Rarity's Generous Plan

"You can't do this!" Rarity shrieked.
"You're lucky we don't tie you up an' throw you in the lake!" AJ growled, literally spitting at the white unicorn in bondage before her.
The purple-maned fashionista was standing upright on quivering hind legs, front hooves strapped along with her neck in a kind of makeshift pillory Applejack herself had cobbled together. It wasn't pretty, but it did the job.

They were all there. Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkie, Twilight, Dash. Even Big Mac was present, watching silently. His expression was dark. His eyes were hidden behind his mussed mane. His mouth was set in a grim frown. Rarity thrashed in her bonds, shaking the creaking stand that proved surprisingly sturdy.
"You must'a thought you were really smart, Rarity," Applejack scowled, barely controlling her rage. "I bet you didn't think we'd figure it out. But we put the pieces together. You... you no-good... cow pie! It was you all along! YOU!"
"I was going to tell you myself!" she hastily explained, "That's what I was coming over to do!"
"Yeah, right!" Dash cried, shakily.
"You were supposed to be our friend!" Twilight said. She was betrayed.
Rarity's mouth dropped and her eyes watered. Her expression was pleading, hurt. "I AM your friend!"
The entire group growled and shouted in response.
Even Mac spit at the idea. "What the heck kind of friend DOES that?!" Applejack demanded.
"I was trying to help you!" Rarity pleaded, on the verge of tears.
This time there was no revulsion, no angry shouts. Just utter silence.
After a moment, Twilight spoke up. "Rarity... you're... you're insane."
Rarity stared back, mouth agape.
"How... how in the name of Celestia does getting us - how does what you did... how is that HELPING us?" Twilight demanded, absolutely incredulous.
"I..." Rarity stammered. She had a plan. She had a reason. Didn't she? Of course she did. Her eyes glanced frantically between all her friends. On the wooden platform behind her, she heard a creak. Unable to look behind her, she could only sense the figure approaching, slowly, almost cautiously. Her heart jumped in her chest and she decided to hurry things up, while there was still time. "I was trying to teach you all a lesson!" She caught herself, gasping as her friends all glared angrily. "No-! I mean-! Oh, girls, listen to me! I was trying to show you how to be... better friends! To help you! It... was a learning experience!" She smiled, uncomfortably.
The rest of the girls stared, incredulous expressions throughout the small crowd.

