about it for the past week.”

Sweetie Belle nodded slowly and sobbed quietly. “It was. But he didn’t show up. Colts are jerks.”

“I know you’re upset, but it doesn’t help to blame him like this,” Rarity said quietly. Although her sister was not looking, Rarity still smiled at her. “I’m sure he had a good reason for not showing up.”

“Yeah, sure.” Sweetie Belle turned her head even further away from her sister. Narrow streams of tears quietly slipped down her cheeks and onto the floor.

“Come here.” Rarity wrapped both her hooves around her sister and held her gently. The filly sobbed once before she turned to embrace the hug. Her tiny hooves latched onto her sister and squeezed tight. Sweetie buried her muzzle in her older, kind sister’s fur and let loose her sorrow.

“There, there,” Rarity whispered. “It’ll be all right.” She spoke softly to her sister, almost like a mother speaking to her very own child.

“Tell you what. Would you like me to go speak to him and his mother?” Rarity asked, causing Sweetie to raise her head and look upon her sister. The wetness in her eyes made Rarity’s stomach churn and her heart sink. Eyes of a filly should not look like this, not at all.

Sweetie’s lower lip quivered as she nodded slowly. Unable to bear this sight, Rarity put her hoof on her sister’s cheek and gently caressed it. The fur was drenched by the salty tears, and Rarity wanted nothing more than to wipe it completely clean. However, wiping away the tears weren’t enough to stop them.

“Why don’t you go into the kitchen and eat some ice cream while I’m away, hmm?” the adult unicorn chuckled. “When I come back, we can do whatever you want, okay?”

A weak smile forced its way onto Sweetie Belle’s lips, and she even managed to chuckle herself. A tight knot loosened inside Rarity’s chest at the sound of her sister’s innocent laughter. This was the Sweetie Belle she knew and loved.

“Thanks, Rarity,” the younger sister whispered. She once again embraced Rarity with her small hooves. “You’re the best sister ever.”

Despite all of her willpower, Rarity could not hold back the single tear creeping out the corner of her eye. She smiled warmly as she gave her sister a tight hug. Somehow, the filly had managed to renew at least part of her energy with those sweet words of hers.

“Go on, then,” Rarity said quietly as she nudged her sister away. “I’ll be back before you know it.” Sweetie Belle complied and began walking towards the kitchen, now with a warm little smile on her lips. It brought such sweet warmth to Rarity’s body to see her sister smile like this. If one could bottle the emotions coursing through the mare, the world would be rid of all negativity.

Rarity got up and got herself back on track towards the door. This time, she was successful in her attempt to leave the boutique, much to her satisfaction. The last thing she needed was more heartbroken fillies to tend to.

After a brief walk throughout the bustling streets of Ponyville, Rarity turned down one of the more lonesome roads. She had moved all the way to the outskirts of the town, and there weren’t many ponies around here. The only thing occupying the streets here were homes, not shops or offices. It was quite the change of scenery from the crowd of colorful ponies, but Rarity enjoyed the peace and quiet.

The mare walked down the streets with determined steps. She knew exactly which house to go to and what to say. There was not a shred of anger to be found in her mind; these mishaps happened from time to time, and the colt surely had a reason for his absence. Even if he didn’t, he was just a colt, after all. One couldn’t hold up the youngest to the standards of adults.

Exactly eight houses passed Rarity’s right side by before she finally stopped. In front of her stood the proud home of Button Mash, the colt who never showed up. It was a quaint little house, much like the rest in Ponyville. There were two stories, the second containing the room of the young video game enthusiast.

Rarity walked up to the fuchsia door and inhaled deeply. After putting on the warmest smile she could, she gently knocked on the door three times. Much to the unicorn’s surprise, a minute passed without any response. The previous few times she had been here, someone opened the door within seconds.

After another thirty seconds of waiting, Rarity decided to try again. This time, however, she put more strength behind her knocking. When her hoof landed on the door for the third knock, it squeaked quietly and slid slightly open. Rarity watched the door intently, waiting for someone to pull it completely open.

When none came, she took matters into her own hooves, quite literally so. She gently pushed the door open and looked into the hall. There were no signs of any residents, yet the door had been unlocked.

“Hello?” she called out. As with her knocking, nobody responded. “Hellooo?” The faintest hints of worry began settling inside of her as she took a step inside. There were many perfectly logical reasons for the door being unlocked, but Rarity couldn’t help feeling something was wrong. Stray thoughts of burglars and monsters grazed her mind, but she fought them off.

