Les Mareables

                                                                        III

  He was a stallion of about thirty two years. Quiet but with a kind heart towards all in the city. Through the months Manehatten was the most notorious of cities in Equestria. Unsanitary, Unsafe, and unruly. That was until a stallion from Appleoosa came three years ago. He was an ordinary worker in town when he first arrived. Only taking minimum paying jobs around the city fitting in perfectly with the lower class, until he discovered a new way for earth ponies to perform surgeries with a hoof made chemical called anesthesia.

  Thanks to this doctors were able to operate more efficiently on patients that were harmed at the dangerous warehouses in the city. And thanks to this stallions discovery of anesthesia he was elected mayor of Manehatten. But to the city’s surprise he did not want to be mayor he merely wanted to help without the temptation of power. But due to the law he was required to take on the role of mayor. And with that he came upon a vast amount of riches.

  With these riches he bought a small cottage in the underdeveloped area of Manehatten, where the poor are abundant. The citizens of Manehatten were surprised he decided to live in an area where everypony is very likely to be mugged or killed. But the mayor was happy there he gave money to the poor and had various buildings to benefit the poor built expending his own money.

  In one year two public schools were built one for boys and one for girls. And many new factories rose out of the old cracked streets to make way for new jobs and opportunities in the city. And so Manehatten thrived thanks to one fair stallion.

  And the citizens were grateful for the mayor’s work. The mayor would constantly be barraged with gifts from his neighbors or new employees in his factory. They usually brought him an apple or a bottle of water which the mayor would take graciously. And in return the mayor would find that charitable pony and bring him or her a basket with a full course meal free of charge. And if they were ever to ask about what they owed him the mayor would say, “Just give to those whom need.” Then he would smile and trot off.

  And with that the mayor of Manehatten became a symbol of hope for all of Equestria. A symbol of virtues long forgotten. Generosity, Kindness, and Loyalty.

                                                                       ***

  Rarity was not used to the hours of working at the factory in Manehatten. Rarity had lived in Manehatten for three years now and she still was not accustomed to waking up in the early hours of the morning and having to stand at a factory table for twelve hours constructing tiny cheap bracelets.

  What was evermore worse was the fact that she could not see her sister. Only speaking with her through letters sent to her from the innkeepers in Baltimare. Every time she thought of her sweet little sister she imagined that she was living in utmost comfort. According to the letters she had been receiving from the innkeepers she was growing well but she had fallen ill with a minor malady and they needed thirty bits for medicine plus the thirty for letting Sweetie stay.

  How could Rarity accomplish that? She could barely support herself she was still overdue with her rent, and she needed to feed herself too. Rarity took a tiny glimpse of herself in her small mirror, time and poverty had done a number on the poor mare.

  Her once well done mane was becoming thin and silky with stress and age. Her perfect white coat hadn’t been cleaned in days and she smelt of the Manehatten sewers. Her eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep and her eyelashes were falling. Poverty had ravaged her once pristine body and made her into a poor wretch. But this did not bother her. She had a sister to support and that was well worth the undeniable side effects.

                                                                        ***

  The mayor was having a weekly inspection of his factory in downtown Manehatten. This was one of his finest factories, the colossus stood before him tall and proud and that made the mayor smile. First he checked the stallion’s side of the factory.

  When the factories were built the mayor insisted that the factories be segregated by sex in order to keep the mare’s virtue and dignity. And also to make sure the stallions were not distracted by the mares in the factory.

  The factory was large and consisted of various metal machines where a multitude of stallions made horse shoes at their stations. The mayor smiled at his workers. He beamed with pride mostly for his workers rather than his own accomplishment. The mayor trotted by everypony until he came by an emerald green pony having trouble.

  “Mister Mayor I’m sorry I’m honestly doing my best it’s just that-”

  The mayor raised his red hoof to cut off the ponies rambling, “Don’ ya worry son. Watch you’ll learn a thing er’ two here.” And so the mayor went about showing ponies that were struggling with their new jobs how to create horse shoes effectively.

  And when he was done he beamed with pride at the increased rate of productivity in his factory. He bid his employees farewell and he went on his way to the mares section.

  The mare’s section was much simpler than that of the stallions. The factory only consisted of many tables crammed close together and various mares sewing away. Creating works of art, such as clothing or repairing various damaged articles of clothing.

  “Afternoon ladies.” The mayor said as he examined the ponies working on their own task. Nopony responded but that didn’t bother the mayor, even when the foremare demanded that they greet him in return. The mayor trotted back and forth going from table to table, passing the apathetic ponies whom were ruined by poverty.

  “Mister Mayor.” The foremare called to him.

  The mayor beamed with joy back at the foremare and trotted over to her. The mayor utterly radiating with pride that it almost affected everypony in the room. Well. Almost everypony.

  “Mister Mayor I’ve just gotten a letter today from Canterlot.” The foremare told him. Her sour old face sagging as she spoke.

  “Well ain’t that awful nice ah’ them rich folk.” The mayor said in a giddy tone. “What did it say?” The mayor asked.

  The foremare swallowed. The wad of spit going slowly down her old wrinkly throat. “Mayor you’re not going to approve of this.”

  The mayor clapped the foremare’s old back making sure to do it gingerly so as not to hurt the aged mare. “Not to worry whatever it is ah’m sure them Canterlot folk know what they’re doin’.”

  The foremare felt the creep of regret overcome her for even telling the mayor. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna require every major city to lay off at least thirty workers but they say fifty is recommended in order to attain a better economy.” The foremare told him.