"You think any a'this HELPED us?!" Applejack demanded, furious.
"Yes! Yes!" Rarity gasped.
"IT DIDN'T!" AJ shouted back.
The white unicorn stared for a second, mouth hanging open. She was struggling to explain herself, but finally put on the spot, everything began to unravel. Her carefully laid plan didn't seem as solid as it once did. And the truth was, she was having trouble answering why. How could it have come to this? Everything she did, she did for them, didn't she? Wasn't she just trying to help? But... they didn't seem happy. Not at all. And her reasons were quickly falling apart. She struggled in her bonds, searching frantically for an answer. "Oh, y-you don't understand!" Rarity stammered, blushing hard as she felt the presence behind her.
"Then explain it to us!" Twilight scoffed.
"Twilight!" Rarity urged, "Wh-what about you? You had fun with Caramel, didn't you?"
Twilight Sparkle's jaw dropped. Her brow set. She looked like she couldn't even believe what she'd just heard, so Rarity hurriedly continued before she could interject. "Please," the white filly whimpered, "You would make such a cute couple! A real boyfriend - wouldn’t that be nice? Didn't you want to see him again, after that lovely night?"
"Lovely n-!" Twilight began angrily, cutting herself off. She took a deep breath, so angry she was seeing red. "I never want to see that scuzzy creep as long as I live!"
"What?!" Rarity gasped.
"That slimy, underhanded date-rapist! That crawly creeper! I'd sooner fuck Snails!" she spat. The other girls gave her an odd look, both for her sudden, incredible and uncharacteristic vulgarity and her unprovoked mention of the gawky colt. Noticing the stares, she blushed, wiped her mouth as though physically cleaning away the dirty swear, but went right back to staring daggers at Rarity.
The white young filly stammered, unable to find the words to argue, and glanced to Dash. "What about Dash? Oh Dash, YOU appreciate what I did, don't you? I got you a date with the Wonderbolts! A chance to be intimate with your heroes! And you got a taste of what you were missing! Isn't that better?" She pleaded, desperate, "Isn't it better not living with confusion?"
"Not living with 'confusion'?" Dash repeated. "Why I ought'a--!" she growled, started forward, but Fluttershy and Pinkie grabbed her, held her back. She shook with anger. "I- I can't believe you would say- s-say-" her angry demeanor broke suddenly and a stream of tears ran down her face. "I've never been more confused in my LIFE!" Dash cried. "You didn't help me at all! You hurt me! You hurt all of us!"
Rarity's brows arched into a shocked, sad expression. Tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to say something, but Dash turned away, sobbing. Twilight patted her back gently, and AJ whispered soft consolations and encouragements. The young fashion designer couldn't find the words, suddenly couldn't think of anything to say. She glanced around, panicked, and heard more hoofsteps behind her. "Applejack, you-"
Applejack looked up from her attention to Dash. Rarity bit her tongue under the withering glare. She wanted to say something about independence, learning to count on others, but the words died in her throat. It didn't seem right to say anything.
"W-well," Rarity stammered, "What about Pinkie Pie? She seems fine!"
All eyes turned to Pinkie.
The pink party pony stood there, looking up at the bound filly. Her hair was fluffy, her eyes gleamed with energy, her tail twitched side to side in its impatient way. No one might have guessed what she had been through. Everyone looked at her, and she scanned the others, before looking slowly back up to the ramshackle wooden stage and the mounted pillory. "Rarity... what you did was wrong. And it hurt me. It was a really bad thing. Really, really bad." Rarity's mouth moved to speak, but there was only silence. Pinkie continued. "What happened is over, and fussing about it won't help anypony. The only thing I can do is keep going, and not let it get me down. 'Cause there's always gonna be bad things. But there's gonna be good things, too."
Pinkie glanced down, reflecting. Her expression was soberingly serious, but not maudlin or broken. "But just 'cause I'm gonna be okay doesn't mean it didn't happen. You hurt me, and you made me feel really bad." She looked back up. "You still did that," she said plainly.

Rarity's face was now streaked with tears. Her makeup ran down her cheeks. Everything was coming apart. This wasn't what was supposed to happen. In desperation, she finally turned to Fluttershy.
"W-well, what about Fluttershy? You can't say things didn't turn out well for her!"
Everyone looked at Fluttershy. Everyone but Mac. His expression soured, turning into a grimace. He bit down hard on the sprig of wheat in his mouth. Fluttershy looked to the ground and blushed "...How do you figure?" Twilight asked, still in disbelief.
"She-- her and Big Mac?" Rarity whimpered. "They... ever since... I mean, don't they make a perfect couple?"
Fluttershy looked up, eyes wide, her brow uncreased by worry. "Oh, no, you don't understand," she explained softly, "We're not going out."
"You're... not?" Rarity gulped. "But... ever since - you're always... I mean, you and he-..."
"Oh, no. We've been spending time together because I'm trying to help him get over what happened. He's been just torn up, the poor little guy!" Fluttershy said in her wispy tone as though talking about one of her sick animals, patting Big Mac gently on his side. He blushed, anger fading. He tore his gaze from Rarity and stared at the ground, his expression hollow. "He just needs to work through it."
"What about you?" Dash managed.
"Oh, I'll be all right," Fluttershy assured quickly, "I'm just worried about poor McIntosh. He just hasn't felt the same."
Rarity stared in disbelief.