“Is anypony there?” she called out again. She nearly gasped when someone seemed to reply. From further within the home came a muffled groan, one that sent shivers down Rarity’s spine. The stray thoughts from just a moment ago came back in full force, invading her mind with the most horrible images.

“Are… are you okay?” The response came once again in the form of a groan, this time slightly louder. Despite her trembling body and shivering mind, Rarity moved forward into the house. With each step she took, the groaning became louder and louder. She opted not to call out any further, just in case there truly was someone wretched inside the house.

Sweat formed quickly on Rarity’s forehead as she walked down the main hallway in the house. The dreadful noises were coming from somewhere further on, and it took all of Rarity’s inner strength to set one hoof in front of the other. She desperately wished for one of her friends to show up and help her on this most unpleasant journey, but as expected, they did not.

It was nearly painful to watch the door on the left become bigger and bigger. There was no doubt in Rarity’s mind that behind that door, she would find the answers she sought. Whether there was a monster, an evil scientist, or something completely different was another story. None of the possible options in her mind were the least bit pleasant to think about.

Rarity whimpered when she stopped in front of the door. She wasn’t sure which room lay behind that door, and she cursed at herself for having to find out. All she wanted to do was turn around and get as far away as possible. Yet she knew she could never live with herself if someone was hurt due to her cowardice.

Her hoof trembled greatly as she moved it towards the air and onto the door. Part of her mind was screaming at her to get out, but Rarity did her best to ignore it. It was time to go past the point of no return. She took a deep breath and lifted her head. Feeling ready to take on any potential dangers, Rarity shoved the door open.

What met Rarity’s eyes made her stomach churn and her blood freeze. Her jaw dropped as the entire world froze around her. She stared, it seemed, for hours on end at the scene in front of her. On a modest bed lay the mother of Sweetie Belle’s friend, and her dinner plate eyes stared right at Rarity. They were the eyes of a desperate, horrified mare.

Another set of eyes had fallen upon the white unicorn; the eyes of Button Mash. His small body was locked to his mother’s, his hips connected to her flank. Behind his mother he stood, trembling in terror underneath the disbelieving stare of Rarity. Both mother and son were panting, which provided the only source of audio inside the room.

“What in the name of Celestia…” Rarity whispered, mostly to herself. She knew very well what she was looking at, but her mind simply couldn’t fathom it. Ponyville was such a quiet, nice place. There existed no vileness in this place, yet here it was, clear as day.

“I can explain,” Button’s mother said quietly. Her voice shook and trembled, but it did not break. “Please just-“

“Explain?!” Rarity exclaimed suddenly, surprising even herself a little. “I don’t need an explanation! This is sick! How could you do something like this?!”

“Please! Just listen to me!”

“Listen to a mare like you?! I’d rather drop dead!” Rarity stepped backwards until she was in the hall. Her eyes were still plastered to the scene, even despite the great discomfort it brought her to look. Her body still trembled, but the cause of it had changed from fear to unparalleled anger. Every part of her felt dirty and vile, as if she had been showered in excrements.

“Please…” Button’s mother whispered. Her eyes had already grown wet, and they, alongside her voice, pleaded with Rarity. “Don’t tell anyone. Please.”

The mother’s words echoed throughout Rarity’s mind. They rung deep and hollow inside of her, bouncing around in her skull. However much she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew the words were genuine and true. This was not a simple request, but actual begging. A maelstrom of conflicting opinions and beliefs raged inside the unicorn’s mind, threatening to swallow her very being.

“Please…”

When the first tear fell from the mother’s eyes, the maelstrom inside of Rarity’s mind exploded in an inferno of destruction. Both her body and soul felt weak and vile, causing her to slowly shake her head. She did not do this in reply to the mother’s pleading, but merely because her body willed it.

Unwilling to spend another moment looking at the atrocities before her eyes, Rarity quickly turned to her side and began galloping through the hallway. Her heart seemed to beat as fast as her four hooves clopping onto the floor beneath her. The sound of it pumping blood and adrenaline into every corner of her body was the only thing Rarity could hear, as she ran out of the house and into the streets of Ponyville.

“M-Mom?” Button whimpered as he pulled out of his mother and moved to her side. “Why did she yell at you? A-Are you crying?”