  The foremare half expected for the mayor to burst into a flurry of rage. But instead he composed himself completely and sighed, “It’s a darn shame. Real bad. But if they insist lay off fifty workers from the mare’s department.” The mayor began scratching his blonde mane nervously at the same time feeling a pang of shame in his chest for his decision to lay off the poor and needy. “In the mean time I will go inform the forestallion about this.” He turned to all of the workers, “Good day.” And with that the mayor left, leaving with him his air of pride, and security for all.

                                                                        ***

  “Rarity?” The foremare called.

  Rarity looked up from her needle and thread to see the sour old face of the foremare. “Yes?” Rarity asked.

  The foremare only raised a hoof for Rarity to come to her. And she obeyed. The foremare sat in a small impoverished office with paint chipping from the walls. Rarity looked took a seat at the foremare’s desk and waited for whatever was coming next. “Rarity you’ve worked here for a good five years, and it is my abominable duty to inform you of your dismissal. And this takes effect today.”

  Rarity was shocked! How could she care for her sister now? “But why? How?”

  “Miss Rarity all major cities are required to lay off thirty mare at least-”

  “Please! I need this job! You know how life is now! It’s not the way it used to be.” Rarity said her head hung low.

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t going to let you go. By Celestia I didn’t but I had to.”

  “Who!? Who would do this to me?” Rarity yelled bitterly feeling as though the world had betrayed her. Despite her intentions to stay an honest mare. Even with these circumstances.

  “Please leave the factory,” The foremare brought out a coin purse and placed Rarity’s five bits payment on the desk which Rarity took with a placid expression. “I’m sorry-”

  “WHO!?” Rarity shouted causing the other mare’s in the factory to turn their heads wondering what was going on.

  “The mayor.” The foremare said. Her face plastered with an expression of guilt. For she had just let go one of her best workers.

                                                                        ***

  Rarity was in the depths of despair she had sunk lower than ever before. She trotted around the factories in a pointless patrol, a dance of desperateness. Maybe they would re-hire her? Of course they would they would find it in their hearts to give her another chance, for she had a sister that needed caring for.

  But Rarity had fallen into debt, she would soon be evicted from her apartment if she did not pay the landlord what he was due. She owed him sixty bits and to add up the sixty that she owed the innkeeper ponies, that made up a sum of one hundred and twenty bits. Rarity had grown sour to the country that she lived in.

  It was Equestria that she blamed for all of her problems, and if she dwelled on the subject for a long while she blamed the mayor. The mayor! The mayor was the cause of her misery it was he that sent her out of her workplace. Out of the only place that she could work at to support her sister. Well at least the only honest place she could find employment.

  Many stallions around town had labeled her as “Young and pretty” so she could…NO! She would not stoop to such a lowly level. After all she had a long luscious mane to sell she could get a nice amount of money. Maybe fifteen bits? But then, were else would she get the money?

  And so the next morning Rarity trotted up to the nearest barber shop and asked how much she could receive for her mane.

  “Nice mane, purple, nine bits.”

  “Nine bits!? It’s worth fifteen!” Rarity exclaimed.

  “Another word out of you and I might call the police.” The barber pony said sternly.

  And with that Rarity accepted the nine bits, and the barber shaved her scalp clean of her once precious purple mane. Rarity had left the barbershop with nine bits and a head without a mane.

  “There is no price not worth paying for Sweetie Belle!” Rarity said her voice hopeful as she trotted out of the barbershop.

  It wasn’t long before Rarity had happened to come across the Flim Flam brothers at a cart with pairs of false lashes and teeth. “Come one, come all, everypony! Step right up to try the greatest pair of lashes in Manehatten!” Flam leaned into his brother’s ear, “For a price.” Flim soon caught sight of the fair, hairless, Rarity.

  “Why come up little lady! We have just what you need!” Flim called to the white unicorn. Surprisingly he had not noticed her despite having met Rarity before. Rarity was timid at first but went up to their cart. “Well my little mare I think what you need is a new set of eyelashes! Whaddya say!?” Flam exclaimed with false enthusiasm.  Rarity had opened her muzzle to speak and that was enough time for Flim to see her perfect white teeth.

  “Say! You have a nice set of teeth there! Whaddya say to a…” Flim winked, “fair trade?” Flim asked.

  Rarity was hooked with hope, “What will you pay me?” Rarity muttered.

  “Why how about a good sum of…” Flam shuffled through his cart, “A pair of eyelashes free of charge!?” Flam asked.

  “I mean money.” Rarity said.

  Flim looked insulted, “Oh, um, in that case! Thirty bits for your two bottom teeth young mare!” Flim cried.

  So later that evening Rarity trotted to her apartment with an aching mouth, a bald head, and her purse with thirty nine bits in total. But also her mind had hardened, she had broken. Rarity had realized that the world was not kind to those that were too trusting, too naïve, and too generous like the mayor.

  Generosity had ruined her life, people that were generous like the mayor had degraded her. She would not let it happen again. It was in her small apartment in that oppressive environment that she swore that she’d fight anypony that were generous. She had lost faith in pony kind, to her ponies were just instruments of destruction leaving a trail of hurt wherever they journeyed. It was then that Rarity ended her life of living honestly and instead ventured into a world of crime and treachery. It was then that Rarity worked in the lowest part of the lower district in the late evenings selling herself for twenty bits per pony. It did not matter how degrading it was as long as she got the money she was promised, degradation had no meaning to her anymore, for she had already been degraded by society.

  She had lost her sister, her boutique, her mane, her lower front teeth, and her virginity. Degradation was just another word to Rarity after these events had transpired. Rarity was hollow.