"I guess that explains why Mac didn't want to... you know." Twilight mumbled, nodding at the hastily-constructed pillory.
Applejack sneered in disgust. "My big brother ain't about to hurt himself further by gettin' messed up with that white piece of trash."
She tried to think of something, anything to say, but she stiffened up suddenly when she felt breath against her unguarded rear. She shook in her bonds. Mac looked away, and Fluttershy turned with him, heading back towards Ponyville. "Come on, Big McIntosh, we don't need to be a part of this."
"Wait wait wait," Rarity pleaded with the remaining ponies. She glanced about uneasily. She couldn't just take it all back. It was too late for that. And besides, her plan had been sound, hadn't it? She couldn't turn her back on it. She'd come this far. She could still salvage it. "You... you just don't understand. You know I love you, all of you!"
"We thought you did." Twilight muttered.
"I do! I did it because I love you! I'm sorry if you felt hurt, but - but I was only trying to help, I swear!"
There was a silence. Then Pinkie Pie, of all ponies, was the one to speak up. "I believe you, Rarity. You just weren't yourself." She said, sounding genuinely sympathetic. Rarity smiled weakly, unevenly. Then Pinkie smiled back, shrugged nonchalantly. "But you still have to take your medicine!" she bubbled, turning around and prancing back to town as though nothing had happened.
The white unicorn stood in shock for a moment, then felt her tail being pulled, tugged, and swished aside. Her pale face went bright red, hot blush rising to her elegant features.
"Eughhh," Dash groaned, wincing. "I don't wanna see this. I'm gonna go do some laps or something to get my mind off this." She turned and took off into the sky, already starting to show a bit more energy than the day before.
Only Twilight and Applejack remained, watching the white filly shaking and rattling in her wooden bonds. Her unseen 'suitor' sniffed around behind her, tugging at her tail, curiously toying with her. Rarity gulped desperately. "Please, you have to believe me," she whimpered, "I... I know you're mad! I understand that! I can... ooh!" she startled, feeling the figure nosing between her legs. Her tone jumped, and she began speaking faster. "I can appreciate your frustration! But you have to believe me, I only did it to help you! I thought it would be for the best! You're my friends, and I did everything for you because of that!"
Applejack scowled and Twilight sighed. "Rarity, I don't know if we can ever be friends again. I don't know if we'll even be able to forgive you. But if we ever do, it's going to be a long, LONG road."
Rarity bit her lip, straightening out. She nodded quickly. "I--I understand! This..." she gulped, streaked tears running down her face. It had all come undone.
"I wanted to help you. I thought that... I thought that sex would - I just wanted to help!" she cried again, shaking her head, "But this... may not have been the best way to go about it."
Twilight frowned. AJ made an incredulous scoff, shaking her head, "Uhhhh, well gosh, y'THINK?"
"I'm sorry, girls. I really am!" Rarity gushed, sniffling. Finally, it had all come down. And yet for the first time in over a week, she felt a strange kind of clarity. "I know..." she took a deep breath through her nose, puffing up her chest, straightening up as best as she could. "I know I can't take it back. But... I swear, I wasn't myself! I don't expect you to forgive me. But I'm going to do everything I can to make it up to you, even if it takes the rest of my life!"
Applejack and Twilight looked at each other, nonplussed, but slowly, their expressions began to soften.
"I deserve this," Rarity said, firmly.
Twilight slowly glanced back. She gave Rarity a long, studious look. Finally, she closed her eyes. "We won't tell anyone." AJ looked up and then started to say something, but Twilight nodded to her. "But we're not taking the fliers down."

The two of them turned together towards the town, and without another word, they walked off, leaving the dense, overgrown edge of the Everfree Forest behind.
Rarity lowered her head, sniffling, and awkwardly wiped her tear-stained face against one of her locked-in front hooves. It was a chance. She'd take her punishment, however unpleasant. And then she'd do whatever it took to atone.
She felt weight on her back, something poking wetly at her haunches, and out of the corner of her eyes, two hooves came down from behind, straddling her shoulders. She looked to them and sighed, rolling her eyes. Long, unshorn gray fetlocks.
Mule hooves.
Of course.