His mother had indeed let the tears flow freely from her eyes. A waterfall of sorrow rushed from each of her cerulean eyes and down her face. They were silent tears, however, ones brought about by grief and guilt.

“Because of what we did,” she whispered. Although her vision was blurry from the excessive amount of crying, she could not bear to look at her son. Instead, her head remained quite still, her eyes facing the fabric beneath her.

“But, but you said it was n-normal,” Button replied, still whimpering.

“I know what I said!” his mother snapped. Button quickly stepped backwards, away from his mother. He wasn’t quite sure whether to feel afraid, worried, or guilty, which caused a swirling mess of horrible feelings inside him.

“I just –“ Button’s mother gulped “- I just…” She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. “I just wanted to be happy.”

Button crept closer to his mother and placed a hoof on her back. “Y-You can still be happy, c-can’t you?”

“I don’t know, sweetie…” his mother whispered. “I hope so…”

Button moved closer to his crying mother and lay down next to her. She felt colder than before, and the air, too, felt alien on his body. It was as if everything in the room had changed, and not for the better. Although it was his mother’s room, Button suddenly didn’t feel at home inside of it.

“What’s going to happen?” he asked quietly. “Am I in trouble?”

“I don’t know,” his mother sighed. “I don’t know.”

Button nuzzled his mother’s neck. “I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, sweetie. Never forget that.”

“I’m telling you the truth, I swear to you!” Rarity exclaimed. All five sets of eyes stared at her in a mixture of horror and disbelief. Rounding up her five best friends had been easy; making them believe her was not.

“That’s a mighty strong accusation, Rarity,” Applejack replied calmly. “And ya do have a reputation for gosspin’.”

“I saw it with my own eyes!” Rarity huffed. “I saw them right there on the bed!”

“M-Maybe we should just talk about something else?” Fluttershy whimpered. Her face was completely flustered, and she had sunk lower than the rest of her friends. Most of her body was hidden by the table inside Twilight’s library, where they had all met up.

“I agree,” Twilight said. “It’s none of our business.” When Rarity opened her mouth to speak, Twilight added: “You do remember what happened last time, don’t you?”

“This is nothing like the Gabby Gums situation!” Rarity blurted out, despite Twilight’s protests.

“But it’s still not our business,” Twilight replied sternly.

“What about her kid?” Rainbow Dash interjected. “We can’t just those things happen to a foal!”

“Ah don’t like it any more than y’all do, but we can’t just go bargin’ into other ponies’ homes,” Applejack replied calmly. “It ain’t our responsibility.”

“So you’d just let it continue?!” Rainbow Dash roared. She shot up into the air, wings flapping furiously.

“Ah don’t know!” the orange mare snapped. “What do ya want me to do, buck their house? Ah’m just a farm mare!”

“Well, we certainly can’t let something so… despicable continue any further!” Rarity said and nodded at Rainbow Dash.

“They’re just having fun, silly,” Pinkie Pie chuckled. “Why do you want to stop that?”

“Fun?!” Rarity and Dash roared in unison, causing Fluttershy to whimper and Pinkie to jump a few feet into the air.

“Everypony, calm down!” Twilight yelled out. All of her friend’s heads slowly turned to face her. There was a dangerous mix of fuming anger and calmness within the room. Although Fluttershy was the only one visibly upset with the scene, Twilight knew more might follow.

“Let’s just calm down before anypony says something they’ll regret.”

Rainbow fluttered back down to her seat and exhaled quietly.

“There is no need to make any hasty decisions,” Twilight continued.

“But we-“ Rainbow began. She immediately stopped when Twilight raised her hoof.

“We don’t know all the facts, and it’s obvious none of us know what to do. I suggest we all relax and just think it through over the next couple of days,” Twilight said calmly. Rainbow Dash mumbled something to herself, but Twilight ignored it. “I’ll read everything I can about the subject so we can actually come up with a proper course of action.”

“Fine,” Rarity huffed. “But I still think we should do something sooner rather than later.”

“I understand,” Twilight said with a smile. “But we have to be careful. If we make a bad decision, we could potentially ruin somepony’s life. Let’s give ourselves some time to process all of this.”

Rarity walked up to her purple friend and stared her right in the eye. She wasn’t angry with Twilight, but she needed her to know the importance and sincerity behind her following words.

“I hope you’re right, Twilight. For everyone’s sake.”